PROLOGUE

C.E. 71, June 15

Onogoro Island/Orb Union

14 year old Shin Asuka ran a few feet behind from his family, through the forest as they tried desperately to get away from the battle that was taking place. The sound of explosions seemed to follow as they ran as they could. Shinn nearly tripped on a rock as he ran, but caught his balance almost immediately recovered and kept running. His family suddenly stopped, obviously wishing to catch their breath. Shinn stopped right next to his faster.

"Dad!"

"Dear!" His mother said, right after him.

"It's okay. Their targets are likely military facilities."Shinn's father said confidently. He turned to his son. "Hurry, Shinn!"

Shinn nodded as they began running again. He could soon see their destination, the harbor, clearly. He would have out a sigh of relief, but a large explosion forced to stop. They had to duck soon after as a large mobile suit flew over them. Shinn didn't have time to clearly take in the details, other than the blue paint and the large cannons on its back. His family soon started running again as another suit with dark blue wings flew towards the other mobile suit. Shinn look back for a split second when he heard something hit the ground.

"AH! My mobile phone!" His sister, Mayu said as they stopped. Shinn looked over to see that phone had slid down the cliff and hit a tree.

Their mother tried to pull her away. "Just leave it!"

"No!"

Shinn knew very well that Mayu would never leave her phone. Acting impulsively, he jumped over the side of the cliff and grabbed the phone. Right as he picked it up however, a shockwave from a large explosion knocked him off balance and he was sent flying towards the harbor.

The next thing Shinn knew that a man with grey hair, and wearing an Orb uniform was helping him up. "Are you alright?" Shinn did not immediately respond, but he made a grunt that indicted that he was okay. "This way! Hurry!" Shinn allowed himself to be guided to the ships, but he suddenly remembered what happened and turned back around.

"Where are Dad and Mom? Mayu?" Shinn asked, still dazed. His eyes widened as he saw that the hill was completely destroyed. He looked down. "Mayu!" He rushed forward but stopped when he got closer.

It was his sister's severed hand.

It was a nightmare! Shinn did want to believe it, but then he saw his sister's mutilated body. His eyes soon wondered to his mother's body, which was just as bad. His father was pinned under a tree. He couldn't see any of their faces, or perhaps he could, but didn't want to register them. Shinn knelt down next to his sister's hand, reaching out to it. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, and instead broke down. Nothing mattered, it couldn't be real. His tears fell onto his sister's cell phone, which Shinn tightened his grip on.

Two mobile suits flew over, but Shinn didn't notice. The Orb Officer tried to call out to Shinn, but the teenager paid him no attention, and instead looked up at the mobile suits fighting in the air. Shinn let out a horrible scream of anger and sadness, his red eyes still filled with tears.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

OPENING: Ignited.

PHASE- 01: Angry Eyes

Athrun floated a few feet behind Cagalli as they made their way out of the air port. They had arrived at Armory One only a few minutes earlier, but Athrun had not removed his sunglasses since leaving the Earth. He checked and looked over at Cagalli. "Are you sure that attire will do?" He asked her. "You did bring one dress, didn't you?"

Cagalli looked back at Athrun, and he could tell that she was a little flustered by the question. "Wh-why should it matter what I wear? This'll do, won't it?"

Athrun was sure that it would not do. "It's important to do a little acting at times." The reason Athrun was worried about Cagalli's appearance was because they were meeting with the new chairman of the PLANTs, Gilbert Durandal. Although Athrun had never met him before, he had heard that Durandal was a very shrewd and charismatic politician. Almost everyone in the PLANTs, and the member's of ZAFT respected him greatly. "You understand, don't you?" He asked. "There's no need to try to be something you're not. But at the same time you don't want to be taken lightly."

Cagalli shifted a little, and Athrun floated up next to her. "Although this in an unofficial visit, you are still the current leader of Orb." Cagalli nodded and looked forward.

Several minutes later they found themselves on the elevator that led down into the living center of Armory One.

"Tomorrow's ceremony marks the first launch of a new ship since the war ended." Cagalli said to the ZAFT Commander who was guiding them to the Chairman. Athrun knew that she was referring to the launch of the new ZAFT ship, the Minerva. Athrun could tell that it would be huge, because the many people who had come to Armory One for the ceremony. "They're well aware of what we're here to talk about so it baffles me as to why they'd have the ceremony now, and at this location." The soldiers didn't know how to respond, nor did they seem to know if they could even respond.

"But we're the ones who requested to see them on short notice, Representative Athha." Athrun pointed out. Even though he and Cagalli were very close, he still had to address her formally during their visits to other countries or other political dealings that required him to be with Cagalli. Cagalli looked up at him. "I believe Chairman Durandal suggested meeting here rather than the PLANT homeland, so that we could keep a low profile." Cagalli understood without having to tell Athrun so. The elevator finally entered the living space of the PLANT, and Athrun could tell without looking at Cagalli that she was surprised and amazed by the sight.

Shinn, now 16, walked down the streets of the shopping mall. He had come here with his friend and fellow Minerva crewmate, Yolant Kent. He had graduated from the military with top marks, and had become an Elite ZAFT Red Suit, a fact that Shinn was proud of. He was also very happy when he was assigned to the Minerva, as the pilot of the ZGMF-X56S Impulse, one of ZAFT's most advanced mobile suits. From he had heard, the Impulse was based off of an Earth Alliance mobile suit, called the Strike.

Shinn looked at the CDs in the electronic store he had just entered, looking for a few good ones that he listen to while off duty. He found quite a few good ones, and decided to buy them.

"Will that be all for you, sir?" the store clerk asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if the new type of music player was out." Shinn replied.

"As a matter of fact, it has."