Alright chapter two is up!! I am enjoying writing this so i hope there are some of you who are enjoying reading it! I changed the title cos i thought of a better one and i added a better summary!! So let's get on with chapter two and reviews with CONSTRUCTIVE critisim are welcomed, i'd really love to hear some opinions!


Arli sat in her room gazing at the photo of her team, sighing slightly.

"I hope that we fight soon, I need to see Yzak," she whispered. "Oh Yzak… what'll I do if you try and fight with me?" There was a knock at her door.

"Come in," Arli called.

"Uh, hi," a female voice said. One of Kira's friends came into Arli's room, looking nervous.

"Hi… uh, I'm sorry I don't know your name," Arli breathed.

"Oh, it's Mariellia… yours is Arli right?"

"Yeah, that's me… what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to join us in the dining room, we'd love to be able to talk to you." Arli looked surprised.

"Oh, thanks, I think I will," Arli replied. She stood up and slid the photo back under her pillow. She and Mariellia walked up the hall.

"So… you were with Zaft?"

"Yes… the team that we've been fighting actually," Arli said cheerily.

"You sound fine with that…"

"I'm trying to convince myself that it's no big deal but my brother is one that team. So, you were living on Heliopolis right?"

"Yes…"

"I'm sorry that it was destroyed."

"What's it like living on the Plants?"

"Predictable, you always know exactly what weather is going to be happening. It's also just as normal as living in a colony."

"Cool… so what-" The ship rocked violently and Arli groaned.

"Not now," she muttered.

"All hands to level one battle stations!" a voice echoed around. Arli turned to Mariellia and smiled.

"Well, I'll find out now what I'm going to do about my friends…"

"Good luck!" Mariellia called as Arli turned and rushed down the corridor to a lift. She stepped onto a lift and went up to the hanger. She rushed into the locker room, threw off her usual uniform and pulled on her pilot's suit. She zipped it up as Kira came into the room.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Of course," Arli said with a wink. She scooped her hair up and placed her helmet on over the top. "Time to fight, see you out there!" Arli left the room and travelled into the hanger. She floated along to the Combat. Two helpers took her hands and helped her into the cockpit.

"Thanks guys," Arli said. She pulled the straps across her and pressed the button on her helmet putting the screen down. She flicked a few stitches and unlocked the Gundam. It started up and she started adjusting a few things.

"Arli!" She looked up and saw Kira at her cockpit. "Here," he said passing her something. Arli took it and smiled, it was the group photo.

"Where'd you-?"

"You must have dropped it on your bedroom floor; I went in to check if you had gone yet."

"Why didn't you give it to me in the locker room?"

"You left before I could."

"Thanks Kira, get into your mobile suit!" Arli tacked the photo near one of her screens. Kira was getting into the Strike beside her.

"Combat, are you ready?"

"Mariellia?"

"I'm the Archangel's Communications Officer now," she said winking.

"Alright then… I'm ready."

"Alright, Combat standby." Arli's cockpit closed and she pressed some more buttons. The mobile suit was moved towards the hatch and she felt an adrenaline rush as she prepared to launch.

"When you're ready Combat," Mariellia said.

"Arliania Elthsman, Combat launching!" she said. The lights lit up and she felt the mobile suit rise up and it was shot out of the Archangel. As it was she pressed the Phase Shift armour button and the mobile suit lit up into gold with black and red highlighted all over it.

Arli saw the Strike launched beside her and she smiled.

"Ready Kira?" she asked.

"I am… we're nearing Artimus, did you know that?"

"No… I'll bet you anything that they'll follow us right to Artimus."

"I'd match that bet!"

"Kira, Arli, you're up against the Aegis, Duel, Buster and Blitz," Mariellia said.

"Right… we're up against all of them Arli, are you ready for this?" Kira asked. Arli nodded.

"You better be missy," Mwu's face appeared on another of her screens. "I'm coming out too so you better not let me down."

Arli giggled and winked.

"I won't Lieutenant, I'll fight as if they were just good-for-nothing naturals… kidding." Kira laughed along with Arli but their fun was cut short as they spotted the mobile suits.

"The Duel is mine!" Arli said. She wasn't sure who was in it but she was not going up against Athrun, he'd beat her! Arli turned around and flew towards the Duel. The enemy mobile suits pulled up, she knew, in surprise of seeing another mobile suit. They, like her, thought there were only five.

Arli moved towards the blue and orange model that she knew to be the Duel. She changed her frequency to listen to both the channel of the Earth Forces and Zaft.

"What is another mobile suit doing out here?" she heard her brother shout.

"I don't know but I'm taking it out!" she heard Yzak answer.

"Come and get it," Arli murmured, the heart of a warrior coming upon her. Arli pulled out her beam sabre and raised her shield protectively as the Duel flew towards her. "Yzak…" The Duel and the Combat clashed together, swiping at each other with their blades. Arli moved away and swung her sword to the Duel's back and cut it.

"Argh, natural scum!" she heard Yzak shout as he whirled around. "Because of you my team mate died!"

"Yzak!" Arli shouted forgetting herself. The Duel stopped in mid-strike. "I'm not dead!" She turned on her camera.

"W-what?" Yzak's shaky voice answered. His face appeared on Arli's screen.

"Hi," Arli whispered.

"Arlz?" he asked. "Is it really you?" Arli nodded, smiling.

"What are you doing in that mobile suit? Fighting against us?"

"What I think is the right thing to do…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Miguel killed a civilian, Yzak we weren't told you kill people!"

"But Arli-"

"I saw people die, innocent people! There are civilians on this ship and I want to protect them!" Arli stared up at Yzak's image with sad eyes.

"Arli… oh Arli I'm so happy that you're alive! But, I'm not so happy to see you with the Earth Forces."

"Yzak, you know I live by my heart… this is what my heart is telling me to do…" A tear slipped down Arli's cheek.

"So… you aren't coming back?" Yzak asked quietly. Arli looked up, she was shocked to see that Yzak wasn't facing the camera properly but she could see enough of his face to tell that he had tears falling from his eyes.

"Yzak… I'd give anything to say yes but that fact is I'll be sentenced to death…"

"Oh… Athrun what are you doing?" Yzak's attention was drawn from Arli. Arli looked away to see the Aegis and Strike not fighting. The Strike was trying to get to the Archangel.

"Oh no! Kira!" Arli turned off her connection with Yzak and tried to get to Kira but Yzak blocked her.

"Oh no you don't Arli!"

"Yzak, get out of my way!" Arli snarled. Yzak didn't move so Arli turned and rushed towards the Archangel.

"We have to get to the kid!" Mwu shouted. Arli nodded and saw the Duel start fighting with the Strike. Mwu's armour was being blocked by the Buster. Arli started towards Mwu's mobile armour when she saw the Aegis latch onto the Strike.

"Kira!" she shouted. She started making her way towards him when the Aegis started moving. "No…" She stopped when the Duel came in front of her again.

"Yzak, move!" Arli shouted.

"No… look your friend is coming with us so you come too!"

"No way!"

"Le Creuset will be so happy with the new mobile suit that he won't care about your helping of the Earth Forces…" she could hear the pleading and Yzak's voice.

"Yzak there are civilians on that ship! I have to protect them!"

"Fine… you give me no choice!" Yzak's mobile suit pulled out a blaster and pointed it at Arli's. "I'll destroy your machine and then take it with me…" Yzak's voice was shaking terribly and Arli's eyes filled with tears.

"Yzak, we have to get out of here!" Dearka shouted. Arli witnessed the Aegis lose the Strike as the Buster grabbed the Duel and they flew up and attacked the Strike. For some reason Kira's fighting suddenly got better and he fired at the four mobile suits and they retreated. Arli flew forward and caught the Strike.

"Are you alright Kira?" she asked, hoping her voice wasn't shuddering. Kira didn't reply and Arli was immediately worried.

"Let's get back to the ship you two, the Zaft pilots have retreated," Mwu said. Arli helped the Strike back onto the ship. She opened her cockpit and climbed out. She saw Mr Murdoch and Mwu opening Kira's cockpit. Arli pulled off her helmet and her tears floated away but she ignored them and went over to the Strike.

"Kira…" she whispered. She climbed in beside Mwu and gently shook Kira's shoulder.

"It's ok," she whispered. "We're nearly at Artimus and the battle is over now, you're fine." Mwu looked at her curiously but she ignored him.

"Kira, the fighting is over and no-one died, come on out now. You'll be fine," she said in the gentlest voice that she could manage. She reached forward and pulled off Kira's helmet and touched his cheek, her pink eyes filled with worry.

"You are alright aren't you Kira?" she asked quietly.

"I'll let you handle this," Mwu said backing out.

"Come on Kira," Arli whispered.

"How come?"

"What?"

"How come you didn't tell me that Athrun lost his mother in Junius Seven?" Kira asked; his purple eyes sorrowful.

"Well… it wasn't my information to tell. Look, Kira, Athrun and you are both fine and no-one got shot down. Come out…" Arli pulled the straps off of Kira and gently pulled him out of the cockpit.

"Thanks Arli," Kira sighed as they floated away. "Arli… have you been crying?"

"What? Oh… yes…"

"What's wrong?"

"Yzak…"

"The pilot of the Duel?"

"Yeah… he's, uh… upset that I wouldn't come back to Zaft. He said he'd have to destroy my machine if I wouldn't come and he was ready to do so…" Arli began to cry again and Kira held her comfortingly. She stopped crying quickly and the two of them walked into the lockers and put changed their uniforms. As they exited the locker room Mwu put his arm around Kira's neck.

"I forgot you mention this earlier but put a lock on that mobile suit, make sure no-one can use it but you," he said to Kira.

"Why?"

"I don't trust Eurasians," Mwu replied.

"By my calculations we should be at Artimus," Arli said.

"Oh yeah we should be," Mwu replied. "Alright then, you two should make sure those mobile suits are spick and span!"

"Yes sir," Kira and Arli replied.

"He is so weird sometimes," Arli said absentmindedly. "Well, come on Kira, I'll teach you about the locking process."

--

"Hello Captain," Mwu said as he floated up to Murrue's chair.

"Hello Lieutenant, what are you doing?" Murrue asked.

"There's something going on between those two kids I swear."

"They're just close because they're both coordinators fighting their own people… we're coming up to Artimus, look." Murrue pointed out of the front window.

--

Yzak had, had Athrun up against the wall by the throat again but Nicol had made him let go of the stupid, blue-haired moron. The silver haired coordinator stopped as Dearka shouted his name.

"What?" Yzak snapped.

"What were you saying about Arli being brainwashed?" Dearka asked.

"She's alive!" Yzak shouted, he was about to become happy when he remembered her words to him. "But they've brainwashed her…"

"Yzak… what are you talking about? Arli's dead," Dearka said softly.

"No she isn't!"

"Yzak, you must have hit your head! You're being delusional!"

"No…" Yzak turned and went back up the corridor and met with Nicol.

"Yzak?" Nicol asked.

"Did you see that sixth mobile suit?" Yzak asked.

"Yes… why?" Nicol replied.

"Did you hear the pilot speaking?"

"No… why would I? It's an Earth Forces suit."

"Arli was the pilot!" Nicol smiled kindly and put a hand on Yzak's shoulder.

"Yzak, you're upset because she's gone… but that's just it, she is gone," Nicol said gently.

"No! She's alive! She spoke to me, we argued and I threatened to shoot her down if she didn't come with us!" Yzak shouted. "Why won't you believe me?" Dearka floated beside Nicol and glanced at him.

"We want to believe you," Dearka said. "But the chances are…"

"Actually quite high," a voice said. They turned and looked at Athrun.

"Thankyou Athrun!" Yzak breathed.

"But… there's still a fair chance that it couldn't have been her," Athrun added. "Yzak, you just want to believe it's her because you lo-" Yzak's threw a punch out and brushed the side of Athrun's head as he moved to dodge Yzak's punch.

"Yzak, we'll need to hear her before we can believe you…" Athrun assured him. "Let's just forget it for now." Yzak glared at them all and turned and moved away.

"I know you're alive," he whispered. "And I'll get you back no matter what!"

--

Arli and Kira rushed to the window and looked out at the shield covering the Earth Forces space colony.

"Wow," Arli gasped. "We don't have anything like that at Plants."

"You're not nervous about going into an Earth Forces colony?" Kira asked looking at her. Arli smiled at him and shook her head.

"Not really, I mean… I retrieved this from my mobile suit…" Arli reached into her pocket and pulled out her handgun. "There was ammo in a pack under my seat… I'll be ready if they try anything…"

"Arli… you know that the Lieutenants won't let them do anything to you after you've helped us like you have," Kira reminded her as she tucked the gun back into her coat.

"I know… but… I have to be prepared. As long as no-one let's slip that I'm a pilot, a coordinator or a Zaft soldier then I'm fine." Kira nodded as the shield came off and the Archangel made its entrance.

"Let's go see the others," Kira said. "You really need to meet them properly." He took Arli's hand and tugged her to come with him. They floated along the corridor to the room where the teenagers were all gathered.

"Hi Kira," Tolle said. "Hi… uh, its Arli isn't it?"

"Yeah that's me… you're?" Arli replied with a smile.

"Tolle, this is Sye, Cuzzy and Flay… you already met Mir." Arli smiled in greeting and Kira nodded at her approvingly.

"These uniforms suck compared to the one we saw you in," Cuzzy said indicating his blue coat.

"I don't think my pilot's uniform will fit you but you could try it on to see what it looks like on you if you wanted," Arli offered. "I don't mind, I won't need it anymore…"

"What uniform?" Flay asked curiously. Arli looked at the girl with interest; she was the one who had hugged Kira. She had a very innocent voice but Arli could see something in her eyes that she didn't like.

"My… Zaft, uniform," Arli said, waiting to see how the girl would react. The coordinator wasn't disappointed.

"Z-z-zaft uniform… you're with Zaft?" the girl asked with fear. Arli clasped her hands behind her back and winked.

"That's right, Arliania Elthsman, Elite Red Jacket Pilot of the Le Creuset Team."

"Help!" Flay shouted. "Help, why is there a Zaft pilot on this ship?"

"It's alright Flay, Arli used to be with Zaft," Mariellia assured her. "She's with the Earth Forces now." Arli opened her mouth to make a comment but Kira shot her a look that read 'don't cause trouble, please'.

"Flay…" Arli took a few steps towards her but Flay hid behind Sye.

"You stay away from me!" Flay said with fear.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you… I helped save the ship just then!" Arli's eyes were flashing so Kira stepped towards her, took her hand and pulled her away.

"Drop it Arli… don't worry, she'll warm up to you," he whispered to her. Arli shrugged and walked away.

"I don't care," she said as she left the room. "As long as we don't have to fight again, I'm not protecting ungrateful people after all."

"Arli," Kira shouted as she walked away. She really didn't want to fight again; she was scared of facing Yzak again.

"Damn," Arli breathed. She knew they were entering Artimus and she suddenly felt uneasy. "Something isn't right… or, something's going to go wrong." Arli leant against a wall and frowned.

"We'll find out soon enough…"

--

Arli was ushered with the rest of the crew and civilians into the cafeteria. Her eyes sought Kira, when she found him he ushered her over and she sat down, directing her eyes to the floor.

"Don't let them see my face," she whispered to Kira.

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

"I've wiped quite a lot of Earth Forces ships; they're the ones who dubbed me 'The Dragon of Space' after the infamous assassin."

"Alright then… they want to know who the pilots of the machines are. We could be in big trouble."

"Whatever… they're in for a huge shock if they think they can take me."

"It's you isn't it?" Admiral Garcia said, pointing at Mir. "They'd never suspect a girl like you!"

"There's uh… a Zaft pilot on board!" Flay shouted. "She… there, that's her!" Arli looked up in surprise and then glared at the red haired girl.

Arli stood up and stood in an indignant pose as she and the Earth Forces admiral locked gazes. He took a step towards her, a sneer on his face.

"There are two machines, so there are two pilots," he said.

"Not necessarily," Arli replied. Garcia went to grab her when Kira stood up and Arli groaned.

"I'm a pilot," Kira said.

"No you're not; those things aren't made for people like you! Now get out of my way!" He went to punch Kira; the young coordinator raised his hand almost lazily and threw the officer onto the ground.

"I am a pilot," Kira told him.

"That's right!" Flay shouted. "They're both coordinators!"

Arli glared over at the girl angrily.

"When I go back to Zaft, she's the first one I'll kill," Arli breathed.

"Arli, don't say that," Kira whispered.

"Both of you can be quiet! They'll come in handy, take them to the hanger!" Garcia ordered. Both of them walked out together.

"I'll get us out of this mess," Arli murmured. She touched the place in her coat where the gun was hidden. "I'm not letting them take us down."

"You're more than a soldier aren't you?"

"Well… there's more to me then what you think Kira Yamato. I know how to take care of myself with our scary leaders like Athrun's father and Yzak's mother." Kira stared at her as Arli stared at the ground thoughtfully.

"Are you going to unlock those mobile suits for us?" the admiral asked.

"Not at all," Arli replied politely. They were lead into the Archangel's hanger and stopped in front of the G-Weapons. Arli stared up at the Combat worriedly. She didn't want these bastards to get their hands on it.

"The Strike and the Combat… I must say out of all the ones that the Earth Forces built these two are by far the best. The Duel may have been the basis of design but the Combat was the original. The Strike bests the Combat… thought depending on the skill of the pilot perhaps the Combat might best the Strike."

"We already know all this," Arli yawned folding her arms. "Do you intend to try and take these off of us or just talk?"

"We intend to enlist in your help. We want you to help us attack Zaft… we must attack the Plants!"

"No way!" Arli shouted. "Innocent people live on those things!" Kira touched Arli's shoulder and gave her a warning look. The angered coordinator looked ready to point her gun at the admiral.

"But you are already traitors to your fellow coordinators. You're helping the Earth Forces by fighting your own people." Arli glared, her hand jumping inside her coat.

Kira started protesting angrily and Arli moved behind him. She pulled out the handgun and held it steady; she took a deep breath and stepped out from behind Kira, pointing the gun at Garcia.

"What do you plan to do now?" he asked, eyeing the gun with a trace of worry. Arli held her finger on the trigger, her heart was beating fast.

"I… I can't," she sighed, lowering the gun. "I just can't…" Kira touched her shoulder and pulled her back.

"I don't think we should allow such an aggressive person to walk free," Garcia sneered. "Plus, a Zaft soldier shouldn't be in the Earth Forces, especially not one bearing the very same name as an assassin who caused us much grief."

"What are you saying?" Kira asked, putting an arm around Arli's waist and pulling her closer to him protectively. A group of soldiers with guns came into the hanger and surrounded them. Kira pulled Arli right against him and she blushed slightly, realising that Kira wasn't going to let them take her without a fight.

"Kira…" she whispered. Kira ignored her so she poked his shoulder. "Kira, let me go, I can't fire a gun if you're holding me." Kira looked at her and she raised an eyebrow. She had the gun in her left hand and was pressing it into Kira's right. He stared at her without a sound as she stared back at him purposefully.

"When I say go," she breathed in the most silent of voices. "Let all of your weight off me so I look as though I'm falling, I'll grab the gun from my shoe and we'll make it to the bridge." Kira nodded, his eyes focused ahead.

"Now, we'll give you a chance to hand her over," a man said, raising his rifle.

"No way," Kira snarled.

"GO!" Arli shouted. Kira took his arms off her and she ducked down as guns fired over them. She reached into her shoe and pulled her second gun out of its holster and rolled before landing on her knees and firing at the soldiers.

"Come on Kira!" she shouted. She had jumped to her feet and was walking backwards towards the door, pointing her gun at Garcia. "Do not fire one shot at us! Get off this ship now or I'll shoot your admiral. Word to the wise, I don't miss."

"What have you got to back that up with?" a man snarled. Arli thought and then grinned evilly.

"Don't mess with this dragon… unless you have a death wish, of course!" Arli shouted in a deep voice. The soldiers all mouthed wordlessly at her and most of the fled to the exits. The admiral however, was murderous. Arli gulped and grabbed Kira's arm as he reached her.

"What was that?" Kira asked.

"Don't worry, just get out of here!" Arli hissed. Kira nodded and rushed out of the hanger while Arli took a few steps closer to the admiral, her gun pointing right at him.

"The Dragon of Space… is a girl?" he asked.

"Well duh! I retired a while ago," Arli replied. "Just get off this ship and let us leave!"

"Fine…" Arli pressed her gun into his stomach and glared at him.

"March!" He pulled back from the gun and started walking, Arli pressing her gun into his lower back. When they reached the exit Murrue and Mwu had some running, followed by Kira and Natarle. The admiral was pushed off the ship by Arli. She then closed the door and turned to her bosses.

"Sorry about that," she said. "But they were trying to kill me!" Mwu sighed and grinned at her.

"I told you I didn't trust Eurasians," Mwu laughed.

"I don't either," Arli agreed. "But they're frightened enough, let's get out of here!" Mwu and Murrue nodded and rushed to the bridge. Natarle stared at Arli for a second and then rushed away and Kira stayed with her and sighed. He then looked at her, a frown on his face.

"Who are you… really?" he asked.

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you," Arli joked; then she sighed. "But seriously, it'd be a bad idea to tell you. Just remember, I'm not what I seem." She left Kira feeling even more in the dark than before.


Aright we have some mystery going on here but all will be revealed, you find out all about Arli's past when i find a way to include a huge conversation between Dearka and Yzak about her!

R&R pwetty pwease!!

Erin xxoo