Chapter Four – Kira's Dream

Carrus twiddled his thumbs, constantly shifting his gaze between the door he was shown into, the floor and Mayu, who sat on the other end of the room. He anxiously awaited Athrun's return, knowing deep in his thoughts, both he and Mayu wasn't invited to rest at the central command post to just recover from his first battle. His eyes darted, unable to determine what Athrun's plans were.

"So…" Mayu smiled lightly. "What happens now?"

"Don't know…" Carrus sighed. "We need to wait for Athrun…"

"So… he knows our parents, right?"

"Yeah… in fact, he's my godfather."

"No kidding?" Mayu chuckled.

"It's true." Carrus and Mayu threw their heads towards the door, seeing Athrun leaning against the frame, still in his red pilot suit, holding his side. "Although Carrus doesn't like to admit that he sees me as a substitute to his real father."

"What? Athrun! Your body?" Mayu exclaimed, leaping out of her chair.

"It's nothing…" Athrun chuckled, reminded of Mayu's mother. "Although Cagalli chewed me out for using the Justice at my age…"

"Are you serious?" Carrus exclaimed. "You're not even SUPPOSED to fly a mobile suit anymore?"

"Maybe not one on the same level as the Justice, but we needed it in that battle." Athrun turned his head to Mayu. "Chances are the enemy will return soon; let me ask you, do you know how to use a mobile suit?" Mayu gasped, wondering why Athrun would ask such a question. "We are short on pilots right now… and if I'm not mistaken, you appear to be the daughter of Lunamaria and Shinn, am I correct?"

"Ye… yes?" Mayu answered.

"Then knowing Shinn, he taught you how to use a mobile suit, right?"

"Um… he taught me how to fly an old Dinn once… But I don't know how to fight in combat!"

"Just lay off her Athrun!" Carrus growled, standing between Mayu and Athrun. "Mayu isn't the type to hold a gun!"

"And you are?" Athrun scowled, making Carrus glare at Athrun. "Already, four earth alliance officers have been killed by your hands, and why?"

"Look, I was just trying to pro…"

"Protect the one's you love, protect your home, protect your country, it doesn't matter at the end of the day. After all; everyone comes up with an excuse to fight, don't they?"

Carrus turned his head away, he knew whose words Athrun spoke. "You're BEGINNING to sound like Kira…"

"You know he's right."

"He's a hypocritical old bastard!" Carrus spat angrily. "He claims that fighting will end fighting, and yet…"

"So how do you intend to stop this war that seemed to appear?" Athrun answered. "I don't know what it is that has spurred the Plants and the federation into acting. But your answer is a lot like those who couldn't understand how wars affect everyone."

"NOW you're starting to sound too much like my mother…"

Athrun quietly chuckled to himself, reminiscing about his past. "I DID nearly marry her…"

"Athrun… let me help." Mayu announced, her fists tightened.

"Mayu?" Carrus whispered, spinning to face her.

"Very well." Athrun smiled. "You understand then?"

"Don't get me wrong." Mayu replied. "It's just, if wars change people so quickly so they don't even realise they've killed someone else…"

"Wait… what are you saying Mayu?" Carrus barked. "You want to throw yourself into this?"

"Only because it's what my parents would do… and I want to follow their example. Right, Athrun?"

Athrun chuckled, seeing the same fighting spirit he once saw in Lunamaria. "Only if you follow us to the end."

"Yeah."

"Then Carrus…" Athrun began, shifting his gaze to Carrus. "You're serious about protecting her?"

"Well…" Carrus sighed, his eyes closing in fear of the changes to come. "Yes… I'll admit I don't know about war, but…"

"Follow me, Mayu, head across the hall, and to the left, there's a pilot suit waiting for you." Athrun led Carrus out the door, and towards a long corridor, guarded by two guards at the very end, watching over a door, opening it for Athrun and Carrus. Carrus squinted through the darkness of the room, his footsteps echoed loudly through the void. When the lights flashed on, Carrus' eyes widened, at the sight of a powered down Gundam, but this was completely different from the Strike, it was taller, and had a wide set of folded wings, each with four wing blades, and a pair of beam rifles on its hips.

"Wait a minute… that's the Freedom!" Carrus answered in awe.

"Close. What you see, is the MNS-X001 Eternal Freedom." Athrun chuckled. "That mobile suit was sent to us by your father shortly before you arrived in Orb."

"Kira made that?"

"It's similar to the Strike Freedom Gundam used in the last war twenty years ago, only this suit apparently has a more advanced OS then anything ever seen before. I don't know what features it has, but this is a mobile suit that both he, and I, hoped you would never see."

"So… you want me to fly it?"

"I think that the adults should be the ones to fight, not the young… but if you have the will to protect not only Orb, but Mayu…"

"Wha?" Carrus jumped in shock, seeing a small smile on Athrun's face. "You're getting some weird idea, aren't you? We're just…"

"It's all right." Athrun smiled. "After all, you're the reason she's fighting…"

Carrus blushed at Athrun's comment, trying to hide his affection. "You're REAL vulgar in your old age, you know that?"

"I'm not that old you know…" Athrun growled quietly.

"But… thank you…" Carrus smiled silently.

Setsuna looked up, his flag was too damaged to repair on the submarine. The memory of the Justice's appearance burned in his mind. He had no idea he would end up fighting a nuclear powered Gundam in Orb of all places, considering Orb had spearheaded anti-nuclear weapon campaigns.

"It's begun huh?" Setsuna said to himself. Turning, three senior officers faced him. "It's time. Open it."

"Lieutenant." One of the officers began. "We're under orders to…"

"It's time, check with the Chairman himself if you want approval." Setsuna answered coldly. The officers turned again, and stood next to three keyholes. Inserting a key, each officer opened their lock at the same time, opening a large chamber in front of them. Setsuna watched, as a large blue figure opened up, with green blades running through a shield on its left arm, and a green sword on its right. Right in the joint of the machines left shoulder and on the back, dead in its core each had a GN drive embedded in the unit. "00 Gundam Qan [T]… my own Gundam."

Mayu zipped up her pilot suit to the top of the collar, the taut fabric wrapped tightly around her body, when a group of older women passed her, wearing the same uniforms. Walking out, she noticed a briefing was just being wrapped by an older blonde woman in a high ranking officers uniform, even more elegant than Athrun's, and he was the head of the Orb military forces. Mayu watched closely, observing the battle plan closely. Eventually, as the senior officer wrapped up, Athrun and Carrus walked in. Mayu spotted the pair, waving to Carrus, who blushed and looked away. The pilots in the room began to stand up, leaving for their appropriate posts, when the woman approached Carrus.

"Aunt Cagalli…" Carrus smiled. "Sorry I'm…"

"I think your father would agree that you are ready for this…" Cagalli smiled. "Honestly, I hoped you wouldn't need to use that machine down in the depths."

"Thanks… that means a lot hearing it from Orb's chief representative."

"I'm your aunt first, got it?" Cagalli lectured, jabbing her finger into Carrus' shoulder.

"Cagalli." Athrun interrupted, nodding his head.

"I have to go, the Earth Forces are on their way again. Please help us however you can…" Cagalli walked back to Athrun's side, and he escorted Cagalli out, his hand rubbing her back gently.

"Well, you're coming after all!" Mayu giggled, standing next to Carrus.

"Yeah…" Carrus answered, trying not to stare at Mayu. "Uhm… sorry, it's just…"

"Yeah… I know…" Mayu blushed. "The suit is a little… snug…" Before she could finish, Carrus wrapped his arms lightly around Mayu's waist, embracing her just enough so that the pair felt a moment of peace. "Hey… this… is kind of weird… I mean… we just… met today…"

"Hey… we've known each other since we were kids, haven't we?" Carrus chuckled. "Just promise me you'll be okay…"

"I'll be fine…" Mayu smiled, pulling back so she could look at Carrus. "Athrun's giving me that Strike you had, and he's strapping a… integrated… weapons… striker pack I think…"

"Sounds dangerous." Carrus laughed. "I'm scared of what you'll be able to do!"

"But what about you?" Mayu asked. "What could you be using, if not the Strike?"

"The next model of Freedom of course…" Carrus chuckled, a gleam in his eye.

"ALL HANDS!" A voice roared over the intercom. "LEVEL ONE BATTLESTATIONS! FIFTY ENEMY MOBILE SUITS INBOUND!

"Guess it's time to leave!" Carrus chuckled, kissing Mayu's forehead. "Just be careful, okay?"

Mayu tightened her grip around Carrus' waist, trying not to let go. "Just a little longer… please?"

"Come on, you and I both know that we're scared… we're just looking for some comfort before the battle…"

"Yeah… I know…" Mayu sighed, letting Carrus go.

"I promise… we'll meet again…"

"You're late!" A mechanic called, standing next to the Freedom.

"Sorry!" Carrus answered, zipping up his navy blue and white pilot suit, as he ran into the cockpit. In a swift movement, he leaped into the pilot's seat. His fingers skimmed across the panel of the suit's keyboard. "Okay, running diagnostic, checking neural links… huh?" Carrus' eyes widened, seeing an interesting program, codenamed, the "Odysseus" program. "What is this?" Carrus began running the program, to see what sort of program it is, when all of a sudden, the power switched off, and the entire suit closed its hatch, power down. "What the hell? Now what?"

Before he knew it, the three hundred and sixty degree view screen flashed to life and a familiar face to Carrus, that of Kira Yamato emerged on screen, what's curious to him, is that even thought it had been two years, his father seemed like he hadn't aged since his birth. "To the pilot of this machine…" Kira spoke, his eyes fixed on the pilot seat. "What you hold is the result of war breaking out again. This mobile suit is designed entirely around ending war, all the while trying to minimise the amount of casualties on the battlefield. Don't forget, if you kill, then are killed for killing that person, how could this ever bring about peace?"

"Kira…"

"I hope that you are able to bring peace to the Cosmic Era, hopefully longer than I have been able to. And Carrus?"

"What the? You knew?"

"Yes… I know what you must be thinking, and I would like to apologise, after all, for you to end up in a mobile suit like I did, it is undoubtedly a harsh reality both of us have to take. Please, try to understand what really happens in the world, and let Athrun, and everyone else close to you help you in whatever decisions you wish to make. I love you, my son."

The screen blackened, and Kira's face disappeared from the screen. Carrus felt his hand shake. He felt his body swell up with doubt and fear. Not once, had he ever hear Kira be so sincere with him before. "Father… thank you…" Carrus smiled, as the view screen flickered to life once more. "Now… it's time to start that promise! Carrus Yamato, Eternal Freedom, HEADING OUT!"

The freedom's engines roared to life, as the nuclear energy flowed through the neural links, the Freedom kneeled, and the wings spread afar within the large hangar, and it flew up, soaring through to the blue sky above, grabbing the attention of all the ground troops below.

"Holy hell?" One of the orb pilots roared over the comm.-line, as they all gazed in the air, even Mayu, aboard her Strike Gundam looked in awe.

"Carrus…" She whispered. "Good luck out there!"