PHASE SIX: Wishes and Desires

C.E 79 South Atlantic Ocean (Seven Days Ago)

Swords clashed and weapons were fired amidst the rubble of the ruined Maius One and Two. Kira took out his beam cannon, quickly moving and disabling one of the Unknown mobile suits that had been responsible for the nuclear attack just moments ago. Finding that it no longer had the ability to fight, the mobile suit self-destructed itself, surprising the brown-haired Coordinator. Kira clenched his teeth. Above him, he saw Shinn's GOUF battling against two mobile suits. The young pilot was definitely capable, as Kira had personally experienced battling against. Their numbers were small: only Kira, Shinn, Lunamaria, Sierra, Dearka and Shiho had launched and they were facing twenty Unknown mobile suits. In terms of military capabilities, however, they were more than able to handle the fight. Kira had issued an order to take the pilots of the Unknowns alive for questioning if possible, but it did not look like they would give them the chance.

Out of nowhere, a mobile suit charged towards the occupied GOUF, its beam sword aimed at the cockpit. "Shinn, look out!" Kira cried out in surprise. Boosting his thrusters, Kira discarded his railgun and switched to his beam sword, covering Shinn's back just in time as their swords clashed. "You're too far in, Shinn!"

"Sorry. Thank you, Commander. But these guys sure are tough," Shinn cursed as he continued to use his beam gun against the two mobile suits.

The mobile suit Kira was facing suddenly boosted its thrusters and Kira followed. There was no way he was going to let even one of them get away without questioning their motives. Sensing that it was being followed, the mobile suit turned and charged towards the Enigma again, but Kira was ready. With his right hand holding the beam sword, blocking the mobile suit's attack, Kira quickly took out the Armour Schneider stored in his MS's left hip, driving it deep into the mobile suit's shoulder blade. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?" Kira shouted angrily. So many lives lost...

Kira hadn't suspected to get an answer, but it was evident that the mobile suit pilot was as furious as he was. "This is for the better good of our world! It's the fault of Coordinators like you that the world is always living in fear! Developing mobile suits and ships in places like this..! Always ready to attack us!"

"What? What are you talking about? We had five years of peace! Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"SHUT UP! KISAMA!" The mobile suit charged again and their swords clashed. "What peace are you talking about? Pretending as if you don't know! Naturals and Coordinators are never destined to share their worlds!"

For a moment, Kira was stunned. "What..?"

"We will break the gap between your worlds! Just wait and see. Especially for those damned neutral unions like Orb. They will perish soon."

Orb..? "What are you talking about?"

"HAHAHA! It's too late, boy! Very soon, you will see our power. You will see how those disgraceful countries like Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia will perish for claiming themselves to be neutral, allowing Naturals and Coordinators to live together. The attack fleet are on their way as we speak. Orb will perish! Don't underestimate the RENEGADE. We will show that to achieve true peace, Naturals and Coordinators cannot live together!"

His body froze, his eyes wide as the images of Athrun and Cagalli filled his mind. Mu, Murrue, Waltfeld... his mother, Reverend Malchio, the children... Lacus... He had heard of Athrun asking to see Lacus, but that would only mean that Lacus would be going to Orb... No... Orb was going to be attacked? Then... this was just a ruse to keep their eyes blind!

"COMMANDER!" Shinn's voice broke him from his thoughts. The GOUF's right arm slammed against his Enigma and its left hand, equipped with the GOUF's "Tempest" beam sword, fought against the attack from the Unknown mobile suit. With an angry cry, Shinn lashed out with his sword and with two clean cuts, the mobile suit exploded in front of them along with the pilot's last cry of pain. "KUSO! What are you doing, Commander? I'm not here to save your butt!" Shinn's voice was angry, and rightfully so.

Kira had other things on his mind, his mind racing as he connected the dots. He quickly scanned the area – the fight was still going on, but he had no doubt in the skills of the pilots. In any case, he couldn't stay here. He needed to go back to Orb. The attack on Botswana and Maius One and Two were enough to show that the group had the military capabilities for what they wanted to achieve – and to separate the Naturals and Coordinators once and for all would mean eliminating the neutral nations... eliminating Orb...

"Sorry, Shinn. I'm going back to the ship – stay here under Captain Elsman's orders. Inform the squadron that Captain Ghens will be the commanding officer as second-in-command until I get back," Kira said, surprising the black-haired Coordinator. Boosting his thrusters again, he could just hear Shinn protesting. "It's an order!" Kira called back, moving quickly to his Aurora. "Calling Aurora – I'm making an emergency land," Kira said, swiftly landing his Enigma as they opened the shaft. "Get me a booster, quickly!" he commanded.

"What?" Clearly, and unsurprisingly, the order was unexpected.

"I'm sorry. Please do your best. I'm acting as an independent member of the Archangel. This attack is a ruse – the real danger is in Orb," Kira said, noticing that he was receiving static in reply. "Kuso!" Kira switched the communications channels, but all he could get were snippets of questions, and he knew that it was the same with the crew. Athrun, I'll trust you to figure it out...The Aurora crew had always been efficient, however, and they quickly equipped him with the booster even without knowing why. An order is an order. Kira signalled with his mobile suit that he was launching again and he watched as the dumbfounded technicians scrambled away.

"Enigma, Kira Yamato's unit, standby for launch. All systems, online. Initiating launch sequence. Enigma, you are cleared for launch!"

"Kira Yamato. Enigma. Launching!"

What happened afterwards was a blur. Kira remembered disconnecting the booster once he got close to the United States of South America, landing his Enigma in the forest near the cliff. He remembered climbing out, Torii following him out from the Enigma. He remembered running to the edge and jumping into the cold waters, swimming effortlessly to the hidden latch where he conducted the retina eye scan. He remembered activating the control panel, climbing into the cockpit of the Strike Freedom, all the time having images of Lacus, Cagalli and Athrun, finally smiling and laughing again after the war, in his mind. Torii had followed him inside the cockpit, but he paused. Kira held his hand out and Torii, faithful as ever, hopped on it. "Sorry, Torii... but I need to leave you here," Kira apologised, smiling slightly. The bird flew away and he descended into the cockpit, activating the system.

GENERATION UNSUBDUED NUCLEAR DRIVE ASSAULT MODULE

G.U.N.D.A.M Complex

Disconnect plugs. Activate Phase Shift. Boost the thrusters.

They were all simple, natural procedures to someone who had left his Gundam years ago. And, as suspected, as soon as he launched, the Freedom immediately detected enemy signals coming from the direction of the South Atlantic Ocean, with a course directed towards the unsuspecting Orb Union.

.

"Kuso!" Kira breathed heavily, his eyes beginning to blur considerably as he shook his head, disabling yet another mobile suit. As he had already predicted, he was caught right in a trap. But it was necessary, in order to protect Orb...

The mobile suits did nothing to hide their identities. The logos of both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT decorated them both, and they had been attacking constantly, their numbers never seeming to decrease. Nobody thought this would happen; it was well beyond anything that had happened before. Silently, Kira cursed himself for not being able to see it coming. Why was mankind capable of something like this? He desperately tried to push away Rau Le Crusset's words that had been spoken years before. It was not futile to try and save the world.

I can't go on much longer like this... Kira thought desperately as his second beam rifle exploded right in front of him, sending the Strike Freedom backwards due to the force of the explosion. What am I supposed to do?

It was not an easy battle for ZAFT and the EA, and they, too, were beginning to tire from the endless battle. But though their forces kept on switching, Kira was a lone fighter. He wondered why they hadn't destroyed him yet. Surely, one mobile suit against this many was an easy kill? Why did they allow him to live and fight for so long like this? A small, niggling voice at the back of Kira's mind tried to make sense of the situation – maybe they're not fighting to destroy him, but had another purpose? If so, what?

He took out his last weapon, the double beam sword, and rushed forwards, disabling one mobile suit after another. Even diving into the ocean would be a futile attempt, as there were mobile armours there just waiting to ambush him. It was impossible to run away. They were having fun taunting him. Kira breathed hard, sweat covering his face. A small mistake on his side allowed a ZAFT mobile suit to land a hard blow by the Freedom's side, and while the Gundam was thrown out of control, an EA mobile suit struck from above, cutting the Freedom's right arm easily with its beam saber. The gravity pulled the Freedom towards the ocean, but just before it made contact with the water, Kira pushed the valve and the machine rose again. The alarms sounding in Freedom's cockpit were deafening as multiple warnings were issued. The legs of the Freedom had already been blasted away earlier, and it was only thanks to the hyper-deuterion nuclear reactor in the Strike Freedom that Kira could still move.

No... Not like this... Kira thought desperately as a mobile suit slammed him from behind, throwing him forwards. But he knew even before he entered the battle that this was the last for him. For Orb... Just to buy them some time. Athrun... protect Cagalli... protect Lacus... He had succeeded in destroying as many mobile suits as possible in the long battle. Another mobile suit fired and the last beam sword exploded, sending the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom towards the ocean again, this time front-first. If Kira pushed the valve, it would only thrust him into the ocean where the mobile armours were waiting to destroy him.

It was truly the end of the Strike Freedom. Images of Lacus, Cagalli and Athrun entered his mind again. Especially Lacus... That kind, strong person who had always been there for him since the very start... He had never truly told her how much he loved her. He had never truly mentioned his desire to build a family with her. No... Not yet... Not like this... Not yet..!

Instinctively, Kira pulled out the Freedom's keyboard, quickly activating the control panel to the Strike Freedom's OS. He scanned the commands there, his fingers moving fast as he moved closer and closer to the surface of the ocean. Initiate auto-pilot system. Set course for Aprilius Four in PLANTs. Disable weapons system. Nuclear energy and power flow nominal. Reroute all power to thrusters. Set Variable Phase-Shift on minimum. Systems, all green. Strike Freedom, system optimized.

Kira boosted the thrusters and the Freedom sped into the water just before the moment of impact, sending up a huge display of water. 5 metres... 10 metres... 15 metres... 20 metres... come on... Kira urged the Freedom onwards as he delved deeper, and sure enough, he was pursued by mobile armours seconds after. The Strike Freedom's radar showed more heat signals approaching – clearly, they weren't going to let him get away easily, and even so, he did not have anywhere to go. Two of the mobile suits locked onto him and released four underwater missiles. Bracing himself, Kira gritted his teeth and as soon as the missiles hit him, he ejected from the Strike Freedom, at the same time activating the autopilot. The DRAGOONs at the back of the Strike Freedom exploded upon impact, and for a moment, the screens of the mobile armours were blinded by the force of the explosion and display of bubbles.

The Strike Freedom turned sharply and headed straight towards the surface at full-speed, exploding from the water's surface as it ascended towards the sky. The force of the water shocked the mobile suits at first, but it was apparent that the Strike Freedom had nowhere to go. A couple of mobile suits were ready – one from ZAFT and another from the EA. The EA mobile suit slammed its leg at full-force against the Freedom's cockpit, and as the Freedom flew out of control, a ZAFT mobile suit sliced the Gundam cleanly from the top with its beam sword. Kira could vaguely make out the outline of two halves of the Freedom getting closer to the water's surface, then exploding before it hit the water. The force threw the brown-haired Coordinator back and the last image Kira could make out was a mobile armour moving towards the remaining parts of the Strike Freedom, its back towards Kira, and he could remember no more.


C.E 79 PLANTs (Present Day)

"I propose that we conform to RENEGADE's ideals! PLANTs is populated by Coordinators anyway, and the Earth Alliance has constantly demanded our resources for the energy crisis they faced on Earth!"

"I agree! The Botswana base was attacked by terrorists and they still blamed ZAFT!"

"They're good-for-nothings, those Naturals. Cutting off our ties with them will definitely ensure peace for PLANTs. If needed, we can always move our colony away from Earth's orbit and settle somewhere else in our Solar System! They have insulted us long enough!"

"For a world of Coordinators!"

The Council was energetic, with the representatives holding radical views shouting their opinions on the RENEGADE's proposal that had been aired five hours ago. Lacus's brows pulled together as she bit her lips, listening to their arguments. Though RENEGADE had admitted to the events in Botswana and Maius, they did not mention anything about the attack on Strike Freedom which had involved forces from both ZAFT and the EA. Lacus had no doubt that the attack on the Freedom was also orchestrated by the RENEGADE, but revealing that truth would also reveal to the public on ZAFT and EA's disloyalties to their governments – a real coup d'état might take place, involving the public who would see the government as being weak. Revealing the truth about the Freedom would also show the world that the Archangel crew no longer has the Freedom to fight its battles. With the world on an uproar to split the Naturals and Coordinators once and for all, revealing that truth could have a very deadly effect.

Lacus clenched her fists slightly, frowning at the energetic Coordinators. Only a small handful were hesitating, still trying to maintain a neutral ground. With people's hearts angered by their losses and their fears from the previous wars, Lacus couldn't truly blame them for their reactions. Shaking her head, Lacus stood, turning her azure eyes on the eleven members in front of her. "Everyone. Please calm down," she said sternly, immediately gaining the attention of the Council. "ZAFT and PLANTs must not support this group. All it will do is bring more endless fighting. RENEGADE has already claimed responsibility on the attack of Maius One and Two. It was not the Earth, or the Naturals. So isn't that more of a reason on why we should oppose them?"

"Lacus-sama does not seem to understand the situation," one of the Council members answered, looking up at her. "We are not asking for war with the Naturals. We are asking for independence. Independence from those Naturals who do nothing but bring us down and take advantage of us!" he said, receiving cries of agreement from many others.

The provisional Chairwoman shook her head. "Orb and the rest of the neutral territories have already declared that they reject the ideals of RENEGADE. So, will you force them to accept RENEGADE's ideals?" she asked. "Our goal is always to obtain peace. We cannot achieve it by force."

"I believe Lacus-sama's opinion is one-sided due to her strong ties with that neutral country," another Council member said coldly, leaning back. "Lacus-sama must think for the best interests of PLANTs, not for the best interests of Orb. What is peace when you're constantly frightened of an attack? What is peace when all we get are demands from the Naturals? Without having the responsibility to think for the Naturals, we Coordinators can move freely towards building a better nation!"

"No!" Lacus insisted, her fists clenched tighter. "The infertility rates of our Coordinators have increased with the third-generation. We still have not found a cure. What might happen to us if we cut our ties with those on Earth?" she questioned, and for once, the Council was silenced. "Do you really want a world where we disregard each other? Without an alliance with Earth, do you really believe the minds of the people will be more at peace?" Lacus asked sternly, refusing to give way.

Two hours later, the songstress exited the room of the council meeting and spotted Yzak standing loyally as he waited for her. She smiled slightly at the familiar figure, her personal advisor, and together, they walked to her private room in the Supreme Council Building. For now, Lacus had succeeded in persuading the Council members to reject RENEGADE's ideals, but silently, she wondered how long that would last. The path of avoiding conflict and war was always the hardest path to take, after all.

"I can see why the RENEGADE's ideals are appealing," Yzak said suddenly as they entered Lacus's room. He shut the door behind her and watched as she sat down, her face thoughtful and questioning. "RENEGADE promises independence. Freedom. If both sides truly disregard each other, then it's highly possible that we would no longer develop mobile suits or put our soldiers on stand-by for possible threats," he said slowly, moving to stand by her table. "But that can only last if both sides stay true to their word."

Lacus shook her head slowly. "We cannot let it happen. Naturals and Coordinators... in the end, we're still human beings," she said, surprising the silver-haired General. "This 'fight for independence' started with an attack on both sides. We are not compromising – we are being forced into it," she said, her brows pulling together as she frowned. "No happiness can truly be found if there are people who are betrayed or forced in the process."

"Then... I wonder what path is the right one to take," Yzak said quietly, his blue eyes cast away. How could one truly ensure a world where everyone is happy?

The songstress sighed. "Everyone is so consumed by their hatred... Will the day never come for us to forget our anger towards one other..?"

Three hours later, Sirne Anfiel and Lacus Clyne released a joint statement rejecting the ideals of RENEGADE. On the surface, it seemed as if the world had turned back to normal, but there would always be individuals who oppose...

"They chose wrong to go against us."

"We'll just need to show them that they're wrong, then."


C.E 79 Orb Union (Present Day)

In Cagalli's study in the Parliament House of Orb, Athrun and Cagalli watched the television screen quietly, listening to both Lacus Clyne and Sirne Anfiel's declarations against the ideals of RENEGADE. It wasn't truly surprising that they both managed to keep the EA and ZAFT from officially joining the RENEGADE, but Athrun couldn't help but feel sceptical towards the effectiveness of the declaration. Both armies had already fought against the Strike Freedom beforehand after all, and even if that did not include all the army personnel, it still was more than enough to engage the Freedom in an approximate ten-hour battle. That was merely a warning. Athrun couldn't begin to imagine what forces they would meet in a real battle.

Dark thoughts entered his mind as he thought back to his father's radical views seven years ago. Even after two years, his views were still held high by a number of Coordinators and Athrun highly doubted that those views had died with the Second Bloody Valentine War five years ago. Athrun believed that, like the Blue Cosmos, the loyal followers of Chairman Zala were never completely gone. He clenched his fists tightly as the image of Yuri Amalfi was played in his mind again. Yuri Amalfi had held the position as one of ZAFT's Council members at the same time his father became the Chairman after replacing Siegel Clyne. His heart longed to head to PLANTs and find the man, but he knew that for now, it was impossible.

"I wonder what's going to happen to the world now..." Cagalli said suddenly, breaking Athrun's thoughts. "Honestly, I don't think RENEGADE will leave things like this."

Athrun was about to respond when a knock on the door made them both look up in surprise. Cagalli gave her permission and the door opened, revealing Kisaka and Armagi. Athrun immediately stood to salute the two and Cagalli brightened considerably with their arrival.

After the Second Bloody Valentine War five years ago, Kisaka and Armagi were honoured as loyal soldiers of Orb and were thus promoted as Admirals as Athrun had. Due to Kisaka serving in Orb longer than the other two, he was given the position as the Fleet Admiral of Orb, while Athrun received the position as an Admiral. Armagi, who had joined the Archangel with the remaining fleet of the sunken Takemikazuchi, was then promoted as the Vice Admiral of Orb. The three personnel had played large roles in the development of Orb, and having them all here was reassuring to the young Representative.

Kisaka glanced at the television screen, shaking his head slightly at the news. "It never ends, does it? People's hatred to one another," he said, watching the protestors gathering as they opposed the steps taken by both Lacus Clyne and Sirne Anfiel.

Athrun shrugged, smiling slightly. "It can't be helped. The people are scared of each other," he said slowly. "In any case, is everything alright?"

"All clear," Kisaka nodded. "The Murasame training has been improving a lot," he said approvingly. Athrun began to mutter about him not doing anything, but Kisaka waved it away. "I've seen you at it, Athrun. You're doing a good job."

"Er... No... Uh... Thank you..." Athrun stammered. Cagalli bit her lips as she watched him, trying hard not to laugh. He was never good with compliments.

Kisaka smiled and patted the blue-haired Coordinator's back. "In any case, Commander Waltfeld has left Orb," he informed, suddenly remembering the reason he had come.

Cagalli and Athrun were surprised. "He left? When? Where?" Cagalli asked. It seemed like the unlikeliest time for the Commander to leave the Archangel.

"PLANTs," Kisaka answered and Athrun nodded in understanding. "He's worried about her," he said, nodding to the figure of Lacus Clyne on the television screen.


C.E 79 Mendel Colony, Lagrange Area 4 (Present Day)

Hazy images clouded his mind. He was aware of the sluggish feeling of one who was being drugged. Images of him shuddering awake from time to time, struggling to move and crying out in pain followed by gentle hushes and a wet cloth pressing on his hot forehead before going back into the darkness... Images of his old friend smiling at him, handing a green mechanical bird that he had left behind... Images of his sister hugging him when she found him crying... Images of Lacus who gave him a new sword... Athrun... Torii... Cagalli... Orb... Lacus... Strike Freedom... The battle...

Kira awoke with a jolt, and he gasped for breath. An excruciating pain shot up from his right side and he groaned, his hand instinctively moving to press the bandaged wound. Wait... bandaged? What happened? Kira blinked several times and looked around, his eyes adjusting to the painful brightness of the room. It looked like an infirmary and Kira was vaguely aware of the beeping of the monitors that was connected to him. He took off his oxygen mask – the room was empty.

It took him a while to remember what had happened. The battle in the South Atlantic Ocean... Ejecting from the Strike Freedom... Watching as the machine piloted itself to the surface of the water... The attack... The two halves of the Strike Freedom falling and exploding... and then nothing. Kira held his head. At least he still had his memories... At least he was still alive. With his right hand, he struggled to push himself into a sitting position, his body feeling incredibly stiff.

"Kira! Don't!" an unfamiliar female voice reached his ears. Kira's muscles gave way underneath him and he fell back into the arms of guy his age, with short, dark red hair and black eyes. "Careful," he said, repositioning the brown-haired Coordinator so Kira could lie down comfortably. Kira turned his eyes back towards the girl who had cried out earlier as she fussed over him. He could see a resemblance between her and the other, though she had long black hair and blue eyes.

"You... Who are you?" Kira asked, confused. Too many questions were running through his mind.

"Don't worry, we mean you no harm," the red-haired said, a smile tugging at his lips. "My name is Ken Sienth. This is my sister, Hikari. You are in the deep areas of the abandoned Mendel Colony. We found you at the shore in the United States of South America. You were wearing a ZAFT pilot suit, which was probably what kept you alive in the shores."

"Um..." Kira trailed off, his mind racing. "ZAFT? That is... I was –"

"You don't need to make excuses," another voice greeted them, this time a man's. Kira's eyes turned to the newcomer as he approached the bed. The man was tall, with silver hair and eyes. His hair was shoulder-length and he looked at the other Coordinator curiously. "For starters, we are all Coordinators. But that shouldn't matter. Your identity is safe with us," he said truthfully. "My name is Daisuke Shen. It's been a while... Kira Hibiki."

Kira's eyes widened, unable to respond. This man...

Daisuke laughed. "Don't feel guilty if you don't remember me, Kira. We were more closely acquainted with each other when you were in Dr. Ulen Hibiki's artificial womb," he said, grinning at the dumbfounded Coordinator. "I was a scientist in these labs, and a close friend and supporter of your father and mother," he explained quietly. "Normally, in a situation like this, I would be asking how your sister is doing, but I suppose you wouldn't know. So let me reassure you that Cagalli, and Orb, is fine."

This man is dangerous... Kira thought suddenly. He knew too much... But it did not seem as if he wanted to be an enemy. If so, he would probably have taken the advantage of killing Kira while he had the chance. So... why..?

"I can see you don't trust me," Daisuke said, reading Kira's thoughts. "And I am glad you don't – it's the sign of a fast intellectual. But I guess I can only give you my word that I mean you no harm. These two," he said, gesturing at Ken and Hikari, "are my companions here. There are only three of us. Ken and Hikari lost their parents almost at the same time you lost yours. Their parents, too, were involved with Ulen Hibiki's research."

"I'm sorry," Kira said sincerely. "There's so much I still don't understand."

"Don't worry," Ken answered, crossing his arms. "We still have time."

"For now though, you need to rest," Daisuke said, patting Kira on the shoulder. "We'll continue when you're stronger," he said gently. His eyes were unreadable, an odd expression that Kira couldn't fathom. But Kira was already drifting away in the world of darkness and could only mumble his thanks as he felt a pair of gentle hands cover him again.


C.E 79 PLANTs (Present Day)

It was night-time in Aprillius Four. A few metres outside Lacus Clyne's mansion, a sleek black car was parked, almost invisible in the depths of the shadows of the trees that surrounded it. Unknown to the songstress, a few other cars were also stationed around the mansion, keeping watch of any movements inside, but there was none. All was quiet. Inside the sleek car, a blonde Coordinator yawned and stretched, rubbing his violet eyes tiredly. He had signed up to become a soldier in ZAFT for many things, but losing sleep and not being paid for it was charity work, and he didn't like it.

"Yzak. Tell me again why we're out here for the third night in a row?" he yawned again, casting his eyes on the silver-haired General who was sitting on the front seat.

"Shut up, kisama!" Yzak snapped at him. "With the current situation being as it is, it's not safe to leave Lacus alone. And hell knows, she's been persuaded enough times already to move to a safer place, but refused," he said angrily, his voice quiet but still holding the contempt at the carefree, pink-haired princess. Lacus might not worry about assassins or intruders, but Yzak surely was. There was no way he would let a person be murdered in cold blood under his watch, that was for sure. If anyone could stop the war from happening, it was Lacus. That alone was a good enough reason for Yzak to station himself outside her house for the time being.

Dearka yawned again. "Situation..? What situation..?" he asked, his eyes closing. He was truly, truly tired. The workload they were facing was high enough already without this extra work. If there was one quality of Yzak's that Dearka absolutely hated, at least right now, it was the fact that the General had a thing for doing things his own way without relying on others.

"I think even informing him of our objectives and grounds will do him no good in his current condition," Shiho said as-a-matter-of-factly, glancing at the half-sleeping Coordinator from the rear-view mirror.

"I know that," Yzak snapped. His patience was running thin with both of them.

A figure moving swiftly through the mansion grounds suddenly caught Yzak's eye. He nudged Dearka awake and nodded to Shiho who had also spotted the shadow. Dearka was about to complain, but the look in Yzak's eyes meant trouble. The sleep now gone from his eyes, he took out his gun carefully and watched. For a few minutes, the place was silent, but then the shadow moved again. They could only spot one. "He's in our territory. Let's go," Yzak commanded, sliding out from the car quietly, followed closely by Shiho and Dearka. At Yzak's signal, they moved away as they tried to corner the stranger. Yzak approached the figure, and just a few arm's length from it, he raised his gun, his vision clear enough to see that the figure did the same. "Don't move! Show yourself!" they shouted at each other.

"I won't allow it! I won't allow it!"

"Haro! Haro!"

"Lacus-sama! I won't allow it!"

"No way! Haro! Haro!"

"What the..? Haro!"

Yzak jumped slightly as the multi-coloured Haro's began to ambush them. The noise they made was absolutely astounding – alerted, the rest of his squadron moved and flicked on their torches, revealing Yzak and Waltfeld surrounded by over-protective Haro's that continued to attack them by bumping their round bodies against the two. For a moment, Yzak suddenly knew why Lacus did not seem at all worried about staying alone in the large mansion.

"Ara ara... What's going on? Everyone! You can stop that now. Pink-chan, you can leave them now," Lacus appeared at the second floor balcony, looking down. The pink-coloured Haro responded with an excited "You too! You too!" before leading the other Haro's away. Lacus had a white and pink dressing gown draped on and she looked confusedly at the scene before her, her eyes then widening at the familiar and unexpected figure. "Waltfeld-san! Yzak! What are you doing there?" Lacus asked, her eyebrows raised.

Watlfeld looked up at her and raised his hand in greeting. "Yo! I came here for a visit, Lacus," he shrugged, then turning to Yzak. "Didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were trouble. Long time no see, Yzak Joule," he greeted the General who couldn't help but snort in reply. Kisama... When I see him again, I'm gonna take that Duel and use it to personally mutilate him, Yzak thought angrily, the image of one particular blue-haired Coordinator coming to mind.

Flustered, annoyed, humiliated, Yzak turned to his squadron and told them that everything was under control now and they no longer needed to keep watch. Quite a number of them, including Dearka, were delighted that they could finally return home and get some sleep. Yzak thanked them for their hard work and watched them leave, leaving him alone with Waltfeld. The door to Lacus's house opened and the songstress beckoned for them to come inside. Yzak followed, settling himself on a comfortable chair in the living room and turned his eyes on Waltfeld.

"So... What can I do for you, Waltfeld-san?" Lacus asked.

Waltfeld shrugged. "Orb has been getting crowded, so I thought you might enjoy some company here," he said simply. Waltfeld looked around – the house was truly quiet, and he knew that she must be feeling very lonely without that brown-haired Coordinator around. "Lacus," Waltfeld began, "I came because I was worried. ZAFT and the Earth Alliance might have said that they do not support the RENEGADE, but I doubt that RENEGADE will back out just like that. In any case, it is dangerous for you here."

Lacus sighed slightly. "I know," she said, turning her eyes away. "But it can't be helped until we continue to see what else might happen. Even in PLANTs, it's impossible to monitor everything. Some colonies are beginning to separate from one another, after RENEGADE's announcement," she said sadly.

"In any case, I'm staying here with you," Waltfeld stated, his voice holding such a high degree of authority that Lacus knew there was no way she could argue.

"I see. Thank you..." she smiled.

Lacus followed Yzak to the door half an hour later, the gentle smile never leaving her lips. Yzak told her to take care and turned to leave, but she called his name again and he glanced back at her. "You were worried, weren't you?" Lacus asked knowingly. "Thank you."

He couldn't help but blush slightly upon seeing her expression. Muttering something about not needing to worry about it, Yzak left her by the door, unaware of how grateful she really felt that there were still people looking out for her. Deep in his heart, Yzak cursed himself for not being able to do anything apart from this – once again, they were playing the waiting game with RENEGADE, and he absolutely hated that.


C.E 79 Orb Union – Archangel (Present Day)

A tall figure with bronze hair and eyes stared at the floor in the Archangel quarters. He pictured the last time he had been here – seven years ago, during the First Bloody Valentine War, along with his close friends who were all civilians that were somehow caught up in the war for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. How his life had changed since then, and after the war, he had distanced himself from any thoughts of battles and mobile suits all his life. Yet... here he was, once again. He wanted to ask himself why, but perhaps he was a soldier at heart after all. He was the first to join the Earth Alliance among his friends during the first war in any case; a decision that surprised his friends, but led them all to join as well.

"Sai..?" a familiar voice made him look up. Miriallia was standing at the door, her aqua eyes gentle. "May I come in?"

"Uh... sure... Come in, Miri," Sai answered, surprised that she was there. Miriallia had always been the one with the kindest hearts among their group, apart from Kira. He watched as she walked over to sit beside him. She had grown since seven years ago – she was taller, and had a calm and mature look with a gentle face that would make anyone feel drawn to her.

"Long time no see, Sai..."

"Seven years..." Sai answered, bowing his head slightly. He had kept away from his friends, from anything that reminded him of the war and Fllay. Even during the Second Bloody Valentine War, he had distanced himself even though he still heard the news on how the Archangel, once again, fought to protect the world with the Freedom.

"How are you, Sai? What have you been doing with yourself all these years?" Miriallia asked brightly.

Typical Miri... "I'm fine. After the first war, I continued my studies in the Kingdom of Scandinavia in computer science. Actually, I studied a lot there... about many things. I completed my studies a few weeks ago and wanted to look for a job... but somehow, I found myself here," Sai said lightly, laughing slightly despite himself. "Guess I'm tied to this ship, huh?"

Miriallia shrugged. "How did you find out about the Archangel?"

"It was pure coincidence," Sai said truthfully. "I came to Orb two days ago... and I bumped into Kuzzey. We exchanged news and he told me about the Archangel after bumping into Commander Flaga. We decided to come," he said, turning his eyes away.

"Kuzzey? I see... That's why he's here. He sometimes came to visit us in Orb at Commander Flaga's house after the second war," Miriallia said, shaking her head again. "I didn't expect him to return to the Archangel."

Sai smiled slightly. "I think after you participate in war, it's hard to stay and watch while others suffer..." he trailed off.

Miriallia nodded. She herself knew how that felt.

"Actually, I came to find Kira," Sai said suddenly. "It's been so long since I've seen any of you guys, and I didn't know where to start. I heard about Lacus Clyne being the Chairman of ZAFT, and I recognised that guy who is now the Admiral of Orb – Athrun Zala. Orb was nearer, so I came here," he explained, clenching his fists slightly. "Actually, I was angry with myself throughout these seven years. What happened between me, Kira and Fllay... I didn't want to leave without settling it with him. Fllay was... scared, insecure... she didn't know what to do or who to trust, and she was always crying. But Kira... Kira was... kind, strong... he always tried his best to protect us, but we never saw that. I could only begin to imagine what he went through during that war. I resented him, but after I saw him try to save Fllay before she was killed, I..." Sai bowed his head.

"But..." Miriallia trailed off, gaining his attention again. "But Kira knew that," she said quietly.

Sai nodded. "I know he did. Kira... had always understood. I was the one who never realised that he had been a victim of the war, too..." Sai said, smiling slightly. "He was kind, but he was also a Coordinator. I never thought that the war might affect him like it did with us. I've been such an idiot," he said, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his emotions. "I came to find him, to talk to him... I don't know what I want to say to him, but..."

"Kira would understand," Miriallia said sadly, the tears forming. "I think even if you didn't say anything, he would have understood and wouldn't hold anything against you. I can't believe that he..." she trailed off, unable to accept the fact.

"I want to fight again, Miri," Sai said, turning his eyes on her. "I already spoke to Captain Ramius, and she gladly accepted. Guess the Archangel is always going to be an undermanned ship, huh?" Sai commented and they both laughed slightly at that. He turned his gaze to the floor again. "I missed you guys... all of you. And I'm sorry for distancing myself like I did, even when I knew the Archangel was fighting during the second war. I... want us to be friends like we were before this again," he said, finally realising that that was what he had wanted to say to Kira all along. To say sorry for leaving, for not being the friend he was supposed to be... and to ask for friendship again.

He was surprised when Miriallia hit him lightly on his shoulder. "Idiot. You're always our friend, Sai. Always," she said sternly, and he realised she was crying, her shoulders heaving. Sai bit his lips, the images of them together at Heliopolis coming back to him. Those were the happiest days, but one by one, they began to lose their comrades... Tolle... Fllay... Kira...

Sai held Miriallia's shoulders, holding back his tears as they grieved for their lost friend.

Outside the room, a blue-haired Coordinator stood, his eyes cast away. Athrun hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but somehow, something made him stay and listen to the conversation. He turned and walked away until he reached the side of the ship and sat down, sighing to himself. Torii landed on his lap and hopped around, gaining his attention. For a while, Athrun merely looked at it as it tried to distract him from his thoughts. Unconsciously, the Admiral of Orb raised his hand and looked at his palm. There's no point in continuing like this, Athrun thought, his brows pulling together.

Briefly, he remembered when he had followed Kira into the Requiem at the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War. He had watched and listened as Kira pointed his gun at Gilbert Durandal and told the Chairman that they wanted a future and not an unchanging world. When Durandal asked what Kira would do when the world turned chaotic again, the other Coordinator determinedly said that that he was prepared for it... and that he would fight.

Athrun clenched his fist tightly. Instead of grieving for something he wasn't sure of, he decided to have faith. Kira was out there. Athrun refused to believe that the brown-haired Coordinator had left them. Kira wouldn't allow himself to do so. He must have survived. And Athrun would fight until they could battle with each other again, side by side.


C.E 79 Mendel Colony, Lagrange Area 4 (Present Day)

A voice... I know this voice... Kira struggled to break through the haziness clouding his mind, turning his head a few times. A woman... No... Not just a woman... Lacus... This is Lacus's voice... and... Cagalli..?

Kira opened his eyes slowly. There was no mistaking Lacus's voice - stern, authoritative and commanding. Kira blinked and noticed that Daisuke's back was facing him. He was watching a large screen, split into four sections, showing Lacus, Cagalli, a man whom Kira recognised as Sirne Anfiel, Earth Alliance's Secretary-General, and what seemed to be a massive crowd holding up signs of "Support RENEGADE". As he listened, he realised that the other three were making statements claiming that they were rejecting the ideals of RENEGADE. Kira's brows pulled together. Renegade... Where had he heard that before..?

"Don't underestimate the RENEGADE. We will show that to achieve true peace, Naturals and Coordinators cannot live together!"

"RENEGADE?" Kira gasped as understanding came over him. Daisuke turned in surprise, his eyebrows raised as he watched the brown-haired Coordinator. Kira pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes on the screen. "That is..."

"PLANTs, Orb and the Earth Alliance declaring that they are against RENEGADE," Daisuke said, moving to sit beside Kira. "I think you already know that RENEGADE was the one responsible for the attack on Maius, and for doing this to you," he said, gesturing to Kira's bandaged body. "They're also responsible for the attack on Botswana. This was shown on all channels in the world two days ago," Daisuke said, tapping into his mobile device. The images of the screen changed, showing one man who began to speak. It was the recording of RENEGADE's declaration.

Kira listened, his eyes widening. "No way..." he whispered, clenching his fists.

Once the declaration was over, Daisuke turned the screen off. "That man is Yuri Amalfi. Once a Council member for PLANTs, also the developer of the N-Jammer Canceller. But anyway... I suppose I need to apologise to you first. It wasn't my intention to drug you, but you were very restless," he said, smiling slightly. "It's nine days since you went down with the Freedom. We kept you drugged for a week," he admitted, leaning back. "...I admire the courage of your sister, Cagalli... and ZAFT's provisional Chairwoman, Lacus Clyne, whom I know is closely acquainted with you since the previous wars. My intelligence told me that Lacus Clyne and her advisor went to Orb to meet Cagalli when you fought. We have reason to believe that they were shown the footage of the Freedom being destroyed - a group of Murasames went looking for you the day after and returned back to Orb when they found the evidence of the battle," he informed.

Athrun... It must be...

"I need to return," Kira said, struggling to stand.

Daisuke placed his hand on Kira's shoulder, forcing him back down. "You will go," he promised sincerely, "but not now."

Kira clenched his teeth. In his condition, he doubted he would go anywhere for a while. Something Daisuke said earlier caught his attention suddenly. He said his intelligence... "Who are you?" Kira asked curiously. How could this man gain so much information?

"I am Daisuke Shen," he answered, running a hand through his silver hair. "But I guess that itself isn't a satisfying answer, is it? I work hand-in-hand with Terminal," he explained.

"Why..." Kira trailed off, wondering if he should ask. Daisuke's eyes were questioning. "Why did you save me? Why help someone you don't know?"

"Why indeed..." Daisuke said quietly. "Maybe I just want a reason to believe this can end," he sighed.

"What do you mean?"

The man smiled. "Your second question is incorrect, if I may say so. I know who Kira Hibiki is. But if you ask me why I saved you, maybe it's because you're the Ultimate Coordinator," he answered. Kira tensed and shrank back slightly. "Kira... Do you know the reason why we Coordinators exist? Or, more accurately, the reason why we were given the name 'Coordinators'?" he asked. Kira didn't answer. "Coordinators are a bridge between humankind and the future. We are responsible - or rather, we are truly created - in order to bring humanity to its fullest potential. But why do you think that doesn't happen..?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Kira looked away. "Not all Coordinators are kind to Naturals. And not all Naturals are accepting of Coordinators," he said slowly.

"And yet, in places where the two can work together, they are better than the rest," Daisuke pointed out. Kira looked up, confused. "Orb is such a place. A small nation, just an island after the destruction of Heliopolis. Yet, it has never been taken down against its will. That is the power when Coordinators and Naturals work together. And ironically, that is what RENEGADE found out," Daisuke mused.

"RENEGADE..?"

Daisuke nodded. "RENEGADE's ideals are not new to us. It has been voiced out numerous times by the late Chairman Zala as well as Blue Cosmos. But it never worked because they were both working alone. But RENEGADE... That group is a coalition of both Coordinators and Naturals, working towards the same direction. Though they're not looking at total annihilation, it's ironic that when they finally work together, it's to separate one another," he laughed darkly. "Your father, Ulen... was an ambitious man. He was clever, with a great sense of justice and wished for a peaceful world, even though his ambition eventually consumed him. But he wanted the right thing. He wanted a true Coordinator, the real bridge between humanity and the bright future."

"But... I'm not," Kira protested, his fists clenched tight. "I'm a normal human being."

"So am I, but I'm still a Coordinator," Daisuke answered, surprising the other. "Your mother... Via Hibiki. She wanted happiness more than anything else. Happiness for everyone," he said, looking away. Kira could sense a strange emotion in the other man. "She was kind... a crybaby... she knew what she wanted, yet she did not know the means to get it. Your father, on the other hand, had a goal to reach. Both wanted the same thing, but it was your father who believed he knew the way. And that way was to produce you, the Ultimate Coordinator: The bridge between Naturals and Coordinators, so we can finally work together for a better world. I think your father's determination was what made your mother love him, until she found out that you were taken from her womb... her own child, destined to be the Ultimate Coordinator. She became frightened for you - the life of an Ultimate Coordinator would be difficult, and she did not want that for her own child."

Kira looked down, his knuckles white from clenching them too hard. He tried desperately to block Daisuke's words out, but he couldn't - a part of him wanted to listen, wanted to understand... "That is another problem with humanity," Daisuke laughed slightly. "We wish for a good world, for a better future, but we never want to be the person to reach out to it. 'Let someone else do it', 'Let this person handle it', 'I'll just support this person and hope it'll work'... In Via's case, she didn't want the Ultimate Coordinator to be you, her child, fearing it would not bring you happiness."

"Stop it!" Kira cried out suddenly, glaring at the other man. "I am... not all those things!"

Daisuke smiled sadly and stood. "Have you heard of Nature vs Nurture, Kira? It is an old debate that has never found an answer - a debate asking whether we are defined by our genes or by how we are brought up by our parents. I always preferred the Nurture side of the argument. If I look at life from that side, then all human beings are capable of being Coordinators, in the truest sense," he said, putting a hand on Kira's shoulder. "With the gifts you have gained from your father, and the gentleness you received from your mother... I would like to think that you are all those things," he said, walking away. Daisuke paused before he exited the room and looked back at Kira. "You look like Via... The same hair, the same eyes - the same expressions and humbleness. Will you hate me if I tell you I've always loved her?" he asked.

When Kira looked up, surprised, Daisuke was gone.


Author's Note: Right, to clear up a few things that might be confusing:

1) Orb's ranking system is similar to that used by the Earth Alliance, but apparently, they're more prone to using naval terms. An Admiral like Athrun is typically the highest ranking officer, but there are situations whereby a Fleet Admiral is called for, and this is Kisaka. A Fleet Admiral is of a higher position compared to an Admiral. A Vice-Admiral, on the other hand, is lower than an Admiral, and this is Armagi. There's another rank called the Rear Admiral, which is the lowest position of an Admiral. Below the Rear Admiral is the Captain/Colonel ("Taisho").

2) "Terminal", according to Gundam Wiki, is a non-governmental organization that shares information with all parties and it is also a group that does intelligence work. It's spear-headed by the Clyne Faction and it's also a neutral organization whose objectives are merely to give information - it's usually how the Archangel knows the happenings in the world.

3) Officially, the location of Lacus's house in PLANTs is unknown (either that, or I couldn't find it -.-"). I assumed that it is in Aprillius though because when Siegel Clyne became the Chairman of ZAFT, he represented Aprillius city - Aprillius One is also where the Supreme Council Building is located. So I randomly pulled out Aprillius Four as the location to her house - yet if any of you know the actual location, please let me know.

4) DRAGOONs are those moveable wings of the Strike Freedom's that can fly and shoot on its own. In GSD, the Strike Freedom never uses the DRAGOON system on Earth, so canonically, it is assumed that it cannot operate within Earth's atmosphere. Which is why it was still connected to the Freedom when the underwater missiles hit Kira.

5) Just to refresh our memories: Kuzzey Buskirk was one of Kira's friends from Heliopolis who joined the Archangel in Gundam SEED. But after witnessing a few battles, he eventually decided that he no longer wanted to stay, and what happened to him afterwards was never truly revealed. It's a similar case with Sai, who was neither seen nor mentioned in Gundam SEED Destiny.

Anyway, thank you for the reviews, and for still reading with me! :D It's really highly appreciated. Thanks to my reviewers: PathKeeper, PrincessOfDestiny14, hakuMeyen, WaaWaa, sugarcarly, AngelicFox12, nxkris and San17! Also thanks to those who favourite-d, alert-ed, and read the fic, as usual. If there's any confusing information, don't hesitate to ask. As usual, I hope you enjoyed this chapter - please let me know!


hakuMeyen: Not at all, I'm very happy you're still reading! :D Unfortunately, Miriallia is with the Archangel and Dearka is with ZAFT. T.T It's a shame because I love this pairing, yet they're difficult to write. Though they are fighting for the same thing, it's difficult to get those two parties to work together, so they're always separated. I'm trying to work out a situation where I can get them to meet, so let's hope it works!

WaaWaa: I'm so sorry I didn't explain that! D: KIA is a military term that means "Killed In Action". MIA, on the other hand, stands for "Missing In Action" - people use MIA when they don't know whether the soldier is alive or not. Officially, the soldier is listed as "Missing", but in the military, it just means "dead but unable to prove it".

AngelicFox12: I agree that the last chapter was a tough one - both to write, understand, and apparently read. XD But I suppose it's because it's the turning point of the story. In any case, I'm glad you can still follow me! :D

nxkris: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story! Kira will return for sure, don't worry about that. :D He has a war to fight, after all. XD

San17: Thanks for your review! :D I promise you, Kira and Athrun will be the main characters throughout the story - Kira especially. The OCs I use are merely side-characters to move the plot. :3 I'm glad you enjoyed it so far! :D