Chapter 9: Return to Augustus
(Opening: Ignited, T.M Revolution)
Carrus cringed, feeling the sun beat down on his face through the curtains. He opened his eyes gently, to notice Mayu at his side; the pair were under the covers of Mayu's small single bed. Curious, Carrus raised the sheets, his face lighting up at what he saw.
"Freaking pervert!" Mayu laughed, making Carrus yelp and fall out of bed. "Had to get another look, huh?"
"I…I…I'M… SORRY!" Carrus apologised.
"It's okay…" Mayu smiled, curling in her bed. "After all, I'm pretty sure that we're SO far beyond the friend zone that clothes don't mean anything! Oh, and I can see you!"
"…Yeah… I see you too…" Carrus answered with a naïve tone.
"Noooo… I see YOU…" Mayu giggled, pointing between Carrus' legs, who turned a bright shade of red, and covered the source of his embarrassment. "By the way… don't worry, you'll get better! And I'm more than willing to help!" She added with a wink.
"Huh?" Carrus asked with a confused look on his face. "What are you talking about?"
"Your TECHNIQUE, mister ace pilot!" Mayu laughed, eagerly smirking at Carrus' reaction.
Athrun watched as the Izumo class warship, Yamamoto was loaded with supplies and machinery. He watched carefully as the Eternal Freedom was loaded, alongside the Gundam, Unicorn. Athrun turned, receiving a report from an officer. He read through it carefully, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight, Lotte and Kat were confirmed to be still alive, and en route to Orb, after the Harute received repairs. Turning around again, he saw Carrus skulking besides a cheerful Mayu.
"Well, you look chipper Mayu!" Athrun smiled. "Had a fun night?"
"Of course!" Mayu giggled. "We did lots and lots of things! Especially Carrus! Right?" Carrus never said a word; instead, he crossed his legs and blushed.
"Sounds action packed… what were you doing?"
"We… went around town!" Mayu smiled. "Through coins down a well… rocked on a boat… and…"
"STOP GOING ON ABOUT SEX!" Carrus yelped, making Athrun raise an eyebrow, and everyone in the hangar who heard him burst out in laughter.
"Riiiggghhhttt…" Athrun chuckled, handing some files to Mayu. "Anyway, there are some files for you Mayu, you're the commander on this one, so I'm promoting you to Lieutenant permanently, and you'll hold a temporary rank of Lieutenant Commander, okay?"
"Wow! Thank you Athrun!"
"That's Admiral Zala, Hawke, and don't you forget it…" Athrun scowled, reverting to his military self.
"Yes sir!" Mayu giggled, saluting Athrun.
"Now go out, and bring your father to Orb." Athrun said, as he walked off.
"Great… I can't believe you're a higher rank then me now…" Carrus sighed.
"Oh, and Carrus? If I catch any word of you and your superior officer having sexual relations, I'm throwing both of you into separate cells. For life." Athrun laughed, making Carrus straighten himself in terror.
"Dang it…" Mayu grumbled. "And we were getting to the hot part of the relationship… Carrus! I order you to get promoted!" She said with a smile and pointing her finger at Carrus' nose.
"You make it sound so easy…" Carrus answered, his eyes narrow with annoyance.
"Attention, all ships are hereby ordered to upgrade to level one battle stations!" In space, not six hours from New Arzachelles city, a group of Earth Alliance ships floated through the empty void on the dark side of the moon, as each ship launched all mobile suits. A total of seven Enacts left the ship, and eight space type Jegan s. They passed the wreckage of an Orb carrier, abandoned during the Requiem incident, each pilot failed to notice the cloaked figure inside the carrier, as its green eyes flashed. Inside, a dark grey haired man flicked at his controls, as his screens flashed constant scenarios.
"Well… looks like we're facing no more than some rookies. Not even worth my time here." Surging forward, his red and black Gundam burst from the shadows, flying into the depths of the debris belt, the enemy turned, sensing his presence. "Alice! Show me the data for route three, eight, five!"
"Roger. Tyler." A computerised voice chimed in; when Tyler spun through the shards of laser fire, moving so quickly none of the enemy could land so much as one hit on him. Spinning around, he cut down behind the enemy, taking out two Jegans with a heat rod that emerged from his left gauntlet, and a beam sabre in his right cut down an Enact. His suit transformed, turning into a two headed Dragon, which soared out of sight, disappearing behind rocks and debris.
"Crap!" One of the pilots yelled, having lost three comrades. "Where'd it go?"
"Calm down" The Squadron leader called out, as the red Gundam sliced through his mobile suit in an instant, striking three more with his heat rod, the challenge was insignificant to the pilot.
Tyler sighed, feeling a sense of being useless, being deployed in such a minor conflict.
Shinn's eyes darted to and fro across the road, watching the flurry of trucks and jeeps move across the roads. Their movements indicated the arrival of a vessel, not of ZAFT. His eyes narrowed, looking to his computer, where a coded message lay open. He had already decoded the message, and knew of what was being sent to him. All his thoughts centred on his old comrade in arms, Athrun Zala, who had given him an update on what was happening. A knock on the door caught his attention, making Shinn alert. Walking over to his computer, he deleted the message, then walking over to the front door. Opening the door, Shinn showed a look of surprise when he saw a Middle Eastern man in a blue ZAFT uniform, a FAITH badge on his chest.
"Shinn Asuka." Setsuna announced. "I apologize if I come at an inconvenient time but Chairman Adrian Viper wishes to see you, as soon as possible."
Mayu leaped onto the deck, stretching as the air of the colony she was raised on rushed through her lungs. "Home again!"
"It has been a while since I was here…" Carrus smiled, Brandon following him closely as he walked down the ramp of the ship onto solid colony ground. "How long has it been? At least five years…"
"That long?" Brandon asked, shocked. "You haven't talked to anyone in your family in over five years?"
"I tried not to see them… but I still sent letters and such to my mother and sister." Carrus answered.
"Speaking of, you wanna see them?" Mayu smiled. Carrus turned his eyes, slightly grunting nervously at the idea. "After all, it isn't fair I get to see my family but you don't, and you were gone even longer!"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course!"
"Maybe you should just go?" Brandon interrupted. "Girls are tricky to persuade anyway." Mayu giggled at Brandon's comment.
"Guess so." Carrus chuckled, as he walked over to Mayu's side, kissing her cheek gently. "I'll be back soon."
"So, why send a FAITH agent to do a regular soldier's job?" Shinn growled, as he walked over to his liquor cabinet, pouring himself a glass of brandy and offering it to Setsuna, who waved his hand instead of taking it.
"He simply asked me to do this personally." Setsuna answered as simply as possible.
"Well forget it." Shinn responded, taking a sip from his glass. "I've finished with the current administration. Besides, I'm expecting visitors, AND you don't have a wife kid. When Lunamaria gets home, I guarantee you, she'll be pissed."
Setsuna nodded slowly. "I understand sir, but a soldier such as yourself should know that his duties come before his family."
Shinn turned, snapping at Setsuna. "And as a soldier, you should know that I outrank you by at least four ranks, even as a civilian, AND my orders have nothing to do with ZAFT at the moment."
"Orders?" Setsuna asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what do these orders entail?"
"Like it matters. Either way, you should leave; my daughter will be here soon. So are you done? I know you're some big war hero, Setsuna F Seiei, but once Luna gets home, I guarantee you it won't be a pretty scene."
"You're well informed." Setsuna answered. "But my orders to bring you to the chairman, if I have to take you and your entire family to do so then I will." As soon as Setsuna finished, the door opened and several armed soldiers entered. "We'll just wait in the meantime for your wife and daughter to arrive."
"So that's how it is, huh?"
Carrus nervously stood at the front door of the Yamato mansion. He shifted in his Orb uniform as he knocked on the front door, uneasy at the thought of who might open the door. He felt even guiltier knowing he never said a word to either his mother or sister, and his father was the last person he wanted to know. The door opened, and next thing he knew, an orange sphere leaped out, whacking Carrus in his face.
"Welcome home Carrus! Welcome home Carrus!"
"Damn it Haro!" Carrus yelled, not even noticing the slender figure of Feldt standing in the doorway. Carrus' eyes widened seeing his older sister. "Feldt…"
Feldt smiled a little, opening the door further. "Welcome home Carrus." She walked forward, wrapping her arms around Carrus, crying a little.
"Sorry I'm a little late… I take it old man Kira told you what happened?"
Feldt nodded. "He sent me a message a few days ago… but I still have no idea where he is…"
"I doubt any of us will find out any time soon, he's taken the Strike Freedom again." Carrus sighed, turning his gaze from Feldt.
"He has?" Feldt yelped in shock. "I didn't hear anything about father taking off so suddenly."
Carrus simply chuckled as Feldt invited him inside. He followed his elder sister into the living room, when Feldt wandered off to fetch tea from the kitchen. "From what I can tell… I've got just a little bit of a tale to tell. By the way, where's mother?"
Feldt paused for a moment, as she poured hot water into the teapot in front of her. "She apparently has some work out of town on a new album."
"Just a cover I'll bet." Carrus answered, as Feldt brought out the tea and a pair of tea cups on a tray. "She's probably meeting up with this 'Three Ship Alliance' Athrun talked about."
"Another part of your story?" Feldt smiled, as she handed a cup to Carrus.
"Of course…"
Mayu watched out the front of the jeep she and Brandon approached her home. Brandon didn't say so much as a word as he shifted the steering wheel according to the lay of the road. Mayu looked carefully, when she saw an increase in ZAFT security the closer she got, and the thought worried her that her family could very well be in danger.
"It isn't looking too good Mayu… err… ma'am." Brandon suddenly began, throwing Mayu out of her day dream.
"Huh?" Mayu looked up, confused and alerted by Brandon's words.
"I'm talking about all the ZAFT forces nearby. Who would've thought they'd be so alert right about now?"
"Oh… that…" Mayu murmured. She looked over the horizon, spotting the destination of the ZAFT forces, she gasped, seeing fifteen jeeps loaded with soldiers entering her house. "Oh no… DAD!" Mayu burst from her jeep, running onto the grass.
Brandon reached his head out the window, reaching out to the rushing girl. "Mayu, wait!"
"DADDY!" Mayu ran at the house, grabbing the attention of a pair of soldiers, who grabbed her by the shoulders. Mayu squirmed, calling over and over again, grabbing Shinn's attention inside the house. Shortly afterwards, Brandon was already at Mayu's side, holding her shoulder and preventing her from taking any hostile actions.
"Well… that's her." Shinn smirked, his chin in his hands.
"Mayu Hawke." Setsuna casually said, looking over towards the guards holding Mayu. "Let them in."
The guards hesitated, pausing for a few moments before they let Mayu and Brandon in, lowering their rifles at the pair. Mayu looked up, her eyes widened at the sight of the ZAFT commander beside her father. "S… Setsuna?"
"I should have known you were related to Shinn Asuka." Setsuna emotionlessly expressed. "You are every bit as defiant as your father."
"WHAT?" Mayu and Shinn screamed and leaned towards Setsuna. Brandon leaped in shock at the pair yelling in synchronisation.
"I should've known the moment I saw you. You look much like missus Lunamaria Asuka."
"Ignore him." Shinn growled, walking over to Mayu, and wrapping his thin arm over Mayu. "After all, he's just full of hot air." Shinn looked up once again, glaring straight into Setsuna's eyes. "Even if I was a soldier, I'd still have no reason to listen to you. Leave, or I'll give a call to some of your superiors talking about your barging into my home."
"Funny you should mention being a soldier here." Setsuna answered. "Didn't you almost kill your wife in a fit of rage against Athrun Zala, due to your own uncontrolled anger, only to have her saved by him and then shooting you down a moment later?"
Mayu looked up in horror at Shinn, who growled at Setsuna deeply. "Dad? What's he talking about?"
Shinn seethed at Setsuna, who stood still without saying a word. "Bastard… What the hell do you know?"
Setsuna simply closed his eyes, not changing the frown on his face. "Still uncontrolled I see…" Setsuna turned, opening his eyes once more, looking at Mayu. "Listen, Mayu. Your father did exactly as I just said, at the Requiem cannon twenty… no… twenty one years ago." The commander then stepped away from the wall, several guards shooting nervous glances at each other. "Let's just hope that you take after your mother more than him, not just in your beauty..." Setsuna began, walking closer to Mayu when she waved her hand in front of her, nearly slapping Setsuna.
"No way…" Mayu glared. "I don't believe you! Not something like that!"
"It is very much the truth." Setsuna continued. "Isn't that why you aren't saying anything mister Asuka?"
"Like my father would do anything like that!" Mayu screamed, not noticing Shinn had fallen silent. "My dad would never hurt my mom!" It took a few moments of Mayu's heavy breathing for her to turn towards Shinn, who looked away from Mayu and Setsuna. "…Right?"
"How did you even know that?" Shinn whispered.
"He's… he isn't lying?" Mayu stammered, unable to believe what she heard. "Setsuna isn't lying about that?"
"He wouldn't know the first thing Mayu." Shinn began to smirk, as he flicked a switch in the wall behind him, several rivets in the wall opened, spitting out a thick smoke. As the ZAFT soldiers looked around, throwing their heads in confusion, Setsuna calmly drew a pistol, when a bullet flew, and Setsuna's weapon was knocked out of his hand. Shinn stood by, holding a smoking pistol. "Get going you two!" Shinn grabbed Mayu, then Brandon, shoving them into an opening stairwell behind the bookcase.