Been quite awhile since the last update of this, due to me having to go back to some of the previous chapters to correct some terminology mistakes that was pointed out as well as life. Have to say thank you for anyone who favoured or left a review it certainly keeps pushing me to continue.
Phase 10: Desperate Battlefield
The Archangel approaches the area of space that the 8th Fleet had asked to meet at, however they are greeted not by the sight of respite but by the sight of a battlefield as the fleet struggles to fight against the combined forces of ZAFT and Zeon mobile suits and ships. Murrue and the rest of the crew of the Archangel on the bridge grow tense as they watch melee unfold.
"What is going on out there Miriallia?" Murrue asks her operator who struggles to process the information her screen.
"Let's see... I'm picking up ZAFT mobile suits and some I don't recognise... Zeon as well? " She announces while looking at the screen.
"Zeon?! What are those bastards doing here!" Mu shouts looking away from the main screen.
"I don't know, let's see... I can see six GINN's and six Gelgoogs from Zeon.. Wait one more, the Aegis!" Miriallia shouts to everyone.
"Captain, we have a message from the Fleet. They want us to withdraw." Kuzzy cuts in. Murrue takes a moment to gather herself.
"So they are sacrificing themselves...For us" Murrue says to herself.
"Wait!" Sai stands up facing Murrue who turns.
"Flay's father is on that ship isn't he?!" Sai follows
"We can't disobey orders for the sake of one man, crewmen" Natarle commands causing Sai to step back, clenching his fists and looking down.
"But there isn't any guarantee we will be able to get away from both forces if we just run now." Murrue thinks aloud alarming Natarle.
"But captain!" she defies, but Murrue's resolve seems to have gathered once more
"You can put it into your report latter lieutenant Badgiruel." Murrue snaps back. Then with more authority. "Declare level 1 battle stations, get the Mobile Suits ready to launch! We are aiding the 8th fleets ships."
Natarle sits down in her station and adjusts her hat "Fine. I'll do just that captain."
Battle stations are called around the ship as it moves towards the battlefield. The alarm wakes Kira who leaves his room pulling on his shirt. He rounds the corner of the ship towards the pilots changing room but is met by Flay running in the opposite direction in a panic, she grabs hold of him as she runs into him.
"Flay?" Kira questions as she recovers from running into him.
"What's going on?! Is it true we are going into battle?" She interrogates stepping back distress painted across her face.
"Seems that way." Kira replys moving past her but he is stopped by her grabbing his arm.
"What about the advance force?! About my dad's ship!" Kira struggles to find words in the face of her panic.
"I'm sorry I don't know anything. Really." He pulls to leave and takes only a few steps before stopping as she calls to him.
"Kira! Please!" Flays words make Kira turn back to her.
"It's ok, I'll protect your fathers ship. I promise" He manages to smile before leaving her.
Flay clasps her hands together as she stands alone in the corridor "Kira... Please!"
At the battlefield a second Salamis Kai, the Bernard is swarmed by the ZAFT and Zeon forces which destroy it's GM II escorts and as ship takes heavy damage from missile fire. In the flag ship of the 8th fleet Scirocco enters the cockpit of his mobile suit without a pilot suit. He observes the situation as final checks are made.
"Things aren't going well, at this rate we will be wiped out. I can't have that now that I have reached the Earth Sphere. Messala heading out."
Scirocco's Messala launches in its large mobile armour mode, he locks is sights on a Gelgoog that had strayed from the pack. The pilot notices his approach and fire back.
"Is that a Mobile Armour!?" The Zeon pilot shouts as Sirocco evades his fire effortlessly. A cruel smirk forms on Scirocco's face as he fires his beam guns at once in a single volley. The Gelgoog dodges up but is hit by a swarm of missiles from the Messala and is blown away. Scirocco's eyes then move to a second target a GINN two busy locking swords with a GM II to notice before it is too late and a beam shot blows a hole through its cockpit. Scirocco sits back but senses danger from his blind side and dodges harshly to the side avoiding the powerful beam blast from the Aegis' Mobile Armour form.
"He dodged it!" Athrun shockingly exclaims as Scirocco moves around to face the Gundam.
"One of the stolen models I was told about. Let's see if that Mobile Suit of yours is up to par!" Scirocco grins firing missiles. Athrun transforms to dodge and uses his rifle to shoot down the missiles while moving back, the explosions from the detonated missiles cloud his view until suddenly the Messala bursts through the light catching Athrun off guard. The machine transforms in an instant into a powerful and large mobile suit form.
"It's over." Scirocco declares saber swinging down before it is met by another sword. The heated sword from Rau's CGUE.
"What's this?" Scirocco questions pushing down before the CGUE parries the saber away from itself and the Aegis.
"Commander?" Athrun questions
"You looked to be having a hard time here Athrun." Rau calmly responds
"Sorry.." Athrun mutters in frustration.
In this brief calm Scirocco observes Rau's mobile suit but his interest is more with the pilot than the machine as he feels an uncomfortable presence from within.
"This sensation.. Who are you?" Scirocco enquirers
Rau chuckles " So you're a Newtype?" Rau responds feeling and sensing Scirocco
"A Newtype as well? That isn't what I am sensing here though.." Scirocco coldly responds as the two stare each other down. Rau's grin widens before the standoff is soon broken as Ades voice comes over his radio.
"Commander! It's the Archangel!" Ades voice bellows over the radio, Rau's sight moves to a side monitor which he zooms in to see the white ship approaching with the Strike taking point as the ships forces approach the battlefield.
"They came after all.." Scirocco remarks having noticed as well.
"Kira." Athrun says as he grips his suits controls upon seeing the Strike.
The battle continues to progress with the Zeon - ZAFT forces pressing the advantage and sinking the remaining escort ships leaving only the Montgomery left but under siege even as the support from the Archangel approaches. Inside the crew of the ship are tense as they move into combat range.
"This isn't good.." Natarle says adjusting her hat as she watches the last of the escort ships explode, her sights move to the Montgomery.
"Kira remember Flay's father is on that last ship!" Sai reminds Kira over the radio as Kira makes his final adjustments in his cockpit as him, Graham and Mu move towards the battlefield.
"I know!" He stumbles back trying to keep himself calm.
"Make sure you watch your own ass as well kid" Graham jokes trying to calm him down.
"Right" Kira stutters back.
Kira notices Athrun's Aegis around Rau and Scirocco's Mobile Suits. He pauses before opening fire causing all of the mobile suits to break up. Athrun moves at Kira firing before both draw sabers and clash on each other's shield. Scirocco tries to take Rau by surprise as Rau watches the new comers and fires missiles but Rau shoots them down. Before his attentions turns to another unit speeding at them.
"Le Creuset!" Mu shouts as he charges his old foe firing.
"How nice of you to come Mu!" Rau fires back. Scirocco senses pressure from Mu as he chases Rau past him.
"Another Newtype?" Scirocco ponders
Rau evades the fire from Mu's guns as the two exchange shots unable to get a read on each other.
"You will need to be quicker than that Mu!" Rau taunts
"Damn you!" Mu grunts dodging Rau's return fire.
Meanwhile Kira and Athrun continue to trade shots as Graham moves to the defence of the ally ship. He transforms from flight mode into Mobile Suit mode slicing the head off a GINN before kicking it away and finishing it off with a rifle shot. The sudden attack gets the attention of the nearby Gelgoog and GINNs who fire back and manage to hit Graham's rifle. From the smoke comes a beam saber thrown by Graham which slices into one of the Gelgoogs.
Graham readjusts himself "Damn fighting Zeon and ZAFT forces at once. We must be crazy here."
The Montgomery bridge crew notice the Archangel's arrival as it is brought up on the main screen.
"The Archangel forces! They came to save us!" George raises to his feet in panicked excitement however the captain is more reserved and worried
"Damn fools..." He mutters under his breath.
The Archangel begins to trade shots with the ZAFT vessel, the ship rocks as a shot hits the ship but is dispersed by the ships armour. The rocking shakes the bridge but the crews attention is split as the elevator door opens and Flay barges into the room franticly, Sai is the first to notice and gets up.
"Flay?! What are you doing here?" He asks removing his headset and alerting the other crew to the arrival.
"What is she doing here?" Murrue yells trying not to break focus away from the battle
"Where is my dad's ship!" Flay shouts ignoring Sai's calls
"Now isn't the time Flay" Sai tell her as he floats over and holds her back from going further into the room.
"No! Tell me where my dad's ship is!?" Flay struggles back.
Natarle stands up with authority "Get her out of here now will you! "
The ship rocks suddenly from a nearby explosion as Sai hurries a defensive Flay out of the bridge. "Where is Kira!? He said he would protect my Dad's ship!" Flay yells as Sai closes the elevator doors behind them both, he turns to her after pressing the buttons to go down.
"Kira is fighting, but he's up against the Aegis so it's hard..He is doing his best" Sai tries to tell her before been cut off
"Tell him to save my Dad's ship!" She yells back getting hysterical
"Flay, please." Sai tries to calm her, it seems to work as she calms down before suddenly turning to the exit of the lift as the doors open, Sai does not like the look in her eyes
"Her.." Flay whispers to herself before rushing off, Sai pauses before following.
Back at the battle Scirocco has joined Mu's attacks on Rau with the three evading each other's shots. Rau barely dodges a volley of fire from Scirocco who keeps pressing him in his larger Mobile Suit.
"You're no match in that Mobile Suit!" Scirocco boasts as Rau's instincts sense another attack and Mu tries to join the attack with his gunbarrels but Rau is able to make use of Scirocco pulling back for Mu and counters slashing through one of the pods and landing glancing shots to the Mobius Zero causing Mu to pull back.
"Crap" Mu complains even as Rau tires to follow only to be caught again by Scirocco. " We are not done here" Scirocco taunts giving Mu time to retreat.
Graham meanwhile continues to defend the Federation ship but having lost his rifle he is forced to engage with his saber, his swing is avoided by a Zeon Gelgoog who gets distance and fires his missiles. Graham avoids but in doing so the missiles hit the Federation ship below rocking it. Graham closes and slashes the Gelgoogs weapons apart forcing it to retreat.
"If only I had my rifle still!" Graham complains in frustration.
Away from the last escort ship the Archangel exchanges fire with Zeon Zanzibar. Inside the lift to the bridge once more opens as Flay reappears dragging Lacus out behind her and distracting the officers. Murrue spins her chair around to see Flay gripping Lacus with a determined and desperate look as the lift door closes and the lift goes up.
"What is this about" Murrue demands as Natarle stands as well.
"Again! Why is she back here?" Natarle questions glaring at Flay before the lift again opens and Sai rushes out grabbing Flay's shoulder but she shoves him away.
"Flay don't do this!" He pleads
"Shut up Sai! Now tell them! Tell them to leave my dad's ship alone! Or... Or I'll kill this girl!" Flay shouts, the Officers stand quiet yet defiant to her pleads "Tell them!" Flay snaps again. Seconds pass before a single blinding bright light shines through the ships viewing screens.
Seconds earlier the Vesalius fires its main guns with deadly accuracy hitting the Montgomery and breaching the ship. Not even seconds pass before the ship erupts into a huge explosion forcing the Mobile Suits around it to stabilise from the blast. Mu departs his Mobile Armour having reached the Archangel for repairs just in time to see the light from the ships hanger. He throws his helmet in frustration "God Damnit!"
Graham having been closest to the blast rights himself and pants as he looks out at what had once been the Earth forces mothership.
"No way..." He clenches his controls.
A short distance away Kira and Athrun break off from there melee to see the explosion.
"NO! That was!" Kira cry's out as Athrun able to hear his friends cry's halts his attack. Scirocco's and Rau's fight however continues with Scirocco calmly operating his Mobile Suit with the same precision and skill as if nothing had happened.
Back on the Archangels bridge the shock hits Flay like a tidal wave as she lets go of Lacus and stumbles back into Sai's arms. Tears roll down her face as the realization of what she has seen kicks in and she cries out. Murrue looks down searching for words but before any can come Natarle a justs her hat and speaks up.
"Captain! We have to do something now!" Natarle barks but to no response from Murrue. Annoyed Natarle floats up to Murrue and grabs the headset from her. She moves to the communication monitor before Murrue can grab her and turns the dial to a universal channel
"This is the Antarctic Union Ship Archangel. Hailing the ZAFT vessel."
Natarle's message stops the fighting as all sides wait to listen. Rau lowers his gun and Scirocco too stops his advance before Natarle continues.
"We are currently in possession of Lacus Clyne, Sigel Clyne's daughter."
"What!?" Athrun leans forward in shock as Kira leans back to listen wondering what Natarle is doing.
Natarle continues "By chance, we happened upon a pod with her inside and by our good will we rescued her. However if you continue to attack us, we will no longer be able to guarantee her safety."
The words freeze the ZAFT forces in their tracks. "They must have been truly desperate to do something like that." Rau ponders.
Inside the Zeon ship Cima claps amused. "They have a trump card, the princess they have been seeking. What now Rau Le Cruset?"
Over Rau's radio Ades shouts needing to know Rau's decision on if to continue
" Commander!?"
" I know I know, halt the attack and call back our forces. Zeon as well." Rau calmly commands pulling back himself after seeing Scirocco lower his weapons.
"Taking a young girl hostage? How deplorable.." Scirocco remarks as he watches Rau's CGUE pull away.
Athrun too is forced to pull back as the ZAFT and Zeon ships send out the retreat order but before leaving he shouts out once more to his friend
"Bastards! Holding hostages! Is that what the naturals do Kira! How can you fight for these cowards!?"
"Athrun I.." Kira can't think of the words
" I Will save her Kira, mark my words!" Athrun leaves Kira and departs.