Genie's Trap: A Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Fan Fiction

Episode Ten: Crossroads

Date: January 31st, C.E. 71

My radio cracked to life, the voice of Athrun Zala accusing me, "Using a rescued civilian as a hostage? Can 'Your Righteousness' fight alongside these cowards?" When I didn't respond immediately he shouted my name.

"Athrun . . .," I started, but my old friend cut me off.

"I'm going to save her," he swore. "You can count on it!"

With that, he turned his mobile suit around and headed back towards the Nazca-class destroyer that had ended combat operations. It was too late, however, as the three ships of the 8th Fleet's advanced forces continued to tumble through space. Doing a quick sweep I checked for lifepods, hoping that we could salvage something from so much loss of human life, but no. The secondary explosions from the reactors of the Montgomery, Bernard, and Law, had overwhelmed the thin hulls of the Earth Alliance lifepods and killed the occupants.

Turning around as well, I headed back to the Archangel, wondering what had happened. Why hadn't the ship been able to hold the Nazca-class? Why had the ensign used Lacus as a human shield and why had the captain allowed her to do it? More importantly, what was going to happen to Lacus now?

Miriallia called the landing, and it wasn't long before the Strike was back in its maintenance cradle and being repositioned next to Lieutenant La Flaga's mobile armor, a Mobius Zero space-superiority fighter with four outrigger weapons pods. The lieutenant himself was hanging around, admonishing the maintenance crew, "Hurry! We're not exactly done fighting!"

"I know!" Chief Petty Officer Murdock growled. "Man, is this ship cursed, or what?

"The curse is Le Creuset," La Flaga answered. From what I understood, the two of them, Mu La Flaga and Rau Le Creuset, had been in battle many times, to the point that Mu claimed he could sense Rau. I didn't know what to make of that: maybe they were twins separated at birth?

Joining them, I asked, "What the hell was that?"

Lieutenant La Flaga actually looked annoyed as he answered, "There's not much to explain. You heard for yourself. That's what happened."

He kicked off through zero-g, and I followed. "Taking that girl as a hostage and threatening them?" I pointed out. "Do the Earth Forces typically run from enemies like this?"

His expression had turned from annoyed to angry as he looked back at me. "The reason that they had to resort to such cowardly actions," he explained, "is because we're weak, right?"

That caught me off guard, but he wasn't wrong.

"Neither of us has the right to criticize the captain or the combat commander," he reasoned, though he didn't look too happy with his line of reasoning. I got the feeling that he was going to criticize both, but was waiting for a closed door before he aired his opinion to them.

I had to bite my tongue, having neither the rank nor the experience to do the same.

We changed in the pilot's ready room, and while Mu headed off to confront his fellow officers I went to check on Lacus, to make sure that she was alright. On my way, I heard the sound of a girl crying, and I broke into a sprint until I reached a Junior Officer Quarters door that was being kept ajar by a water bottle. Inside, I found Miriallia standing over Sai Argyle, who was holding Flay Allster in his arms as they sat on the floor.

Flay was crying, "This isn't real. This isn't happening. It can't be!"

"Kira," Miriallia tried to warn me as I stepped further into the room.

A part of me wished I were there on the floor, comforting her instead of Sai, but the moment was wrong for idol fantasies. She was in pain, and she needed all the sport that her friends could give her. I thought of myself as her friend, so I said her name, meaning to apologize for not being able to defend the Montgomery.

"Liar!" she accused me, tears filling her grey eyes as she glared at me.

The force of her anger had me taking a half step back in fear.

"You said it was gonna be alright!" the girl shouted. "You said so, because you'd be there!"

I had said that, or something similar, and I turned away as the memory of my own failure struck me again.

She demanded to know, "Why didn't you protect Papa's ship? Why didn't you defeat those guys?!"

Coming to my defense, Miriallia countered, "Flay! Kira did his best!"

Yes, I had done my best to keep the Aegis busy so that it couldn't continue damaging the ships of the advanced force. Why hadn't the Archangel been able to keep the Nazca-class contained? Why had the captain and ensign taken Lacus Clyne hostage?

"Because you're a Coordinator, too," Flay accused, breaking me out of my distraction, "you're not fighting seriously, are you?"

That stung, because it was partially true – I'd been trying to contain the Aegis, not trying to seriously destroy it because I'd known that my skill at mobile suit piloting wasn't enough. Athrun had undergone advanced military training, that was the meaning of the red flight suit I had seen him in on Heliopolis. In mobile suit combat he was the superior, whereas my strength came from my understanding of how the mobile suit worked.

Flay turned back to Sai, crying into his chest, "Papa. Bring Papa back to me. Bring Papa . . . back!"

"Flay . . ." I said again, meaning to apologize, but being unable to find the words. I was no good with words, I'd never been good with words; so I turned and ran away.

Behind me Miriallia called my name, but I kept running.

I went to one of my favorite places, the rear observation balcony, remembering Athrun's accusation, "Using a rescued civilian as a hostage? Can 'Your Righteousness' fight alongside these cowards?"

Mu's words, "The reason they had to resort to such cowardly actions . . . is because we're weak, right?"

Flay's accusation, "Because you're a Coordinator, too, you're not fighting seriously, are you?"

Reaching the aft observation balcony, with its wide windows looking out over the open space behind the ship. There, I tried to voice the impudent fury I felt at the situation, but what came out instead as a strangled cry as tears spilled from my eyes. After three full breaths of screams a voice broke in, asking, "What's the matter?"

I looked up to see Lacus Clyne staring at me with an expression of sympathy on her face, her pink haro cursing. She cocked her head, considering me for a moment before reaching up to wipe a tear from my cheek. Hastily I scrubbed my face with my sleeve, embarrassed at being caught crying.

"What are you doing out here?" I wondered. Last I had heard, she was still supposed to be confined to quarters, but so far neither concern for her wellbeing nor locked doors had been enough to keep her in her room.

"I was taking a stroll," she explained, pushing back to get a little distance, "when I heard a loud voice from this direction."

With a blush, I realized that I had been the reason that she'd come this way, but I reasoned, "You shouldn't be walking around on your own like this. You'll be accused of spying."

"Oh?" she wondered, probably seeing through my bravado. Coming closer and catching my hand to steady herself, she explained, "But Mr. Pink here . . ."

"Haro," the haro corrected.

". . . loves to take walks," she finished. Then she mused, "Or, in fact, if a door's locked, he will always open it and go out."

"I won't accept that!" the pink robot, about the size and shape of a softball, exclaimed while flapping its arm covers to move through the low-g environment.

"In any case," I countered, "let's go back to your room. Come on." I reached out my hand, offering to escort her, but she pushed away again.

"The fighting has come to an end, I see," Lacus commented as she drifted away.

"Well, yes," I agreed. "Thanks to you."

"Yet you have a very sad expression," the young woman noted.

"Well," I admitted, "the truth is that I really don't want to fight. I'm also a Coordinator," was my reasoning, "and Athrun was a very close friend of mine."

Lacus prompted, "Athrun?"

"Athrun Zala," I explained. Darkly, I wondered, "Who would've dreamed that he'd become the pilot of that mobile suit, the Aegis?"

After a moment, she remarked, "Is that so?" Hopping forward, took both my hands before saying, "Both Athrun and you are good people. That is a very sad reality."

With a start, I asked, "Do you know Athrun?"

Cheerfully, she explained, "Athrun Zala is the person I will eventually marry."

What? Well, that figured – all the girls my age seemed to be in committed relationships: Miriallia was dating Tolle and Flay was actually engaged to Sai. Now I found out that Lacus was engaged to Athrun. I was starting to see a pattern in my life.

"He's a kind person, but very quiet," she went on.

She reached out and caught the drifting robot, which repeated its name, before explaining, "But he gave me this Haro."

"Haro, Haro," the robot cheered.

Smiling at the sweet memory, she added, "I told him how much I enjoyed Haro . . . and he gave me lots of them."

I could just imagine Athrun spending hours modifying the little robot, both its articulation and programming – that was probably why the little toy knew so many words. "Is that so?" I sighed, feeling cheered by the thought. "Athrun hasn't changed one bit."

"My Birdy," I went on, "He made that, too." Even though it could only say one word, it could manage different inflections.

"Oh, is that so?" Lacus exclaimed.

The pink Haro cursed again, perhaps in objection to not being the first robot gifted.

My good humor drained out of me, however, leaving me to mutter bitterly, "But . . ."

Lacus finished for me, "It would be so nice if you two would no longer have to fight each other."

All I could do was nod, and hold out my hand again to escort her back to her room. My own quarters were only a couple of doors down, and after dropping her off I went to my room. Lieutenant La Flaga was asleep in his bed, for once, so I quietly curled up on my bed, my knees against my chest as I tried to sort out my feelings.

Torii, the Birdy that Athrun had made for me all those years ago, perched on my shoulder, chirping, "Birdy. Birdy. Birdy?" Uncurling, I held out a hand and allowed the little robot, like a green and yellow finch, to hop onto my hand.

Staring into its little eyes, I remembered Lacus telling me, "Athrun Zala is the person I will eventually marry."

"This just plain isn't right!" I told no one in particular.

It wasn't right that we were holding Lacus hostage. It wasn't right that Athrun and Lacus should be separated, especially not when Lacus seemed so certain about the relationship.

Getting up, I slipped back out of my room and headed for Lacus'. The door was unlocked, so I was able to slip inside to find the young woman asleep on her bed. Unfortunately, my daring, half-thought up plan hit its first hurdle when the pink Haro on the desk chimed, "Haro. No problem. No problem."

"Shhh," I warned it.

"What is it, Haro?" Lacus asked as she woke.

The robot swore as the young woman took in my presence. "Huh? Mr. Kira. What is the problem?"

"Please, don't say anything and come with me," I warned. "Be very quiet."

She dressed quickly while I kept lookout, and then together we crept through the enlisted compartments that were full of sleeping refugees, the Haro miraculously silent as it bounced along in our wake. However, I spotted a second complication, and pushed Lacus behind a bulkhead door jamb to hide her from Sai, who turned out to be waiting for Miriallia outside one of the alcoves assigned to female refugees.

He spotted me, calling out, "Kira?"

I put on my best, 'nothing to see here' expression, only to have Haro exclaim, "No problem. No problem," in a helpful tone.

"Let's do this," the robot added as my friend's jaws dropped.

They both came to stand with Lacus and I, Sai demanding, "What are you doing, Kira?"

I don't know where Miriallia's mind was at when she asked, "What do you plan to do with her? You're not . . .?!"

"Please pretend that you didn't see anything," I told them. "I don't wanna involve you guys in this. But I just can't stand this situation!"

Bouncing next to us, Haro encouraged, "Do your best. I'll do my best."

Sai rubbed the back of his head and reasoned, "Well, keeping a girl hostage is something the bad guys do." Looking me in the eyes, he offered, "I'll help."

"Sai . . .," I tried to counter, "I'm probably going to get into a lot of trouble for doing this; you'd get in trouble, too."

He nodded, looking to Miriallia, who nodded as well.

There really was no time to argue, and we headed down to the hanger, pausing at the pilot's ready room. While the others kept watch I rummaged through one of the lockers until I found a standard pressure suit the right size. "Wear this over what you're wearing now," I told Lacus, belatedly realizing that the frilly purple skirt she was wearing wouldn't allow her to close the front of the suit.

Lacus realized this as well, and began fiddling with her shoulders, pulling down shoulder straps that were hidden under her top and shimmying out of the skirt. I looked away, embarrassed, as she put on the pressure suit, stuffing the skirt in before closing it. After checking the seals on the fasteners, gloves and helmet, I led Lacus out to where the others were waiting.

For some reason seeing us gave Miriallia a start, and I didn't realize what was the problem until Sai commented, "Oh. Just wondering for a moment how she suddenly became pregnant."

The skirt was causing the belly of the pressure suit to bulge. Both Miriallia and I hung our heads at the joke, and even Sai seemed to realize that it was in bad taste.

We crept into the hanger, and I went ahead to the Strike, Sai following with Lacus and Miriallia bringing up the rear. "Thank you," Lacus said to the pair as I took my seat in the cockpit, the young woman floating over my lap while I entered the security commands.

"Don't mention it," Sai responded.

"Let's meet again," the young woman cheered.

Sai answered reluctantly with, "I'm not sure that can happen." Then to me he said, "Kira. You'll be returning, right?"

That seemed like a stupid question, and I wondered what he was getting at. Before I could figure that out, though, we heard Chief Murdock calling, "Oi! What are you doing?"

"You will come back here, to us," Sai asked, "won't you?"

"For sure," I told him, still wondering what was going through his head. "I promise."

I closed the cockpit hatch while my friends headed back to the balcony that ringed the hanger while more technicians arrived, calling out to each other. "Make sure you do!" Sai called out before he and Miriallia headed to auxiliary launch control. "It's a promise!"

"Open the hatch," I called out through the mobile suits external speakers. "Please stay back!"

Over the comm. Sai repeated, "Make sure you do, Kira! I believe you!"

His image was replaced by that of Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, the ship's combat controller, demanding, "Strike! That are you doing? Kira Yamato!"

I turned off the monitor as the Aile Striker pack was connected to the back hard-point of the mobile suit and took hold of the beam rifle and shield that were included in the option. "We're going," I warned Lacus. "Hold on tight!"

"You too!" her Haro countered.

Acceleration pushed me against my seat, but it also pushed Lacus against me, making it difficult to breath as we suddenly accelerated. Maneuvering around the Archangel my sensors picked up the Nazca-class that had been trailing us all day, just out of effective range of its beam cannons. They were probably scrambling their mobile suits – of which they had at least three: two GINNs and the Aegis – so I had to be quick.

"This is mobile suit Strike, of the Earth Alliance Forces' Archangel," I announced over all frequencies. "I am bringing Lacus Clyne to you!" That should get their attention, I thought. "In return, I demand that the Nazca-class halt! I will hand her over on the condition that we are met by the pilot of the Aegis alone." Then I took a page from Ensign Badgiruel's book by adding, "Should this condition be breached, I cannot guarantee her safety!"

Lacus seemed surprised by the addition, and I gave her a reassuring wink to let her know that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. There were a few tense moments I approached – I was in range of the beam cannons, but would be able to detect a buildup of energy and dodge. But the NazcaI-class stopped and the Aegis launched, activating its Phase Shift armor as a precaution, changing from shades of grey to red with grey attachment points. I activated my own, the grey armor panels changing to white, with blue and red on the chest.

"Athrun Zala?" I demanded on an open frequency.

"That's right," Athrun's voice responded over the radio.

He flew over so that our mobile suits were facing each other, and I raised my beam rifle, aiming at the head of the X303 Aegis. The main cameras and communications gear was stored there, so if this was a trick he would be down those two vital assets. "Open your cockpit!" I ordered.

His cockpit opened, and I opened mine as well. For a moment we stared through the void at each other, and then I prompted Lacus, "Say something."

"Hum?" she wondered.

"He can't see your face," I explained. "He must be convinced that it's you."

"Oh, I understand," she caught on. "Hello, Athrun. It's nice to see you."

Her Haro had somehow patched into the radio, because I heard its voice call out a curse. Not for the first time, I was left wondering who swore so much around Lacus, because I hadn't heard her curse once.

"Confirmed," Athrun called over the radio.

"Then take her with you," I said, and the other mobile suit pilot climbed out of his cockpit to catch her. "Now, go."

I gave her a gentle push, and she drifted across the 14 or 15 meters of open space that separated the two mobile suits, Athrun catching Lacus' hand and pulling her to the lip of his cockpit hatch. For a moment they stared into each other's eyes, and then Athrun's eyes dropped to the bulge in her pressure suit being caused by her skirt while Lacus turned to me. "Thank you for everything, Kira," she called to me before catching her fiancé's eyes again and adding, "And you, too, Athrun."

He nodded, and I felt happy that I could reunite the pair. They looked back at me, and Athrun said suddenly, "Kira! You come, too! There's no reason why you should remain with the Earth Forces!"

"Believe me, I don't want to fight you," I told my old friend. The images of Sai, Miriallia, Tolle and Kuzzey, the refugees, and even the regular crew of the Archangel flashed through my mind. "But aboard that ship are people I wanna protect. My friends, and other refugees from Heliopolis, are aboard that ship!"

Athrun hesitated, and for a moment I thought that he finally understood, but then he told me, "Then I've got no choice. The next time we battle, I will personally defeat you!"

There was nothing for me to do then but to accept his resolve. "The same goes for me," I told him, and closed the hatch.

Using the maneuvering thrusters I drifted away from the Aegis while Athrun and Lacus continued watching me from the lip of its cockpit hatch, and when I was sure that Athrun wasn't going to fire on me immediately I lowered the rifle. That was when things started happening – the Nazca-class fired it thrusters and launched another mobile suit, a ZGMF-515 CGUE according to the sensors.

Behind me the Archangel launched the Zero. "Lieutenant La Flaga," I warned him, not wanting this to esculate into a battle.

"Did you really believe they'd just sit back and watch?" the man countered. The ZAFT forces had broken the scene first.

Over the radio Lacus' voice admonished, "Commander Rau Le Creuset! Stop it at once!" I had never heard her use that voice before, and wondered what kind of political authority she held that she could speak to a military officer with such confidence. "Are you trying to turn this location into a battlefield, when there is a representative of the memorial delegation here?" What kind of authority did the 'memorial delegation have? "I will not allow it! Stop your combat operation at once!"

When the ZAFT officer did not immediately respond, she demanded, "Can you not hear me?"

I didn't hear a response, Commander Le Creuset's communications were encrypted, but his CGUE did stop, cutting thrust and turned around, escorting the Aegis back to the Nazca. The lieutenant said what I was thinking, "I'm not sure what just happened, but we're returning too. We don't wanna stir up a hornet's nest."

"Right," was my response as I watched the Aegis departing. It had been a long time since I'd been able to talk with someone as openly as I had Lacus Clyne – I would miss her. I was also hating the declaration that Athrun and I had made to each other: he seemed unable to understand my desire to protect my friends.

Lieutenant La Flaga popped up on my auxiliary monitor, asking, "What's the matter?

"No. It's nothing," I told him, hitting the thrusters and shutting down Phase Shift.

End Episode Ten

NOTE: I do not own Gundam SEED, nor am I making any money off this fan fiction. No real changes to this episode except that I have Kira questioning the previous battle and wondering why Lacus was taken hostage. That will play out next episode. Anyway, please leave questions and suggestions in the comment section below.