I own none of this.
Archangel, cafeteria
Transferring to the new UEFA warship had proved much less painful than Toya had feared. Most of the crew was friendly and welcoming (the main exception being Ensign Badgiruel, who remained as stiff and formal as ever), and Murdoch had sworn to keep his hands off the Bellzelute when Toya wasn't around. To the amusement of just about everyone.
Not that it was perfect by any means. It was decidedly cramped compared to the Nadesico, though not actively uncomfortable. More significantly, Festenia had been complaining about the food off and on ever since they'd split up.
"It's all your fault, Toya," she said (for the eighth time, by Toya's count). "This military food is bland as hell, and there's nowhere near enough of it."
"Calm down, Tenia," Katia said. "You and Arthur have done almost nothing but complain about the food since we transferred over."
Toya thought they both had a point. On the one hand, Tenia was right that the food on the Archangel didn't match what they'd gotten used to while in Nergal's employ (though to be sure matching Akito Tenkawa's culinary skill was difficult). On the other, Katia was right that there was no use complaining. They had to hold on until they met up with the Nadesico again.
Prospector had better be right about that bonus, Toya thought. Tenia's gonna kill me otherwise.
"Mind if I join you?"
Toya didn't know the innocent-looking pilot of Gundam Sandrock very well, yet, but he liked what he'd seen of him. "Quatre? Sure, go ahead."
"Thanks." Quatre set his tray down next to Melua's. "I've been down in the hangar, helping Mister Murdoch adapt the other machines for desert warfare."
"I noticed," Toya said. "I heard him complaining about it; we're lucky the Bellzelute's Orgone Cloud repels sand."
Which of course led to a number of other questions. The Orgone Cloud and the Cytron seemed to be almost a do-anything system. From flight to high-power energy weapons, to the strange flashes of insight Toya had been experiencing ever since he first climbed into the cockpit.
Too many questions, too few answers. . . .
"So how long have you been here?" he asked, banishing the questions for the moment.
"Three months," Quatre said. "My Sandrock is designed for desert warfare, so I thought this was where I could do the most good." He sighed. "Not that it's been very much. I've tried to avoid contact with ZAFT, but the Radam are everywhere."
Toya grimaced. "Yeah, I saw a Radam forest just after we landed here. Freaky place."
And D-Boy still won't explain it, he added silently. Not that he himself was in any position to criticize; after the last engagement he was convinced the girls knew more than they were letting on, but he had no intention of forcing it out of them. They'd been through enough as it was.
The hatch slid open with a soft hiss. "Toya, Quatre," Kuzzey said. "Lieutenant La Flaga wants to see you on the bridge."
Toya glanced at Quatre, got a shrug, and nodded. "We'll be right there."
Bridge
The Archangel's bridge section, like virtually everything else on the ship, was more cramped than the Nadesico's. Especially when it had more than just the normal crew; in addition to Captain Ramius and Ensign Badgiruel, every pilot on the ship (with the notable exception of D-Boy) had gathered, along with Kira's friends.
"Hey," Mu greeted from beside the helm station.
Toya found a space by the forward viewport; the girls gathered around him, Katia and Melua to his right and left, Tenia settling to the deck at his feet. "Is something up, sir?"
Mu waved a hand. "Nothing big," he assured him. "We've been fighting together for a while, so I figured we'd have a little pilot get-together."
Innocuous enough. "Sure, why not," Toya said, relaxing a little. "We may be from all over the place, but we're all fighting for the same thing."
"That's the spirit," Mu said with a grin. "Anyway, what's the deal with you and your friends? From what I hear, you're kinda the odd man out, even more than our Kira."
So Toya told them his story, with the girls filling in occasional gaps. He told them of the Jovian and Mechabeast attack on his school the year before. How the Bellzelute had crashed into the school with Katia, Tenia, and Melua inside. His first battle, with Koji, Sayaka, and Duo as backup.
The trip to the Moon. Meeting Noal, Aki, and the Combattler team, and signing on with Nergal. The Nadesico's escape from the lunar dock, fighting first the UEFA and then the Jovians. Confronting the Gradosians on Mars, losing Admiral Fukube and Gai Daigoji. Their first battle with the Radam.
By the time he'd finished, Mu was shaking his head in wonder. "Man oh man, you guys have been through some pretty nasty stuff, haven't you."
"To think everyone on Mars is dead," Kira said softly. "It's horrible."
"Yeah," Mu agreed. He looked at Noal. "So, what about that D-Boy?"
Noal shrugged. "Got me. He claims to be an Earthling, but he also says he's lost his memory. Pretty damn fishy if you ask me."
"You still don't trust him, Noal?" Aki was visibly exasperated with her partner.
Noal looked at her like she'd turned into a giant spider. "Of course I don't," he said. "Why should I? He won't tell us what he knows, and if you believe the amnesia story then I've got a bridge to sell you."
"Well, whatever," Mu said. "As long as he keeps fighting those Radam of his, I'm not complaining."
Toya wasn't sure who was more annoyed by that, Noal or Natarle Badgiruel. Noal had made clear his uneasiness with D-Boy from the start, while from what Toya had seen Natarle had an almost knee-jerk distrust of anyone outside the military, with the possible exception of Calvina Coulange.
"What's in it for you, Eiji?" Mu continued. "I mean, you're from Grados, right? You must have more friends there than that Gale guy you told us about."
Eiji sighed. "I do," he acknowledged. "But I still have to do this. Half of my blood is the same as yours; I don't want to see Earth and Grados fighting each other."
"Tough, but I can't really blame you. Lot like our Kira," Mu said, nodding at the Coordinator pilot. "And what about you, Toya? You've been through all that hell, but you stuck with us when you could've jumped ship."
"Bailing wouldn't have done any good at Heliopolis," Toya pointed out, grimacing slightly. "The military won't leave me alone regardless," he ignored the nasty look Natarle shot him, "so I figure I might as well try and do some good here. At least with the Bellzelute I can fight back." He looked down for a moment. "And then there's those other enemies."
Mu nodded slowly. "You mean the ones who were tearing into those Battas? What's up with them?"
Toya shrugged helplessly. "That's what I'd like to know. I'm pretty sure they were the ones keeping Katia and the others prisoner." With the girls prompting him here and there, he gave a brief overview of Bellzelute's control system, and what little they knew of their captors.
"So that's why you always take one of the girls with you when you head out in Bellzelute," Mu said. "And those weird guys are after you? Crazy." His gaze shifted slightly, one eyebrow going up. "That just leaves you Colony Gundam pilots."
"Eh, it's like we said before, this ain't the time for humans to be killing each other, and we don't really trust ZAFT," Duo said. "Okay, and Heero's got some kinda fixation on Relena."
That remark earned Duo a dirty look from the stoic Wing Gundam pilot, to general amusement (even Natarle seemed to be stifling a chuckle), but he made no comment.
"Good enough for me," Mu said. "I'm glad to have you along, especially since Lieutenant Merquise's Leo isn't really suited for what we're up against."
Toya had the distinct feeling Natarle didn't agree, but the Captain obviously did, and the raven-haired XO seemed disinclined to challenge her this time. Probably because she was all too well aware they needed as much firepower as they could get.
Residential block
One upside to transporting the Heliopolis refugees was that it gave Relena something to do. Ever since the colony's collapse she'd felt useless, protected because of her father's position but unable to do anything to help. Much like Flay, actually, loath though she was to admit it.
Relena wasn't a medic or anything, but she was at least able to assist with food distribution, and make sure everyone was properly situated. Her generally outgoing personality helped (if she could get Heero Yuy to thaw even a little then anything was possible), so she was able to gain their trust readily enough. There was, however, one point of mild unease.
Zechs Merquise.
It wasn't as though the masked Specials man showed her any hostility, far from it. He was unfailingly courteous whenever they crossed paths, almost to the point of being deferential. Still, there was something strange about him, about the way he watched her sometimes. Not hostile, but slightly unnerving.
Speak of the devil. Zechs had just rounded the corner ahead of her; his expression was of course unreadable, but his posture seemed relaxed enough. "Good morning, Lieutenant," Relena said, bowing slightly.
"Good morning, Miss Darlian," Zechs said, inclining his head. "I trust things are going well?"
"Fairly," Relena said. "The refugees are understandably uneasy, since we landed in ZAFT territory near at least three Radam forests, but they seem confident Kira and the others can protect them."
"I'm glad to hear it, but that wasn't quite what I was asking," Zechs said quietly. "I was asking about you."
Case in point. Oh, on the surface it was perfectly natural for a member of the UEFA to be concerned for the welfare of the daughter of a major government figure. Zechs, however, had shown greater interest than any of the Archangel's regular officers. It was almost as if it was personal for him, which made no sense.
"Well enough," Relena said, covering her puzzlement. "At least helping out with the refugees keeps me busy. I hate feeling useless."
"Believe me, I understand," Zechs said. "I understand all too well," he repeated, his tone and expression growing distant.
Huh? In the weeks she'd been on the Archangel, Relena had never seen Zechs in such a mood. He'd always come across as calm and professional.
"Never mind," Zechs said, apparently oblivious to Relena's musings. "I'm glad to see you doing well." With that enigmatic remark, the masked man stepped around a bend in the corridor and out of sight.
Relena stared after him, replaying the brief encounter in her mind. On the surface it was perfectly normal, or at least as normal as anything to do with Zechs Merquise could be. Once again, though, it was the inexplicable personal interest he'd taken in her.
What was that all about?
Hangar
She cut hard right, forcing the DINN to overshoot. Smirking, the girl opened up with her beam cannon, reducing the ZAFT machine to scrap metal. A chime from her threat receiver prompted a juke to one side, this time evading a missile barrage from a Batta. An almost casual loop later, and she blew it into flaming dust.
She'd grown too cocky. Dead ahead of her a new threat suddenly appeared, a Jovian Katonbo. Before she could react it opened up with its main battery, reducing her Skygrasper to debris.
The simulator went dark.
"Damn, I'm down," Cagalli sighed, levering herself out of the pilot seat.
"You were great, Cagalli!" Tolle gushed. "I mean, none of us could play that thing for squat, but you were just blazing on through."
Cagalli shrugged. "It's not really that hard if you know what you're doing. I just have a knack for it is all."
David rolled his eyes. "A knack, sure. That's why you've out-pointed everyone but Lieutenant La Flaga and Zechs on that thing, and you give even them a run for their money." A speculative look crossed his face. "Maybe I should try it out."
"You'll just embarrass yourself," Simone said, punching his shoulder lightly. "An SPT pilot losing out to a girl like that? Humiliating."
"I'd love the challenge," Cagalli said. "You guys trained in simulators, right?"
"Kinda," Roanne acknowledged. "Eiji had to set something up for us on the fly, so that we could give him some backup. Well," he amended, "David and I insisted, really."
Cagalli gave the pair a speculative look. "That so? Maybe I should give it a shot."
Roanne shook his head. "You'd have to ask Eiji's permission first, and I'm not sure he'd be willing to do it."
"It was worth a try, anyway." Cagalli shrugged, not overly disappointed. "I can handle a fighter pretty well, at least, and Lieutenant La Flaga proved those can still pack a punch."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Cagalli," David warned. "We were fighting for our lives on Mars and on the way back to Earth. It's not something you just jump into unless you absolutely have to."
"I know, I know," Cagalli said, wishing briefly that she dared reveal the truth. Unfortunately, that just wasn't in the cards yet, not even to the Strike pilot, whom she trusted more than anyone else on the ship.
Still. She'd chosen to remain with the Archangel rather than go with the CBF to the Nadesico for a reason, and had no intention of just sitting around uselessly. Maybe she couldn't handle a mobile suit (yet), but fighters were dead easy.
Murdoch whistled softly. "That Cagalli girl's racked up quite a score. I don't think anyone but you and Lieutenant Merquise managed any better on that thing."
"It's impressive," Mu agreed, leaning back against his Skygrasper. Where did she learn those moves? "And we do have a second Skygrasper. . . ."
Murdoch lifted an eyebrow. "What, you want to stick her in the cockpit?"
"Of course not," Mu said. "Inexperienced friendlies would just get in the way. I'm just saying she'll probably want to anyway, especially after the whole resistance thing."
Movement caught his eye; Zechs had entered the hangar, and was watching Cagalli and Kira's friends. Mu wasn't certain, but he thought the other pilot was paying especially close attention to Cagalli, why he couldn't fathom. After a moment, he just shrugged it off; it made no difference to Mu La Flaga what the Specials got up to, so long as they didn't get in his way.
"Maybe we should have Lieutenant Merquise fly the other one," Murdoch suggested. "That Leo of his isn't much use against ZAFT's stuff, especially in a desert. I gather he mostly got lucky up in space."
"He was teamed up with Heero for most of that," Mu said. "I don't think he'd go for it, anyway; he doesn't seem like much of a fighter jock."
"Whatever you say," Murdoch said, shrugging. "I gotta take care of 'em either way."
Quite a crowd had trickled in while they talked. If Mu wasn't greatly mistaken, most of the ship's pilots had gathered for one reason or another. Toya and the girls had joined the group by the simulator, the former engaging David and Roanne in conversation.
In fact, Mu thought, that's all of 'em except D-Boy. That D-Boy was absent didn't surprise him; the mysterious Tekkaman was just about the most antisocial person he'd ever met. About the only people the guy had been even remotely friendly with were Aki Kisaragi and Anna Stephanie.
"All hands, Level One Battlestations!" Murrue's voice blared from the PA system. "I repeat, all hands, Level One Battlestations!"
Mu was already climbing into his Skygrasper; he'd been set to fly a routine patrol soon, so he'd geared up beforehand. "Hey, kid!" he called, causing Kira to pause in mid step. "Which Striker pack you taking?"
"I'm going with the Aile," the kid yelled back. "I need the mobility more on Earth."
"Got it," Mu said, turning to Murdoch. "Fit my bird with the Launcher," he said. "Might need some heavy firepower out there."
Murdoch tossed him a salute. "Your wish is my command, Lieutenant. Give 'em hell out there."
"That's my job."
Skies over the desert
Toya was already looking for targets when Bellzelute hurtled out of the Archangel's starboard catapult, followed swiftly by the Strike. His eyes flickered from side to side, watching for the slightest hint of enemy presence. It was almost certainly ZAFT, he knew; there were no active Tulips close by, and nothing in the area (or so D-Boy said) to interest the Radam.
"Why did D-Boy come along, anyway?" Melua wondered, nodding at the red-and-white form near the Blue Earth. "He's so focused on fighting the Radam."
The comm unit crackled. "Eh, he said it would be a pain if the Archangel got shot down," Noal said.
"And you believed him?" Duo asked, a note of surprise in his voice.
"This time, yeah." Noal sounded disgusted. "We know even he has to eat, and there's not much food out in the desert."
"It's there if you know where to look," Quatre disagreed.
Mu chuckled at the byplay. "Cut the chatter," he said, his obvious amusement robbing the mild reprimand of its sting. "Archangel, what do we have?"
"Definitely ZAFT units," Sai said. "GINNs, DINNs, and BuCUEs detected."
Toya skimmed through his onboard database. DINNs didn't worry him; while airborne, they weren't particularly powerful, and had light armor. BuCUEs looked more dangerous, despite being ground-only. More heavily armed than a DINN, with better armor, and while they couldn't fly, they had surprising jumping ability.
"Here they come."
Even as Roanne spoke, Toya was flinging his machine into an evasive pattern, receiving a couple of minor hits from a DINN's shotgun. His return shot was too hasty, blowing off the DINN's right leg at the knee. It should have been able to continue combat, but the pilot apparently decided it was unwise to attempt another pass and retreated.
A second DINN fell, bereft of limbs and wings. Eiji's handiwork, Toya noted; with the exception of Gosterro, his Gradosian friend still avoided direct hits whenever possible. Dangerous, but no less effective for all that.
Heero wasn't so generous. The young Gundam pilot had the soul of an assassin, and fought like one. A blast from his buster rifle immolated a GINN; when a second tried to avenge his partner, Heero impaled the ZAFT machine on his beam saber, then kicked it aside.
"Toya, below us!" Melua called.
He's already spotted the pair of BuCUEs lining up for a dual railgun attack. Smiling tightly, he boosted to one side, throwing off their aim just enough. Before they could reorient, he had the O Rifle up in B mode. One bright blue flash later, and they were reduced to scattered debris.
A grunt, more irritated than anything else, came over the open channel. David's SPT was falling back; its right arm was a sparking stump above the elbow.
"Sorry about that," he said, sounding more upset with himself than the enemy.
"It happens, kid," Mu reassured him. "Just get that thing fixed up; we'll take care of the rest."
Toya didn't have time to see what happened next, as three DINNs had decided to gang up on him. A flash of insight from the Cytron allowed him to disable one, but the other two had him hemmed in, the pilots evidently a cut above the usual ZAFT fare. Not quite the same threat level as Le Creuset's elites, but enough to be very irritating.
"VOLTEKKAAAAA!"
So much for that, Toya thought, watching as the ZAFT machines were effectively erased from existence. "Thanks for the assist, D-Boy," he said, briefly wondering if the antisocial warrior would even acknowledge him. Surprisingly, Blade gave him a brief nod before heading off to his next target.
Maybe Aki's right about him after all.
"Incoming fire!" Sai snapped. "Direction– too late!"
Toya's head snapped around, just in time to see the Archangel take a direct hit. The huge mobile assault ship visibly shuddered, smoke belching from the starboard flank, but was able to remain airborne.
"What was that!?" Natarle demanded. "Damage report!"
There was an almost painful silence. "Moderate damage to starboard side," Sai said. "Two missile tubes destroyed. We have a warship-size energy signature; checking listings. . . ." Furious typing was briefly audible. "ZAFT land battleship, identified as the Lesseps."
"The Lesseps," Murrue repeated. "That explains it."
"Do you know that ship, Captain?" Natarle asked tightly.
"It's Andrew Waltfeld's flagship," Murrue said. "The Desert Tiger, and the main reason the Nadesico is acting as a decoy for us."
Toya looked at Melua, saw a spark of fear in her blue eyes, and managed a reassuring smile, a wordless "It's gonna be okay." Privately, though, he wasn't so sure.
First Rau Le Creuset, now this guy. The universe hates us.
Lesseps, bridge
If there was anything Andrew Waltfeld loved as much as a good cup of coffee, it was a challenge, and this was possibly his biggest challenge yet. The Archangel and its attendant mobile weapons were a cut above UEFA tanks, unmanned Jovian mechs, or even those alien monsters. So much the better, as far as he was concerned.
"Impressive," he murmured, sipping his coffee. "Even with their forces divided, they're putting up quite a fight."
DaCosta nodded absently. "We've confirmed the Strike and what seems to be some kind of new UEFA fighter jet," he said. "Judging by transmissions we've intercepted, Mu La Flaga is piloting the fighter."
"The Hawk of Endymion himself," Waltfeld said thoughtfully. "He's as good as they say." He leaned forward a bit. "Correct me if I'm wrong, DaCosta, but those don't look like UEFA mobile weapons."
"No, sir," DaCosta said. "CIC has identified the three alien units the Nadesico brought back from Mars, and the private mobile weapon Nergal has been employing, along with an OSDG support craft." He grimaced. "And three of the Colony Gundams."
Waltfeld shook his head. "It's not really a surprise; we've known for a while now that Yuy and Maxwell aren't exactly fond of ZAFT. Who's the third one?"
DaCosta consulted the database. "XXXG-01SR, sir. Gundam Sandrock."
"That figures," Waltfeld said. "Desert model, and the Winner kid doesn't really like to fight, by all accounts." He smiled, very slightly. "What I'm interested in is the Strike. The reports from the Le Creuset team didn't do it justice. Whoever that guy is, he's good. Really good."
"He was able to fight reasonably well against Commander Le Creuset's elites, despite them being in machines from the same series," DaCosta acknowledged.
Waltfeld nodded absently. "And he's adapted remarkably quickly to terrestrial combat. Hmm." He turned for the bridge hatch, gesturing to a dark-haired woman at his side. "C'mon, Aisha. Let's see what they've got."
DaCosta looked back over his shoulder. "You're going out there yourself, Commander?"
"That's right. I'm taking the new LaGOWE out," Waltfeld said. "You take care of things here till we get back." He smiled, the expression as predatory as his namesake. "I want to see for myself just how good this guy is. Some things you can't understand without exchanging fire with one another."
Skies over the desert
GINNs he was already used to. DINNs weren't much of a threat. Kira could handle such things well enough, especially after fighting the stolen Gundams. BuCUEs were proving more challenging, but not insurmountably so, especially since he had highly skilled backup.
So nearly getting blown in half by a double blast of green light was an unwelcome surprise.
"What the!?" He spun the Strike, bringing up his shield just in time to stop another blast. "Where'd that come from!?"
His latest opponent was evidently a follow-on to the BuCUE design. Quadrupedal, yellow-orange in color, with a dual beam cannon mounted on its back and what looked unpleasantly like beam saber emitters in the "mouth," it had a certain undefinable air of menace.
"I've seen reports about that one," Natarle said. "TMF/A803 LaGOWE, believed to be intended as the successor to the BuCUE." Her voice had an uncharacteristically worried note. "Be careful."
That was, perhaps, the most unnecessary warning Kira had received in a long time. He knew perfectly well a brand-new mobile suit wasn't going to be assigned to just anyone.
In the BuCUE's cockpit, Andrew Waltfeld grinned tightly. "Let's see what you've got."
Kira had thought the Aile Strike's flight ability would at least give him something of an advantage over a ground-bound unit, even a new one. And it did, but nowhere near as much as he'd estimated; displaying astounding jumping ability, the LaGOWE lunged at him, a double beam saber flaring to life and crashing against his shield.
"Damn it!" Kira hurriedly reversed thrust, opening up with his beam rifle to discourage pursuit. It bought him some space, but not as much as he'd hoped.
"Not gonna be that easy," Waltfeld said. "You're good, but– whoops!" He jerked the LaGOWE to one side, narrowly avoiding a thrown Tek Lance. "Well, how 'bout that."
Kira used the distraction to his advantage, taking a moment to reorient himself. Sending a brief message of thanks to D-Boy, he took a closer look at his opponent. Dual beam cannon, looks like a double beam saber, moves like an enhanced BuCUE. This is gonna be tough.
"What was that, Andy?" Aisha wondered.
"Couldn't tell ya," Waltfeld said. "The Le Creuset team got some footage of it after they got Lacus Clyne back, but there's no real data." He shrugged. "Too small to have anyone in it; maybe it's some kind of unmanned power suit. Anyway we've got bigger problems."
The Strike was no longer alone. A smaller blue form had joined up with it, the SPT known as Layzner. It may have lacked the power of Kira's mobile suit, but it was actually faster, and Eiji Asuka had proven himself highly effective even with his self-imposed limitations.
And Waltfeld knew it. "So, this is the blue unit that doesn't make direct hits," he murmured. "You really think you can take me with that kind of handicap?"
Eiji did, breaking formation and opening up with his rifle. As was his preference, he aimed for the LaGOWE's legs, seeking to incapacitate rather than destroy. Against an ordinary opponent, it would have worked, as he had already proved numerous times.
Against Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger, it was woefully inadequate.
"Sorry, kid," Waltfeld said, evading the barrage. "You're good, but if you keep holding yourself back like that it's only going to get you killed."
Kira hastily interposed himself just in time to stop a return shot. "Fall back, Eiji," he called. "I'll take care of him."
Eiji evidently wanted to argue, but thought better of it. "All right," he said reluctantly. "Be careful, Kira."
With Layzner out of danger for the moment, Kira drew a beam saber. Can't take him at range; gotta limit his mobility somehow. This met with somewhat more success; Waltfeld was able to dodge, but not completely, the red beam slicing off the tip of his LaGOWE's left fin.
"Not bad," the Tiger acknowledged. "You're as good as they say– ugh!"
Kira had followed up, swinging his saber in a flat arc that took the LaGOWE's beam cannon clean off. Unwilling to give Waltfeld time to recover, he delivered a swift kick to the quadruped machine's head, knocking it end over end for several meters.
"Time to pack it in," Waltfeld said, not overly concerned. "You get that, DaCosta?"
"Understood, sir," the XO acknowledged. "Repair crews are on the way; we'll leave as soon as you're recovered."
Suddenly exhausted, Kira slumped in the Strike's pilot seat. Though brief, the clash with that new ZAFT model had been possibly his most difficult fight to date. It was no Gundam, but it was ideal for desert warfare, and the pilot had to have been a redcoat at the very least.
"You okay, Kira?" Toya asked, Bellzelute coming to rest next to the Strike.
Kira took several deep breaths. "Yeah. I'm just really tired."
"I'd be shocked if you weren't," the older pilot said. "Reminded me of fighting Eiji's buddy Gale back on Mars. Whoever that guy is, he's something else."
"ZAFT forces have left the battle zone," Miriallia interrupted. "All units, please return."
The spindly blue mech lifted off again. "Time to head back, Kira," Toya said. "We've won this round; dunno about you, but I'm up for a nap."
"Yeah."
Archangel, bridge
"Damage to the ship is moderate, Captain," Natarle said. "I believe we should stop here for repairs, and if possible resupply."
"Agreed," Murrue said. "The question is, where; with both ZAFT and the Radam here in force, we don't exactly have many options."
Mu shrugged, at a loss for once. "There's a major settlement a few kilometers away, according to Quatre," Zechs said. "A city called Banadiya; from what he said, it's a major trading hub for the region."
Murrue lifted an eyebrow. "Why does that not fill me with confidence?"
A wintry smile crossed Zechs's face. "Probably because it's also where Andrew Waltfeld has his headquarters," he said. "Not exactly a place we can just waltz right into."
"Be that as it may, we don't have much choice," Murrue said, drumming her fingers on the arm of her command chair. "All right. Natarle, I want you to lead a small group in to obtain supplies. Quietly."
"Of course, ma'am," the XO said. "I believe Mister Winner should come as well, as he knows the area."
"Makes sense," Mu agreed. "Take a few of the other youngsters, too, give 'em a chance to stretch their legs."
Murrue tilted her head curiously. "Such as?"
Mu began ticking off points. "First off, Flay and Relena are both right out; way too well-known, especially Relena. I'm thinking Kira for one, pretty sure the Zala kid's the only ZAFT guy who'd recognize him. Cagalli knows the area, too, so she can tag along. Hmm." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe Eiji, show him a bit more of Earth. Simone, Toya, and one of Toya's hangers-on."
"Festenia would be the best choice," Zechs said. "If only to keep her from bouncing off the ceiling." Even Natarle allowed herself a chuckle at that; Festenia Muse was possibly the most energetic person any of them had ever met.
"All right," Murrue said. "Natarle, you'll make your supply run tomorrow. Try not to take too long, but give the others a little breathing space."
Natarle saluted. "Understood, ma'am."
Banadiya
At least he was getting to see new places. The climate aside (Toya was already planning to take a shower when he got back to the Archangel), Banadiya was a vibrant city. Voices speaking all sorts of languages (mainly English and what he assumed was Arabic) mingled in a cheerful cacophony.
Eiji, he noticed, was looking around in unconcealed wonder. Toya didn't blame him; from what Eiji had said, there was nothing quite like it on Grados.
"This is great, Toya!" Tenia gushed. "Finally, we can relax for a little bit!"
Toya reminded himself that she had little more experience with Earth than Eiji. "For a couple hours, anyway," he acknowledged. "I guess we split up for now? Six of us might draw a little too much attention."
"I'll go with Eiji," Simone said. "There are some things I want to pick up, and he could use a more personal look at life on Earth."
Since Tenia was sticking to Toya like glue, as usual, that meant Kira and Cagalli would be going together. The young resistance fighter was already tugging on Kira's arm. "C'mon, Kira. I know a few places you might like." She looked back at Toya and then Eiji. "There's an outdoor café we can meet at later."
"Works for me," Toya said, watching with some amusement as Cagalli led their resident Coordinator off. Just about everyone had made requests, which made for a lot of shopping. Kira, he suspected, was in over his head.
His thoughts chopped off abruptly when he felt his hand being yanked. He almost crashed into his companion; Tenia, fortunately, was still moving, so all he did was trip over his own feet.
"Slowpoke!" the redhead said with a grin. "We've got lots to do today, so let's get to it!" She held up a piece of paper. "Aki asked me to pick up a few things for her."
Toya stifled a groan. Somehow, it had never occurred to him that spending years as lab rats meant Tenia and the others had never had a chance to just go shopping.
He honestly wondered if he was going to survive it.
"Come on, Toya, pick up the pace!" Tenia flashed him a grin.
Survival was looking less likely, if Tenia's greater than usual energy level was any indication. In the months that he'd known her, he'd never seen her quite that excited by anything except Akito Tenkawa's cooking. Well. She did get a bit hot-blooded in combat, but then again Toya wasn't one to talk on that score.
"That's more like it!" Tenia said, seeing him moving more quickly. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can grab some lunch."
Of course. For all the excitement at seeing new things, Tenia's mind was seldom away from food for long. "Sure," he said. "We can sample some of the local cuisine, maybe get some stuff to give Akito when we get back to the Nadesico."
Tenia grinned. "Now you're talking!"
It was hard to remember they were in a war zone. He didn't see any mobile suits or uniformed ZAFT people, there weren't any Tulips, and the nearest Radam forest was at least ten kilometers away. Combined with the lively populace, and Banadiya seemed like a thriving trade hub.
"That's what it looks like," Cagalli said, her voice and expression grim. "Come this way."
Kira obediently followed her, a sinking feeling in his stomach. They squeezed through a couple of alleyways, past several running children, and a few shoppers, arriving at what he supposed was the town square. Or rather, what was left of it.
In stark contrast to the rest of the city, it was little more than a heap of scorched rubble. The street was pockmarked with craters, and at least one nearby building was half-collapsed. On the other side, visible beyond a few more-intact structures, loomed the Lesseps, Andrew Waltfeld's flagship.
"This is Banadiya's true face," Cagalli said. "It might seem lively enough, but anyone who dares to rebel is crushed in a heartbeat."
Kira nodded, wordless. It reminded him of what he'd seen at Heliopolis, before the Nadesico came to the rescue, and of the stories Toya and Akito had told him of events on Mars. Everywhere, the same thing, the war he and his family had tried so hard to avoid.
He shied away from that thought, and the face that came with it. Not now. "So that's what we're up against," he said, keeping his voice neutral.
"Yeah," Cagalli said. "It's not scorched earth like the Radam, but Waltfeld's still ruthless." She seemed to shake herself. "Let's go, Kira."
Kira was only too happy to comply. The entire reason he and the others had gone with Natarle was to get at least a brief rest, and he was depressed enough without a sight like that.
"So what all are we getting?" he asked, more to change the subject than anything else.
Cagalli pulled a list from her pocket. "Mostly something besides military food, plus a few odds and ends. I don't see how we can get what that Flay girl asked for, but whatever." She shook her head. "At least we should be able to cheer up the refugees a little."
Kira nodded, and they spent the rest of their shopping trip chatting amiably about trivial things. Despite her initial reaction, he found Cagalli to be quite pleasant company. Cheerful and friendly, she relaxed him in a way no one else had save for Athrun in their Copernicus days.
But she doesn't know, he thought. Doesn't know that I'm a Coordinator, or that I have a friend in ZAFT.
He was probably doing her a disservice, he knew. It was common knowledge that Eiji was half Gradosian, and Cagalli hadn't batted an eye. For that matter, she seemed to like D-Boy, who for all his claims of Earth origin was even more freakish.
"Okay, that's everything," Cagalli said an hour later. "We should meet up with– there they are," she cut herself off, spotting two heads of red hair at a table.
"You're late," Tenia said in a decidedly peeved tone. "Toya and I finished up like half an hour ago."
Toya, much to Kira's amusement, had a resigned look on his face. "They're not late, Tenia, we're early," he said. "We hurried up because you wanted to get something to eat, remember?"
With a tired grunt, Cagalli sat to Tenia's other side. "Is she always like that?"
"Ever since I've known her," Toya confirmed, a wry smile crossing his face. "It's a good thing Akito's a good cook, or she'd have gone mad during the trip to mars."
Kira hid a smile at the look on Tenia's face. She clearly wanted to dispute Toya's words, but her incredible appetite was well-known on both ships, so there was no point. Evidently realizing that fact, she stuck out her tongue and picked up a menu.
Eiji and Simone chose that moment to appear. Both laden with shopping bags, they settled at the next table. "It's been too long since I was able to do that," Simone said. "We didn't have a chance to at Heliopolis."
Tenia took a gulp of her drink (a soda from the look of it) and nodded agreement. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time," she agreed, then pushed a plate at Eiji. "Here, Eiji, have some local cuisine."
The Gradosian looked at it curiously. "What's this?"
"It's called doner kebab," Cagalli supplied, perking up some. "I can't get enough of this stuff," she added, handing Kira a plate. "It's delicious with chili sauce."
Tenia nodded vigorously. "This ranks up there with Akito's cooking, and the sauce gives it just enough spice."
"Oh, come now," a new voice interjected. "Chili sauce on kebabs?" A muscular arm held up a white bottle. "Yogurt sauce, that's the perfect thing for doner kebabs."
The newcomer was a tallish, muscular man of about thirty, dressed casually for a day's jaunt. Sunglasses concealed his eyes, brown hair was barely visible under the straw hat he wore. His smile was disarming, but Kira thought he saw the slightest edge to it.
"No, not just perfect," the man said. "To not put yogurt sauce on kebabs is to blaspheme the gods of fine cuisine."
Kira glanced at Toya, saw the same puzzlement reflected in his friend's eyes. What's up with that guy, anyway?
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Cagalli's reaction was more belligerent. "You got a screw loose in your head?" she demanded. "Nobody invited you," she added, splashing chili sauce on her kebabs, to the newcomer's visible horror. "How we eat is none of your business!" She took a large bite, visibly relishing it.
The stranger actually recoiled. "What a terrible waste!" he gasped.
Cagalli smirked. "Delicious," she said, drawing out the word. "Here, Kira, you try some, too."
Kira wasn't sure he really wanted to. Not that it mattered; the stranger was getting in the way. "Hey, don't you dare send this young man down that vile path of heresy!"
Watching Cagalli argue with the stranger, Kira wasn't sure whether to burst out laughing or make a run for it. He was pretty sure it was going end up a mess one way or another, what with the dueling sauce bottles. Tenia found the whole thing highly amusing, and Simone was smirking, but Toya and Eiji both looked as uncertain as Kira felt.
The world heaved, and he suddenly found himself under the table.
It wasn't hard to find the reason, even past the people who had started running like mad. Several armed figures had appeared from a nearby alley, and at least two more were on a roof farther back. One of the latter had what Kira was sure was an RPG, which at least explained the explosion.
"Take them all!" one of the gunmen shouted. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world!"
Cagalli hissed sharply, and Toya clenched a fist. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world," the slogan of the infamous anti-Coordinator terror organization Blue Cosmos. To Kira, they had never been more than particularly unpleasant news reports.
Now, suddenly, he saw they were all too real.
The initial surprise, however, had passed, and now the terrorists were taking fire in turn. More armed men –ZAFT ground troops in civilian clothes, Kira suddenly realized– systematically picked off the Blue Cosmos fighters one by one. Even their impromptu tablemate (Kira felt a sudden jolt on seeing the man's gun) had joined the battle.
And exposed himself to attack. In the corner of his eye, Kira spotted a Blue Cosmos man taking aim on the stranger's back. With no time to think, Kira snatched up a fallen pistol, ignoring Cagalli's gasp of surprise, and hurled it with all his strength, knocking the other's weapon off target.
One last gunshot, and a man in a green ZAFT uniform hurried through the rapidly dispersing smoke. "Secure this area!" he snapped, before stopping by the stranger and saluting. "Commander, are you all right?"
"I'm just fine, DaCosta." It was obvious then who he was; only one man would be addressed as "Commander" in Banadiya. "All thanks to this guy." With a grin, Andrew Waltfeld removed his hat and sunglasses.
Cagalli's eyes went wide. "It can't be . . . we were talking with Andrew Waltfeld? The Desert Tiger . . . it really is him."
Waltfeld gave her a brief nod before approaching Kira. "You saved my life, kid. Looks like I owe you one."
Being owed a debt by the Desert Tiger was unsettling to say the least. Kira swallowed, trying to come up with a reply. He didn't dare reveal just why he and his friends were in Banadiya; that would, at best, lead to imprisonment. Kira wanted out of this insane war, but that wasn't the way he'd planned. At the least he needed to make sure the refugees reached Orb safely.
"Since I kinda ruined your lunch, how about you come to my place for a bit?" Waltfeld said. He raised a hand to forestall protest. "Hey, it's just my way of saying thanks. Besides, those girls really need to get cleaned up."
Which was true enough. Cagalli, Simone, and Festenia had all been doused in sauce, to say nothing off all the dirt and debris kicked up in the attack.
"Don't worry, I won't keep you too long," Waltfeld reassured him. "Just long enough for a little chat is all. You might say I'm curious."
Piquing the Tiger's curiosity was a dangerous thing indeed, but there was no real way to refuse. And, Kira supposed, it could have been worse; he could have met up with Rau Le Creuset instead. Andrew Waltfeld at least had a reputation for honorable behavior.
"I . . . guess so," Kira managed, looking at his friends for confirmation. None of them really liked it, but even Cagalli obviously understood the position they were in. As long as they weren't outed as Archangel crew, he figured they would probably be safe.
"That's the spirit," Waltfeld said with a grin. "C'mon, I'll make you some coffee."
Coffee?
Waltfeld's headquarters, Banadiya
While Waltfeld's partner Aisha led the girls to another room to get cleaned up, Toya, Kira, and Eiji followed him into his almost palatial office. His desk was situated in front of a set of huge windows, with a comfortable sofa opposite a low table. What looked like a dresser of some sort stood against one wall, a small model of Evidence 01 on top.
"Coffee is something I get passionate about," Waltfeld said, handing each of them a cup. "You're all still in your teens, so I'm thinking you haven't had a chance to develop a taste for it."
An understatement in Eiji's case; as far as Toya knew, there was no coffee equivalent on Grados. He himself had at least gotten used to it, after Katia and Melua proved fond of the stuff. Helped that Akito was as good at brewing coffee as he was at cooking a stew.
Waltfeld smiled approvingly. "Nice to see you've had some experience. This is one of my special brews."
"It's pretty good," Toya acknowledged, still uneasy. He didn't think the Tiger was up to no good, but there was always a possibility.
"Glad you like it." Waltfeld waved his cup at the model. "Evidence 01, supposedly proof of extraterrestrial life, not that we need any proof now that we've got the Gradosians and those weird monsters dropping in on us. Any of you ever see the real thing?"
All three shook their heads. Eiji in particular had of course never even heard of it before coming aboard the Nadesico. From what Kira had said, he'd never actually been to the PLANTs, and Toya only knew about it from school and one of Nicol's letters.
"Didn't think so," Waltfeld said. "Never could figure out why they call this thing a 'space whale.' Last I looked, whales didn't have wings."
"Maybe it's the whale version of a flying fish," Toya said, then mentally kicked himself. Tenia's idea of humor was starting to rub off on him.
"As good a guess as any," Waltfeld said, shrugging. "It's for the eggheads to deal with right now." The opening door caught his eye. "And here they are."
Despite himself, Toya felt his eyes widen slightly. He'd known Tenia was attractive, certainly, but to date he'd only seen her in that utilitarian jumpsuit her captors had provided. Wearing a red-orange dress, her wild mane of red hair actually tied for a change, she was, as Koji would probably have put it, a knockout.
Something must have shown in his expression, because Tenia's face suddenly turned as red as her hair. "W-What are you staring at!?" she demanded.
Trying to cover his embarrassment, Toya shifted his attention to Kira, who was at that moment focused on the green-clad Cagalli. He had to admit she wore the dress well, indeed with greater ease than Tenia. At the same time, the resistance fighter was visibly uncomfortable with it, though the look on Kira's face probably didn't help.
And then Kira opened his mouth and deftly inserted both feet. "You're . . . a girl," he got out.
Real smooth, Kira.
Just as everyone expected (Simone actually winced at Kira's line), Cagalli flushed from a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Why you . . . you already knew that, idiot!"
Waltfeld burst out laughing. "You're a really fun bunch," he said. He gestured for the girls to sit. "So, like I said, I wanted to have a little chat."
"What kind of chat?" Simone asked, eying him suspiciously. Toya didn't blame her; this was edging into dangerous territory indeed.
"Oh, nothing much," Waltfeld replied. His tone was light, but there was something lurking beneath the surface. "I was just a bit curious about the gang I got caught up with today. Especially since one of you saved my hide," he added, nodding at Kira.
Cagalli glared at him. "Is this your idea of a joke?" she bit out. "Do you always dress up your victims for fun or something?"
Toya tensed. That was so not the right thing to say, Cagalli. Are you trying to get us captured or worse?
Waltfeld merely smiled. "You're a feisty one. Those eyes, very beautiful. Something . . . sincere about them."
"She's right, is this some kind of game?" Simone snapped, instantly doubling Toya's unease. "This isn't funny, Waltfeld."
The Tiger's response was another laugh. "Y'know, too much sincerity can be a liability." He stood, moving to his desk. "We're in the middle of the biggest war humanity has ever seen. On top of that, we've got at least two alien invasions, and who knows what the Reclaimers are thinking."
There's no way this can end well, Toya thought, bracing himself. One thing was clear, Waltfeld knew who they all were.
"So what do you guys think about this?" Waltfeld went on. He turned around, a pistol in one hand. "When does it end? When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?"
Toya felt himself go rigid, saw the others react much the same. Dammit, he's got us.
"This isn't the time for humans to be fighting each other," Eiji said, watching Waltfeld carefully.
Waltfeld lifted an eyebrow. "Ah, you'd be the half-alien kid the Nadesico brought back, right? I must admit, I've been curious about you. You try to stop your own people, and you don't shoot to kill." He tilted his head. "They are your people, right?"
"Rest assured, I'm a Gradosian," Eiji said.
"That so?" Waltfeld's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sure a lot of people appreciate the warning, but it's not as easy as you think. The continuing war is proof enough."
Eiji sighed. "I'm well aware of that. That's why I keep fighting."
"Hmm, fair enough." Waltfeld's gaze shifted. "And how about you, kid? No, don't try anything," he added when Kira looked ready to bolt. "We're all Coordinators here just like you; you'd never get out alive."
Cagalli's head whipped around. "What? Kira, you're a–"
"The official story is the Strike's pilot is a Natural, but I'm not that gullible," Waltfeld said. "Not many Naturals could pull off what you do. I don't pretend to know why you're fighting your own people, but piloting that thing makes us enemies."
Kira had paled considerably. "I'm just fighting to protect my friends," he said. "I never wanted to get involved in the war to begin with, but then at Heliopolis. . . ."
Waltfeld smiled. "Well, I suppose I can't be too hard on you; for what it's worth, I'm not exactly Rau Le Creuset's biggest fan myself. Doesn't change the basics, unfortunately."
"You sure talk a lot," Toya said. "You've got us in your sights, so why keep playing around?"
"I'm guessing you're the pilot of that weird machine," Waltfeld said. "What's your angle on all this?"
Toya gritted his teeth. "I'm like Kira; I didn't want to be involved in this in the first place. Didn't have a choice, not after Tenia and the others practically dropped on my head." He shook his head. "I'm with Nergal right now because it's the only place I can do any good. It was that or let the UEFA get their hands on the girls, and there is no way in hell I'm letting that happen."
Waltfeld nodded slowly. "So you're more or less trapped. Sad, isn't it." He lowered his weapon. "Makes you wonder if we have no choice but to destroy each other."
Cagalli's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you up to now?"
"This isn't a battlefield; like I said, I just wanted to chat." Waltfeld inclined his head. "For today, you kids are free to go. Just don't expect me to show mercy when the time comes."
Judging by Kira's expression, he was thinking of his last exchange with Athrun Zala. "I understand," he said, turning to follow Aisha out.
"See you on the battlefield," Waltfeld called after them.
As they left, Toya felt a strange sadness, one he suspected Kira shared. For all that they were enemies, Andrew Waltfeld came across as a nice guy. He seemed like Mu La Flaga in a lot of ways, his weird coffee obsession aside. The next battle, Toya knew, was going to be hard, physically and emotionally.
Radam mothership
"Damn you, Blade," Tekkaman Dagger muttered, pacing back and forth in agitation. "You'll pay for what you did, very soon."
A deep, hollow voice spoke from behind. "So you've recovered, Dagger."
Dagger started, spinning around. "Lord Omega! Yes, sir. I can take Blade now."
"Is that so?" Omega sounded pensive. "After what happened last time, I was thinking of leaving him to the others. Evil should awaken soon."
"Sir, please!" Dagger clenched a fist. "I have a plan, one that Blade won't be able to escape, even with his human friends."
The larger Tekkaman laughed. "You're very determined, I see. Very well. I leave the traitor Blade in your hands."
"Thank you, Lord Omega!" Dagger said, but Omega had already disappeared.
I will have my revenge, Tekkaman Blade. Our next meeting will mean your end!
Author's note: I finished this one a little faster; hopefully it's a trend, as there remain events I'm really looking forward to writing. A belated Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
