I do not own Gundam Seed Destiny's plot or characters.

The last events had been running through my mind like a crazy hurricane blowing everything in its path. Shinn Asuka was a dead man, no: a walking dead man. He dared to touch me in a way that was inconceivable. He should never had done that. Oh my God! What if Yzak got word of this incident? He's going to chop his head off... and mine in the process! I walked around my bedroom like a mad woman trying to find ease but nothing would work: I had tried pills, sleep, a shower but nothing would do. It was morning and I didn't have a single clue why the fuck he had done that. "I swear Shinn Asuka, if you want to play this game, I'm sure I can play too. You want to ruin my life, I'll simply make yours a living hell." I mumbled. I punched several walls earlier and I felt like I didn't meet my fix yet. I had to punch mine... which was in a pretty solid material. I busted my hand so bad I had to bandage it. The worst part of it was that I couldn't numb the still feeling of his lips on mine: I could still taste them quite vividly.

"Arg! I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!" I screamed, earning a well earned chuckle from Athrun Zala, which had opened the door of my room and was staring at me. His emerald green eyes were full of misunderstanding and his mouth was curled in a smirk.

"What are you laughing about? How come you're laughing? What... What do you know, exactly?" I demanded, always looking straight in his gaze. "Don't... don't tell me you saw that horrible scene, did you?" I asked, almost grabbing his collar. He couldn't keep a straight face.

"If only I knew he would have kissed you, I would have stopped him in his tracks and beat the crap out of the kid, but I was surprised myself. Oh, if only I knew this was going to turn ugly, I swear I would have stopped it, Kim. But... I didn't except it, after what you said to him: after all, you confessed you might have killed his family by accident, which I expected he would have taken badly, but... It seemed he didn't react that way... Really, I'm not worried about you. I'm more worried about Shinn than anybody else in this moment." He answered.

"I was forced to kiss that jerk and you're not worried about me?" I exclaimed.

"Actually, I'm scared of what Yzak will do to him. He might just blow his head up with his gun or he might stomp him flat with his Mobile suit. He might also take a liking into torturing and..."

"Shut up! You're not helping!" I snapped to him, making him even more at ease. I sat down on my bed and put my head in between my knees, Athrun sitting beside be, his hands together. He couldn't really say anything and it made me nervous for him not to talk and to lecture me, as he always did. On top of that enormous pile of crap, I had a meeting with the pilots that morning. The subject was: "How are we going to destroy the enemy?" and "In what efficient matter are we going to dismiss the Earth Alliance's forces without having to kill them entirely?" Already, the Minerva was moving and Athrun and I had no time to lose. "Kim, we should get going. I know you're troubled right now... but we have to do this." I nodded and felt a thump. I looked at Athrun and he smiled. He always knew the answers and it reassured me to have him with me.

"This must mean we embarked our guest..." he mumbled. I tried to follow, but I told myself that maybe it was better that I didn't know everything about this unsure situation. Knowing myself, I would probably blow off like a mine at the littlest thing I didn't like about our plan. This 'local co-operator' was going to help us determine crucial points of the enemy's territorial weapons and whereabouts. Athrun and I walked across the hallways of the Minerva and I stayed silent with my still going-on rage that was building inside me. If he ever talk to me... that bastard is going to get it! As we were nearing the conference room, a little girl made her appearance by Arthur's side. Man, was that girl, or woman, small and fragile-looking. Her petite frame and her childish figures gave her the look of a twelve year old. I frowned but when Athrun and I reached to her, we shook hands and entered the room, already full with the Minerva's pilots and high commanders. As Arthur, the 'co-operator', Athrun and I entered the room, everyone of them rose and saluted. I nodded my head towards the girls, Lunamaria, Belva and Meyrin and my eyes moved on the front row until it reached a sour point of view: Shinn Asuka.

"She's just a kid...!" murmured the crew, making the girl twitch. She frowned and for a minute, I thought she was going to pout.

"Please be seated." Ordered Arthur. The members of the crew seated themselves immediately and an odd silent pierced the room. "Well, let's get to it, then..." continued Arthur. "This briefing is to explain the details of the plan to destroy the Alliance's troops in this area. I'm sure you're all aware that taking out this battery of enemies is a bit of a tall order. The other team already tried to make an attempt through their forces. But the mission was... uh, unsuccessful. But this time will be different, right... Athrun, Kim?" he asked, taking us both by surprise. "Uh..." I managed to let out.

"You guys can take it from here." Said Arthur. "Please explain the plan." Ordered Arthur, also taking a seat. "Uh, alright." Athrun started the projector and the machine displayed a map of the area we were in. "This is an overhead view of Golmahan and the Lohengrin Gate. The town lies behind this bluff here..." pointed Athrun while I checked if everyone was listening. And the power plant itself lies just beyond the town, which is right here. The only way to approach the area is to follow this rigid line the ravine. However..." he said, looking at me.

"However, this place holds a positron cannon on the bluff here, covering the entire area we want to approach. There's no cover to speak of because that blasted thing covers all of the place we can get in. Around the positron cannon, the area is heavily guarded with Mobile suits, including Mobile armours equipped with positron reflectors. As a result, setting up with a direct it would be kind of..."

"Impossible?" guessed Arthur.

"I was about to say stupid, but impossible can also be a possibility. I understand that you guys encountered a similar mobile armour that battled you out of the coast of Orb..." I said, looking at Lunamaria, who nodded.

"That's right." Confirmed Shinn, which I ignored.

"So, our objectives in this operation..." continued Athrun, but Shinn quickly intervened. "So you want us to destroy the mobile armour, blow the hell out of that positron cannon and then go into Golmahan, right?" Shinn restored his cold face attitude and Rey and Lunamaria sighed and rolled their eyes. I looked at Athrun and tried not to make it evident that I wanted to hurt that kid.

"That is what we want to do. But now we need to talk about how we are going to accomplish these goals. Ideas, Commander Desjardins?" I was about to reply when Shinn decided to interrupted me and smirked. "I can take care of them... If I put my mind to it." I clenched my fists and Athrun grabbed my arm, trying to calm me down but I snapped and glared back at my friend. I turned my glare to Shinn and I smiled.

"Wow, would you do that for us? Oh yes: we'll just wait behind like complete idiots while you go in there and kick their asses, but thank you! Don't forget to tell us when you're all done and maybe you could go and grab a shower and eat before you do so." I said, obviously mocking the shit out of him. He blushed and replied :

"What...? You want me to do, what? It's just...!" he tried to say, but his fear of acting alone took over him and Lunamaria giggled beside him, making me the woman who laughed about Shinn.

"Now, let's discuss a more realistic plan. Miss Conneil..." The girl quickly came back from her pouting and looked at Athrun. "Uh, yes?" Athrun looked at Shinn and looked to her. "This is the pilot you have to give the data to."

"No way! That big mouth?" she exclaimed, making me smirk. She looked at Shinn with almost disgusted eyes and I couldn't help but to smirk even wider. After all, humiliation is a game more than one person can play. I would lower his self esteem, bash his confidence and publically humiliate him for what he had done to me. Shinn, being glared at by the young woman, also frowned and said: "You have a problem?" almost too cockily.

"Look: this whole plan hangs on a pilot who can pull out some pretty hot flying. Are you sure this guy is pretty much up to it?" she asked Athrun, this one knowing he'd had to question himself about that. But Athrun didn't have time to think: he had to act and say something to save Shinn's reputation... but then again, he didn't have time. Shinn jumped out of his seat, furious that someone had questioned his abilities as a pilot, letting out a "Say what?", making both Lunamaria and Belva sigh loudly. "Please, miss Conneil..." started Athrun, but I shook my head to convince him to be quiet.

"What? I mean, aren't you FAITH members the Commanders? Shouldn't you be the ones flying a mission like this? I mean... come on... look at him..." she began whispering. "Don't you think he's a little... too impulsive...?" she asked Athrun, who gave me an almost approving look. "If he goes in and screws this up, we might as well kiss my town goodbye!" she exclaimed, her anger finally getting the best of her. I grabbed her arm to calm her down and Shinn, almost like a spring flower, rose from his seat once again and procrastinated.

"Who the hell does she think she is? She's just a brat!" he spat out.

"Shut up! I can't determine which of you is more likely acting like adults!" I said, regaining a little bit of my power, at least scaring the girl to silence herself. Athrun was about to lose his cool and my grip on the girl got more powerful by the seconds Shinn talked. She began to wince and I let go before she screams. "Who the hell do you think you are, Shinn Asuka? Yeah, you heard me: who the hell do you think you are? Right now, you'll sit down, shut the fuck up and listen to what your Commander has to say! Do I have to take out my gun again? Because if I do, this time it won't be to fool around. It will be to shut your trap for good!" I said, petrifying the whole room, even Shinn, to a certain point.

"Say... have Athrun and Kim fly the mission..." mumbled Arthur, earning "ugh?" from the pilots. "I never really thought about having him do it... but now that I think about it..."

"Deputy Captain, I suggest you be quiet as well!" screamed Athrun, earning an awkward silence.

"Sit down, Shinn!" demanded Athrun, which Shinn complied and sat down, mumbling insults under his breath. "Shinn is very capable of doing this, Miss. You have my word." She looked at me for confirmation. "Don't look at me, girl. I'm not the one deciding."

"But I would feel much more comfortable if you piloted the mission, Miss Desjardins..." she said, winking at me.

"Hell to the no." I replied, crossing my arms. "Please give the data to mister Asuka." I ordered her. She sighed and shrugged the data into Shinn's hands, which he refused, crossing his arms and looking away, closing his eyes. "Shinn, take it..." warned Athrun.

"Maybe you should do like the little girl suggested. We don't want to lose her town because I screwed up, right? You probably think you or even Commander Desjardins would do a better job. You don't want to say it but that's what you're thinking!" he exclaimed, making my breathing uneasy. Athrun regained his calm demeanour and looked at me, giving me the jurisdiction on this one, which I happily accepted. I stepped off the platform and replaced Athrun as head of commands... for a bit. I took data and looked at it. "Fine. I'll do it if you don't want to. I won't be the one kissing your ass to save our lives. And yes, I can sure do a better job than you, lazy bum. I'd wipe your ass at it." I put the data in my pocket.

"Kim, what are you...?" asked Athrun, a bit confused.

"He said it himself: he won't be able to do it and will screw this up. I don't intend to fail this mission, Athrun. He's just a brat, let alone a worthy pilot. I won't have a toddler pilot to save lives. If he's going to learn the right way to respect others, he'll learn it from me. I remember telling you this already, Commander Zala." I replied, winking at him. Of course, I never intended to pilot this mission. I just used a little bit of psychology to disrupt Shinn's feelings and earn an apology later. Shinn's bright red eyes looked at me like he wanted to burn my face and I held to the data inside my pocket. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Kids these days..."

"Approaching point B. The operation is about to commence. All hands stand by. Deputy Captain Arthur Tryne, report to the bridge, please." Said the voice calling out for battle. Arthur ran out of the room, leaving it boiling with anger and with humiliation. But the one with tears in her eyes weren't Shinn, but that girl.

"What is it now? Is there something else you want to say?" asked Shinn, noticing the girl was glaring at him, her bright teal eyes full of water. She sighed and took a deep breath. She wasn't obligated to talk about her horrible past but she did so anyway. Maybe that would motivate Shinn to think less about himself and more about others around him.

"The last time ZAFT attacked the battery, my town paid a terrible price. A rebellion broke out in the town at the same time as the attacks. Those who resisted the Earth Forces faced unspeakable tortures... So many people were killed... If we fail again, who knows what awful things will happen...! That's why... that battery must be destroyed!" she said, in between angry sobs. Please, I beg you! Do not fail! For my people... do not fail us..." she said, almost ready to break down. Athrun walked towards her and escorted her out of the room, leaving me with the other pilots, including Shinn. I touched my pocket and took out the data hardrive and looked at it briefly before handing it to Shinn. "You take it or you leave it." I said to him, also exiting the room, leaving him with loads of questions but happily confused.

When I reached the elevator's front doors, Lunamaria and Belva reached to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face them and they were wearing a bright smile on their faces. "I can't believe you had the restraint to punch Shinn earlier! He's such an asshole! I mean, disrespecting you and Athrun like that! It's unforgivable. And Athrun... the man tries so hard for us..."

"Yeah, I mean... he's so calm and reserved... and amazingly outspoken at the right times..." continued Belva, almost falling on a cloud when she spoke of him.

"Girls, I hate to disappoint, but Athrun is... well, he's taken. And he's too old for you... mentally, I mean... And that thing you said about Shinn... Well, he may sound like an asshole, but I think it's not that simple... if he's so attached to change things, maybe he could one day change the world... He's a good person... just a bit too stubborn..." I mumbled, getting on the elevator, leaving the females pilots behind. When the Minerva gave a little tug, I knew it was ready to engage battle. We all ran to the hangar and hopped in our machines, the Victoire shiny with all the repairs and modifications. Its bright turquoise color made its yellow eyes gleam like a falcon's. This machine is incredible. Simply... I don't have words for it...

Shinn was the first one to embark on the ejection platform and the separate parts of his GUNDAM Impulse were displayed on others for standby. Athrun was next to be ejected and Shinn made a successful launch, leaving his place to his Commander. I learned I was going to be next so I advanced the Victoire near the next platform and was immediately put on one, moving upwards to the catapult. As soon as Athrun was out, I was in the hatch chamber, ready to be ejected.

"System all green! Launch, Commander Desjardins!"

The violent push sent the Victoire right through the hatch chamber and propelled my Mobile suit outside the Minerva, the bright desert sun gleaming in its main window. Shinn engaged rapidly into the ravine Athrun talked about earlier and I followed him, Athrun always preferring the back to the lead. I followed the Impulse's legs and arms as the Core Splendor, piloted by Shinn himself, sliced through the air and showed us the way the co-operator showed us. She indicated Shinn that there was a secret passageway we could use: a tunnel only known by a few members of the town she lived in, not too far from where we were. In the distance, I could see the cave the girl referred to, but she never mentioned it was that small! How could the Victoire fit into such a tiny whole? Of course, that's why Athrun wanted the Core Splendor out today: it was the only machine small enough to fit in the hole that would lead to the rear of the battery.

"Athrun, we've got a problem." I said, making Athrun stop in his tracks behind me, Shinn moving on to the mission.

"I see you've figured out a crucial detail of the mission, Kim."

"Are you some kind of imbecile? We don't fit in there! Do you have another genius plan like that?"

"I figured out that the Core Splendor would fit in the cave but I knew our own Mobile suits wouldn't. As you thought, we'll have to take the direct way there, to meet up with Shinn at the other side of the ravine. I gave him this mission because I knew he wouldn't be able to stand up to the forces that are awaiting us farther on our route. He took this way because I wanted to protect him. Obviously, we're the ones who will have to confront the massive forces to back up Shinn. I thought I did well." He said. I smiled. Athrun was always so careful when he planned something it always amazed me, every single time.

"You're a genius among geniuses, Athrun." I heard him chuckle.

"Oh but I know. The Minerva and the other mother ships will try to invade by the front and we'll destroy the troops and armaments front the back while Shinn takes care of the battery, which is in the middle. The only way I found to keep him alive today was this way. I'm sorry... I knew you would have done a better job, but..." he started, the Saviour approaching the Victoire.

"Never mind that! I get to be with you! I say we bash those mother fuckers and go home safely." He sighed.

"You're a Commander now, Kim. Use a cleaner language..."

"Oh come on! Don't be a wuss, Athrun." I charged the Victoire forward and Athrun quickly followed me around the ravine, waiting for the eventual attack... but where were the troops protecting the battery? There was nothing in sight but sand and rocks. I was a bit confused and frowned. "Athrun, do you really think this is the... Oh, shit!" The thing I feared the most in combats was to sneak up on someone when it was the opposite: we were heading straight to them, their troops right in front of us, waiting with their guns in the air. "Move Athrun! They knew what we planned all along!" The Saviour evaded the deadly beams from the Earth Force's Daggers and I plunged forward, slashing through three mobile suits with one swing, making a pass way for Athrun to use. We got through the major part of the defence of the enemy untouched and when we arrived at point B to rejoin with the Minerva, Shinn had resurfaced from the tunnel and was battling with other Mobile suits. Little did he notice that the deadly efficient Mobile armour was coming behind him and I swung the Victoire in the air, pushing the Impulse on his side and hitting the Mobile armour with the tip of my laser sword.

"Always look behind you!" I said to him. He could have ruined the whole plan if that Mobile armour got to him. I pushed the Mobile armour and kicked it on the head. Its spider like shape reduced its height to my Mobile suit's knee so direct physical attacks weren't the problem. The positron beam began to glow and I flew upwards, evading the hit. I let the Victoire float in the air as I let out a strategy to make this thing explode without having to kill someone from my team along the way.

The Mobile armour's heavy positron reflecting shield was its absolute defence and it covered the entire body, from its legs to its head. How was I supposed to destroy it? As I evaded the hits it was sending me, I looked on my side to see how Shinn was doing. The kid had a rough time getting past through the heavy troops but the Minerva drawn closer to the battlefield and the three remaining pilots, Rey, Lunamaria and Belva, beamed the enemies one by one to create a passage for Shinn to take to the Lohengrin battery. I looked at the main cannon but saw it was being draw in the ground, almost out of reach.

"Shinn, you have to act now! They're retrieving the battery!" He immediately flew to the giant positron cannon but this one little bugger kept in his way, stopping Shinn from any moment on the destruction of that blasted thing. I looked behind me and saw the Mobile armour coming on to me, his shields already out, ready to set me off like a bad habit. "Kim, help Shinn! I'll take care of this one!" said Athrun within the bright red Saviour. I paced to the Impulse and pushed away the remaining Dagger and kept a good grip on it. "Do it, Shinn! We don't have time anymore!" The teen hurried to the closing gates and it was almost too late: the cannon was disappearing in the ground! I had only one left. I threw the machine I was holding, knowing I would kill the pilot in the process. I threw the Dagger in the crack and Shinn shot, making the Dagger and the main Lohengrin explode, the shockwave so violent it pushed us over the ravine. It took several minutes before Shinn regained conscience and I helped him and the Impulse up, releasing him immediately after. We were then called by the Minerva to rejoin them into the now free town, along with Athrun and the others. I let the Victoire's fee touch the ground and placed her beside the Saviour. I was exhausted for it was one of the hardest missions I had to do in my life.

I looked past my shoulder and saw, on the ground, Shinn being patted and thanked by the free revolutionaries and citizens. His eyes were gleaming with a proud shine and he looked up to me, in my cockpit. I smiled and waved hello while he was kissed by women and hugged by children. They were free, but at what price... They almost lost everything... I looked on the other side of the Victoire and saw the remaining Commanders of the Alliance's power plant being shot in the head for high treason and for treating people like shit for all of this time. I wondered why was it that living in this world could change so radically: one second you were the king and the second after, you were killed. Is this really... what I was aiming for? Is this the correct way to do things? I wonder... Oh... I don't know what to think anymore...

"Commander Desjardins, are you in there?" asked the Captain of the Minerva, Talia Gladys.

"Yeah... I'm here..."

"You can come back to the ship now... It's over for now." She said.

"Yes Captain..."