PHASE THIRTEEN: Failure to Protect
C.E 79 Mahamul Base, Eurasian Federation (Present Day)
Genei Alens was not a happy pilot. He absolutely despised the Freedom, and to have his opportunity to bring it down taken away from him was not something that he appreciated. When the second generation Minerva-class ship fired its signal flares, everyone froze in shock of the situation – including the Freedom. It was probably in that short moment of shock that Genei's temper was finally broken, and he was the first to boost his thrusters, the scream working out from his chest as he cried out in pure anger and frustration. This was their chance! He had to take revenge for Liesel! Yet, the Renegade was telling them to leave! Well then, leave he would, but he was going to take revenge against the Freedom his own way. Pushing the speed of his dark green Advocate to the max, Genei turned sharply and immediately spotted the item he had wanted to find – the cockpit of what was once the proud and crimson ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice. It was exposed, as he thought it would be, and he could just see the pilot strapped inside and motionless from the screen of his Gundam, magnified to view the cockpit.
The Freedom saw what he was trying to do instantly and it reacted far more quickly than what Genei had thought. It was to be expected from a Coordinator. The silly idiot piloting the Destiny was still frozen, and the Akatsuki didn't move fast enough – not as fast as the Apocalypse and the Imperial.
"Genei! What are you DOING?" Seorin shouted from his Apocalypse, but Genei paid him no mind.
"STOP!" The cry came from the Freedom, and Genei smirked, satisfied. He had predicted the Freedom correctly – with the Advocate being so close to the Justice's cockpit, the Freedom couldn't attack recklessly.
There was only one disadvantage that he had compared to the Freedom, and that was an enhanced propulsion system. Unlike the Apocalypse, Genei's Advocate did not have an enhanced propulsion system. As soon as he boosted his thrusters, Genei deployed all the remaining DRAGOONs attached to his Advocate and fired his missiles, his smirk growing even bigger when, as predicted, the Freedom took out his beam rifles and shot at them skillfully, unable to use the multi-lock weapons system due to his fear of damaging the Justice that was too close for comfort. He had timed it perfectly – with the distraction giving him a few precious seconds of advantage, he sped further and was both surprised and contented when the Apocalypse and Imperial backed him up against the Freedom and Akatsuki that began to chase after him. But it was too late.
"ATHRUN! STOP! STOP..! ATHRUUN!"
Serves you right for constantly mocking me... Genei thought, his eyes flicking to the Freedom. The blue, white and gold mobile suit activated its special propulsion system, moving in a blur, but with two mobile suits blocking him, it was over. The Apocalypse activated its Voiture Lumiere propulsion system, taking out its sword and lashing down, forcing the Freedom to change course. Instantly, the Imperial deployed its missiles and as the Akatsuki shot them down, the Apocalypse transformed, the mobile armour latching itself onto the Freedom that was too occupied and angered to pay close attention to fighting its battles. The claws of the Apocalypse latched onto the Freedom's DRAGOON units and Genei heard the pilot cry out, firing with its CIWS and taking out its Armour Schneider, thrusting it into the claws - one exploded, sending both mobile suits back, further from the cockpit of the Justice.
"Genei!"
"NO! STOP!"
Genei had won.
He took no gentle measures against such a formidable enemy. In one swoop, the cockpit was in his arms and his bronze eyes blazed with cold fury as he carried it away to the Renegade.
His mind, working fast as ever, had managed to assess the information easily and quickly. The reaction time of the Freedom showed him that whoever the pilot of the Justice was, this Athrun Zala, he must be one that was close to Kira Yamato. The fact that the Freedom was not able to use its multi-lock weapons system further proved that. And judging by the slower reaction time of the Akatsuki, just a fraction slower than the Apocalypse and Imperial, Genei was certain that the pilot was a Natural.
They had attacked Liesel. Genei wasn't about to forgive them so easily.
.
The bridge was almost silenced with shock. If anyone could look past the half-mask covering Daisuke's face, they would see pure rage within the silver orbs as he watched the Advocate return to the Renegade with the Justice's cockpit in his arms. As it was, the mask had covered his face, and the crew merely assumed that the Commander had jumped up in shock, as they all were feeling, as they watched the Advocate turn, finally docking into the ship with the Apocalypse and Imperial covering it.
It took nearly all his self-control to prevent himself from clenching his fists tightly, but Daisuke knew that they had the upper hand now. With the Justice's cockpit with them, with the possibility of the pilot still alive, they were safe, even if they had lost the battle. It was unlikely that the Archangel would pursue them.
"Alert the crew of the situation! If that pilot is alive, I want him unharmed."
.
It was over. Even as Kira fired after the retreating Apocalypse and Imperial, he knew it was over. He couldn't attack the Advocate recklessly, not when it was holding the Justice's cockpit in his arms so securely. He halted his Freedom as the Advocate turned, its yellow eyes seemingly mocking him for his inability to attack, mocking his inability to protect his friend, as with the cockpit of the Justice in his arms, he docked into the Renegade.
Struggling to breathe, Kira clenched the Freedom's controls tightly, the wave of emotions constricting his chest as he watched them leave. How could this have happened? How could he have allowed them to take Athrun away right in front of his eyes, right when he, too, had the ability to fight back? How could he forgive himself?
Angry tears went down his face as he glared at the retreating ship and Kira heaved a deep, ragged breath.
"ATHRUUUUUUNN…!"
.
Ken was shaken. There was no doubt about it. He hadn't seen it coming – he hadn't thought that Genei would pull off such an act as taking away the cockpit of the Infinite Justice, but even so, Ken had to admit that the Extended did some amazing quick thinking there. With their battle lost, the Archangel could have easily pursued and defeated them, but with the Justice in their custody, even the Freedom stopped giving chase. Athrun Zala must be one very important person for the Archangel – enough so that the fast ship did not give chase as they retreated from the battlefield. The act was one that was highly commendable, and Ken had to admit that he was impressed.
Still, he was worried, and he wondered if Genei had acted out of anger and not out of intellect.
He docked his Apocalypse after the Advocate and immediately opened his cockpit, grasping the lever to transport himself down, looking down at the scene below him. With the Justice's cockpit exposed, most likely by hot shrapnel from the explosion, it was easy enough for the crew members to pull the pilot out, who was now laid on the floor – and they were all staring at it as if it had grown another head. Even Tierra was gazing at the pilot with unblinking eyes. Horrified, Ken realised that the only one moving was Genei, who walked towards the pilot with a gun out, ready to fire.
The sight made his blood run cold.
"GENEI! STOP IT!" Ken shouted. Instantly, his white helmet had traveled from above, knocking the gun from Genei's hand, the bullet escaping with a loud bang and buried itself harmlessly in the wall of the hangar – amazingly a few inches from where Tierra stood. Ken jumped down and raced towards the pilot, taking note of the damaged pilot suit, the broken helmet, and his heart pounded against his chest. As gently as possible, he took off the helmet and the blue-haired Coordinator groaned loudly.
Athrun turned his head slightly, focusing his eyes and they gazed, almost confusedly, at the other Coordinator. "Kira..?"
Ken blinked. Perhaps it was his reddish brown hair, but the other Coordinator seemed to have mistaken him for that other pilot they had saved back in Mendel. But he couldn't help but feel weak with relief that the pilot was still alive. At least if the Archangel refused to believe that Athrun was alive, they would have proof. Ken would let this confused Coordinator to believe that he was Kira for now, at least to keep the shock at bay.
"Stay with me," he said, gently unzipping the red pilot suit, taking note of the worse of the wounds. There was blood everywhere, and Ken felt his heart beat fast against his chest, his brows pulling together. He mind worked quickly, like trying to solving a complex mathematical problem, as he took off his pilot suit, using it to cushion Athrun's head and shoulders, raising it slightly. He tore the light blue undershirt he wore under the pilot suit and balled it, pressing it against the head wound, and then used his palms to apply pressure to the worst of his wounds near his chest. There was another severe wound, an abdominal wound, which Ken covered with the remaining cloth, securing it in place.
A low, angry voice reached his ears. "What do you think you're doing?" Genei hissed menacingly.
Ken glanced at him once. "You did the right decision bringing him here – while he's with us, the Freedom and Archangel won't attack, and I think you know that. We need him alive. If he's dead, it'll give all the more reason for them to pursue us."
Athrun gritted his teeth. "Kira…"
"Relax... You're going to be alright," Ken said reassuringly, surprised with how calm his voice sounded in comparison to how fast his heart was racing. He turned to the rest of the crew. "What are you all gawking at? Get the medical team here, NOW. I need a stretcher!"
"I can't move my left arm," Athrun managed, his head turning to his side. His breathing was turning into rapid, shallow breaths, and Ken clenched his teeth as he read the tell-tale signs of shock. Without warning, the blue-haired Coordinator coughed and heaved and Ken immediately pressed down on the side of his stomach. "Kira… sorry…"
"You're alright," Ken answered, his brows pulling together as the other Coordinator stopped responding. The pilot of the Justice had lost his consciousness.
"Seorin!" Ken's head snapped up and he immediately felt a hand on his shoulder. Hikari's face was grave as she did an initial assessment of the Coordinator's condition.
"Seorin! Aya!" Daisukei's voice reached his ears. Within moments, a stretcher was placed beside the blue-haired Coordinator and Ken was relieved beyond belief when the half-masked Renegade Commander appeared in front of him, along with the medical team. At least if Genei was to try and attack, he would have Daisuke on his side. Ken had no doubt that the other Coordinator must have seen the advantage they had right now – one that they desperately needed.
The doctor, a man the Renegade always addressed as Sensei, took out a sterile dressing and pressed it against the head wound, securing it with a roller bandage. "How long as he been unconscious?"
"Only just," Ken answered, securing a large dressing over the abdominal wound as Hikari applied pressure to Athrun's side. "He said he couldn't feel his left arm," he said.
Sensei nodded, moving expertly as he examined the other Coordinator closely. "It's fractured," he reported shortly as they worked in removing the pilot suit without moving the injured Coordinator. He threw another command to Hikari, something about stopping the blood in a leg wound. Ken glanced at Athrun's face, unconscious, pale, and he turned to peek over his shoulder. Thankfully, though his eyes were still glittering with absolute hatred, Genei did no move to attack. "We can move him now," the doctor said, and Ken's attention was pulled to Athrun again. He stood and stepped back, allowing the medical team to take control of the situation.
With blood now covering his arms, he turned to Daisuke. The rest of the Renegade crew seemed to be waiting as well.
Daisuke's voice was low and authoritative. There was no mistaking the fury in his voice. "I seem to remember that the Premium had been very heavily damaged in this battle. Pilots, come to the briefing room in an hour. Tierra, inform Liesel to come if her injuries permit it. I want the damage report on the Renegade right now."
C.E 79 Eurasian Federation – Archangel, Mobile Suit Hangar (Present Day)
Lacus found herself running to the mobile suit hangar of the Archangel as soon as the Ultimate Freedom turned and slowly moved back towards the red and white ship. She, and the rest of the Archangel crew, had heard Kira's desperate cry, the harsh sobs that wracked through his body as the Renegade retreated, and they had all been silenced with shock with what had just happened in front of them. Cagalli, it seemed, had suffered worst from the turn of events. She had been frantic, calling out to Athrun from the bridge with tears streaming down her cheeks, and Lacus had left her to Miriallia as she turned to flee towards the hangar. At least Cagalli's screams had subsided into low sobs by the time Lacus had left her.
She was worried.
There was no other word for it – Lacus was extremely worried.
Kira was moving down from the Ultimate Freedom by the time she reached the mobile suit hangar. Shinn, she saw, was waiting for Kira, his helmet off and his face cast to the side as he waited for the inevitable. It seemed even though they were no longer ZAFT soldiers, Shinn still respected Kira as his Commander.
The brown-haired Coordinator couldn't begin to comprehend the number of emotions that raged through his veins, like a hurricane trying to force itself through the smallest of corridors to ensure that the destruction was thorough. He had cast his helmet aside as he transported himself from the Freedom, had seen Shinn standing to the side with no intention of running away, and he was furious. Furious that the Coordinator was still there, furious for what he had done, furious for what had happened. Kira clenched his hands together and he moved, his violet eyes glittering, towards the black-haired Coordinator. Shinn faced him squarely, his eyes neither guilty nor defiant as he regarded Kira. Anger won over curiosity and Kira slapped him full-force across the face, a last-minute paper-thin amount of control preventing him from punching the young pilot off his feet.
Lacus gasped in surprise. "Kira!" she cried out, shocked.
Shinn turned his face back to Kira – this time, his eyes were angry.
"What were you doing, Shinn?" Kira snapped angrily, grabbing his collar forcefully.
The blood-red eyes were defiant. "You don't understand! That mobile suit pilot… It was Stellar!" Shinn answered, his hands circling Kira's wrists in an iron grip as he tried to release himself. Kira could just see Lunamaria running towards them, halting with her eyes wide as soon as she heard Shinn's words.
The name triggered a small memory, but Kira was too furious to remember. "So what were you trying to do?" he shouted.
"Stellar shouldn't be piloting that thing!"
"But she was! And she was fighting us! Even if you did know her, why did you attack Athrun?" his voice rose, fury clear in his violet eyes.
Shinn gritted his teeth, but for once, he found himself unable to respond. He had never seen Kira lose his temper like this before, and in truth, it surprised him. "But… Stellar…"
Kira glared at him for countless moments, but he eventually released the black-haired Coordinator roughly, turning his eyes away. "Even if your friends turn out to be your enemies, it doesn't give you the reason to stop fighting, Shinn," he said, his voice hard. But the fury no longer rolled off him now - if anything, his voice was defeated. "If you allow things like that to control you, then you won't be able to fight. You won't be able to protect. And you'll watch as those close to you are killed by that person you can't fight, and the guilt will never pass…" he trailed off, his voice hard as he bowed his head.
"Commander…" Shinn trailed off, unable to speak.
Kira glanced at him. "Remember back, Shinn. What is it that you're really fighting for? Remember it. Never lose sight of it. If you're fighting for the same thing, your paths won't diverge."
If Kira had been meaning to slap him twice, Shinn believed that the brown-haired Coordinator did not need to. Kira's words were enough, the pain aching through his chest far worse than the sting he felt on his cheek as he watched his Commander walk away. How many times had he heard those words shouted at him by Athrun during the last war? Why was it that he could not seem to make his mind up, even now? He watched as Lacus hurried to Kira, her azure eyes worried as she followed the brown-haired Coordinator. A piercing feeling of guilt penetrated his heart, and Shinn clenched his fists.
The worst part was that Kira had not said anything regarding the Renegade crew taking Athrun away. Shinn knew that he wasn't to be blamed entirely for what had happened. He had refused to attack Stellar, had refused to allow Athrun to hurt her, and in Athrun's attempt to protect him, the Justice was destroyed. Worse, the cockpit was taken away, leaving them with no idea as to whether the blue-haired Coordinator was still alive or not. Shinn's actions had caused the chain reaction to what had happened, but Kira only blamed him for the actions that he had intentionally done.
The rest, the one that Shinn himself had never wanted to happen to Athrun, was left unsaid, and that was far more painful than if Kira had blamed him completely.
Shinn bowed his head, his fists clenching tightly as his defiant red eyes stared at the floor under his feet.
.
When Kira stopped walking, he was surprised to find himself outside, on one of the Archangel's many viewing decks. The sky was a clear blue and he gazed at it, his eyes almost unfocused. Lacus appeared by his side and he could barely register the feeling of her arm against his, still clad in the blue pilot suit. He barely registered her gentle, concerned voice as she said his name.
What had he done?
How could he possibly have allowed Athrun to be taken away like that, right in front of his eyes? Things had happened so quickly, Kira was unable to fully make sense of the situation. Shinn's inability to fight. The Justice destroyed. The Zantetsuken and Premium retreating. The Apocalypse, Imperial and Advocate attacking. The Renegade's signal flares firing. The cockpit of the Justice, so suddenly in the Advocate's arms…
Athrun…
He would have survived. He must have survived. Kira absolutely refused to believe otherwise. But he would have been injured. And Kira had allowed him to be taken away into the enemy's hands…
What had he done?
"Kira..?"
Shinn wasn't to be blamed. Kira had known that as he flew in his Freedom, slowly, back towards the Archangel. Shinn might have refused to attack the Premium, a pilot that he seemed to know, but it wasn't his fault that Athrun was taken away. No, the blame regarding Athrun's kidnapping lies on him, and him only. He couldn't blame the defiant black-haired Coordinator, no matter how easy it might seem for him to do so. It was Kira who had failed. Kira who hadn't managed to protect his childhood friend.
The two amethyst eyes moved down, overlooking the landscape of what had been a battlefield only moments ago. A familiar call of a green, mechanical bird caught Kira's hearing and his eyes spotted the green figure immediately, flying away. Torii… As his eyes followed the green bird, he immediately spotted the headpiece of the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Freedom, now lying on its side, a distance away from the Archangel. He had failed… He had failed…
"Kira."
Kira turned, his eyes focusing on the pair of gentle, azure orbs that was watching him. "Lacus…" the name escaped his lips and he gritted his teeth. She looked concerned, and he didn't deserve it. He had failed. "I'm sorry…" the words tumbled out, and the tears flowed instantly as he dropped to his knees, hugging himself. "I'm sorry…"
Lacus knelt down, pulling him into an embrace as the harsh, painful sobs wracked through his body. Eyes blurred with her own tears, she noticed that Cagalli and Miriallia had joined them on the Archangel deck, and Cagalli cried silently as she watched her brother blame himself for what had happened.
"Athrun… I couldn't… I didn't…"
"Kira… Please do not blame yourself," Lacus tried as she pulled him closer. "It's not your fault."
He had failed again. How many times had he tried and failed?
"I'm sorry…"
C.E 79 Eurasian Federation – Second-class Minerva ship, Renegade (Present Day)
Hikari was the last to dock her Imperial after the Apocalypse and the Premium, her face grave as she deactivated her mobile suit and climbed out of the cockpit. The Justice was destroyed, but it wasn't as if that had not been predicted by Daisuke back when they were in Mendel. What Hikari didn't predict would happen was for him to call back the mobile suits just a few minutes after the Justice fell, and Hikari wondered why. Of course, what Genei did was far beyond anything that she believed could have happened, but she was more worried with Daisuke's actions earlier of firing the signal flares. Could Daisuke really be acting in favour of Kira? She hoped not. If their true identities were discovered, it would be over. She wouldn't like to think that Daisuke had risked their identities in trying to help that gentle brown-haired Coordinator.
She pulled her helmet off as soon as her feet touched the ground and had ran towards Ken who was furiously working over Athrun's wounds. The injured pilot looked older than the pictures she had seen before this, but his hair was the same shade of midnight blue and he had the same piercing emerald eyes, though clouded by pain. She had helped Ken as they worked through his wounds, had been aware of Genei's glare burning at the back of her neck, and she only allowed herself to relax when Daisuke had arrived. She had wondered what his reaction was when Genei did what he did, but it was impossible to tell with that half-mask covering his face.
After Athrun had been taken away and Daisuke left, Hikari walked over to Tierra, the pilot of the Zantetsuken. He seemed to be the only calm person in the ship. "How is Liesel?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Tierra shook his head. "Just minor wounds, Aya. Nothing to worry about," he reported. "She'll be released from the infirmary soon. She'll make it to the meeting," he said, turning and walking to the Renegade's changing rooms.
Exhaling slowly, Hikari felt someone moving to stand beside her and she turned, relaxing considerably when she realised it was none other than her brother, Ken. His face, as usual, was unreadable, and the only hint that Hikari had of his discomfort was in his eyes, which were hard and glittering like black stones. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Fine, Aya," he sighed softly. "We could have taken down the Freedom then," he said angrily, his fists clenched together. But Hikari knew that the anger was fake, a mere cover to hide their identities.
"I know. If only the Commander hadn't called us back…" she trailed off.
Ken nodded. "But it was the right decision. I'd like to know why ZAFT didn't send us back-up forces earlier. If it wasn't for Genei's quick thinking, we could have been taken down," he mused, turning to walk towards the changing room. Wordlessly, and somewhat surprised, Hikari followed him. She had been too busy fighting to take note of the situation, and therefore did not know that ZAFT had failed in sending in their forces to assist them. It was difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye, what with traitor ZAFT forces now under the Archangel… and they were attacking a ZAFT base earlier, after all. Trying to distinguish which of them was friend or foe was a difficult task, and she was surprised Ken had noticed it.
Though they had an hour, Hikari found herself working quickly. She showered, her hands shaking terribly as she washed away the blood, watching as, mixed with water, they formed a hideously frightening red pool under her. Hikari had scrubbed herself until it hurt, washing away the blood and any traces of it before she finally towelled and got dressed. By the time she was done, the changing room was already empty, and the crew was already working on the repairs as ordered, almost as if the incident earlier had never happened. Hikari was surprised to find herself walking towards the sickbay, but she caught herself just in time and kept on moving until she reached the briefing room. She wanted to see Athrun, wanted to make sure he was alive and stable, but she couldn't do anything that would threaten her position.
The door to the pilot briefing room slid open, and Hikari stepped inside. Genei, pilot of the Advocate, and Tierra, pilot of the Zantetsuken, were already there, as well as Takeru Irashi, the mobile armour pilot for Renegade. Hikari never talked that much with Takeru, but she had always seen him with the other forces, attacking the bases and paying no attention or interest in attacking the Gundams. She chose a seat and sat down, crossing her legs, and her right hand moved to her chin as she tried to think things through. ZAFT's failure in sending out their forces may have played a large role in Daisuke's careless actions. As long as they haven't cleared out the matter, she supposed the fighting would stop for a while.
But what would happen to Athrun Zala? With a group like the Archangel, Hikari doubted that they would allow the Renegade to use him against them. Threats of death would probably mean nothing, not when the Archangel was fighting for so much more. It was the harsh truth, but Hikari was certain that the Archangel was such a group. They had the advantage of surprise for when Genei snatched the cockpit from them, but she didn't believe that the Archangel would hesitate to attack the next time they meet in battle. It was a very troublesome situation – they would need to win their battles at all costs after this to prevent themselves risking death as they had done before. Whether they keep Athrun alive, or whether they killed him, the Archangel's actions would most probably be the same. So why had Daisuke ordered that Athrun be kept alive? Could they possibly use the other Coordinator in some other way?
Her attention was taken when the door slid open once again. Ken stepped inside, followed by Liesel. A small bandage was plastered to the female pilot's right cheek and she moved rather stiffly, taking a seat beside Hikari while Ken moved to the seats further behind. Hikari nodded in greeting to the blonde-haired Extended, but it was clear that Liesel was too troubled and angered to respond. Captain Sethe Tienn, a man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, followed after, and Daisuke was the last to join them. Hikari was glad that Ryuu Apene had not joined – she supposed the Blue Cosmos leader would be busy taking advantage to ZAFT's lack of help earlier, if not trying to find a way to use Athrun to his advantage.
Daisuke stepped to the middle of the room, his masked face turned to the pilots. "I'm sorry for calling you back so soon. But I think some of you have seen the problem we were facing in that battle. We lost the Mahamul base. ZAFT did not send their forces from Victoria to assist us, and the Earth Alliance, and admittedly Ryuu Apene, are furious."
"We could have taken down the Freedom if you gave us more time," Ken spoke up scathingly.
Hikari wished she could see Daisuke's eyes and read the emotions behind that half-mask covering his face. "But there is the possibility that you cannot, Seorin. The Freedom is a powerful mobile suit that, unlike your Apocalypse, will not run out of power. We have reason to believe that the Akatsuki has such qualities as well. But the Justice was lost, and that is a big advantage to us. Genei's actions were commendable – we managed to escape with Athrun Zala now in our custody."
Genei snorted.
"Pay your respects to your Commander," Captain Tienn snapped, and Genei arched an eyebrow. The Captain narrowed his eyes. He might believe that Daisuke was a coward, but even he had seen that his actions were not incorrect. He was actually ruffled with the prisoner they had on board. Sethe did not trust the Commander of the Renegade, not one bit. "The problem we are facing now is about RENEGADE. Our job is to eliminate the neutral nations and opposing bases using both forces from the Earth Alliance and ZAFT. When one of them fails to provide help, failure is the result, as we have seen here."
"We already know that the Earth Alliance and ZAFT will fight against each other eventually," Takeru said, his brows pulling together. "So what's the problem?"
"I would like to remind you that we are trying to stop the hatred once and for all here, not just fighting for the sake of fighting," the Captain answered, narrowing his eyes. "We say that RENEGADE's ideals is to separate the Naturals and Coordinators because that is our goal, if at all possible. If they still are not able to do that, and still wish to eliminate each other, then we won't exactly interfere with their foolishness. Our enemies are the neutral nations and resistance groups. That is all," he finished.
Hikari cast her eyes low. She knew that, of course. She had been surprised when Daisuke had first told her of his plan, all those years ago. "I want to have faith that humanity isn't as foolish as they seem to be…" Those had been his words, and this was how they were going to find out. She sighed deeply.
Daisuke stepped forward, turning his masked face to Liesel. "Liesel. What happened with the Destiny Gundam earlier? He seemed to have quite a strange reaction when he fought against you, and stopped the Justice from attacking."
Liesel looked up, her beautiful pink-ish violet eyes focused on the masked Commander. "I'm not sure," she admitted, her face was thoughtful. "But after my cockpit was forced open, he kept on calling me 'Stellar'," she explained.
Sethe's eyebrows raised at that. "Oh..?" he mused, clearly interested. "Liesel, you are a third stage Extended. Do you know much about the previous Extendeds?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I know we were developed and improved from the earlier Extendeds, but that's about it."
"It may be of interest to you to know that during the last war, there is an Extended named Stellar Louisser, who had once been captured by the Minerva, and then returned to the Earth Alliance by the Impulse Gundam, then piloted by Shinn Asuka. Your physical features are exactly the same as the previous Stellar," he said, noting the surprised look on the Extended's face. "It might be useful for you to do some research on Stellar Louisser, and on Shinn Asuka. We do have good reason to believe that he may be piloting that Destiny Gaia, after all."
Liesel nodded slowly. "I'll make sure I do that."
"What will happen to the Justice's pilot?" Tierra asked suddenly. Hikari was about to ask the question herself.
Daisuke paused momentarily. "As it is, one of the reasons we managed to escape was due to that pilot being in our hands. But the Archangel is a fiercely strong ship with very strong ideals. Holding the pilot hostage here or even trying to use him against the Archangel would most likely bear no more results in our favour. His presence, right now, is no use to us, whether alive or dead," Daisuke mused.
"So why did you want to save him?" Genei asked, clearly angered when he had been stopped from shooting the blue-haired Coordinator.
"He may not be of value to the Archangel, but I have reason to believe that we can use him in a different way. This pilot, Athrun Zala, is a very capable pilot. And as it is, we are now facing some troubles with ZAFT. There is a high possibility that we can use Athrun to lure Yuri Amalfi to us if he refuses to continue cooperating with RENEGADE," the silver-haired man said, his voice soft and thoughtful. "Now, until further notice, we will keep low and watch the movements of the Earth Alliance and ZAFT. We'll work in gaining intelligence and see what we can find."
C.E 79 Eurasian Federation – Archangel (Present Day) (Shinn & Lunamaria)
Dark images clouded his mind.
There was the cliff he had seen millions of times in his dreams, though he had only ran along it once. Gasping for breath, watching the fear in his mother's eyes, his sister struggling to keep up as they raced for safety from the attacking DINNs… They were DINNs, weren't they? He had not known it at the time, but after visiting the same dream countless times, he was sure now. He had been a ZAFT soldier long enough to know…
There was the Freedom, trying to escape with the Archangel, and he had attacked it. Commanding the Minerva to send out his different striker packs, one by one, lashing out again, and again, and again, to that one mobile suit that would never fight to take his life, he had thrust his sword into its middle, watching it explode and laughing with delight that he had finally gotten his revenge…
The cliff again, the falling pink handphone, the sound of his sister crying out because the item was important to her. It was the last time he had heard her voice, alive and not a mere recording. He jumped, retrieved it, and was blown off his feet. Turn, see the arm of what was left of his sister, his Mayu…
A blue ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited, flying away, and equipped with his new sword, his Destiny, he had chased after that mobile suit. That traitor, the one who never fully understood him and his actions... The lightning struck in the sky, the anger coursed through his veins, and he thrust his sword into the GOUF's chest, wanting to kill…
Berlin, the destruction from the Destroy Gundam, then a familiar voice belonging to Neo Roanoke telling him that it was the beautiful blonde-haired girl who was piloting it. Eyes opening in horror, the Freedom defeating the Destroy, the girl fatally wounded, clutching his hand now, her eyes terrified and full with sorrow…
"Shinn… protect Stellar…"
"Shinn. Shinn!"
Shinn gasped in surprise and immediately sat up, sweat drenching his face and body. The voice called him again, familiar now, reassuring, chasing the nightmares away for now, and he turned to the other Coordinator by his side, gazing deep into her dark blue eyes. "Luna…" Shinn exhaled, his hand moving to his forehead.
Her eyes were concerned. "Are you alright, Shinn?" she asked, settling to sit by the side of his bed. She handed him a small towel and he wiped his face, exhaling deeply again.
"Yes… thanks…" he managed.
Lunamaria's eyes softened. "I'm sorry – I called from outside, but nobody answered. You were having a nightmare, Shinn…" she said quietly, her hand moving to rest against his. He bowed his head, the guilt now washing over him. Stellar was the first woman Shinn had ever loved. He still dreamt about her, still dreamt of Berlin and how he had been unable to protect even though he had promised her that he would. But she had died, and he had accepted that fact. Shinn's gaze turned towards Luna's hand resting against his and he bowed his head further, hiding his eyes behind his fringe.
"I'm sorry…"
"What happened?" she asked. They both knew she wasn't referring to the nightmare.
He shook his head. He didn't know what had happened himself. "I saw her, Luna. In the Premium. It was Stellar."
Lunamaria cast her eyes down, her heart aching as she heard the desperation in his voice. She felt no jealousy for the turn of events, but that was because she knew of the truth, just as how Shinn does: "She died during the last war, Shinn…"
"I know that," Shinn retorted, a small hint of annoyance colouring his tone. He sighed. "I don't know."
Her calm eyes gazed at him for a few moments, taking note of the conflict she could easily feel radiating off from his body. Gently, Lunamaria rested her hand against Shinn's shoulder, her eyes softening as he raised his guilt-ridden red eyes on her. "You'll figure it out," she said quietly, leaning forward, her eyes never leaving his face. Shinn deliberated for a moment, but he knew his decision even after he had spotted the pilot of the Premium earlier. He had long already said his goodbyes to Stellar. Wanting the comfort more than anything else, Shinn pressed his lips around hers, his hand resting on her back, feeling the tears escaping his eyelids.
.
"Is Cagalli… okay? And… the Commander…" he risked the question as they exited the sleeping quarters. Regardless of what he had done, Shinn never wanted anyone to suffer any injuries for his actions.
Lunamaria nodded, much to his relief. "The Commander is fine. They put Representative Attha to sleep again today… she's in the infirmary now," she said quietly.
"I see…" The other pilot arched her eyebrow, watching the black-haired Coordinator's face, and made the decision for him. Her hand moved to the sleeve of his red ZAFT uniform and she began to pull him towards the infirmary. "Oy, Luna! What are you doing?" Shinn asked, annoyed and flustered at the same time.
"You need to work this out yourself," she answered easily. The door slid open as they reached the infirmary, and Luna pulled him inside easily – he was immediately silenced as his eyes rested on the sleeping, golden-haired Orb Representative in front of him. Shinn stopped walking and gazed at her – he could clearly see that her cheeks were stained with tears. The Coordinator had been with the Archangel crew long enough to know that Athrun was a very important person to Cagalli.
Shinn had been so surprised to see the fiery Representative resting that he hadn't noticed Lacus sitting beside her. He only realised her presence when she stood, smiling pleasantly at him. "Hello, Shinn, Lunamaria," she greeted gently.
He blinked. "Lacus-sama… Sorry, I –"
"I'm glad you came," she interrupted him, much to his surprise. "Are you alright?"
Shinn grimaced. Why was she asking about his well-being? "I'm fine…"
Lacus tilted her head slightly, her pretty azure eyes searching him. Shinn could feel his body tense slightly. He had a very high amount of respect to the pink-haired songstress, had seen how determined she had been in the five years she was Chairwoman and how she had changed humanity's perception. If it wasn't for Lacus, Shinn had little doubt that there wouldn't even be any resistant groups against RENEGADE. But Lacus had a very calm gaze, and he felt as if she was seeing right through him. At long last, she smiled, the gentle pull of her lips making her look even more pure and beautiful. "I'm glad." There was no doubt in her voice that she truly meant it. "Then... can I leave her to you for a while? Kira should come soon," she said, surprising him.
He had been too surprised to work out the right answer, and was very much dismayed when Luna jumped to the gun; "Are you going to the bridge, Lacus-sama? I want to see if we can contact Meyrin!" she said cheerfully, perhaps too brightly.
Lacus raised her eyebrows, and a knowing smile crossed her lips. "Yes, we will contact the Eternal. I'm sure we can talk to your sister, too. Shall we go?"
"What? Oy - Oy!"
Appalled, Shinn watched as the young princess left, followed by the traitor Lunamaria. The door slid shut behind them and he clenched his fists together, annoyed beyond belief that they had dumped Cagalli Yula Attha on him like that. Shinn huffed loudly, his gleaming blood-red eyes turning to the unconscious Representative, then softening again as he watched her sleep. After what he had done, looking over her while waiting for Kira to arrive shouldn't be something for him to complain about. If it wasn't for Shinn, perhaps she wouldn't even be here, all hopeless and pathetic. Hesitantly, he took the seat by the side of her bed that had been occupied by Lacus earlier and waited.
For Athrun's sake, he would need to be strong in the next battle. He wanted to confront that Premium pilot, to ask who she was… to see if she was really Stellar, even though his heart knew it was impossible that it was her. It was simply impossible. Stellar had died in his arms. He had seen it; he had stayed there, almost frozen, as he cried over her dead body. And he had laid her down to rest peacefully. She no longer needed to fight. She no longer needed to be afraid of dying. She no longer needed to live in fear.
A faint memory came to him. During the second war. How he had seemingly passed out in the Destiny for a moment, and she had come to him, like a dream. She had been smiling, her beautiful pink/violet eyes gentle as she reached him, and told him that she would see him tomorrow.
He hadn't understood her at the time, even though he did feel at peace when he saw her smiling face. But she had said that clearly, that they would meet again. Tomorrow.
Was this the tomorrow she had meant? It couldn't be. But still, the Justice had been taken down, the cockpit taken away by the enemy. Athrun could either be alive or dead. Shinn hadn't even seen Kira anywhere since that battle. How many days had it been? After the fight with Kira, Shinn had stayed in his room long enough to lose track of the time. The brown-haired Coordinator had not come into the room at all, hadn't laid down to sleep, and Shinn felt uneasy about that. Kira had always busied himself, even before this. He had often seen the ZAFT soldiers and worked on the bridge when he wasn't piloting a mobile suit, and when Shinn had seen him like that, it suddenly made sense why it was Kira who piloted the Freedom. Why couldn't he be like that? Why couldn't he fight his battles without second thoughts, without things that plagued his mind? It was because of that pilot… That Premium pilot that had caused him to doubt himself, and thus led Athrun to become the victim…
Athrun didn't even deserve it. Shinn had always argued with Athrun, but the blue-haired Coordinator never stopped trying in helping Shinn figure out his reasons for fighting. Athrun had always questioned his motives, had always asked him the questions that made him think for once, stopping him from following his superiors' orders blindly. Athrun had protected him, countless times, and if there was anyone who was supposed to fall into the enemy's hands during that fight, it was Shinn, not Athrun…
A loud sigh broke his thoughts. "It's bad enough being forced to sleep here without waking up and seeing such a pathetic face, Shinn," Cagalli said.
Shinn's eyebrows shot up. Cagalli's eyes were open, revealing the golden-coloured orbs, and she sat up, holding her head. Shinn narrowed his eyes. "It's your fault for looking so wretched," he retorted, annoyed. He was surprised when she only shrugged, a small smile on her lips.
"That Kira worries too much about everything. He drugged me," her voice was accusing and irritated as she rubbed her temples. A few moments passed and Cagalli realised that Shinn was still looking at her. "What?"
He couldn't help but ask. "You're not going to blame me about Athrun?"
Cagalli raised her eyebrows, and for a few moments, she stared deeply at him with unreadable eyes. But she eventually shook her head, casting her gaze to her knees. "It wasn't really your fault," she pointed out.
Cagalli knew that she had never truly been on the best of terms with Shinn Asuka, pilot of the Destiny Gaia Gundam. Though their relationship had improved since the last war, it still held a small air of abnormality that she could not shake off. She found herself surprised when Lunamaria had recounted what had happened earlier in the mobile suit hangar while she was in the bridge with Miriallia. Kira's outburst had surprised her. In a strange, twisted, unbelievable way, Cagalli now actually felt a sort of kinship with Shinn… mainly due to the fact that she, too, had once been slapped by Kira during the first war, and she knew how painful that was.
Cagalli knew that despite his manner of speaking, Shinn wasn't a bad person… not that she could comment on speaking manners, of course. She shook her head, managing a small smile. "I heard what happened between you and Kira. He's got a hard slap, hasn't he? I felt it a few years ago," she confessed, not wanting to offend the Coordinator.
The young pilot looked genuinely surprised. "Is that so?"
"Yep," Cagalli shrugged lightly. "I had it coming for me, though," she said, her lips tugging into a smile as she remembered back. Her eyes softened, and she lowered her voice. "Don't take it too personally, Shinn. Kira… he's speaking from his own experience. You probably never knew, but Kira was once Athrun's enemy, during the first war. He was forced into the Earth Alliance, and watched as Athrun killed his friend… and he killed Athrun's. So it's not as if he doesn't understand. I guess he blames himself," she said truthfully.
Shinn snorted. "That guy always blames himself. Is he an idiot or something?" he asked scornfully, but he was truly surprised with what he just learned.
"I think he is," Cagalli said lightly.
"But Athrun…"
"Athrun is alive. And he'll return," Cagalli said, her words holding so much confidence and faith in the missing Coordinator that it surprised him.
C.E 79 Eurasian Federation – Archangel (Present Day)
The Ultimate Freedom docked safely. As Kira's foot touched down onto the ground, he cast his eyes around and was painfully aware of the absence of the Infinite Justice from the Archangel's mobile suit hangar. He had launched to Cagalli's flagship, the Harutsuki, and had then moved to one of the ZAFT Vosgulov-class submarines that were located not far from the Archangel, resting in the depths of the ocean. Strangely, RENEGADE had fallen silent, and Kira wondered if the last battle had that had ended in failure on their part had anything to do with it.
He had lost track of the time, and did not know how many days had passed by since the Justice had been brought down. Earlier, he had entered his room, noticing that Shinn had fallen asleep on Athrun's bed, and Kira had watched the black-haired Coordinator with unreadable eyes before stepping into the bathroom, showering quickly, then leaving again to head to the Harutsuki.
"Oy, kid… Finally back? When are you heading out next?" Kojiro Murdoch, the Archangel's senior technician, called from the foot of the Akatsuki. Kira turned, surprised. He did not miss the sarcasm in Murdoch's voice, who had already scolded him once for pushing himself too far.
Kira managed a small smile, his hand unconsciously moving to the back of his head as he tried to hide his embarrassment. "Sorry. How are the repairs going?"
"The Destiny Gaia is still not fully repaired yet. That kid seemed to have run it through a bulldozer. Archangel's third and fifth thrusters are still out. Hopefully, you'll let us examine your Freedom next, kid, before it breaks down from lack of maintenance and repair," Murdoch answered in the same, biting tone.
Kira held his hands out, a sign of defeat. "Okay, I'll leave it to you. Thanks," he said quickly. He managed to bite his tongue just in time to prevent himself from offering them his help – Murdoch would probably ask Murrue to issue a restraining order on him if he did that. As if reading his thoughts, the senior technician huffed and shook his head, turning his attention on the Akatsuki again.
As he was left alone, Kira turned his eyes on the Ultimate Freedom standing tall and proud in front of him. Mudoch was not completely wrong in what he had said. The mobile suit's diagnostics had already issued multiple messages on the damages his Freedom had sustained in the previous battle, but all he had done was to reroute the power and adjusted the system so it would hold. Kira wouldn't like to think what Murdoch might say to him when he found out later. But it was impossible for Kira to sit still and do nothing, not with Athrun still in the enemy's hands.
When the Justice exploded and the Renegade retreated, the remaining forces of Orb's fleet and ZAFT fighters battled with what was left of the Earth Alliance's attacking forces. Many pulled back, but there were some that stayed until the end. Due to back-up forces not being sent from ZAFT, they had amazingly managed to defend the base – something that made Kira felt, truly, that they were still fighting for something and that it was not all futile. What pained him most was the exchange, the price that they had to pay, to taste such a small amount of success. The Justice, now beyond repair, and Athrun, now lost in the enemy ship. After his confrontation with Shinn, Kira had stayed away from the black-haired Coordinator, but they did not seem to cross paths often – he knew that Shinn had confined himself into his room, and Kira had busied himself with the Mahamul base and the forces on their side. Thankfully, the casualties in Mahamul were not that great, and until the Archangel decided to launch again, they would keep it safe and defended.
The soldiers in Mahamul had been all-too-glad when Kira brought Lacus to them an hour after the battle. He had launched again, this time with Lacus, to meet the few that had bravely decided to defend the peace between Naturals and Coordinators. Kira had helped where he could, in repairing mobile suits and re-organising lost and broken squadrons, while Lacus had helped with the well-being of the soldiers, in medical treatment and ensuring that they all ate. Even with their small numbers, the ZAFT soldiers still fought to survive, but decided that they would stay in Mahamul and protect the resistance groups there instead of joining the Archangel – a decision that Kira was all-too-happy to agree with. It was nighttime by the time they returned back to the Archangel, and after making sure that Lacus and Cagalli were safe, Kira made his way to the Archangel hangar and launched again, this time to check on the ZAFT and Orb forces stationed loyally at the ocean. His actions had been repeated, seemingly in a blur, until he lost count how many days had passed.
Kira did not notice when his feet began walking from the Archangel hangar, or even where they were leading him to, and only noticed when he came face-to-face with the small elevator that would lead him to the Archangel's bridge. A small, dark chuckle escaped his lips and he entered, descending, the door sliding open to reveal the bridge. Waltfeld, Mu and Murrue were there, as well as Miriallia and Lunamaria. Sai and Kuzzey's stations were empty, taken by Dalida and Jackie Tonomura instead. Lacus was talking to Mu and Murrue when he arrived, and she turned to him, her azure eyes brightening. "Kira!"
The crew members turned to him, and Murrue hurried to his side. "Kira! Are you alright?" she asked, concern clear in her voice. Kira wondered what his face looked like to make her use such a tone.
"I'm fine," Kira said reassuringly. "I came from St. Helen," he said, referring to one of ZAFT's Vosgulov-class submarines. "They've been helping out with the Mahamul base, but everything seems fine. ZAFT seems really quiet," he reported shortly.
Waltfeld and Mu exchanged glances. "We've been contacting the Eternal," Waltfeld reported. "They've docked in Heliopolis, and Yzak said that PLANTs hasn't been up to anything. That Meyrin girl didn't seem to have discovered anything."
Kira relaxed. If Meyrin reported that everything was clear, then there was nothing to worry about. "I see. So what will we do now?"
The older man shrugged. "Keep our eyes out for any movement. RENEGADE has been silent since the attack on the Mahamul base. But I think we should check up on the Earth Alliance. Our intelligence in JOSH-A tells us that there might be something going on with this war escalating. I won't put it past Apene to start sprouting anti-Coordinator statements again with ZAFT failing to send their forces. We should try and see what we can find, but for now, we need to wait for things to start moving again," Waltfeld finished, the tone in his voice clearly telling them that he wasn't satisfied with their position.
Lacus turned to him, a small smile on her lips. "It can't he helped if they aren't making a move. We should find out what their plans are. The resistance groups in the Eurasian Federation are all that's left… as well as Heliopolis," she pointed out. Murrue sighed.
"Well, in that case, we'll do it," Mu said lightly, his tone lifting the heavy atmosphere again. He walked over to Murrue, placing a reassuring arm around her shoulders, and she relaxed, shrugging lightly. "I guess so," she finally agreed.
The door to the bridge slid open and Cagalli walked inside, followed by Shinn. The black-haired Coordinator seemed truly surprised to see Kira there, but he made no move to speak as he moved to Lunamaria, silently asking her if she had gotten in contact with Meyrin. Cagalli walked over to Kira and he smiled tiredly at her, squeezing her shoulder. It saddened Kira to see the emptiness and dullness in the fiery golden eyes of hers, but there was also the usual determination there. She, like Kira, had not given up on Athrun. But they both knew that the missing Coordinator would be injured, and worry clenched both their hearts.
Cagalli turned to Murrue. "So now we'll just have to wait until they make a move..?" she guessed.
Murrue nodded, her eyes sympathetic. "I'm afraid so."
The young Representative clenched her hands. "We'll probably meet that ship again sooner or later..." she trailed off.
The brown-haired Captain moved forward, standing right in front of her. "If that happens... What will you do?"
She had already known her answer long before this. Cagalli bowed her head, her eyes hidden behind her fringe. "We'll still attack," she said quietly. Shinn turned, his red eyes surprised as he regarded Cagalli. "That guy will never forgive us if we refuse to fight for his sake," she said, biting her lips.
"Are you sure?" Murrue asked.
"Athrun wouldn't want us to lose for his sake," Kira said, his eyes clearly pained when the words escaped his lips. "He would want us to continue fighting, no matter what. Athrun is alive. I'm sure he is, and I'm sure that he'll return to us again soon. So if the time comes for us to fight, we will," he said. Cagalli threw a grateful glance at his twin, a brave but sad smile on her lips.
Shinn clenched his hands. Kira's words echoed in his mind again, almost as if he had said them so many months ago; "Remember back, Shinn. What is it that you're really fighting for? Remember it. Never lose sight of it. If you're fighting for the same thing, your paths won't diverge." At that moment, he vowed that at all costs, he would fight to get Athrun back, no matter what.
.
"Are you alright, Kira?"
Kira raised his head, his amethyst eyes gazing deep into the beautiful blue/grey orbs that was watching him. He had exited the bridge with Lacus soon after their discussion on their next plan and was really about to make his way to the mobile suit hangar when she directed the question at him. He nodded, managing as reassuring a smile as he could, but he knew that lying to Lacus was like trying to tell her that her Haro had stopped working: pointless and impossible. Kira hadn't slept in days. He was always haunted, the image of the Justice exploding, the cockpit taken away right in front of his eyes, always plaguing his mind whenever he tried.
"You need to rest, Kira," Lacus reprimanded gently, her voice soft.
"I'm fine," Kira answered. He didn't want to sleep.
Lacus wasn't fooled. She had been with him for too long already to know that Kira hadn't been sleeping, that his dreams were being haunted by nightmares again. She guided him to his sleeping quarters, grateful that the room was empty when the door slid open, and led him inside.
Kira seemed to have just realised where they were. "Lacus –" he began, clearly wanting to argue. A firm finger pressed itself against his lips and Lacus led him to his bed. Sighing, defeated, Kira laid down, his eyes instantly feeling heavy as his head rested against the pillow. "But…"
"It's alright. I'll stay with you," Lacus said softly, already knowing his fears. She held his hand, and he was instantly reminded of how she had cared for him, all those years ago, after the first war when he had truly been broken. A green mechanical bird flew towards them and settled to stand beside his bed, tilting its head and watching him curiously. Torii... I swear I'll get him back... She began to sing, her voice low and peaceful, and she stroked him gently, caressing his cheek. Drained, Kira's eyes closed against his will, the last image in his mind before unconsciousness took him was Lacus's calm face, her azure eyes gentle as her pure voice sang him to a peaceful sleep.
C.E 79 Heliopolis, Lagrange Area 3 – Aurora (Present Day)
Yzak was flustered. Not only did he not know what the hell was going on between ZAFT, the Earth Alliance and RENEGADE, he had also discovered that the kisama Athrun Zala had been blasted up inside the Infinite Justice in a small battle defending the resistance base of Mahamul in the Eurasian Federation. Worse, the kisama got himself kidnapped by the Renegade ship! He exhaled in frustration, his feet quickly moving to the bridge of the Aurora. In his time here in Heliopolis, he found that the only really useful crew member was Meyrin Hawke, and thus had spent more time with her than the others in trying to find out what was going on.
The Eternal, since its launch from wherever it had been hiding near PLANTs all this time, had successfully docked in Heliopolis's hangar. For the time being, until either Lacus or Andrew Waltfeld would return, Yzak had assigned Dearka and Shiho there. With Laniel already commanding the Aurora, having another black-uniformed officer on board was a wasted hassle, and Yzak knew the Eternal was keeping a close eye on the goings-on of the Earth and space as well. He was familiar with one of Eternal's crew members – a young man named Martin DaCosta – and it seemed as if neither PLANTs nor the Earth Alliance would be happy in just separating the Naturals and Coordinators, as Yzak had learned from his mother more than a week ago.
The door to Aurora's bridge slid open and Yzak stepped inside, his icy blue eyes immediately resting on Meyrin Hawke, sitting in the CIC seat of the Nazca-class ship with a hand pressed against her earpiece. He walked over to her and looked over her shoulder, gazing blankly at the screen in front of him as he tried to make sense of her hacking attempts.
"Did you get anything?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
Meyrin shook her head. Negative. Again. "I've been listening to some of the private channels and transmissions by Chairman Amalfi. But there's nothing, and he's been switching channels lately," she reported shortly.
"Any idea why they didn't assist with the attack on Mahamul?"
"None," she answered. Yzak wasn't surprised. Since their failure in lending their help, Blue Cosmos had been unsurprisingly aggressive, and he wouldn't be shocked if Apene sent nuclear missiles to PLANTs as an act of revenge. Meyrin turned, her eyes flickering to Yzak. "There's a secret database from Maius about the development of a new weapon project. Something called the GENESIS ZERO, but I can't hack into their system. It's heavily protected, with a dangerous virus that will shut down our system if it's activated – we'll be tracked down if it does," she said, frowning.
Now this caught his interest. In the first war, ZAFT had built a powerful weapon named GENESIS, a huge gamma ray emissor with devastating destruction abilities. First destroyed by Athrun Zala, it was then developed under Gilbert Durandal during the second war and was given the name Neo-GENESIS, then destroyed by Kira Yamato. Was it possible that they were still developing those things? Considering the situation, and what Ezalia had told him of ZAFT wanting to weaken the Earth forces so they could eliminate the Naturals, it was only to be expected. Yzak's hands clenched tight, his eyes narrowing as he thought through the situation.
"Try and see what the thing is, Meyrin. If they are really rebuilding GENESIS, we can't just sit here and watch," Yzak said, his eyes narrowing considerably at the discovery.
"Yes, sir!"
C.E 79 Location Unknown – Second Generation Minerva-class ship, Renegade, Sickbay (Present Day)
Heaviness. That was the first thought (no, it wasn't a thought… more like… a fleeting sensation) that crossed Athrun Zala's mind. He could feel himself being weighed down, could feel the tell-tale signs of the drugs working through the cells of his body, and he wanted to break out of it. Out of the heavy darkness, out of this thing called unconsciousness that was becoming so glaringly obvious… His mind registered something… was it pain? He believed it was. Pain being held by the sidelines, almost like a piece of string holding back angry bull from attacking – overwhelming, but still just there, waiting to strike him. He tried to move, but either his body was too heavy, or he was being held down. He tried to turn, but his chest wouldn't budge, and ah… there was the pull of the strings again. The angry bull. He tried to move his arms, to raise it to press against that dull pain by his side, but they wouldn't move. What was wrong with him?
It wasn't completely dark anymore. He could see bright light from behind his closed eyelids – the sensation of seeing a dark red colour instead of pitch black; the sign that he had his eyes closed in a lit room instead of in absolute darkness. He sent the commands to his brain, to open his eyes. Ouch. There was the glare. The brightness of the room was painful, but he couldn't remember what had happened. Where was he?
Athrun blinked his eyes open again, immediately turning his head when the glare hurt his eyes again. It took a few seconds longer than usual for him to get used to the brightness, and immediately, he realised that he was in some sort of infirmary. Turning his head, Athrun realised that he was alone. But what surprised him was that the first thought that entered his mind about the location he was in was 'Minerva's sickbay'. Minerva? Since when had he entered Minerva?
No… It couldn't be. Last time he entered that ship, he had been the silly idiot who was too desperate for power to be able to protect his friends. Last time… it was five years ago. He remembered now. Kira coming back to them… RENEGADE… Yuri Amalfi… The Infinite Justice… Yes, he had been in a battle… and he had been distraught – why? – oh yes, the Destiny Gaia. Shinn… Yelling something about Stellar. Where had he heard the name before? And he had been attacked… Then he remembered something else. Kira's voice, so loud in the cockpit of his Justice as he screamed his name… He sounded terrified, furious, pained… He remembered a strong thing impacting his Justice, and being flown away… Then he was pulled from the cockpit, laid down, and Kira had helped him, had asked him to stay… But there was one detail that Athrun could not make sense of at the time. What was it? The eyes… Yes… Kira's eyes had been black, and not the usual shade of violet – how was that possible? His hair looked reddish, and that was odd, too…
Slowly, Athrun began to piece the events together. Protecting the Destiny. Being attacked. Taken away. Kira's anguished cry of pain. An argument while he laid there, unable to move, unable to breathe. Minerva's sickbay…
"No!" Athrun gasped as realization hit him. A loud groan escaped his lips as his body forced itself to sit up, only to find that he was strapped down. He tasted blood – he had bit down, hard, in an attempt to stop himself from yelling out in pain. Pain… he could feel it now… His chest, his abdomen, his arms, his legs… Athrun clenched his teeth together, forcing it away to the very back of his mind. He couldn't afford to be consumed now… He had to think.
He had been kidnapped by the Renegade crew. It explained Kira's cry. It explained why he had identified this place as the Minerva's sickbay. Renegade, like the Minerva he had joined five years ago, was a Minerva-class battleship, stolen from ZAFT.
By the time Athrun won the fight against the wave of agony that tried to overpower him, he was breathing hard. Sweat trickled down his forehead and he cursed himself for being in such a vulnerable position. Kira… Was he alright? What about Cagalli? Kuso. If there was one thing Athrun didn't like, it was to be a liability. He needed to escape. He needed to get back...
The door slid open and he turned his eyes as a young teenager, a female, walked inside. She couldn't be older than him, with long black hair and dark blue eyes. Hikari raised her eyebrows in surprise as she walked towards the injured Coordinator. The doctor had said that he would most likely stay down until the next day – she hadn't expected him to wake so soon. Were the painkillers too weak? He was supposed to be unconscious. But this pilot, Athrun Zala, was awake, and she supposed she might as well play her role now. She moved to sit next to him, her eyes looking over his figure, taking in the beads of sweat covering his face, his harsh breathing, the anger and pain clouding his eyes.
"You're awake," Hikari noted unnecessarily.
"Why?" Athrun spat, his voice infuriated. Clearly, he had figured things out on his own.
Hikari shook her head. "We needed to escape. You were there to ensure that they wouldn't pursue," she stated simply.
Athrun glared at her. Hikari had to admit, his face did hold a very menacing look when he stared at her like that. He wanted to shout at her, to tell her that it was useless to keep him because Kira would never allow him to be used against the Archangel. But he knew that that information should be kept to himself – he did not want them to have a motive to kill him. He had enough faith in Kira. Kira would… never… risk the lives of those on the Archangel for him. He wouldn't forgive Kira if the brown-haired Coordinator did something like that.
"Are you alright?" Hikari arched an eyebrow, looking down at him. "Those painkillers don't seem to be working too well, Athrun Zala."
So they knew who he was. Athrun narrowed his eyes. Well, in that case, he would learn as much as possible about them. "Who are you?"
"You can call me Aya Hattori," Hikari answered. "I am the pilot of the Imperial. You are on board the Renegade, and have been unconscious for a few days."
"What do you intend to do?"
Hikari shrugged. "Right now, it's all down to the Commander."
.
"Should I expect a good reason why things turned out the way it did?" Daisuke asked, his masked face staring emotionlessly at the screen in front of him. He wasn't particularly sure how he felt with how things were turning out currently. A day after the last battle at the Mahamul base, he received strict orders from Ryuu Apene to send the Blue Cosmos leader to JOSH-A - something that Daisuke truthfully was all-too-happy to agree with. The journey was long and offered the Captain of the Renegade a few hours of peace to his own thoughts as he tried to figure out what was going on. He had stayed in his office, leaving the ship under his Vice-Captain's control, and wondered if their plans had been changed with the recent events.
Apene, needless to say, was furious. But there was no denying the look of triumph that was apparent in his eyes as he patiently waited for them to arrive in JOSH-A. The fine line of peace between the Atlantic Federation and ZAFT was like an onion's skin, and Daisuke knew that he was walking on eggshells. RENEGADE could be disbanded at any moment, in which the real Natural and Coordinator war would break out - something that, by all means, Daisuke wanted to avoid. So when he discovered that he couldn't contact Yuri Amalfi after Apene safely disembarked from the Renegade, Daisuke was no longer as calm and collected as he liked to be. He, too, was trying to contain his anger at the Coordinator in front of him. It took him many days to finally track Amalfi down from Earth, many precious days to finally convince the Chairman that he could no longer hide in hidden networks, and finally, they had the chance to talk.
Amalfi did not look at all amused. His eyes were glittering, the hatred in those orbs never dying down ever since his son had been killed in the Blitz during the first war. He did not hide his glare as he stared at the half-masked Coordinator, saying nothing.
Daisuke sighed. He supposed it was a good thing they were speaking over a secure line and not face-to-face. He had had a hard time dealing with Apene already without adding Amalfi into the equation. "You know that the Atlantic Federation is furious that they were not able to overcome Mahamul, Chairman Amalfi. I wonder if you truly believe that sparking this war is a good idea. We are very close to achieving RENEGADE's ideals. Very close to separating the Naturals and Coordinators once and for all. So I implore you, Chairman, not to act recklessly based on your emotions alone."
The new Chairman of ZAFT leaned back, his eyes hard. "I was still dissatisfied with how they had destroyed Aprillius," he said bitterly.
The Commander inhaled, trying to keep his patience. "The operation was not a failure."
"The operation allowed the Naturals to take advantage of us!"
"Then what do you intend to do?" Daisuke snapped. "Declare war again until we reach another stalemate?"
Much to his surprise, Amalfi suddenly looked thoughtful... almost as if he was pleased with himself. He shook his head. "There will not be another stalemate," he said confidently.
"You must show the Atlantic Federation that ZAFT still holds RENEGADE's ideals!" Daisuke spat angrily.
"With all due respect, Commander Aiten, do you really believe that RENEGADE can offer peace?" Daisuke clenched his hands. No, he did not believe it. Not in the least. But he was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Amalfi smiled, a satisfied look now colouring his face. "I thought so."
"Do you think that calling for another war between Naturals and Coordinators would honour the memory of your son?" Daisuke asked, his voice quiet.
It was the wrong question to ask, but that was why Daisuke had attempted it. Amalfi leapt to his feet instantly, his eyes glittering with hatred and anger upon the mentioning of his dead son. "Don't you dare use Nicol's name as if you know him!" he roared.
Daisuke's face was still calm behind the half-mask. "Then perhaps you should ask someone who does."
"What?"
He had his second trump card, thanks to Genei. "There is a close comrade of your son's that you can meet. It might interest you to see him and ask the question yourself if you are unsure," Daisuke said slowly, watching as Amalfi's eyes clouded with doubt. "I have Athrun Zala on board."
Author's Notes: How many of you saw this coming? How many didn't? :D Let me tell you, it was after I finished writing the original Phase Thirteen that this new idea came to me, and I just had to utilise it. In the original Phase Thirteen, Athrun was saved by the Archangel, and I didn't think the idea would come to me to have this going on above everything else. Poor Archangel, the crew would be all shaken by now with the things that's going on. But this change will probably add another 30k (or more) to the story, with a lot more impact on what will be the end of the fic!
A little bit of bad news – it's officially the start of the semester, and I have my studies to juggle along with this fic now. I will still try my hardest to deliver a chapter every week – if not, I'll try and make sure I take no longer than ten days for an installment to happen. In which case, the next chapter is predicted to happen some time between 23rd and 27th September.
Many thanks go to AngelicFox12, Portsmouth, PrincessOfDestiny14 and San17 for the reviews! You guys are so awesome. XD Thanks to those who alert-ed, favouite-d and read the fic! Drop a review? Until next time!
AngelicFox12: I'm glad! The attack on Athrun was meant as a surprise, but I had hinted on Liesel's appearance in the past. :D I'm glad it still came as a surprise to you! I wonder if this chapter came as much as a surprise to you as it did to me!
San17: Thanks for the reviews! :D I'm sorry about the confusion with the update dates, but back then, I really had no idea whatsoever when the next chapter would come out with all my notes for this story gone. I'm actually (pleasantly) surprised you find it disheartening that the fic is already more than half-way through. I thought people would rejoice the coming of the end of this fic. XD You do know you're reading more than 10k per chapter, right? This story is quite long as it is. But with Athrun's sudden twist here, I guess we can say that the end will come just a little bit later than planned. In all honesty, I don't really want this fic to end just yet either. These two months have been a blast!
The Destiny in GSD did have a Voiture Lumiere propulsion system, but the Destiny Gaia in this fic doesn't – Shinn's mobile suit was developed by the Clyne Faction, and under strict orders from Lacus, they weren't allowed to develop anything that goes against the treaty (refer Chapter 6/Phase 5). Ken pilots the Apocalypse under the alias of Seorin. Hikari pilots the Imperial under the alias of Aya. The importance of their aliases will be explained later on. And rest assured, Liesel is an Extended, not a clone. :D If you haven't been able to guess, I'll probably be revealing it in the next two/three chapters.