Disclaimer: Sebastian Connor, and the Storm Wolves, Kyle Evans belong to me, the rest does not.
Song of the Storm Wolf
Changed Course
By Storm Wolf77415
Archangel, Indian Ocean, March 7th, C.E. 71
Nicol stood at the observation window, watching the ocean move beneath them. He was so absorbed by the waves, he didn't notice Cagalli coming from behind.
"Oh! I didn't know anyone was here," she said.
"It's quite alright" Nicol said, "I was just getting some quiet time. Thinking about what the near future is going to bring."
"You mean the next opponent ZAFT's throwing against us?" Cagalli asked.
"Yeah, Morassim was easy to beat. I doubt things will be as easy in the future."
"Who's the likely candidate?" the blonde asked.
"My money's on Kyle Evans," Nicol said.
"Isn't that the guy Sebastian fought in the desert? The one he has a history with?"
"That's the one. Evans is Sebastian's nemesis in every respect of the term. I'm not particularly fond of him, myself. If you catch my drift" Nicol said emphatically, "Although, if it wasn't for him, then Sebastian and I would have never met."
"Really? Do tell," Cagalli said.
"It was when Sebastian and Dr. Connor first moved to the PLANTs. I was 10 at the time and Sebastian was 13. Kyle Evans was the big man in his class at that time and two of his friends," Nicol said the last word with disgust, "Decided to use me as a punching bag, just because they could, and not a single person helped me! I was down on the ground with a bloody lip and they were just laughing and grinding their feet on my sheet music. Sebastian came up from behind, tapped them on the shoulder, and totally destroyed them. He's taken martial arts since he was 6, and it showed. Sebastian just reared up and front kicked one of them right in the chin, and then he did a spinning hook kick upside the other guy's head, and he went flying. Sebastian helped me up, cleaned off my lip, and walked me home. When I asked him why he helped me, he said, 'I've been where you are before, and no one else should suffer through that.' His words, exactly."
"He really cares about you. I remember how upset he became in the desert when that one BuCUE sliced your arm off, and he really freaked when you went underwater to destroy Morassim's sub and those two GhOONs."
"He became the older brother I never had that day, and our friendship has just grown stronger over time. It was the main reason that I saved his life up in space. I just couldn't accept that he had joined the enemy on a whim, and to see Evans win. I couldn't accept that. I know that Sebastian is keeping something from me, but I know that he'll tell me, eventually. Until then, wherever his quest takes him, I'll stand by Sebastian and fight by his side," Nicol said. Cagalli wiped back a tear.
"That's real loyalty. I hope he knows how lucky he is to have someone like you."
"But I do, Cagalli," a voice came. Both turned to see Sebastian leaning in the archway, "I heard every word. To know that I have someone like this watching my back puts me very much at ease. Cagalli, I need to speak to my brother alone, if you don't mind?" The Lioness of Orb nodded and quickly left.
"I imagine that I have some questions to answer, don't I?" Sebastian asked the younger man, to which Nicol merely nodded, "In that case, I'll tell you everything." It took almost an hour, but by the end, Nicol's jaw was set, and his hands were clenched.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it from you. Do you really think that GENESIS will be used, would it really come to that?" He asked.
"It needs to be completed first. Without the N-Jammer Canceller, the nuclear trigger won't work. But once it is, I know that it will be deployed, but not right away. Chains of specific events need to occur on both sides. First, Zala needs to win the election in a few weeks and become Supreme Chairman. I imagine that in order to use something like GENESIS, then it would require a unanimous vote of the council, and as long as Siegel Clyne is in charge, he won't" Sebastian said.
"No doubt about that, but the election has been so close it go either way. What happens if Lord Clyne retains?" Nicol asked.
"Well even if Lord Siegel wins, that won't be the end of it. In truth it will create a whole new problem. Zala wants to win this cleanly, and avoid any dirty deeds, but if he loses, I don't imagine he'll have any qualms about killing Lacus' father, in that case, it will automatically lead to the second link in the chain. Public opinion needs to be on Zala's side. If Clyne dies, then Zala could step in, using the death of his friend as propaganda so everyone would go along with it. Even if the council didn't agree, then Zala could bypass them with an executive order, and not even the council could dispute that."
"You certainly have thought this whole thing through," Nicol observed.
"During my time at Heliopolis, I had plenty of time to think about it," Sebastian admitted, "I put myself in Zala's shoes, what I would have done in his place, and I just went from there. But it's not just the PLANTs. It takes two to tango, and certain events need to occur within the Alliance as well, events that link to the PLANTs as well. First, the Earth Forces need mobile suits of their own. Once that happens, the playing field will be evened."
"Not just evened, the Earth Alliance can use their numbers to go on the offensive" Nicol said.
"That's the second thing. ZAFT needs to be pushed off Earth completely, once the planet is secure, the Alliance can focus on the homeland. Third, like with Zala, public opinion needs to be on the side of the radicals, the people need to feel it's justified."
"Yeah, if the radicals in the Alliance or Councilor Zala just went ahead and tried for all out extermination now, they'd lose all credibility and be given the shaft" Nicol said.
"You get it, little bro. As your dad is a politician you know how fickle public support can be. However, things haven't reached that level yet, but my delicate, inner sense of danger tells me it will get there soon enough."
"Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!" Flay's voice came over the intercom.
"It never ends," The Storm Wolf said, and the two pilots headed for the locker room.
Indian Ocean near deserted island
"Come on, Evans. Where are you?" Sebastian said, as he scanned the battlefield,
"Looking for me?" Evans voice came over the radio "Hope you like my new machine, Connor!"
Sebastian saw what looked like a GINN approach, but it was bulkier and slightly taller. It also carried a beam rifle in hand, with two beam sabers mounted on the hips. A large backpack unit gave Evans' new mobile suit the ability to fly without a Guul, shoulder mounted beam cannons and railguns mounted on the hips completed the arsenal.
"That's a GuAlZ! Where did you get that?" Sebastian asked.
"To be specific, it's a GuAlZ Experimental Firearms Type, it's being used as a test bed for some technology that's being developed for a whole series of mobile suits. However, you should worry about this mobile suit right now" Evans said, "It's more than capable of matching Predator. I don't like your chances!"
"We'll see about that!" Sebastian said, drawing a beam saber, and Evans did the same.
"And so it continues," Athrun muttered, watching as Wolf and Hyena locked claws and teeth once again, "Maybe Sebastian will do us a favor and finally put him away for good!" Athrun ignited one of the Aegis' arm-mounted beam sabers as he fought with Kira again. The Aile Strike was running circles around the Guul-equipped Aegis.
"Damn, those backpack units give them an unfair advantage!" Dearka said. Snapping his guns together and firing at the Blitz, which nimbly avoided the blast thanks to the Aile pack.
"We'll get them!" Yzak said, He looked toward where the Strike and Aegis were dueling. Strike, as much as I hate you, there's someone else who has my fury right now. Connor, don't play around with him anymore! Just finish Evans off! We can all breathe a little bit easier when that happens!
Cagalli was handling herself well. Skygrasper 2 was weaving and dipping throughout the battle, providing support wherever she could. Until a shot from the Duel's railgun sent the aircraft plummeting to the ground.
Frustration set in for the Grimaldi Hyena, while the GuAlZ EFT was proving to more than an equal match for the Storm Wolf's Predator, he wasn't gaining any ground over him. He fired the shoulder mounted beam cannons, which were deflected by Predator's anti-beam shield, followed by the rail cannons, effortlessly deflected by PSA.
Evans snarled and started firing recklessly at his nemesis, only to have one shot miss completely and hit the Aegis, sending it plummeting toward the ground as well. Nicol then slipped in from behind and sliced off one of the wings on the GuAlZ's back-mounted subflight lifter, but before it could crash, it was caught by the Duel and Buster.
"You've won this round, Connor! But I'll be back!" Evans sneered.
"That's what all megalomaniacs say!" Sebastian replied. And the combatants returned to their respective ships, unaware that both sides were missing one pilot.
Archangel, Hanger
As Sebastian emerged from Predator, he saw Murdoch and his staff running around in a panic, "What's going on?" he asked.
"The Cagalli kid! She never came back!" Murdoch said.
"Crap!" the Storm Wolf snarled, "Did anyone see what happened to her?"
"I did!" Mu said, running up, "I saw her get hit by the Duel. Her navigation system must have shorted out, because she crashed on an island not too far from where we were fighting."
"I'll have Murrue change course and head back that way" Sebastian said, "I'd just head back out there and pick her up, but it's getting late. We can retrieve our wayward princess in the morning. Just don't mention that I called her that. Cagalli would skin me alive."
"There's someone that even the mighty Storm Wolf fears?" Mu said in teasing tone.
"Ha ha" Sebastian said, rolling his eyes.
Deserted Island, March 8th, C.E. 71
Cagalli mused her situation, while she had survived the crash, Skygrasper 2 had not.
I doubt this thing is going to fly again, Cagalli thought as she stared at the mangled twist of metal, glass, and electronics, I hope someone saw me crash, otherwise I'm going to be here for awhile.
Cagalli then left the junked fighter, and trekked across the island. She didn't get far when she saw something that didn't mesh with the natural landscape, a massive, metallic titan.
"The Aegis!" she breathed, "That's my ticket out of here! If I can get to the radio, then I can let the others know where I am, provided they don't already know." She checked her pistol, and broke into a run.
Cagalli found the Aegis in a clearing, but saw that she wasn't alone, a young man in a red ZAFT flight suit stood in front of the kneeling mobile suit, looking at the black burn mark on his machine's leg.
"I'll have to take him out with the first shot!" Cagalli said, raising her sidearm.
Athrun had turned on the Aegis' locator beacon and was waiting for pickup, as he inspected the damage by Evans' attack, "Damn idiot! Fires on his own people! I'm surprised he's even in the service. Let alone a team commander. I'm glad he never made redcoat" He was cut from his ranting when he heard a gunshot, and whirled around, missing being hit by the bullet just inches from his chest. He then quickly returned fire.
"Looks like I'm not alone!" Athrun said, giving chase, and eventually saw a young woman with blonde hair, in a pink Earth Forces flight suit. She ducked behind a rock and fired two more shots, causing him to take cover behind a tree and return fire as well, and the hunt resumed.
As the two ran out into another clearing, the girl turned and Athrun got a good look at her. Her amber eyes proved she was anything but a damsel in distress. Athrun couldn't help but see how the flight suit showed off her figure very well. As he got a look at her face, he saw a slight similarity to someone he knew very well.
"Kira?" Athrun asked.
"Who are you talking about?" Cagalli snapped, "Do you mean Kira Yamato?"
"Yes," Athrun said, lowering his weapon, "My name is Athrun Zala. Do you know Kira?"
"Kira mentioned you. The two of you were best friends, right?"
"Maybe," It then dawned on Athrun who he was staring at, "I know who you are now! You're Cagalli Yula Athha! The Princess of Orb! My father made me read your intelligence profile. Why are you on the legged ship?"
"It seems that I'm required reading for ZAFT officers." Cagalli said, "As for why I'm on the Archangel, that's a long story. Suffice to say, your mobile suit is my only way out."
"I wouldn't try it! I've activated the locator beacon and my people should pick me soon enough. Even if you could defeat me, the Aegis would still be useless to you. The OS won't work for Naturals."
"I don't need to fly out of here. I just need to use the radio, and then they'll come. Look, this stand-off is meaningless! Until our respective sides come, we're both stranded here, together. We don't need to be buddies by the end, but we need to work together." In a show of trust, Cagalli lowered her sidearm, "I'm taking the first step. What happens next is up to you."
Athrun's response was to lower his own gun, "Fine, but only until someone comes to get us."
As the sun went down. The two teenagers sat around a hastily prepared fire.
"Kira talks a lot about you. He misses you, a lot." Cagalli said.
"You think I don't? I gave him a chance to come with us, but he's still insisting that he's just protecting his friends! Why does he have to be so stubborn!"
"Because that's exactly what's he's doing!" Cagalli said, "He is protecting his friends! And the girl he loves! He would die for her!"
"Girl he loves?" Athrun said in disbelief, "Kira has a girlfriend? He was always so shy when we were kids. Who is she?"
"Her name's Flay Allster" This caused Athrun to twist his face in disgust.
"As in the daughter of George Allster? He was a top ranking member of Blue Cosmos, and if the daughter is anything like the father…" Athrun never got any further than that, as Cagalli promptly wound up and slapped him.
"How dare you! Yes, Flay admitted that she wasn't too crazy about Coordinators at first, she didn't know anything! Sebastian and Kira changed her outlook! Kira saved her from Artemis!"
"She's right, you know" Sebastian said, emerging from the brush in his uniform, USP drawn, "In fact, if it wasn't for my cousin, Kira wouldn't be alive right now." Athrun went for his weapon, butthe cold, hard metal of a gunbarrel against the back of his head stopped him.
"I wouldn't try anything, son" Mu said, "You may be a Coordinator, but you're not that fast."
"Commander Connor!" Cagalli cried, relieved to see him
"Are you okay? He didn't hurt you?" Sebastian asked.
"No, not at all, I'm just fine. I can't say the same for Skygrasper 2, though. It's a total loss."
Sebastian shrugged it off, "I wouldn't worry too much. We regained the Aegis, which will be far more valuable to us. If I may anticipate your next question, Mu saw you crash here, and we came across the Aegis' beacon. That's how we knew you were here."
"What happens to him?" Mu asked, regarding Athrun.
"Odds are ZAFT has also detected the signal, we'll take Athrun with us, and give him back to Kyle, although we keep the Aegis."
"Murrue and Natarle won't agree with that," Mu said.
"Perhaps, but Alliance Headquarters would do to Athrun what they would have done to Lacus. Parade him around as their greatest coup. They'd torture the kid, Mu! He's as close to Nicol as I am. Could I really look him or Kira in the eye if I turned Athrun over to command?"
"It's because of you Nicol left!" Athrun spat out.
"I left because of your father!" Sebastian hissed back.
"That's enough!" Cagalli said, "ZAFT's on their way! I'd rather not be caught around here!"
Archangel, Bridge.
All eyes were on a handcuffed Athrun as Sebastian and Mu held him.
"Are those really called for?" Kira said, as he eyed his best friend.
"I'm afraid so, Kira. Even though we're turning him back over to ZAFT, I don't want him loose on the ship" Sebastian said.
"Is this right thing to do?" Natarle asked, "I'll admit I stepped over the line with Miss Lacus, but he is a legitimate prisoner, and a valuable one at that. You just want to let him go?"
"We've regained the Aegis, Natarle. That should more than suffice for Command. Let Athrun keep his honor, and go free."
"We've got a contact!" Chandra said, "It's a ZAFT Vosgulov-class submarine carrier! It's the same one from earlier!"
"That would be the Cousteau," Athrun said.
"Flay, hail them. I want to speak to Commander Evans" Sebastian said.
Flay switched to a ZAFT frequency, and then nodded to her cousin, "You're on, Commander."
"Attention, Cousteau, This is Commander Sebastian Connor, Commander Air Group off the EAS Archangel. I'd like to speak with your commanding officer."
A visual of a sandy-blonde haired, green-eyed man in white, flanked by Dearka and Yzak, appeared on the monitor, A contemptuous sneer on his face.
Flay cringed in fright, "My god, those eyes are so cold. He looks like a psychopath!"
Evans gave off a hollow laugh, "Why thanks Red, I always did enjoy flattery. Cute girl, Connor, Although you should be ashamed, cheating on Lacus like that."
"She's my cousin, cockbite! Let's focus on the business at hand. As you can see for yourself, we have Pilot Zala in our custody. I'm in a giving mode today, so I'm going to release him to you. However, we keep the Aegis. It was ours to begin with! Can we avoid a fight for once, Kyle? My people are tired, your people are tired. Let's not escalate this any further."
Evans was silent for a few seconds, "You're right, Connor. I am rather tired. So we'll let you go…for today. But this far from the end! As for Pilot Zala…keep him."
"What!" Athrun said, "Commander Evans, you can't do this to me!"
"Oh, but I can, Pilot Zala. I don't tolerate failure amongst my pilots. I would think that the son of our own commander-in-chief would be able to prevent being captured by a bunch of Naturals. You're a waste of a red uniform! Enjoy your time with the Earth Forces. I'll tell your dad that you died in a blaze of glory. Have fun!" Athrun could only gape at the blank screen. The bridge was a tomb.
Finally, Sebastian broke the silence, "Damn, just when you think you know someone, they turn around and surprise you!"
Author's Notes: I'm evil! Pure, pure evil! That's all I'm going to say about that!