I would like to apologize for not updating this story for the past two months. I was struggling to cope with my studies and admittedly lost motivation. It took me some time to regain the motivation. But now that my exams are finally over, I'm back writing fanfics again. I am still a little rusty after a long layoff from writing, so I hope this chapter will be good enough. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Freelancer do not belong to me – they are the properties of Sunrise and Microsoft respectively.
Gundam Seed: Freelancer's Fate
Chapter 18: Homecoming
--New Chancellor chosen!--
In what was described by many as an expected result, Patrick Zala won the approval of the people to take over as Rheinland's new Chancellor. The voting was held yesterday throughout all star systems of House Rheinland and the overwhelming majority favored Patrick Zala over the current Chancellor, Siegel Clyne. Chairman Zala, who currently heads the National Defense Committee, will relinquish his current position once he officially takes over as Rheinland's Chancellor in two months time. Upon confirming his great victory is the votes, Patrick Zala expressed his heartfelt thanks to those who voted for him, promising that he will build on what Chancellor Clyne had achieved and bring Rheinland to a new and prosperous era. Speaking to a press conference hours after his win, Chairman Zala quickly outlined his main aims during his term – to settle the territorial disputes of the Hudson System with House Liberty, to ensure that shipping routes in Rheinland will fall under the control of Republican Shipping again, and to restore Rheinland's past position as a military and economical powerhouse.
Open Space, Near Rhino Freighter, Sector 5E, Magellan System
Rau did not panic as the CGUE in front of him, painted entirely in black, pointed its machine gun at him. He had full confidence that he had the reflexes to at least block its attempt, and with Athrun and Nicol flanking him, he was not worried about the other opponent. Rau carefully edged his CGUE closer to Flay, not caring that he was facing the barrel of her machine gun. He radioed her, making sure that everyone else in the vicinity was able to listen to their conversation at the same time.
"Well, well, what do you think you are doing, Flay Allster? Pointing your weapon at your commander?"
"Didn't I say it before? I only joined the military to locate Kira. Now that I've found him, I have no further reason to stay on," Flay kept her eyes trained on Rau's CGUE even as she spoke.
Inwardly, Rau was laughing at Flay's naivety. "So you are trying to say that it's your right to just leave like this? I believe you're misunderstanding your position, Flay Allster. Are you forgetting the very purpose of your existence? Have you not realize that the very fact you chose to take up arms was because of a certain betrayal? As far as I can see now, you're just a hypocrite the exact same thing as that traitor behind you!"
"What do you mean by traitor!" Kira could not stomach being called one without any reason.
"My my, Kira Yamato. What was your reaction for? Did I mention your name, or is your guilt finally catching up now," Rau replied, almost to the point of teasing, "Just because you can't remember doesn't erase the very fact that you betrayed Rheinland, Kira Yamato!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. If you're going to destroy us, then bring it on. Just to let you know, I have no intention to go down without a fight," Kira was down to just a single beam saber, but given the situation, he had no choice but to fight.
Kira spared a glance to the Aegis, fully aware that he had to fight Athrun once again. While his memory was still blocked off, Kira somehow knew that Athrun was a close friend of his. The idea of going against Athrun pained Kira, but he was willing to endure it if that was what it would take to protect Juni and Tolle.
"I'm sorry, Kira. I won't hold back this time," Athrun had to fight back his emotions as he drew his beam saber as well. He was just about to start his attack when Natarle's voice caught everyone's attention.
"To all Rheinland forces in the vicinity, currently in our hands is Rheinland Chancellor Siegel Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne! We came across her life pod and rescued her for humanitarian reasons. However, should you decide to attack us, we will consider that as abandonment of your responsibilities to protect Miss Clyne. We will then take care of this situation as we see fit."
"What? Lacus, in their hands?" Athrun felt his blood boil as Natarle made the announcement, "How dare they threaten us with her?"
She's alive? Someone did not do their job properly. Rau shook his head at the unexpected turn of events. "How generous of you, taking someone in and resorting to such methods once you find yourselves in danger," he said over the radio, "All forces, cease fire."
Athrun turned back as ordered, but not before speaking his mind to Kira. "So you're fighting to protect these people?"
"Athrun..." Kira gave no response. He was in shock at Natarle's move as well.
Rhino Freighter, Sector 5E, Magellan System
"Is the Strike and CGUE safely secured?" Juni asked as Rau's forces retreated.
"All done," Murdoch, the only mechanic from the Archangel to accompany Juni's group, replied from the cargo hold, "But are you sure about this? I'm not too comfortable about the girl in that CGUE."
"Don't worry. Kira said she's with us," Juni assured him despite being not sure herself.
"If it's what you say so. You're the boss here," Murdoch had to accept it even if he was against taking Flay in. It was not as if they could throw her back out again.
"Pretty unexpected, isn't it?" sitting at one corner, Sinclair turned to Lacus who was sitting beside her, "You suddenly became a hostage."
Unsurprisingly, Lacus responded with a smile. "Everybody's alive, isn't it? That's the most important thing."
Sinclair nodded, "Agreeable. Well, I've got to make myself busy. Gotta check if Kira got any injuries."
Dromedary 1, Open Space, Sector 4E, Magellan System
"Engaging activation sequence," Neumann chanted out as their freighter began docking sequence with the trade lane heading to the Manchester Jump Gate. Hanse's group had earlier docked with the trade lane and was already on their way, "Activation sequence complete. Lane jump initiated."
The Dromedary was propelled forward at great speeds as they traversed a distance half the diameter of the Magellan System in a matter of minutes, a feat impossible without the help of the trade lanes. Their escape to Bretonia looked successful for now as Rau had stopped his pursue after realizing that Lacus was in their hands. The manner in which Natarle had pulled it off, however, had left Murrue shaken. She hated the fact that a civilian's life was made use of in such a way, yet she could not dispute the fact that it was the only option left. In a way, Murrue was thankful that Natarle was there to do what she dared not to.
"I had to do it, captain," Natarle broke the silence. She did not feel that she had done any wrong, but Natarle just felt compelled to justify her actions, "I hope you understand that I had everyone's well being in mind when I did that, including Miss Clyne's."
Murrue nodded, "I understand. You did well, Natarle."
"I'll go check on the status of Lieutenant La Flaga and Lieutenant Cunningham," Natarle said before leaving the bridge.
Murrue kept quiet as her executive officer left, leaving her as the only officer in the bridge. "Get ready to make the jump to Manchester," she said to Neumann, still feeling uncomfortable despite escaping from another impossible situation.
Hesperos II, Planet Astraios, Unknown System
It was a rare sight. Ever since he became a Rogue, Damian had never set foot on any of Liberty's planets. As far as he knew, the very rock he was standing on looked just as developed as Planet Manhattan. He had already been amazed when the shuttle he was in approached the beautiful planet – a mostly bluish globe with plenty of white strips representing clouds and one obvious land mass. According to Maximilian, there were two additional continents besides the one he saw. They happened to be on the other side of the globe during their approach. As the shuttle completed the re-entry process and came closer to the surface, Damian could easily pick out the greenery that covered every part of the continent, with the occasional highway that looked out of place among the stunning beauty of Mother Nature. What greeted him next was the outline of a sprawling city, one that easily rivaled those he had seen on Manhattan.
Stepping out of the space port and into the city itself, Damian was greeted by an impressive skyline that seemed to extend beyond the horizon. He took back what he thought earlier – Hesperos II wasn't a city that rivaled those on Manhattan; it was leagues ahead both in terms of size and aesthetics. Unlike the cold and pragmatic mega-cities found on Manhattan, Hesperos II was a pleasing blend of modern skyscrapers and greenery. Even as the city's population of 12 million made Hesperos II the most crowded city on Planet Astraios, the roads never seemed too congested and the streets looked clean and spacious. It was exactly the kind of environment that Liberty could never offer, the kind Damian had always wanted.
"Nice place," Damian commented as the limousine ferried him through the main commercial sector of the city.
"Thank you. Our forefathers toiled hard for centuries to achieve such a result," Maximilian replied, though his face showed little gratitude.
Leaving the busy commercial sector, the limousine soon took them to the center of the city. The density of buildings and people decreased as they neared a grandiose looking structure that seemed to overshadow all that Damian had seen earlier. He soon found out that the structure was larger that it looked as the limousine pulled over beside it, with numerous guards and a substantial amount of military vehicles forming a watertight barrier around the area.
Damian Graves blinked in astonishment as he marveled at the building. "What the heck? Is that a freaking palace right in front of me? Where in Sirius are we?"
There were no changes in Maximilian's expression even as Damian stood dumbfounded at the sight before him. He had all along expected such a response from Damian and wasn't going to bother too much about it.
"Relax, all will be explained in due time," he said.
"You better," Damian was still pretty much in awe as he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, "I know for sure we're not in the territory of any of the four Houses. How a planet so well developed can exist outside of the four Houses is nothing short of astounding."
"Good to see you back, Lieutenant General Stone."
Coming out to meet them was Zeroun Willard, a tall and dark man with a calm and unwavering expression. Walking with a large stride thanks to his long frame, Zeroun's guards almost broke into a slow jog trying to maintain the same pace as him. He gave a slight nod to Maximilian as he walked over, not caring to even look Damian in the eye. Right from the onset, it was clear that Zeroun's only interest was to meet Maximilian. To him, Damian was just another subordinate, a fact which caused the battle hardened Rogues veteran to inwardly curse at him.
"Lieutenant General? Am I supposed to express my thanks to the First-Prince for this sudden promotion?" Maximilian asked as he signaled Damian to follow him into the palace.
"You can say that the First-Prince is a great admirer of your abilities," Zeroun replied.
"He's a tough one, isn't he?" he did not explicitly mentioned the First-Prince, but it was clear to Zeroun who Maximilian was talking about.
"Efficient, thorough, and not a hint of hesitation. The kind of leader we need to have for a successful invasion," Zeroun said.
Maximilian nodded. "The four great Houses of Sirius will surely be annihilated. The groundwork has already been laid and all we need to do now is to prepare our army."
Zeroun led them down a heavily guarded corridor and very soon, they reached the end of it. He pointed to a door right at the very end of the corridor and turned to Maximilian. "Everyone's waiting inside."
"Let's go introduce ourselves, Damian," Maximilian did not wait further as he stepped into the room the moment one of the guards opened the door.
Invasion? What the hell is happening? Listening quietly as he followed them into the room, Damian did not like what he was hearing. Then again, he did not really care if Sirius was about to be swept by the inferno of war. He had hated that place anyway. To him, it wasn't important if he liked the war or not – he just had to fight it.
Rhino Freighter, Near Leeds Jump Hole, Sector 3C, Magellan System
"Are you okay?" Sinclair asked worriedly as Kira remained silent for as long as she checked on him, "You've been silent all this while."
Kira shifted his head and took a glance at a girl with red hair standing at one corner, arms crossed. That's Flay Allster, I guess. He turned back to Sinclair. "I'm fine, thanks for your concern. I just don't agree with what Natarle did back then, even if her actions did save our lives," he said before closing his eyes to rest.
Sinclair took one last look and was satisfied that Kira wasn't hurt physically, though she could not say the same for his mental state. "A little naïve, aren't you? The world isn't as rosy as you think, Kira. You will learn that some form of sacrifice is always needed to achieve certain things in life. You cannot escape from the cruelty of this world."
"So we just fight one another? Or put the life of others on the line so we can save ours? Surely we can do better than that, right?"
Sinclair let a soft laugh as she pondered about Kira's reply. "You're right, Kira," she said, "But only if you have the power to do so. Check on Tolle once you feel better, okay? He got hurt in that last battle and is currently resting in the bridge."
"Mmm..." Kira softly acknowledged Sinclair's words, but he still felt bitter over all that had happened so far. He looked over at Flay again, unsure if he should go over to her. It was hard to admit, but Kira was fearful of learning the truth about his past.
Is he going to talk to me or not? What's with that face? Flay could only sulk in one corner as Kira hesitated about whether to approach her. It took her so much effort to finally get reunited with him, having to stubbornly believe that he was not dead as claimed by many. Now that she had finally seen Kira, their meeting had turned out to be an uneasy one. Kira had cleanly forgotten about her, their past, all the time they spent together. If that was so, it seems that her efforts to track him down were all in vain. It was like she had to start all over again.
"Can we talk later?" Kira was aware that Flay was waiting for him, but he wanted to have some time alone, "I'll talk to you when we arrive in Leeds, okay?"
Flay remained motionless even as Kira waited for her answer – waiting till they arrive in Leeds was far too much to bear. She wanted Kira to return to her side immediately, not later. Did Kira find another girl while he had amnesia? He better not. Flay assured herself that nothing of that sort happened. It took a full minute of awkward silence before Flay stood up and walked towards Kira.
"Hey, Flay, can't we wait till later?" Kira was stumped when she walked over to him and grabbed his arm for no reason.
"I won't bother you. Just let me be by your side," Flay sat down on the steel floor of the makeshift infirmary, resting her head on the bed while holding on to Kira's left arm. "I will never let go of you, never," she said as she closed her eyes, feeling nothing but relief that Kira was once again by her side.
Kanzleramt, Planet New Berlin, Sector 5F, New Berlin System, Rheinland
The Kanzleramt is the headquarters of House Rheinland, a huge compound of buildings that houses the Chancellor's office as well as the offices of the Supreme Council members. Made up of modern buildings built mainly from concrete and glass, the Kanzleramt is a new facility that was completed only two years ago.
Patrick Zala looked out from his office window as the skyline of the Rheinland capital greeted him. He did not particularly like such a view, but it would soon not matter once he moves to the Chancellor's office in one week time where the beautiful scenery of a lake would greet him instead. The soon to be Chancellor went back to his desk and tapped his fingers impatiently. Seconds later, the phone rang and his hand shot straight out to pick it up. It was a call he had been waiting all morning and Patrick was just glad that it came.
"Has the Lieutenant-General reached the palace?" Patrick got down to business as soon as he picked up the call.
"Yes, he has," the unmistakable voice of RomanSchnetzler was on the other side of the call.
"Excellent, make sure he understands our operation fully. I'll expect you to coordinate closely with him while I make preparations here. The attack will be initiated in two months time, give or take. I'll expect him to be ready by then," Patrick continued as he scrutinized the blueprints of a weapon displayed on his computer.
"By the way, Chancellor Zala, have you received the blueprints yet? It is Joel's final design and our engineers are already busy with its construction," Roman asked.
"Yes, I have," Patrick nodded, his face seemed to indicate that he was pleased with what he saw, "I'm very impressed by his design."
"I'll convey your praise to him later, Chancellor Zala."
Patrick glanced at the time and realized that it was time to attend another press conference. "I have to go now. Make sure there are no hiccups in our preparations, and pass my report to the First-Prince as soon as possible. And for the record, Roman, I'm not yet the Chancellor."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir."
Placing down the phone calmly, Patrick straightened his suit and lifted his tall frame from the chair. Picking up a briefcase by the side of the desk, he made his way to the exit of his office. "It's finally time. I will finish the work my father started and leave this forgettable place."
The time was drawing closer and there was little time to waste. Patrick cleared his minds of any doubts of his plans, convincing himself that no loopholes could be found. He glanced at his watch and quickened his pace down the long corridor. It was time to put his plans into motion – the day where history would be made was arriving soon.
Bridge, Rhino Freighter, Magellan Jump Hole, Sector 6F, Leeds System
"Welcome to Leeds," Tolle raised his arms in joy, disregarding the fact that part of his face was bandaged. The deep cut he received from the earlier battle wasn't going to dampen his mood.
"Congratulations, Tolle. It's home sweet home for you," Juni was glad to have finally reached Leeds, but their journey was far from over. "Now, how do we get to Planet Leeds from here?" she muttered as her eyes scanned the map of the system.
"Right here," Tolle helpfully pointed out the exact location, saving Juni some time having to search for it.
"Alright, auto-pilot is done. Let's go see how Kira is doing, shall we?" Juni had not seen Kira since the battle started and was naturally anxious about his condition.
"Don't worry, Juni. Kira's doing far better than this punch bag here," Sinclair poked her fingers into Tolle's ribs, much to the annoyance of the latter. "He wasn't hurt anywhere. A nice rest is probably all he needs."
Juni nodded in relief. "That's goods news. But still," Juni stood up, "I've got to check on him. Anyone coming with me?"
"Of course!" Lacus readily agreed to accompany Juni.
"Yup, coming!" Tolle and Sinclair followed suit as well and headed for the makeshift infirmary located at one corner of the Rhino's cargo hold.
Rau's Personal Quarters, Vesalius, Sector 3C, Magellan System
Rau read the report patiently as he scrutinized every detail in it, making sure not to miss out on any important information. He tightened his grip of the report when he felt that something was amiss in the report, only to relax moments later after he noticed additional details that satisfied his stringent requirements at the next page. He switched to his computer a while later and spent a minute or so typing out his own report, then picked up the report again and continued from where he had stopped earlier. Sipping a cup of coffee as he came to the last part of the report, Rau finally have an approving nod and placed the report down. He looked up to Ades, who had been standing there for as long as he was reading the report.
Rau's face seemed a bit tenser than usual, but his tone still sounded calm and relaxed. "Good job, Ades," he said, "I doubt there will be any evidence that Freeport 4's destruction was done by us. Try to push the blame to The Order if you can, but it's not really necessary."
"Yes sir, I understand. I'll see what I can do," Ades grumbled inside his mind at the additional work just assigned to him. Rau might say it was unnecessary, but having worked under Rau for two years, Ades knew that the he had to push the blame to The Order.
"Is there anything else?" Rau saw that Ades had not moved from his spot and guessed that he had something else to say.
Ades hesitated for a while, but curiosity got the better of him. "Commander, why did you order the attack on them? We are supposed to trail them in order to track them that professor, right?"
"It's okay as long as one of them survives. My intention was to destroy the Strike only. Kira Yamato is too dangerous a foe to live alive," Rau explained, showing absolutely no remorse for having plotted the death of hundreds of Zoners as well as numerous civilians who just happened to be in the vicinity at the time of their attack.
"I see, Tolle Koenig would eventually seek the professor out as well," Ades acted like he agreed with Rau's answer, though the truth was that he regarded the attack on Freeport 4 a massacre more than anything. Attacking helpless civilians just to take the life of a few individuals just wasn't what he had signed up for when he enlisted for the army.
"Any more questions?" Rau asked, his dismissive tone suggesting that Ades better get the hell out of the room immediately.
"None, sir. I'll take my leave," Ades was certain he sound shaky as he saluted and left the room. Even after two years of constant contact with Rau, he could never stand the pair of cold, murderous eyes that peeped out of that mask. For once, Ades wished that he had never signed up for this mess. The Rheinland public wanted their nation to be more aggressive in their policies, but being the one who does the actual fighting in order to do so was starting to scare the creeps out of the veteran soldier.
Rau continued eyeing the monitor until Ades left and the door slid close. Opening a drawer to his left, the mercurial commander reached out for a transparent bottle containing nothing but pills. He quickly popped out two pills and rushed them down his throat with a mouthful of water. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Rau felt his muscles loosened a little as the previous discomfort he felt started to disappear.
"Not enough," he breathed heavily as if to savor the two pills that had just been swallowed, "I need more... destruction."
Infirmary, Rhino Freighter, Open Space, Sector 6E, Leeds System
"That's the girl who defected to our side?" Juni made sure she could be heard by Tolle, but not enough to wake Kira and Flay up, both of whom were asleep.
Tolle shook his head before revealing a cheeky grin on his face. "It's more like she deflected to Kira's side."
"To be honest, I have no idea if..." Juni paused for a moment, "... what's her name again?"
"Flay Allster," Sinclair was the first to answer.
"Yes, Flay Allster. I'm just not sure about letting her to our side," Juni went on with what she wanted to say earlier, "What if she is a spy?"
"You think too much, Juni," Tolle was quick to add his own theory into the equation, "It's pretty clear that she is totally smitten with Kira. You heard it from their conversation in the battle, right? She kept saying things like he promised to return but did not. I bet she is his ex-girlfriend or something."
Sinclair rolled her eyes at Tolle's ridiculous sounding explanation. "And you, his best friend, know nothing about their relationship at all?"
"I had amnesia, right? That's what you said the last time around," Tolle defended himself, willing to accept the fact that he had lost part of his memory for the first time ever.
"Not amnesia," Sinclair quickly corrected him, "You received a memory implant."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tolle brushed the issue aside as quickly as he started it.
"Anyway, what should we do now? They're both asleep and it's not so nice to wake them up," Juni may be asking the question, but her motion of stepping back was an indication that she had decided to return to the bridge.
All of a sudden, Lacus broke her silence and spoke for the first time. "Nope, I think you just woke one of them up."
"Oh crap. I hope she isn't the type that gets grouchy after being awakened from her sleep," Tolle certainly hoped it wasn't his voice that nudged Flay from her slumber.
"She's looking at you, Tolle. You better apologize for waking her up," Sinclair made sure to step away from Tolle as Flay stared at him with a rather serious look.
"Hi, sorry for waking you up," Tolle said meekly as Flay continued to stare at him.
"Is she angry?" Lacus whispered to Juni who responded by shaking her head.
This is bad. Is she really that angry that I woke her up? Tolle tried to create a thousand and one excuses in his mind with the impression that Flay was upset at him. He somehow felt threatened by Flay's continued staring at him, especially since she was a trained Rheinland soldier. Who knows what vicious moves she might do on him if he could not come up with a passable excuse for waking her up.
Flay, on the other hand, just continued to focus her vision on Tolle. Rubbing her eyes to ensure that she wasn't just hallucinating, Flay stood up and walked towards him. All of a sudden, the serious look on her face vanished and was replaced by one filled with surprise.
"Tolle?"
Yikes! She knows my name? Tolle was plenty certain that he had not introduced himself to her before. "Yes, I'm Tolle," he replied, "How did you know my name?"
It was Flay's turn to be surprised. "You don't know who I am?"
"Huh? This is the first time I've ever met you," Tolle was starting to wonder if Flay had gone mad.
"So you've lost your memory as well, like Kira?" the upbeat face she had just a moment ago was lost as Flay was plunged back to reality. If Tolle had been with Kira all this while and had lost his memory as well, there was no chance of her finding out the truth.
"Lost my memory? What do you mean?" as much as his words were a blow to Flay, Tolle was taken back by what she said. Sinclair's analysis that his memory had been altered might not be a far fetched theory after all.
Flay was searching for answers as well, and she was eager to dig up any clues to how Kira and Tolle ended up without any knowledge of their past. "The two of you went missing two years ago and were thought to be dead. We used to live together, along with Sai and Athrun."
"Athrun?" Lacus was startled at the mention of her fiancé's name, "He never mentioned about any of you."
"He's not supposed..." Flay stopped all of a sudden, realizing she might and divulged a bit too much.
"He's not supposed to what?" Juni's investigative spirit kicked in and she did not like how Flay refused to say anymore, "What is it that you are hiding?"
"It's nothing. Outsiders like you don't need to know anything more than that."
"You're not getting away with it, young miss. The knowledge you have could very well affect my country!" Juni raised her voice in a bid to coerce Flay into revealing more, but such a tactic would not work against a well trained personnel like her.
"Let me warn you about this," Flay's tone changed dramatically as malice was evident in her expression, "The only people I'm sided with are Kira and Tolle. Mess with me and I can assure you won't live to regret it."
"Oh? And what makes you think I can be intimidated by a lass like you?" Juni snarled, her years of experience convincing her that Flay was of no threat to her.
"Hey! Flay, stop it!" Tolle shouted as Flay sprang into action.
It all happened in a breath, her motions seemed a blur to Juni. Before she could even react, Flay had jumped onto her and tackled her to the ground. Thinking she could overpower her opponent, Juni was shocked when both her arms were pinned to the ground. She tried with all her strength to break free, but nothing she tried could work. Despite her lithe frame, Flay's immense strength had completely overwhelmed Juni. Without stopping for a moment, Flay bended Juni's wrist and forced her to lie on her belly, completely restraining her movements. The next thing she knew, Juni was rendered immobile and Flay's palm were firmly on her neck.
Impossible! How can a girl possess such strength? Juni gritted her teeth in silence as she endured the pain in her wrist, refusing to make even a grunt when Flay applied more pressure on it.
"Please, stop it!" Tolle pleaded with Flay to release her hold on Juni, but was unsuccessful as she refused to back down. Her eyes seemed different from before as they seemed to hold a violent and merciless aura instead of her insecure look previously.
"I will choose what I want to say, you got it?" Flay still maintained her grip on Juni's wrist and neck as she waited for an answer.
"Let her go, Flay!"
"Kira?" as if awakened from a trance, Flay immediately let go of her grip on Juni, clueless as to why she even did that in the first place. What was I doing? Flay thought as she wondered how she just went out of control.
"I've had enough of this!" Juni got up and stomped out of the infirmary, her right wrist still in pain.
Kira looked at the stormy scene and was absolutely clueless, having slept through the entire incident until the end. "What happened?" he asked, much to the bemusement of Sinclair.
"Nothing," Sinclair did not know where to begin anyway. She walked out as well, followed by Lacus.
"Flay?" Kira looked at Flay hoping for some answers, but got none in return. He turned to Tolle and got nothing too.
"Go back to sleep, Kira," Tolle said before turning to Flay, "And we'll continue our talk later, with Kira, and in private."
Flay nodded and went back to Kira's side, assuming her previous position where she rested her head on the bed. Kira, meanwhile, was left puzzled and pondering on what exactly happened.
Rhino Freighter, Planet Leeds Docking Ring, Sector 6E, Leeds System
"You're alright?" Lacus was understandably worried of a fuming Juni when she entered the bridge with Sinclair.
"I'm ok," Juni put up a strong front as she focused on steering the freighter towards the docking ring.
"You're sure?" Sinclair probed further, "Your face seems to suggest otherwise. I can see you're pretty pissed at Flay."
Juni did nothing her hide her anger at Flay, but admitted that she was a little too forceful earlier, "Maybe I should not have spoken so harshly just now."
"It's ok, Juni. Everyone's just a little tense right now. I'm sure the two of you will patch up later," Tolle had just returned to the bridge and promptly offered to replace Juni's position. "I'll do the piloting," he said, "Your arm must be hurting, right?"
"Thanks," Juni happily gave Tolle control of the freighter. She dared not admit it, but her short scuffle with Flay had left her rattled.
Palace Compounds, Hesperos II, Planet Astraios, Unknown System
"Good afternoon, Lieutenant-General."
Maximilian saluted the man ahead of him respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you in person, Your Highness."
A man in his late thirties, Theodore Christifori motioned for Maximilian to take a seat. He was of average height, with a fit but not overly muscular physique. His brown hair was neatly trimmed and combed back, his intricately designed robe was indication of his authority over all who were in the room. Theodore had an youth like appearance not befitting his age capable of fooling almost anyone into thinking he was just another youngster, but beneath that average face was a capable politician and warrior that was widely feared and respected.
"I believe the damage was done?" Theodore wasted no time in delivering his first question to Maximilian.
"Liberty has been weakened internally, and it will only continue to do so," Maximilian replied, "Patrick Zala has successfully gained control of Rheinland and will certainly be able to carry out his part of the plan."
"That's comforting to hear," Theodore was satisfied that everything was going on smoothly, "From now on, it's our turn to act. The purpose of the meeting today is to finalize our plans for the deployment of the military..."
A planned invasion? Looks like my job will be pretty hectic in the coming months. Standing beside Maximilian as the meeting went on, Damian could feel his heart thumping with excitement as he absorbed the details of the plan. He had no idea why Maximilian trusted him so much to allow him to be present in such a high level meeting, but the prospect of war only served to excite him, a feeling he had no received ever since his first mission as a Rogues pilot.
Equipment Shop, Planet Leeds, Sector 6E, Leeds System
"Nice dealing with you, Tobias."
"Thank you!" Tobias shook the hands of a happy customer as the payment for a tractor beam was received, "You can trust Richard Winston Tobias to make you the best deal anywhere."
Tobias beamed with joy as the latest transaction enabled him to meet his targeted sales amount for the day. His business had been improving day by day and things could not get any better for Tobias.
"Let's see," Tobias took a look at his watch and saw that it was already past his shop's normal operating hours, "Time to call it a day."
Tobias proceeded to lock the door and was about to switch off the lights when the doorbell rang.
"I'm done for the day!" he shouted, eager to get a good rest after a busy day, "Please come back tomorrow!"
"It's me, Tobias!"
Tobias jumped when he heard a familiar voice. "Oh my goodness, I must be hearing things! Those boys are finally back!"
End of Chapter 18
In case you're wondering, below are the OCs I've created. If you see an unfamiliar name that isn't on the list below, chances are, they come from Freelancer.
OC List: Roman Schnetzler, Joel Valentine, Hanse Marian, Lezzy Mira, Zeke Cunningham, Grayson Bridges, Damian Graves, Maximilian Stone, Theodore Christifori, Zeroun Willard
Kira and Tolle are finally back in Leeds, but not before a fiery encounter between Juni and Flay. The existence of a well developed planet in a star system outside of Sirius space has startled Damian Graves as well. With the inclusion of an unknown system and possibly an unknown nation, how will the fates of the main characters be affected?
Kira & Co. have finally arrived in Leeds and I hope I got this chapter right. Please tell me if I handled the part where Flay had a conflict with Juni well enough. You will also notice that I have added an additional element outside of the four major Houses, and that Patrick Zala has a connection with them. I will be posting a back-story that will give you an idea on who the additional elements are, and how they came about. I assure that more information will be revealed in due time.
Once again, I apologize for the extreme lateness for this chapter. Now that my exams are over, I will hopefully be able to update more regularly.
Thanks for reading!