Chapter 25: Our Freedom from the Sky
Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides Sam, his clones, and his machine also the crew of the S. Martin and Helen. Chaos Angel Darkheart owns Banken the commander of these ships. Everything else belongs to the creators of Gundam
JOSH-A Base:
Flay was wondering, just where is Commander La Flaga running off to, and decided to give chase. However, before she could go very far, the bases alarms were already ringing the sound of alert, within everyones ears. Mu La Flaga however, continued running throughout the base, seeing that, it was completely deserted. His hat flew off, within the midst, as he began to feel a familiar sensation. "This Feeling? Is he here?" Mu asked himself, drawing his gun, and going deeper into the base.
Aboard the Archangel, Kuzzey glanced up as he received a message. "Message from the Joint Operations Room, Ma'am!"
Murrue Ramius stared up at Sutherland's image on the comm screen. "Captain Sutherland! What's going on?"
"JOSHUA Base is under attack," Sutherland replied."They tricked us! At the last moment they switched their target here, to JOSHUA, and all our forces are concentrated at Panama!"
"Orders, Captain?"
"All defense forces are to engage at once! We have to defend Alaska HQ!"
"Yes, sir!" Sutherland's image vanished, and Ramius looked down at Neumann. "Engines at full, Ensign Neumann. We've been given our orders and the Archangel is moving out!"
"You're kidding!" Kuzzey protested. "Without Kira, Samorei or the Commander?" he asked, as Murrue regretfully nodded.
"Yes Crewman, without any of them. Now Archangel Move out!" She ordered, as the massive ship, began to take action.
Meanwhile, Natarle, had enough of what was going on, and left the line up, to go and help out with anything she could in defending the base. If this place fell, it would be the end of the war. . . Or so she thought. While at the same time, Commander La Flaga,The Commander, at that moment, was running through HQ's halls, increasingly confused. "What is going on here? This place is empty!"
He halted after a few more paces, as a strange sensation filled his head again, telling him, he was getting closer. "This feeling... Is Rau Le Creuset here?" La Flaga redoubled his pace; if Le Creuset were indeed within the base itself, he'd have headed straight for one place. And with that, Mu came to the joint Operations room.
As he edged around to look in, he saw a white-uniformed silhouette standing over a console. "Well..." the man said softly.
A moment later, Le Creuset spun around and fired a burst from a machine pistol at La Flaga, who rushed into the room, using computer desks for cover. When he took another careful look, Le Creuset could just barely be seen around a corner, weapon raised.
"It's been awhile, Mu La Flaga," he said, sounding strangely amused. "I don't have time for fooling around; though we've just met again, I must apologize for leaving so soon." He smiled. "Though if you're still hanging around, your usefulness to the Earth Forces must be nearly at an end." Le Creuset laughed. "O Hawk of Endymion, how the mighty have fallen!"
"What are you talking about you Jackal!" Mu called out.
"For the Earth Forces to leave you here, you might as well just die." Rau told him, opening fire a single shot from his pistol. "I suggest you take a look around before you make any long term plan's Mu La Flaga!" Rau said, as before Mu can fire again, the white masked soldier was missing.
"Just what was that about?" Mu asked himself. He then had gotten to his feet, and was examining the various displays. "You know," he muttered, "for an operations room, there doesn't seem to be much going on right now..." he said, as someone came into the room.
"Capta. . .!" Natarle called, as she came into the room, only to see Mu La Flaga to be the rooms only occupant. "Commander, what's going on?" she asked him.
"Nothing good." Mu said, as he found exactly what Rau was looking at. "This can't be, They are planning on using THAT!" he yelled.
"Using what?" Natarle asked, as Mu came running at her, and then grabbing her arm.
"It doesn't matter, we have to run, Now!" He told her, as she went with him. "The top brass has really made my day today." He told her as the two ran down the hall towards the Spearhead hangar.
Meanwhile, Rau was heading towards his hangar, until he ran into some soldiers. "That's a ZAFT soldier!" one soldier called.
"Have they already broken into the base?" Another asked, as a small gunfight began. Rau however proved more than a match against the soldiers killing both of them, within a few seconds. However he noticed someone trying to hide. As he came down, Flay turned the corner aiming a gun at Rau.
"Well well." He said, as he then saw something in her eyes.
"Daddy?" She asked, as that caught Rau by surprise, as it seemed she recognized his voice for her fathers.
"No no my dear." Rau said, as before Flay knew it, an unconsious blow was forced into her adomenen knocking her unconcious. "I am not your father, however, you can help me with some things, Miss Allster." He said with a sinister Smirk.
Meanwhile, The elevator slid open, and they ran out into the hanger; La Flaga headed off to find out who was in charge, with Natarle right behind him. La Flaga raced over to the first officer he saw, who was shouting over the radio. "Say again? What about the Eleventh Air Defense Corps? It's destroyed? But that's impossible!"
The Hawk grabbed his shoulder. "Hey! Who's in charge here?"
"Answer him!" Natarle ordered the soldier, who stood in shock.
They didn't get an answer; there was instead an explosion, as a CGUE landed at the hanger entrance. "We've made it to entrance four," the pilot reported. "We've spotted Naturals and we're moving in." He reported, as a pair of GINN's also appeared.
With this, the two former Archangel officers ran next to which a mechanic was on his knees, looking dazed. "Hey!" he shouted, grabbing the man's shoulder. "Get a hold of yourself! You've got to evacuate! Gather the survivors and get at least ten kilometers from the base! You hear me? That's an order!" Mu ordered him, as Natarle climbed into the lone F-7D Spearhead fighter plane. She was not a fighter pilot, so took the Navigators seat, as seconds later, Mu hopped into the pilot, and fired a pair of anti aircraft missiles from the Plane at the now lone GINN. "Hold on tight Natarle, this is going to get nasty." He told her, as he kicked in the Planes main thrusters, and sent it out, into the massive battle.
Meanwile, At the Marshall Islands:
Nicol emerged from the Orb Helicopter, to see the Carnage that had happened, as he saw the destroyed Aegis Gundam. "No Athrun." Nicol said in shock.
"Yes, young child." Rondo Ghina Sahaku said behind him. "The Buster, and Duel were also destroyed during this battle, as the Junk Guild, already got here, to take both of those machines." Ghina told him, as Nicol was in the state of shock, seeing the destroyed Aegis. "I know of how you feel, Let such Hatred continue. You see, ZAFT was unable to help your friends, they were unable protect Junius Seven." Rondo continued.
"What are you trying to get at Ghina?" Nicol asked, his voice deep with sadness.
Ghina smirked at the question. "Straight to the point, I like that in people that I would like the Recruit." Ghina told him, as Nicol looked at him. "You see, young Amalfi, I would like you to join the Sahaku Faction." he told him. "And this, I promise you, that no harm will come to the PLANTs." Ghina told him, holding out his hand, and with that Nicol shaked it.
Orb: Sahaku Mansion
Mina sat in the room, as she slept in the upright position. Next to her, Samorei layed, still unconscious, as he has been for several weeks, as in his mind, he stood in a dark area.
Looking back and forth, wondering what was going on, as in his mind. Images, of the dead that he has caused, the dead that he could of prevented swirled around him. "No Stop, STOP!" Samorei yelled in his mind. "Please, I'm sorry, Rin, please help me! I'm sorry. . . I'm sorry!" He called, as he fell to his knee's yelling within his mind.
"Sa. . . Morei. . ." A female's voice called, to Sam, it was not one, he knew, or knows.
"Who's there?" Sam called out.
"Wake . . . Up. . ." The mysterious female's voice called out to him.
And with that, in the real world Sam's eyes slowly opened.
Back in JOSH-A
The Archangel, had begun its attack on the ZAFT forces, using Gottfrieds, Igelstellungs, Valiants, and various missiles on the enemy.
The Spearhead plane, with the accomidation of both Mu, and Natarle looked down, to see that the ship they were once stationed on, heavily damaged, with its Starboard Catapult, with a huge gaping hole, and several weapon on the ship destroyed. "There she is." Mu commented.
"It looks like she has been in a battle for weeks." Natarle commented.
"Archangel, this is La Flaga, do you read me?" the Commander radioed. "Archangel, answer me!" He sighed. "Can't get through, Natarle hold on, this may get ugly." he told her.
"What? What are you talking about?" Natarle asked, as the Plane began to shift its flight pattern, for a landing. "What, Are you crazy! We'll never live with this, its impossible!" She said, as Mu looked back with a Smirk.
"Well then, your lucky being with me, because I can make the Impossible Possible." Mu told her, as he began to have the plane go in, for a landing within a big gaping hole. The one craft, then began to hurtle down toward the gaping hole in the Archangel's starboard flight deck, and on the Bridge Mir looked at her displays in surprise. "Incoming aircraft!" she reported. "It looks like it's damaged!"
Ramius could see it for herself on the screen. "Is he going to try for a landing?"
"But that's crazy!" Neumann said, shaking his head.
Ramius snatched up her intercom handset. "Deck crew! Some nut in an aircraft is trying to make a landing! Take shelter!"
"Everyone get out of my way! Yaaahhh!" La Flaga's fighter, now damaged by a CGUE's beam rifle, careened down into the ship's hanger, slowing to a stop as the elastic barrier caught it.
Murdoch and one of his people stared in surprise as the pilot jumped out of the fighter, with its Navigator right behind him, as they both headed for the Bridge. "Was that Commander La Flaga, and Lieutenant Badgiruel?" he asked.
Within a few minutes the Bridge elevator door slid open, and La Flaga and Natarle stepped through. "Captain!" The two supposed transferred soldiers called out, as Natarle jumped to the lower area, in the CIC.
Ramius turned in surprise. "What in the world are you two doing here, Commander? What about your transfers?" she asked.
"That's not important. We gotta get out of here, right now!" He hurried to her side. "This is one messed up plan," he said harshly. "What kind of orders did they give the defense forces?"
"What?"
A rocking hit rocked the Bridge, but La Flaga ignored it and raised a hand, palm up. "Okay, now listen up. There's a large Cyclops system underneath headquarters. That thing is powerful enough to turn everything within ten kilometers of the base into a blast furnace!"
The entire Bridge crew looked at him in shock. "What?" Ramius blinked, mind refusing to accept it.
"Soon the defenders will be gone, and the main gate will fall. That's when Headquarters will make the decision to activate the Cyclops, and destroy the base!" La Flaga hissed angrily. "And in the process, they'll take out more than half of ZAFT's fighting strength. That's the scenario for this whole battle as imagined by the top brass!" His voice dripped fury and sarcasm.
"It can't be!" the Captain protested.
"I swear I saw it with my own eyes; the command center is empty." The pilot looked enraged. "All that's left to defend the base are the Eurasian forces and the Archangel, because those bigwigs have given up on her!"
Neumann turned in his seat. "So we're all expendable? Is that what you're saying?"
La Flaga nodded. "But only after a desperate battle, so the enemy doesn't know it's abandoned."
"What kind of plan is this?" Heads turned at Mir's despairing voice. "Because this is a war, and because we're all supposed to be good soldiers," she went on. "If they tell us to, I guess we're supposed to just throw away our lives."
Sai looked at her, concerned. "Oh, Mir..."
Captain Murrue Ramius stood. "If the whole purpose of this battle was to lure the enemy into a trap, then in my opinion this ship has already accomplished its mission," she said decisively. "Note that I, Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel, made this decision alone; no other crew member is to be held responsible for these actions."
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself," La Flaga said softly.
"The Archangelwill now abandon the combat area and make its withdrawal." She looked back at Kuzzey. "Signal the fleet; tell them to follow us."
"This won't be an easy escape for us, but we can't just give up." The Hawk of Endymion leaned toward her. "I'm launching too."
"But, Commander-"
He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about a thing. Have you forgotten? I'm the guy who's famous for making the impossible possible."
"Besides Captain, we can't have the Archangel, just die here!" Natarle called out. "We can't just let Kira's, Samorei's, and. . ." she began looking at Mir with a concerned look, knowing this had hurt her. "Tolle's sacrifice be in vain." With that the ship shook.
"Damn." Mu said, as he gave up on going out again, and climbed into the second helmsman seat.
The battle raged on, with Kuzzey making occasional reports on the status of the other ships and ZAFT's penetration of the base. "Captain, they've taken the main gate!"
"Damn." Murrue said herself, as down in the CIC Natarle began.
"Charge the Portside Lohengrin, if they don't let us through, we need to use it!" She ordered, as Mu grabbed the helms control, to help out Neuman.
"Okay, we've given you the main gate," La Flaga muttered, "so why not just let us leave now?"
"Incoming missiles!"
Natarle tried to give orders, however it was to late, the missiles struck, as the Archangel began to lose altitude. "Thrust is decreasing, I'm losing ship's stability!" Neumann said through gritted teeth, struggling with the flight controls.
"Mr. Pal, fire Lohengrins!"
Pal complied without hesitation, Firing the single remaining positron cannon certainly got their attention; a Vosgulovcarrier simply vanished, as did a pair of DINNs preparing to resupply.
The ZAFT pilots evidently did not appreciate this. "Mobile suits approaching!" Tonomura reported... and a GINN, riding a Guul, appeared in front of the Archangel's superstructure. It raised its machine gun, leveling it directly at the Bridge viewports.
Ramius' eyes narrowed, accepting death with defiance; Sai closed his eyes; Kuzzey cried out and jumped from his chair, as if seeking cover, as the glowed of live ammo, began to fill the nozzle of the GINN's machine gun.And a green beam came down from the sky, blasting the weapon in half. "What the?" The machine's pilot looked up, and down came a winged mobile suit from on high. It drew a beam saber and sliced down, lopping off the GINN's head and leaving it blind.
Ramius blinked. "What...?"
The newcomer rose up, wings outstretched, and hovered protectively before the Archangel. As the stunned crew stared at it, its wings spread wide.
"Archangel, this is Kira Yamato," the Freedom radioed. "I'll cover you. Meanwhile, please withdraw to safety."
Mir looked up in shock. "Kira?"
Sai grinned. "It is Kira!"
Ramius' eyes went wide in stunned amazement. "Our... Kira?" she asked, as the once thought dead soldier, was now floating in the air, with a several times stronger mobile suit, then that of the destroyed Strike Gundam.
The Freedom flew forward, and the targeting display in the cockpit rose before Kira's eyes. The red circles of target locks began to surround the multitude of enemies, and the Freedom's weapons deployed: Xiphias railguns on the hips, Lupus beam rifle in hand, and Balaena plasma beam cannons over the shoulders.
They all fired at once, many times, and enemy mobile suits began to fall back, heads and arms blown off; the Freedom was locking onto almost everything in the area, and its advanced targeting computer was aiming with exquisite precision.
"What in the world just happened?" Yzak demanded, seeing the carnage. Of several comrades Machines, either fell from the sky, or began retreating, with a few falling to the sea, which led them to be destroyed by the Earth Forces, Proteus Mobile armors.
The Freedom flashed past the Archangel's bow, and Kira's face appeared on the main screen. "Please, stop wasting time! Withdraw!"
"Yes," Ramius began, confused and in a certain amount of shock over the battle's occurrences, "but there's a... a Cyclops... beneath headquarters!" Kira drew in a sharp breath, and she went on, almost desperately. "We're all just bait!" Ramius's head jerked forward, eyes filling. "They planned this! We had no idea! That's why we can't withdraw! We have to get farther away from the base!"
Kira nodded. "I understand." He piloted the Freedom forward, toward the ZAFT forces arrayed before them, and deployed his weaponry again. "Attention, all ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces!" he called over the radio. "Any moment now, the Cyclops system will activate, and the Alaska base will self-destruct! Both sides, please, cease fighting and withdraw from this area immediately! Repeat, the Cyclops system will activate and the Alaska base will self-destruct! Both sides, please cease fighting and withdraw immediately!"
"That kid," La Flaga murmured in amazement.
"Come on, Kira..." Ramius said quietly.
"I'm not falling for that!" Yzak shouted. His machine shot across the sky at Kira, beam saber drawn.
"The Duel. . . Yzak." Kira thought , as he remembered the Jade Frame taking the hit for Tolle, in a futile attempt to protect the grasper. "I'll make sure you are not destroyed, for Samorei." Kira commented to himself. and rushed to meet Yzak. He took the Duel's strike on his shield, and met its fist with his own. "I told you to stop! Don't you wanna live?"
"What do you mean?" Yzak aimed his railgun and fired.
The Freedom's head jerked to the side, and the powerful machine flew backwards. He flipped sideways to dodge another saber strike, drew his own, and swept the blade toward the Duel.
Yzak cried out as he saw the energy blade coming straight toward his cockpit, and for a moment he was convinced he would die in much the same manner Nicol Amalfi had. He squeezed his eyes shut... however, the Freedom, lowered the beam sabre, taking out the Duel from the knees.
"Forget about fighting and get yourself out of here!" Kira shouted; his machine used the Duel's back as a springboard and flew off, leaving the crippled mobile suit to drop. And with that, a DINN caught the Duel, and began the retreat. Yzak stared after the departing enemy in surprise. "He didn't...? But why?"
Seconds later, Sai shouted a report. "They've activated the Cyclops!"
Ramius' response came instantly. "Maximum thrust! Get us outta here!"
"Divert all weapon power to the Engines, Fire one shot with the Lohengrin, we need to use the Positronic Interference!" She ordered, as the Archangel's lone Lohengrin fired one more time, destroying all friction in its path, allowing the Archangel to pick up even more speed than its Engines could provide. And with that, the Earth Forces trump card, the Cyclops began to engulf the area behind them. The unlucky mobile suits behind them, had all water, within them, and their pilots began to boil over, killing everything in its path. ZAFT, Earth Forces, and even Civilians died with the Cyclops system.
Behind them, a massive wave front of microwave radiation crawled across the land, sea, and sky, ripping up the ground and blasting mobile suits into burned-out hulks. Everything inside the Alaska base collapsed, the ZAFT forces learning too late the price of victory.
Both sides had indeed ceased fighting; it was now every man for himself, and mobile suits fled the onslaught. One GINN, the one Kira had decapitated as his opening move, lagged behind, and its Guul was caught in the searing heat. It exploded, and the GINN began to drop... and the Freedom caught its hand. "I've gotcha," Kira said reassuringly.
The Alaska base finally exploded, as the Cyclops ate itself; aboard a Vosgulov, its captain's jaw sagged in disbelief. "Can't be!"
"It seems we fell right into the trap the Naturals set for us," Le Creuset said calmly behind him. Oddly, he smiled...
Hours later, Well outside the blast zone, Mu La Flaga had walked out of the archangel and looked back on the devastation. He'd never thought he'd ever have to outrun a Cyclops again.
Nearby, Kira knelt next to the pilot of the GINN he had rescued. "Are you okay? Try to stay awake."
The pilot looked up at him. "Were you... the pilot... of that mobile suit?" he asked weakly.
Kira nodded. "I was."
"Why'd you... try to save me?"
He shrugged. "Because it was something I wanted to do."
The ZAFT pilot smiled weakly. "It would have been quicker... if you'd just dropped me... back there..." His head slumped, eyes closed forever.
Kira hissed and slammed his fist into the ground. "No!" Why did so many have to die? Why did it always end like this?
Millions of kilometers above, Athrun stepped out of his shuttle and looked around, puzzled. All around him, people were talking in varying degrees of incredulity and rage. What's going on?
He spotted a familiar face and stepped forward. "Commander Yuki!"
"Athrun Zala?" The commander looked surprised. "What are you doing back here in the PLANTs?"
"I'll tell you, but first... What's going on?"
Yuki sighed. "Operation Spit Break has failed." Athrun gasped. "Reports are still coming in, but it looks like they were... annihilated."
"But how?"
"We're not sure yet." He leaned close. "I'm afraid I have one more piece of bad news for you," Yuki said quietly. "One of our top-secret mobile suits, one of the new ones we were developing, has been stolen. We're not sure yet who the thief is... but it seems the person who gave him access was none other than Lacus Clyne."
Athrun dropped his travel case in shock. "It... it can't be. I know Lacus. She wouldn't do this!"
The Archangel crew watched a lone soldier walking towards them, sporting a ZAFT elite uniform. With helmet in hand, and came to a stop in front of Ramius. "I guess I made it," he said with a smile, "just in time."
"Is it really... you, Kira?" she asked tentatively.
He nodded. "It's me."
Mir was the first to break the stillness, rushing toward him. "Kira!"
Soon, the other crew surrounded Kira, bubbling with excitement... except for Sai and Kuzzey, who held back, just happy that their friend, was alive and well. Coming to their rescue as usual.
Kira saw past the gaggle to Sai, and he stepped toward them. "Sai, Kuzzey," he greeted them.
"I'm... glad to see you're all right," Sai said, tone strange.
Kira smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Sai." He turned back to Ramius and La Flaga. "I bet you've got a couple of million questions for me," he said cheerfully.
Ramius smiled back, her expression full of emotion. "At least."
"First things first," La Flaga said, noting Kira's flight suit. "Were you with ZAFT?"
The younger pilot nodded. "Yes, I was with ZAFT; but I haven't become a ZAFT soldier." He glanced at the Captain. "However, I'm not with the Earth Forces anymore, either."
Ramius was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in understanding; besides, from the looks of things, it might not be very healthy for any of them to return to the Earth Forces. "I see. There's a lot of things we'll have to talk about. But first, what do we do about that mobile suit?" She nodded at the Freedom, standing motionless behind them.
"If you're talking about maintenance and resupply," Kira replied, "it's not necessary just now. You see, it has a Neutron-jammer canceller."
"Neutron-jammer canceller?" La Flaga's eyebrows rose.
Chandra, too, looked surprised. "So is that thing powered by a nuclear engine?"
"Where'd you get it?" Pal asked.
Kira's expression closed. "If you ask for specifics, you won't get anything out of me, and I'll have to leave," he said carefully. "And even if I have to fight you, I won't let you take this machine from me."
Ramius blinked. "But, Kira..."
"This kid..." La Flaga said softly.
"This machine was entrusted to me," Kira went on, ignoring his friend's warning. "I'll be the one to take care of it."
"I understand," Ramius said, recovering. "I give you my word we'll leave that machine and the equipment inside alone." She looked over her shoulder at the gathered crew. "Is that clear?"
Kira smiled. "Thanks for understanding."
Athrun Zala stood amidst the ransacked wreckage that had once been the Clyne Residence, his heart in turmoil. Learning that his fiancé had given a spy access to a top-secret mobile suit had been bad enough; hearing his father brand Lacus and her father Siegel traitors and order their arrest had been an even greater shock... especially after he'd seen what his father's people had done to the Clynes' home.
His mind wrapped around not fully wishing to believe Lacus Clyne, was a traitor to the PLANTs. But that was not his purpose here today. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but he expected he'd know it if he found it.
A sudden sound in the remains of the garden startled him, and Athrun's hand ducked past his sling to the gun hidden in his jacket. Then he relaxed, puzzled, as Lacus Clyne's favorite Haro (a type of robot pet he'd made for her), came bouncing out of the brush, muttering to itself.
Before he could catch it, the pink ball bounced away down the path, apparently leading him somewhere. "Haro!" he called, and the little machine stopped, bouncing into his hand before a specific spot.
Athrun recognized it from an earlier visit. "These flowers come from the theater where I first sang in public," Lacus had told him. "They're something to remember it by."
He stood still for a moment. Something to remember it by... The White Symphony...
Athrun took off running.
Earth, Archangel:
"So that was their strategy?"
Kira stood on the Archangel's Bridge, leaning against the forward viewports. He was back in uniform, whereas Snake had abandoned uniform completely, reverting to the same outfit which had been his trademark both on Heliopolis and the ship.
"As far as we can determine," La Flaga acknowledged. The entire Bridge crew was gathered in the forward section, while they pondered their next move.
"And they made the decision not to tell us a thing about it," Ramius said, anger in her voice.
"Headquarters obviously knew well in advance that Alaska was the target," La Flaga went on. "It must have taken awhile to build that Cyclops, and there wouldn't have been any point without advance knowledge of a massive attack."
Kira looked at the deck, thinking back. "I have bad news, Clyne," Eileen Canaver had said. "It seems that Zala's deceived us. Panama isn't Operation Spit Break's target; it's Alaska."
"The PLANTs didn't know, either," Kira said, almost to himself. Ignoring their looks of surprise, he glanced up. "So, what are your plans? Have you decided where the Archangel's going from here?"
"We haven't been able to reestablish contact with headquarters yet due to the N-jammers and magnetic fields," Tonomura said.
"Should we make repairs in the field, and then head to Panama on our own?" Neumann wondered aloud.
La Flaga snorted. "Oh, you think they'll be happy to see us? We knew far too much for our own good. I don't think it would be very smart to head there."
"They'd probably say we disobeyed orders," Ramius said moodily. "That we deserted in the face of the enemy, just to save ourselves."
"They'll treat us like Traitors." Natarle added in.
"Just like they think Samorei is one." Mu commented, getting Kira's attention.
"What?" Kira asked.
"It seems Sam was once a Earth Forces Soldier, however deserted for some reason." Natarle answered him.
"It's becoming more and more difficult to understand just who or what we're fighting for," she said, tone a mixture of anger and despair.
"Ms. Murrue," Kira said, "what is it you think we shouldbe fighting against, to end all this?" When all eyes turned to him, he looked up. "Whatever it is, I think it's time we started fighting against it."
Orb: Sahaku Residence.
Sam began to sit up in the bed, as with that, Mina's eye shot open. "SAM!" she said, surprised, as Sam began to lean up, with the blankets falling down, revealing several bandages wrapped around his bare ribs.
"Hey Mina." Sam said, a bit groggy as he leaned up, feeling the pain of broken ribs, and sore shoulder. She came over instantly seeing the pain Sam was in from the look of his face.
"Easy Sam, don't over exert yourself, you did survive on nasty explosion." She told him, placing a hand an uninjured shoulder.
"What? What happened? The last thing I remember was the sky filling with fire." Sam told her, refering the the self detonation of the Aegis.
"Your back in Orb Sam, the Jade Frame however was severely damaged." She told him.
"I see, any news on Kira or Tolle?" he asked her remembering the hit he took.
"Kira, I have no Idea, Cagalli couldn't find him, however Tolle was found, alive." She informed him.
"I see, I hope everything is alright with the Archangel." He mused, as she just nodded sitting on the bed with him.
"I'm just glad you are alive Sam." She told him, placing a hand on his, as he turned the hand, so he could hold hers.
"Thanks, and you know I wont die, with you by my side like this." he said, as she just smirked. "To cheesy huh?" he asked as Mina nodded.
"Its cheesy, but I like it." she told him, as he smirked at that. "Now you should rest, some of your wounds have healed, but not all of them." She continued, as she stood.
Meanwhile:
In the PLANTs Athrun stepped out of his car in front of the old theater, reading the battered sign that said White Symphony. From the looks of things, the building had been abandoned at least since the start of the war, maybe longer; it was unusual to see a building in such poor shape in the PLANTs.
Stepping through the old doors, his hand reached into his jacket, checking the grips of the submachine gun hidden within. In his left, nearly useless hand, he carried the pink Haro that had led him to come here. If Athrun was right, the person he was seeking would be here.
This seemed to be confirmed by the soft singing coming from somewhere ahead, and the old lettering on the walls: Lacus Clyne. The voice was definitely familiar, though he had not heard the song before.
Athrun quietly drew the submachine gun and climbed the staircase leading to the amphitheater. At the top, the singing growing nearer, he raced quietly to the door and edged it open, peering cautiously through it. "Lacus," he whispered, seeing the figure on the stage.
He walked slowly down toward the stage, Lacus Clyne's song water serenade to his mind images from his past battles, from his last face-to-face encounter with Kira... before he killed him. There was a bittersweet sound to it all, the more so since it appeared now that even Lacus had betrayed him...
Athrun neared the stage, and the Haro jumped out of his hand and bounced up to Lacus. She stopped her singing and smiled down at the robot. "Well, hello there, Mr. Pink!" She turned to Athrun. "I was certain you'd be the one to find him and bring him here! Thank you so much."
He couldn't contain himself any longer. "Why, Lacus?"
"'Why' what?" she asked sensibly.
Athrun jumped up onto the stage. "You know what. Just what have you done?"
Lacus smiled. "I'm sure you've heard all about it. That's why you came to see me, isn't it?"
"Is it true what they're saying about you?" he demanded. "That you're guilty of providing assistance to an enemy spy?"
"I did not provide assistance to an enemy spy," she said calmly. "All I did was decide to provide Kira" and she emphasized the name "with a newer, better sword."
Athrun drew back, confused. "Kira? But-"
"Because I thought that he would have need of it soon," Lacus went on, "and because I thought it would serve its purpose best in Kira's hands."
"What are you talking about, Lacus?" he demanded, utterly bemused. "Kira's gone! I-"
"That is the thing Athrun." And with that he turned to see Allenby aiming a side arm pistol at him, as she was wearing a pink and blue version of the ZAFT uniform. "You think you did, however Kira is alive an well, as I am." she said, as Athrun stared in shock, as he knew that of Yzak's report, of the defeat of the Desert Tiger, and Allenby, who upon died, earned the title as the Desert Blossom.
Athrun shook his head violently. "You're lying!" His machine pistol snapped into firing position, pointing directly at his erstwhile fiancé. "Just what kind of trick are you trying to pull now, Lacus Clyne? Kira's gone! There's no way he could be alive! I killed him!"
"Reverend Malchio and brought him to me," Lacus explained. "Then I found out what happened between you two; Kira told me." She tilted her head. "Don't you believe what I'm telling you? Do you even believe what you've seen with your own eyes? On the battlefield, or now that you've returned to the PLANTs after being away for so long? Haven't you seen that things are different?"
Now that she mentioned it... his father's uncertain, paranoid temper, the new mobile suits with N-jammer cancellers...
"What isit you believe in?" she challenged him. "What is it you're fighting for now? Is it for that medal you received? Or your father's orders? Think about that; because if you continue on this course, you'll likely end up facing Kira as his enemy again." That got Athrun's attention. "And you'll be fighting me, as well." Lacus stood and walked right up to him, almost daring him to pull the trigger. "If I am to be your enemy, then you might as well shoot me now," she said in a determined voice. "Athrun Zala, soldier of ZAFT!"
He looked away, tears in his eyes, and lowered his gun. "I... It's all so..."
"It's Lacus!"
At the echoing whisper, they both turned, to see armed men in black suits and sunglasses running toward them. As he raised his gun again, the apparent leader of the gunman, a man with a mustache, smiled. "I see you've found her. You have our thanks, Athrun Zala."
"What is this?" he demanded, unconcerned that he had just nearly shot her himself.
"Naturally, her fiancé would know her best. You've saved us time." The man gestured with his machine pistol. "Now, please step away from her."
"What do you think you're doing?" Athrun stayed right where he was. Just as the guns aimed, Alley moved her body in between Lacus and the guns.
"Tell me Athrun, are you truly willing to turn your back, on your closest friend, just because of the Nebula?" Allenby asked, and with that, several gunshots were fired, but not from the guns on stage. "Are you all right, Miss Lacus?" DaCoasta asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." Lacus walked out from cover. "Thank you very much, Athrun!"
"Are you finished here, Miss Lacus? I think it's time we got going as well."
"And Reverend Malchio?"
"He was able to take off safely." The man tucked away his gun. "We'd better go."
"Yes." She looked back at Athrun. "You'll find Kira on Earth," she told him. "I suggest that you have a talk with him; he is your friend."
"Lacus!" Athrun broke off, glancing away.
"Be Safe Athrun." Allenby told him.
A day later, the sling finally removed from his now-healed arm, Athrun sat in the cockpit of X09A Justice, waiting for the command to launch.
Mechanics swarmed around, making final adjustments and disconnecting power and mooring cables. "Check reactor readings."
Kira... he thought. What are you thinking about now?
"Radiation levels are normal."
"Confirm separation of X09A."
"Separation of X09A confirmed." The voice's tone changed. "May our Justice have the divine protection of the stars!"
"Athrun Zala," Athrun said into the radio. "Justice launching!"
The red mobile suit, resembling his old Aegis with the addition of the backpack-light subflight system, launched out into space, heading for Earth