OK I have finally officially settled down into my new home (minus the excessive heat anyways) and I have adjusted to the time zones. So now I can get into writing again, well until school starts on Wednesday. Hmmm, so much to do.

Anyways I apologize profusely for the (over) month long update, and I really hope to update more often from now on.

Chapter 25: Searching

Kira's POV:
"Kira!" I turned to look at Cagalli as she made her way past the bay crew, I was really coming to appreciate her constant companionship since I met her. When I studied her face I saw a new determination blazing in her eyes. Had she found something? She had somehow managed to contact someone, though she wouldn't tell us who, and gotten a full search party to track Athrun. That had been a few days ago now, but I hadn't given up yet. I had the Strike ready to go any the first notification.

As Cagalli got to me she took a few seconds to get her breath back before she looked at me with a bright smile.

"We found him!" She said breathlessly. I was speechless for a while; I was filled with both hope and dread, we had found him, but had we found him quick enough.

"Where?" I asked quietly after a while. At that question Cagalli's smile faded.

"On one of ZAFTs earth bases... We were able to track the Aegis there, they had been sloppy with covering up their tracks." She said. I nodded and thought this over for a while.

"Thank you." I said at last. Cagalli's face turned soft then.

"It was nothing. I only wish I could do more." She said and surprised me when she hugged me. After a few awkward seconds I returned the hug. "The coordinates will be sent to the Strike soon, and my people had offered to be a diversion for you to get in there."

I thought this over for a while. I might not have known much about the people that had helped Cagalli but I knew that there wasn't many of them. So going up against a base would be suicide... Yet, I would probably need the help to get close enough to hopefully get to Athrun...

"I... Thank you, but I can't let more people die." I said at length. Cagalli nodded slowly but I could tell that she was trying to think of a way around it.

This time I surprised her with a hug and thanked her once more before I moved off to get ready. The sooner I left the better, I thought to myself. Cagalli followed behind me for a while until she branched off with a thoughtful look on her face.

I felt numb as I pulled on the flight suit that had become such a large part of my life in the past few weeks. I had lost Tolle, something that still ached in my chest, especially when I saw Mir and the others. I knew I had been avoiding them but I couldn't help it, my mission to get Athrun may go to hell yet and that meant that I could also die. I wasn't afraid but I guessed that it would be easier for them if I distanced myself now. Now I had also lost Athrun, and I could only hope that it would not be permanently.

With a sigh I grabbed my helmet and made my way into the corridor once more. The numbness only seemed to grow as I made my way back to the launch deck. It was like I was now only a back seat driver in my own body. I was leaving everything behind, and only hoping that I could make up for the mistakes I had made.

The launch bay was quiet when I finally got there, the crew seemed to have cleared out and I guessed that Murdoch had figured out that I was going. He was one of the few that actually knew what I was doing. Most just assumed that I had been preparing the Strike in the event of attack, and that included my friends. Only Tolle had really known about Athrun, the others had known that the strange red Gundam that had once chased us had been helping me, but they soon forgot when I broke the news of Tolle.

I was just grabbing hold of the pulley line that would take me to the cockpit of the Strike when I heard one of the doors open behind me. A quick glace showed Cagalli running over. I felt a dry smirk reach my lips when I thought of how often she seemed to be running through that door.

"Kira! I know you said that you don't want help but your getting it." Cagalli said in her loud voice once she got closer. The statement surprised me.

"Cag-" I started.

"No." She interrupted, "Your going to need the help, and they aren't going to be putting themselves in too much danger. They are going to use long range attacks to draw the fire away from you then they are going to retreat." Cagalli said the words bluntly and left no room for argument.

"Cagalli, I don't want anyone else to die." I pressed.

"They offered of their own free will Kira. These people are brave a good fighters, they also want nothing more than to help what they see as a good cause." she said softly.

"Who are 'they' anyway?" I asked frowning, "And what do you mean good cause?"

"They are an elite fighting squad from Orb," She said surprising me, especially since she had been so secretive about it before. "I've told them about you and Athrun; how you have both been fighting to do what is right and not just what your told from a certain side. I believe, and so do they, that you two deserve that chance to be free of this. They also believe that you guys could be great leaders one day. If given the chance. Kira, you and Athrun have been able to see the foolishness behind this war and now you have been, knowingly or not, changing the war. The war is still raging, especially up in space but people, civilians and soldiers alike, have heard of you from their respective sides and agree with what you are doing. "

"And what are we doing Cagalli?" I asked sharply.

"You are fighting for what you believe and not being swayed by what you have heard." Cagalli replied heatedly. "Listen both of you have lost people important," I looked away at this, "but you are fighting past it... The cycle of war is cruel and stupid; when someone gets killed, another gets killed for killing and the cycle repeats. Athrun was coming with you to an Earth Alliance ship, the same side that caused his mothers death. And you learned to trust him again after him and his friends blew up your home."

I shook my head hardly believing what I was hearing. I hadn't noticed before how much Cagalli had picked up on what had happened to us, and she also seemed to know a lot about what Athrun and I had spoken about; we had criticized this war and its pointlessness many times and asked many questions that had no answers, but mostly we were fighting to protect each other and those we cared about.

"How can you command an elite squad from the Orb nations?" I asked instead of voicing my other thoughts. This time she looked away and turned a bit pensive.

"Because I'm the daughter of the leader of Orb..." She muttered quietly.

"What?" I had not expected that.

"I'm the daughter of the leader of Orb!" She yelled, as she usually does when she was nervous of worried.

"Ok ok." I said softly, my mind still reeling. Finally I shook my head and took a deep breath. "Fine." I muttered.

"Huh?" She asked confused, then I realized that she probably had no idea what I was saying fine to.

"I'll accept the help from the Orb people. Even if I don't like it..." I elaborated. A smile came forth on Cagalli's face again and her eyes softened once again. She stepped forward and this time I was almost expecting the hug.

"Bring him back." She said softly.

I pulled back and nodded and once more made to grab the line when another voice called out across the launch bay and several sets of feet could be heard running this way.

"Kira!"

I didn't turn at the sound of my name this time. I already knew who they were and I was scared to face them right now.

"Kira... Where are you going?" Mir's voice was soft and sad and I could feel all my friends eyes on my back. I suddenly found it hard to reply with the lump that had formed in my throat.

"There's... There's something I have to do." I said without turning.

"Kira... Please talk to us... Whats going on?" Sai said softly.

With a sigh I steeled myself and turned to face my friends. They were all watching me sadly and looked like they could use more sleep.

"I have a friend that needs help." I said, my voice sounding stronger than I felt.

"A friend?" Kuzzey asked.

"Yes." I replied. "Its... Complicated... Ill explain when I get back with him." If I get back I thought sadly.

"But... where are you going?" Mir asked. "Why are you leaving alone?" Mir was the one who looked the worst; she was still pale and her eyes were red and puffy, suggesting that she had been crying not long ago, she had bags under her eyes and she just seemed painfully sad.

"I won't be alone." I said and shot a quick look at Cagalli, also opting to ignore the first question. "I will have help."

"Kira..." Mir said, obviously not liking the way I was leaving.

"I have to go." I said abruptly and turned. I hated seeing my friends upset, and I hated it even more when I was the cause of that.

"Promise that you will come back." Sai said suddenly and each of my friends made a noise of agreement.

"I-I... I promise." I said with a sigh and only wished that I would be able to keep that promise.

With that I grabbed the rope and made my way up to the cockpit of the Strike. Once there I quickly strapped myself in and fired up the system. A quick check of the launch deck showed that my friends were now standing on the viewing platform. With a sad smile I looked at each of their faces. And I really, really hoped that I wouldn't break my promise.

"Kira, what are you doing?" The sound of Ms. Murrue's voice cut through the com in the Strike.

"Doing what I have to." I answered truthfully.

"Come on Kid, you can't go on your own." Mwu's voice cut in.

"Please just open the doors." I asked as I moved to stand near said doors.

"Kira you have not been given permission to leave the ship." Murrue's voice said sternly.

"Open them, or I will blast them open." I threatened. I really hoped that they would open them because I didn't like the idea of actually damaging the ship that held my friends.

After a little while the doors slowly opened. And I breather a silent breath of relief.

"You had better get back alive Kid." Mwu said.

"Thank you." I said before closing the com line and launching the Strike.

Ok Athrun... Hang on... I thought fiercely.

Well I hope it wasn't to bad, the excitement should start in the next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. :)