Disclaimer's Note: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam X
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Phase 25- The Land of Peace.
March 22, C.E. 71, ZAFT army's Carpentaria Base, ZAFT territory
"I thought that the Legged Ship was heading for Alaska," Athrun said, pointing a spot on the map on the table, "But now, it looks like they've started to head southward."
"South?" Dearka frowned, "Isn't that where ORB's territory is?"
"Yeah. Either they're trying to make contact with them, or it's all a big setup," Athrun nodded, "But either way, we have the upper hand. If we leave now, we should be able to catch up to them by morning."
"Are you sure?" Yzak asked, "Even if we're traveling underwater, it'll take a while to catch up to it in a submarine."
"I'm positive," Athrun replied confidently, "Get some rest, you guys. The battle of Heliopolis ends tomorrow!"
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More than two weeks had passed since Cagalli and Ryo had been retrieved from the deserted island where they had encountered Athrun. Although the crew had pried them with questions the first few days, they eventually let it go and it became nothing more than a memory. During this time, the Archangel had passed through the Strait of Malacca, the narrow channel of ocean that separated Malaysia and Indonesia. Although they were ambushed by waiting ZAFT forces there, Kira, Ryo, and Mu were able to fight them off successfully and the ship went on without further incident, sailing smoothly for eight days. Also along the trip was Flay's sixteenth birthday, celebrated by her friends. Today, however, the Zala Team, who had been delayed due to a malfunction in their new mother ship, the Vosgulov-class submarine carrier the Cousteau, was preparing to take their turn in the battles. "Heat signatures on the radar!" Pal announced, "Four Mobile Suits approaching from the rear!"
"Can you identify them?" Natarle asked while everyone tensed up.
"X-102, X-103…" Pal frowned, "That's…!"
"Creuset's unit?" Murrue exclaimed, "Here?"
"There's no mistaking it," Tonomura confirmed.
"Alright then," Murrue nodded, "All hands, Level One Battle Stations!"
"Crewman Second Class Haw, prepare the Strike, X, and Skygrasper for launch!" Natarle ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" Miriallia nodded, "Lieutenant Commander Flaga and Ensigns Yamato and Mouri, proceed to the launching area! I repeat…" Meanwhile, the Zala Team, consisting of the four stolen Gundams, was slowly closing in on the Archangel, each standing on what looked like a miniature plane.
"These airborne Guuls don't maneuver too well," Athrun warned, "We'll become an easy target if we get too close. Keep your distance and go for their engines!"
"Roger that!" Nicol nodded as they closed in.
"Ready the Valiant Cannon!" Natarle said inside the ship, "Bombard them with Igelstellung fire!" As the Archangel's CIW guns opened fire on the approaching units, Dearka made the first move by combining the Buster's weapons into its anti-armor shotgun and fired a blast from it.
"Evade!" Murrue shouted and Neumann moved the ship to the side. Unfortunately, he was too slow and the shot grazed the starboard Gottfried compartment, shaking the bridge.
"We're never gonna get through!" Dearka complained, "Not with such an obvious attack like this!"
"Load all aft missile pods!" Natarle ordered, "One salvo of Wombat missiles and follow up with two light rounds from the Valiants!" All of the missile pods that faced backwards opened up before releasing their contents. Moments later, the starboard Valiant cannon fired two bursts at the other three Mobile Suits. All of them dodged and while Nicol shot down the missiles that got too close to the Blitz, Athrun fired at the ship with the Aegis' beam rifle. After two misses, his third shot hit it on the side. Yzak maneuvered the Duel over above the Archangel and fired two shots from its Shiva railgun and unleashed his own salvo of missiles. The Igelstellung guns on the Archangel immediately detected the projectiles and shot them down while the ship itself moved to dodge the railgun bursts.
"What are you doing, Dearka?" Yzak asked irritably, "Hurry up and cut the Legged Ship off!"
"I know!" Dearka scowled as he fired two shots from the Buster's high energy beam rifle, "Get out of my hair already!" On the Archangel, the Strike and X Gundams were standing on its hull trying to shoot at the other four from there. However, it was difficult to track them from their positions with all the chaos going on around them.
"That guy…" Kira grunted as a shot hit the hull next to him and smoke filled the air. Meanwhile, Mu was flying around in the Skygrasper, doing his best to provide aerial support. Charging the Buster, he fired off a blast from the Agni cannon and forced Dearka to retreat. The Archangel fired a salvo of Helldart missiles from beneath the back of the bridge and one of them hit the Duel. Unfortunately, the weapon was useless against its Phase Shift Armor and the Mobile Suit emerged unscathed, although Yzak was very annoyed.
"I can't dodge this…" he frowned, "This stupid Guul is so damn clumsy!"
"Yzak, be careful!" Athrun said, "Don't go too far in by yourself!"
"Shut up!" Yzak replied hotly, "I'll do whatever the hell I want!"
"We have to go for their engines," Athrun reminded them, "Nicol, see if you can dig in from their left flank!"
"Sir!" Nicol replied and had the Blitz dodge a shot from the Skygrasper before it headed for the Archangel.
"As long as this one goes down," Athrun thought as he maneuvered the Aegis over the ship before firing two bursts from the beam rifle. Both shots hit an Igelstellung gun that was tracking him and destroyed them. Kira and Ryo saw this and both shot at the Aegis as it flew overhead. Ryo and Athrun could sense that they were looking at each other and frowned as they remembered a conversation that they had had while on the island when Cagalli was sleeping.
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Flashback
It was getting late and Athrun was about to go to sleep again before Ryo finally said out of no where, "You know…I think I know you from somewhere…"
"Oh?" Athrun asked, not really caring, "How so?"
"You're the pilot of the Aegis," Ryo replied, "The guy who asked Kira to go with him when he handed over Lacus to the Creuset Team." Athrun nodded and Ryo smiled a bit before adding, "I thought so…you're Athrun Zala, aren't you?"
"How do you…?"
"Kira once said that he had a friend by that name," Ryo explained, "He told Lacus and I that a person called 'Athrun Zala' was a friend of his from his days on the Lunar Prep. School on Copernicus. He also mentioned that Athrun was the pilot of the Aegis."
"Well, aren't you observant?" Athrun remarked, smiling a bit, "So tell me, how do you know Kira?"
"I met him when I first moved to Heliopolis," he said, "My name's Ryo Mouri."
"You're Ryo Mouri?" Athrun asked surprised, "So you're Nicol's friend! He told me about you before we came down to Earth!"
"Nicol?" Ryo blinked, "Who's that?"
"You…" Athrun gaped, "You don't…remember?"
"Well, the truth is," Ryo explained, "I can't remember anything that happened before a year ago. My parents told me that it was from a car accident, but…"
"So you can't remember anything?"
"Barely anything," Ryo said, correcting him, "According to my mom, I was in a coma for a good few years before I woke up. I've picked up bits and pieces of my history here and there…I knew you once, Athrun."
"We knew each other?"
"You, me, and Lacus," he told him, "When we were kids…before you went to Copernicus, I think. Our dads were good friends back then, if what my mom told me was correct."
"That's right," Athrun nodded, recalling his visit to Lacus, "Your father was the representative for the Junius cluster, wasn't he?" At this, Ryo's calm demeanor broke and he looked at his feet, "Oh…sorry. I forgot…"
"I lost everything that day…" Ryo sighed, "My home, my family...my innocence. Only a friend of mine managed to escape with me."
"But how?" Athrun asked, "The Earth Forces attacked without warning. No one knew it would happen."
"My grandfather was a prophet," Ryo said, making up a story, "He saw what would happen in the stars and asked to have me sent away. For the first time, he was right." There was silence for a few moments before he thought, "He too suffered from a mistake I made…surely, he deserves to know…" "Hey, Athrun…can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"What would you do if…" Ryo asked, "If you found out that everything that you were fighting for was false? That it was all just a big lie?"
"Well, I guess I'd be confused…kind of mad, I guess," Athrun shrugged, "But why do you ask? We all saw Junius Seven go up in flames. My father even announced what had happened. The Earth Forces had dropped nukes on…"
"What you saw and heard was what your father wanted the people of PLANT to think had happened," Ryo said, cutting him off, "But I was there…I saw what really happened that day. This whole war is a big mistake."
"How…?"
"I guess I should explain," Ryo told him, "You know that unit I pilot, right? The X?"
"Yeah," Athrun nodded, "The Earth Forces Mobile Suit that almost shot down the Vesalius during that battle in space…"
"That Mobile Suit, Athrun, wasn't built by ORB. They didn't even know about it," Ryo said, "The X was actually designed and built to replace the Ginn Mobile Suits. By ZAFT."
"ZAFT designed that Mobile Suit?" Athrun gaped, "But…but that's…"
"It was my father who first proposed the idea," Ryo sighed, "And although most of the council disagreed, your father was one of the few who supported the idea. And since he's the National Defense Chairman back at PLANT, he was able to begin the development of the Mobile Suit in complete secret with my father. Only a select few were trusted with that secret; even the other council members were kept in the dark about it. For added secrecy, the site of the project was placed at a Colony that no one would ever think was hiding a military weapon: Junius Seven."
"But Junius Seven is…!"
"I know, and that's why it worked so well," Ryo nodded, "With Junius Seven being a simple agricultural PLANT, no one ever suspected what was going on deep in its interior. However, my father also had some friends in the Earth Forces, one of them being the late Admiral Halberton of the Eighth Fleet. Somehow, he managed to find out about the new Mobile Suit and informed OMNI as soon as he could. With the project's cover blown, the Earth Forces immediately sent a strike team to neutralize the Colony. However, the original plan was to evacuate the civilians and then destroy it, with the Mobile Suit inside. That same day, though, I was performing a test run to check its Mobile Armor mode when the radar reacted when the Earth Forces fleet got close. I attacked them and did what I could, but when the unit's batter started to wear down, I had to take drastic measures."
"That weapon that you used?" Athrun asked, "The one that…?"
"Yes," Ryo said, "I needed something to finish the battle quickly, so I decided to use the X's Satellite Cannon."
"How does it work, exactly?" Athrun asked, hoping to get some information.
"Sorry, Athrun," Ryo smile slightly, "That's classified."
"Well, what happened next?"
"I activated the Satellite System and fired," Ryo told him, "That's…when things started to go wrong…" Seeing Athrun's quizzical look, he said, "One of their Mobile Armors managed to get a nuke out. I managed to intercept it with the Satellite Cannon, but…"
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Ryo was startled from his memories when he saw a bright flash from the side monitor. The Blitz, unable to get to the engines, had taken the initiative and fired its Lancer Darts, three hyperfast kinetic energy pentrators that were essentially long, spear-like spikes that detonated when lodged in a target, at the port Valiant cannon. The result was that the spikes had sunken deep into the weapon, they immediately self-detonated and blew the linear gun off of the ship. Meanwhile, the Aegis had gotten to the Archangel's other side and had fired its beam rifle before launching a salvo of missiles from the Guul it was riding on, hitting the starboard missile pods. "Igelstellung guns numbers 4 and 5 have been destroyed!" Chandra warned, "We've lost the port Valiant!"
"Damage to the ship is approaching over 25!" Tonomura added.
"Aegis and Blitz are approaching!" Pal said.
"Aim the Wombats at the Guuls!" Natarle ordered, "Relay that to Strike and X as well!"
"Guul?" Miriallia asked, "What's that?"
"The things that those Mobile Suits are riding on," Tonomura replied, "They're ZAFT's way for letting non-atmospheric Mobile Suits fly even in the atmosphere."
"Right," Miriallia nodded and contacted Kira and Ryo, telling them the new objective.
"Fire Wombats!" Natarle said and the Archangel fired its missiles again while its Igelstellung guns shot down a barrage of missiles from the enemy Guuls.
"I don't believe this!" Tolle muttered while Kuzzey was cowering in his seat, "Those bastards chased us all the way out here!" Outside, Aegis avoided a Wombat missile before using its head-mounted Igelstellung guns to shoot down two more. Quickly, it veered aside to avoid a shot from the Strike and returned fire at once. Just then, Yzak charged forward in the Duel and started shooting at the Strike with its Shiva railgun.
"Back off, Athrun!" he snarled, "That guy's mine!" With that, he shot the Duel's beam rifle as he continued to charge in, passing by the Aegis.
"Wait, Yzak!" Athrun called out, "Don't be so reckless!" Down below, the Strike had blocked the shot with its shield and Kira took aim before sending a bolt of energy from the Strike's beam rifle. The beam lanced through the Duel's Guul, frying its circuits and disrupting its engine.
"Dammit!" Yzak swore as the Duel leaped to escape from the Guul as it exploded, "I'll get you, Strike!" He had the Duel draw its beam saber as gravity caught up to it and it started to fall towards the Archangel.
"He's going to try and board us?" Kira gaped as the Strike set down its beam rifle, "He's crazy!" Nonetheless, the Strike flew off from the hull to meet the Duel and drew its own beam saber. Both units swung their weapons at each other and luck proved to be on Kira's side today, for the blade of his saber found the uppermost section of the Duel's saber handle and cut right through it, rendering it useless.
"What the…?" Yzak cringed, "How the hell did he…?"
"Yzak!" Nicol called out and pushed the Guul's engines as fast as they would go as the Duel continued to plummet towards the ocean, "Hold on!" Kira saw this and proceeded to use the Duel as a makeshift springboard, having the Strike push off of it towards the incoming Blitz to gain additional altitude.
"Aaaaahhhh!" Yzak yelled as the Duel fell towards the water, "Crap!" In desperation, he turned the Duel over and fired at the Strike with the Shiva, only to miss as the Strike nimbly dodged the shots before the Duel entered the water with a great splash.
"Oh man!" Nicol cringed and tried to pull away but it was too late, the Strike had reached the Blitz and slammed its shield into it, knocking the stealth Mobile Suit from the craft before jamming its saber into the Guul, destroying it.
"Nicol!" Athrun shouted and fired at the Strike, which dodged and blocked another shot with its shield before it landed back on the Archangel's hull and picked up its beam rifle again.
"Took you long enough," Ryo said when he noticed that Kira was back, "What took you?"
"The Blitz was higher up than I thought," Kira panted as the Strike and X exchanged fire with the Aegis, his adrenaline still pumping.
"His piloting skills…" Athrun thought as the Aegis dodged the shots, "They've improved dramatically since we last fought…Kira…" Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the combatants, a single unmanned aircraft was circling the battlefield, recording the fight. As it did so, it was sending the images back to a fleet of ships in the distance, which in turn, was broadcasting it to the homeland…
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"The images that you are seeing now is a live feed recorded by our patrol aircraft," a reporter announced as the images of the battle were shown on large screens across the city, "There appears to be a fierce battle occurring only 20Km outside of our country's territorial waters. However, the government has already deployed the military to the area have called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter. It seems that the forces from the ZAFT army's Carpentaria base have engaged a ship from the Earth Forces Panama headquarters. Their governments are issuing a demand for control over the situation as well as the withdrawal of both armies from their respective territories. There is currently no reason, however, for immediate alarm." The news broadcast was being shown in the country of the ORB Union, a nation that had declared itself neutral since the beginning of the conflict. Its unique political system split the control of the government amongst five noble families, all of whom had originally ruled over the island since its founding. Though small inside, it had considerable technological and military strength thanks to its nondiscriminatory policy towards Coordinators and its many active volcanoes provided it with nearly limitless geothermal energy. Its own mass driver, the Kaguya, was one of the ORB Union's most prized possessions. Currently, a meeting was being held by ORB's government in the Prime Minister's Residence.
"Mr. Uzumi, sir," Representative Omura said, "What will you do about this?" The addressee, Uzumi Nara Athha, was ORB's Chief Representative, a man entering his forties with a mane of brown hair combed neatly behind his head.
"As far as our treaty stands, there are no exceptions regarding armed ships from other nations approaching our territorial waters," Uzumi replied, "What they're showing doesn't look good. We can only hope to avoid a conflict."
"It seems so," Omura nodded before waving his assistant closer while Uzumi frowned as the broadcast when on.
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Meanwhile, the battle raged on as the Strike, X, and Skygrasper struggled to defend the Archangel from the Zala Team. Inside, the shaking of the ship was making it hard to walk around, even for Cagalli as she stumbled through the hallways towards the lift.
"Cagalli, wait!" Kisaka called out to her when she was in it, "What are you planning to do?"
"Don't try to stop me! You know that if this keeps up, we'll get shot down!" Cagalli replied, pushing his hands off of her shoulders where he had put them, "ORB is right nearby…." The doors closed and as the lift brought them up to the bridge, her thoughts drifted back to Athrun. "This…we don't have a choice…." Cagalli muttered and then slammed her fist into the wall, "Damn!" Outside, Athrun himself was trying to get another shot in when his radar began to act up, as well as everyone else's. Turning, he saw a fleet of ships, arranged in perfect formation, approaching from the left. Even as they cut through the water, they started to launch squadrons of Combat Helicopters from their decks. These were Aegis ships, large gunboats that made the ORB union's naval fleet. These ships had a unique structure that divided their hull into three sections, other wise known as trimaran construction.
"Ma'am, the ORB fleet is approaching the territorial boundary line," Chandra said to Natarle, "They're about 4500 clicks ahead at two o'clock."
"What?"
"Did they come to save us?" Kuzzey asked hopefully while Pal glanced at him crossly.
"We've gone too close to their territory!" Murrue said, "Steer fifteen to port!"
"But…" Neumann argued as Kuzzey and Tolle looked up in surprise.
"If we go in any further, they're bound to shoot at us," Murrue told him.
"No way…" Kuzzey moaned, all hope now gone.
"ORB isn't one of our allies," Murrue explained, "Even during peace time, they've never gotten themselves involved in the business of other nations. They're no different in times of war."
"Don't worry about it!" a voice said behind them and everyone looked to see Cagalli and Kisaka standing near the door, "Just go into the territory! I'll take care of the fleet. Hurry!"
"Ms. Cagalli…" Murrue blinked, "What…?"
"There's a message coming in from the ORB fleet," Chandra announced, "I'll put it on the speakers."
"Attention, approaching ZAFT and Earth Alliance ships!" the messenger said, "You are approaching ORB territory, change your course immediately! Our country does not allow the entrance of armed vessels, fighters, or Mobile Suits. Stop your advance now!"
"Hmph," Yzak snorted, still sitting in the Duel, which had been recovered by the Cousteau, "What are those morons babbling about?"
"I repeat, change your course immediately!" the fleet captain said, "This is your final warning! If your ships do not slow down and change course, we reserve the right to open fire on your ships!"
"Attack us?" Kuzzey gaped, "No way…"
"What's so neutral about this nation anyway?" Chandra muttered to Tonomura, "The Archangel was built by ORB…wouldn't that make it one of their ships?"
"Don't listen to them!" Cagalli told Murrue, "Just keep going into their territory!" With that, she went up to where Kuzzey was sitting and snatched the earpiece from his ear and put it on her own. "How can you say stuff like that even after everything that's happened?" she demanded, talking to the captain, "The Archangel will now enter ORB territory! Do not attack!"
"What?" the captain fumed, making a video link to the Archangel, "Who the hell are you?"
"I should ask you the same thing!" Cagalli snapped, "If you can't make a decision, then put your superior on the line!" As everyone watched, she added forcibly, "My father…Put Uzumi Nara Athha on the line!" When this earned her confused looks from everyone but Kisaka, she added, "I'm…I'm Cagalli! Cagalli Yula Athha!" At this, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Even the combatants ceased firing at each other and stared at the ship.
"Cagalli?" Athrun thought, startled, "Cagalli is…Chief Representative Athha's daughter?"
"Athha?" Sai asked, glancing at Miriallia.
"ORB's Prime Minister?" Miriallia blinked, just as confused.
"What kind of crap are you trying to pull?" the ORB captain asked, although he too was visibly shaken, "There's no way his Excellency's daughter would be on a ship like that!"
"What was that?" Cagalli fumed, now annoyed to the point of bursting and Kuzzey was starting to get uncomfortable from being so close to her.
"Even if it was the truth," the captain said, "I can't heed that claim without solid evidence."
"You listen here, bastard, I…!" Cagalli never finished her sentence as the link was cut off. All of a sudden, the ship shook violently and the combatants turned the attention to the Buster, who had gotten behind the ship.
"You guys can yap all you want!" Dearka smirked, "They'll sink before they even make it into the territory!" He charged in, firing the Buster's weapons as he did and hit the hull, "I'll make sure of that!"
"You damn leech!" Mu swore and fired the Agni at the Buster, which dodged and retaliated with its gun launcher. The Skygrasper nimbly avoided the shots and sped off as they hit the water.
"Dearka, don't get too close, you'll get hit by the ORB's cannon fire!" Athrun warned, "Find a detour!"
"What detour?" Dearka argued but while he was distracted, Ryo took aim and shot a beam of energy through the Buster's Guul with its beam rifle. "Damn!" Dearka swore and the Buster jumped as the Guul exploded.
"Eat this!" Mu shouted and fired again. Buster dodged and combined its weapons into its anti-armor shotgun. Turning, it fired, the sheer force of the recoil pushing it back several yards in the air. This time, it was Dearka's turn to get lucky, for the rounds slammed into the Archangel's main engines and damaged them, shaking the ship with such force that Cagalli was knocked off of her feet and would have gone flying across the bridge if Kisaka hadn't caught her.
"Engines 1 and 2 have been hit! Blocks 48 through 55 have sealed off!" Neumann announced, "We're losing power fast! We can't maintain altitude!"
"Athrun," Kira thought and lifted off from the hull before the Strike and Aegis started to exchange fire.
"Turn left!" Murrue ordered, "We're heading right into ORB territory!"
"It can't be helped now," Kisaka replied grimly holding onto Cagalli even as the ship descended, "Just pretend you've lost control and head towards the fleet." When he received several odd glances from the bridge crew, he added with a rare smile, "Don't worry about it; the gunmen of ORB's Second Defense Fleet are the best. They'll take care of everything."
"Alright then," Murrue nodded, "Maintain our current course!" Slowly, the great ship sank through the air before it fell into the water, still floating as it drifted past the ORB fleet.
"So, you want us to play along, huh?" the ORB captain thought and grinned, "You're gonna owe me one for this…Colonel." "Prepare to open fire, but don't hit the Archangel!" he said.
"Yes sir!"
"Since your ship has ignored our warnings," he said into the speakers, "Our country will now exercise its right to defend itself!" With that, all of the Aegis ships launched salvos of missiles into the air while their main cannons opened fire as well. Kisaka's claim, however, proved to be true as the rounds struck convincingly close to the Archangel to give the impression that they really were shooting to hit it. The Aegis dodged some missiles and was about to fire at the ship again but then a squad of Combat Helicopters got into his way. Frowning and cursing his luck, Athrun bid a hasty retreat in the Aegis while the ORB fleet moved towards the Archangel.
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"Is this really alright, Mr. Uzumi?"
"It's a tense situation," Uzumi sighed as he got up, "But as of now, we have no choice. Is the official announcement ready?"
"The second draft is done."
"Good," he nodded, taking the paper before handing it to Representative Omura, "Use Plan D, Version 2 when we make the official statement." He glanced around the table before adding, "Very well, I'll leave the rest to you. In the mean time, I'll handle that ship and Morgenroete. It would be best if we took full advantage of its presence now."
"But won't that be too risky?" Omura asked as Uzumi headed for the door.
"Even if you say that now, there's no other way," Uzumi replied, "Besides, aren't we the ones who got ourselves into this mess in the first place?"
"I suppose," Omura nodded and the other Representatives agreed silently as Uzumi opened the door and left. Meanwhile, the ORB fleet was escorting the battered Archangel towards one of its territories, Onogoro Island.
"Anchor down at the wharf like we instructed," the captain told them as they lead them over to what looked like a massive sea-side cliff. Outside on the hull, Kira and Ryo had climbed out of their Mobile Suits and were taking a break after having fought, letting the breeze cool them off. As Kira watched the Aegis ships nearby, Ryo leaned against the X's massive foot and let his thoughts drift again. Back on the island, he had told Athrun the real story behind the Bloody Valentine tragedy. Needless to say, the young ZAFT pilot hadn't taken the story too well.
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Flashback
"Then it was you?" Athrun gaped, "You were the one…"
"There's not a single moment when I don't regret it," Ryo sighed, gazing into the fire, "I only wanted to protect…yet I ended up destroying what I was trying to…" At that moment, he was knocked flat on his back and when he got his bearing together, he realized that Athrun had leaped at him and was now pinning him to the ground, his knife in hand.
"You bastard, how can you say that so calmly?" Athrun snarled, anger written all over his face, "My mother was on that colony!"
"I know," Ryo said calmly even as Athrun's grip on his collar tightened, "Mine was too…" Athrun raised his knife higher and Ryo added, "So…now that you know the truth…are you gonna kill me too?" Surprised, Athrun relaxed a bit, "I don't blame you…no one in their right mind would ever forgive me after what I've done. Massacring all of those people, whether it was intentional or not."
"And you still just let it go like it was nothing?" Athrun frowned, "What kind of person are you?"
"Did I say I let it go? Did I say I just brushed it off?" Ryo asked, more demanding, "That fireball…I see it every time I sleep, every time I dream! Hell, I see it every moment when I'm not fighting! I'm a person who regrets what he's done and who's suffering from it! That's what I am!" As Athrun stared, Ryo said to him, "Tell me, Athrun, what do you think determines the future? Is it our own actions or is it fate?"
"I've…" Athrun blinked, now confused, "I don't…I never really gave that much thought…"
"Then I'll tell you what I think," Ryo said, "I think that the future is determined by both your actions and fate. It's your actions that affect fate and make it what it is. That's what I think." By now, Athrun's anger had subsided somewhat and he had gotten off of Ryo, allowing him to sit up, "Maybe it was fate that made me do what I did that day, or maybe it was from my own choices. I don't know, but whatever it is, what's done is done, and I've got to pay the price for it." Saying that, he reached down and pulled his gun from its holster, "So, Athrun, if you could take revenge on those innocent people and kill their murderer…" He flipped the gun around and held the handle out to Athrun, "Would you do it? Even if that person was an old friend of yours?"
"Are you…" Athrun asked, "Are you asking me to kill you?"
"That depends on how you look at it," Ryo shrugged.
"Then no," Athrun said, shaking his head, "Killing them would only put them out of their misery. If you really are sorry for what you did, then live with the pain." With that, he pushed the offered gun away and went back to his spot in the cave.
"Heh, I thought you'd say something like that," Ryo smiled and put the gun away before leaning against a wall, "So…what's been going on at PLANT these past few years?"
End flashback
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"Ryo, look!" Kira suddenly exclaimed, breaking him from his thoughts, "The wall!" Ryo glanced up and saw that the Archangel had turned around so that it was facing away from the island. Behind it, the cliff face had slid down to reveal a large dock inside the cliff.
"Well, will you look at that?" Ryo smiled, standing up straighter to get a better look, "This place sure is full of surprises, huh?" The ship began to back into the hangar and by the time it was already in, the Strike and X had been returned to the Mobile Suit hangar inside the ship and the ship itself was preparing to be locked down.
"Onogoro is the location for both ORB's military and Morgenroete," Kisaka explained on the bridge, "This hangar is so well hidden that it's impossible to see it from the outside, even with satellites."
"Don't you think that it's time you told us who you really are?" Murrue asked and Natarle, who had come up from the CIC, agreed with a nod.
"Colonel Ledonir Kisaka of the 27th Airborne Division, ORB Special Forces Unit," Kisaka replied, snapping a quick salute, "But right now, my job is to look after the boss's daughter. So you can basically I'm just baby-sitting."
"So he's a bodyguard?" Miriallia whispered to Sai down below as they listened, "Then she really is…"
"How in the world did you end up in the Resistance, then?" Mu asked, "If she's the Prime Minister's daughter…"
"Well, it's a long story," Kisaka chuckled, "Yes sir! In a nutshell, it all started with a father daughter conflict!"
"But how can I possibly allow myself to accept your offer?" Murrue asked, "After everything that's happened, you still helped us through it. You're even making repairs…"
"Why don't you save that for the man who you'll meet later on?" Kisaka replied while Cagalli avoided eye contact with the rest of the staring crew, "The heir to ORB, Uzumi Nara Athha."
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"Are they seriously telling everyone to just believe this load of crap?" Yzak fumed and slammed his hand down onto a piece of paper lying on the table. The paper was actually a formal written report from the ORB forces that they had received and having just read it, not everyone was particularly pleased with the message.
"'The Legged Ship has already left ORB territory…' Do they really think we're gonna stop at that?" Dearka asked sarcastically, "They're obviously playing us for idiots. Is it 'cause our leader's too young and inexperienced?"
"Dearka!" Nicol frowned, standing up for his friend.
"I could care less about stuff like that," Athrun said plainly, surprising the others, "But as long as this is ORB's official statement, there's nothing that we can do about it, even if we try to prove that they're wrong."
"Just what are you saying?" Yzak asked, frowning.
"If we attack them, then the mainland will eventually get involved too," Athrun explained, "In a matter of days, we'll have a diplomatic crisis on our hands." Yzak continued to fume silently when all of a sudden, his expression changed to a calm one at a startling rate and he relaxed his posture with a smirk.
"Heh, always making such reserved decision, Athrun," Yzak sneered, "Or should I say, 'Commander Zala?'"
"So what now?" Dearka asked, "Do we just pack up and leave saying, 'So that's how it is'?"
"I'll try to get Carpentaria to put some pressure on them," Athrun said, "But if we can't get anything done soon, then we'll have to sneak in and investigate ourselves." His last statement surprised everyone again, even Yzak looked interested. "Any questions?"
"Are you trying to figure out the Legged Ship's movements?" Nicol asked.
"Yeah," Athrun nodded, "But regardless, our enemy is only one nation. We can't go convicting other people so recklessly without some evidence first."
"What the hell are you so scared of, Athrun?" Dearka asked out of the blue, "If we attack them, then we'll find the Legged Ship! Isn't that a good enough reason?"
"It's different from Heliopolis," Athrun replied, "We're talking about taking on an entire country here. I'm sure that you all know about ORB's superior technology thanks to their wide gene pool. Though it's peaceful on the outside, we can't be too sure of what they're hiding in their factories."
"Alright then," Yzak smirked, surprising Dearka and Nicol, "I'll follow your orders for now." He turned for the door, "Although, if I were leader, I would have just attacked them and gotten it over with. You're definitely Chairman Zala's kid." Dearka got up and joined him at the door as it hissed open before Yzak added, "But…sneaking in sounds like it could be some fun. Besides, who knows? Maybe if I'm lucky, I might be able to catch a glimpse of Strike's pilot." Athrun cringed inside at this as Yzak and Dearka left the room."
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Later, back on the Archangel, the students were sitting in the cafeteria, pondering over their situation. "Who would've thought that we'd come home to ORB like this?" Tolle asked, glancing at the view screen that showed the hangar the Archangel was docked in
"I hear ya," Ryo nodded, leaning back in his seat, "Getting captured by your own country's army when they're neutral…how embarrassing."
"Hey, what do you think happens in times like this?" Kuzzey suddenly asked, "Is it still too late to leave the ship?"
"Leave?" Sai blinked, "What do mean?"
"Well, I know that I can't be discharged during missions," Kuzzey explained, "But maybe…well, you know, a vacation or something…"
"The probability of that is slim," Neumann said from behind them, "Not really all I can say, but…we do have to take some time for repairs, so, there might be a slight chance for a break."
"Hey, that's right!" Kuzzey smiled and everyone's faces brightened a bit at the prospect of a short vacation.
"However, this is a pretty difficult place," Neumann pointed out, "It's a wonder that they even let us dock here." At that moment, the door opened and Kira walked in, greeting the others with a nod before heading for the counter. "Either way, it seems that ORB is going to be better off with us around," he continued as Kira grabbed two bottles, "We won't know the details until the Captain returns."
"They're meeting with Prime Minister Athha, aren't they?" Tiffa asked, "To discuss the situation?"
"Yeah."
"My mom and dad are here in ORB," Miriallia said softly and most of the others nodded, knowing that their own families would probably be here as well.
"You wanna see them?" Neumann asked and every eye in the room turned to him, even Kira stopped walking to listen before he added, "I guess that would be nice…" Kira started walking again and minutes later, came to Flay's room. The said red-head was recovering from her sea-sickness quite well and was looking at the view screen, which Birdy was perching on, when Kira came into the room.
"Flay?" he asked as she shut off the screen, "Do you want to see what's going on outside?"
"No, not really," Flay sighed as Kira came closer, "But it's so boring on this ship."
"Here," Kira said, handing her a bottle.
"Thanks," she nodded and took it as he sat down next to her.
"You know, the others were saying that we might be able to get off of the ship for a little in the future," Kira told her, trying to cheer her up.
"Really?" Flay asked, not sounding too interested.
"Hey, Flay," Kira said, "You have a home here in ORB too, don't you?"
"Yeah…but there's no one there anymore," Flay replied sadly, "My mom passed away when I was little…and now my dad…" Kira sighed and looked at his feet, still pained by his failure to protect her father. Flay leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder and he didn't move, knowing how she felt. Meanwhile, outside, a short, middle-aged woman was walking along the ramp that led into the ship. She was on the round side, a large suitcase in her hand and brown hair reaching past her shoulders. There was a frown on her face as she entered but it quickly reverted to surprise when she almost bumped into Ryo and Tiffa, who were rounding the corner.
"Whoa, what the…?" Ryo blinked, looking down at her and then noticed her suitcase, "Look, lady, this is a battle ship, not an airplane, civilians aren't allowed on here unless it's an emergency. But in case you're just lost, the airport's anywhere but here."
"Are you taking me for an idiot?" the woman asked angrily and tried to stomp on his foot, only Ryo's Coordinator reflexes managed to move it out of the way in time, "I'm here for the lady!"
"Um, one problem, grandma," Ryo said, unfazed by her actions, "There are currently four on this ship, five if you want to count yourself. First one's Tiffa here, then there's Milly, there's the bit- ahem Flay, and then there's that weird tomboy, Cagalli…"
"The lady is really here?" the woman asked, now ecstatic, "Quick, take me to her now!"
"Wait, hold on a sec', just who the heck are you?" Ryo blinked, "Her mother or something?"
"Close enough," the woman said, ignoring the question, "Where is she?"
"Jeez, keep your hair on, we were just going to see her ourselves," Ryo told her, gesturing to Tiffa, "You can come if you want, but if people start looking at us weird, you're on your own!" The woman ignored him and just insisted that he take her to Cagalli, so Ryo sighed in exasperation and grudgingly started down the hallway, with Tiffa and the strange woman not too far behind. After walking by several doors, Ryo finally found Cagalli's room and knocked, "Hey, Cagalli, you in there?"
"Yeah," she replied from the other side, "You can come in, if you want." Ryo pressed a button and the door hissed open. Cagalli looked up from inside and when the strange woman pushed past Ryo, the look on both of their faces changed into a surprised one. "Um…" Cagalli blinked, "Hey…Myrna…"
"Princess!" the woman now known as Myrna gasped and dropped the suitcase before pulling the surprised Cagalli into a tight hug, "Oh my goodness, I was so worried!"
"Well, I'll just…leave you two alone now," Ryo blinked, "You two go on and…catch up on old times or something…come on, Tiffa." When the younger girl nodded, he closed the door and left Cagalli alone with the woman.
"Just look at you," Myrna said, absentmindedly trying to fix Cagalli's hair, "You can't go see your father like this…well, it's a good thing I brought your clothes." Cagalli noticed the suitcase and suddenly had a good idea of what was in it.
"Oh no, no way!" Cagalli protested, "I'm not gonna wear that!"
"Oh yes you are," Myrna replied sternly as she set the suitcase on the bed and opened it, "As the Prime Minister's daughter, it's your responsibility to make a good impression on people." As she pulled something out of the suitcase, she noticed Cagalli trying to sneak away and grabbed hold of her t-shirt. "Now you hold it right there, young lady," she said as Cagalli struggled, "You're going to look decent even if I have to wrestle this thing onto you! Now, off with your shirt!"
"No!" Cagalli argued, tugging down on her shirt while Myrna tried to pull it up, "You can't make me!" Pulling to the right, Cagalli managed to twist away and made a break for the door before Myrna got a hold on the back of her shirt and with a surprising burst of strength, pulled her right back. "Wah!" she cried out as she pulled down her shirt and tried to run around Myrna while she was still holding onto her shirt, "Ryo! Tiffa! Heeeelllp!"
"Did you just hear something?" Ryo suddenly asked, stopping in his tracks.
"It sounded like Cagalli," Tiffa nodded, "She was calling for help…maybe she's being attacked!"
"Dammit, I knew we shouldn't have left her with a stranger!" Ryo swore and the two hurried back to Cagalli's room. When they reached it, they could hear the sounds of a struggle and they were certain that the blonde was in trouble. "Cagalli!" Ryo called out as he hit the door switch, "Hold on, I-what the hell?" As soon as the door had slid open and he had stuck his head in, Cagalli's red t-shirt fluttered down onto his head, now stripped from its wearer. Confused, Ryo pulled the shirt off of his head and was then met with a loud scream and something hard hitting him in the face. "Ahh!" he shouted, covering his eyes and turning his head, "WTF, mate?"
"You perv, not now!" a furious Cagalli exclaimed as she blushed a heavy shade of red, covering her front, "Get out of here!"
"Make up your mind!" Ryo shouted as he stumbled out of the room, "God damn…"
"Ryo?" Tiffa asked, having been outside of the room when this was happening, "What's wrong? Is she…"
"Soap…"
"What?" Tiffa blinked, completely confused, "What are you…?"
"Soap!" Ryo repeated, more desperately this time, "My eyes need freakin' soap!"
"I heard that!" Cagalli shouted from inside, "Ow! Myrna, my arms don't bend that way!"
"Well they wouldn't have to if you'd just hold still!" Myrna replied and then muttered under her breath, "And all of my friends ask me just why I look so old for my age…"
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"As you know, ORB is a neutral nation."
"Yes, Mr. Uzumi," Murrue nodded. She, along with Mu and Natarle, were seated in front of a large wooden table inside a meeting room in the ORB Ministry of National Defense. Seated in front of them was Uzumi, who had come to discuss the situation with them.
"Officially, it was reported that your ship had been chased by our fleet and that you escaped afterwards," Uzumi said.
"I see."
"If you don't mind, Mr. Uzumi," Mu suddenly interrupted, "But I can't help but wonder if the only reason you took us in was because we had your daughter aboard."
"Do you really think that I would risk the fate of my own country…" Uzumi frowned, "Just for the sake of the life a whiny little girl? I highly doubt that those two priorities can be compared."
"My apologies, sir," Mu nodded.
"But then again, perhaps it would have been easier for me if you had just said that in the first place," Uzumi said, his expression softening, "The incident at Heliopolis…and the children who were caught up in the conflict and eventually became volunteers…as well as the activity of the X-numbers on the battlefield. Due to your small crew size, I had initially considered that it would be best to just have your ship and Mobile Suits shot down, rather than jeopardize the safety of ORB. However, despite everything that I know, I can't guarantee if this is the whole story."
"I apologize…for what happened to Heliopolis and the children," Murrue told him, bowing her head slightly while Natarle frowned, "Although it's not my place to tell you this, I'm personally somewhat embarrassed about the whole incident."
"That's good," Uzumi nodded, seeming pleased, "We too had a part in this as well. Even the nation is having trouble coping with the situation." He paused and then continued, "The reason why we decided to keep ORB neutral is simple. We want no quarrel with either the Natural or the Coordinators. However, without power, it's hard to keep that goal. And yet, if you do have power, it then in turn becomes a responsibility. I understand, however, that this is something that soldiers would not fully understand."
"I understand your sentiments, Mr. Uzumi," Murrue replied, "However, we're also doing our best to protect our own homes." Her thoughts drifted back to Admiral Halberton's warnings about ZAFT amassing its forces and heaved a sigh at this.
"Regardless of our viewpoints, I believe that I should tell you the real reason why we spared your ship," Uzumi suddenly said, "We wish to make…a deal with you."
"A…a deal?" Murrue blinked and Mu and Natarle glanced at each other, both equally surprised.
"We'd like for you to provide us with all of the data available on both the Strike and the X, as well as the Archangel," Uzumi replied, "Also, we'd also like to request that the Coordinator pilots Kira Yamato and Ryo Mouri both lend their technical support to the Morgenroete Corporation."
"That…" Murrue stammered, "But that's…?"
"It would help us a great deal if you would accept our offer," Uzumi told them, "If you will approve, then we will gladly provide you with all of the necessary accommodations that you need."
"And what if we refuse?" Mu asked, deciding to test the water first before jumping in.
"Then I'm afraid that we will need you to leave at once," Uzumi replied, "If we cannot gain anything from this as well, then it will have been in vain."
"Mr. Uzumi, that's…!" Murrue exclaimed and stood up but Uzumi calmly got up from his chair and left for the door.
"I look forward to your cooperation," he said and the three senior officers could have sworn that they caught him smile a bit before he closed the door.
"So that's the 'Lion of ORB', Uzumi Nara Athha," Mu remarked as Murrue sighed and sat down, "He really is as tough as they say."
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"Hey! I can walk by myself, you know!"
"That's out of the question!" Upon hearing this, Kira and Flay quickly went over to the source of the voice, arm in arm. When they rounded the corner, they saw that a small crowd had already gathered in the hallway. Peering around the shoulders of the people in front of them, they were greeted with quite a surprise. Escorted by Myrna was Cagalli, now dressed in a dress similar to the one she had worn in Waltfield's mansion. This time, thought, the dress was green down to her thighs and then split into a lighter attachment. Her left shoulder strap was part of a white sash, the other end attached to her waist. Instead of being tied back, her hair had two ribbons keeping it away from the sides of her face. Three brass bracelets adorned her right wrist while a necklace set with a red gemstone hung around her neck. Now, she truly looked like the princess of ORB she claimed to be.
"Well, look at you," a voice said from behind them and they turned to see both Ryo and Tiffa standing there, the former with his arms crossed and an amused grin on his face, "All dressed up and ready to go, huh?"
"Shut up…" Cagalli grumbled, obviously not happy with the attire, "It's just for a little bit and then I'm taking this crap off the second I get home." Ryo shrugged and allowed an amused chuckle as she walked by, Tiffa and Kira also smiled as they watched her disappear around a corner. Flay, however, had a much different take on the situation.
"Who does she think she is?" she seethed, not bothering to hide her jealousy, "Dressing up like that…" Ryo just shook his head and rolled his eyes before walking off, used to this sort of thing.
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"I don't like this," Natarle said, "This country is dangerous, we don't know enough about it."
"We can't forget about the deal, though," Mu replied, "He'll make us leave if we don't accept."
"It's nothing but an empty threat!" Natarle frowned, "Why should we listen to him?"
"So what're you gonna do?" Mu asked with a grin, "Are you suggesting that we all abandon ship and swim all the way to Alaska?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Natarle replied, now becoming frustrated, "We do need to get as many repairs done as we can, but…"
"I was…gonna keep my mouth shut," Mu interrupted, "But don't you think that ORB's putting itself at a big risk by keeping us here? They're a small nation, so don't you think they'll do whatever they have to in order to stay neutral? From the way I see it, making a few unsavory deals is better than going to war."
"But can it be ended just like that?" Murrue asked, "Even if they haven't said anything, I know that they're being pressured by ZAFT to tell them where we are. However, they still choose to shelter us and it's the least that we can do."
"If you put it that way, then I suppose I have no authority over the situation, Captain," Natarle nodded in an understanding way, "However, I will be adding this to my report as well when we get to Alaska." Saying that, she snapped a quick salute and turned before walking out of the room.
"Sheesh, even in a case where we're being pampered," Mu remarked before turning to Murrue, "So, looks like we're gonna owe those two another one."
"Yeah," Murrue nodded before heaving a loud sigh and putting her face in her arms. Mu chuckled a bit and gave her an assuring pat on the back. "Give it up, Lieutenant Commander," Murrue mumbled, although she was secretly smiling, "That can be considered sexual harassment."
"Huh?" Mu blinked and withdrew his hand, staring at it, "Really?"
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Outside, a flock of birds was sitting peacefully in the branches of a large tree. All of a sudden, a disturbance in the ground caused the entire flock to take flight out of fear. The ground started to shake and two pairs of thunderous foot-falls began to become audible. A small car drove past the tree and moments later, two Mobile Suits turned the corner as well, following it. These two Mobile Suits were the deactive Strike and X Gundams and they were both being led to what looked like another cliff face. As the car approached it, however, the wall of stone began to split apart to reveal a huge door of reinforced steel. "Another one of these?" Ryo blinked inside the X, "Just how many secret doors are there on this island?"
"Dunno," Kira shrugged at the controls of the Strike, "This sure is an odd place." As the doors opened wider to allow the Strike and X to enter, something else was happening miles away at the coast line. A pair of fishermen was sitting on an outcrop of rock when suddenly, a gloved hand reached out from the water and grabbed onto the rock, pulling a figure in a diving suit out from the water. Three more divers followed as the first one pulled off his mask, revealing a pair of emerald green eyes and wisps of blue hair beneath the hood.
"Athrun Zala of the Creuset Team," he said, shaking hands with one of the fishermen as the other divers turned out to be the rest of the Zala Team; Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol.
"Welcome," the fisherman nodded, his vest slipping a bit to reveal a ZAFT insignia on his sleeve, "To the land of peace."
Phase 25: End
To the reviewers:
I apologize for a late update but I have been absolutely swamped. My teachers are piling projects on top of us and I'm going to be having finals in a fewweeks, so updates may come later than usual. Please understand that I'm doing my best to keep the story going.
- Hariel Lhikan