AN: This chapter will finish the Orb arch and lead into the final arch of this fic. I can't believe I'm almost finished. This started out as a pointless fluff fic, but evolved into something far different than I expected. I got to say I really did like developing both characters and taking them into an entirely new direction. I loved developing the battle scenes and just creating new conflict. As always thanks for your comments and insight! I always love hearing from you guys.
Behind Enemy Lines
Into the Skies
There's this anticipation he feels as Juri Wu Nein escorts him to the hangar. Yzak's nerves feel as if they are on fire. The Astray model really made him miss Duel. He had self-destructed the Duel with the intention of killing Kira. Yet, Kira somehow still lives. Yzak's chest burns at the thought of Kira. He wants to know how he obtained the Freedom and who developed it in the first place.
Yzak enters the hangar to see a jet set on a runway. His brow furrows. He had expected a mobile suit, not a boxy, black and grey rebuild of the Skygrasper models. Juri steps towards the jet and gestures to it. "This is our rebuild of the Duel GAT-X Model. We've named it the Duel Mk. II. It has two separate forms - one build after the Earth Alliance's Skygrasper and a Mobile Suit combat mode."
Yzak steps forward. It will take some getting use to, but it seems leagues ahead of the mass produced Astray Unit. Yzak steps to the ladder and climbs inside the cockpit. He switches on the power supply and watches the main screen come to life. Juri adjusts her pink rimmed glasses as she looks up to him. Her hair is waving due to the mobile suits roaring engines.
"Mr. Joule!" she's screaming over the sound of the jet engines. "I hope that you are able to join us on the Kusanagi! Good luck out there!"
The top to the cockpit lowers. Yzak focuses his eyes forward. He hasn't ever taken off in a jet since his first weeks at the academy. Yzak tries to go through the steps in his head before shifting the joysticks forward. He glances out towards the runway before moving the jet forward. He shifts the jet forward and soars down the runway until it hits 155 miles per hour. He pulls back on the joysticks and the jet soars up into the air.
Yzak grins to himself as he looks at the main screen. He can see the coastline from a bird's eye view. Orb really does look amazing from above. His eyes catch the Atlantic Fleet in Orb waters. Strike Daggers on sleds are launching from carriers. Yzak eyes a red button at the top that says M.S. in black ladders. He presses the button to transform. The jet jerks slightly as the clunky top pieces move toward the bottom. The center of his jet shifts upright until the cockpit is completely formed. Actually, Yzak swears he saw something like this in a cartoon he use to watch with Dearka when they were attending grade school.
Dearka's face appears on the comm screen. "That was fucking awesome dude!"
Yzak glances at the Buster hovering on a sled just in front of the Duel Mk. II. It takes him a moment to realize that the Duel is actually remaining in flight despite the lack of a sled. It would seem that Orb has managed to make sufficient updates to their newest models.
Yzak sees various missiles fire from the Atlantic Fleet. He shifts the Mk. II upward to dodge the sea of missiles dropping to the ground forces. Explosions erupt from on the ground as several Astray models blow to pieces. Yzak studies the specs on the main screen. The Mk. II is equipped with railguns on its shoulders, but he readies his beam rifle instead. Railguns will not be needed to take down a few Strike Daggers, and he'd rather conserve as much battery life as he can.
A swarm of Strike Daggers are heading straight to the Archangel with a bird-like GAT-X model leading the pack. Buster floats on its sled towards the Archangel and begins to fire its upon the battalion of Mobile Suits. Yzak follows firing at several of the Strike Dagger models. Each shot is a direct hit and the Strike Daggers drop like flies. The black bird-like GAT-X model shifts into its Mobile Suit mode and sends a mace like weapon towards the Mk. II. Yzak shifts to the side, barely dodging the mace. Two Strike Daggers are firing at him, causing his mobile suit to shake from the force of their attack. Dearka manages to hit one of the attacking Strike Daggers and Yzak counters the other Strike Dagger with his rifle.
Yzak sees a blast launch from the mouth of the black GAT-X model. He shifts to the left, the blast grazing one of the legs. He grits his teeth. It would seem that this pilot is also a Coordinator just like the other Earth Alliance pilot. Yzak tries to wrap his head around it. Kira's intentions might have been odd, but to have two or more pilots that are Coordinators fighting for the Earth Alliance? It just doesn't add up. They can't be Naturals, can they?
He aims his railguns at the black GAT-X model. It raises it's shield canon in an attempt to guard itself. The blast from the railguns blows through the shield and blows its arm off. Several Strike Daggers swarm in front of the GAT-X model as it shifts into its bird-like form and retreats. Buster is fire shots at the Strike Daggers as the Archangel aids by opening fire on the enemy Mobile Suits.
Yzak notices Freedom off in the distance. A turquoise and a green GAT-X model are both overwhelming the Freedom Gundam with a swarm of Strike Daggers. The Freedom reverse and spreads its wings to burst out an array of attacks. Several of the Strike Daggers are destroyed, but the GAT-X models dodge effortlessly. Yzak clenches his jaw. He really doesn't want to help the former Strike pilot, but…
"Dearka…" Yzak says through the group comm channel. "I'm going to go save Kira's ass. Stay by the Archangel. I'll launch into space with the Kusanagi instead."
"I'll see you on the other side," Dearka says.
Yzak shifts the Mk. II forward to charge the turquoise GAT-X model. He aims the rail gun and blows through bazooka that's taking aim at the Freedom. The turquoise GAT-X model turns to Yzak and aims its railguns. Yzak shifts to the side to evade the attack.
"Kira…" he says. "We need to go! There isn't much time left!"
Several more Strike Dagger units are floating towards them. To continue to fight at this point would be futile. Yzak shifts the Mk. II back into its Skygrasper mode and shifts it forward at top speed in the direction of the mass driver. The Freedom is following along its side. Yzak is dodging oncoming beams from the GAT-X models and Strike Daggers. His entire body tenses. His eyes see the Kusanagi launching from the Mass Driver. He shifts the jet upwards, trying to catch up. He's so close. The Freedom catches the end of the Kusanagi and holds its hand out to him. Yzak shifts back into the mobile suit model and reaches out to grab onto the Freedom. He grips on the Kusanagi and releases a heavy breathe.
Yzak hails the Kusanagi to see Cagalli's on the small comm screen. "Thank goodness! You both made it!"
Her excitement seems to fade. Yzak sees a huge explosion coming from his main camera. The Mass Driver blows to pieces, but also Morgenroete?
"No…!" Cagalli screams. "DAD NO!"
The comm screen cuts out as the Kusanagi pushes through the Earth's atmosphere. The cockpit of his mobile suit feels as if it's sitting on the surface of the sun. Yzak feels sweat drench his body and is half-tempted just to remove his helmet to get some air. He leans back into the seat and shuts his eyes as the cockpit rocks back and forth.
What happens after this? Can he convince Orb to take his mother's offer at an alliance? Why was Uzumi so stubborn to decline aid from ZAFT? Then, there is the situation with the Clynes. What had compelled Siegel Clyne to go against ZAFT and drag his daughter down with him? It just seems so out of character for Siegel Clyne to antagonize anyone.
He feels this weightless feeling as gravity seems to have lost its pull. His eyes open to see a black void and a sea of stars. The Kusanagi is moving towards the rest of Orb's fleet with the Archangel by its side. Yzak releases his hold from the Kusanagi and moves the Mk. II into the hangar. He sets it inside in a dock and pulls his helmet off. He opens the hatch and floats through the hangar. It's nice being able to move so freely through a hangar in zero gravity. He sees Kira floating out of the Freedom and towards him.
"Thanks for your help out there," he says.
Yzak tenses as he turns his eyes away. "I was only doing what was necessary."
Yzak shifts away from Kira and floats down to the floor. Flay is floating towards him. She collides with him and wraps her arms around him. She buries her face into his chest as they float aimlessly through the hangar.
"I'm so glad you made it!" she exclaims.
He places his hand on the back of her head. "Of course, I was going to make it. The Earth Alliance pilots aren't that good."
"I know," she says. "But, I was still so scared!"
She looks up to him with a bright smile. It's actually nice to see her so truly happy in spite of all that she's been through. He's so use to the forced smiles and the downcast eyes she once wore on a day to day basis.
"I'm sorry about all of this," her smile seems to fade. "My dad is responsible for what happened at Orb, and now Cagalli's father is dead because of him. You and your mom were always right about him. I wanted to think that maybe people were exaggerating, but now I truly see."
She holds eye contact for only a second longer before her eyes shift downward. He can see that she's forcing herself not to cry. He can see that she's trying so hard to be strong, but how can she be strong when her own father had just made a threat on her life? He tightens one arm around her and brushes a stray hair from her eyes.
"Flay," he says. "You can't blame yourself for your father's actions."
"That's what Cagalli says," she says. "But, I still feel so responsible. It's just...all this time I had this thought that maybe he would change. I don't know what I was thinking. My father is...evil."
Her fingers clutch onto his shoulders as she rests her forehead against his chest. It's almost as if she's trying to hide from the world. He wishes he could tell her that her father is only misguided. He wishes he could tell her that maybe her father can still change. Yzak is too pragmatic. He's not going to feed her lies and have her swallow them. It will only hurt her more when she's faced with the truth.
"Maybe he won't change," he says. "But, you already have. His spiteful legacy will end with him."
Flay raises her eyes to him. She really loves him. Yzak can see it in his eyes. There's a part of him that is quite fond of her too. She's emotional and complicated. She's so completely opposite of the women he's been around all his life, but there's just something about her that he's drawn too. Maybe she's not the best mobile suit pilot. Maybe she doesn't have the political grace that some women seem to have. Yet, there's this strength about her that so many people seem to lack. People will go to the grave fighting for their family's ideals, but Flay is different. Flay was able to see through her father's own bigotry and has turned away from it.
He wraps his arms around her and holds her close to him. If her father finds another Mass Driver, he will follow Orb's Fleet straight through hell if he has to. He just hopes that Flay has the strength in her to handle what may come.