SailorStar9: Chapter 26 goes up. This is Chapter 27. To all my non-reviewing readers, I love you all! Will love you more if you review! *hugs all round!*

Disclaimers: I don't own Sailor Moon and Gundam Seed since if I did own them both, the Planetary Senshi will have equal footing as Sailor Moon and Cagalli won't exist. But you don't see that happening do you?

Chapter 27: Seen and Unseen


"Spit-Break." Rau reported. "We have completed positioning our forces. Now we are just waiting for the command."


On PLANT...

"It will rain soon." Lacus informed Kira. "Would you like to have a cup of tea inside?"

"I won't allow it!" the pink Haro chirped.


In Carpentaria...

"I'll be right behind you." Yzak told Athrun. "A guy like you is in the Special Forces..."

Athrun put down his suitcase and offered a handshake.

"I'm sorry for a lot of things." the former Aegis pilot remarked. "Thanks for everything."

"Well, then..." he picked up his case after the handshake.

Nest time, I'll make you my subordinate." Yzak declared. "Until then, don't die."

"Got it." Athrun replied.


On the Archangel...

"No!" Flay protested as Natarle dragged her off to her new post. "I don't want to! Let me go!"

"Captain, why am I the only one?" she asked Murrue when they walked past.

"Flay..." Sai muttered.

"That's enough." Natarle scolded. "This is an order from Headquarters. You need to obey it."

"That is what has happened." Murrue sighed as Flay shook Natarle's hand off. "If it's an order from the Military Headquarters, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry. I could try to talk to the Personnel Department, but..."

"There's no way it'll work." Natarle cut in.

"Well then, Lady Athena, Captain." she saluted the two females.

"Thank you for everything, First Lieutenant Bajirul." Murrue returned the salute.

"No..." Natarle corrected.

"I hope we can meet again." Athena smiled. "Somewhere other than the battlefield."

"It will be possible when the war is over." Natarle assured.

"Right." Murrue agreed. "Please take care of her."

"Yes." Natarle replied and pulled Flay off. "Come."

"Maybe, I should say something." Mu remarked. "To the Personnel Department, I mean."

"They'll say it won't work." Murrue repeated Natarle's words.

"But why now, all of a sudden?" Mu wondered. "Telling me to work as an instructor in California is a bit too much."

"If you teach them, the casualty rate of the new pilots on the battlefield would decrease." Athena pointed out.

"You are going to be late." Murrue chided.

"Argh!" Mu complained. "Damn!"

"Thanks for everything." Murrue saluted.

"Same here." Mu returned the salute. "Thanks."


Elsewhere...

"How is the situation?" the bases' head commander asked, the officers taking a look at the Cyclops System.

"Satisfactory." Sutherland replied. "Everything will begin as planned and end as planned."


On the Archangel...

"Even if it's a provisional measure, starting today, Archangel of the Eighth Fleet will be under the command of the Fifth Alaskan Defense Force." an officer informed. "It's an official order from Colonel William Sutherland."

"Yes!" Murrue saluted.

"The Alaskan Defensive Force?" Pal echoed.

"Archangel is a space battleship." Tonomura whispered back.

"On his orders, this ship will be resupplied starting at 14:00." the officer concluded the report. "That is all."

"Umm!" Murrue voiced.

"What is it?" the officer asked. "Are you going to object?"

"It's not that, but..." Murrue replied. "There are people who've requested discharge and vacation here and we still haven't heard anything about the prisoner."

"We're way too busy, since Panama will being their countdown soon." the officer brushed her off. "I'll tell that to the Colonel."


On PLANT...

"Do you like the rain, Kira?" Lacus asked after Kira put down his tea cup.

"What is this?" the pink Haro hopped into her hands.

"I'm just thinking about how marvelous it is." Kira mused. "I was just thinking about why I'm here and everything."

"Where do you want to be, Kira?" Lacus asked.

"I don't know." Kira admitted.

"Do you dislike here?" Lacus asked.

"Is it okay to be here?" Kira inquired.

"Of course I'll answer yes to that." Lacus replied.

"When the time comes, you'll realize naturally where you need to be and what you need to do." Malchio advised. "It's because you are a person who carries the 'SEED'."

"So he says." Lacus added.


In Carpentaria...

Athrun sat in a shuttle, thinking about what was happening to him.


In space...

ZAFT ships and mobile suits gathered in Earth orbit to prepare for atmospheric descent.

"We are planning to start the operation on time." the intercom declared. "All soldiers are expected to carry out their tasks quickly and efficiently. Positioning of the landing forces is complete. Operation conditions, all green. Final check on laser communication line.


On Earth...

Mobile suits, planes and submarines mobilized to begin the attack.


In space...

"It is currently 03:00." the intercom announced. "A report from the ground. 'The weather in the 25th area is clear. North-northwesternly winds two meters per second. Temperature, 18.7 degrees.'"

"With this operation, I sincerely hope that the war will end soon." Patrick declared. "Attain the true 'freedom' and true 'justice'! Commence Operation Spit Break!"

"Call-sign, Operation Spit Break." the alarms went off. "Target: Alaska, Joshua!"

"Joshua?" the attacking forces were shocked. "It can't be..."

"Spit Break has been put in motion" the radar officer of the commanding ship reported. "The target is Alaska, Joshua."

"What?" the commander echoed.

"Joshua?" even Yzak was stunned. "Earth Military Headquarters? It wasn't Panama?"

Only be attacking at their necks will it bring an early end to the war. Rau mused and smirked. Sayonara, Athena.

"Sounds fun." Yzak smirked. "That's definitely Chairman Zala. Quite amazing."

"Yzak." the technician chided.

"Those bastards are thinking we'll strike Panama, so they're focusing their forces there, right?" Yzak reasoned. "This is definitely our best chance. With this, it's over. Even for those Natural bastards."


On PLANT...

"It's definitely no use." Siegel remarked, entering the glass pavilion. "They're saying that nobody leaving for Earth gets departure authorization."

"There is a call from you from Eileen Kanaba-sama, Siegel-sama." the intercom came in.

"It's Clyne." Siegel took the call.

"Siegel Clyne!" Eileen exclaimed. "We've been deceived by Zala!"

"Kanaba..." Siegel tried to calm her down.

"Spit Break's target isn't Panama!" Eileen replied. "It's Alaska!"

"What did you say?" Siegel demanded.

"Kira..." Lacus looked over when Kira dropped his tea cup in shock.

"Lady Athena..." Kira started, shocking the adults present. "Even Lady Hilda..."

"Kira..." Lacus tried to soothe him.

"It can't be..." Eileen gaped, realizing Patrick's true intentions. "He's thinking of totally wiping out both Earth Goddesses' representatives and Earth Military Headquarters in one sweep!? The Committee never agreed to let him do that!"


In Alaska...

"What's going on here?" Mu mused, seeing the flurry in the departure docks.

"Are there still people left here who are going to Panama?" Natarle wondered.

"Your ship is over there." she informed Flay.

"How about you, Major?" she asked.

"I'll go with the young lady here." Mu replied.

"I see..." Natarle noted.

"Well then, Major." she saluted.

"Right, you be careful too, Lieutenant." Mu reached out his hand.

With the gesture gotten over, the three separated.


At sea...

"What's the situation on Taihi?" the ZAFT submarine commander asked.

"There are about three vessels." the sub-commander reported.

"Can they make it?" the commander asked. "Nobody will ever dig into the center first."


In Alaska...

"Wait in line here." Mu told Flay after joining the queue. "When it's your turn, show them this and get on. Got it?"

"Wait!" Flay called as Mu took off.

"I forgot something, so..." Mu replied.


In the Earth Military Headquarters...

After having been informed beforehand, the base was practically an empty shell as the alarms went off, signaling the approach of the ZAFT forces.


At sea...

From the air, GINNs, CGUEs and DINNs attacked while BuCUEs began the assault on the ground and GOOhNs and ZnOs by sea.


On the Archangel...

"A call has come in from the Operations Room." Sai reported.

"Colonel Sutherland, what is this?" Murrue demanded.

"All defense forces are to be ready to intercept." Sutherland ordered.

"It has began, then?" Athena mused.

"Yes." Sutherland admitted. "We've taken a hit. The bastards changed their target to Joshua."


In Alaska's departing docks...

"Hurry up and get on!" an officer hollered.

Being at the end of the line, Flay slipped off.


In the hallways...

"Damn!" Mu cursed as he ran through the empty corridor. "What the hell is happening? It's a total panic."


At sea...

Yzak attacked several Alliance ships, destroying them.

"Well then, I'll show you who the main character is on this stage." Rau remarked in his DINN.


On the Archangel...

"Telling us to fight back with so little power is unheard of, but we can't let them have Headquarters." Murrue swore.

"Captain!" Neuman gaped.

"All hands first level attack combat status!" Murrue gave the order. "Archangel will go out on the defensive!"

"No way!" Kuzzey gasped. "Kira and the Major aren't even here."


On PLANT...

"Kira?" Lacus started.

"I'm... going." Kira declared, tears in his eyes.

"Where will you be going?" Lacus asked.

"Earth..." Kira replied. "I need to go back."

"How come?" Lacus asked. "Even if you went back, the battle won't stop."

"Still, just watching it from here, I can't take it anymore." Kira nodded.


At sea...

"Azrael's intelligence was right afterall." Rau chuckled, flying through a waterfall into a secret entrance.


In the hallways...

"The Archangel..." Flay wondered. "Where is it? I...!"


On PLANT...

"I can't do anything if I don't do anything." Kira reasoned. "I can't do anything like this. Nothing will change, nothing will end."

"Will you fight ZAFT again?" Lacus asked.

"Then the Earth's?" she pressed after Kira shook his head.

"I think now I know a bit about what I need to fight." Kira replied. "For Athena, for us. I am, afterall, one of the Saints protecting Athena."

"I understand." Lacus nodded.


In the hallways...

"This feeling?" Mu stopped in his tracks. "Rau Klueze?"


On PLANT...

"Please change into this, Kira." Lacus presented a ZAFT red-coat uniform to him.

"Please tell them this, Lacus Clyne will sing a song of peace." she told her butler.


In the empty Earth Military Headquarters...

Mu approached the abandoned control room where Rau was examining the Cyclops System. Rau detected Mu and shot at him. Mu fired back and ducked behind a desk.

"It's been a while, Mu La Fraga." Rau remarked. "We've just met again, but I'm sorry. I don't have time to play with you right now. I guess the reason you're still here is because the Earth Military has used you to your limit. Did your invulnerable 'Hawk of Endymion' get its wings clipped?"

"This is...!" Mu gaped in shock after Rau disappeared into the hallway and he went over to the controls.


In the hallways...

Flay hid in the hallways and grabbed a dead soldier's gun when Rau approached. She was shocked when she heard his voice, which is identical to her father's. She tried to shoot, but he knocked her out, taking her with him.


On the Archangel...

"Wombats, Valiants, fire!" Aisha took over Natarle's seat.


On PLANT...

Lacus led Kira to the hanger where the Freedom was kept.

"Gundam?" Kira gaped.

"It's a bit different, right?" Lacus inquired. "This is ZGMF-X10A Freedom. But I guess 'Gundam' sounds a bit stronger, doesn't it? Integrating the capabilities of Earth's mobile suits, it is ZAFT's newest unit, developed under recently appointed Chairman Zala."

"Why give this to me?" Kira asked.

"Because I believe this is something that you need." Lacus replied. "You can't do everything just because you have the heart and power to do it. That's why, don't you need this in order to fulfill your hopes and to go to that place you earnestly long for?"

"Just because I have the heart... the power..." Kira echoed.

"Who are you?" he asked the songstress.

"I'm Lacus Clyne; Athena's Pope on PLANT, Kira Yamato." Lacus replied.

"Thank you." Kira noted.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll sing as well." Lacus assured. "The song of peace, for Athena."

"Be careful." Kira warned.

"Yes, you too." Lacus replied and kissed him. "With my strength and Athena's light."

"Well then, be on your way." she told him.

With that, Kira suited up.

"Neutron Jammer Canceler?" he echoed. "Amazing. It can output four times the power of the Strike. Just having the heart, just having the power...."


In the hanger controls...

"Hey, what is this?" a soldier demanded when the alarms went off.

"Freedom is activating!" another soldier replied.

"Seal the airlocks!" the squad leader ordered. "Notify Headquarters! Scramble!"

"Who are you?" he hollered over the intercom. "Stop!"

Ignoring the orders, Kira took off.


In space...

"What is that mobile suit?" a GINN pilot asked when the Freedom flew past.

"Stop!" Kira dodged the two GINNs fire. "Let me pass!"

"This guy....!" one of the GINN pilots gaped.

"He's fast!" his companion remarked.

Pulling out his laser saber, Kira sliced the GINNs' heads off, stunning the pilots.

Athena, wait for me, I'm coming. He prayed as he headed for Earth, flying by Athrun's shuttle at close range.


SailorStar9's rant on the episode: The long-rumored Operation Spit Break finally begins, and we see that Patrick lied to everyone about its true target. It was, however, good strategy to make the Alliance concentrate their forces in Panama and make Alaska the true target. However, Sutherland and the other Alliance officers already knew he was coming because they escaped before the attack even began. But how did they know? Rau mentions that his intelligence came from Azrael, who is connected to Blue Cosmos and the Alliance. Since Rau seems to have his own motives, was he the one who informed the Alliance of Spit Break's real target? Some characters go their separate ways, and we see that Murrue really cares for Mu. Finally, Kira gets his hands on the brand new Freedom Gundam and steals it. You have to wonder why in nearly every Gundam series security is so poor around new Gundams, which allows kids to constantly steal them. We have keys and car alarms, so why don't Gundams?