File 27 – Enemy Within
The Grasper comes in for a landing aboard the Archangel.
Kira glances aside from inside the Strike as he prepared for launch.
Murrue's voice, "A distress signal is probably being transmitted, but most likely it won't even help when the radio signals are this bad."
Kira watches the Grasper as it is brought in. The medical staff crosses over. Kira furrows his brow. Mu leaps out and crosses to the medical team, he motions to the Grasper. Kira reaches up to activate some switches.
"There are quite a few deserted islands in the approximate area. She might be on one of those."
"Ok."
Murrue stares at him from the monitor, "I'm sorry because you must be tired... but I'm counting on you, Kira."
The systems turn on. Kira shakes his head, "No it's ok... I'm fine. I want to go out."
Kisaka stood silently in the hallway his arms crossed.
Murrue nods, "Even if you can't find any clues, be sure to return in no more than 2 hours. We'll think of another solution then."
Kira doesn't answer but stares forward. The Strike launches and plunges into the water.
An hour or so later. Mu sits near the Grasper his arms behind his head. Kojiro and the crew worked on repairs. He sighs.
Rena jerks awake in the infirmary with a gasp. "Where?!"
The doctor crosses his hands up, "Whoa, whoa... calm down. You're ok."
She stares at him, "Where am I?" She places a hand to her forehead, "I was rescued and then…."
He sits down next to the bed. "You're safe." He gives her a reassuring smile, "You don't have any life threatening injuries so that's a plus."
She tilts her head, "What ship is this?"
He nods, "It's called the Archangel."
Rena's eyes widen, "Archangel? The ship from Heliopolis?"
The doctor stares at her, "Yes..." He rises, "You should rest..."
Rena pulls her covers off and climbs from the bed, "But my cousin Isamu? Is he aboard?"
The doctor turns, "Cousin? Isamu?"
She tilts her head, "He's a pilot for OMNI. He was aboard this ship. The Archangel... Isamu Kisaragi?"
The doctor shakes his head, "Um…. You should talk with our captain."
At the Carpentaria base, Nicol stood near a window overlooking the ocean. Dearka sat on a couch behind him flipping through a magazine. The door to the room opens and Yzak enters a smug look on his face.
Nicol steps toward him, "Yzak? Any news about Athrun's whereabouts?"
Yzak cuts him off, "My fellow members of the Zala soldiers. I will relay to you the first mission of this glorious squad."
Nicol crosses closer. Dearka glances over at him from the couch.
Yzak continues, "That's something more important than anything else." He glances at Nicol, "The search for our leader."
Dearka starts to laugh. Nicol glances at him.
Yzak shrugs, "Well you can't do anything about having a transport shot down but it looks like HQ is busy with a lot of other things so they say we should find our leader on our own."
Dearka glances forward, "Well, well this is a quite away to start."
Yzak sighs, "even so the sun has already started to set so we'll have to start tomorrow."
Nicol clenches his fist, "No way!"
Yzak and Dearka glances at him.
"He's in the Aegis..." Dearka glances at him, "Even if he was shot down it wouldn't be something to worry about." He glances at his magazine, "It's not like he's falling into the atmosphere."
Yzak smirks at Nicol, "That's how it is, get a good night's sleep in your rooms tonight. They say our main ship will be ready tomorrow so we'll have to do it afterwards." Nicol glances downward and then turns to face the window again.
Rena tilts her head, "Why can't she meet with me now?"
The doctor sighs, "She's busy and until she can you'll have to remain in this room." He motions to an armed soldier at the door.
Rena gasps, "Am I a prisoner?"
The doctor stares at her, "I'm sure you understand the situation. As a military ship, even though you're just a young girl, certain protocols must be followed."
Rena furrows her brow, "So I am a prisoner."
He sighs, "To me you're a just a patient. You must be exhausted, you should rest and when you awaken I'm sure the captain will be ready to see you."
Rena glances aside, "I can't sleep, not now."
He crosses to a cabinet, "Well I'll give you something to help you sleep." He pulls out some pills, "It's just a mild sedative."
He notices her untrusting look and smiles, "It's your choice." He places the bottle on the desk. "I'll leave it right here."
Rena notices some other meds and syringes in the cabinet.
"You know if you'd like you can shower up, get comfortable. The shower is through there. There's a change of clothes in here." He opens a small cabinet.
"Can I be alone?"
He nods, "Of course. But there will be a guard posted outside the door."
She nods, "I understand."
He crosses to the door and leaves.
The sun completely descends behind the horizon. Athrun sits inside the Aegis trying to transmit through the radio to no avail. Dark clouds sweep in and he glances up at them.
"A squall?"
Cagalli tries to crawl up toward the Aegis but loses her ground and rolls down the hill and lands in a large crevice filling up with water. She turns over and sighs. Rain begins to fall. She tries to get up, "Crap!"
The rope on her wrists is caught up in a rock. She sighs. A wave of water rushes over her as the crevice fills up higher. She gasps and coughs as she tries to keep her head above.
The Aegis fires a transmitter into the water.
Cagalli forces her head up taking a deep breath. The ground shakes a bit and the rain stops falling onto her. She looks up to find the shield of the Aegis being held over her.
"Hey you?" Athrun crosses to the side, "What are you doing?"
She glares at him, "Can't you tell by looking?"
He places a hand at his side.
She stares at him, "I'm stuck."
He chuckles to himself.
Rena stands underneath a hot stream of water. An empty glass and the open bottle of sedatives lay on the desk.
The guard enters the room and glances toward the door. He furrows his brow.
Rena emerges, wrapped in a towel, drying her hair with a towel. She gasps and steps back into the other room.
"I apologize but I was ordered to come in and check up on you, periodically."
Rena glances aside, "You could give some warning next time." She reaches out, "Can you hand me the pile of clothes on the bed?"
He grabs the clothes and cautiously hands them through the open door. He steps back. Moments later Rena emerges. She stares over at the soldier and crosses to the bunk.
"Well there's nothing much going on in here. Thank you for checking up on me." She smiles slightly at him.
The soldier glances at her. He was surprised by how pretty she was. This girl, is she really a ZAFT soldier? This isn't like when we had that other girl aboard.
Rena rises, "Is there something wrong?"
He gasps, "No…"
She glances aside, "When will I be able to meet with the captain?"
He raises his eyebrows, "I... actually I don't know anything further than my orders."
She plops onto the bed, "This is such a mess. I wonder if Isamu even knows I'm here." She looks up at him, "Do you know Isamu Kisaragi?"
The soldier shakes his head, "I can't say."
She glances aside, "Do you know Kira Yamato?"
The soldier doesn't answer.
"Do you know anything?"
"I'm sorry but I can't continue to speak with you. The doctor asked that I check up on you to make sure you get some rest. So you should just lie down and do so. I'll be waiting outside." He turns to go.
Rena furrows her brow, "I'm sorry."
He turns, "For?"
With a swift movement she charges at the guard and hits him in the stomach and grabbing the first thing she can she knocks him across the head knocking him unconscious. She furrows her brow and crouches over him, "I'm so sorry, but I have to see Isamu and Kira. I can't wait for your captain to make up his mind."
Rena emerges from the room and glances down both sides of the hall. She slips out of the dark room and sets the door lock before heading down the hall. She avoids the passing crew by pressing against the side walls. She wanders down corridor after corridor until she passes through the doorway to the hangar.
Kojiro and the crew were working down below on the Grasper. She grasps the railing and watches them. She scans the huge hanger and gasps when she sees the cold and silent Tempest. She walked toward it as if it drew her toward it.
"It's this damaged. Isamu?"
She could feel the fear building in her heart. She crosses slowly and peers into the cockpit. She slides into the seat. The cockpit seals.
Kojiro glances over at the Tempest.
"What is it?" Mu crosses.
Kojiro glances over, "Huh? Nothing. Ghosts maybe?" He shrugs.
Mu glances at the Tempest, "Ghosts? Have you been able to get the OS reinstalled?"
Kojiro crosses his arms, "What do I look like? We barely had any spare time to reattach the legs."
Mu nods. "Sabine?"
She glances over, "Isamu was working on that. I have no idea."
Mu shrugs and sighs.
Kojiro stares at him, "So what's up with that girl you rescued??"
Mu shrugs, "She's being held in the infirmary I guess."
Sabine tilts her head, "Is she really a ZAFT soldier?"
Mu glances over, "She had the uniform on but if you ask me she didn't seem like one."
Kojiro nods, "I heard that she was quite a looker."
Mu shrugs, "Yeah..."
Sabine rolls her eyes, "I heard she was underage you pervs."
Both Kojiro and Mu laugh. Mu shrugs, "It's only an observation."
Sabine shakes her head.
Rena stares at the blank monitors for what seemed like forever. The inside of the Gundam was dead. She had already tried to activate the suit but nothing happened. She reaches forward, "The OS has been removed, but why?" She glances aside, "Isamu, what are you thinking…." Her eyelids were getting heavier by the second.
"Rena wait!"
A younger Isamu runs after a younger Rena. Both were laughing. He catches her and they fall into a pile of leaves laughing.
"You two are going to get into trouble!" Lukas Marlis crosses toward them and laughs when he sees them with leaves all over.
"You should act a bit more civilized Verena and you Isamu should set a good example." They both stand when an older gentleman crosses behind Lukas.
Isamu rises, "I'm sorry Grandfather."
The man nods, "Take your cousin in and get cleaned up for dinner."
Isamu nods, "Yes sir." He takes Rena's hand in his and gives her a smile. Inside the bedroom the two laugh in a sea of feathers. Isamu laughs as he falls back.
Cagalli crouches down at the cave entrance wrapped in a blanket. Athrun lay on his side drifting to sleep.
She sighs and glances over at him, "He sleeps letting the enemy roam free."
The fire crackled. She stares at the Aegis and furrows her brow. She glances over at Athrun.
Flash. Cagalli stares at him from across the cave, "What if I try to take the gun from you."
Athrun stares up at her, "I wouldn't try because then I would have to kill you." Back.
Her eyes fall to the gun at his hip. She crosses slowly. Her heart was racing. Her breath was shallow. She reaches down slowly. The fire cracks and pops. Athrun's eyes open. Cagalli grabs the gun and tosses the blanket over him. In just her underwear and a tank top she stood across from him. Athrun stood his knife drawn.
Cagalli had tears in her eyes, "I had to! A lot of people are going to die from that machine!"
Athrun glares at her, "Then shoot. I'm the one who's going to be piloting it. I'm a ZAFT pilot and I can't let you tamper with that unit. If you must... I will kill you." He prepares to charge.
Cagalli fought to hold back her tears. She remember Waltfeld's words. As long as you are the pilot of that suit you are my enemy. She swings her arm, "Crap!"
Athrun gasps and leaps at her but she tosses the gun aside. He tackles her and covers her just as the gun goes off. He pulls back and looks down at her, "Who tosses a gun with a bullet in the chamber!"
She stared up at him, "I'm sorry..."
He sighs and pulls back, "Damn... what the hell are you?" He sits down next to her.
She sits up, "Well I..." She notices a cut at his side, "What is that from?"
He rises, "It isn't something huge." He crosses to the other side and then reaches for his pack.
Cagalli gasps, "You should have it checked."
He shakes his head, "Don't worry about it."
She shakes her head and rises, "No." She reaches for the pack and pulls it, "I'll do it for you."
He jerks at the pack, "No I can do it myself."
She jerks it, "No let me!"
He jerks, "It's ok!"
She jerks at it holding it against her chest, "Forget it let me do it!" She looks downward tears welling in her eyes, "If it's like this then I'll keep being indebted to you. Let me pay you back a little."
Athrun gasps and stares at her then glancing downward he glances away, "Before that you should put some clothes on first." His cheeks were slightly red.
Cagalli gasps and falls to her knees in embarrassment.
Athrun stares off out of the cave as Cagalli wrapped his side. Athrun smiles slightly.
She glances up at him, "What is it."
He lowers his arm after she finishes, "You remind me a lot of a friend of mine."
She stares at him. He stares off again embarrassed again.
"Is he on Plant?"
Athrun glances over, "Yeah... she is, but I never had the chance to tell her good-bye."
She gasps, "A girlfriend?"
Athrun glances at her and shakes his head, "No... well... she's very important to me and I never had the chance to talk with her before my unit left. We had a fight before...." He pauses, "She's a pretty strong person." He smiles at Cagalli.
She smiles back.
Security guards rush around throughout the ship. "She's taken some sedatives so she couldn't have gone far."
Kira exits his room, heading toward the hanger. He watches as a pair rush past. "What's going on? What's happening?"
A soldier glances over, "We have an unknown person wandering the ship. She's a high risk and she took out her guard in the infirmary before escaping."
Kira gasps, "How did she get aboard?"
The soldier sighs, "Well actually Major Flaga rescued her sometime before sunset. She was being detained in the infirmary because she's possibly ZAFT."
Kira furrows his brow, "ZAFT? I should get to the Strike!" He races down the hall.
Rena jerks awake from the sound of the soldiers and techs yelling. She places a hand to her head. That sedative really knocked me out.
"Where am I?"
She glances around the Tempest and then sighs. She had forgotten about climbing inside and prepares to open the hatch until she heard footsteps and voices on the catwalk outside. She pauses and strains to hear them but the voices were muffled.
Kira heads toward the Strike, "I'm fine! I got plenty of rest just like you ordered!"
Mu dragged him away from the Strike, "How much is enough? Even if you had a rest you laid down maybe an hour after washing up."
Mu releases Kira's arm, "You even disregarded the allotted time the captain gave you."
Kira clenches his fists, "But..."
He glances at the Strike and remembers how Cagalli comforted him the other day.
Mu sighs, "In about 5 hours it'll be daylight. I'll go out then, so..." He places a hand on his shoulder and grips and jerks Kira. He was glancing off, "I'm pathetic too..."
Kira stares at him, "Major?"
Mu glances at him, "There's no point in saying this since I let her get shot down, but... don't try to carry everything by yourself."
Rena quietly tries to open the hatch but it pops open and she tumbles out. She lets out a little scream as she falls.
Mu turns as does Kira. "What the!"
Rena climbs to her feet. "Ow..."
Mu gasps, "You! What are you doing in there?"
Kira's eyes widen and he gasps. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Soldiers point up, "It's her, and she's trying to steal the Tempest. Don't move!" They point guns at her.
Rena glances over the edge of the railing and gasps, "Steal the Tempest? What? No... I just...."
Mu crosses and grabs her arm, "What are you doing? You shouldn't have left that infirmary. You're in deeper trouble now because of it."
She stares at him. "I only wanted to find Isamu. I'm sorry I couldn't wait."
He gasps, "Isamu?" Mu stares at her, "Wait a second… oh my god… you're…"
"Ren?"
She furrows her brow and glances from him and at Kira. Her heart skips a beat, "Kira?"
He stared at her in shock.
Two soldiers rush forward and grab her by the arms. "Excuse us please Major. She's a member of ZAFT and must be detained immediately."
Mu's eyes widen as he is pushed aside. They pull her along.
Rena jerks, "Stop it! I'm not a really member of ZAFT. Please let me explain. I'm an Orb citizen; it's all a misunderstanding; if you let me explain."
Kira clenches his fists and then reaches out, "Let her go!"
He knocks the soldiers aside and collides against her and pulls her into his arms, "She's telling the truth... she's isn't with ZAFT, I know it!" He holds her tightly, "Ren…"
Rena wraps her arms under his and buries her face against his shoulder. She holds onto him tightly, "Kira... oh Kira. I was so scared. I thought I would never see you again. Kira…"
The soldiers draw back and watch in complete confusion and shock, "What's going on?"
Some other soldiers approach, "Please Lt. Yamato, release the girl, she's a ZAFT spy and needs to be apprehended."
Kira pulls her behind him and is about to deck the guy but Mu steps between them.
"Hold it! Everyone, just hold it! We'll clear everything up." He glances over at Rena, "Rena?"
She glances at Mu and nods.
"We need to clear everything up. You should just go with them. You have to understand why right?"
She furrows her brow and takes a step back.
Mu holds his hand out, "Fine. I'll take you myself, ok? You trust me don't you?"
She furrows her brow and steps out from behind Kira. She takes his hand. The soldiers step around and block Kira.
"Ren..."
She stares at Kira and smiles, "It's ok, I can trust him can't I?" She glances at Mu.
Mu smiles and nods. Kira is about to speak when Flay rushes into the hanger, "Kira!"
Rena glances over. That girl? Flay, right? She's here too?
Flay pauses at seeing the commotion and then rushes at him, "Kira! Are you ok? When you didn't come back to bed I was so worried."
Rena's eyes widen in pure shock.
Kira gasps and glances over at Rena. She glances at Kira a hurt and confused look on her face. Kira opened his mouth but no words escaped his lips.
Mu places a hand on her shoulder, "Let's go Rena."
She stares at Kira. He's with her. Athrun was right. She furrows her brow, her heart breaking. She averts her gaze from Kira's to hide the tears that filled her eyes.
Mu turns her and leads her out, "Everything will be cleared up. Let's go." The soldiers follow behind.
Flay seemed oblivious to the situation and watches as Rena was taken out, "Kira?" She gasps, "Was that the ZAFT pilot? Are you ok? It's a girl?"
Kira glances at her but Mu interjects as he walks back through, "We should all get some more rest before day break." He places a hand on Kira's shoulder, "Kira."
Flay nods, "He's right you need your rest."
Kira nods.
Nicol wakes up from bed and crosses to his window. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon. He turns and rushes off to get quickly dressed.
Murrue walks down the hallway with Mu, "So it's definitely Verena Irmgard-Marlis?"
He runs a hand through his hair, "The tags say otherwise but I recognize her. It's definitely her and she's confirmed it."
She glances at him, "I'd forgotten about that we found her, I should have gone straight to the infirmary last night." She sighs, "But I was preoccupied with finding Cagalli. So she was found in the hanger bay last night correct?"
Mu nods, "Yeah and I do think you should make time to meet with her."
He pulls out some ID tags, "There's a lot we need to find out. This Amara Valorous alias..."
Murrue turns, "What? May I see that?" She looks at the ID tags and sighs, "It's not a very secretive alias."
Mu tilts his head.
"Valorous is the noble family that Verena is heir to. As I recall her full name is Verena Amara Irmgard-Marlis Valorous or something to that effect. Mu please arrange for Miss Irmgard-Marlis to be brought to my office along with Lt. Badgiruel."
He nods, "Kira and I are planning to head out again to look for Cagalli."
Murrue nods, "That's right. I'll make other arrangements."
Kira sits on his bed fully dressed in his uniform. He stares off forward. Torii flies around and then lands on his shoulder. He glances over and then rises. He heads out.
Kojiro stood near the Tempest with some techs.
They sigh, "It's a good then this thing has no OS or she could have taken it."
Kojiro sighs.
Sabine stood nearby with her arms crossed.
Rena sits on the floor of a cell her knees pulled up to her chest her arms wrapped around them. A tray of food lay untouched on the floor next to the bars. She stares forward in complete desolation. The moment Flay entered the hangar replayed over and over in her mind. She looks up when she hears footsteps approaching.
"Who's there? Kira?"
The man walking toward her wasn't Kira.
She furrows her brow, "Isamu?"
He pauses in the shadows, "It wasn't funny what you did."
She rises, "Who are you?"
The man steps into the light. It was the guard from before.
She gasps, "You, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did but I just wanted to find my cousin."
He crosses and unlocks the cell. She gasps. The cell opens and he holds his hand out. "Captain Ramius will see you now."
She reluctantly exits the cell. "Oh..."
He leads her into an elevator. She stares forward.
He kept glancing at her, "So you're a coordinator like Isamu too huh?"
She glances at him, "Yes."
He nods, "Figures." The door opens, "This way." He exits.
She raises an eyebrow but follows him. They head along the quiet hallway. "Where are we going?"
He glances over at her and smiles, "To see Captain Ramius."
Rena tilts her head. She glances over her shoulder but continues to follow him.
Kira wanders the hallways, passing back and forth in front of a doorway. He sighs and then enters crossing down the corridor leading to the brig. He notices the cell door open and pauses in front of the empty cell. He furrows his brow.
Rena stands in front of a closed hatch, "Through here?"
He nods, "You seem so nervous; don't be."
She glances over at him, "It seems like a strange place to meet the captain."
He tilts his head, "Our Captain isn't conventional. Come on, let's go." He leans over pressing the button. The hatch led to the open deck.
A cold wind whipped through the door and across the deck. Rena stares out a bit apprehensive. The man reaches behind his back, his hand resting on a gun tucked in his waistband. She prepares to exit.
