Genie's Trap: A Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Fan Fiction
Episode Twenty-eight: Flashing Blades
Date: April 15th, C.E. 71
The twisted wreckage of the GAT-X207 Blitz lay between us, the power core having been damaged to the point of exploding; I in the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02 Sword Strike and my once best friend, Athrun Zala, in the GAT-X303 Aegis. We both seemed too stunned to move, caught off guard by the terrible moment. A strident alarm broke the tension and I was forced to throw up the Panzer Eisen to block incoming fire from the X102 Duel and X103 Buster, who had not gone back to their submersible carrier after all, and moving to the high ground I considered my options.
"Ensign Yamato!" LtJG Natarle Badgiruel called over the comm. "What's taking you so long?"
The Archangel was overhead: laying down covering fire with their Igelstellung close-in weapon systems. While the Valiant Mk.8 linear cannons could have depressed far enough to fire I was too close to the other mobile suits for them to risk that.
"Return now!" she ordered. "I told you there's no reason for you to pursue them any further!"
Gritting my teeth I leapt into the air, using the thrusters built into the X02's back module to get clear while the ship laid down another barrage of covering fire, the 110cm linear cannons moving into position to fire on the flat proto-islands that emerged from the ocean somewhere between the Orb Union and the Marshall Islands. Under the threat of heavier firepower the three stolen mobile suits escaped into the ocean while I came to land on the deck above the hanger: my mind still reeling from what had happened as I tried to catch my breath in the suddenly cramped-feeling cockpit.
As the island receded into the distance I remembered again the desperate lunge of the Blitz, using a salvaged Lancer Dart as a lance. Perhaps he'd intended to fire off the rocket at the end once the tip was in place, but whatever his intent he had been too committed to the lunge. Bringing the Schwert Gewehr down to change my center of gravity the X207 had run right into the powerful laser blade that formed the cutting edge, which was being held at cockpit height to help maintain balance. Now that I thought back the blade could not have cut all the way through the cockpit, but a human body exposed to the kind of energy the blade was giving out wouldn't have lasted long.
"Nicol!" Athrun had shouted over the Aegis' external speakers: the pilot's name?
Feeling a strange sort of detachment I moved the Strike into the starboard launch and was relieved of the X02 equipment before moving the mobile suit to its maintenance cradle. Once power down was complete I took the stirrup-hoist down to the hanger floor: I wanted nothing more than to get out of my flight suit and get some sleep, but I was immediately approached by Chief Murdoch and his maintenance crew.
"Okay, good work!" Murdoch cheered as he clapped me on the shoulder. "I hear you finally got one!"
I looked up at him in shock, and the others seemed to take this as encouragement to surround me, rubbing my head in an affectionate sort of way.
"It was the Blitz, right?" one of the maintainers asked.
"Wow! You did great!" another enthused.
Throwing his arm around my shoulder the Chief related, "Really. You've been pretty good lately, kid!" using his typical term of affection. Then, as if my accomplishment had earned me the title, he corrected himself, "Oops, Ensign!"
"There's just no stopping you!"
"We're counting on you to keep it up!"
Gripping my helmet hard I shouted, "Please stop it!
They seemed shocked, and took a half-step away in surprise at the vehemence in my voice. "I just killed someone," I found myself saying into the silence. "How can you say I did a good job?"
"What's the big deal all of a sudden?" one of the men asked. "You've been doing this for a while now."
His words hit me like a punch in the gut.
Lieutenant Commander Mu La Flaga pushed his way into the circle with an admonitory, "Cut it out!" explaining away my actions with a simple, "Kira's exhausted." In a kind voice he encouraged, "Come on, Kira."
Throwing him an accusatory glance – was he going to congratulate me now, too, I wondered – I walked away from the whole party. Behind me Chief Murdoch chided his personnel back to work as I made my way back to the pilot's ready room to change out of my flight suit; again cursing the regulation that had me endlessly shifting about from one uniform to another. My hope was that I could avoid any more celebrations, avoid human interaction altogether, until I could sort out my feelings, but Mu caught up with me.
"They didn't mean to upset you," the man told me as we walked.
A half-head taller than me the commander had blond hair and blue eyes, and even before he came onboard he'd been considered an ace at mobile armor combat, piloting the difficult to master TS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero. As the mobile armor wasn't able to fly in atmosphere he had taken to using the FX-550 Skygrasper, which had been designed to support the GAT-X series mobile suits. I knew him for a good man, but I still quickened my pace; not wanting to talk.
"We all consider you one of us," he stressed.
"I know," I muttered.
Not satisfied with that answer, he sped up too and put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Kira!" he started, but his tone softened when I did stop and look back over my shoulder.
"We're soldiers. Not murderers. We're fighting a war!" he stressed the last part. "If one doesn't shoot, one gets shot. That goes for me, for you . . . for all of us!"
"I know!" I shouted back. Why did he think I needed to be reminded of that?
Fiercely he came to his point, "Then stop hesitating! You'll end up losing your life!"
By the look in his eyes I could tell that he was speaking from experience, and I found myself imagining the comrades he'd lost over the course of his career. Mu did care about me, about my wellbeing, and he was speaking out of that concern. For a moment I entertained the thought of what it would be like for my friends if I were to die tomorrow, leaving them without their best defense. It was a sobering thought.
We both changed out of our flight suits and the commander further shielded me from the general mood of celebration by escorting me to the captain's office. There, with our commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Murrue Ramius; our executive officer, Lieutenant Junior Grade Natarle Badgiruel; and the other Skygrasper pilot, Tolle Koenig; we were obliged to give our after-action reports for the record. Mu gave his report with quick, concise statements of fact; I gave my report still struggling with my own feelings; while Tolle crowed over his achievements – the successful delivery of the AQM/E-X02 striker pack and his attack run on the Blitz.
The second he was called down for: "Your orders were to act as a spotter for the Strike," LtJG Badgiruel stressed. However, as Tolle's actions had given me the opening I needed to damage the Blitz and confiscate its Guul sub-flight lifter he got off with just a baleful glare from the lieutenant.
Once that duty was finished we were at liberty, and I took the opportunity to slip into my quarters, hoping for some rest. Sleep, however, was difficult, and after laying awake for some hours I crept out of my quarters and headed to the hanger; being careful to avoid groups of people as I didn't want to be congratulated again. As it was still early, not yet time for breakfast, I found the hanger blessedly empty, as I'd hoped. Torii, my robotic bird, landed on my left shoulder, then fluttering about moved to my right.
Staring up at the Strike I replayed the destruction of the Blitz again in my mind, remembering the anguish in Athrun's voice as he screamed the pilot's name. The death of 'Nicol' had been entirely unintentional as my goal had been to disable as many of the stolen mobile suits as possible. Even to me it seemed like a tragic waste and a horrible way to die.
Athrun, I thought, wondering how I could possibly apologize to him for killing his comrade-in-arms, possibly even his friend.
"Birdy," Torii chirped, and when I smiled at the metal contraption it ribbed its wing against my cheek affectionately.
Of course, having Torii here reminded me of when Athrun had gifted me the robot bird, and the more recent memory of having seen my old friend at the Morgenroete facility on Onogoro Island three days ago now.
"Birdy," it chirped again as my smile turned to a frown of consideration.
I looked back up at the Strike, the armor plates in grey tones, with the Phase Shift armor turned off, and the words of Andrew Waltfeld, commander of ZAFT forces in northern Africa, came to me. "There's no choice but to fight! As long as we're enemies!" he had told me during that last battle. "Until one of us is destroyed!" He had been the one destroyed that day.
Enemy, I wondered, and looking after Torii as it flew off to whatever errand its programming directed I thought, I am your enemy?
As much as I wanted to deny it I knew the truth: That's right, isn't it, Athrun?
Now more than ever Athrun would view me as his enemy, because that's the way that I would view him if the roles were reversed and he were to kill one of my friends.
The thought was not a cheerful one, and with no one to see me I sat down on the hanger deck and pulled my knees to my chest while I processed the horrible certainty that the next time that Athrun and I fought it would be to the death.
How long I sat there I did not know: long enough for Torii to come back and perch on my shoulder again, but then Petty Officer Chandra's voice was calling over the PA, the alert sounding. "All pilots, level one battle stations! All pilots, level one battle stations!"
I ran for the corridor that would take me to the ready room, but as I passed a side corridor I heard my name being called and turned to find Flay Allster. A beautiful young woman with dark red hair down to her shoulders and intense grey eyes she had recently been promoted to Quartermaster's Assistant. Until recently we had been dating . . . or dating as much as two people could do on a ship . . . more making out in my quarters than spending time in society, if truth be told. That is, until I realized that the psychological scars of her father's death almost three months ago were beyond my ability to understand or heal.
"Kira . . . Kira . . . I . . ." she stammered, not meeting my eyes, and I wondered if she meant to make an apology or an attempt to renew our relationship.
"Sorry. Later," I told her as I looked away as well. Promising, "After I return," I threw her a reassuring grin before continuing my run.
Mu met me in the ready room and we were briefed while we changed back into our flight suits: the three remaining stolen mobile suits were making another run. Like before I would take up a position on the upper hull, but this time I would be using the AQM/E-X01 Aile Striker pack as the X03 Launcher had already been equipped to Commander La Flaga's skygrasper. We would not be able to use a smoke screen because the islands in this region were taller, and overgrown besides, and we didn't want the ship to run aground. Again we were pushing for time: trying to drive off the attacking force long enough to enter the airspace of the Atlantic Federation as we made our way north-by-northeast towards Alaska.
Rushing to our machines we powered up while being moved to the launch positions, Miriallia Haw from her place as Flight Controller announcing over the PA, "Skygrasper One, Commander La Flaga taking off! Strike, proceed to the rear deck!
"Kira!" the commander called to get my attention.
"Yes?"
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yes," I sighed.
That seemed to be answer enough for the commander who lifted off while I was first equipped with the beam rifle, shield and short-winged thrusters of the Aile Striker before proceeding to the rear deck, as ordered. The sky was shades of purple, with the sun rising steadily over the ocean, and at the very limits of my targeting range I could see the three mobile suits on their sub-flight lifters slowly catching up; the Buster taking pot-shots at us with his hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle – one of the two combinations of the 350mm gun launcher and 94mm high-energy rifle. Eventually the enemy came within range, and the Archangel began using its own weapons: sledgehammer missiles and the Valiant Mk.8s
Meanwhile I took careful aim at the Guuls, the lifters the three mobile suits were piloting, with the intent of dropping the trio into the ocean before they could reach effective range. But while that had been an effective strategy in our last two engagements Athrun and the remaining pilots had gotten wily, and were bobbing their platforms so that I couldn't get a clear shot. The Buster moved around the side of the ship, using the two large weapons that had been integrated into the X103 to fire on the Archangel directly, and Commander La Flaga moved in to engage it.
Beneath me the ship rocked with impacts and maneuvers as dense clouds moved in to blot out the morning sunlight. Athrun moved in close with the Aegis, and I put my anti-beam shield between us to block his shot before launching up after him. Once airborne, though, I was attacked from the side by the Duel, which fired its shoulder weapons – a beam rifle and missile pod – forcing me to dodge.
They attacked from both sides, demonstrating far more coordination then I'd ever seen between the two. Usually the Duel rushed in, guns blazing, while the other mobile suits backed it up – the Buster was its usual partner, providing covering fire from the rear. Once in the thick of combat the pilot would fire at targets of opportunity unless I was on the field: in that case the Duel would come straight at me with a single-minded purpose that was frightening at times. Athrun usually played a support role until confronted directly, and then he would usually fight to get clear. Working together, for them, was unheard of.
We were close enough to the ship that the Igelstellung was a serious problem, so while the Duel had me engaged Athrun turned his beam rifle on the CIWS, destroying two of the 75mm weapons and the Helldart anti-aircraft missile tubes located below the bridge.
The ship was taking some serious hits, and I was forced to return to the aft deck while the Archangel returned fire with the Gottfried Mk.71s. Now the Duel's pilot demonstrated his insanity as he rushed the CIWS to come after me, and dropping the beam rifle I moved in to meet him beam saber to anti-beam shields. Despite having been built for close-range combat, the pilot had distained such tactics in the past and instead outfitted the machine with an assault shroud that included heavier armor. He seemed to have learned from his past mistakes, though, as he blocked the jab I'd intended to use to cut off the emitter end of his beam saber, as I'd done before.
Occupied, I could only witness in horror as the Aegis leapt from its lifter, converted to mobile armor mode, and used its Scylla 580mm energy cannon to destroy one of the Valiant linear cannons.
Breaking away, I returned to the rear deck to retrieve the beam rifle. It was a paltry replacement for the linear cannon, but the whole port side of the ship was now completely exposed to enemy fire, and if Mu was to lose the Buster then that mobile suit could blow a hole deep into the Archangel, crippling the ship completely.
With a curse I launched myself into the air again, going after the Duel with my own Igelstellung blazing, but to my surprise the Duel leapt from its Guul and kicked out at the Strike. I only managed to bring up the shield in time, but as I was falling back towards the surface I managed to score a hit! Just as the Duel was coming back to land on its lifter I hit the right leg, the beam shot punching a hole through the armor plate and into the mobile suit itself.
The leg exploded, throwing the Duel from its ride. It fell towards the ocean firing randomly with the shoulder-mounted beam weapon, one of the shots hitting my beam rifle. I was forced to abandon the weapon, which exploded, and then I had the Aegis to deal with.
Now missing a ranged weapon I closed in quickly, using my anti-beam shield to defend against the Aegis' beam rifle, but once more unusual tactics were used against me. Abandoning his Guul Athrun sent the craft towards me before blowing it up with his beam rifle, as I'd done the day before. The explosion knocked me out of the air and I only just managed to maneuver towards a forested island; landing heavily.
Athrun switched to the beam saber built into the right forearm of the Aegis, coming down with the intent of cutting through the Strike – the Phase Shift armor being an ineffective defense against beam weaponry. Bracing the shield with both hands I fended off that blow, and when we were forced to leap apart I pulled one of the beam sabers housed in the thruster pack. He came at me again, and I dodged by doing a thruster-assisted leap, coming back with a slash of my own, which he dodged with a backflip, using his Igelstellung to lay down covering fire while I activated the beam saber built into the feet of the X303 and came at me again!
The blades were a feint, though, as he kicked the shield I'd raised rather than rake it, knocking me back.
Over his speakers Athrun shouted, "Kira! How dare you?!" We clashed again in midair, and as we separated he accused, "You killed Nicol!" and converting to mobile armor mode he fired the Scylla, which I narrowly dodged.
If I could just get him to do that a couple more times it should completely drain his batteries.
"Kira!" a voice called over the comm., and looking up I saw a skygrasper on approach.
"Tolle? No! Stay back!"
Ignoring my warning my friend fired his beam cannon to drive the Aegis back and then fired an anti-ship missile. At the last moment Athrun jumped his mobile suit away and unable to actively engage a flying opponent he instead through the Aegis' shield. This improvised projectile spun through the air, and the skygrasper was unable to maneuver in time. Smashing into the nose it spun through the cockpit, shattering the inches-thick canopy and crushing Tolle's body before continuing on through the rest of the fuselage.
"Tolle!" I shouted as the aircraft exploded overhead.
Lightning struck a tree behind the Aegis as I struggled to process what had just happened: Tolle, my friend, my roommate back at college, the first Normal besides my step-parents who had known me for a Coordinator and not cared; and now he was dead.
As tears gathered at the corner of my eyes I felt that clarity of thought and screaming, "Athrun!" I charged my friend's killer.
Deflecting his right-hand beam blade with the shield I swung the beam saber up, the strange angle allowing me to bypass Aegis' shield and sever the left arm between the chest and shoulder armor, followed by a kick to the head to get clearance. Athrun managed to land lightly and geared up for a return attack. He came rushing in, far faster than I'd expected, and used the beam blade on the left foot to cleave through the Strike's left shoulder, and I countered by severing the head of the Aegis at the neck.
Again, he came back almost immediately and used the right foot blade this time to cut a vertical gash through the chest armor, destroying my main monitor as the tip of the blade laid open the cockpit. I could see right out into the storm to see the headless Aegis.
"Athrun!" I shouted.
"Kira!" Athrun shouted back.
Before I could prepare a counter attack the Aegis converted to mobile armor mode, looking like some hellish sea monster made mecha. The Aegis had been designed to serve as a command unit, capable of rushing through a battle and catching damaged mobile suits; whisking them to safety. Now those limbs, three in number as I'd cut off one of the arms, wrapped around the torso of the Strike, the Scylla at the junction of the joints glowing as it prepared to fire.
Then, miraculously, the beam weapon powerful enough to punch holes through starships powered down, the whole body of the Aegis turning from red to grey tones as the PS armor starved for power. Without that the machine was vulnerable to kinetic damage, and I struggled to free the Strike one armed, bringing the Igelstellung to bear on my friend's killer. Through the gash in the armor I could see the cockpit of the Aegis open and a figure in a red flight suit take to the air with a jetpack better suited to EVA in space.
If that was the way he wanted to do this, fine; I pulled off my restraints and lunged through the gap in the cockpit, intending to give chase. Climbing up onto the shoulder I prepared to follow when the Aegis exploded, the concussive force sending me high into the air, tumbling and spinning until I couldn't tell the dark sky from the dark ocean. Thrashing to stabilize myself I saw two spots of purple flame, like eyes staring out of a face made up of inky black smoke . . .
End Episode 28
NOTES: Wow, I finally reached the point in the story that I'm most looking forward to, and most dreading. I've been teasing the Genie's Trap this whole time: for those that haven't figured out what that is you'll see in the next episode. At first I intended to use an ejection seat, but after watching the episodes over I realized that Cagalli had to be convinced that Kira could not have survived, and if the ejection seat was gone the search would have continued to fan out until they found it.
