Chapter 29: Orbs Fate
Orb, the once peaceful nation with a city anyone could wish to live in, was no more then ruins, littered with treasures fleeing families left behind. Fires broken out in several buildings, as others collapsed under their own weight, no longer able to support themselves, from the battle that had just happened. In the air, several helicopters flew overhead, looking for any surviving soldiers for them to help, or civilians that did not get out of the town in time to get to the primary boats that are waiting to help them retreat.
Rondo Mina Sahaku inside her M1 ripped her helmet off as sweat poured down her face, and even do to the sweat, some of her makeup streaked down, as the battle for them all, were long and hard. Archangel suffered damage, and Orb lost many forces from the initial attack. Out of the new M1 B Astrays, only four still existed after the battle, including Ahmeds own unit. Even though they are Melee capable, but they were not built for such options. And Ahmed has been somewhat declared a hero for saving the headquarters late in the battle.
"So, just who is that newcomer? I know the duel was Yzak, but what is that new machine?" Mina asked herself, as her cockpit opened, allowing herself to be lowered to the ground via cable. Around her, soldiers had their wounds tended, and offered water and food do to not having any during the battle. Any Rations that could be found were given, as she saw Savir pouring the water in his mouth from high up cooling off, and having a drink at the same time. She walked near the Strike to see Mu pouring water over his head to cool off, while others were stripping the outer layer of their flight suits off, to get the evening breeze to blow over them.
In the sky however, the Freedom and Justice just looked at each other. "Thanks for the backup," Kira radioed to the Justice. "But I'm still wondering... What exactly are your true intentions here?" he asked.
The top of his machine's chest plate slid forward, and his pilot's seat rose to the top. "I'm on a mission from the PLANTs," he told them. "My orders are to recapture or destroy the mobile suit you're flying right now, the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. And to destroy any person that came into contact with the machine." he added in, which Kira looked on in shock, hoping he did not have to shoot at his friend any more.
"Athrun...?"
"I just wanna talk, okay?"
Kira watched his old friend cautiously. When last they'd met... But that was a different time, with different circumstances. "All right."
Samorei's Nosferatu, and Yzak's Duel stopped not far from each other, as Dearka opened his cockpit watching the Archangel fly overhead, to land where its Mobile suits are at. Yzak quickly lowered himself to the ground infront of his now Armorless Duel Gundam, while not far from him the Justice and Freedom were descending towards the ground. "Now, I get to figure out, just who exactly is piloting ZAFT's ZGMF -X10A Freedom, the one that spared my life in Alaska." he mused to himself, as rather then going to Samorei, began walking to where the feet of the Justice is.
Cagalli soon approached, walking between the rows of powered-down mobile suits. "Good job, everyone," she called. "I'm not sure why they retreated, but..." Then she saw the last two machines coming in for a landing, and stopped. That was when Mina approached her.
"It seems we have a few more machine models then what we started out with." she pointed out, as Cagalli nodded. "I heard you also had a close call during the battle. With that, Freedom and Justice landed more or less simultaneously, and as their pilots lowered themselves to the ground, Cagalli ran forward, followed by Mina, Mu, Dearka, Kisaka, Ahmed, Samorei, the Astray pilots, and a number of soldiers along with Yzak who was not with the main group. "That's the pilot we rescued," Kisaka said in surprised recognition.
Athrun? Cagalli thought.
The three pilots on the ground began walking toward each other, and the soldiers raised their weapons. "Lower your weapons!" Samorei yelled over the crowd, as he took off towards them. Kira also like Samorei but raised his hand. "Lower your weapons, he is not our enemy!" he called out. By this time, Ramius and most of the Archangel's crew had also arrived, and she signaled them to halt well away from... whatever it was that was going on.
She took note of the three new pilots in the area, each wearing ZAFT read flight suits. 'What in the world, ZAFT soldiers? I know one was a prisoner on the ship but the other two?" she wondered as she then looked at the Duel. 'The Duel!" She thought in surprise. Mu came over to her as he took note that, the machines that still existed that were at Heliopolis are actually here and not fighting each other for once.
With this, Kira and Athrun were a mere meter and a half apart, watching each other. Neither seemed very sure what to do, neither seemed to want to be the first to speak. But then something else came to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Birdy!"
Both pilots looked up as the mechanical bird winged its way down to them, alighting on Kira's shoulder. That broke the spell, and Kira looked back at his friend and smiled. "Hi, Athrun."
Athrun clenched his fists. "Kira," he said, in an almost normal voice.
Cagalli couldn't take it anymore. Eyes shining, a bright smile on her face, she raced to the two, followed at a more sedate pace by Snake. "Oh, you guys!"
She wrapped an arm around each neck, pulling them closer together. "Uh, Cagalli?" Kira stammered, startled.
"You... you're both idiots!" she said happily.
Kira looked across at Athrun and chuckled; his friend did the same.
That was when someone broke the awkward Silence. "So the Idiot brigade are all together for the first time." Yzak joked with them.
"Nice to see you to Yzak." Athrun said as he saw him.
"Yeah, for once your not shooting at us." Samorei said walking towards his brother, and with this, Dearka joined in. Yzak walked right over to Samorei just to see his brother in person in the first time, since his reported Death. "Its been a long time Yzak." Sam told him as Yzak nodded.
"Samorei, I just, I . . . Just. . ." he said, but then out of nowhere, Yzak's fist planed right into the face of the coordinator who flew backwards a few centimeters from the shot from his brothers fist. With this, several Orb Soldiers took aim at Yzak, do to hitting one of their commanding officer. Sam raised himself up a bit whiping a bit of blood coming from his nose, from a result of the impact. "THAT IS FOR EVERYTHING YOU PUT MOM AND ME THROUGH!" he yelled as Sam just had a blank stare at his younger brother.
"Don't fire!" Sam said realizing what the soldiers were doing. "I deserved that!" he called out, as Yzak extended him a hand helping his brother up. "I really did deserve that, and all I can give in return is an apology Yzak."
"Pfft, just as usual, excuses." Yzak told him.
Sam smirked as he signaled Mina from the crowd. "Yzak, I like you to meet the girl, I have been protecting ever since I went missing, and mainly doing so at Heliopolis." he told his brother as Mina came over to them.
"Rondo Mina Sahaku!" he said in shock, as he at least knew of her, but did not know his brother was actually with her.
"And you must be Yzak. Samorei has told me much about you." she told him with a smirk holding out her hand, as he took it, and shaked the hand. "Especially your hot temper." she added in with a smirk.
Yzak actually cracked a smile at that. "Well, I bet you will like to here more about him, a lot that only I know of." he told her, which Samorei went wide eyed.
"Well, we don't have to get into that." Samorei told them, as Dearka and Mu both came up laughing.
"Well then, you seem to see your brother again." Mu told him, putting an arm around Samorei. "Hey there, Mr. Joule, the name is Mu La Flaga." he told Yzak.
The entire group returned to base, as many mobile suits were getting repaired, however the G-Weapons were not, and a few Astrays as well. However, mostly for everyone the only thing that they needed really, were rest, but hardly anyone could do to that the Earth Forces Fleet has not left Orb Waters. And a counter attack was out of the question, even with the new additions to the forces, simply do to overwhelming numbers.
Yzak leaned against the Duel's foot, as infront of him, Samorei leaned on some Maintenance equipment. "I'm glad you came to help Yzak." Sam told him, as Yzak continued to look at the ground infront of Sam.
"Its nothing. . ." Yzak told him, as Sam felt his face where Yzak hit him, which resulted in a bruise below the eye.
And all Sam did, was just smile at the thought he was thinking. "I don't think it was nothing Yzak. You felt something that I feel all the time. The need to protect, rather then Revenge." he told him.
Yzak just smirked at that. "Who knows maybe, its just, that fighting you all this time, do to anger towards you from what you did to our family. I just. . ."
Sam reached to the side of him, on the table next to him, picking up his glass of soda and taking a drink from it. "You just did not want your family to be hurt, as much as it already has." he ended what Yzak was getting at. "So, what are you going to do now? Return to ZAFT, or stay for the next battle?" he asked.
Yzak was wondering that as well. He now actually had a chance to actual work alongside his brother, on the battlefield, something he has been wanting to do for years. "I have no idea. Your here, is for one point, but ZAFT, are the protecters of our home, that is something I cannot ignore Sam." he answered. "But for now at least, I will help you, because I hate the Earth Forces, and attacking someone who wanted nothing to do with them. Argh, I hate them." He said turning around, kicking the duel's ankle. The kick did not go un-noticed, as Natarle was looking at the stolen units.
"You do realize you wont be able to damage it like that." she notioned walking towards them.
"Natarle." Sam said surprised. "I'm sure this is not a social visit, but what brings you here?" he asked.
"Nothing really." she acknowledged. "Just taking a look at the machines that fought us so often. And right now, though I'm looking at the one that has well pretty much fought us the most." She added in.
Sam nodded, "Well then, here is the pilot, Yzak Joule." he told her, notioning towards Yzak.
She nodded, looking at the two. "I can definitely see the similarities." she told them both, as Yzak shook his head.
"How many times do I have to tell people, I don't look like my brother!" he called out, obviously not likeing it.
Meanwhile, Athrun, and Kira catch up with each other as well. "I know that this is the most difficult path we could've chosen," Kira was saying, "But-" He broke off for a moment as Cagalli arrived with coffee. "Thanks. Anyway, it's the right thing to do, you know?" He absently sipped at the mug.
"But, why?" Athrun asked, glancing briefly at Snake as he arrived.
"I believe that Cagalli's father is right," Kira answered. "If Orb were to side with the Earth Forces, they'd have to fight the PLANTs, and the same would be true if they joined forces with ZAFT. The only difference would be in which country they were considered the enemy."
Athrun nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. But there's still..."
"I know." The brown-haired Coordinator remembered the battle Athrun was thinking of. "I took your friends life. But... it's not like I wanted to do it, and I'd never even met the guy."
"And then," Kira went on, "you nearly did the same to my friend and Yzak's brother. But you hadn't met my friend either, and..."
"Mind if I step in with this conversation?" Mina asked as she walked up. "I took note of combat records from the remains of Sam's Machine. You spoke of the pilot of the Blitz there right?" she asked as Athrun looked up. "Well the thing is, he is alive." she told them.
"What? Nicol, is alive?" Athrun asked as she nodded.
"Yeah, he is currently heading to Ame-No-Mihashira, he is charged with helping the Civilians on their way there on the Izumo." she told him. "If I knew that his old team were all coming together, I would of kept him here." she added in.
Athrun just smiled at that. "Nicol, he is alive." he silently noted. "So the battle where I tried to kill you" he said turning to Kira. "It was a false battle, neither of our friends actually died in combat during that time."
"It would be nice if we lived in a world where we never had to fight," he explained slowly, obliquely. "I wish we could all live in that world... forever. But this war keeps escalating... and at this rate, we'll have no choice but to destroy each other." he said looking at the cup, thinking of Andy and Aisha back at the battle in the desert.
"And that's why I've chosen to fight," he finished. "I only wanted to protect people, but now that I've pulled the trigger, there's no turning back." He looked at Athrun again. "Will we have to fight each other again?"
"Kira!" Athrun protested.
Kira merely looked at him, not speaking, and a flash of the past went through Athrun's mind. "If I am to be your enemy, then you might as well shoot me now," Lacus said in a determined voice. "Athrun Zala, soldier of ZAFT!"
The blue-clad pilot finally stood. "I should get back to my duties now," he said, walking away. "We never know when they'll attack us again."
Athrun also stood. "I have one question: The Freedom is equipped with a neutron-jammer canceler. What would happen... if that data...?"
Kira smiled reassuringly. "If anyone tried to get that data from me for their own purposes, I'd shoot them." he told his friend, walking off.
Sam and Yzak saw Kira go by as they spoke to Natarle about combat strategies, to use in the future.
A while later, Sam walking into an area where Erica Simmons asked him to meet her, along with the Duel's pilot. "You wanted to speak with me?" Sam asked her.
"Oh Sam, its good to see you are still alive." she told him with a smirk.
He nodded, "Only because of Yzak." he told her.
"Quite, and speaking of the Duel Pilot, I have been working on something for when or if we ever got the Duel like we did with the Buster." she told him, sitting down at her computer. "We don't have time right now, to upgrade the machine, but we do have its plans all set." she told the two.
"Plans?" Yzak asked as he came over, to see a blue print of the Duel on the screen. It looked like much of when it had the Assault shroud, but there were other things upon it. On its hips, were a pair of railguns, much like that of the Freedom, infact they are the same, Xiphias railguns of the Freedom. Its armor also was black in color, and it had a Raikou back pack on the mobile suit, with two carved blades on its sides, rather then the extra wings the Raikou pack had. "Flight capabilitie, new Melee weapons, and whats this, Fragmentation missiles!" he said with shock, and a smile on his face.
"Yes." Erica notioned. "It is the way we are doing so. The mobile suit though wont be upgraded for a while, and if we chose to make a Mass produced version, we would have to wait for a while. We would not be able to make a mobile suit here.
Yzak was already liking the upgrades form more and more. It may have more weapons, but it was lighter the the shround. "What do you call this upgrade?" he asked.
"Delta Shroud." Sam told him. "With what we have planned, its control systems will be much the same as the Freedoms, its just that you wont have the same power source, until the falling into the wrong hands thing comes invalid if it ever does." he continued.
"I see, so it will be able to do the multi target." Yzak commented. His machine still had its beam sabers, and rifle, just it also had more weapons to use as well, and able to target more enemies at once.
"Yes much so." Erica told him.
In the Archangel's hanger, Athrun leaned against one of the storage scaffolds for his Justice, thinking; he soon realized Cagalli was still in the area, leaning against another side of the same structure. "Why are you sticking so close to me?"
"Don't mind me," she said, apparently offhand. "I'm just standing guard."
"So I see," he said with a smile, not quite buying it.
"You must be relieved that Kira's alive," Cagalli said after a time.
Athrun glanced at her. "Yeah," he agreed after a moment. "You know," he added, "I never thanked you properly before."
"Sure you did!" she said instantly. "Definitely! Well, maybe," she added after a moment's thought.
"Are you sure?"
Cagalli shrugged. "You weren't quite yourself; maybe you don't remember."
Athrun accepted that; "not quite himself" was something of an understatement. At the time, he'd believed he'd just blown up two of his closest friends... one of them for something the other did.
"Kira's changed, don't you think?" she said after a while.
Athrun thought about that. "No," he said finally.
"He hasn't?" The answer surprised her.
"He's the same as he always was." He told her, as he looked over the hangar. Within it now, were two out of the five original machines of Heliopolis, along with both the Freedom, and Justice inside it as well. "Where is the Jade Frame, Duel, and Sahaku's machines?"
Cagalli shrugged. "Probably back at Morgenrete. They are more into the preperations for the next attack." she answered him.
Ahmed came walking in, as he saw the two talking to each other, as he because he heard, Cagalli was in the area, and he was right, however talking to Athrun, the 'New guy' Ahmed thought of him as. But for someone new, he sure seemed to know Cagalli. "I wonder, as they know each other, could he be the guy she met on that?" he asked himself.
Meanwhile, in the Archangel Cafeteria:
Mu took some food as as Dearka sat at a table. "Hey, mind if I sit here?" he asked as Dearka nodded. "So, you were the one who was in the brig for so long." he mused as Dearka nodded.
"Yeah, the place was kind of well cramped." Dearka joked. "Actually now able to have my own room here, the bed, is a lot better. But I can't say much about the food here." he joked, getting a hardy laugh from Mu.
A while later, the moment of peace ended. "Airborne mobile suit forces detected!" The island wide announcement called out.
The warning rang out throughout the Morgenroete hanger, and pilots moved quickly to respond. 'Already?' Yzak asked himself stood on a walkway, watching the M1 Astrays move out. He was still having his own problems, but his decision had just about been made: he would fight to protect Orb and help his brother, as he saw the Nosferatu taking off into the sky. And with that, he went for the Duel, to help out everyone else.
With this the battle has begun again, turning Orb Soil, into a battle field. The Forces of the Earth Forces, were lead by five moible suits, the Raider, Calamity, Forbidden, Wing, and Voyager, were heading right for the beach, with Proteus, and Daggers behind them. "All Mobile suits, take off, protect your family!" Mina's voice called out. And with that, the Earth Forces machines, came under fire from a barrage of beam fire from Astrays.
Inside the oncoming G-Weapons, Shani smirked. "Payback time."
"Hahaha, time for a Rematch!" Clotho said as the Raider carrying the Calamity Flew.
"Hey, hey, hey, You want some of this?!" Orga called out, as Calamity did what it could do, as a long range attack mobile suit, it opened fire from a distance, while Shani was having the beams bend away from him, and into the sky away from the Daggers.
"Listen merc, you are still under my command." Banken said to his wingman as the two mobile armored mobile suits flew, as though they were jet fighters.
"Whatever." the other pilot told him as the thrusters of Wing took thrust, as the wingman went ahead of his partner. "I just want to test that machine I fought yesterday, maybe today we can actually fight, mono to mono.
Banken just smirked at that, as his Machine flew towards Orb, as its nose of its mobile armor form opened. "Get closer and then." he said to himself. "And FIRE!" he yelled, as the Scylla opened fire towards the Orb nation, as soon as the beam ended, the Mobile Armor reverted to its Mobile suit form, and did something it did not do in the last battle, and released colloid particles cloaking the mobile suit to its invisible state.
Sam took a position on top of the hill, as his targeting system chose a certain spot of origin, as the two cannons on his machines horizontal wings snapped into position. Two orbs of energy began to glow from the nozzles of the two cannons. "I wont let you take my home." he told himself, as the two beams fired, this time with more intensity then what they had before during the last time they were used. Mainly because to engulf a larger area.
Kira, and Athrun went under the blast as the purple energy went over them as the two Nuclear units went to combat a common foe. The first time in this war, the two pilots flew for the same goal, for the same reasons, and the most notable, the first time, on the same side. The blast went over them, thankful they themselves were not in the path, as they both could see Earth Forces Daggers being destroyed from within as the Blast passed on through them. "He really hates them don't he?" Kira asked, as he noticed that Sam showed the Earth Forces no holding back from his machine, as the Blast desceased, and the Nosferatu took off heading with the two of them.
Athrun nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it seems that way, Yzak was right, his brother did change." he told his friend, as the Justice got ready for combat. "Kira enemy machines coming in. All five of their G-Weapons are coming right at us." he informed his friend.
"I see them." Kira acknowledged Athrun's warning, as his body tensed, ready for another battle, but this time, all the Machines will be together.
Inside the enemy machines, Orga noticed the two machines, with the third behind them, catching up do to initiating the first attack. "It's those funny looking machines from yesterday!" Orga shouted. "Let's take 'em!"
Shani smiled at that. "Their lives will be no more!" he called out, as the three Machines went right for them. Banken and the Merc's machines followed the two.
"Two on five. Nice. . . that is until Samorei arrives." he mocked, as Voyager's thrusters sent him foreward, as the locks keeping the barrels on his flight pack unlocked from the lifter. "Now, you better quit the game, before I take you out of the Frame!" Banken yelled, as the four barrels disconnected, so now he could use his remote weapons.
"Hey kid, there is one around here, its either our old friend Creuset, or Banken." Mu warned Kira, as he took not of it just in time, as from above, and below the Earth Forces Gundams, beam energy fired.
"Athrun break our formation!" Kira called, as he banked right, and Athrun took the left.
"Its Banken." Samorei told them, as he flew above the attack. "And now its time for me to prove it." he told himself as he took aim at the water and fired.
Clotho took note of this. "What is he thinking wasting energy like that?" he asked. He didn't notice though, but the temporary rain showered down upon them, causing Voyager to take shape.
Banken just smirked at such a thing. "Smart Sam, you sure do know the weaknesses of Mirage Colloid rather well." he told himself, as with this, Voyager became visible once again.
"That machine, its Banken's all right." Kira told them, and with that the three on five battle began. Kira Athrun, and Samorei took on all five at once, and the battle was not to be an easy one.
Back on land, Proteus Mobile Armors began to go onto the shore, as Strike Daggers began to storm the beaches as well. However, they were met by the Defence Forces, as one Proteus got a mouth full of a high Velocity Grenade, which went through one Machine, and detonated when hitting the one behind it. He was leading a pair of M1 Astrays in an Assault, while Dearka was behind him, leading a pair of M1B's. As with this, Savir and the clones helped out the Astray girls giving a Barrage of energy fire on the enemy. As was the last battle, the advantage was to the Earth forces, with their sheer numbers.
Samorei knew this well, as he drew both sabers, and combined them, as the Justice did often with its own sabers. He made a beline for Banken, but was caught off guard as Wing came in to the machines left. The only thing that stopped him from being rammed, was the sudden cut in his thrusters, having Wing go past him from the front. But this almost proved fatal, as Voyager verted into its Mobile armor form, and the front part of it, opened wide with the four barrels hovering around the opened area. "What!?" he asked himself, as all of a sudden the Scylla fired, and the worst thing was, is that the beam bent in the direction that Nosferatu went. It brought up its energy claw, which doubled as a Anti Beam shield protecting him from the attack.
Kira was facing a similar problem as he franticly dodged Plasma attacks from the Forbidden, while Athrun faced off against both Calamity who was riding Raider. Kira himself fired a pair of Plasma attacks at the Forbidden only to have them bend away from the enemy machine. With this however, he drew a lacerta beam saber, and made a beline for the Machine. However, before the Freedom got to close, its head was rammed by a foot of the Mobile suit form of the Wing. "Argh!" he called out.
"Kira!" Athrun called, as he tried to go for him, but was stopped as the Raider came diving without the Calamity with it. The reason was that Calamity was in the air, free falling towards the Justice. Its chest began to fire up, as itself fired its multiphase Beam cannon at him. Athrun dodged the attack but saw that the Raider was heading right for him, with both of its mobile armor claws emitting a pair of beams. He dodged it, but the Raider almost clipped the Calamity.
"Clotho! You idiot!" Orga yelled.
"Me the idiot? Your the idiot Orga!" he called, as the Raider turned around and turned into its mobile sit form. "Terminate!" Clotho yelled as his machines Zorn Mouth cannon opened fire. Athrun dodged it, but an unlucky dagger was caught in the blast.
As this happened, Samorei dodged a beam attack from Voyagers Rifle. But then the subflight unit disconnected from the Mobile suit, as came right for him, while Banken fired his beam rifle at the machine. The surprise however came from the subflight unit the Gunbarrels disconnnected firing each shot from the Machine at Samorei. "This machine is a lot tougher then the White Astray." he memoed to himself. However, he ignored Banken for a second as Sam had his Machine dive into the water.
"What?" Banken asked himself, but then he realized it.
A Proteus was under them, but was caught off guard as Nosferatu grabbed a hold of it. It used its Energy claw to absorb the energy from the Mobile Armor, to give some more energy to his own machine. However, before he left, he opened fire from the Igelstellungs onto the cockpit of the mobile suit. With this though, he grabbed a spear from his machines back, which was connected via toe cable. Banken was taken by surprise, as Samorei's machine arrived outside of the water, but no beams were fired, which Banken thought would happen as he deployed his Gunbarrel to deflect the beam, but instead one of the Barrels were pearced by a Phase Shift equipped Spear. Another similaritie the Nosferatu had with the Gold Frame Amatu. The Gunbarrel detonated but the Spear was brought back, to the hand that threw it. "You basterd." Banken notioned as he ignited a Beam saber, and came right towards the Jade Frame. In which an amethyst seed shattered in his mind.
Kira, has also been keeping busy with both Wing and Forbidden. Both not working together, but are doing better at doing so then Calamity and Raider, as Orga's machine fired from a ship it landed on, towards the Justice, while Raider tried to take it out with its spherical breaker. "Terminate!" Clotho yelled as he fired the weapon again. However Athrun dodged but did not stop there, as he took his double bladed Saber to slice the weapon in half, destroying Clotho's main melee weapon, only leaving his mobile armors Talons.
Kira though was not having so much luck, as his beam saber met with Wings, from a sky attack. But then the Forbidden scored a hit on Kira with his scythe, the only thing that saved Kira was his Phase Shift armor. But he was sure shakened up from the experience. Even though hit, he kept at it, however this time, he deployed his arsenal of weapons at the two machines. Wing dodged the attacks all together, while Forbidden deflected the Plasma cannon, but to the hit from the railgun. As far now though, the forces all saw this battle was a stale mate, but do to the numbers of the Earth Forces, this was not going to last that much longer.
Uzumi Nara Athha knew this well, and his own preparations were well underway when the tide began to turn. "We can't hold Onogoro much longer," a Cabinet member informed him. "Their forces are too strong."
He sighed. "Yes, I know. We must buy time, however."
"Lord Uzumi," another official said, entering. "Preparations are complete. If we only had two more hours..."
"That's far too long," Athha said sharply. "Time is a luxury we no longer have." He sighed again. "Very well. I'll be there as well." He turned. "Signal the remaining forces to gather at Kaguya. We're abandoning Onogoro!"
"Yes, sir!"
Before long, the message had reached the Archangel. "We're to fall back?" Ramius repeated incredulously.
"Yes," Sai confirmed. "Representative Athha wants the Archangel to retreat to Kaguya."
"Kaguya?" Neumann repeated.
"Kaguya is where Orb's mass driver facilities are located," Natarle pointed out. "They see that we are fighting a losing battle." she told them, no one wanted to admit it, but she was right.
The Captain finally nodded. "Very well. Signal our mobile suits to withdraw as well. Tell them to follow us." she ordered.
The Archangel's machines were busy fighting for their lives, but the ground forces began to fall back do to the call. "BANKEN!" Samorei called, as his eyes went wide and pupils dialated, and a muscle strain around the eyes could be seen, and with this, the eyes of his Machine went white. But rather then drawing his sabers, he drew both of his spears. He threw the both of them at the Voyager and then as soon as they left the hands, they drew the beam sabers from his machines shoulders. Banken was capable dodgeing both the spears, but was surprised as both of his machines arms were severed from the body as the Orb machine flew by him, heading to help out the others.
Kira himself dodged a blast from Wings buster rifle, and then Forbiddens deflected version of it. But not for much longer, as the Forbidden met a new opponent. "Bastard, who are you?" Shani called as his Machine was forced back from the sheer power of the thrusters of the machine.
Sam then went out of his trance like state when he heard that voice. "No, it can not be. Shani!" Sam called out, as Shani new this voice.
"Samorei? What the hell are you doing here you bastard!?" he asked.
"Samorei, we are to retreat at once." Mina's voice called out to him.
On the main ship that Azrael was on, took note of the conversation between Shani and Samorei. "So, is that him?" he asked himself, with a smirk. "So, the legendary White Devil, IS still alive. It seems the lost caused ship lied in its report about the death of him." he told them.
"Sir, it seems the power of our machines are getting low, and Banken's own Machine's weapons are mostly disabled." an officer told him.
"Tell them to continue on with the attack. Orb may have strong machines, but they are fighting for a lost cause." he told his bridge crew.
Samorei blocked Shani's scythe with his "Magashira-no-Hoko" Spear, having an even fight with the two no beam weapons. "Shani, what the hell are you doing with the Earth Forces!? And how are you so good compared to me?" he asked.
A pair of railguns from the Forbidden fired, knocking the two out of their stalemate. "First answer, trying to survive, Second, is the reason for my survival." he answered.
"Shani." Azrael radioed.
"What!?" Shani snapped back.
"I want that machine, use anyway you wish, I just want that machines pilot!" Azrael ordered.
"That voice." Samorei told himself, as he targeted the Forbidden, and fired his beamrifle, but the machine deflected the beams. "What the hell is going on here Shani!" he called out.
Shani's machine got ready for another charge at the Nosferatu. "Simple Sam, you want to know its this. . ." Shani began with taking a breath. "Doing what we do with Human nature, using the Will to survive, no matter how to do it! My will to survive is the only reason why I am still alive! Even after what those bastards did to me!"
Sam dodged the attack, as Kira was now facing with Athrun the three left machines. However, two groups were listening in on Sam's and Shani's conversation. Mina and Azrael, however the two did not know the other at the time. Shani fired a beam of Plasma at the Nosferatu, but the machine knocked it away with the shield. "But why do you fight for those bastards! When you know full well what they did to me!" he called out.
"Because if I don't, I will Die! I will not take that pain again!" he yelled, as Samorei was trying to figure out what he meant about such a thing. Orga, at that moment, was happily blasting at everything in sight... until his guns fizzled and his console beeped at him. "What? You stupid mobile suit! You're out of power already?"
"It's because you're firing all over the place, you idiot!" Clotho snorted. "If you're going back, you'll have to do it yourself, loser!"
Raider was suddenly distracted when the Justice Subflight unit rammed into him. "What the?" Clotho pulled back, shifting to mobile armor mode and racing away.
"You're the idiot!" Orga said mockingly.
"Shut up, you-" The flame-haired pilot broke off as Calamity's weight slammed onto his machine. "Hey! Who said you could get on, freeloader?"
"Cut it out, idiot! We've gotta go back and recharge. Don't tell me you're not running on empty, too!"
With the retreat of the X100 and X300 frames, only the Forbidden was left. He triggered a plasma blast, guiding it with his magnetic field, at the Nosferatu. "Do you really think I'll disobey the only people who hold my life in their damn hands!" he told Samorei, as he fired another Plasma blast. Sam nimbley dodged the attack easily, flipped upside-down, and fired his hip mounted beam cannons, fully expecting them to be deflected by the X200 frame's infernal shields.
To his surprise, they weren't; the beams hit the Forbidden's subflight unit, startling the pilot, who glanced down at his displays. "What? No more...?" He glanced to his left, seeing his comrades fleeing.
"Shani, we need to retreat!" Orga called.
"No, I'm not done yet!" he called back.
"Do you want them to punish us again!" Clotho asked him, as Shani's eyes had fear within them, but with that, he retreated, and with that, all the invader machines took off, leaving Nosferatu, Freedom, and Justice flying at their location, as Samorei drained some energy from Freedom so he can get back to land. Kira did not care if he did, because he had plenty to spare.
Before long, Ramius, La Flaga, Neumann, Mina, Yzak and Dearka had met Athha and Cagalli in the control room at Kaguya; shortly they were joined by Kira, Athrun, and Samorei and the hurried conference began. Leave Orb...?" Ramius said, eyes wide, after Athha had explained his plan. "Lord Uzumi, are you telling us to just run away?"
"Look around," the Representative advised. "We may be holding now, but Orb has already lost. It is only a matter of time now before it falls."
Cagalli looked at him sharply. "Wh-What are you saying, Father?"
"Our people have been evacuated; they will be taken care of at Ame-No-Mihashira." He turned his head toward her. "From now on, we will bear the responsibility." Cagalli looked like she did not understand, while Samorei glared at Athha.
'I hate to agree, but he is right, but this Argh!' Sam told himself.
"The world is in a crisis," Athha told the Archangel's captain. "The Atlantic Federation's actions are being guided by the head of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael, now." At this Ramius nodded;"To make matters worse, the leader of ZAFT is someone who believes Coordinators to be a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now."
Athrun's eyes dropped, and with that Kira, Dearka, and Yzak looked at him in concern. "Soon, the world will be caught between two sides that cannot tolerate each other's existence. Tell me, is this the future you wish to see? Take this small light of hope we have kindled, and use it to bring forth a better future, for us all. I realize this means a hard road for you again, but I'm sure you understand why it is necessary."
Ramius stood silently, absorbing it all, then looked at La Flaga. Her pilot boyfriend cocked his head, nodded, and smiled reassuringly.
She turned back to Uzumi. "That light may be small, but we believe in it as well. We will make it shine brightly."
Athha smiled. "I suggest you begin preparations immediately. We have little time."
"Yes, sir." The Archangel officers filed out, followed shortly by the pilots (after Kira noticed an odd looked directed at him by Athha), and Cagalli.
Mina and Sam both left afterwards. "Is this all that we have left? Just a small light against the darkness?" Sam asked her.
"It seems we do Sam." She told him with concern in her voice. "Mind telling me of that pilot you spoke to at the end?"
Sam nodded. "I guess, I can, his name is Shani Adras, I met him after a week from when he witnessed his family slaughtered by a local gang." he told her. "I guess he went for revenge on the gang, and was trialed for Murder I heard. But now I don't know, just suddenly seeing him on the battlefield, and raising a scythe against me and the others." he said with a long face, looking down. "This war is far worst then I first thought when I awakened after the bloody Valentine." he told her.
Mina just nodded. "I agree." she told him. "But for now, our Machines are being loaded on the Archangel, we are to leave with them, to space." she added in.
Sam just shook his head, as he slammed a fist into the wall. "DAMN IT!!!" he yelled.
Before long, preparations had begun for the Archangel and the Orb carrier Kusanagi to launch. The Archangel, of course, was not quite like anything else in the Orb fleet, which could have caused problems with the boosters, but the Kusanagi shared many design features with the rogue ship, and thus its spare plasma boosters could be used. Archangel was also loaded with Orb units. Two M1 Astrays were placed in it, belonging to Sam's clones, and Mina's own machine as well. The other clones went into the Kusanagi, along with several more M1's test pilots as well, a M1A and two M1B's one belonging to Ahmed. Well those are what was being assigned, but the ZAFT pilots stood outside with their machines next to the Archangel.
Sam stood on the aft deck of the mobile assault carrier. He looked over the people working their asses off to get the preperations of sending the two ships to space, along with the hopes of Orb.
He looked down below, seeing the ZAFT pilots talking, with Kira. Around then, Kira stood with Athrun and Dearka near their mobile suits, parked next to the Archangel. "There's no reason Carpentaria wouldn't allow us back," Dearka was saying to Athrun. "After all, we have been fighting against the Earth Forces."
"It wont be that easy Dearka. As far as ZAFT knows we are all deserters, and we have been helping the Leg ahh Archangel for the last few days!" Yzak told him.
"Maybe so," the -former?- ZAFT pilot conceded.
"I just hope our parents wont be held responsible for it." Yzak told them. He may be cold on appearance, but he cared about his family.
Athrun nodded absently, thinking of Lacus. "She called me a soldier of ZAFT," he murmured. "Huh. She knew all along what would happen."
Kira tilted his head. "Athrun...?"
"I always thought you were supposed to follow the orders of your nation and fight against the enemy with all your strength. I thought there was no other way of bringing the war to a quick end." Athrun met Kira's eyes. "But what are we really suppose to be fighting against, and how exactly are we supposed to do that?"Kira smiled.
"You should come with us, Athrun. Each of you should be coming with us." He looked from Athrun to Dearka to Yzak and back. "We'll look for the answer to your question... together."
All those remaining at Kaguya knew it would not be long before the Earth Forces resumed their attack; thus it came as no surprise when the enemy-detection specialist called out a warning. "Incoming heat sources, identified as mobile suits!"
"We knew it couldn't last," Athha whispered. "Ms. Ramius, please hurry up with the preparations!"
"Preparations complete," she answered from the Archangel. "We'll launch immediately. Kira?"
Strapping into the Freedom's cockpit, Kira keyed his radio. "I'll cover your launch, Archangel. Please, hurry up. What about the Kusanagi?"
"They're launching next," Athha informed him.
To his left, Athrun powered up his Justice and keyed his own radio. "This is gonna be an aerial fight; the Buster's not equipped for it. Board the Archangel, Dearka!"
Samorei keyed his own radio strapping into his machine. "You as well Yzak. I'll be connected to the hull of the Kusanagi, I'll provide Freedom and Justice some cover fire." Samorei told them.
Dearka clenched his teeth, but for the first time in living memory, it was not because of whowas giving him orders. It was just that the orders, however correct, weren't ones he wanted to hear just then. But he did it anyway.
Yzak grimaced, but he knew his brother was right, the Duel now more then ever had no way of flight, especially with the Delta pack not ready. Samorei keyed his radio again. "Banken will not be in this battle, his machine was to damaged to fly again today." he told them.
With the Buster and Duel now aboard, Ramius looked over at Neumann. "Fire engines; once we're aloft, set them to maximum cruising speed and raise bow pitch angle twenty degrees.
Natarle began her own orders. "Charge the Lohengrin and prepare to fire on my command." she ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Slowly, the Archangelbegan to lift from the ground, taking to the sky on its way back into space. As her majestic bow pointed skyward, her engines fired at full capacity, propelling ship ever higher, approaching the altitude at which she would begin the next phase of her launch.
Athrun was the first to notice the incoming threat. "Here they come, Kira! Its those four machines." he told him.
The Freedom, looking down at Kaguya, As the Nosferatu went in, to get to its position, and activated its radio. "Please, hurry up with the launch!"
Preparations redoubled on the ground, and Natarle gave the order on the Bridge. "Fire!" The Archangel's mighty Lohengrin positron cannons fired for the first time since their frantic escape from ZAFT at Alaska, nearly a month ago. And the two beams intersected hundreds of meters beyond the ship... and so created the positronic interference effect that would help the ship attain escape velocity, even as the plasma boosters ignited.
Kisaka was waiting at the Kusanagi's airlock, and Athha shoved Cagalli toward him. "Go, Kisaka! And take my foolish daughter with you!"
"Father, no!" she protested, tears in her eyes. Athha laid a hand on his daughter's head. "Stop giving me that look," he said gently. "It doesn't suit a child of the lion of Orb." He removed the hand, and reached into a pocket. "You may be leaving your father, but remember Cagalli you will not be alone." He handed her the photograph he withdrew. "Remember, you will be with your brother, and people who care about you, just as much as I do."
Before she could get out a word, though, he stepped back. "I consider it a great honor... to have been your father." The hatch sealed between them, and the walkway Athha stood upon began to retract. "Fly, Kisaka!" he shouted after them. "I'm counting on you!"
The Kusanagi began to slowly accelerate on the mass driver's rails as the Nosferatu landed on the top of it. "No Father!!!" Cagalli yelled, as the ship raced down the Mass Driver rail. The Freedom and Justice abandoned the fight, turning their backs on Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider as they raced to catch up with the racing spaceship. It was their ticket into space, the only way for them to achieve escape velocity.
Samorei's machine locked its electromagnetic cannon got ready to fire, as the four machines were chasing down the two ZAFT made gundams. They were under fire, as Kira Grunted, as he threw the Freedom's hand forward, successfully grabbing hold of the Kusanagi's hull. After pulling himself aboard, he extended his hand to the Justice, still struggling to catch up with the still-accelerating ship.
Athrun began to fall back, and they both yelled wordlessly as he shunted all available power, even life support, into his verniers. Slowly, slowly, the Justice gained ground, and finally the two machines locked hands. Kira pulled his friend onto the ship, exchanged relieved looks with Athrun over the com. "Game Over!" Samorei yelled, as instead of just his main cannons, his beam rifle shot up, and beam cannons went into position. All the beams fired at once towards the water infront of the machines.
Back at Kaguya, Uzumi Nara Athha saw the Kusanagiheading safely into space. "The seeds have flown. We've succeeded!" he told his fellow Cabinet members. Then he reached down, turned a dial, and pressed a red button. "We can't leave Orb, or this world, in the hands of those monsters..."
Azrael's eyes snapped wide in horror and frustration as the mass driver and Morgenroete began to explode, taking with them everything he had come here to obtain. "No!" was all he could say, as the occupants of the Izumo class battleship looked down below, as they watched Orb's Morgenrete, and Mass Driver explode below, as this happened, many emotions were felt.
Hatred, Betrayal, and above all sadness in seeing their home taken by the Earth Forces. "Is this truly Orbs fate now?" Samorei asked himself as the Kusanagi began to break atmosphere.
A/N: Wow 3 chapters in the last week, I hope you guys like this chapter. The fall of Orb has happened, and there seemed to be a connection between Sam, and Shani, could this lead to more death, or Salvation. Next chapter, A moments Rest.
