Playing the Players
CE 68 Scandinavia
"Namarra, did you hear me?" Juni asked again, Namarra's eyes blinking as she focused on her.
"S-sorry, yeah, no problem."
"Okay, don't forget. Noon."
"Right, got it."
Juni sighed and gave Namarra's shoulder a firm squeeze as she stood, walking to the door and knocking. A guard opened it a second later, and she stepped into the doorway. "Oh yeah," she started, turning back for a second. "Don't forget to take your medicine." When Namarra didn't respond she said her name again and the younger Natural looked up.
"Yeah, got it. Sorry. No problem."
Juni nodded and walked through the doorway, the guard pulling the door shut. The door locked and Namarra turned her head, looking over at the vial on the nightstand near her bed. She had been kept in her room for the past week, only able to go out at lunch time to the infirmary and to that strange room with the beds again. She could still remember Kai, Clotho, Shani, and Orga and she knew where she was, what had been happening to her, and even her… episode in the ring. Yes, "episode;" that's what they had been calling it. As if it was just one in a series that had yet to air. So, what was being taken away if she remembered all of that?
She reached over and grabbed the vial, looking at the small orange bottle in her hand and the clear liquid swishing around inside. What was this? And what was it meant to do? She had been called a "berserker" the other day by Dr. Tsugu, but she didn't know what that word meant. Did it have something to do with what had happened in the ring? She was suddenly starting to stay longer at the infirmary, getting extra tests, and taking different medicines. What did it all mean?
"Kai?" she asked to the silent room, willing him to show up at her door. Had they all been transferred without her? Had they finally all advanced and left her behind? Was she, once more, truly alone?
Her hand shook with the thought and she clenched the vial, standing abruptly and stomping over to the toilet. She threw the bottle hard against the inside rim of the bowl, the glass shattering and its contents mixing with the toilet water. "Fuck this," she said and flushed.
Just fuck it all.
CE 72 May 23, Japan (Morning)
The meeting began sharply at 0900, and Namarra and Athrun arrived precisely at 0830. Athrun was wearing a black business suit and tie, which he looked surprisingly comfortable in despite the fact Namarra didn't often see him in the getup. She often forgot that most of the people closest to her had come from fairly high standings in society and it wasn't until moments like this that she was acutely reminded of her own circumstances growing up.
"Give me the gun," Namarra said, holding out her hand. She was dressed similarly in a female pantsuit and blouse, her hair tied tightly back into a bun. She had no other accessories than the purse at her side and that made her nervous.
Athrun was already shaking his head before she even finished the command. "I'm the only one with the authorization to have it in this country. Sorry, Coda, but I'm not risking an international incident."
"How the hell does someone play bodyguard without weapons?" she asked with a pout, crossing her arms.
Athrun shrugged. "Just look intimidating. You said yourself that you could do that. Besides, I think the security at the airport said something that amounted to 'the eyes of an angel who could summon Satan.'" She watched him shrug again and then smirk at her frown while he adjusted the holster around his left shoulder. He had definitely gotten comfortable with her around if he was making those types of jests. "Though, I'd appreciate you keeping the summoning to a minimum."
"I'll keep it as a last resort," she muttered and he rolled his eyes.
They had just left the station and were making their way to the gated complex at a steady pace, the rain coming down yet again that day. Namarra had never seen so much rain at once and after, once again, stepping into a puddle strategically hiding in the dip in the sidewalk, she cursed. She saw Athrun look back at her to make sure she was okay and she just waved him off. "I've never been emotionally bothered by rain, but this trip has made me outright abhor it."
"Yeah, I hear ya. The sooner we get out of here, the better."
They had gone over the plan the evening before. Namarra had had a few uninterrupted hours with the girls back in Orb, but even if she had wanted to stay to watch another movie, duty called. Athrun was to do all the talking, of course, and Namarra was to either play the unsuspecting assistant or bodyguard depending on the vibe they got when they entered the complex. Athrun was to slip into his Orb persona as a Morgenroete liaison and do a couple of things, figure out the reason for the kidnapping and then negotiate Lathan's release.
See? Easy.
"I know you don't need any more pressure put on you, but please don't mess this up. I might trust you and all, but I really want to bring Lathan back alive."
He sighed and swerved on the sidewalk to avoid another puddle. "Thanks, I think. I'd rather have him back alive too, so let's just focus on that."
Thankfully, they had enough evidence now to formally begin an investigation if anything went south, but somehow being in the thick of it and knowing the only defense they had were a few digital files made Namarra nervous.
She really wished she had the gun.
They announced their names at the gate and were let in with no issues, one of the guards even leading them to the Sora BIO facility building. The complex itself was fairly standard and no sight of the water could be seen as they were guided along the sidewalks. Two, one-story office buildings were spaced out to their left and there were three others further to their right, but none of the business names were of any significance. The companies in that particular sector of the city were just renting the buildings, so the assortment of specialties ranged from IT to food processing. The biggest building, and their primary target, was the Sora BIO office building, positioned to their left and one of the bigger offices in the complex. The outside of the building wasn't very impressive, but, perhaps, they had saved all the bells and whistles for the inside.
Athrun thanked the guard and they entered through the double glass doors to be greeted with marbled tiling and white walls. A reception desk was positioned just to their left but past them was an open floor plan with tables and booths, looking to be more of a cafeteria area or a place to have dinner meetings. The ceiling above them was open, scaling up the height of the three-story building with each floor wrapped around the walls. A large, glass pillar stood in the middle of the building, stretching to the ceiling and filled with various types of fish and plant life. Fancy, was the only appropriate word Namarra could muster. After an awkward conversation with the receptionist at the front desk, they were asked to wait a moment longer until a younger employee in a blue suit stepped off the elevator and took command.
"Alex Dino and Coda Almasy?" the man asked and both nodded. He didn't offer his name in return, instead leading them to the elevators and up to the third floor. It was another few paces before the employee used the keycard around his neck to open the second conference room down. Ushering them in, he mentioned he was leaving to get them some drinks and that their hosts would be with them soon.
Namarra heaved a sigh when he left, not taking a seat just yet, but walking around the room. It had a table that could sit about eight people and no windows. The two end walls were empty, which made Namarra think this wasn't commonly used for employees, but by the upper echelons of the company. The other clue was the choice of leather seats and the portraits on the wall across from the door. She had seen all of their pictures before on the website, but staring at them now made them feel more real. Her eyes lingered on the president in particular, and even though she didn't know the name, her pulse quickened when her gaze went across his. "Daichi Tsugu," she said aloud, but still her mind didn't recognize it.
Should she?
"That's the company president, right?" Athrun asked, taking a seat facing the door, seemingly at ease with their current predicament.
"Looks like it." Her eyes lingered on the portrait for a moment longer before she shrugged and finished her walk around the room. No cameras and no windows. Frowning, she tried to hide her displeasure as she sat down near Athrun, leaving space in between them.
Neither said anything more for the remainder of the 10 minutes it took for their hosts to arrive, but when the door opened, they both stood. Two older gentlemen and a younger man came into the room, and, much to Namarra's annoyance, none of them she had recognized from the meeting when Lathan had been taken.
"Yuuto Takahashi," one of the older men said. He had greying black hair with a deep hairline that was parted to one side. On his nose were a pair of slim-rimmed glasses and what Namarra could only describe as laugh wrinkles creasing the skin around his mouth. He offered a smile then and they sunk in deeper, making his face look inviting despite the rather neutral look in his eyes. Those eyes made her pause because it proved his smile was fake and the fact he was able to pull that off as well as he had made her nervous. He tugged on the sleeves of his suit jacket before stepping aside to let the next older gentleman introduce himself.
"Taishi Nakamura," he said, his voice higher than his chubbier cheeks and full suit seemed to hint at. His black hair was combed back from his forehead over bushy eyebrows and a small nose on his rather round face. This man didn't even bother to fake a smile. Instead, bowed slightly to each of them as they shook hands.
The final member of their crew was a younger man who introduced himself as Daito Suzuki. He didn't offer a handshake, merely bowed, leaving Athrun and Namarra to return the gesture in turn.
"Please, let us sit," Takahashi suggested and they all took their seats at the table just as another employee came in to set out a plastic cup of green tea for each of them. They all smiled a thanks and waited for the door to close before beginning the meeting.
"I am glad we finally get to meet, Mr. Dino," Takahashi began, Namarra seeing Suzuki pull out a folder and pen. She did much the same thing and risked a side glance at Athrun.
Well, this was the meeting they wanted.
"Thank you for seeing us. Am I right in thinking you know the reason we are here?"
Takahashi nodded slowly and reached to his left for Suzuki to hand him the top paper in the folder. "Yes, your email made things clear, but I think there is some sort of misunderstanding." He took a second to look at the piece of paper before turning it and setting it across from Athrun and Namarra. "Lathan Rymyr is indeed here, but not as you are insinuating. He is a contracted employee and on loan from Morgenroete for three months."
Namarra let Athrun look at the piece of paper first, trying to read their body language. Either they honestly believed that tale or they were good liars. Their English was good as well, which only heightened her suspicions. That meant the negotiation might be harder to navigate than Namarra had anticipated. If they knew the language that well, there was a good chance they knew the subtly of anything Athrun could say and vice versa. There was a good chance they might not leave here with Lathan at all.
"As far as I am aware, Morgenroete was never informed about such an agreement."
"Then I do apologize for that, Mr. Dino," Nakamura spoke then. "I think that might be partly my fault. I had sent the form in the middle of March and, according to Mr. Rymyr at the time, the form had been signed by his superior and returned. The agreement was for him to return with my employees on April 1st and begin his project with us. Unfortunately, I did not follow up through the proper channels and I think that is where this misunderstanding had begun." Their expressions made Namarra angry and even more so when they had said Lathan had planned on returning with them all along. She wanted to scream bullshit and had to physically bite her tongue to not do it. "Mr. Rymyr's project is rather time sensitive, you see," Nakamura continued. "In order to quell any further rumors, I personally looked into this late yesterday and a copy of the paperwork should be in your hands as we speak."
Athrun passed the paper over to Namarra who took a brief look at it. It was Lathan's employee profile for Sora BIO. He was listed as a contracted employee, alright, through until the end of June, and his place of residence was the same as the company address. According to this profile, everything they had said checked out, but the paper trail was making her nervous. They were taking advantage of hearsay and the fact that Lathan wasn't there to either confirm or deny their claims made her frown.
"I still have no confirmation from Orb as of this meeting," Athrun began, leaning forward on his elbows and linking his fingers together. "Though I have to admit it is very unlike Mr. Rymyr to not share this news with his colleagues and superiors. Forgive me for being suspicious, Mr. Takahashi, but would it be possible to speak to Mr. Rymyr directly to confirm your statements?"
"I understand, Mr. Dino, and we have asked for his presence here at the meeting, however, he seems to be working on something quite sensitive and cannot be pulled away. I am afraid I cannot guarantee he will be able to meet us," Takahashi explained, looking at the watch at his wrist.
"It is imperative that we see him today, and there is a very good possibility we will be terminating his current contract with you," Athrun continued.
"And why is that?" Nakamura asked, still looking professional and Namarra resisted narrowing her eyes. Why wasn't he surprised?
"A family matter, I'm afraid. I'm not able to speak on it for privacy reasons, but he is needed back in Orb."
"Is that right? Well, I am very sorry to hear that," Takahashi said, shaking his head sadly. "I wish his family well and that the matter is sorted. This does, however, leave us in a bind. You see, the funding has already gone through to Morgenroete for his assistance and there is still one more month remaining on his contract."
Funding? Namarra thought, trying to mask her surprise. She picked up her tea and sipped for just that reason. Was there more to this story that they weren't aware of? No one had said anything about money and no one was aware of any contract with Morgenroete for Lathan's assistance. Based on what Henrik had said, these men were clearly lying, but it was their paperwork versus the words of Henrik they received through their own interrogation. Definitely not something that would stand up in court.
Athrun was taken off guard as well, Namarra knew. She saw his leg start to bounce under the table and only hoped that the people across from him didn't notice.
"Mr. Dino, please. Here is the transfer slip." Takahashi grabbed the form from Suzuki and went through the same ritual as before, turning the paper so that Athrun could see. Sure enough, a fairly large sum was transferred on April 1st. The irony of that date wasn't lost on Namarra and she hid her frown in her drink.
"I see, thank you. Has Morgenroete confirmed the transfer?"
Takahashi paused. "I believe you would be more aware of that than I would, Mr. Dino, but I can trace down our interactions around the time if you would like us to."
Shit, Namarra thought and saw his leg start bouncing again.
"No, you're right and I would like to confirm that, if I may, before we continue this conversation."
"Of course," Takahashi smiled, leaning back comfortably in his chair. "Though, if Mr. Rymyr does have to leave us, we do have a counter proposition so that we do not need to break our rather advantageous relationship. Mr. Nakamura?"
The other gentleman leaned forward. "I believe you might be having the same thought we have since Ms. Almasy has joined you today." Athrun's leg stopped and Namarra tensed. "You see, we know you are quite skilled yourself, Ms. Almasy, and we think you might be a good replacement for Mr. Rymyr. While you might not have the same level of experience, you should be able to help us for the remaining time." He held out his hand and grabbed the paper offered by Suzuki. It was beginning to look like a memorized skit and if Namarra hadn't been so nervous to see how it ended up, she might have been impressed.
"We found your professional profile, Ms. Almasy, and see that you have some interest in bioengineering as well."
Bull fuckin' shit, she thought and felt her heart race. Lathan had given them extensive backstories and, if needed, they should have been able to get access to their "old" records. She had memorized it the first day she received it. Nothing scientific was listed there. She was sure of it.
He flipped the paper and set it in front of Namarra. It was indeed a profile of her and there, highlighted, was a budding degree in bioengineering from the Science and Technology University of Orb and a listed internship at Morgenroete.
She bit her tongue. Hard.
They were playing a serious game here. Not only had they altered her fake persona to match their story, they knew it was a fake profile and Namarra would have to agree to it unless she wanted to break her own cover.
Lathan was right; they knew who she really was.
Namarra's leg started to bounce.
"No," Lexi hissed, Namarra watching her pace in the background of her corner of the video.
"It's not your call," the Natural responded, being sure to put in some bite of her own.
"Dino, no." Lexi looked at Athrun then and Namarra did the same.
"You have no say in this either," Namarra said before he could, pointing a finger at him as he paced behind her near his hotel bed. They shared a dangerous look between the two of them, but Athrun ended up backing down first, sighing loudly.
Their departure from Sora BIO was more like a forced retreat and their trek back to the hotel was brisk. Athrun called Waltfeld briefly on the way back and told him he needed to speak to everyone in an hour. It was mid to late afternoon in Orb, so it wasn't hard to get in contact with the group. Waltfeld had rounded them all up in a Morgenroete meeting room other than Lexi who was apparently calling in from her phone propped up on Namarra's desk in their apartment. The redhead was pacing in the Natural's room—most likely because her wall had a rather unsavory message carved into it—turning only once to take the coffee Yzak offered her before he gave a half-hearted wave and did his own form of retreat. Lexi was still trying to keep him out of the meat of things, it seemed, though even Namarra could see him leaning against the wall near the doorway. Her arm was out of the cast, but it was in a brace, Namarra having only yesterday heard the extent of the injury. She frowned then, watching the redhead tap the fingertips of her injured hand against the hot mug in what the Natural assumed was an attempt to see if she could feel any warmth. Sadly, her frustrated expression said it all.
Kisaka tapped his own fingers impatiently on the table as Erika typed on the computer next to him. She was still verifying the bank transfer and Murrue was on a call with Noah and Sean who had just confirmed that Coda's profile had been altered. No surprise, really.
"Did you see Lathan at least?" Waltfeld asked and she shook her head as Athrun gave a more audible answer.
"No, but I have the feeling he'll be at the next meeting. They know our hands are tied."
"Yup," Erika announced a moment later. "Money's there. From what I can tell, it was approved this morning under the memo line of 'FOR LATHAN.'" She cursed. "We got played. This Ekron Hertz isn't even at the company anymore. Quit as of yesterday and he was pretty high up. High enough to sign off on Lathan's contract and confirm the payment."
"I've already organized a team to find him," Kisaka responded calmly, his fingers still tapping away on the table. "He's not getting away without answering a few questions."
"He probably got paid a pretty penny too," Waltfeld muttered, adding his own cursing to the mix.
"Without looking into his finances, we can't prove anything," Sean said simply, having heard the muttering. "Though I might be able to help you with that."
"Hold off for now," Erika replied quickly. "We're already in some pretty hot water."
"What about the contract? Can you tell when it was created?" Murrue asked into the phone, returning to the immediate issue on hand. "It would unravel their story if they had only just thrown this together, right?"
Noah spoke up. "The date is pre-meeting as they said. Either this has been in the works for a long time, or they have some good people covering their asses on the technical end. There's no digital reasoning to think this file wasn't signed and approved at the end of March."
"Surely the signature is forged," Lexi said, but Waltfeld was already shaking his head.
"They had Lathan by then and probably had him sign it himself." Everyone cursed, there was really no other thing to do. Their gossip article had forced them to act, alright, but they had been far more prepared.
"If this was their goal all along, why didn't they just tell us right away they had Lathan?" Murrue asked.
"My guess is they did need Lathan for something and are hoping to get both in one go," Athrun said with a sigh. "I think we might have jumped their timetable a bit, but they weren't surprised to see us."
"But why do they want Coda specifically to take on the remainder of the contract?" Murrue asked and Namarra watched her slightly blush when the people around her gave a knowing glance. She must have been the only one out of the loop and the Natural felt a little bad for her.
"Though not confirmed," Waltfeld began, sighing heavily as he leaned back in his chair. "We think Sora has some kind of connection to Blue Cosmos."
"If they were the ones to come up with this proposition, I think we can say we've found our proof," Lexi muttered.
Namarra closed her eyes, listening to everyone riddle off another series of curses. Yes, Sora knew what they wanted and whether they were being egged into the deal by Blue Cosmos, she couldn't be sure. What she was sure about, however, is she could at least get Lathan out of their hands and given his physical state, she had to make sure that happened.
Blue Cosmos, huh? She took a breath. "I'll make the switch."
The immediate response from everyone was "No," but Lexi's was far louder. She slammed her palm against the desk, shaking the camera, and leaned in, Namarra feeling the full weight of her glare. "You know what this is, right?" she spat. "You know what you're agreeing to?"
Namarra matched her look with a dangerous one of her own. "Of course, I fuckin' know."
"We can't get you out until the contract is up."
"I know!" she screeched, getting to her feet quickly and knocking the chair over. "I know, I know, I know!" She paced to the other side of the room, Athrun's eyes watching her carefully. Of course she knew. Solid proof or no, Sora knew who she was and even if Blue Cosmos wasn't involved, she couldn't be sure their motives were entirely legal. They were definitely obvious though, and Namarra bit her bottom lip.
It was their only play.
Surprisingly, Yzak was the next one to speak, his hand on Lexi's shoulder as he nudged her to the side to get into view of the camera. "If that's our only move, then fight for something we can negotiate for. We have enough control of the situation to dictate how long they get her, right?"
"You mean break the contract early? Or alter the end date?" Athrun asked and Yzak nodded.
"We have the money, don't we?"
"Refund the remaining? We'd have to check the contract," Waltfeld said, his hand stroking his chin in thought. "Based on what you said, Dino, they're gonna fight hard to keep her for the whole time. They called it 'advantageous' for both sides."
"Based on the sum they sent to us, that's an accurate definition," Erika remarked.
"What's the terms and conditions on the contract?" Athrun asked and Murrue leaned over to look at the paper with Kisaka.
"Need one-month notification prior to cancellation," Kisaka read. "If the cancelling party is (1) Company A, Sora BIO, they are subject to compensating Company B, Morgenroete, 30% of the fee for the remaining time on the project, or (2) Company B, they are subject to refunding the project in full and compensating 30% of expenses already accrued."
"Even if we take Lathan and run, Morgenroete could end up in a legal battle over the funds." Erika cursed. "They were going to make out in the end no matter what."
"And we'll only gain seven days on the contract," Murrue said. "She'll still be there a month even if we break it."
"Seven days makes a difference," Lexi said, Namarra hearing her take a steadying breath.
The Natural shivered.
"Can we send someone else? Recommend another employee?" Murrue asked and Erika was already shaking her head.
"It's Sora's project so they can pick the contractor they want. It would end up in a negotiation battle with the possibility of it turning legal if we stall too long. They would be in the right to just redraw a new project scope and we'd be back at the beginning anyway." Murrue sighed and Namarra took a steadying breath and stared at the geometric patterns on the wall. The more ideas that were getting shut down, the more she felt like she was being forced to play the sacrifice instead of it having been her valiant act of heroism.
Not again. Shit, not again… she thought, the phrase circling in her mind. Don't panic. Don't panic… Somehow, Djibril's words in Bangkok were feeling far more dangerous than they had at the time and she cursed. The past couple of months had been a series of fucked up events and despite them saying they would lay low, Lexi had been targeted by Phoebe and now Djibril seemed to be upholding his threat. It felt as if the universe was trying really hard to make sure they stayed on the radar.
They were all silent again for a moment and Namarra heard Lexi curse that time. The irony of them swapping sacrificial roles was clear and the Natural took another breath. Is that all they were ever going to be? Bargaining chips in a much bigger game?
"Does it say anything about injury to those involved in the project?" Athrun finally asked, picking up the chair and sitting down.
"Not in so many words," Kisaka said, returning to the paper in front of him. "All it says is that Company A is not liable for any injuries made on the project, but it doesn't say we can't terminate the contract based on that."
"Has Lathan been harmed?" Lexi asked, her question leaving her lips quickly. Even to Namarra she sounded on the verge of panic. The Natural swallowed, closing her eyes. They were probably the only two who really knew firsthand the gravity of what they were discussing and no matter how hard Namarra tried, she couldn't scold her for not keeping her cool entirely. Hell, it was a miracle they were both able to keep as level of heads as they had been so far.
"He's not hurt, Piper," she said turning and walking back into view of the video and swallowing down her panic. "At least not that I could tell."
"But can we put it in there?" Yzak, Athrun, and Waltfeld suggested at the same time, Athrun eventually finishing off the thought.
"If we change the wording of the contract to include the instant cancellation if any of our employees are harmed, they would be severely limited."
"You have to define the meaning of 'harmed.'" It was Lexi and Namarra who spoke together that time, sharing a look.
"And you would have to negotiate it, Dino," Waltfeld said, pointing at the screen. "Lathan, technically, already signed this contract."
"Then we draft a new one for Coda," Kisaka said, holding up Lathan's contract to accent his point. "Her 'skills' aren't as advanced, so we could probably renegotiate the contract."
"After all, Morgenroete sees this as 'advantageous' too, right?" Murrue asked, turning to Erika who gave a wry chuckle.
"I'll get them to agree to it," Athrun said firmly.
Namarra looked down at him and then over at the others on the screen. They were trying so hard to protect her and make sure she didn't fall back into Blue Cosmos's hands.
Make sure she came back home.
It seemed dangerous for them to be putting in that much effort and especially for someone who wasn't a citizen of Orb, merely—and according to an altered fake identity—a college student intern at Morgenroete. How did it all get so complicated? How did Djibril find her so easily and so quickly after the war had ended? Did both her and Lexi severely underestimate how much science was interested in them? Or was it a matter of, like Lexi, her past coming back up to kick her in the ass? The face and name of Sora's president popped into her mind again and she frowned.
"Namarra!" Lexi shouted. Seeing as it was her real name, the redhead must have been trying to grab her attention for a while. The Natural blinked before walking forward and leaning over Athrun's left shoulder to get closer to the screen. "Nam, it's a month; that's a long time."
"I'm aware."
"You're up for it?"
She took a steadying breath and locked Lexi's eyes with her own, her hand tightening on the back of Athrun's seat. "I want to get Lathan back."
"That wasn't my question." Based on their shared look alone, Namarra had assumed the others were understanding what was at stake, if they didn't already. The whole call had grown quiet and even Athrun had stilled next to her. This was a gamble—a huge risk. She would be alone with Blue Cosmos. No brothers. No Lexi. No backup whatsoever. And if Athrun couldn't negotiate the new contract, they might legally have a month to do whatever they wanted.
The panic rose again and she swallowed, taking another breath to steady herself and make her lie believable. "Lexi, I got this. I'll see you in a month."
Lexi took a breath of her own and nodded, Namarra seeing her good hand curl up on the desk. She hadn't believed her lie, but at least she didn't call her out on it. "I'll see you in a month."
CE 72 May 22, Orb (Afternoon)
"I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but let Athrun handle it," Yzak said standing in her bedroom with his arms crossed and staring at the marked wall with a frown. Lexi had gotten the call from Waltfeld when they were on the road leaving the hospital after getting her cast off and, at the time, they were closer to the girls' apartment than either Morgenroete or the hotel. Their detour to the flat had made sense, but that had been nearly an hour ago and despite the call having ended nearly 40 minutes earlier, they were still there.
He took a deep breath, his eyes tracing the words etched into the wall and trying his best to not get angry once more at the whole ordeal. Lexi was getting more than frustrated for the two of them and he really didn't need her feeding even more off his worry, so he bit his lip instead, tracing the note one more time. He really hadn't expected the room to be this bad—for any of it to be this bad. It had taken every self-control method he knew to not blow up when they had taken off her cast and he heard the full diagnosis, which seemed a bit more serious than Lexi's initial report. He had snapped at her in the car, in fact, and despite her understanding of his anger, it still took some prodding to get her to agree to him helping her with rehab. It was beginning to feel like just another instance of "her not wanting to bother him," so he took grim satisfaction in being allowed to support her even if only a little.
"I know, I know…" she repeated, sighing from the kitchen and finally finishing the last of the coffee in the pot. Seriously, they were just supposed to stop for the meeting, and it had ended up with her making half a pot of coffee and with only one good arm to do it, the chore had involved way more cursing than brewing. He sighed. "It's not easy being benched," she continued and came into the room a moment later, the mug in her left hand.
"Yeah, well, then stop making psychos angry," he replied, still looking at the wall. "Seriously, Lexi, this isn't normal."
She snorted. "If you wanted 'normal,' you really shouldn't be dating me."
He rolled his eyes with a small smile and turned around to look at her desk. What was left of her laptop had already been given to Sean and Noah to go through and see what they could get off it. Luckily, the CA hardware seemed undamaged and had even managed to transfer many of her files to Lathan's work computer at Morgenroete, which had given them hope that the rest of the computer contents could be saved. Lexi hadn't had the chance to go through anything else yet, most of her clothing and shoes in tatters in the garbage bags in the corner of her room. Her bedding was in another and the mattress was still a mess across the frame. Any items that had survived Lacus and Cagalli had either stacked out on the dining table or on her desk.
"Our landlord's going to be so pissed," she muttered, the mug to her lips as she stared at the wall.
"That's an understatement," he replied, reaching forward when he saw a photo among the other knickknacks. He had never seen the photo before, but since he knew what Lexi and Lathan looked like, it wasn't a hard jump to know this was their parents. She looked like her dad; no stark difference other than the height. His hair was a touch redder than Lexi's—who had hair long down to the middle of her back—but the angle of his chin, cheek bones, and grey eyes were more masculine, yes, but the same. Lexi's mother had longer strawberry blonde hair that was braided down over her shoulder. With the grim expression on her father's face, he had expected her mother to have a warmer one, but they mirrored each other, the stern look of higher society and their unfortunate children caught up in it. She had darker, brown eyes and when he looked at Lathan, he was surprised to see his matched. Yzak had never met Lathan before he was blind, so seeing him here was almost like seeing a different person. In fact, the entire photo felt odd. Lexi and Lathan had fake smiles and their parents' gazes bore into the camera. It just seemed… sad.
"When's this?" he asked, pulling her gaze away from the wall and to the photo.
"That? Oh, it was taken just before Lathan and I ran off to ZAFT." Her eyes glazed over with the memory and he didn't press, knowing they were a sore topic. He had gotten enough information about the terrorist attack from what he read in reports and from what Dearka had told him, but while Dearka enjoyed talking about his deceased father, Lexi outright avoided any sort of topic involving her parents.
"You're the spitting image of your father."
She gave a sad laugh. "In looks alone, trust me."
He frowned at the response, but didn't say anything more, leaving it up to her whether she wanted to share. It was a toss-up whether she would, he knew, and found himself saddened by that. He would always rather she open up to him about things than have him stumble upon it himself, but there were some matters she either couldn't find the courage to talk about or she didn't trust him with the knowledge. The file Waltfeld had given him came to mind and it was currently hidden at the bottom of his suitcase, still unopened. He just hadn't found the nerve to look at it yet. She had changed so much in a year the information there shouldn't be jarring at all, but there might be some things he would rather not know about.
"We can deal with all this today, if you wanted." He began, eager to get his mind out from spiralling down its dark path and gestured to the room. "I'll even tolerate shopping. Unless you had something else in mind."
She sighed and took a sip of her coffee, scanning the room. Her eyes lingered on the photo he had put back on the desk, but in the end she shrugged. "Was thinking we could take the rental and get out of the capitol, if you're up for it. Not sure I'm mentally prepared for this just yet and, frankly, you've been dealing with enough of my drama to last two vacations." She gave an apologetic smile and shrugged. "Though, it is raining today and you'd have to drive." She checked her watch quickly and he didn't miss the gesture, knowing she was checking the time difference between Orb and Japan. Her nervousness about the situation was clear.
"Sounds good to me, but are you sure you want to venture out too far?" he asked, nodding at her watch. He watched her take a breath and stare up at the message on her wall once more.
"I should trust Athrun, right? I mean, he'll bring back both Lathan and Namarra…" she sighed pausing as she brought the mug to rest at her lips. "Right?"
"Not really sure I'm the one to ask, but I do know he's fairly decent at some things."
"Wow… what an admission," she muttered.
"Doesn't matter whether I normally trust him or not anyway, I know you typically do—always have. I'm fairly certain he wouldn't let you down and Lathan'll be back before you know it. I'm also positive he wouldn't let anything happen to Nam."
"That bit's out of his hands though. That's what makes me nervous."
"Then have a little faith in the others. Dare I say they probably know more about company-to-company relations than you do." She turned and frowned at him for that remark and he shrugged. "You always said you were more programmed for doing the leg work than the planning bit, so it would be unfair to stop trusting them now."
"Nam's a different story and you know that."
Her response probably had more bite than she had intended so he just sighed, brushing it off. "Look, I know you two are very protective of each other, but you need to extend your circle of trust a bit. Some other people have your backs too." She didn't say anything and he sighed once more, reaching forward to grab her mug. He finished the coffee—despite her complaints—grabbed her good wrist and pulled her out of the room, setting the empty mug down on the dining room table as he passed it. "Right, we're getting out of the city; I don't care if it's raining. You can navigate at least, right?" She watched him as he bent down to tie his shoes and when she hadn't responded he looked up at her. "Well?"
"Yes, I can do that much." She was pouting a bit and he laughed, not sure if it was because he had finished the rest of the coffee or because he had made the decision for them.
"Good. Grab your stuff and let's get going. If you want to call Waltfeld on the way just to have him confirm that they don't need your help, feel free."
"When did you get so decisive?" she muttered, paying more attention to something on the dining table than him. More accurately, she was still pouting and he rolled his eyes.
"When you stopped being decisive. C'mon, I'm keen to see the countryside. And make sure Addict knows the route; I'd really rather not get lost."
"What's that supposed to mean? I'm a fine navigator and I'm a native."
He stood and shrugged. "You seem to forget that I've been under your 'native guidance' for almost two weeks now and let's just say, I know where I wouldn't put you on my team. Just make sure she links up with the navigation system in the car, that's all I'm asking." Her lips fell into another pout and he laughed.
CE 72 May 24, Japan (Morning)
Athrun looked over at Namarra as they stood on the train. She had fled to her room the moment the call was over and he had debated following her to make sure she was okay, but she had locked the door and then slammed her bathroom door closed after that. However, he had still heard her vomit.
While people's fascination with their genetic make-up still puzzled him, he couldn't deny that until Lexi had specifically told him she had been "experimented on" he hadn't completely understood what was at stake. If just the possibility of Namarra staying a month with Sora BIO, who was not yet proven to be working with Blue Cosmos, was enough to cause both the Natural and Lexi to panic, that terminology was accurate and Athrun knew he wasn't going to leave that meeting room without making sure they couldn't lay a hand on Namarra.
Erika had sat down with the others and had written the contract to make sure the Natural was subject to Morgenroete's policies on employee health and safety and not Sora's. That included a maximum workday of eight hours and a prompt return to the hotel for the evening. Sora couldn't keep her overnight. Kisaka and Waltfeld were already buying tickets to switch with Athrun and, hopefully, Lathan in order to add weight to the new contract. Kisaka was higher up in the government and was in contact with Orb's representative in Japan. Even if Namarra was, technically, on a visa, they were going to treat her like a citizen, so Sora should stay in line.
But that was if they even agreed to her new contract in the first place.
That wrench in the wheels was no doubt behind her nervously tapping her foot and he turned to watch her carefully in the reflection of the window. Her terrors hadn't been limited to just after the meeting either, hearing muffled screams from her hotel room at two points during the night. The first one he had run to the door only to find it locked and, in a panic, had called Lexi. She had explained the situation and based on the fact that the door had been locked, Namarra had anticipated such a night. The second time he had tried to sleep through the screams, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded.
He had to make sure they signed the new contract.
"I'm sorry about last night," she said quietly, Athrun turning to look over at her instead of just her reflection. She was looking at him as well and her apology had been far more genuine than Athrun had expected from the Natural. This girl had been through Hell and she was apologizing to him for ruining a couple hours of sleep? The girl who was, most likely, willingly heading back into the same situation that had given her those nightmares?
"Nothing to apologize for, Coda," he replied simply and sighed when she nodded a thanks before looking back out the window.
Yes, they all needed one big, fat holiday.
Rewriting the contract had taken the rest of the day, so they had no choice but to schedule a meeting the next morning. It felt like déjà vu as they were led up to the same room as before, except this time, the same three gentlemen had met them in the lobby to guide them up.
"I am looking forward to our meeting," Takahashi said, holding his hand out towards their seats after they entered through the doorway. "Mr. Rymyr should be joining us shortly."
They all filed in and took the same seats, Athrun setting his folder down on the table before sitting. "Good, I look forward to seeing him."
"But before that, have you had a chance to consider our offer?"
Athrun nodded to the question and pulled out Namarra's new contract, handing a copy to each of the three men. "We agree that this partnership of ours is, indeed, advantageous for both parties, but given the difference in skill between Mr. Rymyr and Miss Almasy, we have drafted a new contract."
"I see…" Takahashi began, looking at Athrun briefly before the contents of the paper in front of him.
"Based on the updates that we have received on the project, we have been led to believe the bulk of the work has been finished. I will wait for Mr. Rymyr to arrive in order to confirm that progress, but just in case new information has come to light this morning, we have left Miss Almasy's contract length open for debate, with a maximum time of one month from today, which should be according to your cancellation policy."
"Based on our previous conversation, Mr. Dino, we were under the impression you had had no interactions with Mr. Rymyr and that was the main reason for our meeting," Nakamura said, his expression suspicious.
"Ah, yes, that one might be on us, I'm afraid. I was able to confirm the receipt of his emails yesterday. We had a system-wide update around the time Mr. Rymyr had taken up his duties here and it seems our firewall had been blocking his emails. I have brought copies of those communications if you would like to see them." He began reaching into the folder and had his fingers wrapped around those printouts, but Takahashi held up his hand.
"There is no need. We will confirm with Mr. Rymyr when he arrives."
Athrun nodded. "Please feel free to look over the contract and let me know if you have any issues with it. Again, Miss Almasy, while very skilled, is only an intern, so her usefulness on this project is still in debate."
"And yet she must be of some value, Mr. Dino, seeing as you brought her with you on this particular trip," Nakamura said, glancing up slowly from the contract. "This is quite a high-profile meeting for someone of her position."
"Sorry, that would be my fault," Namarra said, slipping into a thicker Swedish accent than Athrun had ever heard from her. "Sora BIO is well known in my circles and I could not help being curious. I was not aware of the—what is the word…" She snapped her fingers, looking at Athrun briefly who just gave her a neutral look, not sure what game she was trying to play. "Ah, I was not aware of the seriousness of this meeting. I do apologize if I am overstepping my position." She put on a weak smile to try and disarm the gentlemen across the table and it seemed to work for the most part. "I do not know if I can be of any help, but if you do find my skills of any use to you perhaps—"
She didn't get a chance to finish the statement, a knock at the door pulling their attention to the opening threshold, the younger employee with a tray of hot teas, and Lathan.
Lathan's appearance had been what they expected: a suit and tie, longer hair, a little stubble, and pale.
Still so, terribly pale.
Athrun saw Namarra tense beside him and almost reached out to keep her from standing, but she held her ground.
Lathan bowed to the three men at the table and offered a greeting in Japanese before turning to Athrun and Namarra, smiling. "Alex, Coda, so nice to see you. I heard you had arrived and needed to speak to me."
Athrun nodded. "I'd hate to speak on such a personal matter in front of so many people," he began, his eyes glancing at each person in turn. "But I'm afraid your sister is in hospital and it would be in your best interest to return to Orb." The horror on his face pained Athrun and he couldn't tell if Lathan was just a good actor or if he believed his words. While not completely untrue, he didn't want him to think there was anything mortally wrong with Lexi.
"O-of course." He turned to the gentlemen in the room and bowed to them again, this time speaking to them in English. "I am so sorry, but I need to—"
Takahashi already had his hand up and nodding. "Of course, Mr. Rymyr, we understand completely. I just hope the situation is not as grave as it sounds."
"Thank you, sir."
"We need to be thinking about your replacement, however, Mr. Rymyr," Takahashi continued. "That is the other reason we are all here today. Can you please give us a progress report?"
"Yes, of course." Takahashi gestured to the seat next to Namarra and Lathan nodded, walking around the table and squeezing her shoulder as he sat down. He had tried to mask it as him needing her help to sit, but the gesture was clear to Athrun and Namarra. He, at least, had a guess at what was going on.
"Mr. Tanaka and I just finished up final diagnostics this morning. I don't believe there is much more to accomplish, at least as far as Morgenroete is concerned."
"Is that so…" Nakamura began, leaning forward on the table and folding his hands in front of him. "I would like to confirm that with your colleagues."
"Of course," Lathan replied, offering a shrug to accent the phrase. "Though, as the sole authority on the project for Morgenroete, my assessment holds some weight as well, if I could be so bold as to say. If my colleagues do need more time and it is more than a couple of days, I believe you would be wasting our time."
Athrun tried to read the room after that statement and found himself surprised when he couldn't. Even the youngest member of their three-man party was hiding his expressions really well and that made him tense. What Athrun couldn't understand, was that they had to have known Lathan might say something like this. Even if he hadn't been aware of any possibility Blue Cosmos was around and Namarra was the one they might be after, there was no way Lathan was going to hand over any replacement, especially since he had already been brought there under false pretenses.
They sat in silence for a few, tense moments. Athrun took a side glance at Namarra and Lathan to his left and caught the Natural's eye. They were both thinking the same thing.
They were missing something.
The door opened before anyone could continue, an older man standing between the door and the doorframe as he bowed. "So sorry for the intrusion." He looked to be around his sixties with smaller glasses on his nose and a balding head, the only hair of any significance on the sides of his head above his ears. His skin was vibrant despite his age and despite how hard he tried to suck it in, his belly showed the visual signs of his frequent nights out.
Lathan and the three gentlemen stood at once and bowed, causing Athrun and Namarra to slowly, but awkwardly, do the same. "Please, please, there is no need. Sit back down, it's me who is walking in rudely." He smiled warmly and Athrun started recognizing him.
"Mr. President, is there something we can help you with?" Nakamura asked, the three of them seemingly just as startled as the rest of the room.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I had heard an old student of mine—" He turned to the other three across the room and his eyes fell onto Namarra, the warm smile brightening. "Miss Almasy, I thought that it might have been you."
Athrun tensed, but he noticed Namarra hadn't yet and risked at glance at her. She was surprised, but didn't seem to recognize him as much as he had recognized her. Either all of them were involved in this little charade or Namarra hadn't made the connection yet. But if she did, Athrun couldn't help but wonder, what did it mean? Where did she know him from?
"I'm sorry—" Namarra began, her accent still thick.
"Oh, what a shame! I had quite hoped you would remember me. I gave a lecture in the Scandinavian Science Academy that you attended just after the war. That must have been just before you started your internship with Morgenroete." He saw Namarra begin to tense then, the room returning to their seats as the president took the seat next to Suzuki. "I just got off the phone with Mr. Berretti and I'm happy to say our relationship with Morgenroete has grown stronger since Mr. Rymyr has joined us. I'm looking forward to the partnership between our two companies."
He had been talking to the president of Morgenroete? Had he made a deal with him? Athrun couldn't confirm any of this and he did his best to hide his frustration. They were always one step ahead.
"Ah, yes, of course," Namarra began. "Dr. Tsugu, so nice to see you again. Such a rare treat."
Doctor? Athrun thought, latching onto that honorific in particular and not remembering him being referred as anything other than "president" on the company website.
Tsugu smiled again. "It is and are the rumors true then? Are you to take Mr. Rymyr's place until the end of the project?" The older man turned to Lathan before Namarra could respond. "We are very unhappy to see you go, of course, Mr. Rymyr, and we wish your family well."
"Thank you, sir," Lathan replied and Tsugu's attention returned to Namarra.
She floundered for a second, which—Athrun hoped—had more to do with her character than anything. "Well, sir, we have been led to believe the project is near completion and I might not be needed."
"Oh?" He turned to his colleagues who all nodded slowly. "Well, that's a shame. If you would like, I can personally escort you on a tour of the company. I remember you being very interested in the work that we do here."
"Well—that is true—but—"
"For example, I can show you where we created the system Mr. Rymyr is currently using." He nodded over to Lathan who bowed his head in acknowledgement. "It's state-of-the art and he's been our prime tester. Though, if you are not staying, Mr. Rymyr, we do need it returned…"
"Of course, I understand."
Tsugu smiled again and Athrun was quickly becoming unnerved by it. What game was he playing? "What do you say, Miss Almasy? Why not stay the day and you can observe our engineers? The next round of flights to Orb do not take off until late evening and I will let you leave whenever you would like."
Athrun opened his mouth to decline, but Namarra spoke first. "Yes, that sounds nice."
Wait—yes? Athrun thought, but couldn't dwell on it for long.
"How wonderful."
"I would like to accompany Miss Almasy, if I may," Athrun said quickly, interjecting before anyone could make more decisions without him. Why was Namarra going off script? Why was she agreeing to go with him? What was he missing?
"There is quite a lot of paperwork to go through, Mr. Dino, but you can meet with them later if you like," Takahashi explained and Athrun tried to hide his frustration. "Mr. Rymyr's departure and announcement of the project's possible completion means there are a lot of things we need to take care of."
"Of course…" Athrun said, his voice trailing off.
"Don't worry, Miss Almasy will be quite safe," Tsugu said and Namarra surprised him again by agreeing.
"Yes, I am sure nothing will go wrong."
CE 68 Scandinavia
Namarra was really sick of not really understanding what was going on. She had stopped taking that medicine for about a week, the contents of said liquid staining her toilet bowl every morning and evening. She still hadn't been let outside of her room, her days alone now beginning to drag out into the beginning of their third week. It was crushing. She had no idea where anyone was, what anyone was doing, and whether or not she would even see them again.
Perhaps that was the reason she had broken out that morning.
Her head was a mess, she knew, her forehead sweating more than she ever had in her short life and the pain was so bad she could have sworn she was going blind with all of the black dots across her vision. It was a miracle even that she had been able to break loose from Juni and run past the two guards who were supposed to be watching her door. The whole thing had been so desperate Namarra really hadn't thought ahead. Her goal was just to leave, so, that was what she had done.
The sun was painful that day, and even though it had barely broken through the cloudy morning, she could already feel the rays piercing the headache behind her eyes. She was supposed to be walking towards the classrooms in hopes of seeing any of the guys, but the pain was too much and she veered off into a hangar to her left.
The main door was closed since most of the workers and engineers hadn't even arrived for the day, so she was forced to use the smaller one on the side. It resisted her at first as she turned the handle, but it didn't stand up well to her abuses for long. It seemed like an oversight that she, an 11-year-old, could out strengthen a lock, but she didn't have time to comment on her luck. Slipping through the doorway, she shut the door behind her and sighed, leaning back against the cool metal and enjoying that darkness that enveloped her.
Such sweet bliss.
It didn't last long, however, the moment she stepped away from the door the automatic lights switched on and that warranted a loud curse. It took a long moment for her eyes to adjust and still the headache hadn't ceased. She would be left with it throughout the day, she assumed, and was about to let loose a string of curses that would make her brother frown, but she stopped halfway through, her eyes moving from her scan of the hangar's metal exterior down to the odd head near the middle of the room. "Head" was the only word her young mind could come up with because it was indeed humanoid, but she had never seen the like before.
The object was so large, she had the faint feeling it could swallow her whole and she tried to ignore the shiver at the thought, her eyes straying from where its mouth was meant to be and over to the left side of the face. It seemed to be unfinished, the metal stripped away and exposing a vast array of wiring underneath. The black cables reached up and under faded red eyes, and her own eyes followed the path to the right side of the face, where the metal was already welded and in place. The whole head was black, a stark contrast to some green parts littered around it.
While Kai and the others were also attending classes in what she had assumed was like military school, Namarra had primarily stuck to the action-based lessons, honing her skills and gaining knowledge in things such as firearms and melee combat. The other, bookish things she let them learn. If she was able to pick, she would rather be active. That made her wonder, however, whether or not they would know what this was. Was this one of the mobile suits she had been hearing about? ZAFT had advanced much further in that department than the Earth Alliance, from what she had remembered Clotho explaining. If that was the case, was the EA starting its own program? Looking around the hangar, she could tell they hadn't gotten very far because the only other things on the floor were some random parts from a separate green machine and nothing was particularly put together.
A workbench to her left caught her attention then, her younger mind finding the contents of this hangar interesting. She walked towards it, her shoes making far more noise than she was comfortable with as they slapped against the cement. The noise was making her so nervous, in fact, she slowed her approach, changing her steps from heel to toe, to toe to heel. She shouldn't be there; she could feel the accusatory hush in the air the closer she walked. But she couldn't ignore the bubble of excitement in her gut either, a feeling she hadn't often experienced in her new place of captivity.
The table was covered with abandoned tools, pencils, coffee mugs, and papers of schematics she couldn't begin to wrap her mind around. On one piece of paper, a mechanical body was sketched in what Namarra could only imagine was the missing torso to the head nearby. It was unfinished, blue ink on a stained paper that meant nothing to her, but was probably the life's work of some fortunate individual. She would let them have their fortune, turning away when she found nothing else of interest and back to the head. Walking towards it, she stretched out her hand. She just wanted to touch it, that was all.
Just one small touch.
Sadly, like so many things that seemed to be in her young life, she was denied that opportunity, two soldiers opening the door in a panicked rush. They looked quickly around the hangar until they eventually found her and sprinted in her direction. Her first instinct was to run, and she did, but didn't get very far, her initial step taking her towards and then hands-first over a large cable sticking out from the head. She managed to catch herself, her wrists taking the brunt of the damage and she winced, losing precious time and paying for it a moment later when two sets of hands were around her arms. She struggled, but not for long, knowing the futility of it all.
"Where the hell have you been?" one soldier hissed in her left ear, Namarra not caring enough about his potential demotion to respond. They lifted her off the ground and ushered her out, her eyes never leaving the red ones of the mobile suit head until she was forced to look away and face her confinement once more.
A/N: Hello, all. Another chapter to sink your teeth in and I do hope you enjoy it. This chapter went in a direction I hadn't expected, to be honest. When the story started taking Lathan and the crew to Japan, I almost scrapped it, to be honest. It didn't seem to be working until this chapter and it kind of fell into place. Of course, that's just my opinion, so I hope the feeling is mutual. I took quite a bit of creative liberty with this chapter, so if anything seems impossible, improbable, or just plain unimaginable, let me know.
I want to get up one more chapter before the end of the year, so keep an eye out for one more chapter before 2020 comes to a close, and I promise it'll be impactful.
I'm gonna keep the note short this time, actually keep it short this time, so I appreciate all of you stopping in to read the chapter. Special shoutout to my beta Death-Scimitar. I'm so grateful for her support and despite my best efforts, I have no been able to find either a word or a phrase that can accurately express my thanks. I'd also like to thank my friends and my support group on a writing Discord I frequent. It's a nice feeling to know that writing isn't always a lonely affair.
Corrections to the Narrative:
I've been making little changes to the canon here and there. I'm fairly certain there will be someone out there telling me about Japan in SEED, time differences between Orb and Japan, etc. but I've taken a little creative liberty on this to make it work for my purposes. I'd love to hear people's ideas on what these places probably should be like, but—at the moment—I have been going with my gut and my experiences. More than happy to attend to something in the "Questions/Gripes" section if something should arise. ;)
Questions/Gripes:
Quiet0ne: Orb city names are a pain and definitely do no roll off the tongue. Thankfully, I don't think they were ever mentioned much in the anime itself. As for Cags and Lacus, I'm looking forward to exploring their psyches a bit. Curious to see what they make of the Phoebe attack...
Shameless Recommendations:
Still shamelessly recommending some other reads. If you have an extra moment or two, be sure to check them out:
1. Anything by Death-Scimitar – Yes, a Beta of mine, but if you're lucky enough to have a Beta who is also a kick-ass writer, I'd say you struck gold. Nothing in SEED, per se, but she does have a crossover in the works that involves 5 famous pilots from Gundam Wing and some lucky (or unfortunate?) individuals who run a host club. Check it out if you're interested and know that you will not be disappointed.
2. Anything by Maderfole – He's the writer of the epic Golden Age Trilogy which is, arguably, one of the best Gundam fics on this site (and, yes, I'm probably a bit bias). The series is currently on book 3 and the newest chapter is now up! The haitus is done! Be sure to check it out and enjoy the nearly 3.5 million words of epic Gundam-ness before you get to that point.
3. Anything by Asmus – Another one for the SEED stories who is definitely one of the better writers on this site (again, I might be bias) and I highly recommend anything he's done. He just started a new story, actually, that takes place in Maderfole's universe. You don't have to be terribly acquainted with the Golden Age Trilogy to read it, so I recommend you check it out. Things are definitely starting to heat up.
4. Anything by Quiet0ne – New SEED author on FF with her story, Scattered Seeds. This is another story that plays around with the idea of the SEED Factor and genetics in the SEED universe and while only just starting, I can see we're all in for quite the roller-coaster ride. Tantalizing plot movement so far and some priceless interactions between our favorite characters. Loving every moment of it and I hope you do too.
I hope you all have a wonderful December and please stay safe. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you again in the next chapter!
Strata