Spectre: I'd always wanted to write a fic that involves an AU where Destiny's mistakes never really took place. What could have happened if Athrun didn't think of what he was fighting for and instead, focused on what he should do instead, and an AU that contrasted in Canon.

Disclaimer, I do not own Gundam Seed.

Chapter 1: Crete

"Enough of this Kira!", Athrun shouted as the Savior lunged against the Freedom, who managed to evade the swing before using its own saber to parry against the Savior's. "You were suppose to go back to Orb! All you do is cause confusion in the battlefield!"

Kira could only glare at what he had said as he backed away from the Savior. That is when a green mobile suit loomed onto them, beam rifle at the ready.

"Hahahaha!", Sting laughed as the Chaos loomed over the two mobile suits. "I got you now, bastards!". With that the Chaos fired at the two, to which they backed off at the moment. A moment later, Sting could only look in shock when the two mobile suits are both in his front and back with sabres at the ready.

Deciding to deal with him before they would resume their duel, both the Freedom and Savior slashed the Chaos with their sabres, severing all its limbs and its backpack where the green mobile suit began to plummel into the ocean.

"Aaaaaaahhh!!!", Sting screamed as he went down into the ocean, with the crippled mobile suit barely afloat. With that, the two mobile suits once again clashed with one another, with Kira hoping to knock some sense out of his friend.

"But Cagalli is crying!", Kira shouted, hoping to have Athrun regain his senses to which he widened his eyes for a moment. "She's crying now because she didn't want things to go down like this!'

Athrun was stunned at what his friend was saying, but as he tried to gather his thoughts, he glanced at the Minerva, heavily damaged and is still under heavy fire by Murasames. Athrun could only watch in horror as he watched both Luna and Rey's Zakus were heavily damaged, but are still alive though the girl was severely wounded. It would only be a matter of time before the Minerva would sink and if he didn't act now, then it would all be over.

His thoughts then shifted a few years ago, when he was still at ZAFT at first, where he failed his role as a squad leader when he failed to protect Nicol and his failure to protect both Miguel and Heine. Though he cannot blame Kira from the first two though the last was an indirect cause, he cannot let history happen again. And will protect his squad.

Kira then continued his rant against Athrun, who gripped the controls of the Savior, "Why won't you understand that? And now, are you telling me that this battle... these terrible sacrifices... they can't be helped!? That all of this is the fault of Orb and Cagalli? If you are saying that, then you are attacking the very thing that Cagalli is trying to save!"

"I know.", Athrun muttered before flashing his eyes with determination. "But this is your way for them to stop? Risking her life by bringing her in the frontlines? Or the possibility that both of you would he targetted by both ZAFT and the Alliance? If you are telling me you only wished to prevent more casualties for Orb, what you're doing is the opposite!"

Kira was only taken aback as Athrun continued his assault, his words earlier seemed to have no effect. "I do value of what Cagalli feels and to what both of you sought to save, but the way you chose to do so is not the answer!"

"Athrun...I-", Kira uttered as he dodged another slash from the Savior. Gritting his teeth, he used the Freedom's Xiphias railguns against the red-clad mobile suit aimed at its legs but Athrun reacted quickly and used the Amfortas beam cannons onto the shells that resulted of an explosion.

Amidst the smoke, the red-mobile suit appeared again and lunged for another slash that was parried by the Freedom's shield. Athrun gritted his teeth before the Savior kicked away the Freedom on its torso.

"So if you will not pull back, I have no choice but to defeat you!", Athrun shouted as an Emerald seed exploded and his eyes turned dim. The Freedom and Saviour charged again as the white mobile suit parried Athrun's strike and attempted to raise its blade for another strike aimed at the right arm.

Realizing this, the Saviour discarded its shield and rapidly turned where it unsheathed its right sabre on its right shoulderpad where it severed the Freedom's right fighting hand. Kira was taken aback in shock as Athrun looked down on his friend in regret.

Discarding the left beam saber on the right hand, the Saviour quickly pulled out its beam rifle where a clean shot destroyed the Freedom's head, before using the Amfortas beam cannons to destroy both of its legs. With that, the Saviour kicked away the damaged Freedom, shooting its main thrusters on its backpack with its beam rifle, causing it to fall into the ocean.

'I hope your soul can rest at this one, Heine', Athrun thought as he returned to the field to join Shinn, who had just destroyed the Abyss.

"Kira!", Mirialia called out in terror as she witnessed the Freedom's current state onto her computer.

"What's wrong?", Murrue asked as the CIC turned her attention towards her captain.

"It's the Freedom!", she said, stuttering as she looked at her commander in fear .

"Kira!", Cagalli shouted in tears as she managed to retrieve the Freedom with the Strike Rogue. "We have to go now!"

"Athrun...", Kira looked sadly as they are forced to pull back from the battlefield. He lamented to what Athrun had said, about his interventions that only caused. He can only watch as the battle continued and he can see's Cagalli's tear-drenched face that he could not even look at, seeing that he had failed her and Orb.

"Incredible!", Arthur cheered of what had transpired as the rest of the crew were also amazed what their FAITH member had done. "Athrun just took down the Freedom!"

Gladys could only sigh in relief, knowing that the main mobile suit of the perpatrators had been dealt with celebrations would have to wait since the ship is still under heavy fire.

"Captain!", Arthur called out, his expression being turned being agitated as he looked onto his monitor. "Enemy missiles had destroyed our CIWS! All anti-air weaponry disabled! We cannot hold on much longer!"

Gladys clenched her fist, having known that both their Zakus who were defending the ship had been disabled and can no longer provide any support at that matter. But her anger was shifted to horror when a Murasame flew in front of the bridge and aimed its rifle. The Crew froze in terror as a green ray was emmitted on its rifle. Talia could only close her eyes and accept her fate.

But that never happened as a blast from a beam rifle went through the Murasame's chest and the crew could only wonder where it came from. That is until their communications went up.

"I'm sorry if I was late, Captain", Athrun called out through the coms within the bridge while shooting down two more Murasames that were attempting to launch their missiles at the warship. He then used the Savior's Amfortas beam cannons to destroy more of the hostile Murasames. "I'll regroup with Shinn. We're going to end this battle", he informed them as the Saviour changed to its MA form and shot down more Murasames converging to the Minerva.

"Damn!", Shinn cursed as he used the Sword Impulse's boomerangs against a couple of M1 Astrays through their torsos. "How many are they still left?". He then turned to use his anti-ship swords in sinking one of their warships before jumping into another.

An Astray from behind attempted to cut through the Impulse with its beam saber, but was shot down by a red MA joining the Impulse.

"Athrun?!", Shinn called out to his commander. He could look onto the monitor and saw his leader's determined look, the one that clearly said to finish the battle as soon as possible.

"Shinn, take down any ship that could still shoot back while I'll deal with any mobile suits. We'll end this battle here and now", Athrun ordered as the Saviour shot down more Astrays while sinking a ship by lodging its beam saber in the bridge. Shinn could only smirk as he realize what he had said.

"Roger that.", Shinn complied as he tore another ship to shreds.

As Orb ships continued to fire onto the red mobile suits, Athrun looked down in regret as he used the Amfortas beam cannons to destroy three Astrays in rapid succession. He didn't want to do it, but it had to be done, to realize their mistake at joining the Alliance at the first place.

The two mobile suits then landed on the Orb flagship, Takemikazuchi, where they proceeded to cut down any remaining Astrays stationed there. By this time Yuna Roma Seiran and his crew had abandoned ship and all that remained was Todaka, who only stared at the two red mobile suits whose eyes flashed before he was sunk along the ship when the Impulse slashed through the bridge.

"It's over...", Athrun called out as Shinn was exasparately breathing out from all the pressure. "We'll head back at the Minerva now, Shinn. There's no reason to pursue any survivors any longer."

"And the Freedom?", the raven-haired boy asked.

"He won't be a problem for a while", Athrun replied as Shinn could sighed in relief for his commander, but inwardly, he wished to have seen their battle. "Come on, we'll have to regroup."

With that both Impulse and Savior flew back onto the Minerva, leaving a scorched debris-filled seas behind along with ship and Mobile suit remains.