Disclaimer: it doesn't belong to me.
A/N: I guess I ought to update this fic because I haven't done so in a very long time. Okies, I need people to host my stories... any volunteers?? Well, I don't think many people like reading long A/N s. you guys want da story ne? On with the fic...
Re-cap: Athrun glanced at the mop of brown hair and asked of Kira to see his face so that he could see. Violet met Emerald and they studied each other, taking in details as if they saw each other for the first time.
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Incognito... not anymore
Chapter 2
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Slowly, not seen by anybody, Kira slipped a piece of paper into Athrun's pocket and whispered into his ear "I put a note in your pocket. Read it before you leave Orb."
Then he pulled back from the embrace.
"I'm happy to see you. Truly. That is the truth. Although I did eventually break my promise, you yielded earlier than me. My friends need me. Sorry." Kira said purposefully loud for Cagalli who was nearby to overhear.
"And me too. We'll meet again." Athrun replied. He then walked towards the car without looking back, fully aware of Kira gaze on his back. When safely in the car, Athrun dug into his pocket to fetch the piece of paper.
Athrun, I knew we'd meet face to face one day. The password to most of the compound is 'Antibody'. I never trusted the EA, now that my friends are safe. Reprogram the Archangel, hijack it; the blueprint is on the other side of this paper. I will be working on the Strike. 'Kidnap' me. The optimum time is 9pm tonight. All or most of the crew will be off the ship having dinner with their family. Any enquires; get me on channel 89.3 I'll make sure to clear it. – Kira Yamato, 2nd Lieutenant of the EA-
Athrun flipped the piece of paper to the other side. True to his word, there was a map with most of the rooms labeled neatly in ink. Nicol peered over Athrun's shoulder to look at the note. He gasped.
"That's! That's the blueprint of the Archangel!" he exclaimed. Athrun nodded.
"Yzak, change of plans, drive us to the rendezvous point, we're making plans to inactivate the Archangel and capture Strike." Athrun said, passing the blueprint around. He looked out at the passing scenery. How peaceful! No wonder Kira wanted to hard to remain neutral.
So absorbed he was in daydreaming that he didn't notice that Nicol and turned the paper to the other side and read it.
"The Strike Pilot! Is he looking to join us?" Athrun snapped back to face Nicol. Yzak's attention on the road was broken.
"That boy is a pilot?!" Yzak blurted out.
"I don't think he is – to Nicol's question. I shall not answer Yzak. We'll discuss the plan soon." Athrun said simply. The rest was made in silence as the pilots memorised the password and the blueprint.
They reached the small blind spot of Orb, near the beach just as it was becoming dark. The map was given to Yzak to memorise as the rest discussed their plan of action.
"Nicol, get to your MS and wait here in stealth mode, patrol the skies for us every few minutes. You will provide backup support."
Nicol nodded. It was wise, leaving a backup person. The Gundam chosen to do the job was appropriate as well.
"Yzak and head towards the control room and reprogram it as necessary. Dearka and I will round up leftover crew members and get them off the ship, bring the Pilot in Strike to the control room. After the Ship as been cleared, Yzak, take off. Dearka, continue searching the ship for stranglers. Yzak, pilot the ship as well as you can. Head towards the Versalius. Nicol provide aerial support and extend stealth to the rest of the ship. Me (and hopefully the pilot of Strike), will provide support in piloting the ship. Dearka, continue combing the ship for leftover crew. Detain anybody found in the POW centre."
"Are you sure this message can be trusted?" said Yzak uncertainly.
"Yes. Knowing him, yes, the note can be trusted. Oh yes, Nichol, pass the Transmitter, tune in to channel 89.3."
Nichol pulled a small hand-held transmitter from his pocket and tuned it to the requested channel.
"This is the pilot of Blitz GAT X-207. Kira Yamato please respond. Kira Yamato, please respond." Then there was the slight static. As if the channel weren't very clear. Then after a while, a voice came through.
"This is the pilot of Strike GAT X-105, Kira Yamato speaking." The voice wavered a little. The static was really horrible.
"Sorry about the quality, it's the scrambling. Yes? May I help you?" he said dispassionately. Athrun swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Give the status of the crew on board the ship." There was silence for a while. Athrun wondered briefly if he would answer.
"I'll check the status. Is there anything else?"
"Yes. Do you have the blueprints of the Orb Base?" Athrun felt guilty for a moment, making use of Kira like that.
"I'll send it over through a secure connection. Do you have one?"
"Gateway GATX207"
"Understood. Will check in with status in 15 minutes time." Athrun nodded to Nicol to close the connection and check the time.
"Nicol. Return to the Versalius. Put the Blitz on standby mode. Send the blueprints of the Base to the laptop via infrared red. Scramble it." Nicol acknowledged the order, getting onto the boat to row to the Versalius. The rest of the three boys sat, watching the sun disappear over the horizon and rested against the limestone.
15 minutes later, Athrun remembered Kira and tuned into the channel again.
"This is Athrun Zala. Kira Yamato, Respond." There was a slight shuffling. Before Kira's voice appeared distinctively.
"Archangel is 80 empty. Captain Murrue and Major Fraga are still around though. The blueprints have been send to Gateway GATX207 . if there aren't any questions, I have to eat dinner as per my usual routine.
"No questions."
"Kira Yamato, Signing off, the time is 2006." The line was cut off. It was a few minutes later that the blueprints appeared in the laptop. They spent 5 minutes unscrambling them before the final plan was made.
"The Time is 2017. Dearka enter by hallway 56, Yzak, go by hallway 02, I'll be entering by hallway 26. Do not kill unless truly necessary. We do not want to attract any attention. Then Dearka and I will enter the Archangel by the back door Yzak will enter by the deck. Do your job. This operation will commence in 2025. Do not enter the ship any earlier than 2100. We will now synchronise our watches."
The password proved true as all 3 of them went through the door without much trouble. The feeling of gravity was slightly disconcerting as they now had to watch for their footsteps instead of just floating along the corridors.
Yzak reached the Control room first and began taking over the ship. The ship was blessedly empty. Completely empty. Dearka went to the hangar to meet their 'contact'. It was the boy from earlier. He was still typing when Dearka found him. Slowly, he stood up, pushed the keyboard to one side and rose his hands in the air, a universal sign of surrender.
Dearka marched the boy to the control room where Yzak was typing furiously. He nodded to the silver haired boy and took off, following the plan. Kira stared at the other boy, then seated himself at a terminal. He too began to type. A few minutes later, Athrun entered the room too. By that time, the Archangel was already getting ready for launch. He looked at Kira hard, until Yzak scowled and snapped, "Zala, if you're here, help."
Athrun dragged his eyes off Kira who was typing. At one of the terminals opposite Yzak. Yzak was doing the Manual controls for the ship, the steering. Kira was doing the re-programming. Athrun shrugged and positioned himself at the CIC area.
" Helldart, 16 surface to air missile tubes off the bridge. Korinthos M114, 24 surface-to-air missiles at the rear of the ship. Valiant Mk.8 , two 1100mm single-barrel linear cannons, one at the port, one at the starboard. Igelstellung, 16 75mm anti-air automatic multi-barrel CIWS. Lohengrin, 2 positron blaster canons, 1 at the starboard, the other one at the port. Gottfried Mk.71, two 2250mm double-barrelled high-energy beam canons, one at the starboard, the other at the port. Ammunition fully stocked." Kira rattled off without a snitch. Athrun wanted to comment on it, but instead saved his questions for later. There was an appropriate time for an appropriate action.
Archangel Launched. It flew off Orb territory, invisible except at the beginning, and guided by a invisible guardian.
