Chapter 7 - Traitor

Unkown : Sad? Ah...right...I'm glad you enjoy it, you enjoy it right? Anyways, you are the first reviewer for this chapter and last chapter! No one reviewed last chapter so you win a cookie! -hands a cookie to Unknown-

Lady Aparma : Yay! New reviewer! I like today...Oh! My brother's here for a visit! He's been in Iraq as a tank guy but now he's back with his wife and kid. And they're at my house for a month! -blinks- that was so random. Oh, -hands you a cookie tooblinks as she checks reviews- wait...you're here as...wolf shapshifter...huh? I'm confused...

Although I know there is no reason for me to be so late in posting, seeing as I've got 10 chapters written, I'm going to give an excuse. FCAT! There it is. Florida's FCAT. I have a bit of my story -chapter 11- written down in a notebook, in my locker, at school. So I wont be seeing it till Monday. I'll try to remember to post. -bows- I'm sorry! Okay...enjoy the chapter! I hope you enjoy it at least...

Inuc : I think she's still a bit unsettled about that Flame...oh, those smores were good btw.


Recap from last chapter!

Yzak and company walked near the ports. "Dang it! The ship back to the PLANTS will leave in less than an hour and we still haven't located that bastard Athrun!" he yelled.

"Hey! Look there!" Nicol pointed and the other two looked. It was the Archangel.

"Whoa! What're they doing here?" Yzak yelled.

"Well, this is a neutral area. They can come and go as they please." Dearka shrugged.

"Look! It's..." They all looked.


Athrun walked out of the Archangel, Kira close behind. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon. It'll be forever before we get to talk again." Kira spoke, the sadness was hidden from his voice.

"Listen Kira. Now that they know I'm the pilot of Aegis, they'll never trust me. Heck, I don't think that they trust you completely. Don't get me wrong, your friends are nice people, and Lieutenant Commander Mu La Flaga even let me off without locking me up or telling the captain. They're nice people, but I'm different."

"I'm different too." Kira said shortly. From up on the hill, Yzak, Nicol, and Dearka listened to the conversation. "I'm different from everyone on that ship. But my friends are on that ship, so I have to protect them. Even if I am a coordinator." The three on the hill gasped.

"I still don't see why you can't just join us in the PLANTS."

"I wish I could. But I can't. And I can't explain it. I just...can't." Yzak had stopped listening. Dearka stood up next to him.


"He wants to join that coordinator as an Earth Forces pilot! That traitor." he had his back to Athrun and Kira.

"Which one? Athrun or the other kid?" Dearka asked. Nicol was still listening to Kira and Athrun.


"Kira...if I can't get you to become a ZAFT forces pilot, maybe I could get you to come to visit Lacus sometime."

"Huh? Lacus? I doubt she really cares if she sees me or not."

"No. She talks about you whenever I go to her house, I'm serious. She really enjoyed her time on your ship, and she doesn't hold a grudge against that girl, Flay, who was rude to her."

"Oh...she told you about that?"

"Yea, she says that you seemed affected by it too. That girl doesn't seem to care who she insults as long as her point is put across. But I don't care really, except for the fact that her insults to coordinators hurt you too." Athrun said, he seemed angry at Flay, but was holding back the urge to punch someone.

"It's ok Athrun. Just...tell Lacus I said Hi when you get back. I doubt that the captain will let me go long enough for a vacation to the PLANTS anyways."

"I disagree" Came a voice.

Meanwhile

"The brown haired kid! He betrayed his fellow coordinators and now he's dragging Athrun towards becoming an enemy too! Can't you see? It's a conspiracy! That kid is a nuisance." Yzak was still ranting.

"Uh.." Dearka tried. Yzak continued. "Yzak..." Yzak still didn't shut up. Dearka took a step towards Yzak and punched him.

"What the hell was that?"

"Two things. #1 That kid is probably the pilot of the Strike, seeing as how he's a coordinator and no natural could defeat us. And #2. Nicol's gone." He said these two things slowly, so as to drag it out. Yzak was both astonished and angered by the fact that the kid down there was the pilot but had his attention slightly diverted when he heard Nicol was gone.

"Where is he?" Yzak began looking around. "Oh no. Not another one!"


Kira and Athrun turned to see who spoke.

"Nicol?" Athrun breathed. A crewmate had found him, worse yet. He was still standing by the Archangel.

"Nice to see you again Athrun. I'd like to know why I wasn't invited on this journey. Yzak and Dearka are boring guys. All Yzak wanted to do was find you and figure out what conspiracy you were concocting." Nicol smiled, then turned his attention to Kira.

"Hello. I heard your conversation from up there on the hill, where Yzak is probably yelling. You're Kira right? Athrun doesn't talk much about you, but I suppose it's for the best. I'm Nicol Amalfi, pilot of the Blitz Gundam." He extended a hand as if to shake. Kira shook his hand.

"Um...hi. My full name is Kira Yamato, and I pilot the Strike." Kira was a bit nervous but then noticed that Nicol seemed...different. "How...old are you?"

"Me? I'm 15. I'm the youngest of all the Gundam pilots. Everyone looks down upon me because I'd rather play piano than fight in the war...well, except Athrun of course. He encourages my piano playing." Nicol smiled. At this point, Athrun cut in.

"Hey Nicol. What did you mean when you said you disagreed. Do you know of a way to get Kira a vacation to the PLANTS?" He said. Nicol smiled.

"Just show me to your captain."


Yzak and Dearka watched in horror as both Athrun and Nicol walked back inside with Kira.

"Damn it! He's good. But I will not be converted that easily. I will kill Kira Yamato, pilot of the Strike. I swear it!" He yelled. Several passers by...they were quite far away, stared at him.

"Yzak...you're starting to freak me out." Dearka said as he laid down.

"What exactly are you doing Dearka? Two of our best pilots just walked into an enemy's ship!"

"What does it look like huh? I'm gonna lay down and wait for them to come out."

Yzak looked furious but laid against a nearby fence.


Kira inched along the hallways, looking around the corner before going. Nicol whispered to Athrun.

"If this is his ship, why is he sneaking?"

"Because. His crewmates and friends found out I'm a ZAFT pilot and they weren't to happy about it."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Think of how you would feel if an entire room yelled about how you were an evil, heartless, killing beast that didn't care about anyone but yourself."

"Ouch."

"Yea, and it was all coming from one girl."

"Wow. I don't think I wanna meet her."

"Then get down." Athrun pushed Nicol down as Kira ducked. Tolle walked along the hallway perpendicular to theirs. Soon Kira breathed again and they continued on the way to the captains quarters.

After a few minutes they reached the captains room. Kira checked both ways, then knocked, Athrun and Nicol were standing behind him.

"Yes? Who is it?" Came a females voice from inside.

"Their captain is a girl?" Nicol whispered to Athrun.

"Yea." Athrun whispered back.

"It's me Captain. Ensign Yamato. My friend has something to ask." Kira said, he spoke clearly but not to loud. The door opened.

"Well, come in." Ramius ordered. They entered and the door closed. "Who's this? Another civilian Yamato? I thought I said -"

"I know Captain. But Athrun, Nicol, and I wanted to ask you something."

"Fine. What is it?"

"I wanna know if you'd be so kind as to let me go to the PLANTS for a day or two."

Captain Ramius, who had been holding a cup, now dropped the cup. "What?"

"I wish to go to the PLANTS for a little while." Kira repeated. Athrun and Nicol could hear how nervous he was. It didn't seem that Captain Ramius wanted her best pilot to leave.

"Kira Yamato. Do you even know what your asking? If you left we would be almost fully unprotected. You are one of my two pilots, and one of the best pilots I've ever met. You are a necessity to the survival of this ship. If you left-" She was interrupted by Nicol.

"Excuse me ma'am. My name is Nicol. I'm a accomplished pianist, and I was hoping Kira could come to see my next recital, at the PLANTS." He spoke in his sweet and convincing voice. Murrue Ramius was taken by surprise at how sweet this boy seemed.

"I'm sorry. But you can't be more than 16..."

"15 actually. I'm quite the young achiever."

"Amazing. If we had a piano on board I would most likely ask you to prove your talent by playing, but I have no piano."

"It's alright ma'am. I understand that it is difficult to believe the word of a coordinator, of which are your enemies. But I assure you that I don't lie and that I am a pianist. If you'd like proof, here's some sheet music."

Captain Ramius looked at the music and saw that it was a difficult piece. She turned to the next page of music and a smaller paper fell out. She picked it up and read.

"This is an admittance ticket to a Grand Piano Concert. It's scheduled for tomorrow. The Pianist is Nicol Amalfi. Your father is a ZAFT Supreme Council member, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And yet you only come here to request Kira's admittance to your concert, as well as a trip to the PLANTS?"

"Again, Yes ma'am." Nicol had bowed when he gave her the music and was still bowing.

"You don't have to bow so much Mr. Amalfi. I'm not royalty. As for the concert, Kira may go. But he must be back on the first ship back here after my appointed date, or we shall have to storm the PLANTS to retrieve him." She had a joking look in her eyes as she said the last part. "Now Kira. Your orders."

"Yes ma'am." Kira stood in a very military pose that Athrun had never seen him take before. He guessed that he did this when talking to the captain.

"Pack your things, you are allowed 3 days. For that long we can stay in port without ZAFT forces attacking us. After 4 days, not including today, we will be asked to leave, using force, and you will be left here. Understand? You must be back by sundown in three days. No more. But in the meantime," She dropped her authority. "Have fun." Kira loosened up as well.

"Thank You ma'am."

"You are dismissed." She turned to Athrun and Nicol. She had on a smirk that said she knew something they didn't. "You two, please stay behind while Kira collects his things."

"Yes ma'am." They said at the same time. Kira left and the captain looked at them, the joke gone from them.

"Well, you are two very interesting people. You, Nicol Amalfi, are an accomplished pianist at only 15. And you, Athrun Zala." Athrun was surprised she knew his last name. "A crew member, left anonymous, has told me all about you. You pilot the Aegis, your father is the commander in chief of the ZAFT forces, and you're a member of the Le Creuset team." Athrun thought the worst, things that happened to soldiers when they were caught by the enemy. "Yet Kira trusts you. I am fully prepared to let you live, and let you leave. But you must swear that nothing you learned while on this ship will leak out to anyone besides You, Kira, and the crew, unless of course, Nicol knows, than he must swear."

"Ma'am, I honestly have no clue what you're talking about." Nicol said. "But I will not let Athrun take all the blame. I am also a pilot, I pilot the Blitz. I am also on the Le Creuset team. But I do not wish to harm anyone, least you or anyone who is a friend of Athrun's." He had this innocent look on.

"I believe you. But if anything should happen and you should tell anyone about this, you will be captured and locked up. You shall then stand trial at the Earth Alliance headquarters, where they will decide what to do with you. I myself don't like war, and I would rather not kill if I didn't have to." Both Athrun and Nicol gulped, just before Kira came back in.

"Ok, I'm ready to go."

Ramius smiled. "Have fun Kira, Athrun, Nicol. Remember what I said though boys." She held up a finger as someone 'tsk'ing someone for doing something wrong. Kira looked confused.

Soon they were off down the hallways, walking very un military like, towards the exit. They luckily didn't run into anyone and when they reached the exit Kira checked his watch.

"Oh no! The shuttle back leaves in 10 minutes!" Athrun, Nicol, and Kira all began to run.


Dearka had fallen asleep in the sun and Yzak kicked him awake when the other three exited the ship. "Wha?"

"They're back."

"Why are they running?" Dearka asked, wiping away sleep.

"I have no clue. Come on." Yzak ran after them, Dearka on his tail.


Ok, there's the chapter...I guess...um...no...this isn't a cliffy...I don't think...nope...not that I know of...Anyways, bye! Review please!