I have noticed an increasing trend that fanfic writers will thank their reviewers before (or after) each chapter. I actually rather like the idea, so I've jumped on the bandwagon and will be doing the same P And now, with no further ado…
Miriallia Elthman: My first reviewer! Thanks for your comment; I was glad to see someone liked my story! Glad to hear I was able to recreate that scene well; spent a long time playing, pausing, typing, and repeating. Good to know it was worth it!
Trisha: Thanks! I love this pairing so much…I'm glad to see more and more stories being written about them. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
aishiterudean: Hope I haven't disappointed you with this next chapter! Definitely spent more time creating my own "off screen" scenes between the two, but I still tried to keep it as accurate as possible. I hope you like it!
Lomiothiel: Thanks for the suggestion! I made their sections longer this time, so hopefully you'll like that better. I actually try to stay away from titles like "Dearka's POV" because I think it interrupts the flow of the story, but I threw them in this time, just to see how they work. If it looks like people like that better, they'll be here to stay. Thank you again!
xWHRobynx: I'm glad you liked it! I enjoy your stories too, and I hope to see you update soon!
maboroshi: Thank you for your compliment! I don't write often in first person; of the four stories I've authored, only one is mainly first person. Glad to see I haven't disappointed you!
Miss Akira: Well said! All I have to say is…Dearka and Miriallia had better be in Gundam Seed Destiny! At least Miriallia shows up in the promotional trailer…keep your fingers crossed!
Dearka
Several days had passed since I'd seen her. Left alone, I spent most of my time sleeping. There wasn't anything else better to do. One day, however, as I lay moodily in my bed, I heard footsteps and then her voice. "Your lunch," she said, sliding it through the bars. Surprised, I turned to look at her.
She was staring at the ground, and I could tell she wasn't in a happy mood. "People were arguing…Sorry for being late," she said shortly. I sat up and stared at her.
She noticed me looking and glared. "What?" she demanded petulantly.
It was actually kind of cute. "Eh, nothing," I managed good-naturedly. Then I said nervously, "I didn't think you'd be the one to bring it."
"'You?!'" she demanded angrily.
Oops, apparently I was rude. Well, I certainly wasn't going to attempt that long complicated name of hers; she'd just get angrier. So I just said, "I'm sorry…Miss 'You,'" though I admit I did say it somewhat jokingly.
"It's Miriallia. It's not "'you.'"
Well, this was a surprise! "I can call you by your name?" I asked hopefully. Maybe there was hope for…I don't know what, but maybe there was hope after all!
"No!"
So much for that.
…………………
Miriallia
The nerve! I bring him food and he tries to be smart with me! Who does he think we are, friends? How dare he ask to call me by my name!
…Then again, I was the one who insisted on not being called "you," or "Miss You," for that matter. Stupid men. I turned to storm off huffily.
"Hey wait!" he suddenly said, jumping out of bed. "What?" I said irritably. "What's with this ship? Why am I constantly confined here? There can't still be a battle…Isn't this a bit weird?"
"I know that! But, it can't be helped," I shot back. Who does he think wants to feed him all the time?
He was getting bolder by the minute. "Where is this place? When can I get the hell out of here?!" he demanded.
"It's Orb. But it's not like we can get off the ship either," I said resentfully. "What happens to you is of no concern to me," I finished frostily, flouncing my way out.
Lucky him, I thought to myself, storming down the hall. I really didn't see how he could possibly have any complaints. He had his food, didn't he? Okay, so maybe he was a prisoner of war, but at least his so-called allies didn't go about stabbing him in the back and abandoning him. Sighing, I stopped and leaned against the wall. The memory of Alaska made my head hurt. Why did I ever get myself into this? What a naïve girl I was then…I could still remember telling Kira how "we all decided to help out." Ha! Look where that got us! I knew war was ugly, but I certainly hadn't expected all this…Tolle's death, being abandoned by the Earth's forces, having to feed some smart ass pilot…
Well at least I didn't have to do that last one. At least, not on a regular basis.
I was still daydreaming when I heard someone call out to me. "Private Haww!"
I opened my eyes. It was one of the officers. "What is it?" I asked.
"The captain would like to see you. Please go meet her in her office."
I blinked, confused. What did I do? But then I calmed myself down. Sure, the captain was the captain, but in many ways, she was like an older sister. I'm sure she just had something she needed to tell me, I reassured myself, nodding my thanks and heading towards her office.
Her office was only a short ways away. I knocked on the door. "Captain?" I called.
"Come in," and the door slid open.
I walked in and saluted. She returned the salute, then said, "Private Haww, sit down please. I have something I would like to discuss with you."
I nodded and sat down. The captain folded her hands and looked at me very seriously. Uh oh…this can't be good.
"Private Haww, I know it's been a hectic time for all of us, and especially you. Losing Private Koenig was hard on all of us, and I can understand what you've been feeling. You have my condolences."
"Thank you," I whispered, blinking back tears.
She continued. "However, I must remind you that this is a war. You are a commissioned soldier," and her mouth twitched dryly. She must be remembering Alaska as well. She sighed and continued. "And there are expectations you must fulfill. As soldiers, we cannot allow our feelings to get in the way of our duty, and sometimes, our duty is following rules. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
I nodded slowly, a sinking feeling slowly forming in my stomach. She had to be talking about…
"I am, of course, referring to the incident with the prisoner."
Damn.
She raised an eyebrow. My reaction must've been obvious. "Of course, I am not blaming you completely for the incident. I would discipline Second Class Private Allster if she was still onboard, but unfortunately, she's not. Private Argyle explained to me that the prisoner had done something to provoke you. However, saying 'I was provoked' is not going to satisfy anyone in the event of a court martial. I can guarantee you that much. Had your attack on the prisoner been successful, there would have been drastic consequences, consequences that I would not have wanted you to suffer. I do commend you on saving his life, however."
"Thank you," I mumbled, face burning. Oh, this was so embarrassing.
The captain stood up. "Well then, you better get going," she said cheerfully. I stared. "Excuse…me?" I stammered.
She smiled at me. Wait, why was she smiling?! Oh no, this is bad…
Her next words confirmed my suspicions. "The cook informed me that you had taken the prisoner's forgotten food tray to the brig. That was very nice of you. He should be done by now, so you'd better go bring the tray back. And don't forget to take down his dinner later either. We don't want him to starve now, do we?"
My jaw dropped. "Captain!" I sputtered in disbelief. "Are you saying that I-"
"-Will be responsible for feeding him and taking care of him until further notice? Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. Consider this a lesson on how to deal with your emotions. Dismissed, Private Haww!" she said with a wave of her hand, shooing me out.
So much for not having to feed him on a regular basis.
…………………
Dearka
"Way to lead a guy on," I muttered to myself, wiping my mouth with a napkin as I recalled the events of the last half hour. That girl definitely had some issues with mood swings. First she tries to kill me, and then she saves my life. Then she brings me my food voluntarily, but gives me a nasty attitude about it. She complains when I call her "you," or even "Miss You," tells me her name, then refuses to let me call her by name! Really!
Women. Who needs them?
I sighed. Who was I kidding? I like women, maybe even a bit too much, as Yzak used to constantly remind me, especially whenever I was flipping through Athrun's swimsuit magazine. But who was he to talk? Even Nicol had read it, and I'd caught Yzak looking at it a few times too! I smiled at the memory. Athrun Zala, of all people, having a subscription to a swimsuit magazine. I should've threatened to tell Lacus Clyne on him when I had the chance…
At that thought, I scowled and shoved the food tray back under the slot. Yeah right, tell on him indeed, especially since I was now locked up as a prisoner of war. I threw myself back on the bed. At least I'd gotten to see her again, and at least I knew her name now, even if she wouldn't let me call her by name. In any case, at this rate, it's not like I'd ever see her again-
The door to the brig opened. I rolled over and pretended to be asleep. I wasn't in the mood to see one of the ship's officers-
Suddenly, I sat up. Those footsteps…they didn't sound normal. In fact, they sounded rather angry. Curious, I went over to the cell bars to take a look.
What do you know, it was Miriallia. And I had been right about the footsteps; she looked furious. She stormed over to my cell, and without looking at me, swept the tray off the floor and turned to storm back out. "What, not even going to greet me?" I called over, not wanting to lose the chance to talk to her.
She gave me a murderous look. Ouch. Still cute though.
I tried again. "You already surprised me once, bringing me my lunch. Now will I have the privilege of seeing you every day?"
Miriallia glared at me, then stomped back over. She jabbed her index finger at me through the bars. "Let's just get one thing straight," she huffed. "I am NOT doing this because I want to! Got it?"
I grinned. "Ooh…someone must've gotten it for attacking a prisoner, am I right?" I teased.
She turned bright red. Looks like I was right. "None of your business!" she snapped, tossing her head and walking off. I just laughed. "Then it looks like I'll see you for dinner!" I called, waving at her and doing a little dance after she was gone. Hey, locked up or not, at least I got to be fed by a cute girl!
Sure enough, a few hours later, she showed up again with my dinner. "Thanks," I said hopefully as she slid it over to me.
Silence.
Well, can't blame a guy for trying right? I reached over to pick up the tray, then stopped and looked up.
She was still there, standing a little off to the side and facing away from me. "Hmm, not going to leave?" I asked.
She didn't turn to face me. "I don't want to come back for the tray later, so I'm waiting. Eat fast. I have other things to do," she said flatly.
I blinked, surprised. Then I chuckled and sat myself on the floor. "Well if I get to have such a cute girl accompany me while I eat, I'm certainly not going to complain," I said, starting to eat.
"You're hopeless," she said quietly, sitting herself down but still not looking at me.
Several minutes passed in silence, save the sounds I made as I was eating. I glanced up for a moment, and caught her staring at me. She quickly looked away. I took that as an invitation to attempt a conversation.
"So, ah, how're things? You know, the war and all. How did everything go?"
"If you're talking about Alaska, you guys lost," she said monotonously. I frowned. "Alaska?" I asked.
"Yes Alaska…one of your largest operations yet."
"Largest operation? Nah, the largest one should've been at Panama. Spit Break, it was called."
"What?" she said, turning to look at me. I nodded, taking a sip of water. "Operation Spit Break…The target was Panama; meant to wipe you guys out, really," I said mildly.
She shook her head slowly. "No…I remember being told that your original objective had been Panama, but at the last minute, you changed it to Alaska."
I shrugged. "Maybe. I guess that would make sense. I'm just a soldier; I don't do administrative stuff. Shame that ZAFT lost though." I paused. "Hey, just how badly did we lose?"
"You were wiped out. The Earth's forces activated the Cyclops system. Completely destroys everything within a certain radius," she said in an odd voice. She suddenly stood up. "I need to go. Are you done eating yet?"
I nodded. "Yeah…thanks again," I said, pushing the tray towards her. She just nodded, picked it up, and hurried out. I frowned at her retreating form. What was that all about? What had happened?
…………………
Miriallia
Why did he have to ask about Alaska? Why why why? I really didn't need to be reminded of it, to say nothing of the fact that we'd fled from battle and then deserted. Really, I get a new headache every time I have to deal with him.
But it wasn't as if I could do anything about it. Orders were orders, and I had to follow them. As I walked towards the cafeteria to return his tray, I saw Ssigh running towards me. "Milly!" he called, waving at me. "What is it?" I asked.
Ssigh finally caught up to me. "Did you hear about Panama?" he asked. I shook my head. "I thought they were done at Alaska. Did ZAFT attack Panama too?" I asked. Ssigh nodded. "It was bad. ZAFT won this time…slaughtered a bunch of Earth's soldiers while they were at it. Thing is, they had already surrendered. Didn't have so much as a knife on any of them. I heard the captain discussing it with Uzumi."
I shook my head sadly. "Why…" I said softly to myself. "Why do people have to kill each other like this? Do they really hate each other that much?"
The question was still on my mind when I went to bring food to the pilot the next day. As I stood waiting for him to finish, I suddenly asked, "Do you enjoy killing people?"
He looked up at me. "Well…" he said solemnly. I knew he was trying to choose his words carefully. He finally resumed. "It's war. Not much of a choice, really. The army says do it, you do it. That's what being a soldier is all about: following orders."
I turned on him angrily. "Is that so?!" I snapped. He started, dropping his fork. I continued to rant. "So if the army tells you to commit mass murder, you'll do it? Because they're 'orders?' Is that it?"
He looked at me silently. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
"Panama," I spat, fighting to keep my emotions in check. "You guys attacked Panama. This time, you won. And you killed surrendering soldiers while you were at it!"
I could tell I surprised him. "We did?" he asked quietly. I nodded furiously. "You better believe it! They had surrendered too! Why? WHY?! Tell me!" I shouted. He could only look at me sadly. "I…I don't know why," he said quietly. He turned to look at me pleadingly. "Believe me, I've never heard of that done before. Are you sure you heard right?"
How dare he! I snatched the tray from him. "Hey!" he protested. I ignored him. He tried again. "Look…didn't you say yourself ZAFT got 'wiped out' at Alaska? I'm not trying to sound self-righteous, but this is war. You have to accept that. Killing happens. If you tell me what happened at Panama is true, then I'll believe you. But you're a soldier too. Dirty things like this…they happen. You should know that."
I stared at my feet. Clutching the tray tightly, I whispered, "Oh, I know. Believe me, I know," as I walked out.
Shortly afterwards, an announcement was broadcasted throughout the entire ship, calling all crew members to meet in the hangar. I turned to Ssigh and Kazui. "Any idea what this is about?" I asked. They shook their heads.
Soon enough, the entire crew had assembled. The captain came out to meet us.
"Currently, the Earth Alliance Naval Fleet is advancing towards Orb," she announced.
There was a collective gasp. She continued. "Unless Orb decides to side with Earth and attack PLANT together, they will consider Orb as a nation that supports ZAFT. That is the reason."
"What is that?!" an officer demanded.
"Orb currently maintains its neutral stance, and is trying to solve this in a diplomatic matter, but unfortunately, judging from the current response from Earth forces, I'll have to say the chances of evading conflict are very slim. Orb has ordered all citizens to evacuate any metropolis, or military-related buildings. They will also be in defensive formation in case something happens. We too, must make a decision. Currently, the Archangel is a renegade ship. It has not been confirmed whether we can enter or not. There is no one here who can give us orders to prepare us for what's in store for Orb, and nor do I carry the authority to order any of you around."
Another gasp. Ssigh and I looked at each other in bewilderment.
"If they are unable to avoid this, the battle will commence two days from today, at 09:00. Do we fight against Earth to protect Orb? Or don't we? That's something we must all decide for ourselves. And for those who would like to disembark from this ship, please do so right away and evacuate according to Orb's orders." More gasping from the crowd.
The captain smiled. "For following an inadequate captain like myself up to this point…I thank you," she finished, bowing.
We were all in shock. How could this be? Ssigh, Kazui, and I walked back together to our quarters, still stunned by the captain's announcement. Kazui broke the silence first. "We…can leave. Finally," he said incredulously. I looked at Ssigh. He looked pensive. "…Ssigh?" I asked.
He looked at me. "Hehe…yeah, looks like we can leave. But…" and he trailed off.
Kazui stared at him incredulously. "But what? Aren't you thrilled? We're finally free!"
"Yeah…I guess," he said quietly. Kazui grinned. "That's more like it! Wow, I can't wait to get off this ship. It's a pity that Orb's been pulled into such a mess, but I'm sure we can all start over! This will have to blow over eventually, right?"
"…Right," Ssigh and I said distractedly. "Well, I'm off to pack. I'll see you guys soon!" Kazui said, running off excitedly. We watched him leave. Ssigh chuckled. "I haven't seen Kazui this happy in a long time. This will be good for him," he said.
"Yeah…" I murmured, staring off into space. Ssigh smiled at me. "Let me guess…you're thinking of staying, right?" he asked.
I smiled thinly. "How did you know?"
Ssigh chuckled. "Well, I'm thinking the same thing," he said. I stared at him. "Why?" I asked. He shrugged. "I feel like I can make a difference here. I'm needed here. Besides, Orb is my country, right? Not that I'm saying you need to do anything!" he said quickly.
I laughed. "No no, I was thinking the same thing actually," I reassured him. Sighing, I said, "After all, that's why we enlisted in the first place, right? To make a difference? Besides, it's not as if we're fighting for the Earth anymore."
"No, we're just guilty of treason now, that's all," Ssigh said dryly. We both let out disconsolate sighs, then burst out laughing. "Well, I guess that's that," I announced. "Hopeless or not, I'm in this to stay. You're right, we're needed. We have our job to do, and our country to defend. How can we possibly run away now?"
Ssigh nodded. "You're right," he said.
Soon afterwards, we announced our decision to the captain. She stared at us, surprised. "Are you sure? You do realize the situation you're putting yourselves in, right?" We nodded. She tried again. "But your friend, he's leaving, isn't he? Why aren't you going with him?"
"We just want to stay…that's all," I said simply, smiling at her. She looked at us, tears in her eyes. Finally, she nodded. "Very well then…Thank you Private Argyle, Private Haww. Your help will be much appreciated." She paused for a minute, then said, "Oh yes, Private Haww, since your friend is leaving, we're going to need a new CIC. Care for the job?"
I grinned. Saluting, I said, "Yes, ma'm! You can count on me!"
The next two days passed by in a blur. I was busy training for my new job, and everyone was frantically readying themselves for combat. Finally, just hours before the battle was to begin, the captain called me aside.
"Yes?" I asked. She handed me something. It was the prisoner's flight suit. I looked at her, a confused expression on my face. She shrugged. "No point in having him still locked up here, right? Especially since we're not with the Earth anymore. Give his suit back to him, and arrange for his release. Be sure to get him some civilian clothing too; you can ask one of the other officers to take care of that. Then head back to the bridge. The battle will commence shortly, so be sure to hurry." I nodded, saluted, then ran off. Looks like I would finally be free of him…but I couldn't quite tell if I was relieved or not. But it didn't matter, because I would never see him again anyway.
…………………
Dearka
Even though I had told her dirty things did happen in war, for some reason, the news about Panama bothered me greatly. We had killed surrendering soldiers? But why? It made no sense. But then again, I knew PLANT had been getting increasingly desperate to end the war. Patrick Zala had recently succeeded Siegel Clyne as the chairman of PLANT's high council, and I knew what a radical he was. But still…would we stoop so low? Miriallia had to have been telling the truth; her angry reaction was proof of that. I couldn't help but wonder if Yzak and Athrun had attacked Panama. No, they had to have helped. But would they kill people like that? But what if they really had been ordered to do that? It was strange: I knew awhile ago, even if I had been ordered to do so, I probably wouldn't have minded much. They were just Naturals, after all. They were pests to be eliminated.
But that wasn't true. Miriallia was proof of that. I had been forced to admit to myself that we were the same. Maybe we were a little different genetically, but when it really came down to it…we were the same. We were all human. It was hard to swallow, especially for someone like me. I remembered how gung ho I had been about enlisting. It had caused a huge rift to develop between me and my father. He said he saw no point in me enlisting; he wanted me to become a biologist or something. I should take advantage of my resources, he had said, pointing out our PLANT's strong biology and medical program. He was worried about the decreasing birthrates among Coordinators, but he himself, as a member of the high council, didn't have time to investigate personally. So he hoped I would.
But I'd refused. Becoming a scientist or doctor seemed so boring. Fighting in a war would be much more interesting. Besides, I did dance as a hobby. I knew I was quite the athlete. To just let that go to waste would be a true misuse of my talents, I'd argued. And besides, if he was so interested in making Coordinators stronger, what better way than to go wipe out the inferior Naturals? We were never able to reach an agreement, and I finally just left, enrolling in the academy myself. And sure enough, I excelled. I didn't have the focus or determination some of the others hand, but I had the talent. When they told me I'd graduated as one of the top five, I acted like it was no big deal. To me, it really wasn't. No, the real fun would begin when I was on the battlefield. That's when I'd get to show those Naturals what Coordinators were made of.
But since I obviously no longer thought that way, it brought up the issue of what I would do the next time I went out on the battlefield. Well, no point in thinking about that. There was no way the Earth was going to let me off easy. I could already see the writing on the wall. The only thing that might get me off was my age, but considering how sending people my age to the frontlines was now commonplace for both sides, I really didn't think it'd do me much good.
I was lying on my bed sorting out all these thoughts when she came down. Strange thing was, she had already brought down my breakfast a few hours ago, and when she unlocked my door, I knew something was up. "A trial? A transfer?" I asked, sitting up. I was bored, and just about anything would be better than staying here. "This ship is going into combat," she explained. "Orb is going to be assaulted by Earth forces."
"Huh?"
She ignored me. "So, they say you're done now…you're free," she said coolly, and tossed me my flight suit. I sat there stunned for a few seconds, then ran out after her.
"Wa-Wait a minute! Hey! What does that mean?" Earth against Orb? Me suddenly going free? It made no sense.
Clearly she missed the point, or she didn't care to answer. "What, weren't you listening when I said that?" she said in an annoyed voice. "Since Earth forces are attacking, Archangel needs to fight too. So it's pointless to keep you tied up. So…get off the ship."
"No, but why are you guys fighting against the Earth?!" Women always missed the point.
"It's because Orb isn't going to side with Earth."
That surprised me, and I stopped following her. "What? What does that mean?" How could a country on the Earth not side with the Earth? Didn't they care about unity? Why were Naturals wasting time fighting other Naturals? "Are Naturals that dumb?"
That stopped her. "So what if they are?!" she demanded, turning around. "Once they start attacking, it'll be total chaos. Sorry, but figure the rest out on your own."
So harsh. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "What can I do, if you say that?" I grumbled. Then I asked quickly, "Hey, what about Buster?"
"It was ours to begin with. Morgenroete took it." I groaned. So much for that.
…………………
Miriallia
I felt a little sorry for him. Captured, his mobile suit taken away from him, and then dumped far away from any of his fellow Coordinators, it couldn't get much worse. I sighed and turned around. "I'm sorry that things turned out like this," I said, then turned back around to walk off.
Suddenly he was grabbing my arm. "You're fighting too?!" he demanded.
"I'm Archangel's CIC!" I shot back, shaking him off. "And besides…Orb is my country," I finished, leaving him alone and returning to my position on the bridge.
As I walked back, I couldn't help but think what a pity it all was. If it weren't for this war, could we have had something? Not romantically, of course! Of course not that! My heart was still Tolle's, even if he was gone. And, yet…
I had to admit, despite our bad start, we had more or less gotten along. In fact, I had never felt freer to speak my mind in front of anyone else. With Kira, and even Tolle, I had always felt like the big sister. I had to be the responsible one, because if I didn't do the job, who would? With the exception of Ssigh, I had been the oldest out of the group, even if it was sometimes only by a month or two. But sometimes, it had really felt like a year or two. I was the one constantly looking out for everyone. I had been the one to try to control Fllay's anti-Coordinator sentiments in front of Kira. I had been the one to worry over everyone. I had been the one who needed to appear calm, unruffled, even in the scariest of times. The result? In the end, I had snapped. I nearly killed someone, all because I had always tried to hold in my true emotions.
But with him, it had been different. I could cry, scream, snap, and yell at him all I wanted, not because I was trying to abuse him, but because I sincerely wanted or needed to. With him, I didn't have to keep up appearances. We owed each other nothing, and that had been liberating for me. He saw me for who I truly was, and I didn't care if he didn't like what he saw. In fact, strangely enough, despite seeing me at my worst times, he hadn't seemed to have cared. He actually…seemed to like me that way.
I shook my head vigorously. No matter. He was gone now. I was sure at this moment he was cleaning himself up, getting himself some new clothes, and getting off the ship as fast as he could. I couldn't blame him. He was finally free, and not even as a prisoner, but as a civilian. He could go back to ZAFT, and we'd probably have to end up shooting him down again. I was strangely saddened by that thought. As I sat myself down in my new chair, I wondered…What would happen if we met on the battlefield again?
"Orb's forces have begun to fight," Ssigh announced.
"Archangel, launch," the captain ordered.
"Strike, please launch," I said, after Kira took off with Freedom.
It had begun.
