Cosmic Era 71, May 17. The December PLANTs were recently attacked by an Alliance assault group, who were focused on obtaining the newer GINN High-Maneuver types from the local Lander Team. Now tensions have increased substantially. The theft of the Freedom Gundam has set the PLANTs into a civil war as Patrick Zala has ordered for the arrest of Clyne family who he has labeled as traitors to the PLANTs. At the same time, Athrun Zala has returned to the PLANTs to meet with his father. While Silent Eve has been called in to talk to Chairman Zala, and Hunt Nexx has also been called in for the same reasons.
Captain Yuki was walking throughout the chaotic ZAFT command center. All around him, soldiers were still bringing in reports from Operation Spitbreak and still trying to compile reports to other ZAFT officials. As Yuki continued to make his way through the center, he finally arrived at door to Chairman Zala's office. Standing outside the door was Silent Eve, armed with his sword. Silent had his arms crossed and was facing in a different direction.
Yuki started to approach Silent, who then finally turned and faced Yuki. Silent smiled, "hey, Captain Yuki. What are you up to?" Silent extended his arm for a handshake.
Yuki returned the handshake and also returned the smile as well. "Not much, not much. Just looking around for Athrun. He seemed to have disappeared."
"Oh, Athrun's back from earth? Damn, and he doesn't even come to see me..." Silent sighed.
"Well, don't blame him. Kid's been through a lot, you know. Apparently he's still got to do more, though..." Yuki started to divert his eyes to Chairman Zala's office, then back to Silent.
"Huh, like what?"
"For one thing, his engagement to Lacus for one thing, is over. That almost broke he heart for a second," Yuki explained.
"Jeez...what happened - wait. I already know," Silent began to ponder for a second. "Chairman Zala told Athrun he and Lacus are no longer engaged, 'cause the Clyne's are all branded as traitors to the PLANTs, huh?"
"That's about right. He's supposed to recieve a new prototype mobile suit and head to earth," Yuki continued to explain.
"Back to Earth? What's he going back there for?" Silent inquired.
"You know about that stolen Freedom mobile suit right?"
"...yea..." Silent replied.
"That mobile suit has a N-Jammer Canceler. So does Athrun's unit. Chairman Zala says that Athrun needs to either capture or destroy the stolen Freedom unit," Yuki explained.
"N-Jammer Canceler, eh? They finally finished them huh?" Silent responded.
"Well, ZAFT can't use your CGUEs battery cap on every new mobile suit. So, instead we need to use nuclear power."
"To end the war?" Silent raised his right eyebrow.
"As soon as possible. For the sake of both sides," Yuki sighed.
"Chairman Zala will see you know, Commander Eve," a secretary showed opened Chairman Zala's door for Silent.
"I'll see you later, Yuki," Silent waved as he walked to Chairman Zala's office. "Tell Athrun 'hi' from me if you see him!"
"Same to you. Have a good day," Yuki waved back and continued to walk in the command center.
Silent made his way in front of Patrick Zala's desk. The Chairman was viewing two things at the same time on his computer. On one screen, he saw Silent's combat performance in capturing the High-Maneuver GINN, and in another screen, was a prototype mobile suit with 'X13A' on the bottom of the screen. Zala then turned off the screens and then looked at Silent. "I would like to first commend you on retrieving that stolen mobile suit recently, Silent."
"Oh, you're welcome, sir. It was no problem, no GINN can ever out perform my CGUE, sir."
"That and almost no one can even match your skills. Your father would be very proud, Silent," Zala congratulated Silent.
"Please, sir," Silent looked down, "I'm not much into talking about my father, thinking about it would make me loose focus, sir."
"That's understandable. Just remember that you make him, if not myself proud, Silent."
"You and the Clyne's have been a second family to me, sir."
"The Clyne's are no longer your family. They are traitors to the PLANTs!" Chairman Zala was now slightly set off. Silent began to remember what Yuki said about Athrun and Lacus. "Sorry about that Silent, I just don't need traitors in our midst at this stage in the war."
"You remember, sir, that if Athrun wasn't engaged to Lacus, I would've been. Would you have forced me to end my relationship with Lacus as you did to Athrun," Silent questioned.
"That's a separate issue. I'm just glad that we don't have to face that fact at this time," Chairman Zala responded.
"Chairman Zala, there's a Hunt Nexx here for you, sir," the secretary called in.
"Send him in," Zala ordered back. "You are as much a son to me as Athrun is, and I feel that the same was true with the Clyne's. However, don't mistake that they have betrayed our people, Silent."
"Your people, sir. Remember, your people."
"Ah yes." Then the door opened, and Hunt Nexx started to walked into the office. "Silent Eve, meet Hunt Nexx, the Chaos of Grimaldi I believe his nickname is," Zala introduced the two.
Silent shook Hunts hand. The two peered into each other's eyes. Silent focused into Hunt's golden eyes, and Hunt focused on Silent's silver eyes. Their grips tightened and tightened.
"And Hunt, this is Silent Eve, the Knight of December. Son of Maxwell Eve," Chairman Zala explained.
"The Chaos of Grimaldi? Heh...your reputation precedes you in many ways. They say that you're a cold but superior soldier." Silent gestured.
"That's an understatement. And you, the Knight of December. Very much a chivalrous gentleman aren't you?" Hunt returned the gesture, glancing at Silent's sword.
"In many ways." Then the two smiled at each other, and the at the same exact second, let go of each other's handshake. Silent chuckled slightly with a smile, while Hunt returned to his straight face but still chuckled as well. "Good grip," Silent stated.
"Same goes to you," Hunt replied. "What have you called both of us here for, sir?"
"ZAFT is now gonna change in some ways. We're now not just fighting to protect ourselves," Chairman Zala stood up and looked out his window, "we're fighting to make a future for all coordinators. All coordinators." Zala looked at both Silent and Hunt. He then looked back out the window.
"I see you haven't lost your flare for motivating speeches, sir," Hunt smirked.
"Then let it continue. I've come to the decision that a new part of ZAFT must be formed in order to guarentee protection of the higher members. The Supreme Council and myself are protected by ZAFT, but we don't have our own unit to specifically do so. The only thing close is your unit, Silent, who's mostly just defending the December PLANTs and myself."
"So, what are you asking of us?" Silent inquired.
"You two are going to be the members of a new tactical unit. Free to act on your own will, regarded higher than other Commanders and Captains, and will only accept orders from myself and the Supreme Council."
"Sounds nice. I assume that this is because we're the few exceptions in ZAFT for this, sir?" Hunt added.
"With the exception of my son and Rau Le Creuset, yes. You two are the ones selected for this FAITH," Chairman Zala explained.
"FAITH, sir?" Silent asked.
"Fast Acting Integrated Tactical Headquarters. You two are now the first members of the FAITH unit," Chairman Zala handed them both FAITH emblems to put on their uniforms. "You will be integrated into the standard ZAFT ranks, but regarded higher than all and will only take orders from myself or the Supreme Council." Zala placed the FAITH symbols on their uniforms, and then stepped back to assess the two. "And I would prefer that both of you transfer to the same unit, preferably you Hunt to go to Silent's unit."
"An inticing offer, but I'll decline that. This new promotion is great and all, but I would prefer to be where the battles are, sir," Hunt replied.
"Done, you may do as you will, but when I call -"
"-I will answer, sir." Hunt responded in a stern and deep voice.
"Now go. You two are free to do as you will, until called for. Dismissed!"
"Sir!" Hunt & Silent saluted Chairman Zala, then started to leave the room.
"Silent. If you knew where the Clyne's were hiding, especially Siegel, you will tell me, right?" Zala couldn't have any more a serious face when he requested that.
Silent paused. He looked forward at Hunt, who was standing right at the door, which was already opened. He then closed his eyes slightly, remembering both the Clyne's and Zala's taking him in as their own. His memory then flashed quickly to his father and then suddenly to Lacus. Just before his eyes opened, Silent then saw Elly's face, looking at him in his mind. He then opened his eyes, and turned to face Chairman Zala. One more thing had flashed through his mind, he began to reminisce the theft of the Freedom unit.
Silent was standing in front of Lacus Clyne, at a door before the entrance to the hangar where prototype the prototype mobile suit was stored. He arm was extended out, his sword pointed at her and a strange soldier wearing an Elite uniform. Silent's eyes were serious, but Lacus was still calm. The soldier tried to step in between Silent and Lacus, to prevent her from getting hurt. "Don't move, you."
"Mr. Eve, stand aside!" Lacus ordered. Her calm face started to match Silent's serious one. She put her arms together as if begging him. "Stand aside. This is something that must be done for him."
"And who is he?" Silent then pointed his sword to the soldier.
"He's one who can end this war. He's one who needs it more than any other person, Mr. Eve." Lacus began to plea.
"What is he? An Alliance spy?" Silent inquired. His face becomming slightly more stern.
"I don't fight for the Alliance," the soldier spoke. "I'm Kira Yamato. If you need to know, I am a coordinator, and there's some things I have to do to defend on Earth."
"Now stand aside, Mr. Eve!" Lacus continued to beg.
"You know I can't let you do this, Lacus. But for some reason, I believe you." Silent lowered his sword, and then sheathed it. Both his face and Lacus and Kira's finally calmed down. "Kira...since you don't fight for the Alliance, then you must be fighting for your friends."
"...I might be..." Kira replied.
"Then go, both of you. Some things you can't protect in this world without fighting, Kira. Go!" Silent ordered. He then walked past them, away from the door leading to the hangar without looking back.
"Eve..."Lacus started to follow him. "Thank you Mr. Eve."
"Lacus...I told you to just call me Silent. We've known each other too long for that formality." He turned back too look at Lacus and Kira. "I'm only returning the gratitude of you're family to me. Now go..." Silent turned back and started to walk away. Kira and Lacus took their last sight of Silent, and then turned and opened the door. A large mobile suit was in front of them as they walked in and the door had closed behind them.
"Sir, both of you have given me so much. I am loyal to ZAFT, and both of you. You know the answer to that question, sir." Silent stood, and started to turn back towards the door.
"Good man, Silent. Good man," Chairman Zala acknowledged.
Silent and Hunt left Chairman Zala's office and started to walk down the busy halls of ZAFT command. Both were quiet until they arrived at the main elevator to take them out of the ZAFT command building. Hunt reached over and pressed the button to call the elevator first, and then he glanced slightly at Silent, who was standing with his eyes closed, waiting for the elevator as well.
"So what is it about you that Patrick Zala feels a lot of trust for?"
"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Silent asked back in response as the elevator door opened.
Hunt was the first to step inside the elevator, followed by Silent and then the doors closed. "Patrick Zala seems to trust you as if you were his own son. Like how he expects you to tell him where the Clyne's are hiding if you new."
"Probably because when my own father died, he and Siegel Clyne practically became my father figures..." Silent explained as the elevator started to move. "I suppose since we work together now we should know a little more about each other, eh?"
"Probably." Hunt simply replied.
"So what makes you that cold soldier that got you this promotion?" Silent asked.
"I'm beyond any normal Coordinator, first or second generation. I'm one of a kind in this world 'cause there's no one else like me anywhere," Hunt began to explain. Silent looked at Hunt, who was looking out the glass of the elevator. "I'm a Coordinated-CPU..."
CPU? Like...Naomi? Silent said to himself.
"I was given several genetic enhancements as a Coordinator, but then it only got better. I was created in an Atlantic Federation facility where after I was concieved and about to be fully matured for birth, they implanted several micro-implants into my nerves, glands, and brain in order to ultimately factor out fear, give me even more strength than a normal Coordinator," Hunts voice started to get deeper.
"So, those naturals enhanced a genetically enhanced human being?" Silent asked.
"In order to make me their ultimate weapon. I was without fear, little emotion, and was practically made to kill."
"What happened, I mean, how is it that you ended up on ZAFT's side?"
"When I was young, I was able to escape on a ship that took me to space, and then found my way to the PLANTs. Of course, I killed everyone that saw me until I got to the PLANTs, by a natural impulse." Hunt finished explaining. He peered back at Silent with his golden eyes.
"Can you control that natural impulse now?"
"Well...yes. Of course our damn ZAFT doctors tell me that I might loose control of my impulse some day, but they all doubt how strong I am. And what about you, Silent? I know that there's more than Patrick Zala's good family graces that gave you this promotion, eh?" Hunt asked.
"I was of course been a long family friend of the Zala's and Clyne's. The Eve family line lost a lot of politcal control to the Zala's and Clyne's when my father died, because of what he did. But, out of Patrick Zala and Siegel Clyne's favor to my father, they were able to forgive what he did and accept me."
"What did he do that brought the Eve's down?"
"It's practically simple, I'm like you, one of a kind, because no other Coordinator is like me anywhere..."
"And what is that?" Hunt asked.
The elevator left the inside of the PLANTs main buildings and the veiw had changed. Silent and Hunt were able to see outside into the PLANT and was even able to see outside of the PLANT, where a purple-pink unit had taken launched, and flared its verniers and taken off into space. "Looks like Athrun's leaving now...anyway. My father, Maxwell Eve was a man from ORB, who made several visits their to make good relations between ORB and the PLANTs. On one of his visits, he met my mother," Silent continued to explain. "And she's pretty much the ONLY Natural to live in a PLANT."
"So...you are one of a kind," Hunt agreed.
"Yea...the bridge between Coordinators and Naturals...a look at the future," Silent sighed. "I'm half-Coordinator."