-Archangel, La Grange Point 3, August 4, C.E. 71, 1000.
"The Desert Tiger?!" both Murrue and Natarle gasped in unison.
"That's what I said when he told me," Mwu said casually. "I didn't believe it at first either, but Kira told me the same thing John did. Andrew Waltfeld is the commander of the Eternal. Man, oh man."
"Just another turn along our already twisted path," Frank added. They stood on the Archangel's bridge, with Kisaka lurking in the background. After a period of temporary rest, John had told them that the Orb Fleet Commander would like to speak with them aboard the Kusanagi that morning. Mwu and Murrue were waiting for John to finish talking with Chief Murdoch about repairs to his plane, and then the three of them would proceed via shuttle to the Orb ship. The news of Waltfeld's survival had shocked the entire crew, and even more so now because it appeared as though he was now an ally to them, after being an enemy during their adventures in the African desert.
"Do you think we can trust him, Commander?" Natarle asked.
"No," Mwu answered, forcefully. "But as far as John's concerned, he's as good an ally as the rest of us. We'll just have to go by what he says."
"Well, even if we can't entirely trust him, I suppose we can trust Ms. Clyne. Given our previous encounter with her of course," Murrue added.
"That girl's a strange one alright," Mwu commented.
"Speaking of trust," Frank broke in, "What the hell happened to the helmsman, Ensign Crew?"
"He went over to the Kusanagi, last night after you two returned," Kisaka answered. "He wanted to speak with the Fleet Commander alone. That's at least what he told me."
Murrue bit her lower lip and breathed shallowly, her mind going back to her office the night before.
-Flashback-
"I apologize if my actions were without jurisdiction, Captain," Joseph apologized. He stood in Murrue's office with Murrue, who was sitting in her chair, and Natarle and Kisaka leaning against opposite walls. "Given the circumstances, it was the only option that I could plainly see that we had left."
"Forget the apologies for now," Murrue answered seriously. "What I want to know is, who are you really?"
Joseph took a deep breath and began. "My name is Josef Crue, it's just spelled differently than the name on my I.D. badge. I'm a Special Operative working directly for Lord Uzumi Nara Athha of the Orb Union." He saluted and nodded to Kisaka. "Colonel Kisaka and Miss Cagalli recognized me on the bridge because they'd seen me working with Lord Uzumi in the past."
"Special Operative?" Murrue wondered out loud.
"Does that mean you're a spy?" Natarle asked.
Josef paused, and then quickly answered, "Yes. In hindsight, I am a spy. As a matter of fact, I'm the assistant director of the Orb Intelligence Agency, the OIA as it's known throughout the world. Based on that position, I currently rank lower than Governor Riklia and Miss Cagalli on the Orb Chain of Command however, but because of my past association with Lord Uzumi, I was able to hack into the Gyndana computer core and have it accept my authorization code and make it think that I was on the same level as Lord Uzumi. I once again apologize for not telling you sooner, but if you look at it from my angle, I really had no choice because if I did, it would have compromised my mission in the first place."
"Mission?" Murrue questioned. "What mission?"
"Infiltrating the Earth Alliance disguised as a regular soldier, and gather up intelligence regarding the Earth Forces' knowledge and future plans concerning Orb." Josef answered.
"Infiltrating the Earth Forces?" Natarle thought out loud. "If you're the assistant director of intelligence, then why didn't you just send someone else lower than you on this mission of yours?"
"Because no one else would do it," Josef answered. "When Lord Uzumi asked us to select someone to infiltrate the Earth Forces, all of the agents said it was too dangerous to take on. That's when I volunteered to go in myself. I'd been an operative for many years before I became assistant director, and had climbed through the ranks to become one of Orb's top field agents. At the time I volunteered, I hadn't gone on a mission in almost four years, and people feared I'd gotten rusty in my time in the office. I ignored everything they said and enlisted in the Earth Forces last January. I was assigned to JOSH-A Alaska in February, where I went through training as a ship driver. I'd already had the basic training for driving a ship during my preparation time in Orb in the months prior to my enlistment. In April, I was given the opportunity to become a full-time ship driver in Alaska."
"And you chose this ship?" Murrue asked.
"No, that happened to be luck of the draw. When your ship arrived, I'd been told that I was being assigned there because you needed another pilot for it. I accepted it and the rest is what you all know. It turns out I was lucky to be on board this ship, because if I wasn't I'd surely be dead now and you probably all would as well."
"Yes..." Murrue conceded quietly.
-End Flashback-
"That explains why he didn't talk much," Mwu remarked dryly. "It would've blown his cover."
"You have to admit he did a pretty good job," Frank commented, wiping prespiration off of his brow.
"He fooled all of us," Natarle added. "Let's just hope he told us the whole truth of the matter."
John walked through the doors to the bridge minutes later, clad in his old Earth Alliance uniform, his officer's cap firmly snug underneath his arm. "You two ready?" he asked Mwu and Murrue.
"Yes, sir," Murrue answered.
"Let's get this over with," Mwu added, flopping his cap onto his blonde hair.
"Lieutenant Badgiruel, I'm leaving you in charge of the ship while I'm gone," Murrue told her first mate. "Make sure the crew is working on repairs so the ship will be ready for combat again just in case."
"Yes, ma'am," Natarle saluted.
John turned to Kisaka just before he left and said, "Colonel Kisaka?"
"Yes, Colonel," Kisaka answered in his deep voice.
"Does the Orb Fleet Commander have a name?" he asked.
Kisaka responded, "Why do want to know now? You'll know anyway in a couple of minutes."
"I just want to know if I can trust him," John answered kindly. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Kisaka didn't reply for a period of time. Finally, he breathed deeply and replied, "Admiral Fernando Cantarii, is the Fleet Commander of Orb's Orbital Fleet."
Mwu gasped and his blue eyes widened. He turned his head towards Murrue and found her brown eyes wide and awed, staring right back at him. John's eyes glanced over his shoulder and he quickly said, "Alright, we can trust him. Come on you two." With that, John spun on his heel and floated out the doors, Mwu and Murrue floating side by side behind him.
After they left, Frank whistled long and soft. "Admiral Fernando Cantarii. 'Hard Ass'." Glancing at Natarle, he added, "Sure didn't take him long to find work, right?"
"The former Commander in Chief of the Earth Forces combined orbital fleet?" she answered. "I wouldn't think so."
-Archangel, 1030.
"Yeah, it did get pretty hazardous back there when the explosions went off." Coop was relating his experience on board his K-Bomber to others in the mess hall where he sat. "My gun had already jammed on me when I tried to shoot at a couple of the mobile armors."
Sai drained his glass of water and set it down on the table with a relieved sigh. Miriallia sat across from him, tossing and turning her meal with her fork, paying attention to what Coop was saying. Sai had also been aboard the plane inside the nose gun. It had been a whole new experience for him, actually going into battle outside of the Archangel's bridge. For some reason, he actually sort of liked it.
"When the colony began to break apart, pieces of the outer structure were actually thrown at us. One of them actually clipped the plane when we passed close."
"Did it do much damage?" Miriallia asked.
"No. It made a pretty big dent...uh, where did it hit us Sai?" Coop asked.
"It hit on the front portion of the left wing I think," Sai answered. "I mean, I felt the plane shake just as everybody else did, but it didn't sound too serious when I overheard Chief Murdoch talking with Lieutenant Barrington earlier."
At the next table, Athrun sat with his head resting on his enclosed fist. He didn't feel much like eating at the moment, so he just pushed his food around the plate to make it seem as if he had eaten some. He listened to Coop and Sai relate their story, silently wishing he could have had the same thing happen to him. Instead, he'd been the one to comb through the debris of Gyndana, looking for survivors. It reminded him so much of Junius Seven the year before. Lifeless bodies floating in the midst of the wreckage, their faces all in complete shock and horror. He'd seen young children, who couldn't have been more than three our four, clinging tightly to their mother's arms and chest, all dead. Athrun could find not a single one alive. Those people had nothing to do with the war, and yet they had been killed just so one side could teach the other a lesson. Pointless. Utterly, utterly pointless.
"Athrun. Are you alright?" Cagalli's voice was quiet. She sat to his right, with Kira sitting directly across from him. Leaning closer to him, Cagalli said his name again.
Athrun slowly turned his head to face the blonde haired girl. He looked at her for a few seconds, and then turned away. "Yeah...I'm fine..." he said.
Kira sighed from across him. His friend Birdy stood on his shoulder, the one Athrun had given him when they'd been students at the Lunar Academy. "BIRDY!" it called to him. Kira turned his head to glance at it and smiled. It seemed to be trying to cheer him up, and he went with it.
"Come on you guys," Cagalli told them. "It wasn't your fault. There wasn't anything either of you could've done."
"Yeah right," Athrun responded. "We should've never come here. They'd all still be alive."
"You think it was your fault that the Earth Forces came here?" Cagalli rested her hand on his shoulder and said, "Athrun. It wasn't your fault. Neither was it yours Kira. The Earth Forces are just a bunch of racist idiots who don't care who gets in their way. As long as it seems logical to them, they'll do it. Gyndana was no exception. Even if you didn't come, they still would've attacked and I'd be dead along with them. By being here, you saved some of them. Not all, but it's still better than having them all die."
"Still doesn't seem fair though," Kira commented quietly. "The Earth Forces swore at the beginning they were fighting Coordinators. But now, they're fighting their own people. Orb didn't want to fight against anyone. And yet they had to be the whipping boys for the rest of the world."
Athrun slowly turned his head to face Cagalli and asked quietly, "Why were you even there in the first place, Cagalli?"
"I was tired," she responded. She rested her chin on her folded arms and sighed. "I was tired of all the disputes. I did want to keep fighting, but the internal conflicts inside Orb got to me. The Atlantic Federation had been putting pressure on Orb to join the fight against ZAFT. My father constantly said that Orb would remain neutral, and he was changing the subject whenever I brought the matter up. I also had a hard time accepting that you were dead Kira. And that you killed him Athrun. Every time I would think about it, it would all seem so stupid to me. That two friends like you, could kill each other. After I while, I just got sick of it. I decided I needed to take a break, so I came to Gyndana. "
Athrun's mind darted back to the previous day.
-Flashback-
Athrun waited for Kira on the gangway in front of the starboard wall of the hangar. The Freedom rested against the wall next to the Justice and Athrun was waiting for Kira to disembark. Finally, Kira's small form came sprawling out of the cockpit. Kira ripped off his helmet and breathed deeply as he floated in the weightless atmosphere. Athrun came up to him and said, "How'd it go?"
Kira shrugged. "Well. For one thing, Andy Waltfeld's alive. Oh, and your ex-fiance wanted me to ask you how you were doing? Lacus is on that ship too."
"Oh..." Athrun said quietly.
"What's the matter?" Kira asked. "You're not blaming yourself for what happened are you. Come on, Athrun, it wasn't your fault." Athrun didn't respond to the small-talk, and Kira sighed. "Athrun. Remember what happened last time you blamed yourself for something that wasn't your doing?"
"I almost ended up killing you," Athrun answered, remembering how he had acted when Nicol had been killed. He sighed. "I know it's not my fault Kira. But still, it seems as though we could've done something more to save them. They didn't have to die like that."
"But they did, and there's nothing we can do about it now, Athrun. This is a war, and according to the Earth Forces, they were fighting against the enemy." Athrun looked inquisitively at Kira who responded, "Something Lacus once told me while I was at the PLANTs."
Athrun raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. "This entire crusade just keeps taking one unexpected turn after another, doesn't it. Wonder what'll be the next one."
"Kira! Athrun!" Both Kira and Athrun turned their heads just in time to have Cagalli grab them around their necks. "You idiots! What are you doing here?!"
Kira and Athrun glanced at each other with shock in their eyes. "W-what are you dong here?" Kira managed to blurt out.
Cagalli's eyes met both of theirs. There were tears in the corners of the brown orbs which were misty. "I...thought you were dead, Kira. What were you two thinking?!" She pulled both of them close to her, yanking their necks in ways that hurt excrutiatingly. "You two tried to kill each other! How could two friends like you, who've been friends forever, try and do that to each other?!"
-End Flashback-
Seeing the blonde haired girl again had made Athrun feel as if he was an outsider aboard the Archangel again, just as he'd been when he first set foot on the ship after fleeing ZAFT. Her words brought comforting emotions back into his troubled mind, and sometimes it felt as if this entire thing had been just a dream. But no matter how much Athrun tried to forget it, it wasn't a dream, and the war continued to drag on, taking more lives away whether they deserved to die or not.
"So you're just as sick of the war as we all are, huh?" Athrun commented.
"Pretty much," Cagalli answered, taking a sip from her drink. "So is everybody else in Orb. It's pretty much our own fault anyway that a lot of this happened. We were so sleazy when we tried to be friends with both ZAFT and the Earth Forces, and look what happened to us. You can't blame yourself for something we did, you guys."
"Something you did?" Coop had moved behind the group to clean his tray out and was now standing with a glass in his hand. Sai and Miriallia had joined the trio at their table as well. "It's that dumb bastard Riklia's fault all that happened. He didn't even give the call to evacuate the colony even though there was a whole damn Earth Forces fleet on the way!"
"Do you think your father was the one commanding those ships?" Miriallia asked, not sure what response Coop would give.
After taking a sip from his drink, he responded, "Nah. His command ship's not an Agamemnon-class. He told me he never liked the ship's design and style. Said it didn't fit his ideals in any shape or form. Besides, I doubt he'd actually stoop to doing something like this."
"You never really know if it's someone with the Earth Forces," Athrun added.
"It's the same with ZAFT ain't it Athrun?" Coop retorted, downing the last of his drink. Athrun had to admit that Coop was right, particularly in the instance of his father Patrick.
"What do you think we'll do now? The Archangel and Orb that is," Miriallia asked.
"It all really depends upon what the Fleet Commander and the others say," Cagalli answered. "Right now, the only ship in this area that's part of an actual military is the Kusanagi. So it really depends on what they decide to do."
"We won't really know what we're doing until the Captain and the others return anyway," Sai admitted, cleaning off his glasses with the bottom of his jacket. "Right now, our best option is to just sit tight and wait."
"What do you think Orb will do, Cagalli?" Kira asked, causing her to stare curiously at him. "They are still technically a neutral state. They've been dodging the issue of joining the war for its entirety. But after this, it's put the country into a situation in which they'll have to do something. They can't just sit around after something like this happened to their citizens."
Cagalli rested her chin on her arms again and said quietly, "The Earth Alliance attacked the homeland yesterday as well." Athrun snapped his head to face Cagalli, his face in shock. Kira too had the same look on his face.
"Oh, no..." Miriallia said quietly. Her parents were still living in Orb. So were Sai's and Kira's. Were they alright? Had something happened to them.
Coop sighed. "Like I said before. Everybody left in the Earth Forces is a complete, dumb-ass."
"What the hell are they thinking?" Sai wondered out loud. "If they just attack Orb blindly like this, they'll just end up turning Orb against them. What's even the point of something like this happening?"
"It was to catch us off guard," Cagalli answered. "They'd been trying to get us to join the war on their side, but my father wouldn't budge. This was probably meant to teach us a lesson, along with the rest of the world still uninvolved in the war."
"But with these attacks, it's pretty clear that they never expected Orb to actually join them," Athrun said. "This was all just a way of showing the world that the Earth Alliance is still powerful. And that they won't stop fighting until all Coordinators have been exterminated."
"Commander la Flaga said that that Azrael guy in the Earth Forces is with Blue Cosmos, didn't he?" Sai pondered.
"Yeah he did," Coop added.
"Mwu said Azrael was his classmate at the academy years ago. And then when he got older, he took over his family's company and turned it into a Blue Cosmos enterprise," Kira remarked. Looking at Sai, he asked, "You're suggesting that the Blue Cosmos are making the Earth Forces do their own bidding?"
"More than that," Sai responded. He sighed and added, "I think Blue Cosmos has secretly taken over the Earth Forces and are just acting as if the countries still run them."
"You think Azrael's pulling all the strings by himself?" Athrun asked.
"Not a chance," Coop interrupted. "The military's being run by Blue Cosmos fanatics on every front. The only one who isn't already a member or close to being one is my dad, and I'm not sure about him anymore either."
"But I thought you said your father would never do anything like this to satisfy his views on things," Miriallia commented.
"That's what I always thought too. But, ever since my mom died, he's been kind of shallow towards me and everybody else." Seeing confused looks directed at him, Coop added, "My mom died in a ZAFT attack on the Balkan Peninsula. I don't think my dad's ever gotten over it."
"But you're right about the Earth Forces being run by Blue Cosmos," Sai responded. "Have you heard Admiral Sutherland speak. I swear, he can't go one minute without saying how evil Coordinators are."
"That explains why Dearka and I were put on the roster for the Cuban mission, even though we weren't part of the Earth Forces." Just thinking about his late friend made Athrun's heart sink. He'd seen the explosion that had consumed his friend over and over again in his mind. How he wanted to just forget it and move on, but he couldn't. Somehow, his conscience just kept telling him that Dearka was somehow alive. But in his mind, Athrun knew that couldn't be true. It was the same with Nicol and Miguel, but they weren't coming back either.
Coop sighed and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "Well, I gotta shove off. Gotta fix the ball-turret on the bomber before it jams again, or somebody attacks us."
"I'll come with you," Sai added, standing up and walking after Coop.
As soon as they left, Miriallia said, "I've got to go report for my shift. Take care of yourselves you guys." Waving to the trio, she left the mess hall and headed to the bridge.
Kira stood up from his chair and said, "Mr. Murdoch wants me to help him test the Freedom's HiMAT system. I still haven't gotten it to work like the Justice's has, so I guess it's better that I get it done sooner than later." Patting Cagalli on the shoulder, Kira floated out of the mess hall, leaving Athrun and Cagalli alone.
Cagalli turned her head to focus on Athrun, who wasn't saying, or doing anything for that matter. His eyes were pointed downwards, staring at the table in front of him. "Come on Athrun," Cagalli said, trying to snap him out of his trance. "You can't keep blaming youself for everything that's happend. Right now, everyone on board needs you to fight, and I need you to as well."
"Fight?" Athrun said quietly. "What am I supposed to fight for now?"
Cagalli groaned. She seized Athrun by the collar of his shirt and turned him to face her. "Look! You've got to get it through your thick head that you can do this! No matter what, you're a critical asset to this ship and everyone on board. So stop moaping and get back to reality, because if you don't, you'll be the next one to get killed!"
Athrun stared at the blonde haired girl for the longest time. She was still glaring at him in the same way she had been when she'd found him on the beach after he'd almost killed Kira. Her eyes were still of the same intensity and beamed with a passion that Athrun could remember never seeing before. He sighed. She's right. If I keep acting like this, I'll only end up killing myself. He smiled. "You know, you have a wonderful way of dealing with people you know."
"Watch it," Cagalli answered, realeasing him. She dragged him to his feet and said, "Come on, let's go for a walk. We need to get your mind clear and get your heart back where it belongs." She took hold of his arm and dragged him out of the mess hall and into the corridor, heading to nowhere in particular.
-Kusanagi, 1050.
The trio sat silent as the shuttle made its way into the hangar of the Orb warship. John reclined in the seat behind the shuttle's pilot, his eyes closed, attempting to get at least a few minutes of rest. He'd been up for almost two days straight, between meeting with Riklia, fighting the Earth Alliance Fleet, another meeting with Waltfeld and Miss Clyne, and now yet another meeting aboard the Orb ship. Luckily, this time, at least he knew the person who he was about to meet with could be trusted.
Behind John, Mwu and Murrue sat side by side, occassionally staring out of the shuttle's small windows at the empty space surrounding the area. The wreckage of Gyndana was still plainly visible, its contents having spilled into the black vortex. It reminded Murrue so much of Heliopolis just barely half a year before, which was the same type of colony as Gyndana. They were considered sister-colonies, and they had unfortunately met the same horrible fate. Murrue sighed sadly. She had been at both colonies when they'd met their end, and it sickened her to even think about it.
Mwu heard her sigh. He glanced at her and saw her looking out the window at the destruction. Carefully, he laid his hand on top of hers, gently squeezing it. She felt this, and turned to see him smile slightly, attempting to cheer her up. She returned his smile.
The hangar entrance replaced the black space as the shuttle glided into the enclosed space. Behind them, the single hatch to the hangar closed, and the shuttle set down on its landing jacks, coming to a swift stop with a great hiss. The pilot cut the engines and motioned for the three passengers to exit to the right. He opened the access door on the shuttle's starboard side and the trio exited the shuttle. John went first. As he left the confines of the shuttle, he squinted his eyes at the bright lights inside the hangar. From first glance, it didn't seem all that busy. He could see three of the M1 Astrays lined up along one of the hangar walls, silent at the moment. At the base of the stairs that had been moved up next to the shuttle, John saw a single man waiting for them. He wore the traditional uniform for an Orb military officer, light purple jacket with gray pants, and had dark, brown skin. He motioned for Mwu and Murrue to follow him, and one by one, they descended down the stairs and set foot onto the hangar floor.
"Colonel Namora?" the man asked as he saluted. John returned the salute and confirmed his identity. "Welcome aboard the Kusanagi."
"Lieutenant Lapina I presume," John commented.
"Yes, sir," the man answered. "Please excuse the lack of a welcoming party, but we've been up to our ears with work ever since we got here yesterday."
"No problem," John replied casually. "These are my fellow officers, Commander Mwu la Flaga and Captain Murrue Ramius, both of the Archangel." Mwu and Murrue saluted, which the Lieutenant returned.
Lapina turned his head about ninety degrees away from the trio and said, "The Admiral wishes to meet with you as soon as possible, so I think we'd better get going then. Please follow me." The dark skinned man spun on his heel and headed further into the hangar complex. John, Mwu, and Murrue followed.
As they proceeded through the hangar, Lapina floated up to another man who was writing something on a clipboard. "Hey Nate!" he shouted. The other man jumped and turned to face him, his cigarette barely able to stay lodged between his lips. His black hair was a mess and his big thick glasses were fogged up. He saluted as the Lieutenant said, "When will my mobile suit be ready to go again?"
"Uh...it should be ready by 1300 this afternoon, Wayne." The man managed to stutter out the words, while removing the cigarette from his mouth and blowing out smoke.
Turning his head to the trio following him, Wayne added, "Colonel. Meet our Chief Machinest's Mate, Nathan Kellhorn."
"Pleasure to meet you," John said, saluting, which Kellhorn returned.
"How goes the progress on everything?" Wayne asked. Kellhorn reported that out of the six M1's on board the ship, four were ready to go at moment's notice, while Wayne's would have to wait until repairs were completed. The last one had been damaged enough in the battle that it would be out of service for several days. After receiving the report, Lapina dismissed Kellhorn, and guided John and the others out of the hangar and into one of the adjacent corridors.
With John taking the lead behind Lapina, Mwu and Murrue brought up the trail position, floating side by side. To them, the interior design of the Kusanagi seemed somehow almost perfectly in tune with that of the Archangel. The walls were painted differently, sure. But the crew quarters, the mess hall, and virtually everything else was in the same exact place as their counterparts on the Archangel. Even the officers quarters they passed were in the same locations as the ones aboard their ship.
Lapina led them to a set of double doors at the end of a long corridor. Sliding his I.D. card through the slot, it beeped in acceptance and the doors slid aside. Lapina entered first, and as he did, John could make out voices in conversation inside.
"What I still can't understand is why you of all people had to do it," an Italian-accented voice accused. John knew that voice. It hadn't changed.
"Like I said, nobody else would do it, because they all said it was too dangerous." That was Joseph, or Josef's voice.
Interrupting the conversation, Lapina said, "Admiral, sir. The officers from the Archangel are here to see you."
"Let 'em in, Lieutenant," the Admiral replied. Lapina motioned for John and the others to go in. John slowly complied, followed by Mwu, Murrue, and then Lapina himself bringing up the rear and closing the doors behind them. The office was similar to that of Murrue's small office aboard the Archangel. A single desk, with a leather backed chair behind it. A large viewport off to the side, giving off a fair view of the surrounding space. Josef stood by the chair's side, clad in an Orb Union officer's uniform, which made him appear somewhat different than he did aboard the Archangel. Inside the chair sat a man with gray hair, parted on the right side of his head. Gray-blue eyes bore into the three newcomers from the Archangel, and wrinkles were clearly visible beneath them. The former Commander in Chief of the Earth Alliance combined Orbital Fleet, Admiral Fernando Cantarii of Eurasia.
John, Mwu, and Murrue arranged themselves in a straight line in front of the desk and saluted smartly. The Admiral returned it with a small one of his own, which seemed to be made with the utmost reluctance. "Admiral, may I present Colonel J-."
"Yes, Lieutenant, I'm already familiar with their identities," the Italian-accent interrupted. Pushing upwards on his chair's armrests, the Admiral stood up gingerly. He slowly moved around the desk and stood in front of John, the gray-blue eyes still boring into him. Nothing was said for a few moments. Mwu looked to Josef for reassurance, but only got a quick glance from the spy.
Suddenly, the Admiral smiled. "John Namora!" he beamed. John smiled in return, which caused Mwu and Murrue to breath a sigh of relief. "Never thought I'd see you again like this, old friend."
"Neither did I Fernando," John returned, shaking the Admiral's hand. "But as you probably already know, even I didn't know I would actually be here in the first place."
"Yes, I understand," the Italian-accent said happily. Turning back to his desk, he added, "Seems both of our ships have been forced into a situation into which we have absolutely no control over. Just like Khatmandu eighteen years ago."
"Ironically similar, yes." John removed his officers cap and motioned for Mwu and Murrue to do the same. The Admiral sat down in his chair and lit a cigarette. "Admiral, sir," John began again. "May I ask why you wanted to have a meeting with us?"
"We'll get to that in a moment, old friend. Right now, I'd find it interesting to hear of your experiences of the past few months. All I've heard is mere rumor, and none of that is very reliable to me."
John told the Admiral of the venture the Archangel had been on for the past month, trying to get ahold of every detail. While John talked, the Admiral didn't say anything. He only puffed on his cigarette occassionally, and seemed to be taking everything John had to say into his head. Once the tale was finished, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and took a deep breath. "I would've anticipated as much from the Earth Alliance nowadays," he said. "Too concerned with their own values and beliefs to even think clearly about the coming struggles."
"They wanted us eliminated because they feared we knew too much about what really happened at Alaska, sir," Mwu said. "The mission to Cuba was just an excuse to get us all killed."
"Admiral Sutherland's work no doubt," Cantarii remarked. "He hasn't changed one bit."
"What do you mean, sir?" Mwu asked.
"Commander, do you know why I was fired as the Commander of the Earth Alliance Orbital Fleet?" Mwu didn't. "Because I wasn't getting the job done against the PLANTs quick enough for the damn fools on the Council."
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand, sir," Mwu replied.
"At the start of the war Commander, the Earth Alliance was only a coalition of countries around the globe. When the fighting started, they went looking for a man who could both rally the troops, and guarantee a victory, no matter what the cost. They came to me, that was when I was the head of the Eurasian Forces, and asked me to lead the troops. I accepted eagerly. They were so trusting of me that they let me pick my own subordinate commanders myself. I chose Bradford and McCarthy from Eurasia based on their records and Halberton from the Atlantic Federation because he'd been a former student of mine." Cantarii extinguished his cigarette and flicked it into a waste basket. "My plan was to starve the PLANTs into surrender. I knew we couldn't win a shootout with ZAFT because their technology was far more advanced then ours. It called for a blockade of the PLANTs, so that no raw materials whatsoever could pass through and resupply the PLANTs, and unrelenting strikes against their military strengths at Boaz and Jachin Due. However, after Sutherland's success on the Grimaldi front, which I'm sure you're very familiar with Commander la Flaga, the High Command chose to add him to my staff against my objections. I tried to run my command with as tough an iron fist as I could, hence I got the knickname 'Hard Ass' Cantarii from one of my junior officers, and yet they still overrode many of my decisions. Nine months into the war, my strategy had achieved some success and was beginning to tire the PLANTs. But at the same time, it was enraging my own superiors. Sutherland constantly berated to the Council that the war wasn't going fast enough and that we had to end it as quickly as possible. With the possibility of catastrophic casualties on both sides, I refused to heed to his demands. But McCarthy supported Sutherland's views and the Council did as well. They called me to end the blockade, and were going to have me promote Sutherland to combined fleet commander and have me take a secondary role. But I refused to give him my position. Instead, I appointed Halberton as my replacement. In response, the Council fired me."
"All because you wouldn't go after the PLANTs like a mad dog," John said.
"And then once Halberton died, Sutherland was appointed full Admiral," Cantarii added. "Now there's nothing standing in him, McCarthy, and the Council's objective of total annihilation of the Coordinator race. It's unfortunate that it turned into this kind of war."
"Sir," Murrue said. "M-may I ask, how you became involved with the Orb military?"
Cantarii laughed. "That's a funny story, actually. After I was released, I went back home to Eurasia to be with my family. I was a fifty-five year old disgrace. People mocked me and my family upon my return, even threatening me with death because I hadn't won the war. The situation in Eurasia at that point had become one of desperation, with widespread economic turmoil. Two months after I left, I tried to move my family to a neutral state to avoid the war's wrath. I came to Orb and met with Lord Uzumi Nara Athha. He gladly gave us admittance to the nation, but at the same time, proposed a deal with me. Orb was beginning to build its own Orbital Fleet to protect the colonies of Heliopolis and Gyndana, and they needed a Commander. He asked me to do it, but I was reluctant at first. However, when he presented me with the knowledge of the situation regarding Orb and the rest of the world, I changed my mind. Lord Uzumi allowed me to select the crew of the Kusanagi myself. Captain Jackson and Lieutenant Lapina were among my first choices. I was sent up into space immediately with my crew and we were presented with our pride and joy, the ship which you now stand on. So, after I was thrown out of one side of the war, I found myself once again at its forefront, though this time I didn't think I would ever have to fight."
Cantarii sighed. "But unfortunately, now it appears that I will have to fight again. Against my former allies." Glancing at the trio, he added, "It appears to me that you people are in the same situation we are. That is why I called you here."
Before Cantarii could finish, his door chimed. Pressing a button on his intercom, he said, "Yes, what is it?"
"Governor Riklia is here to see you sir," the voice returned.
Immediately, a scowl came over Cantarii's face. "Send him in," he said darkly. "Uh, Commander la Flaga, Captain Ramius, would you please step outside so I could have a word with the Governor. Lieutenant Lapina would you please leave as well, John you stay, the same for you Mr. Crue."
Mwu and Murrue turned and headed outside the doorway, as they made their way out into the corridor, Governor Riklia's overweight form pushed past them and into the Admiral's office. Mwu sighed. "I think his 'Hard Ass' personality is about to come out," he commented. Murrue chuckled.
From outside the office, the door opened slightly, they could hear Governor Riklia begin talking with the Admiral.
"Admiral Cantarii, what a pleasure it is to see you again. I can only assume you are asking me here to lament on what happened yesterday. Well let me assure you, that I did what I could to protect the colony and its people."
"Yeah right," Lapina whispered.
"The reason why I did not evacuate the colony in the first place was because there was no reason to. There was no indication that the Earth Alliance fleet was going to attack, and even when they arrived they didn't even try to touch the colony. That is until the Archangel broke out of drydock and attacked them."
"Bastard..." Murrue hissed quietly, which shocked Mwu.
"Their actions were the reason why Gyndana ended up being destroyed sir. There's no other explanation for their actions..." They heard the Admiral rise from his seat and take a deep breath.
Lapina raised his eyebrows and almost to himself said, "Three, two, one."
All of a sudden, they could hear Riklia cried out and the sound of objects crashing to the floor could be heard from inside the office. Then, the Italian-accented voice struck up a tone, and it certainly wasn't a happy one. "You stupid bastard! How dare you blame the people who tried to save those citizens for the destruction of the colony, while you cowered in your own damn escape pod!"
"B-but, Admiral, sir-!"
"Oh, shut up you damn coward! I oughtta kick your diplomatic ass right now you stupid f-!"
The door to the office closed quickly. "O.K., I don't think we need to here the rest of that," Lapina commented, releasing the door.
Murrue looked to Mwu for an explanation and he smiled. "Trust me. It gets much worse after he drops the F-bomb the first time."
"Oh..." Murrue responded. She laughed, "You mean you've actually heard him the whole time."
"More than I'd like to have, yes. Particularly because most of it was directed at me."
"You? What did you do to get that from him?" Murrue chuckled.
"You don't want to know," Mwu returned. For almost the next ten minutes loud shouts could be heard from inside the closed off office. Occassionally, the sound of something breaking would startle them, but after a while, they could almost predict when something was going to get smashed. Finally, it ended and the Admiral strolled out of the doorway.
"Get someone to clean that mess up," he ordered calmly. "Also tell medical that they'll be needed immediately."
"Yes, sir," Lapina answered. John followed the Admiral out into the corridor with Josef bringing up the rear.
"Well, shall we discuss the rest of the matters on the bridge then?" the Admiral suggested. No one was about to disagree with him now. "Very well then, let's-." Just then, his comm beeped. "Oh, what now!" he shouted, taking the small device out of his jacket's pocket. "Cantarii here."
"Admiral, Lord Uzumi is on the line. He requests to speak with you immediately sir."
"I'll take it on the bridge. I'm on my way now." Turning off the comm, he added, "Come on then, let's go!" Lapina and Josef took the lead with the others following. They floated down the corridor towards an elevator which would take them up to the bridge.
Along the way, Mwu managed to speak to the Admiral for at least a few seconds. "Admiral, sir. What were you discussing with Mr. Crue before we arrived, sir?"
"We'd just began talking as soon as you arrived, so we really didn't have a chance to get down to the matters at hand. He was busy before then, anyway." Cantarii responded.
"But he's been on board since yesterday. What's he been doing before then?"
Casting a quick glance at Mwu, Cantarii replied, "Our ship's pilot just happens to be Mr. Crue's wife, Commander."
"Oh..." Mwu answered, realizing just what the Admiral had meant by busy.
The six people entered the elevator and made the ascension towards the bridge. Just before the doors opened, the Admiral said, "One thing before we arrive. Please, when you see the Captain, do not stare. The Captain does not like it when people stare." Immediately thereafter, the doors opened and admitted them onto the bridge. As soon as they set foot on the bridge, Mwu and Murrue were awed. It was exactly the same as the Archangel. Every station and console in the exact same location.
"You're wondering why this ship's bridge looks just like the Archangel's, are you?" Lapina commented. "Well it just so happens that the Archangel's design was based off of the Kusanagi's when Morgenrate first began constructing her."
At the front of the bridge, two men stood conversing. One was of average height with curly, dark brown hair and a short mustache. The other was a direct opposite. Standing more than a head and shoulder width taller than the other, he was well built, looked to be at least seven feet tall, clean shaven, and couldn't be much older than forty at least. When the two noticed the newcomers arrive, they stopped their conversation and saluted smartly. "Colonel Namora," Cantarii introduced the two men. "Please meet Captain Robert Jackson, the Commander of this vessel," indicating the larger of the two, "and Lieutenant Joshua Manchisco, the First Mate."
"Welcome aboard," Jackson replied in his deep, raspy voice. "Admiral, Lord Uzumi's waiting."
"Yes, I'll take it now. Please put him through." Cantarii took his seat at the top of the bridge and placed his officer's cap on his gray haired head.
Jackson finished his conversation with Manchisco and turned to face the officers from the Archangel. He could identify the leader as Colonel Namora and guessed the other two were his junior officers. The autumn-haired woman had the rank of a Captain, looked very professional, and stood at full attention. The blonde haired man however, had his opened slightly so Jackson could see the whites of his teeth and his eyes were wide. "What's the problem?"
"Huh?" the man responded.
"What's wrong?" Jackson repeated.
"Uh, nothing," the man answered, shaking his head. He caught a glare from Namora and the woman chuckled. Jackson just shrugged it off and took his seat at the foot of the bridge.
At his post, Admiral Cantarii awaited for Lord Uzumi's message. His face finally appeared on the front viewscreen of the bridge, his long brown hair and mustache standing out against a gray backdrop. Uzumi's face was serious as he spoke. "Admiral Cantarii, I've heard conflicting reports of what the situation at Gyndana currently is. Perhaps you can give me the full report?"
"Yes, sir. Unfortunately the colony has been destroyed and we've been unable to locate any survivors," Cantarii replied quietly. "As of now, we are attempting to salvage whatever we can."
"What of Governor Riklia?" Uzumi asked. "I presume you've already met with him and discussed the outcome and the reasons behind the end result."
"I took care of him, don't worry," Cantarii answered.
"In your own unique way I assume." Uzumi sighed ever so quietly. "I'm sure you've already heard of the Earth Alliance attack on the homeland at the same time as the one on Gyndana correct?"
"Yes, Lord," Cantarii replied. Mwu and Murrue were shocked. John asked Captain Jackson about it and he confirmed what the Admiral had just said. "What were the final results?"
"Our mass driver at Kaguya was destroyed by our own forces, so the Earth Forces will not be able to get their greedy hands on it. As of this moment, the Earth Forces fleet has left our waters. Unfortunately, I'm inclined to report that many of the Ruling Council members have also been killed. Only myself and Representative Holmurra remain."
"I understand sir, but where exactly are you now?" Cantarii asked.
"I'm in orbit as we speak aboard a private vessel. Against my own objections, the Ruling Council had me placed aboard the shuttle and launched into orbit. They felt that it would be best for the nation if I survived."
"I have to admit with you alive sir, we do seem to be better off," Cantarii replied. "But what of the current situation?"
"The Earth Alliance has formally declared war on the Orb Union," Uzumi said. "Right now, you're battle group is the only functional fighting force we have at our disposal. Though we are technically at war against the Earth Forces, I have no intention whatsoever of siding with ZAFT."
"Agreed," Cantarii added.
"With the homeland under seige, Representative Holmurra has remained behind to lead the shock-laiden citizens, while I venture into space. From reports, I understand that a runaway ship from the Earth Alliance happened to be at Gyndana at the time of the attack, is that correct?" Uzumi asked.
"Yes, sir," Cantarii replied. He motioned for John, Mwu, and Murrue to join him and Uzumi laid his eyes upon them. "The ship is the Archangel, it's crew is technically a renegade at the moment. As is the other warship we happened upon, the Eternal, commanded by former ZAFT hero, General Andrew Waltfeld and also by Miss Lacus Clyne."
"Hmm..." Uzumi muttered, thinking carefully. "Do you believe we can trust Waltfeld and his men?"
Cantarii sighed. "To be honest, I've never met with him. You'd have to ask Colonel Namora here if we can trust him or not because he's actually met the guy."
Turning his gaze to focus on John, Uzumi continued, "Well, Colonel. What do you believe?"
John sighed painfully. "We can trust him. He's not gonna do anything stupid."
"Well then, what do you suggest we do with our new...allies?"
"At the moment we really can't do anything in our present state. Gyndana's a total loss and there may still be Earth Forces ships in the area, so we can't afford to remain here for very long," Cantarii answered.
"Very well then. I'd advise you to return to base immediately then. Take the Archangel and Eternal with you if you'd like. I will join you there as soon as I am able. Until then, good luck Admiral." Cantarii saluted and Uzumi signed off.
"Captain Jackson," Cantarii called.
"Yes, sir?"
"Set course immediately for Mendel. Message the Eternal and give her the coordinates. Colonel Namora, I'd strongly suggest that you and your fellow officers return to the Archangel now. It will be a long journey to our base."
"Mendel?" Mwu remarked. "That's the colony that had the bio-hazard accident in L4, isn't it?"
"Which made it the perfect place for a secret military base, yes," Cantarii answered.
Officers on the bridge were now bustling with activity, relaying commands and giving out orders of their own. Cantarii added, "I presume you would like to return to your quarters, Director Crue?"
Josef didn't reply for a moment, but then said, "With your permission sir, I believe I would rather head back to the Archangel and resume my duties there. That is, if Captain Ramius will have me of course."
Murrue shrugged. "Well, we do need a second pilot at the moment, so I don't see why not."
"But let me warn you," Mwu added. "The crew may not treat you as they once did now that they know you're a spy."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Josef responded.
While they spoke, John walked up to Lapina and said, "Lieutenant. Did I overhear that you had six M1's on board the ship?"
"Yes, Colonel. We've only got five pilots though. Myself, Ensign Caldwell, Ensign Labatt, Ensign Wu Mein, and Ensign Howell. So that last one is just sitting idle there."
Looking away for a moment, John returned to face Lapina and said, "I think I may have found you a sixth pilot. Major Orel Yakov perhaps?"
"The orginal test pilot-,"
"-for the GINN, yes. It just so happens that he's aboard the Eternal as well and he's looking for something to pilot. Should I tell him he's got a machine?"
"Go ahead," Lapina answered enthusiastically. "We're going to need all the good pilots we can get, now."
After final conversations were exchanged, John and the others left the bridge. Mwu saw Josef speak with a young woman sitting at the front of the bridge, obviously his wife. They exchanged a brief kiss and Josef followed the rest of them out of the bridge. Soon, they were back on board the shuttle heading back for the Archangel.
Cantarii continued to have his men make final preparations for launch. The search parties were taken aboard and everything was strapped down. It had been a long road for Admiral Fernando Cantarii in this war, and it had just taken another turn. "It's time, Captain," he ordered.
"Weigh anchor," Jackson commanded loudly. "Launch Kusanagi. Destination, Mendel!"
"It will take us eight full days to get there at top speed Admiral," Manchisco reported.
"See to it, Lieutenant," Cantarii ordered.