ZAFT Space Fortress Jachin Due, November 1, C.E. 71, 0630.
The warships of the ZAFT defensive line hovered around the asteroid and the hour-glass shaped homelands as the morning atmosphere deepened. Soldiers inside Jachin were rushing to their stations so that they would be ready when the attack would take place. The Earth Forces were coming and they were the ones who would have to repulse them.
"Third Mobile Suit Division is moving into position now, General," a soldier told Yuri.
"Have them take up a flank spot on grid two's starboard quadrant," Yuri ordered. "What's the status on the Earth Forces ships?"
"Nothing yet, they haven't moved, sir."
"They'll be moving soon, no doubt though," Gilbert pointed out. He pointed at the map below him and said, "Judging by their current position it will take them only about forty-five minutes to reach us. They could move at any moment as well, Yuri."
Yuri turned to a soldier and said, "Have you given the order for all troops to begin combat preparations?"
"Chairman Zala's left it up to you when you want to start it, General," the girl replied.
"Do it now, then. We'll have to be ready for when the Earth Forces move," Yuri ordered. The girl saluted and quickly left his presence. Yuri turned back to Gilbert and added, "Have all the forces under your command head to battle stations as well, Gilbert. How much longer until it's ready to fire again?"
"About four more hours, I'm afraid," Gilbert said reluctantly. "Power's hard to come by today. We've had to reroute many of our lines to it in order to reach one hundred percent output. Not to mention that we've had to repair and resupply our forces as well, so it's going to take some more time."
"As long as we're ready when they come," Yuri answered kindly. "That's all that matters right now. We've got to protect the PLANTs..." He thought of his wife back at home, the green haired woman who he loved with all his heart, how he just wanted to be with her at this time, away from all of this terror and destruction. Yuri vowed to himself that he would not let her die as well...like his son Nicol had. "We'll do whatever it takes. Even it means..." Yuri trailed off, not wanting to think about what was going to happen.
"Yes..." Gilbert responded quietly, he too not wanting to think about it.
In another part of Jachin, Patrick sat in a cushioned chair in a makeshift office below the command center. His eyes were closed and his mind was calm as he got in some final rest and relaxation before he headed to the command center. It would only be a matter of hours now...a matter of hours until the war was won. The Naturals would be routed in the upcoming fight, they had no chance now that the Coordinators had GENESIS at their disposal. Once the second shot was fired and the Lunar Base destroyed, the Naturals would have nothing left to fight for. He would have broken their back, crippled their space forces, and obliterated any chance they had of seizing the sweet taste of victory. That was something only Patrick would be tasting. After the Naturals had been put into their place, the world would be theirs, the Coordinators' world. But that would only happen after the Naturals had been defeated, completely and utterly. Patrick vowed to himself that he would not stop until every last Natural was dead and burning in hell where they belonged. They had inflicted terror upon the Coordinators for too long. It was time to make them pay. They had hurt him too many times as it was. They had taken his dear wife Lenore from him. His son Athrun had betrayed him and been brainwashed by that traitor Lacus Clyne. Athrun had actually tried to turn Patrick away from his goals, the little fool. The Naturals had to be wiped out for what they had done, no matter how high the cost was on their own side. It had to be done. The Naturals had to be punished. Patrick was alone now...alone to rule the war as he saw fit. The way he saw fit was that the war would not end until every Natural was gone. That would leave the world in the Coordinators' hands, the way it should be. They were after all the new dominant species in the universe, with their superior intellect and strength, nothing could stand in their way. Patrick smiled to himself. It would only be a matter of time indeed.
Inside Jachin's main dock, two lines of pilots stood at complete attention as Ezalia addressed them personally. "All units will be responsible for defending the PLANTs and stopping the Naturals from taking more of our own. I'm sure that many of you knew someone who was at Boaz and would like nothing more than to get back at the Naturals for taking them away from you." Ezalia paused and took the time to glance at every individual soldier's face. She saw some expressions of anger, hatred, sadness, eagerness, determination, and some even unsure. She returned to her pacing and continued. "Your assignment will be to delay the Naturals attack force long enough for us to fire the second shot. Once that is done it will leave the task of halting the Naturals nuclear attack on the homelands that will be in your hands. After the second shot is fired, GENESIS will not be able to fire another for at least another hour. During that time it will be up to you to protect the PLANTs and stop the arrogant aggression of the Naturals. It will not be easy, but I have the utmost confidence in you all. The PLANTs and the rest of us are all deeply grateful for all of your sacrifices, no matter how small. We are truly in your debt for all you have done for us. I personally salute you all for your bravery and courage under fire, and your determination to stop the Naturals from inflicting more destruction upon innocence. This war will come to an end today and you will carry the torch for the new generations that will come after us. Do you understand your objectives?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the chorus responded.
"I wish you all the best luck," Ezalia said happily. Squad leaders called together their units and began to head towards their machines. Ezalia watched them go with increased pride and happiness, watching the young people who loved their homelands with all their heart, more than their own lives, go out and protect the innocent. It made Ezalia feel as if she were watching angels themselves going out to do their righteous work. It made her heart ache to think that some would not be coming back. Silently, she said a prayer for their families and prayed that they would find strength in the coming months.
As she turned and started to exit the dock, she spotted him. His long, silver hair was combed neatly and his red and white pilot suit was cleaned to perfection. His helmet was slugged under his arm and his eyes were trained on her. "Mother!" he called out to her.
"Yzak!" She picked up her pace and came over to him, standing before his tall form.
"Have you been here long?" he asked.
"I have," Ezalia answered. "The situation required my attention. I'm sorry for not being able to contact you."
"It's alright, I was busy myself," Yzak answered gruffly. "What's the situation?"
"I'm not positive, but I know the Earth Forces haven't made their move yet. It won't be long however. This war will come to an end very soon, son," Ezalia said.
"I know,' Yzak said quietly. "What are my team's orders? Do you know?"
"The same as every other soldier here, Yzak," Ezalia answered, turning her head to glance at other soldiers in the distance. "They have the same goals as you do. To protect the PLANTs and the innocent. That is what we are going to do today."
"Are you planning on using it again?" Ezalia turned back to Yzak with a perplexed expression and he added, "GENESIS, that is. Are you going to fire it again?"
"Yes," Ezalia nodded. "The second shot will be fired shortly. After that the war will end and the Naturals will have no choice but to sue for peace. They've already seen the devastation it can wreak. When they see what it will do when it is at maximum strength, they will have no choice but to stop."
"Mother..." Yzak said. "...What's the target of the second shot? Are you really...?"
"Heavens, no!" Ezalia answered quickly, banishing the thought. "We aren't even planning on firing it at Earth. There are too many of our own soldiers on the planet for us to fire. It would take more lives than we are willing to sacrifice."
Yzak was suddenly relieved. At least they weren't stooping to that level...actually firing on Earth. "What's the target then?"
"The only other stronghold the Earth Forces have left in space, Yzak," Ezalia answered. "The Lunar Base. Once that is done, they will be left with no military strength in space, which will establish safety for the PLANTs for many months."
"But then what...?" Yzak asked.
Ezalia opened her mouth to respond, but a call from a soldier behind her cut her off. She was needed in the command center at this time. She nodded her head to the soldier and turned back to her son. "I have to go, Yzak. They need me."
Yzak sighed. "I know..." he said quietly, turning his head away from her, his face looking disgusted.
Ezalia's heart ached when she saw his face. She suddenly wished that she didn't have to leave at this time, just so she could be with him before he left, but she had her own duties to attend to. She moved close to him and put her hands on his shoulders. His face turned back to her and she said, "Don't get too carried away out there, son. I'll have your unit posted further to the back." She paused. "Yzak...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there in these last few months. I've been a terrible mother to you...I just wanted you to know...that I'm sorry. When the war will end you will have responsibilities just as I have. We'll be there for each other at the end of this...I promise you that. Be careful."
Yzak paused. His mind was racing at this moment. This was the first time in a long time that he actually felt close to his mother. It made him feel...happy. Before he knew it, he had wrapped his mother up in a warm hug, his arms swinging around her. Ezalia smiled and held him as they hugged. "I love you mom," he whispered.
"I love you too, son," Ezalia answered, planting a small kiss on his cheek before she broke away. As she turned away and began to walk towards the elevator to take her to the command center, she felt emotion surging through her that she hadn't felt in months. It was relieving to her to feel this way at this time. She felt close to her son...not in a way she had experienced ever since the war had started. She loved him dearly, ever since the day she had brought him into this universe, and she would continue to love him, no matter what. He was her son and she loved him dearly.
Yzak watched her go and he felt a smile on his face. There was still something worth fighting for in this universe, he decided. The people you cared about and loved. Your family. Your friends. Yzak thought about Dearka, his friend for years who had now joined the enemy...or had he? Dearka had saved the PLANTs...along with the others in the Orb forces. Yzak didn't want to fight him...and apparently...neither did Dearka. His friend. Athrun too. Even that coward had saved the PLANTs, even though he had been declared a traitor and shot by his own father. Yzak had heard about it from others in the military. He didn't want to fight Athrun either. He didn't want to fight against those who had saved his home, even if it meant disobeying his orders, something he had never done. Yzak made his decision right then and there, officially deciding upon his destiny. He would fight to protect the PLANTs...but there was something else he would have to do as well. He spun on his heel and headed towards his machine.
Archangel, 0720.
The bridge doors sighed open and with a grizzly yawn, Josef raised his arms above his head and wandered towards his seat at the helm. "Not enough sleep, Josef?" Neumann asked. "Too busy with the wife?"
"Shut up, already Arnie," Josef responded in an annoyed voice. "It's not the right time." He sat down in his chair and pulled the helm controls out towards him. "I've had enough of a hard day already with all the crap that the intelligence people on the Vasconi have been giving me."
"What are they giving you?" Pal asked from his post.
"Freaking radio tunes they think are enemy broadcasts," Josef answered. "They can't tell the difference between a pop song and an enemy transmission. I can't count the number of times they've given me that crap."
"Anything new on the front?" Neumann asked carefully.
"Nothing except that nothing has happened since last night," Josef said calmly. "The Earth Forces haven't moved an inch and ZAFT just continues to set up their defensive lines around that weapon. All I know is that they're planning on firing it again as soon as it's at full output, whenever that is."
"You think it looks bad?" Neumann wondered.
"Bad, it's catastrophic," Josef replied. "If that thing fires at one hundred percent output, I shudder to think what it can do." He rubbed his nose with his index finger and thumb. "Depends on what the target is that will determine what happens today. We've just got to be at our best."
"Aren't we always?" Neumann asked.
"Sure..." Josef answered sheepishly.
Down in the hangar, Stevy climbed out from underneath the starboard wing of his bomber and cursed. "What's the matter, Stevy?" Jay asked.
"Damn pop-off valve's clogged," the long haired man answered. "I'm gonna have to refit another before we can launch or else that engine's not gonna work right." He looked up into the tail where his friend was and asked, "How's everything inside look?"
"Fine. Everything's normal back here," Jay answered. "Coop, how is it up there?" he shouted.
"Turret's functioning okay," Coop answered at his position in the ball turret at the top of the plane. "Hopefully the gun won't jam like it did last time."
"Sai, what about you?" Stevy called.
"It's fine," Sai answered from the nose. "Guns are working normally and the turning radius is good to go."
"Fantastic! All I'll have to do is refit this sucker and then we can go," Stevy exclaimed. "Hopefully this time we'll get a chance to stop 'em before they use that damn weapon of there's again."
"Or use nukes," Coop added. "Whichever comes first."
"That weapon..." Sai said, climbing down from the nose. "That weapon was the thing we saw at Jachin when we attacked the invasion fleet last month."
"Sure was," Stevy answered. "Just wish I'd recognized it sooner than later and reported the damn thing to the Admiral. We may have been able to stop it beforehand."
"Don't feel bad Stevy, it wasn't your fault," Coop brought up. "Nobody knew what the hell that thing was in the first place, so you can't blame yourself."
"I'm not. I just wish...we could've done something about it before it was used," Stevy answered.
"Can't lament on the past, Stevy," Jay told his friend, slapping him on the back. "What's done is done. We've got to stop that thing before it fires again and fast."
"Yeah I know," Stevy said. "Probably better run one last check before we go just to make sure it's set when we launch. I've got to find a wrench so I can refit this thing. Overlook this thing again while I'm gone, okay Jay?"
"Right," Jay answered, clambering back up into the tail.
In other parts of the ship, crews were just waking up from a restless night's sleep in their bunks. Each person clambered out of bed and managed to somehow make it to their stations despite the sleep that was still in their eyes. However, by the time they settled in, they were wide awake and ready for action. It would be up to them whether or not one side was victorious in the battle today or not. They had a job to do and they were damned if they were going to be the ones who screwed up on this day.
Beneath the bridge, in one of the officer's quarters, it was an entirely different story. As Mwu regained his senses, he was immediately overcome by a scent that made him smile. Without even opening his eyes, he could smell the scent of fresh cut flowers invading his nostrils and energizing his spirit. He felt the warm object beside him pressed against his side and felt how soft it was to his touch. He slowly opened his eyes and blew a quick breath out of his mouth, blowing several strands of autumn colored hair away from his nose. He slowly glanced to his left and saw her. She was laying in the crook of his left arm, one arm draped across his chest and shoulder, her eyes closed, her expression one of peace. Her body was pressed warmly to his side beneath the thin sheet that was covering them. Murrue lay asleep peacefully beside him, the war a distant memory.
Mwu shut his eyes and thought of the night before, when they had spent the waning hours together here in this bed in her quarters, love and passion spreading over the entire room. She had asked him to show her what it was like to be loved, and although he'd at first been reluctant, once the passion took hold it was too late to stop. Skin touching skin they had lain in the bed all night, expressing their undying love for one another in a heated exchange of passion. As it happened, in the back of his mind, Mwu had vividly remembered what he had been told about her past. What had happened to his lover when she was younger. He wouldn't think of the word, but he kept on reminding himself about it. He'd reminded himself to be as gentle as possible with Murrue as the passion stretched onwards into the night, but when she had cried out at the height of the exchange, he'd immediately been frightened that he had hurt her like she had been in the past. Her gentle touch and kiss reassured him that she was okay, though, which made him feel relieved. They had lain in a lover's embrace for much of the night before they had finally fallen asleep, both tired and completely in love. The war was just a memory to them at that moment, only a dark spot in the undying light of love the two had shared.
Mwu opened his eyes and stared into her face for several minutes, just lost in how beautiful she was. The perfect woman in his mind-set. And she had fallen in love with him. Mwu felt like the luckiest man in the universe at this moment, to have a woman like Murrue love him. He turned his head to his right, straining his neck a bit and glanced at the clock on Murrue's end table. It was morning now, which meant that the battle he knew was going to happen could be starting soon. Reluctantly and carefully, he let go of his love and slowly moved out from under the covers. He glanced into the mirror on the other side of the room and chuckled. His blonde hair was a mess from her fingers running through it and tossing it around the night before. He shook his head and laughed at himself.
He scrounged around for his clothes and quickly pulled on his pants and shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles as best he could. He sat back on the edge of the bed and put on his boots. He ran his fingers through his hair and smoothed it out as best he could, though it still looked as if he'd taken a small weed whacker to it. It was at that moment that he felt something warm press against his shoulder. He smiled and turned his head to his left to see Murrue's head gently pressed against his shoulder, a smile on her face with her eyes closed, the thin bed sheet wrapped around her body to conceal herself.
He moved his arm behind him and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Hi," he whispered to her.
"Hi," Murrue responded, her brown eyes opening to reveal the orbs that had burned with an undying passion the night before. They kissed each other lightly as they sat there and Murrue smiled when they broke.
"You okay?" Mwu asked.
"I'm feeling fantastic," Murrue whispered back, laying her head against his heart. "Last night was wonderful, Mwu. More lovely than I'd ever dreamed of."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Mwu said. "I loved just being here with you as it was."
"I know. But thank you...for showing me what true love was, Mwu," Murrue told him. "I just wish it didn't have to end."
"Yeah..." he whispered in her ear. "But I've got to go. I have to get ready for later today. It's a big day today, we've got to be at our best. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Better than I've ever felt in my entire life, lover," Murrue breathed.
"Good. I'll see you later then." He kissed her again. "I love you." Mwu reluctantly released his hold on her and stood up off the bed. He grabbed his jacket off the floor and as he opened the door he turned back and smiled at her. She smiled back and then he was gone.
Murrue swung her naked legs over the edge of the bed and stared down at her feet. She held the sheet tightly around her body as she frowned. It hurt her more than ever just to see him go now...after what they'd done just now. They'd made love...sweet and passionate love. She would have wanted nothing more than to have just stayed there in bed with him for the rest of eternity, but that wasn't possible, even after their love making was finished. It brought back memories from her past that she quickly shoved out of her mind. She wasn't going to think about them now. It was in her past and she had to concentrate on what was going on now. However, her glance eventually trained on the small object sitting in front of the clock and the pictures she had collected on her end table. The small pendant with the rose enclosed inside of it. She moved to pick it up in her palm, the rose glowing red into her brown eyes. The rose that he had given her...the mobile armor pilot who had died after he'd promised he'd return. He'd broken a promise to her and Murrue couldn't do a thing about it. She still was greatly hurt by his death, even today. She closed her palm around the pendant and squeezed it gently. I won't lose you Mwu...she vowed to herself. I've already lost him...I won't lose you too. That's a promise!
Dominion, 0900.
The final cargo shuttle pushed through the open hatch of the Archangel-class warship and the long hatch slowly swung itself shut, sealing the craft inside. Outside, Strike Daggers finished reloading nuclear missiles into launch tubes on the other warships in the makeshift fleet. Pilots huddled together inside the warships and prepared to climb inside their ships and go into combat to stop that horrifying weapon that had just been unleashed upon their friends and fellows soldiers. They were determined to protect the Earth from the barbaric Coordinators who had brought that kind of terror into the war.
Last minute loads were carried to the large warships by supply ships who quickly withdrew to the asteroids so they would be safe from the conflict that was about to begin. The bridge crew of the Dominion was quiet as they prepared their ship for the fight that they knew was approaching rapidly. Azrael seethed in his chair on the side of the bridge, holding tight to his chair's arm rests. He could see the eyeball staring back at him behind Jachin Due, the Coordinators hideous weapon. They called him barbaric? That weapon of theirs was by far the most barbaric weapon of them all. It sickened him to see the Coordinators acting as if they had won the war. Just wait, space monsters, Azrael thought to himself. You haven't won...not by a longshot. This war isn't over and it won't be over until every last one of you is dead and burning in the pits of hell!
"All preparations are complete, Captain Omanney," Yeardley reported from her post in the CIC. "Waiting for confirmation from the Valiant."
"Very good," Hal answered his first mate. "Level one battle stations, Lieutenant. Get the pilots to their machines."
"Yes, sir!"
"You'd better not screw this up this time, Captain," Azrael told Hal, who glanced with an annoyed expression at his superior. "This is the final battle of the war. We'll win this as long as you people don't do anything stupid like you've been doing. We have to win today and wipe out the enemy!"
"Whatever..." Hal said to himself, leaning his head on his fist.
"What's the distance to Jachin Due, Rutherford?" Azrael asked his assistant harshly.
"50000, sir," Rutherford answered quietly. "About forty-five minutes away."
"Almost there," Azrael told himself, rubbing his palms together. "Almost time for it to end." Rutherford sighed sadly.
A few ships away on board the Valiant, new flagship of Admiral Sutherland, the ship's crews worked feverishly to get the old ship ready for combat. Her hangar was stacked with her two original Strike Daggers, plus six new mobile suits that had been added to the ship's stock when she had been at the Lunar Base a few weeks earlier. Keryuoko directed the new pilots to their machines and gave them their assignments. They were to provide cover for the larger ships while other units would press the attack on the ZAFT weapon. If any enemy ships came into position where they could attack the fleet, it would be their job to stop them.
Just outside of the hangar, Seymour held out the silver pocket watch that he had kept with him ever since Alaska. Jessie's eyes widened and she said, "Seymour...you're giving this to me?"
"Yeah," Seymour told her. "It's so you won't forget...about the people who care about you Jessie." He placed the watch in her soft hand and closed her palm around it. "Don't forget me, okay."
"Not a chance," Jessie smiled. She wrapped herself around him and said, "You be careful now. Don't go die on me."
"I'll try my hardest," he answered happily. "You be careful too. I'll be waiting for you when you come back."
"It's a date." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. The kiss dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, but the sudden call for Seymour to come to the bridge caused them to break it. "See you when I get back," she whispered.
"I'll be waiting!" Seymour called as she turned towards the hangar and began running towards he station. Seymour watched her go, watched her long blonde hair disappear behind the corner and stood there for a long time, just watching the area that she had just been standing. He heard his name over the intercom again and he rushed up to the bridge.
The doors sighed open to admit him as he rushed through them and onto the noise filled bridge. Sutherland turned to him as he entered and said, "You're late, Captain McKinley."
"I know," Seymour answered lightly, sitting down in his chair and turning it back towards the front view port. "I had something I had to take care of."
"Really now," Sutherland said. Bradford glanced at his superior officer sitting to his left on the other side of the bridge. He still had no clue why in the hell Sutherland had transferred his flag here of all places. Probably to keep an eye on him, Bradford assumed. The 5th Fleet was still under his command, but Sutherland commanded the entire force of ships, which meant that he could override any command Bradford gave his forces, which made Bradford worry somewhat. "What's the status on the fleet?"
"Last supply ships are withdrawing, Admiral," Lester reported.
"Give the order! All vessels are to move out and launch the assault!"
"Fire main engines!" Seymour commanded. "Activate anti-air defense! Have the mobile units launch immediately!"
White streaks of flame cascaded from the engines of the mighty warships as they began to churn through the darkness of space. The Dominion and Valiant took the lead while the others followed quietly in their wake. Inside the Dominion's hangar, Orga, Shani, and Clotho boarded their units after taking in their daily concoctions only minutes before. "Should be even more of them than yesterday!" Clotho beamed. "I can hardly wait!"
"Don't piss yourself Clotho," Orga mocked. "It's still going to be a while before the idiot Captain let's us launch."
"Shut up, Orga!" Clotho shouted.
Shani sighed heavily inside his cockpit. "Once again you two prove to be total idiots."
"Shut your mouth, Shani!" Orga shouted.
"At least we can say we've actually done something," Clotho pointed out. Shani scowled and smashed the radio with his fist.
Eternal, 0910.
Kira couldn't believe it. There was no way he could have let himself do this. He was in the elevator just behind the bridge, cursing himself as the lift rose up towards the top of the tower. He'd just woken up from a good night's rest, but he'd promised himself he'd wake up at least four hours earlier than this to get a head start on the morning's tasks. How in the hell could he have overslept? He'd even set his alarm to go off at the correct time, but it hadn't worked and he'd just woken up about fifteen minutes earlier. Kira knew that the others were probably waiting for him at this very moment and wondering where he was. He felt like such an idiot! He knew he was going to get an ear full when he arrived, so he braced himself.
As the doors sighed open to admit him onto the bridge, Kira immediately came up beside Lacus who turned her chair towards him. Athrun and Cagalli were also there and they both glanced at him as he rushed in. "I'm sorry..." Kira apologized vigorously as he arrived. "I know, I know, I overslept. I should've been here earlier, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-."
"Kira..." Lacus said.
"I feel like such a dumb-ass right now, I'm such an idiot," Kira continued quickly.
"Kira!" Lacus said again. Kira stopped then and effectively shut his mouth. He turned to Lacus and the pink haired girl said, "Don't worry about that. That was us who did that. We." She glanced at Athrun and Cagalli who both smiled at Kira.
"What...?" Kira gasped.
"You hadn't a good night's rest in almost two days Kira," Athrun reminded him. "I haven't seen you sleep a wink since Boaz as it is."
"We turned your alarm off so you would get a few more hours of rest," Lacus added. "You needed it, Kira. Even you have to see that. You have to be at your best today and if you don't rest you won't be able to function normally. That's why I decided to let you rest. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."
"Blame us," Cagalli corrected. "Blame us for trying to be your friends and help you rest."
Kira opened his mouth to respond, but he quickly shut it and shook his head. He chuckled. "I looked like such an idiot just then, didn't I?"
"Mm-hmm," Athrun hummed.
"Yep," Cagalli added.
"Don't listen to them Kira," Lacus told him kindly. "They're just trying to help you like the rest of us are."
Kira smiled. "What are friends for."
Lacus smiled back at him, but just then a siren began blaring on the bridge that startled everyone. Kira felt a sinking feeling rise in his chest because he had a bad feeling he knew exactly what it was for. "DaCosta?" Andy called to his comrade.
"They're moving, sir!" DaCosta reported. "The Earth Forces fleet just moved from their position and they're heading straight for Jachin and the PLANTs."
"How long until they reach them?" Lacus asked.
"About half an hour, Miss Lacus."
"We're about twenty minutes away, we should get there before they do," Andy pointed out. "Captain Steele, order battle stations!"
"General Waltfeld!" Cantarii's image appeared on the view screen at the front of the bridge, his grayish blue eyes reflecting in the dim light, a cigarette pressed between his lips.
"They're moving, Admiral. The Earth Forces have begun their assault it appears," Andy told him.
"Get your people moving, Andy," Cantarii ordered. "We're mobilizing and heading for the PLANTs. All ships are to launch immediately and form up accordingly."
"Yes, sir!" As Cantarii's image disappeared, Andy turned back to the quartet behind him and said, "We're going into battle, Miss Lacus. We need you two to get your machines immediately."
"Right," Athrun answered, turning towards the doors, Cagalli following in his wake.
Kira turned to follow his friends, but then he heard someone call his name. He quickly turned around just in time to catch Lacus as she sprang from her chair and came towards him. Her blue eyes met his violet ones and he said, "What Lacus?" Kira turned back towards the doors just in time to see Athrun and Cagalli wave a goodbye to him before the doors closed. He turned back to Lacus and saw her reach into the pocket of her long white coat and bring out something.
"Take this..." her pretty voice told him. Kira's eyes focused on the small object Lacus held in her fingers. It was...a ring! Kira's hand was visibly trembling as he reached for the small, silver circle and took it in his hand. His mouth went aghast and he glanced back at Lacus who's blue eyes seemed to have grown much larger in just the last few seconds. They stared at each other for a few moments before Kira turned towards the door and motioned for her to follow him.
Once the doors were safely closed beside them, Kira held the ring up to his eyes and smiled at her. "This means a lot, Lacus," he said kindly. "Thank you."
"Please come back..." Lacus told him softly. Kira hummed in confusion and she added, "It's going to be rough out there...I"m sure you have your own things that you must do...just as I must...but please...comes back. Come back to me."
Kira shut his eyes and nodded his head. "I'll be fine Lacus...don't worry."
He turned away from her and started to leave, but she called out his name again. Kira shut his eyes and sighed uneasily. He hoped he hadn't hurt her by trying to leave just then. He slowly turned back to face her, her eyes seeming to glow in the lights of the corridor. Slowly Lacus floated towards him until they were just a breath length apart. Their eyes locked and stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Lacus folded her hands in front of her chest shut her eyes. She then planted a gentle kiss on his lips. Kira's eyes widened as their lips touched. Her lips were cold as they melded with his. This action startled Kira right out of his skin.
Within a few seconds it was over and Lacus pulled back from him. Kira's eyes were wide as he stared in shock at the pink haired girl. Lacus was frowning at him, not in anger, but in sadness. Kira could tell that she wished he didn't have to put his life on the line again, but she also knew that he had no choice in this situation. He had to fight today. If he didn't, thousands, no millions would perish. And they couldn't allow that to happen. Eventually the shock evaporated and Kira smiled back at her. Before she could respond, he had leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, causing Lacus to almost gasp in shock herself. "You be careful too, Lacus," Kira told her softly. "And don't worry. I'll be fine."
He turned away from her and headed down the corridor. Lacus reached out towards him, but he was already too far away. She brought her hands together in front of her and watched his form slink away from her. Inside, she felt as if he was leaving her for the final time...
In another part of the ship, Athrun and Cagalli floated towards the hangar where Cagalli would be getting on board a shuttle that would take her back to the Kusanagi. They didn't look at each other as they floated side by side. Finally when Athrun did look at the blonde haired girl, she was smiling at him. "What?" he chuckled, a smile breaking out on his own face.
Cagalli shrugged her shoulders quickly. "Nothing really," she said kindly to him. "It's just that...this time I can go with you guys."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Athrun asked.
"I'm going out there with you guys," Cagalli told him as they came to an intersection of corridors. "I just received word from the Kusanagi that they've finished assembling the Strike Rouge over there. We had all the spare parts in storage at Mendel and we brought them with us."
"What...?" Athrun gasped.
"See you later!" Cagalli said to him as she turned to leave down a separate corridor, but Athrun reached out and stopped her. "What's the matter?" she asked him.
"Cagalli..." he said.
She sighed heavily. "Don't worry about me," she ordered. "I've got to do my part for this cause just as you do, Athrun. If I can make a difference, I'm going to."
"But..." Athrun was about to rebuttal, but Cagalli pressed two fingers against his lips and sealed his mouth.
"Athrun." She turned her head away from him and said quietly, "What we should do...what we can do...what we've got to do. It's the same for all of us today. Our mission since the beginning has been to bring this war to and end...and now we have a chance to do that...without either side destroying one another. It's the same mission for all of us. For you...for Kira...for Lacus...and for me too."
Athrun paused and shut his eyes. "Yeah..."
Cagalli reached forward and took his flight suit by the neck and pulled him close. "Don't look at me like that!" she commanded harshly. "You take a lot more risks out there than I ever would. Unlike you I'm not going to go out there with all weapons blazing and hope that no one hits me."
"I don't do that," Athrun answered.
"Yes, you do," Cagalli reassured him. "Believe me, I've seen you fight in previous battles. Plus I'm a lot better than most of the Astray pilots over there. And I've had sufficient mobile suit training." Her voice softened. "But don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll be watching out for you..." She thought of Kira. "And for that guy who might be my little brother."
"Little brother. Cagalli, couldn't he be your big brother," Athrun chuckled.
"No way!" Cagalli answered firmly. "Kira's definitely the younger one, I can tell."
Athrun smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right. You always are."
"I am?" Cagalli questioned. Before she knew what was happening, Athrun's arms were around her and holding her close to him. Her head rested on his shoulder while his rested on hers. Cagalli closed her eyes and returned the hug as best she could from her position.
"I'm pretty lucky to have met you Cagalli," Athrun said quietly. "You've been a great friend and I can never repay you for that."
"Neither can I," Cagalli whispered to him.
"I owe you big time for not killing me for what I did in the past...for hurting you like I did." Athrun removed his head from her shoulders and locked his green eyes with her golden orbs. "I owe you my life, Cagalli. And I'll protect you out there today...I swear it."
"Athrun..." Cagalli breathed. Their eyes closed and their lips met in a deep kiss. They stood in the corridor for several minutes, their lips pressed together, their bodies melded as one, and this time...they meant it.
Archangel, 0925.
The Orb Fleet began its quick acceleration towards the PLANTs as news of the Earth Forces' movements reached every ship. The three large ships, Archangel, Kusanagi, and Eternal took up the point while the smaller ones, Peleuia, Capricorn, and Vasconi brought up the tail end of the formation. Inside the ships, crews hustled about heading to their battle stations. The two mobile suits that the Eternal carried were already humming with energy when Kira and Athrun climbed into the cockpits. They each knew that what happened today would depend greatly on their actions. They knew that they couldn't let their friends down and that they wouldn't. Kusanagi's team of M1 Astrays were sitting and ready to go. Wayne, Orel, Asagi, Juri, Mayura, Mitch, and the other pilots sat restlessly in the cramped cockpits, not saying much. They knew very well that it was likely that they wouldn't be coming back, but it was something they were willing to cope with if it meant preserving peace for the universe torn apart by the war.
At the rear of the hangar, gleaming in red, pink, and white, the Strike Rouge waited in anticipation as its new pilot approached the cockpit. Cagalli had returned to the Kusanagi after saying goodbye to Athrun and had quickly donned a red and white pilot suit and matching helmet. She swung her slim figure into the cockpit and watched as the cockpit closed in front of her. She gripped at the controls and got a feel for the mobile suit's control systems as she waited for the go to launch. She heard the chatter coming through her radio as she got herself ready. "The power flows of the Strike Rouge are stable," came a voice through her radio. "There's a rookie piloting it, so make sure that all the systems are powered up to ready levels." Cagalli growled to herself at the notion of her being a rookie. She'd fought already in the war in Africa and many other places. She'd piloted a Skygrasper and had survived a night stranded on an island. How could she possibly be even considered a rookie? This was completely absurd... Cagalli took a deep breath and calmed her thoughts. This wasn't the time. She had a job to do and she finally had been given the opportunity to pilot a mobile suit. She was not about to let her own emotions get the better of her when she needed to be completely at peace. It very well could be up to her to make the needed difference in the fight and she was more than willing to be that difference. Cagalli breathed deeply and calmly, her chest rising up and down with each breath as she waited patiently in the Strike Rouge's cockpit for the go to launch.
Inside the hangar of the Archangel, the deck crew worked frantically to get all of the ships mobile craft, the Strike, the Buster, the Zero, the Skygrasper, and all three K-bombers, ready for action. Murdoch yelled at the top of his lungs as he shouted out commands to his crew. After receiving the okay signal from a crewman, Kisaka climbed into the cockpit of the single operational Skygrasper, the green Agni cannon and Launcher parts attached to its wings. He turned on the plane's systems and slipped his helmet over his long black hair and onto his head. Stevy and Mike clambered into the cockpit of their bomber while Sai, Coop, and Jay each took up positions in the nose, ball, and tail of the plane in order to man their guns. Once again, four powerful missiles were strapped to the underbellies of the aircraft as had been in the previous altercations. Dearka spoke to a few members of the crew from inside the Buster's cockpit as he made last minute checks on the mobile suit's systems. Everything was looking good at this moment. The systems weren't what was on Dearka's mind however. What would happen during the battle was taking up all his thoughts. Would he...would he actually have to fight Yzak? Or would Yzak...? Dearka shook his head and banished the thoughts. He would just have to wait and see.
At the same time in the corridor adjacent to the hangar, Frank floated silently with his eyes transfixed ahead of him at the approaching facility. His brown eyes were serious as they watched people moving in the opening at the end of the corridor in front of him, his autumn colored hair and matching mustache were combed almost to perfection, and his mouth was shut completely, not even bothering to say a single word. He was clothed in his green and white pilot suit, his helmet tucked underneath his right arm. His left arm on the other hand was pointed half towards the ground and half towards the person whose hand was clasped firmly in his. Natarle said nothing as well as the two of them headed towards the hangar. Frank had been ready to head down by himself before Natarle caught up with him and they had held hands all the way down to this point. After what had happened the night before, the two of them were almost inseparable at this moment, neither one of them willing to let the other go in fear that they would never see each other again.
They came to the end of the corridor where it became the hangar and Frank suddenly stopped, pulling Natarle beside him as he flattened himself against the wall. "Can they see us?" Natarle asked quietly.
"Nah, we're good here," he answered quickly. He turned his head to her and smiled. "Besides, if anybody peeks on us, I'll beat the crap out of 'em for peeping like you told me to." Natarle smiled back at him, but her eyes did not reflect the happiness in her smile. Frank frowned in response. "Natarle..."
"I know," she answered quickly. "You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine no matter what."
"Good." Making sure to take one last glance behind him to make sure no one was watching, Frank took Natarle in his arms and held her close to him. "You be careful, okay. Don't go get killed on me. Take care of my baby sister while I'm gone too, okay."
"Count on it," Natarle whispered, touching her forehead gently to his. Her violet eyes met his and she said, "Come back, Frank. Come back to me okay. Forget everything else. Just...come back to me, okay."
"Don't worry, Natarle," Frank whispered. "We'll be okay. We'll come out of this with peace. And I'll come back. I promise." He captured her lips in a passionate kiss and her arms snaked around his neck as she returned it. Their lips parted after what seemed like an eternity and they stared into each other's loving eyes for an even greater amount of time. Frank's face seemed to be pained at this time, though.
"What is it...?" Natarle asked him quietly.
Frank didn't answer at first. He averted his gaze for a few seconds. Then he looked deeply into her eyes and his lips parted. "I love you, Natarle."
Natarle's lips parted slightly and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at those words. She smiled the biggest smile she'd ever smiled. "Oh...I love you too, Frank. With all my heart," she whispered to him. He smiled back at her and kissed her dark red lips one last time.
Finally, Frank reluctantly let her go and said goodbye before he kicked off the deck and headed into the hangar. Natarle watched him float away, her hand making a fist and holding above the silver cross under her jacket, the one with the jewels that he had given her so long ago. Her heart seemed to be breaking inside of her as she watched him leave, mist beginning to form in her eyes. She shut her eyes and silently prayed for him. "Lieutenant!" She snapped her head up and saw Frank waving to her. "Make sure the idiots on the bridge aren't slacking off!"
Natarle smiled. "You do the same for the idiots in the air, Commander!" she shouted back to him. She waved back at him until he was virtually out of sight. Then Natarle turned around and took a deep breath. It was time to go to work. The Archangel was depending on her being at her best in order to survive. She floated down the corridor and headed towards the bridge, her mind becoming completely serious in the aspect of her duties at this time, but along the way she couldn't help but to blink away a few scattered tears.
Inside the cockpit of the Strike, Mwu mumbled to himself as he made last second checks to the mobile suit's internal systems. Everything seemed to be functioning normally which was relieving at best. Mwu took a deep breath and relaxed himself into his chair. His mind was racing at this time, wondering about the events to come. It was very likely that he would have to face off against some old enemies today. Rau...Azrael...he thought angrily. If you...so much as try to hurt anyone I care about...you'll have to face my full wrath...
A quiet chiming sound jarred Mwu from his thoughts. He looked at the diagnostic board and saw that something was approaching his cockpit. He pressed a button and centered an image on the object. Murrue. Mwu smiled inside his helmet when he saw her and he was quickly slipping it off his head and tossing it back into his chair. He reached forward and pressed the open release for the cockpit.
Murrue stopped beside the cockpit as it swung open and Mwu's form darted out and stood floating before her. "I thought I wouldn't make it in time..." Murrue breathed, gasping for air since she had rushed here as fast as she could.
Mwu smiled at her. "Wouldn't make it to what, silly?" he chuckled.
"You know," she answered quietly, giggling herself. Their eyes met and stared into the other for the longest time. Mwu's eyes wandered lower and centered on an object that was hanging out of the open collar of Murrue's jacket. She gasped slightly as he reached forward and took the small pendant in his hands and held it close to him. Murrue's eyes widened in shock that he had discovered it.
To her surprise, Mwu wasn't upset. Instead he smiled at her. "Was he a mobile armor pilot?" he asked.
Murrue narrowed her eyes and looked away from him. She thought about him...the mobile armor pilot who had died on her... "That's right..." she whispered, her eyes beginning to tear up.
"Don't worry, Murrue," Mwu said to her, taking her gently by the shoulders. "I'll be coming right back." Murrue's brown orbs looked back into his face as he added, "With victory in hand, my love."
"Mwu..." she whispered as he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply. Her hands pressed firmly against his chest and felt his heart beat beneath them, thumping peacefully inside of him as the kiss dragged on. Finally they broke and Murrue smiled. "Now all I have to do is find my brother."
"Right here, sis," came a voice behind them. Murrue turned around quickly and floated down towards Frank's rapidly approaching form. She threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely as he returned it as best he could. The two siblings held each other for several seconds as they said their goodbyes. "Be careful, Frank," Murrue whispered, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
"You too, Murrue," Frank replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek of his own. Slowly, Frank let go of her and she looked back at the two men she loved as she retreated toward the exit of the hangar. Mwu and Frank watched her go until she was completely out of sight. Neither of them spoke for the longest time.
"It's funny isn't it, Frank?' Frank turned to his friend who added, "Two idiots like us end up friends with a person like her."
"Yeah," Frank answered. "Are we masters of this or just plain lucky."
"I'd say lucky," came another voice nearby. Both Mwu and Frank smiled as Stevy and Jay came up to join them. "You two okay?" Stevy asked his friends.
"When are we not okay?" Mwu asked sarcastically.
"Well, Frank did have his hand chopped off and you did kind of get beat up pretty bad in the debris belt, so-," Jay answered.
"Jay," Frank warned, effectively shutting his friend up with a smile. "So what's the status?"
"Just waiting for the call," Stevy answered. "Figured we should take the time to say goodbye fellas."
"Goodbye? That's strange coming from you, Stevy," Mwu pointed out.
"Hey, I swiped the last bottle of booze from the bar, so if you don't want it," Stevy answered.
Mwu chuckled. "I'm kidding, Stevy. If you got it, pass it around." Stevy withdrew the small bottle of beer from his helmet and quickly filled four small glasses that Jay supplied. Each man raised his glass in the center of the circle and Mwu said, "I propose a toast, gentlemen. To those that have come and gone before us."
"To the Cuban Raiders," Jay said. "May their brave souls rest in peace after today, when the people that betrayed their trust have been defeated."
"To Niada Barrington," Stevy said quietly. "The best pilot...friend...and brother. Hope he's laughing his ass off at us wherever he is today."
"To Hugh Swanson," Mwu put in. "Friend...husband...and father. The friendliest person all of us have ever had the privilege of knowing. May his family someday fine the peace and happiness they so rightly deserve."
"To John Namora," Frank finished. "The reason we are all here today." They each nodded and the glasses clanged together in a high pitched ring. The beer was gone in an instant and they each went their separate ways to their respective machines. Mwu scrambled back into the Strike's cockpit and reluctantly shut the cockpit shield in front of him, cutting him off from the people he cared so deeply for in his life. He silently prayed that they would meet again someday.
Jachin Due, 0930.
Strike Daggers led the way for the Earth Forces combined fleet as it charged through space towards the asteroid fortress and the PLANT homelands just on the horizon. Warships finished deploying their mobile units and armed their main weapons. "Distance to target, 13000," a crewman on the Dominion reported.
"All vessels," Sutherland ordered. "Commence operation! Open fire!" Green laces of energy streaked from the cannons mounted onto the warships which was joined by the fire from the mobile units frolicking around them.
A short distance away, the ZAFT defensive forces were readying themselves for action. "All 7th Mobile Units, deploy your forces using Nautilus formation," an order came over the radio. Mobile suits of the advance force streaked towards the enemy, their weapons blazing as they maneuvered with expert quickness to dodge the fire being directed at them. Strike Daggers, mobile armors, and K-bombers fought against GINNs, CGUEs, and GuAIZs as the battlefield lit up with lights from the attacks being directed towards the enemies.
"Load Sledgehammers into aft missile tubes!" Hal ordered on the Dominion. "Aim Gottfrieds and Valients! Fire!" Azrael seethed as he watched the ship begin its attack.
"Aim starboard cannons at mark twenty-seven charlie!" Seymour commanded his crew. "Increase speed to twenty-six knots! Fire!"
"All vessels of the 5th Orbital Fleet, attack the left flank using Dagger formation Copenhagen!" Bradford ordered. "Target, the asteroid fortress Jachin Due and that weapon!" Slowly but surely, the battle stretched towards Jachin Due and the eyeball behind it.
Inside Jachin's command center, Patrick was growing restless with the tense situation. "How long until we can fire, Dullindal?" he demanded.
"A few more minutes for us to set the target, Your Excellency," Gilbert told him.
"You know the target," Patrick reminded him. "The lunar surface, Ptolemaeus Crater. The Earth Alliance base."
"Yes, sir," Gilbert answered quietly, still feeling as if they didn't have to do this.
On board an elevator bound for the command center, Ezalia was quiet and spoke nothing to the two soldiers who were assigned to guard her while she was at Jachin Due. She knew that the second shot would be fired shortly and that then hopefully the war would come to an end. At least she hoped so. "But then what...?" Ezalia sighed uneasily to herself. She could still hear Yzak's words in her mind. Ezalia searched her brain for the answer, but she had yet to find it. What would happen should the Naturals continue to fight on? What would Patrick...? These thoughts raged inside Ezalia's head as she entered the bustling command center.
Back on the Dominion, Orga felt the Calamity's legs attach to the catapult. "X-131, clear for takeoff," came the signal through his radio. Orga held tight to the controls as the blue mobile suit was launched into the battle. The green Forbidden followed suit with Shani at the controls and the black Raider brought up the rear with Clotho as the pilot. Other ships in the fleet finished launching their respective units including the Valiant. Jessie made final checks on her Strike Daggers systems and then felt herself being catapulted into space, her engines powering up to maximum to give her momentum. Her unit of Daggers followed her into space, leaving the Valiant in their wake.
Just beyond the raging conflict, the six vessels of the Orb Fleet trundled silently towards the illuminated battle ahead of them. Cantarii watched with keen sight as the lights began to grow larger and more severe the closer they approached. "Admiral?" Captain Jackson asked him quietly.
"It's time, Captain," Cantarii nodded. "General Waltfeld!"
"Attention all vessels!" Andy commanded loudly, "Begin launch of mobile suits immediately!"
"What!" Dearka's mouth dropped down to the floor of the cockpit. "We're supposed to stop GENESIS and the nukes while fighting for our lives at the same time!"
On the other end of the monitor, Miriallia sighed uneasily. "If you don't want to do it, then why don't you give up?"
"Hey, I'm sorry, okay!" Dearka answered quickly. He took a deep, cleansing breath and added, "I'm sorry, I'm a little anxious here."
"Don't worry, we all are, Dearka," Miriallia answered quietly. "Be careful out there."
Dearka paused. Then he smiled. "Thanks." Miriallia's eyes widened in confusion. "Thanks for everything Mir. You've been a great friend. I'll see you when I get back." His image disappeared. Miriallia stared at the empty monitor for a few seconds. Why had he done that? He didn't have to. But he'd taken the time to thank her...the strange feeling came over Miriallia at that moment. She quickly sent it away, still not understanding what it was.
"Have the mobile suits take off now!" Natarle ordered from her post in the Archangel's CIC.
"Mwu la Flaga, Strike taking off!" Mwu called as the board went all green above him and the Strike, Aile parts attached to its back, thundered down the catapult and into space.
"Dearka Elsman, Buster taking off!" The green mobile suit with the big guns on its arms rocketed into space right on the Strike's tail.
"Frank Barkhesh, Moebieus Zero launching!" The board went all green and the port catapult released the Zero into the weightless state and it raced out of the hangar.
"This is Ledonir Kisaka! Skygrasper launching!" Immediately after the Zero launched off the port catapult, the newly modified Skygrasper quickly joined it in space. The Archangel's three K-bombers lifted off the catapult soon afterwards, completing the ship's total mobile unit.
The catapult between the jaws of the Kusanagi opened to send out her units a minute later. "Strike Rouge, let's go!" Cagalli yelled as the catapult rocketed the new mobile suit into space.
"Lapina Team, taking off!" Wayne called out from behind as the remaining units of his flight lifted off behind Cagalli.
"Yakov Team, let's do it!" Orel brought his unit of M1s at the rear.
Eternal prepared to deploy her two mobile suits as well. "Athrun?" Kira asked his friend.
"Let's go!" Athrun replied confidently. "Athrun Zala, Justice launching!" The catapult sent the scarlet red mobile suit screaming out of the hatch and into space.
"Kira Yamato, Freedom let's do it!" The blue and white Freedom followed the Justice into battle, its mighty fins spreading out to provide stability as it gained speed.
"METEORs, lift off!" The white support units gleamed in the darkness as the Freedom and the Justice attached to them at the front part of the pink warship.
"The choice we're making may be one of evil as well," Lacus said through an open channel so everyone in the force could hear her sweet voice. "For we call for peace, but with weapons in hand. Nevertheless, allow us to break this chain of endless conflict. Give us strength!"
The powerful engines at the back of the METEORs flared to life in a great white flash. "Let's go!" Kira shouted as he and the others zoomed through space towards the raging battle.
Ahead of them, the battle raged. Two GINNs were blown apart by the force of a K-bomber's missile attack. One GuAIZ shot down three mobile armors with pristine accuracy. Jachin Due's anti-ship cannons lit up the black space, blowing a massive hole into the side of an Earth Forces vessel. Inside Jachin's command center, Patrick, Yuri, Ezalia, and Gilbert watched the events unfold on the monitor in front of them, the lights of battle reflecting in their eyes. "They're beginning to overwhelm Area Seven!" a shout sounded.
"Tell them to hang on," Patrick ordered calmly. "We're almost ready here."
"Send a message to the forces in the line of fire," Ezalia added. "We're activating GENESIS."
"Order the left flank to tighten up where they are," Yuri commanded. "That will keep them out of the way of the shot."
"What about le Creuset?" Patrick demanded.
"He's getting ready now, sir."
Rau shoved three pills into his jaw and swallowed them with a guzzle of water. He felt the medication slide down his throat and into his systems. He tossed the empty water bottle back at the soldier behind him and slipped on his helmet. Rau swung himself into the cockpit of the ghastly gray mobile suit and sat down in the chair. "Tell them I'm heading out," Rau told the soldier before he closed the cockpit shield. As he powered up the Providence's systems, he smiled. "I'll give it a try. After all anything that man can do...I'm sure I can do just as well." He keyed the radio. "This is Rau le Creuset, Providence taking off!" The hatches above the hangar opened slowly to reveal the black space beyond. Rau activated the thrusters and the Providence soared upwards through the open doors and into space, white streaks of energy trailing in its ghostly wake.
Behind him, GENESIS began to vibrate as the nuclear energy surged through its structure. "Activating N-Jammer Canceller. Set nuclear cartridge to detonation position!" The turbine inside of the cone shaped rear began to spin faster and faster as it glowed a bloody red. "System connections all green!"
"Now fire!" Patrick shouted. The white needle of light hit the alignment mirror in front of the eyeball and was reflected back onto GENESIS. In a great flash of red, the gamma ray laser unleashed its fury upon the black space beyond.
Author's Note: To those who have posted questions.
Shinji Akari: Just to let you know, I've redone Chapters 5 and 6. Nothing major, just some points you told me about.
lithiumflower56: Murrue and Frank's last names are different because when their parents divorced Frank stayed with his father's last name, Barkhesh, while Murrue had to change hers to her mother's maiden name, Ramius.