Chapter 5: The Longest Night

Yuki and Elain arrived at the Rigal Mountain Colony Spaceport after receiving the retreat order from the Albatross. The two Messalas landed inside the bay regrouping with the survivors of the attack. The two floated down from their suits and was promptly greeted.

"Chief Yuki. It's a relief to you alive and well."

"What happened to the attack on Galford Colony? Why was there a retreat order issued?"

"The attack was a trap. We believe Z.A.F.T feed us false information to lead us there so they can finish us off. With this defeat our power now lies within the Fergion Colony base. Senjo is too exhausted to fight. They need the time to recover from this blow."

"Where are the survivors of the attack?"

"You're looking at them..."

Yuki glanced around in horror to see the small amount of survivors in the bay. Only five Mobile Suits, each missing an arm or leg or head. Floating around the bay there were no more than thirty to thirty five people. "Where's Kira? Jones and Thomas? Where is everyone?"

Yuki demanded an answer from the soldier but to both her and Elain's horror the soldier only bowed his head sorrowfully. Yuki's face began to swell up in tears.

"No... No that's not possible...! Everyone...! Kira... NO!"

The room was dark and shrouded with a grey cloud. From when they entered it was dimly lit now there's no trace of light at all, except from the window up top that had brought in the light of the moon. Something then began to move. An eerie shadow in a dark room of death, or for Kira at that moment, he was unaware of the slain around him. Kira picked himself up on fours and looked down. Beneath him lay shattered pieces of glass on an over rusted corroded metal. Kira's face was bloody from cuts of glass. His uniform shattered by the same material. Kira had succeeded in destroying the mirror beneath him. Coming down he shattered the glass and sheltered his eyes against the rusted metal beneath. He picked himself up using the console as support and tried to create an image of anything within the grey cloud that filled the room. That's when Kira realized the horror that surrounded him. The light from the moon shone around him. Mirrors filled with bullet holes and cracks, but no bodies, no life, only him. The ten other soldiers, Garis, and Thomas were all slain by The Incinerator. Kira reeled back when he realized he was enshrouded in the ash of his comrades and his friends. He panicked trying to blow the ash away from him flinging his arms wildly into the air. Kira's frenzy brought him over to one of the sealed mirror doors. Without even realizing it Kira bent down and grabbed the holes made by one soldier's rifle fire within the door. Kira thrusted upward and the door flew back into the ceiling as if nothing was holding it down. Kira came to when he realized what had happened. He walked quietly outside the room and found his way outside the station. Looking up at the town on top of hill above the station he saw no lights and no signs of power. Kira then picked up a cell phone on the ground that was covered in ash and opened it. The cell phone had no power as well.

"EMP... They must have changed the resonance of the beam... So now I'm stuck here with no way to call for help..."

"Oh over there, look! It's another one!"

A slightly overfilled woman spotted a figure walking slowly they're way. The woman rushed over to help the young man with a bloody face and shattered clothes that had walked into town.

"Are you alright young man?"

Kira said nothing, only looked ahead and continued walking.

"Poor child... He must be traumatized by the incident... Come with me child, I run a small hotel a block down, stay and recover."

The woman led Kira down the streets into a town that was in a complete state of confusion. The same grey cloud that filled the room of the station was all around here. People who had escaped the light were now outside gathering the ash from the streets and moving it to the side.

Inside one of the rooms of the hotel a clean, bandaged Kira wearing the same shattered clothes he had arrived in lay face up on a bed staring directly at the ceiling. From the doorway the woman who brought him and an older man was peering at him in pity. They closed the door to leave him be as they conversed in the hallway.

"The poor child... When I found him he was covered in ash and his face was bleeding from numerous cuts... But I believe the most damaged part about him is his heart..."

"Yes... you told me... he could barely utter his name when I greeted him. I believe he has lost too many friends today... From his clothing I can only assume he was apart of that attack outside the colony... But what was that attack all about? And who were those people? I recognized some Z.A.F.T ships and Mobile Suits but the others..."

"Whatever had happened today was only followed by a great tragedy to this colony. This war has brought too many deaths already... It has to be stopped soon... and I don't know who to believe now... ever since yesterday, that TV report, two Lacus..."

"Maybe this child is the answer to that confusion yesterday night... Two Lacus Clyne appeared then those new Mobile Suits and now this child..." "But he's in no condition to speak... We have to leave him alone for now... He has a great weight upon him that we cannot disturb."

Inside the room Kira continued to lie looking at the ceiling. Thoughts of his friends rushed through his head. Thoughts of the trap they all fell for. Thoughts of what to do next.

"Garis... Karim... Thomas... everyone... I can't..."

"What's with that attitude Kira?"

"Garis...?"

"You think I broke my arm saving you all for nothing?"

"Garis..."

"Kira you shouldn't give up just because we're not here anymore. You still have a lot to do!"

"Thomas..."

"That's right Kira. You still have a mission to accomplish."

"Mission... Karim..."

"You still have Elain and Yuki, Kira. And Tia. Are you gonna give up on her too?"

"Tia... Tia!"

Kira's eyes came to life after hearing the voices of his fallen friends. "I need to save Tia... I won't let Z.A.F.T gain control over everything... I won't let them murder any more innocent people!"

Kira got up from the bed and made his way outside the room and down the stairs. Kira passed the hotel counter where the lady who had found him had been organizing some papers. She immediately called out to him asking where he was going and Kira turned around and gave her a smile. "Thank you for all you've done for me miss, but I can't stay any longer, I have a mission I have to complete."

Kira turned and walked out the hotel to the streets leaving the woman only to utter a small prayer for Kira then saying good luck to the young one.

Kira wondered the streets of the town on his way back to where he had entered. Soon enough a tall dark skinned man wearing a red jacket a blue jeans approached him in a friendly manner.

"Hey there kid! Where do you think your going all bandaged up like that? You could get hurt!"

"I'm sorry, but I need to get to the spaceport at the back of the colony."

"All the way back there? That's quite a journey from here. Someone in your condition will need some help! I'll come with you!"

"Come with me? Why?"

"Hey you'll need any help you can take! Besides, after what just happened I'm not feeling this colony anymore. Over at PLANT they got those Z.A.F.T soldiers guarding the place. Nothing gets passed them, Jachin Due proved that well. I'll be nice and safe if I made a living over there!"

Kira laughed and extended his hand to shake the man's.

"My name is Kira. Zamura, Kira."

The man extended his own and shook hands with Kira.

"The name is Wesley Jones! But everyone around here just calls me "King"!"

Kira gave another slight chuckle as the two began their journey to end of the colony.

The two walked for an hour, sharing their stories with each other. Kira's story seemed to amaze Wesley more than anything he's ever heard in his life.

"So your saying you and your friends are this wondrous next step in human evolution?"

"Yep."

"And you were in the battle that took place on Orb yesterday and met Lacus Clyne?"

"Yep."

"And that you're here to stop a massive Z.A.F.T weapon from destroying the rest of your kind?"

"Yep."

"Wow... I'll tell ya kid. That's pretty hard to believe! But for all that's happened recently it doesn't sound made up!"

"Yea, but hey where I was out fighting and risking my life you were here living the easy life. A junk collector? Who would have thought people would get paid for gathering the stuff I destroy?"

"Haha it's an easy business. As horrible as it sounds, as long as there's war, there's business! Not saying I'm for war of course, I want the bloodshed to stop as much as you do."

The two continued onward and within the next half hour came upon another town inside the colony. Wesley looked around the town to see a normal population but still no lights.

"Looks like that beam didn't reach out over here."

"Yea... but the range of the EMP resonance caught this area too. It will be awhile before power returns."

The two continued their walk through the town until a sudden commotion between a group of people halted them. A bald dark skinned man and a short tanned skinned woman with black hair were arguing with appeared to be two Z.A.F.T military soldiers.

"Z.A.F.T? What are they doing inside the colony?"

Kira and Wesley ducked behind a nearby building to try and listen in on the conversation.

"And what are you doing about the power? Why doesn't anyone have any type of power? Not even batteries are working!"

"Please Sir! We're doing our best to resolve the situation quickly! We have reason to believe an unknown terrorist organization was the cause for the sudden power failure. We're looking for any suspicious people in the area who might be tied to the incident. We request that you and the rest of the citizens give us your complete cooperation..."

"To hell with the terrorists! What are you going to do about the power? Food will spoil without the power and the hospitals need the energy for their equipment! If you don't do something about getting the power back soon you're gonna have to deal with a lot more angry people! Most of them with guns and knives!"

The man stormed off with the woman following shortly behind while the two Z.A.F.T soldiers went in the opposite direction.

"Think those soldiers are after you Kira?"

"Most likely... They're here to finish their mission."

"What do you wanna do?"

"Get out of this town as quickly as possible."

"Good idea!"

The two snuck off in the direction the man and woman were headed, away from the two soldiers. The two were just about to leave the town a voice called out to them telling them to stop where they were. Kira and Wesley turned to see the man and woman who were arguing with the two soldiers from before. The man walked up to the two and looked Kira up and down. He then looked over to Wesley and pointed back at Kira.

"Sir! Is this your son?"

"My son...? Yea! I mean... Yes, he is my child. His name is Kira."

"What is he doing out with all those wounds? Why, the kid looks like a mummy! As well as that his cloths are ripped to shreds!"

"Well you see we came from the neighboring town in search of a hospital that had power so they could look at Kira's injuries but this town is out of power as well. We decided we were going to the next town to see if they had power."

"Hmm... Why a father looking out for his son is nothing out of the ordinary! Tell ya what, we'll accompany you on your journey! We have our reasons for finding power too! The name's Tryon Wilson!"

The woman with him walked up and introduced herself as Felicia and Kira and Wesley now had some unwanted help walking with them.

The next town was reached in about two hours. By this time the group was now near the lift that would take them up into the spaceport. This town as well as the ones before it had no power as well.

"Seems it's a no go for here either. Those terrorists must have hit the colony with something big."

The group came out to the edge of the town to a clearing that showed the lift up to the spaceport.

"Just our luck..."

Kira cursed under his breath to see the lift port flooded with Z.A.F.T personal and Mobile Suits.

"Looks like Z.A.F.T are controlling this area. I bet they'll be able to help your son if we explain the situation to them."

Kira's eyes widened as he looked up at Wesley who was currently thinking of something to say.

"Uhh, umm well you see... Kira doesn't like guns or soldiers, those sorts of things, he gets frightened by them, see?"

Wesley pointed to Kira who was playing a frightened look on his face. "Hmm I get it... Wouldn't want him to go where he's uncomfortable. Let's see, we can try crossing the bridge over to the next section of the colony?" "Yea that sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

The group left the area and headed out toward the colony bridge. "Thanks King. That was a close one... By the way where's this, colony bridge?"

"Boy, you really don't get out much do you?"

"I've been a... sheltered child so to speak... This is my first time on a space colony. Everything here is sort of weird in its own way. Gravity, earth, light..."

"Hey no problem. On each colony there are bridges that connect to each portion of the colony. The bridges span over the windows where the mirrors are."

"Mirrors?"

"Yea, that's how the colony gets sunlight. The sun reflects off the mirrors and into the colony through the windows."

"I see... How far is it to the closest colony bridge?"

"Not too far, we passed it only about ten minuets ago. But the walk across the bridge will probably take about an hour and a half."

"An hour and a half...? Just how big are these colonies...?"

It was about halfway across the colony bridge when the group found their next oddity. A man was passed out in the middle of the bridge. When the group rushed over to check on him they found out the man was only sleeping. He awoke as the others gathered over him.

"Hey buddy, are you alright? This is kind of a bad spot to be taking a nap." Wesley asked as the man rose into a sitting position.

"Huh? Oh, oh yea... I'm fine... I guess I was just a little too tired. I was on my way over to the town across this bridge to see if they had any power but I guess I just feel out right here."

"Which direction were you coming from?"

"Hmm?"

The man looked around gathering his sense of direction and pointed down one side of the bridge.

"Back that way."

"Ah alright... that's where we're coming from too."

"What are you guys doing all the way out here if you don't mind me asking?"

"Same reason you're here."

"Well then I guess it'll be safer if I just travel with you four."

"Heh guess so."

"Oh, that's right, I'm Gary." He said extending is arm.

Wesley grabbed his arm and helped him to his feet.

"Wesley. Welcome to the party Gary."

During the whole conversation Kira was constantly looking over the bridge gazing at the mirrors and the stars until the group called him to come.

The group made it to the end of the bridge and Kira was ready to fall out. He was more exhausted than he realized. Right off the bridge was a small chapel where the group decided to rest. Kira laid down on one of the benches looking up at one of the stain glass windows.

"I've never seen those before either... they're pretty..."

"I'm not so sure but I think I saw some faint light over in the distance. Think the next town has power?"

"I'm not to sure Tyron but I'll go a bit forward and check it out."

"Alright Wesley, make sure you come back soon."

"I'll take a look too."

"Felicia?"

"I haven't been too involved with much in this group. Better do something to show I'm apart of this."

Felicia walked outside as Wesley took one look back inside.

"Are you alright over there Kira?"

Kira gave a "thumbs up" gesture from the bench he was lying down on, signaling Wesley to go on ahead. Wesley and Felicia went to confirm Tyron's sighting and Kira, still exhausted, continued looking up at the stain glass window on the ceiling. Kira gazed at the pictures of angels painted on the glass. How the moonlight would filter down and cover the glass and the chapel in a calm white glow and how the sunlight would gaze through between the white shine. Sunlight? Kira shot up and looked straight at the picture. There was a faint yellow glow emanating from the stain glass, in what seemed to be a circle. Kira ran over to the chapel door whizzing past Gary and Tyron to get a better look from outside. Looking up at the sky Kira could see a faint yellow circle though the night sky.

"No... No not again! Why are they firing again?"

Kira looked over to see Wesley and Felicia returning from their confirmation hike. Wesley spotted Kira hanging outside the chapel door and called out to him.

"Hey Kira, Tyron was right! There's power over there!"

"Wesley! Come back! The sky! Look at the sky!"

Wesley looked up to see the yellow shine getting brighter.

"It's like from before, a bright yellow light... I closed my eyes and hit the floor though... but when I woke up everyone was... NO! Felicia! Hurry!"

The two began sprinting to the chapel as the yellow light came closer and closer.

"WESLEY!"

Tyron grabbed Kira and threw him back into the chapel to the floor while Gary closed the door behind them. The three hit the floor with their eyes closed and their hands over their head expecting something to come crashing down. The light shone through the stain glass windows which seemed to break the light from being solid and went away within a matter of moments. Sensing the light had vanished Kira stood up and rushed to the door opening it to find no trace of Wesley or Felicia. Gary and Tyron stood up at the same time looking at Kira who slowly closed the door and began to stagger to the back of the room. Tyron and Gary watched frightened as a dark blue aura started to rise from Kira's body.

"Z.A.F.T... Z.A.F.T... Z.A.F.T YOU BASTARDS! AAAHHHH!"

The aura began to take shape into the form of a demon and Kira's anger hit its peak. The demon aura subsided within Kira when both Tyron and Gary tackled him to the floor.

"Kira! Kira wake up!"

Kira's eyes filled back in and water began flowing from them. "Kira!"

Kira blinked as the tears ran down his cheeks and picked up his head to see Tyron.

"Kira snap out of it! You cant let your anger consume you or you'll destroy more than that beam will ever do! Innocent and guilty alike it wouldn't matter, you would kill them all! Do you want that? Kira?"

The two got off Kira as he slowly picked himself up. From a sitting position Kira looked up at the sky with an incredibly angered face.

"Yes, yes I understand. But make no mistake. I'll destroy that weapon myself... and ANYONE who would get in my way!"

The group of three arrived at the lift to the spaceport on the other section of the colony.

"This area has power it seems. The lift here will take you to the spaceport Kira."

"Thank you Tyron... When did you figure out I...?"

"That you were one of those "terrorists" the Z.A.F.T soldiers told me about? At the other lift. At first I was a bit suspicious because of your clothes but when Wesley made up that ruse of you being afraid of the Z.A.F.T soldiers and when you made that awful face that's what did it for me. Heh it still cracks me up just thinking about that face you made."

"Why didn't you just turn me in to those soldiers?"

"Because you didn't look like a terrorist to me. If you ask me I believe its Z.A.F.T who's really up to all this."

"Thank you... But now I have to think of a way into that spaceport. Getting in through here will be fine but once I get inside the place will most likely be crawling with Z.A.F.T."

"Hmm... and those cloths won't do either. What is that? Just a normal suit?" "Umm, yea..."

A loud noise came from the distance and the group turned to see the lift coming down from the port.

"Well now this makes things easier. Come on Kira, follow me!"

The group rushed off to intercept the lift when it came to ground level. On the lift were only two soldiers unaware of what was about to happen to them. The lift stopped and Tyron rushed one of the soldiers knocking him down and punching him unconscious. As they other soldier raised his gun Gary performed a swift strike to the soldier's neck knocking him unconscious as well.

"That was a nice one Gary."

"Hah, it was nothing. You should see the other stuff I can do!"

"Help me with these two."

"Right."

The two dragged the soldiers off the lift and promoted Kira to take off his normal suit.

"This one is about the right size..."

Tyron undressed one of the Z.A.F.T soldiers and threw Kira the uniform and he immediately put it on.

"Do you want the honor Gary?"

"Heh don't mind if I do! Come on Kira!"

The two jumped on the lift and rode it up as Tyron hid the two soldiers and Kira's normal suit.

"Good luck kid! We're rooting for you down here!"

At the top of the lift Gary barged in holding Kira and started making a loud commotion to all the soldiers floating in the area.

"Help! Anyone! I found this soldier wounded in my town! I bandaged him up as best I can but he needs medical attention!"

One of the soldiers floated over and took Kira, then asked Gary where he was attacked. Gary told the soldiers to follow him as they went back to the lift and let the one lone soldier carry Kira to the port's medical facility. Down the hallway the soldier asked Kira if he was feeling alright where Kira replied "Much better now..."

Kira grabbed the soldier's pistol from his holster and whipped him across the head with it. The soldier fell unconscious and Kira let him float against the wall taking his pistol and putting it in the empty holster spot on his uniform's belt.

"Funny how a soldier left the base without his firearm, but oh well."

Kira unraveled the bandages off his face and threw them next to the soldier as he continued down the hallway.

"Normal suit, Normal suit, I need to find a normal suit..."

Just then Kira passed by a locker room and entered thinking perfect in his mind. Inside two other Z.A.F.T soldiers were undressing into their regular uniforms when Kira came in opening a locker and began putting on the normal suit inside.

"Hey there, haven't seen your face around before. You new?"

"Yea I just enlisted and they threw me in this squadron."

"Yea I know. I got transferred here too all of a sudden. All cause of that new weapon. The fleet captain is too strict though. She expects too much of us. I mean, we may be Coordinators but you can only push us so much..."

"But so far all of her orders and plans have been flawless." Said the other soldier changing in the room.

"Almost like she knew what was gonna happen before it did."

"Wow, she sounds like a very experienced woman. I hope I have the honor to meet her one day." Said Kira as he finished putting on the normal suit and left the lockers bidding the two soldiers farewell.

"So... My ultimate enemy is the Fleet Captain of this Z.A.F.T fleet... Good to know... I have better understanding of who to shoot."

Kira put on his helmet and began to enter the airlock leading out to the hanger. Kira opened the door leading out to the hanger as the room depressurized and he floated out. In this uniform anyone could easily mistake him for a Z.A.F.T pilot. Kira took a good glance around the hanger. In the hanger an old Z.A.F.T Laruasia class was docked at the port and on the side a row of Z.A.F.T ZAKUs were lined up next to the Gaplant Zero. "Good... they didn't put the Gaplant Zero in the carrier yet... but it seems they formally captured it since it's lined up with those ZAKUs... Either way I'm taking my Mobile Suit back."

Kira floated over to the row of Mobile Suits and stopped next to the Gaplant Zero. He then called out to some pilots close by to avoid suspicion. Two pilots floated over to great Kira as he begun asking questions about the machine.

"What is this thing? I don't remember this model being onboard the ship." "That's because it's not one of ours. Its one of the models left by the enemy force we just fought."

"Yea... I was out in that battle a couple of hours back. It was scary, fighting all those Mobile Suits that seemed to outclass our own. Who would of that anyone would have more power than Z.A.F.T?"

"Yea I know what you mean."

"Mind if I look around the cockpit?"

"Sure I don't care. I'm interested to see myself actually."

Kira opened the Gaplant's hatch and looked inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary which pleased Kira.

"I've never seen anything like this before..." One pilot said looking into the cockpit.

"The seat is just there in mid air. I'm guessing the entire cockpit is one big camera... amazing..."

Kira climbed into the cockpit seat and began to activate the Mobile Suit switching on the panoramic monitors.

"You're right. It is like one big camera" Kira said addressing the pilot. "Yea... I can see right through the Mobile Suit... Hey wait! You weren't supposed to activate it!"

"Oh, sorry. It was just so interesting that I had to try it out for myself!"

Kira closed the cockpit hatch locking out the two pilots and began maneuvering his way outside the hanger into space. An alarm rang within the hanger and Kira thought it was too fast for them to realize he had just stolen a Mobile Suit. As soon as he cleared the hanger into space he found out the real reason of the alarm. Two Mobile Suits had suddenly appeared and began attacking the Nazca class carriers stationed outside the colony. One of the Mobile Suits turned and spotted the Gaplant heading out of the hanger.

"Enemy reinforcements! Those bastards... they're using Kira's Gaplant!" "Yuki? No wait! Don't shoot me!"

Kira switched radio frequencies and his face displayed on one of the monitors inside Yuki's Mobile Suit.

"Wait! Stop I'm an ally!"

All Yuki saw however someone in a Z.A.F.T pilot uniform and kept rushing at the Gaplant.

"Yuki!"

"Kira?"

Yuki looked at the monitor again and peered through helmet of the ZAFT pilot seeing Kira behind it.

"Kira? You're alive? You're alive! Kira!"

"Yes! I'm alive! But I won't be if you shoot at me!"

Yuki's Messala flew right over the Gaplant and banked around transforming into its Mobile Suit variant.

"What are you doing here Yuki?"

"Kira I... I couldn't accept you were dead... I knew you had to be alive so I requested we revisit the colony once support came from Fergion."

Explosions rang in the background as the other Mobile Suit began attack the ships.

"Elain launched with me as well, she's drawing the enemy fire now. I'll relay the signal to fall back and we'll head back to the Nelson class ship that brought us here. Follow me Kira!"

The Messala boosted off turning into its Mobile Armor variant and Kira did the same transforming the Gaplant. Soon Elain followed and exited the combat area, leaving the Z.A.F.T forces a bitter end to their successful battle.