Chapter 7: The Era of Evolution
Explosions filled space as the fighting between Z.A.F.T and Dezas started. Z.A.F.T GOUFs, ZAKUs, and GINNs swarmed the enemy defense force retaliating with their Marasai and Barzam defenses. Bee Gabthleys soon joined the fight taking out the out dated GINN models and began bringing the fight to a stalemate. In the back lines the Nazca classes defending The Incinerator, which has now grown to nearly the size of a full colony, fired wildly into the Dezas defense lines.
"Fleet captain, our Mobile Suit teams have penetrated the 3rd defense line." "ZAKU Phantom teams in defense line 1 are being pushed back by the enemy's Gabthley units!"
"Reinforce the 1st line with the Gunner ZAKUS from defense line 2. Have the GOUF team in line 3 hold their advance and wait for new targets to appear. We only have to suppress the enemy long enough for The Incinerator to get into position and fire, then victory will be ours. Tell Minerva's ace to begin loading his Mobile Suit on the catapult."
Inside the hanger Shinn walked the Destiny onto the Nazca's catapult rail. A screen of Tia then appeared on his top monitor.
"You are to join the battle to reinforce defense line 1."
"Yes ma'am."
"You're clear to launch... Don't feel relaxed just because you're not with your original captain. My expectations are a lot higher than hers, but I trust you won't fail me."
Shinn said nothing and focused on the battle ahead.
"Shinn Asuka, Destiny! Launching!"
Shinn boosted down the rail activating the Mobile Suit's Phase Shift Armor and joining the fight in defense line 1. Shinn began to destroy one Gabthley after another with the Destiny, cutting a path in the defense line. A pair of Marasais attempted to team the Destiny but Shinn destroyed both Mobile Suits with one giant swing of his anti-ship sword. Shinn's path of destruction pleased Tia as the Z.A.F.T fleet begun their advance.
"Ma'am! New contact in defense line 4! It's moving straight through the Mobile Suit teams!"
"What?"
Kira's Gaplant Zero in its Mobile Armor variant maneuvered its way through the fighting and explosions heading to the weakest point in Dezas's defense fleet. Kira blasted through a GOUF and transformed slashing another with his beam sabers and then shooting a nearby ZAKU.
"It's just one unit ma'am! Its reinforcing the entire 3rd line by itself!"
A feeling overcame Tia. An indescribable feeling, the feeling they refer to as pressure.
"What... What is this enormous pressure I'm getting from this pilot...? Who is that...?"
"Ma'am! The enemy's defense force in the 3rd line is back up to operational status!"
"Relay this order to the Destiny! Tell him to engage and destroy the new enemy unit!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Once he leaves defense line 1's combat zone have the GOUF team in that line hold their position and prevent the enemy advance!"
A flash of light rushed passed Kira's forehead as he turned and easily dodged a green beam aimed right for him.
"Hmm? Who's this?"
Kira looked out to see the blue and white Z.A.F.T Mobile Suit with red wings coming straight at him.
"It's that Mobile Suit... What's it doing out here?"
Shinn moved in close and tried to slash Kira with his Anti-ship sword but the Gaplant immediately moved out of the way. Shinn turned to see the Gaplant had already maneuvered behind him and was about to strike with its beam saber. Shinn turned and thrusted downward just barely avoiding the slash. When Shinn looked up to try and shoot the Mobile Suit above him it had already transformed into its Mobile Armor variant and was banking around for another run at Shinn.
"Wha-What? How is there something faster than the Destiny?"
Shinn then remembered Lunamaria's sighting of a Mobile Suit moving at an incredible rate.
"Is this what you saw? Lunamaria? Who can pilot such a machine?"
"This pilot gives me no pressure. He's not my true enemy but he's in my way."
Kira fired the Gaplant's cannons and Shinn activated his beam shield to block the attack. The Gaplant rushed over Shinn's head and transformed firing two shots back at Shinn. Shinn turned and blocked the shots with his beam shield, then saw the Gaplant engaging him at close range again with its beam sabers. Shinn had no time to react so he used the beam shield to block the beam saber swing. Shinn struggled under the force of the blow when his top monitored flicked on showing the pilot of the Gaplant.
"Pilot. We can end this fight now and continue on our own paths if you tell me where your fleet captain is."
Shinn became enraged at the calm tone the pilot was using to address him. He had been struggling to keep up with his attacks and sweat had been pouring down his face. But when he looked at that pilot he saw no sweat, and no panic. The Destiny did nothing to place fear in him, neither did Shinn. "I'm not going to tell you anything! You're one of those people out to destroy the Chairman's dream!"
"Another deluded fool. Have it your way then."
The monitor shut off and the Gaplant rose over the Destiny's beam shield and came down kicking the Destiny in the torso, sending Shinn tumbling out of control. The Gaplant transformed and boosted off destroying two ZAKUs in his way. Shinn regained control and recalled the pilot of that Mobile Suit calling him a "deluded fool". Thoughts of Athrun then rushed through his head sending Shinn into a confused frenzy. He quickly snapped back to his senses and regained control over the Destiny.
"Pilot... We're not done yet!"
Something clicked inside of Shinn as he envisioned a seed bursting in his mind. His eyes turned deep red and serious as he boosted off following the Gaplant.
"Tch, he's back..."
Kira maneuvered upward and performed a graceful somersault over the Destiny which had its anti-ship sword in a position trying to impale Kira. "He seems more serious this time... Pilot! Why did you come back? Are you that eager to die?"
"I'm not going to lose to you!"
Shinn gave distance and armed the Destiny's beam boomerang throwing it at Kira. Kira caught the boomerang and turned around in a circle in one fluid motion throwing the boomerang back. Shinn retrieved his boomerang, catching it and putting it back in its slot. Shinn then decided to just regularly shoot at the Gaplant with his beam rifle but the Gaplant was able to dodge the shots and retaliate with its own beam fire. Shinn blocked the shots with his beam shield and the battle continued on.
"Ma'am! New enemy contacts in sectors four and one!"
"More reinforcements?"
"A Nelson class ship has appeared in sector four and has begun launching Mobile Suits! And in sector one..." The operator then gasped.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"The Eternal!"
Outside the pink flagship of Lacus Clyne joined the battle launching Orb M1-Astrays and Murasames. As well as that a dark blue fighter and magenta colored Mobile Suit also launched into the fight.
"Look like Dezas requested a little help... Just like I did bringing that Minerva boy up here... Listen up! The real battle starts now! The enemy's main force has arrived! All Mobile Suit Teams continue to engage the enemy! It's time we started fixing the position of the Incinerator."
Shinn and Kira's battle was suddenly interrupted by a rush of Gabthley's passing over them. A large beam then impacted Shinn's beam shield sending him off balance.
"Kira! Are you alright?"
"Never better Koji!"
Two light blue Mobile Suits appeared suddenly and stop next to Kira. "What are those?"
"Senjo base's new model the Delta Hambrabi."
Kira didn't know what to make of the Mobile Suit. It was compact and had the ability to transform it seemed but not into a drastic new shape. Its odd cone shaped head had two eyes, but not placed next to each other, rather on top of each other and spaced. Looking at it from above the Mobile Suit had two more eyes, one on each soldier and also had another eye on the back of its cone shaped head. From the back the Mobile Suit had inverted wings and small dual beam cannons.
"Koji your Mobile Suit looks like some type of monster!"
"Don't say that Kira! The Delta Hambrabi outperforms the Gabthley in every aspect and thanks to all its sensors it has a longer range than any other Dezas Mobile Suit, even yours!"
"Kira, I'll hold off this guy, you and Koji try and advance the Mobile Suit teams to The Incinerator!"
"Haha is that you Derrick? Finally able to get off land I see."
Derrick's Hambrabi was holding the Fedayeen rifle the Gabthleys use as their primary weapon.
"Yea it's me, but we have no time to waste!"
"Right, let's go Koji!"
The two transformed heading for the Z.A.F.T line as Derrick focused on his new enemy.
"Derrick, don't treat this guy lightly, he'll kill you if you make any wrong moves."
"Alright Kira, I'll try and be careful."
Inside the cockpit of the Destiny, Shinn grew even more enraged than he was before.
"He just left... He left me here... He ignored me! Is he too good of a pilot to be seen fighting me? I'm a member of FAITH!"
Shinn charged at Derrick as he got ready to fight Z.A.F.T's Mobile Suit Destiny.
"So everyone is here, eh Koji?"
"Yep! Elain is holding down defense line 3 while Yuki is supporting defense line 4! Some other people are here too, they arrived in a pink ship and launched Orb Mobile Suits!"
"Heh, Angel... Since we're all here then we can't lose! Let's go!"
The two blasted off toward the Z.A.F.T lines shooting down any Z.A.F.T Mobile Suits that got in their way. Koji transformed from the Hambrabi's Mobile Armor variant and threw an orange hook guided by a wire at a Z.A.F.T GOUF. The wire wrapped around the GOUF ensnaring it then sent an electrical charge guided from the grip of the weapon, down the wire and to the hook. The electricity shocked the pilot inside and short circuited the GOUF's controls causing it to explode from the inside out. Koji then retracted the wire and joined Kira who was shooting down Z.A.F.T ZAKUs. Koji again ensnared an enemy Mobile Suit but this time as it was being held in place long enough for Kira to come over and slash it in half with the Gaplant's beam sabers.
"Just like old times eh Kira?"
"Yea, no one can stop us when we're working together!"
The two fought back to back destroying Mobile Suits and advancing toward the fleet. Those that were brave enough to get close were only caught in Kira and Koji's entangle and slice combo. Inside the lead Nazca carrier Tia watched in horror as two Mobile Suits completely obliterated the Z.A.F.T 3rd defense line.
"That pressure... It's them...! It has to be them...! Kira and Koji... Kira..."
Tia turned around and headed toward the bridge door.
"Ma'am? Where are you going?"
"The fight has become more drastic. I'm launching in my Mobile Suit. Have the Mobile Suit teams continue following their present orders. I will direct them once I'm out on the battlefield."
"Yes ma'am!"
Tia made her way down to the hanger where her Qubeley stood ready to be launched out into the battle.
Shinn shot repeatedly at Derrick's Hambrabi as the two were locked in battle. The Fedayeen rifle Derrick was carrying proved to be an effective weapon against the Z.A.F.T Mobile Suit as its wide shot kept forcing the Destiny to retreat before being able to counterattack. Shinn was angered far beyond what he can handle however and decided to bring an end to this annoying battle. Grabbing his anti-ship sword Shinn raised the weapon in the air and extended the Destiny's wings. A flow of energy sprouted from the wings and the Destiny's movements became trailed by after images.
"No, this isn't good! I can't read his movements!"
Derrick began to make his retreat but Shinn caught up to him and sliced the Hambrabi in half. Kira raised his head and turned feeling Derrick's death as the Destiny came charging in from the distance.
"YOU!"
"This guy doesn't give up!"
"Friend of yours Kira?"
"You could say. He has a bit of a grudge against me... But he just killed Derrick and I'm not going let that go!"
Shinn mounted the same position raising the anti-ship sword above his head and darting at Kira moving side to side creating the Destiny's after images.
"GO DOWN!"
Shin came in and gave a giant overhead swing with the Destiny's anti-ship sword coming down on the Gaplant. There was contact, then silence, then to Shinn's horror, failure. When Shinn came down with his sword Kira activated one of the Gaplant's beam sabers and positioned it in an angle that slashed Shinn's sword in half. One half flew over the Gaplant and the half he was holding fell short as he floated underneath the dark blue Mobile Suit. "No way... Impossible... he read my movements so easily... and countered...! What? AAAHHH!"
The wire of the Hambrabi's sea serpent grappling weapon wrapped around the Destiny and begun electrocuting Shinn inside. Shinn managed to look up through his monitor to see the Gaplant activate its other beam saber in its other hand.
"Die, pilot."
Shinn's eyes widened as the Gaplant began to thrust the beam saber aiming for the Destiny's cockpit. Just when the beam saber was about to make contact a beam from seemingly no where snapped and destroyed the sea serpent wire binding Shinn. The explosion forced the Gaplant to repel from Shinn and the Destiny untangled itself from the broken sea serpent wire.
"What was that?"
"Kira... That's enough..."
Kira became petrified. The voice he heard over his radio was one he had never want to hear in this situation.
"Ti-a...?"
The Qubeley hovered above the group now in Z.A.F.T colors.
"Kira... I'm so happy to see you... But what are you doing here? Fighting against my army...? Trying to destroy humanity...?"
"Your army...? Tia? You're?"
"Yes Kira... I am the captain of this fleet. After the attack on the station, after I was taken by Z.A.F.T... I was put in charge of this weapon and this fleet and was promoted to Z.A.F.T's highest ranking force FAITH."
"Tia... Tia... Tia! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Kira's outburst seemed to startle Tia and Shinn who was listening to the conversation.
"TIA! How could you? You've killed so many people... So many people in only two days!"
"I had to Kira! I had to for the sake of ending all wars!"
"Ending all wars...? It's because of Z.A.F.T we have war!"
Shinn sat frozen at what he just heard.
"Z.A.F.T... The cause of war...?"
"Everything you've done has been in the name of someone who wants nothing more than to kill! He's only using you Tia! Using you to fight against your own kind!"
"Fight against our own kind...?"
Shinn then remembered the damage he took fighting Athrun back at Onogoro Island and when he destroyed the GOUF Athrun was trying to escape Gibraltar in.
"Be quiet Kira! Can't you see this is the right path? The path that Chairman Dullindal has set for us is the right path for us all! If you can't accept that Kira then I'm going to have to shoot you down!"
"TIA!"
The Qubeley raised its arm at Kira's Gaplant and fired a beam from the slit in its wrist. Kira dodged the shot and transformed in the Mobile Armor variant blasting off to the mouth of The Incinerator.
"Kira get back here!"
The Qubeley boosted after him, matching the Gaplant's speed and Shinn and Koji soon followed after them.
A beam stopped Kira from advancing any further as he transformed the Gaplant into its Mobile Suit variant. Kira turned around just in time to see Tia's Qubeley kick the Gaplant straight down into the mouth of The Incinerator. Kira fell uncontrollably and hit the surface with a crash. Around him were many giant fluorescent poles used to conduct the light that gives The Incinerator its deadly effect. Tia floated down next to Kira surrounded by many funnel shaped objects. The weird objects seemed to move back and forth randomly but stayed in formation around the Qubeley.
"Kira, you've picked a poor choice for your final resting place..."
"Tia! What are you talking about?"
"Haha, it just seemed like the right thing to say... I have this feeling that in some place, some other world, someone is having a conversation just like this... but enough of that. You have to be brought down. Are you ready for the end Kira?"
Kira regained control of the Gaplant and charged at Tia with his beam sabers. Tia activated one of the Qubeley's beam sabers and blocked both his strikes holding the saber in a perpendicular angle.
"Not yet! This isn't done yet!"
Tia armed the other Qubeley's beam saber and matched blow for blow with Kira's strikes. Above them Koji and Shinn began to engage each other within The Incinerator as well.
"You know you'd make a better pilot of you weren't so angry all the time!" "Be quiet!"
Koji connected his beam saber onto the Destiny's beam shield as the two fought for control.
"Think about it! Why are you fighting? For him? The Chairman? For the promise to end all wars?"
"Be quiet I said!"
"Or maybe you're fighting unwillingly. Maybe they're controlling you. They're just deluding you into their false sense of perfection!"
There was that word again. Delusion. First Athrun, then the pilot of the dark blue Mobile Suit and now this pilot as well. Why do they keep bringing up that word? What are they trying to say? Shinn became enraged by his confusion and stretched out his hand firing a blast from his palm. The blast destroyed a part of the Delta Hambrabi's inverted wing leaving Koji a bit surprised.
"Weapons within the Mobile Suit's hands? Didn't see that coming..."
The two continued fighting as Kira and Tia progressed in their conflict. Where Tia was trying to destroy Kira's Mobile Suit, Kira was only focused on disabling the Qubeley. He had no intention on hurting Tia but that proved to be his weakness.
"Kira you're never going to win if you don't really attack me!"
"There's no way I would ever hurt you!"
"Kira! Listen! You have to stop! End this foolishness now!"
"And there's no way I would ever give in to Z.A.F.T!"
"Kira!"
The funnels around the Qubeley sprung to life surrounding Kira. One by one they fired a beam that Kira had only a fraction of a second to dodge. The breaks in the funnels' fire were filled with Tia slashing at Kira with the Qubeley's beam saber. Kira came under one of the Qubeley's slashes and grappled the machine boosting upward heading out of The Incinerator. Koji and Shinn soon followed and brought their fight with Tia's and Kira's. Before long all four Mobile Suits were cooperating with their partner in arms to shoot down the enemy. Koji shot at the Qubeley to have his fire deflected by Shinn's beam shield and when Kira tried to slash Shinn from above the Qubeley's funnels prevented Kira from advancing.
"Over there! Follow me Athrun!"
Angel's Beta Methuss boosted toward the fighting between the four with Athrun's Justice not far behind. The two joined the fighting in the middle of everyone's attacks and dodges. Shinn turned to see the Justice come toward them and immediately envisioned Athrun in his head.
"Shinn? Why are you here?"
"Athrun... You're supposed to be dead!"
"Shinn stop this! How long are you going to let the Chairman delude you?" "Stop that! Stop using that word! All of you! I am not being deluded!" "Then why are you here Shinn? Why?"
Athrun and Shinn began to engage each other leaving Koji to help his other self, Kira. Kira and Tia's fighting was quickly interrupted when Angel flew over with the Beta Methuss firing at the Qubeley.
"Angel... another one who doesn't understand... If I have to shoot you down too then I will!"
Angel transformed into the Mobile Suit variant of the Beta Methuss and started firing at the Qubeley. Tia dodged the blasts easily and retaliated with funnel fire. Angel moved in, dodging the funnels' fire trying to engage the Qubeley at close range.
"Angel pull back! That Mobile Suit is too strong!"
"No Kira! I have to make a stand! Like Roderick said, I have to fight for our survival!"
Tia dodged Angel's attempted slash and moved away to have Angel stare down a funnel. The funnel fired as well as one above her and both beams pierced through the cockpit of the Beta Methuss.
"Fight, Kira..."
Angel's final words echoed through Kira's mind as the Beta Methuss exploded.
"ANGEL!"
Athrun felt Angel's death when a flash of light whizzed past his forehead.
"Angel? ANGEL!"
"Your fight is over here Athrun!"
"Damnit... Shinn!"
Elain felt Angel's death as well from her position at the 3rd defense line and so did Yuki when a flash of light rushed pass her forehead as well. "What was, that...? Kira..? Kira are you alright? She was a close friend..."
"Tia... you just killed Angel... Tia... TIA HOW COULD YOU? YOU KILLED ANGEL!"
"She was an enemy Kira! An enemy to humanity!"
"Tia don't do this! We shouldn't be fighting each other! If you keep progressing Tia I'm going to have to shoot you down!"
"Kira when will you realize...!"
"No Tia!"
The dark blue aura that had surrounded Kira back at Galford Colony once again appeared but this time the aura covered not only Kira but his entire Mobile Suit as well.
"Tia I know you meant well and I know you have your own reasons but what you're doing is wrong! You're trying to destroy humanity as we know it! Not only us, the next step in evolution, but Naturals and Coordinators alike! I can't let that happen Tia! I have to bring you down now!"
Tia's blood red aura appeared and enshrouded her and her Mobile Suit. "Kira I can't let you! For all of what the Chairman is trying to accomplish I can't let you!"
"Kira!"
Koji came charging in firing his Hambrabi's arm cannon at Tia but the funnels stopped him in his tracks, destroying the Hambrabi's arms and one of its legs, as well as its other inverted wing.
"Heh, I'm I going down too..? I just got here... Nah... I'll be fine."
The force of attacks completely disabled Koji's Hambrabi and whipped him around violently. When all the rocking stopped Koji's limbs were twisted but he couldn't help laughing to himself despite his injuries.
A tremendous surge of power overcame the Gaplant Zero and Kira lunged toward the Qubeley with the Gaplant's left arm extended and beam saber drawn. Athrun repelled Shinn and watched from a distance the power that was overcoming both of them.
"Is this the next step in evolution Angel?"
"More than that Athrun... They're my friends and yours as well... Watch over them for me, Guardian of Evolution..."
"Angel..."
"TIA!"
Tia brought back all her funnels and dispatched them in formation against the oncoming Gaplant. The funnels began to fire all at once trying to prevent Kira from getting any closer but Kira went straight through the hail of beams keeping his target in his sights. The funnels began to destroy parts of the Gaplant as it was coming closer. The shoulder plating on its right arm, its entire right leg, the active thruster on its left arm which had the beam saber extended, all destroyed by the Qubeley's voices but still he kept pressing. Kira heard the voices of all his friends suddenly call his name. Koji, Yuki, Elain, and Athrun as well as he continued to press forward.
"I GET IT! I UNDERSTAND! STOP CALLING MY NAME!"
Kira plunged the beam saber into the Qubeley's cockpit and out directly through the machine. A white light emanated from the Qubeley as it was being destroyed and within it Kira softly heard Tia call his name. Shinn was drawn by the light as it expanded and then heard Athrun's voice.
"Shinn. Do you see the strife caused by the Chairman? Those two were best friends and they ultimately ended up fighting each other. Let's not make the same mistake, Shinn..."
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The sunset at Senjo was beautiful. There, outside the base Kira sat on a bench watching the sun when Yuki joined him sitting next to him.
"The Fergion forces have almost finished dismantling The Incinerator Kira and Koji is recovering from his injuries quickly. He'll be up and running by the end of the day. Elain has decided to try life among the public and went to Onogoro Island. They say I've evolved too Kira... Into an Artificial... I can finally begin to understand what it means to be you."
Kira turned to her and gave her a smile before turning back and looking at the sunset.
"In the past two days... I've lost more friends than someone will in their entire lifetime. I've been to Earth, the colonies, space... met people who wanted to help me and also wanted to harm me."
Shinn had returned to the Minerva and was greeted by a hug from Lunamaria.
"I've met people, pure but deluded..."
Athrun returned to the Archangel as well looking at the same sunset as Kira.
"I've met someone I can trust who's someone I had originally hated..."
Kira then turned and looked at Yuki.
"And I've met someone who instantly became my friend on sight..."
Kira turned and looked at the sky, the moon, and watched it with angry eyes.
"The fight isn't over yet though... The time we spent fighting gave enough leeway for Lord Djibril to reach the moon. That attack on PLANT this morning confirms that... Now it's their turn to fight again... Athrun... Shinn... but now that we have been exposed we're potential targets to anyone who fears or hates us. But if someone threatens us or our survival... Z.A.F.T, The Earth Alliance, Logos, or even some new dedicated group out for our destruction... I'll be the first one to the battlefield to stop them!"
