Disclaimer: Kidou Senshi (Mobile Suit) Gundam SEED and its characters are copyright 2000-2004 Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, and MBS. English language adaptation produced under license by Bandai Entertainment.
In other words, I don't own the original intellectual property.
A/N
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. 18 reviews in two days! That ties SEEDs of Hope (which I hope to get back to later) and it's been out like a month or more.
I'd like to take this time to answer a few questions, if I may.
1) About the bottle . . . wait for it. It pops up later. If you don't pay attention you might miss it, though.
2) About the psy-comu . . . well I didn't know another way to explain an arcane, fictional mental interface without borrowing the term from the UC timeline. I could have called it something like the super-duper Newtype gunbarrel discombobulation headrest, but I thought better of it at the last minute.
End A/N
Chapter 9
"I'm sorry to get you dragged into this."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Dearka." Miriallia's shoulder was still quite sore. "If I hadn't come along with you, I'd be dead."
They were in the back of the second jeep, having their first real conversation since leaving the Archangel.
Athrun and Cagalli were in the front of the lead jeep, Kira and Lacus in the rear. Cagalli was giving Athrun directions. Yzak was driving the second with Asuka riding shotgun.
Dearka was glad that Cagalli knew where she was going. At least, he hoped she knew. The Sahara is a big desert to get lost in.
He asked, "How is your shoulder holding up?"
"Good. Your arm?"
"I could lie and tell you it's fine. But to be honest, it still hurts like hell. Even when I wiggle my fingers." He wiggled them; partially to make himself wince for her benefit, partially to make sure that he could still actually move them.
"Thank you for saving me." She wrapped her arms around his right. "I'm sorry you got hurt."
"I was glad to do it," he smiled at her. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
"Really, you've done so much for me there's no way I can ever repay you."
"You don't have to, Mir. You're not supposed to repay people for gifts, just accept them."
"Thanks." Mir gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"What are friends for, right?" He continued to smile.
She laced her fingers through his, taking his good hand into her lap. She meant it as a signal that she wanted to be more than that, but not just yet. She hoped he would understand.
He kissed the top of her head to indicate he did. "So, do you have any idea where we're going?"
Mir answered, "No. I think it's the town where Kira and Cagalli first met Mr. Waltfeld, but I'm not sure."
"He knew Waltfeld way back then? Irony does abound in warfare." That was an old phrase, but Dearka couldn't quite remember where he heard it.
"How so?"
"It seems like your friend was fated to fight people that he knew and cared for." Dearka shook his head. "He must be some guy to have gone through all that and not cracked."
"Yeah. This war has been hard on all of us, but sometimes I think it was the hardest on Kira." After a moment of reflection, she continued. "But you know, I think if given the choice he would take the lion's share of the burden all over again. He's just that kind of guy."
"He must be a good friend to earn such high praise."
"Yes. He always took on so much that he couldn't help but be disappointed in himself when he couldn't do it all. He was even like that at our technical college on Heliopolis. The professors kept piling work on him day after day, but he never complained. And he was always there to help us with our work too. It's a wonder he ever got to sleep."
Two
With it growing relatively late in the day, the group was forced to take shelter in the caves outside of Banadeen. At least for the night. It would work out for the best. Now they could regroup and formulate a real strategy to this adventure.
Athrun asked, "Don't you think it's about time we began thinking of our next move?"
"Yes, I do," answered his boss. "But I'd like to wait until we hear from Kisaka before disappearing."
"I understand. You want to know how things are back home while you still have the opportunity," Miriallia came to join them. They were sitting on the ground while the others were unloading their gear from the jeeps. Mostly food and some weapons. When they opened the crates to see the gleaming new armaments, Yzak and Asuka were wide-eyed. They looked like kids in a candy store.
Cagalli nodded. "We may not be able to get in touch for some time. I just hope everything is alright." She placed her head against Athrun's shoulder.
"Kira said he was fine. And given his recent weirdness, I'm inclined to believe him." Athrun's comment earned him yet another punch in the arm.
"That's not a nice thing to say about my little brother or your best friend," she chided him. "Get your act together or I'll fire you again."
"Yes ma'am! Not more than ten feet, ma'am!" His salute brought a chuckle out of both girls.
Their task finished, the others came to join them. They sat in a semicircle around some dry tinder. Cagalli knew they would need it for a fire tonight, but it was still early evening and quite warm out.
"Hey, what are those?" Cagalli, having been a desert warrior, was intrigued by the new toys Asuka was playing with.
"These? They're kunais. My absolute favorite pointy implement." She strapped on two harnesses, one to each forearm. Each harness carried six kunais for easy throwing.
"I've never seen knives like those," Dearka commented.
"They're fairly rare nowadays, but my family had some in our collection. We had a lot of replicas of ancient Japanese weaponry that were passed down from generation to generation. I'm surprised your Desert Dawn friends actually had any, but I'd be even more surprised if they knew how to use them." She took one out. It looked like a thin dagger with a ring at the bottom of the handle.
"Really? Tell us more," Cagalli requested.
"I can't remember much, but I do remember my father showing me how to throw these." She placed her finger in the ring and with a flick of her wrist the kunai was firmly lodged in the cave wall. "Neat, huh?"
"I'll say!" Cagalli was now a bit envious. "Got any more of those?"
"Yes, but these were the only two harnesses. There were lots of extra kunai, but you need a way to carry them or you'll just end up hurting yourself." Having secured both harnesses, Asuka put on a loose, gray, long-sleeve, button-up shirt over her t-shirt to conceal her new weapons. "Maybe we can find some more in town tomorrow," she suggested.
"No, that's okay." Cagalli's eyes were now drawn to the semi-automatic pistols Yzak and Dearka were now carrying. Yzak handed one each to Athrun and Kira.
"Yes, there were plenty of these, so don't get all flustered. You can have one too." Kira gave his to Cagalli before going to retrieve another.
"So, I believe you were discussing our next move?" Asuka inquired.
"Yes, but we'd like to wait to hear from Kisaka before actually making our move," Athrun answered.
"That is wise. If you plan to stick with us, you won't get the chance to contact Orb for some time."
"Where will you go?" This was the first Kira had actually thought about them splitting up. Of course, he and Lacus would remain with Cagalli.
"I have another mission objective that may turn out to be critical if the fighting starts up again." Asuka was vague, but intentionally so. The others knew it.
Athrun asked, "Mind telling us what it is?"
"Yes, actually I do mind." Asuka sighed, "Look, I can't tell you yet. And even if I did, there's nothing we could do about it from here. If you decide to tag along with Yzak and I, then I'll let you in on the objective."
"Fair enough. Let's drop it then." Kira was tired of this talk. Missions, objectives. War. He just wanted to put it out of his mind for a while.
It was now getting cold, so Athrun and Cagalli began to light the fire. Everyone suffered through a meager meal of rations in silence. When the moon began to rise, it came time to divide the watch.
"I'll take first watch," Athrun volunteered.
"Wake me up in a couple hours to relieve you," Kira said.
"I'll go next," Dearka jumped in.
"Where are you two going this time?" Cagalli was the first to notice Yzak and Asuka getting ready for something.
Asuka answered, "We're going to look for news out of Gibraltar. Don't wait up."
The two were gone before other questions could be asked.
Dearka turned to Athrun. "Ever get the feeling our troubles have only started?"
"I know what you mean." Athrun watched the others settle in before going to the cave entrance.
Watching the night sky brought back memories of fighting. What was it all for? Athrun often asked himself that, but never got any closer to an answer. And now Yzak and this Asuka were involved in something big. He could feel it in his bones.
The cool wind made him shiver. He had never been in the desert before. He had always assumed that they were hot all the time. Now that he had time to think about it, the low night temperatures did make sense. There was no cloud cover or moisture in the air to act as a blanket and trap the heat on the Earth's surface in these areas. The warmth of day escaped out into space, with nothing to hold it back.
It only served to add to his pensiveness. So many things we never pay attention to come back to haunt us. He thought this would be a cakewalk. Just protect Cagalli long enough for her to go home. In the pit of his stomach, Athrun was starting to realize that perhaps the fate of the human race was still placed squarely within their young hands. Is this hope of peace so fleeting that both sides are already planning the next round of operations?
Something critical if the fighting starts again. Nothing we can do about it from here. It would be big, alright. Maybe too big for them to handle.
Athrun's thoughts were interrupted by Cagalli, who brought two cups of coffee with her. "Thought you could use some company."
"Thanks." He looked back on their group of friends deep inside the cave. All sleeping so peacefully. A smile crossed his face as his eyes rested on Kira and Lacus for a moment. They were so happy together, even while unconscious.
Cagalli asked, "Do you have any regrets?"
"Hmm?"
"About Lacus. Do you have any regrets." Cagalli was quite calm when she asked, though the thought of it unnerved her. She desperately wanted to know.
"Plenty," he admitted. "But we were never in love, if that's what you mean. We never gave ourselves the chance to be. I never gave us the chance."
"How so?"
"I never called or wrote. I rarely visited. You know, we were engaged for well over a year and never kissed each other anywhere but on the cheek. I guess I always thought we had all the time in the world, so we wouldn't need to move quickly. And while we waited, we didn't get any closer. We only drifted further apart."
"I see." She wasn't encouraged.
"Besides, I think I've found something better." Athrun kissed her on the forehead. "I won't make that mistake again. You are mine, Cagalli Yula Athha. No matter what it takes, I'll make you mine."
His determination brought a smile to her face. "I think you're forgetting your place, servant." Cagalli poked her man in one of his ticklish spots. "You belong to me, Athrun Zala. And don't you forget it." She planted a kiss squarely on his lips.
"Yes ma'am."
Three
"What's the plan now?"
"We just got here. Don't tell me you're already fed up with me."
"I'm getting there," Yzak lied.
"As you wish," Asuka gave him that polite smile. It was growing on him, and she knew it. She also knew that fact infuriated him to no end. "Since he wasn't in Tassel, perhaps we can find him lurking around Waltfeld's old hangouts."
"If you say so," he rolled his eyes and sighed.
It was a beautiful starlit night in this desert town. The breeze was cool, making Asuka instinctively come closer to Yzak. Had they not been on a mission, and had it been anyone other than Yzak, this could have almost been a romantic gesture.
"Is this the place?" she asked. She brought them up to the largest building in town, which she just assumed was Waltfeld's former headquarters. It was a mansion, now rundown. Possibly no one came to inhabit it after Waltfeld's 'death,' or perhaps it was vandalized in retaliation for the ZAFT occupation.
"Why ask me? My brief time here was spent on the Lesseps."
They noticed a dark figure approaching down the sidewalk and tried to remain nonchalant. Walking toward the figure, Yzak and Asuka feigned a conversation about nothing in particular.
"If you're looking for Commander Waltfeld, he's not home," said the figure.
"My! Is that who lives in this big old house?" asked Asuka, pretending to be in awe.
"Nobody lives in that house now but ghosts. It's just not the season for life there anymore. Just like how cherry trees only blossom in springtime."
"And how leaves will fall in the autumn," Asuka responded. The code phrases were exchanged. They had found their man.
"This is a dangerous place to be after dark." The shadowy figure ignored Yzak. "You may find this advice useful." In shaking hands, he slipped her a data pad.
"Thank you, stranger. From now on we'll be sure to watch where we go so late at night." Asuka dismissed the man.
Yzak showed his impatience. "Smooth exchange. Now can we get out of here?"
"Not quite. We're being followed."
Asuka led Yzak to the nearest tavern. Inside they found numerous uncouth individuals. Ruffians, really. All of them noticed the new arrivals and eyed them with suspicion for a moment. Seeing Yzak's glare of death, and Asuka's matching scar, the crowd decided to ignore them. Perhaps they mistook the newcomers as some of their own.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked as they sat down on the stools.
"Two beers, and a bottle of whiskey." Yzak ordered for the both of them. It seemed the thing to do at the time.
Retrieving their drinks and glasses, the two made their way to a more private booth toward the back.
They started with the beer, closely eying everyone who entered and exited. Several could have been their quarry. It became quite clear that this wasn't going to work. They would have to corner their shadow outside.
Finishing their beer, the couple took the bottle of whiskey and headed back out into the cold. Taking several twists and turns through the alley ways, they finally stopped to lie in wait for their target.
Unfortunately, there was more than one and they were now surrounded.
Four
It was now Kira's turn at watch. Unable to sleep, Lacus kept him company much as Cagalli had done with Athrun. Cagalli made them a fresh pot of coffee before turning in.
"Where do you think we were?" she asked.
"There." Knowing exactly what she was referring to, he pointed toward Orion's Belt before taking a sip of the coffee.
"My. Are you sure?"
"Yes. And over there is L4." He pointed to another part of the sky.
"It's such a beautiful night," she sighed, hugging his arm.
"This is the only place in the world where you can see the stars like this. It's due to the low moisture and lack of light pollution."
"Light pollution?"
"Yes. Too many lights at night obscure the stars. Back in the 20th century they started moving long range telescopes to space for just that reason."
"Oh, I see. Like how our eyes cannot adjust to the dark when we carry a flashlight."
"Exactly." Kira gave her a kiss on the forehead as a reward.
The silence of the night was overwhelming. Even the breeze had died down. Only the crackle of the fire and their soft breathing could be heard when they weren't speaking.
"Kira?"
"Yes, Lacus."
"What is happening to us?"
"What do you mean?"
"The things that happened to you are beginning to happen to me. I'm beginning to see what's in your heart and mind, much as you have seen in mine." She hugged her knees, as if to hide behind them. "I don't want the headaches to come."
"Perhaps they won't." Kira put his arm around his fiancée, sensing her chill.
"It's not that I don't want to be intimate like that with you. I just want to know what is going on."
Should I tell her?
"Yes, I believe you should tell me," Lacus responded to his unspoken question.
"I spoke with Fllay last night. A part of her is still with me."
"Oh." I do not want to share you, Kira Yamato.
"Perhaps you won't have to share." Kira took another sip. "Anyway, she told me that you and I are capable of a deeper understanding of things."
"I still do not wish to share you."
"Can I not love you and yet honor her memory?"
"I know it is selfish of me, but I would not want your heart divided by loving two people."
"I loved her, but I love you. Is that not enough?" He added, "We cannot change the past. Let's not live in it either."
"You are right." Lacus finished her coffee before lying down to look up at the night sky. "What else did she say?"
"She said that you and I will be happy together. That the three of us will meet again, and we will have a lot to talk about."
"I am very happy with you, Kira Yamato."
"I'll do my best to keep you happy."
Five
"So tell me. Which one of you wants to die first?" Yzak was brash. Gauging them, sizing them up. Trying to see who would make the first move.
From his left, there were two. From the right, three. Two in front, one in back.
Asuka and Yzak stood back to back and slowly began to rotate, trying to keep as many of them in their field of vision as possible for as long as possible.
The lighting was dim. It took Coordinator eyes to adjust this quickly after having been inside the tavern. It was also quiet. Deadly quiet.
One of them went for a gun, but Yzak drew faster. Taking his cue, Asuka rolled away to give their attackers a wider spread between targets. It wouldn't do for their attackers to miss one only to hit the other.
Shots rang out and blades hissed through the air. Asuka's kunai made a gentle song to go with the lovely dance of her fighting style. Hopping, rolling, turning on a dime, all her movements seemed choreographed to the melody of death.
Their enemies were good, likely being Coordinators. But Yzak and Asuka were better.
It was over in a matter of seconds, but to Yzak it seemed like an eternity.
Pilots were used to time dilating in the adrenaline rush. High speed maneuvers and split second decisions were thought to be the cause, but knowledge of it's effects are as old as combat aviation itself. It was the mind's way of adjusting to making judgments in ever decreasing intervals of time. And it became more important as man flew higher, faster, and farther than the previous generations.
The ensuing silence was deafening. Yzak and Asuka, now the only ones standing, could barely hear their own labored breathing. While she gathered her kunais, Yzak noticed Asuka was wounded.
"Here. Let me look at that." It was a deep gouge on her right thigh where a bullet had cut through, like a very deep grazing. "This'll add to your collection of scars." After pouring some of the whiskey over it for disinfectant, he ripped off part of his shirt to tie off the wound.
"Thank you." She bent down to kiss his cheek, over his scar.
He backed away. "No." The hurt in her eyes was not lost on him, but he wouldn't waver. "If we are to ever kiss, it will be on my terms. Not yours."
"As you wish," she gave him that polite smile.
"Why?" he asked.
"Why what?"
"Why am I your pet project? What do you want from me? Why the hell are you even here?"
"Is this the time and place to be asking that?"
Yzak looked around at the bodies strewn in the alley. "I don't think any of them are listening."
He didn't mean it to be funny, but Asuka still bent over with laughter. Yzak soon followed. They sat there amidst the dead. Laughing together.
"If you must know," she began, "I've carried a mental image of you since we first met. You were my knight in shining armor. When I began to work with your mother I quickly realized how wrong I was. You were not the perfect man that I envisioned you to be. You were human, and that made you even better. Now I wouldn't be bored with you when I finally got to know you. Through it all however, I remained steadfastly loyal to you."
"But you don't even know me."
"I do now."
"But I don't know you."
"I am all that you see here." She sighed, "Though I do hope that one day you'll remember my real name. Your mother will be very disappointed if you don't figure it out before we get home."
"At the rate we're going, I'll have plenty of time to think it over." Yzak stood up.
Helping his comrade do the same, he gave her the kiss she was looking for. Not on the cheek but on the lips, where he knew she would have preferred it anyway. Where he would have preferred it.
"Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you," he started off out of the alley.
Following close behind, she responded "Of course. And Yzak?"
"What?" He stopped but he didn't turn back.
"Thanks."
Chapter 10
A bleary-eyed Dearka thankfully accepted a cup of coffee from Lacus as she and Kira went off to sleep. It's a good thing they brought plenty, because they were going through the coffee fast.
He was startled by a hand from behind. "Hmm? What's up Mir?"
"Hi. Thought I'd keep you company." She sat next to him by the cave entrance.
"Thanks. Couldn't sleep?"
"No." Unconsciously, her hand went to her shoulder.
"You want me to look at it?"
"No, I'm fine," placing her head on his right shoulder.
"Funny, you don't look it."
"What's that supposed to mean? Is there something wrong with the way I look?" She feigned indignant.
"Um, I mean you look great, but uh, just uncomfortable. Yeah, that's it." He took a long sip of coffee to avoid digging his grave even deeper. Way to go, Dearka. Open mouth, insert foot.
"I'm just kidding," Mir laughed.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Enjoying our little camp out?"
"Actually, I am. I haven't done this since I was a kid." She sighed, "I used to camp out with my parents and a few friends all the time."
"I'm glad."
"Tell me about your family."
"There's not much to tell. My mother died when I was young. I don't remember her, really. I never got along with my father. Too much of a wise ass for his liking, I suppose. My father has a seat on the council. Actually, everyone on the le Creuset Team had a parent on the council. Our assignment to that elite team as just as much due to political privilege as it was our skill as pilots."
"So, you were all pretty important people then?"
"Not really. Just pawns in a never ending power struggle."
"That's a really cynical view of your parents."
"Sorry. I guess they all love us in their own way. Looks like Yzak and Nicol always got along with their parents." Dearka finished his coffee. "But don't forget that Athrun was shot by his own father."
"Yeah, that was really sad," she admitted. "Um, Dearka. I think I changed my mind."
He blinked in rapid succession. "About what?"
"Will you look at it for me? I think the bandage needs to be changed."
"Sure."
Very carefully, Dearka helped Miriallia lift her sleeve to reveal the bandage. Everything appeared to be fine, but he wrapped it anew just to make her feel better.
"It's not infected, so you'll be fine. It'll probably heal up good as new in a few days."
"Thanks." Miriallia retook her position by his side, head on his shoulder. She also laced her fingers through his, claiming his hand as her own.
Dearka stiffened. "Someone's coming."
Miriallia went back into the cave to get out of sight. Dearka drew his gun before blending in with the cave wall near the entrance.
"Psst. Hey, Dearka." It was Yzak.
"Yzak. So how did your date go?"
"Not well." Yzak was helping Asuka walk. "And it wasn't a date." His right arm was around her waist, Asuka's left arm wrapped behind his neck. Yzak was holding her left hand with his, anchoring it to his chest to give her further support.
"Yzak was kind enough to help me walk from the town. I seem to have injured myself again," Asuka lied.
"If you don't mind, I think we'll take this watch." Yzak dismissed his friend.
"You sure?" Dearka gave him a suspicious look.
"Buzz off."
"Fine. You two have fun." Dearka went back into the cave's recesses to join the others in dreamland.
Two
"Could you pass me a med kit please?"
He tossed a red and white box to his companion before turning back to get himself the remainder of the coffee. Half a cup left.
"Thanks." Asuka opened the kit to make sure what she needed was inside. "I think you should be warned, Yzak."
Coming back to the entrance, he asked "About what?"
"I'm going to have to take these off to get at the wound." She tried to remove her pants, but with limited success.
"Here."
"You don't have to help me." She could see his discomfort with the situation.
"Shut up now, or I might have to hurt you." He forced her to lie on her back while he treated her. "If your lips need something to do, have a drink." He passed her the bottle of whiskey.
"Ha! I had forgotten about that. Thanks." Not once did she wince as he cleaned her thigh. She was a tough girl. He was impressed.
Liquid stitches were a wonderful invention. It was quite handy here. Unfortunately, it needed time to dry.
Asuka asked, "How long will it take?"
"Kit instructions say ten minutes. Unless you want to have a semi-permanent attachment to these pants." He got up and walked outside, unwilling to be in her presence any longer. Damn white cotton panties. At least she wore clean ones. It disturbed him to know he was close enough to notice that.
They had been very careful to make sure they were not followed out of town, but Yzak wasn't sure of their success. Asuka was limping badly by the time they reached the town gates. He almost had to carry her back. It would have been quite noticeable if anyone was there to actually see them. And then there was that data pad to think about.
Yzak looked over his shoulder to see Asuka reading the pad. As curious as he was, he still had eight more minutes. Eight long minutes trying hard not to think of her, and her lack of pants.
She smiled, knowing he was watching, but she didn't look over at him. She didn't want to scare him off or anger him. Asuka was quite happy to have his attention, even if she had to pretend he wasn't there.
Finally, he could go back. "So what's the news?"
"Our target is on the move, but it could work out in our favor." She passed him the pad, but kept the bottle.
"Enjoying that, are you?" He knew she only had a few sips, but he just had to have something to say about it.
"Makes a great pain killer. Want to share?"
"Not at the moment." He began reading. Actually there were two targets, but they would be traveling together. A scientist and a business man. The new Earth Forces machines that had given them so much trouble were piloted by enhanced Naturals. The scientist was the leader of the enhancement project, the business man was the chairman of the firm.
GenoTech. They were headquartered in North America, but their targets were making a trip to their subsidiary near Dublin, Ireland. The company chairman was suspected of being a higher-up in Blue Cosmos. Very interesting.
When finished, he erased all the data.
Asuka told him, "If we can take them out and make it look like it was political, relations between the Atlantic and European Federations will further destabilize."
"Nice. Hit the EAF where it hurts the most: their development, their allies, and their Blue Cosmos buddies."
"If only things worked that smoothly," she sighed.
"How much time will we have?"
"Three weeks before they arrive. Maybe."
"What do you know of this project of theirs?"
"I know it makes Naturals fight like Coordinators, and in some cases even better. You saw how those three guys tore through our CeGUEs and GINNs at Jachine Diue. We can't allow them to progress further or we'll be in big trouble. The PLANTs have already lost the technological edge, and Earth has a lot more manpower on its side."
"Any news from mother in there? I went ahead and erased everything without looking for a message from her."
"Yes," she smiled. "I've been fired."
"What?" He did a double take.
"Say hello to your personal staff, Representative Joule," she stuck out a hand.
"Wonderful." Yzak shook his head as he accepted the offered hand. "At least I know you can fight."
"I won't disappoint you, sir." She stood up and saluted her new boss.
"Sit down before you fall down."
"Yes sir."
"And don't call me sir."
"As you wish."
Again, she gave him that polite smile. There were times it made him so mad he wanted to punch her in the face, despite his qualms about hitting girls. And then there were others when he thought it was absolutely beautiful. Even with her scar she was quite attractive.
And there were still other times, like now, when it was a little of both.
In a few moments she was out like a light. Yzak ran his left thumb down her scar before resting his palm on her cheek. It seemed to make her sleep more contented.
Three
"Any news?"
"Morning, Dearka." Yzak arose to greet his friend. "Plenty of news."
"Let's hear it, then." Athrun joined them, followed by Cagalli.
"Mystery girl and I are going on a trip to Europe. You're not exactly invited to tag along."
"When will you be leaving?" asked Dearka.
"We've got a few weeks to kill before we need to be there, but it might be a good idea to case out the situation ahead of time."
"So, you really are leaving us?" asked Cagalli.
Yzak answered, "Yeah. You don't want to get involved in this one."
"I think that is for us to determine," Kira interjected. The circle of friends was now complete around him. Uneasy friends perhaps, but they fully intended to look out for each other.
"It's an assassination mission," Asuka told them. "Would you be comfortable with that?"
Kira answered, "Not really."
"What's the point of it?" asked Dearka.
Asuka answered, "There are a number of reasons which I will not go into. It may cause enough of an uproar to take some of the heat off of Yzak and Cagalli, however."
"Who is the target?"
Yzak was curt. "You don't need to know because you're not coming. Got it, Dearka?"
Seeing his sudden anger, everybody backed off. They left Yzak and Asuka at the cave entrance while going off to organize their gear for the trek into town.
"You were a little harsh." Asuka placed a slender hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, but I don't want them involved."
"And if they involve themselves?"
"You know, we probably won't get out of this alive."
"We have to, Yzak. You still have to figure out who I am. After that, I can die happy."
He had no response to that. He didn't want to die, and he sure as hell didn't want her to die.
"There's something I'd like your help with," she told him.
"Sure."
It turned out to be carrying her luggage.
Four
"Oh, thank God! Running water!"
"You seem awfully happy about it, Lacus." Cagalli rolled her eyes.
"I am quite happy about it. Look at this mess," she pointed to her tangled pink locks. "And don't' tell me you're not ready for a bath before your next make out session with your bodyguard."
All the girls got a laugh out of that. The four of them were sharing a spacious two bed hotel room. The guys had similar accommodations across the hall. At the moment, everyone was settling in and unpacking.
Lacus turned to Miriallia. "So tell me how you and Dearka are getting along?"
"Well, I suppose. He's quite the gentleman. He always lets me initiate the hand holding or cheek kissing." Mir asked Asuka about Yzak before thinking. It was a subject that was on everyone's minds, but nobody wanted to be the first to ask. And nobody wanted to ask within earshot of Yzak.
Miriallia's bravery earned her a polite smile. Asuka's answer was one that would have definitely pleased Yzak. "We do not get along at all. Be sure to tell him that if he asks."
"Really? And I thought he was starting to like you." Lacus showed her pout face.
"Don't worry about it," Asuka told her. "Everything will be just fine."
"Did you two have fun last night?" asked Cagalli. "That was the second night in a row you were out late."
"We had lots of fun, and even got to kill a few people." Her continued smile disturbed the others, but that night was quickly becoming a fond memory. He actually kissed me. "They tried to ambush us. That's how I injured my leg." Asuka began to take off her over shirt in preparation for some self-maintenance. She called dibs on the bath after Lacus.
"I noticed you're still toting those fancy knives." The harnesses were still strapped to her forearms.
"Yes," her smile faded. "And after last night I may never take them off." Asuka returned to unpacking.
"That bad huh?"
"It was. They were Coordinators. I don't know how, or even if they knew us. But it is all very unsettling." Resuming her smile, Asuka turned back to Cagalli. "Shall we go look for more of these harnesses on our shopping trip tomorrow? Last night I almost ran out of kunais."
"If that'll make you feel any better. Any of you other girls up for a shopping trip?"
Lacus and Miriallia shook their heads in a decisive 'no.'
Lacus reminded Cagalli, "Be sure to take Athrun with you."
Cagalli chimed in, "Hey, we could bring Yzak and make it a double date!"
That earned a hard look from Asuka. "Don't you dare say that in Yzak's presence." Her eyes were watering.
"She was only teasing," Mir tried to calm her down.
"It's not funny. Say what you want to me, but please do not provoke him," Asuka returned to her polite smile. "I don't need that right now."
Chapter 11
Athrun asked, "Where shall we start?"
"Well, we can start by you getting a little closer, Mr. Bodyguard." Cagalli snuggled up to him.
"Focus, you two." Yzak was more patient than usual, but this was getting to be a bit much.
"Right," Cagalli sighed. She increased the width between her and Athrun to about two inches.
"There's this guy we need to talk to," Cagalli explained. "He deals in weapons and information. He also runs the town."
Asuka asked, "And how do we meet this person?"
"There's really only one way," Cagalli answered. "Put the word out that we want to buy something."
They all had a good rest the day before. Lacus made Kira nap with her in the girls room during the day, much to the discomfort of the other girls. Similarly, Cagalli hung out with Athrun in the guy's room. Also to the discomfort of others.
Getting an early start was preferable by both Cagalli and Yzak, so here they were. They put the word out as discreetly as Cagalli knew how. They hadn't had any luck by lunch time, but then Cagalli didn't expect to.
They ate at the outdoor café where Kira and Cagalli met Andrew Waltfeld. Cagalli again impressed upon her friends the importance of chili sauce on the cuisine. It was much easier now that Andy wasn't trying to force yogurt sauce on everyone in the vicinity.
As they finished dining, they were approached by a vaguely familiar face.
"Ah, the Goddess of Victory," he bowed slightly. "I hear that you are looking for some 'water'."
"That is correct," she responded. She recognized the face, but never knew his name. He worked for the town boss.
"You and your friends may follow me and we will discuss it."
"That sounds wonderful."
Two
"Hey, Mir. What's up?"
"Mind if I stay with you for a while? I'm not comfortable in there."
"The lovebirds making you feel unwelcome?"
"Yeah."
"Sure. Have a seat." Dearka offered her his bed while he took a nearby chair.
"Thanks." She took the offered seat on the bed. "It's not that they told me to get out or anything, but I could tell they wanted to be alone."
"That's understandable."
"How so?" Mir cocked her head inquisitively.
"They didn't get a whole lot of time to themselves until after the last battle. Maybe they're trying to make up for lost time."
"How's your arm today?" She reached out with a gentle hand to touch his cast.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. I think it's almost healed." He placed a hand over hers. "But it itches like crazy."
"You sure do heal fast. It would take me weeks to get over something like that, but you're almost better in just a few days."
"Call it a perk for being a Coordinator."
"Right. Sometimes I forget about that." Mir gave him that smile he loved.
"It's easy to do. I often forget you're a Natural." Dearka shook his head. "It's amazing how we all fooled ourselves into thinking we were so different. Wars are easier to fight if you think the enemy is nothing like you."
"Stop scratching at that," she berated him. "You'll only make it worse."
"Sorry."
Mir took a closer look at Dearka's left forearm. "Shoo. It smells in there. Like you haven't bathed in weeks." Pulling him to his feet, she continued "If you're ready, we can take that thing off and wash your arm."
"Sure." He wasn't about to argue.
The cast was really a series of support braces that were next to impossible to remove one-handed. Miriallia's assistance was invaluable in its removal.
Now free from his bindings, Dearka carefully flexed his arm. Everything seemed to be in order.
"Now I think it's time you had a bath." Miriallia pushed him into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Of course I smell. We spent how many days in the desert now? Dearka took a deep breath while soaking in the tub. It was nice and relaxing. A time for reflection.
How does she feel about me? How do I feel about her? He sighed. No, it's too soon. If I expect anything to happen between us, then I'm just setting myself up for disappointment.
As if to confirm his self doubts, when he came out in a bathrobe Miriallia was clutching a picture to her chest on the bed. He didn't have to ask who's picture it was.
"All done?" she asked, hurriedly putting away her treasure.
"Yep. Do I smell better now?"
She came close to get a good whiff. "You sure do." She took a deep breath, soaking in his smell before letting out a sigh.
"You know, I don't expect anything from you Mir."
"I know." She lowered her head, touching his chest with her forehead.
"You don't have to be torn between Tolle and me. I concede he was the better man."
"Don't say that." A single tear wet her cheek. "Dearka, I . . ." She began to embrace him.
"No." He took her by the shoulders and separated himself from her by a few inches. "As much as I'd love that, you're not ready."
"That is for me to determine, not you." Mir looked up at him with anger in her eyes.
"I can see it in your face each time you look at me. Your eyes don't see me because you're too busy thinking of him. I don't want to be your rebound. It's not right; for me, or for you." He gathered some fresh clothing for himself. As he closed the bathroom door behind himself he said, "Let's just remain friends for now."
When he came out, it was like nothing had ever happened.
Three
"What are you thinking about?"
"Can't you tell?"
"Not all the time, no." Lacus stroked his chestnut brown hair.
They were lying in bed; Lacus siting up against the headboard, Kira laying back with his head on her breast. She had her legs wrapped around his waist, keeping him in place. Not that he wasn't trying to escape, though.
"I can't read you all the time either." Kira breathed a sigh of contentment. "I'm thinking about you."
"When will we ever catch a break. That's what you're thinking."
Kissing her hand, he confirmed her intuition. "Yeah. I'm ready for our happily ever after."
"But you're worried it'll never come." She kissed the top of his head.
"Exactly."
"Kira, even if we can never live in peace, I still do not want to be separated from you."
"I feel the same."
"How do you feel about Yzak's mission?"
"Uneasy. But I know it must be something important."
"You want to help." She turned him around to look into his eyes. "So do I."
"But we can't leave Cagalli. Protecting her is important too."
"Let's not talk about it anymore." She brushed her lips across his nose. "Let's just enjoy this time alone together. We don't know when it'll happen again."
Four "Water is precious in the desert." This guy was fond of saying that. Especially when talking about weapons and black market equipment.
It annoyed Cagalli to no end, but if they wanted to deal then she had to play along. "So it is," Cagalli admitted. "Can you help us?"
"Perhaps I can." He was a relatively large, well dressed man.
"Here's a list of what we need," Athrun handed a paper to him. It was fairly short.
"I think this can be arranged." Their host led them off to look at the merchandise.
Cagalli approved. "Charge it to Kisaka. He'll take care of it." She handed him another paper. "This is where we would like it delivered."
"Tassel? That can also be arranged. It'll be there in two days."
"Thank you very much," Cagalli bowed slightly before leaving. Athrun followed closely behind her.
"How did it go?" Asuka had been waiting outside the building with Yzak.
Athrun answered, "It's done. Now we just get to hang out for a while, then head back to Tassel."
Yzak revealed his relief with characteristic sarcasm. "Great. Can we go now?"
Asuka agreed with Yzak's sentiments. "Yes, I believe it's time we got out of sight." It was still broad daylight, and there were no signs of them being followed. Still, Asuka didn't want to push their luck. "Let's split up," she continued, "there's something I was hoping to take care of."
"See you later, then." Cagalli waved, dragging off Athrun before he could make a comment. She didn't want her or Athrun to be the one to screw things up for Asuka and Yzak. Good luck Asuka. You're going to need it.
If only she knew.
"What is it?" asked Yzak.
"Nothing much. Just a little contest between soldiers." Asuka gave him a half smirk, half smile. Quite uncharacteristic of her.
"Contest? You know I'll win." Yzak followed along anyway.
"Something I wanted to do last night, but we didn't get the chance."
"What's that?"
"A game I'd like us to play back at the hotel."
"I'm losing patience."
"My! You mean you actually had patience with me? I am so pleased." Her smirk switched back to her polite smile.
Her flirting wasn't lost on Yzak. "Listen. What happened last night changes nothing between us."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." She sighed. "It's a drinking contest," she admitted.
"Now I know I'll win."
"We shall see."
"I don't want you turning into an alcoholic."
It was unlike him to show concern. To avoid spoiling the moment, she ignored it. "We're still young. We can take a little fun, right?"
It was his turn to sigh. "Fine. If it'll make you feel any better, I'll drink you under the table."
"Nothing would please me more."
Chapter 12
"Perhaps this location was a bad idea."
"I am inclined to agree," Asuka sighed.
They couldn't get any privacy for their little contest.
Yzak suggested, "Want to go back to the cave?"
"Camp out for the night? Sure." She could tell he was less than thrilled. He was only doing this for her benefit, though he would never say so.
Armed with their sleeping bags, some minor gear and a few bottles of hard liquor, the two of them made their way out of town.
"I don't know about you, but I'm only sixteen. I haven't had very long to build up a tolerance to alcohol," Yzak admitted.
"Don't try to chicken out." She readjusted her pack for the evening hike. "And you're seventeen now. Your birthday was a couple weeks ago."
"I must have forgotten it." He didn't have to ask how she knew that.
"I'm still sixteen, by the way."
"Great," he rolled his eyes.
"Yzak." Asuka stopped.
"What now?"
"I'm sorry," she said weakly. "About everything. I'm sorry."
He took her by the shoulders and looked into her emerald green eyes. "Are we doing this or not?"
"It doesn't matter. I just wanted . . ."
"Stop talking, start walking." Yzak began toward the cave again.
Her spirits renewed, she followed closely. Thank you, Yzak.
Two
"Hey guys. We need to have a little talk while they're away." Dearka called a group meeting in the guys room to take advantage of the absence of Yzak and Asuka.
Cagalli asked, "Is this about their secret relationship or their mission?"
"Both. I'm worried."
Athrun pulled up a chair next to Cagalli, "I think Yzak can handle himself."
Kira interrupted, "No, Dearka's right. There's something very wrong with all of this."
"How so?" asked Miriallia.
"It's not so much that they like each other. They may be polar opposites, but they're also just barely enough alike to actually make a decent fit as a couple. And it's not just their mission. It's both, together."
Lacus joined in, "It's a recipe for disaster."
"I think some of us should go along to babysit," Dearka said.
"Don't you think Yzak is professional enough to handle the situation?" asked Athrun.
"Since when has Yzak been able to show restraint?" Dearka reminded him, "He has a hard time controlling his anger, so how can we be sure his judgment won't be adversely affected by his involvement with Asuka?"
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I refuse to participate in an assassination," Kira said. Lacus nodded in agreement.
Dearka concluded the meeting. "Perhaps there are other ways you can help. Keep in mind, we don't know the details yet."
Three
Yzak awoke with a slight headache. Advancements in genetic engineering had only made so much progress against hangovers. At least Coordinator metabolisms could breakdown alcohol in the blood quickly. He wasn't out of it for long.
"What happened?" Yzak rolled over, still with his eyes closed, to find something unexpected. Skin. Not his. It was soft, silky smooth. And fragrant.
Opening his eyes, he saw who it belonged to. A blushing Asuka, wearing only her underwear. Their sleeping bags were joined together, like they had just done something . . .
"Oh God," Yzak covered his face. "Tell me we didn't."
Asuka got up and complied. "We didn't."
It was still dark outside. Checking his watch, Yzak saw it was only 2:58 am local time. Plenty of night left to screw up their lives.
"Nothing happened, Yzak." She pulled on her pants standing next to the fire.
Yzak got up to do the same. "So what did happen?"
"You won," she lied. "After that, we started to . . ."
"Started to what?" He grabbed her by the upper arms, wrapping his fingers tightly around them. "Tell me what happened!"
"We undressed each other and made out," she whispered. "That's all. I swear."
He was furious. Boiling mad. "You planned this, didn't you?" he screamed.
She was smiling, with tears streaming down her face. He was hurting her. "Yes. Please forgive me."
"Sorry," he apologized, letting her go.
In an unexpected move, he embraced her. Wrapping his arms tightly, but gently around her, he lifted one hand to massage the back of her neck. He didn't know how, but he thought she might like that.
She did like it very much, but his doing so brought out a full sob.
"I'm so sorry, Yzak." She would have slumped to the ground had Yzak not caught her and returned her to their makeshift bedding.
"Stop crying. I forgive you." He laid her down in their double sleeping bag.
"You do?"
"Yes." He laid back down with her.
"How can you possibly forgive me?"
Yzak ran his thumb down her scar before caressing her cheek. "You were willing to risk it all for what you wanted and I respect you for that. I may come off as a hard ass, but half of it is just my short temper. The other half, reputation."
"Thank you, Yzak." She quickly moved to hug him. "I love you." She wanted to kiss him, but she didn't want to make the same mistake as last time.
"Next time you want me to sleep with you, try asking first." He gave her that kiss he knew she was looking for.
"How about now?" I've wanted this for so long.
"No time like the present." As she began disrobing him once again, he continued. "You know this is wrong."
"Yes. I know." She didn't stop, but a single tear fell from her cheek. For so very long.
"You're under my command and we're supposed to be planning an important operation. If we're not careful, this kind of thing will end up clouding our judgment and get us killed."
Now it was his turn.
"I'm sorry, Yzak." She held her breath as he began kissing her body. Oh, God. Is this real?
"Don't be. We both want this, right?"
She nodded.
"And don't you dare tell anybody, but . . . I have feelings for you too."
Before she could respond, he gave her lips something better to do.
Four
The others didn't wait for Yzak and Asuka to come back before making their way to the cave. They did have enough decency to start out late to avoid catching them in a compromising situation.
"Good morning," Yzak greeted them at the cave entrance. He seemed unusually pleased, but nobody said anything. "Time to make our way back to Tassel?"
"Yes," Cagalli answered. "Then we'll need to discuss our next move."
Loading the jeeps was relatively easy, as they had left most of the gear next to the jeeps anyway. Asuka double checked her stash of kunais, Cagalli the firearms and ammo.
"Before we head out, I think it's time we showed Lacus how to shoot," Cagalli suggested.
"Oh, my! Is that necessary?" Lacus wasn't thrilled at the prospect. They had asked her to carry one of those ZAFT knives, which she did despite her qualms about weapons. But a gun?
"You're the only one who's never had at least minimal combat training. Even I had some on the Archangel," Miriallia said.
"We're not asking you to carry a gun. All we ask is that if push comes to shove you'll be able to carry your own weight." Cagalli tried not to sound harsh, but this wasn't a picnic. They would need Kira to be able to fight freely without having to constantly worry about Lacus.
"Very well. But I ask that only Kira and I be present."
"Sure," Cagalli patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, Kira!"
After explaining the situation, Kira agreed to teach Lacus. It was a fairly quick process of showing her how to disassemble, clean, load, and shoot a pistol. He drew a target on the inner cave wall with chalk for Lacus to shoot at.
She did quite well.
"I don't have to tell you that I am uncomfortable with this," she said.
"I know. I wasn't comfortable with shooting a gun either." Kira shook his head, "And it got Mu wounded in the Mendel Colony research facility."
"If it will mean being less of a burden, then I shall do this." Lacus wrapped him in a tight hug. "I do not wish to be a burden to you, Kira."
"You're not a burden, Lacus. But if anything should happen, stick close to me. I'll look after you." He gave her a kiss to the forehead.
"Thank you, Kira."
"Come on. It's time to go."
End Part Three
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