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.
Special thanks to DragonBlond, without whom this project would have derailed at part ten.
A/N End
Chapter 65
"What do you think?"
"It's time to go, Athrun. We don't have time to discuss it."
"When will we have time to discuss it, Cagalli?" Athrun had to stop her by grabbing her arm. "Look at them. They're only doing this because they don't think they'll live long enough. They're getting ready to die."
"Aren't we all?" Cagalli had no illusions about this. They were all getting ready to die. One hour until launch.
Athrun took a deep breath of the warm night air. "I guess that's true. Then again, our motives were no better." Their marriage was as much a political necessity as it was anything else.
"Do you regret it?" Cagalli always wanted to ask that but couldn't find the courage until now.
"No. I'm glad I married you. I just wish a lot of things had been different."
"Are we talking about our marriage, our dating, or your affair."
"All of it. I often wonder why we even bothered," Athrun admitted.
"Me too. Everything about the way it happened was a mistake in hindsight. Just why did you marry me anyway?" That's another question she had always wanted an answer to.
"Well, now that we're being honest with each other, I'm not really sure. Part of it was a sense of duty. Part of it was because I love you. Most of it was because I felt that this is where I needed to be."
"That's not exactly what I was hoping to hear." She wasn't mad. She was tired. Worn out.
"Look Cagalli. I love you. I've always loved you. But let's face it, most of the time we're miserable."
"You want a divorce?"
"No. I want things to go back to the way they were. I want to start all over."
"It's not that easy, you know." Cagalli slumped onto him as he sat in the grass outside the hangars of Kaguya Spaceport.
"I know that, but I can't lose you. If I wanted out I would have left long ago. What about you?" Athrun sat with her head in his lap, playing with her hair.
"I want to make it work. And I'm sorry about making you miserable."
"Don't worry about it. There have been good times as well. And it's those good times that keep me going." He bent down to kiss her.
"I feel the same way, Athrun."
"So where does that leave us? What do we do now?"
"Assuming we survive this, I want you to help me run Orb. Really help. Not just sit there and watch me. I can't do it by myself. I'm only seventeen and I think I'm already developing stress ulcers."
Athrun got a good chuckle out of that. "I love you so much, Cagalli. I'll never leave. Just try not to be so hard on me. I'm delicate, remember?"
Now it was Cagalli's turn to laugh. "Alright, Prince Athrun."
"Really, Cagalli. I don't care what I have to do, but I'm tired of the fighting and bitterness. There will always be stress on our relationship. There'll be politics and personal disagreements and a whole host of other difficulties. We have to find a better way of dealing with our problems than taking it out on each other."
"Agreed." Cagalli sat up. "It's about time we boarded. I'd like to congratulate the happy couple and then settle in."
"Who's in charge while we're gone?" asked Athrun.
"Of Orb? General Misato will be. I've granted him permission to enforce martial law in our absence. I hope he doesn't make me regret it either. I told him I'd sick you and Kira on him if he disappointed me in the slightest."
Two
"Thank you so much," Lacus beamed. She was putting on her polite manner for everyone. It seemed the best way to avoid outright bawling. She really just wanted to cry and be held by her dearest husband.
"I wish you two the best of luck," Neo offered a hand to Kira. He was still being supported by Murrue. Neo was having a little trouble getting around with only a cane. He had given up on crutches a day or two earlier saying something about not wanting to become weak. "You two really do look like the perfect couple.
Murrue just gave the couple a hug before leading Neo back to the Archangel.
"Andy," Lacus gave him a hug. "I'm sorry about all this."
Andy wore a smile. He was over it already. "Don't be. Murrue and I were never dating, not even casually. And we can't worry about these things now anyway."
How very true, Kira thought.
Last up was Athrun and Cagalli. "I . . ." Cagalli couldn't find the words.
Athrun could. "Congratulations. I'm sure you'll be very happy."
"We already are, Athrun. Thanks," Kira shook his brother-in-law's hand.
And then they were alone. "Kira . . ."
Kira embraced her there under the rising moon. "I know. It shouldn't have been like this. You deserve so much more."
"It's fine, Kira. What matters is what's in here," she placed one hand over her heart and one hand over his. "In here we were married a long time ago."
"What now?" Kira yawned and stretched like he was ready for bed.
"Oh, that was so fake," Lacus giggled. "But now is an entirely inappropriate time for that, Mr. Yamato."
"Of course, Mrs. Yamato. When we get back, we'll take a nice long honeymoon to make up for it," he promised. "Come on. We'd better get aboard or they'll leave without us."
After checking the seals on both ships, they were ready. Of course, it took a little patchwork to get the ships space-worthy again.
Though Kira trusted Chief Murdoch and the other technicians, he still insisted that he and Lacus wear space suits. There were numerous others who also took such precautions. Including Murdoch.
Three
"How do you feel?" Shinn helped her sit up and get strapped in for takeoff.
Stellar looked a little better at least. "Much better. I think I'll be up and about tomorrow. I just hope being weightless doesn't upset my stomach any further."
"You'll be fine." I hope. Vomit in zero G is really hard to clean up.
"Did I miss anything important?"
"Yeah. Kira and Lacus had an impromptu wedding about an hour ago. Very impromptu. They just knelt in the grass and exchanged rings and vows."
"A shame I had to miss it. Why would they do that, though? Lacus always seemed more like the prim and proper type. I can't imagine her getting married in less than perfect conditions."
Shinn didn't answer. He just strapped himself in next to Stellar so she could hold his hand if necessary.
"Shinn, please tell me. Something's wrong, isn't there?"
"Yes. They got married like that because they don't expect to live long enough to do it right."
"I'm frightened."
"Good. Let the adrenaline help you become more alert. We're going to have a very hard fight ahead." Shinn felt a growing sense of dread. Is this what Kira was feeling? Is this why they did that out there?
"Shinn, remember your promise. We'll settle down and have that daughter. I don't want to hear any excuses about being dead either. I'll never forgive you if you . . ."
He stopped her with a kiss. I'll keep that promise.
You better keep that promise.
Four
A rumbling of the engines signified that it was time. The Archangel went first, then the Minerva. Awaiting for them were the Retribution, the Temptation, and several supply vessels.
"Glad you could join us, Captain Gladys." Yzak waited for her to salute before continuing. "Let us brief you on the situation." Yzak led Murrue, Talia, Andy, Kira, Cagalli, and Dearka to his briefing room where Shiho was already waiting.
"They've built at least two massive laser cannons at this point," Yzak pointed to the region of Lagrange point six on the map. "They've hollowed out cylinder-type colonies for the barrels. I'm not sure how they're powered, but it's most likely nuclear rather than solar."
"How many colonies were in that cluster?" asked Murrue.
"Seven total that were intact the last time anyone bothered to check. Meteorites may have damaged some of those in the last few years but we can't be certain. All we know is that their output is too much to fire consecutive shots and two shots hit Bo Az within just a few minutes."
"Hence, at least two lasers," Andy scratched his beard in thought.
Talia asked the obvious question. "Is our force enough to stop them?"
Yzak shook his head. "All those ships from Lake Victoria are forming a defensive perimeter around the area. At least, that's what we think. There are no visible ships, but they were using mirage colloid anyway."
"So, what's the plan?" asked Cagalli.
"We've got to take out those colony lasers before they hit the PLANTs. Which means we've got about five more minutes to discuss this before we move out. Any more questions?"
"Yeah, I've got a question," Kira spoke up. "How exactly are our four ships supposed to take on a fleet of unknown size?"
Yzak laughed, "With your Ultimate Coordinator skills, Yamato."
"That doesn't make me any more comfortable," muttered Kira.
"The odds are no less slim than every other major engagement we've been a part of," Murrue reminded them all.
Five
"What do you think of all this?"
"I think we're going to die," Rey commented.
"You are so very encouraging." But then, I feel that way too, thought Luna.
They were examining the new toys along with the other pilots. Kira would be given the Strike Freedom, Athrun the Infinite Justice. Shinn took the Destiny. Luna would take over Shinn's Impulse. Stellar, Cagalli and Andy would keep their suits as they were relatively undamaged.
The one that nearly caused a few strokes was Rey's new suit, the Legend. To the veterans of the Bloody Valentine War it smelled of pure evil, but maybe that was just because they all remembered the pilot of its sister suit, the Providence. Rau le Creset flew the Providence and attacked the Triple Ships Alliance. He nearly killed Mu, Dearka, Yzak and Kira.
And Kira's blood boiled at the mere sight of the suit. It was like reliving that moment all over again. Rau murdered Fllay. Kira nearly killed himself in destroying Rau.
"Are you sure you can handle this thing?" Even Luna, who loved Rey more than life itself, cringed in the presence of this suit.
"Yes. We have little choice in the matter."
"Just be careful." Luna stole a kiss. Luckily no one was there to see it.
"I'll do that, Luna."
"You know what we're up against, don't you?"
"Yes," he admitted. "I know."
"Won't you tell me?"
Rey shook his head. "Better to leave you with a little hope than take it all away." Rey smiled at her. Genuinely smiled. "You're frightened?"
"Yes." She would have lowered her gaze had he not taken her face into his hands. "I am very frightened."
"Good. That means you've got some common sense."
"If you promise me we'll make it through this, I'll believe you. I'll believe anything you say." That's when the tears started.
Rey wrapped her in his arms. "Don't cry, sweet Luna." Pushing off the Legend, the two of them floated back to a dark corner of the hangar, away from prying eyes and ears. He kissed her there in the dark, aboard the Temptation.
Fitting name for a fitting romance. Luna was tempted by Rey in nearly every way possible. She had been at a turning point in her life. All the pain she suffered needed an outlet. Rey seemingly gave her an outlet for the cruelty she needed to inflict upon others. When she felt regret, he consoled her and said that her feelings were correct. He also revealed that her actions were much more benign than she had intended them to be. When her fragile heart filled with bodily lust, he provided an outlet for that as well. And finally she was void again and in need of love.
Rey could provide that too.
Six
"Commander," Talia floated to get in front of him in the corridor. "I'd like to ask something of you, if I may."
"Ask," Andy crossed his arms.
"Your ship has extra suits but no pilots, correct?"
"The Archangel isn't my ship, but yes there are several suits aboard."
"Excellent. Think a few of our pilots could borrow them? I'm afraid that Councilman Elsman brought plenty of pilots, but very little in the way of hardware. At least, normal hardware."
"Did he send you to ask? Because that doesn't sound much like Dearka."
"No, I volunteered. He was a little busy at the moment." She whispered, "Girl trouble."
That did the trick. Andy chuckled and decided to lighten up a bit. "Yeah, Miriallia always was a tough cookie."
"Glad to hear it was nothing out of the ordinary," Talia smiled. She had been trying to make friendly with Andy and with decidedly limited success. She had a great amount of respect for the man once known as the Desert Tiger and she expressed her regret more than once that fate placed them as enemies for a time.
"Sure, I'll help Kira get the Jegans ready. But I hope those pilots are good because Kira's machines are pretty powerful. Even more so than the Murasame."
"Great. I look forward to seeing them up close. Good night, commander."
Chapter 66
"You're tired. Take a break," Lacus suggested.
"Can't. Got to get these things back together."
"That wasn't a suggestion, Mr. Yamato. Take a break now." Lacus put on her stern face.
"Sure," Kira chuckled. "But just for a little bit."
Lacus took him by the hand and floated out of the hangar leaving behind several friends who were in stitches.
"Oh my. It's odd seeing Kira with a boss. And she is such a quiet girl, too," laughed Chief Murdoch.
"Don't be fooled by Lacus," Athrun smiled. "She knows how to take charge."
A lot of people were helping out with the reassembly of the Jegans. Athrun, Chief Murdoch, Andy and several from the Joule Team were working around the clock. They had maybe a day to get things ready and make some repairs to the ship. Then another day or so of travel. Then combat.
And nobody knew what to expect either. With the exception of Rey, that is. But he wasn't volunteering any information.
Yzak had sent word back to Jachine Diue of the situation and a fleet should arrive at L6 a few hours after the Quadruple Ships Alliance. Rey had a way of making these snide nicknames stick.
"What about our complement of Murasames? Will they work in a vacuum?" Andy always wondered and now seemed like a good time to ask.
"I don't see why not," Murdoch chuckled. "What's the matter? Don't like Kira's design?"
"Nope. I prefer my Murasame." Andy decided to backtrack a bit before Athrun got in the mood to tattle on him. "It's not that they're a bad suit, or anything. I just don't want to have to get used to a new mobile suit the day before a battle."
Athrun frowned. "Well, my battle experience in that suped-up Jegan was rather disappointing."
Andy pointed at the parts coming from the back of the Archangel hangar. "Well, that's is the last one."
Two
"Mir, you know I love you, right?"
She sighed, "Yes Dearka, I know. I love you too." Mir kissed his cheek to confirm her profession.
"Good, then tell me what's up."
"Nothing is wrong with me, Dearka. I'm just a little on edge, okay? I'm really nervous being back on bridge duty and going into combat so soon. And you're not helping by being so nervous yourself," she poked him in the ribs.
"Sorry. I'll take it easy from now on, alright?"
"Good. Now I think it's time we went over some ZAFT procedures. I don't have the first clue of what the protocols are and I'd hate for some of our pilots to collide out there because I said the wrong thing."
"It's just the same as it was on the Archangel, I promise." Dearka grabbed her elbows and pulled her close as they floated down the corridor together.
"What if somebody sees us?" she whispered.
"It wouldn't matter. You're not enlisted," he gave her a kiss. Nothing too extravagant, just a little pressing of the lips.
"I'm glad I'm here with you."
Three
"You have to get as much rest as you can."
"Yes ma'am," Shinn laughed. "You too."
Stellar was all better now, or so she liked to tell everyone. At the moment she was hanging out with Shinn, Rey, and Luna in the lounge aboard the Minerva. Their suits were checked and ready. The ship was ready for combat. Now it was just a waiting game for these four.
"The hardest part about this is the long periods of boredom," Luna stated. "Boredom broken by brief moments of sheer terror on the battlefield."
"That's a good line. You should write that down for your memoirs," Shinn laughed.
"Less laughing, more resting," Stellar ordered.
"You don't have to make such a fuss over him, Stellar. He'll be fine." Luna tried to smile, but she was a little unsuccessful in that endeavor.
"It's my responsibility to look after him," Stellar held her head high.
Rey couldn't stop laughing. "You are too much."
"Hey you guys!" Meyrin popped in to join them.
"How's Sai?" asked Luna. She immediately regretted it.
"Oh, he's fine. I guess. Haven't really talked to him lately," Meyrin admitted.
"Well, on the bright side this'll all be over soon." This time Luna found her smile.
Seeing her sister truly happy for once brought a smile to Meyrin's face as well. "You're right. For better or worse, we won't have to endure this much longer."
"We'd better get some sleep," Shinn suggested. Stellar was poking him in the ribs and bugging the crap out of him. Taking her by the hand, Shinn led her off to his quarters.
"Guess that leaves you two," Meyrin laughed. "Getting along well?"
"Buzz off," Rey stated coldly.
Luna scolded her younger sister. "Meyrin honey, I love you dearly but you need to stop causing mischief for your older sister."
Four
"I should really get back there and help out."
"No, Mr. Yamato. Let them handle it. You've done enough," Lacus insisted. She was taking charge of her husband. "You have to rest. Now." She had him trapped in their room.
"Yes, Mrs. Yamato."
"I like the sound of that," she smiled. "I really do."
"I'm glad," Kira matched his wife's expression.
"Now if you're done arguing," Lacus began to get ready for bed.
"Yeah." Kira swallowed hard. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this.
"Come to bed," she ordered.
"Yes Lacus." He lay in her open embrace.
"You don't have to," she informed him.
"I want to." It might be their only chance.
They hadn't slept since before the battle above Onogoro. They were both exhausted, but they did it anyway. They consummated their marriage, their love for each other.
"I love you, Kira." As she had so many nights before, she fell asleep on his chest.
And he tenderly held her bare body to his. As he lay there, Kira couldn't help but wonder what fate awaited them. What suffering would be there to greet them?
"Kira?"
"Lacus?"
"Where are we?" She looked around. They were floating among the stars only space wasn't its normal black. It was blue and violet and even a little red in places. There were twinkling stars and nebulae and various kinds of galaxies around them. She and Kira floated towards each other unclothed and embraced in the middle of this scene.
"I'm not sure, but I've been here a few times before." Kira didn't have to tell her.
Lacus knew that this was where he had spoken with Fllay. She felt a third presence coming to meet them.
"Hello, Ms. Lacus." Flaming red hair swirled about her in much the same way Lacus's pink hair refused to be tamed in this environment.
"Hello Ms. Fllay."
"It is up to you now. You must protect him for the both of us." Fllay's ethereal body turned to Kira. "I will miss you very much, Kira. But we will meet again one day. That is a promise."
"I'll miss you too, Fllay." Kira had no qualms about saying it in front of Lacus. His heart was completely open to Lacus, and she could see that his love for his wife dwarfed all.
Fllay had a sad smile on her face. "My true feelings will still protect you, but now things will be different." Fllay turned back to Lacus. "You know, you were right all those months ago. We are not so different, you and I."
"I know," Lacus smiled. "We are polar opposites, but also connected. Like two sides of the same coin."
"Yes. And now I must go. Take care of him. For the both of us." Fllay came close to Kira and as she had done so many times before, she kissed him. Only this time it was different. As their tongues touched there was no shower of light. In his mind, Fllay and Lacus became one for a moment. And then there was only Lacus, who had never left his embrace the entire time.
The jolt startled both Kira and Lacus awake.
"What just happened?" asked Kira.
"Her love for you will live on in me," Lacus whispered. "This was her gift."
Five
"You're tired."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah, it's pretty obvious." Neo sat up on the infirmary bed. "You don't have to stay with me every free moment, you know."
"I don't want you running off," Murrue laughed.
"I've decided to join your crew."
"I'm afraid there's not much you can do. Piloting is out of the question."
"I can man the targeting systems," Neo suggested. He had no way of knowing, but Mu had done that during his first few engagements aboard the Archangel.
"Very well. I'm sure you'll do an excellent job." Murrue remembered those days. Desperate for survival, running from the le Creuset Team.
"How about those two kids, huh? They're something else." Neo couldn't get over that little scene in Kaguya.
"They are two very special children," Murrue admitted. "You know . . . never mind."
"What? You can tell me." Neo knew that he could get anything he wanted out of her if he played his cards right. But then, he wasn't such a bad guy as to take advantage of this situation like that. He honestly did like Murrue and wanted to put her more at ease.
"After you . . . I'm sorry, after Mu passed it was those two kids who looked out for me. Kira often joked about me being his adopted older sister."
"I'll have to thank him for that later. It must have been really hard on you."
"No more hard than seeing you." Murrue still wore a smile, though it was now twinged with a deep sadness.
"I don't know if I can give you what you want, much less what you deserve. But if we make it through this, I'll do what I can." Neo wasn't making any big promises. He liked her. Like, not love.
She, on the other hand, loved Mu's memory. Not Neo. "Don't worry about it. Do you feel up to a walk? There's something I'd like to show you."
"Sure." The reduced gravity made things a lot easier on Neo. He should have been walking with crutches, but he gave those up for a cane hoping to speed his recovery.
Murrue led him to the rear hanger where they kept something special in storage. "This was Mu's baby. He was extremely disappointed when he couldn't fly it anymore."
"Is there anything wrong with it?" asked Neo.
"No, but it was useless in the atmosphere. And once we got back out into space this thing was so obsolete that it couldn't make a dent in anything the enemy had to throw at us."
"I see. Moebius Zero." Neo floated up to look into the cockpit. He didn't know how he knew it, but it seemed like things were out of place. "Someone's been in here."
"Kira flew it several months back. I didn't think Mu would mind if it was Kira."
Neo smiled. "No, I don't think he would have minded that a bit."
Chapter 67
"How are things progressing?"
"Well. All four ships are now combat ready," Shiho reported.
They were in Yzak's conference room. Just the two of them.
"Who will lead the attack?" asked Shiho.
"By general consensus, it'll be Ramius. She's more levelheaded than I," Yzak admitted.
"We should be there shortly. Are there any final preparations that you'd like me to make?"
"No, Shiho. It's enough."
"Will you allow me to lead the Joule Team into combat?"
"No. I'll do it myself. You'll fly as my wingman."
Shiho smiled. At least he wasn't taking her out of the action.
"Dearka will take command of the two Nazcas and coordinate their efforts to aid the Archangel and Minerva. Anything else you'd like to know?"
"Yes. When will you get some rest?"
"Right now," he answered. "This is the last item on the agenda." Yzak passed her a data pad with the latest reconnaissance photos of L6.
"There's nothing there but the colony cluster."
"Look closer."
"I'm still not seeing it," she admitted.
Yzak had to point it out for her. "Right there."
"Looks like a small asteroid. Very small."
"That's what it looks like, but that's not what it is." Yzak watched as Shiho's eyes widened in the realization of what they were going up against. "We're screwed."
Two
It was time for Talia to inform the pilots of their assignments. All were aboard the Minerva to receive orders. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll send in three teams. Our go-getters will distract the main force. Take on as many capital ships as you can, but don't forget that you're not here to take them all down. The last two teams will consist of ZAKUs and Jegans. Each will set nuclear charges on the two confirmed laser cannons to blow them." Captain Gladys handed out data pads to each of the team leaders. "Any questions?"
There were none.
"Use minimal thrusters until you reach your assigned positions. Otherwise you'll run out of fuel before you can make it back. Good luck and happy hunting."
All the pilots went to their appointed places. Many left on shuttles to get aboard their base ships.
Well, one pilot did stay behind for a moment. "What of our ships?" asked Andy.
"Until we know the situation, we'll have to hold back and cover you from a distance."
"And reinforcements?"
"They may not arrive in time to make a difference. Good luck, Commander Waltfeld." She offered a hand.
"Thank you, Captain Gladys. May fortune smile upon the foolish."
Three
Yzak did have one item up his sleeve. Now having some idea of what to expect, he pulled out a little known secret that Shiho had brought with her. They only had one, so this shot had to count.
"Are the teams ready?" asked Yzak from the cockpit of his ZAKU.
"Yes sir. Everything is ready," reported the first officer.
"Excellent. Open fire with everything thirty seconds after launch."
"Sir," the officer closed the transmission. Now it was up to luck.
All the mobile suits were out and in a loose formation by the time the first salvo passed over their heads. It's a good thing mobile suit monitors automatically adjust for changes in light levels or the pilots would have been blinded by what happened next.
In an extremely bold move, Yzak took a wild guess about that small asteroid. Luckily, he was right.
After the blinding flash caused by their only 150 kiloton nuclear warhead revealed a massive stronghold. It was an asteroid as large as Jachine Diue. The explosion was enough to set the rock to spinning on an odd axis. This caused a little confusion for the warships trying to exit the docks. Well, those docks that didn't collapse from the first salvo.
Of course, this would only provide a momentary advantage. There were many Nelson and Agamemnon class ships already out side and it wouldn't take long before their numbers more than quadrupled.
Yzak led his team to the first colony laser in the confusion. Andy would be doing the same with the team of Jegans. They had a hard fight of it. Windams arrayed with various armaments were there to thwart them at every turn. Only Yzak's fury and Shiho's grace allowed his team final access to the side of the laser.
So many good pilots were lost in this fight. Andy lost a few friends from Orb. Mack Austin perished. Yzak lost Sarah Rosami. He almost lost Shiho as well, but was lucky enough to save her at the last minute. Now that the charges were set, the teams had to fight their way out of the melee and try to make it back to their fleet.
The only obstacle was a couple dozen warships and about a hundred Windams.
Four
"The others are cut off!" Athrun was busy trying to keep an eye on everything while Cagalli was busy trying to keep an eye on him.
"Athrun!" Her warning got out in time. Athrun narrowly missed being skewered by a beam saber.
Kira picked up on Athrun's inner turmoil and flew off in the direction of the lasers. "We've got to get over there and help."
He managed to cut an exit path, but not before many of their own were lost. The size of their force was cut in half by the time the ZAKUs and Jegans made it back across the Earth Forces defensive line.
But in all this confusion, Shinn and Stellar were cut off. "Where is Luna?"
"Don't know," answered Stellar. She was trying her best to cover him, but with little success.
Shinn's Destiny was more than a match for the dozens of Windams that came his way, but he was hampered by Stellar. Unable to keep up, she always fell behind. Seeing the situation, the Windams changed battle tactics. Instead of attacking the Destiny they went after the Gaia. That was the best way to throw the Destiny off balance.
"Stellar!" Shinn went berserk as her suit's arm was severed. Again, he heard her cries of terror and panic in his mind. He was forced to fall back with her damaged suit in tow. They had to retreat before matters got worse. Before he broke that promise and one of them died.
As the Destiny made it to the Minerva, nuclear explosions went off behind them. They had managed to destroy the two colony lasers.
As the dust settled, ships continued to stream out of the spinning asteroid. And something else.
A third colony rotated into position and fired on the PLANTs. Colony 001 was annihilated. Several others were damaged by the debris and had to be evacuated.
Five
"Shit!" Yzak was livid.
"Now what are we going to do?" Dearka was by his friend's side and helping tend to their fallen.
Shiho was patiently waiting for medical attention in the Temptation's hangar. Patiently because she was unconscious. Her ZAKU took a lot of damage out there. Again, she took a bullet for her lover so to speak. This time, she'd lost part of her right leg from a small explosion in the cockpit. Had it not been for Yzak's quick thinking, she would already be dead.
There were other injuries, many deaths.
"We have to take out that last laser." Yzak cradled Shiho in his arms. Unlike last time, he shed tears over her still body. The doctors took her away.
"Any ideas on how to do that?"
"Yes. Get the Archangel and Minerva. I have a plan."
Captain Ramius was the first to respond, then Gladys. "What's the plan?"
"We'll ram the Retribution into that third laser. Straight down the barrel, into the firing lenses." Yzak had a vein popping out of his forehead. Now he was mad. If it took him his ship, his life, all his men he would stop these bastards here. He was drawing a line in space. This far and no farther.
"Reinforcements won't arrive for another hour at the earliest. Being nuclear powered, we'll need the Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice, Destiny and Legend to cut us a path. The other ships must lay down cover against their Agamemnon class vessels. Our remaining ZAKUs and Jegans can handle the Nelsons."
Captain Gladys's brow furrowed in worry. "We have lost contact with the Legend and Impulse. They went too far out and never returned."
Six
Stellar was wounded. Austin was gone. Luna and Rey were missing.
And Shinn had to go out again.
"Promise me you'll come back," Stellar cried as the medical teams carried her off.
"I promise," whispered Shinn.
To make up for the missing Impulse and Legend, Cagalli and Andy would take their place in the spear formation.
Kira took point in the Strike Freedom. Athrun's Infinite Justice was on his right, Shinn's Destiny on his left. Directly behind them were Andy's Murasame and Cagalli's Strike Rouge. If things got too hot, they would be the first to fall back.
In the small fleet, the Archangel and Minerva took the lead. The Temptation took all unnecessary personnel from the Retribution. When the time came, the other three ships would break off and let the Retribution slide right on into the laser.
That was the plan, anyway. Yzak would remain on the bridge of his ship. He insisted on being the last one to leave. If he were ever to die in battle, there would be no more glorious a time than this. His only comfort was that he would at least be survived by Shiho. His mother probably perished in the collapse of 001.
The tip of the spear broke through the mass of Windam suits and mobile armors in their way. The Atlantic Federation was now desperate and sending out all their reserves. This only further supported Yzak's suspicion that this was the final laser.
ZAKUs and Jegans, now led by lower officers, made significant headway against the few Nelsons that blocked their path. Gunner ZAKUs were particularly effective in crippling or destroying the warships.
The tip of the spear had to break formation for a moment to allow the Archangel and Minerva to fire Lohengrin and Godfreys at the two Agamemnon class ships that stood in their way. Shinn's Destiny finished the job by placing beam sabers in sensitive areas of the reeling battleships.
The tide was turning. They were going to make it. They would not survive, but at least they would destroy that third laser.
Chapter 68
"Rey!"
"Do not follow," he ordered.
Luna ignored it and went in right behind her lover. She would not let him die like this.
"I am so close. I know he's here. That's the only explanation for all of this." Rey needed no convincing. The Earth Forces on the planet were in disarray because Dijibril was gone. Rey's plan to cause riots had worked so well because his enemy was no longer on the Earth to do anything to stop it. He was here. Dijibril was the puppet master. He even had the PLANTs in his pocket until recently. And Rey had found him.
Mobile suits stood in their way, but Rey took care of them. There were Nelson class carriers still in the docks, but Rey destroyed them as well. He could sense the danger coming and sent his DRAGOON laser barrels out to destroy his enemies as they appeared.
That's not all Rey could sense. Luna felt a twinge of it too. Their friends were suffering out there. Dying.
"Rey, we have to go back and help them."
"No! If I do not do this, then it will not end. Not now, not ever." Rey had to find him and kill him. Right now.
Cut off the head of the snake and the body will fall lifeless. That is what Rey was thinking as he tore through the massive space fortress. And he knew that his enemy was at the heart of this place.
"Found you!" Rey fired into a command room. "Now that you can't escape, I can blow this joint." Rey continued along the core until he found the reactor core. This sucker was nuclear. As a matter of fact, the only way they could get it here in the six months since the war had ended was by moving the thing with nuclear pulse thrusters.
"Rey," Luna called out to him. "You must come back with me, Rey."
He wasn't listening. He was setting his mobile suit to self destruct here in the core. The chain reaction caused by his suit and the reactor core should make the asteroid fly apart.
Luna got out of her suit and manually opened his hatch. "Rey, you must come back with me."
"My life is my own to throw away as I see fit." Rey's voice was calm. Cold. The light in his eyes had gone out.
"Rey, if you don't come with me then what would it have all been worth? What good is victory if you can't enjoy it with those you love?" Luna remembered Lacus saying something about that at the end of the Bloody Valentine War. The broadcasts that started the Clyne Faction's pacifist rebellion.
"I can never live a normal life. My body and mind were manufactured. I'm afraid there's not much of a warranty on either."
"Then such as it is, live your life with me. You made me a promise and I believed you. Come back with me. I'll give you all you ever wanted out of life and more." This was it; the moment Kira had warned her of. She had to save him from himself.
"Go now, Luna." Rey was about to press the button and start the ten second countdown.
"No, Rey. I can't leave you. Not now, not ever."
Two
"My God," Athrun whispered. He was exhausted and barely clinging the controls of his mobile suit.
All of them were worn down. The Archangel was listing, having taken too many direct hits to the engines. Her crew were trying to evacuate to the Minerva.
Kira flew over to cover the transfer. He could feel Lacus. She was looking at him threw a side window, much like Fllay had done. Kira had to watch over her. He would not let her die like Fllay.
In the confusion, several Windams appeared to attack the escape pods. Kira dispatched them all with the help of Andy.
None were injured. They all made it to the Minerva.
"It's time," Shinn reported.
Everyone got out of the way as the Retribution charged full-speed ahead into the mouth of the colony laser. A few seconds later there was a powerful explosion tearing holes into the colony. It began to crack and fall apart, much like Heliopolis had done right before Kira's eyes a year and a half ago.
"And Yzak?" It was Dearka's voice on the com.
A blue ZAKU came out of the colony's ruins. "What? You didn't think I'd go down with the ship, did you?" With beam tomahawks in hand Yzak took out some of his frustrations on the unfortunate fools that stood in his way.
Now our heroes were surrounded and left without an escape route. It was time to make the final stand. Reinforcements had yet to signal their arrival.
This was it.
The moment of truth came shortly after the Strike Freedom was crippled by a trio of Windam aces. Athrun and Cagalli managed to beat them back while Andy took the injured Kira to the Minerva.
A new explosion rocked everyone. It was so powerful that it took out much of the enemy forces between them and the space fortress. The massive asteroid cracked into five pieces and out of the wreckage came an old friend. The Impulse.
Scattered and leaderless, the Atlantic Federation forces had to fall back. Thankfully, they fell back toward the fleet of reinforcements that had just arrived from Jachine Diue.
It was over.
Three
"Will she be alright, doc?" Dearka was the one asking the questions, despite the fact that her husband was in the room.
"We had to take her right leg below the knee and her left foot. She'll be fine in time." The doctor had other patients to attend to.
Miriallia could be here this time and see her friend lying in intensive care. The battle had been over for three hours and surgeries had just been started. Dearka made sure that the doctors knew that Shiho had priority.
"You two can go rest," Yzak whispered. "We'll see you later."
"Sure," Dearka replied. He took Mir by the hand and led her off somewhere else. Anywhere else.
"It was so bad out there. I think I'll have nightmares about this for the rest of my life," Mir admitted.
"I'm just so glad it's over. Finally over. Now we can go home. I can retire from ZAFT. You can do all the shopping you want," Dearka smiled as he drew a weak giggle out of his dearest love.
"Can we go see our friends on the Archangel?"
"Yes. I'll make the arrangements." Dearka turned to go but she stopped him with a hug from behind. "Mir?"
"I'm coming too. You can't get rid of me, remember?"
Four
"There's something awfully familiar about all this," Athrun whispered.
"So there is." Cagalli took his hand.
The Archangel had received enough in the way of repairs to move under her own power. Their little fleet was now on its way back to the PLANTs.
The doctor had left Kira's quarters moments earlier. He was pretty banged up, but it was nothing serious. In the time it took the doctor to make his examination, Athrun and Cagalli had decided to start over. They would still be husband and wife, and they would still be lovers. But they would also make a concerted effort to begin with a clean slate between them. They would be equals. Partners. A prince consort and queen, to divide the responsibilities of running a nation as well as a household.
"Excuse me," Lacus peeped her head out the door. "Could either of you bring us some orange juice?"
"Sure, Lacus." Athrun took Cagalli by the hand and set off in search of the juice.
Once back inside, Lacus was fussing over her husband. "You overdid it out there, Kira. I was worried half to death."
"Sorry." He would have sat up to hug her, but his whole body felt like one big bruise.
"It's quite alright, Kira. There will be no more fighting in your future." Lacus sat by his side until Athrun returned with the juice.
"Thanks," Kira gratefully accepted the liquid refreshment. "How is everyone?"
"We lost a lot of people," Athrun admitted. "Those couple of pilots from Orb. There were a lot from the ZAFT side that I didn't know. Shiho was badly hurt from what I've heard, but I don't really know.
"Shiho? Oh, yeah Shiho." Kira had just learned her true name a couple of days ago. It was quite difficult to get a grasp on such things when so much else is going on.
"What will we do now?" asked Lacus.
Cagalli answered, "First we'll go see our friends at Mars and fix the ship up a bit more. Then we'll head back to Orb."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Lacus put on her best smile.
"We'll let you two get some rest. See you tomorrow." Athrun led Cagalli out and off to their quarters for some much needed rest and relaxation.
"Let me help you." Lacus sat him up, scooted herself in behind him and let him lean back onto her chest.
"A guy could get used to this."
"I expect to be well compensated for pampering you. I'm the wife. I should be receiving all the pampering," Lacus giggled.
"Anything you want, princess."
"Princess? Yes, I think that pet name suits me."
"My pink-haired princess." Kira sipped his juice a while before pondering aloud, "I wonder if I'm technically a prince, since my sister is now a queen."
"Oh my. That means I really am a princess!" Lacus clapped her hands in glee.
"So it does."
Five
"Hello angel. I kept my promise." Shinn had been here a while waiting for her to wake up.
"Shinn, I'm hurt." Stellar fought back the tears, but with limited success. "They said I'm hurt pretty bad."
"You are, angel. But I'm here. I'll take care of you just like I always have. You'll get better in time. You'll see."
The doctor reported that her legs and an arm were shattered. They did what they could for her, but she would need reconstructive surgery once they made it back to the PLANTs. Until then she would be hopped up on pain killers. It's a miracle she was lucid enough to carry on a conversation.
"Remember our home in Orb?"
She nodded.
"I bet it's still standing. We can go back there if you'd like. Or we can stay in the PLANTs. Would you like to hang out with Miriallia and the others?"
"Shinn, I'm so scared. Stay here with me, please. Don't go."
"I'll be right by your side the whole time. Just get some rest, okay? I promise I'll be right here when you wake up." Shinn caressed her cheek.
Shinn waited a long time for her to fall asleep. He waited in vain. She forced herself to stay awake, unwilling to let him out of her sight even for her much needed rest. Shinn fell asleep first, sitting in the chair next to her bed.
Six
"Oh my God!" Mir nearly had a heart attack when she was led into the captain's briefing room on the Archangel. "You're . . . you're . . ."
"Almost but not quite, from what I've been told. And you are?"
"Mi . . . Mi . . ."
"Miriallia Haw," Dearka said it on her behalf. "And I'm Dearka Elsman."
"Call me Neo for the moment." Neo hobbled back to his seat after shaking their hands.
"How have you been Mir?" Murrue was there, naturally. It was just these four to catch up on old times together.
Having found the will to speak, she answered "Good. Dearka's been treating me really well."
"Hey, I do what I can," Dearka blushed.
"Do you remember anything?" asked Mir. "Sorry, I'm being rude."
"Don't worry about it. I can't remember anything, really. I've been told I'm the unfortunate victim of mental alteration, just like your friend . . . what was her name?"
"Stellar," Dearka answered. "Stellar Loussier."
"I've also been informed that I've had the honor of defecting not once, but twice from the Atlantic Federation."
Mir decided to keep the questions rolling, since Neo was so willing to answer. "What will you do now?"
"Now I suppose Murrue and I will get to know each other again. Other than that, I've got the rest of my life to think of things to do," laughed Neo.
"So similar, yet so different," Mir commented.
"I've been told that too."
The next question on Miriallia's mind concerned another friend that was conspicuously absent. "If I'm not being too rude, where's Andy?"
Murrue answered, "He's aboard the Minerva and helping out over there."
"I see," whispered Mir. Poor Andy.
"I can't help but feel left out," Dearka chuckled. "Anyone mind filling me in?" His answer came in the form of Mir's elbow striking his ribs.
Seven
They sat in silence. He sat on her bed, she next to him. Her head was on his shoulder.
"I love you, Rey." Luna had said that a few times once they had gotten back but his response was always the same.
Silence.
"Please talk to me. Say anything. Tell me I'm a fool or that you hate me. Just let me hear your voice."
Silence.
"Rey," she began crying again. And like last time, he wiped her tears away. "Please, Rey. I'm begging you."
"I have amassed a small fortune," he began. "I'd like to disappear. There is no place for me within ZAFT anymore."
"May I go as well?"
"Of course, but you are no longer my white queen." Rey laid down on the bed and pulled her to him.
"What am I?"
"Whatever you wish to be."
"Your lover?" She waited for him to nod his approval. "Your wife?"
Again he nodded.
"Good," she smiled. "And what will become of us? Where will we go?"
Rey shook his head.
"I see." Luna took off her uniform and got ready for bed. "Sleeping in those?"
Rey was still in uniform, but then he usually was.
"Here." She sat him up and began undressing him. "It wouldn't do to have the mighty hero Rey za Burrel walking around in a wrinkled uniform tomorrow."
He began kissing her neck. Then shoulders. Then she slid into bed with him.
"You know, Rey. We've never actually . . ." She was stopped cold by his touch.
But then, he always had that effect on her. "You'll want to visit your friends from time to time."
No longer able to speak, she nodded an affirmative.
"That is fine."
"And I wish to bear your child."
Rey laughed, "That's assuming we can even have children."
"Don't mock me, Rey. We'll find a way."
Eight
"What now?"
"Now we'll undergo the monumental task of rebuilding. Like it?"
"Very much, yes."
Andy smiled. He had found a new friend to try out new coffee blends on.
"How's your girlfriend?"
"She was never my girlfriend. But I suppose she's fine." Andy cocked his one eye at Talia.
"I see," she smiled. He knows what I'm up to. Good. That should make the task easier.
"You should know that I'm not a fan of ZAFT these days, despite how good the uniforms look on the ladies." Andy took a long sip of his coffee. It was unusually good tonight. "And I'm not looking for a relationship either, so stop probing."
"Of course."
"I didn't mean it like that," Andy tried to explain. "I lost a lady friend in the war, in addition to the eye and the arm."
Talia grimaced. "I didn't mean to intrude on your private affairs, Commander."
"It's alright," he placed his metallic hand over hers. Unlike Murrue, she didn't shy away from it. "And call me Andy."
"Very well, Andy. What will you do now?"
"I'll probably have to go back to Orb and work for Morgenroete again. Or maybe I'll go to one of their resource satellites. The Archangel should be heading toward one after some repairs are made to her hull. And you?"
"I'm not sure. I'm a career ZAFT woman. And I like how the uniform turns heads," she laughed.
End Part Seventeen
A/N
Well, that's it for the main story line. I may come back and do some aftermath fluff later. Or maybe a new arc, though I don't really want to add any more action.
Hope everyone liked the evil-esque Rey and Luna. I sure did.
A/N End