Chapter 5

...Three hours later...the discussion finally ended...as Issabella step out of the cold and shivering conference room...Lord Uzumi said...
"Cagalli, why don't you take Issabella round Orb's headquaters? I'm sure you two will be able to get along fine..."

As Cagalli brought Issabella around Orb's many rooms to look around... she suddenly became very silent...just as if she was a complete different person from the previous one...she walked on, showing Issabella on, and only spoke if she really had to...

" Cagalli" said Issabella, breaking the awkward silence between them." when's your birthday?"

"huh?" asked Cagalli. shocked at such a question.

" i don't mean anything..its just that i am curious to know...i don't mean to intrude into you...its just that i am curious to know which of us is older...afterall...we are born in the same year are we..."

" March 18" replied Cagalli

"Oh! so you are older than me then! i am born on October 29!" said Issabella

"Not fair! you are younger than me and you are already the representative of Zaft! wow...you are good..."

...and from then on till the next few days..the akward silence between the girls was broken...and the two of them became very good friends...

Two days before Issabella had to go back to Zaft, Issabella was walking along one of the corridors of the headquarters(Cagalli was enthusiastically getting them drinks), Issabella was knocked into again, the second time in less than a week... however, this time there was a difference, the guy stoped to ask if she was okay. As Issabella raised her head she looked at the guy's face...this guy...he looks...so familiar...

' "return me my bracelet you thief!"However, Issabella never ever expected that guy to shoutingly reply:

"What did you call me? A thief? why you! Do you Know who i am! one word from me and i can put you in front of the firing squard! How dare you call me a thief!"

"who cares! return my bracelet back! Before i..."before Issaella could even finish her sentence, that guy aleady yelled back:
" i have no time for your stupid accusions i am in a hurry here!"'

Oh. so it is him. thought Issabella, her face falling immediately

that guy seem to have thought of the same thing too.

"So, is banging into people a sort of your hobby?" asked Issabella sacarsticcally

"what! anyway, what are you doin here? got arrested for mistakenly calling someone a thief again?"replied that guy with the same exact sacarstic tone Issabella gave him.

"What!" yelled Issabella, unable to believe her ears

" what what! You know who i am! i am..."

" Sainare-san! what are you doin here!" Cagalli yelled from the distance, running over with two cups of drinks.

"Cagalli! there you are! i was goin to pass you some info..."said Sainare...aka the guy who banged into Issabella

"oh, i see you two have met...but anyway, Issabella, this is Sainare Mira Atha, my cousin who is older than me by..lets c...2mths and 6 days...and this, Sainare, is Issabella, or rather, Representative Zala from Zaft."

"Cousin?""Represative Zala?" Issabella and Sainare asked at the same time, staring at each other, too shocked for words...

"i didnt like Zaft from the beginning anyway, so it doesnt make any difference anyway." said Sainare and walked off.

"i'm sorry about that... its just that Sainare, he just doesnt like Zaft very much..."said Cagalli apolegetically.

"huh? why's that?"

"here, let me tell you, take this drink and lets sit here... it was not long ago...lets see...i think 11 months ago...when the war had not started yet... at that time, i was still not very close to Sainare yet, and that time Sainare was living in a happy family of 3. Him, and his parents. then, suddenly, Coordinators came and attacked Earth (when their family was there on a buisness trip there for coordinators) and then the world split into two big groups...three if you count Orb..but big-scale wise, two. that first attack killed his parents. and then he hated coordinators...blaming them for not checking clearly if there were any other coordinator there before attacking..till now...even though he is one himself.."

as Issabella listened attentively to Cagalli's words...she can't help feel sorry for Sainare...this war...is too cruel...and too costly...

End of Chapter 5

An unexpected meeting comes again for Issabella, who will she meet now? stay tuned to next chapter of Gundam Seed...Hope to find out!