Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY

The New Coordinate

Story:
AU of GSD. Xander Darklighter, a ZAFT ace pilot was thrown into a string of events that will test his skills, resolve, courage and determination. Which side will he choose to fight with? How will he deal with the events unfolding before him?

Notes:
ChibiRulz: I'm saving the better parts of Xan-Luna much later. Aww, you just spoil the female photographer part. Oh well...

Nuke: Indeed. Xan was busted alive. Keep on reading.

Thanx for the reviews. Keep 'em coming!

The knight Percivale's relation to the Wolf's Blade was entirely fictional. You have been told.

I don't own GSD, their characters or anything else aside from Xander Darklighter, Claire Whitestar and Yvonne Norman.

Chapter 16: Dilemma

As Minerva prepared for departure, Lunamaria was tuning up her ZAKU unit when Meyrin called her from below.

"Sis, do you have a minute?"

Lunamaria nods and descended to the floor. "What is it, Meyrin?"

"Umm...It's Xander. I met him in town yesterday."

The red ZAKU pilot's eyes widened in astonishment. "Really? I mean, are you sure?"

Meyrin nods. "Even Vino and Youran saw him. He wanted me to tell that you don't have to worry about him."

"I...see. I'm glad to hear he's still alive. He will be back with us, right?" Lunamaria asked with expectations in her eyes. But Meyrin shook.

"No, he doesn't want to join us again. But he will try to meet you somehow."

Lunamaria remembered what Athrun said about Xander wanting to leave ZAFT.

"I see. I understand his decision. Thanks for telling me this, Meyrin."

Meyrin looked at her sister sadly as Lunamaria wiped the tears from her eyes.

(Xander, what were you thinking? She really likes you but you did this to her...)

At the mountains near Diocuia, Xander and Yvonne were waiting for Jess to come with another little bird.

"Don't tell me they went to another date..." Xander moaned.

Yvonne chuckled. Xander turned to her. "What's so funny about?"

"Nothing." she replied. Xander sighed in frustration. He then pulled out the sword and essayed a few strokes.

"Where do you get that blade?" Yvonne asked with interest.

"Ancestral family property. An heirloom."

"A good weapon you have there. I think it's strong enough to give a mobile suit some minor trouble."

Xander raised his brow. "How do you know?"

Yvonne smiled. "I'm a fencer, remember? Of course I know a good sword when I see one."

"You're saying this sword is capable of damaging a mobile suit? No way."

"With your skills, you only need to put more thought into that weapon. Then, you can go against a mobile suit with confidence."

"No kidding..."

"I'm not joking. I know that sword, the Wolf's Blade. It was used by Percivale, a Knight of The Round Table. It was tampered in spellfire and was imbued with magical properties. He used it to rescue his lover from a dark magician who was planning to made her as a sacrifice for the devil. He eventually slain the magician and saved her."

"Now that's something I never heard from MY grandfather. To think that this sword possesses magical powers..."

Yvonne sighed. "But it was just a legend told by my grandfather. Maybe it's just a myth."

Xander laughed. "Yeah, that's the most likely theory."

"Oh, looks like you two are getting along pretty well."

Xander and Yvonne turned to Jess. With him is the female photographer he's been saying about. Her hair was fairly long. Maybe longer if they weren't curled upwards at the end. She was wearing typical clothing; a pair of denim jeans and a blouse covered by a simple jacket. She projected an aura of tomboyish-ness. But Xander suspected that she went through many hardships to be where she is now.

"I want you two to meet Miriallia Haww." Jess said. Miriallia extended her right hand and shook both Xander and Yvonne.

"Miriallia Haww, freelance photographer. Nice to meet you."

Xander sheathed the sword into its scabbard and nods. "Xander Darklighter. Nice to meet you too."

Yvonne smiled. "Yvonne Norman. A pleasure to finally meet Jess' girlfriend."

Miriallia raised her eyebrows. "Eh? Girlfriend? Since when?"

"Yvonne! Not you too!" Jess yelled, with a slight blush on his face.

Xander laughed. "That's a good one."

Jess sighed and pointed his finger accusingly at him. "I know you're a part of this, Xander. You've been a bad influence on Yvonne."

Xander raised his hands. "Guilty as charged." Yvonne managed a chuckle while Miriallia smiled at her new friends' antiques.

The Dark Strike, Out Frame and Windam landed on a bay near the Dardanelles channel. According to Miriallia, a battle between ZAFT and the Alliance (with the support from the Orb armada) will most likely to happen.

"This is the place?" Xander asked as he jumped out.

"Yeah. Here it is." Miriallia replied as she got out from the Out Frame while Jess still inside adjusting the gun camera for the unit.

"They sure know how to pick a good spot for battle." Yvonne said.

Jess got out from his cockpit with his equipment. "Okay. All done. Let's wait till all hell break loose."

An hour later, Xander detected Minerva just emerged from the channel into the ocean. A while later, the Alliance's armada came into view.

"Alright. They're here. Let's watch them fight it out."

"You sure you can resist the urge to go to battle?" Jess asked.

"Depends on the situation. If ZAFT could survive, I won't interfere."

"And I won't hesitate of going into it if you do it." Yvonne chipped in.

Xander grinned. "You'll attack me. Right?"

Yvonne nods. "Of course I will. The battle is a good excuse for us to duel it out."

Moments later, Impulse and Savior launched and engaged Orb's M1 Astrays and Murasame's. Looking that both mobile suits were too powerful, the Orb fleet launched all their machines to attack.

"Gosh, they're desperate to launch all of them for just two suits ." Xander remarked. "Who's in charge of the fleet? That's a very bad decision."

"Coming from a nation feared for its technology, their tactic is laughable." Yvonne added.

Minerva turned facing the Orb fleet as they turned on the Tannhäuser. Suddenly, Xander detected two new presence from the sensors.

"Unknown? Could it be?"

The Tannhäuser was about to fire when a beam blast through the cannon, destroying it and caused Minerva to reel from the impact of the explosion. The battle paused as both sides looked at these two new objects. Freedom Gundam dived from the sky and stood afloat with the Archangel pulled up from behind.

"Wow. Things are getting interesting here." Jess said as his finger keep pressing the snap button on his camera.

Xander looked at Freedom in puzzlement. "Now what the hell is Kira thinking? Don't tell me they want to stop this battle altogether?"

Later, a red Strike unit launched from the Archangel and stood in front of Freedom. A female voice could be heard throughout the area as she stated her business.

"I am Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb. I demand the Orb fleet to cease all attacks and retreat from the battlefield."

Yvonne smirked. "This is childish. She left her nation in a lurch and now returns to demand withdrawal?"

Despite what Yvonne had said, the apeparance of Cagalli had caused some hesitation from the fleet. Moments later, the ship's from Orb opened fire at Cagalli's Strike Rouge. Kira, in his Freedom Gundam stepped forward and destroyed the missles directed to her. With that, the battle resumed once again. Shinn took out the Jet Windams while Athrun's Savior once again engaged Chaos.

A while later, Rey and Lunamaria launched out to defend Minerva from the deck with Heine's GOUF Ignited went out and attacked the enemy. Xander looked at the orange GOUF with interest.

"Now there's only two people I know that customized their units to orange in color. Now that Miguel has gone, the only guy I can think of is Westenfluss. He had joined Minerva, eh?"

As the battle went on, a gold colored Murasame launched from the Archangel but didn't go far as it was protecting the ship and Cagalli. On the other side, Heine was battling with Stellar in her Gaia Gundam while Kira disabled a few Windams. He then took out Abyss with its rail cannons. Shinn opened fire at him but Kira cut off his arm. He then approached the battle between Heine and Stellar. Stellar attacked him but was knocked away. Heine then fired at him but Kira sliced off his arm. Gaia, in its quadruped form attacked Kira with its beam blade extended but Heine gets in the way and the GOUF Ignited was silced in half, killing Heine in the process. Kira then kicked her away. Moments later, the Orb armada fired the signal to retreat. Seeing this, Kira turned around and left the battlefield with Archangel.

Jess and Miriallia sighed in relief. Jess then lied on the ground. "Damn. That was intense. I don't know how many photos I take."

"You'll get more from your unit I'm sure."

"Haha. Yeah. Thanks for your guidance." Jess smiled, thanking her.

In his cockpit, Xander watched the damaged Minerva resumed its journey.

(I hope Lunamaria is doing okay...)

Suddenly, Yvonne commed him. "Xander, I'm disappointed that you didn't join the battle."

Xander laughed. "Sorry about that. The battle was too chaotic. And I'm not sure which side I should be with."

"Didn't it make sense if you sided with Minerva?"

Xander nods. "You're right. But the ones on Archangel are my friends. I just can't impose myself in there. If I attacked the armada, the Freedom will surely took me out. If I sided with the Archangel, I will have to go against Minerva. I can't do that."

Yvonne sighed. "Ah, it's alright then. It's not like I'm pressuring you into anything. We still can have the duel anytime."

"Yeah. We will have that duel you want. Just say when."

Yvonne smiled. "Sure. But you have to take this matter seriously. You cannot stay neutral too long. Sooner or later, you have to make a decision."

Xander nods. "I know. I'll make one when the time comes."

To Be Continued...