Chapter 08
Kevin Walker sighed and leaned back in his chair in the quarters he occupied on the Archangel. It had been a long trip from Heliopolis to Earth, but it was nearly over.
Only two hours before, the ship had rendezvoused with Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton's Eighth Fleet, following a brief but fierce battle with ZAFT forces. Now they were maneuvering into formation with the flagship Menelaos, an Agamemnon-class mobile armor carrier, for debriefing and new instructions. For the crew of the Archangel, their journey was almost over; unlike for the Blade.
Kevin was slipping into a dangerous mind set, and he knew it. It had been two years since fatalism claimed him, yet now death seemed like not so bad a thing. It would finally put him to rest, and atone for the murder of his comrades, long ago.
He knew as well as anyone that most other people wouldn't consider his actions murder; there had, after all, been extremely extenuating circumstances. But however it had come about, the fact remained that eleven people he had led, eleven young men and women who had trusted him with their lives, had been brutally killed in one single night of blood and screams and terror and wrath... a night which had ended in thermonuclear fire.
Why am I still alive? the soldier wondered. Why do I still survive, till death and beyond, when all others perish? That nuke killed me, too... so why am I here? How did I come back, and why, when I have done such terrible deeds? Surely the world would be a better place without the Revenger, the Hydra, the Man of a Thousand Lives. The Grim Reaper is always at my heels, yet he never quite catches me; instead, he takes those who are most dear to me. Why does it continue?
Kevin shook his head, clearing his mind of such meaningless speculation. Besides, he couldn't die yet; not while Alex Jackson still lived... not while he still did not know who the blonde girl from Heliopolis was or even who the Red Queen was. He could have no peace as long as those riddles remained unresolved.
At least these last three weeks proved I still have what it takes. After a year of rest, I wasn't sure. But that last battle...
He frowned. Unlike Kira, who was still confused by his own actions during the last skirmish, Kevin knew precisely what had occurred. The problem was, he had no idea how it had occurred.
The Berserker state. That was what it had been called by the Tiger, when Racher studied under him. Something that had only been hinted at during the Project, Kevin had since deduced it was something they'd been actively working to enhance... and failed. It was something which a handful of human beings were capable of, which wasn't dependent on genetic type. Natural or Coordinator, this "elite" was virtually unknown, even to themselves. The ability to become what was called a Berserker, after the crazed ancient warriors, but was in reality closer to the unattainable, perfect ideal of the martial arts: a pure state of mind, uncluttered by rage -though frequently triggered by it- which boosted the fighter's mental abilities by several orders of magnitude. Reflexes were faster, thoughts flashed like lightning, and the warrior was virtually unstoppable by any but another Berserker.
It didn't surprise Kevin that Kira was one of the few, having already taken note of his friend's extraordinary abilities. And he also knew that he himself was one... but it had been two and a half years since he'd entered the state himself.
That night of bloody carnage, the amnesiac soldier had gone completely berserk, using his zoanthrope abilities, his new augmentation, and the Berserker state itself. And as far as he could determine later, that had triggered the remnants of the drugs within him, forever removing from him the abilities he had used that night.
Yet now he had done it again, and at the precise instant his best friend had. That suggested, besides the fact that his earlier conclusions were incorrect, that some form of psychosomatic phenomenon had been at work. Being a zoanthrope, Kevin knew there were, to quote Shakespeare, more things in heaven and earth than were dreamt of in his philosophy; but this, while seemingly an outgrowth of his natural empathic senses, was something he had no experiential data on. He didn't understand it.
And it was, perhaps, unlikely that he ever would. If he survived, he would doubtless drop in on Kira Yamato from time to time, but it was time for him to return to a world he understood, to the underground, before anyone else got hurt by his enemies. A man who believed in Fate, Kevin took no chances; so it was unlikely he and Kira would ever again fight together in battle.
Kevin finally shook himself, and stood. They were about to rendezvous with the Menelaos, and he had a few more things to take care of in the hanger first; last minute details. Lewis Halberton was probably the only man in the Earth Forces not on the Archangel whom he respected, so he figured he might as well make sure nothing was too unsightly for the Admiral's visit.
Not that it'll matter much longer, he thought, opening the hatch. Soon, I'll be back on Earth, and I may never see these people again. Too bad, really.
In later times, he would reflect on how incredibly premature those thoughts were.
Jason, on the other hand in his quarters was asked by Murrue to meet with Lewis. Jason told her that he knew Lewis before the war began. And didn't mind the mans company do to his feeling towards coordinators unlike the rest of the Earth Forces.
It was busy in the Archangel's hanger. Kevin's GINN was, after all, not the only machine to sustain damage in the last battle. La Flaga's Moebius Zero had lost a wired gunbarrel, with all the attendant malfunctions; unlike the Strike, which, thanks to Kira's incredible flying, had escaped completely unscathed.
Since the enigmatic soldier was the only person truly conversant, for whatever reason, with the gizzards of a GINN, he was left to it, while the mechanics, La Flaga, and Kira worked on the Zero. Or, rather, the mechanics and Kira worked on it, while La Flaga dozed above.
Dozed, that was, until Kira suddenly popped out of the mobile armor's hatch and nearly scared the daylights out of him. "We've already reached the Fleet," he said plaintively, "so would someone tell me why we're in such a rush?"
"I just don't feel right -or safe- when it's damaged," the Lieutenant explained, privately wondering if the younger pilot had been taking teleportation lessons from Blade.
"The pilots coming over from the Fleet are all rookies fresh from The Book," Murdoch chimed in. "No experience at all. So if something happens, we'll need the Lieutenant here to sortie."
"But what about the Strike?" Kira asked, turning to look at the silent sentinel. "I mean, the way I had to alter the OS... is it really okay to leave it as is?"
La Flaga blinked. Remember, Mu, he told himself, the kid is leaving; he won't be the pilot forever.
"Well," he began, "I never really thought about that. Good point, actually. But I'm not so sure we should return it to its original state, since that would reduce its performance."
"Well then, we'll just have to hope we get someone who can fly it as is."
Both pilots looked up, to see Murrue Ramius floating toward them. "Uh, Captain?"
"What's this?" La Flaga asked, raising an eyebrow. "To what do we owe the honor?"
The Captain smiled. "I don't mean to intrude, and I realize you have quite a bit of work to do, but I wanted to have a chat with Kira."
"Huh?" Kira's eyes were narrow with surmise; and, perhaps, suspicion.
Ramius' smile grew. "Oh, don't give me that suspicious look of yours; although I can't really say that I blame you." They both recalled quite well the battle in which Lacus Clyne had been used as a bargaining chip, and neither were exactly fond of those memories.
Still, Kira rather respected and admired -even liked- the Archangel's Captain; it would only be polite to hear what she had to say; and he found himself curious, anyway.
"I've hardly had a free moment," Ramius said minutes later, "what with all the fighting and everything, so I could never find the time to have a meaningful talk with you." They stood on the walkway before the Strike, and she spent several moments staring at its impassive face, before turning to Kira. "Well, I just wanted to thank you properly this time."
He blinked. What had he done that deserved thanks? He'd only done what he'd had no choice but to do, to protect himself and his friends. "Captain?"
She seemed to understand. "I put a lot on your shoulders," she explained obliquely, "and made you give us your all; but you did it well, and without complaint. Mostly, anyway," she amended with a smile, remembering both his initial refusal to fly the Strike and his later fury at Badgiruel's actions. "I can't thank you enough."
Ramius actually bowed, and Kira felt acutely uncomfortable. "It's all right, really, Captain. Besides, Blade helped as much as me."
"Maybe," she conceded, straightening. "I'll admit I won't complain about his actions at Heliopolis, other than having my gun blown out of my hand -that really stung, you know- and I suppose I'd have done the same in his place... if I were anywhere near as good a shot. And, of course, his aid at Artemis was most helpful."
He'd heard about that one. "Broke you out of that cell, right?"
"Yes." It was more than that, actually; but Ramius felt it unwise to mention that Kevin had done some truly impressive -and, in some ways, frightening- things in the Artemis Base. "Anyway," she went on, bringing the conversation back to the original topic, "while the others may not say it to your face, we are all deeply grateful."
Kira shrugged. "I just did what I had to do, Captain."
"That's what they all say," she said with a smile. "You know, I imagine things will be hectic even down on Earth, but I wish you the best of luck." Ramius held out a hand. "You've earned it, Kira."
He hesitantly took it. "You too, Captain."
Kevin was quietly cursing the universe in general from within his GINN, and the people who had given him the knowledge of the machine in particular. If they hadn't done that, he groused to himself, I'd be just as clueless as everybody else; and maybe then I wouldn't be working on this all by myself.
He was standing on the pilot seat with his head in the cockpit ceiling, making tricky adjustments, when he heard a knock at the hatch. "I trust I'm not intruding?"
The sandy-haired pilot pulled his head out of the access panel and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No, not at all, Captain." He waved Ramius in (like all mobile suits, the cockpit was more roomier than those of conventional fightcraft). "Is something up?"
She smiled. "No, not really. It's just... You're going to be leaving in a few hours, and I haven't had a chance to have a civilized conversation with you in a while."
"That's true." Kevin looked wry. "The last few times, it's come to death threats; not that I blame you, personally, Captain. Ensign Badgiruel, perhaps, but not you."
Ramius chuckled. "Yes, she always has rubbed you the wrong way, hasn't she?" She glanced around the somewhat battered cockpit. "So you're really leaving, huh?"
"I'm afraid so." He idly fingered the revolver holstered at his side. "If I could, Captain, I really would want to stay with the Archangel, regardless of my problems with the Earth Forces top brass. But I can't. I'd be putting all of you in grave danger."
"Blue Cosmos?"
He nodded. "Partially. I don't know how -or I should say, I don't know how now- but Blue Cosmos always finds my trail again sooner or later. And when they do, those in my vicinity tend to get hurt." Kevin fell silent. "But there's more to it than that," he said softly. "My past is not a very happy one, Captain. Those were dark times for me, very dark... and I fear there are still those who wish me ill, for my past deeds." Like the Red Queen for example
"What past deeds?" Ramius asked cautiously; in the whole time the young man had been aboard, he hadn't been this open with her; she wondered what had changed. "Who's after you?"
"I can't tell you that. If you knew, you'd be a target, too." He clenched his fists. "Captain, I can't tell you much, but you should know I've done things that I'm not very proud of. In fact, I'm downright horrified by some of them. There are people who I... betrayed once, years ago; people who trusted me with their lives. I admit there were... extenuating circumstances, circumstances that any lawyer -a breed which I agree with Shakespeare on, by the way- would say meant that either I was not responsible for my actions, or they had it coming. Possibly both. But that doesn't change what I did to them; not one bit."
"I'm sure you had your reasons," she said gently; lethal though the Blade might be, she knew him well enough by now to trust him with her life. "Are those the people who are hunting you?"
Kevin laughed humorlessly. "Only in my nightmares; I killed them all." He considered for a moment. "Let me put it to you this way: remember a nuclear explosion about two and a half years ago, at L2?" She nodded quizzically. "That was me. Never mind why, but the people behind it are not very happy with me... or they wouldn't be, except they think I died there, too."
Ramius flinched at the obvious pain in his voice. This was someone with a dark past, certainly. But, in her mind, that very pain made him all the more trustworthy. If he were some kind of monster, he wouldn't even care. "You've seen hard times, haven't you?" she murmured.
"Yes, I have." His jade eyes seemed dark for a moment. Then Kevin brightened a little. "But it's not quite all doom and gloom, Captain. I have a slightly cheerier reason for leaving: there's someone I want to find." He unconsciously rubbed his wicked facial scar. "You remember on Heliopolis, when you nearly shot Kira? There was a girl with him, one whom I believe managed to escape in one of the lifeboats."
"You're looking for her?" The Captain raised an eyebrow. "So who is she?"
Kevin shrugged. "That's the thing; I don't know. But, Captain... I think I should. When she caught sight of me without my shades, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. She said something about my being dead, and seemed very surprised that I didn't know who she was."
She frowned. "Could she have mistaken you for someone else?"
"Possible... but unlikely. If nothing else, my eyes tend to leave an impression on people." He actually smirked a little. "The 'glowing jade' look seems to be distinctive. Besides," he went on, "I have the funny feeling that I should be remembering her. Like she's tovarisch."
Something clicked in Ramius' mind. "Your memory was erased, wasn't it?"
"At one time," Kevin admitted. "I've recovered most of it -and I shouldn't go into how I lost it in the first place- but there still seem to be some glaring gaps. Apparently that girl is one of them, so I'm going to Earth to try to find her."
"I hope you do," she said sincerely. "By the way," she added, as his previous comment registered, "why do you call some people 'tovarisch'?"
He blinked, then looked a little sheepish. "Oh, that. It's Russian, for comrade; a real popular word for them, believe me. They're all a little crazy, in my opinion. But anyway, that's what I call those few who I trust absolutely without question. At the moment, only two fit that description, and one of them is... unavailable." The jade eyes darkened again, remembering one Athrun Zala, but the soldier brushed it off. "I think, perhaps, that girl is a third, though. If I can find her, I will."
Ramius nodded slowly. "And for all those reasons, you have to leave the ship," she said quietly. "I'll be sorry to see you go, Blade. Any chance we'll ever see you again?"
Kevin shrugged. "I make it a practice never to try to predict the capricious actions of Fate, Captain, but I just might see about stopping by sometime. As you may remember, it's not easy to keep me from going anywhere I want to."
"That's true," she agreed with a smile. "Something to look forward to, certainly -and I wouldn't object if your GINN were to turn up in a battle sometime, either."
"There is a distinct possibility of that," he admitted. "As you may have noticed, I have a certain hatred toward ZAFT; my time in this war might not yet be over. But I expect anything more will be freelance actions, on my own initiative."
"Quite. Speaking of which," Ramius said suddenly, "there's something I think we can do for you." She waved a hand at the cockpit around them. "We're going to be getting supplies from the Eighth Fleet, including spares for the Strike. Mr. Murdoch, it seems, has a few ideas for modifying your GINN, if you'd like; give you an extra edge in battle."
Kevin's eyebrows went up. "I'd appreciate that, Captain. But why?"
"It's the least we can do," she pointed out. "You've helped us a great deal over the past few weeks, after all. Think of it as our way of saying thanks."
"I appreciate it, Captain," he said quietly. "Thanks a lot."
"Like I said, it's the least we can do." Ramius held out a hand. "I don't know exactly what you're going to be up to for the next few weeks -and I'm not too sure I want to- but I wish you the best of luck."
Kevin took it. "You too, Captain. You'll probably need it more than I."
Onboard the Garnow, Aelan watched as ZAFT mechanics began to install a box on the Hyperion unit. The box was a ZAFT prototype technology. There first Phase Shift Armor Generator, and as she was one of the man pilots after the Archangel they decided it was her unit that get the first prototype. Once it was installed her Red and Gray machine turned from its brilliant colors to a dull gray. "Mam preperations are complete, but we will have to warn you, you wont be able to keep your shield up for more than a minute and have the Phase shift on at the same time. If both are active we say you have about One minute and fifteen seconds before you run out of power, and thats not including using your weapons." The mechanic told her.
"Alright, I will just use Nicol's moves he did in that last battle and deactivate my phase shift when I activate the umbrella shield." Aelan said going over the OS so she can activate the Phase Shift armor. "Oh and see if you can get a hold of my step father, I would like to speak with him." Aelan told the pilot. "And send the link to the Hyperion." She told him as he nodded to go do what she asked.
About an hour later on the Archangel, Kevin was feeling slightly less cheerful. He, along with the rest of the crew, stood in the hanger, awaiting the arrival of Admiral Halberton. Even Jason was with the crew even though he sported his own uniform that he wore when Lacus came.
For Kevin it was not that he had any objection to showing such proper courtesy for the Admiral. No, it was simply that this required him to be in proper uniform... and if their was one thing Kevin Walker loathed, it was uniforms. Well, could be worse, he told himself moodily. The last time you were in uniform awaiting a dignitary, you killed your entire unit. At least here, there's nothing to make you go berserk.
Even so, he'd determined that whatever problems he might have with leaving the ship, leaving the uniform behind was not one of them.
As the assembled crew watched, the shuttle from the Menelaos slipped easily into the Archangel's hanger and alighted on the deck. Within moments, its hatch opened, disgorging Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton, the Menelaos' CO, Captain Hoffman, and a couple of other officers.
Instantly, the officers and crew at the head of the formation snapped to attention, showing proper military respect for the man behind the project which had produced their ship and the Strike.
Halberton touched down on the deck and returned the salutes directed at him. "When news reached us of the destruction of Heliopolis," he began, "I was convinced that that was the end. I've never been happier to be proven wrong."
"Thank you, sir," Ramius said sincerely.
"I was a little concerned when I heard that you were in a battle earlier," the Admiral went on, scanning the huge chamber. "Is everyone all right?"
Badgiruel seemed to take that as request for introductions. "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," she said with military precision, saluting again.
La Flaga likewise stepped forward. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, of the Seventh Orbital Fleet, at your service, sir."
Halberton nodded in recognition. "The Hawk of Endymion, eh? We were fortunate indeed to have you with us," he added, shaking the Hawk's hand.
"I just wish I could have been of more service, sir."
The Admiral nodded, and turned his attention to the somewhat larger group behind the Bridge crew, headed by the six in volunteer blue. "And who might these be?"
"Sir, these are the students from Heliopolis," Ramius explained. "They've been helping with the operation of the ship; without them, we likely would not have made it this far."
"I see," Halberton murmured, genuine respect in his voice. "It is a remarkable thing indeed, when such young people take up arms in their own defense. Thank you for aiding the Archangel on its way here. Oh yes," he continued, "you'll be relieved to know that we've done some checking on the families of each one of you, and everyone is safe."
Kevin did not miss the way the Admiral looked at him, while his friends quietly cheered. That's right, Admiral. Your checks wouldn't have found anything about me, because I have no family... and I don't exist. But that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
Jason also looked at the commander to see if Lewis would recognize him. "Ahh, I see that you also have another veteran among you." Lewis said as he extended his hand to Jason. "Its good to see you again Commander Iron Wall." Lewis said as Murrue was surprised by that.
"You know that man?" Natarle Questioned.
"Indeed he does." Jason said. "Me and the Admiral here had some good times in friendship before this war has begun. And the two of us have admired our tatics in defencive battles." Jason told her.
"Yes Indeed and I look forward sometime to have a chat with you Commander Hibiki." Lewis said as he looked at Kevin again.
Halberton's speculating glance was deflected when Hoffman leaned over. "Uh, sir, we don't have much time," he quietly reminded his boss.
"Right," the Admiral whispered back. "Well," he said to the volunteers, "duty calls. But when we have the chance, I'd like to have a chat with you guys."
Watching the man go, Kevin's eyes narrowed. Yes, Admiral, I'm sure... and how will Natarle Badgiruel influence you? How much has this crew figured out about me?It had not escaped his notice that Ramius and La Flaga, at least, seemed to have more knowledge of his abilities than he'd intended them to have. I wonder... do they know -or suspect- the truth of Gerard Garcia's demise? And if they do, how will they report it?
Kevin Walker was not present when his friends received their discharge papers (the military's way of avoiding a potentially sticky legal situation); thus he also was not around for Flay Allster's impassioned speech when she formally enlisted.
He didn't even hear about it until he headed down the corridor back toward the hanger, hours later, and ran into Tolle and the others.
"Hey, Blade!" Tolle called.
The soldier turned. "Tolle. What's up?"
The brown-haired volunteer responded by handing him a rolled-up sheet of paper. "This is meant for you, Blade. Your discharge papers."
Kevin glanced at them briefly, before stuffing them into the duffel bag he carried. "So where's yours?" he asked. His friends were still in uniform, whereas he himself had gone back to his black ensemble, complete with sunglasses. "I thought you guys were disembarking, too."
"We changed our minds," Sai informed him. "Flay volunteered first, and I figured I shouldn't leave her all by herself, and well... things led from there."
Kevin blinked. "Flay joined up? I never would have thought she had the temperament for it." He was also no longer certain he trusted her; something was going on beneath the surface, something that bothered him...
Mir smiled. "We were surprised, too, but we all figured we might as well stay, too. Tore up our discharge papers and everything. We're official Earth Forces personnel now."
"Though I'm still not certain it's a good idea..." Kuzzey said hesitantly. "Or rather, I'm not sure it's safe."
The sandy-haired pilot snorted. "If you want safe, you don't wanna be in the military, Kuzzey. Take it from me: battlefields are very dangerous places; I should know. On the other hand, the Archangel is just about the safest place you're likely to find in battle."
"But you and Kira are still leaving, huh?" Tolle asked.
"Don't know about Kira, though I imagine so. Me, though... yeah, I'm leaving. It's too dangerous to stay. Besides, there's a couple of people I need to track down."
He nodded. That was about what he'd expected. "So, you taking the shuttle with Kira? Or is Mr. Murdoch doing something crazy with your GINN?"
Kevin grimaced. "You guessed it; the last time I checked the hanger, most of the back of the machine was ripped out, and there was a spare Aile Striker pack lying next to it. Looks like Murdoch's merry band of mechanically-inclined madmen have gone to work, and they've got carte blanche."
"Are all mechanics a little crazy?" Sai wondered aloud.
Blade barked a laugh. "No, Sai, none of them are; they're a lotcrazy. Get used to it. I have; I just hope my machine still exists once they're through with it." He shrugged. "Well, I'd better get going. Even with ZAFTs Iron Wall defending the ship I still wish you Good luck."
Mir smiled. "You too, Blade. Sounds like you'll need it."
Murdoch's people, it turned out, were not only crazy: there were also extremely efficient when they wanted to be. Given that most of them more than half-suspected -mechanics being superstitious people- that the pilot whose machine they were working on had a talent for black magic, there was considerable incentive to move quickly.
"Hey, Blade!" Murdoch greeted when the pilot walked in. "Wondered when you'd turn up, kid; nice timing, too. We just finished the last adjustments."
"Is that so?" Kevin looked up at the GINN... or more precisely, the gray, bastardized monstrosity it had become. "How about you tell me just what you did to that poor mobile suit, Mr. Murdoch."
"Sure thing, kid." The older man first pointed to the most obvious change: the familiar unit attached to the machine's back. "As you can see, we started out by hardwiring an Aile Striker pack to the back. That'll give you better endurance, extra maneuverability in space, independent atmospheric reentry capabilities, and full flight even within a gravity well. Also, we moved the beam sabers onto the Striker pack."
"Sounds handy," the soldier acknowledged. "I don't even want to know how you pulled it off, but I'm grateful. What else?"
"Improved avionics -also spares from the Strike- and the usual beam rifle and anti-beam shield. And, as you can see, we added something a little out of the ordinary; got the idea from some custom GINNs we've heard about."
Kevin could indeed see; and out of the ordinary was putting in mildly. "One doesn't normally see a katana on a mobile suit, Mr. Murdoch," he murmured, staring up at the huge, slightly-curved sword sheathed at the machine's left hip. Useless against Phase-shift, it would nonetheless be deadly against mass-produced machines. "It's not quite what I'm used to," he went on, choosing not to mention what he was used to, "but I think I can handle it."
"Good." Murdoch grinned suddenly. "Oh, yeah, almost forgot. We heard you're headin' for the desert, so we jury-rigged a scale system for it."
Kevin looked at him sharply. "Scale system? You mean like ZAFT's land battleships use to go through sand like water?"
"Right. And..." The mechanic pointed at the machine's left shoulder. "There's a cut-down hyper-impulse cannon in there. Based off the Aegis' Scylla, with a smaller bore and a better reflector system so you don't blow yourself up with it. I wouldn't recommend using it too much -they way this thing's set up, you could overload real fast- but it might give you just the edge you need sometime." He grinned again. "Oh, yeah. You'll notice it ain't striped anymore?"
"It hadn't escaped my notice, no." And it was making the pilot wonder.
The grin widened. "Well, see, another thing we got from the Eighth Fleet was spares for the Strike's PSA generator. You know what that means, right, kid?"
Kevin smiled slowly. "You've equipped it with Phase-shift. You really are crazy, Murdoch."
"We try, kid. We try." Murdoch was looking insufferably pleased with himself. "I think she'll do fine for you, kid. Oh, by the way, we changed her designation. I mean, she ain't exactly a GINN anymore, and as she is now she could go toe-to-toe with a G-weapon, so now she's the GAT-X401 Punisher."
"How appropriate," Blade said dryly. "How veryappropriate." The man who the people of the desert knew as Racher, the Revenger, would now be piloting a machine called the Punisher. How apt.
"Kevin Walker, I presume?"
Kevin turned, hearing the unexpected voice. "Admiral Halberton," he murmured, mildly surprised. "I'm Walker, yeah."
Murdoch and his people made quick, discrete exits as the Admiral approached. "I thought as much. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Carter."
The sandy-haired pilot grimaced. "I don't really care for that name, Admiral."
"My apologies." Halberton shrugged. "It's difficult to tell what might be sore subjects for you, since so little is known about you."
"There's a reason for that, Admiral. Far too many people want me dead, as the officers may have told you. Start with Blue Cosmos and ZAFT." A cold smile. "But as you may have heard, I'm quite good at taking care of myself."
The Admiral chuckled. "Yes, that's been explained to me. At great length, I might add. Did you know there was talk of drafting you?"
Kevin laughed harshly. "I assume Captain Ramius pointed out the... consequences of such an action? And Ensign Badgiruel, for that matter?"
Halberton smiled. "Yes, they did. In point of fact, the Ensign told Captain Hoffman quite bluntly that any attempt to draft you would result the Eighth Fleet needing a new admiral, and the Menelaos a new captain. Needless to say, I decided to take her word for it."
"Wise of you." The soldier idly fingered the revolver holstered at his waist, then suddenly drew it and began twirling it. "I realize the good Ensign doesn't really care for me, but at least she respects my abilities. However, if you're not here to draft me, why are you here, Admiral? I can't see myself as being so important as to take up some of your precious time."
The Admiral laughed again. "You don't have much respect for senior officers, do you, Mr. Walker?"
"Frankly, no." Kevin shrugged. "Murrue Ramius earned my respect by facing me down with a pistol on Heliopolis. She lost her weapon in the process, but that makes it no less impressive. As for other officers, well... I've been a unit commander myself, Admiral, long ago; I like to think I can tell the good from the bad."
Halberton's eyes narrowed. "Yes, Lieutenant La Flaga suspected something of the sort. He could never quite figure it out, but it was clear to him that you'd commanded something before. But neither of us had ever heard of you, and you're clearly too young to have led an Earth Forces unit. So who, if I may ask, did you work for?"
The pilot considered refusing to answer the question, but shrugged instead. Somehow, I get the feeling the Admiral isn't going to be around much longer anyway; and even if he was, he's one of the few decent men in the Alliance. If I can't tell him, who can I?
"It was ZAFT," he said finally. "Before the war, of course; Kira can tell you I was on Heliopolis at the time fighting broke out. And the unit I led is why I'm out here today, Admiral, fighting ZAFT... and trying to bury my past. I slaughtered my comrades, you see. All eleven of them. That was the day I came back to myself." He slowly extended the claws in his right hand. "It was Project ABADON, Admiral."
Halberton inhaled sharply. "ABADON? There were only rumors... and ugly ones, at that. You're saying the Project actually had some successes?"
"Yes, Admiral. Twelve of them. Only I remain, however. But for some reason I thing there was a thirteenth member that I don't remember clearly"
"So, ZAFT's secret weapon truly existed," the Admiral whispered. "Was it truly as horrible as the intelligence reports suggested?"
Kevin nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir. That is why my comrades are dead, Admiral. I was an... unwilling participant in the Project, and when I came back to myself, it was... horrifying. Believe me when I say that you do not want to know the details. The nightmares I have are bad enough."
"That explains a great deal..." Halberton said slowly. "No wonder you hate ZAFT so much. You have my condolences, Mr. Walker; I wish only that you had not needed to do the deed yourself."
"Better it be me," the man once called Hydra said softly, "than a stranger. I may have murdered them, but I would not wish anyone else to have done it."
"Understandable. And now I see why you were so determined to hide your past." Oddly, the Admiral seemed to be suppressing a smile. "I'd assumed it was because of the events surrounding your death, two years ago."
Kevin froze, utterly motionless, not even breathing. Then, "How in the world did you know that?" he demanded in a strangled whisper. "You know who I am, don't you?"
Now Halberton was definitely smiling. "Let's just say that I suspected. Strongly. Now I know for sure. So, the prodigal son is alive, eh? Shall we roast the fatted calf?"
"Absolutely not." The soldier's voice was harsh. "If that information leaves this room, Admiral, I will be a very unhappy man... and you will be dead. It is far too dangerous for that knowledge to get out, and I am not returning to the homeland!"
"Relax, Mr. Walker," the Admiral suggested, chuckling, "relax. I'm not crazy, you know; and I believe I have some inkling of why you never returned, even after you recovered. Your secret's safe with me... though I honestly doubt you'll be able to keep it forever."
"Maybe not," Kevin conceded. "But if I ever return to Orb, it'll be on my terms, not theirs. And I really don't have much reason too; I always hated Lord Uzumi's guts, anyway." He paused suddenly. "Admiral... if you know who I am, then maybe you have the answer to what has become a very burning question for me."
Halberton raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
Kevin stood there a moment longer, marshaling his thoughts. "There was someone I met on Heliopolis," he began slowly. "A young girl, about my age. She seemed to know me... in fact, we apparently knew each other very well, because she reacted like she'd just seen a ghost. Unfortunately, my memory still has a few gaps, and she appears to be one of them. So tell me: was there anyone I was particularly close too, in my old life? Anyone noteworthy?"
The Admiral considered that for a time. "Mr. Walker," he said finally, "I believe that is a question that you must answer yourself. The human mind is a tricky thing to work with, as various psychobabblers have probably told you over the years; and after everything you've been through, it would probably be best if you found the answer yourself. I realize that may not be a satisfactory answer, but I truly believe it to be the right one. And while you may have all sorts of experience, and your Coordinator mental abilities, I do hope you'll admit at least that with age does come wisdom."
"Depends on the man," Kevin said instantly. "But in that you're correct: I am under no illusions that I know everything. And yes, your answer does frustrate me, but somehow I didn't really expect anything different. Besides which, I expect you don't really know the answer, either."
"True enough," Halberton agreed, smiling. "I'm afraid that, unlike a certain member of the Archangel's crew, I didn't follow your life and career very closely. I have vague suspicions, but nothing more than that." He shook his head. "Anyway, Mr. Walker, what I actually came here to do was thank you."
"If you want to thank anyone, thank Kira," the pilot said wearily. "He's the real reason we got this far; all I did was provide a distraction."
"I already did," the Admiral told him, "and now I'm thanking you. You deserve it. Even if you really were 'only a distraction', sometimes that's good enough. And because of that, I have something for you." Halberton reached into a pocket, withdrew a pair of small objects, and tossed them to the young man. "I realize you're leaving -and if you're going after the man I think you are, I wish you good hunting- so I thought this might come in handy. If ever you have... problems with the Earth Forces, that should get you out of them."
"Indeed..." Blade examined them briefly before stuffing the Earth Forces' Ensign insignia in his own pocket. "Thank you, Admiral. I hope never to need them, but being a semi-official Alliance officer could be useful sometime." He turned away, looking up at his mobile suit. "Admiral, I believe it's time I took my leave. I expect that a battle will be starting before long, and I'd rather be away before then. I wish you luck, sir."
Halberton saluted the soldier's back as he propelled himself up to the Punisher's cockpit. "You, as well, Mr. Walker. I leave you with one piece of wisdom: there is more to life than vengeance. Even yours."
"I'll keep that in mind, Admiral." Kevin settled into the cockpit, and the hatch began to close. "I suspect we won't meet again," he said, in the remaining moments before he was sealed in, "but it was an honor to have met you, sir."
"You're probably right," Halberton whispered to himself, watching the hybrid machine walk toward the catapult. "Yes, I imagine you're correct. Whatever Fate has in store for you, Kevin Walker, I suspect you'll outlive us all. I hope so, anyway."
GAT-X401 Punisher stepped into the Archangel's starboard catapult, and Kevin Walker keyed his radio. "Bridge, this is Walker. I'm ready for launch."
"Roger that, Mr. Walker," Natarle Badgiruel replied from the Bridge. "Connecting to catapult. You may launch at your discretion." She hesitated, before continuing awkwardly. "Blade," she said, using his nickname for the first time, "whatever our differences may have been, I'm glad we had you aboard. Your help was greatly appreciated."
"Don't mention it, Ensign." He smiled to himself. "Who knows, maybe we'll meet again."
"Let's hope not," she retorted instantly, though she sounded more amused than angry. "I didn't appreciate your help that much."
"Suit yourself."
A face appeared on one of Punisher's monitors. "I guess this is goodbye, huh?"
Kevin nodded. "'Fraid so, Captain. You have your job, I have mine. But if you happen to hit the Libyan desert in the next month or so, you might still find me there. And... ZAFT hasn't heard the last from me yet. Don't be surprised if I turn up sometime to pull your bacon out of the fire."
"I'll look forward to it." Ramius smiled. "Well, Blade, I guess you'd best be off, then."
"Yes. It's time." He squared his shoulders and prepared himself for high-G acceleration. "X401 Punisher, launching!"
Kira Yamato, over an hour after his friend's departure, stood in line in Archangel's hanger, waiting his turn to board the shuttle bound for the Menelaos. In his hand, he held one of the paper flowers that had been dispersed over the remains of Junius Seven. One of the Heliopolis refugees, a little girl, had given it to him in thanks for protecting the ship and her passengers up to this point.
Well, it's finally over, he thought with a mental sigh of relief. We've come this far, and now it's time to go back to civilian life. He was going to Orb, since that was where his parents had ended up after the colony's collapse; he wondered idly if Kevin would end up there sometime, too. Fat chance; he hates the thought of going back there. But maybe I'll find out who he really is, someday.
There were but a few people ahead of him when the shout rang out behind him. "Kira!"
Kira turned in surprise, seeing Tolle, Sai, Kuzzey, and Mir coming toward him. "There you are," he said, relieved. "I thought you weren't gonna make it."
"We're not." Tolle shoved a rolled-up paper into his hand. "This is meant for you; it's your discharge papers. But you're going alone."
Kira blinked in shock. "What?"
"We've all decided to stay here," Sai told him. "With the Archangel, and the military."
"But-"
"Flay decided to volunteer," Kuzzey cut in, looking more confident than he had when he'd spoken with Kevin. "So we thought we'd do the same."
Kira couldn't believe his ears. "Flay joined up? But I thought-"
"It's because of her father's death, I think," Mir said. "She wants to help make sure the war ends before too many more lives are lost. Heck even Halberton made Jason of all people to be part of the bridge crew now"
He was at a complete loss for words; but the officer at the shuttle's hatch filled the silence. "Hey, you! We're leaving!"
"Uh, please wait a moment!" Tolle answered. "He's coming!" He looked back at Kira. "Think of this as destiny; or Fate, (A/N: Ha ha this is just weird for that, the two stories that are after this were those two words. I just find that funny) as Kevin might say. Take care of yourself, and help us out by making sure you get to Earth safely."
That was when the alarms began going off. "All hands to Level One Battlestations! Repeat, all hands to Level One Battlestations!"
"We'd better go," Sai told the others. "So long, Kira."
The group moved off; Kuzzey, however, couldn't resist a parting shot. "No matter what happens, please don't be tempted to join ZAFT!"
Then they were gone, leaving Kira by himself. What's... going on?Oblivious to the alarms, he looked at the simple piece of paper which told him he was free to go. Then he looked at the paper flower, which told him he could make a difference. Make a difference...
"Kira, you have the power to make a difference, don't you?" La Flaga had said, weeks earlier. "So why not put it to good use?"
"You know, I imagine things will be hectic even down on Earth..."
"Thank you for protecting the rest of us till now..."
Kira took one last look at his discharge papers. Even Flay is staying... How can I leave them now? Kevin had made his decision; now he had to make his.
And the pilot of the GAT-X105 Strike made his decision. He crumpled up the paper and pushed off for the hatch. "Please, go without me," he told the surprised shuttle officer, and left to rejoin his friends.
A/N: I have chosen to post the next chapter as well, because I love this battle on the T.V. in the game, and in the story. Heck, I even took the Hyperion into this battle just to see how well it performs in the game. And with its new PS Armor its has now, it will perform even better.
Infinite: About your son, I don't know maybe, it just depends if I decide to or not, he is however have a bit of Spatial Awareness like his mother from the Nexus project. And the Zoanthrope capabilities, I may have to think about that, there are already two Zoanthropes out there, and if I make him one, it will make me think on making both Nicola, and Erika ones as well thanks to Chris' own Zoanthrope Gene.
And to answer your quetion, I have decided to make the past of a few characters rather than refering to Solids own story. Because in this one Aelan is actually making an impact on Kevin. So in otherwords, I wont be working on Fate until after I am done of writing this stories Events.
Solid: Thank you for the Information I have Requested. For a thankyou I gave you some. Also, the reason why Kevin and Aelan are basicly evenly matched are because of two reasons, 1- She is just as new in her Hyperion unit as he is with that GINN. 2 - She wasn't designed for the Hyperion, unlike the Red Queen and Ragnarok that appeared in A New Saga.
and you will find out about Aelan's actions in the next battle in the Next Chapter