Chapter 13: The Broken World
The Minerva continued its descent as the ship came down to the ocean. The ship felt its vibration as in the mobile suit hangar, Chris caught Lunamaria as Athrun caught Cagalli as Kevin kept his balance from the sudden vibration. The ship skidded across the water creating short bursts of waves on either side of the ship. When it was over Luna blushed a bit as Chris helped her up. "Uh thanks Chris." She told him as he nodded at her as he looked over to Kevin.
"How did the situation look from the ships point of view?" Chris asked him.
"From what I saw, not good not good at all." Kevin mentioned as Chris sighed a sigh of annoyance.
"Damn, for our second mission we failed." Chris said annoyed with himself.
"No Chris." Athrun told him as Chris looked at him. "With out you or your group, a lot more damage would of been done." Athrun explained.
"Thanks my friend, well no matter, I must go to the bridge and tell the Captain I would like to contact my own ship." Chris said as he began to walk to the hatch. "I will most likley see all of you later." Chris told them leaving the hangar.
"Attention all crew members, during your off time, I am allowing for brief visits to the deck to meet the Earths atmosphere!" Talia called informing the crew of what can now be done for them. The crew of the Minerva all go towards the nearest deck as they emerge from inside the ship into the dark skied Earth, the aftermath of the destruction the Planet had just witnessed. "Whoa, look how big it is!" Vino called out as some seagulls flew overhead. Eventually, Cagalli, Athrun and Kevin all emerge onto the deck as well to see what has happened to their home. Within all of them they felt the pain that the Earth was feeling within themselves.
"Solkin Syn" Kevin said with disgust as he looked over the horizon seeing what carnage the Tsunamis had done and the debris had done to just the ocean itself. Even with everything nearly completely cooled off. Steam still continued to rise from the ocean. "This doesn't look good at all." he mentioned.
"I hope everyone at ORB is alright." Cagalli hoped as Kevin looked off in the direction of ORB.
"Cagalli." Athrun spoke up which caused her to look at him as Kevin went over to the railing to look at the dark ocean that moved beneath the Minerva. "I'm sorry Cagalli, for dragging you into this, and getting involved in that battle overhead." Athrun apologized to her.
"Do not apologize Athrun." Cagalli told him as Kevin leaned with his back to the Minerva.
"You have nothing to apologize for Tovarisch" Kevin told him looking to the sky. "If we didn't do anything, the Planet would surely be worst off that what it is now." Kevin told him as Shinn shook his head behind the door hearing this conversation. Kevin knew the Impulse pilot was not to far from them.
"Are you an idiot?" Shinn called, knowing full well on what Kevin is now, still being a smart ass to a hero of the last war. "The Fall of the colony was no natural event." Shinn yelled at who could be the most dangerous man in the world, but Kevin was keeping his temper down, knowing that Shinn was speaking the truth.
"Listen Shinn, I know what happened, I know that this event was carried out by coordinators, but was only a extremnist faction that took Zala's words to seriously." Kevin told him keeping a calm physique. "The damn" Kevin began putting something profound russian language at the end of that. "Fools didn't get over the bloody valentine unlike Chris and his group. They went to far to let that get to them and made them think that the Naturals should be eradicated." Kevin told him.
"Exactly, and now every single coordinator will be blamed for this, even if the ZAFT military fought with all their might to stop the damn thing!" Shinn yelled.
Athrun put a hand on Cagalli's shoulder. "He's right, the Fragments still did great collateral damage." Athrun told them.
"Now, the million dollar question." Kevin began as Shinn left the group with Lunamaria following him. "Will the Naturals ever fogive the coordinators." Kevin told them as Cagalli had a saddened look on her face knowing most of her closest friends were of the coordinator race. In the bridge Chris came through the door.
"Oh, Mr Nexus, its good to see you are alright." Talia told him as she just got finished talking to the second in command Arthur. "What can we do for you?" She asked.
"Commander!" Chris said giving her a salute as she laughed at such a gesture. "I would like to use the communications line to the Avalon." Chris told her as Talia nodded.
"Miss Hawke, mind getting on that for him." Talia ordered in a calm voice as Meyrin nodded and began to get to work on getting a line to Chris ship.
"So, what are your plans now?" Chris asked crossing his arms as he waited by Meyrins Sation, as he noticed she was looking at him rather sheepishly.
Talia took a moment to think of what to say. "Well, first off we need repairs, and from the damage the ship has sustained, we need it quick. Carpentaria is to far away, so that leaves one piece of business." She told him as Chris put it all together.
"Going to kill two birds with one stone are yeah?" Chris asked as Arthur got a look of confusion. "Going to ORB to get repairs along with dropping of the ORB civilians as well." Chris told them as Talia nodded.
"You got it completely right." Talia told him.
"Ok, knowing this, I'm able to think of a rendezvous so I can get back to our own ship, and find a new boss, as our jobs were completed." Chris told her. With that Talia nodded in agreement, even though the battle overhead completely threw everything off. "Hey Meyrin, any word from Avalon yet?" Chris asked as she shook her head no.
"No sorry, there seems to be a lot of interference. Chairman Dullindal is trying to get it ready for a announcement." Meyrin told him as Chris sighed out of disappointment for not beign able to contact Nicola.
"Ok, thanks Meyrin, I guess I can try again later when the airwaves calm down a bit." Chris told her as he turned to the door. "So, what is there to do now in this time out of the battle?" Chris asked Talia.
"I could help you with that rather, unless you don't want me to mam?" Meyrin asked Talia as she looked at her commander.
"No, besides take the rest of the day off Meyrin, you have been here since that battle at Junius Seven began, take a break for a while." Talia told her as Meyrin nodded getting up and walked over to Chris.
"Follow me." She told him as Chris nodded and followed the red headed girl.
"I wonder what the future will bring for him?" Arthur wondered as Talia nodded.
"I wonder the same thing, he's got the heart of a warrior and of a nobleman." Talia mentioned, "He fights to protect anyone he deams worthy for him to protect, just like Aelan." She told him as he looked at her with a questionable look on his face. "When Heliopolis was Destroyed, she was the only one that tried to stop them from using the D-Equipment, but she lost the losing battle." she told him as she looked to the Vast Ocean. "How long till we reach ORB?" she asked the crewman.
"Four days mam." someone told him as she nodded.
"Ok, notify if something Occurs, Trine, you have the bridge." She told him as she left the bridge.
In the halls, Chris walked behind Meyrin as she was leading him through the ship to what was going to be her destination. Meanwhile at the Marshall Islands, Kira, Lacus, Malchio and the children rise from their hole in the ground. With shock appearing on each of their faces as they saw that their home was gone. One very young boy tugged on Lacus' gown as she looked at her. "Wheres ow ow our house?" he asked still shaken from the experience they all just witnessed.
"Michael, our home." Malchio began as he felt the despair and the silence on the Island. "Our home is no more, I am sorry." He told the child.
"Listen Malchio this is not your fault." Kira told him. "We have no Idea of who done this so we can't blame just anyone." Kira told him as he walked to the area of where the house once stood. "Come on, lets see if there is anything thats Salvageable." Kira called waving the others over to him as he walked on the once house. The debris of the building was everywhere, dripping of water from the Tsunami that tore it to peaces. One little girl found a small bear floating in a puddle of water and held it close to her as Lacus' eyes were all watered at such an event.
"Malchio" she began as the two were away from Kira and the others. "Do you have any idea of where were going to live now?" she asked.
"No, I do not miss Clyne, however, I think Kevin wouldn't mind if we lived at his place until we can get another Orphanage." He suggested as she nodded.
"Yes, that would be wise to ask my little brother to help us out." She told him. (A/N: nice that Lacus is older than Kira don't yeah think lol, as he and Kevin share the same date of birth) She walked towards the debris while looking at the sky to see that the dark clouds of the worst night ever began to disperse.
Twenty Minutes later every T.V. that could still function turned on with Dullindal in the centre of the television screen. "Attention all of Planet Earth, I am deeply sorry for what has happened in the last twenty four hours." Dullindal began. "I cannot imagine how horrible everyone feels on Earth, and I have sent various ZAFT personnel down to the Planet with fresh food, water and various other necessities." Dullindal told the world as what he said was true, as Various ZAFT personnel indeed were helping out various victims of the disaster.
At the Blue Cosmos Mansion Djibril pet his black cat as he watched the broadcast on his various Television screens. "Trying to cover up what your people decided to do hmm." Djibril said to himself as he was a message popped up on the laptop that was attached to his chair. "Lets see what the Phantom Pain has given me." Djibril told himself as he opened up the file which showed the Flare Motor and the GINNs responsible for such a event. "Perfect, this is just what I need to bring the Atlantic Federation back into the picture, and finish what the twit Azrael tried to do." He smirked at the remark, "And this time, we are actually more prepared against the one in his reports called Hydra, isn't that right Professer O?" Djibril asked as a dark silhouette of a man stood out of the light.
"Of course Djibril, I will give you access to my work as long as my pay is good." the dark person told him as he nodded.
"Of course you will be payed, but now how about that first project, Twisted Justice right, are we sure a clone of Hydra will do as what you say?" Djibril asked him as the dark figure nodded. "What of that special pilot you gave us, that Starlene girl?" Djibril asked.
"Oh her, she is the first of my latest project, as long as you supply the mobile suits, I can easily give you more soldiers and pilots like her." The figure told Djibril.
"Good, now go set up the next part of your mission got that! and get us another one of those soldiers, the more the better." Djibril yelled as the person left the room. "That fool, I've only hired him to stop the Nexus Program and Abaddon, those four people are to dangerous. Let alone Hibiki's crazed mind of creating whats that coordinators name again. Ahh forget it."
Onboard the Minerva, Chris was lead by Meyrin to the shooting range, "Hey guys." Meyrin called as Rey looked at her with a serious look and continued to fire at the target.
"Hey Meyrin." Luna said as Chris walked up to the shooting ranges tray, "Oh Chris, do you know what your doing?" Luna asked him as he nodded.
"Yeah I do." he told her picking up the red goggles and ear plugs. After suiting up a bit, he took a pistol from the selection of weapons. He took out a knife from its sheath he kept under his jacket. He held the knife in his right hand while holding that hand under the barrel of the gun, which was held in his left hand. He fired three shots each hitting a part of the poster of what had a picture of a human on it, as each shot hit a part that would render the limb of the person useless. Everytime he took a shot, he did not flinch or even blink when the shot was fired.
Rey looked to see the shots fired as Chris fired the entire round of the gun. "Nice shots." Rey told him almost in a strange tone as Chris nodded.
"Yeah, your good Chris." Luna told him as he nodded. Chris turned to her as he reloaded the weapon and passed it to her. "What?" she asked.
"Show me what you got." he told her as she took the gun from his hand.
"Why do you hold a knife when you fire?" She asked as Chris looked abover he head.
"Walker, care to explain?" Chris mentioned out loud, which startled the dark clad man which was basicly spying on them fromt he doorway.
"Nice, so you knew?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, your scent could be sensed over the ocean breeze." Chris said as Luna turned to see the Dark Clad soldier walk up to him. "I noticed that you arrived before I filled the air with gunpowder." Chris told him as Luna and Meyrin got discussted looks upon their faces. "Well, explain to them why I weild a knife when in a gun fight?"
"Alright, if you want me to Nexus." Kevin began as he shrugged at his small comment. "He uses it to be ready to go into Melee Combat, without having to put his gun away or drawing the knife." Kevin began. "It is referred as Close Quarters Combat, hard to master, but very effective."
"Correct." Chris told him as Kevin looked oddly at him.
"Where did you learn such military tactics Nexus?" Kevin asked him.
"What you don't think Nicola and I were just all lovey dovey?" Chris asked him. "Even though the project was put down, mom and dad still kept us at full readiness just incase any survived." Chris told him.
"Why would she expect any of them to survive?" Kevin asked him leaving both Luna and Meyrin to shoot along side Rey.
"Kevin, of all people, I think you would know." Chris began to tell him as Kevin knew the answer but was just playing around a bit with Chris' mind. "The reason they thought, was because they were surprised and well relieved that Aelan lived through it." Chris told him as he nodded. "When you think about it, its a true wonder even she survived, if it wasn't for that Rachel friend of hers." When that name was spoken, Kevin eyes widened hearing that womans name. "Aelan is haunted by her death more than anything." Chris told him as Kevin was also haunted from what he did to her.
"Chris, did Aelan speak to you of what Rachel's final words were?" Kevin asked as Chris shook his head no.
"The only thing she speaks of that is her promise." Chris answered. "I have no details on the matter, just becareful Walker." he told him looking over at the others. "Your friends are one of a kind, protect them and Aelan might change her ways. Aelan only looks at what you have did in your past, but if she sees you fighting to protect, she will change that I promise you."
"Listen Chris did anyone ever tell you to don't make promises you cannot keep." Kevin told him. "Your not some god that can protect all he loves."
"Heh, your right, but I'm someone who will try as much as he can." Chris told him as he watched the girls fire their fire arms. Seeing Meyrin doing some well shooting with her weapon, while Luna wasn't doing very well. "Just remember Kevin, Aelan is a woman you don't want to piss off in any way, she will hunt you down, until she can get your head on a pole." Chris told him going towards Lunamaria.
With that, Kevin left the deck heading to meet up with his former fiance. "Hey Luna!" Chris called as she turned to him.
"What did that person have to say?" She asked as Chris shrugged.
"Nothing that truly concerns anyone, I was just explaining what Aelan is prepared to do for your sister is all." Chris told her.
Meyrin removed her ear pieces and looked at Chris. "Did you know our sister at all Chris?" she asked as Luna cocked an eyebrow.
"No, I'm sorry but I never met Erica, I've only heard of her from Nicola who heard of her from Aelan's stories and letters home." Chris told her, "Hey Luna looks like you were having trouble with your firearms there, need any help?" Chris asked her as Rey came over.
Rey looked at Luna who looked at him. "She does need some help with it, she may be a good pilot, but she is nothing on the ground." Rey smirked as Luna looked almost furious.
"Rey shut up!" She told him almost furious. She then turned to Chris calmed down, "Yes Chris I do have trouble with a firearm, any tips?" She asked as he nodded.
"Yes but first, show me how you shoot to begin with." Chris told her as she raised her arms with the gun in hand aiming at the Target. "Ok, now shoot." Chris told her as she fired three shots, each missing the target. Chris noticed that her hand twitched everytime it pulled the trigger.
"So what is the problem?" Lunamaria asked as she turned to him.
"You twitch your hand when you fire, causing the gun to fire off target." Chris told her, as he signed her to take aim again, "Rather than just using one hand use both of them, and just stay calm, your not in a real firefight." Chris told her as she fired again but the twitch stayed.
"I just suck at this." Luna said with a pout as Meyrin began to laugh at her older sister.
"Here." Chris said coming up behind her holding onto her hands with his, she felt the gentleness in his touch. Even though hearing that he was a Zoanthrope, she expected stiff and non gentle hands. "Ok, lower your breathing, and just be calm." Chris told her as she nodded doing what Chris' coaching told her. She calmed down as Chris let go of her hands as she fired three shots, each one went through the chest of the target. "Good, their ya go!" Chris said with surprise.
"Wow, your good." Rey said crossing his arms being a bit impressed. "I never thought anyone could teach red the ability to shoot." Rey jokingly told them, earning a very angry sour look from Lunamaria which Chris laughed. He may be away from his older friends, but he was having a great time with these new ones.
Onboard Avalon
Nicola sat in her room, having yet to hear any news on Chris, and knew if the radio waves were clear, she would of received word from him by now. "Knock knock!" Aelan called from the doorway as Nicola looked up. "Can I come in?" She asked as Nicola nodded.
"Any news of Chris yet?" Nicola asked her as Aelan nodded.
"Yeah, we've detected BL's single within the Minerva, I'm going to be heading out soon to the Minerva." Aelan told her as Nicola nodded and looked at her sister.
"Thanks, tell him I was very worried, and when you get back, tell me all about it." She told her with a smile as Aelan looked at her and did the same thing.
"So these are the Admiral quarters." Aelan said laying back on the queen sized bed that Nicola and Chris shared. "Wow, now I wish I was you." Aelan told Nicola causing her to smile at her older sister.
Nicola was having her small laugh end. "Yeah, I come here to be alone or to be with Chris." Nicola told her as she looked at the laptop on the desk near by. "I wonder what that data was Chris took to give ta Dulindal" Nicola wondered as Aelan rolled off the bed and climbed onto the Laptop. The data that was on it came up on the screen.
"Hmm, whatever it was, it was within the Black Lightning." Aelan told her as Nicola raised an eyebrow. "I have no Idea what it was, but it was something within its memory. Makes me wonder if it is also in the Crimson blade."
"No clue, when I go over its systems, nothing really catches my eye within its systems really." Nicola told her coming up behind her. "Hey, what are those things that Chris was looking at?" Nicola asked as Aelan smirked as she looked at it even more.
"Hmm, some things he was able to decode." Aelan told her as she looked through it. "Energy replenish armor?" Aelan wondered seeing a special technology.
"Whats that?" Nicola asked.
"Well according to Chris' notes, its a type of armor that absorbs energy attacks, and turns it to energy for a mobile suits battery, guess his parents thought of everything." Aelan answered. "It makes me wonder what type of machine will have this kind of ability?" Aelan asked her little sister.
"No clue, I heard Chris say that there were a secondary mobile suit for each of us, but they didn't go into development at all, much like Avian." Nicola told her as Aelan looked at Nicola with a questionable look. "You don't think Chris gave Dullindal this data for him to build the other four machines?"
"Anything is possible Nic." Aelan told her as she turned the Laptop off. "Well, I'm heading out, I'll be back by at most tomorrow if need be" Aelan told her as she left the room. A few minutes later, she came out fully suited for mobile suit combat as Tala held a clipboard in her arms.
"Hey Aelan, heading out?" Tala asked as Aelan nodded heading to the zipline of the Red Queens cockpit.
"Yeah, I got an idea of where Chris is and I'm going to go find out." Aelan told her starting to head up. "Tell Asriel to head to whats left of the Marshal Islands would yeah, well stay there for a while, coordinators and even our group will have some bad relations here on earth for awhile. Especially as some Blue Cosmos Members are still alive." Aelan told her as Tala nodded.
"Will do red!" Tala called up to her as Aelan climbed into the Red Queen's cockpit.
"Tala, please don't call me that." Aelan told her as the cockpit closed on the machine as she strapped herself into the machine. Aelan activated the machines main systems and its nuclear fission engine as she walked to the catapult. "This is Aelan hear, requesting permission for launch." Aelan radioed to the bridge.
"Aingeal here, Aelan you are clear for launch." Aingeal radioed to her as the catapult opened revealing the blue sky towards the direction of the Minerva.
"Aelan here, heading out" Aelan told them as the catapult sent her out into the sky, as soon as she reached outside after gliding a bit, she activated her machines primary thrusters and took off towards the ZAFT ship.
Onboard the Minerva, Talia and Cagalli were walking with each other, "So we are to head ta ORB correct?" Cagalli asked as Talia nodded as she kept her hands behind her back.
"That is correct Miss Athha, we need repairs, and Carpetaria is to far away for us." Talia told her as Cagalli nodded.
"Right, I wanted to show you and your crew gratitude for what you tried to do for the Planet, we will gladly repair your ship of the damages it has taken." Cagalli looked out the port windows looking at the ocean.
"Its going to be hard to explain what actually happened up there." Kevin said appearing infront of the two woman as Talia nodded in agreement. "Thats why most likley it be best we get you at the Morgenrete dock at Onogoro Island" Kevin told her as the intercom came to life.
"Captain, we have a mobile suit signature detected, its from the Avalon!" The intercom radioed. Talia picked up a phone from the wall near by.
"Ok, Inform Chris to meet me in the hangar." Talia told the bridge as she turned to Kevin and Cagalli. "If you excuse me, I'm going to be seeing one of our guests off." Talia told them as she turned and began heading towards the hangar.
On the deck, Chris and Lunamaria were shooting side by side compareing how Chris shoots with Lunamaria's progress as Meyrin was watching how much her sister is progressing on the moving targets. Athrun emerged from the ships interior seeing how Chris, Luna, and Rey shooting the targets, with both Rey and Chris firing with deadly accuracy. When Lunamaria finished with her round, she turned to see Meyrin but saw Athrun first. "Hey Athrun!" Luna said with a smirk on her face as Athrun rubbed his head.
"Hey Lunamaria, have any of you seen Cagalli or Kevin?" Athrun asked the group of four.
"Hmm, Kevin was here about twenty minutes ago, but after that no clue." Chris told him removing the safety goggles off his head while holstering his own gun.
"Alright thanks, I'll be going now." Athrun told them as Lunamaria grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait right there." She told him as he turned around to look at the amethyst eyes of Lunamaria. "Come on, give this a try." She told him handing him a handgun as Athrun shrugged.
"If you insist." he calmly told her as Meyrin and Luna watched him get ready.
"How about we make this a competition." Chris told him drawing his pistol once again as Athrun nodded. "Meyrin, set it to difficulty ten." Chris told the younger of the Hawke sisters as she nodded and set up the targets with the computer nearby.
"Ok, ready and go!" Meyrin told them as she activated the system, both gunmen fired their firearms as the two fired with deadly accuracy upon the targets. When it finished the targets came closer to them to see how well they did.
"Looks like a tie." Chris commented looking over at the target sheet of Athruns. Athrun just sighed putting a hand to his head.
"This skill is unnecessary for me." Athrun commented putting the firearm away.
"Isn't a good skill to have to protect one self from your enemy?" Lunamaria asked him as Chris nodded.
"Of course it is, its the best way when your not in a mobile suit to protect yourself." Chris answer her as Athrun just began to leave as Shinn was standing in his way.
"Mind if I ask, who is your emeny?" Athrun asked her as he tried to walk by Shinn.
Athrun brushed by the teen, as Shinn turned towards Athrun. "Why do you want to go back to ORB?" Shinn asked him as Chris was wondering what that question meant.
"Mr. Nexus." Vino mentioned as Chris looked at him. Vino then pointed out to the sea causing Chris to look in the direction Vino pointed at. He could see the Red Queen flying closer to the ship.
"Well well, guess they found me." Chris said as he turned to Shinn, Rey, Vino, Lunamaria, and Meyrin. "I am sorry to say, that I must be going, my escort has arrived." Chris told them as he turned to the two girls. "Until the next time we meet m'ladies." Chris told them as he went into the hall and began to head towards the hangar. He stopped in the pilots ready room as he put on his pilots suit. Once he left the room, he was met by the Captain of the ship as she gave him a ZAFT salute. "Captain Talia?" Chris asked as he also gave her a salute.
"It was a pleasure to work with you Mr. Nexus, and hope we meet again on the same side of the battlefield." Talia told him as he nodded walking towards to the mobile suit form of the Black Lightning mobile suit.
"Same with you Captain, and good luck at ORB, and becareful, not all their noble familys are big fans of the coordinators." Chris told her as he walked and placed his hand on the mobile suit's Zip line. "Till next we meet." Chris told her as he raised. A few minutes later the black machine launched from the Minerva as it joined with the Red Queen.
"Its about time." Aelan said as her machine hovered in the air as the Black Lighting approached.
"Don't give me that will yeah Aelan." Chris told her as he sighed. "No matter, its good to see you are alright, now mind taking me back to the Avalon?" Chris asked her as she nodded.
"Right, Nicola has been worried sick of you." She told him as both machines turned towards the Avalon and through the sky with the Red Queen in the lead.
A/N: Ok, another chapter down and out the window, and considerably shorter than my last one. Well next after this, Minerva, Kevin and Cagalli return home as the Avalon takes some deserved time off at the Marshall Islands as Lacus and Kira are no longer their do to heading to ORB for some buisness sort to speak.
Next Chapter may be longer for me to put up so bear with me. I'm just so weird in the head, as I'm doing an original story, this, and last but not least starting a Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic fan fic. And having to take care of my neighbors dog is well going to be taking some time on me. Along with the game I rented of Drakengard II. Well no matter till next time NukeDawg