In the Face of Tragedy

Scene from my first story and regular canon happen if they are not contradicted.

"Regular speech"

'Thought'

"Video call or voice chat"

Marlene

Marlene stood over the slumped form of Saji Crossroad, who rested against the wall of the padded brig, his eyes red and puffy from tears. After meeting with Katharon and coming back to the ship, Marlene had been shocked to hear about the sudden attack by the A-Laws on the base. They had left to follow their plan, leaving Saji behind in the rebel organizations care and now he was back with the Ptolemy, having said it was his fault the base had been attacked. The base was well hidden, so the only logical way it could have been found is if they got info about the general area.

Adding onto this situation was Sumeragi had fainted seeing the aftermath of the attack. Bodies littered the wrecked hanger and a large amount of Katharon's mobile suits were destroyed. Marlene was sickened by the sight but she hadn't expected Sumeragi to faint. She was currently in a medical pod, and Marlene had stepped in to take over, ordering the ship to move to the coast to draw away the enemy. Katharon needed time to evacuate the base, so Celestial Being would help.

So standing over Saji, she was not in the best mood right now. She glared down at the young man, her voice tense, "Well Mr. Crossroad, it seems we have you to blame for this mess we are now in."

Saji blubbered at her, "But I didn't mean to! I just wanted to-"

"Cut the bullshit." Marlene refused to let him go on making excuses, "You are lucky Setsuna and Tieria convinced me that you aren't some sort of spy with your actions. Just some idiotic civilian who thought he could go back to normal life."

Saji looked at the ground, voice weak, "All those people. I didn't think I would…"

His voice trailed off, anger rising in Marlene. 'Of course he didn't think. He just acted and didn't realize how bad a situation he was in.' Her voice picked up in intensity, "Mr. Crossroad, how would going back to normal life have solved anything? Would the world go back to normal? You just thought you could ignore the thousands of dead bodies left in the path of the A-Laws, didn't you?"

Saji looked at her in shock, not knowing how to answer. Marlene balled one of her hands in a fist, "You don't think others have gone through what you did?! Losing everything when it wasn't their fault?!"

He looked up at her with widened eyes, "What do you mean?"

"I too was caught up and had to watch people die I knew when I was just a civilian. I even got thrown to the wolves of the justice system, accepting all of it." Marlene's eyes glowed with anger, "You know what I didn't do? I didn't complain or try to run away from the horrible world. I saw a corrupt and cruel world that needed to change. So I took my chance even if it meant I would be seen as a terrorist. I knew people would die, but at least I was trying to solve an issue."

Marlene then pointed in the direction where the base was, "Meanwhile you got people killed trying to escape the real world! Not to mention you are a terrorist as far as the world knows. Did you think you would be able to just go back to friends or family without any consequences? You would be hunted down and potentially be killed as a rebel against the government or even locked up for life."

The way Saji was acting pissed her off. When Marlene had watched people die of disease and was falsely accused of the crime, she didn't wallow in her sorrow. She tried to move forward, to help solve the corruption of the world, as flawed as Celestial Being was at times. Saji had been either angry, passive aggressive or wallowing since he had come aboard, still angry at them without ever thinking about the world as it was.

Tears began to stream down Saji's face, "I just… what do I do? How do I make up for what I did? I can't stop seeing the images of dead men and women in my mind!" A hint of sympathy bloomed in Marlene, but she squashed it. Saji needed to be reminded of the truth of reality, not coddled. Her hand drifted to her gun, which Saji's eyes widened at, but she moved her hand back to her side, hoping he got the message.

Marlene's voice cooled a bit, "You help remove those that caused this massacre. As long as they exist, there will be no going back to 'normal'. The world be controlled by those that would abuse their power and control."

"But I don't want to hurt anyone. How can I do that without hurting anyone?" Saji looked up at her, eyes full of desperation. She could see he was lost and needed guidance. He had never confronted the hard truths of the world and now he was facing said truths head on. And he had lost.

"There are very few options to not having to kill someone in this line of work." Her lips became a thin line, "You can help out on the ship if you really want to do something. If you really won't kill, help us out on the bridge or Ian fix the Gundams."

Saji looked at the ground, the last of his tears falling onto the ground, "I just…"

Marlene turned around, her voice terse, "I have a job to do. I'll keep this door unlocked and you can come to Ian or myself if you want to have a job. But otherwise stay out of the way if you are going to be useless like this." She heard no response as she left the room, closing the door. Right now, Saji was the least of her concerns. She had to draw out the enemy to distract them. 'I hope Katharon is appreciative of this.'

Setsuna

Setsuna looked at the endless dunes in the observation room, buried in his thoughts. So much had changed and events were moving faster than he expected. He hadn't expected to have been fighting the enemy so much recently, but that's the path that seemed to be inevitable. 'And I hope Marina is safe with Katharon.' She had said she was staying when he got back from and he nodded at her, finding Tieria yelling at Saji further into the base, who he learned had been responsible for the base attack. He hoped Marlene wouldn't be too rough on him. 'I think he got enough from Tieria, though I understand why he was mad. Saji got those people killed, but he seemed to regret it.'

The door slid open and he turned around to see Allelujah, in his orange uniform, look at him with wide eyes, "Oh Setsuna! I didn't expect you to be here." He looked away, embarrassed, "I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll leave you alone."

Allelujah began to turn around, but Setsuna called out to him, "It's fine. I could use the company." A little guilt settled in Setsuna's chest due to the fact he hadn't really talked to Allelujah since he had come aboard.

The super soldier walked closer to him, giving him a smile, "It's nice to be back. Four years of imprisonment wasn't the most fun." Allelujah frowned for a second, but quickly went back to smiling.

More guilt settled into Setsuna's chest. 'I abandoned him four years ago. I was alone for three years, but at least I was free. Allelujah was all alone, held in that prison.' He frowned as he replied, "I'm sorry it took so long to get you back. I tried to find you on the battlefield-"

"But you only found the GN drive or something like that." Setsuna nodded and Allelujah just shook his head, "It's alright. They took me and the Kyrios before anyone would have had the chance. I was lucky to be able to release the drive before they took it with them. It's not your fault you weren't able to find me."

Setsuna could see on his face that Allelujah held no grudges, and reluctantly smiled at it, "I tried to look for you, but couldn't find anything. They really kept you locked up secretly."

Allelujah nodded, "They never explained why they did, but after what we did, maybe they wanted me to suffer." Allelujah chuckled, "When I first saw you with the gun, I thought you were going to kill me. You have to work on looking a little less intense."

Setsuna blushed at that, "Feldt has been helping a bit with that, but I think I'm a little better."

"Feldt, huh?" Allelujah smiled, "It's strange to see you so…friendly? Warm? The last time I saw you, you were a bit closed off from the rest of us."

Setsuna shrugged his shoulders, a bit wistful, "I think being with the crew for a year has softened me a bit. Even with Marlene on everyone at times."

Alleujah looked curiously at him, "Is she always that strict? She seems to just be able to look through you. Scared me a little."

Setsuna nodded, "You get used to it. The only person able to get any sympathy from her is Feldt." Setsuna smiled slightly, "Daughter privilege I assume."

Allelujah looked out the window, "Feldt has a mother. Celestial Being is back. I feel kind of out of the loop. What happened over the four years I was imprisoned?"

"I will say I can't tell you everything. But I'll tell you what I did at least. You'll have to ask Tieria, Feldt or Lasse if you want more info on the organization." Setsuna then began to tell his story covering his time alone and then reuniting with the organization as well as the near year leading up to the attack on the prison. Allelujah paid close attention to his words, occasionally asking him for more details, which Setsuna happily answered.

As the story came to a close, Alleujah gave him a warm smile, "You know out of everything you told me, you and Feldt are the biggest surprise. How long had that been going on?"

Setsuna smiled happily, his cheeks heating up from the memories, "I guess it started when we started talking before we started the interventions. We got closer and I admittedly had a bit of trouble figuring out my feelings, but we both eventually figured it out. It took a few years of separation, but we finally were together."

Allelujah grinned at him, "I'm really happy for you Setsuna. You seem so much happier than you were back then. And I guess that explains the matching scarves you and her share. You two got real lucky." Setsuna rubbed his hands down the scarf, feeling her presence on the scarf. Alleujah laughed, "I can't believe I missed all that."

"It's not your fault. We mostly bonded in private, away from prying eyes. It took Feldt a while even after I got back to show any public affection… Well outside of duty. Marlene discouraged it while on duty."

Allelujah chuckled at that, "That seems like what she would do. Your girlfriend certainly has a tough mother."

Setsuna shrugged at that, "I'm used to her and understand her well enough. She just wants Feldt to be happy but still wants us focused." Setsuna noticed Allelujah look out the window, a faraway look in his eye and a frown on his face, "Is there something wrong?"

Allelujah kept his eyes on the endless dunes, walking close enough to the window to put a hand on it, "Remember that girl? The one in the pink Tieran?"

Setsuna nodded, "The one who always seemed to be hunting you?"

"That's the one." The super soldier turned to face Setsuna, looking desperate and lost, "I learned at the final battle four years ago it was actually a girl I knew back at the institute. She was my friend… and I was forced to leave her behind when I escaped."

Setsuna gave him curious look, "Why did you have to leave her behind?" 'If she is a pilot now, then she could certainly have left with them.'

"She could only speak with her mind, using quantum brainwaves. For some reason, she was unable to do anything else." Setsuna could hear the regret dripping from Allelujah's words as he continued, "I wanted to bring her, but I didn't know if she would make it. So I wanted her to be safe." Allelujah's voice shuddered, "I hate that I never went back for her."

Setsuna put a hand on his shoulder, "You were only a kid. You couldn't have helped it." Regret rushed through his mind, the words others said to him now coming into greater meaning. 'It's hard to let go. And it's strange I'm the one saying it.' Setsuna continued, pulling his hand back and giving his fellow meister a comforting smile before looking at him curiously, "If she's was in a coma-like state, how can she pilot? How did that happen?"

"I don't know, but I plan on finding out." Allelujah gave him a determined look, "I want to bring her back. I know she's in there and I know I can bring her back."

Setsuna gave him a confident smile, "Then do it. You have my support, but don't get yourself killed in the process. We need you." A thought then came to his mind, "If you are planning on doing that, I would at least tell Marlene and Sumeragi. They would probably appreciate that."

Allelujah nodded, smiling back, "Thank you for that. Though I assume you are a bit biased, based on our redhead companion."

Setsuna looked away at that, trying to fight the growing red creep on his face. He looked back up, his fight unsuccessful, "It would be unfair of me to stop you, and hypocritical on top of that. I hope you succeed."

"Me too. Me too. I just hope our commander and Sumeragi won't be too mad at my idea."

Feldt

Feldt stood outside the Cheridum, looking down at the ground. The guilt she felt from yelling at Lyle had only increased since the incident and after hearing what he said during the base attack, she knew she wasn't feeling great either. Lyle was currently still in the cockpit of the Cheridum, doing a practice simulation if she had to guess. 'Would probably be good for stress relief. I would feel the same way.' The destruction of the Katharon base had disgusted her. All of those people were basically defenseless and the A-Laws had even used automatons. The sheer calculated brutality disturbed her to her soul. It was a lot to take in and she wanted to clear the air, especially after seeing Lyle's reaction. He may act like a playboy and annoyed her mother with his attitude, but he genuinely hated the A-Laws.

The hatch of the Cheridum opened, and Lyle lowered down onto the walkway, his lips a thin line and Haro in one arm. He looked over at Feldt, approaching her. His tone was calmer than during the attack, but it was still tense, "Let me guess. You are here to blame me for something else. Should I have stopped them before they put the robots down?"

Feldt shook her head, taken aback by the anger in his voice. 'I hope what I said before didn't upset him too much. And he also seemed particularly affected by the base attack.' Feldt took a deep breath and spoke, looking up at the Irish man, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out at you like that. It was unprofessional and you didn't deserve it. I promise to be fairer in the future." Her shoulders slumped, guilt swimming around her mind.

Lyle looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his expression softening, "While I was annoyed, it's alright. I can see you feel bad about what you said. It's hard to stay mad about that when I realized that you had a lot on your mind."

Feldt shook her head, "It's still not fair that I took it out on you. I should have been responsible and acted like an adult."

Lyle just chuckled bitterly, "We all have our moments. Besides, I have seen worse reasons to get mad. It is nice to see someone willing to apologize so quickly. A lot of people I met don't seem to think they should."

Feldt blushed at that, and Lyle smiled at that, "It's nice to see a blush on that pretty face." Feldt scowled lightly at him and he just rolled his eyes, "You know I can compliment you and not be trying to flirt, right? I have no interest in you. I understand you love your boyfriend."

Feldt looked away, rubbing her arm, "Sorry. It's just a bit odd to have a guy who looks like an older brother to me flirt with me."

Lyle just nodded, an annoyed grimace on his face for a split second, "Yeah, that would probably be a bit odd. I'll lay off it." Feldt gave him a grateful smile, and he continued, "I have to be honest. When you were glaring and scowling at me, I thought it was because of my brother. Everyone on the crew besides your mother seemed to look at me like a ghost at first, so I thought you just had a hard time letting go of my brother. But when you said it was because I stole your Gundam, that was not even on my list of possibilities. It caught me a bit by surprise."

Feldt just pursed her lips. She could hear tension in his voice when mentioning his brother, even if he hid it relatively well. 'I wonder what his relationship with his brother was like. Not the best by the way he talks about it.' Her tone was curious, "What did you think of your brother joining Celestial Being?"

Lyle snorted, "Sounded just like him. Jump into a crusade to try to stop war after what happened to our family. He was kind of dramatic like that." Lyle grinned, "Though I suppose there is an irony of me joining the organization that got him killed, so I guess I'm the hypocrite here."

Feldt nodded, "He meant a lot to all of us."

"I figured that much talking to Setsuna." Lyle gave her a thoughtful look, "On a different subject, I think you need to talk to your mom about that little issue of yours. I had fights with my family and it helped no one to bottle it up. It was better to get it out in the open. Well… most of the time at least." Feldt saw a faraway look in his eyes as he continued, "Sometimes siblings have a hard time resolving issues."

There was definitely a loaded tone in that comment and it intrigued Feldt, but right now she didn't want to dig into that. She got the feeling there was a bit of tension between Lyle and Neil that Lyle wanted to keep hidden. Feldt just smiled at him, "I never had any siblings, but my mom and I are trying to figure things out. Thank you for the advice."

Lyle just shrugged his shoulders, "Just saw the obvious standing out there." He then looked at her curiously, "Why aren't you the pilot of the Cheridum? If you had the skill, you would be the best choice."

Feldt's shoulders sagged once again, "She told me she needed me on the bridge. That I was irreplaceable. There is more going on and I intend to find out when I ask her."

Lyle put a hand on her shoulder, "You go for it kid." He flashed her grin, "It's nice to not be glared at whenever you pass by one of you comrades."

Feldt just nodded at that, "I have to work on the Cheridum, so you are free. Also I will need Haro."

"Certainly." Lyle handed her Haro and she saw him make his way to the elevator out of the hanger.

Feldt looked at Haro with a friendly smile, "Hey there."

Haro flapped happily at the redhead, "Hey Feldt! Hey Feldt! Feeling better? Feeling better?"

Feldt pat the orange robot, "Yeah. For the most part." While the base attack still weighed on her mind, she was more certain about her personal issues. She would talk to her mother as soon as possible and get the answers, whether her mother wanted to or not.

Setsuna

Setsuna sat in the 00, impatiently waiting for the signal to launch. He had no idea what forces they would face, but they would certainly be outnumbered. 'And if that custom suit is there, I will certainly have my hands full.' He was certain that pilot was the same flag fighter that had hounded him five years ago. 'Why is he so obsessed with fighting me?'

Feldt appeared on his display, sitting in her chair on the bridge. She gave him a smile, "Setsuna, remember the 00 cannot use the trans-am."

Setsuna nodded, annoyed, "I understand. I will refrain from using the trans-am. Anything else?"

Feldt shook her head, "No. Just wanted to remind you. I think you would prefer if I did it than Ian getting mad at you after."

Setsuna nodded, blushing, "It's better to have a pretty face say it."

Feldt grinned, "Just stay safe out there."

"I will." Setsuna smiled at her and the communication broke, leaving him alone to wait. The smile faded to an even look and the recent past drifted into his mind. Seeing the capital of Azadistan burn and the remains of the Katharon base was something that drove his disgust and anger. He was no stranger to sights like the base, but the sheer impersonal inhumanity of it was something that made him hate the A-Laws. 'They like to use the automatons. They don't even get their hands dirty.' When he was on his own, he saw attack after attack follow that pattern, though the current robots were more advanced than the older ones.

But what was more shocking to him was the state of the capital of Azadistan. He had seen ruined cities due to warfare, but normally that was after a long time period, like a siege of a town or city. But when he and Marina had arrived, the city was on fire, a red mobile suit floating over the city, almost gloating about its victory. The city hadn't been at war, hadn't been fighting anyone. It was so severe that it seemed like even law enforcement and the army would have a hard time containing the chaos. They would need an outside force to try to fix anything. 'Meaning maybe the Federation might take advantage of this.'

Whoever that suit belonged to was someone who would destroy an innocent city for seemingly no reason. The fact that the suit was painted red was a sign it might be him. 'And if it's Ali like I suspect it is, then he's working for someone who has interests in destabilizing the region. Has he been hired by the A-Laws?'

The fact he might have survived was disturbing. He had been hit almost point blank by the GN arms, his suit cut in half. The fact he could have survived would be a miracle. 'And now the enemy that had ruined his childhood and killed Lockon could continue to kill. He is a threat we need to deal with.' He didn't want to tell Marlene and the crew till he was sure it was him. It would not help to give info that might be wrong. The suit had disappeared and he had no idea where it could have gone. 'I'll have to keep an eye out for it.'

He could feel his anger rise at the A-Laws. The Federation and A-Laws taking advantage of another nation, especially in the middle east, only made him resolve to fight more. They were spreading their corruption further and further, not thinking about the people under their care. As long as he was a part of Celestial Being, he would not allow them to continue this.

Drifting away from that thought, part of the conversation he had with Marina when she was on the ship popped up in his mind, the weight of it something he had been putting off

Marina gave Setsuna a curious look, the topic of Azadistan dropping from their conversation, "Have you thought about the future with your girlfriend?"

Setsuna's eyes widened at that, "What do you mean by that? Why bring it up?"

Marina smiled at him, "You said you guys have been dating for almost a year. Have you guys talked about marriage? Children?"

Setsuna looked away from her, not knowing how to respond. He was happy where he was with Feldt and it would be a lie to say he hadn't at least thought about stuff like that. He wasn't sure if he could raise a child or be a good husband. With his past, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to raise them right. He was afraid of being a bad parent. Of not being able to be a good husband. His life had been so focused on fighting he hadn't really had the chance to learn to be a normal person.

The closest he had was Feldt, but even then it was in the context of both of them being a part of a terrorist organization. Neither had a particularly regular upbringing. He didn't know what they would do after, how to integrate into a normal life. 'Should I bring this up to Feldt?' He clenched his fist in frustration, not knowing how to feel.

Marina looked at him with concern, "Setsuna, what's wrong?"

Setsuna just let out a sigh, unclenching his fist, "I just don't know if I could be a good father or husband."

Marina gave him a warm smile, "With how you talk about Feldt, I can tell you love her. I have no issue believing you could be a good husband. It's no different from how you currently are, just with a formal name. Trust each other, communicate and stick by each other. I'm sure you'll do fine." Marina then placed a hand on his cheek, "And I'm sure you two would figure out how to be parents. My parents always said you never know how to raise a kid till you try."

Setsuna couldn't help but smile, "Thank you. I'll think on your words."

Marina nodded at that, "I hope they help."

It had been eating at his mind and maybe when they got a good chance to really rest, they could discuss the future. He had to admit seeing Feldt with a wedding band would look nice. 'Would she take my name? Keep hers?'

Marlene's voice then spoke over a public channel, "All hands, prepare for combat!" Setsuna refocused himself, pushing all thoughts on the future to the back of his mind. Right now, the enemy was in front of them and he needed to keep his head clear. 'One fight at a time.'

Marlene

With the battle against the A-Laws over, Marlene put the bridge crew up to the task of keeping the search for Allelujah going, she made her way to the medbay, where Sumeragi still was. 'What was Allelujah thinking? Why did he grapple that suit?' Allelujah seemed focused on that suit and she wanted to know why. 'I'll find that out when he is rescued.'

One thing that was bothering her about this whole experience was the worry building in her chest. She had promised herself that she would not get attached to this new team beyond professional, but there was an ache in her chest at the thought of a Allelujah being lost. 'Stop that! He's just a subordinate.' Her lips became a thin line. 'I can't do it. Not again.' Her heart still hurt from the loss of her last team. She couldn't take another hit like that. A errant thought went through her mind. 'We can't lose him again.'

Taking a deep breath, she finally reached the medbay and saw Sumeragi putting on her gloves, the rest of her uniform already on. Sumeragi acknowledged her, smiling at the blonde woman through the glass. Marlene nodded in response and walked into the medbay, giving her a small smile, "You saved us once again. Thanks for that."

"It's what I'm good at. Besides, we were down two meisters. There was no way we could have won the battle."

Marlene nodded in reply, "That is true." Marlene looked curiously at the tactical forecaster, "Why did you fall unconscious? It seemed kind of random."

Sumeragi let out a deep sigh, eyes glazing over slightly, "It…reminded me of someone I lost years ago. When I was doing a training exercise, I had bad intel and there was friendly fire. There was wreckage all over the battlefield and casualties scattered all around." A few tears ran down her cheek, "One of them was my fiancé."

Marlene could see the loss in Sumeragi's eyes, like that day never left her mind, "It must have been a strong memory to put you in a coma. Was that why you took it so hard when Fallen Angels happened?" She felt a growing sense of kinship with the brunette, knowing she went through great loss before joining Celestial Being.

Sumeragi just pursed her lips and nodded, "I had to watch the life fade from his eyes sitting in the medical tent. He told me if god willed he would die, then he wouldn't resist. It hurt so much to see him die so quietly."

Marlene gave her a serious look, "My condolences for your loss. I know how it feels."

"Thank you." Sumeragi then looked at her in surprise, "I looked at your history and saw something went wrong on a mission. But it was kind of vague. What happened?"

Marlene let out a deep breath, "Both my husband and I were meisters. During a mission gone bad, he told me to leave him, to not leave Feldt alone. It broke my heart, but we had to think about our daughter." Marlene looked down at the ground, a tear rolling down her cheek, "I still occasionally have nightmares about it."

Sumeragi put a comforting hand on her arm, "I'm sorry for your loss. The fact you can hold on for so long without giving up is something that no even I could do."

Marlene just smiled slightly at that, "Believe me, I would love to be able to stop. But I was needed, so I would continue to fight." She then frowned as she looked Sumeragi in the eye, "While I still disapprove of you abandoning the organization, I at least understand why now. Just don't do it again."

Despite Marlene's words, a smirk appeared on one side of Sumeragi's lips, "I won't. I'm here till the end. Though I want to you knock me back to my senses if I ever think about leaving again."

Marlene smirked at that, "Oh, you wouldn't need to tell me that."

Sumeragi shook her head, chuckling. She then looked into Marlene's blue eyes, friendly smile on her face, "Marlene, you should get some rest. I can take over the bridge."

"But we still need to-"

"Marlene, you took over for me since the base attack. It's my shift on the bridge anyways. I'll keep you updated on the search." Marlene wanted to tell her it was fine, but stopped, realizing this is what it felt like to have someone you could rely on. 'It's so strange to be around someone I want to spend time with. But I suppose Sumeragi understands me more than I expected.' It was certainly a nice feeling, even if she internally flinched a little at the attention.

Was Sumeragi her friend? It was strange. She had been resisting getting attached to people on this new crew, but Sumeragi was able to connect to with her. It had been a long time since she got close with anyone that wasn't part of her old crew or linked to her daughter in some way. 'I'll think about this later.'

Marlene nodded, "I'll do that. The bridge is yours." Sumeragi patted her on the shoulder, and the two women made their way out of the medbay, Sumeragi to the bridge and Marlene to her room. As Marlene reached her room, the call of a soft bed tempted her. She laid down on her bed, tiredness surrounding her. 'Some rest might be good. I hope Allelujah isn't in trouble.'

Author Note

And chapter 6! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you guys next week! Reviews and comments are appreciated!