Disclaimer: I do not own either Gundam, talk to Bandai for the rights, because I don't have them.
Brief Summary: Things have been reorganized back at the PLANTS and with-in ZAFT. On the Earth Forces end of things, fewer and fewer troops are believing in what they are fighting for. For now they fight to live and fight for the guy next to him. As for the Archangel, she is to sail into North Africa and deplete the military strength of the ZAFT in the Mediterranean Area.
"Kira's Last Act"
Chapter 3: "Desert Tigers and Lilies"
Athrun laid in the bed fighting a horrific fever, even by Coordinator standards. So much water had been just dumped on him to help try to cool him, but to little avail. There was talk of sailing to the ZAFT Northwestern African command base for medical assistance. The Desert Tiger was known as a cunning and powerful warrior, but this was tempered by his love of coffee and his kindness. If the fever didn't break soon, Athrun would be handed over to ZAFT for medical aid.
Though far, far away, a young man saw another in aid and reached out and help guide the boy to road back to the world of light. With a word of caution and some wise advice, the new boy turned and left, his brown robes flowing behind him.
"Who are you?" Athrun called out.
"You know who Athrun, but beware of the Dark Side and trust my sister, the Desert Lily," the boy called back, igniting a violet beam saber that matched his eyes.
"WAIT!" Athrun yelled bolting upwards awake and smacking Miriallia in the forehead with his own.
Both turned and hissed and whimpered at the sudden pain. That's when Crewman 2nd Class Tolle Koenig, Ensign Nicol Amalfi, and CAG Mu La Flaga walked in and saw the two hissing in pain and a very worried Lacus Clyne and Flay Allster.
"Be careful when you bolt upwards!" scolded Flay.
"Yes Athrun, do please be calm as there are no threats at this time and you need to rest," Lacus tried to calm him.
"What happened?" asked Mu.
"I had one hell of a weird dream of a boy about my age in brown robes. I couldn't see his face, but his eyes were violet like the Strike's beam sabers. He ignited a beam saber in fact, a, well…err… infantry issued beam saber," Athrun said.
"An infantry issue?" Mu asked unbelieving.
"That was one weird dream, because only the mobile suits have bean sabers and outside of the CQUE DEEP Arms and the Buster, we're the only other ones to have them," said Tolle.
"CQUE DEEP Arms?" Athrun asked.
"A new model, most likely a test platform," clarified Nicol; after all, Athrun could only guess that little information came to them through Rhiner.
"Yeah, but what was strange, was that he said I knew him and that he has a sister, a Desert Lily, he called her. He said we could trust her, but not the "Dark Side." Whatever that means, must have just been a dream," Athrun said, not believing it himself.
Everyone nodded and started to talk when Athrun remembered.
"What happened to the 8th Fleet and Admiral Halberton? What about Yzak and Dearka?" Athrun asked.
"We ARE the 8th Fleet Ensign Zala," Mu said through gritted teeth.
"As to our friends Athrun, we don't know about their physical condition, but they got knocked around, especially Yzak," Nicol answered.
"Yeah, it was like watching The Kid fighting. What did you forget?" Mu asked.
"I can't remember anything after Le Creuset blindsided me. I can't even remember the battle itself," Athrun answered truthfully.
The whole thing was a complete blank for Athrun, for that matter. He couldn't even remember the start. The briefing yeah, but once he launched, Rau had spotted him and blindsided him with a haymaker. That's all he could remember, but before the others could tell anything, the klaxons and sirens began to sing their "oh-sweet-music" to everyone's sheer annoyance.
"Level One General Quarters! Level One General Quarters! Operation Blasting Cap is ago! I repeat Operation Blasting Cap is ago! The Tiger is here and looking for a fight!"
Kuzzey's voice boomed over the ship's internal speakers. Everyone rushed off to their assigned posts. While on the ZAFT side of the line, Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld argued with one of his officers.
"Who ordered that attack? The Earth Forces are not weak when comes to electronic warfare! Not to mention that ship kicked around three teams before entering the atmosphere! Recall them and recall them now!"
The officer spoke up, quite clearly scared of who was the attacking ZAFT officer rather than the one in front of him.
"But, but I don't want to die or lose my family sir!"
Andy knew about this soldier and knew he had no family, unless, "You slept with a Natural?"
"Married and with twins, sir," the soldier replied feeling disgraced.
"Then I better find some cigars later, but first things first. Commander Wilhelm von Habsburg, THIS is your superior officer, return immediately, that's an order!"
Static…
"Commander I gave an order."
More static, then suddenly, maniacal laughter rang out over the radio.
"WAHAHAHAHAHA! You order me you weakling! I'll show you my true… WHAT THE HELL? IT CAN'T BE HIM! RETR---- static."
Explosions could be seen and heard, the radio was alive with the screams of ZAFT BuCUE pilots screaming for their lives as they ran here and then. A shadow mobile landed in the middle of the ZAFT encampment. A few seconds later a BuCUE fell from the sky, in pieces. The pilot climbed from what had been his cockpit. His mobile suit was a complete wreck, crawling seven meters from his mobile suit he was picked up quickly by his fellows. Thirty seconds later, the remains detonated, throwing up smoke and debris, but also lighting up the shadow mobile suit.
Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger, felt fear that could never be described, a fear his men also felt. A paralyzing fear, a fear so great that the world slowed for what seemed to be an indescribable amount of eternality. There, crouching before them, ready to attack was… Andy blacked out and he wasn't the only one.
When the feared Desert Tiger awoke, he was in Banadiya, Libya, his main base. At his side was his Aisha. She dabbed his forehead lightly with a cool and damp cloth. The soothing effects were apparent as he started to get up slowly. Aisha didn't try to stop him, but had to ask.
"Andy, what happened, your forward camp was in complete ruins and your men didn't make the circle attack as promised, what happened?"
Flashback
Fear held his tongue, he couldn't move as he saw it standing there. A BuCUE tried a rear attack, only to be cut down into pieces, the pilot's remains tumbling out like that of a rag doll from a dryer.
End Flashback
He wrapped his arms around himself trying to chase away the chill of the memory and the nightmare he had last night.
"Andy?" Aisha sounded worried and anxious.
"He's not dead and its not destroyed… and they're back," was all he said as Aisha embraced him to make him feel safe, even a little safe.
A knock at the door and Martin Da Costa came in, sporting a new scar over the bridge of his nose. He saluted and waited as Andy collected himself. He then rose and went to change from his damp and dirty clothes into a clean uniform for the time being.
"Report," Andy stated from behind a screen as Aisha handed him his clothes.
"Sir! The Lesseps launched her BuCUEs as ordered, but we found ourselves fighting an unknown fighter-craft with heavy weaponry, including beam weapons mounted on it," Martin waited.
"And Patrick Zala and his fellow radicals think that the Naturals are idiots, not even OUR own R&D has finished fully reversing their technology and they already have it on fighter-craft, this war is not going to end well for either side. What else?" Andy asked already impatient and unlike himself.
"Sir! The Desert Dawn came out of their holes and supported the Legged-Ship. All attacking troops were annihilated, the survivors being taken prisoner," Da Costa finished feeling demoralized.
"They are all that's left of the 8th Lunar Fleet, no surprise they would fight hard and even take up any slack that the Desert Dawn rebels created. If only we could send a message, like burning Tassil, but if he's back, then no, too dangerous, far too dangerous," Andy said.
"Who's back sir?" Da Costa inquired, confused and curious.
Andy appeared dress and the signs of fear upon his features scared both occupants in the room.
Nicol stood watch from with-in Blitz as Athrun descended from the Aegis. The mood was especially sobering. A mid-battle reported heavy fighting between ZAFT and some mobile suit off to the south of their position. Using the equipment on the Archangel, the crew had been able to figure out that the Desert Dawn fighters had not been over there and there were no signs of what had attack the ZAFT forces there. To add to that, for a minute, Sai Argyle had reported seeing what appeared to be the Strike's IFF signature and beacon on his scope, as did Miriallia. That was considered a chance glitch with-in the systems of the ship.
Now coming face to face with the Desert Dawn, Athrun still wearing red flight suit, but an Earth Forces flight suit, took his helmet off and caught sight of a blond girl with a striking resemblance to Kira Yamato, yet so she was so beautiful to him. He had to steel his mind to keep on track. He pinched his nose and purposely wobbled, making it appear he was still not in that great of condition.
"What's wrong him?" asked one of the Desert Dawn fighters.
"Ever try re-entry in mobile suit and then bump your head on another's right after?" Mu asked the fighters.
They shook their collected heads no.
"Don't try it, he's really lucky I letting him move around at all," Mu ended the discussion.
"He would have to be a Coordinator to be able to move about like that," the blond girl stated.
"That's because I am, Alex Dino, an Ensign of the Atlantic Federation Naval Space Forces," Athrun states, with a tone of neutrality.
"I'm his half-brother and fellow Coordinator Tad Dino, also an Ensign of the AFNSF,our posting is the AFS Archangel, 8th Lunar Fleet," Nicol says in the same matter.
"Well being half-brothers explains the difference in appearance, but…" the leader began, but was cut off.
"Are you saying that two Coordinators should be difficult to find in the Earth Forces, especially among my officers, there are quite a few people who would beg to differ and they also want to teach ZAFT that they can't be repeating Junius Sevens all over the place," Murrue Ramius snapped back not likely were the line of questioning was going.
"They are also a little over a year apart," Mu piped in also clearly offended.
"Sorry about that, your right, but we heard that these suits were piloted by ex-ZAFT pilots," the leader said.
"How about your name and we will tell you what happened to them," Murrue said ending any other form of communication.
"Sahib, Sahib Ashman, though that isn't my real name," he said.
"They were unfortunately aboard the Menaloas. Athrun Zala and Nicol Amalfi talking about Miss Clyne's return to the PLANTs," Murrue said with genuine sadness.
"Sorry, we didn't know all, we knew was that the 8th Fleet had been wiped out," Sahib said.
"It's all right; we had received our orders anyways from the admiral. We are to support you in your bid for independence from ZAFT and some say, the African Community as a whole," Murrue said.
"How did you know that? And who said we wanted help from Earth Forces?" asked a young man.
"Not polite to speak out of turn," Mu responded.
"My name is Ahmed," the boy huffed and turned his gaze elsewhere.
"There's a peace movement with-in the Alliance and they want the Desert Tiger out of action, if at all possible, but they generally don't care, just as long as ZAFT reserves are depleted. Both sides are committing their younger generations to war, as well as all the older ones too," Murrue supplied.
"I see, we get our independence and the war ends in a stalemate, no one really wins, except for the neutrals and us," Sahib said, his men grabbing the new seriousness of the war.
"Humph? Prove it?" challenged the blonde.
"Cagalli!" Ahmed, Sahib, and one other said annoyed.
"I mean what was the name of the pilot of the X105 Strike," the now named Cagalli said.
"Kira Yamato, no military rank, emergency volunteer from Heliopolis, 1st Generation Coordinator, KIA from a surprise attack led by Patrick Zala," Alex supplied.
Everyone of the Desert Dawn could see that had really hit a sore spot. So Sahib gave Cagalli a glare.
"Sorry about that, I didn't know," she said, genuinely.
"Then keep yer mouth shut!" was heard from one of the hangers.
Murdoch and his maintaince team looked pissed. Kira had grown on all of them in a short time. It was also, traditionally bad luck, to continue to talk about a fallen comrade during times of war.
Everyone heard a rifle break in two from the airlock that the Archangel Officers came out of. Clearly one of the naval personnel assigned to add additional firepower to the covering team, had crushed his weapon with his bare hands at the remarks being thrown around about Kira Yamato.
"Let's change the subject," Sahib said hurriedly, he really wanted their help to obtain independence from both ZAFT and the African Community.
"I agree, better than a fight between our forces," Murrue would not fail her mission.
"Cagalli Yula and Ledonir Kisaka will help show you the way to our base, there outta be just enough room to hide your ship there, but I've come to suspect that the Desert Tiger knows about it," Sahib said, Cagalli huffed at the indignation.
"You brought it upon yourself Cagalli the Desert Lily," Ahmed joked, receiving a punch for it from said girl.
"Say what?" Mu shouted.
"You don't agree?" asked Sahib, nervous, but not showing it.
"Alex didn't you say you had a weird dream in which…"
"Trust my sister, the Desert Lily," Alex recited, raising eyebrows everywhere.
"Say what?" asked Ahmed.
"I had a dream in which someone said we would end up meeting up with someone called the Desert Lily, a female, though I think the name said it all," Alex said.
"She does kinda resemble The Kid in a way, except she has blonde hair and amber eyes and isn't a boy," Mu chimed in.
"Who cares!" one of the Marines had gotten impatient.
"It just means we're win, it must have been fated, but we still need to work for it," one of the soldiers said also crossing over to the crowd.
"Then let's move out, it might have only been coincidence, nothing more," Murrue stated.
Everyone accepted the explanation, but high on a nearby sand dune, someone didn't like what had been told. Walking back to his shuttle, a hologram appeared of an old man in black robes, obscuring his eyes.
"Master, apparently the one that gave us much trouble came from this world, but I cannot see how," the man admitted confused.
His master observed him, the twin scars across his left eye and across the bridge of his nose. He was in fact missing that left eye. He used an artificial robotic eye in place of his original. He too was covered in black robes, but these were made more for fighting in melee combat. His blonde hair was held in a pony tail, and the top and sides of his head was bald. His right eye showed no emotion at this time. He was kneeling, but he did with a sense of defiance and pride. Standing, he was 193 cm tall. He was lean and trim, but all that was pure muscle. He was also no push over in battle.
"Slay them tonight with your warriors do not let any escape," his master commanded.
"There is a slight problem, I'm afraid. He seems to be around here, even as I speak," the man responded.
"Then wait for the moment and strike!" the master said and the hologram turned off.
Walking to the encampment of men and women similarly dressed, but as some men in white armor were standing around with others in grey and black. Vehicles and aircraft sat at the ready about the camp, as did the supplies and other vital equipment around them.
"We strike soon! For the Empire! For the EMPEROR!" the man shouted, gaining cheers from his men and women.
On another, higher sand dune, a lone figure observed them, waiting and calculating their plans. One of his follows dressed like him in brown robes stood at his side, two paces back.
"We are ready," the clearly female robed figure said.
"The Indian Ocean, we shall join battle there," the leader said.
He turned and went back to his mobile suit, now grey with deactivation. He looked upon his friend and comrade. He then climbed into the cockpit to rest. The female and the other followers went to their tents and fell fast asleep. The enemy would not be joining up with the Desert Tiger, for he could and would resist them, thus they would have to ambush the Archangel at a later date. Then the battle would begin again and renewed, the war would finally truly begin.
NEXT CHAPTER
"The Legged-Ship is firing!"
"Evade!"
"Sir! Report! Someone just started to torch Tassil!"
"WHAT?"
"But he is indeed back, he is indeed back."
Archangel
"Captain! What are the chances of a second glitch?" called Kuzzey Buskirk.
"None, why?" Captain Murrue Ramius inquired.
"I got a second hit on the…" a BuCUE missile interrupts with a near miss on the bridge.
"Damn! What's happening?" Murrue barked out.
While down in the CIC, Sai Argyle felt something land on his white uniform. He brought two figures to check it out and immediately looked around wildly, finding the source. In a heartbeat he was at Kuzzey's side.
"Captain! Kuzzey's hurt bad and so is Petty Officer Pal!" Sai yelled.
Murrue snapped her head around so fast, she was dizzy for a few seconds. LT (JG). Natarle Badgiruel was already there summoning stretcher bearers and replacements, for the latter there were none. Sai immediately took over Petty Officer 1st Class Romero Pal's post, as Kuzzey's post was brunt toast.
"Shells incoming!" cried PO1 Jackie Tonomura.
A bright light flashed across the sky intercepting and destroying the Lesseps' cannon fire. Everyone began to trace the firing point and there standing in all its glory was the…