Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Fated Shift: Rearmed
By Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415
In Memoriam
(January 30th, C.E. 71, EAS Archangel, Open Space)
It had been three days since the madness at Artemis. Everyone was glad to be away from the Eurasian outpost, now little more than a shattered wreck thanks to a little help from ZAFT. Murrue slumped in the captain's chair. She had never been prepared for something like this. She had been just a simple technician, and never really had ambitions for command, but now here she was, at the helm of the Earth Alliance's most advanced warship. The Strike and Masamune the one last faint hope her people had for surviving this war. "Someone let me off this ride." She muttered, clutching her face in her hand.
Luckily, Sharon was ready with much-needed support in the form of warm coffee, the steam visibly rising up. The warm scent was very inviting. The pinkette smiled as she passed the mug to her old friend. "Everyone knows that starships aren't fueled by processed deuterium, they're actually fueled by caffeine. Proven scientific fact." The pinkette's sing-song tone helped brighten Murrue's attitude a little. Sharon had always been a ray of sunshine even in the darkest times.
"At least we got ZAFT off our tails for a while," Natarle remarked. Even though she knew better than anyone that eventually Le Creuset Team would resume their dogged pursuit of them, even if it meant chasing them all the way to Alaska itself. In the meantime, any respite they had would be welcome. The black-haired executive officer's face was the picture of calm professionalism. Although her mind was anything but, wracked by a thousand questions at once, worrying about their supply situation, especially a growing lack of fresh water. She hadn't brought it up to the other officers but figured Murrue was well aware of it.
"Well, I doubt the Eurasians are going to think very highly of us. Considering we did trash one of their bases and made off with one of their experimental prototype mobile suits." Mu said from his place near the back of the bridge where Sharon and Chandra sat the communications and ECM control stations respectively.
"Captain, we just got something on the laser sensor!" Chandra said. "Unidentified vessel, it's coming up from behind us!"
"All hands to Level One Battle stations! Have the mobile suits and Moebius Zero ready for take off." Murrue barked, immediately slipping into command mode. After what happened both at Heliopolis and Artemis, she was more than a little edgy. Mu was just about to depart the bridge when Sharon brought everything to a halt.
"Just hold off on that, Murrue!" The pinkette exclaimed, holding up a hand to indicate quiet. "The other ship is hailing us, The commander of the ONS Kagutsuchi, a Captain Tetsuo Mishima, is saying they are not hostile to us and wish to provide an escort for us back to Earth. Apparently, they're friends of Colonel Sahaku, and they were the ones who helped us to escape Artemis." The officers let this sink in for a few seconds. In the rush to escape from the Eurasians. They hadn't really thought of who had given them the time to evacuate. So it was only right they thank their new allies for the aid.
"Tell them thank you for helping back at Artemis. And they are welcome to come up alongside the ship, Lieutenant Heim." Murrue said. "It's only right that we pay back the debt we owe these people."
Sharon took a few minutes. "Captain Mishima said he would like to come aboard, along with a few others."
"Tell him, permission granted," Murrue said.
(Hangar)
Yui was floating in the middle of the hangar, clad in a maintenance jumpsuit. Yukimasa, Keijiro, and Petty Officer First Class Kojiro Murdoch, head of the Archangel's maintenance staff, were by her side as the rest of the technicians stood in a semi-circle around them. "Okay, we're going to divide up the labor into four teams. Team One will be responsible for the Mobius Zero, headed by Petty Officer Murdoch, I will head up Team Two, and oversee repairs on the Strike. Team Three will take care of the Masamune, and Yukimasa will oversee that, and the Hyperion will be maintained by Kejiro and Team Four." She swept her head around elegantly. "Does anyone have any questions?"
"Just finally glad to see you pulling your weight around here, Yui-chan. Tell me do you have to spend all your time running maintenance on Kira so you weren't able to focus on the mobile suits?" Keijiro drawled, eliciting muffled chuckles and snorts from a few of the men, and a venomous glare from Yui. He held up a placating hand. "Oh, come on! What's a little ribbing between friends?"
"You are no friend of mine, Keijiro Mishima." Her brilliant purple eyes reflecting the harsh glare of the overhead lights. "And your precious machine won't get maintained at all with an attitude like that. After all, I know you would probably have a heart attack if the paint even got chipped." Her smile looked pleasant, but Yukimasa and the others knew that it was the absolute opposite. "Just imagine it rusting, one second after another. No special wax to preserve its luster. It would be such a horrible, terrible crime."
Keijiro's mouth opened to let out a bloodcurdling scream of absolute terror, "Stop! Stop right now! Don't say that about my precious baby!" He then took off for the Hyperion. Praying there was nothing wrong with it. Everyone started laughing at Keijiro's absolute obsession when it came to appearances, as he clung onto the leg of the stolen Eurasian Gundam. "Don't worry, sweetheart, nothing is going to happen to you. I will make sure of that." He thought he was whispering, but everyone could plainly hear him.
Yui clapped her hands together, bringing everyone's attention back. "Okay, everyone! We've had enough theatrics for one day! These machines aren't going to fix themselves. You know your jobs, let's get to work!" The technicians split up into the four teams. Yukimasa then floated up to her, a wide grin on his face. "Something I can help you with?" She asked.
"I have to give you props, Yui. You managed to hit the big idiot in the one place that hurts him more than anyone else." He grinned. "I'll admit it's kind of nice seeing him taken down a few pegs. Feel free to do so anytime he gets to be out of hand. Just let me know, that way I can be there and get my fill of cheap laughs."
"Someone has to keep him in line." Yui ran a hand through her hair. "Although Keijiro isn't completely wrong. I do need to step up now. As much as I love Kira, there is my duty to take into account." Her shoulders hunched up a little. "I guess I'm going to have to tell him the truth, eventually. I'm just afraid of how he's going to react once he learns." She trailed off with those words. Yukimasa reached up to gently pat her on the arm.
"You don't have anything to worry about in that regard, Yui. I've been around Kira long enough that I got a pretty good read on him. He's got a big heart, and it's clear that he is really relying on you for support in this very difficult time. While I think he'd be upset you didn't tell him the whole truth about why you were at Heliopolis. He doesn't strike me as being the petty type. He won't hold it against you for very long. You're way too important to him, Yui." This served to placate her some, and she smiled, her face turning a delicate shade of red. She didn't blush often, but it was a cute sight regardless.
It was then the alarms started going off, getting everyone's attention fast. It was then the interior hangar doors opened, and what everyone recognized as a standard space launch entered, setting down in front of the Hyperion. The hatch opened, admitting Tatsuo, followed in close course by Cagalli, Mori, Kuro, and finally Alissa. Yukimasa was equal parts relieved and distressed to see all of them on board. He floated down to the floor, coming to a perfect two-point landing in front of them. Tatsuo just snorted and began clapping sardonically.
"Not bad, Kid. I'll give you an extra point for form on the landing, but if only because I like you so much." The older man's face softened just a little. Despite being known as a Grade A hardass, he wasn't afraid to show his softer side around those he was closest too. "That being said. I'm glad to see you made it out of there alive. When I saw the end result of ZAFT's assault. I thought something bad had actually happened to you for just a fraction of a second."
"Oh come now, Tatsuo. You should know better than anyone, Sahakus aren't killed so easily." Mori smirked, holding his fist out. "Hello there, little brother. I will say that it's been far too long since I've seen your face. I know Kuroto feels the same." Kuro rolled his eyes at the use of his full name. But he, in turn, held his own fist out, and finally, Yukimasa joined the circle, all three Sahaku brothers sharing a brotherly fist bump.
"I'll say I'm very relieved that you picked them up, Tatsuo." Yukimasa had wondered what happened to the survivors after the colony collapse, but with the battles against Athrun and the other redcoats, not to mention the madness at Artemis. He had to prioritize his own, as well as Flay's, safety. What happened to Kuro and Cagalli had fallen to the wayside. "Not to mention we owe you for bailing us out against the Eurasians," Yukimasa said, turning to address his older brother. "And it's always good to see you, Mori. Life gets kind of bland without your unique way of viewing the world." Mori just smirked, running a hand through his hair. "So what brings you over to our little piece of space, Tatsuo?"
"I want to speak to the ship's captain. I got orders from the higher-ups, my job is seeing to it you guys get to Earth in one piece. We need to start hashing out some kind of plan for the immediate future." Tatsuo said. "If you can point us in the direction of the bridge. We would greatly appreciate it."
"Go through that door, turn right, first door on the left, it will take you straight there," Yukimasa said. Tatsuo just gave a curt nod, before he departed the hangar, Mori on his heels, while Kuro and Alissa remained behind. He then turned to the amber-eyed blonde, currently wearing a furious glare at him. "Don't think I've forgotten about you." He quipped while putting on a cheery grin. "Hello there, Cagalli. You're looking very expressive right now. Give it a couple more years and you will be the proud owner of the best death glare in Orb."
"Oh come off it! You actually played a part in the development of these things?" She indicated to the Strike, her voice dripping in disgust. "I can't believe it's actually come to this! We really have just decided to take everything our country stands for and blow it out into space! Orb may as well be part of the Earth Alliance now with this."
Yukimasa just rolled his eyes and let out a groan, bringing her rant to a halt. "You really want to have this argument right now, Cags? Contrary to what you might think. Not everyone believes in the pacifistic drivel your great-grandfather thought up sixty years ago!" He and Cagalli had known each other for years. Despite the rivalry between their respective families, he had tried to keep things civil, but he didn't have the time or patience to deal with her whining. "I know Lord Hashirama believed neutrality was the way to keep our country safe, but if we don't maintain at least some level of military strength, then we really will get taken over. The Atlantic Federation has the means, Dad took advantage of it, enough said, end of story!"
Cagalli just let out a derisive snort, folding her arms. "Oh and so we come to the foundation of the problem. Your whole family has always been warhawks, going all the way back to Danzo Shimura Sahaku himself!" The rivalry between the Athhas and Sahakus was no secret to anyone from the island nation. Cagalli's great-grandfather, Hashirama Senju Attha, and Danzo Shimura Sahaku had been bitter rivals with polar opposite views on how to run the country and had hated each other for it. That animosity had carried down through the following generations. "Yukimura Koto Sahaku is only interested in getting himself to the Chief Representative's Office! He and my father have never liked each other and is just waiting to get him kicked out of his position! I hope he burns in hell for all of eternity!"
"Will you shut up already!" Kuro yelled suddenly, stopping Cagalli's rant suddenly. His obsidian eyes burning with a cold fury "Cagalli, I put up with a lot from you. I consider you a friend, and I take my job as your bodyguard very seriously. I always have, and I always will." His voice was even and measured. "I don't agree with a lot of your father's beliefs, but I kept my mouth shut because I'm a professional. However, even professionals have their limits. And you…just crossed mine!" It wasn't often Kuro raised his voice, but when he did, everyone listened. "I'll say this as plainly as I can, Cagalli. You better listen good, because I will not repeat myself. Some of us actually had to make sacrifices to help our country! I had to kill people, and I really hated doing it too. But I did it to protect Orb's interests, and moreover, to protect you! I say fuck our ideals if we can't protect ourselves. So come out of your ivory tower and Grow! Up!"
A few tears formed in Cagalli's eyes. "You are such an asshole!" She sniffled, before leaving the hangar in a hurry. Alissa said nothing, just following after the blonde princess.
Kuro blinked a couple of times. It then occurred to him just what he had done. "Oh, I probably crossed a line there, didn't I?" He said almost nonchalantly. To which Yukimasa just nodded. The younger Sahaku brother just sighed. "What can I say? I don't like it when people talk shit about Dad. Even if it is Cagalli."
"A lot of people hate Dad. I'm not particularly fond of him either." Yukimasa replied, he had always been closer to his mother, Hitomi. "If it's all the same, Kuro. I really have to get to work on getting this mobile suit tuned up. Just let Cagalli have some space for right now, let her cool off. Once that's happened you can work on getting back into her good graces." Kuro just shrugged, giving a wave with his index and middle fingers, Yukimasa responded in kind, letting his younger brother leave the hangar while he went back to work on the Masamune.
Kejiro got the last word in. "Wow, that was riveting and extremely dramatically charged. Oh well, back to waxing my baby girl!" He began whistling a jaunty tune. Before Murrue's voice rang out over the PA system, ordering Yukimasa to report to the bridge. The young Sahaku sighed, going to change into a fresh uniform since he didn't want to show up with grease all over him. He came out of the shower feeling like a new man.
It was there he saw Flay, standing at one of the viewports, looking out at the Kagutsuchi as it came up on the Archangel's port side. Seeing a chance, he quietly snuck up behind her, grabbing the redhead around the waist, eliciting a startled gasp from her. "Hey honey, you miss me?" He grinned widely, silently noting how cute she looked with that angry pout, before planting a kiss on her pale cheek. "Aw, come on, don't be too mad at me. I must have some fun with you. It says so in my contract."
"Oh, you're one to talk!" Flay said, slapping him lightly on the arm, before giving him a kiss of her own, but aimed right on the lips. "I heard you get called to the bridge. Do you want me to come along with you?" She slid her arm into his as she spoke this. The intention clear for anyone to see. The two made their way to the nearest elevator and went up to the bridge.
(Bridge)
Murrue took in Tatsuo and Mori as they stood before the main viewport. She hadn't been expecting the Atlantic Federation Naval Special Forces to suddenly come riding to the rescue, but these two gentlemen weren't her first choice of backup, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Deciding to keep her opinions of their appearance to herself. Murrue stepped forward, holding her hand out. "Let me be the first to say thank you for coming to our aid at Artemis." Tatsuo gently took hold of it, offering an amazingly delicate kiss on her hand.
"Not a problem at all, my dear. I'm certain it was better than remaining in the pleasant company of Gerard Garcia any longer than you already had been." Tatsuo pulled out a cigarillo and his lighter. He was just about to touch the burning flame to the tip, only for Natarle to rip out between his lips, a furious glare in her purple eyes as she took the tobacco stick, giving it a look of extreme disgust before crushing it in her fingers. "Wow, you're a difficult person to understand, Ensign. You have a problem with smokers?" He asked.
"This is a non-smoking ship." Was all she said. Only for Mori to come up to her. Natarle took a step back, but the elder Sahaku sibling just flashed a rather debonair grin at her.
"Glad to see you're so health-conscious, Ensign Badgiurel I've been getting on Captain Mishima about that terrible habit of his for years." He took hold of Natarle's hand and kissed it. Murrue and Mu both snickered, thinking Mori just needed a rose in-between his teeth to complete the image. "However, I may feel about the Earth Forces personally, I will say they have no problem turning out gorgeous and competent women in their command ranks. This ship is in good hands."
"Aw, it looks like you have an admirer, Nattie!" Sharon cooed from her station, enjoying seeing the straitlaced Ensign so uncomfortable. "I have to say you really know how to pick them! He is nobility after all."
"Why thank you for that statement, Lieutenant Heim. The good Ensign would be more than welcome in our family."
It was then Yukimasa and Flay came out of the elevator which was just what Natarle needed to break up this awkward moment. She gave Flay a questioning eye before quickly speaking. "Crewman Allster, would you mind telling me doing here out of uniform?" She said. This caught Yukimasa by surprise. He looked to her and she just let out a shy giggle. Natarle put her hand on her hip. "Oh, your girlfriend didn't tell you? She came to me just after we left Artemis and asked to take part in ship operations. I have no problems with that, but if she's going to be part of the crew, she needs to be in uniform."
"Is that true?" Yukimasa asked.
Flay just put her arms around his neck, giving him an adoring gaze. "Yes, it is. I didn't just want to sit in the cafeteria with the other survivors and stare at the walls. If I can help out in even the smallest way, then I'll feel like I accomplished something. I'll be rotating duty at communications with Sharon. And Ensign Badgiruel is correct. I need to change out of this and into something a bit more appropriate. I'll be right back." She winked at him and departed for her quarters. Yukimasa was left with the image of her backside before the elevator doors slammed shut.
"Glad to see you can join us," Tatsuo remarked, shaking him out of his reverie. "Now if we can finally get down to business. We of Mishima Security Consulting, has been charged by the governments of both the Atlantic Federation, and the United Emirates of Orb, more the second one actually, to escort this vessel, the EAS Archangel, back to Earth in order to protect it and its accompanying mobile suits, namely the GAT-X105 Strike, considering the other G-Weapons are now in the loving hands of ZAFT." The sarcasm in his voice was clear for all to hear. "But that's neither here nor there. I'm going to entrust one of my own people to you as a liaison."
"Who is this liaison?" Natarle asked worriedly, praying it wasn't Mori. But it was then Alissa came on the bridge, followed by Kuro and Cagalli, her face still stained from her tears, but a look of firm resolve on her face.
"Here she is now!" Tatsuo smirked, as Alissa came up, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Alissa here is one of my best operatives, Captain. She'll be able to give you any guidance you need. Just don't be afraid to ask."
"I'll be remaining on board as well," Cagalli spoke up, looking ever the model politician. She marched up to Murrue, looking her dead in the eye, Kuro just behind and to the right of her. "Captain Ramius, I am Cagalli Yula Attha, representing the Orb government. Given that this vessel is a joint effort between our respective nations, I feel it's necessary for someone to be aboard to protect our investment as it were." She looked back to Kuro as she said it. "So I'll be in it for the long haul."
"Which means I'll be coming on board as well." Kuro snapped to attention, offering his best salute. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Kuroto Takeshi Sahaku, serving as Lady Attha's bodyguard. Where she goes, I go. As such, you'll also have my own personal machine, the Gravesend, transferred aboard. I assure you it's suitably lethal Captain Ramius and should be able to handle anything ZAFT throws at us."
"That puts me quite at ease then." Murrue began feeling like she could trust Tatsuo, but only so much. She would play it by ear for now. "So, I suppose we should plan out our next move then. We need to get to Joint Supreme Headquarters - Alaska so we can deliver the Archangel, the Strike, and all of the relevant data to our superiors. We've put so much time and effort into the G-Project, if we're going to have any chance to win this war, the data we've gained can start putting us on the path to mass-producing our own mobile suits. Any and all aid you can provide is greatly appreciated, Captain Mishima."
"The first thing we need to address is our serious lack of supplies," Natarle said. "We only managed to load up the barest of essentials before Heliopolis was destroyed. And the less we speak of our recent trip to Artemis the better. Our food stores will last us only for another couple of weeks, and drinking water is even more so. There's no way it will be able to last a trip all the way to Earth. We need to find a way to resupply and fast!"
Tatsuo snorted. "Oh we know exactly how to get what you need, Ensign, so put a cork in your worries. Although, given how you're clearly a spit and polish type, it may not go over well with you. The Debris Belt, it has more than enough food and water to get you where you need to go." He sneered slightly. "The question is do you have the stomach to do a little grave robbing?"
Natarle looked ready to protest, but at the same time, she couldn't ignore the older man's logic, especially since she had just said how grave the situation was. There was no time to go through official channels, and the Atlantic Federation Quartermaster wasn't exactly anywhere nearby. Murrue rested her chin in her hand, delicately manicured fingers tapping her cheek. She was clearly weighing the options herself. But unlike her executive officer, she wasn't so rigid in her thinking. "Very well then Captain. Since you know the way, I'll defer to you. We'll do what needs to be done, within reason."
Tatsuo gave a nod of approval. "Good, glad to see you're not completely uptight. The Debris Belt is about a week and a half's voyage from here. We can work out the specifics on the way there."
(Debris Belt, February 13th, C.E. 71)
With a rare dose of luck, the Archangel and Kagutsuchi managed to make it to the field of assorted junk that had come to be known as the Debris Belt, marking the midpoint between the Lagrange Points and Earth itself. Tatsuo was on the bridge of the white vessel, having another conference with Murrue and the other senior officers. "Welcome to flavor country, boys and girls. A century's worth of space junk is lying here in front of us, and everything we need to keep ourselves alive is just waiting to be snatched. All we need to do is pick a place to start."
"Freshwater, no disputing that," Murrue said almost at once, looking back to Natarle who just nodded in approval. "We need food as well. There should be plenty of canned goods out there. None of that should have gone bad, especially if they've been sitting in a hard vacuum."
"Non-perishable items are a top priority food wise, as is anything frozen." Alissa ran her fingers along the tablet she was working on, drawing up the list for the most bizarre shopping trip anyone of them had ever gone on. "Water shouldn't be a problem either, it's all going to be ice but a couple of good-sized chunks will refill our water stores long enough to get planetside."
"We should also see about salvaging any nearby ships for extra fuel, ammunition, and spare parts." Mu offered. "Granted, I'm not sure how much would be compatible with our current systems, though."
Keijiro just laughed, leaning up against the wall. He was completely relaxed. "Relax, Lieutenant, you forget the guys who helped design this ship are onboard." He gave the bulkhead a loving pat. "And while our dear little Angel here is top of the line, we also designed it to be compatible with all standard Earth Alliance components. You just leave that part of the shopping list to me, and we'll have no problems at all."
"For once, I'm in agreement with stoner boy," Yukimasa commented, ignoring the pout Keijiro threw at him. "Even though we were building this ship from the ground up, we didn't want to there to be any technical problems if they arose. You find us the components, we'll fix it, Captain."
"Given how shorthanded we are, we'll have to rely on the student volunteers for assistance." Sharon twirled one of her thick, cotton candy locks. "They can help us find all the supplies we'll need."
"We'll divide up the labor into three teams," Tatsuo said. Murrue had deferred to the older captain due to his greater experience in situations like this. "Team One will be headed up by Lieutenant Pink Hair and scavenge any Earth Alliance vessels we find. Team Two will be led by Ensign Stick in the Mud doing the same for any ZAFT vessels that pop up." Sharon looked amused by her new nickname and Natarle just glared at him. "Alissa's in charge of Team Three, and she'll find the food and water we need."
"Is that what I think it is?" Murrue asked, giving a silent prayer.
"I can't believe it made it all the out here," Sharon whispered.
"It is indeed." Tatsuo sounded remarkably subdued. As the eyes of everyone on the bridge felt on a giant plate, it almost seemed like someone had taken a near perfect circular portion of the Earth itself and lifted it into the middle of space. "It's Junius Seven." His trademark smirk began returning. "I hate to say this, but I think our biggest problem may have just been solved with this. J7 holds all the water we could possibly need and then some."
The Earth Alliance officers looked at him with stark disbelief. "You can't be for real." Natarle protested. The anger rising in her voice. Even if they couldn't strictly follow the book, in this case, this was going too far in her eyes and she wasn't afraid to let everyone know. "I had no problem with taking from the wreckage of any ships we found, but that? It represents the greatest tragedy in human history! It's grave robbing!"
She was stopped mid-rant by Murrue holding her hand out. "We're only taking what we need from there, right. Captain Mishima?" She asked. "We aren't going to be disturbing any bodies, right?"
"Of course, Captain Ramius. Even I have standards." Tatsuo took out another cigarillo, putting it in his mouth, but not lighting it. "Even still, what I'm saying still stands. Most of our food and water needs could be easily solved by taking from the colony's remains. We'll be able to replenish both ships' stocks quite easy from the various stores and markets, and the water can be taken from the towers on the buildings. And once we're done, we'll even pay our respects to the fallen. Does that placate you, Ensign?" The black-haired officer just huffed as she folded her arms. The look on her face showing she was going on with this only reluctantly.
"We'll round up the kids and get started. The sooner we get this done, the better." Mu said, leaving the bridge.
(An Hour Later)
It was a strange collection of craft that disgorged from both the Archangel. The Zero, the Strike, the Masamune, and Hyperion were in a diamond formation around the Mistral worker pods, crewed by Natarle, Sharon, and the other students. They slowly descended toward the remains of Junius Seven. Everyone was subdued about this, Kira, like Natarle, had been vehemently against it, only for Yui to calm him down, reminding him of what was at stake for everyone. It was such that she was even riding in the Strike's cockpit with him, wearing a pink version of the EA flight suit. Kira was sneaking glances at her every few seconds, he couldn't deny she looked good in it, although he thought blue or gold was more her color.
Flay likewise was in the Masamune's cockpit wearing her own flight suit. "I have to say, I'm still not a fan of the colors, but if anyone can make blazing hot pink work, it's you, dear." He was rewarded by her dazzling smile.
"Aw, you know how to flatter me." She cooed, desiring nothing more than to crawl in his lap, but she reasoned it would probably hinder his ability to fly. This was too dire a situation to be making out. Besides who says they couldn't do that later? The teams split up to pursue their respective tasks, with Yukimasa flying with Alissa's team. They set down in the middle of the desolate street.
Yukimasa was the first to disembark, touching the ground first. He held a hand to help Flay steady herself, instinctively putting an arm around her waist as she settled on the ground. The two shared a loving gaze, only for Alissa to break up the romantic moment. "You two can be lovey-dovey on your own time. Don't forget why we're here!" Kuzzey just stood there in the background, wisely keeping his mouth shut.
The first place they stopped was a grocery store. Alissa and Yukimasa strained to open the doors. They walked in, shinning their flashlights over the place. "Remember, put a focus on frozen or canned food. Once we've loaded the Mistral up, we'll focus on collecting water from any towers in the area."
"How about grabbing some bottled water as well?" Flay indicated to the cases of water bottles on the wall. "That way we'll be guaranteed to always have fresh drinking water and we can use the water from the towers for other things, like bathing and what not," Flay remembered how all the girls had to take a sponge bath from a small tub of water Murrue had provided. It had not been fun, and she didn't want to go throw it again.
Alissa smirked. "You're smarter than you look, Red. I hadn't factored that aspect in. Okay, kids, let's grab a few dozen cases of water as well. That should make our respective bosses happy." Yukimasa and Kuzzey begin lugging the very heavy packages to the worker pod while the girls would scour the aisles for anything edible. They were making another round when a loud scream rang out.
"That's Flay!" Yukimasa yelled, taking off down one of the aisles. Kuzzey on his feet, whining about not being so fast. They stopped in their tracks when they found Flay on the ground, the canned food she had been carrying scattered all over the place or flipping end over end in the low gravity. Yukimasa felt his stomach twist into a knot, and he was certain Kuzzey was going to throw up, leaving a very nasty mess in his spacesuit.
In front of them was a pair of dead bodies floating. A young girl not more than six years old and her mother, their faces contorted in expressions of muted horror at their imminent demise. Yukimasa floated over to Flay helping her up to her feet. "We about to go to the frozen foods section. They just kind of appeared out of the shadows." The redhead clung onto him, her voice shaking, eyes focused on the dead child.
Alissa slowly approached the two corpses, closing their eyes to give them a sense of peace. Yukimasa said nothing, still holding onto Flay, tears forming in her bluish-gray eyes. "What kind of monsters do this, Masa?" The redhead struggled to hold her tears back, but it was a losing battle. "She's just a little girl. Her whole life was ahead of her and now…" The dam finally broke and Flay started crying. Yukimasa gently rubbed her back. "It's not fair!"
Inwardly Yukimasa said a silent prayer. 'Thank Haumea Keijiro isn't here, he'd say something about how dead children would mean more ice cream for him!' He went back to tending to Flay. He wished nothing more to wipe her tears away, but the helmets made that impossible now. "It's different when you put a face to the problem, isn't it?" He gestured to the bodies. "I know you've never thought highly of Coordinators, but you're not seeing these people as Coordinators now. You're seeing them as human beings who were brutally murdered for just being a little bit different."
"It's a bitter pill to swallow, Miss Allster." Alissa cut in. "But much needed medicine regardless. I hope you take the lesson you've learned here today to heart. But in the meantime, we need to get these supplies back to the Archangel and Kagutsuchi. We'll look for some water towers on the way back, so let's get in the air." It wasn't long before the Masamune and the two Mistrals were airborne, each of them carrying a large chunk of ice taken from a water tower atop an office building. It would be enough to get both ships all the way to Earth.
"This is a good haul, Alissa. Tatsuo and Murrue will both be quite pleased." Yukimasa said. He looked over to Flay, who had removed her helmet to try and wipe the tears away. She wasn't worried about her makeup running, it could always be fixed.
"And I have a proposition for the good Captain. Perhaps we can hold a memorial service for the fallen. I think it will be good for everyone." It seemed to be just what Flay needed to hear as she smiled at him before putting her helmet back on.
(February 14th, C.E. 71)
Members of both crews now stood upon the upper deck of the Archangel, Yui, Flay, and Miriallia all held bunches of paper flowers in their arms, having been made by the civilians during the mission to the colony. The Strike, Hyperion, and Masamune all stood behind them. Murure stood out front. "We are gathered here today to pay our respects to those who died one year ago today, February 14th, C.E. 70. In the hopes tragedies such as these never occur again, we give this simple offering, in the hope of peaceful understand and co-existence."
A single nod from Murrue and the girls let the flowers go, scattering across the void.
"Fire!" Natarle barked. The three beam rifles came up and a salvo of emerald lances roared into the depths of the space. The moment was a stark reminder that despite that chaos and pain war brought, it didn't mean humanity had to be totally abandoned, and there was always time to give due to the dead.
(Archangel, Brig)
Keijiro sighed as he lounged back on the narrow bed. Even though he had been offered better quarters, he had decided to remain in the brig. It was where he felt most at home. He had said nothing after the memorial, instead returning straight to the brig. The wreckage of Junius Seven produced a visceral response in him. "How long are you going to stand there?" He growled, "Is it enough that I have to hear your voice in my head all the time? I have to see your ugly face again as well!"
He looked over to the wall where a tall, lanky figure leaned against the wall, his face obscured by shadow. "Now come on, Kei. That's no way to speak to your big brother. I've been with you through this whole thing. You can't ignore me that easy, especially since we came here. The sight of my greatest work. We both know what happened here, there's no point in pretending nothing went down."
"Fuck off you no good bastard! As far as I'm concerned, you're dead to me!" Keijiro snapped. This just earned him a hollow laugh from the figure.
"Maybe I am dead, but I'm also still very alive. I'm alive in your head!" The figure leaned forward revealing his face, dark-skinned, and a smug grin permanently etched there. "As long as you keep thinking about me, then I'm still alive in one way or another. I must say it's quite touching really. I didn't think you still cared."
"I don't care, considering how you abandoned me!" Keijiro snapped. "I looked up to you, Koji and next thing I know you're abandoning me in Orb without even the slightest hint of an explanation why." He pulled out a rolled-up joint containing some marijuana. "It's only because of this I can even get some sleep without you appearing in one form or another."
The apparition just jeered at him. "I thought you didn't have the patience for overly long explanations. It was for your own good, Keijiro. You never considered everything I did was to better you. Including what happened to our parents. Let's face it, rotten shits beget rotten shits. Look at what's in front of you! You could take over this whole ship by yourself, seize the power of those mobile suits and make all the women your bitches! I gotta admit there are some real choice pieces of ass here. The Japanese girl, and that pinkette with those giant knockers. Of course, the Captain and XO look like they could be really fun in bed as well." He shuddered, licking his lips. "And of course, that redhead, she's the real crown jewel. It could all be yours, but you're too busy getting baked such a waste."
Keijiro began growing as Koji continued laying into him. As he coiled up, his hands clenching his head, trying anything to make it stop. "You seem to love playing second banana to that smug little brat, Sahaku! Let's face it, he looks down on you and we both know it! You're pathetic! You'll always be pathetic!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Keijiro roared, having finally had enough. He sprung off the bed, ready to tear his "brother" into pieces. But only to find Yukimasa there, holding what appeared to be a carton of ice cream in his hands. "M-masa." He rasped, ashamed of suddenly appearing like a crazy man.
Yukimasa recoiled, a look of shock on his face that was suddenly replaced with an annoyed glare. "Dude, I know dead kids can be upsetting. I didn't expect you to react like this. Being you know…you. I brought you something from the grocery store." He held the carton and a spoon out, his expression softened into a smile. "It's even Cherry Garcia, your favorite."
He couldn't even look Yukimasa in the eye as he snatched both away. "Thanks." He said, remarkably subdued, sitting down on the bed with the ice cream, digging out a large hunk before downing it in two bites. Keijiro spooned up some more, eating it with greater speed.
Yukimasa just leaned up against the wall. "Let me guess…you saw Koji again, didn't you? Don't bother trying to deny it, Kei. I know you way better than that."
"And so what if I did?" Keijiro snapped, it would have been a lot more effective if his mouth wasn't sticky with ice cream. "He's dead after all. He died at J7 fighting for the Earth Forces. It's no big loss as far as I'm concerned. Shit just begets more shit. Not like anyone shed tears when he died."
"Look, man, I'm here for you if you need it. Any time you want to talk about it, I'm there. I know you hate being 'unzipped', as you put it, Keijiro. But you really need to talk to someone about it. We both know this isn't healthy. All the weed in the world can't keep that monster at bay forever."
"Oh bitch please, like you're one to talk!" Kejiro grunted, scowling at Yukimasa. "There are things you'd never reveal, like about your mom, so don't go on about it not being healthy."
Realizing this argument wasn't going anywhere. Yukimasa just stood up. "Yeah, maybe you're right. When you do decide to pull your head out of your ass. Be sure to look me up." He stretched his arms before leaving the brig. Keijiro took another bite of ice cream before curling up on the bed, tears falling down his face as he continued eating his ice cream.
(Hangar)
With food and water stores refilled, and their obligation to the fallen served. The Archangel and Kagutsuchi resumed their silent voyage through the Debris Belt. It was quiet and uneventful, and so it was Yukimasa found himself being just a little bit jumpy. He had spent countless hours in the cockpit of the Masamune, trying to unlock the secrets of the mysterious Gundam, especially the Minus System, he was wary about cracking open that particular box, but he reasoned it would come into play and he'd rather knew what it did sooner rather than later.
It was then his monitor flashed on, revealing Kira, currently out on patrol in the Strike. "Yukimasa, are you in a position to launch right now?" He asked. "I found something out here, and I thought I might need some backup."
Yukimasa sighed. "Report it into the Captain. Let me get suited up. I'll be out there in a few minutes." The screen flashed off and he went to the locker room to get changed. He got back to the hangar, powered up the Masamune and launched, joining the Strike, currently equipped with the Aile Pack, about a kilometer off the Archangel's starboard side.
"Okay, Kira, what is this all about?" Yukimasa asked. He was tired from the events of the last few days and just wanted to get some rest. Kira said nothing, just bringing his machine's thrusters to life. The two Gundams soon reached their destination, a battered civilian shuttle, large, gaping holes throughout the hull, "So, you brought me out here to see a shipwreck? Uh, I hate to break this to you, pal. But this is a fact of life out here. Space pirates roam freely around these parts. Hell, we're l lucky we haven't run into any yet. Let's just get out of here."
"How can you be so cruel?" Kira asked. What they saw at Junius Seven was still fresh in his mind. "Innocent people are dead just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Kira could ear the complacent shrug in his voice. "I'm a soldier, Kira." Yukimasa said bluntly, "there's very little that surprises me anymore when it comes to this kind of carnage. Space is basically the new wild west. It's a lot more common than you'd like to believe. You're going to have to accept that we'll probably see a lot more of it."
"But it looks like this just happened recently. Do you think it's possible there could be survivors?" Kira pleaded, hoping to at least salvage something from this mess.
Yukimasa let out an exasperated groan. "I seriously doubt it, Kira. That ship has more holes in it than swiss cheese. There's no emergency distress beacon active. It's just not possible." It was then his transceiver went off, broadcasting a distress call. His red eyes widened. "Wow, I was not expecting that at all." Kira didn't waste any time, the Strike setting off to follow the beacon. Yukimasa could only grumble as he followed his partner.
The source of the call was a single man escape pod. "How about now?" Kira said, just a little smug.
"Fine! Let's just see if there's anyone alive so we can go back to the ship!" He turned to a civilian frequency. "This is Colonel Yukimasa Ikari Sahaku of the Orb Defense Forces to the unknown escape pod. Is there anyone alive in there?"
"Why yes! I'm quite fine, thank you for asking." A delicate, feminine voice spoke.
"I am too! Whatever! So are you!" A high-pitched robotic voice chirped. Yukimasa could only mouth 'what the fuck?'
Kira then cut in. "Ha! I knew I was right! You see, Yukimasa there are survivors. We can't just leave her here now, can we?" This was responded by an adorable sounding titter.
"I'm happy you were right. This pod has gotten quite cramped, I've been here quite a while. It would be nice to get out and stretch my legs. Not to mention Mr. Pink gets claustrophobic."
Yukimasa cut the transmission for a few seconds, groaning as he hit his head against the instrument panel once before switching the "Fine! We'll take her back with us! Grab the pod and let's go! I'll radio it in." The Strike took hold of the escape pod in its hands. The Orb noble just shook his head. "What will we find next, Cylons?"
Upon arriving in the hangar, part of the crew had assembled around the escape pod, curious as to who could be aboard. "You do have a way of finding these things, don't you, Mr. Yamato?" Natarle remarked in a dry tone. Murdoch was working on the keypad to decipher the unlocking code. Neuman and Chandra were standing by with rifles in case the situation turned hostile, the moment became tense as the door opened.
"Haro! Haro! Haro, Lacus! Haro!" a small robotic ball as big as a softball, flew out of the capsule, it continued chattering nonsensically.
"Thank you so much!" A rich, melodic voice spoke. The entire crew could only look on in silent wonder as the escape pod's occupant emerged. A young woman clad in a white dress with a flowing purple skirt and detached sleeves. Her long pink hair floated about her in an ethereal manner. Including the way she was floating about, many could have mistaken this girl for an angel.
Yukimasa reached out, taking hold of her hand, helping her to a gentle landing. The pink haired beauty took note of her surroundings, noticing the Earth Alliance uniforms, and she spoke. "Oh my, this clearly isn't a ZAFT ship, isn't it?" The tense atmosphere deflated fast.
"Wow, you just noticed that? Clearly, you have an extremely well-trained eye, dear." Yukimasa said flatly. She gave him a pout that while he was certain was meant to be one of disapproval, just made her look cute in his eyes.
"That's awfully mean for my savior to say."
He just shrugged. "For the record, you left yourself open to that. Besides. I'm not the white knight here, the softie with the brown hair is. I was ready to write you off, so be grateful." It was then Keijiro entered the hangar, having finally finished crying into his ice cream. He locked eyes with the pinkette, blinked twice, and then let out the loudest, girliest sounding squeal he could manage.
"No way! Lacus Clyne is here!" Keijiro's eyes bugged out with glee as he ran up to her. "I can't believe it! Lacus Clyne is here on this ship! How did this happen?" He pushed back Yukimasa, causing him to flip head over ass in the low gravity. "Might I say you look absolutely radiant today, Miss Clyne! I'm Keijiro Mishima, and I'm at your beck and call! You need something, I'm the guy to ask! Everyone else here doesn't understand the fortune that has graced us with your presence here on our humble ship!"
Yukimasa just rolled his eyes. "We have a pop star on board, big deal! The question we should be asking is why the daughter of the Supreme Chairman of the PLANTs is doing here?" This got everyone's attention.
Keijiro just shot back a dirty look. "Big deal? How is this not a big deal! It's the biggest deal ever! Of all time!" To which his longtime friend just sighed, shaking his head.
"It's not for the reasons you're thinking of." Yukimasa turned to face Lacus. "Listen, Miss Clyne." He warned her, "if you're smart, then you'll stay away from Keijiro if you know what's good for you. Take it from someone who's had to live with him for the last three years."
"This just gets stranger by the day. The Pink Princess herself on our ship." Mu ran his hand through his hair, looking over to Yukimasa. "Tell me, Sahaku, did you install a weirdness magnet on this vessel without telling us? Because it feels like we've done nothing but run into one bout of craziness after another."
Sharon came up to Lacus, smiling warmly. "Aw, she's so cute!" The busty pinkette cooed, giving Lacus a huge hug, rubbing Lacus's face against her ample chest. "I love the color of your hair. Maybe we're sisters separated from birth and we don't even know it!"
"Geez, Sharon!" Natarle exclaimed before Sharon finally let go of Lacus. "What is the bottom line here? Now that we have the daughter of the Chairman himself on board, what does that mean for us?"
"It means we're even more screwed than ever." Cagalli finally spoke up. "ZAFT probably has every team available looking for her. It's just going to make us an even bigger target than before. I say we stuff her back into the pod with some extra supplies and cut her loose before we end up in any more trouble than we already are."
This got a strong reaction from several people. "How could suggest such a cruel thing!" Lacus cried out.
"Not fair at all! Not fair at all!" Mr. Pink added.
Keijiro was in Cagalli's face in a second. "Yeah, what the actual fuck, Cags? What crawled up your tailpipe and died? Oh yeah, that's right. Your country's precious values and beliefs going up in smoke! Don't ruin this day just because Daddy Dearest decided to up and get a reality check!" Cagalli was about ready to blow a gasket, only for Kuro to put a hand on her shoulder and flash a cold glare at Keijiro.
"Talk to her like that again and I'll make sure you won't be able to look straight again, Mishima. Cagalli's just having a bad day." Kuro then bowed his head to Lacus in apology. "My apologies Miss Clyne. I'm Kuro Takeshi Sahaku, and my lady doesn't mean what she says. The last few days have been quite trying for our country, and I'm certain she'll want to apologize to you." He made his point by pushing Cagalli forward.
The blonde's shoulders sagged. "Look, I'm sorry for acting like a bitch. That's usually my cousin Yukira's department. There's no excuse for what I said, even if…" She trailed off before sighing. "You know what? I'm just going to stop talking before my big mouth gets me in trouble again."
Mu took everything in. "It looks like this just got a whole lot more complicated." He noticed Murrue, who had said nothing through this entire exchange but wore a smile of amusement. He gently nudged her side. "Always something, isn't there, Ms. Captain? Why haven't you said anything? I figured you'd have some comment?" Murrue gently laughed, giving a savvy wink. the Hawk of Endymion just smirked. "Oh, you just wanted me to have the last word. You know how to flatter a guy!"