Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny although I wish to.
Phase 5: The Beginning of an End
ORB National Defense Headquarters
Athrun arrived at the headquarters. He saw Cagalli kneeling at the ground in daze with tears flowing down her cheek.
"Cagalli!" He called out to her as he ran to her side embracing her.
"Cagalli!" he shook her vigorously. Cagalli woke up from her daze. "Did something happen?" He asked her in concern. Cagalli was surprised to see Athrun. She realized Athrun was embracing her and blushed. "Nothing…" She stammered. She turned her back on him and smiled.
Athrun was startled. For the moment she was crying in daze, another moment she was alright.
"I just felt I lost something important." Cagalli said suddenly. Athrun offered to help her look for whatever she had lost but before that they had something more important to do which was to find out what were the sources that caused disruption in their communication system.
Secret Control Room
Stanley Gladys returned to the dock to return his Zeus. He was smirking.
"Sir, everything is ready. " A soldier reported.
"Alright! Proceed for preparation! It will be the end of ORB!" Stanley ordered. He had just taken revenge for his late mother as he thought his mother was killed by the pilot of Strike Freedom in Messiah. He intended to fight the Strike Freedom one day one-on-one but he decided to take it down when it was vulnerable in memory that his mother died without the power to retaliate.
"Rest in peace!" He whispered.
"Damn it! It should ignite a nuclear explosion but what happened?" Stanley left the area as soon as Strike Freedom exploded thinking that the whole Berlin would be destroyed. They heard words of Lacus Clyne having a speech at the area. That would be the best place to strike.
"As long as they can't communicate, everyone will be on their own." The old man appeared disrupting his thought.
"Yes sir!" Stanley saluted.
Outside Temporary Emergency Centre
A group of two passed by the area. One of the guys looked at Shinn's unconscious face deep in thought. The other one looked at his sensor and shook his head on the battered cockpit nearby. They were too late.
"Let's go. Someone's here." The guy with the sensor jumped back into his jeep shouted disrupting his partner's thought. He jumped into the jeep looking back at Shinn who was rescued by a group of volunteers.
Infirmary
Shinn stirred he was slowly opening his eyes. He could barely see properly. He rubbed his eyes and Lunamaria came into his view.
"Are you awake? Shinn?" Lunamaria asked in concern.
Shinn felt his whole body was aching. "Luna! Ouch!" Shinn felt that his head were bandaged. Shinn couldn't believe his eyes that Luna was alive. Ignoring the ache, he got up and hugged her tightly.
"Luna! Luna! Luna!" He cried. Luna smiled and hugged him tighter. Lunamaria was relieved to see Shinn being saved. She rushed to look on him as soon as she was led here. She was glad that he was safe.
A pouch fell off his pocket suddenly. Shinn released from their embrace and picked them up. Tears welled up his eyes when he recalled what happened earlier.
"Shinn?" Luna asked puzzled as she saw his tears flowing down his cheek.
In a sudden, Shinn turned to face Lunamaria, "Is there any other casualty being taken in along with me?" He asked anxiously in hope that Kira could be saved. Lunamaria shook her head. "I don't know. I was being led here as soon as the ZAFT officer spotted me. I'm really glad to see you to know that you are safe."
Yzak Jule stepped into the infirmary as soon as he heard that Shinn had woken up.
Yzak was the new captain of Minerva. He introduced himself in a harsh tone in a way to inform them that they were aboard Minerva. He took them realizing that they were the former pilots of the ship when they found them in the midst of the casualties in the emergency centre.
The Jule team was assigned to control this part of the ZAFT territories after the second war. They noticed disruption of communication channels. They could not take action on time when Berlin was under attack.
"Does Captain Jule know where Lacus-sama could be? She was giving a speech during the attack." Lunamaria recalled.
"Come with me." Yzak led them to another room. Lunamaria wanted to follow Yzak alone initially but Shinn requested to come along with her as he explained that he was the one who rescued her out of the Parliament House which was why he was separated from Lunamaria.
They arrived to the next room where the pneumatic doors hissed open revealing Dearka Elsman, subordinate of Yzak nodding at him. Lunamaria had Shinn's arm over her shoulder helping him in.
"How was her condition?"
"Still no response. She had suffered a concussion on her head when the debris fell on her." Dearka replied. Shinn looked at Lacus' sleeping face feeling remorseful for not being able to save Kira. He bitted his lip. Yzak looked down and he lifted his head as he recalled something.
"Shinn Asuka, come with me."
Yzak and Dearka led both Shinn and Lunamaria into another room. Both of them gasped at the sight of a sleeping young man. Shinn's eyes widened in despair as he let go of Lunamaria and approached the brown hair boy slowly. Lunamaria was shocked.
Feeling worked up and shook his body trying to wake him up from his sleep desperately. He blamed Kira for breaking his promise of fighting together. Yzak came behind yelled at him to stop. Shinn stopped and slumped to the ground and cried in Lunamaria's arm when she rushed to him.
"I couldn't save him… I was almost there! We promise to fight alongside. Why is this happening?" Shinn scratched his head vigorously shocking Lunamaria.
"Stop it Shinn!" Lunamaria cried. "No matter what happen, I'll always be by your side!" Lunamaria hug him and Shinn finally calm down. In an awfully low tone he asked, "The black and white mobile suit, I'll get him for sure!" Shinn vowed. Lunamaria stood back a few steps as she was a bit startled by Shinn's cold expression, "Shinn…"
"Shinn Asuka, we brought you here as it was said that you were found unconscious near the remains of the Strike Freedom. We need the full account of the previous incident that occurred." Yzak said in a calm tone. Shinn stared at Yzak blankly and nodded his head in tears.
"Sir." A crew barged in suddenly. Yzak was rather frustrated. He urged his subordinate to speak up quickly.
"Lacus-sama is awake." He answered.
A/N:
Thanks to those who reviewed.
To bladebreakers and Lacus18: I'm sorry to have killed Kira here. That was part of my plot in my fanfic.
Regarding the group of guys who appeared at the scene where they found Shinn unconscious, they would not reappear again in the near future. I have plans for them. Anyway, stay tune for my next chapter! Please R&R thanks!
