Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny does not belong to me.

A/N: I'm pretty busy with my school and stuffs. I wish to update and finish this as fast as I can before the school works catch up with me. Anyway, go on to the story.

Phase 12: The Surviving Hope


Somewhere in the Equatorial nation

Nothing happened as Stanley pulled his trigger. Stanley dropped his gun as Lunamaria raised her stick about to strike on him.

A subordinate of Stanley's arrived informing about the approaching of the ZAFT battleship, Minerva.

"Damn it, let's go." Stanley ordered as he took off. He turned to Shinn. "Bastard, if fate permits, we'll meet next time. I won't go easy on you. You are lucky that I ran out of bullets." Stanley gave Shinn another punch before signaling his troop to move.

Shinn was knocked out and thrown on the ground as soon as the last of the soldiers left the area.

Dearka Elsman arrived with his fellow crews of Minerva.

"Looks like I arrived on time." Dearka looked around with his troop. Lunamaria ran to Shinn who was knocked out and cradled him in her arms. Dearka scanned around realizing that Lacus was missing.

"Lacus-sama?" He called in hope that Lacus would respond.

"Lacus-sama." Yzak on the other hand found her sitting in daze. He helped her up signaling his troop to move. They would take control of the area for now.

Dearka ordered the crews to carry Shinn back to the ship while he and Lunamaria would investigate the murder of the boy they saved. Judging from the chain they worn, there ought to be more of them.

They arrived to a ruined facility. Apparently, the URANUS forces had detonated the explosive in the building killing everyone in it. Lunamaria kneeled down in front of a girl's body and shook her head. It was the same thing that happened in the extended facility they found in the last war.

"They are the surviving extended who was killed not long ago." Dearka said. He believed the URANUS had been using this facility in secret. Lunamaria sighed in despair. She couldn't believe that the URANUS would go to such extent. After recalling the incident in Berlin, she shouldn't be surprised anymore.



Hangar of the Archangel

The maintenance crews were busy cleaning the burnt head crest Nicol had passed Athrun. Athrun looked on it closely.

"X-20A VENTI" He read from the crest as he yawned a bit. Murdock came to him.

"Our suspicion is confirmed." He looked at Athrun sadly. "This belonged to our own mobile suit." Athrun's eyes widen in shock. He read the model number once more and stared at his own Infinite Justice's head crest which read 'X-19A DICIANNOVE'.

"Strike Freedom?" Athrun asked in shock. He moved back a few steps.

"The next time we meet will be the time I obtain the head crest of your Infinite Justice."

Athrun slumped on the ground in despair. "Does that mean Kira-sama had met mishaps along the way?" A crew asked. Athrun was stumped for words. He couldn't think clearly. His mind was in a blank.

"Kira." He cried lowering his head. "Nicol?"

"Don't mistaken me. I'm not the one who obtained the head crest you are holding on. I'm not that powerful. My partner is the one. That's his victory. You should be seeing him in Panama."

"It's not him. It's his partner." Athrun told himself to keep his cool.

"Panama!" Athrun stood up and ran straight to the bridge looking for Murrue.


Murrue just returned from the infirmary after Cagalli fell asleep. From the report they had received from the maintenance crews, only the engines were damaged badly. However, it wasn't on the verge of sinking. Thank goodness for them. They were able to make it to the Kingdom of Scandinavia safely. All they could do was to pray that they had not fall into the hands of the enemy.

Mwu and Murrue was about to kiss after their sweet-talking. Athrun stormed in in fury.

"Captain Ramius!" Athrun approached Murrue despite Mwu's complaint about him coming in at the wrong time. Murrue felt the fury in his eyes.

"Did they pluck off one or two wires of your Justice?" Mwu asked feeling his frustration.

"Can I request for the ship to move on to the Panama right away? I have very reliable information that the source of disruption is located there." Athrun requested urgently.

"But… our ship is damaged." Murrue replied in disagreement.

"URANUS is waiting for us there. They are making a fool of us." Athrun almost yelled. Mwu was shocked at Athrun sudden change of emotion.

"Hey."

"Fine! I'll go myself." Athrun ran back to the hangar and jumped into his Infinite Justice despite protest by the crews. Murrue and Mwu ran after him. Athrun realized that his mobile suit wasn't working well with such damaged inflicted by Nicol's Asterisk, he would not stand a chance at all if he gone out now. He finally calmed down and started crying.

"KUSO!"

Murrue was wondering why Athrun reacted like that after he just made up with Cagalli. Mwu noticed the head crest of the mobile suit lying on one side with the crews crowding around shaking their heads in despondence and understood.

"They had taken one of our knights. Our queen is probably immobilized." Mwu interpreted. Murrue did not know what Mwu was trying to say initially. After some thought over his words, she asked, "Do you mean?" Mwu nodded his head knowing that she already grasp the meaning behind his words.


"From now on, the Archangel will be under order of me alone while Cagalli-sama is recovering from her injuries." Murrue announced. "We will not condemn their evils doing any longer." The crews on the bridge were surprised to hear such announcement. They started talking among themselves when they were dismissed. Both Miriallia and Meyrin were very surprised.

"We had suffered huge loss. We can't back down." Murrue explained to the girls. "Meanwhile we'll stick to our original plan to get our ship repaired before heading to Panama for our next battle. For the sake our pride."


The maintenance crews of the Archangel were running around busy repairing the Akatsuki and the Infinite Justice. Meyrin came into the hangar looking for Athrun. He wasn't around. She knew where he would be. She hugged her clip board. She had heard about the condition of the Strike Freedom and she sincerely hoped that both Kira and Lacus would be alright as this was not the first time Kira was defeated in battle losing his mobile suit.
Athrun was stroking Cagalli's hair while she was asleep. He had finally calmed himself down by believing that Kira and Lacus would get away safety like Kira always did when he and Shinn defeated him with Aegis and Impulse respectively. He was hopeful this time Kira would survive too.

Cagalli stirred as she felt someone touching her face and leaning for a kiss. She blushed upon seeing Athrun kissing her. Athrun turned away immediately noticing Cagalli was awake.

"Err… Are you feeling better today?" Athrun asked looking away. Cagalli touched her face where Athrun's kiss landed and smiled. "Yeah." She replied.

"Now, we are currently heading to Kingdom of Scandinavia for the repair of the Archangel as you know it's damaged badly during the last battle." Athrun conveyed their current situation on behalf of Murrue.

"Nicol is alive." Athrun confessed. "He actually survived." Cagalli's eyes widened in shock as she recalled Nicol as the former pilot of the Blitz killed by Kira.

"I fought him during the battle against the URANUS to get us out of the situation. I was not in the mood to fight him because of that we were almost defeated but he let us off even though he had the upper hand against us. He called me a coward." He turned to Cagalli and told her whatever he felt that he needed as since they had made up there shouldn't be any secret between them. However, he would keep the demise of the Strike Freedom secret for now.

Athrun looked down on the ground. He did not understand why Nicol would tell him the military secret of his organization when he was fighting him and if they were enemies. Perhaps, it was a trap. If that was so, he would take the bait anyway.



A/N: They are still faraway from the journey as my plot is going slowly. Following on, what awaits them in Kingdom of Scandinavia, stay tune! See you next time!