Phase Seven: Scar of Space
I do not own Chris, Liz, or Johanna Dante, Saul, Ian, or Diana Kessel, John Alaric, the 11th Fleet, the Raven, or the Surge Gundams. They all belong to Akatsuki_Leader13. Nor do I own Gundam. I only own Akira, Tao, Nisha, NASA/NAZAFT, the 7th Fleet, the Wing, Z.A.M., and Diver Gundams.
CT7567Rules: Your OC will come in near the last part of the first arc here, no sooner, no later. But he WILL be used. :3
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C.E. 71 – War has been raging for 11 months between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs. With their superior numbers, it seemed inevitable the Earth Forces would win. But the PLANTs unveiled new technology and began to gain the upper hand. Now, 10 months after the initial conflict began, the war is at a stalemate…
February 2nd, C.E. 71
Archangel…
"You cannot be serious, Mu!" Kira cried. "You can't honestly expect us to take our supplies from a PLANT where thousands of lives were lost!"
"Look, no one here is jumping for joy. The fact that water and the supplies we need can be found there is the reason we are here. We have to do what we can to survive. And besides, there are two people here whom we have not heard a reaction from yet." Mu replied as he looked at Chris. "What do you think we should do?"
"You want to know what we should do? Why?" the boy asked.
"This was your home, right? So I feel that we should hear your thoughts on taking the water and supplies we need from here." Mu replied.
"…" Chris was silent for a few minutes before he spoke up. "Well, truth be told…I don't want to do so, yet we do not have another choice. We should take what we need and nothing more. After all, they would want us to survive…"
"I lost my wife here, yet I agree with Chris. She would want us to survive, so we will do it." Taikyu added.
Nisha nodded in confirmation, his face visible on the screen.
Ruins of Junius Seven
An hour later…
The Z.A.M. Gundam, the Raven, the Strike, the Moebius Zero, and several Mistrals set down in a familiar park to Nisha and Chris. It was the same place that Nisha had heard about what happened to Akira's sister, and the same place where Chris had met his best friend.
-Nisha's Flashback-
Ten years ago…
Nisha looked around, trying to find his cousin. Then, he heard crying. "Aki'?" he cried.
The young Coordinator glanced around quickly, trying to find the source of the crying right away. A familiar sight caught his eyes. It was his uncle and aunt!
"Auntie Lisa! Uncle Hiro!" Nisha cried. He ran over to the two adult Coordinators, only to see a sad look in their eyes.
Lisa Nishikama looked as though she had not been sleeping well for the past three weeks, her red eyes holding a sleep-deprived look. Her black hair was not combed back and in its usual hair-tie either.
Young Nisha looked over at Hiro Nishikama, who also was holding a sad look on his face. His normally vibrant golden eyes were now clouded over with sadness and his normally neat blue hair was sticking out in every direction possible. He looked the same as Lisa.
In their arms was their own son, Akira. He looked the worst out of them all. His black hair was a mess, like it had not been combed at all. His golden eyes were barely open and he was not acknowledging his cousin or surroundings.
"What happened, Auntie?" Nisha asked. Lisa looked at him, a sad feeling coming off of her. "Your cousin Minako…was…killed…" she finally rasped out.
Nisha just blinked his eyes, unable to understand what had happened. "Why? What did she do?" he asked.
"She did nothing wrong…" Hiro explained. Nisha was now even more confused, yet he just let it slide. However, he was unaware of what was about to take place in the future, a decade from now…
-End Nisha's Flashback-
-Chris's Flashback-
Junius Seven
Seven Years Ago
A trio of bullies was beating up on a smaller, younger boy in the middle of a park.
"What a pathetic loser!"
"Yeah. Who in their right mind would think that a Natural is as good as a Coordinator?"
"We'll show this piece of trash just how wrong he is!"
"Hey ugly!" Chris shouted, kicking one of the older boys in the back. "Didn't your mommy teach you to pick on someone your own size?"
The bully fell forward, hitting the pavement. He was out cold. His two buddies turned and started shouting at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Why are you defending a traitor to his own people?"
"A traitor to his own people?" Chris said in confusion.
"Yeah." the first bully said. "This traitor claims that those filthy Naturals are as good as us Coordinators. So we're teaching him a lesson."
Chris glanced at the boy. The boy was about his age and look terrified and in rough shape. Whatever the boy said, it wasn't enough for anyone to have the right to beat him like that.
"Well in that case...I have to agree with him. You two are about as stupid and as bigoted as those Blue Cosmos nutjobs!" Chris said to the larger and older boys.
"Why you little punk!" one of the bullies shouted as he swung his fist at him.
Now Chris may have been smaller and younger than these two, but he had one clear advantage over these guys. For the last few years, he had been taking martial arts lessons and he was quite good at it. In fact, his instructor told him that by next year, he would be ready to participate in tournaments and competitions.
Chris raised his left arm, blocking the punch. Then before he could pull back, Chris kicked the bully in the stomach as hard as he could. The punk stumbled back, clutching his stomach and moaning. To everyone's surprise, he fell to his knees and started throwing up. The second bully, fearful of losing his own lunch and without his two buddies to back him up, ran away. A moment later, the one that lost his lunch joined him. They were complete cowards. They harassed people that were smaller than them and wouldn't fight back. But as soon as someone fought back, they would flee like the cowards they are.
Chris walked up to the battered boy lying on the ground. "You okay?" he asked, kneeling down.
"Yeah..." the boy said. "You didn't have to help me."
"True. But it was three against one and wasn't about to let a bunch of spineless bullies beat up somebody." he replied, extending his hand. "Here."
The boy took his hand and Chris helped him get back up to his feet. The boy was in pretty rough shape. He had a number of bruises and cuts but nothing appeared to be broken. "C'mon, I'll take you to my parents. They're doctors." he said, helping the injured boy walk to his house. "My name's Chris, Chris Dante."
"I'm-"
-End Chris's Flashback-
"CHRIS" Kira cried over the radio.
"Huh? What?" Chris asked over the radio, now back in reality.
"You spaced out for a few minutes. You alright?" Nisha inquired, deeply concerned.
"Yeah, just caught up in a few memories…" Chris replied.
"You know, you don't have to be here. You can always head back to the ship."
"I'll be fine, Kira. Really, I will." Chris lied. In reality though, he was feeling like it was all a bad idea. Setting down the Raven on what had once been his home was unnerving enough as it was. But to be at the park that he was so familiar with? It was even more unsettling. This fact was made even worse by the fact that this very park was a few blocks from the place where he had grown up.
The Mistrals crews began to leave their vehicles. Taikyu left the one he came in, and in his arms were paper flowers made for the victims. Flay and the other children rescued by the Archangel had made them in remembrance.
The man threw the paper flowers into the air, scattering them across the ruins of their former home. Everyone, pilot and civilian alike, took a minute of silence to remember the victims as well.
Once that was over, the crews began to go about their various duties. The Z.A.M. Gundam, the Raven, the Strike and the Moebius Zero all patrolled, just in case.
Ten minutes later
Constitution…
Commander White sighed as he looked at the now-famed legged ship. They had stopped at the ruins of Junius Seven, no doubt for supplies. A chill sent shivers down his spine at the thought of helping the ones who had caused the attack and all those deaths.
Even though the 'Maverick Fleet' was considered a traitorous fleet, they were still part of ZAFT. And that made his skin crawl. "Why do we have to work with those creeps anyway?" he growled.
Aisha looked at the commander. "We have to, sir, otherwise more colonies could be attacked as well."
"I know that! I just wish that we could get rid of Zala and Le Creuset and have that be the end of it…" Commander White murmured. Aisha just looked away, tears forming in her eyes. She too wished for the same thing, yet it was just impossible at the moment.
Many of the crew members were now weeping at the sight of the ruins of the once great PLANT. Even though they were not from the colony, they still felt the loss hard.
"Let us enter the area and pay our respects." Commander White ordered. A few crew members turned to look at him in shock.
"B-B-But sir! We would be discovered!" Aisha cried. "It is a chance we will have to take, then." Her superior replied, his voice sounding quite heavy.
"Yes, sir…" she replied.
In a blaze of fire, the famed ships entered the ruins of Junius Seven. Each crew member held a paper flower that was to be released into the empty vacuum of space that had claimed so many lives. Those crew members in space suits took the flowers as the ship entered the space of the colony's center.
The doors on the sides of the ships opened up as did the hangers. Her crew members leaned out and released the flowers, which drifted around the empty space like little fluff particles in a breeze.
The famed 'Maverick Fleet' then left the area, the doors and hanger bays closing as they did so silently. Yet the flowers made in remembrance would remain, a single mark left by the ships that many had fallen to…
Archangel Bridge…
An alarm sounded as the radar operator gasped in shock at the distorted radar signature that had appeared on the screen before him.
"Ma'am, we have three radar signatures! They are three Nazca-class ships!" he exclaimed as Mu ran over and the Murrue faced him.
"Where is it coming from?" Murrue asked. The radar operator looked at the screen and determined the approximate position. "The signatures are off the port side at a distance of 2000." He exclaimed.
Murrue was surprised. "What kind of ships has the radar signature of a Nazca-class?" she asked.
Mu stared at the screen before he spoke. "The 'Maverick Fleet'…" he murmured. Murrue whirled to face him in shock.
"The 'Maverick Fleet'? You mean the famed ZAFT ships of the 7th Independent Mobile Fleet?!" she exclaimed.
Mu nodded, his face grim. "Yeah…that's them. But why are they here?"
"Are they making any movements to attack?" the captain asked the radar operator.
"No ma'am. They appear to be passing through Junius Seven instead. I've got a visual of the three ships." He replied as he brought up an image on the screen.
The image came up, revealing the three ships before them, but there was something off. There were open areas that indicated the doors and hanger doors were not shut. And out from those areas came paper flowers, not an attack force.
"Well, it appears even the 'Maverick Fleet' can be peaceful…" Murrue observed as the flowers drifted out slowly.
Mu smiled softly. "Their crew is made up of Coordinators. Even they are not as ruthless as some believe."
The captain just smiled back, already knowing that an attack was not a danger now.
Both of them just looked on, knowing the reason for the famed ships being in the area was peaceful. Therefore, they would leave them alone for now…
Hours later
Archangel…
Chris collapsed in his room later that night. He was tired emotionally as well as physically. Just as he was about to fall into sleep's calming embrace though, he heard a knock on the door.
"Come on in." Chris called as he sat up.
The door hissed open, revealing Flay. "What do you want, Flay?" Chris groaned. He was so not in the mood for a name-calling.
"I just wanted to say that…I'm sorry about your home." She said, making Chris look up at her in shock.
"Don't. I have heard enough about that. I just wish that people would stop pitying me after they learn where I am truly from." Chris growled back.
Flay seemed to hesitate though, as though she wanted to say more.
"What else do you have to say?" Chris asked.
"I…I just wanted to say that…Well, you see, before the war broke out, I never thought too highly of Coordinators. In fact, I kind of believed what Blue Cosmos had to say about them. But when the war broke out, I believed that all Coordinators were with ZAFT and the bad guys who wanted to wipe out all Naturals, kind of like the Nazis in the war known as World War 2, while the Earth Forces were the good guys, just like the Allies. I actually believed that lie! Even though the Earth Forces caused the loss of all of those lives, I completely ignored it. I believed that the war would never affect me because I was living in a neutral colony. But when the attack occurred, I found that everything did affect me as well. I also found that all of those things that I had heard about Coordinators were wrong." Flay confessed suddenly. "I also believed that there were only two sides to every war. I never even bothered to learn that NASA was fighting the war as well, yet on a neutral front. That is what I really want to apologize for."
Chris stared at Flay as she hung her head. "I was unable to believe that Coordinators were human as well, and when I heard that your friend lost his sister to some Naturals, I believed that she had deserved it. But she had done nothing wrong to deserve such a death… But now it is too late to say that I am sorry to him as well. I should not have said those things about his sister to him…" Flay murmured.
Then, Chris put a hand on her shoulder. "I accept your apology. Heck, if he was here, even Akira would have. I know him. He is not one to stay mad for long, yet the loss of his sister has made it hard for him to move on…" Chris replied. "Believe it or not, I did not think too highly of Naturals either. I thought they were all stubborn, bigoted idiots, even though my grandfather was one. Then about seven years ago, I was walking home from school when I saw a boy my age getting beaten up by some punks. They were beating him up because he said that Coordinators weren't better than Naturals. I felt the same disgust towards those bullies that I had for Blue Cosmos. And that was when I realized that Coordinators could be just as bad as members of Blue Cosmos. I defended the boy and after that, we quickly became best friends."
Chris didn't know why, but something was compelling to him to say this to her. Something he hadn't said to anyone before
"He believed that most people, whether they were Coordinator or Natural, just wanted to live peacefully together, that we were all the same. That we all have the same dreams, hopes, fears." Chris said, his mind going back to the times before the Bloody Valentine. "He was a lot like Kira. He hated violence and was a complete pacifist. In fact, when I rescued him from those bullies, he was actually more worried about me getting involved and getting hurt than what happened to him."
"He's dead, isn't he?"
"Yes..." Chris said quietly. "He was killed in the Bloody Valentine. And not a day goes by that I don't miss him. Along with my parents and all my other friends I lost that terrible day."
"But the worst thing I ever did happened after that terrible day. I became angry at just about everyone; the Earth Alliance for not preventing the Bloody Valentine, Blue Cosmos for doing such a horrible act, and ZAFT for failing to protect my friends and family and then using their deaths as a rallying cry for war. I blamed them all for that tragedy. I even blamed myself for not being and dying with them." Chris said, shame filling his voice. "I found myself being consumed by all that anger and pain. I started picking fights with people for on real reason. I don't know why I did it. Maybe I wanted to hurt those responsible but ended up hurting innocent people. Maybe I wanted to feel something other anger and sorrow. Maybe I just wanted someone to kill me."
Suddenly, Flay embraced him in a hug. And for the first time since the Bloody Valentine, he cried. He cried for all those that he had lost.
Pilot lounge…
Nisha sat on one of the couches as he looked at the picture of his cousin. He was still unable to get over the betrayal that Aki' had pulled on him and the rest of the crew of the Archangel. Sighing, he put the photo on the table in front of him and put his head in his hands.
A hiss told him someone had entered the room, but he was not expecting Liz Dante to sit down beside him. "You okay?" she asked as Nisha looked at her.
"No, I'm not. My cousin betrayed the ship, and I still can't get over it. I thought he was past the trauma he suffered that day!" Nisha snarled as he slammed his fist down on the table.
Liz looked down, unsure of what to say. "I thought he was on our side! I thought he had moved on!" Nisha said as he closed his eyes, his form shaking with anger and sadness. "But I guess I was wrong."
The other Coordinator placed a hand on his shoulder, making Nisha turn to her in shock. Realizing what she had done, Liz removed her hand quickly, looking away from Nisha as she did so. On her face was a very light flush, unseen by Nisha. In a realization that he was staring at her form, Nisha also looked away, a slight flush on his cheeks as well.
"I…uh…am sorry about what you went through…" Liz said as she regained her composure. "Did you…live in Junius Seven?"
Nisha nodded sadly. "Yeah…I lost my mom there. My dad was at work with Morgenroete when the attack happened. I was visiting him when I got the news. It was just…I can't even begin to describe the attack…" He shivered as the memories drifted back from the past. He could still recall everything that happened, and the fact that it had been a year since that day didn't make it any better.
Liz put a hand to her mouth. "Oh…I'm sorry…" she whispered.
Nisha waved a hand. "It's okay…I'm used to it."
Liz then stood up. "If you feel better, I'll be in the bridge." She then turned and left, Nisha staring after her.
February 5th, C.E. 71
Ruins of Junius Seven…
The days had been quiet and long since they had found the ruins of Junius Seven in space. Except for a minor incident involving the 'Maverick Fleet' coming in on radar, nothing big had occurred. Kira wasn't complaining either. He preferred it over fighting anyway.
"That was way too close…" he heard Chris mutter over the com-line. "I just shot down a GINN guys!"
"It's a long-range scout…" Mu murmured. "It's unlikely that a ZAFT warship is nearby, but there may be more out there. Keep a close eye on things. Ensign Badgiruel, how much longer until supplies are loaded on?"
"Al least an hour, if not more." She replied.
"Good. Once we are done, we will head out to be on the safe side." Captain Ramius ordered. "We will head for Lunar HQ once we are done here."
Kira then resumed his patrol. Soon, he would be away from this war, back on the moon where he had once been. Safe and free from all war…
He moved around a piece of debris, only to spot a damaged civilian shuttle. Under normal circumstances, he would have passed it off as space junk, but the shuttle and its damage seemed to be too new. Kira had to wonder if the famed 'Maverick Fleet' was behind it or if the shuttle had been a victim of pirate attacks. The former seemed to be the most unlikely, considering that it was ZAFT, but he could not rule out that they had attacked ZAFT fleets in the past. With the ZAFT and Earth Alliance militaries fighting the war, no one was available to patrol the civilian space routes and piracy had increased dramatically.
Suddenly, a GINN appeared in front of the shuttle. The computer on the Strike identified it as a GINN Long-Range Reconnaissance Type, and the machine seemed to be inspecting the shuttle. It was searching for something, but as to what it was, eluded Kira.
He moved the Strike behind a big chunk of debris, hoping that the GINN would leave before it spotted anyone else. Kira did not want to kill anymore. The GINN, seemingly satisfied with the search on the shuttle, turned to leave the area.
It was not meant to be, unfortunately. As the Mistral that Kuzzey was on started the return to the Archangel, the flight path took it right near the shuttle. The GINN looked back, only to see the smaller ship. The machine's optic flared as it headed towards the Mistral.
"NO! DAMN IT ALL!" Kira swore as he flew to intercept. "Why couldn't you just leave?!"
He knew that he had no choice but to kill again. If the GINN spotted the Archangel, then it would be all over for them.
The Coordinator aimed the Strike's rifle at the GINN and pulled the trigger a few times, releasing a hail of bullets. The GINN was destroyed instantly by the incoming shots.
"Thanks, kid. That was a close one." A female by the name of Jackie Tonomaru replied.
"Yeah, thanks a lot Kira." Kuzzey added.
Kira, on the other hand, did not feel so great about saving them. There was a sick feeling in his stomach and he felt like he was going to throw up. He had killed someone again, and he did not like it at all. Why did he have to even be involved in this war? Why did it have to happen in the first place anyway?
He shook his head and sighed as he resumed the patrol, yet he still felt sick. A few minutes later, Kira saw something. It was a lone escape pod floating amongst the debris.
'Could it actually be from that shuttle? Is someone still alive out here?'
Deciding to be safe than sorry, the boy had the Strike grab the pod and he took it back to the Archangel. Maybe this was not such a bad day after all…
Washington D.C., NASA Capital…
The leaders of NASA were some of the most powerful in the world, not because of their money or political reputation, but because they were the leaders of the most powerful nation to have ever existed.
Very few wanted to mess with such a powerful nation, mainly because of its economic and military might. Even ZAFT and the PLANTs respected the leaders when they visited the space colonies. And for very good reason too. The PLANTs relied on NASA for aid in times of need.
But the one who was the most powerful, was the President herself. The President sighed as she looked at the papers on her desk. They were reports for the NASA military's Special Operations unit, a force that was considered part of ZAFT yet was not.
"Ma'am, we have a new report for you." An aide said as he handed the woman the slip of paper. The NASA President nodded.
"Thank you. I'll view it when I have the time." She replied. The aide saluted before leaving her office.
The U.S. leader viewed another report before she put it down and turned on the TV that was in the Oval Office. A news report had come up concerning the war between the PLANTs and the Earth.
"In light of the recent battles, the PLANTs have issued a declaration stating that they are waging the war only in self-defense. Many Earth Alliance nations have declared the declaration to be false, and to be a means of waging war on the Naturals. ORB has recently begun to mobilize its own military in preparation for what they feel is a certain attack by the Earth Forces. Lord Uzumi Nara Attha had this to say."
An image of the ORB leader came on next, making the President frown at the sight of him. What was he thinking?
"We of ORB have begun to mobilize our armed forces in self-defense against the Earth Alliance. We feel that they will be coming after our Mass Driver next, as we have one of the only two left functioning. The other, in NASA's possession, may be a target next, although we are not taking any chances. This war with the PLANTs is going too far. By fighting to wipe out the Coordinators, the Earth Alliance will do anything to gain an advantage, which is why we have begun the mobilization of our forces."
The image on the screen then changed again, this time to show the capital of NASA outside.
She smirked to herself. Her interview had been three hours ago. Now she got to see it for herself.
"In response, we got this statement from NASA's own leader."
The image changed yet again, this time to show her in the Press Room.
"We of NASA have recently heard about ORB's decision to mobilize their armed forces in self-defense. In response to this, we have begun to move our own forces to defend our own Mass Driver. We feel that if ORB's Mass Driver is taken, ours will be next to be targeted. Our Intelligence has supported the feeling as well, as we have seen recent movement by the Earth Forces to attack our borders in the near future. This recent movement to attack us has revealed the intentions of the Earth Alliance to attack the PLANTs. They are willing to risk an engagement with us to gain control of our Mass Driver, even though they have stated that they would never attack us in the past. In light of this contradicting information, we have decided to fight alongside ZAFT to protect the PLANTs and the Coordinators. Naturals should not hate the Coordinators for simply being the next step up in evolution. They are our future, and our potential salvation. If we are to survive this war, ALL humans, we need to end the hatred of Coordinators. Our reason for fighting the Earth Alliance is simple: to get rid of Blue Cosmos, the terrorist organization that is responsible for the Bloody Valentine. We will support ZAFT until this war has ended."
The image then changed one last time, this time showing the reporter once again.
"With these two leaders on different sides, it seems that NASA and ORB are willing to be enemies despite their alliance with one another. Either of these two great nations could lead the way to victory in this war. We will return with more information on the ongoing war and then a report on Coordinators and how they affect us all…"
The TV went dark. A frown was on the NASA leader's face. "A report on Coordinators and how they affect us all indeed…how pathetic…" she murmured.
The leader of NASA then stood up and walked over to the giant windows that were in back of her chair. There was rain falling slightly, the weather matching her mood. Overhead, the skies were dark, the lights inside the White House shining down on the wet lawn. It seemed to fit how she was feeling.
A sigh escaped the powerful woman's lips. Despite her status as the world's most powerful leader, she was still human, just like all the Coordinators that were residents and citizens of NASA. Yet, Blue Cosmos believed otherwise. The EA was mixed on the feelings though. That was what the whole war was dealing with.
"How can those fools not see that we all are human, despite our genes being different? I mean, we all have the same base DNA, so why can the Earth Alliance and Blue Cosmos not see that?" The President murmured to no one.
There was no answer. The rain fell softly, echoing off of the roof of the great structure that was her home for the moment. NASA's President sat down again, worn out from all of her duties and thoughts, including her own doubts about the war.
Several things came to her mind, yet the Natural shoved them from her thoughts. She could not worry about them now. She was too tired from doing her duties and worrying already. Anymore would wear her out even more.
A report was picked up and read over, the one given to her by the aide from before. A serious look crossed the President's face as she read it over. The ZAFT Fleets were having trouble with the ship.
That Earth Alliance warship was supposed to be easy to take down. So why were the best fleets of ZAFT having so much trouble with it? That did not make any sense.
The female leader set the report down and looked out at the rain again. What was going to happen now? She did not know, but she knew that she needed to lead the nation through it, whatever it was. That was her duty as the President of the NASA itself.
But several thoughts came to her as she stared out the great windows before her.
How much more fighting was needed to end the war? And why fight a completely pointless war anyway? Wasn't this about personal preference? How could they determine if modifying genes was right or wrong? Then the simple answer came to the President. 'We can't determine anything or anyone's fate.'
That was the way this war had to end, and the only way was to act on their own if the need arose. But that need would soon come, and not in the way the NASA leaders were expecting.
Archangel…
Nisha stared as the technicians worked to get the pod open. The crew seemed to be needing to use crowbars a lot lately. The reason for that was unknown though. He, Kira, Captain Ramius, Mu, Ensign Badgiruel, and several of the Mistrals crew members watched as the pod's door finally began to bend to the weight.
"Are we going to make picking up strays a habit?" Mu asked jokingly. He received a bonk to the head, courtesy of Captain Ramius.
"This is no time for jokes…" she murmured in a stern voice.
"Well, it seems that our ship is the patron saint of strays…" Chris remarked. He received the same treatment from the Captain as well.
"It looks like it…" Mu chuckled.
The door finally gave way and out came a pink ball. Chris wound up catching it in surprise.
"Haro! Hello there! Haro! Haro!" the thing chirped. Flaps on the sides moved, startling the boy.
"What is this thing?!" Chris asked in shock. Nisha laughed at the thing as Chris stared at it in bewilderment.
"That is Mister Pink." A female voice remarked. It was a voice that he knew. One that anyone from the PLANTs would know.
'It can't be…Her…here?'
Chris looked up, only to see a female Coordinator with flowing pink hair and soft blue eyes. It was Lacus Clyne, the famous singer and daughter of the Supreme Chairman of ZAFT. She drifted out of the pod and kept on going until Kira caught her and set her down on her feet again.
"Thank you…" she said politely to Kira before she saw the markings on the EA uniforms right away. "Oh my…This isn't a ZAFT ship, is it?"
Everyone just stared at her in surprise.
"You're...Lacus Clyne." Liz said in a state of disbelief.
Chris glanced at his sister. She was the biggest Lacus Clyne fan he had ever met. Her eyes were wide in surprise at the sight of her idol.
"Why yes I am."
"Miss Clyne." she said, passing her way to the young diva. "Miss Clyne, it's an honor to meet you. Can I please have your autograph?"
Chris sighed. "Liz...Miss Clyne has no doubt been through a lot. Don't harass her like a rabid fangirl. I'm sure she could use some rest."
"Rabid fangirl! Haro! Rabid fangirl!" the strange ball robot shouted.
Everyone stared at her before Nisha spoke up. "No, it is not." He replied.
"Oh, well then, I suppose that I am an enemy prisoner?" Lacus asked.
Nisha sighed. "No. You're not. But, I guess you could kind of consider it like that…" he said, rubbing his head uncertainly.
Then, Mu spoke up. "Well, we should try to take advantage of this then. If she is the Chairman's daughter, then we could use her as a bargaining tool. I mean, ZAFT would not attack their leader's daughter, now would they?" the man asked as he looked at Lacus with a strange look.
Lacus gulped before Kira spoke up. "She did not ask to be made a tool! She cannot and will not be used like that!" he screamed. Everyone stared at the boy before he turned and left in a fit of rage.
"Haro! Haro!" the ball shouted. Chris looked down in shock, amazed that he had even forgotten about it. 'This thing had better not start bothering me, or the one who made it will be sorry. Same with the guy that made Birdie.'
Birdie, at that point, landed on Chris's head as he growled. "Why is it that all of these things are attracted to me?" he muttered as he handed the ball to Nisha who handed the ball back to Lacus while Chris chased Birdie off of his head.
Lacus looked at Nisha before she spoke. "Thank you." She said as she then glanced back at Mu uneasily. Captain Ramius then addressed Lacus.
"I am sorry you had to hear all of that. Let us get you to a room here on our ship." The older woman said. Lacus followed her, but not before she looked back at Mu, still uneasy about him.
Archangel Control Room
An hour later…
"Captain, all of the supplies we could gather has been brought aboard and secured." Taikyu announced as he entered the bridge area. "We can leave at any time."
"Newmann, take us out of the Debris Belt and set us on a course for Lunar HQ." Ramius ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." The man replied as he did so. The ship eased out into open space with no trouble, the debris drifting around them easily.
"So, what are we going to be doing with our new guest?" Mu inquired. Everyone looked at him; truth be told, all of them were wondering the same thing.
"We cannot make any other stops before we reach the Lunar HQ." Badgiruel replied. "It is not like she can harm us anyway. I mean, she is a civilian after all, even if she is a Coordinator…"
"Of course not, they'd welcome her with open arms…" Mu said sarcastically.
"I do not like it anymore than you do, Lt. La Flaga, but we have no other choice. Besides, you did not exactly make her feel welcome anyway…" Murrue trailed off, letting the man know that he was in trouble.
"Actually, there may be a way to get around all of that." Taikyu replied. "Lacus, as Badgiruel said, is a Coordinator. And how many Coordinator-supporting nations are there? 2. And which of those two nations is located close to the ruins of Junius Seven? So, I was thinking that maybe, we could contact the NASA colony and get them to deliver her to the PLANTs. We give her to the NASA colony in exchange for our freedom and safety."
"Hmm…Could that plan actually work?" Johanna asked.
"If everyone here agrees to it, then yes." Taikyu replied.
"Ma'am!" Romero exclaimed, interrupting the chatter. "We're receiving a transmission!"
"What?! Who is it from?!" Murrue asked in shock.
"Verifying right now!" the man replied. "It's from the 8th Fleet!"
"It's from Admiral Halberton!" Murrue exclaimed as she jumped up out of her seat. "I want you to patch it through!"
Static filled the bridge, words barley coming out at first, but getting stronger as the ships neared one another. "Arch…gel…Come…Archangel…This…is…gomery…" the voice got louder and clearer as the distances closed. "Come in Archangel…This is the Montgomery. We have been dispatched to rendezvous with you and escort you to the rest of the 8th Fleet."
Loud cheers filled the bridge. Their luck was finally beginning to turn around…
The Bridge of the Odin
Elsewhere
"Sir. We've detected three Earth Forces warships."
"Out this far? That's unusual." Lucius said.
"They could be an escort for the legged ship." Captain Lee said.
"Indeed. That is likely what they're out here." Diana said. "Have they detected us yet?"
"Unknown sir. As you know, we're on the edge of the Debris Belt. May or may not be able to detect us."
"Hmm...If they have detected us, they'll warn the legged ship. And depending on the Captain of that vessel, they'll either stay away or come to their assistance." Diana said, contemplating her next move.
"Sir. The Vesalius is hailing us."
Diana let out a sigh of annoyance. She hated having to take orders from that man. But orders were orders. Until the legged ship was captured or destroyed, she was stuck.
"Commander Kessel, it seems we've found some unexpected guests. It is safe to assume that they're here for the legged ship, which means that we should remove them from the field immediately." Creuset said.
"So we're switching from searching for Miss Clyne, back to our original mission." Diana said. "You're planning on using that small fleet as bait to draw in the legged ship."
"Yes. Either the legged ship will come to their allies' aid, in which case, we'll be able to destroy it right here and now. Or they'll flee, in which case, they'll be alone and likely low on supplies. So why don't you deploy that Speartip maneuver that your fleet is so famous for." Creuset said.
Diana nodded. "Very well. I'll deploy the Speartip Team. Once they've done their damage and pulled back, I'll be sending the rest of the 11th Fleet to engage them. If the legged ship comes to their aid, we'll destroy those three warships with cannons of the Odin, the Valkyrie and the Einherjar and move against the legged ship. If not, then the mobile suits will shoot them down. I assume that you'll be deploying the rest of the mobile suits as well."
"Of course." Creuset said before closing the connection.
"Damn masked freak." Ajay cursed. "Who does he think he is, bossing us around like that?"
"Never the less, that masked freak has been put in charge. Until then we can rid ourselves of him, we have to carry out his orders." Diana said. "We're deploying the Speartip. Bring the ship up to full combat alert. Inform the Valkyrie and the Einherjar. Get Hilda up here on the double."
There was a chorus of "Yes, sir." among the bridge officers before carrying out their orders. A few minutes later, Hilda Harkin, clad in her black pilot suit, stepped onto the bridge. "Sir." the one-eyed woman said, saluting. "What's our mission? Is it the legged ship?"
"A small Earth Forces battlegroup. That will be your target." Diana said. "It's likely heading to meet up with the legged ship."
"That sucks. I was hoping for a challenge."
"I know. Cripple and paint those warships. Then fall back and we will do the rest." Hilda saluted again. "Yes sir."
Elsewhere
Bridge of the Constitution
Commander White looked on as the 11th Fleet began to deploy its forces. "So, they're trying to destroy the legged ship again, eh? We might as well help them out."
He then looked to his crew. "Tao, you will head out in the Diver to provide cover for the Speartip team." The young woman nodded.
"Araiya, you will place beacons on the ships to that the Speartip team can paint the warships." The purple-haired woman nodded.
"Josh, you and Heidi will keep the Le Creuset team busy if they try and kill anyone who is not armed or a threat." The two red coats nodded.
In a flash of movement, the four left the bridge to get ready for battle.
The mobile suit catapults of the Odin, the Valkyrie and the Einherjar deployed as the hanger doors opened, revealing three black and purple GINNs.
"Alright guys, our orders are to cripple and paint the Earth Forces warships. If we're lucky, the legged ship will come to help them." Hilda said.
"That should be too hard." Herbert Von Reinhardt lazily said.
"Yeah! I wanna see what the big fuss everyone's been making over this new warship and its mobile suits." Mars Simeon said, eager for combat.
"Let's do it guys!" Hilda shouted as her GINN launched from the Odin.
"Right!" Mars shouted.
"Yeah. Yeah." Herbert said.
Herbert and Mars followed, launching from the Valkyrie and the Einherjar. All three GINNs took off at blazing speeds for the Earth Forces battleships and hopefully, the legged ship would show up.
Constitution hanger…
Tao drifted towards the Diver, helmet in hand. But her mind was not on the upcoming battle like it always was. Instead, she was trying to figure out why her father hated Rau Le Creuset.
Her mind was filled with possible reasons, yet each one seemed to hide a more sinister motive it seemed. Then Tao felt shivers race down her spine. Did her father know something about the man that she did not? It seemed possible…
She shook her head and stopped herself near the cockpit of her machine. The battle was what she needed to focus on. Tao put on her helmet and entered her machine's cockpit.
The Coordinator pilot knew that she was not due out on the battlefield for at least 10 minutes, so she had time to think until then. Her thoughts drifted to her father. Was he hiding something from her, and if so, what was it? All that Tao knew was that it concerned her father's hatred for Rau Le Creuset…
Archangel…
Chris ate his lunch quietly as all of the rescued citizens from Heliopolis talked with one another. Everyone was eager to meet up with the Earth Forces Fleet as soon as possible. They all felt that soon, they would be safe from ZAFT. Chris knew better however. No one was truly safe until they reached ORB or NASA.
Of course, it also meant that it was time to choose between a future of fighting and a future of no fighting. Chris was positive that Kira was going to leave. He was not cut out to be a soldier. Nisha was staying, but only to protect his father. He, on the other hand, was unsure. He knew that he could, like Kira, avoid the rest of the war altogether. But what would that lead to? ORB and the EA probably being defeated and something even worse coming to pass. Chris recalled that his grandfather had once told him that Naturals fight for many reasons, but three were the most prominent. Fighting for honor, for a cause that they believed in, and for those that they loved.
"What?! My father is coming here?!" He looked up at Flay's exclamation.
Chris could see Flay talking with Sai at the end of the table. For some reason, his heart seemed to flutter when around the Natural female. Rage boiled in his veins at the sight of her and Sai talking, yet the Coordinator shook his head. The feeling faded, yet it still was there, dormant and sleeping.
"Yes, he is coming with the advance fleet to meet us." Sai replied.
'Well, that is some good news. Our luck had been only bad luck so far. Maybe that will change this time…'
"Really?" Flay asked.
"Yeah, but I bet he has no idea that you are on board. We did just send out our crew and passenger lists, after all." Sai remarked, a smirk in his tone of voice.
Chris was confused as to why he had broken down when he had talked to Flay earlier that day. He had told her things that he had never even mentioned to his friends, and yet, he only knew her for a short amount of time. Even more so, Chris wanted to know why he was thinking of Flay more and more.
'You are in love with her.' A voice from inside his mind said.
Chris shook his head. 'No, I can't be in love with Flay. She is arranged to marry Sai!'
'What does that have to do with your feelings for her?'
Chris buried the thoughts. Flay was Sai's girlfriend. That was meaning 'only look, don't touch'. He was not going to come between them anyway. Maybe staying on board would help him stay away from her.
'It really does not matter, anyway. Soon, we will be meeting up with the advance fleet and heading back to the Moon. Then, after that, we will all be sent back to ORB and we will never see each other again.'
Little did he know, he was wrong…
I hope you all liked the chapter. And the contest mentioned in the previous chapter is still open for anyone to participate in. Please feel free to guess the nation that the Earth Forces fear, and if you get it, you can send in one OC for me to use, but the OC has to be Earth Forces and an Extended to boot. Other than that, go nuts! Any flames will be deleted or reported, depending on if the review is signed or not. Keep reading and reviewing!
