Phase Fourteen: Land of Peace
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.
Titanic X: Glad you like it. :3
Just a Crazy Man: Glad you enjoy it. :3
CT7567Rules: Glad you liked it. :3 And for the answer about the theme song, no I am not changing it because I find this song fits perfectly with my series. :3 And Heero will work with your OC in the second arc. :3
A0930: Yes, Cagalli meets Athrun here and Heero is indeed the only pilot sent here. :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…
Hidden location…
Unknown Pacific Island…
Athrun groaned as he opened up his machine's cockpit. The Aegis had landed on the island after ejecting from the transport, so no one knew where he was. The sunlight hit his eyes as he took off his helmet, making the Coordinator squint in the bright rays.
A glint caught his eye, making Athrun look over. "Is that a Sky Grasper?" The plane was in the water not too far off, a form swimming away from it towards the island. Athrun was immediately tense. The pilot was no doubt of Earth Forces origins. That meant he could be killed in an instant if the man was armed.
Cagalli panted as she reached the sandy beach, her wet hair hanging in her eyes as she looked around the scene. Off to the side was one of the stolen machines, making her growl in anger. "Damn it! ZAFT's here!"
The cockpit opened, revealing the Coordinator inside. He was a red coat no doubt, and that was trouble. 'Damn it all! A ZAFT ace, here of all places?! I'm screwed over if he sees me!'
And she was right.
Wing Zero, search grid area…
Heero looked over the readouts as he flew Wing Zero in a systematic grid search pattern, trying to find Cagalli in the limited time he had. "Grid 01 completed, moving on to grid 02."
In a few turns, Wing Zero moved onto the next grid search.
Pacific Island…
Cagalli grunted as the ZAFT pilot ducked behind a series of rocks to avoid being killed as she opened fire on him. The bullets hit the rocks, but he peered out anyway, despite knowing the risks. Cagalli then heard a noise from behind her and turned around, only to see a glint of metal and a form ambush her.
She was knocked to the ground, only to see the ZAFT pilot on top of her. Having no weapons because her gun was knocked away, she did the only thing she could do. She screamed.
"What? A girl?!" The knife stopped mere inches from her heart.
"Yes, I am a girl! What is with you men?!" Cagalli snarled back.
Wing Zero, search area…
With the light fading rapidly, Heero knew that he could not rely on visual data and search much longer. That meant he would have to use sensors and other methods of tracking down Cagalli in order to find her. He looked over the sensor reading, confirming that there was no life in the area. "Grid 04 completed, moving on to Grid 05."
As he moved on, thunder rumbled in the distance…
Island…
The ZAFT pilot looked back at the girl who was now tied up on the sand as he walked over to his pack. "So, are you really with the Earth Forces? Or are you with NASA, because I have never heard a soldier scream like that before." Athrun remarked as he tried to wrap his own wound.
Cagalli just remained silent before she looked away. "I'm with no one. I just hitched a ride on their ship, that's all."
Athrun struggled with the bandage before he finally managed to get it tied. He then stood up and left Cagalli behind him as the rain began to fall.
Unknown base…
A group of forms sat around the table, plans on the piece of furniture before them. "We still need time!" a female voice exclaimed as a hand was slammed onto the plans, covering the image of three machines that were still undergoing repairs.
"We know that, but the war is moving too rapidly to finish the project all at once. We'll need to do it in stages in order to reach the final result. If we don't we'll just be bogged down and unable to deploy them until after the war has ended. We need that firepower and energy now!" a male voice snapped back. The female form relented, unable to believe this.
"I understand, but if we rush the repairs and recalibration, then those things will not be as effective as they once were!" the female snapped back. "If we let the project be delayed any more than it already is, then we will never gain the advantage we need over the other groups!"
Her superior sighed, knowing that she was right.
But who knew how long it would be before they themselves were attacked in retaliation…
7th Fleet, en route to Gibraltar…
Akira sat in his room, looking at the image of the ZAFT pilots he had graduated with. Yzak, Nicol, Rusty, Dearka, Athrun, himself… All of them stood, smiling and looking at the camera. A carefree smile was on his face in the picture, yet he was not feeling that way anymore, not after what he had gone through. And not after the others learned where he was from…
-Flashback-
Yzak looked back at the other ZAFT red, who had yet to be assigned to a unit of his own. There was an uncertain look on his face, making the silver-haired pilot smirk.
"So, where's your unit?" he asked in a snarky tone. The black-haired youth just glared back, a hardened look in his golden eyes. "Hey, just leave him alone, Yzak. He'll get his unit soon enough." Rusty replied.
Yzak just grunted once. "Yeah…sure he will. I mean, who would accept a Coordinator from Earth? What nation is he even from, one of those who hate us?" he inquired, making the pilot he was speaking about twitch.
"Not from what I heard. He could be from ORB. At least, that is what I heard anyway." Dearka replied. Yzak just looked at the pilot in question. "Are you? Are you an ORBie pilot?"
"No…"
Yzak and the other four pilots looked at him in confusion. "Then where are you from?" Nicol asked.
The pilot addressed looked up, a hardened look in his eyes. "I'm from…the United States."
Dearka blanched, awe spreading through him, with the other four staring in shock as Yzak shook his head as if he didn't hear correctly.
"You're from…THE United States?!" he exclaimed. The black-haired boy nodded. "Then, aren't you supposed to be the elite of the elite, the best of the best and all that stuff?" Nicol inquired.
"…We are not the best of the best, nor are we the elite of the elite. We are just a normal nation, so back off! I am not better than you!" the golden eyed youth replied.
-Flashback End-
Even then, the other ZAFT pilots refused to stop calling him the elite of the elite. Aki' closed his eyes as tears came forward, as he was unable to accept the label he had been given. The U.S. was called a paradise for Coordinators, and those that lived there were considered to be better than Naturals and other Coordinators in general, according to the radical faction anyway…
"Why…why must the others in the PLANTs think of the U.S. as superior to other nations?" he murmured. But deep down, he knew that as long as the radicals existed, they would continue to think that.
Akira put his head in his hands, confusion filling his mind. He was unsure of where is loyalties lay, which was the result of what he had heard in Commander Waltfeld's office in Africa.
'Why would ZAFT want to wipe out all Naturals? What is there to be gained from such a move? And how does Commander Le Creuset figure into all of this? I just want to know!' he thought as he put his head down on the desk of his room.
"Maybe…if I remain with ZAFT…I could find the answers…?" he did not receive an answer to his question. Silence filled the room, blanking out any thoughts he had left…
Island…
Down on the island, Athrun was sitting in the cockpit of the Aegis as the rain fell. Launching a radio buoy, he hoped that ZAFT would find him before the EA, ORB, or even NASA found him. Even with the buoy active, he was unable to get any response over the static-filled channel. 'Great, the air-waves are useless.' He thought with disdain as he recalled the N-Jammers were still in effect.
Looking out of his machine, he noticed a movement in the small stream next to the stolen G-Weapon. Zooming in, he could see the EA pilot trying to stay alive among the rising waters around her. "Better help her before she drowns…" Athrun murmured as he shook his head in disbelief. With that decided, he moved his machine's shield over her to keep her out of the rain.
Slowly, he got out of the cockpit and walked down to the girl. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Trying not to drown, for your information!" the girl shot back. "Will you stop standing there and help me up?!" Athrun obliged. As he did so, a small crab wandered out of her hair and into his hand. When she was standing, the girl hopped out into the rain.
"What are you doing?" Athrun inquired, now confused.
"I'm trying to get the sand off of me!" she snapped back as Athrun walked up to her and cut her free. Now it was her turn to be confused. "What are you doing?"
"Without your weapons, you're no threat to me." He replied. "And you have a visitor."
The girl looked down, and upon seeing the lump under her shirt, lifted it up, only for a crab to fall out. "I guess your right…" she murmured as the ZAFT pilot blushed.
Grid search area…
"Grid C10 cleared, moving onto C11." Heero murmured as he maneuvered Wing Zero to the next grid square.
Island…
"Well, it looks like we'll be spending the night here. The air-waves are useless due to the N-Jammers being active." Athrun explained as he tossed a piece of wood onto the small fire he had built. Cagalli, the girl who he had shot down, sat in a blanket, as most of her clothes, save for her undergarments, were drying by the fire.
"Well, that's because your people came and attacked the Earth with the N-Jammers, which led to countless deaths for millions of civilians around the world!" Cagalli snapped back.
Athrun just glared at her. "Well, that's because the Earth Alliance attacked Junius Seven for no reason!" he snarled back. "Did you really think we would sit back and do nothing?!"
Undisclosed location, unknown nation…
A female form looked out at the stars that twinkled in the sky above the big white mansion she now inhabited. The sky was peaceful, unlike the world below and around her.
She turned away and walked into the depths of the mansion, the lights inside guiding her along the hallways that would otherwise be pitch black. Green eyes reflected a grim determination that now demanded action, the soft face hardened from five years in the armed forces. Brown hair hung over her eyes, and was pulled back in a braid that hung over her back. The young woman was only thirty-seven years old, with no political experience save for what she had learned in the last two years as president. Yet she was already a leader that was not to be taken lightly, and those who had met her knew it.
A man of forty-four years walked up beside her, his black hair slicked down as to look more presentable. Blue eyes reflected nervousness, and the youthful face was laced in worry. "President Hilson, are you still thinking about breaking away from the alliance with ZAFT?" he asked.
United States President Marie Hilson looked at her Vice-President, a hard look in her eyes. "Yes, I am. You need to understand, Vice-President Jason Young, that we are not going to go along with those in ZAFT and the PLANTs who wish to try and wipe out all Naturals. And the way things are going, that radical faction may be in power sooner than we think." She snapped back.
U.S. Vice-President Jason Young realized the grim truth in her words as he looked down, wondering just how they were going to end the fighting. And given their past with the PLANTs and EA, it was not going to be easy, especially considering the debate over New Juneau…
-Flashback-
"You WHAT?!"
President Hilson cringed slightly at the raised voice of the AEU leader, the British Prime Minister. And it did not help that the two nations had once gotten along so well.
"We had no choice. They are a U.S. territory, yet if they were attacked, no one would stand aside in respect of it. Everyone would attack it at that point. But, if they are a U.S. State, then they will be safe from an attack. New Juneau is our colony, not the PLANTs' colony. You got that? So if we decide to give them statehood, then it is our decision to make, not yours!" she snapped back.
The Prime Minister just huffed at the explanation. "While they may be your colony, they are still a PLANT. That makes them a part of the PLANTs, whether you like it or not. Therefore, if you make them a state, then you have given all of the PLANTs protection from us!" he snarled.
President Hilson felt her anger rise, but she pushed it back under her control. "Look, while New Juneau may be a PLANT, the colony's inhabitants are still American citizens. They deserve to be treated as such, and giving them statehood is the only way we knew how. Even the declaration of the colony being a U.S. Territory was not enough to prevent an attempted attack on it. THAT is why we gave them statehood." She replied smoothly.
The British leader just growled before he turned and left the room. But the president got the feeling that no one had won the war of words…
-Flashback End-
The issue of New Juneau was just the tip of the iceberg, they both knew. And it would only get worse from there…
Island…
Back in the cave of the island, the argument flared to Heliopolis.
"Please understand; we only wanted the Mobile Suits. We did not want anything to happen to the colony!" Athrun pleaded.
Cagalli just huffed. "But you did. You attacked and destroyed the colony!"
Athrun could not believe this girl. "Well, the Earth Forces went and made it a target by having the machines built there! We are only fighting to protect the PLANTs, our home!" he countered
The blonde-haired girl just glared at him. "I am doing the same thing!"
The fire danced around, giving a soft light to the two of them.
"My…mother was on Junius Seven…" Athrun began slowly. "It was only farms there, and yet the Earth Forces went and killed everyone! Men, women, children, all dead in an instant flash…"
"Oh…"Cagalli looked down, suddenly feeling guilty. "I'm sorry…I've lost friends too, but never like that…"
Both then looked up as a familiar sound was heard.
"Grid E9, heat signatures detected." Heero noted as he flew Wing Zero down towards the island. The system zoomed in on the small cave entrance, which had the Aegis by it. Instantly, he picked up Cagalli and Athrun both.
"Missing personnel member found." He confirmed.
Cagalli came out in a towel, looking up only to see a machine she knew from the Archangel. "Wing Zero…"
Athrun looked at her in surprise, but he did not show it to her. Looking at the Aegis, he knew he would not be able to get to it in time.
As the machine came down onto the beach, Cagalli walked up to its landing area. "Heero…" 'Why did he come for me? Didn't the Archangel write me off like most EA people would?'
Wing Zero's cockpit door opened, only to reveal the man that was the pilot. "Drop the gun; I'm only here for Cagalli." He said as his arm showed a gun aimed at the ZAFT pilot.
"Cagalli?" Athrun asked.
"That's my name." Cagalli replied. Athrun handed his gun to Cagalli as Heero lowered himself to the ground. Athrun then raised his hands in surrender.
"I, Athrun Zala, hereby surrender to the Earth Forces." He said. Heero just narrowed his eyes at the statement.
"I am not with the Earth Forces. And from what I have heard, the Earth Forces would no doubt shoot you, even if you surrendered and were unarmed." Heero replied, his voice lacking any emotion.
"What? But you fight with the Archangel!" Athrun exclaimed as he lowered his hands.
"That may be true, but it is only because they took me in when I had no place to go." Heero explained.
"Why would you have nowhere to go?" Athrun asked.
Heero just raised his gun at the Coordinator. "It's best if you do not ask that, otherwise I will have to kill you." He growled back.
Cagalli just put a hand on Heero's arm in a reassuring manner. "It's okay Heero. He won't try anything."
Heero just looked at her before he lowered the gun. "He can't know about where I am from…" he snarled before he pointed at his machine. "Get in. I will grab the Skygrasper before we leave."
"We're taking the Aegis too," Cagalli pointed out. Heero just looked at her with an emotionless look.
"No. He still needs that machine. I will not leave someone to die for no reason, and that includes him. I have seen too much death already…" He said as looked down. Cagalli just stared at him before she got into the cockpit of Wing Zero.
As Heero entered the cockpit, Athrun called out to him. "Why are you, a Coordinator, working with the Earth Forces?"
The young man looked down at the ZAFT red. "I am no Coordinator. And I told you, they took me in when I had no place to go. I owe them a debt that can only be repaid by helping them out in return." He replied.
'He's a Natural?!' Athrun could not believe that the young man before him was unenhanced. "But…how can you beat us Coordinators?" he asked.
"I was…'trained' from birth to be a soldier. And with my machine, I can beat just about anyone who wishes to fight me." Heero replied. 'Especially with the Zero System…'
Athrun stared as Wing Zero's cockpit closed, the machine grabbing the Skygrasper before taking off in a roar of fire.
"Why would you not let me take the Aegis?" Cagalli asked as Wing Zero headed back towards the Archangel.
Heero did not look at her as he spoke. "I do not want to have someone who can be saved die on their own, nor do I want to see him die for no reason, especially on a deserted island." He replied.
Cagalli then looked around, as if feeling like someone was watching her. "Um…do you ever get the feeling like you are being watched?"
"That is Zero, or at least, the system observing you." Heero explained, but to Cagalli's surprise, there was the faintest hint of a smirk on his face, even if it was so small it was barely even registered there.
Archangel…
"Wing Zero is on approach." Sai exclaimed as he picked up Wing Zero's IFF on the radar.
Captain Ramius looked at Sai, shock on her face. "What? Has Heero found her?"
"Archangel, I have Cagalli onboard with the Skygrasper in possession." Heero announced as Ramius and the bridge crew felt relief and jubilation rising in their chests.
"Bring her in," Captain Ramius sighed, a smile on her face.
While Heero was searching for Cagalli, other things were occurring on the ship as well.
After hours of being on duty with no break, Sai, Tolle, Miri, Flay, and Nisha were finally having their dinner. With the search for Cagalli now hold until morning, the Captain had ended their shifts for the night. While everyone else was devouring their meals, Flay was hardly touching her food. "What's wrong, Flay?" Sai asked.
"Nothing...It's nothing." she replied.
Sai knew something was bothering her, but didn't press it. Ever since they left the desert, she had been distant from just about everyone. Expect for Chris. Sai might have been a bit concerned about what was going on between the two of them, if it hadn't been for Chris's words to him after they first landed on Earth, when he was first concerned about the two of them being alone together.
"I have no intention of stealing Flay from you, Sai." Chris said. "I'm just trying to help her out with her grief over her father's death. You are arranged to be married. I'm not gonna come between you two. You have my word."
And he managed to brighten up Flay's mood after her father's death. So he was thankful to Chris for his help. And yeah, maybe a little jealous at the amount of time Flay had lately been spending with Chris.
"Excuse me. I'll be right back." Flay said, standing up.
"Flay? We're you going?"
"Ah...I just need to do something." she said, heading for the doorway.
"What?"
"...Nothing Sai." Flay said as she left.
Now Sai was growing worried. Why was Flay acting so strange lately? Sai couldn't sit back anymore. He was going to find out what was bothering her. He sat up. "Excuse me. I'm going to see what is bothering her right now." he told the others.
He left the mess hall. He wasn't sure where she went. He figured he'd start at the crew quarters first. A couple minutes later, he rounded a corner and saw...Flay and Chris embracing and kissing.
Sai was shocked. His Flay was kissing one of friends. A friend that swore that he won't try anything like this.
They finally broke free of their kiss, but here still in a loose hug. Flay's back was to him. "Flay...I...I..." Chris mumbled, trying to speak. Then he looked up and saw him. "Sai..." he said in horror and guilt.
Flay broke the hug and turned around. Her expression was the same as his. But Sai was too hurt and betrayed to notice. Sai found himself at a loss for words. "Flay...Chris...Why...WHY?" he shouted. "Were you lying to me this whole time, Chris? How long have you been doing this behind my back?"
Chris knew he should have let Flay kiss him. He should have pushed her away. But he hadn't. Instead, he kissed her back, as much as he wanted to deny it. To ignore it. To reject it. He had fallen for her. He didn't know how or why he had fallen in love with her, but he realized he didn't care how or why.
God...It was like some bad soap opera.
"Sai...I'm sorry." Chris said, trying to reason with him. "I never wanted to come between you two...But...I...I...I never meant to fall in love with her...It just happened-"
"SHUT UP!" Sai screamed, tackling Chris.
The two fell to the ground, Sai landing on top of him. Chris raised his head, only for Sai's fist to hit him. More punches hit his face. Sai knew nothing about fighting. In fact, he was pretty much your average nerd. Smart, not all that physically strong. But he was furious, fueling his strength. After receiving a few more blows to the head, Chris grabbed one of Sai's incoming fists and punched Sai in face, knocking Sai off of him. Chris stood up, wiping the blood from his nose. "Listen to me, Sai. I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to come between the two of you. It just happen-GAH!"
Sai's leg shot up, hitting him in the place that hurts regardless of whether one was Coordinator or a Natural. Now he was beginning to get mad. Sai just wasn't listening to anything he said. Sai got up and punched him again. Chris grabbed his fist and punched Sai in the stomach. Sai stumbled back and Chris followed up with more punches. One last blow to Sai's face and he fell to the ground. "I think you've had enough." Chris said, leaning up against a wall, breathing heavily.
Sai was lying on the ground, breathing just as heavily. Flay just stood there with an expression of horror and guilt on her face. "Well...Are you two done slapping each around? Or are you going to go at it a bit more?" John said, standing some feet behind him.
"I'm done." Chris said.
Sai didn't say anything.
"You teens and your hormones." John said, moving towards the two. "You're almost as bad as Cagalli. Almost."
He helped Sai up to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. Girl...Flay, right?"
"Ah...Yeah..."
"Why don't you take Chris and help get him cleaned up."
A few minutes later, they were in the men's washroom. He was leaning over a sink while Flay was wiping the blood from his face with a damp cloth. His lip and nose were bleeding. There were a few bruises forming on his face as well.
Chris sighed. "We shouldn't have done that. You're arranged to marry Sai. And I'm his friend. I swore this won't happen." he said. "Yet it did. I didn't want it to happen. I didn't want to admit it when it did happen. But the truth is, I began to feel something for you."
"I've realized, for a while now, that my feelings for Sai were never truly love. I thought those feelings were love, but when I started to spend more and more time with you, I found myself feeling true feelings of love and it wasn't for Sai. It was for you." Flay said. "But I didn't want to hurt Sai like that. I wanted to break it up with gently."
"Looks like it's a little too late for that." Chris said with a sigh.
A few days later…
The Archangel shuddered as another shot from the Buster impacted the hull. The Strike and Farsight, on top of the Archangel, fired at the speeding machine, making smoke pour out of its engines. The crimson GINN fired at the ship, making more shots impact along the hull. The Raven, in its Mobile Armor mode, sped after the Guul-mounted GINN as a pair of Skygraspers chased the Buster.
The Z.A.M. Gundam, on the open catapult, fired at the Wing, which was in its fighter form as it raced around the airspace of the Archangel.
Wing Zero, on the other hand, was in the water, raging battle with the other four machines of the 7th Fleet. Heero grunted as his machine dodged the Diver's swipes from its battle staff, only to be impacted by the knives of Heidi's machine. Moving back, Heero pulled out Wing Zero's beam sabers to engage the enemy. Slashing at Heidi's GINN, he removed the left arm, making her lose one of her weapons. Not wanting to lose further weapons, Heidi pulled back, only for Tao to dart in. Firing the Danketsu Gatling guns, she managed to make Heero move back.
"Saul, Nicol, take out the engines as you flank the ship!" Athrun ordered. If the ship was crippled, then they would be dead in the water and would have no choice but to surrender.
"Target the Guuls, those flight platforms!" John ordered, firing his rifle. "They can't fight us if they aren't in the air!"
The Blitz and Surge raced around the sides of the Archangel, either dodging the missiles or shooting them down. Nicol fired off the lancer darts his machine had, striking one of the ship's Valiants. The gun exploded, damaging the ship even more. Before the machines could fire on the engines, a pair of beam shots made them move back. Looking down, Saul was shocked to see the machine, Omega One, partially out of the water, beam rifle aimed. He tried to fire on the machine, only for the enemy to dive back under the water.
"Damn it…how can that thing function underwater?!"
Suddenly, the Raven appeared above them. "You're not taking out this ship!" Chris shouted as he turned the Raven into its mobile suit mode.
It fell like a rock on the Blitz. The black machine was knocked off the Guul as the Raven landed on it. Nicol screamed as the Blitz fell into the ocean. "NICOL!" Saul shouted as the Raven turned its attention on him.
The machine ducked and fired as Saul fired his beam rifle. The beams shot over the crouching machine as a pair of rail-gun rounds tore through the Guul. The Surge joined the Blitz in the water. Destroying its own Guul, the Raven turned back into its mobile armor mode.
Meanwhile, the Duel swooped down on the Archangel as it fired on the Strike. "I'm gonna get you, Strike!" Yzak yelled.
The Strike fired, hitting the Duel's Guul. The Guul exploded, but Yzak continued to let the Duel fall towards the Archangel.
"That's one stubborn pilot…" John murmured as he had his machine leap into the air.
Yzak dropped his beam rifle and reached for a beam saber, but he was not fast enough to avoid the next move.
"But too much stubbornness can be a weakness too!" John cried as he kicked the Duel away from the ship.
"GAH! Damn it!" Yzak snarled as he fell into the water as well.
The Farsight then fell towards the water, but the Raven swooped in and grabbed it before depositing the machine on the Archangel. "Thanks," John said. "Keep firing on the Guuls. We can win this."
While this was happening, a large ORB naval fleet approached the battle. The Archangel and the mobile suits were nearing ORB territorial waters. The ORB flagship hailed all of the combatants.
"This is a warning to the Earth Forces warship, its mobile suits and all ZAFT mobile suits. You are currently approaching ORB Union territory. Alter your course immediately. In defense of our neutrality, we strictly prohibit all armed ship, aircraft and mobile suits from entering our territory. Turn your forces around at once." the ORB Commander said.
Zane smirked. It was over. The legged ship was doomed. Either they would sink the ship or ORB would do it for them.
'Damn. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place. We stay on our path and ORB blows us out of the water. But even if we turned away, with the damage we've received, we won't be able to survive the next attack.' John thought.
"I repeat. Alter your course immediately. This is your last warning. If you do not, we will exercise our right to defend our nation."
Cagalli, who had entered the bridge with Kisaka, said, "Don't listen to him. Keep on heading towards ORB."
She grabbed Sai's headset. "Who the hell do you think you are, saying that crap after seeing the mess we're in?! The Archangel is going to enter ORB territorial waters, do not attack us!"
Athrun immediately recognized the voice on radio as the same as the girl he spent that night on the island with.
"Ah...Hell..." Chris said. "She's gonna piss off the ORB military and then we're really gonna be screwed."
"Who is this?" the Commander asked, his face appearing on the screen.
"Who the hell are you?" Cagalli shouted back. "If you can't figure out who I am, then contact your superior! Contact my father! Contact Uzumi Nara Athha!"
This announcement stunned everyone. The crew of the Archangel, the ORB fleet, the ZAFT forces, everyone.
"I am Cagalli Yula Athha!"
"What? She's the daughter of the Lion of ORB?" Chris said.
"Apparently, our Overemotional Goddess, is in reality an Overemotional Princess." John said. "I didn't see that one coming. Of course, she could just be trying to confuse them to the point that they'll let us enter their territory just to straighten things out."
"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but there's no way the daughter of the Lord Athha would be on that warship." the Commander said, closing the line.
"Like we're gonna let you enter their territory in the first place!" Dearka said, firing on the Archangel's engines.
"Damn pest!" Mu said, firing at the mobile suit.
Dearka fired at the Sky Grasper as it flew past him. Dearka took aim at the fighter. "I got you now!"
But before he could squeezed the trigger, the second Sky Grasper, armed with the Sword Striker, came up on him from behind. The large blade extended, ready to slice the Buster in half. "Shit!" Dearka cursed as he tried to maneuver out of its path.
Dearka managed to pull the Buster out of its path. But the anti-ship sword sliced off his Guul's right wing, causing it and the Buster to fall to the ocean.
"Yeah! I got him!" Liz cheered.
Nisha fired on the Wing, making Aki' cry out as a missile hit the left stabilizer. The wing released smoke as he flew off, making Nisha look down in guilt. Below the water, the other four machines of the 7th Fleet had retreated due to power drainage, prompting Wing Zero to emerge and land on the Archangel.
But the damage was done. The Archangel could no longer maintain its altitude with the damage it sustained, forcing it to land on the ocean. Specifically, in ORB territorial waters. The ORB fleet immediately started to take up positions alongside the damaged vessel, preparing to fire on it.
"It seems we have no other choice." Kisaka said to Murrue "Don't worry. The gunners of ORB's Second Defense Fleet aren't known for their accuracy."
"Since you have disregarded our warnings, we have no choice but to open fire."
The ORB fleet fired on the Archangel. The Raven landed on the Archangel's hull, alongside the Strike and the Farsight, the Z.A.M. Gundam and Wing Zero on either side of them. "This can't be good." Chris said as rounds struck the waters, dangerously close to the Archangel.
"Actually, they're not trying to hit us. It looks like things may just be turning in our favor." John said as the bombardment rained around them.
Both Athrun and Zane weren't stupid enough to try something now. Their only choice was to fall back with the others.
Once the ZAFT forces were long gone from the area and they had gotten a bit deeper into ORB waters, the ORB warships stopped firing at them and instead, escorted the Archangel into a hidden dock on Onogoro.
"This dock is owned by ORB and Morgenroete." Kisaka explained. "Not even satellites will be able to locate the Archangel once it enters the dock."
"First off, I want some explanations." Murrue said. "Just who exactly are you?"
"Ledonir Kisaka." Kisaka said, snapping to attention. "Captain in the 21st Airborne Division of the ORB Military. I am Lady Cagalli's bodyguard."
"Then you really are Chief Representative Athha's daughter."
"Yes." Cagalli said.
Murrue sighed. "What's going to happen now?"
"I believe it would be better to ask the person who'll be coming here shortly. ORB's leader, Uzumai Nara Athha." Kisaka said.
Aboard the Cousteau
An Hour Later
"This announcement is nothing but a pile of crap!" Yzak shouted, slamming his hands on the table.
"I can't believe they expect us to believe that the legged ship has left their territory." Dearka said. "They're treating us like fools. Maybe it's because we have a raw commander."
"Dearka. Don't blame Athrun for this." Nicol said.
"Yeah Dearka." Saul said. "If we had stayed, they would have blown us up as well."
"But at the same time, we cannot allow the legged ship to escape yet again." Zane said. "We should have finished them off when we had the chance."
"That's all irrelevant." Athrun said. "You can't deny that ORB has given us their official response. Complain and call them lairs all you want, it won't change the situation."
"What?" Yzak shouted.
"This isn't like Heliopolis. ORB's military might and advanced technology is great for us to simply force our way in." Athrun said. "If we forced our way in, it would only be a diplomatic nightmare for ZAFT and we'd be lucky to escape from there."
"Your analysis is impressively rational, Athrun...Oops...Commander Zala." Yzak sarcastically said.
"Hold on. Are you saying we should just accept their word and leave?"
"We'll ask Carpentaria to apply some official pressure. If that does not resolve the situation quickly enough, we'll sneak in." Athrun said. "Does that meet with your approval?"
"Ah...So we can pinpoint the ship's location." Nicol said.
"Sounds like a good idea to me. So long as this doesn't turn out like Heliopolis." Saul said.
"I agree." Zane said. "If we find proof that they're hiding the legged ship than that changes everything."
"Very well. I'll go along with this. For now. But if it were up to me, we'd be forcing our way in. I can't disagree with the son of Committee Chairman Zala, now can I?" Yzak said, leaving the room with Dearka. "Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to see the face of the Strike's pilot."
Athrun's expression immediately saddened. He knew Kira was piloting the Strike. And once again he felt himself torn between his duty to ZAFT and his friendship to Kira.
Orb Parliament Building
Onogoro Island
Murrue, Natarle, Mu and John had been led to an empty conference room, where they waited. The door opened. Uzumi Nara Athha and two older men entered the room. The first older man was wearing an ORB Military uniform, a General based on the markings, and appeared to in his sixties but was in excellent shape. He was taller than Athha and quite muscular. His body was that of a lifelong soldier's. He had short, gray hair and matching thick, bushy mustache. His eyes were a familiar grayish-green. The second man wore a butler's outfit, with grey hair and blue eyes. He was seventy-seven years old, even older than the second man.
"Hello. I am Uzumi Nara Athha. And this is my close friend and advisor..."
"General Samuel Dante. Currently serving as the liaison between Morgenroete and the Orb military." the man said.
"Dante?" Mu said. "As in-"
"Yes. I am the grandfather of Christopher and Elizabeth Dante." Samuel said. "You have my thanks for watching over them. As well as my daughter-in-law. With the death of my youngest son, they're the only family I have left."
"You're welcome." Murrue said.
"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, it's time to deal with the matters at hand." Uzumi said. "Our official statement is that our naval forces fired upon the Archangel, driving it from our waters."
"Do you really expect ZAFT or those pilots perusing us to believe that?" John asked.
"No. But they cannot disprove what we have said. And it is unlikely that they'll try any military action without concrete proof that we are lying to them." Athha said.
John nodded. "Because if they didn't, they'd be invading ORB without a legitimate reason. Something ZAFT can't afford to do with their manpower."
"Exactly." Samuel said. "If they attack us, they'll have to draw vital forces from other theaters of war. Which is something ZAFT can't afford to do here on Earth. For all their superior mobile suits and technology, they still lack the numbers necessary to truly defeat the Earth Alliance. And then there is NASA to deal with. If ZAFT tried to attack us, then they would have to deal with a nation that many have only feared and respected for years in the past and today."
"You didn't save us just because we had your daughter on board, or his grandchildren for that matter, did you?" Mu asked.
"Do you honestly believe that either of us would risk that fate of a nation and its people for the sake of three children?" Uzumi said.
"Excuse me, if I implied that sir."
"Things would be so much easier if it were only that simple." Attha said. "Heliopolis. The children of this nation that volunteered and ended up joining the Earth Forces. The success of G-Units in battle after battle. I've thought over this again and again. Would it have been wiser to just let that ship and its mobile suits sink? And even at this very moment, I'm still wondering if I've made the right choice."
"Lord Uzumi, I'm terribly sorry. About Heliopolis and the children. I know my words on this matter aren't an official apology, but from a personal stand point, I am deep sorry for what happened." Murrue said.
"No. Forget it. There's plenty of blame for us to share. Since this is also an inherent problem of our nation. The reason we maintain our stance as a neutral nation is that we don't want to face Naturals or Coordinators as enemies. We cannot carry out these intentions without power. And yet with power, we become a target. I'm sure, as soldiers, you don't want to have this type of discussion."
"In any case, we should explain to you why we didn't let your ship be destroyed." Samuel said. "We would like all of the Strike's, the Z.A.M. Gundam's and the Raven's combat data as well as the loan of their pilots, Nisha Itsuno, my grandson and the Coordinator, Kira Yamato, for technical cooperation with Morgenroete. We're willing to provide you with extensive assistance with your repairs if you agree. Of course, we would also like the loan of Heero Yuy and his machine's combat data as well."
"For once, I have to disagree. Heero will never give up his machine's combat data, but I'm sure he would be willing to help out with the other machines." Mu replied, making everyone look at him. "His machine will self-destruct if it is tampered with."
Murrue hesitated. "Lord Uzumi, we'd like some time to discuss the matter."
"Very well then. We both have some matters to attend to." Attha said. "You'll be escorted back to your ship for now. We'll come by tonight for your answer."
The Archangel
A number of people were gathered in crew quarters of the Archangel, watching Cagalli, now clad in a dress, fighting with a servant as they started to leave the ship. Chris and Flay were at the back of the group, avoiding Sai as much as they could. Neither of them had spoken with Sai since that night and had pretty much avoided him.
"Holy crap!" Chris said. "She's a girl!"
Most of the crew started laughing or chuckling at his comment. Cagalli growled. "Why the hell do you people keep on saying that?"
"Because it's amusing." Chris said with a grin.
Captain's Quarters
The Archangel
A Short While Later
"I'm against this." Natarle said. "This nation is dangerous."
"Here we go again." John said under his breath.
"And what do you propose?" Mu asked. "Getting off here and swimming to Alaska? Or have you forgotten that NASA is even more dangerous than ORB?"
"No, of course not. That's not what I'm suggesting." Natarle said. "I think that we should pay for the repairs."
"I understand what you're getting at. But..."
"But that won't be the end of it. They never mentioned it to us, but I'm sure they're under tremendous pressure from ZAFT. Yet they still made the decision to help us. You realize why that is, don't you?" Murrue said.
"Indeed." John said, sipping his coffee. "They must be having some kind of problem with their own mobile suits. Something that those kids apparently fixed. Don't worry, I'll go with them and keep an eye on them. If you agree, of course."
"We have little choice but to accept their offer."
"Whatever you say Captain, seeing as I don't have any authority to do anything about it. But this matter will be going in my report." Natarle said before leaving the room.
"Man. And I thought Diana was a cold woman." John said, downing the last of his coffee. "But that woman is like a glacier."
Early the Next Morning
Unbeknownst to the majority of Orb's citizens, a trio of mobile suits was walking towards the Morgenroete Headquarters in dawn hours. Chris yawned. "Man. Could it have been that hard for them to get a couple of transport trucks for us? We could have easily gone through the front door rather than this twisting side route at five in morning."
John, who was riding in the car leading them to the facility, laughed. "I suppose Lord Uzumi wishes to keep this as low key as possible."
Heero, who was riding in the back seat, just grunted once. "Hn." He had his hands behind his head, eyes closed.
"Why does it matter?" Chris asked. "By the end of the day, everyone at Morgenroete will know we're here."
"Yeah. Our low-key cover will be blown." Nisha remarked.
"True. But it's better to be safe than sorry." John said. "We don't know if the Le Creuset Team bought ORB's story or if they're out there, waiting for us. Personally, I doubt they bought it. They're waiting for us to leave ORB. Those guys aren't the kind to just give up. Especially if that masked creep, Le Creuset is with them."
"So they'll be waiting for us when we leave ORB, then?" Chris asked.
"Likely." John said. "When we're done here, get yourselves some R and R. Cause it's unlikely that we'll get a break until we reach JOSH-A. Those guys will likely be hounding us all the way to JOSH-A."
"Great…" Nisha moaned.
Chris yawned again. "Meh. Whatever. Let's get this whole thing over with."
A short while later, the Strike, Z.A.M. Gundam and Raven were secured in a Morgenroete hanger, deep underground. Johanna Dante and another woman, clad in a Morgenroete crew chief uniform approached the trio. "Hello. I'm Erica Simmons. Welcome to Morgenroete." the woman greeted.
"So this is the heart of Morgenroete." John said. "Where the Gundams were first conceived."
"Yes." Erica said, leading them into another hanger. "Though they were built in Heliopolis, this where it all began."
"Oh that reminds me. I have something for you." John said, searching through a pocket of his coat.
He pulled out a disc and handed it to Erica. "What is this?" she asked.
"When we were in the desert, I studied the schematics of the Strike, Z.A.M. Gundam and the Raven, and came up with some...interesting things. However, I can't do anything with what I've come up with, so I'm handing it over to those that can use it."
"You're an ex-ZAFT commander, right?" she asked, inspecting the disc.
"Yes. Don't worry; I have no intention in rating out ORB to ZAFT or anyone else. Or handing over ORB technology to the PLANTs." John said. "You hold in your hands the only copy of what I've made."
Erica handed the disc to Johanna. "See what's on the disc for me." she said.
Johanna nodded. "Right."
Johanna left as they entered the hanger. Inside the hanger were mobile suits. Ones they had never seen before. They were similar to Strike in appearance. But they were clearly a new model. Kira, Nisha, Chris and John all stared at the machines in amazement. Heero was emotionless as ever, but there was bit of amazement in his eyes. "Admiring the Astrays? They're impressive, but nowhere near as impressive as your machines." a man voice called out. "It's been awhile Chris."
Chris's eyes immediately widened. He turned to the large man in an ORB uniform approaching them. "Grandpa?"
Samuel smiled and hugged his grandson. "It's good to see you alive and well. When I heard what happened at Heliopolis, I feared the worst." he said.
Samuel turned to Kira. "And you must be Kira Yamato. I am General Samuel Dante. Chris's grandfather." he said, shaking Kira's hand.
Kira noticed something odd about his gaze. But he couldn't place it. "Ah, hi."
General Dante then turned to Nisha. "And you must be Nisha Itsuno." He remarked as he held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you." Nisha said as he took the older man's hand and shook it.
"Ah…you must be Heero Yuy…Nice to meet you."
Heero just shook the man's hand once before he looked away.
Samuel turned to John. "I don't know you."
"Officially, I'm Victor Cain. Unofficially, I'm John Alaric."
"ZAFT's Black Hawk? They say that you and Tiger are dead." Samuel said.
John sighed. "I'm alive. But Andy's dead."
"Ah. General Dante, I wasn't sure if you were going to join us this morning." Erica said.
Samuel grunted. "You know how politicians and bureaucrats are. Constantly arguing and passing blame on everyone else. There are those that still want us kick the Archangel out as means to avoid a war with ZAFT. Damn, cowardly Seirans. Say what you want about the Sahaku, at least they have some backbone in them." he said. "If war comes to ORB, it will come and there'll be nothing we can do to prevent it."
"Have you explained the Astrays yet?" Samuel asked.
"No. I was about to."
"I'll do it." Samuel cleared his throat. "These are the M1 Astrays. A mass produced mobile suit from Morgenroete that will serve as ORB's primary frontline mobile suit. As you can see, it shares many characteristics with the Strike. And Morgenroete is currently in the design phase of another machine that will share characteristics with the Raven."
"Now you see the true face of ORB. The so called neutral nation." Cagalli said, approaching the group.
Kira, Chris and John all noticed the red mark on her right cheek. Samuel chuckled. "I see the stubborn little Lion Cub of ORB had a fight with the Lion of ORB again."
Cagalli scowled at him. "These machines are to be ORB's protectors." Samuel said. "As you know, ORB will not attack another nation. Or allow another nation to attack it. Nor will it become involved in the conflicts of other nations. With these machines, we have the power to ensure that just belief."
"That's the kind of nation ORB is. Or at least, that's what it was supposed to be until my father betrayed it." Cagalli said.
Samuel sighed. "Again with this. You're as stubborn as your father. Not even he can knock some sense into you." he said "You know that isn't true. He never knew about the mobile suits being built at Heliopolis-"
"Shut up! That is not an acceptable excuse! He was the Chief Representative!" Cagalli shouted. "Not knowing about the matter is a crime as well."
"Which why he stepped down as Chief Representative, handing it over to your uncle." Samuel said.
"Like that changed anything."
"You just don't get, do you? ORB needs Lord Uzumi right now." Samuel said. "Ever since this war started, ORB has been in a difficult position. With our Mass Driver and advanced technology, both ZAFT and the Earth Forces have pressured us to choose a side in this war. A weaker leader have buckled under the pressure and submitted to one of the sides, pulling ORB into this war. Lord Uzumi has chosen the only path that stays true to ORB's principles."
Samuel turned and started walking away. "Come. Let us get to work and leave this stubborn, foolish, little girl."
Cagalli let out a growl but ultimately, followed him and the others out of the hanger. A short while later, they entered the control room of the Mobile Suit Testing Chamber. A trio of Astrays were standing in the Testing Chamber. Erica put on a headset. "Asagi, Juri, Mayura, begin your drills."
The mobile suits activated and proceed to move through their exercises. Movements were slow and pathetic. It was like they were moving underwater. Cagalli sighed. "Those three haven't changed at all. They're still just as slow."
"Actually, they're twice as fast now." Erica said. "Though you do bring up our problem. Though we have the mobile suits, we're still struggling to come up with an OS that allows a Natural pilot it on a similar level as Coordinators."
"And you need our help because we both rewrote the Operating Systems of our machines." Chris said
"Exactly. We need your assistance in this matter." Erica said. "Mainly Heero's help though, as he is a Natural as well. If you all can help though, then that would be greatly appreciated."
"Okay. Let's get to work then."
Elsewhere, a pair of fishermen waited on some rocks on the shore. A group of scuba divers emerged from the waters and approached them. The lead diver pulled off his mask. "Athrun Zala, of the Le Creuset Team."
One of the fishermen smiled. "Welcome to the Land of Peace." the ZAFT spy said.
Chapter is complete. I want to encourage people to leave reviews so that I can reach at least 50 of them. Also, twists and turns become more common from here on out. So keep reading peoples, and don't forget to leave reviews as well! Anonymous reviews are enabled, so please review as soon as possible! R&R! ^^ Also, flames and any other form of hate-filled reviews that are not relevant to the story WILL be reported and/or deleted depending on if a review is signed or not.
