New chapter is up is up! Note: I do not own Chris, Liz, or Johanna Dante, Ian, Saul, or Diana Kessel, John Alaric, the 11th Fleet, Treize Zabiarov, Gyunei Ridden, Reccoa Schnieder, or the machines listed for the remaining members of the Le Creuset team, as they are Akatsuki_Leader13's and are used with his permission as such. I also do not own Xander Alexis, as he belongs to Mordalfus Grae. Nor do I own Matrin Nightengale, as he is Meteorthunder3's OC. I only own Tao White, Akira, Nishikama, Nisha and Taikyu Itsuno, Preisdent Marie Hilson, Gai Tatsuni, NASA/NAZAFT, the Presidential Murasame, the Raptor, the Dax, Wing, Traverse, and Z.A.M. Gundams, and the colony of New Juneau.
Just a Crazy Man: That is true. :3
Animefan0216: True, it might be tradition to upgrade a Gundam, but here, it will not be. I don't follow the usual aspects of a series unless I want to. ;3 Keeps my readers on their toes. :P
CT7567Rules: I didn't realize I did Halo 3 stuff for a flashback. O.o And yeah, things will calm down with that investigation. :3 NASA ain't the typical alliance, as they don't act the way others want them too... and I mean that literally for Durandal. XD Don't worry, your OC will come in soon. I just need to figure out when... ^^'
vgu - Inconsistent Guest: You obviously won't stick with a single guest name, so I will just call you 'inconsistent guest' from now on.
Titanic X: Glad you like it. :3
Note to all readers: I am going to ask those who have an account to sign in and leave a review in order to know who is leaving it, or at least to put their account name on the review so I know who is sending it. If you want to sign in and leave a review, then feel free to do so. But if not, then at least put your account name at the top so I can see who you are. If you do not have an account, then feel free to leave a review anyway. Just no outright hatred of the story please.
Cosmic Era 72. One and half years of grim war between Earth and PLANTs ended following the space battle at Jachin Due. The two sides forged a peace treaty amid the ruins of Junius Seven. A place of unprecedented tragedy during the war. The former enemies pledged themselves to work for mutual understanding and to make every effort possible to maintain peace. As a result, the world once more on the path of stability.
Phase Seven: Land of Confusion
Aprilius One
Chairman Durandal took the podium and took a deep breath as the crews went through the final preparations for the broadcast. The worst of the dust clouds had scattered from the skies of Earth, allowing them to broadcast to Earth as well as the PLANTs.
"Ready Your Excellency?"
Durandal nodded. "Yes. I am ready."
"Then we'll begin in five…four…three…two…one…"
"Greetings people of ZAFT and Earth. I have come to you because of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the Earth. There are no words that can convey the sorrow that we are all feeling right now. The fall of Junius Seven has been an accident of unprecedented proportion. The ones who did this were not just merely terrorists, but also followers of the late Hong Fa Wu."
Just then the screen cut out.
Static suddenly filled the screens behind the Chairman. Durandal stopped. "What? What's happening?" he demanded.
"It appears that someone has hacked into the broadcast, sir." a technician answered.
"Who?"
"Unknown. But we are trying to stop them."
A young dark haired woman appeared on the screen, clad in the standard NASA political wear. "People of Earth, a terrible tragedy has befallen us. Cities have been devastated. Countless lives have been lost. A horrible, horrible accident... Or at least that's what Chairman Durandal of ZAFT wants to believe. The truth is that this was not an accident, but an attack on us; a deliberate attack on the planet!"
Durandal's eyes widened. This was Djibril's doing. It had to be. Right?
Images of black and purple GINNs setting up Flare Motors appeared on the screen behind the female speaker. "This footage from New Juneau captured what happened. Now undoubtedly, Durandal will claim that these are nothing more than terrorists, working on their own. And that may be true. However, I would like to announce that NASA will be conducting an investigation into how this could have happened as well. The footage from our own colony will be released to the press and media of the world. We would like to point out though, that these people were working alone. There is no way that the PLANTs could have dropped the colony otherwise. The footage we will release is unedited, raw footage, so it has not been altered in any way. Please note that there are ZAFT machines also working on the break-up of the colony, so ask yourselves if the PLANTs were really behind it or not. Do not go with what the Earth Alliance says alone."
Durandal paled as he heard those words. Now he knew who this was. It was THE U.S. PRESIDENT. Only she would have the guts to do such a thing. He had to stop her now. "Cut the feed! Now!" he shouted.
"We've already tried, sir. It's no good. Someone has hacked our systems. We can't stop them. The link is just too encrypted."
"Analysis of the footage sent in from New Juneau clearly revealed the large group." She said. "But I can tell that ZAFT will no doubt be accused of this attack, even though they tried to help stop it. Ask yourselves this, people of Earth. Would ZAFT have dropped the colony, only to stop it? Or was it just the work of a few people?"
Durandal scowled. He had an idea of where this was heading.
"Do not believe everything the EA tells you. Once we get the results of our investigation, we will release them to the world to read."
The president was very clear on her words. "Now, I express regret that NASA had to destroy a war memorial, but if we didn't, then more lives would have been lost. I have no doubt in my mind Chairman Durandal had plans to use Meteor Breakers to destroy the colony's remains. So, if Durandal was willing to destroy a war memorial as well, what does that say about the PLANTs? Do not blame the Coordinators as a whole for the drop. Blame only those terrorists, those people who did the drop."
This bothered the chairman quite a bit. "So think about who really saved your ungrateful asses next time you want to dis the Coordinators for an act that was probably not their doing at all!"
The Minerva
Many of the Minerva pilots and crew members had been watching the broadcast from the ship's lounge. All of them were shocked by what had just happened.
"Whoa… Do you think that what she said was true?" a stunned Vino asked. "That they will release unedited footage?"
"No. It's just anti-Coordinator propaganda." Rey answered immediately. "The governments of the world always edit things to go their way."
"Does that mean there's going to be another war?" a voice asked from the back of the lounge.
It was Shani, the only ORB pilot present, was sitting in a corner of the room, his headphones on his ears. Shinn scowled at him. "Bet you would love that. More people for you to kill."
"Shinn, that's enough." Rey said, trying to prevent another fight.
Shani didn't say anything, unlike Shinn. "You and your teammates just love to kill people. Another war would be just another excuse for you to start killing people again." he ranted. "People like you make me sick. You don't give a damn about the people you've killed."
But Shani didn't react, slipping back into his own world, which only infuriated Shinn further. Shani didn't care what he said. To him, most people were loud and annoying, or like Azrael. Only the angel was different everyone else. Because she was the only one that had ever truly cared for him.
"If only your parents could see you now. You're nothing but an animal."
"Shinn! That's enough!"
Shani's eyes widened. His parents? A forgotten memory from his past resurfaced at that moment.
"No daddy! Please! I'll do better! I promise!" he pleaded with his father.
He had disappointed him again. No matter how hard he tried, he could never please him.
"It's clear that you are a failure. And I will not tolerate a failure for son." his father said, his voice filled with disgust.
"But I can do better!"
"No. I have a better use for you. You're going to become something useful, one way or another."
Shani screamed, clutching his head in agony, startling everyone. Red filled Shani's vision. Before anyone could react, Shani jumped up, his hands wrapping around Shinn's throat as he let out an animalist roar. Shinn fell backwards, Shani landing on top of him, trying to strangle the life out of the ZAFT pilot. Rey, Vino, Yolant and some other crew members raced to Shinn's side, fighting to pull the green haired young man off of him.
But that was easier said than done. Shani had a powerful, vice-like grip on Shinn's throat. It didn't look like they would be able to overpower Shani in time…
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Shani's neck and head, locking him in a sleeper hold. Shani let out a rasping gasp, his grip on Shinn loosening. Rey and Yolant managed to pry his hands off Shinn and John pulled Shani off of him. Shani fought against John as he struggled to breathe. Pretty soon, Shani's struggling lessened as he started to pass out. His body went limp and John broke the hold. John then carefully set Shinn on the ground. "Okay… What happened? What did you say to him?" he asked, his eyes locked on Shinn.
Shinn was still panting, recovering from the attack. "Me? He's the one that attack me!" he exclaimed as he stood up.
John shook his head. "I know Shani. He isn't violent unless he's in the cockpit or provoked." he explained. "He wouldn't attack you unless you started it. So out with it, what happened?"
"Shinn was yelling at him after he asked if there was going to be a war." Rey answered. "I apologize for his conduct, but your pilot was clearly out of line as well."
John nodded. "I know. I'll throw him in the brig for a while and see if that calms him down." He turned to Shinn. "You, help me carry him."
"What? Why should I?"
"Because I said so, Shinn." Captain Gladys said as she stepped into the lounge. "And last time I checked, I am your superior officer."
Shinn grumbled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. What was that?" The captain asked.
"Yes ma'am."
John lifted Shani up, holding him by one side. Shinn reluctantly grabbed Shani's other side, and the two headed for the brig.
"I want to talk to you about Shani and the others. I know you blame them for what happened at ORB. And they do bare some of the blame for what happened. But they are victims as much as you are." John said as they headed towards the ship's brig.
"Don't give me that garbage. They aren't victims. They're monsters."
"How little you understand." John commented. "Let me ask you this, what are they, Coordinators or Naturals?"
"Naturals obviously." Shinn replied.
"No. They aren't, nor are they Coordinators."
"That's impossible."
"You see, sometime either before the war started, or sometime just after it started, they were collected by Blue Cosmos and sent to a facility somewhere on Earth. There, horrible things were done to them. Horrific procedures were performed on them. Procedures designed to strip them of their humanity and turn them into living, anti-Coordinator weapons."
"You're lying."
"I'm not. When we recovered them, they were suffering harsh withdrawal from powerful and highly addictive combat drugs, which had been designed to boost their abilities and to ensure their loyal through their addiction to the drug. However, prolonged exposure to the drugs had cause serious damage to their bodies, particularly their nervous systems. For months, they were in a state of pure agony as doctors fought to keep them alive and to help them recover. But even after that, they're still suffering from what was done to them."
"You see, one of the procedures they were subjected to, robbed them of their memories. They don't know where they came from, if they have family still out there or even if the names they're using are their real names. In many ways, they're worse off than you Shinn. They have no idea who they were, beyond small bits of memories, nor do they truly belong with Naturals or Coordinators. All they know is combat and the only place they seem to belong, is in the cockpit of a mobile suit. Frankly, that's no life to live."
"Trying to get me to pity them?" Shinn asked, his voice filled with contempt.
"No. I'm trying to get you to understand them, not pity them." John replied as they entered the brig. "Not everything is black and white, Shinn. If you view the world only in black and whites, then enemies and war will always be there, lying around the next corner."
Shinn didn't say anything as they opened a cell and placed Shani inside. They then closed and locked the cell. "Are we done here?" Shinn rudely asked.
John sighed. The kid was stubborn. He'd give him that much. "Yes. You may leave."
Within hours of the broadcast, people all over the planet began question the ZAFT forces that were providing aid to them. Many tolerated their help until they were no longer in any immediate danger or Alliance forces arrived. Then they would lash out the Coordinators. But there were those that wouldn't even allow that. They attacked the ZAFT personnel, throwing rocks and debris at them as they yelled and ranted at them. In numerous cities that hadn't been devastated by the event becoming known as Break the World, anti-ZAFT riots started, demanding that Durandal and ZAFT answer for the event.
"Wonderful. Simply wonderful." Djibril said with glee, watching events unfold from his bunker. "As predicted, the people are up in arms against Durandal and the Coordinators. And we have the terrorists to thank."
"Indeed. Soon the war will begin again and the foundation of humanity's future will be set."
Djibril raised up a glass of wine, swirling the contents of the glass. "We're already preparing for the attack on the PLANTs themselves, including our new Peacemaker Force. Soon the PLANTs will be finished."
Washington D.C.
President Hilson put her head on her hands as she looked out the window. Already, there were anti-ZAFT riots occurring despite her words to not blame Coordinators as a whole for the drop. People were lashing out and claiming they were behind it.
Even in America, such things were happening. Well, maybe not anti-ZAFT riots, but the citizens were demanding answers as well. She had assured them that answers would come soon, and that had seemed to satisfy their hunger for an answer.
Now, she had bigger issues to worry about. With the American public calmed and issued a deadline for the investigation to be released upon completion, she could now focus on how to handle the anti-ZAFT riots and how to placate the Earth Alliance.
'How can we placate the Earth Forces and keep the PLANTs from being targeted for attack? That is the real issue here…' She mused before she sighed. Even if they had no real way to satisfy the EA's demands for answers, she knew that she could keep the PLANTs from being attacked by using ICMBs. That was why she had two on stand-by for launch, just in case…
Durandal's Office
Durandal sat down at his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose. That broadcast had been an unexpected surprise.
He had expected a rebuttal from the Earth Alliance after his speech. But he hadn't expected them to interrupt his own speech. Worse, it was NASA that had done it. That alone was troublesome. And they had the tech to hack into the PLANTs as well.
Durandal activated the terminal in his desk. He needed to contact ZAFT's Intelligence Agency. The face of a dark skinned man appeared. Nathaniel Abaddon, the Director of ZAFT Intelligence. "Mr. Abaddon, I trust you were watching that broadcast."
He had black eyes and his head was completely hairless. There was a large scar covering much of his left cheek. "Of course, Chairman. I've already assembled a team to investigate how they managed to interrupt your broadcast."
"Good. Also, I want you to learn all you can about the NASA alliance. It seems that Djibril still has a few surprises. And I wish to be ready for as many of them as I can."
"As you wish, Chairman Durandal."
Durandal cut the line, ending the conversation. The PLANT Chairman sighed. This whole situation had given him a headache. He had hoped that after Break the World and the speech he had written would cause many of the people on Earth to turn against the idea of war. But now, those hopes were dashed. Djibril had effectively changed things in an unexpected way. And worse, he wasn't even sure what else that man may have planned as well. He didn't even know if NASA was working with the LOGOs leader. He knew he would have to be more careful from now on.
Onogoro Island
ORB
The Minerva slowly entered the dry-dock. Once the mighty ship was position, the locks slid into place and the water quickly drained. Captain Talia, her XO, Arthur, Cagalli, Athrun, Flay, Lord Uzumi, Heero, John, and Rey were the first to disembark from the ship, greeted by a crowd of ORB officials.
"Cagalli!" Yuna Seiran called out as the group climbed the stairs.
"Yuna." Cagalli said as the man embraced her in an unwanted hug.
"Thank goodness you're alright." he said. "I was so worried about you."
Cagalli squirmed in the man's grasp, trying to break free while Athrun looked away from the scene. "Ah… Um… Sorry about that."
Unato Seiran stepped forward. "Yuna, I know how you must feel, but this isn't the place. You're making the ZAFT officers uncomfortable. Not to mention the Berserker of JOSH-A."
Cagalli finally managed to break free from Yuna, who backed away from Heero, who happened to be next to her. "Unato Ema Seiran." She said, approaching the Prime Minister.
Unato and much of his entourage bowed their head. "Lady Cagalli. Lord Uzumi. Welcome home." Unato greeted. "It's a tremendous relief to have you back, safe and sound.
"Forgive us for being absent during such an important time. What is damage assessment?" Lord Uzumi asked.
"The coastal areas have been hit hard by large waves, but fortunately, ORB itself was spared." Unato answered. "I'll give you the full report when you return to the capital building."
Talia stepped forward, alerting the ORB officials of her presence. As they turned to her, she saluted. "I am Captain Talia Gladys of the Minerva."
"And I am the Executive Officer of the Minerva, Arthur Trine." Arthur added, saluting as well.
"I am the Prime Minister of the ORB Union, Unato Ema Seiran." Unato said, returning the greeting. "I speak for all of us when I express our gratitude to all of you for safely returning the Chief Representatives to us."
"Thank you, but it was the least we could do." Talia replied. "Though it was unexpected and unintentional, we regret putting Representative Athha in danger and taking her and her father away from their homeland during such a crisis. Furthermore, we offer our condolences for the tragedy that has happened."
"We appreciate your kind words." Unato said. "I'm sure that you and your crew are exhausted from what you've been through. Please, feel free to allow your crew to disembark and receive some well-deserved rest."
"Thank you."
Unato turned to Lord Uzumi. "We should make our way to the meeting now." He told the older man. "There are urgent matters that you need to be informed of."
"I understand." Lord Uzumi replied.
Yuna wrapped an arm around Cagalli's shoulder, pulling her with him, Lord Uzumi, and his father. Cagalli's head turned over her shoulder, looking back at Athrun. Yuna noticed this and turned to Athrun as well. "Oh, thank you for keeping the Chief Representatives safe, Alex."
Athrun bowed his head. "You're welcome." He said as politely as he could to the man with his arm on Cagalli.
"We won't need your report until later, so why don't you take some time to rest too." Yuna suggested as he led Cagalli towards the limo.
Athrun sighed as the two entered the limo and left. "You know, you really should just tell her, before she does something stupid." Flay whispered to him.
Athrun's cheeks reddened. He opened his mouth to say something when a child's voice shouted out, "Mommy!"
A tall, well-built but old ORB officer emerged from the crowd, a red-haired toddler riding on his shoulders. "Alex!" Flay called out, rushing past the others.
The man pulled the child off of his shoulder and set him down. The child half-walked, half-waddled, towards his mother. "Oh, I missed you so much." Flay said, lifting her son up in a hug, relieved that he was fine. "I was so worried about you."
"Me too mommy." The child said, burying his head in his mother's chest.
Rey could tell that this child was…different.
Flay turned towards the Minerva crew members, Alex still in her arms. "This is my son, Alex." she explained. "Say hello Alex."
Alex did say something, but it wasn't hello. "Don't like you." he said, glaring at Rey. "You're a bad guy. You hurt mommy and nearly took daddy away."
Rey raised an eyebrow questioningly at the child while Flay's face was a mixture of shock and embarrassment. "I'm sorry. He's never been like this before. He's normally quite friendly." she apologized. "Alex, say you're sorry to the nice man."
"No!" Alex yelled, vigorously shaking his head. "He's a bad man."
Flay sighed. "I'm sorry. He's a very stubborn child sometimes."
"Don't worry about it." Rey said.
"Why don't you take the little tyke home Flay?" John suggested. "I'll see to it that your machine is unloaded."
Flay nodded. "Thank you."
"Murrue and Andy are waiting for you two in the lobby. They'll take you home." Samuel said. "I'd take there myself, but I suspect that Cagalli will need my help at the moment."
"I understand."
Samuel nodded and started walking away. Flay, still holding Alex, left as well, heading for the lobby, Heero beside her. It didn't take them long to find Murrue and Andy. "Hello Flay. It's good to see that you made it back alright. You too Heero." Murrue greeted.
"Yeah. This little tyke's handful to take care of." Andrew added.
"Says the man who gave the kid a sip of coffee." Murrue said in annoyed tone.
"Hey! How was I supposed to know that the kid would be bouncing off the walls for hours like that?" An embarrassed Waltfeld replied.
Flay laughed for a moment. "It's a relief to see that ORB survived undamaged and that you're alright. Even after NASA blew up Junius Seven, I was still worried that ORB had been hit hard by the debris." she admitted.
"Yeah. We all made it through alright. Though Malchio's orphanage was badly damaged by large waves from the impact." Andy explained. "Don't worry. No one was hurt. Kira, Lacus, Chris, and the children are staying with us for the moment. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not."
"Then we should be heading back. You coming, Heero?"
"Hn."
The five of them left, heading to where Murrue and Andy had parked their car. It didn't take them long to find it. Andy took the driver's seat with Murrue taking the seat next to him. Flay strapped Alex into a child seat in the back seats before taking the seat next to him. Heero sat beside her.
"Alex, why did you say that Rey hurt me and nearly took away your father?" Flay asked as they headed home.
"Cause I saw it. He hurt you and nearly took daddy away." Alex answered.
Flay shook her head. "No, you're wrong. That wasn't him. The wicked man that did that was someone else, and he's gone."
"No. That's him with no..." Alex paused, searching for the word with his limited vocabulary, his hand waving across his face. "White face."
At that moment, Rau Le Creuset's sneering, masked face entered Flay's mind. "You mean mask?"
Alex nodded.
Flay was stunned. She had never spoken of Le Creuset to him. So how could her son know that? And she wasn't the only one. Heero, Andy, and Murrue were shocked his words as well. "Alex, how did you know that? Did someone tell you about the bad man?"
"No. I saw it."
Now the four of them were dumbstruck. Alex was describing a man that had died before he was born. Someone that he had never seen or heard of. "But how? That all happened before you were born." Flay asked, deeply worried about her son's words.
Alex shrugged. "I saw it." he repeated.
"When?"
Again, her son shrugged. "Don't know. Just did."
The ORB Union Parliament Building
"What?! You're preparing to sign a treaty with the Advanced European Union?!"
Cagalli was shocked beyond belief as was Lord Uzumi. The ORB Union had always striven to maintain their neutrality since the formation of the nation. Their pledge of neutrality had been part of the foundation of the ORB Union. To turn their backs to it, especially in a time like this, was wrong. "How could you be even thinking about that at time like this? Our priorities at the moment should be providing relief and support efforts to the areas that have been hit the hardest by this disaster!" Cagalli said, protesting the very idea of a treaty that would break their neutrality.
Unato opened his mouth to speak, when someone cut him off. "It's simple, Lady Cagalli. These people are cowards." Samuel Dante said, entering the room, a file folder in his hands.
Yuna rose from his seat. "General Dante, this is private meeting involving the heads of the ORB government. A military officer has no right to be here."
Samuel stepped up to the young man, towering over him by a head. "I am one of Lady Cagalli's advisors. Therefore, I able to be present at any meeting she is a part of." he answered, staring Yuna down. "If you have a problem with that, I'm sure we can discuss this out in the hallway."
Yuna gulped and wisely took his seat. Samuel cleared his throat and continued to speak. "I know all of you quite well. When the Earth Alliance invaded ORB during the last war, all of you were among the first to flee, while the leaders of ORB stayed behind and laid down their lives for ORB and its people. In fact, I know for a fact that the Seirans tried to force the ship they boarded to flee the moment they stepped on board, which would have stranded hundreds of people."
Many of the officials hung their heads in shame or bore expressions of guilt, while those that didn't glared at those who did with disgust and contempt. "All of you disgust me. You would just turn you backs on ORB's ideals, the same ideals that many of your fellows died for."
"But if we don't sign the treaty and a war breaks out, we could find ourselves under attack without any allies." one minister argued.
"And Lord Uzumi fled! How can that be a true patriot of ORB?!" another snarled. Said leader just looked down in shame.
"But if a war does break out and we have signed a treaty with the AEU, we will be forced to fight someone else's war! ORB ceases to be a neutral nation and instead becomes a prime target for the enemies of the Advanced European Union. But then again, what do you people care. Unless ORB itself is attacked, a war would be meaningless to you all. You won't be fighting in it. Your children won't be fighting in it. But these children will." Samuel grabbed the contents of the file folder and threw them across the table. They were photos of young men and women that were serving in ORB's military. "If you sign that treaty and a war does break out, these are ones that will fight and die in it. Remember these faces well. They may not be your children, but they are all someone's child. They and their families deserve your consideration. Personally, I have seen enough children die because of our mistakes."
"Enough, General Dante. Your rhetoric will not solve anything." Unato said. "ORB isn't the only nation being approached by the AEU. Every nation that is not a member of the Earth Alliance has been approached by them, and nearly all of them have joined the Alliance already. If we don't sign the treaty, we run the risk of being attacked by them in a war, or by ZAFT. And we all know how that will play out."
"You forget that if we join the Alliance and war does break out with ZAFT, we'll become a major target for ZAFT. Not to mention NASA has not been approached by them either." the General replied.
"But we would have the support of the Earth Alliance military to aid in our defense."
"True. But you're advocating that we should shackle ourselves to Alliance like everyone else? The people of ORB and our nation's technology becoming tools for the Alliance in a war? Our military and Morgenroete would be little more than slaves to the Alliance."
"You're mistaken. The Alliance wouldn't do that to us." Yuna argued.
Samuel laughed. "Are you saying that the same Alliance that would attack us again if a war broke out, to take our Mass Driver and Morgenroete, wouldn't exploit us if we joined them? You can't be that stupid, Yuna."
"What-I-I How dare you?! I am not stupid!" Yuna shouted at Samuel. "The Alliance wouldn't do that to us, because we'd be their allies!"
Lord Uzumi shook his head. "He does not need to waste his breath on explaining the power structure of the Earth Alliance and how we would fit in such a structure to someone who is too mentally immature to grasp such concepts." Samuel just nodded in agreement.
"I said enough!" Unato yelled, hitting his fist on the table. "We're trying to have a serious discussion on an important matter. If the two of you are going to continue like this, then I'm going to have to ask you both to leave."
"What?! But father-"
"Be quiet, Yuna, unless you have something important to say."
Samuel sighed. "I'm sorry. But I am passionate about preserving ORB's neutrality." He paused, staring at the people sitting at the table. "I know you are all afraid that ORB will become another target if another war breaks out. But the problem is, we will always be a target in this world. That is our curse for the technological and economic wealth we have. If we are neutral, neither ZAFT nor the Alliance would have a valid reason for attacking us. But the second we sign that treaty with the AEU, or a treaty like that one with any other major nation, we become a major target for their enemies of that nation. And if the nation we sign a treaty with is stronger than us, they can easily strong arm us into following their orders completely. Lady Cagalli, Lord Uzumi, all of you, we must stay neutral to preserve our independence."
"A very rousing speech, General Dante. The late Lord Hali would be proud." Unato said.
"Someone must speak for him and those who believed what he believed and can no longer speak."
"Fair enough. Allow me to give the counter argument." Unato said. "Lady Cagalli, at the moment, ORB stands alone. If something happened to our nation, the other nations would only help us if they felt generous. But if we sign the treaty with the AEU, they would be obligated to help us. And Lady Cagalli, you were concerned about lending aid to the areas that have been ravaged by debris. Signing the treaty would make such operations far more efficient. Now, we all know that only a handful of Coordinators were responsible for the fall of Junius Seven. But there are many who have suffered horrible losses. They are angry at the Coordinators and wish to see someone pay for what has happened. We have the largest Coordinator population on the planet aside from NASA. If we don't sign the treaty, there are many who would seek to attack us just because of the Coordinators within our nation. And despite what General Dante claims, our independence will be preserved. All we will gain is an ally to help us in times of need."
"No." Lord Uzumi said. "We would not gain such an ally in the AEU. If any nation were to provide us with the aid we need in hard times, it would be NASA. They are the one we should be allying with, not the AEU."
Cagalli knew that all the arguments had merit. While Cagalli wanted ORB to remain neutral, like her father believed, at the same time, Unato had brought up some valid concerns about staying neutral.
"Chief Representative Athha, what do you think we should do?" Unato asked.
Cagalli hesitated. She couldn't decide. Cagalli could see the three options leading to ORB burning in the fires of war once more. "I…I need some time to think things over."
Unato sighed. "Lady Cagalli, we are willing to give you time to consider the matter, but you need to come to a decision soon. This meeting is adjourned."
The men and women that were attending the meeting, slowly filed out, leaving Cagalli and Samuel alone. "Thank you for your words." Cagalli said.
Samuel shrugged. "I was merely doing what I could. Unfortunately, your father's aide's sacrifice has left us in a difficult position." he admitted. "Most of his supporters sacrificed themselves alongside him, leaving only political enemies left. People like the Seirans, who are little more than the spineless worms of AEU. But I doubt my words had little impact on things. Most of those people in there support the Seiran family. They won't turn from them."
"What do you think I should do?"
"You already know what I think. It's what you believe as well. You're just afraid of what would happen." Samuel replied. "But you have to decide for yourself. You cannot be the leader of a nation and not make the hard decisions. In all the years I have known your father, he made many hard choices, just like you are now, and every time, he came to his decision based upon what he felt was best for the people of ORB. Follow his example. Do what you feel is best for ORB and its people. That's all you can do. Besides, he is not in a position to lead right now. So only you can."
"I just don't know which to choose. I can see how all three decisions can lead to ORB suffering again." Cagalli admitted.
"As can I. Like I said Cagalli, ORB will always be a target in the current world. I believe that we are safest if we are neutral. Until the day that all the nations of Earth can come together in equal and fair alliance of nations. Only then, can we discard our neutrality. But that is what I believe. You follow your own beliefs, Cagalli. No fit leader can lead their nation by doing everything that others tell them to do. You must think about this decision carefully. I could be wrong, but so could Unato. You must come to your own decision."
The Allster Estate
"I see…" a concerned Lacus said as Flay finished explaining what happened in space. "The media has already been reporting similar stories."
After Flay had returned home, she, Lacus, Kira, Liz, Heero, Chris, Murrue and Andy had gathered to discuss what had happened, and what was going to happen now.
"And then there was that broadcast not too long ago." Andy added.
"The one with the President of NASA? You mean where she announced the investigation going on?" Flay asked.
"Yeah. Her broadcast seems like it has gotten a lot of people angry at ZAFT, but it's too soon to tell." Andy replied. "It's looking a lot like how the last war started."
"She most likely did not intend for that to happen. She also did say that people had to consider it was only a few who did it." Heero noted.
Flay nodded. "John called it the second coming of the Bloody Valentine."
"I'd have to agree with him. It's a reversed version of the Bloody Valentine." Andy paused for a moment. "At this point, war will be the likely next step."
"There has to be something we can do." Liz said. "We just can't let another war break out. We have to do something.
"Bah! Get off!" Alex shouted from another room. "Mommy! Birdy won't get off my head!"
Alex stumbled into the room, Birdy sitting atop his red hair. Flay, Lacus, Liz, Heero, Murrue, and Andy couldn't help but laugh, momentarily forgetting about the current state of the world. Only Kira and Chris didn't laugh. Their minds were elsewhere.
"Tell Liz that I love her, and tell her and Aki' that I'm sorry."
Though Kira would never admit it to anyone, he didn't like to be around Alex. Not because he hated Alex, but because the child always reminded him of his friend, Nisha, and the guilt that always accompanied those memories. Every time he looked at Alex, he saw Nisha, and ultimately his death, saving his life from Rau.
-Flashback-
Rau aimed the Providence's rifle at the Raven and fired. Kira rushed in front of the damaged Raven, blocking the beams with the Freedom's shield.
But that was what Rau had counted on. A pair of DRAGOON pods rose up from behind the Freedom and the Exia. They fired at the Freedom. Kira turned but it was too late. There wasn't enough time for him to dodge or block the shots...
Suddenly, the Z.A.M. Gundam slammed into the Freedom, pushing it out of the path of the beams. The shots tore through the Z.A.M. Gundam's upper chest and right arm, severing the arm. The machine's phase shift flickered briefly before it shut off. Electricity surged in and around the hole in Z.A.M. Gundam's chest and the stump of its right arm. The machine had fatally damaged. There was one outcome to this.
"NO!" Rau snarled.
"Why..." was all that Kira could muster.
"I told you before. I was fighting to bring back Aki'. But that seems kind of moot now. I was also fighting to protect my friends." Nisha answered, surprisingly calm considering what was about to happen. "I want you to do something for me Kira. Stop this bastard and tell Liz I love her and tell Aki' and her I'm sorry."
"Nisha…" was all Chris could say.
Before Kira say anything, the Z.A.M. Gundam exploded. Kira managed to scream as the fireball consumed the Freedom.
-End Flashback-
"You know, your father has the same problem." Liz said, distracting Kira from his memories.
"Birdy loved to nest on his head as well."
Liz knelt down to pull Birdy off her nephew's head, only to have Alex's hands reach up and grab Birdy's legs, holding him place. "No. Birdy stays." he said before turning around and leaving, the mechanical bird chirping as they left.
"He still shows signs of being different from his father." Lacus commented as Liz took her seat.
"Yeah. I could never have that thing sit on my head the way it does his." Chris laughed.
"I've caught him several times playing with Birdy." Flay quietly replied. "You might have a fight on your hands Kira if you try to take Birdy away from him."
Kira nodded, but didn't say anything.
Andy cleared his throat. "Back to the matter at hand, there's little we can do to stop things at the moment. A group of Coordinators dropped Junius Seven on the planet, intending to wipe out all the Naturals on Earth. And there are a lot of people here on Earth that are hurting and angry because of what's happened. Nothing we say or do will change that. If a war is going to break out, we won't be able to stop it from happening. The best we can hope for is that we can end this as quickly as possible, before a possible genocide can occur."
"Agreed. Stopping it is the only way to prevent another war like the last one." Heero replied.
Kira couldn't help but wonder why this was happening. Hadn't been enough suffering in the last war? Hadn't enough people died? The insidious words of Rau Le Creuset entered his mind again.
-Flashback-
"This is our destiny! People knew where they were heading when they choose to walk this path!"
"Justice and faith, ignorance and escapism! They never learn! They never listen! We have reached the end of that path. There's no way to prevent it now! Mankind vanquished, at last! Just as they deserve!"
"This is a world where people's hearts are filled with hatred, where fingers have no purpose other than to pull triggers! What do you believe in, and why do you?"
"Of course! After all, people can only understand what they've experienced! Why torment yourself saying 'eventually someday'?! How long have you been fighting with your mind clouded by that brand of sweet poison?!"
-End Flashback-
Had Rau been right along? Were they all trapped in an endless cycle of hatred and war? No. There had to be a way to end the cycle and bring about a true peace. Truthfully, Kira didn't want to fight again. He had enough of it in the last war. But if there was no other choice, he would take up his sword again and find a way to end the war as soon as possible.
New Juneau
The colony was bustling about the way it normally did, but there was a different air about the inhabitants this time. It was one of unease.
NAZAFT officers were on high alert for what was a highly likely nuclear attack on the PLANTs.
And this time they would not fail in preventing the attack…
Akira made his way into the hanger where his machine was stored. Mechanics were working on restocking the missiles as well as the head-mounted guns. He looked up at the face of the Wing, wondering if there was any way to prevent war from coming again.
He could recall the ZAFT commander, Rau Le Creuset, talking to him during the time he was waiting to be assigned to a unit when he was in ZAFT.
-Flashback-
"You see, war is caused by human nature." Rau said as he looked at the new red-coat. "Anytime people encounter someone who is better than them, envy will arise, and then that envy will become jealousy, and that jealousy will become hatred afterwards."
Aki' just looked at him. "Is that why Naturals hate all Coordinators?"
"Yes, Akira. That is why those Natural cavemen hate us Coordinators."
-End Flashback-
Akira gritted his teeth as he recalled Le Creuset's betrayal of ZAFT later on. He closed his eyes as memories of his time as a NAZAFT pilot came forward.
-Flashback-
Akira looked at the famed NAZAFT personnel, who were now wandering around the colony that he now also called home. It had been three weeks since the end of the war, yet there was still an air of tension in the colony.
The NAZAFT blue coat drifted into the center of New Juneau, where there were technicians working to get his machine repaired. He looked up at the Wing, his good, unbandaged eye locking onto the face of the Gundam. Tears began to flow down his face as he recalled his cousin's sacrifice.
"Why…WHY DID HE HAVE TO DO SUCH A THING?!" Aki' cried as he slammed a fist against the wall.
The NAZAFT commander looked at him. "He was your family member. And he knew that Coordinators are the same as Naturals. We all are human, even if some of us are genetically healthier and stronger than others."
Aki' looked at his superior, a glare coming from his one visible eye. "What does that have to do with the fact that Naturals hate Coordinators?!"
"I see you spoke with Rau Le Creuset, right?"
He just looked down. "When I was a red-coat in ZAFT I did…"
"Well, war is not caused by human nature alone. Envy will become jealousy, and jealousy will become hatred, but that alone does not cause war. War is caused by many other factors other than mere hatred and jealousy." The commander said as she looked up at the American flag in the colony's hanger. "War is also caused by the need to expand for military reasons, for energy, for materials and other minerals, etc. No one thing can be called the cause of war. Even in this era of war, it was not hatred towards Coordinators that caused the war. It was a multitude of factors that the rest of the world is unwilling to acknowledge. And that is because of Blue Cosmos."
Akira just looked back up at the Wing again. "So… will we ever become peaceful once more?"
"Only if the United Nations comes to see that their decision did not help anyone except for Blue Cosmos…" The commander replied before looking back as well…
-End Flashback-
When would the wars end? Akira did not know…
Undisclosed location
The old buildings were now overgrown with vines and large trees that hid them from view. How anyone could still see them was a mystery, but most people did not care anymore. The empty flagpoles were just a reminder that no one there, or those inside the buildings, cared about the world anymore.
Birds flew overhead chirping away happily, a contradiction to the rest of the building inhabitants who still lived there. The cold steel gates blocked the entrance doors, making the complex into a massive fortress that no one was allowed to enter unless they were residents of the complex itself.
Old cars barely functioned as they sat in the parking lot, an idle reminder of an era gone by. People, both Natural and Coordinator, often stood outside the gates, looking into the fortress. Unlike the massive World Trade Center Tower One, which was open and more relaxed, the fortress of buildings was closed off and hostile to the rest of the world now.
Only one flag flew there now, and it was not a pretty sight to see. Graves of those who had tried to enter the complex littered the outside wall, scaring away many of those who wanted to change the world. Even past U.S. leaders had been scared away by the sight.
It was a sad fate that many had been unable to avoid, but one that many others tried to stay away from. The now grassy parking lots seemed like open and happy fields, but underneath that façade was the harsh reality that any who entered would be killed on sight.
The world did not care about the complex's residents as they were too worried about their own well-being. New Yorkers were only able to look on as the buildings became even more closed off, the massive steel gates becoming locked permanently to any and all visitors throughout the years, and it was still the same even now.
Even the mere idea of the residents helping the world was just a dream and legend now. There were fictional books about that, but even the writers had been called crazy for imagining such a thing happening.
But, despite the old world leader organization being neutral, there were those who were working behind the scenes to try and bring them out of hiding, and one of those was President Hilson herself…
White House
President Hilson looked at the document that had been brought into her office. It was the same as the day it had been signed, save for the age and the signatures at the bottom.
A smirk crossed her face. This was just as she had hoped to be. "So this is it…The document that started the world forum that existed back after World War II…" She breathed as she looked at it in the case.
She reached out and touched the glass, but not the paper itself. No, that was too old for human hands to handle. But there was a reason it was there, and she knew it all too well.
Looking at an aide, she nodded. "Go ahead. It's all yours." She said as the aide nodded and took it with the reverence of a religious object. The aide would do what was needed before it would be sent back to the Library of Congress or Fort Knox.
The president's eyes looked out at the U.S. Flag above the White House, but while she was serious, a smirk was in her mind. This plan would work out nicely if it fell into place soon…
Just then, the line opened up, revealing Vice-President Young, Prime Minister Warson, and President Gonzalez on the line.
"Ah, it's about time you got on the line." She noted as Prime Minister Warson narrowed his eyes at her.
"What is this about?" He asked. Instead of answering right away, President Hilson just narrowed her eyes back at him.
"Are you two alone and are your offices sealed tight so no one can get it?"
"Si, we are." President Gonzalez replied. "As per your request. We also have two guards outside each room that we trust with our lives."
"Good. What I am about to reveal we can't have anyone finding out about…" She began as the three leaders looked at her with a serious look each…
Chapter is complete. NASA releases footage of the Junius Seven drop, and the Minerva arrives at ORB. The Second Bloody Valentine had begun, and many are angered and hurt, with ZAFT on one side and the EA on the other, while NASA is caught in the middle, but with a plan that could bring a thorn into Durandal's side.
Anyway, you all know this, but I will put it anyway. Constructive criticism is appreciated as are reviews. Flames, AKA, hate-filled/spamming reviews, WILL be reported and/or deleted depending on if they are signed or not.
Anyway, read and review! ^^
