Pelponnese: I'll modify chapter five as soon as possible with a more logical explanation. I think the "take-off" method would work because that's how it worked in actual canon and I didn't quite comprehend that when I actually wrote the chapter. Thank you again for your intelligent observations regarding the science, which fixed my ignorance on the subject. I hope you enjoy where the story goes from where, there's still some familiar turf to go . . .

littlemssstrawberry: Yes, there's a cliffhanger. Expect a lot of those. XD Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Jodeist: Yes, there is AsuCaga. XD And Tolle's feelings are more than a crush, and Cagalli feels the same way as you'll soon see. Oddly enough, I was a Kira/Cagalli shipper before the revelation that they're siblings came out so I might still throw something like that in just for fun. As for Kira and Lacus winding up together . . . who knows? The eventual shift in direction might change things, including how relationships develop . . .

Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

mffz: Who knows? *evil smirk* Anyway, here's the new update, enjoy!


Chapter Eight: Indestructible

Miriallia flung up her hands instantly. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm on your side!"

The German-accented trooper cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what's your rank, fraulein? Where your decorations?"

"Uh . . . fine. My friend and I are Orb-"

"Don't care, fraulein. Move it, both of you. Cafeteria."

Miriallia looked at me helplessly, and I shrugged my shoulders. "Guess Artemis feels cranky today."

The German-accented trooper made sure we went exactly where he wanted to go. I tried to distract him, though, by attempting my own German. And in case it isn't obvious, I've translated what was said into the language you're reading.

"What's going on, uh, sergeant?"

"Oh? You speak German?"

"I speak it pretty well."

"Standard security measures, girl. That's all you need to know," he said haughtily.

"Standard security measures?" I repeated.

He frowned at me. "Stupid girl, of course these are standard security measures! Artemis is the most invincible base in orbit around the Earth! We can't let it be captured by infiltration from within! Now cooperate without complaining!"

"I'm not complaining, I'm just asking questions."

"And I'm sick of answering your questions. Now keep moving. We're almost there."

Miriallia gave me an odd look. "You actually paid attention in German class?"

"Yes. Glad to know I can still speak it okay."

"Not like it was any help," Miriallia said.

"Yeah, I know," I sighed.


We wound up in the cafeteria, and much to my surprise, a lot of people were crammed inside. It looked like every enlisted man, along with most of the civilians, were all stuck in here, and there were guards everywhere.

"Inside," the sergeant said. "Now."

"Yes," I said, and both Miriallia and I entered the cafeteria and moved towards our small circle of friends and Flay.

Tolle gave me a lopsided smile. "I was wondering when they were gonna catch you."

"Wasn't even trying to hide," I said as I sat down in the seat in front of Tolle.

"What's going on?" Miriallia asked.

Sai folded his hands. "The guy in command of Artemis is basically making sure we are who we say we are. He thinks there's a chance that we're an infiltration team sent by ZAFT to undermine Artemis' defenses."

"Is he nuts?" I asked. "Artemis had to have seen us fight the ZAFT forces just hours ago."

"If they did," Sai said grimly, "I don't think they don't care either way."

"Why?" I asked.

"Something seems wrong about these guys," Tolle said. "They're acting like we're the enemy."

One of the petty officers spoke, I recognized his voice immediately. "The problem is that we don't have an identification code. We weren't meant to launch yet so we never got one. If we had one, this mess would've been cleaned up pretty fast."

"You're Petty Officer Pal," I said.

"Petty Officer Romero Pal," he said. "This guy next to me is Petty Officer Jackie Tonomura. Both 2nd Class, by the way. We serve on the bridge crew."

Kuzzey looked around. "They got us all herded together, except for the two officer women and that pilot guy."

"You mean Lieutenant Ramius, Ensign Badgiruel, and Lieutenant La Flaga, respectively," I said.

"Yeah, them," Kuzzey said. "You notice they're not here either? Wonder where they took them."

"We got separated from them," Romero Pal said. "I don't know where they went. They could be anywhere for all I know."

"They were taken off the ship," Kira said.

"Oh, you're here too?" I asked.

"They didn't recognize me," Kira said. "And I'd prefer if things stayed that way."

He handed me a small sheet of paper then. He whispered "Memorize it and destroy it."

"You know where they were taken?" Jackie Tonomura asked, his face skeptical.

"Yeah," Kira said. "They're being taken off the ship to some room inside the base. The commanding officer of Artemis is going to be interviewing them. Make sure they check out."

"Oh, so this might be only temporary," Sai said.

"Yeah. Key word is 'might'," Kira said. "You guys are right when you're saying something's off about this base. They're too confident in its protections, and are too paranoid of outsiders to be of any real use to the Earth Alliance. Artemis just kind of sits here, doing absolutely nothing besides being an impregnable fortress."

"How impregnable is it?" Kuzzey asked.

Kira shook his head. "I have no clue. Now, I'm going to head over to the rest of the civilians and try to blend in with them. Don't blow my cover. The last thing we need is them knowing they have an Orb prince on-board. Who knows what they'll do then?"

He walked away towards the other side of the room, where the civilians were.

"He's kinda cute," Flay said suddenly.

"How can you be thinking about boys at a time like this?" Miriallia asked.

"I'm just saying he's cute! Is that a crime?" Flay asked.

Romero Pal gave her a look. "You are aware we're in a life-and-death situation, possibly."

Flay looked down. "I just . . . I just don't want to think about that, okay?"

"What? You want to think everything's just roses and butterflies?" Kuzzey asked.

"Hey, leave her alone," Sai said. "I think we want all things to be normal again, don't we all agree with that?"

"I guess," Kuzzey said.

I took a moment to read the paper Kira had handed me. It was frantic scribbling, scarcely legible, I guess penmanship was something Kira hadn't received tutoring in. But I understood after a couple of read-throughs.

Cagalli, as we approached Artemis Lt. La Flaga suggested that you and I put a lock on the O.S. so that way only you can use it. I couldn't find you so I placed a fifty-character lock on it by myself. It's displayed below. Memorize the lock and then destroy it once you do.

I wondered if Kira thought I was some kind of machine. Did he really think I could memorize all of this? I read it over and over and finally managed to memorize half of it before something caught my attention.

I looked over to where the civilians were, and I saw a young girl crying by herself. She wasn't making any noise, just trembling and struggling to hold in tears.

I hesitated, but it seemed everyone else was caught up in their own conversations to notice. Or were looking at the guards nervously, as if the guards would aim their guns at any second and kill every single person in the room at a moment's notice.

I sighed softly. Miriallia looked at me. "Is something wrong, Cagalli?"

"I need to go for a little bit," I said, and I left the table and walked over to the civilians. Out of the corner of my right eye, I saw the guards' eyes following my movements. I had a feeling that if I did the wrong thing, whatever it was, I'd be in a lot of trouble. A lot of trouble. As in "imminent death" trouble.

Kira was wrong. The worst thing that could happen was me being revealed as a Coordinator. How well would these paranoid fanatics take that revelation? Would they kill me? Or try to use me until I had nothing left to give?

At the same time, I had survived one act of altruism so far. Even though it involved piloting a giant robot to survive me letting Tolle and Miriallia take my seat, I had survived it. Why not push my luck again?

I knelt down by the little girl, who was still being ignored by the crowd. "Are you okay?"

She had brown hair trussed up into twin ponytails on the side of her head. She couldn't be older than six or seven. Her teary eyes looked at me. "I-I guess."

"Do you have a mom?"

"My mom's somewhere on this ship. They haven't found her yet," the child said.

"Why?" I asked.

"She volunteered for a tur, a turrat, a-"

"A turret?"

"Yeah. That's what it's called. A missile turret right after the battle. She was inspired to fight by the girl who flew that GUNDAM thing. The girl who-"

She looked at me, and her eyes widened. "You're the girl who's protecting us."

I smiled. "I am. But I don't want to let the guards know, okay? They're kinda creepy-looking."

"I hope they didn't kill my mom," the girl said.

"I know they didn't," I said. "They're on our side. They're not going to hurt your mom, I promise."

"Then why don't you want them to know you've been protecting us?" the girl asked.

I chuckled softly, nervously. "Because I'm a Coordinator, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Coordinators are the bad guys." She paused. "Except you. You're nice."

I sighed. "Thanks."

"What's your name?"

"Cagalli. Yours?"

"Elle."

"I'm not the only nice Coordinator, you know. There's many nice Coordinators."

"I don't get it."

"You'll understand when you get older," I said with a sigh. The concept of "shades of gray" are beyond most little kids' minds at this time. It's not until they're at least nine when they finally understand that good people can be on the enemy's side. Until they get older, they don't quite realize that the "bad guys" aren't always "bad guys".

"That's what my mom always says," Elle said.

"She's telling you the truth. You will understand," I said. "Your mom's job is to help you understand, along with a lot of other things. "

"I thought that was school's job," Elle said innocently.

"School doesn't always explain everything right."

"Like math?"

"Unfortunately, math is one thing school tells you right," I replied.

"Dang."

"I know. I felt the same way."

"Then what is Mom supposed to help me understand?"

I paused. "Not everything's in black and white."

"What's that mean?"

"Not everything's good and evil. 'Black' is often used as an 'evil' color, and 'white' is used as a 'good' color. It's a metaphor."

"What's a metaphor?"

It dawned on me that I was not ready to raise a child. "A saying. An example. Good and evil colors don't apply to people. It's just an example of what's good and what's evil."

"Oh." Elle's face scrunched up in thought. "I don't get it."

"You'll understand when you're older."

"Old people are confusing."

"Yes, they are. Wait, are you calling me old?"

"You sound almost as old as Mom."

I'm turning seventeen in three months."

"You sound old."

"Thanks, Elle."

She did understand sarcasm. She looked down, and I could see she was still hurting. "Sorry."

Now I felt self-conscious. I know my voice is husky, there's no getting around that. I don't smoke or drink, my voice just turned out that way. But I had never been told that my voice sounded "old" before. But I could not bring myself to yell at the kid. She was so young. If I were a couple of years older, she'd be young enough to be my daughter. Why should I yell at her for her saying I sounded old?

I wrapped my arm around her. "It's all right. I'm not angry at you. Just . . . I'm not old, okay?"

"When is someone old?"

"That's for you to decide."

"Well, I think you're old."

I sighed. "Thanks again, Elle."

This time she smiled. I could not hate that smile. It was too cute.

"Are you going to keep protecting us?" she asked all of a sudden.

"Yeah. As long as we're stuck on this ship I'll keep protecting us. I'll protect everyone. It's what I have to do. I have friends onboard, and I promised the military people I would."

"Are you going to get killed?"

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Of course I promise." I knew I was gambling here, but Elle needed reassurance. Doesn't every small child? It didn't help she seemed to be the only child onboard in the crowd of adults. Didn't anybody have children anymore? Or did they send the children to their own escape pods? Or, more worryingly, did they take seats and leave their children to fend for themselves?

It was paranoia motivating me, but all of a sudden I wanted to protect this girl.

Suddenly, three more people were shoved inside, one of them was a woman. Melanie immediately stood up. "Mommy!"

"Elle!" The woman ran over, and I quietly stepped aside to let them have their reunion.

I put my hands in my uniform pockets and prepared to walk away when I heard Ellie say "Of course I'm okay! Cagalli kept me company!"

"Cagalli?" the woman asked. I turned around, and I saw her. She was a pretty young woman, her hair much longer than Elle's, and she struck me as a schoolteacher-type. Very conservative and kind-looking.

Her eyes widened. "You're the . . ." She bit her lip as she knew better than to say it out loud. "Thank you."

"No problem," I said. "She's a good girl. I think I might've confused her about a few things, though."

"It's all right," she said. "It's the thought that counts."

Before she could continue, someone else entered the room. I saw all of the decorations and medals across his chest, and I realized he was a higher-up in the Earth Alliance. Someone very important.

I carefully walked over to the table where my friends and Flay were waiting. I could see his eyes scanning the room, and I made sure to make myself invisible by sitting by Miriallia. I was in the back of the room, hidden by many people, so hopefully he wouldn't notice me.

He announced himself. His voice was harsh, deep. Very commanding and intimidating, but also a little smarmy. I could tell something was wrong already with the guy, and that none of us could trust him. "I am Rear-Admiral Garcia, Commandant of the Eurasian Federation Artemis Base. I would like to reassure you all of this base's security. The umbrella shield is impenetrable from enemy attack. You all will be safe here."

Garcia paused. "I have spoken to your commanding officers. They are safe. However, I have noticed an important personnel member is missing. Strike's pilot. I'd like to take a look at the Strike GUNDAM and I need the pilot and the mechanic to do it."

My heart began to pound against my chest. Please don't notice me, please don't notice me, I kept thinking.

One of the hangar bay crew, Murdoch, walked over by us. I could tell he was going to make sure I didn't reveal myself. The look in his eyes suggested that revealing myself would be a very bad idea.

Garcia scanned the room. Then he finally approached the chief petty officer, the helmsman, whose name was Arnold Neumann. "Well? Who's the Strike Pilot, chief petty officer?"

"Mu La Flaga is the pilot of the Strike GUNDAM, sir," Neumann said. His dark eyes did not waver and his voice was controlled. The man was a good liar.

Garcia didn't buy it. "Video footage shows the Moebius Zero in combat, Chief Petty Officer. The Zero's movements are something only the Hawk of Endymion himself is capable of. So that means the Strike's pilot isnot him, and the pilot is in this room hiding among the noncommissioned and civilians."

"Then you have no business here," Neumann said. "We're supposed to be allies here. We are all noncommissioned, civilians, and volunteers here."

"I have no interest in obstructionism." Garcia shoved him out of the way. "Well? Stand up, Strike pilot? Where are you?"

I actually began to shake, and Tolle reached under the table to hold my hands. I looked at him, and he nodded solemnly. I relaxed, and tried to breathe. It was hard for me not to panic in this situation, when I could be outed at any moment by any person here.

Clearly, something was wrong.

Suddenly, Garcia got an evil grin, and walked right up to our table. "Well, since the captain's a woman, maybe the pilot is a woman too! Who says feminism is dead?"

And he grabbed Miriallia and pulled her to her feet. Murdoch grabbed my shoulder but I shook him off.

Garcia leered at Miriallia. "Well? Are you the-"

I punched him in the face.

The room fell silent as Garcia laid on the floor, his right hand holding his cheek. He spat, and I took satisfaction in seeing a couple of teeth come out with some blood. I had hit him with every amount of strength I had, hard enough that the knuckles in my left hand were stinging. Punching bone did that.

Miriallia just stared at me in shock. I said "No one touches my best friend. That's final."

Garcia pointed at me. "Rough her up. I don't tolerate insolence."

Two guards approached me. One of them smiled maliciously. "I don't like hitting girls, but I'll make an exception. You're almost a man anyway."

"Well, I like hitting girls," I said. "How about we make this more fun for me? Let's both be girls."

I think you know where I kicked him.

The next guard just gawked at me before I threw him to the floor. I calmly disarmed him, but before I could so much as aim the weapon I heard a pistol's hammer being cocked, and I heard Garcia.

"That's it. You've made a fool out of us long enough. You so much as make a movement I don't like, this is going through your head. Now drop the gun."

I did.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"A Coordinator," Flay said. "She's a Coordinator."

Every Artemis soldier in the room gasped, and I could feel my face turn red as I spun towards her. "You stupid bitch-"

Before I could move, Garcia grabbed my shoulder. I almost hit him again, but more guards were by him, and all of them were aiming their guns at me. I stood no chance in hell.

"A Coordinator? What's a Coordinator doing here on the Archangel? If it weren't for you manhandling my soldiers I almost wouldn't believe it."

"What do you want?" I asked.

Garcia chuckled. "I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Are you Strike's pilot, girl?"

"Yes. My name is Cagalli Yamato."

"Huh. You don't look like a 'Yamato' to me. You don't look Asian enough."

I very nearly punched him again, my immedate death be damned. Instead, I swallowed my aggression and said, through clenched teeth, "I was adopted."

"Oh. Now it makes sense. Turn around," Garcia said.

I did. Garcia nodded as he looked at me up and down. "A Coordinator who's betrayed her own kind. You don't see that every day. You are quite the unique catch, Cagalli Yamato."

"I believe the PLANTs are ruled by a military dictatorship, or close enough," I said. "I have no interest in fighting for a military-ruled government."

Garcia laughed. "Everyone is ruled by a military government these days."

"And like I said, I have no interest in fighting for a military government," I replied.

"But you do fight for it. You're flying the Strike."

"I am fighting for my friends and all of the civilians onboard," I said.

"How noble." Garcia took his pistol and shot Tolle in the shoulder.

Tolle screamed, and I spun to see blood erupting from his wound. "Tolle!"

"That's for embarrassing me and my soldiers," Garcia said. "A worse fate will happen to you if you disobey my instructions. Have I made myself clear?"

It took every bit of self-control I had not to deck Garcia and try to kill him at the cost of my own life. Tolle meant the world to me. After so many years of being called a boy, a man, a tomboy, a spitfire, and a dike, having an actual boy take interest in me was heartening. Tolle had a reputation for liking tomboys but I didn't care. With Tolle, I felt like I could be myself. I could be proud of myself and who I was. I was Cagalli Yamato and happy to be Cagalli Yamato.

When I looked at Garcia, I wanted to kill him. I thought of ten ways to break his neck, or, hell, rip his bulldog-like face off. I wanted to set him on fire, to drown him, to throw him into the vacuum of outer space. As sudden hot tears blurred my vision, my wish for him to die seemed to be coming true because he seemed to be dissolving before my eyes. But as I blinked, the illusion of him melting into nothingness faded, and there he was, as cocky and confident as ever.

Reason fought its way into my head before I did to him what I did to Miguel. What would I get from punching Garcia a few more times before I was gunned down? What would happen to everyone else? I couldn't think about myself only. I had the responsibility of everyone onboard this ship.

And if they knew Tolle was my biggest weak point instead of just being a weak point . . .

Everything would just get worse. Not just for him, but for me. I couldn't accept that.

"Yes," I said, making sure that Garcia heard the trembling, boiling anger in my voice. I wanted him to know how hurt and angry I was, and at a moment's notice I would bring my wrath upon him.

But it seemed to have the opposite effect of what I wanted. He seemed to relish how angry and pained I was over Tolle being shot. He was on a power trip. He thought he had me under his heel and he could crush me like an insect. He seemed to think he was every bit of indestructible as his base, his missing teeth nonwithstanding. "Good. Now, I need you to take at the Strike's O.S. for me. My technicians can't quite figure it out. Maybe you can."

I thought about looking for Kira for help, but the Rear-Admiral hadn't noticed him yet, and Kira left the impression of making himself scarce in this room. My eyes couldn't find him anywhere. Whether he was hiding or was strategically placing himself behind taller people I couldn't be sure, but I just plain could not find him. I gave up after a few glances, if I looked at the civilians for too long Garcia would get suspicious, and then he would find Kira.

And things would just get from bad to worse.

"Sure," I said.

Garcia's dark smile got even wider. "Excellent. We will have quite the mutually beneficial relationship, Cagalli Yamato."

I'm sure we will. Only the 'mutually beneficial' part applies to you.

But I reluctantly walked out of the cafeteria, leaving Tolle, Miriallia, and everyone else behind . . . at the mercy of someone willing to shoot my friends.

What was going to happen to me?

I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't going to like it.