My Soldier, My Savior

by WDCain Man

Among the scars of war, love can still bloom. Take my hand, angel. I will be with you. Always.

2. A Different Seduction

A Gundam SeeD fanfic – My Soldier, My Savior
Written by WDCain Edited and Reworked by Spiritblade

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED isn't mine but I really wish it were. I don't own it but that doesn't stop me from writing about it. Good for me, huh?

Hello friends, WDCain here yet again. I've brought you the second chapter of my first Gundam story. Now, I've received a bit of criticism from fans for the last chapter and my belief that G-Gundam is waaAAAaay better than Gundam SEED. So I'm here to state why I think G-Gundam tops SEED as the best Gundam ever. So here it is, my essay on why G-Gundam rules while SEED drools.

First off let's get straight to the Gundams, they are what attracts people to the show. Now it's important that a Gundam's design fits into the theme of a show. In the original Tomino Gundam, all Mobile Suits had a "nothin' but a glorified tank" feel to them. They are all war-machines, nothing more and nothing less. Machines built on an assembly line used as weapons. Look at the Zaku, Big Zam, and Gundam GP-02. They're nothing but highly advance killing machines for the army. I felt that one of the scenes that best proved this was in Gundam: 08 MS Team, where a Gundam's head was destroyed and since the Federation didn't have another one ready, they just slapped a GM's head on the chassis instead. It was pretty surreal seeing a boring GM's head on a cool Gundam body, but in war, a soldier doesn't have the opportunity to always look cool.

Y'know Fudeki would never let something like that happen in SEED. A boring head on a cool body because a cooler replacement isn't there? Inconceivable, what do you think Gundam is, a thought-provoking war-epic with a commentary on human nature where the Gundams' only purpose is to get through the fight scenes? Phew, what have you been smoking?

In Gundam Wing, all the Gundams had a bit of a super hero vibe in them, like brave champions they sought to bring enlightenment to the universe even if it comes at a high cost. Wing Zero was an angel with Deathscythe as the Grim Reaper, and Altron, the only thing I can say here is ENTER: THE DRAGON! Heavyarms was a grim clown with a big ass cannon, Sandrock had noble desert warrior written all over it, Tallgeese was every bit the knight that it looked like, and Epyon, whooBOY what an evil design that one had (number 4 on my favorite Gundams)!

If you look at G-Gundam's Gundams, each and every Gundam fits in from its home nation and mimicked the fighter's skills perfectly. The French Gundam Rose fought with a fencing sword while the American Gundam Maxter looked like a quarterback/boxer. Even Germany's Shadow (Spiegel) Gundam had a great mysterious vibe and the Dark (Devil) Gundam looked just absolutely EVIL! And Master Gundam, my God, the Master Gundam was the best Suit in that entire show! It perfectly reflected Master Asia's character. Master Asia was Earth's greatest warrior and to save the Earth, he took in the smallest amount of evil to fulfill his oath. That is Master Gundam in every way. It's obviously a warrior Gundam that has gained a slightly evil design, Master Asia in every way, a powerful warrior willing to do a little evil for a greater good. Heck even the Spike (Tequila) Gundam, Hurricane (Nether) Gundam, and Skull Gundam, though dopey looking, fit in perfectly with the feel of the show.

Now in Gundam SEED it seems like, as in the first Gundam, that the Mobile Suits would have a different offensive ability to help win a war. The original five G-Weapons were cool looking. You could just look at them and know right away what their abilities are. But later in the show, all the Gundams shied away from this and it looked like mecha-designer Okawra was just trying too hard to make the Suits look cool. Remember the druggies' Gundams? They didn't look like anything. You couldn't tell what their deal was or what strengths they had. Remember the green one with the giant plate on its back, which I mentally named Turtleshell, or the red Raven Gundam Rip-Off (which I nickname the Raven Rip-Off), or GASP the Smurf Gundam?! Those looked as dweeby as Mortal Kombat II: Annihilation. The Freedom, ug, that thing was just a combo of all the other really cool Gundams. There wasn't an original part in that entire Suit. The Destiny? Nothing but Gundam GP-02 with a red paint job. And Rue's final Gundam? Did the artist forget to put any arms on it? Jeez, no wonder Kira was able to kill him so easily.

So in terms of Gundams, G-Gundam tops SEED in looks, purpose, and show-themes. I'll let this sink in as you read the second chapter. The other reasons will follow at the end the chapter.

XXXXXXX
My Soldier, My Savior

Chapter Two:

A Different Seduction

XXXXXXX

"The clash was one out of legend. Only once and no other had such fury been witnessed, and what had happened then had become legend, ingrained into the minds and souls of humanity. The Angel Knight against the Swordmaster danced a dance of steel and death, feathers fluttering down, their thunderous, silent screams deafened by their struggle."

"The raven-winged Soldiering Sorceress had bound the Angel Knight with the only weakness he had – his pure, gentle heart. Staring in horror, the Star Princess could only watch as the Soldiering Sorceress drew tighter the web of seduction and lies. She could not save the Angel Knight from falling from grace, from being drawn into a war he did not want to fight in."

"The past had come to the present once more."

Written by Michiru Chan-Long, Chapter 3 of the bestseller, 'Twilight's Savior"

XXXXXXX

Have you ever lost something that was vital to you? Something so important that everything changes the moment it was no longer there?

It could be anything – a limb, one's face, a parent, security, even a sibling. Anything that is a part of you for all your life, and whose loss will crush a person. You never recover. Sometimes, never. You can only learn to cope, to try and carry on with that one important thing lost to you.

But, even so, that loss haunts you like an angry ghost, offering neither refuge nor escape, never relinquishing its grip till justice is done, or till the moment Death balances the account book. The wings of Her messenger echoes with her voice, bequeathing Her judgment against the soul who had broken the Covenant, and its caws mock you for the fate that you will suffer once your life has run its course.

Like a vulture, it follows — nay hounds — you until death. Looking up to see if you've outrun it to peace brings nothing but grim reality. Always you would look up to see the pestilence in its savory wings. A bird of prey. It haunts you, reminding you what you no longer have; that death is near echoed in its caws.

"Birdie…," the humming of metal wings echoed throughout the tomblike silence of Kira's quarters. The owner of said quarters laid lifelessly on his bed his eyes staring into the empty darkness that shrouded his room. Distant, empty, they stared across time and space to a place where memories remained inviolate, where the soul remembers what is it like being whole while the heart mourns that it shall never be once more.

Kira Yamato laid lifeless in his quarters. He was still a part of this world but the idea of living without his brother made him wish not to be so. Life no longer was worth it without being whole. He could remember what that was like in his memories.

As children, they had been inseparable. They worked together, played together, and studied together, challenging each other even as they helped the other. They worked hard and played hard. Was it any wonder that everywhere they went people believed them to be brothers?

Both of them were the reflections of the other. That was how they were, how they complemented each other. Brothers never leave the other behind in the dark. They're brought forth into the light so that they can stand beside each other as equals.

But Kira would never feel equal again. The lost of Athrun tipped him off balance and into the dark depression that his soul suffers through. Recalling past memories would only remind him of his lost and his betrayal.

Bringing back the Aegis had been a traumatic experience. It was as if he had claimed his brother's steed and his corpse as a spoil of war.

The crew of the scuttled Bernard had cheered at the sight of the captured Aegis. A powerful adversary had been vanquished, and one of the Earth Alliance's most powerful weapons of war had been reclaimed. It was all because of him – the boy who betrayed his brother.

He is below a jackal for even beasts look after their packs, never harming one of their own. Kira had went against all of nature when he slew his brother; and so he must suffer. The gift from Athrun would always see to that.

Birdie swooped down and perched on his bedpost, staring at him with those same glittering eyes that screamed out accusations that was thunderous in the silent room. It was a punishment befitting the act. If the robo-bird ever broke, Kira would repair it to forever ensure that he would never forget by whose hand Athrun had died. It shall serve as his tormentor to continue his suffering. As Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock so vultures could tear out his liver for eternity, Kira should suffer at the beak of a bird of prey that renders him asunder.

Fitting…how very fitting that Athrun's last gift would serve as an undying reminder of his crime.

It was what he deserved. He was a traitor. And as Dante wrote in his Inferno, Hell's worst tortures were reserved to those who broke a trust. He shall be thrown into the clenched jaws of the Great Beast to be grinded beneath its fangs for eternity; he shall suffer beside Brutus, Cassius, and Judas forever.

Princess Lucifer was smiling as she sat languidly on her throne in Hell, waiting patiently for the soul whose name bespoke a crime equal only to hers. For now, she would watch, enjoying the torment that the damned soul known as Kira Yamato suffered.

And until Kira's judgment, he would wait.

The door-chime sounded and the intercom buzzed to life. "Kira? Kira, it's me. Can I come in?"

Kira recognized the voice, It was Lt. Natarle Badgiruel. Her voice was cautious and uncertain, a far cry from the cold fury that had often laced it so many times before. It was the same tone of voice that she had spoken in when she thanked him for all he had done after he had left the med-lab where his brother's body had lain.

"Yu-you can come in," Kira responded in a bit of a hurry. He hoped she didn't notice. When Natarle gave him her thanks he felt a compassion he hadn't felt since. He wanted-needed-to see her again.

"I hope you don't mind if I do. I was hoping that we could have a chance to talk."

Kira hesitated briefly before pressing a button next to his bedside that allowed the pressure door to slide open with a gentle hiss. Natarle Badgiruel stepped in and shut the door behind. Kira hid the longing in his eyes. He wanted – needed – to see her again. The warmth of her compassion was what kept his already broken world stable.

Natarle, for her part, looked at the quiet boy that looked as if he was waiting for his executioner. It was, to Vice-Minister Allster, the perfect state of mind to which he could manipulate the boy. He had made several suggestions to her as to how to handle the unstable youth, to convince him that to join the military would be the best choice.

The Vice-Minister had planned it meticulously, and whose knowledge of human psychology was reinforced by years of experience. Now, it was all a matter of clearing up the minor details to bring Kira to the side of the EA. He had told Natarle how to carry herself, to blunt the sharp air about her. She wore her uniform without the cap as he had suggested, giving Kira the impression that one could still be at ease despite the rules that came with wearing the uniform.

"Hello, Kira."

"Lieutenant Bad—"

"Natarle, please. Leave the formalities for when we're on duty," she flushed, "I don't want you to think of me as a lieutenant all the time, after all. You're not a soldier. You're going home."

There was a brief pause as Kira struggled to think of something to say. If Coordinators had faster thought-processes, why couldn't he say anything to the one person that had thanked him? Does he have to resort to idle small talk?

"So…uh…how are the repairs of the Aegis coming along?" 'Smart one, Kira Yamato!'

She smiled. "Pretty well. Murdock has already reattached the severed arm back to the main chassis, but the cockpit is…" and paused, "…still under repairs. Major Flaga… Mwu has been busy going through the VR simulations on its handling. The higher-ups have already decided that the Aegis should be his, what with his piloting skills. I'm sure it will work out for the best. But…as for the Strike…they're still debating on who should pilot it."

"I see."

Natarle sat on the bed next to him, allowing a comfortable silence to grow between them. Even though the Vice-Minister told him to act a little bit like Kira, she found it hard to talk in the latter's presence. Everything seemed so much simpler when she studied herself in the mirror.

Eventually, it was Kira who broke the silence, "So what is going to happen to… Miss Clyne?"

"It's, it's good news actually. Fllay's father has already arranged to have her returned to PLANT," Natarle replied, ensuring that the illusion of the Vice-Minister seen as a parent first and a politician second is put into place. Allster's words about referring to him as Fllay's father rather than the Vice-Minister would suggest that he was a parent first and a politician second.

"I'm glad to hear that," Kira whispered, glad to know that Athrun would rest easier knowing that his fiancée would be safe.

"Fllay's father…" Natarle added again, Allster's words about referring to him as Fllay's father rather than the Vice-Minister would suggest that he was a parent first and a politician second "…has been in contact with the PLANTs, and he has agreed to hand over both Lacus and your friend's body in a few hours. A shuttle from one of the Nazca-class destroyers will be meeting one of ours to oversee the transfer."

"It's only right that Mr. Zala gets At…his son back," Kira's voice lowered to a whisper. "Though I don't know what his reaction will be when he sees what I've done to him."

Natarle knew that she was stepping onto a minefield by broaching the subject, but for the plans she and the Vice-Minister had made to be put into place, it had to be done. She could only scratch the surface, and let Kira break the dam. Pushing him would only serve to alienate him further.

"Kira, if it is all right with you, can you tell me about Athrun? What he was like back when you first met him?" Natarle asked. 'This is it, Natarle. If he doesn't answer…it will set the Vice-Minister's plan back by a good amount of time…'

Kira hesitated, and Natarle could see that an inner battle was raging within the young Coordinator. No doubt he was asking himself if it was right that he shared his most treasured memories with a total stranger who did not understand its value. When he finally spoke about Athrun, Natarle could see the toll that it exacted on Kira. His voice shook as he spoke of days long past, of laughter long silenced, of promises made and broken by the hand of a boy close enough to be called brother.

"At-Athrun was…kind and just. He never stood back and let a bully pick on someone smaller. He was always willing to defend those who couldn't for themselves… A lot of times he even stopped Coordinator children from picking on Natural kids." His voice choked under sobs. "He was the class hero…and I was his sidekick, and everywhere we went people kept thinking we were brothers. We had arguments, but we never really fought, never raising a hand against each other. We even had a fine parting when he went away to PLANT."

Natarle notices Kira gazes at his robo-bird for a moment before shuddering.

"And when I next saw him, it was on Heliopolis…10 years later. Eh-it wasn't how we thought it would be…" Kira clenches his hands as all his repressed emotions over the last few months comes to the surface. "We didn't meet under sakura trees as we had promised, no no, it was on a battlefield where I…I…" He finally broke down crying. "I never wanted to kill him! I never wanted him to die!"

Kira balled his fists and struck the bed-frame, leaving behind deep dents. Natarle almost back-pedaled on reflex, never having seen the gentle Coordinator become physically violent. The dark-haired officer had often prided herself on her steely composure, but this was one of the rare instants when it almost failed her.

"How long have you known that Athrun was the Aegis's pilot?"

"The beginning! I've known it from the beginninging! I saw him running at Murrue with a knife back on Heliopolis! WHY? Why did this happen?! How could he have changed so much?!"

Natarle saw an opening that she quickly jumped on, "I think…I think he was angry, Kira. This war makes people become all too familiar - intimate if you will - with that emotion. When someone loses someone they love, they lose themselves in that emotion and exact vengeance. This starts a vicious cycle that never truly ends. There are only two ways that this cycle will ever end. Either both parties stop fighting, or they continue fighting until one side is beaten. Breaking it is hard, and there are less than a handful who have the power or the strength of will to do so."

"Then HOW did this happen?!" Kira shrieked, causing her insides to recoil in terror. "We both hated war, Natarle! We never wanted to harm anyone! So, please, for the love of God, tell me how it came to this!"

"M-Maybe neither of you knew how to stop it?" 'Are you always this fragile, Kira?'

Kira stopped shaking, but the tears he had shed had not. "Do you remember the time the Strike ran out of power?"

Natarle nodded, remembering Kira's first battle against the ZAFT Gundams.

"When the Strike's Phase-Shift armor was disabled and the Aegis had captured me, I was so grateful that Athrun took me out of the fight. I was so relieved that I would no longer need to fight him; I had half-wanted him to take me back to PLANT. I didn't care about the war or the events that had led to the Bloody Valentine. I just wanted the fighting to end…" his voice croaked as the pain flowed off his lips. Natarle had to strain her ears to listen, as his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper, and the last words shook her to her soul. "I was so angry that Major Flaga shot me free. It meant that I had to keep fighting…and now I've killed Athrun…"

Natarle felt her heart twist inside her chest. Didn't anyone see the pain they were causing him in having him pilot the Strike? And why was it that no one had bothered to talk to him before? He was on the edge of a total breakdown!

"Kira…" she started, knowing that no words would be able to take away the pain, "You did not pilot in anger as Athrun had nor were your eyes clouded by the vengeance that powered every stroke. He was the one that failed, Kira, not you. You fought to protect your friends. You saved those men on the escort fleet that came to take Fllay home - and I think you are not fully aware of how grateful they are. You spared Fllay the agony of losing her father. You protected them. In my eyes, you did not fail."

At that moment, a silence descended upon the room, broken only by the hum of the Archangel's generators. Kira looked up, meeting Natarle's eyes for the first time. The dark haired officer froze, unable to speak, unable to even think.

"That was the last thing Athrun asked of me…before he passed away."

"Then," Natarle replied, willing herself back to her earthly self, "you did not fail. You made him see the mistake he had failed to see. You made his death a peaceful one, one where his mistakes were forgiven. There was no failure, and if he was like how you made him out to be, I know he appreciated what you have done."

"Y-You think so?"

She smiled, "I know so."

Unconsciously, Kira's heart began to seek the warmth and comfort that Natarle Badgiruel offered. With just a few words, this woman, whom many had seen as aloof and unreachable, had done what few could do. She had unraveled the knot that had been crushing his heart. Though the pain was still there, it had weakened in its intensity and made bearable. And, one day, it will go.

But not without a price.

XXXXXXX

In another section of the Archangel, the ship's teenage volunteers were having a private meeting of their own. With every available room being used to house the refugees, they had been forced to share a single room. Kira had his own, a privilege he had earned by piloting the Strike. Among his other privileges was the fact that he received a larger portion from the Archangel's food stores - a privilege that many have not seen him make full use of. Everyone agreed that the young man who protected them deserved what he was being given. When Mirallia fretted that Kira was not eating enough, the latter would shrug it off, explaining that his enhanced Coordinator strength and stamina would allow him to withstand what Naturals could not.

Those were the only times they had heard Kira state his superiority as a Coordinator. And his friends knew him too well to know that he did not share the same zealous beliefs held by a slowly growing minority that Naturals were an inferior race. That he shared the food had blasted the fact clear that he cared for them more than he cared for himself. Everything he had ever done, even way back then, he did for them. Rare were the times he asked for anything in return. To each man or woman born to the world, each defines himself with a virtue - and a vice. Kira's virtue had always been his loyalty, even if his vice had been his naivete. A guardian angel in human form, some described him. Oh, how true those words were…

But, Kira was still human. He could break. The emptiness they saw in his eyes hours ago on the Archangel's bridge was one that one sees on a criminal awaiting his or her execution. There was an air of pained suffering that had caused many to want to help him. But the Earth Alliance crew and security marines would not let anyone come near him. Every volunteer who had held positions during the escape from Heliopolis abroad the Archangel had been returned to their status as civilians.

Instead of performing their regular tasks on the bridge scanning for enemy activity for Captain Murrue, they were now confined to their air-conditioned quarters with a mini-fridge installed with plenty of snack foods and sodas from the supplies the EA brought with them. From Mirallia's point of view, it was no different from being prisoners with privileges.

"Kira is in trouble," Tolles said. "I can't think of anything else, but I know he's in trouble."

"I do not disagree with that assessment, Tolles. Something is up. I cannot put my finger on what it is, but whatever it is, I don't like it," Sai added, his gaze going to the sealed pressure door. Beyond that portal, two armed EA security marines prevented the room's occupants from stepping beyond its boundaries.

Mirallia followed her friend's gaze, her pursed lips telling him that, like him, she did not like the thoughts that were passing through her head either, though she did not panic, she was afraid.

Since Fllay's father had come aboard, there had been an increased number in the Archangel's marines. From an even dozen, they shot up to over a hundred, housing members from the scuttled Bernard battlecruiser. Guards patrolled every corridor and guarded key entry points to the Engineering section to the hangar bay. The Vice-Minister said that it was for their own protection, but the Archangel's original crew - refugee and EA skeleton crew alike - weren't buying the excuse. The guards were positioned in a way that made reaching Kira's quarters all but impossible. Every time they tried, they would stumble upon one patrol or another. When they tried to call him, they found that the comm-line to his quarters had been severed. Sai knew then and there that the only person who could have done that was someone on the Archangel's bridgecrew, and he had a pretty good idea of who it was.

Fllay faced her fiancée. "I don't understand why daddy kept asking us about Kira. He was all he wanted to talk about."

"What were the questions?" Tolles asked.

"Just basic questions about Kira."

"What kind?"

"Questions like if he's ever been in a fight, or if he's really argumentative when he became a pilot. Things like that. They mostly revolved around Kira's personality."

Kuzzey cleared his throat. "Uh, I don't think I've ever seen Kira get in a fight before. Usually, he's the first one to try to resolve it. He's not the type to…"and he fell silent under the combined glares of his friends. Only Mirallia looked away, knowing that if she were to speak her mind, their friendship may well fray.

Tolles, on the other hand, had no problem expressing his thoughts. "Damn it, Kuzzey, why the hell did you have to tell the Ice Bitch that Kira knew the Aegis's pilot, huh?"

"I…"

"Calm down, Tolles!" Sai tried to be the peace-keeper. "What's done is done. It was just a slip of the tongue."

"Slip of the - ? Are you pulling my chain, Sai? Jesus-H-Christ, Kuzzey screwed up big time! Natarle is all ready cooking up something! I don't like that gleam in her eye any more than anyone here! But the bottom line is that all of this could have been avoided if Kuzzey had just kept quiet!"

Mirallia frowned at Tolles's childishness. "Enough, all of you. We're here to figure out a way to talk to Kira, not start a blame-game."

"She's right. What's important right now is not to plant the blame on Kuzzey, but to find some way to get to Kira," Sai said, but his pointed gaze at Kuzzey told the latter that this was a matter deferred until they could extract their friend from the grave he was in. "Anyone have any suggestions?"

Silence.

Sai looked around. Kuzzey looked too terrified to say anything. Tolles was still seething in fury at Kuzzey, and was clearly looking for something to aid in the re-arrangement of his friend's face. Fllay looked stuck between denial and acceptance. The idea of her father being the bad guy was difficult for her to accept. Only Mirallia's mind was running through the ideas, discarding them when they proved too risky or irrelevant. Then, her face brightened.

"I have an idea. What if we get someone else to do it? This way, we'll at least know that he's all right."

Sai nodded, impressed. Leave it to Mirallia to keep her cool under pressure. "I don't see why not. The only thing we need is someone around here with a rank high enough to get past the guards and someone we can trust. Any suggestions?"

"The Captain?" Tolles asked.

"No chance. I bet my life that her even her personal comm-line is bugged," Sai said.

"Wait…what about Major la Flaga?"

"Mirallia, that won't work," Fllay suddenly cut in. "Daddy told me Major Mwu is busy training on the AST to pilot the Aegis. We won't be able to contact him."

"True," Tolles added. "But we could get someone to relay our message to him. Didn't Kira make some friends with the technicians and engineers that work on the Strike?"

"Wait a minute…Chief Engineer Murdock! Brilliant, Tolles! He likes Kira. He'll help us. We can have him relay a message to Kira via the major," Sai nodded in approval.

"Then we'd better get down to it," Tolles said. "I don't want to hold this off longer than is necessary."

XXXXXXX

Several thousand kilometres from the Archangel's current position, the crew of the two Nazca battleships that had hounded their prey ever since the fall of Heliopolis were having an epiphany. Battle-tested, disciplined and forming the finest of ZAFT's starfleet, they had rarely tasted defeat. They had been through many, many difficult situations which tested them till the breaking point, but they had always triumphed against the odds.

Until now.

One ship. One ship that was on the verge of crafting a legend with its twin guardians soaring gloriously in the star ocean.

One ship that had humbled the ZAFT in a fashion unseen in its long history. An entire squadron of GINNs - twenty-five in all - destroyed by a single Suit. Their princess, the idol and shining star of PLANT, a hostage abroad the dreaded Archangel. Two of their four G-Weapons in need of drastic repairs, the fourth captured by the enemy. The Bloodhawk Elites, their most skilled pilots, were screaming in rage and helplessness. No one dared to come within ten feet of them. It was an anger aggravated by the death of their team leader at the hands of the Strike.

The consequences of their failure had spread to every corner of the ship. Engineer and technical crews worked furiously to restore the remaining G-weapons, and they could not help but shiver at the extent of the damages. A single Mobile Suit had done it all. The Buster's head-unit was beyond repair, melted to molten slag. The Blitz was practically limbless. Restoring the severed mechanical appendages would take at least 2 weeks. The Duel was thankfully undamaged. The ego of its pilot, however, was another thing entirely.

But the effect of seeing the ruined G-weapons and the humbled Bloodhawks had done nothing but send morale spiraling to Hell. Most of the pilots had gathered in the officer's club, indulging in one drink or another to wipe away the image seared into the souls of humanity as a whole. It was all they could do. No one dared to go up against the Strike again. Facing down the entire EA starfleet at least held the possibility of survival; facing the Strike held none whatsoever.

The command staff were at each other's throats, each seeking to blame their humiliating defeat on the incompetence of the other. Most of the blame fell on the shoulders of the man who had been responsible for unchaining the beast in the first place - Rue le Creuset. If the last had not invaded Heliopolis, then none of the catastrophes that had befallen them would have happened. The violent arguments echoed within the conference room as they debated on how to rescue Lacus Clyne and what to tell Supreme Commander Zala when he arrived. And if the tension in the conference room was bad, the one where the Bloodhawk Elites were residing in was worse.

"Son of a bitch!" Yzak swore as he flung his helmet across the room. It crashed against the wall before floating away. "SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!"

Dearka tried to calm his silver-haired friend, knowing that it was all but impossible to calm him when he was as furious as this. "Ease up, Yzak! I know Athrun's gone, but this is a war! You can't blame yourself!"

"Blame myself? BLAME MYSELF?!" Yzak repeated incredulously. "You think I blame myself? No! If Athrun hadn't kept me from shooting the Strike in our first fight, this would never have happened in the first place! My fault? It's his! And he brought it on himself!"

Nicol sat oblivious to the argument, his face buried in his hands. If he had heard Yzak, he wasn't showing it.

Dearka scowled at his team-mate's reaction. "Yzak, now that's pushing it. You can't disrespect Athrun's memory with -"

"The hell I can't! In all our battles with the Strike, Athrun kept acting like he didn't even want to fight! He held us back while the Strike's pilot was still green - and look where it got us! Our commander's dead, Dearka! His Suit gone and ours trashed! Over three squadrons of our buddies are dead! All because ATHRUN kept playing it safe!" Yzak snarled. "He was unfit to be our leader! If the Strike hadn't nailed him, I would have shot him myself!"

Rue le Creuset entered at that point. "I wouldn't let the Supreme Commander hear you say that, Yzak. A father that outlives his son can be quite…disagreeable."

"Commander!" Yzak and Dearka froze. Nicol did not even flinch.

"At ease. I'm here to inform you all that in twenty minutes, a small shuttle from the Archangel will rendezvous with one of ours to return Miss Clyne and hand over Athrun's body."

Dearka felt calm wash over his already turbulent mind. At least Athrun would be buried on PLANT with his beloved safe. "And our orders are, sir?"

"Why, nothing difficult or challenging at all. You three will be returning home to salute your fallen leader at his glorious funeral. Make sure you tidy up, there will be cameras present."

"We're leaving?!" Yzak gasped, horrified at the thought of leaving the Archangel and the Strike being allowed to escape scot-free. "What about the Strike? We can still get him!"

Rue's calm voice was stern without changing his tone at all. "Another time, another battle, Yzak. That shall wait for another day, as should you. Besides, you have seen him in battle. Are you that eager for another taste of humility? He spared you once - and you should count yourself lucky he DID spare you. There will not be a second time."

Dearka did not want to face the Strike, at least, not as he was now. Being a Bloodhawk Elite meant less to him now than the realization that he had to improve his fighting abilities before he dared to cross the Star Angel once again. "We understand, commander."

Yzak, however, couldn't. His code of honor did not allow him to. He had failed to stop the Strike twice - and that was two times too many. The first time his Suit lost an arm. The second time, Athrun perished. And with the latter's death, the Strike had claimed the Aegis, and was now throwing the carcass back in a grotesque challenge to PLANT as a whole, showing them the fate of those that had dared defy the sovereign authority of Ancient Terra. Yzak's soul screamed at the sacrilege. He was a warrior, not a dog that would take the scraps thrown in the dirt.

"But sir! I can't let the Strike win! If I leave for Athrun's funeral, then I may as well roll over and play dead!"

"If one personalizes a battle, one shall lose the battle. Distance yourself from all emotions, Joule," Rue said, the glare beneath the mask he always wore evident. "They are your greatest strength. Focus them into a blade you wield. Deny them control. Leave for PLANT for Zala's funeral."

"I am NOT going to let that bastard win!" Yzak swore, placing his honor and pride on his oath, as he stormed from the room.

"Yzak!" Dearka tried to follow his friend but Rue stopped him.

"Let him go. Yzak must learn my lesson the hard way. I can only hope he survives to understand my words."

"But…Oh, I suppose you're right, sir. I mean, Yzak is not the type to go AWOL and launch a surprise attack on the Archangel with the Duel, right? He's angry, but he's certainly not crazy. Right?" he spoke with a certainty that wavered with every passing heartbeat.

Rue le Creuset turned his gaze onto the portal where Yzak had departed by.

XXXXXXX

"Oh no you don't!" Mwu swore as his Aegis soared out of the Duel's twin beam-sabers. That didn't stop the Duel's pursuit, forcing the major to have his Suit transform to its MA mode in order to outdistance his adversary.

Once a safe distance away, the Aegis transformed back to its humanoid form, aiming its beam rifle upon the swiftly approaching Duel. A warning sign informed the major that another had locked on to him. He whirled around quickly, blocking the shot before sending the ambushing GINN to its maker.

"Nice try…but not good enough! Oh Hell…"

The Duel had already closed the gap when Mwu's attention had been focused on the GINN sniper, and it lashed out, forcing Mwu to backpedal. Major Flaga activated his boosters and vaulted the Aegis high up, kicking the Duel's head as it did so. The Major quickly took advantage as the Duel reacted, firing three shots into the Gundam's cockpit. Flames erupted from the Suit, and the Aegis blasted full out of the blast radius, much to the howling glee of its pilot.

"Yes!" Mwu la Flaga cheered as a miniature sun appeared in space.

His comm-system chimed as the face of Chief Engineer Murdock appeared on the upper left hand corner of the control screen. "So, how was it Major?"

Mwu grinned cockily. "A little sluggy, but still the smoothest ride I've ever had!"

The golden-haired pilot hit the button as the cockpit's protective shell swung open, revealing the docking bay of the Archangel which it still stood in. Murdock was outside, typing something on the keyboard that was connected to the Aegis's control system. "Yeah…well…we're still working on the OS. We had to ditch the ZAFTies' OS, so coming up with one of our own is a bloody killer. We lack the proper equipment being stuck out here in the middle of God-damned nowhere…"

Murdock sighed in exasperation. "And the higher-ups want this thing operational by tomorrow? Who the hell do they think we are? We're not like Kira to be able to snap our fingers and say 'here ya go - one anti-ZAFT OS with crack served!' Idiots!"

Mwu grinned in understanding. If there was one thing nobody liked about the military, it was that those in charge had a tendency to give impossible orders. That didn't stop anyone from getting it done, but it was a nuisance, all the same. "Maybe you should give Kira a call. A little work might take his mind off his departed friend…"

Murdock thought it over. "Throwing yourself into your work is one good way to get through it, but I think it might be a little too heartless to ask the kid to work on a machine that he used to murder his friend," and he moved closer, "…yeah…almost as heartless as keeping Kira's friend from him when he needs them the most…"

The Major saw that the Chief Mechanic was dead serious. "What's this all about, Chief?"

"I got a call from the kid's friends. Says that they're not allowed to see him. Them security marines turned them back every time they tried."

"What?" Mwu snapped, louder than he intended.

"Shh…keep it down, damn it! Not only that, but they said that they can't even get a comm-line to his quarters. I checked and there is a block on any outgoing calls to him."

Mwu knew that this was going to end badly, period. "Allster is up to something here. I don't know what it is, but I sure as hell don't like it. I'm going to see the kid and…" Mwu's eyes widened as he saw Vice-Minister Allster's aide, the pretty Sharon Tzarivich, striding over to him. The Chief Engineer turned and his face became stony.

"Murdock…did Kira's friends call you on an open channel?"

"Shit…"

No better swear word short of FUBAR - Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. Murdock was going to be biting his steel wrench later on for his carelessness that may well cost a young man dearly. Sharon stopped before them. "Major Flaga, I have instructions for you from the Vice-Minister."

He exchanged looks with Murdock. They would have to figure something out later.

"Yes?"

"Your newest assignment will be to transport Princess Lacus Clyne and the body of her dead fiancée to the rendezvous point. A ZAFT shuttle will meet you there in order to retrieve them."

"When do I leave?"

"Right away. The Vice-Minister wants her off the ship as soon as possible."

'No doubt that bastard wants to get rid of everyone who can snip off the puppet strings he's putting on Kira. You're a genuine bastard, Allster…I almost wished that Kira HAD failed to save you.' "Understood."

Sharon turned a stern gaze on Murdock. "And Chief Engineer Murdock?"

"Yeah? What?" Disgust laced his voice.

"You are warned to not try and tamper with the comm-lines again. Doing so may well put you in hotter water than you would like to be, I assure you. The Captain has instructed that you give the Aegis a TOTAL overhaul. I will return in four days to ensure that this is done, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Murdock replied. Oh, the temptation to use that same wrench on this arrogant Russian bitch was overwhelming.

She turned her blue eyes back to Mwu. "And Major, get ready for departure. The Princess will be along shortly. Ah, there she is…"

Mwu saw the slender form of the pink-haired songstress enter the docking bay, and saw the jealousy and seething hatred in the Russian woman's eyes as she walked past her. Sharon fought hard to resist spiting on her and settled for leaving in a rageful sprint.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Murdock asked him.

"If I can get back here quickly enough after this damn mission, I might be able to talk to Kira…and that's a pretty big 'if'."

"Major la Flaga?" Lacus spoke as she drew closer, holding the pink robotic ball-doll in her slender hands, the last gift of her beloved who was being transported into a nearby military shuttle in a freezer. How the hell this girl could maintain her composure through all of this, Mwu did not know. Most people he knew would be in pieces by now. Even her voice held not a trace of anguish or worry. And Mwu thought his poker-face was good.

"Are you ready to take me home?"

Mwu flinced and lowered his head. "Yeah, but I got no choice but to take you now."

XXXXXXX

On the bridge of the Archangel, Captain Murrue Ramius was sipping a cup of hot tea. Life was worth its little guilty pleasures, and good tea was one thing that Murrue loved indulging whenever possible. The provisions and supplies that the Vice-Minister brought along with the escort fleet had been substantial, the amount clearly evident that the escort fleet had originally been a supply fleet before the Vice-Minister had commandeered it to search for his daughter. One way or the other, she was thankful. Feeding and taking care of over a hundred refugees had not been easy, and had strained the Archangel's supplies to the limit. Supplies and provisions they needed - but not a new bridgecrew.

"Ma'am, Major la Flaga and the Coordinator Princess are ready to depart," a pink-haired woman spoke, bearing upon her uniform the markings of a communications specialist.

The Vice-Minister had made sweeping changes the moment he had come aboard. The first had been the total dissolving of the civilian bridgecrew. Kira's friends had been removed from their posts, and EA specialists installed in their place. Though it was a comforting change of having a trained crew, she missed them all the same.

"Give him permission to depart. Open the hangar doors, Sally."

Instants later, the military shuttle bearing the Princess of PLANT and the body of her fiancée streaked out into the star ocean to rendezvous with the ZAFT shuttle. Even now, she imagined Kira and his friends boarding a shuttle heading to Earth, removing them from a war they never wanted a part in. They would be safe. The brown-haired captain sighed and leaned back into her seat. She had seen the impossible these past few months. She had watched a group of teenagers grow up in the heat of combat, had watched one of them spread wings like thunder and soar.

The price had been heavy, she knew, and what had been asked of him was as great a sin as she would ever know. Kira did it. He protected his friends. He protected the refugees. He protected those that held only hatred for him in their hearts. A few times she had secretly put a stop to a few attempted assaults by zealous racists among the refugees, though she suspected that Kira knew what she did for him.

He had protected them all, even her, even when she had pointed a gun at him to keep silent a military secret. Nothing could undo that mistake, she knew. She wondered of the consequences of what would have happened if she HAD shot him. The Archangel would be in the hands of ZAFT, its crew taken prisoner…Murrue shivered at the thought. That could have happened. She remembered the stern resolve of wanting to shoot the young Coordinator if he so much as refused.

Kira would be rewarded, the Vice-Minister had promised her. And without a doubt, she hoped that it would be equal to what he had given so much for.

He deserved all the happiness the Alliance had in store for him.

XXXXXXX

"I do not trust what your superiors have in store for Kira, Major la Flaga."

"Tell me something I don't know, Princes," Mwu said. "Allster is up to something…and it stinks so bad even I know. I will try to stop him…even if it means throwing that bastard out the nearest airlock and making it look like an accident."

"It isn't the Vice-Minister you should watch out for. It's Lieutenant Badgiruel. She is the one who will do Kira harm."

"Natarle? How did you come to that conclusion?" Mwu asked.

"She will seduce him. She will lie to Kira in order to bind him to her. Kira is an emotional wreck, and she is cunning enough to use that weakness to her advantage. Kira has already murdered Athrun, a friend he had known since childhood and he now falsely believes his friends - who he needs to ensure that his world can still remain stable - are too busy to care. Natarle will use every wile at her disposal to trick him into joining the war."

For a brief moment, Mwu smirked, picturing the dark-haired lieutenant dressed like a dark-haired Hollywood temptress leading Kira on. "Oh, come on, Princess. Natarle might be an icy bitch, but she's not THAT manipulative."

Lacus lowered her head, allowing pink bangs to cover her blue eyes. "That is where you're wrong, Major. You were not there on the bridge when I told her why Kira brought Athrun aboard. You were not there when she confronted Kira after 'saving' him from the military police. You have not seen the hunger and malice in her actions. If you must act, act swiftly. This war WILL kill Kira in more ways than one. The Holy Knight is already starting to fall from grace."

Mwu's eyes widened. His thoughts ran through his mind, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. A muffled curse had him seeing the entire picture. How could he have let this happen? He was already a grown man who had seen what manipulative women were capable of! Hell, history had proven that right from the ancient days! How could he not have seen this coming?

"I've gotta' get back quick. Once I drop you off, I'm going back to settle this. I can only hope I'm not too late…"

"I really hope so, Major."

Mwu checked the nav-com. If he turned back now, it would take him only 10 minutes to return to the Archangel. Before he could turn the control stick of the shuttle around, the proximity radar blipped. Assuming it was the ZAFT shuttle, he did not pay it much heed. He opened up a channel. Better to get this over quick. He didn't want the Princess to get into the fire-fight he was going to get into trying to get Kira out of the Devil's Bargain he was being tricked into.

"Attention, ZAFT shuttle. I have Lacus Clyne and the body of Athrun Zala. You're coming in too fast. Please slow…What the Hell?!"

Two purple beam sabers blazed against the backdrop of the star ocean. Mwu reacted quickly, and the sabers cut off both wings, and the riposte caused the engines to explode, throwing him and the Princess hard onto the control panels. Had he been a heartbeat too late, the shuttle would have been sheared in half. He glared at the screen and swore. The Duel!

He opened up an emergency channel to the Archangel, "Archangel! Archangel! This is La Flaga! I have a bloody problem! The Duel is attacking! I repeat, the Duel is attacking! I need backup - fast!"

What the hell is going on? Is this some sort of assassination attempt at Lacus, or has the Duel's pilot gone insane? No time to ponder that out, he grabbed Lacus and headed for the escape capsule where the body of the Princess's fiancée had been stored in.

XXXXXXX

Four minutes ago…

The moment the Duel ripped out of the Vesalius's hangar to intercept with the Federation military shuttle, all hell had broken loose on the ZAFT bridge.

"CAPTAIN CRUESET! CALLING CAPTAIN CRUESET! PLEASE REPORT TO THE BRIDGE!" The frightened communication officer, named Alfred Amon, pleaded over the PA system, frightened for having the distinct misfortune of having to call the captain, praying that the masked commander not be in a foul mood.

When the pressure doors to the bridge hissed open and the commander of the Bloodhawk Elites entered, he was not howling pissed as expected. How he could remain his composure was anybody's guess. "Report."

Alfred told him everything. "Sir! Pa-Pilot Yzak Joule just broke out of the hanger in the Duel!"

Dearka had just entered the bridge and heard the report. "Oh god…, he actually did it." He looked positively stricken.

The masked commander turned towards the Buster's pilot. "Dearka, it appears I owe you an apology for not heeding your warning earlier. Please do not think any less of me as your commander."

The strange thing was that Rue sounded like he meant every word.

Rue's first officer ran up to the scared comm-officer. "Bring him back, ensign!"

"I've been doing that for the last 5 minutes! He's blocked out all communications to the Duel and initiated radio-silence!"

"Then shoot him down!" The Lieutenant yelled, growing desperate.

"But sir, I can't! He's moving so quick he's already out of gun range."

Rue floated up to them, not looking a bit worried over the situation. That scared Alfred more than the raging first mate. "Have you pinpointed his destination yet, Alfred?"

Alfred nodded, slightly calmer from his commander's cool composure. "From the route he's on, I suspect he's attempting to intercept the Federation shuttle carrying Princess Lacus. She's in grave danger, sir! We'd better do something or we're lose her like we lost Athrun!"

Rue did not look fazed in the least, but the lieutenant on watch knew what was at stake. The Bloodhawk Elites had lost Athrun - and that alone was a blow to PLANT and ZAFT. If Lacus was slain, he was done for. "Captain, if we lose her too, we're really going to get it when we get back to PLANT." He was nearly red in the face. "Send out the GINNs, damn it! Have them cripple the Duel!"

"That will be pointless, lieutenant. You know that the Duel is more than a match for an entire squadron of GINNs. Only another G-weapon can stop him," Rue said coolly, clearly disappointed that one of his own men could lose his composure so easily.

"Then what do you suggest, sir?" Dearka asked. "Our Suits, both Nicol's and mine are crippled. Blitz has no arms or legs, and mine has no head. We don't have a ready G-weapon to stop Yzak before he gets himself killed."

"Then we'll make do with what we have," and Rue stepped up to the comm-link, "Engineering, do you copy?"

A brief frizzle and the voice a Chief Engineer Harrison answered. "I'm here, chief. Don't worry, I'll get this place locked down."

"Chief, get some of your people to shift the Blitz's head to the Buster's chassis. How long shall this take?"

A brief silence.

"10 minutes."

"Then you know what to do. Get it done immediately. Clearing up the hangar is now a secondary concern."

The Chief Engineer terminated the call immediately, knowing better than to argue with the Bloodhawk Commander.

Rue turned towards Dearka. "I take it you know what to do as well?"

"Ye-yes sir."

"Then get to it.

Dearka saluted shakenly and headed down to the hangar bay.

Rue drifted in the zero-G towards the ensign manning the radar. "Are there any EA Suits intercepting the Duel?"

The ensign shook his head.

"Shame. If there was, then if the Duel does shoot Lacus's shuttle, we could have pinned it on the Naturals. A dead princess would encourage her soldiers to fight harder to avenge her death."

The lieutenant did not find that funny. "Sir! She is Prime Minister Siegel Clyne's daughter! She is our princess! You must not talk like that!"

Rue merely grinned. "You misunderstand me, lieutenant. Of course we must rescue her at all costs, but we must also always be prepared for other possibilities. And besides, I'm a fan of hers. I have all her albums. And her posters. I collect all her merchandise."

The lieutenant exchanged looks with his crew-members, all of them wondering if their commander was joking or not.

XXXXXXX

Back in Kira's quarters, unknowing that the peaceful mission had already gone awry, Kira and Natarle were divulging the personal details of their lives. No longer were they sitting next to each other, but the position would have given anyone who had the misfortune of entering the young Coordinator's quarters a cardiac arrest. Kira's head was on Natarle's lap, and she ran her fingers through the former's soft, silky hair. Kira, on the other hand, was mesmerized by what he saw. Natarle was an intoxicating union of Lacus, Fllay and that golden-haired, tawny-eyed girl he had met on Heliopolis prior to its destruction.

For her part, Natarle was drawn to Kira in a way that she was drawn to no other man in her life. What was it that drew her to him? The sense of peace she felt was almost unnerving. As if, for that brief moment, the universe relaxed its unceasing judgment of her. She listened to the stories of his life, finding them no different from the life of any other person she knew. The problems he had faced as a Coordinator was no different from the problems that Black Americans on Terra faced during the 21st century thousands of years ago.

"I can't believe someone burnt your home down…"

"Yeah. When the police apprehended him, I was informed he was a member of Blue Cosmos. Mom and Dad were horrified and rather upset that they were away on Earth for a scientific conference. I told them not to worry and that I'd be fine." He chuckled, knowing what the silver lining in the dark cloud would be. "I wasn't though, I was homeless. I am simply fortunate that Tolles read what happened to me in a newspaper and met up with me after school to see if he could help. He put me up in his home for a month while my place was being repaired. I really owe Tolles a lot for that. I don't know what I would have done without him. He's the one that introduced me to Sai and the others."

She was horrified at some of the events he had experienced, most particularly when his house had been burnt down by a group of Blue Cosmos adherents. It was only sheer luck that he had been in the University, working overtime on a project.

Natarle knew that there were several crewmembers aboard the Archangel that adhered to the Blue Cosmos's racist, puritanical philosophies. Some had been members of the Azure Sword, the Blue Cosmos's military arm, before they joined the EA army. She made a mental note to transfer them from the ship before they endangered Kira. He would be on the Archangel until the war ended.

Until the war ended…

Natarle froze as horror chilled her soul. What was she doing?

Kira, on the other hand, saw the horror on Natarle's facade, and was about to ask when the PA system blared to life.

"KIRA YAMATO! PLEASE REPORT TO THE MS HANGAR! THE DUEL IS ATTACKING THE SHUTTLE CARRYING LACUS CLYNE! THE DUEL IS ATTACKING THE SHUTTLE!"

Kira's eyes widened and he leapt off the bed. Natarle had, likewise, broken out of her trance, and nodded towards Kira. "Get to the Strike! Go!"

Kira did not need further prodding. He charged down the corridors, and the security marines leapt out of his way. Exhaustion faded as Athrun's voice whispered in his memories, telling him…begging him from the darkness, not to fail a second time. No, not again. Not a second time.

Once was more than enough.

XXXXXXX

"I'm sorry I failed to protect you, Lacus," Mwu said tiredly as he stared out of the window at the hovering Duel. He could do nothing to fight the Gundam, as the shuttle had been stripped of weapons, a sign of an offer made in good faith. And what did it get them? A disabled shuttle and two passengers huddling inside the heavily armored escape capsule. His SOS had gone through to the Archangel. It was only a matter of time before help arrived, but until then they were dead in the water in the sea of space. Mwu cursed inwardly. Being helpless was most definitely a situation he hated next to being careless.

Mwu punched the dead consol again, more angry at himself than the Duel's pilot. "I should have had at least a flair-missile attached. With that I could have used it for a diversion to escape back to the Archangel, instead of leaving us here at the mercy of the pilot."

"We're not in any danger, Major Flaga. The pilot has only disabled the shuttle, not destroy us out of hand," Lacus replied calmly. Mwu had to give it to the pink-haired princess. She could keep her cool and her wits in a bad situation. If she had been military, she would have made a ship's captain in record time.

"What do you mean? With Mr. Angry Swordsman outside, I don't feel that way."

"Athrun had once told me about his subordinates in the Bloodhawk Elites. I surmise that the one who is piloting the Duel is someone named Yzak Joule. He is proud and is quick to anger. Athrun once told me that an Yzak Joule was possibly the only person - next to his friend, Dearka - who is happy about the war. He wants to prove that he is the best ZAFT has to offer, and being defeated several times by Kira has wounded his pride. He wants to fight the Strike again."

"For what? To avenge Athrun?"

"No. If it were just that, we would be able to convince him to let us go," Lacus's voice lowered, pain wracking it. "I think Yzak hates the Strike. He sees it as an enemy that mocked him in every encounter. It is an injury aggravated by the fact that Kira has defeated the Bloodhawks even with the odds so stacked against him. I heard from the crew technicians of the struggle about the Duel's encounters with the Strike. The first time Yzak lost, his Suit lost an arm. The second time he was defeated, he lost his Commander. This is nothing but a pointless grudge-match."

Mwu turned to stare in the direction of the Archangel, "So, we're just bait to force Kira to come out? What do you think Yzak will do once he beats Kira? Is he going to walk back and face a court martial?"

"Most likely."

"So we're just the audience for a death match then? Terrific." Mwu had to choke back a particularly vulgar curse.

XXXXXXX

The bridge was in near-total chaos when Natarle reached it. Only Murrue and the members of the original bridge team were calm centres amidst the chaos.

"What is this about, Captain?" Natarle asked as she took her position.

Murrue turned to face her dark-haired counterpart. "It's as you heard. The Duel has launched a surprise attack on the shuttle carrying Lacus Clyne and her dead fiancée for no apparent reason - and no backup. Our shuttle has been badly damaged."

Natarle frowned. "He's endangering Lacus Clyne? And he is alone? This doesn't make any sense. Could this be an independent action on his part?"

"Possibly."

"Captain, we have a problem! That Coordinator civilian…oh, what was his name…he's activating the Strike!" Sally shouted from her station. "Should I inform security to stop him?"

Murrue and Natarle fired a glare at the ensign, who froze in terror. The captain made a mental note to have a meeting with her new crew later on. She could ill-afford ignorant beliefs to affect her ship.

"Update him of the situation, Sally. Natarle, get the weapons ready."

"On it."

Sally looked at the Coordinator pilot. He was young and had boyishly good looks. If he had been in High School on Earth, he would have had a fanclub of girls chasing him. And she could tell straight off that this one was the type to run as if Princess Morningstar and her daughters were on his tail. It was really a pity he was a Coordinator. Her fellow crew-girls had whispered a lot of good things about him. She hoped to have a talk with him sometime soon.

"Uh…Mr Yamato? This is Ensign Sally Jones speaking…"

"What the-? Where's Mirallia?"

Natarle moved over quickly, remembering what George Allster had told her. She has to sound disgusted with them. After all, 'they' didn't the slightest worry over the man that saved their lives dozens of times before. "Your…friends requested that they be removed from bridge-duty after the last battle so that they could celebrate. This will be our new bridge-crew."

'What the-?' Murrue thought, blinking in surprise. She had been informed that the Vice-Minister had ordered Kira's friends removed from duty. What was this about? Murrue made another mental note to ask Natarle or the Vice-Minister about that later. Nevertheless, the brown-haired captain could see the pained expression on Kira's face. Natarle felt her insides twist at the expression, and even Sally felt a surge of pity for him. His expression reminded her of a puppy that had been abandoned.

It was too much for Natarle to handle. Kira didn't deserve this misery. "Patch me a line to the Strike, Sally!" Natarle ordered.

Murrue's eyes snapped open. "Natarle! What-?"

"Captain, Kira needs moral support. You saw how he acted when he learned his friends weren't here! He needs to know there's still people here who want him back safely."

"Excellent idea, Lt. Badgiruel." Murrue was pleased that Natarle had finally learned that a soldier's heart was as important as her skills. "Sally! Contact Kira's friends to come here and—"

"Not necessary, captain. Simply let me speak with him. I know him better than his friends ever could."

"…what?" Murrue whispered, feeling both shocked and aghast over her second's declaration. Natarle always acted so heartless and distance, were she and Kira actually friends? If so than maybe a friend's comfort was all Kira really needed to survive.

"Ensign Sally, do it."

A direct line was made, allowing Natarle to see the downtrodden Kira in his pilot suit. "Kira, it's Natarle."

"Natarle? I-I don't think I can do this…"

"Yes you can! You fought off every enemy ZAFT sent after us! You protected everyone! Please don't fail to protect yourself! Don't fail Major la Flaga! Don't fail Lacus! Don't fail me!"

"…I won't." Kira whispered. He knows he won't fail. He knows how to win. A brewing confidence builds, swiftly masking his expression. "What are the shuttle's Coordinates, Sally?"

"Zero point four by three one six. The Duel is just…standing there. He's not even bothering to attack the shuttle. It's just…there."

Chandra, the Archangel's helmsman, cut into the link. "Kira, the Archangel cannot provide you with support. If we break leave escort formation, the Montgomery and the Law will be open to attack. We'll try to quickly cover the distance so that we can utilize the Gottfried and Variant Linear cannons. Much of the fight is up to you alone. Don't worry, buddy. You won't be fighting for long."

"Understood. This is Kira Yamato. Strike, launching!"

The Strike exploded into the emptiness of space once more, setting itself on a direct path towards the waiting Duel. It was pointless rushing there and wasting energy. It was clearly obvious that the Duel wasn't going anywhere. It was waiting like a brooding samurai, waiting to settle the score with its adversary.

"Insane… this is all just insane…" Kira had borne witness to the insanity of war in the past few months, and its horrific scars were etched into space and memory in the form of the floating graveyard of Junius-7. But the madness he was looking at was a new one, spawned out of a hungry desire to reclaim lost pride and misplaced honor. The pilot of the Duel had effectively cast aside everything in order to confront him. Even if he succeeds in beating the Strike, the pilot will face imprisonment, lost of rank, and dishonorable discharged from ZAFT. He will go down in infamy as a reckless honor fanatic.

"Madness, simply madness."

A chime on the communications panel brought the face of Sally onto the screen. "Mr. Yamato? We're receiving a direct comm-link from the ZAFT flagship. The command hierarchy has officially stated that the actions of the Duel's pilot are independent and by no way a representation of their will. They are…what the…they're sending in the Buster to support you."

Kira twitched. "Come again?"

Sally didn't blame him. The confusion on his face mirrored hers. "The Buster is going to back you up so that you can rescue the major and the princess. It should be en-route in a few minutes."

Soldiers aiding the enemy against their comrades? The Duel is doing nothing now that its pilot hasn't done before. He wants to kill Kira, but ZAFT is sending another of their pilots to help stop him? Kira shook his head. "Absolutely insane."

War does this, scaring those who a part of it. Pride, arrogance, it twists honor to become just another reason to harm others. There is no rhyme or reason but people spend years preparing for the day the Pale Rider collects that which is lost from the dead.

No one is speared; no one is so special or so privileged that they won't be thrown in. Even those that command the war from the safety of an office will eventually be brought in to add their names to her ever growing book of the Pale Rider.

The tragic part of this is that if those men that begun these battles truly knew the horror, they would never contribute to this sorrowful escalation.

The warning and proximity alarm within the cockpit wailed, and Kira snarled as he pulled the Strike in a full reverse, turning the beam rifle's cross-hairs on the charging Duel. A voice at the back of his mind told him not to fire, lest he hit the damaged shuttle and consign its passengers to a fiery death. Realizing that he had to take the battle farther away, Kira hit the afterburners of the Strike, propelling himself out of the region. And, as expected, the Duel followed.

With the shuttle out of the combat zone, there was nothing to stop Kira from fighting to the full extent of his abilities. He snapped the beam rifle back down and started firing. The Duel weaved up and around the shots, closing the distance, its twin sabers blazing with the promise of retribution. Kira leapt out of the way as the twin sabers cut the space the Strike had been a heartbeat earlier and soared out of distance before the Duel even turned.

Facing the Duel, a close-combat monster, in a melee fight was simply out of the question! The Strike whipped around, sending bolts of blazing light towards its charging adversary.

And here is when Kira realized that his opponent had clearly been prepared for the confrontation with him. The hands of the Duel started to spin at insane speeds, forming a pseudo-barrier that knocked aside the beam shots the Strike had sent its way. Again, the Duel covered the distance he had retreated in a heartbeat, and lashed out savagely. Kira was rocked by the blows, and he barely blocked the second blow by kicking aside the arm and raining Vulcan AC shells on the opposing Suit before after-burning out of range. The Duel was on his heels within seconds, and attempting to turn the Strike into scrap with well-placed, swift blows that would have cut any run-of-the-line Suit in a heartbeat.

Kira glimpsed the battered shuttle at the corner of his screen, its captain, a princess and the body of his dead friend trapped within. If he made a mistake, it would well become their tombs.

How ironic that, in the middle of a duel to the death, would Athrun's words came to him.

'You already have once, Kira…Don't let it happen again…please."

'It won't, Athrun. I promise…'

Kira whirled about, and charged straight in the face of the Duel, drawing its beam saber as it did so. The Duel's pilot instinctively reacted, braking and pulling one arm back to punch a beam saber through the Strike's cockpit. The blows lashed forward, and were knocked aside faster than Yzak had expected. His mind refused to believe it…it just wasn't possible!

Yzak's body moved out of its own volition, lashing out with strokes that would have left anyone begging for a chance to breathe, but the Strike countered each and every stroke. The analytical part of Yzak's mind told him that the Duel could move with such lightning speed because it was part of its design specifications. The Strike was, by the reports, an all-rounder. It lacked the sheer artillery power and heavy armor of the Buster unless it was equipped with its artillery pack; likewise, when it came to melee, it did not have an advantage that the Duel possessed.

The other part was simply telling him that the pilot of the Strike was not human. Could not be human. No one can move that fast! No human - Coordinator or Natural - could surpass the speed of the Suit's inbuilt computer!

A battering crash told Yzak that the Strike had planted a savage kick into the Duel's side. The momentum of the kick, however, soon had Yzak staring straight into the face of a descending beam saber. The alarm system within the cockpit wailed as the computer informed its pilot that its left arm had been severed. Before Yzak could even breathe, the Strike vaulted up and decapitated its opponent as it somersaulted in space and lashed out as it completed the attack, causing the Duel to be hurled forward. Yzak screamed a curse when he recovered. The bastard had disabled his Suit! Again!

No! He would not surrender! Giving up ground, even as a child, had never sat well with him. And now, facing this devil that hovered a less than 500 meters before him, who had crushed the pride and morale of the ZAFT starfleet, he was not about to back off. Better to die and regain lost honor than to roll over to this imperious EA dog! His shall be the last life lost to this honorless marauder!

"My fallen comrades…I will join you all in Heaven the moment I send this bastard to Hell!" Yzak swore as he launched the Duel forward in an all-or-nothing assault. There was one way to destroy the Strike. And he had one chance to do it: Hit the engines with the beam sabers. The explosion would destroy them both.

The Duel's sabers were raised high as the ancient samurai of old Japan facing the firearmed invaders from Europe. Honor in death, slavery in life: The words of the Kamikaze warriors who gave their lives to halt the invaders.

Yzak came closer with his charge.

The Strike raised its rifle in almost lazy contempt.

Closer…

The rifle blasted out several shots…

And the Duel was hurled backwards in a flurry of explosions, its pilot screaming, half in frustration, half in terror as the computer wailed. The Duel, like its Blitz counterpart, was a limbless wreck.

Yzak screamed, a sound of frustration that echoed from his soul. "No! Damn it! Not again! Three times! Three times now! Damn you!"

Yzak gripped the handlebar above and twisted it sharply, opening the cockpit manually, allowing the Strike and its pilot their first meeting with Yzak Joule, pilot of the now ruined Duel. The ZAFT pilot stared defiantly at the ominous form before him. "Finish it, damn you! I can't escape! I can't fight! Just finish this!"

Kira could not help but stare at the young man who demanded his death. There was no fear in his eyes even as Kira had the Strike pluck the other Coordinator from the Duel's cockpit. In the EA war machine's clenched fist, it would take but the slightest pressure of the butterfly controls to crush him. Kira considered doing it. He was looking upon the very reason why this war had erupted in the first place.

The proximity sensors soon blipped, informing Kira that another possible foe was moving in. An automatic image enhancement soon revealed the Buster escorting a shuttle.

But wait…why was the Blitz's head on the Buster?

Nevertheless, the posture of the Buster was non-threatening. All of its weapons remained holstered. It raised its hands, a quiet gesture that it was not here to start a fight. A comm-line opened, and Kira saw for the first time the pilot of the Buster.

"Attention, Strike. I am not a threat. I am asking you to hand over the Duel and its pilot. I repeat, I am not a threat. I am requesting that you hand over the Duel and its pilot. Please respond."

Kira looked down at the furious Yzak, who was shaking his fist at him, screaming curses. He closed his eyes, before opening an international channel to reply. "Duel Pilot, I am turning you over to your friend, but I will be taking the Duel back with me."

The face on Yzak's face was something akin to horror. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! YOU CAN'T SEND ME BACK IN DISGRACE! YOU CANNOT!"

"But I already have. You're no threat. Each time we have clashed, you lost. Even with the Duel at your disposal, even with your comrades by your side, you have yet to attain victory. Whether in a G-Weapon or a GINN, you are no threat. You can never beat me. Go home, soldier. For you, the war is over," Kira replied. For the first time, the look of utter and total desolation on Yzak's face scared him. It was the look of a man who had died inside - a mirror of the man who had killed his commander.

Kira allowed his dark bangs to cover his eyes. To kill the Duel's pilot like this was far more merciful than killing him on the battlefield. In time, the scars would heal if someone would lance them.

Just like Natarle lanced his.

XXXXXXX

Mwu grinned as he watched Kira humble the pilot of the mighty Duel and struck terror in the hearts of the ZAFT military all in one fell shot. He watched as the Buster took the unmoving figure of the Duel's pilot, who did not resist as he changed hands. The cockpit of the artillery-type Gundam opened as its pilot pulled his companion in before closing again. As it did so, the alarm went off in Mwu's head in a thunderous fashion. He knew what would happen now as did the siren princess of PLANT before she boarded the ZAFT shuttle with her fiancée body by the worried expression on her face.

Both knew what was happening: The Buster's pilot was receiving orders to retrieve the Duel. It was a powerful machine that the PLANTs wouldn't want returned to the Alliance.

"…c'mon, kid…don't be stupid…" Mwu prayed. The Buster was heavy-support, which meant that though its armor was formidable and its weapons capable of crushing a battleship, it lacked the speed of the Strike. And knowing Kira's reflexes, any hostile attempt on the part of the Duel would see to its doom. By the time the Buster would have its powerful ship-killing guns ready, the Strike would already have destroyed it before it could be locked on.

Mwu sighed in relief, and heard it echoed by Lacus, when the Buster turned about and soared back to the Vesalius. Its pilot would be confronted an angry command staff on his return but that would be nothing what the Duel's former pilot would face.

With Lacus safe in the hands of her people, Mwu turned his attention to Kira. Switching the channel to the Strike's frequency, he hoped to talk to the young man before they returned to the ship.

The hope he felt turned to ash as when the static cleared, it was not the voice of the Coordinator who had been the protector of the Archangel, but the cool voice of Vice-Minister Allster.

"On behalf of the Atlantic Alliance, I thank you, Major la Flaga, for safely delivering Lacus Clyne back to her people. If you care to wait there for a little while, a tow-ship will be sent out to retrieve you."

"Thank you, Minister," Mwu said, ensuring that the disgust in his voice was hidden beneath good cheer. "But it is imperative that I speak with the Strike's pilot."

"I'm afraid, Major, that I cannot allow that. It is imperative to the war effort that the Duel be brought back to the Archangel immediately. I hope you don't mind staying adrift for a little while. But don't worry. You are in the range of our ships' guns should the ZAFT fleet try to attack you out of spite."

'Bastard. If I try, you'll kill me, won't you?' Mwu thought silently. Damn it, since he was on the line, he might as well say it out.

"I'm used to making sacrifices where it can make a difference, Vice-Minister. But when you start asking people to surrender their freedom without telling them the full story, it's betrayal."

"Is it, Major?" the minister responded in a silky tone. "Does the end not justify the means? If the war ends sooner rather than later, why not?"

"Don't give me that noble leader bullshit, Allster! What you're doing to the boy is sick and wrong on many levels," Mwu snarled into the comm-link, watching the Strike depart with the Duel.

There was a brief pause over the line. The Vice-Minister looked at the terminal, wondering how to bring the Eagle of Endymion over to his side as he did Lieutenant Badgiruel. There was no question that he would be far more difficult to convince. He sighed quietly. "Are you aware, Mr. Flaga, that Kira Yamato has shot down more enemy Suits than anyone else in this entire war? He is already becoming a legend both on Earth and in PLANT. This is not an exaggeration, Mwu la Flaga. Kira is the best - and this is an assessment you can no doubt agree with. His skills alone surpass even ZAFT's Bloodhawk Elites."

Mwu was startled. The Vice-Minister's point was irrefutable.

"That still gives you no right…"Mwu added before the Vice-Minister cut him off.

"Does it? As a leader of Earth, I have a responsibility to do everything possible to bring an end to any war. That is a burden borne by leaders throughout human history. Sacrifices must be made to this end, Major la Flaga. Kira Yamato WILL bring an end to this war."

"You are asking him to pay a price that will break him, Allster," Mwu said icily. "Kira is not a soldier. This is a kid that does not even want to fight."

"Not from where I see it. There have been men like him before, Major. Kira Yamato will be willing to accept the sacrifice, believe me, in order to bring this war to an end. If his is the life that will be placed on the altar so that no more blood be spilt, then I believe he will agree to what I ask of him."

Mwu said nothing for a long time. His voice was quiet when he did. "So that's it, isn't it, Allster? You're using Natarle to bind him in a devil's bargain. You will have him believe that she loves him, so that he will consider signing on in order not to abandon her. When that is done, you will have Natarle break off the relationship, leaving nothing for the kid except being the Alliance's gun. What you're doing is evil, Allster. You are evil."

"I imagine they said the same thing about Cain and Shateiel back during the Dark Star Age, la Flaga. Kira can have a very comfortable life in the military. Not only will he be well paid, but he will be highly respected. As with companionship…I don't think that will be a problem for someone with his reputation."

"Kira is not like you, Allster. He is not Cain. Nor is he Shateiel. He is not a cold-blooded mercenary fighting for a reward, nor is he fighting for a lofty ideal. No, he is fighting for the one thing that matters - his friends. As long as they're safe, any reward that you proffer on him is incidental. But then again…I doubt you will understand that," Mwu said, killing the line before the Vice-Minister had any chance to reply. He turned to see the ZAFT shuttle blast off in the direction of the ZAFT fleet, and chuckled bitterly. He remembered his days when he had been in University, when he studied the days of the Dark Star Age.

He remembered how Shateiel of the Celestial Lions betrayed the Empress Sinvyl, his childhood friend, to her death, for the sake of two others. Aribeth de Tylmarande and Nathyrra Ibn Douta, the two childhood friends he had surrendered his honor and dignity for, had in turn, betrayed him at the coronation. His compatriots within the Celestial Lions had barged into the coronation hall, storm bolters blazing, to rescue their fallen lord. After treating his wounds, they interred him in cryo-stasis for 35 years, hoping that the newly crowned Empress of the Solar Deliberative and her Regent would eventually forget him. They did, but when he returned 3 decades later, the Solar Deliberative would face its most fearsome enemy - one that was driven to punish the very Empire he had sacrificed so much to set up. And during a time when the Deliberative was fighting to contain rebellions erupting in its vassal states, the return of the betrayed Chapter Master was a death knell.

Mwu la Flaga knew that, deep within, sooner or latter, the Alliance would discard Kira when they had no further use for him. He slammed his fist against the shuttle's wall. He would have to play along with Allster, if only for the time being.

XXXXXXX

Back in the Alliance ships, morale had hit the roof and left a hole in its passing. Another Gundam had been returned to them, without a single life lost in the process! Kira's legend had begun, and rumors abounded of his skills and abilities. Some said he was seven feet tall and a master of every form of the martial arts. Others spoke of him as a master strategist, always on the lookout for someone to test himself at chess. There were even a few rumors that he was a genetically engineered ultimate Coordinator created by a collection of rogue scientists, but that was pretty much dismissed as being too unbelievable.

On the bridge, Murrue smiled as she watched the Strike bring the Duel abroad. She opened a channel to the Engineering bay to inform Murdock to begin repairs immediately. She was surprised when Jonnie, one of Murdock's subordinates, answered.

"Jonnie, where is Chief Engineer Murdock?"

"Uh…some of the Minister's boys came around and took him to help scuttle the Bernard. They said he would be back in a day, though."

Murrue's eyes narrowed in fury. "Who gave them permission to simply walk off with my ship's chief engineer?"

Jonnie raised his hands. "It was the Vice-Minister, Captain Ramius."

Now she was confused. Why would the Vice-Minister make such an order without consulting her first? The captain is the master of the ship, not the passenger. And Vice-Minister Allster was certainly a passenger.

"Jonnie, I want you to get the Duel and the Strike repaired and overhauled along with the Aegis. Get it done ASAP."

"You got it, ma'am" and the screen blanked out.

Murrue turned to Sally. "Sally, page Lt. Badgiruel to come to the bridge. I need to ask her if Vice-Minister Allster told her about this transfer."

"Uh, ma'am? Vice-Minister Allster has relieved Lt. Badgiruel of all duties for the next few days, and that under no circumstances unless an enemy attack are we to disturb her."

"Wh-what the! Ge-Get Major la Flaga on the comm! I need to talk with my staff!"

"Eh-I'm sorry, Captain Ramius. But Vice-Minister Allster has ordered Major la Flaga to train with the Aegis. Under no circumstances, even for an enemy attack, are we to disturb him."

Her chief-mechanic was gone? Her second-in-command was on vacation? She can't see her chief-pilot?

Murrue sat in her captain's chair, wondering what was going on here.

XXXXXXX

What was going on was seduction.

Kira Yamato rushed down the hallways, kicking himself off every wall, sending him hurtling down every corridor.

He needed peace.

He needed fulfillment.

He needed her.

He slammed open the doors to his quarters. Natarle was there waiting for him, looking as lovely, as strong, as proudly, as he left her.

"Natarle…"

"He-Hello Kira, you did…a wonderful job back there. You saved Mwu and Lacus. You even brought back the Duel without shedding any blood." Natarle looked at the boy, nay man, with respect and honesty. "Athrun would be proud."

Kira rushed up and embraced her, kissing her, tasting this gentle woman's lips.

And Natarle? Natarle returned the kiss, loving how Kira felt, and forgetting all the pain he will go through when she abandons him…

XXXXXXX
TO BE CONTINUED…
XXXXXXX

Ah, another chapter done. It was actually a litter easier to write than chapter one. Hopefully the next will be even easier.

To continue with my essay on why G-Gundam is superior to Gundam SEED in every way, let us now discuss the main good guys of both series.

I have the complete G-Gundam DVD collection bought on sale by the Rightstuf, a great deal, so I have watched the entire series a dozen times. I have a keen grasp of all the characters and incites into their motivations and personalities. This makes me confident to state that all the SEED-Boys are just copycats of the G-Men. Let's compare them all one-by-one.

First let's start each series lead hero. Domon Kasshu and Kira Yamato. Now I'm not going to compare each character's badass-ness, but their personalities and growth. Both characters goals at the beginning of the series is to help someone they love. Domon has his dad and Kira has his friends. Both guys main enemy for the first half of the series is their brother. Domon has to fight Kyoji while Kira fights Athrun, a guy that pretty much is his brother. Both guys lose the Gundam they start out with for a bigger, more powerful model later. Domon loses Shining Gundam while Kira loses the Strike only to gain Burning (God) Gundam and Freedom respectfully.

Where they differ though is through character growth. Domon does a LOT of growing up in G-Gundam, shedding his arrogance, becoming stronger, and professing his love for Rain Mikamura. Kira though, doesn't. He doesn't grow up at all in the series. He's actually the only Gundam hero in history to not grow up. Amuro Ray changed from the rough and grouchy kid to a strong man, Seabook Arno changed from his innocent self to a mature man, Kou Uraki started out as a good nature soldier only to become bitter and obsessed with Gato. Heck, even Heero Yui, the most emotionally dead Gundam pilot ever, grew up some in the last episode of Wing where he smiled, got angry, and became very caring towards Relina. All Gundam heroes grow from who they started out as, except Kira. Kira started out as a guy who hated fighting and couldn't really think of a reason to continue. When Lacus handed him Freedom, I thought he went through growth with his desire to end the war, but in episode 50, Kira has a flashback to all the people asking him why he fights and that he's a traitor. So why does he fight? HE DOESN'T KNOW! HE DOESN'T MATURE AT ALL! So Domon comes out on top here.

Next is the main character's brother. Sai Saici against Athrun Zala. Both guys' goals are to make their father's dreams into reality. Sai wants to restore the Shoaling temple while Athrun wants to see his people live in a peaceful future. They both call the main hero their brother. They both have blown themselves up, one time against their "brother". Both have a conversation with their woman over why they must fight the girl's brother, Sai does this with Cecile about Hans while Athrun has one with Cagalli over Kira. Now here's the kicker: Sai came out about eight years before Athrun did. Dear God, Athrun's a…Sai Saici CLONE! And not even a good one at that! Sai had loads of personality quirks such as being a good cook, a tad perverted, and a good sense of humor. Athrun doesn't get any deeper. So Sai tops Athrun, giving us a score of G-2/SEED-0.

Now let's take a look at the most feminine Gundam pilot of each show: George De Sand and Nicol. Both are veeEEEeery feminine and can play the piano. That's it for Nicol. Now George's character goes much further. He's chivalrous like the knight he believes himself to be, but he's willing to turn traitor if it means fulfilling his honor. The man was all guts when he fought Chapman to learn the conspiracy over Sir Whitney's death and the assassination on Miss Marie Louis. Also this fem-guy can be MACHO! Remember the beating he took fighting Grand Gundam? Jesus, he's tough! George was even able to lift-ACTUALLY LIFT-that gigantic monstrosity so Chibodee can blow Chapman's head off! To use an analogy, George is to Nicol as the Raging White River Rapids are to a tiny creek. The score: 3 to nothing.

For the next discussion, let's bring in both series' resident gun-slinging wise-crackers: Chibodee Crocket and Dearka Amarfi. Hmmm, that basically described all their is about Dearka. The only notable thing he did in the entire show was defecting cause he fell in love with Mirallia, and the only reason he did that was because his toy sells were doing bad. Oy vey… Chibodee was sooOOOooo much more defined. Not only did he have a harem, but he was patriotic, brave, quite the crack-shot, and as smooth as Lex Luther's bald head. Chibodee's sharp shooting skills put anything Dearka had to shame. Was Dearka ever able to hit the Strike? I know the Gundam Maxter scored many hits on Shining Gundam. Jeez, talk about one sided… That's one of my biggest grips with the last twenty episodes of Gundam SEED. It took forever before someone would land a hit! Everyone would fire like a million shots but each one would keep missing! It was like watching the A-Team! Everyone kept missing! Were any of the Druggies ever able to SHOOT Kira or Athrun?! That crap makes SEED tame! So that's one more point for G and another missed one for SEED.

Now for the real warriors of the crew, Algo Gulskii and Yzak Duel. Now I know this is going to tick off you SEED haters, but I like Yzak. I think that out of ALL of the SEED G-pilots, Yzak's the only one that has a solid personality and never acts out of character. Sure he's violent, but he never acts it out on his friends unless they interfere with his fight, much how a Klingon would. And he's the only pilot that goes through character growth when he listens to Dearka and chooses friendship over fighting. Not only that, but Yzak was the only competent fighter in the last twenty episodes of SEED. Remember the Druggies? Even with the Freedom and Destiny, Kira and Athrun couldn't beat those one-dimensional baddies, but Yzak with his less-advance Duel was able to TAKE DOWN TWO OF THEM! Yzak was definitely the most efficient soldier in the last battle. He was able to take down 2 Gundams, stop several nukes from hitting Genesis, protect Strike Rouge, and keep Dearka from being killed. Jeez, he did more than every other guy there put together! Algo and Yzak have a lot in common. Algo also lives to fight and greatly appreciates his friends, but he does go out of his way to avoid killing civilians. Algo even grows in character a bit when he falls in love with Natasha.

My only grip with Yzak is his scar. I HATE those pencil-line scars! Why oh why couldn't he have gotten a massive burnt skin scar like the one Prince Zukko has in Avatar: The Last Air-Bender? NOW THAT'S A SCAR! I've decided to call this one a drawl. I award no points to either side since I found them both equally well done.

Okay let's bring in the mentor character to the show's main hero. I'm talking about Schwarz Broder and Mwu la Flaga. Both guys follow the hero around and tell him what's what. Schwarz was VERY strict with Domon. He beat Domon up in front of his woman, told him his skills suck, kept attacking him to force him to improve, stole his woman away to make Domon start appreciating her, and worst of all told Domon he was being a crybaby for not wanting TO KILL HIS OWN BROTHER! Christ! Saddam Hussein is more gentle than this guy! But despite all that, he truly cares for Domon and worries over him constantly, and because of his rough and even grueling training, Domon really improves. On SEED's side, there's Mwu…and he did NOTHING for Kira! Mwu was practically holding the kid's hand all throughout the show! How the hell was Kira suppose to toughen up when Mwu kept babying him?! In all the other Gundam series, there's always a guy that really treats the main hero real shitty to toughen him up. Amuro had Ryu Hosé and Bright Noah, remember how rough they were on Amuro? Ryu kept bitch-slapping him and Bright kept Amuro locked up even after he helped defend Whitebase from Ramba Ral because he deserted! Seabook had Col. Cosmos smacking him around and kicking him in the head to toughen him up! Kou Uraki had THREE assholes giving him nothing but problems, so he had to get better just to shut them up! Then there's Karen from 08 MS Team. Who here doesn't love that scene where she kick Sanders in the balls cause he's whining that he doesn't want to fight any more? She's my second favorite red-head to come out of Gundam cause she literally kicks a wussie's ass! And let's not forget the horrific childhood Heero Yui had to endure to become the stone-cold killing machine he is! Mwu kept Kira from being harmed and because of this, Kira couldn't mature. So that's another big ol' zero for SEED. The score is now 5 to 0.

Lastly there is the female pilot from the shows: Allenby Beardsley and Cagalli Yula Attha. Now Allenby has a solid character. She's tough, yet adorable and cheerful. And her origin is pretty straight forward: She was raised as a Gundam Fighter by her nation for as long as she could remember and eventually put through the Berserker Program. Now, I like Cagalli. I think she and Kira are a MUCH better match than Kira and Lacus, however she has a very unstable character foundation. When she first showed up, she was a spy, and a pretty good one. I really thought she was a male at first and I'm not saying that to be funny. But next she shifted character and became some sort of warrior princess. Then it seems like she's like Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII, a naive yet determined princess who's trying to fight the corrupt system. Yet she changes again and becomes an emotionally wreck sister (making her Kira's brother was a BIG mistake!) The director really should have picked a foundation with her and stuck with it. Personally I would have made her more like Princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladin. Now SHE was a warrior princess (and what a hottie)! But alas, this is not so and thus I give this round yet again to G-Gundam.

Finally tally:

G-Gundam: 6

Gundam SEED: 0

So in terms of Gundam heroes, G-Gundam tops SEED. That's two categories which G does much better than SEED.

Next time I'll discuss which series' badguys are better. So until then, read and review!