Past, Present, and Future

A/N: Disclaimer- I do not own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, or any properties that belong to Bandai/Sunrise.

Chapter 13: Catching Up

C.E. 75- March 22nd

Aprilus One- PLANT Capital Colony

General Kira Yamato, age twenty, sits behind a grand mahogany desk looking over paper work with the occasional signature and initials. He sighs, as he swivels his leather chair to look out over the expansive ZAFT base now at his command. Although he despised fighting, he itched for the days when his job was to sit at the helm of an eighteen-meter tall death machine and fly through the sky like an avenging angel. Granted he still did so, but only on rare occasions when the services of the other highly qualified pilots in the ECHO Unit were not enough to stifle fledgling conflicts. There was something to be said about the freedom of hurtling through space and seeing the stars and distant galaxies just slip away with all your worries.

Paperwork bored him. Kira understood the gravity of his position as the head of ZAFT. The only people he reported to was the PLANT Supreme Council and the Unified Nations regulatory body which provided funding for the ECHO Unit's efforts against other conflicts. It had never been his intention to end up in this line of work. Leaning back in his chair Kira reminisces about the about the events that led to his sitting in this office clad in a white, high collared uniform.

It was C.E. 70 when he was just an extraordinarily gifted student with a penchant for mechanical engineering before Heliopolis had been attacked. When the Ginns stole into the colony seeking the Earth Forces' G-Weapons, now known as Gundams, he had not a worry in the world. Then within hours he found himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends. Days later he was the primary line of defense for the Earth Forces' ship Archangel in its journey to rejoin the Atlantic Federation. He would rescue a coordinator princess, and fight the daunting Rau Le Creuset until he reached Earth.

He would nearly die at the hands of his best friend Athrun Zala only to awaken in the hands of the pink haired princess he had rescued months before. It would be this seemingly naïve, but strong willed girl that would gift him with her affections and the sword that would decisively give him the power to end the first Bloody Valentine War. Kira smiled at the thought of Lacus. She had nursed him back to health, and shown him that he was human, and that because he was born; he belonged to the world just as much as anyone else. She had healed his mental anguish.

After the first war, he went off the grid to continue his path to redemption. Kira would never forgive himself for the hurt he caused Lacus by disappearing like he did. He and his ragtag band of mercenaries had hunted the remnants of conflict in space, his cycle of endless fighting leading him back to his friends and family on ORB with the Wings of Freedom's final commission against the Blue Cosmos and his former friend Sai Argyle. For the teenage boy turned soldier, savior, and mercenary- it came as a surprise when he hung up the mantle of warrior and retired to the orphanage with Lacus and the good Reverend Malchio.

Kira should have known that trouble had been brewing in the shadows when the Gilbert Durandal presented the world with his "Lacus Clyne," or, as she was formerly known, Mia Campbell. In the end, when Cagalli and Athrun had headed off to the PLANTs for a meeting with the late Chairman, everything came to a head. Another Gundam jack had occurred and the Earth Federation and the PLANTs were suddenly again at each other's throats.

In a tragic battle, the remains of Junius Seven shattered and fell onto an unsuspecting Earth and the Second Bloody Valentine War was under way. They had resolved to stay out of it, they really had. Lacus had urged him that this was no longer his fight, but in his heart, he knew as well as she did that their duties lay with the world's fate and not in retreating into their own little world.

When ZAFT sent assassins to take her life, it was the last straw. With gentle coaxing and steely confidence born of eyes that had seen far too much bloodshed, the Freedom spread its wings once more and took to the battlefield- shredding metal, but never taking a life without necessity.

Intervention after intervention left Kira feeling more powerless than before, he had no way to truly end the conflict. His princess left his side to return to the stars to prepare for the eventualities that would lead to the battle that would end Durandal's deranged Destiny Plan. In the interim, he had somehow been bested by the arrogantly unstable Shinn Asuka, resulting in the shattering of his sword and his body. He still bore the scars from the shrapnel that struck him when the Impulse's anti-ship sword impaled the Freedom.

He still felt the anguish of lying in the Archangel's sickbay as he thought of how he had failed Lacus and everyone who depended on his skills to intervene in the Federation and ZAFT's conflict. He remembered when the message had come that the Eternal had launch and was being pursued by a small fleet of ZAFT destroyers. There was no way they would survive with one capable pilot. Worry had ripped through his body and had propelled him into his original mobile suit- The Strike. Hurtling into space, he had prayed to all the gods he didn't believe in to grant him the speed and fortitude to save Lacus.

It had been Lacus that save him again, presenting him with a sword worthy of ending the bloodshed once again. The Strike Freedom tore through the sky with a vengeance unmatched by any other mobile suit. He and Athrun had joined forces once again, taking to space and defeating Durandal and his insanity. It had been a year since that battle and it found him behind his desk gazing longingly at the silver frame that sat on his desk.

Cagalli had taken it when he and Lacus weren't looking, but it by far had become their favorite picture. During the brief respite from their duties and the fighting they had returned to the orphanage on Onogoro Island's shores and had sat together looking out to the sun setting on the horizon when the flash of the camera had startled them out of the comfortable silence.

Things have gotten considerably more hectic since then. Kira had followed Lacus back to her homeland where she had been elected Chairwoman of the PLANTs and he the commander-in-chief of their armed forces, an honor he had not expected. Upon arrival they had been separated, Lacus inundated in pomp and circumstance and the circumstances of a new leader. Kira had been immediately thrown into the task of reorganizing ZAFT's chaotic military might. It was not until three weeks later that they finally saw each other when he was saluting her at her inauguration. Breaking all protocol she left the head of the procession and proceeded to pull him into a tight embrace and a passionate kiss in front of the entire nation. After that Lacus had put her foot down and his residence had been transferred from the base on Aprilus One to her mansion. Not that he was complaining or anything, because that meant at the end of the day he went home to his beautiful pink princess and a much more comfortable night's sleep.

It was four months ago that he had been authorized by the Unified Nations Security Board to physically go on a mission to LaGrange point seven where there had been reports of an uprising. The Eternal and the Archangel had been deployed with the newly commissioned Eternal Freedom and Enlightened Justice to dispatch the leaders of this conflict. Without the rest of their comrades needing to lift a finger, Kira and Athrun charged into the fray and showed the prowess of the Bloody Valentines Aces. Their victory had been hindered by the fact that at one point a miscommunication had occurred relaying back to Aprilus One that the signal on the Freedom had been lost.

Lacus being the ever-conscientious girlfriend, had ordered that any news about Kira's mission be delivered directly to her, and when she had received the news from a fresh-out-of-the-academy stuttering ZAFT CIC officer, she almost took his head off with the plaque she threw at him. If Councilwoman Eileen Canaver was to be believed Lacus immediately collapsed in sobs after that resulting in the cancellation of that day's agenda. Ezaria Joule then immediately contacted Yzak who was conducting drills that day with the crew of the Voltaire. Understanding the urgency of the situation, the commander established communications with the Eternal seconds after hanging up with his mother. To his extreme relief, the communications officer that answered the call refrained from greeting him for a moment to listen to the mission complete announcement being made by Kira from the bridge.

Yzak ordered the young girl to put General Yamato on the line with him before berating his superior officer and somewhat friend that his girlfriend was an absolute mess, which also put the executive branch at risk. In a rare fit of anger, Kira yelled out for the unfortunate soul that had sent the previous relay message back to Aprilus One. The same officer that Yzak had just spoken to reappeared on screen, and suddenly Yzak felt pretty bad about what he had done. Then again, Yzak realized that he probably would have reacted the same way if

In a characteristically Kira act, he released his anger and sternly told the girl to be more careful at her job. Kira then contacted the mansion directly from the Captain's quarters aboard the Eternal. He proceeded to tell Karissa, who had elected to stay on as Lacus' assistant, to tell Lacus to pick up the vidphone in their room. Five agonizing minutes later, Lacus' tear streaked, red-eyed, face appeared on screen and upon seeing his face, hers brightened considerably. The crying and sobbing was reduced to sniffles and she smiled brightly at Kira.

It took two days for the Eternal and Archangel to return from LaGrange point seven. Kira nervously fidgeted in the colony shaft elevator on his way down from the spaceport. Athrun sat next to him and told him to calm down while chatting easily with Meyrin Hawke who had become a permanent CIC officer on the Eternal. No one on the elevator expected the welcoming party that greeted them at the landing. Lacus and the senior members of the Supreme Council along with Dearka and Yzak were there to welcome them home. Upon sighting Kira, Lacus dashed forward, her dark kimono style dress with purple bordering fluttering with her dash. Wrapped in each other's arms, the two managed to completely ignore the catcalls and the bemused expressions of their friends.

A ring of the phone shakes Kira out of his reminiscences. Torii awakes from his perch above the bookcase in the office leading him to fly around the circular room before landing on Kira's shoulder. Lacus' face appears on the screen backed by the fading sunlight filtering through the solarium at the mansion.

"Hello darling, how was your day?" asks Kira as Lacus takes a sip of her tea.

Smiling at him she replies, "Quite nice actually. I got to have lunch with your sister and Athrun. She asked where you were, but I told her you were busy with the reorganization."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there. There's just so much to do here. I mean, I don't know how the Sixth airborne has gone so long without regular upkeep supplies. I don't know who let this lapse, but somehow everyone's problems seem to be my problems."

"I know it's difficult Kira. My day isn't really over either see?" says Lacus as she waves a small pile of paperwork in front of the screen. "I didn't want to be stuck in the office any more. There wasn't anything I could do there that I can't do here, so I had Karissa bring the paperwork back to the mansion for me."

"That's good. You need to relax. You've been working too many days recently."

"I could say the same for you, dear Kira. When are you coming home tonight?"

Scribbling something down onto paper, Kira looks up and says, "Right now. Just finished for the day. I'll see you soon Ms. Clyne."

"I'm looking forward to it Mr. Yamato," giggles Lacus, and with that the call is disconnected.

Kira stands and collects his phone and sidearm, he hated carrying one, and proceeds to switch off the desk lamp in the office. A quick verbal command locks and shuts down the computer. Walking out of his office, he is surprised to see that Elise, his assistant, is still sitting at her desk arranging his extensive schedule for the next two weeks.

"You're still here Elise?" asks Kira, "I thought I told you to go home hours ago."

Elise regards him contemplatively before pushing her square rimmed glasses onto the top of her brunette haired head. At twenty-three, she was older than the prodigal general, but old enough that she could push him to do his work on his rare lethargic days.

"Well, General…" begins Elise before Kira holds up his hand to stop her.

"I told you, Sergeant Valkyrie, that despite its unprofessional nature, you can call me Kira," chides Kira gently. "As my assistant, you're going to have to put up with my mess of a schedule. The least I can do is cut the overt formalities."

"Uh, well then, General Kira, your schedule is quite the challenge, and I was just trying to arrange everything as per your request so that you could go home at a decent hour," stutters Elise before continuing, blushing slightly at Kira's sigh. "It just didn't feel right going home knowing that you were poring over reports that I told you that you had to do."

"Well, as your superior officer I am now ordering you to return to your quarters and get some rest. We have a long week ahead of us, but since you're here, can you call for my car?"

"Of course sir. Right away. See you tomorrow, General."

"Good night Elise. I expect that you'll leave in no more than fifteen minutes. I can't have you burned out for when I actually need you here late," says Kira as he proceeds outside to wait for his car.

Staring up at the night sky Kira ponders the illusion of stars in the sky. He knows that at the opposite end of the hourglass shaped colony the sky was in the same place: the middle of the colony. The quietness of the night broken only by the occasional hum of a vehicle brings a smile to Kira's face. Perhaps the universe was indeed ready for an era of peace.

A/N: So, there you have it. The first real chapter in years. Hope you guys enjoy because the fortitude to get this one out didn't really come that easy. I'm going to be busy for a few weeks now, but I'll keep typing if you guys keep reviewing. I need the feedback in order to cater the design to you guys as much as I create it for myself. With that said, read, enjoy, review.

Best,

GATX-105b