CE 74
Sarik stared almost trance-like out of the beach-side office's window, down where Stella was sitting on the sandy shores, from where she stared out at the seemingly infinite waters of the ocean. Of course, Amelia was nearby, keeping an eye on the girl, for which Sarik was thankful. During the past few days, she seemed to have been making an honest effort to accept the new addition to her ring of associates.
After the initial effects of Stella's incident were dealt with, the three of them had only spent a couple days more on the carrier, as it proved evident to Sarik that organizing anymore large-scale training runs would be insanely difficult due to the complete lack of organization that currently plagued the defense force, which he strongly felt was a result of his own neglect. But he would be there to fix it himself, this time. Recent events had caused Sarik to put most of his time into improving SSI's military strength. That was his primary reason for returning.
No, that wasn't completely right. True, he had spent the past forty hours straight working with the various officers here on the island, but trying to fix something that had been broken for a while wasn't the entire reason behind his desire to return. Sarik's ultimate motivation was the news of a new, massive operation being organized by the ZAFT military, one which he felt he couldn't afford to miss. He had a feeling that this was going to effect everything to come, as probably did the rest of the informed in this dark world.
Sarik had first heard of ZAFT's massing at Gibraltar when he was presented with the report containing the details of the Freedom's destruction several days ago. He didn't think much of it at the time, since he really couldn't fathom any sort of large campaign that they could carry out. He had simply assumed that it was the result of a large number of transfers that would soon be dispersed throughout the world, since such massive redeployments occurred regularly.
But now that the surviving leaders of Logos had gathered themselves in Iceland, a result of a number of ZAFT sympathizers committing acts of mob violence against them, Sarik's entire outlook on the direction of the war had become somewhat pessimistic.
From a strategist's point of view, the move to Heaven's Base was stupid. True, the fortress had dozens of naval craft, hundreds of mobile weapons, and just as many heavy weapons emplacements at its disposal, but the fact that such a massive battle force, the last of its size that the Earth Alliance could muster on terrestrial soil, was entrenched in the same location made the entire army an easy target for complete annihilation or capture, along with the Logos members that it harbored. The only good thing Sarik could find in this entire affair was that William was most likely among them, if his personal sources had any validity.
But even considering that, Sarik he did not wish ill for the Earth Alliance forces still under Logos's influence. Right now, ZAFT's concentration on them was completely diverting their attention from a number of their smaller items of interest. After Heaven's Base fell, there would be no other possible objectives that might prevent them from coming after him or any of the number of the minor Logos "members" on which ZAFT had declared war several days earlier. And after the minor powers were out of the way, the force of Coordinators would progressively engage the next most powerful threats until there was no one left who could oppose them and their goals.
"President," Sarik heard a confident voice greet from behind him.
Bracing himself against the window frame, the young Extended turned his head to find a somewhat bulky man before him, a man by the name of Arturo Shekrov. He was currently SSI's intelligence director, a most resourceful individual from the frozen north of Eurasia. So resourceful, in fact, that he had been the one who recruited their informant aboard the Minerva, whose intelligence had proved most useful up to this point.
"Director," Sarik courtesied. "You have everything?"
"Yes, sir," Arturo reported enthusiastically.
"Do we know what kind of force deployment we're dealing with here?" Sarik inquired as he turned back towards the window, staring back off at the beach, his gaze more than once passing over Stella, if not to his annoyance.
"This was as of three months ago, but a flight of three Windams, a flight of eight Dagger-Ls, a platoon of Linear Artillery, a platoon and Linear Tanks, and a new mobile weapon known simply as a 'Wild Dagger'," the director relayed. "We should expect the facility's defenses to have doubled by now."
"Wild Dagger?" Sarik questioned, ignoring the last comment.
"It's a new Earth Alliance mass-production variant," Arturo informed Sarik as he began rummaging through the papers that he had on hand, finally pulling one from his stack and holding it out in front of him in order to read it. "Based off of the ZGMF-X88S Gaia."
Sarik frowned upon hearing this. So they would be going up against that accursed weapon? The Gaia was one of ZAFT's next-generation mobile suit prototypes stolen by the Earth Alliance during its raid at Armory one. Its pilot had managed to wrack up a considerable number of kills during its operational period, including a couple of ZAFT's best aces. It was only as of recent that Sarik had learned that pilot just happened to be Stella, who had the machine assigned to her shortly after the break-in at the PLANTs. Sarik still didn't know the full extent of her involvement in that incident, and frankly, he didn't want to.
But then, this could work to his advantage. If she was once its pilot, then perhaps she would have a greater understanding of its weaknesses...
Sarik snapped out of his careless thoughts almost instantly. What was wrong with him? It was terrible of him to even SPECULATE on such a thing. He was not going to expose her to war again, and at all costs. She didn't deserve any of this. Only those ready and willing to die should be involved in war. And he believed Stella to be neither, having had this forced on her by Logos from the beginning.
"Can we assume with confidence that this 'Wild Dagger' won't be piloted by a Natural?" Sarik asked.
"A fair amount," Arturo replied. "The Wild Dagger is unlike any other mass-production model that I've observed. It's safe to say that they're not designed for your everyday pilot."
"And since it's defending an Extended facility, they certainly wouldn't leave it in the hands of just any pilot," the young man speculated. "Even theirs."
"Poorly?" Shekrov asked. "Do you know what kind of firepower that defense force amounts to without factoring in the pilots' skill levels? We certainly won't be able to spare enough of our forces to match them one-on-one."
"We don't need to," Sarik stated. "We have a notable number of custom mobile suits piloted by individuals more than capable of handling such a situation."
"Without casualties?" the intelligence director questioned skeptically, his eyebrows raised.
"Certainly," Sarik responded confidently. "My Astray and Amelia's GuIAZ would be more than sufficient. Just to be safe, we'll bring along a compliment of Daggers and GINNs. If it would make you feel better, I'll even bring along one of the Buster Daggers."
"You do realize what the consequences are if we get caught, right?" Arturo asked rhetorically, shaking his head at the young man.
"Yes," Sarik assured him. "And I also know what they will be if we don't do this."
"It would be better to have to deal with them in the future than to risk ruining yourself in the present," the director stated.
"And how many of them do you truly believe that we'll be able to save if we wait until then?" Sarik inquired. "They'll be pitted against us in mobile suits, or whatever new weapons that have been invented by then. We have to get them now, while they can cause the least amount of damage and can still be changed."
Arturo sighed, then took a seat at the table in the center of the room. Sarik followed suit, staring the man straight in the eye.
"What are your expectations of all this?" Sarik questioned.
"This?" Arturo inquired.
"The world in general," Sarik specified. "The war."
"Well, its obvious that ZAFT is planning to finish off Logos," the man stated. "And the fact that they have managed to rally a significant portion of the Earth Alliance forces AGAINST them is somewhat troubling. The two together will be formidable if the alliance somehow persists after today."
"Like if they decided to turn their sights on Orb," Sarik speculated.
"Especially if they turn their sights on Orb," the intelligence officer agreed. "If this nation goes down, so goes the last nation willing and able to oppose any of the world's major governments openly."
"Whatever their motives may be," Sarik observed.
"Well, we certainly couldn't expect much leniency towards your Extendeds," Arturo speculated. "At best, they'd become objects of research, their rights as human beings gone. You know how desperate ZAFT has been to get their hands on a live and intact specimen."
"They would be treated the same, anyway, if their existence weren't kept secret," Sarik stated. "I fear even by the county on whose soil we dwell."
"True," Arturo agreed.
Sarik stared back off towards the window. Today, it seemed that he just wasn't capable of keep his thoughts in order. Most often, they seemed to be wandering towards Stella. It seemed impossible keep her out of his head for long, despite his many, MANY long and strained attempts.
"So what are we going to do with your friend?" Arturo asked out of the blue.
"Stella?" Sarik inquired.
"Yes," the man clarified.
"I really don't know," Sarik admitted. "I had planned on keeping her out of everything for the time being."
"Really?" Arturo said. "That's a shame. I was extremely impressed by her talent as a mobile suit pilot."
Sarik glared off at the wall, still wondering whether or not it was a smart move for him to allow her to fly one of their mobile suits, considering the potential risks involved. The graceful piloting skills that he had observed while Stella was piloting the Windslider had bolstered his curiosity into her overall abilities as a pilot, so he'd had his M1A hauled out to the Somestraba during their stay. Sarik had then escorted her in the Windslider while she showed off the entirety of her skills in the mobile suit, the young man occasionally playing the role of her prey for good measure. And just as Arturo had put it, her skills were impressive, if not outstanding. While he had yet to test it by sparring with her in another mobile suit, Sarik theorized that Stella's combat experience allowed her abilities to even surpass his own in the cockpit of the massive mechs, though that in itself was not even remotely surprising.
Sarik almost chuckled at himself. At one point, he had even been tempted to call Amelia out in her GuIAZ, but he had quickly dismissed the notion, figuring that would be pushing it a little too far. The fact that Amelia had recently rescued Sarik from a most horrendous fate had caused him to cut her a lot of slack, even more so because she was getting along with Stella now.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Sarik asked.
"Take her with you on the raid," the director answered.
"Out of the question," Sarik responded almost instantly.
"I wouldn't be like that," Shekrov told him. "She could be a powerful ally, if you let her be."
"So you think I should take advantage of her, just like THEY did?" Sarik inquired angrily.
"No," Arturo said bluntly. "Sit her down, explain everything in detail, and ask her to make an honest, informed decision."
"I don't think she has much of a capacity to say no," Sarik informed the man.
"And I think you underestimate her," Arturo speculated.
"Regardless, she's staying out of this," Sarik stated adamantly.
Arturo sighed.
"Well, you have till tonight to decide," he informed Sarik. "You do still plan on leaving out this evening, yes?"
"Yes," Sarik answered irritibly. "Now what's this business about the Board?"
"Well, as usual, they're trying to undermine you," Arturo informed him. "And, as usual, Carren's the leader."
"Carren..." Sarik sighed. "I see that he needs to be reminded who runs this corporation for the millionth time."
"I would suggest you go to Miss Amelia about that," Arturo suggested. "She has something that might help."
"Like what?" Sarik inquired.
"You have to discuss that with her," the intelligence director said. "It's not my place."
Sarik glared at the man irritably for a moment, then glanced off in another direction.
"You're married, right?" Sarik asked hesitantly.
"Uh, yes," Arturo replied cautiously. "Why?"
"May I ask your on something?" Sarik inquired. "Perhaps of a somewhat private nature?"
"Perhaps, assuming it's not too personal," Shekrov answered. "Most of us like to keep our personal and professional lives separate, as you already know."
"Of course," Sarik complied. "I just wanted an outsiders perspective on relationships. In general."
"I'll be happy to help, if I can," Arturo assured him.
Sarik stared off at the wall for a moment.
"How old is your wife?" Sarik questioned.
"We're the same age," he informed Sarik.
"I see," Sarik said under his breath. "Would you still love her as you do if she were younger?"
"Of course," Arturo answered enthusiastically.
"How much younger?" Sarik prodded.
"What do you mean?" the director inquired curiously.
"Say, a younger adolescent, in age," Sarik suggested. "Isn't there some point that you would draw a line and not cross it?"
Arturo leaned back in his seat, rubbing his chin with his left hand. Apparently, it wasn't something that the man often thought on.
"Well, it depends," Arturo said. "Love really isn't one of those set things. Some forms of love come and go with time, while other, less conditional kinds can last the span of a life."
"Let's say unconditional, then," Sarik suggested.
"Well, I see no problem in it," Arturo said. "If someone truly loves another with their mind and heart, I would encourage they improve upon whatever relationships that they have with that said person, and to the most that is possible at the time. I think the test of whether or not a love is lasting is how much respect is shown by the amount of restraint that is exercised by those involved, since there may or may not be underlying motives to one's attraction. You are asking about that kind, correct?"
"Yes," Sarik answered.
"Well then, yes, this is why a difference in age wouldn't matter to me," the Eurasian man continued. "My love could be ten years of age, and it still wouldn't matter. But I find such a connection would be highly unlikely. It was merely an example."
Sarik continued to stare off in the distance, this time in conscious, deliberate thought. He'd never seen it that light. He might have been going about this the wrong way the entire time, society's perceptions and seemingly low expectations clouding his own.
"Thank you," Sarik courtesied, making eye contact with the Eurasian born man. "Your words have been most...enlightening. I appreciate them."
"Of course," Shekrov returned.
"I think I'll be taking most of the day off," Sarik informed him. "Would you send someone for me if it looks like anything might happen?"
"Yes," Arturo complied.
* * *
Sarik slowly closed his eyes as the cool, moist air rushed over his body from the portal that stood open before him. While he didn't particularly favor the smell of the ocean, the young man didn't mind the breezes that swept over it, so long as it was a warm day. While in general, the Extended hated the extremes of temperature, the cold most so, he derived some sort of minor pleasure from being relieved from the heat by a gust of cool air. One of many experiences that he couldn't put into words very well.
As he exited the beach-side facility, one of many that made up HQ, Sarik cringed his nose slightly as the scent of the ocean grew stronger. While it wasn't unbearable, he had never found it particularly agreeable with his tastes. He'd just have to get used to it. He usually stopped noticing the odor after a few minutes.
"Obsessed with your looks, as usual," Sarik remarked at Amelia as he passed her, who was currently sprawled with her eyes closed on a blanket in nothing but a two-piece bathing suit. While he wouldn't didn't consider this particular garment's design too awfully immodest, at least when compared to the potential extremes, Sarik just couldn't feel completely comfortable seeing her in it. But, every one to their own. He could almost be considered a professor in that philosophy.
"What else would you suggest I work on?" the girl questioned, never once giving Sarik the courtesy of eye-contact. "Babysitting on an isolated beach doesn't have many perks."
"You could be reading up on the Mod 0, and figuring out ways to improve the efficiency of its systems between now and tonight," Sarik suggested as he sat on the sand a meter away from his friend, staring off at Stella. The girl seemed to be content, walking ten meters or so away as she stared off at the ocean. He did notice that she seemed to be giving the water a short berth, moving further inland if the water rose any higher than her bare feet.
As he looked her over, Sarik found himself somewhat impressed by the change in Stella's choice of attire. The dress she wore today was a flowing mixture of blue and green in color, with light, semi-transparent sleeves that fell spaciously around her arms. Now if he could only get her to wear something that had absolutely no blue in it...
"You have no life," Amelia stated as she rolled onto her stomach, almost causing Sarik to let out a sigh. At least part of that problem was taken care of. "When do you think you'll have one?"
"Oh, I don't know," he remarked. "Maybe a century or two?"
Sarik didn't know what he had done, but somehow, he managed to get Amelia to grace him with a glance.
"So, what are you reading?" she inquired. For some reason, Sarik had forgotten that he was carrying anything.
"'Military Strategies and Tactics of the 21st Century'," he replied, flashing the cover at Amelia, which consisted of an exaggerated illustration of the front end of a pre-Cosmic Era tank, which was firing its cannon as a fighter jet screamed by in the background. "Used it in a paper I did during college."
"You really do need to get a life," she remarked, making no attempt to mask the disdain in her tone as she placed the top side of her right hand underneath her cheek.
"Probably not in this lifetime," Sarik conceded as he glanced off at Stella once more before flipping the book's cover open.
"And that's your problem," Amelia stated. "One of many."
"Well, thankfully, we're all entitled to our own opinions," Sarik retorted. "I'll remember to log that away next chance I get."
"And then you simply brush off anything anyone tells you when they're trying to help," the young woman continued as she began to push herself up, shaking her head in a slight fashion that had always annoyed him to death.
"Why don't you take a look at yourself one of these days?" Sarik almost snapped. "I'm willing to be that if you did so in complete honesty, you'd find a fair amount of hypocrisy."
"You're one to talk," Amelia replied as she came to a sitting position.
"Why don't we talk about a particular man named Carren, rather than about each other?" Sarik suggested.
Amelia seemed to freeze for a few seconds, not so much as breathing during that period.
"What's there to talk about?" the girl inquired.
"I don't know, but I hear that you know something about him that might be advantageous for use in future politics," Sarik told her.
Amelia averted her gaze from Sarik, leaning back on the support of her hands as she stared off at the horizon.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it," Amelia informed him. "And not for any petty reason."
Sarik glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, lowering his book when he realized how serious she was, one of her hands having begun to tremble. Whatever thoughts or memories that were going through her head were disturbing or scaring her greatly.
"Then let's speak hypothetical," Sarik suggested. "No need to get too detailed."
Amelia continued to stare out at the ocean, her eyes tensing and relaxing every few seconds. Sarik took the moment of silence to glance out in the same direction, where Stella was playing. The waves on this side of the island generally grew stronger and more erratic at this time of day, often causing the water level to rise alarmingly fast. Not to mention that the sandy beaches only went out a few meters under the water. Further along were small shelves of coral, which could prove deadly if one got a limb caught among them.
"Promise me that he'll be taken care of," Amelia said. "If I tell you this, you have to get rid of Carren, before you or I make any rash decisions."
"I'll do my best," Sarik assured. "But I doubt it's that serious."
Amelia sighed.
"You realize that the man has a vice, and how bad it is, right?" Amelia questioned rhetorically.
"Yes, but I doubt that could be used against him," Sarik observed cockily. "He cares more about his career than anyone in his family that I know of. He would sell his wife or mother just to get a single promotion."
"And you know how long he's been doing it?" Amelia inquired.
"He probably started sometime in his thirties, if I know the man well enough," Sarik stated. "The passion between him and his wife was probably dying down as his career began to take precedence, so he found another source of appeasement."
"Well, a few years ago, he began looking at a younger crowd," Amelia almost mumbled.
Though one couldn't tell, Sarik's body had grown completely rigid. Even if a tsunami were to smash into the beach at that exact moment, he wouldn't have been able to do so much as blink. Though Sarik had never respected the man, Carren did have some limited use. But the Extended had a feeling that this was leading somewhere very sensitive for him. Something that might just cause him to start killing people in cold blood again.
"How young?" Sarik inquired a few moments later, his gaze instinctively jumping to Stella, making sure that she was safe.
"For a while, he kept it legal," Amelia informed as she pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "He started around nineteen or twenty, then eighteen, then seventeen..."
"Do you have any sort of proof?" Sarik inquired; not accusingly, but in an angry, concerned way.
"I grew suspicious when one of the girls looked to be about sixteen," Amelia confessed. "I managed to record stuff later on."
"And how old was the youngest?" Sarik inquired.
"She was fourteen," Amelia admitted.
"And she was the one who confirmed your suspicions," Sarik continued, malice forming an edge on his voice. "The one who came to you and told you what happened, confused about why it happened, and distressed that she had allowed it to happen. And she was one of us, a newer arrival at the time."
"Yes," Amelia replied dryly.
"Why on EARTH didn't you tell me about this sooner?!" Sarik growled, a sneer forming on his face.
"Because you would have done something that you would regret later," Amelia told him. "And I promised her that I wouldn't tell you."
"And because you needed to use it for blackmail," Sarik speculated. "YOU are the reason that Carren did what he did after my parents died."
"And would you be here today if he hadn't?" Amelia asked forcefully.
"Probably not," Sarik retorted just as forcefully.
"Then let's leave it at that," she suggested.
Sarik sighed, allowing himself to calm. She was right. It wouldn't do well to act rashly, especially when those actions involved the unofficial leader of the Board.
"But he never ended his habits," Sarik observed. "Which means you must have quite a collection by now."
Amelia stared at Sarik with a wide-eyed expression, like he had just gone way too far.
"That's disgusting, especially coming from you," she replied.
"I'm sorry," Sarik apologized. "I'll attempt to be less liberal in the future."
Several minutes later, when it was apparent that the conversation was at an end, Sarik returned to his reading, constantly glancing up at Stella to ensure that she was safe. It seemed that the ocean continued to amuse her to no small end, as she was practically dancing in it, moving up and down the sandy shores with the waves.
Moments later, Sarik realized that he just couldn't concentrate on his book any longer. The concepts and ideas that it relayed had gone from exhilarating to shallow in a period of minutes, Sarik's unceasing thoughts easily and effectively destroying the moment. He soon found himself watching Stella intently, unwilling and unable to do anything else.
How was it that she, an Extended like him, could find so much joy in something so mundane? All the ocean consisted of was water and salt, along with trace amounts of other minerals. All that those waves consisted of were a combination of wind, currents, and tidal forces that somehow pooled enough energy to move the ocean. And all that those consisted of were...
But Sarik's thoughts practically ceased for the one time in his life as Stella spun about, her face full of pure bliss and happiness. For some reason, that alone made made her the most beautiful creature on Earth to the young man, a physical embodiment of those emotions. Because of this, her beauty was insurmountable to him.
However, everything came pouring down on Sarik at once as Stella made eye contact with him, her smile faltering for a moment before growing even larger. Sarik instantly and deliberately averted his gaze away from both her and Amelia.
But, realizing that only made him look like a fool, Sarik attempted to return to his reading. It wasn't like that. It couldn't be like that. Children were always happy to get attention. That was all.
However, Sarik instantly glared at Amelia when a small chuckle left her throat. As he turned his attention to her, he realized that the girl was grinning from ear to ear.
"What?" Sarik snapped.
"You know I'm never going to let this go, right?" Amelia remarked.
"Now you listen here, and you listen well..." Sarik started.
However, he cut himself off as he snapped his head back in the direction of the beach as he heard the crashing of water, the remnants of a large wave sweeping several meters up the shore. Stella was still visible, attempting to stay on the surface as any good swimmer would. Sarik instinctively jumped to his feet, ready to bolt to her aid, but stopped himself and remained as the water receded. Stella should have been able to gain her bearings and get to safety from where she was, as she should have been able to stand in the water there.
But for some reason, she began thrashing, and as a result of her panic, was swept out a few meters into much deeper water.
"Stella!" Sarik yelled as he bolted over the sand, making it to the water's edge in a matter of seconds. "Stella, calm down!"
Sarik waded out into the ocean, throwing up liters of water as he forced his legs through the encumbering fluid. He soon found himself stepping on hard, prickly coral, though the feeling only lasted a second as he lost his footing to the deep. But he was only about a meter away from Stella, and managed to quickly get his arms around her sides.
"Stella!" Sarik yelled when the girl's thrashing continued, threatening to force him under. For all intents and purposes, this was the stupidest thing he could have done, coming out here with nothing but his own strength to aid him. But, what other option did he have that didn't involve a drowning?
"Hey, watch it!" Sarik blurted as Stella's left elbow nearly smashed into his face. However, he was so intent on that side of her body that as Stella's other arm lashed back, the brunt of her elbow caght the man along the bridge between his nose and his right eye.
As his head plunged under the water, Sarik came to a compromise. Since trying to stay on the surface wasn't working out at all, he would just improvise. And with that very intent, Sarik kicked his legs, pulling him and his struggling ward through the salty water.
A moment later, Sarik grazed one of his feet along the submerged beach's bottom, satisfied when he felt nothing but the cold, grainy texture of sand. With all due haste, he stood erect, pulling Stella with him. As her head broke the surface, the girl let out a forceful series of coughs, followed by a single, powerful gasp.
"Sorry," Sarik apologized, but soon realized that Stella wasn't listening as she immediately began to collapse into him. Sarik sighed internally as he wrapped his left arm around her legs and lifted her into a cradle, all the while wading back towards the beach.
As they neared the water's edge, Stella averted from her distant, embarrassed composure, and looked up at Sarik, spotting where she had struck him. In apparent concern, she reached up and brushed the area with her fingers.
Sarik, ignoring the slight stinging that resulted, was confused, more on what to do than what was happening. Conceding, he made eye contact with Stella and smiled for a second, which caused Stella's expression to change from solemn to a slight grin. Sarik's own expression became more sheepish than sincere when Stella wrapped her arm around his neck.
Just calm down, he told himself as his smile slowly faded away. She's just supporting herself.
"I assume this means we're going back inside?" Amelia questioned as she approached the two, her folded blanket under one arm and Sarik's book in the opposite hand.
"Unless you can think of some other ways to get someone killed out here, then yes," Sarik told her.
"Don't you have the day off?" Amelia asked rhetorically. "Why don't you teach her to swim? It seems unfitting for a soldier to not know how to swim."
"I think that's enough," Sarik remarked sternly as he helped Stella onto her feet.
But as he set her down, Sarik realized that Stella was pulling on his arm, a pleading look on her face. He quickly realized why.
"What, you actually want to?" Sarik inquired. "After that?"
"Yes," Stella told him. "I would...like that."
"Oh, lord," Sarik said under his breath. "All right. I'll see what I can do."
Sarik then glared off at Amelia.
"But could you go inside real quick?" Sarik requested, not once breaking contact with the gray-eyed blond. "Amelia and I need to speak for a moment."
Stella, apparently oblivious to what was going on, nodded, and began a slow, happy stroll back towards the nearby facility, running her hands through her hair as she began to force the water out of her hair.
"What are you doing?" Sarik inquired as Stella walked out of earshot, his face straight and serious.
"I'm just making sure that you get all the chances to love her all that you can," Amelia replied childishly as she handed Sarik his book.
"I would appreciate if you would abstain from now on," Sarik told her. "It's not like that."
"I think you're the only one who believes that," Amelia remarked.
"And so what if I am?" Sarik asked. "Is that such a bad thing?"
Amelia simply shrugged, followed by a sigh from Sarik.
"Well, what's done is done," he conceded. "Do you think she can barrow one of your suits? I doubt dresses do very well in the water."
"I'm sure I could find her something," Amelia remarked playfully as she began walking away.
"Something modest, please," Sarik practically begged as he followed.
* * *
Sarik swallowed once as he held his hand underneath Stella's back, supporting her as she attempted to float on the pool's surface.
"Now just keep your straight and relax," Sarik instructed Stella. "Breath in quickly, and breath out slowly. You float better when there's air in your lungs."
Sarik found himself staring at Stella for the thousandth time that day, and for the thousandth time that day, he quickly averted his gaze. It wasn't the innocent kind of stare this time, either, as a number of strange and often inappropriate thoughts were popping off in his head, as if part of him was taking advantage of Stella's somewhat exposing posture. Despite the fact that Amelia had done an excellent job at complying with his request, procuring a single-piece bathing suit that fit the teenage girl properly, Stella's form was still pretty exposed, more so than when she was wearing even the least modest of her dresses. If he wasn't careful, Sarik knew from observation that he could very well end up numbing himself up to the point of doing something regretful, as he thought he had once before.
However, he found little more comfort in the pool's surroundings, either, or more specifically, the individuals that loitered among them. Sarik had assumed that the large, indoor establishment would be empty in the earliest hours of the afternoon, but apparently, he had been mistaken, as there were dozens of individuals swimming laps, milling about in the shallower waters, or simply lounging along the edge. He actually found the entire situation somewhat ironic, since the pool facility was located only a few dozen meters away from the beach on the ocean-side portion of the base.
But what Sarik found most unnerving was the fact that at least ten of these individuals were paying an excessive amount of attention to him and Stella, and being quie obvious about it. A couple he recalled having encountered before, while others he had absolutely no memory of.
"What?" Sarik snapped irritably at one man nearby. He had just finished his laps and was now strolling along in the water, staring casually at the two. Upon experiencing Sarik's reaction, the employee simply widened his eyes and averted his gaze as he proceeded to climb up a ladder on the pools edge.
Sarik continued to glare at the man until he had completely vacated the water, surveying those loitering and milling about afterward. Amelia had accompanied them, of course, and was currently resting on a deck chair, apparently reading through Sarik's book. He wasn't particular concerned about it, but he felt that she could have at least asked before reading it. It belonged to him, after all.
However, the person he spotted standing next to Amelia surprised Sarik. Somehow, Aaron had located their whereabouts, and apparently was paying them a visit.
"I'll be right back," Sarik told Stella as he turned back towards her. "You think you'll be fine on your own for a little while?"
Stella turned her head slightly towards him, nodding once before returning to staring at the ceiling. Sarik didn't know what to think when her body relaxed slightly, her eyes indicating that she was in some sort of trance-like state, similar to that of when she would sit and stare out at the ocean.
After ensuring that the young girl wouldn't sink spontaneously, Sarik began wading the short distance towards pools edge, making more than a little ruckus in the process.
"How's it going?" Sarik greeted as he neared Aaron and Amelia. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"If you mean by a couple of days," Aaron murmured. "I'm doing great."
"A couple of days is a long time around here," Sarik remarked. "And good to hear it."
"So how is it going for you?" Aaron inquired with a smirk.
"Fine," Sarik replied emotionlessly. "Just giving swimming lessons."
"Then I'll let you get back to them," the younger boy said in a chuckle.
As he turned, Sarik glanced at Amelia, who had not once even remotely acknowledged his presence. As if completely oblivious to the world, she had kept her face in that book of his, the one from which she somehow had deduced he was a social decrypt. Nice to know that he was worthy of even her momentary concern. Sighing mentally, Sarik began wading back towards Stella.
"Have you had enough of that?" Sarik asked Stella as he neared her, moving more slowly as to not splash her with a small tidal wave's worth of water.
Apparently, she hadn't been paying much attention to anything until just now, as his words caused Stella to snap abruptly out of her trance and lose her posture. Before she could sink too far, Sarik got one of his arms around her body, bringing the coughing girl back onto her feet.
"Better," Sarik complimented. "Think you're ready for something else?"
After wiping the water from her eyes, the girl replied with a simple, "Uh-huh."
"All right," Sarik told Stella as he began walking towards the pool's deep end, his arm herding her along. "We're going to try something called treading. When the water gets too deep for you to stand, I want you to start moving your legs back and forth. This is what swimmers call 'kicking'. This helps to keep your head above the water."
As they continued, the water grew progressively deeper until it was up to Stella's chin. Her head suddenly rose in the water, and he realized that she was trying to stand on her toes.
"You can probably start now," Sarik told the girl as he loosened his hold on her.
As he felt the water began to move around him, Sarik started to move away, watching Stella beat her legs underneath the surface.
"All right, good," Sarik said as her head bobbed on the surface. "Now begin moving your arms in a downward circular motion, forcing the water below you."
Sarik continued to observe, somewhat impressed that she was picking on this so quickly, though by no means surprised. At least now he wouldn't have to worry as much if they ever went back out to the beach.
However, Sarik quickly realized that he had spoke too soon, as Stella began kicking her legs together simultaneously, and in desperate, forceful jabs rather than the circular motions that normally came naturally to most people. As a result, her routine began to falter, and she began forcing her arms up and down in cadence with her kicks, causing her to violently bob up and down on the surface.
Trying to give Stella a chance, Sarik decided to wait a few seconds before intervening. However, the girl's head went under, and everything completely broke down from there. She began flailing as she had earlier, and sank like a rock.
Sarik jumped up slightly in the water, gaining just enough air to dive forcefully into the water towards Stella. After stroking once, he found himself close enough to grab her. While wrapping his arms around the girl's flailing body, Sarik planted his feet into the pool's bottom and pushed the two of them towards the shallower end of the pool.
However, even after they broke the surface, Stella didn't realize that she was safe, and continued flailing, once more becoming a haphazard to Sarik, who himself was up to his neck in the water even while standing.
"Stella, it's okay," Sarik said in a calm, firm tone.
Attempting to provide her some physical reassurance, Sarik propped his right leg against his left and hoisted Stella onto it, lifting her head well above the water's surface. He got an immediate reaction out of the girl, her thrashing quickly calming to a slow stroking of the water with her arms.
"It's all right," Sarik assured soothingly, more for himself than her.
At least now he knew what was causing her to panic. Stella seemed to be completely fine until the water went over her head, even if only for a short period. But as great as it was to understand what triggered her phobia of the water, Sarik still needed to understand its source, its origin. After going over several possibilities, it quickly occurred to him that he might have very well been the source of this. The only time that he could remember her ever being in the water was eleven years ago, during their failed escape from the facility. She had nearly drowned then.
"Stella, can we try something?" Sarik asked. He wasn't going to do anything about it without her permission. That would be both deceitful and, to him, just flat out cruel. He didn't want to hurt her feelings in anyway, but Stella still needed to break this fear.
After catching her breath, Stella simply nodded her head. Sarik took note of that, since it had partially been a test. She had agreed without even questioning what he wanted of her. He would have to do something about this almost instantaneous submissiveness of hers. He knew that even he would take advantage of it sometime in the future if it was left unchecked.
"Are you sure?" Sarik questioned. "I want to take you underwater. We don't have to if you don't want to."
All he received from Stella was a most nasty glare, though one of her hands was trembling slightly. It was settled.
"All right, I want you to take a big breath and hold it in," Sarik told her. "Then I want you to hold onto me as tight as you can. Okay?"
And as he asked, Stella did so, gulping in an exaggerated breath while forcing herself as close to Sarik as humanly possible. Maybe she was doing TOO good a job of what he asked.
Without further due, Sarik took his own breath and practically threw himself into the water, causing Stella's grip to become even stronger. However, he pulled himself along, and a few strokes later, he and Stella were at least a meter under the pool's surface, even while standing. Sarik reached over with his left arm and began prying Stella away from his body, though she countered by clinging even more stubbornly to him. Sarik would have sighed if he had the time and air, but instead, he placed his hands on her waist and forced her away, her arms gripping desperately on his shoulders. But he tightened his own grip on her, and the girl seemed to loosen up a bit, releasing him. And as her body relaxed, Sarik realized that he had actually succeeded against his assumption that this wouldn't work, at least not the first time. Stella made eye contact with him, and he realized that she was in complete control of herself.
Sarik smiled slightly, though it was unlikely that she would be able to see it through the water. The young man loosened his grip on Stella, intent on allowing her to float under her own discretion; however, as he pulled his arms closer to his body, the girl reached out and grabbed his left, her eyes serious as she lightly held him.
Sarik almost panicked, but Stella beat him to it, flailing her left arm in an attempt to stay down. He would have smacked himself on his head if he could. She must be running out of air. And of course, she wasn't going to contradict an "order".
Sarik placed his hands on Stella's sides once more and kicked off of the bottom of the pool forcefully, their heads breaking the surface of the water a few seconds later. And rather than flailing, Stella simply floated there, that same straight-faced, serious-as-hell look on her face.
However, before anything could become of it, Sarik spotted Arturo standing at the entrance to the pool area. It was time.
* * *
Sarik continued to rubbing the towel over his head with a passion, trying to get his hair dry. One could appropriately assume that it would be easier to complete the task with as short of a cut as he had, but for some reason, the young Extended seemed to always retain a part of the things that he was exposed to, both figuratively and literally.
"Who made the first move?" Sarik questioned as he pulled his robe more securely around his body. The lounge was in the same recreational facility as the pool, so he hadn't had the distance to travel in order to make a detour and properly change. Nor had Stella or Amelia, who were right behind him in their own robes. In the back of his mind, Sarik was glad for at least this, after having to see them for the past couple of hours in their swim wear. Just wasn't something that he was completely comfortable with.
"ZAFT," Shekrov replied. "As you know, they sent an ultimatum demanding Logos's and their Earth Alliance sympathizer's unconditional surrender a few hours ago. I figured that if something is going to happen, it will happen in the next hour or so, since ZAFT just called in the news choppers."
"Idiots," Sarik said. "They should have just launched the operation. All they've done is warn Heaven's Base that they're ready."
"You know how Durandal works," Shekrov reminded Sarik. "The 'humanitarian'."
"Of course," Sarik remarked sarcastically as he flipped on the TV monitor, immediately after taking comfort in a large, cushioned chair nearby.
"I'm reporting live from above Heaven's Base," reported the newsman from the television, apparently from a ship located along the fleet's rear line. "The deadline Chairman Durandal set draws closer with every passing minute. Only three hours are left until it expires. However, as of this moment, there has been no response from the Alliance forces. Should the deadline pass with no reply, the ZAFT and anti-Logos coalition forces, acting under the leadership of Chairman Durandal, will most assuredly open fire on Heaven's Base. This could be a significant blow to the Alliance, since this is their greatest stronghold, which includes military factories as well as the base facilities themselves. Should there be a battle, it would most likely be of a violent nature, with little quarter given by either side."
Sarik took in the view as the scene shifted to that of the view of a camera located on one of one of the many news helicopters hovering about the rear end of the ZAFT battle lines. Sarik took note of the positioning of the combined fleets, as the Earth Alliance ships were conveniently located at the front of the massive formation, with ZAFT's own submarine carriers located several hundred meters behind them, the trans-atmospheric battleship Minerva at their center.
The helicopter continued to provide an excellent view of the fleet for the next few minutes, perhaps even a little too excellent. However, it suddenly veered to the side and darted away from the force when the front most ships' CIWS and anti-aircraft guns opened up, followed by the destructive explosions of several destroyers and cruisers as hundreds of cruise missiles and hyper-velocity shells suddenly bombarded the area without warning.
"A staggering turn of events!" the reporter suddenly exclaimed. "Heaven's base has launched a preemptive attack! There was no response; in fact, there wasn't even a declaration of hostilities. They just opened fire!"
Sarik smirked as he spotted the first wave of attackers approaching; hundreds of Windams, several Euclid mobile armors, and even a few of the original, dated versions of the Daggers. It had begun, and very much so with a bang.
However, before any of them were within range, the helicopter had moved outside of the battle zone, its cameras no longer able to concentrate on the smoldering conflict.
"Well, that certainly makes things interesting," Sarik remarked coldly. "Arturo, do we have any other sources?"
"Give me just a moment," he told Sarik as he activated the lounge's idling computer.
And in just a moment, the television suddenly changed channels, providing them with an unparalleled view of the battlefield.
"What is this?" Sarik inquired.
"Our informant," Shekrov informed him. "He transmitted us the frequencies to several of the AWAC DINNs just before the fleet moved out."
"Well, that was certainly kind of him," Sarik stated. "Be certain to give him a..."
However, Sarik was cut off as his mouth fell slightly open in awe as the front line of Alliance ships suddenly disappeared in a massive wave of red, the ships exploding instantly under the barrage of energy.
The camera began shaking, and suddenly zoomed in on a formation of five objects. As it focused in and adjusted, Sarik immediately realized what they were. Destroys.
"Shut it off!" Sarik ordered as he jumped up, moving to impede everyone's view of the monitor.
"But-," Arturo started.
"NOW!" Sarik roared as he moved in front of Stella, bending down and pulling her protectively into his embrace, her head forced into one of his shoulders.
A moment later, the television cut off; but Sarik continued to hold Stella, his breathing heavy and strained.
"I apologize," Arturo told Sarik sympathetically. "I'll leave."
"That's fine," Sarik huffed, slowly loosening Stella out of his grip.
"I think I'll be going, too," Amelia remarked, practically stumbling as she attempted to vacate the room as quickly as possible. Aaron, who had somehow slipped in without Sarik's notice, followed silently behind her.
As Sarik calmed his breathing, he progressively loosened his grip on Stella, though she made no attempt to move herself away from him. A few seconds later, when he felt that he was back in control, Sarik lightly pulled Stella in front of him so that they were sitting face to face.
"Sorry," he told his old friend sadly, his hands holding the sides of her arms. "I'm so very sorry."
"For what?" Stella asked softly, reaching up with her left arm and intertwining it around his right.
Though Sarik's initial response was to break away from her gesture, he refrained from it. They were friends, and she was apparently trying to calm him. It seemed no matter how old, people generally had an understanding of the soothing nature of such gestures.
"You didn't need to see that," Sarik stated as he sat down next to her, allowing the embrace of their arms to be sustained, even to the extent of contributing to it with his own grip. "I really am sorry. I shouldn't have brought you."
"I know," Stella said, averting her gaze to the floor as her expression turned from concerned to solemn. "I already know."
"About what?" Sarik inquired.
Stella's grip suddenly grew tighter.
"Berlin," she replied, her eyes closing as she lowered her head, as if to show reverence.
Sarik's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but quickly narrowed back down, an unconscious expression of his pity for her. To have to live with that would eat her alive, inside and out. Having to know that she had killed people in cold blood. Not just ZAFT soldiers, but innocents, also. No one was still quite certain of the number of casualties; Sarik had stopped keeping up when the total number of confirmed deaths exceeded three hundred thousand, and that number was released right after Durandal made his declaration of war on Logos. It had been over a week since then, the number bolstered by the addition of those who were still technically missing, but assumed deceased. Most likely, they would never be found, due to the nature of the weapons used.
But what did this mean for him? It was true that Sarik could never look at Stella the same since he discovered her involvement, but he had continued treating her as the innocent child that he wanted to see her as. And since she had seemed to not have a full awareness of what she had done, or even the memories of having committed those horrible acts, he was able to. But now, she knew, and she seemed to truly understand what she had done. She was no longer the innocent little girl that she had been when he first rescued her. And because of that, he could no longer treat her as such.
Now, he had a choice. He could treat her as he would any other soldier; with the the coldness and mutual respect of one seasoned killer to another. Or, he could do something else. He could try to preserve that feeling of innocence, since Stella truly was guiltless of what she had done. Those sins fell upon the heads of her overlords, the men of Logos. And hopefully, they would all soon be dead, if Sarik's prayers were answered, with few of their mindless soldiers harmed in the process. But realistically, he knew neither would happen.
Bu above all of that, he WOULD make Stella realize that she was blameless. Even if it killed him.
Sarik sighed, then broke his grasp with Stella and reached over, wrapping his now freed arm around her body and pulling her close to him.
"It's wasn't your fault," Sarik told her when he was sure she wasn't resisting, staring straight ahead in the process. "Don't ever let yourself believe that it was."
Sarik pulled Stella closer to himself when she remained completely still and silent as if her mind were in a completely different place, hoping that it wasn't the wrong thing to do. All of this was completely new to him.
"Please don't be like this, Stella," Sarik cooed, resting his head on the back of hers. "We'll never talk about I again. Just please don't blame yourself. I know how much it can hurt. You don't have to. I don't want you to."
And he didn't. Sarik tried to never wish ill for anyone, even the most cruel of creatures. He had allowed his brother to live, despite the fact that at one time he had a knife at the man's throat and had every reason to kill him. And even to this day, even though Sarik often questioned how much of a mistake that was, he didn't regret that decision.
"Stella, please come back," Sarik pleaded softly. "Come back to me. I don't want to lose you again. You don't know how much I missed you."
When she still wouldn't respond, Sarik began stroking her arm with his hand, mostly for himself. She needed his support, and he was failing miserably at providing it. He truly didn't want to lose her again. He had lost so many loved ones in his life. He didn't want to lose anyone else, as it would be even more torturous to have to see that person day after day and still have completely lost them, all because of his own ineptness.
And while he had lived so long without it, Sarik realized that he wanted Stella's support and truth. Not needed, but wanted. The desire transcended all reason. It did with any of those that he cared for, but there was something unique about this desire, even more than normal. Every one of his relationships had started out this way, but simultaneously, they hadn't. The relationship he had with Sarah was worlds apart from the one he had with Amelia, just as theirs was worlds apart from the ones he had with Aaron, or Reia, or even Ari. Each was unique, and to compare one to another was like trying to compare the fruits of the tropics, as each had its own, special savor.
But the one he had with Stella, it was the most powerful. Theirs had transcended space and time against all odds. And the intensity of his desire was agonizing. Even if only by moments, she had been his first true friend, their understanding having always been beyond physical description. She had been the first person other than his parents that he had cared for and loved. From her, he had learned what it truly meant to take one as his charge, to protect at the cost of every one of his luxuries and needs. And when she was taken from him, in all truth, it had nearly killed him.
And now, he risked losing her again, this time to the invisible threat of sorrow and regret. Once one fell into the abyss of this deadly foe, they were never the same. And as selfish as it sounded, he didn't want Stella to change. Despite the years, the parts of her that had brought him to her had never changed. And he loved her just like that.
As Sarik began to doze, he suddenly felt Stella moving beneath him, moving closer to him. She looked up at him, the same serious look from the pool domination her beautiful features.
"Never?" she asked him, her left hand gripping the part of his robe near his chest.
Sarik almost felt like crying, but hid it well, and reached down, planting a quick, light kiss on Stella's forehead.
"Never," he promised her as he smoothly snapped his head back, not completely sure of what he had just done.
Stella forced herself closer to him, averting her gaze back to nowhere. But as she closed her eyes, she smiled slightly, and that alone in itself got a smirk from Sarik.
And once more, he now had to question what he had just done. What had just told Stella without completely realizing it? And what he was telling himself? Had he truly been acting on impulse? Or had he simply let his defenses down, acting on what had already been there? Had he felt like this always, without wanting to admit it? Had the jests of his friends truly been jokes, or simply them trying to tell him something that was so obvious without insulting him?
But she was just a child! Even if she felt the same as him, how did he know it simply wasn't a momentary thing, a temporary attraction that would disappear with time? It had happened to him before. He'd entered into a relationship with Amelia years before with the intention of being safe, placing himself in a position to experience things without the risk of any more hurt, as they had always been open and frank with each other, the result of an understanding that took years to develop. And then, he thought he was starting to have feelings for her, but they disappeared as abruptly as they had come. Who was to say this wasn't simply his body playing tricks on him again?
But before any more doubts could settle into his mind, Sarik realized that he and Stella had been sitting there like that for several minutes. And what brought him to that realization was the fact that she was staring back up at him.
And before Sarik realized it, Stella had reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Instantly, he felt himself blushing, and every possible good feeling went off in his body at once, never as it had before. And a moment later, a most powerful urge began to overtake him, an urge to return that kiss several times over.
And upon that realization, Sarik carefully broke his embrace with Stella, bringing his walls back up. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He was losing control of himself, and he wasn't about to let that happen. He was never going to let anything control him again. Never again...
"Thank you," Sarik told Stella softly as he scooted away from her a couple centimeters, looking away from her. "I...um..."
Sarik caught a glimpse of Stella from the corner of his eye, shutting his mouth and sighing when he saw her hurt, confused expression.
"It's nothing you did," Sarik assured her, a slight but sincere smile on his face. "I really...liked that, I guess."
Stella's expression lightened, back to the serious, caring look that Sarik had now experienced from her for the third time in his life. In fact, for the third time today, too.
"I don't think I say this often enough, but I love you," Sarik told her gravely, looking away as he went straight-faced. "I really do. You've... you've been the best friend that I ever had. Always."
Sarik continued looking away, though now in more relief than embarrassment. He had finally got that off of his chest, and now that he had, he realized that there was so much more he wanted to tell her. And he might, someday. Maybe when she was older, if this new but simultaneously ancient feeling remained. And he wanted it to. He truly wanted it to. Every fiber of his being did.
And now, how could he end this without screwing anything up? What could he say that had the least potential to hurt Stella? They were both in a sensitive spot, having been this liberal with each other.
"Stella, I need to ask you something," Sarik told Stella, looking back at her. "May I?"
Stella, after situating herself on the edge of the couch, nodded, still staring at Sarik.
"Tonight, I'm leaving again," he informed her. "I'm going somewhere a ways away, and I don't know when I'll be back. I want to know if you would like to come with me."
Stella began to nod, but Sarik quickly interrupted her with a raised hand.
"I don't want you to just say yes," Sarik said. "This isn't fun and games. I am going off to fight. To try to rescue others like us. And if you come, you will probably end up in the fighting, too."
Stella slowly looked away from him, sighing as she lowered her head and closed her eyes once more, though this time it was more like resignation. Great. The more he spoke, the worse he was making things.
"I want to be completely honest with you, and nothing less from now on," Sarik confessed. "I wanted to keep you away from all of this. I wanted to protect you."
And suddenly, Stella's head snapped up, and she was staring straight at him, as if something he said had struck a chord in her. That was good. He was getting through to her.
"But I can't make your decisions for you," Sarik conceded. "And that's what I've been trying to do; pretty much what I have been doing. I want you to make this decision on your own, and without my wishes bothering you. But I want you to make a decision that you can live with. I want you to take a few minutes to truly think everything over before you decide."
And with that, Sarik looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes as the weight of his own conscience was lifted. He had done it. Now, everything was in her hands. And no matter what, he would support her decision, all the way to the bitter end.
A couple minutes later, Sarik felt a tugging on his arm, and looked down at Stella, who was practically cuddling against it in the same fashion as when they would walk together. On her face was a straight, serious expression, but yet, she was projecting some sort of happiness, accompanied by a determined eagerness.
"Let me go with you," Stella told him.
It was settled.
"Then let me protect you," Sarik requested. "Nothing would make me happier."
And with that, he placed a kiss on his most beloved friend's cheek, which was almost instantly returned, from which he once more moved away in an embarrassed fashion once more. For a few seconds, Sarik wondered how much he would regret it, how much it would hurt in the future to think back on this small act. But he quickly quelled his thoughts as he stood, Stella moving with him. There were more important things to worry about, now. No need to trample on the momentary joy that he felt with pointless doubt.