Chapter Two – Secrets of Morgenroete
Carrus wandered around a display of an assembly line for cell phones. Even the machinery itself bored him to the point where he began chewing on his nails. Not only was the tour guide completely monotonous, he already analysed how the assembly lines worked, right down to the circuitry and where every last screw was placed. He growled in a low tone, knowing his fathers natural ability to analyse machines. Athrun's words echoed in his mind, reminding him of his position in his family.
"Damn… I hate it when Athrun's right about my father…" Carrus mumbled, just before knocking into a smaller figure, landing on his rear. "Damn… what the hell was that…?" Carrus' eyes widened at the sight of the girl from the previous day.
"Oww… Didn't see that one coming…" The girl whined cutely. Looking up, her deep blue eyes gazed at Carrus, widening with recognition. "Oh! Carrus!"
"What? Do I know you?"
"Wait… you don't even remember me?" The girl exclaimed. "It's really been that long, hasn't it? It's me! Mayu!"
"Mayu… Asuka? From the Augustus colony? Mr and Mrs Asuka's daughter?"
Mayu giggled at Carrus' reaction, it was exactly like she thought it would be. "My last name's Hawke now, I took my mom's maiden name cause it sounds cooler, dontcha think so?" Mayu chuckled.
"I'm amazed; I didn't think your father wanted you to come to Orb!"
"Always one to change the subject, huh?" Mayu smiled, flicking her hair out of her eyes.
Setsuna watched as fifteen earth forces battleships appeared on the horizon. Fifteen battleships, meaning as many as seventy-five mobile suits were on board. And above those ships, thirty of the new Earth forces aerial interceptor mobile suits, known as Enacts. Setsuna studied the load outs carefully; assuming that the mobile suits on board would comprise of roughly fifteen more Enacts, and sixty ground-type Jegans. This really was a full-fledged assault; he knew the ZAFT forces didn't even have half that number and the Orb union had more than enough mobile suits even in peace time to put up a valid defence.
"Well, guess the chairman was right after all." The captain smiled.
"We commence our operation in two hours, when the Earth forces have well and truly begun their attack on Morgenroete." Setsuna announced coldly.
"Understood, I'll inform the crew and leave my pilots in your command."
"Tell me." Setsuna began. "Exactly how many mobile suits do we have?"
"Ten GN Flags and your forces which are dropping from space."
"Eleven Flags and eighteen Geara Zulus…" Setsuna whispered. "This may just be an even competition."
"You got that right. After all, the Naturals haven't got GN drives, have they?"
"This will be our first operation using them. I wonder how we'll do in the up coming battle… Sound the alert."
"Roger! All hands! Condition yellow! I repeat! Condition Yellow!"
"You're just starting university?" Carrus asked.
"I'm not a genius like you, remember?" Mayu laughed. I have to TRY to get in this early. Oh! By the way, missus Yamato wanted me to let you know that her music studio is taking the plants by storm!"
"Glad to hear Mother's doing well…" Carrus smiled, fiddling with his drink. The pair had separated from the group, taking a seat at a café near the entrance to Morgenroete. Though Mayu insisted that she should pay, simply because her mother gives her a little extra to "socialise" with.
"Yup! And Dad was asking after you too!"
"Mister Asuka? I thought he didn't like me…"
"Well, compared to some of the boys at my high school, he thought you were so much better than them, after all, you were too quiet to do much anyway!"
Carrus scratched the back of his head, knowing Shinn Asuka meant well. "I… guess I should take that as a compliment."
"It IS the closest you're going to get!"
"Heh, thanks." Carrus chuckled. "So how long has it been, anyway?"
"Hmm…" Mayu wondered, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Must have been… two years since you left…"
"Yeah, you've really grown up since then…"
"Are you saying that cause I'm not flat chested any more?" Mayu laughed, making Carrus stare at her breasts. Blushing, he turned his head away.
"Wha…? What?"
Mayu laughed loudly. "You REALLY haven't changed at all! Still, can't say you haven't grown up either, huh?"
"Y…yeah…" Carrus looked up at the sound of a long, drawn out siren, when suddenly, three jet fighters soared above Morgenroete, transforming into mobile suits mid air, and landing near the coastline. "Huh? What are those Murasame's doing out there?"
"Don't know…" Mayu replied, her cherry voice died down, as she looked out towards the coastline. "Hey… look out there!" Mayu pointed towards the horizon. Carrus squinted towards where she was pointing, seeing five ships in the distance, each launching a series of mobile suits that were too far out to identify. "Wonder what's going on…"
"We should probably head to the shelters Mayu."
"I think you're right. " Suddenly, the gates went up in a sea of flame, as the Murasame's began firing towards the sky. Ducking down, Mayu and Carrus gazed up, seeing green mobile suits in the sky bearing the symbol of the Atlantic Federation.
"Those are Earth forces mobile suits! I've never seen anything like those before!" Carrus growled, his arms covering Mayu from any debris.
"HEY! You kids!" Carrus looked up, to see a soldier, drawing a side arm from his holster run up to the pair. "You two need to get to the shelter now! We're under attack!"
"Attack?" Mayu cried. "But why?"
"Don't ask! Just move!" Suddenly, a blast caught the café, as a beam from a mobile suit blew the building apart, knocking all three in the shockwave. Carrus' vision was dazed, all he could make out was Mayu shaking his shoulders, trying to get him moving.
"Carrus? Come on! Don't die on me now!"
"I'm… I'm fine…" Carrus groaned, as a Jegan emerged from the sea, aiming it's beam rifle at the pair. "Oh shit! Run!" Carrus grabbed Mayu's hand, running back towards Morgenroete, as the pair ran out towards the shelter, the Jegan following them closely.
"What does that guy want from us?" Mayu shouted, trying to keep up with Carrus.
"Jerk… he's trying to scare us isn't he!" Carrus growled, ducking into a wrecked warehouse with Mayu. The Jegan simply kept walking, paying no attention to the pair who fled from it's sights. "I think he's leaving us alone…"
"Uhhh… Carrus…?" Carrus looked up, to see Mayu pointing at a mobile suit looking straight at them. Carrus looked at it carefully, the machine had no colour, being left a dull grey, but the curious thing about it was it's design, it bore unique facial patterns, reminding him of something he saw in a history book. He knew that mobile suit.
"GAT-X105 Strike… Gundam?"
"No way… there are more over there!" Mayu called, her voice was loud and high with amazement.
"Wait! What's Morgenroete doing with those anyway? Is this what the Earth forces are looking for? Mass-produced Gundams?" Carrus roared. "Athrun… is this YOUR doing?" Suddenly, a pair of loud footsteps was heard outside the hangar. Two Enacts had landed, and began sawing through the door with their beam sabres. "Oh crap… Mayu, come on!"
"Huh? Whoa!" Mayu's hand was clasped by Carrus, who whisked her away to the nearest Strike. "You can't be serious? You don't even know how to use that!"
"I hate to admit it, but if my father can use one, so can I!" Carrus helped Mayu into the cockpit, as he sat in the pilot's seat, she held on tightly to the side of the chair, as he closed the canopy. "Just think…" Carrus said, as he lowered the command console, typing in a long length of programming code into the OS of the Strike . "Your parents, and my father all did this in the past…"
"They didn't decide to do it on the spot Carrus…"
"Actually my father did…" Carrus grimaced, as he finished the OS program, just as the Enacts burst in, one seeing the active Gundam, and opening fire with a pair of missiles, hoping to finish it in one blow. Carrus gasped, just as Mayu began to scream, time nearly slowed to a crawl for Carrus, just as he pushed a button on the console, a explosion rocketed through the hangar, the missile collided with the Gundam.