With the ship still on minor repairs, the shortage on the Murasame squadron and cooling off from the orbital descent, a sudden combat what the last thing that Captain Rosario wanted, but the sudden appear of marks on the sensors change plans. Even though they're all tired up, Rosario and her crew put themselves together as they start their defensive stand.
"Speak to me, Mai. How many DINN's are we faring?"
"The location of the heat signatures marks eight… maybe ten MS, but we don't know the type yet."
"How did you know that they're DINN's Captain?"
"At this location, the only MS we know that have some flight autonomy is the DINN, that's…"
"ID confirmed. Library marks them as Den'an Types." Hirvonen was still on the alert, taking close attention to the terrain.
"What! Those things have atmospheric flight without packs!"
"They could've been part of the many pods that the bastards drop on route!"
"General Alert! All hands, prepare for anti-MS combat! How many Murasames remains on board?"
"Four ready to go, one heavily damaged."
"The battle in the orbit cost us too much…"
"Is getting worst, Captain. The topography here won't allow us to run. We've no other choice to fight!" Hirvonen was right. Surrounded by snow and ice in a flat terrain was the worst scenario for a battleship.
"Launch the remaining Murasames! Mister March, get the ship ready to fight!"
"Activate CIWS! Gottfrieds, Valiants, and Tristan on line! Missile launchers, tubes 1 to 5 ready with Wombats! Tubes 5 to 10 ready with Sledgehammers!"
"This one is going to be rash…!"
While the Lorelei is still activating its weapons, the remaining Murasames, lead by 1st Lt. Klaus Brightblade, Lorelei's CAG, lead on the defending group.
"Listen up! Those bastards are going to aim us with everything they got, so keep an eye on their radars and the other on their triggers. Let's keep these asses away from the Lorelei!" Klaus was no stranger when fighting against superior forces. A former veteran of the Orb Defense Army, he has survived the first and second Battle of Orb, the Battle of Jachin Due and the Messiah Engagement as Orb soldiers knew that battle. He was a cunning leader, but some personal issues make him remain in the shadows after Jachin Due. When the Den'an's arrive at the Lorelei's perimeter, Klaus dispersed his wingmen, trying to attract some of the enemy over their positions and gave the Lorelei more time to respond. Even at disadvantage, the Murasames had air superiority inside the atmosphere, and Klaus has already damage an incoming Den'an.
"You SOB's are not going to pass me, no friggin' way!" Klaus tactic was simple: a classical 'hit and run', going from target to target with speed and giving them no time to think. But with superior numbers, the Den'an managed to overcome the situation. In a single move, the beam saber of a Den'an tore apart one of the defenders, and break the defense perimeter.
The Lorelei, even if the FCS was not activated yet, could use their missile launchers for mid to close defensive stand.
"Incoming Den'an!"
"Wombats, Sledgehammers, fire!"
With Galen's cry, the missiles were set free. Even though the incoming Den'an's manage to avoid the missiles, they stop their run, and allow the defending Murasames to remake the formation. Klaus right in front of the surviving three Mursames of his squad.
"You bitches are not going to pass from here!"
Since the alert, Kira knew that even if the Lorelei was a fine ship, against a MS squad its chances were dim, even with some fighter or MS compliment on board. After assuring that Flay was safe on the infirmary, he went to the central hangar to get the Strike Freedom ready to fight. Even if he couldn't use the DRAGOON's inside the atmosphere, his Gundam still was feared. As he started the OS, he radioed the bridge, thanks to a little patch that he manage to create – on record time – after joining the ship.
"Captain Vasquez, would you mind if I join the fight?"
"Technically you're a guest on board. This battle doesn't concern you as far as I can tell as you're not part of our crew."
"With all respect, I was in a similar situation during the Valentine War: on board a ship that was nothing to me, but nevertheless, I fought with them. And for the record, I'm making this issue my personal concern." Rosario knew the rumors about Kira Yamato. She knew the warrior, the MS pilot, and the General, but now, she saw the real face of Kira Yamato: a honorable man far beyond anything she has seen before.
"You live up to your reputation, General Yamato."
"There are things that are worth fighting for… What's the sit rep?"
"We got ten incoming MS, all Den'an-types. We're at full disadvantage, and we already have lost one of our Murasames."
"Roger! I'll take care of the air defense!" As Kira set the Strike Freedom ready to be launched, Captain Rosario relay orders to Mai on the CIC."
"Mai, get the General to the fight, on the double!"
"Understood! Strike Freedom, to the linear catapult!" With a loud noise in the hangar, the Strike Freedom was loaded on the catapult.
"APU, on line! Hatch sealed! Catapult, on contact! Course, clear! Strike Freedom, you're ready to go."
"Kira Yamato! Strike Freedom, launching!" In an instant, Kira was launched, and as the Strike Freedom activated its Trans Phase Shift armor, Kira only had one thing on his mind: Protect her! Protect Flay at all costs!
By now, Klaus knew that he was uber-screwed. Since the rest of his squad as already been shot down, as he watched the scenario where he was – a lonely Murasame against nearly six Den'an –, the single thought of surviving this one was ludicrous, but even though, he was going to fight at the end, and if he was to fall, he will take al least one of the bastards with him.
"Ok bitches! Gave me you best shot!"
As the attackers maneuvered to close the gap, a full round of energy weapons and two rail gun high-speed charges cripple down and disable one of the Den'an. As everybody turn at their sides, Kira was already engaging the rest of the attackers at close range, but find the gap to help Klaus out of his trouble. The Murasame pilot didn't think twice, as he transforms his MS in MA mode and retreat to the Lorelei's perimeter.
"Get close by the Lorelei! I'll get them on the middle to close range!"
"Thanks man!"
Kira has manage to attract most of the enemies, but he knew that even with the Strike Freedom, this so-called Den'an were as dangerous as a Gundam itself. Even more, since he got into the fight, Kira felt that something was wrong with him.
"Ok, not only I got to fight against these MS on close range if I want to disable them, but I feel that I'm not the same as always."
As Kira pondered this unusual feeling, he outmaneuvered a couple of Den'an, using the SF energy shields to deflect a couple of shots and using his Xiphas III Rail guns to pull back another two attackers. But the real problem was that he wasn't close enough to make a slash and dice. Worst of all, and that's the bizarre part, he didn't feel that he want to do that.
Back to the Lorelei, with the FCS now activated, and with the help of Klaus's Murasame, the remaining Den'an's were repelled, but only for an instant. On the bridge, Galen was cursing.
"Damn those MS! They're so fast that our cannons can't get a clear fix on them!"
"Make them close by for the Wombats to track them down! Let's hope that the igelstellungs hold them enough to make this work!"
"Two more approaching for the port side!"
"Tristan, fire!"
The anti-ship cannons only manage to stop the incoming MS, but gave Klaus enough time to get to the zone and with a couple of fast shots, tore one Den'an on its middle section, so fast that its pilot didn't know what got him.
"It's gonna be one of those days! Klaus didn't have time to celebrate, as he veer his Murasame to the side, avoiding the energy machineguns discharge of other two Den'an's. Kira, on the other side, has only manage to damage two Den'an's, but even with their arms crippled, they continue to attack.
"This is ludicrous! You want to die that bad!" Even the Extended pilots he fought in the last war had some respect for their own lives that these guys. But nevertheless, Kira wasn't going to kill without any good reason, so he decided that this was the right time to use his SEED… but…
"What the…!"
Kira didn't end that thought as an enemy Shot Lancer damage his right arm-energy shield.
On the Lorelei's bridge, the surprise was enormous.
"The General has been hit! But the Strike Freedom is still fighting!"
"They manage to hit Kira Yamato! What kind of monsters are we fighting now! With that on her mind, for the first time in years, Rosario Vasquez wasn't sure if they could survive this fight.
The Lorelei's crew wasn't the only ones that were surprised. As we still was evading the attackers, Kira himself pondered that this was the first time that something like this has happen, and it was really bad.
"I… cant' use my SEED…"
Rather that can't use, he couldn't activated it. He felt that he still got it, but couldn't use the way he used to. After a minute, he found why.
"The transfer! That's right, I gave it to Flay…!" Another theory for chief Simmons to research, but the real problem was now. Without his SEED – or a way to use it –, Kira only saw one way to fight against these guys, and just as he saw an attacker doing a straight run to the Lorelei, Kira knew that this decision could change his own way of thinking.
"If I need to do this to protect her and the ship, then so be it…"
Rosario and the bridge crew saw it a little too late, as the attacking Den'an make a full brake and readied his Shot Lance for a clean strike on the ship's command. But it never came, as a sudden shot from the Strike Freedom Callidus multi-phase beam cannon tore the MS from side to side, destroying it in an instant. If crew was surprised that Kira was hit a while ago, most of them were stunned for what they have seed.
Kira Yamato has killed someone…
Back to the battlefield, the Den'an squad somewhat stay still after this. And inside the Strike Freedom, Kira has lowered his head.
"It's back to learning from the beginning…" As he raised his head, his eyes already has turned on. He was fighting with his SEED
His old SEED…
She didn't know where she was. She remembers having fought against a powerful MS, but she didn't remember why she did it, how did the battle ended or why she was in this… strange place.
"Must have hit my head badly or something…" As she looks at herself, she still had her fight suit on.
"Maybe that's something that I needed to do."
As she heard that, she turned around and found herself… or someone that appears to look like her, but a couple of years younger and with a pink long dress. Since Razgriz knew that her memories were somewhat lost, she assumed that this was part of that lost memories.
"I take that you know who… or what am I."
"Hey! Don't talk as if we were some kind of monster…! But for what I did back then, even I would believe that."
"What you did back then'? What's that supposed to mean? Who are you? More over, who am I?" The girl disappeared from her sights, only to reappear on her right, wearing a EAF recruit uniform now.
"That's something that you must discover for yourself in order to recover your real self."
"Cut the riddle crap! If you know the truth, tell me!"
"For you to act without knowing all the facts? No thanks. I already did that once, and it nearly cost me even him."
"'Him…' You mean that MS pilot? Yes, I remember now. That warm feeling… Who is him? What's my relation with him? I want to know about him!" The girl disappeared again, and now with an EAF officer uniform, reappeared once again, now behind Razgriz.
"The only thing that I can tell you is that you had the power and the ability to help him now. You can do now what I didn't back then. Even if he got someone else right now, you must be the one that shield him in the battlefield." After she says that, she drifted away from Razgriz, saying one more thing to her.
"Use your strength, your thoughts, and your soul to protect Kira… Flay…" Then, a bright flash blind Razgriz…
The alarms were still off, as she got up from the bed on the infirmary. Her head still aching, but with a single though on her mind…
"Kira!"
On the bridge, Rosario and the rest watched stunned as Kira handled the Den'an's with an accurate precision, destroying another one in the process, both surprised and terrified of the huge ability that Kira was showing, even better than his fight on Messiah.
Klaus use the chance to return to the Lorelei to recharge, but he did so in the central hangar as the suppressive fire on the side pod hangars was too strong to land. As he waited for the refuel and the weapons recharge, he saw a flash of red heading for the Omega. As he turned, he only catch a glimpse of Razgriz getting inside the Gundam-type MS.
"Now this shit is going to get real good!"
As she started the Omega's internal systems, she contacted the bridge for clearance.
"Mai, get me out of here!"
"Razgriz!" Rosario heard that and contacts the red head pilot.
"Are you sure you can sortie?"
"Either you launch me or I'll make a hole in the hull and get out. That's your call, Captain." Rosario took the word of her pilot. Even if she knew that Razgriz wasn't that rash, by the way the read head looked right now Rosario knew that she will do it.
"Omega, ready to blast off! Mai, your call!"
"APU, on line! Hatch sealed! Catapult, on contact! Course, clear! Omega, you're ready to go." As the Omega was ready to launch, its red head pilot thought a little change on her motto…
"Razgriz…" And then, she finally understands part of the message she got.
No. Flay Allster! Omega, going out!"
Leaving a stunned bridge crew behind her, the Omega joins the fight. The first real fight for Flay Allster.
The Strike Freedom was an awesome machine, just as his pilot was truly awesome. True to his reputation, Kira was handling the remaining seven Den'an's with ease now. Closing range and then pulling back with his guns blazing, the Den'an's couldn't keep with Kira's pace. Just like that, one stray Den'an suddenly faced the Strike Freedom, but he didn't last much, as Kira clean tore the mid section of the enemy MS.
For Kira this feeling was like the one he got fighting back in the Earth Campaign on CE 71, when he flew the Strike. That need to protect someone valuable to him and the desire to take himself to the limit. That was what re-awakened his SEED.
As he finish the stray Den'an, he has already saw another incoming from the side, but as he turn to fry him with his twin beam rifles, a high speed blast went side to side of the enemy MS. Kira only had to turn to his side to see the red, gray and black Gundam-type he fought in the orbit and the descent at his side. An incoming transmission caught his attention as certain red head appear on screen.
"This is a private party or I can dance alongside you?"
"Are you ready to dance, Flay?" It only took a second for her to get that same feeling. A dark red seed exploding on her mind was enough to confirm Kira's words.
"Anytime with you, Kira!"
With two high-mobility Gundams and a couple of fearsome SEED-Users pilots, could've been considered overkill for the Lorelei. With Kira using first a stop & go faint and then activating the Strike Freedom Hi-MAT to blast five enemies in a single round, and Flay taking advantage of the Omega's Whispers to tore the Den'an's energy shields one by one, the match became one side for the Lorelei. As only two Den'an remain on the battlefield, Kira and Flay double team one of them, and the last one, distracted by the display from both Gundams, took one of the Lorelei's Wombats right on and exploded.
On the Lorelei's bridge, nobody knew what to say. They were witness of a total display of superiority from Orb's hero and her unknown – but now truly fearsome – pilot.
Back to the battlefield, after the smoke clear, the Strike Freedom stood in front of Omega, like they were ready to restart their previous engagement. But it was never to be, as both pilots – after turning back to normal status – talked each other in the aftermath.
"There are many things for us to talk about."
"A lot of things that I must say to you… a lot of apologies…"
"But for now, let's settle down to the Lorelei. I believe that Captain Rosario wants an update of your… 'Revival'"
"Yeah…" A sudden silence remains for both of them, until Kira said something that he was dying to say.
"Welcome home, Flay." The red head said the only thing that she needed to say to him now.
"I'm back…"
AN: I must apologize for not updating this earlier, but with little to none time to type this delayed this chapter. I got it already the last week, but got to type it in one sweep just today.
As I said before, the Newtype Ressonace and the SEED here are more in a spiritual level, and certain equivalence must be done for getting (or receiving) something. For Kira, I want to gave him back his aggressiveness of the Earth Campaign from SEED, but making him more human when he uses his SEED. In other words, he'll be prone to fail sometimes.As for Flay, she's going to recover more and more of herself gradually. That may be good or bad in someway, depending on the situation..