It's done... I don't believe it... I honestly don't believe it. I'm done. All I can say about this chapter is that I've been working on and off on this chapter since I was at JOSH-A. And I have to say that this is probably one of my best chapters. But then, that probably due to my bias. Though it has been a bit of an emotional ride for, writting certain parts of this.
While I will have a epilogue for this story, it's pretty much the SEED epilogue with some extra and extended scenes. My SEED story is done. And it's the last chance to vote on the naming of Flay's baby.
Alexander: 4
Virgil: 3
Nero: 2
Finally, to my fans, both old and new, thank you for your reviews and your support. You're the people that drove me on to finish this. And a special thanks to all the people who have given me their OCs to use.
Now, let the final phase begin.
Final Phase: Towards an Endless Tomorrow
The battle around Jachin Due had intensified even more. The Alliance forces had smashed throw most of the outer ZAFT lines and were battling the rear defense forces that were protecting the space fortress itself. But they weren't the only ones. The battered 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet, formerly of ZAFT, had managed to slice through a section of the ZAFT line, opening a path for the Eternal and the Kusanagi to fire on GENESIS. But they had paid for it. The Odin had sustained heavy damage to it's port side. There were several large breaches in it's hull on that side. The Einherjar had lost it's main cannon and had even more breaches in it's hull. Out of the three, the Valkyrie had sustained the least amount of damage. But even then, it was still in bad shape. Added to this, over a third of their mobile suits had been shot down.
"I demand that ZAFT stop firing GENESIS." Lacus said as the Eternal and the Kusanagi reached the 11th Fleet. "We've all experienced the pain and sorrow of nuclear attacks and yet now we are trying to do the same thing to them. If we fire that weapon, will it heal anything? If we kill more people who have done nothing wrong, is that justice? Do you still not realize what these attacks on each other are giving birth to?"
Kira, Athrun and Cagalli reached towards Jachin Due and GENESIS. Athrun desperately hoped he could still reason with his father. Make him see the truth of what he was doing. Before it was too late. But regardless of the outcome, Kira and others were going to destroy GENESIS.
Suddenly, Kira felt something. Something was wrong. He knew he had to check it out. Kira turned and headed off towards the source of the feeling.
"Kira!" Cagalli called out as he left.
"Athrun. Take care of Cagalli. Something's wrong here." he replied.
The Archangel
Though they had defeated the Dominion, the Archangel had paid a heavy price for their victory. It's hull had been pierced in a number of places. Most of it's weapons were destroyed or disabled. And there were a number of fires raging within the mighty ship.
"Blocks 125 through 144 closed!" Sai reported.
"Thrust is reduced to fifty percent!" Arnold said, trying to keep the ship steady.
"Thirty-three percent of sensors have been damaged!" Miri added.
But Murrue wasn't in any condition to give orders. She sat in her chair crying.
Samuel rose up from the CIC. "We need to stop the fires now. Before they inflict more damage to the ship. Tell Murdoch to seal off the sections that are on fire and vent the air out." he ordered. "Once the fires are out and the air has been vented back in, they need to get the engines up and running."
"Ah...Yes sir." Sai said, rushing to carry out his order.
Rau flew past the wreckage of the Dominion. "Oh Azrael...What a disappointment you were." he commented.
Azrael could have at least taken a few of the PLANTs with him. But no matter. After GENESIS was fired at Earth, the surviving Earth bases on the moon would strike back with every last nuke they had.
Rau approached the Archangel. The legged ship had been a thorn in his side for too long. Then he saw it. The wreckage of the Strike. "And so the Hawk of Endymion has fallen. A shame that I wasn't the one to kill you." Rau said before he turned his attention to the Archangel.
He was about to fire his Judicium beam rifle at the ship, when he felt something. A presence he had never felt before. It wasn't Mu. It wasn't Suiren. And it wasn't Rey. So then who was it?
Suddenly, several beams streaked towards the Providence. Rau sidestepped the shots and turned to his attacker. The Freedom.
Kira lunged at Rau, igniting one of the METEOR's beam sabers. Rau flew up to avoid Kira's swing, deploying his DRAGOON as he did.
The DRAGOON pods spread out, firing on the Freedom. Kira pulled a quick series of rolls, twists and dives, evading the beams before firing the METEOR's missiles at the Providence. But the DRAGOONs quickly repositioned themselves and fired. Creating a field of beams in front of the Providence, sparing it from harm. "You're nothing but a pest!" Rau shouted, firing his rifle.
A lone beam hit the METEOR's right cannon, forcing Kira to discard it before it exploded. But before the fireball had faded, Rau lunged at Kira with his beam saber ignited. Kira pulled up the remaining cannon, blocking the blade. Though he lost the cannon, the Freedom was spared any damage.
The DRAGOON pods let loose a barrage on the Freedom. Kira, somehow, barely managed to evade them. But before he could retaliate, Rau fired at him. "You're something that shouldn't have been allowed to exist, boy!" he shouted as Kira evaded his shots.
Kira fired his remaining missiles at the Providence, forcing Rau and his DRAGOONs to stop their attack on him, so they could shoot down the missiles. But they didn't last long. Kira fired the Freedom's railguns and cannons and the remaining cannons on the METEOR at Rau. But he effortlessly dodged them and returned fire with his pods. "If people learned of your existence, they would want to be just as you are. They would want to become like you." he ranted as Kira struggled just to avoid the numerous beams surrounding him.
A beam hit the METEOR's right wing, destroy it's cannon and empty missile launcher. Desperate, Kira drew his beam sabers and started deflecting as many of the beams as he could.
"And that's the reason why your existence cannot be allowed!" Rau shouted as a DRAGOON hit one of the METEOR's engines.
"Even if that's true..." Kira said, dodging the DRAGOON beams. "I'm not defined by my abilities alone!"
He fired at a cluster of DRAGOON pods with his remaining guns. But the pods were too fast. The moved out of the line of fire before the beams could hit them before returning fire.
"Who's going to believe that line?! Will they understand that?!" Rau shouted as they continued to exchange fire. "Of course they won't! Nobody will!"
Rau lunged at Kira's side. Kira pulled out of the path, but his METEOR ended up taking the hit.
And it was at that moment, that both pilots noticed the lifeboat flying nearby. And both could see Flay Allster on board. Kira detached from the damaged METEOR, heading for the shuttle.
Rau laughed as he took aim at the small craft. "Miss Allster. You done quite well. Allow me to give you your reward!"
Kira pushed the Freedom to it's limit. He wasn't about to let a repeat of the shuttle tragedy from so long ago. Rau fired his rifle at the shuttle. Just before the beam could hit, Kira pulled out his shield. The beam hit the shield, sparing the lifeboat from harm. A small smile crossed Kira's face.
But then he saw it. A DRAGOON pod moving into a firing position behind the shuttle. There wasn't time for him to do anything...
The DRAGOON pod fired. But a miracle occurred.
The Raven appeared between the shuttle and pulled up it's shield. The beam stuck the Raven's shield, destroying his shield and what remained of the railgun but sparing the shuttle from certain destruction.
Chris breathed a sigh of relief as low power warning alarm sounded in the cockpit. The Raven was finished for this battle. But he had saved Flay, so it didn't matter. It was up to Kira, Athrun and the others to stop Creuset and GENESIS now.
"Pathetic. Even with a nuclear powered machine, Zane lost to you." Rau said. "I had thought that the Retribution would have given him the power to destroy you once and for all. Even with that new awareness you've achieved."
"He underestimated me. And that's why he lost." Chris shot back as he moved in front of the shuttle. "Just as you are about lose."
Rau started to laugh. "It doesn't matter if you two somehow manage to kill me! I've already won!" he shouted. "Humanity has brought us to this path! With their ignorance! Their greed! Their jealousy! Their hatred! Why, man is worse than animals! They're monsters pretending to be civilized!"
"You're wrong, you masked freak! People aren't like that!" Chris shouted back. "People are flawed, but most aren't like that! Most just wish to live decent life! It's people like you that are evil! Those few that are filled with nothing but hatred! You're the monsters! Not humanity!"
Rau growled. "It's time to do what should have been done at Mendel years ago! You... Both of you are abominations! Brought into this world as the goals of madmen and at the expense of others!"
Rau aimed the Providence's rifle at the Raven and fired. But Kira pulled the Freedom in front of it, blocking the shots with his shield.
But that was what Rau wanted. A pair of pods rose up from behind the two mobile suits and fired at the Freedom. Kira turned but it was too late. There wasn't enough time for him to dodge or block the shots...
Suddenly, the Raven slammed into the Freedom, pushing it out of the path of the beams. The shots tore through the Raven's upper chest and right arm, severing the arm. The Raven's phase shift flickered briefly before it shut off. Electricity surged in and around the hole in Raven's chest and the stump of it's right arm. The Raven was finished. They all knew it.
"And so ends one abomination." Rau triumphantly said.
Kira was stunned at his friend's sacrifice. "Why..."
"I told you before. I'm watching your back so you and the others live long enough to change the world for the better. That's my reason for fighting Kira." Chris replied as danger lights and alarms were going off in the Raven's cockpit. "I want you to do something for me Kira. Stop this bastard and tell Flay I love her and I'm sorry."
Chris closed the comm and his eyes. It was over. He survived numerous battles only to fall here, at the final battle. But in the end, he had no regrets. Had he known what laid ahead of him when he first entered the Raven's cockpit, he still would have piloted it.
'Scratch that. I have one regret. That I didn't get to see Flay one last time...'
Suddenly, there was a blinding light, an instant of pain, and then oblivion claimed him.
"NO!!!" Kira screamed as the Raven exploded, the fireball engulfing the Freedom.
The Providence's DRAGOONs returned and it took off. Rau laughed as he left. The Raven was gone and chances were that the Freedom had been damaged in that explosion and won't be chasing after him any time soon. "Now to deal with Lacus Clyne." he said.
Flay smiled as she saw the white mobile suit block the beam of the mobile suit from her nightmare. Then the Raven appeared. It was damaged but for the first time, in a long time, Flay felt truly safe. But her smile quickly disappeared when the Raven pushed the white mobile suit out of the path of a pair of beams. The Raven's armor turned off as it started to shake violently. Then she heard the words over the radio. The words she would never forget for the rest of her life.
"I want you to do something for me Kira. Stop this bastard and tell Flay I love her and I'm sorry."
An instant later, the Raven was consumed in a ball of fire along with the white mobile suit. At that moment, Flay froze. The outside world seemed to become nonexistent. Save for herself and the fireball that destroyed the Raven. It couldn't be possible... Chris couldn't be dead... It couldn't be real...
But it was.
The outside world returned. Flay screamed out Chris's name, tears pouring out of her eyes, her fists pounding on the window.
The Archangel
Murrue, Samuel, and the rest of the bridge crew could only watch the distant lights of battle from the Freedom and it's unknown opponent. As much as they wanted to, they were in no condition to support Kira.
"Archangel! Archangel, this is Liz!" Elizabeth called as the Athena approached the ship. "Are you alright?"
Suddenly, there was an explosion from where Kira was fighting. "Whoa...What was that?" Liz asked she pulled alongside the Archangel.
Miri let out a loud gasp. Everyone else on the bridge turned to her. "I-I...I just lost the Raven..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The Freedom was thrown downwards from the force of the Raven's explosion. But Kira quickly stopped the Freedom's fall and took off for Jachin Due. His eyes dilated and his face barely containing the anger and sorrow he felt.
Saul, Nicol, Yzak and Dearka weren't fairing that well against Shani, Clotho and Orga. The Extended and their machines were just too good. Shani swung his scythe down on the Duel. Barely managed to avoid the swing, but lost his rifle in the process. Orga fired his cannon at the Surge and the Buster. Saul was able to dodged the shots, but Dearka wasn't so lucky. A beam tore through the Buster's left shin, severing the limb. Dearka fired back with his cannons and missiles. But the Calamity was able to evade the beams and shoot down the missiles. Nicol had been forced to stay behind his shield because Clotho was firing his beam cannon nearly nonstop at him. Suddenly, the Raider's hammer slammed into the Neo Blitz's shield, tossing the machine back like a rag doll. Clotho smirked as he aimed his Zorn beam cannon at Nicol. "Game Ov-AAAAAAAAH!!!" Clotho screamed as the drugs burned out of his system and the withdrawal pain hit him.
He wasn't alone either.
"AAAAAARGH!!!"
"GAAAAAAAH!!!"
The Raider, the Forbidden and the Calamity all stopped. Their pilots screaming and thrashing in agony.
"We're out of time!" Orga screamed. "We...have to...get back!"
But the Dominion was dead in the water, taken out by the Archangel. Azrael was gone. But so were the doctors and the medicine to take the pain away.
"Where?!" Clotho screamed. "Dominion's gone!"
That was the question. Where could they go? The Earth Alliance Fleet was a fair distance away, and in retreat. And even then, they didn't have the medicine to take the pain away.
The former members of the Creuset Team stared at their now defenseless opponents. They could hear them screaming in agony over the comm. They weren't sure what they were going to do now. None of them were the kind to fire on defenseless targets.
"What are we going to do with them?" Nicol asked.
"Don't know." Saul replied. "But I'm not gonna fire on them as they are now."
"Me neither." Dearka added.
"Let's just leave them then." Yzak said.
"What?! And leave these guys here to die? They don't deserve that." Nicol said forcefully, surprising the others with his tone.
"Well, what do you suggest then?" Saul asked.
"We take them back to the Archangel."
"You can't be serious Nicol. These guys have been trying to destroy us since Orb." Dearka exclaimed.
"Still. We can't just leave them here." Nicol said.
Saul sighed. "He's right, of course. I'll get this one with the scythe."
The Surge moved to grab the Forbidden. Suddenly, the Forbidden backed away from him. It's movement jerky and clumsy. "Get...get back! I'll kill-AAARGH! You!" Shani managed to say as he raised his scythe defensively.
Orga and Clotho raised their own weapons as well. Like Shani, they're movements weren't anywhere near as good as they normally were. Nicol, Saul, Dearka and Yzak could easily take them out if need be. But none of them attacked. The pain overwhelmed Shani. He let out one last scream before passing out from the pain. "Shani!" Orga screamed.
Clotho suddenly let out a series of pained, crazed laughs. "We're dead...Ha ha ha ha...We're all dead...Ha ha ha ha ha ha...But I'm...gonna take you bastards with us!"
Clotho fired off his spherical breaker. Which went so wide that it completely missed all four of them without any of them trying to dodge. Clotho started to swing his hammer wildly, trying to hit them. But they easily avoid his pathetic swings. "Damn you-AAAAARGH!!!" Clotho screamed before his body gave out and he collapsed.
"Clotho...You bastards killed him...Killed them both...I'll...destroy you..."Orga said, firing all of the Calamity's guns.
Like Clotho, his aim was terrible. The only difference was, where Clotho had attacked with a single heavy ball on a cable, Orga was firing wildly and repeatedly. Still, Nicol, Yzak, Dearka and Saul, evaded the barrage. "Damn." Dearka swore. "This guy just isn't giving up."
"This is why we should have left them." Yzak said, blocking a beam with the Duel's shield, destroying it in the process.
"That wasn't the right thing to do. And you know that Yzak." Nicol said.
At that moment, Orga fired off a few more shots, completely draining the Calamity's battery. With the loss of his mobile suit's power, Orga shuttered and passed out.
"I think they're done." Saul said, approaching the Forbidden.
It didn't react in the slightest to his presence . He reached out and grabbed it. Again, no reaction. "Well, I got this one." he said.
"I'll get this one." Nicol said as the Neo Blitz grabbed the Raider. "Well, are you guys gonna help or not?"
"Fine." Dearka said with a sigh.
Yzak shook his head. "This is stupid. They'll just shoot us in the back when we aren't looking."
The Duel and the Buster grabbed the Calamity. They headed for the Archangel with their disabled enemies in tow. "Archangel. This is Nicol. We're coming back with the Duel and three of those new Earth Forces' machines. We're gonna need a doctor and some stretchers in the hanger when we get there."
Kevin roared as he fired all of the Massacre's Gatling guns and it's missiles on the Farsight and the Panther. The two mobile suits nimbly dodged the incoming fire. "This pilot's more beast than man." Diana said, firing on the Massacre.
"I know. All four are like this." John said. "All they care about is killing."
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" Kevin shouted as he continued to fire blindly at the mobile suits.
Pain shot through through his body as the drugs began to burn themselves out of his system. But it did nothing to stop Kevin. They had to die! Every last enemy had to be destroyed!
Suddenly, his chest guns ran out of ammo as did his missile pods. His beam Gatling guns fired off a few more shots before they ran out of power. "NO! FIRE! DAMN YOU! FIRE!!!" Kevin shouted in frustration.
"He's out! Let's move in and finish him off!" John ordered.
"Yes sir." Diana said.
"DAMN YOU! DIE!!" Kevin shouted, discarding his Gatling guns for his sabers.
John drew his own beam saber as Diana drew her sword. Kevin swung his sabers down on the two approaching mobile suits. John and Diana raised their blades, blocking his. "It takes more than brute strength to beat us." Diana said.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! RAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Kevin screamed.
"Let us show you how a true warrior fights!" John roared.
The Farsight and the Panther, pushed the Massacre back and before Kevin could react, their swords sliced through the Massacre's body. Diana slashed high, cutting a big gash in the Massacre's upper body. John struck low, removing the legs.
Kevin roared, swinging his sabers wildly. Both pilots easily dodged his swings. But the swings were too wild and frantic to get close to the mobile suit again. "He just doesn't give up." John said, shaking his head.
"As I said, he's more beast than man. And the most dangerous beast is a cornered beast." Diana said.
John grabbed a floating Canus missile launcher, still being held by a severed GINN arm. "Indeed. A wounded, cornered beast will never stop until you or it, is dead." he said, taking aim.
Kevin roared and howled like an animal. His right eye was twitching uncontrollably as poured out of the corners of his mouth. He pushed the Massacre towards the two, swinging his sabers erratically. "Rest in peace, nameless man-beast." John said, firing the launcher.
The missiles streaked towards the Massacre and hit it. Kevin saw a blinding light. His mother appeared before him. His eyes widened. "Mommy..." he whispered in soft, almost child-like, tone. Then the light took him and his suffering finally ended.
The Eternal
"It may have phase shift armor, but it's not invincible." Andy said. "Fire!"
The guns of the Eternal, the Kusanagi, the Odin and the Valkyire fired. All of the beams impacted the side of GENESIS. But it had no effect on it's armor.
"Damn." Andy swore. "This thing is nothing but trouble."
Athrun detached his METEOR. "We'll force our way into Jachin Due and destroy the controls." Athrun said as he and Cagalli raced for Jachin Due itself. "It may be the only way to stop them."
"Kano, Kikuchi, provide cover for them!" Kisaka ordered.
"Sir."
"Hilda! Take your team and back them up!" Lisa added.
"Roger."
Two Astrays and three GuAIZs quickly moved alongside the Justice and the Strike Rouge, heading Jachin Due.
"Commander! Incoming mobile suit!" Martain shouted.
"It's a shame, really. I did enjoy your songs." Rau said, approaching the Eternal. "But the real world isn't as kind as the one in pop songs!"
His DRAGOON pods deployed, firing upon the Clyne Faction forces. The beams hit the Eternal, damaging the pink warship as other beams tore through several Astrays and GuAIZs.
Suddenly, Rau felt that presence again. Kira roared, firing his beam rifle on the Providence, forcing Rau to stop his attack on the Eternal and focus the Freedom.
"It's all your fault!" Kira yelled, still firing on the Providence. "You're the one to blame!"
Rau fired the Providence's guns at the Freedom as his DRAGOON fired. But Kira dodged the beams and shot down two of pods.
"Shout all you want, but it's too late now!" Rau shouted, lunging at the Freedom, his saber drawn.
Kira drew his own beam saber and the two blades clashed.
"This is our destiny! People knew where they were heading when they choose to walk this path!"
"Shut up!"
"Justice and faith, ignorance and escapism! They never learn! They never listen! We have reached the end of that path. There's no way to prevent it now!" The two mobile suits broke off. "Mankind vanquished, at last! Just as they deserve!"
All of Rau's remaining DRAGOONs fired at the Freedom.
Kira evaded the beams, heading for the Providence. "I won't allow it!!" he shouted as he fired at Rau. "You're crazy, and so is your logic!"
Countless beams rained down upon the Freedom. Kira managed to dodge most, but a beam tore through the Freedom's right leg. "That's how people think! You know it!" Rau shouted.
Kira fired, destroying a DRAGOON pod. "You're wrong. People aren't like that at all!"
Rau fired his rifle, hitting Kira's shield, knocking it off the Freedom's arm. "Ha! How are they not like that?! What's your proof?! This is a world where people's hearts are filled with hatred, where fingers have no purpose other than to pull triggers! What do you believe in, and why do you?"
"You don't understand anything else!" yelled Kira as he drew saber again, swinging it down on the Providence.
Rau ignited his saber and the two clashed once more. "Of course! After all, people can only under stand what they've experienced! Why torment yourself saying 'eventually someday'?! How long have you been fighting with your mind clouded by that brand of sweet poison?!"
Jachin Due Control Room
Patrick scowled at the Clyne Faction's feeble attempts to destroy GENESIS. "Those ships are being run by a little girl and a bunch of Naturals and traitors! Why haven't we destroyed them yet?!" he demanded.
No one answered him. Much of the operators and officers in the room were becoming less than willing to follow his orders. What was the point of firing GENESIS again? The surviving Alliance forces wouldn't be enough to destroy Jachin Due's forces. They had won. So why fire it again?
Patrick grit his teeth at the silence. "Input the target! East coast of North America! Atlantic Federation capital, Washington D.C.!"
"But Chairman, we've already won the battle!" Commander Yuri exclaimed, trying to stop him. "If we fire that, we'll wipe out all life on Earth! There's reason for that!"
Patrick drew his pistol, spun around and fired. Shocking everyone. "They're right there! Our enemies are still out there! Why would even suggest that we not fire it?!" Patrick ranted as everyone stared at him.
Seeing that no one else was going to do it, Patrick pushed one of the operators from his console and started typing away. "We've got to fire it again! Before they can retaliate! The enemy must be annihilated! Why don't you all understand that?!"
"Your Excellency! Our forces are still in the line of fire!" an officer said.
"They're soldiers of ZAFT! They're prepared to lay down their lives for ZAFT!" Patrick screamed.
"You...bastard..." Yuri weakly yelled, firing his own pistol at Zala.
He fired three times. Each bullet hit Patrick's chest. Patrick let out a liquid gurgle as his body floated backwards. Yuri let out one last gasp of breath before he died. By now, confusion and horror filled the ranks of the ZAFT personnel. Many began to abandon their positions.
At that moment, Athrun, Cagalli and their comrades entered the command center. The sight of a group of armed soldiers, broke the courage and morale of the remaining ZAFT officers. Everyone fled. Leaving only those seven pilots and the dying Patrick Zala.
A horrified Athrun rushed to his father's side. He may not have been a doctor, but Athrun knew his father was dying. And there was nothing, he or anyone else could do. Patrick grasped his son's shoulder. "Fire...GENESIS...We must...make the...world...ours..."
Patrick cough up some blood and life left his eyes.
Tears began to well up in Athrun's eyes. "Father!"
But he didn't have time to mourn. At that moment, a timer appeared on all of the consoles in the command center. Someone had set off Jachin Due's self destruct. Athrun rushed over to the controls. He had to make sure that GENESIS was deactivated. He started to type away until he saw it. "No... They've activated the self-destruct sequence and set it so the when that happens, GENESIS will fire!"
Athrun frantically tried to stop it. But he couldn't. Not in time to stop it anyway. He slammed his fist into the console. "I can't stop it from here."
Then an idea occurred to him. It was crazy. But it was possibly the only way they could stop it.
ZAFT Military Headquarters
Ezalia Joule, as well as everyone else in the command center, were stunned by what was happening. The forces around Jachin Due were in disarray. And the fortress itself was being evacuated. Added to this, they had lost contact with the Chairman.
Suddenly, the command center's main doors opened. A group of ZAFT soldiers entered the room, their rifles leveled at the group. Ian Kessel and Eileen Canaver entered the room. "Hello Ezalia. We're here to take back control." Ian said.
A DRAGOON pod fired at the Freedom. But Kira dodged the beam and fired at it, destroying the pod.
"Heh heh heh heh ha ha ha ha! No matter what happens now, I've won!" Rau yelled in triumph. "When Jachin Due self-destructs, GENESIS will fire! There's no way the process can be stopped. Earth will burn, and the ensuing cries of the victims will trigger battle anew! This will be a day of reckoning for everyone! This is their destiny. They led us to the inevitable end. You even helped bring this about, boy!"
Rau fired his rifle at Kira as his remaining DRAGOONs fired. Kira avoided some, but several beams hit. A chuck of his right shoulder and the tips of several of his left wings, were blown off. But Kira fired back, severing the Providence's left arm. But Rau managed to fire back and destroy the Freedom's beam rifle and right arm. Kira quickly combined his beam saber with the other beam saber, creating a single, twin-bladed weapon.
Inside GENESIS
The Justice race through the interior of GENESIS, the Strike Rouge close behind. "What are you planing to do Athrun?" Cagalli asked.
"I'm going to flying into GENESIS's core and activate the Justice's self-destruct." Athrun explained. "The explosion of it's nuclear reactor will destroy GENESIS. Cagalli...Get out of here."
"But if you do that, you'll-"
"It's our only option! Get out of here!"
Athrun had to end this madness. His father created this monstrous weapon. He would be the one to destroy. And if he had to die to destroy it, so be it. He would erase his father's sins.
"Athrun!" Cagalli pleaded.
"Don't follow me." Athrun said, releasing the Justice's flightpack.
It slammed into the Strike Rouge, stopping it as the Justice sped forward. It wasn't long before he reached the core. He stopped and opened the self-destruct panel. Athrun started entering the code, when...
"ATHRUN!!" Cagalli shouted, approaching the Justice.
"Cagalli?!"
"Wait! Stop running!" she pleaded as her eyes watered. "The hardest battle is to keep on living!"
"Do you think you can stop what's going to happen?! Nobody can do anything about it! The whirlpool of hatred is engulfing the universe!" Rau shouted.
"It world is still worth protecting!" Kira roared, charging at the Providence.
Rau fired at the Freedom, but everyone of his shots missed. Kira swung his sabers, slicing off the Providence's right arm. Rau backed away, firing the few DRAGOONs he had left at the Freedom. He blew off the Freedom's head and some pieces of it. But Rau couldn't stop him. Kira thrust his saber forward, impaling the Providence.
The self-destruct timer reached zero. Explosions tore through Jachin Due as GENESIS's firing sequence started. Kira jumped away from the Providence, desperately trying to escape the firing zone. The massive beam shot out at the lone mobile suit, obliterating it. At that very moment, within GENESIS's core, the Justice's reactor exploded.
All board the ships of Clyne Faction, people watched as GENESIS exploded. They had stopped the insane genocidal attacks on both Earth and the PLANTs. But it was a bittersweet victory. Chris Dante. Mu La Flaga. Natarle Badgiruel. Uzumi Nara Athha. Tolle Koenig. And so many more lives had been claimed by this war.
Suddenly, a voice came over the comm. "This acting ZAFT Supreme Council Chairman Eileen Canaver. At the moment, ZAFT is calling for a ceasefire with Earth Alliance Military. Once the ceasefire has been accepted, we ask for the halt of all military operations between ZAFT and the Earth Alliance, so peace talks can begin."
"It's finally over." Samuel Dante said, raising from his chair in the CIC. "The world is moving towards peace once again."
"Hey. What do you think will happen to us now?" Nicol asked. "I mean, didn't we technically betray ZAFT by fighting alongside the Archangel?"
"Probably. But I don't really care." Saul said. "I'm through with the military. With this war over, I'm gonna get my discharge."
"Figures a lazy ass like you would say that." Yzak said.
Saul shrugged. "I'm tired of war. We're not all like you, Scarface."
"Hey!"
"I'd rather just find a quiet place and live out my life away from war." Saul said.
"Same here." Nicol said, staring out into space. "Same here."
Flay stared out into space, Chris's dog tags in her hands.
"I figured he gave those to you." Samuel said, approaching the girl. "My dog tags have always protected the one who holds them. No matter how impossible the situation."
Flay looked down at the dog tags. Chris had told her that they lucky and would protect her. But it cost him his own life. She clenched her fist around the dog tags. "Take them." she said, handing them to him. "If he hadn't given them to me, he wouldn't have died. He wouldn't have left me and our child alone."
"No." Samuel said, putting his hand on hers, pushing it back to her. "I gave it to Chris to protect him and he gave it to you to protect you. He wanted to protect you. And his spirit still does. Keep them so he can continue to protect you and your child."
"Ma'am, we're receiving word from the 11th Fleet."
"Put them through."
John Alaric's face appeared on the screen. "It's over...It's finally over." he said, breathing a sigh of relief. "What's your status Archangel? Do you need any assistance?"
"We're damaged but we're not in any immediate danger." Murrue paused for a moment before saying the next part. "But...But we lost the Strike and the Raven."
"Damn...I'm sorry to hear that." John said. "What about the Freedom, the Justice and the Strike Rouge?"
"We lost contact with them."
"Don't worry. They're out there. Me and my boys will find them."
Kira found himself floating in space. Nearby was what remained of the Freedom. He figured had an hour of air left. Maybe a little more. But that really didn't matter to him at the moment. He thought about all that had happened since Heliopolis. The battles he fought, the people he had killed... and the friends he had lost.
"Where are we... What will happen now that we've come through to this time in space..." he asked to no one, his tears floating before his face.
Suddenly, he saw something he never expected to see. Birdy flying towards him and behind it, a light. The light grew as it drew closer.
It was the Strike Rouge. It's cockpit was open and inside sat Cagalli and Athrun. Both were smiling with tears of joy in their eyes and floating around their faces.
Kira couldn't help but smile. "It's our world."
Cagalli and Athrun jumped out of the Strike Rouge, heading for him. The three of them embraced in big hug, still weeping tears of joy.