Gundam SEED Destiny
Kira
By: Tellemicus Sundance
Phase 9: Renegades and Outcasts
November 2, 73 C.E.
Ruins of Waltfeld/Ramius Manor, 5:30am
There was an eerie silence on the small battlefield after the suicidal assassins had killed themselves. From the secret exit to the underground shelter and mobile suit hangar, two veteran commanders could only stare in awe and yearning at the last remaining machine. They had recognized it instantly due to how much time they had spent in its presence in the past and yearning against fading hope that the suit and its pilot would be found, safe and alive, for the past two years.
"The Freedom?" Murrue said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "Is it Kira?"
"I don't think so," Andy answered. Though his voice was just as quiet, it was in a strictly neutral tone. "Remember what Athrun said? The pilot identified himself as 'Akira Iyadomi.'…But I wonder what it's doing here."
Movement from the lost Gundam quickly drew their attentions. It had shifted towards the destroyed manor, its bright yellow eyes flashing as it surveyed the damage. After a moment of searching, it turned suddenly and looked in their direction. Murrue and Andy couldn't help but tense up slightly, preparing for the worst case scenario. Rather than raise its rifle or make any aggressive movements, the Neo Freedom merely returned its weapon to its perch behind the suit. Then it began a slow, steady walk over towards them. Murrue and Andy were quick to duck back inside the hidden exit, watching the approaching suit warily. What was it doing now?
When it was only a few gigantic paces away, it stopped, its head piece still trained down upon the duo inside the shelter exit. "Is everyone alright?" a loud voice asked over the external speakers. "I could take anyone to the hospital if I have to."
A small wave of relief washed over Murrue as she heard that statement. The pilot wasn't also a part of the assassin team. She wasn't certain if he'd been the one responsible for the destruction of the ZAFT mobile suits since she and Andy had only arrived a few short moments after the explosions had erupted.
"Everybody's fine!" Andy yelled towards the Freedom, having recovered first. "Thanks for the help!"
"I see," the pilot's voice said. "That's good to hear." As he was speaking, the Neo Freedom knelt down. The armor suddenly darkened to gray as it deactivated itself, and the cockpit of the Gundam opened.
"Captain Murrue, Commander Waltfeld?" a gentle voice spoke up from behind them. "Is everything alright up here?"
Turning, they spotted Lacus in the doorway from the hallway leading into the deeper part of the shelter, clad in only her night gown. Her expression of worry did little to obscure her beauty. "Is the fighting over?"
"Yes, everything seems safe for the moment," Murrue answered.
"And we have an unexpected visitor," Andy commented as he turned his attention back to the disembarking pilot. "Though it doesn't seem to be who I'd have preferred it be."
Walking forward, Lacus was greeted to a sight that took her breath away and made her heart freeze for a moment. Silhouetted by the slowly brightening blue sky of the early morning was the mobile suit she'd given to her dear Kira long ago. And walking away from the cable that had just lowered him to the ground was a blond-haired person with a heavy scarf wrapped around his neck, hiding his lower face. To anyone else, this would've been a complete stranger. But to Lacus, the shape of his face that was visible, his stature and build, the way he carried himself with quiet confidence, even that soft gaze in those blue eyes!
That person…wasn't, yet somehow was…her dear Kira!
"If you don't mind my asking," the person said as he raised his hand in greeting. "Why were those ASHs attacking you?"
"They were ASH types?" Waltfeld demanded, a hint of his old military persona rising to the surface. "That means they were indeed from ZAFT."
"How do you know for sure?" Murrue asked, glancing at her friend.
"They're a new brand of ZAFT mobile suit that only recently got put into production," Andy answered easily. "Only the regular military should have them."
"But why would they attack you?" the stranger repeated patiently.
"…They were after me," Lacus said, speaking for the first time since spotting him. "Th-thank you for saving us…Wh—who are you?" Oh, how it hurt to have to ask that question!
As he turned his attention fully to the young woman, a look of confusion seemed to filter through his gaze. Then he winced and gingerly brought his hand up to rub his head, as though experiencing a severe headache. After a moment, he seemed to recover and finally answered.
"A—Akira…You can call me Akira Iyadomi."
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Waltfeld/Ramius Manor, secret hangar
7:25am
Andy couldn't keep the smile from blossoming broadly across his face, even if he wanted to hide it. This was just too hilarious for words! Seriously, all he needed was a recliner with a beer and he'd be all set to enjoy the entertainment that the pilot was putting on.
After meeting and greeting each other, Akira had made every attempt to leave after he'd learned that no one truly needed any medical assistance. But when Andy had overheard him muttering about needing to finish repairs, he'd immediately offered to store the Freedom in the secret hangar that was under the manor. Since the boy was clearly in a hurry to repair the Gundam, he'd agreed rather quickly and had deposited the suit into the first free space he could find. And now, for the past hour and a half, he'd been ranting and raving over the many errors in reconstruction that had apparently been made to the suit by whoever had found it. And boy did the kid have an imagination!
"For crying out loud, where did those guys get their engineering licenses?" Akira's voice demanded loudly from the innards of the Freedom's left leg. "You don't connect these two circuits together—hey, that ion pump is supposed to be six millimeters further! And you don't link the neural drive to the beta power conduits!" There came a loud snapping sound with a spray of sparks flying out of the opening. "That's why! Jeez! Were they trying to fix it or short it out?! Honestly!"
Standing up through the opening, the blond yanked out a fried circuit board and threw it angrily to the floor in the growing pile of scraps and ruined modules that he'd already pulled out of his Gundam. His face and clothes were covered in oil, grease, and various other engineering fluids as he wiped his gloved hands with an already heavily smeared towel. Climbing out of the Neo Freedom's knee, he jumped lightly to the ground and walked over towards the gathered remains of the ASHs that he'd pulled into the hangar earlier.
"Need some help there, kid?" he called out from the catwalk he was leaning on.
"Nah!" Akira called back as he pulled open a panel from the leg debris of one ASH unit. "I'm almost done. Thanks anyway, sir!" As he was saying this, he pulled out another circuit board that was almost identical to the destroyed one he'd just discarded.
Just as he was about to make his way back into the Freedom, Akira suddenly jerked to a halt as his head snapped to the side. Looking in the direction that the kid was staring, he spotted Lacus holding her little blonde infant in her arms. The pink princess was apparently trying to hide from the blond pilot as he gazed up towards where she was standing behind the doorframe. Andy felt his earlier smile wane slightly as he saw the tiniest amount of red coating the girl's cheeks.
"I know you're there, whoever you are," Akira called out, his voice sounding quite gentle and serene. "Please come out, I wanted to meet you."
Confused by his statement, Lacus walked forward into sight to look down at him with her eyes awash with her anxiety. "What do you mean, Mr. Iyadomi? We met earlier."
"I—I mean…that is…oh crap," the young man uttered in confusion as he stared back up at the pink-haired beauty. Then his eyes widened slightly, as if he realized something significant. Running over to the lift, he raised it up to the catwalk and jumped off, running over towards Lacus and the infant she held. Skidding to a halt, he gazed solely upon the small infant in her arms. "So…it was you."
Surprised and no less confused, Lacus glanced between the small child and the young man in front her. The visible part of Akira's face was filled with a strange expression as he stared down at the small child. The infant, her little Kawayui-chan, was staring up at him, making a gentle cooing sound. Then, as though lost in his own little world, Akira raised one of his filthy hands towards the infant. Kawayui-chan let out gurgled giggle as she raised both her hands in begging gesture, desiring to be held by the nice stranger in front of her.
"Um, you may want to wash off a bit first," Lacus said quietly, warding his greasy hand away. "You're a bit dirty."
Blinking, Akira shook his head violently to clear it. Turning his attention back to her, he said, "I—I'm sorry. It's just that when I was flying nearby, I—I felt something…and now I know who…"
"You sensed Kawayui-chan?" she asked, very much surprised. She knew that Commander La Flaga had been able to do something similar with Rau Le Creuset, but she hadn't heard of any other people being able to do such things.
Nodding in acknowledgement, he said, "Well, I could feel her fear…and I wanted to protect her from whatever was scaring her…" Suddenly, Akira seemed to realize just how close he was standing to the beautiful young woman in front of him and just how badly he must have smelled due to how dirty he was. Backing away, he couldn't stop himself from looking away in embarrassment, "I'm sorry. Lately I've been getting these weird feelings a lot. I don't know where they're coming from at all."
If she didn't know any better, she'd say that he was blushing. She couldn't see his cheeks thanks to the scarf, but her woman's intuition was telling her that he was suddenly embarrassed. It was kind of cute, and yet another painful reminder of her dear Kira. "I see. Thank you for coming to protect her… Kawayui is very dear to me."
"Is she…" the pilot began, but then stopped himself. "Never mind. I need to finish my repairs, if you'll excuse me." With that said, he turned and dashed back to the lift and hurried back to his work.
"What was all that about?" Andy asked seriously as he drew beside Lacus.
"I…I don't know," Lacus said quietly, still staring at their savior as he returned to his work. "but I think I might have an idea."
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
8:32am
"Oh man," a loud familiar voice called out. "What happened here?!"
Turning around, Caridad Yamato couldn't fight off the small smile that formed as she spotted one of Kira's old friends climbing out of his car in what remained of the driveway. Lieutenant Tolle Koenig, a good kid with a few odd quirks that he'd picked up lately, but easily one of the most loyal of people she'd ever met. He was dressed in a rather bland-looking, long-sleeved teal shirt with broad blue stripes running down from the collar down the sleeves. Coupled with a pair of baggy black jeans, it was very easy to forget that he was a top-rated mobile suit pilot among the Orb military.
"This place looks like what the Onogoro Museum looked like after I flew the Hornet around town," Tolle remarked as he carefully ambled through the debris towards Caridad.
"Oh, you mean the time you crashed that 'stupid-blue-piece-of-crap' mobile suit last year?" one of the boys asked in a loud, almost naïve voice from the pile of debris several meters away.
"Louis!" Caridad snapped, turning a sharp gaze to the suddenly cowering boy. "Watch your tongue or you'll be getting a mouthful of soap later!" Turning her attention back to Tolle, her gaze hardened even more as she spotted his growing fearful expression. "That goes double for you around the children, Lieutenant!"
"S-Sorry!" Tolle stuttered out. Caridad was a very scary woman when she was angry (which was rarely, thankfully!). "A-Anyway, did you guys get attacked or something?"
"Yeah!" one of the children answered as they climbed over the debris pile they'd previously inhabited in favor of running over to their one of their more common house guests. "We didn't see it, but a bunch of bad guys came and smashed it!"
"They wanted to hurt Miss Lacus and Kawayui!" one of the girls cried out, tears beginning to form at the thought of losing her best friend and the young woman she admired so much.
"What?!" Tolle demanded, turning instantly serious as he looked towards Caridad Yamato for clarification.
"We're fine, all of us," she answered his unspoken question. "We had some unexpected help. I believe the young man is preparing to leave shortly though." There was a deep, sad frown on her face as she looked away, an obvious aura of grief swelling around her.
"Where are they?" Tolle asked.
But before he could get his answer, a sudden loud blast of mobile suit thrusters sounded from inside the exposed cavern where the secret hangar was located. Almost as soon as the thrusters began increasing in power, there came a subtle explosion which was quickly followed by a drawn out whine as the engines died. Even with the limited vantage point they had from their position outside, they could see a large plume of smoke beginning to rise up from a deeper section of the hangar.
Tolle turned a questioning gaze to Kira's mother. Though she was frowning very deeply at the rising smoke cloud, Tolle could've sworn on a stack of bibles that he saw a glimmer of amusement flash in her eyes as she stared in the direction of the rising smoke cloud. "That is our beloved savior, apparently still having problems with repairing his Gundam."
"Gundam?!" Instantly interested, Tolle hurried forth into the cavern to see the machine and pilot. Just as he drew close enough, Tolle's feet suddenly turned to lead and he found himself rooted on the spot. It was the FREEDOM!!!
"Hey, kid," a deep, familiar voice greeted from the side. "You're just in time! Sit back and enjoy the show."
Prying his face away from the machine, he spotted the tanned Coordinator standing off to the side with a frowning, yet still somehow amused, Murrue beside him. "What do you mean, Commander?"
"I should've known those wannabe-mechanics would've messed up my engines the way they did everything else!" the voice growled from the Gundam's torso. Turning back to the legendary Gundam, Tolle glimpsed the nimble form of the pilot jumping out of the cockpit and sliding down towards the Neo Freedom's backside, a large toolbox in one arm as he used his free one to maintain his balance. "I bet they crossed the primary power conduits again! Jeez, where the heck did those nincompoops graduate from?!"
When Tolle had first seen the Neo Freedom's debut on Junius 7, he had been completely convinced that the pilot was his friend Kira Yamato using a new name to hide himself from the public. Now, as he watched the blond-haired pilot dropping out of sight and ranting up a storm over the countless engineering mistakes that he'd likely encounter and those that he'd already fixed, he suddenly wasn't so sure. Kira Yamato, though passionate about things he cared about and his ideals, had never been one to get very vocal about his opinions when he angry.
"Who's that?" There was an obvious note of anger in Tolle's voice. If that wasn't Kira, then who the hell was piloting his best friend's machine?! Who gave him the right to?!
"He said his name was Akira Iyadomi," Andy said, glancing over at the Natural pilot questioningly at the boy's tone. "Does the name ring any bells?"
"Akira Iyadomi?!" Tolle clarified. "As in the same reckless idiot who flew the Neo Freedom on Junius 7?" Andy nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I know about him. What's he doing here with the Freedom?"
"Apparently, he was making his escape from Morgenroete after stealing the Neo Freedom from one of its secret hangars," Murrue answered. "He hasn't said exactly why, but I feel inclined to believe his story."
"Morgenroete?! Then why I haven't I heard anything from Mrs. Simmons or Cagalli about them finding the Neo Freedom?" Tolle demanded, but then he paused as a thought suddenly struck. "…Unless they didn't know!"
"That's what the kid's told us," Andy commented. "He said something about a conspiracy, but not much else."
"I'll bet it was the Seirans," Tolle commented viciously, scowling deeply.
"Anyway, how are you doing, Tolle?" Murrue asked quietly. "I heard you got removed from being the Fortitude's pilot after that incident with the Minerva a few days ago." She knew first-hand how much he loved that Gundam as he spent almost as much time talking to her about ideas for possible upgrades to it as he did with Mrs. Simmons.
"That's not the only thing that happened," Tolle growled, his frown deepening greatly as his eyes narrowed dangerously. "The bastard, Yuna Roma, used my little disobedience to all but fire me from the military!"
"What?" Murrue and Andy asked simultaneously.
"He claimed that my latest act of disobedience was a 'blatant disregard to the well-being of the nation and the citizens that I've been charged to protect by attacking and destroying a fleet and countless men and women from the Alliance that the nation was in the process of joining.' And that 'given my extensive record of poor piloting skills of the various mobile suit designs that I've been entrusted with, as well as extensive damage to both public and military property, it is only logical that I be removed from my position as the test pilot and as the Chief Representative's escort pilot since I'm just as likely to endanger her as the enemies for which I should be protecting her from'…That guy likes the sound of his own voice way too much!"
"So you've been reassigned to a regular Murasame squadron?" Murrue guessed, somehow already knowing that she was wrong.
"Of course not!" Oh yes, Tolle was very angry about this issue. "I've been reassigned to the Sokowatatsumi battleship as a navigator! The bastard's excuse was that the one job that I didn't crash anything with was when I was on the Archangel, and that it was only because I wasn't piloting it!"
"…That's a bit harsh," Andy drawled, wincing as Tolle trained a fierce glare upon him.
"But that's not the worst part," Tolle said, his voice deadly serious despite the great deal of anger still in it. "Because of my disobedience, the Seirans feel the need to not only push up the signing of the treaty, but the wedding between Cagalli and the bastard! They're having them both take place tomorrow."
"What?!" Murrue demanded, surprised at the rashness of the Prime Minister's actions.
"I guess we're going to have to push up our plans as well," Andy said quietly. No one disagreed with him on that point.
Not desiring to continue along with the current subject, all three war veterans turned their attentions back towards the still-ranting pilot as he continued repairing his Gundam.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Djibril Manor
"What did you say?!" Djibril demanded hotly, squeezing his glass of wine so tightly that he sent a series of cracks throughout its length. But the trillionaire didn't even notice the small trails of expensive wine that started running down his clenched fist as his focus was completely upon the monitor in front of him. "What do you mean the Gundam escaped?! How could this have happened?!"
"It would seem that Prime Minister Seiran had been withholding crucial information from us about the true status of the repairs that had been done to the mobile suit," Alwin Ritter answered. Though he was every bit as enraged as Djibril, he was doing a far better job of hiding it. "I confess to having suspected such underhanded tactics being played, but even I seem to have underestimated the exact degree of progress being made. If my calculation is correct, Seiran had been hoping to hack into the CPU and use its data for himself. Apparently, however, someone caught on to him."
As Alwin was speaking, a clipping from the security cameras in the Morgenroete facility was brought up onto Djibril's screen. He watched with barely restrained anger as one section of the factory was suddenly engulfed in an explosion, and rising from it was the Gundam that he'd been hoping to convert for his use. After a moment of hovering in the air over the facility, allowing all personnel nearby to see it, the Neo Freedom suddenly turned and flew off-screen at a high speed.
Clenching his teeth in rage, Djibril glared at the video as it rewound and repeated the footage. Turning his attention back to Ritter, he demanded, "Did we at least manage to get enough data to begin the mass production of our own models?!"
For just a moment, Alwin looked rather indecisive. "Yes…and no, Djibril. We were able to able to copy its technical, combat, and system data, so we have enough to build a few prototypes. However, there seems to be a lingering computer virus that has thus far prevented us from acquiring all the necessary information to create an exact duplicate of the machine."
"Send that data to Heaven's Base and the Daedalus lunar base," Djibril ordered. "I want that virus hacked and removed immediately, the top priority being the development of prototype Neo Freedoms within the next two months. We may not have the pot of gold, but we can certainly make do with the gold pieces we snatched away."
"Of course, sir," Alwin agreed easily. "What shall we do about the Seirans? Enough questions are being asked due to the Freedom's sudden appearance in one of their secure facilities. If we attempt to…punish the Seirans, attention will be drawn to them and put them into a position that could make them not as willing to aid us in the future."
Closing his eyes and forcing himself to calm down so he could think clearly, Djibril considered his options. After a full minute of thinking, he nodded to himself and responded to Ritter's question, "For the moment, we will do nothing. We will remove any and all support for his various schemes and projects for his nation in the near-future, as well as issue a warning to him; informing him to never again lie to a power such as ourselves. I trust you'll make its delivery…creative, Ritter."
"Yes sir," Alwin acknowledged, smiling maliciously as several potential ideas already came to his mind.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
9:42am
"CPG settings complete," Akira muttered to himself, feeling immeasurably relieved that he had finally reached this final stage. "Neural linkage router optimal, ion density normal. Update meta-motor cortex parameters. Nuclear reactor critical, power flow stable. Estimated calibrations holding, engine thrusters operating at one-hundred percent efficiency. Mirage Colloid, online and accessible. Systems all green. Neo Freedom, prepared for launch sequence!"
But rather than boost the engines and send his Gundam flying out of the hangar, he powered down the mobile suit and placed it on standby. Climbing out of the Neo Freedom's cockpit, he gave a long stretch to relieve the tension that had built up in his muscles after the long night and early morning he'd already experienced with minimal sleep. As he jumped to the lift that he had been using and lowered it to the ground, he found himself staring at his audience.
Upon spotting a new addition to the group, Akira felt that ever-present piercing ache in his head. It was like something or someone was trying to set off an explosion in the back of his mind and only his unwavering resolve was keeping the excruciating agony at bay, keeping it from consuming his entire mind. However, this wasn't the first time he'd felt this kind of pain. The first time had been when he'd woken up in the hospital a few short weeks ago and he'd heard that angel's voice singing. What he was feeling now was much more potent for some reason, but he was still able to keep it away.
The person who'd joined the group was a young man with a series of what looked to be ugly burn scars running along the back of his neck and part way up the sides of his cheeks. His brown hair was cut rather short around the sides and back, clearly part of a military organization if he was correct. Even though his clothing was that of a civilian, his stance and posture just seemed to scream out 'active duty soldier' to Akira. He was able to recognize this person almost immediately due to those ugly burn scars he had. Lieutenant Tolle Koenig, the infamous Orb pilot responsible for the crashes of various mobile suits developed by Morgenroete in the last two years as well as a significant war hero of the Bloody Valentine War.
"I'm finished with my repairs," Akira said shortly as he stepped off the lift. "If you still have any working, I'd be very grateful if I could use the shower."
"Of course, Akira," Murrue agreed easily. "This way. Follow me."
As he followed the attractive brunette to another part of the secret hangar, Akira could feel the Lieutenant's eyes following him. Once he was safely out of the young man's hearing, he spoke up. "What is Lieutenant Koenig doing here, Ms. Ramius?"
"He's an old friend of ours," she answered, smiling slightly as she glanced back at him, easily seeing his discomfort with Tolle's gaze still on them. "He drops by to visit regularly when he's not on duty."
"I see," was all Akira said as he finally spotted one of mankind's most blessed creations of all time. As he walked confidently towards the men's showers, he glanced at her and said, "I'm going to be leaving as soon as I finish here, madam."
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
10:03am
The group of four was standing in front of the newly repaired Neo Freedom. Dressed in a different outfit of a plain red shirt, jeans, and wearing a cleaner version of the same scarf, Akira studied the three people standing before him. Lieutenant Tolle Koenig was staring at him with a piercing gaze, no doubt trying to see what Akira was hiding under his scarf. Murrue was standing a relaxed position with a neutral expression on her face. But the person who Akira's eyes kept gravitating towards was the beautiful young woman standing directly in front of him, her eyes suspiciously wet as she continued to stare him with what could almost be frightening clarity. The only reason that Commander Waltfeld wasn't with them was because he was overseeing the beginnings of the Archangel's start-up operations that were taking place several levels below them.
"Are you sure that you don't wish to accompany us, K—Mr. Iyadomi?" Lacus asked, her voice clearly straining to remain clear of any of the emotions that she was trying to keep hidden. "We could very much use your aid in the coming months."
Shaking his head resolutely, Akira forcefully ignored the sudden sharp jolt that flared in his mind as he stared at her. "No, I can't… I don't want to involve anyone else with what I have to do."
"And what's that?" Tolle asked, his arms crossed as he awaited his answer.
"I will not let this war escalate like the last one did," Akira said seriously, turning his gaze to the famed pilot. "If you take away a person's weapons, what will they have left to fight with? Words. They will be forced to talk out their problems with one another. If that means that I must become the enemy of both sides of the conflict, then so be it. I would rather have them shoot at me than each other."
"That's a very noble sentiment," Murrue said from where she was standing. "But merely taking away weapons will not end the war. It's not that easy."
"I know that," Akira acknowledged, nodding to the Captain. "But I'm a warrior, not a negotiator. I'll leave stuff like that up to the people who know how to do it properly."
"But are you sure that what you want to do is the best thing?" Murrue pressed. Her gaze took a firmer stance, as did the other two, while Akira considered his answer.
"Yes," Akira said quietly. "Right now, we all want to do something to help. But truthfully, none of us know if what we want to do is the right thing. But we can't just sit back and do nothing now, can we?"
Lacus' expression changed slightly. This sounded…familiar.
"If we just did nothing, because we thought that it wouldn't help," Akira continued quietly, his gaze drifting down to the floor as his face softened sadly. "then we'd be doing less than nothing, because—"
"—Nothing would change," Lacus interrupted gently, earning a surprised stare from Akira. "and nothing would end."
"Yes," Akira said, nodding to the young woman as an especially fierce jolt of pain stabbed through his consciousness. Rubbing his head tenderly, he looked at Lacus with a small smile. "I guess you understand my opinion, then."
"Yes, I understand," Lacus nodded, tears falling silently down her cheeks. "…A very dear friend once said the same thing to me." Neither Murrue nor Tolle seemed to feel the need to clarify who Lacus was referring to and Akira was too busy fighting off another jolt of pain to ask. "Will we see or hear from you again?"
Unable to hold back the spiteful smile, Akira nodded, "I imagine you'll be seeing me often enough on the news and in the papers, damning the space monster and its mobile suit."
"When the war is over, will you come back? Back to us…here in Orb?"
Looking up at the pink-haired beauty, Akira momentarily forgot his head pain in his surprise. She wanted him to come back? Not that he was averse to it, but still… "I don't know…Possibly. We'll see how time handles things."
"Speaking of time," Murrue said suddenly, unintentionally breaking the strange moment that was being shared by the duo. "Lieutenant, I think it's about time you left to pick up your machine."
"Oh, yes," a strange smile was pulling at Tolle's face as he turned and threw a crisp salute at the former Captain. "Lieutenant Tolle Koenig, departing at once, Captain Ramius!"
Watching the scarred Lieutenant make his way through the debris that was scattered in front of the exposed cavern, Akira couldn't help but shake his head. That was one strange guy there. Unnoticed by Akira, Murrue was also taking her leave to board and oversee the Archangel's departure.
"Mr. Iyadomi," Lacus' gentle voice drew him back to her. "I—I have a request for you…if you're willing."
"What is it?" he asked kindly, smiling at the way she suddenly seemed so bashful.
"If—if you come across the original pilot of the Freedom, Kira Yamato," she began, her cheeks beginning to redden as she glanced away from his questioning gaze. "Please tell him that…that Lacus Clyne is still waiting for him to come back…and that I have something very…important to tell him…Something I should have told him two years ago."
"I see," Akira said quietly, watching the young woman carefully as she stared at the floor between them. Her face was coated in tears and red from her blush, giving her a very interesting facial expression. Feeling a stab at his heart at seeing her like this, he gently reached out and lifted her face up so she could see his face. His gentle smile was apparent even from behind his scarf. "If I find him, I'll definitely be sure to give him the message. And can I ask something of you?" Lacus only nodded mutely. "Please take very good care of little Kawayui. She is…very special."
Akira had been hoping that he would encourage the young Clyne woman to overcome her obviously conflicting emotions. But it seemed that mentioning the young infant caused Lacus' blush to deepen as more tears fell from her eyes. She couldn't find the strength to speak, so she settled for nodding to his request. To Lacus, this young man could only be her dear Kira. She wanted to reach out and nuzzle into his warm body so badly, to feel his love for her that she was starved of again.
But in the end, she could only continue to cry silently as the stranger before her finally tore his eyes away from her and made his way into the cockpit of the Gundam that he'd claimed for his own. The Neo Freedom gave her a small wave goodbye before launching itself into the air and flying off towards battlefields unknown.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Morgenroete – Orb Facility
10:15am
To say that Cagalli was angry would've been understating the facts. She was angry, confused, longing, and scared all in one. And all of it stemmed from a report she'd received from Erica Simmons shortly after nine in the morning. A biohazard alarm had been triggered on Level Four of Morgenroete shortly after five in the morning, resulting in a mass of confusion amongst the personnel who were still pulling nightshift duty. That wasn't anything to be overly concerned with, since such alarms happened on a surprisingly frequent basis due to the research and development of weapons and technologies that took place there.
However, not even ten minutes after the alarm was sounded, there had been a large explosion that tore open one of the secret hangars. And blasting out of the debris was the Neo Freedom, seemingly repaired since its tragic disappearance after the fall of Junius 7. Though Erica hadn't been present when the Gundam had made its brief appearance before rapidly flying away, the image of the Neo Freedom rising out of the smoke and fire had been caught on no less than seven security cameras from all over the facility.
What had the Neo Freedom been doing in Morgenroete? If it had been in the process of being repaired as she suspected, why hadn't she been informed of its discovery and transfer to Morgenroete? Who was behind all this?! Cagalli had utmost confidence and faith in Erica when she said that she had not known of the Neo Freedom's presence and that no one present during the incident apparently had either.
Standing in the ruined hangar, Cagalli surveyed the damage done by the rogue Gundam. Truthfully, the only real damage had been done to the hangar doors. Judging from the scorch marks and the twisted debris that remained of them, the doors had apparently put up a considerable amount of resistance to the Freedom's weapons.
"I was wondering when you'd get here, Miss Cagalli," a pleasant voice greeted from off to the side. "Though I admit that you're a bit later than I'd have expected you to be."
"I got sidetracked for a little bit," Cagalli said, not wishing to recall the unpleasant morning she'd had with Yuna when she'd received news of the apparent 'breakout'. "So, have you found anything useful since earlier? Like how the Freedom came to be in Morgenroete without anyone knowing, or how it got repaired so quickly?"
Shaking her head in denial, Erica merely said, "I'm afraid not. Those questions are still questions. However, I did come across some rather interesting footage from an internal security camera."
"Show me," Cagalli commanded, turning to face the Coordinator mechanic.
After being quickly led into a small security center that was hidden in the corner of the hangar, Cagalli watched the monitor critically. On it she could see a group of easily twenty or more engineers looking around in confusion as red lights suddenly flared to life around the hangar, probably from when the alarm had been pulled.
"I don't know who did it," Erica was saying as the screen showed the engineers begin running towards the elevator. "but someone had apparently shut down the hangar camera earlier. I assume that they'd been doing it since they'd started rebuilding the Freedom, trying to cover their tracks as it were. However, as part of the programming, when the alarm was sounded, the camera was automatically brought back online."
"Have you been able to identify any of those people?" Cagalli asked, glaring as the last group of engineers filed into the elevator.
"Several of them I have," Erica acknowledged. "However, they've been missing since the alarm was pulled. I don't think it's too likely that we'll find any of them in the near future."
Before Cagalli could ask another question, movement from the elevator drew her attention. The doors were forced partially open as a nimble figure squeezed through. The person then dashed into the hangar towards the rebuilt Gundam. It was here that Erica paused the security tape to allow Cagalli a chance to view the person on the screen. The person was a young man with bright blond hair. He was dressed in an all black outfit with a heavy scarf wrapped around his neck, hiding his full face from view. Draped over his shoulders was a bulky backpack that was clearly filled to the point of bursting from its questionable contents.
"I have yet to identify who this young man is," Erica said quietly. "However, one thing that I can say for certain that he's likely been planning this for a while…He knew exactly where, how, what to do to get this far into Morgenroete to steal from a top-secret hangar."
"Th-That's…Akira Iyadomi," Cagalli said, her voice thick with repressed emotion. "He's the…pilot of the Neo Freedom."
"But how do you know he survived the fall?" Erica asked skeptically. "That could very well be someone else."
"No, that's definitely Iyadomi," Cagalli insisted, glaring slightly at the figure on the screen. How dare he take her brother's machine!! "Have you been able to find anything else? Like data on how, what, or why they were doing this?"
"While we don't have any new information about how it got here or why," Erica said as she turned to another monitor. "I was able to come across some of the technical data they were using to repair the Freedom."
Joining the Coordinator mechanic, Cagalli instantly recognized the data. It was the same as the old data that was the basis of the original Freedom that the Atlantic Federation had gotten its hands on for the Neutron Jammer Canceller. This data, however, had been originally used by the Kusanagi, Eternal, and Archangel to perform maintenance and resupply during the Three Ships Alliance. After the final battle on September 26, 71 C.E., all data pertaining to the Justice and Freedom Gundams had been transferred into the memory banks of the Morgenroete computers. So it wasn't too much of a surprise to see it now.
"Based on the logs that I've been able to find," Erica said as she brought up another screen showing an approximate timeline. "I'd assume that the engineers had been unable to hack into the mobile suit's CPU because there seemed to be an extremely potent computer virus guarding it. They had been forced to rely on this old data to repair it in order to keep within the time limits they were given by their 'benefactors'."
"But why did Iyadomi choose now to steal the Neo Freedom?" Cagalli asked as she reviewed the damage and repair reports as best she could. Most of it went right over her head due to the complex and technical terms they'd used.
"If my guess is correct," Erica said as she pulled up a specific section of the report. "The benefactor was getting impatient with how long the repairs were taking and wanted to transfer the Freedom to a more…appropriate facility. Somehow, Mr. Iyadomi learned of this and decided to take it now and not wait for its full completion."
"'Full completion'?" Cagalli asked. "You mean to say that the Neo Freedom wasn't fully repaired when it escaped?"
"That's correct," Erica nodded. Turning a grave expression to the younger woman, Mrs. Simmons said, "I know you honestly had no idea that the Freedom was here, Miss Cagalli. But between you and me, I think you should keep an extra careful eye on those around you in the government. Someone rather high up must've known about it and hidden the truth from everyone else…Had this incident not happened, we'd likely have not even known it had ever been here."
Nodding seriously to her friend, Cagalli quietly muttered, "I know, Mrs. Simmons. I know."
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Morgenroete – Orb Facility
10:45am
Even though he was technically no longer authorized to be on this level, the fact that his security card still worked, as well as his presence having become so common over the past two years, helped in his infiltration greatly. In all the confusion caused by the false alarm and the Neo Freedom's return from the dead from right inside this very facility, no one gave him a second glance as he walked through the hallways towards where his prize was resting.
He had actually made it all the way to the doorway of the hangar he wanted before he ran into his first problem. His security card didn't provide him access to the hangar behind the heavy doors in front of him.
"I figured you'd do something like this," a familiar voice spoke up from somewhere startlingly nearby. The last time he'd checked, only a few seconds ago, the entire hallway had been empty. "That's why I changed the locking system."
"Whatever do you mean, Mrs. Simmons?" Tolle asked in his most charming 'I-don't-have-a-clue-what-you're-talking-about' voice. "I only wanted to go say goodbye to my good friend before I was most likely permanently discharged by the bastard."
"Then I suppose the fact that you chose to do that during all the mess caused by the Neo Freedom is entirely a coincidence?" Erica asked, amusement warring with sternness in her voice and expression.
"Uh…yes?" Tolled said, trying to maintain at least a margin of control over the situation. Too bad he hadn't been in control to begin with.
"And just what were you planning to accomplish by stealing the Gundam?" Erica asked seriously. "Though you were designated as its pilot, the Fortitude does not belong to you."
"I'm going to take it because we think that we're going to need it in a short while," Tolle stated, finally dropping all pretense. "Plus it wouldn't hurt to have a getaway vehicle for when I need to drop back in to pick up an honored guest so that she won't be further manipulated by those who want her power and position."
"And how do you intend to do that?"
"…Let's just say that the Angel will rise once again," Tolle said cryptically, a small smile of pride pulling at his lips.
"…I see," Erica said quietly, almost instantly understanding what he was saying. After a moment of consideration, she suddenly snapped her fingers as though remembering something important. "That's right! I had been in the process of reviewing the damage assessments of the mobile suit after that little fiasco the former pilot had put it through when I was suddenly attacked from behind." As she was saying this, she moved around Tolle and slid her security card through the slot, opening the door. "By the time I came to, the attacker had already stolen the Gundam."
Smiling appreciatively at his good friend, Tolle nodded in thanks to the woman as he walked through the now-open doorway. The Fortitude Gundam stood proudly in front of him. Even with its deactivated VPS armor, it was shining brightly in the overhead lights.
Before he could take more than a few steps away, Erica suddenly spoke, "Take good care of that suit. You won't be getting a new one until a few months from now." Freezing instantly, Tolle's mind replayed what the woman had just said several times before he turned and looked back at her smugly smiling face. "If you liked the Fortitude, I can guarantee that you're going to love the next one for all eternity."
Tolle wasn't given the chance to question her as the doors suddenly swung shut, separating them and reminding him of his mission. For some reason, despite how much he loved the Fortitude, Tolle wasn't able to keep a smile from blossoming on his face at the thought of getting a new machine. And Erica was…usually correct in her initial assessments. Excluding the Kajiki of course.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
November 3, 73 C.E.
Seiran Estate, 9:00am
Clad in her wedding dress and the traditional veil, Cagalli sat silently in her room, her mind lost among countless memories. Her depression was evident through the sad gaze in her eyes, the only thing that marred the image of absolute beauty that she portrayed.
She knew that today was supposed to be considered a day of great joy and happiness for her. That she should be looking to the future with hope and eagerness. That this day would mark the beginning of what could be considered the first of a grand new adventure. But due to the circumstances that led up to it, she could only feel remorse, betrayal, and depression. She knew that she was betraying Athrun, getting married without even consulting him or being able to properly return the ring that he'd given her before his departure to the PLANTs. She felt depressed because she knew that she didn't love Yuna Roma Seiran, and that while this marriage could be seen as showing her devotion to her nation, it still felt wrong to her.
But what truly depressed her was that her long-lost brother couldn't be here. Yes, Yuna had made it quite clear that it was for the best that Kira had died (in his opinion) in the war, so he couldn't attend the ceremony. This was because of Unato pushing up the signing of the alliance treaty with the Atlantic Federation in response to Lieutenant Tolle's actions during the Minerva's escape. As a soon-to-be member of the renewed anti-Coordinator sentimentality of the Earth Alliance, it would have caused a great deal of controversy among the nations of the world had Kira been able to appear at her wedding. But understanding Yuna's reasoning didn't make the pain of Kira not even being given the choice and her desire to have had him there regardless any less easy to bear.
A gentle knocking on the door, followed by muffled voice, informed her that the ceremony was about to begin. In the back of her mind, Cagalli was begging for her 'dead' brother to come and save her from what she knew would likely be an unhappy marriage.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Paro, Bhutan
9:08am
The western town of Paro held quite a history in the tiny country of Bhutan on the southeastern edge of the Himalayas. Surrounded by high, jagged mountains and cliffs, with lush forests and regular monsoons, the town, like the country, was considered one of most isolated locations in the world prior the development of various technologies and conveniences. Home to the fortress-monastery of Rinpung Dzong, the current town of Paro was a location ripe with religious significance to locals and a bloody history of numerous invasion attempts.
What better place for the first revolutionaries to stage a rebellion against the powers that held such an unjust iron grip? But like all revolutionaries, they had little preparation for the drastic events that they were soon to be involved in.
Because of its relatively small population (when compared to its neighbors of India and China) yet high amounts of natural resources, the country of Bhutan was a prime location for the Earth Alliance to establish a mining facility and factory. Where the country had once prided itself on its natural beauty and connection to the spirit realm as part of their Buddhist beliefs, the country's more temperature southern regions were demolished by deforestation and mining. The citizens were pressed into service by the Eurasian Federation to either serve in the military or work in the mines. As such, a vast majority of the population still remaining in the country was mostly the young or elderly, who had all but been harboring a growing resentment and rage against the Russian-controlled Eurasian Federation.
The early morning of the early autumn day had begun like any other. There was a heavy fog hanging in the air, obscuring visibility greatly. To those who navigated the earth by foot, it posed little trouble since their trails were clearly marked for them. But for those flying in the air, it was a deathtrap due to the high mountains and cliffs. Yet as the people shuffled out of their homes to go about their daily business, something came by to disrupt their everyday routines.
It started as a low whine, remarkably similar to that of an airplane that was coming in for a landing. But that couldn't be right, the Paro airport had all but been closed down when the Eurasian Federation seized control of the government. And since shipments of ore and natural resources were too treacherous to be done by plane thanks to the strong winds generated by the Himalaya Mountains, they were usually sent by truck or train. Due to the lack of an airport, the people of Paro hadn't had any real tourists in a very long time.
For the young orphan boy who was simply called Lhomon by the people who knew him, it was a day of change. Living a small cave he had found in a mountain only a kilometer from Paro, Lhomon was only person within the immediate vicinity of the sudden strange noise that was filling the air around him. Normally, he'd have easily been able to spot the source of the noise, but thanks to the heavy fog in the air, he was unable to determine where it was coming from or why it seemed to be coming closer.
Looking around as a sudden strong gust of cold morning air swept over his small form, the young boy turned towards where the wind was coming from. But he could still only see nothing, despite the whining sound of what were clearly engines of some kind being so loud and close. Where was this wind and noise coming from?
As the engines and wind began to die down, the air suddenly seemed to waver. And then, as though peeling itself out of thin air, a large gray machine suddenly materialized no less than seven meters in front of Lhomon. The young boy took one look at the machine before he turned and ran for shelter behind a tree. From the greater distance he'd gained, Lhomon was quickly able to see that the machine seemed to be some new kind of mobile armor. Only it was different from those armors that he'd glimpsed flying around the mines for the past month. Where those had looked like crabs and spiders, this one looked like some kind of combination of a butterfly and spider.
After what seemed like forever, even though it was less than a few minutes, a shady form pulled itself into view near the rearmost section of the machine. Even in the limited light available in the thick fog, Lhomon could clearly make out prominent blond hair and a scarf wrapped around the person's neck. Who was this person?
Lhomon watched silently as the stranger leapt lightly to the rugged ground. After throwing up a basic camouflage to hide the machine, the person momentarily returned to the machine's innards and withdrew a backpack. Apparently satisfied with their machine being partially hidden from sight, the person immediately begun walking in the direction of Paro.
Youthful curiosity getting the better of him, the young seven-year-old Natural began to follow the person as silently as he could. The same questions over the identity of the person and what his or her intentions were kept playing through his mind in a never-ending cycle. One thing that he knew for sure though, he wanted to see what this person was going to do.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
Onogoro, Orb
9:15am
"Tolle! What are you doing?!" Cagalli yelled indignantly at the Gundam that held her securely in its grasp. She had no doubt that he was indeed the pilot of the Fortitude, which was now flying through the skies over Onogoro away from her wedding ceremony.
"Hang on tight, Cagalli!" Tolle's voice sounded over the external speakers as the Fortitude gently brought her towards the cockpit of the mobile suit. It was with a great deal of relief that she leapt from the Gundam's hand into the scarred pilot's arms. When the hatch slid shut behind her, cutting off cold autumn winds that had been blowing against her bare and poorly protected skin in her wedding dress, she was finally able to throw a decent glare at her friend.
Letting out a whistle at blonde beauty in his arms, Tolle smirked at her angry glare, "You know, I'm almost jealous of Athrun! You look great in that dress!"
"What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?!" Cagalli screamed, not even allowing the blush that wanted to blossom across her face to escape.
"I once fantasized about stealing the bride from a bad marriage," Tolle remarked as he turned his attention back to the controls. "But I never thought that I'd one day do it for real! This is frickin' awesome!"
"Tolle!" Cagalli drawled out, her voice thick with a fierce warning and a promise of immediate pain. But before she could get much further in her plans of harming the idiotic pilot, an alarm sounded from the control panel.
"Better sit tight, Cagalli," Tolle suggested as a pair of Murasame mobile suits appeared on screen.
"Attention, Fortitude!" a loud voice ordered. "Land immediately! Do you copy, Lieutenant Koenig? Land immediately!"
"Yeah right," Tolle sneered.
Without another word, he threw the Fortitude's beam boomerangs with expert precision. The weapons not only sliced off the wings of the transformed Murasames, but also heavily damaged the engines, sending both suits crashing for the ground below. Catching the returning weapons, Tolle activated the Voiture Lumiere system and pushed it up to twenty percent.
Unprepared for the sudden massive boost in speed and the corresponding G-forces, Cagalli let out a distressed cry as she was pressed heavily into Tolle's lap. Ignoring the girl as best he could, Tolle flew the Fortitude towards the harbor where the Archangel had surfaced only a few short minutes ago. As he drew closer, he deactivated the Voiture Lumiere to allow him to safely land in the open catapult.
As soon as the renegade Gundam and pilot with its honored passenger were safely onboard, the Archangel began to submerge. They met no resistance from the Orb navy fleet as they disappeared under the waves. Onboard the Asanagi, Captain Todaka had a broad smile on his face as he and the other captains respectfully saluted the former Earth Forces warship. I'm counting on you, Archangel. Take good care of Lady Cagalli and the future of our world.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
A small diner, Paro
12:11pm
Akira wasn't sure whether he should be annoyed or amused. Ever since he'd landed in this remote region, he'd had the distinct feeling that he was being followed, even without his strange new sixth sense. And it was rather easy to discover who was trailing him, that young child had almost no concept of the word stealth. But since the child hadn't approached him and because Akira wasn't picking up any malicious vibes from the boy, he let him be.
Turning his attention back to his laptop, Akira couldn't help but scowl at the information provided on screen. It seemed that the Eurasian Federation, despite almost being eligible for the title 'moderates' when it came to Coordinators, was playing flat-out dirty in this small country! There was a full military presence that presided over the country's small government and it had established a detailed timetable for the citizens to work by. Those that resisted were severely punished, thrown into prison, or drafted straight into the military (regardless of age, sex, or any health issues). And with a vast majority of their people already drafted in either the military or the mines, they had little energy or desire to throw up any sort of resistance.
But that wasn't the only thing worthy of Akira's attention. Once he'd established a firm background history to the current state of affairs, he'd hacked into the Eurasian Federation's factory that was built only a short distance away from where he now sat. Apparently, the extremely remote location, as well as the preconceived relative insignificance of the country, had made the soldiers somewhat complacent when it came to computer security. He'd hacked into their mainframe rather easily and discovered some interesting secrets that he'd likely have not learned until sometime later.
Due in part to the country being located on the edge of the Himalaya Mountains, Bhutan seemed to be a literal goldmine of ores that were necessities of Alliance mobile suit production; hence the reason that the Eurasian Federation had constructed a factory in the immediate area of the mines. While a considerable portion of the ore mined was sent to the factory, just as much was shipped away to other nearby factories.
But the most interesting secret that Akira had found was just what was being built in that factory. It seemed that this factory was one of the few that actually built the Alliance's new mobile armors. This particular factory primarily constructed the units called Gells-Ghe, with a few of the other units called Zamza-Zah for variety. Those mobile armors could become some very serious threats, especially because of the positron shields they employed. Even for the Neo Freedom…
However, despite the military presence that controlled the government, it seemed that the actual military strength in the country itself was minimal. In fact, the factory itself was only guarded by a single squadron of ten Windam mobile suits and a single Zamza-Zah and Gells-Ghe. Considering the importance of the factory, that was a very light defense. But it seemed that the preconceived insignificance of the country would be plenty enough to have ZAFT look the other way, and truthfully, they weren't that far off.
A sudden tweak in his awareness caused Akira to immediately shut down his laptop. Turning to face the direction that he had sensed the approaching danger from, Akira spotted a small group of preteens running down the road. That by itself sent warning bells through Akira's mind, since by military law, all children were supposed to be in the military academy for children, where they'd learn the basics needed to become soldiers. The fact that those preteens were not there likely meant that their families were high enough up the political food chain that they were exempt from being drafted in favor of becoming politicians. It would be best to keep out of their sight since preteens like them were likely to cause more trouble than they were worth.
However, due to his sudden change in posture, the young boy whom had been following him all morning got the wrong impression. The young boy, who hadn't noticed the approach the preteens, let out a silent yelp and attempted to flee since he'd apparently been noticed by the stranger. The young boy, without realizing where he was heading, bumped into one of the preteens.
Despite not being able to speak the language, bullying was a universal constant. And Akira recognized the signs immediately. The young boy, seemingly a mute, had almost instantly started being pushed around by the older, taller, and stronger preteens who began to making snide remarks to the boy in their own language.
Standing up, Akira marched over to the grabbed the wrist of the preteen just as he was about to throw a punch at the defenseless boy. The preteen turned an instant glare upon whoever dared touch his noble skin, only to be met by a glare that outshone his own by several magnitudes. Firmly pushing the bully away, Akira stepped between the boys as they collected to one side of the street several paces away. Ignoring their loud accusations, Akira gently helped the young boy to his feet and brushed off the dirt from his filthy shirt.
Seeing that the blond stranger was not even reacting to their multiple threats of getting him fired from his no doubt, lowly working station in the mines, the preteens eventually turned away, each swearing to themselves to get the bastard into deep trouble in the immediate to near-future for interrupting their fun.
"You okay?" he asked in a clear, gentle voice.
Even though he knew the boy likely hadn't understood the words, the compassion in Akira's voice unmistakable. A small blush lit up the boy's cheeks as he realized just who his savior was. Before Akira could stop him, the boy turned and ran away in a random direction, thankfully in the opposite one that the bullies had taken. Shaking his head in confusion, Akira turned and gathered up his backpack and laptop. He needed to make a more thorough investigation of the factory before he performed his attack.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
3:00pm
From his perch on a rocky cliff that overlooked the factory, Lhomon stared with awe at the incredible scene that was taking place before his very eyes. He couldn't help but think many questions as he watched what was happening in front of him. Was this the reason that the stranger had come to their small town? Why would he choose to do it here, in the middle of nowhere? What would happen to the townsfolk afterwards?
After the stranger had saved him from those preteen bullies, despite being horribly embarrassed by the young man's actions, Lhomon had still kept a close eye on him. He had watched as the stranger came up to these cliffs to study the factory below. He had watched as the stranger returned to the small diner for a short meal and to continue whatever he had started on his computer. And then, finally, the stranger had headed back towards where he'd left his machine. It was here that Lhomon had taken a leap of faith. He had run all the way back to these cliffs to watch what would happen.
No matter what Lhomon might've hoped the blond would do, blatantly attacking the factory was about the last thing that he'd ever thought it would be. The weird mobile armor the blond piloted had been invisible when the attack initially started, but when it had reappeared it had been in the form of a mobile suit. Under the shockingly great amount of firepower that the mobile suit generated, the most crucial locations of the factory were destroyed in a matter of seconds. The many Alliance armors that were in the process of being assembled were quickly targeted and reduced to scrap metal in an instant.
And then the Alliance's defenses arrived, all ten mobile suits and two armors. Even though Lhomon had just seen firsthand how powerful the stranger's machine was, he felt a terrible fear in his gut as he saw just how drastically outnumbered he was. Lhomon had grown up around those Alliance machines; he knew exactly how dangerous and powerful they could be in the hands of the right pilots. And no matter how powerful that stranger's machine was, he was fighting against actual enemies and not a near-defenseless factory. Lhomon had already resigned himself to watching the courageous, yet foolish, stranger be killed by those ruthless Eurasian pilots as the Windams and armors readied their retaliation.
But to Lhomon's eternal surprise, the stranger was much, much more skilled than he'd ever dreamed! Upon spotting the attacking Windams, the stranger's suit had snapped into a firing position and destroyed all ten Windams within an instant of one another. The battle against the armors proved to be a bit more difficult for the stranger thanks to their energy shields. However, because of a careless trigger finger, one of the armors, the one that looked like a flying crab, had sent a powerful energy blast down upon its partner while it was in the process of evading the stranger's attacks. The spider-like armor on the ground hadn't been prepared for the unexpected attack and was destroyed in a spectacular explosion.
With only one mobile armor left to deal with, Lhomon couldn't stop himself from beginning to hope for the stranger's victory. However, even without the distraction provided by the second armor, the battle was proving to be difficult for the stranger. The energy shield was apparently very powerful and the gunners of the armor only brought it down long enough for them shoot at their enemy.
Due to the flow of the battle, Lhomon found himself looking down upon the armor as it was backed towards the cliff that he was hiding on. Seeing the form of the stranger's mobile suit preparing to unleash another volley of its firepower upon its opponent, Lhomon let out a mute yell of fear and scrambled away for safety.
As fate would have it, in Lhomon's frantic attempt to hide or find a safer place to watch the battle, the young boy accidently disturbed a series of rotten logs that were perched haphazardly on the cliff edge. With the boy's unintentional aid, the logs finally gave way to gravity's power and toppled over the edge, pulling with them several boulders no larger than a common basketball. The debris fell from the cliff and crashed heavily upon the Alliance's armor, which coincidentally had dropped its positron shield in order to fire another round of blasts at the Neo Freedom. The falling rocks caused just enough damage to the positron shield's primary emitter that when the pilot attempted to reactivate it, the entire device exploded.
Unable to bring the shield back up and suitably distracted by the unexpected destruction that had been caused, the pilot and the two gunners of the Zamza-Zah were completely overwhelmed when Akira attacked with all his weapons. The armor exploded spectacularly against the rocky cliff, scorching its surface black.
After a long moment of silence after the deafening explosion, Lhomon turned back and peeked over the edge of the cliff almost fearfully. What he saw was the burning wreckage of the armor far below him. A loud whine of an engine quickly drew Lhomon's attention and he spotted the stranger's mobile suit hovering a short distance away from him and the edge of the cliff. Lhomon knew that the stranger could see him because the head piece of the large white, black, and blue mobile suit was staring straight down at him.
Then, to Lhomon's surprise, a hatch opened up on the top of the chest of the mobile suit. The pilot rose into view, and even with his helmet on and at a reasonable distance away, Lhomon could see the appreciative smile on his face. The stranger silently raised his hand in a gesture of thanks towards Lhomon. And for some reason, Lhomon found himself raising his own hand in an answering gesture towards the stranger. Even though he knew he should hate this person for disturbing the relative, although oppressed, peace that his home had been living in, even though he somehow knew that his life would never be the same thanks to this stranger's actions here today. Lhomon found he could not bring himself to feel any negative emotions towards the stranger, only a strange feeling of respect.
Descending back inside his mobile suit, the stranger disappeared from view as the hatch closed behind him. The large mobile suit then flew high into the air where it spread its blue wings out in clear show of display for the many witnesses of the battle, most from the small town of Paro.
Turning suddenly, the mobile suit folded in onto itself, becoming that weird mobile armor that Lhomon had first seen earlier. With a powerful blast of its engines, the machine flew away in a westerly direction and rapidly disappeared from view thanks to its invisibility capabilities.
KIRA – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny – KIRA
November 4, 73 C.E.
Newscasts all over the world displayed the attack by the newly-reborn Neo Freedom upon an undisclosed location in southeastern Eurasia. Taking into account the factory itself, the primary shipping roads, as well as the twenty-nine mobile armors lost, the total damage was calculated to be over seven billion dollars. Excluding the pilots of the defense forces, not a single innocent bystander had been killed or injured.
What accompanied those newscasts of the Neo Freedom's destruction of the mobile armor factory were a series of sudden uprisings all throughout Eurasia, seemingly inspired by the Neo Freedom's successful and decisive attack on the Alliance.
Although the Alliance was quick to place a very high reward for the capture or destruction of the rogue Gundam, there have been no further sightings of the mobile suit or its mysterious pilot since.
I must say that I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter, for obvious reasons I'm sure. That's right, Akira and Lacus finally and formally meet...but they still go their separate ways. T_T At the request of numerous of you reviewers, I decided to post this updated version of the Neo Freedom's current armaments. I hope that I explained the reason behind its abrupt lack of new weaponry well enough in the chapter. The engineers had to use the Freedom's older data because they couldn't get at the Neo Freedom's info. Which means that Akira will have to make changes to them the hard way, and who doesn't enjoy that?
IMPORTANT!! Since I seem to be having problems setting up the poll properly on my homepage, here's a question for you readers. Should I write a prequel (Gundam SEED version) to this story, to explain what had changed and why? Please note that it's a possible project for the future and not something of immediate concern...unless someone wishing to volunteer their time and services to write it for me.
Lhomon—southern land of darkness (Sanskrit translation, I believe)
Kawayui—(1) cute, adorable, charming, lovely, pretty; (2) dear, precious, darling, pet; (3) cute little, tiny
ZGMF-X10A Neo Freedom Gundam (Repaired)
Power plant:
Ultra-compact nuclear fission reactor (Freedom)
Equipment and design features:
Sensors, range unknown (Freedom)
Phase Shift (PS) armor (Freedom)
Neutron Jammer Canceller (Freedom)
G.U.N.D.A.M. Operating System (Freedom)
Mirage Colloid (Early Harvest)
Additional thrusters, hidden in wings, used mostly while in mobile armor mode (various mobile suits)
Fixed armaments:
2 x MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS, fire-linked, mounted on head (Freedom)
2 x M100 "Balaena" plasma beam cannon, stored in wings, mounted over shoulders in use in HiMAT (High Mobility Aerial Tactics) mode (Freedom)
8 x 57mm high-energy beam cannons, stored inside hidden compartments of the wings, alongside the maneuverability thrusters (various mobile suits)
2 x MMI-M15 "Xiphias" rail cannon, folded underneath hips, spread out in use in HiMAT (Freedom)
4 x MA-M01 "Lacerta" beam sabers, two stored on waist and two on shoulders (Freedom)
1 x dual beam claw, mounted on small shield on the right forearm, can be fired out with modified DRAGOON system (GuAIZ)
1 x shield (Freedom)
1 x MA-M20 "Lupus" beam rifle, stored on rear of waist (Freedom)