The Joule team was promptly ordered back to the PLANTS, where they prepared to defend the colonies from any possible threats. And the threats did come, much sooner than they had expected.
In under a week, the OMNI declared war, and the Joule team was dispatched to meet the invading forces. Little did they know, however, that the OMNI attack was a decoy; there was an entire separate unit approaching the PLANTS from a different direction.
A separate unit armed with nuclear missiles.
The PLANTS only narrowly escaped complete annihilation through one of ZAFT's newest innovations, the Neutron Stampeder.
It had been eleven hours since the OMNI attack, and Yzak sat alone in his quarters in the Voltaire. There was no imminent threat of another attack; the Neutron Stampeder had obliterated a great portion of the OMNI forces, and it would take them a few days to reorganize. All ZAFT troops were technically on standby, but Yzak knew that most of the soldiers were probably too shaken to be on duty.
Including himself.
He dug his hands into his hair. He did not want to believe what had just happened. Not only was peace officially terminated, but the entire PLANTS had almost been vaporized. His family. His home. His world. There was no more denying that any semblance of order or stability that they so carefully constructed over the last two years had shattered.
The door slid open, and he heard a few hesitant footsteps. Two people on the entire ship knew the key to his door, and only one of them was really capable of showing any kind of hesitation. He looked up, and he was met by a pair of equally strained eyes.
"Shiho."
She took a few steps toward him; she looked much smaller than she usually did. She opened her mouth to say something, but she could not seem to find the words. Yzak shifted on his bed and motioned her to sit beside him. She gingerly obeyed. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Shiho slowly reached for his hand.
"I don't even know why I'm so upset. It wasn't exactly a surprise."
Shiho kept her gaze down while she fiddled with his fingers. Her voice was thin, and her hands were horribly unsteady.
"They just tried to kill us all off. Who wouldn't be upset?"
"Still. We knew that another war was coming. But now that it's actually a reality…"
She trailed off. Her shoulders were tense. If she was trying to feign nonchalance, she was failing miserably. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He felt her relax slightly, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"What was it that we fought for, Yzak? What did we stain our hands with blood for?"
"Shiho…"
"We all lost so much, and all we get in return is another fucking war."
Yzak tightened his arms around her.
"It's bullshit, I agree. But we can't rewind time, and we just have to do what we can."
The faces of Miguel, Nicol and Rusty flashed before him. They were only a few of all the lives that disappeared in the battlefield. A miniscule portion of the massive price the world paid for peace.
Their deaths were not in vain, he told himself with gritted teeth. He would not allow it to be in vain.
"Yzak, I am terrified. Absolutely terrified."
Shiho pulled away from the embrace, and for the first time he noticed how deathly pale she looked. Her complexion had always been fair, especially against her dark hair and eyes. But the little color she usually had in her cheeks was completely gone. She was so pallid that she was almost transparent. Like she could easily disappear into thin air.
A wave of guilt washed over him as he realized that she could have been away from all of this back at R&D.
"I'm sorry."
"None of this is your fault. Don't apologize."
There was a hint of anger in her voice. Yzak sighed.
"No. I mean. I shouldn't have dragged you out to the front lines again."
She looked at him blankly for a moment, then she grabbed his face and kissed him. It happened faster than a flicker, leaving him dazed.
"Shiho?"
"Don't flatter yourself, Yzak. I'm here because I chose to be here, and I don't regret that decision. Not now, not ever."
Her amethyst eyes gazed right into his own. Two and a half years ago, when they first met, they glistened with savage fire. Now, they shone with passion and unmistakable strength. With the vivid flame of her life. The raw energy behind her eyes seemed oddly out of place against her pallid skin.
She was absolutely, terrifyingly beautiful.
He reached for her face and she closed her eyes. Her skin was smooth, and he was suddenly conscious of his own calloused hands. He jerked his hand away, not wanting to damage the perfection that sat in front of him. It was a ridiculous notion; Shiho wasn't some breakable porcelain doll. And she most definitely wasn't some fragile damsel who would shy away from a slightly rough touch.
She opened her eyes and looked at him dubiously. He felt like a complete idiot, and quickly looked away trying to hide the color rising in his cheeks.
"Yzak, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
He replied a little too quickly, too harshly. Shiho smirked.
"Are you blushing?"
"Shut up, Shiho."
"What would the crew say if they found out their ruthless commander had such a soft side to him?"
He pushed her onto the bed and covered her mouth with his own. He was only trying to hide his embarrassment, he knew, and he could feel his ears grow warm. Shiho simply looked up at him in amusement.
"By the way, commander, you're breaching protocol. "
Yzak scoffed. The clause prohibiting romantic relationships within the military was probably the most flagrantly ignored rules in all of ZAFT. It was simply a matter of formality; everybody understood that ZAFT was mainly comprised of hormonal youths, after all.
"You are too, Shiho."
She laughed, and he scowled.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Her voice echoed oddly in his quarters, and he could not help but feel a twinge of anxiety as he reached in for another kiss.
Yes, snails pace updates. Perhaps even slower. But I have not forgotten.
A million, million thanks to all readers. A million more to all who review.