Update: Tweaked/rewritten January 2021.
One Nuke Short of a Massacre
"What do you think Orb's gonna do, Revelin?" Stray asked, pouring himself a fresh cup of very weak coffee before walking over to the couch and sitting down next to his friend. The four of them—Lust included—had ventured over to the other side of the Mendel colony, housing themselves in a similar hotel than they had stayed in before. Melanie and Phoebe were currently looking for more supplies and Wrath had followed orders and made his way back to Earth. So, just like old times, it was Gluttony and Pride alone watching the world crumble around them. "I think they're gonna pull through; they usually do."
"They're gonna blow themselves up," FS replied, straight-faced.
Stray turned to look at him and saw his eyes blink wearily and his mouth open in a bored yawn. How could he not be interested in whether or not Eclipse's home country was destroyed? Shaking his head, he set down his coffee cup and leaned back into the cushions. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it had only been a couple of weeks since his religious ramble and since then he had been—well—interesting, to put it simply. Hell, Stray didn't even think he slept anymore.
"Why do you think they're gonna blow up?"
"Because that's the only option they have left," he answered with a shrug and pointed to the blonde reporter on the glitching television screen. At one point, her head disappeared altogether as a black and white strip flashed across the screen. "Pretty soon she's gonna make the announcement that Orb forces have retreated and then soon after that—" He made the sound of an explosion, his cheeks puffing out as his hands formed the mushroom cloud in the air. "Bye, bye Orb. Bye, bye Mass Driver. Hello pissed off Federation." He laughed after that, a small burst of sound that was nothing more than a mockery to Stray's ears. "And then the world will officially be screwed because the Earth Forces can't get to space and ZAFT can do whatever the hell they want."
"About damn time," Stray muttered, biting on a nail as he looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye. He didn't necessarily believe in what he was saying, but after that little outburst on the other side of the satellite he had learned to speak a lot of things he really didn't mean. He didn't think FS would attack him of all people, but there was still that chance.
"Hah," FS replied, pounding his fist down on the coffee table. Stray jumped and grabbed his mug before it toppled over onto the floor. "And to think we had nothing to do with it. Yes, it's about goddamn time!" He stormed out of the lobby then, brushing past the returning Lust twins and pushing Melanie hard against the wall. She rubbed the spot with taped fingers, Stray knowing there were no fingernails on her pinky and thumb from one of FS's other fits.
Phoebe turned to look at Stray, her right black eye starting its brown cycle on the color wheel instead of the pretty blue and purple. They locked stares for a second before Stray looked away, unable to match the dead glimmer in her eye.
It had been a long couple of weeks.
"Phoebe!" FS yelled from one of the side rooms and Stray felt her jump rather than saw her. Pretending to be more interested in the television broadcast, he heard Phoebe struggle out of the spacesuit and drop the supplies they had found on the lobby counter. Melanie muttered something, but Phoebe must have just brushed her off because the next thing he heard was FS from down the hall.
"No, keep the door open."
Leaning forward, Stray turned up the volume on the television as Melanie started putting away the supplies.
"The fighting has stopped!" the reporter yelled. "Orb forces are retreating!"
So far, FS had been right, but Stray could only hope Eclipse wasn't around when the rest of his prediction came true.
Eclipse was the first one escorted from the command room, "escorted" meaning Kisaka dragged her from the corner and threw her into one of the other meeting rooms instead. A long, round table sat in the middle surrounded by about eight leather chairs. She didn't really have time to count them all. Kisaka tossed the redhead into one and leaned down on her forearms grabbing onto the armrests, the loud slam of the door cutting off the commotion outside.
"You'd better have one hell of an explanation!"
"I'm sorry—"
He pushed the chair hard back against the table, making the legs scrape against the carpet as it moved an inch or so. "Don't mock me with some lame apology! You are in some serious trouble; do you understand that?"
Eclipse opened her mouth to say yes, but nothing came out, her voice probably just as afraid of Kisaka as she was. He was pissed. It wasn't the fatherly anger she was so used to from him, but the complete rage one adult bestowed upon another when he—or she in this case—did something unforgivable.
Like betraying the country.
She nodded when he shook the chair again, probably wanting his answer as well as her complete attention.
"You know government and military policy very well, so either I should be throwing you in prison or putting you in a mental hospital for complete lunacy!"
"I wasn't telling them anything about our defenses. I just wanted to try and stop—"
"So, you were talking to the pilots of those machines."
"You don't understand, I needed to—"
"I don't understand?"
"—make them stop fighting because—"
"Hah, by talking to them—"
"—they're being manipulated by the EA—"
"—in Orb's military command center?"
"—and they're like brothers to a friend—"
"Enough."
"—and I promised I'd—"
"I said enough!" He banged the chair back against the table again and pushed it another inch towards the window. "Your excuses are worthless and a promise is nothing more than comic relief to a military jury." Looking down, he clenched the armrests tighter, Eclipse feeling the chair shake with his anger and the bruises most likely forming on her forearms from his grip. Her breath quickened as she waited for him to start yelling again. Out of all the people in her life to be terrified of, she honestly didn't think Kisaka would fill a slot, but there he was in the perfect position to snap her neck and probably having enough rage running through his system to do so. With her hands strapped to the chair, there was no way she could block his attack. Taking a breath, she steadied herself and waited. If something was going to happen, there was no way she was going to be afraid of it.
Kisaka took a couple deep breaths of his own, cursing quietly as he tried to calm down. To be honest, she couldn't imagine what was running through his head. He had to worry about the troops coming into Kaguya, the next plan of action for the Orb military, not to mention the evacuees, the injured, the dead, and reloading ammo, rationing the ammo, and probably a bunch of other things concerning food and medical supplies alone. Now he had what looked like a traitor pinned to a chair and being one of the few people in the country directly related to the former Chief Representative. And that was only by blood. She was the Orb princess's close friend and cousin as well as a former ZAFT elite.
Shit.
Finally, he backed off, his hands sticking to Eclipse's jacket before falling back to his sides. Moving from the floor, he stared at her hard, his eyes still narrowed in anger. "I'm going to report to Lord Uzumi about this matter. You are to stay here until you receive any further orders about the situation. Do I make myself clear?" Eclipse nodded slowly. "Good. There'll be a guard posted outside." She nodded again and looked down to her lap, rubbing the tender areas on her forearms. She heard the older man sigh, open, and then close the door gently behind him before silence surrounded her once more.
It was nearly an hour before Kisaka came back with Lord Uzumi. Eclipse had changed positions countless times in the room and was currently sitting on the table with her feet on one of the chairs; however, that position changed the moment the door opened, the redhead leaping to her feet and saluting Kisaka as soon as he walked in. When Lord Uzumi passed through the doorway, she bowed and stayed that way until the door was closed.
"Lexi, sit down," her uncle ordered, and she did just that.
"The colonel has given his report and I cannot express how disappointed I am with you."
Eclipse felt her heart sink and her breath push out of her as he said those words. She had always expected it from her parents, but to hear it from the man who had treated her like a daughter was almost unbearable. A part of her wanted to break out in tears, but her body was in too deep of shock to even react.
"We accessed the communication's database for that specific radio and have heard your conversation. While it sounded harmless," he went on to explain, crossing his hands behind his back and looking more and more like the powerful government official every second, "we cannot ignore the fact that you contacted enemy forces while Orb was under military attack. You have hereby broken Orb's code of military conduct and have thus committed treason against the nation. Lexi Rymyr, do you deny these accusations?"
By that time, she was shaking; she couldn't help it. It was one thing to be naively kicked out of the military—like she had been from ZAFT—but this time she had caused her own misfortune. She closed her eyes and tried concentrating on her breathing, in the back of her mind wondering why the hell she had felt so compelled to speak to those pilots. Perhaps some part of her felt the need to save them as well; as if they were a second chance since her first chance with FS and Stray had failed so miserably.
Taking one more breath, she finally replied into the thick silence. "No."
"Look at me."
She lifted her chin and locked eyes with her uncle, his brow furrowed in a firm line across his forehead. Her vision blinked in and out of focus as she stared at him, feeling too guilty to hold the look for long, but knowing she had to.
"Tell me here, to my face. Lexi Rymyr, do you deny contacting enemy forces during a military attack on the nation of Orb and hereby committing treason against that nation?"
"No, I do not deny it."
He sighed and let his hands drop to his sides, Eclipse turning her head down and to the leather chair next to her so that she didn't have to look him in the eye anymore. She still had to go through a trial to decide her permanent sentencing—and having a high ranking officer and the former Chief Representative hear her confession practically sealed her fate—but Lord Uzumi still had to come up with a temporary decision. Most likely she would be thrown in prison.
His feet shuffled closer to her and she flinched, expecting her judgment to be delivered at any moment, but instead she felt his hand pat the top of her head and then follow the line of her hair to her cheek. Startled by the gesture, she looked up to see a small smile on his lips. "At this moment, I'll refrain from passing judgment." His smile brightened for a second, probably because of the shock on her face. "I don't want the last thing I say to you to be about your actions. Colonel Kisaka has already submitted his report, but you'll be in space long before anyone has time to get to the file."
"Wait—what? Last thing? Space?" Eclipse stuttered, manually taking his hand from her cheek and holding onto it while she stood. "What's going on?"
His smile never faltered. "Even though we both know what the final decision will be concerning this, I want you to look after Cagalli as best as you can and give her all the support your circumstances are able to. Even from afar that'll be enough."
"Lord Uzumi, you're not making any sense."
He took his hand from hers and put it on her shoulder instead. "Colonel Kisaka and your brother already know of the plan and I am about to inform the Archangel crew."
"The plan?"
He didn't respond, his smile faltering then. Somehow it seemed sad and when she looked over at Kisaka a little bit behind him, she saw a similar sadness there. Whatever this plan was, involved a lot more than just them going to space. Suddenly, she started getting worried; scared even. "Uncle?"
"Now, don't worry. Things will work out in then end; I want you to remember that. And I was serious about taking care of Cagalli. She is young still, rash, and a bit more impulsive than I could have ever imagined. But her head is in the right place and I have faith in her. A lot is going to be put on her shoulders soon and even though she will be facing most of it by herself, I want you to be there to remind her she doesn't have to." It sounded like his last will or something.
"Uncle—"
"And the only thing I want you to do is stay out of trouble and start using your head, alright? You were always as impulsive as my daughter, but I felt you had a firmer grasp of things than Cagalli. This event has proven otherwise, however, you have still shown a strong sense of loyalty, no matter how the verdict ends up." He put his other hand on her shoulder and leaned down, kissing her forehead. Eclipse tensed and blushed, not having experienced such fatherly affection since she was little. It was both strange and nice at the same time. "But enough sentimentality from an old man," he continued. "Come, let's speak to Captain Ramius and her crew."
Lord Uzumi led the way out, but before they left, Kisaka and Eclipse shared a look. He wasn't angry anymore, but it was still an unfamiliar expression to see on his face. Dread? Worry? Or maybe he was just tired? She couldn't tell, but it put the same look on her face.
What was this plan?
They ended up back in the control room, but amazingly no one gave her any dirty looks or whispered behind her back. Either everyone was too busy to notice she had walked in, or they had missed her escapade altogether. Since Kisaka was the one to grab her, Eclipse had expected rumors to fly all over the place, but the soldiers were concentrating too hard to even notice the door opening. A part of her was happy about that, but the other part of her felt like a common criminal. She gulped and stood next to Kisaka, trying to hide next to the bigger man as best she could without looking guilty.
Cagalli walked up the stairs and joined them a second later, having still been relaying commands down below. She looked tired, but composed and Eclipse felt the need to salute as she came near. Her cousin certainly looked like a commanding officer. After nodding to Kisaka and her father, she turned to the redhead. Eclipse expected her of all people to know what had happened in the command room—and her expression definitely confirmed that—but she reached out and pulled her cousin into a hug nonetheless. Squeezing her tightly once, she let go before Eclipse even had time to register the action and return the gesture. Stepping to her right, Cagalli watched the door as some of the Archangel officers walked through.
The first one was the captain, her hair a little tossed from the last battle with her hat tucked under her left arm. She stopped in front of Lord Uzumi and saluted as the last of the trio filed in off to her right. It was Mu and another man with dark blue almost black hair who made up the other two from the Archangel. They each saluted and Lord Uzumi reached out to shake hands with Captain Ramius.
"I'm happy to see you well, Captain. How fairs the Archangel?"
"She's taken a lot of damage, sir, but nothing my mechanics can't handle."
"And the crew?"
"Tired, but still willing to hold off the Atlantic Federation. We will defend Orb until the end."
Eclipse didn't see her uncle's face, but she knew he was smiling. What the captain had just said would warm any leader's heart, no matter how grave the circumstance. Such loyalty was greatly appreciated, but Eclipse also knew her uncle wouldn't hold the smile for long. He didn't like anyone throwing away their lives carelessly. "I thank you and your crew for that, Captain Ramius, but there will be no need for you all to say such things. As we speak, supplies are being loaded onto our battleship, the Kusanagi and I would like to ask the Archangel to join it in space."
"Leave Orb?" the captain said, clearly surprised about the statement. "Lord Uzumi, are you telling up to just run away?"
"I'm sure you've realized this by now, Orb is already lost. It's only a matter of time before it falls."
Eclipse could feel the air stop in the room, fingers slowing on the consoles closest to the conversation above. It was one thing to know it in the back of the mind, but another thing entirely to hear someone say it. And have that someone be the leader of the country.
The redhead felt Cagalli tense next she her, the blonde's fist brushing against her jacket before she stepped out to look at Lord Uzumi. "Wh-what are you saying, father?" Eclipse didn't like where the conversation was going either, but she put a hand on her cousin's and pulled her back to her side to let her uncle finish.
"Our people have been evacuated. They'll be taken care of elsewhere. From now on, we'll bear the responsibility, but even if we must leave Orb, there are some things we must never give up."
The door opened again at that moment, Kira, Athrun and Dearka all walked in. Dearka saw Eclipse first and nodded, but when the redhead turned to Athrun, he was looking at Cagalli. They must have shared a look of their own because his face tensed to worry when he looked at Eclipse. She just shook her head while Lord Uzumi continued.
"The Earth Forces' present actions are being guided by the leader of Blue Cosmos, Murata Azrael. To make matters worse, the PLANTs are lead by someone who believes that Coordinators are a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now." All eyes seemed to glance at Athrun and the pilot hung his head. Eclipse's fingers curled into a fist when she saw his expression: pain.
"The way things are developing," Lord Uzumi explained, "the world will be trapped between two forces who refuse to accept each other's existence. Is this the future you want to see?" He looked at each of them in turn and this time Eclipse didn't turn away from his stare. "If you desire a different world, take this small light of hope we have kindled and use it to set a course for a new future. It means a hard road ahead, but I'm sure you understand why it's necessary, Murrue Ramius."
"That light may be small, but it burns brightly. We believe in it as well."
Eclipse looked at the captain then, seeing the pure determination on her face. There was little hesitation when she gave Lord Uzumi her answer and the redhead could feel her admiration for the Archangel captain growing as she watched her. Eclipse had such resentment for the ship and her crew for so long, but now that feeling was slowly changing. Looking over at Kira, she felt a small bit of hatred and when he matched her stare, she felt the anger build, but it never quite reached to the point of homicidal rage. He looked away first and followed the others out of the room after Lord Uzumi had dismissed them. Kisaka walked down the stairs and back to the command table while Cagalli still stood frozen in her spot. Lord Uzumi walked over to the two of them and put a hand on each of their heads, his smile now gone. It took Eclipse another second, but she finally figured out what the great plan was once she felt his fingers rest on her head.
He was going to die.
Eclipse had only seen one other person with the same expression and that was back at Januarias 4. He was someone she had been torturing for information, but she had never understood the look he had given her until her uncle had shown her a similar expression. Just like the man she had tortured, Lord Uzumi had resigned himself to death; had accepted his fate. Seeing it on the man back in Januarias 4 had meant nothing, but now looking at the emotion on her beloved uncle's face, Eclipse felt her heart twist.
"Now I get it," she whispered. He smiled sadly at her words and she felt a tear form in her right eye and fall to her chin. Looking down—even though she knew he had seen—she said, "Thank you" and "Goodbye" before hurrying out the door, the warmth of his hand on her head fading away as she ran down the hallway.
Eclipse didn't want to see her parents.
For the first time in her life, a part of her didn't want to leave Orb and her uncle, but there was just nothing more she could do. And having her parents magically want to talk to her now of all times was less than comforting.
"Lexi, you never came over to talk to us after we sent you so many invitations," her mother said, crossing her legs as she fixed her skirt. They were in one of the conversation rooms just outside the hangar with two green couches, a coffee table, and that was about it. Her parents were dressed in Orb governmental attire, the first time Eclipse had seen them in the uniforms since their ceremonial entrance into their line of work when she was little. Her father wore the white Orb military uniform of a high-ranking officer, but the metals at his breast displayed far more battle experience than Eclipse knew for him to have. Even her mother was wearing a blazer similar to her father's but there was no insignia, and a white skirt finished the ensemble, different from the typical trousers Eclipse and Cagalli often wore.
Eclipse sat across from them, as far back in the sofa as she could get, her arms resting in her lap and her crutches leaning off to her right. "I didn't think I needed an invitation to go to my own house."
"We didn't either, but apparently nothing was working," her father added, sounding bitter.
"So here you are," the redhead responded, just as grouchy. If they were going to give her attitude, she would become just as much of a toddler. They were the ones wasting her time, after all. She was supposed to take off to space with Lathan and Namarra while watching someone who really acted like her father die. This conversation was not something she needed to involve herself in when the Earth Forces could attack again at any moment.
"We came to tell you we're sorry and we understand why you did everything you did," her mother said and Eclipse nearly stopped breathing, the redhead's attention slowly moving from her grumpy father to her poised mother's face. Had they just said what she thought they had? She watched her mother's mouth and eyes but saw no kind of nervous movement. She looked at her nose then and still saw nothing, but when she turned her attention to the hoop earrings, her mother's left hand came up to fiddle with it. Her excitement level dropped dramatically.
"You're lying. Why the hell would you lie to me now at all times? Do you realize I'm in one of those fighting machines trying to protect your asses?"
"Lexi, we're trying to understand," her father answered, his hand waving out in front of him in frustration. That was another one of his tells and Eclipse's scowl deepened. Yes, like that was going to make things better.
"Geez, guys. Even that's a lie. You do realize, right, that Orb is trying to fight for its ideals."
"They never even gave them a chance—"
"Mom, you're kidding!" Eclipse hissed, cutting off the older woman. "The Atlantic Federation turned away every chance of communication we gave them."
"Then give them more," she replied.
"Oh, come on!"
"Lexi, you have to understand, if we were in charge, this would never have gotten to be a bloody battle. Orb would still be standing and its citizens safe in their homes."
"And the country safely under the Earth Forces dictatorship, right Dad? And what's all this about being in charge of Orb? I take it that didn't go over too well with the rest of the council because here you are instead, not willing to go down with your ideals!"
"Honey, someone has to stay behind and rebuild the country," her mother explained, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder and pulling him back further in his seat on the couch. Eclipse had begun leaning forward as well so it was practically a shouting match between the two, the coffee table not being much of a barrier between them. "Us, my brother-in-law and the Seirans are in charge of keeping this country safe after they're all gone."
Eclipse narrowed her eyes, her hands tensing into fists still in her lap. "And you can say that with a straight face? Members of the Athhas—members of your family are going to sacrifice themselves for this country and you don't even care?"
"How can you say that? I have nothing but complete love for this family!" her mother yelled in response, her inflection displaying the cool reserve on her face.
"But you bumped heads with them too much, huh? Never thought the same way about Orb politics and now that they're going to be out of the picture, you can finally build the kind of empire you want. Yes, such love."
Slap.
Eclipse had only been slapped in the face a couple times in her young life. Lately, she had been punched because hand-to-hand required a little more force than what a simple slap could involve, but she had never forgotten the stinging feeling on her face long after the hand had recoiled back to its owner. Her parents had a no-hitting policy and why, at that moment, he had chosen to break his own law should have put Eclipse far more on edge than it had. Instead, she stared down at the carpet for a second to recover before slowly turning her attention back to her parents. Her eyes narrowed very dangerously.
"Don't you ever say such nonsense to your mother," her father spat, all but verbally announcing he had been the one to hit his daughter. He shook his hand off to the side, trying to get rid of the sting on his end. "Who are you, some fighting buffoon? What do you know about politics?"
After the last conversation she had had with her parents that comment didn't hurt as much as it was probably intended, but she still felt something. Pity?
"Maybe a buffoon, but I'm fighting for what this country really believes in," Eclipse spat.
"Is that why you betrayed it?"
The redhead's whole body went stiff the second those words came out of her mother's mouth. The blood just drained from her cheeks, and most likely from her whole body given how faint she felt. She knew her parents were going to find out eventually, but she never thought she would be there to confront them directly. It was always distant messages with them, so she thought this instance was going to be the same. Oh, how she wished it was the same.
"This country wants peace between Naturals and Coordinators and that is all it's ever wanted," her mother continued. "It fights now to uphold those ideals because if they agree to side with the Atlantic Federation, they'll be viewed as an enemy of ZAFT. And if they don't agree to side with the Naturals, the Federation and others will view us as allies to the Coordinators. Really, all we want is to be neutral and live in peace. That is what Orb is, Lexi. Your father and I both know that and after your little—I don't know what it was—I'm wondering if you really understand that. Really understand what it means for my brother-in-law to die."
Eclipse didn't know what to say; hell, she didn't even know how to react. Her parents were right. What she had done had affected more than just her alliance with Namarra, but of course it took some parental whipping to smash it into her head. Maybe she had to find some kind of happy medium between taking orders and making them for herself because where she was at now neither helped her nor those around her.
Her parents left soon afterwards, saying a quick goodbye and even wishing her some luck. There was no hug, no "I love you," or any kind of last wishes before they sent her off to the battle in space. They might never see each other again and the only thing they could do was give a half-hearted wave. Then again, maybe they had done something. They opened her eyes, even if only for a little bit.
Perhaps her stay in Orb wasn't meaningless after all.
"Regean loading complete. Decay and Stealth secured in the hangar, supplies locked in place. All lights are green," Lathan said, flipping some switches above his head as he glanced out at the catwalk below.
"I read you, Regean," came the reply over the radio. "You are to launch before the main body of the Kusanagi than link up with it in space."
"Roger that."
"Ready when you are."
"Just waiting on one passenger," Lathan replied, side glancing over at Namarra buckled in the seat kitty-corner to his. She had recently come out of her anesthesia and was still a bit groggy, but she was still coherent enough to know Eclipse had better get to the transport and fast. The two of them wore orange jackets and black trousers, opting for comfort instead of prestige and Lathan pulled nervously on his right cuff as he turned back to the consoles, checking the catwalk again and trying to get a glimpse of Lexi's white uniform. His parents usually had really bad timing, but pulling Eclipse aside and wanting to talk to her seconds before launch was a new low even for them. He tapped impatiently on the armrest, squinting at one of the screens when he saw Eclipse's crutches reach around the corner into the docking hangar. He sat up straighter and stared, seeing his sister coming as quickly as she could towards the transport. Relieved, he pulled the seatbelts down over his head and locked them tight, waiting for Eclipse to get on and they could take off. Only a few minutes behind. Not too bad.
"You're late!" he yelled when she wedged her crutches under her seat and sat down in the co-pilot's chair next to Lathan.
"Blame the parentals."
"Blamed. Now, let's get the hell outta here before they decide to have a heartfelt talk with me." After one last conversation with traffic control, he flipped some more switches and they were off.
Being the first ones to leave Orb, they were well into the atmosphere when they saw the mass driver explode on their camera feed. It looked like a domino effect of explosions, destroying the track and following closely behind the Kusanagi's main transport. None of them could make out a lot of detail, but they all knew very well what had happened down below. Namarra screamed out, "Orga! Shani! Clotho!" before sinking back into her seat in frustrated defeat. They were all confident the three pilots had survived, but it was still nerve racking to think about. Eclipse turned her head away from the explosion and stared at her hands, feeling her body weight shifting from nearly double—thanks to the Gs she experienced during the ascent—to weightless. Lathan cursed loudly and turned one of the buttons until it clicked, quieting and then finally stopping the white noise on the radio.
"Regean section making final adjustments." Lathan reached in front of him and punched a sequence into the main console. "Docking complete with Kusanagi. Air pressurizing. Opening up connecting bridges in 10…9…8…7…"
Eclipse stared blankly at her brother as he finished the countdown, her head buzzing with shock more than with careful concentration. She could have been helping him with the docking, but after seeing the explosion, she couldn't think or do much of anything. Yes, she had known what her uncle and some of the other council members were going to do, but watching it with her own eyes just made her nauseous. Lathan had been calm throughout the whole ordeal, then again he was a bit better at burying himself in work and ignoring the emotional side of his brain. In that aspect, she envied him. There was a place she could run to as well, but somehow asking the Berserker to take over at a time like this wouldn't help matters.
"Air pressurizing complete. Section sealed. Commencing with oxygen fill."
Namarra had been just as silent as she sat behind Eclipse. The redhead knew better than to try talking to her, so she didn't pry. It was amazing they had even gotten her to sit still as they took off. No doubt the confirmation that the Orb forces were merely leaving and not engaging the enemy had helped her keep the seatbelt on.
"Docking complete. Kusanagi, Lexi's coming to the main living quarters."
"Roger that, Regean. It's safe," came the reply.
Eclipse was up and out of her seat before Lathan could give her the final confirmation. Pulling on the back of her seat, she propelled herself towards the door—past Namarra's suspicious stare—pressed the release button, and was floating through the hangar on the way to the connecting hallway. Eclipse's only thought was to see Cagalli. If the explosion had hit her hard, she couldn't even imagine how much of an effect it would have had on her cousin. She cursed just thinking about it. Grabbing the handle on the side of the wall, she followed the hallway down to the corner and then turned left to grab the next handle and go down to the living quarters.
She wasn't entirely sure which one was Cagalli's room, but when she rounded the corner, Kisaka was standing guard next to one of the doors. Eclipse stopped at that room, locking eyes with the colonel before going in. The two of them stared at each other, the older man's glance a little less frightening than it had been a couple hours earlier. Given what had happened within the past hour, she couldn't be surprised, but it was sad to know the look hadn't softened because he had forgiven her. It was mainly because of the tragedy he had just witnessed.
"Cagalli?" Eclipse asked, and Kisaka pointed behind him to the room. She nodded and he turned to head back to the bridge.
She watched him for a sad moment before knocking on the door and then opening it when she heard a soft sob from inside. "Cags?" Cagalli was sitting on her bed, clutching what looked like a photograph between shaking hands. Eclipse had no idea what was on that picture, but it didn't matter when she saw her face. Pale didn't even seem to give justice to what was printed across her cheeks and watching the dead stare in her eyes confirmed that she was still in the same stage of grieving as Eclipse.
Shock.
"Cags?" she asked again and pushed herself off the doorframe and over to the bed. Stabilizing herself on the bedpost, she sat herself down on the sheets and curled her legs up and under the mattress to hold herself steady. When she was confident she wouldn't float away, the redhead put a hand on her cousin's. "Cagalli." The sternness in her tone that time must have finally gotten her attention because she jumped slightly and whipped her head around to see Eclipse.
"L-Lexi?"
Eclipse nodded and squeezed her hand. She thought about offering a small smile, but they both would have known it was fake.
"S-space? Are we in space?"
Eclipse nodded again and felt her heart twist. Cagalli was just trying to be strong and not show her true emotions. Her cousin had been known to act strong and put on a straight face whenever something bothered her, but to show that kind of strength in front of Eclipse was rare.
"E-everyone got here safely?" She stared back down at the photo in her hands.
"Cagalli, please."
"The Archangel made it too?"
"Hey—"
"Athrun and K-Kira?"
"Yes, Cags, everyone's—"
"And your brother? Well, you're here so I guess that means he's here too. That's good because I don't know what would happen if—"
"Stop, you're rambling."
"And if you're here that means the Kusanagi's done docking—"
"Hey!" Eclipse shouted that time, shaking Cagalli's hand back and forth in order to get her full attention. It might have been a bit much considering the circumstances, but the blonde had to snap out of the stupor. If anything, it wasn't healthy.
Cagalli finally turned back to her again, her cheeks gradually growing red as her eyes started getting their glossy finish. She gasped once, a short little burst of sound that sounded more like a small sob. It was followed by another, then another, until two tears streaked down her flushed face. "He stayed behind."
"I know."
"He just pushed me on the shuttle and I couldn't—I couldn't do anything!"
"I'm so sorry, Cags."
"I said—I didn't say—" She started crying then, turning away from her and back at the photo in her hands. "He gave me this—it's so stupid—I can't believe—why—" She stopped, clutching the picture so hard in her hands Eclipse saw the sides crinkle with the force. The redhead reached over and took it from her before she could ruin it entirely and most likely regret it. She slipped it into the crack under a mounted lamp on the side table, not taking the time to examine it since Cagalli's body was starting to shake again from her sobs. Reaching over, Eclipse put on arm across her shoulders and the other across her front, pulling her down into an embrace.
"Why did this happen?" she screamed, and Eclipse rubbed her back while she rocked her. After all of her training, everything she went through with Commander Waltfeld, Aisha, and Nicol, there was nothing she could say. Giving the default answer of, "Everything will be alright," seemed like a smack in the face.
"What do I do now? He's gone, Lexi! He's gone!"
She tried shushing her and was in the middle of saying, "I know," again when the door opened. Kira stood there with his hand on the doorframe. He looked a little out of breath and his face flushed from the small skirmish he had been in on Earth. No doubt witnessing Orb's destruction made him feel a bit panicked as well. "Cagalli?" he breathed, pushing his way into the room to steady himself on the table in front of the bed.
Eclipse just stared at him, knowing he would answer his own question merely by looking at the girl grieving in her arms. Athrun came to the door next, never breaching the threshold and coming into the room, but his face held a sadness she had not seen there in quite a while. Her breath caught in her throat and a tear finally fell down her cheek as she looked at him. He must have seen the tear because he made a movement to come closer, but Eclipse turned away, hiding her face in Cagalli's hair. It would do no good if both of them were crying.
It took a couple more minutes, but eventually Cagalli calmed down enough to sit up on her own. Most likely, she knew the guys were in the room with them, but she refused to look up from the hands now clenched in her lap. Eclipse was certain she felt embarrassed and the redhead probably should have sent the pilots away when she had the chance, but she didn't trust her own voice, let alone able make real eye contact with either of them without wanting to cry herself. So, the two girls sat there in silence as Athrun and Kira looked on.
Damn, Eclipse really didn't want to be there anymore.
"Lexi," Cagalli began, withholding a sob, "thank you for everything, but," she held back another cry, "I'd like to talk to Kira right now if that's okay."
"Of course," Eclipse replied, squeezing the blonde's hand before she loosened her grip on the bed and pushed herself over towards Athrun at the door. The ZAFT elite steadied her as she came near, helping her get her feet on the ground. She muttered a thank you and reached around him to grab a handle on the wall. At first, she thought he was going to follow her, but heard Kira say his name and figured he would be staying as well. Remembering Cagalli's jealously back on Earth, the redhead shouldn't have been surprised if she had wanted Athrun there too, but she couldn't help feeling lonely as she left the three of them behind. She couldn't blame her cousin since she was also close to them, but, somehow, she was secretly hoping to talk to Athrun at least.
Call it a want for a familiar face.
Returning to the Reagan without any confrontation, she stopped at the railing and stared across at the Decay and Stealth standing silently. It almost hurt how quiet the room was and she found herself reaching up to her earpiece. "Coffee Addict, status."
No reply.
"Coffee Addict, go online. What's your status?"
Still no reply and she smacked her palm down against the metal railing. She wasn't really expecting a reply, but somehow talking to her suit at that moment would have made her feel so much better. Just the cold and direct response to her question would have been the perfect distraction, and yet there was no voice on the other end.
"Coffee Addict, please reply. You have to reply!"
"I don't think talking to a brainless machine is going to make you feel any better," Namarra remarked, steadying herself on the railing next to her. She looked healthier than when they had first started their journey into space, but her face was still pale from everything she had gone through in the past couple of days. No doubt knowing she left her brothers back on Earth didn't make her feel any better.
"Apparently, you underestimate my sanity."
"No, I know your sanity fairly well, actually. On the bridge between 'keep and eye on her' and 'give me the strait jacket,' right?"
Eclipse smiled; she couldn't help it. Everybody seemed to be trying to cheer her up lately and it just didn't feel right. Perhaps it was about time she put her mind back on work. After all, the Stealth wasn't about to fix itself and with no gravity she didn't have to rely so much on her legs. They could heal and she could still get some work done.
"Thank you," Namarra muttered after a few moments, forcing the words through partly closed lips. The phrase was so quiet and so abrupt Eclipse almost didn't hear it.
"For what?"
"If I have to say what for I shouldn't even be thanking you."
"I just want to hear you say it."
"Don't you know you're not supposed to bait a piranha?"
Eclipse shrugged. "I've never been much of a fish lover." Namarra rolled her eyes and the redhead smiled, patting her shoulder lightly. "No problem. Just know I'll probably be exiled because of it."
"Now, isn't that the icing on the cake?"
"What, food analogies now?"
Namarra shrugged that time and smirked, turning her attention back to the two mobile suits in the hangar.
"What d'ya say we put our depression to good use?" Eclipse began, figuring the Natural was having similar thoughts. "How about we work on our dying machines?"
"Depression?" she scoffed. "Speak for yourself."
"Your mental state is too close to mine to be fooling me. C'mon, with no gravity we can actually move around rather painlessly. Let's numb our brains with stress."
"You're good at this avoidance thing. I wonder if I should be concerned."
"You can if you want to be, but I wouldn't recommend adding yourself to the list of people already worrying about me. It's not worth it, really."
"Oh, good because I was kidding. I really don't give a damn about you." The Natural smirked after the comment and Eclipse returned the look. They had a funny kind of relationship, but somehow it was refreshing to know they could be friends and yet not have to talk about the heavy emotional stuff. At least until they got comfortable enough with each other to bitch about it and not fear for their lives simply because they were annoying.
Pushing themselves away from the railing, they both headed towards their respective suits, taking in the damage as they moved closer. Each of them sighed after a moment, knowing there was definitely a lot that needed to be done. It was a good thing neither of them knew what to do at that time—with SIN-ED or with the Earth Forces—because it might have been a real problem if they needed their suits within the next week.
"Oh, I have been meaning to ask you," Eclipse began, steadying herself on the side of the Stealth. "What was that song you were singing after our fight? Did you write it?" Namarra turned to her and gave her an interesting look, on the fence between angry and intrigued. "Too personal?"
"No, it just gives me an idea. Can you sing?"
"Can I what?"
It was just a meeting between the surviving ships on the Kusanagi bridge but for some reason, Eclipse felt like sticking her head under the foot of her Stealth and telling Coffee Addict to step. "It's a good thing the CA's offline, I guess," she muttered, tightening her grip on Namarra's wrist and pulling her onto the bridge right behind her. If Eclipse was going to suffer through an uncomfortable conversation with awkward stares and nervous smiles, then she sure as hell wasn't going to be doing it alone. The phrase, "kicking and screaming," gave no justice to the kind of abuse the redhead received from her Natural counterpart, but Namarra had to go see everyone if she wanted to save her brothers. Eclipse wasn't going to step on that landmine alone and it just seemed more convincing when Namarra asked for help than when the redhead did. Maybe it was the Natural's childlike complexion. Either that or her threats just scared people into submission.
She was betting on the latter.
The elevator door shut right behind them and they instantly felt all stares move in their direction. The bridge was empty for the most part, the two bucket seats—normally commandeered by two communication specialists—were empty and there were a limited amount of Orb soldiers on the front consoles and even below them in the weapons command. Kisaka stood next to the captain's seat, one hand on the headrest as he spoke to Murrue and the new pilot of the Strike, Mu. Athrun and Kira were standing near them and Cagalli joined the crew a couple moments later when she walked from the elevator soon after the girls had. Not wanting to get any more unwanted attention, Eclipse and Namarra stood behind them all, leaning back against the consoles.
"Is that Athrun Zala? The Chairman's son?" Namarra asked, being as quiet as she could. Eclipse nodded and the Natural sighed. "I'm fighting along side my Berserker counterpart, on an Orb ship, against my teammates, and with the PLANTs' Chairman's son?"
"Life's messed up, isn't it?"
"It's an S-class cluster fuck," she replied, that phrase loud enough for the rest of the bridge members to hear. They all turned to them. Eclipse blinked innocently while Namarra smiled and waved. "I love being here." Athrun and Mu covered up amused smiles. Murrue gave Mu a stern look and he cleared his throat as the conversation started up once more.
"We're going to the L4 Colony Cluster," Kisaka explained, pulling everyone away from the two in the back of the room.
"The L4 Colony Group?" Murrue asked, looking stunned by the decision.
"Neither the Kusanagi nor the Archangel will have to worry about resupplying for a while, but that doesn't mean the supplies will last indefinitely," Kisaka continued. "Water, in part, will become a problem fairly soon. The group of colonies at L4 were damaged and abandoned after the war began. They'll be uninhabited, but useful for water resources."
"This sounds awfully familiar," Murrue muttered, her face contorting into a solemn worry. With a look like that on her fair face, Eclipse wasn't sure she really wanted to know what had happened to them and the ship in the past. She tried to remember back when her team was chasing the Archangel and found herself only seeing small clips, the whole escapade itself nothing but a list of emotions instead of visual memories. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to get those pictures back, but just found she got more confused looks from Namarra and Athrun than any kind of clarity. Offering a small smile, she waved them off, deciding to worry about her waning memories another time.
"It'll be alright. This is different from Junias 7," Mu assured.
"Y'know," Athrun began, holding out his hand to Eclipse as if wanting her to pipe into the conversation. "I'm pretty sure there are some functioning colonies at L4. ZAFT investigated the area," he pointed back at Eclipse again, "after receiving reports of a suspicious group being held up there. However, this was a long time ago. Although no one really lives there anymore, some of the colonies still have functioning facilities."
"Some areas have power," Eclipse confirmed. "I was on one investigation team and can confirm there is still oxygen and electricity in certain areas of the colony group. I was only assigned to the group heading into Mendel, but I'd assume the rest of the colonies were just as functional."
"Mendel, you said?" Kira asked and Eclipse nodded slowly. "That sounds perfect for us."
Eclipse turned to Namarra when she lightly hit her shoulder. The Natural mouthed SIN-ED and cocked an eyebrow, prodding another nod from the redhead. "Yeah, that's where I met them again for the first time."
"There is one thing, are you okay with this?" Mu asked and Eclipse turned back to the blond, thinking he was talking to her, but when she saw him staring hard at Athrun, she could only cringe. "And not just you, this question is for that other guy from ZAFT as well."
"Commander," Murrue started and put a hand on his arm. He brushed the touch away, but she didn't prod, probably figuring he knew what he was getting himself into.
"I saw you fight at Orb and your actions spoke for themselves." Mu nodded after that comment, probably commending them for their hard work instead of trying to condemn them, but he needed answers. Eclipse couldn't really blame him, especially knowing who they would probably be facing next. "But I can't help noticing the uniforms you're still wearing. Depending on what happens, I think the odds are pretty good that we'll be fighting against ZAFT forces. It won't be like Orb at all. Are you ready? Really ready? I mean, you are Patrick Zala's son after all."
That accusation even sounded harsh to Eclipse, but she understood where the commander was coming from. Surprisingly, Cagalli seemed to be the most agitated by the comment, making a small snarl leave her lips. Eclipse could see it better than hear it, but no doubt it was there. "Why should it matter to you whose son he is? Athrun is his—"
"For a soldier to desert his army is a much more serious matter than you seem to think." Cagalli visibly backed off when Mu targeted her directly. "And not only that, imagine if your father was the leader of that nation as well. You can't fight in a war unless you believe in the cause your side is fighting for. Things aren't so simple when you turn that belief on its head. Unlike Kira, he's a regular soldier of the ZAFT military." Eclipse felt the room go quiet as everyone turned back to Athrun. The redhead couldn't see his face, but watching the calm and curious expressions of the others in the room, no doubt he was feeling a bit uneasy.
"I'd hate to force the issue, but can I count on you if we fight together?" Mu continued, but there was still no response. "Well? Can I?"
Eclipse wanted to answer for him, feeling a bit too defensive of her comrade and when Namarra tensed beside her as well, the redhead figured they were both just channeling their own discomfort. No doubt they would be interrogated next.
It took another moment or two, but Athrun finally responded. "While I was at Orb—no, even before then in the PLANTs and on Earth, I thought about what is right and what is wrong. What am I understanding and what am I not? I don't have the answers to these basic questions yet, but it's clear to me now that all of you people share the same hopes for this world that I do." He took a breath to calm himself before continuing. "And that's how I feel right now."
"Hm, you sound like a pretty determined fellow, nothing like our Kira here," the new Strike pilot commented, a small smirk on his lips. He was happy with the answer and probably even happier about how in control Athrun was of his thoughts and emotions. Eclipse smirked as well, a bit proud of her comrade, but childishly enjoying the retort made against Kira.
As expected, Mu turned to them next, the silent ones leaning in the background. "And what about you two? I saw you both fighting against the Earth Forces, but forgive me if I'm still suspicious."
It took a moment before either of them responded, trying to come up with some kind of answer without sounded like—well, total asses. "I won't lie when I tell you we have our own agendas," Eclipse spoke up, Namarra letting her take the lead. "I still have unfinished business here in space." She held up a hand before anyone could interrupt. "I can take care of my own suit's repairs, but there is certain equipment the Regean doesn't have. If I may, Colonel," she turned to Kisaka, "I'd like to use the Kusanagi's equipment in the hangar to fix my suit."
Kisaka's stare narrowed, thinking over the request, but not showing much approval. "No, I can't let you, I'm sorry." Eclipse wasn't surprised, but the rest of the bridge was. Even Namarra cocked an eyebrow.
"Cagalli, you can override me if you wish," Kisaka continued, turning to the Orb princess.
Blinking away her initial surprise, Cagalli looked at the Orb officer for a brief moment, ultimately, nodding her head. "I respect your decision as captain of this ship, but I must ask you to explain your decision to me later on."
"Of course, Princess."
"You can use our equipment if you wish," Murrue said, breaking the tension. "I beg your pardon, Colonel, and I don't mean to show any kind of disrespect, but I believe Miss Rymyr to be a valuable ally."
Kisaka nodded, affirming no harm had been done and Namarra spoke up in a "what about me?" kind of manner. "Am I allowed access as well?" Surprised by the blunt remark, it took Murrue a moment but eventually she agreed.
"I'll take full responsibility if anything should go wrong."
"Hey!" the Natural shouted, but Eclipse's knowing look kept her from complaining any more.
"On one condition," Mu countered. "You have to tell us something of your 'agendas.' If it could possibly affect our welfare, we have the right to know."
"Fair enough," Eclipse replied, side glancing at Namarra. She looked just as annoyed, but probably knew it was a fair exchange. "There is a renegade group I am chasing and I believe they are here in space. I don't think you will ever come in contact with them, but I will inform you if they become a threat to you or your crew."
"Are they dangerous? Can you tell us why you are chasing them?" Mu went on.
"I don't owe you anymore information, but I will tell you, yes, they are very dangerous." Eclipse half expected Mu to get offended by the remark, but he just nodded, clearly a man worthy of his rank if he knew when to pry and when to leave well enough alone. "If you need me to protect this ship or anyone in this strange alliance we have formed, I will, but know I do have other priorities." That seemed to be good enough for them, for now.
"And you?" All eyes shifted to Namarra who gave an uncharacteristic gulp, but still managed to plow forward with a confidence Eclipse wasn't sure she knew she could ever possess.
"My only purpose here is to save the lives of my brothers in those three Atlantic Federation machines." That statement came as even more of a shock, probably because it affected them personally, but Namarra's look alone confirmed she wasn't going to back down.
"Can I ask you why you want to protect them?" Kira asked, his tone sounding like he meant no offense, but his choice of wording suggested he was mocking her.
"Did I not say they were my brothers? Isn't that reason enough?"
"But we cannot guarantee anything," Cagalli said, jumping right back into her commanding role. "If they attack us, we will defend ourselves."
"And I would expect nothing less. You wanted my reason for joining and I told you. What happens now is entirely up to you."
The Archangel crew members still seemed nervous, but the Orb soldiers seemed comfortable, probably used to keeping their neutral position. Namarra's voice sounded sure, but her body seemed to fail that confidence. Eclipse could tell she was worried, even if the Natural would never admit it. It was a big task to undertake and an even scarier one since she most likely knew the combined strength of the people in the room.
"You're sure?" Mu asked and Eclipse could feel the air around Namarra tense. No doubt she was sick of answering that question.
"I intend on giving her my full support," the redhead announced, relieving some of the tension before Namarra could give a snippy remark. "We don't expect you to understand, merely respect it."
"And you're aware of the possible consequences?" Murrue asked. The girls nodded. "And do I have your wordyou will not hold any of us personally responsible if worse comes to worse?"
Knowing how close Namarra was to the three pilots, the redhead found herself terrified. What could Namarra say other than yes? Finally, she responded, the first part of the answer being the calmest thing Eclipse had ever heard from her. The last part was the typical Namarra. "I will try, but I can't promise much. Truthfully, I'll probably fry that person with my flame thrower, and I'll use the middle finger just for the hell of it."
Eclipse sighed and jumped in before her rash reply could cause any problems. "We've all lost loved ones so I'm sure you can understand her honesty. I know we've put ourselves in quite the predicament, but this is the only way we can think of to save them."
"There's nothing else?" Mu asked, his face now looking concerned. It was nice to know they sympathized with Namarra's "agenda" but just by seeing their expressions, the likelihood of a positive outcome seemed bleak.
Namarra shrugged and shook her head at the same time. "If they die, all I can tell you is I might not be able to control myself."
"What does that mean?" Kira asked.
"I'll help best I can," Eclipse interrupted, not answering any questions—and probably adding more confusion to the mix—but at least it stopped any kind of retaliation her comrade might have been thinking against Kira. She was already one nuke short of a massacre and that pilot—no matter how harmless his questions seemed—was slowly moving her finger towards that big red button.
No one asked any questions after that and Eclipse was more than thankful. Apparently, Athrun had been staring at her quizzically the entire time. She tried to make out what expression was on his face, but all she could tell was he had noticed something. Very unlike the Athrun she remembered.
"It's quite an obligation that Orb's entrusted to us," Mu said, getting back to the original conversation. "It's a huge task."
"It is," Murrue agreed, putting another hand on Mu's arm as he continued.
"And we're only two ships. Honestly, what we're tryin' to do may well be impossible."
"You're right," the Archangel captain said.
"And you're still sure about this?" Mu looked back at the three people he had just talked to, Athrun, Eclipse, and Namarra. Athrun nodded while the other two just shrugged. The new Strike pilot sighed, but Eclipse figured he had taken that as a positive response. There was another thing she noticed, though, something that threw her a little off balance.
Cagalli blushed.
She wasn't sure why her cousin flushed, only that the person she had just made eye contact with was Athrun. The redhead sighed, her mind spiraling in different directions as the rest of the conversation flittered away from her. She tuned in when Kira said, "She's Athrun's fiancé," but really had no idea why they were talking about Lacus Clyne.
Probably has something to do with the cause, she guessed, remembering the work the Clyne Faction was doing.
"They're hunting for her right now," Athrun explained, his mouth twisting into a scowl. "She was declared a traitor by my father."
"It sucks to have family sometimes," Eclipse muttered, only loud enough for Namarra to hear.
"I beg to differ, but then again, what do I know," the Natural responded and left the bridge in a hurry. Eclipse could only speculate what she had meant.
One catastrophe at a time, she thought, glancing at the people in the room before leaving the bridge as well. They were all so powerful in their own right. How the hell were they going to save Namarra's brothers if no one wanted to speak to them?
"I guess, in the end, we're masochists, plain and simple. Heh, I should probably go back to my bunk and pray my suicide is quick and painless."
Eclipse didn't have much time to relax like she had originally hoped. She had been followed to the Regean hangar and was about to start some initial adjustments to her suit when her stalker—well, cousin—asked if they could talk instead. Cagalli looked worried about something and more than a little confused. Given what had just happened to her, the expression wasn't surprising, but Eclipse wasn't sure she could handle anymore drama even if it was from family.
"Are you okay?" Eclipse asked, the two of them near the Stealth. The redhead was sitting in the cockpit while Cagalli braced herself on the frame outside. They had been silent for the past couple of minutes and it was getting awkward for both of them.
"A lot's happened," the blonde began.
"I know."
"Well, most of it you know. The other half is—uh—complicated."
"Cagalli, you know you can talk to me."
The blonde sighed and nodded slowly, turning to the side in order to pull out a picture, the same one Eclipse recognized from Cagalli's fingers the moment she had come to comfort her. The redhead hadn't gotten a good view of it before, but she stared at it then, her eyebrows furling as she examined it. In the photo was a woman in a hospital gown with brown hair and purple eyes holding two babies, one with blonde hair and the other with similar brown hair to hers. Both babies were sleeping and the mother—at least she assumed she was the mother—looked more than a little exhausted from labor, but happy all the same. Eclipse's eyes scanned the sides of the picture looking for a trace of anyone else—a hand or strand of hair—but saw none.
"What is this?" she finally asked, Cagalli being patient enough to give the redhead a few moments to digest what she was looking at.
"According to my father, I'm the blonde baby and the brown-haired baby is my twin brother."
"You? Twin?"
She nodded, putting two fingers on the photo and flipping it around for Eclipse. "Apparently, I've been living a lie."
Eclipse followed her pointer finger down to two names scribbled sloppily on the bottom. The name "Cagalli" could be made out clearly, but the name above it looked like, "Kiro." Slowly, it all began to sink in, the "o" at the end of the boy's name shifting into something a little more familiar.
"Aw, fuck; are you shittin' me?"
The princess's mouth gradually dipped into a smile after the comment. "Somehow I knew you'd say something like that."
"You're certain your father said this is legit? I mean, Kira being your twin brother is just plain lunacy!"
"I'm confident it's legit, but, if that's true, who am I? I know that's not my mom, Lexi; you knew her too. But, if she is my mom, then the mom we knew wasn't my real mom and my father wasn't my real father and—oh shit! What if this lady was some fling of my father's and I'm some bastard child? Wait, if my father was in the picture, I wouldn't be a bastard—"
"Cagalli."
"—but how could he do that to my mother? Or, the woman who acted as my mother or—"
"Cags!"
"Oh Helmaya, I don't even deserve my title if that's the case! I shouldn't even be here! I shouldn't be an Athha or commanding an army!"
"Cagalli please," Eclipse begged, pushing out of her seat to grab her cousin before her hysteria could send her flying across to the other side of the hangar. "You're jumping to too many conclusions. Have you talked to Kira yet?"
She shook her head and took a deep breath to calm herself. "I was going to when I asked you to leave before, but I couldn't even look in his eyes! Then Athrun was there and it just didn't come out, so I just got super frustrated and started crying again." Her fists shook at her sides as Eclipse tightened the grip on her arm. Cagalli was still upset about Lord Uzumi's death, that much was clear, and what was probably even more frustrating was the fact that she wasn't sure he was even her father anymore. Secretly, Eclipse envied her. Cagalli had just found out she—most likely—had two sets of parents and based on that woman's face in the photo, both of them loved her.
"W-what do I do?" she asked, her anger being replaced by panicked tears.
Of all the moments to be handed something like this, the redhead thought and remembered back to what her uncle had asked of her in Orb. Sighing, she pulled Cagalli into a tight hug. "I don't care about what some photograph says; you're my cousin and that's that. Lord Uzumi was more of a father to you than any man could be, and I know you remember well how good of a mother your mom was. This woman," Eclipse pointed to the person holding the babies, "is just a name in your gene pool."
"I keep trying to tell myself that, Lexi, but somehow my mind constantly rolls back to the possibility that I'm just some fake."
"You're not a fake," she stressed, but she also knew her words only meant so much. "The only thing I can suggest is talking to Kira. Maybe you two can figure this out together."
"Thanks, Lexi. I guess I will."
Eclipse watched her leave sat back down in the Stealth's cockpit. For a couple minutes, she just stared, her mind trying to digest what Cagalli had just said. It didn't really affect her as much as it did the blonde, but she just couldn't get the scary idea out of her head.
The idea that Kira Yamato might be a blood relative.
A/N: Hey guys, another chapter's up. Yay! I know I left you all on a huge cliffhanger there with Eclipse in a very sticky situation, but I hope the wait wasn't too unbearable. The next couple of chapters might be a bit slow, mainly because now starts the months in space. The Anime didn't portray how long they were in space, but it was really months. I know what I am going to fill in with those places, but if anyone has any suggestions just let me know. Nothing major-maybe some small pranks or something-but I'm open to suggestions. I can't guarantee I'll write them all, but I don't mind hearing what you guys think.
I'd like to thank you all for the support and the reviews. I know it's not easy to stay interested in a story that doesn't update often, but I want to let you know I am working on this as much as I can. I have been taking some freelance writing jobs since I graduated and it's hard for me to balance everything at once sometimes. Believe it or not, there are moments I really don't want to look at a keyboard or my imagination just runs dry. So, thank you all for trudging through this with me and just know that I'm working as fast as I can.
There is another thing I'd like to address before I get onto the questions and whatnot. There have been some reviews in the past where people mention I have grammatical errors. I'm glad you guys are paying close enough to the story to see those mistakes, but could you kind of narrow down where you are seeing these mistakes? If not, I understand and I have done more editing on my end. On that note, however, please know I am not perfect. I do the best I can and I know my Betas are too. With so much going on in our lives, sometimes we miss a spelling or two. I'd like to apologize, but at the same time, please bear with me and help me out a little as well? Also on that note, don't just litter a review with nothing but my grammatical errors. I babbled a lot, I know, but I'm confident you all know what I am talking about. :)
I'd also like to thank everyone for helping this story reach 350 reviews! I never thought that was possible and I'm so touched by all your support! Thank you!
(Oh, this is pretty off topic, but I think it is rather amusing. I have recently become obsessed/intrigued with the show Ghost Adventures and my story reached page 666 on my computer (with my layout and whatnot) so I thought that was kind of freaky/neat. What's ironic too is that the page 666 is when Eclipse is arguing with her parents. How fitting, I should think. Too bad the Berserker doesn't really come out in this chapter because that would have been perfect! Anyway, I thought I would share that with you guys.)
Again, a shoutout to my Betas for being super awesome. I learned a lot about what not to do during a war this chapter and even the finer points of-well-what Eclipse did. Let's just say, it's not good and she's lucky she has connections. I can't be thankful enough that they all take time out of their super busy schedules to read through these chapters.
Corrections to the Narrative:
I kind of just have overall corrections in this chapter. All of the conversations are the same as the English version of the Anime, but I added a couple different gestures to make the moment a little more than just words/arguments. Also, I made it so Eclipse was the one to get to Cagalli first instead of Kira and Athrun. After everything she had been through, I could never understand why she would willingly cling to Kira and cry. I mean, I would be practically speechless and even feel awkward about having him in the room, especially after just finding out he was my twin brother. So, I had the "girl time" instead and just went from there.
For those of you who might be wondering, the Regean is one of the connecting sections of the Kusanagi. It basically has its own living quarters and what not with a smaller hangar housing only the Decay and the Stealth. I'll probably go into more detail on it in the next chapter, but I thought I'd give a brief explanation here.
Questions/Gripes:
I guess this'll be just another overall observation, but I'd like to say I am really happy you guys liked the dream sequence. I was a bit wary writing it, but I felt it had to be in there, mainly because fever induced unconsciousness can bring about some weird dreams! And with all the trauma she had been through within the past couple of months, I couldn't blame the girl for having some kind of steamy/horrific fantasy. It made a lot of sense to me and I'm glad you all took it well.
Again, thank you all for the support and I'll see you the next chapter. Remember, feel free to send me some ideas to pass the time in space. I'll be keeping a lookout and thank you!
Strata