Trials And Lies
Chapter 5
AN: This is the first Gundam Seed Fanfic by me and I deliberately wrote a Yzak & Shiho fanfic cause it is not so active... I also love this couple... And I don't own Gundam SEED or any of its counterparts... Too bad for me...
As per my previous attempt at this story, I will use the same format...
Italics represents a radio transmission from outside of the character's immediate location, as well as names of ships/mobile suits/vehicles.
Bold represents the time jumps or current location (but I plan to reduce the focus on this, I'm sure it disrupts reading flow, doggamnit!)...
Cosmic Era 75
Minerva-Class Battleship, Athena
West Pacific Ocean
The softness of his seat suddenly felt so comfortable and warm as Yzak Joule leaned back into the armchair of his office. He hated dealing with people who are difficult and nosy, especially if the annoyance was matched with the persistence. ZAFT Command fired all sorts of questions his way regarding their little trouble down in Australia a few weeks ago prior to Carpentaria's defense upgrades. Even if it was a major combat operation, going to such extent for an investigation was peculiar and ideas kept scratching Yzak at the back of his mind.
As if that whole fiasco wasn't enough, here he was tapping his index finger on a beautifully decorated letter with the seal of the PLANT Supreme Council atop of his office desk. He was about to take it and shove it back into the drawer of his desk, but was stopped short as the door to his quarters hissed open.
"Hey, Yzak. We're here," Yzak's usual aide, Dearka Elsman, stepped in with a small smirk on his face that, of course, didn't go unnoticed by his Commander.
Yzak had already told the blokes to knock before entering a multitude of times before this, but was already past the point of not caring anymore nowadays. Dearka was followed by the disciplined beauty Shiho, then lastly Reiatsuma. Of course, the latter most person wasn't a part of their trio group. But Yzak needed him for 'other reasons'.
"I don't know if you guys received this as well," the platinum blonde claimed as he waved the decorated letter to his subordinates.
"What exactly is it, Commander?" Shiho asked as she stood aside Reiatsuma, who apparently looked as if he already knew what was going on all along. Yzak quietly extended the letter to the young girl, who proceeded to quietly read it while Dearka leaned in to have a peek as well.
"An awards ceremony-slash-banquet. Not only am I there to attend it...but Athena's combat crew will be there as-"
"Escorts? I thought as much," Dearka cut in as he sat on the corner of Yzak's desk, his arms across his chest as he wore a thoughtful look, "Well...looking at how the issue in Carpentaria here is resolved, I can see why the politicians in PLANTs would want the Athena stationed over at Orb."
Since it was already almost three months that all three major factions were in their latest armistice, Lacus Clyne and Cagalli Yula Athha thought it an appropriate time to hold an international event to strengthen ties between nations, as a way to finally cement a peace treaty. PLANTs and Orb Union obviously had no problems since both its leaders are already closely acquainted. But Earth Alliance, however, proved to be more of a challenge. Sending high-value individuals to a secluded island of a foreign country that is a host to the newest top-of-the-line battleship of a former enemy would make anyone walk on eggshells.
Yzak slowly got up as his face turned to that usual irritation, "I will be forced to attend the event...and will be required to take with me another person," he said as he eyed Dearka for said role, who in response, pulled a grin while scratching the side of his face.
"Ah, about that. You see, the Athena's Captain already confirmed Hayabusa and me as the perimeter guards for the big shots. So-"
"And you didn't consult me on this?" Yzak's could feel his face begin burning up as he realized the only person he could take was Shiho. Despite them having to share that encounter a few weeks back, Shiho and Yzak both felt extremely uncomfortable and conscious of each other. As a defense stratagem apparently, Yzak noticed Shiho would drag Reiatsuma along as a middle man every time Yzak summons her, to make the situation less awkward somehow. Dearka was out of the question, things would just become ballistic.
"Relax, Yzak. It's nothing really. You're just attending an event with a Commander-to-Subordinate mindset," Dearka Elsman tried to convince the two to just endure that one night together as he turned to Yzak with a grin, "Even Hayabusa thinks so."
"Of course. Duties come first before personal emotions. Having him and her on-site will strengthen security," Reiatsuma's dry answer came, only causing Yzak to face a more stressful situation. Saying duty supersedes his embarrassment only makes the platinum blonde appear more hypocritical. The event wasn't even a week ahead and he was already starting a messy outline of what they were planning to say to each other.
"If I may be so bold, Commander Joule may already have someone more fitting to be by his side for the event," Shiho's gentle voice finally slipped out as the three men looked at her with a quizzical look. Her straight face still kept on to maintain her so called 'professionalism'.
Silence ensued for the next few seconds with all eyes looking directly at Shiho as if expecting her to say more.
"Purely for operational benefit, of course. Besides, I have my duties I need to finish on the Athena," she continued maintaining the neutral facade that was quickly crumbling thanks to her flushing cheeks. Yzak scratched his head as he closed his eyes, thinking. Better to solve the problem quickly and efficiently like he usually does rather than drag the matter.
"I guess it doesn't matter then. Shiho, it's decided. You're on security detail with me for the event next week," Yzak decided spontaneously. He thought that if he were to attack this 'anxiety demon' head on, the issue would be over with. But the problem is, he doesn't even have the right sword, armor and shield to even put up a fight against it.
"C-Commander? Are you su-"
"Clear your schedules for that day. I'll ask someone to cover for your duties," he ordered as he began typing his way on the computer of his office. Despite the harsh and strict tone he was giving, his face was shaky and nervous. Dearka chuckled as Yzak felt a hard pat on the back.
"As expected of Commander Yzak Joule! Even an embarrassing decision, he makes without hesitation! Forge ahead, Commander!" Dearka joked as he laughed, pulling Reiatsuma along out of the office and leaving both Shiho and Yzak alone within his quarters.
"W-wait! What do you mean embarra-! Goddamnit, Dearka," Yzak cursed before he could finish giving his best friend a good one-two.
Shiho softly cleared her throat as she looked at her Commander with her usual mask on before her Commander sighed heavily. They were gonna spend the night together as a couple in an international event. Isn't that like a front-page news if anyone saw it? Yzak hated those kind of things...but an order was an order, or so he kept telling himself while his brain held a competitive debate.
"Commander? I-..."
"Hm? I can't hear you, Shiho. Speak up," Yzak suggested calmly as he leaned forward slightly to listen.
"I...I don't have a dress. Since this is your plan...can you help me choose one?"
"...Wait...what?"
Despite her role and position as the Chairwoman of the Supreme Council, the top of the hierarchy of PLANT's leadership, Lacus Clyne maintained a very modest standard of living. A typical single-floor house that held only the necessary appliances like stove, fridge, a bedroom and a study.
Kira would never comment on her choices, as he knew exactly how she felt. More than half of the population on Earth were starving and dying. Living a lavishing and extravagant lifestyle was nothing but mockery to the suffering and torment of survivors of the two Bloody Valentine Wars. Families lost, homes destroyed and children orphaned... Lacus held the conviction and power now to make the world right. The Ultimate Coordinator was glad he was brought along for the ride.
"What do you think of this, Kira?" the pink-haired princess asked with her gentle voice as she came out of her room in a beautiful yet simple white gown.
Kira's eyebrows raised in amazement. It was a symbol of simple elegance. The lustrous, fabric of the dress was pristine enough to reflect some of the light within the room. It fit Lacus' flawlessly, the shoulderless dress molding her torso beautifully, complimenting her curves and exposing the cleavage of her ample bosom causing the young male's face to flare red.
"It-...it looks beautiful, Lacus," he confessed with a nervous voice as he kept gawking. Lacus smiled happily, twirling slowly while she looked down to observe the flow of her gown, "But...are you sure about this?"
"About what?" her voice still sounding excited and not aware of Kira's worry.
"The event you and Cagalli are organizing on Onogoro Island. I just don't like how PLANTs were insistent on the Athena's presence. I'm sure its just to show off ZAFT's military," he let out his concern as he stood aside the window, the bright light of the colony illuminating his white ZAFT uniform and his purple eyes, "Despite the armistice...I'm not confident some can be trusted, Lacus."
The young girl in the room stopped whatever she was doing at the same time her smile dissipated, quietly heading back into her room without closing the door as she began changing, "You shouldn't worry about details like that, Kira. Let the intelligence network and Visotoniki handle those things."
"I know but-"
"Weren't you the one who told me to relax, Kira? Besides," she cut Kira off as she stepped out into the living room, already dressed in her usual black Council uniform. Hugging Kira from behind as he watched the children playing in the fields, Lacus let out a small smile, "...if this is what it takes to get our relations flowing smoothly without getting things out of hand, it's more beneficial than it is a burden."
"I guess so. You know-" before Kira could continue more on his rant, Lacus' phone rang.
"H-hold that thought, Kira," she said as she let go of him.
Not wasting any time, Lacus picked up the call before making her way to the other side of the room as if she was hiding something. Kira quietly watched her as she talked in a hush, her face slowly turning from that of content to a sad one that bordered regret. As soon as Lacus was done, Kira opened his mouth only to be stopped.
"I have to go, Kira."
"What's going on?"
"Its a...Clyne family issue. I have to deal with it on my own. I'll be back, alright?"
"Wait, are you going to be okay-!"
"It's alright, Kira. It's just a minor problem," she lied through her teeth with a smile as Kira watched her. Both of them knew she was lying, it was plenty obvious. But Kira let it slip this time. Lacus already has enough trouble on her hands, more than enough in fact. He didn't want to be an extra burden over her shoulders by being such a worrywart.
"I'll be waiting then," Kira gave off a smile as he went to see Lacus off on the sidewalk of her apartment, a black armored limo awaiting her, "Call me...if you need anything."
"Thank you, Kira," she replied with a bright smile that she usually gives, before slipping into the car and moving off towards the Supreme Council's direction. Kira sighed with a frown as he walked to his own car a bit up the road. Something was nagging at him deep inside his mind, but Kira Yamato did not dare to open up the issue to Lacus lest she felt he was too overprotective.
Deep within this hell hole most men call a 'shopping center', Yzak breathed deeply as he tried not to look uncomfortable in front of his subordinates. Despite his plan to only bring Shiho along for a 'super-short-trip-to-just-buy-a-dress-and-get-the-hell-out', situations made a turn for the worse as Dearka followed along, who apparently brought the new blonde pilot Sara Rieger along as a kind of 'wing-man'. After a few days of flight over the Pacific Ocean aboard the Athena for Orb, they all felt restless, especially Dearka.
"Man, Orb really has loads of things on sale. Look, I even got myself inflatable bosoms here! You don't see these in PLANTs, you know?"
"Major...I'd not say that out loud if I were you," Sara expressed her discomfort as she made a fixed radius away from Dearka while walking with her arm over her chest, trying hard to ignore looks of disgust from the other patrons of the mall especially from the ladies. Yzak and Shiho, on the other hand, were really quiet as they walked in the group, the mentioned two walking unusually far from each other.
"Come on, Sara. Don't tell me you haven't seen these things, you're old enough right?..." Dearka and Sara continued debating fiercely about the morality of revealing bedroom fetishes within public earshot as they continued on within the mall. Yzak cleared his throat as he tapped Shiho's shoulder, who jumped slightly in surprise as she turned to look at her Commander.
He quietly pointed to an extravagant boutique that housed a magnificent display of gowns and suits. Definitely the kind of shop that could prepare for their event in Orb later that week. Yzak kept telling himself that it was just for work purposes and nothing else, but even so, he still felt kinda nervous. He was definitely overreacting and over-thinking.
"Command-"
"Don't call me that. We're not on the ship or in uniform, you know," he said as Shiho led the way towards said shop.
"Are you sure you wanna go in there, Yzak? They don't...sell things that you can get with a Lieutenant's pay," she commented as Yzak pushed the door open, allowing her entry as if he was a 'real' gentleman. That's one thing you have to learn when you become a ZAFT Elite. Even table manners were taught in the Academy, a way of...fraternizing with the enemy for information if the situation arises.
"I'll pay for it just this once. Don't worry about it," he assured her as Shiho nodded with the same dry look on her face, starting to look through the selection of clothes that was on sale as if she was shopping for carrots. On the other hand though, Yzak was nervous as he looked around the place. That constant and pleasant smell of new pressed suit that can be found in the air just made the atmosphere a whole lot more sophisticated, with a gentle jingle playing in the background to soothe the mood slightly.
"Then I'll take the least expensive. I won't be wearing it after the event anyway."
"Don't go modest on me now. I'd hate to take all the spotlight," Yzak complained with nervous sarcasm that failed to deliver as effectively as he wanted it to.
Despite his desperate attempts to diffuse the tension in the air, there was just no way it could override the embarrassing incident back on Carpentaria. It would help out alot if he had asked a random crew member to follow him along for the ceremony, but freaking nope! Dearka just had to make it worse. Yzak rubbed his forehead as Shiho quietly slipped into the changing room without him noticing.
If one must know, Yzak Joule actually really hated attention despite having the facial contours analogous to that of a pretty young lady. As such, his plan was towards the logic that the more beautiful Shiho looks, the less attention there will be on him since most would be fixed on her. Unless of course if some old nanny were to talk about marriage with them, he'd crash out the window to get away from that.
He quickly slapped himself to get out of the thought, breathing heavily as his face turned red. Shiho just watched with raised brows as she heard a smack from her Commander, watching him fight with himself. Not an unusual sight...if you minus the red face. Stepping out of the changing room while Yzak was debating with himself, Shiho looked at him with an almost straight face.
"Yzak...how's this?"
"Huh?... W-woah..."
"Ahhh, looks like we lost them, Sara," Dearka sighed as he turned his head back and forth like a night owl on a mission. His plan was going to fail if he really did lose them for the day. All thanks to that indecent talk and debating about whether big or small lady assets were useful or not.
"Isn't it better to leave them alo-!"
"I can't miss this chance. Do you know what this means?" Dearka grabbed Sara's shoulder, his grip full of tension.
"Uh...no?"
"Well, of course...You're new and all here anyways. Listen, Lieutenant Rieger," the tanned blonde started off, "Your Commander, is by far THE most hardest man to crack when it comes to women. This is the absolute chance to break him."
"Really? I wouldn't be surprise if he was gay, you know?" the young girl confessed with a smile on her face, portraying her open mind.
"What the hell? No-... Its just that," Dearka leaned over a railing by the side, looking out at the peaceful night sky over the Orb Union, "He's been through a lot. More than I did in fact. But he's all work and no play so...you know?"
"I get what you mean, Major. But I assure you, you don't have to worry about breaking the Commander. Hayabusa said Shiho and him had a romantic moment on Carpentaria," Sara cheerfully said as she went ahead out of the mall, effectively leaving Dearka with his mouth hanging on the subject that was obviously meant to be kept behind closed doors.
"Wait...really!?"
Yzak froze in place as he watched Shiho exit the changing room in a stunning gown of black silk coupled with gloves that stretched all the way till her upper arm. With her fair skin, the dress was totally a wondrous match thanks to the stark contrast of both. The young man cleared his throat as he avoided Shiho's cold gaze, not accustomed to seeing Shiho in such an outfit.
"T-that looks good, lets get that one and go," he tried to hide his amazement at Shiho's choice, plainly saying it as if he didn't care what she looked like. Shiho, even with the look of neutrality on her face, apparently took his words too hard. Yzak swore he saw her eyebrows twitch. It did...right?
"If...you think this looks bad on me, I'll go change," she decided on the fly as she turned to go back into the changing room, but was immediately stopped.
"Wha-! No no! It looks great! Beautiful! You're so charming in that! So don't change, okay?" Yzak burst out the words in a hurry as Shiho stopped and blinked upon hearing Yzak's compliments before a small smile formed, disappearing just as quickly. The Commander heaved a sigh of relief as Shiho returned into the changing room to change back into her casual outfit to check out.
After everything was done and settled, Shiho and Yzak quietly left the boutique to head back to the Athena's docking area. As they were moving towards the parking lot, they immediately got sidetracked upon seeing a bright light flashing outside of the mall followed by sounds of explosions. Fearing the worst, the both of them quickly exited the area through a stairway and onto the main courtyard of the shopping mall that faced the open seas. Frowns turned to amusement as bright flashes of green, red and blue lit up the night sky.
"Fireworks...it seems."
"To celebrate Orb's independence day, I think?" Yzak questioned as they watched the fiery flowers blooming in the sky, only to die away in an instant after a short show of brilliance. The fireworks really were magnificent. Just like human life. Even though life is short, there is surely an achievement or happiness within that makes that short life so much more to be proud of.
The duo moved further out onto the bay-side and observed the spectacle, taking in the night scenery as more and more people gathered around them ultimately causing one of them to bump roughly into Shiho. Yzak was forcefully yanked out of his reverie amid the fireworks thanks to the young girl's yelp that was followed by her hitting him square on the chest. Instinctively, he held onto her, acting as a stabilizing force.
"T-thank you, Yzak..." she managed to say out, visibly distressed as she avoided Yzak's eyes.
"Shiho, you alright?"
"Yes," she whispered as she felt Yzak's rough hands against her smooth ones, his body warmth radiating against hers as she slowly stood up. Her heart started pounding against her rib cage as she turned to look at Yzak, her face burning up as she blushed heavily for the first time that day, "Y-Yzak...that time on the island. Thanks for talking to me."
"I-!...It's okay. I'm sure any sane person would have done the same," he said as he tried averting his gaze. Yzak was also blushing at this point as he quickly let go of Shiho's hands, who in turn took a few steps away from Yzak to minimize such occurrences from happening again. The young Commander scratched the back of his head as he looked away, not knowing whether to take her action as a form of rejection or just her usual behavior.
"Yzak..."
"Y-yes?" he replied out to her with a questioning tone, himself not being sure whether they should continue where they left off or just cut it out and never make anymore mention of it. His body turned rigid as he felt Shiho's eyes burn into his face, looking back at her with an unsteady gaze. What Yzak saw was probably the most sincere thing Shiho had ever pulled. With her hands clasped together behind her back holding the bag containing her gown, Shiho gave the most earnest smile that could also be seen twinkling in her eyes. Complemented by slightly reddened cheeks and pristine complexion, it was a sight to behold.
Yzak didn't know what to make of it and unconsciously smiled back with shaky lips as a result of the embarrassment a few minutes ago. He felt nice for once. As he watched her lips move in a motion thanking him for the wonderful outing they had, even if it seemed almost as short as a commercial. It was the first time ever that Yzak saw Shiho show a sincere feeling besides those of anger and sorrow.
...Harooooooo! GET BACK HERE! That's my pencil!...
"I can't believe you didn't tell me about what happened to Yzak and Shiho back on Carpentaria," Dearka Elsman complained as Reiatsuma and himself perched on the shoulder of a ceremonial ZAKU in Orb territory, on sniper detail observing the busy perimeter of the supposed location for the international banquet-slash-awards ceremony a week later. Despite the normal behaviour of both Yzak and Shiho after the mall incident, Dearka was still sure something happened between the two.
"Sara misunderstood the mission report I drafted," Reiatsuma calmly said as he turned the zoom knob of the sniper rifle against his shoulder as he looked down on the busy location of the ceremony, "I don't think 'simultaneous rest period on unmarked beach-side' is seen as 'romantic escapade'."
Dearka sighed deeply for believing Sara's word like a gullible idiot before looking through his observer scope down on the busy road that leads to the location for the international ceremony. Lights and effects were in full display as a way to maintain a jovial atmosphere for all diplomats and high-ranking military officials.
"Overlord, this is Recon 2-4. Objective Emperor has arrived, I repeat, Emperor has arrived," Reiatsuma spoke into the radio as the end of his scope showed the beautiful Lacus Clyne in her beautiful white gown walking down the carpet with Kira Yamato in his white ZAFT uniform, her luscious pink hair flowing gently in the gentle night breeze.
"Overlord copies, 2-4. All Recon units, liberal use of deadly force is not authorized within perimeters unless ordered. Report any sightings ASAP. Out," Dearka heard a chuckle coming from Reiatsuma as they continued monitoring the area after the radio message ended, prompting him to ask what the joke was to which the former-commando to his side ignored his query.
Dearka suddenly had a bad feeling in his gut.
Another place filled with a bunch of humans. Great. Yzak complained to himself as he pulled at the collar of his tuxedo, his lean form fitting perfectly with the corners of the suit to accentuate his masculinity. Shiho stood quietly by him as she offered a large glass of some random drink to allow him to cool down a bit. Despite all the worries about security and about the ongoing conflicts with the Radicals, Yzak knew the young girl was hinting at him to take it easy tonight.
"Thanks, Shiho," he showed his gratitude with a smile before gulping down the drink slowly in one go, all the while busy trying to discern who was who on the whole floor. There was the Earth Alliance Ambassador, Eurasian Federation Vice-President, the military generals of the Orb Union and many others with their mistresses. Yzak sighed, "This place is just one whole powder keg waiting to blow up."
"I can't agree more, Commander. There's too many officials here with barely enough defenses. I mean...the only form of defense we have is a few ceremonial ZAKUs, sniper teams and five-men checkpoints," Shiho said, maintaining her usual professional decorum in spite of the lustful stares from certain rich idiots, "I can list out around 30 ways anyone here can be brutally assassinated."
"Don't."
"Recon 2-3 to Gaius-1. Enjoying the party, Yzak?"
"Yes, I am. Just as how you'll enjoy five days on latrine duties for using an official comm channel for your jokes," Yzak hissed at minimal volume to avoid alarm as his finger pressed inconspicuously against his earpiece, "Any problems on your end?"
"Well, we have the rookie Sara at one of the checkpoints. She'll just annoy all the politicians with her mouth and there'll be no one to attend the party-! Hang on, incoming traffic," Dearka's voice halted, with Reiatsuma's saying something indiscernible in the background.
"Recon 2-3, what's your status?" Yzak asked, a hint of alarm in his voice, "Talk to me, Dearka."
"Sorry, nothing. Its just a kid playing around at the checkpoint," Dearka assured as Yzak and Shiho heaved a sigh of relief, "Anyway, Shiho. Remember not to let the Commander touch anything with a hint of alcohol in it alright? He doesn't agree much with it. Recon 2-3, out."
"Hah. Doesn't agree is an understatement...that thing turns-...me...into a demon..." Yzak turned to look quietly at Shiho who was giving a wide-eye pure with alarm and guilt, putting back the empty crystalline glass Yzak used before back onto the table and pretending as if nothing bad happened.
"...Oops..."
"Lacus! Wait!"
"What is it, Kira?"
"Don't...don't go out there. I have a bad feeling about this," Kira pointed out his worry as they hid behind the curtains of the hall.
"Nonsense, Kira. What are you talking about? I have Yzak and his team set up the defense net, not to mention Athrun too," she said with a smile, her face full of confidence as she walked up the stairs slowly towards the hall.
"I know but-!"
"I have to go..."
"Lacus!" Kira cried out as he grabbed Lacus' arm a little too rough than he planned to, causing him to twist her wrist painfully.
"Ow! H-hey!" in retaliation, Lacus snapped her arm away from Kira's hold, before giving him a rightful slap across his face.
Kira swore his soul left his body for a fraction of a second at the impact, his face burning red as he caught a glimpse of Lacus carrying a regretful expression across her face. He laid a hand on his sore cheek, before speaking up.
"L-Lacus..."
"Please, Kira! Stop being so paranoid!... I-... I'll be fine..." she finally said as she pushed the curtains away to enter the hall.
The sound of applause slowly receded as Lacus got behind the podium of the long hallway that housed almost all the generals, officers, politicians and even noble families of all three sides. Kira smiled slightly as he took his side by the pink-haired songstress, quietly observing the hall as people turned to pay attention to the lovely Lacus.
It was a huge hall lined with magnificent pillars and grand windows. A superbly long golden-blue carpet down the middle on top of a shiny floor of pure marble white as it led to a three-stepped raised floor that served as the stage for the awards ceremony. The place was extremely grand, with huge paintings and pearly white walls. Any enemy would hate to make this their target, Kira thought as Lacus started off the speech with her usual charismatic smile.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pride to be here today. It is also an honor that I have been given an opportunity to represent the PLANTs at such a wondrous occasion," Lacus started out her speech as she commenced the awards ceremony, "It also gives me great joy to-!"
It was chaos in a split second. A large window within the banquet hall nearby shattered into a million pieces before Lacus felt herself being pushed back hard by a tremendous force as she flew a few feet back and hitting the ground hard. Kira's eyes went wide with shock, his heart skipping a beat watching Lacus' whole shoulder getting blown off by a devastating force. His body instinctively moved to her while the occupants of the hall screamed in panic and chaos.
"L-Lacus? Lacus! Hang on!" he cried out as he lifted her upper body gently, the ground painted scarlet by the mixture of dark and bright red blood from her wounded shoulder, signalling a rupture to both her veins and arteries. Lacus could just moan in pain as she started taking in labored breaths, her white gown taking on a different color as her blood rushed out of her body. She was losing blood rapidly.
"Go! Get an ambulance here!" a random soldier cried out to his subordinate as they began mobilizing before they were stopped almost instantaneously.
"No!" Kira shouted out in desperation as he watched the guards, "G-Get me a Mobile Suit. I need to fly her to the hospital."
"S-sir?!" the soldier was confused. A Mobile Suit? How was he supposed to call one to get in here?
"Just go get one! I don't care if it has to tear down this wall!" Cagalli's voice, the voice of the representative of Orb, quickly shook the Orb soldier as he ran off to get a working Mobile Suit, "Kira, how is she?"
"K-Kira..." Lacus weakly said out as her eyes slowly turning lifeless and her skin turning pale. It was a huge caliber shot, and would definitely take out her vital organs in the blink of an eye if aimed right. Either lucky or not that the bullet dug itself into her shoulder, only time will tell.
"Lacus, hold on!" he cried out again as he tried to carry her, but was stopped by Cagalli as she took off her Orb ceremonial coat.
"Pressure on the wound, Kira. Don't panic. Try to stop the bleeding first. Two of you! Follow us!" she instructed to the two armed guards nearby as they slowly carried Lacus outside together on a makeshift stretcher. Hopefully there is a working Mobile Suit ready outside. But his wishes weren't met as they reached the doorway that led to the brightly lit parking lot outside.
"Where's the transport!?" Cagalli cried out as she looked outside, her uniform and hands stained by Lacus' blood. What came instead of the Mobile Suit, was an Orb helicopter, landing not far away from them. Being careful not to get shot, the two siblings hurriedly brought Lacus on board. Kira gritted his teeth as he gently held Lacus.
"Pilot! To the nearest hospital!"
"Yes, Lady Cagalli!"
Kira had always been a pacifist, but that doesn't include when someone hurts Lacus. And because no one had the guts to even touch her before, this feeling of anger and hatred suddenly felt overwhelming to him. Kira quietly looked up at Cagalli with angry and teary eyes. She immediately knew what he was thinking.
"K-Kira... Don't worry, she'll be okay," Cagalli tried to assure him as she looked down at the shot Chairwoman, her breathing heavy and her pulse barely there. Truly, it was a terrible choice to have made her come down here when the world is still scarred by the ravages of war. But with that, Cagalli now could narrow down who the enemies of Terminal was. Even though...losing a life is too much of a cost for any type of information.
Kira looked at Lacus with tears brimming in his eyes as he felt her slowly going cold. Even with a dire body condition, Lacus still tried hard to reach out to her loved one. At such a critical level of blood loss, a normal human can't even think straight. Lacus' eyes slowly allowed tears to roll down her bloodied face, both visibly from the pain of the shot, and the pain of that she'd let her loved ones down.
"Shh...Lacus save your strength. I'm here, don't you worry."
"Kira...I'm...sorry..." Lacus managed to say out with a whimper as she held on as tight as she could onto Kira's hand.
"La-...Lacus?" Kira called out to his beloved instinctively as her body went limp, her bloody face buried lifelessly against his chest.
"Oi! Lacus! Wake up!" Cagalli tried waking up the dying princess as she gave a few gentle slaps to her cheek. It wasn't any good at all, "What's taking you so long to get there!?"
"We're reaching in a moment! Please hold on!"
At this point, Kira was already deep in his own sorrow as he hugged Lacus tightly, sobbing uncontrollably under the loud engines of the helicopter's rotors. He regretted making Lacus come here. He regretted making Lacus angry at him before her final moments. But most of all, he regretted not being able to do a thing to protect and save her.
All that progressive hard work and perseverance to reach a peaceful resolution with all the nations of the world...all the blood, sweat and tears of the heroes of the wars...all gone with a single shot, and a whimper.
An hour later...
"What the heck happened!?" Yzak came storming towards the military humvee that just halted outside of the conventional hall with Shiho on tow. Dearka and Reiatsuma climbed out of the vehicles, their combat outfit dirty from a recent exposure to dirt and powder, "Major? Lieutenant!? Report!"
"A lone sniper, assassin. We lost track of him," Dearka said with a disappointed tone unzipping the vest on him before Yzak came barging towards Reiatsuma of all people. Dearka and Shiho quickly tried to stop him from further assault but apparently the alcohol given earlier to Yzak seemed to cause him to go berserk.
"Goddamned traitor! This is your doing, isn't it!?" without much of an answer, Yzak hauled Reiatsuma against the jeep causing quite a scuffle in front of the military personnel present on duty, including Cagalli's aide, Athrun Zala.
"Yzak! That's enough!" Athrun pulled Yzak away quickly before subduing him in a tight hold, "This is not the time to take out your personal vendetta on your own men!"
This only served to piss Yzak off, causing further retaliation that ended in a blink of an eye with the barrel of Dearka's gun lined up perfectly with Reiatsuma's neck. No matter what, in any situation or case that he would experience, Yzak would never forget the faces of those lost in this stupid conflict, including those of the Rousseau as well as those from the two Bloody Valentine Wars.
"Call it what you want... But the fact remains that this dog and his flunkies were the ones that just killed Lacus, and possibly throwing the whole world back into chaos," Yzak pulled back on the hammer of the gun, before a gentle hand tugged at Yzak's shoulder.
"Yzak... I understand how you feel but, not here," Athrun quietly said as he stared right into Yzak's eyes before realizing how crushing a force such a display of ruthlessness would be to morale. The platinum blonde Commander finally calmed down, tossing the gun aside before taking a deep breath and looking at Dearka and Shiho, both of whom also showed visible signs of suspicion towards their latest squad-mate.
"What is Lacus' status?"
"Commander," Shiho stepped forward with a downcast look, "Command passed through the report, Chairwoman Clyne is tagged as KIA. The Athena was ordered to assume Threatcon Delta status and return to PLANTs as soon as we are able to."
AN: I'm sorry if this chapter seemed too short or too rushed. I tried fitting all of them in within a specific amount of words so one can stay focused for the story the whole way. And one more point, I'm sorry Lacus has to die at this point of the story, even though I didn't manage to progress her relationship between Kira. (I would kill myself if I weren't myself for killing Lacus D= Even though I find her abit too weird sometimes lol)
Thanks to Rouge-Impulstice1 & Voltage Axe for reviewing my last few chapters and all the others!
Anyways with that said, please comment on the story's if you want to (ESPECIALLY if you find the word count in chapters too short! This I need info on!) . Otherwise, I'm glad you guys enjoyed reading this! Take care and hopefully the next chapter is less melancholic!