Trials And Lies

Chapter 10

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!)...

50 hours from Ultimatum deadline...

The floor started shaking violently. But not only that, even the room was. It was like he was in a Christmas gift-box and a child was shaking it violently to see what was inside. Kira quickly swung his legs to the side of the bed and began rushing for the bridge of the Nocturnal Delta. Were they under attack? Did Visotoniki already find them?

Thoughts of a battle and the strings of what he would have to do began crossing his mind. It had been quite a while since he used the Freedom to full effect. Not that he was looking forward to it, but...he would never let any more harm come to Lacus. Not again.

"What's going on?!" he bursts into the busy bridge where the view port was already closed shut behind reinforced layers of thick metal. Karmen turned to look at the Coordinator, while Lacus sat quietly in the Captain's seat. They were calm.

"Commander Yamato. I suggest you suit up and prepare the Freedom. We're entering the Earth's atmosphere in three," came the reply from the still-injured soldier.

Kira's eyes showed surprise as he took in a sharp breath, "A-are you sure? This is a Girty-Lue! It's not capable of atmospheric flig-!"

"We're abandoning the Nocturnal, Commander! Get suited up! Now!" Karmen wasn't taking any questions no doubts at this point as she turned to the quiet songstress, "Miss Lacus? It's time..."

With a nod of her head, Kira watched quietly as Lacus floated up to him. Even though it was, to him, an already losing fight, Kira still saw Lacus' determination in her eyes. There was something that said she wasn't going to back down. Did she trust the Voskhod-3 that much? Or did they have something up their sleeves?

"...Kira? I'll be with you in the Freedom," the soothing voice came to him as she tugged at his wrist gently with a smile.

Kira Yamato couldn't help but just nod with the same smile in return. Radio chatter began filling the bridge of the dying ship as the whole of Voskhod-3 began their preparations for evacuation. It was a relief that the civilians were already transported back to PLANTs...even though it took a squad of armed super-soldiers just to convince Yzak it wasn't a good idea to bring Lacus and Kira into custody.

"Attention all crew and combat personnel, this is Commander Valkyrie. Commence evacuation procedures," her deep voice sounded throughout the whole ship as Kira and Lacus made way through the corridors towards the Hangar, "This will be the final hour of the Nocturnal Delta, our home. Give her our prayers before she leaves us, and hope that she waits for us on the other side."

Orb Union, Coastal Region

Cagalli laughed with full force as she looked at Athrun's desperate face, his cheeks turning red as he laughed along with his beloved. There was no mistake that having Athrun by her side was the best thing that ever happened to her. Sure, initially she wanted him to be away so she could focus her work. But she quickly found that her work and Athrun had to go hand-in-hand or she'll never work at all.

Such feelings was what made her sufferings seem so worth it, even now. But before she could finish her thoughts as she snuggled up to him, a lonesome can grenade came rolling into the corner of the room.

They were discovered...

In a split second, Athrun covered both of them in the blanket he had at his side before an ear-splitting thunder and a bright flash engulfed the area. Athrun quickly pulled the Orb Representative to her feet hurriedly, but they were already surrounded by heavily armed SWAT officers while their ears still rung from the loud bang. There was nowhere to run now. Cagalli lowered her eyes as she looked to the floor before being roughly shoved to the ground and cuffed.

"TOC this is Entry Team, suspects are secure and ready for transport."

Athrun was calm and quiet as he usually was, and so was Cagalli. The communications with the Archangel had better work. Or they'll be behind bars for long, long time. Or at the very least, exiled. With a shove, the SWAT officers quickly brought Cagalli and Athrun to the back of an armored truck. The blonde watched as the area was cordoned off by the police from the hungry public media. Everyone in Orb must have known where they both were.

"Cagalli? You okay?" Athrun worriedly asked as the doors of the armored vehicle was about to be opened, seconds before the loud sound of a warship's engines began taking over the area, a large shadow looming over the busy beach. Even the ground shook as it greeted the appearance of a falling and burning warship, a large long trail of smoke left in its path.

"What the hell is that!?" one of the policemen cried out as they hid behind their vehicles while the warship descended further and further towards the horizon. Just below the ship, pods were being dropped which crashed violently down onto the ground before blasting open synonymously with the appearance of white smoke. Everyone around got disoriented.

Athrun, seeing this chance, quickly jumped over his cuffed hands so he could pull at Cagalli to come along. Was this how they were going to be rescued? If it wasn't it must be sheer dumb luck.

"This is the Freedom. All transport shuttles are safely away towards Rendezvous Point Charlie along with the Hierarch."

"Good work, Commander. My squad will take care of the Orb Representative and Admiral Athrun. Expect us in twenty minutes, earliest. Carry on without us if we go beyond forty."

"Alright, Karmen. Good luck..."

Her chest tightened as memories of the past began filling into her head. Ironic how something on your mind can affect the feelings in your chest, considering they are two different entities most of the time. Karmen bit her teeth behind the visor of her helmet as her pod dropped off the burning ship, precariously going with gravity as it plummeted into the ground below and jerking the pod viciously before its hatch blasted open with a deadly force. The young soldier winced painfully as she felt the wound on her leg opening upon her exit.

Holding back a whimper, Karmen quickly grabbed onto her rifle attached to the side of the pod and rushed out, her breathing and heartbeat taking away all other sounds as her boots struck the ground hard. Smoke enshrouded the area and only her instincts and those of her comrades were in play. They marched with their rifles pointed ahead, ill-will and white-hot lead waiting to be dispensed at a simple pull of a trigger.

"Commander, typical SWAT formation, heavily armed and with armored vehicle."

"They must know we're coming. Spread out, staggered formation. Activate EMP," Karmen commanded as she flicked her rifle's firing mode to semi-auto instead of fully. They were in an area with civilians. A stray bullet cannot be present, at least by Voskhod-3's standard. Not to mention them having no idea where Cagalli and Athrun are amidst the thick smoke. On the adjacent side, another of Karmen's commando got to work setting up an electronic jamming device for the area.

"Infrared's not working! Spread out and search for the intruders, assume armed and hostile! We can't let them escape!" an unfamiliar voice commanded over the silent surroundings. Karmen quickly ordered a halt through her radio. And waited.

"Any movements...shoot it," Karmen said into her buzzing intercom as she looked around. Considering Athrun's combat experience, he'll definitely either fall in line with Karmen's tactics and stop moving too, lying down if at all preferable, or use this chance to escape away from the battle area altogether.

And before she knew it, sounds of silenced rifles popped against the silence followed by pained screams of the enemy and them falling over against the ground, occasional groans and screams for helpy haunting the quiet field. The enemy was in fear...she could feel it in the air.

"Turn off the EMP, switch to thermal," and with that, Karmen's whole squad began closing in on the enemy. As expected the enemy was rational and mature. Unlike amateurs, they did not open fire indiscriminately. But her squad had already gained the upper hand. It was going just as she had planned, but Karmen did not smile. In a battlefield...nothing goes as planned...if it was, it can only mean it was either a trap, or something much more horrible will follow after.

The smoke was starting to clear, and Karmen was getting edgy as she swept the area in front of her. No sign of Cagalli and Athrun. She cursed from inside her helmet as the rays of the sun slowly penetrated the thinning smoke.

"We have a minute max. Close up, hit and run tactics... Police snipers are scanning the area," and as soon as the order was given, footsteps were hurried and there was no longer any restriction on firing. It was as if time was slowed, but her squad moved efficiently fast as their systems communicated with each other, complemented by their constant grueling training and the sensory enhancements of the chemicals that were forced in them.

They were like a sweeping plague, covering almost the whole area in a wide wingspan of a loose delta formation with no bullets wasted. Every hot lead that left the barrel of one of the super-soldiers' weapons were made for the enemies' vital points as if the guns itself were fate bringing down death on the victims. The enemy didn't even hear a magazine being loaded the whole time.

And not even a minute passed, the area was picked clean as Karmen signaled for them to load up into the armored truck that the SWAT team were using, improvising as they went on. Karmen slid up her visor and turned the knob for the siren on the armored vehicle, causing it to blare loudly.

"Better get on or we'll leaving without you!" as soon as her commanding voice boomed past her lips, two figures started rushing towards them. As expected it was Athrun and Cagalli. But the situation was nowhere near resolved. The smoke was already clearing...and from within the armored vehicle the noirette Commander was standing next to, the police radio sounded off among the chatter.

"This is High-Ground Sierra, we have High-Value Target Charlie in our scope...on the run with an accomplice."

"High-Ground Sierra, accomplice is a Threat-Level Delta target... Open fire."

"But Sir! It's Admiral Zala! He's unarmed-!"

"Execute the order-"

Karmen didn't wait for the radio message to finish as she turned quickly on her heels and hurriedly made a rush towards both their side while her squad revved the engine of the vehicle. She could've done something sooner. But even for a two decade old super-soldier with the most advanced inventions made by men running deep in her veins, Karmen could not stop a speeding bullet when it has already left the barrel of a gun travelling three times the speed of sound.

"Get down!"

Red. It was all red by the time her voice reached the two...all bloody when a standard sniper bullet tore through Athrun's throat as he fell and slid painfully across the floor, dragging along whatever blood and grime that was on the floor with him. Karmen didn't stop. A life was already slipping past her fingers, she won't let the other be pulled in too. She can't.

Even from that distance, Karmen could hear Athrun's blood gurgling into his lungs as it began to drown him, his eyes showing a sign of the ultimate fear as Karmen gritted her teeth. This was too much for the Orb Representative. Karmen has to pull her out immediately or things will just get more and more dreadful. The young soldier picked up her pace against the wind and even against time itself.

"A-Athrun..." Cagalli's shaky voice caused Karmen to shiver as she watched the blonde sit up while rushing to her. Without letting her have a minute of silence and grief, Karmen roughly pulled Cagalli by her waist and pulled her away, refusing to even look at the Orb Admiral that was choking on his own blood as he struggled for dear life. So much blood even at the corner of her eyes...too much...

"Athrun!"

A sigh escaped her lips as Shiho tried getting used to the new controls of the Mobile Suit she was given on orders by her brother. It wasn't exactly a new, top-of-the-line machine that she was expecting. But it served the purpose of her brother's group, the Visotoniki, the best. Stealthy and excellent maneuverability.

"Shiho? You okay in there?" her brother knocked at the entrance of the Mobile Suit's cockpit, his face peeking from the edges of the hatch.

"Ahh, Conrad. I'm alright. Just feeling...weird that's all," she replied as she climbed out of the cockpit, her ZAFT uniform changed to a pair of uniform just like her brother wore, black and...well just black actually. The fabric was cooling but at the same time provided protection from certain elements. What was the material anyway...

Shiho was immediately interrupted from her train of thought as Conrad spoke out, "I know how you feel...it's called homesick."

"Our home was taken away the moment you left for ZAFT-"

"I meant homesick from ZAFT... Besides...you've been all up at PLANTs the whole time. Trust me," he continued as they made their way towards an open airfield with a blue cloudless sky looming overhead, "Earth is quite a homely place when you get used to it."

Shiho didn't respond. But she didn't mean not to either. Somehow every time she came to Earth, the same vast skies scared her as if it could pull her into its vastness. Space was different, she'd already seen enough of it. The airfield was busy for once, the Visotoniki coordinating movements of large numbers of weapons and supplies brought in by the former terrorist cells.

Librarian Works was under Conrad's mailed fist, them dancing in the palm of his hand the whole time. And it wasn't easy either. But there was a thing she regretted...and it was the fact that he ordered the slaughter of millions in the nuke on the Decemberius colonies and other conventional attacks on other nations of Earth. Whatever the reason, the means that he took were unjustifiable and unforgivable. Shiho wanted to ask, but every time she turned to ask her brother about it, he always showed that same exhausted face he would put on after an extremely difficult day.

Something heavy was on his shoulders...and only a few answers fitted the tons of questions. Her brother really didn't change at all...he was still the caring and concerned brother she had lost and longed for the past few years. Shiho decided this time, she's going to ask what he was planning behind all this violence and facade that he built.

"...Conrad-"

"Hold that thought, Shiho," he asked before turning to a fellow soldier with a datapad, "What is it?"

Shiho quietly watched as she fiddled with her fingers, a sign that she was anxious or nervous about something. And of course, being the older brother, Conrad immediately noticed...but was pulled to another issue far heavier.

"Athrun Zala killed in a crossfire? What a joke...they were afraid of the Justice, I'm guessing," he quickly returned the datapad with a nod to the soldier, before turning back to his beloved sister who held an exasperated look, "What's up, Shiho?"

"Why, Conrad? Did all these people die just for something you're planning to do? W-what are you even aiming for?" Shiho hissed unconsciously at her brother. If she were level-headed she would never dare, but this was taking it too far. The Rousseau, the millions dead at PLANTs and hundreds that went down with the Gondwana. Was it a really justifiable war? Was it even a war!? It was plain and easy genocide.

"I was expecting you to ask that the first day you came here, Shiho," he easily said as he sat on the bumper of a jeep nearby within the busy airfield, "You won't understand it now...but you will when the time comes. For the moment, just trust me...okay?"

Conrad gave her a smile and a gentle rub of her cheek...in return, Shiho blushed at the gesture. She didn't even protest as she nodded. Instead of thinking of other possibilities to get the answers out of him, all she thought was that she would give him another chance...and another...and another. As long as she can take it. Shiho never really felt loyal to ZAFT or any nations anyway. So, besides all the death and destruction, it didn't really bother her.

Though there is one thing that bothered her...if she had to fight head to head with Yzak and his squad. They weren't really especially special, except for Yzak...but they were still people she had close relations with as comrades. Dearka...the Captain of the Voltaire...all were her friends she treasured, but could never replace Conrad.

"Alright...but I don't know. It just doesn't sit right with me..."

"I can understand... But don't worry, I won't ever ask you to go to the frontlines," Conrad walked over and pat her cheeks lightly, "There's no way I'd let you leave my side again. Is that better?"

"Y-yeah... Definitely."

45 hours till Ultimatum deadline...
West Pacific Ocean, Archangel Battleship

Lacus couldn't move. She felt that if even a muscle was activated, the whole world would have gone to hell...if it hasn't already. Nothing could be done or said when it passes, but losing the lives that were cherished so dearly was just too much. Lacus knew this best as she remembered the broken look on Cagalli's face the moment she stepped out of the shuttle Voskhod-3 brought her in.

The bridge of the Archangel was silent as Lacus Clyne stared off into empty space.

"No matter what angle we look at it, Lacus... Every door is closed to us. Even ZAFT is not opening its arms," the Desert Tiger, Andrew Waltfeld, said as he shifted in his place by the side of the entrance. Lacus didn't say anything in return, for she had already lost count to how many people had said that to her. She wanted to speak up, but no words came to mind except hopelessness. It felt...scary. And annoyingly frustrating. Rather than losing in an instant, Lacus was slowly but surely being pushed into total annihilation.

"I don't know..."

"Miss Lacus? We still have one last doorway," a tall lean soldier in a bloody jet black outfit slipped into the bridge, quickly turning around the morbid atmosphere as fast as heads were turned, "Commander Hayabusa has paved a way for us."

"What are you talking about, Karmen?" finally Lacus found her voice, her heart suddenly over-brimmed with hope. If the Commander of Voskhod-3 says there is hope, than it was truly the best chance that they could have of ever hoping to turn the situation around. Karmen walked quietly to the command console of the bridge and inserted a small disk that was given to her by her late Commander in Carpentaria, showing the Moon and certain key points on Earth as it booted up. Karmen wiped the blood on her face with her sleeve, all along the well-built commando just smiling away in her usual twisted demeanor. Even to Lacus...that was creepy.

"Remember the nuke that was set off on the Moon after the rescue by Hierarch and Rei?" Lacus nodded at the question as Karmen's pale graceful finger trailed a few lines that ran from the Moon to Earth. "It actually destroyed a major hub that kept Librarian Works in check. A network that kept the terrorist cells involved to keep working for Visotoniki."

"So you're saying these locations are where some of Librarian Works terrorist cells are?"

"Correct."

"What did you mean by, keep in check?" Lacus was starting to get more and more curious.

"I'm not sure about that...but a few of my scouts reported that as soon as the Moon base was blown to hell, the terrorist factions under its network," Karmen turned to Lacus and with determined eyes, continued, "Were all roaming free and easy, as if surveillance over them ceased."

Lacus was confused, and so was the crew. Even Kira at the far side of the bridge seemed clueless as to what Karmen was talking about. Even with all the questioning looks, no one dared to ask any questions. They were afraid of something...of getting an answer they didn't want to hear. But the pink-haired Chairwoman shook her head and stepped forward. This was no time to be hesitant.

"What does this have to do with our situation, Karmen?"

"Easy...We take them to our side..."

"What?" Lacus' eyes went wide as she heard the words sip through Karmen's lips.

"Did I hear you wrong, Karmen? We're gonna have to bring them to our side?" Kira asked from the other side of the bridge, his face holding a concerned look. And Lacus understood perfectly. It was one thing to fight beside conscripted soldiers like they did during the First Bloody Valentine War, but to fight at the side of a merciless terrorist driven by extreme ideology was something else.

At the question, Karmen calmly shook her head with the sadistic smile still on her face, "That's exactly what we're going to do. However...we have very limited time. As we speak, we've already annexed a handful of them to our side. My subordinates are still working. Supplies are coming in and things are starting to look slightly better."

Lacus could see Kira was starting to get fidgety. And was correct to feel that way. Something was still left unanswered.

"What about the nuclear threat?" Kira asked as he stepped closer to Karmen.

"Conrad, just as ruthless as he is, is a conscientious man. He would never ask another to bear the guilt of pressing the switch for the Nukes. For this reason alone, we'll have to turn you and Miss Lacus, along with the Freedom to Conrad."

"...It's a heavy gamble, Karmen. One I don't think I can afford to make," Kira stepped forward with a grim look on his face.

"It's our only chance, Commander Yamato. When we draw him out...we strike."

"Cagalli?" Kira asked with a soft voice with a gentle knock, trying hard not to sound offensive. The door hissed open as it revealed a dark bedroom, a lone figure sitting at the darkest corner of the room with a blanket around her. Kira had never seen his twin sister like this. Sure they've been separated, but he's never seen her this dreadful before. And who could blame her.

"..."

"Cagalli...are you alright?" he couldn't resist asking as he walked up to her side. It was the most senseless question ever.

"Do I...look alright to you?" the blonde hissed as she turned an extremely hateful gaze towards her twin brother, her brown eyes holding a fire that was so strong it was eating into herself. Kira clenched his fists. Damn all this death and destruction. He somehow wished he was living in a different time, where peace was so widespread. Where he could at this age be roaming the endless internet and study, rather than be behind the controls of a killing machine.

Kira quietly slunk down beside his sister and leaned against her, to which she flinched and moved away. Kira watched her with his eyes wide. He was thinking of comforting her for her loss. He knew best how it was to lose someone he loved. But what was different this time was that Athrun has no hope of returning alive. There was no Voskhod-3 this time to provide him the save that was given to Lacus when she was shot.

"Leave me alone, Kira!" Cagalli's forehead would start to wrinkle if she frowned any harder.

"What are you-!"

"It's not fair...Athrun died...Athrun died because we decided to play along with you guys!" Cagalli raised her voice as she hugged herself, digging her fingernails into her shoulder as if trying to hide her emotional pain behind her physical ones. Kira was surprised. It was true...Athrun and Cagalli had to go through what they did because they took part in the facade.

"But Cagalli, I-!"

"I said leave me alone-!" before Cagalli could stand up and assault Kira, a loud beep stopped her. Kira took a second to recuperate, and looked at his phone.

"Commander Yamato, the operation is commencing."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the shuttle," by the time the call ended, Cagalli was already not in the room. The ultimate Coordinator sighed as he turned to leave for the helicopter.

Cosmic Era 74
Golden Triangle, Northern Thailand

The night was young. Or it is for Kira and the rest. Hell it was only half to midnight. Only children will be asleep at this kind of time. The cold breeze of the night was so comfortable, it could make Kira Yamato sleep as he layed down under the night sky, clad in Voskhod-3's jet black combat outfit. Kira could still remember Lacus' face when he said he would want to take part in one of Voskhod-3's annexation of the loose Librarian Works cells. But only with Karmen Valkyrie at his side as insurance.

"Do you guys usually do these kind of operations at night?"

"What you mean frontal assaults like these? Never. We're usually backstabbers," Karmen replied to Kira as the both of them hid under a ghillie blanket beneath the night sky somewhere in the lush green fields of tropical Thailand. It was truly Kira's first frontline mission as a soldier, but he didn't worry though. With a full squad of super-soldiers at his side, who would, "Sometimes, if you walk through a guarded base at night down a corridor, then come back down the same one five minutes later and find dead bodies littering it without so much as a scream, then you know its us...armed enemies only, of course."

Kira gulped as he watched Karmen hold that usual grin on her face, her fingers wrapped gently around the dog-tags around her collar.

"Well, I guess you guys know what you're doing if you're that confident...and lethal," Kira smiled as he looked at a village downhill that was showing some interesting activity. Like a festival or something. But as expected, there were no women and children. It was one of the terrorist factions' locations, a target for Voskhod-3 to make them work under Lacus' flag.

"This is Overwatch, currently no outside forces located. All enemy units are within the compound. Targets are intoxicated but expect heavy resistance."

"Acknowledged, Overwatch. Vulcan-Actual to all units, Callsign Ragnarok, we're mission launch. Lay down flare and mortar fire."

"Understood, Commander. Mission is a go, I repeat, mission is a go."

"Stay close to me, Commander Yamato..." Karmen said as she smiled revealing her sharp teeth, taking off the blanket in a single motion. The cool air blew past Kira's hair comfortably as pops from behind the group sent a hail of metal and fire down on the lone village, like a rain of punishment from God as the rest of the squad behind him took off their cover too, revealing deadly eyes with menacing auras.

"...This is the part where a boy turns into a man."

AN: Apologies for the late update! I was so busy improving my drawing skills that I almost forgot about the fanfic! D= Anyways, thanks for reading!

Thanks to Voltage-Axe (to which the battle scenes here and in the next chapter will be dedicated to!)and Rouge-Impulstice1 for staying with me through the building of this story! =D Hopefully the death of Athrun here does not set off a flame war or anything, not that I'd care XD Realism is a bitch, death can come anytime.

Also thanks to BrownGandalf and Stranger-in-my-eyes for favourite-ing this story! As well as Peach-Diva for following! You guys are my new favourite persons! XD