Prelude
Chapter 1: Fragment - In what feels like the most unbelievable turn of events in Orb history, so hysterical it seems calculated, Cagalli's expected to step into her father's shoes.
April, CE 72
It's funny how easy it is to start a war, how difficult it is to end one, and how almost impossible it is to prevent one from happening again. Not when the wounds are still fresh and too stubborn to heal. And not when people always seem to find a way to pick on the scabs and let the cut bleed a little longer.
A week after the PLANT provisional council called for a truce, Athrun, Yzak and Dearka had been summoned to face charges for their war crimes — defection for Athrun and Dearka, and murder of civilians for Yzak. The defection charge was relatively simpler and easier to forgive, especially when Eileen Canaver and the provisional council had to account for their significant contributions in ending the war and preventing massive loss of life. That had been resolved in a matter of weeks, and while Dearka chose to stay in the PLANTs, Athrun instead came to Orb, where Cagalli had pulled him into her arms in utter relief as soon as he landed and kissed him silly, paying no mind to the burning sensation spreading across her cheeks. Athrun hadn't minded either.
The murder of civilians, on the other hand, even if unintentional, is not quite as clear cut. Perhaps the most terrible thing was that Yzak had been totally unaware until he was served a subpoena for it. And his mother can no longer shield him, not when she herself is at trial for supporting a chairman on the verge of committing genocide.
"He's in shock," Athrun had told Cagalli. "He hadn't known."
It's been six months since, and the trial's still ongoing.
Fortunately, the Archangel hadn't encountered as much trouble. It had been easy enough for Erica Simmons, Kisaka and Cagalli to hide the legged-ship under the Athha summer home, and to create new identities for the crew. It wasn't difficult either when Andrew Waltfeld had requested the same some time later.
Kira and Lacus eventually settled down in Reverend Malchio's orphanage in the Marshall Islands. Cagalli had no such luxury — only a few months' reprieve, if one can even call it that, to find her bearings and manage what's left of the Athha Estate. As if loss isn't unkind enough, it looks for ways to turn death into a cold, bureaucratic process and inconvenience the living further. There isn't any time or space to properly grieve when there's simply too much to do.
Her only repose had been Athrun's companionship, and she was more than happy to set him up with an apartment near Morgenroete, though admittedly he didn't spend as much time there as the Athha Manor. Not that Cagalli complained.
Not long after, she got caught up in the aftermath of what the other noble houses of Orb had done, or hadn't done. It's all terribly complicated, and the citizens, who had just started settling back into the homeland, had been furious with the turn of events. As it turned out, in the citizens' eyes, the Athhas and the Seirans were the houses with the least amount of offense. The Athhas, a representation of virtue and ideal, whose heir — young and inexperienced as she may be — was in the frontlines and had a direct hand in forging the fragile peace they now enjoy, and has now become the best choice for a figurehead. The Seirans, while relatively insignificant in the last year, had no track record of war crimes, and its incumbent heir was most experienced in governance. In an unprecedented move, the Orb public elected a noble as prime minister, and clamored for a child to be their chief representative.
It's only been six months since the war ended, and since Cagalli's father perished in flames. Now she's expected to step into his shoes, in what feels like the most unbelievable turn of events in Orb history, so hysterical it almost seems calculated. But Cagalli has too much on her plate to ponder on conspiracy theories.
In between weeks of rushed preparation, Cagalli's able to carve out a space for her and Athrun to visit Kira and Lacus once more, as everyone's aware this will be their last respite in a long time. Next week, she'll have her swearing-in ceremony, and she only feels the least bit prepared. But there's not much use in lamenting about that now, is there?
The island breeze softly licks her cheeks, and Cagalli shivers — due to the cold or her anxiety, she's unsure. Her hands pressed against the wooden rails of the porch start to tremble, and before the sensation spreads upward to her shoulders, Athrun places a steadying hand on hers. The trembling stops, and her whole body stills. He doesn't say anything. Just offers her a smile that tells her she'll be alright.
And she's so thankful for that. He grounds her, not in an imposing way most people tend to be, but in a way that strengthens her resolve. And in a room of old, stuck-up nobles, at least here's a man who shares her nightmares of blood and death, from which springs forth a shared hope for a better tomorrow. Even if it's only within the private comfort of her room, at least she has a place and person to bare all her misgivings as ugly and as loud as she desires without any judgement thrown against her.
But she's suddenly overcome with the burden she's meant to bear, the heaviness of it and the frightening awareness that she's unwittingly spreading its weight between her and Athrun, who was never supposed to shoulder it in the first place. She begins trembling again but masks it with a playful grin that's long since become associated with her character. "There's still time to back out, you know," she says. "You can stay here with Kira and Lacus. I can come visit."
He doesn't look at her for a while, but a smile etches its way to his lips. He glances back at her with eyebrows raised. "Are you pushing me away already?"
"It's unfair for me to drag you into whatever this is." She plays with his fingers that are entwined with hers. She purses her lips, almost like a pout. "I'm sure this isn't what you signed up for when you decided to come to Orb." And stay with me.
Athrun brings his focus to their interlaced fingers, squeezing her hand. "I don't mind. I want to be by your side, even if it means sharing your burden."
She notices that there's a slight hesitation in the way he said that. But for all her supposed valor and bravado, she has to admit that she's simply afraid and would take whatever comfort and support she can from whatever source available, even if only at face value. She'll have to trust that Athrun means what he chooses to say, and to trust that their relationship — however it will evolve from this point on, has a strong enough foot on the ground to steady them both.
She throws a grateful smile at him, which he returns generously. He brings the back of her hand, still folded into his, to his lips and plants a soft, reassuring kiss there.
In a matter of days, Cagalli will step into her new role as the Chief Representative of Orb. By then, there will no longer be any room for regrets, insecurity or the gnawing feeling of not being enough. Because Cagalli's life will no longer be hers alone, nor can she still afford to hide behind her father whose protection ceased the moment he chose obligation over her. In a matter of days, all Cagalli can rely on is her ideals, her spirit, and her support system, fragile as they all may be. And she hopes they'll somehow be enough.