PHASE-25: Trial By Combat


"Everything you can learn from is an opportunity to become stronger."
Daniel Ricciardo, Formula 1 driver


After a brief introduction between two parties, the Chairman himself along with two guards guide Team Paradox into the PLANT Supreme Council's main building. Rio leads her teammates as they observe around the building. The people of the PLANTs are more or less surprised to see people from Orb to have step foot into Aprilius One, unless if there happens to be a Natural, that is. Given that Orb takes a neutral stance in the hostilities between Coordinator and Natural, it makes sense that they don't bear any animosity towards them, unless if there is someone who hated Orb's government for giving in to the Atlantic Federation's demands.

Along the way, Kiryu can feel his heart beating so rapidly, and he does not know why. The time will come that he might meet his genetic progenitor in person.

"Hey, Kiryu!", Akiza waves her hand on her mentor. "Are you spacing out or something?"

"Partly.", he nodded.

"You've been acting like that ever since the war started.", she responded skeptically.

"I'm fine.", Kiryu spat.

"(sigh) Suite yourself...", Akiza sighs in resignation as the team pressed on. Despite that, she's been worried about Kiryu's mental state ever since he had nightmares about a certain ZAFT pilot who lost his family in Orb, along with the Gaia's pilot.

Kiryu for most of his life is a jaded person trying to find a time and place to die and be free from the pain he had been through in the future. But, fate had something else in mind for him.

Even Flay, who seems to be aware that whenever Kiryu is asked of his current state of mind, he will insist on answering that he's fine, when he's anything but fine. She and Akiza already know the fact that he carries the same genetic coding as ZAFT's Shinn Asuka. Does this mean that Kiryu will eventually meet him?

However, the Chairman felt the distress of the Gundam Operator...

"You seem to be very conflicted, young one...", Durandal spoke. "You remind me of a headstrong and reckless, yet passionate youth with a desire to stop this war."

Kiryu replied, "We all have our own ways to put an end to this war. Even if we have to get our hands dirty.", but what amazed the Chairman is Kiryu's charisma. Kiryu then continued, "If no one had the audacity to say and do what other people couldn't, then who will?"

"I understand what you're saying. And it makes perfect sense.", Durandal quickly got the context of Kiryu's speech. "Your willingness to compromise your own morality to do something that you feel uncomfortable doing so for the sake of a greater good, I suppose?"

Rio backed Kiryu's words, "He's right. An act of necessary evil is a must if we can hope to prevent needless bloodshed. Some of us might feel uneasy for must be done, but it's needed to be done.", and then throws back a similar question to Durandal, "What about you, Mr. Chairman? Are you willing to do what's necessary to win?"

"Always.", Durandal nodded. "I'm not interested in winning. I'm only doing whatever it takes to prevent more lives lost in this war. It seems that you are indeed different from Chief Representative Athha. I feel that she, as a leader, is not up to the task after what happened in Armory One."

As much as Rio was disappointed over with Cagalli's inexperience as a leader of a sovereign nation. She can't blame Cagalli for what happened in Armory One, and knew that the Seirans set her up in the first place, and thus directs her anger at the Seiran family instead. And the reason why Team Paradox is at the PLANTs right now is to earn the Chairman's trust in order to help them crackdown Blue Cosmos' presence on Earth and around the far reaches of Space, with the consequence of the team being labeled as traitors for siding with ZAFT so long as the Seirans are in control of Orb's government. And Rio has to take risks in order to oust the Seirans from power.

"Lady Cagalli is not to be blamed, Mr. Chairman. I understand why that being put in such a position of power is not an easy task for her.", Rio continued. "What happened back in Armory One is probably she was being set up by Orb's Prime Minister, Unato Ema Seiran."

Kiryu and Ian shook their heads as Rio figured out what transpired in the Armory One incident. Flay and Akiza already knew what came out of Rio's lips is because Akiza already told Flay firsthand while in the hotel.

Flay turned her head and looked at Akiza, as the latter used her telepathy to explain to Flay.

"Aki, how did the commander-"

"About that? And yes, we already brainstormed this before the ship entered Aprilius One. Rio has been suspecting the Seirans collaborating with Blue Cosmos ever since Team Paradox was formed, so we already made the conclusion that Cagalli was indeed set up by the Seirans."

"The senior officers behind me and myself have been connecting the dots of what transpired that time.", Rio continued. "Ever the formation of Team Paradox, we had put the Seiran family under surveillance due to their alleged connections with the terrorist group Blue Cosmos. Thanks to one of my sources, my suspicions were true. The Armory One incident, that have three Alliance pilots hijacked three of ZAFT's second stage mobile suits is because the Prime Minister Unato Ema Seiran used Lady Cagalli as bait, so that his allies in the Atlantic Federation use this as a chance to steal those machines."

"Your intuition is very remarkable.", Durandal smirked. "As expected from the Blue Cosmos Hunters. But, do you understand what you're doing? Considering that you've stepped foot into the PLANTs, they will brand you as traitors for colluding with ZAFT."

"We know the risks. And I can't allow them to do whatever they please to Orb, or pollute the Earth with their corrosive belief of preservation of a blue and pure world."

Team Paradox's discussions with Durandal went on into the Evidence 01 exhibition room.

"I didn't know that this space whale fossil is still here.", said Ian.

"That's Evidence 01.", Akiza followed up. "That's a fossil of an extraterrestrial lifeform found in an asteroid by George Glenn."

"The OG Coordinator.", Ian further backed up the history lesson. "Even until now, no one has ever found anything relevant about that fossil. After with the whole revelation of his genetic alteration, this is where how shit is already falling apart. Things couldn't been fucked up if he hadn't been gunned down."

Ian makes an insinuation if what would the whole world would be like if Glenn kept his nature a Coordinator secret nor had he never been killed. But, if he were to travel in time to prevent that from happening, things would have turned differently, for better or for worse. Either way, one can help but imagine rather than risking a time paradox.

As the team observe the artifact, their time medallions and rings began to emit a faint glow. Flay's butterfly medallion began to show a glint in the presence of Evidence 01.

"That's weird...", said Akiza as she suspects the glint on her medallion.

"Our medallions and rings are somehow letting out this faint glow near towards Evidence 01.", Kiryu muttered.

"Come again?", Gilbert notices the glint from Ian and Kiryu's ring.

"Nothing. These glints shouldn't be a cause of concern. Even we have no idea why is this happening.", Kiryu replied, downplaying the glints emanating from his time ring.

"I understand. Perhaps those gems in your possessions maybe not worth of my time. I supposed that you people have managed to see what life in the PLANT colonies feel like."

The glow from the rings and medallions eventually stopped. With the rest of the party feeling at ease for now. If Durandal had noticed the time medallions and rings, it could mean trouble for the Gundam Operators. However, the Chairman has no interest in those objects whatsoever; so Team Paradox's secrets are safe.

Afterwards, the Chairman offered the Gundam Operators to partake in a banquet. However, Team Paradox isn't the only guests to be part of this. As he summons crewmembers of the Minerva, more specifically three of its mobile suit pilots: Shinn Asuka, Rey Za Burrel, and Lunamaria Hawke, and the ship's captain, Talia Gladys.

As soon as Team Paradox are on the left side of the table, the Minerva's crew members arrive. Shinn, one of the pilots of the ship, isn't too thrilled at the sight of Orb soldiers, considering the tragic incident that forever changed him. In the midst of the confusion, Lunamaria somehow mistook Flay for her younger sister Meyrin. On Team Paradox's side, seeing Rey had Flay remember Le Creuset because of being almost similar to the late ZAFT commander. Kiryu had felt his heart pounding fast at the sight of his genetic progenitor.

"Hey, Allster? Looks like you seen a ghost or somethin'.", Ian waves his hand around Flay's face.

"Shut up, Ian."

"Bah... Screw you.", Ian scoffs her before giving Flay the middle finger.

Rey questions the Chairman, "Gil. Are these people..."

"Yes, it seems the stories about the Blue Cosmos Hunters were true.", said Durandal. "They are from Orb, but they have recently operated independently."

Shinn can't help but let his scorn towards Orb made known in front of Team Paradox. Considering that while Cagalli was taken in as a guest into the Minerva following the theft of the three Gundams, Shinn has nothing but scorn for anyone from Orb, especially the Athha family for what transpired during the war.

However, little what Shinn did not know is that his Carbon Human copy was glaring at him.

"Rey Za Burrel, Lunamaria Hawke, and Shinn Asuka. They're the Minerva's mobile suit pilots.", Kiryu gives Flay some heads up.

"How did you know about them?!", Flay asked.

"It's just me having a glimpse of the future. The rest is history.", Kiryu replied rather cryptically, without disclosing to everyone in the room of his nature as a Carbon Human.

Flay seems to notice a connection regarding Rey with Le Creuset, considering she has met the latter before. Kiryu has already know Lunamaria as well, as he has also met the latter's future self.

Meanwhile, Rey looks at Kiryu. Apart from being almost looking like an adult Shinn with androgynous features, there is something a bit similar with him. Shinn was also looking at him before talking about the presence of Team Paradox.

"Seriously, what does Orb have any business with the PLANTs?", Shinn is vexed at the sight of Team Paradox.

"If the Chairman was positive about their assistance earlier, I assume they are planning something in mind.", Rey spoke in a deep thought. "In fact, that mysterious mobile suit that appeared in Jachin Due those years ago and singlehandedly took down the Gaia earlier is among them."

Lunamaria shook her head, as she and her sister Meyrin have been overhearing gossips about the "Black Rose Witch".

"I don't like this... The witch is basically among the members of Team Paradox.", Rey began observing on Akiza, Flay, and Rio, the only three women of the team, with Kiryu and Ian being the only two men.

"For real?", Luna joined the conversation. "I can't see who those three women are the so-called witch Rey is talking about. Besides, I saw one of the members of Team Paradox who looks just like Meyrin.", mistaking Flay for her sister Meyrin.

Shinn has apparently seen or heard Flay from elsewhere, but has heard about her father. "That's the daughter of the Atlantic Federation Vice Minister George Allster, Flay Allster. I can't believe she is still alive... Why did Team Paradox brought in the daughter of a racist politician?!"

While the three pilots of the Minerva were having their conversation, even Flay can hear them from the other side of the table. And the fact that she was the daughter of a member of Blue Cosmos and her being in the PLANTs only made her feel more uneasy. And Shinn's tirades isn't helping anything either.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Dinner will start now.", the PA echoed in the room as the two different sides went to their places. Team Paradox sat down on left side of the table, with the Minerva crew on the right, Gilbert stays on the center.

The Gundam Operators of Team Paradox maintained proper table manners, despite Ian's voracious appetite. And Kiryu is there to straighten him up if ever he goes overboard, which draw laughter from everyone from the scene.

"This is the only reason why I'm surrounded by Neanderthals...", Rio jested dryly after seeing Ian getting a black eye from Kiryu for the lack of table manners.

Durandal caught wind of the Iron Lady of Orb's snide remark. "(chuckles) You amuse me, Commander Tokino.", said the Chairman as he finds that joke funny.

"This is reality. There's nothing much you can do when you are in command of a task force. Or in your case, being the head of the PLANTs.", the Orb Commander continued before moving on to the discussion once everyone finished their meals. "Without further ado, as for the reason why we come here is we also need cooperation from ZAFT in order to hunt down members of the terrorist organization Blue Cosmos. The presence of anti-Coordinator extremism has been prevalent after the war, due to a loophole left behind with the Junius Treaty that never mentioned anything related with the group. Which then transpired this war."

"Ah, I see.", Durandal looked at the five Gundam Operators. "So you've been hunting down members of Blue Cosmos on Earth and on Copernicus, I assume?"

"Yes, sir.", Akiza nodded, answering the question on Rio's behalf as she is also a senior officer. "But, even with the death of its leader Muruta Azrael, someone else has taken over the group."

Durandal knows the name of Blue Cosmos' ringleader, as he continued. "That "someone" in question is in fact, Lord Djibril."

"How the fuck does he-", Ian shook his head as the Chairman reveals Djibril's name to Team Paradox and the Minerva crew.

"I've been given word that he is now the leader of Blue Cosmos. Right now, he's been off the grid.", Gilbert confirms his source to everyone on the scene.

"What is the chairman talking about?", Shinn asked.

"He means that Djibril's been hiding underground.", Rey elucidated. "We have no idea what his true face looks like. This probably explains why Team Paradox entered the PLANTs."

"They want to catch a terrorist leader to make themselves famous, this is bullcrap!"

Ian caught wind of Shinn's comment and took offense to it. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, hot shot, we're not yet finished making a deal with the big guy."

"You people from Orb make me sick!", Shinn walks out.

Even Kiryu himself took offense to Shinn's rant even more than Ian as he glares right at him, and given that he is created based on the latter's genetic data, it is like he hated himself on the way his progenitor is behaving in the present.

"Easy there, big guy!", Flay does her best to de-escalate to avoid an altercation.

Chairman Durandal had thought of something, if Team Paradox can prove themselves, he may happily accept Rio's deal of having ZAFT cooperate with Team Paradox, at the cost of Team Paradox of being labeled traitors by the Seiran-controlled Orb Union.

Kiryu pushes Flay aside and confronts Shinn personally, much to her dismay.

"Hey, kid.", Kiryu glares at Shinn. "If I were you, you'd better be behaving like a real professional soldier. Amateurs like you should have no place of being involved in wars!"

"Why, you..."

"Or do you want to settle this like real men?", Kiryu is unfazed by Shinn's threats, as evident with the smirk on his face. As he seems happy to pick a fight with a ZAFT soldier.

Both parties can only look in disbelief as Rey and Lunamaria try to keep Shinn's temper in check while Flay tries to keep Kiryu from causing an altercation. The chairman, however, sees this as a chance to see if Team Paradox can best ZAFT's newest pilots.

As soon as Durandal spoke, everyone looked at him. "Perhaps this gentleman from Team Paradox is right, the only thing you can prove your worth is through trial by combat."

Both sides are shocked by the chairman's proposal to have two of Team Paradox's best pilots to go up against ZAFT's own best pilots. If Team Paradox wins, they can have the support from ZAFT, at the cost of being labeled traitors by the Seiran-controlled Orb government. If they lose, they will have to leave the PLANTs.

"If that's the case, we will accept this challenge.", Rio plays along with Durandal's deal, knowing that this is the opportunity for the team to earn the Chairman's trust.

Kiryu is more than happy to accept the challenge, and so does Shinn. And that being said, they will settle it on their mobile suits. As Team Paradox regroups after the banquet, Akiza wasn't thrilled by the idea.

"Kiryu, are you serious about taking that ZAFT pilot by yourself?", Akiza asked.

"I was created from his genetic coding. So this is basically fighting yourself. And besides, I know everything about his skills as a pilot.", Kiryu reassures that he can take Shinn without breaking a sweat, given that the moment he's fighting the latter, it will be a mirror match, despite piloting a different mobile suit.

"Don't get too cocky.", Flay gives Kiryu an advice about Shinn, as she even saw parallels of the young ZAFT pilot to Kira. "When I think about that Shinn guy, it's like seeing Kira in a ZAFT red uniform."

"I know what you're talking about, Flay. And he might have the audacity to put Kira in his place if he has the balls to do so.", Kiryu makes a cryptic insinuation, and knowing that he has a brief glimpse into the future, he knows that Shinn can even take on the Freedom.

"I really don't understand what you're saying, Kiryu. But if that's the case, I want to see how will it play out."

Kiryu may have the power to take a brief glimpse into the future, there's a good reason why he tends to speak cryptically about it without spoiling everything in the present. As far in his proxy battle against Shinn is concerned, he already has prior knowledge of the ZAFT pilot's combat data.

"Ian, I need your time ring.", Kiryu asks to borrow his emerald ring.

"You can't be serious, bro. Are you playing dirty?", Ian declined, at first.

"No. I'm playing it smart.", Kiryu confidently replied. "I know that guy's every move, and I can read them like an open book."

And Kiryu knows how he is genetically bound to Shinn because he is created from his genetic data, Kiryu is going to make the whole battle against the Impulse's pilot look like a mirror match.

That said, Ian gives Kiryu his emerald ring. And now Kiryu has two time rings, and he can use the emerald ring's ability to erase time in tandem with the Topaz's ring to enter in a bullet time-like state.


Later, Team Paradox, along with ZAFT's Minerva crew are in an industrial colony not far from Aprilius One. This colony serves as a proving grounds for military forces. In an open field, the Sentinel Gundam in its MCV mode is already on the scene, with Kiryu in the cockpit.

Meanwhile, three mobile weapon units are sortied out of the Minerva, the Chest Flyer, Leg Flyer, the Core Splendor, and the Force Silhouette. The Core Splendor docks into the Leg Flyer before it can be encased with the Chest Flyer, completing the ZGMF-X56S Impulse Gundam, and the Silhouette Flyer now drops the Force Silhouette, with the Impulse equipping it, becoming the Force Impulse Gundam.

The Sentinel Gundam transforms from MCV to MS mode. The Aerosmith then combines behind the Sentinel Gundam's back, forming its flight pack. From the command tower, Durandal is observing the start of the battle between two different factions as if he was like a Roman Emperor watching a colosseum battle. From the other tower, are Team Paradox, and the Minerva pilots Rey and Lunamaria.

"This reminds me of how gladiators fight to the death in the Roman Colosseum.", Rio spoke with her thoughts, given her fluency with ancient history.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, commander.", Akiza spoke, addressing Rio formally with her rank.

"What's that supposed to mean, Akiza?"

"Kiryu has been desperate trying to find a place to die. Maybe he's seeking someone who can fight him to the death.", Akiza finally connected the dots regarding Kiryu's self-destructive tendencies. Back when the Minami Lunar Base, Kiryu was so close to facing death, only to be taken away when the Gilgamesh crew saved him.

"Ah, I see now. So you're saying that he desires to find a worthy opponent that can grant him a glorious and honorable death. Hmph, I guess there is no shame in that.", Rio got the gist of one of the possible reasons why Kiryu wanted to test Shinn's potential as a pilot.

"A fight to the death? Aki, why does Kiryu want to die so badly?!", Flay butts in, unsettled by the fact that Kiryu still has that suicidal mindset.

"Bitch, try asking him yourself.", Ian asks her to keep quiet.

"What did you just say!?", Flay was about to give Ian a slap to the face, only for Akiza to de-escalate.

"Enough, you two.", she scolds her two colleagues. With that, Ian just distanced himself from Flay, whereas Flay herself stood next to Akiza.

Lunamaria observed the members of Team Paradox, and despite their professionalism, some of its members are highly eccentric, best shown with Ian's knack for getting into Flay's skin, as well as Rio's grandiose speeches. But what stand out to her and Rey is that Team Paradox's mobile suits are far more cutting edge than the Second Stage mobile suits, as they saw the Sentinel Gundam.

The Sentinel Gundam makes the first strike as it launches its "Pugno Razzo" Rocket Knuckles at the Impulse. What Kiryu lacked in Shinn's ability to access SEED mode, despite that the latter is yet to activate it in the future, he actually possesses high spatial awareness. The Rocket Knuckles are remote operated similar to DRAGOONs, and it requires anyone with spatial awareness to use these devices.

From the Sentinel's cockpit, Kiryu assumes a fighting stance as he throws an uppercut with his right, as the Sentinel's right hand was about to hit the Impulse, of which Shinn dodges. And Kiryu throws a left hook, and the Sentinel's left hand is about to make contact with the Impulse, only for Shinn to dodge it.

The Sentinel's hands return back to the Gundam itself as the Impulse open fires its beam rifle. From Kiryu's perspective, he taps into his topaz ring, and by doing so, entering in a state of slow-motion as if he slowed time around him. With that, Kiryu was able to avoid beam rifle fire; while in real time, it seems that it the ring's powers give the impression of intangibility.

"What's with this guy!?", Shinn was already losing his patience. "Every time I shoot him, it's like the beams passed through his suit! Send in the Sword Silhouette!"

A Silhouette Flyer carrying the Sword Silhouette is launched to deliver it to Shinn. As the Silhouette Flyer detaches the Sword Silhouette, the Impulse discards the Force Silhouette.

Meanwhile, Kiryu pulls out a Mobile Suit Card, and now proceeds to use the emerald time ring.

After the Sword Silhouette is now attached into the Impulse's back, the mobile suit changes from blue to red, with the feet from red to black, becoming the Sword Impulse.

However, the Sentinel Gundam disappears. Until Shinn gets a warning beep inside his cockpit, a strange mobile suit is standing behind him with its arm folded! Shinn tries to get a data of that mobile suit, but the computer states "unknown data", meaning this mobile suit is an anomaly.

Little that Shinn knew that Kiryu used the emerald ring to erase a time frame while the Impulse is changing its backpack. Shinn wasn't aware of it, except Kiryu since he was using the ring.

While the Impulse was discarding the Force Silhouette, Kiryu activated the emerald time ring and in tandem transforming the Sentinel Gundam into a mobile suit from another universe: the GNX-U02X Masurao.

[Change: Masurao!]

"You've seen a ghost or something.", Kiryu's voice can be heard from the Masurao.

"You!", Shinn growled as the Sword Impulse swung one of its "Excalibur" anti-ship swords, only for the Masurao's "Daryl" Long Beam Saber to clash with it. The two mobile suits pushed themselves away from the each other.

The two pilots are equal in terms of their craft. However, given how Kiryu paired two time rings and his use of the MS cards, he's proven to be far superior than Shinn. It's like he's been a veteran pilot for a long shot.

Kiryu was already having goosebumps ever since the start of this proxy battle, and yet he's been able to give Shinn a hard time. Shinn is having a gut feeling that his opponent has read his moves like an open book.

"I don't understand... It's like he's reading my moves!", Shinn felt his arms trembling and the chills coursing on his spine. "Who is this guy anyway!?"

Kiryu remained uncompromised as usual, as his smirk is more evident.

Elsewhere, a civilian observes the battle between two Gundams from another tower.

"Unbelievable. That mobile suit facing the Impulse transformed into an entirely different one. I've never seen anything like this.", the journalist began recording his commentary of the battle using his phone.


Author's Notes:

- Despite being Shinn's Carbon Human clone, Kiryu's piloting style is different than Shinn's. The Sentinel Gundam's "Pugno Razzo" Rocket Knuckles are remote operated like DRAGOONs, and what he lacks Shinn's SEED factor, he makes up for high spatial awareness like Rau and Rey.

- Kiryu's time ring is allows him to slow down time to various degrees while move normally. This is what allowed him to avoid the Impulse's beam rifle fire, giving the impression of intangibility in real time.

- This is also the first time one of the Gundam Operators can use other time medallion or time rings and/or paring them with another. Kiryu used both his and Ian's time rings to catch Shinn off guard using the Topaz Ring's temporal dilation and the Emerald Ring's time erasure.