Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed at all and all the rights belong to Bandai and Sunrise.

Phase 12: Basic Obstacle Course

Striker Company's Assembly Area, Block 4, Citadel Military Base, City of Aprilius One, PLANTs, 17 February CE 71, 0820 hrs

Three days later…

All the ZAFT recruits of the Striker Company assembled in the company's assembly area after breakfast. It is the second week of their military training, and today, they will carry and use the assault rifle with them until they graduate as full-time ZAFT soldiers. "Good morning, Striker Company!" Nereus addresses his company of ZAFT recruits. "Today, all of you will receive a present from the PLANTs' Government. This is a standard-issued ZAFT rifle, and you will use it to bring death to the Blue Cosmos fanatics. All of you will carry this rifle with you till your pass-out parade. Hence, I expect all of you to take good care of your rifle and treat it like your loved ones. We would not hesitate to punish any recruits found mishandling the rifle. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Chief Petty Officer Eros!" All the recruits acknowledge his order in unison. "Good. Also, you will each receive a complete add-on attachment kit for the rifle. Do not lose any of the attachments in the kit. The ZAFT military will not hesitate to deduct some of your military allowance pay if you lose any of it." Nereus reminds them in a strict tone. "Now, the recruits from the first platoon shall come forward to receive their rifle and the add-on attachment kit. Then, followed by the rest of the other three platoons." .

With that said, the ZAFT recruits line up to receive their rifle and the add-on attachment kit. Forty minutes later, it was about Flay's turn to receive the ZAFT rifle and the attachment kit. 'Woah, it is heavier than I thought.' An amazed Flay thought as she received the ZAFT rifle before moving on to receive the attachment kit from another ZAFT instructor. With her hands full and not wanting to drop the ZAFT rifle, Flay slings it over her left shoulder while carrying the attachment kit in one of her hands. Despite handling the EA rifle during her younger years, she found the ZAFT rifle heavier than the EA forces' counterpart. 'It doesn't matter if this rifle is only suitable for Coordinators. I have to handle this rifle well.' Flay thought while walking back to her platoon.

"Listen up, Striker company." Nereus addresses his company of recruits. "With every single one of you having the ZAFT rifle and the add-on attachment kit. Your squad commanders will later bring you to a training shed where they train you how to assemble and disassemble the ZAFT rifle. Also, they will teach you how to maintain the rifle in good care and attach its add-on attachments. After lunch, they will take all of you to the obstacle course training area to begin your first session of rough obstacle training. That's all and dismissed!" Hence, the ZAFT instructors bring the four platoons to separate training sheds before teaching them how to handle and maintain the ZAFT rifle in good condition.

Training Shed, Block 4-D, Citadel Military Base, City of Aprilius One, PLANTs, 17 February CE 71, 0920 hrs

The fourth platoon quickly settles down in the training shed after being led by their squad commanders. "Attention, Platoon 4!" Filip addresses the recruits of the fourth platoon to gather near him. "Today, we will teach you all the weapon characteristics of the ZAFT rifle and its add-on attachments, but first, I need all of you to open the attachment kit. It is to ensure that no attachments are missing from the box. Open up, everyone." As ordered, all the ZAFT recruits open the box of the attachment kit and await further instructions. "In the box itself, there should be a Vertical Forward Grip, a Suppressor and a 2-4x Red Dot Optics Scope. If your box is missing these attachments, please inform us immediately." Filip says in a strict tone as the recruits check their attachment kits. After all the recruits inspected their kits, they confirmed to the ZAFT instructors they had all the required add-on attachments.

"Ok, good. My fellow squad commanders will now brief the squads separately on handling the ZAFT rifle completely. Please listen to their instructions carefully and remember most of them. We will conduct a quick weapon configuration test on the 24th of February to test your weapon configuration skill." Filip instructs before signaling the squad commanders to teach the ZAFT recruits. Under 2nd-Class Petty Officer Min-Su's instructions, Flay and her squad mates learn how to disassemble and reassemble the ZAFT rifle well. "So this is how you maintain the ZAFT rifle well during training," Hana says as she shows the fully assembled rifle to her squad. "However, if your rifle has a bullet stuck in the gun chamber during combat, you cannot disassemble it just to remove it. Instead, pull the rifle's lever to force the bullet out of the chamber." .

The petty officer pulls the rifle's charging handle, and it shows an empty chamber. "As you can see, there are no bullets in the chamber. When the bullet is stuck, remember to pull the charging handle to let it. You only let go of it when that bullet safely drops out of the chamber." Hana says as she lets go of the charging handle, which automatically closes the rifle's chamber. "Next, this rifle has a button where you can reload its magazine. Press this button hard enough, and the magazine will detach itself from the rifle." Hana presses the button that causes the magazine to drop onto the ground before picking it up. "When you want to load the rifle with a new magazine, slot it in here and then pull the rifle's charging handle to ensure there is a visible bullet in the chamber." .

"Finally, I want all of you to remember this safety and firing mode." Hana takes a quick breath before pointing towards the rifle's switch. "This is both the rifle's safety mode and firing mode. In the middle level of the switch is safe mode. The top level is fully automatic, while the below level is semi-automatic. During live-firing practices, you will only use the semi-automatic mode. This ensures everyone has the most accurate shooting while shooting at target practices. Once you complete your live-firing practice, turn the switch into safe mode at the middle level before leaving the shooting practice area. This prevents recruits from accidentally discharging their rifle and any gun-related injuries. Is that clear, recruits?"

"Loud and clear, Petty Officer!" The entire 1st squad acknowledges Hana's instructions. "Good. For the next 30 minutes, all of you will practice what I taught you about handling the ZAFT rifle. If you need help, please raise your hand, and I will head over to assist you. I will monitor all of you, so do not slack off!" The petty officer then walks around her squad as she monitors them like a hawk to ensure they follow her order.

As Flay reassembles her rifle after disassembling it, she finds the ZAFT rifle is more complicated than the EA's counterpart in terms of components. She remembers the EA rifle is easier to assemble and easy to use. "Recruit Allster. It seems you are in a daze. Are you struggling with handling the rifle?" Hana questions Flay while looking at the red-haired Natural with her cold eyes. "No, Petty Officer Min-Su. I'm just…. trying to familiarise myself with handling the ZAFT rifle…. It's my first time touching this rifle." Flay hastily replies to Hana. "Good. Practice faster, recruit." A visibly evil smirk appears on Hana's face as she stares at Flay. "I know the rifle is for Coordinators' use only, and you are a Natural. But you have to master it if you want to fight alongside us. Suck it up, Natural." .

Disappointed that her squad commander looks down on her, Flay tells herself mentally to improve herself and move on. Though her squad commander may resent her presence, Flay felt thankful that she had not retaliated against her physically. Not wanting to paint herself as a weak ZAFT recruit by her squad commander, Flay works hard enough to familiarise herself with the ZAFT rifle by paying close attention to her actions.

About thirty minutes later…

"Good. It seems all of you have no trouble familiarising yourself with the ZAFT rifle. Now, it's time to add the attachments for the rifle. I will show you how it's done." Hana says before demonstrating to her squad how to put in the add-on attachments to the rifle.

Striker Company's Assembly Area, Block 4, Citadel Military Base, City of Aprilius One, PLANTs, 17 February CE 71, 1010 hrs

After completing the practice of familiarising with the ZAFT rifle, all the ZAFT recruits gather at the assembly area for a quick announcement. "Striker company, listen up!" Nereus addresses his company of ZAFT recruits. "So far, there are no complaints from my fellow petty officers that none of you slack behind during the rifle familiarisation lesson. Hence, good job so far. Later, you will undergo the basic obstacle course training, where all of you will wear the full battle order set and carry the rifle while clearing the course. As of now, you will take a break until all of you reassemble here at 1120 hrs before heading off to the mess hall for lunch. After lunch, we will conduct the obstacle course session at 1300 hrs sharp. As for the rifle and the attachment kit you are carrying, please store them in your designated military locker. You will return to take the rifle only after lunch, so do not lose them. If not, all of you are free to go. Dismissed!"

As Flay returns to their bunk room with her fellow squad mates, she worries she may not pass the obstacle course later. Although Flay took part in the EA forces' obstacle course in her younger years, she knows ZAFT's version of it differs a lot since it is for Coordinators only. She can only hope that she can pass the obstacle course without failing it despite being a Natural.

Obstacle Course Training Area 1, Citadel Military Base, City of Aprilius One, PLANTs, 17 February CE 71, 1300 hrs

After lunchtime…

Flay huffed and puffed as she climbed the obstacle course in her complete battle order ZAFT uniform while carrying the rifle. Though the ZAFT's obstacle course is more challenging than the EA's counterpart, Flay tries her best to overcome it. Still, she is thankful that she does not wear any armour plates on her issued ZAFT combat ballistic vest yet. 'Damn! This rifle is not lightweight as compared to the EA ones. I hope their armour plates are not too heavy for me.' Flay thought while climbing one of the short walls of the obstacle course. Unknown to her, 1st-Class Petty Officer Vilhelm observed her while standing beside the obstacle course. He sees Flay is having difficulty clearing the obstacle course.

Furious that Flay wasn't performing well, 1st-Class Petty Officer Vilhelm approaches Flay's squad commander for a quick discussion. "Petty officer Min-Su, I see the damn Natural recruit of yours is not performing up to our ZAFT's military standards. Can you do something about it?" Filip demands as he expresses his disappointment to Hana. "I see. Alright, I will do something about her. I won't let you down, 1st Petty Officer Vilhelm." Hana replies. "Good. I don't want that damn Natural to continue struggling in upcoming ZAFT military training exercises. She will ruin our image, and the higher-ups will question us if they know what she is doing. If you can't fix her, I will do it myself." Filip warns before walking away. "Got it." Hana acknowledges in return before giving a ZAFT salute. Deep down within her, the petty officer boils with anger after facing humiliation from her direct superior. Now she wants to make Flay pay for it.

'Ah! I know how.' An idea soon popped into Hana's mind. She remembers looking at a folder about the red-haired Natural's personal background. She once saw the details of Flay's father being a high-ranking Blue Cosmos officer, and Flay herself took part in Blue Cosmos' activities. Also, she noted that the Supreme Council sent her here to become an elite pilot under Patrick Zala's order. She knows if Flay fails this task, the higher-ups will not hesitate to execute her. An evil smirk appears on 2nd-Class Petty Officer Min-Su's face as she plans to blackmail Flay as a revenge punishment.'You will pay for this Blue loving Natural. Just you wait,' Hana thought as she observed Flay some metres away.

Over the next two hours, all the ZAFT recruits go through the obstacle course several times. Despite being a mere Natural, Flay clears the obstacle course. However, she realizes she cannot compete with other ZAFT recruits. Still, Flay notices that each time she completes the obstacle course; her speed and agility improve further. By the final round, Flay clears the obstacle course quicker than before. 'Whew! Finally, I completed it!' Flay thought while catching her breath rapidly. "Oh, look at that weak Natural. She is panting like a dog, out of breath, while we don't feel worn out easily. Can't believe why the higher-ups would let her train with us." A ZAFT recruit intentionally mocks Flay to his squad mates.

Despite the mockery, Flay remains unfazed since she once faced bullying by fellow Natural kids during her training days at Blue Cosmos-run military centres. The constant terror of bullying toughened Flay, and she will not hesitate to defend herself from the Natural bullies. However, her situation is not the same as in her past. Her current tormentors are all Coordinators, and going up against them would be suicidal. They are physically stronger than her and would not hesitate to beat her to a pulp if she goes against them. Hence, Flay ignores them by avoiding eye contact and returns to her squad mates.

"Attention, all ZAFT recruits! Quickly gather around!" Nereus barks at the recruits. Within seconds, the entire Striker company gathers near him and his fellow petty officers, awaiting further instructions. "Good job recruits. All of you clear the basic obstacle course without failure. Even the Natural young lady has no trouble clearing it as well." Filip says in a sarcastic tone, leading to some ZAFT recruits giggling. However, Flay knows he is not complimenting her, as she is one of the last ZAFT recruits to finish the obstacle course. It is more of the Chief Petty Officer mocking her for completing it as the last place in a race. Luckily, they did not plan to kick Flay out of the training course, but she knows they weren't happy with her performance either.

"As of now, we will head back to the company's assembly area to take a 5-minute water break before we do a quick rifle cleanup before returning it to the armoury. Then, all of you will return to your respective bunks to take off your full battle order uniform set and have some rest. Later, all of you will reassemble again at 1750 hrs before marching to the mess hall for your dinner. After dinner, we will have one last roll call for the day and important announcements for tomorrow's details before we release all of you for the night. Other than that, all of you can head back now." Nereus dismisses his company.

As Flay is about to join her squad mates to head back, 2nd-Class Petty Officer Min-Su calls out to her. "Recruit Allster! Can you please come here? I need to speak with you privately." Hana calls out. "What is it, Petty Officer Min-Su?" Flay asks in a worrying tone. "Recruit Allster." Hana pauses before continuing further. "I need to discuss your recent performance as a ZAFT recruit. Hence, you will see me personally at 2020 hrs in my office. Do not be late by then. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Petty Officer Min-Su!" Flay acknowledges her squad commander's order. "Good, now go join your squad mates," Hana commands as she dismisses the red-haired Natural. As Flay rejoins her squad, she fears her squad commander may force her to quit ZAFT's military training. If that really happens, her life is a goner. Patrick Zala will not hesitate to treat her as a war criminal and condemn her to the gallows. 'God, what do you have to put me through this hardship? I didn't deserve to die at the hands of ZAFT Coordinators!' Flay thought in despair. Ever since ZAFT captured her in Heliopolis, things have become worse and worse. First, they taunted her bad enough to force her into suicide. Now, what if they planned to see her getting the death sentence by Patrick Zala?

The thought of a death sentence is good enough for Flay to want to escape from the Citadel military base. But there is a problem for her. Currently, she is in the PLANTs, and it is impossible to return to Earth without a space shuttle. Should she be able to escape from this military base, ZAFT would lock down the entire city of Aprilius One, making it harder for her to reach the spaceport. Worst, some Coordinators know her identity, so it will be hard for Flay to try navigating around in the streets. With no other way out for her, Flay can only hope her squad commander would scold her rather than force her to quit.

Outside Instructors' Offices, Block 4, Citadel Military Base, City of Aprilius One, PLANTs, 17 February CE 71, 2019 hrs

After the roll call session…

"Come in, Recruit Allster," Hana calls out while opening the door. As Flay steps into the office, she feels her stomach churning in fear. She wished her squad commander would be merciful enough to let her complete her ZAFT military training instead.

To be continued…

End of Phase 12

Feel free to vote or favorite this chapter and don't forget to leave some comments for constructive feedback. Thank you.