Stars Raining in Space

After all the commotion with Lacus Clyne and the stolen G-weapons chasing after them, the Archangel ironically remained as busy and bustling as ever. They had finally rendezvoused with the 8th Fleet. No more wandering in the void of space hoping to salvage any form of water or resources. Hopefully no more surprise attacks by ZAFT. The ragtag band of officers, teenagers, refugees could all breathe a sigh of relief. Despite all the excitement and optimism on various decks of the Archangel, Kira opted to stand in the dark quiet hanger. All machines were fully serviced and locked down, so Murdock and his mechanics scattered around the ship to be useful. This allowed Kira to sit and brood a bit. He looked up at the shiny yellow eyes of the Strike, reflecting on all that had happened these past few weeks. His home, Heliopolis, shattered and destroyed over these secretive G-weapons. Athrun after years of no communication showed up in his life again this time constantly pointing a gun at him. Kira himself being forced into acting as an instrument of war. It was a lot for someone whose biggest aspiration was to finish his senior year of high school. Could he even call himself a high school student anymore? He clenched his hands and cringed upon realizing that along the way, he did kill people. There was that orange Ginn in Heliopolis, and that scout at the Junius Seven site. Both, in the moment, felt like necessary actions but left lingering feelings of guilt. Everything became so twisted. All he wanted was to graduate with his friends and live a normal life. After everything he had done, normal seemed so far out of reach now.

"It's quite the spectacle of engineering, isn't it?" a calm and warm voice echoed through the hanger.

Kira looked up to see a tall man in formal Earth Alliance garbs. There were many pins and stripes on his chest and shoulders. While Kira was not versed in military ranks, he knew someone of great importance stood before him. However, there was something about this old man that made Kira relax. He had a kind smile. It could have been the mustache, but somehow this high-ranking soldier gave off a warm aura.

"I-I guess…" Kira politely muttered.

"You guess? Haha you pilot the damn thing!" the old man chuckled.

"R-right. If I'm being honest, I don't take very much joy in piloting it."

"I'd be concerned if you did. After all, war brings out many horrible qualities in humans."

"Yes sir."

"Please. You can call me Duane."

"Sir?"

"Rumor has it you call your captain Murrue and your higher-ranking wingman Mu. I'm not going to force you to call me Admiral Halburton now, especially since you're just a kid."

"O-oh. Ok."

"Anyway, I know you don't really look at the Strike fondly. I understand your frustrations. After all, these weapons were mainly designed to cope and counteract against ZAFT's superior mobile suits. Mobile armors can only take you so far."

"But sir, wouldn't these suits only escalate the war? And cause more problems?"

"Understandably, yes, it is possible. I think ZAFT knew it too hence the stealthy heist on Heliopolis. Believe me, young one, I, just like anyone else, want a swift end to this war. But I also don't have all the right answers on how to end it without hurting anyone. Humans are a fickle creature to be quite honest."

"What do you mean?"

"Jealousy is practically encoded into our DNA. Naturals spent thousands upon thousands of years growing and trying to perfect their lifestyle. You're taught to take care of your body. Eat well, exercise, hone your skills to become great. Of course, people would grow jealous and annoyed if all of a sudden there became a way for a newborn coordinator to automatically surpass any naturally born child. Likewise, for coordinators, they don't like being called freaks and being forced into exile in space. Conflict was bound to arise given all these misunderstandings. People don't see that really, we're all just humans trying to get by."

"….You see it, don't you? We're all just people."

"Of course we are. You're a smart lad. A person is smart, Kira Yamato, but people are dumb and panicky. Centuries ago, before your time, people thought the Earth was flat. People could not even fathom setting foot on the moon. And now, we have colonies on the moon, and we travel all across the stars. Opinions and minds can be changed. You just need the right person to help convince the people."

"That still doesn't make all this killing right."

"Killing is never right, no matter how you slice it. I believe it's the intent that matters."

"Sir?"

"Duane."

"Right uhh Mr. Duane?"

"Why did you kill, Kira Yamato?"

"I-I…"

"Did you want to?"

"N-no…"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course not!"

"What would've happened had you not killed?"

"I….my friends…my friends would have died."

"Hmm. And if that happened?"

"I would've regretting not taking action for the rest of my life."

At this point, Admiral Halburton had closed the gap and placed a hand on Kira's shoulder. Taken aback, he looked up at the kind admiral who only showed him a face of pride.

"War is ugly, Kira," he began, "It makes people do heinous actions they are not proud of. But for the most part, everyone has the same intent: protecting their loved ones. You are not a bad person. You are a good man put into a bad situation. And you did what you had to do. Coordinator or not, you are undoubtedly human."

"Admiral Halburton!" a soldier called from afar.

"Sigh, more duties then. Till the next time, Kira Yamato. On behalf of the Earth Alliance, I thank you for your remarkable service," he saluted before turning around to walk off.

"Wait, Duane!" Kira called out.

"Hmm?"

"W-what happens to the Archangel now? And Ms. Murrue and Mu?"

"Well. The Archangel will go to Earth and then…..reenter the battlefield with her crew."

"Oh…"

"Something the matter?"

"I just…"

"You don't have to pilot y'know."

"Huh?"

"Your abilities are quite remarkable, even by coordinator standards. But a war is not won because of one man. War is much more complex yet also delicate. Why do you think the Greeks couldn't best the Trojans despite having Achilles of all people. They had to build a fake horse to infiltrate the fortress and win from inside."

"Huh?"

"Sigh. Before your time, I guess. Ultimately, Kira, from this point on, it's your choice on how to move forward. You have a gift, a great power. It's your responsibility to decide on how to use it."

"I-I see. Thank you, sir."

"Sigh, now you choose to be formal. I'll take what I can get. Live to see a better day, Kira. That's all anyone can ever hope for."

"R-right."

"Oh, one more thing!" Halburton exclaimed before leaving, "Your discharge papers have been delivered to your cabin. Technically, the Earth Alliance doesn't condone volunteers, but given you're eighteen and were put under unprecedented circumstances, we found a workaround. The official story is you were enlisted into the special crew of the Archangel and are now honorably discharged…should you choose to accept."

With a nod and a wink, Admiral Halburton floated off with his assistant. Kira stared on trying to soak in all that the old man had told him. Soon, Torii landed on his head and started pecking at this scalp.

"OW! Ok ok I'll get moving! Sheesh you don't have to be so forceful about it!"

Meanwhile, at the Clyne Mansion on Aprilius One

"Now I'm speechless, over the edge I'm just breathless, I never thought that I'd catch this, lovebug again…"

Lacus sang along with the stereo as she gracefully fluttered from station to station in the kitchen. Admittedly, she rarely ever got the chance to experiment with cooking as the house staff insisted they'd take care of her. But on this occasion, Lacus persisted as she wanted to try out something new. Much to the chagrin of her chef and crew, the normally spotless Clyne kitchen now had various ingredients scattered across different counters. There were cabbage leaves, plates of various ground meats, a bowl full of cracked eggs, and opened spice containers all strewn about. The meat sizzled as she plopped a mound onto the hot fry pan. Mr. Pink bounced around minding his own business as Lacus continued humming to the song.

"Ms. Clyne," a deep refined voice called out.

"Yes, Mr. Carson?" Lacus answered her butler.

"Master Zala has arrived."

"Oh dear! He's early."

"Yes, it would seem so. Shall I escort him to the garden?"

"Uhhh no, actually bring him in here. I want him to try something."

"As you wish. I do hope you'll clean up after yourself, Ms. Clyne. Mrs. Patmore was gracious enough to lend you her kitchen. Do reciprocate her kindness."

"Of course, Mr. Carson. I wouldn't dream of offending Mrs. Patmore."

With a nod, Carson left the Pink Princess to continue whatever cooking experiment she was doing. Soon, Athrun stepped into the kitchen holding a bouquet of roses.

"Hi Lacus. Wow! Whatever you're making smells incredible!"

"Oh Athrun! Perfect! Come here!"

Joyfully, she motioned Athrun to move towards her. As he got closer, she stuck a spoon towards him signaling him to try the little sample of her cooking. Though confused, he obliged at took the bite.

"Well?" she asked hopefully.

"…..It's a little dry," he answered sheepishly.

"What?! Noooo! Sigh I thought that was the one!"

"Why the interest in cooking all of the sudden?" he asked, looking around.

"Well y'know it's a good skill to have. And since you were coming over for tea, I figured we could have a little snack."

"Yea but don't you normally just ask Mrs. Patmore and Daisy to whip something up?"

"Yes, but I wanted to figure out this new recipe."

"…..Are you making cabbage rolls?" Athrun raised an eyebrow noticing the cabbage leaves on the other counter.

"….Yes," Lacus looked away hoping to hide her blush.

"Why?"

"…Kira said his mother made them for the both of you when you hung out as kids. I wanted to at least see if I could make them."

"Oh…."

Neither spoke for a couple of moments hoping to let the awkward air pass. Athrun moved over to the window and placed the bouquet on the shelf as Lacus continued stirring the meat in the pan. Some Haros bounced into the kitchen adding some background sounds to the quiet scene. Soon, Lacus spoke up to break the ice.

"I haven't quite gotten the mixture correct for the filling. The one I fed you was some turkey. I guess it's back to the drawing board."

"Hmm."

"I hope at least the spice combination was ok. I wasn't given a detailed description of the dish. So, I'm just making it up as I go really."

"It was a mix of ground beef and pork."

"Huh?"

"The filling. Kira's mom would mix beef, pork, and some fat."

"Oh! Of course! Silly me. You need the fat to add flavor and to keep it from drying out."

"Yea."

"Thank you, Athrun. Fortunately, I have just enough to make four or five rolls."

"Would you like some help?"

"No no it's fine! I'll meet you in the garden. I'll be done in a jiffy."

One jiffy later, Athrun and Lacus sat comfortably at a little table overlooking the garden. An ornate teapot was placed between them along with a plate of cabbage rolls and cookies. Unlike moments before, this silence was rather pleasant and easy…until the whole pack of Haros noisily jumped into the scene. Lacus couldn't help but giggle at her rambunctious toys.

"Don't you ever get tired of those?" Athrun asked.

"No. They're fun. Why do you seem bothered? You made them."

"Yea but I feel as though I could have toned down the noise."

"Hehe so serious."

"Sorry."

"Hehe don't be. There's nothing to be sorry about."

"Um right. How are you doing anyway? Things weren't too bad on the enemy ship, right?"

"Actually, it was rather pleasant."

"Really? But you were a hostage!"

"Nope. I never was. I was treated practically like a guest. Sort of."

"Huh?"

"It's true. I was given meals, allowed showers. Kira visited me practically every day."

"But they used you as leverage!"

"Only because someone was pressuring the ship a little too much…" she answered sending him a slight side eye.

"Hmm."

"Anyway, Kira really made my stay memorable. He made me feel welcomed. He was kind."

"He shouldn't be on that ship. He should be here on the PLANTS where he belongs."

"Does he belong here?"

"Huh?"

"Does he have a reason to be here, at the PLANTS?" she asked rather poignantly.

"Yes. He's my friend. He needs to be with his people."

"Hmm. Last I checked, he also had friends on the Archangel. Friends he cares about."

Athrun bit his cheek realizing he may have come off a little too aggressive. Lacus sighed, not wanting to fight. They were supposed to be married one day after all.

"Tell me a story about the good ol' days," she asked hoping to move things to a happier topic, "What was your friendship like with Kira?"

"Well," he shifted and relaxed a bit, "We went to school together since we were maybe four or five. We met kinda by happenstance really. We were paired up for a three-legged race during PE."

"Oh! And how did that go?"

"….We finished dead last."

"Oh…"

"But my mom gave us juice boxes after. We just hit it off really well. We shared an interest in robotics after all. He kept going on about trying to optimize this toy car. He wanted it to turn sharp corners and maintain the speed."

"Did you get it to work?"

"Sort of? We worked on the suspension a bit, but we didn't improve it as much as we liked. It gave us good practice with circuitry though."

"Ah yes! He did mention you built him Birdy!"

"He still has that thing!?"

"Of course. He says it represents your friendship and the memories you made."

"Wow…I thought it'd have broken down by now."

"I'm sure Kira took very special care of it."

"Hmm."

"Y'know, when I told him about all the Haros you made, he smiled. He said you hadn't changed a bit."

"Really? I wonder if he changed."

"That depends. Was he always considerate and shy as a kid?"

"Yes."

"Then Kira is still Kira."

"That's good to hear at least."

"…I'm-I'm quite fond of him," she looked out to the garden once again hoping to hide her blush.

Athrun turned his head to look at her. There was a mild shock on his face. After all, Lacus never had this expression on her face when she was around him…

Back on the Archangel, Kira had changed into his civilian clothes and carried a small knapsack. He kept looking around wondering where his friends were as he headed towards the hanger.

"Kira-kun!" a voice called out to him.

"Huh? Ms. Murrue?"

"I'm glad I caught you. Looks like you've chosen to head home?"

"Uhh yea."

"Well. I don't blame you. I understand wanting to leave all the perils of war behind. I'm sorry I've been so busy with all the 8th Fleet stuff. Being captain is exhausting."

"I understand. It's no trouble."

"Kira, I just wanted to thank you properly."

"Uh but you don't have to-"

"Yes. I do. I forced you into an impossible choice and difficult hardships. I wouldn't be shocked if deep down you hate me even just a little."

"Wha uh I could never hate you…"

"It's alright, Kira. Really. I just want to say how eternally grateful I am for all your efforts. You gave it your all. We genuinely never would have made it here without you. Thank you, Kira. Truly," she bowed deeply showing her gratitude.

"I uh, Captain, there's really no need for this…"

"Oh now you want to start respecting ranks," she teased.

"I…well"

"It's ok, Kira. I understand this was a tough decision but go live your life. And as a favor for Mu, please ask a pretty girl out on a date."

"I uh can't make any promises…"

"Ever so humble. You're a smart and handsome boy, Kira. If you could catch the eye of the PLANT's most famous idol, any girl would be lucky to have you. Take care, Kira."

Murrue moved close to hug Kira and then bid him farewell. Kira stood a little confused and slightly guilty. Nevertheless, he clutched his knapsack and continued towards the hanger.

"Why does everyone keep talking about Lacus and me like that?" he mumbled to himself.

Despite his conversation with Admiral Halburton, Kira thought it best to head home to his family. He wasn't cut out for war and just wanted to live a normal life. He wanted to finish high school, spend time with his friends, and maybe take a pretty girl out on a date. His cheeks burned slightly at that last thought. For a moment, he wondered how Lacus was doing and hoped she made it home ok.

"Oh! Hey Mister!" another voice called out.

"Huh?"

In front of the line, a little girl in red overalls scurried towards him. It took a second, but Kira was able to recognize little Elle.

"Are you coming to Earth with us?" she asked cheerfully.

"Y-yea. I'm going home."

"That's great! I bet your mommy and daddy will be so happy to see you!"

"Yes. I'll be happy to see them too."

"Here, I wanted you to have this."

She reached into her little purse and pulled out a folded paper flower, the same one the crew made in memory of Junius Seven.

"Thank you, Mister, for protecting us all this time. You're a really strong and brave person."

"I…..thank you Elle. This is beautiful."

"Will I see you again? On Earth?"

"Yes. I'll come visit you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Yay!"

Happily, she ran back to her mother ahead in the line as Kira looked at the little yellow flower she gave him. Softening a bit, Kira started to realize that his time on the Archangel wasn't all bad. He felt warm thanks to all the appreciation Murrue and little Elle expressed to him. But now that time was coming to an end and a new chapter would begin.

"Kira!"

Kira groaned realizing he'd be pulled into yet another conversation. However, as he turned around to look at who called out to him this time, he immediately held a confused and stunned expression. Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, and Milly all floated towards him. All were still clad in their military uniforms.

"I-I looked everywhere for you all," Kira said, "I just assumed you all were getting ready to leave."

"About that…" Tolle scratched his head awkwardly.

"We've all decided to stay," Sai announced.

"What? But why?"

"Honestly….Flay joined and inspired us."

"…..Flay?! You're kidding?!"

"Nope. I guess she wanted to be of service and commemorate her father," Kuzzey explained.

"And well I can't just abandon her. I'm her fiancé after all!"

"And someone's gotta Sai here out of trouble!" Tolle put an arm around Sai.

"And I can't have Tolle here flirting with some rando Earth Alliance cutie in a mini skirt!"

"Milly!"

"Hehehe"

"OY!" the soldier called from behind, "You getting on or what?!"

Soon everyone realized that Kira was the last to board the shuttle.

"He'll be right there!" Tolle called out, "Don't worry, Kira. We'll be fine. When you get to Earth, tell our parents we're doing ok."

"I uh…"

All of the sudden, the friends were interrupted by a blaring alarm. Natarle's voice boomed through the intercom declaring all crewmembers to report to battle stations.

"Oh shit! Go go Kira! We'll be ok!" Sai said as he and the group rushed towards the bridge.

Kira stood by watching his friends leave him. His heart suddenly ached. This was his chance to be free of this war, right? No more fighting. No more killing. That was the goal, right? Back to a normal life?

"Listen to your heart and trust yourself…"

Lacus's words echoed in his mind. All of a sudden, the path became clear, more than it had ever been.

"Hey kid! It's now or never! We gotta hurry!"

"…..Leave without me! I'm staying!" Kira called out before turning around and running towards the locker room.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as Kira reached the locker room. Immediately he opened his locker and started changing into his pilot suit. There was no hesitation or fear like in the past. This time, all he had was conviction and determination. If his friends were going to stay on the Archangel, then he had a responsibility to use his power to protect them.

"Kira?" a shy voice entered the room.

Kira peered over to see Flay awkwardly standing in the doorway. This time she was no longer in her pink dress but clad in the standard pink military uniform. Slowly, she floated over towards him.

"Are you going out there?" she asked.

"Yes. I have to help in any way I can. It's the right thing to do."

"….Good," she mumbled.

"Huh?"

"I was worried you left us."

"No. I'm here."

"….I'm so glad," she stuttered as tears formed in her eyes, "I-I volunteered to stay because everyone was doing so much to help. I felt useless. I-I wanted to contribute somehow."

Without warning she lunged towards Kira and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Kira. Thank you so much for staying! I was so worried. I don't know what any of us would do without you!"

"I….Don't worry, Flay. I'm here. I'll pilot the Strike and protect all of you. I'm not running away again."

"Ok. Then, let me protect you, too. In my own way."

Catching Kira off guard, she leaned forward and kissed him. Shocked and confused, Kira froze and floated with her. Hoping to deepen the kiss, Flay pressed the back of his head to move him closer. It was Kira's first kiss and it felt….good. He started to relax and lean into the kiss. Slowly he closed his eyes, but a different face flashed into his mind. For some reason, all he could think about was her blue eyes, pink hair, button nose, and bright smile.

"FLAY!" he exclaimed, pushing her away.

"Ah! Kira?"

"Wha I uh t-thank you for your vote of confidence, but we shouldn't do that again."

"But Kira! I just wanted to show you how I feel."

"I-This is a lot to unpack right now. I gotta go. We'll talk when I get back."

Hurriedly, he grabbed his helmet and bolted out of the locker room. Just before closing the door behind him, Kira poked his head back in.

"Don't tell Sai, ok?" he hurriedly requested.

"I…"

Not waiting to hear her answer, Kira just rushed off. Standing alone in the locker room, Flay pouted with irritation obviously painted on her face.

"I hope you die…"

Moments later, Kira just barely strapped himself into the Strike's cockpit before turbulence and rumbles rippled throughout the Archangel. After going through the startup sequence, Kira patched himself to the bridge comms catching the tail end of an argument between Mu and Murrue.

"We're sitting ducks out here! If I don't launch, those ZAFT bastards will tear right through the 8th Fleet!"

"If you do launch, you will die. I will not risk the life of our last pilot in a mobile armor that will burn up in re-entry!"

Curious, Kira began scrolling through the Strike's specs soaking in all the capabilities of the Gundam frame, phase shift armor, and more.

"The longer we argue, the more dire this situation becomes. Then we all die!"

"Shut up, Mu! Don't you think I know that!"

"Uhhh hi!" Kira sheepishly interrupted.

"KIRA!?" the whole bridge and Mu exclaimed.

"You're still here?!"

"I thought you left with the civilian shuttle!?"

"Wait I'm in the hanger. How did I not know you started up the Strike?!"

Kira shyly smiled waiting for all the commotion to die down. The best he could do to answer the barrage of questions was shrug.

"The Strike has reentry capabilities," he began, "I need to use the shield of the Aile pack and maintain energy levels above 40%. That way the phase shift armor will hold and disperse all the heat."

"….Huh. Neat. So, we're launching, right Captain?" Mu also shrugged.

Murrue sat by speechless, completely unsure of how to proceed. Unfortunately, someone else picked up the comms.

"Kira Yamato, Lieutenant La Flaga, as second-in-command I order you to launch. You must return before we reach phase three of reentry. And Kira, watch your cockpit temperatures. You're operating untested technology in untested conditions. Be careful."

"Roger that!" both pilots signed off before prepping launch sequences.

"Ensign Badgiruel!" Murrue screamed in anger.

"If we die, we lose. Point blank!"

Ignoring the intense staring contest on the bridge, Mu and Kira began moving onto the launch catapults. Mu called over to Kira either to pep talk the young pilot….or himself.

"Hey Kid. This is a first for me too. I'm not sure how this is going to go."

"Well, now's your chance to make another impossible thing…possible."

"…..Well damn, Kira. One night with a pretty girl and all of a sudden you wanna do crazy shit? Geez."

"…..Why does everyone keep talking about Lacus and me like that?!"

"Strike, you are clear for launch," Milly's voice interrupted.

"Oh right. Kira Yamato, Strike, taking off!"

As the three lights to the side all turned green, the catapult launched the Strike out into the open space.

"Damn. I gotta get me a woman," Mu groaned as he was moved to his catapult.

Kira and Mu launched as quickly as they could, only to run into puffs of pink explosions one after the other. Almost immediately, both Mu and Kira felt their machines get heavier forcing them both to increase the thrust output.

"Watch your power, kid! Remember, you need 40% energy to make it through reentry," Mu warned.

"Roger that!"

As he climbed higher and higher towards the battle, Kira's computer locked onto an enemy mobile suit. Without hesitation, he started firing beam after beam. Seemingly annoyed, the Duel dodged the beams and headed straight for the Strike.

"The Duel?! It changed its equipment," Kira exclaimed seeing the Duel pull out its beam saber.

"I got you now, Strike!" Yzak yelled slamming his saber onto the Strike's shield.

Needing to maintain at least some form of an exit, Kira boosted away firing more shots at the new heavily armored Duel. Yzak's should canon kept firing beam after beam. Kira dodged most, but one nearly grazed the Aile pack as gravity kept indiscriminately pulling them down. Despite keeping the Buster distracted, Mu quickly realized that one of the ZAFT cruisers was breaking right through the 8th Fleet. Zooming over there, his gunbarrels made quick work of the cruisers weapons and thrusters, but somehow that ZAFT ship kept driving its way through. Two more smaller Earth Alliance cruisers were already blown to smithereens. Kira looked on shocked at the casualty rate that just kept climbing. He didn't get a chance to think long as the Duel pressed on with its attack. Soon however, Kira could feel his controls vibrating viciously. He began sweating bullets and realized they were too far deep into the atmosphere. It was now prepare to descend or die. In the corner of his screen, he spotted Mu retreating and tethering himself to the Archangel. Unfortunately, further away, he also saw the Menelaos burn up and break apart in the atmosphere. Stunned, Kira froze upon realizing that Admiral Halburton sacrificed his life for him. Once again, the Duel gave him no time to grieve as the two Gundams continued to spark beam sabers against each other.

"I will destroy you, you pest!" Yzak screamed across the open channel.

"You're insane! Get away before you kill us both!" Kira replied back.

After blocking another saber strike with his shield. Kira punched the Duel's face and kicked it in the chest to get some distance. Angered even more, Yzak just kept unleashing a barrage of lasers at Kira. The Strike's shield blocked most, but all of a sudden, a shuttle appeared between the two mobile suits.

"What the fuck is this!?" Yzak exclaimed.

Kira thinking this was his chance to escape began pulling the Strike backwards. However, the unfathomable started to happen. The Duel was no longer aiming at him. Instead, it turned its blaster towards…the descending shuttle.

"WAIT! NO DON'T DO IT! THERE ARE PEOPLE ON BOARD!" Kira screamed as he changed directions.

"What? Cowardly soldiers deserting their comrades! I'll show them what happens to people abandoning their posts!"

"NO THEY'RE JUST CIVILIANS! HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Kira yelled in vain.

It all happened so fast, and yet every second made Kira's heart drop. The Duel unthinkably pulled the trigger. Kira pushed the Strike to maximum thrust hoping to block the shot. But it was too late. He was too slow. Despite all the red around him due to the friction from the atmosphere, Kira saw the green beam as bright as ever. It tore right through the center of the shuttle just as Kira got next to it. There was no sound. Kira had stopped breathing. There was only an explosion and a flash of light. And then, there was just darkness…

"AHHHHHHH….."

AN: Heyo everyone! I'm back! Like I said I'm on this Gundam Seed grind and I just really want to get these chapters going. Admittedly I did change a few things and smush a lot in here. I'm still deciding on how to do the Desert and Ocean arc, mainly because we gotta introduce Cagalli somehow. But like, honestly, the rest of it would just play out the same. [Insert this is why you shoulda kept Lacus on the Archangel lolol]. Anywho, I hope you all are really enjoying the read. I promise the really lovey dovey stuff will come once Kira and Lacus reunite. Also I changed the ages to 18 because I feel like it would make more sense for 18 year olds to join the military. I get that coordinators are like slightly more super human, but still. Besides, making them 18 now justifies the...stuff that may or may not happen post war with Kira and Lacus ;).

I'm on this binge so forgive me Nightwing and Spidey followers of my other two fics. None are dead! But, Gundam Seed has taken priority haha.