Phase-11: The Chosen Path
The ZAFT vessels initiated the final orbital descent phase. The Orb prime minister finished reading a report that he gave to his son. Yuna looked through it too. No time left. Unato asked about Cagalli.
"It'll be alright. She may seem out of it at times but she's not an idiot, father. It's just that she's still a child. Don't worry, I'll persuade her, about that, and the wedding too. We need her to understand the position she's in now."
And having received the same information, Andrew Waltfeld decided to act, and alert the Minerva. Murrue Ramius was there too. Burt Heim called the captain so she could listen to this message coming in over a hidden line. ZAFT was going to land on Gilbraltar and Carpentaria any time now. When that will happen, Orb will have to change its position. A white chip surrounded by black chips will flip over and become black itself. It'll be too late by then. They had to escape before it happened. Captain Talia Gladys introduced herself and questioned the 'informer' about their identity, and the purpose of this communication.
"It's like I told you. If you don't get a move on, you'll be facing all kinds of trouble."
"You can't expect a soldier to believe an anonymous report. Who are you, and what's your purpose?" The ZAFT commander insisted as Arthur came in and walked to her.
"Hmm... do you know a guy called Andrew Waltfeld? This is a message from him." The guy replied, turning back to Murrue who stifled her giggle.
"The Desert Tiger..."
"In any case, I've warned you. Once the drop begins, Orb will likely ram through an agreement to join the Atlantic Federation's alliance, although Representative Athha is doing her best to stop it. If you choose to stay, that's fine too. The rest is up to you, Captain. I wish you the best of luck." Andrew ended the communication as Kira entered the room.
"It can't be..." Cagalli muttered, distraught, at the meeting.
"Of course the PLANTs would show a reaction! The Atlantic Federation tried to wipe them out! The Coordinators only want the right to live, are you going to deny them that too? Are you going to make an enemy of the PLANTs?" Rayner desperately argued.
"Now that the fire has been lit, we must take steps to protect our country. They're saying 'for self-defense purposes only', but war is a living thing. Once the flames are unleashed, there's no way of knowing how far they'll spread. They might turn to us again. Out of the two evils, we must choose the lesser. More than the distant PLANTs, the Atlantic Federation is a threat to us due to its closeness. That's exactly why we will enter the alliance treaty with the Atlantic Federation." Yuna declared, shocking Cagalli. "So that we don't repeat the tragedy of burning our nation." He looked straight at the girl who recoiled slightly. She turned to look at the other ministers who were starting at her expectantly, without a word. So it was useless after all. She hung her head in defeat, and so did Rayner. They couldn't do anything.
The Minerva's communication operator Burt Heim was unable to contact Carpentaria no matter how much he tried. He didn't know if it was because the Earth Forces were on higher alert or what but he kept getting severe interference. So Gladys made the call. Although without order, they would leave port the next morning. She ordered her deputy to notify all hands. They were sure to go into battle soon after leaving.
"We'll be leaving at the appointed time." Meyrin announced the next morning as water filled the docks, and Chief Representative Athha arrived to say her goodbyes. "All units, hurry with your final checks. Gunnery crew B, proceed to weapons bank 3. Condition Yellow announced. Pilots, please gather in the briefing room."
"So when does this ZAFT descent take place?" Shinn asked.
"I don't know either! But to think that Orb is our enemy now... I liked this country quite a bit." Lunamaria replied before noticing her friend's cross expression. "Oh, sorry, it must be hard for you." She apologized sincerely.
"Not really." Asuka said sulkily. But then they saw Athha being led by a soldier. "What did you come here for?" He glared at Cagalli who averted her eyes. "Now you're allying with the Earth Forces that attacked Orb before? How irresponsible and selfish can you people be?!"
"No! This is..."
"If this country is going to become our enemy, then I'll be the one to destroy it this time!" He burst out and marched past her, making sure to bump into her shoulder in the process. She called after him but he ignored her. Lunamaria ran after him. Rey followed after saluting the head of state. Athha looked down, upset. After talking to the ship captain and apologizing, Cagalli left and watched the Minerva slowly sailing out into open water. But Gladys-kanchou had understood and seen her good will, and it had touched her that the Representative had personally come here.
Then the Orb leader returned to her office. Yuna told her it couldn't be helped. Politics were not about ideals but about reality. She had done her best, suddenly being appointed as Representative. All the people loved her. He knelt down next to her and caressed her hand. So she didn't have to cry anymore. He was there for her and was going to support her... as her husband. That stunned Cagalli who gasped.
"Let's hurry with the wedding ceremony! For your sake, and the sake of the people. It's for the best." He declared enthusiastically.
"Um, Yuna... that's..."
"Let's change and make a new you, and a new Orb too!"
Seren and Athrun were sitting on a couch in their room. He had an arm around her shoulders and she was leaning against him. She had reported her conversation with Durandal back to him. Dearka and Athrun had also talked at length about the state of affairs in the PLANTs and in Orb.
And although Zala chose not to tell his fiancée, Dearka had also questioned him about his love life, as he had noticed their engagement rings. Given their current situation, they could hardly think about marriage, and they didn't want to rush it. The future was just too uncertain at this point. But maybe when things calmed down... But then what would he do if Seren chose to return to Orb now? Would he follow her, or stay here? After all, given Seren's position, it must be quite difficult to leave Cagalli, to defect from Orb and enroll in ZAFT. Athrun had balled his fists and replied that no matter what was to happen in the future, even if they fought or if it took years, he'd still be with Seren in the end, because if anything, he believed in the love they had for each other...
The couple looked at each other. They had talked at length, thought a lot, and shared their opinions. It was a hard one to make, especially for Seren. It was true that names held great significance. But Canaver was her mother's maiden name, so it didn't bother her that much. Besides, no matter how much you insisted on calling a cat a dog, and trying to make it act like one, in the end, a cat will always be a cat, it simply could not be anything else. It was the same for her. Even if she changed her surname, wore the ZAFT uniform and fought as a ZAFT soldier, her loyalty to Orb and her family hadn't changed. She was a Ledford, an Orb citizen through and through. It was the same as when she was calling herself Seren Ashford and fighting in the Blast as an Earth Alliance pilot. Back then, it had been to protect herself and her friends. Now, it was to protect her home country and family, so the war wouldn't reach them. And she also wanted to ascertain who this man, Gilbert Durandal, truly was, and what he wanted for this world. They had taken their decision. Delaying this anymore would be pointless. They had understood. If this war couldn't be avoided, then they had to jump in and stop it as soon as possible. And... they couldn't do that in Orb. The young man stood up and went to make a call. He requested an appointment with Chairman Durandal.
The operation Spear of Twilight began. The ZAFT forces descended on the Gibraltar and Carpentaria base to help break the Earth Alliance's encirclement. The Earth Forces launched their own mobile suits to intercept them in the air. The ZAFT 'ground' troops deployed their DINNs.
Yuna Roma Seiran was in the Orb Combat Command Center. The Minerva had left port. Given the fact that it was a high speed vessel, they should be out of their territory in no time. Yuna asked if their own preparations were complete, and if they could contact the other side. His subordinate confirmed.
Inside the Minerva, the captain was curious about the drop operation and questioned Meyrin about it, but she still couldn't contact Carpentaria, although she was continually sending signals. That was when Burt detected an Earth Alliance fleet... four Spengler-class, eight Danilov-class, and around ten other confirmed were deployed ahead of them! To be ambushed by such a large fleet the moment they left Orb's territorial waters could only mean the enemy had been waiting for them! And now, Orb's fleet was deploying right behind them, and their gun turrets had activated and were targeting the Minerva! They couldn't return inside either.
"It seems we have been given away as a gift or something." Talia concluded, thinking of her last words with Representative Athha right before the departure. "Even though the alliance isn't official yet... Orb can be quite sneaky. I guess they'll definitely seal it." She ground her teeth. However, it was pointless to think about this and that now. "It can't be helped. Announce Condition Red! Lower the bridge! Prepare for anti-ship and anti-mobile suit combat!" She also reminded Arthur this was going to be an atmospheric battle. Meyrin relayed the order to all hands and instructed the pilots to stand by in their units. The bridge descended into the CIC. Just when Shinn was wondering about it, the captain made another declaration to the entire crew, informing them about the Earth Alliance blockade before them, and the Orb military fleet behind them suspected to be here to guard the territorial waters. The EA must have set a net in anticipation of their departure, and Orb had closed the doors behind them. To escape, there was no way but to break through the fleet ahead of them. This was going to be a gruesome battle but they had to break through no matter what. She hoped that proud of being part of this ship's crew, they were all going to fight to the end without giving up. Madd Aves glared at Vino who was looking scared. Shinn cursed and the pilots boarded their units.
Trine commanded to activate the CIWS, "Tristan" and "Isolde" and load all tubes of launcher 2 and 7 with Parsifal missiles as the Windams took off from the EA vessels. Meyrin transmitted the captain's instructions to the pilots. Shinn was to be careful not to get too far away while Rey and Lunamaria would snipe the enemy mobile suits from the deck. The ship would concentrate its firepower on the cruisers to the port side. They were going to break away from here. The ZAFT mobile suits sortied. Luna and Rey took their position on the deck on each side of the ship. He warned her not to fall into the sea as he wasn't going to save her if she did. She called him a meanie. The Force Impulse gundam charged in the middle of the enemy ranks and fired away. All ships opened fire. From that first exchange, the ZAFT vessel was unscathed and managed to sink three enemy ships.
Cagalli inquired about Yuna's whereabouts and was told that he was Combat Command Center, which surprised her. Why would he be here? She thanked the person and left her office.
Although Shinn was doing his best and dealing some significant damage, he was still outnumbered. The Minerva was being swarmed too, and the Windams' high mobility proved very troublesome for the two ZAKUs. Enemies were closing in and the ship evaded 10° portside. Rey bombed two of them. The third one was dispatched too but missiles hit the Minerva, rocking it. Angry, Asuka took his beam saber and bisected a Windam.
Kira was on the beach. The sea and sky were so calm, but in the distance, he could discern the flashes of light distinctive of a raging battle. Lacus joined him and asked him what was wrong.
"Someone is crying... again. I wonder why... why again...?" He pondered sadly.
The crew of the ZAFT ship was desperately fighting. Another volley of missiles rained down on them. Most were detonated in time but not all. And just when Luna thought they had defeated all the Windams, a few dozens more arrived. What was with these numbers?! It was no joke! Rey scolded her. There was no time for pointless whining.
The commander of the EA flagship voiced his admiration of the enemy vessel. Because it was so remarkable, they intended to use it to test the capacities of their brand new mobile armor, the YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah. However, it wouldn't be much of a demonstration if the enemy was too weakened. They were going to have it sortie as soon at it was ready. Though his opinion might be biased, the commander believed that from now on, their main forces should consist of new model MAs like this one instead of those insect-like imitations of ZAFT machines they had. The three operators (one commander, one pilot, and one gunner) boarded the large, crustacean machine. Capable of both space and atmospheric flight and surprisingly mobile despite its size, the YMAF-X6BD Zamza-Zah was designed to attack in any range and direction. It had four pincer-like limbs facing opposite directions. Each leg featured four 75mm Automatic Multi-barrel CIWS, a GAU111 cannon that could pivot up and down, a XM518 "Vasiliev" Hyper-oscillation Crusher (the pincer) that damaged enemy units through the high heat caused by high frequency vibrations (though PS armor could resist the cutting abilities) and a M534 "Gamzatov" Multi-phase Energy Cannon. The "Gamzatov" could only be used when the Hyper-oscillation Crushers were retracted but they could fire in different directions at once or combine their firepower on one target by pointing the legs downwards. Mk79 low-pressure guns were also mounted on the sides of the Zamza-Zah, two on the left and two on the right to protect the areas the cannons and CIWS couldn't protect. For defense, the Zamza-Zah was equipped with a "Schneid Schutz" SX1021 positron reflector shield generated by the three protrusions on the top surface. The MA had to reposition itself when defending against a frontal attack, but as the name suggested, its overwhelming defensive power could even stop the blast of a positron cannon. Thanks to this confrontation, they would see its efficiency in a real battle.
Its approach was detected and the visual surprised the ZAFT crew on the bridge. What was that huge mobile armor?! It would be all over if it caught them! Talia ordered Arthur to activate the "Tannhäuser". They were going to mow down the left side of the fleet along with that thing. The ship deployed the positron blaster cannon and in response the Zamza-Zah shifted and activated the shield. The Minerva fired, and the blast was deflected. Vessels on each side of the MA had exploded but the MA itself seemed to be without a scratch, much to the Coordinators' shock. Their most powerful weapon had been useless! However, it had still caused damaged to the fleet, so the captain said to concentrate their fire on it. That surprised her second-in-command, what to do about that machine then?! Gladys yelled at him to think about it too, and counted on Malik for the evasions. She told Meyrin to call Shinn back too. Before the Zamza-Zah fired its four forwards cannons, Asuka attack it, though it dodged and deployed its claws.
The Orb Combat Command Center was also observing the battle and voicing their amazement at this new mobile armor that had stopped a positron cannon. Yuna was smiling, satisfied, when Cagalli came in and asked what they were doing. Just what was going on? Why was the Minerva fighting the Earth Alliance? And against such a big fleet? The soldiers stood up and saluted.
"That's right. They're fighting outside the territorial waters. But there's nothing for you to worry about, Cagalli. We've already sent our military ships to guard our borders. Even though the battle is outside our waters, it's still very close. It's quite troublesome." The prime minister's son replied coolly.
"You plan on not letting the Minerva reenter our territorial waters?! How are they going to escape in this situation?!"
"But that's Orb's laws, right?" Yuna reminded her, snapping her back. "Besides, even though it's not official yet, we've already decided on signing a treaty with the Atlantic Federation. So what kind of position should we take in this situation? Even you should understand that much, right?"
"But that ship is-"
"This is a ZAFT ship. It is the enemy of our soon-to-be sworn friend, the Atlantic Federation. Right?" He stated, with barely hidden malicious delight, causing his fiancée to recoil. He was right, but that was the ship that had fought so hard against those terrorists and tried to prevent the fall of Junius Seven! And even though she had been with them back then, now, she could only helplessly watch them being slowly cornered. Not the Minerva, nor its mobile suits, could pierce the defenses of the new EA mobile armor, and the Impulse's energy level had dropped into the danger zone. GAT-04 Windams approached and were dispatched by the ZAKUs on guard but not before some of their shells hit the ship that shook. The onslaught pushed the Minerva against Orb's border. Yuna gave the order to stop them from approaching and fire some warning shots, and if they refused to stop, he was granting them permission to start attacking. That shocked Cagalli who tried to protest. "This country is not your toy! Stop saying such sentimental things!" He harshly scolded her before everyone, startling her.
"Taking sides with the forces that burned down this country before and firing at the ship that risked everything to save this world. Wouldn't 'ungrateful' be the only way to describe that? Such a word might not exist in the world of politics though." Captain Todaka noted the sadness and irony of the situation. However unwilling though, as a soldier, he had no choice but to obey the given orders... "Send out a warning. Aim at the bow of the Minerva. Make sure not to hit it no matter what!"
"Commander that goes against orders!" His subordinate argued. After all, being given 'permission' actually meant being 'ordered to'.
"Like I care. I'm not a politician." Todaka retorted. Obey, fire warning shots, yes, but unless they entered the border, it was not like he HAD to hit them... he could still do something for them. The warning was issued. Asuka and Arthur couldn't believe that. As Gladys pointed out though, if they did change course, they would be sunk for sure. She told Malik to continue on this course until the last moment. So the Orb fleet had no choice but to fire those warning shots. The ZAFT captain gritted her teeth. Her crewmembers on the bridge were appalled, just like the pilots. Shinn especially was incredulous. Orb was seriously attacking them... Because of his inattention, the Zamza-Zah caught his leg in its claw and pulled him. As he realized his error too late, his suit turned gray when it ran out of power and he screamed. The Impulse's leg was ripped apart and he was falling. Was it all over, for him, for his friends, for the Minerva?! As his consciousness drifted, he recalled the smiles of his family, their brutal deaths because of the Earth Forces who had attacked, because of the Athhas that couldn't protect them, and that had now sold him and his ship out to those same Earth Forces... he recalled that man in Junius Seven whose daughter had been killed by those people, as well as that cenotaph in Orb... Always, it was always the same!
I won't... I won't be defeated by something like this! The boy snapped as a seed exploded in him. He pushed his thrusters, avoiding the beams of the four multi-phase cannons aimed at him, glided on his back over the ocean and soared again.
"Minerva, Meyrin! Fire the Deuterion beam!" He requested, doing some barrel rolls to avoid more shots. "Also, prepare to launch the Leg Flyer and the Sword Silhouette! Hurry, you can do it, right!" He barked. She turned to the captain who authorized it. The Deuterion beam hit the receptor on the Impulse's forehead and transferred the energy to the suit, recharging it in seconds. The PS armor activated again, shocking the MA's operators. They fired but Shinn sliced the beam with his saber and charged, planting it deep in the cockpit and cutting. He jumped away and the mobile armor exploded. "Launch the Silhouette!" He ordered. Meyrin obeyed. The Silhouette took off, followed by the Leg Flyer. Asuka detached his Force Silhouette and damaged flyer and affixed the new ones. He grabbed his two MMI-710 "Excalibur" Anti-Ship Laser Swords, evaded the missiles, and one by one, landed on enemy ships that he cut apart. And like this, he sunk most of the EA fleet alone. On the last one, he roared as he sliced the bridge, ignoring the CIWS shooting him. Then he glared in direction of the Orb fleet. If they attacked again, he would sink them too! But they didn't. He leaped away and the ship blew up. The sudden increase of his concentration and abilities had stunned everyone... his allies, his enemies, as well as the Orb observers in the Fleet and Combat Command Center. And Yuna Roma Seiran seemed to realize just what sort of hidden monster he had turned into his enemy. The dregs of the Earth Alliance fleet retreated.
In the office of the PLANTs Supreme Council Chairman, Athrun finished adjusting the collar of his Red Coat. To think he would wear this uniform again... Seren too had donned the uniform of the elites. She had the standard white boots and red pants but her red coat was shorter than the men's coat and longer than Luna's. It reached her mid-thigh. To think SHE would ever wear this uniform FOR REAL... Chacha was perched on her head. Meer smiled like a child. Athrun looked best in that uniform after all!
"I'm sorry to ask that of you at this time you two, but could you please remove the rings on your fingers, and pretend in public to be just childhood friends?" The Chairman requested with an apologetic expression. The couple tried to contest the need for that. None of them liked that idea. "It's only for the time being. I'm not asking you to break up or anything. You can be together in private. But officially, Lacus Clyne and Athrun Zala are still engaged. Those names hold considerable power here, and their union is a great symbol of strength and stability, and a promise for the future, a beacon of hope. It is unfortunately needed in those times of turmoil and confusion. If the engagement was cancelled at this point, Lacus would lose some of her prestige and the citizens will become uncertain. Even if only in appearance, I want you to pretend that Lacus and Athrun are fiancés. It is necessary for the morale of the people. It's only a temporary measure, until I gain enough support of my own. Then we'll break things to the people. I promise I'll try to solve this situation as fast as possible." He looked at them, appealing to their strong sense of duty and responsibility.
For the people... They were indeed weak to those words. Given their personalities and respective positions, it had been ingrained in them to protect the population and act for their sake. Seren and Athrun looked at each other. Even if they knew it wasn't absolutely necessary, for the Chairman who had given them power and showed them a path, for his ideals to be fulfilled faster and more easily, for the people, for peace... even if they hated it, they removed the rings that proved they belonged to the other. Meer smiled more radiantly and Durandal smirked. Then he presented the pilots with a silver insignia that looked like a wing that they recognized as the FAITH insignia.
"I didn't want to put you in any ordinary command position. I'm sure you don't want that either, especially you, Seren..." He turned to the girl who looked away innocently. She did act selfishly a number of times and greatly troubled the officers of the Archangel in the last war. She was really no good with hierarchy and having people above her, being always so willful and outspoken. There was no telling how much trouble she'd cause in a regular command line, it was just impossible. If you didn't give her a long, long leash to allow her to move freely enough, she was sure to break away. But her abilities were more than worth it. He smiled knowingly. "Think of it as measure of convenience. Its name, 'FAITH', means the swearing of loyalty after all. It's fine if you just pledge loyalty to your ideals and truths. You are people who follow their own beliefs regardless of current trends and are able to fight when necessary, correct?"
"That's what I want to be, but..." Athrun replied.
"If it's you, you can do it. So please use this power whenever you feel necessary. Not just for ZAFT or the PLANTs but for everyone to live in a peaceful world." He encouraged the young soldiers who took their emblems.
"Chairman, I wish to make something clear. You told us to fight for what we believed in, for this world, and not just for you. And you told us to stop you if you stepped on the wrong path. That's why I'll shoot even you if you do step on it, though I'll give you warning shots. But... You showed us something, you gave us power. And I believe in your own strength and the rightness of your intentions. But even someone with the best intentions can go down the wrong way. I don't want to shoot you. So please make sure to exercise the greatest caution." Seren admonished him, causing Athrun to whisper her name disapprovingly.
"Yes, of course, I promise." Durandal smiled. "I know you are worried about the situation in Orb so for now I would like you to rendezvous with the Minerva. I have high hopes for that ship. I know it's able to accomplish great things, like the Archangel did before it. Please lend them a helping hand as well."
Athrun and Seren boarded their respective units and activated them. Chacha was tucked in the girl's clothes. Their gundams changed colors. The ZGMF-X23S Savior was predominantly red with some black at the top of the cockpit, the knees, and the sole of the feet. There was white on the lower part of the abdomen, a bit on the skirt and the feet. The elements of his backpack were also white and red. There were also a few tiny touches of gold like the tip of his wings. The ZGMF-X22S Fortuna was mostly white but the cockpit was gold with a red line, the flanks were sky blue, the shoulders were gold with a light blue line. There were small red parts on the skirt, red lines around the ankles and feet as well as some small gold parts on the arms, and head. The six 'feathers' were white and gold. The cables disconnected and a series of hatches opened above the mobile suits. The pilots ignited the thrusters.
"Athrun Zala, Savior, taking off!"
"Seren Canaver, Fortuna, launching!"
Their voice, their expression filled with new-found determination, Athrun and Seren leaped and came out in the open space. With new swords, they left the PLANTs behind and headed back towards Earth, towards their new battles.
We had but one wish... long-lasting peace. We gambled on the possibility. It was indeed hope, but it was not the path to peace. Even if we had to let go of our precious things, we wanted to grab the highest apple. And what we acquired in order to achieve that peace was a power that would always be far from peace. Covered in daydreams, we flew away. Taking on justness and mistakes, we chose to fight.
Author's note: Next update Phase-12: Wings of Freedom; will be once I finish writing chapter 20. Since I about passed the difficult point that required a lot of thinking, updates SHOULD be faster for a time... probably for around 10 episodes... until the next critical point...that is to add or not the original ideas I had, and if I do add them, then when exactly...