Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Song of the Storm Wolf: Howl of Destiny
By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
Parenthood
(December 2nd, C.E. 73, Connor Household, Orb Union)
It was early morning as Sebastian awoke, he grunted as he sat on the edge of the bed and stretched out. He looked over to find his wife's side of the bed vacant. Unsurprising, as Lacus was often an early riser. The bedroom was decorated in a mixture of the bright pink and deep forest green the couple preferred. On the wall was an image of a timber wolf Sebastian had found at an antique mall. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due pulled on a black t-shirt with the Storm Wolf emblem, a gift from Flay last Christmas. He walked downstairs to find the kitchen vacant. It wasn't a cause for immediate alarm, because he knew Lacus would usually get an early workout before making breakfast. He boiled a pot of water and made some Earl Grey tea, his favorite way to start the morning.
As he sat down at the table, he peered outside where the sun was rising. Sebastian nearly choked on his tea as he found where Lacus was. He gently slid the door open, and walked outside where he found his wife. The pink haired songstress had set up her yoga mat on the patio, where she currently sitting down, stretching. She wore a long sleeve gymnastics leotard in a brilliant metallic pink, the ever-spreading light of the sun making it shimmer. Her pink hair was tied up in a high ponytail with a scrunchie the same color as her leotard, much as when she was on the Eternal or Archangel. She had splayed her bare, creamy legs out and pressed her stomach against the ground as far as she could, unknowing giving her husband a perfect view of her heart shaped butt.
A keen smirk formed on his face, moving on the footfalls of the creature he took his name from. Sebastian came up behind Lacus, and put his foot right on her soft, delicate, little tush and pressed down just a bit. This elicited a startled shriek from Lacus and a deep laugh from Sebastian. She looked over her shoulder to her husband, a wide grin gracing his lips. "Oh, it's only you, Sebastian." Her lips twisted into an adorable little pout. "But still you scared me!" She exclaimed, blushing at the same time.
Sebastian just reached down, helping her to her feet. "Sorry honey, but you left yourself in a perfect position to do so." He said, pulling her close to him, kissing her on the lips. "So you decided to exercise out here instead of the workout room today?"
She nodded, her pony tail swaying back and forth as she did so. "It was too nice of a day not to. I just thought I't stretch out a bit before I got started." Lacus's smile faded a little as she curled up against his chest. The Storm Wolf immediately sensed his wife's distress, gently running his fingers along her back. "So we'll be moving out soon?"
"I'm afraid so, my love. We need to get into this fight, there's nothing stopping it now. But I know as long as I have my beautiful Angel of the Stars by my side. I know I can take on anything or anyone." Lacus's gentle smile returned. It was these moments that reminded the Storm Wolf of why he had fallen love with the Pink Songstress. Even in his darkest moments, she had never tried to actively shake him out of his brooding moments, instead going for subtle gestures of love, like holding hands and giving light kisses, motivating words, and most important of all, simple companionship and basic hope. This was the foundation of the relationship between the Wolf and his Dove, and nothing could replace it.
"I love you, Sebastian, and I'll follow you no matter where you go. But please, come back to me alive!" She said, Sebastian just nodded, and went to kiss her again, but Lacus suddenly sprang up, wrapping her pale legs around his waist. "Of course, you of all people should know, turnabout is fair play, my brave hero!" She cooed, putting her arms around his neck. giving him a deep passionate kiss. Lacus may be the poster child for poise and grace, but that didn't mean she didn't have a playful side either!
(Later that morning)
Stella wandered down the streets of Olofat, she had forgone her usual blue and white dress for a white tank top and shorts, exposing a pair of long, pale legs, toned and fit from all the physical training she had endured since childhood. The Gaia was hidden in a grove of trees, not far from where she had come ashore a couple nights before. While the Gundam may be overkill, she wasn't about to be caught off guard in case mobile suits were brought into play. However, Stella preferred a subtler approach when it came to taking down her targets. She pulled out her cell phone, bringing up a picture of the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due. A part of her remembered the brief fight with him at Armory One.
He had shown no fear, charging directly in with his blade clenched in one hand, deftly blocking the swing from one of the combat knives she carried with her. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's trademark weapon was well known to soldiers on both sides. The wolfheaded katana had been handled with a practiced hand and great speed. Although she was confident of her skills in hand to hand combat, she was the first in her class after all, Stellar reasoned it would be wiser to engage her target at a distance. Luckily, she had come prepared, having requisitioned a Sig-Sauer SSG 3000 sniper rifle, which was currently back at her temporary base camp with the Gaia.
She knew where the Connor residence was, all she would have to do is find a suitable vantage point near the home, and wait to take the shot, a single bullet is all she would need. However, it would require a bit of patience on her part, timing would be critical. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due wasn't the type to be complacent, and his many friends and allies were within easy access. She knew any attack against him would bring the likes of the Arctic White Wolf, said to be a sniper with few peers, and could easily out shoot her if given the chance.
Stellar put the thoughts about the mission aside. All the while she continued walking along, window shopping. To the world at large, Stella Loussier was just another teenage girl out enjoying her day. Although in the reaches of her mind, she was going over her strategy to try and assassinate Sebastian. However, it wouldn't be an easy feat. Still, she was patient, and would bide her time until the opportunity presented itself to her. For right now, she would settle for just being an average teenager. Stellar had to admit to herself it was kind of relaxing, but she still had a mission to perform, and it would happen, one way or another…the Storm Wolf would die.
(Onogoro Island, Morgenroete Training Facility)
A yellow F-model Takemikazuchi was furiously cutting and slicing at series of targets set up. In the cockpit, Yui's purple eyes were narrowed, partially in deep concentration and anger. She had spent practically every day since the failed invasion in the cavernous room. Her defeat at Yifei's hands having become quite the sore spot in her mind. So every spare minute she had was going toward further honing her skills in the cockpit. The next time the two of them locked blades, the outcome would be quite different. She hefted her new Type-74, the thrusters kicking to life as she brought the heavy blade in a backhanded slash, cutting across the metal cylinder, producing a loud thunking sound.
She brought her beam rifle out, firing twice to cut down a pair of other targets. Yui moved with a fluid grace and precision. Her blade twirled overhead, as she continued her dance, sword in one hand, rifle in the other, hacking and blasting the targets as quickly as they popped up. It wasn't long before Yui had managed to subdue every target. She sighed, sitting back in the pilot seat, running her fingers through her long, silky locks, wet from perspiration. "I wonder if I should get my hair cut before we move out, it plays hell fitting all of it into my helmet." She remarked to no one in particular.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Yui that angry before." Kuro remarked as he and Yukimasa were currently watching from the observation deck. "She really did not take her defeat by that one Earth Alliance pilot well. She's always been a hard worker, very diligent in her training." He ran a hand through his ebony hair. "Although, there is such a thing as overdoing it."
"Kyoko is her cousin, if anyone can get her to lighten up it's her." Yukimasa said. It was then the doors swung open admitting a very furious looking Shinn and Mayu. They marched with purpose up to the Sahaku siblings. "Is there something wrong, Shinn? You look even more bad tempered than usual, and that's saying something." He drawled, although neither of the Asuka siblings looked like they were in a mood for jokes.
"We need to talk." Almost immediately Yukimasa and Kuro felt a certain dread begin to coalesce in their stomachs. Shinn was known for being loud and boorish when he was angry. He had uttered those four words with a cold fire, and it was quickly apparent to both of them something was quite wrong. "Mayu and I just came from a little meeting with your father." They both cursed inwardly, as they had just been proven right! "He told us something that I'm still not quite sure what to believe. He said that our mom was his younger sister. If that is case, that means the two of us are part of the family as well! Now I've heard enough about him to take what he said with a grain of salt, but I wanted to hear it from you guys. Is this true? Are you really our cousins?"
"Fuck!" was all Yukimasa could say as Kuro smashed his head into the glass window, eliciting a wince from Mayu. "Damn that meddling old bastard!"
"So then it's true, we are of Sahaku blood." Mayu said, the hurt in her voice clear for all to hear. "Did all of you know about this?"
Yukimasa growled, visually imagining him using Bushido to burn his father into little ashes. "There's no point in playing dumb, the cat is out of the bag. Yes Mayu, we did know. Even after Aunt Ryoko left to marry your father, Dad made it a point to keep tabs on her location. When Mina took control of the family, we found the family records, and found she had given birth to both of you. I volunteered to travel to the PLANTs and seek you guys out. I wanted to get to know you guys, find out what kind of people you were before we dropped such a huge bombshell." He slammed his fist into his palm. "Unfortunately, our dear father seems to have jumped the gun. You should have come to me straight away, I could have told you it was a bad idea."
"Well it's a little late for that!" Shinn shot back, the fury still in his voice, although it seemed to be less than before. He shook his head, sounding disappointed. "Were you ever going to tell us the truth?"
"Eventually, Shinn. It was our hope to tell you once you hit eighteen, matured a little bit." Kuro responded.
"What did you intend to do once we had been informed of this little fact?" Mayu asked.
"Nothing, we just wanted you guys to know you were family." Kuro reached out, putting a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "I mean, you lost your mom and dad during the invasion two years ago. A simple gesture to let you know you didn't have to bear the whole weight of the world alone. Although knowing Dad, he probably would want to exploit you. Do not trust him, Shinn, that goes for you as well Mayu."
Mayu said nothing, but Shinn got up in Yukimasa's face, the two pairs of red eyes locked. "I'm still pissed off about this, but I've gotten to know you well enough to tell when you're telling the truth, Yukimasa. We need some time to think this over. After that…I don't know what to do." He turned to walk off, and the Sahaku siblings feared that any chance of reconciling with them was lost until he looked over his shoulder. "Catch you then…Cuz." Mayu flashed a smile and a wave at them and they left.
"I think we can consider that bridge not burned yet." Kuro said.
"Agreed." Yukimasa said, silently resolving to protect both of them from any machinations caused by their father.
(December 3rd, C.E. 73, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Atlantic Federation)
With the battle in space over, Mark and the Dynames had been reassigned to Earth, taking a temporary station at Pearl Harbor. Once there, life had settled down into the regular patterns. Which for the Crimson Fox translated into engaging with the most hated enemy any soldier of any rank could face…paperwork! The mounds of papers and forms scattered across his desk were a near constant headache. While the Crimson Fox was a more than capable administrator, and could burn through paperwork with relative ease. Sometimes he thought it would just be easier to take Patriot and burn it all away literally with a few well-placed shots from the Freedom copy's plasma cannons. A knock at the door proved to be a welcome distraction. "Come in." The old veteran grunted, halfway tempted to shove all the paperwork off his desk and into the trash can. He was greeted by the sight of Jean-Pierre. "Ah, welcome JP."
"Hello there, Admiral, I'm happy to see you again." The Blue Knight said, taking a seat in front of the desk. "At the very least it's nice to work with proper leadership again. I'm not shedding any tears to see Hansen going off to Europe. They can have him for all I care!"
"I will say you did a damn good job in Orb. I dare say if someone other than Ripper had been leading it, we could have taken the entire island with little trouble. Oh well, we can't win them all. Besides we have to look ahead to the future. I just got our marching orders from Washington, and we are going to be very busy." Mark slid the folder across to his greatest apprentice. "You're going to get a rematch with your cousin before too long."
Jean-Pierre took the document and whistled in appreciation. "They're going to build a new task force around the Dynames, called the First Special Operations Fleet. We'll be joined by the Seraphim, and the Virtue. The Blue Knights, Frighteners, and Phantom Pain will be put under your direct command and our orders are to hunt down the Archangel and Minerva?" He put the file down on the desktop "Alliance Headquarters really isn't playing around, are they? They really believe these two ships to be such a great threat they're going to bring the full might of of our three most elite squadrons down on them?"
Mark chuckled. "It does seem like overkill at first glance, but recall what the Archangel did during the last war. They've got the Freedom, Justice and a whole cadre of other Gundam-class mobile suits to throw at us. And if ZAFT deploys any more Minervas, it would be enough to give even us trouble. The other brass at the Pentagon are really concerned about them all getting together. So our goal is to nip the problem in the bud. Although I'm very certain General Connor and his people aren't going to make it easy for us. So we will have to be cautious." He became especially sober. "I've even heard that they're going to call in the Eurasians on this. Now that the Eurasian Federation managed to rebuild its military strength after the whole Alaska debacle. They're looking for a fight. I understand their elite Strigon Battalion, one thousand strong, is close to being deployed."
JP's face twisted into an expression of slight disgust. "I've heard of them, all of them are advanced Extended, even more so than what we currently have deployed. Muscular enhancement injections to increase strength, ceramic carbide materials grafted right onto their bones to make them impenetrable, the capillaries in their eyes are enhanced to give them better night vision, and they altered the nervous system to increase their reaction time. It may make them better for combat sir, but it doesn't sit right with me one bit."
"I agree with you completely, Captain, but it's how the Eurasians roll. If they want to take part, we're all on the same team." Mark said.
The Crimson Fox's greatest student stood at attention. "Regardless of anything, Admiral. The Blue Knights are always ready to for the next operation sir, you know that for a fact."
Mark was about to reply when a second knocking came at the door. "You may enter." Takachi poked his head in. "Is something up, Captain Murakumo?"
"Oh, hey, JP. I wasn't expecting you to be here." Takachi said before turning to his commanding officer. "Hey Boss Man, I'm not sure if you heard, but we have a new transfer here. He just showed up and said he was to report to you." Mark looked confused, he hadn't heard anything about new arrivals, but he took it in stride.
"Then bring him in." Takachi entered the Crimson Fox's office, followed by another man in his late teens. The three officers took a moment to size up the newest addition to the squadron. He wore the standard Atlantic Federation officer uniform, the narrow yellow band and single blue tab of a Lieutenant Junior Grade pinned on his lapels. His light brown hair was messily arrayed, making JP think of a bird's nest, framing a pair of hard edged steel gray eyes. The name "E. Kanitz" on the name tag on his left side. He held a folder under his arm.
He stood at attention before Mark's desk, snapping up into a smart looking salute. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Ezra Kanitz reporting for duty, Vice Admiral Lamperouge!" He spoke in a clear, confident voice, holding out the folder. "My personnel jacket sir. I wanted to deliver it to you myself."
The Crimson Fox looked on with amusement. "Stand at ease, Lieutenant." Mark said, taking the file, and the younger man went to parade rest stance. He opened up the folder and began reading it. After a few minutes he nodded in approval. "I have to say you've racked up quite the accomplishments to this point. Graduated at the top of your class at Annapolis, took part in the relief efforts immediately following Break the World, where you managed to diffuse a tense situation between the locals and the troops providing support. The commandant was so impressed he recommended you be promoted straight to your current rank. Needless to say, I'm very impressed. Although I have to be curious as to why you chose specifically to request my command."
Some of the confidence left Ezra's face as he bowed his head slightly. His voice dropping a little as well. "Your reputation is well known all over the service, Admiral. Not just for your skill on the battlefield…but also because you're not discriminatory against Coordinators." This got all three men's attention. "Yes, one of my parents was a Coordinator. I've had to deal with a lot of prejudice since I was a child. I had to hold back a lot in school so I didn't stand out too much, otherwise I'd make myself a target for bullying, or much worse." His hands curled up into fists as the memories poured back. "It was a daily challenge having to listen to all the mockery from my classmates, not being able to defend myself or others like me. I've always wanted to serve my country, but I knew that it would never happen if my superiors found out the truth. I'd be blacklisted and never make the battlefield. You've always been regarded as a fair man, Admiral Lamperouge. I just need the chance to prove myself."
Jean-Pierre marched up, standing over Ezra, giving him a challenging glare, but the younger officer wouldn't back down. The Blue Knight regarded the new arrival for a few minutes, and then he smirked. "I won't speak for Vice Admiral Lamperouge, but let me pose a question to you, Lieutenant Kanitz, where do you consider your main loyalty to be? Because I can tell you it doesn't matter if your genes have been altered or not, as long as you uphold the oath you took to the Atlantic Federation, then you and I will get along just fine."
Ezra smirked back. "You have nothing to worry about in that regard, Captain La Flaga. I'll be sure to live up to your expectations, I know your reputation just as well as your mentor. I hope I can learn a lot from the Blue Knight."
"What do you say, Boss? This guy has some fire in him. It would be a waste to not give him his due." Takachi said. Mark just nodded in turn, and Ezra knew he had just passed the test.
(December 3rd, C.E. 73, Orb Union, Olofat, Yalafath Island, Attha Manor)
Kira and Flay stood at the heavy double doors of the Attha residence. Unlike the Sahaku Estate, the home of the Atthas was a simple but elegant affair, constructed entirely of modest red brick, it held a warm, inviting air about it. The young couple remembered how they had celebrated the end of the war in the manor's ballroom. It had been a magical evening that would remain a precious memory to both of them for the rest of their days. Although the atmosphere around the house was sorely lacking. The door opened, revealing Myrna, the maid who had cared for Cagalli since she was a little girl. "Ah, hello Master Kira, Miss Flay, come right in, Lady Cagalli is waiting for you."
The two entered, following behind the maid, as they went to the main sitting room, where Cagalli was sitting, dressed casually in a dark green tank-top, and khaki shorts. "Hey there!" Flay waved. The blonde Athha stood up, coming over to embrace her twin before getting a chaste kiss from Flay. Myrna departed, and came back with a tray, holding a pot of warm tea and some cups.
"It's nice to have you guys guys over to just chat." Cagalli said as Kira and Flay made themselves comfortable on the couch, taking the offered drinks. "Everyone's getting ready for this deployment. I know I should be getting ready myself and prepping the Akatsuki. But I just haven't found the motivation, given all that's happened lately." Indeed, the Lioness of Orb's mind could be defined as just a little tumultuous at the moment. Cagalli really hadn't had the time to let the events of the last few weeks sink in. The appearance of Yukimura had shaken everyone up, but it was his harsh words that had stung Cagalli the worst, it made her wonder what Uzumi would have really thought of her choices.
"You know we're always available to talk, Cagalli." Kira said, giving his sister's hand a gentle squeeze. "Moments like these are precious, we're not going to get them for much longer once we're on out on the front lines." Flay said nothing, just giving a sad nod, before curling up against Kira's side. Cagalli couldn't help but be jealous at the closeness the young couple had. She remembered the first meeting she had with Flay, and how much of a spoiled brat she had been. The redhead had grown considerably since those days, and knew Flay would make a fine sister in law.
Deciding to try and lighten the mood, Cagalli changed the subject. "I know you've been engaged for a while now. Have you decided when you're going to have kids?" This made Kira nearly choked on his drink, and Flay start blushing. The blonde princess smirked a little. "Oh come on, I know what you two get up to when you have the chance. Tell me I'm going to be an aunt before too long."
"Uh, well, that is." Kira struggled with the words. "Flay and I do hope to have children one day, but let's face it, Cagalli. We're still practically kids ourselves. I'd like to wait a few years after we've been properly married before we think about making the family any bigger." Kira looked over to his fiancee as he said it, who just smiled and winked at him. The White Knight of Freedom just bowed his head slightly, he would never be able to truly get over the way Flay had him wrapped around her finger.
Cagalli chortled, always enjoying seeing her brother get all flustered. "The house seems so empty these days with just me and the staff." Her good cheer faded a little, giving a heavy sigh. "Dad may have always been busy running the country, but at least when he was here, it didn't feel so lonely."
"Then I guess it's a good thing that's not the case anymore." A deep, feminine voice spoke. The three teenagers turned to see a young woman in her early twenties leaning against the doorway. First impressions were she was quite a stunning creature, long white hair tied back in a high ponytail, the designer black jeans hugged her against her hips and long legs, a contrast to the snug white tank top she wore, accentuating a pair of considerable breasts, and her pale flawless skin. Red eyes held a fierce, yet playful gleam to them. She moved with a fluid gait, stopping in front of Cagalli. "Hey Caggy, I'm finally home."
"Yukira!" Cagalli cried out in joy, giving the new girl a huge hug. Both Kira and Flay were relieved to see the stress fall away from her. He then cleared his throat, reminding Cagalli of their presence. "Oh, where are my manners? Kira, allow me to introduce you to Yukira Rinka Attha, the daughter of father's older brother, my uncle Hiruzen. That would make her my cousin…our cousin."
"It's nice to meet you, Yukira." He said. "This is my fiancé, Flay Allster."
"I certainly know who you are, Mr. White Knight." Yukira cocked her head to the side. "Although I was expecting someone a lot taller and more muscular, but I digress, family is family after all. You have good taste in women I see." She winked at Flay who just smiled and blushed.
"Believe me when I say it's a huge relief to have you back, Yukira. I hadn't seen you since your brother left home." Both Kira and Flay noticed the hesitation in Cagalli's voice. "But why come back now of all times? Last I heard, you left home to go and track down Ceres.".
"Who's Ceres?" Kira asked.
"My older brother, Ceres Lorial Attha, and the true heir to the family. He walked out on us when he was nineteen. I swore I'd find him, but I didn't have much luck." Yukira let out an unladylike snort. "And really, I had to come back, especially once I heard that Darth Tyranus had crawled out of the shadows."
"Darth Tyranus?" Flay asked.
Yukira smirked. "My nickname for old man Sahaku. He certainly has all the main qualities. Charismatic, manipulative, and outright ruthless. Although he doesn't have the English accent like Christopher Lee, and I'm pretty sure he's not a vampire. Although he's still far more menacing than Dracula ever could be." Her hand clenched into a fist. "Nothing ever good comes about when Yukimura Koto Sahaku is around. The man is a threat to everything Orb stands for, so I thought it was time for me to come home."
"Well, I am certainly glad to have you back home." Cagalli said.
Yukira just smiled giving her another big hug. "Anything for you, Caggy." She looked to Kira and Flay, who both felt a little awkward at this, but she just grinned and held an arm out. "Get over here, you're both a part of this as well." The two relented, sharing a large hug. "I think it's time for a little get together. I'm certain everyone will be quite happy to see me, and I have a lot to catch you all up on."
(One Hour Later)
Yukira had retired to her room to freshen up. Her hair had been brushed and was now done up in a loose bun. She had donned just a slight hint of make-up, it only served to enhance her considerable beauty. She knew that appearing as she arrived wouldn't have gone over well with the other family heads, so she had donned the purple business suit that was the standard attire for all members of the Government of the United Emirates of Orb. As she came down the stairs, Kira and Flay were waiting for her. Flay couldn't help but be a little jealous, Cagalli may have been called 'The Princess of Orb', but Yukira truly moved as one, every step was fluid and graceful, no movement wasted at all. The three headed to the ballroom, where the leaders of the other families had gathered.
Sebastian and Anthony both sized up the new arrival, after Yukimura's arrival the of them were understandably suspicious of anyone else coming back into the fold. Although they quickly realized they didn't have to worry too much. It was clear the others knew Yukira very well, and the sheer gratitude and relief on Cagalli's face led them to believe that she was trustworthy.
"Well as I live and breathe, I never thought I would see you again, Yukira." Mina said, pure elation in her voice. "I had to find other ways to entertain myself without you around." She flashed a playful smirk to Cagalli. "I have to say, I wish your cousin had inherited your cutting wit. It was always so easy to get her worked up about every little thing." Cagalli just scowled. To which Kira just patted her on the back while Flay giggled. Mina paid no mind. "You were always my one true rival, Yukira. We certainly had some fun back in the day, didn't we? Always trying to show each other up, arguing about which boys we liked."
"Ain't that the truth?" Yukira snickered. "And don't be too hard on Cagalli, Minnie. She's just very passionate and honest about herself."
Mina let out a delicate laugh. "I know that Yukimasa will be overjoyed to know you've come back. He always did have a bit of crush on you."
Yukira daintily tipped her head. "Aw, I missed Yukimasa too." She then looked to Arashi, giving him a hearty slap on the back. "Hey there, it's my favorite Yellow Flash. I hope you haven't lost anything with age, huh?"
"Just you wait and see. I'm not that old." The Kazama head snorted.
Kumiko then took Yukira in a motherly embrace. "I just never thought I would see you again. I remember the days when you kids would all play together, it seems so long ago." She gently patted the younger girl on the cheek, proud to see how much the younger woman had grown up. "How are you, Yukira?"
The white haired Attha smiled warmly, it made her look even more majestic than ever. "I'm just fine, Kumiko. I won't deny it's good to be home. I just wish it was under better circumstances though." Her face then became very serious. "It's why I asked for you guys to come here for this little gathering. I know it's not proper protocol, but we have to be cautious, given who's also lurking about. Yukimura is a menace and I couldn't stay away knowing he would bring ruin to our country. So let's get this party started, we have a lot of ground to cover." They all sat down the table with Anthony standing next to Sebastian, and Kira sitting between Cagalli and Flay.
"Since I"m the new kid on the block here, I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few questions, Lady Yukira." Sebastian said. "First off, I can assume you're taking back control of Attha family from your cousin?" He then looked to Cagalli. "And just so we're all on the same page. You are okay with this, Cagalli? Let's face it, Yukimura just came in and took over, and it didn't bode well for any of us."
Yukira leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "I can assure you General Connor, both Cagalli and I have discussed this at great length, she is fully and completely on board with me taking the reins. She's realized that politics just isn't her thing. I'll be handling the political scene, and Cagalli is going to shift over to the military side of things with you, Arashi, and Kazuma, it's just less stressful that way. But now that the chit-chat is over. I have to bring you up to speed on what I've been doing and what brought me back home. Let's go back six years ago to when my dear older brother Ceres Lorial Attha, decided to give up everything our country stands for and go and do his own thing."
"Wait a minute." Anthony cut in. "Isn't Ceres a girl's name?"
Cagalli did her best to stifle her laughter but was failing in a truly spectacular way, Mina and Kumiko were too. Yukira just looked totally non-plussed. "Our mother, Biwako, picked the name. She said it was to be majestic and dignified, but my brother always hated her for it. Dad always told my brother he was meant to be Orb's defender, whatever he meant by that. Ceres trained in all things pertaining to warfare. He was very militaristic. When our father kicked the bucket and Uncle Uzumi ascended to the office of Chief Representative, the two of them were always at odds with each other. Uzumi wanted Ceres to go into politics and put aside his aggressive tendencies. One night, when Ceres was nineteen, he finally had enough, walked out of the house and left Orb behind. So I tried to do the right thing and followed after him, but I never could, it was like he just vanished off the face of the Earth."
Yukira sat back in her chair, putting her feet up on the table, a wistful expression in her eyes. "My travels took me all over the Earth Sphere, every nation on the planet, up into the colonies. Hell, I even searched for him in the PLANTs, but I found nothing. It got lonely after a while, and I just wondered if I should come home, but I didn't want to return empty handed. That being said, while I wasn't able to find Ceres at all. I had luck in another area. I managed to find a lead on another one our country's lost sons." She looked to Mina as she said it. "I may have an idea of where to find Mori." Mina was now fully locked in on what Yukira was saying. The room's entire atmosphere had shifted. Kumiko's face tightened a little, as if she was trying to hide a massive grin. Arashi subtly rolled his fingers.
"You…found Morinobu?" Mina breathed, her hands gripping the edge of the table. Yukira folded her arms, inclining her head just a bit. With that the questions began launching out of her mouth, one after another. "Where is he? Do you know exactly?"
"Calm yourself, Minnie." Yukira rolled her eyes. "I said I had an idea of where he was, not that I knew his exact location. Apparently, he's been working in the Middle East as a private contractor, running counter operations to the Earth Forces stationed in the area. However, he's proven to be quite elusive, thus far. He's on the move a lot and stays off the radar, probably to keep from his old man from finding him. I was in the middle of tracking him down when I found out that Yukimura had re-emerged here, so I dropped everything and returned home."
"Mind filling the rest of us in?" Sebastian spoke.
"Yeah, I get the feeling we're missing the point here." Anthony remarked.
"Morinobu Sanosuke Sahaku, the firstborn son and the rightful heir to our family, Admiral Russo." Mina said, a tinge of hope in her voice. "He and and our father never saw eye to eye on anything. While he had never believed in the whole neutrality thing, he also thought Dad's attempts to forge a pact between Orb and the Atlantic Federation wasn't any better. Dad said if he continued acting like this, he would suffer the consequences. I never thought it was possible for anyone to get under the old man's skin, but Mori was always up for a challenge." Mina recalled it fondly. "I don't think Father's face could possibly turn a shade of purple like that. Eventually he had enough of Mori's insolence. He was banished from Orb and sent into exile." Delicate fingers tapped against the table top as the Sahaku Heiress's mind considered the possibilities. "If we could get him back, it would be a great way to keep father in check."
Yukira let out a full-blown belly laugh. "Oh, you can forget about just putting him in check, Minnie. If we can make this work, and Mori comes back to claim his birthright, we could be rid of your father for good. According to the rumor mill, it seems that the reason he was exiled in the first place was because he had managed to uncover a dark secret that would show the old man had effectively caused high treason against Orb. It would just be a matter of nailing down his exact location in the Middle East."
Sebastian leaned forward, resting his elbows against the table. "Then it's a good thing we're heading in that general direction anyway, it would be worth our time to try and find him. It's good that you came when you did, Lady Yukira. So tell me, does this mean you're going to be joining us on our little adventure?"
"As much as I'd like to General, it would probably be better if I remained behind and watched the homefront along with Kumiko, Mina, and Arashi. Of course that doesn't mean I'm not capable of handling myself in a fight. I got some training in mobile suits while I was out and about in the world. So if something does happen here, I can lead the troops." Yukira's smirk looked almost menacing. "But first, we'll have my official debut at the weekly council meeting. I can't wait to see the look on Old Man Sahaku's face when he finds out that he's not the only one who can return home."
The Storm Wolf mirrored her expression. "I'm certain you'll put on quite the show for us then, Yukira. He came to my home and said some rather unflattering things. I'll be quite eager to see if he squirms."
(December 8th, C.E. 73, Connor Residence)
Sebastian was in his office, going over some battle plans for the upcoming deployment as he reflected on the events of the meeting a few days ago. Yukira's arrival had the intended effect the heads of the five families opposed to Yukimura was hoping for. She had boldly declared how glad she was to return home and take her rightful place as head of the Attha family, The whole time giving a smug glare at the Sahaku patriarch. Sebastian had been keeping a careful eye on Yukimura through the entire meeting, and noticed that while his face had remained neutral, there was a quiet hatred in the older man's eyes, clearly, he didn't approve of the fact that another Attha had returned.
Yukimasa and Kuro both had heart attacks when they saw that Yukira had returned. She had put both of them into headlocks, declaring that they were still the same chuckleheads she remembered when they were small boys. Shinn and Mayu had even been there, and Yukira gave them a hearty welcome to the family as it were.
The overcast sky cast a gloomy pall over the island nation, and the Supreme Ace was finding it hard to stay motivated. Kira and Flay had come over as usual, and were downstairs with Lacus and the children, watching a movie. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due threw the paperwork down on the desk, running a hand through his dark hair, wondering if it was time to throw in the towel. A knock came at the door. "Come in." He rasped. the doors creaked open, admitting the Arctic White Wolf. "Hey, Anthony."
"Good to see you, bro." Anthony replied. "Loretta's here as well, she's down watching the movie with the others, but I thought I'd come up here and check on you." He looked down at the mass of papers covering the desk. "Preparing your strategy for what's to come, General?"
"Just a bit, Admiral." Sebastian remarked, leaning back in his plush leather chair. "The minds over at Central Command have been working overtime on these, and it got all sent to me at once. It's left my brain a rather twisted mess. I was thinking of taking some firepower out back and going loud. You up for it?" Anthony just grinned, there was no better stress relief than blowing something into little tiny pieces. He whistled in appreciation as his brother opened up his gun cabinet. Pulling out his Holland and Holland double rifle and shotgun. "As you can see, I'm not messing around. We're going straight for the high-grade firepower! I may not shoot these things very often, but for today, it will more than do the trick. Come on." The two men went downstairs and out the back into the wide fields that surrounded the property.
"So what are we going to be shooting at?" Anthony asked. Sebastian pointed to a decrepit looking tree, withered and rotten on the extreme edge of the property. "That tree has definitely seen better days."
"Yeah, Lacus has told me to have it removed more than once." He took the double rifle, loading the big .500 Nitro Express cartridges into the side by side barrels. "But it makes for such a nice, convenient target." He held out the rifle with both hands. "Here, I'll be a really nice guy and let you have the first shot at it!"
Anthony reverently took the weapon, handling it with the care affording a precious treasure. The former ZAFT pilot gave it a quick once over, nodding in quiet approval at the precise craftsmanship. "I have to give you credit, pup. You know how to choose them. This isn't something that was just slapped together on an assembly line. It's as much as work of art as Fenrir. How did you the rifle and shotgun cost?"
Sebastian tapped his foot. "You can say that again. I waited for a year to get both of them. The rifle cost about three hundred thousand, and the shotgun about two, so that's a cool five hundred thousand for them combined."
The Arctic White Wolf mentally winced. He couldn't afford that even with the lavish paycheck he received for his position in the Orb Defense Forces. He decided to not to think about it any further, hefting the rifle to his shoulder. Taking a careful aim that only a fully trained sniper could manage, the White Wolf took a deep breath, slowing his heart rate as his finger curled around the trigger. One massive bang, followed by another rang out, echoing across the trees as the two rounds plunged in to the rotted core of the tree exploded outward, spraying splinters all over the place. Anthony looked to the rifle in his hand, and then back at the tree. "Damn, those .500 rounds don't mess around! I think they heard that all the way back in the PLANTs!"
Sebastian laughed, clapping. "A perfect shot, Anthony! I couldn't have done better myself! But we're only getting warmed up here. Time to see what the rifle's younger and louder brother can do!" He took up the shotgun and aimed it at the tree. "Twelve gauge, accept no substitutes!" A second pair of bangs rang out, the buckshot slicing into the rotted wood pulp. The Storm Wolf sighed. "I almost feel sorry for that poor tree, eventually it's going to fall over, whether it's from all the lead we've been pumping into it, or the elements itself." He grinned. "Let's do it again!" The two men swapped back and forth in shooting the rifle and the shotgun, the tree had more than a few new holes punched into it, but by the end, the Twin Wolves were satisfied.
"Now that is how you relax!" Sebastian said, hoisting the rifle on his shoulder. "Thanks for that, Anthony, I'm feeling a lot better now. Let's go inside. I'm certain Lacus is going to have dinner on the table soon." As they turned to go inside, neither of them had known they were being watched. Stellar had been present the entire time, concealed in a blind in the woods, currently looking at the wolf through the scope of her sniper rifle. The blonde Phantom Pain operative had finally decided to make her attempt at the Storm Wolf and found a good position on a small hill that gave her a perfect view of the property. Stellar almost had just shot him right there when Anthony looked right in her direction. Those green eyes almost seemed to bore into her soul. For a few seconds she wondered if he had caught onto her, but relaxed when he just put an arm around Sebastian's shoulder as they went inside. She silently cursed her moment of weakness, having missed a perfect shot.
Shaking it off, Stellar resolved that she wouldn't fail a second time. She would get the Storm Wolf one way or another, putting a hand on one of her trusty combat knives to help strengthen herself. She raised the rifle, zeroing in on the window she knew would be where Sebastian's office was located. All she had to do was wait.
Inside, Sebastian had just finished putting the two Holland and Holland firearms back in the display case. He collapsed down into his chair, while Anthony sat across from him. The White Wolf was about to say something when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, a slight glint from in the trees. "Pup get down!" He yelled, diving across the desk, saving his younger brother's life in the process as the window shattered, and a hole was punched in the leather chair. The two men hit the floor. "It looks like we have some unwanted guests, Sebastian! What do you want to do about it?"
"I think we need to show them the error of their ways!" Sebastian snarled. He opened up the gun cabinet once again, this time to get some weapons more fitting for combat. He pulled out a Mark 23 .45 pistol, clipping it to his belt, before passing another Mark 23 to Anthony, who did the same. Anthony grabbed the HK417 assault rifle, equipped with a Leupold Mark 4 scope, while Sebastian took up the HK416A5 carbine, M3 Benelli Shotgun, and another pistol. Of course, he also grabbed Fenrir from its place propped up against his desk, sliding it into his belt. "You try and ID that sniper, White Wolf Actual. I'm going to head downstairs and check on the kids!"
Anthony said nothing, just flashing a quick thumbs up, setting up the bipod, scanning the landscape for the attacker.
Sebastian crawled down the steps, where he saw everyone in the living room sprawled out on the floor. Lacus looked up to him, and he just gave his wife a gentle smile. "I'm okay sweetheart, Is everyone all right?" He spoke in a low voice to which everyone nodded. "Okay, here's the situation. I was up in my office with Anthony, and someone tried to shoot me through the window. I don't know who is doing this, but we're going to find out very quick!" Sebastian passed the carbine and second pistol to Kira, while giving the shotgun to Loretta. "Loretta, take everyone down to the safe room in the basement. Kira, you're with me, Anthony is going to provide cover support from my office, and we are going to flush that sniper out."
The White Knight made to follow the Storm Wolf only for Flay to grab Kira by the arm. She was clearly terrified, so he leaned in, giving her a deep kiss. "It will be okay." He told her. "I'll feel better knowing you're out of the line of fire, so go with Lacus and the others." Flay gave her cousin and boyfriend one last look before she turned and ran down the steps to the basement, while Sebastian and Kira took up positions at the back door.
They both crouched down, making sure to avoid the windows so as to not let Stellar get a clean shot on either of them. "What's the plan here, Sebastian?" Kira asked, fighting every instinct to look out and see what was going on. "I may have improved by leaps and bounds as a soldier, and I know I can at least fire a gun properly these days, but I'm still way out of my depth when it comes to ground combat."
The Storm Wolf said nothing, his mind was too busy trying to think of the next course of action. While Sebastian may have looked like the picture of cool, but the growing rage in his blue eyes was another story entirely. It was one thing to face him on the battlefield on equal terms, but coming to attack him in his own home, threaten his family in such a manner was always a recipe for incoming doom. The radio finally came up to his lips, "Storm Wolf Actual to White Wolf Actual, have you spotted our unwanted guest yet?" He said to Anthony.
"Negative, Storm Wolf Actual, you want me to squeeze off a round or two to see if I can get their attention?" Anthony asked.
"Stand by, Anthony." Sebastian then reached up to the doorknob and slowly began turning it. "Kira, I want you to remain here at the doorway to cover me. If I'm really their target, I'm going to do just that. We'll only have a split second to act. If I can get this sniper to give away his position, when I give the signal, White Knight, you are going to fire three rounds in that general direction, and we'll see if that can flush them out. White Wolf Actual, once you see them move, shoot them!" His voice was firm and decisive, without nary a word, Sebastian ducked through the door and outside, pistol at the ready. He nodded to Kira, who went prone on his stomach, rifle ready.
Sebastian crawled on his belly across the patio and down into the grass. "You are crazy, you know that?" Anthony drawled, watching through the scope as his brother took up position behind a stone wall. "Only you would be willing to use yourself as bait when it's quite evident you're the main target. Are you sure you don't have some kind of thrill issues, Bro?"
"Really not the time for this, Anthony! Just be ready to fire once I've exposed their position!" Sebastian snapped, his eyes scanning the trees. "Okay pal, you wanted me, here I am in all my glory!" With the the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due walked straight into the middle of the yard. Both Anthony and Kira's hearts were racing ten thousand beats per minutes at this extremely dangerous move. There was dead silence in the air, as time seemed to slow to a halt.
Stellar meanwhile couldn't believe her eyes as her target boldly strode right in the open. He just cocked his head to one side, and then brought up his free hand, flipping the bird. She raised her sniper rifle, the scope's crosshairs dead center of mass. She wouldn't be able to miss, as there was a break in the cloud cover, and Sebastian smiled as the first few rays of the sun managed to peak through, blinding her just for a minute, and catching off the lens of the scope. Anthony smirked when he saw the slight gleam.
"Now!" Sebastian barked, throwing himself to the ground. Anthony fired a single round that punched through Stellar's scope, rendering it useless while Kira fired off a three round burst, causing Stellar to roll down the hill. She hit the ground running, drawing her combat knives. Her blood was up now and it was time to go for the kill. Sebastian said nothing, just slowly releasing Fenrir from its den and coming up to a ready position. Stellar exploded out of the treeline, a knife in each hand and a cold gleam in her eyes. Anthony and Kira both tried to hit her, but Stellar's combat training and the enhancements she received as an Extended gave her the reflexes to avoid getting shot.
"A girl?" was all Anthony could say. But Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. He instantly recalled his would-be assassin's face from Armory One. If it was rematch she wanted, he'd be happy to oblige her.
The Storm Wolf himself broke into a run, and the two combatants met, the edge of Fenrir's blade straining against one of Stellar's combat knives. The blonde Extended wore a oold expression, devoid of any feeling or emotion, she had her prey right in front of her and nothing would stop her from finally making the kill. She flipped her right hand blade to an overhand position, slicing horizontally across Sebastian's midsection, but he twisted his body to one side, managing to avoid the worst of it.
He went for an upward slash to try and get Stellar across the torso, but she managed to parry it with her left hand blade. Stellar kicked Sebastian in the back, flipping her right hand blade upward, looking to get him right in the spinal cord, but the Storm Wolf rolled to her left, coming around, and landing on his feet. He then came up for a strong, downward swing, but Stellar did her own acrobatics, gracefully back flipping out of the way.
Sebastian aimed a low kick to try and sweep her off her feet, but Stellar was too agile for him. She jabbed one of her knives straight at his throat, but he backhanded it out of the way, bringing Fenrir up to guard. The two were then back where they had started, blades straining against each other. All the while Kira and Anthony could only observe in a terrifying awe. They knew he was a superb swordsman, but Stellar was keeping up, and they were both getting worried.
"Anthony, can you get a clear shot at her?" Kira whispered, watching the dance of death unfold before his eyes.
"No I can't, both of them are moving around too much. I'm afraid I'll hit the pup by mistake!" Anthony silently cursed. This was one of the sniper's worst enemies, targets who moved around too much and didn't have the common decency to know when to get shot.
Kira gazed through the holographic weapon sight on his borrowed HK416. He was in the same position as Anthony, and while he knew his commanding officer was skilled enough, it still hurt knowing he felt so helpless. He tried to steady his breathing, like he knew Anthony did whenever he was in his environment. It was then he heard footsteps thundering up the steps. He looked over his shoulder to see Flay coming up. "Flay, what are you doing? Get back to the panic room!" He called out.
"Is Sebastian okay?" she asked, it was then she saw the brawl unfolding through the windows. "Sebastian!" She screamed, running past Kira before he could stop her, but that ultimately proved to be just what was required.
"Sebastian!" A voice called out. both the Storm Wolf and Stellar halted in mid fight, to see Flay come out the back door with Kira right on her heels. The two women locked eyes and the young Extended froze up entirely. The minute Stellar laid eyes on Flay's hair, her brilliant fire-engine red hair. It triggered something in her brain.
"What in the hell is going on?" Anthony remarked from his perch in the office. One minute his brother and the blonde girl were duking it out, the next minute she had stopped in her tracks. He took aim, a perfect shot just a trigger squeeze away.
Loretta had since come out as well, having failed to stop Flay from going to check on her cousin and boyfriend. and her heart nearly stopped when she caught sight of Stellar, standing there in shock and panic. "Oh my God, what is she doing here?" The redhead uttered.
For Stellar, her mind was screaming out in anguish as she tried to reconcile it all. Why this girl with the brilliant red hair looked so familiar to her. The mental turmoil only grew as Kira took a defensive posture in front of his fiancee, and then it came back to her all at once, the dream with the wolves, and how two in particular had comforted her. It was now apparent who this couple was to her. Two simple words escaped her lips. "Mama? Papa?" the knives clattered from her fingers, and she curled up into a ball, screaming.
Loretta propped the shotgun against the wall, running over to the younger girl before she knelt down, cradling Stellar in her lap, whispering gentle words to the younger girl as she stroked her feathery blonde locks. "Shh, it's okay honey. No one is going to hurt you." The redhead said, looking to Sebastian who as just dumbfounded. "General, we need to get her to an infirmary and now! It we do not, she will die."
"You know this girl, sweetheart?" Anthony called out from the broken window.
"Yes," was her simple reply. "I do know her, and I can tell you that she is not a threat anymore."
"As much as I like you, Loretta. I don't think I need to point out she just tried to kill my cousin!" Flay snapped.
"I'm fully aware of the situation, Flay." Everyone was taken aback at the sudden coldness in Loretta's voice. "But this is a unique situation and I'm not letting someone I consider a little sister to die on me! Now we can sit here and debate this, or we can call the medics and get her some help! I would consider doing the latter if you will!"
Two hours later, Stellar had been moved to a secure quarantine facility at Morgenroete. Sebastian, Anthony, and Loretta were all currently standing before a window made of thick, shatterproof glass while Erica and a team of doctors were currently examining Stellar. "So are you going to fill us in on this, Loretta? How you know this girl?" Anthony asked.
"Her name is Stellar Loussier. She was in the class of Extended behind me." Loretta looked on, a wistful gleam in her ice blue eyes, taking hold of her husband's hand as she looked on at the doctors tending to Stellar. "A sweet girl most of the time, I'd even go so far as to call her a bit of an airhead. She loved to dance, always spinning about. But once she was on the job, she became a completely different person. I was her partner for hand to hand combat training. She was especially handy with a knife. I can recall more than a few training dummies losing their lives to when she was in a bad mood." She rested her head against Anthony's shoulder. "I'll admit I was always jealous of her. She had a rare grace and poise that few could ever match."
"I won't deny that." Sebastian said. It was then his cell phone started ringing. He took a look at the caller ID before switching it on. "This is Connor. Do you have something to report, Lieutenant Takamura?"
"Yes we do, General, we just finishing searching the area around your home." Yui's voice came in. Once Stellar had been secured, Dawn Squadron had been called in to perform a full security sweep in the event there hadn't been any other attackers. "We didn't find any other operatives, it appears our assassin acted alone, but we found something big, I'm sending you pictures now." A couple seconds later, the pictures came up. Sebastian was surprised to see the Gaia in mobile armor mode hiding in the brush.
"She had a mobile suit?" Anthony was glad there was never a history of heart attacks in his family, because he was certain he would have keeled over right there. A single shot from the shoulder mounted beam cannons would have obliterated the entire house. "I can't believe she didn't use it."
"That's not just any mobile suit, Anthony. That's one of the stolen Second Stage Gundams, the Gaia I believe." Sebastian recalled. "Well, this had its good points. Talia and Yukimasa will be glad to get one of their machines back and in one piece." He then looked back to Stellar, who was laying in bed, taking ragged breaths as the doctors continued examining her. "You said she always seemed to move in a very graceful way, right Loretta?" She nodded as he continued. "I think it's more to it than just that. I personally fought her back at Armory One and even then I could tell she didn't fight just like an Extended, there was something more to her. I saw it here too. I'm just not sure what it is."
"I can tell you that." Erica said, coming out into the corridor. "We just finished giving her an exhaustive physical. It seems that in addition to all the treatments that she underwent, this girl is actually a Coordinator." This was a major shock to all three of them. The Earth Alliance or rather Blue Cosmos's stance on Coordinators was well known. It was amazing to the Twin Wolves that she hadn't been eliminated on the spot. Erica held up a manila folder marked "S. Loussier." to her chest. "This is the results of the exam. I think it will speak for itself."
Sebastian took the folder, flipping it open. He scanned through the papers before falling on the last one. He blinked once, twice, before wordlessly handing it to Anthony. The Arctic White Wolf inspected it, before looking up, the light catching the lenses of his glasses. "I've known you for a while now, Miss Simmons. And I'm pretty sure you're not the type to make jokes about this kind of thing. But I'll ask, is this a joke?" He asked. "Because I'm looking at it with my own eyes and I'm not sure if I believe this!"
Erica just nodded. "It was conclusive, Admiral. Besides, this is not my idea of humor. It's real." She looked to Sebastian. "You may want to break the news to them yourself, General. I think it would mean more coming from you."
"Oh, they're going to love this!" Sebastian took the folder from his brother, and marched down the hallway to the waiting room where Kira, and Flay were sitting, waiting anxiously. Flay came up, giving Sebastian a huge hug.
"I was so worried!" She fought to hold back the tears. "I don't understand why you saved her, Sebby."
"We had our reasons, Flay." Sebastian said. "But that's not important right now. There's something we found out about our uninvited guest."
"What are you talking about, Sebastian?" Kira asked.
Sebastian just groaned, slapping a hand against his cheek. "Okay, there really isn't any easy way to break this to you guys. So I'll just come out and say it…congratulations. It's a girl!" He thrust the folder containing Stellar's test results into Kira's hand. "Just read it. It will explain it better than I ever could." The Storm Wolf walked a short distance away, muttering incoherently. Kira opened the folder, a little nervous about he was going to find.
Kira looked at the report, an expression of utter confusion twisting across his face. He blinked twice, before passing it to Flay. She read it, her grayish-blue eyes widening in shock. The redhead looked to her fiancé, then to her cousin, back to the paper, and finally just fainted into Kira's arms. After gently placing her limp body into a chair. Kira picked up the file from the ground. He had to read it one more time to make sure this wasn't some crazy joke being played on the two of them as he began reading out the statistics. "Stellar Loussier, age 16. Parentage, Kira Yamato and Flay Allster? Sebastian, is this for real?"
"Apparently so. Erica ran every test she could think of, and the results all came back conclusive. The girl who tried to kill me…is apparently your daughter!" Sebastian said, taking a seat on the sofa. "It also seems that Loretta knew Stellar back from her time with the Earth Forces. It's the reason why we spared her." He smirked a little. "I recall that your mother asked a few months ago when you and Flay were going to get around to having a family. It looks like you're going to get a head start on it!"
The White Knight held up his hands. "Whoa, hold on, Sebastian! I mean, Yeah, Flay and I having talked about having kids, but neither of us is ready for something like this!" It was then a delicate hand came to rest on his wrist. Flay had finally regained consciousness.
"I want to see her." the redhead spoke in a low, even tone, taking hold of her beloved's hand. "If this child is indeed of our blood, Kira. We have a responsibility to her." Kira could never deny that beautiful, disarming smile. He pulled Flay to her feet, and with Sebastian leading them, they went down the hall to where Erica was standing, they saw Stellar through the window. The doctors had exited, leaving her all alone. Stellar looked almost peaceful and serene. Flay put a hand on the window. "Is she under any kind of sedation?" She asked.
"No, she's just asleep." Erica said. "But I'll warn you to be very careful, Flay. We don't know how she'll react." The redhead just smiled.
"It will be fine…she won't hurt her parents. Come on, Kira." Erica keyed open the door, and the two of them went inside. No one said a word, Flay just pulled a chair up next to Stellar's bed, while Kira stood on the other side. Sebastian wisely stood outside with Erica, hand on his sidearm, and ready to act if needed. About fifteen minutes went by and nothing happened. Until a soft moaning came from the bed as the blonde began stirring. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, a brilliant purple, much like Kira's, and then it became apparent to the two of them how this could be their child.
"Hello there, Stellar." Kira said in a gentle voice. "It's okay, dear. No one's going to harm you."
"Papa?" she managed weakly, and then looked to her right to see Flay and she smiled. "Mama…" the redhead smiled, and gently stroked the younger girl's cheek. "My Mama and Papa."
"That's right Stellar. You're safe now." Flay whispered, her heart felt incredibly light. She wondered if this was because she knew what it meant to be a mother. She leaned down to hug her daughter. Kira did the same. Outside, Sebastian smiled. It seemed that this situation had a peaceful and even happy ending. Not to mention he had a plan in mind for his former attacker.
(Morgenroete, Onogoro Island, December 12th, C.E. 74)
Sebastian was meeting with Talia and Arthur in the office that had been set aside for the Minerva's captain since their arrival in Orb. "According to the contractors, the damage to the house should be fully repaired by the time we get back." He said. "I guess we should have expected some kind response from the Earth Alliance for the invasion."
"I'll say this, you certainly have the devil's luck, Sebastian." Talia remarked. She had nearly had a heart attack upon hearing of the failed assassination attempt. "On the plus side, we now have the Gaia back. I also heard from the Chairman that the Savior has been deployed and will be joining us at Carpentaria. As such, we have three of our own Gundams now, which makes me quite happy. We just need to find a pilot for the Gaia and we should be ready to go."
"Actually, it already has a pilot." Sebastian tapped a button on the phone. "Send her in." To Talia and Arthur's surprise, Stellar entered, now wearing the all too familiar red uniform of a ZAFT elite, with a white skirt and matching ankle high boots. "I know what you're going to say, Talia. But just think about it. It would take time to get a pilot down here from the PLANTs and they would still have to train up and get acquainted with how the Gundam operates. Ensign Loussier has piloted the Gaia since taking it back in October. She knows how it works better than anybody."
"You're absolutely certain about this, General? I mean, this is the person who tried to kill you a few days ago. Is it wise to put her on the battlefield?" Talia asked, turning a skeptical eye to Stellar, who just stood at attention like a good soldier.
"It turns out that she and Loretta were training partners from their time in Blue Cosmos. She's been helping her adjust, and she also forged a bond with Kira and Flay. We think she'll be okay as long as they're around." Sebastian recalled how once Stellar had become comfortable with her parents, he had made his presence felt. Stellar had been scared at first, but calming words from Flay and how he was family had been enough to make her settle down. The Storm Wolf had delivered a simple ultimatum to her, she could remain in Orb under a pseudo house arrest, or she could turn against her former masters in the Earth Alliance. Amazingly, Stellar had agreed to the latter, wanting to be close to her parents. He knew this would be difficult to sell to Talia, given all that had happened, but it made so much sense.
Sebastian just kept a level gaze on the Minerva's captain. "The final call is yours, Talia. She's already proven herself in combat, and I think she deserves the chance."
"Captain?" Trine was aghast.
Talia just sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Something I've learned from long experience, Arthur. If it involves the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due and his people. The best thing you can do is just take it in stride and go along with it, saves a lot of strain on your mind and your sanity." Talia held her hand out to Stellar. "Welcome to ZAFT, Ensign Loussier."
"Thank you, Captain Gladys." the blonde gave her best salute. "I'll do all I can to help out." Stellar said.
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm certain people will think I really HAVE lost my mind with this maneuver. However, this is an idea I've had for this story since 2007. It was inspired from a story called "Ghosts", written by an old friend, nick2951. In that story, Kira and Flay had children, and Stellar was one of them. I don't know why, but the idea just stuck with me, and I decided to do my own take on it. Stellar isn't exactly at the top of my list, but I also don't loathe her like some others, so this is my way of keeping her alive. Please don't read too much into it, just enjoy the story.