Any culture with a camera lens aimed at it loses parts of itself. Dramatization. Outrageous storylines. Over beautification that it becomes sexualized. Blurring the boring parts. Movie makers want to sell stories. They don't really care for the truth. It becomes its own persuasive story with some referencing of the truth, like most books being adapted onto the screen. The same way winners in history mark down their version of the story. Yzak thought he would see the overdramatization version of this culture.
He thought there would be a large bonfire. Animal sacrifices. People chanting war songs. He felt guilty seeing how simpler it was. He felt like he appropriated a culture he only knew slightly about. He watched in earnest how it changed slightly now that the three joined in. Yzak watched everyone but would keep glancing back to Selena. He noticed all three of them were in SEED mode.
Luka saw where Yzak was looking but could see that he wasn't surprised. "How much do you know?" Yzak flinched. "I know Ezalia didn't speak of anything about Her Highness. Was it Prince Sven?"
"Mikael," Yzak answered. "Then Sven."
Luka let out a sigh. "Of course. I should have known better." Luka looked over to him. "Then you must have seen the wedding video."
"I saw the battle the Minerva was in," Yzak explained. "Trying to get to here. I watched them release people from the torpedoes. I saw the state she was in. The wedding she endured."
"You don't seem as angered as I thought you would be," Luka glanced over to him. The ceremony was still continuing on.
"I was told not to unravel anything, to go with the flow," Yzak kept watching the ceremony. "I do have my own thoughts but haven't taken the time to delve into them."
"Maybe it's time you did," Luka looked up to see his own reflection. "You prepared for war because you had a reason to fight. What is going to be the reason to fight now?" Yzak turned his head towards Luka but couldn't pry his sight off of Selena. He glanced at him before glancing back. "Mendel Colony. Did you ever figure it out?" Yzak lost focus, he started to think back to the past. Luka kept silent, waiting for Yzak to figure it out. It had been so long since he thought about that. Yzak started to trace back through his steps. Luka kept an eye on Yzak while watching the ceremony. "You took up arms to help get the Natural's boot off us Coordinator's neck. You keep up arms to make sure that boot never comes off the ground. You could be fighting to keep a new shoe from doing the same, or." Luka glanced over to him.
Yzak's head was bent, as he was trying to focus on his thoughts. He invested a lot time into that investigation. He retraced his thoughts on how the small vessel entered the colony, how it crashed. The various tranquilizers and dead body from the long range rifle. His memory reminded him of how haggard Selena looked. Meeting Mikael all bandaged up. As if it was missing pieces to a puzzle, it finally clicked. Yzak jerked up to search where Selena was at in the ceremony. He felt his heart squeeze.
Luka didn't want to lie to Yzak but he also didn't want him to come into this fight not knowing anything. "And now you know. Her Highness and Royal Guard Dahl crashed in Mendel Colony. Her Highness was put up the best fight she could against the tranquilizers before being taken."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Yzak interjected. "You could have countered what that clone was saying and showing everyone."
"Would that I could," Luka grimaced. "However, Her Highness has her own agenda. We were not allowed. Thankfully, the Kingdom didn't believe her marriage with that man. We shall continue to follow her." Luka could see the three royals grabbing baskets. The soldiers started to gather in lines in front of them. "Now we are near the end." Yzak looked back to see what was happening. Luka explained what was happening. "In order for them to get into that ritual state, they are given a vial that injects into their bodies from their suits. I hope that we don't get to that point in the battle, but it is better to have it." Luka turned to head out. "Come. We have to make our way to the vessel, and get you aboard before she knows." Yzak took in one long look before leaving to follow right behind him.
The two walked down more hallways to get back on the subway cars. It brought them to the secret hanger that the three ships used. Before Yzak headed through the last hallway, Ezalia came through another door. She walked over to them.
"Oh good, I wasn't late," Ezalia gave a comforting smile. She wanted to smile more seeing the two of them together.
"Mother," Yzak was surprised to see her. He was happy to see her again.
"I'm here to send you off," Ezalia couldn't help but fix some of his uniform. "I was reluctant about this but that's to be expected. I was a little reluctant when you first joined but my confidence in you overshadowed that."
Yzak understood where she was coming from. He tried to comfort her. "I'll be okay."
"I know you will," she let go of his uniform. "Please come back safely."
"I will," Yzak comforted her. He had been training with the pilot simulation. He felt he could do more damage now.
"Director Joule," Luka spoke. "We must get going before they arrive."
"You're right," Ezalia agreed. "We can't interfere." She hugged Yzak, making him embarrassed on the spot but Yzak hugged her back. Luka nodded to her before heading to the hanger. She waited in the hallway.
The ship was huge. It had a sleek design. Most ships are either round or blocky. This looked more streamline. It was black in color with what looked like a giant white rope coiled around it, in an intricate design. The two walked on a bridge that led them onto the vessel.
"Welcome to the Ormr Drakkar," Luka continued to lead the way. Yzak kept up. The two walked through several hallways. They stopped in the middle of the hallway. He tapped on the wall, in a series of pattern, almost like a number code. A hidden door opened up. The two entered. "This is where you will be staying until further notice. We cannot interfere but soon you will have a guest. Prince Sven will stay out of Princess Selena's way." Luka turned to him. "This is where I part from you. I am not attending this battle. Just like Director Joule, I know you will be fine, but please come back safely."
"I will," Yzak nodded to him. Luka patted Yzak's shoulder. Yzak nodded back to him.
Luka left him alone. The door shut behind him. Yzak looked around. It looked like a pilot's room, except the chairs had straps in support for takeoff. Usually, one would have to reveal those type of chairs from the wall. Here it was designed into the preexisting chair. Yzak looked around the room to see what else was there.
It seemed like an hour later until Sven had arrived. He was still in the same attire. Sven sat down across from Yzak. He let out a sigh of relief. Yzak had sat down after he looked through from what he could. He didn't dare touch anything.
"So, how did you enjoy our preparation for battle?" Sven looked over to him. "With the look upon your face, you stereotyped us. That's understandable. Violence, sex, and fiction sells. Boring truth hardly ever does. You haven't met the people of this land. They look extremely intimidating, hardly talk, keep to themselves, but once you get to know them, some of the friendliest people you have ever met. There are some other differences between the three countries that make up the Kingdom but that's for another time." Sven didn't even look the desk area. He only pushed a few buttons. A screen moved up from the desk. It showed the coordinates of the vessel. "We shall be moving here soon." Another screen in front of Yzak moved up. Showing the bridge where Selena was sitting. They saw her speak a few commands. They felt the vessel lurching. Making them hold onto the desk.
Yzak asked about how they were getting to space. Sven informed them about using the Junk Guild's Giga-Float mobile mass driver. They were going to be cruising to it underwater. The vessel was escorted by the mobile squids designed and made by Selena and her factory to the territory line. Sven explained about he loved the story about the giant cephalopods and a submarine ahead of its time. These vessels were odes to that story, gifts from Selena to Sven for one of his birthdays. Sven didn't get to enjoy them until now. He watched with glee on his screen showing him the little dots beside their vessel.
It took a day to get to the mass driver. Usually, it was floating in the Pacific Ocean near the Marshall Islands where Reverend Malchio had his orphanage at but on certain occasions it could move to different parts of the ocean, just needed to give it time. It had made its way to the Atlantic Ocean side, near the equator. While waiting, Yzak got more comfortable by taking off his hat and cape. Sven would head out to come back with meals from time to time.
Lowe was waiting with the Junk Guild nearby for Selena to arrive. Yzak and Sven watched the interaction between the two on another screen that was larger than the other two screens. It appeared out of the wall.
Lowe let out a whistle. "Your Highness, surprise after surprise."
Unlike Sven who came out of SEED mode, Selena was still in it. She gave a slight smirk. "Only a surprise because people only expect so much from me."
Lowe let out a chuckle. "That's because you're misunderstood. People will see what they want to see. I see a genius who can create some of the best machines out there. I would like to take this time to thank you for your gift, even though it was part of the deal. It still seems like you have went above and beyond."
"My reputation is with what I make," Selena explained. "I can't have anything lacking."
"Of course not," Lowe held out his hand as if he was next to her. "Let me assist you onto the mass drive, my lady."
Selena let out a chuckle as her vessel moved onto the mass driver. "Always the gentleman, Lowe. I hope you never change."
When the vessel was ready to depart, Lowe spoke one more time. "Please be safe, Your Highness. Pleases come back."
"Don't I always?" Selena nodded to him.
Lowe wanted to believe it but something knotted in his stomach. "You do. Just be careful."
The communication between the two ended as the countdown began. Yzak and Sven put on the straps from the seats to lock them in place. The Ormr Drakkar was launched into space.
In space, the Morningstar was already floating, heading to its proposed destination. Fleets from both sides were joining forces with them, Natural and Coordinator extremists. Ra was watching Selena's vessel launch into space.
"Well, well," he grinned. "She's up and about. Early. I don't know if she believes she can destroy me before then, not allowing others take up the fight. Which is a bit of compliment but also a slap in the face. I do want her all to myself but thinking her alone could defeat me is laughable. I've already seen that she could not."
"Are we going to pursue her?" A soldier asked. Ra was on the bridge.
"Not yet," Ra explained. "Let's wait until she is in orbit, starting to head our way. I have a way to get her back onto our side."
On the Morningstar, Sai was angered that he did not get the CIC position. Other soldiers laughed in his face when he asked why his position was different. They couldn't believe that he really thought he was going to get that position because it was already filled. Sai also has connections with the Three Ships Alliance. It would be a dumb move to put someone with that much risk there. Instead, Sai got to be the soldier who followed Diana around, making sure all her needs were met. Diana dressed up as Selena was sitting in a room by herself until she was called for. Sai was assigned to keep watch outside of it.
Over at the PLANTs, Lacus, Kira, and Athrun arrived on the hidden Eternal. The three talked about how the battle may go, discussing plans, and tactics. Athrun and Kira split from Lacus to get their machines ready.
Kira had a lot on his mind still. Athrun let out a sigh. "Stop trying to carry the world on your shoulders and just speak what's on your mind." Kira flinched. "It's almost like you're walking on egg shells around Lacus."
"Well, you know that Lacus and Princess Selena were friends at one point," Kira began. "Just like us, but unlike us, we drifted apart. It seemed like they had a problem that never got resolved."
"And now you're worried that Lacus still wants to try to be friends with her," Athrun knew where this was headed. Athrun turned to him as they were moving down the hallway by floating. "Kira, that's the past. They have had all these years to reconcile, and they haven't."
"I know, but," Kira breathed out. He looked to his friend, with hope. "I have already thought it through. If the princess is really against us, then we have no choice, but I still want to get through to her."
"Kira, you don't even know her," Athrun frowned. "I doubt your words are going to get through to her, let alone change in the middle of battle." Athrun forgot at times how naïve Kira can get. "She probably knows you through that weird profiling her and her brother does. She probably already has it figured. She has us figured out. The main priority we need to do is keep this from becoming a genocidal war again."
Kira shook his head. "I still have to try though."
Athrun turned back to face forward. "Alright, you can try, but just remember what I said."
"If, if it doesn't work," Kira looked away. "I don't want for things to come to this, but." Athrun looked over to him. "If it's the only way to win this battle, then it must be done." Kira looked over to Athrun. "I haven't told Lacus about my decision, but I know she would understand."
Athrun understood him. War was not for the faint of heart. He still couldn't understand how Kira takes it all in. Athrun knew about war and seen felt first hand on oppression. Kira was still coping on seeing how war drastically changes someone. Athrun could see the inner struggle Kira had. Athrun thought at times how Kira was still living the privilege life due to growing up in a neutral nation. Kira did fight in both wars but Kira still never picked up any formal military training. He worked on mobile suits and armors but never took it upon himself for combat training.
Kira is still his best friend, but at times, Athrun could not support him in situations. Athrun tried to be more logical while Kira relied more on emotion. This situation brought up about how Athrun met Kira on the battlefield. Athrun tried to reason with logic but Kira could not switch sides as he worried about his friends. Athrun scolded himself internally. As he couldn't be too harsh on Kira. Athrun was following a path that was leading to genocide from the Coordinator's side, when he thought they were doing the right thing as well. Kira only fought to keep his friends alive. Even the Second War, Kira wasn't really into it until he had to keep his friends safe. Athrun sighed internally. Kira was still naïve and innocent, but he hoped he could stay that way. He didn't want his friend to beaten down by the brutality of battles and wars.
The two separated to get their machines tuned up, as the machines weren't readily used unless dire situations.