The Archangel itself was damaged heavily; if the battle was still going on she doubted they would have lasted long. With the Buster damaged badly, and the St-Strike destroyed...(damn she told herself she wouldn’t cry right now) and the ship in its condition with only the Duel Gundam to give aide…they were easy targets.
The Kusanagi only had three M1 Astray mobile suits left to protect it, while not as structurally damaged as the Archangel; they too took a heavy beating. The Eternal was n sorry shape too but was still better off than the Archangel, its two main mobile suits MIA at the moment.
Murrue softly turned her head to regard the CIC officer Miriallia Howe, “Any word from Kira, Cagalli or Athrun?” She asked softly, feeling very drained and weary.
“Nothing yet…the debris field is making communications at long range very difficult.” The teen sighed, bringing up a hand to rub the bridge of nose.”
Floating beside the communications chair, pilot of the Buster Gundam, Dearka Ellesman looked over her shoulder. “You think…they made it?”
Miriallia looked to regard Dearka, seeing the apprehension in his usually laid-back eyes. He too was worried sick about those three, but so were they all. They’d all had enough death, and didn’t want to lose anyone else. “I hope they did.”
Suddenly a vid-screen of Yzak Joule, pilot of the Duel came online. “Hey I got a visual of what looks like that pinkish Strike look-alike, and it looks like its towing something behind it.”
Heads shot up on the bridge; looks of relief spreading all about the crew with the confirmation someone was alive. Besides Yzak’s vid-screen the image of a tired looking Cagalli popped up. “Hey everyone, miss us?” The Princess of Orb asked with a barely fainy smile.
“Us?” More than one person on the bridge asked.
”Oh right, I got Kira and Athrun with me. Athrun had the Justice self-destruct inside Genesis to blow it up from the inside; instead of letting the idiot blow himself up as well I made him bail out to my suit.” She chuckled softly as a familiar green mechanical bird flew onto her shoulder. “As for Kira a little birdy led us to him and what was left of the Freedom, so I got him and at his insistence I’m also towing the Freedom to the Eternal.”
Sai, the spectacled blonde teen handling the radar station blinked. “Why did Kira want the Freedom to be towed?”
”Besides risking letting someone finding it and uncovering its N-Jammer technology…he simply said “just incase”.” Cagalli replied, apparently as baffled as Sai is on that matter
“Where are Kira and Athrun I don’t see them with you.” Dearka asked.
“Both are hanging onto the cockpit hatch opening, its pretty cramped in here.” Was the simple reply, “We’re going to dock with the Eternal since it looks like you guys have enough on your hands without having to take on two more mobile suits, plus I’m sure the Pink Princess would like to see Kira.”
Murrue nodded, while she didn’t care if they did decide to dock with the Archangel, with all the repairs going on it would probably be best if they docked with the Eternal. The Archangel had the Duel and once the Buster was fixed they’d have two MS to protect them. The Kusanagi had three M1’s, while the Eternal had nada. “Alright, also Cagalli we received a transmission from one of the PLANTS from a supporter of Lacus’s Father who said we can dock and get repairs and medical aide. All three ships have agreed to it, so once you dock we’re heading out.”
”Alright, thanks for the update, Cagalli out.” With that, her vid-screen shut off.
”I’ll dock as well.” Yzak said before turning off his screen. Outside the bridge’s view window the crew could see the Duel fly towards the open MS hanger.
“Set course for the PLANT, keep communications open for any new updates or details.” Murrue ordered as she reclined as much as she could in her command chair.
“Yes ma’am, setting course now.”
Meanwhile the Strike Rouge carefully maneuvered itself into the Eternals’ MS bay, while bringing in the remains of the Freedom. After putting the damaged MS into a holding dock, the Strike Rouge jettisoned its Aile unit and backed up into a holding dock as well. Once secured, Cagalli, Athrun and Kira floated away from the mobile suits toward the crew’s locker room. A moment later they emerge out of the other side of the locker room, out of their flight suits and into their normal space clothing.
The three of them stared at each other briefly, a long gaze of sadness echoed in each of their faces. A large silent embrace followed as they all grabbed each other in a group hug, trembling in loss of those who died, and some of joy for still being alive.
“Kira, Athrun, Cagalli!” A feminine voice shouts, causing all three to turn their heads as Lacus Clyne floats toward them softly crashing into the group and hugging them all as best she could.
”I am…so happy you all made it back alive.” She softly wept, tears floating from her eyes into the zero-gravity air, the great joy at their being alive evident in her eyes and facial expressions.
Kira smiled and gently took out a necklace with the ring Lacus had given him. “You asked me to come back so I had to try didn’t I?”
Lacus’s smile widened and she went to hug solely him, his arms wrapping around her waist softly as he returned the embrace.
Athrun chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You two play hug and catch up…I’m gonna go take a nap.” He started to float away and then turned to Cagalli. “You commin’ or you gonna stay and watch them?”
Cagalli blinked and looked from Athrun’s vanishing figure, then to Kira and Lacus, and then back to where Athrun was. “Wait for me dammit!’ She floated down the hall after him. Once she caught up she grabbed his arm. “How’re you?”
”Tired…”
”No dummy…how are you?” She asked seriously.
He took a second to register what she meant exactly, he sighed and looked down. “I…I didn’t agree with what my Father was doing but I didn’t want him to die…and I…I can’t believe his last words to me were to fire that God damned weapon.” His eyes clench tight as tears threatened to burst forth.
Cagalli quickly pulled Athrun into her arms; she then felt his own wrap around her desperately as he cried softly into her chest. She didn’t speak, she had no words to offer that wouldn’t be hollow. She simply stroked the back of his head as he cried; letting him vent, allowing him use her as his crutch for the moment. She knew what it was like to lose a Father…although not in the same fashion but she knew the loss of a parent well.
What made it worse for Athrun was that his Father turned into a genocidal monster that only saw the death of all Naturals as his purpose in life. Even his own Son was simply a tool for Patrick Zala to use. Cagalli’s Father Lord Izumi died to give her and everyone else a chance to flee and to keep Orb’s secrets from falling into the wrong hands. He died a hero; while Patrick Zala died an end befitting a tyrannical dictator from a war novel.
”How could anyone become so obsessed with destroying everyone not like him, that his own son was expendable?” She thought in anger, mentally praying Patrick Zala got the pitchfork in the ass treatment when he got to Hell.
The war was over but there was a long way to go to ensure piece…and a lot of pieces of broken lives to pick up and try to put back together.
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(Posted Fri, 22 Apr 2005 18:44)
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