On the monitor screen Andrew Waltfeld nodded in agreement. “As it stands the Eternal is going to need another major overhaul from all the damage we received and the Freedom took a decent beating as well. If Athrun didn’t bust out of Armory01 with the Justice and the METEOR we were as good as sunk. Hell I even got a transmission from Eileen Canaver once the radio-jamming ceased; saying she got a call from Kisaka from Earth informing her that an Obsidian Abyss attack team tried to attack the Kusanagi while it was docked at Orb.”
“So they were attacked as well.” Murrue mused softly. “We all got lucky, as it is if Serpent Tail didn’t arrive the Archangel would be littering Matius Five space as debris.” Murrue said, turning her head towards Gai and Elijah who had come aboard the Archangel.
Gai simply held up a hand in a wave gesture. “Think nothing of the help; we’re just glad we arrived before it was too late.”
”Not that we’re ungrateful but it is kinda odd that even the respected Serpent Tail would stick their noses into someone’s business without payment or personal gain.” Andy commented.
“An understandable question considering by all means of context you’re on the money so to speak Commander Waltfeld.” Elijah said. “Normally Serpent Tail doesn’t involve themselves in someone’s affairs or battles unless its part of a job contract, there’s personal reason or gain involved, or we get dragged into the battle unwittingly. However in this case we acted because as it is your enemies are the enemies of us all.”
”While we don’t have much detail on Obsidian Abyss, from what we’ve learned from our own Intel sources; is that they’re the same genocidal ilk as Blue Cosmos.” Gai said with a hint of disgust in his tone. “Frankly living in a world designed by those two factions based on the extermination and mass-murder of Naturals or Coordinators sickens me to the core.”
“We’re mercenaries and war means more profit; however that doesn’t mean we want war to happen again, especially considering how high the stakes went in the last one.” Elijah spoke.
“It’s no longer a big secret that Blue Cosmos pulls the strings of many high ranking Earth Forces officers. Also info has leaked that it was the actions of Muruta Azrael that caused the Boody Valentine, and that he instigated use of nuclear weapons by the Earth Forces when they got their hands on the N-Jammer Canceller technology. In short Blue Cosmos started the last war in order to “legally” be able to exterminate Coordinators, and now Obsidian Abyss wishes to restart the war in their favor so they can wipe out all Naturals and establish their own order. That’s something I can’t stomach, and to that end Serpent Tail wishes to join your own alliance to help fight Obsidian Abyss.”
Both Captains blinked at Gai as if they didn’t hear him right. “You wish to join us?”
Gai nodded. “That’s right; we already took a vote and decided that joining forces is the best course of action. Not just because our combined forces will tip the scales a little more in our favor, but also because we personally want to ensure the fragile peace doesn’t shatter and the bloodbaths begin all over again.”
Andy smiled, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Well with that kinda conviction I’d feel rotten to deny you guys The Eternal welcomes Serpent Tail into our merry little band. What about you Ms. Ramius?”
Murrue took a moment to scan the faces of her bridge crew. Their own smirks or blunt thumbs up gestures were dead giveaways on how they felt about this. She stood up and walked over to Gai, offering her hand. “On behalf of the Archangel, we gladly accept your offer.”
***************
“Dammit, dammit, damn it!! Not again!” Kou slammed his fist down as the screen before him read “Simulator Scenario Failed”. Instead of the hospital, the pilot of Gold Frame was sitting in one of Morgenroete’s mobile suit simulators inside the mobile suit hanger. A long set of wires were connected from the simulator all the way up into Gold Frame’s cockpit where they were connected to the combat data recorder.
Kou placed a hand over his face as he hunched over in the simulator. “Fucking hell…every scenario, every alternate attempt results in the same thing! Either that bus still gets blown to bits by that bazooka round, or if I try to use Gold Frame as a shield, it blows up and then the explosion from it kills those kids regardless! Shit!!” He slams his hand again against the console. “I can’t even get that Seed to appear in my head again so I can test my reactions in that berserker state I was in…I just…can’t save them.” He mutters, choking softly on impending sobs.
“So this is where you disappeared too.” Kou didn’t even look over as Cagalli walked up to the simulator. She looked at the screen and the listing of data being used to run the program. It was obvious what the young man had been doing, “Running simulations starting right when Gold Frame was knocked down to see if you could have reacted sooner to save those kids. Kou you shouldn’t beat yourself up over that. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Why are you here Cagalli?” Kou asks, still not looking at her.
“I came to see you in the hospital but you were gone. So I decided to check out the hanger on a hunch, and looks like I was right.” She says softly; placing a hand on his shoulder. “Kou please…you didn’t kill those kids, and you got the bastard who did. You don’t need to feel personally guilty for something you didn’t do.”
”I was right there Cagalli, if I could have reacted sooner and did something I could have saved them.” Kou states coldly, but with his voice cracking the coldness was rather poorly executed. “All I could do was avenge…not save…that’s all I could do…all I can do.” He murmurs the last part slowly, painfully as his eyes water beyond his control.
Cagalli was surprised when Kou suddenly turned to her and hugged her tightly; her shirt becoming wet with his tears as he sobbed into her shirt. Instinctively her arms went around him to hold him to her. “Kou…” What could she say to him? That he has to accept he can’t save everyone? No she couldn’t say that to him, because it would make her a hypocrite. She understood how he felt because she wanted to be able to protect everyone, keep them safe and alive especially those she loves.
For a long time the two of them were like that. Kou cried and Cagalli held him, softly stroking his messy hair until finally Kou’s sobbing slowly calmed down until it ceased entirely. Sniffing Kou pulled away and wiped his eyes, “S-sorry about breaking down like a baby in front of you like that.”
Cagalli gave him a little smile and ruffled his hair. “Hey don’t you dare apologize for being sad when that’s what you feel. Crying isn’t a crime, it shows you’re human.”
A small chuckle left Kou’s lips. “I guess so-“he stops in mid-sentence as a loud yawn overtakes him.
“Sounds like your tired.”
”Yeah a little,” He admits sheepishly.
Cagalli takes his hand, “C’mon then.” She leads him out of the hanger and toward the hotel where they are staying for the duration of their stay in Orb. Kou simply followed, being half out of it he didn’t notice while in the elevator they skipped the floor his room was on until they got out.
Kou blinked as he looked around. “This doesn’t look like the get-off point for the third floor.”
”That’s because it’s the fourth floor.” Cagalli said as she led him to a room and swiped a card key through the reader. She then opens the door and pulls him in. “C’mon you’re staying with me tonight.”
Kou’s face turned red, “St-stay with you?!”
Cagalli face-palmed as she recognized the undertone in his voice. “Not like that moron. I just thought you’d like some company to help you sleep.”
“O-oh right, sorry.” He blushed for misunderstanding. “Why the hell did I misinterpret her intentions like that? She’s got Athrun for chrissakes, and she doesn’t strike me as the unfaithful type.” He thought.
Cagalli waved her hand dismissively. “You’re forgive, I guess considering how I dragged you up here with little saying would make someone suspicious.” She rationalized as she went to turn down the bed. She looks over at him. “Um what do you usually wear to bed? I just realized I dragged you here without getting you any night clothes.”
”I can sleep in my t-shirt and boxers if you don’t care.”
She nods. “That’s fine, I’m going to go change so go ahead and climb in.” She walks into the bathroom and shuts the door.
With fatigue and sleep weighing him down, Kou did just that. He kicked off his shoes and jeans and climbed into the bed, pulling the sheets and blanket over himself. A little while later the door to the bathroom opened and the sounds of footsteps were heard. Although nearly asleep, Kou felt the sheets move as he felt Cagalli crawl in. He didn’t pay this any mind till her arms went around his waist and he felt himself being held against her. He let out a small shiver feeling her breasts press into his back as well as the pleasant sensation of her body warmth mingling with his own to put him in an even more relaxed state.
Cagalli listened to Kou’s breathing until it soften to the point she knew he was asleep. Resting her head against the pillows, she gently ran her finger over the young man’s face. “I hope your dreams are sweet and take your mind off your pain.” She murmurs softly to the darkness before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to engulf her as well.
***********
Walking through the door to the base lounge, Tammy Bruin looked up to see Larry and Anna had already started to unwind with some drinks. “I hope you two saved me some.”
A non-verbal answer of Larry sliding a freshly made glass of scotch across the coffee table to where she sat told her they had. Sitting down, she picked up the glass and downed the alcoholic beverage in one gulp. “I needed that, thanks.”
”So how’d command take the mission failure?” Anna asked, her voice slurred but still coherent that she wasn’t talking stupidly.
“Not happy, especially since the other two teams failed to take out the Eternal and Archangel and to top it off we lost the Starscream and the four DoMZ units assigned to the Predator.”
Both Larry and Anna winced, and then in unison all three OA officers poured themselves a fresh glass and downed the contents in one go.
“So we’re pretty goat-fucked right now.” Larry remarked sourly.
“No punishment or demotions have been issued but the top Five have demanded we step up on performance. We’re to make another attack in three days; more suits are being sent to us via submarine from the Gibraltar base and will arrive tomorrow.”
“We better make double damn sure we’re better equipped next time.” Anna murmured as she started to make herself a martini.
“And make sure we don’t have any trigger-happy Bartons that wanna just shoot civilians for the fun of it.” Larry shivered. “Least we invoke the wraith of that damn Gold Frame again.”
”Agreed…” Tammy sipped her drink, shivering in fear as her mind replayed the ungodly scenes of Gold Frame massacring her team. “Agreed.”
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(Posted Sun, 15 May 2005 21:50)
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