Due to the gravitation pull of the Earth, pieces of Junius Seven were stretched out like strings, reminiscent of a huge jellyfish floating in the deep sea. Aboard the Nazca-class ship Voltaire of the ZAFT army, there was a person who stared at the remains of the PLANT as they approached.
"Looking at it like this, it's really big!" A blond young man in a general soldier's uniform said. He was only about 20 years old. His tanned face that usually sported a smile currently had a serious expression, as if he were overwhelmed by expectations.
"Of course it is. We live on one of those things, you know!" Standing beside him was a young man in a commander's uniform. He was also about the same age, with straight, silver hair a sharp, handsome face that would give anyone a cold impression, but there was no doubt that that first impression would be betrayed. He also had a reprimanding kind of tone that made him appear brusque to one who could not otherwise figure out his intention.
"I'm just saying I realize how big the job is, since we need to smash that thing up!" The blond young man replied with deference to his superior. Dearka Elthman, that was his name.
"Don't underestimate it. We can't be careless and lose our sense of crisis." The name of the young commander who responded briskly was Yzak Jule.
Dearka looked at the other's face and frowned, disaffected. "... somehow, I don't want to hear that coming from you."
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
To avoid Yzak's sudden pursuit, he shrugged his shoulders to dodge him. "No, it's nothing, Lord Commander~" (reference)
"Don't you cry 'commander' at me only at times like this!"
The crew of the bridge that was watching their exchange with a smile began to get to work again. Dearka casually winked at one of the female officers who was still watching them, causing her to quickly turn around and slump down in her seat.
Although the two had vastly differing traits, both were fierce men who had gone through countless fierce battles during the war.
"Well, but..." Dearka said lowly while heading toward the elevator. "It's good to use them for something like this. Mobile suits, I mean."
Although mobile suits were developed as a weapon, their limbs that could move freely and precisely among the strong, solar wind cosmic radiation that was deadly for living humans, so they were perfect for this type of work.
Reading what lie at the bottom of his words, Yzak had a complex look in his ice blue eyes. And then switching tones, he called out some final, sharp instructions. "Listen! We don't have that much time. The Minerva is on its way. Work efficiently!"
"Roger!" Dearka responded with a wink and a lazy salute from between the closing doors.
< At Junius Seven, the Jule Team is engaging with unknown aircraft! >
The Jule Team - that was a name Athrun couldn't forget so easily.
"Yzak...?"
Yzak Jule and he graduated together from the academy, and were assigned to the same unit during the war. However, Yzak would have said that that makes them rivals.
< Please change the equipment for all machines for battle against mobile suits! >
Yzak is here? And engaging in battle? What's the 'unknown'?
Dearka aimed the long barrel, lining up the energy arrow. However, the enemy unit that the shot was supposed to catch just barely evaded it, and the beam was swallowed up by the remains of Junius Seven.
"Tch, what kind of guys are these!? With these GINNS..." Dearka groaned with great frustration. And my attacks don't even scratch them!? It wasn't just self-confidence. Although he was now treated as a general soldier, he was once an ace qualified to wear the red. And much like Yzak who was leading his own team, he had the experience of narrowly avoiding death many times. His intuition told him that these guys - they knew what they were doing.
(MORE MECH BATTLE JARGON)
< D Squadron, proceed with the demolition work! This is what they want! >
Yzak, who was rushing in with his Slash Zaku Phantom called out with a sharp voice. With a personal color, his blue Zaku Phantom was equipped for close combat, with gattling beam guns mounted on both shoulders.
In response to the instruction, the GuAIZ that had just picked up the Meteor Breakers headed back toward Junius Seven. The enemy GINN that had just avoided losing its life rushed straight toward Yzak. The Zaku Phantom's fire caught the aircraft in a single blow, and scattered it into space.
With the arrival of the commander, the team started to regain control. But during that brief period of relief, a warning alarm sounded within Dearka's cockpit. The heat source detector lit up with three spots, approaching at tremendous speed. Before Dearka's eyes could catch those images, a rain of beam fire poured down in the nearby space. Indiscriminately it took out one of the unknown affiliate GINNs along with the GuAIZ doing the demolition work, and the Meteor Breaker that had begun to activate.
--Another enemy!?
The heat source that showed up to the bewildered Dearka was identified as a friendly aircraft. Or rather, it used to be.
< What!? The Chaos, Gaia and Abyss!? > Yzak called out in a confused voice, just as Dearka asked the same thing to himself, still trying to grasp the situation.
"The units stolen from Armory One!?"
Why were they in such a place? Even though they had gotten away from the Minerva and fled, what was their intent for intervening with this battle?
They couldn't afford to bother questioning their intent as they were already firing. The mysterious GINN force already delayed their demolition work significantly. Dearka and Yzak both moved to protect the demolition team, directing their attack toward the three units.
During the ongoing battle, the GuAIZ team that descended to the surface of Junius Seven succeeded as they continue their work with the Meteor Breakers. The pilots cheered as one of them drilled vigorously into the ground. Eventually, a ringing could be heard from deep within the ground as the surface began to vibrate. A crack began to run horizontally and vertically across the surface.
Yzak Jule pulled out a beam axe from behind his mobile suit's waist, longer than the height of a mobile suit, and split one of the GINN's into two. He looked down at Junius Seven expectantly. The ringing quickly subsided, and the cracked surface remained silent.
"Damn it!"
The remains of the PLANT were too big to be crushed by just one or two Meteor Breakers. One of the unknown GINNs moved to attack one of the GUAIZs trying to start another one of the Meteor Breakers.
< Eeeeeegh! >
Dearka's ZAKU pointed its long beam cannon at the GINN. The intense beam cannon caught the aircraft, causing the GINN to lose one of its legs as it retreated. Yzak called out to the team while fighting to defend the surface.
"Hurry! Even if we break it up, it won't mean anything if we don't do it soon!"
Additionally, a Meteor Breaker was activated and driven into the ground. The ground shook from the shock in front of their eyes, as they continued exchanging blades and light bullets. They watched, holding their breath, as a huge crack ran across the frozen ground. The crack grew, and the void it left deepened until they could see the starry sky through it.
< Great! We did it! > Dearka shouted, as the communication line filled with cheers. Yzak's face was also relieved.
Junius Sevens pieces now split into two started to drift from each other from the impact of the explosion. Yzak moves his aircraft back to avoid some rock mass scattered from the blast. The three stolen second-stage series mobile suits also stopped attacking, surprised at the situation.
While everyone felt a sense of accomplishment as if they had finished the job, a calm voice entered the communication line.
< There's still too much... >
For a moment, Yzak listened to the familiar voice. A ZAKU Warrior crossed his field of vision and descended toward the split Junius Seven.
< We have to break it down more... >
The voice's judgment was correct; though it was split into two, the diameter of Junius Seven was 10 kilometers. It still posed a sufficient threat to the Earth. But Yzak was distracted from that.
That voice--
< Athrun!? >
Dearka spoke his name with the same surprise that Yzak had just as he, himself responded.
"You bastard... what are you doing in a place like this!?"
Athrun Zala - that voice was definitely that of he who was once a comrade. The fact that he overshadowed Yzak at the academy came to his mind even now, but he head heard that he secretly went to stay in Orb. So why was Athrun on board a ZAFT machine?
< That isn't important right now! We have to hurry! > Athrun replied in his same calm voice he had two years ago. Dearka replied with an < Y-yeah! > while Yzak yelled in anger.
"I know that!"
This guy who appears after two years! Showing up without any explanation sand speaking with such a humble voice, making a good point, not changing at all. Remaining calm, Yzak lined up with Dearka's machine which was carrying a single Meteor Breaker. Athrun's mobile suit moved to the other side. After a moment, a wry voice came through the communication line.
"... You haven't changed, Yzak."
Athrun spoke, taking his line. Yzak yelled back.
"Neither have you!"
< ... Good grief. > Dearka murmured with a smiling voice as he followed along.
Two of the modified GINNs headed toward them, as Yzak and Athrun left the Meteor Breaker to Dearka to go and intercept them. Flying past each other, Athrun shot one of their rifles while Yzak immediately cut off one of their arms. One of the enemy's companions tried to snipe in order to help them. Yzak shot back at it with the gattling guns mounted on his machine's shoulders, and as the GINN tried to escape the barrage, Dearka, who was lying in wait, fired his beam cannon which pierced the aircraft, making it explode.
The cooperation between the three was so natural that there was no need to exchange a single word. It was just like it was two years ago - such an illusion hit Yzak for a moment. He noticed that a smile crept up on his face without him realizing it, and quickly tightened his expression.
Athrun Zala also makes him lose his temper. But he's also one of the few men that he could trust to have his back.
"Damn it..."
The rock masses scattering from the breaking up of Junius Seven caused Shinn to lose sight of the Abyss, which he had been in combat with. The Abyss approached one of the ZAKUs carrying a Meteor Breaker, and the thick heat ray fired from its chest melted the surrounding ground. As Shinn gave chase to the enemy aicraft, two ZAKUs suddenly passed him from both his left and right to defend the Meteor Breaker.
< Yzak! >
< Shut up! >
Athrun Zala's voice called over the communication line and Yzak yelled back without missing a beat. Athrun's ZAKU skillfully snuck through the Abyss' line of sight and and sprayed it with continuous rifle fire. In the moment the Abyss shifted its attention to that, Yzak Jule's ZAKU Phantom slipped behind it.
< I'm the Commander now! Don't give me orders, you damned civilian! >
As he spoke, Yzak's machine flashed its beam axe and brought it down on the Abyss' beam lance, slashing it into two. Athrun's craft flew in and without missing, both aircrafts' light blades shimmered as they as they passed each other, and Abyss' left foot flew up into the air. Shinn simply watched, breathtaken.
(MECH PEW PEW FIGHTING STUFF)
"So this is the power of the pilots who survived Jachin Due..." Unconsciously, the voicing of praise spilled from [Shinn's] mouth. Speaking of Commander Yzak Jule, his name was renowned even to Shinn as having achieved great success at the battle of Jachin Due. It was also surprising to learn that Yzak Jule and Athrun Zala were old friends, and were matched in skill. Shinn realized then why Athrun was known as a legendary ace. He was embarrassed that he had looked down upon such a person.
Shortly before the declaration of war, battleships and mobile suits teams launched one after another from the ZAFT military station built in front of PLANT. Compared to the ring-shaped headquarters, even the 170m
Laurasia-class looked like metal, toy ships. However, what slowly emerged from behind it was a structure too large to appear to be a ship.
The large aircraft carrier Gondwana, 1200m in length was like a moving fortress. The behemoth had large red catapults for ten mobile suits, and could even accommodate ships inside of it. Within that enormous battle craft carrier was the Jule Team, as well as Yzak Jule. This was a sortie in response to the Earth Alliance forces that were heading toward PLANT from their lunar base. The council had appealed to various diplomatic means to calm the situation, but as the enemy's troops steadily approached PLANT, they had no choice but to move themselves. At the time of their departure, there was a chance for a war to break out again, but it was also possible that they could be in a stand-off for days.
However, the reality was that an alarm rang from within the Gondwana much earlier than expected.
Yzak rushed out of the commander's office and headed straight for the mobile suit deck. Dearka, who met him on the way spoke with a bitter face.
"Hey, is this some kind of joke?"
Yzak looked at his old friend with sharp eyes, and headed toward the pilot locker without answering. He was also wishing that this sortie was in vain. Only two years had passed since the last war. Back then, both sides made so many sacrifices, so the thought that war was about to begin again - how great it would be if it was some kind of joke!
But simply hoping doesn't take back a declaration of war. The enemy in front of them will not disappear. So to that end, their role as military personnel was to protect their homeland from the enemy. Yzak changed into a pure white pilot suit, and alongside Dearka jumped into his machine.
So it's going to be like this after all... as I thought!
Keeping a straight face as he suppressed his bitter feelings, Yzak called to control.
"This is Sierra Antares One. Jule Team, Yzak Jule, launching!"
Yzak's Slash ZAKU Phantom was launched from the catapult.
(MECH AND SHOOTY STUFF HERE)
< Heine Westenfluss' craft has crossed the threshold! >
Dearka shot two Daggers in quick succession, watched the achievements of his fellow friendly aircrafts and let out a cheerful cry. < Damn! There's no end to them! > Dearka cursed as he sniped at a battleship with a long beam cannon.
(MORE BATTLE SHIT I AIN'T DOING)
"Eeh, shit! Don't let them break the line of defense!" Yzak yelled at his troops, growing impatient. "We'll show them who this universe belongs to!"
"A nuclear attack team!? From polar orbit!?"
In a message to the entire army was to intercept the nuclear attack troops from polar orbit - Yzak couldn't believe his eyes. It was a report that a separate team armed with nuclear weapons was approaching PLANT from a completely blind spot. Without thinking, Yzak looked around at the fleet of mobile suits that filled the surroundings.
< Then these guys ... they're just decoys!? > Dearka called, paling as he shot down a Dagger.
"Shiiiiit!" Yzak yelled, as he fully opened his verniers. He didn't care about the heavy intensity of the g-force on his body, he raised his speed even further.
Below Dearka, other ZAFT machines were trying to leave the front lines to head in the same direction. He quickly flipped over and shot down a Windam that was giving chase.
< Yzak! Go! > Dearka's voice followed. < Don't let them shoot down PLANT! >
"I'm already on it!" Yzak shouted back, desperately rushing through space toward the enemy.
"Thats...!?"
When Yzak finally saw the shadows of the aircrafts approaching PLANT, the missiles launched from the Windams that were at the front.
"Shit! I'm not going to make it in time!" Yzak cried, but still desperately aimed for the missiles. But he was too far away. The missiles rushed through the rays of light that were shot off in quick succession. Beyond that were the huge group of hourglasses that continued to turn. Within them were hundreds of thousands of his fellow people. There was no outer wall to protect them from the absolute zero-degree vacuum, nor a nuclear explosion. Just like the tragedy that hit Junius Seven.
Yzak, predicting what he was about to see next, let out a heartbreaking cry.
There was no way to stop them in time. Those who once before appeared like comets and saved them weren't there!
At that moment, a white light flashed from the bow of an approaching Nasca-class ship. At the same time as that light irradiation, the nuclear missiles exploded in a flash before it reached the outer walls of PLANT. No, it wasn't just the missiles that were destroyed. The mobile suits carrying the missile launchers, were all wrapped up in that light, as well as the Earth battleship behind them. The quickly expanding light engulfed them all.
Yzak, wide-eyed and stunned, could barely comprehend what he just saw.
"What...? What the hell..."
When that white flash of light finally disappeared, nothing remained in the space where the enemy army just was.
When [Athrun] opened the door of his room, there stood the familiar face of Yzak Jule.
"Yzak!?" Athrun involuntarily raised a surprised voice. This was a hotel room he was currently being accommodated in. When he responded to the door chime and opened the door, Yzak stood outside of it, with Dearka next to him with a lopsided smile.
"You bastard...!" Without any sort of greeting, the moment Yzak saw his face he suddenly grabbed at his collar as he stepped in. "What the hell is this!?"
"W-wait a minute! Hey!" That was also what Athrun wanted to know.
Dearka approached from behind Yzak with a look of 'why is this guy always like this?' as he held his head.
When Yzak finally let go, Athrun indignantly raised his voice. "What is this, all of a sudden!?"
"That's my line, Athrun!" Yzak pointed his finger at him with an angry expression. "We're extremely busy right now, yet we were suddenly called by the council and wondered why - and we've been assigned to be your escorts and surveillance!?"
"Eh?" Unexpectedly, Athrun was taken by surprise again.
"Why must I be called from the front lines for something like this!?"
"Escort and surveillance...?"
After another stunned question, Dearka poked his head out from behind Yzak and interjected. "You want to go out, don't you?"
"Dearka..." Athrun looked at him earnestly, Dearka put a finger to his forehead in a greeting and winked.
"It's been a while. But it can't helped at a time like this. No matter how friendly you are, you can't walk around PLANT as you are without permission, right?"
"Yeah ... I was told that." Recalling the day before when he asked authorities if he could go out, Athrun continued to speak in surprise. "I was told someone would accompany me. But that's ... you guys?"
When he looked at Yzak again, he impatiently spat out, "that's right!" and turned his head away again, dressed as if he was in disguise, and Athrun felt a laugh bubble up but quickly shut his mouth. Really, he hadn't changed at all.
"Well, it must mean someone who's aware of our situation had something to do with this." Dearka noted as they made their way down the hotel hallway. When he said that, Athrun thought of Durandal's handsome face and let out a breath.
Yzak, along with his surly expression, didn't speak for a while. The scar on his face that he received from battle two years ago was gone, and he was wearing a light green suit. He had a slightly mature appearance, but his personality seemed to have remained as it always was.
Athrun was a little uneasy about whether he was fit to be a commander. Maybe Dearka, who liked to look after him regardless of appearance, diligently had his back.
Although in Dearka's case, he seemed to have not been charged after defecting during the war and returned to ZAFT. That probably wasn't the only reason, he was pretty sure that Yzak had covered for him. While he was blunt and clumsy, he cared about his friends more than anyone.
Finally, the feeling of their reunion hit him, and Athrun walked shoulder to shoulder with his friend with a warm feeling in his heart. Then, Dearka asked him.
"So? Where do you want to go?"
Yzak glared sidewise. "If you say something like shopping, I'll never forgive you!"
"Nothing like that."
At least he wouldn't incur his anger any longer. Fortunate, but he didn't say that outloud. Athrun smiled and replied. "Just for a bit ... Nicol and the others' graves..."
Upon hearing the name, pain flashed across Yzak's face.
"I can't come to PLANT very often ... so I just wanted to go..."
Nicol Amarfi - Just like Yzak and the others, he was a boy who used to be a comrade. His name was engraved on a smooth, stone surface. The numbers below it indicated that his life was cute short at the mere age of fifteen.
Standing in the open cemetery, the three of them laid flowers on the graves of their friends. Miguel Ayman, Rusty Mackenzie ... so many young men, so many young lives cut too short ended up here, and were now sleeping in this place. No, their bodies weren't beneath these tombstones. Their bodies had been scattered on the battlefield, leaving their bereaved family with not even a hair to hold on to.
That's what war is. Where a young life with endless potential can be pointlessly cut off.
Nicol loved the piano. If it had not been for the war, he would have become a great pianist. A kind boy with a love of music who took up arms to defend his home, was killed.
--by Kira. Kira, who was Athrun's best friend.
For that, Athrun had hated Kira. Being unable to get Nicol back, he wanted him to pay with his life.
That's what war is.
And the same thing was about to be repeated.
"Exercising your right to self-defense ... so ZAFT is also moving?" Athrun muttered, bitterly.
Yzak responded resentfully, as if that had hit a sore spot. "It can't be helped. We can't just do nothing after being targeted with nuclear missiles..."
Dearka also added words that were difficult to say. "We intercepted the first wave of attack. Those guys ... they were really serious about destroying PLANT with those."
Athrun looked up to the sky and took in a deep breath. Why was such a thing happening again? It would just lead to new sacrifices just like Nicol. Despite knowing that, why?
After all, I couldn't do anything...
"...And? What about you?"
At the sound of Yzak's gruff voice, Athrun turned his eyes back.
"Eh?"
Yzak spoke with a strange tone. "What are you doing? Coming all the way back here."
It felt more like a denunciation to Athrun, who had remained idle, rather than a question, and he jerked his head away in response. He didn't know what he was doing. Coming to PLANT suddenly. If we went back to Orb as is, he'd know the intentions of Chairman Durandal, but nothing would come of that. Even he couldn't prevent this situation.
"What about Orb? What are they going to do?" Yzak continued, asking cuttingly.
"... I don't know." Athrun's face grew bitter as he answered. Unato Ema Saran was leaning toward the Atlantic Federation. Going by that, there was a chance of Orb abandoning the neutral position it always held. The rest would depend on their efforts. No, rather Cagalli's... Because Athrun couldn't even be present at a cabinet meeting.
Nothing was going right - Athrun felt desperation and impatience all over again.
"Come back, Athrun!" Yzak said abruptly. The sound of his sharp voice snapped Athrun out of his thoughts. Yzak looked as angry as he always did, but his gaze was serious.
"--There may be various circumstances to deal with, but I'll handle them. So you should return to PLANT."
"Yzak..." A heartfelt compassion could be felt. Despite Yzak's attitude always being harsh whenever they meet, there was a still a deep trust between them. "No ... but..." Athrun still hesitated. Cagalli's face flickered through his mind. Then Yzak continued speaking.
"[Dearka] and I should have been dead by now." Yzak painfully narrowed his gaze, as Dearka stood in silent agreement. Dearka had been accused of killing his own people. He had left ZAFT and took action alongside Athrun and the others. Yzak was not guilty of that crime. In the legal text. But all three of them had committed sins that could never be forgiven. At the command of a superior, they threw themselves into the wrong battles and took many lives.
It was something unavoidable for those in the military, but the virtuous Yzak didn't like that.
The three of them shared the same sins.
"But Chairman Durandal said..." Yzak stared at Athrun, repeating Durandal's words.
If we send young men to die in a war started for the convenience of adults, and they make mistakes that we brand as sins and call for their deaths as punishment, who will be responsible for the tomorrow of PLANT? It is because they have had those agonizing experiences that I want them to be the ones to build a peaceful future...
"--That's why I'm still wearing a military uniform." Yzak spoke with an expression that was unlike him. His voice contained an admirable trust in the Chairman. The seeds sowed by Durandal were even growing in a place like this.
Each person's feelings like that will surely save the world. Athrun thought back to the Chairman's words. The voices of those with the same hearts who worry about the future will be drowned out by the voices of many. But if one lets that scare them and they become silent, the world will go down the same path again. On a steep slope toward destruction.
I want people who share my thoughts to stand together.
Yzak and the others stood with the power in their hands. He spoke earnestly to Athrun. "It's the only thing I can do, but I can still do something. For PLANT, and for the sake of those who have died..."
"Yzak..." Athrun realized that. He was the same way. It was the only thing he could do. No matter how good his gun skills were, no matter how good he was at piloting a mobile suit, they were skills useless to him where he was.
Yzak looked at Athrun with a piercing glare. "So you should do something, too! You have that much power, are you going to let it go to waste?" His direct, ice blue gaze was painfully powerful. A force that greatly moved Athrun's lost heart.