Can You Pilot the Strike Gundam

"Athrun Zala reporting!"

Summoned to the captain's quarters, Athrun saluted with stiff formality, but Captain Le Creuset merely clasped his fingers together with composed ease.

Designed for the necessity of calling subordinates in for meetings, the captain's quarters were stark and monotonous, devoid of any trace of the occupant's personality.

"I should have spoken with you sooner. Do you know why I called you here?"

Le Creuset spoke calmly, facing Athrun.

"Yes... I violated orders and acted on my own initiative. I am deeply sorry!"

"The dead cannot return to life. I have no intention of punishing you; I simply wish to hear your side of the story. You know, acting like that is truly unlike you."

Athrun lowered his head, his expression rigid and silent.

Le Creuset stood up and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "If a subordinate cannot report accurately, even the wisest leader will falter, Athrun."

"I am very sorry... I was shaken by an unexpected event..."

Athrun sighed, his face a mask of inner struggle. Fighting to keep the tremor out of his voice, he spoke up: "The pilot of the mobile suit we failed to capture is named Kira Yamato, a friend of mine from the Lunar Childhood School... and he is a Coordinator."

"I never expected to reunite with him under such circumstances... so, no matter what, I wanted to confirm it for myself..."

Due to the chaos of battle, Athrun had not been entirely certain that the pilot of that machine was indeed Kira.

He had merely been acting on a hunch and a guess.

Le Creuset listened in silence, pondering for a long moment before sighing. "I see... War is truly ironic, isn't it?"

He walked back to his desk and sat down once more. "It is no wonder you were shaken. He must be a very close friend of yours, yes?"

"Yes..."

"I understand. In that case, you will not participate in the next sortie."

Athrun looked up in astonishment.

"You cannot bring yourself to point a gun at such a person. Such a result would lead to many tragedies, like what happened to Ino... Naturally, I personally do not wish for you to do so either."

"No, Captain! That is..."

Athrun shook his head violently, leaning forward over Le Creuset's desk in agitation. "If that pilot really is Kira, then he must be being used by the Naturals!"

"He is talented, but he is prone to daydreaming and has a timid, introverted personality. If it is him, he must have been manipulated by the Naturals without even realizing it. That is why I... I want to persuade him! He is a Coordinator too; it is impossible for him not to understand my intentions!"

"I understand your feelings, Athrun... but what if he refuses to listen? What if that pilot is not the friend you speak of?"

Le Creuset rested his hands, fingers interlaced, upon the desk. His eyes, hidden behind his mask, gazed steadily at Athrun's face as he spoke calmly: "Ino's fate cannot be placed upon your shoulders, but if you had not hesitated back then, would everything have changed?"

A flash of struggle and pain crossed Athrun's eyes.

"Of course, this is all just a trumped-up charge; after all, you were never part of the original plan."

Mid-sentence, Le Creuset's tone shifted abruptly. "But do not forget your status as a soldier, Athrun."

Athrun's expression turned somber.

"You may leave."

Le Creuset said calmly.

"I... I will attack him!"

Hearing this, Athrun spoke with the finality of someone who had reached a decision. "If the pilot of that machine is Kira, and I cannot persuade him, I will attack him!"

"So please, give me one more chance. I beg of you, Captain Le Creuset!"

Le Creuset did not respond immediately, merely watching Athrun with a calm gaze.

Faced with Le Creuset's scrutiny, Athrun did not retreat, instead meeting his gaze with burning intensity.

"Very well. I hope you will not disappoint me."

"Yes!"

Athrun stood at attention and saluted. Suppressing the struggle in his eyes, he turned and left the room.

"If it truly is him, you still won't be able to pull the trigger, Athrun Zala—"

As the door closed.

Le Creuset chuckled, delivering his own verdict: "But that is fine, too."

As he spoke, Le Creuset looked at the combat report compiled on his computer.

When the advantages and defensive measures a faction relies upon for survival vanish, the people who depend on them for protection must surely fall into panic.

The panic of the weak turns them into wretches.

The panic of the strong turns them into madmen.

"This is the 'good thing' you were talking about?"

In the hangar of the Archangel, Ino watched the Ginn being serviced nearby, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

"Compared to relying on the salvation of others, shouldn't those who possess power be more willing to take their lives into their own hands?"

Mu La Flaga said with a smile.

"Sorry, I'd rather just lie flat."

Ino gave a very straightforward answer.

The ones on the other side were Yzak and Dearka; asking him to pilot a Ginn to fight them, especially a Ginn that wasn't even fully repaired—if he wanted to die, wouldn't it be easier to just shoot himself?

"...I admit this machine is a bit shabby, but with your skills, you could perfectly well provide long-range support."

Mu La Flaga knew he was asking a lot, but he wouldn't have resorted to this if he had any other choice.

"Heh~"

Ino let out a dry laugh.

"I'm just saying; if you're really unwilling, then forget it. I just hope you won't regret it when you perish along with the warship."

Mu La Flaga didn't try to persuade him further.

Ino was not Kira.

He had his own reasons for fighting, and those reasons could not be shaken by a few words.

"..."

Watching Mu La Flaga's retreating back, Ino shook his head and prepared to go back to sleep.

With Kira's strength, although the Archangel would encounter some dangers and difficulties later, they were, on the whole, harmless issues.

He would have to be bored out of his mind to go out and risk his life.

"Um, Mr. Ino, right?"

However, just as Ino was about to leave, Kira, who was maintaining the Strike Gundam, suddenly called out to him.

"That's me, what is it?"

Looking at this still-naive Child of Destiny, Ino instinctively stopped in his tracks.

"Hello, my name is Kira, Kira Yamato."

Kira Yamato floated in front of Ino to introduce himself.

"I know, I've heard Captain Flaga and the others mention you," Ino replied.

"Um, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

Kira met Ino's gaze and asked, "Do you happen to know Athrun Zala?"

"Athrun Zala?"

Ino was stunned; should he say it was just like a best friend?

To think his first question would be this.

"You don't know him?"

"I know him, of course I do. He and I were even schoolmates," Ino replied.

"Then, so he is an MS pilot, right?" Kira asked again.

"I know what you want to ask. That's right, the pilot of that Aegis Gundam is Athrun Zala."

Ino didn't play games with Kira, instead giving him the answer he wanted directly.

"It really is him? Then at the colony—"

"It was him too. From the moment he stole that machine, he has always been its pilot."

"..."

Kira fell into silence and inner turmoil upon hearing Ino's definitive answer.

"War is always accompanied by tragedy; you'll get used to it."

Ino patted the shoulder of this Child of Destiny who would one day stop the war.

He definitely intended to leave the battlefield and start his own life later.

However, compared to living in a place ravaged by war, life in a peaceful era was safer and more comfortable.

And if one wanted to end the war, the guy in front of him was an indispensable, powerful asset, even if he was still quite green right now.

"..." Kira pursed his lips and remained silent.

"That guy Mu La Flaga might be a bit of a jerk, but he said one thing well: when you have the power to protect everything, please don't be stingy with that power. With great power comes great responsibility. There will be a rainbow after the storm, so keep at it!"

After saying this, Ino lost the interest to linger any longer. He still had to think carefully about what to do after arriving at Artemis.

"Can you pilot the Strike Gundam!"

"Huh!?"