Can You Pilot the Strike Gundam?

"Reporting in! Athrun Zala!"

Summoned to the captain's office, Athrun bowed respectfully, but Captain Le Creuset merely folded his hands together calmly.

Since there was a need to call subordinates in for meetings like this, the captain's office was extremely plain and austere, with none of the owner's personal touch.

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

Le Creuset spoke calmly, facing Athrun.

"Yes... I disobeyed orders and acted on my own. I'm very sorry!"

"The dead can't be brought back. I have no intention of punishing you. I simply want to hear your side of things. You know, what you did was completely unlike you."

Athrun lowered his head, his expression stiff, and said nothing.

Le Creuset stood up and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "If a subordinate can't report things accurately, even the wisest leader can make a mistake, Athrun."

"I'm very sorry... Something unexpected happened, and I lost my composure..."

Athrun sighed, his face contorted with conflict. Fighting to keep his voice from trembling, he raised it and said, "The pilot of the Mobile Suit we failed to capture was named Kira Yamato. He was my friend at the Lunar Childhood School... and he's a Coordinator, too."

"I never imagined I'd run into him again under those circumstances... So no matter what, I wanted to go back and make sure..."

Because of the battle, Athrun hadn't been completely sure that the pilot of that Mobile Suit was Kira.

He'd only had a hunch, and a suspicion.

Le Creuset listened in silence. After a long pause, he sighed. "I see... War really is full of irony..."

He returned to his desk and sat down again. "No wonder you were shaken. He must have been a very close friend, right?"

"Yes..."

"I understand. In that case, you won't have to take part in the next sortie."

Athrun looked up in shock.

"You can't point a gun at someone like that. The result would be a tragedy, like what happened to Ino... And of course, I personally don't want you to do that."

"No, Captain! That's..."

Athrun shook his head vigorously and leaned toward Le Creuset's desk. "If that pilot really is Kira, then the Naturals must be using him!"

"He's talented, but he's always daydreaming. He's timid and withdrawn, too. If it's him, the Naturals must have taken advantage of him without his even realizing it. So I... I want to persuade him! He's a Coordinator, too. He can't fail to understand what I'm trying to do!"

"I understand how you feel, Athrun... But what if he won't listen? What if that pilot isn't the friend you're talking about?"

Le Creuset rested his hands on the desk, fingers interlaced. His eyes, concealed behind his mask, remained fixed on Athrun as he spoke calmly. "Ino's fate isn't something you should blame yourself for. But if you hadn't hesitated then, might things have turned out differently?"

A trace of conflict and pain flashed in Athrun's eyes.

"Of course, that's just an accusation. You weren't even part of the original plan."

Halfway through, Le Creuset's tone suddenly shifted. "But don't forget that you're a soldier, Athrun."

Athrun's expression darkened.

"You may leave."

Le Creuset spoke calmly.

"I... I'll attack him!"

At that, Athrun seemed to make up his mind. He spoke decisively. "If the pilot of that Mobile Suit is Kira, and I can't persuade him, I'll attack him!"

"So please give me a chance. I'm counting on you, Captain Le Creuset!"

Le Creuset didn't answer right away. He simply watched Athrun calmly.

Facing Le Creuset's gaze, Athrun didn't look away. He met it with a burning intensity in his eyes.

"Very well. I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Yes, sir!"

Athrun stood at attention and saluted. He forced down the turmoil in his eyes, then turned and left the room.

"If it is him, you still won't be able to bring yourself to do it, Athrun Zala—"

When the door closed,

Le Creuset chuckled and gave his verdict. "But that's all right, too."

As he spoke, Le Creuset looked at the battle report displayed on the computer.

When a faction lost the advantages and defenses it depended on to survive, the people who relied on them for protection would surely panic.

The panic of the weak would reduce them to submission.

The panic of the strong would drive them mad.

"So this is the 'good news' you were talking about?"

In the Archangel's hangar, Ino watched the Ginn being serviced nearby and couldn't help grimacing.

"Rather than relying on someone else to save you, wouldn't someone with power prefer to hold their own life in their hands?"

Mu La Flaga said with a smile.

"Sorry, I'd rather lie down and do nothing."

Ino gave him a very straightforward answer.

Their opponents were Yzak and Dearka. You wanted him to pilot a Ginn and fight them? A Ginn that hadn't even been fully repaired? If he wanted to die, couldn't he just shoot himself?

"...I admit this Mobile Suit is a little shabby, but with your skills, you could provide support from a distance."

Mu La Flaga knew he was asking a lot, but if there had been another option, he wouldn't have resorted to this.

"Heh."

Ino chuckled.

"I'm just putting it out there. If you really don't want to, forget it. Just don't regret it when you and the battleship go down together."

Mu La Flaga didn't press him further.

Ino wasn't Kira.

He had his own reasons for fighting, and a few words wouldn't be enough to sway him.

"..."

Watching Mu La Flaga walk away, Ino shook his head and prepared to go back to bed.

With Kira's skills, the Archangel would face some dangers and difficulties later on, but overall, they wouldn't be anything serious.

He'd have to be out of his mind to risk his life for this.

"Um, you're Mr. Ino, right?"

Just as Ino was about to leave, Kira, who was servicing the Strike Gundam, suddenly called out to him.

"That's me. What's up?"

Looking at the still-young Child of Destiny, Ino stopped in his tracks without thinking.

"Hello, I'm Kira. Kira Yamato."

Kira floated over to Ino and introduced himself.

"I know. I heard about you from Lieutenant Flaga and the others," Ino replied.

"Um, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Meeting Ino's gaze, Kira asked, "Do you know Athrun Zala?"

"Athrun Zala?"

Ino was taken aback. Wasn't he the one who was supposed to be Kira's best friend?

That was his very first question.

"You don't know him?"

"I do, of course. We went to the same school," Ino replied.

"So... he's a Mobile Suit pilot, too, right?" Kira asked again.

"I know what you're going to ask. Yes, the pilot of the Aegis Gundam is Athrun Zala."

Ino didn't make Kira drag it out. He told him exactly what he wanted to know.

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

"It was him, too. Ever since he stole that Mobile Suit, he's been its pilot."

"..."

Hearing Ino confirm it, Kira fell silent, caught between conflicting feelings.

"War always comes with tragedy. You'll get used to it."

Ino patted the shoulder of the future Child of Destiny, the one who would put an end to the war.

He'd definitely leave the battlefield and start a life of his own eventually.

Still, living in peacetime was safer and more comfortable than living in a war zone.

And if the war was to end, this guy was an indispensable force. He was just still young and inexperienced.

"..." Kira pressed his lips together and said nothing.

"Mu La Flaga may be a bit of a jerk, but he said one thing right: when you have the power to protect everything, don't hold back. With great power comes great responsibility. There's always a rainbow after the storm, so keep it up!"

Having said his piece, Ino lost interest in lingering. He still had to think about what he'd do after they reached Artemis.

"Can you pilot the Strike Gundam?"

"Huh?!"