Gundam Seed: Kira Reloaded Chapter 13

Kira looked at the MK I of the needle thrower. It was as good as it gets with the parts he has.

After that crushing victory, nothing has happened. ZAFT were out of their sensors. But the Coordinator knew they were there.

That masked Nihilist is still planning to destroy the 8th fleet.

"So it's not just a needle thrower anymore," Lieutenant said from behind Kira.

"Going into battle with just three bullets is suicidal. So I have added a beam rifle." The teen explained with a lazy shrug.

"The best part is that it's battle customizable. Since there are three batteries attached to it I can pump out some serious laser damage."

"Will the barrel even hold that much heat?" The blond asked with some worry. He realised there is a lot of power in those things!

"Who knows? I need a field test to test it out."

Mu La Flaga's eyebrows twitched hearing that! This kid is nuts!

"...Well, who knows if you ever have a chance to test it out. We are about to join the 8th fleet. Your duties as pilot of the machine are about to end."

"Oh? Are you sure about that, Lieutenant?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Do you think the 8th fleet can deal with three GAT units and a fleet of ZAFT forces?" Kira asked without even looking at him. His eyes were on the parked Strike.

"...I don't know. Sure hell, I don't want a civilian to pilot Strike." The man huffed before changing the theme of the conversation.

"Besides. You and your Pink Princess need to leave Archangel and get into safety."

"...I suppose. What did the Rear Admiral say about Lacus?"

"Don't worry. She is a civilian. Even if she is Chairman's daughter, Admiral Halberton will allow her to disembark."

"...Good to hear," Kira said plainly.

"KID! You don't sound relieved at all!" The blondie couldn't take it anymore. Kira sounded far too… indifferent.

"Because we will be going to battle soon. You do realise that we will have NO time for pleasantries." Strike's pilot simply told him.

"...You are certain about that?"

"Very, you will see."

Kira's confidence about this made the blonde Lieutenant feel chills going down his spine. Hell, just to make sure, he will check his Moebus, just in case.

~~~

Lacus looked at the fleet of Earth Alliance ships. Her feelings at this moment were very complex.

By all means, Kira should disembark once Archangel joins this fleet.

But Kira didn't even remove his uniform. He was still working on his machine.

'Something is off… '

Her eyes stared at the void for a few more seconds.

'Does he believe this fleet will soon be under attack?'

The pink-haired Songstress narrowed her eyes for a second. How should she lower the number of casualties that will end up from this?

For a moment, she thought about just asking ZAFT to stop and tell them that she was on board. But that would just antagonise Kira.

And she doesn't want him angry. Nope, she saw him being serious, but being angry? Now that is just horrible.

Nope, she could do something else.

"Umm…Miss Lacus, your shuttle is about to arrive here."

"Oh…okay… I still need to say goodbye to Kira."

"...R-Right. He is at the hangar…"

The pinkette nodded as she proceeded to float towards the hangars.

'Maybe this is for the best. But then again…If I am here, I could make Kira kill fewer ZAFT soldiers… being back at PLANT's won't serve me any good.'

The girl is conflicted about this. She is wondering how she will be more useful in this war.

~~~

"What a machine. You must be Kira Yamato." A man who looked in his fifties floated over next to Kira. He was dressed in a white uniform, and next to him were two more officers.

"Yes. Strike is a universal unit. While Duel is considered the prototype, Strike is the most hard-working model of them all. Like that commando fighter who can do anything." The coordinator said with a small smile.

"I have heard. You are one outstanding pilot, Kira Yamato. My name is Duane Halberton, Rear Admiral of 8th Fleet."

That moment Kira gave him a salute. The guy was an Admiral, so he wouldn't mince with his actions.

"You are still wearing the uniform." Admiral pointed out.

"Because I am waiting for that man to attack us. In the last battle, I blew up one of the Nazca Class ships. There were more of them. By the time we arrived here, that man's force should have grown and regrouped.

It's only a matter of time before they will attack."

"...I see… regardless you are a Coordinator, and you are fighting your people. You need to think about that as well. I am not going to force you to pilot the Strike. The choice is yours."

"...sir! But!"

The Admiral stopped his subordinate with a raised hand.

"It's fine. He is the only one who can push this machine beyond its original purpose. This machine was meant for someone as exceptional as he is."

'Damn, this guy is awesome! A true admiral!'

Kira was right. This admiral looks beyond race and all that stuff. He only cares about talent and the well-being of his subordinates.

"Many thanks, sir."

Then…

*Alarms Blaring*

"We have spotted an approaching ZAFT fleet! I repeat! We spotted an approaching ZAFT fleet."

"...it appears your intuition was right."

"Yes."

"But you won't be fighting."

"W-Wait, what!?" Kira exclaimed with shock.

"Archangel is to enter Earth and move to Alaska base." The admiral said sharply.

"The 8th fleet will cover your retreat."

"...But that fleet has 3 GAT units, maybe 4! I might have damaged Duel, but it could be fully repaired by this point!"

"I am well aware. Regardless, your mission is clear. Bringing Archangel and Strike to Alaska is almost important. All the data this ship holds will bring us closer to victory and peace."

"...fine…"

After saying that, the Admiral saluted Kira and left.

Kira realised that the guy was ready to die.

'...Stupid Blue Cosmos and their racist bias allowing this to happen!'

"KIRA!"

That moment Lacus hugged him from behind.

"Lacus?"

"Yes!"

"You didn't leave yet?" Strike's pilot asked with disbelief.

"I was about to. But the alarm, I don't think leaving at such a time is wise."

"No. You are safer here. I will make sure of that."

Since Lacus stayed, Kira needed to make sure she was safe on the double.

"Go back to your room, I will go on standby." He told her seriously.

"O-Okay."

As the girl floated back into living quarters, Kira rushed to change into his pilot suit.

Even if the Admiral told me not to fight and fly to Alaska, Kira was more than aware that it wouldn't happen. He and the Lieutenant will launch and fight for a while.

This is where Strike will do most of the damage.

Fuck it…he is going to vaporize that masked freak!

The issue is that of Vesalius. That ship has no distinctive markings from other Nazca class ships.

And since he tried to destroy it before, Kira has a hunch that the masked freak will be positioning his ship at the very back.

'Well, whatever, my job is to help the admiral survive. Maybe with him around, Blue Cosmos won't have such free reign…'

As he arrived at the changing room, Kira saw the lieutenant dressing up in his suit.

"Kid? Are you still here? I thought you left with the Pink Princess!"

"Yeah…about that… neither of us had the chance." The teen pretended to sound disappointed.

"...I see…well…" The blonde man had no idea what to say in this situation.

"It's fine… I guess I will be testing that weapon." The teen smirked at the lieutenant.

The kid's tone and behaviour screamed one thing!

"...Kid… you never planned on leaving!" Mu La Flaga exclaimed with realisation!

"No kidding. Do you think I will leave Strike with other people? There is only one pilot for that machine." He said with a reassuring tone.

"...Whatever… you are one crazy kid…"

In the end, the blondie gave up. There is no reasoning with him.

'That pinkhead is as crazy as he is…'

The girl had a chance to leave an Enemy ship, but she decided to stay! And that is crazy!

The pair swiftly boarded their machines and went on standby.

In Kira's case, he got almost all the systems on, as he linked Strike HUD with cameras of Archangel.

He started streaming the battlefield to his mobile suit.

'The 8th fleet has more ships, and so does ZAFT. My presence started to send ripples through this war.

But this doesn't change the outcome of this battle. Admiral Halberton will die if I don't do something.'

With a few buttons, he connected himself with the bridge of Archangel.

"Captain, if we don't do something, the Admiral is going to die."

"Kira!? You didn't leave!?"

"Sorta. Neither I nor Lacus left. The attack happened way before we could leave properly."

"Kids these days… your friends didn't leave either… they said you will stay." Captain Ramius said with a deadpan look.

Kira simply snorted in amusement. Well, they know him the best.

"Yes. I still need to make my Strike the best machine in the world. I can't leave halfway."

"If you say so. Regarding giving assistance, we can't. We are ordered to enter the atmosphere and move to Alaska Base."

"Yes. I heard that before. The Admiral told me that himself. However, he didn't say anything in between. Archangel will take several minutes to prepare for descent. That's more than enough for me to lay waste."

"..."

"Fine."

After ending the transmission, the lieutenant popped on the screen.

"Not bad, kid! You were able to persuade Captain to allow us to launch!"

"No need to thank me. It's the least I can do."

As Kira said, his machine was moved to the catapult deck.

"Give me Aile Pack, The needle thrower and the shield."

"Are you sure, that thing is not tested out yet!" The head engineer Murdoch exclaimed with worry.

"It will be fine. If the needle thrower doesn't work, it still has a beam rifle attached to it.

"But…fine! Whatever!"

The next moment Strike was equipped with a prototype weapon.

Everyone on the Bridge watched this. They wondered what that thing could even do. It looked like it was something pulled out from a tool shed.

Once the catapult deck fully opened, Kira could finally launch. With a press of a button, his mech accelerates and gets launched out.

What the pilot saw was a blue planet below and a battle raging in front of him.

"Kira! You have 5 minutes tops! If you are late, then— ugh! you will know what will happen!" Captain Ramius said over the comms.

"That's more than enough!"

Strike lifted his new weapon, and one of the needles moved on the rail.

A targeting system appeared on the HUD screen, and windows with calculations appeared on both sides.

The teen closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, S.E.E.D mode was on.

~~~~~~With ZAFT~~~~~~

"The Legged ship has launched Strike!"

"About time! Send the GAT units after it! While we focus on destroying the 8th fleet!" The masked commander ordered as he looked at Strike on the map.

'What are you going to show me now?'

This time he is prepared for that sniper.

"...Sir…"

"What is it?"

*BOOM*

A chain explosion followed as a Nazca Class Frigate blew up next to them!

There was a trail of silver-ish purple particles just before the attack hit!

"What was that!?"

The masked man exclaimed with shock.

"Strike just launched something!"

One of the officers zoomed in and showed an image of the Strike!

That thing was on the other side of the battlefield! Bunch of miles away! How did it destroy a ship from that kind of distance!?

"What is that thing!?"

"S-Sir! It's targeting Vesalius!"

*Tsk!*

"Evasive manoeuvres! Where are the mobile suits!?" The blonde masked man snapped with anger.