Gundam Seed: Kira Reloaded Chapter 9

Lacus waited for the meeting to end on the bridge. Since she was not allowed to walk there, she waited until it was done.

"I can't believe Kira will continue to pilot that machine!" The brown-haired girl said to the guy next to her.

The way she was close to the guy indicated that they were a couple of some sort. However, what got to Lacus was what she heard!

'Kira continues to pilot the machine. Are they approaching some sort of base where they can leave the ship? They are civilians, after all.'

"Yeah, for him, there is no question. It's like the guy decided this the moment he got into it! It's like his mind is on a completely different level!" The teenager said with a joking and same time, quite serious tone. He tried to lower the intensity of the meaning of those words.

"Tell me about it. He works more than any of the mechanics! It's like he is running the hangar instead of them!" The girl said with a huff. It's like Kira was part of the military from the beginning instead of being a civilian!

"Excuse me!"

"?"

"!?"

"Lacus Clyne? what can I do for you?" The girl for a second got defensive, but then she saw that it was the pink-haired princess. She immediately relaxed.

"I was wondering… if you know where I could get a change of clothes?"

The pinkhead's request was something the girl didn't predict… but it did make sense after seeing that the girl was in a dress the whole time!

"Umm… this is a military vessel, the only thing I could offer to you is a military uniform?" The girl said with a not-sure tone. Lacus simply nodded. It's better than nothing! Besides, if she gets those clothes, she will be able to hang out in the hangar!

"That would be lovely."

"Are you sure? Its Earth Alliance uniform?"

The question got slightly confusing for Lacus, who simply moved her head to the side. She doesn't have an issue with that!

"No. It's fine."

"... If you say so… oh, and my name is Miriallia Haw, and this guy here is Tolle Koenig."

Lacus happily nodded. The girl likes meeting new people!

"Nice to meet you two. My name is Lacus Clyne."

The pair looked at each other with sweatdrops. This girl is far too friendly…

"We know. It's hard not to know the daughter of the PLANTs chairman." As Tollie said that, he realised that the girl would be wearing an Earth Alliance uniform… now that's going to be… strange.

"Now come, follow me. I will give you the uniform."

~~~

Kira looked at the turned-off Strike. One could say that they were waiting. Waiting for that 'clock' to hit midnight. In other words, he was waiting for ZAFT and their assault. Around a month has passed since he sent them packing. He knows that the masked nihilist won't be going to let him alone, and neither will Athrun.

"Kira…"

"Lacus? What… the—" The teen was out of words when he saw Lacus dressed in a pink uniform dedicated to female soldiers. Not the officers but the regulars. There was even Earth Alliance insignia on her shoulder, and her hair was done in a ponytail!

"With this, you can't complain that I shouldn't be here!" She said that with something like a victorious fist pump.

"...Sure… though… where did you find O.M.N.I enforcers uniform?"

"Oh, your friend gave me one. It looks quite nice!" As she said that, she did a spin.

"...I see."

"...That reminds me. Your friends said that you will continue to fight with this machine." As Lacus spoke her happy voice slowly turned serious, as her gaze went to the silently standing 18 metres tall machine.

Kira's gaze went there as well.

"Indeed, we will soon go into a fight, and I will fight against ZAFT."

"...and do you want to?"

"I have to, not want to. If I don't fight, then we will have to use you as a hostage and ask them to stop. Do you want to be used as a hostage?"

"..."

"The issue is that they want us to be destroyed. This machine and this ship are the biggest thorn in their side."

"..."

"Even if we hand you over, they will continue the chase until this machine and the ship is a pile of rubble," Kira said with an almost provocative smile. He already imagines him crushing them.

"...Can't we just live peacefully? I sometimes can't understand all this destruction." Lacus said with a somewhat confused tone. She is trying to understand why all this happening.

"You can't? It's pretty simple. It's because we have feelings and emotions." He said that while looking away from Strike and looking at her.

"Feeling and emotions?"

"Yes. Rage, anger, love, passion, greed, all of them define us. All that makes us unique. The difference is who is sitting at the top of the ladder. With your father at the top of PLANTs, he made the new nation quite prosperous and compassionate. As well as ORB leader Azumi Yula Atha, those nations have character and uphold their beliefs.

Then look at the Atlantic Federation and its ruling top class. They all are rich people who have their feelings as well.

The issue is that they are either jealous because they were never able to become Coordinators or afraid of what Coordinators can do. There a multitude of reasons, but it boils down to negative emotions."

"Do as it makes sense?" Kira tried to explain to her. As Lacus simply listened to him, eventually, she ended up looking at him with her mouth slightly opened.

"...You already have this figured out, Kira! You are very smart too!" Once again, Lacus was impressed with his wisdom. The way he explained made sense. At least she knows the roots of all these hostilities.

"And how do you suggest we end this war?" The pink-haired girl asked him.

"Arrest all the rich of the Atlantic federation who are pulling the strings of the government. They are the ones who profit the most in this conflict." He said with a casual shrug.

"I see… then tell me why 'Kira Yamato' is fighting?" Lacus asked curiously. If Kira's gaze sees this much, something she didn't see until now. Now she wants to know why he is fighting this much and trying this hard.

"I don't have a single proper goal. My goals are selfish. I told you, didn't I? I am not a good person. I want to make Strike as best as possible, I want to be the best Mobile pilot in the world, and I want to build an even more impressive mobile suit." He said the top things from his head. And he will give his all to do all that!

"...So this war is just a means for you to get better?" She asked him with an unreadable look.

"In a way, yes. Not everyone fights this war because they believe in their nation and their beliefs. Many fight because of paycheck or fame and prestige. In wars like these people with a natural ability to wage conflict shine similarly how talented artists shine in times of peace." He explained to her as he crossed his hands.

"...You don't wish for peace?"

"...Peace? Peace is a state between two conflicts. It happens naturally through the ages. When conflict ends, then nations and their prosperity surges.

Imagine it like a field of wheat. When it grows up, it needs to be harvested. Rinse and repeat." He explained very simply to her.

"That's a horrible way to see it… Do you truly believe that?" Lacus said with a frown.

"It's not belief. It's simply there, Lacus. Without war, Earth would be inhospitable because humanity would have long ago overpopulated it before we could discover space travel. War teaches humanity discipline. It humbles us. It is a reminder that we should respect life instead of abusing it. Though… it can break us as well. Those rich people in the Atlantic Federation never saw proper conflict and its horrors for many years. It turned them into delirious idiots."

"Your question to me wanting peace? I don't mind either. Lacus. Both are something which I can live in." He said quite seriously.

"...I see… you understanding of it… is quite eye-opening… you are wise beyond your years, Kira… though I wish you would want peace."

"You want me to want peace? As I said, I don't mind. But if it's a request from you, then I might consider it. Though you would need to stay with me for that." Kira said that quite simply.

Her eyes widened slightly as she understood what this meant!

"...That would be impossible. My fate is sealed with another one."

"Fate, huh? My fate was to be space dust where Heliopolis was. However, I was the one who decided what my fate would be, Lacus. Tell me who is the lucky guy you are engaged with?" Kira asked her. This time his voice had quite steel in it. Lacus started to get cold feet right there.

"...my fate is with Athrun Zala. Its engagement was done between my father and Athrun's father."

"A political arrangement, huh? Well, don't worry. I will undo it. I nearly killed Athrun on Heliopolis. Next time I won't going to miss it. now that I have serious reason to finish him off." Kira said with narrowed eyes.

"!!!"

"W-Wait!? What!?" Lacus was shell-shocked to hear that! Kira nearly killed Athrun!?

"I have known Athrun for years. We went together to Elementary school in Copernicus. After that he went back to PLANTs, and I went to Heliopolis after the situation started to heat up between Naturals and Coordinators.

He was one of the people who stole one of the five GAT units. Lacus. And I fought him once. It was a 2 vs 1 situation. I send him running away only using a knife. Next time I see him, I will show no mercy."

"W-Wait!" *Nervous Gulp* "Kira… he is your friend! You can't just kill him!"

"What of it? He helped to blow up my home, and now he is engaged to you. It's not an acceptable situation." Kira said with a deep frown. He holds a grudge after bis home was destroyed, and now that grudge is growing up. It's unacceptable.

"...But… you can't just kill him. Kira, it's not the right thing to do! Athrun is not a bad person."

"It's nothing to do with a good or bad person, Lacus. Many good people did bad things or made bad decisions. This is that kind of situation. I simply going to free you up from that fate which was set for you and change into something else because I have the power to do so."

Lacus's eyes went wide as she realized how serious Kira was. He was extremely serious about this!

"...Kira, is there a way to persuade you not to kill him?"

"Well, you can cancel that engagement yourself. Then I will treat him as just a nuisance."

"...But why… why is so important for you? I only suggested it."

"Because when I am around you, I feel more at peace than usual. Before I met you, it was the usual anxiety to do my best at all times. Now, however, I can relax more and do my things at a more relaxed pace. I think people call it something like a crush or love at first sight. Something like that." Kira said that with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

Hearing all that made Lacus' mouth open slightly up.

'Kira likes me!? This… this…  he is even thinking of killing Athrun just to stop the engagement! This is…'

The pink-headed girl realised that she was in a tight position. She doesn't want Athrun to die, but she still has accepted what her father has arranged for her!

"...Kira… don't kill Athrun. I will think about how to cancel the arrangement. I promise on that." Lacus said with a small voice. Her brain is trying to process what just happened.

She… herself, realised that there is a certain attraction on her side as well.

He is wise beyond his years. Just from this conversation, her eyes were opened to the situation of the world she was living in, then his meticulousness and his drive for the things he liked.

However… this is all far too quick and far too sudden! But she can't simply ignore this. Kira is far too serious with his feelings.

He will remove any threats to what he wants. And it's terrifying… but same time, his passion… makes her slightly… giddy.