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Chapter Three: Lacus's Plans
Pain.
That’s the first thing she feels, as she swims through the black waves of semi-consciousness. She hurts everywhere; bruises, cuts, maybe a dislocated shoulder or broken bone. Blood in her mouth…
She concentrates on the blood, on the aches and stinging cuts, until finally her senses awake groggily. Chains around her ankles, around her wrists, binding her to the wall where she hangs off the floor by at least a good two feet.
She knows where she is. Oh, she knows.
“Awake?” comes a short, angry voice.
She manages to spit at the barely-distinct figure standing not too far away in the darkness, though her mouth is dry and painfully sore. An oath rends the silence, but she fails to hit the target. Damn.
“Bitch!”
“Quiet, Lieutenant.” Another, haughtier voice this time. “Hmph. Strong-willed girl, aren’t you? Tell us everything and you might survive.”
Rynae’s lips form a crooked grin. “Go to hell, bastards,” she croaks. “You couldn’t kill me if you tried.”
A figure steps from the shadows and backhands her across the face. Stars dance across her vision, before she falls again into unconsciousness.
“You’re sure this is safe?” Yzak hissed for what must be the fifth time.
“No,” Athrun replied shortly, patience wearing thin.
“Peace, peace,” Dearka said nervously. “Not now, you guys.”
They all stood in front of the Clyne mansion’s front door. Athrun’s hand hovered over the doorbell, before firmly pressing it. Nicol fidgeted, shuffling his feet. Yzak shifted his weight anxiously.
“Mr. Zala, Mr. Jule, Mr. Elthman, Mr. Amarfi.” The butler bowed deeply. “Miss Clyne is around back. Follow me, please.”
They exchanged wary glances. Athrun took the lead.
‘Around back’ meant the gardens behind the mansion, sprawling elegantly over an expansive amount of land. Haros appeared from nowhere the moment Athrun stepped into the sunlight.
“Haro! Haro! Haro!”
Athrun groaned and defended himself from the bouncing balls. Yzak twitched. Dearka looked like he wanted to bust a gut laughing. Nicol blinked, somewhat scared, at the maniacal mechanical…things.
“Oh, Athrun!”
They turned- the butler having vanished mysteriously- to see Lacus, hurrying towards them.
“Oh…oh dear. How rude of me!” She smiled. “You brought friends!”
“I…I’m Yzak Jule, miss,” Yzak got out, shaking her proffered hand. Dearka and Nicol similarly introduced themselves.
“It’s very nice to meet you! Come, we can have some tea!”
Athrun, looking somewhat awkward, nodded. The others seemed too stunned by her cheerfulness to do more than follow along.
“So how long have you known Athrun?” she asked them, after tea had been brought and everyone gathered around one of the tables.
“Not too long,” Nicol answered. “We’re his teammates, of the le Creuset squad.”
“Oh, I see! You must be very good friends!”
Yzak choked on his tea. Dearka couldn’t help himself, and began laughing. Athrun flushed.
“Well…sort of. Yes.”
Lacus tilted her head and blinked. “Is there something wrong?”
“Yzak and Athrun…don’t…exactly get along very well,” Nicol offered weakly, trying in vain to stop chuckling.
Yzak spluttered something incomprehensible. It was probably for the best that they couldn’t understand it.
Pleasantries were exchanged, discussions of the weather, of the war, of the PLANTs. It was nice, but Athrun knew it couldn’t last.
So in a pause in the conversation, he asked tentatively, “Um, Lacus…do you have anywhere more…private…where we could talk?”
She looked at him, puzzled. “Well, yes…There is a room inside.”
“No surveillance or chances of being spied on?” Yzak questioned.
“No…” Lacus looked more startled than ever, but she rose willingly. “I can show you. Is there something urgent you need to speak with me about?”
“…Yes.” Athrun swallowed. “We’ll explain in more detail…once…” He gestured helplessly.
“Very well, come this way, please.” She led them back into the building.
The room seemed secure enough, from what Athrun could tell. He sat down cautiously as Lacus took a seat at the table- the only other piece of furniture save the chairs in the room.
“Now…you may tell me anything you like in this place.”
“You trust us enough?” Dearka’s voice was for once serious and sharp.
“What do you mean?”
“By our terms, there should not be a security camera in here. You don’t know what we could do to you.” He was very serious. Athrun fisted his hands, staring at them in his lap.
“You are friends of Athrun,” Lacus said softly, becoming more serious in turn. “If he trusts you enough to be at his back, then I believe you will do no wrong here.”
Tension drained from the room. Dearka leaned back with a sigh, tilting his chair onto just two legs. Nicol dropped his head onto the table with a thunk. Athrun’s hands unclenched, and Yzak slumped back in his chair.
“Is it really that serious?” Lacus asked.
“Are you planning to escape the PLANTs soon, Lacus?” Athrun’s voice was quiet.
Silence stretched.
Lacus finally lifted her chin and answered. “Yes, I am. I will leave the PLANTs in order to advocate peace. ZAFT and the Earth Alliance fighting will not end this war.”
Athrun smiled with relief. “Good. Thank you. We need your help.”
All business now, the four leaned forward. Lacus looked confused, but Nicol explained.
He told her of their meeting with Kira in Orb, of their talks with the Archangel, and of Rynae (though he left out the fact that Yzak and Dearka and Athrun and Kira were couples). Yzak took over from there, recounting their parting and their trip back to the PLANTs, and their worry about Ryn. Dearka and Athrun added their comments here and there.
Nicol did not tell them that he had found Rynae’s location.
When they had finished, and settled back in their chairs, Lacus was quiet for a moment, pondering. When she spoke, they all listened attentively.
“I am proud of you all,” she said with a smile. “I am glad that you seem to have the same ideas I do- peace and cooperation between Naturals and Coordinators. I would like to meet Miss Ramius, Mr. la Flaga, and all of Mr. Yamato’s friends, as well as see Mr. Yamato again. And Miss Rynae sounds like a very nice person.” She shook her head. “That will have to wait, I suppose.”
“Wait…you know Kira?”
“Indeed. I was taken prisoner awhile ago, if you recall- and that ship was the Archangel. Mr. Yamato was very nice to me, although I did not get to see much of those three friends you mentioned, or the captain or lieutenant.” Lacus kept thoughts of the red-haired girl to herself. She was positive that girl was not the Miriallia they had spoken of.
“If you have discovered your wish to fight together- to join Orb, a neutral nation, from my understanding- then why did you return?” Lacus continued, after Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol had absorbed this information.
“Because we had to say good-bye to those we know,” Yzak said. “We couldn’t just leave without telling them anything.”
“I need to ask my father,” Athrun whispered. “Ask him why. See if he’s as horrible…” He trailed off.
“Where do I come in?” Lacus inquired, tactfully changing the subject.
“When you leave, take us with you. Please. We can’t exactly hang around after we’ve let our families know we’re leaving. They might not stop us, but…they won’t just sit around.”
“I see. You want to come with me- with those who follow me…Well. I ought to tell you my plans, then.” She leaned forward and began.
“Operation Spit Break is occurring soon. We cannot stop it, although we have tried our best. Soon after the operation, give or take a day, we shall leave. That would be about two to three days until departure.
“The ship we plan to take is the Eternal. Likely you have not heard of it. It’s a brand new ship, fast and strong. It’s not meant to carry more than two mobile suits- the Justice and the Freedom- but I think we can manage.”
Athrun furrowed his brow. “What?”
“The Justice and the Freedom are two new G-weapons, built just recently using the data from your own suits. I am not exactly sure of their capabilities, but they will be in the bay of the Eternal when we launch. Perhaps two of you could use them.”
“Thank you, Lacus. If you hadn’t agreed…”
“You risked much on this. I’m glad you took the chance and confided in me.” Lacus hesitated. “So, in two or three days- we should keep meeting to confirm details- we will leave the PLANTs together in the Eternal. We will encounter resistance along the way, so you four may need to stay outside the ship for awhile, to help us fight ZAFT forces.” She frowned. “It can’t be helped.”
“We understand.”
“Now, you’d best be going. Don’t stay too long. I’m sure you have your own affairs to take care of.” She smiled warmly.
They left after not too long, as she had said. Athrun looked at her and felt guilty. He was still, technically, her fiancee- and yet he loved Kira…
She doesn’t need to know, Athrun told himself. Not yet. Maybe once this is over. But if she knows now…she might not let us…
Lacus seemed to see at least some of the turmoil inside of him; she smiled and did not force too much attention on the blue-haired pilot.
Once all four had gone, she stood at the door, still watching the path they had taken.
She had many things to do now. The Eternal was not yet ready to go, the plans not perfect- and this was an entirely unforeseen event. There were people to notify and schedules to redo.
Lacus Clyne, daughter of Siegel Clyne and idol of the PLANTs, went back into the mansion, closing the door gently behind her.
“I feel like every problem’s been solved,” Dearka yawned, as they gathered around a table in Athrun’s room- his quarters being the most secluded and private.
“Not every one, but close,” Athrun agreed.
“Lucky for you Lacus did have a ship,” Yzak mumbled, not passing up the chance to start another argument.
“I told you she did,” Athrun shot back.
“You also said you weren’t positive.”
“Well, I am now.”
“Gah! By now we could’ve been listed traitors!”
“Aw, come on, Yzak. It’s like you have no faith in me.” Athrun smirked.
“You-”
“All right, calm it down.” Dearka shook his head. “Something’s wrong when I have to play peacemaker.”
“Got that right,” Yzak grumbled, slouching back in his chair. Athrun glanced at the only one of them who hadn’t yet spoken.
“Nicol?”
“Ah?” The young pilot started, then looked around and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry- what?”
“You know where Ryn’s being kept?” It was more a statement than a question. Nicol reluctantly nodded.
Yzak exploded off his chair. “What? Where? Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We’ve gotta-”
“Siddown, Yzak,” Dearka said, glimpsing something in Nicol’s eyes. Yzak thumped back down in his seat with a huff.
“Yes, I do know,” Nicol said slowly. “But this is my part, you guys. I’m doing this alone.”
“…” They all gave him a look that quite clearly said ‘we don’t want to stay behind while you go out there’.
“We can’t risk being caught,” Nicol insisted. “If we all go, we all could be caught. If it’s just me…well…it’s better than all of us. And two people versus five people have better chances of sneaking out of that place.”
“All right,” Athrun finally said, sounding not one notch happier.
“We don’t like it,” Yzak snapped, “but there’s not much choice. You’d better haul your ass- and hers- back alive, okay?”
Nicol chuckled and nodded.
“One condition.” Athrun fixed an intimidating stare on Nicol, who flinched. “You tell us the location. If you two haven’t come back by the time we’re ready, we’re going in for you. At least long enough to see what happened. Okay?”
“Not much I can do about it,” Nicol muttered. “Sure.”
He gave them the address, and showed them the map of the interior. Athrun copied it quickly- that could come in handy- before he returned it warily.
“Don’t get yourself killed, all right?” Dearka eyed his teammate anxiously.
“I still have a couple of days before this happens, and you’re already fussing!” Nicol shrugged off the seriousness with a laugh. “I’ll be fine, guys. Honestly.”
None of them were happy about it, but there weren’t many options. And no one even gave a thought to leaving Rynae to her own devices. That was almost as bad as just leaving her behind.
Nicol…
She wondered briefly where they were, how they were doing. By now, at least one day had passed- although she couldn’t be sure. Her sense of time was screwed up in this eternally dim place, without a timepiece. Meals were brought regularly, supposedly as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but keeping track of their order was impossible. She’d been out of it too long.
But she was pretty sure they’d met Lacus already, and plans for their departure were already underway. That was a small comfort.
Please be okay…Please be okay…
Take good care of yourselves, guys.
I don’t know whether I’ll be around to do that for you after this…
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