xxravenwingxx - Thank you for reviewing both my SEED fics. I guess you're right about trying to write my own story. Well, I'm loosely basing my fic off the sequel now. Reading your review made me think that I should not feel my story somewhat restrained...

SJ - It's not really a cliffhanger, but kinda like a cliffhanger...hehe

hebei-hikaru - Asucaga is so interesting, ne? I find it easier to write about them than other characters.

hitomi-san - I have a problem writing mushy scene. I don't know when I might get to having them kiss. Maybe soon...perhaps in this chapter? You'll just have to wait and see.

RVD - I love your reviews. It's like a story in itself. Anyway, thanks for reviewing both SEED fics.

transmobilesuit - Yeah. It's taken me ages to type the next chapter. I had to get over my laziness.

Without further ado, here's chapter 6...Oh yeah, Happy Holidays!

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Gundam SEED : Afterwards

Chapter 6

Intervals

-----

In the region just above the earth's atmosphere, a vessel bearing the insignia of the Earth Alliance could be found. Aboard this ship stood the Atlantic Federation's representative -- a young man with raven hair and hazel eyes. To better identify him, he is Nibel Cain, a trusted subordinate of Lord Djibril -- the successor of the late Murata Azrael, previous leader of the radical group, Blue Cosmos.

Inside a private quarter, Cain conversed with the new radical leader via a computer screen.

"Nibel Cain, reporting."

The face of the pewter-haired Lord Djibril with his black cat came up on the screen, his purple lips pleased. "Well, well, my representative. You're looking quite well. How did you fare in the peace talk?"

"More like trash talk. Dullindal is a pacifist even more sickening than Clyne."

"The idealistic fool, huh?"

"The princess of ORB was also there and she is as rough as they say."

"That's why it'll take us some time before we can succeed with our plans. The jewel will just have to be polished and we'll have to wait quite a bit before we see satisfactory results." Djibril began stroking his black cat from end to end, of which the master was repaid with an affectionate purr from his pet.

"Lord Djibril, the coordinators have proposed a treaty."

"The Junius Treaty, right? So I've heard."

"Those coordinators are getting good at making Utopian visions. They're trying to extend the olive branch, asking to share our pure and blue earth with them. But there's no room for them in this world. Those damn freaks won't get what they want!"

"Let them dream all they want. This illusion, as it is, is just an illusion and illusions don't last long."

"I agree, Lord Djibril," said Cain, smiling malevolently.

-----

To them, she was a deviant, a witch, a bane, a person to be frightened off. The first time she stepped into the classroom -- the teacher, scrawling her name on the blackboard and she, a blonde girl with fuchsia eyes, standing still with a blasé and impassive look -- the judgment had already been passed on her. Stigmatized, as a social pariah whose category was: unwanted, dispensable, not worth it. She was easily seen as unfit for a friend, an acquaintance even.

The teacher was the conventional type. She talked in an annoyingly sweet tone and had an overly happy smile that showed too much teeth on her face. She introduced the young girl in front.

"Class, this is Stellar Loussier. Starting from today, she will be joining our class. Stellar, why don't you tell them more about yourself?"

Stellar stared indifferently at the teacher, then at the whole class. Students, boys and girls, were buzzing to each other -- exchanging mixed reactions about their new classmate. But, as if Stellar's penetrating stare held some power of its own, people shut their mouths.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Stellar. I just moved here three days ago, with my parents and two brothers. I hope we'll be good friends."

The words came out monotonously, executed without much emotion. The insipid occupants of the classroom took a while to sink in the newly-received input. They ogled rudely at the small figure before them. Finally, they seemed to have caught on and, in one voice, greeted Stellar the customary way.

"Welcome to our class, Stellar."

Stellar was assigned her seat. She obediently shuffled to her place.

To her, they were despicable. Already, she loathed the dull-witted oafs and it was only her first day in school. The second day would be more intolerable.

People feared her. She was not even a coordinator, yet they feared her. In school, the boys bullied her and called her names. The girls shunned her company. They left her alone. Stellar could not care less, because, she had her two brothers with her.

Stellar was close to her brothers, who were years older than her. Whenever they caught the boys from Stellar's class ganging up on her, they always defended their little sister. They were always protective, caring, understanding...

Sooner or later, the shield that which she found in her brothers had to be used for something else. Her brothers joined the army, to serve their country in the war. Vulnerable, Stellar had no shield to safeguard her. She felt lost, unable to find her sanctum. She was staggering in pitch-black darkness, an abyss of despair, unable to find the door that lead her to her sanctum.

The young Stellar's mental stability was shattered completely when news of her brothers' deaths reached their home.

When Stellar came home from school and accidentally heard her parents talking about it in the dining room, Stellar dropped her bag. Her parents turned at the sound of the loud thump, astounded. Crying out in anguish, Stellar ran up to her room.

Stellar walked blindingly into her room. She slumped on the carpeted floor, dropping into fetal position.

"Noooooooooo!!!!!!!"

Again and again, Stellar screamed, holding her head in her hands.

"Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!"

"Stellar! Stellar! Snap out of it!" yelled a voice, as two hands vigorously shook the shoulder of the female. Another hand brought down on Stellar's right cheek with a loud slapping sound.

Stellar gasped, eyes snapping open.

"Sting...Au...el..." Stellar murmured weakly, slowly coming to her senses and distinguishing the lime-green pushed-up hair and the silver crop of hair filling her view. "Where...am...I?"

"You're in the experimental lab, Stellar," explained Auel. "Don't you remember?"

Stellar moaned. A splitting headache suddenly overcame her. She put a hand to her forehead, her hand brushing against a nylon cord attached to the side of her temple. The blond looked down at her other hand. Several cords were attached to it as well. She also realized that she had been lying down.

"Are you alright?" Sting helped Stellar sit up.

"I'm fine," grunted Stellar.

Neo Lorrnoke, a long-haired blond man covering the upper half of his face in a sort of helmet-mask, stood a little further away. He walked closely to the three. "It seems that you are not responding well enough to your block word," he stated.

"She's still new to it," said Sting, turning to the masked man.

"Yeah. It did take us a while too," Auel added.

Neo clapped his hands, which were gloved. "Well. For now, we will have to do the exercises without Stellar--"

"No!" Stellar interjected strongly. Putting her feet down on the floor, she managed to stand up on wobbly knees. Auel and Sting eyed her, astonished.

"I refuse to be excluded from the training!" argued Stellar firmly, fists clenched. Her knees gave way, but Sting was there to catch her just in time. Even then, Stellar unfalteringly kept her eyes straight ahead at Neo.

Neo scrutinized the irascible teenager for a while. Who knew what thoughts he were entertaining in his head. He obviously did not want to tell what those ideas were, whatever they may be, as the corners of Neo's mouth turned up. "Very well," he acquiesced at last.

The masked commander turned to leave the room. Sting made the first move to follow. Stellar and Auel did too.

Trailing behind, Stellar found herself asking Auel in an irate tone, and with a menacing glance, "By the way, where you the one who slapped me, Auel?"

Her right cheek was still very red. The pinch of pain reminded Stellar.

-----

"Are you sure you don't need me to send you to the space port?"

"No, thank you." Cagalli smiled shyly, jerking her head in the direction of two imposing men in all-black attire.

Athrun and Cagalli stood in the foyer of the Zala Mansion. It was the end of the one-week visitation - a period that had been short yet unforgettable for Athrun, at least that was what Renardo thought as he watched his master bid his guest farewell. Miss Athha had made the house very lively during her stay. She always caused, either by her unassuming actions or her artless words, Athrun to laugh and smile a lot more times than the old man had ever seen. Renardo did not know what to make of the change in his master's attitude. He was glad, though.

"It was fun while it lasted. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for generously accommodating me in your magnificent abode, Mister Zala," Cagalli said, curtsying with a refinement that she herself never thought she was capable of. And apparently, Athrun was also thinking the same, by his reaction. This was certainly unlike Cagalli. He played along anyway.

"No. It was my pleasure, milady." Playing the role of the dashing prince, Athrun bowed gentleman-style and kissed the hand of the princess.

The two stared at one another for some time until they broke out laughing, a while later.

"Cagalli, you should wear dresses more," Athrun remarked, having squeezed out that last ounce of laughter.

Cagalli examined herself from top to bottom. "Dresses like this?"

She was dressed in a lavender-tinged number, with long and big-mouthed filmy sleeves and a sash that rounded Cagalli's thin waist. The garment was another one that belonged to Athrun's mother. At first, Cagalli was highly reluctant to wear any skirts at all. But since the only clothing fit for a lady were Athrun's mother's, Cagalli resigned herself to wearing them. Unexpectedly, she came to like Lenore's dresses. They were not loud or overdecorated. They were comfortable, loose enough, and most of all, very simple. Cagalli decided that if she had to resort to wearing skirts and the like, it had to be easy to move in -- just that.

Though it was not her way, Cagalli tried twirling round in a circle, skirt flying all over, and came to a halt in front of Athrun. The ORB princess put her hands together behind her back, saying, "I guess I should,......not!"

"I knew it." Athrun laughed at the very Cagalli-like answer.

"Miss Cagalli," called out Renardo from the background.

Athrun and Cagalli both diverted their attention to the silent bystander who had gone unnoticed. Renardo approached the yellow-haired teen, gripping a leather-bound book in his wizened hands.

"This is what you were asking about yesterday. It is yours if Master Zala has no objections to my giving it." Renardo said, delivering the object in Cagalli's hands.

"What is it?" Cagalli asked, looking down at the book. It was considerably heavy and a bit dusty.

Recognition immediately hit Athrun, his eyes going big. "That thing?!"

"It is fitting to give Miss Cagalli that as a parting gift, don't you think so Master Zala?" Not having waited for the blue-haired coordinator's consent, the majordomo walked away smiling knowingly.

Dumbfounded, Cagalli stared at the faithful servant's back, then at the book. She flipped the pages, coming to understand what it was. "A photo album?"

"My photo album, to be exact," Athrun mumbled, an embarrassed expression on his face.

Cagalli laughed quietly as she scanned the album, delightfully taking in a charming dose of an Athrun she never got to know. The young lady burst out uncontrollably when she saw a particular picture of baby Athrun effortfully crawling in diapers.

His face crimson, Athrun could tell what Cagalli was so entertained with. "My mother liked taking pictures of me. She left one album here for dad to keep."

"No doubt, this is the best parting gift I could ever receive. Can I really have it, just as Mister Renardo said?" Clutching the album close to her chest, Cagalli gazed at Athrun with pleading eyes.

"Y-yes, you can." The Zala hopelessly could not resist those eyes, the color of the sunset. He tried hard to pull away from its magnet, yet, as always, it ended up urging him into total submission.

Cagalli smiled, clutching the precious object even more tightly. "I don't know how to repay you. Will this do?" And without warning, Cagalli leaned over on the tip of her toes and seized the lips of the coordinator with a soft kiss. Athrun almost fell back at the sudden and bold behavior. Finally, he held Cagalli's arms, reciprocating his feelings.

But, enchantments have to be broken. The two slowly drew away from each other. It was time for the princess to rouse from her nocturnal fantasies, time to leave behind the majestic palace.

"See you again," Cagalli said to Athrun as she stepped out into broad daylight. Her bodyguards were outside waiting to bear her away in a car. They all had their backs turned. Cagalli cleared her throat. The impressive black towers mechanically spun around, acting as if nothing had happened. One of the possés opened the door of the car for their princess.

"You can tell Kisaka whatever you want, guys," Cagalli cheerfully told her protectors, which caught them off-guard, before ducking into the compartment. Athrun heard the blunt statement and tried to suppress a gurgled laugh.

One bodyguard took the driver's seat, the other the passenger seat beside him. The car was revved up; the engine, running; the car, beginning to move forward.

"Bye," mouthed Cagalli, waving to Athrun through the glass. Athrun waved back.

" 'See you again,' huh? I wonder when that would be..." A whimsical Athrun mused to himself.

-----

C.E. 73 - 10.2, 21 months later, PLANT - Armory One

Armory One -- mainly one of the military bases of the PLANTs. It held weapons research and development facilities of which their activities were the utmost secret. In a few days, Armory One was to be the venue for the opening ceremony of the ship Minerva's maiden voyage: a special day to behold, since it was the first in a long run that ZAFT has launched a new spacecraft.

Although Armory One was a PLANT for militaristic purposes, there were several business sectors available. There was even one very near to the space port. This is the shopping district in particular, having a people-friendly environment and appearing just like any normal metropolitan area. People who make in-between stops on Armory One always come to buy their needs close at hand in this district. It was also where grunts were ordered to go to for errands, almost all the time.

"We're only doing this because Talia-san asked us, even though it's not official. But you act like this is an official date, even though it is also not official," said Shinn Asuka, scowling at his partner, the other errand boy...girl, rather.

"Oh, come on. We rarely have the opportunity for some change of environment. Why spoil my enjoyment?" Lunamaria Hawke chirped with amazing energy. "Oh, there's the shop!" She dashed down the side street, going way ahead of Shinn.

"Luna, wait up!" Shinn sprinted to catch up with the fast rose-haired coordinator.

Lunamaria Hawke and Shinn Asuka were two of the ZAFT pilots who were newly commissioned under the equally new Minerva. The two had graduated from the ZAFT Military Academy at the same time, so they were fairly familiar with each other. But they had only worked under Talia Gladys, the commissioned captain of Minerva, for a few months. In that time, Talia Gladys could be evaluated as a strict yet lenient officer, who balanced formality and informality. One of those informalities, was the habit of making her junior crew members run errands for her, lots of them. Unfortunately, Shinn and Luna were the number one favorites/victims who were abused. Lunamaria always accepted the task enthusiastically. But for Shinn, a lot more convincing was needed.

The two coordinators made the necessary purchases and exited the shop.

"Shinn, what is that?" Lunamaria asked, giving much importance to the word "that".

Shinn gave her a puzzling look. "What?"

"Your choice of apparel. I said, what is that?"

"My casual clothes, the type I usually wear when I go out. Is there anything wrong about it?"

"Oh, nothing. You look like a street punk. Very stylish," Lunamaria replied flatly. Shinn really did portray a misfit, in his overly long, sleeveless cream-colored sweater and leggings.

Shinn arched an eyebrow at Lunamaria. "You disapprove of my taste?"

"Oh, no. I won't even begin to tell you how much I want to popularize your trendy fashion." Luna said with much sarcasm. A little afterwards, she heaved a sigh and critically shook her head. "You are incorrigible, Shinn Asuka. I give up utterly."

"Thank you for being so understanding, mom."

"I prefer big sister," Luna retorted.

Shinn smirked. "Now, we're even."

A year ago, he had been very cold to Lunamaria. It was those situations that they were constantly put together into that eventually cracked the ORB-born coordinator's shell. The relationship just grew from there. Lunamaria looked out for Shinn almost as if she were an elder sister, since she was older than him by a year. She never pushed him to tell her about the pink mobile phone he always had with him. It only came naturally to Shinn when he was able to put more faith in the female. He opened up, relating to her about his past -- how he lost his parents and sister in an attack on ORB, how the celphone was his only memento of his sister, Mayu, and why he resolved to join ZAFT. Lunamaria was sympathetic and tactful enough not to ask him more than what he wanted to say.

"Hey, isn't that Athrun Zala?" Shinn noted to Lunamaria.

Lunamaria's eyes traveled here and there. "Where? Where?"

"There." Shinn pointed out an azure-haired guy leisurely sauntering side by side with a lady.

"You're right! Who's that girl with him?"

Shinn shrugged. "His girlfriend, perhaps. Who knows?"

"That's ridiculous. He's engaged to Lacus Clyne, that famous pop idol I told you about. But, I've also heard some rumors that they're not engaged anymore. I'm not sure if it's true, though."

"You are a gossipmonger when it comes to stuff about Athrun Zala, haven't you noticed?" Shinn punctuated the statement. "I don't really know things in PLANT, but thanks to you, I think I'm much more updated than I care to be."

Shinn and Lunamaria were oblivious of it, but they were unconsciously following after the young Zala and his female companion. Lunamaria began a passionate discussion about the history of Athrun Zala, which Shinn was prepared for, having been made to listen to it many times unwillingly. "They say he was a serious type of fellow who graduated from the ZAFT Military Academy with the highest marks of his batch. When he was transferred to the special forces, he directly took orders from his father, Patrick Zala. And I believe it wasn't just because Athrun was his son. He had the skills to prove it. At the battle of Jachin Doue, he was the one who stopped GENESIS from firing on its target--"

"Luna, you have given me enough proof that you worship him from head to feet," Shinn cut off suddenly, hearing enough of the exploits of the so-called extraordinary person.

"What?! I do not!"

"It's official. Lunamaria Hawke is a rabid fangirl of Athrun Zala."

"Well, as much as I admire him, I don't worship him that way. What makes you think I do that?"

Shinn gave no answer. Lunamaria could figure the answer herself, he was thinking. They had already lost sight of the subject of their conversation. The two were still debating as they turned round a corner...

...and Shinn collided into a blond girl who came out of nowhere. The brown paper bag Shinn was grasping flew out of his hand. The coordinator reflexively arrested the girl's movement, holding her in a difficult place.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Shinn inquired in a concerned voice.

Reactions were slow. The girl glanced sideward at Shinn, disoriented. Then, blue eyes turned savage. Pulling violently away from Shinn's hold, the girl quickly stormed off. Taken aback, Shinn watched the figure with jaw hanging slightly open.

"You were holding her awkwardly," Lunamaria said matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Shinn stared down at his hands. He turned red as he realized he was holding the girl awkwardly. But he really did not mean to do it.

"To be felt up by her breasts, I wonder why the girl did not smack you some in the face."

"It was an accident!" helplessly denied Shinn.

Lunamaria squinted her eyes at Shinn, skeptical. "Hmm...Is it?" She turned her nose up and started walking away from Shinn.

"Luna, I'm telling you the truth! It was totally an accident!" The boy scooped up the paper bag from the ground, running after the seemingly angry/jealous Lunamaria.

-----

Stellar Loussier was an enigma, unpredictable and moody. Sometimes, she acted like a ditzy airhead without a care in the world. But, when need arose, her personality would change entirely. A different personality. A different Stellar.

She, Auel Neider, and Sting Oakley were inside a warehouse on Armory One. They had a mission to be done, an operation that must be carried out successfully. And operation starts now...

to be continued...

-

Yeah. Of course you know what happens right? But, who knows. I might write my own version of the sequel, or do something strange...

Not exciting enough? Lacks romance? Needs more detail? Wrong ideas? Bad grammar? Any interesting/crazy ideas for the plotline or any character you want to appear in the next chapter? I need feedback. Good or bad.

Lol. When I was saving this file, I almost typed the filename as 'Afterwars'. I found it ironic, considering this story is afterwards and after war. Then the after war part reminded me of Star Wars. Cagalli is Princess Leia. Kira is Luke Skywalker. Athrun is Han Solo.

The first part was the last scene from Chapter 5, revamped. I did say that I would rewrite that sloppily done scene.

Notes:

Djibril (yes, the spelling's right) has a black cat and wears (ugh) purple lipstick. Stellar has two brothers that died in the war. Also, Meyrin has an inferiority complex and Lunamaria is the more energetic and friendly type. I made a mistake with how I portrayed them in Chapter 4. Luna acts like a mother figure to Shinn and gets on his case when it comes to this guy's dress code. I read this from somewhere. It gave me an idea in this chapter. Also, I had to make those things up about Armory One and Talia Gladys.