Yzak Jule (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
coordination) wrote2020-05-21 04:24 pm
coordination) wrote2020-05-21 04:24 pm
Entry tags:
Yzak SEED Novel Excerpts Part 2
I had most of this ready already, so here we go!
DISCLAIMER: My translations aren't always the best as I'm pretty meager at it, so some parts will be translated, and some may more be me summarizing jists of things as I probably had a tough time putting something into the right words. But also hey I'm basically mostly doing this for myself anyway.
< We must struggle now in the present, so that we can have a bright and peaceful future! >
At the ZAFT military base in Carpentaria, Patrick Zala's speech was being broadcast. Yzak Jule listened to it with mixed feelings. Rau Le Creuset politely spoke his own thoughts, though he had a faint smile on his face. "It seems the Chairman is having a lot of trouble with Lacus Clyne."
Gathered in the briefing room was the Creuset team, that included newly dispatched members. Yzak was the only member left from the original team. Rusty, Miguel, Olor, even Nicol and Dearka were all gone. Thinking about that, he feels a hatred rise toward the enemies who robbed them from him. However unlike his former self, there was a slight hesitation there as well.
"That's probably why we haven't been given a return order yet." Rau half joked, which made the newcomers smile a little. But from Yzak's mouth came doubt.
"But... I can't believe [Lacus] is a traitor..."
Even Yzak had a fascination of the songs of the diva who was the idol of the people, as a fan. He didn't like her being Athrun's fiance, but even Yzak who saw Athrun as a rival had to admit they made a good match. It seemed unlikely that a girl like her would just betray and sell out her own people. The new teammates had expressions that seemed to agree with his words.
However, Rau disagreed with Yzak. "She's being used by the Clyne faction. How could you be deceived as well?"
In the past, Yzak would have been ashamed of himself to receive a remark like that from his superior. But now, Rau's words seemed suspicious. That was because of the red haired girl standing in the corner with a ZAFT uniform on just like a regular member of the army. Nobody knew why she was there or why she was always with him. But she was a Natural, the enemy. (The next two lines I can't 100% do with confidence, it's a line about asking about intent, and then something about thinking about Rau waking her up in her room? It comes off as creepo but I'm not sure what's being implied there, though considering the next paragraph and what Yzak draws a parallel to it might be? Idk!)
It irritated Yzak. Waltfeld was also accompanied by a woman on the battlefield, though it was hard to say if such an act was considered acceptable. Moreover, this Natural girl always looked like she had been thrown into the monster's den, frequently shrinking back with a look of fear on her face, that also got on Yzak's nerves.
"The thoughts of many get tangled up in war. Don't lose sight of what you're fighting against." Rau spoke with his usual, insidious smile. Yzak, along with the rest of the crew sat up straight with a 'yes!', but internally his mind was still plagued with doubts.
Patrick Zala's speech, that if you continued to fight and destroy your enemies, you will reach the promised land where honey drips.
Yzak did not simply accept those words. But at the same time he had no choice but to keep following those words. If you don't want to be destroyed, you have to destroy your enemy. Thinking of Alaska and Panama, his friends that are all gone--
Or - is there some other way?
"You haven't been home in quite a while, Yzak." Rau said smoothly as he entered the shuttle, moving up to his seat. "Show your face to your family and reassure them."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
Fllay stood in the aisle and looked around, until the platinum blond boy behind her yelled out, annoyed, "Hurry up and sit down!"
With a wince, Fllay moved forward. The boy called Yzak was one of Rau's more noticeable pilots. Despite having a handsome face, his scar that ran across it as well as his sharp eyes frightened Fllay. Getting away from the boy, she quickly moved and sat down next to Rau. After all, she had no choice but to rely on this cold, indescribable man. It was no use asking for anyone for help. All around her where enemy Coordinators. That thought terrified her. Even that Yzak boy who looked around the same age as Ssigh and her other friends was a Coordinator. But one shouldn't be fooled by appearances, and moreover, as a mobile suit pilot he was someone who had threatened them many times in the past.
< Lacus Clyne is only being used! With a heart that wishes for peace... >
Ezalia Jule's decree was broadcast on both sides of the TV. A man was watching the broadcast in his office. He met her son, Yzak Jule once.
"Is this the new GuAIZ?"
Yzak stood in the nostalgic mobile suit deck of the Vesalius, looking up at the new commander's machine. After returning to their homeland of PLANT, the Creuset team stopped at their original mother ship for the time being, Yzak and the rest of the crew were to be given a short vacation thereafter.
The mechanic working on the new mobile suit turned around at [Yzak's] voice and replied amicably. "Oh, yes, it's the latest state-of-the-art MMI machine."
(There was a lot of mech jargon here. I AM NOT TRANSLATING ALL THAT here's a GuAIZ Wiki for it)
The mechanic looked up proudly at the mobile suit and said, "These guys will be riding the line more and more! Once we start deploying these, we'll wipe out those Natural's from space in no time, right?"
The simple hope which hung in his voice put Yzak off. Did this solder understand what exactly he was saying? Did he know that 'those Naturals' die bleeding the same red blood that they did? No, he didn't know. That's why he could so innocently hope for victory.
Yzak wanted to win. Losing only meant a dark future ahead of them, as Chairman Zala said, and that much was true. But he didn't think that should mean eradicating all of their enemies.
Stop it already! Suddenly, he heard the pained voice from Alaska in his ears. The enemy who saved Yzak, but revealed the existence of CYCLOPS to everyone to save them. What were the thoughts of the person in the cockpit of that mobile suit?
But, how do we stop?
What can you do if you speak outloud "let's stop this now" and then as soon as you turn your back, you're shot? Even if one pilot called for an end, as long as there's at least one other person who doesn't listen to that, the battle won't end. And very few listen. No matter how much Lacus Clyne called for peace, people still called to fight. Driven by revenge and fear of the other person, stuck on one's own superiority.
"I'll leave that part to you!" Yzak turned his back to the carefree-speaking mechanic and silently walked away.
One of them, Yzak, was listening to their words with a depressed expression. The news that Athrun had fled after stealing a new, state-of-the-art mobile suit seriously shocked him.
(Rau and Ades talk about stuff, particularly Andy/the Eternal being stolen)
Yzak remembered the man who helped steal the Eternal. For a brief time, he served under Waltfeld. He was an upbeat and cheerful guy back then, Yzak thought to himself. He was frivolous and indecisive, and back then he wasn't someone Yzak felt he could respect as a person, never letting up in front of his men and having a woman on the battlefield with him. But now hearing someone like Creuset talk down about him made Yzak indecisive, as he glanced over at the red haired girl that he had with him.
He used to judge Waltfeld's personality as a commander, but now he wondered if that thinking was correct. While he seemed sloppy, Waltfeld was adored by his men. If asked about him, they'd say something stupid about him but then laugh and say "well that's just the kind of person he is." If [Yzak] were asked that about Rau, how would he answer? After a compliment about being a calm and composed person, there was a feeling of wanting to add a "but..."
Rau continued speaking to Ades with a meaningful tone. "Things don't always work out as you have them planned in your head. And, it's difficult to understand the thoughts someone is hiding in their heart."
Yes, even in Waltfeld's case, the most surprising thing for Yzak was that even though he came off as a sloppy hedonist, he had shown a surprising defiance against the regime with his actions. It was said that one should not only look at a surface to understand something.
Rau looked up at the pensive Yzak. "Yzak. From now on, Athrun is your enemy."
The words broke Yzak's thought.
"Can you shoot him?" Rau continued.
He heard that Athrun had stolen a new state of the art machine, attacked his father the chairman, failed, and then fled. He couldn't believe it, the usually serious and calm Athrun... But those facts couldn't be changed. However, it's impossible to understand the thoughts a person is hiding in their heart.
"Of course... I'll shoot any traitor...!" Yzak spat out. At first, he disliked everything about [Athrun]. He was better at things in so many ways, but never boasted about it, which only fueled [Yzak's] inferiority complex even more. However, as they fought together, feelings other than opposition began to emerge in Yzak, such as respect and understanding of the other party, and perhaps he was beginning to feel something like friendship.
That guy... even my feelings were betrayed!
With some distance, he could calmly look at Waltfeld. But he couldn't think of Athrun that way. He bitterly looked at the tracking of the ship in the monitor. Once a rival, he stared at the footsteps of someone he considered a comrade.
Next to [Rau], Yzak glanced at the battle scenes beyond Mendel. "Two Archangels--?" From their position, they couldn't see details even if they expanded the monitor. The two ships shot at each other, and several mobile suits were interlaced and fighting in the surrounding airspace.
"In addition to the Eternal, three ships..."
Inside the harbor was a heatsource that was assumed to be the Eternal. But what about the others?
"One is the Paw, but why is it fighting against an Earth Alliance ship?"
(Some Rau dramatics/talk here but NEXT)
Yzak understood how [the Archangel] escaped Alaska, as he too was able to get away before the slaughter. However, he didn't understand how [Archangel] was connected to the Eternal. Freedom came to the support of the Eternal, the ship seized by Lacus Clyne, at Jachin Due. Thus, they had to have a relationship with the Archangel. But if it was the Clyne faction in the first place that sold information about Operation Spit Break to the coalition, why were they opposing the Earth Alliance now?
"Anyway, if we don't understand the situation, we can't do anything about it." Rau turned away from the monitor to Yzak. "Yzak and I will infiltrate the colony and collect information first."
"The commander is heading out?" Ades asked, surprised, and Yzak too was confused for a moment. Usually reconnaissance was left to a subordinate. However, Rau seemed to have no intention to reverse the decision and continued to instruct Ades. "The Vesalius, Helderlin and Heusinger will not move from here. ... Colony Mendel... if all goes well, we can put an end to many things..."
He left the bridge, Yzak following. Did Rau also wonder what kind of power the Eternal had, and what its purpose was? That last murmur of his didn't seem to imply that was his focus. Once again, Yzak felt frustrated because he could not understand [Rau's] intentions.
< Let's go! >
When he heard the voice of his superior through the communication device, Yzak looked into the monitor and noticed two mobile suits. The computer expanded its functionality as the monitor identified the models. Yzak's eyed widened.
The GAT-X105: Strike ... that Athrun said he had destroyed--!
However, even that surprise was blown away by the subsequent display. GAT-X103.
"Buster...?"
It felt like [Yzak's] body temperature dropped. The sarcastic smile of the friend who used to pilot the machine flashed in front of his eyes and disappeared in an instant. Yzak had already given up on Dearka - or so he had thought. But seeing the machine again, he found himself far from giving up. He didn't see his death with his own eyes, so maybe Dearka was out there and just unable to contact them. somewhere in his heart [Yzak] couldn't give up hope. So seeing his machine with the Earth Alliance...
Dearka's...!
The blood that just felt ice cold was now boiling in anger.
Stupid Naturals! First they kill Dearka and take his machine, and now they're riding it around in front of me...
"Bastards!"
Yzak took out his beam saber and swung it toward the Buster.
"How dare you use Dearka's machine!"
The Buster avoided the attack, and attempted to move back to a safe distance. Buster was better suited for long distance battles, so it was natural for it to move back against the Duel. It looked like it was scared and trying to get away, which made Yzak angry.
"You Natural!"
NOTES AND FINAL THOUGHTS/MY EMOTIONS
The stuff with Rau and Fllay and the parallel Yzak is drawing between Andy and Aisha I wasn't 100% sure on but I think the assumption Yzak is making is supposed to be like, OOF-inducing. Like Andy and Aisha ok, because they're actually A Couple and Adults and then Rau and Fllay are mmmmmmmmm bad bad especially with the 'papa' complex. So basically I wasn't sure how to translate it because I didn't want to be wrong and make it sound worse than it was, but also it sounds like it might be since Yzak drew that parallel more than once?
The line "Patrick Zala's speech, that if you continued to fight and destroy your enemies, you will reach the promised land where honey drips" is most likely a biblical reference to the whole, God's description of the Promised Land as “a land flowing with milk and honey.”
The tiny scene with Ezalia's speech, obviously the man listening to once met Yzak is Andy.
Yzak's thought of "That guy... even my feelings were betrayed!" I wasn't sure if it more a 'he betrayed my feelings' or more of a 'my feelings betrayed me' in starting to actually see him as a friend. So I went with a middle ground line since I wasn't sure. Either way, dramatic!
I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR NOTES SO now........... some personal rambling.
First with the Melancholy of Yzak drama it's so great seeing this stuff about how Yzak feels about Lacus, and also Lacus and Athrun considering BOTH misunderstandings in that drama. They actually use the word 'fan' in katakana to describe it here so YZAK IS A FAN. Fuckin Lacus fanboy you love to see it.
Again like I talked about in my last post, I love the extra introspection and how Yzak is taking those first steps about questioning things/distrust himself without the extra push a lot of other characters got that got them to that point a lot faster. Everything Rau says now, Yzak turns around in his head, realizing that sometimes it's obtuse on purpose, or meant to silence any dissuaded intentions. Despite this though, Yzak is still a soldier, so his overall options are very limited at this point in the series still. He even THINKS ABOUT THIS, he actually thinks about the idea of wanting things to stop, but he's also not stupid enough to actually voice it because as he continues to think, if someone suddenly said that in the middle of ZAFT, their ass would be shot in the back. So Yzak has those ideas, but he knows he's trapped in a way where he can't make a difference on his own yet without being snuffed out.
So even from a distance, the actions of others like Lacus, Athrun and Andy are influencing him, because they're people he considered comrades. What he's being fed/told by Rau and Patrick Zala versus what he knows about these comrades who are going rogue is putting him between a rock and a hard place. But he's still thinking, and he's still questioning which aligns with what a lot of these people did before bouncing to the third neutral faction.
Yzak thinking of Kira's voice in Alaska again lmao. Yzak you're in for a surprise soon.
Also, ALSO. That whole part about Yzak thinking about how Freedom was with Eternal at Jachin Due but was protecting the Archangel earlier and does that mean they're connected too and Yzak coming so close and trying SO hard to piece things together and try to figure how it all clicks...
LITERALLY YZAK'S BRAIN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT.
Speaking of.
However, as they fought together, feelings other than opposition began to emerge in Yzak, such as respect and understanding of the other party, and perhaps he was beginning to feel something like friendship.
This novel IMMEDIATELY CAME FOR MY FUCKING LIFE in the very first Mendel scene with Yzak's reactions to Buster and thinking about Dearka. His FACE FLASHING THROUGH HIS MIND AND DISAPPEARING QUICKLY. His BLOOD FREEZING and then BOILING. He doesn't even know Dearka is alive yet and I'm already being attacked, I'd like to sue. I can't wait until Yzak suffers more.
The line "difficult to understand the thoughts someone is hiding in their heart" which already came up again for Yzak in this batch of scenes is something the novel decides to make a recurring thing/thought for him, about wanting to know what those thoughts are for others. Which I absolutely love and adore but am also crying over because that whole theme/concept is my favorite thing about another favorite character of mine (Dio Eraclea from Last Exile, particularly toward Lucciola). It'll be mentioned again in the next post when I get around to that.
I can't wait for these next scenes to kill me. :')
DISCLAIMER: My translations aren't always the best as I'm pretty meager at it, so some parts will be translated, and some may more be me summarizing jists of things as I probably had a tough time putting something into the right words. But also hey I'm basically mostly doing this for myself anyway.
< We must struggle now in the present, so that we can have a bright and peaceful future! >
At the ZAFT military base in Carpentaria, Patrick Zala's speech was being broadcast. Yzak Jule listened to it with mixed feelings. Rau Le Creuset politely spoke his own thoughts, though he had a faint smile on his face. "It seems the Chairman is having a lot of trouble with Lacus Clyne."
Gathered in the briefing room was the Creuset team, that included newly dispatched members. Yzak was the only member left from the original team. Rusty, Miguel, Olor, even Nicol and Dearka were all gone. Thinking about that, he feels a hatred rise toward the enemies who robbed them from him. However unlike his former self, there was a slight hesitation there as well.
"That's probably why we haven't been given a return order yet." Rau half joked, which made the newcomers smile a little. But from Yzak's mouth came doubt.
"But... I can't believe [Lacus] is a traitor..."
Even Yzak had a fascination of the songs of the diva who was the idol of the people, as a fan. He didn't like her being Athrun's fiance, but even Yzak who saw Athrun as a rival had to admit they made a good match. It seemed unlikely that a girl like her would just betray and sell out her own people. The new teammates had expressions that seemed to agree with his words.
However, Rau disagreed with Yzak. "She's being used by the Clyne faction. How could you be deceived as well?"
In the past, Yzak would have been ashamed of himself to receive a remark like that from his superior. But now, Rau's words seemed suspicious. That was because of the red haired girl standing in the corner with a ZAFT uniform on just like a regular member of the army. Nobody knew why she was there or why she was always with him. But she was a Natural, the enemy. (The next two lines I can't 100% do with confidence, it's a line about asking about intent, and then something about thinking about Rau waking her up in her room? It comes off as creepo but I'm not sure what's being implied there, though considering the next paragraph and what Yzak draws a parallel to it might be? Idk!)
It irritated Yzak. Waltfeld was also accompanied by a woman on the battlefield, though it was hard to say if such an act was considered acceptable. Moreover, this Natural girl always looked like she had been thrown into the monster's den, frequently shrinking back with a look of fear on her face, that also got on Yzak's nerves.
"The thoughts of many get tangled up in war. Don't lose sight of what you're fighting against." Rau spoke with his usual, insidious smile. Yzak, along with the rest of the crew sat up straight with a 'yes!', but internally his mind was still plagued with doubts.
Patrick Zala's speech, that if you continued to fight and destroy your enemies, you will reach the promised land where honey drips.
Yzak did not simply accept those words. But at the same time he had no choice but to keep following those words. If you don't want to be destroyed, you have to destroy your enemy. Thinking of Alaska and Panama, his friends that are all gone--
Or - is there some other way?
"You haven't been home in quite a while, Yzak." Rau said smoothly as he entered the shuttle, moving up to his seat. "Show your face to your family and reassure them."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
Fllay stood in the aisle and looked around, until the platinum blond boy behind her yelled out, annoyed, "Hurry up and sit down!"
With a wince, Fllay moved forward. The boy called Yzak was one of Rau's more noticeable pilots. Despite having a handsome face, his scar that ran across it as well as his sharp eyes frightened Fllay. Getting away from the boy, she quickly moved and sat down next to Rau. After all, she had no choice but to rely on this cold, indescribable man. It was no use asking for anyone for help. All around her where enemy Coordinators. That thought terrified her. Even that Yzak boy who looked around the same age as Ssigh and her other friends was a Coordinator. But one shouldn't be fooled by appearances, and moreover, as a mobile suit pilot he was someone who had threatened them many times in the past.
< Lacus Clyne is only being used! With a heart that wishes for peace... >
Ezalia Jule's decree was broadcast on both sides of the TV. A man was watching the broadcast in his office. He met her son, Yzak Jule once.
"Is this the new GuAIZ?"
Yzak stood in the nostalgic mobile suit deck of the Vesalius, looking up at the new commander's machine. After returning to their homeland of PLANT, the Creuset team stopped at their original mother ship for the time being, Yzak and the rest of the crew were to be given a short vacation thereafter.
The mechanic working on the new mobile suit turned around at [Yzak's] voice and replied amicably. "Oh, yes, it's the latest state-of-the-art MMI machine."
(There was a lot of mech jargon here. I AM NOT TRANSLATING ALL THAT here's a GuAIZ Wiki for it)
The mechanic looked up proudly at the mobile suit and said, "These guys will be riding the line more and more! Once we start deploying these, we'll wipe out those Natural's from space in no time, right?"
The simple hope which hung in his voice put Yzak off. Did this solder understand what exactly he was saying? Did he know that 'those Naturals' die bleeding the same red blood that they did? No, he didn't know. That's why he could so innocently hope for victory.
Yzak wanted to win. Losing only meant a dark future ahead of them, as Chairman Zala said, and that much was true. But he didn't think that should mean eradicating all of their enemies.
Stop it already! Suddenly, he heard the pained voice from Alaska in his ears. The enemy who saved Yzak, but revealed the existence of CYCLOPS to everyone to save them. What were the thoughts of the person in the cockpit of that mobile suit?
But, how do we stop?
What can you do if you speak outloud "let's stop this now" and then as soon as you turn your back, you're shot? Even if one pilot called for an end, as long as there's at least one other person who doesn't listen to that, the battle won't end. And very few listen. No matter how much Lacus Clyne called for peace, people still called to fight. Driven by revenge and fear of the other person, stuck on one's own superiority.
"I'll leave that part to you!" Yzak turned his back to the carefree-speaking mechanic and silently walked away.
One of them, Yzak, was listening to their words with a depressed expression. The news that Athrun had fled after stealing a new, state-of-the-art mobile suit seriously shocked him.
(Rau and Ades talk about stuff, particularly Andy/the Eternal being stolen)
Yzak remembered the man who helped steal the Eternal. For a brief time, he served under Waltfeld. He was an upbeat and cheerful guy back then, Yzak thought to himself. He was frivolous and indecisive, and back then he wasn't someone Yzak felt he could respect as a person, never letting up in front of his men and having a woman on the battlefield with him. But now hearing someone like Creuset talk down about him made Yzak indecisive, as he glanced over at the red haired girl that he had with him.
He used to judge Waltfeld's personality as a commander, but now he wondered if that thinking was correct. While he seemed sloppy, Waltfeld was adored by his men. If asked about him, they'd say something stupid about him but then laugh and say "well that's just the kind of person he is." If [Yzak] were asked that about Rau, how would he answer? After a compliment about being a calm and composed person, there was a feeling of wanting to add a "but..."
Rau continued speaking to Ades with a meaningful tone. "Things don't always work out as you have them planned in your head. And, it's difficult to understand the thoughts someone is hiding in their heart."
Yes, even in Waltfeld's case, the most surprising thing for Yzak was that even though he came off as a sloppy hedonist, he had shown a surprising defiance against the regime with his actions. It was said that one should not only look at a surface to understand something.
Rau looked up at the pensive Yzak. "Yzak. From now on, Athrun is your enemy."
The words broke Yzak's thought.
"Can you shoot him?" Rau continued.
He heard that Athrun had stolen a new state of the art machine, attacked his father the chairman, failed, and then fled. He couldn't believe it, the usually serious and calm Athrun... But those facts couldn't be changed. However, it's impossible to understand the thoughts a person is hiding in their heart.
"Of course... I'll shoot any traitor...!" Yzak spat out. At first, he disliked everything about [Athrun]. He was better at things in so many ways, but never boasted about it, which only fueled [Yzak's] inferiority complex even more. However, as they fought together, feelings other than opposition began to emerge in Yzak, such as respect and understanding of the other party, and perhaps he was beginning to feel something like friendship.
That guy... even my feelings were betrayed!
With some distance, he could calmly look at Waltfeld. But he couldn't think of Athrun that way. He bitterly looked at the tracking of the ship in the monitor. Once a rival, he stared at the footsteps of someone he considered a comrade.
Next to [Rau], Yzak glanced at the battle scenes beyond Mendel. "Two Archangels--?" From their position, they couldn't see details even if they expanded the monitor. The two ships shot at each other, and several mobile suits were interlaced and fighting in the surrounding airspace.
"In addition to the Eternal, three ships..."
Inside the harbor was a heatsource that was assumed to be the Eternal. But what about the others?
"One is the Paw, but why is it fighting against an Earth Alliance ship?"
(Some Rau dramatics/talk here but NEXT)
Yzak understood how [the Archangel] escaped Alaska, as he too was able to get away before the slaughter. However, he didn't understand how [Archangel] was connected to the Eternal. Freedom came to the support of the Eternal, the ship seized by Lacus Clyne, at Jachin Due. Thus, they had to have a relationship with the Archangel. But if it was the Clyne faction in the first place that sold information about Operation Spit Break to the coalition, why were they opposing the Earth Alliance now?
"Anyway, if we don't understand the situation, we can't do anything about it." Rau turned away from the monitor to Yzak. "Yzak and I will infiltrate the colony and collect information first."
"The commander is heading out?" Ades asked, surprised, and Yzak too was confused for a moment. Usually reconnaissance was left to a subordinate. However, Rau seemed to have no intention to reverse the decision and continued to instruct Ades. "The Vesalius, Helderlin and Heusinger will not move from here. ... Colony Mendel... if all goes well, we can put an end to many things..."
He left the bridge, Yzak following. Did Rau also wonder what kind of power the Eternal had, and what its purpose was? That last murmur of his didn't seem to imply that was his focus. Once again, Yzak felt frustrated because he could not understand [Rau's] intentions.
< Let's go! >
When he heard the voice of his superior through the communication device, Yzak looked into the monitor and noticed two mobile suits. The computer expanded its functionality as the monitor identified the models. Yzak's eyed widened.
The GAT-X105: Strike ... that Athrun said he had destroyed--!
However, even that surprise was blown away by the subsequent display. GAT-X103.
"Buster...?"
It felt like [Yzak's] body temperature dropped. The sarcastic smile of the friend who used to pilot the machine flashed in front of his eyes and disappeared in an instant. Yzak had already given up on Dearka - or so he had thought. But seeing the machine again, he found himself far from giving up. He didn't see his death with his own eyes, so maybe Dearka was out there and just unable to contact them. somewhere in his heart [Yzak] couldn't give up hope. So seeing his machine with the Earth Alliance...
Dearka's...!
The blood that just felt ice cold was now boiling in anger.
Stupid Naturals! First they kill Dearka and take his machine, and now they're riding it around in front of me...
"Bastards!"
Yzak took out his beam saber and swung it toward the Buster.
"How dare you use Dearka's machine!"
The Buster avoided the attack, and attempted to move back to a safe distance. Buster was better suited for long distance battles, so it was natural for it to move back against the Duel. It looked like it was scared and trying to get away, which made Yzak angry.
"You Natural!"
NOTES AND FINAL THOUGHTS/MY EMOTIONS
The stuff with Rau and Fllay and the parallel Yzak is drawing between Andy and Aisha I wasn't 100% sure on but I think the assumption Yzak is making is supposed to be like, OOF-inducing. Like Andy and Aisha ok, because they're actually A Couple and Adults and then Rau and Fllay are mmmmmmmmm bad bad especially with the 'papa' complex. So basically I wasn't sure how to translate it because I didn't want to be wrong and make it sound worse than it was, but also it sounds like it might be since Yzak drew that parallel more than once?
The line "Patrick Zala's speech, that if you continued to fight and destroy your enemies, you will reach the promised land where honey drips" is most likely a biblical reference to the whole, God's description of the Promised Land as “a land flowing with milk and honey.”
The tiny scene with Ezalia's speech, obviously the man listening to once met Yzak is Andy.
Yzak's thought of "That guy... even my feelings were betrayed!" I wasn't sure if it more a 'he betrayed my feelings' or more of a 'my feelings betrayed me' in starting to actually see him as a friend. So I went with a middle ground line since I wasn't sure. Either way, dramatic!
I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR NOTES SO now........... some personal rambling.
First with the Melancholy of Yzak drama it's so great seeing this stuff about how Yzak feels about Lacus, and also Lacus and Athrun considering BOTH misunderstandings in that drama. They actually use the word 'fan' in katakana to describe it here so YZAK IS A FAN. Fuckin Lacus fanboy you love to see it.
Again like I talked about in my last post, I love the extra introspection and how Yzak is taking those first steps about questioning things/distrust himself without the extra push a lot of other characters got that got them to that point a lot faster. Everything Rau says now, Yzak turns around in his head, realizing that sometimes it's obtuse on purpose, or meant to silence any dissuaded intentions. Despite this though, Yzak is still a soldier, so his overall options are very limited at this point in the series still. He even THINKS ABOUT THIS, he actually thinks about the idea of wanting things to stop, but he's also not stupid enough to actually voice it because as he continues to think, if someone suddenly said that in the middle of ZAFT, their ass would be shot in the back. So Yzak has those ideas, but he knows he's trapped in a way where he can't make a difference on his own yet without being snuffed out.
So even from a distance, the actions of others like Lacus, Athrun and Andy are influencing him, because they're people he considered comrades. What he's being fed/told by Rau and Patrick Zala versus what he knows about these comrades who are going rogue is putting him between a rock and a hard place. But he's still thinking, and he's still questioning which aligns with what a lot of these people did before bouncing to the third neutral faction.
Yzak thinking of Kira's voice in Alaska again lmao. Yzak you're in for a surprise soon.
Also, ALSO. That whole part about Yzak thinking about how Freedom was with Eternal at Jachin Due but was protecting the Archangel earlier and does that mean they're connected too and Yzak coming so close and trying SO hard to piece things together and try to figure how it all clicks...
LITERALLY YZAK'S BRAIN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT.
Speaking of.
However, as they fought together, feelings other than opposition began to emerge in Yzak, such as respect and understanding of the other party, and perhaps he was beginning to feel something like friendship.
This novel IMMEDIATELY CAME FOR MY FUCKING LIFE in the very first Mendel scene with Yzak's reactions to Buster and thinking about Dearka. His FACE FLASHING THROUGH HIS MIND AND DISAPPEARING QUICKLY. His BLOOD FREEZING and then BOILING. He doesn't even know Dearka is alive yet and I'm already being attacked, I'd like to sue. I can't wait until Yzak suffers more.
The line "difficult to understand the thoughts someone is hiding in their heart" which already came up again for Yzak in this batch of scenes is something the novel decides to make a recurring thing/thought for him, about wanting to know what those thoughts are for others. Which I absolutely love and adore but am also crying over because that whole theme/concept is my favorite thing about another favorite character of mine (Dio Eraclea from Last Exile, particularly toward Lucciola). It'll be mentioned again in the next post when I get around to that.
I can't wait for these next scenes to kill me. :')