Yzak Jule (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
coordination) wrote2020-10-13 09:01 pm
coordination) wrote2020-10-13 09:01 pm
Entry tags:
Yzak Destiny Novel Excerpts Part 2
Time for the next batch already! With that big timejump because we didn't get Yzak and Dearka doing much in between. ;(
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.
When [Athrun] opened the door of his room, there stood the familiar face of Yzak Jule.
"Yzak!?" Athrun involuntarily raised a surprised voice. This was a hotel room he was currently being accommodated in. When he responded to the door chime and opened the door, Yzak stood outside of it, with Dearka next to him with a lopsided smile.
"You bastard...!" Without any sort of greeting, the moment Yzak saw his face he suddenly grabbed at his collar as he stepped in. "What the hell is this!?"
"W-wait a minute! Hey!" That was also what Athrun wanted to know.
Dearka approached from behind Yzak with a look of 'why is this guy always like this?' as he held his head.
When Yzak finally let go, Athrun indignantly raised his voice. "What is this, all of a sudden!?"
"That's my line, Athrun!" Yzak pointed his finger at him with an angry expression. "We're extremely busy right now, yet we were suddenly called by the council and wondered why - and we've been assigned to be your escorts and surveillance!?"
"Eh?" Unexpectedly, Athrun was taken by surprise again.
"Why must I be called from the front lines for something like this!?"
"Escort and surveillance...?"
After another stunned question, Dearka poked his head out from behind Yzak and interjected. "You want to go out, don't you?"
"Dearka..." Athrun looked at him earnestly, Dearka put a finger to his forehead in a greeting and winked.
"It's been a while. But it can't helped at a time like this. No matter how friendly you are, you can't walk around PLANT as you are without permission, right?"
"Yeah ... I was told that." Recalling the day before when he asked authorities if he could go out, Athrun continued to speak in surprise. "I was told someone would accompany me. But that's ... you guys?"
When he looked at Yzak again, he impatiently spat out, "that's right!" and turned his head away again, dressed as if he was in disguise, and Athrun felt a laugh bubble up but quickly shut his mouth. Really, he hadn't changed at all.
"Well, it must mean someone who's aware of our situation had something to do with this." Dearka noted as they made their way down the hotel hallway. When he said that, Athrun thought of Durandal's handsome face and let out a breath.
Yzak, along with his surly expression, didn't speak for a while. The scar on his face that he received from battle two years ago was gone, and he was wearing a light green suit. He had a slightly mature appearance, but his personality seemed to have remained as it always was.
Athrun was a little uneasy about whether he was fit to be a commander. Maybe Dearka, who liked to look after him regardless of appearance, diligently had his back.
Although in Dearka's case, he seemed to have not been charged after defecting during the war and returned to ZAFT. That probably wasn't the only reason, he was pretty sure that Yzak had covered for him. While he was blunt and clumsy, he cared about his friends more than anyone.
Finally, the feeling of their reunion hit him, and Athrun walked shoulder to shoulder with his friend with a warm feeling in his heart. Then, Dearka asked him.
"So? Where do you want to go?"
Yzak glared sidewise. "If you say something like shopping, I'll never forgive you!"
"Nothing like that."
At least he wouldn't incur his anger any longer. Fortunate, but he didn't say that outloud. Athrun smiled and replied. "Just for a bit ... Nicol and the others' graves..."
Upon hearing the name, pain flashed across Yzak's face.
"I can't come to PLANT very often ... so I just wanted to go..."
Nicol Amarfi - Just like Yzak and the others, he was a boy who used to be a comrade. His name was engraved on a smooth, stone surface. The numbers below it indicated that his life was cute short at the mere age of fifteen.
Standing in the open cemetery, the three of them laid flowers on the graves of their friends. Miguel Ayman, Rusty Mackenzie ... so many young men, so many young lives cut too short ended up here, and were now sleeping in this place. No, their bodies weren't beneath these tombstones. Their bodies had been scattered on the battlefield, leaving their bereaved family with not even a hair to hold on to.
That's what war is. Where a young life with endless potential can be pointlessly cut off.
Nicol loved the piano. If it had not been for the war, he would have become a great pianist. A kind boy with a love of music who took up arms to defend his home, was killed.
--by Kira. Kira, who was Athrun's best friend.
For that, Athrun had hated Kira. Being unable to get Nicol back, he wanted him to pay with his life.
That's what war is.
And the same thing was about to be repeated.
"Exercising your right to self-defense ... so ZAFT is also moving?" Athrun muttered, bitterly.
Yzak responded resentfully, as if that had hit a sore spot. "It can't be helped. We can't just do nothing after being targeted with nuclear missiles..."
Dearka also added words that were difficult to say. "We intercepted the first wave of attack. Those guys ... they were really serious about destroying PLANT with those."
Athrun looked up to the sky and took in a deep breath. Why was such a thing happening again? It would just lead to new sacrifices just like Nicol. Despite knowing that, why?
After all, I couldn't do anything...
"...And? What about you?"
At the sound of Yzak's gruff voice, Athrun turned his eyes back.
"Eh?"
Yzak spoke with a strange tone. "What are you doing? Coming all the way back here."
It felt more like a denunciation to Athrun, who had remained idle, rather than a question, and he jerked his head away in response. He didn't know what he was doing. Coming to PLANT suddenly. If we went back to Orb as is, he'd know the intentions of Chairman Durandal, but nothing would come of that. Even he couldn't prevent this situation.
"What about Orb? What are they going to do?" Yzak continued, asking cuttingly.
"... I don't know." Athrun's face grew bitter as he answered. Unato Ema Saran was leaning toward the Atlantic Federation. Going by that, there was a chance of Orb abandoning the neutral position it always held. The rest would depend on their efforts. No, rather Cagalli's... Because Athrun couldn't even be present at a cabinet meeting.
Nothing was going right - Athrun felt desperation and impatience all over again.
"Come back, Athrun!" Yzak said abruptly. The sound of his sharp voice snapped Athrun out of his thoughts. Yzak looked as angry as he always did, but his gaze was serious.
"--There may be various circumstances to deal with, but I'll handle them. So you should return to PLANT."
"Yzak..." A heartfelt compassion could be felt. Despite Yzak's attitude always being harsh whenever they meet, there was a still a deep trust between them. "No ... but..." Athrun still hesitated. Cagalli's face flickered through his mind. Then Yzak continued speaking.
"[Dearka] and I should have been dead by now." Yzak painfully narrowed his gaze, as Dearka stood in silent agreement. Dearka had been accused of killing his own people. He had left ZAFT and took action alongside Athrun and the others. Yzak was not guilty of that crime. In the legal text. But all three of them had committed sins that could never be forgiven. At the command of a superior, they threw themselves into the wrong battles and took many lives.
It was something unavoidable for those in the military, but the virtuous Yzak didn't like that.
The three of them shared the same sins.
"But Chairman Durandal said..." Yzak stared at Athrun, repeating Durandal's words.
If we send young men to die in a war started for the convenience of adults, and they make mistakes that we brand as sins and call for their deaths as punishment, who will be responsible for the tomorrow of PLANT? It is because they have had those agonizing experiences that I want them to be the ones to build a peaceful future...
"--That's why I'm still wearing a military uniform." Yzak spoke with an expression that was unlike him. His voice contained an admirable trust in the Chairman. The seeds sowed by Durandal were even growing in a place like this.
Each person's feelings like that will surely save the world. Athrun thought back to the Chairman's words. The voices of those with the same hearts who worry about the future will be drowned out by the voices of many. But if one lets that scare them and they become silent, the world will go down the same path again. On a steep slope toward destruction.
I want people who share my thoughts to stand together.
Yzak and the others stood with the power in their hands. He spoke earnestly to Athrun. "It's the only thing I can do, but I can still do something. For PLANT, and for the sake of those who have died..."
"Yzak..." Athrun realized that. He was the same way. It was the only thing he could do. No matter how good his gun skills were, no matter how good he was at piloting a mobile suit, they were skills useless to him where he was.
Yzak looked at Athrun with a piercing glare. "So you should do something, too! You have that much power, are you going to let it go to waste?" His direct, ice blue gaze was painfully powerful. A force that greatly moved Athrun's lost heart.
The moment they launched from the mother ship, they saw the silver, ringed structure that shone in the sunlight, as well as the fleet deployed to protect it. In the cockpit of his newly-received GOUF Ignited, Yzak clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Damn! As reported, there are quite a few of them!"
The mobile suit squadron from that deployed fleet were already on their way toward them. The structure behind the fleet looked to be a modified version of the abandoned O'Neill Colony, a gigantic cylinder with a diameter of six kilometers. Even though current measuring devices such as radar could be unreliable, how could they overlook a fleet carrying something that large!
The frustrated Yzak heard the suspicious voice of Dearka Elthman from the dark grey ZAKU Phantom at his side. < Yeah. But why the hell are they here? >
The reason why ZAFT hadn't been aware of the presence of the enemy fleet was because they were navigating just outside of the reaches of their patrol area. They were too far away to attack PLANT.
Just then, the first wave of fire came from the enemy mobile suits, cutting through space. Yzak shouted back to his friend.
"No idea! But they're definitely not friendly envoys, are they? --So let's move!"
< Yeah! >
As soon as Dearka replied, Yzak's unit sped up and charged toward the enemy troops. Yzak's GOUF Ignited with pale blue coloring cut through the void, as Dearka's Blaze ZAKU Phantom shot its beam assault rifle. It pierced through an enemy mobile suit as it disappeared in a flash of light. Meanwhile, Yzak leapt straight at the Windam out in the lead and quickly swing its beam sword. Without looking back at the machine exploding behind him, he cut through a second aircraft with the sword, then quickly turned around and unleashed a barrage from his beam guns at the colony behind the fleet. A new mobile armor cut him off, to protect the colony, dispatching its shield. The reflector output from it deflected the beam.
"...Shit!"
Apparently, that large structure seemed to be the cornerstone of the fleet. Yzak dove inside the reflector while avoiding gunfire. swinging his long sword down over the aircraft.
The structure that looked like a silver ring from a distance was so huge it was overwhelming, when viewed up close. As expected from an abandoned colony, pieces of buildings still remained on the curved inner walls. Like the illumination that adorned the huge cylinder, the beams flying in the surrounding space and countless explosions bloomed. At the front of the colony where the fleet was protecting it, there was a sudden change. The countless boosters that were attached to the outer walls began to emit gas.
"They're applying a brake?" Yzak spoke, scowling. "In a place like this? Why?"
As he watched, the huge structure slowed down. He didn't think they were going to speed up the structure again and use the wrecked colony to hit PLANT, so that possibility was at least ruled out. But, he didn't understand why they would bring such a thing here and then stop it once it was discovered.
Yzak continued to fight, sensing something suspicious as he kept looking toward the colony. After its deceleration, the booster on its diagonal line activated and started to tilt the cylinder.
Were they switching direction? Yzak was even more confused - no, the boosters thrust was so delicate it was as if it was performing a subtle stabilizing control.
Yzak felt an ominous concern raise with that move.
< What? What are they trying to do!? > Dearka, who appeared to have noticed the same thing he did, called out, puzzled.
Yzak couldn't guess the enemy's intention either, so he ordered on an intuition. "I don't know, but we've got to stop this thing! Go around to the engine!"
< Yeah! >
Dearka and Yzak sped their aircrafts toward the boosters that continued to spray. The ZAKU Phantom's pod opened and dozens of missiles launched into space toward the booster. The men following Yzak as well as the others also focused their fire on the boosters lining the colony wall.
If one side of the booster was destroyed, the axis of rotation would be shaken in the zero gravity of outer space. But being in front of such a huge object, a change like that was nearly invisible to Yzak's eyes. His frustration and anxiety grew, still lacking the understanding of the enemy's intentions.
Then, suddenly, the enemy fleet which was both in front of and behind the colony began to disperse in all direction, like a school of fish sensing danger.
"What...?" Yzak made a puzzled sound. It wasn't just the fleet. The enemy's mobile suit squadron also stopped fighting and moved.
A retreat? ... No, this is...!
"All troops, evade!" As soon as Yzak screamed as loud as he could, a bright light pierced through the darkness. The light spread, and seemed to envelope everything in an instant.
< Yzak! >
Dearka's cry hit his ears. But that next moment, the huge light slipped past them and was sucked into the colony. The vortex of light that illuminated their surroundings changed its trajectory significantly from behind the colony. Yzak couldn't believe his eyes.
The beam is bending!?
A beam, like light, should always go straight ahead. And yet, the vortex of light that just rushed past them had indeed changed direction.
And the destination of the beam that had just changed direction was--
"Aaah...!"
Yzak could only gasp as he watched the light bursting through space. In that direction, faintly visible beyond that was their homeland - PLANT.
"Wh-what...? What in the hell is..." Even as the light that burned through his eyed faded away, Yzak still felt like he was in a nightmare. He was able to see PLANT being shot from where he was as well. As if it were a lie, the beam cut through the rotating hourglasses. Millions of lives were just lost in that moment. In the blink of an eye, everything that lived on that man-made land, old and young, mothers and children, were sucked into a vacuum of darkness and died before they realized what had happened. It was like the Junius Seven tragedy all over again.
But, how could this have happened?
A message from their mother ship arrived, detailing the specifics of the damage.
< Januarius ... and December...!? > He heard Dearka's trembling voice as he received the same message.
"Tch...!" Yzak clenched his fist tightly, slamming it into his console. Why was this happening again? Didn't they keep wearing their uniforms to prevent this!? "Shiiiit!"
As he trembled with rage, Dearka's voice continued. < From the other side of the moon..? No way...! >
It was true that nobody could have predicted that the enemy would target PLANT in such a way. But they were the only ones who could have stopped this!
Yzak snapped his eyes back up and glared at the relay colony, which was still charged and surrounded by sparking.
"Dearka! We're taking this thing down!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, his hand was pulling the lever and stepping on the pedal.
When Yzak saw the broadcast with the two Lacuses, doubts began to creep into his heart. That everything they had believed in so far may have been wrong. However in that moment, in the face of the one-sided slaughter that had just taken place, even the slightest hesitations he held were blown away.
"If it fires a second shot, it's all over for PLANT! We're going to do whatever it takes to bring it down!" Yzak cried loudly as he headed toward the colony.
< Yeah! > Dearka and the others, coming back to their senses, responded vigorously and followed him.
What is true and what is false - Yzak no longer knew that. But there was only one thing he did know.
PLANT, they had to protect their own people! That was undoubtedly their duty.
Yzak let out a battle cry and leapt at the Alliance fleet, which was re-establishing to protect the colony. The Slayer Whip on his arm smashed through the bridge of an enemy's ship, immediately followed by cutting through a Windam with his long sword. The rest of the ZAFT fleet that was advancing from the rear unleashed a volley of fire, and countless missiles struck at the colony's hull.
< Aim for a single point! > Dearka quickly ordered, and the team of Gunner ZAKU Warriors set up their Orthos. The heat rays from those weapons all converged to cut through the outer wall of the colony.
Eventually, the battle was over. The wreckage of ships, mobile suits, and the colony itself now drifted, scattered. However, Yzak looked at the result of the battle with a heavy heart.
They took out one of the waypoints for the time being. However, that action would not bring back any of the lives that were lost.
NOTES AND THOUGHTS
Maybe Dearka, who liked to look after him regardless of appearance, diligently had his back, the second half of this sentence originally had the word "FOLLOW" but it was hard to TL it into a right sentence using it, so I went with the same concept of following Yzak/having his back (since the first half of the line WAS about how Dearka helped support him too).
Anyway I think that's all, here! So time to talk a little.
First of now we got Dearka winking at Athrun please stop Dearka stop winking at everyone you loser.
Dearka approached from behind Yzak with a look of 'why is this guy always like this?' as he held his head. - The Yzak Experience. I love it. I'm here for it. God help all of Yzak's friends. (all two of them)
Loving the little extra bit of introspection we get from Athrun in that first scene tbh. About Yzak never changing (even though he is a good commander, Athrun! Go to hell!), and the stuff about he was sure Yzak had to do with helping Dearka out getting back into ZAFT because he's the type who cares about his friends more than anyone... Just, VERY GOOD LITTLE THINGS ABOUT YZAK IN THAT SCENE.
Graveyard scene was also wonderful because I love the extra narration we get about Nicol and the others, how war is wack, and the saddest part about how basically most of the graves there had nothing underneath them because no bodies left over. :( The three of them shared the same sins. is also a line I love because they all did do different not to wonderful things, and it's something else that bonds these three alongside everything else they've gone through.
ALSO love the extra gutpunch narration for Yzak MOVING ATHRUN'S LOST HEART like obviously we could tell his words affected him in the show, but I just love lines like that, since Yzak surprisingly IS a person who can do that to people. He just does it in an ... Yzak way.
Absolutely hated translating the scene before the Requiem fires because, god, all of the stuff with Yzak being CONFUSED. He can't tell what the enemy is trying to do, what this is, and he just has this OMINOUS FEELING the whole time. Rightfully so! But, god, the guilt after it fires with the line of It was true that nobody could have predicted that the enemy would target PLANT in such a way. But they were the only ones who could have stopped this! absolutely kills me. I wish we got more reaction/fallout/dealing with this, especially from Yzak and Dearka's POV considering they were THERE (but bitch I'm writing fic about it).
And once again we just have an Yzak, who has doubts about what's going on, but he knows better now, so knows in that moment that nothing else matters but making sure that weapon can't be fired again for the sake of PLANT and his people. Better clarity, and the ability to act, to command the help for it top make sure it gets done. We love a good boy.
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.
When [Athrun] opened the door of his room, there stood the familiar face of Yzak Jule.
"Yzak!?" Athrun involuntarily raised a surprised voice. This was a hotel room he was currently being accommodated in. When he responded to the door chime and opened the door, Yzak stood outside of it, with Dearka next to him with a lopsided smile.
"You bastard...!" Without any sort of greeting, the moment Yzak saw his face he suddenly grabbed at his collar as he stepped in. "What the hell is this!?"
"W-wait a minute! Hey!" That was also what Athrun wanted to know.
Dearka approached from behind Yzak with a look of 'why is this guy always like this?' as he held his head.
When Yzak finally let go, Athrun indignantly raised his voice. "What is this, all of a sudden!?"
"That's my line, Athrun!" Yzak pointed his finger at him with an angry expression. "We're extremely busy right now, yet we were suddenly called by the council and wondered why - and we've been assigned to be your escorts and surveillance!?"
"Eh?" Unexpectedly, Athrun was taken by surprise again.
"Why must I be called from the front lines for something like this!?"
"Escort and surveillance...?"
After another stunned question, Dearka poked his head out from behind Yzak and interjected. "You want to go out, don't you?"
"Dearka..." Athrun looked at him earnestly, Dearka put a finger to his forehead in a greeting and winked.
"It's been a while. But it can't helped at a time like this. No matter how friendly you are, you can't walk around PLANT as you are without permission, right?"
"Yeah ... I was told that." Recalling the day before when he asked authorities if he could go out, Athrun continued to speak in surprise. "I was told someone would accompany me. But that's ... you guys?"
When he looked at Yzak again, he impatiently spat out, "that's right!" and turned his head away again, dressed as if he was in disguise, and Athrun felt a laugh bubble up but quickly shut his mouth. Really, he hadn't changed at all.
"Well, it must mean someone who's aware of our situation had something to do with this." Dearka noted as they made their way down the hotel hallway. When he said that, Athrun thought of Durandal's handsome face and let out a breath.
Yzak, along with his surly expression, didn't speak for a while. The scar on his face that he received from battle two years ago was gone, and he was wearing a light green suit. He had a slightly mature appearance, but his personality seemed to have remained as it always was.
Athrun was a little uneasy about whether he was fit to be a commander. Maybe Dearka, who liked to look after him regardless of appearance, diligently had his back.
Although in Dearka's case, he seemed to have not been charged after defecting during the war and returned to ZAFT. That probably wasn't the only reason, he was pretty sure that Yzak had covered for him. While he was blunt and clumsy, he cared about his friends more than anyone.
Finally, the feeling of their reunion hit him, and Athrun walked shoulder to shoulder with his friend with a warm feeling in his heart. Then, Dearka asked him.
"So? Where do you want to go?"
Yzak glared sidewise. "If you say something like shopping, I'll never forgive you!"
"Nothing like that."
At least he wouldn't incur his anger any longer. Fortunate, but he didn't say that outloud. Athrun smiled and replied. "Just for a bit ... Nicol and the others' graves..."
Upon hearing the name, pain flashed across Yzak's face.
"I can't come to PLANT very often ... so I just wanted to go..."
Nicol Amarfi - Just like Yzak and the others, he was a boy who used to be a comrade. His name was engraved on a smooth, stone surface. The numbers below it indicated that his life was cute short at the mere age of fifteen.
Standing in the open cemetery, the three of them laid flowers on the graves of their friends. Miguel Ayman, Rusty Mackenzie ... so many young men, so many young lives cut too short ended up here, and were now sleeping in this place. No, their bodies weren't beneath these tombstones. Their bodies had been scattered on the battlefield, leaving their bereaved family with not even a hair to hold on to.
That's what war is. Where a young life with endless potential can be pointlessly cut off.
Nicol loved the piano. If it had not been for the war, he would have become a great pianist. A kind boy with a love of music who took up arms to defend his home, was killed.
--by Kira. Kira, who was Athrun's best friend.
For that, Athrun had hated Kira. Being unable to get Nicol back, he wanted him to pay with his life.
That's what war is.
And the same thing was about to be repeated.
"Exercising your right to self-defense ... so ZAFT is also moving?" Athrun muttered, bitterly.
Yzak responded resentfully, as if that had hit a sore spot. "It can't be helped. We can't just do nothing after being targeted with nuclear missiles..."
Dearka also added words that were difficult to say. "We intercepted the first wave of attack. Those guys ... they were really serious about destroying PLANT with those."
Athrun looked up to the sky and took in a deep breath. Why was such a thing happening again? It would just lead to new sacrifices just like Nicol. Despite knowing that, why?
After all, I couldn't do anything...
"...And? What about you?"
At the sound of Yzak's gruff voice, Athrun turned his eyes back.
"Eh?"
Yzak spoke with a strange tone. "What are you doing? Coming all the way back here."
It felt more like a denunciation to Athrun, who had remained idle, rather than a question, and he jerked his head away in response. He didn't know what he was doing. Coming to PLANT suddenly. If we went back to Orb as is, he'd know the intentions of Chairman Durandal, but nothing would come of that. Even he couldn't prevent this situation.
"What about Orb? What are they going to do?" Yzak continued, asking cuttingly.
"... I don't know." Athrun's face grew bitter as he answered. Unato Ema Saran was leaning toward the Atlantic Federation. Going by that, there was a chance of Orb abandoning the neutral position it always held. The rest would depend on their efforts. No, rather Cagalli's... Because Athrun couldn't even be present at a cabinet meeting.
Nothing was going right - Athrun felt desperation and impatience all over again.
"Come back, Athrun!" Yzak said abruptly. The sound of his sharp voice snapped Athrun out of his thoughts. Yzak looked as angry as he always did, but his gaze was serious.
"--There may be various circumstances to deal with, but I'll handle them. So you should return to PLANT."
"Yzak..." A heartfelt compassion could be felt. Despite Yzak's attitude always being harsh whenever they meet, there was a still a deep trust between them. "No ... but..." Athrun still hesitated. Cagalli's face flickered through his mind. Then Yzak continued speaking.
"[Dearka] and I should have been dead by now." Yzak painfully narrowed his gaze, as Dearka stood in silent agreement. Dearka had been accused of killing his own people. He had left ZAFT and took action alongside Athrun and the others. Yzak was not guilty of that crime. In the legal text. But all three of them had committed sins that could never be forgiven. At the command of a superior, they threw themselves into the wrong battles and took many lives.
It was something unavoidable for those in the military, but the virtuous Yzak didn't like that.
The three of them shared the same sins.
"But Chairman Durandal said..." Yzak stared at Athrun, repeating Durandal's words.
If we send young men to die in a war started for the convenience of adults, and they make mistakes that we brand as sins and call for their deaths as punishment, who will be responsible for the tomorrow of PLANT? It is because they have had those agonizing experiences that I want them to be the ones to build a peaceful future...
"--That's why I'm still wearing a military uniform." Yzak spoke with an expression that was unlike him. His voice contained an admirable trust in the Chairman. The seeds sowed by Durandal were even growing in a place like this.
Each person's feelings like that will surely save the world. Athrun thought back to the Chairman's words. The voices of those with the same hearts who worry about the future will be drowned out by the voices of many. But if one lets that scare them and they become silent, the world will go down the same path again. On a steep slope toward destruction.
I want people who share my thoughts to stand together.
Yzak and the others stood with the power in their hands. He spoke earnestly to Athrun. "It's the only thing I can do, but I can still do something. For PLANT, and for the sake of those who have died..."
"Yzak..." Athrun realized that. He was the same way. It was the only thing he could do. No matter how good his gun skills were, no matter how good he was at piloting a mobile suit, they were skills useless to him where he was.
Yzak looked at Athrun with a piercing glare. "So you should do something, too! You have that much power, are you going to let it go to waste?" His direct, ice blue gaze was painfully powerful. A force that greatly moved Athrun's lost heart.
The moment they launched from the mother ship, they saw the silver, ringed structure that shone in the sunlight, as well as the fleet deployed to protect it. In the cockpit of his newly-received GOUF Ignited, Yzak clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Damn! As reported, there are quite a few of them!"
The mobile suit squadron from that deployed fleet were already on their way toward them. The structure behind the fleet looked to be a modified version of the abandoned O'Neill Colony, a gigantic cylinder with a diameter of six kilometers. Even though current measuring devices such as radar could be unreliable, how could they overlook a fleet carrying something that large!
The frustrated Yzak heard the suspicious voice of Dearka Elthman from the dark grey ZAKU Phantom at his side. < Yeah. But why the hell are they here? >
The reason why ZAFT hadn't been aware of the presence of the enemy fleet was because they were navigating just outside of the reaches of their patrol area. They were too far away to attack PLANT.
Just then, the first wave of fire came from the enemy mobile suits, cutting through space. Yzak shouted back to his friend.
"No idea! But they're definitely not friendly envoys, are they? --So let's move!"
< Yeah! >
As soon as Dearka replied, Yzak's unit sped up and charged toward the enemy troops. Yzak's GOUF Ignited with pale blue coloring cut through the void, as Dearka's Blaze ZAKU Phantom shot its beam assault rifle. It pierced through an enemy mobile suit as it disappeared in a flash of light. Meanwhile, Yzak leapt straight at the Windam out in the lead and quickly swing its beam sword. Without looking back at the machine exploding behind him, he cut through a second aircraft with the sword, then quickly turned around and unleashed a barrage from his beam guns at the colony behind the fleet. A new mobile armor cut him off, to protect the colony, dispatching its shield. The reflector output from it deflected the beam.
"...Shit!"
Apparently, that large structure seemed to be the cornerstone of the fleet. Yzak dove inside the reflector while avoiding gunfire. swinging his long sword down over the aircraft.
The structure that looked like a silver ring from a distance was so huge it was overwhelming, when viewed up close. As expected from an abandoned colony, pieces of buildings still remained on the curved inner walls. Like the illumination that adorned the huge cylinder, the beams flying in the surrounding space and countless explosions bloomed. At the front of the colony where the fleet was protecting it, there was a sudden change. The countless boosters that were attached to the outer walls began to emit gas.
"They're applying a brake?" Yzak spoke, scowling. "In a place like this? Why?"
As he watched, the huge structure slowed down. He didn't think they were going to speed up the structure again and use the wrecked colony to hit PLANT, so that possibility was at least ruled out. But, he didn't understand why they would bring such a thing here and then stop it once it was discovered.
Yzak continued to fight, sensing something suspicious as he kept looking toward the colony. After its deceleration, the booster on its diagonal line activated and started to tilt the cylinder.
Were they switching direction? Yzak was even more confused - no, the boosters thrust was so delicate it was as if it was performing a subtle stabilizing control.
Yzak felt an ominous concern raise with that move.
< What? What are they trying to do!? > Dearka, who appeared to have noticed the same thing he did, called out, puzzled.
Yzak couldn't guess the enemy's intention either, so he ordered on an intuition. "I don't know, but we've got to stop this thing! Go around to the engine!"
< Yeah! >
Dearka and Yzak sped their aircrafts toward the boosters that continued to spray. The ZAKU Phantom's pod opened and dozens of missiles launched into space toward the booster. The men following Yzak as well as the others also focused their fire on the boosters lining the colony wall.
If one side of the booster was destroyed, the axis of rotation would be shaken in the zero gravity of outer space. But being in front of such a huge object, a change like that was nearly invisible to Yzak's eyes. His frustration and anxiety grew, still lacking the understanding of the enemy's intentions.
Then, suddenly, the enemy fleet which was both in front of and behind the colony began to disperse in all direction, like a school of fish sensing danger.
"What...?" Yzak made a puzzled sound. It wasn't just the fleet. The enemy's mobile suit squadron also stopped fighting and moved.
A retreat? ... No, this is...!
"All troops, evade!" As soon as Yzak screamed as loud as he could, a bright light pierced through the darkness. The light spread, and seemed to envelope everything in an instant.
< Yzak! >
Dearka's cry hit his ears. But that next moment, the huge light slipped past them and was sucked into the colony. The vortex of light that illuminated their surroundings changed its trajectory significantly from behind the colony. Yzak couldn't believe his eyes.
The beam is bending!?
A beam, like light, should always go straight ahead. And yet, the vortex of light that just rushed past them had indeed changed direction.
And the destination of the beam that had just changed direction was--
"Aaah...!"
Yzak could only gasp as he watched the light bursting through space. In that direction, faintly visible beyond that was their homeland - PLANT.
"Wh-what...? What in the hell is..." Even as the light that burned through his eyed faded away, Yzak still felt like he was in a nightmare. He was able to see PLANT being shot from where he was as well. As if it were a lie, the beam cut through the rotating hourglasses. Millions of lives were just lost in that moment. In the blink of an eye, everything that lived on that man-made land, old and young, mothers and children, were sucked into a vacuum of darkness and died before they realized what had happened. It was like the Junius Seven tragedy all over again.
But, how could this have happened?
A message from their mother ship arrived, detailing the specifics of the damage.
< Januarius ... and December...!? > He heard Dearka's trembling voice as he received the same message.
"Tch...!" Yzak clenched his fist tightly, slamming it into his console. Why was this happening again? Didn't they keep wearing their uniforms to prevent this!? "Shiiiit!"
As he trembled with rage, Dearka's voice continued. < From the other side of the moon..? No way...! >
It was true that nobody could have predicted that the enemy would target PLANT in such a way. But they were the only ones who could have stopped this!
Yzak snapped his eyes back up and glared at the relay colony, which was still charged and surrounded by sparking.
"Dearka! We're taking this thing down!"
As soon as those words left his mouth, his hand was pulling the lever and stepping on the pedal.
When Yzak saw the broadcast with the two Lacuses, doubts began to creep into his heart. That everything they had believed in so far may have been wrong. However in that moment, in the face of the one-sided slaughter that had just taken place, even the slightest hesitations he held were blown away.
"If it fires a second shot, it's all over for PLANT! We're going to do whatever it takes to bring it down!" Yzak cried loudly as he headed toward the colony.
< Yeah! > Dearka and the others, coming back to their senses, responded vigorously and followed him.
What is true and what is false - Yzak no longer knew that. But there was only one thing he did know.
PLANT, they had to protect their own people! That was undoubtedly their duty.
Yzak let out a battle cry and leapt at the Alliance fleet, which was re-establishing to protect the colony. The Slayer Whip on his arm smashed through the bridge of an enemy's ship, immediately followed by cutting through a Windam with his long sword. The rest of the ZAFT fleet that was advancing from the rear unleashed a volley of fire, and countless missiles struck at the colony's hull.
< Aim for a single point! > Dearka quickly ordered, and the team of Gunner ZAKU Warriors set up their Orthos. The heat rays from those weapons all converged to cut through the outer wall of the colony.
Eventually, the battle was over. The wreckage of ships, mobile suits, and the colony itself now drifted, scattered. However, Yzak looked at the result of the battle with a heavy heart.
They took out one of the waypoints for the time being. However, that action would not bring back any of the lives that were lost.
NOTES AND THOUGHTS
Maybe Dearka, who liked to look after him regardless of appearance, diligently had his back, the second half of this sentence originally had the word "FOLLOW" but it was hard to TL it into a right sentence using it, so I went with the same concept of following Yzak/having his back (since the first half of the line WAS about how Dearka helped support him too).
Anyway I think that's all, here! So time to talk a little.
First of now we got Dearka winking at Athrun please stop Dearka stop winking at everyone you loser.
Dearka approached from behind Yzak with a look of 'why is this guy always like this?' as he held his head. - The Yzak Experience. I love it. I'm here for it. God help all of Yzak's friends. (all two of them)
Loving the little extra bit of introspection we get from Athrun in that first scene tbh. About Yzak never changing (even though he is a good commander, Athrun! Go to hell!), and the stuff about he was sure Yzak had to do with helping Dearka out getting back into ZAFT because he's the type who cares about his friends more than anyone... Just, VERY GOOD LITTLE THINGS ABOUT YZAK IN THAT SCENE.
Graveyard scene was also wonderful because I love the extra narration we get about Nicol and the others, how war is wack, and the saddest part about how basically most of the graves there had nothing underneath them because no bodies left over. :( The three of them shared the same sins. is also a line I love because they all did do different not to wonderful things, and it's something else that bonds these three alongside everything else they've gone through.
ALSO love the extra gutpunch narration for Yzak MOVING ATHRUN'S LOST HEART like obviously we could tell his words affected him in the show, but I just love lines like that, since Yzak surprisingly IS a person who can do that to people. He just does it in an ... Yzak way.
Absolutely hated translating the scene before the Requiem fires because, god, all of the stuff with Yzak being CONFUSED. He can't tell what the enemy is trying to do, what this is, and he just has this OMINOUS FEELING the whole time. Rightfully so! But, god, the guilt after it fires with the line of It was true that nobody could have predicted that the enemy would target PLANT in such a way. But they were the only ones who could have stopped this! absolutely kills me. I wish we got more reaction/fallout/dealing with this, especially from Yzak and Dearka's POV considering they were THERE (but bitch I'm writing fic about it).
And once again we just have an Yzak, who has doubts about what's going on, but he knows better now, so knows in that moment that nothing else matters but making sure that weapon can't be fired again for the sake of PLANT and his people. Better clarity, and the ability to act, to command the help for it top make sure it gets done. We love a good boy.