PSL Post - Athrun Zala and Asuna Yuuki

[infinitejustice]

This post will be used for PSL threads between infinitejustice and fencerflash.

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[infinitejustice]

[After the Second Bloody Valentine War, the Republic of East Asia's military lie in ruins. It was in a vulnerable position, especially being sandwiched in between the Eurasian Federation and the Atlantic Federation, who might try to coerce them into helping them lick their wounds.

To that end, the Republic of East Asia petitioned the power blocs that either remained neutral or sided with PLANT, as well as PLANT and the Orb Union, for assistance, and Cagalli accepted their petition without any delay. If they were going to build a world of peace, Orb would need to improve its ties with other power blocs.

Athrun was chosen as the military leader of the Orb relief delegation. After meeting with the Republic's political and military leaders, he finds himself stationed at the old American military base in Okinawa. He's expected to work with the wing of mobile suit pilots stationed there...though for now, mobile suits are few and far between, with only one Windam, three Daggers, and even only a handful of Strike Daggers remaining.

As this is Athrun we're talking about, he's out and about among the pilots. He wants to actually get to know them on a personal level.]

[fencerflash]

[The Windam's pilot is the local ace. She's a Natural, of course, but she started piloting between the last conflict, and became known for her skill in melee combat. The Mobile Suit is customized, not only with white and dark red ace colors, but with a Striker Pack that includes a large beam sword and extra mobility thrusters. In the last war, Asuna Yuuki made a small name herself as the Lightning Flash, a young ace who defied Federation expectations.]

[Of course, she was also largely stationed in the Republic of East Asia itself. Right now, she's outside her Windam, looking up at it while a few repairs are being run on it, arms akimbo.]

[That assistance from Orb is supposed to be here, but she's distracted by her suit at the moment.]

[infinitejustice]

Hello?

[It was only a matter of time before Athrun explored the hangar. And the first thing he encountered was a girl, no older than he, watching a mobile suit as repairs were being made.]

Your machine, I presume?

[fencerflash]

[Asuna turned, her head tilting to the side, as she looked at Athrun. It took her a second -- and then she realized this was Athrun Zala, one of the famed aces of the war, the son of the late Patrick Zala. Her mouth opens and closes; the starstruckness lasts very briefly, before she nods.]

Right--yes. This is my Windam. The Windam Fleuret, they're calling it.

[Then she adds, more hesitantly:]

You're, ah. I... didn't realize Orb would send someone so famous, when we asked.

[infinitejustice]

[Athrun waits for her to finish. He had been expecting a certain amount of that kind of reaction when he was assigned to this.]

The five ruling families wanted to emphasize Orb's commitment to building a peaceful world. Chief Representative Athha felt the best way to do that would be to send a war hero in charge of the aid package.

[One of the few circumstances in which Athrun will ever refer to himself as a hero in any capacity.]

Windam Fleuret, eh? I had been told there was an ace at this base, but I wasn't necessarily expecting a custom unit.

[And it wasn't his first time seeing one, either. Briefly, the image of a different custom Windam appeared before Athrun's mind's eye before he forcibly shut it out.]

[fencerflash]

It's not a real custom unit, to be honest. They used the Jet Striker Pack, but reduced the wing span some, and added the beam sword... but it's otherwise a normal Windam.

[She's underselling herself. It's a strategy she took to doing; people liked to talk about how the Lightning Flash was just as good as a Coordinator. Proof that Naturals could match them, some of them said.]

It makes sense. What do you think of our base? I know it's... not much, to be honest.

[infinitejustice]

[Athrun doesn't comment on that. He does, however, notice what she's doing. It sounds like an ace custom to him, too.]

It still serves its purpose, especially for a base set up so long ago. The adjustment to mobile suits looks to have been made quite smoothly. And it's Okinawa, so atmosphere and morale are easy to handle.

[fencerflash]

We had to get used to it quickly, over the last two wars. I didn't fight in the first, but by the second...

[She nods. Of course, those wars were against PLANT. It's a little awkward; she clams up briefly, there, before she looks at him.]

Our biggest problem is manpower, as you can see.

[infinitejustice]

[Athrun nods. At least he knows why Asuna trailed off there.]

I expected as much. From what I recall, Chairman Durandal took a page out of Captain Sutherland's book in the assault on Heaven's Base.

[The tone of Athrun's voice does not sound at all content. He hated LOGOS as much as anybody for all of the lives they sacrificed, but sacrificing lives even further just to take them out...]

Anyway, that's why I'm here. With us around, not even the Atlantic Federation will make a move in the western Pacific.

[fencerflash]

That's a mercy. I've heard they've made noises already. Though...

[She looks down and shakes her head.]

Some people in the Republic agree with them, Admiral Zala. [Oh yes, she's using ranks. He may not be in the same army, but he does outrank her. Or would if they were.] That could be a problem. It's... complicated, by that.

[fencerflash]

[The next day, the drills went on as expected. The Okinawa squadron made a good showing of itself; despite limited resources, they performed well in a series of coordination drills and a couple of attack run simulations that left huge concrete targets washed in dark green paint. Asuna didn't kid when she said she could get them organized.]

[Of course, she also undersold herself. It's no secret that, in a vacuum, a Coordinator is a better pilot than a Natural, even if combat computers had helped to shorten that distance a lot. The best Natural pilots were men and women like Mu La Flaga: skilled veterans, who could use state of the art OSes to bridge the gap. Asuna proved a strange exception: despite only being seventeen, she carried her squadron with the Windam Fleuret. She probably could have given La Flaga a run for his money, if their machines were comparable.]

[Now that the drills are over, she's sitting in the hangar, on the catwalk leading to the Fleuret's cockpit. Her legs dangle over the railing, and she has a juice packet in one hand, which she drinks with a straw. She wipes the sweat from her brow and sighs with relief.]

[Job well done, she thinks. She just has to see what the Orb Admiral thinks of her work.]

[infinitejustice]

[Throughout the drill, Athrun had been seated next to the base commander, his attention focused solely on the mobile suits overhead and the techniques they displayed. Overall, he was pleased with what he saw, but still had an eye for flaws in the performance. However, one person went well beyond everyone else in the wing.

At the moment, Athrun is walking into the hangar to go and talk to that pilot. He waves to Asuna as he approaches the stairs, and walks up to where she is seated on the catwalk and leans against the railing.]

Well, you can consider me very impressed. You put on a fantastic display.

[fencerflash]

[She looks up when Athrun comes in and starts talking. The compliment makes her smile; she knows she did well, of course, and she expected to do well. This is a living legend telling her so, though, and that feels rather nice. She adjusts her posture, sitting up straighter, and then she nods her head at him.]

Thanks. I hope you don't decide we don't need help, though. [It's clearly a joke, from the way she says it.]

[infinitejustice]

Come now, what kind of man do you take me for?

[Athrun, fortunately, recognizes it for what it is, and throws his own lighthearted quip back.]

Seriously, though. I haven't met many people with your level of skill. If we go ahead with that mock battle, I may want to duel you just to see for myself what you're capable of.

[fencerflash]

[She chuckles at that, then she looks forward again, and nods. There's a faint sign of being flustered; he's a considerably more famous ace than she is, and probably much more skilled, too. She nods, though.]

Sure. I can do that. I don't know if I'll keep up that well--ah, not that the Fleuret or I are bad, but you and your your Mobile Suit...

[To say they won a war singlehandedly is only a small understatement.]

[infinitejustice]

Extraordinary circumstances.

[After all, he had Kira's help once he joined Terminal, as well as the Akatsuki and the backing of the Archangel and the Eternal. Plus the Joule Team after their last-minute defection.

He also doubts he'd activate his SEED Mode in a mock battle.]

I'd like to see us on a level playing field. The only advantages the Justice has in a duel with a custom Windam are its armor and its reactor.

[fencerflash]

[She raises an eyebrow at that. She's not quite convinced of what he's saying. Her head tilts, slightly, and the look on her face isn't quite incredulous.]

Admiral, with all due respect... I appreciate the compliment, but you've had a lot of extraordinary circumstances. I don't know that I'll keep up with you.

[infinitejustice]

Well, the only way we'll be able to find out is if we give it a try. Until then, we have no way of knowing for sure.

[At this point, he's starting to feel the same way he did when he was aboard the Minerva. It's not a very pleasant feeling.]

And don't forget, the myth tends to exaggerate the man.

[fencerflash]

Mm... that's true. Only one way to know for sure, as you say.

[She nods. She still expects, a little, to get pasted. Athrun has to be a better pilot than her, after all -- of course, she's not about to simply throw the towel in and give up. That's all the more reason to work hard, to try to beat the odds, and show him what she can do. It's what's been expected of her since she began flying Mobile Suits, really.]

[infinitejustice]

Moving on...what do the personnel here do for leisure? What all is there around here that people get into?

[infinitejustice]

[True to his word, Athrun left all of the preparation to Asuna for the remainder of the day. Then, at seven o'clock sharp, a brief series of knocks comes from the outside of Asuna's apartment door. Athrun is waiting outside, dressed in casual clothes for a change, and hoping the apartment's occupant was able to hear his knocking.]

[fencerflash]

[Asuna has been preparing. She hasn't gone overboard, but she does go all out when she cooks, which means chicken marsala has happened, along with a side salad, and a small cake for dessert. She doesn't have alcohol; the base commander lets the pilots drink off duty, but it seems like a bad message to send to a visitor who is supposed to be advising them.]

[Which, no matter how nice and understanding he's been, means judging them. It's part of his job.]

[When he knocks, she answers. She's wearing an apron, over a T-shirt and blue jeans. She didn't want to get her Federation uniform covered in flour or worse. She smiles when she opens the door.]

Good evening!

[infinitejustice]

[Athrun nods and smiles back.]

Good evening to you, too. How's the food coming along?

[fencerflash]

About twenty minutes to go!

[She nods.]

The hard part's done. We're just letting it finish cooking.

[infinitejustice]

Good to hear. Then what should we do in the meantime?

[He'd suggest drinks, but he doesn't know what Asuna's place is set up like or anything. Best to let her suggest first.]