“Well, well, well…if memory serves me right the emblem on that Murasame belongs to a pilot I once trained.” said Vaulken.
“What are you doing, siding with these extremists?!” Leon asked.
“I knew that this peace wouldn’t last for long. We can’t change what people feel in their hearts, so the fighting will always continue. Hate will always exist and we have to fight back. I couldn’t stand it anymore…siding with the Naturals. They were the ones that started the whole war. We just wanted to live in peace, but they had to assassinate George Glenn…they were jealous of our abilities…jealous of us.”
“It’s people like you that destroy any hope for peace!”
“And it’s idealistic people like you that make the world full of difficulty and hardship! You live in a dream world, never facing reality!” Vaulken combined the Lervingthis’ shotels into one sword and threw it at Leon. He dodged the shotel, but it came flying back at him like a boomerang. Leon attempted to dodge it again, but it sliced his shield in half before he could avoid it.
“Damn…will I be able to defeat him?” Leon thought to himself.
“I bet you’ve forgotten everything I’ve taught you. Look at your mobile suit…with all its ridiculous beam swords. One just wasn’t enough for you!” Vaulken yelled as he started slashing his shotels at Leon. “And your combat style puts a large amount of stress on your mobile suit’s energy. It’s a wonder that you’ve been able to stay alive this long.”
“Shut up! You’re not my commander anymore so why should I listen to the nonsense that comes out of your mouth?!” Leon yelled as he threw his Murasame’s beam boomerangs at the Lervingthis. Vaulken swiftly knocked the boomerangs away with his mobile suit’s arms and charged towards Leon. The Lervingthis swung a powerful punch at the Murasame, causing it to collapse on the ground. Rhapsody took the opportunity to catch Vaulken off guard and fired a shot from her Murasame’s beam cannon, but the shot dissipated as soon as it hit the Lervingthis.
“No way!” Rhapsody yelled.
“You underestimate me, Rhapsody. The cloak my Lervingthis is wearing just isn’t for show!” Vaulken retorted. The Lervingthis opened its cloak a little, revealing radiator fins on the shoulders. Those were the source of Lervingthis’ thermal energy. The fins allowed the mobile suit to heat up the shotels, create an invisible barrier on the cloak, and create the heat mirages. “Isn’t my mobile suit a work of art? These days everyone has been creating the perfect defenses against beam weaponry, but they forgot to consider heat weapons. They felt that technology was obsolete. But look, everyone has fallen prey to these shotels, including mobile suits equipped with Phase Shift Armor. Beam weaponry sucks up too much energy. My mobile suit lasts longer in a battle because I didn’t equip it with useless beam weapons or a ridiculous amount of guns.”
Leon picked himself up off the ground. “Wasn’t it you who taught us that it was never the mobile suit that determines that outcome of a battle?”
“Yes but if you put an excellent pilot in a powerful mobile suit, his enemies won’t stand a chance!” Vaulken replied.
“I don’t even know who you are anymore.” said Leon.
“I can’t believe you just abandoned all your teachings.” Rhapsody commented.
“What right do you have to judge me? You two were the ones who abandoned ZAFT!”
“Please, you have to understand. We had no other choice…” said Rhapsody.
“There are no excuses for disloyalty!”
“Shut up old man!” Leon yelled as he fired madly with his Murasame’s shotgun. Vaulken went on the defensive by blocking the bullets with his shotels then ran towards the base. Leon took out his Murasame’s beam lance and chased after Vaulken and the two met in the ruined base. Corpses and body parts of destroyed mobile suits were scattered around the area. Collapsed walls provided some cover, if needed. It was the perfect battlefield for the teacher and the student to fight in. Rhapsody, Alex, and Vale attempted to join Leon, but were stopped by a surprise attack from a group of ASH’s, GOOhN’s, and ZnO’s that were hiding in the nearby ocean. The amphibious mobile suits emerged from the water and fired missiles, causing the three to separate. Vale’s Shrike flew near the ocean’s shore but was met by an ASH unit that grabbed the Shrike’s legs and brought it into the cold ocean depths.
“Let go of me you ugly piece of shit!” Vale commanded. He wasn’t able to use any of his beam weapons or missiles in the water, so he directed the Shrike’s CIWS at the ASH’s arm, breaking the grip it had on him. Vale transformed his Shrike and immediately flew out of the water. The ASH was persistent and started firing its phonon maser cannons at Vale, forcing him to transform back into mobile suit mode and block the lasers with his shield. Vale took out one of the Shrike’s beam sabers and turned off his thrusters, causing him to fall towards the ASH at a high speed. He stabbed the saber straight through the ASH’s head and watched as it sunk to the ocean floor.
Rhapsody’s Murasame was at a large disadvantage against the amphibious mobile suits since her mobile suit was equipped with mostly beam weapons. She landed on the docks and attempted to fish out the enemy by firing her Murasame’s grapple stingers into the ocean. She was able to grab a GOOhN and dragged it onto the docks, firing a beam rifle at it immediately. Rhapsody fired her grapple stingers into the ocean again, only to be dragged down by two ZnO’s. Alex dived into the ocean to save Rhapsody, but was met with a mob of GOOhN’s right when he jumped in.
“Heh, unlike those two my Murasame fights well in the water!” Alex commented. He fired all 4 supercavitating torpedoes from his Murasame’s shield at the group of GOOhN’s, causing them to sink. Alex equipped his Murasame with a small scale system on the legs, just big enough to have a decent amount of mobility in the water. Alex looked ahead and saw that Rhapsody was still struggling from the two ZnOs’ grasp. She fired her Murasame’s CIWS at them, but to no avail. Their armor was too thick for such a weapon. He took out both of his Murasame’s recoilless cannons and blasted both ZnOs’ heads off before stabbing them with his combat knives.
“Took you long enough!” Rhapsody retorted.
“You’re welcome.” Alex replied, slightly annoyed.
-------------------
“My idiot student…I can tell you’re worn out. Do you really think you can defeat me now?” Vaulken asked.
“You taught me how to endure through tough situations. Don’t worry, I intend to win.” Leon replied, short of breath. He grabbed one of his beam boomerangs and threw it at Vaulken, only to have it miss and hit one of the heat mirages. The Lervingthis appeared in front of Leon and kicked the Murasame’s chest, causing it to melt a little from the thermal energy emitting from the radiator fins. Leon lunged at Vaulken with his beam lance, but he swiftly dodged Leon’s attack and sliced his lance in half with a shotel.
“Leon, you’re a fool. You say you’re going to win but you still haven’t been able to inflict any damage on me. You keep falling for the same trick. Still the same brash, hot-headed, and stubborn student I trained.””
“You talk too damn much!” Leon activated his Murasame’s katars and charged at Vaulken, who had already created another heat mirage. Leon flew straight through the mirage and had his Murasame’s left arm sliced off by the real Lervingthis. Vaulken walked over to the fallen Murasame and pointed a shotel at the cockpit.
“You lose.”
“Heh, looks like you’ve underestimated me this time!” Leon commented as he grabbed Lervingthis’ cloak, ripping it off. He then tossed it over the Lervingthis’ head, temporarily blocking out its cameras. Leon took the opportunity to steal one the shotels and drove it straight through the cockpit.
“Good job Leon…you’ve shown me that I’ve taught you well. You have become the better pilot.” said Vaulken as he coughed out some blood. The Lervingthis collapsed onto the floor and its Phase Shift deactivated, signifying that its energy was depleted. Leon jumped out of his Murasame’s cockpit, ran towards the ruined Lervingthis, and found Vaulken on the ground, who was struggling to live. His head was bleeding and he had a fatal wound in his stomach.
“Leon…I’m so sorry…I never meant for us to reunite like this…”
“Don’t say anything. You need to keep your stren—“
“Cut that bullshit, Leon. I know I’m dying. Don’t worry, I’m glad I am. My life has been a huge sin…I deserve this.”
“Don’t say that.”
“You and Rhapsody were the only good things that happened to me. I was filled with so much hate, but seeing you two, and seeing the future that you guys hoped for, made me wish I had that child-like optimism. The times I spent training you two, watching you two grow, watching you two build a relationship, were the happiest times of my life. Ha, look at me…I’m starting to ramble on like an old man.”
“Commander…”
“Don’t call me that. I don’t deserve such an honor. I was so stubborn. I could’ve found a way to prevent these extremists from rising, but instead I sided with them. I couldn’t accept the peace that you guys fought so hard for.” Tears began to fall from Vaulken’s eyes. “I just hope that I can be forgiven for all sins I’ve committed. Leon…please…never change who are…stay strong…and make sure nothing happens to Rhapsody…or else I’ll come and haunt you in your sleep.” Vaulken let out a smile and a small chuckle before closing his eyes. Leon held his body tightly and tried to hold back his tears. Rhapsody walked over to Leon and realized what had happened. She buried her hands in her face and began to cry. Leon walked over to her and the two held each other in their arms.
Amongst the rubble was a group picture of Vaulken, Leon, and Rhapsody from 5 years ago. The picture was consumed in the fire and was never seen again.
