Heavens On Fire [Open]

[jesus_is_gundam]

Setsuna had stayed, and once again observed the training session of Starfighter Command, but declined to participate. While he had taken time to observe everyone's performance, and had his red Haro record the entire exercise, his attention had been mostly focused on Blade Squad. No surprise there, since they were mobile suit pilots. Like himself.

No. Not like me, he thought to himself.

He was on the bridge of the simulated Quarter right now, and had commandeered one of the various consoles. His Haro was connected to one of them, and was playing back part of Blade Squad's performance in the exercise.

As a team, they did fine, though something was missing in the way they operated. What that was, however, was something Setsuna couldn't quite put his finger on. Perhaps it was just this false environment they were in.

Still, something about this didn't sit right with him, so he reviewed the footage, and largely ignored the goings on around him. Maybe if he watched it long enough, he'd be able to figure out

((Free threading, mostly for Starfighter Command pilots, but everyone is welcome. See the ooc post here.))

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[jesushasagundam]

"I don't fight for either the past or the present," Kira put a hand down on one of the simulated consoles. "I'm fighting for our future! Doesn't that matter to you?"

[a_mere_human]

More than you'll ever realize.

As always, the outburst by Kira hadn't bothered him one bit, it seemed.

"Are you? Because the future you describe is no different than the present we have."

[jesushasagundam]

"It's a future where people don't have to worry that their home and everything and everyone they know and love will be erased from existence in a heartbeat," he squeezed the edge of the console unconsciously.

"That makes it worth fighting for. If you're not going to help us, then why are you here?"

[a_mere_human]

Setsuna had been asking himself that same question, though he meant 'here' as in the grand scheme of things. Not 'here' as in where he was sitting at the moment. Not that he bothered to clarify that distinction to Kira, or even say anything.

Having no answer to give, he remained silent, simply staring at Kira. Well, more like staring through Kira, really.

[jesushasagundam]

Kira stared right back at Setsuna, not moving a muscle, before he spoke again. "If you have the power to help people with your mobile suit - with your Gundam - and you don't do anything with it, then you don't deserve that power."

[a_mere_human]

That got his eyes to narrow, at least. Congrats, Kira, you managed to strike a nerve.

"Wrong. Its better to do nothing with that power, than to misuse it, abuse it, to fight the wrong battles with it. To fight for nothing with it.

"If all you believe is that your Gundam is a sword, then you don't belong in that mobile suit."

[jesushasagundam]

"Even if you don't care about the people and universes that aren't yours, we're fighting for the lives of every single person on this ship!"

Kira shook his head. "If you want to stand back and let hundreds of people here die - or the millions still asleep in the pods - then you're the one who doesn't belong in that suit."

"It isn't just a sword. It's a shield that lets me protect the ones who can't protect themselves. Why can't you understand that?!"

[jesus_is_gundam]

"Because that's not what a Gundam is," he answered simply.

[jesushasagundam]

"If a Gundam stands by and lets innocents get killed, then it isn't worth anything." Kira's voice was quiet but resolute.

[a_mere_human]

"Hate me if you wish," though he didn't seem care if Kira did or didn't. "But if you think I'm unworthy, then try to take Gundam away from me." And forfeit your life in the process.

Put up or shut up, Kira.

[jesushasagundam]

A pause. Kira looked out at the now-empty starfield, and then back at Setsuna. "You're telling me to fight you?"

"If I beat you in a duel, then you'll agree to come fly with us."

[a_mere_human]

"If you truly feel that strongly about it, then fighting for what you believe in shouldn't be a problem."

The idea of betting on a duel between Gundams was... well, it struck Setsuna as one of the dumbest things he's ever heard.

"If you best me in a duel, I'll be dead," he corrected. That's just how he rolls.

[jesushasagundam]

And suddenly, it clicked. "You want to battle... for real? In our actual Gundams?"

Kira shook his head. "There's no way. Stacy won't leave the Bleed for something like that - and if either one of us kills the other, then all we've done is made this easier on the Ohm!"

"I'm not killing you."

[a_mere_human]

"I already told you, I don't play games." So where else would he fight you?

That is how it is, Kira. Do or die.

[jesushasagundam]

"This isn't a game," Kira retorted. "None of this is. Do you really want to die and make what little we have that much weaker?"

His eyes narrowed. "We can turn the safeties off here. But what you're saying is crazy."

[a_mere_human]

He's been called worse.

"If you aren't willing to risk your life in a fight, you have no business being behind the controls of a Gundam."

Setsuna turned his attention from Kira and looked over at his Haro.

"Red Haro, access the sensorium systems and load the 00 Raiser to the performance specs of its last use. Outfit it with weapons configuration E-7. Place it on launcher #3. Then deactivate all system safeties."

"ROGER THAT! ROGER THAT!" It chirped.

Your move, Kira.

[jesushasagundam]

"I'm willing to risk my life. I'm not willing to take yours because you're too proud."

Then this was how it was going to be, was it? Kira closed his eyes for a moment before willing up a computer interface through which he could load the Strike Freedom program he'd written.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, thinking about what Setsuna had said - he'd been the one to write the specific space combat program parameters they were using, and he was pretty sure that he'd be able to turn the safeties on again without Setsuna (or that AI, even) being any wiser.

He wouldn't do that now, though. Fingers flew over the terminal at superhuman speeds as he entered the command, but opted to store it instead - it would execute when he gave the order.

Kira glanced up at Setsuna as he faded from sight on the bridge, and the bridge faded from sight around him, replaced by his normal suit and the cockpit of the Freedom. He took a deep breath of air - was this other pilot really so crazy? What was he after?

"Strike Freedom, system booting."

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

"Oi. Are you guys done with your dick-waving contest yet or what?"

He raised a brow at the both of them, hands on hips as he called up.

"If you guys are gonna off each other, two things. One- you're both morons and we're better off withoutcha anyway. Two- once you've kicked the bucket, I'm takin' your suits to use as scrap."

With that, he kicked back into a suddenly-appearing chair with a suddenly-appearing bucket of popcorn.

"Want some?" He offered back to Yzak.

[silverduelist]

"... Really?"

Yzak found this entire thing ridiculous. Duo's conjuring? Didn't help the situation much.

"No!"

Yzak would just walk away from Duo and find a spot nearby to watch, but not before sending Kira a Look.

[hellraiser02.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry about it," Duo replied, not looking back again to face Yzak as he continued,

"Shinigami won't let 'em die over somethin' so dumb. They're Gundam pilots."