Kira's adoptive parents had traveled to Orb mainland on business, only for the "Valentine's Day" incident to erupt.
The sudden escalation of the Earth-Moon conflict paralyzed every shipping lane, stranding the Yamatos on Orb mainland.
Right now, Kira was the only one in the Heliopolis residence.
After carrying Inori home on her back, Kira finally let out a breath of relief.
"What in the world is going on..."
The mysterious girl from the MV she'd just seen—now here, right in front of her?
Kira looked out the window.
After a long delay, Heliopolis's maintenance crew had finally sounded the alarm, and a number of engineering machines were heading toward the breach in the "sky."
Though the spacecraft itself was blocking the hole, the damage from exposure to outer space was still very real.
"Executive officer, notify the Heliopolis authorities that our ship's navigation system was disabled by an Earth Alliance attack, leaving us unable to control it, resulting in the collision with the colony. We can negotiate regarding the ship. Also—the Black Monolith must not be exposed under any circumstances."
Inside the escape shuttle, the captain breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering the ship hadn't actually exploded.
The vessel was currently just "embedded" in Heliopolis's outer wall. There was still room to maneuver.
After informing Heliopolis that the ship had "malfunctioned and lost control," the captain requested its return.
"We are deeply sorry for what happened. During a prior engagement, our ship sustained damage from an Earth Alliance attack, crippling both the navigation and control systems. As we approached Heliopolis, an unfortunate damage-control incident triggered an internal explosion, causing a total loss of control..."
The ZAFT captain and the Heliopolis representative met in a conference room at the port to negotiate.
Of course, the captain's story was nothing but an excuse.
As for why the accident had happened, they were deliberately vague.
—Because the matter of the Black Monolith was something they still wanted to keep hidden.
(This is it)
(Fully deployed)
In a sense, the fact that a single coffin-shaped object the size of a person could strip an entire warship of control was a demonstration of power in its own right.
The Orb representative nodded. "We understand your position. To avoid any misjudgment, our side also refrained from taking offensive action against your vessel. However, the damage inflicted upon our colony this time has been considerable."
—This was a lie.
The truth was that when the ZAFT ship had made its incursion, Heliopolis's detection and alarm systems had suffered a total blackout, leaving the entire port virtually paralyzed.
But that was certainly not something outsiders could be allowed to know.
"Regarding this unfortunate incident, ZAFT is prepared to compensate your side for damages. However, the ship's interior is a restricted military zone, and I request that your personnel be kept away."
The captain laid out his demand.
The Orb representative nodded.
ZAFT was willing to pay compensation, but everything aboard the ship was classified. Please do not enter.
A reasonable request.
"However, as a neutral colony, Heliopolis cannot harbor an armed vessel long-term, nor does it wish to invite misinterpretation from other powers. We therefore request that ZAFT stand by outside."
Hidden within Heliopolis were Earth Alliance military researchers, working on the Mobile Suits codenamed "G."
Although Orb championed neutrality, in reality it had been flirting with the Atlantic Federation behind closed doors.
If ZAFT found out about that—it'd be catastrophic.
The Heliopolis side was equally on edge.
This was something ZAFT absolutely could not learn about.
"That may be difficult. We still have some malfunctioning equipment aboard—there's no telling when another incident might occur. The engines may not be in great shape either."
The captain tried to push back.
If there were no ZAFT personnel nearby, who knew whether Orb's people might sneak aboard?
Both sides were putting on a front, neither wanting their secrets uncovered.
The Orb representative thought for a moment. "How about this: your side dispatches a few representatives to oversee and provide technical guidance, and we form a Joint Inspection Team."
The captain considered briefly. "...Very well."
Both parties stood and shook hands.
[I'm getting major "everyone's hiding something" vibes]
[If nothing goes wrong, then something's definitely about to go wrong]
[But I think I get the setup now. This place is a neutral colony. That ship belongs to a military organization called ZAFT. They've been fighting the Earth Alliance]
[Got it—it's Federation vs. Zeon]
[So the heroine is some kind of test subject?]
[She's not a C.C. type, is she?]
[Power of the King, lol]
[Yuri Lelouch? I'm in!]
[We're just assuming the lead is a girl now?]
[Absolutely. Those shoulders, those hips, that waist—with thirty years of anime-watching experience, I guarantee: that's a girl]
[Gundam?! Where's the Gundam?! Show me the Gundam!]
[It's Episode Zero—there might not even be a Gundam]
[Just don't pull a Witch from Mercury, please]
While the audience spammed their comments, the camera had already cut to Kira's side.
"Ah, there it is."
After browsing the net for a while, an announcement finally appeared on the official site.
A ZAFT vessel had suffered an accident and collided with the colony. The authorities urged residents not to panic.
Shortly after, Kira also received a message from school.
Due to the potential hazard of cosmic radiation and other dangers, all work and classes on Heliopolis would be suspended the following day.
Kira stretched, her nerves finally unwinding.
A cute girl like that—surely she couldn't be connected to ZAFT. Maybe she was just up in the sky shooting an MV or something?
—But why had she drifted down as lightly as a falling leaf?
The answer was actually quite simple.
Wirework, obviously.
The Black Monolith could levitate and move freely. Inori had simply used it to suspend herself on invisible wires. Kira just couldn't see them.
"Why, though..."
Slumped over her desk, Kira fell asleep.
"Mm!"
When she opened her eyes again, the colony's internal systems had already switched the time to daytime.
It was early morning.
Kira yawned, then went to wash her face.
"How is she doing?"
She came to her own room and looked at the girl on the bed.
And just then, Inori slowly opened her eyes.
"Oh, you're awake." Kira hurried over. "You're the girl from the MV, right? How did you fall from the sky?"
Inori looked at Kira. "I am Yuzuriha Inori."
(Inori!)
"Yuzuriha Inori? Is that your name? I'm Kira. Kira Yamato." Kira introduced herself as well.
[What the hell, how do you even read that character in Chinese?]
[They gave you subtitles and you still can't figure it out?]
[It's "dié"]
[No, it's "yè"]
[Which one is it?!]
[It's a rare character. In Japanese it refers to a type of plant, so "yè" is the more reasonable reading]
[Incredible, a true scholar!]
[All hail!]
"Um, are you okay? Does anything hurt? Can I help with anything?" Kira asked.
But Inori just sat up and stared at Kira.
After a moment, she finally spoke. "Kira... will you make a contract with me?"
(That's right, it's Kira lol)