Aster Zabi

Aster’s ears rang in her head as her short legs carried her as fast and far as they could. Behind her, she dragged her twin brother Zero, who struggled to keep up with her healthy pace. Being the sickly sibling, he was never her competitor when it came to physical strength. Still, he seemed to especially be dragging his feet as their world crashed around them. Was he not aware of the dangers that lay in the situation at hand? The riots were starting again and they both knew it was only a matter of time before the Federation tanks were to be deployed.

“Zero! Come on, we have to get out of here!” Aster yells frantically as she pulls harshly on his arm. The fragile boy falls to the ground, stopping her in her tracks. It would seem as though his meager stamina was at its limit.

“Wait, look!” Exclaims Zero, pointing behind them at a lone Guntank aims its barrels down the adjacent avenue. While this incites fear in Aster, who squeezes his hand, Zero’s face can only be described as mesmerized. As the canons are fired, Aster hastily jumps to Zero’s defense. She shields his body with her own on the chance that any shrapnel or debris be sent flying their way.

By the time the Guntank ceases firing and continues moving down the avenue, Aster musters all of her strength to hoist Zero onto her back. Her knees tremble under their shared weight but nonetheless, she carries him along. The pace may be slow and more people are running their way but her grip on him is firm and resolute.

“What is this!?” Comes the booming, authoritative voice of Aster Alchamar, representative of the military academy’s girls’ dorm 6. She’s dressed in her uniform, ironed neatly and free from wrinkles or blemishes. She was participating in her self-assigned representative duty of monitoring the common areas just after curfew for any stragglers when she happened upon a group of her peers and several… boys. And they weren’t just talking either.

“It– It is time for lights out!” Aster stutters, unsure what to make of the scene before her. The way the boys held her peers and kissed them fervently was an entirely foreign field for her mind to navigate. Even her cheeks are now tinted pink now.

“Aster… You really need to lighten up. Come on, it’s not like we have classes or anything tomorrow.” A girl finally speaks up, her leg resting over the leg of the male student next to her as he rubs her thigh. Clearly, they will not be intimidated by Aster’s authority.

“Nonsense. Someone has to keep this place orderly.” Comes Aster’s stubborn reply.

“Maybe you should find someone too. They can pull that stick out of your ass and maybe you’d actually smile for once.” Another girl speaks up, one who was engaged with another, more bashful female student. Her tone is much less playful than the other and it is plainly apparent she was not pleased to be interrupted. “You can’t really be satisfied being such a goody goody.”

“A ‘goody-goody?’ Is that what you think of your represent–” Aster is incredulous.

“Enough! Enough with the bullshit. I think you’re the only one who took that stupid pledge seriously. It’s just a fake little title to pawn off extra work on a naive worker bee.”

“You know,” interrupts one of the boys, “Garma takes it pretty seriously too.”

“Great. Shove them in a closet together so we can get some fuckin’ rest.”

Aster’s face grows even redder as her mouth hangs slightly ajar. But she will not allow such slights against the Zabi heir – he is the future of their nation after all.

“Fine! I will take the matter up with the superintendent then. I’m sure he will be pleased to know instead of getting adequate rest you’re all getting so… close. How unbecoming.”

At this the group collectively groans and rises from the common area, knowing that with Aster this would not be an empty threat. Superintendent Dozle himself is very familiar with how seriously she takes her duties and has combed through enough reports from her to drive a lesser man mad.

Now a fully-fledged soldier and mobile suit pilot, Aster never let her valor in battle get to her head. Even now, taking guard duty at the small victory party thrown in Commander Garma’s honor was something she took very seriously. She examined every unfamiliar face – mostly family and friends of the Earth locals working alongside the Zeon forces. But Aster knew she could never be too careful around such people. Her sister’s intuition (as Zero called it) was seldom wrong, and she had a queasy feeling in her stomach that was not to be ignored.

She made her rounds in full uniform, perhaps the only woman in the ballroom not donning a gown of some sort. She had been keeping her eyes on the party patrons when a small glint of light caught the corner of her eye. Were she not on such high alert she might not have thought anything of it – plenty of the women here were covered in sequins that shined similarly. But this particular flash was solitary and came from the bar. Aster’s head snapped towards the source, sensing… something she couldn’t quite understand. A sinister intention of the bartender, mixing a drink with his back to the patrons. Aster can tell even from the distance that he is spiking someone’s drink. With haste, she strides over to the bar from across the ballroom.

Startlingly, she only just now notices Garma is the patron waiting on his drink, his own back to the bartender while he entertains the company of a few young women. It dawns on Aster that this spiked drink may contain more than a simple sedative for an unsuspecting girl. Her graceful stride turns into a dire run, not caring who gets tossed aside in the process.

By the time she makes it to him he has the glass nearly at his lip she’s briskly pushing aside one of his female companions. Aster grasps the glass, her gloved fingers hastily brushing over Garma’s own. She yanks it unceremoniously from his hand, spilling some on the both of them – but she’s not worried at all about the stains inevitable to their uniforms.

In just this brief instant, many people around have already begun gawking at Aster’s brazen display of what seems to be disrespect. The women near her scowl while the men seem more amused than anything. Garma and Aster lock eyes and, given how long they have known each other by now, Garma knows Aster is not the kind of woman to do things out of line without dire reasoning. He is perhaps the calmest person in the room, despite being the one so close to potential death. With a subtle, understanding nod the two have communicated the situation wordlessly.

The bartender is sweating bullets as Garma and Aster direct their attention to him. The two seem in sync as they glare him down. Aster jumps over the bar to physically restrain him as Garma confronts the man verbally. Seems as though the party is over.