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joiedecombatBecause yes I am a fangirl.
Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ship_manifesto, and seriously exceeding the wordcount limit of same, but I have trouble finding anything to cut out of it. Apparently I am also a very wordy fangirl.
Fortunately, I have a good long while to revise it; any and all suggestions or opinions are welcomed.
There will be recs and a disclaimer involving Destiny included later.
Title: In Love and War
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
joiedecombat
Fandom: Gundam SEED
Pairing: Mwu la Fllaga/Murrue Ramius
Spoilers: Big ones. For the entire series.
Email: abbykat at hotmail dot com
In Love and War: Murrue Ramius and Mwu la Fllaga
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED contains all of the components of any Gundam series: a futuristic setting, giant robots, and lots of space combat. However, the strength of the series rests primarily on the relationships between characters, a network of enmities, friendships, partnerships, and romances.
There is much to enjoy about any of the relationships or potential relationships depicted in the series. The one which develops between Murrue Ramius and combat ace Mwu la Fllaga is one of many. But although there are relationships in Gundam SEED which are more passionate, or which hold more potential for further growth beyond the boundaries of the series itself, the relationship between Mwu and Murrue is the single best-developed relationship in the series and one of the most emotionally compelling, to the point that it is difficult to imagine either character with anyone else.
The Characters
Murrue Ramius
her lightest touch commands
Murrue is not well-suited to the military, a fact which she herself acknowledges halfway through the series: "I know that this uniform is something that doesn't suit me well." Her actions are dictated primarily by her own conscience and intuition, with orders and regulations coming a distinct second place. That makes her a somewhat uncommon figure in sci-fi, a female character with traditionally female strengths who, instead of serving a secondary role supporting more masculine characters, occupies a position of authority and wields substantial influence over the plot.
We first meet Murrue as a lieutenant in the Earth Alliance military, assigned to a top-secret project developing powerful new weapons in the hopes of turning the tide in the Earth's war against the genetically-enhanced Coordinators of PLANT. Why exactly someone like Murrue - who sometimes comes across more like everyone's favorite first-grade teacher than a soldier - is in the military at all is never clearly established. We can infer from her assignment to the G-Weapon project (and from her later position as a department head for Morgenroete Shipbuilding) that she is an engineer of some skill, but beyond that, little of her background is revealed. However, some indication of her reasons for joining the military may be drawn from the somewhat uncharacteristic diatribe to which she treats the main character and his friends in phase two: "You kids don't understand anything! By declaring that you're neutral and have nothing to do with this, you can still distance yourselves from what's happening? You don't really believe that, do you?"
Gundam SEED returns often to the theme of one's reasons for fighting. Murrue, it becomes clear, fights because when the world around her is embroiled in conflict, she herself cannot remain uninvolved; when she sees a need, she cannot help but try to meet it... even if the need is far greater than her ability to fill.
The only other thing really established about Murrue's background is that she has already experienced some of the tragedies of war: sometime in the past, she loved a mobile armor pilot who was killed in action. The importance of this past relationship, and its loss, to her is embodied by her locket, which is only brought into view in moments of emotional significance - but equally important is the fact that Murrue is not seeking revenge. She doesn't seem to hold any kind of personal grudge against Coordinators as a group; she carries no emotional scars. She has grieved, and she has healed, and she has gone on with her life. She is, in fact, probably the second most emotionally healthy and possibly the most mature major character in the series.
It's the combination of these two fundamental traits that makes Murrue one of the primary guiding forces of Gundam SEED. When an enemy attack kills every other ranking officer in the G-project, she is shoved unceremoniously into the position of captain of the Archangel, the warship around which most of the action of the series revolves. It is not a position for which she is well prepared - but without Murrue's compassionate and conscientious leadership, the series would have ended before it had more than barely begun. She is an ordinary, average woman caught up in events of more-than-global significance, and she responds not by giving in to hopelessness in the face of an overwhelming situation, but by stepping forward into a role that is too big for her to fill - and, over the course of the series, growing to fill it. She is an example of humanity's ability to rise above when things are at their worst, and her judgment calls, especially during the first two legs of the Archangel's journey, do a lot to guide the direction of the plot and hold the main cast together.
Warmest, most mothering lady captain badass ever.
Mwu la Fllaga
make the impossible possible
Like Murrue, Mwu begins the series as a lieutenant in the Earth Alliance military. But where Murrue is just a minor officer of no particular distinction, Mwu is a very different story. He is the Alliance's star pilot, known as the Hawk of Endymion, and no matter where the Archangel goes, it seems, somebody knows his name.
Mwu quickly takes up the role of the Archangel's primary tactician and mentor to Gundam SEED's main character, the brilliant but emotionally fragile teenaged Coordinator Kira Yamato. Especially as compared to Kira, Mwu initially seems to have it all together: upbeat, easygoing, and self-assured, a bit vain and occasionally blunt to the point of tactlessness, but in terms of sheer skill he is unmatched as a pilot, able to hold his own in battle against opponents with superior equipment and greater raw physical ability. Murrue and Kira both are ill-suited to the military, but Mwu is altogether at home in the role of a soldier, a fact illustrated by how comfortably he wears his uniform.
However, as the series progresses, we begin to get the impression that perhaps Mwu is not quite all he is cracked up to be. He is the first to voice misgivings about Kira's choice to remain with the military, despite having been no older when he himself first experienced combat: "He's still too young. If he gets addicted to war, he'll have a hard time for the rest of his life."
What exactly he means by this becomes a little clearer some episodes later, after a brush with the enemy known as the Desert Tiger. When the Archangel joins forces against him with the Desert Dawn resistance, the Tiger retaliates by razing one of the towns which supported the resistance, after warning its residents to evacuate to avoid loss of life. In the aftermath, while the townsfolk worry about how they will survive and the members of the Desert Dawn curse the Tiger, Mwu puts his foot in it with a vengeance:
He's not wrong; the Tiger is playing very nice. But it's still an incredibly insensitive thing to say in front of a group of frightened civilians who have just lost their homes... and even when he's realized that he's crossed a line, it's clear that he doesn't understand how.
Through the rest of the Desert Tiger arc and after, it becomes more and more apparent that Mwu is perhaps too much a soldier, to the point that he's not really able to understand a civilian point of view. He's imposed a sort of tunnel vision on himself in order to cope with the things he faces and does in battle, and it shows clearly in his advice to Kira: "In any case, think only about protecting this ship and yourself," and, "It's better not to know too much about the enemy. Try to forget. Knowing about a man you're about to fight with for your life just makes the battle more difficult."
It isn't bad advice, and his thick-skinned attitude toward war enables him to keep up such a laid-back and upbeat demeanor... but one of the main themes of SEED is the importance of understanding one's reasons for fighting before labeling anyone as an enemy. Mwu is not by any means a bad person - on the contrary, he is dependable and fundamentally decent - but what we begin to see as his character develops is that, at the beginning of the series, he is shallow. He talks about how soldiers fight to protect, but he gives no indication that he himself is protecting anything other than the ship on which his own life depends. For all his good intentions, Mwu fights primarily because he can - because he is good at it, because the recognition that it earns him is important to him, because at this point he doesn't really know how to do anything else. It is not in the least bit surprising that without ever meeting the man, Mwu is able to understand that the Desert Tiger is both a ruthless soldier and a genuinely kind person, because he embodies that same dichotomy. Given a conscious choice, he chooses to be a good person... but being a good soldier comes to him far more naturally.
At least until Murrue.
Their Relationship
Heliopolis to Earth
partners
Murrue and Mwu would probably never even have met had circumstances not gone to hell in the proverbial handbasket. They are thrown together in the wake of ZAFT's assault on the colony of Heliopolis, the two highest-ranking Earth Alliance officers left alive after the initial attack. With Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, who takes up the position of XO and combat commander, they become the Archangel's primary leadership - the officers to whom everyone else looks for direction. It doesn't take long for their dynamic to establish itself... or for it to become clear that Mwu and Murrue are forming a connection that Natarle - whose strict reliance on military regulations brings her into frequent conflict with Murrue's unorthodox brand of leadership - cannot quite reach with either of them.
It's Mwu who encourages Murrue to take command of the Archangel, in spite of her lack of experience. He defers to her authority, and she in turn relies on his much greater combat experience; he lays out possible strategies, and she makes the final judgment calls.
They quickly establish a measure of trust. During the Archangel's escape from the wreckage of Heliopolis, with a ZAFT ship advancing into firing range, Murrue countermands Natarle's order to fire on the enemy ship before it can fire on them, concerned that Mwu's mobile armor may be in the path of their weapons. She chooses instead to trust in the strategy he planned out, and her trust is rewarded when he succeeds in crippling the enemy ship. And when, an episode later, the three officers are confined away from the Archangel in an allied base which has come under attack, Murrue quickly throws in with Mwu's bid to escape back to their ship, while Natarle watches them both like they've gone insane. As early as phase 7, they are clearly forming a solid partnership, and Mwu is developing a habit of standing beside Murrue's seat on the Archangel's bridge.
The rapport the two of them are forming only becomes more evident in the furor surrounding Kira's decision to sneak rescued civilian turned hostage Lacus off of the Archangel and back into the care of ZAFT. Natarle is aghast at Kira's actions, but it's clear that Murrue and Mwu both sympathize and even approve, in spite of the fact that losing their hostage makes the Archangel's situation that much more difficult. Mwu actually winks at Murrue over their channel of communication, and she has to repress laughter, even as Natarle froths; they seem almost to be sharing a private joke in the midst of a potential disaster.
It's interesting to consider how different Mwu's approach to these events might have been had the Archangel had a more conventional captain, one more concerned with acting according to military regulations. In these early stages of the Archangel's voyage, we see his pragmatism dovetail with Murrue's more idealistic determination to preserve the safety and well-being of the ship's crew and passengers. His conflict between being a good person or a good soldier is not yet really apparent, but one wonders if, without Murrue's example to influence him, Mwu might not have been quite as inclined to defend Kira, or as unhesitatingly willing to remain on board the Archangel after the arrival of the 8th Fleet provides him with an opportunity to return to his own unit.
Maybe, maybe not. It's also worth wondering whether or not Murrue would have been able to maintain authority over the Archangel in the face of Natarle's very evident disapproval had she not had Mwu's support and the benefit of his experience.
Probably not.
In any case, it's an academic point. It's made clear that, had Murrue not chosen to chosen to bring Kira and his friends aboard the Archangel and encouraged Kira to pilot a Gundam in defense of the ship - had Mwu not been there to provide strategies and bail Kira and the Archangel out in combat - the ship would never have made it to Earth. And by the time the Archangel meets up with the 8th Fleet, Mwu is at home on the ship and in his partnership with Murrue, enough so that he expresses his commitment to getting the Archangel to Earth Alliance HQ as though it is not in question - as though the idea of leaving the ship in fact never occurs to him.
Africa to Alaska
friends
Landing on Earth begins the second leg of the Archangel's journey. As the ship battles its way from northern Africa across the Pacific Ocean to the Earth Alliance's Alaskan headquarters, Mwu's personal conflict gradually becomes more apparent... and, not coincidentally, the relationship between Mwu and Murrue becomes something more than just professional. Significantly, this part of the series actually opens on the two of them privately discussing the situation at hand.
We can see their dynamic beginning to shift. As Murrue grows more comfortable in the role of captain, she clashes more often with Natarle - but Mwu, in contrast, looks more and more to Murrue for direction, less often laying out options for her and more often simply asking, "What should we do?" It becomes common to see them together, talking over whatever situation is currently at hand; the novelizations indicate that he in fact brings concerns specifically to her. In the midst of establishing shots and group scenes, for no reason, he watches her.
They develop an evident sexual tension.
The first obvious indication comes in phase 19, as Murrue and Mwu privately discuss Kira's precarious emotional state and the magnitude of the stress he's under. It's a serious subject, but Mwu seems a little... distracted.
For the most part, though, the unresolved sexual tension between them does not result in any other forms of tension; rather than interfering with the partnership they have formed, their increasing awareness of one another seems, if anything, to make it that much stronger. And as the Archangel's situation goes inevitably from bad to worse, the two of them support one another.
Mwu's support of Murrue is easily visible. He'd already developed a habit of placing himself at her side; when things get stressful for her, as ZAFT continues to dog the Archangel's progress, Mwu is the one to offer Murrue reassurance and make an effort to raise her spirits.
The ways in which Murrue supports and affects Mwu, on the other hand, are at least initially a little more difficult to pinpoint. Mwu, after all, has a vested interest in appearing confident and not in need of reassurance, and Murrue, as captain, must exercise restraint where her attraction to Mwu is concerned. The first indication of her feelings is arguable, a case of protesting a little too much: in phase 25, while once again discussing the current situation, the two of them have a moment that is both cute and distinctly comical. Near the end of the conversation, fatigued and discouraged, Murrue slumps over her desk with a heavy sigh. Mwu, after considering her for a moment, pats her gently on the back in wordless encouragement - and without raising her head Murrue says dryly, "Please stop, Commander. That's harassment," leaving Mwu looking at his own hand in visible bemusement.
There is, of course, nothing sexual at all about his gesture, and it has hardly been uncommon for Mwu, a naturally tactile guy, to pat someone on the back or the shoulder. With this in mind, Murrue's comment serves more to give away her own sexual awareness of Mwu than anything else.
(It's worth noting that this moment plays out quite differently in the novelization, and is much more serious, with Mwu squeezing Murrue's shoulder before leaving silently because he knows that, as captain, she does not want anyone to see her cry. The novels also depict more of a flirtation between the two of them occurring well before that point. Although the execution is different, the overall effect is the same - in both cases we are given a sense of their partnership, the connection they have with one another.)
During this part of the series, it slowly becomes apparent that Mwu's advice, well-meant though it is, is simply not helping Kira very much. The incident in phase 18 following the Desert Tiger's attack is one of the first indications that Mwu himself does not have the best approach to the war in which they are involved - he is too military, too willing to accept that he must fight and kill The Enemy without really knowing, or caring to know, who The Enemy truly is. As events unfold around the Archangel and the question of why and for what they are fighting gains importance, it becomes less and less possible for Mwu to retain his comfortable tunnel-vision. He has no good answers to offer Kira, and watching Kira struggle leaves him questioning his own role in the war.
Mwu's mounting frustration reveals itself clearly in phase 30. Finding Kira troubled over having killed a ZAFT pilot in battle, Mwu comes down on him surprisingly hard - defensively, in fact. "We're soldiers. We're not murderers. We're fighting a war! If one doesn't shoot, one gets shot!" Up until this point, he has been occasionally stern but always understanding toward Kira - the change is not because of Kira, but rather because Mwu is no longer certain of the things he is saying.
It's Murrue who provides him with his answers, bit by bit. When Kira and another young volunteer go missing-presumed-dead in combat, Mwu takes it very personally, and in phase 31, in spite of the fact that the Archangel has been forced to retreat from the area and call a nearby neutral country to send a search and rescue team, he demands to be allowed to launch and perform his own search in the Archangel's only remaining fighter. He harasses the ship's maintenance crew about it until the head of maintenance calls Murrue: "Captain! You talk to him!"
***I kind of want to edit in a reference to the bit at the beginning of phase 31, about how reluctant Murrue is to order the retreat and how Mwu, in the hangar, seems a little surprised: "Are we withdrawing? Captain?" We'll see.***
Which she does, going down personally to the hangar to inform him that she cannot allow him to launch and ask him to let the crew rest. He is not interested in listening to reason; it takes an emotional outburst from her to stop him short:
She stops herself there, clearly dismayed by what she almost revealed, but it is easy to fill in what isn't actually said: Should you also not return, I don't know what I would do. Should you also not return, I couldn't keep this up without you.
Mwu, clearly also aware of this, can only touch her shoulder and concede with a quiet, "Roger."
This is something of a turning point for both of them, or at least the beginnings of one. It is the first clear indication of Murrue's feelings; up until this point, although she has obviously enjoyed his company and relied on his support, she has of necessity maintained a measure of the professional restraint required of a captain.
As for Mwu, on one level, his reaction makes sense - in some twelve years in the military, he has probably not known many captains who would cry over the pilots they command. On another level, however, it's a little confusing. He made his attraction clear, and has displayed no lack of confidence... but in spite of that, he seems taken somewhat aback by the strength of her feelings, as though not prepared for the possibility that he is that important to her, not just for his skills as a pilot - her efforts at using reason to dissuade him never even address the obvious fact that he is now the only pilot the Archangel has left - but simply for himself.
It is with a great deal unsettled and unsaid that they finally arrive at the Earth Alliance's headquarters in Alaska.
Matters don't get any less complicated there. Upon arriving at JOSH-A in Alaska, Murrue, Mwu and the other officers of the Archangel are called into a hearing on the events which have taken place thus far - a hearing which quickly turns into something more like a court martial, with Murrue's judgment calls being harshly scrutinized and the brunt of responsibility for the string of disasters being placed squarely upon her. Even Natarle, the one who reported Murrue's breaches of regulations to her superiors, seems uncomfortable with how strongly she is being criticized, but it is Mwu who springs to his feet unasked to defend her, more than once, despite being reprimanded for expressing "personal feelings."
Although no punitive action is taken against Murrue, the orders which are given are bad enough: both Mwu and Natarle are transferred off the Archangel, breaking up the partnership which has worked so well for the previous five months, and effectively removing Murrue's strongest support.
Mwu's departure in phase 34 is an unhappy scene. Natarle, whatever her regrets, accepts the transfer matter-of-factly, but Murrue is visibly downcast, and Mwu seems frankly disgusted. Natarle has already left when the two of them reluctantly say their goodbyes, and it is patently obvious that neither of them wants to part. What makes this scene so compelling is the nearly palpable sense of how much isn't being said, and how badly both of them would like to say it. Their dialogue is brimming over with underlying importance; it's there in the way they look at one another, in the pauses before they speak. In the end, all they can do is thank one another for everything, and Murrue watches Mwu leave with tears in her eyes.
Somewhere between the Archangel and the transport he is meant to board, however, Mwu comes to a decision. When they reach the dock, after saying farewell to Natarle, he turns back, claiming easily that he "forgot something" - and starts back to the Archangel. What exactly is going on in his head in these moments isn't really clear - whether it's the memory of what Murrue almost said in phase 31 that makes him turn around, or if there's something else about the situation that isn't sitting quite right with him - whether he truly means to stay with the Archangel and orders be damned, or he just can't leave without saying more than has been said - but he is manifestly up to something. And while the series never addresses it directly, the fact that Mwu, a decorated career soldier who is so good at his job that he can no longer think like a civilian, has chosen to act in direct defiance of his orders is no small thing.
And as he heads back toward the Archangel, as ZAFT begins to attack the base, Mwu discovers that they have been deceived and betrayed by their superiors - the Archangel and its crew have been abandoned, left to serve as a token defense and be destroyed along with the attackers when the base is detonated. Furiously, Mwu races back to the Archangel, and when he's unable to reach them by radio he goes so far as to crash-land his borrowed fighter jet on the ship's flight deck. As everyone gapes at him in astonishment, he goes straight to Murrue, and demands that the Archangel evacuate immediately.
Evacuating means deserting in the midst of combat - a capital offense - and what Mwu is telling them is an inconceivable betrayal on the part of the military. Murrue, however, trusts Mwu implicitly. She orders the Archangel off the battlefield. And Mwu, for all the anger he displayed moments before, seems suddenly confident again, in spite of the fact that escaping will mean a difficult fight. Telling Murrue that he will launch again to help clear the way, he says cheerfully, "Did you forget? I am a man who can make the impossible possible."
The first time he said this, it was nothing more than a boast: Look at me! I'm so awesome! I even have a catchphrase! This time, it holds more meaning. It will hold more meaning still the next time we hear it - but for now, it's a promise.
Alaska to Jachin Due
lovers
In the aftermath of JOSH-A, the Archangel is suddenly lacking any higher authority from which to take orders or guidance; it is solely up to Murrue now to choose the ship's course. The question of what to fight for is more critical than ever, and once again we see Mwu looking to Murrue for direction, and she to him for support.
For several episodes, the more personal aspects of their relationship must be set aside in the face of much greater considerations - but are not by any means forgotten. They keep close to one another, and at the end of phase 37 comes the first indication of what's next for the two of them: when Murrue calls Mwu "Commander," he is quick to correct her. "That title no longer applies, does it? Murrue."
Murrue seems startled - perhaps because this is the first time he has called her by name. Unquestionably, he does so deliberately, and as is so often the case with them, there is more being said than just what is being said aloud. The point Mwu is making has nothing to do with the topic of conversation; now that they have deserted the military, their relationship is no longer restricted by the military's regulations.
In the following episode, when Murrue assembles the crew in order to relinquish her authority over them, asking each person to decide for themselves whether to continue to fight aboard the Archangel or to take the opportunity to leave, everyone stands in formation facing her... except for Mwu. He, it seems, has already made his decision, and as usual has placed himself beside and behind her. Murrue herself has also already chosen to continue leading the ship into battle, and while it is never directly addressed in either case, it is beyond doubt that Mwu's support helped bring her to that decision, just as her influence brought him to his.
Shortly thereafter, in the midst of preparations for battle, Mwu finds Murrue on the bridge of the ship, looking pensive. Once again, he makes an effort to cheer her up: "The Captain should not be looking so depressed. In all, only eleven left the ship. That's incredible."
But this, it seems, is not what's foremost on Murrue's mind. Instead, she asks him why he came back at Alaska - a question which, on the surface, seems like it should have an obvious answer.
Mwu does not, however, tell her it was to save the ship - after all, he hadn't even known ZAFT was attacking when he turned back. Instead, seeming a little surprised that she asked, he says, "I didn't expect to be asked that now after all this time," - and pulling her close, he kisses her soundly by way of an answer.
Flustered, Murrue protests, "I don't like mobile armor pilots," - an empty protest, considering that she'd displayed no such dislike over the course of the past six months. Nothing daunted, Mwu replies cheerfully, "Ah - I'm a mobile suit pilot now, though."
And that seems to be that - at least until several crewmen interrupt them by walking onto the bridge.
It's an understated scene, as so many of their scenes are. Once again, the most important things being communicated aren't being said aloud, because they don't need to be. The two of them grew together quietly over the past months, in the background and between the lines; although Murrue's protest that she doesn't like mobile armor pilots refers back to the fact that she has loved and lost one already, Mwu takes it only about as seriously as it was meant, and she seems more exasperated with the situation than genuinely reluctant. This moment is simply the arrival of a foregone conclusion.
Considering that, it's hardly surprising that we see no great change in their dynamic after this point. They go into battle just as they have many times before, and are not noticeably distracted by thoughts of each other (although Mwu does seem awfully pleased with himself). The difference shows in small ways, in little moments - as they watch Kira begin to make peace with Athrun after the battle, Mwu puts his arm around Murrue's shoulders; before Murrue promises to the leader of Orb that the Archangel will strive to end the war, Mwu looks at her wordlessly, and she at him. Entering the bridge after they've returned to space, he vaults casually over a set of seats to stand beside her; as they and their allies acknowledge how hard the challenge they have taken up will be, she reaches for his arm. They call one another by name, instead of by rank as they did before.
What occurs between the two of them in private, after hours, we can only speculate - but that isn't the point, anyhow. The most important thing is still their partnership, the ways they support one another and how very comfortably they interact.
That mutual support becomes very important after phase 45 and another encounter with Mwu's archenemy, Raww le Klueze - who turns out, he reveals, to be a clone of Mwu's father Al da Fllaga, created because of Al's vanity and his dissatisfaction with his own son. Flaws in the cloning process have left Klueze bitter over his lack of a future or sense of identity; a great deal of the war's escalation can be traced back to him, and he reveals to Mwu and Kira that he intends to goad humanity into wiping itself out.
Mwu is badly shaken by these revelations. Initially, he makes an effort to maintain his usual air of confidence, and despite being seriously injured he returns to the Archangel's bridge to stand at Murrue's side for the rest of the battle. Later in the episode, however, he is confined to an infirmary bed, and his mood is atypically dark.
To Murrue, sitting at his bedside, he talks about his father, sketching with a few words a portrait of a man whose arrogance made him incapable of appreciating his son, wanting only a copy of himself. Much is explained about the reasons for Mwu's need for recognition and his initial shallowness, and what it is exactly that Murrue provides for him. She listens as he talks about his father and about Klueze's plans, and understand automatically what he isn't saying; the reassurance she offers him cuts right past the things he has said to the thing which he hasn't: "This is not your fault, Mwu."
Earlier in their relationship, it was easy to see how Mwu supported Murrue, but more difficult to pinpoint how she supported him. At this point, however, it is Mwu who clearly needs Murrue to lean on, and Murrue is the one to reassure him, staying by his side until he falls asleep, and leaving him with a kiss.
After this point, the focus once again turns to the inevitable buildup to the end of the war, until finally matters reach a climax at Jachin Due. Everyone on or allied with the Archangel is aware of just how difficult it will be for them to defuse things before civilian deaths occur, with the Earth Alliance's nuclear missiles on one side, ZAFT's superweapon GENESIS on the other, and Klueze in between goading both sides to annihilate one another. Nevertheless, in the midst of feverish preparations, Murrue still takes the time to go down to the hangar where Mwu is readying his mobile suit, the Strike, for combat. And though Mwu must soon be ready to launch, he is quick to emerge from the cockpit when he sees her there.
"I thought I wouldn't make it in time," she says, and he laughs.
"What are you talking about, silly?"
Once again, there is more being communicated here than what's being said aloud. Murrue does not have to admit that she is afraid for him for Mwu to understand, nor does she have to say why. Just as she did for him a few episodes ago, he easily understands what she is not saying; noticing her locket, he asks, simply, "A mobile armor pilot?"
Just as simply, she confirms, "Yes."
No further explanation is needed. Instead, Mwu reassures her confidently: "Don't worry. I'll be right back, with victory in hand."
They share a kiss before what might just turn out to be the end of the world.
Mwu, as it turns out, is half right - he does return quickly, after one last fight with Klueze ends in a draw and leaves the Strike badly damaged. By this point, the Archangel is embroiled in a face-off against its replacement in the Earth Alliance, the Dominion, whose captain is none other than Natarle, under the thumb of the fanatical Muruta Azrael. It's a bad situation for Murrue; though she has grown a great deal, from a sometimes hesitant minor officer of no distinction to an inspiring leader who commands the loyalty of everyone on her ship, her essential kindness has not changed, and she is reluctant to attack someone she still considers a friend. Into this standoff, Mwu returns, and hearing that the Strike is critically damaged distracts Murrue from the threat of the Dominion.
Azrael commands Natarle to take advantage of the opportunity by firing on the Archangel with their powerful Lohengrin positron beam cannon. Although Natarle, pushed to her limits, finally resists - and does succeed in ordering her crew to abandon ship, creating further confusion on the battlefield - she is unable to prevent Azrael from firing the Lohengrin. And Murrue, distracted by the Strike and thrown off-guard by the launching of the Dominion's lifepods, is not expecting the attack. Evasion is impossible; she can only watch as the glare of the beam bears down directly on the Archangel's bridge--
--and is blocked, by the Strike.
The Lohengrin is a weapon for taking out full-sized warships, and the Strike is already damaged; there is no chance of surviving the blast. But Mwu laughs quietly as the cockpit begins to fill with smoke, looking back towards the Archangel one last time: "I knew I could make the impossible possible...!"
The Strike explodes, vanishing into fragments, and Murrue screams.
For a few moments, nothing moves.
Time resumes itself when a member of the Archangel's crew announces that the Dominion is still approaching; when Murrue looks up, we see on her face an expression that we have never seen her wear before and will not see again - rage. Without hesitation she orders her crew to aim the Archangel's own Lohengrin at the Dominion, and to fire.
This scene makes up easily the most powerful few minutes of the entire series. The final episode of SEED focuses on the rest of the battle and the actions of Kira, Lacus, Athrun, and Cagalli, but there is a moment in which we see Murrue, for the first time since she became captain of the Archangel, utterly breaking down and unable to retain any semblance of composure: "You said... you would... return!"
Later, of course, necessity forces her to regain control of herself, but the Archangel's role in the battle is largely over. We last see Murrue in a brief sequence during the series' epilogue OVA, sitting alone with a cup of coffee and imagining Mwu. Although the sequence lasts only a few seconds and contains no dialogue, there is a certain sense of peace to it - an indication, in Murrue's demeanor and the way she imagines Mwu smiling, that this ending is perhaps not a happy one but not by any means a bad one.
Why It Works
In my introduction to this essay I said that Mwu and Murrue's relationship is the best-developed in the series, and I hope that I have managed to give some indication of why. More than any other pairing of characters in Gundam SEED, the two of them come together so very naturally; they are so often in close proximity to one another, and every bit of their interaction is one more step in developing their relationship. It is understated, not often focused on by the series and seldom really very romantic... but it is very real, and the effect it has on both characters is profound. Murrue, principled though she clearly is, would not have had the strength to maintain command of the Archangel or to commit herself to fight such overwhelming odds had it not been for Mwu. Mwu as we see him at the beginning of the series would never have sacrificed his own career and then his own life so willingly to protect others had it not been for Murrue. Both of them demonstrate the ability of humans to be at their very best when the world is at its worst - but the greatness that each one achieves is something that they only reach because of the other's influence.
And even though it ends with Mwu's death, there is a completeness to it that makes it all right. As essential as their partnership became, we are not left to believe that Murrue will be incomplete without him. On the contrary, his sacrifice is incredibly fitting and meaningful - the ultimate culmination of the development of his character, which was inspired first and foremost by Murrue - and throughout the series Murrue has demonstrated enough emotional resilience to be able to move forward with her life cherishing the imprint he left on it.
It is too rich, and far too complete, to call it tragic.
Written for
ship_manifesto, and seriously exceeding the wordcount limit of same, but I have trouble finding anything to cut out of it. Apparently I am also a very wordy fangirl.Fortunately, I have a good long while to revise it; any and all suggestions or opinions are welcomed.
There will be recs and a disclaimer involving Destiny included later.
Title: In Love and War
Author:
joiedecombatFandom: Gundam SEED
Pairing: Mwu la Fllaga/Murrue Ramius
Spoilers: Big ones. For the entire series.
Email: abbykat at hotmail dot com
In Love and War: Murrue Ramius and Mwu la Fllaga
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED contains all of the components of any Gundam series: a futuristic setting, giant robots, and lots of space combat. However, the strength of the series rests primarily on the relationships between characters, a network of enmities, friendships, partnerships, and romances.
There is much to enjoy about any of the relationships or potential relationships depicted in the series. The one which develops between Murrue Ramius and combat ace Mwu la Fllaga is one of many. But although there are relationships in Gundam SEED which are more passionate, or which hold more potential for further growth beyond the boundaries of the series itself, the relationship between Mwu and Murrue is the single best-developed relationship in the series and one of the most emotionally compelling, to the point that it is difficult to imagine either character with anyone else.
The Characters
Murrue Ramius
her lightest touch commands
Murrue is not well-suited to the military, a fact which she herself acknowledges halfway through the series: "I know that this uniform is something that doesn't suit me well." Her actions are dictated primarily by her own conscience and intuition, with orders and regulations coming a distinct second place. That makes her a somewhat uncommon figure in sci-fi, a female character with traditionally female strengths who, instead of serving a secondary role supporting more masculine characters, occupies a position of authority and wields substantial influence over the plot.
We first meet Murrue as a lieutenant in the Earth Alliance military, assigned to a top-secret project developing powerful new weapons in the hopes of turning the tide in the Earth's war against the genetically-enhanced Coordinators of PLANT. Why exactly someone like Murrue - who sometimes comes across more like everyone's favorite first-grade teacher than a soldier - is in the military at all is never clearly established. We can infer from her assignment to the G-Weapon project (and from her later position as a department head for Morgenroete Shipbuilding) that she is an engineer of some skill, but beyond that, little of her background is revealed. However, some indication of her reasons for joining the military may be drawn from the somewhat uncharacteristic diatribe to which she treats the main character and his friends in phase two: "You kids don't understand anything! By declaring that you're neutral and have nothing to do with this, you can still distance yourselves from what's happening? You don't really believe that, do you?"
Gundam SEED returns often to the theme of one's reasons for fighting. Murrue, it becomes clear, fights because when the world around her is embroiled in conflict, she herself cannot remain uninvolved; when she sees a need, she cannot help but try to meet it... even if the need is far greater than her ability to fill.
The only other thing really established about Murrue's background is that she has already experienced some of the tragedies of war: sometime in the past, she loved a mobile armor pilot who was killed in action. The importance of this past relationship, and its loss, to her is embodied by her locket, which is only brought into view in moments of emotional significance - but equally important is the fact that Murrue is not seeking revenge. She doesn't seem to hold any kind of personal grudge against Coordinators as a group; she carries no emotional scars. She has grieved, and she has healed, and she has gone on with her life. She is, in fact, probably the second most emotionally healthy and possibly the most mature major character in the series.
It's the combination of these two fundamental traits that makes Murrue one of the primary guiding forces of Gundam SEED. When an enemy attack kills every other ranking officer in the G-project, she is shoved unceremoniously into the position of captain of the Archangel, the warship around which most of the action of the series revolves. It is not a position for which she is well prepared - but without Murrue's compassionate and conscientious leadership, the series would have ended before it had more than barely begun. She is an ordinary, average woman caught up in events of more-than-global significance, and she responds not by giving in to hopelessness in the face of an overwhelming situation, but by stepping forward into a role that is too big for her to fill - and, over the course of the series, growing to fill it. She is an example of humanity's ability to rise above when things are at their worst, and her judgment calls, especially during the first two legs of the Archangel's journey, do a lot to guide the direction of the plot and hold the main cast together.
Warmest, most mothering lady captain badass ever.
Mwu la Fllaga
make the impossible possible
Like Murrue, Mwu begins the series as a lieutenant in the Earth Alliance military. But where Murrue is just a minor officer of no particular distinction, Mwu is a very different story. He is the Alliance's star pilot, known as the Hawk of Endymion, and no matter where the Archangel goes, it seems, somebody knows his name.
Mwu quickly takes up the role of the Archangel's primary tactician and mentor to Gundam SEED's main character, the brilliant but emotionally fragile teenaged Coordinator Kira Yamato. Especially as compared to Kira, Mwu initially seems to have it all together: upbeat, easygoing, and self-assured, a bit vain and occasionally blunt to the point of tactlessness, but in terms of sheer skill he is unmatched as a pilot, able to hold his own in battle against opponents with superior equipment and greater raw physical ability. Murrue and Kira both are ill-suited to the military, but Mwu is altogether at home in the role of a soldier, a fact illustrated by how comfortably he wears his uniform.
However, as the series progresses, we begin to get the impression that perhaps Mwu is not quite all he is cracked up to be. He is the first to voice misgivings about Kira's choice to remain with the military, despite having been no older when he himself first experienced combat: "He's still too young. If he gets addicted to war, he'll have a hard time for the rest of his life."
What exactly he means by this becomes a little clearer some episodes later, after a brush with the enemy known as the Desert Tiger. When the Archangel joins forces against him with the Desert Dawn resistance, the Tiger retaliates by razing one of the towns which supported the resistance, after warning its residents to evacuate to avoid loss of life. In the aftermath, while the townsfolk worry about how they will survive and the members of the Desert Dawn curse the Tiger, Mwu puts his foot in it with a vengeance:
Mwu: "This is likely a payback for what you did to them last night. I'd say that it's awfully kind of the Tiger to let you off with something minor like this."
Cagalli: "How dare you?! Something minor like this? Having a town burnt down is minor? How could you regard anyone who would do this as kind?"
Mwu: "I'm sorry, I apologize if I upset you in any way. But the enemy is an established army. I'm sure you realize if they were serious, it would've been much worse."
He's not wrong; the Tiger is playing very nice. But it's still an incredibly insensitive thing to say in front of a group of frightened civilians who have just lost their homes... and even when he's realized that he's crossed a line, it's clear that he doesn't understand how.
Through the rest of the Desert Tiger arc and after, it becomes more and more apparent that Mwu is perhaps too much a soldier, to the point that he's not really able to understand a civilian point of view. He's imposed a sort of tunnel vision on himself in order to cope with the things he faces and does in battle, and it shows clearly in his advice to Kira: "In any case, think only about protecting this ship and yourself," and, "It's better not to know too much about the enemy. Try to forget. Knowing about a man you're about to fight with for your life just makes the battle more difficult."
It isn't bad advice, and his thick-skinned attitude toward war enables him to keep up such a laid-back and upbeat demeanor... but one of the main themes of SEED is the importance of understanding one's reasons for fighting before labeling anyone as an enemy. Mwu is not by any means a bad person - on the contrary, he is dependable and fundamentally decent - but what we begin to see as his character develops is that, at the beginning of the series, he is shallow. He talks about how soldiers fight to protect, but he gives no indication that he himself is protecting anything other than the ship on which his own life depends. For all his good intentions, Mwu fights primarily because he can - because he is good at it, because the recognition that it earns him is important to him, because at this point he doesn't really know how to do anything else. It is not in the least bit surprising that without ever meeting the man, Mwu is able to understand that the Desert Tiger is both a ruthless soldier and a genuinely kind person, because he embodies that same dichotomy. Given a conscious choice, he chooses to be a good person... but being a good soldier comes to him far more naturally.
At least until Murrue.
Their Relationship
Heliopolis to Earth
partners
Murrue and Mwu would probably never even have met had circumstances not gone to hell in the proverbial handbasket. They are thrown together in the wake of ZAFT's assault on the colony of Heliopolis, the two highest-ranking Earth Alliance officers left alive after the initial attack. With Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, who takes up the position of XO and combat commander, they become the Archangel's primary leadership - the officers to whom everyone else looks for direction. It doesn't take long for their dynamic to establish itself... or for it to become clear that Mwu and Murrue are forming a connection that Natarle - whose strict reliance on military regulations brings her into frequent conflict with Murrue's unorthodox brand of leadership - cannot quite reach with either of them.
It's Mwu who encourages Murrue to take command of the Archangel, in spite of her lack of experience. He defers to her authority, and she in turn relies on his much greater combat experience; he lays out possible strategies, and she makes the final judgment calls.
They quickly establish a measure of trust. During the Archangel's escape from the wreckage of Heliopolis, with a ZAFT ship advancing into firing range, Murrue countermands Natarle's order to fire on the enemy ship before it can fire on them, concerned that Mwu's mobile armor may be in the path of their weapons. She chooses instead to trust in the strategy he planned out, and her trust is rewarded when he succeeds in crippling the enemy ship. And when, an episode later, the three officers are confined away from the Archangel in an allied base which has come under attack, Murrue quickly throws in with Mwu's bid to escape back to their ship, while Natarle watches them both like they've gone insane. As early as phase 7, they are clearly forming a solid partnership, and Mwu is developing a habit of standing beside Murrue's seat on the Archangel's bridge.
The rapport the two of them are forming only becomes more evident in the furor surrounding Kira's decision to sneak rescued civilian turned hostage Lacus off of the Archangel and back into the care of ZAFT. Natarle is aghast at Kira's actions, but it's clear that Murrue and Mwu both sympathize and even approve, in spite of the fact that losing their hostage makes the Archangel's situation that much more difficult. Mwu actually winks at Murrue over their channel of communication, and she has to repress laughter, even as Natarle froths; they seem almost to be sharing a private joke in the midst of a potential disaster.
It's interesting to consider how different Mwu's approach to these events might have been had the Archangel had a more conventional captain, one more concerned with acting according to military regulations. In these early stages of the Archangel's voyage, we see his pragmatism dovetail with Murrue's more idealistic determination to preserve the safety and well-being of the ship's crew and passengers. His conflict between being a good person or a good soldier is not yet really apparent, but one wonders if, without Murrue's example to influence him, Mwu might not have been quite as inclined to defend Kira, or as unhesitatingly willing to remain on board the Archangel after the arrival of the 8th Fleet provides him with an opportunity to return to his own unit.
Maybe, maybe not. It's also worth wondering whether or not Murrue would have been able to maintain authority over the Archangel in the face of Natarle's very evident disapproval had she not had Mwu's support and the benefit of his experience.
Probably not.
In any case, it's an academic point. It's made clear that, had Murrue not chosen to chosen to bring Kira and his friends aboard the Archangel and encouraged Kira to pilot a Gundam in defense of the ship - had Mwu not been there to provide strategies and bail Kira and the Archangel out in combat - the ship would never have made it to Earth. And by the time the Archangel meets up with the 8th Fleet, Mwu is at home on the ship and in his partnership with Murrue, enough so that he expresses his commitment to getting the Archangel to Earth Alliance HQ as though it is not in question - as though the idea of leaving the ship in fact never occurs to him.
Africa to Alaska
friends
Landing on Earth begins the second leg of the Archangel's journey. As the ship battles its way from northern Africa across the Pacific Ocean to the Earth Alliance's Alaskan headquarters, Mwu's personal conflict gradually becomes more apparent... and, not coincidentally, the relationship between Mwu and Murrue becomes something more than just professional. Significantly, this part of the series actually opens on the two of them privately discussing the situation at hand.
We can see their dynamic beginning to shift. As Murrue grows more comfortable in the role of captain, she clashes more often with Natarle - but Mwu, in contrast, looks more and more to Murrue for direction, less often laying out options for her and more often simply asking, "What should we do?" It becomes common to see them together, talking over whatever situation is currently at hand; the novelizations indicate that he in fact brings concerns specifically to her. In the midst of establishing shots and group scenes, for no reason, he watches her.
They develop an evident sexual tension.
The first obvious indication comes in phase 19, as Murrue and Mwu privately discuss Kira's precarious emotional state and the magnitude of the stress he's under. It's a serious subject, but Mwu seems a little... distracted.
Murrue: "Any ideas on how to deal with this problem? You're his senior officer."
Mwu: "I?"
He adopts a thoughtful pose... but his attention is quickly diverted, panning down the length of her body until she takes a step back from him.
Mwu: "...My ideas may not be worth mentioning."
Murrue, eyes narrowing: "I kind of sensed that."
For the most part, though, the unresolved sexual tension between them does not result in any other forms of tension; rather than interfering with the partnership they have formed, their increasing awareness of one another seems, if anything, to make it that much stronger. And as the Archangel's situation goes inevitably from bad to worse, the two of them support one another.
Mwu's support of Murrue is easily visible. He'd already developed a habit of placing himself at her side; when things get stressful for her, as ZAFT continues to dog the Archangel's progress, Mwu is the one to offer Murrue reassurance and make an effort to raise her spirits.
The ways in which Murrue supports and affects Mwu, on the other hand, are at least initially a little more difficult to pinpoint. Mwu, after all, has a vested interest in appearing confident and not in need of reassurance, and Murrue, as captain, must exercise restraint where her attraction to Mwu is concerned. The first indication of her feelings is arguable, a case of protesting a little too much: in phase 25, while once again discussing the current situation, the two of them have a moment that is both cute and distinctly comical. Near the end of the conversation, fatigued and discouraged, Murrue slumps over her desk with a heavy sigh. Mwu, after considering her for a moment, pats her gently on the back in wordless encouragement - and without raising her head Murrue says dryly, "Please stop, Commander. That's harassment," leaving Mwu looking at his own hand in visible bemusement.
There is, of course, nothing sexual at all about his gesture, and it has hardly been uncommon for Mwu, a naturally tactile guy, to pat someone on the back or the shoulder. With this in mind, Murrue's comment serves more to give away her own sexual awareness of Mwu than anything else.
(It's worth noting that this moment plays out quite differently in the novelization, and is much more serious, with Mwu squeezing Murrue's shoulder before leaving silently because he knows that, as captain, she does not want anyone to see her cry. The novels also depict more of a flirtation between the two of them occurring well before that point. Although the execution is different, the overall effect is the same - in both cases we are given a sense of their partnership, the connection they have with one another.)
During this part of the series, it slowly becomes apparent that Mwu's advice, well-meant though it is, is simply not helping Kira very much. The incident in phase 18 following the Desert Tiger's attack is one of the first indications that Mwu himself does not have the best approach to the war in which they are involved - he is too military, too willing to accept that he must fight and kill The Enemy without really knowing, or caring to know, who The Enemy truly is. As events unfold around the Archangel and the question of why and for what they are fighting gains importance, it becomes less and less possible for Mwu to retain his comfortable tunnel-vision. He has no good answers to offer Kira, and watching Kira struggle leaves him questioning his own role in the war.
Mwu's mounting frustration reveals itself clearly in phase 30. Finding Kira troubled over having killed a ZAFT pilot in battle, Mwu comes down on him surprisingly hard - defensively, in fact. "We're soldiers. We're not murderers. We're fighting a war! If one doesn't shoot, one gets shot!" Up until this point, he has been occasionally stern but always understanding toward Kira - the change is not because of Kira, but rather because Mwu is no longer certain of the things he is saying.
It's Murrue who provides him with his answers, bit by bit. When Kira and another young volunteer go missing-presumed-dead in combat, Mwu takes it very personally, and in phase 31, in spite of the fact that the Archangel has been forced to retreat from the area and call a nearby neutral country to send a search and rescue team, he demands to be allowed to launch and perform his own search in the Archangel's only remaining fighter. He harasses the ship's maintenance crew about it until the head of maintenance calls Murrue: "Captain! You talk to him!"
***I kind of want to edit in a reference to the bit at the beginning of phase 31, about how reluctant Murrue is to order the retreat and how Mwu, in the hangar, seems a little surprised: "Are we withdrawing? Captain?" We'll see.***
Which she does, going down personally to the hangar to inform him that she cannot allow him to launch and ask him to let the crew rest. He is not interested in listening to reason; it takes an emotional outburst from her to stop him short:
Murrue: "I understand! If I could, I'd be the first one to fly over and rescue them! But right now, that's impossible!"
Mwu: "Captain..."
Murrue: "And given the present situation, I cannot allow you to go out alone either, Commander! Should you also not return, I--!"
She stops herself there, clearly dismayed by what she almost revealed, but it is easy to fill in what isn't actually said: Should you also not return, I don't know what I would do. Should you also not return, I couldn't keep this up without you.
Mwu, clearly also aware of this, can only touch her shoulder and concede with a quiet, "Roger."
This is something of a turning point for both of them, or at least the beginnings of one. It is the first clear indication of Murrue's feelings; up until this point, although she has obviously enjoyed his company and relied on his support, she has of necessity maintained a measure of the professional restraint required of a captain.
As for Mwu, on one level, his reaction makes sense - in some twelve years in the military, he has probably not known many captains who would cry over the pilots they command. On another level, however, it's a little confusing. He made his attraction clear, and has displayed no lack of confidence... but in spite of that, he seems taken somewhat aback by the strength of her feelings, as though not prepared for the possibility that he is that important to her, not just for his skills as a pilot - her efforts at using reason to dissuade him never even address the obvious fact that he is now the only pilot the Archangel has left - but simply for himself.
It is with a great deal unsettled and unsaid that they finally arrive at the Earth Alliance's headquarters in Alaska.
Matters don't get any less complicated there. Upon arriving at JOSH-A in Alaska, Murrue, Mwu and the other officers of the Archangel are called into a hearing on the events which have taken place thus far - a hearing which quickly turns into something more like a court martial, with Murrue's judgment calls being harshly scrutinized and the brunt of responsibility for the string of disasters being placed squarely upon her. Even Natarle, the one who reported Murrue's breaches of regulations to her superiors, seems uncomfortable with how strongly she is being criticized, but it is Mwu who springs to his feet unasked to defend her, more than once, despite being reprimanded for expressing "personal feelings."
Although no punitive action is taken against Murrue, the orders which are given are bad enough: both Mwu and Natarle are transferred off the Archangel, breaking up the partnership which has worked so well for the previous five months, and effectively removing Murrue's strongest support.
Mwu's departure in phase 34 is an unhappy scene. Natarle, whatever her regrets, accepts the transfer matter-of-factly, but Murrue is visibly downcast, and Mwu seems frankly disgusted. Natarle has already left when the two of them reluctantly say their goodbyes, and it is patently obvious that neither of them wants to part. What makes this scene so compelling is the nearly palpable sense of how much isn't being said, and how badly both of them would like to say it. Their dialogue is brimming over with underlying importance; it's there in the way they look at one another, in the pauses before they speak. In the end, all they can do is thank one another for everything, and Murrue watches Mwu leave with tears in her eyes.
Somewhere between the Archangel and the transport he is meant to board, however, Mwu comes to a decision. When they reach the dock, after saying farewell to Natarle, he turns back, claiming easily that he "forgot something" - and starts back to the Archangel. What exactly is going on in his head in these moments isn't really clear - whether it's the memory of what Murrue almost said in phase 31 that makes him turn around, or if there's something else about the situation that isn't sitting quite right with him - whether he truly means to stay with the Archangel and orders be damned, or he just can't leave without saying more than has been said - but he is manifestly up to something. And while the series never addresses it directly, the fact that Mwu, a decorated career soldier who is so good at his job that he can no longer think like a civilian, has chosen to act in direct defiance of his orders is no small thing.
And as he heads back toward the Archangel, as ZAFT begins to attack the base, Mwu discovers that they have been deceived and betrayed by their superiors - the Archangel and its crew have been abandoned, left to serve as a token defense and be destroyed along with the attackers when the base is detonated. Furiously, Mwu races back to the Archangel, and when he's unable to reach them by radio he goes so far as to crash-land his borrowed fighter jet on the ship's flight deck. As everyone gapes at him in astonishment, he goes straight to Murrue, and demands that the Archangel evacuate immediately.
Evacuating means deserting in the midst of combat - a capital offense - and what Mwu is telling them is an inconceivable betrayal on the part of the military. Murrue, however, trusts Mwu implicitly. She orders the Archangel off the battlefield. And Mwu, for all the anger he displayed moments before, seems suddenly confident again, in spite of the fact that escaping will mean a difficult fight. Telling Murrue that he will launch again to help clear the way, he says cheerfully, "Did you forget? I am a man who can make the impossible possible."
The first time he said this, it was nothing more than a boast: Look at me! I'm so awesome! I even have a catchphrase! This time, it holds more meaning. It will hold more meaning still the next time we hear it - but for now, it's a promise.
Alaska to Jachin Due
lovers
In the aftermath of JOSH-A, the Archangel is suddenly lacking any higher authority from which to take orders or guidance; it is solely up to Murrue now to choose the ship's course. The question of what to fight for is more critical than ever, and once again we see Mwu looking to Murrue for direction, and she to him for support.
For several episodes, the more personal aspects of their relationship must be set aside in the face of much greater considerations - but are not by any means forgotten. They keep close to one another, and at the end of phase 37 comes the first indication of what's next for the two of them: when Murrue calls Mwu "Commander," he is quick to correct her. "That title no longer applies, does it? Murrue."
Murrue seems startled - perhaps because this is the first time he has called her by name. Unquestionably, he does so deliberately, and as is so often the case with them, there is more being said than just what is being said aloud. The point Mwu is making has nothing to do with the topic of conversation; now that they have deserted the military, their relationship is no longer restricted by the military's regulations.
In the following episode, when Murrue assembles the crew in order to relinquish her authority over them, asking each person to decide for themselves whether to continue to fight aboard the Archangel or to take the opportunity to leave, everyone stands in formation facing her... except for Mwu. He, it seems, has already made his decision, and as usual has placed himself beside and behind her. Murrue herself has also already chosen to continue leading the ship into battle, and while it is never directly addressed in either case, it is beyond doubt that Mwu's support helped bring her to that decision, just as her influence brought him to his.
Shortly thereafter, in the midst of preparations for battle, Mwu finds Murrue on the bridge of the ship, looking pensive. Once again, he makes an effort to cheer her up: "The Captain should not be looking so depressed. In all, only eleven left the ship. That's incredible."
But this, it seems, is not what's foremost on Murrue's mind. Instead, she asks him why he came back at Alaska - a question which, on the surface, seems like it should have an obvious answer.
Mwu does not, however, tell her it was to save the ship - after all, he hadn't even known ZAFT was attacking when he turned back. Instead, seeming a little surprised that she asked, he says, "I didn't expect to be asked that now after all this time," - and pulling her close, he kisses her soundly by way of an answer.
Flustered, Murrue protests, "I don't like mobile armor pilots," - an empty protest, considering that she'd displayed no such dislike over the course of the past six months. Nothing daunted, Mwu replies cheerfully, "Ah - I'm a mobile suit pilot now, though."
And that seems to be that - at least until several crewmen interrupt them by walking onto the bridge.
It's an understated scene, as so many of their scenes are. Once again, the most important things being communicated aren't being said aloud, because they don't need to be. The two of them grew together quietly over the past months, in the background and between the lines; although Murrue's protest that she doesn't like mobile armor pilots refers back to the fact that she has loved and lost one already, Mwu takes it only about as seriously as it was meant, and she seems more exasperated with the situation than genuinely reluctant. This moment is simply the arrival of a foregone conclusion.
Considering that, it's hardly surprising that we see no great change in their dynamic after this point. They go into battle just as they have many times before, and are not noticeably distracted by thoughts of each other (although Mwu does seem awfully pleased with himself). The difference shows in small ways, in little moments - as they watch Kira begin to make peace with Athrun after the battle, Mwu puts his arm around Murrue's shoulders; before Murrue promises to the leader of Orb that the Archangel will strive to end the war, Mwu looks at her wordlessly, and she at him. Entering the bridge after they've returned to space, he vaults casually over a set of seats to stand beside her; as they and their allies acknowledge how hard the challenge they have taken up will be, she reaches for his arm. They call one another by name, instead of by rank as they did before.
What occurs between the two of them in private, after hours, we can only speculate - but that isn't the point, anyhow. The most important thing is still their partnership, the ways they support one another and how very comfortably they interact.
That mutual support becomes very important after phase 45 and another encounter with Mwu's archenemy, Raww le Klueze - who turns out, he reveals, to be a clone of Mwu's father Al da Fllaga, created because of Al's vanity and his dissatisfaction with his own son. Flaws in the cloning process have left Klueze bitter over his lack of a future or sense of identity; a great deal of the war's escalation can be traced back to him, and he reveals to Mwu and Kira that he intends to goad humanity into wiping itself out.
Mwu is badly shaken by these revelations. Initially, he makes an effort to maintain his usual air of confidence, and despite being seriously injured he returns to the Archangel's bridge to stand at Murrue's side for the rest of the battle. Later in the episode, however, he is confined to an infirmary bed, and his mood is atypically dark.
To Murrue, sitting at his bedside, he talks about his father, sketching with a few words a portrait of a man whose arrogance made him incapable of appreciating his son, wanting only a copy of himself. Much is explained about the reasons for Mwu's need for recognition and his initial shallowness, and what it is exactly that Murrue provides for him. She listens as he talks about his father and about Klueze's plans, and understand automatically what he isn't saying; the reassurance she offers him cuts right past the things he has said to the thing which he hasn't: "This is not your fault, Mwu."
Earlier in their relationship, it was easy to see how Mwu supported Murrue, but more difficult to pinpoint how she supported him. At this point, however, it is Mwu who clearly needs Murrue to lean on, and Murrue is the one to reassure him, staying by his side until he falls asleep, and leaving him with a kiss.
After this point, the focus once again turns to the inevitable buildup to the end of the war, until finally matters reach a climax at Jachin Due. Everyone on or allied with the Archangel is aware of just how difficult it will be for them to defuse things before civilian deaths occur, with the Earth Alliance's nuclear missiles on one side, ZAFT's superweapon GENESIS on the other, and Klueze in between goading both sides to annihilate one another. Nevertheless, in the midst of feverish preparations, Murrue still takes the time to go down to the hangar where Mwu is readying his mobile suit, the Strike, for combat. And though Mwu must soon be ready to launch, he is quick to emerge from the cockpit when he sees her there.
"I thought I wouldn't make it in time," she says, and he laughs.
"What are you talking about, silly?"
Once again, there is more being communicated here than what's being said aloud. Murrue does not have to admit that she is afraid for him for Mwu to understand, nor does she have to say why. Just as she did for him a few episodes ago, he easily understands what she is not saying; noticing her locket, he asks, simply, "A mobile armor pilot?"
Just as simply, she confirms, "Yes."
No further explanation is needed. Instead, Mwu reassures her confidently: "Don't worry. I'll be right back, with victory in hand."
They share a kiss before what might just turn out to be the end of the world.
Mwu, as it turns out, is half right - he does return quickly, after one last fight with Klueze ends in a draw and leaves the Strike badly damaged. By this point, the Archangel is embroiled in a face-off against its replacement in the Earth Alliance, the Dominion, whose captain is none other than Natarle, under the thumb of the fanatical Muruta Azrael. It's a bad situation for Murrue; though she has grown a great deal, from a sometimes hesitant minor officer of no distinction to an inspiring leader who commands the loyalty of everyone on her ship, her essential kindness has not changed, and she is reluctant to attack someone she still considers a friend. Into this standoff, Mwu returns, and hearing that the Strike is critically damaged distracts Murrue from the threat of the Dominion.
Azrael commands Natarle to take advantage of the opportunity by firing on the Archangel with their powerful Lohengrin positron beam cannon. Although Natarle, pushed to her limits, finally resists - and does succeed in ordering her crew to abandon ship, creating further confusion on the battlefield - she is unable to prevent Azrael from firing the Lohengrin. And Murrue, distracted by the Strike and thrown off-guard by the launching of the Dominion's lifepods, is not expecting the attack. Evasion is impossible; she can only watch as the glare of the beam bears down directly on the Archangel's bridge--
--and is blocked, by the Strike.
The Lohengrin is a weapon for taking out full-sized warships, and the Strike is already damaged; there is no chance of surviving the blast. But Mwu laughs quietly as the cockpit begins to fill with smoke, looking back towards the Archangel one last time: "I knew I could make the impossible possible...!"
The Strike explodes, vanishing into fragments, and Murrue screams.
For a few moments, nothing moves.
Time resumes itself when a member of the Archangel's crew announces that the Dominion is still approaching; when Murrue looks up, we see on her face an expression that we have never seen her wear before and will not see again - rage. Without hesitation she orders her crew to aim the Archangel's own Lohengrin at the Dominion, and to fire.
This scene makes up easily the most powerful few minutes of the entire series. The final episode of SEED focuses on the rest of the battle and the actions of Kira, Lacus, Athrun, and Cagalli, but there is a moment in which we see Murrue, for the first time since she became captain of the Archangel, utterly breaking down and unable to retain any semblance of composure: "You said... you would... return!"
Later, of course, necessity forces her to regain control of herself, but the Archangel's role in the battle is largely over. We last see Murrue in a brief sequence during the series' epilogue OVA, sitting alone with a cup of coffee and imagining Mwu. Although the sequence lasts only a few seconds and contains no dialogue, there is a certain sense of peace to it - an indication, in Murrue's demeanor and the way she imagines Mwu smiling, that this ending is perhaps not a happy one but not by any means a bad one.
Why It Works
In my introduction to this essay I said that Mwu and Murrue's relationship is the best-developed in the series, and I hope that I have managed to give some indication of why. More than any other pairing of characters in Gundam SEED, the two of them come together so very naturally; they are so often in close proximity to one another, and every bit of their interaction is one more step in developing their relationship. It is understated, not often focused on by the series and seldom really very romantic... but it is very real, and the effect it has on both characters is profound. Murrue, principled though she clearly is, would not have had the strength to maintain command of the Archangel or to commit herself to fight such overwhelming odds had it not been for Mwu. Mwu as we see him at the beginning of the series would never have sacrificed his own career and then his own life so willingly to protect others had it not been for Murrue. Both of them demonstrate the ability of humans to be at their very best when the world is at its worst - but the greatness that each one achieves is something that they only reach because of the other's influence.
And even though it ends with Mwu's death, there is a completeness to it that makes it all right. As essential as their partnership became, we are not left to believe that Murrue will be incomplete without him. On the contrary, his sacrifice is incredibly fitting and meaningful - the ultimate culmination of the development of his character, which was inspired first and foremost by Murrue - and throughout the series Murrue has demonstrated enough emotional resilience to be able to move forward with her life cherishing the imprint he left on it.
It is too rich, and far too complete, to call it tragic.
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Date: 2006-07-23 10:42 am (UTC)As for Destiny, I am... not, mostly. I'm well past the wordcount limit as it is; there simply isn't room. I'll just have to include a disclaimer saying that I'm aware of it but don't care for what it did with the characters and prefer not to acknowledge it, or something.
=D
Date: 2007-09-09 02:12 pm (UTC)Mirinee.
p.s. I love all of your Gundam SEED fan fiction.
Re: =D
Date: 2007-09-10 01:25 pm (UTC)Thanks for the compliments!
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Date: 2012-01-31 09:54 am (UTC)