Old Friends Anew: Destiny’s True Beginning

Special Edition Part 2

Swords of Life / Swords of Chaos

In a very early morning meeting Cagalli yawned, irritated at having to get up for this 5 AM assembly. Yuna’s boring voice didn’t help the situation either. “As you know, many people are irritated at the EAF for their actions in the first war. This will undoubtedly be placed on us when we sign the treaty.”

“Indeed, there are some very strong lingering feelings in the populace after the attack that claimed King Uzumi.” His father backed him up. Cagalli winced at him using her father’s name.

“To avoid riots and dangerous conflict I propose a simple solution that I think all of you will agree to.”

“Out with it, Yuna.” Cagalli placed her head on the table, her cheek lying on her arm. “You’ve been saying a whole lot of nothing this entire time. Get to the point, it’s too early for word games.”

“My apologies. My solution is this bill and its action. Extradite all Coordinator citizens.”

“WHAT?!” The girl shot up, blowing her chair backwards. The rest of the council murmured at the announcement. “Are you insane?! Coordinators make up a quarter of our population! Why do we have to extradite them in the first place?!”

“It’s because they’re a quarter of the populace.” The man smiled. “We can’t risk a large scale riot and revolt that could severely damage ORB’s economy or military. I’ve worked through the numbers. The damage that minority could do in a revolt would be far more of an impact on the economy than having them removed.”

“But that’s… to take it that far… there has to be a better way! To kick out all Coordinators….” The image of one red-eyed teen yelling at her came to Cagalli’s mind.

“It would only be temporary, Cagalli. And it’s not like we’ll abandon them. We’ll merely send them to one of the smaller islands we own. We’ll set up shelter, food, and businesses. They’ll be citizens in a separate island.”

“That’s not an extradition, that’s an internment camp!”

“If you or any others at this table have another way to avert an uprising, I’m willing to hear it.” Yuna shrugged. The rest of the table remained silent.

The blonde gritted her teeth and hissed. “You could always not sign the treaty.”

The other members stared her down. Yuna just sighed and shook his head. “All jokes aside, anyone with a good idea? No? Well, Representative Athha, there you have it.”

“Oumai!”

“Your duty is to prevent harm to as much of the populace as possible, correct? That’s what it means to be the leader of a nation.”

“Kgh!”

A teenage boy with orange hair reached the top of a hill. ‘”You never really appreciate something until it’s gone.” I now know the meaning of that saying very well. This ground, this country, this world, I’ve been gone from it too long. But time can change a lot of things. Will I like this world I know, yet don’t know? Will it even like me? That’s why I have to see, to find that exact answer.’ In front of him lay an ocean view with the city dock just below it. “Looks like they rebuilt the city easily.” He took a long breath of fresh air, looking into the skies from behind his shades. “I should call my friends up and see if they’re still around somewhere.” He whipped out a cell phone that matched his citrus-colored hair and started dialing through his address book as he turned to the road. He got a ring only when he reached one name: Mayu Asuka. “All right, Mayu’s phone’s working! I hope Shinn’s okay too.”

“Hi. Mayu here! I’m really sorry, but I can’t talk to you right now. I’ll try to call you back, so leave your name after the beep. Buh bye!” The voice-mail answered.

“Um, hey Mayu, it’s me, Adam. You know, Adam Cancho, Shinn’s friend? I was just calling my old cell to check up on my friends. If you can, call me back okay? Thanks.” He hung up and sighed. “Just my luck. I get an answering machine.” The boy went through the list, continuing to get disconnected numbers on the other lines. Only one number remained, designated by the code name ZRoyalPainZ. He hit the button.

Cagalli flopped on her bed in tears. “That bastard Yuna. How could I let him convince me? Now all ORB Coordinators are in danger.” Her cell phone rang on the table in front of her. Sighing, she picked it up. “Representative Attha.”

“Woah! It actually worked! And I get through to you of all people! How’s the Royal Pain doing?”

“’Royal Pain?’ I haven’t heard that name in years. Who is this?”

“What, you don’t remember me? I’m hurt. Nah, not really. It’s me, Adam Cancho.”

“C-Cancho…. CANCHO?!” She gasped as she sat up straight, feeling tears sting her eyes. “Adam, is that really you?! Y-you’re alive?!”

“One sec, let me check.” He pinched himself. “OW! Yep, still kicking.”

She sniffed and wiped the liquid from her eyes. “But I thought your family was wiped out in the attack. I saw your house. It was completely leveled.”

“Yeah, I just came from there. We had a bunker hidden under the house. I’ve been stuck there for… what is it, two years? So I decided it was time to come out and get some fresh air. I’m a bit out of date, could you fill me in? Please tell me that there’s at least some good news. I’ve been waiting to hear some.”

She chuckled at his personality, confirming it was really him. “One second.”

Cagalli turned up the television, where the newscaster reported the latest. “Early this morning, in an impromptu meeting of ORB Parliament, a law was passed extraditing all Coordinators from the country, effective immediately. All such people not complying will be subject to the fullest extent of the law.”

“SO SOON?! The ‘effective immediately’ clause wasn’t in there before! Yuna! That bastard did this!” She screamed at the screen.

“Hello? Cagalli? You okay over there?” Adam’s voice continued to come out of the speaker.

“This is bad! Parliament just passed a law that basically bans all Coordinators!”

“What the hell?! What’s been going on since I’ve been under?”

“Well let’s see….” Cagalli began counting off on her fingers. “The war ended and peace was signed at Junius Seven. Three new Gundams were stolen by an unknown group. What was left of Junius Seven crashed into Earth, the work of terrorists. Earth declared war on PLANT, and everyone forced me to hand ORB over to the Atlantic Alliance. More importantly, where are you?! Can you get back to your bunker? If anyone finds out you’re a Coordinator, they might kill you!”

“NO!” Adam yelled into the receiver at full force. “I’m not going back there. I promised myself I’d bring back news that we’d be able to come out to the surface safely. I won’t go back until then, and that’s final!”

“Don’t be an idiot! You’ll be safer down there than in the open.”

“I don’t care! Cagalli, I snuck out. My parents wouldn’t let me leave. If I go back, we’ll never come out again, I just know it!”

“Adam! Dammit, fine. Where are you? I’ll come to get you.” Cagalli got up and put on her jacket.

“I’m on what used to be Route five. But what the hell are you going to do? Your father….”

“Is dead. I’m in charge now.”

“I… I….” Adam went silent, stunned.

“It’s okay. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll find a way to get you to a safe place. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She hung up. “If I can save just this one….”

As the boy continued trudging down the road, kicking rocks and pouting, a police car drove up next to him. After a few moments, it went forward and blocked his path, two officers piling out and leveling weapons at him. ‘Time. It changes much more than anyone could realize. I understood that well now, staring down two gun barrels, just for being a Coordinator.’ He placed his hands on his head and walked up to the pistol-wielding officer, lifting his heel out of his left shoe.

Cagalli flew over Route five in an ORB military hoverjet. Scanning the view below her, she saw three people. “What the hell?!” She swooped in low, catching all three in the backwash as she landed. Hopping out, she saw the one in the center’s orange mop. “Adam. Adam!” She began running towards him.

“Tch! Backup huh?” The one closest to Adam turned his head and weapon.

‘This is bad!’ The boy balled his fist and slugged the officer with a right cross. Everything moved in slow motion as the man tilted to the side. The shotgun toting officer behind him lined up a shot. Adam kicked his shoe at the man, the impact knocking the gun off course before it fired.

“Ah!” Cagalli halted as the sound of the first shot reached her ears. Adam dropped to the dirt and swung his leg hard into the already off-balance first officer. Swinging into a headstand he turned towards the second and kicked him hard in the cheek as he cocked the second shot.

The first officer got up and brought his pistol to bear. “Die Coordinator!”

“Agh!” Survival was the only thing left in the boy’s mind as he grabbed the shotgun and pulled the trigger.

The second man hit the ground with a sickening crunch as the echo of the shot died down. The first officer’s body fell backwards, blood pooling around his head. Adam panted heavily, his dark brown eyes in total shock. He brought the weapon up to eye level and his hands began to shake. He dropped it in disgust, making eye contact with the second officer. It was obvious he wouldn’t be getting up, his head bend at an odd angle. He had been dead before he hit the ground, his neck broken by the kick.

“D-Dead!” Adam whispered as he fell to his knees. He fell silent as tears ran from his shocked eyes and joined the blood on the pavement.

“A-Adam… Adam!” Cagalli forced back her shock and horror and raced towards him. The boy made no move to recognize her voice. She panted as she stopped next to him, wrapping her arms around him. “You’re alive! Thank god!”

“I… I…”

“Hey, take it easy. Try not to think about it too much.”

“I… I… oh God, Cagalli! I killed them! They were going to shoot me and I… I just….” He collapsed forward onto her shoulder, letting all his tears flow. “I killed! I killed. I killed.”

“Shh. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.” She looked around at the scene while rubbing his back. ‘He did all this? When did he get so strong?’ After a few moments she let go of him and stood him up. “Okay, that’s enough for now. These two will have to report in soon, so someone will be out searching for them before long. I’ll take you away from all of this.” The boy stood completely motionless, until a hand swiped across his cheek. “Snap out of it! This is no time for feeling sorry! In case you haven’t noticed, this is a part of war, even if you aren’t in the military! I thought you would have understood that by now. Now get moving!”

The hit woke him from his stupor and he nodded. Adam mounted the copilot’s chair in the hovercraft. He looked back as the canopy closed. “Kgh!”

Cagalli inputted some coordinates and turned on the autopilot. She leaned back and sighed. “It’s hard, the first kill I mean.”

“Cagalli… you…?”

“Killed? Yeah, many times. During the first war I joined up with the Desert Dawn resistance and I even piloted a mobile suit in the last battle. But the first kill is very hard.”

“Will the hurt ever go away?”

She shook her head. “Sometimes when I close my eyes, I still see his face. He was about your age.”

“I had no idea. Thank you.” He whispered.

A cliff opened a foux-rock hatch, and Cagalli expertly flew in. The princess landed the craft in a corner helipad. “We’re here.” She said as she took off her helmet and shook her hair out. The teen copied her motion before dismounting. “Keep that helmet with you, you’ll need it.” He tilted his head at her as she motioned for him to follow. They stopped in front of a massive fighter, its angles sharp on its gray finish. She patted its side. “This was your mother’s dream realized.”

“A jet? I thought my mom was developing mobile suits. Wait… don’t tell me this….”

“This is the prototype M-3 Astray, code name Falcon. It comes fully equipped for both space and atmospheric travel. Vulcan cannons, beam sabers in each wing, a rear buster cannon, and in mobile suit form, there are sonic cutlasses, a beam rifle, and a positron shield. But the big thing is that is has Phase Shift armor.”

“Uh!” Adam’s eyes went wide, gasping at the admission.

“This is the Falcon Gundam. The only one of its kind so far. You’ll find the flight suit on the seat. I’ll wait until you get changed.”

“Wait, what?! Flight suit? Am I taking this thing out for a test run or something?”

“No, I’m giving it to you. Currently, this model is too powerful for the intensity of battle we’re facing. In the wrong hands, it would be disastrous. I know that ORB is not the right hands right now. Everything has gone out of my control here. The only person I trust right now is you. That’s why I want you to have the Falcon.”

“But Cagalli…”

“This world isn’t safe for Coordinators right now.” She looked away in shame. “This will protect you. There are coordinates uploaded to a place where you can be relatively safe, the ZAFT battleship Minerva.”

“Cagalli… I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you would work.” She smiled.

“Yeah, okay, thank you.”

Adam changed into a white and yellow flight suit and sealed on his helmet. He walked back to where the blonde Representative stood and saluted. After returning the salute she pulled out a small gunlike electronic device and handed it to him. After she took it, she spoke. “I want you to use that tazer on me.”

“Eh?!”

“A raging Coordinator broke into this facility during my routine check on the Astray project. Attempting to disable him with a tazer, he managed to get it from me. The last thing I knew was waking up and Falcon was gone.” She sighed. “That’s what the story will be.”

“I can’t do that, Cagalli. I’ll hurt you.”

“Trust me, I’ve been through a lot worse. But you know this has to be done. So please, do it.”

Adam sighed. He came up to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She returned it, a tear running down her cheek. The boy backed away and pointed the weapon at her. “I’m sorry.” He pulled the trigger and two nodes launched at her. Electricity coursed through her body for a few seconds. As she fell, the boy caught her, dragging her to a safe spot. The boy jumped into the cockpit and closed the hatch. “Brakes, check. Engine, started. Rudder, check. Stabilizers, check. Weapons, check. G-System, online.” He steered the powerful ship into a runway of sorts, and the bay doors opened, giving him a perfect view of the sea. “Adam Cancho, Falcon, heading out!” He pushed the throttle slider forward and the jet ran out of runway. Adam quickly pulled up and went airborne. “Yahoo! Now this is the way to fly!” Falcon circled around the island once while the GPS located the Minerva. ‘Cagalli… you saved me today. Don’t give up, please. Forgive me, Mom, Dad. I had to do this, for all our sakes. Wait for me to return. I most definitely will!’ The GPS beeped and found the Minerva’s location. Adam hit the throttle and went towards it.

Kira sat on the shoulder of Freedom as it knelt on the cliff where the mansion used to be. He looked up into the sky as a large jet moved across his line of sight. “What is that?” The craft did a few stunts as it went out of sight beyond the mountains. He smiled softly. “I see.”

“Kira.” Lacus’ soft voice rang out perfectly in the eighteen-year-old’s ear from the ground. The boy swung himself down to her, grabbing every little jut in the metal surface with his hands and feet. He still had the smile on his face when he embraced her. “That’s a nice smile, Kira. What’s the occasion?” She traced his lips with her finger.

“New hope.”

“Huh?” She tilted her head to the side as Kira looked up again. The massive jet barrel rolled as it shot out to sea directly above them. “I see. Is that so, Kira?”

“Ah, isn’t this a perfect photo opportunity? How would you like your coffee this morning?” Waltfeld stopped a few feet behind them

“You know that Kira-kun doesn’t drink coffee, Andrew.” Ramius stopped next to him. “He gets all hyper.”

“The one time you made me try some, I instantly went into Berserker mode.” Kira turned around.

“I placed the call.” The older woman sighed. “They’ll all be here tonight.”

“Ah. I suppose it was inevitable.” Kira sighed and stared up into the sky. “There are some things worth protecting.”

“I want you to meet up with the Minerva. I have high hopes for that ship, just like the Archangel before it.” Chairman Durandal’s words echoed in Athrun’s ears as he plotted a re-entry course.

‘Cagalli, I’m sorry that I have to make you, my fiance’ my enemy. I’ll find a way to end this for good, so we can be together. Until then, please wait for me.’

The black haired, red-eyed ace Coordinator breathed heavily as he lowered his weapon, the simulator ending, showing his stats. “Damn it.”

He took off his visor and earmuffs and shook his hair back into place. He returned all of his items to the armory sign-out closet. Ray entered. “Any luck, Shinn?” He said as he went to sign out his own equipment.

“No. My usual is all I get. I just can’t seem to duplicate what happened in the battle with the EAF fleet.”

“I see. Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll find out at some point.” The long blonde inspected his weapon.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Shinn yawned. “I’m beat. I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me for lunch, okay?”

“Certainly.” Ray stopped in mid-step, glancing at his roommate. “I had something to tell you, but I seem to have forgotten what it was.”

“Ah, no matter. If it’s important, you’ll remember it or I’ll find out about it from someone else.” He waved it off and turned towards the door.

Adam yawned. “Wow, where did that come from?” With a quick input on the keyboard, he programmed the position of Minerva and let it fly itself. “I wonder what the catalog specs for this baby are. Knowing Mom, she’ll have an owner’s manual programmed into the OS.” He brought down the keyboard and started running through the windows. “Deuterion Beam recharge system? Universal equipment adapters? I’ve never heard of any of this!” After a few minutes of reading, he yawned again. “Why can’t they ever make this stuff entertaining, or at least funny?” After a few more minutes, he nodded off in his seat.

Nearly an hour later, Adam’s proximity alarm blared. “What? What is that?!” A shadow covered his craft, and he looked up. “Oh crap!” A battleship was re-entering right on top of him. The jet banked hard to the right, trying to get away from the rapidly descending mass. “Come on, come on, come on!” The gray-blue battleship cut through the air. Falcon had cleared most other than its left wingtip. “I’m going to make it!” As he cleared the shadow, the battleship extended its wings further out to stabilize. It dropped on him like a stone. “Gyyyaaaaaaaahhh!!!” He cried, pressing the Phase Shift button, the only thing he could think of.

The two ships’ wings collided just as the armor finished coating itself in a blue coloring with brown trim, and Falcon was sent into a diving tailspin. Adam tried every pilot control on his interface to get his craft under control as the battleship went past him. “This isn’t working! I can’t stabilize! I’ll have to switch to mobile suit!” He hit the toggle as fast as he could.

The rear base of the craft opened up and two robotic legs extended from the cradle. The doors rotated into leg guards. The wings folded upwards and back, the cockpit receding into the belly of the ship. Two robotic arms extended from the hatches the wings had opened up. The Vulcan cannons in the nose retracted, and the entire nose flew off, revealing Falcon’s brown head, complete with yellow eyes, and the standard Astray shaped forehead antennae. The nose split off into two parts and magnetically sealed themselves to the shoulders. On the left side slid out a blue shield with a gold four-point cross, and out of the right a beam rifle. The last point was that the wings split in half lengthwise. The golden eyes flashed to life.

Adam adjusted to his new orientation and used Falcon’s thrusters to counter the spin. “Haaaaaaaahhh!” He cried as the spin stopped. Falcon flipped onto its back and all engines went to full power. It skidded on the water’s surface until it rose into the sky. “Yes!” Adam put the Gundam into a vertical spin, then stopped it with a spread of his wings, ending in a classic aim of the rifle. He panted as he flew up to the battleship. “What was up with that? They didn’t even warn me before dropping on my head!” He set the computer to attempt to identify it. “No data? So it’s just a bogey.” The boy sighed. “That evade really threw me off course. I’d better get back to traveling.” Falcon reversed the transformation process as his Phase Shift armor shimmered back to gray. He flew away towards the Minerva once again.

Inside the battleship, the radar operator turned around. “Sir. Unidentified mobile suit at Indigo 55 high! Distance: 110!”

“Show me!” Colonel Roanoke turned to the main screen, and the viewer framed Falcon, transformed with its rifle pointed towards the camera. “Identify it!”

“Unknown. No similar models in the database.” Alarms went off. “It’s scanning us!”

Falcon turned away and reverted to its gray jet form and flew off. “Where’s that suit headed?” Neo barked.

“Calculating trajectory… it’s heading for our target sir! The Minerva!”

“So it was a scout ship?” Captain Lee asked rhetorically.

“All hands to battle stations! We can’t let that suit warn the enemy of our presence. Engines to full throttle!”

Shinn groaned as Ray shook him. “Five more minutes. We’re not going into battle. He mumbled before he fell asleep again.

“Shinn. Wake up. Lunch is in fifteen minutes.” He tried again.

Shinn winced as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “All right, all right.” He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he placed his hand on his nightstand, bumping the pink cell phone he kept there.

Ray straightened as he noticed the movement. “I just remembered what I wanted to tell you.”

“Well out with it already.” Shinn stretched.

“That oddly colored phone of yours was ringing around seven this morning. I was tempted to answer it, but the voice mail took care of it.”

“Eh?!” Shinn’s head whipped towards the phone. “Ray, I hate to say this, but I need you to leave.”

“I understand. A personal matter.”

“Exactly. I may not be able to get to lunch. Doggie bag some for me please.”

“I always do.” Ray left quickly as Shinn snatched up the phone and opened it with all possible speed. It read: 1 MISSED CALL ADAM CANCHO. Once he read it he went completely rigid. “C-Cancho?!”

He quickly went through the voice-mail controls. “Um, hey Mayu, it’s me, Adam. You know, Adam Cancho, Shinn’s friend? I was just calling my old cell to check up on my friends. If you can, call me back okay? Thanks.”

Shinn trembled as it dropped from his hands. Tears began to sting his eyes. “Cancho… Adam Cancho….” He smiled, looking at the ceiling. “He’s alive! He’s really alive!” The black-haired boy recalled his best friend’s number and dialed it.

Adam’s warning alarm went off. “What now?” His rear camera screen pulled up the battleship. “What the heck?” The monitor zoomed in on its two main Gotfried cannons, which moved to point towards it. “Oh hell no!” He pulled out of the autopilot and dove as four beams of green light erupted from the cannons, missing him by meters. “Okay, that settles it. This just isn’t my day.” He feigned getting hit and went into a tailspin. Adam turned on the Phase Shift armor as he switched to mobile suit form. The transformation completed and he spun upwards. “Woah!” He cried, putting the burners to max. Two Gotfried beams coated the air where he was only a second before. “Calling unknown battleship, hold your fire! I have made no offensive move against your ship, please call off your assault!” The only response was a barrage of four Warthog missiles. “I said hold your freaking fire!” He put all engines in reverse as he shot down one with his rifle and two with his Vulcans. The fourth impacted his shield.

As he evaded another beam attack, he weighed his options. ‘There’s no way I can take out something that big on my own, and in a ship I’m not used to.’ Suddenly his cell phone rang. He looked at the ID as it slid into view as he shot another missile down: MAYU ASUKA. Against his better judgement, he flipped it open and tucked it between his shoulder and cheek. “Hey, Mayu. Glad to see you’re still around, but I can’t….”

“Adam! It… it’s really you!” Shinn screamed into his ear.

“Shinn? Hey, buddy. What are you doing with Mayu’s cell?”

“It’s a long story. Where are you?”

“Well currently I’m flying solo in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, trying not to get shot down by this psycho battleship that won’t even answer my hails, so I’m really busy right now. Can we talk after I shake this guy off?”

“The Pacific? That’s….”

Adam stared at the ship as two hatches opened up in the bow. “Catapults? Crap, Shinn I gotta go. They’re launching mobile suits at me!” He flipped the phone shut and let it drop to the floor. In the lull in the action, he quickly sealed his helmet back on and flipped the visor shut. “I hate it when they get all serious.” Gaia, Abyss, and Chaos emerged. “Three? Do they think I’m some sort of ace pilot or something?” Once their colors changed to black, blue, and green respectively, Adam hissed. “Phase Shift? They’re sending freaking Gundams at me? This is bad. I can’t handle this alone!” Adam whirled around and put his engines to full burn.

“He’s running.” Auel smirked.

“Cowardly….” Stellar spoke flatly.

The boy boosted his signal. “Calling ZAFT battleship Minerva, this is a mayday. I’m under attack by unknown assailants. Requesting immediate assistance! I repeat, this is a mayday, I am under attack by an unmarked battleship and three mobile suits with Phase Shift armor. I won’t be able to hold them off. I really need assist… agh!” Abyss flew into range and fired off its chest cannon. The red and blue beam launched at Falcon, which turned its shield to deflect the hit.

“Now it’s my turn, strange Gundam!” Sting slid up next to him and drew a beam saber.

“Nani?!” Adam reversed and drew his own saber from a compartment in in his wing. “This is so not good odds!” He drove forward, preparing his sword for the strike.

The two machines clashed as their energy swords met. Both pilots gritted their teeth and strained against their controls. “Stellar!” Sting barked.

“HaaaaAAAHHH!” Gaia dropped down from above, beam saber swooping down for a strike.

“Shit!” Adam’s vulcans forced Chaos back as he raised his shield above to counter Gaia. He rolled with the impact, throwing her to the side. Abyss’s shoulder shields opened up. “The other one? There’s gotta be something I can use to protect myself!” He searched through his screens with one hand. “That’s it!”

“Eat this!” Auel sneered as he fired six midoric beams and his akashic blast at the enemy. Falcon’s shield opened around the four-point star and began to shimmer. The central beam and one of the green ones hit the shield and deflected down into the ocean. “What the heck is that?!”

“Positron deflector shield. It takes a lot of power, but I have no choice but to use it.” Adam switched back to his beam rifle, taking a shot at Auel, who slid his shoulder shield to block. Turning towards Sting, he fired again.

Chaos barrel rolled around the shots and disconnected its shoulder pods. The guns it housed opened up and started firing from different directions. “This guy is a lot more trouble that he’s worth.”

“Damn it, that one moves like a mobile armor!” Adam snarled as he tried to shoot the two targets, while still blocking with his shield, and keeping Abyss at bay. “Minerva, this is an emergency. I need help now! I’ve been given a mission to dock with your ship, and am currently under attack by unknown forces. Come on people, I’m up against Gundams here!”

“You’re mine!” Auel flew in and leveled his oversized shoulder shields at him. Abyss fired two harpoon cables at him.

“Agh!” He gasped as his proximity alarm went off. He spun around between the cables, pulling out his saber and charging the suit. Chaos’s pods fired in front of him, forcing him back. “This sucks. I’m really at a firepower disadvantage here.” His alarm went off on both sides. “Behind?!”

“Reeaaaaaahhhh!” Stellar thrust her glowing sword forward, aiming towards Falcon’s back.

“Hmph.” Adam smirked as he hit a button on his side panel. His wings lifted slightly, revealing a cannon port. “TEI!” Adam hit the firing controls and an orange beam erupted from the Gundam’s back.

“Nani?!” The girl cried as she put her shield in place just as the beam hit. “This guy…!”

“You’re the weakest! I’ll take you down!” Adam whirled around and fired his rifle as he jetted towards the black suit. “Haaaahhhh!” Stellar toggled the transformation into BaCOE form and returned the charge. “Ah!” Adam raised his shield. Gaia slammed into Falcon and flipped over him. She fired her shoulder cannons as he spun back into mobile armor form, tilting to the side as the beam scorched the base of his craft. “TEI!” He fired his cannon backwards, tearing into her beam rifle.

“Aaaahhhhh!!!” Stellar screamed as her weapon shorted.

“Why you!” Sting fired off some missiles from his shoulder packs.

“MINERVA, IS ANYONE EVEN LISTENING OVER THERE?!” Adam fired his Vulcans as he reversed, taking out five of them. “Gyaaaahhhhh!” He cried when he saw the remaining ones burst through the cloud.

A red and blue beam fired from below, through a low lying cloud, intersecting the three missiles. They exploded in front of him as Adam, Stellar, Sting, and Auel gasped. The cloud dispersed, revealing a large battleship floating on the water below. A red ZAKU Warrior was perched on top of it with a Gunner pack, its gun still smoking. A pink-haired girl appeared on Adam’s communication screen. “This is the battleship Minerva. Identify yourself.”

“Wow, cute.” Meyrin raised an eyebrow and Adam coughed. “I mean, I am Adam Cancho, flying the Falcon. Boy am I glad to see you!”

Sting spat. “Tch! It’s that ship again!”

“That thing… that guy… this time….” No one could follow Stellar’s train of thought… if she ever had one.

“Well, I guess there’s no use hiding it anymore. May as well go all out, right Sting?” Auel sighed.

“Yeah. No more games!” He leveled his rifle at Falcon.

“State your purpose. Why were you attempting to contact us?” Meyrin demanded authoritatively.

“I was sent by the Princess of ORB, Cagalli Yula Attha, and given this prototype unit to keep it from falling into the EAF’s hands.” His proximity alarm blared. “Woah!” He dived as Chaos’s beam scorched the top of his left wing. “Can we talk about this after these guys stop shooting at me?! Geez, this isn’t my day!”

Shinn laughed from his seat, docked at the top of the Central Catapult. “That’s Adam for you. Sucker for the cuties, and the permanent jokester.”

Meyrin’s eyes and the captain’s met. The woman in authority nodded and the girl turned back to her station. “Shinn, standby is lifted. Central Catapult cleared. Dozo!”

Shinn flipped his visor shut. “Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor, ikkimas!” He hit the throttle and he was airborne.

“Ray unit, Blaze ZAKU Phantom cleared. Dozo!”

“Ray za Burrel, ZAKU, hashin saru!”

“Lunamaria, lifting off!” The red ZAKU launched from her position on Minerva and ascended.

Shinn took the lead as all of his parts went into the sky. Adam was clashing sword versus scythe with Abyss, before the enemy suit kicked him down and opened up his shields. “Oh no you don’t!” Core Splendor fired three missiles into the Gundam as it passed.

“That one…” Stellar got a look at the ship. Then her proximity alarm went off. The red ZAKU fired off a shot at her, which the Gundam dodged quickly. The catfight began, as Lunamaria was just itching to get back at her for what she did in the Junius Seven debris field.

“Stellar! Auel!” Sting’s own alarm rang as he slid to the right.

The white ZAKU missed Chaos with his shield charge. “Your opponent is me!”

“Yeah! The first rule of computers and combat, backup!” Adam would have been jumping out of his seat if he could.

“Adam! Don’t just float there, you moron! Get out of the way and follow me!” Shinn called out as he passed in front of his old friend.

“Shinn? Is that you, Shinn?!”

“The one and only, now hurry up!” He pulled up vertically.

“Right behind you!” Adam pulled up as well. They paralleled each other. “You’ve sure got a dinky ship there.”

“It’s more than it looks. Check behind you.” He pointed to the other three parts following him.

“What the heck is that stuff?”

“I’ll show you. Initializing linkup system. Adam, veer off a bit.”

“Roger.” Shinn decreased speed as the jet’s nose folded down and the wings folded in. Laser guides initialized on the Leg Flyer, and the two docked. The gray robotic legs extended out to their full length. “That thing is a mobile suit? Well I’ll just have to show him myself.” Adam toggled the switch to his transformation, his own set of legs folding out of their compartment.

“Looks like you’re full of surprises today, Adam. Don’t stall on me now!” Shinn accelerated as the next two laser markers in the Chest Flyer turned on. He docked with the section, and the arms extended, revealing the head. Falcon’s wings slid backwards as the cockpit receded, the mobile suit’s arms quickly filling the empty space. The nose cone popped off, revealing the head. The Silhouette Flyer’s guidance pod detached and the laser markers guided the rest of it to the back, attaching the wings and beam sabers to Impulse. Adam’s nose split in two and attached to his shoulders. The shield slid onto its left hand and rifle into the right. The wings split in two. Both of them went back to back and spun around once, opening their shields and pointing their rifles. “Impulse Gundam, pilot Shinn Asuka!”

“Falcon Gundam, pilot Adam Cancho!”

The two looked at each other’s suits from the corners of their eyes. “Not bad Adam. Didn’t explect to see you in a mobile suit, nevermind a Gundam.”

“Heh, same goes to you. I missed you pal.” Abyss fired all seven of its beam cannons at them. The two covered themselves with their shields as the energy beams bounced off them. “Let’s save the reunion for later, shall we?”

“Got it. Break on three, ready?”

Adam nodded. They both said it at the same time. “Three!”

“Sir, we’ve got a heat source on radar!” The enemy battleship’s radar officer turned towards the captain’s chair. “It’s the Minerva, sir!”

Both commanding men spat. “Well this eliminates our element of surprise.” Neo bit his lip.

“I’m detecting two, no, three readings from the Minerva, ascending to the battle.”

“Our pilots will be at a disadvantage now. What do you recommend, sir?” The captain asked the colonel. “Should we withdraw?”

“Not just yet. Considering they haven’t launched any more forces, we can assume they don’t have many pilots left. If we get rid of at least some of those pests now, they’ll be at the disadvantage later. Engage the Minerva, and I’ll go out to give our pilots a hand.” He moved towards the elevator.

“Hai! Did you hear that down there, launch bay? Prepare Exas for launch!”

“Three!” Adam and Shinn kicked off from one another, just as another blast from Abyss came their way. Impulse engaged Abyss as Falcon dove to assist in the fight with Chaos.

Auel whipped out his short scythe and started going one on one with Impulse. “You know, you’re a real pain in the ass!”

Shinn blocked it with his beam saber. “Kgh!” He punched his shield into the robot and the impact rippled in the air.

Electricity crackled around Auel as it started to float backwards. “What’s with that shield of his? This happened last time too!”

“Haaaaahhh!” Shinn switched to his rifle and fired.

Abyss blocked and the beam disbursed. “I won’t go down that easy!”

Stellar was favoring her damaged right side. With every correction she fired her shoulder cannons as Gaia and the Warrior circled each other. “Looks like the new kid roughed you up a bit. I’ll finish the job!” Luna smirked, her ZAKU pulling out its beam axe. She charged.

Stellar squinted as she flipped her Gaia into mobile armor form. She stretched out its wingsabers. “You’re mine!”

“Hah!” Luna gasped as she started to swing her shield to block. Gaia’s right wingsaber sliced it in half. She swing her axe and countered the opposite wing.

Ray was defending with both his shields as Chaos launched a missile barrage at him. The two were at a stalemate as Adam fired from above, forcing Chaos to back off. “Hey white guy, need a hand?”

“Kuso! You again?” Sting hissed.

Adam hovered slightly ahead of the ZAKU. “I suppose any assistance is appreciated. Now move, you’re in the line of fire.”

Adam skitted away and huffed. “Great, I chose to help the stick-in-the-mud of the group. Oh well.” He pulled out his beam saber and throttled forward, ignoring the beeps from his power screen.

Chaos switched into mobile armor form and launched its pods. As it reversed, Sting fired at the approaching Gundam with its main cannon. Falcon dodged one and blocked the other two with its special shield. Ray slid to the side and pulled out both of his boomerang axes and threw them at the enemy. Sting snarled as he slid between them, shaving off a bit of his armor in the process. In one of his corner sensors, he saw his ship’s catapult open. “What the hell?”

A red ship with four cannons attached to it launched from the catapult. The person sitting behind the target was Neo. “Sting!”

“Commander?! What are you….”

“Sting, lend me your pods would you? If we can take even one of them out, it will be to our advantage later on.”

“Right!” Sting linked his ship’s computer to Neo’s Exas. “Can you handle six pods?”

“Who do you think I am?” Neo smirked as all four of his pods broke away from the ship and opened its cannon ports. He drove for Falcon. “You should’ve never gotten into that mobile suit!”

An odd pressure went from the back of Ray’s brain to the front. “This is….” He got a glimpse of Exas. “Look out!” He yelled as he kicked Falcon out of the way.

“What?” Adam snarled as he recovered. Exas’s pods hurtled towards him and started firing. “This really sucks!” He said as he switched to his rifle, blocking shots with his shield. As he fired, all of the pods started moving in a seemingly random pattern. All of his shots were wasted. “Shit!”

“Break off! You can’t handle him!” Ray said as he slid in front of Adam, blocking a beam shot. He spiraled around and fired a shot, clipping one pod. “He’s more my tastes. Go for Chaos!”

“I got it!” Adam spoke as he flew off to find the green Gundam.

“I won’t let you!” Neo took one of his pods and both of Chaos’s and attacked Adam with them while the other three targeted Ray. “You don’t think I can handle two targets at once White Boy? You’re wrong!”

Arthur was barking orders to the weaponsmasters on Minerva. “Ports 1, 2, 5, and 6, load breaker charges. Tristan one, lock onto the enemy’s portside. Tei!” The Minerva fired shots at the battleship, along with two beams of green energy.

“Evade!” Lee ordered. “Ports 1 and 2, fire countermeasures! Gotfrieds 1 and 2 target starboard! TEI!” The battleship slid to the side as the Tristan cannons missed. Twwo missiles launched from the ship and broke apart in midair, launching shrapnel into the barrage, detonating the missiles, leaving one to explode in the water next to the ship. Four beams erupted from the ship’s main cannons.

Captain Gladys gave the next orders. “Kaihee! Hard to port! Anti-beam launchers 3 and 4, fire!” The massive battleship slid to the side as two explosions rippled in the air. The beams broke apart on them, doing no damage. Two others hit the sea, sending a wave crashing against the hull. “Arthur, make a smokescreen!”

“Hai! All ports, depth charges set to 10 meters. Target five meters away from the starboard side of the enemy ship. Fire!” The goddess fired eight missiles into the water ahead of the enemy. The exploded and shot water up high, blocking the view.

“Hard to port! They’ll be attacking us from that screen! Gotfrieds, target the center!”

Gladys leaned forward. “Hard to starboard! Tristan 1 fire into the center of the screen. Tei! Isolde cannons and Tristan 2, target the edge of the screen.” She sqinted as she waited. The tip of Bogey-1 emerged from the screen. “TEI!”

The captain of the other ship smiled as the Tristan beams cut into the water through the screen. “Prepare the counterattack. Aim the cannons into the center of the screen and fire once you see the ship. All missile ports at medium yield.” They waited as they pulled aside of the screen, only to see the red tip of Minerva. “Starboard now!” He screramed. Minerva’s projectile cannons went off and one of the shells came within a meter of the ship. The second Tristan cannon impacted the side of the ship, taking out Gotfried 1.

“That’s a hit!” Arthur raised his fist into the air.

“Don’t celebrate yet, she’s still afloat!” The captain turned to Meyrin. “How are our pilots doing?”

“No weapons requests have been sent out as of yet. All of their power levels are fine.”

“What of the new unit?”

“One moment.” She brought Adam’s stats to her screen. “His power is near the red line! Doesn’t he notice?”

“The pilot’s new, he couldn’t know about the power limit! Hail him!”

“Hai!” Meyrin turned around. “Falcon, your power has become dangerously low, disengage! I repeat, disengage!”

Adam looked up into his communications screen. “Cute.” His thought was ripped from him as his shield got hit by Chaos’s cannons. “I mean I would if I could, but I’m trapped!” He fired wildly, trying to hit the pods.

Chaos pulled out a beam saber. “Your head is mine!” He charged.

Adam’s power dipped down into the red and a long beep sounded. His phase shift shimmered off and his shield lost power. “What’s going on?!” His alarm sounded and he instinctively pulled up. Chaos sliced Falcon’s legs like they were butter and the pod cannons swooped in behind him, hitting the shield, blowing him into a pitfall towards the ocean. “Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

“Adam!” Shinn broke away from Abyss, who he was locked in sword-and-shield combat with, diving for the damaged Gundam. “I’m not gonna make it in time! Adam, pull up!”

All of Exas’s cannons bore down on the Falcon. “Die plebe!”

Adam’s mind was racing through what happened that day. “This is… this is… this is really starting to tick me off!” A brown football-shaped object fell in front of his eyes and exploded into billions of crystals of light and color. His eyes became solid brown. He turned his jets to maximum and flew away from the beams, towards the Minerva. He looked to the port side of the ship and typed quickly into his keyboard. “Minerva! I’m guessing that’s a Deuterion Beam outfitted on your ship?”

The bridge crew gasped. “Y…yes it is.”

“I need a recharge. Target my machine.”

“Wh… what?”

“Don’t question me right now. You’re able to do this, right?”

“Um, yes….” Meyrin said after the captain nodded to her.

“Then light me up. Also, send me one of Shinn’s Leg Flyer things afterwards. I need a new pair of pants.”

“But the equipment is completely diff….”

“Just leave that to me. Hurry up with that beam!”

“Hai!” Adam flew the Falcon straight up and hovered in front of Minerva. “Deuterion Beam, shousha!” The thin energy struck the powerless Gundam in the forehead spikes, and they rippled with power as they transferred it to the main batteries. Falcon’s power came back up to full and the phase shift armor kicked in again.

“Yes! Have the legs on standby!” Adam turned around and flew towards the action, right past the still-diving Impulse.

“Adam?” Shinn was stunned as he pulled out of his dive, only to get caught in the fight between Exas and Ray. “Aaaggghhh!” Since when was a mobile armor like this outfitted for atmospheric flight?!” He spun around with Ray and tried to shoot down the pods. Ray picked off one of them as six green beams impacted both their shields. Abyss entered the fray.

Lunamaria and Stellar grappled as Adam approached. “Red one, don’t move!” Adam demanded.

“Huh?” Luna looked at his approaching mobile suit as it fired its Vulcans.

“Nani?!” Stellar cried as the shots hit her shield as she broke away. None of the bullets even came close to the ZAKU. Stellar whipped out her beam saber and charged. Adam pulled his from over his shoulder and dove at her with full speed. She swung too early and he slid past her ear.

He shot a glare at her as he turned around. “EAY!” In a blinding flash, the tip of Adam’s sword cut a swath through her atmospheric booster. It exploded in a puff of smoke, sending her to the ocean with her weaker thrusters.

“Coitsu!”

“He’s… acting like Shinn did!” Luna could only stare as he flew off.

“I’ve had about enough of this!” He went into jet mode and zoomed into the battle with Exas. “Shinn!”

“Adam? No! Stay away! These guys are way above your level! Besides, what can you do in that form?”

Adam didn’t answer as he typed away on his keyboard like a man possessed. Both of the beam sabers flipped out from Falcon’s wings. With a few more keystrokes, he straightened them out and aligned them with the wings. “How about this?!” Falcon went to full throttle. Exas targeted him with three pods and commenced firing. Adam maneuvered the plane into a barrel roll and pulled an Immelman turn, firing into the pod on his tail with his vulcans, forcing it to explode. “Next!” He banked hard as a green pod dropped down on him. Adam tilted to the side as it fired and he slashed it in half with its wingsaber. “That’s two!”

Shinn’s eyes quivered as he watched Adam take out another red pod with its rear cannon. “What… what is he?!” His alarm beeped.

“You don’t have time to look away!” Auel snarled as he fired off one of his harpoons. Shinn dodged to the other side. “Moratta!” He launched the other.

“What?!” The harpoon pierced his rifle and exploded, the shockwave sending him flying. “Aaaggghhh!”

Adam hissed as his eyes turned to the action. He flipped his jet over and went towards them. “Knock it off! Minerva! Launch the legs!” The flyer flew out of the catapult.

Falcon opened its leg hatch and his damaged legs ejected from its housing. Adam established a computer link to the leg flyer. As he decelerated, he pulled up at the last second, pulling the legs under him, slamming it into the cradle, making sure the connectors held. With its new legs, Falcon transformed into its robotic self once again. Adam pulled out a beam saber and aimed for the Abyss as it got a bead on Impulse. “Damn it! No more!” He backhanded his saber into Abyss’s arm. Adam pulled out his blaster and fired at the saber, the core rupturing and exploding, taking the arm with it.

“GAH!” Auel grunted before his alarms went off. In front of his screens was the face of an enraged Gundam. Adam slammed his foot hard into the core cannon, lifting both his fists into the air and slamming them down, sending the heavy weapons machine careening towards the water’s surface.

“Auel!” Sting said as he watched the blue Gundam fall from the sky. Suddenly, his Gundam’s left leg wasn’t there anymore.

Ray’s ZAKU caught his returning boomerang axe. “You should not have looked away.”

“Just who are these guys?!” Neo sneered as he tried targeting Falcon. Adam hissed as he charged. Exas’s beams met his shield with little resistance. With a horizontal swipe, Adam’s final saber removed Exas’s cannons from its main portion. “Nani? GAH!” The guns shorted, and the base of the craft started to billow smoke. “Everyone withdraw! Lee, I’m coming in hot!” He dove for the unmarked battleship with malfunctioning systems.

“All pilots, return to the ship.” Meyrin called to the ZAFT pilots. “This battle’s over.”

“Hai.” Adam turned towards the ship, his eyes still completely brown as he entered the docking bay behind Impulse. He shut down the engines and turned off the phase shift armor as he was wheeled into the bay.

Adam panted heavily out of relief as he removed his helmet. The hatch opened up and Shinn looked inside. “Dude, you okay?”

Adam opened his eyes, finally back to normal, and looked at his onboard clock. “Aw man!” He threw his hands into the air, startling Shinn back onto his butt, drawing everyone’s attention. “I missed lunch!”

‘Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was fate. I finally was back with my best friend, but at what cost? I knew so little, about everything.’ Adam saluted the Captain as she finished his enlistment paperwork. ‘But I was here, and I had time to learn.’

Lunamaria slung her arm over the lounge sofa and kicked back. “So I guess we should get on with the introductions. The name is Lunamaria Hawke, pilot of the red ZAKU Warrior. But you can call me Luna.”

“Luna, red ZAKU, got it.”

The long blonde leaned against the lockers and crossed his arms. “Ray za Burrel, pilot of the white ZAKU Phantom.”

“Oh, you’re that stick-in-the-mud pilot.” Ray slid to the side from the comment as Luna stifled a chuckle. “Ray in the white ZAKU, got it.”

“And of course, you know me.” Shinn plopped down beside his best friend and chugged his soda. “Pilot of the Impulse Gundam.”

Adam nodded as he cracked his own can. “Well it’s good to meet you all, some of us for the second time.” He elbowed Shinn. “Guess we’ll be working together.”

“I certainly hope that’s not the end of the introductions.” A voice said as two people entered.

“Oh, hey Youlan.” Shinn lifted his can. “Youlan, meet Adam. Adam, meet Youlan. He’s one of the main mechanics on Impulse.”

Adam wasn’t playing attention, his eyes locked on the mechanic’s female companion. “Cute. Way cute.” Shinn took another sip of his drink while he bopped the boy on the head. “Ow! Um, hi, nice to meet you, Youlan.”

“Same to you.”

“Getting acquainted with the new guy, Lumi?” Meyrin sat next to her sister and gave her a hug.

“’Lumi?’” Adam echoed.

“You call me that and you’re dead where you stand! That’s exclusively between Meyrin and myself.”

“Oh, so your name’s Meyrin? The name is even cute.” Shinn bonked him on the head again. “OW! Sheesh! Anyway, it’s good to meet you, you’re that bridge bunny I talked to during the battle, right?”

Luna pulled her hand down her face. “Bad idea kiddo. She takes her job very seriously.”

Meyrin’s eyes burned in rage as she stood. “What did you call me?!” She was practically growing fangs. Shinn gulped as he slid away from his friend, counting down on his fingers, three… two… one… ze-. “Why you!” The girl jumped him, flipping them both over the sofa. The other spectators winced as they impacted the floor.

Meyrin sat on top of him, pinning him to the deck. “I take it back! I take it back! I didn’t mean it!” She showed no signs of letting up and he sighed. “Look, I meant it as a compliment. A bridge bunny in my book is one that won’t crack under pressure, and you handled yourself well from what I saw. It was a compliment, okay?”

She gritted her teeth as she whispered into his face. “Promise me you won’t call me that ever again.”

“Fine, I’ll promise.”

“Then in that case.” She smiled her sweetest smile. “I forgive you.”

“So cute!”

Youlan coughed and both turned their heads towards him. “Having fun you two?” To say they were in a compromising position would have been an understatement. Both of them blushed brightly as they split from each other.

Finally getting Adam alone, Shinn took him up to his special reflective spot, the top of the Deuterion Beam cannon. Adam fell back onto the metal and sighed. “It feels so nice to just look at the sky again.”

“There you go again with that out-of-touch-with-the-world bit. Just what happened to you?”

Adam propped himself up on his elbows and began to recount the story.

Adam and his father passed the main control room of the Astray development project. “The Earth Alliance fleet? Why are they here?”

“What was that?!” Adam’s father ran into the room.

“Oh, Cancho-san, look at the radar screen. There’s got to be at least 20 battleships nearing ORB waters.”

“That can’t be!” His face turned ashen as he examined the readings. “Most of them are mobile suit carriers.”

“Dad?” Adam didn’t like his father’s face one bit.

“Adam, let’s get Mom, NOW!” He ran for the exit, roughly grabbing the boy in the process.

“Cancho-san! What are you talking about?!”

“Don’t just stand there, you fool! Spread the word! Everyone needs to evacuate!”

“Dad, what is it?”

“An invasion. Come on!”

After a short while we were pulling Mom from her desk and trying to get through the security gate as fast as possible. But word spread faster than we thought, and there was already a line.

After five minutes, his father was pacing. After ten, he threw his hands in the air. “Ah mou! We can’t do anything just standing here! There has to be SOMETHING we can do!”

“Dad, here.” Adam took out his citrus-colored cellphone. “If things are as bad as you say, we should try to warn as many people as possible, right?” He hit the number for one Mayu Asuka.

It rang three times before someone picked up. “Hello?”

“Mayu? It’s me, Adam. Listen this is very im….”

“If it’s about a date, it’ll haveta wait.”

“Date?! You think this is a joke, you little brat?!”

“Oh, so you really are asking me out, Adam?” Her grin was audible. “Hate to break it to you, but I’m too young for you.”

“This isn’t about some freakin’ date! Listen Mayu, I need you to be serious here.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Gah. Look, just take your family and get to the nearest evac ship. ORB is about to get invaded by the EAF!”

“Yeah, right. ORB is neutral, we won’t get attacked.”

“Mayu, I’m not joking around. There are at least twenty Earth Alliance battleships headed our way!”

“Yeah, sure. You’re just trying to scare me. I’ll tell Shinn you called. Bye now!” She hung up.

“Mayu!” Only silence emerged from the speaker. “Damn it.”

By the time we got out and to our neighborhood, we could see and hear the explosions in the distance.

“Damn it! I didn’t think they’d start so soon!” His mother swore.

“Almost there.” All three were relieved as they turned down their street.

It didn’t last long as two large shadows passed over them. A pink beam hit the side of the hill above them. Adam’s father looked up at the two human-shaped forms duking it out in the skies. “Mobile suits!”

One of the giant robots spread eight wings from its back. “No, not mobile suits, Gundams! That’s Freedom!” Adam pointed at the suit.

“Get down!” His mother pushed him to the ground and covered him as another blast took out a house on their street. “We have to hurry before we’re vaporized!”

Adam looked back as his parents dragged him. The turquoise Gundam in the air fired a beam weapon that hit another house. It turned its robotic head towards them. “Oh hell no!” The strange mobile suit fired another shot, this time aimed directly at them. Freedom dove down and intercepted the blow with its shield, but the force hurled it towards the running family. “Look out!”

That’s the last thing I remember about it. The next thing I knew, I was in the bunker, deep underground. I had a splitting headache and a bandage around my head. Mom and Dad were there too, a little dirty, but okay none-the-less. That’s where I was until today, eating nothing but dehydrated, condensed, and hydroponically grown food.

Adam flopped onto his back again and put his hands behind his head. “It sure feels good, doesn’t it? I never thought I could miss something so trivial as relaxing, looking at the sky.”

“The sky?” Shinn looked up. “I guess it’s peaceful for now, but when war comes into your skies, it burns a hole right through you.”

“Hmm?” Adam blinked. “Anyway, it’s your turn. What have you been up to after all this time? And where’s that cute little sister of yours? I didn’t see her running around the ship at all.” Shinn stayed quiet. So quiet that Adam sat up again, only to see him flipping open and closed the pink cellphone. “Isn’t that Mayu’s cell? What are you doing with it?”

“Hi. Mayu here! I’m really sorry, but I can’t talk to you right now. I’ll try to call you back, so leave your name after the beep. Buh bye!”

A tear rolled down the boy’s cheek. “It’s all that’s left.” He whispered. Adam’s eyes went wide as saucers, before turning away. “If Mayu had listened to you, she’d be alive. Mom and Dad… would be alive.”

“Shinn… I’m….”

“Just drop it, okay? I can’t take it right now.”

“… Okay. Kuso.” Adam whispered.

Adam put his head into his pillow, saying his goodnights to Shinn. As his friend pulled the covers over his head, Adam just stared. ‘More victims. Mayu…. Mr. Asuka… Mrs. Asuka…. But no one was more hurt than Shinn. He wasn’t the same as I remembered him. I was happy though, that I was still his friend, but I can’t help but wonder… if I could have done more to prevent it all.’ He closed his eyes in frustration, winding up falling asleep.

Adam sat up in bed like it was made of nails. He checked the time: 2300 hours. “Damned dream. Just how many more times do I have to see it?” He put his head against the pillow and fell asleep again. Little did he realize that the red-eyed Coordinator was observing him, clutching the phone in his right hand, awoken from his slumber by a nightmare of his own.

A new dawn brought forth the new day, and a new life was about to begin for ORB’s Representative. It was her wedding day, and she was no where near happy as her wedding limo drove towards the chapel.

“But… is this really the right thing to do, I wonder.” Murrue and Kira were riding an elevator deep down into the rocks.

“Eh. Because now, it’s the only option we have left.” As they stepped out, they caught a glimpse of a great white hulk. As Lacus hugged each of the orphans, he continued. “None of us understand if it’s the correct way to go. But, we can’t give up at this juncture, right?” The dock began to fill with water. “Knowing something isn’t right is bad enough, but shutting up about it won’t do either. We already know the chaos that would bring. That’s exactly why we have to go, to keep that future from happening once again.”

When the entire bay was filled, the hatch in front of the former EAF battleship split apart. “Restraining arms, detatch!” The captain ordered, and the engines came to life, slowly pushing the ship into the rocky tunnel. It accelerated as it cleared the dock. “Ascend! Archangel, hashin!” The legged ship broke the water’s surface, sending a spray trail.

Kira finished his checks as his screens came to life. The launch checklist went off in four buzzes. “Kira Yamato, Freedom, ikkimas!”

Standing in front of the ambassador of Haumeia, Yuna smiled proudly as Cagalli stared off somewhere beyond her veil. “I now will ask you anew. Do you make your vows from the honesty within your hearts?”

“Hai.” He spoke smoothly. As the reverend turned towards Cagalli, she said nothing. It was doubtful she had even heard the question.

“No good! HQ’s forces can’t intercept it in time!” The security guards sounded a whistle. “Evacuate everyone!”

The two on the podium turned around. “What’s up? What’s wrong?” Yuna looked around, hoping someone would answer him.

As people ran every which way, two Astrays that raised their rifles to the sky had their weapons disabled with pinpoint accuracy. Another two lost their arms as a white and black mobile suit with eight blue wings flew over the assembly. “Freedom?!” Cagalli gasped as she stared at the mobile suit.

The blue-haired man ducked behind her. “C-Cagalli….” As the chaos below them continued, someone accidentally knocked the boxes of doves over, setting them free as the mecha landed in front of the steps, reaching out its hands. “Guaaahhhh!!” Yuna ducked and ran off as fast as he could.

“Uh?” The cold metallic fingers gently wrapped around the girl in the wedding gown. As he lifted her off, she shot the main camera a look that would have killed the pilot. “The hell are you doing?! Kira!”

“Heh.” He smiled from his cockpit, turning around and spreading his wings. As he took off, Yuna stared at the butt of the suit, whimpering. Using his shield to defend her from the wind, Kira joined the doves in the sky. He lifted her up to the cockpit as his seat emerged. “Now….” He took her hand and caught her, pulling them both back into the safety of the nuclear suit. “This is some dress you’ve got here.”

“Shut it!” She snarled as she got off his lap.

“This is ORB military HQ. Freedom, please cooperate and land immediately! Freedom!” Two Murasame in mobile armor form came straight for him.

“Forgive me.” He sighed, pulling his beam saber from his left hip. In a half second, their wings were taken off.

As ORB battleships surrounded the Archangel, a report reached the command vessel. “HQ communicay, sir! Freedom crashed the wedding and has taken Cagalli-sama. The situation is to be handled with extreme caution.”

“Huh?” The man who watched the Minerva fight before answered.

“Cagalli-sama’s been kidnapped?”

“By Freedom?”

“All ships, hold your fire! I repeat, hold your fire!”

They were helpless to do anything as Archangel opened its hatch to admit the suit. “Freedom, docking complete.” Miriallia, finally back in her old seat, reported. “Cagalli-san is okay.”

“Yosh! Just as planned!” Waltfeld turned in his co-pilot seat. “Well then, shall we hit the road, Captain?”

Ramius nodded. “Flood the vents! Archangel will now submerge.” The ship began to move as it slowly sank into the ocean.

“Todoka-san! They’re going under!”

“They’re going to escape! Order the assault!”

The older man smiled. “’The situation is to be handled with extreme caution.’ Right?” He straightened and brought his hand up in a salute as the rest of the ashitsuki disappeared below the waves. Joining him in the salute were his most loyal officers. ‘It’s up to you, Archangel. Cagalli-sama and this world’s future are in your hands.’ Archangel went to full underwater cruising mode, not to be seen again in ORB territory.

‘I’ve done some stuff I’m not proud of. I’ll be the first to admit it. But still… what the hell could I have possibly done to deserve this?! The yelling. The screaming. The exercise. The target practice. And now this….’ Adam scrubbed the latrines with a sponge.

Shinn, to his own relief, didn’t have to yell due to the echo. “Let’s go, horse hockey, I want to see my face looking back at me in those toilets!”

Adam seethed as he scrubbed. “Why don’t I just put a picture of your face on the lid? You sit on it anyway, so it’d be a perfect match.”

“You say something, dumbass?!”

“Sir! No, sir!”

“Get moving on the urinals! I want them to shine like the tile next to them!”

“Sir! Do you mean for them to be flush with the wall, sir?!”

“Did I tell you to make jokes, septic tank?! If you have time to joke, then give the walls a shine too!”

Adam muttered to himself. “Geez. I bet this never happened to Kira Yamato.”

Deep on the ocean floor, a sneeze echoed through the room of a battleship. Kira sat up and blew his nose. “I hate it when that happens.”

“Are you coming down with a cold, Kira?” Lacus crouched down next to him, handing over her hankie.

“Nah. Someone’s talking about me again.” He rubbed his nose. “I sneezed almost nonstop after Jackin Due.”

“Athrun was bedridden for a month and a half with sneezing fits.” Cagalli said, leaning on the doorframe.

“Feeling better, Cagalli?” Lacus asked her.

“Yes, thanks to you two bakas. Just remind me to kill you if you mention that dress again.”

Kira got a sly smile on his face. “Ja, can Lacus wear it when we get married?” That caught both girls off guard.

Lacus blushed and gave her boyfriend a diving hug. “Thanks, Lux. But this isn’t the time. Could you pass me another sponge? This urinal is being a real pain today.”

Adam slid the canopy down on his mobile suit’s cockpit. As he booted up his system for his maintenance check, his communications line popped up. “So, Adam. How’s your basic training going? I hear Shinn is giving you a workout.” Meyrin giggled.

“Ugh, you have no idea. He’s a total hardass, and he’s been deliberately contradicting himself just to get on my nerves!”

“Welcome to the military.”

“Ugh. Listen, do you have some disguises for undercover missions?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I need to ask a favor.”

THUD! “Your movements are easy to read and unnecessary. Remember, in hand to hand combat in mobile suits will be the same, if not harder!” Shinn stared down at the boy on the sparring mat. “Now get up and fight!”

“Heeahhh!” Adam whirled around and crouched, attempting to dive for the boy on all fours. Shinn just dropped his foot into the center of the boy’s back. “Guh!”

“Again!” Adam swung his body around, catching Shinn in the shin. He fell forward, slamming his elbow into the boy’s gut. “Again!” Adam thrust his fist forward, and with three fingers, Shinn pushed it to the side and gave a wide, sweeping kick, sending him to the padded wall behind him. “This is ridiculous. If you can’t even defend yourself against me, how did you manage to hold off three Gundams?! Hit the showers.”

The two ventured into the locker room and went to their own separate isles. Adam took his time peeling his sweat-laden clothes off, and as soon as he heard Shinn’s shower turn on, he put them all back on again. Grabbing the temporary drill sergeant’s uniform, he exited. “You got the goods?”

“Yep, just as you wanted them.” Meyrin stood there with a pile of clothes. “This should be good.”

“You hide those.” He said as he swapped the uniforms. Adam quickly slipped back into the locker room, gingerly placing the new articles on Shinn’s seat. From the exit, he turned around. “Hey Shinn! Quit jacking off and hurry up!”

A few choice curses followed Adam out the door as he joined her on the wall. “You’re cruel.”

“Wait for it….”

“!!!” Shin’s voice echoed through three decks and scared off a pod of dolphins. The door slowly cracked open, a red eye glaring at the boy. “I’m so going to kill you.”

“Then come out here and try it.”

A barefooted Shinn stepped into the hall. Meyrin and Adam collapsed into each other in laughter. Shinn was wearing candycane-striped overalls that were extremely baggy and were three full inches long on the ankles. His shirt was lime green with pink polka dots and had folds in all the wrong places, almost as if Picasso designed it. Basically, he was wearing a clown suit. “You are so dead!”

Meyrin put her hand out and stopped his diving tackle as she put onto his nose a red, round ball. “Perfect!”

Adam squeezed the nose, making it quack. Then he broke into a run, dashing away from the enraged clown. Shinn pointed at the girl. “I’ll deal with you later.” He dashed after Adam. “When I’m done with you, there won’t be enough left to send back home!”

The orange-haired teen led Shinn throughout the ship, until they got back to the mess hall. As they burst into the doors, Adam dove over one of the tables, flipping it over. “You’re fast, Shinn.”

Shinn looked around at the surprisingly empty room as he pondered his next move. “So are you.” They both panted.

“So tell me, do you like math?”

“What the hell brought that up?!” Shinn jumped over the table and Adam ran into the kitchen.

As the Impulse pilot rounded the corner, he slid to a halt, the entire main crew standing before him. Adam turned around with a wide grin on his face. “What’s a clown without pie?” And with that, everyone hurled whipped cream projectiles at the boy.

After a few moments of stun, and a pie crust sliding off his face, he brought his hands to his face and squeegeed it off. “Puh!” He spat. “Well, at least it wasn’t Lemon Meringue. Puh!” He began to turn away. “Uh?” He reached down his pants and pulled out three more plates, sighing. As he walked towards the door, leaving a sluglike trail of cream, two more crusts fell out of his pant legs. After the door shut behind him, everyone erupted into cacophonous laughter.

“That was the best laugh I’ve had in years.” Talia wiped the corner of her eye.

“Did you see the look on his face right before the first pie hit?” Arthur asked. “Please tell me someone got that on tape.” Vino raised his hand, toting a minicam.

“Well, now that our little break is over, everyone’s dismissed.” Gladys ordered. “Meyrin. Adam. You two remain.” As the rest left they stood in front of her at attention. “Humor or no, I can’t just let an infraction of the rules go so easily. Adam, you were the mastermind of this operation. You and your little accomplice here are to be punished by cleaning up this mess before dinner. If you can’t do it by then, you’ll be confined to the brig for the remainder of the day. Is that clear?”

“Yes ma’am!” Both of them saluted before getting to work. The two of them turned out to be a great team, in both the prank and the cleanup. When Meyrin slipped on a slick spot, Adam caught her in his arms, landing on his butt with a squish. Looking behind him, Meyrin rolled out of his lap, laughing. He sat in a remaining pie.

When Shinn finally emerged from the bathroom, Adam was lying on his bed, changed and ready to sleep, reading an old magazine. “Enjoy your dessert?”

“This is why I hate sweets.” He grumbled as he sat down on his own bed. “You’re really vindictive sometimes, you know that?”

“And you’ll make a good drill sergeant one day.” Adam yawned.

“Don’t oversleep tomorrow. We’re disembarking at Carpentaria, and you need supplies.”

“Oh yeah. Forgot.” He yawned again. “Thanks. Goodnight.”

“Oyasumi.”

Adam shot up like his hips were spring loaded. “Look out! Aaaggghhh!”

Shinn shut Mayu’s phone and looked to him in the dark. “You okay man?”

Adam rubbed his eyes and looked to the clock: Midnight. “Damn it, not again!” He slammed his head against his pillow. “Let’s try this… one more… tim….” He fell asleep once again.

“Twice in a row?” Shinn whispered to no one. He opened up the phone to a solo shot of his sister. “Was I too hard on him?”

Early the next morning, the Chairman received a report in his office. “So Minerva is safe? In Carpentaria?”

“Hai.”

“By captain’s discretion, they left ORB behind. En route, they were apparently ambushed, and a report submitted by the crew that Impulse destroyed nine enemy ships, including two carriers and a new type of mobile armor.”

“That’s an incredible feat! Make sure the pilots and crew are well rewarded for their efforts.”

“Ha.” The man on screen nodded. As Durandal was about to turn off the screen, he continued. “Additionally, Captain Talia Gladys has sent a report involving a rather interesting enlistee.”

“Hmm?”

“Communicating it verbally would only make things more confusing, so I am sending it to you now.” A document appeared on his screen. “You may wish to read it in its entirety. This concludes my report.” He saluted and the link was broken.

As he read through it, he sighed. “This is almost too ridiculous a scenario to believe.” He checked another special e-mail on his personal terminal. “But ‘he’ has confirmed it. For Shinn, it has awakened. Superior Evolutionary Element Destined. With the SEED Factor, his accomplishments are of no surprise.” He took a look at Talia’s report once again, with the schematics of Falcon, then switching to his other report. “It appears as though this one has it too, although it’s hard to confirm without DNA analysis. However this one is an unforeseen anomaly.” He picked up one of the knights from his chess board. “Black Knight, Shinn Asuka. Red Knight, Athrun Zala. And this one, Blue Knight, Adam Cancho. I wonder which it will be. Who will be the one to defeat the White King, Kira Yamato?”

Adam had met Lunamaria and Meyrin in Carpentaria’s department store, and he joined them on their jaunt back to their ship while trying to lug his bags and sipping his soda at the same time. As they approached, its portside hatch opened. “Uh?”

Luna looked quizzically at the ship. “Are they launching someone? In dry dock?”

“No. That’s the reason!” Meyrin pointed to the left. A red mobile armor flew towards the Minerva, transforming into a red and yellow mobile suit as it landed. The three looked at each other, doubling their speed towards the ship in a wordless agreement.

As they made it into the docking bay, the new MS was moved into a maintenance stall. “Is this a new model? Who on earth is that?”

No sooner did she ask then the cockpit opened and the pilot winched himself down. He unsealed his helmet and shook his dark blue hair out. Meyrin gasped. “That’s…!”

“Athrun-san!” Luna finished her statement.

“Athrun?”

“ID number 285002. Special forces FAITH unit, Athrun Zala, requesting permission to board.” He handed his helmet to the closest mechanic.

Shinn came rushing in, bumping into Vino. “Hey, just now… was that a… you?!” He got a look at the pilot.

“You’re late, Shinn.” Adam gave him a side glance.

“What’s going on here?” He grumbled as he went forward. “What the hell is all this?!”

Luna hit him with her elbow. “Mou! Will you watch what you say for once?! He’s FAITH!” She saluted him quickly.

“Uah?!” Shinn’s jaw dropped.

Meyrin dropped her bag, and Adam followed suit, the rest of the crew saluting. “Adam, your uniform, fix your uniform!” She whispered.

“Uh? Oh!” He rushed to clasp the collar back together before resuming his pose.

“How did you get….” Shinn only stared at the older teen.

“Shinn!” Luna hissed. Athrun said nothing as he began to salute back to them.

“Uh?” Shinn realized his hands were full, and he turned to Adam and Meyrin, shoving his drink and bag into their hands. Meyrin glared at him as he fixed his collar and saluted.

When Shinn finally put his hand down, Adam sat the soda on the top of his head. “Next time use the ground as your damn cupholder!”

‘Just like that, we got a new reinforcement; one of the strongest mobile suit pilots in ZAFT, from what the others told me. However….’

“The Falcon?!” Athrun whipped out his pistol and pinned Adam to the wall, shoving it between his eyes. “Explain yourself! How did you get ORB’s prototype unit?! Did you steal it?!”

“Athrun-san, that’s going too far!” Luna stepped in. “Adam is just….”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, pilot! Now explain, Cancho!”

“Cagalli-sama gave it to me to save my life!” Adam yelled, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.

“Cagalli!” Athrun gasped and released the boy. He removed the magazine from his weapon and handed both to him. “I acted rashly. Please forgive me and continue with your story.”

Adam finished recounting it to him as they stopped in front of the elevator. “So that’s it. You’re another victim. I think Cagalli made the right decision. Although that means the situation there has become unstable.”

“Um… Zala-san, you seem to know a lot about ORB. Can I ask what your connection with it is?”

“Adam!” Luna snapped.

“It’s alright.” He waved her off. “I was Cagalli’s personal bodyguard, before this second war started.”

Adam tried to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out. He ruffled his hair. “Geez! I need a damn scorecard and a couple of year-in-review articles, and I need them bad!” The elevator opened up and all three stepped inside. Athrun rested his back against the cold metal and sighed. “But, how come you re-enlisted?”

“Eh?”

“I’m really dying to know that myself!” Luna punched a button, turning towards him with a smile. “That’s fine, right?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Ignoring that, when did Minerva leave ORB? The report said….”

“You went to ORB?!” Adam spoke quickly.

“Ah….” He looked to the floor.

“Were you okay?!” Luna gasped. “That country has already….”

“Ah, they intercepted me. ‘PLANT is a hostile enemy state.’ Or something like that.”

“Damn it!” Adam fisted the wall. “What the hell happened down there?!”

“I think I’m starting to get why Shinn hates them so much.”

“HEY!” Adam whirled around.

“Sorry.” She looked away. “But they’re really messed up right now, that country. When we left, did you hear what happened?”

“Eh?” Both boys turned a listening ear.

“The Earth forces ambushed us! We almost all died! Shinn’s best work was the only thing that kept it from being sunk, the Minerva.”

“And then they passed a law extraditing all Coordinators.” Adam scowled as he stared at the floor.

“But… Cagalli wouldn’t… shit!” Athrun turned away, hissing.

“Even I admired her before we went to ORB, Cagalli Yula Athha.” Luna crossed her arms and sighed. “But now I’m disappointed. Signing the Atlantic Federation treaty, her and some creepy guy getting married….”

Athrun’s briefcase hit the floor as both boys went forward. “MARRIED?!”

Athrun turned to Adam, his eyes only getting a mirrored reaction as an answer. “She never mentioned it. I knew she was holding back on something… but this? Married? Are you sure, Luna?!”

“Unh.” She slunk into the corner, not liking the overbearing need of information. “It was on the news a little while ago. But there’s a rumor going around that she was abducted during or after the wedding.”

“Wha?!”

“By, and get this… Freedom!”

“No wa-… HUH?!” Adam’s eyes went wide.

“Kira!” Athrun whispred amidst his outburst.

As the Captain opened a box with the same kind of pin that Athrun was wearing, Adam checked up on the stats of his machine. ‘After looking into it later I understood. After Junius Seven, tensions were pretty high, and the World Security Treaty Organization allied all the major countries on Earth. However, to say it was made to fight PLANT wouldn’t be false. Cagalli wouldn’t have cooperated with them, but most likely that “Bastard Yuna” she spoke of took control of the government.’

“So we’re going to Suez to support their forces?” Arthur read over his newly-promoted captain’s orders.

“Of the Eurasian conflicts in the west, Suez is the most violent.” Images flashed on the captain’s screen for Athrun to see, most of them brutal or bloody.

The pilot took a closer look at them. He shuddered. “I knew that Eurasia was a powder keg for all this, but….”

“The war declaration lit the match and set off all the kegs at once. He wants us to go there, in other words.”

Adam flopped onto his bed and sighed. “Leaving already? I thought we’d have at least two more days of R and R.”

“We’re a battleship after all, Adam. It’s what we do.” Shinn flipped his phone shut and put it on his night stand.

“Yeah, I know, I know. But the crew seems down since we’re not going back into space.”

“Of course, they’re all from PLANT, unlike us. We were born down here, after all.”

“Then why are you never happy down here?” Adam looked over to his friend. The boy stared at him for a second before turning over. “Sorry.” ‘Suez. This world was starting to fall apart, faster than anyone had thought, crueler than anyone had thought. But I promised myself I’d do what I could and end this war for my parents’ sake. I can only hope that everyone else felt the same. Especially him… Athrun Zala.’

The next morning, Minerva watched a green submarine leave port. The crew on shore saluted the crew onboard and vice versa. “Nyiragongo has launched.”

“Then we should be on our way too. Minerva, begin launch. All ahead slow.”

In the pilot’s lounge, Adam sipped on his soda, sitting in his yellow flight suit. As Athrun entered, he noticed Shinn, lying back on the sofa in his own red flight suit, reading a music magazine with a High and Mighty Color album cover on the front. Ignoring the glare from beyond the pages Athrun walked to the window and sighed. ‘If Kira is with her, Cagalli should be okay. In any case, she can’t go back to ORB any time soon.’

Adam took a large slurp of his drink as he observed his fellow pilots. ‘The enmity is so thick in here you could cut it with a knife.’ He pulled out a deck of cards from no where. “Anyone want to play a game? Beat Your Neighbor? Texas Holdem? War?” The two just looked at him funny.

In PLANT, the white pawn moved forward a step on Durandal’s desk.

On the deck of the ship, Ray observed as they pulled past a seagull. His head turned on its own, being drawn to a location in the sky. When he realized it, he grunted and ran inside.

Bart’s screen began to light up. “Captain!”

“Seven.”

“Two.”

“King.”

“Doubt it!” Adam smiled. He flipped over the card Athrun had thrown down. “D’oh!”

“You suck at this game.” Shinn laughed.

Alarms started blaring. “Condition Red alert! Condition Red alert! All pilots stand by in their units!”

“No way, we’re under attack?” Adam looked up.

Shinn got up and started running towards the hangar. “Come on! We’re heading out!”

“Checking heat signature. They’re Windams. Approximately 30.” Bart reported.

“Thirty?!” The bridge locked into its battle position.

“Uh! Escorting them is Chaos!”

“It’s from THAT unit?!”

The communication screen popped up, Athrun’s mug appearing. “Gladys-cancho, is it the EAF?”

“Eh. Looks like we’ve fallen into another ambush. It sure is rough being popular. That’s the third time. We can’t evade them now. This ship will be going into battle. What about you?” Athrun looked up in surprise. “I can’t give you orders since we’re the same rank.”

“I’ll sign a few autographs.”

“You sure about that?”

“True, I am not under your command, but I am still a member of this crew. It’s a shame, but we can’t dodge this fight, so I may as well lend a hand.”

The captain seemed content with that answer. “Then I’d like to give command of the mobile suits over to you when they launch. Okay?”

Athrun nodded. “Understood.”

Meyrin’s voice echoed through the hangar as Adam and Shinn ran to their units. “Impulse, Savior, Falcon, launch immediately! ZAKUs please stand by for more orders.” Shinn gave Adam a thumbs up as he shut the cockpit of Core Splendor. He did the same back before he climbed into Falcon. Athrun was lifted up to his Gundam’s cockpit.

As the central catapult was being elevated, Adam’s communications screen popped up. “Shinn Asuka. Adam Cancho.”

“Umh? Hai.” Shinn turned from examining his wing.

“Nani?” Adam responded.

“Command of this mission has been handed over to me once we’ve launched.”

“Gueh?!”

“Our objective it breaking through the enemy line. Got it?”

“Yokhai, glad to have you.” Adam gave a thumbs up.

“Hai….” Shinn made a dissatisfied grunt before both windows shut down.

“Uh?” Sting’s radar screen blipped an unknown. “What unit is that?”

In a custom purple Windam, Neo typed away. “Another new model? From Carpentaria? Heh, ZAFT’s incredible huh?”

“Heh! That little pest...” He hit the throttle and made his way to the new unit.

“Oi oi, Sting!” Neo was ignored. “Oh well, I guess I’ll target our old friends over there!”

Shinn rocketed past a Windam, turning around and sending a beam through its back. “Woah, nice shot.” Adam smirked as he transformed into mobile suit, swinging his beam saber into an enemy.

“You there! Let’s see your strength, little newcomer!” Sting’s beam rifle and bullets hurtled for Savior. Athrun dove into a cloud and came out of it in mobile armor form. He slid past the unit, shaking him up with the engine wash. “Eh!”

“Kei….” Athrun winced as he did a U-turn, firing all of its beam weapons from above.

Chaos raised his shield to block as he dove past. “Coitsu!”

“Ey! It’s annoying that there are so many of them.” Shinn engaged his targeting visor. Shinn raised his rifle into the sky. “Ha!” He let the beams fly, cutting into a Windam. From behind him came two more shots.

“Shinn!” Adam slid next to him, firing into the enemy that attacked him.

“Like we’ll ever lose to these guys!” He raised his shield up to block a shot.

“Shinn, ever played in one of those gyro space simulators?”

“Uh? Yeah! Good one!” They gripped each other’s shield hands. “I’ll take vertical, you take horizontal!” They spun around each other, firing at any enemy mobile suit that came into view. The Windams they went against couldn’t attack them, any beam rifle shot would have blown straight by. As the remaining enemies were out of range, they broke apart, hurtling toward other formations.

“Hmm. So that’s it.” Neo smiled. “Those two work well together.” His purple ship took a shot at Impulse, which he blocked. Shinn returned fire as he flew into a cloud. From behind it, Neo took another shot, which Impulse barrel rolled to avoid.

Adam tried to take a shot at the Windam as it emerged from the clouds. Neo dodged and took two shots at Falcon, one of which needed to be deflected with his shield. “Damn it!” He flew down to Shinn’s level.

“What’s with this guy?”

“Dunno. He’s fast!”

“Adam, flank him!”

“Yokhai!” Adam broke off as Shinn tried to take three shots at Neo, none connecting. As Neo flew into another cloud, Adam fired a shot, only to have one returned at him, which he sidestepped.

Neo emerged from the clouds, charging ahead. “I wouldn’t get cocky if I were you, my little ZAFT Aces!” Impulse flew past him and dodged the shots aimed at him. Neo turned to follow. “Make yourselves useful and corner him!” Four other Windams joined him in formation.

A total of seven Windams surrounded Shinn from all sides as he spun around, dodging fire each time. “Shit!”

Adam was caught up in his own fight, deflecting one of the beams into another Windam as he used the other hand to shoot a third down. “Did I mention that this isn’t my day?!”

“Launcher 1. Launcher 2. TEI!” Missiles erupted from the side of the battleship.

“Shinn! You’re out too far! What are you doing?” Athrun checked his radar.

“Eaaay!” Chaos fired its beam rifle from above.

“Tch!” Athrun rolled out of the way.

“Heh! Complain when you’re in my situation!” Shinn raised his shield and returned fire.

Adam pumped an enemy full of lead. “Commander, I’ll back him up!” He switched to mobile armor form and two Windams were split in half by his wingsabers.

Inside the Nyiragongo…. “Sonar detected, number: 1! It’s fast!” Bubbles trailed the light blue submarine that vectored in. “It’s a mobile suit!”

“Heheh.” Auel chuckled.

“Prep Ray and Luna for underwater combat!” Gladys ordered. “Launch as soon as they’re ready to go.”

“Hai.” Meyrin turned to her station, worry all over her face, knowing her sister was weak when it came to submersible combat.

Two GhOONs fired missiles from is arm launchers. Abyss banked to the side, breaking the torpedo lock. As its mobile armor form transformed in front of one GhOON, Auel’s short scythe bit into it. “Ha haa! Sorry! Am I too strong?!” Another submersible suit was sliced up.

Shinn took out another two units straight to the cockpit and failed once again to hit Neo’s unit. “Damn you!” He cried as he pulled out his beam saber. Impulse charged at the suit as it fired shots, which were quickly avoided.

As Shinn was about to bring down the sword on the Windam, Neo pulled up. “Oopsy!”

“Shinn!” Adam cried as he dove straight for the rising machine with his wingsabers.

Neo saw him coming from the right and blocked with his shield, sending him skidding off. “Double oopsy!”

“Tei!” Adam cried as he fired his rear cannon.

“Woah!” Neo dove low to avoid the blast as Adam flipped back into mobile suit form.

“Eat this!” Shinn said as Neo dropped to the lower level.

“Huh?” Neo prepared to dodge Shinn’s attack as Adam’s green beam came down from above, taking a slice off the back of Neo’s shield. Shinn then took his shot. Adam was swarmed by Windams again. Neo laughed. “Well met!”

Shinn riddled a Windam’s back with bullets, swinging around and firing into another enemy with his beam rifle. He once again targeted the purple one. “This one… It’s the one I have to shoot down!”

Adam took a shot to the chest cavity of an enemy. He closed up his shield and drew both beam sabers out from the wings. He charged an enemy. One sword impacted the Windam’s shield and the Gundam flipped the other into a backhand position and stabbed it into the mobile suit. He broke away as it exploded. Another one moved up behind him. “Fire!” Adam sent his rear buster hurtling towards the unit.

“Neo!” Gaia galloped forward in the shallow water. Neo smiled as he saw the black Gundam jump. “Haaaaaaaahhhhh!”

“Eh?” Shinn’s alarm went off as he looked to the side. “Gaia!” Shinn was tackled by the metallic dog. “Uagh!”

Neo came around for another pass. “Shinn! Egh!” Athrun cried. “Adam, help him out!” He transformed to mobile suit and fired his beam cannons at the evading Chaos. He fired his rifle at the purple unit, forcing him to change course.

“Crap, that one’s even better!” Neo hissed as he eyed Savior. Adam closed in and fired his Vulcans. “This is getting very old very quickly!”

Gaia and Impulse rose out of the water. “Coitsu! You always… always… ALWAYS…!” She dove for him. Shinn pulled a beam saber from his shoulder and swing it down. Gaia jumped out of the way.

“Sting, flank him!” Neo joined forces with Chaos. They started firing from different directions.

“Hang on, Athrun!” Adam said as he gripped the stick of his jet hard. He ran past Chaos as he tried to shoot down one of his pods.

“Tch! You again?!”

“Shinn, fall back! You’re playing into their hands!”

Stellar whipped her beam saber out from her hip. “You… today for sure!”

“Shinn, do what he said!” Adam called as he opened up his shield and deflected all four of Sting’s beam attacks into his general direction.

“Shut the hell up, both of you! I can take him!” Shinn yelled as he charged. Stellar’s saber was deflected by his shield. As Impulse swung hard, she jumped away. Abyss fired missiles at Ray and Luna, who banked away as hard as they could. Shinn and Stellar still continued to clash in the forest of the island.

In the EAF Frontline Base, an alarm was raised. “Get the anti-air turrets ready! Eay! That bastard Roanoke, what the hell is he doing?!” The base sortied their tanks. As the military personnel were called to arms, the workers decided to make a run for it.

Shinn sliced through the trees, forcing Gaia back. The wives and children of the men shook the chain link fence on their side of the trench. Some of the men found a hole and slid down into the gulley. Shinn was assaulted by low caliber bullets from machine guns. “What now?!” He turned towards the buildings hidden within the trees. “A base? What’s one doing here? Is it unfinished?” His scanners brought the movement by the fence to the forefront of his vision. “The people here… they look enslaved!”

Adam dodged and broke away from Chaos and headed straight for Impulse. As he closed in, he passed over the base. “Is this… where they were hiding?” His screen also brought up the civilian escape attempt. “What are they…?” Three soldiers ran into the trench and filled it with machine gun fire. All the would-be escapees were killed, most of them in the back. Adam and Shinn both gasped, remembering the scenes from the attack on ORB. “Shinn… do something.” The black-haired boy said nothing. “What they’re doing is mass murder!” His eyes were in a tearful rage. Shinn nodded and tossed Gaia away.

Two shots grazed Athrun from behind. He whirled around quickly and blasted the last blue Windam. Neo grunted. “Tch, have we hit our limit? The stage wasn’t good for performing. Jones, we’re pulling out! Meet us at the rendezvous!” His Windam did an about face and headed away from the island. “Auel! Sting! Stellar! We’re done here! Fall back!”

“Hmph!” Auel leaned forward, heading straight for the submersible. He smiled as four missiles hurtled towards the Nyiragongo. They hit their target, and the exmplosion shockwave knocked Luna and Ray for a loop. Everyone on the Minerva’s bridge was aghast at the scene.

“KUSO!” Shinn fired his vulcans into the cannons. As he stomped his way into the base, the explosions he caused vaporized multiple EAF soldiers that were running for shelter. Shinn sliced up a silo, and it exploded.

“You go, Shinn. I’ll watch your back.” Adam whispered.

“Shinn! That’s enough! What the hell are you doing?” Athrun cried as he destroyed the buildings with his beam rifle. “They have no more strength left to fight with!”

“Kh!” Shinn looked up into the sky for a second before heading for the civilians. Adam smiled as he watched Impulse yank the two fences full out of the ground and dropped them, letting the families reunite at his feet.

Athrun stayed silent and unreadable at the scene. “All pilots return to ship. This mission is over.”

After all five pilots were out of their units and on the ground, Athrun marched up to Shinn. “Shinn Asuka!” As Shinn turned from talking to a mechanic, a hand swiped across his cheek and the slap echoed throughout the hangar.

“Shinn!” Adam tossed his helmet to the nearest mechanic and started over to him.

“I don’t care if you feel like beating my brains out, but there was nothing I did wrong! My actions saved those people!”

Athrun’s hand came down for another strike, but Adam’s gloved hand held his wrist fast. “I don’t care if you’re FAITH! You have no right to hit him! Those people were being enslaved and Shinn set them free!”

“Then in that case, you can join him!” He elbowed Adam hard in the stomach and flipped him over into the black-haired boy.

“Gheeeehhh.” Adam snarled as he got up, covering his stomach.

“In war you don’t go around playing hero!” Both snarled. “You ignored my orders, went off on your own, and that’s all you have to say?! We didn’t receive our machines to do something like that!”

Adam leaned forward. “’Something like that’?!”

“How dare you say that?!” Shinn got up and balled his fist.

“You didn’t even see what happened!”

“You have no fucking clue what you’re talking about! Didn’t you learn from your master’s mistakes?!” Shinn pulled within inches of his commander. “Oh that’s right! You were Athha’s bodyguard!”

“Shinn…” Adam couldn’t continue staying mad, overwhelmed by Shinn’s rage.

“And so you come back without rhyme or reason, get the biggest promotion a pilot could receive, and become my commander?! Do you think I can really agree to that shit?!”

“Shinn….” Luna winced, worried that it could escalate to a full scale fisticuff.

“He’s right! Just who the hell do you think you are?!” Adam finally managed to say something.

Athrun gripped both of them by the collars of their flight suits. “’That’s why I can’t accept you!’ Is that what you were going to say?! So you won’t follow my orders, is that it?”

“Ah… um…” Luna quivered, indecisive, as Ray put a hand on her shoulder.

“Only if those orders are unreasonable.” Adam hissed as he pulled loose. “I have no problem with you being a commander as long as you pay attention to the surroundings! But stopping us was completely out of line! Aren’t we supposed to be saving the innocent?”

“Is that really what you think?” Athrun turned towards the remaining boy in his grip. “You said that you lost your family at ORB.”

“They were killed, is what I said, by Athha!”

“Uh! Shinn, come on, that’s…!” Adam turned towards his friend.

“Ah, you can go on thinking that if you want.” Athrun pushed the boy backwards. “But once you take hold of the power that you desired, you’ll be the one that makes others suffer!”

“Eh?!” Shinn grunted as he regained his balance. Adam’s color palette inverted and his eyes began to water.

“Don’t ever forget that!” Athrun turned away.

“Kgh! Hrr!” Shinn glared at the commander, not wanting to admit that he was right. “Tch!” He headed out of another door.

“Well, that was rather scary.” Ray sighed as he went to speak with the chief.

“Unh.” Luna nodded as she gripped her helmet tightly. “Adam, are you okay? Do you need some ice?” He didn’t answer. “Adam?”

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared down at his gloved hands. He looked away as he balled his fists. “KGH!” Adam tore out of the room without a word.

“Uh… Adam? Adam, what is it?! Adam!” She tried running after him, but he was too quick.

‘”You’ll be the one that makes others suffer.”’ Adam sobbed as he sat curled up on his bed. ‘What’s the point of saying it at that juncture… when my hands were already stained with blood. The blood of those officers… the blood of those Windam pilots...’ The door to his quarters slid open, and Meyrin entered. Seeing him there, she flung herself upon him, trying to comfort him as best as possible. Shinn looked away as the door closed in front of him, leaving the two alone. ‘What’s worth protecting? Why protect it? What are the reasons to protect? How does one protect? Can you even do it when you have nothing? Only one person showed me how foolish those questions were, and she became my reason to keep going. My purpose wasn’t to destroy the enemy. It was to protect lives, hers, and people like hers, innocent and untainted. If people died on the way, then I had to be okay with that to move forward. Maybe that’s why… in the next battle…’

“RrrraaaaAAAAHHHH!” Adam gunned the engine, his eyes wide. “YOU BASTARDS WANT THE TOWN?! WELL YOU’RE NOT GETTING IT!” He switched into mobile suit mode in front of the Lohengrin cannon, threatening to destroy everything. It impacted Adam’s shield at point-blank range. “RRRRAAAAGGHHH!” Adam fought against the powerful blast. Falcon’s shoulder shields merged together and he reached into it with one hand. “AGH!” One of his screens exploded as Adam played with his beam rifle’s power core. The nose cone flipped over and slammed against the shield. “Boom.” The nose cone and shield exploded, the shockwave sending the cannon’s blast right back where it came from. The damage caused a chain reaction in both Lohengrins, and the base started to go up, explosion by explosion.

Later, in the infirmary, Adam had his wounds bound, a wound on his head and a cracked rib in his chest. “Without a nose, mobile armor form is useless. And we don’t have the resources or technology to make it or a positron shield.” He sighed.

“In any case, I think someone would like to see you.” The doctor finished. “You can come in now, he’s decent.”

A certain girl with pinkish-red pigtails walked into the room, her hands clenched in front of her. Adam smiled when he saw her. “Meyrin.”

She sat down next to him as the doctor took his leave. When she looked up, tears were in her eyes. “I thought you….”

“Had died?”

“Unh.” She looked down to her knees.

He pushed her chin up and looked into her deep blue eyes. “That’s not going to happen. I promised to protect you, and as long as you need protecting, I’m not dying.”

“Adam… why do you do these things for me?”

“I think that answer’s obvious.” He rubbed a tear from her cheek.

“You’re right, it is.” Meyrin willed herself forward and kissed him on the lips. It was the shock of a lifetime for Adam, but he closed his eyes and enjoyed his girlfriend’s gift.

‘Why do we go into battle? To show our overwhelming power, thus lowering the enemy’s morale. Anything less will dwindle our forces, and anything more will spread hatred. Well that’s what Athrun said. But if that’s true, then wouldn’t it be good to gain allies by saving people? If people need rescuing, let’s rescue them, and get more people on our side. However what he said after that worried me most. “The most difficult part is when those who know that, and those who don’t, are on the opposite ends of the battle.” But where did that put us?’

‘After Minerva’s difficult mission in Gulnahan, we finally docked in the Black Sea, at the port city of Diocuia, where someone unexpected was waiting for us.’

In the center of the city lie a hotel that looked more like a castle. Surrounded by ZAFT mobile suits, including a brand new bright orange GOUF Ignited, the Supreme Chairman greeted his two companions. “You look well.” He addressed Ray, as he stood next to his captain. “I’ve heard that your performance has been excellent lately. I’m pleased.”

“Gil!” In an uncharacteristic move, the boy smiled, his eyes shown like the afternoon sun.

“To relax together like this, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Ray’s smile grew even wider, and in an even bolder action, leapt into the Chairman’s arms, giving him a huge hug. The captain watched on, her eyes never wavering, or giving off any sense of surprise.

Ray slipped into his normal character an sat down as footsteps approached. “Excuse me, Supreme Chairman.” An orange-haired FAITH officer saluted. This man was very familiar, the one who fought in a custom ZAKU in the first battle of the war.

“Supreme Chairman?!” Adam and Shinn said to each other before rushing to fix their uniforms.

“The pilots from Minerva have come, as per your invitation.”

“Yo.” The man said as he stood, walking up to them. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Athrun?”

The pilots saluted as the man with the long black hair offered his hand. After a moment looking at it, Athrun shook. “Hai, Gichou.” The other pilots lowered their arms as well.

“Mmm? And who are you, young fellow?” The Chairman turned towards the only other person in present company with orange hair. “You’re a new face to the Minerva, aren’t you?”

“Hai, Durandal-gichou.” Adam saluted again. “I am Adam Cancho, sir!”

“Oh, so you’re the Cancho boy?! I must say, I was surprised when I received the Carpentaria report. Your story would be practically unbelievable at any other time. It must be fate that brought you to us. I’ve been looking forward to shaking your hand for a while.” He extended his arm.

“I-I’m honored, sir!” Adam grasped the man’s hand in a half state of shock.

“Iie. It is I who am honored. Please, all of you join us for tea.” He swept his hand towards the table.

As they sat down, Talia turned towards the man of her own age. “What is the situation in space? The EAF lunar base and all.”

“The same as usual.” He sighed as he put his cup on his saucer. “A few small-scale skirmishes once in a while, but that’s all it is.”

“No movements towards a cease-fire or armistice then?”

“No, unfortunately none at all. The Alliance is still too stubborn to concede any time soon. Though I’d like us to be rid of this war, it doesn’t appear as though an end is in sight. The narrow path to end fighting and stop battles is much harder to find than the wide warpath.”

“But….” Adam and Shinn said at the same time.

“Mm?”

They looked at each other, but sunk their head down. Shinn raised his head first. “It’s true that avoiding fighting is an important goal. But if the enemy is attacking you, there’s no choice. You need to fight when fighting is needed. We won’t be able to protect anything, even ourselves, if we don’t!” All of his companions looked on in surprise. “Those who are living normal, peaceful lives must be protected!”

“I have to agree with Shinn.” Adam played with his spoon, nervously trying to come up with the correct words. “Even in enemy nations, there are still people who want to live in peace. My parents are back in ORB, waiting for the day that the world will stop tailspinning into destruction. Others must feel the same! Those are the ones we can’t harm. If we attack recklessly, civilians could get hurt, even if it isn’t deadly force.”

The table was silent for a while. “But, saying that….” Athrun finally spoke. “We can’t forget that those enemies have civilian families. ‘Killing because someone was killed… being killed because you killed… is that twisted thinking really going to lead to peace?’ A friend asked me that once. I couldn’t answer back then, and now I sit here, still joining the fight, still looking for that answer.”

“Exactly.” Durandal rose from his seat. “That’s where the problem resides. Why is it that we continue to fight? Why is it that war has never been eliminated from this earth? Every era has cried out for an end to warfare, and in spite of it all, it still goes on.”

“Because some desire it to continue, wars.” Everyone turned to the blonde pilot in surprise. “So they can make a large profit from the conflict.”

“Eh?!” Shinn blinked.

“Profit?” Luna gasped, confused.

“Ray….” Durandal turned around in surprise, and a bit of pride.

“Wait, what do you mean, Ray? Profit from wars? That doesn’t make sense.” Adam turned towards him fully.

“It makes a lot of sense once you think about it. ‘They’re the enemy! They’re dangerous! Fight them!’ ‘They attacked us! It’s unforgiveable! Fight them!’ History has documented that there have been people who sat back and let others fight for them, driving them along with those words, all for the sake of their pocketbooks.”

“Wha?! No way!” Shinn was rather disturbed, not liking the thought that his family died for the sake of money.

“Well, those people who hide in the shadows, the Logos, no doubt still exist today.” Durandal backed up the boy’s statement.

“Logos?” Athrun raised his head.

“They are the people who created Blue Cosmos, after all.” Adam swallowed at the admission. “As long as they are the puppeteers, PLANT and Earth’s strings will be tugged to fight each other.” The pilots furrowed their brows in thought. “If there’s something, anything, I could do, I would like to do it. But in difficulty in and of itself, anything else is chump change.”

As a certain pink-haired pop princess emulator dashed out of her vehicle, into the hotel, Adam brought his girlfriend into his quarters on Minerva. “Meyrin, you know that big castle-like building in the center of town?” She nodded. “How’d you like to stay there tonight?”

Meyrin’s jaw nearly dropped through the floor. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” He nodded. “How?”

“The Chairman let all of us pilots stay there for the night. I wasn’t planning on taking up the offer, because I didn’t want you missing out. He would have none of it, and pulled a few strings to get you a room too.”

“Oh, Adam!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “That would be wonderful.”

“So go grab a few of your things, and I’ll do the same.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll hurry up.” Meyrin turned towards the door.

She stopped as a strange ring emanated from Adam’s pocket. “Huh? Who would be calling me? Shinn left his phone here.” He shrugged as he answered his cell. “Moshi moshi? Oh, hey Chibi.”

He quickly pulled the phone away from his ear. “I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME CHIBI!” Meyrin giggled as Adam cleaned out his ear.

“Yeah, it’s good to hear from you too…. What? It’s not my fault you can’t take a joke…. Okay, I’m sorry, you happy now?... Uh? Really?... So spill already!... I’m in Diocuia…. That close? Thanks, Connie!... Okay, I will…. Keep in touch. Bye.” Adam hung up. “YES!” He flopped back onto his bed. “That was Ms. Conille, our informant from Gulnahan. She found a really good mobile suit parts customizer that could probably fix and make spare parts for Falcon.”

“Really? Wow, that’s great! You should let the captain know right away. I’ll meet you at the hotel.”

In the fading light of the courtyard, Durandal turned towards Athrun. “The thing is, Athrun, I was going to ask you about the Archangel.” Athrun took in a surprised breath as Mia’s Haro bounced around in her lap as she sat on a bench, waiting for them to finish.

“Hai.”

“After that ship left ORB, where did it go? I was hoping there might be a chance that you might know.”

“Uh… iie. It’s also been disturbing me, but I probably know as little as you.” Durandal’s eyes narrowed. “In irony, I was going to ask you the same question.”

“That so? With the way things are, I was hoping for that ship to lend me its power. That girl, the real Lacus Clyne, is probably there too.”

“Hai. There’s no doubt of that. Kira would… Uh, no… If that ship left ORB, Lacus would never be left behind. The Coordinator extradition law would have made sure of that as well.” He barely caught himself on the whereabouts of his friend.

“That’s what I had assumed. If you happen to learn anything, at that time could you contact me?”

“Hai. Could I ask you to do the same, Gichou?”

“Ah.” With that said, Mia got up and took the man’s place, as the red ball continued to boink at her side.

“And just how do you know that?!” Adam winced, his eyes tightly shut, flopping over, taking his covers with him. “Ever since the attack, we’ve been holed up down here! There has been no tv, no internet, no phone service!”

“Exactly! Because we haven’t gotten any news on any media, we can’t assume that it’s safe!” Adam’s mother blocked the exit as they yelled at each other.

“That doesn’t prove anything other than the fact that we don’t have media outlets! Someone needs to go up and search for news! Now stand aside!”

“Never! Haven’t you thought that there might not be anyone left to get news from?”

“I’m going stir crazy in here!” Adam yelled, flinging his arm to the side. “We have to go! I have to go!” His father appeared behind him, gripping his wrist tight. “Damn it, let go of me!”

“Adam, I already checked. There’s nothing left. We’re better off inside.”

“Liar.” Adam snarled. “Or do you forget who keeps this shithole clean?! You haven’t gone outside at all, or there would be fingerprints on the elevator, and dirt on the floor! Why are you so fucking hell bent on… guh!”

The man removed his fist from the boy’s abdomen. “I’m your father! If I say there’s nothing out there, there’s nothing out there. Do you understand me?!”

“So you’re condemning me to rot in this place?” The boy hissed, gulping for air.

“If it keeps us alive.” He took a swing to the boy’s neck, hitting a nerve and forcing him to pass out. Adam’s eyes opened wide, coming out of his dream. An old fashioned phone was ringing on his nightstand.

‘The fact that that dream… no, that that memory was dredged up disturbed me. It was a couple of weeks after that that I packed my bags and took off before they woke up. I hadn’t even left a note. By the time the XO, Vino, and I had arrived at the parts shop, I rationalized that it was just Gichou’s statement the day before. Of course, that was the last thing on my mind when we finally met the merchant.’

FOOOOM! From the smoke of an electrical explosion came coughing an 18 year old. With red hair that was currently standing on end, hazel eyes, and a build no better than Athrun or Ray, he didn’t seem like any kind of mechanic. After wiping the sweat and grease off his face with one hand, he held it out to them. “Name’s Alan Sheridan. Nice to meet you.”

‘To say we were suspicious of his qualifications would have been an understatement. It was more like we were wondering if any of his gadgets worked at all. Desperate for our business, he revealed a project that changed our minds instantly.’

“That’s a… METEOR!” Arthur gasped.

“Yep, I was one of the major developers on the project. This baby never made it into battle, so I took it home with me. I’ve been working on some modifications for it. So, do I have your business?”

‘Hell yeah, he had our business, no matter how bizarre he was. We handed him the schematics for Falcon and told him about the nose and positron deflector shield.’

“Give me an hour. I’ll make some blueprints and bring them out. We’ll talk about the cost afterwards. Help yourself to some coffee… if you can ever find the coffee machine in here.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I brought my own.” Arthur pulled a thermos out of his coat pocket. As he opened it, a drop spilt out of the side. When it hit the ground, it ricocheted, bouncing off of and through little experiments in the tent before laughing as it shot out the door. “Eheh, oops.”

“I see you like it strong. Don’t worry about the damage. None of the stuff in here works anyway.”

‘After Vino and I came out of our hiding places and checked each other for damages from the quantum singularity known as Arthur Trine’s Special Brew Coffee, Sheridan returned, revealing something we hadn’t expected, two new cones. The Asteroid: A long range heavy weapons pack, with a beam cannon and a missile battery. The Meteorite: A close range melee pack, complete with an anti-ship blade and two beam boomerangs. And of course the original cone, renamed Comet. After some negotiation….’

“7500 rou.”

“Make it 7000.”

“Then how about 7700?”

“Hey, why is it going higher?!”

‘We came to a good price. Of course then he pulled out a ridiculous request.’

“Nine kegs of dark beer.” A tumbleweed rolled by as the Minerva crew stared at him.

“Beer?”

“Beer.”

‘And that’s how we wound up going out back once again, into the hot sun.’

“I give you, the Sheridan Earth and Zodiac Alliance Modified Suit, ShEZAMS!”

‘A BaCOE head. Astray arms. High Maneuver GINN legs. A Dagger shield. A Windam flight pack. A GAZuOOT chest. If I didn’t know what the phrase “Cut-and-shut” meant before, I sure as hell knew now. And the piece de resistance, a mobile-suit-sized water pistol with a backpack reservoir!’

“TEI!” Alan cried and an orange ball of energy erupted from the cannon. Unlike a straight beam like normal or an arching beam like Forbidden’s, it moved every which way, wobbling around from place to place at random until it reached its target.

‘Of course, completely blowing our expectations to dust, it missed the target boulder.’

“It’s designed to attack bases and battleships, not mobile suits.”

‘As if that’s an excuse.’

“I make the energy pass through an amount of beer equal to one keg per shot. Not only does the refraction concentrate the beam for more power, the chemical aspects of the alcohol make the beam’s course unable to fly in a straight line. It’s not good for small targets, but better if you’re aiming for a battleship or something of that nature. I call it the Drunken Breaker. I need the beer to test my improvements on it.”

‘So after the early morning excursion, construction began on Falcon’s new parts. I did not envy the XO though. I could just see the paperwork sitting on his desk when he got back to his office.’

Arthur sighed as his door slid open. “Eh? Aaahhh!” He was pushed up against the bulkhead, pinned by the sheer amount of paper that poured out of his office. “I’m gonna need more coffee.”

Adam, Meyrin, Youlan, and Vino… as the four friends from Minerva took an afternoon stroll in the bazaar, they window shopped, enjoying their shore leave, free from their uniforms, and relaxing like normal teens. As they entered another café section, a shiver ran down Adam’s spine. As Meyrin and Vino started playfully arguing about any old topic, Adam fell back, into step with his other companion. “Youlan….”

“Ah, you felt it too, huh?”

“Yeah, the atmosphere changed. Something’s up.”

“Also, the number of people in this area is less than the others. They’re not reacting normally either.”

“There’s also a lot of alleyways around here.” Adam saw a human-sized movement in one of them and gasped. “Something’s going to happen! Do you have an emergency beacon with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Crack it now. We’re in a bad spot.”

“Gotcha.” Youlan pulled out his dog tags and snapped one of them in half.

Shinn put the kickstand down and dismounted his rented bike. He had found a nice scenic ocean view off of a cliff. He stretched and sniffed the crisp salty air as the breeze tossed his hair slightly. Over the crashing waves, he heard the voice of a girl singing. On the next jut on the cliff was a golden blonde with purple eyes, singing softly as she spun and danced in her blue, white, and purple dress. As she continued to spin forward, Shinn smiled and looked away, glad that someone else was able to enjoy the day. “Ah!” Her squeak reached his ear.

“Uh?” A splashing sound came up from the sea. “Eh?!” The happy musician was gone. “Oi, she couldn’t have….” He ran onto her cliff and spun around searching for her. As Shinn looked down over the edge, he could see the girl splashing madly below. “Eeeehh?! This is a joke, right? She really fell in?!”

“Ah! Ebb!” Her squeal was cut short as she reached for the sky.

“Deh! She can’t even swim?! Eay.” He stood up, peeling off his heavy clothes and shoes. Shinn leapt in after her, feet first.

By now she was starting to sink, her lungs holding in the last breath she had taken. By the time Shinn reached her, she had let it go. He grabbed her waist from behind, and instinct took over her mind. She tore away from him, but her strength left her and he pulled the girl up to the surface.

Shinn put the girl’s arm over his shoulder as they walked their exhausted forms into water that you could kneel in, where they threw themselves onto the sand. The blonde coughed as Shinn flipped his water-drenched form over as he caught his breath. “Were you planning to die or something, you idiot?!” The girl’s world just stopped as the forbidden word triggered her flight instinct with intense fervor. “If you can’t swim, girl, why were you being so care…” His anger faded as he saw her reaction.

“N-no.” Her face was the epitome of fear as she backed up.

“Uh?”

She started shivering when her back hit a rock. “I don’t want to die!”

“Eh? Um….”

“IIYA!” She took off towards the sea.

“Oi! Hold on a sec! Just what is it?!” Shinn went after her with a new burst of energy.

“No! I don’t want to die! I’m scared!” Her feet were slipping on the rocks as the water kept getting deeper.

“That’s why I said to wait! That’s why I said not to go!” He grabbed her by the waist and she started flailing again.

She fought against him as she cried. “Die! If I’m shot, I’ll die!” She elbowed him hard in the cheek, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth as he hit the water. She lost her balance on a jagged rock and fell as well.

“This girl….” Shinn thought back to the oppression of the EAF on the citizens in the area.

“Don’t! Please not that! I’m afraid! I’m afraid to die!” Her strength was starting to leave her again.

Shinn yanked her up, turned her around, and cradled her head as he held tightly to her. “Ah, I get it! You’ll be fine. You’re not gonna die!” She gasped as she lifted her head from his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll do it. I’ll protect you!” His words brought to her mind a certain masked man. She sobbed into his shoulder.

The four teens approached a soda shop with some large outdoor tables. Adam and Youlan nodded to each other. “Hey, I’m thirsty. Let’s grab a drink.”

“But we just had ice cream, Adam.” Meyrin looked to her boyfriend.

“Meyrin.” He stared at her with the gravest look he could ever put on his face. “Please.”

“U…unh.” She nodded as she sat down. Vino just shrugged, not getting it.

“I’ll have two Lemonade-Lime sodas.” Adam spoke to the cashier.

The man glared at him. “That’ll be three fifty.”

“Here you go.” Adam pulled out a five. The man took it and put it into the register, turning to the soda table. “Hey, I gave you a five! Where’s my change?” He said, reaching for the metal napkin case.

“Right here!” The man said as he pulled out a pistol.

“Hae!” Adam flung the case at the pistol before the man could line up a shot. “Youlan!” The boy cried as he leapt over the counter, pulling out a knife from his pocket.

“Hit the deck!” Youlan cried as he kicked the table over. The three dove behind it just as it began to rain bullets.

Adam sliced open the neck of the man that attempted to kill him and grabbed his weapon from the floor. From the alleyways opposite of the store, three gun toting men poured out, wearing blue on some part of their clothing. “Your race has ended Coordinator! For a pure and blue world!”

Meyrin screamed as Adam fired shots from over the counter, taking one out. “Who the hell are these guys?!” He jumped over the counter and rolled into the back of the table.

“Blue Cosmos?! Damn extremists!” Youlan hissed as Vino covered his head, cowering.

An orange haired Coordinator walked through the bazaar sipping on a soda in full uniform. “Well, I’m glad that girl turned in my forms. This is a really nice day today.” He sighed as he stretched, before the sound of gunshots reached his ears. “What the…?” His phone rang in his pocket, which he quickly answered. “Westenfluss.”

“There’s an emergency beacon active in the bazaar. Can you assist?”

“Affirmative.” He said as he pulled out his weapon and ran towards the sounds.

After more shots at the enemy, the familiar clicking sound of an empty gun made Adam drop down behind their shield. “Shit! It’s empty, and I don’t have another clip!”

“Then it’s time for you to say sayonara, you monster!” Another radical came out from the alley to the left of them and lowered his machine gun at them.

Time slowed as Adam spread his arms wide, acting as a shield for Meyrin and the others. The enemy reared as a bullet pierced the brute’s back, and a man with a red ZAFT uniform with a FAITH pin ran in front of him, shoving his pistol under the man’s chin. “Sayonara.” He pulled the trigger.

“Heine-san!” Adam and Meyrin cried as he dove behind their shield.

“Never a dull moment, is there? Just the way I like it!” He smiled as he put his pistol down. He took off for the machine gun that the man had carried, just as nother one came forward. “Shit!” He said as the rifle was leveled at him.

“Egh!” Adam grunted as he whipped his spare knife from his shoe and hurled it into the forehead of the dangerous man.

Heine smiled for a second as he cocked his new weapon and began firing as he ran behind them, strafing the charging men. He knocked over a second table and took cover behind it. With his weapon he picked off the men that continued to pour from the alleys. What he didn’t see was a man emerging from the alley behind him and to his left. “Hey, look out!” Vino cried as he saw the man. In the time it took for Westenfluss to turn his head, three bullets embedded themselves into the evil Natural’s heart. The one behind the now smoking pistol was Meyrin.

Heine took out the last of the emerging Naturals, and the gunfire stopped. On the roof looking down on them was the leader. “Kuso!” He reached down and lugged a rocket launcher onto his shoulder. “Why won’t you Coordinators die?! For a pure and blue world!”

A shot echoed through the square, and the man fell off the roof, splatting onto the concrete below. “Zulu, Alpha, Zulu, two, nine, five! You’re clear!” A man in a ZAFT MP uniform called down from the roof.

“Shank you!” Heine said as he stood up. “We’re clear guys. It’s safe now.”

Meyrin’s eyes trembled as she held her position, the gun in her hands still pointing to where the enemy once stood. Adam put his hands around hers. “Meyrin.” She gasped suddenly. “It’s okay. It’s over.” Her fingers lost all grip, and the pistol clacked onto the concrete. She doubled over and started to sob. Adam wrapped his arms around her as he whispered into her ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Nothing else bad is going to happen.”

As the sun set over the water, Shinn stood up and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. After he rang it out, he started drying the poor girl’s hair. “You okay? Are you cold at all?” She didn’t respond as he caught the sight of blood. He knelt down to her leg, where she was bleeding from her ankle. “You must have cut yourself on a rock. Does it hurt?” Being the numb person she normally was, she didn’t notice until he mentioned it. At the new pain, she squeaked slightly. Shinn smiled as he rang out the hankie again. He tied the piece of blue-green fabric to her ankle tightly.

By the time the sun had set, Shinn had fashioned a drying rack for his and the girl’s clothes out of some large branches. He also had a small fire going. Shinn and the girl sat back to back to make sure they didn’t see each others’ top-naked forms. He was the one to break the uneasy silence between them. “Are you from around this city? What’s your name? Do you even understand me?”

“My name… Stellar. Town… I don’t know.”

Shinn picked up an unlit stick and prodded the fire. “Uh…Then who do you normally stay with? Your mom and dad?”

“Usually Neo… Sting… Auel. Father… mother… I’ve never known.”

“I see.” Shinn lowered his head. “Something traumatic must have happened to you.”

“Traumatic?” Stellar echoed as she turned her head.

“Ah, sorry! You’re okay now, you know!” He turned his head and looked at her with one eye. ‘The poor thing. Hey, she’s got a really smooth back. Wait a minute!’ He turned away quickly and pulled his legs up to his chest. “Erm… I’ll stay right here to protect you.”

“You’ll protect Stellar? She won’t die?”

“Unh!” He turned towards her again. “You’ll be fine. You won’t die.” She turned back to think. “Um, I’m Shinn. Shinn Asuka’s my name. You understand me?”

“Shinn?”

“Right, Shinn.” He nodded. “Think you can remember that?”

She turned away and clasped her hands together with a joyful smile on her face. “Shinn!” She stood up suddenly, giving the boy a perfect view of her panty-covered posterior.

Stellar rummaged through her drying dress and then turned towards him, cradling an unknown item in her hands. It also gave him a look at her nakedness. His hair stood on end as he turned away, burying his face in his knees. “Umm… that’s a bit… well….”

“Hai!” Stellar stood next to him and held her hand out in front of his face.

“For me?” He turned back towards her instinctively, getting an even closer view at her shameless display. Shinn shut his eyes tight and shook the image from his head, blushing wildly. After pausing for a second, he opened his eyes and took the small item. “You’re giving this to me?” It was a small piece of pink opalescent shell. “Arigato.” Shinn once again turned, and whipped back around a second later, pounding his palm into his forehead. “Agh, damn it! I did it again!” Stellar just smiled and sat back to back with him once again.

Adam stopped next to Meyrin as she sat on a wall, her feet dangling over the edge. The setting sun made it hard to see her eyes, but the rest of her face was total sadness. Adam unfurled a blanket and draped it over her shoulders. After mounting the wall he began to rub her back. The action continued for at least five minutes, but the time was lost between them. Finally, he spoke. “The ice cream place had some good stuff, didn’t it?”

“Unh.”

“I liked the selection that the music store had. Not often you find vintage vinyl.”

“Unh.”

“And then there was that clothing store! I swear, if I hadn’t pulled you away from all those fuzzy sweaters, you’d have been there all day!”

“Unh.” The girl smiled slightly.

“Oh, but that last shop was terrible! Did you notice that all the sodas they had tasted metallic?!”

“Unh.” Meyrin started to chuckle.

Adam took a deep breath and held her close. “That was your first time, wasn’t it?”

Her laughing stopped cold. “Unh.”

“Everyone has to have a first time at some point when you’re in war. You know that too, right?”

“Unh.”

“Meyrin, I know what you’re going through. I was like you, the day I came out of that hole in the ground.”

“But when I close my eyes….”

“You can see his face.” She nodded. “I know, because I’m the same.”

“My chest hurts. The pain won’t go away, will it?”

“No. That’s the reality of the situation, Meyrin. I’m not going to lie and say that nothing has changed, because the truth is everything has.” The girl clenched her fingers so tight her knuckles turned white. “Meyrin, look at me.” She lifted her tearstained pale-blue orbs to meet his brown ones. “It’s up to you as to if it changes for the better or not. We have to keep going forward.”

“I know… It’s just…” She put her head down again.

“It’s just what?”

“It’s just… so cold now. I can’t stop shaking.” She whimpered as she looked at her hands. “Not even this blanket is enough to keep me warm.”

“I see.” Adam held the girls’ hands in his. “Then let me help warm you, and we’ll make it through this together.” Meyrin nodded as a tear ran down her cheek. Adam wrapped himself in the blanket with her and they shared a long, necessary kiss.

A boat shone a spotlight into the cave, and Shinn emerged, shielding his eyes. “You activate your emergency beacon when on shore leave? When you pull something, you manage to do it with flair, I’ll give you that.”

“Luna.” Stellar came out of the cave and hid behind the boy, grabbing his arm.

“Uh?” Luna’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

As they were taken into the vessel, Luna pulled Shinn aside. “Do you know if she’s from Diocuia?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Her past seems to be jumbled in her mind.”

“Eh?”

“My guess is she’s sort of like me, losing her parents, and going through really rough times. I just hope no one raped her or anything like that.”

“You mean you didn’t find out first hand?”

“Luna!”

“Okay, sorry, my bad. That was uncalled for.”

“Stellar!” Sting called out from the cliff they were on, all of the boat raised their heads.

“Where’d you go, kono baka?!” Auel insulted her absent form with concern.

At the sound of their voices she stood up and looked back. “Sting!”

Within a few moments, their sports car screeched to a halt next to a military jeep. “Stellar!”

“Sting!” The Minerva crew piled out of the jeep.

“Oi oi! That’s a red uniform!” Auel whispered the obvious.

“Shush!” Sting hissed. Stellar panted happily as she threw herself into him. “What the hell happened to you?”

“She fell into the ocean.” Shinn approached. “I happened to be nearby.”

“So that’s what happened? I should apologize. Thank you for all the trouble you’ve gone through to return her to us.” Sting acted totally professional.

The jeep turned around. “Well then…” Luna nodded to them.

On impulse, Stellar walked up to the side of the automobile. “Shinn, you’re leaving?”

“Eh? Uh, yeah, sorry.” Stellar sighed at the news. “But your brothers have you back. So you’ll be okay, right?” She let out a sorrowful tone. “Um, oh boy… Hey, tell you what! How about I see you again sometime? ‘Kay?”

“Eh?” Stellar looked into his eyes.

“We’re going now, Shinn. Okay?” Luna turned to him.

“Ah… unh.” He nodded. As the jeep started to move, Stellar took a few steps forward after it. “I’m really sorry, Stellar! But for sure, I know we’ll meet again!”

“Shinn….”

“Or rather, I’ll come see you!” He yelled as the car rounded a corner.

“Shinn….” She sighed.

“Aaahh, I give up! I was seriously getting worried there, geez!” Auel hopped into the passenger seat.

“No joke.” Sting grunted as he shut his door. “Stellar. Oi, we’re going.”

“Shinn… Stellar would be protected, he said.”

“Stellar! Get in the car!” Sting demanded. She complied, getting into the back seat, fingering the handkerchief on her ankle.

“Hey Shinn, heard you had a fated encounter with a damsel in distress.” Adam chuckled.

Shinn’s soda splashed up his nose as he sputtered. “Sh-shut up! How’d you hear about something like that?”

“Just a little something I picked up from the grapevine. So, was she hot?”

“Leave me alone.” Shinn mumbled before blowing out the soda in his nose with a tissue.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Heard you were soaked to the bone saving her. Bet you two had to go naked while your clothes dried.” Adam squinted at him. The boy being attacked never wanted to kill his friend more in his life. “Oh, but wasn’t it nighttime when they picked you two up? You must’ve had to cuddle with her to share body heat until they came.”

“No we didn’t!” Shinn finally burst, crushing his can. “I had a fire going!”

“Ah ha! So she was naked!” The citrus-haired boy flashed the victory sign. Shinn gritted his teeth and slapped his forehead, realizing he’d been duped.

Out in lunar orbit, the EAF and ZAFT were engaged in a fairly large skirmish. Explosions covered the emptiness of space. A GINN flew around aimlessly before its battery overloaded, and the suit exploded. The head of a destroyed Dagger came spinning into view of an EAF battleship. The rich creator of Logos sat in his chair staring at the images that lined his wall. “Just what the hell is going on?!” He slammed his iced wine onto his armrest.

The man he was video-conferencing, the President of the Atlantic Alliance, answered as calmly as possible. “You should already know the answer to that. Our plan preparations weren’t complete because of the damage from the fall. Even then, we forced the war into being just like you said. All of our attacks have been thwarted and now we’re locked in a stalemate. It’s no surprise that revolts are popping up around the globe, and the alliance we forged is faltering!”

The man stood up. “The only reason for that is because we don’t show them our true powers.” He pointed at the President. “The Western Eurasian rebellions are occurring everywhere because you ignored the situations there for too long!”

“But we have our hands full over here as well! You should talk, considering your Phantom Pain hasn’t contributed anything major anyway!”

Djibril was about to retort before an idea came to him. “Oh! That’s it! ORB!”

“Hmm?”

“We’ll send them to the Black Sea and see what happens. Because of our alliance, they must back us up in defeating ZAFT.”

In the Girty Lue, Stellar sat up, now awakened from her sleep. She looked at the piece of fabric she was holding. “What is this thing?” She left it in her cradle as she stood up and walked out.

Athrun, Heine, Arthur, and Talia gathered around the map table on the bridge. “Be it Gibraltar or here, we don’t know which they’ll attack.” The captain spoke. “If they’re receiving reinforcements, we can assume that it’s a retaliatory strike. The Suez route is a supply line that needs to be up and running for them. HQ agrees. There’s no choice in this case but to fight them.”

“Leaving out the new forces, what does Suez have right now? In other words, what are we going up against in the way of machines?”

“Ignoring numbers alone, there’s the carrier we met in the Indian Ocean.”

Athrun stiffened as Arthur started to stutter. “Uh… um… the team that uses the stolen units?”

“Right. That’s why it’s going to be tricky. Most likely they will be there.”

Heine leaned over to Athrun. “Stolen units… the Armory One machines, right?”

“Hai. That’s right.”

“In any case, we’ll be called on to sortie. To set up our defenses in the Sea of Marmara, we’ll be passing through the Straits of Dardanelles. We’ll launch at 0600 hours.”

“Hai!”

“Huh!”

“Will this be fine with you?” The captain turned towards the new FAITH officer.

“Eh, of course it will.”

“Well then, I’ll start preparing for departure right away.” Arthur was about to turn back to his station.

“Eh, please do. And Arthur, send Adam with a carrier to retrieve Falcon and its new parts.” As the meeting broke, Gladys remembered something. “Oh, Athrun!”

“Hai?”

“This time, the reinforcements the EAF has received, they’re from ORB military.”

“Ah!” He started back.

“EH?! ORB?!” Shinn was stunned at the news as he stabbed a carrot with his fork.

“Yep. The reinforcements they got are from ORB apparently.”

“No way…why is that country…?” Shinn didn’t really feel like eating any more.

Early the next morning, as the sun began to rise. Adam went down to the hangar to see what they did with the Falcon and its equipment. The mechanics fashioned one free Silhouette Hangar with a turnstile with all three cones in it. Once a cone was selected, a cart would push it onto Falcon and then launch. Minerva began to move from port as he gave his personal seal of approval. Adam decided to head to the deck and say goodbye to Diocuia. When he exited the ship, he was surprised to see Athrun on the railing. “Ohayo, Daicho. Trying to relax before the battle?” He asked as he leaned against the bars.

“No. It’s just that I have a lot of things on my mind right now.”

“Eh? Like what? It’s not good to be concerned about other stuff before a big fight, right? Talk it out. Let’s see if that makes you feel better.”

“Well, it regards our enemy in this fight. I’m surprised that you’re not as worried as me about it.”

“Hmm? We’re fighting those EAF Gundams. So what?”

“You mean you haven’t heard?” Athrun’s eyes went wide. “The reinforcements that they got, they’re from ORB.”

To say that Adam was in shock was an understatement. Each part of his body refused to move. “O-ORB?! They can’t… they couldn’t… they wouldn’t! Chikshou!” Adam slammed his fist on the railing. “Why? Why does it have to be like this? The country I was raised in… the one I loved is now my… my… CHIKSHOU!” He kicked the bar so hard it bent. Adam panted for a few moments. “Thank you for being honest with me, Daicho.” He walked away, limply.

Athrun watched him with a solemn look. He held his fist against the rail as Heine walked up to him. “So you were in ORB after the war. I guess that’s his story too, that Cancho boy. It’s a nice place from what I hear.”

“Eh. That’s right.”

Heine leaned forward. “It’s rather nice around here too, don’t you think?”

“Hai.”

“You don’t want to fight, huh? Against ORB.”

“Hai.” He looked away.

“Then who do you want to fight?”

“Eh?” Heine stared into his eyes with a smiling sincerity. “Well, I don’t really want to fight anyone.”

“Ah, I knew it! Same as me!” He put his hand against his chest, but his joking attitude ended there. “That’s all there is to it, right? Come to learn that. Right now we’re in a war, and we’re all military soldiers.” Athrun looked to the sea below. “Otherwise… you’ll die.”

Athrun looked at him with sad green eyes. “Hai.”

“Dardanelles arrival: 3000.” Bart spoke to the bridge.

“Condition Red Alert! Lower the bridge! Anti-ship, anti-mobile suit combat!”

“Condition Red announced! Condition Red announced! Pilots to your units and stand by for orders!” Meyrin’s voice echoed in the locker room.

As Athrun zipped up his flight suit, Shinn slammed his locker door shut, and Adam gritted his teeth. As they went to the elevator in silence, Athrun ran after them. “Oi! What’s wrong, Shinn?!”

“Oh it’s nothing. A whole lot of nothing. Even if we’re fighting ORB, they’re a part of the EAF now.”

They went into the elevator and it started to move. “Cagalli….” Shinn got even more annoyed, but Adam’s interest perked up. “That girl wouldn’t have let this happen if she was still there.”

“Why the hell are you talking like that about her?!”

“Though she’s got a long way to go as a leader, she’s true to her feelings.”

“That doesn’t mean shit now!” Shinn punched the wall.

“It matters to me, Shinn.” Adam put his forehead against the cold metal. “If it weren’t for those feelings, I’d probably be dead right now.”

“But you can’t run a nation on feelings alone! All the Athhas are like that!”

“Didn’t you really like ORB at one point?” Athrun calmly turned his head. “Is that why you’re so angry? Because of the path they’re taking now, and because at Onogoro, ORB couldn’t protect your family?”

“That’s not it at all!” Shinn got in Athrun’s face. The elevator opened at the hangar and Shinn stepped out before anything else could be said.

“I still like ORB. But if they’re really going to do this, then I have no choice but to fight!” He slammed the wall before he pushed off into the hall.

“Mobile suit teams, begin launch!” An announcement rang out on the ORB carrier.

“First, second, and fourth teams, launch when ready!” Murasame and Astray Shrike mobile suits began to take off from the deck.

On the Minerva, the radar was lighting up like a Christmas tree. “Heat signatures confirmed. Number: 20. Mobile suits identified as ORB Murasame and Astray.”

“Launch the…” Talia was interrupted as Adam popped up on the screen.

“Captain, let me go out first. As an ORB citizen, I have to see if I can stop this.”

“That’s rather dangerous, going out alone. I can’t authorize it.”

“Captain, please. I know what ORB has done for this ship. If I can just get some of them to switch sides or stop fighting all together, then I have to try!”

Gladys sighed. “Very well, but the moment they start locking weapons, I’m launching Savior and Impulse.”

“Arigato, Cancho. Meyrin, hook me up with Meteorite!”

“Hai!” The girl said quickly.

“Adam Cancho, Falcon, kissing the sky!” His breaks released and he shot out of the Central Catapult. He pulled a loop and straightened out while his Phase Shift armor shimmered, heading slowly for the mobile suits ahead of him.

“Mobile suits spotted! Number: One! This is… Todoka-san, it’s M-3 Falcon!”

“That prototype unit?!” Supreme Commander Yuna Roma Seiran leaned forward.

“Attention ORB military forces. No doubt by now you have recognized my radar shadow. I am Adam Cancho, citizen of ORB. You are currently on an intercept course with the battleship Minerva, where I am stationed. Being a citizen of your country, I do not wish to conduct this battle. The ORB I know has ideals to upkeep and this fight goes against all of them. I ask you now to please turn your ships around and go back to the country I love.” Adam flipped the transformation toggle. Falcon’s legs extended out of the hatch as it opened. The cockpit receded into the suit as the nose popped off and the wings folded back. The arms extended, and the Meteorite cone split in two. As the wings split in half, the halves of the cone attached to Falcon’s shoulders. “However, if you continue on your course…” The hilt and half of the beam blade slid into Falcon’s right hand, and the other half slid into the left. He slammed the two halves together and braced Falcon’s left hand beside the blade. “I will be forced to defend that ship. I do not wish to fight you. I plead once again for you to reverse your course.”

“I don’t believe this twerp! He actually things he can change our minds just like that?!” Yuna crossed his legs and pointed to Todoka. “Patch me through to that kid!”

“Hai!”

“Is this thing on yet? It is? Right now? Oh, ahem. Attention pilot of the mobile suit ahead of our fleet, this is Supreme Commander Yuna Roma Seiran.”

“Oh, so you’re that ‘Bastard Yuna’ that Cagalli-sama mentioned that one time.”

Yuna’s jaw dropped as Todoka and his second hid their smiles. “Wh-why you…! Ahem. Your ship has been identified as stolen from our armory on ONogoro Island. The thief of that ship also has been listed as the attacker of Representative Athha. If you do not return that mobile suit into our custody, we will have no choice but to assume that you are that thief and are extremely dangerous. If you do hand the ship over, no harm will come to you.”

“And what of my request?”

“If you land, I’ll consider considering it.”

“Then I must decline, unless you assure me that this fleet will return to Onogoro this instant.”

“Then you leave me no choice. Farewell, criminal.” Yuna waved as he cut off the connection. “Lock missiles.”

Adam turned on the beam in his blade. Gladys gave the order. “Launch Savior and Impulse now!”

“Fire!” Yuna said, and the escort ships launched a multitude of missiles at the group. “Oh, and send out the third squadron. Make sure they take down that suit.”

Adam sliced through two of them and avoided the others. Shinn and Athrun dodged the missiles, Savior flipping his buster cannons backwards to blow them out of the sky. “Kuso!” He flew into a formation of Astray. Piercing one with his beam rifle, he rolled away from another that fired a shot at him. Turning around put a third into his reticule, before it was destroyed.

Two Murasame transformed in front of Falcon. He pulled out a boomerang from his left shoulder and tossed it at the one on the right before he charged the one on the left, slicing it down the middle. “Tch!” He grunted as he returned the boomerang back into its casing, the suit it hit plummeting to the ocean below.

Projectile cannons fired at Minerva as it flew straight ahead. Parsifal missiles launched from the ship as the Isolde cannons fired over the port bow. “Circle around! Tannhauser, get an unobscured lock on them!” Gladys was getting serious early.

“Eh?”

“We’ll blow them out of the water once we clear the straits. That carrier will still be behind them.”

As more ships sortied from the aircraft carrier, Neo just sat back and smiled, watching the show. A Murasame got through Adam and Shinn’s attacks. It transformed into mobile suit and fired a shot across Savior’s bow. The reciprocating shot bit into the enemy’s wing. Shinn whipped out his beam saber and cut two Astray lengthwise. “Why is this happening?!” Adam said as he swung his blade in a circle, cutting hard into two passing Murasame. “I didn’t want to fight you!” He grabbed his right boomerang and tossed it into the cockpit of a third.

The hatch on the bow of the ship opened, and the positron cannon moved into position. “Primary phase bank, contact. Output nominal.” The ship turned towards the fleet. “Safety released!”

“The enemy is preparing its positron cannon!” An ORB bridge officer yelled.

“Uh! Kaihee! Starboard 20 degrees!”

Adam saw the text message on his screen advising him to stay away from the line of fire. “Minerva, what are you doing?!” He raced back towards the ship and gasped. “STOP!”

“TEI!” Arthur commanded.

A thin green beam lanced from above, cutting straight through the Tannhauser. The weapon exploded, sending everyone on the Minerva flying into the walls. “Nani?!” Luna gasped from inside her cockpit.

Shinn started looking around. “What? Who fired that shot?!”

Hidden in the glare of the sun, a white mobile suit with eight blue wings flew down in front of Falcon, the back of its foot in plain view of its cameras. Adam’s sight inverted its colors. “Look out! Mom! Dad!”

“Freedom?! Kira!” Athrun’s jaw dropped as much as his helmet would allow.

Freedom’s alarms beeped, and he turned his head slightly, seeing the blue and brown mobile suit hovering with its arms at its sides. “Eh? That mobile suit?” He remembered the time in ORB, on Freedom’s shoulder. “So it made it all the way out here.”

“No. Look out. Say something. Mom. Dad. Look out.” As the Minerva landed in the water, it awoke him from his stupor. “Minerva!” Adam hissed. “Who did this?” He turned towards the newcomer. “Ah! Freedom!”

Archangel emerged from the rear, its portside catapult opening up. A mobile suit launched, its Phase Shift armor shimmering into the red spectrum as it got its bearings. It pulled up next to Freedom and hovered in the air, the Athha family crest on its shoulder gleaming in the day’s sun. “I am the United ORB of Emirates’ chief representative, Cagalli Yula Athha!” All of ORB’s mobile suits stopped attacking.

The entire battlefield wore looks of stun. Adam and Athrun spoke at the same time. “Cagalli?!”

“ORB military, stop your combat at once! Fall back now!” Cagalli said to everyone, sitting in her pink flight suit and helmet. Kira kept a watchfull eye, making sure no suspicious movement was left unnoticed.

“Cagalli… why is she…?” Adam thrustered forward. Freedom slipped in front of Strike Rouge and pointed a rifle at Falcon’s head. “Woah!” Adam parked it and grabbed a boomerang. Just as he was ready to throw it, a message appeared on his screen: IDENTIFY – FRIEND OR FOE.

A response appeared on Cagalli’s screen: FRIEND – GEEZ YOU ARE SUCH Z ROYAL PAIN Z. Cagalli smiled and switched her channel. “Kira, let him go.” Freedom lowered its weapon and Falcon slid past. “Sashi buhdi da na, Adam.”

“You’re right, it has been a while, Cagalli-sama.” Adam put the boomerang away. “It’s good to see you again, but I didn’t think you were a fan of girly pink.” Strike Rouge took a playful swipe at him. “Missed me! Anyway….” Falcon turned around and switched to full broadcast. “Fellow citizens of ORB, listen to your representative! This fight is meaningless! ‘ORB will not invade another nation. ORB will not tolerate invasion from another nation. ORB will not get involved in other nations’ disputes.’ These are the three ideals of ORB, and this battle is breaking all of them! I ask you once again, don’t go through with this!”

“Uah…” Athrun gaped.

“Ngah. Kghhhh!” Yuna gritted his teeth.

Neo was pissed as he ripped the phone out of its cradle. “Yuna Roma Seiran. Explain this disturbance.”

Yuna picked it up. “Uh… um… well… that’s….”

“Just who is that? Is she really your Representative? If it is, then explain why she shows up here piloting something as threatening as that, and ordering you to pull out.” Yuna’s words were caught in his throat. “If you don’t reply quickly, I have a feeling that there will be a rather messy conflict between our respective nations.” Neo signaled one of his men while he continued to talk. Buzzers sounded in the hangar as the three mobile suits’ eyes began to glow.

“Th…this is… well I mean…eh!” Standing up with hatred in his eyes, he yeled into the receiver. “I have no idea who that is!” Todoka and his first officer gaped. “It’s an imposter, that girl!”

“Yuna-sama, do you even know what you’re saying?!”

The blue haired man gritted his teeth and his knuckles went white as he tightened his fist. “That’s Strike Rouge out there!” The first officer spoke. “And that seal is definitely Cagalli-sama’s.”

“I should know! I should know! I’m her husband, me!”

“Captain….” Arthur turned. “I must insist.”

“Just hold it in! You should have gone to the bathroom before the fight!” Talia grumbled.

“Yuna-sama!”

“What are you doing?! Fire at them, you fool! That ship is going to be shot down along with that imposter! Prepare to fire missiles!”

“That boy was right about you… you’re such a…” Todoka grunted under his breath.

“If we don’t, the EAF will turn on us! Our nation too! We came here for the sake of ORB’s honor! So I should just say ‘oh, okay’ and quit right now?! NO!” Athrun and Shinn looked back and forth between the opposing fleets.

“Captain.” Heine came up on the bridge screen. “Just to warn you, I’m going to launch the moment something on their side moves. Hope you’re okay with that.”

“Eh, please do.”

“Target: unknown mobile suit!” Todoka turned forward.

“Todoka-san!” His first officer protested as the entire bridge let out stunned gasps.

“We will remove any force that attempts to confuse us!”

“AH!”

“Just shut up and fire!” Yuna roared.

‘I’m counting on you, Freedom.’ “TEI!” He barked, and countless missiles erupted from the ships.

Everyone was taken off guard by the attack. Falcon slipped in front of Strike Rouge. “Cagalli, look out!” He pulled both boomerangs from their casings. “In this form, I can’t take them all out, but I can still keep them from hitting you, Caga…what?” Adam stopped as Freedom pulled in front of them both. Kira’s G-Complex targeting system activated and it locked onto multiple critical points. All five of Freedom’s weapons folded out and launched into the volley. The missiles exploded in a chain reaction, leaving none. “What… kind of monster is that thing?!”

The Jones moved forwards into battle. The mobile suit hatches opened up, and the conveyor belts moved Chaos and Abyss to the platform. They launched, Chaos going into the sky, and Abyss going underwater. Windams took to the air. “Kuso! They’re back!” Shinn grunted as he picked up the radar shadows.

“Yosh! We have the advantage now!” Neo stood up. “Disregarding that impolite intrusion, the tide has turned in our favor! Minerva is damaged, and we’ll sink them for sure today!”

“Arthur, intercept them!”

“H-hai!”

“Meyrin, mobile suits have clearance to launch!”

“Hai!”

“Teeahh!” Sting dove for the ZAFT battle cruiser with a wing of Windams.

“Now go!” Auel cried as his missiles cut through the water. They detonated around the ship, missing it by meters.

Adam and Cagalli were agape as Shinn sprang into action. “Damn you! I won’t let you!” He turned around and blasted through a Windam that went under him.

“Eay!” Chaos fired his rifle at Impulse. The return fire missed by inches as Sting slid away.

“Haaahhh!” Stellar jumped onto the deck, firing her rifle at Savior, before turning towards the other airborne suits.

“Tsch!” Athrun hissed.

“Heine Westenfluss, GOUF, igusei.” His mobile suit leaned forward as the catapult started to move. He shot out of the Minerva’s catapult and unfolded his wings. Ray headed to the side of the ship, defending from the airborne enemies. Luna fired her buster left and right trying to hit anything that moved.

An order was issued to the Astrays and Murasames in flight. “All mobile suit teams, join with the EAF and engage the Minerva. That is not Cagalli-sama! Do not be taken for fools!”

“Not Cagalli-sama?”

“An imposter then?” The Murasame teams propelled forward.

The GOUF’s hand went to its shield. “Tch!” He whipped out a small dagger that quickly extended into a sword, two beams activating on either side. He drove forward into a formation of Astray. He drove the end of the sword into one and ripped it out through the side and dodged shots as he sliced a cockpit in half.

“ORB forces, can’t you hear my request?! Can’t you understand my words?!” Cagalli’s desperate pleas fell on deaf ears. Heine let his gattling cannon go to work on a Murasame. “Stop fighting now! ORB forces!” A Murasame headed in towards her and lined up a shot. Adam’s blue boomerang destroyed the suit before it could fire.

A second one came from above and fired its weapon. Freedom blocked it with its shield. Kira counterattacked, shooting out the rifle. “Cagalli. It won’t work anymore.”

“Ah!”

“It’s a shame, but there’s nothing more you can do.”

“Kira…” Tears started to well in her eyes.

“Withdraw. I’ll do what I can now.”

She clenched her teeth as a tear ran down her cheek. “Kira…”

He went to full burn. In the back of his eye, a purple shape similar to a football touched an invisible liquid and exploded into billions of crystals of light and color. His violet eyes became solid as his mind became clear. Freedom’s five cannons fired, hitting heads, arms, and weapons with precise accuracy. “Waltfeld-san. I leave Cagalli and Archangel in your hands!” Kira said as he pulled out his beam saber.

Cagalli and Adam looked on with shock. A message beeped on his screen: ENGAGE THE ENEMY. “Enemy? Who is the enemy here? Cagalli, what do I do?” Silence was her only reply. “Cagalli! Damn it!” Adam flipped into jet form and extended his wing sabers, gunning his engines.

“Eeaaahhh!” Stellar attacked the GOUF with the cannons on Gaia’s back.

Heine evaded expertly. “Tch, why you!” He turned in her direction and swung his electrified whip at her. It slapped her hard, giving the suit a shock in the process.

Stellar screeched loudly as things crackled around her. She forced Gaia back to its feet in mobile suit form. As she pointed its rifle, the whip wrapped around it. “Agh!”

“This is no ZAKU, boy. No ZAKU!” Heine yelled as electricity overloaded it.

Stellar let go of the weapon and hid from the explosion behind her shield. “Why you!” She pulled out her beam saber and swung at him. The GOUF ducked under the attack and as it stood up again, Gaia backhanded the saber, deflecting off the spiked shield.

“Kgh!” Shinn engaged the underwater Gundam, trying to shoot at it from the air.

“Eay!” Auel looked back and his above-water cannons fired two green beams at him. Shinn got out of the way just in time.

Savior tried to shoot down Chaos as it rose vertically. Athrun fired one final shot before transforming into mobile armor and following. “Tch! My combat abilities are losing to his?! Me?!” Sting looked behind him.

“Why are you doing this?!” Adam cried as he barrel rolled through a Windam and cut an Astray. Two more mobile suits came up behind him. “Can’t you tell when someone is telling you the truth?!” Falcon opened up its rear cannon and the orange beam pierced the pursuing suits. “That’s the real Cagalli-sama!” Tears streamed from his eyes.

“Kgh!” Ray’s pack foxed missiles into two Astray.

“Aay!” Luna’s buster cut into a Windam.

Missiles foxed from Minerva’s sides. Orders were given, cannons fired, damaged suits plummeted to their doom, explosions coated the skies. The horror of her country in war overwhelmed Cagalli. “We will not attack another nation. We will not allow another nation to attack us. We will not intervene in other nations’ conflicts.” The words of her father before the siege of Onogoro repeated in her head as the fight went on below her. “We, ORB, have long held these ideals to be sacred and have continued to hold true to them despite the changing times. We do so because we feel they are the most important and fundamental of requirements to exist as a nation.” Freedom fired into the head of another MS, as Archangel defended against missiles and mobile suits alike. “Even in this situation, I stand by those ideals. Currently, the Alliance threatens to attack us unless we pick a side. Even so, there is no way we can agree to such demands.” Shinn roared as he continued assaulting the ORB forces, and the head of an Astray started to sink into the water’s depths. “Giving into them now will eventually bring this nation to become nothing more than an EAF pawn, where we will be forced to fight the enemy of their choosing.” Cagalli reared back, trying to scream when no scream would come. Her father’s predictions had become true, even if it was years after he had made them.

Freedom fired its shoulder cannons at two Daggers, and those Daggers were instantly minus arms. As Adam passed in front of Athrun while chasing another MS, the blue-haired FAITH officer called out. “Kira!” He tried switching his communications band. “Kira! Kuso!”

Shinn flew forward, his rifle continuing to fire. “Just who is this guy?” Freedom went straight for Impulse, drawing its beam saber. With a quick swipe, Impulse lost its rifle arm. “He sliced through it that easily? What kind of power is that?!”

Adam saw his friend’s arm fall into the water. “Hey man, what the hell is that about?!” Adam pursued the white Gundam.

Freedom fired its hip railguns into the water, hitting Abyss in the thrusters, damaging it enough to force it to withdraw. “Eh?!”

“Now you’re attacking the EAF!” Adam snarled as he tried to keep up.

Heine turned to look at Freedom quickly. “Just what the hell is he?!” Kira’s rifle shot intersected a missile that flew past him. Turning, beams continued to erupt from his custom rifle, taking out a non vital system of a mobile suit each time. “Kuso! You’ve got to be kidding!” Heine hissed as he stared Stellar down.

“Who the hell are you?!” The girl agreed as she bounded for Freedom.

“Eh!” Kira put on the brakes and whipped out his beam saber, slashing the front paws off the Gundam. Gaia landed on its back in shallow water. “Kira, enough! What’s the point of you doing this?!” Athrun vectored in on his old friend.

“Coming out of no where and attacking recklessly….” Heine starled. His GOUF’s gattling wrist cannon fired midoric pulses at Freedom. “Don’t get cocky, you bastard!” Kira dodged left and right, not getting hit by a single shot, his saber still out. He flew straight passed the orange mobile suit, which was instantly missing an arm. “Nani?!” The wires on the severed limb started twitching wildly.

Adam’s shoulders trembled. “EAF, ZAFT, ORB. Daggers, Windams, Astrays, Murasames, ZAKUs, GOUFs, Gundams! You’ll attack anything that moves, won’t you?! I won’t… I won’t… I WON’T LET YOU DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!” Behind Adam’s eyes, a brown football exploded. He whipped out both his beam sabers and charged the Gundam. “GrrrooooaaaaAAAHHH!”

Kira’s alarms blared as the Gundam came down upon him. The eighteen year old with the seeded eyes raised his shield and the beam sabers took their strokes. As adam held them there, they slowly bore into the shield. “This kid….”

“Eeeeehhh!” Adam release the sabers, and they bounced into the hatches on his wings. His mobile suit made fists and started pounding rapidly into Freedom’s shield, his engines gunning to give him more power.

As freedom was losing ground from the assault he studied the mobile suit. “His movements are totally different from before.” He shifted his rifle towards Falcon. Adam saw the movement and instantly punched the weapon out of his hand. “I see. But you left an opening. Freedom flipped upside-down and slammed its metallic foot in between Falcon’s legs. Every male witness gripped their crotches in pain.

The impact started to flip Falcon, turning its back slowly towards Freedom. Adam smiled and slammed his fist on a button. The orange beam erupted from Falcon’s back. Kira just narrowed his eyes and hit the throttle, skidding away. Freedom flew above him and saw Savior approaching. He turned his attention towards it for a second.

Stellar raised her head, enraged tears in her eyes. “How dare you?! How dare you attack me?!” She extended her wingsabers on the BaCOE’s shoulders. “Gyyaaaaahhhh!” She cried as he launched into the air, her new flight booster giving her extra momentum. Her target was Freedom’s back, but Adam’s mobile suit slid into view, pulling out its beam blade. “You’re in my way!” Stellar’s rage was unparalleled as she accelerated further.

Alarms beeped on Adam’s console, and he started to look behind him. An orange foot kicked him over. “You idiot, get out of the way!” Heine yelled. His alarms beeped too late, as Gaia’s blades cut through the back of the GOUF, straight through the cockpit. “Guhh!” His scream was cut off as he was cut in half, the glass in his helmet shattering. The two halves of the GOUF slid off Gaia’s wing and exploded, legs first, then the upper half, the suit’s purple eye still shining.

“HEINE!” Athrun cried.

Adam’s eyes returned to normal at the sight of the explosion. “Heine?” His mind failed to recognize it until pieces of orange armor fell into the water below. “Westenfluss-daicho!”

Freedom spun around and kicked the black Gundam in the chin, sending it flying back, out of control. Chaos swooped in and picked her up. The EAF forces sent the return signal. “Tch!” Sting grunted.

Kira looked on with his unreadable look in his eerily solid eyes. He stretched out Freedom’s wings and headed away. “Heine…” Athrun gasped as he looked down at the smoking wreckage. “Kira!” He hissed.

“Cagalli, we’re withdrawing, come on!” Kira said as he took Strike Rouge’s hand and dragged her back.

The motion stirred her back to life. “Uh? Adam!”

“Eh?” He looked up from his stunned state.

“Adam, I’ll get ORB back to the way it was! I promise! Please, believe in me!”

“I do, Cagalli. I do believe in you… but with this….” He looked down at the wreckage of the FAITH officer that shared his hair color. He sobbed.

Talia watched the withdrawing ship with suffering eyes. Shinn hung on to the side of Minerva with his leftover hand, watching them go, hissing.

‘The battle was far away from the Minerva. No, that’s not quite correct. It was more of a massacre than a battle, one that cost the Minerva dearly. Thus, it was not far away, but sunk deeply into our hearts as we docked at Port Turkios in the Sea of Marmara.’

The captain stood outside with the chief mechanic, surveying the damage to the bow. A ZAFT soldier ran past her, and she followed with her eyes, leading her to what she didn’t want to see: bodybags. At least twenty of them lie there containing salvaged remains, some of which could only be identified through DNA testing.

A ZAFT soldier loaded a few boxes into the back of a truck and shut the door. He turned to the pilots standing next to him, each with a solemn look on his or her face, Adam’s being the most of all. The man saluted to them. “That’s everything. By your leave, I’ll be transporting Heine Westenfluss’s personal effects to their rightful owners.” The pilots saluted back in unison, saying nothing.

After the truck was out of sight, the five pilots clacked along the bridge access to Minerva. Shinn stomped. “It’s all their fault, you know!” He whispered loudly. Athrun looked up to notice the procession had stopped, Shinn balling his fist. “If they hadn’t intruded like that…Heine would…!”

“Shinn…” Luna’s voice was deadpan as everyone else’s.

“Just who the hell do they think they are anyway?! Trying to stop a battle like that… they can’t really be Archangel and Freedom, can they?!” Athrun broke his gaze. “What the hell is ORB doing?! Can one country be that stupid?!”

“Stop it.” Adam whispered from the rear of the pack, unnoticed until now.

Luna, the only one that heard him, turned. “Adam?”

The others turned their attention towards him. His eyes were dark, unable to be seen, covered in his own hair as he slouched forward, his shoulders trembling. “It’s not Freedom’s fault. It’s not Cagalli’s fault. It’s not the Archangel, or ORB, or the EAF, or anyone else!” He lifted his face up and let the tears run down his jawline. “The one at fault is me!” Shinn turned back, his anger lost for the moment. “How did it come to this?! What did we screw up?!” He slammed his fist on the railing. “If I had been more aware… more attentive… then Heine wouldn’t… wouldn’t have…!” He slumped down again. “Excuse me, but I think I need to be alone for a while.” Adam raked his nails along the rail as he passed Luna and Athrun.

“Hey, hold up a second.” Shinn put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. The depressed boy turned one teary eye towards him and slapped away the hand, never stopping his movement forward. “Ad….”

“ADAM!” Athrun yelled at him, and the boy stopped for a second, the other three pilots steeping back in surprise at the outburst. “Don’t do something stupid Adam! I don’t want to lose another pilot!” Without any sign that he heard, Adam continued his forward motion. “Adam!” The door closed behind the boy. “Adam….”

Shinn’s hatred returned with new fervor as he turned back to his commander, pointing towards the closed door. “Just how many lives are they going to screw, huh? HUH?!” He turned and stomped away.

“Shinn!” Luna looked to Athrun, her eyes begging the commander to say something. When he didn’t, she ran after the boy. Ray saluted the commander and turned to follow.

Athrun gritted his teeth and let out a long hiss, not believing that the ones that took care of the orphans, and the one he proposed to could do anything like this. “God damn it!” Athrun whispered to himself as he pounded the railing. Nicol, Rusty, Miguel, and now Heine. Too many of his good friends were… gone.

‘By all intensive purposes, I should have seen it coming. He had to find them, talk with them in person, and stop them from repeating the foolish mistake again.’

“So this is an executive decision as a FAITH representative?” The captain turned in her chair to the blue-haired boy.

“Hai.”

She let out a small chuckle. “If that’s the case, I can’t stop you.” She paused before standing. “Very well, I understand your position. I approve of your leave from this vessel.”

He smiled and saluted. “Arigato gozaimasu.”

Meyrin pressed the open button, and Adam’s door slid aside. The boy looked up from his curled up position on his tearsoaked bed. Upon seeing his love, the floodgates began to open once again, and his convulsing sobs sent him to the floor. The girl ran up to him and cradled his head against her chest as the door closed

Savior was launched out of the starboard hatch and the power cable released. Instantly it spun into jet form and flew off. As Shinn, Adam, and Vino watched it go, Luna ran up to the commotion. “Nani? What’s going on?”

‘I should have seen it coming. Someone who shared the same feelings, the same friends, and the same desire. Maybe that’s why it was me that the captain picked… to follow and spy on my own commander, with Lunamaria to back me up. Maybe it was the right thing he was doing, trying to talk them into changing their position. If he believed it strongly enough, he’d go through anyone to do it. I suppose that means I really was the right person for the job, because though we agree on the result, the methods aren’t the same.’

Hiding deep in ocean ruins, the ashitsuki battleship sat in wait. Kira sat in a hot tub modeled after some hot springs, an apparent modification while the ship was overhauled. He sat quietly, not really paying attention to anything for a while. It was a retreat where he could ease the pain away. On the other side of a false bamboo fence was Cagalli, in the ladies’ tub. She wasn’t enjoying it. It didn’t make the pain go away. Her head still pounded with the sounds of explosions. The door slid open and Lacus, with her hair haphazardly put up, eased herself into the bath.

Lacus cupped her hands together at the surface and shot a stream of water at Cagalli. “Ubgh!” She grunted, snapping out of her depression. As Lacus giggled, Cagalli instinctively shielded herself from more attacks. “What are you doing, Lacus? Knock it off!”

“Well, you had a really sad expression on your face.” Kira looked towards the fence. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just wondering if we did the right thing.”

“Kira! Please let us launch!” Cagalli balled her fist on the bridge. “I know it seems foolish right now, but if we can do it, this battle must be stopped!”

“First, decide.”

“Eh?”

“Then, follow through.” Lacus’s pain was apparent in her voice. After all, her father was murdered in the first war, by troops under Patrick Zala’s command. Kira was the one to comfort her then, like she had given to him many times before. “That’s the only way to accomplish anything in this world. I’m sure.”

“Lacus….” Cagalli had looked back as Onogoro base was destroyed, self-destructed by her father, who stayed behind to do so. She realized that she and Lacus were more alike than different.

“Ne?” Lacus smiled softly. Kira leaned back and tried to relax again.

“Unh. Arigato.” Cagalli said before she stood, padding her way out of the bath.

Athrun checked his black convertible’s GPS as he drove. He passed a girl of eighteen with sandy blonde hair as she waited to cross the street. After a moment, he recognized the figure, and hit the breaks hard. “Miriallia!” He called.

“Uh?” The girl halted mid-step.

“Miriallia Haww?” He stood up in his seat and pulled off his sunglasses.

“Ah. Athrun Zala?” The girl blinked her turquoise eyes.

Shinn was raised to the runway of the central catapult. All four of Impulse’s parts ejected and quickly formed together. Shinn was off, with Ray’s ZAKU riding an MS battle jet on his wing. “Well then, let’s go.” The blonde radioed him.

“Yokhai.” Shinn said, still groggy from the morning preparations, increasing his engine output. “But why’d they give us some lame recon mission? Minerva still isn’t battle ready.”

“This was HQ’s orders. Shut up if you want to complain.”

“Hmph.”

In the setting sun, a mobile suit with a white head and blue wings broke the surface of the water, staying low. Kira parked Freedom in a cave big enough to hold it. He and Cagalli, in their civilian clothes, climbed up the rocks to level ground. “Kira!” A voice called to him, and the sandy-blonde haired girl ran down to meet them from her rented jeep.

“Miriallia.” Kira spoke as they met her halfway.

“Sorry. I didn’t want to surprise you, but he’s returned to ZAFT.”

“To ZAFT?” Of the stunned twins, Kira was the first to speak.

“Athrun did?” His sister’s disbelief was apparent as well.

“I knew it would have raised suspicions, so I didn’t put it in the message. But he wants to see you again, both of you.” Miriallia looked away in shame, and the siblings took in yet another gasp.

A red jet approached them from the sea and passed overhead. “That unit…” Kira recognized the one that didn’t fire on him.

The jet spun into a mobile suit and landed a few meters away. The cockpit opened up and Athrun dismounted. He approached the group in silence, stopping a few feet in front of them. “Kira…. Cagalli….”

“Athrun….” Kira spoke with a hint of sadness in his voice.

The long silence that followed was broken by Cagalli. “What the hell is this about?! Athrun, you…!” She pulled up to within inches of him. He looked away in shame. “Why did you do something like going back to ZAFT?!”

Lunamaria had an electronic ear dish pointed at them from a cliff higher above them. Adam plopped down next to her. “Hey.”

“You’re late.”

“I couldn’t just let Falcon be seen landing, so I had to park her further off. So sue me. What are they saying?”

Lunamaria plugged in another set of headphones and handed them to the boy. “Now shut up, I’m trying to listen.”

“Because I thought it was the right thing, not just for myself, but for ORB too.”

“Eh?!” Cagalli took a step back. “Just how does ORB get….”

“Cagalli.” Kira gripped her shoulder tightly.

“Uh… Kira.”

She shut up and stepped aside. The two friends stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. “Is that your machine?”

They both turned to the red hunk of metal. “Ah.”

“So, in the fight the other day…”

“Ah, I saw it. Right now, Minerva is where I’m stationed.”

“Eh?!” The twins gasped in unison, realizing the mistake they had made.

“When I saw you, I tried to talk with you, but it wouldn’t go through.”

“He tried to contact them?” Luna whispered.

“Why didn’t he just relay it through me?” Adam spoke to himself.

“But why’d you do it? A stupid stunt like that? The battle turned into chaos, and because of your presence, people died that didn’t have to.” Kira winced at the truth.

“’A stupid stunt’?” Cagalli raised her voice. “Back then, who was ZAFT about to fire at? The ORB military! We were trying to prevent….”

“Like you actually believed that ORB would quiet down just because you randomly showed up and ordered them to?!” He snapped back, forcing her back a step. “You’re wrong if you think that’s what you should be doing! Before ever stepping foot on the battlefield, you shouldn’t have ever let ORB sign that treaty!”

“That’s…” Cagalli balled her fist. Athrun’s eye caught the ring that he gave her, and turned away.

Lunamaria looked at Adam, who was biting his lip tightly. “You want to go down there, don’t you?”

“Of course. Cagalli is down there, and so is Daicho. But more importantly,” He motioned towards Kira. “If he’s Freedom’s pilot, then I have a few things to say to him.”

“Well then, why don’t you?”

“Eh?”

“Go ahead. I won’t put it in the report, just as long as you can get down without blowing my cover.”

Adam swallowed. “Ah! I brought my cell! I’ll just call her up and… auda?” He felt his pocket. “It must be in my pack.” He started searching as the conversation resumed.

“I get that Junius Seven caused a cataclysm, but the madness in its wake were the Alliance’s wrongs! Even now, PLANT is trying to end this meaningless fight as quickly as possible! But what the hell are you doing?! The situation is in chaos when you show up!”

Kira squinted. “Is that really true?”

“Huh?”

“PLANT, is that really what they are doing? That Durandal-gichou is….” Athrun stiffened, already knowing what’s to come.

“Aha! Found it!” Adam rubbed his cheek against the precious orange object.

“Then, what about that Lacus Clyne?” Athrun’s, Luna’s, and Adam’s movement completely halted. “Right now in PLANT, just who is that Lacus? I know it’s not mine.”

“Th… that’s….” Athrun was running out of words.

“And also, why would the real girl be nearly killed by a Coordinator group?!”

“Ueh?!” All three of those that didn’t know gasped.

Ray and Shinn approached the specified coordinates. “There it is.” Beyond the trees stood an inconspicuous looking facility, in fact, it looked rather drab.

“’Nearly killed’… what do you mean?” Athrun didn’t know what to think or feel.

“In ORB, we were attacked by a group of special ops Coordinators and their mobile suits laid siege to the mansion. Their target was Lacus.” Kira’s eyes narrowed. “That was why I piloted Freedom again.”

“No way…” Athrun gasped.

“That girl’s death, who would it benefit and why? Until I find the answer, I don’t think PLANT can be trusted!”

“Kira!”

In the red morning sun, Ray and Shinn entered the facility, weapons drawn. It certainly looked abandoned. The mansion was totally overgrown with ivy. There were strange metallic pillars that attached to nothing, possibly some kind of artwork, as they were also intermixed with interwoven tubes of solid metal sticking out of the ground like trees. The checked each of the corridors carefully.

One rusted door Ray had to force open. When he entered, he saw cylinders in the dark room. He gasped as Shinn hit the light switch, and equipment was revealed that he didn’t recognize. “What the hell is this place?” Ray didn’t answer, his face shaking with a paralyzing fear. Cylinders, bright lights, Durandal talking with a blonde man. His memories flashed through his mind at breakneck speeds. “Uh? Ray!” He collapsed to his knees as the Impulse pilot ran up to him The blonde started to hyperventilate, his breaths getting shorter and faster with every passing second. “Ray! What’s the matter, Ray?! Ray!”

Lunamaria was near paralysis, her eyes wide open. “A second Lacus? An assassination attempt?”

Adam’s jaw dropped at the news, and his phone slipped from his hands. “Agh!” He reached for it as it started to clatter down the embankment. His foot slipped on a loose rock and he fell forward, his headphones slipping off his skull. As he caught the phone he slid down, tumbling towards the group below.

“What the hell?!” Athrun said as he whipped out his pistol. Kira jumped back and did the same.

As the tumbling figure came closer to them, Cagalli caught a flash of orange. “Don’t shoot!” Adam slid to a stop, his face in the dirt in front of them. “It’s Adam.”

The said boy didn’t get up. He just raised a finger to the sky as he spoke. “I am okay! The x-rays on the other hand may prove me wrong!” He flipped over and spat out dust as the four gathered above him. “Now I know how Sheridan feels. Oh hi Cagalli-sama. Hey Daicho.”

“Adam….” Athrun’s fist shook. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Oh that? The captain ordered me to tail you. Couldn’t say no to that, but she didn’t say I couldn’t come in contact with you.” Adam sat up and brushed the dirt out of his hair and off his face, spitting again.

“When I get through with you…!”

Cagalli helped Adam to his feet and started dusting him off. “You actually tailed Athrun? That’s not an easy task.” They looked at each other. “It’s good to see you again, Adam.”

“Same to you, Cagalli-sama. I never got to thank you properly for Falcon. You have no idea how many times it’s saved me.” He shook her hand like a proper gentleman, before turning towards her brother.

“Eh?” He blinked at his determined stare.

“You’re the pilot of Freedom, right?”

“Ah.” The brunette returned.

“I was the pilot of Falcon, that blue and brown Gundam you fought the other day.” Kira’s eyes widened for a second. “But I don’t want to discuss that. I want to thank you.”

“Uh? Thank me?”

Adam nodded. “For that time during the siege of Onogoro.”

“You’re…” Kira searched his memory. “Uh?! You’re one of the three that Calamity was targeting!”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

Adam went rigid and wide eyed for a moment, the color scheme in his vision inverting for a half second. However, he calmed down quickly. “Well, don’t worry about it. They’re none the worse for wear, hiding underground in ORB.”

He turned back to the blonde. “This dude is kinda weird, Cagalli.”

“Well, that’s my brother for you….”

“Eh? Brother?! You?”

“Fraternal twins. It’s kinda hard to explain.”

“I’ve got time.” Adam folded his arms.

As the two friends conversed, Kira watched the boy intently. There was something about him that just didn’t seem right. He wondered if his recollection of events had been mixed up, but he was certain.

“By the way, what was that equipment you had on Falcon during the battle? My computer almost didn’t recognize it. And where is the bird anyway?”

“Oh that? I got it from a parts merchand down in Eurasia. He was kind of weird, but at least he gave us a good deal. As for Falcon, she’s parked a little bit away.” He turned towards his commander. “Couldn’t let Athrun here know I was…” The eighteen year old’s disturbed thoughts caught his eye. “Tailing… him.”

Athrun put his knuckle to his lip as he thought, his memories of the Chairman and Mia throbbing in his brain. “Athrun?” The blonde raised him.

“If the target… was really Lacus, then it’s truly a horrible situation.” He put his hand back down to his side. “But to say the Chairman can’t be trusted, or PLANT can’t be trusted based on that alone, don’t you think that’s jumping to conclusions, Kira?”

“Athrun….” Was the boy’s only response, taken off guard.

“In PLANT, there are many different humans. Like the Junius Seven culprits, it could be there was another group the Chairman didn’t know about, right?!”

“Egh. That might be true….” He looked away. Adam looked back and forth between the childhood friends, trying to compete between the validities of their arguments.

Shinn booted up Impulse’s screens. “I don’t know what’s going in there, Meyrin, but Ray just had some kind of hyperventilation attack. We can’t investigate further. We need hazmat and security teams up here now. There’s something odd about this place.”

“Yokhai. I’ll relay this to the captain. We’ll be there soon enough. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit shaken up.” He turned off his screen. “You’d better hurry.” He said under his breath, zooming in his cameras to the blonde sitting against a pillar, staring into the rising sun.

“In either case, I’ll look into it once I get back to the ship.”

“Eh….” Cagalli peeped.

“All of you need to go back to ORB.”

“Eh… then you… then you’re not returning with us? Not Archangel? Or even ORB?”

“ORB… if it can return to the country I knew, then our path will wind up the same.”

“Athrun!”

“I’ve re-enlisted! I can’t go back now!” He looked away, suffering.

“That can’t….” The princess’s brother nearly startled her as he put a hand on her shoulder.

“That leaves a question open though, Athrun. You as well, Adam.”

“Eh?” The Falcon’s pilot was surprised to be spoken to directly.

“Are you going to keep fighting as a ZAFT pilot against the EAF?”

Both boys turned away and their minds filled with memories of the previous battles. “Before it ends, it can’t be helped.” Cagalli’s eyes trembled, and Miriallia sighed.

“To protect her… no, the ship too… to protect them all, I’ll still fight.” Adam balled his fist.

“Then, just like last time, ORB too?” Kira looked at Athrun with begging eyes.

Athrun couldn’t look him in the eye. “If it were my choice, I wouldn’t fight at all! But back there we didn’t have any other choice!”

“Everyone on the Minerva was hesitant to battle them! When I heard about it, I was in tears!” Adam grit his teeth.

The twins gasped as Athrun continued. “Don’t you know what the EAF has been doing in this area?! Someone has to stop them!” Cagalli turned away, biting back a tear. “That’s why you need to change the situation and go back to ORB!”

“Kgh…”

“Daicho… that’s too much….” Adam whispered to himself.

“But, Athrun.” Kira spoke just loud enough to be heard.

“Eh?”

“Even if that’s the way it is, we don’t want ORB getting involved in this.”

“Kira!”

“In reality, it’s not just against ORB.” The Freedom’s pilot turned to Adam. “The ones lost in battle will never return.”

Adam’s color palette inverted, but he shook it off as fast as he could. “I’ve already dealt with that!”

The blue-haired boy balled both his fists as images of battles past flooded his mind. “Don’t you even dare spit those pretty little words at me!” It took both of the siblings back, and Adam swallowed. “Do you have any idea of how many peoples’ bloods are staining your hands?!” It was a jab no one was ready for, and even Athrun realized that he took it too far.

“Unh. I know.” His voice was barely audible. “That’s why I’ve become sick to my stomach about these things.”

“Kira….”

“I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to be made to.” Kira seemed on the verge of tears, and Luna did too, still listening from above, before she turned to her chopper, a transmission light blinking on it.

“Then that’s even more of a reason not to do it! So stop fighting and go back to ORB! Get it?” He turned away. “Adam, let’s get back to the ship.”

“Uh?” Adam stood there, dumbfounded as to what just happened.

“Athrun!” Cagalli went after him a couple of steps.

The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder, at the ring she still wore on her finger. He turned back around, his silence cutting into her more than words could, walking up to Savior’s winch. “Adam, let’s get moving!”

“In a minute. I still have a few things I need to clean up.”

“Suit yourself.” As Savior took off, he took one look behind him and let the pain touch him for a moment. Savior transformed into its jet form and flew away.

“Athrun…” Cagalli sighed as she watched him go.

“Cagalli-sama.” Adam walked up to the group, sighing, before turning away.

“Adam!” The princess turned around. “What about….”

“Please don’t ask me to come with you.” He looked up at her, a tear running down his cheek. “You have no idea how torn I am between the two of you, but I can’t leave Minerva, Cagalli-sama.”

“Adam…” her eyes quivered for a moment as she stared at his tearful brown orbs. “Okay, just promise me one thing. Don’t call me Cagalli-sama and quit being so formal! Geez, we’re friends after all, right?”

Adam chuckled a little as a small smile appeared on his face. “Okay, Cagalli. I think I can deal with that.” He wrapped his arms around the girl, taking her slightly off guard. “Thank you, Cagalli, for everything. Let’s hope next time we meet, it will be under better circumstances.”

“Yeah. Sayonara, Adam.” The boy released her and started walking away.

“Adam.” Kira said, and the boy halted. “You never answered my question. Will you fight ORB again?”

Adam took a deep breath and sighed. “The ORB that I know and love is not the one out there right now. If they continue on their present track….” He shot a glare over his shoulder. “Then they’re my enemies!”

As the three remaining people down below took a step back, Luna was slackjawed. “Adam!” She whispered.

“And if you try to stop us like you did before, then you’ll be one too, Kira, regardless of what you did for me. If that isn’t what you want, then change ORB before something like that happens.” Adam started to walk again. “Change ORB before it can’t cross to the correct pass anymore.”

Minerva had landed in a large courtyard outside of the main building that Shinn and Ray had entered. It took them some time to set up an operations control center outside, and by the time everything was done, the sun had already set. “Interior’s check complete, ma’am. All self-destruct mechanisms have been disarmed. There are no signs of bio-hazards.”

“That so? Thank you….” Gladys said through her ponderance.

“If that’s so, I wonder what caused Ray to act that strangely.” Arthur mused out loud. Inside the infirmary, Ray slid the shutter open and grabbed his coat.

A call came in from Bart. “Captain. Savoir and Falcon.”

“Uh?” As Shinn and Ray emerged from the ship, Falcon and Savior switched to mobile suit modes and landed next to Impulse and the ZAKU.

“Roanoke-taisa!” At the Suez base of the EAF, a man saluted the colonel, who was inspecting Gaia with Stellar.

“What’s up?”

“It’s about the Lodonia Laboratory.”

“Hmm?” Neo broke away from Stellar and came closer to him.

“There was an accident, and disposal had failed. To make things worse, ZAFT now occupies it.”

“Mmh! Oi oi!” He flinched, Stellar’s ears picking up the conversation even from their distance.

Later, walking with her comrades, the conversation resurfaced. “Lodonia Laboratory…”

“Uh?” Sting blinked.

“Eh?” Auel leaned against the doorframe.

“Ah… what is it?”

“Lodonia Lab? Isn’t that…?” Sting was the first to comment.

“Yeah, that’s where we used to hang out.” Auel shrugged it off and went towards the vending machines.

“What’s with that all of a sudden?” Sting followed.

“’To make things worse, ZAFT now occupies it.’ Neo had…”

“Wha?” Both boys were startled as they turned to look at her.

As Adam went inside to change into his uniform, Athrun, Shinn, Talia, and Arthur all went inside the facility. What they saw was horrid. “Uuuhhh!” It was the only thing Arthur could get out as he covered his mouth with his arm. Flies buzzed in their ears and craws perched on the pipes above them. Talia covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. There was blood everywhere, Dead bodies strewn across each other, some in lab coats, but many small children as well. Shinn and Athrun tried to comprehend it all as they slowly went forward, examining the bodies with their flashlights. Arthur’s foot hit an empty glass vial that started rolling to the side. “Huuaaah?!” Startled, he turned his light towards the source as it hit the wall. “Whew.” He sighed. Unfortunately he raised the light, revealing a naked child hanging from the ceiling behind the cracked glass. “Guuuaahhh!” The others moved the lights around the hall, illuminating more of the same, almost showcased on the sides. “What the hell… What the hell is this place?!”

Outside, Ray’s sensitive hearing picked up his echo from inside, turning towards it. He stared at the track leading to the entrance as Adam walked up. “Hmm?” The orange haired boy follwed his gaze. “The captain and the others went in there, didn’t they?”

“Hai.”

“Well, I’ll be going in too. Keep our sixes clear, okay?” He raised his hand before dashing inside.

“Mutiny, may have broken out here.” The captain swallowed her bile before it could make its way up her throat. “They tried to destroy the facility before it happened.”

“But… why are all these children…?” Arthur let the statement hang as Talia raised her light to a door that said SECURITY CONTROL ROOM.

A crow cawed as Athrun knelt down, gently brushing a dead girl’s hair out of her face. He gasped and turned away. “Her eyes, they’ve been…” Athrun couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Shinn took one look and finished it for him. “…gouged… out. KGH!” His brows quivered as he hissed. They moved on to the next room as the captain sighed.

The four entered what seemed to be an office with computer terminals, but the decoration on the sides of the room were strange. Glass boxes filled with liquid and fake brains lined two of the walls. As they stepped around the few bodies that were there, they studied a brain wall closely, none of them saying a word. Adam stuck his head in between Shinn and Athrun. “What are we looking at?” he whispered. All four recoiled, not hearing him come in, Athrun and Shinn poised to fight hand-to-hand. When they realized it was Adam, they smacked him on the head in turn. “Ow! OW! What was that for?!”

“Don’t scare us like that!” Shinn spat in his face.

“If you do that again, I swear I’ll shoot you!” Adam shook his fist at the boy.

Gladys sat at the nearest terminal and started typing, the others snarling at Adam. The computer buzzed a result. “Eh?” Athrun went around to look over her shoulder. “CE 64.7.11: Failure confirmed. CE 64.8.7: Disposal completed.” She read from a child’s record that was pictured.

“Just what are you reading?” Arthur walked up to join the two, as Adam searched the casing some more.

“An entry and destination record for test subjects. In other words, for the children back there!”

“Uh… guys….” Adam stared at one case. “Th-this one is labeled 64.8.7.”

“Eeehhh?!” Arthur spun around. “You mean these aren’t fake?!”

“64.8.8, 64.8.9, 64.8.10.” Adam went down the line. “They’re all in chronological order!”

“This isn’t an office! It’s a reference library of failed experiments!” Talia gasped. “EAF’s Extended. You’ve all heard of it before, right?” Athrun gasped at her screen, which displayed Clotho Buer, and the schematic of his machine, the Raider Gundam. “Out of their hatred of genetic manipulation and desire to destroy it, Blue Cosmos and the Alliance created them using drugs and other inhuman torture. Living weapons, humans trained for the sole purpose of fighting. This is a research and development facility towards that end.”

As Adam opened up another terminal, the others gulped. “It’s more than that, Captain.” He said, scanning through a file. “I’m thinking this was also to be a base of operations once a reliable technique was found and a large enough force was produced.”

“Why do you say that?” She stood up and walked over to his side.

“I just found a list of all the Coordinators living on Earth.” Adam slammed back in his chair in surprise. “Even us!” He looked up to his best friend.

“Us?” Shinn gasped. “Our names are on there?” Adam nodded.

“A hit list! These were the targets!”

Sting came up behind a stressing Auel and hooked his arms around him as Auel struggled to get out the door. “Geez woah! Hold on and calm down, Auel!”

He broke free as Stellar looked on with trembling eyes. “Why should I?! How can I stay calm?! At the lab, mother is…!” He completely froze, his turquoise eyes dilated, and he started to tremble, remembering a woman with a blonde woman with a kind smile. “K-kaasan….” His voice was barely audible, and Sting instantly noticed the change in his demeanor. Auel brought his hands to his face, his eyes filling with tears. “Kaasan… at the…”

“OI! Baka! AUEL!” Sting clamped his hands on the boy’s arms, trying to rouse him.

He collapsed to the floor and doubled over. “Kaa-san is…. She’s…” He threw his head back and yelled with everything he had. “She’s going to die there!” Stellar gasped at his words as he continued to break down. “Mother… I can’t handle it!”

“She’ll die?” Stellar’s voice came in a trembled whisper. She walked past them both in an almost robotic state.

“Hey come on! Pull yourself together, moron! Ah, geez!”

“Kaasan!”

“She’ll die? It’s bad to die. It’s scary.” She stopped in her tracks. “Mamoru…” A quick vision of a boy with black hair and red eyes ran through her brain. “Protect!” She ran in silence.

“Colonel!” A man found Neo in the hall, as Gaia jumped off of the Jones’ launch deck and hit the road, literally.

With a quick burst from her booster, she jumped onto the main road and galloped around the cliff in canine form. “Haaaaahhhhh!”

Neo stepped into the hangar. “Complete idiots! Why did you let her…?” He stopped as he surveyed the damage. The mechanics didn’t let her out, she forced her way out, the twisted metal smoking where she blasted it. “Some deity must really hate me.” Gaia ran through the trees, cutting them in half with its wingsabers.

Bart came up on the Captain’s laptop. “Captain. Mobile suits: one. On approach! It’s Gaia!”

Upon hearing this, the three present pilots ran to their respective suits. “Is it alone? Any reinforcements?”

“At the moment, none.”

She picked up a radio. “He may attempt to break through to try and destroy it. Make sure he doesn’t get near the facility!”

“Hai!” All three said in unison.

“Gaia…” Adam whispered as his systems booted up. Alarms beeped on Adam’s console, and he started to look behind him. An orange foot kicked him over. “You idiot, get out of the way!” Heine yelled. His alarms beeped too late, as Gaia’s blades cut through the back of the GOUF, straight through the cockpit. “Guhh!” His scream was cut off as he was cut in half, the glass in his helmet shattering. The two halves of the GOUF slid off Gaia’s wing and exploded, legs first, then the upper half, the suit’s purple eye still shining. “That mobile suit… that pilot… is going to die tonight!” Falcon leapt from his position and transformed, pulling ahead of the others.

“Dying is bad… Protect!” Stellar grunted as her radar alerted her of his presence. “Haaaahhh!”

Adam strafed the ground with his vulcans, but Gaia jumped out of the way. Falcon switched to mobile suit and drew its beam sabers. Adam dropped on top of Stellar as Gaia switched to MS, blocking his downswings with her shield. “Eeeehhh!” Adam grunted as they deadlocked. Stellar swept out the metallic monstrosity’s legs, sending Falcon off balance. Gaia swung its shield into it hard, knocking the suit away. It once again switched to BaCOE mode and booster-jumped towards the other two approaching units.

“Why you!” Shinn snapped as he accelerated. Gaia fired its overhead cannons, which he pulled back to evade. Shin tried firing a shot, but Gaia was too close, hitting his shield and bounced even higher into the air. “Gyaaahhh!”

As Gaia landed, Savior fired its beam rifle, setting off explosions near the girl. When seeing an opening between them, her canine form leapt. The faster Savior sliced off her beam rifle. “Uuhh!” Flipping over, she fired her other weapons.

“Shit. This is getting us nowhere.” Adam grunted. His radar detected a small something headed his way, a small helicopter. “Lunamaria? Of all the times!” Adam raced into the battle coming from above.

Savior fired its buster cannons at the black creature as it dodged Impulse’s saber swipes. As they singed Stellar’s side, Adam came down with a beam saber from above. “Haaaaaahhh!”

Gaia turned back into mobile suit, swiping its own saber upward, sending Falcon’s arm flying. “Nani?!”

Falcon’s attack distracted her from Impulse. “Geeeeeeyy!” Shinn came up from below. Before Stellar could react, the suit’s chest was sliced open vertically. She screamed before the force sent the black suit flying back, where it skidded to a stop in the forest. When it didn’t move, Shinn sighed and used his cameras to look inside.

“Uh? A girl?” Athrun did the same.

On a hunch, Shinn magnified his camera. “Hoohhuu!” He slammed back into his seat. “That girl… Stellar!” Falcon landed at Gaia’s feet and turned its back towards it. “Falcon?!” Adam opened up its rear cannon port. “Adam, what the hell are you doing?!”

“This monster killed Heine. I’m disposing of it.” Adam stared at his communications screen with enraged determination.

“Adam stop!” Athrun yelled as he hovered over them. “She has no way of fighting back! There’s no need to blow it up!”

“Like it blew up that GOUF?! She deserves this!” Adam reached for the firing button. His alarms beeped, and Impulse gave the blue and brown robot a swift kick to the head. “Aagh!” Adam missed the firing controls and Falcon was thrown away from Gaia. “Who’s side are you on, Shinn?” Adam growled as he got back up.

“I’m not letting you destroy it! I’ll never let you!”

“Damn you!” Adam pulled out his beam rifle. “Heine’s murderer is right behind you, and you don’t want to destroy her?! Get out of the line of fire or else I’ll shoot you too!”

Savior dropped down and sliced Falcon’s blaster in half. “Adam, stop being unreasonable! Don’t you remember what I said? ‘Killing because someone was killed… being killed because you killed… is that twisted thinking really going to lead to peace?’”

Adam gritted his teeth and his hands twitched against the controls. “Daicho…!”

“Return to base before you do something rash. Think over what I’ve said.”

“Tch!” Adam spat, turning Falcon around. “Adam Cancho returning to base.” He lifted off and headed for Minerva.

Shinn leapt onto his winch as Savior turned around to face the stolen unit. “Shinn?” Athrun blinked as his cockpit opened, unbuckling himself.

“Stellar.” He had her on his knee and held her hand, as she slowly came to a semi-conscious state. “Why was it you…?”

She coughed. “Dying is bad. It’s scary… protect….”

“Egh!” Shinn stood up with her in his arms as he mounted Impulse.

As Athrun jumped onto Gaia, he saw them rise up. “Shinn!”

The captain called over the radio. “What’s wrong, Athrun? Situation report.”

Athrun slammed back into his seat and turned on his radio. “All fighting has ceased. However, Shinn is… he’s heading for the Minerva with the injured enemy pilot!”

“Eh?” Arthur overhead the conversation.

“Did I hear you right?!”

Shinn burst into the infirmary, panting from the burden in his arms. “Doctor, this girl! Hurry! Treat her!”

“Eh?” The nurse muttered.

“What’s the commotion?”

“That uniform… isn’t she an EAF?!”

“Even so, she’s hurt badly!” Shinn laid her in one of the hospital beds. “I’m begging you!”

“I’m afraid… protect….” The blonde whispered, her eyes staring at nothing.

“However, I can’t treat the enemy without the Captain’s permission.” The doctor said matter-of-factly. “I’ve gotten any such notifications.”

“Then do it in my name! I’ll get your order, so hurry!”

“Can’t die… not like….”

“Stop being hypocritical in your Hippocratic Oath and do your job! Are you just going to stand there while she might die on us?!”

At the word she hated more than any ZAFT soldier, Stellar twitched. She got up slowly. “Dying? No… no dying! Uuaaahhh!” She dove on top of Shinn, slamming him into the opposite bed, jumping back and knocking a medical table out of the way.

As she threw the doctor to the floor, Shinn got up and yelled. “Stop it, Stellar!”

She responded to her name and jumped the boy again, wrapping her hands around his neck. She threw him across the floor. As the nurse approached with a hypospray, she whipped around and began choking her. Soldiers piled into the room, with the Captain, Athrun, and Luna close behind. Shinn gasped as he recovered from her attack. “Stellar!” He ran and ripped the blonde away from her victim.

Gladys pulled back slightly at his action. “Stand by.” The soldiers lowered their weapons.

“Uh! Shinn!” Athrun was stunned by the chaos.

Stellar was sitting on the boy, flailing madly to break free as his arms hooked around her shoulders. He was barely able to overpower her. “Gomen, Stellar! This is my fault!” She screeched madly as she failed at prying him off. “It’ll be okay, I’m telling you! Calm down!” Her elbow managed to hit him in the cheek and Shinn spat blood.

“NO!” She cried at the top of her lungs as she convulsed one last time before passing out in his arms.

From between Athrun and Talia’s shoulders, Luna stared at them, wide eyed. ‘That girl?!’

About an hour later, Stellar was strapped down to a gurney with strong leather restraints. “By my educated guess, this girl is an EAF Extended.” The doctor gave his examination report.

“Whaeh?” Shinn’s eyes trembled at the news.

“We performed a routine examination on her, and well… here are the results.” He handed the captain a pad with the report. “Various substances have very abnormal levels in her body.” He wasn’t exaggerating, most of the results were at least triple the normal amount, with some going even higher. “There are also some foreign compounds that shouldn’t exist in any human.”

“So this was an artificial creation? Drugs?”

“That’s my guess. Unless we get to a more specialized facility, I can’t treat her.” The doctor couldn’t finish his thought as the girl in the bed opened her eyes.

“Stellar.” Shinn bent over her with a calm smile. She slowly turned towards him.

Her confused look turned angry. “Who the hell are you?!” Shinn gasped. “This place is…!” She tried to get up, but the straps stopped her. She started to twist, turn, and buck, struggling to break free.

“Ah!” Shinn stepped back, and the nurse yipped.

“Everyone stay clear.” The doctor ordered.

“Stellar…!” Shinn stared at her fight in disbelief. The severity of her thrashing increased, and her nails dug into her palms, splattering the bed with blood as she bucked. Not being able to stand seeing her torture herself anymore, Shinn threw himself upon her. “Stellar! It’s okay now! Stellar, it’s okay now! I’m right here, so calm down, please! You know me, right?! It’s me! It’s Shinn!”

The name made her stop completely, moving her still stressed eyes to observe him. A memory of a handkerchief on her leg came to her brain, making her skull burn. He stared at her with a soft smile. “I don’t know… I don’t know any bastards like you!” Shinn shot up as Stellar began to struggle, slamming her head to the bed. “Neo! NEO!”

“Stellar….”

“This girls brainwave patterns aren’t normal either.” The doctor prepped a hypo. “Her memories and consciousness have probably been manipulated as well. You can’t break these. Give it up or I’ll have to sedate you.”

“Eh?” Shinn gasped again, finally understanding what he said.

He put the nozzle against her leg and pulled the trigger. Within a few seconds, her eyes rolled into her head. “I don’t like it… this place is…”

“Her memories are gone?!”

“Neo….”

“No way… that can’t be!” Shinn found himself hitting a terminal, not realizing he was backing up.

Neo stared at the empty third cradle as the technicians mercilessly erased the girl from the two remaining Extendeds’ memory banks.

Shinn stepped into his quarters dejectedly, and the door slid shut. “You piece of shit!” The boy found himself facefirst on his bed, his right cheek sore once again. He pushed off and saw that his sheets would need changing. A hand roughly flipped him over on his back. Adam held him by the cuff of his uniform, his free hand in a fist. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t beat you to a pulp!”

“For what?” Shinn just looked up at him without feeling.

“Don’t play dumb with me! You’ve forgotten about all the lives that girl has taken, haven’t you?! You’ve betrayed the memories of all that were lost because of Gaia!”

“Have I?” He continued, truly pondering the question.

“Yes! Yes you have, you bastard! Heine was a good man, better than the both of us, and she’s the one that killed him! Athrun is right, revenge isn’t the answer, but can’t you even hate her?! You showed her something she’d never show us: KINDNESS! Do you really think that will actually be repaid?! She destroyed our friends, damn it!” Tears rolled out of his dark brown eyes. “What was going through your head when you saw her, huh?!” He shook the Impulse pilot.

Shinn’s head tilted towards the small glass jar on the table with her gift. “She doesn’t even remember me anymore.” A tear ran down his face.

“Ho-how dare you?! HOW DARE YOU SHED A TEAR FOR THAT MONSTER?!” Adam completed another punch to his face.

Shinn took it in stride. “She was so innocent then. How could she be a killer?”

“Tch!” Adam let go of him and turned away. “I give up. It’s useless talking to you. All you do is cling to that damn prissy cell phone looking at those dumbass pictures like it’s your entire world!”

Shinn jolted up and gritted his teeth. “What are you trying to say?!”

“I’m saying your life must’ve really fucking sucked if you need a cell phone to remind you of it!” Adam found himself on his bed a half second later. “Well that got your attention, didn’t it?” He sneered as he wiped the blood from his lip.

Shinn stood over him, his knuckles white on his fist. “You shouldn’t have said that! Take it back!”

“Like hell I will!” He swung into his stomach, sending him backwards. “Face it, Shinn, their bodies have long gone cold!”

“YOU BASTARD!” Shinn lunged for Adam, slamming him into the wall.

“Guah!” Adam grunted as he hit, his arms raised high. “KGH!” He balled both of them together and brought them down on his shoulder. Shinn released him and he planted one foot on the bed, and the other straight to Shinn’s chest. “Stay down like the traitorous dog you are!” Shinn gripped the leg. “Uh?!”

“HeeaAAAHH!” Shinn hurled Adam into the bathroom door. He panted, covering his chest. “You went too far, you fucking prick! I’m gonna tear you apart!”

Adam plopped down on his feet, slouching forward from the pain in his back. He heard a couple of quick footsteps, and he looked up only to see Shinn’s fist plowing into him. As he rolled with it, he smiled. He grabbed Shinn’s head, and with all his strength, plowed it into the wall. “Puh!” He spat as he jumped back. “I’m not the weakling I used to be, am I Shinn?!” The boy turned his head as he glared at Adam. “What’s wrong? When you lost your family, did you lose your strength too? You’ve gone soft!”

“THAT TEARS IT!” Shinn turned around and threw a punch. Adam did the same, and with their free hands, they caught the punch. They intertwined legs, as they fought against each other, trying to overpower one another. They slammed foreheads, gritting their teeth. “ADAM!”

“SHINN!”

The door slid open, and after a couple of gasps, Meyrin and Athrun rushed in, tearing them away from each other. “What the hell are you two doing?!” Meyrin squeaked.

“This is between him and me, Athrun! Don’t interfere!” Shinn grunted as he struggled against the man’s grip.

As Adam tried to go after the boy, Meyrin dashed in front of him and spread her arms wide. “Meyrin, step aside. This doesn’t concern you!”

“Like hell I will! You’re fighting your best friend!”

“Best friend?! HA! Why would I want to be friends with a traitor?!”

“I’m not a traitor, damn it! I was helping the innocent girl I met in Diocuia!” Shinn yelled over Athrun’s shoulder.

“Got tell that innocent bit to Falcon’s arm! Oh wait, it’s at the bottom of the ocean by now! Gaia sliced it off!” Meyrin struggled to keep him at bay without hurting him. “I have an idea. Why don’t you tell all of the families of the people that girl has killed?! I’m sure THEY’D believe you!”

“You son of a…!”

Two resounding slaps echoed through the small chamber, Meyrin’s and Athrun’s hands splayed open. Meyrin balled her fist as Adam turned towards her in shock. “Get over it! I don’t care what the hell the problem is! Right now you’re really scaring me!” She turned towards Shinn. “Do you feel better now that you’ve slugged it out?! Proud maybe?!” She turned back to her boyfriend. “Did this even solve anything?! Look at yourselves! Look at what you’ve become!”

Shinn and Adam just huffed and turned away from each other. Athrun looked between them and sighed. “Get your butts down to the infirmary, right now, at the same time. You won’t fight in the hall. You won’t talk to each other. You’ll only reflect on what just happened here. Got it?” The door opened and Athrun held it there. “If there’s any conflict between the two of you, I will personally knock you out and drag your asses there! Now MOVE!”

Meyrin moved aside as Adam stepped forward, emotionless. Shinn turned towards him, and Athrun prepared to jump in between again. Instead, Shinn snatched up the glass jar and turned around, exiting. Meyrin followed them a few footsteps behind, but she stopped at the door next to Athrun. She sighed. “That was too close.”

“Ah.”

Shinn pressed an ice pack to his face as he walked to Stellar’s bedside. Adam watched on from the other bed with a glare. “Neo…. Neo….” She sighed in her sleep.

“Isn’t there anything left of me in your mind?” Shinn gripped the jar with her treasure in it. The nurse that treated them both left quickly as he knelt down next to her. He placed a hand on her forehead. “How could you have been Gaia’s pilot?” Adam’s cross look melted into an observing one as Shinn caressed her cheek. “How could they have put you… in that lab?” Tears welled in his eyes.

The heat of his touch awoke her. “Shinn?” She whispered. His eyes opened wide, and his tears stopped completely. Adam also straightened in surprise. “Shinn.”

“Stellar!”

“You came to see me, Shinn?” She looked at him with the eyes she had shown him when she gave him her precious gift.

Shinn smiled happily. “Unh. Stellar!” Adam’s mouth opened slightly at the scene. “Y-you remember me?”

She nodded slightly. “It just took… a little time.” Shinn’s smile grew wide. “Shinn.”

Adam slowly got up and walked to the door. “I promised we’d see each other again.”

“Shinn… why’s your face puffy?”

“Ueh? Well, uh… that’s….” The door closed behind Adam.

He pressed his bruised back against the doorframe and slumped to the ground. “He and I are no different.” He tapped his fist to his forehead. “I’m such a fool.”

Deep in the ruins long lost to the rising seas, sat the ashitsuki vessel, motionless. “EH?! No! You can’t go and do that, Lacus!” Kira gripped her hands tightly as they stood on the observation deck.

“Kira!” She blinked in surprise as Pink-chan bounced around the room.

“Into the sky on your own?! Don’t joke about that!”

She showed him a calm smile. “Kira, everything will be fine. Kira.”

“No! I said you can’t!” It was a long time since his face had shown this kind of worry.

“But I’m the only one who can go.”

“Tyandei! I won’t accept that!” The Haro flapped.

“What is moving right now? What will move in the near future? What is it we should do?” As she asked, Waltfeld watched Mia’s performances, bored to tears while trying to think up a plan. “We can no longer afford to be in the dark.” In her room, the Strike Rouge’s pilot stared at her ring as she lay in bed. She buried her face into her pillow to fight off the tears and struggle in her mind. “Cagalli-san is going through some horrible feelings right now, but the ones involved in this war aren’t just ORB. Athrun has a kind and reasonable character. You are the one who knows that best.”

“But…but you should at least take me with you!”

“Kira…” She shook her head. “That won’t do. Your place is here, for Cagalli-san and Archangel to be protected.”

“But Lacus…” He drew her into him, holding her tightly. “If you….”

“We’ve got a problem!” Once again the Haro was ignored.

“I’ll be just fine, Kira.” She whispered as she nuzzled his neck.

In the Diocuia spaceport, the pink-haired pop idol sat, a line of ZAFT soldiers holding white boards. “Lacus-sama’s shuttle launch has been moved up. Once preparations are complete, we will commence launch.” The PA system echoed, as she squeaked a marker. “All personnel, make it top priority.”

“Hai!” She handed it back to the man.

“Thank you so very much!” He bowed. “I’m honored!”

“No problem. Next please.” She smiled, fixing her simple purple summer dress.

Outside, a bright pink limo pulled up to the lot. The nasally voice of Mia’s agent rang out as he exited the vehicle. “What? Why isn’t anyone here to greet us, yan?”

Mia exited and pouted. “Geez. I’m standing right here and there isn’t even a welcome party?”

Two soldiers exited the waiting room. “Uah?” One squawked as he saw the second girl. “L-Lacus-sama?”

“What are you doing over here?”

“Eh?”

As the shuttle took off from the runway, Mia bounded through the hall to the control tower, somehow managing to not knock herself out. “We’re screwed, that’s the real one, yan!”

“Excuse me?!” Mia shot him a glare.

“Eh? Uh, no no! I mean this is the real one, yan! The one out there is an imposter, yan!”

“Launch the mobile suits at once! Stop that shuttle now!” The order went out. GaZOOTs rolled out of the hangars, firing large anti-air missiles. The brand new purple BABI units took to the skies, firing beams and missiles at the civilian spaceship.

A mobile suit with eight azure wings fired its five weapons into the cloud of missiles, detonating them all in one shot. The shuttle remained unharmed. Freedom rocketed towards the units, drawing its beam saber. As it passed, two Babi’s heads flew off. More fired their core cannons at the ascending suit, but it barrel rolled twice each way before sending five more blasts into the, disabling, but not destroying them. Drawing his beam saber again, Kira tore into the remaining suits wings. He descended into a hailstorm of GaZOOT bullets and beams, Avoiding each projectile with ease. His hip cannons unfolded and lanced two electrified bullets into the area, putting up a smokescreen, effectively disabling their attack.

The nuclear powered suit flew straight for the control tower. “What the hell, yan?!” Freedom gave them quite the sendoff as he broke the sound barrier right in front of their windows, breaking the glass.

He went back up to the sky and caught up with the shuttle. “I too will be just fine.” She looked back at him with tears in her eyes.

“Lacus!”

“I promise I will always return to be by your side.” Kira stared up at the ship.

As the sun began to set over the EAF port, also occupied by ORB, in his sealed room, Neo had a videophone conversation with his boss. “You know I’m not the kind of person to gripe about things already passed.” Djibril spoke as Neo tapped the glass his pet rainbow fish swam in. “But I won’t accept successive failures either.”

“Eh.”

Outside, Sting and Auel were playing one-on-one on the deck of the ship. “Heh. Here we go!” Auel dribbled on the deck.

“Go where?” Sting blocked him as the blue-haired boy turned his back.

Auel did a fakeout and roll, breaking away. “Ha! Going here! It’s up!” The ball was slammed into the hoop. “And it’s good!”

“Could you for once give me a report that isn’t full of crap, please? Otherwise our schedule will be taken completely off.” Djibril looked at the Destroy Gundam’s schematics, just as one of Durandal’s spies brought the same data to his screens. “That Coordinator ship is being hailed as a champion of justice only for the fact that they continue to win.” Minerva left port for Gibraltar. “This time for sure, Neo, sink Minerva. Don’t forget that you’re there for that sole purpose.”

On the Minerva, Athrun sat on the edge of his bed, finally getting a chance to work through what happened. “Hagh!” He grunted, unhappy with the results.

“Grrreeeaaahhhh!” Adam screamed as he sat up, awakening from yet another nightmare. His hands gripped his sheets tightly as he caught his breath. Sweat dripped down his face. Shinn just watched him in surprise. “Son of a…!” Adam slammed his head back into the pillow. “At this rate… why have they gotten worse?!” It was the last thing he said before he fell asleep again.

The next day, Stellar was put on oxygen, her suffering form getting worse by the second. Shinn sat in his flight suit on his watch. Adam came in with a soda and sandwich, not letting duties get in the way of his lunch. When he saw the boy sitting there with a pained look on his face, Adam swallowed the morsel in his mouth. He sat down at his normal seat and watched him carefully. Eventually he sighed and began to speak. “Look, Shinn, about yesterday….”

“She’s going through some kind of withdrawl, and a very severe one. The doc says the worst case scenario is quite possible. You’ll get your wish, Adam. She’ll die.”

“I… Shinn… I….”

A surveillance Murasame sent data back to the main fleet. “Ship detected! Distance: 60! Bearing 11 o’clock!”

Todoka and his second gasped, and the klaxons rang. “Soyin, taisen youui! I repeat, all hands, prepare for combat!” The general announcement was made as personnel ran every which way.

On Minerva’s bridge, Bart’s screen lit up. “Ahead, ships located!”

“Eh?” Gladys leaned forward.

“Bearing 11 oclock. Distance: 50. ORB Military! Carriers: one. Escorts: three.” Meyrin winced from the info as she scanned her monitors.

“Is that Alliance carrier or Bogey-1 with them?”

“Confirmation is impossible.”

“Look for it especially. Widen your search, quickly! No way they’d leave ORB unattended.”

“Hai!”

“Shield the bridge! Condition Red declared!” The captain ordered.

“Hai!” Meyrin quickly turned back to her station. “Condition Red declared! Condition Red declared! Buzzers ran out in all corners of the ship. “Pilots stand by in their units!”

Adam never got the chance to finish his statement. “Eh? The enemy, now?! Then… is it ORB?!”

“Shit! Of all the times! Let’s move!” Shinn got up and dashed out the door.

On the ORB carrier. “Team one, team three, and team five, launch complete!”

“Distance to target: 40. Within firing range.”

Todoka looked ahead blankly. “Has Minerva sortied any of its mobile suits?”

“None as of yet!”

“Yosh! We’ve won!” Yuna cried as he leaned forward. “Let’s clean them up with a long shower of type-eight shells!”

“Artillery crew, simultaneous volley of type-eight shells! Fire!” Explosive shells launched from the ships. The CIWS cannons on Minerva spun up quickly. As the missiles were shot down, they exploded into even more deadly smaller projectiles, riddling its gray hull with dents and holes. The glass of the upper bridge shattered, and the hailstorm from hell hammered away at the armor protecting the lower bridge. The entire ship shook like mad.

The smoking ship was like a signal flare to the others. “Contact with more ORB vessels! Number: three!”

“Ehh?!” Arthur gasped as he sat up.

“Yosh! Let’s move!” A Murasame squad commander, one who fought Athrun at the coast of ORB, banked his ship to attack. His wing followed.

“From 2 o’clock. ORB Forces, Murasame: nine!” Meyrin reported from her station.

“Send out Shinn, Athrun, and Adam. Asteroid Cone and Blast Silhouette! Tristan, Isolde, target portside!”

“Hai!”

Neo looked on from behind his mask. “Even though this mission can’t avenge you, Stellar, that ship will be sunk today!”

“Sting Oakley, Chaos, hashin saru!” The green Gundam took to the air.

“Auel Neider, Abyss, deruyo!” His boosters gave him a jump and enough time to transform before hitting the water.

“Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor, ikkimas!” His little blue jet gunned its engines and was out of there. The large green and red Blast Silhouette gunned its single forward-thrusting engine and catapulted forward after the other flyers launched.

“Athrun Zala, Savior, hashin saru!” His red mobile suit barrel rolled its way out of the damaged starboard hatch.

“Adam Cancho, Falcon, kissing the sky!” The gray jet punched its way out the door with its brand new cone.

Adam swooped around Shinn as all of Impulse’s pieces formed up, transforming himself. The Blast Module’s guidance pod jettisoned and barrel rolled away as the hulking green object laser-guided itself onto the shoulders of Impulse. The Asteroid cone split in two and attached to the shoulders of the M3 ORB prototype. A thick cable clicked together between the two halves behind its back. Falcon’s blue and brown phase shift armor shimmered as its telescopic multi-phasic beam cannon extended from its right side shield. Impulse’s color scheme changed to black and blue as the armor enveloped it. Shinn gunned the engines and surfed the water, the module being too heavy to fly. “Eeehh!”

“Right there!” Auel breached the surface, transforming into MS and sending all seven of its beam weapons towards Impulse.

The skidding MS dodged the attack and reciprocated with two pink and blue blasts from the small ends of the module and the rail guns on its shoulders. The blue beast dove back into the water. “Kgh!” Athrun grunted as he stared down Chaos.

“Tshey!” Sting grunted as he stared down Savior. They spiraled around each other, attempting to get enough of a bearing to make a hit.

As Murasame headed towards Minerva, Adam came up at them from below. Falcon grabbed his weapon with both hands and its pink and blue beam lashed into the attack run, taking out two ships and clipping a third. “No more second-guessing this time! You’re my enemy once again!” He opened his missile hatch on the left shoulder and foxed two to finish off the third suit.

“ORB Fleet at nine o’clock is still approaching!” Bart reported as he continued his scans. They launched countless missiles at the ZAFT ship.

“Arthur, arm anti-ship missiles. Get Luna and Ray to coat the skies in a barrage. Get Adam in on it too.”

“Hai!”

As explosions were set off above the ship, Gladys examined the map. “They’re using Kurata to pin us against. Tch. Not good! If we try to dodge one fleet, we’ll catch the other’s fire.” Missiles launched and Adam and Luna combined their buster cannons’ attacks to ensnare the enemies’ attacks. “There’s no retreat. We’ll have to break their lines!”

Auel burst from the water. “Heh! So green’s your color of choice today? Here, have some green yourself!”

“Uh!” Shinn turned to face the Abyss just before its shoulders spread apart, unleashing their energy payload. He gunned the throttle and skirted away as articulately as possible. His counterattack shot just high of the blue submersible suit as it transformed and plunged into the water.

“That won’t hit me!”

The Blast pack’s railguns fired two pairs of electrified shots into the water, quickly avoided by the dangerous vessel. “That pilot…” Shinn’s thoughts dwelled on Stellar and everything encompassing her. “They’re the same, I knew it!”

“I’m getting really sick of that ugly mug of yours!” Auel spun to the surface and fired all of his weapons.

“Uh!” Shinn’s alarms went off, and he shut down his engines. Impulse touched water and slowed, the blasts just barely going over its metallic head. With the danger cleared, the heavy weapons machine broke the surface once again.

Auel drew his short scythe. “Today for sure, die!” As the blue enemy dove at him, Shinn whipped out his beam trident, and they clashed in a shower of sparks.

A Murasame transformed beside Savior, but it was too close. Athrun slashed off his wing and rifle hand, warped metal flying everywhere. “Even if that’s the way it is, we don’t want ORB getting involved in this.” “Ungh!” Athrun grunted at the memory. “Keh!” A Murasame switched to mobile armor form and went at him. Savior transformed and rocketed away. He rolled as he pulled up, avoiding its machine guns.

“Oi oi oi! You even awake in there?!” Sting teased as he fired a rifle shot.

Athrun pulled up hard. The strain sent his thoughts into the past again. “Then who do you want to fight?” His last conversation with Hiene Westenfluss.

“Quit running from me!” Sting fired rifle and bullet rounds at the rolling armor. Though distracted by the Murasame, he still managed to dodge.

“Come to learn that.” Athrun looked to the sea below. “Otherwise… you’ll die.”

“I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to be made to.”

“KUSO!” He hissed, whipping around and charging, firing his rifle and blocking with his shield.

Adam’s respective battle was doing no better. “Shit! Not my day!” His mobile suit opened its shoulder casing and fired four missiles into the air. One of them hit a Murasame in the head. The other three self-detonated, spreading a smokescreen of fire in a circular pattern. As more mobile suits flew behind the cloud for cover, Adam gripped his telescopic cannon with both hands. Forcing back the lock, he fired the blast into the cloud, sending three suits into oblivion. A green blast passed over Falcon’s shoulder. “Kuso!” Adam hissed as four Astray closed in from the opposite side. His mobile suit spun vertically, returning to mobile armor. His engine gunned as he charged the group, doing a roll and scattering missiles into the air.

The Minervan turrets turned towards a charging formation of Murasame. They dove into the line of fire, dodging the hot metal shrapnel. “Eeeehhhh!”

“Ah!” Luna gasped as she lifted her beam cannon to bear. Ray’s silent anger was etched on his face as he fired as many shots as he could. The squad foxed all of their missiles. In breaking the attack run, two were pierced by bullets. The side of the ship was caught in a massive explosion.

The Blaze ZAKU Phantom was caught in the explosion, and was now missing a left arm and shield. Ray played with the controls. “Get up. Get up!” He growled as his screens came back online.

Babai, the leader of the squad, closed in during the chaos, transforming into humanoid form right in front of the armored bridge, pointing its rifle. “Ah!” Adam disengaged from his fight and headed straight for the Minerva, his arm outstretched. “MEYRIN!”

From above, a streak of green energy lashed through the rifle from above, detonating it before it could fire. Babai had no choice but to back off. Freedom appeared out of the sun’s glare, beam saber in hand. Two of his squad wound up missing wings as Kira passed. “Eh?!” Arthur’s jaw dropped to the bulkhead. “Freedom?!”

“Kira!”

The red and pink Strike with a lion marking on the shoulder came up from behind the nuclear suit. Adam’s eyes went wide. “Cagalli?! Not again. Not again!”

“Knock it off!” She broadcast. “ORB! Cease fire this instant!” Archangel’s Gottfried cannons drew a line in the sand in front of the advancing ORB fleet.

“Tch!” Neo spat from his spectator’s seat.

“Takemikazuchi, just who is your commander?!” Cagalli grunted as Babai snarled at the intrusion.

“Just like before, these guys…!” Flames of anger were ignited in Shinn. Athrun grunted as he gritted his teeth.

“Remember ORB’s ideals! If you’re not protecting them, why are you in this military?!”

“Why are you always… out here… SPEWING SUCH BULLSHIT?!” Shinn turned his suit towards the new addition and fired missiles from his Blast pack.

Talia, Murrue, and Todoka all gasped at his actions while Cagalli went wide eyed. “Shinn!” Athrun cried too late as Adam lowered his buster to intercept. Kira moved to the front, machine gun bullets erupting from Freedom’s skull, starting a chain reaction. Freedom drew his beam saber as its thrusters tore through the smoke spread by the explosions.

“Kgh!” Shinn grunted.

“Kira!” Athrun turned and headed in his direction as fast as his mobile suit would take him.

Shinn fired his cannons at the enemy, but Freedom pulled high of them. “You as well! DON’T SHIT WITH ME!” A red football-like structure appeared in front of his eyes and burst into millions of facetted crystals of light. His eyes became a firey red as he entered berserker mode.

Kira swiped his beam saber at Impulse’s neck, but it leaned back. The violet-eyed teen gasped. Impulse was on its back, caressing the water looking eye to eye with Freedom. “Him too?!”

“HhhaaAAHHH!” Shinn yelled as Impulse swiped its trident upward. Freedom pulled back and peeled away. Impulse stood itself up on the water and waited for the next attack.

The attack never came as Savior approached, its beam saber and shield at the ready. “Knock it off, Kira!”

“Athrun!”

Beam met shield as the two clashed. “I told you to stop this and head back to ORB, didn’t I?!”

“Egh!”

Falcon flew past Strike Rouge as Adam tried to shake off two tailing Murasame. “Don’t you learn at all, Cagalli?!”

“Adam, you…”

“I looked up to you as being rather smart!” Adam did a loop in midair and caught the two enemies right where it counted on the way back down. Adam looked at her through flying bits of armor and stringy cables. “You’re proving me completely wrong!”

Auel smirked as he rejoined the fight. “I don’t really get it, but it doesn’t matter since you always come when you’re not welcome to the party!”

“Keh! KUSO!” Impulse shoved his trident into the water and missed. Abyss broke the surface and fired its rear cannons. Impulse fell back to avoid.

Freedom pulled backwards as Savior attempted to slash the mobile suit forward and back. “Pull back, Kira! Your power can only add to the chaos on this battlefield!”

They passed in front of Cagalli’s eyes. “Athrun!” Kira grunted over the radio.

Sting laughed as he came in from above. “I’ve got you both, bastards!” He squeezed the trigger twice quickly. The two best friends caught it in the corner of their eyes and broke away. Sting turned towards Athrun, but Freedom came within meters of the suit. “Ah!” Kira’s eyes narrowed into slits as he took a sweeping strike with his beam saber. Everything above and around the cockpit was hacked off. “Gyaaaaahhhh!” Freedom broke away as Sting fell back towards the ocean surface. What was left hit the water and skidded along its back. “Booster. Booster! BOOSTER!” Sting struggled with the throttle, and it finally shot back into the sky back to the JP Jones.

“Kira!” Athrun was stunned. “Hhh!” Shinn spun around in circles, trying to get a bearing on the speedy underwater suit, not noticing Freedom closing in from above. Athrun fired across his path. “I said stop it, Kira!”

Shinn looked up for a moment, observing the two once again. His proximity alarm went off again. “Just where are you looking?!” Auel burst from the water. It sent its beams directly at Impulse.

Shinn’s clear mind made an instantaneous plan, and he let the Blast pack take the blow. The moment before it exploded, Impulse detached the pack, using the force to propel it to match Abyss in height. “HhhaaaAAAAHHH!” With all his might, he javelined his beam trident.

“Nani?!” Auel gasped as he watched the three-pronged beam approach, piercing the cockpit. Abyss fell backwards, sinking slowly into the ocean. His cockpit filled with water and cables. Soon the inside of his helmet filled with water, stained with red as it passed over his open eyes. He lurched forward as an explosion reached the surface, sending a large water spray into the air.

The JP Jones lost its signal. “Auel!” Neo gasped at the screen.

Adam’s jaw was agape. “He actually got one on his own!” Athrun and Kira looked on in horror.

Impulse righted itself as it waded. “Minerva! Force Silhouette! Deuterion Beam!”

“Hai!” Meyrin confirmed.

“Wait, hold up!” Adam sent out a call. “Send me Meteorite too! I’ll try to disable some escorts after I get a recharge!”

“But we don’t have a delivery system!” Meyrin said.

Shinn paused for a second, then brought down his keyboard and started typing. “The adapters are universal. Just stick it on the guidance pod and it’ll be fine!”

“You don’t understand! With the different mass and aerodynamics, the autopilot would need a correction that would take a week to program!”

“Or not.” Shinn pressed the send button.

Meyrin blinked as new code came up on her screen. “What the…? Um, uploading program now! Opening Falcon weapons hatch. Meteorite selected. Cone attachment confirmed? It’s working! Force/Meteorite Silhouette, catapult launch!”

The new combo Flyer spread its wings once ejection completed. “Shinn, you take the first linkup!”

“Roger!” He confirmed as the two halves broke away. The red and black flight pack attached to the back of the mobile suit. The new plugin changed the Phase Shift to red, blue, and white as it rose into the sky. Impulse armed itself with the beam rifle and its shield split open. “But you take the first charge!”

“Deal!” The beam cannon folded back together, and the cable linking the cone behind Falcon’s shoulders retracted. The seals unlocked and the two halves merged together in the sky. The Flyer’s cone split in half and fell onto the mobile suit’s shoulders. The autopilot swooped into the Asteroid Cone and began to return to base. The Phase Shift spread across the new equipment like a wave, and Falcon joined the beam blade halves together. “Meyrin, hit it!” He flew up to a targetable height.

“Deuterion Beam, fire one, irradiate!”

The narrow energy beam met Falcon’s forehead spikes and power coursed through them. Adam’s power gauge filled up. “All right! Shinn, you’re up!”

Babai noticed what happened. “We can’t let it get another shot! Does anyone have any missiles left?!”

“Sir, I do!”

“Everyone, cover him. Take that weapon down!”

“But we don’t have clearance for that, sir!”

“If we don’t, then we’ll have to deal with two fresh mobile suits! Now do it!”

“Sir!” They turned towards the ship and gunned their engines.

“Incoming Murasame from port bow high! Number: seven!” Meyrin screamed. “Ray, you’ve got incoming!”

“I see them!” He turned towards the attackers and fired away.

A CIWS bullet cut across the missile-carrying ship. “That was close! Babai-6, fox one!” He pressed the button, but nothing happened. “It’s jammed!”

“Deuterion Beam, shousha!” Meyrin announced as Impulse flew into position. It hit the panel with the model number on it.

“Everyone break off! I’ll take this down alone!” The Murasame pilot yelled.

“Reolio-san!”

“For ORB!” He gunned the engines. “May our lion continue to roar!” He crashed his ship into the Deuterion Cannon. The missile exploded, knocking the Murasame clear before it too, blew itself to hell. Meyrin was thrown against her station as the bridge was shaken.

Shinn’s gauge stopped climbing. “Only halfway?”

“Damage report!” Talia demanded.

“Deuterion Cannon FCS down. No response from the operational crew.” Meyrin answered. “The cannon itself seems to be intact.”

“Heavy damage to engineering decks in that section!” Arthur got the report.

“Minerva!” Shinn appeared on screen. “Can you finish the charge?!”

“Negative. Work with what you have until damage control can get it back up!”

“Understood. Let’s go Adam!”

“Yokhai!” They flew off into a veritable swarm of mobile suits. Shinn fired into two Windams, their cockpits sizzling before they exploded.

Adam’s Falcon went towards the nearest escort ship. “Incoming mobile suit from twelve o’clock high!”

“Shoot it down! Hurry!” Their main projectile weapon moved into position and shot a shell.

Falcon slid to the side and held out the blade, slicing the shell in half. Adam raised the sword over his head. “GrrooooaaahhhH!” He swing downwards as he passed, slcing the bridge and cutting into the missile stash in the loading bay. They detonated and blew a large hole in the ship.

“All forces continue your attack on Minerva. I repeat, all forces continue your attack on Minerva!” The order came from the ORB carrier.

“There’s your clearance! Don’t let Reolio’s sacrifice be in vain!”

“Sir!”

“Agh!” Cagalli gulped as missiles and cannon shells exploded around Minerva once again.

“All units follow me!” Babai ordered.

“Stop it now!” Cagalli yelled, her golden eyes alive with passion as she blocked his path.

“Uh! Cagalli-sama!” His Murasame transformed in front of her while the others broke off.

“Why does that ship need to be attacked by ORB?! Hold your fire! They were never enemies in the first place! ORB must not shoot at those that weren’t enemies!”

“Cagalli-sama! It IS her!” One of the wingmen said.

“No, but isn’t that a fake?” Another looked back at the suit.

“Tch!” Babai twitched on his controls. “Move out of the way!”

“Uh?!” Cagalli and the rest of the squad gasped.

“This is an order, given from the leader of our nation, Yuna Roma Seiran!” His Murasame made a fist. “It is the will of our country, and thus, our duty to obey as soldiers of ORB!”

“Oumai!”

“Even if it has gone out of our control, we must follow the path we were set to!” As he said this, Adam sent a spray over a raft of survivors. A Windam came up behind him and he tossed a boomerang into it, sending both halves onto the rafts. “Do you understand me?!”

“Eh?!”

As CIWS fired, another missile penetrated Minerva’s defenses and exploded on its starboard catapult hatch. “Has damage control gotten into the Deuterion Cannon yet?!”

“Negative. There’s too much debris in the halls.”

Tristan cannons fired. A Murasame was torn apart. Orders were yelled. Valiants were fired. Todoka looked away from the carnage. “But….”

“Please retreat!” Baby’s gray-brown eyes narrowed into slits.

“Eh?!”

“Since we left our country, we were prepared to die here!”

“That doesn’t have to….”

“If you don’t move, then I’ll have to do it by force!” His Murasame dove forward, grabbing Strike Rouge’s rifle arm and throwing her back towards Archangel.

“Aaaaaahhhh!”

“Cagalli-san!” Ramius gasped.

Kira fired a shot across Savior’s bow. “Cagalli!”

“Uh?!” Athrun gasped.

“Observe our tears we shed, and the honor we displayed here today!” Babai cried as his Murasame folded back into armor form, gunning the engine. “CHARGE!”

“Sir!” The others acknowledged.

“Why you!” Lunamaria’s gun heated the air in the sky. The enemies danced around it.

“All of you, stop!” Cagalli watched in horror.

The closest Murasame fired four missiles into the starboard side of the ship. “AaaAAAGGGH!” Lunamaria was caught in the explosion, her beam cannon sent flying.

“Lunamaria!” Ray turned towards her.

“Onee-chan!” Meyrin’s eyes teared up in shock.

“Wha?!” Both Talia and Arthur turned towards her.

“LUNA!” Adam yelled as he appeared on scene. “Shit, here they come again!” Adam went into jet form as the squad circled around. His wingsabers engaged as he split a Murasame.

“Damn you!” Shinn snarled as he turned his beam rifle on the rapidly approaching force, taking three out.

Babai fired his onboard missiles into the ship. The now filled infirmary shook. His Murasame, the only one left in the squad, continued his one man assault, firing the beam cannon in his rudder. “Eeehhh!” Ray grunted as he desperately tried to hit the shifty suit. Shinn engaged his target scope again and fired. Each shot clipped the Murasame, and it started smoking and accelerating into a dive bomb.

“Kamikaze!” Arthur cried.

“Engines to full! Portside, now!” Talia yelled enough to turn her voice hoarse.

“For ORB! May our lion continue to roar! YYYAAAAAAHHH!” It impacted the Isolde and burst into a fireball of pure death.

“N-no….” Cagalli whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Main cannon, starboard catapult, disabled. Fires have erupted!”

“Put them out quickly!”

“CIWS, down to 40 percent!” Another report came in as two men moved a body.

“Lunamaria’s unit, lost! Medical teams taking her in!” Meyrin sighed slightly. Her sister was alive, just barely. She moaned in pain, her helmet glass cracked and arm badly broken. Sparking wires and warped metal would make it difficult to remove her.

“Dear God!” Adam trembled as he flew over his ship.

“One more push!” Neo stood up. “Once more and they’ll go down for sure!”

“Th-that’s right!” Yuna quivered apprehensively. “That will be the end of it! If Minerva just goes down…” The ORB fleet sent forward another barrage as Todoka gnashed his teeth.

“Minerva! Sword Silhouette and Deuterion Beam! I’m on empty here! Then I’ll tear the entire fleet into bits!” Shinn spoke as they continued to dodge below.

“Is it back up yet?” Gladys looked to her communication screen.

“Negative!” The maintenance chief stated. “We’ve cleared the loose debris, but everyone that knows how to operate the machine is too big to fit through the hole!”

Meyrin stared at the screen. Talia bit her thumb. “But then Shinn will be going into hostile grounds with no armor….”

Meyrin stood up and took off her headset. “I’ll go! I know the controls, and can squeeze through there! Please, let me go!”

“Then go!” She waved her off in urgency. “Bart, take her console!”

“Hai!”

“Patch me through to Adam.”

“Hai!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Adam appeared on screen.

“I’m sending you Comet along with the Sword Silhouette. We need you to defend the Deuterion Cannon while it’s activated.”

“Understood. But why didn’t you have Meyrin tell me?”

“Meyrin’s the one that’s going to fire the beam.” She looked at him sternly.

Adam’s face turned pale. “Launch that Silhouette Flyer, and I don’t mean later!” The Sword/Comet Combination Flyer shot out of the Catapult. “Shinn, I’m taking the first linkup this time!”

“Go, man, go!” I don’t blame you!” He replied.

“ATHRUN!” Kira clashed sword and shield with his best friend.

“The EAF are the ones attacking! So are you just going to let Minerva sink?!”

Meyrin ran down the hall, dodging metal left and right. Without saying a word, she climbed onto the uneven debris and inched her way through the hole. On the other side, she broke into a run again, jumping over, sliding under and rolling past pieces of metal, some of them slick with blood. “Let me make it in time!”

Adam returned the blade to his shields, and detached the cone. The cone on the Flyer split in two and slipped onto the shoulders of the M-3 unit. The blue and brown armor spread over the new equipment as the shield slipped into Falcon’s left hand and the rifle slid into the right. The shield spread open and activated its reflector. He flew into position beside the Deuterion Cannon. He began to fire shots as Windam and Astray approached.

Shinn jettisoned the Force equipment and awaited the Sword pack. As the autopilot rolled away, the laser markers guided the red swords into the giant robot. Once locked, Impulse changed color once again, to a red, black, and white scheme. He jumped into the line of sight of the Deuterion Beam. Adam continued firing and blocking shots from passing suits. “I won’t let you hurt her! You’re not getting passed me!”

“Target locked! Deuterion Beam, shousha!” Meyrin yelled, as the thin blue and yellow beam hit Shinn’s forehead plate. The energy gauge became full, and he took off into the advancing enemy battlegroup. “I did it!” She tried to shut down the cannon. Nothing happened. After attempting again she looked up, electricity starting to crackle around the cannon. There was a giant crack in the generator barrel. “Oh no! A crack like that, and a generator that won’t stop, it’ll turn this room into a giant short-circuit!” She ran as fast as she could as small explosions peppered the cannon. Then, all at once, the entire thing completely turned into scrap metal. “GYAH!”

Falcon turned around at the sound of small explosions. “What in the world?!” A bright flash covered his vision and his suit was blown back. “Gaahh!” He flipped open the visor and rubbed his eyes. Once his vision was cleared, he gasped, thick black smoke pouring from a large hole in the top of the cannon, shrapnel from the hull falling everywhere. His breaths shortened. “Sou… na… MEYRIN!”

“Why are you doing this?!” Kira grunted.

“This is why I told you to go back! If you don’t want to fight, then why are you…?!”

Adam landed on the smoking cannon. Securing his shield and rifle in the nose, Falcon engaged his knives from his hip shields. He drove them into the armor of the Minerva, cutting a doorway. “Please be okay. Dear God, please let her be okay!” Adam got out of the cockpit. He jumped into the door he made. “Meyrin! Where are you?! Say something, please! WOAH!” He stepped on a piece of floor paneling, it collapsed under him, and he had to climb back up. Continuing his search he got to the door, and forced it open all the way. On the other side, under a piece of paneling, was his pig-tailed love. “Meyrin!” He threw the piece off of her. Carefully, he cradled the unconscious girl. She was bleeding from two places on her head, but she was breathing.

Todoka, long been silent, finally straightened. “Yosh! This ship shall also advance.”

“Eh?” Yuna looked at him oddly, which was normal.

“Engines to full!”

The first officer took a while to understand the look on his face. “Aye! Engines to full!”

“Engines to full!”

“Um… but that means…” Yuna tried to point out something.

“Minerva needs to be sunk by our fleet, correct? If that’s so, then the flagship must go!”

“Eh… hmm…” Yuna put his hand to his chin.

“Hhhoooaaaa!” Shinn cried as Impulse dropped on an EAF ship, both its Excalibur swords engaged. He plunged them into the bow, and turned around sweeping through the bridge. As the ship began to sink, he jumped to the next, ripping chunks of metal and cables with the ringing of his sharp blades.

“No more!” Cagalli drove forward.

“Hmm… Okay!” Yuna slapped one hand into the other. “It’s an impressive victory. Withdraw the mobile suits and fire some more type-eight shells with the regular shells simultaneously!”

The order went out. “Mobile suits are retreating!” Bart reported.

“Eh?! They have us right where they want us, unless… they want to finish us off with high-yield explosives!” Talia figured it out. “Get as many CIWS ready as you can. Have Ray and Adam take cover. Make sure Athrun and Shinn stay clear.”

“Hai!”

“Simultaneous cannon fire, TEI!” Todoka barked the order.

Adam removed his helmet and gently slipped it onto Meyrin’s head and she convulsed in pain. “Sorry if this hurts, Meyrin, but if you get hit on the head one more time, you’re gonna kick the bucket. Now…” He lifted her up. “Let’s get you out of here!”

“I understand, but…. I honestly understand what you’re saying, but….” Kira continued to evade his friend.

“KGH!” Shinn grabbed a beam boomerang on his shoulder and hurled it into one of the attacking suits. As the other looked on in horror, the red suit jumped and split it in half.

“But Cagalli is crying here and now!” Athrun gulped at Kira’s tone. “She can’t stand seeing it this way, that’s why she’s crying now! Can’t you understand that?! Yet you say this war and sacrifices can’t be helped...” Shinn had both boomerang blades in hand, running across the deck of a ship, slicing into the Murasame stationed there. “And blame everything on ORB and Cagalli?! That’s how you justify shooting at those she wants to protect?!” The red-seeded Coordinator backswung his boomerang into two Astray Shrikes.

Ray’s rifle and the CIWS sent a barrage into the sky. The shells exploded in midair, including two type-eights. “Shit!” Ray hid behind his shield quickly, the shrapnel about to rain down upon the ship.

“Un… Kira!”

“If that’s so, I’ll bring you down!” Kira’s eyes became pure violet as he willed his seed to shatter. He drew his beam saber and flew towards Savior at top speed.

“Eh?!” Athrun reacted and drew his weapon, preparing to strike back.

Adam carried the girl towards the exit he had made. A blast of heat came through, along with the sound of loud metallic plunking. Recognizing it from the hangar, he turned tail and ran. As the world went silent in his ears, Adam’s footsteps seemed so far in between. The shrapnel shot into his mobile suit outside, and soon went through the hull of the ship where Adam was moments before. He continued to run as the sound of metal upon metal assaulted his ears as he dare not look back. He dove behind what was left of the generator. The orange-haired pilot held the girl wearing his helmet as tight as he could. “Chikshou!”

Freedom and Savior clashed, sword on sword, shield on shield. Breaking away from each other, Kira made the next strike with his second saber, backhanding it through Savior’s sword arm. “Agh! Geh!” Athrun was taken by surprise. No emotion other than the narrowing of his gaze was shown on the other pilot. Freedom’s attack was done in less than a second. The red and yellow Gundam was cut to pieces. All of it became twisted pieces of red shrapnel as the only intact portion fell away, the torso. Athrun looked back as his alarms blared around him.

Ray’s mobile suit was on its last leg, literally. The spray tore his left leg off. “That was too close.” He propped himself behind the Tristan cannon.

Adam looked around. There were holes big enough to fit a computer through. Small fires burned here and there, and the roof was threatening to collapse. “If it wasn’t before, it sure isn’t safe her now!” He danced around the sharp potholes, and a support beam above him melted from fire. It swung down level with him, the hot metal and the fire coating it planning to go through his face to complete its swing. “Shimatta!”

“Tei!” Todoka ordered as missiles launched from the rear bays.

“Missiles incoming!” Bart swallowed.

“Kaihee! Intercept!” Both Tristan cannons fired into the air, as a Windam’s torn torso fell into the ocean with a sickening plop. “Eey! What’s the point of the carrier coming to the front?!”

“No, stop! Go back, Takemikazuchi!” Cagalli begged as her raving tears poured from her eyes. Ray and the Tristan fired into the ship’s bow. Explosions riddled the carrier.

“Shimatta!” Adam cried as he instantly moved away from the beam. The hot metal passed inches from his nose. However the flames coating it weren’t so forgiving. They jumped into his open mouth and down his throat, scorching his tender vocal chords. The heat and pain made him want to scream, but no sound could emanate. He nearly dropped his love as he went to his knees, coughing violently. The sound of screeching metal reached his ears, and he looked up. The roof was starting to give way. Adam picked Meyrin up, disregarding his internal damage and ran out the hole. Orange and pinkish-red slowly ascended Falcon. He took off, not seeing the hole in the back of his suit, the power cable to his rear cannon in direct contact with the battery.

“Y-you! What the hell were you thinking, Todoka?!” Yuna grabbed the man by the cuff as the ship tilted forward. “With things like this….”

“Yuna-sama, I recommend you escape!”

“Eh?”

“All hands, abandon ship!”

“Aye!” His second saluted. “All hands, abandon ship! I repeat, all hands, abandon ship!”

“Takemikazuchi, go back!” Her pleas were too late.

“Keh!” Shinn snarled as he fired his rifle at her from the deck.

A Murasame slid in front of her and took the blow. “Cagalli-sama, I beg of you to esca-.” He cried as his systems overloaded.

“The order to destroy Minerva will be followed to the very end!” Todoka spoke quickly. “The blame for the loss of the ship, officers, and troops, will also fall on myself! ORB’s bravery will echo through the world because of this battle!” He wrenched himself free of the blue-haired man and grabbed his collar, throwing him into the door. “Escort the Commander to safety. All of you get the hell out of here!” His officers looked at him in astonishment. “This is an order! Don’t protect Yuna Roma, but our beloved nation!”

“Hai!” They all said, saluting, while Yuna checked his lip for blood.

The second officer stepped forward. “I will remain.”

“No you won’t.”

“I refuse to leave!”

“No you won’t!”

Adam’s systems were all but fried. His audio communication was of no use in his current condition. His text communication was locked onto Impulse. His weapons were down. Strangest of all, his power gauge was going back up. Once it hit 100 percent and still climbed, he got worried. Looking at Minerva’s hatches, he realized they were not going to open any time soon. Thus he turned towards the only option left, the Archangel. He jammed the throttle and headed for it directly.

Another explosion rocked the tilting ship, and Todoka grabbed a console. “If anyone shares your feelings, gather them and take them to Archangel!” He stood, taking his first officer by the collar. “If you follow them, the right path will open up to you!”

“Todoka-san!”

“I’m counting on you! Not for me, but for those who died meaningless deaths here today! Now go!”

“Cagalli!” Kira flew towards her with all speed.

A Valiant shot slid across Falcon’s starboard. “This is Captain Murrue Ramius of the Archangel. Although you have been identified as a friendly by one of our units, you are stationed on a ship that considers us an enemy. Friend or Foe? Respond or be disabled.”

Adam was in a panic. His girlfriend moaned in pain in his lap, he couldn’t send text messages, he couldn’t speak, his battery was at 150 percent and climbing. The orange-haired boy shed a tear as he tried to speak, even in a whisper, but the pain was too great. The stress overtook him as his brown eyes solidified, his seed had broken once again. “K…k…k…. ‘Killing because someone was killed… being killed because you killed… is that twisted thinking really going to lead to peace?!’ CAGALLIIIIIIIIII!” Adam coughed violently after he forced the words out, blood splattering Meyrin’s uniform.

Everyone halted as they turned towards the source of the transmission. “Adam!” Cagalli turned. “Archangel, let him in! He’s damaged!”

“What?!” Milly gasped.

“Just do it!” The port catapult opened and Adam flew inside.

Shinn landed next to the Takemikazuchi bridge, stomping up the deck’s angled surface to get face to face with the people inside. Todoka looked into the camera amongst the flames behind him. He went wide eyed for a moment and smiled. “It was good to see you again, Shinn… Asuka.”

The boy in the red flight suit raised his mobile suit’s weapons over its head. “HhhheeeeaaaaAAAAHHH!” He cut through the man from above. With that one swing, Shinn killed the man that saved him at Onogoro, that took him under his wing, that sent him to ZAFT to start over. Shinn didn’t even remember his name, and how, he never would. Impulse jumped away as the entire carrier burst into a misshapen ball of flame.

Falcon skidded on its knees, the cockpit already opening. Without even waiting for the winch, Adam jumped out with Meyrin in his arms. “Hey, kid, what’s all the rush?!” Murdock and the mechanics were running out to meet him, and Adam thrust the girl into his burly arms. “Huh?!”

He turned around quickly, determination on his seeded face. Running back to his unit, he tripped. “KAGH!” On his hands and knees, he coughed up more blood, much more of it. It didn’t matter to him any more. He looked up in anger as he swung his injured body back into the mobile suit.

The mechanics were blown back as Falcon went to full throttle and cleared the ship. “What in the world?!” Both Murrue and Talia mused.

Their sensor officers noticed something strange as well. “Massive energy buildup inside Falcon! It’s overloading!”

Adam drove Falcon clear of both ships. The citrus-haired teen opened his hatch as the power gauge hit 200 percent. The M-3 Astray Falcon, the blue and brown Gundam, Cagalli’s gift to Adam, burst into hundreds of pieces. Everyone that could still watch had their eyes riveted to the explosion. If the destruction of her ORB fleet hadn’t been enough, seeing this was enough to make her snap. “ADAM! NOOOO! AGH!” The last she said in a squeak as she gave up control of her suit. It was sent diving. Kira swooped in and picked Strike Rouge up.

“Adam….” Shinn’s eyes trembled. The only thing that pulled his eyes away from the Falcon’s bits plunging into the ocean was his name on his text screen. There was only a one word message: SORRY. His body convulsed. He tore off his helmet and vomited onto the floor of his cockpit. Finished, he lifted his head towards the sky. “HHHEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” It was a scream he used only once before, the day his family perished at Onogoro.