Gundam SEED: True Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED

Summary: AU/What-if? Spoilers for those who haven't seen all of SEED yet ….
What if Rau didn't capture Flay during Operation Spit-Break? How would Kira deal with this? And what would the Alliance do?


Chapter 1: Seen and Unseen, the Descending Sword

"Siegel Clyne! I have bad news, it appears that Zala has deceived us." Eileen Canaver said, holding in the franticness of the news

"How so?" Siegel asked.

"It appears that Operation Spit-Break's target isn't Panama, its Alaska!" she told him.

"Alaska!" the shock was evident in his voice.

Kira dropped his cup of tea, breaking it and the saucer dish underneath as the news sunk into him.

"Kira?" Lacus asked worriedly

"He's planning to destroy the Earth Alliance with one fell swoop. The council didn't approve anything of this nature." Eileen continued, apparently unaware of Kira.

"Kira." Lacus repeated, moving to his side and gently putting her hands on his shoulders.

Alaska was the Archangel's destination since their ill-fated descent to Earth, and all of Kira's friends and crewmates were there. Sai, Miriallia, Kuzzey, Natarle, Kojiro, Mu, Murrue … and Flay. He clutched his heart as the memories threatened to overwhelm him.

"Kira." Lacus said sadly.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mu asked as he surveyed the people around him, trying to ignore the annoying whistle being blown.

"I guess they're still sending troops off to Panama." Natarle replied, leaning in to look at Flay's transfer papers. "The ship you'll be on is headed in that direction. Where's yours Commander?"

Mu drew his attention back to the present reality. "Hm? Oh, I'm with this little lady right here."

"Is that right." Natarle said a hint of sadness evident.

The ZAFT forces continued their journey towards Operation Spit-Break's target while the Earth Alliance was seemingly oblivious. Natarle raised her hand to salute her superior officer.

"Goodbye Commander …" she looked down to see his hand outstretched.

"Yeah, you take care, Lieutenant." Her hand moved from her head down to Mu's and he shook it firmly.

She looked at her hand a little oddly as Mu and Flay departed to find their boat, and Natarle turned to do the same.

"How's the evacuation coming?" an Earth Alliance officer asked.

"I'd say another three more vessels." His superior informed him.

"Does that give us enough time?" the first asked.

"There's no way they'll get to the deepest levels that quickly." He replied confidently.

Natarle found her ship and quickly boarded it, taking one last look at the docking bay before the doors sealed shut.

"Just line up here. You'll have to show these papers when your turn comes up. Understand?" Mu told Flay, handing the girl her boarding papers.

He turned to leave.

"What?" she asked confused at his sudden departure.

"Ah, I forgot something." He said lamely, tossing her a wave as he left.

The control room of the JOSH-A base was oddly deserted despite the sensors showing incoming forces. The enemy passed by the outer proximity alarms, setting the alarms off in the base for all to hear. Everyone looked around in confusion and from the horizon, an attack force appeared.

Dozens of ZAFT VolPHAU carrier planes opened their cargo bay doors to unleash their deadly cargo: GINN and CGUE mobile suits. The automated defenses of the Alaska headquarters immediately activated, opening fire and downing a few suits before being destroyed, their positions having been previously pinpointed thanks to accurate intelligence. BuCUEs dropped and started their attacks as the sea bound GOOhN underwater mobile suits exited their Vosgulov-class submarine carriers.

"Incoming message from the Joint Operations room." Kuzzey announced.

"Captain Sutherland! What's going on?" Murrue asked as the image of Sutherland appeared onscreen.

"All defense forces are to launch at once and commence interception." He ordered.

A surprised reaction ran through the bridge crew as Sutherland continued. "They tricked us! At the last minute they switched their target here to JOSH-A."

Missiles struck targets along the base, from defense outposts to underwater defense nets. Officers in the docking bay attempted to maintain control and still get everyone onboard.

"Everyone hurry up and get onboard." One said.

Flay looked around her and made up her mind to run. Mu was running through the corridors, silently cursing ZAFT and the EA. Then something clicked in his mind and it didn't help to explain the situation.

"Damnit, what the hell is going on here? This place is empty!" he muttered as he stepped inside a freight elevator and started it up.

"Fighting under these overwhelming conditions is suicidal, but we can't afford to lose Headquarters." Murrue said.

"Captain!" Arnold interrupted, turning from his helm console.

"All hands proceed to Level One Battle Stations! We've been given our orders and the Archangel is taking off." she ordered.

Kuzzey was not so confident. "You're kidding, without Kira or the Commander?"

Lacus entered the small glass gazebo to see what Kira was doing. "Uh, Kira?"

Kira turned and smiled weakly as tears began to roll down his face. Lacus almost knew what he was going to say.

"It's time … I left here." he said.

"Where were you thinking of going?" she asked politely.

"I have to return to Earth."

"Why? Even if you go, you can't end the war by yourself."

He nodded. "I know, but I can't just stay here any longer doing nothing."

"If you just did nothing, because you thought it wouldn't help, then you'd end up doing less than nothing, for nothing would change, and nothing would end." He explained.

"Will you be fighting against the ZAFT forces again?" Lacus asked.

Kira shook his head slowly. "Then, the Earth forces?" she continued.

He shook his head again and explained it to her. "I now believe that I have a much better understanding of what we should be fighting against."

Lacus smiled. "Very well, I understand."

A servant held an elite ZAFT uniform in front of Kira and Lacus, and she turned to him.

"Please put this on Kira."

Kira looked at her oddly as she turned her head to the servant. "I'd like you to inform them that from now on, Lacus Clyne will be singing the song of peace."

The ZAFT assault progressed with Duel leading several Guul-mounted GINNs on a strafing run against Earth Alliance naval vessels. GOOhNs surfaced to finish the job as Rau flew towards his objective.

"Now, the curtain has risen and it's time for the actors to show their talents!" he said poetically.

Rau's DINN entered a secret waterfall entrance and noticed that Azrael's information was correct. Flay stumbled down the corridor, wondering where the Archangel was.

Rau exited his DINN, using the lift cord to reach the ground safely. And as Rau broke into a run, a familiar tingling sensation jolted through Mu's entire body.

"That feeling, is Rau Le Creuset here?" Mu wondered.

Rau studied the console screen in the control center with a lot of interest. Mu crept to the doorway, peering in to see if Rau was inside. His shadow crossed the screen and Rau turned to fire twice. Both shots missed and Rau ran to another set of consoles, allowing Mu to enter the room and avoid another two shots. Mu ducked behind a chair.

"It's been a while Mu La Flaga. I don't have time for fooling around; though we've only just met again I apologize for leaving so soon. But if you're still hanging around here then your usefulness to the Earth forces must be nearly at an end. Oh 'Hawk of Endymion' how the mighty have fallen." Rau fired twice more and then exited through a door.

By the time Mu took aim the masked man was out of sight. Lowering his weapon, Mu inspected the same screen that Rau was looking at and was horrified. It showed the Cyclops system, outlining the immediate details.

"Damnit." Mu cursed.

Flay continued slowly down the corridor as shouts were heard.

"A ZAFT soldier!"

"One of them got in!"

Gunshots and cries of pain were heard and Flay quickly ducked into the corridor intersection thankfully but a meter away. So relieved she had found shelter she didn't notice the EA soldier who fired once before taking a bullet to the heart. The man fell wordlessly to the floor and Flay was so surprised that she tripped over him, falling out into the open.

Seeing the gun on the floor, Flay quickly grabbed hold of it and pointed it at Rau who was advancing towards her, his gun aimed at her. He took one look at her and smiled in an odd way.

"Now this is interesting." He said.

"Daddy." Memories of George Alster flashed through Flay's mind as Rau looked at her.

Her gun slowly moved so that it wasn't aiming at him anymore. "That's my daddy's voice." She said, squeezing the trigger.

Rau bolted forwards and swiftly knocked her unconscious, grabbing hold of her before she hit the ground. He gazed at her almost fondly as a bullet nicked his left arm. Looking up he saw Mu charging forwards.

"Get away from her Rau!" he yelled, firing again.

Rau smirked and dropped Flay unceremoniously to the floor as he returned fire and ran again, out of sight in an instant. All of Rau's shots missed and Mu stopped as he glanced as Flay's unconscious form.

Growling, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. She moaned Kira's name as Mu ran off.

The Archangel exited the dock, Igelstellung cannons firing full force.

"Wombats, Valiants fire!" Murrue ordered.

Missiles launched as the rail cannons fired, downing ZAFT forces, allowing the legged ship safe exit from their berth. The fight was just beginning.

The limousine sped onwards towards the hangar as Lacus told Kira hopefully everything he'd need to know. She raised her hand in a salute.

"And this is how it's done, like this. That's how a ZAFT soldier would greet another soldier."

Kira raised his own hand in a salute, copying Lacus exactly.

Kira was dressed in the elite red uniform as he and Lacus floated down the corridor, saluting two noncom officers as they went by.

"Good afternoon." Lacus greeted them politely.

Kira kept silent as Lacus nodded at two technicians to open the door. They slid their keycards through the reader slot simultaneously, allowing the door to open. The pair floated through the doorway and finally landed on a catwalk in front of a large object. The lights came up, revealing a state of the art mobile suit.

"A Gundam!" Kira exclaimed.

"Actually that's not what it's called." Lacus told him. "This is the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. But you know Gundam's better because it sounds more powerful."

"Under orders from Chairman Zala they designed a new machine with the same capabilities as the Earth Forces mobile suits they captured and then added state of the art technology to it."

"But why … are you letting me …"

"I feel that this machine has the power you're going to need. Neither will alone nor strength alone, will be enough, that's why." Lacus explained.

"Will this take you where you want to go? Will it help you when you get there?" she inquired.

"Neither will alone, or strength alone." He repeated, staring at the Freedom.

Kira looked at Lacus with a serious look on his face. "Who are you, really?"

"I am simply Lacus Clyne, and you are Kira Yamato." She replied.

"I'm grateful." He corrected.

Kira found a room to change in and quickly donned the red ZAFT flight suit and met Lacus at the cockpit hatch of Freedom.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yes, I too will be singing the great song of peace." She replied.

"Be careful."

"I will, you too Kira. My strength goes with you." She leaned in close to him.

Kira had heard similar words before the drop to Earth and for a moment, he pulled back. Lacus didn't notice or didn't care; she kissed him on the cheek. A faint blush rose to his cheeks as he nodded.

"And now, you should be on your way." She pushed off and Kira entered the cockpit.

He booted up the OS, noting that the words had changed to General Unsubdued Nuclear Drive Assault Complex. Then something else caught his attention.

"N-Jammer Canceller? Amazing, it has over four times the power of the Strike."

The dual eyes flashed as he activated the phase-shift armor. Neither will alone … the engines warmed up. Or strength alone … Lacus waved goodbye to him as the doors closed. Alarms went off in the control center as the crew scrambled to find out why Freedom was active and who was piloting it. The launch doors opened, allowing access to space and Kira gunned the engines, taking off and leaving the PLANT, passing by two GINNs as they attempted to give chase.

Two more GINNs opened fire from ahead of him and he easily avoided their shots. Both pilots remarked at the speed of the rogue suit as Kira drew his beam saber and sliced both of the GINNs heads off, leaving them almost blind. Freedom sped onwards, passing by a ZAFT shuttle. Athrun looked out the view port in amazement as the suit continued towards Earth.

The assault on JOSH-A continued with the Alliance unsuccessfully holding the ZAFT forces back. The enemy pressed forward, destroying the new naval ships that were in their way. A glimmer of hope appeared to the remaining defenders, the Archangel finally entered the fray head-on.

"Wombats fire!" Murrue ordered, and four missiles launched, taking out a few Guul-mounted GINNs.

"Incoming missiles." Warned Jackie Tonomura.

"Evade!" The Archangel slid to the left, evading most of the missiles, but some managed to hit.

"Direct hit to starboard flight deck." Dalida Lolaha Chandra reported.

Duel and a squad of GINNs swept by a linear tank corps, shooting the tanks as they flew overhead. Yzak was not happy about the challenge they provided. Inside the city, Mu had managed to acquire a motorcycle, and propping the still-unconscious form of Flay on the bike, he sped towards a hangar as the images of the Cyclops system replayed in his mind. Would they really … ergh, damnit!.

He slid to a stop inside the building and closed the door, hopefully delaying any ZAFT forces that came that way.

The Archangel moved to fill the position of a destroyed naval ship, firing its Gottfried cannons at a bunched up group of GINNs and CGUEs. Six DINNs closed in on the legged ship, and it was clear that ZAFT could easily win the battle through attrition alone.

"Damnit, Headquarters has been completely outmaneuvered." Dalida growled.

"Has the entire main force been sent to Panama?" Sai asked.

"That's what it boils down to." Dalida replied.

"But they're going to turn around and come back right?" Miriallia asked.

"Sure, but let's just hope they get here before we're completely wiped out." Jackie told them.

"Incoming missiles!" the Archangel fired the powerful Gottfried beams into the center of the salvo of missiles destroying many and allowing the CIWS Igelstellung defense to destroy more. Some missiles managed to impact, sending shudders through the ship.

"So, they're sacrificing the Eurasian forces and the legged ship. Sometimes the Earth forces plans can be quite entertaining." Rau noted, observing the battle from afar.

He entered the DINNs cockpit and powered up. "The more guarded the vault is the more valuable the treasure is thought to be. I sincerely hope the legged ship can make it through this."

A blast struck the ground of the base just as Mu opened the door, coughing as he quickly ran through the billowing smoke, hoping to get Flay to safety. He ran to a noncom soldier on the line question the fate of the 11th Air Corp when Mu interrupted.

"Hey, tell me who's in charge here!" the reply was interrupted as a CGUE and three DINNs landed inside the fourth entrance and moved in, blasting any targets of value on their way.

A technician collapsed in fear as the hopelessness of the situation overwhelmed him. "Look you've got to withdraw from here, this base is being abandoned! Come on, get up! Gather the survivors and get out of here! Get at least ten kilometers from the base. You got that, it's an order!" Mu said, climbing up the cockpit of a Spearhead VTOL fighter and placing Flay in the second seat behind his.

"I didn't choose to be a hero, but …" Mu muttered, putting on a flight helmet as the tech ran off.

The canopy closed and sealed as a GINN landed in the entrance and raised its gun. Two missiles struck the hapless mobile suit, sending it backwards off the deck, plummeting. Mu launched, desperately thinking of way to survive.

A fleet of submarines continued their escape from JOSH-A, carrying carefully selected officers to freedom. Captain Sutherland entered the board room to inform his comrades of the news.

"The enemy has breached Gate 4, and they've started their first assault into the base interior. It won't be long before they reach the main gate, but my hope is that we can ensnare at least 80 percent of their forces."

Natarle was aboard one of the submarines, sitting on the cold deck with the rest of the officers. Two of them were attempting to converse quietly about the fate of JOSH-A and the rumor that it was all a trap for ZAFT. The news shocked Natarle, many people she knew were defending the base. She stood and confronted the two officers, still huddled behind a few crates.

More missiles struck the Archangel, damaging both Valiant rail cannons. Sai reported that the ship's damage was surpassing 30 percent. More reports about ships of the defense fleet being sunk flowed in, and Murrue demanded to know if Headquarters was responding.

"I can't get through to them! All I get is the same message repeated on all channels: all units hold your positions and return fire as the situation calls for." Kuzzey replied flustering.

"It's obvious that the chain of command has been cut." Arnold said. "Captain at this rate …"

An explosion rocked the ship and Sai wondered if any reinforcements from Panama were on their way. Jackie wasn't optimistic as more missiles were incoming. Mu flew overhead, finally locating the Archangel."

"Excellent, she's still hanging in their." Distracted, he didn't notice the CGUE until a few shots hit him, causing alarms to go off in his fighter.

"Archangel, this is La Flaga, do you read me? Archangel, answer me!" there was no response, so he increased his thrust, looping around to bring the ship into his sights.

"Incoming aircraft, it looks like it's damaged." Milly reported.

An image of Mu's fighter came on the screen as Murrue and Arnold questioned the sanity of the pilot.

"Deck crew, some nut in a fighter is going to land, take shelter!" Murrue warned.

"Everyone get out of my way!" Mu flew into the damaged bay at full speed, making a wobbly three-point landing before skidding sideways as the landing gear gave way.

The safety net caught the fighter and stopped it before it could hit anything and Mu popped the canopy, jumping out as he ran to the lift.

"Was that Commander La Flaga?" a tech asked.

"Get the girl to the medical bay!" he ordered before the lift doors shut.

The doors opened again, letting Mu step onto the bridge. "Captain!"

Murrue turned in shock as she heard his voice. "What the hell are you doing here Commander? What about your transfer?"

"That's not important; we have to get out of here right now." He informed her, standing beside her chair.

"This is one screwed up plan, what kind of orders did they give the defense forces?"

Murrue was speechless as the assault continued DINNs and a CGUE striking the city itself. Mu continued. "Now listen up, there's a large Cyclops system underneath Headquarters. That thing is powerful enough to turn everything within 10 kilometers of the base into a blast furnace."

"It's impossible to defend the base with what's left, and reinforcements from Panama won't make it in time. Soon the defenders will be gone and the main gate will come down and that's when headquarters will make the decision to activated the Cyclops and destroy the base. And in the process, they'll take out more than half of ZAFT's fighting strength! That's the scenario as imagined for this battle by the top brass."

The bridge crew was shocked and Murrue found her voice first. "It can't be!"

"I swear I saw it with my own eyes." Mu said. "The command center is completely empty. The only ones left to fight back are the Eurasian forces and the Archangel because those big wigs have given up on her!"

"So they left us here to die, is that what you're saying?" Arnold demanded.

"But only after a desperate battle so the enemy doesn't know it's abandoned." Mu confirmed.

The crew was silent until Miriallia spoke. "What kind of strategy is this? Because this is a war, and we're all supposed to be good soldiers, so if they tell us to we're all just supposed to throw away our lives." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Sai looked sympathetically at her.

"If the object of this whole battle was to lure the ZAFT forces closer in, then in my opinion this ship has already accomplished its mission. Note that I: Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel, make this decision alone. No other crewmember is to be held responsible for these actions."

"Don't put so much pressure on yourself." Mu said worriedly.

"This ship will now abandon the battle area and begin to make its withdrawal. Signal the other ships, tell them to follow us. To port, we'll break through the left side of the bay." She ordered.

Mu placed his hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "This won't be an easy escape for us, so I'm launching too."

"But Commander …"

"Don't worry about a thing, have you forgotten? I'm the guy who's famous for making the impossible possible." He left for the hangar.

Rau landed on the submarine and locked his DINN in place. Yzak caught his attention.

"Resupplying Yzak?" he asked.

"I've gotten past two gates, and next time I'll rip the interior apart!" Yzak bragged.

Rau pretended to think for a moment. "Because the legged ship is positioned there, we still haven't been able to breach the main gate. I believe I'd rather have you help out there."

"Thank you very much sir!" Finally, he was getting a chance to prove his worth by destroying the legged ship and breaching the main gate.

The assault continued, and while Mu fought the DINNs and any other suit above the water, any sea-faring suit moved ahead uninhibited. A ZnO fired all of its missiles, the barrage finally destroying the main gate to the JOSH-A base. DINNs, Guul-mounted GINNs and CGUEs took advantage of the opening and broke off their attacks, heading for their primary target.

"Okay, we've given you the main gate, so why not let us leave now?" Mu asked sarcastically.

He opened fire with his machine cannons on a DINN, CGUE and two GINNs destroying them all as the Archangel and any ships able to disengage approached three Vosgulov-class ZAFT subs. They fired their missiles and the Archangel slid out of the way, leaving the hapless vessel behind them to take the brunt of the missiles.

"The Duel is behind us!"

"Legged ship, today's your final day!" Yzak proclaimed.

"Damn, why now of all times!" Mu muttered, firing his Agni cannon at Yzak.

"Don't take me lightly; you're not dealing with the Buster here!" Yzak yelled, avoiding the shots and firing back, destroying the cannon.

Mu ejected the Striker pack before it damaged him as the Archangel moved to port to get past the blockade. More suits were incoming from 10'oclock as Kira started his descent into Earth's atmosphere. This time he was ready for it, not like the time he tried with Strike.

More reports of ships dying came in as Sai reported the extensive damage. Another squad of GINNs started their attack run on the legged ship, firing everything they had.

"We're finished!" Kuzzey moaned in defeat, covering his head with his arms.

"Calm down crybaby." Romero Pal reprimanded.

"Wombats fire! Engines to maximum, we've got to break through!" four more missiles launched just before the launchers were destroyed.

"The Archangel!" Mu said, flying around to face Duel again.

"Our thrust is decreasing; I'm losing ship's stability." Arnold reported.

A GINN buzzed the bridge and was followed by a second that came to a dead hover mere meters from the viewports. The pilot raised the heavy assault rifle and time seemed to slow. Even the GINN's outdated rifle could destroy the bridge in a few shots, thus rendering the rest of the Archangel useless.

Murrue swore she saw the gunpowder ignite and closed her eyes as an explosion lit up the immediate area. Freedom's beam rifle destroyed the rifle and Kira drew a saber quickly slicing the head of the GINN off. The bridge looked up and opened their eyes to see the backside of a new mobile suit, thrusters glowing as it hovered in front of the bridge.

Vents on the front of the suit released excess heat gained from the re-entry and the eye cameras flashed yellow. Mu and Yzak took notice, questioning where it came from. In a dramatic display, Kira spread the wings, a bluer glow coming from them as he opened a com line to the Archangel.

"This is Kira Yamato. Archangel, I'll cover you, please withdraw to safety."

That announcement had the same effect on all the crew, and they sat virtually motionlessly as Kira entered SEED mode to deal with the numerous suits flying around. His targeting computer popped up and he gained a lock on several suits and opened fire with his HiMAT attack, destroying their armaments, mono-eyed heads and arms.

"What the hell was that!" Yzak demanded.

"Please, stop wasting time and withdraw!" Kira ordered, coming onscreen on the bridge.

Murrue stuttered through several words as she tried to explain the situation. "Yes, but … well, there's a … Cyclops, beneath Headquarters … we're all just bait! They planned this, we had no idea! That's why we can't withdraw. We have to get further away from the base!"

"I understand." He said quietly.

His proximity alarm went off and he opened a general channel, flying forwards to once again use his HiMAT attack.

"Attention all ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces: any moment now the Cyclops system will activate and the Alaska base will self-destruct. Both sides cease fighting and withdraw from this area immediately. I repeat, the Cyclops system will activate and the Alaska base will self-destruct. Both sides please cease fighting and withdraw from this area immediately!"

"I'm not falling for that!" Yzak said, firing at Freedom.

Kira blocked the beams with his shield and noticed Duel. Memories of Elle and the shuttle flashed through his mind, his eyes narrowed. Yzak charged and Kira blocked the beam saber with his shield. Duel threw a punch but Freedom quickly countered. In frustration, Yzak fired his railgun but Kira cocked Freedom's head, letting the round slip past. Yzak headbutted Kira and slashed down with his saber, but Kira added more thrust, letting himself fly backwards as he flipped over, drew a saber, and charged Yzak, aiming for the cockpit.

Yzak screamed in terror and right before he was about to die, Kira reluctantly lowered the strike to slice off Duel's legs above the knees.

"Forget about fighting and get the hell out of here!" Kira said, delivering a powerful side-kick to Duel's back, sending the damaged suit plummeting to the ocean, only to be caught by a DINN.

"He didn't? But why?" Yzak questioned.

Beneath the ocean and more than 10 kilometers away, four Earth Alliance submarines continued their escape. The captain of one ship entered the board room and sat down in a chair next to Captain Sutherland. They removed their keys from their necks and placed it in the two devices before them.

"It is my sincerest wish that this terrible sacrifice will bring the war to a swift end." The captain prayed.

"For the preservation of our pure and blue world. Three, two, one." Sutherland added, counting down.

At one, both men turned their keys together, activating the Cyclops system. Mobile suits, vehicles and people exploded as the powerful and confined microwave radiation heated up any source of water, propellant and ammunition.

Alarms went off in any surviving ship as both sides noticed the exponential increase in energy coming from the base. Murrue ordered a swift departure, and for a minute, it seemed as if they wouldn't make it in time. Kira caught hold of a GINN that hadn't been quite fast enough and flew to safety as the Cyclops finally ended up destroying itself in a titanic explosion, wiping out all remains of the base.

"It seems we fell right into the trap the Naturals set for us." Rau remarked.

Kira set the GINN down and then exited his own cockpit as the crew of the Archangel came out to see if it really was Kira.


A/N: Sorry for the chapter length, but it's basically Phase 34 and Phase 35 rolled into one with a few minor revisions. The next chapter will feature more prominent changes.

Thanks to my beta readers and the suggestions provided:
Ramza Lionheart
AmuroNT1
Angel of Dreams
and the rest of you!