Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional and copyrighted by uh…Bandai and Sunrise, not me…darn

After the destruction of GENESIS, with Earth Alliance Forces suffering heavy casualties, and the moderate faction of the PLANTs Supreme Council taking over the government, both sides took heed to a cease-fire declaration, concluding the Second Battle of Jachin Due. Alliance forces retreated from the battle sector. Because of Freedom's unresponsive transponder that prevents pinpointing of its location and an unfruitful search by MBF-02 Strike Rouge around the massive cannon sector, Archangel, Kusanagi, and Eternal reluctantly left.

In terms of biological casualties, EAF would fill the top spot, and in military infrastructure, PLANTs, because of the loss of GENESIS and Jachin Due defense satellite. All in all, every side of that crossfire suffered heavily, either materially, economically, or even emotionally. Eternal was deprived of both its only mobile suits units, ZGMF-X09A and ZGMF-X10A, as well a METEOR weapons platform system. But this seemed to be nothing compared to the pain of a certain someone.

Nevertheless, if the words of Rau le Creuset, who mentioned about the 'dream' of mankind and expressed his hateful awe towards it, are true, then ZAFT could be considered the real victor after the discovery of a severely oxygen-deprived pilot and a still functioning nuclear-powered mobile suit by a drifting Nazca-class destroyer during its scan of the explosion site and its subsequent recovery many hours before the Rouge entered the area. However, due to the hectic situation following the war, the findings were initially ignored until an up-and-coming law graduate and prominent geneticist Gilbert Durandal received wind of it and pursued means to keep it under wraps, and under the radar of then-Provisional Council Chairman Eileen Canaver, who was a strong supporter of disarmament as outlined by the Treaty of Junius Seven on March 10, CE 72.

Shortly after the signing of Junius Treaty, when Durandal assumed the post of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman on June 1, CE 72, he initiated FAITH (Fast Acting Integrated Tactical Headquarters) as a means of bureaucracy-free, elite homeland defense group, reporting directly to him. The group is made up of officers and soldiers with outstanding service records. However, that is only a cover, a disguise the Chairman elaborately executed to conceal the true purpose of FAITH which is carrying out clandestine operations, especially trading and negotiations of sensitive materials, with other factions. The number of real FAITH members, which is a mere four, is multiple times smaller than those ZAFT personnel Durandal publicly decorated.

Due to its already covert status, a minor extent of mental conditioning, similar to EAF's human enhancement 'Extended' program, is performed on the real members to accentuate their abilities on the field. Even at minor conditioning compared to the extent used by the Alliance, the result was rather astounding as the subject Coordinators were strengthened more levels than their Natural counterparts. However, a short withdrawal symptom, which takes place averagely 18 hours after the conditioning, is unavoidable as the muscles and nerves revert to normal conditions. Despite the symptoms being virtually non-permanent simply due to the minor levels utilized, subjects have to endure through the after-symptoms largely by themselves instead of receiving more conditioning. This is done to avoid addiction. However, in case of a serious-case scenario of near death withdrawal, an experimental reversal procedure will be performed.

Furthermore, if an operative were to kick into a drawback state during a mission, a derivative of the performance-enhancing drug Gamma Glipheptin, the more stable Phi Pehpilgtin which also doubles a pain killer, can be injected to delay any distractions to the senses and muscle ability. Though tested more reliable than its predecessor, Phi Pehpligtin, short-hand 'PP', deals more severe after-effects on Coordinators than on Naturals simply because of the PLANT-dwellers' more advanced immunity.

Most assume that major events outline history, but it is the small details that shape the major happenings. Mankind, just like any of the human races, is defined by progress, but conflict is necessary for progress, for with contentment comes silence. Therefore, power is necessary because conflict will never disappear. Someone, if must, have to fill the position of the villain for the betterment of man, directing the behind-the-scene stage hands for the opening night play.

Final Rehearsal
Silenced weapons are the preferred armament of use for low-profile violence. Secret agent movies such as 007 proved that, though on exaggerated Hollywood level. Nevertheless, through the use of silencers, pedestrian outside the Teran Hotel in Savannah, Georgia of Atlantic Federation, is still largely ignorant of the situation inside after the hotel's power generators went down. In truth, blood spillage of April 13, C.E 73 is commencing starting on the middle level, floor 15, of the hotel by two FAITH agents after a not-so-smooth information trading with the largest arms-dealer of the USA region.

"It's fortunate that you had hacked into the generators" whispered a voice in the dimly-lit area. "The greed of that leader is as obvious as the size of his waist. It's surprising that he is smart enough to see our intel being utterly nonsense"

"We are used to this, and we have achieved our objective: getting their communication methods" replied another.

"If that fatso escapes, he will tell them. If so, then this intel is as good as nothing. We need to waste him before then. Thermal, ready?"

Consecutive gun muzzle flashes granted a glimpse of two individuals: one with gray hair armed with two laser-sighted Desert Eagle Mk 34Silenced handguns and another with brown hair armed with just one. Both were about 170 cm in height, and were wearing black suit and infrared vision enabled spectacles. With every shot as they rushed though several corridors, bodies fell with a fatal hole to the head or neck. However, engaging an arms-dealer group in a firefight is never going to be smooth endeavor for 2 minutes into their mop, three Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-7-32 anti-aircraft gatling guns laid an ambush along the 10-meters-in-width main corridor of floor 30, just one more level before the helicopter landing pad, and effectively sealing the stairs and elevators leading to the pad.

The hail of bullets chipped the concrete walls and ripped through the curtains and windows facing South, shattering glass onto the sidewalk and causing pedestrians to panic as some were severely mutilated by the raining silica-sand compound. Worse, the deafening barrage alerted the surroundings within at least 300 meters radius. However, with some of the covering fabric gone, the moon light better illuminated the interior of the building and the two individuals.

"We are attracting too much attention" said the pleasant-looking gray-haired youth as he stopped behind the brown-hair before the treacherous corridor. "Hey-"

"It grazed me" he replied, covering a bullet wound halfway across his abdomen and slumping down against the wall behind him while holstering his gun back into his coat.

"Where's your PP?"

He took out an injector-syringe pack from the pocket under his coat and found it holed by the same bullet that wheezed through the top of his stomach skin's subcutaneous layer. They couldn't share the injection either because each dose has been specifically prepared for each one of them. Doing otherwise would result in dire consequences.

With his left hand covering the wound and his right feeling a ring-like object beneath his shirt, he took deep breaths, swallowed the pain and said "Nevermind. That incoming rotor sound…we have no time. Cover me, Heval"

"Wait, Kira. Urg-" he groaned due to the twitching pain in his arm, prompting him administer his own drug.

Right before relieving himself though, Heval flung a flash grenade into the corridor in an attempt to blind the operators of the gatling guns as Kira dashed across and attracted the suppressing fire. The action seemed to accomplish its intended purpose for a second after detonation, the aim of fire became disoriented and then halts. The wounded FAITH agent sprung back around the corner and sprinted towards the batteries. At the fifth step, he fired, silencing the leftmost operator of the gatling, and then at the seventh step, the middle operator. The last one, however, he failed to nail for the chamber of his gun is empty. When the last operator recovered, Kira is still too far to enter close combat. As the gun barrels start spinning, he kicked through the door of room '3015', and walked in on an almost naked couple cowering at the corner of the suite. Nevertheless, the operator had forgotten about Heval's presence and paid for it dearly when two .38 caliber APS (Armor Piercing Silent-type) shell blasted into his right cornea one after another with pinpoint accuracy.

With the successful neutralization of the hurdle, Kira, applying a patch over his bleeding wound, led the way through the steel rooftop door into the night breeze of the building's highest level. Due to the increased lighting, they deactivated the thermal vision on their glasses' lens. Towards the end of a set of metal stairs leading to the helicopter landing platform, the leader of the arms-dealer finally came into view. Both FAITHs initially assumed he was alone but when a glinting blade swung horizontally at Kira's neck, they realized they are the ones outnumbered 3 to 1 by katana armed men.

"Wrong choice of weapon, guys" Heval taunted, his voice very vicious.

The answer to his comment was two slashes by different blades from rear, attempting to slice him into three. However, with the heightened senses of conditioning, he swiftly ejected his weapons' magazines, which had a pink-haired person's sticker on them. Therefore, if the final bullet was to be fired, the absence of a reloading bullet will cause the slide of the guns to snap back, opening the area where used shells are ejected. At the same time as he trapped the blades into the opening, two bullets drilled through the flesh his assailants. Feeling the release of the swords' pressure due to the death of their owners whose corpses rolled down the stairs, Heval passed the katanas towards his partner evading slashes on the platform.

Kira caught them and used one to block a power swing to his left. Then, he stuck the other one deep through the vertebrae of another opponent directly ahead before twisting it to ensure the separation of the nervous system. With the fall of half of their numbers in less than five seconds, the one at the bottom of the stairs and two on the platform hesitated in their follow up.

"You call yourselves the best? What did I pay you for?!" shouted the oversized leader as a ladder rope was dropped from his escape helicopter.

Since the element of surprise is gone, the advantage now shifted to the two youths. After recovering the magazines and reloading his weapons, Heval began by turning tail up the stairs, making the swordsman chase after him. Kira did the same thing by running towards Heval. The latter aimed his guns at his partner and squeezed the triggers. Kira leaped over him and wielded his sword down onto Heval's pursuer, cutting along the sagittal plane and causing crimson liquid to spray all over. The two bullets that looked intended for the brown-hair struck the groin of one swordsman and trachea of the other. As the shots were not fatal, Heval and Kira approached the one crying in pain and the one croaking for air respectively. The gunner knelt down and planted the tip of his weapon on the bloodied genital area and delivered three consecutive shots. On the other hand, the blade-user slid one of his swords slowly down the open throat wound and into the heart. If seen in a certain angle, both of their eyes seemed to gleam as if in pleasure.

Hanging by the ladder rope, the oversized leader was rejoicing because of his successful escape. Of course, he laughed too soon for Heval threw a time-fused grenade baseball-style to Kira who used his flat side of his remaining sword like a bat and whacked the greenish-black ball of explosives flying into the open, laughing mouth of the soon-to-be-dead, plus-size man.

With their mission rarely ending so brightly, Heval grabbed the staggering Kira before launching a wire anchor from a mechanism hidden in his right wrist to the building and swung over to it, crashing through a thin plate of glass in the process. Kira drew a PDA from the back pocket of his black pants as soon as they are safely inside, and entered the code 'BYEBYE' to which the Teran Hotel imploded upon itself, killing all its occupants and a fraction of the law enforcement on ground, but more importantly, eliminating any evidence that the two were ever there.

'FAITH encrypted access code 214425FRE' displayed a notebook screen which is specially and directly connected to one of ZAFT's orbital satellites, 'retinal identification verified. Kira Hibiki…Establishing communication…"

After a few minutes, the security interface gave way to a two-way video-cam window. On the other side is none other than the PLANT's Supreme Council Chairman.

"I was worried. You didn't make contact for 48 hours" Gilbert said first.

"Forgive me, sir. The transaction ended longer than expected" Kira replied.

"Are you alright? And Vijand?"

"Yes. We are fine. Heval's drawback had just ceased. He is resting now"

"I'm glad. I take it you are in the base hospital right now?"

"We arrived 10 hours ago. Diocvia is not a high profile base like Gibraltar. We will less likely be discovered here. When Heval recovers, we will proceed with the next step of the mission plan"

"This is the most dangerous part. You need extremely cautious. Our offer may seem viable, but the material we are asking for could be very sensitive to LOGOS's welfare"

"Thank you for the concern, sir"

"You don't have to be formal with me, Kira, especially when we are talking one-on-one like this. Remember, we are family."

"Thank you, uncle" the younger said with a lightened tone.

"No, I should be the one thanking you" replied the older before cutting off communication.

He closed the notebook and rested it on the bedside table before taking out the intravenous needle connected to his left arm. Silencing his steps so as not to disturb Heval, he exited the dimly-lit, sound-insulated room into another dimly-lit corridor. Actually, a whole block of the hospital wing had been cordoned off for them so as to avoid anyone, not even a doctor, hearing or coming into close contact with the after-effects of both youths' conditioning. Since the four agents had been thoroughly trained in medical operations, even the closing of Kira's abdominal wound was done personally, just like how the other three would have done it.

Wearing a standard issue military undershirt and the same black pants, he entered into a lighted public area where the music 'In This Quiet Night' is playing and other people could finally be seen. Because he and Heval do not sport any of the ZAFT color coats and only display their FAITH badge when necessary, they can easily pass off as civilian and that stance is essential to protecting their identity. Walking out onto a balcony of the fifth floor, the first thing that caught his sight was the full moon above the converging horizon of the dark sky and the Black Sea. Responding to the rather familiar view, his right hand raised to the ring-shaped object on his chest behind the shirt. Somehow, to unknown reasons, whenever he touches it, a warm, protective feeling envelops him, granting him strength and support, just like during the incident in Savannah.

However, that wasn't the only thing that suggested him those feelings. There's one other, more massive one that follows him around. However, since it infringes upon one provision of the Junius Treaty, which is the prohibition of a nuclear engine on a mobile weapon, he had never used it on the field. Even a training run carried out back in Maius made him uncomfortable piloting it. But, the funny thing is, just looking at it and being in it gives an entirely contrary effect than piloting it. Will alone…strength alone… Despite his reluctance to use it, his uncle insisted on it being delivered whenever he goes as protection if necessary. He followed along with that until this most recent mission where he just left it in the base.

Nonetheless, the Chairman's action brought out a question in his mind. Why was he assigned the mobile suit when he cannot utilize it? Gilbert's words saying that he is one of the best pilots of the Bloody Valentine's War doesn't match up with his inability in this matter.

Even the secrecy concerning him, Heval Vijand, and two others he had never met seemed to add to the overall mystery. In fact, most of the information concerning the other three was classified. It wasn't until he was assigned with Heval that he came to know him personally as an amiable, funny person, and also an avid admirer of Lacus Clyne's songs. His tendency to joke seemed to have a creative impact upon his actions during missions. It was rather evident in Savannah when he suggested a baseball game.

Heval's recounts of his past struck Kira as being, to some extent, rather similar to his own. He was orphaned in the war. A ZAFT soldier found him. He enlisted in ZAFT as a test pilot. And now, at the age of 18, he is picked by Durandal to FAITH.

After hearing Heval's words, he felt envious at his partner's remembering his life. He, on the other hand, knew his past only through someone else's words. After waking up in a Junius City hospital, all was blank, his name, his memory. The first person that visited him was Gilbert, who introduced himself as a sibling to his father. Through subsequent visits until Kira's recovery, the geneticist filled him in about his history: a student in Copernicus City, then an orphan after a Blue Cosmos terrorist attack, then a ZAFT enlistee, until the Second Battle of Jachin Due where he lost his memories due to extended periods of oxygen-deprivation.

The only possession on him when he regained consciousness was explained to be a momento from his mother, but it didn't feel that way. The more he pondered, the more conflicting facts surface; the more questions arise; the more emptiness chip away at whatever he believed. However, due to Gilbert's caring and responsible attitude, he decided to trust him as being truthful about his life before FAITH, which is orphan-turned-ZAFT special ops.

Before noticing it, he had wandered onto the front of the hangar where a large container about the height of 12 meters and length of 20 meters containing his suit lay on top of a trailer. Chuckling his absent-minded action off, he turned around only to notice a non-military individual in a distance next to a series of hangars. The figure was loitering around while holding a piece of paper and lugging some sort of luggage. Observing the lax security of the small undermanned base, he grew suspicious and began approaching the figure until he noticed a swerving military jeep speeding along the length of a hangar while the person is walking down the width of it. The drunken driver, who could somehow still drive almost straight, and the person couldn't see each other. So, if left alone, an accident would most likely happen at the corner of the hangar. Kira began running despite risking opening his wound.

The moment the person stepped past the corner, her eyes widened at the incoming headlights before shutting them back and letting out a scream. Kira shared his kinetic energy as both cleared the path of collision. So as not to hurt the person, he switched their position so he is the one taking the brunt of the fall. His subsequent reaction time slowed because of the feeling of a rip in his stomach.

"Th, thank you" she said, with blushing face, still on him.

Getting a good look at the person, he discerned her long, grayish-black hair, and the freckles on her cheeks. As for her outfit, she donned a pair of jeans and stripped shirt beneath and an orange vest. Other than her pleasant voice, she looked rather ordinary.

Kira simply nodded due to the pain of his wound partly reopening. Kira's motion snapped her back to reality as she flustered to get up. He then followed suit and said, "You are not in the military. What are you doing here?"

"I was told to wait in the main lounge, but no one came and this clearance paper said that my flight should have departed a few minutes ago. So I came out on my own…I'm lost"

"May I see that?" he said, taking a look at the mentioned clearance which bears her name, Meer Campbell; the destination of Gibraltar; the plane, Ravenwind; and Durandal's personal initials at the bottom of the paper. "Your flight was delayed in Carpentaria for a few hours because of weather. Please follow me"

He led her towards the entrance door of the runway control tower, which is a short walk away, and advised her to stay inside until the flight arrives. All these while, Kira didn't realize she was eyeing him intently until she noticed a red patch on his shirt.

"Your stomach…"

"It's nothing…please, wait inside. I have to go" he said, keeping a straight face so as not to appear injured, before commandeering a passing jeep and left.

"Wait, may I know your name?" she asked but he was already out of earshot.

A/N: This is my attempt at making Kira/Lacus relationship more chaotic than in GSD (Muahahaha…choke…) and one or two OCs more powerful than the SEEDs. Kinda ambitious, eh? How is it?