Well, would you look at that. Two stories in 5 days.

I am going to keep this short.

This is a story that involves a bunch of OCs of mine which are used in this story. Not all of them have been introduced but they are not the only ones. A lot of characters from the series will be involved in the story as well. I just wanted to work on a different side of the war than those who played the biggest parts.

Enjoy and tell me any ideas you might have or problems that you might see in the story, like facts that are wrong or just grammar or spelling errors.

"...caused panic for those who have family members or friends and colleagues that were living in Heliopolis as it broke apart in space. The destruction of the neutral colony under the command of the Orb Union is still under investigation but it is believed from those who survived the destruction that ZAFT forces were responsible for the destruction. It seems that eyewitnesses saw several ZAFT mobile suits enter the colony shortly before escaping to a shelter. The death toll is estimated at 820 but with many people still unaccounted for, the numbers are expected to climb in the ensuing days. This is yet another tragedy in the war on Coordinators. But let us remember the lives that have been lost since the war began. If you wish to contribute to the war effort, contact your nearest Earth Alliance office for enlistment. For the Preservation of our Blue and Pure World."

The rest of the newscast was muted by a women holding a remote control. She was sitting at a bar with a drink sitting in front of her. It hadn't been touched yet but the ice was melting in the glass. Setting the remote control down on the counter, the female made a call out to the bartender who was currently in back cleaning up. The bar was currently closed as it was the middle of the day but there were still a few people inside who were either working or just hanging out. With the call out to the bartender made, the female took a hold of the drink in front of her and downed it in a few large gulps. As the bartender came up to her, he had a bit of a smile on his face.

"Hey Clara. Are you wanting another round?"

Clara smiled and held up the glass. "Sure, why not Ben?" Ben took the glass from her hand and went over to mix another one for the woman. As he was doing that, Clara ran her hands through her ginger coloured curls to keep it out of her face. While Ben was doing the drink mixing, he decided to open up to conversation with her.

"So Clara, what are your opinions on that news broadcast? You know, since you muted the tv before they even finished."

Ben walked back over to Clara with the drink as she answered his question. Grabbing the drink from him, she took the spoon that was still inside and spun it around as she talked. "You know, this war has been going on for almost 11 months and they still won't get over it. The leaders of these places are acting like overgrown children who can't settle their differences."

As Clara was talking, Ben jumped over the bar and took a seat next to her with a beer in hand. " Well you know, most people who get into a position of power turn into a crazy person at some point." This caused Clara to laugh in response and take a sip from her drink. "Well the kids are getting too old for this kind of fighting. They are going to have to get over their differences at some point." Ben just glanced over at her with the mouth of the beer bottle only a couple of centimeters from his lips. He had stopped when he heard her opinion on the matter so he brought up something else.

"Well, isn't your old man in a position of power?"

"Ha! My old man may be one of those big shots but at least he understands how stupid everyone is being."

"Still, he is a high ranking member of the Eurasian military and is fighting against Coordinators, yet here you are sitting before us. Admiral Reyes' own flesh and blood yet also a first generation Coordinator."

"Tch..." Clara took a long sip from her drink before setting it down on the counter top. Emerald eyes stared at the ice as it slowly melted and shifted in the glass. It seemed as if she was trying to collect her thoughts before responding to his accusations, or so it seemed to her. "I was manufactured long before these stupid opinions surfaced within the Earth Alliance or among those people who hate the evolution of human kind. My old man just wanted a healthy baby and so did my mother. That is what they got. It isn't my fault that my parents wanted a child who could live up to their expectations without fail."

Going back to her drink, Ben didn't respond to her right away, knowing that she was venting her feelings at the moment and just let her continue. "You know the choice a parent makes to go against nature and genetically manufacture their children shouldn't then be placed as blame on the child. People just want their children to be perfect. But unfortunately, I wasn't and so they just went on having kids. I was tossed to the side and forgotten by my parents."

The bar had gone completely quiet as they ceased their conversation. Several long minutes passed as Clara just finished up her drink before standing up and grabbing her jacket off the back of her chair. Ben set his bottle down and stepped over next to her. Putting an arm around her shoulder after she had slipped on her jacket, he grabbed onto her shoulder and planted a kiss on her cheek. She smiled before pushing him away from her slightly, lifting his arm over her head and slipping past him. "Come on Ben, you know I have to get back." Ben gave her a fake pout and puppy dog eyes as he looked at her and whimpered. "But Clara! Come on, can't we have just a little bit of fun before you leave?" Chuckling as she walked towards the door, not even looking back at him to avoid the puppy dog look, she waved her hand at him. "You know I have to go pick up Ray and Andrei from the shuttle terminal. I can't be late again!" And before he could beg, Clara walked out the door, the bell ringing as the door hit it upon opening and closing. And with that, Ben let out a sigh, finished his beer and then got back to work.

Clara walked down the street, zipping her jacket up as she did and then pulling her long curls out of the collar and letting them fall over her shoulders. The weather seemed colder today for some reason but she didn't really mind it too much. Her heels sounded in clicks as she walked along the sidewalk. Calling up a car on her phone, Clara pulled out her ID card when it arrived that was then swiped through a machine. She got in the driver's seat and closed the door behind her. Taking off towards the shuttle terminal, Clara put on the news once again to listen to it. Everything seemed to be on the war effort or some other tragic story, something that she was tired of hearing. But it was something that she had to listen to in order to keep up with everything going on. And the news played as she drove, still covering the same thing.

"There are reports from the Relief Team at Heliopolis that there are still battles raging within the same space. ZAFT ships have been spotted by several members of the team and there have even been reports of mobile suits fighting one another."

Upon hearing that last part, Clara glanced down at the radio and turned up the volume on the story. It was something that would have really gotten her attention. As the story continued on, thoughts ran through her mind. "Mobile suits fighting each other... that can't be. Could ZAFT have faced a coup among some of their forces or something." Clara shook her head to get that thought out of her mind. "No. How would that have anything to do with Heliopolis? But maybe... just what is going on in space?" Clara hit the brakes as she didn't notice the red light change and almost ran through it. There was the sound of horns honking at her but she just ignored them. She just looked down at the steering wheel and mumbled to herself. "Father... just what is this world coming to?"

Back at the bar, Ben had finished cleaning up the bar and went back to his office in order to do some paperwork, leaving one of the other workers in the bar to help with the remaining people at the tables. He had changed out of his work uniform and dressed in casual clothing, including a navy blue button up shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. Rolling up the sleeves to his elbows, Ben then grabbed a shoulder bag and headed out the back door of the bar. He then locked up and walked to his car. Before he could even get within ten feet of the car, Ben stopped when he heard the cocking of a gun. He then felt the muzzle of said gun being pushed into the back of his head. A voice sounded behind him.

"Drop everything, get on your knees and put your hands up."

Ben complied, dropping the keys in his hand, the shoulder bag, and a bag that was in his other. He then slowly got on the ground on his knees and put his hands up, not doing anything in retaliation. As he moved down, he could feel the muzzle moving with him and still kept in place at the back of his skull. There were a couple seconds of silence before feeling a foot come down hard on his right shoulder blade, knocking him down onto the ground. Ben let out a grunt as his face hit the pavement with force. Before he could even attempt to move, he felt a knee dig into the small of his back and the full weight of a person behind it. This caused him to be pinned to the ground as the muzzle of the gun was once again placed against his skull. It was at this point that he knew that something more was going on than what he originally thought was going to be a basic robbery. But it was when he heard a second voice that he knew things were going to get even worse.

"Echo-01. We have the target in our custody. Go and search the building. Get it secured. Round up any others that you find."

Ben heard a mix of words words that he could barely make out over a radio but didn't have time to try and process it as the knee was removed from his back and the gun from his head. "Fuck..." He mumbled as he then looked up but still couldn't get off the ground as he felt the weight of a person back on him. Hearing footsteps, Ben could see a person with a gun walk around in front of him. Even if he couldn't tell much of what the person with the gun looked like due to the gear he was wearing, Ben could see the gun pointed at his head and also noticed the insignia for OMNI on his shirt. As a result, he just muttered out a curse of frustration. "Fucking hell..."

The man who had been putting his weight on Ben's back grabbed both of his arms and forced them behind him. Doing this, Ben could hear a set of handcuffs being pulled out before feeling the cold metal being attached to his wrists. After he had been cuffed, Ben was yanked to his feet, roughly and with force. The man in front of him kept the gun pointed at him while the other one shoved him forward. It was then that Ben saw an armour truck pull up into the near empty parking lot as the back doors then opened. Ben felt himself being patted down by the man who had cuffed him and as his pockets were searched, his wallet was pulled out along with a pocket knife and two firearms. They were all handed off to the one of the guards at the door of the back of the truck. The guard went through the wallet and pulled out Ben's ID card, scanning it with a machine and then reading off the results.

"Yep. We have the right guy. Benjamin Sylvain Brustier, aka 'The Coroner'. Age 27, Genetic Type: Natural. Occupation: Bartender/Owner of the Sunkin' Treasures. He is known to fake the deaths of people and gives them new identities. Has been working with illegal Coordinators and immigrants to smuggle them across the globe by using his bar chain as a front."

As the information was read off, Ben just chuckled because he felt a sense of pride from what had just been said. "Looks like I made quite a name for myself, haven't I?" As he said this, he was forcefully shoved into the back of the armoured truck. He couldn't step up and this caused him to hit the floor of the vehicle. Blood dripped from his forehead and the corner of his mouth, staining the floor. He tried to crawl and get himself up to his feet but then the guard grabbed onto the chain of his cuffs, hauled him to his feet and shoved him onto one of the benches on the opposite end from the exit. After he was forcefully sat down, his handcuffs were connected to the wall of the truck. It was then that he felt a pressure on the side of his neck. Clenching his teeth, he quickly felt his consciousness fading. But before he passed out, Ben could hear one of the guards talking into a radio.

"Targets acquired. Phase one complete. Phase two status, retrieve Clara Reyes, Coordinator."

Ben let out a cry that couldn't be heard and the doors were slammed shut and he blacked out. Ben slumped down in his seat though his cuffs remained sealed to the wall. While he remained unconscious from the sedative that had been forced into his system through a needle in his neck, his bar was getting raided. In total, there were 11 people in the bar other than Ben, 3 employees and the rest were people that Ben was trying to help out. One was a family of five and the other three were individuals who had each come separately to Ben for help. All of these people were brought into the back of the truck where Ben was sedated. The family registered as a Coordinator Mother, Natural Father and Coordinator children. One of the individuals was a Coordinator while the other two were naturals who were escaping the Earth Alliance. All three employees were also Coordinators, all of whom had escaped from the Plants.

The guards were forceful in putting all the people they had found within the building into the back of the truck. Each of them were handcuffed which was then sealed to the wall of the truck. Two of the younger children were crying, being only 2 and 6 while the third one, who was 11, was just scared. They stayed close to their parents but things were going to get rough. They got the same treatment as Ben, with ID being scanned and if they didn't have ID, their biometrics would be taken instead. After they were put inside the vehicle, they were then sedated so as to not cause more problems. After that, the doors were sealed shut with the guards inside and the vehicle drove away with everyone who was arrested.

With the raid that had happened, Clara had no idea that it was happening. She was still on her way to the shuttle terminal to pick up her two younger siblings. The news had ended and now it was blaring rock music through the speakers. Clara turned down the volume as soon as she heard sirens sounding. Her eyes glanced at the rear view mirror and they actually widened. There was several police cars coming through the street and cars were pulling over. She was wondering what the emergency was and let them pass as she pulled over when one of the cars passed her. She glanced at the car passing by and got a good look at it because it slowed down. It was a military police vehicle. On the door was the symbol for OMNI and that was when her mind was racing.

"God dammit... did they find things out... This can't be good."

The car passed her but Clara didn't let any of the others go by. She took the wheel, jerking it quickly and then floored the gas peddle. The car turned and zoomed through the street as all the other vehicles were at a stand still from the sirens. She pulled out past the first police car that had gone passed her and she knew that things were going to be a problem when that car sped up. She wasn't able to get a good look but she knew there were at least 3 cars, though guessing by what their intentions probably were, she knew that there was probably going to be more to come. That was when she took out her phone while driving and dialed a number. Placing the phone on speaker, she tossed onto the passenger seat and let it ring, though she was anxious.

"Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

The phone rung several times before Ben's voice sounded on the phone. "Sorry, I am not here at the moment but you can leave a message and-" She hung up the phone and dialed another number. "Dammit. They must have got him. I guess I need to call for some help..." The phone ran twice before it picked up. There was a voice on the other line but Clara didn't let them finish their greeting. "Ben's been taken. The location has been compromised." There was silence on the other end of the line before the voice of an older male gave a response.

"Rayleigh and Andrei?"

"I haven't got them yet. They land in a few hours."

"Is this line secure?"

"Probably not."

"Get to safety. I'll contact Izzy and divert the shuttle."

"Old man..."

Clara didn't get a response as she heard a click and the phone was hung up. She just left the phone on the seat and looked back at the cars still on her tail. She tried what she could to keep away from the cars before punching something into the dashboard of the car. It brought up a map and a cord popped out. She plugged it into her phone and let the data be transferred. The map that showed up put the car onto auto as it drove. The system from the phone was plotting a path for her to escape. As the systems did this and the car drove on it's own. Clara picked up a firearm that was sitting in between the seats. It was a sniper rifle with a silencer. She pulled it out and climbed into the back seat. Positioning the rifle to point through the back window. Aiming at one of the drivers in one of the cars, she let out a little sigh, hesitating for a moment.

"Lord, do not condemn their souls. Please provide protections."

This was said as she grabbed onto the cross, saying this like a prayer before grabbing the trigger and firing. The shot blasted out the back window of the car as well and hit the target that it had intended. The driver of the car closest to her was shot dead in the driver's seat. There were two other people in the car but their wouldn't have survived as the car quickly swerved on the road and crashed into a telephone pole. The impact at this speed would have sent them flying through the window and hitting the pavement. Clara didn't really seem to care about this and just took aim once more as she tried to take out the other drivers. And this was when she got a good look at them. There were more cars coming towards her. But she was quick and took out each of the drivers. The cars crashed with each driver that was taken out. It took a few minutes. When she thought that she had taken care of everyone, she left the rifle where it was positioned and jumped back over the seats.

The phone was picked up once again and dialed yet another number. There was no ringing when it happened, it was just a direct connection. "Open up the hatch. We need to take off right away. Cause I just committed treason!" As she said this, the car quickly came to a stop, braking as Clara held on tight. It backed up, drove down an alleyway and drove through the next street. After the car drove through several streets to make sure that there were no people tailing her, Clara grabbed onto the wheel and took over. She drove out to the harbour where there was a battle ship docked. The hatch was open and the car drove onto the ship. When the hatch closed, the ship immediately pulled out of port and went onto the open waters.

Clara opened the car door and walked out, being greeted by several people. Standing before her were several people in OMNI uniforms, hold guns, but they weren't pointed at Clara. As she closed the car door, grabbing her phone as she did and shoving it into her jacket pocket, the one person who wasn't holding a gun walked up to her with a smile.

"Clara. I'm so glad you could make it here safely."

"Yeah, well too bad I was the only one who made it here Silva..."

Silva's smile turned to a frown. He removed the hat from his head, showing his grey/silver hair which was tied off in a long pony tail behind his back. His chocolate eyes just looked at Clara for a long time before he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry about Ben. But we will get him back. Him and all the others." Clara nodded her head. "Yeah, but for now, we are going to have to clear up this mess, since now I am going to be wanted for murder." Silva nodded and guided Clara into the ship. They were going to have a long trip ahead of them.

Elsewhere, there was an older man who was in his late 50s that had just gotten off the phone in his office. He was dressed in an OMNI Uniform and was shown to have the rank of Vice Admiral. Immediately after getting off the phone, he let out a sigh of frustration before picking up the phone once more and dialing a number. This number was to one of the shuttles that was planning to enter the Earth's atmosphere. Calling to this ship as they were getting ready to descend, the Admiral gave the pilots an order to change course. Of course this caused confusion amongst the crew but they couldn't change the orders that they were given. This order was given to have them descend to a military base in Eurasia instead of just dropping off at one of the shuttle terminals. This military base was located on the coast in the sea of Japan. The reason given was because of some of the people on board needed to meet with the admiral and other members of staff. Once that call was taken care of, the Admiral made another call in order to get things ready.

In another place, there was a girl with bright orange hair tied up in low pigtails who was walking down the street. She had a pair of purple headphones on her head and music blasting through them. Currently, she was dressed in a school uniform and was currently headed home. Though her music was interrupted by a ring tone. She recognized this ring tone even though she rarely heard it. Pressing a button on her headphones, she picked up.

"Hey Uncle, what is it?"

"Izumi, are you able to catch a flight right now?"

"What, why? Is there something going on?"

"Something has come up. But I need you here at the base."

"THE BASE?! But that is like 5000 miles from here!"

"Izumi this is important. Use the card I gave you and don't forget your ID. I need you here by tonight. You have a new assignment."

"Aw fuck..."

"Watch your language."

"Sorry Uncle. Also, you mean the fake ID, right?"

"Yes. We don't need any more problems than what has already happened."

"Alright fine. But I am going to have to go home and grab my bag and get changed before heading out."

"There will be a plane waiting for you at the airport."

"Alright. See you tonight."

Izumi was about to hang up when she heard her uncle's voice one more time. "Wait. You are going to have to be in charge of Rayleigh and Andrei for a while." Izumi stopped and just yelled into the headphones. "What?! Why?! Wasn't Aunt Cendra taking care of them?" There was quiet on the other end of the phone line before Izumi asked. "Uncle... did something happen to Aunt Cendra?" More silence before he actually spoke. "Did you see the news on Heliopolis?"

"...Yeah." Suddenly it dawned on her. "Wait! Don't tell me that they were..."

"They were living there and she didn't make it to a shelter in time. Rayleigh and Andrei were both in school when it happened so they were both taken to shelters afterwards. The shuttle they are on is currently descending to earth. I need you to take them to Orb."

Now it was Izumi's turn for silence. Having just received the news that the woman who raised her was now deceased and she was going to become their care taker. It was a lot to take in. After a few moments of silence, she finally nodded her head and responded verbally. "Alright Uncle. I'll see you tonight. And I'll bring them to Orb."

Later on that day, Izumi arrived at the base and met with her Uncle. It was uncomfortable to say the least as she hadn't seen him in a year and some months, since she immigrated to Orb. She just stood in her Uncle's office for a long time before he said anything at all. Though it seemed like it was just as awkward for him as it was for her by how he talked.

"So Izzy, how is your studies?"

"They're fine. You know this since you are always checking with my school."

There was another moment of silence before he continued. "I know. I just like being able to hear things from you as well."

"You can quit the small talk. It isn't going to make anything better. But, I should be asking you this. Why me? Why do I have to take care of them? What about Clara, can't she just watch them?"

"Izzy, you know Clara is busy with her military duties. You are the only one who can do this."

"Do what? Take care of them? Hide them? Protect them? How? Should I do it the same way you people took care of my parents? Or Namie!"

"Izumi calm down. You know that I had nothing to do with the deaths of your parents."

"Yeah but you didn't do anything to stop it. With all the authority that you have, you couldn't do anything to prevent them from being killed. And you couldn't help Namie either. That's why she had to run away, to the PLANTS, isn't it? Because you couldn't help her."

"Yes. I know, I couldn't protect any of them, but I have been trying my hardest to protect you. Since the day you were born, I have been trying to keep you safe from the likes of Blue Cosmos and other people who despise your kind. And now, I am asking for you to please protect what remains of your family. Protect them Izumi. This is all I can do now."

Her eyes gave him a hard stare, showing her anger was still there. Izumi felt she should have hated the man but at the same time, she had to love him. He had been like a father to her for her entire life, he had protected her and she couldn't hate him for that. Because of this, she just let out a sigh. "I already promised I would protect them. I am not going to like it but I will. But you have to realize, I am still a kid myself and the government is already using my talents to benefit themselves. I can't promise that Rayleigh and Andrei will be safe from being used." Her uncle just gave him a simple nod and got up from his chair. He walked around his desk and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a hug. Izumi didn't return the hug and just let him squeeze her smaller form. It was enough for him. After a few seconds, he released her as there was a knock on his door.

"Admiral Reyes, the shuttle has arrived."

He looked at the door and responded. "Thank you." It was then that he looked down at his niece in front of him and gave her a smile. "Let's go meet them. You can stay here tonight and a plane will return you to ORB first thing in the morning. Is that alright with you?" Izumi just nodded, grabbed her bag off the floor and headed for the door. Admiral Reyes walked right behind her.

Down on the tarmac, the shuttle had landed and the passengers on board were disembarking. Many were confused as to why they had been landing at the military base, but they had all been informed that their families would be meeting them at the base in the coming days and they would then be taken back home.

Admiral Reyes and Izumi were waiting off to the side as the passengers disembarked the shuttle. It was when they say a small form with bright red hair disembark did Izumi take off running. The person she was running towards was a 13 year old girl who seemed short for her age. She was dressed in a navy blue dress with a light purple jacket over top and was carrying a backpack, which was the only thing she had left from Heliopolis. When Izumi got to her, the girl dropped the bag and ran right into Izumi, hugging her.

"Izzy!"

Izumi returned the hug, picking up the smaller girl and hugging her tightly, kissing her forehead as well. "Rayleigh! I'm so glad you're safe!" While the two girls were hugging, Admiral Reyes walked up to them from behind and just waited, smiling. When he approached, the soldiers who were all around stopped where they were and saluted him. It took only a second for the younger girl to notice him. She jumped out of Izumi's arms and ran over to the large man, hugging him tightly. "Daddy! It's great to see you!" Admiral Reyes placed a hand on her red hair, patting it as his smile grew larger. "Yes. It is good to see you too Ray-ray." Rayleigh smiled at hearing the nickname that her father always called her.

It seemed like everything was fine but when all the passengers had disembarked and the shuttle door was closed, Admiral Reyes' expression changed as he was growing concerned. He took a look around at the passengers who were still on the tarmac and didn't recognize any of them. Looking towards one of the soldiers who had gotten off the shuttle, he questioned him. "Hey, is there anyone else who was on the shuttle?" The soldier shook his head. "There was no one else sir. Sorry."

He was confused and so was Izumi. It was then that Izumi looked down at Rayleigh and noticed that she was tearing up. She crouched down to look at Rayleigh and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong Ray?" Rayleigh's tears started to fall and she didn't look at Izumi but looked at her dad. "Please don't be mad at me Daddy." Admiral Reyes got down on one knee and looked at her with with a kind smile. "Why would I be mad at you Ray-ray?"

"C-Cause I lied."

"What did you lie about?"

"Andy..."

That was when Admiral Reyes quickly got to his feet but kept his eyes on Rayleigh. He didn't want to get mad. He just wanted answers. His mind was now throwing question after question at himself, trying to figure out what was going on now. Izumi took the step to question Rayleigh though. "Ray, what happened? Where is Andrei? Did something happen to him?" Rayleigh shook her head. "I don't know. The soldiers told me that they didn't find him." This caused Admiral Reyes to grow worried. He didn't know what to do about this whole situation now. Normally he was cool under pressure but at this moment, it concerned his own family, and that was what caused his emotions to now get in the way.

Izumi was actually use to dealing with this sort of thing. She left Rayleigh with Admiral Reyes and ran after one of the soldiers who had come on the shuttle. She grabbed onto him and began questioning about everything.

"Tell me, what was the procedures made to account for every soul who was recovered from Heliopolis?"

The soldier was actually surprised by this questioning. But he knew to answer her questions, knowing who she was. "Everyone had their ID scanned onto the escape pods that they were in. That is how we know." It didn't satisfy Izumi so she continued her questioning.

"Well, have all the escape pods been fully searched and accounted for?"

"Yes they have-"

Another soldier was actually listening to the conversation and interrupted the first one. "Wait. There were a couple that still haven't been recovered yet. They are still searching for all the serial numbers." This actually caused Izumi to sigh in relief. Though another thought was crossing her mind, one that she needed to ask. "Could there have been any other way to have gotten out of the colony? Like shuttles that were leaving at the time of the collapse, or any ships that were docked at the colony?"

The soldiers looked at each other and then back at Izumi. They seemed to hesitate about what the answer would be. As it was currently, they didn't think it was best to answer the question. Izumi grew impatient and then yelled at them. "You are hiding something, aren't you?!" She turned her head back and looked at Admiral Reyes. "Uncle Amino! These two seem to know something about Andrei but they won't spill any information!" This caught Admiral Reyes' attention and he walked over to them with a very unhappy look on his face. The look on his face actually intimidated the two, especially since he was a large man who towered over the other two soldiers. His face grew more intimidating as he questioned them as well.

"Is that so? I know that the two of you hail from the Atlantic Federation so we are technically from different forces but share the same rank and authority. So you two better not disobey a direct order from a superior officer. Tell me, what do you know about my son's disappearance?"

Both of them with some fear expressed on their faces, they actually stepped away from the Admiral. They were still hesitant to answer anything more but additional threats were added in order to give them some incentive. "Realize you do have the choice to refuse, but if you do refuse to follow my orders and answer my questions, then every member from your crew as well as those who have come off of the shuttle will be taken into custody to be interrogated. Is that what you wish to happen?" They shook their heads in response, being unable to say anything else.

"Then tell me what happened on Heliopolis."

They both started talking at once but quickly moved into a rhythm where one talked and the other one waited for him to finish before starting. "ZAFT attacked Heliopolis and the Harbour was destroyed, along with all the ships."

"But there was another ship hidden within the colony."

"A top secret one being worked on by Morgenroete and other Earth Forces members in the Colony."

"They were after the G-Weapons that were being produced there."

Admiral Reyes seemed to be getting annoyed by this. "I'll get information on that stuff later. But my question is, did that ship survive the destruction of Heliopolis?"

"As far as we know, yes."

Izumi was now butting in. "Could they have picked up any of the escape pods that you have yet to find?!" The soldiers looked at each other and then at the Admiral, cowering for a moment before both nodding in unison. "It is unlikely but possible..." Izumi looked at her uncle and stared at him with hopeful eyes. "Maybe Andrei was on that escape pod. Maybe they picked him up and now he is on that ship..." Realization suddenly hit her and she began to fear for his safety once again.

"But, if he is on an Earth Alliance ship... his life could still be in danger..."

Admiral Reyes looked at Izumi, knowing what she was thinking. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it for now. Just take care of Rayleigh. You need to do that much." Rayleigh looked at her father as he just nodded. She ran over to grab her backpack and then went back over to Izumi. Admiral Reyes then directed them towards the building. "Your room is already ready. Go in and get some rest." Rayleigh grabbed Izumi's hand and then looked at her father again. "But Daddy..." He just shook his head. "Don't worry about anything. I'll make sure they find Andrei and then we can all be together again." Rayleigh looked like she was about to cry again but her father just put a hand on her head. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Izumi took Rayleigh and they both walked back to the building. When he thought they were out of ear shot, he turned back to the two soldiers. "You two, along with the rest of your crew are going to tell me what happened. You are going to tell me everything about the 'G-Weapons' and that ship. Now, what was it's name?" The men hesitated for a moment before answering. Though they both answered in unison.

"The Archangel."

Meanwhile, earlier on board the Archangel.

The Strike just returned from space to the Archangel and it was carrying an escape pod from Heliopolis. After much arguing with the crew, he was finally allowed to bring it aboard the ship. The Strike set down the pod in the landing bay before moving the Strike over to where it could be docked and recharged. It took a few minutes, but the work crew finally managed to open up the pod. As they let the people out, one by one, they worked to get everyone's names down once they headed into the ship.

A group of young teenagers exited the pod one after another. As they were entering the ship, their ID was taken and their names were put down. The person taking their names read off their information out loud to make sure it was correct.

The first was a young, long haired brunette, female with pale blue eyes and fair skin. "Leah Mensa, student, age 15." Next was a blonde haired girl with blue eyes, who was clinging to a dirty blonde haired boy with light brown eyes. They were both scanned in, the girl first and the boy second. "Mina Tuller, student, age 15. Dylann Vernes, student, age 17." The next one was a girl, with dark purple hair and violet eyes. "Roxanne Turner, student, age 16." Next up was a group of three boys, they seemed to be shoving each other and horsing around a bit. One had dark blue hair and grey eyes, another had silver hair and brown eyes. The final boy had bright orange, curly hair with emerald eyes. In this order, their IDs were scanned. "Kenneth Bridle, student, age 17. Mikhal Sutherland, student, age 15." When they got to the final boy, he actually seemed a bit nervous. "Andrei Reyes, student, age 15."

Andrei let out a sigh and was actually about to get passed the crew member who was taking IDs when the man spoke out curiously. "Wait. Are you by chance related to Admiral Amino Reyes of the Eurasia Forces?" Andrei was hesitant and he looked around. His other two friends had stopped and looked back at them upon hearing the question. Mikhal was the one to question. "Admiral?" Andrei was hesitating before just nodding his head. He felt like he wasn't going to get out of this by lying, but it didn't seem like anything would make this better for him.

"Amino Reyes is my father."

The crew member was actually surprised when he heard his response. "Wow, you are the son of an Admiral? The Captain is going to be surprised to hear about this. Haha." Andrei seemed to blush slightly in embarrassment at the man's reaction. He was nervous as he asked, "Uh... can I go now?" The man just nodded his head and smiled. "Yeah sure kid."

Andrei caught up with Kenneth and Mikhal who both started questioning him. But he was distracted as he looked back into the hangar area and eyed the mobile suit that was situated on the far side. He watched a girl in a pink dress climb out of the pod and push herself off towards the mobile suit. He also saw a brunette male coming out of what he thought was the cockpit of the mobile suit. Was he the one piloting it? Andrei watched them almost collide into each other and then begin talking. They must have known each other.

After watching this, Andrei was brought back to the attention of his two friends who were basically just pulling him along in the low gravity. He looked at the two of them as they continued questioning him about everything but he didn't say anything in response to it. It was just silence and that was all that they got from him. Though it was probably because his mind was already elsewhere. He was thinking about his family. He wondered if his mother or sister had gotten out okay and if they were currently safe. Since he was on an Earth Alliance ship, he believed that he didn't know whether he would be safe or not. But he hoped that no one could find out who he was, even though his name was already out there. It might help in knowing who his father was, but at the same time, he thought it might make things worse for everyone. But he just had to wait and see. After all, he was just another civilian in this war.

Thanks for reading my story. Tell me any ideas you might have for the story, who you want to see or what needs improvement.

Thanks. Reviews help me write stories.

~KRay~