Gundam Seed Harvest

by RavenDivine

Cosmic Era 107 – thirtyfive years have passed since the Valentine war era. After a raid at an unaligned space colony, Ciel must cooperate with ZAFT forces in order to survive Kira and the others prepare for war...reflects the events of 0083

3. Phase Three: Across the Divide

Gundam Seed Harvest

Chapter 3: Across The Divide

Previously

In an intense battle Ciel Godsend was able to utilize an incomplete version of the Gundam PAWN Strike to defeat the Lilith Gundam and its pilot. In a brief exchange the Newtype boy was able to contact ZAFT's new super ship the Bequest and request assistance. After an unspeakable display of power and capability the crew found that the civilian boy had pushed the mobile suit to its limits even more so than its original pilot. As requested, Captain Lori and Co-Captain Moira sent for Lieutenant Commander Joshua Shepard to meet the boy and take hold of the situation. When the Arcaneus Gundam engaged the PAWN Strike, moments later Ciel was caught up in a heated dialogue with the enemy Gundam's pilot, Sol. With the SEED blossoming within, Ciel was able to see through the enemy's façade and exposed the Earth Alliance Pilot as a Newtype. The battle reached its climax as the mysterious BIOsensor system activated in the PAWN Strike Gundam. The fight came to a swift end in which Ciel left the enemy alive for purposes purely cryptic.

The enemy then used a new weapon to put an end to the skirmish. The special forces of the Earth Alliance mobilized their newest mobile suits called GM's, programmed with and experimental pilot unassisted A.I to deal with the Coordinator and Newtype menace within the colony.

The Arcaneus, although critically damaged, took over the battle against the GM foes after a bitter betrayal; this act allowed the PAWN Strike to assist the Bequest in its time of need. Before the Core Gundam could be launched to act as an equalizer in the battle, a terrible revelation stopped the operation before its start. The enemy had infiltrated the colony with a nerve agent and used it against the remaining population. Before Ciel could react blindly to his desperation, Lt. Cm. Shepard used necessary force to detain the civilian at the controls of the Gundam.

Unable to turn the tide within the PLANT the Bequest launched in hopes of protecting the remaining civilian evacuation shuttles headed for L1. The unconscious Ciel is hospitalized and detained by the ships crew while the sister ships of the Bequest, the Stanton and the Niaves, come to assist in the escape operation.

Although the crew of the Bequest believes that their cries have gone unheard it would appear that the angels of yesterday have gotten wind of their prayers…

End Log

Intro Song: Rebirthed by Skillet

---Orb, Residential Coast---

The brackish aroma of the sea and its deep indigo color mesmerized Kira Yamato as its waves massaged his feet. The lullaby of the Seagulls above only helped to send his mind elsewhere, beyond the place in which he stood. As the tide pulled the pebbles of sand from his toes he stretched his arms up and cracked his back as he let the wind carry his hair back. His facial hair had perfectly outlined the frame of his face while his dark brown hair remained in its classic style only trimmed the night before. His body was strong and sturdy with a decent muscle mass that helped him fill out. By Natural years he was in his fifties, but in genetic terms he maintained the body of someone just entering their thirties; just one of the pro's of being a Coordinator.

His stretch ended with a sigh as he watched the sunset paint the sky cherry, violet, and ginger; Orb as it seemed, always had the best sunrises and sunsets.

"Thirty five years, it seems so far away," Kira said under his breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. Even though so much time had passed he had kept up to speed with the times. His promise to "replant" the world with peace, should it ever need it, still stood as a memorial to both what he stood for and for those he would stand to protect.

Time had been by his side as he viewed life as a slideshow of various clips and experiences that had accumulated over a span of his age. The rise of the Newtype and the genocides that followed, the development of GAEAH, and the formation of various earth and space super states were just a few standing mark points in history. Kira had remained silent and gone under paying homage to a time where more uncertainty meant more fear; where there is fear there is surely hate.

"Kira!" a familiar youthful voice called out. Kira turned halfway and then smiled as he saw an old friend call to him from the highway just beyond. He snickered to himself to see that he had chosen to drive an actual car rather than ride a motorcycle for once; which was typical for his style of transportation. His black hair maintained its length while his face remained baby faced as always. He was much taller now and of course the youngest of the three pilot heroes of the Valentine war era.

"Shinn, tell me how you are!" Kira waved as he jogged towards the stone steps that would lead him to the highway. He stopped only momentarily to catch Shinn's words as he approached.

"I've gotten a message from Athrun! We've got trouble!" He frowned as the words left his lips.

Kira felt cold as his mind flashed back so many years back. Every piece of every skirmish quickly came to an end as he prepared to welcome an unforgivable transition into another conflict; he prayed a silent prayer that it wasn't so.

---

"So what's the word?" Kira asked as he crossed his arms bracing himself for the news.

"I actually don't know the message myself. I got it via Terminal just an hour ago," Shinn spoke as he drove. His driving was intense but with experience his carelessness had given way to expert handling.

"Was the message encrypted?"

"Yes as usual. Something is happening in the PLANT's as we speak. Athrun was very specific in terms of what was going on, but I'm not so sure myself,"

"Do you know where he got the information from, or was this coming directly from him?

"It didn't say, but I know that Athrun has been working his ass off. Even though he got the reports I'm not positive whether or not he actually knows himself," Shinn sighed in reverence. Out of the three, Athrun remained in active duty with the Three-Ship Alliance. They remained low and out of sight while working in conjunction with underground Orb support to keep their cause alive.

"Lets head back to my place and from there we'll figure out what Athrun has to say," then the realization hit him full force though it had never left his mind prior "Are Lacus and Kyo safe?"

"They're doing just fine. They aren't in any danger from what I've gathered. I hear that she's coming out with a new album next week; it maybe the best she's ever done or so I've heard," Shinn said allowing him a smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. But if things get way too out of hand I'm sure it wont be long until she'll be pulled into whatever is going on," Kira said nervously. If there was one thing that he could defiantly count on, it would be that, like any conflict before hand, everyone would be pulled in once again into the riptide.

---

As a fair well gift left behind by the late Reverend Malchio, the cabin had become a dwelling for the hosts of the Clyne faction. Initially intended to be the family home of the Yamato's it had eventually become lonely without Lacus. Shinn and Lunamaria would occasionally come to pay visit but other than that the remainder of the group remained in space. It had been a lonely place of solitude since Lacus had been called back to the PLANT's. Kira had understood his wife's departure for the best but not a day went by where he wished he would roll over and see her smiling face when he awoke. All he had for the time being was a CD player with a few of her favorite songs, pictures, and the occasional routine communication over the phone. He missed her, but most of all, he missed his son Kyo.

"While you're fixing the connection would you like anything to drink?" Kira offered politely.

"Water's fine by me, thank you," Shinn smiled as he typed in the communication access code. Great care had to be taken to make sure that the transmission was hidden or otherwise encoded to ensure ultimate security. Shinn had become accustomed to such work seeing as Lunamaria's sister, Meyrin, was an accomplished Coordinator with great technological know-how.

"Okay, we're connected to the remote section. It will most likely be an audio only transmission unless they feel comfortable enough to broadcast," Shinn said taking the glass of cold water from Kira's cupped hands. Kira inspected carefully as he leaned, relaxed against the kitchen counter top next to Shinn.

"This is Terminal channel 0041, please give access regonition. The connection will terminate in thirty seconds," A computerized voice commanded over the laptop speakers.

"The red-winged angel desires an audience with the lawmaker," Shinn droned over the head piece.

For a moment there was silence and no response until a vid window appeared. It was Athrun in his uniformed entirety standing before them. The connection was grainy and delayed due to the distance between them, but none-the-less they were successful. Athrun's dark hair retained its usual parting split while his eyes shown sharper still with the likeness of a veteran.

"Its about time Shinn, I sent you the message over an hour and a half ago," Athrun signed for the sake of diligence.

"I'm sorry, I figured I would have Kira hear what you have to say as well," Shinn said angling the camera at Kira. Kira gave a small wave and stepped closer.

"Hello old friend, it's been a while," Kira smiled as Athrun returned a grin of content.

"It's been a month or two hasn't it? Things have been keeping me quite busy up here so I apologise for the lack of communication," Athrun admitted.

"Don't apologise, you're just doing what you do best," Kira grinned.

"Preventing disaster and negotiating in silence? Not exactly my best but I can deal with it," Athrun teased raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Kira said before changing the subject, "So, whats been going on?"

"Here's what we have so far: three hours ago we had various reports of inconsistencies within the communication network concerning on of the PLANT's farthest from the moon – Leigas. We caught wind of a distress signal coming from the colony but before the cause could be determined the signal was lost completely. Attempts to reach the colony have been unsuccessful," Athrun reported.

"Couldn't it be a solar disturbance or some kind of other natural interferrance?" Shinn suggested desperatly trying to sway the sisuation to a lesser seriousness.

"That's what we had thought, until-" Both Kira and Shinn's insides became hollow and as empty as a husk at those words. Any hopes of brushing the disturbance off through natural causes shattered in a single moment. "- until our Newtype department began picking up on a mass emergance coming from the PLANT itself. Various psionic capable technicians were able to pick out some of the various quantum communications flowing out of that area," Athrun continued gravely.

"You're talking about outgoing telepathy between Newtypes right?" Shinn asked wanting to clear up that confusion.

"You're correct Shinn. From what we've gathered from most of the mental links is that the colony has come under an attack of some sort; the aggressor has been identified as the Atlantic Federation!" Athrun said with words turning bitter.

"No way, why attack the PLANT?!" Shinn gasped out of disbelief. Kira's expression turned painfully sour as he clenched his fists on the countertop.

"It's a fact, Shinn - as to why it's happened we don't know for sure. The quantum source and reception was the thing that really got to us the most. In order for that kind of communication to travel across that distance and in such a short amount of time would require a great exodus of life force," Athrun shrugged. "The NBRR identifies that in order for something like this to happen it would require a great number of people to have lost their lives,"

"Like a message beyond the grave…" Kira said wincing at the fact. Shinn slammed a fist down hard on the counter letting his anger get the best of him. The peace had been shaky after the second Bloody Valentine War, but to have something happen on this scale once more only made his blood boil.

"What can we do?" Shinn asked gritting his teeth.

"For now I need you to wait. Right now the Eternal is on combat standby but we haven't mobilized just yet. If there has been a large scale attack then the most likely location for any evacuation route would be towards L1. Meyrin is attempting to get into contact with Lacus as we speak. We sent her the same encrypted message as Shinn but she's been informed to a greater extent. We maybe able to contain this incident if we're able to act quickly to prevent any further loss of life," Athrun informed remembering the gravity of the past. From over the communication window another familiar voice spoke which got Athrun's attention.

"We've got an open window Athrun, Lacus is ready to broadcast," Meyrin said perking up. She was just off screen so the others weren't able to see her at her station.

"Okay, patch her through," Athrun requested.

Kira persed his lips in anticipation waiting to see his wife in what seemed like forever. The wait was aggrivating and a pain more or less; his desire to see her face was beyond grueling. Kira got his wish. Her hot pink hair was styled in a braid while her golden hair pin acted as her crown. Her eyes were just as blue as he had remembered, maybe moreso than ever; it could have been the fact that he hadn't seen her in quite some time.

"Kira!" Lacus hummed as her eyes dimmed like candlelight carressed by a faint breath of wind. Kira's heart was contented.

"I miss you," Kira's first words summed up everything he needed to say. In the light of the present sisuation his feelings for his family had to yield to another pressing matter at hand.

"We'll talk later seeing as things have quickly become tangled. Athrun, good to see you: I received your report and I can't help but be shocked. Do we have anything substantial to work with, or are we still in the dark?" Lacus calculated.

"This is all we have recovered thus far. It appears that we're acting off an invisible nudge aimed at our consciousness – not a very promising impulse, especially after you consider the political atmosphere that we're in," Athrun commented.

"I'm afraid that I cannot make this kind of decision: not because the sisuation does not merit such action, but because I believe that I'm being watched.

"What do you mean?" Kira perked up. If Lacus or his son were in danger Kira would have no qualms about taking up arms and without hesitation; he had learned this lesson in the second Bloody Valentine War. It is better to act at the signs rather than let the storm worsen.

"You know that I've been called back to the PLANT's to restore a sense of comfort to the people – to be their voice in times that are dire and gloomy. While I am not a governemt official within the Plant Supreme Council I am still considered an individual with high regard. It is no surprise that those in the Plant's know that I am the leader of the Three Ship Alliance and that I still carry on my father's peaceful views. This presents the greatest problem. If there truly is something going on behind the scenes that could escalate, there is a good chance that many would seek to have my influence removed along with my authority as leader of the Clyne Faction." Lacus reasoned.

"Have no worries Mrs. Yamato, this line is secure and protected," Shinn input a level of maintained comfort.

"Thank you Shinn, I'm confident in that, but I still worry," Lacus said with her expression drooping into reluctance. "Seeing as things always tend to go from bad to worse I will be taking no chances. Kira, seeing as I am cornered I would like you to assume command until the sisuation can be assessed. If I truly am being targeted then it would be wise of me to send Kyo to you, to Orb,"

"You think that's a good idea? I have no objections seeing as even if the conflict moves to the earth he'll be safe in Orb," Kira smiled as he remembered Orb's soverienty.

"I believe it would be a good idea that he should experience the earth. The Plant's are incredible yes, but this experience maybe good for him. Kyo is restless anyways – always complaining of boredom and the day to day. I'll send you the information when the plans are finalized," Lacus smiled.

"Okay, just remember to call me or your other security contacts should you feel threatened at all," Kira inforced. The fact that he couldn't be at Lacus's side to protect her from harm antagonized him like an internal parasite. He may have wished for the best but he could never get rid of the itching feeling of anxiety and paranoia.

"So in my stead, Kira, I hand command over to you temporarily until the sisuation changes for the better. I must go now and prepare to comfort the people, but I must also apologize to you all. I have been so busy that it's been hard to get some time alone to just talk. I truly am sorry," Lacus apologized.

"Think nothing of it," Kira grinned as he wished again silently that he was with her right then and now. For the time being he would have to endure the silence a little longer.

"Thank you for your understanding; it's been quite difficult to adjust so I can't wait until I come to visit. I must go now, but I will remain within reach should anything else happen," Lacus informed gently.

"Leave it to us, we'll see what we can do for the time being," Shinn grinned as he watched Kira's eye's become glassy.

"Songstress – out," And with that Lacus had dissapeared entirely leaving only the men to converse for however long it would take.

"Well, what are your orders General?" Ahtrun smiled as he cracked a crisp salute on screen. Shinn turned again with energetic expectation.

"Mobilize immediately and intercept at L1. Though I dislike its use, proceed undetected with the Mirage Colloid. The enemy will most likely not hesitate to use this device; acting as the equalizer will help ensure stealth in the operation. Maintain constant info feed and switch connection lines every six minutes," Kira ordered.

---

He had remembered the time where he and his friends sat outside the neighborhood province by a small artificial lake. Everyone was there despite it being a little colder than usual. Naomi wrapped herself up in a cocoon with the picnic blanket they had used before. Rock was goofing off with a pair of sparklers they had bought at a bazaar in the downtown district. The light of the August times dimmed down the surroundings gradually as the evening dragged on.

"Rock, I dare you to stick the sparklers up your nose," Torii laughed.

Not so smart a request coming from her. Luckily he had no chance to complete the deal as he burned himself letting out a cuss or two. Laughter was quite abundant in the group as the light in the colony began to dim further.

Between all of them this was a common event that happened usually every Friday or Saturday. Because they lived in the PLANT's they had no sunrise or sunset to truly capture. The mirror arrays around the colony simulated a normal night and day using the light from the sun. There was nowhere else better to be than by the lake at nightfall, together.

"You never cease to entertain do you Rock?" Naomi said as she shivered under the blanket.

"How can you possibly be cold Naomi? It no where near as cold as you really think it is; just get up and move," Rock suggested as he began lighting more sparklers.

Ciel had been reading a novel the whole entire time as Rock had been goofing off. He was the youngest and by far more of an active type than to be sitting and reading something while fun was in the air. Torii had been especially uppity that evening so it was a little awkward to see her roll switched around.

"Hey y-lyon, what are you reading? You've been awful quiet so it must be a good book," Torii said shifting to Ciel.

"I bet he's reading erotica!" Rock cracked up as he flung himself about around the area with more sparklers in his hands.

"No you tard, I'm reading 'An Ode to Remember'," Ciel growled as the interruption made him lose his train of thought.

"You're reading that one again?! Good grief, get yourself some new material or something!" Torii laughed and complained in unison. She got up and walked over and sat next to Ciel under the old grant tree. Ciel laid on his stomach completely oblivious to her comments. Rock finally got fed up with the sparklers tossing them to the ground.

Ciel had been so intent on his reading that he had no time to see Rock come up from behind and snatch the book straight from his hands. Rock danced in his raggedly cut jeans while attempting to read the dialogue.

"And as…I remained – past the once concrete realization I had lost…" Rock giggled as he enticed Ciel to come over and take the book from him by force.

"Hey, you're reading everything out of order on purpose you lysdexic word cramming stoner! Give me back my book! I was almost finished with the last few pages anyways!" Ciel smiled hiding his aggravation.

"Catch me!" Rock said antagonizing Ciel. Naomi laughed heartily to see Rock shake his bottom in Ciel's face and then take off before he could be caught. The chase was on in as little words as possible.

"Rock, you're such a pain, let him finish his book!" Torii said trying to keep herself serious as she watched the two boys run circles around each other. Rock had brute strength and speed and could easily leave Ciel behind in the dust; however, Ciel was the more cunning alternative to physicality. He wouldn't realize it himself but to others watching his motion was affected by his inward will to succeed. The two dodged each other and dove in different directions opposite to the other. Rock, sadly was beginning to run out of tricks as Ciel's mind had finished warming up. Now each move was becoming predictable and futile to execute. Finally Rock let Ciel come into close quarters to attain the book, only to hold it high over his head.

"If you want the book you're going to have to jump for it," Rock laughed as Ciel wrestled with him. The wrestling stopped as Ciel stepped back looking quite mixed with entertainment and irritation. Ciel looked at the book and concentrated on its mass. With a single flick of a finger the book popped out of Rock's hands and hovered a few feet out of reach. Rock stopped and looked up contently to see his best friend's powers at work.

"Cheater, no powers!" Rock said patting Ciel on the back.

"I'm a cheater? That's awfully harsh especially when I have to deal with a friggin "Goliath" stealing my book," Ciel smirked as the book released itself from suspension and fell into his hands.

"Whatever dude. I bet you could send me into lunar orbit if you really tried," Rock said stretching for the sky as Ciel drew closer.

"Sorry, I'm not that gifted," Ciel admitted disappointedly.

"I'd be happy to have what you have," Naomi said waving Ciel to have him sit by her.

"Envy is the sickness, hatred is the symptom, war is the outbreak – A quote from the book actually," Ciel spoke with borrowed wisdom.

"Sounds deep Ciel, though I'm not surprised considering that's you in a nutshell," Torii said crossing her legs under her gown. The old English skirt was something of an elegant statement that people ever really saw now a days. She brought her interests of Earth's culture and displayed it for everyone to see in her own way: dark yet refined, complicated but simple; a rock n' roll t-shirt and square reading glasses only added to her expression.

"It's from a Newtype author. He recently moved to the PLANT's to escape the persecution that's taking place in the North American continent," Ciel said with a noticeable sigh.

"Don't get down on me now. Just think that in a few years Newtype's will be perfectly normal. It's gotten a little better for Coordinators, and I'm sure not too distantly in the future they'll be the majority," Torii explained.

"Those are good thoughts to bear, but what of those who live in the now?" Naomi said acknowledging her "race".

"Well with GAEAH around we won't have to worry about that for long, right?" Rock second guessed himself.

"Not likely," Ciel interjected, "GAEAH is still run by the majority of the earth populace. The European super states along with Orb are the only nations who really see Newtypes as people. The asylum accords for fleeing peoples from across the globe are truthfully exhausted. It's nearly impossible to host every Newtype on the planet in a single nation no matter how large. The Plants are the most heavily populated with the Newtype culture unlike the super state on Earth. Though if I'm correct, I'm positive that there would be those to warp their agenda's around GAEAH; it would be far too easy," Ciel sighed.

"So you think there will be a war or something?" Rock said enthusiastically. He was rewarded with a negative glare coming from Torii which made him cringe a little. Naomi was gentle and delicate when it came to that tender subject. While Torii had known the most about her she did manage to share with Ciel the terror's of her escape from the various genocides on the planet. Such painful subjects were still in the process of healing.

"NO," Torii refuted Rock's suggestion, "We're a civilized people and a solution will be found through diplomacy; talks are already underway through GAEAH and the supreme council of the PLANT's." Torii had always been against war and other means of brutality. She had conditioned herself to be a hardcore pacifist and she did all she could to resolve conflicts with dignity and a sense of honor.

"Free immigration has made all the difference in the melding of our cultures," Ciel added.

"Indeed it has. The free immigration pact has really made a startling impact. Even general populations from Earth can freely visit and vise versa," Torii commented.

"So no war?" Naomi squeaked.

"Yup, no war what-so-ever," Ciel grinned.

"Yeah, I'm a perfect example of the immigration movement! I'm a Natural!" Rock smiled as he tugged the skin on his face as if it would have made his position clearer.

"We can see that," Ciel smiled.

Rock grinned a wild smile as he waddled over to the tree where everyone had seated themselves. Usually the groups meetings composed themselves of random activity and casual talks; the occasional deep conversation would surface every once in a while and such an occasion was present that day.

"Do you think we'll ever be accepted?" Naomi said with tone declining. Everyone's faces puckered and frowned at the notion coming from the gentle heart seated before them. Ciel closed his novel and sat closer to his friend who had been through so much in her early life. He sat next to her and looked upon the artificial horizon and spoke with inward voice rising.

"Beyond my understanding, when the hands of time began turning, there was a cycle – a never ending repetition that branded the human race with a stigma. That stigma is our marking of imperfection; it is the curse of the cycle to which we are bound forever and ever." Ciel was famous for depth of understanding and his use of poetic language to reach others. His words were soothing and tender to the ear; in many cases this got peoples attention without request.

"We trip on ourselves from day to day with no regard continuing the cycle as a new piece comes to join us. We are slaves to ourselves and are in bondage. As fear enters and reason to listen departs, we make a contract with death itself." Naomi and Torii were accustomed to Ciel's meaningful speech; Rock occasionally needed a translation if the words couldn't reach him. This was one rare case where Rock was totally enthralled and focused on what Ciel had to say. As he listened he shimmied on his knee's to get closer as Torii shifted to make a spot for him under the tree. Naomi was mystified.

"You know a quite a bit more than me Ciel, but is there anyway we can be free?" Naomi said cocking her head.

"There are those who's hearts are open and full of love. They can see the world as it is; although it is imperfect, they find the beauty beyond its lies." Ciel turned to Naomi with eyes shimmering with an opalescent gleam in his irises. "Though they are few, they are indeed free,"

In this memory which he was experiencing he would comfort her with the scruffling of her hair. He reached up with his right had but found that it could not move. He shook his hand and heard the sound of clicking metal.

"Naomi?" Ciel blurted out as his eyes opened. He tried as hard as he could to move his right hand up to touch her image but he could do no such thing. He had realized that he had been dreaming as he awoke to find himself blinded by very bright medical lights. Once his eyes adjusted he saw that he had been cuffed to a bed and stripped of all his belongings. An IV stuck out of his left arm and later he noticed that he had an identification band on his left wrist.

"What the, where the hell did I end up now?!" Ciel shouted in aggravation. He lifted his left hand to inspect the identity band placed on his wrist. Once the woozy vision drifted away he could read perfectly.

Patient Name: Unknown

Ethnicity: Newtype

NT Type: Unknown

Personal ID: Civilian

Age: Unknown

"Wonderful, abso-fuckin-lutely wonderful, what have I gotten myself into?" Ciel growled. He knew that it was typical of Newtypes to have extremely lucid experiences while sleeping; which were okay, but not when you wake up wishing the experience was real. He slammed his head back on the pillow angry with himself in his carelessness.

"Hello, is anybody there? I seriously need to pee!" Ciel shouted in his usual obnoxious ornery way.

A sliding airlock door opened which startled Ciel to the point where he shot straight up. He looked warily at a grown man in a white medic scrub with a small ZAFT insignia on his shoulder; an I.D tag showing his position and specific line of work stood out on his attire. He looked to be in his forties with a short hair cut that brought out his hazel eyes. The crewmember was an average build and a little shorter by Ciel's standards.

"You're awake I see. I didn't think you'd regain consciousness until after we arrived at L1; you took quite a hit to your noggin," The man gave a little smirk as he entered with a medical case in his hands.

Ciel brushed his hair with his available hand and felt the lump on the back of his head and winced at its sensitive reaction to touch.
"Where am I exactly?" Ciel said itching at the bandage wrapped around his forehead.

"Medical center of the Bequest, do you remember now?"

"Who are you?" Ciel asked politely.

"My name is Allan Keiyse; I'm an assistant nurse with the medical department. The more important question is what is your name is?" Allan wondered.

"A nurse?" Ciel questioned.

"Hey, since when can't a man be a nurse huh?" Allan said teasing (even though to some extent he was a little offended).

"Better question: what's been going on?" Ciel said pushing the question which seemingly lit a fire under his temper.

"Tell you the truth kid; I'm about as clueless as you. What we do know is that when escaping Leigas there was a bio-chemical attack aimed at the population. But you will find out soon enough," Allan hinted.

"What do you mean I'll "find out" soon enough?" Ciel said growing more nervous by the second, "And my name is Ciel Godsend,"

Allan turned to him while preparing a syringe giving him a quizzical look.

"Quite a name you have there, you don't happen to be lying would you?"

"No," Ciel said eyeing the needle, "My caregivers gave me that name at the children's home I live at – used to live at," Ciel said correcting himself.

"Ah, I understand," Allan said as he noticed Ciel's hesitation at the sight of the needle, "And don't worry, this will help you relax; zero gravity can be a bit of a shock to your system if you haven't experienced it before,"

"So why exactly am I cuffed to the bed?" Ciel asked as he yanked his right hand.

"Regular security procedure, don't be offended," Allan smiled.

"I see, so you think I'm dangerous?" Ciel asked as Allan injected the drug into the IV.

"Like I said, it's a precaution. Security will be here any minute to escort you to the captain's quarters for interrogation," Allan informed nonchalantly. This statement raised hell almost immediately after it was said.

"Interrogated, you mean you guys think I'm the enemy?! I'm a civilian, not some kind of rogue cell operative!" Ciel said trying to testify for himself amidst his panic.

"Just relax, the captain just wants to talk to you and get your story straight. You did an excellent job protecting what you could when you did in my opinion; I wouldn't be surprised if they award you the Medal of Freedom," Allan said gently grabbing Ciel's shoulders. He had bee totally honest and sincere concerning everything that he had said, and wished that somehow his words could justify a sense of comfort. The boy had been through quite a lot and although he wasn't a psychologist he knew that there was some margin for instability.

The airlock doors to the medic room opened revealing two armed guards with M24's and standard issue bulletproof vests. Their belts were decorated with an assortment of all sorts of neat toys that made Ciel feel uneasy. Chemical spray, tazer gun, and the handy-dandy nightstick were just a few objects to name. They came in and made eye contact immediately with Ciel; their presence alone was enough to make the boys stomach twist with anxiety. One solider unstrapped Ciel from his bed and removed his handcuffs while the other approached with a black cloth in his hands. As soon as Ciel was free of his bed restraints he felt weightless and light headed.

"Put this blindfold on. Because your status is still unconfirmed we cannot allow you to see the ships interior," The observing security guard said handing him the black cloth. Ciel did little to resist the order and tied the band around tightly to ensure total blindness. Just as he finished the knot his hands were gathered behind him forcefully and he was cuffed once more.

---Captains Quarters---

He at least had a seat that was comfortably padded rather than what was expected. Ciel saw movies and played games where the good guy was always beaten ruthlessly, put into circumstances similar to his own, and then placed in an uncomfortable chair for a rigorous brainwash. The youth was mature no doubt but his imagination would tend to trip him up at times. Though the itching desire to adjust the blindfold became an irritant he dared not raise a single hand out of his lap; he was still a Newtype and in figuring such logic he could guess that a few guns were pointed his way. The rigid texture from the guard's bodies emanated outwards from each corner of the room, so it didn't take a genius to feel he was unwelcome. The trip through a maze of corridors and elevators had certainly confused him, but he found it funny that security went through all the trouble to disorient someone who didn't even know where they were to begin with. There was the sound of sifting clothing against another padded chair just beyond what he sensed to be a table.

"We're going to start off with simple questions regarding personal identification. After each question is completed we will ask you to testify your experience according to the law. What is your name, date of birth, age, sex, race, civil ID, and occupation?" A deep feminine voice said calmly just across from him. For a minute Ciel had nearly mistaken the voice to be a man.

"My name is Ciel Godsend; I was born in C.E 86 August twenty third. I'm 18, male, and a Newtype. My civil ID is 637-19-0888 and I work at Leigas as a volunteer for mechanical delivery," Ciel complied.

"We'll run the information and check your identification to see that it matches. Now I need you to tell me everything about what happened, from beginning to end," The Captain spoke coarsely.

"Okay, that's fine," Ciel whimpered uneasily.

"But first I must know one thing," The woman said holding back her speech.

"Yes and what is that?"

"How are you feeling?" The woman's streamline seriousness became casual and free flowing.

"Um, I'm feeling a little dizzy, but other than that I'm not so sure," Ciel admitted.

"That will wear off in a few minutes, I promise. You can remove your blindfold now,"

Ciel lifted his hands from the chairs arms and attended to the black cloth tied around his head. He felt the chair slip out from underneath him as he fiddled with the knot in zero gravity, which made him jumpstart into a small panicked flail that lasted only a moment. He took the cloth from his face and opened his watery eyes. Across from him over the desk table where he sat, was a white uniformed woman with round-framed glasses. Ciel had read enough to know that her rank was that of a Captain so he did his best to behave in front of such a high-ranking official.

"Well, if you want to know the story, then here you go," Ciel said returning to the chair while locking eyes with the Captain.

---

The Captain removed her hat revealing her lack of hair and leaned back in her chair looking up in an exhausted fashion. She wished with all her might that today would have never happened, but the headache scrambling her brain was the mark of a painful reality. Shaking her head did her no good when she heard Ciel speak his story; what had happened was out of her control, and most certainly out of his. The child had bared no threat to them; in fact he did more to help them in their situation. So much was happening in the heat of the moment that one couldn't think clearly without all the second opinions bombarding the mind from all directions; though they weren't voiced yet she knew Moira would be the first to speak up. It was Captain Lori's turn to chat. All through Ciel's explanation she made notes to herself on what she should comment on.

"My friend, you've just been to hell and back – no questioning. The pilot of the Zaku III, the solider that saved you, was one of ours. He belonged to the Stanton's crew and was apart of the joint Marine Corps unit. He was first Lieutenant Adrian Larken, also known as Bayt pronounced like "bait" to his fellow comrades. One of our mobile suit pilots on the Bequest knows him; I'm sure the news will be hard for her to hear," Lori said rubbing her temples. Ciel would have uttered a hum of disappointment but chose silence instead of appearing overly sensitive.

"The enemy mobile suits were able to surgically strike the radar towers and later lay down a blanket of interference on the outside of the colony. Like most cases they entered through the ports and made their way to the docks. At first we mobilized because of our loss of communication and continued to proceed with our normal schedule. The Naives was the first to find out that we were under attack so they launched their mobile suits first. The Stanton had been outside the PLANT and engaged two other enemy ships. Their mission was to prevent any further enemies from gaining access to the living environment while the Naives provided similar support. This surprise attack left us without a voice and an ear to listen," The Captain explained.

Then the question finally struck Ciel like a hammer to a nail.

"The PLANT, what happened to it? What about the weapon of mass destruction?" Ciel said growing a little more comfortable with the Captain. Lori shook her head and avoided eye contact. The truth was unbearably sickening to even think about. The ramifications to this attack would certainly echo and continue onward as a deafening warning that worse things were bound to happen.

"As soon as the Stanton's forces had been exhausted, the enemy managed to cut through their defenses and penetrated the colonies outer wall using a beam weapon; it was a deceptive move on their part to gain access to the inside. Apparently just as we had gotten that transmission, the other side of "hourglass" had been contaminated thoroughly. We thought that by retreating from the PLANT the enemy would surely follow, but unfortunately it would have made no difference," Lori said hem-hawing the truth.

"Not true, there could have been another way!" Ciel clearly objected.

"Your resolve is strong but your understanding of the situation is lacking; that however is permissible considering the circumstances," Lori calculated.

"So did you already defeat the enemy?" Ciel said rubbing the bump on the back of his skull. "How long was I out?"

"You were unconscious for good four or five hours. Just as we took off, the enemy used a mirage colloid camouflage; we could still track their basic movements but their attacks ceased entirely, even their mobile suits had been called back to regroup. We've been escorting the evac shuttles to L1 along with the help of the Stanton and Naives. A constant mass detection sweep of our radar range has maintained itself for the past four hours, and still no sign of the enemy. Even though we can't detect them we still have good reason to believe they're not too far behind," the Captain growled.

Ciel had tuned out the remaining half of the conversation and felt ready to cry. His abilities got the best of him as his emotions began to leak through his self-control.

"What the hell were they after?" Ciel forcefully chocked out the words in an attempt to keep him from blurting out anything worse. The Captain sat forward and crossed her arms and legs readying to explain.

"Because of the recent boom in Newtype births, the earth feels threatened by their presence. Through rigorous study we've been able to synthesize new weapons technology that can harness a Newtype's raw potential. Most studies and tests are common throughout PLANT, but they came to fruition here at Leigas. With that aside, new mobile weapons, such as the one you piloted, are apart of our new millennium stage development series. Opposition from the Federation – coming from GAEAH no less – has been voiced over and over again; even though we've stayed within the boundaries in compliance with many treaties over the years. This act of violence was blatant and absurd and it would not surprise me to know that this plan of action was authorized. There have been several incidents like this one happening – but not to this extreme – and its beginning to tear at the seams of this peace."

"If you've obeyed the rules then it should be none of their business what we make or what they make. If they just wanted to collect information through espionage they could have taken that route. Why attack on a scale like this? The whole thing was totally pointless!" Ciel argued.

"That is true, but taking what you have said into account could mean that what they found threatened them. With all this opposition to the PLANT's someone was bound to get tired of talking and be willing to act independently," The Captain added.

Ciel stopped for a second and really looked hard at this situation. He was just a lowly civilian with no higher authority or purpose but to be who he was in society. The Captain had gone into so much detail with him on many a subject which finally led him to ask the real question that had been bothering him.

"Okay, I have to ask, why are you talking to me about so much sensitive information, especially military secrets? Shouldn't you have sent me away after giving my testimony and then compare it to everyone else involved? Why am I still here?" Ciel suspected a catch.

The Captain gave a rueful smile which the Newtype boy liked even less.

"You said that you met a worker from the NBRR and that her name was Melody Swanson, correct? If that is so, which it is, then this truly is a strange twist of fate,"

"Yes, I did meet her but only briefly. What is the strange twist of fate?" Ciel said upping his defenses.

"She was supposed to meet Co-captain Moira and be escorted to the Bequest. Miss Swanson was given the task of monitoring and evaluating all combat personnel to see if they had any Newtype potential. The crew's majority consists of Coordinators with a few Newtypes aboard. She must have gotten lost at the terminals during the commotion resulting from the attack; she did not meet at the specified area discussed previously with her department chair. You said that she briefly "read you" and hinted at your potential am I correct?" The Captain inquired.

"Um, yes, but I didn't know what she meant. Miss Swanson did not give any specifics before we entered the terminal station," Ciel said remembering the woman's mystical speech. "There's just one problem though,"

"And what is that?" The Captain asked.

"Miss Swanson kept on referring to a "he" rather than a she, why is that?" Ciel said remembering the experience.

"Ah, a minor mix up on her part. The Co-captain of this ship is named Jonan Moira; her first name is a little masculine so I'm not surprised that there was a misunderstanding. Captain Moira and Miss Swanson never met face to face so that can help clear up your confusion," Lori reasoned.

"That still doesn't answer my initial question," Ciel said becoming stern. The Captain leaned forward a little closer as if she were telling a secret to the boy.

"Should you choose the option, if we asked you to help us, would you?" The words of the Captain would have sent Ciel falling out of the chair in exasperation had there been gravity.

"What?!" Ciel shot up out of his seat. The guards in each corner of the room lifted their rifles ready to fire which cleaned Ciel's expression of alarm off his face. The Captain quickly motioned that they cease action which resulted a quick stand down.

"Don't be alarmed, like I said it's totally up to you," The Captain offered.

"Isn't it illegal to mobilize civilians in military affairs?" Ciel said rebounding off the ceiling back to the chair.

"This is an emergency and a very pressing one at that. We do not know how many ships are pursuing us or how much fighting potential the enemy has to offer. Miss Swanson would have been able to see if anyone on this ship could possibly operate the Newtype weapons we have aboard. It is likely that you are by far the only Newtype aboard this ship with enough ability to pilot our new machines properly. The required levels for activating certain components in the weapons, maintains that nothing less of an NT3 can operate them correctly," The Captain informed.

"That can't possibly be true. What about the pilot that hit me over the head; can't he pilot the machine seeing as it's his?" Ciel said attempting to turn things around. He didn't know whether or not he should be pissing himself from the excitement or from the fear. The terror of the battle field kept him away from the offer, but then he remembered what he had done in the PLANT.

"Lt. Cm. Shepard is a Coordinator; although he has an elevated spatial awareness he does not possess total Newtype potential. Coordinators are known to have a small Newtype value to their abilities but they aren't Newtypes. The greatest "NT" level recorded in any known Coordinator is a 2," The Captain said shooting down Ciel's proposal. "And besides, Shepard doesn't own that suit. We assigned him to that machine but that doesn't necessarily make it his,"

"What can I possibly do that a hardcore solider cannot do?" Ciel said folding his arms ready for an explanation.

"For starters, you're perfectly able to initiate the BIOsensor system; and if my memory serves me correctly, you've activated the process – twice – in a single battle," The Captain crossed her legs to give off an air of sophistication; she really did have a point when concerning Ciel's abilities.

"BIOsensor, I saw that too when I was fighting. What is the BIOsensor exactly?" Ciel asked curiously pursing his lips.

"If you choose to pilot I'll explain it thoroughly; for now all I can say is that it is a system component in the Gundam that can only be activated by NT potential," The Captain offered this explanation unintentionally as a lure. She had no harmful intention, but seeing things as they were, at the moment the crew could certainly use the boys help.

"In any case, why isn't this Shepard guy able to do it?" Ciel said going in circles with the conversation.

"Mr. Godsend let me be utterly blunt with you: You are special, shut up. You could be a huge help to us should the enemy confront us again. If our aggressors do catch up with us there will certainly be a great deal of loss. I suppose we could do things without your help and continue onward, but the fact is that you could most defiantly save a lot of people from a lot of grief. If we happen to engage we may not make it; strength alone cannot win a battle," The Captain said reverting back to her tough-as-nails tone. Her might was intimidating and at the same time very uplifting.

Ciel thought hard for an extended interval of silence but then came back to himself remembering the faces of all his friends. The grave possibility that they could have been shot down before hand was possible, but what if they were still alive and being transported to L1?

"What about the civilians? Did everyone make it?" Ciel asked in a desperate tone that demanded a concrete reply. The answer to his question would act as a catalyst to decide his course of action.

"A great number escaped the colony unharmed. I'm sure that not everyone made it safely as I could guess. Apart from that, should the enemy attack us and turn their sites on the civilians…well, I dislike the thought," The Captain said becoming very grim.

If he had lost his friends in the colony his sorrow would surly follow him through to the rest of his days. In simulating that feeling he thought of the vast numbers of people who had been lost and placed himself in the shoes of their families and loved ones. Wondering about the lives he could save and keep protected for the rest of the journey is what made all the difference to him. He had no military exploits and no negotiations to oppose; Ciel would do it for his family and for those families still alive.

"What can I do?" Ciel said sharply.

"Very well, your possessions will be returned to you and you will be made a temporary member of the crew," The Captain said motioning with her hand. One of the guards carrying a tray of all of Ciel's cloths and accessories made his way over to the table where both subjects sat. Thankfully his satchel bag and all its contents were still intact. "Get dressed and let's get going; we have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time,"

---

Ciel expected that the ship would be massive but to his surprise he found it overwhelming his original expectations. The ship had multiple layers like any other ship in the military but the Bequest was defiantly cut from a different cloth. There were numerous areas of immediate operation that were separated from an entire area of the ship that were reserved completely for living accommodations. The bridge had been built to have three levels: one for regular atmospheric flight, the second for in battle situations in which the command deck could be lowered, and a third dealing with situations that might require the ship to engage in deep sea underwater warfare; none of these simple concepts were even the tip of the iceberg.

"So how would I classify this ship? Is it more of an assault transport, mass carrier, or a battle ship?" Ciel said marveling as he floated along side the Captain. Ciel was so entertained that the fear in him had seemingly gone away entirely.

"That's actually a good question to ask. To tell you the truth it's a combination of many concepts rolled into one. ZAFT has labeled this particular ship as an AP-WV (all purpose war vessel). This ships mobile suit capacity is able to house well over twenty new millennium series units, not including mobile weapons or experimental project encasings; a separate hangar has been made to accommodate those weapon categories. We're headed in that direction so I can show you what you have the choice to pilot," Captain Lori explained this all to Ciel as they entered an elevator that would take them both down to the mobile weapons hangar. Their conversation continued as they traveled deeper and deeper into the ships mainframe.

"So tell me more about this ship! This is totally beyond anything I've ever seen before so I'm bound to bug you until I get answers," Ciel chuckled.

"Well, I do suppose I owe you some information for helping; just be good and keep this all under wraps between you, me, and the crew. Do you understand?" Captain Lori said sternly. Ciel was caught off guard at the Captain's reply but he responded with an outstretched arm and an extended pinkie finger. The Captain gave a quirky look at the gesture but then gave an easy smile locking her own finger around his own.

"The main features of this ship are its Fragment Complex Variable Assembly Core (FCVAC), External Mass Connection Compatibility (EMCC), and the Test-bed," Captain Lori listed.

"What does the Fragment Complex thing do?" Ciel said bright eyed and intrigued.

"The FCVAC is the new revolutionary mobile suit deployment system installed on this ship. Think of it as a kind of runway or like the name suggests an assembly line. The launch system starts at the rear of the ship and travels all the way through its mainframe. The runway allows a mobile suit to go through the assembly for resupply, repair, rearmament, or recharge; the unit can be launched immediately back into the battle within a record amount of time. The system was intentionally meant to serve our main unit, the Core Gundam. The unit is entirely interchangeable and can be equipped for any combat situation, you name it. Unlike past units that combine externally from the ship, this unit is put together on the assembly line and rolled out. The sole purpose of the FCVAC and the Core Gundam relate to the Test-bed strategy. The systems work hand in hand with one another to test new weapons and gather combat data to produce future units; It all starts with this ship," The Captain proudly explained.

"So the FCVAC and the Core are meant for testing new experimental mobile frames, weapons, battle tactics, and the like? That's utterly brilliant! The ability to change weapons and equipment while simultaneously resupplying and repairing is phenomenal!" Ciel squealed with the excitement of a true mecha fan.

"That's precisely that my friend, and more," The Captain smiled. The elevator door opened at the end of the descent revealing to Ciel a powerful and awe striking sight.

"This is the mobile weapons hangar where we keep the heavier firepower; the "mobile armor" you looking at is part of the weapons system for the PAWN Strike. The Resistance Orbital Carrier, otherwise known as ROC," The Captain smiled as Ciel was drawn to the edge of the balcony with mouth sprung open in wonder.

"This is what I would be piloting, this thing?!" Ciel said resting his hands on the balcony's edge. The mobile armor like weapon was shaped characteristically like that of a giant bird. Its front had a beak like capsule structure with two red slitted eyes. Its wings were composed of various containers that were being loaded into their casings on the underside and topside of the wing/body structure. The tail end of the armor looked to complete the birdlike form as its thrusters had been constructed to look like tail feathers. Though Ciel could not see it from his position, the underbelly of the weapon had two great mechanical arms that acted as enormous feet armed with great birdlike talons. The entire weapon looked to Ciel like it was half the size of the ship but that was just trickery being played on his eyes.

"This is another part of the Test-bed strategy that works directly in unison with the Core Gundam. The PAWN Strike is able to dock and become part of the ROC, making the two weapons one. Aside from the regular armament of "mega" weapons the ROC is also able to carry parts from the assembly line for mid-battle changeability for the Core Gundam. Unlike the other units on this ship, these are the only Newtype weapons we have. The ROC is armed with special NT devices which are both defensive and offensive by nature. Its main purpose is to act as a stronghold defense and support unit when in battle," The Captain continued to blow Ciel's mind away with more baffling revelations.

"Astonishing, totally amazing," Ciel hummed as he floated above his perch. The amounts of information had completely boggled his mind from start to finish. "What is the operational time for the mobile weapon?"

"Unlimited operational time," the Captain uttered in a deep and proud voice. Ciel turned around and faced Captain Lori with a face of alarm and uncertainty.

"Anything with a nuclear engine is strictly prohibited on either side with the PLANT's and the EA. How can you explain this breach in the accords?" Ciel said defiantly with a stance unshakable.

"At ease Mr. Godsend, we've stayed in compliance with all treaties regarding nuclear capability. Mobile suits are prohibited from having nuclear power, not mobile weapons. The Atom Treaties have been amended over time and have allowed some leeway; the reasons for that can be traced to the EA's desire to build more advanced mobile armor technology. The past twenty years have been the greatest arms build up since the first Bloody Valentine War," The Captain explained regrettably.

"Now I understand. I suppose such a large weapon would require an unlimited supply of energy. I think I can safely assume that when the PAWN Strike is docked, its energy is restored," Ciel surmised.

"That and more, the ROC also has lifeline capabilities. There are up to six support cables that can be fired and controlled with the NT technology. The connectors can link up to a friendly MS for a total recharge or to maintain a constant supply of energy; I meant what I said about this weapon being a super defense support unit," The Captain smiled.

"I suppose it can't be helped," Ciel shrugged, "You have to be smart to outdo the enemy in his strength; it's just another fact of war that people need to understand,"

"The PAWN Strike is being brought from the hangars into the mobile weapons section and it will arrive shortly. The mobile suit that you saved was repaired and reconfigured," the Captain commented.

"Reconfigured, you mean it was upgraded or just plain finished?" Ciel questioned.

Before the Captain could respond the compartment bay doors opened as a mobile suit was guided into the room via rail track. It was the PAWN Strike totally renewed and vastly upgraded. The head sported a new radar array and an added CIWS (which totaled six on the suit). The chest and torso had been revamped with extra external armor which gave the suit a very impressive edge to its look. The forearms were fit with and extra weapon that Ciel could only guess was another NT weapon of some sort. The legs of the mobile suit had defiantly been changed to a point where Ciel found them odd yet fairly interesting. The feet had been given special "shoes" as the boy could describe which made the feet much larger and appear somewhat flatter. The calves of the leg were fitted with extra boosters for added mobility no less. The back pack unit of the suit was completely new with movable tail binders and added wings for maneuverability.

"That's the PAWN? You guys sure did a hell of a good job repairing it and then some," Ciel said smiling. He couldn't help but feel attached to the mobile suit as if it were his own. He delighted in the fact that he could pilot it properly but refrained from priding himself in something that was clearly not his.

The movable rail track ended at the doors opening unlocking the mobile suits feet from the mechanism. The Gundam stepped forward unflinching and powerful. Ciel had found it majestic before hand but now it was something of an indescribable intimidation that gave him shivers up and down his spine. The noises it made as it walked and maneuvered were sounds that made Ciel burst with vigor and determination. He really did begin to believe that maybe he really could do something to help after all.

Ciel witnessed the Gundam stop moving altogether as its cockpit opened. A mobile technician dressed in a green work suit stepped out and immediately eyed Ciel and the Captain who had been watching. His hair was very dark cobalt which matched his sapphire eyes perfectly. Young and probably in his young twenties he was quite built and sturdy for a man of his age. The man kicked off from the mobile suit and flew towards the Captain and the newcomer as another worker took over in moving the Gundam. Ciel put his left foot up on the balcony and reached boy hands out to catch the youth and bring him to his destination.

"Hi, need a hand?" Ciel assisted. The Newtype boy gently grabbed the man's hands and kicked off the balcony to stabilize their movement. The blue haired youth couldn't help but notice the boys dark attire fitted with small trinkets of metal. He found it both amusing and out of the ordinary. The boy's kindness had certainly thrown his first impressions out the window.

"Uh, hi, thanks," he spoke a little nervously. The Captain assisted him and steadied their progress.

"How are things coming along?" The Captain asked diligently.

"Good, very good, the PAWN Strike and Core units have been completed and the ROC is functioning properly. We've loaded most of the munitions already, all we need to do is wait for Commander Garland's weapon line up requests and we're set," the boy's voice resounded with a reassuring tone.

"Keiyse, this is the boy I spoke of earlier," The Commander said pulling Ciel forward. The young man gave a smile and readied a hand shake.

"I'm Valance Keiyse; Chief of Maintenance. It's good to meet you,"

"I'm Ciel Godsend; I'm a civilian of course," Ciel blushed a little. He had always been shy around strangers but he found that he was getting used to it. Valance smiled further at the other boy's kind demeanor.

"How many people have you told about me, Captain?" Ciel suddenly questioned.

"Only those who need to know; your presence will eventually get around to everyone so you wont need to worry," The Captain reassured him.

"You defiantly wear some interesting cloths," Valance said poking at the metal on the other boy's attire.

"Thanks, I think they're nifty," Ciel blushed again. Now that the two had been introduced the Captain began addressing certain issues with Valance.

"Because he is a Newtype we have to prep the BIOsensor system and calibrate the control function. We'll only be a minute, Ciel, just stay put for a while," The Captain said floating off with Valance down the walkway. Ciel was tempted to wander and explore but he respected the Captain and her hospitality so he remained still.

His mind began to wander as he spied the weapon containers being locked into the wings of the ROC. The empowerment he felt as he witnessed the unit's construction was uplifting of course, but he was suddenly left with many questions. His telepathy echoed in his soul as he searched for what his emotions were telling him.

"With this, maybe I really can make a difference? This situation is beyond my comprehension, I should just stay out of it. Think of what help I could be contributing! It was just a fluke the last time I piloted the Gundam. My abilities allowed me to save my friends so I can save them again. I don't even know if they're even alive anymore. I MUST try!" Ciel's thoughts raced as he rested against the back wall of the balcony. He was so conflicted in his decisions that it was difficult to sort out his feelings. He noticed that he had never had this much trouble with organizing his thoughts and searching for answers. Everything changed when he had escaped the colony in the process of its ensuing destruction. His abilities had taken a colossal step forward, beyond anything he could have ever done before. There was no use in denying himself and hiding the truth anymore; it was more than apparent that the whole event had triggered the change. The transition into this new state of consciousness was complicated for Ciel to grasp.

"Have the PAWN Strike armed with the Ex-BR2 (experimental beam rifle), and program it for basic quantum interface; 23.4 hold to be exact," A familiar voice paused Ciel's deliberation. A man in a pilot suit floated upwards hoisting himself up on the balcony ready to jump over to the ROC. Before the pilot could pivot around and jump his eye's locked with Ciel's once the boy looked up at him. Jet black hair and platinum colored eyes came back to memory as Ciel floated serenely with eyes glistening; it was none other than Joshua Shepard. Shepard looked at Ciel with a bleak expression as his actions took yield to another course of action. The prominence in Ciel's eyes dissipated as he smiled unaware of Joshua's intentions.

"Oh, hey, its you again. I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for the way I acted back at the colony. I was just really upset you know?" Ciel said waving. He found this to be an awkward situation so he smiled in a goofy manner that suggested his discomfort. This man had knocked him out after all, and finding that the pilot maybe reassigned to a different unit other than the PAWN made Ciel feel uncomfortable. Shepard's eyes lit up giving off a threatening signal to Ciel's telepathy; if that look couldn't warn him then most anything would slip unnoticed for sure.

"You, how did you escape?!" Shepard shouted with alarm. Ciel readied for fight or flight with hands and feet braced against the wall.

"Uh, the Captain asked to see me, and she asked if I could…" Shepard flipped over the balcony with lightening physical speed and launched himself full force at Ciel. The Newtype boy found it pointless to continue talking so he acted with reflexes of his own. Ciel dove to his right past the elevator door while Shepard braced his impact against the wall.

Ciel would have shouted for the Captain had he not been probing the Gundam pilots thoughts, trying desperately to convince him of his friendly status. Shepard wall kicked from his surface continuing towards the other boy in mid flight.

"Please stop, I am your friend, I am not your enemy!" Ciel constantly reiterated with thought as well as with his own voice. Shepard ignored and continued his assault.

"Stay away from my thoughts!" Shepard snapped as he caught up with Ciel. The pilot grabbed his right wrist and twisted it violently while spinning the boys arm around to his back. Ciel found himself pinned against the wall with little mobility to serve him; the pain in his arm didn't help much either. Ciel tried over and over again to tell Shepard the truth but he wouldn't listen. The last straw was drawn when Shepard used unnecessary force by hitting Ciel's head injury. Ciel went physical by mule kicking with both feet into Shepard's gut. In that splinter of time the pilots grasp on the boys arm loosened enough for him to escape. With eyes on fire, Ciel in turn and countered with a spin kick which was caught by Shepard in a basic wrist guard. The pilot readied to strike a blow which would have easily ended the fight by demonstrating an example of Coordinator might. The punch had been thrown in such a pitch that it appeared to move in slow motion as Ciel focused his mental force. In a clash of mind over matter, Shepard's fist met an invisible titanic explosion of power that sent him and his assault spiraling into the balcony guard rails; the backlash that resulted for the pilot would last a week's time before the pain went away.

Just as Shepard was released from the telekinetic force a pair of arms came from behind and placed him in a headlock while Valance stood in as a shield for Ciel.

"What in the hell is going on?!" The Captain said floating towards the tussle.

"Knock it off Shepard!" Valance said helping Ciel establish a foot hold. The pair of arms that had contained Shepard ceased action as Shepard calmed simmered down. Another pilot in a normal suit appeared from behind bracing Shepard in fear that he would strike again. He was a bit older looking than Shepard and a little more intimidating to look at. The allied pilot had short blonde hair with green eyes, and looked to be in his mid twenties compared to Shepard.

"Get off me Frank!" Shepard said batting away his comrade in a tantrum. The blonde haired solider grabbed Shepard by the collar and shook him violently.

"Watch your temper, Joshua; I won't be lenient with you anymore than the Captain is," The older pilot snarled through gritted teeth. His grip was also negated by Shepard which only furthered to anger his comrade.

"The boy who we recovered has escaped!" Shepard said pointing a condemning finger at Ciel. The Captain closed her eyes and held her forehead, shaking it out of disbelief.

"Stand down Lt. Cm., the boy is not harmful to us," The Captain ordered.

"You okay, are you hurt at all?" Valance asked ignoring the argument.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Ciel said rubbing his wrists while the opalescence dimmed from his eyes. Shepard and Ciel had an intense stare down which hinted at a hidden conversation.

"I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen to me," Ciel explained with his inner voice.

"Knock it off, psychic," Shepard's words were enough to get him in trouble once more. The Captain and Frank gave him the gravest of looks as Ciel turned away offended. Everyone, save Ciel and Shepard, had no clue that they had been talking on a telepathic level; to them Shepard was just being insulting.

"That's enough Lt. Cm. You, Commander Garland, and Ciel are coming with me," The Captain commanded as she operated the elevator door. "There will be no more incidents, will there Lt. Cm.?" The Captain rhetorically asked.

"No ma'am," Shepard droned reluctant to admit that he had done any wrong. Frank offered his help to send him to the balcony but was pushed away in return. Valance gave a disapproving frown to Shepard and his disrespect to his Commanding officer. Ciel hovered past Valance, ignoring Joshua's stabbing glare as he passed him by. Locking his shoes between the guard rails, Ciel stood up and reached for the Commander just has he had done with Valance. The Commander smiled briefly as Ciel pulled him forward.

"Please don't tell me he's like that all the time," Ciel said laughing a little.

"Be happy you don't have to baby sit him all the time," Cm. Garland chuckled as they headed into the elevator. Ciel felt oddly at peace as his hand came into contact with the Commanders; the sensation was in a sense calming and heartening and very much enjoyed under the circumstances.

Once inside the elevator Ciel snuggly placed himself between Shepard and Frank with the Captain facing all three of them. In his childish disgust Shepard shimmied away from Ciel as if he were plagued with some despicable disease; Garland could only laugh inwardly with Ciel as the Captain rolled her eyes.

"My name is Ciel Godsend by the way," Ciel said introducing himself to the Commander. Frank smiled and shook Ciel's hand transferring that peaceful sensation once more.

The moment was cut short by Shepard's sneering voice.

"Yeah, by the way, that's a really queer name," Shepard jeered.

"Shepard!" Both the Captain and the Commander reprimanded him in unison. The only thing keeping Ciel from bursting out with hysterical laughter was the presence of the Captain.

"I'm Commander Franklin Garland, a pleasure," The youth smiled.

---Captain's Quarters

"Permission to speak, Captain," Shepard did his best to control himself as his anger came to a boiling point.

"Permission granted," The Captain said wishing she had a pair of earmuffs to block out the tantrum that would follow.

"In all due respect, Captain, but this decision to allow a civilian to pilot the Gundam is totally unrealistic! He hasn't had any training in the military and does not understand the mechanism nor the instruments required to operate the mobile suit; going through with this would endanger the entire crew, as well as your reputation!" Shepard said switching his furious gaze between Ciel and the Captain. Ciel bit his lip and looked down at the floor in disgrace.

"What did you see when you were with Ciel, Lt.?" The Captain interjected with her point. Shepard did not take her question lightly or respectfully like he had said.

"What do you mean 'what did I see'?" The Lt. angrily questioned.

"We recorded the battle data when we were at Leigas, Joshua - that boy understood the Gundam and how it worked the moment he stepped into that cockpit; the activation of the BIOsensor system is proof enough," the Captain calmly reasoned.

"If he's never piloted before then how did he know? The Gundam isn't a toy nor is it some kind of video game!" Shepard countered her argument with the account of maturity and experience.

"May I speak Captain Lori?" Ciel said stepping forward only slightly. His voice shook a little which only helped to make him feel inadequate and weak.

"You may speak Mr. Godsend," The Captain said favoring another point of view. Shepard shot a glare at the boy with the intention of scaring the words out of him; luckily it didn't even faze him.

"While I may not understand it fully, when I was piloting I was in some time of induced trance – like I could see everything. When I sat down in the cockpit and took the controls in my hands, I could feel the machine; I understood it without actually knowing before hand. I've had some experience with hauler suits in my line of work but never a military machine. If I knew more about what happened to me back there I could tell you," Ciel admitted. Shepard jumped at the chance to support his argument.

"The civilian even admits that it was a fluke. It was a bad idea from start to finish Captain; we cannot risk everyone's life in the expense that he help us," Shepard stepped forward with fists clenched at his sides. The Captain would not be denied.

"Your concern is also my concern, and that is why I have asked that the boy pilot for everyone's benefit," the Captain calmly expressed to Shepard.

"Ma'am, I know that you're and advocate and devout supporter of the Newtypes, but that aside we cannot operate on a guess or an invisible hope!" Shepard risked bringing up the Captain's political stances which would be his downfall.

"You've gone far enough Lt. Cm.; do not overstep those boundaries again!" The Captain snapped in a tone far fiercer than Shepard's. "The reason why I have decided this is not because of my beliefs – far from it – I have seen what he can do on the battle field and I saw what he did in the hangar!"

"I will not let you endanger the crew or our comrades!" Shepard had crossed the line. Ciel could see Shepard's concern but he thought well enough to handle the situation differently. The Lt.'s words had planted the seeds of doubt in Ciel's thoughts.

"Enough Lt. Cm., I hold this ship and its crew as a top priority and don't you dare tell me otherwise or there will be consequences! That young man can do things that we cannot do and we need his help; if you wish to see the proof of his abilities then look no further than the catastrophic devastation he extracted on the enemy. I gave him the option to help and he accepted it," the Captain thundered. Ciel looked at her in surprise to her description. He didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or as a warning.

"I would be much more comfortable if Valance and I were to prep the boy before hand should anything happen," Commander Garland finally stepped forward to establish some order to the argument. Shepard turned around giving his CO a look that could have killed had it been possible. Cm. Garland ignored him while his focus remained entirely on Ciel.

"That was what I had in mind Cm.; Valance has yet to set the sensitivity levels on the interface. That is why I wanted you and Mr. Godsend to accompany each other," Captain Lori referred to her last plan of action. She swiveled in her chair to Ciel and gave him a warm smile. The boy had been the object of their furious argument so there was an atmosphere of distrust that hovered amongst them; the Captain sought to boost Ciel's morale in light of the discussion.

"It is your choice Mr. Godsend. You have the choice to pilot and assist us; the option is still open for you to take," the Captain's offer stood out as a ray of hope that Ciel was trusted by at least one individual present.

Ignoring Shepard was difficult to do seeing as his points seemed logical. There was however, the pressing realization that his friends may still be alive and need his protection. His friends and those who still lived were still the object of his passion.

"I accept, I will pilot," Ciel nodded solemnly as the Commander beside him smiled slightly; the look on Lt. Cm. Shepard's face was priceless.

"Then it is settled. Ciel will pilot the ROC and Joshua will be reassigned to the Gelgoog Command type; the Commander will be piloting the Core Gundam," the Captain ordered. "Ciel, I would like you to wait in the Pilots lounge while the Commander finds you a normal suit and a uniform. From there we'll begin testing and prep you for combat status!"

With that the Commander and Lt. Cm. gave a crisp salute. Ciel looked their ways confused and then snapped to attention and did the same. They exited the Captain's quarters and headed to the hangers. On their way out, the Co-Captain entered only briefly giving a salute as she passed them.

---Captains quarters in private ---

The atmosphere had calmed down as Moira stepped into the room with the door closing behind her. She shook her head back and forth with a smile as she stepped forward towards Captain Lori.

"Quite a ruckus you've managed to kick up; I'm surprised that the Lt. Cm. didn't get into a fist fight with you," Moira commented as she made a B-line straight for her partner.

"We both know he wouldn't have lasted one minute with me," the Captain said leaning back as Moira approached her with a steady look in her eyes; the sight of her forced her to curl her toes in anticipation.

"Indeed," Moira said as she had been caught up in the Captain's arms forcing her to sit in her lap, "However do you think that sending the boy out to pilot was a good idea?"

"Jonan, darling, we must stop meeting like this," the Captain joked in a higher girly tone as she giggled. The moments of privacy they had together were precious and few, and among their most treasured of experiences no matter how short.

"I believe so my love, I don't question what I've seen," The Captain's green eyes sparkled with heavenly delight as Moira's brunette hair brushed against her neck; the scent of her perfume was as intoxicating as the rosebud wine they had shared on one of their many dates previous before.

"I don't question you at all, but I am genuinely concerned," Moira then tapped into her lover's thoughts with the faintest of whispers, "I only want you to be safe."

"I second that; but what other things am I thinking right now?" Lori teased Moira with many more levels of understanding than one. The Co-Captain beat her to the finish line and kissed her lips in a hold that they wished could have lasted for so much longer. They both resisted the temptation and focused on what needed to be done; should they be successful they each had in mind a short vacation to L1's November five.

---Pilots Lounge---

There he sat against the window looking at the stars with the same wonderment he had when he was Leigas; they were numerous and brilliant as they blanketed the black of space. So much had happened in the short amount of time he had been at the colony up to this point and it was difficult to process. Ciel's eyes began to spark as he focused in and out of his vision; he returned his gaze to the navy blue booklet given to him by Ms. Swanson. He thought that if anything, if he couldn't understand what was happening this small book would guide him in knowledge. He skipped the beginning and made a B-line straight for specific chapters.

Chapter II: The HARVEST

"The individual is gifted with the ability to unlock and release potential; the symbol of this human potential is called the SEED (Superior Evolutionary Element Destined-factor). The capability to use the SEED is dependant upon the person and how it is used. With its discovery it has been found that all possess the SEED, but not all chose to use or recognize it. Until the arrival of the new consciousness, the Newtype, the SEED had only been known to burst forth and bring about intense concentration and sharpened focus.

Like any other Seed, the SEED itself can be cultivated and nurtured with an array of different approaches; depending on what the SEED is refined with will determine what it will progress into in the next stage. Memory, emotion, circumstance, and thought are the nourishment needed to make the SEED sprout and grow. When the SEED is ready, it will blossom with its stored potential and become the object of its form; the capacity to take and use that grown potential is called the HARVEST (Hyper Adaptation Retrieval Variable Extra Sensory Technique)."

Ciel stopped a moment to process the information. He thought about what had happened at Leigas and put that knowledge to explain how and why things happened the way they did. His telepathy had given him enough warning when he felt an impending fear tearing at him in the lab corridor. That fear had to have led the SEED to unleash a certain amount of probability that formed a tactile telekinetic barrier which protected the PLANT from the enemy's fire. Ciel thought even harder about what exactly had happened when he first experienced his trance like state when he witnessed the deaths of the two ZAFT pilots. A sense of longing for the lost and a realization of life and death came to mind immediately, after acknowledging the sorrow he felt afterwards. Such rage over the loss of just men pushed him over the edge when he comprehended their self-sacrifice. Even before that entire ordeal he had been teeming with quantum energy that began affecting the environment around him.

"Are Newtypes the only ones capable of the HARVEST?" he spoke aloud. He continued reading.

"As far as it has been known, the only individuals to be able to utilize the HARVEST are Newtypes."

"I guess that answers my question," Ciel said rolling his eyes.

"During the HARVEST (mode) many changes occur both in the body and in the mind. Due to the overwhelming amount of kinetic force and other unknown energies detected, the body can undergo a series of changes. There have been known cases where the eyes can change color and display an abundance of radiant light; hair has also been known to change its color. Certain instances conclude that the body can be influenced through psychokinetic manipulation that may increase the body's resistance to extreme conditions, demonstrate an increased rate in cell production, and carry out tasks with boosted telekinetic/telepathic activity.

The HARVEST is a trance that allows the individual to experience reality on different levels of perception. The time and space continuum can fluctuate dramatically when in this altered state in consciousness, upping physical and mental reaction times to coordinator levels and beyond. Telekinetic and psychokinetic (TK, and PK) are influenced tremendously during the HARVEST. A list of heightened abilities can be found in chapter V."

Ciel wasted no time in his curiosity and flipped through the books pages fervently; before chapter V could come up, his eyes caught a steam of words that peaked his interest. He stopped and flipped back until he found the page once again; the Newtype boy was stunned by this revelation.

"…Though ongoing research has yet to elaborate on such a fascinating concept, the idea behind Latent Activation remains controversial. The human mind is made up of different levels of complexity, and the theory that the most powerful potential lies at its deepest point of origin remains debatable. The specifics of such a state of mind clearly indicate that the most mysterious part of the psyche is utilized to an extent. Studies on Latent Activation conclude thus far that under rare circumstances having a heightened level of pressure or impending emotion can evoke abnormal NT levels yet to be recorded. Some physical changes that have been known to occur are the darkening of the iris and voice pitch changes. It is believed that only a handful of the Newtype population are ever able to achieve Latent Activation once in their lifetime."

When things had gotten too out of hand in Leigas, Ciel could feel a part of himself conjure something from the depths of his heart. Even though the book had done an excellent job of calming his nerves, this one concept terrified him to the core. He had been both aware and unaware of the state which only furthered his reasoning that such a condition of altered conscious was dangerous and unpredictable.

He leaned his head back against the lounge couch's arm and exhaled a sigh so stressful it was exhausting; perhaps he really didn't understand anything about himself. Questions only helped to bring about more questions. Just as he returned to the book the airlock doors opened up putting a stop to his quiet time.

"The motors were completely shot so we had to fix the whole damn energy core," A younger female voice grasped Ciel's attention as the conversation continued.

"I heard that they're going to be sending us an updated mobile suit OS soon. I get so sick and tired of beginning with processes 655 through 791; total pain in the ass I swear," Another female voice complained, thought this tone was much deeper and tougher sounding.

"We don't have that problem with the Gelgoog's or the Kampher units, so I guess we're lucky," The distinct voice of Valance joined in as Ciel turned to look at the crowd entering the room. There leading the group was the Commander holding a uniform with a safe suit draped over his shoulder. The group of new faces stopped and looked bewildered at the teenager's appearance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, Ciel. I got you a uniform and a safe suit for you from the storage," Commander Garland said with a brisk smile while he held up both the uniform and safe suit. He noticed Ciel eyeing the others around him and took it upon himself to introduce everyone.

"Oh, here, I'll introduce you. This is-" Frank had been interrupted by a five foot seven brunette with dark brown eyes. Her energy and friendliness was in abundant supply.

"I'm Ensign Lodi Delbarton, I've heard all about you and what you did at the colony," She said as she floating lightly over to the couch where Ciel lay while the others approached from behind.

"These are Adrian and Addison Irish, also known as the Irish brothers," Frank said as two identical twins, both having cobalt blue hair and robins egg colored eyes, stood before Ciel each giving their own wave or nod in acknowledgment.

"A good to meet yah, I've got to say you dress an unusual taste my friend," Adrian spoke up with a full blown Irish accent.

"Don't mind this dolt; he's the dumber one," Addison spoke jokingly with a completely unaccented reply; the difference in their language seriously baffled Ciel for a moment. The two brothers fought with one another exchanging small teasing blows.

"And you've already met Shepard," Valance said raising his eyebrows in recalling the Lt. Cm.'s rudeness. Joshua slipped on past the crowd giving Ciel the deadliest of looks before deviating to sit at the bar. The silver eyed pilot could have cared less about the boy's presence.

"So you're the boy named Ciel Godsend?" A purely rich female voice said perking up from behind Commander Garland. She was stunning as well as daunting at first sight. She had the reddest shade of hair this side of Naomi's eyes, while professing a concrete expression of genuineness that was breathtaking and alluring.

"Yes, that would be me, its good to meet you all," Ciel said sitting up while caught up in the eyes of the female in question. "And who are you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Electra Annandale," She spoke making a hand gesture towards herself. "I have a quick question."

"Um, okay, ask away," Ciel said putting on a serious face.

"I was told about everything that happened at Leigas, so don't sugar coat a single detail," Ciel gulped at her tone which seemed to command absolute truth with importance, "The two pilots you witnessed, the ones that died…the one that was still alive, did he say anything?" Electra said trying desperately trying her hardest to contain herself as Ciel sensed a grave meaning behind her question.

"Well no actually, things had happened so quickly we didn't have a chance to say anything to each other," Ciel did however recall the fact that just before the shit hit the fan he began to sing a hymn like song passage to the pilot. He refrained from telling such foolishness seeing as he didn't understand the concept of why or what that purpose served.

"Then tell me," Electra said stepping forward with tone changing to one of yearning, "Did he…pass on without pain?"

Ciel couldn't bear to say the truth about the subject. The boy's insides felt cold and empty like there was a void somewhere inside of him. Rejecting his own opinions he just managed to say what he thought had happened.

"When we were pelted with anti-personnel fire he dove on me and we fell a little. I tried asking if he was alright but he had been long gone before I realized anything at all. I'm truly sorry," Ciel professed his empathy as best he could to the extent of his comfort. The thoughts of losing someone he loved resounded with a reflection of his friends. He could tell that this Electra girl was torn at his explanation.

Electra turned with all eyes on her as she hovered towards the entryway with no hurry. She stopped shy of the door and just waited there with her head slightly angled towards the ground. With a speed that could not be detected she took a fist and rammed in into the door dial, literally breaking it into pieces without the slightest hint of discomfort. Her fist fell at her side and she slowly exited towards the mobile suit hangar; the unholy silence was broken with a comment from Shepard.

"Beautiful job, I thought for sure you'd rape her mind to find out that she had feelings for the man – it would seem that you got sloppy," Shepard said taking a sip of a packaged drink.

"No one asked you, Blue Cosmos. It goes against the ethical code to emotional and mental privacy. She asked me not to sugar coat anything, so don't bite my head off for being honest," Ciel shot a furious glare at Shepard.

Out of the corner of his eye he spied a camouflage colored satchel bag hovering close to his vicinity. Shepard figured it was Ciel's so he decided to indulge himself. Flipping the cover over he began taking out its contents which only consisted of a drawing supplies, reading materials (which hardly took his interest), music player, and a sketch book.

"That's my stuff you know," Ciel said pointing out the obvious. Shepard ignored as he flipped through the pages taking some interest in the art. Lodi hovered over interrupting Ciel.

"Dude, your pants are awesome! Do you by any chance like Rin Den Gray?" The female pilot said inquiring. Ciel was ecstatic.

"I love Rin Den Grey! They're supposed to be touring to L2 and L1 sometime this year or so I hear; I was so disappointed that they weren't coming to Leigas!" Ciel said smiling with brightness unrivaled. They were interrupted by Shepard who had been holding the sketch book in his hands.

"Say, what the hell is this thing?" Shepard said holding out a page of the sketchbook that he had incidentally torn out on purpose. Ciel grew tired of his attitude.

"Stop it! Don't pull things out of my sketch book, that's my art; and for your information that drawing is of a Phoenix!" Ciel said readying his telekinesis to withdrawal his things from Shepard's grasp. Valance, the Irish brothers, and Lodi congregated around the picture to take a closer look for themselves. All of them were very impressed with the art.

"Looks like a fire fly to me," Shepard said putting the page back into the sketchbook. He put all of the contents back to its rightful place and chucked it at Ciel.

"Fuck off, Shepard, there's no reason to be sore at the fella," Adrian said stepping forward clearly detesting the Lt. Cm.'s comments. Shepard ignored and continued to do nothing but take up space.

"That's enough, we need to prep Ciel for piloting the ROC, and we have little time to do so," the Commander said giving Ciel his uniform.

"The last thing we need is to be caught off guard," Valance said as he quickly exited for the mobile suit hangars.

---Mobile Weapon Hangar

"Your reaction time between switching between systems is a little delayed so use the auto load to use different weaponry," Valance instructed from just outside the ROC's docking mechanism which housed the PAWN Strike. The cockpit hatch remained open so that Commander Garland could give instructions during the simulation. Valance occasionally became entangled in the wire connections leading out of the Gundam which were connected to his workstation laptop.

Ciel's eyes began to glow with a ferocious rage that hinted at the use of his Newtype abilities; the Commander couldn't help but stare in quiet admiration while he assisted the boy.

"We're going to try something to trip you up now – Valance, insert a multiple enemy challenge into the simulation," Cm. Garland said as he hovered from behind Ciel's seat. The cockpit had been completely revalued to have a fully panoramic sight display which gave Ciel the impression that he was flying through space. The stars that passed him by as he 'flew' turned to streaking lights that zipped in and out of perspective as he maneuvered. Six Dagger units appeared in the simulation and targeted the ROC immediately; Ciel had been ready for their approach.

"Now, remember what I told you about the INCOM's (Intervention Newtype Controlled Offensive Medium); focus in with the Gundam's interface and command the weapons to release," the Commander instructed to Ciel as he quickly finished off two of the enemy with a sweep of the mega particle cannons. Valance was being kept on his feet by the boys piloting skills; what was frightening was the fact that this was only his second try at the simulation after a single 'game over'. Ciel was improving at a terrifying pace.

From the front and side compartments of the ROC a total of thirteen sphere like cable connected weapons shot out in multiple directions. Ciel's inner sight splintered, allowing him to see in multiple directions and feel the spacious void in which he flew. The remote devices zigzagged in and out of the enemy formations causing a great amount of confusion; all while Ciel evaded enemy fire as he systematically eliminated the enemy suits with the Newtype controlled weapons. Great explosions enveloped the suits which then completely disappeared from the simulation as Ciel called the weapons back into the ROC's containment units. Valance and the Commander shot each other with a look of shock and wonder.

"Very good, Ciel, you have no problem with the NT weapons on board; no abnormalities detected at all," Valance said as he shook his head back and forth in disbelief. The boy needed little assistance from the quantum computers which only added to the trepidation expressed by both the Commander and himself.

"Be sure when you maneuver with the central joystick not to stress evasion; the unit is very nimble for a mobile weapon and it will lessen power usage," Commander Garland said steadying Ciel's hands as he grasped the joystick in front of him. Within that very moment Ciel had laid waste to an Agamemnon ship and its two supporting Drake-class battleships with a combination of both the double mega cannons and a Thor missile cluster; Valance had just about given up with the simulation at this point.

In a surprise twist, Valance added a Gundam to the mix. The ensuing chaos that followed was typically prolonged. Ciel dove in and out of its effective range from its beam weapons and followed up with an INCOM strike. The enemy Gundam had been caught up in a shower of random shots from every direction which served as a quick distraction. As the Buster-esque Gundam laid down a barrage to effectively disable most of the NT weapons, Ciel fired a single round of bazooka shells and quickly dove beneath the distracted enemy. The mobile suit was able to catch the live munitions before any sort of impact. One remaining INCOM unit that managed to escape destruction fired a single beam through the Gundam's coil gun, rendering the long range weapon useless.

"Now you have no choice!" Ciel muttered as he faced the Gundam from below. He charged forward while accessing the gargantuan claw like appendages which unfolded into a typical bird leg shape from the weapons underbelly. From each consecutive 'claw' a massive beam saber erupted with a flash of pink, each one ridiculously elongated like a group of spears. The Gundam saw this and faced its enemy ready for a close encounter; the withdrawing of its close range beam javelin was apparent enough. The two combatants clashed violently in a 'drive by' encounter which resulted in the loss of one of the mega beam cannon/claw arms of the ROC; the Gundam remained relatively unharmed.

"Tough little bastard," Ciel acknowledge the virtual enemy's ability to fight, "But hey, I hope you like the present I left you,"

Ciel's hint was made bluntly obvious as a cluster of shrapnel mines that had been deposited during the confrontation, detonated. The enemy's phase shift saved it from oblivion but the shock wave that resulted could not be helped. Just as the enemy stabilized its movements three spinning beam boomerangs guided by Ciel's telekinesis came screaming into view. With a simple boost the enemy mobile suit evaded one attack, but the second wave had taken its arm and part of its torso; luckily the third assault was avoided, sparing the other arm.

"We're even now," Ciel sighed as he concentrated on manipulating the movements of the remote beam weapons. The CIWS (Close Intervention Weapon System) of the Gundam quickly disposed two out of the three boomerangs in a spectacular display of accuracy and foresight. Before the Gundam could contemplate it, its leg had been severed above the knee by the third beam boomerang which was coming back around for another attack.

"Damn that thing and its persistence!" Ciel commented as he reached deeper and deeper into the simulation. The 'Buster' like Gundam only reminded him of the similar model that he had destroyed in Leigas. Unlike this one, the pilot had been careless enough to do nothing; now there was someone at least remotely competent to operate the machine.

With the swipe of its beam javelin the Gundam deflected the boomerang, which was rendered relatively irrecoverable because of its erratic change in movement. Savagely, Ciel enabled the beam spray weapons built into the 'bird head' of the unit and fired away. Red hot beams of light stabbed through the Gundam's armor leading to its dramatic end in an explosion of light. The simulation ended.

"Now if you can do that in real time, I'll be extra impressed," Valance said shaking his head out of disbelief. The Commander just smiled as Ciel wiped the sweat from his forehead; he had been smart to pull his hair back into a pony tail before hand.

"You were incredible, Ciel. I'm more than happy to have you as my wingman," the Commander successfully made Ciel blush a bright shade of red with his comment. Ciel did his best to hide it as he exited the Gundam.

"So how well did I do?" He asked as he held onto the top latch while Valance pulled himself to the machine.

"You got an overall score of 82, that qualifies as an early A rank by military standards," Valance said in bewilderment.

"Should you ever choose to, you'd be an excellent pilot for the military with the right training," Garland said as he patted Ciel on the back for his skills.

"With the way he is, I don't think he'd need it," Valance jokingly smiled while giving Ciel a noogie. The moment was cut short by a gut busting alarm followed by a message over the loud speakers.

"Is that the battle ready alert?!" Ciel said as his heart jumped out of his skin.

ALERT!!

ALERT!!

Enemy detected at indigo, beta seventy-two! All pilots scramble! I repeat all pilots scramble immediately. Prepare for mobile suit interception!

Ciel turned to the Commander with eyes wide while an expression of panic formed on his face.

"Frank, what now?!" Ciel said grasping for answers. The Commander could tell that the boy was terrified by the look of things and had a small pang of regret about the Captain's decision. Even though he had that shred of doubt he respected the Captain and believed in the boy.

"Listen, just be ready in the ROC; It will be prepped and supplied automatically. You'll be launched shortly thereafter. Remember the launching protocol instructions I told you. You don't even need to be in the battle vicinity should you choose it, just be within range to provide support – that's all," the Commander could see the boy's fear gaining ground as he looked into his eyes. "You'll be just fine, I'll be out there right along side of you the whole time. I'm lookin out for you okay?" Frank said taking both of the boy's shoulders in his hands.

"The same to you, sir," Ciel added as he nodded while entering the cockpit. Sitting down and strapping himself in, Ciel cold feel his heart beating at a dangerous pace through his safe suit. In a single fluid motion he activated the unit's start up which closed the hatch – then there was darkness.

In that moment of the purest of silence Ciel could only concentrate on the sound of his terrified breathing inside his helmet as the darkness swallowed him. Within the fraction of a single second until the unit's screen display activated and the consoles lit up, Ciel had to fend for himself as his mind raced out of control. There had been few instances where he had found himself losing control, but this was an experience that called out the worst of his fears. As the boy sat there in the darkness he was overcome by conflicting aspects of his thoughts which resulted in calling forth a mediator. As the darkness faded and made way for light Ciel lifted his head with eyes filled with pure instinctual wrath. The darkness in the cockpit had disappeared; the only remaining amount of black remained captured in the Newtype boy's irises as a torch of light pulsed from their center.

"I feel it rise within me…"

---

Ending Song: Colors by Hikaru Utada