Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Tale of the Twin Wolves

By Storm Wolf 77415 and Wing Commander White Wolf

Chapter 9

"MARIA!" Flay's voice echoed. Hearts stopped as time itself practically froze; the Galvani fired its twin beam cannons and railcannons at the Blizzard Prowler. Almost seeming angry that someone dared get between it and the Montgomery. But to everyone's equal surprise, the beams stopped short halted by an invisible force as the area around the impact area flared, revealing a spherical honeycomb barrier that flickered around the entire ship.

Murrue couldn't believe what she was seeing. "That ship is equipped with a lightwave barrier? That's a Eurasian armament? How did ZAFT get their hands on Eurasian technology?" She asked.

The Galvani fired a second time, this time a few spots on the Prowler's hull erupted in fireballs as the ship recoiled from the impact. "Give me a damage report right now!" Maria ordered as her ship started to take damage. Her sensor officer began rattling off the damage as it showed up on the master systems display.

"Emitters four, seven and twelve are damaged, Captain! Shield strength down to twenty-five percent! We can't take another hit like that!"

"Then we'd better make sure they don't get another chance! Bring us about and prep all missile launchers, target the Galvani! All missiles fire at will!" Maria barked. The Blizzard Prowler's five tube Vertical Launch System lit up, firing a barrage of anti-ship missiles. The 58mm CIWS spooled to life as they tried to shoot down the missiles, but a few found their mark.

The Laurasia-class frigate shuddered, as its starboard edge exploded. It veered off course to avoid a collision, which brought it right into the Montgomery's line of fire. George and Koopman just gave a single look to each other. They didn't need any words for what happened next. "Fire!" They both ordered at the same time, the PSV Galvani met its end in a hail of bullets, missiles, and emerald spears.

"Nice shooting, Montgomery-Actual, way to put him out of their misery!" Maria said.

"Same to you, Prowler-Actual." Koopman said, a part of him marveling that he was working alongside a ZAFT vessel. Whatever the reason for all of this would be quite interesting to hear, once it was all over.

(Open Space)

Once again Kira found himself facing off against that familiar looking white CGUE. After Artemis, Sebastian had him go through a series of training simulations, including Endymion to better gauge his skills. The extra training had been a huge boon to him. Kira didn't feel the same level of trepidation he had the last time he had locked swords with Rau at Heliopolis. There was no hesitation this time around; The Strike's beam rifle was on target, shooting as quickly as possible.

Rau was showing all why he was called the White Meteor. Neatly dodging the attack while firing with his shield gatling. His lips twisted into a thin smirk. "Hmm, you've got some fire in you today. It seems you're committed to protecting this convoy, aren't you? Well I'm afraid that you're going to fail." The CGUE's machine gun came up and began adding to the barrage, 76mm and 28mm shells pinging off the Strike's phase-shift armor.

The young student turned soldier's eyes flashed to his energy display, watching as the meter slowly dropped from the projectiles fired back, opening up with the Igelstellungs, and then a shot from the beam rifle after that. Rau's CGUE swept in close to the Strike, cleaving downwards with his heavy sword, bouncing off the Gundam's shield, leaving several dents in the heavy metal plate.

Kira went for a beam saber, igniting the flaming blade, going for a horizontal slash across Rau's midsection, the ZAFT mobile suit slid to the side, scoring a gash along the right hip. The heavy sword swung again, grinding along the torso. Kira backpedaled, firing the CIWS again. "I hope the others are having better luck than I am!" he said, looking across the void to where the others were fighting.

Anthony watched as his younger brother's mobile suit madly danced around him, peppering him with rounds as he evaded his beam rifle. Whatever he thought of his younger brother, Zavier Yukari had proven why he had earned the redcoat, as well as the coveted GINN High Maneuver Type, only given to those who had distinguished themselves in combat as Sebastian had during Junius Seven. Zavier had managed to bring down two Drakes and a Nelson along with fourteen mobile armors at Yggdrasil, thus earning him the name "Blood Fox".

Zavier wore a feral grin as he squeezed off another barrage at his older brother. Marie had always told him of how inferior Anthony was; his green eyes gleamed madly in anticipation at finally getting one over on him. "That's it, bro! Don't hold back on my account!"

The Arctic White Wolf was growing tired of his brother's taunting. "Alright, Zavier, let's finish this!" Anthony said, his Helmet Mounted Display coming to life, displaying an elaborate targeting graphic on the polarized glass. An orange diamond reticule began flashing over Zavier's mobile suit. The White Wolf raised his rifle and opened fire again, just barely missing a nearby Mobius.

The adrift mobile armor hadn't slipped The Blood Fox's notice either. "What's this? Some filth that avoided getting swept up? Well now we just can't allow that now, can we?" Zavier sneered, raising his rifle, "Later, you Natural trash!" He never got the chance to pull the trigger as a round from the Recon GINN cleanly shot off his arm, taking the rifle with it.

Anthony suddenly felt a sudden surge in the back of his mind; it was as if all of his senses were telling him to protect that mobile armor with all of his heart and soul. His effectiveness had skyrocketed in that single moment. The White Wolf squeezed off another round, blowing off the GINN's other arm, before one last one vaporized the head.

He had now take a defensive position between the mobile armor, rifle pointed straight at his insane little brother. "Back off Zavier! You've lost both arms and your main camera. Nothing good is going to come of you hanging around here!" Anthony snarled. Reluctantly, the GINN HM's engines ignited and it departed.

"This isn't the last of it, Anthony! You can be sure of that!" He hissed, taking off back to the Redemption. Marie would not be pleased with this course of action. The White Wolf's GINN hefted its rifle, determined not to let anyone else get near the Mobius, for whatever reason he felt.

(Archangel, Bridge)

Murrue was beginning to curse having such an ample bust size, given they jiggled every time the ship was rocked by an explosion or something else. "We need to get these people off our tails!" Her eyes fell on the Vesalius, it was then a plan began forming in her mind; She turned to the redhead who was at the Communications Station. "Flay, get Lieutenant La Flaga on the line and hail both the Montgomery and Aquilo, I need to speak with Captain Koopman now!"

It didn't take long for her to connect all three of them. The young Lieutenant was the picture of composed leadership as she began to outlay her plan. "Gentlemen, this fighting cannot continue forever. We need to drive ZAFT off, I have a plan but it's going to require a concerted effort on all of our parts. This is what we need to do."

Koopman nodded in approval. "A well thought out plan, Lieutenant Ramius. We're going to give Commander Le Creuset quite a bit of hurt. I can see why Admiral Halberton always spoke so highly of you. I'm eager to see if this plays out the way you hoped…Captain."

Mu smirked, he would never pass up a chance to get back at his old nemesis, ever since he had encountered Rau at Endymion, he felt a very bizarre connection to him, and "Leave it me and the Sprites, Madame Captain. There's a reason I'm called the man who makes the impossible possible!"

"What do you want us do, Captain?" Maria chimed in. Both she and Richards had also been connected so they wouldn't be out of the loop.

"Captain Russo informed me you specialize in long range fire, take your vessel to a good distance out and began laying down suppression fire. Since your Lightwave Barrier took damage earlier, Commander Richards will escort and act as a screen with its missile batteries. We don't need to wipe out the ZAFT fleet, just drive them away for right now."

"Then let's get started!" Mu said, diving into battle, with the other Sprites hot on his tail.

"Target and Gottfrieds and Valiants! Aim, fire!" Murrue barked, the gunners began throwing up a wall of energy at the Vesalius. Ades ordered a hard evasion to port, barely getting out of the way, but the ship still managed to get clipped by one of the Gottfrieds in the engine and a single 110cm round from the Valiant knocked out their main sensor array.

George Allster felt great satisfaction at seeing the Nazca get rattled about. "The Archangel opened up a path for us! Let's give ZAFT the knockout blow!" He said, slipping into command mode for a minute "Captain Koopman, lock onto the Vesalius!" He covered his mouth with his hand, "Uh, sorry about that…force of habit."

Koopman's lips twisted into a feral grin, "It's quite all right, sir. In this situation, we're in full agreement! All batteries target the ZAFT flagship! Fire all weapons!" The Montgomery's beam cannon turrets and missile batteries opened up, hitting the Vesalius's cannons. "Lieutenant La Flaga, this is your chance!"

"Roger that Captain." Mu smirked, "Sprites, arm all Gunbarrels and cannons, prepare for my signal! You thought I was dangerous before, Le Creuset? Allow me to introduce you to the Viper Zero!" The five mobile armors opened fire with a massive barrage of 155mm shells, beams from the gunbarrels, and topped off by the TS-MA2Bmod.01 Viper Zero firing all four of its Warhammers. The entire underside of the Vesalius was torn to shreds.

On the bridge Fredrick Ades gnashed his teeth, "Damn it! We can't get at the last Earth Alliance ship! We'll have to settle for two out of three! Signal a general retreat, we're leaving!" A trio of flares was sent out, signaling to the mobile suit pilots they were to withdraw. The four stolen G-Weapons and the remaining GINNs limped back to their ships. Despite the loss of two-thirds of the advance force, the Montgomery still remained; along with some much needed extra crew.

Anthony watched in great relief as the remaining ZAFT forces retreated. He turned back to the battered mobile armor. He couldn't explain why, but a deep primal instinct to protect this particular ship. "This is Captain Anthony Russo, Orb First Rapid Strike Force to the pilot of the Mobius, are you in need of assistance?" His usually tanned features paled when the Mobius pilot responded back.

"Anthony? Is that really you? It's me, Loretta!" A decidedly feminine voice spoke. The Arctic White Wolf prided himself on always being in control of his emotions at all times, especially when thrust in the middle of combat. However, that voice would be enough to throw him into total chaos. His mind flashed to a time long ago in the PLANTs as he walked alongside a tranquil lake, hand in hand with a woman with eyes blue as ice and hair colored a orange-red so brilliant the sun itself would be put to shame.

"Loretta…" He rasped, the hatch of the mobile armor's cockpit opened, admitting a slender form clad in the orange pilot suit all Earth Alliance grunt pilots wore. The pilot floated towards Anthony's GINN. He opened the cockpit up to admit her. She was a little apprehensive at first, but the White Wolf held his arm out for her.

She grabbed his hand. He tugged brought her inside. Her visor depolarized, revealing a striking young woman in her late twenties with brilliant ice blue eyes. "Anthony?" Her voice cracked as tears formed in her eyes. All he could do was nod, praying this wasn't some cruel illusion. "It really is you!" Loretta threw her arms around his neck, crying. "You saved me!"

"I guess I did…" Anthony said, not bothering to hide his own tears. Still hoping he wasn't going to wake up to find it never happened. "Come on, honey. I need to get you back to the ship. We can talk later." Loretta curled up in his lap, burrowing up against his shoulder. "You do know this a two seater craft, right?"

She just shook her head, "I don't care. This is where I want to be. My mind is made up." Loretta cooed. Anthony ran his hand along her back, eliciting a slight blush on her cheeks. "So does this crate have a name?"

Anthony shrugged, "Not really, Baby. It's just a customized Long Range Reconnaissance GINN. I never really considered giving it a name."

Loretta shook her head, "No way is my man going to be driving around in some nameless crate! You're an ace of ZAFT, and your machine deserves something distinctive and unique." She smiled at him. "Hmm, how does…Snow Stalker sound to you? Given that you're the Arctic White Wolf."

"I like the sound of that. You always did have style honey. I guess it comes with being a model, huh?" He asked. To which Loretta flashed a dazzling smile.

"I'm always stylish…not to mention classy! So how about we get out of here?" She asked.

"Your wish is my command, dear." Anthony said, turning the newly christened Snow Stalker back toward the Archangel. "I can't wait to introduce you to my partner. He's going to get a huge kick out of this!" His expression turned a little more serious. "At least…provided we make it out of this alive first! Hope you're okay Pup!"

At that moment, Sebastian was still struggling with Vanessa and Kyle. He was quite amazed at how well the two of them worked together. The black and brown spotted CGUEs moved in a concerted effort that reminded the Storm Wolf very much of a dance. "I have to say I'm impressed, Kyle. You and Vanessa work well together. You two dance partners?"

The Grimaldi Hyena smirked. "You're right on the mark, Storm. Vanessa and I have trained long and hard together. And we have in fact entered a couple of ballroom dancing competitions together, isn't that right dear?"

"I thought we were fighting here!" Vanessa snarked, snapping off a couple of rounds from her rifle. Sebastian raised the dark green shield, before firing back. One emerald burst managed to melt off the head crest of Kyle's CGUE. "Not bad, Little Brother, but that's not going to be enough to stop us!" She whipped out the heavy sword, while Sebastian ignited one of the beam sabers.

The two blades swung at the same time, compressed light meeting forged steel. For Sebastian it was nothing to cleave through Vanessa's weapon. He raised his rifle at Vanessa's cockpit. "Still want to continue? Because I can go all day!" He said.

Vanessa hesitated for a minute, "You're strong, Sebastian…I hope that conviction continues to hold true. Until the next time we meet, Little Brother. Let's go Kyle!" The two CGUEs turned, leaving the white and green Gundam alone. Sebastian removed his helmet.

"What did she mean by Little Brother?" He asked.

With hostilities at an end, the ragtag little fleet now had time to regroup. To everyone involved it would be considered the oddest little assortment of ships, the Earth Alliance's latest assault carrier, a slightly battered Nelson-class battleship, an Orb missile frigate, and a heavily modified ZAFT Nazca-class destroyer.

Murrue was quite relieved that it was over for now. She took a few minutes to just lean back in her chair to relax. It didn't last thought, "Captain, the Montgomery just hailed us." Flay said, "It seems Daddy…that is, Vice Foreign Minister Allster, wishes to come aboard. Is that allowed?" Murrue smiled and nodded, to which Flay brightened up. "Thank you, Captain!"

(Archangel, Hangar)

The Montgomery's shuttle settled with a slight thump on the hangar floor. George took a look around the hangar. Having served on board more than a few ships, it wasn't all that different. Until his eyes fell on the Strike and Predator, not to mention the Snow Stalker and the other white and green painted GINNs.

The door opened, admitting a slim, petite redhead in the pink uniform of a female Earth Alliance volunteer crewman. He felt some relief at seeing his precious daughter, but he faltered at the disapproving look on Flay's face. He held out his arms for a welcome embrace, but it was stiff and rigid. The two parted "Flay, what's wrong dear? Is something wrong?"

"It's better if you just come with me, Daddy. There's something things we need to discuss." The redhead replied, leading her father down the corridor, into an elevator, before finally arriving in front of the door. The doors slid open and George Allster almost died of a heart attack as he came face to face with his eldest child, Maria was sitting at the table in a black ZAFT ship captain's uniform while a young man who bore more than passing resemblance to his dear sister, Andrea, leaning against the wall.

"Hello…Dad." Maria struggled to utter the last word, her arms folded across her chest. "I think we need to have a much needed family talk. My little sister and cousin agree, right you guys?" Sebastian just gave a slight nod, sending his uncle a cold gaze. Flay had a truly betrayed look on her face. George knew he couldn't avoid what was to come. He squared his shoulders and took a seat at the table, holding Flay's hand.

"Very well then, honey. Let's talk. Sebastian, would you please have a seat?" The younger man said nothing, just taking a seat across from his uncle. George's first thought was that he had inherited his mother's fierce gaze. An awkward silence followed. "So…where do we begin?" George never imagined he would need the diplomatic skills he had cultivated over the years to settle out an old family dispute.

"How about explaining to me how you could lie to me about what happened to my older sister! Daddy, you told me she was sick, and that she had to go away! How could you just abandon your own blood just because she was a Coordinator?" Flay exploded in anger, "You left a six-year-old girl all alone in the PLANTs. If it hadn't been for Commander Russo's father, she would have died!" She broke into sobs.

The older Allster daughter smirked in triumph. Maria had waited a long time for this. "We all have to answer for our crimes eventually, Daddy-dearest, and it's judgment day for you!" A bit of her triumph faded as George's shoulders sagged. She couldn't help but feel bad at seeing how old he looked in that moment.

The Storm Wolf then chose to get his two cents in. "Let's not forget what you did to me, dear uncle. Now I know you never forgave Mom at all for running off with my Dad, just because he was a Coordinator. But I think you could have at least tried to reach out to Mom and mended fences between you. I would have liked to get to know my cousins and my aunt before she died. Just saying is all."

"And I can't imagine Mom would have wanted you to send me away after she died! I remember that all too well!" Maria hissed.

George's hands curled into fits. He had always known his demons would come back to haunt him, but never that it would be his children who would force him to face it. "There were a lot of things going on at that time, you kids didn't know about." The Allster Patriarch said, "I had to make a choice…it was the wrong one."

"I think it runs a lot deeper than just a simple choice you made after what happened to Mom and Aunt Catherine, Uncle." Sebastian reached into his pocket. He pulled out a single playing card and threw it on the table. It was the King of Diamonds, but instead of the usual drawing, there was a picture of George. "This deck of cards is given to all ZAFT Team Commanders, detailing the senior members of Blue Cosmos…Didn't know you were such a big player."

George sighed, "There's no point in denying it anymore…Yes Sebastian, I am a member of Blue Cosmos…and it's been one of the biggest regrets in my entire life!" He banged the table with his fist. "After I resigned from the Navy, Muruta Azrael approached me…it seems he had heard about Andrea and Maria. He was looking to get a foothold in the government…so he funded my political campaign, and managed to get me the Undersecretary position in the State Department."

Flay was absolutely horrified, she had known that her father had never been a big fan of Coordinators but being part of a group that expressively declared they would exterminate every last one of them shattered her former view of him. Even more horrifying was the fact her father's political career had been bankrolled by Azrael himself. "How could you?" She whimpered.

George was unable to look his little girl in the eye. Maria wasn't done yet. "Answer another question for me, Dad, and be as honest and truthful possible. Did you know about the nuclear strike?" She asked.

"I did know about the plan to attack Junius 7, but I never approved of it, once! Even I have standards!" George was emphatic in his last statement; "Azrael is obsessed with wiping them out all because Coordinators picked him on when he was a child! He's acting out on a petty vendetta!" He hung his head, "I never imagined they'd go to the level they did to exterminate them all. I just wanted the Coordinators to be put in their place, remind them of who was in charge. I never wanted them slaughtered like cattle. I fell right into it. I can't change what's happened." Sebastian got up.

"There's always a chance to be better, Uncle." The Storm Wolf said before leaving the room, "You just have to be willing to take the first step." Maria and Flay followed him, leaving the eldest Allster alone with his thoughts, his eyes on the King of Diamonds card bearing his face still on the table.

He reached into his shirt, pulling out a small gold locket. Reverently he laid it on the table next to his playing card, opening it to reveal two photographs, on the left was of a woman with shoulder length dark brown hair and determined green eyes. The other photo was of a beautiful woman in her early thirties with long fire-engine red hair, bluish-gray eyes looked at him playfully. "Andrea…Catherine, please forgive me." He broke down.

(Sebastian and Lacus's Quarters)

The Storm Wolf was in a somber mood as he entered the room. Lacus was lying on the bed, taking a nap. He curled up with her, putting an arm around her slender waist. Sebastian wasn't sure what to feel after the confrontation with his uncle. Like Maria he had seen the genuine regret George had displayed. His precious White Dove stirred. "Hello, dear." He whispered, kissing her delicate cheek.

She cuddled up against him, "You're tired dear. Get some sleep." Lacus cooed, nuzzling into his shoulder. For Sebastian, that was the best advice he had heard all day. It was times like that a quick rest worked wonders.

(Hangar)

A couple of days had passed, Shawn, Duncan, Gabrielle, and Harmony were all assembled in the hangar, a shuttle behind them waiting to take them over to the Blizzard Prowler. Anthony and Sebastian stood in front of them. "Are you really sure about all of us leaving, Sir? I can understand Duncan and Harmony departing since their technical expertise is needed in order to get Project C at full capability, but certainly I'm better fitted to remain by your side."

Sebastian just patted his XO on the shoulder. "Oh trust me, Major Mason, I need all four of you at Project C. Yes, Duncan and Harmony will be needed for the final phase of construction, but I want to be absolutely certain no one finds it. So far no one knows what were up to, and I need your vigilant gaze to make sure it stays that way until the time is right. Anthony and I will be fine."

"What about me, mon ami?" The statuesque blonde inquired, a hand going to her shapely hip.

"Your survival was a surprise to us all, Gabby. We really hadn't anticipated your presence. We're certainly not complaining." Sebastian said, "I suppose if anything else, you can provide some extra muscle. As much as it pains me to give this order, you are authorized to use any measures possible to maintain the project's secrecy. No can know!"

The four remaining Storm Wolves snapped to attention, "Understood Colonel Connor. Don't worry, we will not fail you or Captain Russo at all." Duncan replied. Sebastian held up a fist, the engineer replied by raising his own hand, lightly bumping them together.

"I know you will, Major Cooper." Sebastian then proceeded to fist bump Shawn, before receiving a sisterly hug from Harmony, and the traditional French farewell from Gabby as the busty Frenchwoman gave a pair of gentle kisses on his cheek. "Stay alive guys, consider that a standing order."

"Understood, Colonel. Don't worry about the others. I'll keep an eye on them." Harmony said. The middle Lamperouge sibling had become the team's resident big sister, someone everyone in the squadron could confide in. The Storm Wolf had to swallow hard as the shuttle lifted off. The Arctic White Wolf put an arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Relax, Pup. It's probably safer for them at Site C anyway." Anthony sighed, "You got off easily. At least you still have some of your packmates alive…unlike me." It was Sebastian's turn to give comfort to his partner. Anthony's entire team had been obliterated at Endymion. Irwin and Linda had been at the White Wolf's side since day one.

Their anguished screams still haunted his dreams at night, the very first victims of the Cyclops attack. Anthony quickly brushed it off, not wanting to fall into that chasm, "How about we check out the gear Maria left for us?" He asked. Sebastian nodded, eager to put those images behind him as well. They walked to the other side of the hangar where a TMF/A-802 BuCUE painted white sat.

"The Arctic Fang, I have to say, Anthony. If we get into any battles planet side, this is going to be a huge asset to us." Sebastian said. "It does beg the question though, you're going to be piloting this beast, who's going to operating Snow Stalker? With the others gone, we're going to need every advantage possible."

Anthony smirked, "Taken care of, pup…Loretta will fly it. I've been giving her lessons in how to handle my GINN. She picks it up fast."

Sebastian gave a bemused grin of his own. "That reminds me…When were you ever going to tell me you managed to bag Loretta Frost of all people, mister? She's one of the best-known fashion models in recent years! How did she end up in the cockpit of a mobile armor?"

The White Wolf's expression darkened some, "Her father is a prominent figure in the Atlantic Federation government, with some sympathies to Blue Cosmos. He's not a member, but he does think along the same lines. The bastard nearly pitched a fit when he learned she had dared step in the PLANTs for that photo shoot where we met. It seems she was forced into the military as a way to straighten her out."

"I think he's off the list of candidates for Father of the Year C.E. 71." Sebastian remarked. The two laughed, dark as it was, the humor broke the somber atmosphere. "Shawn made a valid point, Anthony. Without him or his AWACS GINN, we're pretty much flying blind. Do you have a way to remedy that situation?" The White Wolf pointed to a crate marked 'ORACLE'. "What's that?"

"You'll see in time, Pup. You'll see in time." Anthony replied, walking off with a knowing gleam in his eye and a slight smirk on his face. It didn't take Sebastian much to realize where the White Wolf was going.

(Anthony and Loretta's Quarters)

The door slid open, admitting Anthony. Loretta was lying on the bed, wearing just her white and red trimmed t-shirt and nothing more. Her pale legs seemed to go on forever. Long wavy red hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her brilliant ice blue eyes. "Hey handsome, I thought you weren't ever going to come back." She said.

Anthony sat down next her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "The tribulations of being a commander. Pup and I had to see the rest of our squad off. They have a special assignment. But now we have some alone time." He leaned in to kiss her. Of course Loretta wasn't about to stop there. She put her arms around his neck, pulled herself into his lap, giving him a huge wet one on the lips, and sealing the deal with her tongue sliding into his mouth.

The Arctic White Wolf's usual composure was broken as he flailed about from the sudden contact. But he settled down after a few moments, easing into the intimate moment. The two held each other tightly, Anthony stroking Loretta's feather soft red locks. When they parted, the redhead blushed, nuzzling into his side. "I still remember that last night we shared in the PLANTs…and when you left the next morning."

She unbuttoned her shirt, and Anthony looked fondly on the silver locket hanging around her neck. He picked it up with gentle fingers, noting the inscription on the front. "Wolves mate for life…you really kept it?"

"Of course I kept it, silly. This was your final gift to me. It's priceless." Loretta blushed again. They laid down on the bed together in each other's arms. It didn't take long for Loretta to fall asleep. Anthony's heartbeat was like him, steady and reliable.

The Arctic White Wolf ran his fingers along her delicate cheek, "Sleep tight…my little Snow Fox." He whispered, before he too let sleep claim him.

(February 11th, C.E. 71, Archangel, Bridge)

It's said the bridge is the brain of any vessel, whether ocean going or star faring, the Archangel's was no different. The atmosphere was tense, but at the same time hopeful. For in the early hours of the morning, they had gotten a message all was waiting for from Rear Admiral Lewis Halberton's flagship, the EAS Menelaos. The Eighth Fleet was heading their way and would rendezvous with them in less than two hours time. Finally the crew would get the reinforcements they needed so badly.

However it wasn't all positive. Rau was coming back for another go at them. The Vesalius, Gamow, Ziegler, and the Redemption, it's damage now fully repaired, were in tight formation and bearing down on them, determined to nip the problem of "the legged ship" in the bud. They had to hold out long enough for the Eighth Fleet to at least get into a range for their weapons and mobile armors to reach them.

The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due was in full flight gear, looking over Sai's shoulder at the sensor readout, showing the position of the ZAFT ships. "They never learn do they?" Sebastian quipped. "It looks Metal Mask is pulling out all the stops on this one. Rau does not want us to make that rendezvous for anything. With Shawn and the others gone, this fight is going to be a difficult one." He directed his gaze to Kira, Mu, and Loretta, also in their own flightsuits, grim but determined expressions on their faces. "It will fall to the four of to hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Natarle looked over her shoulder to where Anthony occupied the center seat. "Are you sure you should be running the CIC, Captain Russo? Won't we need your practiced eye for when we engage ZAFT?" She asked.

"Trust me, Ensign. With the departure of Major Cooper and the rest of our squad, we're lacking in manpower. So we need to get creative with what we've got on hand. This is exactly where I need to be." Anthony replied. "Nothing against you, but I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to handling the flow of combat information. Lieutenant Frost can handle Snow Stalker well enough."

"You should listen to him, Ensign. Captain Russo's battlefield management skills are second to none." Sebastian grinned, "Anthony handles the big picture, while I lead the fight out front. It's a tried and true system we've developed since the beginning of the war. It will work. You might want to pay attention, it could be a learning experience for you." He saluted his fellow Wolf, "We're heading out, my friend."

"Godspeed, Pup." The White Wolf replied, returning the salute. The four pilots departed the bridge, and so the White Wolf let himself be immersed into the role of the commander, the glow of the screens reflected in his brilliant green eyes as he took in all the data.

(Vesalius, Bridge)

Once again Rau Le Creuset found himself staring at the Archangel. There was something about the legged ship that greatly appealed to him. He wasn't sure what it was, but it drew him like a moth to a flame. He looked to Athrun, who was standing next to him in his red flightsuit, "You have to give the Earth Alliance credit, they do now how to build a superb looking ship. It's almost like a sculpture. I'd like to take it relatively intact so our people can study it. But if it must be destroyed to keep it from joining the Eighth Fleet, I guess that's the cost of war."

Rau's words hadn't reached Athrun. He also had his eyes on the white vessel, but he didn't have the same fascination as his CO. That was the ship his friend was trapped on. He couldn't understand why Kira stubbornly insisted on defending that ship. Had he forgotten the promise they had made to meet in the PLANTs? What could be important than that? It just didn't make any sense to him. He leapt slightly when he felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder. "Oh! Uh…sorry Commander. I didn't hear what you said."

Rau just folded his arms behind his back. "I was saying that the legged ship was quite the work of art. It would be ideal if we could take it intact. But it may not be the case…they are going to fight tooth and nail in order to join up with Halberton." He sighed, "I won't lie to you, Athrun. But they must not be allowed to survive."

Athrun's fingers clenched around his helmet, "Are you launching, sir?" He asked.

"Not this time…I think I may need to direct things from here. Lieutenant Fenrir will lead the assault." He turned to the younger man, feeling a chill run through his body as he looked at the masked visage, "It will fall to you to face the Strike, Athrun. I know Mr. Yamato is your friend, but he is the enemy. I trust you will be able to do you job?"

There was a second of silence so dark it made the dark of space seem like a cacophony of noise. Athrun bit down hard on his tongue before snapping to attention, giving a perfect salute. "Yes sir, Commander! I'll do what needs to be done." Athrun turned on his heel, leaving the bridge behind. Rau just turned back to the viewport. A slight smirk crossed his face for just a moment. He loved it when a plan got rolling.