Author's Note: This story will now be rated M for later chapters.


Phase 13


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Earth Forces Eurasian Satellite Base (Artemis)

Canard frowned as he struggled with the container hatch. "Stupid Eurasian forces," he growled as he forced it open, "They really thought that they could take this away from me!" He dropped down inside, his feet slipping on the metal armor plating of the Mobile Suit. "But you belong to me, don't you?" He smirked as he searched for the cockpit.

Outside the sounds of battle raged on as Heero's forces engaged the Eurasian forces. Canard smiled, "Thanks a lot, Heero, I really owe you one," he said as he found and opened up the cockpit. He slipped inside and started all the systems to running, "Much as I'd like to use this thing to pay my little brother a visit, I think I could give a little support to you and your forces."

"They won't need it." Heero's voice growled at him as a light shone into the container. "You could've told me you were gonna ditch me."

Canard smirked, "That would've defeated the point," he said, "How did you find me so quickly?"

Heero dropped down into the container and looked into the cockpit, "I noticed that the Eurasians had this thing listed in their storage," he said, "Not even guarded no less. They either didn't care about it, or didn't want to draw unwanted attention to it." He frowned, "And you mentioned something about this thing being the reason you came here in the first place, so I just came down here looking for it instead of following you. If you happened to be here, great. All the better. If you weren't then I'd just steal myself a more combat oriented Gundam."

"Gundam, huh?" Canard said as he looked at the brightening console, "When did they come up with that snazzy little name?"

Heero shook his head, "Doesn't matter," he frowned, "What are you planning to do now?"

Canard frowned as well, "I thought I'd repay you for releasing me by fighting on your side," he said, "But from the way you're talking, I don't really need to."

"You already know what I want you to do," Heero said, making the young man frown, "I know about your past, and how you were brought up," Canard looked at him with shock, "Don't ask me how, but my captain knows a lot about this Ultimate Coordinator thing, and all the wrongs it's caused to the people it brought into the world, that includes you and your brother."

"He's not my brother!" Canard snapped, "We may share genetics, but I will never acknowledge any familial ties with him!"

Heero shook his head, "You and I are a lot alike," he said, "When they trained me, they wanted the ultimate soldier. A weapon bound in human flesh. I was one of five subjects they picked up off the streets. If I had a family, I can't remember them. All I remember is what I was trained to do." He said, "You're different because you weren't trained, but put down because the man that created you wasn't satisfied with how your genetic code came out. Kira doesn't even know why he's a Coordinator. He thinks his parents just wanted one for a son."

Canard ground his teeth, "And you think that makes it okay to just - "

"What exactly has he done to make you hate him so much?" Heero asked. "Did he hurt you? Insult you? Steal something precious from you?" He shook his head, "No, that was the fool that tossed you aside in favor of him, or what he could be." He said, making the young man tremble, "And he cheated two young people out of an older brother that might've done anything to protect the only family he has."

"Two people?" Canard asked with a slight tremble in his voice.

Heero nodded, "From what I understand, and this stays between us until she reveals herself," Heero cautioned him, "Kira was born with a twin sister that he never knew about, just like he was born without knowing that he had an older brother." He said, seeing Canard's grip on the controls loosen, "The people that hurt you are dead, Canard. Don't take your revenge on those you should be protecting."

Before Canard could reply, a massive explosion rocked the base, nearly unsettling Heero, "Hey!" He yelled as he pressed a communications device in his ear, "This is Yuy! What's going on out there!"

"Those idiots are destroying the base, that's what!" He heard Kellerne shout, "They saw that we were winning, and decided to turn their guns on the base! The boys and I are having hell keeping them off of it! Captain Hoshino wants this base intact so we can use it ourselves!"

Heero cursed, "How bad is the situation with the Archangel?"

"Not good," Kellerne said, "I've been listening to chatter over the radio, and it sounds like a lot of their Gundam-types have bombs planted in them," He said, making the young man growl, "I don't know who did it, but the kids and I also spotted a golden Mobile Suit blasting its way out of the base about half an hour ago. We didn't pay it much attention since we figured Miss Fumina would join in on the fighting."

"Dammit!" Heero snapped.

"What's going on?" Canard asked.

"You alright, Yuy?" Kellerne asked.

"The pilot that took the Gold Astray was Rondo Gina Sahaku," Heero ground out in anger, "Does the captain know much about him?"

"Bad time to be asking for info, Yuy, we're in the middle of a battle, you know?" Kellerne said before shouting, "DANJI, INCOMING ON THE RIGHT! DAMMIT! Lieutenant Mizukha, shift into Mobile Suit mode and get the kid back to the ship! He took a bad blow close to the cockpit!"

Heero frowned, "Great, looks like we're making out own way out of here," he jumped down into the cockpit, "Move over, I'm getting us out of here."

"You can pilot?" Canard asked as he gave up the seat.

"Easily." Heero said, "Alright, Hyperion, let's see what you can do."


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Archangel - Class Battleship (Archangel)

"What's going on down here?" Murrue demanded as she floated into the hangar, "Why haven any of the Mobile Suits launched, yet?"

Murdoch turned to her, "That Sahaku prick turned on us." He growled, "After that last battle, he crept in here and planted bombs on all the Gundams! Kira and Kou are just now starting to disarm them!"

"What?!" Natarle shouted in anger, "What's been happening while we were detained!?"

Murdoch was quick to explain what had happened while the senior officers were inside Artemis, and Mu frowned, "Jeez, and I thought those guys were jerks before," he frowned with a shake of his head, "Well, how many do they have disarmed?"

"We just got started," shouted Kira from inside the Strike, "It'll take us an hour before we get all of them done!"

Murrue palmed her forehead, "This is a disaster! We only came to get resupplied and all of this happens!"

Mu reached over and patted her on the shoulder in a comforting manner, "Now, now, it wasn't your fault." Mu said, "None of us could've seen this coming."

Meanwhile as Rondo was speeding away from Artemis, the man sneered as he took his thumb from the detonator. Onboard the Archangel, as Kira and Fumina worked on the Strike's bomb, the girl gave a sigh of relief as the signal disappeared, "Thank goodness." She smiled at the young Coordinator.

"Hey, we got trouble!" Kou called from the Blitz, "I've got a timer set to blow in five minutes!"

"WHAT?!"

Fumina glared, "That jerk! He activated the bombs!"

"How much have you gotten done with the Blitz!?" Kira shouted.

"I'm done, but it'll take too long to get another one out of the way!" Kou shouted and bailed out of the cockpit, "Murdoch, get those units outside the ship, or else the whole thing could blow!"

"Evacuate the hangar, now!" Murdoch roared, "Get the restraints off of all Mobile Suits except the Strike and the Blitz! Move it people! Kay! Get the Cosmograsper and the Moebius secure!"

"Fumina, come on!" Kira yelled as he grasped the girl around her waist and pushed out of the cockpit. Fumina cried as the Astrays were cut loose and the hangar doors closed before the launch doors opened up and blasted them out into the base. Once outside the ship, the four Astray units collided with the base doors, and the Archangel made ready to move as soon as they exploded.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Archangel was making ready for the coming blast, hunkering down as best as they could. Many of the civilians were put into the sleeping quarters, and held on for dear life just as the explosion happened. The blast was massive, and successfully blew a gaping hole through the doors, and swept the Archangel out into open space.

Right into a fire fight.

Outside the remaining Artemis forces were still engaging the forces from the Black Pearl. While greatly outnumbered, the Mobile Armors were fighting on levels far above those of the asteroid base.

"Whew, look at these guys!" Mu whistled in appreciation. "I'd give anything to have them in a wing with me!"

Murrue was also impressed. It was rare for her to see such a dogfight. "Captain, we're getting a hale from the approaching ship." Neumann said, "It looks like it's the same pirate vessel that's been tailing us along with the ZAFT forces!"

"Put them on screen!" Murrue shouted at once as the image of Miraka Hoshino appeared on the screen, "Captain Hoshino."

"Captain Ramius," Marika nodded in greeting, "I hope you'll forgive this rather rude reception, but when Heero informed me of what was going on, I could feel no remorse in attacking this base."

Murrue frowned, "As an Earth Alliance soldier, I can feel nothing except rage at seeing a once proud base fall to a pirate," Murrue said, making Mu and Natarle flinch as the pirate captain smiled at her, "However, due to the treatment of my crew, and my senior staff, I cannot feel sorrow for whatever happens to this base, either. Do what you will, Captain Hoshino."

"What was that explosion, if you don't mind my asking," the woman said as she surveyed the damage, "That certainly wasn't from your ship's canons."

Murrue frowned, "No, regrettably, those were four of our Mobile Suits."

"What?!" Marika dropped the fierce pirate facade, and was now nothing more than a worried mother. "Is my daughter alright?!"

It was then that the doors to the bridge came open, and who should float her way in with Kira but the very girl that Marika had come so far to find. "Mom!" Fumina cried out as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Oh, my baby!" Marika teared up as well. "Thank god you're safe!"

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Fumina cried happily, "I've got so much to tell you!"

Natarle looked at the young couple, "Could this wait until we're not in the middle of a fight?!" The ensign groused, "I can't tell who the enemy is out there!"

"If it's not a Moebius, then don't shoot," someone on Marika's bridge shouted.

Murrue turned to the ensign, "You heard the boy, if it's a Moebius, then shoot it down!"

"There's no need," someone else said over the link, "We're pretty much routed their forces."

"Heero!" Marika smiled as a new Mobile Suit came out of the hole that the Archangel had just come through. "Where did you find that little toy?"

Heero's face appeared on the screen alongside another, and it was a face that was damnably familiar! Kira's face went white as a sheet at the appearance of the older boy next to Heero. [He looks like...] The young Coordinator thought.

"Toy indeed," Heero frowned, "From the files I've found, the base has two more tucked away. Canard claims this one, but if the Archangel is short on fire power, then the other two should go to them."

Murrue was soon looking back at the pirate with shock, "I see no problem with this," the woman said, "Provided that I'm allowed to board and greet my daughter properly?"

"Of course!" Murrue shouted.

"Captain!" Natarle shouted.

Fumina smiled as the three women spoke, and looked up at Kira, "I guess I should get you ready to meet my mother, right?"

Kira chuckled nervously, "Meeting the frightening pirate my girlfriend calls her mother, huh?" He shivered, "I guess it could be worse."

Fumina giggled, and leaned against his chest, "She's going to eat you alive."

Kira bit his lip to staunch the laughter as his eyes fell once again on the young man sitting in the cockpit of the new Gundam. [Just who is he?]


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{Rewards granted for Platinum - Class Quest Defeat Artemis Base/Capture Artemis Base: 1) 100,000 BP + 25% boost of 25,000 BP. 2) Free Choice of Character/Crew from Store feature x2 3) 1x Ship Satellite System. Bonus Rewards for Capture of Artemis: 1) 1x Artemis Gundam 2) CAT1-X Hyperion Series is now available. Kits and fully built units will now be shown in the Store feature. 3) 1x Archangel-Class battleship.}


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The surviving personnel of the Artemis Base were rounded up and either put in escape pods or offered positions under Marika's command while her crew got to work locating the two remaining Hyperion Gundams.

The damage done to the base, however, was extensive, and was barely operational as it was. But the pirate captain assured the crew of the Archangel that she could, and would repair the damage, and make it her home for the foreseeable future.

Now, as the two ships met outside the base, Fumina was waiting on the tips of her toes for her mother to board. When the Cosmograsper carrying her mother was let into the hangar, they couldn't pressurize it fast enough as the Cosmograsper's hatch opened up and the woman floated out. Soon, however, mother and daughter were reunited.

Marika held her daughter tightly while her daughter cried against her shoulder out of pure joy of seeing her mother once again. "I missed you, my darling." Marika whispered to her daughter, kissing the top of her head.

"How..." Fumina voice cracked at the question that carried the weight of an battleship.

Marika shook her head, "Let's just say that when our ship was lost, I managed to catch a ride," she smiled, leaving her daughter guess, yet happy to have her with her once again. The woman let up on her attention on her daughter for a moment and homed in on the young man floating anxiously nearby. "Kira Yamato, I believe?"

"Uh, yes, Ma'am," the boy tried and failed not to sound nervous.

Marika smiled at him, "I can't thank you enough for protecting my little Fumi." She told the boy as she reached to pull him into the embrace as well. Standing apart from the little group stood Allenby and Kou, both of whom were tearing up at the reunion.

Later, however, more unpleasant talk followed. "It seems that this base had very little to offer as far as supplies went," Yuri said as he went over the supply list. "We'll be lucky if we make it through ourselves on what's on this list."

Marika and Murrue frowned, the latter palming her forehead in dismay. "It looks like I'll have to do a little more pirating to make this base shipshape." Marika sighed as the younger woman nodded, "Murrue, dear, I'm sure that we can spare a few supplies, there's no need to look so down."

"I know, but it just doesn't sit well with me that these men were going to just lock us away and do who knows what to my crew," she relented; in truth, the entire thing made her sick to her stomach.

Marika nodded, "I'm entitled to agree with you," she said, "But I have to warn you that the Atlantic Federation is worse than this lot was," she said, gesturing to the base in general.

Natarle, who had been observing from nearby, frowned, "And what makes you say that, Miss?"

"Because they're mostly made up of sub groups from Blue Cosmos." She said with a shake of her head, "Honestly, those idiots are vile, and cruel. You can imagine people like me tend to avoid them since the hate Coordinators so much."

"People like you?" Murrue asked.

Marika tapped her wrist, "Blue blood, dear, remember?" She asked, "It's not like we wanted to be different, but we are, and that's that."

Murrue nodded in understanding, even though she felt like she wanted to ask how such a thing came about, she also felt like she wouldn't receive an answer. "I have to thank you again," Marika said, making to two women frown, "I know I've said it before, but I can't seem to say it enough. Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter."

Murrue smiled at her, "I understand," she nodded, "I'm honestly going to miss her when she leaves."

"Leaves?" Marika frowned, then chuckled, "Ah, you think I'm taking her with me?"

"Aren't you?" Natarle asked, just as surprised as the captain. "I mean, she is your daughter."

Marika nodded in understanding, "Yes, and I would love to take her with me," she relented with a sigh, "But, as you most likely know, she's utterly infatuated with that young man she's been clinging to." She sighed dreamily, "Ah, just like myself and my darling late husband." She smiled, "While I do want her safe, my dear, I also want her happy above all else," she smiled at the ensign. "When you love someone the way she does, you'll understand, if you haven't found him already."

For some reason, Natarle's mind flashed to a certain young man with black hair and eyes with a tendency to jump the gun. She shook her head to clear the thoughts out, but the idea had been planted. [Don't be ridiculous!] She chastised herself. [You're twenty-five, and he's probably just barely eighteen!]

"Aside from provisions, do you think you'll need any weapons?" Marika asked, "The three Mobile Suits we found were stripped down to the barest of armaments. I don't even think they have shields."

"The beam weapons will just have to do for now." Murrue said, "I doubt you could have anything that'll fit with those machines."

Marika thought for a moment, "No, but I think I have something that'll help." She said, "I also noticed that they have ports on their backs for what look like additional weapons, so I might be able to reconfigure them to use the weapon packs the Strike seems to use."


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Rondo smiled as he looked at the little device in his hands as he made his way toward a safe zone under his command. [To think that such a young girl could have such marvelous technology in her care.] He smiled to himself as he thought of the possibilities, [Once I hold up my end of the deal to Orb, and Blue Cosmos, I think it would be a good idea to lay low for a while. Perhaps I'll pay a visit to the PLANTs.]

As the Astray flew through space, the man smiled thoughtfully as the girl came back to his mind, [It really is such a shame.] He thought, [Such a lovely girl. And in just a few more years, a gorgeous woman, Natural or not.] He smiled before reaching into his coat and pulling out a small vial filled with blue liquid, [But I do wonder what secrets that body of hers holds.]

He placed both the vial and the GP base back into his coat, [Perhaps I'll find out yet.]


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Author's Note: No, I haven't forgotten about Nicol, or Canard. Those two will have some screen time next chapter. For this one, I just wanted to establish that the Astrays are done for, and the Hyperions are on board.

Anyway, I have to say that this chapter feels lack-luster, but if you liked it, you all know what to do. Adios Amigos.