Nothing depicted here is my own.

Vesalius, Le Creuset's quarters, 27 January, C.E. 71

Athrun tried to tell himself that it was nothing, that Commander Le Creuset couldn't possibly want to call him on the carpet. Granted they'd only partially succeeded in their last mission, and seen Heliopolis collapse in the process, but that hadn't been his fault. His conduct had been, according to Captain Ades, exemplary.

Which did nothing at all to quell his nervousness, nor did it ease the pain he'd felt since that battle. Steeling himself, he touched the admittance chime. "Athrun Zala, reporting as requested."

"Yes, come in."

Athrun stepped through, the hatch sliding closed behind him, and stood carefully at attention. Commander Le Creuset was at his desk, apparently typing up a report of some kind. His mask, as always, made his face all but unreadable.

Evidently sensing Athrun's tension, Le Creuset gave a faint smile. "Relax, Athrun, you're not in any trouble. I've been meaning to talk to you since the Heliopolis operation, but I'm afraid the ensuing paperwork has kept me busier than I would have liked." He finished whatever it was he was doing and stood. "I understand you encountered someone you knew there."

"Yes, sir." Athrun swallowed. "During the raid on Heliopolis, just after Rusty was killed, I found myself face to face with my old friend Kira, a Coordinator I knew while attending school at Copernicus."

"And he was the one who piloted that new mobile suit, the Strike," Le Creuset said.

Athrun nodded. "He was. From what I saw, the UEFA officer with him pushed him into the cockpit," that much he had no problem with, as Kira would have died otherwise when the factory was destroyed, "and judging by the records I saw later, he took over mid-battle. He was definitely piloting it during the battle outside."

"I see." Le Creuset gazed at him thoughtfully. "You must have been very close to this friend."

"Yes, sir," Athrun said. "As I believe you know, Commander, I'm an only child, and during our school days I came to regard Kira as the brother I never had. The last time I saw him was just before I left Copernicus, when my father called me back to the PLANTs. I never. . . ." He swallowed again. "I never thought we'd meet again like this."

"Yes, it must be very painful for you." Le Creuset laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "An old friend, now piloting a mobile weapon for the enemy. You understand what that means."

Athrun closed his eyes briefly. "The UEFA is just using him. Brilliant as he is, Kira is also naïve and good-natured; he can't see what they're doing to him." He met his CO's gaze, almost pleading. "He's still one of us, Commander. I can persuade him, get him to see things our way."

"And if you can't?" Though sympathetic, Le Creuset's voice was firm. "If he won't come over to us?"

Athrun flinched at that, but didn't hesitate. "If it comes to that . . . I'll shoot him down myself."

Le Creuset nodded slowly. "I commend your resolve. However, much as I would like to give you the opportunity, I'm afraid we have a new mission."

"Commander?"

"The Chairman's daughter, Miss Lacus Clyne, has gone missing in the Debris Belt," Le Creuset said. "Your fiancé, is she not?"

Athrun felt a jolt, thoughts of Kira driven from his mind for the moment. Lacus, missing? "Yes, sir."

"We've been assigned to the rescue mission on that basis," Le Creuset said. "It's very high-profile, and with the two of you engaged, your father decided you should be part of the search."

It was easy to tell where that was headed. "So I go rescue her and play the conquering hero."

"Alternatively, you weep bitter tears over her still corpse." Le Creuset smiled. "Naturally, we all hope it doesn't come to that, for your sake and hers."

Athrun wasn't sure whether to be reassured, but there was only one way he could respond. "Thank you, sir."

It wasn't an ideal outcome, but it was the best he was likely to get. At least he'd have a chance to get Kira to see reason.

Nadesico, cafeteria, 5 February, C.E. 71

With the general chaos following the collapse of Heliopolis, it had been several days before Kira finally had a chance to visit the Nergal battleship. Now that most of the details had been settled, he had a chance to relax, however brief.

The Nadesico's cafeteria was larger than the Archangel's, which wasn't really a surprise; she was still a civilian vessel, whatever her capabilities, and Nergal liked their creature comforts. Akito Tenkawa had offered to give Kira a tour, but he'd declined. He'd come over for a specific reason.

That reason he spotted sitting at a table with the three girls who seemed to follow him everywhere (that mechanic, Uribatake, had quipped that the only time they were seen apart was in the bath), along with Duo Maxwell and Aki Kisaragi.

Duo was the first to spot him in turn. "Yo, Kira," he said, waving. "Pull up a chair." When Kira had complied, he added, "You were pretty good out there."

"Thanks, I guess," Kira said, still uncomfortable with his status as a combat pilot. "I, uh, I actually wanted to talk to Toya."

Toya smiled. "Figured you might," he said. "What's on your mind, Kira?"

Kira paused, not quite sure how to begin. Toya was slightly older, he knew, with a lot more combat experience, yet Kira felt a certain kinship with him, especially after hearing just how the redhead had come to be a pilot in the first place.

"Zechs spoke to me briefly, just before I launched," he said. "He said I should find my own path and stick to it, to fight for what I believe in."

"But you don't know what that path is, or what you really believe in," Toya said.

Kira nodded, relieved that Toya had picked up on it. "I wasn't supposed to be involved in the war in the first place," he said. "I'm from Orb, and Orb's neutral. I never wanted to be a soldier, and, well, you heard what happened out there."

"One of the ZAFT people who attacked Heliopolis is an old friend of yours," Toya said, nodding. "That must be rough. I have a friend in the PLANTs, too, actually." Kira's surprise must have shown on his face, because Toya smiled wryly. "Crazy, isn't it? I've never met him in person; he's a pen pal, crazy as it sounds."

It didn't sound crazy to Kira. Many was the time he'd wished he'd kept in touch with Athrun. "So . . . what is it you're fighting for?"

Toya shrugged. "I'm not in it for some cause or anything. Hell, the whole reason I joined Nergal in the first place was to avoid the UEFA, and here I am working with them." He shook his head. "The reason I keep fighting? I promised to protect these three, no matter what."

"And we're staying with him, no matter what," Katia said. "We've come this far together."

"Yep!" Tenia agreed. "We kinda dragged him into this, but he's never backed out, so we back him up."

Toya smiled; Kira, seeing the look in his eyes, was struck by just how deep their bond went. Nothing short of death would separate those four, not if they could help it.

"Anyway, I dunno how much it helps, but that's why I keep going," Toya said. "I won't let anyone hurt them, not the Gradosians, not ZAFT, and not the UEFA. That's really all there is to it."

"It does help, actually. Thanks." Kira still didn't know where he was going, but Toya had just showed him something important. His reason to fight didn't have to be some kind of grand cause like world peace. As he'd thought before launching at Heliopolis, protecting his friends was enough.

Maybe that would change someday, but for now it was at least enough to settle his mind.

"If you want another perspective, try talking to Eiji," Toya said. "He knows all about fighting someone close to you."

Kira had heard about that one. Having to fight an old friend just to do the right thing, Eiji Asuka sounded like a kindred spirit. "I'll remember that," he said, standing. "See you later, Toya, and thanks again."

"Anytime."

Archangel, bridge

At least they'd shaken off Le Creuset, Murrue mused. That, however, was just one issue, and with the collapse of Heliopolis they were suddenly faced with a larger one. With the Archangel having launched prematurely, they were low on vital supplies, and from what Yurika had said the Nadesico wasn't much better off.

"I don't see us making the Moon or Earth in our current condition," Mu said. He frowned at the charts. "We'd run out of food and water either way."

"Same here," Yurika said from her own bridge. "We had enough for the round trip to Mars and back, but between our two ships we're stretched pretty thin. Not," she added, "that we're grudging it or anything; a friend in need, that's how it goes."

Which even Natarle believed. Nergal may have been a shady organization, to say the least, but Yurika Misumaru wasn't much for deception outside of combat.

"Is there any way to shorten our course?" Murrue asked after a moment.

Helmsman Arnold Neumann, silent thus far, spoke up. "None, Captain. If we close our orbit much more we'd end up in the Debris Belt."

"Hmm." Murrue pursed her lips. "Could we cut through it?"

"Through the Debris Belt?" Neumann was incredulous. "If we tried that, we'd end up as part of the debris. Even the Nadesico's Distortion Field would give way eventually."

So much for that idea. It hadn't really been more than a faint hope, to be sure; Murrue was an engineer by training, but that didn't make her ignorant of the basics of the Earth Sphere. Trying to cut through the Debris Belt was nigh-suicidal.

"Which leaves us with the same problem," Zechs said. "Unless we happen across a convenient ZAFT supply convoy to raid, we don't have many options."

Mu was staring at the charts again. "The Debris Belt. . . ." he murmured. "Of course!" He snapped his fingers. "This could work after all."

The others, save for Zechs, were staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Lieutenant?" Murrue said.

Mu grinned. "Am I a man who can make the impossible possible?"

They enlisted Kira's friends for the supply run, knowing they had at least some technical knowledge.

"Supplies?" Sai said. "You've found some?"

"That's right," Mu said. "Or to be more precise, we intend to take them."

"Our course has taken us to the edge of the Debris Belt," Murrue explained. "There are a number of wrecked ships from the early days of the war that drifted here."

The students could see where she was headed, and it was obvious none of them liked it. Murrue didn't blame them; she wasn't exactly comfortable with it herself. Unfortunately, they didn't have any good options.

"You're saying we're going to scavenge for supplies here?" Sai said.

"Extra credit to the bright student," Mu quipped.

Murrue sighed. "We don't like this any more than you do," she said. "However, we have little choice; as it stands, neither we nor the Nadesico can make it to Earth."

Kira in particular looked like he wanted to disagree, but obviously couldn't. What Murrue had just said was self-evident, and they all knew it. Ghoulish though it was, it was really their only hope.

"We're not going to take anything that belonged to others," Murrue said, "for what it's worth. Only what we need right now, just the basic necessities."

"I know it feels wrong," Yurika put in, " but it happens sometimes." She paused, probably remembering the Mars debacle. "Sometimes you have to do stuff you really don't want to."

Kira and his friends looked at each other. They were still visibly unhappy with the idea, but none voiced any further objection.

"We'll need the students -except for Kira of course- to help operate the supply shuttles," Murrue said. "The rest will fly escort; this would be the perfect place for an ambush."

Not that she really thought it likely. Aside from periodic unmanned attacks, the Gradosians had yet to venture past Mars, and neither ZAFT nor the mysterious creatures seemed to have any interest in the Debris Belt. Still, they dared not let down their guard.

Debris Belt

Toya Shiun was not normally superstitious. Prior to the attack on his school, he'd just been an ordinary student, with no contact with anything that could be called supernatural. Sure, there were rumors about Orphan, but that could be explained away as technology no one in the Earth Sphere could duplicate, same for the Tulips.

Flying through the Debris Belt, seeing all those wrecked ships (and at least one body, though he hadn't gotten a close look), managed to give him the creeps anyway.

"This is eerie," Katia said, her voice betraying only the barest hint of unease, Which was why Toya had picked her for the run; Melua was nervous at the best of times, Tenia too excitable.

"Can't say I like it myself," Toya agreed. "It's like we're grave robbers or something."

Wing Gundam drifted past on their left. "Not much choice," Heero said, "unless we want to join them in death."

Typical Heero. Toya hadn't had much contact with him yet, but from what Duo had said the stoic Gundam pilot was pragmatic to a fault. There were lines he refused to cross -hurting little kids was apparently a good way to get on his dead list- but in general he would do almost anything to accomplish his missions.

"Maybe you're okay with this, but some of us don't like scavenging from the dead," Roanne said, his Buldy nudging what looked like a piece of warped hull plating out of the way.

Gundam Deathscythe moved to help him. "Eh, calm down, Roanne," Duo said. "We're just picking up a few things is all."

No surprise he would be at ease; when not slicing enemy mechs to pieces, picking up space junk was a way of life for the God of Death. Toya was willing to bet Duo had been in the Debris Belt many times before.

"Are you guys working or just running your mouths?" Ryoko demanded irritably. Her already short temper seemed to have shortened further since they'd launched.

Her teammates had noticed. "Are you scared, Ryoko?" Hikaru said, grinning slyly. "Afraid of ghosts, maybe?"

"Why, you!" Ryoko sputtered for a few seconds. "Just get to work, Hikaru!" she snapped once she was able to form a coherent sentence.

Akito laughed. "So Ryoko's a girl after all!" he said. "I was starting to wonder."

"Shut up, Tenkawa!"

"Ah, the spirits of the dead are gathering, crying for vengeance." Izumi's soft declaration was characteristically overdramatic, but it certainly fit the mood.

Ryoko turned as red as her Aestivalis. "Quit with the . . . whatever that is, Izumi!"

Toya and Katia shared a chuckle, their unease finally ebbing. It was difficult to be nervous, Toya reflected, when the Aestivalis Comedy Troupe (as Noal had dubbed them) started in on each other. They could make even a combat situation look like slapstick, Izumi especially.

"At least their morale is high," Katia remarked once she'd stopped laughing. "I was starting to worry after Heliopolis."

"Yeah, well, now I'm worried Ryoko's gonna blow a gasket," Toya countered with a smile. "Between Akito and Izumi, I give it a couple of days before she snaps."

"If she didn't on the way to Mars, I doubt she's going to," Katia disagreed.

A good point, Toya conceded, easing the Bellzelute past the battered remains of a Drake-class. Beyond it, he saw Layzner helping Akatsuki's blue Aestivalis haul a particularly large piece of flotsam -a discarded solar panel by the look of it- away from a more promising find.

"Say, has anyone seen the Strike?" David said. "Kira's been kinda quiet."

"I saw him heading for wrecked civilian ship," Hyoma answered. "Didn't recognize it."

A civilian ship? Toya shrugged. He personally doubted Kira would find anything useful, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to look. Stranger things had happened.

"Sorry about that," Kira said. "I saw something odd and thought I should check it out." He paused. "I found an intact life pod."

Toya and Katia exchanged surprised looks. An intact life pod in the middle of the Debris Belt? Unusual to say the least. Aside from the Junk Guild and Duo's Sweeper Group, few ventured into the area unless they were desperate.

Like us.

"Go ahead and bring it aboard," Murrue said, sounding both resigned and amused. The latter probably at Natarle's likely reaction, Toya suspected. "We can't exactly leave someone adrift in the Debris Belt regardless of who they are; there's no telling when or if rescue will arrive."

"Roger that," Kira said, visibly relieved that no one was arguing with him. "I'm on my way in."

Toya wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, he agreed with Murrue and Kira that they couldn't just leave someone adrift. On the other, every new and unexpected event since that Jovian attack had served to further complicate his life, and while he was actually glad of some of it, that didn't mean he liked the consequences.

Well. No point in borrowing trouble. For all they knew, it could just be an ordinary civilian in distress. It would make for a nice change.

Archangel, hangar

He should have known it would further complicate things. A life pod in the Debris Belt was merely odd; a pod whose design showed it came from the PLANTs was a much thornier issue. Even if the occupant wasn't ZAFT, having them aboard a UEFA warship was awkward to say the least.

"You're making a habit of picking up things others have left behind," Natarle said, but she sounded more resigned than anything else. Toya suspected the XO had decided arguing with Kira on the subject was a waste of time. Kira merely shrugged in response.

There was a beep and a clicking sound; Murdoch had finally decoded the pod's locking mechanism. "Okay, I'm opening it up." He pressed a few keys, and the hatch opened.

For a long moment nothing happened. Then Toya noticed a faint, metallic sound, as if something was bouncing around inside. A few seconds later, a small, pink sphere came into view, bouncing first off either side of the hatch, then drifting past the startled UEFA crew.

"Haro! Haro! Lacus! Haro!" it said in a tinny electronic voice.

Toya looked at Kira, got an equally puzzled look in return. Okay, what?

"Thank you! I appreciate your assistance!"

This time the voice was human, female, fairly young. Its owner appeared an instant later, a teenage girl with long, pink hair. She wore a white dress with detached sleeves, and her smile of gratitude was innocent enough, but Toya thought he saw something else in her bright blue eyes. Nothing hostile or threatening, just a hint that there was more to this girl than was apparent on the surface. He glanced at Katia, who nodded slightly, confirming that she saw it, too.

Kira was the first to break his torpor, catching the girl's hand and drawing her gently to the deck.

"Thank you," she said again. Her free hand reached out and snagged the pink sphere -a robot of some sort, Toya now realized- and she gave Kira a friendly smile. A smile that faded slightly when she noticed the UEFA emblem on the left shoulder of Kira's blue uniform jacket, and the white uniforms the officers (save for Zechs) wore.

"Oh, my," she said, bringing a hand to her mouth. "This isn't a ZAFT ship, is it?"

Utter silence greeted that statement. Natarle covered her face in one hand, while Koji just rolled his eyes at the girl's apparent naiveté. Noal seemed more amused than anything else (no surprise; everything that wasn't a threat seemed to amuse him); his partner Aki just stared.

"I beg your pardon?" Murrue managed, sounding just a bit off balance.

"Um, no, it's a UEFA ship," Kira said, evidently deciding the direct approach was the way to go. "Welcome."

Toya looked at Katia again, his own thoughts mirrored in her eyes. It's gonna be a long day.

Captain's quarters

"UEFA or not, I'm very grateful for the rescue," the girl said. "My name is Lacus Clyne, and this," she held up the spherical robot, "is my friend Haro."

"Haro! Haro! And Haro to you, too!" it said.

Murrue coughed slightly. "Of course. We could hardly leave someone in distress." She tilted her head. "Your last name is Clyne. Are you any relation to Chairman Siegel Clyne of the PLANT Supreme Council?"

"He's my father," Lacus said without hesitation. "Do you know him?"

Murrue glanced at the other officers; though it could be hard to tell with Zechs, it was plain they were all wondering how this girl could be so naïve. "We know of him, yes," she acknowledged. "If I may ask, how did you come to be adrift in the Debris Belt? You're pretty far from home."

Lacus sobered. "As you know, in a couple of weeks it will be the first anniversary of the Bloody Valentine Tragedy," she said quietly. "With the remains of Junius Seven having drifted into the Debris Belt, I was sent as part of a delegation to prepare for a memorial ceremony."

That much not even Natarle questioned. Loyal UEFA soldiers though they all were, none of them had been happy about the nuclear attack at the start of the war.

"However," Lacus went on, apparently oblivious to Murrue's thoughts, "we encountered a small UEFA vessel along the way. The captain demanded to come aboard for an inspection; as the Silverwind was an unarmed civilian ship, I saw no harm in that."

"Then things turned ugly," Mu said, seeing where she was going.

Lacus nodded. "I don't know exactly what happened, but the UEFA officers became angry. One of the crew pushed me into an escape pod, and that is the last thing I saw." She sighed. "I do hope everyone is all right."

Murrue wasn't sure what to say, knowing the Silverwind was almost certainly the civilian ship Kira had reported spotting during their search. "In any case, you're safe now," she said, taking the least awkward tack. "We have plenty of room, at least, so accommodations can be easily arranged. It's the least we can do."

Lacus brightened at that. "Thank you."

"Well, that could be interesting," Mu said when Lacus had departed. "We start poking around in the Debris Belt for supplies, and find ourselves a pink-haired princess." He shook his head. "Crazier every day."

"With all due respect, Lieutenant, you have a talent for understatement," Natarle said. "The next question is what to do with her."

Zechs looked at the XO, expression unreadable behind his mask. "What are you getting at?"

"Miss Clyne is hardly an ordinary civilian, any more than Relena Darlian," Natarle said bluntly. "She's the daughter of the PLANTs' head of state, and thus an important individual in her own right."

"Regardless of her parentage, she is still a teenage girl," Zechs countered, his voice cooling noticeably. "I've heard of her, Ensign, her only role in the war effort has been an occasional performance at a ZAFT base to bolster morale. Hardly a matter of grave concern."

Murrue hid her surprise. She didn't know the Specials man very well as of yet, but from what she'd seen it was odd for him to be quite so outspoken. Perhaps Natarle had touched a nerve?

Whatever it was, he quickly reigned himself in. "I should check on the supply loading," he said. "If you'll excuse me, Captain." He saluted and made his exit.

Mu gazed after him. "Wonder what set him off," he commented. "Guy's always seemed like such a cool customer."

"He's with the Specials; they have little understanding of how the regular military works," Natarle said dismissively. "In the meantime, Captain, I believe there are additional details to work out. . . ."

Nadesico, infirmary

The steady beep of the heart monitor and background hum of machinery were the only sounds. Aside from Aki Kisaragi and Anna Stephanie, the infirmary's only occupant was the unknown boy they'd picked up, and he remained unconscious.

He was in some kind of crystalline armor when we first saw him, yet everything suggests he's a normal human, Aki thought. What's going on here?

"So how's our sleeping prince?"

Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, the choice of words was a dead giveaway. "His wounds are healing normally; aside from that he's unchanged." She looked past her partner and friend at the half-alien who'd followed him in. "You're sure he isn't Gradosian?"

Eiji shook his head. "We have nothing like that armor he was covered in, and as far as I know have no way of duplicating that energy blast he used. Besides, if he was from Grados he would have attacked us, too."

"Dunno about that; those alien monsters were doing a number on him," Noal said. "But you're probably right. The Gradosian stuff we've seen is pretty advanced, but nothing like this guy." He gazed thoughtfully at the unconscious stranger. "Guess we won't know until he wakes up. Assuming he's willing to tell us."

Anna shot him a brief, confused look. "But Eiji told us everything he knew as soon as we met," she said.

"I came specifically to stop the Gradosian invasion, Anna," Eiji said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We don't know anything about this one. He might be against us as well as the aliens."

"Pretty much what I was going to say," Noal agreed. "You're proved yourself, Eiji, but this guy," he nodded at the boy, "is a wild card. He might be our ace, or he might be a joker. All we can say for sure is he hates the aliens, the way he was tearing into them."

Light footfalls announced another arrival. "Let's hope he's an ace," Heero said. "I checked the record of that battle; whatever that energy blast was, it would do heavy damage to even Super Alloy Z or Gundanium."

Noal whistled at that. "Yeah, that's nasty. Kinda surprised you'd know about that kind of thing, though."

"It's part of my job," Heero said, face and voice giving nothing away. "He could be an asset, if he's willing to help." His right hand flexed slightly. "If not, I'll kill him."

Anna winced at that, but Noal took it in stride. "Just like Duo said," he commented, a slightly rueful smile crossing his face. "Reliable, but cold as ice. Not," he added, "that I'm disagreeing with you here."

Aki did disagree, but kept quiet. She knew from experience how stubborn Noal could be, and she somehow doubted a professional assassin like Heero Yuy could be persuaded.

We don't even know it will come to that, she reminded herself firmly. I don't think it will. He fought those creatures, and he definitely isn't Gradosian. Why wouldn't he join us? She left the thought unsaid, though; at the very least Noal would have called it naïve. And might have even had a point, Aki reluctantly conceded.

"It doesn't matter right now," Anna said, her eyes back on the monitor. "He's not showing any signs of waking up; heartbeat and brainwave are still low."

Noal leaned back against a bulkhead, unwrapping a candy bar. "Let's hope he stays that way until we've figured out what to do with our other guest. Of all the things we don't need right now, she's probably near the top of the list."

"Miss Clyne, you mean?" Aki said, glancing over her shoulder.

"Yep," Noal said. "I know we're supposed to be cooperating with the UEFA right now; hell, I'll even admit Captain Ramius is an okay sort. Having Chairman Clyne's daughter along for the ride ain't gonna end well, mark my words."

Aki covered a grimace. On that she agreed completely; having the daughter of the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman on a UEFA warship was likely to have any number of unpleasant consequences. Especially given what she'd seen of Ensign Badgiruel.

"It may provoke some dissention in the ranks," Heero said. "Lieutenant Merquise is likely to favor sending her home."

Noal blinked. "And here I thought you didn't like the Specials."

"I don't," Heero said, "but I've fought Zechs Merquise before. He takes things like honor seriously, and he won't go along with using a civilian, even an enemy one, as some kind of tool."

"And he does technically outrank Ensign Badgiruel, even if she's the Archangel's XO," Aki murmured. "Unless being with the Specials puts him outside the normal chain of command. Noal?"

Noal shrugged. "Don't look at me; I got out before the Specials were even formed. All I know is they're an elite unit, and the regulars don't like them. Might give him more clout, or that resentment might mean he has less. Ms Coulange might know better."

Which didn't help much; Calvina Coulange made Heero look like a chatterbox at times.

Movement drew Aki's eye; the unconscious stranger had twitched, his right hand moving just perceptibly. She watched intently for several moments, but the movement wasn't repeated. Still, she supposed it was a good sign.

Archangel, cafeteria

"I won't do it!"

Kira paused for a moment on entering, seeing Miriallia arguing with Flay. He nodded a greeting to Koji and Sayaka, who were visiting from the Nadesico, then made his way over to a worried-looking Kuzzey. "What's going on?"

"Mir asked Flay to bring that Coordinator girl her meal," Kuzzey said, sighing. "Flay won't do it, says she's too scared or something. They've been arguing about it for the last fifteen minutes."

Kira frowned at that. He didn't know Flay anywhere near as well as he would have liked, but that didn't sound like her. She'd always come across as bright and cheerful when he'd seen her, and Mir's comments had seemed to confirm it. Nor could he think of any reason to be frightened of Lacus Clyne, who was as inoffensive as anyone he'd ever met.

"No, and that's final!" Flay snapped, growing increasingly agitated at Mir's persistence. "I'm not going anywhere near that girl!" She looked away, voice faltering slightly. "I'm too scared."

Mir sighed. "Look, Flay, all I'm asking is for you to bring Miss Clyne her meal. What is there to be scared of?"

"She's a Coordinator!" Flay said, as though it should have been obvious. "Who knows what she's capable of."

"Flay," Mir said, a soft note of warning in her voice, and cut her eyes meaningfully to where Kira stood, watching uneasily.

Following her friend's gaze, Flay caught sight of Kira. Flushing slightly, she stammered, "I-I wasn't talking about you, Kira!"

Kira wasn't so sure. There had been a note of . . . something in Flay's voice besides fear, something he wasn't at all sure he liked. Before he could press the matter, Mir resumed her prodding.

"See, Kira's all right," she said, a definite note of exasperation in her voice. "What's wrong with just bringing a meal to a guest?"

"She's not like Kira!" Flay snapped, flaring up again. "What if she's really strong or something? Who knows what could happen."

The hatch slid open again. "Oh, my. Who's this really strong person you speak of?"

Kira exchanged an uneasy look with Kuzzey. After the way Flay had been ranting, having Lacus Clyne appear in their midst -especially when she was supposed to be in guest quarters- was unlikely to end well, and they both knew it. With a deep sense of trepidation, Kira watched the Pink Princess (as he'd heard Mu dub her) approach Flay, smiling.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, holding out her hand. "My name is Lacus Clyne."

Flay stared at the hand as though it was some kind of venomous snake. Or a roach. "Stay away!" she snapped, face twisting with disgust. "I don't want any of you Coordinators acting friendly with me!"

Lacus looked hurt and perplexed, but that was all. Kira wasn't so fortunate; while he'd been half-expecting it, Flay's harsh words still struck at his core. Hearing something like that from someone he had repeatedly risked his life to protect, it hurt more than he'd thought possible.

And Mir at least obviously knew it. "Flay Allster!" she hissed, eyes flashing angrily.

Forcing down his own feelings, Kira moved quietly to Lacus's side. "You'd better go back to your room," he said in a low voice, covering a wince at Mir's scolding. He was glad not to have it directed at him.

Lacus appeared disappointed, but she obviously understood. Kira suspected there was more to this girl than was immediately apparent. "All right," was all she said.

Though Mir had left, and Flay had quieted down, the mood was still tense. Flay's outburst had caught everyone by surprise; none of them had expected the ordinarily cheerful redhead to express such loathing for anyone, much less someone as innocent as Lacus Clyne.

Even Kuzzey, far from comfortable with Coordinators himself, was disturbed by her attitude. "Flay. . . ." He hesitated. "Are you a member of Blue Cosmos?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Blue Cosmos was far and away the most intolerant, most violent, and most infamous of the numerous anti-Coordinator groups in the Earth Sphere, and the biggest reason most Coordinators had moved to the PLANTs over the years. To ask someone if they were associated with the organization was grave indeed.

"No, I'm not!" Flay snapped, irritated. "But I don't think they have the wrong idea. Oh," she waved a hand when Kuzzey started to protest, "there's no way I'd support what they do, but they have the right idea. Messing around with someone's genes when they're not sick, it goes against what nature intended. The existence of Coordinators is wrong!"

"Is it their fault?" a quiet voice said. Flay and Kuzzey both jumped; they hadn't realized there was someone else present. "Can they help being what they are?" Relena pressed, blue eyes hard.

Flay seemed to shrink a little under that gaze. "But. . . ."

"Whether you are Patrick Zala want to admit it or not, Coordinators were created by Naturals like us," Relena said, finishing her meal and standing. "They can't help being what they are, anymore than you or I can." She shook her head. "Kira is the only Coordinator here, yet he fights to protect everyone on this ship, including you. He understands that there's really no difference between Naturals and Coordinators."

She turned to leave, adding over her shoulder, "Try thinking about what Kira must be going through."

Nadesico, residential block

". . .That's when we left," Koji said, grimacing. "Seriously, I didn't know that girl had those kind of issues."

"She is the daughter of a high-ranking Atlantic Federation official," Aki pointed out. "Her father may have influenced her."

"Relena isn't like that," Melua protested. "She's really nice."

A soft grunt from behind made them jump. "Different upbringings," Calvina Coulange said. "I met Minister Darlian while I was with the UEFA. He's always been an advocate for coexistence, and he and Vice Minister Allster don't get along."

General silence answered, not because anyone really disagreed, but because Calvina wasn't exactly known for being sociable. It was the first time since they'd left Nergal's lunar dock that any of them could remember seeing her off duty.

"Ms Coulange," Noal said. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Enough with the cheap pickup lines, Noal," Aki muttered.

Calvina ignored them, focusing on Toya. "I wanted to talk to you," she said.

Toya met those ice-blue eyes, trying in vain to read what the tactical advisor was thinking. For all his unusual circumstances, as far as he knew Toya was just another mech pilot on the Nadesico's ragtag flight roster. Certainly nothing special.

"About what?" he said at last.

"Your machine," Calvina said. "Your father worked for Ash'ari-Kreutzer, correct?"

Toya covered a frown. What is she getting at? "Yeah, why?"

Something flickered in Calvina's eyes, too fast to really identify. Memories, Toya decided, and not good ones. Not that he blamed her, from the little he'd heard of her past; he remembered news reports on the Ash'ari Kreutzer disaster.

"He'd been working on a prototype mobile weapon when the accident occurred," Calvina said. "A prototype whose systems bore a strong resemblance to the Bellzelute's Cytron."

What!? "I don't know about any of that," Toya said, shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear it. "I hadn't seen Dad for like a year when he died, and I didn't even know the Bellzelute even existed until it dropped in on me."

"I see," Calvina said, her expression unreadable as usual. "So you don't know anything about it."

"I can operate it, that's all," Toya said, "and even there I don't know how I know, except that it has something to do with that weird Cytron system."

"And we don't really know any more than he does," Katia put in. "The man who broke us out also entrusted us with the Bellzelute, and asked us to take care of it. That's all we know; he didn't even tell us his name."

Calvina sighed. "It was too much to hope for, I suppose."

Toya seriously wondered about that. He'd been so caught up in the mayhem surrounding their journey and his own mission to protect Katia and the others that he'd barely given any thought to his machine's origin in quite some time. Calvina's sudden interest had brought the matter to the front of his mind again; the idea that she of all people was connected to it somehow had his thoughts spinning in several directions at once.

He opened his mouth, but the ship's alarm cut him off before he could speak. "All hands, phase one battlestations," Ruri said. "Repeat, all hands, phase one battlestations."

Here we go again.

Archangel, bridge

Murrue's knuckles were white as she clutched at the arms of her command chair. "Report," she said tensely.

"We've made contact with the Eighth Fleet advance force," Natarle said in a clipped tone. "They report coming under attack by a ZAFT force, and have ordered us to stand clear."

Which meant the advance force was effectively committing suicide, and they both knew it. Three ships with their attendant mobile armors and perhaps a handful of space-adapted Leos were no match for a ZAFT mobile suit team. Especially if it was who Murrue suspected it was.

"Isn't Vice Foreign Minister Allster with them?" she said.

Natarle consulted her board. "He is, Captain," she said quietly.

"Then shouldn't we be helping them?" Yurika asked from the Nadesico. "There's no way they can beat a force like that!"

"We have our orders, Captain Misumaru," Natarle responded. "Our duty is to preserve this ship and the Strike, and see to it they reach UEFA headquarters."

"But that's just too cruel!" Yurika protested.

Natarle's mouth tightened visibly; Murrue suspected the dark-haired XO was fighting down a sharp retort. Natarle had never trusted Yurika, and this no doubt added fuel to the fire.

Whatever she may have wanted to say, though, Natarle's only reply was, "Cruelty is not the issue, Captain. . . ."

"The advance force is being pressed hard," Ruri Hoshino said. "At this rate, they won't last more than a few minutes."

Murrue clenched a fist, her thoughts torn. On the one hand, Natarle was right; they had their orders, and they had to get the Archangel and the Strike to Alliance territory. On the other, she couldn't stand the thought of abandoning fellow soldiers to such a fate, not if she could help it.

"There's no guarantee we could escape even if we did stay out of it," she said. "We're going to attack. Captain Misumaru, I request your assistance as well."

"No problem!" Yurika said jubilantly. "We'll teach those ZAFT guys a lesson they'll never forget!"

Natarle stepped forward. "Captain-"

"If you disagree, by all means file a report, if we make it back," Murrue cut her off. "In the meantime, my order stands."

Natarle clearly didn't like it, but she was too much a professional to protest further. "Understood."

Archangel, residential block

"All hands, level one battlestations! Repeat, all hands, level one battlestations!"

As usual, the small collection of Heliopolis survivors -minus Kira- had gathered around the monitor, anxiously watching events unfold. Though the ZAFT force wasn't yet visible, they could see the Nadesico moving to attack position, catapults already opening.

"Another battle," Miriallia said quietly. "Kira's probably already in the hangar."

"Yeah," Tolle agreed. "Getting ready to take on ZAFT, again. Sheesh, they just don't know when to quit."

"They want this ship," Sai said. "It's more powerful than anything they have."

Mir closed her eyes. Unpleasant though it was, she had no fear for her own life. The Archangel was, as Sai had said, more powerful than anything ZAFT had. More, they had Lieutenant La Flaga, Lieutenant Merquise, and of course Kira and his unreal skill in the Strike.

Kira. . . .

She looked at her boyfriend. "You know, Tolle, it's kind of silly. We're sitting here again, waiting for Kira to go out there and fight for us."

Tolle cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"There must be something we can do, too," Mir said. She shifted her gaze to Sai and Kuzzey. "Maybe we can't go out there and fight, but we've all had training with computer systems. There must be something we can do to help."

She fell silent, meeting each of her friends' eyes in turn. Tolle, unsurprisingly, nodded at once; he and Kira had always been close. Sai was swift to follow; also not a surprise, as he was probably the most levelheaded person she knew. Even Kuzzey, uneasy though he was with Coordinators, gave a slow nod.

"It's settled, then," Mir said. "We'll talk to the XO."

Archangel, hangar/open space

The Strike's startup process was becoming almost routine, Kira noted absently. He still didn't like it, but right now his main problem was with ZAFT. Even in the damned Debris Belt they (almost certainly the Le Creuset team, from what Lieutenant La Flaga had said) just wouldn't let up.

"Kira Yamato here," he said. "Ready for launch."

"Roger that, Kira," a familiar voice answered. "Stand by."

Kira's head snapped up, eyes going wide. "Miriallia?" he blurted. "What are you doing there?"

She smiled. "We thought it wasn't right for you to do all the work, so," she gestured at the pink UEFA uniform she now wore, "here we are. I'll be handling mobile weapon operations from now on."

Kira felt a slow warmth spreading through him. He hadn't regretted his decision to fight for his friends, however much he hated the necessity, but having them actively supporting him meant more than he could express.

"Thank you," he said, his spirits raised considerably. "What are we dealing with out there?'

This time it was Sai who replied. "Mostly GINNs," he said, "including that orange one you fought before, but we're picking up two of the stolen G-weapons, X102 Duel and X103 Buster." A pause. "No sign of the Aegis."

Kira felt a brief flicker of surprise, but it faded almost at once. Of course Sai would know about Athrun, given that they'd been arguing over an open channel at Heliopolis. "Roger that."

"Kira." Sai hesitated. "Flay's father is with the advance force. . . ."

"I understand," Kira assured him, his resolve hardening. "I'll make sure he's safe." I can't fail. Not now.

Mir spoke again, her tone more crisp and professional. "Attaching Aile Striker," she said. "Connected to catapult. System all green." She tapped a few keys. "All clear for launch. Good luck, Kira."

Kira braced himself. "Kira Yamato, launching!"

The catapult hurled him into space, followed closely by Lieutenant La Flaga's Zero and Zechs's Leo, joined moments later by the spindly Bellzelute. He was more tense than he'd allowed Mir to see; GINNs didn't worry him overmuch, but the two Gundams were something else. Worse, he'd be dodging space debris throughout, adding a layer of complexity he didn't really need.

Well. He could adapt, and ZAFT would be suffering the same problem.

"Here they come!" Koji snapped. He brought Mazinger Z up and around what looked like the remains of an environmental dome. "Time to die! Photon Beam!" Mazinger's optics flashed, emitting a double beam that half-melted a GINN that got too close.

"Crazy as ever," Toya muttered. "Tenia, raise the Orgone Extractor's output!"

"Roger!"

Kira wondered just what his friend was up to. That wonder lasted approximately three seconds, as the Bellzelute launched some kind of giant green crystalline arrow, impaling in succession three GINNs that had made the mistake of clustering together.

More sedately, Kira brought his rifle up and blasted a GINN through the chest. The Strike, he mused, wasn't as flashy as some of the Nadesico's machines, but it certainly got the job done.

A sudden impact knocked him off course, only the PSA saving him from severe damage as he was slammed into the remains of a Laurasia. Cursing under his breath, Kira forced the Strike back around, and his mouth tightened; that orange GINN had come seemingly out of nowhere.

"It's not going to be that easy, kid," Miguel Aiman said smugly.

Dammit, him again!? Kira gritted his teeth and drew a beam saber; that GINN was too mobile for his rifle to be of any real use.

And Miguel knew it. Knowing PSA's limited endurance, he drew his own blade and hacked downward, Kira interposing his shield only barely in time. A return thrust grazed the GINN's arm, forcing Miguel to pull back slightly.

He wasn't concerned. "You're good," he admitted, "I underestimated you back at Heliopolis. But," another swing, this one impacting solidly on the Strike's right arm, nearly forcing Kira to drop his saber, "not good enough!"

Grunting with exertion, Kira fed more power to the Aile's thrusters, this time steadily pushing Miguel back. "You're not taking me down!" he said through clenched teeth. "I can't afford to lose here!"

"Not yet, kid!" Miguel drew back for a thrust, but before he could move a double energy blast scorched past. The first shot was a clean miss, but the second melted his GINN's left foot, throwing him wildly off balance. "What the hell!?"

"Not so fast!" Bellzelute had its Shot Launchers out, spitting rapid fire beams and forcing Miguel farther back. "You okay, Kira?"

Kira firmly ordered his heart to slow down. "I am now, thanks."

Miguel Aiman was many things, but he was neither stupid nor suicidal, and he knew perfectly well he couldn't possibly take Kira and Toya simultaneously, especially after he'd already taken damage. Cursing, he spun and retreated; a parting shot from the Bellzelute vaporized his sword, but otherwise the teens ignored him.

For good reason. The Duel and Buster had finally gotten into range, and Yzak and Dearka were out for blood.

"Uh, Toya, any chance our other Gundams are in range?" Kira asked tensely.

Toya looked at his own panel, then shook his head. "No such luck," he said. "No sign of Duo, but knowing him he'd have already sliced those two in half if he could. Heero's too far away."

"Then it's just us," Kira said, resigned. "I'd better take the Duel; your machine doesn't have any close-range weapons."

"Which is just about the only thing I don't like about it," Toya agreed. "Roger that, you've got the Duel, I'll keep the Buster busy."

They broke formation then, Kira angling for the blue X102 Duel. The ZAFT pilot appeared to relish the prospect; instead of trying to shoot Kira down at range, the other pilot drew a beam saber and met his charge. Blades locked and engines strained; the Strike had greater power, but the gap was much narrower than with Miguel's GINN.

Yzak bared his teeth in a feral grin. "Gotta admit, you're a real challenge," he said. "Fine by me; there's nothing to celebrate in beating down a weakling."

Dearka wasn't having anywhere near as much fun. Bellzelute was proving a more agile target than he'd expected, evading his attacks with apparent ease. Periodic fire from the Moebius Zero didn't help matters any.

"Just go down, dammit!" he snapped, frustration mounting. He snapped off a shot with his gun launcher, finally scoring a minor hit. It didn't seem to impede the Bellzelute any, but at least it showed the maddening mech wasn't invincible.

Toya wasn't so sanguine. The stolen Gundams were the first foes that had really made him tense since he'd started flying combat; at the least they were superior to any SPT he'd seen save for Layzner. He had a speed advantage and a lot of firepower, but was painfully aware of his relative lack of armor.

"This is getting ridiculous," he grumbled. "Tenia, O Rifle B mode. Let him have it!"

"No prob!" The argent blue beam lanced out, not a direct his unfortunately, but enough to knock out one of the Buster's shoulder-mounted missile launchers. A second detonation followed as Mu took advantage, swooping in with his gunbarrels on rapid fire.

Mu let out a whoop, snapping the Zero into a victory roll. "Thanks for the opening, kid!"

Does he call everyone that? Toya wondered absently. He pushed the thought aside, just in time to avoid a hail of beam and shell fire from the Buster; Dearka evidently took exception to having his missile launchers scrapped.

"Second wave approaching," Ruri said. "Advance fleet is under increasingly heavy fire."

"Confirmed," Sai added. "At least one Nazca-class and several more GINNs, and we've detected X303 Aegis on its way in."

That'll be fun, Toya thought, knowing exactly how Kira would react. There was a brief scuffling sound over his link to the Archangel, and then another voice spoke up, more than a little shrill.

"Tell them that if they don't stop firing on my father's ship I'll kill this girl!"

Toya froze in surprise for a brief moment, almost long enough to get taken out when the Buster launched another assault. That's Flay! What the hell is she doing!? He glanced at his partner, but Tenia appeared equally startled.

Panic he could understand, but threatening an innocent life (it had to be Lacus Clyne, he knew, since nothing else would have an impact on ZAFT) was something else. He hadn't had much contact with Flay, but she'd never struck him as someone who would do something like that.

A green flash snapped him back to the moment. "This is getting seriously irritating," he muttered, Shot Launchers coming up again and firing rapidly. Most of the shots missed, the Buster proving more agile than its bulk would suggest, but two struck home, melting the left leg and blowing its head off.

"Dammit!" Dearka snarled in frustration. Forcing his machine around, he glared at the Bellzelute over his shoulder. "This isn't over, Natural!" he growled.

"Then we'll just have to beat you down again!" Tenia shot back, actually shaking her fist at the retreating Gundam.

Toya allowed himself a chuckle at his partner's antics. Even in the middle of a battle, she could improve his mood without even trying.

After several inconclusive exchanges, Kira was finally gaining the upper hand. He'd managed to score a number of minor hits on the Duel, including one that destroyed its left camera, leaving the stolen machine half blind.

Yzak, unfortunately, was not easily shaken, and the loss of half his field of view merely enraged him. "Bastard!" he snarled through clenched teeth. "I am getting sick of you!" He aimed a kick at the Strike's midsection, followed by a vicious series of stabs and slashes.

His growing fury hampered him, however, leaving openings he would otherwise have noticed. Something Kira swiftly noticed and exploited. He took the kick on his shield, dodged or parried the saber combination, and lashed out in turn, carving a deep gash in the Duel's right arm and taking its hand off at the wrist.

"Damn you!" Yzak screamed. "You'll pay for this, STRIIIIIIKE!" Even half-mad with rage, though, Yzak Joule knew when to fall back, and he'd taken enough damage to be at a severe disadvantage.

Nor was he the only one. ZAFT's first wave had taken heavy losses; two GINNs had had the misfortune of encountering Combattler V up close, and paid for it. The Blue Earth had taken a few hits, but Noal's piloting skill had been enough to avoid the worst of it.

Others weren't so lucky. "Advance fleet destroyed," Ruri said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Second wave approaching."

Kira barely noticed the incoming GINNs, or the Nazca-class visible behind them. All were overshadowed by the sick sense of failure in the pit of his stomach, and the wail of despair he heard from the Archangel. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. Flay . . . I'm sorry.

There was no time for more. "Any sign of the Blitz or Aegis?"

"The Aegis is barely within radar range," Sai said, more subdued than usual. "We're not picking up the Blitz, but that doesn't mean anything."

Not with the stolen Gundam's ability to turn invisible. Well. At least he didn't quite have to fight Athrun yet. "Roger that," he responded, turning to face the new threat. Don't get distracted, he reminded himself. Worry about Flay when the battle is over.

One GINN fell before it could even enter his range, a blue beam from the Bellzelute reducing it to debris in an instant. Another blew apart seconds later when Roanne opened up with his shoulder cannon, a third following into destruction at Heero's hand.

Then it was Kira's turn. A sword crashed into his shield; he forced it aside, drew back, and stabbed the GINN through the cockpit, wincing at the likely result. Yanking the blade out, he stowed it and drew his rifle, blasting another GINN's arm off; it tried to retaliate, but an ominous dark shape appeared behind it and sliced it in half.

He wasn't sure how long they could last, though. For all their own considerable power, they'd been fighting hard for nearly an hour now, while Le Creuset's people had had a relatively easy time up to that point, fighting mainly mobile armors and Leos. Exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on the Archangel/Nadesico team, and Le Creuset had to know it.

Something flashed off to one side, drawing his eye. Kira spun around, and his heart sank; the Blitz had snuck in under Mirage Colloid, and had landed right next to the Archangel's superstructure. Why it hadn't simply taken out the bridge, he had no idea.

His radio crackled. "I can destroy you at any time," a young voice said. "Please, surrender; I don't want to kill you."

At any other time Kira would have been happy to learn there was someone like him in ZAFT. As it was, he felt sick; there was no way he could get back in time, and even if he could, the Aegis was closing in. There was no way Athrun would have let him through.

Then everything changed. "This is the UEFA warship Archangel," Natarle said. "Presently under the protective custody of this ship is PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne."

"Natarle, what are you doing!?" Murrue said, her voice rising.

Kira had a feeling he did know, and it shocked him into immobility. She can't possibly be doing what it sounds like!

Unfortunately, it was all too real. "We found her escape pod in the Debris Belt, and brought her onboard as a humanitarian gesture," Natarle continued. "However, if you continue to attack us, we will consider it an abandonment of your responsibilities to her, and will be forced to take matters into our own hands."

The entire battle zone seemed to freeze. All combat ceased as though someone had thrown a switch, pilots on both sides staring at the Archangel in varying degrees of shock.

Kira's radio crackled again. "What monsters you are!" Athrun snarled. Then, more quietly, "Well, Kira?" he demanded, his voice tight with barely-controlled fury. "Do you still feel justified fighting beside these cowards!?"

"Athrun. . . ." There was really nothing he could say in reply, not to that.

"I'm going to rescue her," Athrun said softly, coldly. "That's a promise." The Aegis spun on its axis, thrusters lighting.

The rest of the ZAFT force followed; not even Rau Le Creuset, ruthless though he was, could have justified continuing the attack under such conditions. Patrick Zala may have approved, from what Kira had heard, but Clyne would have had Le Creuset's head, and the effect on morale would have been devastating.

"Ensign Badgiruel." Zechs's voice was colder than Kira had yet heard it. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Buying time," Natarle retorted. "I would have thought you of all people would understand our situation."

Zechs didn't reply at first, giving Kira the impression of a volcano preparing to erupt. "I understand better than you realize, Ensign," he said. "Our situation, and apparently many other things as well."

Kira wasn't sure he wanted to know what the older man meant by that, but he could certainly appreciate the sentiment. His own shock was finally abating, replaced by a cold rage he'd never felt before, not even when Heliopolis collapsed. Using a civilian, even one from an enemy nation, as a hostage was about as low as it got.

He was starting to wish he'd followed Athrun to the PLANTs.

Archangel, hangar

Kira was practically vibrating with anger by the time he had the Strike back in its slot. He practically tore his restraints off and slapped the hatch control, yanking off his helmet at the same time. Pushing off, he noted absently that they had some visitors; Bellzelute, Mazinger Z, and the Gundam Deathscythe had landed behind him.

Murdoch was visibly unhappy about it. "Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" he said. "You're supposed to land on the other ship!"

"Don't worry, we won't be staying long." Duo's usual easygoing air was nowhere to be seen. "We just want to clear a few things up is all."

"Yeah, like why the hell you'd be taking hostages!" Typical Koji Kabuto, hotheaded as usual. Not that Kira really disagreed with him.

Nagare Akatsuki evidently did. "Why don't you calm down and think for a moment," he said mildly. "We were in a rather tight situation -still are, really- and Ensign Badgiruel did what she could to get us some breathing space. I really don't see your problem."

"Then you aren't looking," Toya snapped, looking like he wanted to punch the Nergal man. "Maybe we don't think we should be acting like typical villains; that ever occur to you?"

Mu sighed. "You should listen to him," he said. "Sure, you may not like it -I sure don't- but Ensign Badgiruel exercised her discretion as XO, and pilots like us don't have the right to question her."

"Even when it's obvious she's wrong!?" Kira burst out. "I'm not a soldier, Lieutenant, but even I know the difference between just making a mistake on the battlefield and something like this!" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept it."

"Nor should you," Zechs said. "Being a soldier doesn't mean just blindly following orders, Kira. Questioning a superior's judgment is one thing, but some orders are simply illegal." He gave Mu a hard stare. "This is one of them."

Mu frowned. "You sure you should be saying that in public, Lieutenant?" he said carefully. "Most people would call that undermining discipline and the chain of command."

"I'm with the Specials; most regulars would call my very presence undermining discipline and the chain of command," Zechs countered. "More to the point, Ensign Badgiruel's action is a flagrant violation of military law, at least one treaty, and simple human decency. Allowing this to stand is what would undermine discipline." Shaking his head in disgust, he departed.

Koji whistled, momentarily distracted from his own outrage. "Quite a tirade. Didn't expect that from a military guy."

"The Specials are known for a preference for honorable combat," Akatsuki said. "It gets in the way of their reasoning sometimes."

Toya snorted, rolling his eyes. "Gets in the way? He sounded a hell of a lot more reasonable than you did, Akatsuki." He turned back to his own machine, beckoning to his partner. "C'mon, Tenia, let's get back to the Nadesico."

"Right," the flame-haired girl agreed. "Nothin' more we can do here right now."

Kira followed in Zechs's wake, his mind in turmoil. Despite his anger, he didn't really blame Mu, who'd had an air more of devil's advocate than anything else. Still, he couldn't help thinking of Athrun's words.

"Do you still feel justified fighting beside these cowards!?"

"Athrun. . . ." he whispered, not really caring if anyone heard him, not noticing Sai and Mir as he passed them. Not noticing Lacus Clyne giving him a worried look as she was escorted to her own quarters. Stopping by the large observation port at the rear of the ship's superstructure, he gazed out sightlessly into the depths of space.

What am I . . . what am I supposed to do?

Nadesico, residential block

Toya slammed a fist into the bulkhead, ignoring the resulting pain. He did it again, twice more, then took a deep breath. The ache in his fist cleared his mind some; he was still angry, but not blindly so. Angry, but calm enough to think.

"This is insane," Akito said. "And you say Akatsuki supported it?"

"That he did," Tenia said. "Caught me by surprise; sure, I've never trusted the guy, but that was a bit much even for him."

Koji grunted. "Now I'm seeing why Professor Yumi didn't want to go along with Nergal before we met Toya and the girls," he said. "Okay, sure, the Captain and Mister Prospector are okay, but Nergal ain't exactly on the level."

"I don't care what Nergal thinks," Hyoma said. "Yeah, Professor Yotsuya assigned us to the Nadesico, but that doesn't mean we have to just go along with something like this."

"That's right, we don't," Heero said. Leaning against the far bulkhead, arms folded, he actually smiled slightly at the surprised looks turned his way. "I think we're all agreed this can't be allowed to stand," he went on.

"Pretty much, yeah," Duo said. He alone appeared unsurprised, but then he alone actually knew the stoic Gundam pilot. "You got a plan?"

Heero nodded. "A partial one, at least." He looked at the youngest of the Combattler team. "Kosuke. You have some expertise with computers, correct?"

Kosuke waggled a hand back and forth. "Mostly. I haven't done much with UEFA systems, though."

"It'll be enough," Heero said. "We'll need that, and the cooperation of someone on the Archangel."

"Kira will jump at it," Toya predicted. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to break Miss Clyne out himself; he threw a fit when Lieutenant La Flaga talked about obeying orders."

"That would be helpful; he pilots their most powerful mobile weapon, and has some skill with computer systems himself." Heero paused. "Getting aboard the Archangel will be simple enough; we'd have to wing it from there."

Toya didn't care. As long as they could salvage something good out of this mess, he was fine with it. A glance at his companions confirmed that they felt the same.

Which did leave one minor mystery. "Say, Heero, where'd all this come from? No offense," he added, "but you just didn't seem the type."

Heero glanced over his shoulder as he reached the hatch. "Even I have my standards, Toya," he said simply.

Nadesico, infirmary

He didn't know where he was, only that he was no longer adrift in space. Probably in some kind of medical facility, he thought after a moment; he could feel a firm yet yielding surface beneath him, and what had to be an IV in his right arm. Not Radam, then.

But where? On the ship he'd glimpsed during the battle, he supposed; it did appear to be of Earth make, though not one he'd recognized.

It didn't matter. Movement was out of the question for now, but not for much longer. Soon, he would resume the fight. Soon, he would have his revenge.

Author's note: A thousand apologies for taking so long; life keeps intervening no matter how hard I try. Hopefully I can do better, especially since the next chapter is one I'm looking forward to, Tekkaman fan that I am.

I do have one question: What, exactly, is so bad about Gundam SEED? Destiny I can understand, but I've gotten some admittedly minor flak for my emphasizing the first Cosmic Era entry, and have never been able to understand why it's so hated in some quarters.

Lastly, I would like to dedicate this chapter to the memory of Leonard Nimoy, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. "Live long and prosper" will never sound quite the same again.