The standard disclaimer applies.

Archangel, upper deck

Over a week since the defeat of the Waltfeld team, the Archangel and its ragtag collection of mobile weapons had reached the Indian Ocean. To the amazement of just about everyone, they'd avoided any further encounters with ZAFT, not that any of them were complaining. After the grueling battles in the desert, they all needed a bit of a break.

"Ah, the wind feels so good," Miriallia said, opening her pink uniform jacket. "It's been too long since we were able to just relax."

"Tell me about it," Toya agreed, leaning against the railing. "This is the longest I've spent outside combat since we left for Mars last year."

Mir looked over at him curiously. "Have you ever been to the ocean, Toya?"

A gull cried out in the distance. "A couple of times," he said. "Last one was a field trip, call it a month or so before that Jovian attack on my school."

"That so?" Tolle moved to join his girlfriend. "What was it like there, before those three," he jerked his head at Katia and the others, "dropped in on you?"

Toya shrugged. "It was pretty normal, or at least as close as you can get to normal with Crazy Kabuto and his buddies from the Photon Power Labs, anyway." His gaze turned distant. "It didn't really have much impact on me, though," he said more quietly. "There were only a couple of people I spent much time with."

"Girlfriend?" Tolle said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Toya shot him a brief glare. "Stuff it, Tolle. No, no one like that. Just a couple of friends."

Kaname must be worried as hell, he added silently. I'd better get in touch with her when we get back to civilization.

"I envy you," a new voice interjected. "Because of my father's position, I never really had a normal school experience," Relena said. "It was all high-class boarding schools, even at Heliopolis." She sighed. "I guess it couldn't be helped, but it meant I never had any close friends."

Toya studied her in the corner of his eye. Even after transferring to the Archangel, he hadn't had much contact with Relena Darlian. Not out of any animosity, in fact he rather liked her, but their paths just hadn't crossed very often.

"And then you met Heero," Mir said. "A stoic Gundam pilot and assassin fighting against the UEFA." She giggled. "A Romeo and Juliet kind of thing, almost."

Relena actually blushed. "It's not like that!" she protested. "Besides, I didn't even know he was a Gundam pilot until Heliopolis, and by then most of the Gundam attacks had subsided."

Not like that. Yeah, sure. Toya was many things, but blind wasn't one of them, and Relena's attraction to Heero Yuy was obvious to anyone with eyes. Whether Heero reciprocated was anyone's guess, though he did seem to relax around her.

"Just keep tellin' yourself that." Duo had appeared while they chatted; he was leaning casually against a bulkhead, arms folded. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I ain't blind." He grinned at Relena's expression. "Anyway, I've got some news. You guys know how D-Boy's been moaning and complaining since that mess in the desert, right?"

Duo was understating, Toya knew. The allegedly amnesiac warrior had become withdrawn, refusing to eat and barely speaking even to Aki, who was as close to him as anyone could be. It was common knowledge that Ensign Badgiruel was losing patience (assuming she had any to begin with), but even Kira and Eiji had gotten tired of it.

"Well, seems Aki and Noal took him on the Blue Earth and left," Duo went on. "Took off 'bout fifteen minutes ago."

Kuzzey paled slightly. "Doesn't that put them in even more danger?"

"Not necessarily," Sai said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The Blue Earth is only lightly armed; I don't think ZAFT would consider it a priority target right now, and the Gradosians don't have much of a presence on Earth yet."

"Still leaves Doctor Hell and the Radam," Duo murmured. "Then again, Mechabeasts can't fly, and Noal can handle those Radam freaks, long as Dagger doesn't show up again."

Toya felt his own worries ease some. It wasn't like the Blue Earth's departure left them helpless, after all, not with his own Bellzelute, four Gundams, three SPTs, and two fighters. Zechs's Leo, unfortunately, didn't really factor into things anymore, and he suspected the Specials man was very unhappy about it.

"Quite a gathering we've got here." That was Mu La Flaga, with his usual disregard for formality that drove Natarle Badgiruel up the wall. "Just thought you'd like to know we're meeting up with an allied ship."

The gathered youngsters perked up at that. "An ally?" Kuzzey repeated. "Way out here?"

Mu shrugged. "Well, technically it's not a UEFA ship, though I think a couple of the crew might be ex-military. Anyway, it's called the Novis Noah, and it's a sea-going ship."

"What?" Toya blinked. "A ship that just sails the oceans, doesn't actually fly? What good does that do us?"

"You'd be surprised," Mu said. "At the least they can give us some supplies, and there've been reports of the Reclaimers buzzing about around here. Since the Novis is a test ship for the Organic Engine, they've been keeping an eye on Orphan."

Orphan. The Reclaimers. Possibly the most mysterious of the Earth Sphere's various factions. Their existence was well-documented (Toya recalled seeing news reports about Reclaimer activities, something to do with Plates launched by Orphan), but few details were known. Any information on that group would be welcome indeed.

"Anyway, the Captain and I are going to meet with them," Mu said. "We're taking Eiji with us; Toya, we'd like you to come along, too. You're the closest thing to a Nergal rep we've got."

"I dunno much about what Nergal is up to, but sure," Toya said. "Not like I've got anything better to do right now."

Mu grinned. "That's the spirit, kid. You'll get a chance to stretch your legs, meet some new people."

"As long as they don't try to shoot me," Toya said under his breath.

Novis Noah, main hangar

Toya had been on oceangoing ships once or twice, but they'd been fairly basic civilian types. The Novis Noah was entirely different, huge and state of the art. Still civilian, though, as Mu had said; Toya was sure he saw a couple of kids the age of some of the younger refugees running about.

A man in a gray suit and a woman in some kind of uniform waited for them. Both looked to be middle-aged, though the man was obviously older. "Welcome aboard the Novis Noah," the woman said. "I'm Captain Anoa McCormick, and this," she nodded to her companion, "is UN Secretary General Winston Geybridge."

Toya looked at the man in some surprise. If the UN Secretary General was there in person, the Novis was obviously more important than he'd thought.

Murrue offered a salute, smiling. "I'm Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel," she said. "I'm grateful that you're taking the time to assist us."

"We could hardly deny aid to a friendly ship," McCormick replied. "There isn't a whole lot we can do, but we can at least provide you with additional supplies."

"And you must be Eiji Asuka," Geybridge said, turning to the young half-breed. "Please, be at ease; your mixed blood is of no concern to us. You seem Earthling enough to me."

Eiji straightened; evidently he hadn't expected such a reaction. "Thank you, sir."

Geybridge smiled. "No, it is we who should thank you for your brave acts. Your decision to come to Earth was difficult, I know, but thanks to that we have warning of the Gradosian threat. Whether it will be enough," his expression turned clouded, "depends on how the UEFA reacts."

Toya and the girls drifted away then, more interested in the mobile weapons and the crews servicing them. He still couldn't figure out why there were kids in the hangar; that would never have happened on even the Nadesico, for all Yurika's lackadaisical attitude on most things. Then again, there was something very odd about the units. . . .

"You've never seen an Antibody before?" The oldest of the kids, a boy Toya estimated to be eleven or twelve, stood a couple of meters away.

"I've been piloting a mobile mech for a while now, but I've never seen anything like this," Toya said. "Kira, Cagalli, how about you?"

Kira leaned forward, amethyst eyes intent. "Never. . . . Wait a minute. Are they alive. . .?"

"That's right." A girl about their age had wandered over from one of the Antibodies. Blue eyes, long orange hair, dressed in a beige t-shirt and cargo pants, she reminded Toya of someone else.

Then it hit him. She's a lot like Cagalli. This could be fun.

"Brains aren't machines," the girl went on. "We ride them, but they move on their own. You might say we're not really pilots at all." She smiled. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Hime Utsumiya. I've been a pilot here for a few months now."

"Now I remember." Katia was looking intently at the Brains. "I read about this in the database update Mister Akatsuki gave us when we got back from Mars. The Brains are born from Plates, right?"

Hime appeared pleased at Katia's knowledge. "That's right. I met this one," she ran a hand over a pinkish Brain's leg, "when he Revived near the orphanage I was living in. Now he won't let anyone else ride him."

Toya craned his neck, looking up at the Brain. Meeting its inhuman gaze, he saw a definite intelligence, different from humans yet not. There was something almost childlike, for lack of a better word. He could see how Hime could get so attached.

"You guys are pilots, too, aren't you?" Hime said.

"Eh, we do what we can," Cagalli said, shrugging. Toya jumped; he hadn't noticed the blonde spitfire coming up behind them.

Not that he disagreed or anything. "Yeah, we all have our own reasons. This loon," he jerked a thumb at Duo Maxwell, who just grinned, "is one of the Colony Gundam pilots."

"That's me," Duo confirmed. "Duo Maxwell. Some call me the God of Death; I don't think your Brains are gonna like me very much."

"Oh, yeah?" Tenia challenged. "Then what about him?"

Duo followed her gaze, and his jaw dropped. "What the hell. . .?"

Heero Yuy was standing near another of the Brains, talking to a man with long blond hair. Though Toya couldn't hear what was being said, he saw Heero nod slowly, and the blond man depart. Heero spent a few minutes gazing up at the Brain, expression unreadable as usual, and then left the hangar without a word.

"Well, that was weird," Duo said, scratching his head. "Hey, Hime, who was that guy he was talking to?"

"Lasse Lundburg, another of our pilots," Hime said, clearly perplexed at the question. "Was there something wrong?"

"That was Heero Yuy, another Colony Gundam pilot," Toya told her. "He's a pretty cold fish, so we didn't figure him as being interested in stuff like the Brains."

Melua giggled softly. "Relena likes him, remember."

"Yeah, well, Relena's not some kind of empath," Duo countered, then shrugged. "Eh, stranger things have happened." He looked back at Hime. "So, you guys have been keeping an eye on Orphan?"

She grimaced. "As much as possible. There've been a few skirmishes with Grand Chers, but we still don't know just what the Reclaimers are up to."

The Reclaimers were probably their most mysterious enemies. Doctor Hell, the Gradosians, and from all appearances the Radam were out for world domination, the PLANTs simply wanted independence, and they at least had some info on Kyoji Kasshu's motives, assuming Domon was correct. About the Reclaimers, they just didn't know.

Toya looked out over the ocean. Somewhere beneath that endless blue, he thought, was Orphan.

Inside Orphan, ocean bottom

Today's my birthday, Yu Isami thought. I've finally turned seventeen, but I doubt anyone even notices, not even Iiko." Sighing, he banished the thought. It was nothing but a distraction from what he had to do.

Contrary to his parents' beliefs, and his older sister's promises, life inside Orphan, seven kilometers below the ocean's surface, had been anything but pleasant for him. Being with his family, having friends like Kanan, didn't outweigh the pain he suffered as his father's guinea pig, or the mass death that would result from Orphan surfacing.

There's no turning back. He took a deep breath. "Grand Cher Division, Yu Isami. Please open."

His parents were, as usual, busy with their research. His father Kensaku was doing something Yu couldn't quite see with a computer terminal, while Yu's mother Midori watched over his shoulder, occasionally making notes on a clipboard.

Kensaku looked up as Yu entered. "Ah, Yu. Just who I was waiting for."

"Perfect timing," Midori added. "I need to analyze your data again, so get ready, okay?"

They were always like that. Loving parents on the surface, but it always came back to the research. Always, Yu was little more than a guinea pig, even when his sister was there. Instead of answering his parents, Yu slowly lifted his right arm, leveling a pistol at his mother's chest.

Her eyes went wide, disbelieving. "Yu, what are you doing!? Pointing a gun at your own mother!"

"The safety is off," Yu said, gritting his teeth. His aim shifted slightly, covering his mother and father both. "I'm not bluffing."

Kensaku tried to placate him. "Yu, ever since we entered Orphan, we've been working to raise it from the ocean depths. Isn't that why we're here?"

"All this time I've been nothing but your guinea pig," Yu countered. "My mind and body suffer whenever I pilot a Grand Cher. Did that even occur to you!?"

Yu's question was mostly rhetorical. He knew perfectly well his parents never thought about how he felt. They cared nothing for their children or even –so far as Yu could tell– for the fate of the world itself. All of it took a back seat to Orphan.

"If Orphan surfaces, everything dies," he went on, shaking. "I'm not going to help you with something so twisted!" A gunshot rang out, narrowly missing him. "Ugh— Sis!?"

Older than he by five years, brown hair contrasting with Yu's deep blue, his sister Iiko glared at him, her blue eyes hard. "I will remove the traitor!" she snapped, vaulting over a railing.

There was no choice. If Iiko was already there, more were undoubtedly coming. Without looking back, Yu turned and ran, dodging another shot from Iiko just past the door. The main hangar, he knew, would be well guarded; there was no chance of reaching his Grand Cher even if he wanted to, and highly unlikely the Antibody would cooperate. Which left him only one option.

That Brain Powerd we recovered is in the auxiliary hangar. If I can get to it before the Grand Cher squadron mobilizes, I can escape.

Luck was on his side, it seemed. After six years in Orphan, he knew the main areas intimately; avoiding guard patrols turned out to be quite a simple matter. The hangar he wanted had only two guards, and he was able to incapacitate both practically before they knew he was there.

The pale blue Brain made no move to resist as he climbed aboard. Maybe it sensed his intentions, knew that he was leaving Orphan. Maybe it just knew he was a friend. Either way, it made his escape a little bit easier.

"That's right, we're leaving," Yu said. "My parents and sister are becoming steadily more deranged, and since you're a Brain Powerd they'll just crumple you up and throw you in the trash. You deserve better than that."

The Brain made an odd humming noise, and Yu somehow sensed its agreement. "You want to see the sky," he said quietly, as the Antibody moved toward the outer hatch. "It's all right, I'll take you there. Let's go, Brain."

His new partner hummed again, and they were off.

Quincy Issa, better known to some as Iiko Isami, was in a foul mood. Her own brother, whom she'd protected ever since they'd entered Orphan, one of the best Grand Cher pilots they had, had betrayed them. Had turned his back on his family, his friends, and Orphan itself. It was not something she would easily forgive.

"How the hell did he get a Brain Powerd moving, anyway?" Jonathan Glenn wondered. The blond, blue-eyed Grand Cher squadron commander shook his head in disgust.

"Never mind that," Quincy snapped. "It's just further proof that he's abandoned us."

That was something she simply could not understand. After everything Orphan had done for them, and everything they had done in turn, it was beyond her comprehension that Yu Isami of all people would betray them. What else did he have?

A Grand Cher pilot she didn't immediately recognize approached. "Should we use a bazooka launcher to take him out?"

"We're still inside Orphan!" Quincy barked. "It would cause too much collateral damage. Send the Grand Chers after him." She looked back at Jonathan. "You go, too."

His eyebrows lifted. "Sheila and Kanan are already on their way," he said.

He sounded more puzzled than insubordinate, so Quincy overlooked it . . . this time. "Sheila's moves are too slow," she said, "and I doubt Kanan could bring herself to do it."

Jonathan shrugged. "All right," he said, climbing into his Grand Cher. "Heading out."

Novis Noah, bridge

Roughly a day and a half after rendezvousing with the Archangel, Anoa McCormick sensed a change in the air. It was subtle, but there was a definite sense of something impending. From what she'd seen of Captain Ramius, the other woman likely felt the same.

"It seems our respective crews are getting along well enough," Geybridge remarked. "Hime has managed to befriend both the Nergal representative and the Strike pilot."

"Hime has a way with people," McCormick replied absently. "I'd have been concerned if she hadn't. What's the status on the Archangel's resupply?"

That last was directed at a subordinate, who consulted a clipboard he was holding. "Nearly finished," he said. "The last pallets should be over within the hour."

"Captain, we have a contact on the Organic Radar," an operator said. "One Antibody reaction, type unknown. Depth is two thousand meters and rising rapidly."

McCormick was at his station in an instant. She frowned at the display; a reaction coming up from below meant it almost had to be from Orphan, but it wasn't like the Reclaimers to send a single Grand Cher up. A scout, perhaps?

"Several more behind it," the operator said unnecessarily. "A scout leading an assault force?"

That still didn't sound like the Reclaimers' style. McCormick moved to the bridge intercom. "We'll send a scout of our own. Hime Utsumiya, head out."

"Understood," Hime said promptly.

"Are you sure about this?" Geybridge asked quietly, watching Hime's Brain lift off. "She's very young and inexperienced."

"She's also one of the best pilots we have, and has good instincts," McCormick countered evenly. "I'll have Lasse and Nanga on standby anyway." She looked over her shoulder at the comm operator. "Inform the Archangel of the situation."

open sea

Judging by the position of the sun, it was just before noon when Yu broke the surface. A quick visual scan of his surroundings told him he was alone, at least for the moment. That there would be Grand Chers appearing soon was a given.

"Good work, Brain," he said. "We've come this far, and they haven't caught us."

As if his words were a signal, an entire squad of Grand Chers leaped out of the water. Yu's eyes narrowed as he recognized two of them, Sheila Glass and his friend Kanan. The only person he wanted to fight less than Kanan was Iiko, but it appeared he had little choice.

Then again, the last thing he wanted to do right then was fight at all. Sheila he was confident he could take, and Kanan would probably be reluctant, but he was simply outmatched against so many. Retreat was his only real option.

"Yu!" Kanan's Grand Cher dashed forward, coming to a stop just a few meters away. "Yu, why are you doing this!?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Kanan, but I have no choice. Orphan has to be stopped, or everything on Earth's surface will die."

"Yu." Kanan's voice was strained. "Your parents, Quincy, Jonathan, all of them will consider you an enemy. You'll be killed."

Yu winced at the mention of his sister. "I've already made my choice. This has to be done." His Brain lurched then. "Ugh, what the!?"

"Excellent work, Kanan!" Sheila crowed. "You kept him distracted just long enough."

"Dammit." Yu's fists clenched. Whatever his parents might want, he knew better than to expect mercy on returning to Orphan. Not after what he'd done. "What do I– huh?" He frowned. "Another Antibody reaction?"

A second Brain Powerd had appeared behind and to his left. This one was pinkish in color, and Yu was certain he'd seen it before somewhere. Brains weren't that common, with most of them on the test ship Novis Noah, but he couldn't recall crossing paths with that ship.

"Hey! Let go of that Brain!" The newcomer charged, blasts of Chakra lancing out and forcing the Grand Chers away, giving Yu a bit of breathing space.

It hit him then, the combination of the Brain's color and the female voice, just where he'd encountered it before. "You, are you Hime Utsumiya?"

The other pilot made a startled sound. "That's right, but how did you know?"

Yu smiled tightly. "I met you last year, when that Brain Revived."

Hime blinked rapidly. "You're Yu Isami? Aren't you a Reclaimer?"

"I was," Yu acknowledged, dodging a Chakra shot from Sheila. "There's no time to explain right now. Will you help me?"

Hime's Brain dodged a slash from a Grand Cher, then parried a second. "I'm with you," she acknowledged. A pause. "The rest of the Novis Antibody squad is on the way, with some machines from a UEFA warship we met up with yesterday."

It was going to have to do. Yu didn't like asking for help, but he had little choice, and if the rumors he'd heard were anything close to accurate the UEFA force would be able to handle itself. Grand Chers were powerful, but neither they nor their Reclaimer pilots had much actual combat experience.

The splattering sound of energy striking his Brain's Chakra Shield jolted Yu out of his brief reverie. Unwilling to fight Kanan if he could help it, he batted her Grand Cher's sword out of its hand and focused on Sheila. She'd never liked his family; he'd always suspected it was because of her attachment to Jonathan.

Hime, for all her evident inexperience, appeared to be a born Antibody pilot. Her degree of synchronization with her Brain was easily the equal of any Grand Cher pilot Yu had ever known, including Iiko and himself. The Reclaimers, dismissive as they'd always been of the Brains, didn't expect it, and were caught flat-footed.

His own Brain whirled to face a Grand Cher that had tried to sneak up on them. Before they could act, however, the enemy Antibody was struck by a red-orange beam that vaporized roughly a third of its body. "What the!?"

"They're here!" Hime said, sounding profoundly relieved.

It was a motley force, from what Yu could see of it. Four mobile weapons of a type he didn't recognize, three fighters of some sort, two more Brains, and a Gundam of all things. "They're from the Federation?"

"That's right," Hime said. "Well, the fighters and one of the Gundams are. The third fighter is actually one of the Colony Gundams, and the rest of the robots are from Nergal."

Nergal didn't surprise him; even in Orphan they'd heard the shady conglomerate was cooperating with the Federation. But a Colony Gundam? Those pilots hate the UEFA even more than ZAFT does. "As long as they remember Grand Chers are different from any other opponents they've fought."

"We know," a male voice interjected. The spindly blue robot raised a pair of pistol-like weapons, managing to singe a Grand Cher. His thrusters flared, boosting him up and clearing the way for the Colony Gundam to deliver a vicious saber slash.

Then Sheila was in close again, forcing Yu to block before she could impale him. "Come on, Brain," he said through clenched teeth. "You can do this. We can do this."

"Give it up, Yu!" Sheila snapped, her Grand Cher visibly straining. "Even with those Feddies, you can't win!"

Yu grunted with exertion, feeling the strain on his Antibody. "I have no choice! Come on, Brain!"

Then Hime's Brain was there, body-checking Sheila's Grand Cher. Her teammates from the Novis opened fire behind her, preventing Sheila from closing the distance again.

Snarling in fury, Sheila brought up a missile launcher, but before she could fire it was peppered with machine gun fire and exploded. The second UEFA fighter swooped past, waggling its wings in what Yu thought was a mocking fashion.

"It won't be that easy!" Another girl; the Novis and their UEFA allies did seem to have a lot of them.

"Heads up, there's more incoming!" the senior Federation pilot snapped, rolling his fighter in time to dodge a blast of Chakra.

Yu felt his mouth tighten. He recognized the lead Antibody instantly; Jonathan Glenn's personal Grand Cher was unmistakable. Which made Yu's job that much harder; Jonathan was the only Reclaimer save for Iiko who could take him in an even fight.

The UEFA Gundam –the Strike, he'd heard it called– had just dispatched another Grand Cher; Yu doubted either Antibody or pilot had survived the attack.

"Pathetic," Jonathan said. "You really thing those Federation junk heaps are any match for us?"

"I think they've already killed two Reclaimers in the last minute," Yu countered. "Fighting here won't get you anywhere, Jonathan. Just back off already."

It was futile, and Yu knew it. Jonathan Glenn was a fanatic even by Reclaimer standards, with other issues Yu had never quite been able to figure out. He and Yu had never really liked each other to begin with, which made it even more unlikely that Yu would be able to persuade him.

"You're that eager to die, Yu?" Jonathan said mockingly. "Then I'll be happy to oblige!"

Yu's Brain stopped the initial charge, straining against the Grand Cher's raw strength. This is the difference, he realized suddenly. Brains are more in tune with their pilots than Grand Chers are. Fortified by the insight, he focused his thoughts on the Brain. Come on, you can do it. We can win this!

With a sudden burst of power, Jonathan's Grand Cher was forced back. "I knew this wouldn't be easy," Jonathan said, unruffled. "You may have abandoned Orphan, but that doesn't make you any less of a pilot." He smirked. "That just makes it all the more satisfying."

"How's this for satisfying!?" That from the spindly mech's pilot, followed by a wave of some kind of blue energy. "Eiji, go!"

"Right!" One of the smaller machines, also blue, looped around from behind, firing what looked like a laser rifle. Its aim was a bit off, but it was enough to throw Jonathan off balance.

"Urgh!" Jonathan grunted in irritation. "Mechanical puppets, don't get in my way!"

Another small unit, this one red, opened up with its rifle. "Getting in the bad guys' way is what we do best," the pilot said.

Behind and to one side, a third released a larger energy burst from a shoulder-mounted cannon. The attack did little more than force Jonathan to shy away, but it was just the opening Yu needed. He got off a couple of bursts of Chakra, and then he was in close again. Once again it was he who pushed forward, and Jonathan who gave ground.

"Damn!" Jonathan was growing visibly frustrated. A bad sign even for a conventional pilot, for those who rode Antibodies it could prove disastrous, as the emotional turmoil disrupted the bond.

And then the spindly machine was back, that huge rifle outright vaporizing one Grand Cher and injuring another. It was hard to tell with machines, but Yu had the distinct impression the pilot was in a very bad mood. His moves had a certain viciousness, for lack of a better word.

"You Reclaimers are really a pain." The voice was charged with suppressed anger, confirming Yu's suspicions. "We've got enough problems without you popping out of nowhere!"

Yu Isami was right, Toya Shiun was in a very bad mood. He didn't regret his decision to stay on after Heliopolis, but having yet another adversary decide to make trouble was just the thing to set him off. Especially since they were already down one member.

And to top it off, Grand Chers were really freaking annoying.

Toya had gotten used to combat, but enemies that could outright teleport had come as an unpleasant surprise. He'd managed to down a couple, but even the ones who hadn't teleported out of the way had proved startlingly resistant to his attacks.

I'd rather be fighting a horde of Radam, he thought, glaring at the lead Grand Cher. At least all they do is spit acid and claw at you.

Bellzelute shuddered from a hit. "Minor damage to the left leg," Melua said calmly. She'd come a long way. "Orgone Extractor is still operating at full."

"Good." He took aim, pulled the trigger, and missed as the Grand Cher he was targeting vanished. "Damn!"

And then it reappeared behind him. "It's over, puppet– ughaaaa!"

A blast of yellow light had struck it from above and to the side, killing the Grand Cher and outright vaporizing its Reclaimer pilot. When the light faded, Wing Gundam drifted into view, its buster rifle smoking faintly.

"Thanks, Heero," Toya said. "I owe you one."

"No problem," Heero said with the barest trace of a smile.

The SPT trio sped past again, firing in unison and forcing a Grand Cher squad to scatter. One of the Brains –Nanga Silverly's, if he wasn't mistaken– took the opening and caught a Reclaimer flat-footed. He was forced back slightly, but the delay was enough for Lasse to squeeze in and finish the job.

"They're starting to pull back," Mu said, now orbiting high above. "Looks like they've had enough."

He was right. The surviving Grand Chers were vanishing in twos and threes. Soon only Jonathan Glenn's Antibody remained, lingering long enough for the Reclaimer to yell what sounded like a cliche villain line at Yu Isami.

"You okay there, kid?"

Toya glanced to his right. Nanga's Brain had drifted back toward him. "I've had worse," he said. "Aside from that damned teleport move, they're not as bad as the Radam."

Nanga grunted softly. "They move with an Organic Machine, which uses Organic Energy. They can also ride the Vital Net, same as us; that's how they teleport."

"I don't think I understood more than a tenth of that, so I'll take your word for it." To be sure, Toya still didn't quite know how his own machine worked, so he wasn't really in a position to talk. Especially the part that sometimes gave him precognitive abilities.

"Um, where did Hime and that other Brain go?" Melua asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Toya brought his head up. Hime's pink Brain and the blue one she'd been teamed with had vanished, presumably through the Vital Net. Nothing to be concerned about, he decided; whatever Hime was up to, she'd be back soon enough. Probably trying to recruit that ex-Reclaimer.

"Hey, where do you think you're going!?" Hime demanded.

She'd been certain they were about to gain a new ally, that this former Reclaimer would join their cause, especially since his grandmother was on the Novis Noah. Instead, once they'd driven off his former comrades, he just up and left. It was maddening.

"What's it to you?" Yu retorted, his Brain coming to a reluctant halt.

Hime fought to keep a hold on her temper. "What's it to me!?" she repeated. "In case you haven't noticed, we're fighting the Reclaimers, too! We should work together!"

Yu gave a brief snort. "You really think opposing Orphan is that easy?" he countered. "I know all about the Novis Noah; it's nothing more than a test ship for the Organic Engine my parents designed. There's no point in my working with you."

"Even to save the planet?" Hime said. "It's not just Orphan; there are other enemies, like ZAFT and the Gradosians."

"They don't matter," Yu said, shaking his head. "If Orphan surfaces, they're just as dead as we are. All this fighting is pointless."

"You don't even want to see your grandmother?" Hime pressed.

Yu paused. "Grandma Naoko is on the Novis, is she?"

"That's right."

"I see." The blue Brain turned away again.

Hime glared at him. "You're really leaving?"

"I told you, I'll take care of this myself," Yu said. He paused, looking back for a moment. "You're pretty good," he said, voice softening some. "You handle your Antibody like an old pro, as good as any Reclaimer I know." His Antibody vanished.

Hime shook her head in mixed wonder and exasperation. "Yu Isami, just what's up with that guy, anyway?"

Novis Noah, hangar

Toya stopped at the Novis before returning to the Archangel at Captain McCormick's request. She had asked for a small escort, citing the Antibodies' exhaustion from the battle, and Toya had drawn the duty. Not that he minded; the Novis had a more relaxed atmosphere than the Archangel, and he rather liked Hime.

"Yo, Toya!" Duo called when he'd disembarked. "How'd it go?"

Toya ran a hand through sweat-damp hair. "Pretty well, outside those Grand Chers being able to teleport."

"Sounds like fun," Duo said, just a bit wistfully. "Sorry I couldn't help out; Deathscythe isn't exactly good for open ocean battles."

"At least you're better off than Zechs," Toya pointed out. "That Leo's heading for the scrap heap pretty soon." He lifted an eyebrow. "Bored?"

"Little bit," Duo admitted. "Could be worse, and it's not like I'm gonna be on the sidelines for long." He lowered his voice. "How'd that Cagalli girl do? I was kinda busy in that last battle, so I didn't really see."

Toya frowned. Duo's carefree attitude wasn't a facade, he knew, but there was still a very sharp brain behind that cheerful exterior. Something was clearly bothering the Sweeper Group pilot.

"Pretty good from what I saw," he said. "Not up to Lieutenant La Flaga's level, but that's not saying much. Didn't have any more trouble with the Reclaimers than the rest of us." Toya raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Duo shrugged uncomfortably. "That's the thing, I don't know. That's way better than your average resistance fighter would be. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I think she's a spy or something. I'm just saying there's more to her than meets the eye."

"You could say that about every pilot we have," Toya pointed out. "Me included, what with the way the Cytron system reacts to me."

"Okay, you've got me there," Duo conceded. "I still say she's no resistance fighter, though."

Toya couldn't dispute the point. According to Kira, he'd met Cagalli at Heliopolis just before the attack, and last saw her when he stuffed her into an escape pod. She couldn't possibly have been in the desert very long.

He shook his head. Cagalli was their friend, that was what mattered. There was no point in finding reasons to suddenly distrust her.

"What's our next move?" he asked, looking out at the waves.

Duo scratched his head. "Dunno, really. I heard something about the Novis going with us for a while; Zechs and La Flaga want to swing by Orb and unload those refugees. Probably drop off Kira and his friends while we're at it."

The thought was actually kind of sad. Toya hadn't known the Heliopolis gang for very long, but he liked them, and Kira was a good person to have at your back in a fight. Not that he blamed the Coordinator for wanting out, of course.

"Welp," Toya said, turning back to his machine, "I'd better get going. My bunk is calling me."

Duo laughed. "Gotcha. See ya later, Toya."

Archangel, residential block

Sleep, it turned out, had to wait a bit longer. On the way to his quarters, he almost tripped over Anna Stephanie, who was heading in the other direction. She let out a squeak and jumped back into the bulkhead, before realizing who it was.

"Sorry about that," Toya said. "You okay?"

Anna took a moment to straighten herself out. "Yes. I'm sorry, Toya, I didn't see you."

He waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. You helping out in sickbay?"

She nodded. "There's not much else I can really do here. I'm not a pilot, and I don't have the kind of technical knowledge that Kira's friends have. At least this way I'm not a burden on anyone."

"Hey, every little bit helps," Toya said, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm sure you're making things easier for Eiji, too."

Anna brightened at that. "Thank you," she said, a smile lighting her face. "That means a lot to me." She scurried off, a noticeable spring in her step.

"Think she's sweet on him?" Tenia said.

Toya's mouth quirked. "I think there's a pretty good chance of it. She's got some competition, though; I'm pretty sure Simone's interested, too."

Katia tilted her head. "Who do you think has a better chance?"

"I think I'm not crazy enough to take sides," Toya said. "That way lies a whole lot of grief, and I've got enough problems as it is."

"Well, I'm going to," Tenia said. "I say Anna's better for him. Poor guy's all alone on a new world, and no offense to Simone, but she's a bit too in your face sometimes."

"And you're not?" Toya muttered.

Tenia glared at him. "I heard that!" The glare became a grin. "Seriously, Toya, Eij's not like you. I don't think he'd last long with someone like Simone or," she shrugged, "me."

"Point taken," Toya conceded, stifling a yawn. "Dunno about you guys, but it's time I got some shuteye."

Gradosian command ship

It was time. With a feeling of finality, the Gradosian officer tabbed his display closed. In twenty-four hours, they would carry out their first decent operation on Earth. He wasn't looking forward to it, but orders were orders, and he'd seen firsthand how fractious the Earthlings were.

Even with our own forces and those creatures at their doorstep, they insist on these petty squabbles. UEFA, the PLANTs, and these "Reclaimers," all proof of the disunity and chaos that follows them wherever they go. They must be brought to heel, for their own good as well as ours.

He had no illusions that it would be easy. For all their disunity, the Earthlings were anything but weak; he'd heard some very unpleasant reports about mobile suits, and of course he'd personally fought Aestivalis. Then there were the rumors of an organization called the "Tekkoryu."

No matter. There was no turning back.

Julia. Eiji. Forgive me.

Author's note: A bit awkward, I admit, but hopefully a decent introduction of the Brain Powerd cast. Would have been up sooner, but as usual reality decided to slap me upside the head a few times.

Not much else to say, except I hope you enjoy it.