Nadesico, cafeteria

Calvina Coulange was being a bit more sociable lately, Toya noted. The stoic tactical advisor/pilot had started mingling a bit more with the rest of the team. There was still an apathetic air to her, but she seemed more human somehow. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what it meant.

"So what exactly went on with Layzner, anyway?" Cagalli asked. "I only came in for the tail end of it."

"Apparently it's equipped with some kind of AI defense system," Kira explained. "It should be all right as long as Eiji is the only one who touches it. But. . . ."

Simone nodded. "He came out of the cockpit looking more depressed than he's been since Gale was killed. He barely talks to anyone right now."

"Not even the Chief," Noal agreed, setting a mug of coffee on the table. "And believe me, our Chief can make almost anyone talk if he wants to."

"As long as Layzner isn't a threat, I think we should just wait until Eiji is ready to talk," Calvina said. She looked at Rain. "More importantly, is there anything more on Masato?"

Domon's partner sighed. "We don't know. From the way he was acting in that battle, and his lack of memory afterward, it sounds like a split personality, but we don't have any way to confirm it. Professor Fressange thinks it's something related to Zeorymer, though."

"Just what we need." Noal rubbed his temples. "Zeorymer's one of our most powerful units; if that thing runs amok, there's gonna be hell to pay."

At the least it was likely to result in Masato's arrest. Possibly Miku as well, though Toya suspected it would be more difficult than Colbert thought. He recalled the pair mentioning a man named Oki, reputedly a highly intelligent and devious Federation official.

Either way, I hope it doesn't come to that.

"Rain," Domon said sharply, cutting across the discussion. "Shouldn't you be working on the Shining Gundam? The mobile trace response is lagging again."

"I'm sorry," Rain apologized. "I've been a bit preoccupied–"

"We can't afford that," Domon interrupted. "The Devil Gundam could appear at any time; we need to be ready!"

Cagalli stood, slamming her hands down on the table. "Hey, watch it! Rain's supposed to be your partner; you shouldn't be talking to her like that!"

Domon glared at her. "This has nothing to do with you," he bit out. "We have to–"

This time it was Domon's turn to be interrupted. "All pilots, please assemble in the Yokosuka base main conference room," Megumi said over the PA system. "There will be an important meeting in fifteen minutes."

Now what? Even though he'd long since reconciled himself to the whole thing, Toya hated meetings. Or anything else that forced him to be in the same room as General Colbert. It always gave him an urge to strangle the balding Federation officer.

No help for it, unfortunately.

Yokosuka Base, conference room

It was already shaping up to be something unusual: a meeting in which something genuinely good happened. General Colbert was there, of course, but also present was Yurika's father, Admiral Koichiro Misumaru. Toya thought the mustachioed admiral's haircut made him look vaguely satanic, but it was a minor thing.

"Oh, Yurika," the admiral said, smiling. "I'm glad to see you well. You've grown since we last met."

Yurika gave him a strange look. "I'm happy to see you, too, Father, but what do you mean I've grown?"

For once, Toya was relieved when General Colbert cleared his throat; he had a feeling he knew what Admiral Misumaru meant, and it creeped him out. "Admiral, we aren't here for a family reunion."

"Of course," Misumaru said. "Commander Ramius, in light of recent events, it has been decided that your ad hoc task force will be reorganized into a special unit. The Archangel will thus be considered a civilian vessel in the employ of the military, and will continue to act in cooperation with the Nadesico."

That suited Toya just fine. If there was anyone outside the Nadesico that he trusted, it was the crew of the Archangel. He caught Kira's eye and gave him a brief smile, which the Coordinator returned.

"Excuse, me, Admiral," Murrue said, sounded puzzled. "I'm not a commander."

"You are now," Misumaru said jovially. "All three of you, and Mister Yamato here has been granted the rank of ensign. Since you will be attached to Third Fleet, you will come under my direct command." He nodded at Treize Khushrenada. "Since your force includes members of the Specials, Colonel Khushrenada will be acting as my exec."

Which explained why Colbert looked like he'd just bitten something sour. The man was such a stickler for regulations that he made Natarle Badgiruel look like Yurika Misumaru, and it was evident he still hadn't forgiven the Nadesico crew for utterly demolishing his force on the way to Mars.

Tough.

"Ms Coulange," Colbert said. "You're a former UEFA officer. Wouldn't this be a good time to return to the military?"

Toya winced, knowing exactly how Calvina would react. He wasn't the only one; Ryoko had on her best "Are you stupid or something?" expression, and Duo actually flinched, unusual indeed for the God of Death. Even Natarle wore a look of vague apprehension.

As expected, Calvina's blue eyes were icy cold. "You overstep your bounds, General," she said, her voice chill as an Antarctic wind. "My time as a Federation soldier is over. I am perfectly willing to fight, but I have no intention of returning."

Colbert looked at her for a moment, then shrugged as if it was of no consequence. "As you wish. As long as you continue to fight as instructed, it makes little difference." He nodded stiffly to Admiral Misumaru and departed.

The tension in the room vanished instantly, as if Colbert had somehow taken it with him. Kira was soon chatting with Quatre, while Shinobu and Domon got into some kind of minor disagreement. Admiral Misumaru stayed only a moment longer before saying goodbye to his daughter.

"I can't believe the high command would actually endorse a unit like this," Natarle said, shaking her head.

Zechs smiled thinly. "War makes for strange measures at times, Lieutenant," he said. "If nothing else, it makes keeping Nergal's cooperation that much easier."

"Hey, we'd never desert a friend in need!" Yurika protested. "Sure, we've butted heads with the UEFA before, but you guys from the Archangel have been good to us."

"That's fine," Noal said, "but I don't get why Pops, Levin, and Milly are coming along."

Toya had been wondering about the newcomers, though he'd known they were OSDG. Honda was a man in his forties, with slightly graying dark hair and a handlebar mustache, dressed in mechanic's coveralls. Levin was younger, early twenties by the look of him, and rather effeminate. Milly Le Rouge appeared to be the same age as most of the pilots, with short brownish hair and a cheerful disposition.

"We came along to help with the maintenance on the Blue Earth and Pegas," Honda said. "They've both been through the ringer, I hear." He smiled. "We're the guys who keep things running behind the scenes."

"It's good to have you along," Murrue said. "We don't have as many support personnel as we need, especially on the Archangel."

Colbert's fault, Toya knew. He still didn't get how the UEFA could be so shorthanded as to be unable to fully crew their most powerful warship. True, he was just a pilot himself, but it seemed more than a little fishy.

Nagare Akatsuki, he suddenly noticed, was looking shifty again. Unwilling to get caught up in whatever the womanizing Aestivalis pilot had in mind this time, Toya and the girls slipped out. To his carefully-hidden amusement, Calvina followed.

Guess she's tired of corporate politics, too.

Nadesico, residential block

An hour later, Toya was standing with a few others near one of the vending machines. For reasons none of them could fathom, Akito had been asked to stay behind. Ordinarily it would have come across as innocent enough, but in Toya's opinion "innocent" and "Nagare Akatsuki" did not belong in the same sentence.

"So, what do you guys think of this 'Special Task Force' or whatever?" Tenia asked the room at large. "I mean, we're official now and everything."

Noal shrugged. "We're still doing the same thing," he said. "Only we're not taking orders from that bald creep; that's one hell of an improvement all by itself in my book."

"Hell, yeah," Koji agreed. "The Captain's dad's an all right guy; that attack last year wasn't his fault. I can stand working for him. How 'bout you, Toya?"

Toya swiped his card through the vending machine's slot. "Suits me just fine," he said, withdrawing a soda. "Like you said, Admiral Misumaru's an okay sort. I don't think he'll make us do anything stupid, or treat Eiji and Kira like spies."

Duo squeezed past, also intent on a drink. "Suits me just fine," he said, leaning against the wall. "Kinda surprised Kira's staying on, though."

Toya had an easy answer for that, but never had a chance to reply. Dragging footsteps announced the arrival of a very morose Akito Tenkawa, oddly accompanied by Megumi Reinard. Both were in civilian clothes, which set off alarm bells in Toya's mind.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Tenia asked. "You were cooped up in there for a whole hour."

A muscle in Akito's face twitched. "I've been fired," he said bluntly.

Silence all around. The announcement was so unexpected that none of them were able to process it at first. It just didn't make any sense.

Katia found her voice first. "What was that?"

"I said I've been fired!" Akito snapped, his composure fraying. "They don't want me as a pilot or even a cook anymore, so I'm gone."

It still didn't make sense. Akito was a bit flighty, true, but he'd more than proved his ability in the cockpit, and even Natarle Badgiruel approved of his cooking,. Nor had there been any disciplinary issues since his brief assault on the late Jin Fukube.

"That's crazy," Koji said. "Why would they just boot you out like that?"

Akito shook his head. "They didn't say. All I got was my services were 'no longer necessary'." He barked a short, bitter laugh.

"How come Megumi's with you?" Noal asked. "She didn't get canned, did she?"

The now-former comm officer shook her head. "If they're just going to fire Akito without any explanation, then there's no reason for me to stay, either. Ruri can handle communications."

And with that, the pair walked off toward the dock, heedless of any protest, even when Yurika herself appeared. Toya stared after them, still trying to figure out what had just happened. It had come completely out of the blue, at a time when they could least afford any reduction in their combat power. A single unit, he had learned, could make all the difference.

"Okay, what the hell is going on here!?" Koji demanded. "Just why would they up and get rid of Akito?"

"Maybe he was starting to slip," Katia suggested, her tone making clear she was playing devil's advocate; she was no happier than anyone else at the latest turn of events. "It's happened before, like when we first ran into the Radam."

Aki shook her head. "He hasn't been that bad, and it shouldn't have anything to do with his cooking."

"Nergal's up to something," Noal agreed. "The Chief saw it coming months ago; that's part of why we're still here." He looked at Koji's partner. "Hey, Sayaka, didn't you say your dad was suspicious of Nergal?"

She nodded. "He wasn't even going to send us along on the Mars trip; he only changed his mind to protect Toya and the girls." She smiled a bit ruefully. "Not that they really need protecting anymore." Toya couldn't help grinning at that.

Koji looked down the corridor where Akito and Megumi had gone. "Noal's right; Nergal's up to something."

The question is, what?

Kawasaki city streets

Akito Tenkawa was in a bad mood. No, make that a horrible mood. Okay, sure, he'd never wanted to be a pilot, but just getting fired out of the blue rankled. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a reason for it. He hadn't lost it in combat since their first run-in with the Radam, and even Domon Kasshu had praised his cooking.

"I don't understand why you're moping," Megumi said. "I thought you never wanted to be a pilot in the first place."

"Maybe it's because they just tossed me out for no reason," Akito snarled, then shook his head. "Sorry, Megumi, I know I shouldn't take it out on you. It's just. . . ."

"Just that you find the whole thing frustrating."

He spun around. Standing a few meters away was one of his least favorite people from the Nadesico, Erina Kinjo Won. Curiosity warred with irritation in Akito's mind; he was far from happy to see her, but nonetheless couldn't help wondering why she'd have left the base to find him.

"What do you want?" he asked tightly. "I'm not with Nergal anymore."

"Your help," Erina said simply, folding her arms.

Akito ground his teeth. Getting summarily dismissed for no apparent reason was bad enough; being suddenly asked for help and having to deal with Erina Won's arrogance was not calculated to improve his disposition.

"Why should I help you?" he bit out, in no mood to be polite. "You guys just tossed me out with the trash."

Erina sighed, a gesture that only made Akito want to smack her. "If we're right, your help could save the lives of thousands of people. Isn't that a worthwhile goal?"

Dammit, she knows just the right buttons to push. Akito narrowed his eyes. "What kind of help do you want?"

Erina shook her head. "You'll have to come to our lab; I'd rather not speak of it out in the open."

That much he could at least understand. Spending months fighting a war had given Akito a healthy respect for operational security if nothing else, especially when masato was abducted. He looked at megumi. "What do you think?"

"It's up to you, Akito," she said. "I'll respect your decision."

He sighed. "Guess I don't really have a choice." His gaze shifted back to Erina. "I don't trust you, but I guess I can at least hear you out."

Erina smiled slightly. "All right. Follow me."

Nergal research facility

As was typical of Nergal, the lab erina brought them to was state of the art. There was an entire bank of computers (Akito actually had to suppress a chuckle at the thought of Kira's reaction; computers were one of the few things the young Coordinator got excited about), along with some machinery he couldn't begin to figure out.

Inez Fressange was there, going over some files. "Ah, good. I was hoping you'd agree."

"I haven't yet," Akito said bluntly. "What do you want?"

"Stubborn as ever," Erina murmured.

Inez ignored her. "Tell me, Akito, do you have a small crystal on you?"

He blinked at the seeming non sequitur. "Huh? Yeah, I've had it for as long as I can remember." He pulled the object in question out of his pocket. "You mean this?"

Inez's gaze sharpened. "That's it exactly. You recall, I presume, how we escaped from mars?"

"Kinda hard to forget," Akito said. "Gai," he choked, but pressed on, "and Admiral Fukube died, and then we flew through that Tulip. Next thing we knew, we were back in the Earth Sphere almost a year later. What's that got to do with it?"

"Allow me to explain." Inez smiled faintly at Megumi's groan. "We believe that crystal is the reason the Nadesico was able to enter that Tulip without killing us. Rather, that crystal and the fact that you were carrying it."

It took him a moment to work through the implications. He'd never given their escape much thought, if only because Gai's death was still too fresh in his mind. Not to mention it was a big part of why he'd frozen up when they first encountered the Radam.

Then it clicked. "You're trying to figure out how to do it again," he said. "Is that it?"

"You catch on quick," Erina said with a smile. "Yes, we want to duplicate manned Jumps, and you, Akito Tenkawa, are the key."

Akito clenched his fists. "So you want me to be a guinea pig," he said. "Like Toya's girls used to be?"

"Nothing like that," Erina said. "Katia, Tenia, and Melua were all forced into it against their will. We would never attempt to coerce anyone."

"No, just lie and trick them," Akito shot back. "Why the hell should I help you after you pulled a stunt like that?"

Erina's sigh was almost theatrical. "Honestly, I don't understand why you're so stubborn," she said. "Here you have a chance to do more good than you ever could as an Aestivalis pilot, and you're dragging your feet."

"Maybe it's because I don't trust you," Akito snapped. ". . . Hell with it. Not like I've got anything better to do right now."

He glared at Erina and Inez more or less equally, only Megumi's presence keeping him from flying off the handle. If he'd known to expect this from Nergal, he would never have accepted Prospector's offer, not even to get close to Yurika.

Outside, air raid sirens began to blare.

Nadesico, hangar/Kawasaki

Toya vaulted into Granteed's cockpit. "All right, what is it this time?" He briskly went through the huge machine's startup process.

"Unmanned Gradosian units confirmed," Ruri said calmly. "Battas and Katonbos only so far; no Skullgunners detected."

That won't last. "Roger that," Toya said. "Standing by– what the?" The Cytron had sparked in his mind again, the images unusually clear. Okay, there's no way that's a good sign.

"Toya, did you see that!?" Katia gasped. "It's them!"

"Yeah," Toya said grimly. "The same guys from the desert. Dammit, of all the times." He braced himself and touched the launch control. "Toya Shiun, Granteed launching!"

He ignored Yurika's startled yelp, his mind already on the battle ahead. The Gradosians were nothing but an obstacle; Battas were nothing compared to Granteed, Katonbos not much more dangerous. SPTs were a threat, certainly, but even they were nothing compared to the enemy he and the girls had sensed.

"Bit more gung-ho than usual there, kid," Mu said, his Skygrasper blasting a Batta to scrap. Cagalli was on his wing, as usual "You okay?"

Toya's lips compressed in a grim line. "We've got more than Gradosians to worry about today," he said. "Those guys from the desert are coming."

"I'm guessing you're not talking about th Death Army," Mu said. His tone made clear he'd gotten the message. "Roger that. Keep yourself alive."

"You, too, Commander," Toya said.

Fighting such unmanned scrapheaps had become almost dull, he admitted privately. AI control tended to mean relatively predictable attack patterns, which against pilots of the Special Task Group's caliber was akin to jumping naked into a pit full of starving wolverines. After rubbing one's body with deer blood.

"Let's try and even the odds!" Yurika said, her command ability apparently unhindered by Akito's sudden dismissal. "Gravity Blast, fire!"

Toya smirked, seeing a good half-dozen Battas simply vaporized. The pair that promptly got in his face didn't even faze him; one fell to the Orgone Blaster, the other he simply punched into unrecognizable junk. One of the Katonbos opened up on him in response, but it was too far away to have much impact.

"Unknown humanoid model detected," Ruri said.

Now what? The new machine had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, a mere two hundred meters away. It had a vaguely Japanese look to it, complete with a head that bore a vague resemblance to a samurai helmet. Toya was almost certain he'd seen such a design before.

Hikaru got it first. "Hey, is it just me, or does that look like something out of Gekiganger?"

"You're right, Hikaru," Toya said, snapping his fingers. That was where he'd seen it, during that marathon Gai Daigoji had foisted on him on the way to Mars.

"Say what?" Kurz said, casually blowing a Batta apart. "Since when would the Gradosians know squat about some old Earth cartoon?"

"Who cares?" Sara retorted. "No matter how stupid it looks, it's an enemy mech. Quit staring and blast it!"

Toya shared a laugh with the girls. He had the distinct impression that Sara Yuki had just become Melissa Mao's new best friend.

The cheery mood lasted mere seconds, however. Ruri, it seemed, had been premature in reporting a lack of Skullgunners, as there were at least five in Toya's sights. Feeling his lip curling at the sight of the murderous mechs, he boosted skyward, swatting another Batta out of the way.

He didn't even have a chance to attack the first Skullgunner. A storm of rifle fire turned it into what amounted to an oddly-shaped screen door, which soon exploded.

"Hope you don't think I'm kill-stealing," Ryoko said, coming up on his right. "Just making sure someone's got your back."

Toya snorted. "Ryoko, every pilot in this band of misfits has enough kills by now to make ace a dozen times over, even Cagalli and Hilde. I couldn't care less."

"Roger that." Ryoko grinned, kicked her Aestivalis into an improbable-looking loop, and shredded another Skullgunner.

Ruri, of course, just had to further sour the mood. "SPT squadron incoming," she said.

"Confirmed," Sai said from the Archangel. "Distance fifty, contact in fifteen seconds!"

Wonderful. And with Gale dead, we can't even have Eiji try and sweet-talk them. Toya and Sosuke took a Skullgunner each; Toya then had to shield the lightly-armored Arm Slave from a railgun shot from the closer Katonbo.

He caught sight of the descending SPT group, and swore viciously. Karla Egiel's personal Dimage was unmistakable, and that wasn't even the bad news. The last thing he wanted to see from the Gradosians was a red Greimkaiser.

"Gale!" Layzner broke formation, making a direct line for the red SPT. "Is that you, Gale!?"

Dammit! With David and Roanne above and behind, Toya moved to cover the wayward half-breed. He didn't blame Eiji, certainly, but such a maneuver just begged the Gradosians to surround him.

Whoever was in the red Greimkaiser apparently didn't feel like talking. Its rifle came up, spitting hard light directly at Layzner's cockpit.

Even as emotionally charged as he was, Eiji retained sufficient presence of mind to dodge. "Gale, stop! It's me, Eiji!"

Masculine laughter sounded from another Dimage. "Ha ha ha, what fun!" the Gradosian said.

This bastard's mine. "Let's see if you feel like laughing after this, bastard! Orgone Blaster!"

The Gradosian officer was good, no doubt about it. He dodged at the last second, Toya's attack leaving a scorch mark on the SPT's right leg. "You're good, but not good enough," he acknowledged. "Know that Commander Gueler is the one who will end your miserable existence."

"Talk is cheap," Toya countered. "You're fast, but I've seen the specs on your SPT. You won't even dent Granteed's armor."

Gueler snorted. "Big talk for a monkey.. Let's see you back it up!"

"He's not alone!" The Strike had come around behind. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

"One monkey or two, it makes no difference," Gueler said contemptuously.

I'm just a little bit tired of people calling me a monkey! Toya was starting to mourn Ahmos Gale more than just for Eiji's sake; at least Gale had been willing to treat them as more than animals.

The strange humanoid model, he noted, had been pushed back; the group's remaining Aestivalis were pushing it hard, backed up by Dancouga and Dragon Gundam. And then the Novis Noah's Antibody squadron, adding a crisscrossing Chakra salvo.

"Gale, please!" Eiji was still trying to reason with the Greimkaiser pilot. "I didn't mean to shoot you down! Please, listen to me!"

"Eiji, we are in an unfavorable position." The voice was electronic and masculine, not Rei's normal voice. "Give me instructions, or I cannot act to protect myself."

For some reason, that made Eiji very angry. "Quiet!" he snapped. "Don't do anything without my consent!"

Another laser blast came far too close. "Order me, Eiji," the mysterious voice said.

"Shut up!"

Even if he hadn't been occupied by that Gueler creep, Toya would have stayed away from Eiji's fight. Given what the half-breed was trying to accomplish, Granteed would have done more harm than good; it wasn't exactly suited for merely disabling targets the size of an SPT.

Fortunately, Eiji was no longer alone. David, Roanne, and Simone had managed to fight through the unmanned units, and were keeping the other SPTs from interfering with Eiji's battle, such as it was.

"More unmanned units incoming!" Sai called. "Southeast, near the harbor!"

Dammit! Toya swatted a Batta away, then singed a Braver with the Orgone Blaster. The freaky humanoid mech was still there, though it appeared hard-pressed; even as he watched, Uruz Squad joined the fight, driving it yet farther back.

A laser blast brought his attention back to his own personal headache. "Don't lose focus, monkey!" Gueler said with a harsh laugh. Then, "What the!?"

Toya smirked. "Like I said, you won't even dent my armor. Time to die!" He lashed out with a fist, and though Gueler was able to mostly dodge, the attack still caved in part of his Dimage's torso.

"Damned monkey!" Gueler snarled. "Fine, we'll withdraw for now. The unmanned units can handle them."

That'll be the day. Only a few SPTs followed Gueler; the Special Task Force had done quite a number on the Gradosians. Toya couldn't help feeling a small stirring of pride at the fact. Ragtag or not, they worked well as a team despite the many clashing personalities.

"C'mon, Eiji," he said. "Let's clean up the AI junk."

Eiji, who had been watching the red Greimkaiser retreat, appeared to shake himself. "Understood."

With the Strike pacing them above, they made their way back to the main force. Only a couple of unmanned units got in their way; Eiji blew a Skullgunner to scrap, while Toya swatted a Batta out of the sky. Not much left, Toya noted absently.

The Cytron sparked in his mind at the same time as Katia's yell. "Toya, these readings . . . that humanoid unit!"

He followed her gaze, and felt his mouth tighten. The Jovian mech, sparking from the many hits it had taken, was half-stumbling toward a Nergal facility of some kind, and if the energy readings were any indication, it was about to explode.

"Dammit!" Akito's voice came over the comm. "Is this it!?"

"It would appear so," Inez Fressange said more calmly. "It looks like it's about to self-destruct."

What the hell is Akito doing there!? Toya wondered incredulously. They just fired him, for crying out loud! His hands tightened on the controls, and his opinion of his Nergal employers slipped another notch. It must've been for some kind of experiment.

"No," Akito said. "Not like this. I won't let it!"

There was a soft humming from Akatsuki's Aestivalis. "So it begins," the Nergal man murmured, evidently unaware that he was transmitting. "Now, Akito Tenkawa . . . show us your power."

Something flashed in the direction of the Nergal facility, almost too bright for even Granteed's camera system. When it faded, there was no sign of the doomed Jovian mech. Nor, judging by the sudden consternation over the radio, was there any sign of Akito.

"Akito! Akito, where are you!?" Yurika cried, sounding more than a little desperate.

"Allow me to explain." Inez was, as usual, unperturbed. "Ever since the Mars trip, Nergal has been experimenting with Boson Jumping technology, in the hope that we can adapt it for our own use."

The implications were all too clear. "And so you dragged Akito into it, right?" Toya said, feeling his temper begin to rise.

"Our return from Mars was the key," Inez said, apparently unfazed. "As you recall, Toya, the Crocus was lost with all hands,. We, by contrast, were able to return to the Earth Sphere unharmed. As you have seen here, Akito Tenkawa is the reason."

"I'll say," Duo said, his voice colder than Toya was used to hearing. "So he up and teleported that Jovian mech away, that it?"

Inez nodded. "Precisely."

"And you don't know where Akito is right now?" Kira sounded at least as angry as Toya felt.

"It's not like there was any precedent for this!" Inez said, her voice beginning to sound a little strained.

Toya took a deep breath, forcing down his rising anger. Not the time. We're still on combat status. He shot a glare at the Nergal facility. Damned eggheads. And I'm stuck with them at least as long as the war goes on. Not for a minute longer if he could help it.

Tenia was not so restrained. "I am so going to smack 'Professor' Fressange next time I see her," she growled. "This is crazy."

"Calm down, Tenia," Katia said. "I don't blame you, but it's not going to help."

"More units inbound," Ruri interrupted. "Not Jovians; the profile is all wrong. Nor ZAFT, Death Army, or anything else on file."

Not complete unknowns, though. Toya recognized the designs, and his heart sank. As expected, they were indeed the machines from their first desert battle. Only there were more of them, including a couple obviously meant for long range bombardment.

"That machine." Calvina indicated a gray unit Toya remembered from the desert, the one the CBF had bushwhacked. "That's the prototype from Ash'ari-Kreutzer. How did they?"

Before anyone could answer, Katia stiffened. "Toya, they're about to–"

"Yeah," Toya said. "But we're not gonna let them!" He closed his eyes and concentrated, barely aware of the girls doing the same."

Whatever it was, it worked. "So," the black machine's pilot said. "They've repaired his unit somehow, and it has a Larseilam Canceler on top of it."

"That voice," Calvina breathed.

"Hey," the gray machine's pilot said. "Isn't that Instructor Calvina?"

A brief, stunned silence. "I believe you're right," the smoother voice said. "I'd hoped it were otherwise, but that flying style is unmistakable."

"No," Calvina said. "That's impossible. Ja-Mu, and . . . Al-Van? But they were killed. . . ."

Okay, what's going on? Toya looked at his former unit. Does she somehow know these guys?

"Yes, it's me," Al-Van said. An image of a young man's face appeared on the screen; he had dark blue-black hair, and odd whisker-like markings on his cheeks. "It's been a while, Calvina."

"Al-Van. . . ." There was more emotion in Calvina's voice than Toya could remember hearing. "How? I thought you and Ja-Mu were killed in the accident."

Whatever Al-Van may have said to that was lost when Ja-Mu barked a laugh. "Accident? Ha! We're the ones who caused it!"

Calvina stiffened. "What. . . ."

"What's going on here!?" Natarle demanded. "Calvina Coulange, how do you know these people!?"

That's what I'd like to know.

"Ja-Mu, stand down," Al-Van said, and sighed. "He speaks the truth. We are the ones who cause the destruction of the Ash'ari-Kreutzer facility. I take no pleasure in the resulting loss of life, but it was necessary."

"Necessary," Calvina repeated in a strangled voice. "All my friends, people who trusted you, and you say their deaths were necessary?"

Al-Van was beginning to look uneasy. "Calvina–"

"Don't call me that," she cut him off. "Al-Van, I trusted you, we all trusted you, and you murdered them! My friends, you stole their lives! AL-VAN, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Noin and Hilde hurriedly broke to either side as Bellzelute launched what could only be described as a banzai charge. Two of the lighter unknown mechs were caught flat-footed and simply vaporized in passing. Ja-Mu attempted to intervene, but Calvina's machine was far too fast.

"Dammit," Mu said. "All units, cover the Bellzelute. Looks like Calvina's lost it."

"And how," Noal agreed. "Hey, D-Boy, mind giving us a hand?"

Blade came up just above the Blue Earth. "I'll clear you a path. VOLTEKKA!"

It soon became clear that while the unknowns were dangerous, this second failure of their space/time weapon had unbalanced them. Toya clashed with a heavy close-combat model and basically ripped it in half. Domon's Shining Gundam parried a sword slash, then followed up with the Shining Finger. Tallgeese, one of the few machines that could keep up with Bellzelute, drove a number of them to distraction much as it had Dearka Elsman.

Granteed shuddered as it took a hit from one of the heavy assault units. Hissing through clenched teeth, Toya responded with an Orgone Blaster shot; it wasn't a fatal blow, but it bought enough space for Hilde to swoop in and finish the job.

"Just who are these guys!?" Duo demanded, his scythe in a blade lock with one of the lighter units.

The deadlock was broken by Ryoko's Aestivalis. "Why don't you ask them?" she snapped irritably. "There's a bunch still alive."

Which made Calvina's actions all the more worrying. Her berserk rage was leaving her open; it was only a matter of time before one or more of the unknowns recovered enough to take advantage of that fact. Only Bellzelute's sheer speed and power had allowed her to last so long.

Then it happened. Calvina overextended herself, and Bellzelute's right arm was sliced off by Al-Van's machine. She snarled a curse and tried to correct, but was caught when the shield on the black machine's left arm reconfigured into some kind of claw.

"Enough!" Al-Van said. "There is no point in continuing this. Surrender, and your lives will be spared. Refuse. . . ." His machine's claw tightened meaningfully.

"You damned coward!" Koji snarled. "Hiding behind a hostage, you're no better than Doctor Hell!"

Al-Van ignored him. Instead, he looked directly at Granteed, much to Toya's unease. "You. How did you acquire that mech?"

Normally Toya would have told him to go to hell. This, however, was a priceless opportunity for answers. "The Nadesico recovered it, and since I can use the Cytron they gave it to me. So what?"

"Impossible," Al-Van muttered. "Bellzelute at least is partly Earth technology, but his machine. . . ." He shook his head. "You three. There should be no one who can use that machine other than the men who took you away. You should have some idea what is going on."

"We only know what has happened since we met Toya," Melua said, an uncharacteristically hostile look on her face.

Katia glared. "And we wouldn't tell you if we did know."

"Yeah, you guys locked us up in that freaky place for years!" Tenia snarled.

Al-Van appeared to digest that. For several seemingly endless minutes there was an unnerving silence. Not even the likes of Domon Kasshu or Tekkaman Blade dared move.

"What is your name?"

Toya frowned. What's this guy getting at? "Toya Shiun," he said.

Al-Van's eyes went wide, and then narrow. "I see. . . . Yes, that would explain it. Very well." The black machine raised its rifle. "I will give you one last chance. Please, surrender, and you will be treated well."

Bellzelute stirred. "Al-Van . . . go to hell," Calvina muttered.

It was a critical moment, Toya knew. Surrender wasn't an option as far as he was concerned; the Cytron was frustratingly vague, but he knew these people were a major threat. If they were able to recover Bellzelute and Granteed, Earth would be helpless.

What now? What am I supposed to do!?

As if in answer, the Cytron flared in his mind, more powerfully than it had before. "This. . . ." He felt a sudden rush of certainty and confidence; suddenly, he knew exactly what to do. "Tenia, Busker Mode!"

"Huh? O-Okay!" Though not as strong, she appeared affected as well. "Ready when you are, Toya!"

"What are you doing, Toya!?" Ryoko snapped.

He flashed her a tight grin. "Don't worry; I got this!" He glared at Ja-Mu's mech. ":Take this, you son of a bitch! Orgone Slave!"

A beam of hard green light, far more intense and powerful than the Orgone Blaster, lanced out from the ring in Granteed's chest. It struck Ja-Mu's machine dead on, and while the Orgone Cloud saved it from total destruction, it did not emerge unscathed.

"Damn it!" Ja-Mu screamed. "Earthling bastard!"

"I'm not done yet!" Toya ignored the now-crippled command unit. "I dunno who you are, but you're going down!"

Katia's hands flew over her board. "Orgone materialization!"

The ring detached from Granteed's chest, a handle sprouting from its reverse side. Granteed gripped it in its right hand, and a narrow spike of solid Orgone energy grew from it. A cape of that same energy grew from the huge machine's shoulders.

"I won't let you!" Toya shouted. "TEMPEST LANCEEEEEEER!"

It was plain Al-Van had not anticipated the attack. Even if he had, he was hampered by the Bellzelute, still gripped in his claw. That arm was soon severed, and with Calvina safe, Toya body-checked Al-Van's unit, forcing it farther back.

He could hear sounds of mixed disbelief and admiration from his teammates, but only distantly. He was focused on the black machine in front of him.

"It appears I have underestimated you," Al-Van said, coughing. "Indeed, we must be brethren."

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Toya demanded, out of patience.

Al-Van merely drew back, followed by the remains of his force. "We will meet again, Toya Shiun," he said. "If you can defeat me then, your questions will be answered." With that cryptic remark, the unknown machines vanished.

Toya slammed a fist into his monitor. "Dammit! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!"

Nadesico, hangar

His mind was in such turmoil that Toya barely even noticed when Granteed came to a stop in its mothership's hangar bay. He had no memory of removing his helmet, or of climbing out of the huge machine's cockpit. All he could think about were Al-Van's words.

"Indeed, we must be brethren."

What the hell did he mean by that? I've never even heard of those freaks, whoever they are.

"What do you know!?"

Toya's head snapped around at the out-of-character outburst. Calvina Coulange had cornered the girls, and was subjecting them to what could only be described as an interrogation. Katia and Tenia were glaring right back, but Melua was already in tears.

"Answer me, dammit!" the advisor-pilot snapped. "You spent years in that institution, so you have to know something about them!"

"We only know what we saw there," Katia said, stepping in front of Melua. "None of them ever told us why we were there, or what the experiments were for. It probably had something to do with the Cytron, but you can tell that just from Bellzelute."

Toya clenched a fist. He'd always respected the tactical advisor, but this was going way too far. Jaw tightening, he marched across the hangar with quick strides and grabbed Calvina's arm. "All right, that's enough," he bit out. "They already said they don't have a clue, so why the hell are you badgering them?"

Calvina speared him with a murderous glare. "Don't interrupt!" she snarled, yanking her arm back. "They were held by that man's people– ugh!"

She collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, revealing Melissa Mao standing behind her. "Sorry about that," the Mithril sergeant said. "Things were getting a bit out of hand. Girls okay, Toya?"

He crouched, tucking an arm around Melua's shoulders. "Will be in a few minutes. Thanks." He eyed Calvina uneasily. "You sure she'll be okay?"

Mao waved a hand. "Pressure point, nothing vital. She'll be back up in no time, hopefully without going bonkers again."

Calvina was indeed stirring groggily. She was still visibly upset, but no longer had any fight in her. What remained was a bone-deep sadness and exhaustion. Calvina Coulange, it appeared, had kept a lot bottled up over the course of their journey.

"All of them, gone," she said quietly. "People with so much ahead of them, one about to be married, another expecting her first child. Friends, all of them, killed by someone I thought I knew." She looked at the girls. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost control like that."

Katia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. So you knew that Al-Van?"

Calvina nodded. "We . . . we dated for a while," she said bitterly. "I thought I knew him. . . . Ja-Mu was my student, one of the best. To think, they were behind the incident, they were using us all along."

Now Toya understood why Calvina had launched such an attack. Why she'd gone from apathetic to berserk with rage. It's a wonder she's held together this long. Good thing she's with Nergal; Lieutenant Badgiruel would probably insist on a court-martial otherwise.

"Any idea what they might have been up to?" Toya asked gently.

She shook her head. "No. I wish I did, but no. Ja-Mu always seemed a little excitable, but this. . . ." She shrugged helplessly.

A dead end. No closer to answers than when the girls had dropped in on him a lifetime ago. A dangerous enemy, about whom they still knew effectively nothing.

A flash of blonde hair made Toya clench his fists again. The mystery mechs weren't the only issue, he recalled, glaring at the back of Inez Fressange's head. Thanks to Nergal's precious experiments, they had no idea where Akito was, or even if he was still alive.

I'm too tired for this. Toya slowly breathed out, forcing himself to relax. If he knew Yurika, there was no way she was just going to leave it at that.

Nadesico, bridge

As it happened, Yurika wasn't even on the bridge right then. Which didn't mean things were calm; a number of the crew were giving Erina Won and Inez Fressange the third degree. Even the ever-stoic Ruri Hoshino was visibly –albeit barely– angry with them.

"I knew Nergal was up to something, but I never thought it'd be something this crazy!" Noal spat, disgusted. "Just using Akito as kind of guinea pig, you're just like Colbert."

Ouch, Duo Maxwell thought, trading looks with Hilde. Not that he disagreed or anything; Akito Tenkawa was his friend, too, and he'd been as angry as anyone over the cook/pilot's sudden dismissal.

"If we didn't have bigger problems, I'd be outta here in a heartbeat," Koji said, glaring at the two women. "You're just a bunch of cowards."

Fressange didn't appear to react, but then again she seldom did. Won had the gall to actually look exasperated, as if it hadn't been Nergal that put Akito in such an insane position. No surprise there; Duo had disliked the former secretary from the moment he laid eyes on her.

"Didn't you see what happened?" Erina countered. "If Tenkawa hadn't been in a position to do what he did, a lot of people would have died!"

"Hindsight," Aki said, angrier than Duo had ever seen her. "That doesn't justify what you did to him."

Erina sighed. "Look, will you just listen for a moment? I wanted to tell you that we've made contact with him."

There was a series of clicking sounds as several jaws closed with a snap. Akito Tenkawa appeared on the main screen, looking rather disheveled but otherwise healthy. Duo felt a sudden urge to laugh; the whole thing was just too crazy, even by his standards.

"Sorry I worried you guys," Akito said. "Um, I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm okay for now."

Okay, what the hell is going on here? Duo shot a glance at Inez Fressange. Bet she's got an idea.

"Allow me to explain," the blonde professor said on cue. "As you now know, Nergal has been conducting experiments with boson Jumps since the Nadesico went to Mars. With Mister Tenkawa's help, he finally succeeded, though with some . . . unexpected side effects. You see, he teleported himself . . . to the Moon."

Yurika's quarters

To say that Yurika Misumaru was upset would have been akin to calling the Pacific Ocean damp. She was in agony, grieving for the one person who had captured her heart without even realizing it. She'd thought there was finally a chance, and then suddenly he was gone.

"Akito, I'm so sorry," she choked out. "If only I was a better Captain, I could have saved you."

"Yurika."

And now I'm hearing his voice in my head.

"Yurika!"

Finally realizing the voice wasn't in her head, Yurika looked at her comm screen. "What . . . Akito!?" She said up. "Akito, you're okay!?"

"For now," Akito said, smiling wryly. "Don't ask me how, but I managed to teleport myself all the way to the Moon. Last week."

Yurika still didn't understand the time travel aspects of Boson Jumping, and she didn't really care. What mattered was her Akito was safe. "The Moon? Hold on, we'll come get you in a jiffy!"

"Hey, hey!" Akito held up his hands. "Don't get the whole ship moving just for me! I can get a shuttle back."

"We should be checking things out on the Moon anyway," Yurika said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I'm sure my father will approve detaching us for a while; the Archangel will do fine."

Akito sighed. "Fine, whatever. Guess I can't complain too much; beasts sitting around here. Be nice to be back anyway."

"Akito, I love you!"

"You dummy!"

Nadesico, hangar

One last twist, and the recalcitrant part was in place. Toya sat back, wiping his forehead. Maintaining his machine, he'd found, could be just as exhausting as combat, though not usually as dangerous. He still couldn't figure out half the systems, though.

"Hey, Toya!" Cagalli was at Granteed's feet, waving up. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Toya slid down to the deck. "What's on your mind?"

"Just wanted to see how you were holding up," Cagalli said. "I heard you were pretty shaken up by that last fight."

He shrugged. "Some, yeah. That, and mad about what happened with Akito. Worried about Calvina, too." He shook his head. "That Al-Van guy likes to talk in riddles. So help me, next time I see him I'm gonna wring his neck."

"Count me in," the Orb princess said darkly. "After what he pulled– oh, it's him again," she interrupted herself, glaring across the hangar.

An unfamiliar man with blond hair and a full beard was standing near Pegas, chatting with the Space Knights support crew. Trying to, at least; Levin and Milly seemed willing enough, but Honda was visibly irritated by the whole thing.

"Who's that?" Toya asked quietly.

"His name's Balzac Asimov," Kira said, moving to stand next to Cagalli. "Lieutenant Badgiruel says he's some kind of war correspondent. He's supposed to be watching us, giving people some success stories, that kind of thing."

Toya frowned. It almost made sense, what with the ZAFT war and multiple alien invasions. Still, there was something not quite right about the arrangement.

"Thought we were supposed to be low-profile," he murmured. "That's why Kaname and Relena are here, isn't it?"

Kira shrugged. "That's what Captain Ramius said, but Balzac pointed out that we've got a bunch of seriously high-profile people with us. Zechs, Commander La Flaga, Cagalli," he smiled at the dirty look she gave him, "you get the idea."

Toya still didn't like it, but there was no help for it. And it wasn't like he had to talk to Balzac; he wasn't in the military, and he somehow doubted Yurika Misumaru would order him to give an interview. He leaves me alone –the girls, too– I leave him alone.

The ship's PA system chimed. "To all pilots, the Nadesico will be departing for the Moon in one hours," Ruri said. "The Archangel will remain on Earth as per Admiral Misumaru's instructions. Please notify your controller which ship you prefer to be on at this time. Have a nice day."

So the Captain got permission. It wasn't an easy choice. On the one hand, Toya was anxious to see Akito again. On the other, he wanted to be far away from the likes of Inez Fressange for a while. "Reserve pilot, Toya Shiun. Ruri, who's made their plans so far?"

"Those who have decided to go to space are the CBF, the SPT squad, and the Space Knights personnel," Ruri said promptly.

Toya nodded; in the corner of his eye, he saw Voltes and Combattler hauling in another of those weird humanoid models from earlier. "We'll be remaining on the surface for now," he said. "I have a feeling we'll be more needed here."

"Understood," Ruri said. "Good luck."

Toya nodded to the girls, and they began packing their gear. "How come you're going with the Archangel?" Cagalli asked. "I mean, I'm not exactly complaining, but I figure you'd want to stay where you're more at home."

"Two reasons," he said, closing his toolbox. "First off, it's not going to do me any good worrying about Al-Van and those other freaks right now. Second, I don't trust myself not to punch Inez Fressange or Erina Won in the face next time I see them."

"I'll do it for you, if you want." Calvina Coulange approached, looking much calmer. "I'm no happier about that mess with Akito than you are."

Kira instinctively saluted. "Ms Coulange," he said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Some," she acknowledged. "I'll be staying with the Nadesico; there are things I need to find out." She looked at Toya. "If I hear anything, I'll let you know when we get back."

"Same for me," Toya said. "Stay safe, and," he smiled, "say hi to Akito for me."

For possibly the first time, Calvina smiled back. "I'll make sure to do that."

Nodding a farewell, Toya climbed into his cockpit, while Kira and Cagalli returned to their own machines. Just as the hatch closed, he could have sworn he heard the Gekiganger 3 theme song. More bizarre, it seemed to be coming from the captured mech that Uribatake was opening.

Couldn't be. Shaking the thought away, Toya guided Granteed to the main hatch. There were more important things to deal with. Even so, he couldn't help remembering Al-Van's words.

"Indeed, we must be brethren."

That one sentence echoed in his mind all the way to the Archangel.

Author's note: Apologies for the very late update; the last few months have been insane even by my rather elastic standards. I do hope the chapter hasn't suffered for it, especially since the scene with Toya unlocking Granteed's true power was something I'd been looking forward to for some time.

That should cover it. Until next time.