Archangel, cafeteria

Kira was worried about Flay. Not so much about her emotional state, though that was troubling him more and more of late, but her physical well-being. She was noticeably paler than usual, and seemed to be swaying, just a little. He wondered if she was coming down with something.

"Ugh," she groaned. "I think I'm gonna be sick. Why is the ship rocking so much?"

Seasick. Unpleasant, but not really cause for concern. "It's because of Orphan surfacing," Kira said, gently guiding her to the closest table. "It's making a lot more waves than usual."

Flay grimaced. "Then we shouldn't have landed to begin with."

"No help for it," Kira said with a sigh, "since we're preparing for a joint op with the Novis. I'm sure we'll be taking off when things are ready, so hang in there, okay?"

He himself wasn't looking forward to it. Leaving aside the matter of Yu's sister, Antibodies of any kind were a pain in the neck to fight. Fast, small targets that could outright teleport weren't his idea of fun at the best of times, and that was forgetting the fact that they were alive, which meant every Reclaimer kill was actually two more deaths weighing on him.

Off to one side, Mir pushed her empty plate away with a contented sigh. "Delicious. Tolle, go ahead and take my tray with the others." She caught sight of Flay. "Really feeling the rocking, huh? I had to take some medicine earlier."

"But you can still eat," Flay groaned. "I can barely get a sip of water down."

Kira winced in sympathy. "You'd do better to just sleep it off, then. There's time before we go into action."

"Yeah, maybe—huh?"

The main wall screen had lit up, with just about the most bizarre image any of them had yet seen. An offscreen voice gave a brief countdown, followed by what looked like a stylized, super-deformed picture of Inez Fressange of all people. A title appeared above, "The How and Why of the Nadesico."

What the?

He heard a soft chuckle. "Been a while since they played one of those," Toya said, moving to stand next to Kira. Behind him were his female companions, along with Duo Maxwell and Hilde Schbeiker. "A little something Captain Misumaru came up with during the Mars trip. They actually roped Eiji into it before we got to Heliopolis."

"Is this some kind of documentary about their ship?" Sai wondered.

Toya offered a lopsided smile. "You'll see."

The screen lit again, revealing . . . Ruri Hoshino in overalls, and Yurika Misumaru in a rabbit costume? And even stranger. . . . Kira rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. If he wasn't greatly mistaken, Sosuke Sagara was visible in the background.

"Kaname must've put him up to it," Toya muttered. "No way Sosuke would do that on his own."

To one side, Mir burst into peals of laughter. "What's with that getup?" she gasped, before doubling over.

"Don't knock it," Toya said. "Once you get past the crazy, it's actually pretty informative."

The real Inez appeared on the screen. "Good afternoon, crew of the Archangel and Nadesico, welcome to 'The How and Why of the Nadesico.' I'm your host, Inez Fressange, and today we'll be talking about the anti-Orphan operation set to begin, the Vital Net Operation." She nodded to the younger participants. "As always, my assistants are Bunny Yurika and Big Sis Ruri, and today we have a very special guest."

Sosuke cleared his throat. "I am Sergeant Sosuke Sagara. ID number B3128. Callsign Uruz 7. Specializations include scouting, sabotage, Arm Slave—" A hand reached into the frame and smacked him in the back of the head. "That hurts, Chidori."

Kaname ignored him. "No, no, no," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "This isn't working at all! C'mon, Sosuke, you gotta be more natural!"

From what Kira had seen of Sosuke Sagara, he doubted "natural" in that sense was in the mercenary's vocabulary. He'd seen people who lacked social skills before (he himself had problems on occasion, especially where girls were concerned), but Sosuke was in a class by himself.

"More! Natural!" Kaname said. "Right now you're as dry as the Sahara, and as emotional as a brick! Just let it all out!"

Poor Sosuke was floundering. "I just—"

"Watch your mouth!" Kaname cut him off.

It was apparently too much for Yurika. "Um, Kaname dear?" she ventured.

Drawing the younger girl's attention was apparently a mistake. "And you, bunny rabbit, let's get some jumping going! Jump, jump, jump!" She whirled on Ruri. "As for you, Big Sis, that doom and gloom isn't doing anything for me, makes me think you're gonna pass out. Put some real energy in your performance, willya?"

"Miss Chidori is . . . kind of scary," Ruri said, eying Kaname warily.

Toya chuckled. "That's Kaname, all right," he murmured. "She can be a real terror when the mood hits. I haven't seen her in full cry in a long time."

If she can scare Ruri Hoshino, I'll just bet. For himself, Kira honestly didn't know what to make of the whole thing. He was pretty sure they were trying to make a serious point, despite the comedic setting, but it didn't seem to be working very well.

"K-Kaname, you don't have to be quite so demanding as a director," Professor Fressange said, sounding a bit rattled herself. "The show is to help everybody have a little fun, while being genuinely informative at the same time. My script—"

"Oh, you can stuff your script in Wing Gundam's buster rifle," Kaname retorted. "If you really want people to enjoy this, they've gotta give it their all!"

Ruri looked like she wanted to take a step back. "I think you may have missed the point of having fun," a line that got a chuckle out of Flay despite her seasickness.

"Well I'm just a rabbit, so I don't know anything," Yurika said, probably to keep herself out of the line of fire.

The screen went blank at that. "Please stand by; we are experiencing technical difficulties."

"Technical difficulties"? More like your director is a slave driver. Kira shook his head, unable to suppress a chuckle. As a tool for raising morale, the bizarre skit certainly had merit. He wasn't sure how informative it was, though; they hadn't been able to get past a reference to the Vital Net Operation.

"Here it comes again," Murdoch said.

Yurika and Ruri were still there, but Sosuke was nowhere to be found. In his place was a vaguely bear-like cartoon mascot, or at least that was Kira's thought. It was wearing what looked like an officer's cap, giving him the sudden feeling that Sosuke was inside it.

"The heck?" Tolle said, leaning forward. "A Bonta-kun?"

"That stuffed animal costume Kaname was lugging around?" Mir said, looking at her boyfriend in mild disbelief. "How'd you even know its name?"

Tolle waved a hand. "Saw a few ads a while back."

Meanwhile, the bizarre show was still running. "So, what's Orphan?" Yurika asked.

"Orphan is a mysterious alien ship of gargantuan size found approximately seven thousand meters under the Pacific," Fressange said. She was clearly in her element. "The Reclaimers believe it to be the remnants of some ancient civilization. Unlike the ruins we found on Mars, however, Orphan appears to be completely independent and self-sustaining. Indeed, because of its ability to use Organic Energy, you could even consider it a life form. Some, notably the Reclaimers, say it wants to return to space, to fly through the cosmos."

That fit with what Yu and Kanan had said. Apparently the very reason the Reclaimers existed was to ensure the success of Orphan's flight.

"Earthquakes and tsunamis are not the only result of the movement of such a gigantic structure," Ruri said. "Of greater concern is the amount of energy Orphan is believed to require. It is believed the surface will lose vast amounts of energy when Orphan rises to space. Experts suspect there will be very little surface life after such an event."

Yurika visibly gulped; Kira wondered just how much of it was an act. "D-Does that mean we won't survive!?"

"It's only a hypothesis at this point," Fressange said. "However, just to be on the safe side, today's operation is intended to prevent Orphan's rise altogether."

Yurika brightened. "Hooray! Hey, Big Sis, can you tell me what kind of operation this is?"

For all that it was just about the weirdest thing Kira had ever seen, it was genuinely informative. He had to hand it to the people on the Nadesico.

"Okay, what the hell is that?" Cagalli had come in just in time to see the tail end of it. "This is a serious situation, and they're just messing around!?"

Kira wasn't at all sure he wanted to touch that one. "Hi, Cagalli," he ventured. "Where've you been?"

She waved a hand, ignoring the glare Flay shot her way. "Just had some stuff to take care of. Aren't those two embarrassed, dressing up like that?"

"Trust me, that's tame for Yurika Misumaru," Toya said.

Ruri was still speaking. "Since it will be very dangerous, the Novis Noah's escort submarine will have minimal involvement. Another sub, code named 'Toy Box' by the Federation, will also be assisting. We know a few things about them, but they prefer to stay hidden. Keeps them out of trouble, you see."

Fressange took up the cue. "The Plates under military control that haven't yet hardened will be distributed among the Novis Noah, Archangel, Nadesico, and the Toy Box, and will be positioned strategically around Orphan." She smiled grimly. "Naturally, we expect interference from the Reclaimers."

"What comes after that?" Yurika asked.

Fressange coughed lightly. "The Novis Noah's Organic Engine, along with the Plates loaded aboard all four ships, will resonate, creating a kind of Organic Shield around Orphan. This will create a kind of repulsive force, halting Orphan's attempt to rise."

Kira didn't know much about things Organic—computers and combat piloting were more his forte—but it sounded reasonable enough.

"That, however, is only the first phase," Fressange went on. "The next phase is to resonate with the Vital Globe, redirecting the Organic Energy Orphan already holds into space. If all goes well, this should result in Orphan's return to the sea floor."

Yurika tilted her head. "What's this 'Vital Globe' thingy?"

"The network wherein various Organic Energies pass around the Earth," Ruri said, sounding mildly annoyed at having to explain something her captain doubtless already knew. While the network is very old, our ability to detect and measure it only came about within the last decade or so. To put this in more understandable terms, it's how Antibodies such as our Brain Powerds and the Reclaimers' Grand Chers are able to move such long distances."

Novis Noah, hangar

". . .Indeed, but if one looks at things from the Organic point of view, then Orphan is more like a living being, not an existence that opposes life. So I have to say Professor Isami's theory is much more likely."

Toya had heard Kant Kestner was a genius; now he was hearing it firsthand. A boy of no more than twelve, Kant nonetheless spoke with the calm confidence of an adult, at least as far as his area of expertise was concerned. It was a bit unnerving; Ruri was around the same age, but far from normal.

"It might explain why no B-Plates have appeared lately," Yu said.

Kant shrugged. "Possibly, but it's also possible Orphan simply doesn't need them outside Earth's atmosphere. Either way, I don't think we should be alarmed over it."

"Are you still talking about the conference?" Hime asked, walking up to them.

"That's right," Kant confirmed. "I was just saying we shouldn't necessarily be alarmed over what's going on."

Yu shook his head. "I'll be taking part in this operation, but I don't think it's really going to work, Mister Genius Kant Kestner."

Kant shrugged. "Orphan's energy is like the sun, which means we can't control it, but it's not entirely predictable, either. Either way, it's worth testing."

"There's just so much we don't know about Organics," Yu said with a sigh.

Definitely outside Toya's area of expertise. He had enough trouble figuring out how he was able to handle not only the partially-Earth-built Bellzelute, but the completely alien Granteed. Indeed, he seemed to have a stronger connection to the latter machine, which creeped the hell out of him.

"Um, can we give the Brains a brushing?" Melua asked.

Yu seemed to shake himself. "Huh? Sure, go ahead; I heard Akari and Kumazo gave you some lessons." He jerked his head toward the rear of the hangar. "There's some brushes that way."

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" Hime asked. "I mean, it's always nice to see you, but you don't come to the Novis very often."

Toya grunted. "We're heard there are some more units being delivered here, a few Antibodies." He nodded at the stoic adviser. "Calvina came along to supervise."

The units in question were already being offloaded. Three Brain Powers and—Toya felt his eyes go wide—a Grand Cher of all things. How the hell did one of those end up here!?

Yu was apparently of a similar mind. He jogged over to the transport, stopping in front of a young man with flaming red hair. "And just who the hell are you?"

Way to make an impression, Yu.

"The name's Nakki Guys," the newcomer said. "I'm here to reinforce the Antibody squadron."

Calvina looked at him closely. "A Grand Cher, does that mean you're a Reclaimer?"

"Nah, nothing like that. You two," he glanced at Toya, "don't pilot Antibodies, so of course you wouldn't know about it."

Yu stared incredulously. "You pilot three Brains plus a Grand Cher!?"

Sensing trouble brewing, Toya took a quick step back. Yu and Nakki, he suspected, were going to get along like fire and gasoline, not exactly a good thing when they were about to launch a major operation with possibly world-altering effects. It was almost as bad as Yurika and Lieutenant Badgiruel.

"What's your problem?" Nakki wondered. "This is gonna be trouble. Anyway, I need to report to the Captain. If you'll excuse me."

"My problem?" Yu muttered after he left. "What's his problem?"

Hime pointed at the transport. "There's some more cargo. Is that a mobile suit?"

"Sure looks like one," Katia agreed. "It's like Kira's machine, except it's red."

Cagalli appeared near the loading ramp. "Sure is. They sent this and one of the new M1s."

"But why's it being unloaded here?" Hime demanded. "You're disturbing the Brains!"

"Hey, I told them to load it aboard Archangel," Cagalli said. "Must've landed here 'cause the transport pilot is involved in this Vital Net operation."

Regardless of the circumstances, a new Gundam type was always a good thing. With Kira's new OS design, even a Natural could operate it effectively, making it a potent weapon against all sorts of threats. Assuming the pilot was good enough.

"So who's gonna fly it?" Tenia wondered, looking around. "We didn't get any new pilots besides Nakki, did we?"

Cagalli planted her fists on her hips. "I'm the pilot," she said. "Lieutenant Noin has been giving me some lessons for the last couple of weeks, so I should be up to it."

Even Calvina was visibly impressed by that. Lucrezia Noin was well-known for her teaching ability as well as combat prowess. If she'd been teaching Cagalli, the fiery princess could no doubt make the Strike Rouge, as she called it, dance.

Look out, Reclaimers. This is gonna hurt.

Within Orphan

Quincy Issa was not known for being easygoing at the best of times. Now, at a critical point during Orphan's rise, her temper was even shorter than usual. Most of her fellow Antibody pilots stayed well away from her, lest they be caught up in the storm.

"I know, I know!" she said, pacing restlessly. "We just have to shoot them down, that's all! No one knows what would happen if Orphan was attacked during its ascent." She glared at the room at large. "That's why it's our duty as the Grand Cher Squadron to protect Orphan! Those bastards won't get away with this!"

Her father shook his head. "That's what you always say, but aren't you just obsessed with Yu? The Governor's patience is already at the limit."

Quincy hissed in frustration. "Fine. If they oppose us, I'll act as an Antibody should! Tell the Governor that!" She stormed away, practically steaming from the ears.

Kensaku watched her go. Orphan started preparations to fly to space the moment we arrived. They can't stop us. If they had a B-Plate they might have a chance, but. . . . He chuckled softly. "I wonder what Yu and his new friends will try. Hopefully it's at least well-conceived."

Gradosian ship

Though she had no way of knowing it, Karla Egiel's mood mirrored Quincy Issa's. With Gale gone, and Eiji still flying around in Layzner, the Earth invasion was stalled. Even with the Moon, taken with the help of that arrogant worm Shapiro Keats, they barely had a foothold in Earth space.

And now this. "An ancient ruin at the bottom of the sea?" she said, eyes narrow. "Why bother over something like that?"

The blue-haired woman shrugged. "Commander Gueler ordered me to verify whether the Earthling squadron Eiji is working with is stationed there. Nothing more."

Karla's lip curled in a faint sneer. "It's about revenge, then. By piloting the Commander's personal unit, you are ensnared by the same hatred that gripped him, yet even he never piloted it for revenge!" The sneer was no longer so faint. "Do you have any qualifications? Your blood may be the same as Eiji's, but. . . ." She shook her head. "Just be quiet. It goes without saying that I alone am fit to pilot Greimkaiser."

This time the other woman spoke. "Your relationship was nothing more than commander and subordinate," Julia Asuka said coldly.

Karla bristled. "Are you insane? I was practically living with him until we were sent to Mars. Don't speak out of ignorance!"

"No," Julia said with a snort, "I've no doubt he would be disgusted by your lies."

"Bitch!"

A throat cleared behind them. "Enough with the petty squabbling," Gueler said, favoring each with a flat look. "You already have your assigned force, Lieutenant Egiel. Use your own means to dispel your hatred."

Karla shot one last poisonous look at Julia. "Yes, Commander, thank you."

Novis Noah, bridge

"So in summary, this means that Orphan's head has already reached the surface?" Inez Fressange tapped a computer display.

Irene Carrier nodded grimly. "Seems to be, yes."

"It's far larger than we imagined." Akatsuki was standing by the forward viewport with his hands clasped behind him, gazing out to sea. "This is no laughing matter, and we have only ourselves to blame."

"We—Nergal—should have collected more data on the Reclaimers," Erina said. "That oversight is already coming back to bite us."

Murrue smothered a frown. Something about the two Nadesico crew members was bugging her, though she couldn't put her finger on it. Akatsuki's incessant womanizing and Won's generally grating personality were factors, certainly, but she was sure there was more to it than that. She could've sworn she'd seen Akatsuki before. . . .

Yu Isami cut through her musings with a slight scoffing sound. "It's too late for that. Orphan's here, and we have to stop it. Simple as that."

"But can we?" Yurika wondered aloud. "It's the size of a mountain range!"

"Only one way to find out," Irene said. "Kant?"

The boy genius stepped forward. "As long as Orphan is involved, all Organic Energy can be influenced. The collective energy of living things, living as they please, all working toward the future, I believe that is the greatest power we can use."

Yu had a thoughtful look on his face, unusually for him. "Sentiments and spirits are Organic manifestations, aren't they? You may have a point."

Kant smiled, then looked past him. "Did I say something strange?"

"Not really." Murrue jumped slightly; Ruri hadn't spoken a word since they arrived. "I was just thinking what a strange child you are."

"Look who's talking," Kant retorted.

Ruri was unfazed. "Well, I am an adult."

"Adult" was stretching it. If Murrue recalled correctly, Ruri Hoshino was no more than fourteen years old, even if she acted far older. It was actually a bit unnerving at times, though at least the young operations officers got along well with Natarle. Precious few people did.

"Man, you're a weird one," Kant said. "I'd rather stay a child forever. Don't adults have all sorts of problems?"

Irene chuckled. "With a head and mouth like that, I'm sure you'll make a fine adult." Kant just looked shocked at that.

"You're already more reliable than our captain," Erina Won put in.

Now that was uncalled for.

Higgins provided a distraction, though not a pleasant one. "There's also a ZAFT submarine force heading this way," she said. "Probably from Carpentaria. For what it's worth, there's no indication the stolen Gundam types are among them."

Thank heaven for small favors. Le Creuset's people were a serious obstacle at the best of times; their interference during an anti-Orphan operation could be disastrous. Not to mention Kira didn't need to have his personal issues thrown in his face at such a moment.

"Maybe they're escorts," Mu said thoughtfully. "Not like they're any fonder of Orphan than we are."

"Agreed," Geybridge said. "Orphan is as much a danger to the colonies as it is to us."

Murrue pursed her lips. "Either way, we need to be prepared. Please call the rest of the pilots to the bridge."

It was a motley crew that gathered a few minutes later. Murrue of course knew Kira Yamato and Cagalli Yula Athha best; she was pleased with what she'd heard of Cagalli's training. Zechs Merquise, Lucrezia Noin, and Hilde Schbeiker stood off to one side, outsiders even now. Toya Shiun and his companions had found a place between Kira and the Colony Gundam pilots.

"Toya Shiun," Natarle said. "As your unit is unique, you are in the best position to decide where it should be deployed."

The young Nergal pilot glanced briefly at Calvina Coulange. "I'd rather be with the Archangel for this one," he said quietly. "If we're splitting up, we really should have a Cytron mech with each ship, in case they show up."

"An excellent point," Natarle said, nodding. "Very well."

A scuffling sound drew Murrue's attention. "We're having an important operation and I have to sit it out!?"

It was Lasse Lundburg, looking very upset. "I can't permit you to launch," Irene said. "You need to rest."

"Says who?" Lasse retorted. "Are you the Captain or the ship's doctor?"

"Lasse!" Kanan snapped, her expression a mixture of anger and worry. "Remember, your Antibody will reflect your physical condition. It won't be able to function properly if you overextend yourself. Please, don't do anything reckless!"

Come to think of it, Lasse's color was a bit off. Murrue hadn't heard much about it, as it wasn't really in her purview, and she was no doctor, but the young Antibody pilot looked distinctly unwell. A Federation pilot in his condition would have been grounded in a heartbeat.

"You can't fake your test results," Irene said. "The answer is still no."

"Just leave it to us," Nanga interrupted. "Captain, message from the Toy Box: they'll reach the target point in one hour."

Irene nodded. "All right, we'll commence operations at once. Archangel and Nadesico, please head to your designated areas. Brain Powerd squadron, standby for launch!"

The assembled pilots quickly dispersed. Murrue felt a brief stab of regret that D-Boy wasn't with them; the power of a Tekkaman would have been very useful. No help for it, and while too many of their units couldn't fly, that didn't mean they couldn't fight. For that matter, she recalled reports of Duo pulling off some impressive underwater operations.

"Back to the Archangel," she said to her XO. "We have a mission to complete."

Archangel, hangar/open sky

Though she would never admit it to anyone (save possibly Noin), Cagalli was nervous as hell. She was a combat veteran, true, but this was to be her first sortie in a mobile suit, which was a hell of a lot different from the fighters she'd been flying. At least she had a solid mount; maybe it wasn't equal to something like Granteed, but a Strike copy was nothing to sneeze at.

Her comm screen lit. "Ready for this, Cagalli?" Noin asked.

Cagalli pulled on her helmet. "Ready as I'll ever be," she said. "Can't say I'm looking forward to fighting Grand Chers, but it could be worse."

"Like those mystery mechs we fought at Kawasaki," Noin agreed. "You'll do fine; just try not to get ahead of everyone else."

Cagalli snorted. "Kinda hard to do that with speed demons like Tallgeese and Layzner around."

"True," Noin conceded, then smiled. "Hey, maybe you'll even impress Kira out there."

The subtext in that crack was clear as day. Cagalli felt blood rushing to her face. "Why, you! This has nothing to do with—!" A proximity alarm sounded, interrupting her. "What the!? Are the Reclaimers here already!?"

She could hear frantic typing over her bridge link. "Negative," Sai said tightly. "Confirmed high-speed descent of multiple small objects from the upper atmosphere!"

There were a couple of things that could mean. "SPTs!?" Natarle snapped.

"Looks like it," Sai said. "They're splitting up; one force is heading our way!"

Murrue cursed. "Of all the times. . . . All hands, Level One Battlestations!"

That was all Cagalli needed to hear. "Strike Rouge, heading out!"

Acceleration pushed her back in her seat, and then she was airborne, soaring over the ocean. Eiji's Layzner was just ahead; no surprise, given that this was an intensely personal battle for him. Cagalli could see the incoming Gradosians, a few of the Braver and Slomco types, plus at least two Dimage models. She gritted her teeth, wondering if that bitch Egiel was dropping in on them.

Her machine's near-twin appeared to the right. "Cagalli don't be reckless!" Kira said.

"Don't worry about it, Kira," Noin cut in, her Taurus lazily banking to the left. "She'll be fine."

Already looking for targets, Cagalli almost snapped off a shot when a Vital Jump effect flared dead ahead. Realizing just in time that it was a Brain, she took her finger off the trigger. That's Yu; shouldn't he be with the Novis?

"Mister Isami?" Murrue said. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find out what the hell is going on," Yu snapped back. "This isn't part of the operation!"

"We've no choice," Natarle said. "An SPT squad is on an intercept course."

Yu hissed through clenched teeth. "Gradosians? Dammit, why now of all times?"

Can't disagree there. About the only silver lining was that SPTs were easier to kill than Grand Chers, since they at least didn't teleport. Which was small comfort, with Orphan breaking the surface. If Cagalli's rangefinder was working right, the damned thing was a lot bigger than anticipated.

"Eiji Asuka and those stupid Earthlings," a female voice said, transmitting in the clear. It was unmistakably Karla Egiel. "This time I will ensure Commander Gale is avenged."

A dismissive masculine grunt answered her. "The detached unit can handle the investigation. Our job is to dispose of the traitor Eiji Asuka and those Earthlings. All units, advance!"

And that was that. Or almost. "A red Greimkaiser," Eiji said. "Gale, is that you!? Please respond!"

"What the hell are you playing at!?" Karla snarled. "You're the traitorous scum who shot him down! The pilot of the Bloodykaiser is your sister, Julia Asuka!"

In a mere instant, the whole paradigm changed. "I-Impossible!" Eiji stammered. "My sister wouldn't . . . she would never. . . ."

A new voice answered, definitely female. "Eiji, it was you who struck Gale down. You know he meant everything to me. For that, I cannot and will not forgive you. Fight me!"

"But I, I didn't. . . ." Eiji sounded like he was in shock. Understandably. "I wasn't trying to kill him!"

"Your excuses mean nothing," Julia said coldly. "If you won't fight, then get out of here!"

Karla laughed harshly. "Mere sibling rivalry. This should be quite a show."

The Gradosian officer's smug tone made Cagalli want to hit something. Whatever disagreements she might have had with her father, she loved him, and knew he loved her. To hear someone willing to strike down a close family member over an accident (Cagalli well remembered the battle where Ahmos Gale met his end), and for another to be so amused by it, was infuriating.

Luckily, venting her frustrations just happened to coincide with mission objectives.

"Your sister?" Kira gasped, horrified.

Cagalli had heard enough. Julia Asuka she would leave be for Eiji's sake, but the rest were fair game. Baring her teeth in a snarl, she singled out one of the Braver models and hit the Aile's thrusters, firing as she went. The Gradosian saw her coming, but his return fire splashed harmlessly on her shield, and her third shot blew the Braver clean in half.

"Off to a good start there, Cagalli." Noin's Taurus, still in flight mode, did a quick snap roll to dodge some laser fire, then blew the SPT to scrap.

A white blur shot between them. Even without a clear look, there was only one white machine that moved so fast. After a strange backflip to reverse thrust, Tallgeese hacked a wing off one of the Slomco models, then kicked it away. Two more were neatly bisected when they tried to interfere.

Guess that's why they call him the Lightning Count.

Time for a little beam saber action of her own. Stowing her rifle, Cagalli smiled grimly. A Braver was heading her way, evidently intent on simply punching the Rouge out. It was, she decided, perfect for a test run. Saber in hand, she rushed to meet the Gradosian's charge.

The outcome, of course, was never in doubt. Her opponent got in the first swing, but it glanced harmlessly off the Rouge's side; apparently the Gradosians hadn't yet figured out just how Phase-Shift Armor worked. Quickly bracing herself against the impact, Cagalli responded with a diagonal slash, not quite all the way through, but enough to knock an SPT out of the fight.

Laser fire singed her mobile suit's head, forcing her to duck behind her shield. "Dammit!"

Luckily, she wasn't alone; the original Strike appeared beside her. "Don't overextend yourself, Cagalli," Kira said, downing two SPTs with as many shots. It was much like after her first sortie in a Skygrasper, except Kira's tone was much milder. They'd come a long way.

"I'll be more careful," Cagalli promised. "How's Eiji?"

"Look for yourself," Kira said grimly.

Layzner and the "Bloodykaiser" were circling each other. The Gradosian mech was firing repeatedly, but from all appearances Layzner hadn't even drawn its rifle. Eiji, to the surprise of absolutely no one, was concentrating on evasion, thus far successfully.

"Julia, please, stop this!" Eiji pleaded, dodging yet another volley of laser fire.

"You brought Gale down without a second thought, yet you won't face me?" Julia countered.

Cagalli shook her head, at once sad for Eiji and angry at his sister. "To hell with this. Kira, give me some cover, willya? I'm going after that Egiel witch."

Evidently recognizing that she was in no mood to argue, Kira nodded. "Roger that."

Once upon a time, Cagalli would have launched an all-out banzai charge, firing recklessly. Experience and Lucrezia Noin's tutelage had mellowed her just enough not to pull that on a skilled opponent like Karla Egiel. She kept an erratic flight path, bobbing and weaving, taking shots she couldn't dodge on her shield.

"Damned monkey!" Karla snarled as Cagalli closed the range. "How dare you Earthlings—"

"Shut up." The Rouge's saber came down. Karla was a good enough pilot to avoid a fatal blow, but her Dimage still took a bad hit. Its right arm was removed completely just below the shoulder, a blow that carved a deep grove in its side.

Karla shouted something in her own language; whatever it was sounded obscene. "I can't avenge Commander Gale like this! Pulling back!"

And don't come back! Cagalli mentally told the retreating Gradosian.

A huge mass, larger than any mobile suit, rose between her and the remaining Dimage. "Ready to die, Gradosian bastard?" Toya growled.

His opponent sniffed disdainfully. "Stupid Earth monkeys, can't you tell when your opponent is toying with you? You're easily defeated if we fight seriously."

Cagalli couldn't help rolling her eyes. Minor damage to Archangel's force, versus who knew how many SPTs reduced to smoking wreckage. The Gradosian officer was either bluffing, or a world-class idiot.

"Look at what we did to your little advance force," Toya shot back. "Let me tell you something, pal, Layzner is the only SPT around that can fight Granteed one on one. Back off, or be scrapped."

She almost felt sorry for the Gradosian pilot. He could have put up a good fight against the G-types she and Kira flew, since PSA was useless against beam weapons, or something like a Taurus. But Granteed? Cagalli couldn't help laughing at the idea. She'd seen that monster in action more than enough to know how one-sided the fight was going to be.

The Dimage's rifle flashed twice, the first shot going wide, the second scorching Granteed's torso armor but doing little if any actual damage. In response, Granteed's fist came up, backhanding the Dimage in the side, crushing its right arm and one engine.

That was quick. It was almost amusing to see the crippled SPT limp away, comically wavering in its course.

Her amusement was short-lived. Over a dozen rippling flashes burst into the southwest corner of the battle zone. Each represented the arrival of a Grand Cher, enough to be a source of some unease. While the team's mechs had for the most part sustained minor damage at worst, the pilots had used a lot of energy fighting the Gradosian.

"Grand Chers!" Eiji yelped. "Julia, please, fall back! They'll take you out, too!"

For a brief moment, it seemed as if Julia was going to argue. ". . .Next time, Eiji," she said, and turned to follow the last Dimage.

"Listen up!" Yu said. "The plates inside this ship are vital to the operation's success! Don't let the Reclaimers get close!"

Right, Captain Obvious. She didn't say it out loud, though; it was only natural for Yu to be under more strain than usual. Especially with the prospect of his sister showing up, which had to be preying on his mind.

Another Vital Jump flashed just south of Archangel's position, revealing another Brain. "Yu."

"Lasse!?" Yu said incredulously. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? Are you trying to upset Kanan!?"

"No." Lasse's voice was a bit weak, but determined for all that. "You said it yourself, Yu, Orphan's weak point is open to a direct attack. And it's not just me; my Brain wants to help, too."

That brought Yu up short. "The Brain wants to?" A faint hum was audible over the link. "You, too?" he said to his Brain. ". . .All right. Everyone, Lasse and I will attack Orphan directly. You need to keep those Grand Chers distracted." In a burst of Chakra, both Brains vanished.

"Wait!" Hime called uselessly after them. "What are you planning to do with Lasse!?"

"We'll have to trust them for now," Murrue said. "All units, focus fire on those Grand Chers. Don't let a single one get close!"

With a silent prayer for Yu and Lasse's well-being, Cagalli took aim at the nearest Grand Cher. Its Chakra Shield blunted her attack, but the Antibody definitely felt it, enough to be driven back just a little. Enough for a red bar to sprout in the middle of its torso.

"Thanks for the setup, little lady," Mu said, tossing her a jaunty salute.

Why does he keep calling me that!? Shaking off her annoyance, she split off from Kira, the two of them moving to flank Toya's massive machine. The Grand Chers kept a loose formation, apparently unable to perform the "Chakra Extension" attack occasionally employed by the Brain Powerd squadron.

"Shouldn't there be more Grand Chers?" That was Katia. "This is an all-or-nothing operation; you'd think the Reclaimers would send more Antibodies to stop us."

"We've divided our forces, so the Reclaimers have no choice but to do the same," Trowa pointed out. "Besides, this is almost certainly just the first wave."

That was a cheerful thought. Cagalli pushed it away; what mattered was taking out the Grand Chers in front of her, and keeping the ship safe. She hadn't come all this way just to fall flat.

"SHINING FINGER!" Shining Gundam performed an improbable-looking leap, grabbed a Grand Cher with that glowing right hand, and melted the hapless Antibody (and presumably its pilot).

Cagalli winced, but didn't slow. Her beam saber locked with a Grand Cher's sword, neither Gundam nor Antibody giving a millimeter. Eventually the Orb princess broke the deadlock with a swift kick; the Antibody cracked a camera lens in return, but was clearly injured. A beam rifle shot ended its misery.

"Dammit, how much longer is this gonna take!?" David grumbled, his SPT sparking a little from a near miss. "They just keep coming!"

"Then we'll keep knocking 'em down!" Duo shot back. The ship of his shield opened, revealing a nasty-looking beam blade, and the shield rocketed off Deathscythe's arm, impaling a Grand Cher.

So far, none of the Reclaimers had managed to close with Archangel; two got through the outermost defense, only to fall in a hail of gunfire from Gundam Heavyarms and Uruz Squad. Zeorymer also remained close to the ship, using the DCS's force field to provide extra protection.

And then the big ship opened fire with its main guns. Beams, linear cannon shells, and a veritable storm of missiles struck the Reclaimer force head-on. It only killed a few, given the Chakra Shield and Vital Jump abilities of the Antibodies, but it was enough to briefly throw them into confusion.

Confusion was soon the order of the day. All she could see was the Grand Chers in front of her, along with the closest allied units, mainly the Strike and Granteed. Occasionally she caught a glimpse of the wider battle, saw Heero's buster rifle immolate a Grand Cher, Hime locking blades with another, Kanan and Higgins moving with nearly flawless coordination.

In the main, though, it was a flurry of saber slashes and beam shots. Cagalli kept a wary eye on her energy gauge; one of the biggest limitations of the Federation's G-types, which Orb's techs had only been able to partially rectify, was operating time. Her Rouge had greater endurance than the original Strike, but that meant little in such a melee. Sooner or later she would have to return to resupply, hopefully after the Reclaimers were beaten back.

"A second Grand Cher force is approaching from the northeast!" Sai warned. "And another from the northwest!"

Dammit, I'm running low as it is. "This is Cagalli; I'm returning to the ship for resupply."

"Understood," Sai said. "Chief Murdoch is ready for a quick turnaround."

She guided her mobile suit in, mouth quirking in amusement at the sight of Kira's machine aiming for the other hatch, Commander La Flaga's M1 right behind him. Her humor faded quickly; she was at her most vulnerable now, and the Reclaimers were putting up a hell of a fight.

Silently, Cagalli cursed the Gradosians for forcing her to use up so much energy.

It hadn't been one of Yu's better days. Orphan nearly surfaced, the revelation of Lasse's illness, the death of Lasse's Brain. And now this; there was no mistaking the lead Grand Cher. Jonathan Glenn's appearance was predictable, but frustrating nonetheless.

"Them, too?" Jonathan was broadcasting in the clear. "Do you really think an operation like this can stop Orphan? Yu is the one who told them this; where is he!?"

Yu dodged some scattered fire from the closer squad. "Lasse's fine," he said, aiming for Archangel's flight deck, "but his Brain is dead, killed itself in the attack." He shook his head. "Dammit, even I didn't realize how much the Brains hated Orphan."

He settled to the deck, where a medical team was already waiting. "We've got him," Rain Mikamura said.

"Just let him sleep for a while; he's exhausted," Yu said, as much to reassure Kanan as anything else. The moment Lasse was clear, Yu leaped skyward once more, bashing aside a Grand Cher that tried to get in his way.

Glenn snorted a derisive laugh. "There you are, Yu! I was wondering if you'd decided to just run away."

Yu ignored the barb. "Cut it out already, Jonathan! You joined the Reclaimers for revenge on Captain McCormick, right!? She's gone, disappeared into the sea with the Plate, all because she felt responsible! There's no reason to involve anyone else!"

"Ha!" Glenn urged his Grand Cher forward. "I no longer have any qualms about her."

Yu shook his head. "Sentiment for your parents can't be discarded so easily."

More laughter. "You're one to talk. I remember you said you'd made up your mind, but there's no way you could sink Orphan with that kind of determination! If you were really serious, you'd sneak in with a bomb; that'd raise some hell!"

"That wouldn't even come close to sinking Orphan." It was becoming increasingly clear that Glenn was at least as twisted as Iiko. Possibly even more.

Glenn snorted. "Yeah, more like it's because your family's there. You're such a wimp!" He shook his head. "But that's how I'll beat you, and when I do, the Isami family will be in my hands! Orphan itself will be mine!"

"Like hell!"

Yu ignored the other Grand Chers (including one he recognized as Sheila Glass's partner), focusing solely on Jonathan Glenn. Apparently recognizing his intent, or perhaps simply wanting out of the way of his charge, the various robots concentrated on the rank and file. Heero's Buster Rifle severely injured one, leaving it vulnerable to Zechs's lethal follow up.

Two of the enemy Antibodies (including Sheila's) tried to intercept, but the SPT squad was above them. A torrent of laser fire killed one Antibody and forced Sheila into a wild evasive pattern, clearing Yu's path. She tried to get back on target, but a blast of Chakra forced her away again. Yu looked over his shoulder and saw Hime's Brain just catching up.

"You didn't think I'd let you do this alone, didn't you?" she said with a grin.

Despite himself, Yu couldn't suppress a brief answering smile. It quickly faded, though; Glenn's Grand Cher was dead ahead.

His former comrade was good, no doubt about it, and his synchronization with the skittish Antibody superb. He easily parried Yu's first sword slash, and the Grand Cher's Chakra Shield deflected a ranged attack from Hime. The two of them switched places then, Yu firing blasts of Chakra from a distance, while Hime battered away at Glenn's defenses directly.

Glenn seemed disoriented for a moment, but quickly adjusted. In response, Yu and Hime switched again, confusing both the Reclaimer and his Antibody. After several more such passes, and at least one blast of energy from Granteed, Yu succeeded in landing a punishing blow on the Grand Cher's chest.

"Damn you!" Glenn all but screamed. "How dare you do that to my Antibody!"

Yu drew back for another strike. "It's over, Jonathan!"

"Yu, you bastard!" An instant later, the Grand Cher vanished.

The Brain lurched, briefly losing its balance. "He just disappeared? Has Orphan's surfacing done that much to the Vital Net?"

It was something they would have to leave for later. All of the Reclaimers were either dead or retreated, leaving them free to finish the operation. With any luck, this would end the threat of Orphan once and for all.

Within Orphan

"Why is Orphan stopping?" Midori Isami paced back and forth, visibly agitated. "Only the shielded figure took any damage. It should be trivially easy for Orphan to absorb that kind of energy."

Her husband looked up from his computer screen. "That's what the calculations suggest, but have you considered Orphan's will?"

Midori stopped in her tracks. "Orphan's will?" she repeated carefully.

Kensaku stood, clasping his hands behind his back. "For the time being, I think it would be best to just wait and see how things develop. We don't know how the disruption to the Vital Net will affect the Grand Chers."

Midori wanted to argue, but there she knew he was right. Iiko—Quincy, rather—would no doubt have protested, especially with her wayward brother so close. Jonathan Glenn had been practically foaming at the mouth with rage when he returned.

So be it.

Novis Noah, bridge

Irene Carrier frowned at the woman on her screen. "It's confirmed? Orphan has stopped surfacing?"

"It appears so," Professor Fressange said.

Captain Misumaru was grinning widely. "As Heero would say, Mission Accomplished!"

"Same on our end," Captain Ramius said. "The Grand Chers are withdrawing, and we only sustained minor damage. Despite an ambush by the Gradosians," she added with a grimace. "Eiji now has something in common with Yu."

Irene winced in sympathy for the young Gradosian, but there was no time for it. "Then phase two begins now." She glanced over her shoulder. "Raise the Organic Engine output to critical!"

Geybridge raised a hand. "Belay that. We just received orders from HQ to suspend the Vital Net Operation. We are instead to keep Orphan in a paralyzed state." He sighed. "Orders from above, so we have no choice."

Murrue's jaw dropped open. "What!?"

"It seems there are those among the upper ranks who trust the Reclaimers' word," Geybridge said, shaking his head. "They believe Orphan's rise will not harm the Earth."

Irene barely held back a derisive snort. "More likely they just want to save themselves by boarding Orphan."

The UN official shrugged. "It's their decision, not ours. For what it's worth, you all did an excellent job. The Plates will be transferred to the relief force; for now, all units return at once."

Forward deck/open sky

"So Archangel and Nadesico have been ordered to pull back, eh?" He shook his head. "This is insane, especially with the Gradosians showing up. Eiji had to face his own sister and everything."

Hime winced, clearly seeing where he was headed. "Yu. . . ."

"No one knows how things will proceed if this keeps up," Kant said. "My belief is Orphan stopped because it liked the Organic Energy coming from the Brains and this ship. Just looking at the data wouldn't tell us that."

Nakki snorted. "Then we could've stopped them with just this ship! Piece of cake, right?" Rolling his eyes, he jogged over to his Grand Cher.

"And where are you going?" Hime called after him. "That Grand Cher hasn't recovered yet."

Unconcerned, Nakki didn't even glance back. "You guys gave it a massage earlier, so it's all ready to go." The cockpit closed before any of them could respond.

Yu hissed through clenched teeth. "What the hell is he thinking? Come on, Brain, we're going after him!"

A few minutes later, he was airborne, accompanied by Granteed and Hime's Brain. Despite the relative slow pace of Toya's huge machine, they were able to catch up to the wayward Grand Cher with little effort. Nakki's destination was, to the surprise of no one, Orphan.

"Right in front of our eyes," Yu muttered.

Nakki had, of course, spotted them. "You shouldn't have come," he said. "With this Grand Cher I could have snuck in without causing a ruckus." He grunted. "Except he doesn't want to return to Orphan. As soon as Orphan called, the Grand Cher responded with hatred."

Yu started to reply, but the telltale flash of a Vital Jump distracted him. A red Grand Cher, all too familiar. No, why now?

"I knew you'd come, Yu," Quincy said coldly.

There was something very odd about her voice. "Sis, what's going on? You sound strange."

"The Governor ordered me to kill you," she said, "but my Grand Cher is too pathetic for even a simple job."

"What?" Yu held his Brain under careful control.

Quincy's voice started to rise. "It's all your fault. Because I have a brother like you, the Governor is doubting my loyalty! If you still think of me as your sister . . . then die!" With a snarl of pure, insane rage, she charged, firing all the way.

Yu braced himself, but the shots never reached him. Nakki's Grand Cher had interposed itself, absorbing the attack, but not without injury. "Nakki, get out of the way! I can't fight her like this!"

"She's your sister, right?" Nakki countered. "I don't know what's going on between you, but if you kill her now, you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it! Same for Eiji and that Gradosian woman; if this hurts so much, then I'll set you free from it!"

Quincy growled in frustration. "Out of my way, you pest!"

Yu watched in horror as his sister lashed out, her sword carving a deep wound in the other Grand Cher's torso. With an otherworldly groan, the Antibody fell, seemingly in slow motion. The cockpit opened, dropping Nakki out, but fortunately Hime was there to catch him.

"Get out of there, Hime!" Toya yelled, already powering up.

There was no time to watch what happened next. No longer obstructed, Quincy's Grand Cher was in his face, slashing viciously. Yu cried out, feeling his Brain's pain as his own. His sister was merciless and relentless, each strike filled with malice.

And then Granteed was in the way, deflecting what would almost certainly have been a fatal blow. "Yu, get out of there!" Toya shouted.

The world went white.

Author's note: Just a small matter to address, the omission of the deserted island event from Gundam SEED is intentional. I never thought it made much sense in the show, much less here, and from a practical standpoint it serves only to set up for a pairing I find rather less than believable.