Author's Note: I don't know the correct spelling of 'Kergerin' either.

Chapter Three: Part Of The Team

The group looked down at a map of the village and the surrounding area. Little red dots marked the last known areas where Zakus had been sighted.

Karen began to speak. "We'll split off into teams of two, each heading for a different area. We take out as many Zakus as we can, then lead the rest AWAY FROM the village."

"If any Zakus get near or into the village, send word immediately," Shiro said solemnly. "I don't care how."

"So which group do I get to go with?" Kiki asked excitedly.

"You're not going," Shiro responded. "You're staying here to help protect the village in case of an attack." Kiki's face fell. But I wanted to help! she protested in her mind.

Don't worry, you'll get your chance. she heard a voice say. She glanced around, but no one had spoken.

"So we all agree on the plan then?" asked Shiro. The group nodded. "Any questions?"

"Um, Commander..." Erica started, then blushed red at the glares she received from Sanders, Karen, and Eledore.

"Yes, officer Phoenixbird?"

"Well...where...that is...who goes with who?"

"The Hovertruck and Aina in her fighter will head east; Shiro and Sanders west. YOU will be going north with me," Karen said in a commanding tone. "That all right with you, OFFICER Phoenixbird?"

"Sure thing, Chief Joshua," the girl muttered. WHY do they hate me so much? she wondered to herself.

Sanders looked at the girl, wondering how on earth she was even ALLOWED to be a soldier. She said herself she was only 14. And we have no real idea of how good she is. She's probably too used to space fighting to do much good to us, anyway. Suddenly Erica's eyes flashed anger, and she glared at Sanders with both frustration and sadness in her eyes.

So HE doesn't believe in me either, she thought glumly. This mind-reading thing sure can be a pain. I don't mean to do it. If only they'd learn to think a little bit SOFTER!
************

"Ok guys, let's get going," Shiro said over the com. system. Aina, although no one could see her, nodded. Her first real battle with this team, with Shiro, and she would be taking out her own people.

Michel sat with his head propped on one fist, a bored, depressed look on his face. One reason for this was the letter, but the second reason was still talking as he started and drove the Hovertruck.

"Why'd the Commander stick US with the Zeon?!? She'll probably turn traitor and tell them all our secrets! With our luck, she'll turn around and shoot at US! If I'da known that newbie was gonna do this..." Michel stopped listening and reached for his journal out of habit. He jerked back, remembering the letter.
************

Shiro and Sanders had already taken out two Zakus each, and were on the alert for more. It was Sanders who finally broke the silence between them.

"Commander, do you really trust this new girl? And don't say yes just because she's your cousin. If she's as inexperienced as she looks, she could get us all killed!"

"Yes, I trust her. You heard about how she commanded that GM team, Sanders. Why did you ask?"

"Because...because I don't want my reputation coming back to haunt me, with her being the cause of it. But Karen doesn't seem to trust her either."

"I noticed that. I wonder why-Sanders, Zaku on your right!" Shiro suddenly yelled, and Sanders whirled his Gundam around to face the new enemy. Shiro turned to one of his own, their conversation completely forgotten.
************

"See anything yet?" Karen called to Erica.

"Nothing yet, Chief," Erica responded. A flash of sun-on-metal caught her eye. "What was that?!"

"What was what?"

"A flash...on your right...ZAKU!!" Erica screamed, both of them spinning to face off with it. They took it out quickly, but suddenly something banged hard on the back of Karen's Gundam.

"What the-?" she cried, but already she heard shooting, and then an explosion. Her screen disabled, she had no idea of what had gone on outside. "Officer Phoenixbird? You ok over there?" she asked shakily. Had that been a ZAKU on her back?

"Yeah...sure...no problem...Chief..." Karen heard a trembling voice reply. "It was a modified Zaku...the pilot escaped...geez, how could she be HERE? I though she was a space pilot!"

"What? Who're you talking about?"

"Zandra Sakhalin. Aina's sister. SHE was the pilot of the Zaku that jumped you." Erica, still in a state of shock, stared wide-eyed at the remains of Zandra's modified Zaku. Was her old friend trying to hunt her down?

"See anything else near us?" Karen's voice snapped her out of her daze.

"No, do you?"

"I can't. My screens're out. Keep a lookout while I fix 'em, ok?"

"No problem, Chief." Erica, thinking fast, checked the controls on her OWN Gundam for damage. But, as she'd suspected, no enemy fire had gotten to her.

"Karen," came a voice over the com. system.

"Excuse me, Chief?" Erica asked, questioningly.

"It's not 'Chief', it's Karen, got it, Weller?"

"Sure thing, KAREN, only it's not Weller, it's Phoenixbird. Got it?"

"Sure. Everything's working over here. How many Zakus've we taken out?"

"I think about ten, counting Zandra's. How many ARE there in this area, anyway?" She respects me, was Erica's happy thought. She has faith in me.

"At least thirty, maybe more. Why? Need a break?" Karen's voice was sharp, penetrating, testing, as though daring Erica to say yes.

"Not on your life," was the determination-filled reply. Karen grinned. Maybe she DOES have what it takes after all.

Thanks for the confidence, a voice seemed to say. But the only one who could've said it was Erica, and she was ahead of Karen now, searching for Zakus. Shrugging it off, Karen followed.
************

"Aina! On your right! Come on, SHOOT IT!" Eledore was yelling so loud it made Michel wish he had some industrial-size earplugs.

"I think she heard you Eledore!" he finally yelled when Eledore paused for breath. The two watched as bullets rained from the fighter, destroying the Zaku that had attacked them.

"I guess she can shoot after all," muttered Eledore thoughtfully.

Aina, up in the fighter, stared wide-eyed at what she had just done. Slowly and silently tears ran down her face, and she touched them, bewildered. It's been a long time since I cried, she realized. Eledore's voice over the com. system snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Aina? You all right up there?"

"Yeah, sure, everything's fine," she replied, control in her voice. "He didn't get me."

"I hope not, 'cause we got more coming!" Eledore replied, and Aina sighed. How much more could she take of this before she...she shook her head to clear it. I won't think of that happening, she decided. I WON'T turn out like Ginias!

Good idea, said a faint voice, but it belonged to neither Eledore nor Michel.
************

It was about midnight by the time the entire team made it back to Kiki's village. Shiro had to struggle to hide a grin at the way his CPO and his cousin acted toward each other. There was a much greater, much more mutual respect there than there had been when they'd left.

"How goes it?" Erica called to Shiro.

"Don't ask," was his reply.

"I already did," Erica said, a smug smile in her voice. "But that's ok, you don't have to tell me...yet..." Shiro sighed. Hard to argue with that, he thought.

"How'd we do?" was his spoken question once they were all together. Again, Erica grinned, this time with Karen's grin to match.

"All of 'em," they answered together.

"ALL OF THEM?!?!?!" shouted Sanders, and Eledore stepped back in shock. "You took out every single Zaku in your range?"

"Sure hope so, or else the Zeon have some VERY clever hiding places," Erica answered. Michel hid a grin.

I KNEW she could do it! he thought, and Erica smiled at him.

So did I, said a voice; Erica's voice, Michel realized. She could speak in his head. And obviously understand what he was thinking. You don't like it? she asked in his mind. Think softer.

"Whaddya have to say about THAT, Eledore," Michel whispered.

"Beginners' luck."

"Sure. But Officer Phoenixbird ISN'T a BEGINNER. We got twenty out of an estimated thirty five, sir." The last comment was directed at Shiro, and he nodded, noticing how Aina looked away at the statement.

"Kiki, did any come near the village?" he asked. She shook her head no, beaming. She was DYING to ask Erica how she'd done it; it seemed like the newest edition to the team wasn't really respected.

"We took out thirty of our estimated thirty-seven," Sanders added. Inside, though, he was shocked, and a little bit angry, although he had no idea why. So she was a pretty good pilot. So what? Why did that make him MAD??

"Ok, team, get some rest. We'll be needed tomorrow," Shiro said, then turned and headed for where he was staying, Aina following. Sanders and Eledore left, too, the latter mumbling something about 'Hovertruck controls'. Erica glanced at Michel, who shrugged. I have no idea.

"So?" Kiki asked expectantly.

"So what?" Erica replied.

"How did you defeat ALL of your Zakus?? That's amazing!"

"It was no big deal. There were forty total, I think, or somewhere around there. Besides, we worked as a team. Right, Karen?" Erica's grin was a mischievous one.

"Right, Phoenixbird," was the reply.
************

"Aina? Is something wrong?" Shiro asked. The two were in a room of the house they were staying in, Shiro looking at maps, Aina just sitting and gazing out the window.

"Yes. No. I don't know. All those Zakus Michel said WE defeated today...it was really mostly me. And I don't think I can take it."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't just destroy my own people, Shiro! For all I know that could have been my sister in one of those Zakus! Or any one of my friends! The Zeon are my people, and I don't think I can go on killing them like this!" Aina buried her face in her hands, crying. Shiro walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

"Aina, I've had MY friends, MY family, hurt or killed because of this stupid war. When I think of what those Zeon did to Eledore...to Kiki's village...to Erica's Commander...sorry. But it's something I can't avoid, and neither can you."

"I know, Shiro. It's just...it reminded me of when we lost the Kergerin. All those people, killed because of this stupid war! And now I'm making myself even more a part of it! I hate it, Shiro! I hate it all!"

"I know, Aina. So do I. So does everyone. I kind of wish the war HAD ended with the destruction of the Apsalus. And I can't help but think what Kojima and Ryer would've done to me if they'd lived." Shiro sighed and looked out the window.

Both of them jumped at the knock on the door. "Aina?" came Erica's voice. "Aina, are you in there? Have you seen the commander?"

"I'm in here too," Shiro called back.

"Commander!" This time the voice was Michel's. "We were wondering...could we talk to you for a minute? There's something we need to tell you."

"Sure, no problem. Come in." The door opened slowly, like the two were afraid to open it. "I said come in! What's keeping you?" The door finished opening very fast, revealing a blushing Erica and a pale Michel.

Do we really have to tell him? Michel thought.

You'll have to eventually, because he's gonna notice something's up. May as well do it now, was the reply.

"Um, Commander...do you remember the letter Kiki gave me earlier...well...I guess it was yesterday?" Michel asked nervously.

"Yeah. Michel," Shiro said, a concerned look forming on his face; Michel had gone even paler, "is something wrong? You don't look so good." Erica, a few inches behind Michel, held up a hand. Shiro noticed, and nodded. "What is it?" he asked.

"Well, sir...that letter...it was from my girlfriend, Bebi. The letter said...the letter said...the letter said she broke up with me!" he cried, and started sobbing again. Shiro turned his gaze to Erica.

"It's true, sir. I...read the letter. I knew you'd notice if we didn't tell you, so..." she trailed off, blushing an even deeper red.

"Well, I'm glad you told me Michel. I'd hate to have to have found out in the middle of a battle or something." Michel nodded, and Erica put a hand on his shoulder.

"Aina, I wanted to ask you-could you show me the controls of your fighter? I'd like to see how one works." Erica grinned. "You know how much I like technology."

"Sure. But can we get some sleep first?" Aina asked, covering a yawn. They all laughed at that, even Michel.

"Mm-hmm. See you later, guys," Erica said, and she and Michel left.

Erica was almost back to where she was saying when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned to find that it was Sanders behind her.

"You wanted something?" she asked in a hostile tone. She knew that he really didn't think she was cut out for this stuff, and she aimed to prove him wrong.

"I just wanted to say I was wrong for not respecting the fact that you...that you...that you're a soldier, too. That you're one of us." Sanders blushed, and Erica turned and hurried into her room, her face red as well. But hers was red with pride, not embarrassment. She finally felt like part of the team.
************

Nera Lezero looked out the window of her room at the new base, wondering. Wondering how long it would be before that fool Adams remembered what the commander of that MS Team had done, what he was...or, at least, what she believed him to be.

Her pale blonde hair fell only to the base of her neck, except for two longer strips framing her face. Her eyes, though an attractive shade of blue-green, had a sinister quality about them. All this was reflected in the glass of her window.

"Commander Lezero," Wesley Adams said, entering the room. "I'd like to know...what was your occupation before being my second?" His eyes were purely innocent, but Nera Lezero had a feeling he had something else backing this question.

"Well, Captain Adams, I wasn't always in command. In fact, I was an Intelligence agent, and a rather good one at that. I worked very closely, at one point, with that commander you favor so much. That Shiro Amada. VERY closely. And my name wasn't always Nera Lezero, either."

"Really, Nera? Then what WAS your name?" If I'm right, then Shiro's in trouble, Adams thought.

"Well, before I worked for you, my name was Alice Miller..."
************

A short, blonde-haired, brown-eyed girl looked out of the transport ship at the Earth.

"Tomorrow I join a team," she said to herself. Someone nearby laughed.

"You'll be lucky if you end up as a mail carrier!" called a voice, but the girl paid no attention.

Maybe I'll be with the legend, she thought wistfully. The legendary Phoenixbird...or that famous Commander Shiro Amada...

"Lorian! Your team assignment's here!" called her friend, Simon.

"Coming!" Lorian called, for the moment abandoning all thoughts of meeting Phoenixbird, Shiro, or anyone else.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Well? Any comments on Nera or Lorian?? Or anything else?? Reviews are appreciated.