Disclaimer: Who do you think I am? I may love it, but I don't own it.

Chapter 1: Burning Hatred

Cagalli sat silently, checking her gun, so that no mistakes would happen. This was do or die, and she wasn't up to dying just yet.

Pushing back a lock of blonde hair, she stood and eyed the people around her, doing the same with their weapons as she had. They hadn't uttered a word since the message came giving them their orders, and they were unusually quiet for this time of urgency.

"All right people." She said, getting everyone's attention. "Time to go." Her amber eyes focused on the group of mobile suits in the back of the underground cavern that they called their base. The soldiers around her stood, placing their guns in the holsters at their waists, then making their way to the 15 mobile suits. Other men got into jeeps, with large machine guns planted in the back of them. She made her way to a specialized mobile suit, placing her helmet over her head, then climbing up into the cockpit.

The other pilots doing the same, activated the mobile suits, and the ground crew started their jeeps, and took their positions at the wheel and at the gun, totaling almost 20 jeeps.

Their was a loud buzzing sound, and a door slid open, revealing a pale moon, and bright stars. Cagalli sighed, knowing that this would be a long night.

On board the earthbound ship, Athrun and Kira sat in the cafeteria, eating whatever that purple tinted food was, a look of disgust, shared by both of their faces.

"I can't wait to get back to Earth." Stated Kira, poking a lumpy orange substance with distaste. "The food is undoubtedly going to be much better."

"Yeah." Athrun agreed silently, his green eyes narrowing at the same orange substance. "What is this stuff anyways? They trying to poison us or something?"

"Nope, just trying to make sure you remember what looks bad and tastes even worse." Replied Mwu as he entered, going to get some food himself from the table where trays were displayed.

"That's what they want us to think." Kira said laughing, causing the other two to laugh as well. "That's enough for me though, I think I've had enough." Standing, he dumped his tray into the disposer, and walked out, Athrun following close behind.

The two walked in silence for a moment, then Athrun asked, "So is anyone meeting you at the base?"

"I don't think so, my parents are supposed to be in Alaska, and no one has heard from my sister in almost three months now." He replied sadly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had a sister. So there have been no leads? It's strange for someone to just up and disappear. Maybe when she's found I can meet her, you seem so fond of her." He said trying to be sympathetic.

"No information yet, that's why my parents are in Alaska, trying to get some help. Oh well, I just want a break from fighting Orb for a little while." He said rubbing the back of his head.

"Attention all crew members, please prepare for the entrance into Earth's atmosphere. I repeat, please prepare for entering the Earth's atmosphere." Came a voice over the intercom.

"Finally!" shouted Kira, as they went their separate ways to go back to their rooms, nearly falling several times at the shaking of the ship as it entered the atmosphere.

Several hours later.

Cagalli zoomed her camera in on the ship coming through the atmosphere. A small grin appeared momentarily on her face, then it became stern, as she opened a channel to her men, "Alright, formation Alpha-C. Let's get this over with."

"All hands level one battle stations!" Came a voice over the intercom as the ship rocked do to the force of an explosion outside.

Athrun and Kira met up on their way to the hangar where their gundams were, and quickly got into their cockpits. After being launched, they took in the scene around them. There were 12 visible low-powered gundams, and a ground attack forcing, sporting machine guns. Kira went right, Athrun to the left, slowly destroying the gundams, while Mwu, who launched seconds later took care of the ground forces.

Athrun finished off two gundams in a quick swipe with a laser powered sword, then looked to see Kira destroying another gundam with one of his lasers. The two turned to see 3 gundams land infront of them. Two flanked the middle one, which was almost like theirs, but seemed to be equipped with different and newer weapons.

Cagalli muttered curses under her breath as she watched her men die. "Damn them." She muttered, then sent a transmission to her two officers. They came from their watch post, and the three landed with a heavy thud, the two officers flanking her. Her eyes narrowed, so this would mostly likely end as a two on one battle. Fine with her.

"Surrender now Archangel, or prepare to be annihilated." Came her cold words as she opened a transmission to the Archangel and the gundam pilots.

Kira was stunned for a moment, recognizing the feminine voice. "Cagalli?" he choked out.

Cagalli's eyes narrowed as she opened a visual communication with the ship and pilots, her helmeted head, and angry amber eyes showing. "Kira." She said angrily. "Why are you fighting with the Earth and Zaft Alliance? You know all they want to do is destroy the Earth. Or do you not know what they are doing?" she asked angrily, as she removed her helmet, her blonde hair, falling just above her shoulders, looking a little untidy.

"Cagalli..." was all Kira said as she drew her laser saber, her eyes full of hatred.

"Kira, is this your sister?" Athrun asked, looking at the blonde on the screen.

"Yes, why are you doing this? Stop the fighting Cagalli." He pleaded.

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Cagalli's officers, stepped up to be infront of her, and then attacked the gundams.

Athrun cursed, as he shot one of them three times before it fell, only to explode on impact. Kira was still too dumbfounded to move, so he intercepted the gundam attacking Kira, sliced it in two.

"Nicol! Yzak!" cried Cagalli as she watched the two pilots die. "You killed them!" she screamed, her eyes narrowing, and abruptly the transmission ended, as she jumped into the air, her gundam soaring up several hundred yards, then took aim. She aimed directly at Kira, and shot.

Kira was jolted from his shock, as both of his arms, and a leg were blown from the gundam's body. "Shit!" he cried, checking his gundam's damage. Athrun glared at the girl's mobile suit, and shot up into the air after her, trying to cut her with the saber.

Cagalli dodged, and seemed to dance around him in circles. They didn't even realize that they had moved far away from the Archangel, until Athrun turned to see how Kira was.

Taking his distraction as an advantage, Cagalli brought out her large cannon weapon, and shot several rounds off, not even trying to aim, just shooting out her rage. She caught a glimpse of the gundam catching fire, and falling into the jungle below. "Damn it." She muttered both from him falling into unknown terrain, and the fact that she had been contacted by the base.

"What is it?!" she demanded into the face of her Commander.

"Is it at all possible you may take any prisoners?" he asked seeming slightly amused by her irritation.

"Yes, why? Well that is if he's still alive." She replied warily.

"Good, bring him back for questioning. The Dark Angel is nearby, and you can catch a ride with them back here." He said, then the connection was finished.

"Damn it." She muttered, landing in a clearing. "Why do I have to haul this pilot's sorry ass back to Australia?" she mumbled, checking her gun as she jumped to land squarely on her feet.

Cagalli found the almost destroyed gundam several yards away from the clearing. She opened the hatch, and found the blue haired young man unconscious inside, with a gash on his forehead beneath the broken glass of the helmet. He had a gash in his side and upper right arm as well.

Pulling him from the wreck, she finally go him out. Panting, she laid his body on the trees of the forest floor, and removed his broken helmet. "I hope he doesn't die, I'd hate to get yelled at." She said picking up his arm and pulling it around her neck. She stood shakily, gripping his limp body hard so that he would not fall, and as she walked back to her gundam to rendezvous with the Dark Angel, added, "Again."