Again, this story is still being revised.

The pilot cursed to himself as he jumped from the cockpit of GAT-X103, Buster. "This isn't good…" he muttered sarcastically to himself as he surveyed his jumbled Gundam while brushing a hand through his blonde hair. Behind his fallen mecha, the remains of two mobile suits smoldered beneath the sun.

The young pilot of GAT-X207, Blitz tried desperately to contact someone- anyone…

Unbeknownst to the pilot of the Buster, a mobile assault ship had been watching him warily, still stunned by the loss of the Strike, and discovering their young SkyGrasper pilot to be MIA. As the coordinator fell to his knees before his machine, there was a rustle and low murmur in the brush to his right. He stood slowly, shoulders thrown back confidently. He had no weapon, and he was most likely outnumbered by naturals- and he knew it. So, with an arrogant sigh, he turned smartly on his heel, hands upraised in the position of surrender. "So you've got me." He jested, scanning the bushes with amethyst eyes.

He smirked in victory as several Earth Alliance soldiers crept from the brush with their guns upraised. "Come with us." One grunted roughly. The man jerked his gun towards the warship that had come to rest on the other side of the trees. "Fine." The teen scoffed as he followed his captors with hands still upraised.

"Dammit!" growled a platinum haired pilot as he drifted out of the Duel's cockpit. Almost as an afterthought, he ripped off his helmet and hurling it towards a passing mechanic. Though, to the man's relief, and the pilot's agitation, the helmet simply floated back up before finding its target. The mobile suit deck on the underside of the Gamow was unusually empty with Buster and Blitz gone; and those who didn't yet know of the results from the battle were anxious to hear about two of their finest mobile suits being MIA. "Hey, Yzak! Where's the others?" called another mechanic, drifting over to the Duel. "Heard it was a nasty one." He commented while grabbing onto the cockpit door and gliding to a halt. "Shove it." Yzak muttered dryly.

With a sigh, the pilot of the Blitz debated over opening the cockpit. Inside, it was sweltering hot- but activity might draw enemy attention. "Hello?" He called into the com, "GAT-X207 Blitz requesting assistance. I repeat, requesting assistance." Though the chances of anyone answering were dismal, a slight hope still remained that he had not been forgotten. Unfortunantly unknown to him, Le Creuset had called back all his remaining forces and retreated. 'They must've thought I had been terminated and left.' He thought with sudden horror. Throwing caution aside, the young coordinator pulled his helmet off and tried once more to initiate start-up operations. It had begun to cool considerably while he had been lost in his thoughts.Night must be falling. The pilot wiped sweat slicked peridot locks from his forehead absently. The thoughts of what night would being already beginning to weigh down on him.

"Calling GAT-X207 Blitz. Come in Blitz." The pilot sprang to life as the com crackled faintly. He replied anxiously, hoping beyond hope that it was ZAFT come to recue him.

"This is GAT-X207 Blitz." Maybe they hadn't forgotten him after all!

"Blitz, this the Earth Alliance mobile assault ship Archangel-"

The coordinator's heart stopped. So much for being rescued...

"We will offer assistance at your surrender. Please respond." stated the female voice coldly, as if she would rather see him dead than help him.

What could he do? No ZAFT vessel had made contact and he couldn't survive very long in Blitz's cockpit.

"You have my surrender." His voice cracked as he forced the words out, barely a whisper.

"Help will be sent to your coordinates shortly." The Archangel replied curtly.

The COM clicked off, mimicking the pilot's shattered hopes.

In the Archangel's brig, the pilot of the Buster was contemplating his fate when a crewman walked in. "Can't a guy think?" he muttered, resting his head against the wall of his cell. "Your friend just surrendered. We're going to his coordinates now." the man said with satisfaction. Like a victor before his prize, the man stood before the cell.

"What friend?" Dearka probed cautiously.

"Ah- the Blitz."

"What! No way-"

"Hey, you surrendered too. They were our suits to begin with, and now they're coming home."

"You pathetic naturals couldn't fly them if you tried!"

"They were still ours before ZAFT raided the research satellite of Heliopolis and broke the treaty with Aube."

"Just get over-"

The brash young coordinator was interrupted when the crewman grabbed the bars, growling "I had family on Heliopolis. If I ever hear you disrespect that incident-" the man paused, breathing heavily. "you'll regret it." He gathered himself and stalked out. A wide-eyed pilot sitting on the cell floor stared blankly in his wake.

"Blitz-" the com crackled again. "Open your cockpit and prepare to surrender."

"Alright." The pilot muttered dismally.

Night had indeed fallen. It coated the desolate battlefield in somber grays and blues. The Archangel was a silent specter as it moved across the field, the Buster sitting awkwardly in the mobile suit deck.

The pilot of the Blitz did a he was commanded, his heart sinking even lower as the cockpit doors receded. He swallowed the lump of bitter ice that had formed in his throat. A wince formed as it carved it's way down. There it was. The Archangel- the ship that they had been chasing- and now he was it's prisoner. What irony he thought with despair.

Outside, the Archangel came to rest near the surrendering mobile suit.

"GAT-X207, Blitz." The com crackled. Oh, how he was loath to respond.

"Yes." He bit out, still stunned at the idea of being captured.

"Exit the cockpit and put your hands in the air." It clicked off, leaving him alone in the desolate silence once again.

'Maybe they'll release me after questioning.' He thought sullenly as he pushed the keyboard to the side. He couldn't look like he was defeated. He would retain as much dignity as he could. The pep talk did little to raise his spirits, and neither did a final look around the cockpit he had grown so accustomed to. There was a surprising amount of sentimental value in the Blitz. It was, after all, an amazing machine. How odd that the Naturals had been able to build it.

"Blitz." The com hissed impatiently.

With a sigh, the pilot tucked his helmet under his arm and stepped out onto the small ledge outside the cockpit, blinking back the darkness. He raised his free hand, showing that he had no weapon and was indeed succumbing.

Yzak paced- or rather floated to and fro before the image screen on the Gamow's bridge; a deep scowl engraved in his features. He had since changed from his flight suit, though he was yet to retreive his helmet, which was no doubt still floating about the mobile suit deck. An image quickly blinked to life on the screen, revealing the face of a troubled Rau Le Creuset. "Commander-" Yzak straightened, hand automatically jerking up into a salute. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was silenced by a wave of Le Creuset's hand. He hurridly closedhis mouth as the commander sat at his desk on the Vesalius.

"I know what you wanted to speak of. Both the Strike and Aegis are destroyed." Le Creuset waited for a nod from his pilot before continuing. "And we have yet to know the fates of Blitz and Buster. But understand this-" his voiced dropped suddenly. "None of the crew are to know of what ocurred. We shall get your teammates back, and hopefully their mobile suits as well. But for now, simply see to Duel and return to your quarters. We shall recover what we lost today. Dismissed." The commander turned in his chair as the video link blinked to black. The only others on the bridge were some various crewmen sitting at the stations and monitoring the earth's surface. It was likey that they hadn't heard their conversation.

With a nod and another salute, Yzak turned and left the bridge. As he drifted along the hall towards the mobile suit deck, he couldn't help but feel a little bit alone.

Chapter Three Teaser

""Let us decide that when he wakes." Rau's voice dropped to a whisper as the pilot shifted in his sleep. "Inform me when he regains consciousness." His back to the medic, Creuset let a small smile curl the corner of his lips..."

Hopeless