I don't own anything except Ken DiFalco, his team, and Sophia DiFalco

Archangel, Bridge

The destruction of the Montgomery, along with Koopman and George Allster, turned the entire battlefield into a frozen tableau in an instant.

Actually, make that two instants.

Raptor had begun to move even as Tempest's DEEP Arms targeted its weapons on the Earth Forces' ship, and now the Bridge crew watched as Falcon completed the motion. His machine's right hand swept down, beam saber cutting through one of the CGUE's cannons from behind, then swept around and destroyed the other, leaving the mobile suit defenseless.

Before Huckebein could even begin to try a countermove (exactly what, given that all his weapons were gone, no one would ever know), Natarle gently shouldered the nearly-catatonic Flay aside, and snatched Kuzzey's headset. "Attention, all ZAFT forces," she called, noting absently that Sai was removing the troublesome civilian from the Bridge. "I would suggest that you cease combat operations at once. We have someone aboard whom I believe you wouldn't want anything to happen to." She turned Kuzzey's display, bringing Lacus into view. "No doubt you recognize her, but in case you don't, this is Lacus Clyne. As in Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne's daughter." She raised an eyebrow. "Now, I leave it to you to consider what would happen to Miss Clyne if you were to continue your attack." Without waiting for any kind of response, Natarle closed the radio link.

Instantly, Falcon's face appeared on one of the monitors. "You're out of your mind," he hissed; his expressionless mask was still imperfect, following his duel with his former student. "If you were in my unit, Ensign, I'd have you shot; as it is, do you have any idea how ZAFT forces will react to this insane stunt? I know Rau Le Creuset; you can't count on that bastard to care about civilian casualties!"

"Save it, Commander," she advised. "Spare me your complaints until we see how well this works."

His response was unexpected, and most impolite.

Vesalius, Bridge

"Now, this is an unexpected turn of events," Le Creuset murmured. "First Falcon nearly kills his student far faster than I expected, now the Earth Forces once again demonstrate they have no legitimate claim to the moral high ground."

"Sir," Ades said urgently, "they have Miss Clyne. We can't-"

"Yes, I know. Order all forces to cease combat operations and withdraw immediately." The masked man paused. "Oh, and if Commander Huckebein objects, please remind him that our original mission out here is to rescue Miss Clyne... and that the penalty for violating those orders is execution."

"Yes, Sir." The captain didn't hesitate; partly because he, too, was unsure of what Huckebein might do if not kept on a proper leash.

Le Creuset slowly shook his head. No doubt Falcon is about as angry as he ever gets; were he in charge over there, he'd have that woman -whoever she is- summarily shot... as befits someone who uses such a tactic. At least from Falcon's point of view. He smiled to himself. The man always was too much of an idealist. How ironic that he was working on that project, when last he was with us...

Orbit, Exact Coordinates Unknown
Kira Yamato stared at the Archangel with utter shock, Athrun with utter fury. Those Earth Alliance butchers!he snarled to himself. How dare they-!

"How could they...?" Kira whispered. "She's a rescued civilian, not a tool..."

The Aegis swung around to look at the Strike. "Well, Kira?" Athrun demanded. "Can you still claim to be justified in fighting with them? With these cowards? Using a rescued civilian as a hostage... They'll pay for this, Kira!"

"Athrun, I..."

"Listen up, Zala," Falcon cut in coldly. "Bad as this may be, and I agree the good ensign is practicing cowardice, your father is planning something worse. Next time you see him, tell him I know what he's planning to do, and I won't let him do it."

"Spare me your ranting, Commander," Athrun said harshly. "Just understand one thing. I don't care how good you are; I'm gonna rescue Lacus. Bet on it."

His image disappeared from Falcon's screen, and the pilot raised an eyebrow. No, Athrun, he thought. You're not going to rescue her. No, that's my job...

Victor Tempest glared at the Raptor, but he knew better than to attack now. The reminder of the penalty for disobeying orders -or at least these orders- had been unnecessary; whatever his feelings about his former commander might be, his primary objective, like Falcon's, was the protection of the PLANTs. Besides which, he knew he was still on thin ice, after attempting to kill his commander the previous year, on the Grimaldi Front.

"We'll finish this another time, Falcon," he hissed, and hit his thrusters, angling back toward Nacht Jaeger.

"Yes," Falcon murmured. "Another time. Thanks for the souvenir, though..." His rocket anchor shot out, collecting the CGUE's disembodied right hand, still holding the laser sword. Then he keyed his radio. "Kira, return to the Archangel," he said. "There's nothing left to do out here."

"Roger that," Kira answered, sounding subdued.

The battered forces of three ships turned aside, leaving the battlefield to the dead... of which there was all too many.

Archangel, Bridge

"I cannot believe you did that!" Sophia stared at Natarle with a mixture of shock and righteous indignation.

The other woman looked at her defiantly. "I couldn't just sit by and let the Archangel be destroyed," she retorted. "The advance force was gone; what else could we do?"

"Listen to me, Ensign," Sophia said dangerously. "The Earth Forces have had a hard enough time claiming the moral high ground since the Bloody Valentine; do you really want to make things even worse by holding the closest thing they've got to a princess hostage?"

"I repeat, what choice was there?"

The lieutenant slapped her hand on Pal's console. "In case you didn't notice, Ensign Badgiruel, the Strike and my brother had things well in hand out there!"

Natarle shook her head. "That may be what it looked like to you, Lieutenant, but I remind you again that you're not trained for this kind of thing. The Strike was in an effective stalemate with the Aegis, and Commander DiFalco had taken damage. He could well have taken that new CGUE, and probably the remaining GINN from that ship, as well, but there was still a pair of GINNs from Vesalius to consider. And even if he'd managed to take them, I expect Le Creuset would have launched personally."

"Your point?" Sophia's voice was cold, her expression colder. "I'm not sure what you're trying to imply with that last, Ensign."

"She means," Murrue said wearily, "that Rau Le Creuset is one of two pilots still with ZAFT who is reputed to be able to take the Grimaldi Falcon. Now please, Sophia, drop it. What's done it done. However," she went on, raising a hand, "I do intend that we never use such a tactic again. Whatever its tactical merits -which Falcon, I believe, would point out are dubious- we cannot continue to act in such a manner if we are to claim we're better than they are. I'll let it pass this time, but never again." She stared at Natarle. "Is that understood, Ensign?"

The ensign met her gaze levelly. "Yes, Ma'am." Even though regulations permit such actions...

Murrue rubbed her head. The aftermath of this is not going to be easy to live with. I'm really not looking forward to facing Falcon over it... She'd heard his transmission, and didn't doubt for a moment that he meant it. If he'd been in command, Natarle would have been summarily executed, as was the ZAFT way.

"Raptor and Strike have returned, Ma'am," Mir reported.

"Both Nazcas have recovered their mobile suits and withdrawn from the battle area," Tonomura added. "Archangel's immediate vicinity is now clear of all hostiles."

"Good." Murrue finally allowed herself to relax. "Stand down from Level One Battlestations, and resume course to the rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Archangel, Hangar

Falcon powered down his mobile suit, ripped the power cable out of its jack, and opened the hatch, while simultaneously ripping off his helmet. He was in a cold rage, angrier than he had been since learning of Patrick's mad plans.

As he approached the deck, he heard Mu saying something about a curse. "It ain't the ship," he was telling Murdoch, "it's Le Creuset. I'm getting really tired of that guy."

"Le Creuset may be a curse, Mu," Falcon said, struggling to keep his voice even, "but that ensign up there is a menace."

Mu flinched at the tone. "Now look, Falcon, you weren't there; you can't judge-"

The one-eyed pilot's sharp response wasn't the most polite way to call something garbage. "That's right," he added, forcing his voice lower, "I wasn't on the Bridge. No, I was out there, two steps from getting my tail shot off, thanks to those abysmal idiots with the advance force, who could have saved their worthless hides if they'd just had the two brain cells needed to realize Archangel was needed from the start!"

The totally out of character outburst shocked everyone in the compartment. "Uh, Falcon..." his brother began hesitantly.

"That ensign is brighter than they were," Falcon went on, "but apparently she hasn't learned the lesson the Bloody Valentine taught you incompetent eggheads: threatening civilians is a bad way to win a war, and a very good way to make the enemy even more motivated to blow you all to space dust!"

With that, he stormed out of the hangar, his positively thunderous expression clearing a path as well as any physical contact might have.

The way his hand kept twitching toward the katana at his side might have had something to do with it, too.

Kira, having gotten out of the Strike during the explosion, touched down on the deck next to Mu, awe clearly visible on his face. "Uh, well, Lieutenant," he began, a touch off-balance, "I was going to complain about the treatment of Miss Lacus, but..."

"Yeah..." Mu whispered, thunderstruck. "I think Falcon did it for you already..."

Murdoch shook his head. "I didn't know he was capable of getting that angry. 'Course, the way he went after that CGUE out there shoulda told me, but still..." He finally shrugged, and turned to his mechanics. "Okay, you grease monkeys! We got a lot of work to do, so get to it! The Zero needs its engines fixed, and Raptor needs a three new gunbarrels and some patched-up armor..."

Mu shook his head as the head "grease monkey" wandered off. "Good thing we've got that CGUE," he commented to Kira. "I don't think Raptor will be ready in time for the next sortie, and it's even less likely that Falcon will be content to sit it out..."

Kira slowly nodded. "Yeah..."

Archangel, Observation Deck

Ken DiFalco didn't even bother to change out of his flightsuit before heading for the little-used compartment at the rear of the Archangel's superstructure. He was in a foul temper, and as far as he could tell, the place was only used by himself and, occasionally, Kira. Since Kira wasn't around right now...

Two steps in, his hand went to his side, and his blade flashed out. Another step, and it began to move, going through a long-practiced kata, fighting an invisible opponent. "I... am so sick... of this charade!" he snarled, venting his emotions out of earshot of anyone else. "Sick and tired of playing the cursed role! My mission was over!"

The eyepatch-wearing young man careened around the room, swinging his blade again and again, letting out long-pent frustration. No longer was he the ZAFT commander. No longer the deserter with the master plan. Now he was just a man, who was tired of everything at once, but most of all the great, dangerous game he was playing.

"If this is what the Naturals are capable of," Falcon shouted at the bulkheads, "then maybe they deserve it! Maybe I should abandon my mission, and let Patrick do it!" A careless slash grazed his hand, opening a gash that bled into the air, heedless of gravity, unnoticed by him. "I hate this! It's too much for one man to assume, too much for one man to try to stop! The Falcon of Grimaldi, the greatest idiot ZAFT ever produced! You arrogant jackass!"

Ken wheeled around, slashing at the air again and again and again, pushed to his limit and beyond by the enormity of what he was trying to do, to accomplish. With every breath he cursed himself for assuming once more the mantle -the overwhelming responsibility- of the Grimaldi Falcon.

It wasn't the first time. Every so often, the stress got to him, and he exploded. The results were violent, but, mercifully, tended to be brief. But when it happened, he made sure to be far away from anyone else, especially since assuming his current role. He could not afford to break the uncaring mask, not now...

Not that the youth currently cared. All he cared about was releasing all his frustration before it consumed him, led him into fatal errors... and besides, he was just plain mad.

Several minutes into his tirade, a voice broke the silence. "Oh, my. Are you all right, Commander DiFalco?"

Falcon instantly attempted to check his momentum, and instead found himself spinning in place, until he had the presence of mind to jab his sword against the deck. "Lacus? What are you doing here?"

The one-eyed pilot was doing a very good job of hiding the emotions he'd just been venting, but Lacus saw a trace of them on his face anyway. "Mr. Pink wanted to go for a walk," she said, holding up the Haro, "and when he wants that, well, locked doors just don't seem to stand in his way. He always opens them somehow; and this time, we happened to wander in this direction, and I heard faint shouting coming from here. Are you sure you're all right?"

"It's nothing, Lacus," he said quietly, feeling very tired; yet also much more relaxed. "Nothing you need to worry about, at any rate. I just... have a lot on my mind."

"I see..." She tilted her head, looking at his hand. "You appear to be injured, Falcon."

"My own fault; don't worry about it." Falcon turned to look out the viewport. "Ensign Badgiruel's tactics just made me angry, that's all."

"I don't understand," Lacus said, perplexed (or so, at least, she appeared). "What she did successfully ended the fighting, didn't it?"

"Yes," he agreed tightly, "but that is not the sort of conduct one expects from a professional soldier. I do not approve of hostage taking, no matter the reason, no matter the circumstances. It reminds me all too much of the Bloody Valentine, when they blew up almost a quarter of a million people for the crime of growing their own food, simply because those bastards in the sponsor nations had decreed we didn't have the right to."

Lacus sighed. "You carry great sorrow with you, Falcon; and you take responsibility for far too much. Whatever this war may be leading to, it isn't your fault."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Lacus," Falcon said quietly. "I take responsibility for so much because it is my responsibility. However... that also means I try to end to it, and I am. I have a handful of people working toward that goal now..."

She nodded, remembering certain things her bodyguard, Sparky, had mentioned from time to time. "I said I would help in any way I could," she reminded him. "Is there anything I can do?"

"As a matter of fact... yes." He reached into a pocket of his flightsuit, and withdrew his computer; from it, he pulled a small disc. "The schematics on this probably wouldn't make any sense to you -it's pretty technical- but Sparky will know what to do with it. I want you to take this, keep it safe, and get it to him when you return to the PLANTs."

Lacus took the disc, examining it carefully; she had no idea what it might contain, but she would take his word for it. "I'm not certain when it will be possible for me to pass it on, but I'll do my best, Falcon."

"Thank you, Lacus. That's all I ask." The shadow of a smile touched Falcon's face. "And you might have a chance sooner than you think; I have the feeling you won't be remaining on the Archangel too much longer..."

Lacus may have had no idea what was on the disc, and probably wouldn't have understood the technicalities of it if she had, but Falcon was correct: Lance "Sparky" Cooper would know what to do with it.

After all, he was in charge of the operation Falcon had left behind, and knew just how to clandestinely put something into production. He even knew better than to ask questions, even if the design was like nothing ever seen before. He knew that, unknown to most, his commander was more than just a fighter jock: he was also a talented engineer... which meant the file's contents would not surprise him at all.

So one way or another, once Lacus Clyne returned to the PLANTs, a new facet of Ken DiFalco's master plan would be set into motion, as ZGMF-X00A Preybird began construction.

Though, of course, one notation would give even Sparky pause. After all, a mobile suit is of limited utility without sufficient power...

Archangel, Sophia's Quarters

Deep in the night, while Flay Allster languished, unconscious, in the Infirmary, one woman was still very much awake, as she had been every night following a battle since this insane journey from Heliopolis had begun. It was only then that she went back over the day's battle data, while everyone else theoretically slept. It was the only time she would risk it.

Now Sophia DiFalco went over Falcon's clash with the GINNs off of Nacht Jaeger, and the CGUE variant whose pilot he seemed very determined to eliminate. The ruthless efficiency -and ability- with which he'd taken care of his adversaries was something she found very interesting... and worrisome. Not to mention the implicit contradiction: every indication was that Der Schreckick Eins had been a complete success... yet with the exception of Victor Tempest, Falcon had gone out of his way to make sure he caused no fatalities.

So now she pored over Doctor Metzinger's notes and records, painstakingly reconstructed over a period of years, and hoped there might be a clue within the old data. It didn't help that she still hadn't unscrambled all the computer files, but what she had was substantial.

Try as she might, she still hadn't found the key. Some of it was genetic, and Sophia had managed to confirm those; the only exception was a hormonal trigger that ought to have kicked in around when Falcon turned sixteen, but if that eyepatch was any indication, it was no longer possible to find out.

What worried her were Metzinger's references to hypnotic conditioning; triggers left deep in the mind that would also be activated by the proper hormonal responses. But there was no way to tell if the triggers had ever been planted in the first place... which left her right back at square one.

"Well, I know one thing," Sophia muttered to herself, rubbing her temples. "He was right about the La Flaga family traits... and it looks like most of the other genetic tricks worked. But how far along he did he get before the attack?"

It was a question with no clear answer, and it frightened her. Falcon gave every sign of being exactly what Metzinger had wanted... except for that outburst of temper earlier. That did not match the profile in any way, yet everything else did. The key has to be in here somewhere, she thought, but where? Blast it, genetics aren't even my field...

Sophia delved deeper, into sections she hadn't examined before, because they hadn't appeared relevant. Who knew, maybe something seemingly innocuous was responsible... At the least she figured she ought to be learn something more.

Then her fingers paused on the keyboard, and she stared at a file heading. But that's... nobody's found a way to quantify that yet; they're not even sure it exists, let alone how to work with it! But maybe... that's the key to his performance at Junius Seven, and Jachin...

The file was labeled only as Hyper Berserker.

Archangel, Corridor Outside Infirmary

The next day, Falcon had once again donned his trench coat, and not a hint of his outburst the previous day -public or private- could be seen on his face. He was back to his impassive self, which suited the entire ship just fine. They could handle the occasional sharp remark from him -he was a former combat commander, after all- but the cold fury he'd expressed was... discomforting.

If Falcon had shown any warm feelings, the entire crew would probably have died of fright.

The one-eyed pilot allowed an expression of mild puzzlement to cross his face as he neared the Infirmary. He heard something that sounded suspiciously like sobbing, mixed in with shouting.

Mir was approaching from the opposite direction, and their gazes met. "What in the world is going on?" she asked quietly, just as confused.

Falcon shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, Miriallia. Although... I suspect it has something to do with Flay. After what happened yesterday..."

"But she was sleeping peacefully just a little bit ago..."

His expression was grave. "But if she has awakened, her reaction may be very different. Trust me, my friend, I know from experience that of which I speak." Moving decisively -he was not known for hesitation- he went toward the Infirmary hatch. "Come."

It slid open, revealing a sobbing, almost incoherent Flay, held in Sai's arms. At the sound of the opening hatch, she instinctively turned... and took in the sight of a Coordinator, and a man whom she hadn't trusted even from the start.

"You!" Flay shouted, wild rage in her eyes. "My father's gone because of people like you! Because of you Coordinators-!"

"One moment, Flay," Falcon cut in, cool voice easily breaking into her tirade. "You can shout at me all you want in a moment, but give me just a few moments to explain." His eye was cold, and he didn't wait for a response. "As a matter of fact, I have every intention of killing the man who destroyed your father's ship. Like you, I have a personal reason to despise him; but in my case, it wasn't that he killed or threatened a loved one. No, he tried to kill me. So yes, Flay, I know what you're going through, and rest assured, I won't rest until Victor Tempest is dead." He rubbed his eyepatch. "The man is my responsibility," he went on, voice quiet. "He was a member of my team... and my student."

He instantly realized he'd made a tactical error, and possibly a life-long enemy, with those last few words. "You taught him?" Flay shrieked. "You taught my dad's murderer? You're as responsible for his death as if you'd done it yourself!"

Oops.

The accusation didn't faze him, exactly; Falcon had experienced worse, most notably at Junius Seven. No emotional shock was ever going to trump the Bloody Valentine for him. What did disturb Falcon was that he'd just lost any chance of winning Flay over to his side... and more importantly (she was, after all, of little consequence to him under normal circumstances), he might have just created a powerful enemy. Falcon had little doubt that, as George Allster's daughter, Flay wielded a certain amount of influence in the Earth Alliance's hierarchy, and he doubted the influence would have died with her father's death.

Which meant Flay Allster had the power to make Falcon's mission more difficult, which was something he most earnestly wished to avoid. The odds were against him to begin with; the right -or wrong- words in certain ears could complicate things immeasurably.

Well, no help for it. Now it was time for Falcon to make a tactical retreat; no matter how bad his flight might look to Flay -she might take it as admitting his guilt- it didn't really matter. He saw no way he could possibly make things worse.

So, ignoring Flay's continued ranting, Falcon vanished in a flutter of trench coat, seeking out a more congenial atmosphere elsewhere in the ship... just as Kira Yamato arrived on the scene.

Mir watched her friend enter with the sort of morbid fascination with which one observes a car wreck that is inevitable, and occurring right before one's eyes. Oh, no, she thought, in a curiously detached manner. If Falcon's words were bad, the sight of Kira... Mir had heard about Kira's promise to Flay, that everything would be all right, and now she watched in silence, knowing that those words were about to come back to bite him.

"You!" Flay shrieked, struggling in Sai's grip like an animal attempting to escape. "You lied to me! You promised me everything was going to be all right, but you failed! You lied, and now my dad's dead, because of you and that ZAFT pilot!" Her lips twisted in hate. "You didn't even try to fight, did you?" she accused. "No, you wouldn't have... because you're a Coordinator, too!"

Flay shrieked, struggling in Sai's grip like an animal attempting to escape. "You lied to me! You promised me everything was going to be all right, but you failed! You lied, and now my dad's dead, because of you and that ZAFT pilot!" Her lips twisted in hate. "You didn't even to fight, did you?" she accused. "No, you wouldn't have... because a Coordinator, too!"

Time seemed to freeze as that shot hit home, and Mir watched Kira, torn between concern for him and horror at Flay's accusation. Flay, how could you?

Kira shook his head, trying to clear it. "I... I..." Suddenly, he whirled around and raced from the Infirmary, leaving a ranting, snarling Flay behind him.

Mir started to follow him, getting as far as the corridor. "Kira, wait!"

Falcon, leaning against the bulkhead next to the hatch, touched her shoulder and slowly shook his head. "Let him go, amigo," he said quietly. "Kira needs to sort things out by himself, at least for now."

"And when he's done as much as he can by himself?" Mir demanded. "Then what, Falcon? Who can help him? None of us have ever been through anything like this..."

"Not quite true," he contradicted softly. "I know what it's like to set yourself a task -an important task, where lives are at stake- and fail. I've seen it from Flay's position, and Kira's; I've been there. You try to save a life, and you fail... and others blame you, or you blame yourself. All you can do... is move on. Dwelling on the past won't change it... but you can bloody well make sure those who die do not do so in vain."

She looked at him oddly. "That's what you're trying to do, isn't it? You're trying to make sure those whose lives were sacrificed in your past didn't do so in vain."

Falcon nodded. "Yes. I fight for Endymion... and the Bloody Valentine." He squeezed her shoulder. "Excuse me, amigo. There are things I must attend to."

"One more thing," Mir called after him, as he moved to follow Kira. "Just what is it you're fighting against?"

The one-eyed pilot paused. "Patrick Zala, and his dreams of genocide," he said simply, and then he was gone.

Archangel, Observation Deck

Kira shut the hatch behind himself, and slammed his fists against the tough viewport. Why? he shouted inside his mind. Why did it have to end like this? Why can't anyone understand?

The look of hate in Flay's eyes had shaken him badly, not to mention adding to his own load of psychological baggage. It was getting to be too much. Traitor, he thought in despair. That's what Garcia called Falcon, so maybe I am, too... I fought against Athrun, against my own kind, but I couldn't save Flay's father, either... Urgh!

Kira let out a scream of rage, sorrow, and despair, the cry of anguish echoing against the bulkheads much as Falcon's earlier rampage had... but this time, someone heard.

Haro had opened the hatch again, so Lacus Clyne had once again been wandering the corridors. She'd headed for the observation deck in part to see if Falcon was once again railing at himself, and the sounds she'd heard had seemed to confirm it. But now she entered, and found Kira against the viewport, silent tears trailing down his face.

"Mr. Yamato?" she called. "Are you all right?"

Kira looked up quickly, surprised by her sudden entrance. "Miss Lacus? What are you doing here?" How did she get out again...? He thought about asking, but decided he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"I was going for a walk," Lacus explained, "or Haro was, anyway; and we happened to be headed in this direction when I heard shouting. I was concerned, so I thought perhaps I should see if anything was wrong." Coming close, beside him at the viewport, she raised a hand, as if to wipe the tears from his face.

He quickly drew back, and swept a sleeve across his eyes. "You really shouldn't be here," Kira said, trying to cover his confused emotions. "You should go back to your quarters before someone sees you; this is an Earth Forces ship, after all."

That didn't disturb her in the slightest. As far as she could tell, only one person on the Archangel actively had anything against Coordinators, and only one would try to use her for anything.

So instead, Lacus examined the young man's face. Clearly, his emotions were in turmoil; she wondered why. "That fighting seems to be over," she commented, as an opener.

Kira nodded. "Yeah... and it's thanks to you, you know."

"So why... do you seem so sad?"

"Well, the truth is..." He hesitated. "The truth is, I'm getting tired of all these battles," he said finally. "I... I never wanted anything to do with the war..."

Lacus watched him intently. "Do you regret the part you've taken in Archangel's survival?"

Kira blinked, surprised, then emphatically shook his head. "No, not really... I regret the circumstances that it made it necessary, but I don't regret doing it... I just wish I didn't have to."

She nodded. "You sound much like Commander DiFalco, you know."

His expression turned sheepish. "Well... he did talk me into flying the Strike, in the first place. And showed me how neither of us had any choice about what we were doing; that it had to be done... But still, I can't understand how he can do this so easily..."

"It isn't easy, Kira," Falcon said, entering the compartment. "That's the answer. My calm exterior may suggest that it's easy... but like I told you, I'm capable of fear." He crossed his arms. "Flay's words got to you, didn't they, amigo?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah... I... I should have... There must have been something I could have done!" he burst out. "There must have been some way to save Flay's father!"

The ace sighed. "Listen to me, Kira. Maybe you could have done something, maybe you couldn't. But the past is past; you can't change it." He seemed to come to a decision. "Let me give you an example. You know where I was, on the Bloody Valentine? You know what I did?"

"You were in the cockpit, right?" Kira guessed, uncertain of where the other pilot was going with this. "Fighting against the Earth Forces?"

Surprisingly, it was Lacus that spoke next. "Yes, he was... but there was more to it than that."

Falcon nodded. "Yes. Kira, what few people realize is that the Bloody Valentine has an additional burden for me." He took a deep breath. "I had the Moebius carrying the nuclear missile in my sights, just moments before he launched... and I missed. The entire colony, gone, just because I missed." He clenched a fist. "Over half my team died in the explosion; we were closest, and I wasn't the only one born in Junius Seven. I was just outside the blast radius when the nuke finally went off, along with my then-commander; that's how I ended up as second-in-command, and from there with a team of my own."

Kira blinked, assimilating this new information. More pieces of the puzzle that was Ken DiFalco fell into place, and certain things clicked. No wonder he's so cold... He's lost so much, he can't afford to care anymore...

He wasn't quite correct, but neither was he entirely wrong...

"I'm sorry," he offered quietly.

Falcon shrugged. "As I said, the past is past. What I'm trying to tell you, Kira, is that sometimes, no matter how good you are, no matter that you do everything right, things will go wrong. The Bloody Valentine will haunt me to the end of my days, but I can accept, at least intellectually, that there was nothing more that I could have done." He gave his protégé a penetrating look. "Just as you could have done no more to save George Allster. Lacus' fiancé kept you occupied with a threat you couldn't afford to ignore."

Kira nodded at first, slowly, and the jerked, as something else the pilot had said registered. "Wha? Lacus' fiancé?"

Lacus, too, was surprised, but for a slightly different reason. "What? Athrun was out there?"

Falcon raised a hand. "One question at a time, please. Yes, Lacus, Athrun was out there; he pilots the Aegis these days, one of the mobile suits ZAFT stole from Heliopolis. He was, shall we say, less than pleased by Ensign Badgiruel's tactics." His gaze flicked over to Kira. "And yes, amigo, Athrun is Lacus' fiancé. I heard about it not long before I left the PLANTs; the son of Patrick Zala becoming, by parental arrangement, the fiancé of the daughter of Siegel Clyne. It was all over the news for a week." Actually, it had been a touch longer than that; Lacus Clyne was quite famous in the PLANTs.

I'd have thought Kira would have heard about it, he mused. On the other hand, he didn't know Athrun was with ZAFT, either; guess the two haven't kept in touch.

Lacus sighed. "It's just so sad that you and Athrun are forced to fight one another," she said quietly. "You're both good people; you shouldn't have to endure such pain."

Kira shrugged. "Well... I'm not the only one."

Falcon immediately caught his drift. "That may be, Kira, but Dearka and I at least understand each other a little better; maybe because we've kept in touch a little better than you two have. He doesn't know what I'm up to, and frankly, I think he thinks I'm out of my mind, but Dearka realizes that I sincerely believe I'm acting in the best interests of the PLANTs. Athrun..." He shrugged. "It's hard to say. I helped train the guy, and it always seemed to me that he was fighting more for the Bloody Valentine than anything else. It was personal, for him."

"That sounds like Athrun, all right." Kira lowered his gaze. "He told me he lost his mother there; and with his father a high-ranking official..."

"High-ranking is putting it mildly." The ace glanced at Lacus. "Patrick is still leader of ZAFT, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, he is. He and my father have begun to disagree on certain matters, but Committee Chairman Zala is still a valued member of the Council."

"I'm sure." Inwardly, Falcon was disgusted. Chairman, if you had any sense, you'd get the ball rolling and have your old friend removed from his position. Patrick's radical faction is gaining strength in the Council... which may lead to the very thing I fear the most...

Unaware of Falcon's thoughts, Lacus turned to gaze out the viewport. "If only this war would end... soon."

The ace and the accidental pilot exchanged glances, and Falcon nodded slightly. "I'm working on it," he informed the pop star. "Just give me a little time for my plans to reach fruition..." He suddenly shook his head, as if realizing he'd said more than he'd intended. "If you two will excuse me, I have more planning to do."

With a flutter of trench coat, the pilot was gone, and Lacus turned to Kira. "I don't remember Falcon being like that," she said softly. "Something is truly frightening him."

Kira nodded. "I know. He won't tell any of us what it is, though; not even Lieutenant La Flaga." He looked over at the hatch through which Falcon had exited. "None of us really have any idea what he's trying to do..."

Unknown to either them or Falcon, Kuzzey Buskirk had heard the whole conversation, and now he made his own discreet exit.

Archangel, Falcon's Quarters

In near-total darkness, Falcon worked his pocket computer like a master pianist. The Archangel's computer might have been better suited to the task, but he couldn't risk leaving any traces of this work where the crew might find it. They... would not approve.

He was privately certain that Kira would soon make an attempt to return Lacus to ZAFT, and now Falcon had every intention of aiding him. The girl had, with her agreement to pass the data along to Sparky, become a small but important piece of his plan; if the data reached his old comrade, another, even more important part of the plan would be set in motion.

But in order for Kira to succeed, certain obstacles had to be overcome. Archangel's security systems were formidable, and Kira, for all his computer programming skills, was not a hacker. That meant Falcon needed to take a hand... but very, very carefully.

Providing Kira with a means to bypass security was the only assistance the ex-ZAFT flyer could give him before the rescue was actually underway. In order for the larger plan to succeed, Falcon could not afford to jeopardize his position on the Archangel. He had the distinct feeling that they would somehow play a critical role themselves, so he needed to be careful.

Once Kira had actually launched, however, the situation would change, bringing another set of variables into play. Under those circumstances, Falcon could legitimately launch, and his CGUE, while not as powerful as the damaged Raptor, would at least make ZAFT -and more specifically, Rau Le Creuset- think twice about trying to take advantage of the situation. Especially now that he'd recovered Tempest's high-tech blade.

Finally, after an hour of code-writing and -cracking, Falcon closed down the pocket computer, shut down the sole active light, and exited his cabin.

Archangel, Kira's Quarters

Kira lay on his bunk in the dark, thinking. The revelations of his conversation with Lacus and Falcon -especially the news that Lacus was Athrun's fiancé- had made him reevaluate what he should be doing. He knew he had to protect the Archangel, and his friends... but it now came to him that, perhaps, there was something else he should be doing, too.

Lacus shouldn't be kept prisoner like this, he thought angrily. She's supposed to be a guest, not a POW; she's a human being, not a bargaining chip. They had no right to use her like that.

Unfortunately, Kira didn't have the slightest idea what he could do about it. He'd need transportation, most likely meaning the Strike -Raptor was in urgent need of repair, and Falcon's CGUE was reputedly rigged to explode if unauthorized access was attempted- and that could present a problem. He was good with computers, but if there were security systems set up...

A knock came at the hatch; Kira ignored it, not really wanting to talk to anybody just then. Even when it was repeated, he didn't move.

Then, to his surprise, the hatch beeped, accepting the authorized access code, and slid open. "Wha-?"

"Good evening, Kira," Falcon said quietly, closing the hatch behind him. Strangely, he seemed not at all inconvenienced by the darkness. "I thought I'd find you here."

Kira was too surprised to be irritated at the intrusion. "Falcon, what are you doing here? In the middle of the night, of all times?"

The ace smiled thinly, unseen in the dimness. "You want to get Lacus out, don't you?"

His younger friend started in greater surprise. "How'd you-"

"Come now, Kira, you're not that hard to read. Besides, you remind me of myself, a year or so ago, and that's what I'd have done." Falcon tapped his computer. "You have the motive, I have the means. I can muddle the security cameras, release the hatch locks along the way, and override any security on the Strike. I doubt that last will be much of a problem, thought; why bother putting extra security on it, when you and I are the only people aboard who are even capable of flying it?"

Kira sat up. "You're serious about this, Falcon?"

"Yeah. But listen, Kira: all I can do for now is override security. I can't afford to do anything overt at this point, because I don't dare do anything that could jeopardize my position on this ship." Falcon's voice was as cool as ever, but Kira thought he could detect a slightly more serious tone than usual. "Believe me, there's more at stake than Lacus' fate here. However, even she wasn't a decent human being who doesn't deserve this, she has one other important quality: I need her. Another part of my plan can only unfold if she reaches the PLANTs safely."

"I understand." Actually, Kira didn't; but he'd learned to trust Falcon's judgment, these last few days on the Archangel. He was, quite clearly, up to something, and it seemed in the best interests of everything to let it proceed. Besides, Falcon's intentions coincided with his own, this time. "When do we start?"

Falcon opened the hatch again. "Now, while most people are still asleep. It'll take time to organize a response." He gave his friend a measuring look. "You do realize they'll court martial you for this, right?"

Kira smiled. "You know what they say, Falcon: sometimes the right thing to do isn't the right thing to do."

The ace gave another ghostly smile. "You're learning, kid." Though where he came across a copy of Falcon's Lessons of War... Wait a minute; Mu probably has a copy, and it'd be just like him to show Kira..

Archangel, Corridor

As they moved cautiously through the darkened corridors, Kira gave the one-eyed pilot a questioning look. "By the way, you said you wouldn't be able to do anything overt before I launch, right? What about after?"

"After," Falcon explained, "I'll have the perfect excuse to launch: keeping an eye on you, and making sure ZAFT doesn't try anything funny. Besides... I'm sure Mu and Murrue will understand if I want a crack at Rau. I hate that bastard's guts, and I've never bothered to hide it."

"Hmm..." Kira could believe that. According to Mu, though Falcon and Le Creuset had served in the same team from the time of the blockade in 69 till just after the Battle of Jachin Due in 70, the two had never liked each other; and for some reason, following the Battle of Endymion, that dislike heated up to outright hatred on Falcon's part.

The pilot paused by a bulkhead terminal, and jacked his pocket computer into it. "Here goes," he muttered under his breath. "Inserting virus... now."

Falcon was good. As far as the crew was concerned, nothing happened; but within Archangel's mainframe, programs altered themselves, disconnecting security measures and feeding the cameras recorded footage. For the next half hour, Kira would be able to move with relative safety through the ship.

The ace turned to Kira. "Okay, kid, you've got half an hour. Make it count."

The younger teen nodded. "Thanks, Falcon. I will."

"Good luck." Falcon withdrew his computer from the terminal, tucked into his coat, and moved silently away from the scene.

After he'd departed, Kira continued on his way to Lacus' quarters. He wished he still had Falcon's company for this, but understood that there were limits to what he could risk. Besides, he could handle this himself.

He reached the appropriate hatch, and hesitated. If this doesn't work... Well, no more time for that. I've gone this far, and I can't turn back. Kira opened the hatch.

The first thing to notice him was the pink Haro. "What's up?" it questioned in its simpleminded -and irritating- way.

That got Lacus' attention, and she blearily sat up. "Mr. Yamato...? Is something wrong?" She was groggy, with no idea what the pilot who'd taken her aboard might be doing here at this hour.

Kira raised a finger to his lips. "Please, keep your voice down," he whispered. "I'm getting you out of here."

Archangel, Falcon's Quarters

Falcon watched through his computer feed -the only terminal on the ship getting the true signal- as Kira led Lacus through the ship's darkened side passages. Good, Kira, he thought approvingly. Only take the obvious route when it's so obvious no one will expect it... Just like Operation Spit Break. He shook his head. Now why did that come to mind? That plan hasn't even been approved by the Council, last I heard... And in the position he'd once held, he heard a lot.

He frowned abruptly, as he noticed something amiss in his carefully- considered plan. Sai and Mir were out and about, going along a corridor that would shortly connect with the one Kira and Lacus were traveling. "This could be a problem," he murmured, tapping keys. "Is there any way to divert them...? No, didn't think so." Falcon hissed to himself; there was nothing -well, almost nothing- he hated more than to see a well-made plan go awry.

Well, that's the breaks in this business. As they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy. What I hadn't considered was that it might not survive contact with a friend...

As anticipated, the two pairs soon ran into each other; but Kira had seen his friends coming, and got Lacus behind a bulkhead support before they could notice her.

"Hey, guys," he said innocently, on the screen. "Didn't think you'd be up this late."

Sai raised his eyebrows. "Likewise, Kira; you're not usually wandering around this late, either."

"Couldn't sleep?" Mir questioned.

"Yeah, something like that." Come on, Kira thought urgently. Just go away, please, before you see something you shouldn't...

Too late.

Mir blinked, catching a glimpse of the Pink Princess' distinct dress. "Wha...?"

Kira winced, while Lacus came out from concealment and offered a shy smile. "Um, good evening."

Sai's gaze went back and forth between them, finally settling on Kira. "Kira," he began, "just what are you doing...?"

The Coordinator glanced away. "I can't let this continue, Sai. Lacus isn't a tool; I have to get her out of here before something like that happens again." He raised his eyes, meeting Sai's gaze. "Please, just leave, and forget you ever saw us."

Falcon quietly cursed to himself as the two exchanged glances. "This," he muttered, "is not convenient."

Mir finally nodded, and Sai turned back to Kira. "We'll help."

Kira blinked. "You will?"

"Of course. And besides," the student with the orange glasses added with a smile, "I really don't want to see Falcon kill Ensign Badgiruel; which I think he might, if we don't get Miss Lacus out of here."

You have no idea, the Coordinator thought. Aloud, he said, "Thanks, guys. Now, we'd better get going; we don't have much time."

The four began moving again, much to Falcon's relief, and Mir gave Kira a sidelong look. "Not much time? Let me guess: Falcon's wrapped up in this somehow. Computer virus, right?"

Lacus smothered a laugh at the pilot's reaction. "Uh, I'm really not at liberty to say just now..."

Sai chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Kira. The secret's safe with us."

"Thanks, Sai."

Falcon's muscles relaxed. In this case, the new variable was not a threat to the plan. Actually, this could be to my advantage; if nothing else, their aid will make Murrue, Mu, and -especially- Ensign Badgiruel less likely to look for another suspect...

Noticing that the foursome were nearing the pilots' locker room, Falcon shut down his computer, doffed his trench coat, and removed his uniform jacket, replacing them with his flight suit... carefully connected to the socket in his chest, of course.

Within moments, his cabin was empty once more.

Archangel, Hangar

Falcon, now ostensibly doing some late-night work on his CGUE in case of emergency, surreptitiously watched as Kira and Lacus entered from one of the upper hatches, accompanied by Sai and Mir. Here we go... Don't screw this one up, kid. You've only got one chance.

Kira, now in his flightsuit, pushed himself over to the Strike, giving it a quick once-over. "All clear," he called after a moment.

Sai and Mir guided a now-spacesuited Lacus over to the machine, totally unaware that they were being watched. "Good luck, Miss Lacus."

"Thank you," Lacus replied, entering the cockpit. "I hope we meet again someday."

"Maybe we will," he murmured.

"Hopefully, after the war is over," Mir added. "If we survive it, that is. Take care."

Sai glanced at Kira, who was now powering up the Strike's systems. "Kira, you'll be back, right?"

Kira looked at him, startled. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll be coming back to the Archangel, right? To us?" Sai, having heard Kuzzey's report about Kira's connection to the Aegis' pilot, was genuinely concerned. "You won't... be tempted to stay behind, or anything?"

"Of course not," Kira told readily, unaware of the reason for his friend's concern. "You know I wouldn't do that. I'll be right back, don't worry." He hit a couple more switches. "Sorry, guys, but I've really got to get going now, while there's still time."

Mir nodded. "Good luck, Kira. We'll be waiting for you."

Strike's hatch sealed, and the machine got into motion... just as a lower hatch opened, admitting Kojiro Murdoch and a couple of his mechanics. "Huh? Hey, what's going on here? You're not supposed to be launching!"

Sai and Mir were making rapid and -hopefully- discrete exits, while Falcon stuck his head out of the CGUE's cockpit. He didn't bother to affect surprise; it would, in fact, be as out of character as his earlier outburst. "Looks like Kira's getting Lacus out," he told the mechanic. "I wouldn't recommend getting in his way."

"I'm not stupid," Murdoch retorted. "I know better than to get in the way of that much battle armor. But what about you? Aren't you gonna do something about it?"

Falcon pulled on his helmet. "I'll be launching to chase him as soon as I get clearance from the Bridge, don't worry."

Without further ado, he ducked back into the cockpit.

Archangel, Bridge

Murrue had been relaxing in her chair, idly considering what to do next. Until the alarms went off, anyway.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"It's the Strike, Ma'am," Natarle responded from CIC, while Chandra and Tonomura rapidly typed commands, trying to figure out what was happening. "He's launching!"

Mu's face appeared on a monitor. "He's getting the girl out, Captain; too late to stop him now." He shrugged. "Looks like he planned it pretty well; knew the kid was smart."

"Too smart," Natarle muttered. "Do we have anything ready to go after him?"

"Falcon's already down there, prepping his CGUE," the Hawk answered. "Apparently, he was doing some routine maintenance when this came up."

"Convenient," Murrue said to herself. Too convenient. You had a part in this, didn't you, Falcon? Not that we'll ever find a scrap of evidence. You're too careful for that, aren't you, Falcon? "Well, we'd better send him out," she said aloud. "What's he got for weapons? Anything that can stand up to the Aegis, if the need arises?"

"He's got that particle cannon it was equipped with when he brought it aboard, though Mr. Murdoch is still outfitting the laser sword Falcon retrieved from Tempest's machine to work with it. He's good to go."

"All right. Give Falcon the order to launch; and Lieutenant, you'd better suit up and head out, too."

Mu saluted. "Aye aye."

His image disappeared, and Sophia muttered an imprecation under her breath. "Falcon had something to do with this, didn't he?"

Murrue nodded slowly. "Probably, but we'll never prove it, and you know it." She smiled wearily. "You know him: always has his own agenda, whether he'll admit it or not. In this case, though, I suppose he's just being altruistic."

"Maybe..." Sophia (correctly) had her doubts, but she let it pass.

Vesalius, Bridge

"We've confirmed a mobile suit launch from the legged ship, Commander," a crewman reported. "One of their G-weapons... Wait a second, we've got a second launch. A... CGUE?"

"That would be Commander DiFalco," Le Creuset murmured. "Reports did say he vanished along with his machine; he must have stashed it somewhere, and picked it up along the way... I assume the G-weapon is the Strike?"

"Yes, Sir. The CGUE appears to be pursing it... I think. Might be an escort, but it looks like it was launched to pursue."

"Hmm. So either Falcon has another trick up his sleeve, or the Strike pilot is pulling something on his own." The commander steepled his fingers, deep in thought. "Man battlestations, but don't initiate combat just yet. Something is going on here, and I want to see what." This is partly Falcon's doing... I know it.

"Receiving a transmission from the Strike, Captain."

Ades nodded to the Com officer, and turned to Le Creuset. "Commander?"

"Put it through," he ordered. "I want to hear what the impetuous young pilot has to say."

"This is the pilot of the Strike." Kira's voice came through clearly. "I have Miss Lacus Clyne with me; I'm here to return her to you. However, I will do so only under these conditions: that your ship cut engines, and that we be met only by the pilot of the Aegis."

"This must be a trap," Ades said, frowning. "They'd never let such a bargaining chip go."

"No." Le Creuset shook his head. "No, Captain, I don't think so. I sense Falcon's hand in this, and one thing he would never do is use a civilian as a tool. Still, he's also not above using such a situation to his advantage, if someone else is doing it..." He sighed. "That's the problem with trying to out-think the man: he's brilliant, and very devious." For once, he actually didn't really know what to do.

Athrun solved the problem for him. "Commander," he called from the Aegis' cockpit, "please, let me go out there."

"But we don't even know if Miss Clyne is aboard it," Ades protested. "It could still be a trap."

"I'm willing to risk it," the pilot said firmly.

Le Creuset shrugged. "Very well, go ahead."

"Thank you, Sir," Athrun said gratefully, and winked out.

Ades turned to his commander. "Are you certain this is a good idea, Sir? As I said, it could well be a trap; and you yourself said it's hard to predict Commander DiFalco."

Le Creuset smiled. "True enough. But think, Ades: this could also be seen as an opportunity for us, as well. Cut engines, but prepare to start them again at my command; and ready my CGUE for launch." All right, Falcon. Soon, you'll have what you always wanted: a chance at me. Which of us will survive?

Space, Between Archangel and Vesalius
Now we find out if I'm brilliant or stupid, Falcon thought, checking his weapons for the tenth time since launch. Right now, I'd say it's even money either way. Which probably means brilliant; the last time I bet on fifty-fifty odds, Halberton ended up owing me money...

Not that he was counting on anything. No plan survived contact with the enemy, and whatever Kira might think, Athrun Zala was the enemy. Not to mention Rau Le Creuset, whom Falcon trusted not at all.

Kira was less pessimistic. "Looks like it's working, Falcon. How does it look on your end?"

"Hey, I'm supposing to be pursing you, not helping you, remember?" Falcon gave a ghost of a smile; though if they hadn't been on a private frequency, he'd have been less sanguine about the whole thing. "You're right," he went on, "it looks good; but while I expect your friend is being level with us, I'm not so sure about his boss."

"That's what you're here for, right?"

"True." The pilot's single eye narrowed. "If I get the chance, I am going to kill that man..."

Soon enough, the X303 Aegis came close, verniers reversing thrust to slow the machine to a stop relative to the Strike. "Kira?" its pilot called. "Is that you?"

"Athrun." Strike's rifle came up, pointed directly at Aegis' hatch. "Open your cockpit!"

Athrun complied, showing both that he was alone and that he was willing to risk having a beam shot straight into his gut. "Is she with you?"

In response, Kira opened his own cockpit, and looked at Lacus. "Say something," he told her. "Athrun can't see your face from here; he has to know that it's really you."

She nodded in understanding. "Hello, Athrun!" she called. "I'm very glad to see you!"

"It's Lacus," Athrun confirmed, relieved.

"Then get ready to receive her." Kira gently pushed his passenger out of the cockpit, imparting enough momentum for her to reach the Aegis.

All right, looks like something is going according to plan, at least, Falcon thought. We just might pull this off.

Athrun caught Lacus, and turned to Kira. "Thanks, Kira," he called.

His old friend nodded. "Make sure she gets to ZAFT territory safely, Athrun."

"I will."

Lacus nodded to Athrun, and looked back at Kira. "Thank you for everything you've done, Mr. Yamato! And Athrun, you as well." Somehow, she knew Falcon didn't need to be thanked. He knew what she'd have said, and he hadn't been doing it solely for her... which reminded her of the data she carried.

Now Athrun hesitated, looking back at the Strike. "Kira," he said at last, "You come with us, too! There's no more reason for you to remain with the Earth Forces!"

Kira's eyes went wide. "Athrun... I..."

Memories went through his head. "You'll be coming back to the Archangel, right? To us?"

"To protect that which you wish to protect, you may have to do something you don't want to."

He looked over at the CGUE, remembering Falcon's words, then turned back to Athrun. "I'm sorry, Athrun, but... I can't. There are still people on the ship that I feel obligated to protect." He twitched the vernier controls, pushing the Strike back. "My friends are still there!"

Athrun looked away, pained. "Then I don't have a choice, Kira," he said softly. "The next time we meet in battle, I'll do my best to shoot you down!"

"Same here," Kira whispered.

Strike's cockpit sealed, and he turned away, moving back toward the Archangel.

It was the moment Rau Le Creuset had been waiting for. "Now, start up the engines, Ades!" Simultaneous with the order, he hit the control to launch his CGUE out of the catapult.

Instantly, Falcon drew his sword in a smooth motion. "This is my cue. Kira, get back to the ship; I'll handle this."

Mu's Zero, finally catching up to them, assumed a position to the Strike's left. "Do as he says," he ordered. "You and I are returning to the Archangel."

Kira was reacting quite as well as his mentor to this turn of events. "Lieutenant...?"

"Did you really think they'd just sit back and watch?" The Hawk was disgusted. "Now c'mon; Falcon can take it from here."

So the Strike is getting away, Le Creuset thought. Pity; but I still have a shot at Falcon, and he's almost as dangerous to us as the Strike and legged ship combined.

He keyed his radio. "Athrun, return to the Vesalius with Miss Clyne immediately!"

"Commander...?" Confused, Athrun obeyed orders; puzzled or not, he didn't want to be anywhere near the coming confrontation.

As usual, Falcon's introduction did not consist of words. The ascending wail did the job just as well, and also clearly announced his intentions; though his drawn weapon didn't hurt, either.

"So, you've come to block my path, have you?" Le Creuset chuckled. "This time, we're both in CGUEs, Falcon; time to see which of us is really the better pilot."

"Yeah." Falcon's eye narrowed. "Come at me, Rau. We'll settle this in battle."

They both had blades out, and they clashed almost instantly, before breaking away. Falcon followed up by unleashing a burst from his shield-gatling, which Le Creuset's machine took on its shield.

"We'll be at this all day, Falcon," the masked man grunted, swinging at the gray CGUE's head (he knew better than to try to use his machine gun against the Grimaldi Falcon). "Why don't you just surrender, so we can talk this over?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Rau," Falcon replied, blocking the slash with his arm and receiving a gash in it for his troubles. "You know as well as I do why I left; there's no way I'm going back."

"Pity. You were the best, Falcon." Le Creuset wasn't kidding. Another attack from Falcon cost his CGUE its left hand and the tip of the shield-gatling, rendering it useless. Now he was getting nervous.

"Yeah, that's right. Except for one thing: I'm still the best." Falcon gripped the sword in both hands, and struck Le Creuset's with all the might in the huge hands.

The white CGUE's blade was wrenched from its remaining hand, sending it spiraling off into space, and the commander knew he was in trouble. But he still hand one weapon left.

He reached back for his machine gun, only to find a beam going right through it. "Back off!" Kira shouted from near the Archangel. "Just let us go!"

Le Creuset cursed at himself; he hadn't expected the Strike to try an attack in this situation. "We'll finish this another day, Falcon!" he called, and reversed course, back toward his own ship.

"I've heard that before, Rau," Falcon murmured. "C'mon, Mu, Kira," he said, keying his radio. "Time to RTB. Mission accomplished."

Now Falcon's plan was one small step closer to completion.

Author's note: Lacus Clyne has returned to ZAFT… and taken with her another piece of Falcon's overall plan. What is he up to, and why?

Before I get to the responses, I have one question: can anyone tell me what the name of the song from Phase 40 is, when the Kusanagi is launching? I've managed to track down Meteor, but it's a little difficult to find a song on a soundtrack if I don't know the name of it.

RVD, I'm not precisely sure if what you said meant you liked the chapter; but in any case, I'll try to have things a little more original form here on out. I'll be inserting a few things that definitely weren't in the series starting with the events of Phase 13; it'll get even stranger from there.

NukeDawg, a "huge" amount of hate is about right; and later on, it probably won't get much better. I'm planning an occasion where Falcon causes her some interference later. Actually, probably more than one…

I'm looking forward to your next update, as always; your story is getting more intriguing all the time.

Infinite Freedom, I do not have the slightest idea exactly which chapter will first feature the Preybird. I know when it'll be chronologically -just as I know exactly where and when Raptor will be destroyed- but I can't say exactly which chapter that'll be. I've given up on predicting how many chapters it'll take me to get to any given scene.

As to your other question, I'll write a one-shot about that sequence if I ever happen to think up the particulars. I never really thought much about it, myself; it just seemed to be the sort of thing one would do at the end of a war, I guess.

Ominae, that may not be the last "variation" mobile suit Tempest will turn up in. It certainly won't be the last MS, period; there's the desert to consider, for one thing…

Centurious, glad you liked it. By the way, how's your story coming?

ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice, now you know who won the battle. And, of course, this is far from the last confrontation the two will have…

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, having never played Halo, I can honestly say that taking any ideas from it never occurred to me. Matter of fact, I'm not really an X Box fan at all; don't have one, never played one, though I've heard bad things about its controllers.

Looks like I've said everything that needed to be said. Let me know if the chapter was any good. -Solid Shark