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

Cousteau, Briefing Room, March 25th, C.E. 71
"We have two problems facing us," Athrun began, ignoring Yzak's glower. "First, figuring out where the legged ship is, and what to do about it."

"That's simple," Yzak said with a snort. "We tell Orb to give up the legged ship, and if they don't, we go in after it."

The blue-haired pilot shook his head. "Yzak, that wouldn't be a good idea. The diplomatic repercussions of such a move would not please the Supreme Council; and we're not even sure that the ship is even still there. For all we know, the official statement may be the truth."

Duel's pilot snorted again. "Come on; don't tell me you believe that passel of lies. It's ridiculous! How can they expect us to believe such nonsense?" He shook his head. "No, Athrun, what we should do is force our way in and have a look for ourselves."

It was Dearka's turn to disagree. "Somehow, I don't think it's that simple, Yzak." He looked over at their nominal superior. "Here's where you point out the second problem, right?"

Athrun nodded. "Yes: that machine from two days ago. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't an Earth Forces machine; if it were, the legged ship would have deployed it against us long ago. Besides which, its technology was far superior even to our G-weapons. As far as it was concerned, we might as well have been mobile armors."

"So you're saying it was an Orb unit?" Nicol asked.

Another nod. "Probably. They have the weapons-development capability to pull it off, and probably the resources." He frowned. "What really worries me is that the machine was clearly incomplete, and yet it still defeated us with ease. I don't want to think about what it might do when fully-operational."

Yzak scowled. "So what are we supposed to do, then? Just leave, and let them get away with this garbage? I don't think the homeland would be very happy with us..."

Athrun shook his head. "I never said we going to just leave, Yzak. I'm well aware of the threat that ship poses to us; and the perhaps greater threat posed by Commander DiFalco. No, we'll take a look... but carefully. We'll go in undercover, and scout around that way."

Nicol nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea, Athrun; if the ship is there, we'll find it, and if it isn't, we haven't lost anything."

Dearka frowned, considering it. "Well... I can't say I like it," he said slowly. "But with Falcon out there... I'd say it's our best option. It's one thing I don't think he'll expect."

Yzak strode to the hatch. "I don't like it," he declared. "But, if that's your order, Commander Zala, then I guess I can live with it." He smiled suddenly; and it was not a pleasant sight. "Besides... maybe I'll finally get to see the face of the Strike pilot."

He left; and Dearka wondered privately why Athrun looked so disturbed by those parting remarks.

Archangel, Bridge
Natarle stood at the bow of the Bridge, looking out at the rest of the ship, and the vast drydock beyond. It seemed very quiet there, with the ship's engines silent, and no sounds of battle.

She still wasn't happy about the decision to give Orb the Strike's battle data, and loan them Kira Yamato for technical support; but she'd decided if she had to live with it, there was no point in fuming about it all the time. I think it's the wrong decision, but it's not my decision to make. And even she admitted that they did need the repairs; she just thought they were paying for it the wrong way.

The elevator hatch slid open, and Murrue stepped onto the Bridge. "Hello, crew," she greeted. "I trust everything is going as it should?"

Natarle glanced up. "The last of the Morgenroete engineers have arrived," she said, glancing out the viewport again. "They've already begun work on the repairs."

"I didn't expect them to be able to start this soon," the Captain remarked. "So, where's Kira?"

"He's already gone to the Morgenroete facilities, with the Strike," Natarle replied. "They left early this morning, before dawn."

"I see." Murrue folded her arms, looking out. "Do you have any idea where Falcon is, by the way? He doesn't seem to be around today."

The lieutenant shrugged. "Beats me; I'd guess he went to the Morgenroete factory with Ensign Yamato, since Raptor seems to be missing, but I can't say for sure. I haven't quite figured him out yet. I'm sure he's up to something, though," she added dryly. "He always is."

Murrue laughed quietly. "Yes, I suppose he is; I wouldn't put it past him to have somehow arranged our presence here in the first place. I'm quite certain he's made quiet arrangements to make our journey a little easier. There have been a few too many 'fortunate coincidences' since we set out from Heliopolis."

Natarle wasn't sure about that, but she had a feeling her superior might have a point. "There is talk of the remaining members of his team," she suggested. "Maybe they're operating under some kind of standing orders, from before he left the PLANTs."

"More likely he's been sending messages to them... though I've no idea how." She didn't particularly care, either; she just had the growing sense that the Archangel had become ensnared in one of the Grimaldi Falcon's Machiavellian schemes.

Whether it's for good or ill, I can't guess, Murrue thought. But for now, I'll trust his judgment; he hasn't led us into unnecessary danger yet. Though he had reputedly caused both himself and Cagalli considerable trouble, out in the ocean, through his inexperience in Earthbound warfare...

Morgenroete Facility
Two machines rode the elevator down into the buried facility. Both were the gunmetal gray of PSA-equipped machines with Phase-shift down, and both had the distinctive look of X100 frames. In fact, they were identical, save only for the hardwired shield/grappler on one machine's left arm, and its unique backpack, both like and unlike an Aile Striker pack.

The twin mobile suits came to a halt, and their cockpits opened almost as one. Blue-uniformed Kira Yamato was first down, from X105 Strike; he was swiftly followed by the trench coat-wearing Ken "Falcon" DiFalco, from X107 Raptor.

Waiting for them was a brown-haired, female Morgenroete engineer. "Welcome," she said, holding out a hand to Kira. "I'm Chief Engineer Erica Simmons; I guess we'll be working together for awhile."

The pilot shook the proffered hand. "Ensign Kira Yamato," he said in turn. "The Strike's pilot; I guess you've probably heard of me."

"Oh, that's very true, Ensign." Erica turned to the other pilot, extending her hand once again. "And you are...?"

"Commander Ken DiFalco," Ken answered, taking the hand. "Late of ZAFT's 'Gray Demons', and later the Special Forces. Currently, I'm Archangel's wing commander."

She blinked in surprise. Lord Uzumi didn't warn me about this. We're going to have words... "Pleased to meet you," she said aloud. "The Grimaldi Falcon," she added, almost to herself, as she looked the ace over. "The one they call ZAFT's Broken Blade."

Ken tilted his head. "I didn't know they did."

"Commander," Erica told him, "few things spread more easily than a good nickname; I don't know who started it, but by now a lot of people seem to have heard it."

"Well, you can tell this to anyone who asks: this broken blade won't be renewed... at least not while I wear this uniform." He opened the top of his coat, revealing the white Earth Forces uniform beneath. "Now, shall we cut to the chase?"

"Of course, Commander." She turned back down the huge corridor. "Follow me, please; I believe you'll both find what I have to show you quite interesting." A thought struck her then, and she paused. "By the way, Commander, I was told only to expect Ensign Yamato here; will you also be providing technical support?"

Ken nodded. "Yes, of course; no one seems to have remembered it, but I happen to be a decent engineer myself. Whatever it is you're working on, I believe I may be of some assistance."

"I'm glad to hear it. We can always use a fresh perspective."

The trio paused at a pair of large doors, and Ken took the time to study the Morgenroete engineer. There was something... Wait a minute. Is she...?

Erica noticed his scrutiny, and smiled slightly. "Yes, that is correct, Commander; like you, I'm a Coordinator." Her smiled widened at Kira's surprised reaction. "Tell me, just what was it that gave me away? I don't have some of the more obvious visual modifications some Coordinators have."

"It's the way you move," he informed her. "Subtle; subtle enough that I doubt even most Coordinators would notice. But I've studied martial arts for over a decade, and that teaches you things; like how to recognize subtle clues in stride and body language. No Natural moves quite the way you do."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The doors slid aside, and she led the pilots through into another enormous chamber. "There's something here I think you should see," she informed them.

Kira gasped, and Ken's visible eye went narrow. Before them was a long row of tall machines, in red and white with black trim... and it didn't take an ace to recognize them for what they were.

Mobile suits.

Kira stared. Mobile suits...? I didn't realize Orb even had any... they don't advertise it, that's for sure...

"Why so surprised?" Erica asked them. "After all, your own Strike and Raptor were constructed at Heliopolis; did you really think we wouldn't use what we learned there for our own purposes?"

"I should have known," Ken murmured. "Orb is a neutral nation, with no desire whatsoever to become involved in the war; but in order to ensure that, they must have the power to fight off anyone who tries to violate that neutrality." He turned to the engineer. "Orb keeps her secrets well, Chief."

"That's the idea, Commander." She nodded at the machines. "The MBF-M1 Astray, our first mobile suits. As you can see, they're largely based on the G-weapons; if you look inside, you'll notice the cockpits are nearly identical to those prototypes."

Kira, for his part, could indeed see the resemblance; he'd spent enough time working on -and fighting in- the Strike to notice the familial traces in the Astrays' form. They're a lot like the Strike, for sure; but how good are they in combat? And... why?

"What does Orb intend to do with them?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity. "Why build so many of them?"

Another, more familiar voice answered. "They're to be the guardians of Orb's neutrality," Cagalli Yula Athha said, walking toward them; she wore her usual khaki pants and red t-shirt. "You know, don't you, Orb's position? That we will not attack another nation, nor allow another nation to attack us. But to maintain that position, we need strength; and today, mobile armors alone are no longer sufficient. The Astrays will serve as our strength now."

Kira felt obscurely pleased to see her; he supposed it was largely the comfort of seeing a familiar face in unfamiliar surroundings. "Where did you get the technology to do this?"

"Don't you remember?" Erica raised an eyebrow. "It was Morgenroete that built the G-weapons, and the Archangel; we weren't exactly idle during that time. The construction of the G-weapons may not have been official Orb policy, but we saw no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity."

Cagalli scowled. "It would have been better if my father had never gotten us involved in the war to begin with; his betrayal may cost us all."

The engineer sighed. "You're still going on about that? Listen, Lord Uzumi knew nothing about the G-weapon program; that was the Sahakus and a handful of others. The Orb government itself was not involved in any way. Why don't you just accept it?"

"Because it's absolutely ridiculous!" the girl snapped back. "And even if it were true, my father is still responsible for it; not knowing about it is just as much of a crime as if he'd been directly involved himself."

"That's true," Erica admitted reluctantly. "And that's why he's issued an apology, and resigned his position as Chief Representative."

Cagalli snorted. "Yeah, he's said a few harmless words, and turned over his position to my uncle. That doesn't sound like much of a change to me."

Before the argument could go any further, Ken raised a hand. "This bickering is pointless," he said quietly. "Chief, I should point out that Lord Uzumi, in point of fact, did know about the Project; don't try to tell me otherwise. In any case, however, that is not the task that lies before us." He looked up at the nearest M1. "Would I be correct in assuming that these machines are what require our 'technical support'?"

Erica nodded, grateful for the change in subject. "That's right; follow me, and I'll show you the problem." She turned and walked toward another set of doors; behind her, Kira fell into step with Cagalli, while Ken trailed like a silent, gray shadow.

The doors led into what appeared to be an observation chamber of sorts; and beyond the windows -doubtless heavily reinforced against accidents- stood a trio of M1 Astrays, lined up in preparation for an exercise.

Erica stepped to the window. "All right, Asagi," she said into her headset. "You can begin the exercise now; show us how they work."

"Okay!" a voice replied, and the Astrays' eyes flashed, signaling that they were powered up.

"That's Asagi Caldwell," the engineer told her companions. "She's our lead Astray test pilot, along with Juri Wu Nien and Mayura Labatt." She nodded at the window. "Take a close look; I don't think you'll have much trouble understanding why we need you two."

That's an understatement, Ken thought a few moments later. The Astrays could move... but that was about all that could be said for them. As an engineer and former test pilot himself, he found watching the slow, lumbering M1s almost physically painful.

"Can't you do better than that?" Cagalli demanded. "You're too slow."

"At least we can move," Asagi shot back. "The original G-weapons couldn't even do that without an OS upgrade."

"Moving won't do you much good at those speeds," the girl said acidly. "You'd be taken out in seconds at the most."

"It's not our fault!"

Kira put a hand on Cagalli's shoulder. "She's right, Cagalli; it really isn't their fault. With a better operating system, they'd be a lot better." He looked at Erica. "That's what you need us for, right?"

The engineer nodded. "That's right. I understand you did a superb job with the Strike's OS, so this shouldn't be too difficult for you." She glanced at the ace. "And the Commander here should be able to help you out; I hadn't hoped we might have the test pilot for the CGUE here to help us."

Ken smiled slightly. "You knew about that, huh? Well, as it happens, I was also the lead programmer; so far as it goes, anyway. All that it really needed was a slightly-modified version of a standard GINN OS. Although," he went on thoughtfully, "I did come up with a completely new operating system for my personal machine."

"Then I'm sure you'll be a great help, Commander." Erica paused. "And, Commander... if you could show our pilots a thing or two, while you're here, we'd all be grateful. Even once we have a workable OS, they'll be green; anything you can teach them would be most appreciated."

"Certainly, Chief." The ace rubbed his eyepatch. "Wouldn't be the first time I showed rookies the ropes... right, Kira?"

Kira nodded, with a small smile. "That's right; and I needed it, too."

"Actually, I think you'd have managed just fine even without me; but I digress."

Ken was distracted then by a call from across the room. "Hey, Falcon! Long time no see!"

He raised an eyebrow, saw who it was, and quietly left his comrades to watch the exercise. "Well, well, well... If it isn't Lowe Guele himself." He gripped the brown-haired youth's arm. "It's been awhile."

"Sure has," Lowe agreed. "Not since we got you to Heliopolis." He grimaced. "That didn't turn out quite the way we hoped, did it?"

"Not exactly, no." Ken leaned against the nearest wall. "So, just what brings a Junk Guilder like yourself all the way down to Earth? You're not exactly a frequent visitor, Lowe."

"Ahh, HOME got kinda beat up in orbit." The Junk Guilder shrugged. "Kind of a long story; had a few problems on the way here, too, but nothing we couldn't handle."

"Mm. That doesn't surprise me." By now, the ace had heard of the three Astray prototypes, one of which had ended up in the hands of this young salvage operator. "I hear you also ran across a few interesting things in the Debris Belt; something about the beam deflection sword, Gerbera Straight."

"Yeah, we found it; the Red Frame's got it now. I prefer it to the beam weapons, really. Doesn't use as much power." Lowe lowered his voice. "By the way... I heard rumors about what your people are up to, back in the PLANTs, so I managed to get the plans for the Gerbera Straight to them. Think they can replicate it?"

Ken drew the blade from his waist. "This sword was forged by Tom Delaney," he said softly, "of the same material the Gerbera Straight is said to made from. I think he can handle one a little bigger; and he's already building a mobile suit that could make good use of it."

"You mean the one that turned up outside of Orb a couple days ago?" The Junk Guilder looked back at the sword. "Huh; so you're still carrying that thing, eh?"

"Yes; a relic from my past that I still keep with me. Something to remind me of who I once was... and will be again." The former ZAFT pilot sheathed the katana. "But her name I will not speak again until I cast off this uniform; she doesn't deserve the dishonor of being worn with Earth Alliance colors."

Lowe shook his head. "Every time you start talking like that, I think you've jumped out of the pages of one of those old books you're always reading. Keep it up, and I'll start thinking you really are the Broken Blade."

"No," Ken murmured. "I'm not; but the Gray Demons are." A cold light lit his eye. "One day, they'll be back; and whether I'm still with them or not, my mission will be accomplished."

Archangel, Murrue's Office, March 29th, C.E. 71
"Well," Sophia remarked, "I'll say one thing for our layover in Orb: we can finally take a break. Those constant battles were starting to get to me."

Murrue nodded. "Yes, I know; me, too. And Falcon, whether he'll admit it or not. He may seem tireless during a crisis, but I notice he tends to be very weak after a battle; almost as though he has to recharge his batteries or something."

Mu leaned against a bulkhead. "He's probably still not fully accustomed to gravity," he pointed out. "You don't spend that many years in outer space -most of it in zero-g- and then come to grips with gravity in just a month or so; that's one reason our forces tend to rotate personnel, so that nobody spends too much time in space. Exercise equipment can fight off the physical effects, like muscle and bone degradation, but that doesn't mean coming back to Earth after so long is particularly pleasant." He stroked his chin idly. "He might also have some kind of medical condition," he said slowly, "that tires him out."

Sophia shot him a sharp look. "But Doctor Hibson hasn't said anything about something like that; not that I've heard, anyway."

"That's because he hasn't seen Falcon," Murrue told her. "Not once."

Her friend registered surprise. "Huh? But..."

"He takes care of any injuries all by himself," the Captain explained, frowning. "From what Doctor Hibson has told me, the only time Falcon has even set foot in the Infirmary since coming aboard was to check on Kira, just after we landed; even the various times he's been shot up, he's dealt with it in his quarters. Won't let anyone else get near him."

Sophia nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense; like I said back at Heliopolis, Falcon hides his weakness; if he has a medical problem, he won't breathe a word of it until or unless it becomes imperative for us to know about it. And he'll delay that moment as long as possible."

"Whatever it is," Mu commented, "it doesn't seem to affect his flying any. The only times he's really had problems, it was because of..."

"...the fact that he hates planets. Yeah, I know. Believe me, I haven't forgotten the scare he gave us when he and Cagalli got lost over the Indian Ocean."

"And quite the scare it was," Murrue said feelingly. "I was starting to get more than a little worried, by the time Kira found them." She shook her head wryly. "Admittedly, he seems well able to take care of himself, but though it's easy to forget, he isn't an adult."

"Actually," Sophia corrected, "he is by Coordinator standards; and on June Sixth, he will be by Natural standards, too."

The Captain cocked an eyebrow. "The anniversary of D-Day, isn't it? Seems appropriate somehow..."

Mu chuckled. "Cap'n, if Falcon had been around back then, he'd have won the war for the Allies in a week, or given the Axis the world on a silver platter. Yeah, I'd say it's appropriate..."

Sophia shook her head. "I'd just be happier if we knew what he's doing to affect this war. He can talk all he wants about his 'plans', but you have to wonder just how in the world he intends to carry them out. One man, alone, with a single ship, two mobile armors, and a pair of mobile suits? Either he really is brilliant -and has confederates somewhere- or he's gone off the deep end." She snorted. "Personally, I'd say a combination of the two."

"Maybe so," Murrue murmured. "But after everything I've seen of him, and everything he did last year, with ZAFT, I wouldn't bet against him..." She gazed at the papers on her desk. "The only worry, as I see it, is exactly what he's trying to fight. I know he hates the Earth Forces, over the Bloody Valentine and their long dominion over the PLANTs, but he also hates what ZAFT has become. There's the Battle of Endymion, for one thing, and whatever it was that induced him to desert in the first place."

"And the attack on Heliopolis," Sophia reminded her. "We lost our parents there."

Murrue winced. "Sorry, Sophia; I didn't mean to bring up painful memories..."

The Kestrel slowly shook her head. "It's okay, Murrue," she said softly. "Besides, in one thing Falcon and I are in agreement: the middle of a war is not the time to grieve. When all this over, maybe... but not today. Which reminds me," she added after a moment. "The students... their parents are all here in Orb, right? Are they going to be able to see them?"

The Captain nodded. "Yes, actually; that's what these papers are about. It seems Orb has managed to notify the families without breaching security regarding Archangel's presence, so they'll be coming to the Morgenroete facilities sometime tomorrow." She looked over at Mu. "I hope Lieutenant Badgiruel won't have any objections to granting them enough time off."

The Hawk of Endymion smiled. "Not to worry, Captain; even the Lieutenant has some feelings. And besides, there really isn't much for the kids to do, while the ship is in drydock. Tolle's a helmsman without a ship, Sai's an ECM specialist with nothing to work on, Kuzzey's a radio operator with no one to talk to, Miriallia's got nothing to do when no machines are out, and Flay..."

"Flay doesn't have a real assignment yet," Sophia murmured. "And her parents are both dead."

A solemn silence filled the room.

Morgenroete Hangar
Off in one corner of the facility, a gray-cloaked figure sat in Raptor's cockpit, typing furiously. Unlike Kira, who was over in the Strike, Ken was not working on the Natural-compatible OS. Instead, he was writing up scenarios for pilot simulations, for when the Astray pilots could actually use their machines properly.

What he was working on now was a modification of the Endymion scenario he'd put Kira through, when they first joined the Archangel; and as he did so, an old soldier's saying went through his mind. A soldier will arrive at the Pearly Gate, and to Saint Peter he will say: "One more soldier reporting sir; I've served my time in Hell."

Yeah, Ken thought absently. Tell me about it. After Endymion, that soldier should have been me... He still didn't know how they'd gotten to him in time to revive him, and he didn't know who it had been -despite spending months trying to learn the rescuer's identity- but he was grateful... despite what it had ultimately led to. Face it, birdbrain, dying at Endymion wouldn't have changed anything; by then, it was already too late. If anything, dying there would have made things worse...

In another corner of the vast hangar, Cagalli walked along a catwalk, and came to a stop over the Strike. From within, she could hear rapid typing. "Wow," she said, leaning forward to look in. "Somebody's in a hurry."

Kira looked up. "Oh, hi, Cagalli. It's just me," he added, pushing aside the keyboard.

She blinked a little sheepish. "Oh, of course; I should've known nobody else would be in there, and that's how you type normally..." For him, it wasn't rushing; it was just the confidence born of greater mental capacity. "So, what's with the outfit?"

He glanced down at himself; specifically, at the yellow-and-white mechanic's clothing he wore. "They said it probably wasn't a good idea to wear a military uniform while working here," he explained. "So Chief Murdoch's people lent me this."

She nodded. "I see; makes sense."

"So, uh..." Kira paused. "So, what brings you here? I mean, you are a princess, after all."

Cagalli instantly glared at him. "What did I tell you about calling me that?" she said dangerously. "It wasn't that long ago..."

He winced. "Oh, right; sorry."

She irritably waved it off. "Never mind. Anyway, I'm here because I want to make sure the Archangel and her machines get everything they need; somebody has to supervise, so I might as well. And..." She glanced away. "My father and I... aren't exactly on the best of terms right now. Not since... well, not for a while."

Kira nodded. "Which is part of the reason you were on Heliopolis." He tilted his head. "By the way, I never did get around to asking you just what you were doing up there in the first place."

Cagalli shrugged. "It's like I was saying to Chief Simmons the other day. I'd heard rumors claiming that Morgenroete was building mobile suits for the Earth Forces; and since my father refused to talk about it -kept changing the subject, every time I brought it up- I decided I'd have to go see for myself." She glanced over at Raptor. "That's how I got back in touch with Ken. We'd known each, years ago, on the global networks -back when he first joined ZAFT, I guess it was- and I remembered he was a good hacker. So, once I was in range to contact Heliopolis, I sent him a message. I actually tried to hire him, but his return message said that he wouldn't charge for doing a favor for a friend." She chuckled to herself. "'Friend'; and to think I nearly shot him a couple times in the desert. Of course," she went on, "there were a couple times after that when I almost did, too; like when he dropped us into the water without any weapons that would work there, or just after that, when he got us lost in broad daylight."

He shrugged. "Nobody ever said he was infallible. Even he admits it was a mistake that got him where he is now, right?"

"No, he never said he was infallible... he just acts like it." She shook herself. "But anyway, that's how I got into this whole mess: trying to find out if Orb was really as 'neutral' as it claimed."

Kira nodded. "And then you found out..."

"So it's true... the Earth Forces' prototype mobile suits... Father, I knew you betrayed us all!"

"But..." He frowned. "I thought your father -I mean, Chief Representative Athha- really didn't know anything about what was Morgenroete was up to."

Cagalli snorted. "Yeah, that's what a lot of people on the inside say... but if you ask me, I think Ken's a more reliable source. Besides, whatever Chief Simmons and the others might say, my father has never actually denied knowing about it." She sighed, almost despairingly.

Kira looked up at her, concerned. "Cagalli, I..."

He was interrupted by the brief exchange between a couple of mechanics passing by. "The main hydros have seen some really tough wear and tear," one remarked. "I'm surprised the whole thing is even still working, after all the abuse it's been subjected to."

"It's the same with the rest of the drive systems," the other agreed. "It's almost like the machine itself is crying for help. And did you see the other one?"

"Yeah; I never saw a machine with stress fractures like that..."

They trailed off into the distance, and Cagalli frowned. "Did you hear what those guys said? The way they were talking about the Strike..."

Kira climbed out of the cockpit. "Maybe they're right," he said quietly. "But I didn't have a choice; too much was at stake. Even so... there were a lot of people I wasn't able to protect."

He headed off toward one of the lounges -present if only because the various engineers and mechanics often spent days within the facility's confines- and Cagalli followed after him, concerned. Kira... they've put too much on your shoulders, haven't they? All of them... even Ken.

She looked across the hangar, and made brief eye contact with the gray shadow near the Raptor. A trace of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because the ace nodded slightly... as though acknowledging her silent accusation.

Morgenroete Lounge
"So, that's why you were out in the desert?" Kira remarked holding up a cup of coffee. "You joined the Desert Dawn because you were fed up?"

"Something like that," Cagalli admitted, accepting the cup. "My father always tells me that I have no idea what the real world is like, so I went out to see for myself. And," she added wryly, "there's only so much royal treatment I can stand without going crazy. So, off I went, without telling anybody but Kisaka... and Kisaka can be trusted not to tell my father, if it's that important to me. He might try to convince me not to go, but he won't interfere."

He nodded, imagining with some amusement the reaction in Orb when she turned up missing. Again, that is; they must be used to it by now. "So," he said aloud, "what was it like?"

"It wasn't what I expected," she said slowly, gathering her thoughts. "I was used to the political arena, where nothing ever gets done; or at least, that's what it always looks like to me. But out in the desert, everyone I met fought desperately, for land most people I know wouldn't have cared about at all. I didn't understand it at first, really."

"I did," Kira said quietly. "After Heliopolis."

Cagalli nodded. "Yeah, I guess you would." She turned to the window, overlooking the hangar. "After seeing what it was like out there, how people lived, I took a close look at Orb; and what I saw actually kind of disgusted me." She absently sipped the coffee. "I saw all the power we had, all the things that we could do... and we insisted on remaining neutral. We try to be on good terms with both sides... for our own benefit." She looked back at him. "Doesn't that make us sound opportunistic? Is that really the right thing to do?"

He considered that for long moments. "Would you prefer to fight?" he said at last. "Get involved in the war, instead of remaining as a neutral third party?"

She blinked; she hadn't quite thought of it that way. "All I want is to bring the war to an end," the girl said finally. "And I don't think this is the way to do that."

"Maybe not... but I don't think just fighting will end the war, either." Kira looked down at the Astrays. "Maybe it's true that if you want peace, you must prepare for war... but negotiation is a part of it, too, you know. Guns get you to the negotiating table, but then you need words; if weapons were all that mattered, ZAFT would've ended this war long ago."

Cagalli caught his wistful look. He'd just said more than he probably realized... "And then you would never have gotten involved in the fighting in first place, right?"

He jerked, startled, and nearly spilled his coffee. "Wha? No, no, I didn't mean..."

"Sure you didn't." She reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. "Kira, it's not your fault, what you've had to do; you should never have been involved in this. I know you didn't want anything to do with this war..."

Kira was silent for long moments. "I don't know if it could've been avoided," he said slowly. "And if I hadn't ended up in the Strike's cockpit, I might not be here now; and my friends wouldn't have made it, either. There... really wasn't any other option."

"But you shouldn't have had to fight your best friend," Cagalli retorted. "None of this should have happened to you at all!"

He blinked, a little startled by her vehemence. "Maybe not," he conceded, after a moment's pause. "But... they say that things happen because they're meant to; does that mean that I was meant to fight in this war? That I was meant to fly the Strike?"

"I don't care if you were 'meant' to do anything, Kira," she told him. "What matters is that this isn't right."

Kira didn't really have an argument to that.

Archangel, April 8th, C.E. 71
Flay Allster wandered the ship's corridors, feeling more lost than she had in some weeks. Her classmates -friends, once- were all visiting their parents... but she herself had no living family, and so walked aimlessly through Archangel's silent passages.

The one she really wanted to see, she supposed, was Kira; but he, too, had family to visit with... and, as she'd told herself many a time, she didn't really feel anything for him. He was merely a tool, to be used for her vengeance and then cast aside.

It was too bad, really, that he was a Coordinator; if he'd been a Natural, Flay might even have forgiven him for failing to protect her father. But as it was... He and that one-eyed lunatic, who had trained her father's murderer, were little better than those who had done the deed. DiFalco has to go, she thought to herself. Him, at the least, and probably Kira, too...

At last, resigned and depressed, she made her way to the quarters she and Kira shared... only to discover that they were not as empty as she'd expected.

"Hi, Flay," Kira greeted, seeing her enter; he was hard at work at the computer terminal, working on the Natural-adapted operating system for the Astrays.

Flay looked at him in surprise. "Kira...? What are you doing here?"

"Hm?" He glanced up briefly. "Oh, I'm just making a few adjustments to the program; it's taking longer than I expected, but it has to be done before Archangel's repairs are finished. I'll be with you in a few minutes; or you could wait in the cafeteria till I'm done."

She tensed, the beginnings of anger stirring to life within her. "Why didn't you go?" she asked, a slight edge in her voice. "You've got family here, too; why aren't you going to see them?"

Kira twitched; her words struck a nerve. "Like I said, I'm busy," he said evasively. "I don't really have time to go see-"

Flay strode angrily toward him, and slammed her palm on the terminal. "Liar!"

He jerked back, shocked. "Flay...? What... what's wrong?"

"You think I believe that lie?" she demanded. "You think I don't realize what you're really doing? I don't need your pity!"

"Pity?" The thought had not even entered Kira's head. He had his own reasons for avoiding his parents, sure, but Flay had nothing to do with it. "It's nothing like that," he protested, standing. "It's just-"

Even if he'd been inclined to say what was really bothering him, Flay didn't give him the chance. "You're lying! You're just here because you feel bad for me, right? Because no one's come to see me!" She clenched her fists. "So now, you're feeling sorry for me. Is that it?"

He shook his head quickly. "No, Flay, it isn't..."

Kira's protests fell on deaf ears. "You're just putting on this big sympathy act for me," Flay said mockingly, voice dripping disgust. "You could be with your parents right now, but no, you're putting on this big show of not wanting to see them." If possible, her voice became even more mocking. "You're the one people should really be feeling sorry for, aren't you? Poor little Kira... he's all alone... You're so sad because you're fighting, and when you can't protect people, you feel so much worse..." Suddenly she moved closer, and pounded her fists on his chest. "So how..." she demanded, sobbing, "s how... how can you feel anything for someone like me?"

Stunned, Kira began to see clearly where Flay was concerned for perhaps the first time since he'd failed to save her father. Everything she'd done since then, every word she said... every word of caution Ken DiFalco had given him. He remembered them all... and realized now, after long weeks, that Ken had been right all along... and it was too late to save his heart from the pain he now suffered, from this betrayal...

"Stop it, Flay," he rasped at last. "Just... stop it. All of this... it was all a mistake..." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "You should go."

At first, Flay could not comprehend the words; but then she looked up through tearful eyes, stunned as she had not been in many days, not since her father perished in fire and light. "What...?" she whispered, shocked. "What did you say?" She slowly straightened. "No... you... you can't..." With another sudden movement, she whirled and fled from the cabin, leaving a bitterly-wounded young man in her wake.

Outside, in the corridors, Flay's hasty departure did not go unnoticed; and the Grimaldi Falcon felt his guts twist. A strange instinct gripped him for a moment, and he ached to draw the sharp blade the hung at his side; for he had a pretty good idea what had just happened. Flay Allster, he thought coldly, be glad that it's madness that grips you now, or I swear my blade would taste your blood this day!

Suddenly very angry indeed, the ace turned and vanished down one of the ship's darker, lesser-used side passages, trench coat fluttering behind him like a gray shadow.

His departure was also noticed; but this time, it was Cagalli who realized something was wrong. She'd caught a glimpse of fleeing red hair, then the sound of boots thumping on the deck in angry steps; so now she decided it might be prudent to see just what had occurred.

Stepping through Kira's still-open hatch, she came face-to-face with the young man himself, and saw at once his tense body, and unshed tears in his eyes. "Kira...?"

Kira's lips moved, but for several moments nothing came out. Then, in an almost-inaudible whisper, "Flay... all this time, she was just... just using me..." He took several shuddering breaths. "I... I..."

Cagalli needed to hear no more. As she'd done on the Archangel's deck, a month before, she pulled him into a comforting embrace; and Kira broke down, crying on her shoulder.

Morgenroete Facility
Later that same day, Kira's new operating system was ready for testing, and he, Mu, Erica, and Ken had gathered in the observation/control room to monitor the exercise.

Mu, for his part, was puzzled by the attitudes of his fellow pilots. Kira seemed extremely subdued -though better than he'd been earlier- while the Grimaldi Falcon had closed himself off again from the outside world, no more expression on his face than the day they had first met face-to-face. He was also fingering his sword, as though he longed to drawn it against whatever ailed him.

Erica, on the other hand, spared her attention for nothing but the single Astray visible through the window. Last time they'd gathered for such a test, the machine had barely been able to move; now she watched it perform again, and marveled at the change. That's incredible, she thought, watching the machine move swiftly and fluidly through a simple hand-to-hand exercise. That's a tremendous improvement over its earlier performance...

"I redesigned the molecular ion pumps," Kira was saying, typing furiously, "and improved the efficiency of the synapse fusing, in order to make the whole system more compatible with the reflexes of the average Natural. With improved artificial intelligence, there's less that the pilot needs to focus on, which reduces the strain on the pilot."

The engineer shook her head in amazement. "That's incredible," she said frankly. "I can't believe how quickly you did all that. You really are good, aren't you."

"Best computer programmer I ever met," Ken remarked quietly.

She glanced his way. "I thought you were supposed to be a hot hand at this kind of thing, too."

He shrugged. "I'm better at breaking programs than making them; my strong point is the mechanical side of things." To my sorrow, he didn't add.

Mu's attention was still on the Astray. "Would I be able to get that kind of performance out of one of those things?"

Erica smiled. "Indeed you would, Commander; that is, if you're even half the pilot they say you are." She raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to give it a try?"

The Hawk started to answer, but then he heard a sigh from Kira, and looked over at the younger man in concern. What's with him? The young Coordinator had seemed to see his task at Morgenroete as an interesting challenge, at first, but his heart no longer seemed to be in it.

Worried now, Mu kept his mouth shut; so Erica turned her attention back to the Astray. "Okay, Asagi," she called. "You can finish up now."

"Roger that!"

The engineers began closing things down, and Ken shot a concerned look at Kira. I could cut Flay to ribbons for what she's done to you, Kira, he thought angrily. She did her job too well; my warnings were useless against her sweet poison. Well, amigo, at least you're free of that now; perhaps you'll find someone who won't try to use you for her own ends...

Troubled, he turned and swept silently out of the room; all this was reminding him of his own burdens, and he honestly didn't want to think about it right now.

Shortly, the group walked out the large metal doors, into the main hangar, and Kira paused. "Well, I'm gonna get back to the Strike now," he announced. "There are a few things I need to take care of."

Erica nodded. "Okay then; we'll see you later." She and the test pilots headed off in the other direction, cheerfully discussing the remarkable results of the test.

Mu, on the other hand, turned to follow the young pilot. "Hey, Kira!" he called, hurrying to catch up with the Strike pilot.

Kira glanced over his shoulder. "What is it, sir? Something up?" He hoped to avoid this conversation; he didn't much feel like talking right now.

"You look like something's bothering you," Mu told him. "So what's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong," Kira lied, walking toward the Strike. "Nothing at all."

"You expect me to believe that?" The Hawk's eyes narrowed. "For one thing, I'm told that you didn't go see your parents; why is that?" There was no one answer, and he frowned. "Kira?"

"Now isn't that right time," Kira said at last. "If I did meet them... all they'd see is a soldier." Because now... that's all I am.

What's going on his head? Mu wondered. That didn't sound like the Kira Yamato he knew; not the Kira who had hated the very idea of becoming a soldier, who had continued flying the Strike for the sole purpose of protecting his friends.

Further discussion was suspended when they reached the Strike, for Murdoch and several of his people were waiting for them. "Hey, kid," Murdoch greeted. "I went ahead and boosted the thrusters' output by eighteen percent; could you check the momentum-control parameters for me?"

"Sure," Kira replied, doing a very good job of hiding his inner turmoil. Climbing into the Strike's cockpit, he pulled down the keyboard and started booting up the OS.

Mu followed him up, and stood next to the machine's hatch. "You may be a soldier now," he said quietly, "but you're still Kira; I'm sure your parents were hoping they'd get a chance to see you."

The Coordinator didn't reply for long moments, instead typing commands at his usual, frenetic pace. "Every day," he said at last, almost inaudibly, "this is all I do. I fight battles in mobile suits; and then, I help out with their design and maintenance. Why?" He shrugged, not waiting for an answer. "Because I can." Snapshots went through his mind, of conflict after conflict, pushing the Strike to its limits and beyond, nearly being killed more than once; the most recent time being saved only by the timely intervention of a next-generation mobile suit, designed and built by rebels. All this death and destruction... and it's what I'm good at...

Mu was startled by his young friend's cynicism; he'd never heard him talk like that before. Just hours before, he'd seemed fine... "Kira..."

"If I were to see them now," Kira said, finally, voicing his real doubts at last, "I'd probably end up asking them why."

The Hawk frowned. "'Why' what?"

The fast fingers paused. "Why in the world did they make me a Coordinator?"

It was the first time Mu had heard Kira voice such a sentiment, and it startled and worried him. What could have brought him to this point...? I'd better ask Falcon, he resolved. If anybody knows what's going on, it'll be him...

There was silence in the vast hangar for a long while after that; and then Kira's robotic pet, Birdy, took sudden flight from his shoulder, chirping in a peculiar way.

Kira's head snapped up. "Birdy?" The little green robot bird was winging its way out of the hangar, leaving its master completely alone, and that surprised him; it had never done that before. "Birdy!" He swiftly climbed out of the cockpit, wondered what the thing's intention was.

In a corner of the hangar, Ken watched... and understood. He had a fair knowledge of such robots himself, and he knew that, when their masters were about, there was still one thing that might attract their attention: their creators.

His blood ran cold. Athrun Zala... he's here, on Onogoro. But how? Never mind how; he's here, and he's probably brought his fellow pilots with him. Which means... Dearka is here.

The ace shed his trench coat -it was too distinctive- swapped his eyepatch for a pair of sunglasses, and swiftly followed his protégé up to the surface.

Morgenroete Exterior
The four ZAFT pilots, wearing blue mechanics' outfits, stood near the water, idly watching the Morgenroete facility. Well, this has been a waste, Dearka thought. We come all this way, go to all this trouble... for absolutely nothing.

"I hate to admit it," Yzak said irritably, "but it looks like those bastards in the Orb government were telling the truth. The legged ship isn't here."

"Yeah," Nicol agreed. "If it was, we'd have found it; you can't hide a ship like that very easily." He shrugged. "Well, at least now we know."

"Yeah..." Athrun murmured. Something still didn't seem right... but they had no more information now than when they'd arrived. "Well, we'd better head back to the beach soon; there's nothing more to be gained..."

He trailed off, hearing flapping wings and a faint chirping. "Birdy!" it seemed to call, and his heart nearly stopped in sheer surprise. His fellows might not recognize that call... but he did.

The little robot spiraled down toward the foursome, and landed on Athrun's outstretched hand. "Birdy," it said again, and the other three crowded closer.

"What's that?" Dearka wondered, as confused as Athrun was shocked.

"Looks like a robotic bird," Nicol commented. "But where'd it come from?"

Athrun looked back across the fence, and saw exactly what he'd expected... and feared. "Birdy!" called the brown-haired youth. "Where could it be..."

Almost as if in a dream, the ZAFT pilot walked to the fence. Kira... so you are here. And if you're here, then... so is the legged ship...

Kira also approached the fence, and nearly froze in equal surprise when he saw who was there. Athrun? he thought, stunned. What... what are you doing here?

Behind him, another brown-haired teenager appeared, in similar clothing; Athrun didn't recognize him, and neither did Yzak or Nicol... but Dearka did. Even in unfamiliar clothing, with sunglasses, there was no mistaking his longtime friend. Falcon... so, you're here... and so is your ship. Dearka swallowed. So our trip wasn't in vain, after all...

Meanwhile, Athrun lifted his hand, with Birdy still on it. "Is this... yours?" he asked, controlling his voice and expression very carefully.

Kira nodded, equally careful. "Yes, it is... thank you." Birdy hopped lightly into his hand, and his vision began to blur.

Passing by in a jeep driven by Erica Simmons, Cagalli glanced their way and nearly fell out of her seat. That's Athrun! What is he...? "Stop!" she told the engineer, wanting very much to get a closer look.

At the fence, Athrun began to walk away; but Kira's voice stopped him. "I got it from an old friend," he called, "a long time ago." He swallowed. "It's a very valuable gift... from a valuable friend."

The Aegis' pilot tightly controlled his face. Kira... so you still consider us... friends? "I see," was all he allowed himself to say, and he resumed his walk.

By now, Cagalli was running over to the fence as fast as her legs would carry her. "Kira!" she shouted, breathing hard; she had the satisfaction of seeing Athrun pause once more, but he continued on without another backward glance.

Ken caught her arm, still watching Dearka. "Careful," he murmured. "Don't break his cover; if you still want him in one piece, it would be unwise to let his comrades realize that he knows Kira."

She glanced at him, nodded slightly, and went to stand at Kira's side. "I'm sorry," she whispered, squeezing his shoulder.

Kira nodded, throat tight. "Thanks," he said, and watched his best friend walk away one more time.

Author's note: The Astray program advances, while the Archangel crew takes the time to rest at last. Meanwhile, Kira and Flay have had their inevitable confrontation… and the Zala team has learned the "legged ship" yet remains in Orb territory…

Not much to say, I suppose; well, next chapter will finally return to the battles. Till then. -Solid Shark