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

Morgenroete Facility, April 13th, C.E. 71
Ken DiFalco rested, almost boneless, in an swivel chair in the small office he occupied above the hangar floor. From here he had done his part to aid in the M1 Astray development project; but now his involvement was effectively at an end, so he took the opportunity to rest.

To any observer, he might have looked asleep; in actual fact, the ace was deep in martial arts meditation, using that form of rest to supplement the sleep he so desperately needed, but rarely got. Only in such a state could he rest, while still escaping the nightmares that haunted him.

There was a chime at the door, and Erica Simmons stepped in, holding a clipboard. "Commander DiFalco?" she called quietly.

Ken roused himself. "Hello, Erica," he said, when his mind was in the present again. "Something up?"

"This message came in for you a few minutes ago," she informed him, handing him the clipboard. "I thought it might be important enough to interrupt you." She had gotten used to the ex-ZAFT pilot's meditative habits, over the past three weeks, though the first time she saw it she'd thought he'd died in his chair.

"Hmm..." He scanned the header, nodded to himself, and then went rigid. Wait a minute. This is from- He looked up, eye narrow. "Care to explain just how this got into your hands, Erica?" he asked quietly, indicating the message... whose origin was the submarine carrier Hades.

Erica chuckled. "Come now, Falcon, don't look so surprised. I'm not stupid, you know; in fact, I'm actually pretty bright. It didn't take a mobile suit design engineer to realize that the machine which turned up outside our border to aid Archangel was neither Orb, nor Earth Forces or ZAFT; yet it appeared to be a mixture of technology from all three. I know exactly one man who might have the access to obtain the information required for something like that, and one man who might have assembled the technical capability to pull it off. Since it obviously wasn't from the Archangel, it also had to have a nearby ship supporting it; and guess who the one man who could've pulled it off turned out to be?"

Ken tilted his head. "Me, right?"

"Exactly. From there, it wasn't too hard to deduce who your cohorts had to be; and since we happened to have Lowe Guele at hand -someone we knew was able to contact the Gray Demons- it wasn't difficult to make contact with your mysterious helpers." She smiled. "Once they got over the shock, your friends Eldridge and Delaney accepted my offer to act as a conduit to get messages to you; after all, they knew you were working with the Chief Representative already." She shook her head, amused. "That's something I never guessed, let me tell you; but it does explain a few things."

"I'm sure." He frowned. "Wait a minute; Leanne and Tom? What about Sparky?"

"I imagine the message you've got there mentions it; but if it doesn't, I can tell you: Commander Cooper returned to the PLANTs not long after Archangel arrived in Orb. Apparently, if he stayed any longer, it would look suspicious. Can't have the Supreme Council Chairman's top bodyguard missing very long, can you?"

Ken grunted. "If only Master Siegel were still Supreme Chairman." The recent election in the PLANTs had been the realization of a long-held fear of his. Now that he was Chairman of the Supreme Council, he had even more power... and greater influence over the war's course. GENESIS...

He shook himself, and turned to the missive from his loyal minions. And before he was through, a slow smile spread across his face; the first trace of real emotion Erica had yet seen from him. "Good news, I take it?"

The ace nodded, handing back the clipboard. "You could say that. Seems Tom has finished construction of ZGMF-X00A Preybird; as it stands now, Hades alone has available to her enough firepower to wipe out almost anything she came across, up to and including some entire fleets."

"I guess that is good news." She leaned against the office wall. "So, I hear you'll be leaving soon," she said, changing the subject.

Ken shrugged. "That's what they tell me. Repairs will be completed sometime tomorrow, and we're scheduled to leave a day after that. Your people do good work, Erica."

"Thanks." Erica sighed. "Not quite as good as I'd hoped, though."

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"We've been looking over the problem for a couple weeks now, but I'm afraid we still haven't found a solution to your problem." She nodded at his chest. "We're just not sure what we're dealing with, with that prosthetic of yours."

Ken went rigid with surprise. "How did you know about that?" he whispered harshly, startled in the extreme. "My medical records-"

"Don't exist, I know." Erica smiled. "But come now, Falcon; it wasn't that hard to figure out. At least, not for an engineer." She began to tick off points on her fingers. "One: you seem to tire very easily, to a degree that can't be entirely accounted for by gravity. Two: Raptor's generator network has been modified with a purpose-built power-shunt to a jack in the cockpit, which serves no apparent purpose... except that it looks to match something that's been observed on your flightsuit. And three: this facility's internal sensors have noticed something peculiar about your body's bio-electric field. They're sensitive enough to notice those of regular human beings, so yours was easy to spot as being... different."

He grimaced. "Hadn't thought of that; well, it's only pride that makes me conceal it, I suppose. I do appreciate the effort, by the way."

"You'd probably appreciate it more if we'd been able to do something about it," she said dryly, and stepped closer. "May I?"

Ken nodded, and doffed his trench coat, opened the tunic beneath, and finally peeled aside the removable patch of his custom shirt covering the left side of his chest. Beneath, the alloy chestplate gleamed, featureless save for a power socket, several blinking status lights, and an access plate.

Erica lightly touched the metal plate, tracing its lines. "Heart," she murmured to herself, "one lung... and several ribs, right?" She looked up. "Endymion?"

He nodded again. "Yeah. I was actually listed as KIA for a couple of hours, before they decided I was going to make it after all."

"Mm. Powered by your body's bio-electric field... but with a model this old, I'm guessing it doesn't work too well when your heart rate and breathing increase." She nodded to herself. "Which explains the modifications to Raptor's power system, and those power packs on your belt."

"Exactly." Ken grimaced. "Unfortunately, I'm not perfect... and neither is my memory. I have, from time to time, forgotten to connect extra power during combat situations, and the results are... unpleasant. Believe me when I say that a heart attack is less than fun."

"I'll take your word for it." Erica stepped back. "I wish we could help you, Falcon... but the only thing I can think of would be a complete replacement, and that would take..."

"Weeks, at least; weeks we don't have." He shrugged. "In the end, it's of little consequence; I learned to live with this particular problem quite a while ago." The ace changed the subject. "So, what about the Raptor? What kind of shape is it in?"

"Could be worse," the engineer admitted. "On the other hand, it could be better, too. We've reinforced it as best we can... but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before the stress fractures tear the whole thing apart. Sooner or later, it'll fall apart on you... and I'm betting on sooner." She sighed. "I'd be surprised if it lasts more than a couple more sorties, Falcon."

"I see." Ken rubbed his eyepatch. "Well, can't be helped; and I imagine Hades will be shadowing us at least till we reach the Tropic of Cancer, so it won't be long before I can transfer to Preybird." He stuck out his hand. "Thanks for your help, Erica."

"Anytime, Falcon."

Archangel, Bridge
Colonel Ledonir Kisaka nodded at the map display on the monitor. "As you can see, the forces of both sides are preparing for a massive assault against the Panama Spaceport. ZAFT's strength is gathering for the attack, while your own Earth Forces are summoning everything available to defend it."

Mu nodded. "Yeah, I hear they've been planning this attack against Panama for months; or at least, that's what Intelligence thinks."

Kisaka nodded agreement. "Indeed; I might also suggest that you ask your Commander DiFalco for more details. Rumor has it that he was involved in planning the operation, so he ought to have additional information."

Natarle shook her head. "We already tried that; but he wouldn't answer. Not surprising, really. He told Admiral Halberton outright that what he wants is a stalemate, and since the loss of our last mass driver would hurt our ability to prosecute the war, it's not surprising he won't tell us anything about it."

"A point," he admitted. "In any case, this buildup of ZAFT forces is even drawing in the usual oceanic patrols, leaving large sections of the Pacific clear. This could work in your favor; this could well reduce or even eliminate the opposition that would otherwise be in your path."

Murrue frowned. "How reliable is your intelligence?"

Kisaka shrugged. "Hard to say; we're in a bit of a difficult situation with intelligence gathering, you see: we want the information... but not badly enough to risk stirring up a hornet's nest. My belief is that this information is reliable, but that's just my opinion."

She nodded slowly. "What about the team that was pursuing us before?"

"Yeah," Sophia agreed. "They seemed pretty persistent; and the Le Creuset team won't give up that easily. They could still be a threat."

The colonel frowned. "No ZAFT ships have been seen in the area lately," he said slowly (it wasn't quite true, but the single submarine they'd detected didn't truly belong to ZAFT). "They may be running deep and silent out beyond the border, but if so, we haven't seen them. They may have just given up and left."

"I suppose it's a chance we'll have to take," Mu murmured. "And I suppose even Rau Le Creuset-" whom he knew perfectly well was nowhere near "-couldn't just sit in place for three weeks with nothing to show for it. Even ZAFT wouldn't let someone like him stay on his pet project that long."

"In any case," Neumann put in, "once we're beyond the Tropic of Cancer, we'll be safe enough; ZAFT knows that they don't stand a chance within Alaska's air-defense zone."

Natarle nodded absently at that, and turned to something else that had been bothering her. "Something I've been wondering about, Colonel..." she said slowly. "They say that Representative Athha didn't know anything about the G-weapons and this ship... but can it be true?"

Murrue started to snap at the lieutenant for her impertinence, but Kisaka replied affably enough, though he appeared slightly uncertain himself. "As far as I know," he told her, "he had no knowledge of the whole affair. I do know that he wasn't actually involved it; and if you'd asked me the day we came here, I'd have said he didn't even know about it. That's still what I'd prefer o believe... but it seems Commander DiFalco doesn't share that view."

Sophia tilted her head. "And just what are the odds my brother's right, do you think?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, really, but I do know the Grimaldi Falcon's reputation; so I know not to bet against him." The colonel changed the subject. "So, how are the repairs coming along?"

"I'm told they'll be finished sometime tomorrow afternoon," Murrue replied. "Morgenroete does good work, it seems."

"That they do; it's why they get most of our military contracts." Kisaka raised his hand in a salute. "You only have a little farther to go; hang in there."

"We will. And, Colonel Kisaka... I'd like to thank you, for everything you've done for us."

He smiled. "It was nothing, Captain; the least I could do. Besides, you helped me bring our headstrong, runaway princess home. For that, I should be thanking you." The smile broadened. "And, though I have no family left there, Tassil happens to be my hometown."

Sophia's eyebrows went up. "So that's why..."

"Yes; that and for Lady Cagalli's protection. I knew our victory would be temporary, but I couldn't just sit by and let things continue as they were." Kisaka saluted again. "Good luck on your journey, Captain Ramius."

"Thank you, Colonel," Murrue said, and returned the salute.

Athha Residence, April 14th, C. E. 71
The day before Archangel was scheduled to leave Onogoro and depart Orb's territory at last, Ken and Cagalli chose to say their goodbyes in private; if for no other reason than to keep the ace's secrets... like the fact that he was capable of being cheerful.

"So you'll be leaving tomorrow, huh?" Cagalli said, sounding a little bitter.

"Yeah." Ken was leaning against a wall, arms folded over his trench coat. "Now that Archangel's repairs are complete, it's time to move out again."

She nodded. "I wish I was going with you," she said, voice definitely bitter now. "But my father won't let me; not this time."

"I heard," he said sympathetically. "I suppose that's that, huh? Though in your place, I'd probably ignore him completely, and go my own way."

Cagalli looked at him skeptically. "Don't tell me you'd find it that easy to go against what your own father wanted you to do."

"On the contrary, I've done that kind of thing before." Ken smiled slightly. "What, you didn't know? My father was most emphatically against my joining ZAFT."

She blinked. "He was?"

"Oh, yeah; he said it was an -expletive-deleted- 'stupid thing to do'." He chuckled. "But, being young, idealistic, and stupid, I ignored him, and joined up anyway. Good thing ZAFT provided housing for me after that; Dad didn't speak to me for months after that." His face closed. "Dearka's father was also against his joining ZAFT... but we did what we thought was right. And look where that got us."

Cagalli shook her head. "You know, sometimes I wonder how you got a reputation for being so brilliant; but I never wonder where you got your reputation for being a man of action. I can't imagine how my father would've reacted if I'd tried something like that."

"Probably not well," Ken conceded. "I daresay Lord Uzumi isn't as easygoing as Dad was; he'd have reacted much the way Sophia did to learning I'd joined ZAFT... except that he'd have the power to do something about it."

"Yeah..." She looked at the floor. "Listen, Ken, take care of yourself out there, okay? I didn't spend that much time in a gunner's seat, getting shot up, outmaneuvered, and lost, just to see you get yourself blown up." The girl hesitated. "And... take care of Kira would you? If anything, he's even more reckless than you are, even if he does have a talent for improvising."

He nodded firmly. "I'll do my best, partner; I know you're fond of him."

Cagalli looked up sharply. "And just what," she said dangerously, "are you implying?"

"Nothing, of course," he replied innocently (and with all the practice he'd had in the area, he did a very good innocent expression). Abruptly, he looked up, and stepped away from the wall. "By the way, partner... there's something I'd like you to have." He reached down his collar, and withdrew his Order of the Nebula.

She blinked as he handed it to her. "Ken...? But... why?"

Ken shrugged. "A memento, if you will; I'd never flown with a gunner before, but I daresay you're one of the best I've ever run into. And besides..." He smiled ruefully. "We're heading for JOSHUA Base, partner; the headquarters of the Earth Alliance military. I don't think it would be smart for me to carry that around, in a place like that."

Cagalli stared at ZAFT's highest award a moment longer, before slipping it around her neck. "Thanks, Ken," she quietly, and gripped his arm. "Be careful out there, okay?"

He nodded. "Bet on it, partner. I'll be just fine."

Archangel, Hangar
Kira stared at his friend Tolle in disbelief. "You're what?"

In Skygrasper Two's cockpit, wearing a flightsuit, Tolle smiled. "I'm Skygrasper Two's reserve pilot now," he repeated. "When Commander DiFalco isn't available, I'll be taking it up myself."

"Did Lieutenant Badgiruel order this?" Mu demanded, as surprised as Kira.

The younger pilot shook his head. "No, I volunteered; I want to help out somehow. Hey, look," he went on, "I've done plenty of simulations, okay? I know I can do this."

"You can't deny it'd be handy to have a backup pilot in case Commander DiFalco can't sortie," Murdoch pointed out. "We've seen how useful these birds are; can't afford to have either of 'em grounded, not with the luck we seem to have."

Kira frowned. "I guess I can understand that," he said slowly. "But... Tolle, I don't think you understand that simulations are different from reality."

"Hey," Tolle pointed out, "you turned out just as good in combat as in the simulators."

"And Ken still doesn't understand it," the Coordinator said stubbornly. "I broke all the rules; just how likely is it that you will, too?"

"I'll be fine," the Natural pilot said again. "And who knows, maybe I won't be flying it very long anyway." He nodded at the CGUE that still occupied a corner of the hangar. "I hear they gave that thing a Natural-adapted OS, so maybe I'll be flying that soon."

Mu shook his head, imagining Ken's reaction to the notion. He might let the kid fly it... but not with that kind of attitude. As it is, he might survive flying a Skygrasper, but carrying that kind of attitude into battle in a mobile suit...

Murdoch sighed. "Look, Commander, Ensign, there really isn't much point in arguing about it; Lieutenant Badgiruel confirmed the assignment, so..."

"Lieutenant Badgiruel doesn't have final say over the pilot assignments," Mu said slowly. "Whatever she might think, kid, you'll have to run this past Falcon first."

Tolle smiled. "Already did; he's okay with me flying a Skygrasper."

I doubt that, the Hawk thought. He may have agreed, but not without reservations... and I'll bet you didn't say a word to him about flying his old CGUE.

Well, the Grimaldi Falcon would get wind of it soon enough, he was sure; he seemed to have an instinct for such thing (possibly evolved after one of his closest friends had tried to cut him to ribbons). And when he did, he'd presumably do something about it...

Archangel, Bridge, April 15th, C.E. 71
Archangel's long furlough in Orb was over; it was time and past time to resume their journey to JOSHUA Base in Alaska.

For Murrue, it had been a pleasant enough rest; but she, too, felt the need to be about it once again. Things seemed to be moving again, in some indefinable fashion. Time would not stand still, and neither would the events she felt certain were soon to take place.

An odd tension was in the air aboard the ship now; even Ken seemed anxious about something. Now that she thought about, he'd seemed that way for some time now, as though he'd caught wind of something happening, and feared its coming...

"Message from Orb Headquarters, Captain," Kuzzey reported, breaking into her thoughts. "Message reads: no ZAFT forces detected within range; will proceed according to schedule."

Murrue nodded. "Very well, then. Prepare to move out."

"Ma'am," he said after a moment, "we're getting another message. Former Representative Athha has arrived on the dock; and he's requesting that Kira come out on the upper deck at once."

She turned to look at the young com operator, puzzled. "Does the message say why?"

"No, Captain."

"Hmm..." Murrue thought about it, and finally shrugged. "All right; please relay the message to Ensign Yamato."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Archangel, Atop Starboard Gottfried
It was with a certain amount of confusion that Kira Yamato ascended the stairs and exited the hatch onto the ship's upper deck. He had no idea what on earth Orb's former Chief Representative could want with him just when the Archangel was about to leave.

Maybe Ken could explain, he thought to himself, but who knows where he is. The ace had pulled a disappearing act, and was currently nowhere to be found among his usual haunts.

So, bemused, the young Coordinator walked to the railing... and was startled by the voice he heard calling up to him. "Kira!"

Kira looked down, to see a certain blonde-haired girl in a white uniform racing for the Archangel's hatch. "Cagalli?" He blinked, even more confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Look up!" she told him, pointing urgently toward an observation room overlooking the drydock. "Your parents are here! See?"

His eyes snapped to the window, and he saw that Lord Uzumi, Erica Simmons, and Ledonir Kisaka were there, looking at him... and so, indeed, were his parents, waving at him. His mother and father both, his mother looking anxious, his father... He wasn't sure what his father might be thinking.

But Kira was sure of one thing: the cold feeling in his gut when he looked at them. Remembering the questions he had, the guilt he felt... all the reasons he'd avoided meeting with them during the three weeks Archangel remained in Orb.

He swallowed hard, not knowing what to do, and he saw his mother look away, saddened by something, while his father looked at him for a moment... and nodded, as if in acceptance or acknowledgment. What that look meant, the young pilot wasn't sure...

Footsteps came up the same stairs he had ascended moments before. "Why...?" Cagalli panted, worn out from her hurried search. "Why won't you see them...?" Walking slowly to his side, she wondered; why would her friend have so carefully, persistently avoided seeing his own parents? Why won't you meet with them now, when you're just about to leave again? "Come on, Kira, say something to..." Her voice trailed off, for now, looking into the young man's eyes, she realized there was something wrong.

Before his mind's eye, Kira saw himself battling blade-to-blade with the Aegis, stabbing the Duel right by the cockpit, moving slowly, so slowly, in an attempt to save a shuttle full of refugees... Scenes of battle after battle; looking at Andrew Waltfeld over the sights of a pistol...

His vision blurred as unshed tears filled his eyes. "Cagalli..." he whispered. "Could you tell them... sorry, but... not now? For me?" A hand closed into a fist. "I just don't think... that right now... is the right time..." He couldn't finish, couldn't put his feelings into words.

He didn't need to. Cagalli looked into his eyes again, and understood. "Okay," she told him, equally quietly. "I will."

Kira nodded. "Thanks." He turned, and walked slowly back to the hatch. But then he paused, and looked over his shoulder, not quite meeting her eyes. "Take care, Cagalli, okay? Be careful... and thank you. For everything."

He turned away once more... but she wasn't letting him go that easy. "Kira!" Taking a couple of running steps, the princess practically threw herself at him, to his shock, catching him in a tight embrace.

Kira blinked rapidly, startled out of his depression. "Uh... Cagalli...?"

"Listen..." Cagalli whispered in his ear. "Don't get killed, okay? If you do... I'll never forgive you..."

He smiled, tears now running free down his face, and returned the embrace. "Don't you worry," he told her. "I will be coming back." Indeed, the realization that he did have something to come back to -besides the parents he didn't want to see right now- helped immensely... especially in the wake of his explosive breakup with Flay.

She still didn't release him; not right away. Instead, she fastened something around his neck, a pendant of some sort. "This is an amulet of the goddess Haumea," she informed him. "It protects its bearer."

Kira closed his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "I'll be back... as soon as I can." He vowed to himself then and there that he would allow nothing to stand in the way of his return... not even Athrun.

Archangel, Bridge/Onogoro Drydock
"We're moving out, Captain," Neumann reported. "According to current schedule, we'll be crossing the Orb border in less than an hour."

Murrue nodded. "Thank you; carry on."

As the great hatch yawned open, permitting the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship Archangel to return to the open sea, a figure stood on the pier, watching. Still in her white uniform, Cagalli Yula Athha stood silent, observing the ship's departure. The great vessel carried with her the only people who had ever treated the "princess" as an ordinary human being... and now, after two months in their company, Cagalli felt almost lost.

And Father doesn't understand, she thought bitterly. I don't care if I'm the "heir of Orb"; I just want to be treated like anyone else... to be with the few friends I have, and the only people who don't think I'm somehow "superior" because of my birth... But Lord Uzumi had been adamant, and there wasn't much she could do about it right now.

Cagalli just wished she had the guts her partner Ken had displayed in joining ZAFT against his father's wishes... but, unfortunately, Lord Uzumi had the power to do something about it, so here she stayed.

"Still no enemy forces detected in the area, Captain," Pal reported. "The Fleet is proceeding according to schedule."

Sai twisted in his seat. "They're escorting us out?"

Tonomura nodded. "Yeah. See, if we're surround by a large number of ships, it'll be much harder to identify us; the Orb Fleet is essentially acting as camouflage."

"There's only one problem," Ken commented, entering the Bridge. "The fact that there is no way anyone will mistake an Archangel-class for an Orb Aegis ship if they manage to get a visual on us. It is an asset against radar and sonar detection, though," he granted. "The number of signatures will confuse them; particularly sonar."

Natarle glanced up from CIC. "Are you sure, Commander?"

"Lieutenant, need I remind you that, as a former high-ranking ZAFT officer, I know a great deal about how ZAFT systems work?"

She grimaced. As a matter of fact, she was so used to the Grimaldi Falcon's presence by now that it had slipped her mind. "Of course, Commander."

"Well, we should be fine, for now," Murrue remarked, turning to face the ace, "since- Hm? Falcon... why are you in flight gear?"

Ken was indeed wearing his custom flightsuit, helmet tucked under his arm, and he looked grim. "We're going to be attacked as soon as we cross the Orb border," he informed her. "They know where we are."

Natarle started. "How?" she demanded. "And why haven't we detected anything?"

"We haven't detected anything because they could afford to hang back. And as for how they know..." His eye narrowed. "A ZAFT team infiltrated Onogoro while we were there. Dearka Elsman, for one, was just outside the Morgenroete facility not long ago; and I have no doubt he recognized me."

Murrue swallowed a curse. "Why didn't you tell us that before?"

He met her gaze calmly. "Because, under the circumstances, there was nothing anyone could've done but worry; and we had enough on our plates as it was. Besides, they would've been waiting for us no matter what we did; you know that."

She made a mental note to buttonhole the pilot a little more often; this habit of his of keeping things to himself was a little aggravating at times. "Better get to your machine then, Falcon, and tell Kira to do the same."

"There's no need." The ace returned to the hatch. "He already knows..."

She had no time to puzzle out that remark; instead, she activated her intercom. "Sophia, you'd better report to Skygrasper Two; Falcon says we're going to be under attack soon."

"Sorry, Murrue," Sophia said, voice taut with sudden tension. "But I can't; Chief Murdoch needs me down here. Some kind of electrical fault, we think." She paused. "I hate to say it, but I think it's time to see if Crewman Koenig really is ready for this."

Murrue froze, not liking the notion... but also knowing how important it was to have everything they had up and flying. "Crewman Koenig?" she said at last. "I won't order you to; but I must ask if you're willing to take Skygrasper Two up."

Tolle looked up from his seat next to Neumann, startled. "Ma'am? Uh... yes, Ma'am," he said, as firmly as he could... while trying to ignore Mir's gasp. "I'll do it, Captain."

She nodded reluctantly. "Then get to it, Crewman; I don't think we'll have much warning."

"Message from Fleet, Captain," Kuzzey called. "'This is where we turn back. We wish all of you the best of luck.'"

Murrue nodded tightly. "Thank you; and send a reply: 'We appreciated your escort'." She looked over at Neumann. "Maximum combat speed as soon as we cross the border," she ordered. "CIC, begin preparations for combat."

"Yes, Ma'am." Natarle didn't question the orders; she had as much faith as her captain in the instincts -and knowledge- of the ex-ZAFT ace who had warned them of the impending attack. "Prepare smoke dischargers," she directed. "We'll try something a little more elaborate this time."

"I wonder if there's any chance that mystery mobile suit will turn up again," Sai said quietly to Mir. "Last time, it helped out a lot."

"I don't think we can count on that," she replied. "Even if it is friendly, I think we have to rely on ourselves to handle this one."

"I guess you're right..."

Cousteau, Hangar
The four pilots of the Zala team were already in their machines when the alert came from the Bridge. "There's a ship breaking off from the main formation. Checking catalogue... it's the legged ship!"

Yzak, the group's only skeptic, found himself actually pleased to be wrong for once... even if it meant that gutless bastard Athrun was right. All right... today, Strike, I pay you back for what you did to me. I won't let that kind of humiliation pass...

"Here we go," Nicol murmured. "Are we ready?"

Dearka nodded, stomach clenching. "Yeah; Buster's ready for takeoff." Please, Falcon... don't make me do this. Why won't you see reason?

"We're launching immediately," Athrun announced. "That ship goes down today!"

The submarine rose to the surface, and the upper hatches opened, permitting the linear accelerator rails to extend. They charged up, and four mobile suits spat into the sky.

GAT-X303 Aegis was the first out, landing easily on its Guul, and its fellows swiftly followed. This was a target they'd been chasing for months; now it was time to bring an end to the long mission... no matter what it took. They had the advantage in firepower; the only thing that could possibly wreck their chances today was if that mysterious interloper turned up again.

At least, they thought that was their only chance of failure...

Archangel, Bridge/Catapults
"Detecting Vosgulov-class submarine carrier surfacing," Tonomura reported tightly. "Launch hatches seem to be opening..."

"Detecting three... no, four mobile suits," Pal reported. "Checking... Aegis, Buster, Blitz, and Duel."

Murrue clenched her teeth. "Just as we expected... Very well, prepare for undersea and air battle. Charge Gottfrieds, ready Valiants."

"Activate smoke dischargers," Natarle ordered. "Launch mobile weapons according to plan."

"Yes, Ma'am," Mir acknowledged. "Falcon, Kira? Proceed according to plan." She switched to her link with the port catapult. "Skygraspers One and Two, prepare for launch."

"Mu La Flaga, roger that."

There was a slight hesitation from the other machine. "Right," Tolle said finally. "I'm ready."

"Be careful, Tolle..."

Down in the catapults, Mu nodded to himself. "Should've figured it wouldn't be any easier to get out of Orb's territory... Hey, Koenig! You ready?"

"Y-yes, sir," Tolle replied.

"Hey, don't be nervous," the Hawk advised him. "Just provide targeting data for the Strike and Raptor, and try not to get hit. Piece of cake." He gripped his flight stick. "Mu La Flaga, launching!"

His fighter sped out into the sky, and was quickly replaced by Sophia's blue-and-gold machine. "Skygrasper Koenig," he reported, voice a little steadier now. "I'm taking off!"

He'd never launched from a catapult before, and he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut; but then he was airborne, flying under his own power.

In the starboard catapult, Strike and Raptor stood side by side. Strike bore the full Launcher Striker pack, while Raptor settled for the Agni alone; together, they'd rip apart anything that got in their path. "Connecting power conduits," Kira reported for both of them, as their machines linked their cannons with Archangel's main power. "Strike and Raptor, standing by."

Things were about to get interesting.

Battlefield, Beyond Orb Border
"Smokescreen?" Yzak hissed. "Must be DiFalco's trick!"

Dearka sighed. "Yzak, do you have to blame everything on Falcon? He doesn't come up with every new trick the legged ship throws at us." Then a pair of aircraft rocketed out of the smoke, flying straight at them, and he amended, "Just most of them."

"Those two fighters are out here again," Athrun murmured. "But there's something..." He triggered his beam rifle, and had the satisfaction of watching the two fighters break away. "The blue-and-gold machine isn't flying as well this time," he called. "Concentrate on the other one."

"Roger that," Nicol acknowledged.

Mu, meanwhile, nodded approvingly at Tolle's evasive maneuver. "Okay, not bad at all. Now, stay above the fighting, and get targeting data to Strike and Raptor."

"Yes, sir." Tolle keyed his radio. "Strike, Raptor? This is Skygrasper Koenig. I'm relaying the enemies' positions and the targeting data to you."

Kira swallowed. Be careful, Tolle. "Roger that," he confirmed, activating his targeting screen.

Ken did the same (even he couldn't manually target what he couldn't see). "Got it. Go for it, Tolle." Then he opened his mouth, and screamed the peregrine falcon's hunting call.

Athrun was at a complete loss, wondering what the "legged ship" was up to... until hyper-impulse blasts started drilling out of the smokescreen. "Everyone scatter!" he ordered, boosting power to his Guul's engines. "They're both using hyper-impulse cannons!"

"That won't last," Dearka muttered, flinging himself backward to avoid a crimson blast. "That's not Falcon's style at all..." No, something else was going on, he was sure; the legged ship was pulling out all the stops for this battle. This one would be decisive...

"They're evading," Tolle reported. "I don't think this is working."

"It isn't," Ken agreed. "This is like trying to call in fire support from surface ships against jet fighters... All right. Kira, you ready?"

Kira nodded, releasing the power coupling from his Agni. "Let's go, Ken."

Raptor's Agni simply dropped to the catapult's deck; he would have no need of it in this situation. "Here we go, kid," he murmured to himself. "Time to see if Raptor will hold together through one more battle..." Ken's machine sprang off the deck, thrusters firing... beam sabers igniting.

Hades, Bridge
"There seems to be a battle going on above us," Leanne remarked. "My cousin seems to be involved, along with the rest of his team... and the Boss." She stared at the visual display a moment longer, before turning to the gray-haired young engineer. "Can we help them, Tom?"

Tom shook his head. "No. The only mobile suits we have ready for action are standard ZAFT models; we can't afford to use those until we openly break with Patrick's faction. Preybird won't be ready for another day or so, either... so no. I'm sorry, Leanne, but there's nothing we can do."

She clenched a fist. "Then at least keep us in the area," she said tautly. "The Zala team is outmatched today; somebody's going down, and I want to pick up any survivors from the battle."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Of course, Leanne; what do you think we're here for in the first place?"

Leanne nodded silently. I don't even know which side to root for, she thought to herself. On the one hand, that's my cousin up there; on the other, if the Boss buys it, everything we've done will have been for nothing...

Battlefield, Beyond Orb Border
Athrun had been almost expecting it, but it still came as a rude awakening when the two mobile suits burst out of the smoke, one firing a hyper-impulse cannon, the other swinging a pair of beam sabers. "Watch it!" he warned, exchanging fire with the Strike.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Dearka told him, and opened fire on Raptor. He was less than surprised to see the shot from his gun launcher hit upon the small shield, while a blade of frozen fire bounced his beam shot right back at him. "This isn't going to be easy," he muttered, dodging his own shot.

"You're going down, Strike!" Yzak snarled, firing his Igelstellungs. "You've gotten lucky before, but not today!" He growled in hate and frustration, seeing the blue-and-white Earth Forces machine juke around his fire... and he cursed in utter rage as a hyper-impulse beam tore through his railgun. "You'll pay for that, Strike!"

Not today, Kira thought, and fired again, now blowing away Duel's beam rifle. I promised I'd return, and I'm not letting you stop me, Duel...

Dearka cursed in frustration. "Why do we have to keep fighting, Falcon?" he demanded, unleashing a missile barrage.

"Why do we have to keep having this conversation?" Ken countered, CIWS ripping into the salvo. "My answer hasn't changed since the first time we fought... and nor has my intention to leave you alive." He flew in close, evading or destroying everything at him, and Dearka braced himself for the shock of impact...

He was surprised when nothing happened, despite Raptor's sabers flashing entirely too close to Buster's legs. "What the...? Ahh!" The ZAFT pilot cried out in surprise when his Guul simply exploded, dropping him out of the sky. "What just happened?"

Dearka twisted around to look, and, just before the water claimed his machine, he saw Raptor's Death Blossoms clamp back onto its backpack. I'm getting really tired of that...

"Dearka!" Athrun called. "Hold on; I'm coming- No!" Mu's Skygrasper shot across his path, firing beams from both its turret and the beam rifle attached to its side, and Aegis was forced to turn away. "Bastard," the blue-haired pilot muttered.

"Sorry, Dearka," Ken murmured. "But I can't let anything stop us. We've come too far... and still have a long way to go."

Kira was losing the impetus of his initial thruster-assisted jump -unlike the Aile, the Launcher Striker wasn't equipped for atmospheric flight- and decided now was the time to take the Duel completely out of the fight. Eyes narrow, he stared into his targeting scanner... and pulled the trigger, unleashing another bolt of high-energy fury at his enemy.

Yzak snarled in impotent rage as his Guul detonated. Had his machine not been equipped with PSA, the resulting shrapnel would've torn into him; as it was, the loss of the subflight lifter was sufficient to drop him from the sky. "You'll pay, Strike!" he screamed. "One day, you'll pay for everything you've done to me!"

Athrun cursed bitterly. Now only he and Nicol remained in the sky, and it was becoming increasingly clear how inadequate that truly was... especially with two Skygraspers and the traitorous Grimaldi Falcon flitting about, firing at targets of opportunity.

There was still, however, a chance to complete the mission, and he arrowed in on the smokescreen surrounding the Archangel. "You're going down today, legged ship."

He was, however, slightly puzzled by the way the Strike was confidently dropping out of the sky... and he realized at the last instant that he'd misjudged the Archangel's location. His realization was immediately confirmed by four streams of emerald energy that emerged from the mist.

Aegis rocketed up and away, narrowly avoiding being vaporized, while Blitz slid sideways. "We're in trouble, Athrun," Nicol warned.

"I know." Athrun's eyes narrowed. "That ship is practically indestructible..."

Now Kira landed on the Archangel's bow deck, and let the Launcher Striker fall away. "Commander," he called. "I need a replacement Striker pack."

"On the way, kid," Mu responded, and flipped the appropriate switches. "Here it comes; don't drop it."

"Not to worry." Strike leapt back into the air with all the power available to it... and the Aile wings and thrusters locked neatly onto its shoulders, while its hands easily caught the rifle and shield. "You ready, Ken?" Kira called to his mentor.

"You got it, amigo," Ken acknowledged. "Let's get them."

The twin machines streaked across the sky toward Athrun and Nicol, and the Aegis' pilot cursed. "Here they come, Nicol," he warned. "Watch yourself."

"Got it, Athrun." Raptor was slashing across the sky straight at the Blitz, and Nicol activated the Trikeros system's beam saber. He knew the Grimaldi Falcon's fondness for melee combat, and he had no intention of being caught flatfooted.

Ken noticed this, and smiled slightly. Unfortunately, Nicol, he thought to himself, you've forgotten my other habit... Letting out another ascending wail, he powered even higher into the sky, till he was well over a hundred meters higher than Blitz... and stooped, like a giant bird of prey.

Nicol blinked, realizing that he'd made an error. He should've stayed back and used to his rifle; for now there was no way he was stopping the machine that dove at him. With that much momentum, it would go right past... and probably devastate his machine on the way by. Still, he wasn't the time to just give up without a fight, and, raising his Trikeros, he prepared himself to take his foe with him into oblivion.

Had it been Ken's intention to kill Nicol, he might well have lost his life in the process, impaled by his own kinetic energy upon Blitz's saber. But he wasn't going for a straight-out, killing blow. Instead, he stayed a few meters back from Blitz... and so his crimson blade cut ahead of him, ripping through the joint connecting right arm to torso.

Nicol cried out in surprise, and met then what the other purpose of the attack had been; in a maneuver that could not have been better coordinated if they'd tried, Raptor fell past... and Strike rushed into the gap left by the effective destruction of Blitz's offensive capability. The vicious shoulder tackle knocked the dark machine right off its Guul, sending it down to the ocean below.

Athrun cursed viciously. "Nicol!" Now Strike had taken over Blitz's Guul, aiming it straight at Aegis, and the ZAFT pilot reached a decision. I'm sorry, Kira... but you have to be stopped.

While Raptor returned to the Archangel -the use of full thrusters and Death Blossoms had effectively exhausted Ken's power supply... and with it, the thing that kept his heart and lung running properly in the heat of battle- Kira and Athrun exchanged beam fire. Bolts of emerald death arced across the sky, briefly connecting the machines in bright light as their shields dispelled the fierce barrage.

In one sense, Athrun had the upper hand; he had a far better grasp of how to use a Guul. On the other hand, Kira had been fighting in atmosphere longer than his old friend, and now knew its vagaries well. Each shot he fired was precise, taking into account every variable the atmosphere imposed... and one of them finally hit its mark.

Athrun could only marvel at how much Kira's skill had improved in the past few months, even while his Guul exploded; his only consolation was that the Strike's stolen Guul went with it, and that was small comfort, considering that the Earth Forces machine didn't need it to fly in atmosphere.

The ZAFT pilot did the only thing left to him. Aegis could maintain flight in atmosphere very briefly in mobile armor mode, so he converted it to the fearsome, clawed form, even knowing that the Scylla would drain his power very fast. He fired two quick shots at the Strike, trying to snatch some victory from this doomed battle; but he wasn't even really surprised when the machine dodged them both.

Nor was that his only difficulty. Archangel had a bead on him again, and Natarle Badgiruel didn't hesitate to order the Gottfrieds to fire. The blasts of energy would have incinerated even a G-weapon with a direct hit; as it was, even the graze was sufficient to force Athrun completely out of the sky.

Aegis dropped rapidly, transforming on the way down, and landed heavily on a small island. I've lost, Athrun thought. Time to cut to our losses, and get out of here... before anything else happens. Wait- what's-

Strike suddenly slammed down right in front of him, a beam saber in one hand. "Athrun, stop!" Kira shouted. "This battle's over!"

Athrun clenched his fists. "Not yet," he shot back. "Not while you and I still face each other with blades between us!" Casting aside his shield, he activated both arm-mounted beam sabers; golden flame came to life, raised in a guarding stance. "So come on! Strike me down... just like you said you would!"

His blades came down in a crossing slash; but Kira was ready for it. He forced one away with his shield, and batted the other aside with his own energy blade. "No more, Athrun! I don't want to fight you anymore!"

"It's too late for that!" Undeterred, Aegis charged forward... and this time got a fist in the face for its trouble, knocking it to the ground; the red armor swiftly faded away, leaving the gray of a machine unprotected by Phase-shift armor.

Is this how it has to end? Kira thought despairingly. Do I... do I have to... destroy him...?

"What are you waiting for?" Athrun demanded. "Just finish me, Kira!"

Reluctantly, Strike's saber came up... and another's shout came across the airwaves.

"Athrun, get out of there!"

Both pilots whipped their heads around to look, and Blitz coalesced into existence, running toward them. In its remaining hand it held a kinetic penetrator dart; Nicol knew it wouldn't hurt Phase-shift, but he also knew it might give Athrun the distraction he needed to escape... to survive.

Kira didn't want to do it; but now he was reacting on instinct alone, far too fast for conscious thought to keep up. His saber swept once, out to the side, and cut the lancer dart in half. Then it came back... the Strike reared back from its attacker... and the blade of frozen fire stabbed forward, into Blitz's torso.

Athrun stared in mingled shock and horror. Blitz was sparking, clearly only moments from total destruction, as its overtaxed battery began to give way... Nicol!

In his cockpit, Nicol smiled, feeling the energy wash over him. "Athrun... run..." He thought he heard music... and then the wash of energy became an eruption. For Nicol Amalfi, the world went black, and he knew no more...

Author's note: Archangel has departed Orb, and, following the Zala team's immediate attack, Blitz has been destroyed. Now, it is but a short time before they return the favor by destroying some of Archangel's machines…

Yeah, I know; fast update. Well, I just seemed to have an easy time writing this one; I imagine the next chapter will take somewhat longer. Till then, let me know what you think. -Solid Shark