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

Archangel, Bridge, April 17th, C.E. 71
The Archangel's Bridge crew stared in shock at what had just happened. One gigantic explosion, at the Strike's location... and then nothing. Not even an emergency beacon...

In the midst of all this, both Skygraspers had landed -both having sustained damage from debris during the battle- and now Murrue's intercom squawked at her. "Hey!" Mu demanded from the hangar. "What in the world just happened?"

"What was that explosion just now?" Sophia concurred. "What's going on out there, Murrue?"

Murrue winced. "I'm not sure," she said finally. "But you should know... we've lost contact with both the Strike and the CGUE." Her throat tightened. "Tolle was the one flying the CGUE."

Mu's eyes went wide. "Both of them? No..."

Down in CIC, Mir snapped out of her trance-like daze, and hit the transmit key on her console. "Kira, come in!" she called. "Kira, Tolle, please respond! Where are you?"

Natarle closed her eyes. "It's useless, Crewman Haw," she said quietly. "It won't do any good." She hit an override on her own console, closing the radio circuit.

"What's the Strike's last known location?" Murrue asked, suddenly very tired.

"An island slightly to the south of our current position," Sai replied. "That was... the epicenter of that explosion..."

She closed her eyes in pain. "Prepare to-"

"Wait!" he interrupted, eyes glued to his displays. "Captain, we have three DINNs incoming!"

Murrue looked up. "How long till they reach us?" she demanded.

"Only a few minutes, at this rate."

She nodded. "Then prepare to intercept."

"Not possible," Natarle interjected. "In Archangel's current condition, we have no chance of intercepting three DINNs; and none of our machines are operational."

"But... we can't just abandon them!" Sai protested. "What if they did manage to escape somehow?"

"How long would it take us to reach the Strike's location?" Murrue queried swiftly. "Could we get there before those DINNs-"

"Captain, it's too risky!" Natarle protested. "We have this entire ship to worry about, and the lives of everyone aboard!"

The Captain's eyes flashed. "I will not abandon-!"

"We don't have a choice," Ken suddenly cut in over the radio. "We have to get out of here, right now."

Murrue looked down at her intercom screen. "Falcon? Where are you-?"

Preybird rose into view just outside the viewports. "There's no time, Murrue!" the ace snapped impatiently. "And let me tell you this: Kira wouldn't want us to stick around looking for him. His top priority was always the protection of this ship; you know that!"

"Captain!" Natarle said urgently.

Murrue closed her eyes again, unable to face the reality of what she was about to order. "Very well," she whispered. "Get us out of here. But send a distress signal to Orb, along with the coordinates of that island; let them do what they can."

"Orb?" Natarle frowned. "But... that nation is-"

"I will take full responsibility!" the Captain snapped. "Now carry out my orders."

"DINNs closing fast, Ma'am!" Sai called. "Less than thirty seconds-"

"Activate backup levitators, and boost engines to maximum thrust!" She looked grimly out the viewports. "Our number one priority is to evacuate the area!"

"And the DINNs, Ma'am?" Natarle persisted.

A very cold voice answered her from the radio. "Don't worry about the DINNs, Lieutenant," the Grimaldi Falcon said tightly. "They're mine."

Preybird suddenly flashed into motion, darting behind Archangel, and Murrue's eyes were drawn to the rear displays. She'd only ever heard him sound that enraged when he learned of Victor Tempest's survival... and that day, he'd been flying a machine clearly inferior to what he piloted now.

The DINN pilots clearly didn't realize the threat they faced. Even as Preybird drew the massive Gerbera Straight katana from its side, the ZAFT machines tried to fire their projectile weapons at their enemy, little realizing how futile it was.

Murrue could easily imagine Ken's thoughts as he rushed them: Pathetic. Wings spread wide, he flew straight at them, and his huge blade cut through the first like it didn't exist, ripping in one side and out the other... going through the pilot in between.

The pilot's fellows didn't stand much more of a chance. The Gerbera Straight went back into its sheath, and the beam rifles snapped up. A pair of emerald darts spat out, one shearing through the next machine's head, the other burning a molten hole through the cockpit. Even as it tore itself to pieces, another pair of bolts streaked out, impacting on the third machine and blasting it apart with extreme prejudice, spewing fragments of armor everywhere.

"Now we can go," Ken said grimly, and maneuvered swiftly back to the Archangel's flight decks.

"But," Sai protested, "now that the enemy is down, we can stay and look for-"

"Negative," the ace cut him off. "I don't know if those DINNs were the only ZAFT forces in the area; and I'm not confident enough in ability to fight with this thing to risk running into heavier forces." He closed his eye. "I'm sorry... but we have no choice."

Archangel, Hangar
ZGMF-X00A Preybird seemed almost to sigh as it powered down; its pilot felt much the same, opening the machine's pilot module, then the main cockpit hatch, and climbed down to the deck below.

Now that the battle was over, and Archangel was on her way out of the area, Ken allowed himself the luxury of a reaction to the last hour's events. He'd just watched Tolle Koenig get himself killed, pulling a stupid stunt, and then his protégé got himself incinerated by the Aegis. Idiot of a college student, he thought to himself, more in sorrow than anger. Taking off in a CGUE when he had no experience -not even in the simulators- in a mobile suit... That idiot!

He found Mu and Sophia at the Skygraspers, both looking as weary as he felt. "Well," the Hawk remarked, breaking the melancholy silence, "I guess it's over."

Ken nodded wearily. "Yeah."

Sophia swallowed hard. "Both of them..." she whispered. "Both of them gone, just like that..." She looked at her brother through blurred eyes. "Why, Falcon? Why is it always the kids who buy it out there?"

The ace sighed. "I don't know, Sis," he said softly. "But today... it was vengeance driving that team." His fist clenched in a rare show of emotion. "Vengeance for nothing."

Mu looked at him sharply. "What?"

"The Blitz's pilot is alive," Ken said flatly. "I got word from my people that he's on the Hades -a submarine carrier operated by the Gray Demons- and is expected to recover fully." He closed his eye. "And this, Mu, is why vengeance does not belong on the battlefield: sometimes it's just too hard to tell if there's anything to take revenge for. Athrun Zala took it into his head that Kira had murdered his friend... so he took Kira's life, in exchange."

His brother cursed. "This is getting out of hand," he hissed. "This war keeps dragging on, with no end in sight... What will it take?"

"I'm working on it," the ace told him, nodding at the machine he'd switched to following the destruction of Raptor. "That machine is just the beginning."

Grateful for the opportunity to think of something less depressing, Sophia looked the machine over. "That's the machine that saved us outside of Orb, isn't it?"

Ken nodded. "That's right; as some may have already suspected, I designed it, based on data from the G-weapons, and it was constructed at my order by the remnants of the Gray Demons. It hasn't yet been properly tested, but as you saw outside Orb, it's a very dangerous machine." He smiled slightly, trying not to think of what had just happened. "It's the ZGMF-X00A Preybird, and that day, it was flown by Leanne Eldridge."

Mu cocked his head, a peculiar expression on his face. "Leanne Eldridge, you say?"

The ace's eye narrowed. "Yeah. Why? You know her?"

"You could say that..."

Sophia gazed intently at her little brother. "If your people have the resources to build something like this... then you really do have some kind of master plan."

"Yes," Ken agreed. "It could be better -my departure from the PLANTs was more precipitous than it should have been- but it suffices for now. I only hope that it isn't too late to stop Patrick's madness..." He shook himself. "In any case, what you see here is but the first stage of my Shiva Option; I suspect Phase Two will begin sometime after we reach Alaska."

Mu's eyes narrowed. "You know something, don't you?"

"Yes; but now is not the time." The ace looked up at his armored minion. "I doubt you'd believe me at this point; and several factors have yet to come together. But when the time is right..." He turned, meeting Mu's eyes. "When the time is right, I can't guarantee we'll bring this war to the conclusion we desire; the Revolution is already won, but if I fail, Patrick may yet throw it all away. But I can and will guarantee this: whatever happens, Kira and Tolle will be avenged."

Later, Mu stood alone in one corner of the hangar, by his Skygrasper, brooding. Unlike his comrade, the Victorian Kestrel -who was absolutely fascinated by the marvel of engineering her brother and his people had created- he could take no solace in mechanical things; he couldn't distract himself from the blow the ship had just suffered.

The huge hangar seemed even emptier now, even with the Preybird newly--arrived to fill it, without the Strike, Raptor, and Ken's CGUE. It was as though the lifeblood had drained out of the place, with those three machines gone. They -particularly Strike and Raptor- had been the ship's true protectors, throughout her long journey; with them gone, and two pilots with them, it all seemed much darker...

To have come so far, Mu thought bitterly, fought so hard, gone through so much, only to have it end out here, so close to our goal... It just isn't right. And there's nothing any of us could do about! If there was one thing Mu La Flaga hated, it was helplessness; and that was exactly how he'd felt when Kira and Tolle died. He was the veteran; he should've been able to do something. But instead, like so much else in war, it had been left to the kids... to youngsters who shouldn't have been anywhere near a battlefield.

He'd been against the decision to leave the island behind, and with it any chance of finding and rescuing Kira and Tolle; but he'd heard Ken's words on the radio... "And let me tell you this: Kira wouldn't want us to stick around looking for him. His top priority was always the protection of this ship; you know that!" He'd also wondered why Ken had failed to intervene, either to stop Tolle from launching in the first place, or to intercept him before he reached the Aegis; but then he'd learned that the ace was busy, first being shot at by the Buster, then having his machine fall apart from underneath him.

Mu understood it... and wished he didn't.

It was then that he heard footsteps; slow, with the leaden sound of someone barely able to keep moving at all, under whatever burden they were carrying. When he looked up, he saw the hangar's hatch slide open, admitting Miriallia Haw, who looked almost dead herself.

What's she doing here? Mu wondered. He knew why she wasn't on duty; even Natarle Badgiruel understood that the girl couldn't function properly right now. Besides, they didn't have anything battle-ready right now -besides Ken's new machine, which no one even understood- so her post on the Bridge was pointless.

But what was she doing in the hangar?

Confused, he watched as Mir slowly looked up, and caught sight of the Skygrasper simulator Tolle had run through so many times before his death. With a strange look in her eyes, she suddenly started running toward it; though what she hoped to find, the Hawk, didn't know.

Whatever it was, she clearly didn't find it there. After glancing into the mock cockpit, she slid slowly to her knees, eyes tightly closed.

Mir didn't even look up when Mu approached; but she heard his slow footsteps. "Where's Tolle?" she whispered. "He isn't here..."

He started to reach out to her, but stopped, as grief and frustration grew. Snarling wordlessly, Mu La Flaga instead slammed his fist into the side of the simulator. Why is it always the kids who buy it? he raged at the world at large. Why?

Mu didn't have the answers to that. No one did...

Marshall Islands, April 18th, C.E. 71
An Orb amphibious transport aircraft settled down into the water, coming to a gentle halt on the edge of the beach. It had come there in response to Archangel's distress call, and one person aboard it had no intention of leaving until she'd gotten the answers she needed.

Cagalli Yula Athha followed her bodyguard, Ledonir Kisaka, onto the sand, and her eyes were wide with horror. "Oh... no..." All around them lay pieces of the Aegis and Raptor... and not far away lay the scorched body of X105 Strike.

"It appears as if the red machine self-destructed, and took the Strike with it..." Kisaka murmured sadly. "It's- wait." His eyes narrowed, and he reached instinctively for a weapon, for there was someone there ahead of them.

The green-haired woman raised a hand. "There's no need for that," she said, stopping a diplomatic distance away. "My name's Leanne, Leanne Eldridge; I believe my Boss is an acquaintance of yours. He told me to stick around and wait for you guys."

A small part of the weight in Cagalli's stomach eased. "You're one of the Gray Demons, right?" The woman nodded. "So... Ken's alive?"

Leanne nodded again. "Yeah; though I can't say I've ever heard anybody call him that before. Anyway, yeah, he's okay; the Raptor was destroyed on purpose, when it started to fall apart on him. He ejected just fine."

The blonde girl bit her lip. "But what about... what about the Strike? Is its pilot...?"

"I don't know; I only just got to this island myself, and haven't had time to search." The test pilot shot a grim look at the Strike. "I hope we find him," she said softly. "He's the Boss's protégé... and the Commander tells me you two are close."

Cagalli nodded tightly. "Yeah... you could say that." Without another word, she ran for the Strike, ignoring Kisaka's protests to stop. Climbing up the wreckage, she quickly found herself at the gash in the hatch, and looked in at... nothing. "Kira...?" she whispered.

Kisaka climbed up after her. "A shame," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Cagalli."

She shook her head quickly. "He's not here."

He drew back in surprise. "He's not?"

"No; he must've been thrown clear. No, maybe he ejected!" With a quick glance around her, Cagalli jumped back down to the sand, intent on finding her friend.

"Miss Cagalli!" Leanne called, standing with several Orb rescue workers. "I think you'd better take a look at this!"

The Orb princess hurried over. "Is it Kira?" she demanded breathlessly.

The test pilot stared grimly down at the red-suited pilot, lying half in the water, faceplate shattered, arm broken. "No," she said quietly. "But I know this pilot." She met the other girl's gaze. "He's Athrun Zala, and, as you may know... he was the pilot of the Aegis."

Cagalli practically vibrated from the mixed emotions running through her. "Then we take him with us," she said tightly. "Patch him up... and then get some answers."

Leanne glanced at her sidelong. "With your permission, Miss Cagalli, I'd like to accompany you."

Kisaka frowned. "You're a member of ZAFT, and Orb does not allow-"

"I'm not intending to go all the way to Orb," she said, cutting him off. "When we get close, Hades will pick me up." She gave Athrun a very, very grim look. "And I'm not ZAFT, either," she added tightly. "Not the ZAFT you're thinking of. I'm a Gray Demon, one of the true ZAFT... and not affiliated with either side."

Cagalli nodded decisively. "You're coming with us, then," she said firmly. "All the way to Orb, if you want; we could use your help. And before you say anything, Kisaka," she to her bodyguard, "I should mention that my father already seems to have some kind of arrangement with Ken. He'll allow it."

Kisaka nodded. "Very well."

Leanne gripped the princess' arm. "If he's out there, we'll find him," she said softly. "The Boss would insist on it... and so would I." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "I left too many friends behind at Endymion..."

Archangel, Hangar
Mu La Flaga worked quickly but quietly, prepping the ship's sole flight-ready fighter for launch. The F-7D was lightly armed, but it should suffice for his purposes. He didn't intend to fight; all he wanted to do was search for two of his fellow pilots... for his friends.

Archangel can't go, he thought, but surely we can spare just me, and this little fighter... especially with Falcon's new wonder suit aboard.

Mu was determined to find Kira and Tolle, if at all possible; as his little brother said, "leave no one behind". Those two -especially Kira- were the heart and soul of the ship. Without them, they still had Ken DiFalco as their brains, but the heart had been ripped out of the crew. Mir had shown him that, when she entered in search of Tolle.

He worked clandestinely now; he wasn't sure the Captain would approve of this excursion, so he chose to avoid attention for as long as possible. Good thing Falcon showed me how to activate those backdoor programs of his... The young pilot's hacking tendencies would help today.

Unfortunately for the Hawk of Endymion's plans, his activity didn't go unnoticed, and it wasn't long before he heard footsteps coming up behind him. "Commander, just what do you think you're doing?"

Mu sighed. "Pretty much what it looks like, Captain," he admitted. "I'm getting this plane ready for launch, so that I can go find those kids."

Murrue firmly shook her head. "Absolutely not," she said, voice as firm as her gesture. "We can't risk it; not in this situation."

He turned to face her. "Look, Captain," he said argued, "the ship isn't in immediate danger; Falcon took care of those DINNs for us. So there's no reason for me not to go take a few hours to look for them."

She sighed. "Commander, we may not be in immediate danger, but..."

"Have we heard back from Orb yet?"

Murrue blinked, slightly startled by his interruption. "No, not yet," she admitted.

"Then someone needs to go out there and see if those two made it," he said reasonably. "We can't just leave them behind, Captain; you don't do that."

She swallowed. "Commander, if I thought I could spare anyone, I'd be out there looking for them myself. But we can't; I'm needed here, and so are you. We're not out of this yet."

"But what if those two managed to escape?" Mu said desperately.

"Kira may have," a new, grim voice said. "But Tolle didn't."

The two officers turned in unison to see Ken striding into the hangar, in his flightsuit. "Falcon?" Murrue queried. "What are you-" She interrupted herself; there was a more important question first. "Are you sure Tolle's... gone?" she asked, unable to bring herself to say dead.

He nodded grimly. "Yeah, I'm sure. I haven't told Mir... but I saw it happen." The ace closed his eye. "It was the Aegis. Tolle decided to take my old machine out there, try and help Kira... He never realized how much Athrun outclassed him. Aegis just... just casually cut him in half." A sigh. "Unless he can somehow rebuild himself from his ashes... he's gone."

Mu sagged against the fighter's fuselage. "Why is it always the kids...?"

"Because it's the 'kids' who think they're immortal," Ken told him. "And without that, they'd never go into combat. Veterans can look death in the face and laugh at it... but it takes a kid's sense of immortality to keep him sane long enough to become a veteran." He cracked the merest trace of a smile. "Lesson Forty-three."

Murrue nodded sadly. "That's true, Falcon; all too true." She looked again at his gear. "So what are you doing here in flight gear, Falcon?"

"I'm going back there," he said simply.

She immediately shook her head. "No, Falcon; the same reason I can't let Commander La Flaga go applies to you, too. It's too risky."

Ken absently rubbed his chestplate. "Not for me, it isn't," he said quietly. "There's no machine in the world right now that can take Preybird down."

Murrue followed his gaze, and looked dubiously at the lethal-looking mobile suit that occupied Raptor's former spot. "You have a lot of faith in that machine," she said quietly. "Are you really that confident?"

The ace snorted. "I trust Tom Delaney's engineering, and I trust my design skills. Besides, Murrue, you saw what it did just outside Orb; you saw how effective even its incomplete form was." His voice hardened. "And just a few hours ago, you saw me destroy those DINNs without even breaking a sweat."

She closed her eyes. "There's no way I can talk you out of this, is there." It wasn't a question.

"No." Ken shifted his gaze to Mu. "You, on the other hand, need to stay here, Brother. You and Sophia can defend the ship adequately in my absence -particularly since the Duel is badly damaged, Buster is ours, and Aegis and Blitz are gone- but you both need to be here."

Mu nodded reluctantly. "All right, Falcon, I will; but you do whatever you can to find Kira." He smiled slightly then. "And if you happen to run into your friend Leanne... give her my regards."

The ace's eye narrowed, but he nodded. "All right; but one of these days, you have to tell me just what this is all about." He turned back to Murrue. "With your permission, Murrue?"

She sighed. "Since I have no doubt you'll go whether I 'allow' it or not, go ahead. Just try to get back before we reach Alaska... and make sure you don't get killed while you're gone."

Ken snorted. "In Preybird? Not a chance."

Orb Transport Aircraft
Athrun Zala woke slowly, feeling that something was wrong. He couldn't pin it down, but something... just wasn't right. Then he had it.

He was still alive.

The last moments of Aegis' existence rushed back to him, and he realized dazedly that it might be a good idea to take stock of his surroundings. So, cautiously sitting up, he looked around.

The first thing Athrun noticed was that his arm seemed to be hooked up to an intravenous tube; the second thing was that his right arm was broken. That at least told him that he hadn't escaped the last battle completely unscathed. Under the circumstances, it was hardly a surprise.

Then he realized that aboard some kind of transport aircraft... and that he was not alone.

"I see you're finally awake," Cagalli said coldly, autopistol in hand. "I was beginning to wonder."

Athrun looked at her. "You... so this is an Orb aircraft? I wouldn't have thought Orb would get involved." He smiled slightly, without humor. "Or am I in the hands of the Earth Forces?"

"Don't be an idiot, Zala, if you can possibly avoid it," another voice said from the shadows. "And I wouldn't recommend provoking her; that gun isn't for show, and she's not terribly reluctant to use it on you, either."

He turned his head to peer into the darkness, and a green-haired young woman in ZAFT red stepped forward. She, too, held a pistol... and her eyes were very cold.

Athrun recognized her, though it took a moment. Nicol had introduced her to him, back at the academy... "You're Leanne Eldridge," he murmured.

Leanne nodded. "That's right, Zala."

He looked back at Cagalli. "So what is a ZAFT officer doing here, anyway? The way I remember it, you don't want anything to do with either side."

"She's not ZAFT," she replied. "She's a Gray Demon; and I trust her a lot more than I do you, Athrun."

Not ZAFT... a Gray Demon... DiFalco's people aren't loyal anymore, he realized. They've all gone rogue... which means DiFalco did have a plan... and he's responsible for that machine...

Athrun filed away the fact for later consideration, and cleared his throat. "So what, exactly, am I doing here?" he asked.

"There's something I need to know," Cagalli replied flatly. "What happened to Kira? We couldn't find him... anywhere!" Her careful detachment began to fray. "Answer me! Did you kill him?"

He looked away; her words resonating too well with his own feelings. "He's gone..." he whispered. "Because I took his life." He smiled slightly, bitterly. "That's right, I did. I grappled him with my Aegis, and tried to shoot him; and when that didn't work, I blew up, and took him with me. I don't see how he could possibly have survived."

She was suddenly right in front of him, and she shoved the ZAFT pilot hard against the bunk; it was all she could do not to shoot him. "You bastard! How could you!"

Leanne's reaction was more controlled, but that was almost as much a conditioned reflex as a lack of direct knowledge of Kira Yamato. "You're a lucky man, Zala," she said coldly. "If the Boss were here, I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to separate your head from your shoulders." It was all she could do to remind herself that the one truly at fault was Patrick Zala... and that, from all reports, Athrun was not at all his father's son.

Athrun didn't seem to hear either of them. "But why..." he whispered. "Why am I... still alive?" He looked up. "Or maybe... you two are meant to be the ones to finish it." He glanced between them. "So, which of you will be my executioner?"

In turn, Cagalli seemed oblivious to the ZAFT pilot's words. "Kira... took too many risks," she burst out, "didn't always know what he was doing, and always cried. But he was kind! He was a nice guy!"

He nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know," he said with a wistful smile. "Sounds like Kira hadn't changed a bit."

Leanne shot him a startled look. What the... He knew...?

Cagalli rounded on him. "How could you?" she demanded. "He told me you were his best friend; how could you do that to him? How could you kill him?"

"I didn't have a choice," Athrun whispered. "He killed Nicol, right before my eyes..."

"Vengeance?" Leanne scoffed. "Vengeance has no place on the battlefield."

They were momentarily interrupted by the intercom. "Miss Cagalli," it said, "a mobile suit has just landed nearby; a Commander DiFalco is asking permission to come aboard."

"Let him," Cagalli replied, forcing a modicum of calm into her voice. "He's friendly." Turning back to the ZAFT pilot, she glared, tears filling her eyes. "I don't understand you... How could you do something so terrible to your best friend...?"

"He wasn't on my side anymore!" Athrun answered forcefully. "I tried again and again to get him to join us; because he was a Coordinator, understand, that's where he belonged! But instead, he insisted on fighting his own people, even killing Nicol..."

"Idiot!" a new voice barked. "Have you learned nothing, Athrun Zala?"

His head jerked up, and his eyes widened to see the Grimaldi Falcon entering the compartment, with the look of a man who'd arrived in a great hurry. "Commander...?"

"ZAFT wasn't Kira's people," Ken told him, Prussian blue eye narrow and icy. "Coordinators aren't his people; just because he's genetically one of us doesn't mean he's of us. Genetics should not be the basis one uses to choose a side in this war."

"But..."

The ace continued in that same, implacable voice. "You knew Kira was a first-generation Coordinator, just like me," he said coldly. "You know as well as I do what that means. Did you really expect him to fight against his own parents?"

Athrun swallowed. "Like you told me on that island, Commander," he said softly, "not all Naturals are the enemy. He could've come over to us with his parents, abandoned the legged ship-"

"And if he'd done that, you couldn't trust him," Ken informed him harshly. "A man who betrays his friends like that is not the sort of man Kira was; if he could have done that, he'd no longer have been your friend. He could no more betray his friends than you could betray Yzak, or Dearka... or Nicol."

That last shot hit home, and the ZAFT pilot slumped. "I... I..." He began shaking, holding back his tears. "What have I done...?"

"It's a little late to be worrying about that, isn't it?" Cagalli said, voice hard, fists clenched. "Now you've killed him... and nothing you do will ever bring him back!"

While the two retreated into their own little worlds, Leanne leaned over toward her boss. "Do we tell him about Nicol, Boss?" she whispered.

Ken shook his head minutely. "No; not yet." He glanced at Athrun briefly. "Two reasons. One: we can't risk breaking security at this point; it would endanger Representative Amalfi, even before we approach him with what we know. Two..." He rubbed his eyepatch. "I think it'll be good for him to have a little crisis of conscience for awhile; maybe make him reevaluate everything ZAFT is doing. It's harsh... but I think, under the circumstances, Nicol would agree."

She nodded. "Got it. By the way, how's Dearka?"

"He's in custody, on the Archangel," he replied. "I haven't seen him yet; too busy... and I'm still wondering what to say to him."

Leanne blinked; it wasn't often anything caught her boss unprepared. She was accustomed to him having the answers to everything, no matter the situation. "Are you going to tell him about GENESIS?" she asked quietly.

"No," Ken said firmly. "That's still need-to-know. Nicol will have to be informed because he's likely going to be inducted directly into the Project -and because we could use his father's help- but it's too risky to try it with Dearka. He might take it into his head to try to do something from the inside... and we already know that won't work."

"Got it, Boss." She turned to look at the other two in the compartment. "What about me?"

"I want you to go with Cagalli to Orb," he told her. "Lord Uzumi already knows what we're up to, of course, so you shouldn't have any trouble. Prepare for Archangel's arrival; I don't think it'll be more than a couple weeks before we can arrive."

Leanne frowned. "You expecting something to happen at Alaska, Boss?"

Ken nodded. "On my way here, I got a message from Sparky, relayed through Hades. Operation Spit Break has been approved... and you know as well as I that Panama isn't the real target."

She bit her lip. "JOSH-A base, in Alaska... with every bit of firepower ZAFT can muster." Her expression turned worried. "Are you sure you can handle that, Boss? It's going to be one huge furball out there, and Archangel is only one ship. Without even Hades to back you up..."

"I'll be fine." His face took on a grim look. "Remember Preybird's purpose; nothing at Alaska will be able to stop me... no matter how many lives must be taken," he finished bleakly.

"I'm sorry, Boss."

"Not your fault, Leanne. Mine... for getting us into this mess in the first place." Ken turned to the hatch, preparing to leave. "One more thing: contact Shiho. The time is coming when we must marshal our resources; we'll need every pilot, every political connection, every ship and mobile suit." He paused. "That includes Arkbird, if she's still in our hands."

"She is, Boss," Leanne assured him. "In drydock right now, at the same place we began construction of Preybird; for that matter, where Asmodeus is being constructed."

He nodded, with a wistful look. "Ah, Asmodeus... I wish Alicia were still here with us. Even if we can get Shiho back, we'll still have less than half of our pre-Endymion strength. I don't suppose you've found any likely recruits?"

She shook her head. "Sorry; not yet. At least, nobody we'd feel confident contacting at this point. Frankly, I'd like to assimilate the entire Zala team... but I don't think that's feasible at this point."

Ken followed her gaze to Athrun's huddled form, and nodded. "Quite."

"Could be worse; we're getting Nicol Amalfi -we think- and maybe Dearka, if you can get him to see reason." Leanne smiled suddenly, as a thought occurred to her. "You know... we may even be able to get Yzak Joule on our side."

He blinked. "Yzak? How?"

"Shiho's got a crush on him," she said simply. "And she happens to be just about the only person in the world who can persuade Yzak to do anything someone else wants him to do without a direct order."

"Hm." Ken frowned, rubbing his eyepatch. "Well, we can't count on it, but it's good to hear. In any case, for now we need to concentrate on marshaling the resources we can count on. As soon as I leave, I'll send instructions for Tom and Hades to relay up to the PLANTs. If it's not too late, we need to restart construction of Arkbird. What about her sister ship? The production model?"

"Eternal isn't directly under our control," Leanne admitted. "But Sparky's been getting hints from Master Siegel that her intended captain -whenever construction is complete, which will take even longer than Arkbird or Asmodeus- is in the Clyne's camp. Ol' Spark's been trying to get more information, but Master Siegel's being cagey; I don't think he realizes what we've been up to, so he doesn't know that we have the same goal."

The ex-ZAFT ace came to a decision. "I'll have Sparky approach Chairman Clyne-" he refused to acknowledge Patrick Zala as the true chairman "-directly; he doesn't need to know about GENESIS, but he does need to know that his faction isn't alone in this."

She nodded thoughtfully. "And Tom? What's his role?"

"He's going back to the PLANTs; with Preybird delivered, he'll do more good overseeing Arkbird and Asmodeus." Ken met her gaze squarely. "It's all coming to a head, Leanne. This cold war is about to get hot again, and when that happens, we must be ready. That means bringing the team back together, and completing the ships. And it means I need you to prepare the way in Orb."

"Got it, Boss."

He started out the hatch, then paused one last time. "Oh, yeah; Mu La Flaga sends his regards."

Leanne smiled. "Does he, now? Tell him I hope to see him soon, will you?"

Ken shot her an odd look. "Okay, fine; but when next we meet, somebody is going to tell me just what is going on here."

Then he was gone, leaving his loyal minion to carry on in his absence.

Archangel, Bridge, May 2nd, C.E. 71
"Receiving a signal, Ma'am," Romero Pal reported. "A mobile suit just deactivated Mirage Colloid a hundred meters to our stern... Confirmed; it's Commander DiFalco's new machine."

Murrue sighed in relief. "I was beginning to wonder if he'd turn up at all; he must've been busy the last few days. Tell him to land at once. We don't want him getting shot down by our own forces."

"Yes, Ma'am." Pal had the job of relaying the order, because Mir was still off-duty; even Natarle couldn't dispute that she was in no shape to do the job right now. Not after Tolle's death...

Several minutes later, Ken arrived on the Bridge, once again in his usual trench coat, and looking quite unruffled; but Murrue knew him well enough by now to see the dark gleam in his visible eye that was all the sign he'd permit himself of his own grief.

"Sorry I'm late, Murrue," he apologized. "Got sidetracked; a certain submarine needed orders, if you know what I mean."

"Don't worry about it," she told him. "If you thought it was that important, I'm sure it was; though I should mention that you only just made it. We're about to enter Alaska's air-defense zone, and I doubt they'd recognize Preybird as friendly."

"I know." Ken paused. "About that, Murrue... I'd prefer if Preybird not be mentioned to Earth Alliance Command, if it can be avoided."

Natarle looked up from CIC. "Excuse me, Commander? Why? And exactly how do you intend to hide something like that?"

"To answer your second question first," he said, "there are two factors. One: I doubt JOSHUA's personnel will be much interested in a thorough inspection of the ship; if I know rear-echelon pencil-pushing, desk-warming armchair tacticians -which I do- they'll be more concerned with the fact that we lost both the Strike and Raptor. Not to mention my CGUE, which they'd have regarded as a priceless intelligence asset. No, they'll see us in the worst possible light, I'm sure... desk jockeys specialize in it."

She grimaced, but didn't dispute it. "And the second factor?"

"They won't even see it," he said simply. "I activated its Mirage Colloid after landing... and this machine's power supply will last rather longer than you'd expect."

Murrue looked at him suspiciously. "I don't suppose you'd care to explain that?"

Ken shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. Sorry, Murrue, but there are some things I'd prefer not to discuss yet. Believe me, though, I'll explain at the earliest possible moment... which shouldn't be too long from now."

"I'm not even going to ask what you mean by that." All she knew -all she needed to know- was that the ace was, as always, up to something. Whether it was good or ill... who could say? "But that brings us back to Natarle's first question: why do you want to hide it from Headquarters?"

"Because I don't trust them," he said bluntly. "Rank-and-file Earth Forces people are your average mix of people; some hate Coordinators, some like them, and others couldn't care less either way. Some admirals are the same. You'll recall my encounters with Lewis Halberton. However... Headquarters, from all reports, is completely different. Those who might see Coordinators as human beings can't possibly be allowed into a sensitive post like Alaska. No, I suspect they'll see me as a useful tool, nothing more... which means they'd dearly love to get their hands on Preybird." He smiled slightly. "But only if they know it exists."

Murrue looked down into CIC. "What do you think, Natarle?"

Natarle was slow in answering. At length, though, she said, "Ordinarily, I'd be skeptical. However, in this case... given who Commander DiFalco is, I'd say he's probably right, Captain. Especially given the rumors of Blue Cosmos influence in the upper levels of Command." She grimaced. "Though I suppose the Bloody Valentine was enough evidence of that. So yes, Captain, I'm afraid I agree with the Commander's analysis. It may be wise to keep a lid on some things for now."

Ken raised an eyebrow. "Not the sort of talk I'm used to hearing out of you, Lieutenant. Usually, you're a by-the-book type; outside of combat, that is." The slight smile returned. "Frankly, if you were planning the defense against one of my operations, I think I'd be pretty nervous."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as compliment," she said dryly. "As to why I'm saying this... let's just say that an officer who can't place the good of her ship over the good of a few rear-echelon chair-warmers isn't worth much, in my opinion. And coming from a long line of military officers, I can assure you I know what I'm talking about."

"I see..." Plainly, the brilliant pilot was impressed.

"Coming up on Alaska's air-defense zone, Captain," Pal reported. "They've accepted our IFF; intercept squadron says to proceed on course to JOSHUA Base."

Murrue sighed. "Tell them that we acknowledge." She looked back at her officers. "Ladies and gentlemen, our long journey is over."

Ken nodded, but inwardly felt very different. No, it isn't... Actually, it's only just begun...

Soon, the Shiva Option would become active. Either Patrick Zala's version would destroy everything Ken and his people had worked for... or the Gray Demons would come together, and send their esteemed former commander-in-chief back to the Stone Age.

Orb Transport Aircraft
Athrun was caught up in his own thoughts -his own grief- when the small compartment's hatch slid open, and Cagalli stepped in. As always, since he'd come aboard, she was shadowed by the woman in ZAFT red, with cocked-and-locked pistol; Leanne Eldridge seemed to have appointed herself as an extra bodyguard for the princess... one with the advantage of knowing how ZAFT pilots, and Athrun in particular, thought.

Even scarier, she and Cagalli seemed to have become fast friends.

"Something up?" Athrun asked lifelessly.

"A ZAFT aircraft has arrived," Cagalli replied coolly. "They're waiting for you now, to take you back to Carpentaria."

He blinked. "Wha...? You're letting me go?"

"We don't have a choice," she informed him. "You're a ZAFT soldier; and ZAFT soldiers aren't permitted within Orb territory. Therefore, we're dropping you off with your own people before we cross the border." Her hard eyes met his. "Better that they take you off our hands, anyway. I don't know how safe you'd be here."

"In other words, Zala," Leanne said quietly, "she isn't sure she wouldn't blow your head off herself."

Athrun nodded, unsurprised. "All right." He stood, and walked toward the hatch. "I'll be going, then."

"Wait." The word seemed to come unwillingly from Cagalli's mouth, but she gripped his shoulder briefly. "Try not to get yourself killed," she told him. "I don't like you, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you for killing Kira... but someday we may meet again, under better circumstances. Maybe then, things will be a little different."

He swallowed. "Maybe." But I'm not sure I want to survive, the ZAFT pilot thought to himself. Can I live with myself... after what I've done?

Athrun didn't know. He wasn't sure if he'd ever know... until the moment something happened.

Outside, he was taken across to the ZAFT transport plan on a small launch; and waiting for him was Yzak Joule, head bandaged, looking dour as always. "You," he said in disgust. "You dare to show your face, after everything...?"

"I destroyed the Strike like I promised," Athrun said softly. "And... I have important information now. About the Gray Demons... and that machine from last month."

Yzak's eyebrows went up. "You've been busy," he said grudgingly. "Not bad for someone who's been in Orb custody for a couple weeks. But what's this about the Gray Demons?"

"They can no longer be trusted," Athrun told him, and walked away.

After the ZAFT transport lifted off, a submarine surfaced a few meters from the Orb aircraft. Her call number was unfamiliar to Cagalli, but as Leanne showed no surprise at the vessel's arrival, she could guess who was in charge of the ship.

She turned to her new friend and raised an eyebrow. "That's the one you've been talking about, right?"

Leanne nodded. "That's right. Hades, one of three ships to be owned and operated by the Gray Demons; the other two being a pair of incomplete warships, up in space. I'm guessing her skipper is here to report... something. Not sure what, though..."

Sure enough, a hatch swiftly opened, and a gray-haired young ZAFT red stepped onto the upper deck. "Hey, Leanne!" he called.

"Right here, Tom," she replied, and turned to Cagalli. "Cagalli, this is Tom Delaney, our head grease monkey. Tom, this is Cagalli Yula Athha, heir of Orb."

Tom stepped aboard, and shook hands with the princess. "Pleased to meet you, Miss," he said. "The Boss speaks highly of you."

Cagalli smiled. "He'd better; he's gotten us both into enough scrapes in the last three months. So, what are you doing here, Mr. Delaney?"

"Call me Tom," he told her. "And what I'm here for is to report to Leanne." He turned to his teammate. "Nicol was sent up to the PLANTs last week; and he regained consciousness yesterday."

Leanne smiled in relief. "I'm very glad to hear that, Tom. Thanks."

Cagalli glanced between them, suspicious. "Nicol? Wait a minute... that's the guy Athrun said..."

She nodded. "Right, the guy Athrun says Kira Yamato killed. Well, being Nicol's cousin, as well as one of the people who found him after the battle, I can tell you that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. The Strike's saber, it seems, hit just above the cockpit; some of that massive energy discharge leaked in, but it wasn't enough to kill him. And when Blitz's cockpit was blown clear... Well, we recovered him."

The princess swallowed hard. "So Kira didn't do it? Then... Athrun killed him over nothing... and he died for nothing..."

Leanne gripped her shoulders. "Wait a minute, Cagalli," she said sharply. "That's not true, and you know it. He didn't kill Nicol, so Athrun wasn't avenging anything, sure. But that does not mean Kira died for nothing. He was doing what he always did: protecting his comrades. And believe me, that's a lot more than what my comrades died for at Endymion. I'm sorry he's gone, too... but he died as nobly as you can imagine."

Cagalli took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right..."

The test pilot turned back to her comrade. "Was there anything else?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah. I'm afraid we won't be seeing each other for awhile; as per the Boss's orders, I'm leaving for the PLANTs tonight, to resume construction of Arkbird and Asmodeus. Also..." He frowned. "I got a message from Sparky yesterday. He didn't say much -said it was too sensitive to entrust to even coded communications- but apparently, we've got a pilot lined up for the Freedom now."

Leanne bit her lip, puzzled. "I wonder who that could be? I doubt it's Shiho; even if he's managed to contact her, I don't think she'd willingly give up that CGUE DEEP Arms of hers. I swear, sometimes I think she's more in love with it than with Yzak..."

He laughed. "Could be. Well, Miss Cagalli, it was nice meeting you, but I'm afraid I have to go."

Cagalli nodded. "You have some way to get to orbit?"

"Yeah; we've got a shuttle waiting out at Kaohsiung. If I hurry, I can get to it before Zala can sound the alarm. If not..." Tom shrugged. "I'll figure it out. If you'll excuse me..."

The Gray Demon returned to his ship, which promptly submerged again, and Cagalli turned to Leanne. "Are all the Gray Demons like that?"

The Gray Demon laughed. "'Course we are; we wouldn't be Demons if we were sane, my friend. Besides, do you really think the Boss could come up with plans that brilliant if he weren't a little batty?"

"Now that you mention it... no."

PLANTs, Aprilius One, Clyne Residence, April 23rd, C.E. 71
It was, as usual, a bright, sunny day in Aprilius One. Hardly a surprise, since the weather was artificial, and so minutely controlled; the only times it wasn't a clear day were when a little rain was needed, to maintain the artificial environment of the colony.

On this particular day, Lance "Sparky" Cooper keep half an eye on Lacus Clyne as she went about her business. He wasn't too concerned about assassination attempts -yet; Patrick Zala's election had caused him to lose a certain amount of sleep, but it hadn't yet alarmed him- and besides, Lacus had made it very clear to him that the individual lying unconscious in the bed in the gazebo was to be very well-taken care of.

The big man chuckled to himself as Lacus chased her recalcitrant Haros around. That young man might be far more important than even Lacus realized; he'd just lost his mobile suit, which -assuming he chose to return to the battlefield- put him in the market for a new one. And Sparky and his people had just the machine in mind...

A Haro suddenly bounced into the gazebo, and Lacus followed after it, scolding. "Just a minute, Pink," she told it. "You shouldn't be disturbing him. He needs his rest..."

The ball-shaped robot paid her no heed, and leapt right onto the bed... thus causing the occupant's amethyst eyes to slowly open.

"Hello there, sleepyhead," Lacus said brightly. "How are you feeling?"

The brown-haired teenager looked at her blearily, not even awake enough to wonder what was going on, and Sparky smiled to himself.

How would the Boss react, he wondered, if he knew that the pilot we have in mind for Freedom is none other than Kira Yamato?

Author's note: Athrun has been recovered, Archangel has reached Alaska… and now a Gray Demon has joined Orb. Soon, events will begin to come together…

Well, Falcon has had his first combat flight in Preybird, and now he's going to an Earth Forces base. Something of an eventful time ahead, I think. Well, till next time. Solid Shark