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

Archangel, Bridge, May 8th, C.E. 71

"Commander DiFalco, I hereby request permission to join your organization."

Ken DiFalco blinked in surprise. Murrue Ramius' decision to leave the Earth Forces was one he'd been expecting... but he hadn't anticipated this. His intention was to ally his own Gray Demons with the Archangel... but it appeared she had something more ambitious in mind.

As it was, he was sufficiently startled that it took a few moments before he returned her salute. "Captain Ramius," he said, with equal formality, "I accept your entry into our forces." The ace then stepped forward, and clasped her hand. "And may I say," he went on with a smile, "that as unexpected as this may be, it's good to have you with us, Murrue."

Murrue nodded. "To a long, hopefully successful alliance, Ken."

Mu cocked his head, with a lopsided grin. "I think, little brother, that the Captain speaks for just about everyone here. Am I right?"

The assembled members of the Bridge crew and the surviving pilots looked at each other, and exchanged firm nods. "I think you've got some recruits, Falcon," Sophia remarked. "We're all out of our minds... but I'm sure you've got some kind of scheme going on, and frankly, I wouldn't care to bet against you."

"We're with you, Ken," Kira agreed. "I... may disagree with your methods, sometimes, but we're both working toward the same goal." He smiled. "Besides, if what I saw in the PLANTs is any indication, I'd say you and your people have the best chance of bringing this to an end. The Junk Guild doesn't care, people like the Serpent Tail mercenaries work for both sides, and Orb's neutral... which makes your True ZAFT the only third party with the strength to truly back up its ideals."

Ken swallowed, using every ounce of discipline in his body to control himself. I've fought so long, so hard, he thought to himself. All of it's been alone, with just the people who've served with me for months or years following me, helping me... And now these guys, who were my enemies until recently, are willing to trust me, and my plan...

"Thank you," he said softly. "All of you. But," he added sharply, "I don't expect any of you to act like I'm some kind of commander. Murrue is still in charge of this ship; the only force I directly control is what's left of my team. Don't go thinking that I'm supposed to be the leader now or something. If anything, we're equal... and with no formal rank structure to get in the way, maybe we'll actually get something done around here."

"I have to say, this will take some getting used to," Natarle commented. "It goes against the grain... but on the other hand, C- Falcon," she corrected herself, "I can at least trust you not to use any of us as bait. I don't imagine your master plan -whatever it is- is exactly safe... but you, at least, have a habit of being honest."

Mir tilted her head. "Wait a second," she interjected. "Does this mean we're all going to have to change uniforms?"

Kira looked at her. "Tell me something, Miriallia," he said. "Do you really think hot-pink is a good color for a uniform?"

She blinked. "Um..."

Mu looked over at Ken. "I think the ship is going to get a little more colorful soon," he said dryly. "How many uniform colors do you guys have, anyway?"

"Four," the ace answered. "Standard green, for mechanics, regular crew, and most pilots; dark gray for ship captains and aides; white for team commanders; and red for elite pilots and some commanders. Like me," he added, unnecessarily.

His brother raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you switch to white, anyway?"

"Because Rau Le Creuset did."

Murrue chuckled, and Natarle shook her head. "Okay, people," the lieutenant muttered, "he's human; he just admitted to doing something out of pride."

There was a general chuckle... which was abruptly interrupted by Pal. "Incoming ZAFT signatures!" he called out. "We have a CGUE DEEP Arms closing!"

Ken was at the petty officer's side in an instant. "This isn't good," he muttered, tapping keys on Pal's console. "The last time we ran into a DEEP Arms, it was... Wait a second." He frowned. "Detecting a submarine... Vosgulov-class... Oh." The ace straightened. "I think we can relax, people. That's the Hades heading our way, which means the CGUE is..."

"Housenka," Yzak finished. "Has to be."

Ken gave him an odd look. "Excuse me? 'Housenka'?"

The Duel's pilot suddenly looked slightly flustered. "Uh, well, that's Shiho Hahnenfuss. That's her nickname, you see, because of the pattern of explosions when she shoots something..." He coughed. "It was kind of my idea."

The ace slowly shook his head. Yzak Joule, flustered... never thought I'd see that. Well, Leanne did tell me Shiho had a crush on the guy... "I see," he said aloud. "Well, then, we're in the clear. Murrue, Natarle, we should get ready to receive visitors."

Murrue raised an eyebrow. "Who's Shiho Hahnenfuss?"

"She's a ZAFT redcoat," he replied. "Used to be a Gray Demon, before Endymion; if she's here, with the Hades, then Tom and Sparky must've succeeded in contacting her... which means the Demons are back up to almost half their original strength."

"Receiving a hail, Captain," Kuzzey reported. "The pilot of the CGUE -she's identified herself as Shiho Hahnenfuss- is requesting permission to come aboard. Likewise, the Hades is requesting..." He paused. "Their exact words are, 'Please don't blow us out of the water when we get close'."

"Then we won't," Murrue said, chuckling to herself. "And give the CGUE permission to land. I think some allies just arrived."

Yzak glanced sidelong at the ace. "You've been gathering your resources for months now, haven't you... And since Shiho used to be one of your Demons, you recalled her, huh?"

"More precisely," Ken corrected, "my people recalled her; I've been incommunicado ever since the Archangel reached Alaska. Sparky and the others have been operating independently for the last couple weeks."

"You know," Mu interjected, "that's something I've been wondering about for awhile now. Why do you call Lance Cooper 'Sparky'?"

Dearka and Ken exchanged glances, and chuckled. "That, Mu," the ace told him, "would be because of a training accident. His GINN trainer, upon suffering a hit in an exercise, was suddenly revealed to have bad wiring. An electrical surge went through the cockpit -and the pilot's seat- putting him into a coma for three days. Ever since then, ol' 'Sparky' has had a pronounced facial tic. During combat operations, he takes a mild tranquilizer -similar to what some snipers use to keep their hands steady- so that it doesn't distract him."

"Although, of course," Dearka put in, "it's been awhile since he was on combat ops."

Murrue raised an eyebrow. "And why might that be?"

"Trick of genetics caused him some trouble," Ken informed her. "For some reason, after Nova he got a belated growth spurt, putting him at about two meters, with the bulk to match. It's all muscle... but it means he's not very comfortable in standard cockpits anymore."

"Genetic oddities aren't uncommon in Commander DiFalco's units," Yzak said dryly. "His engineer buddy, Delaney, had gray hair from the day he was born."

"The CGUE has landed in the hangar, Captain," Mir reported. "Its pilot is on her way up."

Murrue nodded. "Thank you, Crewman... er, Miriallia." She smiled. "I guess we're all going to have to get used to not being in the military anymore, hm?"

"Well," Mu drawled, draping an arm on a surprised Sophia's shoulders, "look on the bright side: we don't have to worry about military protocol anymore."

The Kestrel cleared her throat. "Um. Yeah, I guess that's something." She shot her brother an odd look. "And hey, no more regulations against fraternization." Her gaze flicked toward Murrue for an instant, before meandering over to the viewport.

Ken's head turned in a manner disturbingly similar to a falcon's: abrupt, with a piercing gaze. "And what," he said quietly, "does that have to do with anything, Sophia?"

"Nothing," she said innocently. "Just an idle thought, that's all."

Before his questioning could get as intense as his gaze, the Bridge elevator slid open, and a brown-haired young woman in ZAFT red entered. "Reporting as ordered, sir!" she called, saluting the Grimaldi Falcon.

Ken looked at her oddly. "And just when have the Demons stood on ceremony, Shiho?" he questioned. "For that matter, when has ZAFT in general been very formal?"

"Sorry, Boss," she replied, walking to the bow of the Bridge. "It's just... it's been awhile since the team was together, you know?"

"Yeah... I know..." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Anyway, it's good to have you back, Shiho. Murrue," he added, looking up, "this is Shiho Hahnenfuss, one of the original Gray Demons; though not one who was at Endymion. Shiho, this is Murrue Ramius, captain of the Archangel; until recently, she was a lieutenant commander with the Earth Forces."

Shiho saluted. "I'm honored to make your acquaintance, Ma'am."

Murrue smiled. "Likewise, Miss... Shiho. Always a pleasure to meet one of those crazy enough to have joined Ken's unit."

Ken raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm insane, Murrue?"

"Not at all," she assured him. "No more than slightly unstable."

Shiho blinked at the exchange. "Uh..."

"You'll get used to it, Housenka," Yzak assured her. "I've only been aboard an hour, and I'm already getting used to how crazy these people are."

She jerked. "Yzak! I... I hadn't realized you were with the group!"

"Until DiFalco shot me down, I wasn't," he said dryly. "But he filled Dearka and me in on what's been going on... so here we are." He jerked his head at Ken. "And if you ever wonder how the legged ship survived so long, now you know: they're too crazy to die."

"Well," Mu said, after the introductions had finished. "We still have the question that started this little meeting: where do we go from here? I mean, it's all well and good to decide to join Falcon and his band of misfits in an effort to end the war... but that doesn't tell us where to go."

"I suspect I already know," Murrue murmured, looking at Ken. "Orb, right?"

The ace nodded. "That's right. It probably won't surprise you to learn that I've already made arrangements with Lord Uzumi; it's time to act on them. Orb is the place where it will all begin..."

PLANTs, Aprilius One, Clyne Residence, May 11th, C.E. 71

Athrun Zala, ZAFT Special Forces, stared at the ruined mansion that had once been his fiancé's home. The gardens were torn apart, the windows broken, the doors knocked in...

That surveillance tape was enough for Father to declare Lacus and her father traitors, he thought sickly. And this is the result...

After returning to the PLANTs, and learning of Operation Spit Break's spectacular failure, Athrun had met with his father... and found the situation far different from what he remembered. His father was now a tense, withdrawn man, who had reacted badly to being called "Father"; and the word that Neutron-jammer cancellers had been developed...

Then the hammer blow that Lacus Clyne had been directly responsible for an enemy agent obtaining the new ZGMF-X10A Freedom... along with her bodyguard, Commander Lance Cooper. That Lacus could do such a thing... He just couldn't believe it, and he'd told his father exactly that.

"Nonetheless," Patrick Zala told him, "it's the truth, Athrun. The Clyne Faction has clearly betrayed us... and Cooper's involvement is clear evidence that DiFalco has truly gone over to the Earth Forces. They are traitors, Athrun, make no mistake. That is why the Clynes have to be caught... and any surviving members of the Grimaldi Falcon's cabal must be... dealt with." He turned his attention back to his paperwork, but then looked up briefly. "Oh, yes," Zala added, "needless to say, your engagement to Lacus Clyne is no longer in effect."

His father's cold words had chilled Athrun. This was not the man he remembered, from when he was growing up. And breaking off our engagement... He tightened his right hand, the one not in a sling. It's not broken until I find out what's going on, he told himself. It may've been arranged... but she means more to me than I ever realized. I have to learn the truth!

What Athrun really wanted to do was find one of DiFalco's people, and press him for information; but it seemed that all of them had gone underground. Tom Delaney and Lance Cooper had vanished with the Clynes, while Leanne Eldridge had simply faded away weeks before, while on assignment on Earth. Any confederates they might yet have in ZAFT were impossible to locate; and, while they clearly had a base somewhere within the PLANTs, it was just as impossible to find as they were.

Which meant he had no clear way of getting the information he needed. Having seen the state his father was in, he hadn't even bothered to ask about the mysterious Project GENESIS DiFalco had mentioned; something told him that his father was no longer quite the same man the Grimaldi Falcon had known...

So now Athrun was here, at the Clyne Residence, looking for clues to Lacus' location. He didn't honestly expect to find any; if such clues existed, his father's men would've already found Lacus, and done... He wasn't sure what, but he feared it wouldn't be good.

What a messed up situation this is, he thought bitterly. I'm even starting to suspect my own father... Is this the sort of thing that drove Commander DiFalco over the edge? What did the man know, and how much of it does Lacus know?

The only way he could get answers would be to find Lacus... so he advanced into the ruined estate. There might be something there, some clue that only he would recognize...

Carefully picking his way through the debris the Justice Ministry people had left behind, Athrun kept one hand in his jacket, on the grips of a small machine pistol. He wasn't the best shot in ZAFT... but if anything tried to get the drop on him, he intended to fill it full of holes. Shoot first, ask questions later; nice and safe... or as safe as anything is right now.

As he made his way toward the gardens, the pilot had the oddest feeling he was being watched... and atop the mansion's roof, looking through a pair of binoculars, a gray-haired youth in red smiled. Right on time, he thought to himself. The Boss would be pleased; and I'm sure Miss Lacus will be happy, as well.

So many memories... Athrun thought, entering Lacus' prized -and now ruined- gardens. Once it might've been a matter of mere duty... but not anymore. Lacus, I have to find you... before my father's people do.

A sudden noise made him half-draw his gun, before his mind caught up with his eyes. It was a certain pink, ball-shaped robot, jumping out of the flowers. "Hello!" it greeted, hopping madly. "Follow me!"

Uh...? At first, Athrun wasn't sure if the Haro actually meant something, or if it was just making one of its typically-nonsensical comments on the situation. But the way it suddenly bounded off down the path... There's a message here, he realized. A message for me... That Haro was waiting for me.

Cautiously, still alert for traps, he followed the robot, until they reached the torn and scattered remains of a group of white flowers. There the Haro stopped, and looked at him, almost expectantly. "Here, here!" it said, as though expecting some kind of reaction.

Athrun paid little attention to the robot now. Instead, he stared at the flowers; there was something... She said something about these flowers once. What was it...? Of course...

"These flowers came from the White Symphony Theater," Lacus had told him, long ago. "The place where I first sang in public. They're something to remember it by."

Now he began to understand. The Justice Ministry people hadn't thought anything of it, hadn't found anything... because this was the kind of clue that only Athrun Zala would understand. Something that one wouldn't necessarily understand, even if the searcher knew Lacus' complete background...

"She wants me to find her," he murmured, almost inaudibly. "She wants to see me... she knows the questions I have..."

"She does," a voice behind him agreed. "And put away that gun, Zala, before you hurt someone."

Athrun had instinctively spun, raising his pistol, but now he put the weapon away; not only did he recognize the speaker... but he had a feeling he didn't want to mess with the sword that had suddenly appeared in his hand. "Tom Delaney," he said quietly. "You're in on this, too."

Tom nodded. "That's right; though it would be more accurate to say that Miss Lacus is in on it 'too'. The Boss had us plotting long before it occurred to her or her father to take action."

Athrun's fist clenched. "So you're admitting Lacus helped an enemy spy," he said tightly. "Isn't that right, Delaney?"

"I admit nothing," the Demon informed him. "The facts are far different from what you believe, Zala; even your father doesn't know the whole truth."

"So what is the whole truth?" the pilot demanded. "Answer me!"

Tom shook his head. "Sorry, Zala; but that's something Miss Lacus wants to explain personally. Besides, I wouldn't expect you to trust just my word. After all, I'm one of the Gray Demons, and everyone knows we speak in riddles, hiding the truth to serve our own conspiracies." He glanced toward the estate's entrance. "I have a shuttle waiting, if you'd like to see her. If we hurry, we can be at Junius Five in, say... half an hour. Shall we?"

PLANTs, Junius Five, White Symphony Theater

A single car stopped just outside the run-down theater, and Athrun slowly got out of the passenger side. "So this is the place," he murmured. "I can see why she chose this for a meeting; no one would ever guess there'd be someone here."

"Exactly," Tom agreed, getting out of the driver's seat; he'd insisted on driving, since Athrun had a still-healing break in his arm. "We have to be very careful these days, Zala; and quite frankly, if you hadn't already met the Boss and Leanne, and heard they were both rogue, I wouldn't be here. As it is, even if you don't accept what we have to say, there's nothing you can tell your father that you couldn't have said before... and nothing that he doesn't already know."

Athrun looked at him suspiciously, but said nothing; and, silently, the pair entered the White Symphony.

Singing could be heard from somewhere within; it was clearly Lacus... yet both, as though in silent agreement, drew their weapons. Athrun still feared -or thought he feared- that Lacus might truly be a traitor; Tom had a sudden sense of foreboding...and also wanted to make sure he could protect Lacus from his companion if it came to it.

Swords, after all, tend to make one very, very dead...

Athrun scarcely noticed when Tom fell behind; all his attention was focused on the voice he heard from the main amphitheater. Lacus... your voice is as beautiful as always... Can you truly have betrayed us? I just can't believe it...

Machine pistol held ready, he slipped through the door leading into the theater's main chamber... and there on the stage, beneath a single spotlight, was a lone figure in a blue dress, sing; her soft voice was amplified by the careful acoustics of the chamber, echoing out with no electronic enhancement. As ever, it was song that could stir the hearts of a people troubled by war...

Descending the steps down to the stage, Athrun had to fight to keep his mind clear, to not let the song consume him. He had to remember why he was here...

When he got near the stage itself, the Haro he carried bounded away, jumping onto the raised platform to be caught by the lone figure... Lacus Clyne. "Hello, Athrun," she greeted warmly. "I knew you'd be the one to find Mr. Pink, and bring him to me. Thank you so much."

Athrun was in no mood to be thanked or placated. With a burst of sudden energy, he jumped onto the stage himself. "Of course you knew it'd be me," he said bluntly. "You left him there to show me the way, didn't you?"

"Well, yes," Lacus admitted. "And if you hadn't found Haro, Mr. Delaney would've contacted you anyway. But I'm still grateful."

"Save it," he told her, hand shaking on his pistol's grips. "I need to know something," he went on tightly. "I don't want to believe it... but is it true what they're saying? That you're guilty of helping an enemy agent steal one of our newest weapons? Answer me, Lacus."

She tilted her head. "Some of what you said is true," she acknowledged. "I did aid someone in obtaining the Freedom... but he was not an enemy agent, and I was merely helping him succeed in what needs to be done, and fulfill a promise he made to someone important to him." She smiled. "I felt that Kira had more need of the Freedom than ZAFT did."

Athrun's eyes went wide, and he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Kira?" he said hoarsely. "But... You're lying! Kira's gone! I-"

"Killed him yourself?" Lacus said gently. "Yes, that's the tale he told... except that dead men tell no tales, isn't that right?"

He tried to point his gun at her, but his hand shook so much he couldn't have hit the theater itself it it'd been falling on him. "It... it can't be..." he whispered. "Kira's gone... I killed him, after he..."

"After he killed me?"

The voice came from one of the rows of seats overlooking the stage, and Athrun's eyes went wider, as he whipped his head around to look. "What...? No... it can't be..."

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Athrun," Nicol Amalfi said easily, now descending toward the stage. "But then, I almost was one, so..."

Athrun swallowed convulsively, seeing his lost friend returned. His face -which had been partially disguised by makeup, during Kira's time in the PLANTs- was the same, save only a jagged scar on his left cheek. It was Nicol... but... "How...?" he whispered. "I... I watched you die..."

"Blitz was a write-off," Nicol admitted. "And I nearly was, too... but my cousin and her people were there in time to save me. I was badly hurt, but I recovered... and so did Kira, Athrun. I've met him, talked with him... You know, you really should've told me the Strike pilot was your best friend. I know Dearka and Yzak might've had problems, but I would've understood."

The blue-haired pilot lowered his arm, and his gun dropped from nerveless fingers. "I... I just don't understand what's going on anymore..."

Lacus stood, and came over to him. "Now is your time to choose, Athrun," she said gently. "What is it you believe in? I heard you received the Order of the Nebula for destroying the Strike; is that what you believe in? Or is it your father's orders?"

"Things have changed since we last left the PLANTs, Athrun," Nicol agreed. "You must've seen it by now. The Neutron-jammer cancellers, the new mobile suits... Even your father is different from how you remember him, isn't he? Sparky told me how he used to be... and I can tell you that Chairman Zala isn't the man he once was."

Athrun squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't know what to believe anymore. His father... Everything's changed, he thought despairingly. Nothing is as simple as it used to be... We've found a way around our own anti-nuclear countermeasures, my father's become a paranoid, badly-stressed leader... What is it we're fighting for now?

"You have to make a choice," Lacus said again. "If you continue on your current course, I must warn you now that we will come into conflict. You'll have to fight Kira again, too," she added.

"And me," Nicol said sadly. "I've thrown in my lot with the True ZAFT, Athrun; because they are what ZAFT should be, what it used to be. Only in them does the spirit of the old ZAFT still hold true; only they remember the original mission... and they have the strength to do something about it, Athrun."

"How nice," another voice sneered. "You have our thanks, Athrun Zala," it added. "You've helped us find Miss Clyne, and bagged us another traitor in the bargain. Very nice."

Athrun whirled, to see several Justice Ministry men in black suits pointing guns at Lacus from off-stage. "What the- What's this all about?" he demanded. "What's going on?"

"Lacus Clyne has been branded a traitor," the leader answered. "We're authorized to use all necessary force to bring her in." He smiled coldly. "Including lethal force, if need be."

Athrun stared, instinctively getting between Lacus and the guns. "Those orders can't be right!" Through his shock, he wondered why neither Nicol nor Lacus seemed concerned... and then a gurgling noise answered the question.

Somehow, without the Justice men noticing, a huge man in ZAFT red had slipped into their midst, and now one enormous hand gripped the leader's neck from behind, and was squeezing... while behind him, a certain gray-haired man with a katana started cutting down the other men. A few short screams, a pair of gunshots -one from Nicol, who had produced a gun in the middle of the commotion, and one from the stage's shadows- and a sharp crunching noise later, it was over.

Sparky Cooper dropped the man whose neck he'd just crushed, and nodded to Tom. "I think that worked out well," he stated. "Martin? How's it look?"

A red-haired man in ZAFT green stepped out of the shadows, holding a smoking pistol. "All clear, Commander," he replied. "Your people do good work."

"We were trained by the best," Tom agreed. "Not that beheading a few flunkies like these is all that difficult."

Lacus smiled. "Thank you, all of you... especially you, Athrun," she added. "That was brave of you, standing in their way."

Athrun shrugged uncomfortably. "It... It, ah, seemed like the right thing to do," he managed. "But... what's going on here, really? This is more than just a handful of traitors against the Council..."

The red-haired man, whom Athrun suddenly realized was Martin DaCosta, Andy Waltfeld's old protégé, nodded. "It's gone farther than you know, Athrun Zala."

"We have more resources than anyone suspects," Sparky affirmed. "We have access to all of ZAFT's newest technology, along with a couple of ships and a number of next-generation mobile suits. ZGMF-X00A Preybird, the machine you met on Earth, is only a part of the overall plan."

Tom nodded. "We're in a position to decapitate the PLANTs' leadership, take out the entire Supreme Council," he admitted. "Have been for months, in fact."

"But that isn't the plan," Nicol put in. "It never was."

Athrun looked around, confused. "But why? If you're really in a position to take over the PLANTs, why haven't you? Wouldn't that accomplish your goal?"

"Yes... and no," Lacus said slowly. "It's true that True ZAFT could depose your father easily enough... but it wouldn't solve anything. The resulting chaos... it would leave us open to attack by the Earth Forces, and it would also tie up the faction's resources."

Sparky nodded. "At this moment, Zala, only Miss Clyne could possibly control the civilian side of things -her father, thanks to your father, is suspect in their eyes right now- and even there, we're not certain. And the only man who could take command of ZAFT is the Boss, and he's... needed elsewhere."

"And this presupposes that it wouldn't lead to civil war," Nicol agreed. "So you see our problem, Athrun. We could, theoretically, end it all right now, by, say, bombing the Supreme Council chamber... but even if we could control the resulting chaos, that very action would make us people who had lost sight of our ideals... people to whom the ends justify the means."

Athrun found his voice again at last. "So what are you going to do?"

"Marshal our resources," Sparky told him. "And then break free of the PLANTs, rendezvous with the Boss... and begin Shiva Option Three. Then we hope that we're not too late to stop what's happening."

"Kira is playing a central role in this himself," Lacus told him. "He doesn't know it... but he, along with Commander DiFalco, is our only hope. He's more important than I think any of us realized until we gave him the Freedom."

Athrun's fist clenched again. "So what... so what am I supposed to do?"

"You must follow your conscience," she said kindly. "No one can make this decision for you, Athrun... but you must ask yourself what it is you're fighting for. Because if it's still for your father... then we will be on opposite sides of this conflict." She paused. "I'm sorry, Athrun. I love you... but this is something I have to do. I don't know if you can understand that..."

DaCosta cleared his throat. "Miss Lacus, we should probably leave here before any Justice Ministry reinforcements get here. I doubt it will be long before this batch is missed."

Lacus nodded. "I know." The small group of two swordsmen, two gunmen, and a strong-willed pop star moved toward an exit... but she paused, and looked over her shoulder. "You'll find Kira on Earth," she said quietly. "I suggest that you have a talk with him. He is your friend, after all."

Then they were gone, leaving Athrun with his own thoughts. "What do... I do?" he whispered. "Everything's changed... the war isn't what I always thought it was... Does that mean that my part in it isn't what I always thought it was?"

He thought of Kira, who had chosen to return to the battlefield despite knowing that he might have to face his best friend in battle again; of Nicol, who had learned True ZAFT's mad plan and chosen to join it, believing it to be the only right course left...

And of the man who started it all, the original traitor... Commander Kenneth "Grimaldi Falcon" DiFalco. A man who had lost his home -and, some said, more- to the Earth Forces in the Bloody Valentine; who had been badly injured at Endymion Crater, and subsequently rose to the very pinnacle of influence within ZAFT... and a man who had been forced to turn on his comrades by a secret that had terrified him...

"What do I do?"

Archangel, Bridge, May 15th, C.E. 71

"We're coming up on Onogoro Island, Ma'am," Neumann reported. "ETA five minutes."

"We're being hailed, Captain," Kuzzey chimed in. "Request for identification and our intentions."

Murrue nodded; she'd been expecting it. "A formality, I expect," she murmured, "since they let us into their territory in the first place. Well, better put them on. Ken?"

Still feeling somewhat bemused, Ken walked from his position near the Bridge elevator to next to the Captain's chair; Murrue had decided that, since he was the one who'd started it, and was technically in command of the organization the Archangel had joined, he should be the first to speak. "You sure about this?" he murmured to her. "You are the captain, you know..."

"And you're the one who started this whole crusade," she pointed out. "It's something you should do."

Further discussion was forestalled by an Orb military official appearing on the main screen. "This is Onogoro Control," the man said crisply. "Please identify yourselves, and state your intentions."

Ken cleared his throat. "My name is Commander Ken DiFalco," he answered clearly, "aboard the rogue Mobile Assault Ship Archangel. The Vosgulov-class submarine accompanying us is the Hades, and we're both representing the True ZAFT faction; we hereby request permission to dock at Onogoro Island for repairs. I believe one of my people is already with you, and I expect Lord Uzumi Nara Athha would like to speak with us."

The Orb officer turned, consulted with someone off screen, and nodded. "Very well, Commander. Your ships have permission to dock; a meeting with Lord Uzumi will be arranged shortly." He smiled; an interesting contrast to the ship's last visit. "And yes, your subordinate is with us; in fact, Miss Eldridge is quite eager to see you, Commander. Perhaps you could take her off our hands before she bounces off the walls."

"In other words," Ken murmured, "Leanne is happy to see us. Very well, sir," he said, raising his voice again. "I'll see what I can do about that."

"That would be appreciated." The signal cut off.

Murrue raised an eyebrow. "You seem more relaxed than I've seen you in awhile. Glad to be in Orb, away from the fighting, at least briefly?"

"Something like that," he admitted. "Besides... there's one thing about this situation that I don't think anyone's really considered."

"What's that?"

The ace smiled. "Cagalli has no idea that Kira's still alive... which could make for a very interesting reunion, given how close those two are."

Archangel, Corridor

Cagalli Yula Athha walked slowly down the Archangel's corridors, wishing this visit were as pleasant as the last. Last time she'd been here, it had been to see Kira off... but at least he'd still been alive then. How could you do that, Kira? You promised me you'd come back...

In some ways, she'd have preferred not to be here at all; but if nothing else, her partner was aboard, and it seemed likely she'd finally get some answers out of him about what he was up to. Still, the memories of this ship...

"Cagalli?"

Cagalli stopped dead in her tracks, almost falling in shock. That voice... no, it couldn't be... But... but it can't be... Slowly, she turned... and there, wearing his usual blue uniform, stood Kira Yamato, with a somewhat nervous smile on his face. "K-Kira...?"

He nervously cleared his throat. "Sorry I'm late..."

The next thing Kira knew, he'd been slammed against the bulkhead, Cagalli's arms around him in a fierce embrace, her face buried against his shoulder. "You idiot!" she shouted. "You promised me you'd come back... and then you almost get yourself killed... I thought you were dead! How could you do that to me?"

He blinked, startled by the vehemence of her reaction... and flushed slightly, remembering Flay's parting words, when they met again. "Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to worry you... and I did come back, didn't I? Just like I said..."

She tightened her grip. "I can't believe... you're really alive," she whispered. "When we found the Strike, and what was left of the Aegis, I thought it was all over... Athrun even confirmed it..."

Kira raised an eyebrow, at Athrun's name, but didn't comment. "Well," he said instead, "Athrun was wrong; you can't get rid of me that easy."

Cagalli swallowed. "Good... because I... I don't want to lose you, Kira..."

He smiled. "You're not gonna lose me, Cagalli. Even when I'm out on the battlefield, I'll be fine; the new machine Ken's people created will keep me safe."

She chuckled at that. "They have their fingers in everything, don't they? But I'm glad to hear it... and you should've heard the lecture Ken gave Athrun, after we picked him up."

Kira sighed. "So, you did talk to Athrun, huh? How... how was he?"

"Bad," Cagalli answered. "A broken arm... and a lot of guilt, over killing you. He kept trying to justify it... but his heart wasn't really in it. And when Ken and Leanne ripped into him... he just went to pieces. It was all I could do not to shoot him myself, though..."

He smiled again. "I appreciate the sentiment, though I'm glad you didn't kill him. So... where is he now?"

"He's in the PLANTs," another voice said. "Just got a message from Sparky; your buddy Zala met Lacus Clyne at Junius Five, four days ago."

Cagalli hurriedly pulled back, flushing. "Uh, Kira," she said quickly, "this is Leanne Eldridge, one of Ken's Demons. Leanne, this is Kira Yamato."

Leanne smiled, and extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Kira," she said warmly. "Cagalli's said a lot about you... as has the Boss. Nice to see the legend in the flesh."

Kira blinked. "Legend? Well... I wouldn't put it quite that way..."

"And just as modest as you said," she murmured to Cagalli. "Doesn't even realize how extraordinary he is... You know, if he weren't taken, I might be interested in him myself..."

Cagalli glared at her. "And just what is that supposed to mean, Leanne?"

Leanne laughed. "Oh, come on; the Boss has talked about both of you... and you think I never noticed how much you talked about him? Look, girl, the only people you two are fooling are yourselves... and I don't think you're doing a good job of that anymore, either."

Kira sputtered, while Cagalli's glare redoubled. "I hope there was a reason for you coming?" she said pointedly. "Or are you just here to embarrass us?"

"I've always got a reason, Cagalli," the Demon said easily. "Even if it's just to drive you two crazy. But yeah, I've got an official reason for being here. Your father's holding a meeting tonight, with the Archangel's officers; thought you might want to know beforehand. For one thing," she added, looking at Kira, "I expect you'll be wanting to get in proper uniform. Now that you and the Hades have arrived, the Onogoro supply department's started turning out uniforms in the 'True ZAFT' pattern... so now you can ditch that Earth Forces suit." She frowned. "Besides, I'm not sure that shade of blue is quite your color, Kira."

Kira looked at his companion. "You've known her a few weeks now. Is she always like that?"

Cagalli sighed. "Yeah, pretty much..."

Archangel, Hangar

"Things sure have changed over the last few weeks, haven't they," Dearka murmured, looking up at the powerful machine known as Preybird. "Only a month ago, I was trying to take this ship down... and now I'm flying off it, in the uniform of a group of self-confessed traitors to ZAFT..."

"I know," Yzak agreed. "But... we don't really know what's going on anymore, do we? Everything we've learned about Chairman Zala lately, and Commander Le Creuset..." He shook his head. "I guess we didn't have much choice, did we? ZAFT's mission really has changed... and the new one isn't what I signed up for."

"Welcome to our world, Yzak," Shiho said dryly. "This is the reality the Commander's been dealing with for eight months now; now it's time for us to do our part." She glanced at the fourth person in the chamber. "Fight the good fight, right, Grimaldi Falcon?"

"Yeah," Ken agreed quietly. "Fight the good fight... the only fight, as far as I'm concerned..."

All four wore ZAFT red, with the patches of the ZAFT contingent of True ZAFT (the Archangel's crew had patches with a PLANT superimposed over Earth, with a peregrine falcon soaring over both, to signify both their original allegiance to Earth and their new commitment to the PLANTs). Only Shiho and Ken wore the gray feathers, though; that mark remained exclusive to the members of the original Gray Demons (Kira only wore them on his flightsuit, and only because he was Ken's protégé... even if he had apparently surpassed his teacher). A badge of those who had been with the unit that Earth had feared more than any other, prior to the formation of the Le Creuset team.

"So what is your grand scheme, Commander?" Yzak asked. "I'm willing to follow it -better than getting stabbed in the back by Le Creuset again- but I'd at least like to know what it is."

"Tonight, Yzak," Ken promised. "When we meet with Lord Uzumi, I'll tell you all about it... about what we're trying to accomplish, and how." He nodded up at Preybird. "It's not as hopeless as it might seem; Preybird is only the tip of the iceberg. We've got a surprising amount of resources available to us... the only problem is time. Not enough of it, that is." He sighed. "Patrick... has lost sight of the original goal. He truly believes that Coordinators are an entirely new species... and to ensure our survival, he intends to wipe out all Naturals... scour the Earth clean of them."

Dearka scratched his head. "You've talked about that before, but I've never understood it," he admitted. "How can he exterminate all Naturals? There's billions of them, and only tens of millions of us."

"There are a lot of different ways he might do it, amigo," Ken said quietly. "And if he still had me with him, he'd probably have done it already. For example, I've got a shrewd notion of how to build antimatter bombs -enough of those, and you can crack the entire planet open. But at this point, he no longer needs me... my old Shiva Option has become self-sustaining, blast it..."

"Well stop it, Boss," Shiho assured him. "It's not too late; we can still prevent it."

"I know..."

Onogoro Island Base, Conference Room

It was an interesting conglomeration of people that met that night, in one of Onogoro's conference rooms. Lord Uzumi Nara Athha wore the typical suit of an Orb politician, while Cagalli wore the white of an Orb commodore, and Ledonir Kisaka the dark blue of a Ground Forces colonel. Of the Archangel contingent, Kira, Mu, Sophia, Dearka, Yzak, Shiho, Leanne, and Ken all wore red, while Murrue wore a white commander's uniform, Natarle dark gray, and Arnold Neumann standard green.

A colorful assembly, indeed... one which made the room seem slightly more crowded than it already was.

"It's good to see you all again," Uzumi began. "Though I must admit I found the timing somewhat... surprising; as well as the status of your ship. I'd heard about Alaska, of course, but..."

"I doubt you've heard the full story, Lord Uzumi," Mu said wearily. "Like how we were betrayed, used as bait... how the ZAFT forces were wiped out in one blow." He paused. "They used a Cyclops."

Uzumi stiffened. "A Cyclops system? That's... that seems somewhat of an extreme solution to me," he said slowly. "Even if it did the job, a Cyclops is not something used lightly under any circumstances..."

"It makes a certain tactical sense," Kisaka said unwillingly. "Ruthless, yes; a cold, calculating maneuver. But if it was just the Archangel and the Eurasian forces left there, it must've made sense to Alliance Headquarters: destroy over half of ZAFT's Earth-based fighting strength in one blow, and dispose of unwanted forces on their own side at the same time." He shook his head. "But only a man dedicated to a preposterous degree to his cause would even contemplate such a thing..."

"Muruta Azrael," Ken said quietly. "It had to've been him. Remember what I said about the Alliance essentially being a front for Blue Cosmos? He's the leader... and that's just the sort of decision he'd make."

Uzumi nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see that... but that still leaves the question of who gave them the intelligence about Spit Break in the first place."

"We've thought about that," Yzak put in, "and we've come up with only one likely candidate." His expression darkened. "Outside of Commander DiFalco and his people, only Chairman Zala and Commander Le Creuset had access to the true plan. Since Chairman Zala obviously didn't do it..."

Kisaka frowned. "But why? Le Creuset has long been one of ZAFT's most loyal -and dangerous- men; why would he betray his people that way?"

"We don't know," Murrue answered. "But according to Mu and Ken, Le Creuset did know about the Cyclops... and chose not to warn his people about it. We find that a cause for great concern."

Uzumi frowned thoughtfully. "It may be even worse than that," he said slowly. "I don't know if any of you has considered this, but if Le Creuset is truly the one behind the disaster at Alaska, there's something even more dangerous that he might do."

Murrue tilted her head, puzzled... but Ken suddenly went white. "Son of a... Of course; how could I have been so blind?"

"What's wrong?" Mu demanded. "What are you talking about?"

Dearka swallowed. "I think he means Neutron-jammer cancellers, Mu," he said quietly. "Le Creuset may well be in a position to give that technology to the Earth Forces... and if that happens, everything might be lost."

Ken's fists clenched. "And then everything -everything- I've done will have been in vain. That rotten bastard... if I see him again, I'll kill him for sure..."

"It's too early to be worrying about that," Uzumi pointed out quietly. "And even if it were already a factor, there is little that can be done about it now."

"Yeah... you're right." The ace raised his head. "Then we've got other things to discuss, don't we?"

"Indeed." Uzumi stood, turning away. "I believe the time has come for all of you to make a choice," he said, voice contemplative. "You once stood with the Earth Forces, or with ZAFT; yet all of you, each for your own reasons, have abandoned your old allegiances. This is something your principles have demanded of you... but now it has left you with the question of where to go from here on."

"That really isn't much of a question, Lord Uzumi," Murrue said quietly. "Once, it might've been... but we've made our choice." She looked fondly at Ken.

Kira (who stood curiously close to Cagalli) nodded. "That's right, sir. We've all taken different paths to reach this point, but we've all decided. We're going to follow the path Ken and his people have made, to try and stop this war. I... I don't know how we're going to do it, but it's our best chance... and the only thing my conscience will let me do."

"That's right," Natarle agreed, somewhat to her own surprise. "A week ago, I would've been against this; but after Headquarters betrayed us, I'm afraid Commander DiFalco's path is the only one we can take. At least he doesn't have a habit of using his people as tools."

"Not quite right," Sophia disagreed. "But at least those he uses walk into it with their eyes open." She glanced at her brother. "At least, they do when they know he's plotting in the first place."

Uzumi nodded to himself. "Then it seems we're on the same page," he murmured. "Orb has been working with Commander DiFalco for some months now; only preparation, so far, but we are willing to do our part, as well."

Cagalli blinked. "Father, you've been thinking about breaking our neutrality...?"

He shook his head. "No, Cagalli," he said gently. "You needn't fear that; and no, the G-weapon project was not begun in anticipation of this. No, it's merely that I've always been certain that our neutrality could not be maintained forever... so the Commander and I have made plans for the day when Orb is dragged into the war." He looked at the ace. "Commander? Perhaps it's time you explained exactly what is going on."

Murrue nodded firmly. "Yes, Ken; you've led us around long enough. Now it's time you told us what's really going on."

Ken nodded slowly. "Very well, then. This will take some time... but you're right. It's time for me to explain everything." He moved over to a wall screen, and turned it on. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said clearly, "I give you the Shiva Option."

Murrue felt as though a cold wind had blown through the room, hearing those words. So, now we find out what it is that he's been doing all this time... and why he's brought us all into it.

"First," Ken began, "let me begin by explaining our resources; you'll find this to be quite relevant to the plan, I assure you." He brought up a set of eerily-familiar schematics... plans of a ship class they all knew well. "This is the mobile assault ship Asmodeus," he announced. "As you can see, she's based on the Archangel's plans; construction began in February, when I was able to send a copy of the data to Sparky, along with Preybird's blueprints. The second ship of the Archangel-class, she is nearly identical to the original, save only more powerful energy weapons, and three fission reactors, deep within the hull. As of this moment, construction should be nearly complete, and a contingent of nuclear-powered GuAIZ machines should be aboard."

Mu frowned. "You sure are being free with the NJC data," he murmured. "Aren't you afraid of it falling into the wrong hands?"

The ace shrugged. "The genie is out of the bottle, Mu; all we can do now is make what use of it we can." The image changed, to an unfamiliar ship; long-nosed, with a centerline catapult and engine pods to either side of the main hull. Unsurprisingly, it was slate gray. "This is the prototype for the Eternal-class transports. Her name is Arkbird, and her construction actually began last year. She differs from the final design in that she's optimized for energy bombardment -note the laser-based point defense- and her METEOR units, unlike those of the Eternal, are integral, used exclusively as ship-mounted turrets. The Eternal herself, you may be interested to know, was intended to serve as a mothership for the Freedom and X09A Justice; though whether or not construction has continued, I don't know. Freedom's theft may have resulted in the project being discontinued. In any case, Arkbird's construction should be not far behind Asmodeus."

Murrue nodded to herself. "You've been busy, Ken."

"Not much choice; we had to build virtually everything from scratch." The image changed one more time, to a familiar crimson, gray, and black mobile suit. "This, as you all know, is the ZGMF-X00A Preybird. I designed her myself, using data from the original six G-weapons as a base. She's nuclear-powered, and equipped with enough firepower to destroy a fleet. That, ladies and gentlemen, is not a joke." He paused a moment to let that sink in, and continued. "The outer frame, as you can see, closely resembles the Strike or the Raptor; that decision was made based on the Strike's obvious versatility. The inner frame, however, is quite different; recalling my problems with mobile suits going to pieces-" there was a general laugh at that, among the Archangel contingent "-Tom Delaney and I incorporated artificial muscle tissue and synthetic nerve fibers, a new technology that allows the machine to move much like the human body. That, I suspect, may prove an advantage in the coming battles." Ken pointed at the black wings. "These wings have a threefold purpose: they provide added lift, much like those of the Freedom -which, you'll notice, are nearly identical- they have a power-absorbing surface for receiving satellite power transmission, and these sections here-" he pointed at the lower halves "fall away to become independent weapons, known as a Disconnect Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network, or DRAGOON system. Ten independent units, each with four laser emitters; they fly in Earth's gravity through their aerodynamic shape and sheer thruster power."

Mu nodded. "A handy system," he commented. "Allows for targeting multiple enemies at once."

"True," Ken acknowledged. "But the primary intention is to direct as much firepower against a single target as possible. Now," he continued, "on the hips there are, like the Freedom, a pair of Xiphias rail cannons; above them are stored Lacerta beam sabers, and the Talon beam rifles can be attached to the rail cannons when not in use. Stored here, above the left saber, is a Gerbera Straight beam-deflection sword; not originally part of the design, my friend Lowe Guele gave the specs to Tom Delaney, who happens to be quite good at forging such blades. On the shoulders are beam boomerangs; not something that I expect to use much, but," he admitted, "I was intent on giving the machine every advantage I could." He pointed at the left arm. "And here is a bit of technology I stole from the Eurasians, at Artemis: a light-wave barrier. Impenetrable to any known weapon, it grants Preybird formidable defensive capabilities."

Mu whistled. "That's... quite a lot of firepower you've got there." He nodded at the wings. "So, what about those cannons? That's what we used at Alaska, right?"

Ken nodded. "Yes. Remember the third function of the wings, as power receptors? In Earth orbit, there are fifteen power-transmission satellites, with two spares each, hidden under Mirage Colloid. They're fission-powered, and their purpose is to transmit power to Preybird in order to fire the twin satellite cannon. It is, essentially, an antimatter cannon; one with such energy requirements that the onboard powerplant isn't sufficient." He turned off the screen. "We call it a space superiority mobile suit, or, as Tom likes to say, a battlefield dominator."

Murrue slowly shook her head. "With that much firepower, it's a wonder you need a plan at all..."

His expression turned serious. "Murrue, we have the capability to take over the PLANTs... but that isn't the objective. However, it's true that the Shiva Option isn't terribly subtle." He folded his hand behind his back. "What it is, essentially, is a carefully-plotted slugging match. When it all comes together, in space, the job is basically to whittle down both sides, attacking isolated forces, until we can launch one final attack to end the war."

Kira's eyes narrowed. "You're suggesting forcing a final engagement between the Earth Forces and ZAFT," he said quietly.

Ken nodded gravely. "It's the only option, Kira. As it stands now, the two sides will never come to the negotiating table; and I do not have the forces to take on both sides as they are now. I don't like a battle of attrition anymore than you do, but we have little choice. Because of... because of... Never mind."

Mu shot him a sharp look. "No, Ken," he said slowly, "I don't think I'll accept that answer this time. That machine of yours wasn't designed with that much firepower for nothing; a lone mobile suit isn't usually intended to take on an entire fleet all by itself." His voice hardened. "I've heard you make references to something called 'GENESIS'. So just what is it, and why are you so terrified of it?"

Ken closed his eye, and was silent for a full minute. "You wanna know?" he said at last. "Fine. Gamma Emission by Nuclear Explosion Stimulus Induction System. GENESIS."

Murrue cocked her head, puzzled by the barely-suppressed rage that had suddenly burned to life in her young friend... and the terror that clearly underlay it. "What does that mean?" she asked carefully.

"What it means," he said in precise, measured tones, "is that there is a weapon that fires concentrated streams of gamma radiation -like a gamma ray equivalent to a laser- at a specific target, using a nuclear bomb as the trigger and mirrors to focus the blast. The resulting gamma ray beam can penetrate anything short of a light-wave barrier, destroy any installation, even an entire fleet... or, with two shots, scour a planet clean of life. In fact, repeated shots would probably crack Earth to pieces." He closed his eye in anguish. "And I'm the sorry bastard who created it!"

The shocked silence that filled the room wasn't limited to those who were only now learning of GENESIS' existence; even Leanne and Shiho hadn't realized their Boss had created the weapon himself. They'd known he was in charge of construction, but...

No wonder, Murrue thought numbly. No wonder he's been scared, all this time; and this... this is the sin he talked about, his reason for fighting. Oh, Ken... you created a weapon that could undo everything you've worked for, all this time...

Mu finally broke the silence. "Why, Falcon? Why did you invent something like that?"

"The purpose to which Patrick has put it was not my idea," Ken said tightly. "It was originally intended as an FACM."

Cagalli frowned. "FACM?"

"Fleet Action Counter-Measure," he explained. "Actually, it was originally intended as a power source for solar sails, but in the wake of the Bloody Valentine, I realized that it could be used to destroy Earth Alliance fleets before they got in range to attack. But, since it uses nuclear weapons, it couldn't be used..."

"...Until the advent of Neutron-jammer cancellers," Murrue finished. "Which is why you've been so frightened since you obtained Preybird. Oh, Ken..."

"I don't deserve any sympathy," Ken said tightly. "I may be responsible for the extinction of the human race; and Preybird is our only chance of stopping it."

"How?" Kira asked. "How can one mobile suit...?"

"I expect they've added Phase-shift armor to the design by now," the ace explained obliquely. "But I wasn't a total fool; I made sure there was one weak point, in case it did need to be destroyed. Only a mobile suit can get to it, though, and a massive energy bombardment is necessary to penetrate."

"Hence, Preybird," Murrue murmured. "The battlefield dominator... something that can fight its way to its objective on its own if it has to, and then destroy it utterly..." She stood, and walked over to him. "This isn't your fault, Ken," she said quietly, squeezing his shoulder. "You couldn't have known..."

"I should've," Ken said bitterly. "I should've seen what Patrick had become, after the Bloody Valentine..."

"Even if you should've," Kira put in, "which I think is a little too much to expect, at least you've been trying to put it right." He paused. "I think... I understand you a little better now." He looked up. "And we're all behind you, Ken."

"That's right," Cagalli agreed.

"Indeed." Lord Uzumi turned to face them again. "It appears you've all made your choice," he said quietly. "And his I can tell you: Orb is with you."

The assembled members of the Archangel's crew, and the representatives of the True ZAFT faction exchanged nods. They had a mission now... and even if it was one of their own who had made it necessary in the first place, they were all united in this.

No matter what tragedies might await, they were together.

Author's note: Archangel has returned to Orb, and the varied elements of the True ZAFT faction have begun to come together. Meanwhile, Athrun begins to question his own loyalties…

Okay, this is a little late; but most of you know why. In any case, I hope the wait was worth it… and believe me, everything changes from here. There will be a lot of departures from canon from now on…

Well, let me know how it was. -Solid Shark