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

Onogoro Island, June 15th, C.E. 71
Ken "Grimaldi Falcon" DiFalco watched through narrowed eyes -uncovered right, concealed, silver-laced left- as Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala approached each other. Since returning to the war, he'd faced Athrun exactly twice; once on a deserted island in the Indian Ocean, where they had fought... and once on an Orb transport aircraft, when both of them thought Kira dead.

Neither time had been particularly enjoyable for either one, and both incidents had left Ken wary of the ZAFT pilot... which explained the drawn katana he held in one hand. If you try anything now, Athrun Zala, I will cut you in half. But then, you realize that, don't you? Of course you do... and that's why you're not in the least bit worried about it.

In his own experience, only a man with nothing to fear would so blithely ignore the presence of the Grimaldi Falcon's drawn blade; too many people had fallen to it on the battlefield for it to be otherwise. And Athrun Zala was very well aware that his lineage, the fact that he was Patrick Zala's son, made the Falcon even more suspicious than usual. He knew that Ken fought against everything his father stood for... and that it was probable (though Ken himself seemed unaware of it) that in the end, there could be only one. Either True ZAFT would be crushed by Patrick's military might, and the Grimaldi Falcon with it... or True ZAFT would succeed in overthrowing the current regime, which would very likely result in the death of Patrick Zala.

Now Athrun and Kira faced each other, and Kira, at least, had made his opinion clear. His smile, and the way he'd greeted his friend, showed that he believed their conflict to be over. That their fierce, fateful battle in the Marshall Islands had purged their vendetta from them, and now they could once again meet as friends, not enemies.

Athrun himself was frozen into virtual immobility, barely breathing, as he wondered how to react. This was a moment he'd known was coming from the moment he set off from Reverend Malchio's orphanage, but now that it was here... he didn't know what to say.

Then a call like an electronic bird caught his attention. "Birdy!" cried a green-feathered, robotic bird, and down it swept, circling its creator before touching down on Kira's shoulder. "Birdy."

That finally broke Athrun's immobility, and he started to raise a hand. "Kira..."

At the front of the crowd that had gathered to watch, Cagalli suddenly ran forward. "Oh, you guys!" she cried, throwing her arms around their necks; there were unshed tears in her eyes (mostly for Kira, since she knew how much anguish her fiend had gone through, fighting his own best friend, but partly for Athrun, as well; despite the circumstances of their earlier meetings, she'd actually kind of liked the ZAFT pilot).

"Uh, Cagalli?" Kira managed, exchanging a bemused look with Athrun... who was inwardly rather amused.

Well, well, the ZAFT pilot thought to himself with an inner smile; he could see how Cagalli was looking at the brown-haired Coordinator. So you've got yourself a girlfriend these days, huh, Kira? Should've known she'd be your type...

The three of them looked up, though, when Ken approached them. His blade as held at his side, tip pointed at the ground, but their was curious intensity in his eye. "Ken...?" Cagalli said quietly. "What are you...?"

Athrun slowly shook his head. "I think the Commander has something to say to me," he said, equally quietly. "Something that needs to be said... right, Commander?"

Ken nodded soberly. "I'm afraid so, Athrun Zala." His face was serious; not the mask-like expression of old, but very solemn nonetheless. "You're aware of what I've been trying to accomplish," he went on. "You know my fundamental disagreement with your father's policies. So I have to ask you: are you truly here on your own behalf, having severed your ties with the current ZAFT... or are you here following Patrick's instructions?"

The casual way the katana was held didn't fool Athrun, but he met the ace's gaze levelly regardless. "My father would probably be very angry with me, if he knew I was here," he said softly. "As I said, my orders were to either retrieve or destroy the Freedom; the fact that I saved it, regardless of the fact that it was the Earth Forces attacking, would be damning evidence in his mind of treason." He hesitated. "From what he said, when last we met... I think you were right, back on that island." The admission obviously came to him only with difficulty, but he said it without flinching. "It's obvious now that he wants more than mere victory... and that's not what I joined ZAFT for, Commander. I'll admit here and now that I joined in a search for vengeance, over the Bloody Valentine... but genocide wasn't what I had in mind."

The ace studied him carefully, looking into his eyes... and finally nodded, sheathing his blade. "I believe you," he said simply.

"Good," Kira informed him unexpectedly. "Because I wouldn't have been very happy if you didn't." To Ken's surprise, he reached into his flightsuit... and withdrew a familiar-looking machine pistol. "I don't like these things much more than you do, but..."

Cagalli laughed at Ken's startled expression; she, too, recognized the weapon as the one the ace usually carried, and the expression on his face as he checked his -empty- holster amused her greatly. "See, partner?" she said smugly. "You're not the only sneaky guy around."

Ken looked at his protégé in consternation. "Just how did you manage that trick, amigo?" he demanded.

Kira shrugged. "Not my fault if you hate the thing so much you don't bother to check your holster before you put it on."

Athrun shook his head, bemused but gratified by his friend's ability to go from solemn to amused in such a short span of time. Of course, he should know as well as I do that depriving the Grimaldi Falcon of his gun doesn't make him any less dangerous; it just means he'll have to take an extra second or two to get close enough to chop off your head, instead...

Cagalli's voice broke into his thoughts. "We should get inside," she pointed out. "We can talk there... and get some rest, too."

"Agreed," Ken said, nodding. "And besides... I have a prisoner to interrogate."

Onogoro Island, Hangar
"So how exactly did you wind up here?" Athrun asked, leaning against a crate; in his hand he held a cup of coffee, which he sipped cautiously. "The last I heard -before you stole Freedom, anyway- was that you were with the Earth Forces. So was the Archangel, for that matter... and Commander DiFalco."

Kira, sitting on a smaller crate, gazed into his own cup. "To be perfectly honest, it was a lot of things. First nearly dying, then meeting Nicol and Sparky... it all kind of resonated with the things that I'd seen, and the things Ken's told me over the last few months. It... it just came to me, while I was recovering, that fighting with the Earth Forces wasn't the way to end the war; that what I really needed to be doing was fighting against war itself, for peace."

"And Ken was never truly with the Earth Forces," Cagalli interjected. "He fooled us, too; but it turns out he'd been working toward this end from the moment he joined the Archangel's crew. It was all part of his plan to bring the Archangel here, when the time was right... and the 'real war', as he calls it, began."

"Alaska was the final straw," Murrue said pensively. "In all honesty, I expect we would've been willing to follow him anyway, when he told us the truth of Blue Cosmos' involvement in the war; but the use of the Cyclops system sealed it. When Headquarters tried to kill us, they made what may be their worst mistake of the entire war."

"Yeah," Mu agreed. "Those idiots drove us right into opposition with them... and just incidentally united us with the one group outside of ZAFT with the power to really do something about it."

"This 'True ZAFT' does seem to have the ability to back up its goals," Athrun said slowly. "I wasn't sure of that at first, but after seeing Preybird in action... and watching a couple of the old Gray Demons cut my father's Justice Ministry people to shreds. Not to mention their intelligence into the inner workings on both sides." He frowned pensively. "But I'm still wondering... what's Orb's stake in this? Why did they decide to fight?"

"We didn't have much choice," Cagalli said quietly.

Kira nodded in agreement. "That's true. If they gave into the Earth Forces' demands, they'd have to fight ZAFT... and if they didn't, they'd have to fight the Earth Forces; which is exactly what's happening. So if they were going to have to fight, they were determined to at least fight for the own principles, which led to this."

"And it's why the Archangel is still here," Leanne put in, walking over. "To be perfectly honest, this conflict between Orb and the Earth Forces is secondary to our primary goal; but they've helped us out, and it would just go against the grain to leave them to be swallowed up."

"Which is one reason I'm glad to see you, Athrun," Kira said quietly. "Whether you stay here or not, you helped us out today... a lot."

"Well, it was the least I could do," Athrun said uncomfortably. "After... after I killed your friend."

Watching from several meters away, Mir tensed, hearing those words. Killed a friend of Kira's... Could that mean... that he's...?

Kira's next words confirmed it. "I know, Athrun... and it was hard, losing Tolle. But it's war; taking vengeance for him won't bring him back, won't change anything. Conflict... is something that we may never be free from; but revenge is an endless cycle that just fuels more hate."

Mir turned away, tears in her eyes. She couldn't handle this... not so soon after Tolle's death... And then a hand came down gently on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Dearka said quietly, gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Leave me alone," she snapped at him. "I don't want to talk right now, or be around anyone-"

"Being alone is the last thing you want right now," he said firmly. "I know what it's like to lose someone close, okay? Being alone... just makes it easier to brood, to despair..."

"How would you know?" she said angrily. "You don't understand-"

"Yes, I do," Dearka said insistently. "The girl Falcon lost at the Bloody Valentine wasn't just his girlfriend... she was also my sister."

That brought Mir up short. "Your... sister?" When he nodded, she blinked in confusion. "But... why tell me...?"

"I just want you to understand that you're not alone," he said softly. "I know what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to..."

To his intense surprise, she suddenly spun around, and buried her face against his shoulder, sobbing quietly.

Over at the main group, the discussion was still continuing, oblivious to the exchange. "And besides," Kira was saying, "it wasn't like you were trying to kill Tolle, were you?"

"No," Athrun admitted. "He... he just got in the way, when I was trying to finish you. I... I barely even realized he was there, it was over so fast..." He frowned. "But... one thing I don't understand... Why didn't Commander DiFalco's machine...?"

"Raptor was falling apart around him," Murrue answered, "and Preybird hadn't even arrived yet; so there really wasn't anything he could do... assuming that he'd been willing to get between two Berserkers, which, he tells me, wouldn't have been smart." She frowned. "Which reminds me: where is Ken?"

Cagalli glanced around. "There he is," she said, pointing to where the wreckage of the GAT-X215 Cobra had been deposited. "I... guess he's interrogating the prisoner?"

Murrue raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and started over... only to freeze when she saw Ken stumble, his face white as a sheet.

While the other had been talking, Ken had made straight for the Cobra; something about the way the pilot had spoken had piqued his interest, and he wanted to know what was going on.

By the time he got there, the pilot was already out of her machine, sitting on a crate, hands cuffed behind her back. "I suppose you're the pilot who shot me down," she said quietly. "I was wondering when you'd be by to interrogate me."

Ken nodded. "I had some things to take care of. So tell me, Lieutenant: who are you?"

"My name is Alicia Cateau," she answered, "lieutenant senior grade, Eurasian Federation military, on detached assignment to the Atlantic Federation's Fourth Naval Fleet. I am -or I was," she amended ruefully, glancing at the debris behind her, "pilot of GAT-X215 Cobra. It was intended largely with the destruction of your own machine in mind, as it happens."

He nodded again; that was about what he'd expected. "The machine in question is ZGMF-X00A Preybird, Lieutenant; I happen to be the commanding officer of a splinter group known as True ZAFT... which, ironically, means that the Alliance's propaganda was almost correct." He rubbed his eyepatch. "My name is Kenneth DiFalco... though you may know me better as the Grimaldi Falcon."

Cateau paled. "The Grimaldi Falcon... It might almost have been better for me if I'd been killed outright, instead of captured..."

Ken raised an eyebrow. "You know, Lieutenant, contrary to Alliance propaganda, I don't actually eat prisoners of war."

She shook her head. "You don't understand, Commander; today was not the first time you and I met in combat. The first time, I was flying a mobile armor, sixteen months and one day ago. You nearly killed me that day, and would have, had I not ejected in time. Now... I don't think I would blame you if you chose to use that sword of yours to finish the job."

The ace froze. Sixteen months, one day... February Fourteenth, last year... the day of the Bloody Valentine... Which means she must be-! White-hot rage filled him for an instant, threatening to trigger the Berserker that lay within him, but his formidable self-control and his own observations succeeded in throttling the impulse to draw his blade.

"You flew the nuclear-equipped Moebius, didn't you," he stated in an almost conversational tone.

"Yes," Cateau admitted in a whisper. "And that's why... I wouldn't blame you if you killed me now. I deserve it, after what I've done."

"Hm." Ken stroked the hilt of his katana, but his expression was far from murderous. "That's fascinating, Lieutenant... yet the very fact that you claim -honestly, I think- that you deserve it makes me wonder about something." He tilted his head. "Did you, in fact, know that the warhead you carried was nuclear?"

She looked away. "No, Commander. But that does not excuse what I've done."

"Lieutenant," he said quietly, "I was quite prepared to hate you for what you've done; I lost both my home and someone very close to me when your missile detonated. But I make a policy not to blame people for things they didn't even realize they were doing; I blame the people who sent them out there, and did know what was happening. So I'm not going to kill you, Lieutenant... because if I did, I'd be no different than Patrick Zala, and that man represents everything I stand against."

Cateau sighed in something akin to relief. "I still think that I don't deserve understanding, Sir... but thank you." She met his gaze. "I'll answer any questions you have, to the best of my ability."

Ken raised an eyebrow again. "Why would you do that, Lieutenant?"

She snorted. "You think I was still out there on the frontlines by choice? Once I realized what I'd done to Junius Seven, my first impulse was to kill myself; after that, I just wanted out. But my superiors made it very clear what would happen if I attempted that, so I had little choice. Believe me, I have no love left for the Earth Forces." She hesitated. "But... there's something you should know first."

The ace felt a ball of ice forming in his gut, indefinable dread formed by her tone. "Is this something I'm going to want to hear, Lieutenant?"

"No... but it's something you need to know regardless." Cateau took a deep breath. "As of late last month, the Earth Alliance has regained nuclear strike capability."

Ken's face went white, and he stumbled in shock as his world collapsed... and he fainted dead away.

Murrue managed to catch him before he hit the floor. "What's wrong with him?" she demanded of Cateau, gently lowering the unconscious ace to the floor. "What did you say to him?"

"That the Earth Forces have nuclear capability again, I suspect," Leanne said quietly, fingering the sword sheathed at her hip. "Right?"

Cateau nodded. "Yes... but I didn't expect this kind of reaction; not from the Grimaldi Falcon."

The Demon shrugged. "He has issues with nukes, Lieutenant; it's nothing personal."

Murrue gazed at the younger woman through narrowed eyes. "You knew, Leanne? You already knew about all this?"

Leanne nodded solemnly. "I knew. I got a message from Sparky just yesterday, passing on the intelligence. We don't know exactly how he got it, but it seems Muruta Azrael obtained the technical data for the Neutron-jammer cancellers on May Thirtieth... and test-detonated a fusion bomb not long after."

Cagalli, trotting over, glared at her. "Why didn't you tell us?" she demanded. "If the Earth Forces have nukes..."

The Demon met her gaze unflinchingly. "For one thing," she said, quite unapologetic, "I'm pretty sure your father already has an inkling of this; his evacuation plans seemed suspiciously complete, when I first heard about them. And besides..." She looked down at her comatose commander. "I was afraid the Boss would react exactly as he did. They say, you know, that there's a fine line between genius and insanity; and after everything he's been through, since beginning the GENESIS Project, he's been a little too close to that line. If nuclear weapons were used again, especially here... I don't know if his mind could take that without snapping."

"I don't know that he could," the princess said quietly. "You're right about how close to the edge he's been; I saw that back in the desert. If something like were to happen now..."

"It wouldn't break him," Murrue demurred, "but I don't think it would be very healthy for him, either. A few more incidents like that, and I don't know what might happen... but I do know that we need him." She nodded at Leanne. "I can understand why you didn't mention this, Leanne... though I'm not sure if he will."

"Hey, what's all the commotion?" Yzak interrupted, walking over. "We do have a war to fight, you know- Hey, what's wrong with him?"

"A long story, Yzak," Athrun said heavily, joining them; his grim expression was somewhat leavened with puzzlement. "But what are you doing here? Last I heard, you were MIA; the going theory was that the Cyclops got you, at Alaska..."

Duel's pilot snorted. "Me, fall to a Cyclops? No way... though that is why I'm here." He glared; apparently at the world in general. "By now you probably know about Commander Le Creuset's treason."

Athrun jerked. "Commander Le Creuset? Wha...?"

Behind him, Kira sighed. "It's a long story, Athrun... but you need to know. When Ken started wondering how Spit Break had been leaked, he got to thinking about who had access..."

Powell, Bridge
Muruta Azrael drummed his fingers on his armrest, pondering the day's events. Things had not gone exactly as he had expected... but he had learned some very useful things nonetheless.

That interloper machine, he mused. We were wrong; that wasn't an Orb unit after all. If it had been, that technology would've been present in their mass-produced units, too. Some of it, at least... and then there's that positron cannon it tried to use on Forbidden. No, that's a ZAFT unit... or, more likely, part of DiFalco's rumored breakaway faction.

"That red and gray machine was unexpectedly powerful," Admiral Hamilton murmured, unconsciously mirroring Azrael's thoughts. "The white one -and the red one- were dangerous in their own right, but that third machine... I guess the reports of the Archangel's first visit to Orb weren't exaggerated after all."

"So it seems," Azrael agreed. "The Calamity was the only thing we had that could even keep it pinned down; and that only through sheer firepower. Even Cobra was eaten alive by that thing."

Hamilton grunted. "Yes; and no doubt Cateau, that disloyal woman, spilled her guts... assuming they captured her alive." He chuckled slightly. "Of course, even that might be doubtful; if I had to guess, that interloper was piloted by the Grimaldi Falcon, and he certainly isn't the sort to forgive the Bloody Valentine."

"He's also as shrewd as they come," the Director cautioned. "I hate everything the man stands for -he is a Coordinator, after all- but only a total fool underestimates his opponent. I expect that that's as true on the battlefield as it is in the business world, eh, Admiral?"

"True," the admiral conceded reluctantly. "But what are you getting at, Director?"

Azrael shifted in his chair. "Just this: the man has mobile suit engine coolant for blood, and -reputedly- sufficient self-control to avoid instantly blowing a prisoner away... even after what Cateau did. If he learns that she didn't even know what she was carrying, he'll be inclined to keep her around... and she knows a few things he'd find very useful indeed."

Hamilton looked at him suspiciously. "You don't seem particularly disturbed by that, Director; almost as if you want DiFalco to interrogate her."

"I'd be delighted if he did," the Director confessed. "She knows that we have nuclear capability again... and that's something DiFalco feels so strongly about that it'll probably put him at least slightly off-balance. As far as I'm concerned, anything that does that can be considered fortuitous."

The admiral nodded slightly. "Makes sense; and we certainly need all the help we can get against that monster." He frowned. "But one quandary remains: how do we stop the man? As you said, even Calamity could only keep him busy; what have we got that can take him out completely?" He tilted his head. "Unless you're planning to capture that machine?"

Azrael chuckled. "No, no, Admiral; I'm not that ambitious. Besides, DiFalco's no dummy. Either that machine is so customized that he's the only one who can make much use of it in its completed form... or else he's got it rigged to explode if it's captured. On second thought, probably both. No, I'll settle for destroying it... and I know exactly how." He smiled... a smile that any sane man would call evil. "Order a couple of our bombers to be loaded with low-yield tactical nuclear warheads; something large enough to destroy the interloper, but small enough not to take Morgenroete or the mass driver with it." His smile grew. "Tomorrow, we put an end to the monster called the Grimaldi Falcon..."

Onogoro Island, Conference Room
After Ken had recovered from his shock-induced faint, a group once again gathered to discuss the situation at hand.

"It's unlikely the Earth Forces will resume the attack before morning," Lord Uzumi began, "so I believe we have time to consider how the paradigm has changed since our initial plans were made. That, ladies and gentlemen, is time I believe we have no choice but to use."

Murrue nodded. "I agree, My Lord. Thanks to Lieutenant Cateau," she began, nodding at the sole person in the room in Earth Forces uniform (though it was conspicuously missing its insignia), "we now have confirmation that the Earth Alliance has, through so far unknown means, obtained the plans for the Neutron-jammer canceler; and has, in fact, a number of aircraft-launched, nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, many of them stored about the Fourth Fleet's carriers."

Cateau stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Yes. In fact, due in large part to Director Azrael -he's a believer in 'if one is good, more is better'- there are approximately fifty TLAM-Fives among the Fleet's weapons. That's more than sufficient firepower to turn Orb into a radioactive glass parking lot."

Kira frowned. "'TLAM-Five?'" he repeated.

"Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Mark Five," Ken clarified; his face had recovered much of its color, but none of its good humor. "The modern day descendant of the original, late-twentieth to early-twenty-first century Tomahawk cruise missile. They're of limited utility on the modern battlefield... except when used as nuclear delivery systems."

"Right," Cateau confirmed. "Exactly why Azrael chose to bring them along, I'm not certain; he wants Orb's facilities as intact as possible, and I doubt radioactive ash is exactly what he has in mind. I suppose he brought them for intimidation value."

Mu shook his head. "More likely a fleet-action countermeasure," he murmured, recalling the term Ken had coined in reference to GENESIS. "He probably hoped to wipe out Orb's naval forces with nuclear strikes."

"Then he's out of his mind," Yzak stated. "I don't know how much you've studied nuclear weapons, Commander -probably not a lot; that's not something the PLANTs have ever contemplated using against you- but we've examined their capabilities very thoroughly. Only someone like Azrael -someone with no military background- could contemplate something like that. If he had any brains, he'd realize the chance of catching his own fleet -and himself-

in the blast would preclude that use of nukes."

"Take it from me, Mister Joule," Cateau said dryly. "Muruta Azrael is not a prodigy where military matters are concerned. The idiot actually believes that his success in the business world makes him fully qualified to be an admiral... more qualified, in fact, than uniformed myrmidons like us." She shook her head. "The man has an ego the size of this island chain; and while he's undeniably a genius in his own realm, he's little better than an incompetent where battlefields are concerned."

""That's good news," Dearka remarked.

Ken shook his head. "One would think so... except that he has two advantages. One: for all his -many- faults, the man does know mobile suits; if anyone can find a weakness in Preybird, well... I wouldn't bet against him. And two: according to Lieutenant Cateau, the uniformed commander of the Fourth Fleet is Admiral James Hamilton. I've never met him, but Lewis spoke of him; he's part of the same 'inner circle' as William Sutherland, Castor Truman, and Charles Kreitzman."

Cagalli looked at him sharply. "Did you say Kreitzman? Wasn't that the name of that captain; the one you and Huckebein were talking about...?"

He nodded. "Yes; Charles is Kyle Kreitzman's father. As I heard the tale, his wife made Kyle into a Coordinator without his knowledge... and Charles wasn't in the least amused." He grimaced. "She died early last year... in the Copernicus bombing."

Athrun winced. "Coincidence?"

"Hopefully." The ace's expression, however, showed that he thought Kreitzman was callous enough to have... arranged... the incident. "At any rate," Ken went on, "there's more of a threat to us that just James Hamilton, or even the nuclear weapons. When discussing the matter with Lieutenant Cateau, I learned the truth behind the unusual capabilities of those three Alliance pilots."

Cateau nodded. "The story begins some time ago, actually," she began. "It seems that, at one point -exactly when is uncertain; I've only heard rumors- the Earth Forces had a small group of soldiers known as 'Combat Coordinators'; as near as I've been able to determine, they were Coordinators operating under the influence of brainwashing, for the purpose of helping the Alliance develop mobile suits of their own. In fact, they were supposed to be an offensive unit, to be deployed until a true Natural-adapted operating system had been developed. In any case, the project was a failure; the brainwashing didn't quite take, which left the Alliance with several very angry Coordinators on their hands, several of whom were able to escape completely."

Natarle raised an eyebrow, interested. "And how, exactly, does this affect our current situation, Lieutenant? Are you saying that we're dealing with Coordinators?"

The lieutenant shook her head. "No, Ma'am; what they are is the Alliance's solution to the problem of competing with Coordinator pilots. You see, with rare exceptions, a Natural isn't a match for a Coordinator one-on-one; not in a mobile suit, at any rate. Not even one with the new OS. Oh, they work well enough in massed attack, particularly when you consider the Strike Dagger's use of energy weapons. But the Alliance needed a better solution, for dealing with machines such as the captured G-weapons. The result of their efforts is the 'biological central processing unit'; a Natural implanted with various computer devices, to enhance mental processes and autonomic reflexes... and given regular doses of a drug known as 'Gamma Glipheptin'."

Mu frowned. "That doesn't sound good... But what exactly is Gamma Glipheptin?"

Ken's face took on an expression of distaste. "It's a drug that does essentially the same thing as the implants, only more so; and it also serves as a deterrent against desertion. The human body becomes addicted to the stuff very easily... and as soon as it wears off, very painful withdrawal symptoms kick in. That's what caused them to retreat today: their precious drug wore off."

Kira felt physically ill. "That's the sickest thing I ever heard..."

"Don't waste too much sympathy on them, Kira Yamato," Cateau advised coldly. "I know those pilots; Orga Sabnak, Shani Andras, and Clotho Buer. I haven't been able to find out much about their backgrounds -when their status was officially changed from 'human' to 'biological CPU', their records were erased- but I did learn this much: all three of them were death row inmates prior to being given this chance at redemption. They're murderers, Mister Yamato, and if you happen to shoot them dead, I will be a very happy woman." She shuddered. "They practically radiate evil; it's as if they exhale malevolence instead of carbon dioxide..."

Uzumi cleared his throat. "Now you all see our difficulty. The Earth Alliance has arrayed its strongest cards against us, including nuclear weapons; something against which even Orb has no defense. For the time being, they will hesitate to use them, since they want Morgenroete and the mass driver... but the fact remains that their military power is overwhelming." He looked at Ken. "I'm afraid, Commander, that even your Preybird is insufficient against this threat."

The ace nodded unhappily. "I know. It was never designed with nuclear defense in mind; and even it can be swarmed. Especially since the light-wave barrier is... unreliable right now."

Murrue looked at him sharply. "What?"

"Calamity gave me a beating today," he explained. "Nothing it has can penetrate a light-wave barrier... but the pounding it received did stress the generator itself. I wouldn't trust it, under the circumstances... and I'm afraid that Preybird's design relies a little too much on that for defense. Without it, I have no shield at all, which means my only recourse against beam-equipped opponents is to dodge. Which, given my preference for close combat, puts me at something of a disadvantage."

Yzak quietly cursed. "Man," he muttered, "the Grimaldi Falcon finally runs into a situation where he doesn't have all the answers... and it has to be after we end up on the same side. There's no justice in the universe."

Sophia closed her eyes. I never thought it would come to this, she thought, almost despairingly. Just a few weeks ago, I was still with the Earth Forces; I had no need to question my path. I was secure in the knowledge that, if I fell, there were plenty more to take my place. Now we're cast adrift, with none to follow us... so what do we do?

"What do we do?" Murrue asked, unconsciously echoing her friend's thoughts. "What can we do, against those forces? Forgive me, Lord Uzumi, but from what you're saying, it sounds as if all we can do is fight to the end... put up the best defense we can before we're all killed."

The Orb leader sighed heavily. "Perhaps it does sound that way," he said quietly. "And to be perfectly honest... Orb has already lost. It's only a matter of time now."

Cagalli looked at him in horror. "What... what are you saying, Father?" she whispered, stricken.

He looked at her. "You were out there today," Uzumi said gently. "You saw the opposition; were it not for the weaknesses of the biological CPUs, the battle would've gone much worse... and that was before we knew they had brought nuclear weapons with them." He sighed again. "Against this, Orb cannot hold out for long. It is only a matter of time before they take possession of both Onogoro and Kaguya... and when that happens, everything we've striven for will be lost."

Ken clenched a fist, face twisted in pain. "How could it come to this?" he whispered. "Those... bastards... How can they do this? Even they have to know that if they use nuclear weapons again, they'll lose any possible claim to the moral high ground. After the Bloody Valentine..."

Murrue reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "I don't think they care about that anymore, Ken," she said gently. "Orb is the last remaining holdout from the Alliance; there isn't anyone left to worry about the 'moral high ground'."

Kira swallowed. "So what now, Sir?" he asked quietly. "What can we do now, if they're ready to just wipe us out?"

Uzumi directed his gaze at the tense ace. "Commander," he began, "I believe the time has come for 'Phoenix Rising'."

Ken nodded reluctantly. "Yes," he said, almost in a whispered. "Yes, I'm afraid you're right." He visibly gathered himself; and, little by little, the confident strategist and tactician once again replaced the battered, pained young man. "I take it, then, that Kusanagi is ready?"

The politician nodded back. "Yes; launch preparations have already begun. By noon tomorrow, she'll be ready to launch... and Kaguya's self-destruct charges are ready."

Murrue glanced from pilot to politician in confusion. "Wait, wait; what are you two talking about? 'Phoenix Rising'? Self-destruct charges? You sound like you're preparing for an evacuation."

Ken turned to her. "We are," he said bluntly. "Phoenix Rising is a contingency plan we set up several months ago, though we never expected to need it; the Izumo-class mobile suit transport Kusanagi is an integral part of it. She'll be carrying as many M1s as we can cram aboard her, along with various spares. If all goes well, the Archangel will also carry two or three, depending on available hangar space."

Uzumi nodded. "Yes; and we've already evacuated Orb's population into space. It was something of a tight fit, but we've transferred them to Ame-no-Mihashira, the orbit elevator. Sahaku wasn't exactly pleased -Commander DiFalco's analysis of the situation is that he and his sister hoped to make some kind of deal with the Alliance- but even he wouldn't want to see our people killed by nuclear weapons."

"Archangel and Kusanagi will also be rendezvousing with the station," Ken continued, "and will remain there long enough to repair any damage inflicted on the ships or mobile suits during the evacuation... and until Arkbird, Asmodeus, and Eternal can make rendezvous with us."

Murrue nodded thoughtfully, but Mu raised a hand. "Wait a second; how exactly is the Archangel going to get up there in the first place? I know the Kusanagi can use the mass driver... but the Archangel isn't set up for that kind of launch."

Cagalli swallowed. "The Archangel-class is based on the Izumos," she explained, through her own inner tumult. "They have a lot of interchangeable parts... including plasma boosters, which are intended to launch an Izumo into orbit without a mass driver."

Ken nodded. "Combine that with positronic interference from the Archangel's Lohengrin, and nothing will be able to touch her before she reaches orbit."

Murrue sighed. "So that's it, then? We're to abandon Orb?"

"There is little choice," Uzumi said quietly. "Whatever happens here, your mission must continue, Captain. Orb is lost either way... and its sacrifice will be in vain if you fail to stop GENESIS. Do not think of this as abandoning us... but rather continuing our work." He hesitated. "And at least this way, the line of Orb will be safe... whatever happens to me."

Kira's eyes widened in shocked comprehension... and Cagalli Yula Athha stared at her father in horror.

PLANTs, Martius Three, True ZAFT Base, June 16th, C.E. 71
It was just after midnight; an unusual time for even the leaders of True ZAFT to meet. Normally, they slept when they could, to make sure they were ready for whatever might happen.

Tonight was different.

Once again, they were gathered around the battered conference table, waiting tensely for Tom Delaney to announce the latest news. "So what's the urgent matter you need to discuss?" Siegel Clyne began. "I'm assuming it isn't good news."

Tom's face was very grim. "No," he confirmed. "It isn't." He took a deep breath. "A message just came in from the Boss. He reports that a POW -or defector, I'm not too clear on that- has revealed that the Fourth Naval Fleet has brought approximately fifty nuclear-tipped TLAM-Fives along with them. That's enough firepower to turn Orb into a radioactive glass parking lot," he added unnecessarily.

Sparky winced. "They're not fooling around, are they? They want Kaguya, and they're going to get it no matter what."

Nicol shook his head. "How can they bring themselves to do these kinds of things?"

"I'm afraid," Tom said heavily, "that 'why' is the least of our worries. The Boss, you see, estimates that Orb cannot hold out for more than another forty-eight hours... and according to his message, they're not even going to try."

Clyne straightened in his chair. "What do you mean, they're not going to try?"

"I mean," the engineer said bluntly, "that at noon tomorrow, they're going to fight a rearguard action, giving Orb time to blow up Morgenroete, launch Archangel and Kusanagi... and destroy the mass driver behind them. Operation Phoenix Rising commences tomorrow."

Sparky closed his eyes. "So it's come to this, has it?" he murmured. "So they'll be rendezvousing at Ame-no-Mihashira, as planned?"

Tom nodded. "That's right. From there, they'll be able to defend themselves against anything the Earth Forces can currently throw at them; and I doubt ZAFT would be interested in attacking the station at this point."

The big commander hauled himself out of his chair. "Then I guess it's time," he said quietly; he looked over at Clyne, and got a silent nod in return. "Nicol, turn on that intercom, will you?"

Nicol nodded, and tapped the appropriate keys. "You're on, Sparky."

Sparky cleared his throat. "Now here this," he said clearly, "now here this. All personnel, Operation Falling Angel begins in seventy-two hours; begin final launch preparations for Arkbird, Asmodeus, and Eternal. In three days, we are abandoning this base, and rejoining the Commander. Get to work, people."

He closed down the intercom, and so didn't hear the sudden buzz of conversation throughout the base... but the sudden activity visible in the harbor outside said it just as well as any words.

"Good thing we got those ships ready ahead of schedule," Nicol remarked. "I never expected to have to start Falling Angel this soon."

"None of us did," Clyne told him. "But Commander DiFalco, I expect, did have some inkling of it; I notice his messages haven't been overly optimistic of late." He frowned. "Speaking of getting things done on schedule, what about those two machines?"

Tom smiled tiredly. "That's another bright spot," he answered. "Raiden was completed two days ago; and Hyperion's been ready for over a month. Sudden though this may be, we're as ready as we'll ever be."

"Though there's still the matter of getting the Eternal out," Sparky interjected. "Her crew may be almost entirely our people, but unlike Arkbird and Asmodeus, she's in a regular ZAFT harbor. Springing her won't be as easy as the rest of this."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Clyne said slowly. "The last time I spoke with Captain Waltfeld, he sounded confident about the matter. And since he's the only man in ZAFT who equals Commander DiFalco's tactical and strategic brilliance..."

Tom laughed. "Yeah, got a point; if the Desert Tiger sounds confident, I'm not about to bet against him." He chuckled for a few moments, then frowned. "Speaking of ships," he said slowly, "there've been rumors lately about another rogue ship out there. Some say it's somehow connected to the Heliopolis G-weapon project; some kind of escort ship or something. Apparently, it's been on the loose ever since the collapse, doing who knows what."

Sparky waved a hand. "Come on, Tom, there've been rumors about that ship for months."

"There's a little more substance to these," the engineer told him. "Such as documented proof that a ZAFT task force got ambushed last week out at L4. Whatever it was, it had positron weaponry; one of our satellites registered gamma radiation consistent with a Lohengrin blast. We've also got fragmentary reports of Earth Alliance mobile suit types wreaking havoc on isolated shipping... including some belonging to the Alliance."

Nicol looked up, interested. "You think we may have an ally out there somewhere?"

Tom shrugged. "Well, you know what they say: enemy of my enemy is my friend; and whether it's the rumored escort ship or not, somebody is sure blowing the guts out of those convoys, and it ain't pirates. Also..." He paused. "There are reports that several Alliance aces disappeared recently... including Morgan Chevalier and Jane Houston."

Sparky blinked. "The Moonlight Mad Dog and the White Whale? What's going on here, anyway?"

"Something beyond even our own efforts, I guess," Clyne murmured. "But however interesting it may be, it doesn't have any real bearing on our current situation."

"No," the larger man agreed. "I suppose it doesn't... but it's still something to think about."

Archangel, Hangar
It was early in the morning when Kira found Cagalli, working in the Strike Rouge's cockpit. He knew he should be sleeping -he didn't need Ken to tell him going into battle with a fatigue-dulled mind wasn't smart- but he couldn't. There was so much going on... and he was worried about Cagalli.

She looked at him in surprise when he poked his head into the cockpit. "Kira? What are you doing here, at this hour? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. "You need rest, too, you know; especially since you've only been in one real battle while flying a mobile suit. Going into battle while you're tired won't do you any good; I should know, after all this time."

Cagalli pushed aside the machine's keyboard. "First of all," she said tiredly, "I'm not going into battle this time; this is a job for the three of you, not me. Freedom, Justice, and Preybird are the only ones with the speed for it." She sighed. "And besides... I can't sleep."

Kira nodded in understanding. "Worried about your father?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "We've had our problems, but still... he is my father. And now... now I'm worried that he... he might... decide to stay behind." She swallowed. "He has to know that if he does, it'll be suicide, but... he sees everything that happens in Orb as his responsibility."

He felt a tightness in his own stomach. "He wouldn't really...?"

She lowered her gaze. "He might. That's just the sort of thing he'd do..."

Kira sighed inwardly, and climbed into the cockpit. "Look, Cagalli," he said quietly, "no matter what happens, you won't be alone. We'll be here for you; Ken, Athrun, even Murrue and Mu... and I'll be here for you. I promise." He hesitated. "I'll protect you, okay?"

Cagalli glared at him for an instant, and almost snapped at him for daring to suggest she might need protection... but then she closed her mouth. He means it, she realized. He really means it. He's as much of a romantic as Ken... and I think I like that.

"Thanks, Kira," she said instead. "That... means a lot to me." She paused. "But... that means you may have to fight, you know. Even... kill, if it comes to it."

Kira thought about that for several, silent moments. She's right... but does that even matter? I've killed before, and sometimes there isn't any choice...

A new voice cut in, speaking in a familiar -and, in its own way, comforting- tone. "Kira, someday you will realize that there is no shame in using force to protect those you love. Spare the lives of your enemies if you wish... but understand that you do no wrong by using force to protect your loved ones from harm."

They both turned to look at Ken, who stood outside the hatch, wearing the mask-like expression of old... and using the tone of the lecturing warrior, the mentor he'd been to Kira from the start. "Ken...?" Cagalli began.

The ace spoke not to her, but once again to Kira. "Even you will admit -or so I judge by your recent actions- that sometimes violence is the only answer. I know you disagree with my plans... but I respect that. Choose your own way of fighting, Kira... and protect your loved ones as you see fit." From behind his back, he lifted his old wakizashi; a weapon Kira hadn't seen since Ken retrieved his katana from the Debris Belt, months before. "This is my last advice for you, Kira: believe only what your heart and conscience tell you... and don't let anyone dare tell you you've made the wrong decision." He set the sheathed blade on the open hatch. "And if anyone tries, let them taste cold steel."

Then, predictably, he was gone.

Kira turned back to Cagalli, and -remembering that Kisaka had been transferred from bodyguard duties to being the Kusanagi's captain- took a deep breath. "Cagalli, I... heard that you need a new bodyguard, now that Kisaka's been transferred. Would I...?"

She blinked, surprised by the offer. "Kira...? I... uh..." Mentally floundering for a moment, she finally smiled. "Yes, thank you, Kira."

Then, to Kira's surprise, she hugged him... and he thought back to Flay's teasing, when they met again after Alaska. Maybe... she was right, he thought. I... I think I'm glad she was, too...

Onogoro, Hangar
Minutes later, Ken stood before Preybird -which was parked here, instead of the Archangel's hangar, to facilitate launching for the rearguard action- and, as might be expected, he was brooding.

Nukes... Those rotten bastards really have done it again... and as soon as Morgenroete and the mass driver are gone, they'll probably do it here, too. Everything I've fought for, in danger because some bastard -probably Rau, may he soon rot for eternity- decided to give the Alliance the specs for the N-jammer canceler. That means this cold war just got hot again... and it's all my fault. This... and GENESIS.

There was a sigh behind him. "Let me guess," Dearka said wearily. "You're brooding again, right? Over-indulging in self-pity isn't exactly very healthy, you know; not in the long run."

"Quiet, Dearka," the ace said without rancor. "I don't feel like talking right now, okay? Now isn't a good time. In fact, it's a pretty bad time."

Buster's pilot snorted. "So what are you gonna do? Cut me in half? I know you better than that, Falcon." He sighed again. "Right now, you're thinking that the entire world is about to explode, and it's all your fault, right? Well, I've got news for you: Azrael using fifty nuclear missiles on Orb is not your fault."

"Oh, really?" Ken shot back. "That's not the way I heard it. From what Lieutenant Cateau's said, Azrael chose to bring nukes along mostly because he expected to run into Preybird here... and wanted to make sure he could vaporize me in an instant." He cursed himself quietly. "I decided to try to dominate the battlefield by creating a machine that nothing could beat... and so escalated the war. I created something no Earth Forces machine could beat all by itself, so that maniac decided to use nukes..."

"Which he'd probably be using on the PLANTs right now if you hadn't provided a distraction," Dearka argued. "Right?"

"Wrong; Azrael isn't stupid. Even he knows trying to launch an all-out offensive against the PLANTs right now would be suicide." The ace didn't even look up as he enumerated his reasoning. "One: he has no mass driver, which would make sending nukes up there a cumbersome process at best, with no way to send up more than two or three at a time. It would take at least a couple of months at that rate, probably more, to get a worthwhile number of up there. Two: ZAFT still has three major bases on Earth, any one of which would be happy to blow him away if he tried something that ambitious. And three: ZAFT's space forces weren't hammered anywhere near as much as ground forces by Spit Break's failure, which means attacking the PLANTs themselves -even with nukes- is a wonderful way to get blown into itty bitty pieces."

The blonde pilot recoiled slightly at the rancor in his friend's voice. "You're serious..."

"As a heart attack." Ken shook himself then, his demeanor changed subtly. "But in a sense, you're right: I don't have time for self-pity right now. Whoever may be to blame is irrelevant right now; what matters is that we have less than twelve hours to plan and execute an evacuation... not to mention the rearguard action to make sure the two ships make it to space intact."

Dearka nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that'll be up to you, Kira, and Athrun?"

"Kira and me for sure," Ken agreed. "Athrun... Well, that depends on whether or not he's actually here for the long haul. He hasn't really said yet if he's sticking with us, or just here to give the Earth Forces a black eye, and keep Kira out of trouble for a little while." He shook his head. "Fact is, I don't know him that well. I know that he's cut from different cloth than his father, but..." He shrugged. "What do you think?"

"Hmm..." Dearka had to think about that. "I don't know, either," he admitted. "We were in the same team, but... Well, Nicol was the only one who really got along with him. Yzak and I were both angry at him for causing trouble with the Strike, just after Heliopolis, and that pretty much colored every conversation we had after that. So... I just don't know."

"Why not just ask me?" another voice suggested. "Or are you too used to Machiavellian schemes to try that, Commander?"

Ken turned, to see Athrun himself standing there, watching them. "Hello, Athrun," he greeted. "I didn't hear you approach."

"Probably because you were too busy worrying about nuclear weapons," Athrun said dryly. "Kira tells me that you tend to be a little single-minded about that."

"Maybe so," the ace admitted with a shrug. "But you have to admit, I have reason to be."

"I know," Justice's pilot said, in a much quieter voice. "I lost my mom in the Bloody Valentine, remember?"

"Kind of hard to forget," Ken murmured. "Given what it drove Patrick to..." He shook himself. "Well, that brings me to the very question you spoke of, a moment ago: are you staying with us, Athrun?"

"Yes," Athrun replied, without hesitation. "I've... spoken with my father, since our last meeting, Commander. I didn't want to believe it, but... I think you're right. I still haven't gotten any official confirmation about GENESIS, but given the way my father was talking... I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that it's real, too." He tilted his head. "But the real question is... are you willing to trust me?"

"You are not your father, Athrun," Ken said quietly. "I've known that for a long time. And Kira, for all our disagreements on tactics, has perhaps a better sense of people than I do. If he thinks you're on the level... then I'll trust his judgment." His eye narrowed. "But... is your father's genocidal intent your only reason for opposing him, Athrun?"

"No," Athrun admitted. "He... tried to have Lacus killed, just before I came to Earth. The attack failed," he added hastily, seeing the dangerous gleam in the ace's eye, "thanks mostly to your people... but it was the last straw. That, and his trust in Le Creuset." He nodded firmly. "So don't worry, Commander. I'm with you now... all the way."

Ken nodded to himself. "Then the stage is set," he murmured, and looked to a wall screen, showing the dawn sky... tinged with red. "Red sky at morning... sailors take warning."

Author's note: Athrun Zala has now joined the Archangel, and no more must he fight his best friend. But now the time has come for the ship to leave... as all the pieces come together.

My apologies for the late update; a... personal matter came up, which delayed things. If anyone complains, I will burn them to a crisp.

Anyway. The next update shouldn't take quite so long... and it will have the biggest departure from canon yet. In the meantime, however, let me know how this chapter was. -Solid Shark