This part of the fic goes AU. Stellar was not carried away by Shinn to the lake after her battle in Destroy. Instead she was left in the cockpit. Heck I will try to explain it in a later chapter or flash back. And do not get confused. Auel is still the protagonist

Stellar's eyes twitched as she looked over the vast ocean, she sat on the deck of the James Cook Sting stood next to her with his hand on his hip. Stellar had transferred to the J.C. along with Sting after they were both found in ruined Destroy units after the Battle of Berlin and the Heavens Base attack. Both had regained their memories, Stellar's memory of Shinn and his kindness not just overoad her block word, but also cancelled out the 'dream machines' power. Stings memory of Auel and their basket ball game cancelled out the 'dream machine' as well.

"Sting...it's beautiful" smiled Stellar as she looked out over the great ocean.

"You like the ocean" Sting looked down at Stellar in her innocent state.

"Yes...I like" Stellar smiled as she watched the waves lap against the sides of the J.C. Along with their transfer orders. Stellar and Sting had been given to new units, the Wild Dagger for Stellar and the enhanced Windam for Sting

"Auel...Liked the ocean" mumbled Stellar. Stellar had often talked about Auel, she really missed Auel and his lively, funny personality, she also missed the feeling that she had a little brother when he was around. Stellar had cried for one whole day after learning Auel had 'died' in combat, even though they had never found his body...MIA...the military term for Dead with out confirmation.

"He did too" asked Sting taking his hand off his hip and letting it fall to his side. The wind caught his green hair and tried to blow it into a frenzy, but its short length and the excessive amounts of Gel Sting used on his hair prevented it from moving much.

"Sting...sit" Stellar patted the cold metal deck next to where she sat, beckoning Sting to sit down.

"Okay" Sting sat down next to the blonde and dangled his feet off the sides of the ship. Sting closed his eyes and lifted up his head, he felt the cool breeze against his face. It smelt like Auel...

"Sting...what are you going to do when the war is over...you never answered the question" Stellar, still bunched up in her ocean viewing position spoke to the green haired boy with out looking at him.

"I told you. We don't have a future...Once the war is over we will probably get the axe" sighed Sting as he lay back on the deck and put his hands behind his head.

"Kowaii" muttered Stellar as she stood up and walked around the large deck. Her green unit stood in it's Quadreped mode on the deck. Stellar examined all the curves and angles of the Wild Dagger. She then glanced all around the deck and made sure she was alone with Sting.

Stellar smiled to herself and then kicked up her heals and began to waltz around the deck singing "La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la la la" Supposed to be her image song

Stellar danced over to where Sting was sitting and tripped on an uneven joint in the ships launching deck. Stellar let out a yipe as she fell onto Sting's chest. Stellar opened her eyes to see a sea of red...HER BLOOD!...no it was just Sting's shirt. Stellar the realized where Sting's hand was...right between...her legs. Stellar raised her chest up so that she was in an upright sitting position.

"Crap!" Sting quickly drew back his hand and began to blush. The speed at which he brought his hand back, the wet deck of the ship and its constant rocking proved a DAMNING combo. Sting began to slip and slide on the edge of the ship and eventually after ten seconds of grasping at the water covered deck, Sting feel into the ocean. "FUCK!" yelled Sting as he slid down the side of the carrier. He knew instantly that is he didn't push away from it, he would be dragged under. So with ninja like skill Sting rolled around and bounced off the deck. He splashed into the water some 5 meters from the ship

"Sting?" Stellar asked after her partner as she leaned over the side of the carrier and smiled. "You can't swim here" smiled Stellar childishly

--

Stellar walked into the infirmary and made a bee line for Sting's bed. The tall green haired boy had gotten on hell of a cold from his little swim. Stellar looked down at Sting who was wearing his usual grumpy face.

"How are you" asked Stellar as she sat down on one of the stools next to Sting's bed.

"I just fell into the ocean off a Mobile Suit Carrier and was rescued by a female officer…how you think I feel?" asked Sting not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Happy?" asked Stellar in her childish voice as she leaned onto the side of Sting's bed.

"Shut up…If your going to be like that, just hurry up and leave" snapped Sting.

"Okay. If you want me to." Stellar stood up and walked out of the room. As she reached the door she turned her head, poked her tongue out and pulled the fingers to Sting.

Stellar walked through the halls of the J.C. until she came to the MS hanger. She looked up at the three Units stored in the hanger. One green Dagger 105 belonging to Sting, A Dagger L belonging to another pilot and a Forbidden Blue. The sight of the blue unit almost brought Stellar to tears. Before Sting, Auel and her stole Chaos, Gaia and Abyss, Auel has piloted a Forbidden Blue. Stellar remembered more of Auel as she spent time gazing at the mobile suit.

"Can I help you?" asked a new voice from behind Stellar.

"Oh…no…" Stellar quickly turned around. Her eyes analyzed the girl before her. She had long blue hair all tied back in a pony tail. She wore a mechanics' uniform. Stellar noticed the girl's aquamarine eyes…the same as Auel's "Is this…yours?" asked Stellar pointing to the Blue unit.

"Yes. 23rd Mobile Suit Division, Rachel Keys" smiled the boy as he walked over to Stellar. "Do you like it?" asked Rachel leaning on the rail next to Stellar.

"Yes…one of my friends piloted a unit like this before he got a Gundam" explained Stellar putting her hand on the rail.

"Is that so…Where is your friend? What division is he in?" asked Rachel turning to Stellar.

"With God" Stellar looked away from the girl and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh…I am sorry to hear that" Rachel looked away from Stellar. Once again she had managed to put her foot in it "So I take it you are staying on this ship once we reach Auckland?" asked Rachel with a smile.

"I don't know…I am going where ever Sting goes I think" Stellar looked up at the Blue Forbidden and smiled.

"Or where Auel is…" A tear rolled down Stellar's face as she remembered Auel.

"Auel…As in Auel Neider?" asked Rachel looking back at Stellar.

"Yes…why? Do you know something about Auel?" asked Stellar walking closer and closer to Rachel.
"It's nothing but…Auel Neider is my brother" Rachel backed away as Stellar walked closer to her.

"Brother?" asked Stellar as she stopped advancing on Rachel.

"Yeah…our mother is the same women…Alexia Keys…" explained Rachel.

"Oh…Alexia…I know that name" Stellar backed off from Alexia to give her back her personal space.

"She was a scientist at the lab for Extendeds" explained Rachel.

"So you're an Extended then?" asked Stellar looking at Rachel.

"Nah. Alexia put me in a normal school and all" Rachel walked over to the cockpit of her Forbidden Blue and opened it. "Its been fun talking to ya, but I gotta check the settings on my Forb" smiled Alexia as she jumped into the cockpit. "You can stay and chat with me if ya like" spoke Alexia as Stellar turned to leave.

"Okay" Stellar turned back and walked over to the Cockpit. Stellar sat on the lower section of the cockpit that came down when the unit opened the doors.

"So Stellar. I herd that you were transferred to an X1 Destroy soon after being returned to the Alliance. You were on a ZAFT vessel. How was it?" asked Rachel as she pulled down the keys board and began to type furiously.

"Yeah…It was scary" Stellar reverted back to her normal personality. Only certain people could bring out Stellar's true self, Neo, Auel and now Rachel. "You type fast…" Stellar leaned over the keyboard a little and looked at the girls typing.

"Yeah. You have to learn if you wanna fit in on PLANT" winked Rachel.

"PLANT…you lived on PLANT?" asked Stellar.

"Yeah. Until the war broke out. I was stationed on PLANT after the last war, to make sure they didn't start producing more weapons like Genesis" Rachel did not even look up from her typing as she explained her coordinator like typing speed to Stellar "If you don't mind me saying. I heard that your unit was beaten up pretty bad by Freedom…the initial report said you kicked the bucket…" Rachel stopped typing for a minute and looked up at Stellar.

"I one minute everything is going BOOM and the next I was awake on the John Paul Jones and was told both Sting and Neo were MIA" Stellar slowed down as she reached the part about Lorrnoke Taisan and Sting.

"All hands, we will be arriving at Auckland in twenty minutes. Captain Key's to the bridge" the intercom blurted out the announcement and then went silent.

"Captain Keys...is your father aboard?" asked Stellar looking at Rachel.

"Nah. I am Captain Keys" Rachel stowed away her keyboard and climbed over Stellar. "Its been a blast…Ja ne" Rachel turned away and ran off into the hall ways.

The James Cook pulled into port at Auckland City. Auckland was the second biggest base in the Atlantic Federation next to Washington. The large bulky carrier sailed past the other small vessels as it approached the military dock. Sting and Stellar watched from the bridge of the J.C. and looked over the city. Sky scrapers were few; New Zealand had marginally been spared by the Junis 7 drop. The tallest of all buildings was the Sky Tower, which had turned from prosperous casino into the base of the Earth Alliance forces. The tall cylindrical tower stood in the centre of the city, looking out over the bay. Stellar looked up at the silver spire in aw.

"You are on shore leave now. But be sure to be back by six…your staying in Sky City" the old captain of the James Cook explained the orders to Stellar and Sting who had gathered in civilian cloth on the deck.

"Understood sir" Saluted Sting.

"Okay…" Stellar just looked oddly out the side of her vision, she was to preoccupied with the swarm of seagulls flying around the ship.

"Come on Stellar…lets go" Sighed Sting as he put his hands into his black trench coat pockets Yes I am trying to give Sting a more manly wardrobe…to match his personality Sting walked off of the deck and down the gang plank, his black and white sneaker's bad grip caused him to slid down the last few centimetres onto the concrete floor of the Viaduct Harbour. Stellar followed behind her fellow Extended with care. The blonde haired girl jumped onto the harbour's dock and quickly straightened her long pale blue dress. Put on her white jacket and rubbed her hands together. The cold air blew around them causing Stellar to shiver occasionally. Sting put his arm around Stellar and lead her to a closed top Mercedes. Stellar sat in the passengers seat and looked out the window at the rolling water, Sting sat in the drivers seat and drove off onto the main road.

"So Stellar? What do you want to eat?" asked Sting with a smile to his lackadaisical partner.

"Nani?" Stellar turned around and looked at Sting with her innocent eyes, those eyes were a mask, which behind lurked 'The Deadly Dancer' as the other troopers called her

"Food…you know, yum yum" smiled Sting as he took one hand of the wheel and mimed feeding Stellar.

"Oh…Sting…choose" Stellar rolled her head back to the window and looked at the passing people. A head of blue hair caught her eye. She immediately recognised it as belonging to Auel. "STING STOP!" Stellar put her hand on Sting's arm.

"What?" Sting Slammed on his breaks and was rammed into the wheel.

"HMPH!" Stellar let out a girlish grunt as she kicked the door open. Stellar, quick to jump from the car ran down the street calling out to Auel "Onee-San!"

"OY STELLAR!" Sting Leaned out of the car door and called out to his comrade. "What THE FUCK!" Sting looked at his door. Stellar had managed to rip all the blue leather off the door when she had kicked it. "STELLAR!...Damn it" Sting called out to Stellar one more time before grabbing a combat knife and two pistols. Sting stored them in his coat before jumping out of the car and charging down the side walk after Stellar.

Stellar saw the head of blue walk into a large hanger bay on the water front, she slowed down to a walk and crept towards the door to have a look. She peered her head around the door frame and glanced inside. Sure enough Auel was standing in the centre of the room, he wore a pair of caramel cargo pants, a blue T shirt and a White unbuttoned button down shirt. Auel from what Stellar could see was talking to two other teenagers. One had long red hair and wore a small light brown jacket and a one piece blue dress. The other, a boy with shoulder length dark blue hair wore dark grey jeans, a long sleeved green shirt and a black jumper. Stellar remembered seeing both of the two strangers on the Minerva…Why would Auel be talking to them?

"STELLAR!" yelled Sting as he caught up to the girl.

"Idiot!" thought Stellar as she saw the guns in Sting's belt. She grabbed one and dashed into the hanger bay. "STOP!" She yelled aiming the gun at Auel.

"STELLAR!" Sting grabbed a gun and jumped into the hanger as well. "What in the world are you…AUEL?" Sting had a look of utter confusion on his face as he looked over at the trio.

"Sting? Stellar?" Auel spun around and looked at his two old comrades, who were now aiming guns at him. Auel could not wrap his brain around it. Sting and most surprisingly Stellar were alive. But Miriallia had said that they had both died in X1 Destroys.

"Auel, are you okay?" asked Sting aiming his gun at Athrun.

"Hey, no don't shoot!" Auel put out his arms to cover Athrun and Meyrin.

"What?" Sting bent his arm so that his pistol pointed skyward.

-BANG- Stellar fired one shot, it nicked the pole next to Auel. The flash of the shot illuminated the hanger for a split second. Long enough though for Sting to see what was there. A Mobile Suit. The unit looked like the X09A Justice that fought at the legendary battle of Jachin Due. The other was a Alliance Sky Grasper coloured light and dark blue. Both units had a small red device on their left shoulder…It was a Sensor Jammer. Stellar could over hear a little of what they were saying. All she could make out were the words 'Lacus-Sama' 'Clyne Faction' and 'Infinite Justice'

Sting was brought back to reality by another shot being fired. This shot nicked Auel in the arm. Sting quickly grabbed Stellar's arm and jumped behind a bunch of Crates.

"What the hell are you doing. Auel is on our side!" Yelled Sting as he shook Stellar by her arm. Stellar violently shook her arm breaking free of Stings grip.

"If he's part of the EA, then why is he talking to ZAFTs!" snapped Stellar. The amazing Sting about Stellar no one could grasp was the fact that whenever she was in danger, she seemed to change totally. She would go from a happy go lucky girl who spoke in broken sentences to a girl who spoke perfectly and had an evil eye.

Stellar knelt up and looked over the crate she was sheltered behind and let out a spray of bullet fire from her pistol. When the smoke cleared she noticed that Auel and the others were gone. Stellar quickly looked around the hanger to try and find them. A small clunking noise gave away the location of one of them. But it came from the worst place imaginable for them in that situation. The noise came from the Gundam. Justice began to move slowly towards the wall.

"Oh crap…Sting, get us some back up!" ordered Stellar as she glanced around the room. A MS cockpit could never fit two people inside it, so Auel had to be some where.

Justice fired its Vulcans at the wall and blew open a whole, the whole was no where near big enough to fit a MS through. So Justice raised its rifle up and fired two more shots. The green bolt obliterated the wall and left Justice free to take off.

In all the confusion Stellar noticed Auel making his get away…to an altered Sky Grasper. The blue haired boy boarded the small fighter and took flight behind Justice. Sting and Stellar fired the remainder of their bullets at the two units, both of them aware they would do nothing, but they had to try.

A few seconds later a quadruped unit and a Green Dagger 105 arrived at the hanger. The two extended threw out the pilots of the units and boarded them. The Two units took off after their targets. Sting took off after the Heli that was headed out to sea. Stellar gave chase to the Justice which was heading north in an attempt to draw them away from Auel.

"Your going DOWN!" Stellar fired her units gatling gun in its head at the Gundam. Athrun evaded the shots with no effort what so ever.

"Not likely!" Athrun spun around and threw out his boomerang. The beam weapon whistled towards Stellar. She quickly reverted to MS form and blocked it with her shield. Stellar fired her beam rifle two times at Athrun. The purple Gundam evaded again and drew out its beam sabres in their linked mode. Justice spiralled towards the Wild Dagger. Athrun, in one quick fluent motion slashed off the units right arm and kicked it into the estuary behind them.

"What?" Stellar was knocked around her cockpit like a coin in a jar. By the time Stellar had regained control of her unit, Athrun was gone.

"Damn it!" Sting was fairing no better than Stellar was. Auel had flown into the centre of the ocean where it had become clear what the abilities of the altered Sky Grasper were…it had the same system as the Core Splendour, but this unit had joined with Auel's X2 Raze. Auel battled Sting while his unit was waist deep in water.

"Go down you giant!" Sting fired his rifle over and over, but it was clear the Dagger 105 and the Aile system was no match for Raze.

"What's with that unit" Auel aimed his top Scylla lasers at the Dagger's head. He fired over and over with all his other weapons but was unable to hit Sting's Dagger.

With a shot from his mouth cannon Auel was able to glance the Dagger long enough for him to get a weapons lock with the Scylla. "Game OVER!" As Auel readied to fire three small missiles hit his unit's leg from under water. "What the hell…switching to Sonar…Forbidden Blues…and more aerial units…damn it" Auel punched his controls as he turned the Raze back into its Mobile Armour mode. He deployed his arm funnels and fired at the Daggers and Windams approaching him.

"Holy hell…Regroup. Come at him from all sides!" ordered Sting as he fired at the Raze with his rifle. "Forbidden units, use your beams from below!" ordered Sting as he joined a squad of Windam units.

"Hey Oakley, don't forget I am the senior officer here!" yelled Rachel.

"And I have more experience with Destroy units…and they are closer to this than a Forbidden is!" yelled Sting.

Auel noticed the units approaching from under the water.

"Not a bad strategy…but did you forget about THIS!" Auel flicked his four Positron beam cannons around to they were now positioned under the Raze. The white and red beams tore apart three Forbiddens and knocked the others back.

"AUEL!" Athrun's voice came across the intercom of the Raze…and the other Earth Alliance units because Auel had not yet switched off the frequency for the EA.

"AUEL?" Rachel could not believe it.

"Auel is that you?" Rachel punched up the visual to Auel's unit. Sure enough, the blue eyed Bishie was looking back at her with his aquamarine eyes.

"Hey Rachel? It's been a while" smiled Auel as he looked at Rachel.

"What the hell! I was told you died at Crete!" Rachel's Forbidden stopped in it's tracks and just looked at Auel and the Raze.

Justice hovered next to Raze with its rifle poised to attack any enemy Mobile units.

"Auel-San…we should be moving out of here ASAP" Athrun glanced back and forth between Raze and the EA units.

"No you don't!" Sting's Dagger fired off its beam rifle at Infinite Justice. The X2's funnel arms came up and blocked the units attack.

"Sting knock it off. I don't wanna fight you!" yelled Auel as his unit fired one of its finger lasers at Sting's dagger.

"You stop Auel…Rachel now!" ordered Sting as he stabbed his beam sabre into the Raze's left arm Funnel.

"Oh uh. OK!" Rachel fired the plasma cannon of her Forbidden and destroyed Auel's other funnel.

"AUEL-SAN!" Athrun switched to his leg sabres on and slashed off Sting's right Arm. Sting quickly recovered and fired his Vulcans at Justice, the spray of bullets shattered Justice's left eye letting Sting get a good punch at Justice. "Auel. We have to leave now. We got the information we came for" Athrun quickly dismembered Sting's Dagger 105 leaving only the chest, Aile pack and thighs intact. Athrun turned Justice around and landed it on the 'cap' of Auel's Raze.

"Yeah. Lovely seeing ya again Rachel. Sting say hello to Stellar for me. I am happy you're both alive" Smiled Auel as the Raze fired its Scylla one more time and then turned to leave accompanied by Justice. The duo's exit was timely, as two Destroy units could be seen on the horizon coming from the Rangitoto launch base.

Sting and Stellar's units were salvaged by the Earth Alliance and brought back to the James Cook. Sting and Stellar were called into Rachel's office soon after they returned.

"So, do either of you mind explaining this whole situation to me?" asked Rachel leaning back in her chair. Rachel's office was the same as all other captain's quarters except she had a large view screen behind her desk.

"Well captain, we can be certain the pilot of the large mobile suit is Auel Neider" explained Sting.

"Yes. We know that. I pulled some strings and got the official report from the survivors of the Washington attack. The report says Auel Neider returned to the Alliance 5 days ago in an ORB Heli unit. He reported that he was retrieved by the Archangel crew after the destruction of Abyss. Auel remained on the Archangel and discovered that Captain Neo Lorrnoke was also being held there. After some time Auel revealed that Neo had deserted the Alliance and joined the Archangel crew. Auel was assigned to the second generation of Destroy, the x2 Raze. During the initial combat test, Auel went AWOL after being in contact with Alexia Keys. The Washington base was destroyed when the city's armoury was remotely detonated" Rachel read from the report and placed it on the desk. "The report also stated that the X2 was most likely destroyed in the blast. But it is now clear Auel has defected…to ZAFT or ORB we cannot be sure…" sighed Rachel as she leaned forward and propped her head up on her hands.

"Captain. If I am not mistaken…was the other unit that disabled Wild Dagger and Dagger 105 the Justice Gundam?" asked Sting looking at Rachel.

"Yes. We can assume it is a remodelled version. Wither I belongs to ZAFT or some other party we cannot be sure-" Rachel was cut off by Stellar all of a sudden.

"Captain. I believe the unknown unit is called Infinite Justice and both Auel and Justice are part of the Clyne faction or ORB…Either way they are not friendly units. Both were equipped with sensor jamming devices" explained Stellar.

"Where are you getting all this from?" asked Rachel looking up at Stellar.

"I over heard Auel talking to the two other people ma'am" explained Stellar.

"If that unit is Infinite Justice…It is safe to assume it is piloted by Athrun Zala…I am worried about that unit. Our intelligence units report seeing it in ORB along with another unit that resembles Freedom" Rachel pressed a button on her computer and the images of Strike Freedom battling Legend and Destiny with Infinite Justice's help appeared on her large screen. "Well either way I am having you two transferred to the Iselin Squad. You will be assigned our two newest units. They are based on the Gaia and Chaos units." Rachel pressed a few more buttons and the images of a new unit appeared. The unit could only be seen in black with green lines representing its joints.

"Captain…is that?" Sting looked at the screen in awe. The image on the viewer was that of his RGX 01 Chaos…but different. Chaos now had two large jet like boosters like the ones on a Blaze Zaku Phantom. Large wings resembling that of Raider's came from the booster. An image next to Chaos showed that each booster had one large funnel in them and two more like that of Providences. The large funnel would detach and a plate would cover the area which was left, the same would happen for the front funnel. Chaos also had large beam sabre in its shield, once again resembling Providences.

Gaia had been changed as well. It now had a set of Beam Sabres in its MA head like that of the Bacue's, these sabres could also aim forward for ramming attacks. The blaster cannons were now separated from the 'wings' of Gaia and were copied from the Dom Troopers combo Rocket/Laser gun and could flip over the shoulders and under the arms for use in MS mode. Gaia also had beam sabre generators in its claws that gave it the ability to cut units apart and ran into them.

"These units are code names GAT X323 Harpy and GAT X219 Titan" explained Rachel referring to Chaos and Gaia respectively. "They will be waiting for you in New Caledonia. There you will proceed to attack the Carpentaria base along with the Brash, Clark, Peters and Hide squads. Your objective is not to destroy the base but to cripple it for a latter offensive. We want you to cut off their supply lines" explained Rachel as a map of Carpentaria came up.

"Captain…what are we going to do about Auel?" asked Stellar stepping forward to Rachel's desk.

"Lieutenant Neider will be terminated by the Green squad. It is none of you concern" explained Rachel as she shut off the monitor and gestured the Sting to leave. The green haired boys saluted and did as he was told.

"Captain…he is your brother…why?" asked Stellar looking at Rachel with condemnation in her eyes.

"Auel Neider is a traitor and deserter. It is out of my hands. I joined the Earth Alliance to defend Earth. I do not want Auel to die at all. But I cannot let ONE person get in the way of that. No matter WHO it is!" yelled Rachel standing up and glaring at Stellar.

"BUT HES-" Stellar was cut off in mid sentence by Rachel

"My brother I know! If you have a problem with the orders regarding Auel Neider you can lodge a formal complaint or go AWOL. It is up to you" Rachel sat back down in her chair and continued typing "Dismissed Lieutenant Lousier!" snapped Rachel.

"Ma'am!" Stellar saluted the girl before storming out