Author Note One

Usual reminder about canon scenes

"Regular speech"

'Thought'

"Soma/Hallelujah speech"

Bridge of the Ptolemy

The morning after the previous battle, the Ptolemaios was on its way to a rendezvous point with Katharon. Most of the systems were functional, but were still not at full capacity. That would take time they didn't have. To make things worse, the system that was least functional was the weapons, meaning their aiming with the guns would be off until they had more extensive times to fix it. The bridge was currently staffed by Feldt, Lasse, and Anew at their usual stations, with Lyle standing behind the captain's chair and Saji at one of the auxiliary chairs, studying the systems to get a feel for them.

Saji was actually surprised when Sumeragi had told him that he was going to be taught how to fulfill Feldt's role on the ship and that Feldt was going to become a full-time pilot. 'I suppose it's something that I can get used to. It's not like I didn't have to mess with computer systems at my other jobs. Besides, she seems happier and lighter since that talk with Ms. Noriega.'

As they neared the rendezvous point, Feldt studied the sensors again, detecting no enemies in the current area. She happily called out, "Nothing on the e-sensors or the optical sensors. There are no Federation forces in this airspace."

In an anxious voice, Lyle responded, "Then let's get to the rendezvous point. I hear the Katharon supply trucks are already there and waiting for us."

Lasse, smirking to himself, stated, "Well, we better thank Katharon for telling us about that." Lasse turned to face Lyle, smirk still plastered on his face, "Right?"

Lyle saw the smirk and immediately realized that he was busted, assuming he didn't know before. 'Anew was right. I hope this doesn't become a pattern.' He shrugged his shoulders and gave a defeated sigh, "Yeah, I'll tell them."

Anew gave him a sly grin, stating with levity in her voice, "I told you so." Lyle rolled his eyes at her but gave her a grin. Feldt happily smiled at the interaction. 'It's nice to see the crew in such high spirits.'

Hanger Control Center

"Allelujah, you are being ridiculous!" Marie's voice rang out in the room, frustration evident in her tone. She looked at him, wanting him to understand.

Allelujah spoke firmly, "Marie, you know the promise I made. I don't want you to have fight. You are asking me to be ok with you piloting the Gun Archer."

Marie sent him a feeling of exasperation over their bond, "We don't know where Setsuna is and the A-Laws keep finding us! We can't hold out forever with three gundams."

Confusion filled Allelujah's voice, "But I thought you didn't want to fight?"

"I don't, but Soma wants to protect me. She thinks the best way is to pilot the Gun Archer."

"But-"

"She also wants to make up for just standing by and watching the A-Laws destroy the Katharon base, especially because she knew it was wrong."

Allelujah spoke in a worried voice, "You would be ok with her taking over like that? Even if it puts you at risk?"

Marie looked him in the eyes, pleading with him, "Allelujah, I'm not doing this because I want to. Right now, we aren't in a good situation. I may have some of the skills of a super soldier, but Soma is trained. She is a better fighter out there compared to me."

Allelujah's frustration was mounting. He wanted to keep Marie safe, and she was now asking him to be ok with her going out to fight. 'It took so long for us to be reunited and her fighting would just put that at risk. I don't want her to have the weight of killing people on her soul.' Rubbing his brow, he replied, "We've held them off so far. We don't need you to risk your life."

Marie was about to reply when she felt Soma wordlessly asking if she can take over temporarily. Marie could feel the anger and frustration from the other personality. She mentally sighed and faded into the background, letting Soma take over. Her words came out hot and angry, "Do you think the Colonel would want me to die? To just sit here quietly and not try to survive?"

Allelujah was taken back by the sudden aggression in Marie's voice. But it seemed off, especially the way she said 'Colonel'. 'Wait, Soma must have taken over.' Sighing, the male super soldier spoke pleadingly, "Please Soma-"

Her words remained fiery, glaring intensely at him, "I've been sitting here listen to you get worried and controlling and not even listening to her. We aren't fragile! I am a trained soldier, and she is also a super soldier, even if she doesn't fight! And another gundam on your side gives you a better chance of survival!" He attempted to say something, but she stopped him, "I'll go along with whatever Marie wants, but you need to get your head out of the clouds. I've said my piece and hope you two can work it out." Marie felt Soma retreat back, allowing her to take back over her body. She added her own words, speaking sympathetically, "Allelujah, how do you think it feels to have to watch the person you love put their life on the line every time we face an enemy? It's something I have to deal with. I just want to protect you and all the people on this ship."

Allelujah took in Soma and Marie's words, sighing internally. He heard Hallelujah whistle in his head, saying, "As much as I don't like her, they make a good point."

He sighed in frustration, replying mentally, "Not you too."

"Just because someone is an asshole doesn't mean they are always wrong. Also, you do worry your girlfriend." Allelujah was aware of how true the first point was based on his experience with Hallelujah. 'Maybe they both have a point. We have no idea how much forces the A-Laws can bring at us. And when did Hallelujah care about another person? I didn't think he cared for more than just his own survival.' Looking at Marie conflicted, he said, "I can't say I'm thrilled about this idea, but Soma is right. I'm just too worried about you getting hurt or dying."

Marie rested a hand on his wrist, voice calm and soft, "I know. It's not ideal, but it's better to break a promise like that than die. If it makes you feel better, I will try to tell you if I'm joining you."

Allelujah felt comforted by those words, bringing her in close as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She responded by wrapping her arms around him, feeling the tension begin to leave Allelujah's body. They rested their foreheads together, eyes closed, letting the tension from the conversation flow away. Both of them felt calmer and that everything will be alright. After a minute of that, they pulled away and Allelujah spoke in a subdued voice, "I don't want to lose you again, but I'll trust you."

Marie pulled him into a quick kiss, her happiness palpable to Allelujah. After they broke the kiss, she gave him a warm smile, intertwining their fingers, "Don't worry, I'll be careful. I want to live just as much as you."

Allelujah gave her a more uncertain smile, still uncomfortable with having to have her fight. She could sense his discomfort, and without a word, pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. Allelujah's worry disappeared, his mind happily focused on the kiss. They broke apart after a few minutes, Allelujah giving her a grin, "Trying to distract me?"

With a coy grin, she replied, "Did it work?" He responded by falling down onto the bench and pulling her with him, her straddling him. Their lips met in another kiss, the world around them falling out of focus.

Sergei's Office

Sergei sat on the couch in his office, focusing on the empty middle seat on the couch across from him worriedly. The only thing illuminating the office was a reading lamp on his desk, highlighting the darkness outside. His old friend, Pang Hercury, had just left his office, his mutinous plan already in motion. There had been rumors and unease in the regular military, but to lead a coup against the Federation government?

Sergei spoke confused, "You're saying that you're the leader of the coup forces?"

A tall, brown-haired middle-aged man wearing a Federation uniform under a black long coat spoke resolutely, his deep voice carrying his words, "The Federation government established the A-Laws without consulting the public. It's built up its strength and now is even resorting to satellite weapons. We can't afford to overlook these actions anymore."

Sergei replied in a harsh tone, "I don't like the A-Laws, but don't underestimate the A-Laws."

Hercury closed his eyes, expecting that that response. In an even tone, he reassured his old friend, "Believe me, I'm not. But there is one place that not even they would touch us." He opened his eyes, wanting to see his friend's reaction.

Sergei looked at him in shock, "You don't mean the orbital elevators!?" Hercury just gave him a smirk. Sergei asked in a resigned tone, "Let me guess. You are asking me to join me in your coup?"

Hercury shook his head, chuckling to himself, "I can't imagine you ever disobeying orders, otherwise Holly would be-"

"Don't say it!" Sergei interrupted him with a harsh tone, the memory not a pleasant one to remember.

Hercury sat up straight, voice resolute, "I came here to warn you to stay out of what's going to happen."

In a resigned voice, Sergei responded, "So you want me to look the other way." It wasn't a question he needed to ask; it was the answer.

Changing his tone to a more friendly one, Hercury spoke to Sergei, "I don't want to have to fight an old friend." He stood up and headed towards the door of the office. As he reached the door, he turned around to look at Sergei, "I've said this before Sergei. An army exists to act as a deterrent to foreign powers in order to protect the nations people and prosperity. However, an army can't function properly under a misguided government. I just want to live like a soldier under an honorable army again." He walked out the door, not waiting for Sergei's response.

It felt like there was a weight in Sergei's stomach. Events had progressed rapidly since the arrival of the gundams. His old view of what the Federation was doing had been shattered after the destruction of the Katharon base, but his loyalty to the people he protected persisted. 'Isn't that why the Federation existed? To help protect the member nations? Yet how can the Federation ignore what the A-Laws are doing?' His loyalty was being tested. He increasingly had to sit back and just watch as the A-Laws committed more and more war crimes. He even sympathized with Hercury. 'You were always more idealistic than me. I just wasn't prepared for you to act this way.'

His old friend had struck a raw nerve by mentioning Holly. Hercury had been his best man at the wedding. He knew what she had meant to him and for him to say that. Yet he knew Hercury wouldn't say that for no reason.

He quietly sighed to himself, slumping into the seat. All these years and her name still brought some pain, though much less than in years past. His friend was right. If he had disobeyed orders, then she might have lived. But lives of hundreds of people were on the line. 'I had to choose between my wife and the lives of the engineers working on the elevator. Holly understood. It was the right decision. Yet sometimes I wish I had saved her. Maybe life would be better. Maybe Andrei and I would have a better relationship.'

He shook those thoughts out of his head. It didn't help to focus on past regrets. It only opened old wounds. Following orders was the only thing he had left. Andrei left him. Soma had gone to Celestial Being. Holly was dead. Orders were the only thing he had left. The only thing that gave him purpose. If he went against orders, what would he have. In the back of his mind, a traitorous thought formed, 'Your dignity and sense of morality.' He rejected the thought. Why had life been so cruel to him recently? He thought nothing else could happen, but now his old friend was going to die, even if it were a just cause.

Hercury made a good point. The Federation was abusing their power and the way the A-Laws acted like they unquestionable agents always bothered him. But what could he do? The A-Laws had control over the Federation and the media. Whatever his friend was planning had little chance of success. The media would modify whatever he was doing to make him look like an enemy to the people. He prayed that his friend would come out of it alive, but he feared his friend would rather die than surrender to the Federation. 'Please don't be stupid. I can't lose another friend.'

Deck of A-Laws Carrier

The sky was open and clear as Andrei stared into the horizon from one of the catwalks below the deck. They were so close to beating the gundams. They were trapped on Earth with a damaged ship and apparently the A-Laws had very accurate information on the location of the ship. 'Do we have a spy on board? We never had this intel before.' He didn't question the information's origin. It had been reliable and regardless of the source, it was allowing them to follow and plan attacks on the ship. And command trusted it, so he would. 'Now if only I had a suit that could fight on even terms with the gundams.'

He suddenly heard a more feminine male voice coming from his right, catching him by surprise as they called out, "Hey there." Turning to face the direction where the voice came from, he saw an androgynous looking man with light purple hair and an A-Laws uniform giving him a grin. Andrei looked at him in confusion, before realizing this must be one of the pilots of the new models. His looks reminded Andrei of Ribbons, in terms of oddity. He gave him a salute, "Second Lieutenant Andrei, at your service."

The man gave him one back, before saying casually, "Relax, I just wanted to talk with you. My name is Revive Revival."

'What an odd name.' Andrei was once again confused, "Why are you interested in talking to me?"

Revive chuckled, "Ribbons told me to keep an eye on you. He thinks you have great potential."

"How do you know Ribbons?"

Revive gave him a smile, "Let's just say my associates and I are friends of Ribbons. He sent us to assist the A-Laws in dealing with the gundams."

Andrei gave him an appreciative look, "So you are the pilots of the new models? If you are then you guys have been a great help fighting the gundams."

The innovator smirked at Andrei, voice with an entertained tone, "You guys did need help. Ribbons decided some of the experimental models were good enough to be deployed."

Andrei's voice was full of envy, "So that is where the R&D budget is going to. I can certainly appreciate the power of those suits."

Revive tilted his head slightly, catching the envy in Andrei's voice, "You want one, don't you?" Andrei gave him a curious look. 'How did he know that?' Knowing Revive had the soldier's full attention, continued, "Ribbons is actually developing a suit for you, well mobile armor specifically. We are currently testing it out the prototype. You will probably see it in the next battle. It will probably be a few months before your suit rolls out. So, my Gadessa and my friend's Garazzo will have to suffice for now, besides the prototype." He recognized that the former was the one with the large cannon while the latter was the one that had those beam saber claws.

Andrei nodded at that, happy his wish is coming true, "Well I won't look a gift horse in the mouth Mr Revival. Maybe with that we can eliminate the enemies of peace once and for all." Revive just smirked, seeing his reaction. 'Looks like you picked a good target Ribbons. I hope he doesn't disappoint. He certainly is an interesting human, as far as humans go.'

Revive replied pleasantly, "I will keep you updated on the progress of the suit. Until then, stay alive. And just call me Revive. A friend of Ribbons is a friend of mine. I must be off now, but feel free to talk to me or my friends at any time. They wouldn't mind your company." Revive saluted him and Andrei saluted back, the innovator walking towards one of the doors leading inside.

Andrei looked out at the horizon, mind buzzing with excitement. Andrei could only dream of what a world where Celestial Being and Katharon were defeated was like. Now with these new mobile suits, that dream could become a reality. 'We could bring peace to the world. No one innocent has to die again. We can progress and make a better world. With the A-Laws at the helm, this new world could be achieved. A world where a child doesn't have to lose a parent to pointless wars. And one where people aren't rewarded for getting their spouse killed.'

Unknown Location

Setsuna opened his eyes, feeling groggy and out of sorts. His shoulder felt perfectly normal. 'Wasn't I shot there?' He also noticed he wasn't in his pilot suit, but a button-down white shirt, black jacket and red scarf. Instincts kicking in, he scanned around, trying to figure out where he was. What he saw was like a ghost from the past. He was standing in the middle of a street; it was Krugis. He definitely recognized the buildings around him. It was dark, no lights illuminating the streets, only the moon providing an ominous glow. 'But Krugis is gone. How can it be here?' Memories of the past came back, ones of happy life with his mother and father before Ali al Saachez showed up, destroying his life as he knew it. And looking at the stone building next to him, he recognized that this was his childhood home. 'But why am I here?'

His musings were interrupted by rapid footsteps on cobblestone approaching his old family home. He spotted what was heading his way and what he saw shocked him. He saw a younger version of himself, no older that seven, in a white shirt and grey pants, heading towards the wooden door of the house speaking prayers to God quietly to himself. Setsuna was frozen in place, realizing what his younger self was about to do. 'I have to stop him! To keep him from making a mistake!' He heard the shocked voices of his parents speaking to the young version of him, relieved that he had come home after being gone.

Knowing he had little time, Setsuna ran in, hoping he could stop the tragic event that set his current path into motion from happening. Seeing the child version of him aiming his gun at his parents, he grabbed his arm and disarmed him, taking a hold of the pistol. Young Setsuna called out in desperate anger, "What did you do that for?! I'm doing this to uphold the teachings of God!"

Setsuna glared at his younger self, anger in his voice, "There is no God in this world!" He looked away for a second before putting a hand on the shoulder of younger him, knowing the child would never listen at this point. He continued, "You are only continuing a horrible cycle that will not make you happy." He shoved himself towards his parents, yelling, "Don't let him out of the house!" He only looked at them for a second before dashing out. He couldn't bring himself to really look at them. 'After what I did to them, I don't deserve any happy looks from them.'

As he ran out into the street, he was suddenly stopped by a pair of arms touching him from behind. One wrapped around his wrist while the other rested against the arm that held the pistol. He then felt a weight on his back as someone rested against it. It felt very familiar and comforting. A soft, familiar voice spoke from behind him, "Setsuna, you can't change the past. The only thing you can do is reflect on it and try to look at it from another perspective." He turned around to see Feldt in her uniform, looking at him with sad eyes. 'This must be a dream, if she is here in this moment. Is she here because of my feelings?'

He saw the gun disappear from his hand and two gunshots come from the house. His heart clenched. 'Not again. Why can't I escape the past?' He turned around and looked into the eyes of the woman he yearned to see, her eyes full of sorrow, yet determined. She continued, in a similar position to when he comforted her on the Ptolemy, "The past shapes the current you, but it doesn't have to define your future. You can change Setsuna. Move forward and move on. You just have to grasp the future for yourself."

Setsuna could see the world fading around him into white and her along with it. As she began to disappear, she said one last thing, "Setsuna, when you create a better world, don't forget to give yourself a place in it." He tried to reply, but she disappeared before he could say anything. He reached out desperately to where the pink-haired woman used to be. 'But how do I do that without you?' He saw a rush of light as the dream collapsed, sending him back to reality.

In the Katharon Medical Bay

Setsuna opened his eyes once again, this time to a bright light. Not expecting that, Setsuna tried to move his shoulder to block the light, but grunted in pain as he felt the wound from the gunshot. After a few seconds, he was able to open his eyes fully. Looking around the room he was in, he saw what seemed to be a makeshift medical bay and only a doctor that was looking over some paperwork.. The doctor, a middle-aged man with blonde hair, walked over to him, saying evenly, "I see you are awake. How are you feeling?"

Setsuna tried to speak, but his throat felt like a desert. Coughing, he sputtered out, "Water."

The doctor nodded and brought over a glass, having been prepared for that. Setsuna drank eagerly, emptying the glass. Looking at the young man, the doctor spoke in a professional tone, "You are lucky young man. Any more jostling of your shoulder and it could have been worse. We got the bullet out, but there seems to be some strange effect on your arm that kept us from doing some healing."

Setsuna, his throat feeling a bit better, spoke in a raspy voice, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me young man, just doing my job. And the princess wanted to talk with you after you woke up. Are you ok with that?"

Setsuna nodded and the Doctor took the glass, filling it up again. He put it on the table next to Setsuna, saying, "I'll go get her and leave you here to talk alone. I'll be back later to check on you." The doctor walked out of the room with a causal pace, leaving the Celestial Being pilot alone. 'Maybe now is a good time to ask someone about Feldt and what I should do. Marina might understand.'

A few minutes later, Marina came rushing in, wearing her white dress. She came to Setsuna's bedside, worry permeating her voice, "Are you ok? I saw your wound."

He tried to move his shoulder again, wincing in pain. Resisting the pain, he said quietly, "I've had worse. How long have I been out?"

She could tell he was telling the truth, the way he resisted the pain showing this wasn't a new experience. Calming down, she replied, "Several hours. You showed up late last night and it's about early morning now. I was worried about you, but the doctor said you would be fine. I stayed up waiting till I heard." Setsuna could see the bags under her eyes. Marina took a deep breath, and in a grateful tone, spoke, "Setsuna, I wanted to thank you for opening my eyes."

Setsuna tilted his head, confused, "What do you mean?"

"When you told me about how my mindset wouldn't work back on your ship, I mostly resisted what you said, but I've had time to think about what you said. After these last couple weeks of events, they showed me I was so focused on my ideals that I was ignoring reality. I was leading my country down a dead-end path, even without the Federation getting involved." She took another deep breath, "I was wrong to say that you shouldn't fight. You were doing the right thing, trying to fight the corruption of the world. You can't always talk down every enemy. I just wanted you to find something to do after you didn't need to fight anymore."

Setsuna looked down, realizing her words on the ship had affected him too. Looking back up, he spoke in a confused voice, "At the time I didn't get it, but I also understand what you mean now. Since then, something has come up that made me reconsider that."

Marina looked at him in curiosity, wondering what changed is ironclad mindset he had before, "What caused that?"

Setsuna took a deep breath, knowing Marina could understand. In a conflicted tone, he began, "There's a… a woman on board that I have come to care for. I realized it yesterday, but I don't know if I deserve to be happy. If I deserve to move on."

Marina, bright smile on her face, spoke with a motherly tone, "Setsuna, you don't know how happy it makes me to hear you have fallen for someone." She laid one of her hands on top of his, "Do you feel because of what you did as a child, you don't deserve to find happiness in the future?"

He nodded at that. She sighed, sad smile on her face, "You were a child Setsuna. You have clearly grown and gotten better since you joined Celestial Being. When I first met you, you were less emotional open and focused so much on fixing the world. Look at you now. You are happier, more open, and asking me about what you should do with a girl. You don't need to be trapped by your past. Are you happier around her?"

He nodded again, looking at Marina, eyes showing true contentment, "I am. I want to tell her how I feel, to make her happy, but I don't know how."

Marina laughed into her hand, "Setsuna, no one knows until they try. Do you think she likes you?" He nods his head at that, having felt her emotions previously. She continued, "Then go for it. Tell her how you feel and get to know her. You can't understand someone until you connect with them."

"But it's so hard to let go…"

Marina gave him a sympathetic look, "I know what you mean. My failure with Azadistan haunts me. But you can't let the past define your future. It may take a while to accept you past and move on, but you will find a way. I know it."

'I'll tell her when I see her again. She deserves to know the truth.' Setsuna gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you."

She returned the smile, "I'll let you get some rest. I know you are probably going to leave soon. I wanted to tell you that after Celestial Being changes the world, I want you to ask this girl if she wants to live in that future with you. And tell her you have my blessing."

Setsuna felt a surge of happiness go through him. Marina wasn't his mother, but at this moment, she felt like one. It was an alien, but welcome feeling. 'I hope my parents are ok with me trying to move on.' She stood up to leave the medical bay just as the doctor walked back in. Looking at the pair, he said in the same even tone, "Well I have good news for you Setsuna. Apparently, a branch in Europe resupplied your ship. You might be able to catch up to them if you hurry. Normally I would say you need to stay in bed, but you guys probably have better tech than I do and can fix you up better. I think they also sent info back to your guys' ship about your status, but I can't be sure." Setsuna nodded at him, and the doctor sat back down at his desk, getting back to paperwork.

He looked up at Marina, silently asking for her help back to his gundam. She got under his good shoulder and began to support him as the two made their way back to the hanger. 'Just give me a little more time. I'll keep my promise.'

With the Ptolemy

As the Ptolemy made its way to the coast after getting resupplied by Katharon, leaving the canyons it was hiding in, the situation they were in wasn't bad. Morale on the bridge was good and they hadn't been attacked for a while. The hull was almost fully fixed and most systems were functional, besides the weapons needing work still. Feldt was humming to herself when the e-sensors were lit up like a Christmas tree. Looking at them, she spotted a large number of enemy suits. Activating the alarm, she called out to Sumeragi, "We have thirty-six enemy contacts!"

Lasse's eyes widened, "Thirty-six machines?!"

Feldt spoke again, "One of them is the enemy mobile armor!"

Anew bit out a reply, "It's an all-out war on us!"

Sumeragi went into commander mode, "All gundams launch in sequence. Ptolemy will take cover in the mountain range!" The ship moved into cover and the three gundams launched, awaiting the enemy assault.

With the Cheridum

The Cheridum waited behind a rock outcropping, taking aim at the enemy. Lyle steadied his breath, knowing he had to pick his shots carefully. 'Just keep your cool. It maybe extreme range, but you did it before.' The sight approaching them was intimidating. Thirty-six machines approached their location over the open ocean in formations of three, filling the sky in front of them. 'Let's see how many I can get.'

Activating trans-am, Lyle opened fire, immediately destroying a GN-X. He yelled to Haro, "Don't skimp on the particles!"

The little robot flapped its wings and replied, "Roger! Roger!" Lyle opened his long-range bombardment in earnest, hitting more of the formation, their numbers beginning to drop. He tried to aim for the innovator suits but they dodged out of the way of the attacks. Knowing he probably wouldn't get those, he focused on the standard A-Laws suits. 'Looks like I'll have to leave the innovators for the other two.' As his trans-am was beginning to deplete, the enemy formation widened. The mobile suits were less bunched up than before, making it harder to hit them. 'It would have been nice if they stayed that way, but their commander probably realized what was going on.'

After another two minutes of firing, the red glow on the Cheridum died and he pulled back behind the cover of the rock outcropping in front of him. 'I did my fair share. The rest is on you guys for now.' All in all, he counted that he got six or seven enemy mobile suits. It wasn't enough to fully blunt the enemy attack, but he did some damage.

With the Seravee and Arios

The two gundams passed over Lyle's location, engaging an enemy formation of three standard suits. The gundams opened fired on the formation, destroying two out of the three after only a few seconds. Their initial assault was interrupted by the arrival of the Garazzo and the Gadessa. Tieria frowned slightly. 'Looks like they are going to try to hold us off. We can't allow that.' Allelujah opened up communication with Tieria, "I'll handle the innovators, you deal with the rest!" Allelujah charged into the two mobile suits, dodging between them trying to avoid their fire. Even if he couldn't beat them, he could certainly draw their attention to him. The Garazzo kept up with him, keeping him at a distance and drawing out the fight with its blaster, not hitting him but keeping Allelujah from focusing away from it. He returned fire, but the enemy dodged his attacks. He then noticed the Gadessa seemed to be more focused on the Seravee. 'Focus on me!'

Tieria tried to pull away from the new models to engage the regular suit, but was forced to engage his GN field as he came under intense fire from the Gadessa's wrist blasters. He couldn't find an opening to begin to fire back, but he didn't have much time to react as the mobile armor approached the Seravee, opening up its claw and releasing an egg-shaped object on a wire. The object pierced through his field, releasing three wires that gripped onto the Seravee. Suddenly a powerful shock came through the Seravee, stunning Tieria through the intense pain of a continuous electric shock. He couldn't move, leaving the Seravee hanging in the air.

The Arios noticed its fellow gundam's distress and disengaged from his opponent to try to free him. The other claw on the enemy mobile armor launched the same attack at Allelujah as he rushed towards Tieria, but Hallelujah's brainwaves gave him a boost, dodging out of the way of the object and slicing the wire with his beam saber, removing that weapon from play. 'You're not getting me.' Not wasting time, he quickly did the same to the other one, free Tieria from the mobile armor. Allelujah called out to Tieria, "Are you ok?!"

Tieria, still feeling the aftershocks, gave him a tired thumbs up, "I'll be fine. We need to deal with them fast."

"Easier said than done." The Arios engaged the Garazzo, using its speed to avoid the attacks and keep it in melee reach. The Seravee focused on the Gadessa, trying to keep it from potentially using its long-range cannon on the Ptolemy. At the same time, both of them were constantly having to keep an eye out for the fire of the mobile armor. They weren't sure if they could help the Ptolemy at this rate.

With the Ptolemy

The enemy suits were getting closer and closer to the ship and based on what they could see, the gundams would be unable to aid them. The Seravee and Arios were held up by the Innovators and the Cheridum was being pinned down by enemy fire. The atmosphere on the bridge was tense as they realized the enemy was coming and they couldn't even fire back. Mileina spoke up, her voice somewhat desperate, "The only thing we have is the Gun Archer!"

Marie, who had been standing on the bridge, walked up to Sumeragi and with an urgent tone said, "With your permission I'll take it out." She knew that she was needed. If no one defended the ship, they would all be dead. She rushed out of the bridge, not waiting for Sumeragi's response. Marie felt Soma's approval at her actions. Sumeragi looked over her shoulder at the retreating figure of Marie. 'I promised Allelujah I wouldn't get her involved, but once again I have no choice. Please forgive me for this.'

She didn't have much time to do anything before the ship was buffeted by enemy fire. Over two dozen enemy mobile suits were hitting the ship and there was nothing they could do about it. The hits were doing minimal damage, but it was starting to add up as minor damage reports began to pile up all over the ship. But just as quickly as the enemy attacks came, they began to taper off and the mobile suits moved away from the ship. The bridge crew was confused as well as Marie, who was just about to enter the Gun Archer. The pilots in the gundams were also relieved and surprised when the enemies that were engaging them pulled back, including the Gadessa and Garazzo. Sumeragi took advantage of the confusion and ordered all the gundams back, trying to get stock of the situation.

Lyle, in a tired, but strangle upbeat voice, opened up communications with everyone, "Well I have no idea what's going on with the A-Laws, but I just received news from Katharon. Apparently, they found Setsuna and the 00 in the middle east and brought him to one of their bases. They gave him our last known location, so he's probably headed to this area."

The crew, who felt relief after the battle ended, became more elated at the news about Setsuna. Tieria smiled at the news. 'I knew he would come back.' Allelujah and Lyle were relieved that he was safe and heading to join them, especially after that tough fight. Sumeragi felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Even after she told Feldt to trust he would come back, she still kept him dead as a slim possibility. 'I don't have another death on my conscience. With him we will be much better off.' Feldt could feel tears of joy threatening to spill. She knew he was alive, but to hear confirmation was something she needed.

Her happiness was turned to shock when she received information from a public channel. In a voice of disbelief to everyone on the ship and in the gundams, she said, "There is a coup at the Africa tower!"

Sumeragi maintained her cool, knowing that whatever was going on with the tower was important. She needed to see with her own eyes what was happening. She spoke in a commanding tone to Feldt, "Feldt, send out our flight path to the 00. He won't be able to respond, but he might be able to meet us before we reach the tower. We are headed to the Africa tower after all gundams are onboard."

At the Africa Tower

Louise walked through a packed shopping district near the Africa tower. It was a sunny day, but not too hot, meaning she wasn't sweating to death. She had an appointment with a specialist about her arm to see if it could be fixed tomorrow, so she was spending some time shopping and exploring the area till then. She had seen many doctors over the years, but none of them could offer a permanent solution. She figured it may have to do something with the beam that cost her arm, but she got no confirmation on that. She didn't know why she kept trying. She had been told that whatever happened, it was causing long term damage, similar to a cancer, but not exactly the same. '

Taking her mind off of that, she looked into the window of a fancy boutique, looking at some of the dresses on display. What took her by surprise was the sound of an armored vehicle and dozens and dozens of boots on the pavement and sidewalk. Focusing on the reflection, multiple dozens of soldiers passed by her, heading towards the tower. She moved closer to the side of the building, letting the soldier pass her by. 'What is going on?'

She then heard a PA, a woman's voice speaking in a calm and even tone, "There is an emergency at the tower. Terrorists have taken over orbital elevator. Please remain calm and stay away from the tower. Our security forces are being sent to deal with the issue. We will inform you when the crisis is over."

Louise was shocked. 'How could anyone take over the tower? What do they want?' Some security forces were shepherding people away from the area, people beginning to panic. Louise could feel the nervous energy and fought against panicking. 'Relax Louise, you have been through worse.' She somewhat shakily followed the rest of the people outside of the security area, memories of the exploding bus flowing through her head. 'What is going to happen now?'

Author's Note Two

The plot gets more intense. The Setsuna and Marina moment was one that I had planned early on, seeing that I felt Setsuna needed someone to help him with relationship stuff. Also to show Marina's motherly side. I also had Allelujah be more competent in the battle, as in season 2 he tended to be a jobber a lot. Other than that, no real thing I feel I need to comment on. You can always ask in comments or in private about why I changed things.

I'll see you guys next chapter!

Editor comment of the chapter: in relation to an improper Its in the marina section- DONT TEST MY FUCKING PATIENCE YOU SACK OF SHIT! I ALREADY HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THIS DOZY COW WITHOUT HAVING TO FIX THESE FUCKING MISTAKES!