Author Note One

Usual reminder about canon scenes

"Regular speech"

'Thought'

"Soma/Hallelujah speech"

Hanger of the Ptolemy

Soma flew out the cockpit of the Gun Archer, frustration marking her features. 'Where is Andrei?! Where are you, you coward?!' The group had just destroyed the repaired Memento Mori during their reappearance after four months of gathering their strength. And despite her best efforts, she was unable to locate her old mobile suit, which she knew was in hands of Andrei. 'Are you hiding from me?!'

While she would admit the burning fire inside her had cooled a little, Andrei still remained her primary target. But why did he do it? 'Was it personal? Andrei was angry at his father for something that happened to Holly. Or was it more duty oriented? Did he think Sergei was a traitor?' No matter his reason, Sergei was her father and she deserved justice.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Allelujah calling out to her with a worried tone at seeing her frustration, "Are you ok, Soma?"

She looked at him with an even look as she grabbed onto a railing, trying to hide her frustration, "I'm fine. Just thinking about the battle."

Allelujah sighed, knowing she was hiding something. Despite them getting along better, she had been relatively closed off from everyone, more silent and brooding than angry. 'I suppose that's better than her snapping at everyone.' Marie seemed to be more effective than he has been, so if Soma wanted to keep something secret, so be it. He spoke calmly, "If you are sure."

She grimaced, before flying past Lyle, who moved out of the way, allowing her to continue unimpeded into the hallway of the ship. Her thoughts moved to the empty feeling in her heart. 'I wish I could have saved you father. You deserved better than that. Even an honorable death on the battlefield would have been better.' Watching him die in front of her felt like a part of her had been destroyed. He had been her rock for so long that even she didn't know how much it would hurt to see him go. And to watch someone who was his biological child just murder him was too much for her. Sergei hadn't even really fought back.

'Andrei, how could you throw away something I never had? I would have killed to be in your position as a child.' She felt a pang of sympathy come from Marie. She never realized how nice it felt to have someone at her side, even if it's only mentally helped her. Marie hadn't pushed her any more than she needed to, just making sure she was ok.

Back in the hanger, Lyle looked over at Allelujah with a questioning look at Soma leaving so aggressively, wondering what's up with her, seeing as she had been calmer recently. Allelujah replied to the look, "I've made good progress with her. But she is a bit frustrated at not finding Andrei."

Lyle looked at him thoughtfully, "Well she has been noticeably calmer over the last couple months, so I suppose that's a good idea. She did seem unusually aggressive. Funny enough I would have suggested to give her space if you were being pushy, but it seems that I don't have to."

Allelujah gave the Irishman an even look, "If I wasn't convinced to lighten up a bit on that, you probably would have had to tell me. I just had to have someone remind me that Soma was just as much a person as Marie."

Lyle gave him a lopsided grin, "Whoever reminded you of that was smart." Allelujah felt Hallelujah's smugness as Lyle said that. The brown-haired man continued, "You'll get her back. I'm guessing Soma will get over what's bothering her, and things will go back to normal." Lyle chuckled, "It seems like you and Soma are a pair of in-laws trying to get along for the sake of the sister."

Allelujah shrugged his shoulders, smiling, "That sounds about right. I suppose it's the same for Soma and Hallelujah. Split personalities make things more complex."

Lyle snorted, "Yeah, I would agree, especially when it involves four personalities in two bodies."

"You get used to it, especially when you get along with them. Not that it's always easy." Allelujah chuckled, "Let's get out of here. We might as well celebrate a little after that battle."

Lyle nodded at that, "Hear, hear! Might as well get a drink or two while we're at it." Allelujah rolled his eyes, but the two of them made their way out of the hanger, wanting to relax knowing that they would be more active after taking down the second Memento Mori.

Medical Bay of the Ptolemy

Setsuna laid in the medical bed getting a routine regeneration session. He could see Anew was talking to Tieria and Sumeragi about something, but he couldn't hear anything. So he focused on a thought that had popped up more recently. 'Why did they try to slowly kill me? Why not just shoot me in the head or chest?' He knew Ali al Saachez was a good shot and could have easily killed him, yet he didn't. Maybe he wanted a good fight. He shelved that thought for now and thought about Ribbons interest in the 00. 'They must want the 00 if they went after me instead of the 00. That must mean they lack information on the double engine system.' He smirked slightly. 'My gundam is our trump card if Ribbons is so worried about it.' Now they just had to keep that info out of his hands.

As he noticed the treatment cycle nearing its end, he was curious about why his shoulder was healing. By now his shoulder was mostly functional, with slight pain from overexerting it. And the wound had sealed up, avoiding the bleeding problem. Anew had told him it was an anomaly and is not normal for people. 'Have I become different? Am I changing?' He had noticed something strange was going on with himself. In the last month or so before every attack, he had felt a strange feeling go through his mind, almost like a strong electric current, yet it felt similar to when he floated in that strange trans-am space. At first, he thought it was some sort of headache, but after the fourth or fifth time it became a pattern. 'What is it? Is it related to what happens when I trans-am?'

There was an inkling to what was going on in the back of his mind, but he couldn't place it or give it a name. He sighed, knowing he would just have to wait. Maybe it would become clear in the future. He got up off the bed, seeing Anew looking at the data from the scan he just went through. She nodded at him, wordlessly telling him he was good to go.

He put back on his uniform top and left the medical bay, beginning to wander the ship. He knew Feldt was busy doing maintenance on the 0 Raiser, so he would have to find someone else to talk to or find something else to do. He felt a tinge of loneliness. He was so used to her being around, so that when she was busy or hanging out with someone, loneliness tended to fill his mindset. He wasn't jealous, just out out of sorts. He was happy she had other people to hang out with, but he couldn't help but feel that way. He smiled sadly. 'She really has me wrapped around her finger, hasn't she?' It was a relatively new feeling to him, so he was trying to get used to it. Looking up, he heard and saw Saji calling out to him further down the hallway, "Hey Setsuna. How's the shoulder?"

Setsuna gave him an even look, voice casual as he approached, "It's pretty much healed. Some soreness and pain, but I can handle that."

Saji gave him a casual smile, "That's good to hear. I was hoping you would get better." Saji looked down for a second before looking back up, chuckling quietly, "It's been a wild last several months, hasn't it?"

Setsuna looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?"

Saji scratched the back of his neck, "Well since you rescued me from Proud, I went from hating you guys to becoming a full member of the crew. You went from more emotionally withdrawn to becoming more happy and friendly, along with even getting a girlfriend! I would never have thought that would happen to you. Thank you again for rescuing me."

Setsuna smiled casually, realizing Saji was correct, "No problem. It was the right thing to do. And yeah, things have definitely changed for the better for both of us. If you had told me all this would have happened five years ago, I would have said you were lying, especially about Feldt. But it happened…" His eyes had a faraway look as he smiled warmly, "And I wouldn't change it for the world."

"You two do look happy together, so that seems like the right choice." Saji frowned slightly, doubt filling his tone, "Setsuna, do you think Louise will take me back after all this? Especially because I worked with you guys?"

Setsuna put a hand on his shoulder, voice comforting, "After meeting her at the party, I'm certain she misses you as much as you miss her. Just show her you have changed and I'm certain she will take you back. You two belong together."

Saji blushed slightly at his words. He knew he had changed, but whenever he thought about Louise, his doubts would come flooding back. 'I was so selfish after the gundams were defeated, wanting the world to go back to the way it was. And Louise had to deal with all of my complaining and sticking my head in the sand.' But he was a better man now, at least he hoped. 'Only a little bit longer, at least I think.'

Saji chuckled, realizing something, "Hey Setsuna, you do know if Louise ever finds out about Feldt, she's going to interrogate your girlfriend."

Setsuna felt a shiver go down his spine, "Should I be worried about that?"

Saji grimaced, "Louise can be rather…forceful when she wants something, be it an object or answers. I love her stubbornness, but she can be a bit much at times, if you remember when her mom left."

"She was a bit emotional, yes. I actually apologized for what I said to her. It was not exactly the right thing to say, even if she said it was fine and understood."

Saji nodded at that, "Yeah, even without what happened after, she just wanted comfort. At least you learned being overly blunt isn't always the best thing. Especially with women. Though after what happened to her, I can understand why Louise was like that. You got lucky."

Setsuna shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose, though she does have her moments. Then again, her and Louise come from different worlds and it's only been four months, so who knows what can happen."

Saji looked around before looking back at Setsuna, "Do you want to talk somewhere else? It's been a long while since we had a conversation."

Setsuna nodded at him, smiling, "Sure."

Innovator Base

Ali, leaning against the entrance to the living room of the base, watched as Regene walked past him, smirking. Ali gave him an analytical look. 'What are you up to? Do you have some plan that Ribbon doesn't know about?' The longer he stayed here, the more he realized this was a larger den of vipers than he realized. Between Ribbons, Regene, Wang Liu Mei, Nena and himself, someone had to come out on top, though he was most worried about Regene and Ribbons. The other two were bugs he could crush after he was free from his shackles. The innovators were a larger issue that he had to deal with. They had enough skill to deal with him or at least put up a threat and he had no idea how strong Ribbons was. And even if he killed him, the consequences could be more immediate than he liked. 'Just bide your time. Ribbons will have an opening at some point. Then I will strike.'

His best bet was Celestial Being attacking the base, which would draw out the innovators. He knew it would take a skilled pilot and powerful suit to defeat the gundam piloted by the Krugis punk. 'I underestimated it and learned the hard way. Hopefully he will be weakened in a big fight, enough for me to defeat him.' He could handle the rest of the pilots, but the double powered suit was the biggest threat. But he should be weakened by the infected wound and he hoped the upgrades being put into the new Arche gundam would put him on better footing. So, until he could see the innovators in a bad position, he had to play the loyal dog. 'Let Ribbons think I'm loyal. He'll learn the hard way what happens when you overestimate your control.'

He casually walked into the living room that Ribbons was lounging in, calling out to the innovator, "Hey boss, any reason you aren't sending me to fight Celestial Being? Don't you want to get your suit back?"

Ribbons spoke calmly, "I am keeping you here as a trump card. Your suit is something the gundams have had difficulty dealing with, so you can be the hammer that can destroy them. But until I capture the 00 and find out how that system works, I can't risk it getting destroyed."

"Are you sure there isn't something I can do?"

Ribbons thought for a second before replying, "I do have a potential plan, but I will inform you if I need you. If it comes up, I will tell you immediately." 'Despite me wanting to capture the suit, you still want to destroy it. If you are another bump along the way, I will make sure you go.' Ribbons knew Ali was a cunning man. He had thoughts the innovator was unaware of. But he was still useful, so he would keep him around until he wasn't.

Ali grinned, "Thank you for keeping me in mind boss. It gets a bit boring being cooped up here. It's steady work but doesn't get the blood flowing."

"It's going to get interesting soon. Celestial Being is going to want to strike at us and I have… plans to deal with that. You will get your chance to fight the gundams again."

Ali smirked at that, "Well that's a relief. How are my upgrades coming along?"

Ribbons folded his hands in his lap, "They are coming along smoothly. Your suit should be able to keep up better with the 00, but I am not aware of its full capabilities, so I can't promise anything. Also the trans-am system is being implemented, though be careful when using it. It's still experimental."

Ali smiled like a shark. 'Well isn't that interesting. He trusts me enough with that. I suppose I shouldn't be ungrateful for a gift like that.' He spoke happily, "Thanks for the gift boss. And don't worry, I'll be as careful as I can."

Ribbons looked up at the mercenary, "Do you need anything else?"

Ali shook his head, "I'm good. Just wanted that question answered is all. And I got my answer." Ali walked towards the hallway, smirking slightly. He didn't see Ribbons doing the same thing. Both of them had the same thought. 'He has no idea what I'm planning.'

A-Laws Space Cruiser

Andrei sat alone in the locker room, already changed into his pilot suit. With the destruction of the second Memento Mori, the gundams had signaled they were going back on the offensive. 'Finally. It was tiring to hunt them down. Having them come to us will save us the time and trouble of finding them. And Lieutenant Peries will be showing up as well. Two birds at once.' He also knew that the gundams were going to be targeting the innovators, seeing as Ribbons told him they were aware of who they were and what they were doing. 'As long as I'm alive, I'll keep them safe.'

He heard the door open and saw Revive enter in their pilot suit, floating in to rest against a nearby locker. The innovator tilted his head at seeing the soldier sitting in here on his own, "What brings you here? Surely it would be more comfortable anywhere else?"

Andrei spoke evenly, "I'm waiting for the mission alert. Hopefully we don't have to chase the gundams like we have had to for four months."

Revive laughed, "Well it shouldn't be too long till we find out where they are. Our contact has been reliable ever since Celestial Being went off the grid or at least attempted to."

Andrei looked at him curiously, "How do we learn where they are? You would think that they would catch any transmissions or other tech that would track their location?"

Revive smirked, "Since Ribbons trusts you, I think you have the right to know." He closed the distance between the two and spoke quietly, "We have a mole inside the organization, and they don't even know it." He pulled back, letting Andrei absorb the information.

Andrei calmly thought about it. Of course, that made sense. If the innovators were special and artificial, then one could be made and not even know they were one. He still had no idea how exactly they would communicate with them to avoid suspicion, but maybe part of their creation allowed them to do that. Either way, it made the A-Laws suddenly being able to find them all the time make a lot more sense. If they didn't have that, they might never have found the ship when it crashed back on earth.

He looked at Revive calculatingly, "So you haven't told the A-Laws high command exactly how you know bec-"

"Because that's our secret to know and them to never find out. It creates a symbiotic relationship between the two of us. A little deception doesn't always hurt."

Andrei felt conflicted about that. He was loyal to the A-Laws, but Ribbons and the other innovators had proven they subscribe to the same mindset of peace. If the government is allowed to keep secrets, then the innovators should be able to as well. He would keep an eye out on them just in case, but until then he would trust their judgement.

He sighed heavily, "Well, as long as it gets results, it makes no difference how those results are gained. How long till you can get their location again?"

"About thirty minutes or so. We want to let the crew of their ship relax before we attack. Maybe catch them by surprise."

Andrei nodded, knowing he had to be patient. Another thought crossed his mind and he asked, "How long till the Regnant is done?" He was excited to finally pilot the machine that would let him go toe to toe with the gundams.

Revive gave him an even look, "It shouldn't be much longer. Just needs some final adjustments and it should be ready. Just one more mission in that old Ahead of yours."

Andrei spoke coldly, "How powerful is this new machine? I can only see the specs."

Revive smirked, "Very powerful. Certainly more powerful that most of the gundams, though they are more maneuverable than the Regnant. The double powered suit Ribbons isn't sure of, so be careful with that one." The 00 was a suit that everyone seemed focused on. Andrei had learned that Ribbons was very interested in the suit, saying it has done things that he hasn't expected. 'If we can capture it, then maybe we can figure out exactly what is going on.'

"Does Ribbons have anything he expects from me? Any specific orders or commands?"

The purple-haired innovator responded casually, "Besides not destroying the 00? Not really. Just follow the orders being given at the time and everything besides the 00 is free game." Revive gave him a grin, "Also don't worry. The super soldier is all yours. We won't get in the way."

The soldier's tone was cold and malicious, "Good. Traitors deserve to be punished."

"That's the spirit." Revive began to float out of the locker room, turning enough to face Andrei, "Be ready to launch soon. We'll give that info to your commander." Andrei nodded and Revive left wordlessly, door closing behind her. Andrei stood up and began to float out of the locker room himself. 'Soon gundams. Soon you will have nowhere to run and with the Regnant, I will crush you myself.'

Lyle's Room

Anew cuddled into Lyle's side, enjoying the peace they had had for the day. The large number of attacks they had suffered over the past couple months had been stressful, so any time she could find to relax, especially with Lyle, she took advantage of. They had gotten closer and she had felt more content and happy since then, as well as more satisfied then her previous boyfriends.

Ever since that first date months ago, the two had kept their relationship secret, wanting to keep it private. Lyle had told her he wouldn't have minded it being public, but Anew was still worried about the looks they might get. Lyle had rolled his eyes at that but hadn't complained.

Only three people had found out. Saji had accidentally seen them making out, agreeing to keep it secret and Feldt had figured it out based on seeing them spend so much time together. She said she would respect her wishes, but she would tell Setsuna, who she promised would keep it secret. And it hadn't spread, so it seemed the two had kept their word, unlike Mileina, who had unintentionally revealed Setsuna and Feldt's relationship.

She looked at his relaxed face in the dark room. She brushed some hair in front of his eyes with her hand. He looked over at her, curious, "What are you thinking about?"

She looked into his eyes, asking quietly, "You've talked about everyone else in your family with me, but you seem to go silent about your brother. What happened with him?"

Lyle sighed, his brother's shadow still weighing on him, "Growing up, my brother was the perfect one. I was always compared to him. He wasn't perfect obviously, but I could never live up to him in other people's eyes. Eventually I moved into the dorms in junior school to avoid all the comparisons and attention. It was running away from the problem, but I didn't have the courage to talk to Neil about it."

Anew looked at him sympathetically, "Surely your brother didn't act that way towards you?"

"No, he was always there for me, but he never saw the effect it had on me. He never really understood how much of a golden child he was, not that I hold that against him now. Teenage me definitely did, but I got over that after he disappeared to join Celestial Being."

She gave him a curious look, "If you always lived in your brother's shadow, why did you agree to join Celestial Being? Wouldn't that be effectively doing that?"

Lyle smiled, "I did realize that, but getting info for Katharon took priority. And over time, you guys proved to be a cause worth fighting for, so I didn't mind as much. The worst incident is what happened with Feldt."

"What happened with her?"

He smiled bitterly at the memory, "She was unintentionally treating me like my brother, who she had a crush on when she was younger. I initially thought she was into me, but after haro said that she liked Lockon, I realized that she wasn't looking at me for me and it brought me into a darker mood. I kissed her to show her I wasn't my brother, then she slapped me and ran away."

Anew tilted her head, "That's an interesting way to make a point. But she has moved on, so I suppose it worked, seeing as she seems happy with Setsuna."

Lyle shrugged his shoulders, "I probably could have done something better, but you can't take back the past. We had a chat afterwards and that seemed to clear the air. I really underestimated the effect my brother had on the crew."

She gave him a warm smile, "Well you seem to have found you own place on the crew, so it seems your brother's shadow isn't hanging over you."

He returned the smile, "I suppose it doesn't." He pulled her into a deep kiss, Anew responding happily. In the middle of the kiss, Lyle felt Anew suddenly stop, her eyes blank, like she was in a trance. He also noticed a dull golden glow in her eyes.

"Anew?" No response. "Anew!" Once again, no response. He shook her lightly, trying to snap her out of her trance. A second later, she blinked, eyes filling with confusion. She felt Lyle shaking her and looked at him. He stopped shaking her, noticing she was back.

She spoke in a confused tone, "What's going on? Why are you shaking me?"

Lyle let out a sigh of relief, "You zoned out when we were kissing. I was worried. Also, your eyes glowed gold."

She blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry. I guess you are such a good kisser that I lose my mind. Also my eyes glowed?"

He chuckled, "It was probably the monitor shining light in your eyes. Just don't zone out in the middle of us making out." He pulled her into another kiss, this time not getting interrupted by her zoning out.

Bridge of the Ptolemy

The bridge was unusually full of people, with Saji, Mileina and Lasse in their usual position, with Sumeragi, Feldt, Setsuna and Tieria standing around one of the auxiliary consoles, Tieira operating it.

Saji spoke up in a tired tone, "When will we get a break from all these attacks? It's exhausting."

Mileina pouted as she stretched her arms, "Yeah, it just gets worse for us!"

Lasse turned to face the rest of the bridge from his position, eyes narrowed, "You know what, I'm thinking that the enemy knows our exact position at all times." Sumeragi sighed, having come to that realization recently. 'But what to do about it?'

Mileina spoke up again, sounding exasperated, "It just keeps getting worse."

Tieria looked up at Sumeragi, piquing Feldt and Setsuna's attention, "Sumeragi, it's time we implemented that plan we discussed."

Feldt looked at the two curiously, "What plan?"

Sumeragi replied evenly, "About Veda. We've concluded that the innovators have been controlling the flow of information within the Federation, cementing their control. If we can take Veda back…"

"But can we if we don't know where the base is?" Saji interrupted her, curious to how they would exactly get that info.

Setsuna spoke up resolutely, "We have no choice but to ask someone who does know."

Lasse responded, surprised by the suggestion, "Do you mean an innovator?"

Tieria smirked slightly as he faced Lasse, "That's exactly right. Sumeragi and I discussed this, and we agreed this was the best option we have, short of another leak of information." Lasse looked at the tactical forecaster for confirmation. She nodded her head. Feldt had a growing sense of confidence in her chest, knowing they actually had a plan. 'I was wondering what our plan was.'

Just then Mileina saw contacts on their long range sensors. She called out to the ship, "Unknown number of enemies on long-range sensors. About ten minutes out!"

Sumeragi began issuing commands, "All pilots, suit up and prepare for combat. Everyone one else report to your station." She looked at Tieria, "You need to try to capture one of those pods. Understood?"

He nodded, "Understood."

Hallways of the Ptolemy

Lyle and Anew quickly exited Lyle's room, having suited up after hearing the announcement of enemy forces. Just as the two began travelling opposite directions, Lyle called out to her, "Hey Anew?"

She turned and looked at him curiously, "Yes Lyle?"

He looked like he was about to say something, but she saw him catch himself before responding, "Never mind. It was nothing."

She looked at him confused, but smiled at him before turning back around to continue to the bridge. 'I wonder what he wanted.' Lyle made his way to the Cheridum, hoping Anew would love the surprise.

Soma's Room

On another side of the ship, Allelujah stood outside Soma's room, waiting for her to come out. He hoped she had a cooler head since her angry outburst after the last mission. 'The last thing I need is an angry Soma.' He heard her door open, and she stepped out in her pilot suit, looking at him with a calmer expression. She looked at him in surprise, not expecting to see him. He nodded at her, "Feeling better?"

She nodded back, "Yes. You ready to head out?" Knowing Allelujah had her back made her feel more secure, even if she would never admit it to anyone. Marie spoke to her teasingly, "Well I know." Soma blushed slightly at that.

He gave her a slight smile, "Yeah." Without the need for another word, the two traveled to the hanger, ready for another combat.

Cockpit of the 0 Raiser

Feldt sat in the cockpit of the 0 Raiser, ready for combat. Months of pilot training and being in combat missions against the A-Laws had steeled her nerves. She no longer really felt nervous, especially with how comfortable she has gotten in the 0 Raiser. She looked at red haro, patting him.

She then saw a communication from Setsuna appear on her screen. She smiled seeing him, asking, "What's up?"

He smiled back at her, "You ready to fight?"

She gave him a confident smile, "Whenever you are. How is your shoulder?"

He responded casually, "It's doing fine. Sore at most."

"Good, I need you in top shape."

He looked at her with a smile, "I, not we?" She felt the 0 Raiser being lowered onto the catapult. She blew him a kiss before dropping the communication and launching into space. 'Let's hope this plan works.'

Bridge of the Ptolemy

Anew sat at her post, ready to pilot the ship. Suddenly she saw Lyle's face appear on her screen, speaking out loud to the entire bridge. She looked at him confused, "Lyle, what's wrong?"

In a casual tone, Lyle replied, "I love you Anew." Her cheeks immediately went red, looking around the room in embarrassment, anywhere but Lyle. 'I had wanted to hear him say this, but not like this!'

Lasse smirked at her, "He's targeted and firing all right!"

Mileina cheered out, "The power of love wins again!"

Sumeragi looked at the whole interaction confused, "When did this happen?!"

Saji just smiled at the pair, silently taking note he said that on a public channel, and the other gundams would have heard that. 'Well at least there is no lack of people to ask advice about Louise to.' He watched the gundams fly out to meet the innovators and A-Laws. 'Good luck.'

Author's Note Two

Ah, back to canon. Not too many changes that aren't logical ones from the other ones. I removed the whole bit where people name their most important person bit because it would interrupt the flow and it just felt like that should have been before the final battle. "Gundam" and "Veda" still cause me to laugh when Setsuna and Tieria say it. And at this point Setsuna would say Feldt in my story anyways.

But anyways, thank you for reading and I'll see you guys next time! Only 10 or so chapters to go!

Editor comment of the chapter: (Based on error with a missing 's) me anew, me not know how say what is wrong, me only say what wrong.