I do not own Chris, Liz, or Johanna Dante, Saul, Ian, or Diana Kessel, John Alaric, the 11th Fleet, the Raven, or the Surge Gundams. They all belong to Akatsuki_Leader13. Nor do I own Gundam. I only own Akira, Tao, Nisha, NASA/NAZAFT, the 7th Fleet, the Wing, Z.A.M., and Diver Gundams.

Note to all readers: I am going to ask those who have an account to sign in to leave a review in order to know who is leaving it, or at least to put their account name on the review so I know who is sending it. If you want to sign in to leave a review, then feel free to do so. But if not, then at least put your account name at the top so I can see who you are. If you do not have an account, the feel free to leave a review anyway. Just no outright hatred of the story please.

Read and review please!


C.E. 71 – War has been raging for 11 months between the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs. With their superior numbers, it seemed inevitable the Earth Forces would win. But the PLANTs unveiled new technology and began to gain the upper hand. Now, 10 months after the initial conflict began, the war is at a stalemate…


January 26th, C.E.71

Constitution hanger…

Akira flew the Wing into the hanger of the Constitution as he proceeded to shut down the machines systems. The Phase Shift armor went down as the Wing came in for a landing on the floor.

The Wing kneeling, Akira opened up the cockpit, just as he saw ZAFT soldiers waiting for him, and among them, Commander White. The man wore a smile on his face when he saw the other boy.

"Well, I see that you have returned to us, Akira Nishikama…" Commander White said. A pleased look was on his face as he said this. The soldiers all aimed their guns, but lowered them at the commander's command. "Lower your weapons. He is one of us." The man said.

All weapons were lowered, just as Commander White looked at Akira. "Why don't you follow me and we will…talk about your new mission…" he asked.

"Yes, sir." Akira replied as he walked off with the ZAFT commander.


Bridge…

Tao stared at the newcomer, who was now finishing up with his ZAFT red uniform. A pleased look was on her face.

"Well, it would seem you managed to accomplish your mission." She mused as he looked at her. A glare was shot in her direction, but she ignored it to the best of her ability.

"I was supposed to be assigned to the Creuset Team. Why am I here instead?!" Aki' snarled back.

His fellow officer just narrowed her eyes at him. "I know that you want revenge on those who killed your sister, but you have to face the facts eventually. If you were part of the Creuset Team, you would only be willing to kill all Naturals!" she snapped back.

Aki' looked down, a frustrated look on his face and in his eyes. "I know that…but…I just want to prove that she was not a threat…"

"And you can do that, but not through killing all Naturals…" Tao murmured as she turned to leave.


Archangel Hanger…

Chris sighed as he shut down the Raven. Fighting in an enclosed space was hard enough, and to make things worse, Akira had betrayed them all. The whole base had fallen apart around them. It was a miracle that the team had made it out alive at all.

The boy glanced over at Flay. She seemed to be pale and in a daze to boot. Chris did not blame her. He too had felt the same way after his first battle. The feeling of feeling scared, yet exhilarated at the same time was still fresh in his mind. The fear was gone however, and that made Chris feel uncomfortable.

'Have I become that accustomed to battle already?'

This thought was present in his mind, even after the fighting had ceased.

"Are you alright, Flay? You seemed kind of freaked." Chris asked in concern.

She blinked a few times before looking over at him. "Huh? Oh. Yes, I am." Flay replied, but she could not hide the slight tremor in her voice.

"Good. Sai would probably kill me if anything happened to you." Chris said as he looked down at the controls of the Raven.

Flay was also silent for a moment before she spoke up again. "Is that was all battles are like?" she asked, making Chris look up at her in surprise.

"Huh? No. At least from what I know and have experienced. Some might be more intense, others less intense." He replied. Deep down, he did not know the answer either, but it was best to say something instead of saying nothing.

"How can you just head out into battle like that? How can anyone do that kind of thing?!" Flay demanded. Chris glared at Flay before speaking again.

"There are people who do go out into battle for a living. They are called soldiers and they fight to defend their home nations, just like NASA and the PLANTs do." The boy snarled back. Flay gulped, but kept her mouth shut.

Chris felt awful about the way he spoke to Flay, but he did not reveal that fact. She had to learn that life was not just good and evil. Everyone fought for something, whether it be family or just for a chance to defend their home.

"I don't just head out into battle, Flay. I am protecting the few important people I have left." Chris replied at last.

"The few important people you have left?"

Chris closed his eyes for a moment. "That's something I do not wish to talk about. So please, respect my privacy."

Chris then opened the cockpit door, just as Nisha and Kira did too.

"Nice work out there!" Mu called up. "That was some really impressive fighting you both pulled off back there!"

Chris smiled. "Thanks!" he cried back. Then, Flay also stepped out of the Raven's cockpit.

"Miss Allester?! What are you doing in there?!" Mu asked in pure surprise.

"It's a long story right now!" Chris replied.

Then, the Coordinator faced Flay. "Do you need a hand in getting down?" he asked.

"Y…yeah. Sure." Flay replied, still uncertain of whether she could trust this Coordinator, although he had saved her from Garcia.

Chris the grabbed Flay around her shoulders and pushed off of the cockpit sides. The two of them drifted down to the hanger floor, where Mu was waiting for them. Chris then let go of Flay. "You had better return to Sai. He is probably worried about you right now."

Flay looked at him before turning to leave. "Thank you…" she said before leaving. But as the girl left the hanger, she looked back at Chris. Flay sighed as she drifted out the door, wondering if she could trust him.

Mu saw the reaction and grinned. "So, is she your girlfriend?" he asked in a sly voice.

Chris yelped at the question. "What?! No! Flay is not my girlfriend! Besides, she is arranged to marry Sai. Why would I break up a relationship?!" the Coordinator shouted back, blushing from what he hoped was embarrassment.

"Well, that aside, I am surprised that you managed to hold your own against the 7thFleet of ZAFT and the 11th Fleet as well.." Mu replied, an impressed look on his face.

"The 11th and 7th Fleets…Never heard of them, to be honest." Kira replied.

"Nor have I." Chris replied

"Same here." Nisha added.

"C'mon, seriously?" Mu asked. He was shocked by their reaction. "The 7th and 11th Fleets are those elite aces ZAFT propaganda is always talking about and showing off. And for good reason too. They're the most dominant forces in space and they've been a real nightmare for us. But the 7th Fleet is even worse. There have been reports of the 7th attacking ZAFT forces as well as EA. That is why they are called the 'Maverick Fleet'."

"Are they really that strong?" Kira asked.

"Yeah. They have beaten the Earth Forces numerous times before. I have fought them several times before, and I only managed to shoot one of them down. Although, I did duel the 11th's original commander to a draw once…" Mu trailed off at the memory.

-Flash back-

Battle of Endymion Crater…

May 28th C.E. 70

Mu cursed as he pulled his Moebius Zero into a sharp left turn, dodging a burst of rounds from a black and white GINN.

"Of all the pilots I could have encountered, I end up coming face to face with the Black Hawk." he said, dodging more rounds.

Mu knew he was in serious trouble. He had managed to shoot down five GINNs earlier in the battle. One of them was a dark purple GINN of the 11th Fleet, but that GINN taken out two of his gunbarrels. And he was running low on ammo. And worse of all, he knew that his Zero was slower than the GINN. The Hawk was playing with him. He could catch up with him in an instant and finish him off. There was no way Mu could outrun him.

'Wait. Maybe I don't need to outrun him.' he thought. 'This is crazy. But it might just work.'

Mu suddenly cut his speed, stopping dead. His sudden stop caught the Black Hawk offguard, causing him to veer up and over him rather than stopping, leaving him in the middle of Mu's sights. Mu deployed his gunbarrels and fired. He fired off a few rounds before an alarm sounded in his cockpit. He was out of ammo and the GINN had barely managed to evade the few he did fire.

The GINN spun around and squeezed the trigger of its rifle. But nothing happened. The GINN stood there for a moment. They were both out of ammo. But Mu knew he was still in danger. Zero was defenseless while the GINN still had its sword.

Suddenly, to Mu's surprise, the GINN's left arm reached up and saluted him, before taking off, leaving him surprised and relieved.

-End Flashback-

"I don't really know, Mu. It sounds like he chose to spare your life and retreat instead of fighting you to a draw." Chris explained.

"I have to agree, Lieutenant La Flaga." Kira agreed.

"HEY!"

Nisha snickered as he watched the older man's reaction.


January 27th, C.E. 71

Constitution…

Commander White looked over the files he had on Le Creuset. A frown crossed his face as he read them. There was not much on the ZAFT commander it seemed. It was like he had just appeared out of thin air.

"What are you, Le Creuset…?" the other ZAFT Commander murmured. The image of Le Creuset stared back at him, as if taunting the other man. Commander White let out a low snarl, but his face did not show it. White knew better than to show his emotions when around Le Creuset. The man was a snake.

A sigh escaped the ZAFT commander. He then turned his chair to face the window, which showed the stars flowing by his room at a slow pace. Commander White reflected on his orders that had been given to him by NASA Command…

-Flashback-

NASA Capital-Washington D.C.

March 7th, C.E. 70…

"You are to find out what Le Creuset is up to. We already know some stuff about his plans, but there is a bigger motive we feel that he is hiding. That is why we need you to do as he says for now." The President said. She was serious too.

"But, why? Isn't it going against your ideals?" Commander White asked. He had never expected to receive such orders.

The President looked at him with a hard glare. "We examined some of the ruins from Junius Seven and found that Nukes had been used." She said simply.

Commander White just snorted. "We all know that Nukes had been used. What is so interesting about that?"

Another glare came his way. "There is evidence that the Nukes used on Junius Seven came from the group known as Blue Cosmos. We managed to retrieve one of the parts from a missile. Luckily, it was a part with the identification number of the missile. We traced it back to the factory and found that it had been purchased by Le Creuset. He then sold those Nukes he purchased to the terrorist group who in turn, used them on Junius Seven."

This made Commander White gasp. "B-B-But, isn't it supposed to be impossible to purchase Nukes?! I thought no one could!" the commander exclaimed.

"We thought that too, so you are not the only one who made a mistake in that line of thinking. Just goes to show you that even NASA's government is not perfect." The President replied. "But that aside, we need you to be our mole inside ZAFT and find out if Le Creuset has any other Nukes hidden away to be sold to Blue Cosmos."

Commander White nodded. "You can count on me, ma'am." He replied, saluting the President. She nodded, and sent him on his way.

-End Flashback-

The mere memory made Commander White grit his teeth. He did not like Le Creuset, yet he also knew his duty. After all, duty came before personal feelings…


January 28th, C.E. 71

Shuttle to Aprilius One…

The door to the shuttle passenger compartment opened up, only to reveal Athrun's father, Patrick Zala, Rau Le Creuset, Councilman Hong Fa Wu, and another young man, whom Athrun had never met before.

Athrun and Commander Creuset both saluted as they entered the compartment.

"National Defense Chairman Zala, Councilman Wu, we hope that you will allow us to accompany you to the PLANTs."

The other boy returned the salute while Patrick waved them both off. "No need for formalities here."

Athrun looked to the other boy, who was standing behind his father. He was Athrun's age, and wore the same ZAFT red coat that he wore. He had grey eyes and his black hair was cut in the standard military style. He seemed to be rather bored.

"Ah. Zane. I trust that the assignment was a success?" Le Creuset asked.

"Yes it was. I am just sorry that I could not be there to help out with the mission concerning the machines." Zane replied.

"Excellent." Le Creuset replied. Turning to Athrun, he spoke. "I see you have met my protégé. I do not believe that you were properly introduced yet, though. Athrun Zala, I would like you to meet Zane Scirocco. He is joining us as soon as the Vesalius is repaired and the matter of Heliopolis is addressed at the Council meeting."

"Hello." the two politely said to each other as they shook hands.

"I do not believe you saw me on this shuttle, am I right Athrun?" Patrick inquired. Athrun spun around to face his father.

"I am sorry, father. It has been awhile." Athrun replied as he took his seat behind Commander Creuset.

Then Patrick looked at Wu and Le Creuset. "Needless to say, I agree with your report. The fact that the Naturals have developed such advanced Mobile Suits is a problem indeed. We'll forget about the pilots. I went ahead and erased all of the data concerning them…!" Patrick then noted Le Creuset's slight shaking.

"What is wrong?" he asked. Le Creuset looked up, a slightly fearful look on his features.

"I have something else to mention. You know the last two machines?" the commander asked. Patrick and Wu nodded. "Yes, why?" Wu asked. There was an inquiring look on his face.

Rau gulped. "Well, you see…the last two machines were built by…NASA…" he trailed off at Patrick's rising fury.

"WHAT?!" the defense chairman yelled. Athrun jumped in his seat at the shout. He had never heard his father yell like that.

"You mean to tell us that NASA developed those machines?!" Wu yelled. Rau nodded in fear. "DAMN IT!" Patrick cursed. Then the man pinched his nose and sighed.

"That nation…they are always a thorn in our side. We'll have to do something about them, considering how they are allies with the Earth Alliance…" Patrick sighed.

Rau looked up again, unsure of what he wanted to say. He had to choose his words carefully now, especially around Wu

"Well, sir, you see…NASA…they are also allies with us as well. Have you...not realized that?" he asked carefully.

"OF COURSE I KNOW THAT!" Wu yelled again. Once again, Athrun jumped in his seat.

A sigh escaped Patrick. "NASA needs to be eliminated from the game, but not destroyed…can you see to that Rau?" he asked.

"Of course." Rau replied. "Now back to the matter at hand. As I was saying, I went ahead and deleted the info on the pilots from the report." Wu explained.

Athrun stared at his father's cohort. Concealing something like that from the Council was not only illegal, but it was deceptive as well.

To surprise Athrun even further, Le Creuset agreed with the action. "Thank you very much sir. I knew that you would make the right decision."

"Just think of what the reaction would wind up being if we told the Council that Coordinators were piloting the machines. It would not only give the moderate faction something to use against us, but it would prompt…her…to action as well." Patrick replied.

"Wouldn't it be difficult for you to have your friend be referred to someone who has sided with the Earth Forces due to the report?" Le Creuset asked.

"No, but…" Athrun tried to speak but was cut off.

"The Naturals have created a Mobile Suit that can perform well, even with a Natural piloting it. That is the official report." Wu replied.

"Yes…"

"We must be more serious about this. Rau, I should be able to get you command of the task force that will hunt down the legged ship. The team will consist of the Vesalius, the Gamow, the 11th Fleet…and…the 7th Fleet." Athrun's father said.

Le Creuset smirked at the response. "Commander White and Commander Kessel will not like that." he said.

"No, they won't. But they will have no choice but to deal with it." Wu replied.

"It does not matter in the end. For soon, those traitors will be dealt with, as well as NASA." Zane replied. "All of them deserve only one thing: Death."


Washington D.C., NASA capital…

The President looked over the data that was being sent back from the NASA forces to her office computer. So far, Le Creuset had not made any big moves after the Junius Seven affair. But that did not mean that he would not make anymore.

Several theories ran through her mind, all of them concerning her. One was that Le Creuset was not in league with Blue Cosmos, but with Patrick Zala and that they both wanted to rule the world. That one was quickly ruled out. There was no way that Zala could have know about the Nukes Le Creuset had bought.

Another theory was that Le Creuset was actually working for Blue Cosmos, and not for ZAFT. It seemed that he wanted all the Coordinators gone, so that was plausible to her. Yet, why would a ZAFT official be helping the ones who wanted the PLANTs and Coordinators gone? That theory was ruled out as well.

So, what was Le Creuset planning then? And how was he connected to the Junius Seven attack? And what did he want with Nukes which were now useless?


Thirty minutes later

Aprilius One…

"I believe that you can understand from the course of events you just saw, our actions were not intended to destroy the colony. Due to the attack by the Earth Forces, the collateral damage was far worse than an attack caused by our forces. That concludes my report. Thank you for your time." Rau said, saluting the Council before taking his seat again.

"So ORB was working with the Earth Forces all along…" Council Member Bill Henderson murmured. "They are the ones that violated the treaty."

"Aren't you being a little premature?" Ian Kessel said. "ORB is more than able to design and build mobile suits and warships."

"But not to design and build mobile suits with the Earth Forces." Ezalia Joule said.

"Ah...But ORB didn't design those machines. Morgenroete did." Helena Chang said. "And last time I checked, Morgenroete was a company, not a country. As such, they could do what they please."

"But Morgenroete is a corporation of ORB." Ezalia argued.

"Yes. But Morgenroete is an independent company and is not the ORB government. And we have a treaty with the ORB government, not Morgenroete." Ian replied.

"This only further illustrates that those living on Earth cannot be trusted." Herman Gould said.

Helena scoffed at the remark.

"Trusted? How arrogant is it to believe that we are the only trustworthy ones." Kessel said.

"However, Commander Le Creuset, are these prototype mobile suits worth all of the sacrifices that have been made by our forces?" Patrick Zala asked, interrupting their argument.

Rau Le Creuset stood up again. "To explain the new mobile suits and their capabilities to you, I have one of our pilots with me, who has not only piloted one of the new machines and fought against the three machines that have remained with the enemy. Athrun Zala. He will give you the report on these new mobile suits, with your permission of course."

"Hold on. Three machines? I thought the reports said that four were left." Helena replied.

A smirk appeared on Le Creuset's face. "ZAFT pilot Akira Nishikama recovered the Wing, one of the remaining machines, while he was on the ship. Of course, no one knew that he was ZAFT, so that was how he was able to take it back so easily."

"I will allow Athrun Zala to present his report." Siegel Clyne said.

Athrun saluted and approached the council. The display screens in the council's tables came to life, showing the first of the new machines, the Aegis.

"The first machine is the GAT-X303 Aegis. The one characteristic of this machine that stands out the most is the ability to transform. Due to the frame structure being different than five of the other machines, it can turn into a Mobile Armor. Upon the transformation, the Aegis wields the powerful 580-millimeter dual-phase energy cannon called Scylla. And just like the other machines, it is equipped with the Phase Shift armor, which has yet to be tested out in a real battle scenario. At the present time, we are re-programming the OS to bring out the full potential. Based on the specs as well, we know that the machines, in both technology and power to our main weapon, the GINN." Athrun explained.

Then the Duel came on the screens, a beam saber out.

"GAT-X102 Duel. This machine was developed with close-range combat against our forces in mind and has a wide range of uses. It is believed to have been the basis for the other machines. Like the other machines we have stolen, the Duel has anti-air system "Igelstellungs". The machine also has a beam saber and anti-beam shield for defense."

Next the Buster came up. It was firing its cannon, which was powerful.

"GAT-X103 Buster. This machine was developed with long-range attacks in mind. The Buster was built to provide fire support against snipers and from the rear, which is what we believe. As it has no shield, the Buster's 350-millimeter gun launcher has attachments that allow it to become an ultra-high impulse, long-range sniper rifle, or an anti-armor shotgun."

Then the Blitz came up. The machine raised up its arm and fired off its missiles.

"The GAT-X207 Blitz. This machine has a special feature called the Mirage Colloid. With it, the Blitz can disappear from view. By using gas particles that are released over the armor's surface, the machine can become invisible to the naked eye. The system has a drawback, however. When the Mirage Colloid is in use, the Phase Shift armor systems cannot be used. We believe that the Blitz was developed for blitzkrieg warfare. It also has its own weapons, which are the Trikeros and the Gleipnir."

"GAT-X204 'Surge'. This machine is not only the sister unit to the Blitz, but is also one of the fastest of all the mobile suits from Heliopolis. In fact, its maximum speed is faster than any of the current ZAFT mobile suits. The drawback however, is that repeated uses of its high-speed capabilities rapidly drain its battery. We believe that it was designed specifically as a counter to the high-speed mobile suits of the 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet. Its primary weapons are a 55mm beam rifle, a pair of anti-armor swords and the "Hakenfaust" triple claw weapon."

The Wing came next. It was shown firing off its Hellfire mini-missiles.

"This one was recovered by Akira Nishikama when he returned to ZAFT. It is the ORB-04-A Wing Gundam. This machine is unique in that it has two battery units: one for the speed it has, and one for the Phase Shift armor. The Wing is the result of a project between ORB and another nation, yet we cannot be sure of which nation it is. We believe that this machine was intended for hit and run attacks, due to the speed of it. Tests have shown that the Wing is the second fastest unit out of all the machines. The 2 battery units are the result of this. The Earth Forces, we believe, wanted a unit that could outlast the others. The main weapons are the Hellfire mini-missiles, the 75mm head-mounted Gatling guns, and the Seiko-katsu beam sabers. Other weapons are the dual 74mm hyper velocity beam rifle, the Taiyou-ko wing blades, and the 30mm Vulcan guns on the wings."

Then the Z.A.M. Gundam came up on the screens, firing its chest missiles.

"Now for the three that got out of our hands. The NAS-X117-A Z.A.M. Gundam. This machine is considered to be the sister unit of the Wing. This is because the Z.A.M. Gundam and the Wing were developed at the exact same time. This machine was designed to be a heavy-fire power unit, just like the Buster. Yet the Z.A.M. Gundam is not even the same in structure design. The reason for this is because the machine has missiles in the chest, the shoulders, and legs. There are laser cannons in the shoulders of this unit as well. For this, the machine also has 2 battery units. All of this firepower, however, means that the Z.A.M. Gundam is the slowest out of all the machines. That is why the Wing was developed as the sister unit to this unit. The Wing, we believe, was to be used in tandem with the Z.A.M. Gundam."

Next was the Raven. It appeared, firing off the twin barrels of its rail-gun. "GAT-X305 'Raven'. Like the Aegis, this machine is able to transform into a fighter-like mobile armor. Its mobile armor form also appears to be able to double as a flight platform for other machines. Its primary weapon is the dual 52mm hyper velocity railgun with a shield attachment. It's main weapons in its mobile armor mode is a pair of 76mm machineguns and the Ahura Mazda beam weapons mounted in the feet of the mobile armor. We suspect this machine was designed primary for atmospheric and space combat."

Finally, the Strike appeared on the screens.

"Finally, we have the GAT-X105 Strike. From what we have seen, the Strike is capable of various types of combat. The design allows the machine to switch between a number of different weapon packs, named the Launcher, Sword and Aile. The Launcher has a 320-millimeter ultra-high impulse cannon from what we can tell. We also have to assume that the pack also has a 120-millimeter anti-ship Vulcan cannon as well as a 350-millimeter gun launcher. The Sword pack gives the Strike a 15-meter long anti-ship blade as well as a beam boomerang. In addition to these packs, the unit also has two hip-mounted combat knives. We assume that this machine has the highest combat potential."

"That is all." Athrun said as he saluted and returned to his seat.

"They've actually gone and manufactured such abominations!" Jeremy Maxwell cried, disgust in his voice. "Those disgusting Naturals!"

"They're only in the trial stages. It's not like they are even a threat." Eileen Canaver replied.

"If they have come this far, though, then the next step is to mass-produce." Ezalia said.

Ian and Helena then suddenly laughed at the remarks they had heard. Everyone else stared at them. "I am sorry, but it is so ridiculous." Ian said. "You all call these things abominations, yet the Earth Forces are only doing what is needed to stay alive in war. If an enemy builds a better weapon, one needs to build a weapon that can counter it. You also did not pay much attention to the report." Helena spoke next. "In the report, there were two NASA machines mentioned. NASA has already built machines that can counter not only our GINNS, but also the Earth Forces' Mobile Armors. If they can build such machines, then why are we not attacking them? Hmm? Frankly, I am surprised that it took the Earth Forces this long to build such machines."

"How can you say such a thing?" Gould asked in anger. "This is a clear indication of the Naturals' intentions! They crave war, a desire to wreak havoc and violence!"

Both just laughed again as Clyne spoke up. "Gould, you are not paying attention to her. NASA is made up of Naturals and Coordinators. Yet you say that they desire only violence? If that is true, then why has NASA not yet attacked us? Few people, Natural or Coordinator, ever truly crave war." The Council leader snarled.

The female council member spoke up next. "Next, you will be saying that all Coordinators desire peace and that all Naturals are Blue Cosmos members. You underestimate NASA. Their Naturals are not like that. In fact, their Naturals are neutral and stay out of conflicts. If I did not know any better, I would say that your thinking is along the lines of a Blue Cosmos member." Helena smirked.

Her last comment sparked an outcry amongst the Council members. Clyne tried to restore order, yet it seemed futile until Wu spoke up.

"There is no one who truly desires to fight. Who among us actually likes to head out into the field of battle? We yearn to live peacefully, gracefully, and happily. That has always been the wish of all Coordinators." Wu cried, his voice becoming louder as he spoke.

Helena just narrowed her eyes slightly at the words, as did Ian. She and Ian knew better, for she had served with some of the best of the elite…

"But who selfishly shattered that wish?! Who took away our freedoms to further their own selfish desires?! Who pushed us aside just to prove that they are better?! Who exploits us Coordinators?! The Naturals!" he continued.

"You say that all Naturals are selfish? What about those who actually fight for our existence?! Huh?! NASA fights for us, and without them, we would not even have the right to exist! Hell, no nation even wants to challenge NASA!" Helena snarled. But Wu did not hear her.

"Who will never let us forget the terror of Junius Seven?! That Bloody Valentine tragedy! 243,721 people! All lost! It has been one year since that terrible day and abominable incident claimed so many of our fellow Coordinators! Yet, we have pondered on ways to end this war quickly. Our demands have been minor. Yet the Naturals have put our efforts to waste, time and time again!" Wu continued.

Helena just remained silent this time, knowing that what she was going to say had to wait until the man was done with his little 'speech'.

"We fight because we have to protect ourselves and our home! If we have to fight to defend ourselves, then we have no choice but to fight!" Wu concluded. Many Council members were silent, except for two…

"You really do have a flare for the dramatic, Wu. Too bad it is all for nothing. Using the victims of Junius Seven as the rallying cry is an insult to their memory." Ian replied.

"But the famed United States did countless times!" Zala snarled back. Helena just stayed calm as she glared at Patrick and Wu, but mainly the latter.

"True, they did. But it was out of defense of their home nation. The United States had not been apart of any alliance. That was why they did. By trying to do the same thing against Naturals, you are insulting not only the victims of the tragedy, you are also insulting the United States itself." Helena replied in mock applause.

Wu could barely conceal his rage. "How dare you!" he cried, unable to stop himself from yelling. "Our wives were killed at Junius Seven!"

"That is why someone like you should not even be on this Council during this time of war." Ian replied. "True leaders, both military and political, never use personal reasons as a way of fighting war. They must lead with a clear mind, and be free of any emotions that will lead them to making bad decisions for the nations. They must be willing to head any call to peace, no matter how small, and take any chance they have at it. NASA leaders are one such example. You, Wu, on the other hand, are unable to. And frankly, I fear the day you actually come to power, if that day ever comes that is…" Helena added. Her voice, while calm, also held a hint of rage at Wu's attitude.

Then, the Ian spoke. "My fellow Council members. As you know, Helena and I both come from a long line of soldiers who have served ZAFT proudly. We served in ZAFT's military for years before becoming members of the Council. In fact, our children are fighting in this war right now. We know how wars must be fought." Ian said as he stood up.

Helena nodded before taking over. "We have to fight this war with clear minds, not minds that are consumed by rage and hatred for the Naturals. Naturals are fighting with us, and they are from NASA. The war has to be fought for peace and peaceful co-existence with Naturals and Earth. It must never be fought for retribution. Seeking such a thing will only lead to more hatred, death, pain, and suffering."

Chang looked the Council over with her red eyes.

"An eye for an eye will make the whole world, not just us, blind to peace. I call on all of you, do not let this war become personal. Don't let this war become a thing of revenge for those lost at Junius Seven. Don't let this war become an outlet for your rage and hatred. Nothing good will ever come of that. We must be better than those who destroyed Junius Seven. The war cannot end the way it was started. If it does, then this war will just become an extension of the next one surely to come. We have to ensure that our children, their children, and the children-to-be never suffer from our mistakes again." She finished.

A glare from Hong Fa Wu told her that their shared speech had hit home. Yet she knew her work and Ian's work was not done…


An hour and a half later

Hong Fa Wu's office…

"Damn those two!" Wu swore. "Those stubborn fools just cannot see what needs to be done for this war! They'll ruin everything! There has to be a way to remove them!"

Le Creuset sighed as Wu continued to rant with Zala listening in. Helena Chang and Ian Kessel were truly difficult political opponents. Though they were fighting for the war, they were against Zala, Wu, and Wu's radical views and supportive of Clyne's moderate methods. They also sought to end the war peacefully. Plus, both had Clyne's backing as well. Wu did not.

"Perhaps, but unfortunately, both Ian and Helena have great influence with the military." Rau explained softly. "They have the support of many of our armed forces, and both were two of our top commanders at one point. Not only that, Helena is also a supporter of NASA. Our power is not good enough to take on such a strong nation. And Ian's wife is one of our top Admirals! Plus, his daughter is in command of one of our best units. Any direct actions against him and Helena at this moment could be disastrous to our cause."

"We would not be in this mess if your assassin had done his job properly!" Wu snarled back. "If he had taken out Alaric like he was supposed to, then we would have not only discredited the Kessel family, but we would have had the 11th Fleet under our command!"

"At least the assassin removed Alaric…" Rau meekly replied.

Alaric had been a major problem for them. On the one hand, he and the 11th Fleet had become icons of ZAFT's military might. But unfortunately, he was strongly opposed to Patrick Zala and his faction. Worse yet, from the early days of the war, he had been extremely suspicious of both of them. Alaric had becoming close to uncovering things that they had both sought to keep buried. Fortunately, they had a mole within the 11th Fleet who had informed them of all of this.

The three of them had created out a detailed plan for eliminating Alaric and then framing Diana Kessel as his killer and an Earth Forces spy, thus allowing a more supportive commander to take over the 11th Fleet. It would have also tainted the reputation of the Kessel family, branding them with the suspicion of treachery and would have greatly weakened their support.

Unfortunately, by pure chance, Diana Kessel discovered the assassin in the act of killing Alaric and killed him. Alaric was fatally wounded, though she killed the assassin before he could name them. Naturally, he labeled an Earth Forces spy. And Diana Kessel replaced her mentor, John Alaric, as commander of the 11th.

Though Diana disliked and didn't trust Zala, Wu, or himself, she didn't seem to continuing his investigation into the two of them. Or at very least, didn't have anything she could use at the moment, which was fortunate as she was a wild card that could possibly disrupt their plans. And any disruption this late in the game could jeopardize everything he had worked for.

Perhaps he'd see about getting the legged ship and its mobile suits to deal with her.

But the 7th Fleet was a real threat


January 30th, C.E. 71

Archangel…

Nisha looked at a picture of himself and Akira, Akira being shown glancing at the camera out of the corner of his golden eyes. The light-blue haired boy felt tears come to his eyes. "Why? Why did you have to betray me?" he asked the picture.

There was no answer, just silence. Nisha was still in shock about it, yet he had not revealed it to anyone. They would never understand.

He sighed as the Coordinator put the picture back onto his desk. Nisha recalled how close he and Akira had been, but after Akira had gone to join ZAFT, they had not been as close as they had once been.

Nisha sat on his bed, yearning for his cousin to return to him, yet it seemed that he would not. Not now that he was with ZAFT. 'What happened to you, Akira? When did you become so different?' he thought. The boy felt something surging within him and he drew back a fist, punching the bedsheets in his anger and frustration. Tears ran down his face as he sat there. "Why?!" he cried. "Why must this happen to us?!"

Outside the room, Taikyu peered in the open door, only to see his only son sitting on the bed, tears running down his face. Pity filled the man's body, yet he could not stand seeing his son like this.

Then, it hit the older man. The war was tearing their family apart. Tears began to form in his eyes as well at the realization. How many lives had to be taken, how many families torn apart by war, how many innocents dragged into a war that had nothing to do with them? Taikyu just wished that he knew.

Yet, it seemed not to be. His family was suffering, all because of the damn war. They were being torn apart, and it seemed that the rift was beginning to grow even larger, all because of one attack. His son was feeling isolated, all because he was a Coordinator, and because of the betrayal of his cousin.

"Why must we mistreat Coordinators? What do we get out of it, and what do we expect to gain?" Taikyu asked himself. He did not receive a reply.

The man stood there, arm on the wall, hoping that the war would turn out for the better, if it could. It seemed that Naturals would always be hateful towards the Coordinators, and always trying to wipe them out. That was the fate that the Coordinators were forced to endure for all of their lives. Akira had to learn that the hard way…


February 1st, C.E. 71

Helena Chang's office…

Helena sighed as she entered her office. "Damn that Hong Fa Wu…" she muttered. "How dare he insult one of the greatest nations to have ever existed…"

She fell back into her chair and brought up a screen that showed a PLANT colony. A smirk crossed her face. Even if Le Creuset was powerful, there was one group that was even more secretive than his little mole group. Even he could not defeat them

A beeping then alerted Helena to a call. The councilwoman then hit the button and answered it. "Helena Chang here. What is it?"

"We need to talk." It was Clyne. Her red eyes widened in surprise, yet she let him in without as much as a protest.

Once he was in and seated, Chang then faced Clyne. "What are you doing here, sir?" she asked in a polite tone. Siegel sighed as he looked up at her.

"I want to talk to you about Hong Fa Wu and your attitude towards him." Siegel explained in a serious tone. Helena gulped. "About that?"

"Look, I know that you feel he does not belong on the council and that he is a threat with no restraints on him politically. I feel the same way, yet if I was to argue against him, it would cause internal strife within ZAFT. We cannot have that in a time of war." Siegel said as he put his head on his hands.

"I know that, sir. But if he comes to power, who knows what could happen! No offense, sir, but I feel that he needs to have some sort of political restraint on him. Even if it is a small one, it will be better than nothing." Helena persisted. Siegel just shook his head.

"No. I know that you are a reasonable woman and strong-willed. That, combined with the fact that you are so clearheaded, is what makes you a threat to any opposing council members. It also makes you one of the few that can lead us through this war." Siegel added.

Helena just gaped. She knew it was unprofessional for her to be doing so, but she was just too stunned at his words. "Me?" she asked in a high voice. "But what can I do? I'm just the Relations Department head!" she exclaimed.

Siegel looked at her as if seeing into her very soul. "That may be true, but it also puts you in a prime position to learn as much as you can about the world and its current state of affairs. It makes you the prime candidate for Supreme Council leader office! That is why I came to talk to you about this. Wu is going to run for my office in the next elections. By having you run for Supreme Council leader, Wu will have a real tough opponent on his hands. Not to mention, you will also be more aware of the world around him, and you will be the perfect leader to run the PLANTs should you win." He explained.

Helena just stared at him. "You want me to run for the office that you hold?!" she exclaimed in shock.

The PLANT Supreme Leader nodded. "That is the plan. Not only would it deter Wu from running also, but it would also give us the opportunity to keep the council in check."

Helena gaped for a moment. That was his plan?! She then shook her head. "No, I can't. I just can't do it. I do not wish to run." Helena said sadly.

Siegel grabbed her shoulders. "How could you say that?!" he snarled. "You know those two better than anyone else on the council!"

"And that is why I refuse to run for your office. It would give Wu the opportunity to try and have me killed. Plus, it is not a part of my nature to hold such a powerful office." Helena replied.

Siegel then sighed. Once Helena had made up her mind, it could not be changed. "Well then, Helena, I guess I can't force you to run. I just want you to know, you are the best one to run the colonies." He said before he turned to leave her office. The door opened, then hissed shut as Helena put her head in her hands.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Helena tried to figure out what she needed to do to help out the PLANTs. Siegel wanted her to run for his position, yet she could not. She was only the Relations Councilor. There was no way that she could win against someone like Patrick Zala or Hong Fa Wu. He was the Defense Chairman for crying out loud! And Wu was the Internal Affairs Chairman!

"Why, Siegel? Why me? Why did you have to choose me?!" she whimpered. Helena knew that she was not capable of overcoming Wu's influence. What could she do?!

She was just a lowly department leader, not the chairwoman of it! How could she expect to win against someone of his power?! Siegel was crazy if he believed that she had the ability to win! There was no way that she could. Yet, why was she feeling this way? She did not know.

Helena sobbed as she sat at her desk. Sure, it was unprofessional, but what else could she do against such a powerful man? She did not have the political influence that Wu had either, and that was hard to gain.

But, what could she do to stop him? She just wish that she knew…


Constitution…

Akira sat in his room, looking at a necklace his sister had given him the day before she had been attacked. It said 'Supernova' in Japanese, the one thing that reminded her of him. At the same time, it served as a reminder to Akira, of his sister.

"Why? Why did they attack her and no one else?" he murmured as he turned the thing over in his hands. His golden eyes held sadness, only for a tear to land on the symbol softly. Akira was now crying.

The Coordinator gritted his teeth as his hand clenched around the necklace. Why could no one understand his pain?! Not even his cousin could understand what had happened that day!

He looked at an image of him and his cousin, only to knock the frame to the floor. But no impact was heard. The frame just floated in the low gravity of space, making Akira snarl before he looked away from the floating frame.

Akira stood up and looked at the stars outside his room window. The bleakness of space seemed to fit his mood. Yet the stars continued to shine, as if in defiance of the black cover that seemed to take them. It never ceased to amaze Akira, how the stars seemed to shine without any help. The boy then looked away and fell onto the bed, ready to fall asleep…


Three hours later

NASA PLANT, New Juneau...

Several ZAFT ships drifted by a single PLANT, the one that was home to a force that many considered to be undefeatable. Yet, they were not. This force was the Special Operations unit of the NASA armed forces. And their base of operations was New Juneau.

A lone ZAFT ship dared to venture near the PLANT, only to set in motion a tactical retreat maneuver only a second later. Out of the PLANT came several ships that ZAFT did not dare to face in combat.

Each ship had different body designs, meaning that they were not of ZAFT origin. When these ships were seen, it was time to retreat. And retreat they did, for a battle with those ships would mean certain capture and potential death…

A form stood in shadow as she observed the ships of her unit. "ZAFT would not dare risk a battle or confrontation with us…so why did that one ship try to get near?" the form wondered.

"Perhaps they are trying to spy on us…" Another form, a male, mused.

The first form just stares at the screen. "Or maybe Le Creuset is trying to take us out. Bad move on his part…"

"Look up all of the data you can find on the ZAFT commander. We need to find out what he is plotting with Zala…"

"Yes, ma'am."

The first form then turned back to see the ZAFT ships retreating. "Hmph. ZAFT commanders don't know when to actually face us in combat. They claim to be all tough and then run from us. How sad indeed…"

She then contemplated the Earth Alliance. "The EA claims to be as tough as ZAFT, and in a sense, they are. But when they face us, they turn and run, just like with ZAFT…at least the Earth Alliance has the numbers. But ZAFT has the tech. That is what makes ZAFT more of a threat to us. Yet the numbers of the EA make them a threat as well. How interesting…" the form mused.

As the ZAFT ships fled, the form wondered what was going to happen next. What awaited the world as it fought over the rights of Coordinators?


February 2nd, C.E. 71

Debris Belt…

Nisha sighed as he flew the Z.A.M. Gundam around any debris and garbage that was in his way. He, Chris, and Kira had spilt up to check out the area for any supplies that would be useful to the crew and ship. Once they found something, they were to alert the ship and a team would be sent out to retrieve the supplies. At the moment, however, nothing had been found.

Chris's com-line then beeped.

"Hey Chris, have you found anything yet?" Liz asked.

"Nothing yet, Liz." Chris replied as he moved under some floating debris. "This is beginning to look like a…"

He froze as soon as he was around the hunk of rock.

'No…It can't be…'

Nisha wondered what was wrong with Chris and moved over to his location, only to be stopped by the memories as well.

"Nisha? What is it? Nisha?!" Taikyu called out to his son, unable to stand the silence.

"Chris? What is it? Chris? Brother, are you there? What do you see?" Liz asked over the radio.

Both of the Coordinators' thoughts were on what was in front of them. Chris was unsure as to how he was able to respond, but he did. Nisha did not though.

"Nisha? What is going on?! Nisha!" Taikyu cried frantically.

"Home…" Chris replied. His voice was faint and soft. "Home…"

Taikyu's face and Liz's face then became pale as they realized what Chris was talking about.

"What is he talking about, Taikyu?" Captain Ramius asked.

"Our home before the whole war started…Junius Seven itself." Taikyu replied in a terrified voice.

"The colony where we had originally lived…" Liz added.


The North American Security Alliance makes another appearance. Can anyone guess which nation involved in it strikes fear into Le Creuset and Wu? Anyone who gets it right will get a chance to have an OC appear in my fic, but as I already have too many good guys and too many ZAFT officers, I need an OC for the Earth Alliance, mainly an Extended. Anyways, keep up the reviews! Constructive criticism is appreciated, and any flames will be deleted or reported if there are any left. Thanks! ^^