A/N

Here is the next Phase, it is part of what was originally the next phase but it was getting too long, and think is better to be two phases rather than one. Hope you enjoy this phase!

Phase 26: Hollow world

March 29th 71 C.E.

The Archangel

Murrue and much of the bridge crew were more than happy to see Federation forces appearing on the field. They had appeared a minute or so after a large explosion occurred on one of the nearby islands. Murrue had called down after the explosion to the CIC and asked Natarle for a status report on their forces. Natarle had looked to Miriallia and Sai for that info and they had said the defenders' signals were still showing. However, Miriallia did mention she wasn't seeing the Aegis's signal anymore. Natarle hoped that meant the explosion that had occurred was the Aegis detonating. The stolen machines had been troublesome, to even have one be dealt with was a step forward. So, Natarle reported that the Archangel's defenders were still out there, though one of the skygraspers had crashed on one of the nearby islands.

Also, by what Lacus said, the Buster had been disabled though not destroyed and had gone down nearby the skygrasper. The Strike could bring the Buster back and then there would be three mobile suits on the Archangel. Plus, Natarle figured the top brass would prefer more of the G-Weapons intact to inspect when the ship got to JOSH-A. And as Natarle saw it whether others agreed, the Archangel's crew was in enough trouble with what they had lost of the G-Project. Two years of work and only two mobile suits out of the five along with the Archangel to show for it. She worried there would be arguments about the Asuka when they reached JOSH-A but there was nothing that could be done about that. It would be much the same when the subject of the Shadow came up with the higher-ups.

Thus, Natarle didn't look forward to the accounting and reporting that would come up at JOSH-A. Yes, the Archangel and her crew had done their best under the circumstances they had been thrust into. All the officers besides Murrue and herself had been killed in the ZAFT surprise attack, and though they had gotten Mu and Krystal which had been a lifesaver, it didn't change the fact. However, that still had twenty officers dead before their journey began which would be seen as a failure. Then Natarle would be shocked if the destruction of Heliopolis had gone over well as Orb would have inquired into what happened to their colony. And should what Tyler had said be correct, the Orb Union was a part of the Human Federation, it could cause issues between the Alliance and the Federation and there were already enough bad feelings between the two.

Finally, there was the situation with Tyler McGregor which had made the air on the Archangel very tense. Natarle had her own problems with the teen, he was far too rebellious to deal with much of the time. Yet, he had his moments of "serious performance" which strongly implied Tyler had good disciplinary habits but just chose to not employ them regularly. Nonetheless, she couldn't deny the teen had defended the ship along its journey just as the others had. Granted, Natarle had called him a traitor, and the evidence pointed to Tyler helping ZAFT get the Aegis away from the Republic. And while it was possible there could be more to the story, Tyler had said nothing in his defense. If some of the crew couldn't understand the facts, then that was their concern as long as it didn't affect their performance. And now that the Federation was getting ZAFT to back away, Natarle took charge of the mobile suits recall orders. Natarle did have Miriallia tell Lacus to stand vigil over the Buster while the Archangel made its way to their location. She had Sai tell Murdoch to prepare recovery teams for both the skygrasper and the Buster.

As the rest were letting out sighs of relief, Krystal was observing the Federation forces driving back ZAFT. It was no secret that the Federation's Military had superiority over ZAFT and OMNI, they'd had it for years now. And it wasn't just their technological superiority that gave them the advantage by what Krystal had seen. The general tactics that they used were the best and proven to work against the swarming methodology OMNI used or the ZAFT's use of mobile suits. As far as Krystal had seen, and Mu had agreed with her, the Federation endured as they fought smarter by staggering their force deployment and supporting them with ships. Nothing could really be said about what would happen if either OMNI or ZAFT attacked one of the Federation's member nations. The concern with that idea was the response that would come from the Federation, it was what kept the Alliance from trying. There had supposedly been those that had "suggested" forcing the Federation to join the Alliance in their fight against ZAFT. Krystal hoped those were rumors, but she doubted they were and she was worried such might be listened to at some point soon.

Krystal knew that Mu shared her view that OMNI going against both ZAFT and the Federation's Military at the same time would be very bad. And watching the Federation fight ZAFT only reinforced the concern that Krystal had. OMNI as it was now would not last long against the military might the Federation had to work with. Heck, Krystal would even question with mobile suits if that would change, after all, ZAFT hadn't had luck against them either. And the G-Project was clearly meant to get OMNI mobile suit models that could be transitioned into mass-production suits. The war was going badly enough already, Krystal hoped enough common sense-minded people were in the Alliance leadership to not make a horrible mistake.

Meanwhile, Lacus received the orders from the Archangel and while she understood them, she didn't like them exactly either. Being around the skygrasper that Lieutenant La Flaga was in that had gone down was fine. However, standing guard over the Buster Lacus wasn't as okay with it even if she didn't voice it. The Buster had a ZAFT pilot inside and their freedom and may have their life at risk now. Lacus did not agree with Le Creuset's hunt, but she believed that those under his command may have doubts too. She knew Athrun would have issues and serious doubts about what he was and could be ordered to do. And Lacus didn't want to believe Athrun was the only one under Creuset's charge that didn't like what they had been doing. She hoped that the Archangel's crew would treat them fairly and humanely as well, they were a person too. Lacus landed the Strike next to the Buster which was still where it had crashed after the Shadow had destroyed its lifter and kicked it down.

Inside the Buster, Dearka was wondering what would happen to him next. The enemy black suit had whipped him, Dearka couldn't deny that without lying, so he accepted the point. It had humbled Dearka a bit, and should he ever face the black suit again, he wouldn't take it lightly nor underestimate it. And now the Buster was stuck as it was too low on power to get him back to a ZAFT sub. Even shutting off the phase shift armor hadn't consolidated enough power to get him back, thus Dearka was stuck. And by the sounds that were filtering in, it was likely the Federation's Military had arrived, which meant Dearka would unlikely get help from allies any time soon if at all.

That left Dearka with two outcomes that he could figure with what he knew currently. Either the legged ship would pick up the Buster, or Federation forces would. Whichever side picked him up would still put him in enemy hands and Dearka wasn't looking forward to that. The Federation would be a little nicer as they would treat him fairly, probably after asking questions about the operation. From what Dearka had heard, most ZAFT soldiers that the Federation detained were treated well. They were asked about what they had been involved in before arrangements were made to return them to the PLANTs. However, should the legged ship pick him up, who knew if Dearka would see the PLANTs again? OMNI wasn't well known for being nice or understanding with "prisoners of war". So, Dearka was not in a good position and he didn't see it getting better any time soon, thus he waited to see what would happen.

The Archangel moved over to the island that the Buster and skygrasper had crashed on before they deployed recovery teams. The skygrasper was retrieved first which Mu did appreciate as he was tired of sitting around doing nothing. He hadn't been idle, Mu had been watching what he could see of the battle after crashing. The explosion had been concerning, mostly as he couldn't tell what had caused it or what could have been affected by it. The sight of Federation fighters appearing on the field was comforting to Mu. Granted, they weren't allies officially, but they certainly helped the Archangel by going against ZAFT. Heck, the Federation didn't waste time and got down to the business of making ZAFT retreat outnumber them among other things. Mu's thoughts were turning towards the other defenders of the Archangel, and that included Tyler as he'd seen the Shadow.

If the Shadow popping up didn't stand as a testament to where the teen's loyalties lie, Mu didn't think anything could say it better. Once this was all over, Mu would make sure the kid was welcomed back properly. If Natarle made a stink about Tyler coming back, then Mu would dress her down using rank if necessary. Tyler had defended the Archangel just as much as the rest, even had saved Mu's life a couple of times. The kid deserved respect and thanks, not suspicion and flak which he'd gotten increasingly since coming back to the ship. Mu just wished that defending Tyler for his actions wasn't needed. Those were his thoughts as the recovery team reached him and Mu exited his cockpit.

Lacus waited as the skygrasper was taken onboard the ship as she would help get the Buster moving. Even as the recovery was going on, Lacus would glance intermittently at the Federation forcing ZAFT forces back. She was glad they were helping the Archangel even if there were different reasons they were doing so. Lacus knew there were treaties between the Federation and ZAFT that specifically with territory. And this battle was likely some sort of violation of the treaties so ZAFT was going to have to answer for this. Thus the Federation was "clearing" out those that weren't supposed to be here nor causing trouble. Unfortunately, Creuset would not likely face consequences for this incursion if his record was anything to go by. She hadn't forgotten the few rants her sister spouted about Creuset and the frustrated tone that had come with them. Creuset was good at deflecting blame, or just not be held responsible for what he did or the messes he created.

When the recovery team reached the Buster, Lacus helped them get the suit onto the vehicle that would get it back to the ship. It took them a few minutes for the Buster to be loaded on the flatbed before the team started back toward the Archangel. Lacus walked the Strike back following the recovery team, her thoughts turning towards Kira. She hadn't heard anything about him recently and she was beginning to be worried. There had been an explosion on one of the islands a little while ago, which hadn't been explained yet. Lacus didn't think Kira was involved, but a whisper in the back of her mind wouldn't be quiet about that. So the sooner she got back to the ship and saw Kira the better she would feel. Then when Tyler got back, things would be as they should be and all could move forward.

Dearka felt his mobile suit being moved meaning that one side had gotten to where he was. With the Buster's cameras down, he couldn't see anything outside, so he couldn't tell who was picking him up. He would likely find out soon enough, but Dearka wasn't looking forward to what would come next. It was around ten minutes later that there was a beeping then a hiss before the Buster's cockpit opened up. The next moment, Dearka found himself staring back at people with guns pointed at him. He saw that they were in OMNI uniforms which didn't bode well for him at all. Dearka had been kind of hoping for the Federation to be the ones to pick up the Buster and not OMNI. And as Dearka didn't have a gun himself, he did the one thing he could think of to preserve his life by raising his hands in surrender. He was ordered out of the cockpit which he did as told before the soldiers surrounded him.

Lacus watched as the ZAFT-suited guy was escorted out of the hangar likely to one of the ship's brig cells. The pilot had cooperated which she was glad he did so he wasn't shot or threatened, just walked off. However, as she looked around the hangar, she didn't see the Asuka or the Shadow here yet. That got the whisper in the back of her mind to get louder saying the explosion could have done something to hurt her friends. The very thought mortified her and she didn't want to entertain or even consider the possibility. Tolle had come back as she'd caught a glimpse of him, but the absence of Kira and Tyler brought pain to her heart.

The view and experience she'd had gotten in the last few months of this war had opened her eyes. Lacus had assumed that Sakura just was gifted and fighting came easy for her in this war, but now she was regretting ever think that. Fighting for one's life was harder in practice than it had ever been in the abstract. Taking another life was horrible and Lacus still was completely uncomfortable with anything to do with such. And yet, her older sister did so often to defend the PLANTs and its citizens. Her mood when she would swing by home made much more sense to Lacus now. The mental and emotional baggage that this war thrust on a person was back-breaking to put it mildly. And the next time Lacus saw Sakura, she would apologize for ever thinking that she had it easy or didn't have a hard job.

Meanwhile, the Federation forces were continuing to fight ZAFT forces and drive them back. Creuset had gained a frown the moment the sonar operator called out that Federation vessels had been detected. It was less than a minute later that their fighters appeared and put ZAFT mobile suits on the defensive. In fact, the Federation got ZAFT to leave the legged ship alone and only deal with them. There had been the customary warning shots but then the subs became targets which just made things worse. Creuset didn't need to see the sensors to know that ZAFT was outnumbered and would be pushed back soon enough. He silently cursed the Federation for being so damned nosy and so stubborn at defending "their" territory. They'd had the legged ship on the ropes and could have finished it off in the next few minutes before the Federation's arrival.

Lisa, Alan, and Luke had launched out when their turns came and joined the fight against ZAFT. Lisa was glancing around for any sign of the Shadow as Tyler had gone off a while ago to help the Archangel. Federation fighters outnumbered ZAFT suits three almost four to one overall, which was enough to have the advantage. Lisa was helping but she was searching for Tyler more than sending ZAFT on their way. ZAFT would be forced to account for this event, Federation High Command would make sure of that. However, Lisa was worried about Tyler as he had been more than stressed and that was rarely a good thing with him. Then an explosion occurred along the shoreline of one of the Orb's islands which were impossible to miss by those fighting. It wasn't long after that which ZAFT began falling back and taking the hint they were to move along. Lisa, Alan, and Luke were shortly assigned to join the search operation to assess the situation that the conflict between OMNI forces and ZAFT had produced.

Lisa was beginning to wonder seriously what had happened the longer the search went on. Tyler was certainly not an amateur pilot, far from it, he was ranked in the top ten pilots within the Human Federation, third specifically. Most didn't have a clue that he was that good, though it was mostly due to how well he did when he used his SEED factor. Lisa was fairly sure that Tyler would have used that ability in this instance, the lives of his friends were at stake after all. Then there was the explosion on the shoreline earlier, little was known about what had caused that and with the size of the blast, it would take a sizable charge to produce that. The only thing that Lisa could think up that would have enough explosive power, would be the charge that was built into the Alliance prototypes.

It was as Lisa flew along the shoreline where the explosion had happened, she got her first view of the results of the event. Debris was spread over a large distance and seemed to be made up of metal and rock. The bigger pieces told the story better and helped view the picture of what had happened. Clearly, there had been a battle between different mobile suits here, two by the amount of debris and shrapnel. As Lisa spotted a few of the larger chunks, she moved her fighter closer and came to land on the ground near the wreckage to get a closer view.

At the same time, Kira was making his way back silently, not engaging in the battle that was still going. The Federation had quickly taken control of the battle and put ZAFT on the defensive and got their attention off the Archangel. Kira was grateful for the Federation drawing ZAFT's attention off the ship, but his heart was in too much pain to show that. The fact that Tyler was gone bounced around his head and wouldn't leave him alone. Kira knew Tyler was more a friend than most could ever be, but he hadn't thought he'd go so far. Yes, Tyler had said multiple times that he would do absolutely anything for Kira and Athrun. Kira had never abused that privilege, and he saw Tyler's statement about being there for him as a privilege. Nonetheless, Kira had not thought Tyler would go to the point that he would put his life on the line and give it without hesitation to save Kira's own. And it was only now that Tyler was gone that Kira realized how much he depended on Tyler and how much of an anchor he'd been.

Kira's mouth was completely dry by the time he reached the Archangel and words weren't working for him. The silence hung over Kira as he came into the hangar and moved to his suit's assigned dock. Once out of the Asuka's cockpit, Kira glanced around the hangar and saw the Strike was back in its dock and that was at least one good thing. It didn't help the pain go away, but it did take off the edge a little bit. If both Lacus and Tyler had been killed, Kira didn't think he could handle losing both of them at the same time. It was heart-wrenching to lose Tyler, he couldn't handle more pain on top of it right now. Kira came down via the zip line, his helmet was left back in the cockpit. He was only vaguely aware of the environment around him as the pain in his heart was taking most of his attention. The world around him seemed empty and hollow, almost like colors and other elements were taken out of it.

Lacus had been overjoyed to see the Asuka coming into the hangar, it got the whisper in her mind to be much quieter. Tyler was likely out helping the Federation get ZAFT to leave before he would return to the Archangel. She was making her way over towards the Asuka as Kira came down to the hangar deck. Yet, Lacus's joy faded a margin when she saw Kira's eyes and she blinked hoping she had just imagined things. However, Kira's eyes were still hollow-looking, like "the lights were on but no one was really there". The expression scared her quite a bit and her worry from before came back to her heart instantly. Lacus moved to be in front of Kira and took his hands and held them and found he was trembling, which didn't comfort her at all. His facial expression made Kira appear completely lost and not seem to be aware of it. "Kira," Lacus uttered, "what's wrong? What's happened?"

It was as if Lacus appeared out of nowhere for Kira, the world around him was so cold right now. It was like he was moving through icy water while trying to concentrate and having trouble doing that along with anything else. But Kira managed to meet her gaze, yet when he opened his mouth, nothing came out of it. The pain roared for absolute attention by thoughts going through his mind that it was his fault Tyler was dead. Lacus was afraid for Kira, he wasn't speaking and now tears were coming out of the corners of his hollow eyes. This was the worst she'd ever seen him and it made her terrified of whatever could have put Kira in this state. Kira shook his head to get the accusations of him being at fault for Tyler's fate to be muffled and took a breath, "He," muttered in a strained and quiet voice, "He saved me."

Lacus was trying to figure out what Kira was talking about as he wasn't making sense with his words. In the back of her mind, the whisper came back louder harping that Kira was talking about Tyler. However, Lacus dismissed that thought as potential truth, Tyler wouldn't be dead, he was too important to those on the Archangel. But that Kira had needed "saving" made Lacus worried that he could have been near the explosion that had happened earlier. "What are you talking about Kira," Lacus asked evenly, "Who saved you, Kira?"

Kira barely heard Lacus's question, the event of Tyler coming in and saving him was playing through his mind. He couldn't get the images to stop flashing in his brain over and over, which made the pain worse. And as the images kept flashing through his head, Kira's mouth began iterating what he was seeing. "He came out of nowhere," he uttered, "and then he pushed me out of the way." Lacus was getting more worried every moment she had to see Kira like this, and that worry was morphing into horror. Kira kept going as she was starting to connect the dots, "He took the attack that was meant for me…"

By this time, all in the hangar had gone silent, the quiet was more than eerie but due to the quiet, all could hear Kira. All the mechanics were gazing at the young Coordinator wondering what was going on, even Murdoch. Tolle was staring transfixed at Kira never having heard his friend's voice as it was now, the pain was unmistakable. Mu was silent as he waited for Kira to get out what he was trying to say. However, he had a bad feeling about whatever Kira was talking about, the inkling wouldn't leave him. In fact, Mu moved an amount closer so that he could hear better and figure out what the kid was referring to. Lacus, on the other hand, gripped Kira's shoulders and asked what she feared, but she had to know. "Who are you talking about Kira?"

The question registered somewhere in Kira, but it was a part of him that was being ignored for the pain in his heart. The accusation in his mind had climbed to a roar and wouldn't be silenced any longer. His voice gave heed to the roar and Kira couldn't stop himself, "It's," he muttered, his voice breaking, "it's my fault." Hearing himself say it stabbed at Kira's heart, for he couldn't say he didn't play at least a part in Tyler's fate. It was because Athrun and he had been fighting each other and had come to the point they were admittedly attempting to kill one another. Because of that, Tyler had gotten between them and been killed and was now gone forever.

There was not a sound in the hangar after Kira's statement, all had heard it and none could come up with a response. Lacus was terrified that the growing whisper in her mind was true that Kira was talking about Tyler. And if he was, then something extremely horrible had happened to him to put Kira in this state. Still, Lacus shook Kira a bit to hopefully bring him out of his current low, it was dangerous. She didn't like Kira being like this, it scared her to her core and she didn't want that to happen. Kira then lifted his head and looked straight at her, "It's all my fault that Tyler," but Kira's voice caught in his throat and he stopped.

Lacus froze at hearing Tyler's name, her fears now fully becoming panic and terror swelling up in her. If Kira was implying what she was afraid he was, then she didn't know what to say or do. Lacus was terrified that Kira was saying that Tyler had been killed in some way in this battle and that perhaps Kira had been forced to witness it. Tyler in no way deserved to die, he was a good person, and the world needed as many of those types as it could get. Yes, he had his flaws, but everyone had some so shouldn't count against him. Pain flooded from her heart to the rest of her as the realization began sinking in.

Mu moved forward not liking where this conversation was going at all. Tyler was more than likely out helping the Federation as a member of its military. The chances the kid had been taken down by ZAFT were slim to none, Tyler had proven he was no easy target. The Archangel was lucky to have had such a pilot helping them, "Now listen Kira, I saw the Shadow out there myself," Mu began, "And your friend was sending ZAFT packing proficiently I might add. I would bet he is out there helping the Federation mopping up things from the fight."

Lacus wanted to believe Lieutenant La Flaga that Tyler was outside helping with the clean-up, but Kira's expression said otherwise. Kira wouldn't be as he was right now if he wasn't convinced well beyond a reasonable doubt that what he said was true. In fact, Kira's whole body began shaking after Mu had spoken though he said nothing. Tolle then stepped forward, "Kira, Tye will come back, you just wait," he said as confidently as he could. "I still need to thank him for saving me, so Tye will be back, he always is there when you need him."

The pain within him could no longer be kept inside as much as Kira didn't want others to know. This pain was the worst he'd ever experienced and it was more than he could handle anymore. So, Kira's head snapped back up, tears were freely flowing from the corners of his eyes, a twisted and pained expression marring his face. "No! He was here and because of me he's gone and won't be coming back!" All in the hangar kept watching with growing horror to what Kira was saying as he continued. "Tyler is dead, he sacrificed himself to save me," He bellowed, then Kira sunk to his knees, quiet sobs starting to rack him after shouting.

The pain Lacus was feeling grew as it was clear that Kira believed what he said about Tyler being dead. Kira wouldn't joke about this, which only led to it being the truth, Tyler was gone forever. Lacus felt tears begin to stream from her eyes and she could do nothing to stop them. Whether Tyler knew it or not, he was an anchor for his friends, and his presence would be more than just missed. Kira was just the first that would be lost without Tyler being there, the rest of their group would follow in some fashion. "No," Lacus whispered, "he can't be," then she dropped to the floor next to Kira and broke down crying.

As the fact that Tyler had been killed sunk in with those in the hangar, there were mixed reactions. For the mechanics, they began muttering in disbelief to one another not believing the idea. McGregor had been the best pilot the Archangel had, there was not really much contest at that point. The mock battles had proven Tyler was a really good pilot, no matter what he used to prove it. So, if ZAFT had managed to beat him, the chances for the ship became much bleaker than ever before. Murdoch was also in a state of disbelief as his boys were about McGregor. The kid had been an inspiration for several on the ship even if the officers didn't agree with it. For him to be called a traitor had been a serious blow, but being defeated was much worse in the end. "McGregor was defeated," Murdoch whispered somberly, "I didn't think any of us would see the day that would happen." All the mechanics bowed their heads in respect and were silent at their chief's remark agreeing with him.

Mu didn't want to believe it, but Kira certainly did and the kid didn't know how to lie well at all Mu had found. But the idea of Tyler being dead while it made Mu sad, it also made him furious at the same time. Tyler was one of those kinds of individuals that had the potential to make a difference. Heck, the kid may have been able to play a part in finally ending this damn war that had dragged on. If there had been a chance, then Mu would have done anything to help that kid to end this tiring war. Yet now, that possibility was snuffed out before it could shine, and that angered Mu. How many like Tyler had been taken from the world before they could leave a legacy? In the end, Mu punched a fist into the nearest scaffolding, "Damn it," he shouted in anger. "Why does it always have to be those who could help change things for the better that die because of this damn war?!"

Tolle who was normally chatty in a given conversation was silent entirely at learning Tyler was gone. He didn't know what to think about Tyler dying, other than of course he wasn't right or nice. Tolle knew that while Kira was taking it the hardest right now, he wouldn't be the only one in their group that would take this badly. Miriallia, Sai, and Kuzzey would be crushed just like Tolle were about this. Tyler had been someone they could depend on and normally did, more than Tolle had thought now that he considered. And Tolle had planned to thank Tyler for saving his life, yet now he couldn't with Tyler being dead. So, Tolle slipped out of the hangar to go and tell the others about what had happened.

Lacus had somehow moved into an embrace with Kira and he had held her as they had both shed tears for their fallen friend. Their lives wouldn't be the same without Tyler in it and they both knew that without a doubt. And yet, after Kira had calmed down a bit, he noticed there was a third machine in one of the suit docks. It only took a moment for Kira to realize it was the Buster, which didn't make any sense to him. But then, Kira had been busy with the Duel at first, then the Aegis after that, so he hadn't had much time to see where the stolen machines were. The Buster was damaged, though not seriously by what Kira could tell. "What is the Buster doing here," Kira asked.

Chief Murdoch glanced at the Buster then over at Kira, "Oh that, according to what Lacus said, the Shadow whipped the Buster and then destroyed its lifter. We picked it up once the Federation got here and started driving ZAFT back and off of us. When the Buster got onboard, the ZAFT pilot was extracted after he surrendered. I would guess the soldiers took the kid off in one of the brig cells," he replied. "Thought McGregor would end out in one of those cells before anyone else honestly."

Meanwhile, Lisa landed close to the shrapnel zone that the explosion had created so she could look it over more carefully. After her fighter was on standby, she popped open the cockpit and proceeded to the ground via the wing. She removed her helmet hopefully to get a better look as her helmet's visor wouldn't help in this. Lisa approached the nearest collection of parts and scanned it to try and identify what she was seeing. The field of debris was scattered in the area of the explosion mostly, though there were scraps a little outside of that range. However, within a minute, Lisa could identify enough of the wreckage to know one of the machines involved had been the Shadow. The rest made her think the X303 Aegis was the most likely to have been the other in the explosion.

Yet, that didn't make much sense, as the pilot of the Aegis was one of Tyler's friends. She couldn't imagine any circumstances that would pit Tyler against any of his friends. Tyler would disagree upon things, but he didn't let such come to a head which may require a fight to settle it. So what could have happened in the thirteen to fourteen minutes that Tyler had been gone from the Federation task force? But the reasoning was not the most important thing right now, it was searching for survivors. The explosion hadn't appeared nice, but there was a slim chance that someone could have survived. And if there was one that you could count on to beat "impossible odds" Tyler was your guy hands down.

Nevertheless, the sound of voices drew Lisa's attention before she could start searching for any clues about Tyler. She glanced over in the direction that they were coming from and saw a group approaching where she was. Lisa saw several children a distance away, most of them watching her and whispering to each other. Some of the children were trying to hide and others weren't attempting to do so at all. There had been nothing in reports to suggest there could be innocent bystanders to the battle that had been wrapped up. But they could have witnessed some of the battle and have the information she didn't. Lisa approached them, "Did any of you see what happened here?" she asked.

Lisa turned and focused on a man that appeared behind the kids, and when he had, many of the children flocked to him. He was around average height, had black hair was wearing a long sleeve jacket with a tan shirt underneath. His eyes were closed and a few of the children were guiding him forward, so Lisa assumed that the man was blind. She removed her helmet before continuing, "My name is Lisa Malto, I'm a pilot of the Federation Military, I'm here inspecting what happened here. Can any of you give me a summary of the events that occurred please?"

Reverend Malchio had been working on keeping the children he was watching over calm which had been a difficult task. The battle between ZAFT and OMNI that had started recently had frightened the children immensely. Malchio couldn't figure out why the two sides would fight one another around here since it was Orb territory which now meant it was under the Federation's watch. The announcement had come a month ago from Lord Athha which come as no surprise to Reverend Malchio. Orb was so similar to the Human Federation in its policy and views, it made sense to join the Federation. It should have made things safer rather than more dangerous. ZAFT and the Alliance tended to stay out of Federation territory as the Federation's Military patrolled its territory.

Nevertheless, the children had told him of the fighting since he couldn't see it being blind. And what they had described hadn't been pleasant to listen to as the battle didn't sound good. The fighting was a distance away so, the orphans and himself shouldn't be in immediate danger, but such could change in a heartbeat. Then there had been a loud explosion nearby which had terrified all the children who had rallied around him. Many of the children had been crying after the boom begging for the "scary things" to stop. It had been minutes later that one of the older kids had said they were seeing plans appearing outside. That told Malchio that Federation forces had arrived and would likely settle the fight between the Alliance and ZAFT.

Once that was happening, some of the orphans began going outside again and looking around. There had been wreckage spread around a short distance away from the orphanage according to the children. By what they described to Malchio, it sounded like they were seeing damaged parts of mobile suits. And now a Federation pilot was here asking for information about what had happened. It made Malchio wonder what was really going on and what that explosion had been before. The voice had sounded female and had held no malice, more desperation if Malchio heard right. "Indeed Miss, we did happen to hear and witness some of this horrible battle that took place," he replied. "We were trying to understand what was going on outside as it sounded like a great battle was going on."

Lisa looked at the man one more and noticed his eyes were closed which could mean he was blind. The kids around him did appear to be leading him which would agree with the assessment that he was blind. Lisa had heard that some of the citizens of Orb did also live on the smaller islands that were in the territory. "Yes, a battle did happen nearby," Lisa acknowledged, "I'm one of those trying to gather information to see the full impact."

Reverend Malchio nodded in comprehension, "I can understand the need of such Miss," he returned. "But forgive me for not introducing myself, I'm known as Reverend Malchio. As to what happened, we heard the sounds of the battle going on from the orphanage we live at. I kept the children inside as I felt it would be safer to do for them with all the fighting. But then, there was a loud boom and a bright light by what the children said, and that scared them a great deal. After that, the sounds of battle came back but farther away than before. Some of the older children said they saw planes that I believe would be Federation fighters appearing. Beyond that, we have been looking around to see what has happened before meeting you, Miss."

While the discussion between Lisa and Reverend Malchio was going on, some of the older kids were exploring the wreckage nearby. They were watching over the younger kids as Malchio had always taught them to do. And once some of the younger kids found a large "boulder", they got the older kids to come to take a look. The oldest among them looked at what had been found and knew it wasn't a "boulder" not with the straight sides it had. And it looked to have wires and other globs of metal all over it which rocks didn't have. The oldest kid told the others to not climb on the object as it was too dangerous right now. At the same time, another was looking at the object more closely and said they saw something inside it. After that, the whole group started back to Reverend Malchio to tell him about what they had found.

Lisa was going to ask further, but a group of children came into view chattering about something as they got closer. Reverend Malchio could hear the approaching kids though couldn't tell what they were saying. "Reverend Malchi," one of the younger children called, "There's a big mound over there." One of the older kids nodded, "It isn't a boulder since it has flat sides and looks to have wires and metal on it." Another child stepped forward, "there also seemed to be something inside the object."

Malchio cocked his head to the side, "Why not show us what you are talking about, your descriptions aren't clear."

The whole group including Lisa began to follow the group of children as they turned around and led the way back to the object they'd found. Lisa instantly saw that the 'mound' that had been referred to was as far as she could tell, a good portion of the torso section of the Shadow. The torso was definitely damaged with the outer plating mostly gone leaving much of the framework that surrounded the cockpit. Such suggested that the cockpit could have made it through the explosion and protected the pilot somewhat. The components of the machine were still around where they were supposed to be, not necessarily where they had been placed during the construction. A number of those components were melted and unrecognizable, also forming a layer of melted material between the inside of the cockpit and the outside world. But there were gaps that Lisa saw that might reach the cockpit itself and it meant there was hope.

So, Lisa moved forward climbed up, and hoisted herself to the front of the machine, which was facing upward, and began scanning with a critical eye. It was a miracle that the cockpit was in any way intact after the explosion. However, she saw something through the gaps she could something, but it was too vague to make out. Lisa reached into the largest gap she could find and felt around to hopefully identify what she had seen. Lisa touched something and after feeling for a moment, she realized it was an arm, likely Tyler's. Yet, after going to his wrist and putting two fingers there to feel for a pulse and make sure he was alive. Lisa felt a pulse which she was grateful for, but it was dangerously faint. Tyler needed medical help and required it as soon as possible if he was to live for much longer.

The issue was getting to Tyler would require cutting tools and time to do so safely and Tyler needed no more complications. But a recovery team needed to be called, so Lisa quickly tapped out a command on her right arm control pad. Lisa used her comm to get into contact with the Lapis-class as they were the lead ship of the group that had come. "This is Lieutenant Malto," she stated in a calm manner that she didn't feel herself, so it took her effort to keep calm as she was. "I need a medical evac asap at my location. I have a Federation pilot in critical condition." There was a confirmation from the other end, which left Lisa to wait for the recovery team to be deployed and arrive. She had mentioned after saying Tyler was in critical condition that the team would need cutting tools. Then Lisa had to keep her worry down as she waited for those that could get Tyler out to come.

On the Lapis-class carrier, the rescue team quickly loaded their equipment including plasma cutting tools as "cutting tools" had been requested specifically. It was assumed that the pilot in bad condition had been someway involved in or caught up in the explosion seen earlier. The helicopter lifted off the flight deck minutes after the report came in and everything was loaded. The aircraft climbed before it began heading to the coordinates given and traveling as fast as they could.

It was several long minutes later which seemed much longer to Lisa than there should have been before the sound of the helicopter came to her ears. Reverend Malchio gathered and calmed down the children who were either excited or scared at the moment as the aircraft became visible to those waiting. The helicopter came into land nearby the wreckage field in a large clear area. The second the helicopter's skids were less than a foot from the ground, members of the rescue team began jumping out and rushing towards the remains of the Shadow's torso. Two of the people had plasma cutting tools by what Lisa saw and she was glad they were rushing to get to work. Tyler didn't have the luxury to wait as his life was in the balance and his chances got worse the longer it took to get him help.

Reverend Malchio kept the children back from those that were working making sure they stayed out of the way of the rescuers. The two with the cutting tools wasted no time and began slicing away the metal that was between the outside and Tyler. The children were watching with interest as they had never seen the cutting tools being used, but they remained back with Reverend Malchio. Lisa also saw others bringing a stretcher over from when those cutting got through to the cockpit itself. And it took around twenty minutes for those working to get into the cockpit area as they couldn't just slice directly to it. Were the cutters to go straight down, it could injure Tyler more and that was too much a risk.

However, once the cockpit was reached, the two cutters called down to those waiting to help them. A makeshift ramp had been made while the cutters had been working so the access-way would be easily reached. Lisa saw four working on bringing out something, hopefully, Tyler as he should be the only thing inside. She held her breath for a long moment until she saw Tyler's body hoisted out of the wreckage. He was carried down by three while the fourth followed them as they headed for the stretcher. Lisa moved forward toward the stretcher to make sure Tyler was still alive and to see how bad a shape he was in. And as she approached, the chattering of the medical personnel didn't comfort Lisa at all as the tone said things weren't good.

The children also walked forward to get a better look at what was going on with Reverend Malchio right behind them. Lisa reached the rescue team before the kids did and she was

shocked and horrified at what she saw. Around half of Tyler's pilot suit still remained on his body if not less overall and that was being optimistic. Some of what was left of his pilot suit were melted to his skin and most of the electronics that were integrated into the suit were gone. While the parts of Tyler's body that had been exposed after the suit was burned/melted away were visibly burned and were a terrible sight to witness.

Reverend Malchio listened to what the children were saying when they came to a stop. They were talking about the "man" on the stretcher who had been taken out of the wreckage. What they described was more than worrisome in Malchio's mind as it didn't paint a pleasant picture. The man was burned and badly so, and whatever he'd been wearing was almost gone and the pieces that were left were "stuck" to him. It sounded like this man had been burned badly and his clothing had been fused to him by whatever he'd been around. After listening to the children's mutterings, Reverend Malchio spoke to the woman that had come inspecting. "It sounds like your colleague came off rather the worse from the explosion, my condolences to you Miss Malto."

Lisa would normally thank the man for his concern, but she was more worried about Tyler at the moment. However, she identified the leader of the rescue team and went up to him asking how Tyler was. She was told that preliminary examinations were not promising, but Tyler was alive right now, yet would need serious medical attention quickly. Tyler would be flown to Orb's mainland to their top hospital for that help shortly. Lisa acknowledged the information and let the rescue team take Tyler back to the helicopter so he could go. She intended to follow in her fighter in the next few minutes, but she needed to contact Luke and Alan and update them on what was going on. But before Lisa could return to her fighter, Malchio called to her, "Miss Malto, if you could wait just a moment and talk to me, I think I can help."

Lisa stopped and looked at the man wondering what help he could offer for Tyler or herself at the moment. As Tyler would be unavailable for a time while he was stabilized, it couldn't hurt to listen to potential help in Lisa's view. So, she turned to face Reverend Malchio, "What kind of help are you offering," Lisa asked. "I'm not trying to be rude, but the one extracted is a friend who is in quite a bit of trouble right now. And I feel that those like him are needed if this war is to come to an end, so I want to do what I can to make sure he lives."

Malchio could understand worrying about a friend, which clearly this woman was doing. Whether the young man that was flown off could do what the woman said was another matter, but Malchio believed it should be given a chance. And if the young man's life could be saved in Orb, he would need time to recover with the injuries described to him. Malchio didn't think that time for recovery would be found on Earth right now with the war going the way it was. However, the PLANTs were peaceful right now and shouldn't be directly involved in the war for the near future. It was the ideal place for one to get the time to rest and recover as best as possible from serious injury. And Malchio believed he could have Siegel Clyne to help in this as the man had a big heart. "Should and when your friend is stabilized, he will need time to recover his strength," he started. "I can't see him getting that here on Earth with the fighting as it is, so it would be best for him to do so elsewhere."

It wasn't that Lisa disagreed, Tyler would need a place to recover and the time to do so. However, there wasn't a place that the war wasn't affecting and so wouldn't be safe for one to recover around that she could think of. So, while the suggestion was a nice thought, it wasn't practical, "You have a point, nowhere on Earth is very safe right now with the war." Lisa paused for a moment, "So, where would you suggest?"

It was easy to hear the stress in the young woman's voice, which implied the one that had been flown off was more than just a "friend". Malchio could understand being concerned for a friend, the war had taken so many good people, including some friends of his. "I would suggest going to the PLANTs as they are not directly being affected by the war right now. Your friend can get the time he needs to recover there. I can make arrangements with some I know there to accommodate you and your friend for the time needed."

Lisa's thoughts had not even gone near the PLANTs, mostly since she had promised she wouldn't go back to them. It had been a little over five years since she had left the colonies that she had been born at. Her "exodus" had occurred after the worst fight with the man that had been her father. Lisa had changed her name after leaving to not be reminded of her former home and not be tempted to go back. Nonetheless, if it would help Tyler, then Lisa would do what she could, even going back to the place she said she would never go to. Lisa ended out sighing after a long moment, "You make a good point, if you could make arrangements that would be very much appreciated." After saying that, Lisa jogged back to her fighter and got into the cockpit before she lifted off.

Lisa set her course to Orb's capital Olofat where their best hospital was and where Tyler would have been taken. She landed at the Orb's military base that was on the eastern edge of the city where her fighter could be kept while she checked in on Tyler. When Lisa got to the hospital, she was informed that Tyler was in the emergency room being worked on currently. As Lisa waited, Luke and Alan did join her after they had finished helping with the clean-up of ZAFT. During the wait, Lisa sent in a report to Federation High Command about Tyler and asked for some means of transportation to elsewhere for recovery. Hours went by before news of Tyler finally came, yet there was little good news brought.

Tyler's condition had been stabilized for the time being however, he was far from okay or even coherent. He had injuries all over his body, the burns had been fixed as best as it was possible, though that was only one of the many problems Tyler faced now. He had lost an amount of blood, which had been replaced already with two blood transfusions. Tyler was also still unconscious and there was no estimation as to when he would possibly wake up if he did at all. The doctors' prognosis wasn't comforting at all to Tyler's teammates as he had been their leader in recent events. It was then Lisa got a message back from Federation High Command and she had to read it three times to make sure she wasn't seeing wrong. The higher-ups had authorized the use of a Hermes-class shuttle and that said quite a bit on them not wanting to lose Tyler.

Hermes-class shuttles were not craft used every day by just anyone, normally only employed for serious emergencies. They could ascend to space by using a mass driver and in a quarter of the time that a normal shuttle did. They could also travel faster than most spacecraft and were protected by solid treaties between the three factions. It was due to the shuttle's design that allowed it to be as quick as it was. The Hermes-class was the only craft that was Federation-designed that all the factions could use if their reasons qualified. So that Federation High Command would say it was necessary was quite a surprise to Lisa and the others. It would certainly get Tyler to the PLANTs as fast as it was possible as the Hermes-class could do the journey in ten hours.

Lisa explained to Luke and Alan about what Reverend Malchio was arranged by his own words. In the middle of her explanation, a call came to Lisa's comm-unit and it showed it was Reverend Malchio. She answered the call and the man told her he'd made arrangements for her to take Tyler to Aprilius One for recovery. Lisa relayed to Malchio that she would be arriving there via a Hermes-class shuttle once her friend was readied to be moved. Lisa resumed talking with Luke and Alan telling them to keep an eye on things while she and Tyler were away. They acknowledged they would do their best to keep watch before they all parted ways. Tyler was prepared for transport with portable life support hooked to him before being moved from the hospital.

At the same time, Uzumi Athha was at his desk going over reports for the day, among which were the ones about the recent battle around the Marshall Islands. It had been ZAFT going against the OMNI ship the Archangel, which was being "mopped up" currently by Federation forces. It was one of the benefits Orb had been seeing with joining the Federation, issues were settled quickly and lives were protected. However, Uzumi paused as a "priority alert" came in, which stated it was from Onogoro. When he brought up the message, he blinked as it said that a "Hermes-class" shuttle was to be loaded to the Kaguya mass driver for launch. Orb had one Hermes-class shuttle, which the Federation had shipped here after Orb joined. The shuttle type was only used for genuine emergencies and nothing else so for them to be requested and authorized was rare.

Uzumi accessed the information network to find out why the shuttle had been authorized and potentially for whom. It was one perk he had as Orb's leader, he could access information others couldn't when he saw the need. He was further shocked that the shuttle was approved by the Federation Admiral Ben Moses himself. Yet, Uzumi's heart skipped a beat when he saw who the shuttle was authorized for, which was Tyler McGregor. The report said the young man had been critically injured and was being transported to the PLANTs. He could only wonder if Ellen knew her son was hurt, he doubted it for the moment. And he couldn't call himself her friend if he said nothing about this to her. So, Uzumi told his secretary to not disturb him for some time as he was making a call.

Ellen was at her desk doing the daily work she normally did, nothing out of the ordinary for her today. Then a call came in for her and she was somewhat surprised to see Uzumi on the vidscreen. "Uzumi," Ellen started, "to what do I owe the unexpected call today?"

Uzumi wasn't fond of giving bad news more so to a friend of his, but he wouldn't let Ellen be kept in the dark. "Ellen, I wish I could say this is a social call to talk about the stresses of running a nation as we both know how that goes." Ellen was wondering what her friend was getting at, she assumed this wasn't a social call, Uzumi did those differently. But a feeling was creeping into her heart that bad news was coming which she didn't want. So, Ellen sighed, "I take it you have bad news of some sort," she questioned, "If so then please just get it out so I can deal with it."

Uzumi took a deep breath, "I wouldn't doubt you heard about the battle between ZAFT and OMNI that happened in Orb territory." Ellen nodded as she had read the report about that within the last hour. ZAFT had been foolish with their actions, and the PLANT's Supreme Council would be answering what the one responsible was thinking. Yet, Uzumi continued, "Due to the effects of that, a Hermes-class shuttle has been requested moments ago." Ellen was worried to hear that, Hermes-class shuttles were rarely a good sign when requested and authorized. But before she could ask Uzumi kept going, "The shuttle was approved and being loaded to Kaguya," Uzumi paused, "from what I read, it is for Tyler."

Ellen's head snapped up at hearing her son's name, studying Uzumi's eyes, and seeing he wasn't joking. This was one of her worst fears, hearing about Tyler being hurt badly if not killed because of this war. And now she was facing the possibility she could lose him, it made it hard to keep her cool calm. She was glad Uzumi was telling her this, rather than another giving her some report about it. Bad news coming from a friend was somewhat more bearable than getting it from others. "I see," Ellen managed to say, "Thank you for telling me Uzumi. I'm no less worried, but it still is nicer to hear this from you."

Uzumi could see tears coming from Ellen's eyes, "That is why I called you as soon as I found out Ellen." Uzumi paused for a moment, "Know that Tyler will be in my prayers until he pulls through."

Ellen nodded, "Thanks, it is appreciated Uzumi."

Meanwhile, the aircraft Lisa was on with Tyler arrived at the Kaguya Facility in fifteen minutes after leaving the airport they had gone to for transport. The moment Lisa exited the plane, she saw the Hermes-class shuttle was being equipped with boosters. The Hermes-class was bigger than normal shuttles were by one and a half times. That was due to the larger fuel tanks on the Hermes as well as the engines it carried. The Hermes had its cabin in the center with the two large slanted wings that came from the back central structure. The craft's engines were in groups of four, one group at the end of each wing and the final group in the rear of the center section. Each engine was comparable with half of ZAFT ships' engine output themselves. And while Tyler was being readied to load onto the shuttle, Lisa managed to find a standard Federation Military uniform for herself. She was to be the "escort officer" for Tyler while around the PLANTs. Lisa could get other supplies when she arrived at Aprilius One, so the uniform was enough. Once on board the shuttle, Lisa stopped by the cockpit to talk with the pilots, "Excuse me," she greeted.

The flight captain turned to see Lisa, "Assume you're the escort officer for the one we are transporting ma'am," he replied. "Captain Morris, hearing that we're heading for the PLANTs."

Lisa nodded, "Yes, I am the escort officer, the destination is specifically Aprilius One captain," she returned.

Captain Morris turned forward, "Understood ma'am, Aprilius One it is."

It was five minutes later that the shuttle was ready for launch from Kaguya. The mass driver control center ordered a hold on all other aircraft so that the Hermes wouldn't have any in their way. It was part of the Hermes Protocol, the shuttles took all priority and were to be given precedence. The shuttle raced down Kaguya's track with its center engine group igniting halfway down the tracks. The Hermes rocketed upward after being flung off Kaguya and activated its other engines along with the plasma boosters on its wings. Lisa was relaxing to counteract the G-force that was coming of the Hermes. She knew that Tyler would be secured and so wouldn't move at all with the ascent into space. And though she wasn't looking forward to going to the PLANTs, it would help Tyler. Honestly, Lisa hoped that fate wasn't against her and have her bump into her father while around the colonies.

While that was going on, Cagalli was coming back to check on the ZAFT soldier that her group had brought in hours ago. She wanted answers as to what ZAFT had been doing around the Marshall Islands when they shouldn't be there. And with things as they were, the ZAFT pilot would be sent back to Carpentaria once he was cleared. So the window for getting information was closing quickly and Cagalli wouldn't give up so easily.

At the same time, Athrun Zala woke up in a bed, and a quick glance around the room told him that he was in a hospital somewhere. He was still numb from the images of what happened to the Shadow being destroyed going through his head. But before he could figure out what was going on, the door to the room opened and Athrun found himself looking at the blonde girl from before. Cagalli saw the guy was awake and didn't waste time, "Finally awake then are you," she said evenly. "Perhaps now you can tell me what happened out on the battlefield that wasn't supposed to be there in the first place."

It was a loaded question if ever there was one, and Athrun didn't know where to begin on how things had come to be what they were. Athrun had "lost the plot" about how hunting the Archangel had ended out causing the battle that had gotten Tyler killed. Heck, he didn't even know where he was now or what would happen to him. "Where am I," Athrun asked, "I'm still gathering my thoughts as to what is going on."

Cagalli was irritated that this guy wasn't answering her question of what had happened. She could understand the confusion of waking up in a strange place, she really could. However, there were questions to be answered and the sooner they were the better. So, Cagalli figure that if she tell him where he was, that maybe he would be more cooperative. "You're in a hospital in the Orb Union on the mainland," she returned. "You were brought here after you fainted when my group found you."

Athrun figured that he was in Orb, it made logical sense all things considered with where he had been. It didn't change what he had done, which he wished it did but Athrun couldn't undo what he had done. Tyler was gone, as much as Athrun would give anything for that to not be so, it was a fact now. Athrun had never meant to do that, but his actions had brought about Tyler's end, and he regretted it. So, all Athrun could think to do was exhaled in horrible acceptance, "I see," he muttered.

Cagalli was losing her patience on this, so pinned the guy with her eyes, "Who are you and what happened out there," she demanded in a slightly louder voice.

"My name is Athrun Zala, I'm a pilot in the ZAFT military," he said, "As for what happened, it's complicated and getting more so the longer I consider things."

While what this Athrun said about things being complicated could be true, that wasn't an answer. "I'm Cagalli Yula Athha," she introduced herself. "And no matter how complicated that fight may have been, you can give some explanation."

Athrun was a tad stunned that the girl next to the bed he was in happened to be the so-called 'Princess of Orb'. Her father Uzumi Nara Athha was seen to be the leader of the Orb Union as the man was the head of its ruling council. And with Orb being a part of the Federation now, dealing with Orb had changed. It meant that Athrun would be returned to likely Carpentaria soon enough once he recovered. So, he didn't have to answer questions, but he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. And as Cagalli kept gazing at him, Athrun decided it would work out to do as she had asked and tell her what had happened on the battlefield. So, he began by giving a 'short' summary of the battle that had occurred. He kept his voice flat and even as he spoke, yet Athrun noted that Cagalli had some type of interest in the Archangel and those involved with the ship.

Cagalli had heard the rumors and read some of the reports about the Archangel being chased by ZAFT. Why ZAFT had such an interest in the ship, she couldn't begin to guess, but for that to bring ZAFT into Federation territory, that was odd. But as Athrun talked about fighting the machine that Kira piloted, Cagalli paid close attention. Athrun kept going even if he paused from time to time during his recounting. What got Cagalli was tears were flowing from the guy's eyes as he kept talking. It was weird to watch and made her think that he had been forcing himself to fight in the battle. When he came to the explosion, he nearly broke down as he stated a different mobile suit was destroyed along with his own. Cagalli ended out shaking the guy to get him to talk, he hadn't said what happened to Kira. "What happened to Kira Yamato," she demanded, "Where did he go damn it?!"

Athrun was feeling the weight of guilt, that it was his fault that his friend Tyler was dead now, the pain coursing through him made sure he didn't forget that fact. And Athrun couldn't forgive himself for what he did no matter how it had come to be. Yet, the question from Cagalli caught him off-guard, for until now, he hadn't thought about Kira. That brought on a fresh and new wave of pain, that he hadn't even considered his remaining best friend. "I don't know what happened to him. I would guess that he returned to the Archangel, still completely blind to the fact that he's being used." Athrun paused for a moment, "OMNI is going to do horrible things to him sometime in the near future and he had no idea what is coming."

It was a full day later that the Archangel came into port at Orb's mainland for resupply and repairs. The arrival of the Archangel in the Orb Union was a quiet and solemn affair. Orb's government had permitted the Archangel to dock so that the ship could be resupplied and get repairs done that came from the most recent combat they had seen. By that point, the news of Tyler's actions and ultimate fate spread like wildfire throughout the Archangel. The Heliopolis volunteers took the news by far the hardest of those on the ship. Miriallia broke down crying when Tolle had told her about Tyler being killed and was inconsolable. Tolle was quiet, which was different for him as he was talkative most of the time he was awake and not on duty with Natarle. Sai and Kuzzey said nothing, but it was clear that they felt the loss of their friend like the others did. None of them could believe Tyler was gone from their lives, yet the fact couldn't be proven false.

Even the officers of the vessel were melancholy at the news of Tyler's fate. Most were in disbelief that Tyler had been taken down, the kid had been the best pilot they had. The loss of the Shadow was even worse than it had been when it was thought to be left back in the Republic. Natarle Badgiruel was no exception to the melancholy, she too showed signs of regret, perhaps of her accusation of Tyler McGregor. For him to be on the battlefield and fighting against ZAFT and protecting the Archangel as he had before, showed that he didn't wish ill on the ship and hadn't betrayed them as she claimed. And the fact that he'd given his life to save another was something Natarle couldn't help but respect.

It took around three days for the repairs to be done well enough to get the Archangel ready to ship back out. During that time, Kira had convinced Lacus that it would be best for her to leave the ship while it was in Orb. Many of their friends also had been telling Lacus that she should leave the Archangel while it was in Orb. It pained her to think about leaving while they went into a potentially dangerous situation. Yet, Lacus finally agreed with their pleas, and when Kira's parents came by to see Kira, she left when they did. The farewells were sad ones, but they had all come to know that it would happen sometime before JOSH-A after finding out her true identity. Along with Lacus's departure, the Asuka was also taken off the Archangel as it needed serious repairs and the mechanics were unable to fix what was needed. So, Morgenroete agreed to take the Asuka and do the repairs, the suit would be ready when they passed by Orb again.

Lacus after leaving decided it would be better for her to return home and try and see what could be done from there. So, she went to Orb's spaceport and booked a seat on a shuttle due to leave for the PLANTs. Her mood was low as she boarded the craft, her thoughts dwelling on friends as she took her seat. She held back the tears with Tyler's fate, but it was difficult to do so for her as the shuttle launched and ascended to space on its journey.

And when the Archangel left Orb, gloom hung over the vessel as it left the last neutral port on the journey to Alaska heavily. The number aboard that were starting to question the value of the Archangel's mission was growing. Even with the officers, Natarle chief among them said their mission was critical to the Earth Alliance. The continual silence from those who they were working for didn't sway the ill thoughts that were coming to them and what answers could await them at Earth Alliance Headquarters in JOSH-A, Alaska.

A/N

And I'll leave off there and continued the story in the next Phase. Okay, a couple of things to go over with this Phase, as I stated at the beginning, this was a part of "Recovery" phase. However, as I was writing and expanding, it was just getting too long for one phase so I decided to split it in two. The scene with Kira in the hangar is a tad different in details, but as some saw Tyler on the battlefield, I wanted that to be taken into account. Then some may have noticed that I elaborated Tyler being removed and then taken to the hospital and added him going off of Earth. I felt it would be "more interesting" to introduce the Hermes-Class shuttle which came to me before now. Not only does it reinforce the Federation's technological superiority compared to the other factions, it shows that in some things the Federation is willing to share, thus showing their "nobility".

Now I will state one thing about the next Phase, yet will not give any spoilers in the process. It will not be exactly as it was originally, there will be changes and additions to the Phase to give it more depth and intrigue. Also, it will likely take more time than this Phase took to write and get out, school is starting back up again for me. School and work suck up much of my time I would use for writing, but it won't be months like the last phase was. Please, some of you take the time to write a review and tell me what you think.