A/n

Here is Phase 43 for you readers. And as I quote every once and a while, I don't own any of the Gundam Universe stuff as cool as that would be, Bandi has that privilege. I only have my characters, musings, and ideas. Hope you all enjoy the Phase!

Phase 43: Call to Stand

June 28th, 71 CE

Lagrange 4

The Astrays had finished the full search of the Mendel colony in the day and a half which had past upon their arrival. They found nothing out of the ordinary outside the colony and within it. The pilots discovered the breathable atmosphere within the colony and the docking control area. The colony's spaceport was a mess but did allow the Archangel and Kusanagi to dock inside. However, there was no room for another ship with the debris filling the spaceport area. Kisaka planned to have the Astray pilots clean the spaceport both to get the work done and give the pilots practice in the environment. Mu and Krystal had joined the groups of Astrays during their investigations. They both needed the practice for piloting mobile suits in zero-g since it was different than a mobile armor. The cleanup of the spaceport was started after the investigation, which was a more involved task than the exploration. It was done in shifts to move the job along slowly, but it would be done in the next few days at the pace set.

It was close to a day after Athrun and Kira had left for whatever Athrun had wanted to do around the PLANTs. The kid had never exactly mentioned, which had those who knew of Athrun's trip curious. Cagalli was worried about Athrun and what he was getting into. The PLANTs were dangerous for one like Athrun, and he could be hurt or killed. The longer Athrun was gone, the worse ideas Cagalli imagined he was experiencing. She didn't want Athrun to get hurt or die from confronting his father. Cagalli couldn't say why she cared as much about Athrun, but she didn't want him gone. She couldn't place the feelings she had when it came to Athrun yet, but there were different than anything she had felt before. Nevertheless, it was late that day that the Freedom was detected approaching the Mendel colony. However, the Freedom wasn't alone as it was approaching the colony. It was accompanied by another mobile suit and an unknown ship.

The Eternal with the Aurora and the Freedom escorting the ship toward the Mendel colony. As they came into the area of Lagrange 4, an eerie feeling came to Tyler. The abandoned colonies here at L4 were still operating to varying degrees. The Information Network and routine inspections left no doubt about that. It wasn't entirely the same as Junius Seven felt to be around, but it was similar enough to be unsettling to Tyler. The facts about Mendel alone sickened Tyler, the "experiments" done there and in a few of the other colonies had been horrible.

Tyler's group approached the Mendel colony named after Gregor Mendel. The man was a historical figure from the nineteenth century before the Reconstruction war and the Cosmic Era. And the Bernal Island 1 colony was the most well-known one in the L4 cluster, but more due to the nasty rumors about the place. From what Tyler could see from a distance, the reports about the colony were accurate. It was the cluster's most intact colony overall, so that Tyler would guess the most functional of them too.

Kira radioed the Archangel and informed them that the ship he was with wasn't an enemy. Tyler listened to Kira explaining to those at the colony how the Eternal had ended out with him. Those at Mendel wondered how the ship Kira was with had gotten here, but that wasn't the most surprising thing. What was causing pause with most was Lacus had "managed" to pull off the theft of the ship, and ZAFT hadn't been able to stop her group. Those on the Archangel knew Lacus had "unique" skills and capabilities, and she had shown that. However, stealing a new ship from ZAFT was in a league of its own. As the Eternal started maneuvering back into the colony's dock, Mu could only shake his head. "I always suspected the Pink Princess was something else," he began, "But I underestimated her."

Krystal snickered, "You weren't the only one that didn't give her the credit she deserves, Mu. I think we should just be grateful she is alive since many wouldn't be after enduring what she has." Krystal glanced at the red spacecraft, "Yet, Kira only said the red machine was with them, no other detail, I find that odd." Krystal turned her attention to the Archangel, "Do we have any information on that red unit, Archangel?" Murrue had asked Kuzzey to get in touch with the Kusanagi and see what they could find out about the unknown machine. From what he was saying, the Kusanagi said the unit had a Federation ID which Kuzzey said he was told meant it was a trusted ally. Murrue had Miriallia give that information to Mu and Krystal and tell them it was all the information they had.

Meanwhile, Tyler slowed his approach as he watched the Eternal spin around and started backing into the colony spaceport. Tyler had scanned over the immediate area and saw Astrays, the Strike, and the Shadow, in what Tyler assumed were lookouts. Even if L4 was officially Federation territory currently, that didn't mean ZAFT and OMNI didn't come around it. Thus, posting lookouts was sensible, and Tyler would applaud the action. However, while Tyler was observing the Eternal docking, a message appeared on one of the displays in the cockpit. Tyler brought up the message and saw it said a shuttle from the Voyager class, which had been following, would be departing for the Mendel colony. The shuttle had Siegel Clyne on board along with a few others, by what Tyler read. He didn't doubt Lacus would appreciate seeing her father as soon as possible. With Siegel not getting to the Eternal, many bad assumptions about what happened to the man could be made. And Tyler figured that since the two had been in hiding, they hadn't had much face-to-face contact as of late. Tyler could do the easy thing and just go to the Archangel and have the Aurora stored there for the moment. However, he wanted to ensure Siegel was okay and could do that better on the Eternal. Plus, he could then escort Siegel to where Lacus was to reunite the two quicker if he did.

So, Tyler waited for the Eternal to move into the dock, sliding to the left of the Kusanagi, behind, and to the left of the Archangel. He didn't recognize the ship beside the Eternal but assumed it was an orb ship as that's where the group would've come from. But Tyler didn't have much time as he detected the shuttle the message had mentioned approach. So, Tyler shifted the Aurora into its suit form and headed for the spaceport entrance. Mu had noticed the movement of the red spacecraft and his eyes widened as it changed into a mobile suit. It appeared to be a Gundam-type but had equipment different from what had come out of the G-Project. The shield was completely different, and it had cannons more as the Freedom had than what the prototypes did. It made Mu wonder if what he saw was an example of a Federation interpretation of a Gundam-type unit.

Tyler contacted the Eternal's bridge and asked them to open their linear catapult so he could come in. The woman Aisha was in charge and didn't have an issue letting the young man who had helped them onto the Eternal. What made her pause was him saying there would be a shuttle behind him. The sensor operator was seeing nothing other than the Aurora approaching. But Aisha figured that if there were a Federation shuttle came, it would have a stealth system like anything else the Federation used seemed to have. It would also provide a way for their SOLAS guests to leave the ship, which Aisha wouldn't say no to. She was grateful for the SOLAS team's help, but having special forces on a ship was unsettling. So, Aisha ordered the catapult opened for the Aurora and the shuttle so they could come on the ship.

Tyler pulled back on his throttles to slow his forward momentum so he didn't hit the deceleration cables hard. He wasn't interested in seeing how good the new restraint system was by having it hold him in his seat. Tyler felt a moderate jerk as the Aurora came into contact with deceleration cables, which stretched before he was brought to a complete stop. Feeling the jerk and the stop reinforced what Tyler preferred the magnetic rail deceleration option the Federation employed. Tyler moved out of the way to allow the shuttle to have an easy entry and was directed to an empty dock. The catapult closed, and the shuttle was secured to the hangar deck while Tyler popped out of his cockpit. One odd thing Tyler noticed was three empty docks but a machine in the fourth one. The suit's frame was unique, yet it reminded Tyler of the Aegis to an extent. The blades it had on its feet and the torso section did look similar to what the Aegis had possessed. However, for lack of better terms, the machine appeared to be built in sections and then connected. Its legs and arms looked to be able to shift like the Aegis could, from what Tyler could see. There also seemed to be a backpack part, though not like the Justice's Fatum-00. Then on either side of the backpack, two other limb-like parts sat folded up to be behind the shoulders of this unit. Tyler could see no obvious weapons on this machine, which meant it possessed hidden weapons.

After taking in the mobile suit, Tyler turned and floated toward the shuttle that was on the deck. As he approached, he took off his helmet, hoping to see Siegel come out of the shuttle as some were already exiting it. Tyler spotted Kurt coming out of the shuttle, the customary black eyepatch over his right eye and the strap around his head. From what Kurt had told Tyler, his right eye had been seriously damaged in the battle of Endymion, and doctors couldn't save any functionality in it. Thus, Kurt had decided to wear an eyepatch instead of having an odd-looking eye. Kurt had many skills, giving him the same rank and a pilot license as Tyler. But he wasn't a member of SOLAS even when he had been offered a position. Kurt was a special forces agent by choice. Tyler nodded at Kurt, who returned the gesture, "Kurt, nice to work with you on a job," Tyler greeted. Tyler next saw three coming out of the shuttle, Siegel in the middle with a Federation soldier on either side. Tyler spotted Siegel's left shoulder was crimson, and so Siegel was being rushed off for medical attention. Tyler turned back to Kurt, "Kurt, should I ask how things went with extracting Siegel?"

Kurt shrugged, "As he was a high-priority target for some in power, a large group was sent to try and capture him according to the soldier that sung to me. But with the special forces, I would say it was more they were there to kill him," he replied. Tyler didn't like what he heard and believed Kurt's assumption was right on the money. Those who had been after Lacus seemed to have the goal of capture and had been watching their movements. When a group was out to kill another, they didn't watch their actions and just did whatever it took to get the point done. Kurt continued, "But they didn't expect a team with the same skill level to show up and show them no more mercy they were giving. A few of Mr. Clyne's defenders gave their lives to protect him, and rest assured, they will be honored for their bravery and sacrifice."

Tyler sighed, "Well, I wish they hadn't needed to do so, but that seems to be the world we live in now. On the bright side, Sakura will be very grateful for what you and the team did, Kurt," Tyler remarked.

Kurt gained a soft smile, "I would do something for her even if I weren't asked, she is a friend," he reasoned. "And I owe her a favor I've been waiting to repay. She saved my team at Endymion, and I can't thank her enough for rescuing those who are family to me." Tyler bowed his head solemnly, understanding having those you loved as if they were family. Kira and Athrun were that for Tyler.

Tyler floated off to the ship's infirmary to check on Siegel as he had been injured, shot by what Tyler had heard. He may not know where the infirmary on the Eternal is, but he knew where it would generally be on a ZAFT vessel. He hoped that the layout would be similar enough to other ZAFT vessels that it would get him to the infirmary. It took Tyler about five minutes to find the room he was after. Tyler found that Siegel's shoulder was wrapped up, and his arm was in a sling. Tyler exhaled heavily, "Thank goodness," he said, getting Siegel to look at him, "Glad to see you alive and doing okay rather than the alternative outcome."

Siegel gained a soft smile since Tyler had a point as Siegel could have died before the Federation team had arrived and saved him. And members of the team had said Lacus was okay and had gotten away unscathed. Siegel was grateful to the Federation for saving his daughter and himself. He didn't want to imagine what would've happened if they hadn't stepped in. Siegel would likely be dead, and that would cause hardship for Lacus, it would set off Sakura. Sakura would've been out for blood belonging to any of those involved, and they would suffer her wrath, Siegel didn't doubt that. His eldest daughter would still want vengeance for the attempts on her family, but she wouldn't set out for blood like she would've been if either had been killed. "Yes, I'm grateful to the Federation soldiers that interceded and saved those they did," Siegel replied. "Things could've been far worse if they hadn't appeared." He nodded at Tyler, "I wish to thank you and the others that saved Lacus, I didn't want her involved in this."

Tyler bowed, "More than happy to help save her," he returned. "Only wished I could've done the job sooner and not have you both in danger." Tyler heard someone approaching, and when he looked, he saw Kurt approaching the door. "You didn't tell me what was done to draw the attention of the special forces you mentioned. I'm kind of curious as special forces aren't the easiest to distract."

Kurt smirked, which got Tyler curious about what the man had done. "Let's say they learned that the Federation's sonic grenades really hurt to be hit by," Kurt remarked a tad smugly. "Then, my knife skills are still a cut above the rest, even when it comes to special forces." Siegel was listening as his bandages were set, still remembering the moment Mr. Gream introduced himself. Siegel knew the name since Sakura had mentioned it belonged to a friend and fellow champion. Never had Siegel imagined that a champion, even a former one, would show up to rescue him from being killed. Kurt kept going, "To leave, I put together some things I found at hand to make it appear all in the house were either dead or about to be. ZAFT won't find enough evidence to say he escaped, and there were bodies, so the majority will believe Siegel dead."

Siegel frowned, wishing that the measures weren't necessary to fool others that he was dead. He rubbed his shoulder, "Yes, that sounds about right," he commented. "Although, several good men and women sacrificed their lives to make the escape possible." Tyler didn't want to think about what would happen if Siegel had been killed. The human race would've lost a visionary man who would make the world a better place for all. Siegel was a man who could help bring peace and a known pacifist who would be needed. The war made things volatile enough, losing those that were voices or reason would make things so much worse. Once Siegel was fixed up, Tyler led the man to the docking tunnel that would get them to the port facilities.

Tyler would search for Kira as he figured if he found his friend, Tyler would locate Lacus. While Kira would do his best to "comfort" Lacus, his naiveté would likely foil the attempt if Tyler were to guess. Kira had a heart of gold, but the guy was clueless about social stuff and oblivious to non-verbal gestures and hints. Tyler had given up smacking Kira for oblivious misses of hints that most would see clear as day. That wasn't to say Tyler wouldn't call his friend out of some things, Tyler hadn't given up on Kira to leave him to his own devices completely. Thus, with Siegel in tow, Tyler traveled through the colony's southern spaceport looking for Kira and Lacus.

Athrun had been "enduring" Cagalli's worried talk the moment she found him after he had exited the Eternal. And while it was nice for Cagalli to be worried about him, Athrun was a tad embarrassed when others saw Cagalli hovered over him. She was a prominent figure in Orb. Cagalli should be holding herself to a higher standard. Cagalli may well be one of Orb's future leaders, and she should keep that in mind. Yet, in Athrun's heart, he found himself liking Cagalli, being so concerned for his well-being. He'd never had a girl worry about him like this, really few other than Tyler and Kira had consistently shown they cared what happened to him. The moment Cagalli had seen his arm in a sling and his shoulder bandaged, she had panicked and hovered over him. Athrun did manage to pull Cagalli off to one of the empty observation lounges where no one else was around to see her behavior. She had peppered him with questions about what had happened for him to get injured in his shoulder.

Cagalli, on the other hand, the moment she'd seen Athrun, had been more than worried. She had been extremely concerned about Athrun going to the PLANTs to do whatever he was. Kira had mentioned that Athrun wanted to "talk" to his father, but nothing had been said about what. With how Athrun was injured, the "talk" hadn't ended well and didn't sit well with Cagalli. She had questions about what occurred and wouldn't let Athrun deflect her as he had before leaving. Athrun was a good person, and the world needed those with the war going in the direction it was. "What happened, Athrun," Cagalli asked firmly, "How did you get hurt?"

Athrun looked at the floor, not wanting to meet her eyes with the question Cagalli was asking him. He knew that confronting his father would not end well, and all the facts pointed to that. His heart didn't want to accept all that inferred Chairman Zala would not listen to reason. So, the shoulder injury resulted from the poor decision he had made in the face of the facts. "The consequence of trying to reason with one that won't heed reason anymore," Athrun replied.

What Athrun said didn't make sense to Cagalli, and she wanted answers to what happened to him. He had been gone for close to two days, and when he returned, he had bandages on his shoulder. Most didn't go on a trip and return with an injury that had to be treated as Athrun's did. So, she glared at Athrun, "What do you mean consequences of reasoning, Athrun," she just about demanded.

Athrun didn't want to get into the details of the encounter with his father any more than he wanted to relive them. And he knew Cagalli would be appalled by what occurred as most would be. Nor would she likely understand that Chairman Zala wasn't Athrun's father any longer. As Tyler had implied, and now Athrun knew for himself, the man looked like Patrick Zala but wasn't him. Patrick Zala was gone forever, and nothing could change that horrible fact as much as Athrun wanted there to be. The Bloody Valentine had been the beginning of his father's fading death, and the war had pushed it along. While Athrun accepted that even if begrudgingly so, someone like Cagalli would be unable to do the same. Thus, Athrun sighed, "I tried to help the man see reason, but he wouldn't heed it or even listen to what I was telling him. He was so focused on his own ambitions that he was blind to anything else." Athrun paused, clenching his teeth, "He was supposed to be my father, he hated war and said it was a horrible thing and a ridiculous waste. But that same man now insists that winning the war is the only thing that matters. I became so angry the Chairman was using my father's face and voice that I tried to attack him. He shot me before I could reach him," Athrun went on but never finished.

Cagalli had not liked what she had heard from Athrun. She had got that he was iterating about talking with his father. However, something had happened that had ended with Athrun getting shot. That he was "shot" by a gun more than worried her, it scared her a great deal as he could've been killed. Worse, his father had shot him before he escaped the PLANTs. But she couldn't help interrupting him after he said he got shot, "Your father shot you," she exclaimed.

Athrun shook his head, "It was just before I was shot that I realized and understood the man was no longer my father. He may look and sound like him, but my father has been lost and will not come back." Athrun hesitated, "Others tried to warn me that the Chairman wasn't who I thought he was anymore. Friends and even your own father implied that, and yet I didn't listen to them and found out the point the hard way. So, my unwillingness to accept the point resulted in me getting shot in the shoulder."

Cagalli could only shake her head at what Athrun had gotten himself into. He was so stubborn, which had cost him in the form of an injury. Yet, as frustrating as that was with the guy, Cagalli couldn't help herself but like some of the qualities he had because of it. Athrun's wish to want to see the best in others was something she appreciated. He was a good person just caught up in the war. "Why is it you're always getting hurt whenever I see you," Cagalli asked.

Athrun smiled softly at the question, even when he never intended to get injured when it did happen. If anything, the amulet that Cagalli had given him reminded him of what he still had to live for. She was one of those important to him and made his life worth living. "Your amulet helped keep such to a minimum," he replied, "It helped me remember what is important."

Cagalli had given Athrun the amulet as a "good luck" charm for his journey. It was the only thing she could think of to do for him before he had left for the PLANTs that it had helped him in some way and brought warmth to her heart. She'd hoped it would help him somehow, though she didn't know how it could assist him. "So, the amulet helped you, did it," she asked, "That's good to hear." Tyler was passing by the lounge and began hearing the conversation between the two as it continued. Siegel was still behind Tyler as the young man glanced to an area to the right. Siegel glanced in that direction and saw Patrick's son with a blonde girl talking. He did notice that Athrun had bandages wrapped around his right shoulder. Siegel could only imagine what could've happened to Athrun for him to have been injured as he was. Tyler had slowed to listen to Athrun and Cagalli's conversation, wondering what was about. He felt something was going on between the two and was curious what it could be. Tyler did look up to one of the upper observation lounges and spotted Lacus and Kira near the window.

Cagalli stared at the Eternal, still trying to wrap her head around how someone like Lacus could have managed to steal it. The ship wasn't small, and its customization would likely have it watched more than other vessels. Yet, not only had she and others managed to take over the ship, but also escape ZAFT. It was impressive even to imagine what had possibly gone into this to Cagalli. So, she continued, "It's amazing that she escaped with this huge thing." Cagalli shook her head, "She's pretty awesome doing that."

Athrun wouldn't disagree with Cagalli's assessment of Lacus, for it was true. Lacus had resisted the Supreme Council and those pursuing her, which most would've done far worse with. She had also been broadcasting the truth among the PLANTs for as long as she could before a channel she used was silenced. And even with all that, Lacus had gotten others on her side, and they had commandeered a ship without ZAFT figuring it out. Sure, Tyler had helped to some degree along with other Federation soldiers, but that had been at the end. "Yeah, that is one way of putting it," Athrun remarked, "But I don't think it quite says it."

Tyler was still listening to the two wondering what was going on between the two as there was something. As far as Tyler knew, Athrun had been engaged to Lacus but was unlikely still in that standing with the Freedom's theft. In Tyler's opinion, Kira was a better match for Lacus than Athrun, and it was more Lacus seemed to like Kira more romantically. That made the point that Kira being so oblivious all the sadder both with Kira's naïveté and Lacus's frustration. Kira would still have to get Sakura's approval, and Tyler had no idea how he would get that from Lacus's older sister. Tyler stopped as Cagalli, and Athrun turned to gaze up to where Kira and Lacus were.

Cagalli was gazing at the Lacus and Kira pair, still wondering several things about them. While she'd been on the Archangel, Cagalli had often seen the two together, but she hadn't thought much about it. The two were the ship's mobile suit pilots at the time, so they worked as a team when the battle came to the ship. However, as Cagalli looked at the two now, she felt there was more than just friendship or camaraderie between them. She couldn't say exactly what it was, but it was something more than friendship, which she was sure of. "They're looking close," Cagalli said, "I mean, she is your fiancée, isn't she?"

At one time, Lacus had been arranged to be his fiancée, an agreement between their fathers. Athrun hadn't minded the arrangement to marry Lacus when they turned nineteen, and he had accepted the idea. He knew that Commander Clyne had been against the arrangement and had made her objections vocal. And then, his father had nullified the arrangement before Athrun had headed off to search for the Freedom. "Former fiancée," Athrun replied, smiling slightly. Cagalli looked puzzled before Athrun continued, "I acted like an idiot and paid for that."

While Athrun's admittance of no longer being arranged to marry Lacus was interesting, Tyler found his reasoning more so. For one to acknowledge they had been foolish was healthy and a rare thing Tyler had found. Humans could be prone to recklessness and foolish actions. It was a flaw in the human race. Thus, Tyler couldn't hold in the snickers escaping him, which drew the attention of Cagalli and Athrun. "Worry not, Athrun, for you're not alone," Tyler commented, "Idiotic actions don't always seem so when you consider them. To be foolish is human, to learn from such experiences divine."

While Athrun was blinking at the last line, Cagalli was processing what Tyler had just said. It wasn't what Tyler would normally say, and it sounded more like something his father Lance would say. Tyler's father may have been a scientist, and a damn good one at that, but he was also a philosopher at heart. Tyler had not inherited the philosopher part or much of the scientist qualities from his father. But Tyler did, sometimes, come out with one of those lines his father was known for. Athrun cracked a smile, "You're sounding like your father, Tye," he remarked.

Tyler bowed, "That is a wonderful compliment, Athrun," he replied, "My father's ideals, if applied, benefit many and even the human race as a whole."

Cagalli shook her head, "Well, better now to have such a realization than never," Cagalli stated. "The lessons hard-learned are the ones we remember the most." Tyler blinked at the second sentence as it was a point his mother had brought up many times. It brought to mind that Ellen had mentioned she talked to "another" in the last few years. Tyler recalled her saying the person came from Orb at least once a month, but she had never stated who that was. For all Tyler knew, that person could be Cagalli, and it would be the biggest surprise to him if she turned out to be. Sadly, Tyler's service didn't allow him to come around home as much, or when he wanted, missions made that nearly impossible. Tyler smiled softly, "You have wisdom beyond your years to know and say that, Cagalli."

Cagalli gazed at Mr. McGregor, wondering what he meant by "wisdom beyond her years." It was a lesson Ellen had taught her over the time she'd known the woman. Cagalli had taken the wisdom to heart and found that Ellen was quite right. It was one of many lessons that Cagalli had gained from Ellen when she was the "mother-figure" in her life. Tyler continued, "Applying that idea, however, is a different matter as much as I wish it weren't. It normally comes through experience, multiple ones for it to stick, but that's not the point right now." Cagalli glanced back at Kira, who looked to be talking to Lacus about something. Kira seemed just as foolish as Athrun had been but hadn't figured the point out yet. It showed that Coordinators could be as foolish as Naturals could be at times. "And I think that Kira is just as much a fool. So, even Coordinators can be fools," Cagalli commented.

Tyler burst out laughing at what Cagalli said as it was hysterical in so many ways. Tyler had learned long ago that being a Coordinator didn't mean he didn't do foolish and/or dumb things. When he was younger, Tyler had been a tad "accident-prone" and had been embarrassed by some of the things he'd done. It had shown Tyler that being human was far more important than what type you were. Plus, his dad told him that he would have between his laughter after watching Tyler do something stupid. However, Tyler contained himself before speaking again, "Coordinators are as human as any other type. So, we can be stupid in our actions and how we choose to do things just like everyone else." Tyler shrugged, "Why anyone thinks that Coordinators are perfect and can't make mistakes needs to stop smoking whatever it is because they're frying their brains." Tyler glanced at Kira and Lacus, "Still, I wouldn't say that Kira is a fool like you claim he is, definitely not the kind Athrun has been recently." Tyler turned to Athrun, "No insult or offense intended, my friend."

Athrun knew that Tyler wasn't trying to imply insult against him, that wasn't how Tyler was. Tyler had attempted to warn him without saying things flat out about his father. Tyler's vailed kindness in saying ZAFT's leadership was going down a bad path and not mentioning his father had been nice of him. Athrun had ignored Tyler's hint, and he'd paid for doing that, as his shoulder attested. "None taken," Athrun replied with a dismissive gesture. Tyler faced Cagalli again and picked up where he left off, "Kira is more naïve than he is foolish most of the time. Long have I been waiting for the day that he sheds that naiveté," Tyler put his hands together, "I pray that I live to see it, and I doubt that I'm the only one."

Tyler gestured to Athrun that he would be back before he floated back to where Siegel was waiting for him. The two floated through the corridors heading towards the upper observation lounge where Kira and Lacus were. Lacus probably believed that her father was killed with what Kurt had told Tyler about Siegel's extraction. The girl likely had heard only bits and pieces of what had potentially happened to Siegel. Siegel was alive as he was with Tyler, even if in bandages and a sling. By the time we reached the hallway, Tyler could hear voices which he quickly recognized as the two he was looking for. It instantly became clear that Lacus was crying from what Tyler could pick up. Tyler stopped outside the door and held up a hand to have Siegel wait for a moment. Tyler then opened the door a little and peeked in, seeing his ears working perfectly fine since Lacus was crying into Kira's neck. The sight made Tyler feel awkward as the two were having a "moment." Tyler waited for a long moment before he cleared his throat to get the pair's attention. "Umm, I don't doubt this is a bad time, but with Lacus crying her eyes out," Tyler smiled weakly, "I just can't stand by and do nothing."

Kira looked at Tyler, wondering what he was talking about and why he had come up here. Tyler was a good person; Kira knew he would go far for those he cared about. Kira had seen and experienced how far Tyler would go for others he saw as friends and family personally. However, there was little to nothing he could do for Lacus right now with the state she was in. She had been crying to him, saying she had lost her father, Siegel, during her escape from Aprilius One. By what she said, a second Federation SOLAS team was supposed to have been helping Siegel, but they had never met up with her and those on the Eternal. So, while Tyler would try to cheer up Lacus, there was little he could do unless he could somehow make Siegel appear. Thus, Kira stared at Tyler with curiosity, "What do you mean, Tye," he asked, "can't whatever you want to say wait for a bit?"

While Tyler had expected his friend's naiveté not to help him comfort Lacus, it still was frustrating to witness. He would give Kira a B for effort but a C at best for the follow-through, which got him to shake his head in response. Tyler would think Kira would understand he was here to help Lacus and wouldn't leave her to sorrow. Tyler exhaled and gave the two a pained smile, "Normally, I would say you have a point, and most things can wait, which would be a surprising absence of your naiveté. However, you should know I'm not one to leave a friend in a low mood and let them sulk." Tyler looked to Lacus, still in tears, and Kira gestured to her, "I mean, look at that face, man. Can you just stand there and not want to comfort her?" Tyler paused and sighed before smiling softly, "Lacus, things aren't as dreary as you may think they are, I assure you." Tyler floated back toward the door and opened it, "For look here, your father is alive and okay." Tyler shrugged, "Granted, he took a bullet, but he's been patched up and will recover."

Siegel entered the room and smiled at his daughter, glad to see she was alive and okay after escaping the PLANTs. The second Lacus saw her father, she shot towards him and hugged the man, crying again. She was delighted that her father had made it away from Aprilius One and those that had been hunting for them alive. Yes, she could see he was wrapped up much like Athrun, so he'd gotten hurt before getting away. However, now she knew she didn't just have Sakura left as family. Thus, she let the tears of joy flow as she hugged her father, happy that her father was alive.

Tyler moved forward, grabbed Kira, and tugged him along so the two could have time to themselves. While Kira could understand giving Siegel and Lacus time alone, he couldn't figure out what Tyler wanted. He'd cheered Lacus up in a way that Kira couldn't have hoped to be able to do with his best efforts. The two headed down to the main waiting area for the spaceport, where some were talking. Tyler spotted Mr. Waltfeld with other ZAFT officers talking with some from the Archangel and others in Orb uniforms. He assumed that the new ZAFT allies were introducing themselves to the others here. Tyler didn't see Kurt but figured the guy was merely observing things as he normally did while away from the spotlight. That was how Kurt was, do the important work and then return to the shadows before most noticed him and watch from there. However, Tyler felt with the lull in events, now would be a good time for him and his two best friends to catch up. It would be better to do such as soon as they could as Tyler didn't count on things staying quiet for long.

So Tyler directed Kira to the same observation lounge that Athrun and Cagalli were still in but had stopped talking. Cagalli may still be here and wasn't a part of the coming conversation, but the girl could listen as she wished. Tyler didn't have a problem with the girl hearing what they would talk about, and there was no classified info that would be said. Thus, he waved a hand to Athrun, "Hope we're not interrupting anything with you two," he began, "But as it is quiet right now, this would be a great time to catch and compare notes for the three of us."

Athrun nodded, agreeing with the idea as he wanted to know what Tyler had been up to since heading to space. It had been clear from Tyler's words in the last conversation that he had been doing background work. And Tyler would be able to give the Federation's side of recent events, which Athrun would love to know. Kira had blinked at Tyler's suggestion of catching up with each other. Not that he would refuse to talk with Athrun and Tyler as he had questions for them. With Athrun and Kira not saying anything, Tyler took that as he should start the conversation. "So, I'll go first, I suppose, since neither of you have spoken up," he said. Tyler began with his return to the Republic before OMNI's attack and what he had learned. He spoke of the foreboding that hung over the military forces and the general public's concern. Tyler paraphrased the message sent by the Atlantic Federation as he remembered it. He didn't like the contents now more than he had when he had read it the first time.

Tyler's message was much the same Cagalli had heard about from Kisaka and her uncle. The Atlantic Federation had disavowed the Federation and said to surrender or prepare to fight. Athrun could now understand what had so mystified him. The Alliance's attack he had come upon around the Republic hadn't made sense to him then. But piecing together the loss of Panama's mass driver and Tyler saying the Alliance wanted to have a go with the Federation explained several things. And he wondered if ZAFT had figured out the Alliance wasn't holding back anymore or if they didn't see that as an issue. The Alliance had pulled the Federation into the war, and now they and ZAFT would have to deal with the consequences. The ending results of the Alliance's attack on the Republic were as stated around Orb. They had been pushed back by the Federation with effort and some sacrifice by the finish.

Tyler transitioned into how the Federation had taken up defensive postures on Earth for their member nations. Kira asked about what Tyler had said to Athrun, so Tyler summarized the conversation. He did mention the bits about the threat of nuclear tech coming back and being used. Cagalli didn't like what she heard from Tyler about soon ZAFT and the Alliance using nuclear weapons. The N-Jammers were made and deployed to stop that from happening but with the equipment the Freedom and the Justice had, such was a moot point. Nuclear weapons coming back into the war would only make things worse, Cagalli was sure of that.

Then Tyler moved on to him traveling up to space and joining up with the Federation's First Space Fleet. As he was iterating the space fleet's mission, those listening were stunned to vary degrees. Athrun knew the Federation's response to the Alliance attacking their member nations would be precise and effective. However, exterminating OMNI's Orbital Fleets, while in the end, an extremely effective action, it was brutal. Athrun agreed with the Federation's decision with what their response was. It would limit the Alliance's plans in space to go against the Federation and the PLANTs. The issue that Athrun saw was that ZAFT would soon face a similar situation since the Chairman saw the Federation as an enemy. Tyler shifted to his rescue of Lacus from those who some of the council wanted to be silenced. He did leave out his "encounter" with Sakura as he didn't want to talk about what happened with her. Tyler ended with helping the Eternal and following it to the Mendel Colony.

Kira spoke next, starting the day after Tyler had left for the Republic with what was going on in Orb. According to Kira, the tension around Orb was much the same as it was at the Republic and increased as the attack from the Alliance loomed. The news of the results from OMNI's attack on the Republic did provide a small morale boost for Orb's defenders, but the pending fight dispelled the effect for the most part. Orb's preparation was respectable by any standard that Tyler or Athrun could measure. So, when OMNI came, they were close to ready for the attack and didn't instantly fold as the Alliance had hoped for. The attack itself came around two days after the Republic was assaulted, from what Tyler could figure. The fight went as good as expected, much like it had for the Republic and what Tyler had read for the Equatorial Union.

As Cagalli listened to Kira's summary of the attack on Orb, she reviewed how things had gone. She hadn't appreciated what OMNI had done, even with Orb defenders pushing them back. She had heard her father and uncle saying that Orb would likely fall if not for the Federation's military forces helping them. She would agree with the assessment that Federation forces had made a real difference in saving Orb from the Alliance overwhelming them. Cagalli didn't want to imagine where Orb would be if they weren't a part of the Human Federation. Kisaka had said something about a "last resort" contingency being in place if the worst should occur. What had been described had more than worried her as it implied things would be destroyed so the Alliance couldn't have them.

Kira kept going with details about the first fight against OMNI and their second attempt that happened a while later. In the first fight, Athrun had rescued Kira, which Tyler was grateful for as Kira could have been killed if that hadn't occurred. The descriptions of the three "Gundam-type" units on OMNI's side concerned Tyler. They sounded similar to the three troublemakers Tyler and others had dealt with around the Republic. It said OMNI had furthered their G-Project and was trying to produce even more dangerous machines. And it wasn't just the machines, those that piloted them were also odd in ways that Tyler couldn't exactly place. Then the three troublemakers had shown up in the second assault on Orb, which suggested some sort of connection or relation between the machines. Allied reinforcements had turned the tides and pushed back OMNI for the final time before they left.

Kira moved on to the Archangel, and the Kusanagi, as he called it for Tyler, was ordered to ascend to space. The choice or direction made sense to Tyler, and the war was currently transitioning into space. The war was accelerating in a very bad direction; once it fully moved to space, it would sour even faster. Tyler was glad to know that Uzumi was alive and well, as his leadership would help the Federation and beyond. The human race needed as many standard-bearers for peace as it could in dark times. And as dark as things were, Tyler felt it would become more so before a chance of relief. Kira had "escorted" Athrun along his journey to Aprilius One to confront his father.

Athrun took up the narrative from there with his return to the PLANTs and reaching Jachin Due. And he'd been "questioned" about what he'd been doing and where the Justice was by others. However, of all people, ZAFT's Admiral Treize had been touring the base and had helped Athrun out of what he'd been in. Upon arriving at Aprilius One, Athrun had noticed things felt off around the PLANTs more than on his previous visit. Athrun mentioned that ZAFT was still recuperating from Operation Spitbreak and the losses they had taken from assaulting Panama. He told them Spitbreak had been seen as a swift way to bring a close to the war in ZAFT's view. Tyler could see the general logic used for ZAFT's Spitbreak even when it was unlikely to work out the way they wanted. The PLANTs were also still dealing with the "fallout" from the Freedom's theft which was being kept from the public.

However, Tyler didn't like the meeting Athrun had with the Chairman. Athrun had been confronting the man who looked like his father, which he didn't blame his friend for. The meeting itself was much more revealing and educational in Tyler's view than he felt the others would see it as. The major points of note of the encounter were the results of what had happened with JOSH-A, which Athrun had overheard along the way. The demand for Le Creuset's location made Tyler more suspicious that Creuset was the rat he had seen the work of. Athrun said he heard whispers that Spitbreak was worse than it had been, and Victoria was bad. The "faith" in Creuset concerned Tyler as the man had been nothing but trouble, and counting on such for anything else was foolishness. It was even odder that Creuset was trusted more than ZAFT's Admiral Treize when logic would have it the other way around. Case in point, Treize and Creuset's track records were very different from what Tyler had read. Treize had the golden and pristine one, he achieved great results and exchanged the least amount of losses for it. Treize was the near-perfect example of an amazing officer any military could have. While on the other end of the spectrum, Creuset had nearly the opposite type of record, which was hard to argue with. The man may get results but would cause political fiascos and a slew of problems along with his actions in exchange.

Athrun had confronted his father about what the war was doing to ZAFT and others. The man hadn't listened to reason, Tyler would've been surprised if he had. Tyler had seen the signs that Chairman Zala had slipped down a slippery slope and was pretty much lost to logical reason. Tyler had tried to warn Athrun without stating his father was essentially a lost cause as he knew Athrun would not accept it. But with what happened, Tyler knew he should have just said the point outright and shown Athrun the evidence. Instead, Athrun had learned the hard way that his father was gone forever. Tyler didn't like that Athrun was shot, but there was no helping that anymore. As Athrun finished his tale, Tyler couldn't keep the sigh in, "Good Golly Athrun," he began, "part of me wants to say how noble of you it is to wish to attempt to reason with the man. However, the other half of me urges me to grab your shoulders and shake you with some decent force asking what you were thinking at a rather loud volume."

Athrun lowered his head at Tyler's remark since it was well-earned by him through his recent actions. Confronting his father had been more than foolish, it was a miracle that he had lived through it. Tyler had been one of those that had warned him about Chairman Zala and that he was dangerous. Athrun had ignored the advice from friends and proceeded with what he thought was a good course of action. He should've known better than to ignore Tyler's implied advice since he tended to be right the majority of the time. however, it was Kira that spoke first rather than Athrun, "Tye, that's pretty harsh, you know."

Tyler didn't want to hear Kira telling him that he was being unnecessarily blunt and rude to Athrun. Kira was at times like this was too nice and got Tyler to curse the irritating naiveté he sported. And Tyler felt that when another made a stupid decision and suffered the consequences, the truth was to be stated. Athrun should've known better than to go back to the PLANTs after what he did and didn't do with the assignment. Tyler had thought Athrun understood he would be in trouble if he went back, yet he did it anyway. Thus Tyler gritted his teeth and looked away from Kira before taking a deep breath and dropping his shoulders. "There are such colorful words I could say to express my feelings with your naiveté, Kira, especially right now." Tyler paused to take another deep calming breath, "As for Athrun's actions, I would expect much from you because of that cursed naiveté, not him." Tyler held up a hand as Athrun opened his mouth, "Not that I don't understand your desire to reason and attempt to rescue the man that looks and sounds like your father. Had you been able to change his view, I would be celebrating with you right now." Tyler paused to take a deep breath, "I'm disappointed and irked by that you should've had an escape plan and a backup plan should things go badly."

Athrun blinked as he stared at Tyler and kept going, "When going into a situation knowing it will be dangerous, you prepare for what will likely come your way. You plan an escape route or two for when you need to get out. You have contingencies ready to be employed should the need arise. And most of all, you don't assume that you'll be fine and manage to come out of the danger due to something you don't have control over, like luck or fate." Tyler moved forward, grabbed Athrun's collar, and shook him for a moment, "So, what were you thinking, Athrun?!" What had Athrun in shock right now wasn't Tyler shaking him as he did his dressing down. It was that Tyler had tears at the corner of his eyes. "Do you consider what those of us who care about you would feel if you had gotten captured and tortured, or worse, killed? And you still went in and thought what? The PLANTs' Chairman would welcome you and ask how you were doing? Sit down and talk over some sort of drink?! What the man threatened to do to me were I captured should clearly tell you he would do horrible things to you!"

Cagalli and Kira rushed forward at that point, Kira pulled Tyler back while Cagalli put herself in front of Athrun. Kira was trying to calm down Tyler while Cagalli was glaring at Tyler for what he was doing to Athrun. Athrun didn't deserve to be challenged on what he had done, and he had been shot, for goodness sakes. Tyler quickly stopped struggling against Kira and took a moment to calm down. He exhaled before speaking again, "Sorry for losing my cool, but I'm conflicted between being proud of what you tried to do and mad that you didn't think about the consequences." Tyler stopped and shook Kira off of him, "I know I should have told you that the Chairman wasn't the man you knew anymore. I could see the signs clear as day, and I should have told you so that you thought things through. However," Tyler began jabbing a finger at Athrun, "You are to think about what your actions will do to those of us that care about you and want you alive for years to come." Tyler rounded to face Kira, "And you," he snapped, but then stopped and sighed, "I would say you should've talked Athrun out of going off. And yet, it would be a waste as your naiveté would have you wish Athrun the best of luck and let him go."

"I'm sorry," Athrun responded simply.

Tyler slowly turned around and stared at his friend, processing what he'd said. Athrun meant the apology, Tyler didn't doubt that, it just didn't dismiss the stunt he pulled. But Tyler didn't want to argue about this anymore, and it wasn't worth it to Tyler. So, he exhaled, "I'm done with this for the moment. I need time to wind down and de-stress; that is best done right now." And with that said, Tyler left the lounge and vanished down a corridor to get time for himself. He needed time to calm down and collect himself before talking to Athrun again and "discussing" what his recent action had done. Tyler explored the port facilities, keeping out of sight, so he didn't get drawn into something. And he ended up coming into the port's control room which was empty and there had been no one around the port facilities. So, Tyler accessed a console in the room, logged into the Information Network, and scanned through the more recent info there. It was one of the ways that Tyler wound down and de-stressed, just being alone and reading things.

The Federation's Information Network is vast and comprises three basic parts; data gathering, sorting and processing, and application and implementation. The first part was data gathering by informants, lots and lots of them in all sorts of different places. For example, Tyler believed there are a couple among the secretarial staff of the leadership of the Earth Alliance. Some of the PLANT's Supreme Council staff send info to the network. The second part of the network, the sorting, and processing of the incoming information, is done by several facilities in different locations both in space and on Earth. The facilities' actual locations are not made public nor known to ZAFT or the Alliance for a good reason, but the Federation's Luna base was the biggest. Then the third and final part of the network, the application and implementation were done by some in the Federation's military. All the flow and transmissions are encrypted so much that neither ZAFT nor the Earth Alliance had come close to getting through or breaking it.

With what Tyler was seeing, the Alliance had lost two Orbital Fleets and would soon lose a third. At the rate the job was going, the Alliance would lose much of their space forces within a month or so. What got Tyler wondering was that the Alliance leadership on Earth wasn't explained or even informed to those in space. OMNI in space had no idea what had happened on Earth other than Panama's mass driver had been destroyed. Those in space were scrambling to counter their fleets being attacked and destroyed but still didn't know why. Then with ZAFT, they were being strangely silent, which concerned how the war was going. With the recent loss of Victoria, ZAFT would want to counter the Alliance, and they hadn't yet.

At around the same time, the room for the press would meet within the Republic's capitol building was packed. It held news reporters from all major media networks invited and others operating the cameras in the room. The whispers of the news reports told of their curiosity about why they had been invited here for a press conference. Reaching out to media groups for the Republic's public relations department was kind of rare. Then it had been said the "broadcast" would be influential and made by the Prime Minister herself. The Republic's Prime Minister rarely did press conferences where she made a speech, normally through others. So, being told Minister Blass would be speaking was enough for many media groups to send representatives. In the few instances, the woman had spoken to the world, and the events had been indeed ones of distinguished note. Thus, if this one was going to be similar, then none of the media organizations wanted to miss it.

Behind the scenes, there were people, including members of the Federation military, who were preparing to send the broadcast out. The broadcast was going to be sent on every single communication channel possible, private and public, on as many transmission frequencies as possible. The purpose of this broadcast was to deliver a message to as many human beings as possible. And with the assistance of the Federation, this message would reach all members of humanity as was possible regardless of where they were or what means they had of communications. The broadcast was already being transmitted, so many were finding this and wondering what was happening. Thus, the news reports weren't the only ones viewing the proceeding.

One viewing the broadcast was Tyler as he had come across it as he'd been scanning the Information Network. At first, Tyler thought he was looking at a picture of a simple room with people in rows of seats and a lectern at the front. It took him a few seconds to realize that he knew that room as Tyler had been in it a few times before. The room was the Republic's capital building's press room his mother would use sometimes. Tyler could only sit and stare at the screen, wondering what the hell was going on for this picture to be on the screen. After checking, Tyler was further baffled to find out that what he saw wasn't a picture but a live broadcast. His question was what was going on and why is whatever this is being broadcasted on most frequencies?

As Tyler watched, his mother's press secretary came out and stood in front of the podium, looking over the crowd. Those in the room quickly settled down and became quiet, waiting for this broadcast. The man was in a crisp business suit, and he spoke after the signal that the broadcast was being transmitted. "Thank you all for coming to this presentation, your time that you spend here will not be wasted." Snaps of cameras were heard as the man gave the greeting. The man bowed and gestured to his right, "And now, without further ado, our Prime Minister, Ellen Blass."

There were applauses as Ellen came out into the open and walked towards the lectern. The reporters began to ask questions the very second that Ellen came onto the stage, which she expected. Yet, she didn't answer them as her Press Secretary moved aside for her, offering use of the lectern. Ellen knew what she would say in this would either help the human race or be one of the last attempts to put out reason for all. She had taken time to consider what to say in this to get across what needed to be seen. With the war on the slippery slope, it was going down, and things would only get worse if there weren't real change. And real change would require many people to stand up and refuse those pushing the war on. Ellen would wish what happened to the Republic on any other nation or colony. And the pain was fresh in her and motivated Ellen to call the world and colonies to stand up. It wasn't just the Alliance who was working to destroy the human race, ZAFT was doing the same thing too.

As Tyler's mother came out on stage, he put in a command to have the feed display on the largest screen in the room. He was still wracking his brain on what was happening since Tyler's mother wasn't one to have press conferences often. Tyler would admit that his mother had a real talent for giving speeches that got attention and could get people to consider things. And his mother always had a reason why she did something, Tyler knew that as fact and would defend her on that. Thus, Tyler was paying rapped attention more than he begrudgingly admitted he had growing up to this as he should've. But his intuition told him this speech would be something that would be talked about for years to come. Tyler leaned back in the chair he was in as Ellen took the lectern, faced the reporters, and took a deep breath. "As my press secretary said, thank you for taking the time to come here, and I hope you are glad you tuned into this. I invited you all here for an address I will make to the world and those in space, both on the moon and living in colonies. I ask you all to hold your questions until the end of this address, and then I will answer as I can."

All the reporters focused their attention on Ellen, not wanting to miss anything she might say now. Ellen took a breath, looked at one of those working on broadcasting this event, and was given the thumbs up. After seeing that, Ellen began, "To all who are hearing or viewing this broadcast right now, wherever you are, my name is Ellen Blass. I'm the current leader of the Republic of East Asia, one of the founding members of the Human Federation. I make this address in the hope it will assist all of those who can make a difference, see reason, and save the lives that haven't been lost already. Every human being has either seen or experienced the chaos and violence around us in some way which comes from the conflict that rages today."

Tyler knew his Mom had given a couple of "good" speeches before now, and few would argue. But the opening alone got serious interest and implied there would be several uncomfortable people should they be viewing this. At least, Tyler hoped that those his mother would call out in some way were made uncomfortable. Tyler kept watching as Ellen gazed out at the audience, "The war between the Earth Alliance and the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty or ZAFT has been ongoing officially for five years as of February fourteenth of this year and longer than that unofficially. And yet, neither faction has shown any intent or inkling to be open to a chance of peace or end this war in the near future in any way, shape, or form. The leaders of both factions have made all sorts of promises to both those they represent and those they don't. They had vowed not to harm innocent bystanders and end this conflict over the years it had gone on. However, none have provided anything of the sort, all they have brought is a continuation and worsening of the fighting."

Tyler was glued to the large screen with a small smile on his face. His mom was laying a foundation for something, and he could see that clear as day. However, Tyler couldn't conclude what the end goal was, which intrigued him more and fueled his curiosity to know. "However, I'm not here to justify any of them, nor what they work for," Ellen continued, "Their vows ring hollow as none of them have shown they care about those who die in their war, whether soldiers or just those who happened to be around the fighting." Tyler was impressed with how his mother nailed the faction leaders without naming them directly. Yet, the sound of the door sliding open drew Tyler's attention, and when he turned saw Athrun and Cagalli entering, and behind them were Kira, Lacus, and Siegel.

Athrun and Kira had been wondering where Tyler had gone when he disappeared. Tyler had always been "frighteningly skilled" at vanishing, disappearing, and any other form of the idea. He could be there one moment, and a second later, when you turn to him, he would be gone, and no signs that he had left other than his absence. It had taken time to search for him, and it was in the last area of the port that it turned out Tyler had vanished to. However, before they could say or ask anything of him, they were drawn to the large main display in the room. All five that entered the control room knew of the woman on the screen, even in different ways. Lacus and Siegel knew the woman was Minister Blass, who led the Republic. She was one of the Federation's stubborn defenders, the "Dragon of the Republic," as others called her. Cagalli knew Ellen as her mother figure, but she knew it was rare for her to do press conferences. Kira and Athrun knew Ellen as they were among the few who knew she was Tyler's mother.

All five were quick to find seats and said nothing as they watched the broadcast as it continue. "This war, known being called the Alliance-PLANT war by the vast majority, was brought about for the worst of reasons. It is sustained by the hatred of the few who see those who are different and declare them as enemies. Even though such hatred shouldn't be heeded, the conflict has spread and fueled the flames of war and destruction for more than five years," Ellen stated firmly. "People who wish to live in peace without fearing for their lives are driven from their homes by this war. Places of peace and safety are attacked when they refuse to participate and take a side in this conflict. They are deemed as an 'enemy' of the attackers if the participation demand is refused." None in the control room could find words to express their feelings about what was being said by Ellen.

Ellen picked up a paper from the folder she had carried in to show the point that she was making. The page was the first of the ultimatum from the Atlantic Federation and showed it to the crowd even if they wouldn't be able to read it. "Should any wish for an example of what I speak of, in my hand is a page of what the Republic received before the nation came under attack by the Alliance's OMNI forces. In the days that have gone by since then, other member nations of the Federation have received similar a form of communication before being assaulted by the military forces of the Alliance." Ellen paused, putting the page down, "Make no mistake of this, each occurrence came because none of the nations agreed to the demands from the Alliance to join them in their battle against ZAFT and the PLANTs. They will claim otherwise, but they were the ones who pushed the war in this direction."

Tyler wanted to stand and clap at how his mother had made sure there was no doubt the Alliance had made things worse. Even should the Alliance deny what had been said, the Federation would provide evidence that would contradict their claims. As the old phrase went, "taking one out to a meal and making them pay the bill including the tip." Cagalli's mouth was open, becoming a gape at how direct Ellen was. She wasn't holding back and was making sure the Alliance would be seen as responsible for their attacks on the Federation. Lacus was in mild shock with what was being said and implied. Athrun had mentioned the Alliance had attacked the Federation, which was odd in her mind. But from what Minister Blass was saying, not only had they but threatened the Federation before doing so. Siegel feared the results of the Alliance's actions that were being iterated. With the Federation drawn into the war, they wouldn't be idle any longer. They were already working against the Alliance, and once that was done, ZAFT would have their turn. And it wasn't that Siegel thought the Federation would attack the PLANTs, it was unlikely. The soldiers who were trying to do the right thing would suffer in this.

Ellen continued, "In the words of the senders, "The Federation's actions are unacceptable. As a result, the governing body of the Earth Alliance, by unanimous vote, has denounced the organization as an official faction," those are their own words." Ellen paused for a moment, "I state for the record that international law taken from the UN Charter makes it clear that no one faction or members thereof have the power to denounce, dissolve, or disband another group or faction. The Alliance also recognized the Federation as an independent faction in their Alaska Treaty, even if they forget or don't admit it, such is written in the document. Thus, the Alliance is claiming power they do not have and using it to do what they have no right to do." Tyler had to hold in the snicker that tried to escape him. His mother had nailed the Alliance to the wall using not just the document that defined international law but one of their own documents. The Alliance would have no genuine defense to use, though Tyler didn't doubt they would still lie their butts off.

"Then, the senders' demands were akin to the terms of surrender and that is being kind with the wording," Ellen continued. "The given alternative was to be considered an enemy of them and treated as such." Some reporters gasped, and others muttered at hearing what the Earth Alliance had done and some denials of the claim. Ellen ignored the reaction and continued, "That's what kind of actions have become commonplace because of this war. None of which has done anything of value or good for any part of the human race despite some claiming it is the means to end the war. It only has and will take away, destroy, and ruin the places we call home and that one holds dear. And if no serious changes are attempted, more and more will be taken from humanity. This war has already stolen many people's lives before their time, and more will follow if humanity accepts this war as it is becoming."

Tyler's mouth wasn't the only one dropping open at the direction this broadcast was going. Tyler couldn't see the end goal yet, but he was starting to have a guess, and he was excited to see it. Quiet mutterings floated around the press room, yet Ellen still kept going with what she wanted to convey. "Many of you viewing and listening right now understand what I speak of," she stated, "the pain of knowing loved ones will not come home or back to you ever again. It is you who are glossed over by the ones who insist on keeping this war and the hatred that fuels it, I speak to now. To you women that are wives, now in the depths of sorrow being without your husbands because this war took their lives, give heed to my words. To all you men who are husbands, grieving for your lost wives, whether you do so in view of others or when no one sees you, I urge you to listen. To all the children who don't see one, or perhaps both of your parents anymore, even if you are too young to understand why they can't come home to you, lend me your ears. And to all those who weep and pine for those whose presence is missing because their lives were taken, do not turn away from this. None of you are alone in this horrible pain torturing you, for I know of the same pain you feel. I, too, have lost some dear to me due to this conflict and wish they were still alive and with me in these dark times."

Tyler knew his mother missed his dad and sister, even when she didn't let it be seen to the public. She had to be strong for the nation even when it hurt to do so, Tyler knew that in his heart. Ellen took a calming breath and wiped her eyes at recalling her dear husband and cheerful daughter, who had died from this cursed war. Even if she didn't normally show how much she missed them both, Ellen truly missed her daughter Lana and her husband, best friend, and closest companion, Lance. "I stand here before you today to tell you all that there is still hope for peace and an end to this conflict. It requires all of us to rise, open our eyes to the truth that others hide, and stand together, refusing things as they stand right now. That's the first step to ending this conflict and stopping the daily loss of lives! These horrible events that take loved ones away can and must be stopped, all the lives lost at Victoria and Panama never had to happen." Ellen slashed the air, "Those who say otherwise are those who want this war to continue. None of those who are dying are necessary casualties of war, no matter what type of human one is. If the war between the Alliance and ZAFT is allowed to continue, then it will not just lead to even more destruction, but another Bloody Valentine Incident, and further, it will take the future from us all!"

Tyler knew this broadcast would spellbind many, and Tyler hoped this would entrance even more. Ellen spoke to the affected by the war and appealed to the emotions that had a chance to make a difference. Ending the war would take the radicals being overruled and refused in some form, Tyler was sure of that. The gasping and muttering from what Ellen had said before had ceased, and all were now paying focused attention to her. Microphones pointed at her; many had recording devices running to catch every word. "Today, all will know the truth of what happened at that PLANT type colony, Junius Seven, and I will ensure that. The Bloody Valentine Incident is an event that all know by now, but parts of the account of what happened there and the results are lies that have been spread since its occurrence. Both people within the Alliance and its military, along with the PLANTs and ZAFT, have tried to hide truths about the colony for a different reason, but all of that ends today!"

Those in Mendel's port control room had gasped or done something similar at the last sentence. All there knew it was generally accepted the nuclear missile strike on Junius Seven had been unfortunate but had been done by a "rogue group" and not a specific organization. It had shown the danger of nuclear weapons being used in space and led to the development and deployment of N-Jammers. There were unfounded details debated over time over the years, but not much more. The Federation had made investigations, but the reports were not made accessible to the public. In the press room, complete silence hung in the room as all waited to hear what would be said next. Ellen continued, "It is a fact a missile bearing a nuclear warhead struck Junius Seven, bringing about the destruction of the colony. Close to a quarter of a million people followed the colony with their deaths, those facts are true. However, the public does not know that between a third to half of that population were made up of natural human beings." The reporters' voices rose, questions about Ellen's statement being the subject of inquiry. Ellen waited for the crowd to quiet down before she kept going, "The reason this fact is unknown or denied is that several individuals and groups don't wish this truth to be known. For some, the fact would have them facing criminal charges before now, while others don't want to admit what Natural type humans being on Junius Seven nor what it implies."

The admittance of Naturals being on Junius Seven was something the public didn't know, as many had buried the fact. What that colony had represented was far more the reason that the attack had occurred than it just being an attack on Coordinators like is generally stated. Tyler's mom had even gone into detail that between a third to a half of the two-hundred-forty-three thousand seven hundred twenty-one people there. Tyler had seen the classified report the Federation investigations had found with the Bloody Valentine and hadn't liked what he'd read.

From what Tyler had understood, the idea the colony was testing had been to see if both Naturals and Coordinators could live in peace. Junius Seven had been proving the idea could work fine and was going wonderfully.

Ellen took a deep breath and then revealed what she had wanted for years, "Junius Seven was not just an agricultural colony that was home to a large number of human beings. It was also a testing ground to see if Coordinator type and Natural type humans could live in peace and harmony together. The colony proved such a thing was easily possible, so much so that even Milliardo Peacecraft, the leader of the Earth Sphere before the Alliance was formed, was impressed, and he was even encouraged by what he saw there. That man who advocated peace was also on Junius Seven when the nuclear strike took place. Whether that was by chance or by some design, all I can say at this time is that the Federation military is investigating it. On a more personal note, to those who would say I couldn't possibly know what it feels like to have lost someone in the Bloody Valentine, I can assure you that I do. My husband was at the colony, doing research that could and would have benefited the colonies and Earth itself. My ten-year-old daughter was also there at the time, and so, because of the hatred of a few towards Coordinators, they are dead, and I can never see them again."

Siegel had known the population and its makeup of Junius Seven even if the general public didn't. He'd heard from a few, including Patrick, that the colony was testing a few things, but they hadn't said what. To understand that one thing had been peaceful coexistence was hurtful that he'd not been told. It also explained why the colony was attacked, as there had been little logical reason at the time for any to strike it. And that the former leader of the Earth Sphere had been there was odd not because he saw the "project" but because the strike had occurred when he was there. From what Siegel had seen from the meetings, Milliardo had been a very reasonable and forward-looking man. And the "mysterious" death of Peacecraft along with the Bloody Valentine had been the reason the meeting of the UN and representatives of PLANTs had been arranged. The results of that had led to the formation of the Earth Alliance, and the war started. ZAFT intelligence had suggested that after Peacecraft was gone, other leaders that had been like him had also vanished or were found dead.

There was silence akin to the silence of the grave in the Republic's press room at the facts revealed. Yet, Ellen didn't stop, "All the tragedies from the Bloody Valentine to the battles that have happened in this war, none of it is the fault of the soldiers or pilots that fight in them. They follow orders, some willingly, others unwillingly doing what they are told. Most of them are protecting their homes and what they hold dear to themselves, which should be praised. It is honorable to stand up and protect what they love and is a great service. Thus, we shouldn't hold soldiers responsible as they fight to defend such and don't in their heart don't want to kill." Ellen paused for a moment, "The ones who are at fault for this war and what it has brought to us all can be identified, regardless of whether they take responsibility for their actions. There is a phrase that most will have heard at least once by now, but I will change it slightly to promote understanding. The ones who ushered in this war and kept it going are humankind's true enemy."

Tyler paid complete attention to hearing the last line for the implications and where it came from. Those in the control room were also paying attention to the like of humankind's true enemy. All six knew the reference was taken from Blue Cosmos's label for Coordinators 'mankind's enemy', which they used as a rallying cry. And in Tyler's mind, the explanation that would follow would be the climax of this speech. It would create a label that wouldn't be specific enough to argue it was being biased but would be pointed enough to make it clear to who it applied. The reporters raised questions at the last statement, Ellen, about what she meant. Nevertheless, those who were asking them were quelled as Ellen continued, "I understand more of an explanation is required so that it is understood. I also will define the terms better, so others do not use my words to justify committing atrocities after this as others had done before now."

Ellen took a moment to gather her thoughts and then began her explanation "First, I will define those who would be considered "humankind's true enemy." They are those who use their hatred of others as the sole reason for attacking and killing people, innocent or otherwise. They are those who insist that war is the only way to settle standing disagreements and more. Doing so while adamantly claiming there is no other solution no matter the evidence provided to the contrary. They are those who use war cries for blood to be spilled and see them as rallying calls for others to join them and justify their terrible and unforgivable acts. They are those who are more intent on pursuing their vendettas and fulfilling them than seeking peace for all people. Those who see nothing wrong with using and abusing people knowingly and unknowingly toss them away after they fail or don't provide use or purpose for those that control them. They are those who promote this war and say it will only end when a whole part of humanity, whether it be Coordinator, Natural, Hybrid, or any other form of human being, is completely exterminated! Any who do one or more of the points I mentioned are humankind's true enemy and are as demons dressed in human skin."

There was silence from the reporters at the definition Minister Blass had just stated was Humankind's True enemy. Meanwhile, Tyler couldn't think of a better definition for those pushing for the war. It showed the war and what it had done had pushed things to a really bad place. The attacks on the Federation member nations had been the breaking point and the shifting for change. His mother might not have mentioned the names of those who can be seen, as she put it, humankind's true enemy, but Tyler knew she didn't need to. Ellen had got them so that those who were humankind's true enemy couldn't claim bias or use it as an excuse. Tyler's dear mother had nailed many punks that had previously been seen as untouchable on both sides, which floored him. Yet, Tyler had no time to process more as his mother was still going, "They are the same as the most villainous individuals in our history, the same as Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, or Musade Muhlan, who used war to kill all they could." Ellen banged a hand on her lecturn, "And those who are humankind's true enemy will be remembered exactly as those horrible individuals! They are the same as them, not human beings, but creatures that are less than any type of human is."

Tyler had a big smile on his face with how his mother was dishing out the dirt and the needed facts. For her to mention three of the most infamous human scumbags that history ever recorded added to the point. Adolf Hitler is blamed for the second world war, while Stalin was held responsible for what history referred to as the "cold war," which apparently happened off and on for nearly a century, or that's at least the estimation by historians since there is no exact reference. Then Musade Muhlan, arguably the evilest of the three since he was one of those who ignited and pushed the Reconstruction War to what it became. The man had used religion to bring the world into its third and worst world war, and history isn't entirely clear on much more than that. Tyler was hopeful this would help people watching and listening to understand they have the power to stop this war and that they're needed.

None in the press room could find the use of their voices after hearing the second part of the definition. Ellen was glad to finally label those using the war and destroying the human race, which was sorely needed. Thus, she kept going in wrapping up her message, "It is individuals and groups that are humankind's enemy need to be stood up against now more than ever. Humankind's true enemy uses fear, intimidation, lies, and deception to force others to do the work for their intentions. They require others to fulfill their vendettas and ambitions, and only we can give them that power by listening and giving into them. Now is the time to stand together and stand against them, only doing that will be how this war will end." Ellen put her hands together, "So, I pled and urge all of you hearing my voice, for all you hold dear and for the future generations yet to come, show the courage within you that all human beings have, no matter what type you are. Use that courage and rise against those who insist on destroying humanity in any way. They are the harbingers of death for the whole human race; Coordinator, Naturals, Hybrids, and any other form of human. Humanity isn't made up of just a single form of humanity, not only Coordinators, Naturals, or Hybrids. Humanity is stronger with diversity, not just of sex, and skin color as was historical but also now genetic type. I pray that this horrible and terrible conflict ends so that at least there are still human beings living. Yet, it will take many of us to accomplish this task. No one is too small or beneath notice, everyone can make a difference, and it is now that such amazing potential that all human beings have, needs to be shown and used!"

When Ellen finished her message, reporters began talking over one another, trying to get their questions answered first. Ellen took a breath a picked one of the reporters, knowing that this would be a long day with what she had started, "Minister Blass, Earth Sphere News Network," the report announced, "you defined those you say can be considered Humankind's true enemy. Can you give any examples of those who would fall under the idea?"

Tyler shook his head as he knew that would be one of the questions which would be asked of his mom. If anyone qualified as humankind's enemy could have a way to worm out of the label, they would snatch it up. And yet, as Tyler fully expected, his mother took the question in stride like the seasoned pro that she was in politics. "As much as I wouldn't doubt some would like me to give specific examples, I do not feel it is necessary. Those who are humankind's true enemy know they fall under the definition I gave, whether they admit to it or not. I refer to them being on their own side and using others, but I'm afraid I should leave it at that, next question."

Cagalli knew that Ellen was more than just a motherly figure to her and had experience with being a mother herself. She had also been told she was an amazing politician and had seen some recorded footage of the point. But she couldn't accurately describe what she felt about the speech she'd been listening to. Cagalli agreed with what Ellen had said whole-heartedly, it was sensible. The best way to end the war was to focus on those who were for it and stand up to them. Her definition of "Humankind's True Enemy" merely helped narrow down who those that should be fought against were. And Ellen's not answering the question she was asked in the way the reporter wanted it made harder for any to argue the definition she stated. But she still watched as the next question came on the broadcast, "Minister Blass, Lunar Associated Press," another reporter called, "what is your view of the current leadership of the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs actions?"

Tyler put a hand in front of his mouth to cover his wince in response to the question. It was such a loaded and complex subject that an answer had to get. However, like before, Tyler's mother didn't even flinch, "A complex question to answer with a degree of accuracy. For the Earth Alliance, I've become increasingly disappointed in how they conduct themselves lately. Their military forces have been doing dishonorable things, seemingly forgetting what and who they pledged to protect. Whether that is due to something with the leadership of the Alliance or something else, I cannot say with what I know. The recent contact from the Alliance, including their attacks, seems more like Anti-Coordinator sentiment is dictating the Alliance's actions. I would hope those who lead the Earth Alliance would be less inclined to listen to those who carry such blinding and destructive hatred that such sediments carry. Whereas the PLANTs have normally been more inclined to be reasonable and tolerant. However, these days that seems to become less normal, judging upon ZAFT's actions. Knowing some of those elected to the PLANT Supreme Council, I would hope that work is being done to help end the war with the least lives lost."

Tyler smirked as the broadcast ended, once again impressed at how his mother could speak to a crowd and get incredible results. He glanced around the room and saw the others were still in varying states of shock from what they had seen. So, Tyler cleared his throat, "Minister Blass still has the most amazing speeching skills I've ever seen. She can really get a message across to the masses in a way I've never seen others do."

Siegel nodded, "As one who had been in a similar if not equal type of position, I would have to agree with your assessment, Tyler," he began. "She had given those who watched much to think about which hasn't been brought to light before now. I would love to thank her for having the courage to do so when many would shrink from the prospect. I appreciate the truths she stated for many to hear, it may help enough stand up to bring an end to this war."

Cagalli closed her mouth and shook her head before speaking, "That speech was amazing," she exclaimed. "She made things so many things clear about this war. If people just stand up, it will make a difference, and the war can come to a close."

Kira smiled softly, "You must be proud, Tyler," he said, "she did a great job. You'll have to tell her that you were listening and that you were impressed."

Tyler and Athrun froze at Kira's statement as it could reveal Tyler's most closely guarded secret. The other three in the room were gazing at Kira curiously, wondering what he meant about Tyler telling Minister Blass how good she did. Tyler may be a citizen of the Republic, but that didn't automatically mean he would talk to its leader. "What do you mean, Kira," Lacus asked, "Why would Tyler have the chance to talk to the Republic's Prime Minister?"

Kira felt Tyler glaring at him, and as he thought back, he frowned at what he had just said. He had just meant to tell Tyler to tell his mother she did well. Yet, he had also heavily implied that Tyler had a more personal connection to her. Kira knew that Tyler had gone to great lengths to ensure he couldn't be traced back to his mother. And Kira had put that in jeopardy without thinking, which he now regretted. Athrun watched Tyler glaring at Kira, and while he didn't blame him since Kira had almost revealed who Tyler's mother was, it was done. Plus, those in this room would understand why Tyler kept the point a secret and wouldn't tell others. So, Athrun sighed, "Tye," he started, drawing Tyler's attention, "While what Kira did wasn't helpful, I think it will be okay." Athrun swept an arm around the room, "Those here will understand why, and they will keep it secret, so why not tell them?"

Tyler hesitated at the question since his mother's identity was a secret he had kept for a long time. It wasn't that he felt Siegel, Lacus, or Cagalli would spill it to others, ruining all the work he had put into it. Tyler just didn't want to be judged by what his mother did any more than having her judged by what he did. His mother understood his reasons for not telling anyone about their relationship and didn't fault him for it. After a few minutes of worrying stares sent in his direction, Tyler exhaled, "Need I say how long I have not said anything, Athrun," he posed, "Or how much effort I have put in to separate things, cursing the necessity as I did so? Do you think I liked making sure there was no chance others would connect me? She has done more for me than I can say, and I'm grateful for it. And that's why I ensure she doesn't have to suffer for what I do." Lacus was confused at what Tyler was saying. She couldn't guess what he was referring to something, but without any name. Tyler sighed and turned to face the other three in the room, "You'll be shocked, I would imagine knowing that Ellen Blass, the Republic's Prime Minister, is, in actuality-"

Cagalli interrupted Tyler, "What like a friend or distant relative," she snapped. She didn't like that this guy who didn't care about what others thought of him would have any connection to Ellen. "I don't buy that, you're just trying to use her position to get credit for something."

Athrun waved his arms, "That's not it at all, Cagalli."

Tyler shook his head, throwing his arms up, "And that's the result of my efforts, no one will connect me to her as I intended." Tyler's head fell, "Not that I like it, but it is better than the alternative of her getting blamed for stuff. But she and I are not friends or distant relatives," Tyler stated. Cagalli nodded, firmly glad this guy wasn't going to tell some lie about him being related to Ellen. "Ellen Blass is actually my mother, to be precise, hard as it can be to believe," Tyler finished.

There was dead silence in the room after Tyler's last sentence, so silent that things being done in the docking area could be clearly heard. Siegel hummed, which broke the quiet, "I can see some of the resemblances, you do look like Ellen's husband, who I met once."

Cagalli nodded in denial, "That's not possible, there's no way someone like you can be related to her."

"If you want," Tyler started, "You can ask her when you see her next. She will tell you it's the truth and won't deny my actions are not the best." Tyler took a deep breath, "However, now that you know the truth, I would really appreciate it if you don't go spreading it around. I have put in lots of effort to save her the trouble of dealing with my actions, both with military service and outside, from returning to her. So, don't go blabbing or spilling the idea to others. I tell who I feel needs to know and can keep it to themselves."

A/n

And that's where I'll leave off for this Phase. On to the details I want to point out and highlight for you readers. So, first, as you no doubt knew this Phase wasn't action packed as the last one was. And I'm sorry to say it will be that way for at least two more Phases before the awesome action scenes come to the forefront. However, these "between" or "filler" chapters do have value to the story. This Phase is a good example since it sets up things to refer back to it, which for those that read the original know. Now on to the details I want to highlight rather than the flow of this story. So, I expanded the interaction between Tyler and Siegel after arriving at Mendel as you saw. I wanted to give some detail of what Siegel's group had to go through in their escape as it is not said before and canon has Siegel dead. For those of you that haven't read the original version of this story, I saved Siegel for a reason. He will play a part down the road in this story rest assured, much as Uzumi does. If you don't like me saving characters that die in canon, I assert writer's license. I have my reasons for the changes I make to canon for this story.

The next scene I would like to talk about is the "conversation" between our three "heroes." Tyler is torn between being proud of Athrun for trying to help the man who had been his father and anger at the resutl as should be pretty obvious. I want to say though, this scene shows that Tyler cares about his friends and feels fear when they are in danger. Plus, events have been stressing Tyler and this conversation kind of came to a head and broke the back somewhat. Tyler doesn't want to lose Athrun nor Kira, so he is willing to dress either down after they do something stupid.

The major change with this part of the story is I'm not going to repeat Ellen's speech four separate times as I did originally. We get the full speech once which has which switches between Ellen speaking and Tyler's thoughts along of those with him. The speech also changed a bit to reflect the differences in the message sent to the Federation from the Alliance. The general subject matter is the same as before, but just written a bit differently. Lastly, the scene after the speech where Tyler's secret is found out by some. Kira didn't mean to reveal the relation Tyler has worked to hide from those who would abuse it. Tyler explains why he has gone to the lengths he has to protect his mother from his actions. But I thought it humorous to have Cagalli's reaction as it is I would say apt for most that find out.

As always, if some of you could take the time and write a review and tell my your thoughts, criticisms, and views, I would appreciate it. I do read reviews even if I don't comment to them as I would like to. Sorry this didn't come yesterday, school work has been sucking up my time which work doesn't take. I will do my best to stay with the two week release schedule I've been holding to. The next Phase is titled: "Hard Truth" and it moving along nicely so far. Peace out until the next Phase!