Gundam Seed: The Federation ver 2

by Blackshadow999

Different telling of Gundam Seed. With the conflict between Naturals and Coordinators getting worse as time passes, some nations have banded together and formed the organization known as the Human Federation. Will the Federation be able to help bring peace or will the hatred between Naturals and Coordinators destroy everything and bring extinction of humanity? Cover by Saddle Patch

53. Phase 53: At the Brink

A/n

Here is Phase 53, we're getting closer to the end of Seed's part. But we're not there yet and there is still a little ways to go. Enjoy the Phase!

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Phase 53: At the Brink

September 22nd, 71 CE.

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Near the Moon

A small force of Federation vessels were making their way toward the Earth Alliance's Lunar Headquarters, Ptolemaeus. It was to be the final attempt to convince some within OMNI and the Alliance of the truth and divert disaster. The attack on Boaz had increased ZAFT activity around L5, specifically at their Jachin Due base. Then the lunar base was the highest probable target of ZAFT's nuclear-based weapon they had been building mentioned by Treize. That would kick the war into an even darker phase with nuclear weapons being used by the two factions. Many lives had needlessly been lost with Boaz's destruction, and it would be the same when Ptolemaeus was struck. With that in mind, the group that was sent was headed by none other than Duane Halberton. It was hoped that his reputation within the Alliance would assist in convincing several.

Halberton had been working with the Federation along with what had remained of the Eighth Orbital Fleet for months now. He and the crew of the Menelaos had been saved by one of the Federation cruisers that had been there during the battle in Orbit. Afterward, Halberton had learned many things which had lead to assisting the Federation, but not all had been pleasant. The explanation he'd gotten had helped him see the Federation's side of this "war." They viewed the war as pointless both as it had been and the direction it was going, and Halberton tended to agree with them now. The war OMNI was fighting wasn't to defend Earth as it had been originally. It was much the same with ZAFT from what Halberton had seen and heard. It had been for defending themselves, but it wasn't fought for that any longer. The war was all about the hatred some Naturals had of Coordinators and some Coordinators had of Naturals. Both sides had dressed up the reasoning to appear as other things, but it all came down to hatred and jealousy.

It made Halberton reconsider the question Tyler McGregor had asked him before. Was there really a point to the war as it had become? When it had been asked by the teen originally, Halberton had felt there was, but that had been close to two years ago. So much had changed, a great deal had warped looking back. Thus, the answer, of course, was no, there was no genuinely good and justified point to the ongoing war. It was obvious in hindsight and more so after the evidence the Federation had provided to Halberton. Their view was logical and was based on facts they could solidly confirm. There had been things that Halberton had suspected which had turned out to be true. And then there had been things the Alliance had been doing unbeknownst to the public that had sickened him. However, even with all the horrible things he had learned or had been confirmed to him, Halberton knew there were still some in the Alliance that weren't corrupted by the hatred. If they had the war explained to them as he'd had it to him, then Halberton felt they would want to help end this fight end.

For that reason, Halberton had offered his services and those still willing to follow his commands. The Federation wanted to save as many as possible, and Halberton could respect that goal. And the war had morphed into a fight for survival now rather than a conflict of principle as it had been before. All the survivors of the Eighth Orbital had told Halberton they would follow him wherever he went. The explanation given to them about the war only strengthened their resolve to follow the man. The Federation's Admiralty had quickly accepted Halberton's offer of service, saying all who could help would be needed. However, with the condition of the remaining Orbital Fleet, they wouldn't be able to be of service immediately. Thus, Halberton split those under his command into two groups, and one would stay with the remains of the fleet and see to its repairs and refits. The other group would go with Halberton to head out and convince those they could to join the effort to end the war peacefully as possible. Halberton was given command of a Federation Voyager class dreadnought which he hadn't expected but didn't refuse. Others under Halberton were put on the three Enterprise class cruisers that would accompany the dreadnought.

For the months that passed, Halberton and those with him went around doing what they could to convince former comrades to see the truth. They had little success with getting other OMNI officers to defect from the Alliance and join them. Halberton had been disappointed with the lack of OMNI officers either not listening or refusing to act upon the truth. Many of those he thought would see the light as he had refused to listen or act on the facts. It showed how the radical elements within the Alliance had taken control of the faction and had too much influence. Halberton had seen the "radical" parts within the Alliance, but their voices had been quieter before even if they had been worrisome before. However, in the year or so, he'd become concerned as those elements had pushed the Alliance and those in it to the point they wouldn't see reason. That led to most who had been reasonable in the Alliance, like himself, having left the faction to work elsewhere. It did explain some "mysteriously" disappearing that Halberton had heard about before he'd left. It just made a point of the Alliance's decline hit home more for Halberton.

Then came the call had come for Halberton to go to Ptolemaeus and see if he could convince those there to evacuate. Those in the Federation told him nuclear weapons had been used on ZAFT's Boaz base by the Alliance and had destroyed it. He knew nuclear attacks had been a wish of some since the n-jammers had been deployed. And Halberton hadn't doubted that they would demand a strike when nuclear weapons could be used again. So the news had been grim to him as it wouldn't help the Alliance whether the radicals claimed it would. He was sure ZAFT would respond in kind this time unlike the last instance a nuclear attack had been done by the Alliance. The reason Halberton was being send was with his record, those at Ptolemaeus might listen to his warnings where ones from the Federation had gone unheeded. The lunar base supported more than a hundred of thousand who would die if they didn't leave before an attack. So, Halberton accepted the task and began heading in the direction of the moon.

Along the way, there was an exchange of crew and supplies which was normal before an operation, even for the Federation's military. The surprising thing to Halberton was the exchange came with a pilot being assigned to the ship he was on. The man was named Cormag Swift, a name Halberton had heard during the earlier years of the war with ZAFT. The pilot had earned a nickname within OMNI as their skills with a mobile armor were beyond uncanny and seemed almost inhuman. That nickname was the "Silver Eagle" given due to the high-G flying the man employed and his efficiency with hunting akin to that of an Eagle. Swift was still arguably the most amazing mobile armor pilot in the history of the Earth Alliance. The things he could make a mobile armor do went beyond crazy to insane from the records Halberton had seen. It was clear Swift had high spatial awareness and raw talent, but he still held the records in the mobile weapon pilot academy. But his awareness was measured at a different level than other mobile armor pilots since they couldn't be accurately measured. Understanding that after he had disappeared, he had joined the Federation military was unexpected.

After the exchange was finished, Halberton's group continued forward with as much speed as possible. The point had been made clear that time was of the essence. ZAFT would attack in the near future, more so after Boaz. What was being seen from the Federation's Information Network was implying that. Halberton was inclined to agree with the Federation's assessment of ZAFT attacking Ptolemaeus. It would make sense both tactically, and it would also send a message to the Alliance. That message would be nuclear weapons wouldn't be just used by the Alliance as they had planned for such an advantage. Yet it would make it crystal clear to all that no place would be safe anymore as long as the war continued. Halberton came out of his thoughts as the group reached the moon, and the approach would need to begin. Coming on a direct path or approach to Ptolemaeus wouldn't go well, not with the Alliance attacking the Federation recently. It would be more problematic as the Federation had been hunting down OMNI's Orbital Fleets. Halberton decided a less intrusive approach would be the best policy and would receive less resistance. The approach chosen was going through the Procellarum Ocean, south of Copernicus City. The route was less used since it faced L4, and ZAFT didn't use such, so attacks from the west of Ptolemaeus were rare.

It was around an hour before the sight of the crater's edge the lunar base was built came into view. Halberton instructed the ship's com-officer to use Alliance frequencies to hail the base, so they didn't alarm those within. The first two attempts to communicate with those at Ptolemaeus failed as the messages wouldn't be accepted and talks opened. The block forced Halberton to consider how he could potentially get communications to be opened with the base. Looking the other was would sacrifice lives needlessly, so that wasn't an acceptable option. If the command structure were unchanged from late last year, then Fleet Admiral Maes would still be in charge. Maes was a friend of Halberton since shortly after they had begun serving on the same crew under Captain Badgiruel. And if he could speak to Maes, then Halberton believed more could be done to prevent a tragedy. So, in the hopes of getting Maes on the line, Halberton had a message sent that would get his old friend's attention.

Maes had been busy overseeing the readying of the two Orbital Fleets that were here at lunar HQ. The other two fleets had gone out after resupplying from the attack on Boaz heading for L5. The Fifth and Sixth Fleets were to join up with them in around a day from the current time. However, he was called to the operational control room for a "situation" that had come up. He wasn't told of what was involved in the situation he was being called for, just told he was called by name to help with it. When Maes reached the control room, he was shown a message the base had received in on a special Alliance freqency. Odder still, Maes was informed messages had been coming from an unknown source for a little while now on the whole spectrum of Alliance communication freqencies. Yet, they had been ignored before the one shown to Maes. When he asked why, he was told they contained nonsense about some coming attack by ZAFT. The suggestion of an attack by ZAFT was concerning, depending on the evidence provided for the claim. It wouldn't be a surprise exactly, not with the strike against ZAFT's Boaz.

Maes glanced over the message he was asked up here for and less than halfway through froze. The message talked about an event that Maes had lived through personally and hadn't made public to anyone. In fact, only one other alive currently would know the details of the event, and that was Duane Halberton. It was about an experience Maes had during his time under Captain Badgiruel. Yet, as far as Maes knew, Halberton had been lost along with the Eighth Orbital Fleet fighting against ZAFT in Earth's high orbit. No report had come of as to him possibly surviving the decimation of the Eighth Fleet somehow. The possibility of Halberton being alive was too tempting to ignore. So, Maes ordered the channel the message came on connected since he wanted to know if Halberton was really alive. The two of them were the last survivors of Captain Badgiruel's crew, the rest had passed either in the line of duty or from other complications.

The image of Halberton coming up when the channed connected was both a relief and a concern. If Halberton were here, he would have a reason to be. The man didn't waste time, and he had logic to his actions, Maes knew that for a fact. Halberton work with purpose, the war had motivated the man to put forth the efforts he could to do what he could. Maes's friend had been one of those that wanted to "end" the war rather than "win" the war. The difference between the two was the mentality of trying to save lives rather than ending lives. And with nuclear weapons coming into play, Halberton would be working harder to help end the war. Thus, Maes gains a slight smile at seeing his old friend. "Halberton," Maes greeted, "it's good to see you again," Maes paused for a moment. "After what happened to the Eighth Fleet," he hesitated, "I and others thought you were lost with the rest of the fleet."

Halberton knew with the results of the last battle of the Eighth Orbital, there would be rumors about him and those unfer being lost. Such would've been received poorly by OMNI higher-ups though some would've been please to be rid of Halberton. ZAFT had essentially won that battle in high orbit, he'd admit it, even if he didn't like that. The Black Zephyr had out done him, Halberton would say that the woman was good at fighting. If not for the Federation, then Halberton would've died in that battle, going down with the Menelaos. But there were more immediate concerns to attend to rather than reminisce about the past. "Yes, there is much to discuss, but there are more pressing concerns to handle first," Halberton stated seriously. Maes blinked at the serious statement from Halberton, wondering what he was referring to. But before Maes could ask, Halberton kept going, "You need to evacuate Ptolemaeus immediately. ZAFT is more than likely going to attack the base with their nuclear-powered weapon soon."

As expected from Duane, he got down to the heart of the matter of why he was here. Yet, Maes was stunned at the claim Duane was making and extremely concerned with its implications. For Halberton to urge the evacuation of Ptolemaeus was more than odd with it being OMNI's lunar HQ. That led to the claim of ZAFT using a nuclear-powered weapon on the base. It implied that Halberton had information which strongly said ZAFT had a working nuclear weapon. That thought was certainly worrisome. And Duane wasn't one to joke around with such a thing, Maes was sure of that. Had most other officers in the Alliance made a claim and urging that Halberton had, Maes would've been hesitant to believe it. However, Halberton told things as they were, he didn't sugar-code a situation or circumstance as it was. One could count on Halberton being blunt and straightforward with his words. Where Halberton had gotten the information about ZAFT having a nuclear-powered weapon, Maes couldn't say. Yet, if Halberton was convinced of it, Maes wouldn't disbelieve it straight away. "Are you sure about that, Duane," Maes asked evenly. "It isn't I don't believe you say the truth as you know it," Maes hesitated, "But I need some sort of evidence to justify doing as you suggest."

Halberton knew his claims would be questioned at first. If not for the information from the Federation, he would be asking about the validity of the claim too. Yet, to Duane's luck, Maes was the one in charge at Ptolemaeus right now. He would be more inclined to listen than other officers. They were old friends, having served on the same crew before they had gotten to where they were. Serving under Captain Badgiruel was a tour neither of them would forget and had created and strengthened their friendship. Maes would understand the need to hurry to save lives. Thus, Halberton sighed, "I wish I were wrong, my friend, but the information comes from the Federation, and they have checked it." Halberton paused, not liking the fact he'd learned with how the Alliance had acquired N-Jammer Cancellers. "The Alliance got the designs for the N-Jammer cancellers came from ZAFT, meaning they have them too. OMNI's actions haven't inspired confidence with some demanding we use nuclear weapons against the PLANTs. It is only logical for ZAFT to make some sort of nuclear-powered weapon themselves. And the attack on Boaz will push ZAFT to employ said weapon against the Alliance, lunar HQ would be the best target to start with."

Halberton's logic was sound as it normally was, and Maes knew that in his heart. Maes had been curious where the n-jammer canceller designs had come from when they had been talked about. He'd even asked the top brass about it, but they hadn't given answers, rather said it didn't matter. There had been the rumor the file had come from Director Azrael of the Defense Industry but there had been no conformation of it. The man was supposed to have contacts everywhere even beyond just those in Blue Cosmos. It wouldn't be surprising if the "Coordinator hating" man had some within ZAFT or the PLANTs. Should ZAFT have n-jammer cancellers as Halberton said, then why wouldn't they employ nuclear technology in their military? The pieces of what Halberton was trying to get across were starting to create a frighteningly clear picture in Maes's mind. "Is there any chance you're wrong, Duane," Maes posed. "I don't want to say you're wrong, but it is hard to swallow."

Halberton wanted to be wrong about this, but he knew the chances of that were slim to none. He'd also learned from Captain Badgiruel that it was better to error on the side of caution. To be on the side of caution tended to keep people alive more often than risking lives on a bet of being wrong. And right now, thousands of lives hung in the balance, which would depend on the decision made by Maes. "As Captain Badgiruel would say, it is better to err on the side of caution and be wrong than not and regret the lives lost," Halberton stated. "If you give the order to evacuate and I end out being wrong about ZAFT attacking Ptolemaeus, I will take responsibility with OMNI top brass personally. However, should we evacuate and not be wrong, then we save thousands of lives."

Maes was left to ask himself whether he believed Halberton or not for that's what it came down to. The the Fifth and Sixth Orbital Fleets were here at Ptolemaeus currently along with the base's staff. The First and the Seventh had headed out more than half a day ago with the assigned mission to prepare a starting point for a strike on the PLANTs. The Federation had taken down three fleets before OMNI had kept a close eye on the Fleets and avoided conflict and encounters. Maes had come to think that a nuclear strike on the PLANTs wasn't the action for the Alliance to take. Granted, the attack on Boaz had gone okay, but lives had been lost to achieve that which had been regretable. Maes feared that if somehow the Alliance successfully defeated ZAFT, things wouldn't be any easier for OMNI. The war wouldn't end as Alliance leaders were advertising, Maes was becoming more sure of that by the day.

He'd also heard some of the top brass saying that they would be fighting the Federation after ZAFT. They had lost three fleets to the Federation already, what difference would nuclear weapons make? The Federation had been cutting down means to deliver nuclear weapons in space and had done so in a far shorter period than ZAFT had ever done. Maes doubted the Federation would be any less efficient on Earth or the Moon than they were in space in cutting down OMNI's options. And the Federation had proved they prepared for potential attacks against themselves, so why would nuclear ones be any different? Thus, the Alliance wasn't making a better position for itself and its citizens as it was supposed to be doing. It was setting itself up for failure and its end without realizing it seemingly. Those leading the Alliance were so focused on their goals they had lost sight of what stood against them. Radical elements had taken control and ensured they would retain their power. They did it by installing those like themselves, like Sutherland, as an example.

Then the line Halberton had used was one that Captain Badgiruel had often used in hard situations. The man had been cautious, and that habit had saved him and his crew more than Maes wanted to count. It was one of the reasons the captain gained the loyalty of those under him, they knew he had their lives in mind. Maes had always strived to be like Captain Badgiruel when possible, as he respected the man who had been his captain. And it this case, Maes knew Halberton had a point, it was better to be safe than sorry with the possibility of a nuclear weapon being used on Ptolemaeus. The base may be able to take a few nuclear missiles, but a nuclear-powered weapon was another story. Maes didn't want to test what the base could take in that respect with personnel inside. Thus, in the end, Maes exhaled heavily, "Okay, Halberton, I will trust you on this and do as you suggest," he replied.

Halberton was relieved that Maes understood the need to make the difficult decision required. Maes ordered all inside Ptolemaeus to evacuate as quickly as possible. Some questioned the order, but Maes stuck to his order and told all to board ships to leave the base. Halberton ordered those with him to assist as they could with the evacuation. Federation mobile suits launched out, entered Ptolemaeus's main hangar and helped speed along loading. There was confusion initially, but the evacuation order took precedence. Some grumbled about the evacuation being nothing but a foolish action based on rumors. A few ever said when told the Federation had provided the info such couldn't be trusted. However, such was ignored, and the evacuation continued with haste.

It was close to an hour when the Orbital Fleets at the base began launching out of Ptolemaeus's docks. Halberton had been sweating with growing concern about the time it took to evacuate. The longer it took, the more likely ZAFT would use their nuclear-powered weapon on the Alliance's lunar HQ. Lives were on the line, and Halberton would save as many as he could in this. The Alliance had good men and women within it, and they didn't deserve to die for the actions of foolish and hatred-driven individuals. Those evacuating could see the truth when ZAFT attacked. Perhaps, after that they would assist those trying to end this war before the human race was doomed. Halberton had agreed with the Federation's current assessment of this war, and it wasn't about factions any longer. It was about hatred of genetic type. If that didn't stop and nuclear weapons were used, the human race would likely be doomed to extinction. But there was still time to change the path Humanity was on right now and Halberton would grasp at that.

Halberton's group had positioned themselves to hide the Orbital Fleets' signals from detection as they sailed away from Ptolemaeus. ZAFT needed to believe they had hit their mark and wiped out those at the base. Should ZAFT not believe, they very well may strike somewhere else with a far more devastating result. The fleets had made a moderate distance from Ptolemaeus when things took a turn. The Voyager class Halberton was alerted first to the change. The sensor officer of the ship saw the attack coming, "Captain Halberton," the officer called, "Unknown energy wave approaching from the direction of L5!" Other alarms began going off as the forward screen showed a light coming from their port side. Halberton activated his headset, "Attention to all in the fleets, brace yourselves," he ordered.

The light became a large beam which was a reddish magenta and had arcs of magenta energy around the edges. For the brief moment that any got a view, it appeared much like what came from a Cyclops system. The beam zoomed toward the moon and slammed into the crater Ptolemaeus was built into. The rear screens of the ships were blinded while the beam kept streaming into the crater. The beam ripped through the base's barrier wall that was constructed to take nuclear attacks after a few seconds. A concussive force expanded out from the contact point of the beam with the moon and the wave dug into the moon's surface. The crater walls were shattered, debris was sent flying away from it outward and carving trenches on the moon's surface. The ships felt a shockwave pass them, which shook them somewhat but did no significant damage.

After a long minute, the light faded, and the dust hid where the crater they had been traveling away from was. Halberton asked for a report on the beam as he knew now the Federation had the policy to get readings on everything they were around. And an unknown beam would certainly qualify as something of interest to get readings on. What came back from the sensor stations sent an ice-cold shiver down Halberton's spine. The beam was made up of a gamma waves, the same type that nuclear energy would produce. It showed that ZAFT's nuclear-powered weapons were some kind of gamma-ray cannon. Such a weapon would have a devastating effect on anything it was aimed at. It was a horrifying thought to Halberton since a gamma-ray would make no place safe as long as it was operational. For example, the damage would be catastrophic if the gamma-ray struck anywhere on Earth. The lives lost would be beyond staggering, and the environmental effects would last for decades or more. Earth may survive initially a shot, but what would result from it would doom the planet. The odds of Earth being able to continue to support life in a viable way if hit would be low, if not dim. The far-reaching effect which went beyond Earth to the colonies and the moon were just as bad as those for Earth.

As the moon dust settled, the view of what the gamma-ray had done became clear to those who had been traveling away from it. Halberton blinked at what was displayed on the forward screen, not quite believing it. The Ptolemaeus base was gone, there was no trace of it, no ruins, nor structure left of the base. The largest Earth Alliance base which had stood as a symbol of the Alliance's influence and presence on the moon and space had vanished. The base's crater had been built in for defensive shielding had been leveled. The crater walls had been shattered and mowed down, leaving jagged ground where the crater wall had been. The moon's surface had been scarred by what the beam and the debris had caused.

Maes also gazed with terror at where Alliance lunar HQ had been; now, there was nothing. Halberton had been right with his information and now none could deny that. ZAFT had attacked Ptolemaeus and had annihilated the base. Had Maes not chosen to listen to Halberton with his urging to evacuate, he and all those in Ptolemaeus would be dead. His friend had insisted on erring on the caution side just as Captain Badgiruel would do had paid off once again. Maes ordered a channel to the Voyager class Halberton was on. Once the channel connected, Halberton could see the pain in Maes's face. "Duane, I," Maes began but hesitated, "I didn't want to believe you when you said ZAFT would attack Ptolemaeus." He stopped for a moment, "But you were right that they would. If you hadn't come and urged us to evacuate." Maes trailed off, not wanting to finish his grim realization with the sight of the beam. Halberton knew what Maes was getting at and didn't blame his friend for being skeptical. "Don't blame yourself, old friend," Halberton remarked, "I would've been skeptical in your position as well. But I couldn't stand by and let good men and women lose their lives to radicals using nuclear weapons."

Halberton was as modest as he'd always been when he had a major hand in saving countless lives. Maes knew Duane rarely took credit for the feats he managed, which was in his favor. That was the kind of man Duane Halberton was, never took credit for himself, instead saying it was a group effort. It had gained him respect from the top brass and had saved him from those who wanted Halberton to be demoted or worse. However, the mention of radicals using nuclear weapons brought back to Maes's mind the mission the Seventh and First Fleets had been sent out to do. Maes knew Duane had been referring to some within ZAFT when he had mentioned "radicals," but there were several in the Alliance as well. However, with what just happened to Ptolemaeus, the Alliance would consider the Fifth and Sixth Fleets as lost. There was no reason for Maes or any with him to keep the mission a secret from Halberton or the Federation with whom he was working with. Perhaps, they could stop worse events from happening and Earth from being threatened. "Duane," Maes started in a strained tone, "The Seventh and First Fleets headed out earlier on a mission."

Halberton didn't like his friend's tone that two Orbital Fleets had been sent out on a mission earlier. Something about the mission was bothering Maes, which didn't bode well for current efforts to bring the war to an end. "What kind of mission, Maes," he asked evenly, "It sounds like it isn't a good one by your tone." Maes shook his head, "It isn't, Halberton. They were sent out to establish a forward position for a strike on the PLANTs, which would be carried out in the next few days." Maes hesitated with the important fact he was about to reveal, "They were carrying nuclear payloads with them. We were to carry more to them in two days and join them in the coming strike on ZAFT."

Halberton wasn't shocked that the top brass had planned a nuclear strike on the PLANTs. There had been talking about that off and on over the years of his service though there had been no way to do that effectively. But then n-jammer cancellers had been acquired, Halberton didn't doubt enough would demand a nuclear attack on ZAFT. Yet, now that ZAFT had shown they had their own nuclear weapon, circumstances became more complicated. Nuclear weapons would be fired at one another; if that happened, the human race would suffer greatly. Halberton put a hand to his temple, "The fools," he cursed, "did they really think ZAFT wouldn't use nuclear-powered weapons against them? The first to shoot doesn't have superiority, this war has taught that lesson multiple times." Maes said nothing to Halberton's remark as he knew Halberton was right. After a moment, Halberton took a breath, "Maes, as the fleets with you are going to be considered lost to OMNI, let me extend an offer to you all." Maes wondered what Halberton was going to offer. The Fifth and Sixth Fleets had nowhere to go where there wouldn't be consequences faced. "What did you have in mind, Halberton," Maes questioned tiredly.

Halberton smiled slightly, "A chance to make a difference and help this war end in such a way that as many people as possible can live." Halberton paused for a moment, "Join us, we are helping the Federation end this conflict. This war must end, and nuclear weapons are not the way to do it. Nuclear weapons will only doom the human race to extinction no matter which side uses them. This war had transcended factions at this point, it is now about survival. Any able to fight against those bent on destruction is needed now more than ever." Halberton stopped for a minute, "I agreed to help the efforts to end this as peacefully as possible because I'm tired of seeing promising men and women dying for little to nothing. Too many people have died because of this war, it can't keep going. The Federation is gathering those who want this to end the best way it can. They even have ZAFT's Treize have joined the efforts. I believe this group's effort have the best chance to stop this madness which is getting people killed." Halberton gazed seriously at Maes, "OMNI soldiers vow to protect and serve the citizens of the Alliance, have they not? They need us now to make the hard decision to stand up and refuse to follow those who want to nuke the PLANTs. The radicals won't stop at destroying the colonies, they will do much the same to any that will stand against them. So, what is your decision, old friend?"

Maes sighed but smiled a bit, "I see you still have a way with words, Duane. You learned that skill from the captain better than I ever did." Maes paused, thinking about the offer Halberton was extending. On the face of it, it wasn't a bad offer in the slightest. The Alliance would see them as killed in action with the destruction of Ptolemaeus. They would likely be branded as traitors if they showed up and proved that false. There were accusations of betrayal going around lately too often not to expect such from the top brass. Then Halberton was right about OMNI soldiers vowing upon enlistment to protect and serve the citizens of the Alliance. Maes hadn't forgotten that vow he'd made when joining OMNI, even if others ignored such now.

Lately, the leadership of the Alliance hadn't been doing things that helped the Alliance itself, just the goals of some. And say the other Orbital Fleets somehow succeeded at striking the PLANTs despite ZAFTs efforts to stop them, it solved little to nothing. If anything, that "success" would give ZAFT all the reason to use their gamma-ray on Earth before anything could be done to stop them. Earth would suffer if the PLANTs were attacked, and ZAFT wouldn't hesitate with how they'd been lately. But the top brass and those they listened to weren't heeding logic or any kind of wisdom. They were so short-sighted right now that they couldn't see nor admit to the obvious consequences Halberton had laid out. In the end, Maes had to admit Halberton's offer made the most sense to accept than returning to "allies." The Fifth and Sixth Fleets could do something to help end the war, as was their duty. And it sounded like Halberton was working with those that shared the goal, so its success was more likely. Maes exhaled heavily, "As you sound sure, Halberton," he began, "On behalf of the Orbital Fleets under my command, we accept your offer. I pray it will do what you say it will, or else we will have betrayed everything OMNI is supposed to stand for."

Halberton nodded, "I wouldn't be assisting them if I didn't believe it was going toward the goal, old friend." He paused, "I know the hardest decision a soldier can make is to stand up for what they believe when it goes against the organization they are a part of. Yet, in dark times, soldiers that are able to make those difficult choices are needed the most." Halberton focused forward, "Helm, set course to the meeting point and transfer the coordinates to the Alliance vessels so they can follow." Halberton's Voyager class led the way, and the Alliance vessels followed them.

It was close to twelve hours by the time Halberton's group reached the meeting point for the coalition fleet. They all entered the field that was projected around the fleet and took up position on the left side of the formations. There were the ships that remained from the Eighth Orbital Fleet. Those ships were finishing their repairs and refits from what Maes could see. Maes was more amazed at seeing all the Federation vessels in this "fleet." Around a third to a half were projecting the stealth field that hid the fleet as it traveled toward Lagrange 5. The rest of the Federation ships were in formations in the center of the stealth "bubble." There had to be well over a hundred-fifty who were not projecting the bubble by Maes's estimate. On the right side of the bubble were ZAFT vessels, both Laurasia and Nazca classes. Then there was one crimson vessel in the middle of the ZAFT ships. According to reports, Maes could only guess the ship belonged to ZAFT's Admiral Treize since the man had his own personal command ship.

The size of the group was incredible, for Maes had seen nothing like it before. It was also a fleet none had ever imagined would come together, not with the tensions between the factions. And yet, the "impossible" fleet was traveling together to accomplish a goal through cooperation. As Halberton had implied, survival was certainly a powerful driving force for humanity. It was something underestimated far too often and not given credit it truly deserved. In these instances, the will to survive had forced differences to be put aside enough to see the threat of nuclear weapons bringing ruin down on all. Maes didn't disagree that nuclear weapons were a threat, he'd seen an example of what they could do hours ago. And now he was here with the two Orbital Fleets to join the efforts to help humanity survive. He was surer he'd made the best choice that could be made right now with what he saw.

Meanwhile, the Federation's First Space Fleet and those with them at L4 had moved out from there after seeing the flash around the moon. The Archangel, Kusanagi, and Eternal traveled with the other ships, heading toward the "coalition" fleet as it was being referred to. There were reports that something had hit the moon, but little detail about what had done so. The attack was worrisome as it said ZAFT was just as willing to strike with dangerous weapons as the Alliance was. The war was escalating at a quickening rate and it was not going to get better without serious efforts.

Upon arriving in the area of the fleet, the lead ships began entering the bubble. The First Fleet had been informed about the "bubble" which had been put up over the fleet to hide them. It was to hide the approach of the coalition fleet to Lagrange 5 when they got there. Those on the three Non-Federation ships were watching curiously as the ships looked to vanish as a ripple of light passed over them individually. Then as their turn came, the "ripple of faint light" ran over the ship, and into their view came many ships. They slowly moved forward, gazing around in astonishment at the number of vessels and variety.

Cagalli's mouth had fallen open when the inside of the stealth bubble came into view. There were so many Federation vessels here, and it had to be more than half of the space fleets present. Granted, she'd been told the Federation's military wasn't small in number either in soldiers or equipment they worked with when Orb joined the Federation. Yet, this was more than she had imagined when she'd been told about the Federation's military. Alliance ships were on the left of the Federation and ZAFT vessels on the right as the fleet traveled forward. The sheer number of ships gave Cagalli some more hope for the possibility of stopping a nuclear holocaust from occurring. Nuclear weapons flying around had scared Cagalli, she hadn't wanted to believe it would happen, that humanity wouldn't turn to that. However, the evidence said it would if nothing changed with the war. This fleet had a chance to make a difference, and she firmly believed that now. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be possible, and that's what counted the most.

Murrue, on the bridge of the Archangel, could only stare in shock and amazement at the fleet she was seeing. Much of the bridge crew was doing the same as they took in the view inside the bubble. Murrue could hardly believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. The fleet's makeup was from all factions, though the Federation made up the fleet more than the Alliance or ZAFT ships did|. But that Alliance and ZAFT vessels were here too was incredible. Any question asked about the possibility of ships from all factions working together before now had been laughed at and denied as impossible. The tensions between the factions were too high and sharp for a group before them to ever to occur, that was the common answer. And yet, here such was proof to the contrary, and it was unreal to witness. But with the sight in front of her, she was coming to think perhaps, stopping this conflict from ending the human race could be done.

Mu and Krystal were also looking out at the fleet from the bridge and were impressed. For this fleet to assemble was unprecedented and just thought to have been impossible. However, it was still being done and for the goal of the survival of the human race. Mu had to admit the will to survive was powerful, it had saved him more times than he cared to count. And that will to survive was the force behind this endeavor in front of them. The threat of nuclear weapons being used had gotten enough to stand up and be willing to fight against that to survive. Of course, Mu was proud to be a part of this work to save the human race as he didn't doubt many were. He just wished these lengths weren't necessary to achieve the goal of humanity's survival. Still, Mu couldn't keep silent after a few minutes of taking in the fleet, "Got to say, never thought I would live to see the day a fleet like this would be assembled," he commented. Krystal smiled, "You're not the only one who thought this wouldn't happen, Mu," she remarked. Then she frowned, "At least, the only one who would live to see this happen. It is sad such is needed to end the madness going around these days."

The three ships were soon contacted by one of the three Federation flagships from their part of the fleet. The Kusanagi was told to take up position in the Federation part of the fleet among the First Space Fleet. The Archangel was ordered to go over and join the Alliance vessels and report to the Voyager class that was helping coordinate them. The Eternal was told much the same idea but with the ZAFT section of the fleet. The three moved to their assigned areas without argument or question. The Archangel moved to be behind two Agamemnon classes, with a Nelson Class to their starboard and two Drake classes to their port. Murrue was surprised to be told by Kuzzey that the Alliance ships were registered as belonging to the Fifth and Sixth Orbital Fleets. Those fleets were supposed to be patrolling around the moon, as far as Murrue knew. But what blew her away was some ships that were part of the Eighth Orbital. They had apparently survived the battle against ZAFT in orbit, which was not expected. Reports said the whole Eighth Fleet had been wiped out, which was what had been said at JOSH-A.

Halberton had been coordinating information with Maes for the Orbital Fleets here so he could know their readiness. He'd been in charge of the Alliance vessels here, which hadn't been a problem since most OMNI personnel knew and respected Halberton. However, his attention was diverted when a sensor operator called that another ship had taken up position with the Alliance ship. When Halberton asked for it to be identified, he was surprised to hear it was the Archangel. Halberton had read reports the Archangel had left the Alliance after JOSH-A, which he didn't blame them for. They had "supposedly" been helping in the fight the Federation had been in against the Alliance. Yet, he hadn't been keeping up on the news involving the ship for the last two months, so he didn't know what had occurred. The Archangel had a good crew, exemplary even, so if they died, it would be a great loss. "Open a channel with the Archangel, please," Halberton ordered the com-officer. "Let's get their status and other relevant information so we can coordinate with them."

Back on the Archangel, Kuzzey said the Voyager class was hailing them among the Alliance vessels. Murrue told Kuzzey to connect the channel, wondering who was over the Alliance part of this fleet. She never expected the face she saw to come up when the channel connected. Murrue blinked, "Admiral Halberton," she questioned incredulously. Halberton smiled, "It has been a while, Captain Ramius," he replied, "It is good to see your ship and crew are still serving as they are able."

Murrue was stunned to see her mentor alive and speaking to her. His ship had been destroyed, and she'd watched it blow up in the atmosphere as the Archangel descended. She had saluted it, thinking it was the farewell to the man that had been the best commanding officer she'd had. Mu could see Murrue would need a moment to regain the use of her voice. It wasn't surprising, Halberton was thought dead, OMNI classified him as killed in the line duty. Mu was glad to see the man alive and clearly busy doing what he could. The human race needed those like Halberton now more than ever. "Forgive her surprise, sir," Mu said, "We didn't expect to see you again after the Menelaos went down." Mu hesitated, "If it isn't too much to ask, Admiral, how did you survive the Eighth Orbital's beating? How did the ships here make it through ZAFT's assault?"

Halberton tilted his head, "A valid question, Commander," he returned. "Without Federation assistance, the remnants of the Eighth Orbital and I wouldn't be here. They explained the war's direction and made an offer for us to help end it as peacefully as possible. As it should be obvious, we accepted the offer and have been working with the Federation to save lives." Mu wouldn't argue the explanation from Halberton, it was logical, and Mu would've done the same were he in the Admiral's position. However, why not return to OMNI and tell them what had happened? "Not that I fault you, Admiral," Mu replied, "Yet, why not return to OMNI?"

Halberton had considered doing what Commander La Flaga suggested but had decided against it. After the Federation had given him the information and evidence, Halberton had understood it was fruitless to return. Nothing he could say to the top brass would've made a difference. It would only make him a target to disappear or be assassinated, and Halberton knew it. That was where the Alliance had been heading, and the signs were clear when Halberton looked back. What happened at JOSH-A and after that showed OMNI and the Alliance had changed and weren't hiding it any longer. "I believe it is the same answer the Archangel didn't return after JOSH-A," Halberton admitted. "We learned the principles we fought for weren't what drive the Alliance anymore. We saw the Alliance for what it has become, an organization that heeds terrorists like Blue Cosmos." Mu frowned at the truth the Admiral had stated. Learning the Alliance was horrible had hurt, Mu wouldn't deny that. Tyler had tried to tell them before JOSH-A, Mu could see that when he looked back on it. Tyler's dislike and comments about the Alliance should've raised red flags. The teen was well-informed and had his own experience, and he would know better than those who just took orders.

Murrue found her voice after Halberton's answer to Mu, "Yes," she said painfully, "We learned the truth about what OMNI was doing. What "sacrifices" they are willing to make without thought or concern since it doesn't affect them directly." Murrue clenched her fists, thinking about how those like Sutherland had no issue throwing away allies and considering it a win. "They used JOSH-A to eliminate forces they didn't want and let the Atlantic Federation take control of the Alliance."

Halberton could see Murrue was more than bothered by what the top brass had done with JOSH-A. He was certainly not okay with the operation, too many lives had been sacrificed to be called a victory. Then some had used the shift to take control, as Murrue said, essentially forcing the Eurasian Federation into following their lead. Halberton sighed, "I wish more had noticed the change sooner, but that is something we can't change right now." He took a breath and got down to business, "Moving onto current matters, the Archangel will be reporting to me until further notice. Is there any issue with that arrangement?" Murrue shook her head as if she didn't have any issue following Halberton. He nodded, "Right then, transmit your ship's status, crew condition, and current mobile weapon compliment to my ship. I will coordinate with you more after going over that information."

The requested information was transmitted, and Halberton glanced it over and was a tad surprised at what was there. The Archangel's status was good, as could be expected from what it had been through. The crew had slightly decreased in size, and the information said some left at Orb before the ship had fought against the Alliance. That was also expected somewhat, and the ship was still crewed enough to manage well enough to be effective. What was shocking to Halberton was, according to the information, the ship had acquired three more mobile suits. And of all the mobile suits it could have gotten, it was three of the four stolen G-units. How Murrue Ramius had acquired the Blitz, Duel, and Buster, Halberton couldn't begin to guess. Halberton looked back up from the information, "Is it correct the Archangel has the Duel, Buster, and Blitz onboard," he questioned.

Murrue could understand the Admiral's question as the three machines were seen as lost when with the Eighth Orbital. The three had been enemies until recently, as they had been with ZAFT. The Buster had only joined in the fighting at Orb and the other two at Mendel. Murrue may not completely trust the three ZAFT pilots, but they had proven they wouldn't actively destroy the ship. Also, Mr. Zala had vouched for two of them seriously, and the last enough to satisfy her, they would be allies for the time being. "Yes, sir," Murrue replied, "We didn't expect them to return to us. We reacquired the Buster just before JOSH-A, and the other two came back around the Mendel colony. All three ZAFT pilots have volunteered their skills to help in this effort as long as the PLANTs aren't attacked actively."

Halberton hadn't thought he would be working with the Federation or ZAFT forces at the beginning of the current year. He certainly couldn't fault Captain Ramius for being surprised working with those who had been enemies before now. If the ZAFT pilots had volunteered to help, Halberton wouldn't question that further without evidence to do so. "I'll defer to your judgment upon that, Captain. Make sure all mobile weapons are ready for deployment as soon as possible and await further information, Halberton out," he finished. The communication ended after that, and Murrue was left to think about their current situation. Mu could see Murrue lost in thought, so clear his throat, "At least we are reporting to someone we trust." Mu sighed, "That hasn't happened for a time now, sadly enough, so it will be a nice change."

At the same time, the Eternal sailed to the ZAFT area of the fleet, looking for a place to take for itself. Andrew has glanced over the ships as they traveled, and he couldn't help but be impressed with how many were there. It was expected that Admiral Treize would have to leave the homeland due to those in control not wanting him around. When that happened, ZAFT would be split as those loyal to Treize would leave too. Yet, Andrew hadn't expected there to be so many already gathering in one place. Aisha giggled, drawing Andrew's attention, "Well, I think we can say the Admiral is not around the homeland these days," she commented." The door to the bridge slid open as Andrew replied, "It would certainly seem so love."

The Eternal's pilots, minus Tyler and Siegel, floated onto the bridge, getting their first view of the ZAFT vessels in front of them. Athrun was torn between amazement and worry with so many ZAFT ships here. It meant that ZAFT was splitting into two groups, weakening the PLANTs' defensive capabilities. Andrew turned to see who had come onto the bridge and wondered where Tyler was. The older teen was normally where things were happening from what Andrew had seen. "Good to see you all up here," Andrew greeted, "But where it your friend?"

Athrun nor Kira got the chance to answer as the mobile suit control officer spoke, "Ma'am, the Aurora is requesting permission to launch out." Aisha glanced at the officer, "Did the pilot give a reason why they want to go out?" The officer was silent for a moment listening to Tyler's explanation. "He says, ma'am, that he should go and report to others in charge. He mentioned it better to do so now rather than wait." Aisha giggled again, "Mr. McGregor always seems to have an explanation for his actions should he be asked. Let him go and do what he wants, and he can look after himself and come back when he's done with whatever he plans to do." The Aurora shot out from the Eternal's catapult and flew off toward the Federation vessels.

Andrew had watched the Aurora head off, shaking his head and dismissing his curiosity about Tyler's actions. He focused back on the task at hand, which was finding the ship in charge of the ZAFT part of the fleet. "Do we know who we are to contact to say we're here," he asked the sensor officer. However, it was the com-officer that answered the question, "Captain," they called, "we're being hailed," there was a pause, "It's from the Salong. They are asking us to be ready for an exchange momentarily," Andrew blinked at being told the Salong was here among the fleet and was trying to communicate with the Eternal. "Well, that does answer the question of where the Admiral is," Andrew muttered to himself. "Transmit, we are standing by."

Lanus was busy conferring with a group of captains about the status of their ships. The group was some of the survivors of Boaz, Lanus had been focusing on their repairs for the last few days. Other ZAFT vessels had been coming over the last week, and Lanus had been coordinating with them as well. He'd had more work since leaving the homeland than the year's start though he didn't complain about that. It felt good to Lanus to be working on in the field among the troops. He had missed working alongside those he considered brothers and sisters in defending the homeland. And he was doing more to make a difference for both the homeland and beyond, which he hadn't been able to do from the PLANTs.

He was fully onboard with the goal of this fleet. Lanus saw the necessity to stop nuclear weapons from being used freely. There had already been two uses of nuclear weapons now, the first on Boaz and the other on Ptolemaeus. The Boaz event was bad but showed nuclear warheads could be confined and potentially stopped if the carriers were dealt with quickly. However, the weapon employed on Ptolemaeus was different, and it concerned him. Lanus had heard about "GENESIS" being built but knew little more than the name. Whenever he'd inquired, his questions had been waved off without a definitive answer. That had been worrisome but leaving the PLANTs had been more a priority than finding out more at the time. GENESIS had shown the weapon invented by ZAFT would be just as bad or worse as nuclear warheads.

Lanus was finishing the conference with the group of captains when he was informed another ship had arrived. He gave his orders and ended the communication with the group before he inquired about what ship had arrived. Lanus was happily surprised when he was told the ship was the Eternal. The ship had escaped Aprilius One months ago, and Lanus hadn't heard much about it after that. The rumor was Siegel and his daughter was supposed to have been on the ship when it had fled. Lanus hoped that was the case, and he'd done what he could to waylay Section 2 in hunting Siegel and Lacus. Waltfeld and those under him had orders to do what they could to help the two, but those were the final orders he'd given them. Thus, Lanus ordered a com-channel connected to the Eternal so he could see where things stood. When the channel connected, Andrew saluted seeing Lanus, "Always a pleasure to see you, Admiral," he greeted. "The Eternal is here and ready to serve as you order us."

Lanus smiled at the response, "I'm certainly glad to hear that, Waltfeld. I hope the Eternal has been serving admirably," he remarked. Lanus then spotted Siegel standing behind the captain's chair. It warmed Lanus's heart to see his friend alive and well. The number of friends Lanus had was shirking lately, so he wanted to keep those he could. "Siegel, words can't properly say how relieved I am to see you alive and safe, dear friend." Lanus paused, remembering the report he'd gotten from his contacts. "I was told your exit from the homeland was difficult and didn't go as well as it could have." Siegel knew Lanus had ways of finding out things that others didn't, so it wasn't surprising he knew he'd been injured. "If not for the SOLAS team, I would unlikely be here," Siegel said somberly.

Lanus nodded, "So I heard," he returned. "I did thank the head of SOLAS personally for what they did extracting you and your daughter." Lanus stopped thinking of what mess there would be should Siegel and/or Lacus be killed. He knew Sakura would not let such a thing be passed off silently. Lanus could only imagine the trail of blood Sakura would leave while she hunted down all responsible. It would end with Patrick being killed by her, bringing another group of issues for Sakura. Not that Sakura would care about the consequences, that made her as dangerous as she was. "I doubt I have to say your eldest daughter would be bent on obtaining retribution for either of you dying. It would certainly be a mess I wouldn't envy the ones who would have to deal with and clean it up." Siegel knew Lanus had a point about Sakura, and she would've demanded the heads of those involved if he or Lacus had been killed. However, Lanus smiled slightly, "But to business which is far less troublesome," he said as a means of transition. "Tiger, I need the status of the Eternal, its crew, and its current mobile weapon compliment sent to the Salong. I'm working on coordinating with the others here, including the Eternal."

The com-channel closed, and Andrew got to work gathering the requested information Treize asked for. Lacus was concerned Admiral Treize was out here rather at the PLANTs preparing their defenses. Treize would be the best man to organize ZAFT to stop the Alliance from using nuclear weapons on the PLANTs. He'd proven the safety of the PLANTs was a priority for him and that he could be trusted. Lacus couldn't help but voice her worry, "Should Admiral Treize be out here when the Alliance threatens the PLANTs?" Siegel put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Even out here, Lanus is working for the protection of the homeland, rest assured."

Andrew paused in his work at hearing Miss Clyne's question. She clearly didn't know that the Admiral had been isolated by the Council shortly after Zala took over. ZAFT was split into two groups because Chairman Zala demanded the things he did. Admiral Treize had stated the changes didn't make logical sense and declined to implement them. That was the first of many instances of difference of opinion. The Admiral had begun planning his departure from the PLANTs shortly after that. "The Admiral was required to create his departure plan shortly after the current Chairman came into power. It became obvious they had different views about the war and how things should be done. Admiral Treize hasn't had a say in major operations for months now, the Defense Committee overriding him at the insistence of the Chairman being the reason." Aisha hummed at Andrew's explanation, "And the Chairman doesn't seem to care that his demands have weakened ZAFT overall, not strengthened it as he claims. The Chairman lies more often these days than admitting the truth."

Meanwhile, Tyler flew over to the Federation vessels' main flagship. He felt he should report what he knew if only to keep his boss off his back and to snap at him. It also gave him something to do, and Tyler didn't want to be idle right now. Tyler quickly found the ship he was looking for, the Britania. He radioed for permission to come aboard and was asked to provide The Aurora's ID code and his military ID number. Tyler sent the requested information and waited for it to be checked over. It was policy right now to make sure any allowed on a flagship was to be vetted. A few minutes passed before Tyler was told he could come onto the Britania. Tyler flew in an arc to line him up with the Voyager's catapult and began his approach. He entered the hangar and moved the Aurora to the dock he was directed to.

Tyler exited the cockpit and left the hangar to search for the officer in charge of the ship. It shouldn't be his boss as she was on the Valerian as far as he still knew, and he hoped she remained there for the time being. Should there be a member of the Federation's Admiralty as Tyler expected, he would have thirteen other possible admirals to face. Tyler had gotten along with the four other admirals he'd encountered, so he hoped it would be similar with any of the other nine. He may luck out and report to an admiral he'd talked to before, and he wouldn't say no to that. Tyler was directed to the officers' quarters when he inquired where to find the one in-charge.

Admiral Moses was going over recent reports and information. He had been planning the assault that would need to be made against ZAFT's gamma-ray. Moses had been coordinating with Angelia and Maharaja for both the fleet's assembly and its movement. Rachel Misteen, who was over the Research and Development branch, had come up with the "stealth bubble" formation being used. It would simplify the approach to Lagrange 5 since ZAFT wouldn't detect the fleet getting closer. There were enough concerns to deal with relating to the fleet assembling, and there was no need to add to them. The goal of the fleet of stopping the implementation of nuclear weapons was daunting. The Alliance and ZAFT had displayed "their" nuclear weapon of choice by using them against one another. If the weapons kept flying and being employed, then the future of the human race would be in serious doubt. Nuclear weapons wouldn't just end the war, and they would bring about the extinction of humans.

Moses had organized the fleet into three groups to manage it as a whole better. Halberton was coordinating the Alliance vessels in this fleet. The former OMNI personnel trusted the man would help things go smoother. Moses had to respect Halberton as he was doing a great deal for the Alliance and others. The man had "gone against" the Alliance as it was currently when he'd given years of his life to them. Halberton had done much during his service to OMNI. He'd been one of their best tacticians and had won against ZAFT several times during the war. Yet, from what had come from the Information Network, Halberton had been under-appreciated by OMNI top brass and Alliance leaders. For the ZAFT group, Treize was doing a good job keeping them organized and effectively using their time. Treize had been much in the same situation as Halberton before coming to help the Federation in its efforts. Treize had been rejected by those in control of the PLANTs and attempted to be rid of him by what the man said. The difference between Halberton and Treize was the latter leaving had caused a split in ZAFT forces into two groups.

Moses was brought out of his thoughts and reviewed the reports when a knock came on the door. He looked up and told whoever it was to come in, wondering who had come calling upon him. To Moses's surprise, Tyler McGregor entered the room. It wasn't the teen popping up that made Moses curious about what events had caused the point. McGregor's fieldwork wasn't called out often since it got damn good results, and few argued that. It was more that the teen had ended out in the fleet before it got to L5 and seemed non-plus about it. Moses also had recently had a conversation with Angelia in which McGregor's name had come up. According to her, McGregor had gone off to the PLANTs when SOLAS teams had been sent going against orders. He'd written a "report" as punishment which was light for such things from what Moses knew for Angelia. But when he'd read the report McGregor had written, he'd been impressed with it. It had been the best he'd seen from the teen with how professional it had looked.

Angelia had also mentioned that when she and the First Space Fleet had reached the eastern side of the L4 colony cluster, things had been bad. Allies were in combat with OMNI's Third Orbital Fleet and an "Archangel class" ship. The First Fleet had gotten things under control quickly enough and eliminated the Third Orbital in the end. Angelia did make a point to say that Muruta Azrael had been in the new Archangel class. The presence of the known war criminal the Alliance had been sheltering was concerning. Attempts had been made to deal with the criminal, but those had failed, and Azrael had escaped capture or elimination. Angelia had even mentioned that McGregor had offered to resign after failing to take down Azrael. Thankfully, the woman had refused the offer, and the Federation needed those like McGregor now more than ever. Angelia had told him she wouldn't give up McGregor with the skills he had and the work he'd done. She had asked him to tell the other branches to stop attempting to convince the teen to transfer to one of them. Should they want his services, they would have to come to her and ask for them. It had caused Moses to smile as he knew the other branches of the Federation's Military had wanted McGregor for themselves.

Moses smiled at the teen as he'd always liked when McGregor reported to him, for it was never dull. The teen did more work than others and was successful most of the time, which was impressive for his age. "Commander McGregor," Moses greeted, "It is always refreshing as well as a pleasure to have you come by." Moses gestured toward a seat, "Do have a seat, Commander. I don't doubt you have an amount to report." Tyler did as he was gestured to do as Moses continued, "So then, what brings up to see me, McGregor?"

Tyler took a moment to gather his thoughts so he could give a fair report to Admiral Moses. The man was the head of the Federation's Military. And Tyler felt the man was one of the organization's best leaders since its founding. Tyler respected the man, not just for the job he did, but because Moses genuinely served the Federation for the goal of the principles the Federation was founded upon. "Well, sir," Tyler began, "I was doing my due diligence and reporting to the one in charge as I should." Tyler paused for a moment, hoping he wasn't disrupting anything. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. You're busy keeping this fleet moving and preparing for the battle to come." Moses shook his head, "The important things have been arranged, for the time being, so you weren't interrupting anything."

Tyler gave a summary very similar to what he'd given to his boss. The general facts about what happened around the L4 colony cluster were the same. Moses knew of the facts, but the details McGregor gave did fill in some holes about the event. Angelia hadn't said what could've led to the scene they First Fleet had come upon. McGregor also mentioned that he believed the Archangel class, the Dominion with Azrael on it, had been there for a reason. According to McGregor, Azrael was intent on getting a "nuclear-powered" mobile suit. It wasn't exactly a surprise, and the Alliance had wanted a means around the n-jammers since their deployment. And it was probable that somehow, someone had gotten n-jammer canceller specs to Azrael in the conflict around Mendel. McGregor's mention of Creuset being around the area made the masked man a prime suspect. Treize had said the evidence he'd gathered pointed to Creuset being a traitor and double agent, so it would fit.

After McGregor finished his report, Moses was silent for a bit, thinking about what he'd been told. It was clear the Alliance or those who were in control were dead set on doing a nuclear assault on the PLANTs. The news Halberton had brought back already gave evidence to that idea, so they would have to be on the lookout for the remaining OMNI fleets. ZAFT had dug in their heels and had solidified their defense lines around Jachin Due. It was assumed their gamma-ray weapon was around their Jachin Due, but there had been no info to narrow the location down. The war was rapidly heading for a final battle to determine how it would end. The result would either save humanity or destroy it.

Close to a day went by, and the combined fleet traveled to Lagrange 5, to the area of ZAFT's Jachin Due base. There was no sign that ZAFT detected or noticed the approaching fleet. It was noted by those in the coalition fleet that ZAFT forces were positioned in a defensive posture in relation to the PLANTs. It lent credence to the claim an Alliance force was preparing to strike the PLANTs with nuclear weapons. ZAFT defending and protecting the colonies was fine, they wouldn't be faulted for such actions. However, ZAFT using their gamma-ray against the Moon or Earth was unacceptable under any circumstance. It was just as unacceptable as the Alliance firing off nukes at the PLANTs to those in the coalition fleet. Moses had others actively scan for the missing Orbital Fleets to keep an eye on them. There were few informants within those fleets, and they weren't in the position to give their locations. So, with the location of the missing OMNI Orbital Fleets unknown currently, it was logical to deal with ZAFT's weapon first.

The current numbers with the coalition fleet had them at well over two-hundred vessels closer to three hunderd and several mobile weapons per ship. Estimations put the odds at around three to one with coalition ships to ZAFT vessels and worse odds for ZAFT with mobile weapons. It appeared ZAFT's whole home fleet was out around Jachin Due, making a line in front of the PLANTs. Any chance of talking down from the looming battle had faded from what informants had said. According to the Information Network, Chairman Zala was dead set on attacking Earth with his gamma-ray, given enough time. All attempts to dissuade and reason with the man and those who backed him failed. Sadder still, new information from the network made it clear things had changed on Earth with the Alliance.

From what Moses read, the attack on Ptolemaeus had seriously caused the Alliance's leadership to reconsider their position. Moses would've expected the pause and panic, but what surprised him was the Alliance had entered discussions with Federation political leaders. Those discussions led the Alliance leadership on Earth to publicly denounce those demanding a nuclear strike on the PLANTs. That had led to uprisings all over in Alliance territory of the citizens rejecting and taking down radical leaders and terrorists like Blue Cosmos. The Alliance leaders on Earth were now cooperating with the Federation. Moses assumed they were doing so for survival which was understandable even if not preferred. Those that were now denounced were classified as rouge and would be treated as such. Meaning that those not with the two missing Orbital Fleets would not be their enemies. There were still messages from the Federation to the PLANTs to bring the war to an end and not resort to nuclear weapons. However, those were being ignored by the Supreme Council as far as the information said. The Alliance's pleas had been added to those and were being ignored just the same.

That information was spread through the coalition fleet, and reactions to such differed between groups. The Alliance forces were shocked at what their leadership had done in the last week, as it was such a turnaround. It was unexpected for their leaders to denounce those who had been directing war efforts for the last year or so. Halberton had little hope before now the Alliance leadership would see reason before it was too late. But the denouncement showed the possibility enough reasonable people remained in the Alliance to make a difference. It wiped away doubts that the First and Seventh Orbital Fleets were still potential allies. As long as they insisted on using nuclear weapons against others, they were enemies of humanity.

Lanus felt sorrow at hearing Patrick was ignoring the drastic change that had happened. For the Alliance to now denounce the radicals was serious progress for peace. Their citizens were working on purging the Alliance of radicals and terrorists, which should be applauded. Lanus could understand seeing a terrifying attack against a major base would shake leaders. Boaz had shaken Lanus and proved to him that things had started into a dangerous spiral. Patrick had a real chance to end the war peacefully. He would be seen as one of the most effective Council Chairman the PLANTs had and would have in history. And yet, he was not even acknowledging publicly the offer for peace though it was coming over ZAFT frequencies. The man ignored the offer, which was more insulting, and showed Patrick in a darker light than he had already displayed himself. And from what Lanus was being told, there were some that reported to the Chairman directly that were blocking the message, so no others knew about it.

When orders were given that conflict was imminent, the ships in the coalition fleet were making their final preparations for the looming battle. Upon the Eternal, the mobile suits underwent final repairs, resupply, and adjustments. The coordination with Admiral Treize had made a loose plan for the ship in relation to the coming battle. Andrew and Aisha had discussed with Treize the idea of employing the METEOR units the ship was equipped with. Treize had approved the suggestion and said to ensure the units were ready for deployment. The Freedom and Justice would use the METEORs rather than the Regenerate and one of them. The Regenerate could use a METEOR unit, but it had enough of an arsenal to work with, so it didn't need an increase. Plus, Lacus had declined the option saying Kira and Athrun could do better with them than she could. The Regenerate had been repaired and given the spare Lupus rifle the Eternal had in its supply. The Aurora hadn't needed as much repair as the other three, but the maintenance was kept up, so the suit was ready to go.

On the Archangel, preparations were being hurried so they could be finished in time for when the battle started. Chief Murdoch, his engineers, and mechanics were busting their butts off to complete the work on the mobile suits. The work on the Archangel itself had been finished half a day ago, so the ship's systems were running the best they could right now. It wasn't as good as if an overhaul had been done on the Archangel, but Murdoch and his boys had done an admirable job with what they had. The five mobile suits on the ship were in good condition for combat, with all damage repaired. The Duel and Blitz had been adjusted to come up to the standards Morgenroete used, which matched the Federation's standards now. Their operating systems were streamlined with the Federation's Information Network data. Murdoch appreciated the Federation's network access, making work so much easier. The processes the Federation had were logical and simple enough to understand and employ. He guessed some of the information came from whatever the Federation had for a research and development group.

As the work had been going on, the Archangel's pilots had been asked to decide what they would use for the looming fight. Mu had given it some thought and decided to go with the Aile pack option rather than the E-YM1 pack that combined the striker packs. The Aile pack gave the best balance of mobility and power usage of all the striker packs. The gunbarrel combo gave better mobility but used more power in exchange. The E-YM1 pack gave a far better arsenal but used power more and had less mobility. Mu expected the battle they would soon enter to be drawn out. ZAFT wouldn't just stand by and let the fleet destroy their nuclear weapon. Their use of the gamma-ray on Ptolemaeus had proven they would keep using it regardless of what horrors it would cause.

Krystal had also thought about what equipment set she would use in the skirmish. The Shadow had a few options depending on what advantage Krystal wanted to have. The flight set gave superior mobility, which would help against the non-standard GINNs and CGUEs. But there was also the long-range set with the heavy beam rifle, which linked with the Shadow's hidden scope. And finally, according to Tyler, there was the Kale Artillery set that Teswa had produced, with the best arsenal. Krystal knew her scores with sniping weren't the worst, but certainly not the best, she was barely above average, so the long-range set was not a good choice for this. If not for the numbers faced on ZAFT's side, then Krystal would lean toward going with the flight set. However, she chose to go with the Shadow's Kale Artillery set in the end, as it had an extra battery and it had a good amount of firepower.

The Buster, Duel, and Blitz had no optional equipment as the other two did, so there were no extra options. However, Nicol had glanced over the adjustments and tuning which was being done and was forced to pause. The Blitz's OS had been streamlined in such a way that it would vastly improve the machine's performance. According to the mechanic he talked to, they were using Federation standards for the job. Nicol had to applaud the Federation for having the standards they did, which were reasonable yet above average expectations. They were certainly better than ZAFT's, which depended on pilot ability more than machine performance. He did tell Yzak to look at the changes being made to their suits as they would be noticeable. That had set off Yzak, who snarled the Archangel's mechanics shouldn't be touching the Duel for any more than repairs.

Dearka and Nicol had been forced to hold their comrade back from going and shouting at the mechanics. Nicol assured Yzak the changes would be an improvement from what the Alliance had left them to work with. It took some time to calm Yzak down, but once he was more inclined to listen, Nicol summarized what the adjustments would do. Dearka figured that the Blitz and Duel would get similar treatment as the Buster had gotten before the fighting around Mendel. Yzak grumbled at the explanation, saying he could've done the job himself if he had been given the time and opportunity. So, he didn't need to thank the ship's mechanics for a job he would've done. Nicol didn't pursue the point with Yzak as it wasn't worth it since he wouldn't admit he was in the wrong.

At the same time, on the Kusanagi, the M1 Astrays were being made ready to launch out. The pilots were assisting as they could to get things ready. This would be a dangerous mission, they were told, there was a chance they wouldn't come back alive. However, all the Astray pilots volunteered willingly to go out and fight for the sake of the human race. Kisaka was impressed and proud of the ship's pilots and their resolve. He knew Orb soldiers were brave by nature, and he'd seen that more times than he could count. Kisaka knew Lord Uzumi and the rest of Orb's General Council would also be proud of them. The mission ahead of them was dangerous, and failure wasn't an acceptable option. The pilots had been told that, but none of them had hesitated for a moment in their reply they would go out and fight.

Cagalli had watched when the pilots of the Kusanagi had been told the truth about the battle ahead. She was proud they were so willing to fight for what was right and the survival of humanity. It was a credit to Orb its soldiers were ready to stand and fight to protect their beliefs and principles. However, Cagalli couldn't accept sitting on the bridge and merely watched as others fought to protect the human race and end the war. She had done that up until now and had enough of the sick feeling she'd gotten doing that. Cagalli fully intended to go out to the battlefield regardless of what others would say to discourage her from the point. She could be stubborn when she saw the reason to be and would use said stubbornness to go out and fight. With her resolve set, she approached Kisaka and told him she would be going out to fight, and there was nothing he could say to dissuade her.

Kisaka could see that Lady Cagalli was dead set on going out in a mobile suit to fight with the other pilots. He was worried if she did, the girl might not come back, and Lord Uzumi wouldn't be the only one who would be heartbroken if Cagalli was killed. But he had known Cagalli long enough to know she could have a stubborn streak from time to time. It normally didn't harm her, but it certainly could do in this situation. Yet, holding her back wouldn't help either, Kisaka knew, and he wanted her to stand for her beliefs. Thus, Kisaka couldn't find it in his heart to deny Cagalli in her wish to go out and fight in the battle.

Erica had been watching Kisaka and Lady Cagalli as the girl had given her case in a heated manner. Erica couldn't help but find it amusing that Lady Cagalli was so worked up about others going to work that she felt doing nothing. The girl did more for those around her than she realized. Perhaps, Cagalli would see it when she got older and matured since she was still a teenager. Plus, Erica had planned for the time when Cagalli would refuse to sit by and not be in the middle of the action. The Asuka was done with its adjustments, and the new equipment was attached securely. And so, Cagalli's outburst was an opportunity for Erica to show her what had been prepared. Thus, Erica laughed at Cagalli's outburst, which made the girl glared at her. Cagalli didn't appreciate being laughed at, "What is so funny, Chief Simmons," she demanded.

Erica held up a hand, "Your outburst is amusing, Lady Cagalli," she replied. "I expected it to come earlier, but Kisaka seems to have managed to placate you enough to prevent it." Erica glanced at Kisaka, "Not that I don't understand why you did so, Kisaka. I would do much the same if it were my child, and I know you care about Lady Cagalli." Erica shifted her gaze back to Cagalli and continued, "However, Lady Cagalli, you need not worry, I have been preparing for the time when you would insist on joining the fighting."

Cagalli blinked at what Mrs. Simmons had said to her. She'd thought the woman would tell her how silly she was being insisted on going out to battle. Those around Cagalli before now had said something along those lines when she wanted to help out in the field. But no, Mrs. Simmons had not been laughing at her but that it had taken her so long to insist on doing more. And the woman had also prepared for the time when Cagalli would have the courage to step forward. "You've prepared something for me to use, Chief Simmons," she questioned. "But why didn't you say anything about it?"

Erica rose from her seat and floated to the door, gesturing for Cagalli to follow her. Cagalli did as told and left the bridge traveling down the deck corridor with Erica. They entered the lift, and Erica pushed the button for the hangar deck. "The reason I didn't tell you before now, Lady Cagalli is you weren't ready," Erica stated and held up a hand when Cagalli was about to counter her, "Let me finish, my dear. You weren't mentally prepared for what happens in battle until now." Cagalli blinked at the reasoning having no words to counter what was being said. Erica kept going, "I'm not saying you aren't able to stand up for what you believe, Lady Cagalli. But battle is a messy business that requires those in it to kill for what they fight for. You haven't been prepared to do that until now, and you didn't have strong enough resolve to be ready to kill another."

Cagalli frowned, knowing what Mrs. Simmons was saying about killing was true. She didn't like the thought she very well may take someone's life in the coming battle, and it made her sick to her stomach. However, there was so much at stake should the effort of those in this fleet falter or, worse, failed. The world was threatened, and the human race was in jeopardy. Those reasons were enough for Cagalli to consider doing what had horrified her before. Cagalli now understood what her father had meant when those who embraced the dark nature of Humanity had forced those who were good to do hard and unnatural things. "I still don't want to kill another if given another option," Cagalli admitted. "But I understand such is unavoidable sometimes when defending what is right." Cagalli balled her fists, "I can't stand by any longer and watch others fight to risk their lives for the rest. I want," Cagalli shook her head, "I need to be out there fighting to ensure humanity has a future." The lift halted on the hangar deck, and the doors slid open to the corridor. Erica guided Cagalli to the hangar, saying nothing along the way.

The hangar was busy with work being rushed, and people were going around finishing tasks. Erica took Cagalli by the hand and pulled her further into the hangar. The two stopped in front of the Asuka, which surprised Cagalli. She blinked as the unit had changed, it had new equipment attached, and the flight system seemed to be different. Gone was the shield that the Asuka had before, and now a new one was in its place from what Cagalli saw. The new shield had a gatling machine gun built into the bottom section of the shield, and a beam boomerang was stored in a holster in the upper part of the shield itself. Two anti-ship swords, which were based on the Strike's "Schwert Gewehr," 9.1 meters in length instead of 15.78 meters as the Strike's were. Those are stored on rails that acted like sheaths on the underside of the backpack that had been added when they weren't in use. Finally, there were a pair of 155mm railguns and a pair of 105mm cannons. The railguns were mounted to the backpack to be over the shoulders of the mobile suit, and the cannons were mounted over the railguns. Cagalli turned to Mrs. Simmons, "Why are you showing me the Asuka," she asked. "I assume one of the pilots will be using it."

Erica shook her head, "Nope, the Asuka has been adjusted for your use, Lady Cagalli," she replied. "I had it put aside so that when you stepped forward, it would be ready for you to use. It has been equipped with updated equipment which will be better for the fighting ahead. The operating system has been streamlined, though Mr. Yamato's work shortened the process." Erica smiled at Cagalli, "It's ready and waiting for you, Cagalli."

Cagalli was bowled over by what Mrs. Simmons had prepared for her when she had the courage to step forward. It was a gift Cagalli never expected as she wasn't a soldier nor a leader like her father. This woman had every reason to stop Cagalli from going out to battle, much as Kisaka did. And yet, Mrs. Simmons had instead made sure a mobile suit was ready for her to use when the time came. Cagalli couldn't stop the urge that surged in her, and she lunged forward and hugged Erica. Through the tears that came to Cagalli, she thanked Erica for doing what she had to help her. The frustration that Cagalli had been feeling had been weighing heavily as of late. Giving out orders slightly helped with those feelings as she was doing something, but it hadn't made them go away. Seeing people she had come to care about go to a battlefield and risk their lives to protect everyone else hurt and frustrated her so much. Yet, with what Erica had done for her, she could go and assist them on the field to make a difference. She might not be an expert or an ace, but she could hold her own with a mobile suit, she would prove that. Thus, Cagalli collected herself and then went to get a pilot suit on and get ready to go out in a mobile suit.

A/n

Okay, I'll leave off there for this phase and continue from there in the next one. Now onto the part where I point out and highlight things from the Phase to you the readers. So, the first section which involves Halberton, it used to be a page and I expanded it to be something longer. I have this scene on its own for a few reasons which I didn't do in the original. First, I wanted to show and make it clear that Halberton is alive and plays a part in the story. There have been questions about that before now and this is the answer to that. Another thing I wanted to display about Halberton is he's reasonable and so is willingly working with the Federation after the war was explained to him more. We also learn more about Halberton's reputation he had in the Alliance which was more than just as a tactician as is said in canon. It also shows that Halberton had been questioning the Alliance's direction before the Eighth Fleet was attacked by ZAFT a while ago. We also learn more about Halberton's past which canon never goes into.

The other part of the first scene I wanted to get into is a fact that is often glossed over in stories and especially in canon. That fact is not all in the Alliance are horrible Coordinator-hating people. It is something that I think is rather a tragedy since I feel there are good people on all sides of the war, but don't get recognized due to the screeching of the radicals in control. I believe Maes is a good example as he wants to do the right thing, but is more often forced to do something else. But due to Maes decision which isn't canon, I want to make that clear, there will be more "good" Alliance personnel going forward. That won't make bad events not happen, but I won't go further than that at this time.

Now the next scene is of course meeting up with the Fleet and the preparation which makes up the rest of the chapter overall. This scene was inspired for those who will ask by the scene in Star Trek Discovery season 3 when the Discovery gets to Federation headquarters. The stealth bubble is similar in the entry but is kept up by the ships projecting it with a newer application for the Federation's stealth systems. I also want to point out that the estimations made of the numbers of ship is generalized, not exact. It is to impress the fleet's size is larger than any other that had come before this point along with it being made of all factions. Originally I had the gather point at L4 but I felt it was better for the point to be undefined as it was heading toward L5.

When the First Fleet arrives with the three ships we were following, they add their views to it which wasn't in the original. I wanted to have the interactions between the Archangel and Eternal with their respectful leaders. With the Archangel, I would think it is rather obvious why I wanted the conversation between the bridge crew and Halberton. It was to pound in the point the Alliance has been going south and soldiers are realizing it. With the Eternal, it was more for the interaction between Siegel and Lanus as the two are friends even though I rarely mention that. I also wanted to give a picture of what would've resulted if canon's events had played out as they did. Sakura isn't one to take an attack on her family silently, I would hope I've gotten across she don't take flak from anyone. The preparation phase of this scene gives you readers a bit to think about which is different than canon. First, the Alliance leaders on Earth are acting differently with those like Azrael not around. In canon, Azrael essentially had control of the Alliance, it is not so in my story. Don't get me wrong, the guy has a lot of influence, but he doesn't actively use it.

The last thing I would like to get into is the part with Cagalli as it is important in her development. By this point, it should be clear Cagalli doesn't like the war by knows it needs to end which requires fighting. As passionate as the girl is before now, she aint a soldier nor ready to kill another on the battlefield. However, she had become frustrated at watching others she knows and cares about go out and risk their lives. That frustration is key as it readies her for to go out and fight not just in a mobile suit but to kill as required. This has been building slowly but surely with the girl. It is humorous that while Kisaka has been trying to slow the growth down so Cagalli wouldn't fight in battle, Erica was preparing for when Cagalli would demand to. The refitted Asuka is based on the Strike Rouge IWSP. I know that idea isn't supposed to be seen just yet, but I claim author's privilege.

In conclusion, I'm sorry the closing author's note are still long. I just want to get thoughts across for readers to know my reasoning as to why I write what I do. Maybe I'm going too far, but I would ask you all to humor me in this type of thing. As always, please some of you take the time to write a review and tell me what you think. Also, the poll as to what story I will work on next is ongoing. Go to my profile page and right of center at the top is the "vote now" go and make your voice heard! The next Phase is titled: "Taking the plunge" and it the start of the battle scene which I don't doubt many have been waiting for. It is on track and should be good to post in two weeks. Peace out until then!