The Two Gundams

It seemed strange to Erin that a few days ago, she, Camille and Paula had honestly believed that Heliopolis was safe enough to drop off refugees from the Titan's tyranny. It gave her a cold feeling in her gut how easily they'd been proven wrong. She was still fitting her flight helmet when she saw Camille hastily enter the locker room. "Sorry I'm late." He said shortly as he opened his cabinet containing his normal suit.

"I thought you're staying with your parents in this sortie," Erin reminded him.

Camille almost looked embarrassed, "I'm not used hanging out with them all the time."

She'd understood, most of the time they're together usually ends up with a fight, as Hilda wasn't convinced that Camille's welfare was secured in this type of work, and Franklin's lack of fatherly devotion was annoying even to her, it didn't help that the Ahgama wasn't a huge ship to begin with. She wouldn't be surprised if Camille sneaked in here without his mother's knowledge, "Wanna talk about it?" Erin asked matter of factly. "And before you say its guy stuff, I have a brother back home, and he'd tell me everything."

"I suppose that comforts you." Camille bit out, angry that he'd fish up someone else's unwanted sympathy.

"It comforts everyone, even you." Erin snapped back. She was suit up, and had to leave to prep her Hyukebein, "Just letting you know that I won't mind if you decide to talk."

Camille would have told her to mind her own business. But for once, he looked at Erin in a different light… maybe because they've fought together in the battlefield, or her temper reminds him of his own, regardless he retracted his earlier statement and said quietly. "I'll think about it."

Erin raised a glove hand to signal she'd heard and closed the door firmly behind her, giving Camille the privacy to dress.

Emma, still under inspection, wasn't allowed to the preparations for the anticipated fight. It's just as well, since the Gundam that she'd been using was undergoing reprogramming… namely writing over Titans IFF code with AEUG's own, as it wasn't a smart idea to have their computers signal hers as an enemy unit in the middle of a battlefield.

Erin was on her way to her robot when she noticed that Quattro was motioning her to follow him as they headed to the Hyukebein. "So what are we facing?"

She was surprised when Quattro gave her the recent news from the colony. Heliopolis was…

"Destroyed three minutes ago." Quattro said quietly. "Probes showed that it had literally fallen apart."

Erin looked at him dumbstruck, the last time total Colony annihilations ever occurred was during the One Year War, and the battles before that… "How?" she whispered.

"That we'll have to find out." Quattro said thoughtfully… and a little distractedly.

"What's wrong?"

Quattro seemed to rouse himself from his musings and said shortly, "It seems like an odd sense of déjà vu." He admitted, surprised at himself for saying these words, "we'll just have to be more careful." Once, in the war, he'd lost three of his best pilots the last time they'd approached a wrecked Colony. He hoped that his bad luck won't extend to his new protégées.

"Camille wants to go into the fighting." Erin said, decided that Quattro, as squad leader, deserves to know about the change of roster.

Quattro was silent for awhile, and Erin thought that he was going to ask her to convince Camille not to when the boy entered the hangar. He watched them from a distance, waiting. Eventually, Erin drifted back to the blue haired boy and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "What're you doing here? C'mon, we have to be in our mechas."

Camille gave a quick nod and a sense of relief from him. Erin was bothered for a moment that Camille would rather face an obliterated Colony than face his parents again… but in a sense, had she been in his shoes, she'd most likely do the same.

The bridge gave them leave to launch. And the three mechas left the hangar, and into the field of stars. Leading the way, the Ahgama followed closely, the three mechas slowly picked up their speed. For despite the need to aid their fellowmen, there was danger afoot. One should be very careful.

"There's so many debris…" Camille said with a stunned look in his features, as they've got to witness the situation in visual. Despite Quattro's description, Erin could see buildings, cars and other metallic objects spinning helplessly in the vacuum of space, and most likely corpses of those unfortunate enough not to reach their respective shelters. Erin felt bile rising to her throat, in which it took a great effort of will simply not to throw up.

The Ahgama was a few feet behind, apparently busy picking up SOS from the floating cylinders where civilians from Heliopolis stationed in. There was a huge Minovsky concentration in the area, proving without a doubt that Heliopolis had been used as a battlefield.

Henken had given each of them schematics of the SOS pods they should look for. Erin couldn't help thinking that these pods are way too few, and her fear increased at the thought of the casualties in this senseless war.

Quattro had decided that it would be more efficient if they split up, find the pods and bring it to the Ahgama as soon as they could. So Erin found herself alone in the Hyukebein among in the floating debris, bracing herself for any dead bodies to pass by. It reminded her of those scavenging days with Sam, when she was given pilot training a year ago, although she never dreamed she would do anything like this. Her switchboard made a beeping sound, indicating that her mecha's sensors had picked up the closest pod. But as she was a few feet from the pod, a small tingle from the back of her head warned her of a distant danger, and in an impulse she could never understand, the Hyukebein spun around, Photon Rifle ready in its hand and shot at its right without warning.

The shot blew off the head of an unidentified GINN that was preparing to snipe at her. Despite the distance, she could see from her sensors the distinguish emblem from its metal shoulder… and even if it doesn't carry one the GINN alone could identify itself as…

ZAFT, Erin thought, feeling cold all over. Despite the strained relationship of the Coordinators with the rest of the world, she never thought they could be so heartless as to destroy an entire colony. But proof is proof, and the GINN appeared not shaken by her attack, and attempted to shoot her down with a rifle.

"Watch where you're aiming at, you moron!!!" Erin shouted angrily as the Hyukebein took the damages valiantly, afraid to move away lest the GINN shoots down the pod behind her. The enemy pilot must have figured that out as well, for he renewed the attack. No use, I'll have to shoot to kill… But that shot was not made by her hand, for another beam from behind her unit struck the GINN's midsection. The helpless mecha stood still for a second before it exploded, and the ball of light from its wake slowly dissipating.

But Erin's instruments had immediately told her that her rescuer was not her comrade. And so the Hyukebein found itself face-to-face, with its gun cocked and ready, to the unidentified unit which was also bearing its buster rifle at her. What surprised her in this encounter was that the unit in question was in fact a Gundam. One that she had never saw before.

Although its coloring takes after the original Gundam, even with its shield and rifle, she can't help noticing of that strange red pack at the Gundam's back that seems to serve as some sort of thrusters. Though she only delivers hardware for Mao Industries, she had visited Anaheim on more than one occasion, and she could tell it's not one of their designs.

She hesitated, unsure what to make of from this visitor. But the way the Gundam held its weapon in an almost nervous shift, she was also sure the pilot was hesitating to engage in combat. "Identify yourself." Erin demanded, not really sure if he will reply. "Are you from Titans, ZAFT or any other organization I should know of?"

"This is GAT-X105 Strike." A young voice penetrated in the silence of the cockpit.

"Never heard of that kind of production code. Are you the test pilot?"

The Gundam pilot didn't get a chance to answer, for above their heads, someone opened fire at them.

Quattro saw the light and inwardly cursed. He was also in the dark on what happened, but he wasn't blind enough to think that the people responsible for this catastrophe had simply left. He could only hope that the Minovsky particles had made radar difficult for the enemy forces as well as it does to them, for that brief light have now been a beacon for its allies.

Quattro's instincts had proven it correct. For his control panel was inputting data of incoming fighters, the Hayaku Shiki had already moved away from its current position when rifle shots zoomed nearby. Allowing himself a grim smile as he saw those ZAFT units. A GINN was, probably, the most advanced mass produced mecha in this time and age. But technology was not a deciding factor of a battle, as he used to say once a long time ago to an enemy pilot. As if for an afterthought, Quattro gave a shot that cleanly hit the attacking GINN; its consequent explosion gave him satisfaction that at least it wasn't invulnerable to his weapons. A quick glance told him that Camille's mk.2 had finally arrived to offer his support. But Erin was nowhere to be seen.

"Lt. Quattro!" Camille called out in shock. "The visuals are showing…"

"Gundam types," Quattro added quietly. And there they were, two different colored units, heading towards them. But his computer could not identify them as ZAFT, instead it was… "Federation. What the hell were they thinking?"

"Sir?"

Quattro shook himself to stop mulling this over. Had he not been in such a dangerous situation, he could have laughed out loud at this cruel twist of irony. But now, experience had given him a harsh reminder to be wary from these new Gundams, and not to get too confident.

The other two mechas, broke away and fired at the yellow mobile suit, thinking this was the easier kill.

And Quattro swore to himself that he'd teach these novices a thing or two about battle, knowing that it would be quite unlikely for him to take them out with this Mobile Suit. He half-wished that he had thought to bring his Sazabi along, but had to left it behind for his own obvious reasons. He'd have to make up with his recent unit instead. Sharply telling Camille to back him up, Quattro met the challenge head on.

Isaac Shyull was so enthusiastic with the success of obtaining a Gundam for his own that he didn't pause when he saw the yellow Mobile Suit in the open, thinking that pilot must have a death wish of sorts: putting up such a bright color and making it such an easy target. His grin almost instantly disappeared, seeing that the yellow suit, had actually put on a good show of nimbly avoiding the fire. His computer also pointed out of a second unit, a Gundam type, but Isaac was quite confident that this Gundam Duel was no match for this new model, telling his friend Diakka Elsman, to concentrate their fire at them. And as the mk.2 aimed it with its rifle, the laser merely bounced off from its new phase shift system that was installed in the machine.

Camille muttered a curse when he saw that his attack had been rendered useless. But chose to give the obviously stronger Gundam the trouble of shooting him down, as the mk.2 and the Duel engaged against each other, firing weapons as they'd flew towards the other. Quattro could see that Camille's past battles had helped him a lot for this experience, as the new Gundam model had no edge whatsoever against his counterpart. The Hayaku Shiki shifted to shoot down its other enemy, the Buster Gundam, and took mental note of its huge barrel of its buster rifle. It's no doubt that the power of its blasters would reciprocate the size of the weapon, so Quattro wisely took safety precautions not to let his enemy get the obvious hand over him.

He also knew that Erin's unit was also under attack by one of ZAFT's number, though he was curious if the new Hyukebein was up par with these units, but the situation here forced him on the defensive, not willing to put the Ahgama and the civilians at risk, so he couldn't spare his mind to speculate.

The Buster Gundam fired with its huge cannon, and recoiled from its impact. The Hayaku Shiki gracefully evaded that attack and charged forward, bringing out its beam saber while it's at it. It was obvious that that mecha was built for long-range attacks, so hand-to-hand will force it to have an even footing for Quattro's favor. The Buster Gundam's pilot must have realized the same, for he quickly lowered his bulky weapon and drew its own beam saber.

The two swords collided, producing sparks, both wielders unwilling to back out from it.

And while the fight rages on, another watches. Trying to figure out which one was the friend or enemy.

The Hyukebein and the Strike Gundam were back to back now, firing against the GINNs that were ganging up on them. Erin couldn't help but noticing that some of the GINN's bullets couldn't penetrate Strike's armor. She wondered if Strike's alloy was made up of the same Gundanium metal from those Gundam-type MS that attacked Earth a year ago. And it seemed that it was quite useful, considering that the pilot appears to be a newbie, as he hesitated to deliver a lethal blow against a GINN.

"This isn't a game, you know." Erin snapped at her companion, annoyed of the missed opportunities he just made. She tried to make it up by shooting the next MS down when it made another swoop.

"I can't kill a living being!" Her companion said, and Erin felt from those words a distinct impression that he was not supposed to be here.

"In case you didn't notice, we're in a middle of a fight now. It's either you or them! I won't leave you behind, but I can't get rid of these guys for you on my own." She replied tersely as she disabled another enemy unit.

The Strike Gundam was quiet but only for a moment. But it gave her small comfort somewhat that at least he was shooting earnestly now on the next wave. Another unidentified mehca was heading towards their direction… from Erin's viewscreen it was a Gundam just like Strike's design but in a very bright shade of red. She could have assumed that the red one was also a companion. But the way the GINNs gave way to it betrays it's alliance. The Hyukebein shifted its gun from its left hand to its right, taking careful aim to the enemy's head.

"Don't shoot!" Strike's pilot shouted out with a tone of desperation. Before Erin could reply Strike activated its beam saber, and moved forward, blocking her aim, "I'll take care of this one."

"What are you…!!!" But Strike sped away from her position, heading to the said foe. And Erin was forced to shoot down the GINNs that went after the Gundam, belatedly realizing Strike was their intended target in the first place. She quickly opened a channel to issue a warning towards it's pilot, but found herself into an unexpected conversation. Nothing ever prepared her for this one.

Athrun Zala, the pilot of the red Gundam called Aegis, gritted his teeth when he saw the familiar looking Gundam headed recklessly in his direction with weapon in its metallic hand. He was surprised when he first found out, but that surprise faded into anger and certain sadness.

Despite the danger, he was unwilling to draw his own sword, deciding that this situation can be won with a simple discussion. "Put down your sword, Kira!" he cried out in the open channel towards the Strike's pilot. "I don't want to fight you!"

His words were rewarded when the Strike passed him harmlessly. Kira did not bother to lower his weapon but cried out in grief to his former friend. "Why… why did you destroy Heliopolis?!"

Had Kira been another stranger to Athrun, he could have coldly pointed out the obvious truth. But he couldn't so he didn't, instead he was forced to bring out his saber as well, trying to fight off his conscience when Kira added, "You told me, that you won't get involved in the war."

"Kira." Athrun remembered those very words. But other factors had forced his hand into this decision, and something his friend will never ever understand. Nicol, the pilot of the Blitz Gundam, was giving him encouragement to fight Strike, but Athrun find no strength to do so. The Hyukebein, successfully destroying the remaining GINNs, was now heading to their direction.

Suddenly the Aegis pilot reached a decision. And gave the order to retreat.

"Athrun?" Nicol Alfimi reacted in a shocked expression, not expecting this outcome.

"There's no way we can fight without the mothership's assistance." Athrun replied calmly. "Besides, the black mecha Strike is with shows powerful weapons. We musn't engage in combat with such huge risks."

Nicol knew the real reasons behind Athrun's actions but kept those words to himself, trusting his judgment. Firing a couple of missiles to Strike as cover, the two enemy Gundams left as quickly as they'd come without looking back.

Strike didn't give chase, but looked after them helplessly. And the Hyukebein drifted past, Erin's senses sharpening to protect herself if this Gundam was up to anything funny. The cautious act was wasted though, for Strike immediately flew towards the emergency pod that Erin was protecting.

The young pilot whom she overheard his name as Kira replied, "Thank you for your aid." He simply said.

"Are you a Federation pilot?" Erin asked.

His answer confrimed her suspicions. "No… I'm a civilian."

Erin could hardly register her surprise for she received word from her squad leader. It seemed that Quattro had also problems with ZAFT, and requested her immediate assistance. She relayed her orders to Kira, in which the young man immediately answered, "Don't worry… they're there to support you."

"What are you talking about?" were the only words she muttered before her sensors indicated of another huge presence nearby. And it was approaching Quattro and Camille's coordinates.

Quattro had cheated death more than he cared to count, but apparently it was beginning to catch up on him, for as soon as he sent a message to Erin, his radar picked off a huge object a few feet away from their position. A battleship type, maybe from ZAFT's number. Before he could give orders to Camille to withdraw, a huge white ship had come before them, covering the two Mobile Suits with its body, and its guns swiveled overhead to aim at their attackers. Duel and Buster Gundam attacked as much as they could, and if the ship happened to be a regular Federation vessel it would have been destroyed in a matter of minutes.

But the ship miraculously remained intact, and retaliated with its own cannons. The enemy Gundams were forced to inch away, and then eventually retreated, realizing the risk was increasing in every second they stay.

At least the ship that saved their necks didn't aim their weapons at them next. Quattro quickly took the initiative, "This is Quattro Bajina of the Ahgama," he said, "on behalf of the civilians from Heliopolis, I thank you for their rescue."

The ship was silent, but only for a little while. "This is Lt. Maryu Ramias of the Earth Federation, Captain of the Archangel. I'm glad to hear a friendly voice." A female voice answered him firmly. "We beg assistance for retrieving the civilians."

"For that," Quattro replied dryly. "I'm glad you're in our side."

It seemed Archangel's finding three lost units in the chaos wasn't such a coincidence after all. Tores was the one who found out about another ship attempting to hide in the debris, and Henken managed to convince Ramias that their intention of their appearance was a simple rescue mission as well as the aid they were looking for. The Archangel had come to their rescue when they'd heard ZAFT was attacking, on condition that the Ahgama will accompany them until they all reached the moon.

"I'm surprised they didn't ask if we're AEUG, and that you agree to those terms so quickly," Emma ventured to say to Quattro as the two of them drifted to the corridor. Due to the civilians coming in the ship, Emma had to give up her quarters, in which the Lt. was kind enough to assist her to find another room. Brecks, Camille and Erin were now in the Archangel as they speak, as representatives for the Ahgama crew.

"We are heading to the same direction." Quattro pointed out. "And I think those Federation soldiers are reluctant to ask because we caught them red-handed."

"What do you mean?"

"I asked Tores to check some of the manifest I've picked out from the wreckage of a supply ship. The Archangel and five Gundams were in fact being created in Heliopolis and stationed there for quite some time."

Emma tried to digest those words, "I got the distinct impression… that that Colony was neutral."

"Apparently not. This makes the government screwed royally." The blonde man shook his head wryly. "I wonder how everyone will take it to this piece of information."

"But why are they heading for the moon if that's the case?"

"I think that ZAFT attack took them by surprise, and couldn't get their supplies in time." Quattro said thoughtfully, "Von Braun is a neutral country, so they may have a chance of re-supplying and safely deliver the civilians there for protection. Provided if Soreil allows them to."

"Heliopolis was one of Luna's allies. Dianna would not turn her back on them in their time of need."

"She won't be pleased once she finds out that Heliopolis houses Federation projects behind her back." Quattro felt pity to the young queen's soon-to-be troubles. But that was all he could afford to do, as the two of them continued their quest for new quarters.

As for Camille and Erin, they were helping Kira bring in the other civilians when the Ahgama couldn't spare any free space to house them. Along one of those was the pod she and Kira found when they'd met. It struck her, though, how it looked so different from the other escape pods when Kira, a sixteen year old with brown hair and lavender eyes, the pilot of Strike, practically ran to them, looking a little panic-stricken.

"That pod seems to have life-support problems," Camille said, hurrying down from his cockpit as he told her, rectifying their concern. Everyone else was too busy with the other civilians and couldn't spare their attention to the lone pod. So it was back then that Kira, Erin and Camille were the only ones who looked into the pod for the person inside.

Erin and Camille immediately recognized the passenger, and to Kira's surprise Erin immediately covered the girl's head with her helmet, telling her not to make a sound, while Camille asked Kira where they could go and talk in private.

"My quarters," Kira managed to babble, as he found himself leading the way, with the two at the girl's side like grim-faced sentinels. It was fortunate that the hallway was now crowded, and no one gave one look at the small group, thinking that one of the pilots had been wounded during the fight.

Kira's room was exactly that, a bunker which was appropriately dark and quiet enough for them to unmask their visitor. Kira, who never got to see her features before Erin placed the helmet, was surprised when he saw long pink hair falling gracefully to her shoulders, and a look of innocence in her blue eyes. She looked pale, given the situation she was in, but there was a smile of gratitude lighting up her pretty face, but faded a bit, realizing that her rescuers were not ZAFT.

"Lacus Clyne. The chairman's daughter of ZAFT's high council." Erin said grimly, Camille looked distressed and Kira was dumbstruck by that piece of information.

"Yes, that's my name." The girl replied cheerfully, not taken aback by their somber expressions. And from the folds of her dress, a small pink ball emerged shouting "Her name! Her name!"

"A Haro." Camille said, fascinated, recognizing those small balls that was the rage of childrens' toys these days.

"Hello! Hello!" Haro cried, gleeful of its new audience.

"But how do you know my name?" Lacus asked Erin, surprised. "Do you know my father?"

Erin gave a small chuckle, "A little actually. But my friend Sam was a huge fan of yours, she used to show me your pictures." To Camille and Kira she explained, "other than the daughter of a politician, Ms. Clyne here is also a fine singer to her home colony."

Lacus blushed, pleased and flattered by that compliment, "Please, do call me Lacus instead." She extended her hand, and Erin found herself giving the younger girl a handshake, reminding her of Sam somewhat. Quickly she introduced Camille and Kira next, telling her the latter was the one who rescued her. Lacus gave a smile to the already blushing Kira when Erin decided to ask a straightforward question.

"How do you end up in Heliopolis anyway?"

"I'm not really sure," Lacus answered matter-of-factly, her forehead creasing in thought. "I was supposedly on my way to commemorate the 30th Bunch Incident when my ship was attacked." A look of concern crossed her face as she suddenly realized something, "what about my companions, the captain?"

Erin looked at Kira, in which the younger boy shook his head sadly. "There's no one else."

"I see." Lacus said, her face crestfallen. As if sensing its mistress' apparent distress the pink Haro quieted down and looked at the others thoughtfully. "If you be so kind, what are you planning to do with me?"

"Well," Camille said quietly, arms folded "you can start by hiding here until we reached the Moon."

"You're right…" Erin said, nodding "if people find out a ZAFT member is here, it may start a riot."

"But I'm not from ZAFT," Lacus protested, "ZAFT is what our military is called. I'm only a civilian living in a Colony."

"Either way, you'll only be targeted from frustrated Heliopolis survivors." Camille reasoned, "and this is a Federation ship. So it's a good idea for you to stay here until we could find a way from this."

Erin shrugged, "Well, it will take at least two days to reach Von Braun. How're we gonna pull this off?"

"She can stay here," Kira began.

"Ara?" Lacus exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight "We'll both sleep in your bed!"

"Maybe that's a bad idea," Camille relented, while Kira's face was beginning to remind him of a tomato. Erin shrugged again, unsure what to say next. "But then again, we shouldn't move her around so much."

"Why," Erin was surprised to hear a serious tone of voice from the younger girl "Are you all so kind to me?" Lacus asked, watching them evenly.

Camille shook his head, "I can't help thinking that if you do show your identity, the Federation officers will most likely use you for their advantage," Erin somberly remembered the Titans and the Vidans debacle, and silently agreed to his assessment. "I'd like to prevent that from happening again."

Lacus looked at him thoughtfully. "You see the future from your mind's eye. You must be a Newtype."

"Well, I…" Camille looked confused for a moment. "I'm not sure."

"I'm glad I've met you people." Lacus continued, as if she didn't hear that. "I've always thought, well, told, really, that Naturals hate all Coordinators."

Kira fidgeted, and Erin looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"That is how we are taught." Lacus looked apologetic. "But now that I've looked at it in this way, kindness comes from all people. Natural or Coordinators." She looked at Kira again, and Erin wondered why she does that so often when Kira broke in. "I'm glad you consider that as well. You see, I am… also a Coordinator."

Lacus nodded sagely, "It's just as I thought."

Kira looked at Erin and Camille, expecting them to say something, but both were deep in thought, realizing the complication of those words. "First or second?" Camille asked him.

"First generation. My parents are Naturals," Kira said it almost bitterly.

"Where are they now?"

"They went to Orb for a holiday. I stayed behind in Heliopolis for school."

"I'm surprised you got away from that. Even in Space, there were particulars where Coordinators should live." Camille replied bluntly, forgetting his manners.

"Coordinators aren't animals," Kira argued angrily. "You can't just decree where a person lives just because he was born like that."

"But that's how those things are done fifty years ago: Elites, Coordinators and Spacenoids." Camille reminded him grimly, "Besides, I'm in your side, alright, so don't be so damn defensive. Have you told anyone?"

"No."

"It's no use for him to hide it now." Erin told them quietly, "I'm sure your superiors have figured it out ever since you rode that Gundam, haven't you?"

Kira did not reply, but he nodded slowly.

"Then you are indeed an anomaly. Why are you fighting?" Lacus said, looking concerned.

"I wanted to protect the people from this," Kira chocked, and Erin realized he was blaming himself on what happened to Heliopolis. "And now ZAFT will come after us… the civilians…"

"You don't have to fight," Camille said, "you have a choice to leave."

"…"

"There is that." Erin admitted, "But I disagree, Camille…I believe that someone who has power must make a move."

"What do you mean?" Camille asked her.

"Believe in what you think, and not ours… be your comrades… or your friends." Erin pointed it out, telling Kira she overheard his conversation with Athrun. "You're old enough to choose." In her opinion, Kira was too easily swayed, and she worried where his heart really lies, and if he was resolute in this course of his life. It may only lead to more complications in the future, as if he fighting against his best friend wasn't complicated enough.

"Am I?" Kira asked her, not looking so confused now.

"Amuro Ray was only 15 years old in the last war, so did all those people who were involved in the war so many years ago. If they can make a choice, so could you… Kira Yamato. At least, that's what I believed in." She inwardly thought of the history behind the word "Coordinator". That name was almost like a curse… and for some reason, Erin can't find in her heart to feel pity for the young man's apparent betrayal to his kind. But Kira looked at the wall, clearly hoping that he wasn't here right now, and felt resentment on the people who put him there.

"I've always wonder why my parents made me a Coordinator in the first place." He said aloud. "It doesn't make sense, really, and I've wondered ever since I found out."

"It doesn't really matter," Camille said firmly, "in the most basic level both of you are as human as we are."

Kira looked relieved and a little grateful by his words, but Erin was muttering to herself, "If that's the case, then why are we fighting each other?"

Lacus overheard her, but made no words on the matter.

How on earth, Jed thought to himself on more than one occasion, did I end up here again? He almost pictured Sagara's quick answer: it was the most convenient.

For he, Sagara and Garrod were at the underbelly of a ten-wheeler truck, which stopped to have its routine identity check-up at the entrance of the base they were going to infiltrate into.

"This is the last time I let you two bring me along for a drink." Jed said sourly as the trucks' wheels' loud noise covered his words. Partly because it was true, the reason he was out here with them in the first place was that he simply thought they were doing some shopping.

Sagara looked guilty by this obvious deceit but Garrod was rebelliously unrepentant. Apparently it had been his idea for this adventure, whether Jamil knew about this was another topic altogether, and Jed really didn't know how he could be of some help. But somehow after much sneaking from one armor car to the next, Garrod had devised a way to get inside.

"You've got to be kidding." Jed whispered as Garrod opened a small grate that served for the building's air ventilation, even Sagara was beginning to think it was a huge mistake when Garrod glared at them both and whispered back. "Do you have a better idea in mind?" When the other two shrugged, he demonstrated his skills of diplomacy by crawling into the shaft himself. "Like a little monkey," Jed dryly responded as Sagara followed suit, his mind made up to find that girl that he never really told Jed, as the supposed superior officer, of his relation to her. Jed speculated, but not voiced his opinions to clarify.

It was a tight fit. But now Jed was beginning to appreciate why Garrod chose them for this expedition. Kouji wouldn't like this subtle route, preferring to burst inside the building with guns blazing, and the rest… well he can't really imagine Boss and Roybea and Kazuya to crawl into the shaft like rats on a row. The absurd mental image was enough for him to smile in spite of himself.

Garrod was quite efficient, as if this had been his natural element, for he led them into the small labyrinth with its confusing twists and turns without any further mishap. And Jed realized he must have also been eavesdropping from the guards that were patrolling along the corridors, unwittingly giving them vital clues on where their hostages were being kept.

A few more right turns before Garrod signaled them that he had found the room. As he watch, Jed saw Garrod producing a small item from his belt bag slung around his waist. "Three." It wasn't a question.

Sagara nodded grimly, telling Jed to close his eyes for a couple of seconds, before Garrod dropped the same object onto the ground, where a couple of sentries were standing in front of the door. Despite that Jed was the last in line, he could have sworn that there was someone humming quietly behind that door, that humming abruptly stopped, as if expecting an attack.

There was a loud crack, and shouts of pain from the sentries below them. With a savage kick, the screen was set free, and as the guard looked at them with a dazzled look in his features, he found himself having his face connect with Sagara's knuckles.

"Well, so much for that." Jed said, tackling the second guard and relieving him of his weapons. But Garrod was busy at the door, attempting to open it with a lock pick, and did not bother to reply.

Immediately, he swung low as a small bench slammed on the door where his head had been, before a girl inside protested a loud "No!"

The man holding the broken chair looked at the threesome in obvious confusion, but the tension dissipate somewhat when a girl of fourteen, with long brown hair and wearing a conservative pink dress, ran from the older man's back towards Garrod with a quick embrace, almost knocking them both to the ground.

"Tifa!" Garrod said with obvious relief as he awkwardly hugged her back, a bit self-conscious, before Tifa regained some of her composure. Jed looked at the older man and by some impulse introduced himself and his companions, already suspecting his identity.

He was not mistaken, "My name is Amuro Ray." The older man said, unsure what to say himself. "You are?"

"Sir," Sagara said politely, nodding his head, in obvious reverence to the veteran soldier. "We are here to get you out of here." He seemed to be looking around in apparent distress, before Tifa took a hold on his arm and replied gravely, "Kaname-san is not here."

"What?!" Sagara burst out, a rare display of emotion for them.

"A man took her away a few minutes before you came," Amuro added helpfully, "he said they're going to transport her off the island somewhere."

Sagara looked torn for a moment, before he snapped his attention back to Jed. "Sir, requesting permission to go on my own and find the girl."

Jed looked doubtful, "You can't find her in such a huge place by your lonesome. Someone has to go with you."

"I can help," Tifa said quietly. "I can help you find her, but we must hurry."

"She's right," Amuro said, "she can help you."

"If she's going, I'll come along too." Garrod said grimly before Jed or Sagara can say something.

Amuro looked at them, "We'll have to serve as distraction for them."

"Seems like I'm the only one who's going with you," Jed replied, giving Amuro a rifle. "Alright, we'll make the fireworks as long as we could. Hurry!" the group separated for their goals, wishing the other the best of luck.

Sagara was definitely glad he had brought Tifa along. He would not have found Chidori so easily without equipments to aid his search. But Tifa, as Garrod had told him, was a Newtype like Amuro, but unlike the older man, her mental talents seemed to veer off into what others would call as the gift of precognition. It was this talent that made them now crouching a few distance away from the small plane behind some crates, planning their next move.

"I wonder what sir and Mr. Ray are planning." Sagara wondered out loud.

"Probably more fun than what we're doing. Can't we get any closer?" Garrod asked him impatiently.

The dark-haired soldier shook his head, "From this distance without getting shot at? No."

"The plane is starting to leave," Tifa warned, most likely from observation than her own intuition.

"No choice!" Sagara said, readying his gun. "We'll have to burst through."

Garrod favored his friend with a smile, "Now that's more like it!"

But Tifa stopped them both from charging into the fray recklessly by pointing her finger up ahead. "Look!" she said, a look of relief in her face. But Garrod didn't seem to share her optimism, seeing a plane flying overhead, most likely an enemy mecha. But suddenly his thoughts had finally caught up with him. Oddly enough, they weren't any enemy mechas in the vicinity, which was odd by itself… could it be?

"Amuro-san is going to support us from above." Tifa said, reinforcing their hopes by giving away the identity of the pilot. "Jed is with the others fighting." Then she frowned, sensing a distant danger… "but reinforcements are coming."

"Let's make this quick." The Re-GZ flew low, firing warning shots at the plane, before forced to shoot its engine to stop it from moving. Garrod couldn't help but admire the man who managed to cripple an aircraft with one precise shot. Sagara moved ahead, with Garrod guarding his rear, as they shot the soldiers that had somehow made a desperate attempt to move their hostage from the plane. Sagara was clear, and with precise movements that betrayed his years of training in the military, he entered the plane, while Garrod, Amuro and Tifa watched with held breathes, knowing the dangers he might encounter inside.

But amazingly, Sagara had procured the hostage in a span of three minutes, and they were now fleeing towards their direction, Sagara giving the girl such a protective arm that Garrod couldn't help but grinning, guessing (rightly) the nature of their relationship. The Re-GZ landed, no doubt going to serve as their escape vehicle.

Now that Garrod and Tifa could see the other two closely, Garrod was struck when he saw a bruise forming in Sagara's left eye, and that he's not wearing his military shirt, and draped on this girl named Chidori. "What happened?" he asked, in spite of himself.

Then almost choke back from laughing when Sagara answered so matter of factly as if talking about the weather: "I saw her naked in her cell."

Then Chidori's head snapped up. And Garrod also noticed of her luscious blue hair, her pert nose and brown eyes. She was a very lovely girl, he supposed, if she wasn't glaring at Sagara with an expression of murder in her face that was right now at the shade of brightest red. But Sagara, with his back at her, didn't seem to notice her reaction on his tactlessness, "We have no time to look for her clothes. I told her it's alright to run out here naked because Tifa and you won't mind…" here Chidori had to attack him by slapping his head with a paper fan that Garrod had no recollection of her carrying, silencing him before submitting her to further embarrassment.

Fortunately Amuro came before Chidori could pulverize the errant man and cause more damage. Telling them that enemy reinforcements from Neo-Zion stationed near are coming any moment now, Amuro proposed they head for the Freeden, and manned their mechas there to bolster the Freeden's protectors.

As Sagara, Chidori, Tifa and Garrod would have to get by the cramped cockpit, Tifa grabbed Garrod's arm. "Please," she said to the surprised boy. "Let me accompany you into the battle."

"But it's dangerous," Garrod began when she interrupted him, "I may find a way… a power… to stop them."

He couldn't find heart to argue with her, so he didn't. But somehow he felt a strange foreboding from her words.

Actually, it was more on Amuro's idea than his, Jed would later say as he, Kouji's team and Kazuya's team were now fighting earnestly against the Alternate Company's defenses. Jamil had somehow came to their rescue in the nick of time… a rapport from Tifa's mind, as Amuro explained… that greatly increased their chances of them finding a craft that Amuro needed. After bringing Jed to the mothership, the Re-GZ flew as fast as it could back to the base, to bring back the other rescuers.

Now, they could only hope that Amuro were fast enough to make their escape before reinforcements come. And given to their small number, they may not last as long.

Unfortunately, it was not to be the case, as Jed saw from his sensors the incoming wave. He was so dismayed that he missed Kouji's exclamation that Amuro has returned with the others, and that they were going to add to their forces. Perhaps the squad leader failed to check 50 more enemy units heading towards their direction, or he had simply looked at the brighter side of things, if any.

But to his surprise, he saw the Gundam X didn't join their troupe, and heading recklessly towards the Neo-Zion units. What struck him odd was that he could hear Jamil shouting. "No! Don't do it!"

He assumed that it was about the GX, but Jed felt a strange sensation in his chest… anticipation? Joy? He cannot determine if this uncalled for emotion was one of his buried memories when he saw a light, a single silver line of light, from the moon.

Chidori, with Erika helping her to her feet, stiffened when she saw the light as the rest of them. She was left behind with the raven-haired girl when Sagara practically jumped from Amuro's machine and ran to the Arbalest without sparing her a second glance, much to her extreme annoyance.

But that emotion began to gradually fade away as she stared unblinkingly at the light, murmuring, "Energy… light… death…"

"Wh… what?" Erika gasped, looking at the younger girl in concern, wondering if she should take her to the doctor.

"Light… Death…" Chidori whispered, but even as her eyes looked clouded, she gave a look of horror, screaming hysterically, her hands clutching on the sides of her head in obvious pain, looking at the disappearing Gundam X as though she had glimpsed something that was hidden away from everyone… an evil weapon… "Ohmigod!!! Tifa!!! No! No!!!" before the alarmed Erika would react, Chidori fell unto the ground, fainting.

The light seemed to concentrate on the GX, and the others could see the back of that Gundam extending, spreading like a bird of prey, that shows its panels. Reminding Jed of solar panels used by the Solar Ray from the One Year War. Like the One Year War, he tried to remember it, but his memory remained blank, but couldn't stop feeling buoyant… what could this all mean?

And then the light, as if made certain that the GX was in that location, gave a stronger flow of light from the moon, almost blinding them with the radiance of the solar panels.

Inside, Garrod was stunned, he never anticipated any of this. He looked at Tifa, and saw her small nod in return. "This is the power?" he whispered.

"Do it," was her firm reply when the cannon was fully charged, ignoring the outside voices in her mind, pleading her to stop.

There was no time to consider, no time to retreat. And so Garrod pulled the trigger.

There can no more dramatic than what happened next, a huge energy seemed to glow from the barrel, but only for a moment, before spewing forth with all its light and destruction.

Before their very eyes, they could see the hapless Neo-Zion forces disintegrate into the light, their charred remains disappearing as well, as the GX Satellite Cannon had finally revealed its terrifying secret.

The bridge gang looked on in stunned silence as the Satellite Cannon was almost bright enough to light the dusk as bright as early morning when Jamil slumped on his seat in defeat.

"Wh… what was that?" Toniya said, trying to fight back the terror from her voice. In which Shingo replied in the same tone. "I… I don't know…"

"A nightmare." Three pairs of eyes looked at him with those words. Deciding he did not have the heart to give away the answers yet he only repeated, "a fifteen year old nightmare." He looked at the GX sadly. "All those lives lost… Tifa, you were…" he couldn't bear to put the blame on her, in which she inevitably did.

Garrod was stunned as well, not realizing the power the GX unleashed, that it took him a moment to realize that Tifa was quiet during that demonstration. Quickly he looked at her, only to see a stunned expression in her features, her expression was so bland and so alien it had terrified him. "Tifa?!"

But Tifa screamed, clutching her head as if in pain, and Garrod tried to understand what had just happened, before she fainted in his arms, her face frighteningly pale.

Meanwhile Erika frantically checked if Chidori was breathing normally, before the other girl managed to look up to the ceiling, lying on the floor, still dazed. "What happened?"

Erika decided to be honest, "You fainted. Are you alright?"

"A weapon of pain… death…" Chidori whispered, as if realizing what caused this, and to Erika's shock Chidori began to weep. Erika gently hugged Chidori by some impulse she couldn't identify, stroking her back to calm her down. The younger girl gratefully accepted her support, but wept even more.

Erin watched the moon from the distance, a bit relieved that they would reach safety, and apprehension she couldn't classify. She wondered, as she looked at that small natural satellite, if it had any hideous secret that could be hidden beneath its beauty, she hoped not, despite the feeling that such an idea was not way off after all.