A/N: In this chapter the crew of the Archangel goes to the debris belt to get supplies.

Standard Disclaimers apply.

Chapter Eight:

Ghosts of the Past

Archangel Crewmen Smythe and Haw's Quarters:

Roxanne sat down running through all the information she was just given by the man she had always had a crush on. Miriallia said, "Hey Roxy, are you okay?" Roxanne didn't answer. Miriallia walked over and said, "Earth to Roxy. Are you okay?" Roxanne shook her head and said, "Maybe, can we talk?" Miriallia said, "Yeah." She sat down and Roxanne told her everything. Miriallia said, "Oh wow. So you mean he was the man who saved your life. You have a crush on the man who saved your life and now he is here in person? What more could you ask for? Tell him how you feel and now, before it is too late." Roxanne shook her head and said, "I can't distract him with that right now. He is trying to protect this ship." Miriallia said, "You need to tell just in case something bad happens." The two girls sat there for a moment. "I can't Miriallia. Just not yet, it is childish to think he will want me. That was three years ago. He probably has his eyes set on someone older than me." Miriallia shook her head and said, "Don't think like that Roxy. He is a good guy and you won't know until you talk to him about it." Roxanne shook her head and grabbed a hold of his dog tags attached to her dog tag chain. Miriallia shook her head and said, "Talk to him. Or I will." Roxanne looked at her in horror and said, "You wouldn't." Miriallia smiled deviously and said, "Yes I will." Roxanne lowered her head in defeat and said, "I will do it, but when I feel the time is right.

Captain's Quarters:

Murrue sat down at her desk and began writing some reports up. There came a knock on the door. "Come in," she said. Ryan Black and Mu La Flaga walked in. Ryan took a seat with Mu. Mu said, "Captain, what are we going to do? We are in a desperate need for supplies." Murrue looked up and said, "I don't know right now. Does anybody have any ideas?" Ryan looked around the office and noted the lack of pictures and any items used to make the room feel like a home. "I have one, but nobody is going to like it. It involves the use of supplies from the PLANT Junius Seven." Murrue and Mu looked at him horrified. Mu said, "You want to desecrate their gravesite?" Ryan looked at him and said, "Mu, we don't have a choice. Our survival depends on it. They are not using the water and we have a dire emergency. I would not even consider it, if we had any other choice. As it is we are already having half rations of food and water." Murrue looked at the two and said, "I will make a decision shortly and I will let you know what it is then. Until then please keep it to yourselves." Ryan and Mu nodded, they both got up and left.

Hangar:

Kira was sitting in the Strike and going over the OS and fine tuning it. Murdoch was working on the Strike's damage. "So Kira are you going to go eat or not? You have been working all night." Kira looked down and said, "Not yet Mr. Murdoch. I haven't quite finished with my OS changes. The potential output this machine can give me, has not quite been reached. I'll eat afterwards." Just then a certain red head came in carrying a tray of food. "Kira Yamato get your butt down here and eat right this instant. You haven't even slept yet, so you have to at least eat." Kira shouted down, "I'll be down in ten minutes." Flay shouted, "No, get down here now, or I am dragging you down here." Kira sighed and said "All right, all right, hold your horses I am coming." He floated down to Flay and said, "Thanks for the food." Flay glared at him and said, "How do you expect to protect anybody if you're tired and hungry. After you eat go get some sleep. The Strike will be here when you wake up." Kira looked at her and said, "Flay I can't sleep yet. I haven't finished the new calibrations for the Strike yet." She gave him an icy stare and said, "Kira go to bed or I will drag you to bed and tie you down. You all need to be in top shape for the fighting. Do you see Ryan and Miguel, or even Mu in here all night long?" Kira looked at her and said, "No but they are more experienced then me and their machines are in top form. The Strike isn't."

Just as Kira said that. Ryan and Mu walked in. Ryan said, "The Shadow is in no way in top form. I was coming to do maintenance on it now. Kira go get sleep. You're going to need it." Mu nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah Kira, you look like hell right now." Kira sighed in defeat and said, "All right let me shut the Strike down and lock its OS." Ryan nodded and said, "Two minutes Kira. Or I am coming up there and throwing you out of the machine." Kira floated up and shut it down. He returned and said, "I will eat in my quarters." He left the hangar. Ryan turned to Flay and said, "You really shouldn't be in here Flay, crewmembers only." Flay stepped back and said, "I was only trying to help Kira." Ryan went to place a hand on her shoulder and she cringed back. "Don't touch me," she said in fear. Ryan stepped back and said, "Okay I won't, I do appreciate your help. If you want to come back here more often, you're going to have to join the crew as a volunteer though." Flay looked at him and then tore off out of the hangar. Ryan turned to Mu and said, "What is her deal?" Mu laughed and said, "That is George Alster's daughter for you. You will find out soon enough." Ryan shook his head and got to work on the Shadow.

Vesalius:

Eric was sitting in the cockpit to the Black Hawk and running a diagnostic of the OS and going over the specifications of his machine. He was trying to figure out a way to beat the Shadow. "How could he survive that fiery explosion though," he asked himself? Eric continued typing on the keyboard and working on his machine. "Why am I even concerned about it. Why did he introduce himself to me? Why is he targeting me? I need to improve my skills now and he will help me do that. I will defeat him in combat and end him." Eric sighed and said, "I vow I will not lose to the Shadow. The pilot is an amazing fighter and his fighting style is very familiar, but I can't put my finger on it."

A few hours later:

Roxanne walked into the hangar and saw Mu. She walked over. "Hey Mu where is Ryan?" Mu turned and said, "If he is not working on the Shadow. I don't know then." She nodded and said, "Mu can I ask you something?" Mu put the wrench down and turned to her. "It depends on what it is." Roxy nodded and said, "Okay. What can you tell me about Ryan and his past relationships?" Mu looked at her and said, "Now why would you want to know about his past relationships?" Roxanne grabbed the dog tags and turned away. She replied, "No reason, I am just curious." Mu watched her body language and smiled. "You like him." Roxanne said, "What no I don't!" Mu laughed and said, "Anyway, I can't tell you much in that department. Ryan kept work and play separate. I know he had a girlfriend one time, but what happened I don't know." Roxanne nodded and said, "But he is single now?" Mu looked into her green eyes and said, "Roxanne go talk to him and tell him how you feel." She turned towards the Shadow, "I can't tell him. He has more important things to worry about then the fact that I care about him." Mu shook his head and said, "Ryan needs to know. There is no better time than now. We are in a lull in fighting. Tell him he might surprise you and you would give him a reason to live again. He lost everything in this war. Ryan is like the younger brother I never had Roxy. I cannot replace the loss of his family, but you can fix his broken heart." Roxanne shook her head and said, "I don't even know if he likes me."

Ryan was watching Roxanne and Mu through the screen in the cockpit as he was fine tuning the OS. 'What are they talking about and why does she keep grabbing at the chain on her neck,' he thought. Ryan continued to sit in the cockpit and work on the Shadow. He increased the speed of the Gerbera Strait Katana slash. "Kato come in," he said. "What is wrong Ryan," Professor Kato asked? Ryan looked at the Shadow specs and said, "I need a Wakizashi to complete my Daisho set." Kato laughed and said, "I am working on one for you to use. Master Un No is helping me work on it as well." Ryan nodded and said, "Okay." He ended the call as he noticed Roxanne still talking with Mu. Ryan smiled at her back and went back to work.

Mu looked at her and shook his head. "If you don't ask him you will never know," he said. She looked at him and nodded and turned to the Shadow. She responded to his statement and said, "But he is busy right no…" Mu put his hand up and said, "Ryan will take the time to talk to you now. He always makes time for people." She nodded and said, "Fine, I will go talk to him." She turned to walk over when Captain Ramius came over the intercom and said, "Ryan Black and Mu La Flaga please report to the Captain's quarters. Roxanne sighed and sadly said, "I will talk to him eventually." Mu placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "Go talk to him as soon as we are done with the Captain." She nodded and noticed Ryan floating towards Mu and herself. She turned red and quickly left the hangar. Ryan looked at Mu and said, "What was that about?" Mu turned to him and said, "It's not my place to tell her business. Go ask her later. Come on we have to go." Ryan nodded and they left the Hangar.

Captains Quarters:

Ryan and Mu walked in. Ryan stood and Mu sat down. "I have made a decision on what we are going to do. Ryan made a valid point. They are not using the supplies we need and we will only take enough to make it to Lunar HQ." Ryan nodded and said, "Okay I will prepare the crew. They will respond if it came from me rather than someone who did not lose family there." Murrue nodded and said, "I agree with you there. Tell them to be ready in an hour and I will go give the order to move the ship to the colony." Ryan and Mu nodded. Ryan got up and walked out and headed to the bridge.

Bridge:

Ryan turned the intercom on and said, "This Ryan Black All crew members are to report to the hangar for a meeting. I repeat all crewmembers are to report to the hangar for a meeting." He left the bridge and walked towards the hangar.

Murrue walked on and said, "Neumann set a course for Junius Seven. Don't ask any questions." Neumann turned and said, "Yes ma'am." He set the course.

Hangar:

Black and Mu walked in and stood in front of the crewmembers. "Okay I called you all here, because we are setting a course for the PLANT Junius Seven to obtain some very much needed supplies."

There was an uproar of disbelief and anger. "Why are we desecrating their gravesite and who are you to make this decision," somebody yelled.

Ryan held his hand up. "Hear me out. I lost my entire family in the Bloody Valentine Incident and I am not happy about this, but they are not using it and we don't have enough supplies to reach Lunar HQ. I agreed to this if we only took enough supplies to reach the base. Those who died there will never be forgotten."

Roxanne walked forward and said, "Why there though?" Ryan turned to her and said, "It is largest supply of fresh water and other supplies." She nodded and said, "Makes sense to me." Some of the others were still objecting, but they quieted down. Ryan said, "Everybody needs to be ready within the hour. We will head out in teams. Mu, Kira, Sai, and Kuzzey. Roxanne, Miriallia, Tolle, and Myself. Miguel, Neumann, Murdoch, and Natarle. That should be enough teams to get the supplies we need. All teams have the Mobile Suits to defend them. You have your orders." Everybody nodded.

A/N: I decided to stop here because I have an idea for the next chapter. So we saw Roxanne trying to get advice from Mu. Good idea or bad, find out soon. I added the scene with Flay and Kira because I hadn't had much interaction between the two yet. But we are still early in the series and there wasn't much there to go off of. I will be increasing the amount of airtime for both of them in the coming chapters.