Another late update, sadly. I haven't done much—okay, I haven't done any writing in this fic for a while, so even as I put this up I know that I'm coming closer and closer to the point where my material will run out. I have no idea how fanfic writers are able to post every three weeks or so when they're writing each update from scratch; I can't imagine it, honestly.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Thank you even more for putting up with my highly-opinionated self when the reviews turn into some very long conversations. I hope you all enjoy this chapter (which has an actual mobile suit battle in it! Some action at last—except that it's a flashback…).

The Usual Nonsense: I do not own Gundam, the Gundam, any Gundam, or even a model Gundam.

/**/

"We were lucky to attain their compliance, Colonel," Char told his superior via video feed as the Zanzibar and M'Quve's Musai-class Hummel coasted slowly into the harbor of Baldur Bay colony; the other vessels had been left outside of the neutral zone to avoid bringing unwanted attention to the group. "The officials weren't happy to hear our request, but so long as they believe us to be Zeon, they won't dare refuse us. The problems will come when they learn otherwise."

Colonel M'Quve scowled. "Then we must make do with what time we have. I assume that the good Dr. Flanagan will agree to meet with you, of course; you told me that your ensign was his star pupil, after all."

The captain nodded. "I don't doubt that Dr. Flanagan will give us some support, but we cannot expect much. He will likely be angry upon learning of Lady Kycilia's death, if only for the loss of her funding. But he will be wary of drawing attention from Gihren."

"I highly suspect that Dr. Flanagan's research, and Her Excellency's patronage, have not gone unnoticed by Gihren anyway," the colonel grumbled, watching with narrowed eyes as the Hummel's beam cannons were taped over by Side 6 government workers. "He would be foolish to reject any aid we could give him. I suspect he'll provide us with all he can."

Char's eyes rolled behind his mask. 'What aid could we possibly give him when we are here for his help?' he thought wryly. "Even so, sir, the Flanagan Institute is not a repository of superior Newtype weapons and soldiers. We already have its best products aboard this ship. More importantly, I would be surprised to learn if Dr. Flanagan did not already have a means of a quick getaway, should the need arise."

"So he may not bother to help us at all?" M'Quve growled angrily.

"The possibility exists, but I doubt it will be that dire," Char replied. "Even if we can't provide Dr. Flanagan with any tangible benefit, we do have a bargaining chip. He will be almost desperate to learn the results of the Elmeth's tests at Solomon, and might be persuaded to join us with the promise of further research alone. Gihren, to be sure, will have no need of his Newtype soldiers, and with us he will have nearly unlimited access to Ensign Lalah Sune."

"That will have to be enough; we can't offer any more than that." The colonel frowned as a bridge officer called something to him from outside Char's frame of vision. "Yes, let him on board," he said eventually. To the captain he said, "I'll take care of the reception here. Do what you need to do, but do it quickly."

"I'll do my best, sir," Char replied with a sharp salute, which M'Quve didn't bother to return before the connection ended. Immediately, the captain's expression darkened. "I really do hate that man," he muttered to himself.

A feminine chuckle turned his attention to Lalah, who was floating off to his left out of the viewscreen's line of sight. "He's still useful, though, Captain. He has to take care of the formalities, after all."

Char smirked. "True, although in that capacity he's more of a liability than an asset. Colonel M'Quve has never been a diplomat." The captain shrugged as he turned toward the door. "Still, we won't remain long here, unless we want to be captured or killed. Really, Side 6 might have been a poor choice of sanctuary. We'll need to leave within a day or two of finding shelter here."

"No, this is right."

Char turned his head toward Lalah as she floated just behind him into the corridor. "What do you mean?"

The ensign frowned in confusion. "I… don't know, exactly," she answered eventually. "I just feel… I feel like we're supposed to be here right now. Especially now. I feel like something's coming."

The captain tensed. "Is it danger?" If Gihren found them…

Lalah shook her head. "No," she answered. "It will be coming to help us. I think."

Char scoffed as the two entered the lift to take them to hangar level. "I'd take your hunch over M'Quve's certainty many times over." He smiled once again, and Lalah couldn't help but return it.

/**/

Captain Mark Hazen was a short, pudgy man that scowled a good deal. At least, that's all that Bright could tell about him, as he hadn't stopped glowering at everything in sight since coming aboard the White Base earlier that morning to conference with its commander. He spoke quickly, and loudly for that matter, but not often rashly; Bright knew just by listening to his input that the man was an experienced officer, something Bright could not say about himself. No doubt that was part of the reason for his disgruntled attitude: Not only did he outrank Bright, but he had far more experience and discipline. He knew what he was doing.

So when Bright refused to consider Captain Hazen's advice to turn toward any of the shoal zones, or at least to avoid Side 6, he was understandably irritated.

"What are you thinking?" he hissed. "With the Federation out of the way, Side 6 is going to be next in Zeon's sights! You're purposely putting us in harm's way!"

Bright shook his head, his eyes still on the map of the Earth Sphere that was displayed on his cabin's viewscreen. "That may be so, but Side 6 also represents the only chance we have to resupply. Beyond that, the Side 6 government will have no reason to alert Zeon to our presence, whereas being discovered anywhere else will lead to immediate capture."

"The government may not snitch on us, but do you imagine Zeon doesn't have spies in Side 6 already?" Hazen snarled. "They'll know the minute we pull into dock!"

Bright frowned; the point was good, and probably true. Still, he trusted his pilots, though he didn't dare explain the reasons behind that trust to the captain. "If you distrust our decision, you are free to take your ship elsewhere, Captain. No one is forcing you to join us."

Captain Hazen raised his brow. "'Our' decision? You're still asking your crew for advice? Commander Bright, if you think pilots and civilians know enough to set you on a safe course—"

"If you knew my pilots, you'd trust them as well," Bright interrupted. "Side 6 may have its dangers, but so does any other location, and even if the ships are discovered, the location provides an opportunity to slip away into the civilian population. Moreover, no matter what Zeon knows, Side 6 is still neutral, and Gihren has no choice but to recognize and accept that fact. At least for now," the commander added hastily.

Hazen snorted. "How long will that last, Commander? Side 6 has already had a Zeon force infiltrate one of its colonies, and even try to nuke it. Do you think they'll hesitate to try again, now that the Federation's gone?"

Bright's eyes widened. "When was this?"

"The attack?" Hazen shrugged. "Just before Solomon, based on the rumors I heard. It was supposed to be top secret, but that's never stopped the important news from leaking out. And considering what Zeon's already done…" The captain leaned over Bright's desk. "I'm telling you, Commander, you don't want to do this."

Bright closed his eyes in contemplation. At length, though, he sighed. "I'll bring your points up with the crew, but I don't expect a change in opinion. If you would rather not join the White Base at Side 6, I suggest that you either make your own way from now on or wait outside the neutral zone for us. The choice is yours."

Hazen stared at the commander for a moment. Then he growled, "For your sake, Commander Bright, I'll keep the Argos outside the neutral zone as a lookout, and if I see anything I'll send you a warning. But when they come to drag you off to Zum City, don't expect me to stand up to them. I'll be long gone if they decide to send a fleet."

Bright nodded as Hazen stood. "Thank you," he said, standing also. "We can't expect any more than that from you. We're in the same situation, after all."

/**/

"Heidfeld, keep up! You're falling too far back!"

"Sorry, sir, that Rick Dom nearly got me."

"He wouldn't have if—"

"Sir!"

Two brilliant flashes, blinding even through closed eyelids; Jenna's team, caught in the crossfire as three Zakus and a Rick Dom rushed toward a Magellan-class vessel. Jenna got lucky yet again: If it had been the Zekes shooting at her team, both she and her remaining teammate would have been killed already. But the fact that two of her comrades, her best friends, had been obliterated by stray shots from the Magellan—pink streaks of unfriendly fire, still flying even as the Zeon suits slipped into their target's defensive barrage and turned the bridge into a pile of glowing slag—spurred Jenna's grief. "Sir!"

"Jenna, you're hesitating! We have to move!"

Jenna blinked, her eyes still recovering from two reactor detonations as she tried to understand what her teammate was telling her. "Cameron… wha—"

"Move!" The other GM braked suddenly, boosted back to Jenna's coasting suit and grabbed it. As Jenna jolted from the impact, Cameron accelerated to maximum, dragging Jenna with him. "Snap out of it, Jenna! You're a sitting duck!"

The whiplash had done it; clearing her head with a vigorous shake, Jenna gripped her controls more firmly. "Sorry! I'm all right now!"

Cameron's GM let go of its counterpart as Jenna accelerated to match it, again rocketing at full speed toward Solomon fortress. The two pilots fell silent again as the objective returned to the forefront. Jenna would grieve, but Cameron had forced her to realize that now was not the time.

Amazingly, the two were practically unopposed. The Zeon forces had been severely weakened by the Solar System weapon, but even with that advantage, the Federation had faced stiff resistance from the remainder of the garrison. The difference from only a few minutes before indicated a shift: Zeon was abandoning Solomon. It was a thought that gave Jenna hope that the conflict was soon to finish.

Even as she considered it, though, Jenna knew she was deluding herself. Had Zeon ever given up so easily?

This mindset served her well when the first Minovsky-clouded rumor of the Zeon rearguard made its way over the radio frequencies.

"—nster! It's—our weapons! Beams won't—I ca—aaahhh!"

"Sir, so—bile arm—bakemonoka!"

"It—three Sala—t once! We ca—"

Jenna clamped her GM's hand on Cameron's suit's calf, as he accelerated slightly in front of her. "These signals are from ten o'clock, low. Should we—"

"Do you want to die? Zeon's already abandoning the base. There's no reason to throw our lives away now." Cameron's voice was grim. "Either the ships will take it out, or it will cut through the fleet and give the rest of Zeon a chance to escape. Eventually it will be gone anyway."

Jenna nodded, though she knew Cameron couldn't see her. "All right, then. On to Sol—"

The last shot was a terrible surprise. Drifting, lacking all limbs but one, left for dead by friend and foe alike, a lone Zaku drifted, indiscernible in all the battle debris. It had a bazooka, and a clear shot at the two distracted pilots. Jenna was just lucky once again that she wasn't in the lead.

It was just one more blinding flash, one more blast that knocked her GM far off her course and out of the Zaku's sight. But in that moment, the last of her friends had evaporated.

"C-Cameron? … Came—"

"—ron!" Jenna's eyes flew open as she threw herself forward against the straps that kept her from floating off of her cot while she slept. A brief struggle ensued as the mind fought to subdue the body's panicked adrenaline rush, before Jenna could finally lay her head back down with a sigh. "Just another dream," she muttered.

It wasn't the first time that she'd dreamed of Solomon. The first two days on the Rio Grande had been hell for her, as even her waking hours had been filled with exploding mobile suits, friendly-fire incidents, and dying friends. Thankfully for her ego, she was hardly the only rookie pilot on board (the Federation having only just begun to mass-produce its mobile suits), so the ship's psychiatrist had no shortage of patients during the fleet's race to Luna II. The news that the captain of the ship still cried in his sleep over the Battle of Loum hadn't hurt, either. But the fact that she was not alone did not alleviate her situation much, if at all. She was the lone survivor of her team, and probably of her whole ship, all because of luck. And luck wasn't known for keeping the same favorites for long.

Shuddering, Jenna undid the straps on her cot and floated into an upright sitting position facing the opposite wall. Covering her face in her hands, the woman took a shaky breath and tried to calm herself. "Easy," she muttered to herself. "Just take it easy. It's over. There won't be any more of that." She glanced ruefully at the cell door. "As long as I'm in here, at least I won't be out there again."

But, she thought then, being on board a ship that would soon be hunted by the entire Earth Sphere couldn't be safe, could it?

/**/

When the White Base had been greeted by Side 6 officials that didn't bother to mask their fear of Zeon reprisals, Bright knew that there would be trouble that he would do better to avoid. Now, as the ship docked at Baldur Bay next to a Musai and a Zanzibar, he found himself wondering just how painful a bullet to the head really was. Staring out through the bridge window in shock and despair, Bright thought for a moment that the firing squad had already come for them; then Kai's voice helped to clear his head: "We're dead, aren't we? We can't get out of this one!"

"Keep that opinion to yourself, Ensign," snapped the commander, turning away from the bridge windows to glare at the pilot. "We're not done for yet. Mirai—"

"It's Char's ship."

Everyone on the bridge stared at Amuro as he gazed out at the Zanzibar-class vessel beside them. Then Sayla turned back to the bridge window with an unreadable expression. "Char?"

Bright eyed Amuro in worry. "Are you sure?" he demanded.

Amuro nodded, his eyes narrowed. Then, suddenly, his expression changed. He smiled. "I think this will work out perfectly."

The crew stared at the pilot in disbelief. Bright recovered first. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "You're talking about Char. The Red Comet, Char. The same Char that we've been fighting since this ship launched! This is not good news!"

Amuro shook his head. "He's not hostile. He doesn't even know we're here. We just have to deal with the Musai for now."

The commander blinked in surprise. Then he grinned in relief. "Then we'd best leave while we can. Mirai, prepare—"

"Sir, we can't leave." Bright's expression hardened as Amuro added, "I think this is why we had to come here."

"To be captured?" Bright snarled, eyes narrowed. "Are you out of your mind, Ensign?"

Amuro's grin fell as the boy stiffened under his commander's disapproval. "You don't need to worry about that, sir. Believe me." His eyes came unfocused for a moment then, and Bright stared at him until he focused again. "We'll be fine. Lalah knows we're here now, so Char's soon to know. Just keep the man in that Musai busy until we get back."

"Wha—'Get back?' From where?" Bright pushed off from the window toward Amuro as the still-distracted pilot turned to leave the bridge, grabbing his arm. "Ensign Amuro, you will explain yourself!"

Amuro's eyes, unfocused once more, suddenly shot to Bright's. "Sorry, sir, I'm not making any sense, am I?" He shook his head to clear it. "We need help. And I think he does, too. He feels… well, 'panicked' isn't the right word, but… he's running, sir." Bright stared at the boy as his eyes slid away again. "We need to meet him. I'll go."

Bright let Amuro go, mainly due to surprise at the pilot's outlandish assertion. Before Amuro could leave the bridge, however, Sayla reached out to him. "Amuro, take me with you." The boy blinked, but Sayla's expression must have decided him; he quickly nodded, and before Bright could say a word, the two were gone.

The commander stared after them long after the lift door had closed. Then he finally said, "Alert the deck crew to ready a buggy. And send a message to the Argos regarding the situation."

Fraw Bow quickly turned to her console to carry out her orders, but when she turned back to the commander, the look in her eyes was not encouraging. "Buggy is away, sir," she began. "But the Argos has been boarded by a Zeon task force. We're being told to surrender the White Base to them immediately."

Bright paled. "There are more of them outside?" he muttered. Turning toward the bridge windows once again, he narrowed his eyes at the Zeon vessels. 'We won't be able to break through them all unless we're willing to take losses. Amuro, you'd better be right about this.' Deciding not to rely solely on his pilot's intuition, the commander turned back to his crew. "All hands, level two battle stations. All pilots on standby."

/**/

"Your arrival was completely unexpected, sir," the young man said as he led Char and Lalah through the Flanagan Institute—empty save for themselves. "Dr. Flanagan does not trust surprises, of course. He evacuated the building hours ago. I'm afraid I pulled the short straw to stay behind and guard the place."

Behind his mask, Char raised his brow. Did this boy even know how to hold a gun? 'Guard duty' was out of place, to be sure. "You are to report to Dr. Flanagan whenever he returns, I assume." The young man nodded. "Then you must tell him that Her Excellency Kycilia was murdered by Supreme Commander Gihren. He will understand the implications."

Char's guide halted, his eyes widening in shock; the captain instantly regretted telling the truth to him as a security risk, but he knew that Dr. Flanagan himself would be impossible to find, now that his paranoia had been (justifiably) triggered. Before Char could warn the man to keep his mouth shut, though, the guide's expression hardened. "This way, sir," he said, quickly turning in another direction entirely and walking away before Char could ask for an explanation. Reigning in his annoyance, Char followed the young man's lead, with Lalah right behind him.

This portion of the 'tour' was spent in silence, as the guide walked too fast for Char to keep up and ask questions at the same time. Several corridors and many minutes later, Char learned why, when the man unlocked a door marked "Top Secret" and held it open for the other two. As Char stepped inside, he glanced around in curiosity and immediately stopped to stare at the silver mobile armor that greeted him. "Well," he said after a moment, "this is impressive."

The guide shook his head. "This is actually our secondary model, the Braw Bro. The Elmeth is far more advanced." The young man eyed at the armor for a moment with a frown. "Still, it uses much of the same technology that powers the Elmeth. The psycommu system in particular is identical." The man turned toward Char, his gaze determined. "Dr. Flanagan developed this technology for Lady Kycilia. If Gihren has already disposed of her, a purge is bound to begin, and Dr. Flanagan won't want to be caught in it. Nor will he want his technology and research in Gihren's hands." He glanced back at the Braw Bro. "You can use this. We should transport it to your ship immediately."

Char frowned in surprise, but quickly nodded. "I assume that Dr. Flanagan took his papers with him."

"He wouldn't trust me with something that important," answered the guide, managing a self-deprecating smile. "He took all of the most important information on Newtype research. The papers regarding the technology he derived from that research were destroyed, as were most of the weapons. He left this one because he thought it might be useful to you, and he was sure that you were the commander of the ships that arrived."

"Dr. Flanagan is a well-informed man," Char complimented. He gazed at the Braw Bro for a moment longer, before turning his attention to Lalah. "Well, now we don't have to rely on your Elmeth alone—Lalah, what's wrong?"

The woman, distracted, didn't answer immediately; when Char put his hand on her shoulder, she jumped. "Lalah, are you all right?"

Lalah nodded hastily. "I'm fine, Captain. I didn't mean to worry you."

Char frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the girl answered. She smiled. "We might have just run into some good luck."

/**/

Amuro knew that driving around the colony in a Federation uniform wasn't wise, but he couldn't bring himself to care. For the first time in weeks, he was ecstatic. 'Lalah,' he thought, 'we'll finally meet again.'

Immediately after thinking this, though, Amuro glanced over at the passenger seat, guiltily realizing that he had no right to think so much about Lalah when Sayla was still with him. Sayla, though, was too distracted to notice the glance Amuro was giving her, and the boy found himself wondering what could possibly make her so nervous. "Sayla," he asked, "why did you want to come with me?"

The other pilot glanced at Amuro, frowning. "I guess I needed to see what it was that you were so happy about. I'd get nervous, just sitting around waiting for news."

It was a lie, and Sayla knew as soon as she said it that Amuro knew better than to believe her; the boy read her emotions too well. Even so, Amuro chose not to press. Smiling, he said, "This will work out fine. At least, we shouldn't be in too much trouble. Even if Char is hostile, Lalah won't let him hurt us."

Sayla quirked a brow. "Lalah?"

Amuro looked away, unsure of how to answer. "I… uh, I met her here, the last time we were at Side 6. I think she was at Texas when we fought Char there. She's a subordinate of his, I think."

"And you know her well enough to tell if she'll let Char do what he wants to do with us or not?" Amuro turned back to Sayla quickly, his mouth open to defend himself, but Sayla was grinning playfully. "I take it she's a Newtype?"

Amuro nodded, turning his attention back to the road. "You'll meet her soon."

The drive was almost over, anyway. Amuro soon pulled off of the road next to a lakefront lodge, where he parked the buggy and turned off the engine. Getting out, he looked around and found everything as he remembered it: the sparkling water, the green grass, and the swan—Amuro blinked as he saw the swan. He was almost certain it was the same one that he had seen with Lalah. Sayla noticed his gaze and waited while he pondered, until the swan disappeared behind a clump of tall grass. Then she interrupted his thoughts: "Are you sure they will come here?"

Amuro turned toward the lodge itself and led Sayla to the porch facing the lake as he answered, "If Char lets Lalah drive again, she'll come this way. Even if not, I think he sets a lot of store by what she has to say." He glanced back at Sayla, who eyed him skeptically. "I think," he repeated, uncertainty returning to his voice.

/**/

"Could we send Cartwright ahead?" Lalah asked suddenly as she drove toward the spaceport. Char, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the woman as she added, "We need to make a stop."

The captain inspected his ensign's expression before nodding. "There's no reason not to," he replied, though Lalah could tell that he had begun to feel uneasy as of late; she thought she knew the reason, too. "Mr. Cartwright," Char said into the radio at his side, "go on ahead and deliver the package without us. Putting it on board the Zanzibar-class would be best. Tell Colonel M'Quve that we will be along shortly."

"Absolutely, sir," the guide from the Flanagan Institute replied. Soon after, Lalah turned off the main urban road, while the truck that had been following them sped onwards toward the spaceport.

Lalah kept her speed as constant as she could, fighting the urge to speed up. She knew where she was headed now, and was surprised to find how excited she was at the prospect of returning—as well as seeing the boy she expected to find there again.

At the same time, though, the young woman could feel Char's unease increase by leaps and bounds as they approached their destination. She sensed that he felt something familiar waiting for him there, and didn't like it. "Captain, don't be so tense," she admonished gently. "This is an opportunity."

Char shook his head. "I feel like I'm about to face the Gundam in battle," he replied. "This sensation… this pressure… It's got to be dangerous. Be careful, Lalah."

The woman grinned. "Of course, Captain," she assured him. "But I don't think I will need to be too cautious. I think this will be the stroke of luck we've been hoping for since Granada."

Char's frown deepened. "Very little luck comes of unnecessary danger," he told the girl. Unfortunately for him, this only caused Lalah to smile wider at her captain's expense, and Char turned from her shaking his head. "I mean it, Lalah. This is serious…" The masked man leaned forward. "Is that a Federation vehicle?"

The two had by that time reached the lakefront lodge, and Char's disbelief increased as Lalah pulled up beside the other vehicle and parked. Before the captain could demand an explanation, the woman exited the car, rushing to the portico. "Amuro!"

"Lalah?" replied the boy, appearing around the corner of the building, a huge smile on his face. "Lalah!"

Then a blonde woman, dressed like Amuro in a Federation uniform, appeared beside him, her curious eyes taking Lalah in. The tension suddenly rose, but not between Lalah and the newcomer; Lalah felt Char's emotions leap, as he jumped out of the car behind her. "Artesia?"

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before lowering. "Hello again… Brother."

It was, apparently, Amuro's turn to stare.

/**/

Commander Bright would have felt sorry for Cameron Bloom's position, if he hadn't been feeling so sorry for himself and his crew. The situation had been steadily deteriorating since Amuro and Sayla left the ship, about an hour before, with a transmission from the Zeon Musai demanding the surrender of the White Base, followed shortly thereafter by the arrival of Side 6 government officials attempting to figure out how to keep the peace between the two groups without resorting to violence themselves and possibly angering the Zeon government. The bickering between the two groups, with the White Base caught in the middle, had gone in several circles already without showing any sign of slowing down, even as Bright and his crew tried to explain their own case to Side 6 and refute the Zeon claims. Cameron Bloom, who had insisted on being present as part of the Side 6 delegation, was apparently the only politician present that was actively working with the White Base's best interests at heart; as Cameron was a rather easy man to read, the Zeon commander, Colonel M'Quve, had quickly determined that Cameron had to go.

But to his credit, Cameron was proving to be exceptionally difficult to remove from the negotiations, even as his own superiors decided to follow M'Quve's lead in order to keep the peace just that much longer. His face still graced the viewscreen on the bridge of the White Base, where he was doing his absolute best to confound both the Zeon colonel and his own superiors into leaving the former Federation vessel alone, or at the very least forcing Zeon to fire the first shot, should a battle be inevitable. Bright appreciated the attempt; M'Quve was less pleased.

So, when Cameron called for Side 6 peacekeepers to guard both vessels, ostensibly for the benefit of the colony citizens, M'Quve waved his words aside with an irritated shake of his head. "Mr. Bloom, perhaps you would be willing to waste your colony cluster's limited resources and manpower to shield your Federation friends from the inevitable, but I don't believe your colleagues, or your government, will agree with that decision. Fortunately for those of us with sound heads upon our shoulders, you are not in charge of Side 6; indeed, you are not even in charge of your delegation. As if this alone were not enough to make a fool out of you, Mr. Bloom, there happen to be several Zeon soldiers in your colony already, to whom I granted leave the moment we docked. I do not suggest that you attempt to round them up."

Cameron glared into the viewscreen. "We won't have to round them up if you respect the authority of the Side 6 government and follow its direction while within its jurisdiction. More to the point—"

His rebuttal was interrupted when both Marker Clan and a Zeon officer on board the Musai called out, "Truck approaching, sir!"

Bright didn't bother to hear M'Quve's response, but instead turned toward Marker. "Where is it going?"

"It's approaching our docks," Marker replied. "I'm putting it on screen."

As the computer attempted to determine the contents of the truck from what little the cameras of the White Base could see of its exterior, Bright scowled. "Of course Zeon can be resupplied here. We, on the other hand…"

"The truck is entering the hangar deck of the Zanzibar-class," Marker reported heavily. "Zeon delivery."

"Well, we knew from the start that it wasn't ours," growled Bright. Leaning back in his seat, he glanced at the rest of the bridge crew and sighed. "Amuro, what did you get us into?"

Almost as soon as he said this, Marker's voice called out again. "The buggy's returning, sir!"

Bright's eyes narrowed as he thought of what he'd like to do to his wayward ensign upon his return, but when Job John spoke up, his thoughts froze: "Amuro's not in the car, sir! There's Sayla, and there's… it's a Zeon commander driving, sir!"

Fraw couldn't contain herself. "Has she been captured?" the girl demanded, leaping from her seat.

Bright didn't bother to reprimand her. Instead he focused on Colonel M'Quve in his viewscreen, as the Zeon officer received the same information. The colonel's response made the Federation commander's face fall even farther: "So Char caught himself a Feddie, did he?"

Even Cameron reacted to this. "Char?" he demanded, his own eyes widening. "The Red Comet, Char?"

"So much for diplomacy," growled Bright behind clenched teeth, regretting that he ever listened to Amuro's assurances.

Job John's voice interrupted Bright's depressed musings. "Sir, another vehicle is following the buggy. It's Amuro, sir! But…" Job's voice fell again as he finished. "There's a woman in the driver's seat. A Zeon ensign by her uniform, sir."

Bright closed his eyes, not bothering to hide his despair. "Turn off the viewscreen," he ordered. "I don't want to hear any more."

"Commander, I wouldn't—" began Cameron in an attempt to keep Bright from leaving the negotiations, but Marker's response to orders cut the politician off. The smug face of Colonel M'Quve also disappeared, leaving the bridge crew of the White Base alone with their own thoughts once again.

Bright sighed in defeat once again. Then, in resignation, he asked Fraw, "Are Hayato and Kai still in their machines?"

Fraw answered almost immediately. "They're still on standby, as ordered."

"Good." The commander swallowed, unsure of himself. "All hands," he said then, "prepare for combat."

The crew started in surprise. "Sir," Mirai began, "we can't—"

"We have to!" snapped Bright in irritation. "We can't be caught here!"

Mirai blinked in surprise, but after a moment she nodded slowly, understanding the commander's position. "Yes, sir," she murmured sadly, turning toward the helm once more.

"Bring the engines to maximum power," ordered Bright. "We will need to move fast once we get—"

Wait!

Bright stopped midsentence, blinking in surprise as he glanced around. He could have sworn that he'd heard Amuro's voice…

Mirai had reacted as well, stepping back from the helm as she shook her head to clear it. "Sir," she said slowly, "should we do as he says?"

Fraw glanced up from her work at the communications console. "What do you mean, Mirai? Who?"

Bright glanced at Fraw in contemplation. "Amuro," he answered for the helmswoman, tapping his foot. "Amuro said to wait…"

"Sir," Job John said suddenly, "the second vehicle has stopped in front of portside hatch two. Amuro is getting out; it looks like he's going to report in."

The commander hesitated for a moment, but then decided—again—to take a leap of faith. "Belay that order, Mirai. Keep the engines cold." Activating the PA system, Bright accessed the portion of the ship surrounding portside hatch two and said, "Security team, please direct Ensign Amuro Ray to the bridge immediately upon his return."

"Apparently the Zeon woman is coming, as well," Job added, checking his monitors.

"What about Sayla and Char?" asked Bright, wondering what more to expect from the strange circumstances.

"Their buggy has stopped in front of Colonel M'Quve's Musai, sir," answered Job John, shaking his head. "I'm not sure we can hope to recover her."

Bright gritted his teeth again. "Amuro," he murmured, "you'd better have some explanation for this."

He didn't have to wait long; within another minute, Amuro arrived on the bridge, accompanied by the Zeon ensign and three security officers that clearly did not appreciate her presence. Bright leaned over and glared at Amuro, who was smiling fit to burst. 'If his expression is any indication, this will be good news,' Bright thought to himself, before saying aloud, "Well, what happened with your 'negotiations'? Why is Sayla with Char Aznable, and who is this woman?"

Amuro glanced at his companion, who smiled coyly at the commander. "I am Ensign Lalah Sune, formerly of Lady Kycilia's 300th Independent Corps. I serve under Captain Char Aznable."

"As for why Sayla is with Char," added Amuro, "I'm not at liberty to say; you'll have to ask her, sir. But the talk went well, and I think he'll be willing to help us, so long as we're willing to help him."

Bright's brows rose, even as the other crewmembers murmured in surprise. "What does Char want from us?"

Amuro shrugged. "I don't know the specifics, but I think Sayla might. That's for the future, anyway; the immediate problems he faces are pretty much identical to ours."

"We have no wish to serve under Gihren Zabi," added Lalah, her smile replaced by a frown. "I'm afraid he assassinated Lady Kycilia several days ago. The remainder of her forces have either sworn allegiance to Gihren or, like Colonel M'Quve and the captain, fled Zeon altogether."

If the murmurs had been confused before, the shouts of surprise at this news were something else entirely. Bright, for one, found himself to be greatly excited. "Do you mean that Zeon is splintered?" he asked, leaning forward attentively.

"Zeon has always been splintered," replied Lalah. "I tried to avoid the politics of it, but I always knew it was a problem. That's part of what doomed Solomon, you know; or so Captain Char told me."

This sobered Bright as he realized the implications. "So our victories were the result of infighting? And now that the infighting has stopped…"

The bridge grew quiet as everyone saw that Bright's thoughts led to a dark outcome. But Lalah shook her head. "There will be infighting as long as men are willing to follow one leader over another. M'Quve fights in memory of Lady Kycilia, as well as because Gihren nearly killed him in the same ambush that killed her. The captain… The captain fights for his own reasons; I don't really know them, but Artesia might. Er… Sayla might." Lalah smiled sheepishly. "I'm still learning names, I'm afraid."

"So… the colonel is our ally?" Mirai asked, confused.

Fraw spoke up before Lalah could answer. "The Musai is hailing us, sir."

Bright blinked. Then he straightened. "Let's learn the truth of this," he muttered. "Put Colonel M'Quve on screen."

Once again, the viewscreen lit up, but instead of seeing the flowing blue hair and arrogant expression of the Zeon colonel, the hard white mask and helmet of Zeon's most feared pilot greeted the crew of the White Base. Smiling, Char Aznable nodded to his viewers. "Crew of the White Base, I'm sure you know who I am. I'm also sure that Ensign Lalah has explained the situation to you. Firstly, then, I would like to put the argument between yourselves and my superior behind us; is this acceptable?"

Bright nodded cautiously. "It is," he answered.

Char's smile widened. "Excellent. Secondly, then, I have only two questions. How can you help us, Commander? And how can we help you?"

For the first time in a long while, Bright allowed a smile to creep slowly onto his face. "I think that I like those questions very much, Captain Char Aznable."

/**/

I might be going out on a limb here, but I don't think this development came as a surprise to anyone. If I'm honest with myself, I probably laid the foreshadowing on a little thick anyway. That said, this little agreement between Char and Bright is only the beginning of the negotiations; there will obviously be more issues to smooth over before any real alliance can be made.

Please tell me how well you think I've handled this meeting so far. If there are any problems, please let me know.