Despite all that the Archangel and Eternal tried to do, the war progressed in the worst possible way it could. Nuclear weapons had been unleashed again, and ZAFT was driven back to Jachin Due.

This was going to be the last battle. Jachin was their last defense, and its defeat would mean the destruction of the PLANTS and death to all Coordinators.

They could not lose this battle, not when everything they had ever known depended on it.

Yzak assembled his entire team in the hangar. He had been lucky; there were still 67members standing in front of him, just like on the very first day. But he knew that the battle they were about to step into was going to be different. He wondered how many of the 67 he would see after history took its course.

Or if he would be alive himself to witness the final outcome of the battle.

He looked around. All of the rookies then were still rookies now, and they still looked like they should be going to school back home. But in the short couple of months, they had come to resemble some kind of a team. He learned to act like a collected commander, and they became trustworthy soldiers. He came to know each of them, and managed to earn their trust.

None of which would have been possible without Shiho, who faced in the very front row. He glanced at her, and she gave him a firm, reassuring nod. He inhaled and started to speak.

"We now face the largest crisis in the history of Coordinators. Boaz fell, and Jachin Due is the only fort between the OMNI and the PLANTS. If we lose this, we lose our home. We lose our families and friends. We cannot lose this, no matter what."

He saw his team tense up. Shiho alone continued to look straight ahead.

"But you know that. You all have known that too well since the very day you enlisted, and there's no point in me repeating again that we are all soldiers and we must do absolutely everything we can do to defend our home. You already have done so much more than anyone could ask of you. I am proud to be your commander, and I am honored to serve the PLANTS with all of you today."

But he wasn't trying to give an inspirational speech; they've had enough of that from Chairman Zala, from their society, from each other. It was something that they had all been told since they were children, making them believe that there was honor and glory in the battlefield. Believe that behind the losses, the heartaches, the blood, there was some kind of redemption. It was nothing but a bunch of bullshit; there was nothing that could ever be redeemed in the front lines.

His own message was much more simple.

"There is something else I want you to keep in mind. Something just as important. There is no point in defending the PLANTS if there is no one left to inherit it. So live. Being there when history has taken its course, being there to rebuild everything that's been lost –that is as important as physically protecting the PLANTS. Survive. This is an order, do you understand? I expect to see all of your faces here afterwards."

His team looked at him in shock. Yzak supposed that they expected him to tell them to die for their country, and he was being a horrible commander for not saying that. But when one of the younger pilots broke from his trance and nodded, he knew he was definitely not mistaken.

The way things were looking, he'd be lucky if even one of them survived. Even then, they were the reason why he fought, and he wanted his team to survive no matter what. He wanted those kids, who easily could have been him or his old teammates, to not suffer through the war the way he did. They had the right to a proper future, not a lifetime of suffering and guilt in the military.

A pair of familiar purple eyes continue to look straight at him. He did not want to see that angry fire in anyone's eyes anymore. Not in his, not in Shiho's.

"Meeting adjourned. All members back in position as soon as possible; we are now in condition red."

His team hurried to their posts. He looked around, trying to catch Shiho before she disappeared, but realized he was already too late. Of course. She was the best soldier on this ship; she'd probably be sitting in the cockpit of the CGUE before the rest of the team was even halfway back to their posts.

He ran to the pilots' locker room, and was relieved to see her familiar figure.

"Hahnenfuss. Thank god you're still here."

She was already changed into her pilot suit with her helmet in one hand. She looked mildly surprised at his entrance.

"I didn't take you to be the kind of person who thanked god."

"It's an expression, Hahnenfuss."

She snickered.

"What's the matter, Commander?"

He smiled wryly at her comment. Oh no, nothing was the matter, maybe except for the fact that they were about to head into battle with absolutely no promise of returning.

And the fact that he was fighting the urge to pull her into his arms, yet again.

"Hahnenfuss, I just thought–"

"If you have nothing worthwhile to say, I'm going."

She cut him off in the middle of his sentence and turned around. Yzak stared at her walking away before he realized what she was doing. He immediately ran to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him.

He instantly realized why she tried to leave so quickly. Her eyes were fearful, and they wavered as she reluctantly met his gaze. Yzak felt like his heart was being ripped out of him, and he wanted to do something, anything to quell her fear. Instead, all that came out of him was a pathetic croak.

"Hahnenfuss?"

Her face crumpled into a scowl. She almost looked like she was about to cry, but there were no sign of tears in her eyes.

"Look, if you're going to tell me that 'this may be it' speech, I'll smack you. And if you're here to remind me that I am responsible if anything happens to you, I don't want to hear that either."

"I wasn't…"

"Just go away and leave me alone, okay?"

She struggled, desperate to break loose. She probably didn't want to seem weak, especially after he told her to be strong for the team. But he wasn't about to let her go.

He was just like her, after all.

"Hahnenfuss, listen to me."

She continued to struggle, completely ignoring him. He strengthened his grip and pulled her a little closer.

"Shiho."

She froze. It was the first time he ever called her by her name. He slowly let go of her arm.

"I don't take you for an idiot, and I know that you know those things. Why do you think I made you second-in-command?"

She looked away.

"I wanted to say thank you, Shiho. For everything you've done. I wouldn't be here without you, and although I absolutely hated your guts when we first met, I am glad that we did. And…"

"Stop."

Her voice was barely loud enough to be heard.

"That sounds too much like you're saying goodbye."

Shiho looked so wistful, so lonely, that he gave up the fight and pulled her into his arms.

"This isn't a goodbye."

"…Just let me go."

Her voice was more terrified than anything, which made him hold her even tighter. He desperately wanted strength –strength to protect his team, strength to protect her.

"I am scared too. I am scared out of my fucking mind."

He could feel her relax just the slightest bit in his arms.

"I don't want to send out my team, knowing that a good portion of them probably won't survive this time. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of what will happen to the PLANTS if we fail. And I am absolutely terrified of even the possibility of losing you."

"…Well, then, you won't."

Her voice was a little muffled, and he would have smiled if he wasn't so goddamned scared. Shiho looked up. He'd never seen her so close and he could feel blood rushing to his head. He cursed inwardly. He could not look away, and he did not have the slightest clue why he was feeling so damn helpless.

So he kissed her.

"What are you doing?"

Her voice was wary.

"I don't even fucking know."

She held his face with her hands, and traced his scar with her left thumb. He kissed her again, and this time she returned the kiss.

"I really shouldn't be doing this."

He knew she was referring to more than just military protocol.

"I won't die, Shiho. I swear I'm not going to leave you."

Not like your dead boyfriend, he added in his mind.

"Yzak."

"Promise me that you'll come back, too."

Shiho gazed silently at his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, then she nodded. Yzak pulled her into his arms again. He felt strangely whole as he felt her arms wrap around his back.

And he thought that he could return even from the gates of hell if he could see her, hold her, one more time.

This is where this fic transforms from angst to sappy romance... Well, not completely. You will see (this is me trying to subtly convince you to continue reading this fic... haha).

Again, many thanks to those who read and even more thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter! Hope you like this one as well... And as per usual, reviews are always welcome :)