Gundam Wing: Journey to a New Battlefield

by operation meteor

The war is won, yet he cannot find peace. When a mission gone wrong throws Heero into another world, how will he survive? And how will he react when he is confronted with his greatest challenge yet? For love can be trickier than any battlefield foe...

13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: No action in this chapter, I'm afraid. This is a hurt/comfort, romance, and character development episode, the fighting's taking a break until Operation Spitbreak is unleashed. That doesn't mean there's not a lot going on, though. Far from it; this chapter's quite important in its own right, especially as far as character growth is concerned.

Enjoy!

Episode Thirteen: Recovery

"Captain," said Natarle, "the Buster has been secured in the hangar, and the enemy pilot has been taken to the brig. What are your orders?"

Murrue sighed. Despite the shock of what had just occurred, she knew that they had no time to rest; ZAFT could send in reinforcements at anytime, and Murrue had a duty to get her ship moving and keep the rest of her crew safe. The sobs of Miriallia were all too keen a reminder of her responsibility to those who were still alive, regardless of how sympathetic Murrue felt towards those who had just lost friends and loved ones; she had to get them moving immediately.

Still, she couldn't just leave the area as it was. While she had no doubt that Tolle was dead due to the utter destruction of his fighter's cockpit section by the Aegis, she couldn't completely give up on Kira; there were large sections of the Strike and its rival strewn across the island, and there was a slim chance that the boy had survived. However, they could not afford the luxury of a proper search, especially in light of the damage the Archangel had suffered in the battle.

Murrue raised her head and began issuing orders. "Send a message to Orb; ask them to send a search party in case either of them managed to survive."

"Understood, Captain," said the radio operator.

"Lieutenant Badgiruel," said Murrue, "list both Ensign Yamato and Crewman Koenig as M.I.A., at least until Orb confirms otherwise."

"Aye, Captain," said Natarle.

She then typed on the small keypad on the arm of her chair, and Heero's face appeared on her personal monitor. "Heero," said Murrue, "we're moving out. Please, come back aboard now."

The Gundam pilot nodded. "Understood, I'm coming in for landing."

Wing Zero had remained overhead during the recovery of the Buster and the capture of its pilot, just in case enemy reinforcements arrived. With the destruction of both the Strike and one of the fighters, along with the severe damage suffered by Lieutenant Commander La Flaga's plane, Wing Zero was now the Archangel's only defense aside from its own weaponry.

Now, as the Gundam pilot signed off, Murrue watched as the extraordinary mobile suit descended towards the ship. As horrific as that battle was, she thought, I know we all would've been killed were it not for you. Thank you, Heero.

Unfortunately, her relief and gratitude towards the young man she had come to love could not overcome the crushing guilt she felt at the deaths of two of the Heliopolis students. Kira, Tolle… neither of them would've been on the battlefield were it not for me.

She lowered her head, gripping the arms of her chair tightly. I'm so sorry… the two of you should never have been involved in this war. Now you're gone… it's all my fault. Forgive me…

….

A thundering noise slowly brought the young man back to consciousness. Eyes fluttering, Kira Yamato groaned as he came to, his entire body in pain. As he regained his vision, he saw that he was still in the cockpit of the Strike… or rather, what little was left of it.

The front armor had been completely torn away by the combination of the Aegis's attacks and subsequent self-detonation. The cockpit module itself had been torn away from the mobile suit's arms, legs, and head, all of which were scattered across the beach, along with parts of the Aegis. The interior of the cockpit was trashed, with all the monitors having exploded, the control panels mangled beyond all recognition, and what few walls remained were pockmarked with shrapnel.

As he struggled to climb out of the savaged machine, Kira's every move was slow and agonizing. He didn't know the extent of his injuries, but he knew that he would unlikely be able to stay conscious and mobile for long; he had to find the Archangel, and quickly.

With great effort he managed to lift himself out of the cockpit, and discovered the source of the roaring noise; the Archangel was firing up its engines and leaving the area. He stumbled off the machine and fell to the ground. Struggling to get to his feet, he limped towards the white warship, his body protesting with every step. The storm that had been approaching during the battle had arrived in full force, and a torrential downpour was assaulting Kira.

"Archangel…" he groaned. As he did so, Kira could feel what little strength he had leave him. The Coordinator fell to the ground, darkness taking him again.

….

"So, we can't take the engines over fifty percent power?" asked Murrue.

Chief Murdoch nodded on her screen. "I'm afraid we can't push them too hard, or the portside one will blow out. Captain, can we take the damaged engine offline at night and work on it? Our speed will be decreased even further, but we'd be able to make some progress on it, get it close to full operational status."

Murrue nodded. "I'll allow it, so long as we can at least move a little. I'll radio ahead to the Pearl Harbor base and ask if we can stop off there for a day or two to repair whatever your crew can't get done while we're at sea."

"That'll help," he said, "Murdoch out."

Murrue sighed as the mechanic signed off, turning to another monitor. This one was the rearview one, and she could see in it several pieces of the Strike and Aegis strewn across the island. I feel terrible, leaving like this… but what choice do I have?

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Heero standing next to her. I didn't even hear him enter the bridge. He appeared as calm as ever to the average person, but Murrue could detect a slight softening of his features.

"Heero…" she said softly, "how long have you been here?"

"I just arrived," he replied, "I was looking over the Buster, making sure the pilot hadn't set a delayed timer on it or any other traps. Luckily for us it seems he didn't have time to."

"I see," said Murrue, "well, I appreciate your checking. Things are bad enough without having to worry about the Buster exploding inside the ship."

Heero nodded, and Murrue could see the concern in his eyes. "Murrue…" he said, "…do you need anything?"

Despite the pain and guilt inside her, Murrue could not help but be touched by his words. She gave him a soft smile. "Could you stay here until the end of my shift?"

"I was going to do that anyway," he said.

Murrue was almost overwhelmed by a sudden rush of gratitude and affection for the young man, and she almost felt as though she might have to choke back tears. She did her best to restrain herself, but she could still feel her smile growing a bit bigger, despite the tragedy that had occurred less than fifteen minutes ago.

"Oh, Heero…" she said, so quietly that she was sure that only he could hear her, "thank you."

He nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "You're welcome, Murrue. When you're done here, I'll go with you. We can find someplace to talk then."

"I'd like that," said Murrue, "I really would…"

A fresh bout of cries came from the CIC, and Heero and Murrue looked over to see Sai standing next to Miriallia, a hand on her shoulder as she put her head in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Tolle…" Murrue heard her choke out, "Kira…"

She saw the blond haired young man look over at Natarle. "Lieutenant Badgiruel, may I…"

Before he could finish, Natarle looked up at Murrue, who nodded at the officer. The black haired woman turned back to Sai, and Murrue saw something she was sure very few people had witnessed before; a soft, sympathetic smile on Natarle's face.

"Of course," said Natarle, nodding, "take her to her room, Crewman Argyle."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Sai. He gently took Miriallia by the arm, and slowly lifted the girl out of her seat. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he led the still sobbing young woman off the bridge.

Murrue looked over at the other Heliopolis student who was stationed on the bridge. "Crewman Buskirk," she said, "you can go as well if you'd like."

The black haired boy nodded. "Thank you, Captain." He stood up and joined Sai and Miriallia as they left the bridge.

After the doors closed, a strange quiet overtook the bridge for a few minutes. No one said a word as the ship slowly made its way out of the Marshall Islands. A kind of numbness had fallen over them, and Murrue understood it perfectly. They had gone for so long without a single casualty other than a few injuries, and they had started to think that the ship had a charmed life, despite all the struggles they had been through. Murrue herself knew that she had fallen prey to that trap as well, despite the losses of comrades and close friends in the past. She had thought herself immune to it for awhile, but slowly and surely, as the Archangel's journey had continued, she had once again come to believe that as long as everyone worked together, they would always make it out in one piece.

I was a fool, she thought, I know exactly what kind of loss Miriallia has suffered; I've felt that pain before, yet even I lulled myself into a false sense of security when it came to this ship and my crew.

She once again looked over at the extraordinary young man standing next to her. Heero… if I lost you… She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, and shuddered despite her best efforts to remain in control.

The gesture went unnoticed by everyone on the bridge… except for the Gundam pilot. Murrue once again felt his hand on her shoulder, and though he didn't say anything, she still felt some reassurance from Heero's gesture.

Suddenly she realized something else, and could've smacked herself for not thinking of it sooner; she had been so wrapped up in her own guilt, along with the pain she knew the Heliopolis students must be facing, that she had not even considered how Heero might be feeling. I don't think he was particularly close to Tolle, but I know he talked to Kira from time to time.

"Heero," she said softly, "how are you holding up?"

Murrue saw his eyes widen slightly, and she knew that he hadn't expected anyone to ask him that. The others only ever see the calm and professional side of him… but I've seen what lies beneath it, the kindness and empathy he holds in his heart. He's seen a lot of death, but though he's accepted responsibility for the lives he's taken, the death of a comrade in battle may affect him differently.

Heero's expression quickly returned to normal, though Murrue could sense that he was focusing inward, perhaps reflecting on the past battles he and Kira had shared; she could only guess. He gave her a small nod. "I'm alright. Thank you, though."

Murrue nodded as well. "You're welcome, Heero."

As she turned back towards the front of the bridge, Murrue mentally chided herself. Of course he wasn't going to say that anything was wrong right now. You know that he doesn't want to worry you, and also that he'd never openly discuss those kinds of feelings in front of the rest of the bridge crew. You should ask him again when you're alone later, though. He might well be a little more open then.

Setting those thoughts aside for later, she looked out the forward viewport. The ship slowly cruised through the torrential downpour, and Murrue felt that it was all too appropriate for their situation. The rain drops falling from the sky seemed almost like a substitute for the tears Murrue could not allow herself to cry in front of her crew. She knew that the Captain had to remain strong in front of others, and she would do her best to uphold that responsibility.

However, when she was alone later, with Heero… perhaps then she could allow her true feelings to come forth. Heero… your strength and determination allowed us to survive today... and is probably what's helping me keep myself together right now. But later, when it's just us… what I'll need then is your compassion. You've given so much for me already, and I know it's selfish of me… but I need you now more than ever.

….

Though the rain was still falling, a certain man had felt sure enough that the worst of the storm had passed to venture outside. With pale skin sharply contrasted by his black hair, the man wore black pants and a khaki shirt, over which he had a unique robe, the majority of which was sea green, but there was also a black area towards the top with intricate red embroidery in it. The man held a cane in his right hand and an umbrella in his left. The cane served as more than just a support; the Reverend Malchio had lost his sight long ago.

A religious figure respected by both the Alliance and the PLANTs for his charity programs, the monk had a residence on the island, which he used to shelter war orphans. Four of them were with him now; boys between the ages of eleven to thirteen, his older charges. Though he would've preferred to leave all the children back at his house, he knew that he would need their help if he were to come across any wounded survivors from the fierce battle that he knew had taken place on his island. Besides, he knew all too well that the children with him had seen worse than this; all four of them had survived the atrocities committed by the monstrous Schwarze Team in the Far East.

A pack of demons if ever there was one, he mused, how did Zala ever fall so low as to give such madmen that kind of destructive power? Did the death of Lenore truly twist his soul that severely?

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a cry from one of the boys. "Reverend Malchio!" he said, "Over there!"

At that cue, another boy gently tugged on his robes, and Malchio followed them until his cane bumped against what he knew was a young man lying in front of him. The monk could hear the faintest hint of breathing and knew that whoever it was still barely clung to life.

"Well, my children," he said, "we cannot leave him here. The four of you must work together to pick him up, and we shall take him home with us."

"Ok!" they said together, and after a minute or two the monk heard their confirmations that the young man was secure in their grasp.

Forgive the uncomfortable portage, young one, he thought, knowing the way the boys had lifted him was probably less than ceremonious, we will have you resting and recovering soon enough.

….

"Kisaka!" cried Cagalli, "Wait up!"

The tan skinned, dark haired soldier turned around on the dock to see the Orb princess running after him, dressed in her usual red t-shirt and khaki pants. They were down at one of Orb's naval bases, and Kisaka was preparing to board a seaplane with a group of search-and-rescue workers heading for the Marshall Islands. They had received a radio message from the Archangel about a half an hour ago, and Lord Uzumi had agreed to send out a recovery party to search for Kira.

"Cagalli," he said as the blond girl stopped in front of him to catch her breath, "I thought your father told you to stay here?"

"Yeah…" she said, panting, "and since when… has that… stopped me?"

Kisaka would've laughed at her words were the situation not so serious.

"Look," said Cagalli, "Kira's my friend, and if there's a chance I can help him, I'm going to do so, and to hell with what my father says!"

Kisaka sighed, knowing that there was no point in arguing with the girl when she got this way… and truth be told, he didn't have the heart to stop her. He knew that, were it not for the young Coordinator, Cagalli would've died in her foolish attack on the Desert Tiger's forces following the Tassil raid. He owed the kid as much as he did Heero, Captain Ramius, and the rest of the Archangel's crew, and he'd do whatever it took to repay them.

He nodded. "Alright, come along then."

Cagalli nodded. "Thank you, Kisaka."

"Don't thank me yet," he said as they climbed into the plane, "remember, we're flying towards the aftermath of a battle. There's a definite possibility that…"

"Don't say it," interrupted Cagalli, fire burning in her brown eyes, "Kira's alive, I know he is!"

After a moment Kisaka nodded. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I hope you're right," he said as he closed his eyes to rest; even after the Archangel's departure he had been as busy as ever, and despite the seriousness of the situation was more that fine with using the flight time as an opportunity to rest.

Princess, he thought, I know you are fond of that young man, and Kira has proven himself capable in the past… but the battlefield is an unforgiving place. It rarely offers second chances…

….

"What's going on?" asked Flay. She knew the battle had ended some time ago, and had left her room to go find Kira. However, as she had gone down the hallway she had run into Sai, Kuzzey, and Miriallia… who was sobbing as she clung to Sai's arm.

Fear began to creep into her heart as she repeated her question. "Sai, what's going on?" she said.

"Now's not a good time, Flay," he replied as he and Miriallia brushed past him.

Flay watched in stunned silence for a moment before grabbing Kuzzey by the arm. "Kuzzey!" she said, "What's wrong with Miriallia? Where are Tolle and Kira?"

The boy looked down. "They're both M.I.A." he mumbled.

"What was that?" she said, her eyes narrowing; military lingo had never been her strong point.

"They're M.I.A." he repeated numbly.

"What the hell does that mean?" said Flay, raising her voice a bit.

She saw Kuzzey clench his fist before he shouted at her. "It means they're dead!"

The girl rocked back on her heels, stunned by his response. "What?" she said, eyes widening, feeling like she'd been gut punched, "What did you say?"

"Kira and Tolle," he replied, "they're both dead. They've been listed as M.I.A. because we didn't have time to do a thorough search for their bodies, but… the Strike and Skygrasper Two both exploded, Flay. They're gone."

He sighed and walked past her, increasing his pace to catch up with Sai and Miriallia… leaving Flay standing by herself in the hallway.

She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. Her mind went completely blank, save for three words.

Kira is dead.

It couldn't be. She needed him to come back alive so she could apologize, tell him that she'd been using him for her own selfish scheme, beg for his forgiveness. He couldn't be dead, not after coming so far, not when they were so close to Alaska.

Not when she had finally come to accept the fondness she had for the boy, and just how kind and human he really was…

"Kira…" she said softly, tears flowing down her cheeks.

She didn't even try to stop them.

….

"Reverent Malchio," said Lacus, "how are you?"

The man on the other end of the video communication feed nodded. "Well enough, thank you for asking. However, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to make our scheduled appointment."

"Oh," said Lacus, leaning forward in her chair a bit, "what's the matter, Mr. Malchio? Did something happen?"

"In a manner of speaking," he replied, and turned the camera on his end so it panned past him…

… revealing Kira, lying unconscious on a bed, wrapped in bandages.

Lacus's hands flew to her mouth, gasping as Reverend Malchio spoke again. "There was a battle near the island, and I found this young man amidst the resulting wreckage. His wounds are quite severe, and if I were to leave him without proper medical treatment he could die."

Kira!, her mind screamed, My god, what happened to you?

The songstress quickly regained her composure as she spoke. "Reverend Malchio," she said, "please, bring that young man with you to the PLANTs; I'll speak with my father and ask him to arrange for both transport and medical care."

"Oh?" said Malchio, raising an eyebrow, "do you know this young man, Miss Lacus."

"Yes," she said, "he is a friend of mine, and I wish to do all I can to help him. He saved my life not too long ago."

"Ah," said Malchio, nodding, "then this is the Kira Yamato that you've spoken of before."

"Correct," said Lacus, clenching the edges of her white dress in her hands as she watched the gentle young man lying on the bed. She could almost feel him hovering between life and death, even through the video feed. "Please, do all you can for him until your trip to the PLANTs; I promise he will receive the best medical care in the Earth Sphere upon your arrival."

"Very well then," said Malchio, nodding, "I'll make my arrangements for the children to be looked after in my absence, and then I will have the boy brought to Carpentaria. I trust your father will have our travel arrangements in order by the time we arrive?"

"Yes," she replied, "I will contact him at once."

"In that case," said Malchio, "we should be in the PLANTs by nightfall. Farewell."

As he cut the connection, Lacus scrambled to call her father. Since his loss to Zala, Siegel Clyne had been keeping himself busy heading meetings of the local moderate faction members on Aprilius One, as well as in discussion with Field Marshall Bristow and Representative Canaver of September City. Even after his fall from grace, Lacus knew that her father still had the necessary pull to make the arrangements needed for Kira and Malchio at Carpentaria, and her own influence was considerable as well. Being a popular idol singer certainly had its advantages, and she planned to make the most of them.

Kira, she thought, her eyes narrowing in determination, this time it's my turn to help you.

I won't let you die!

….

"Oh my god…" whispered Cagalli as she stepped off the plane.

The scene before her was that of utter mechanical carnage. Wreckage was scattered all across the beach, ranging from bits of metal to entire sections of mobiles suits. Cagalli could immediately tell that some of them were from the Strike, but there were fragments of another machine as well, and they seemed vaguely familiar, though the Orb princess couldn't quite place where she knew them from.

"Fan out," said Kisaka to the men in the recovery team, "report any signs of survivors immediately."

They all nodded and spread out across the beach, combing through the wreckage. Cagalli, for her part simply wandered aimlessly, taking in the aftermath of what had surely been a vicious battle. She still held out hope for Kira's survival, but now that she was actually on scene she could feel the same fear creep into her veins that she had first felt upon hearing that the young Coordinator had gone missing.

Kira, she thought, please, be here! Be alive!

Not a second after those words crossed her mind a shout rang out from one of the soldiers. "We got a live one over here!"

Cagalli broke into a run in the direction where the shout had come from. "Kira!" she cried.

Rounding a particularly large piece of debris, she saw the others gathered around what she guessed to be the pilot lying on the ground. "Kira!" she yelled as she approached.

However, as she shouldered her way through the crowd, she saw that the young man on the ground was not Kira… though he was definitely familiar. His mid-length blue-black hair was unmistakable, along with his crimson flight suit.

Cagalli gasped. Athrun!

….

"Well," said the captain of the Cousteau, "this is a real mess."

Yzak gulped nervously. After returning to the submarine-carrier alone, barely managing to land the damaged Duel, the captain had summoned him to his office. The ZAFT ace had delivered as precise a report as he could on the battle before he had been forced to withdraw, but he did not know how it had ended… and the delay in the rest of his team in getting back had him on edge.

The naval officer had then left the room for a few minutes, ordering Yzak to remain there. When he had returned, the silver haired young man saw that the captain seemed unusually tired. His shoulders were slumped, and Yzak became even more nervous.

The man sat down before speaking. "We just managed to get through to the Challenger and the Cook. The Ofnir and Grabacr squadrons were annihilated; footage from the ships' recon drones confirms debris from all twelve DINN Mk. IIs."

Yzak stiffened, but his surprise was not as great as one might expect; when he had left the battlefield, the two teams had already taken severe losses at the hands of both Wing Zero and the legged ship, and their chances of victory at that point were slim.

It was what the captain said next that truly shocked him. "They also spotted debris… from the Strike, the Aegis, the Blitz, and one of the legged ship's fighter jets."

Yzak's eyes widened, and he felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. "Wait…" he said, his voice almost a whisper, "you don't mean…"

The captain sighed. "At this point, we don't have any confirmation as to what happened to the pilots. Also, there were no signs of the Buster at the scene, debris or otherwise." He looked up at Yzak. "Young man, your friends are now officially M.I.A."

"That can't be…" said Yzak, trembling, "Dearka, Nicole, Athrun… they couldn't have all been taken down…"

"Apparently they were," replied the captain, standing up, "Pilot Yzak Joule, you're off duty for the time being, at least until the Duel is repaired."

He rounded the desk and turned to leave the room. As he did so he spared one last look at the pilot, his expression somewhat sympathetic. "You can't blame yourself, son," he said, "with the damage you had taken, you would've been nothing more than cannon fodder had you stuck around… especially for a demon like Wing Zero's pilot." He then walked out, leaving Yzak alone.

It was fortunate that the captain had left when he did. Yzak was a prideful young man, and it was against every fiber of his being to show weakness before someone else. It was only after the door shut that the pilot felt his legs buckle before he fell to his knees.

"Damn it…" he whispered. After a moment he could feel a fire slowly building in his chest, growing until he could not hold it back anymore. "Damn it!" he cried, slamming his fist against the metal floor.

It didn't matter to him that the Strike, his most hated enemy, had been taken down. He could take no comfort in that, nor solace in the fact that the legged ship had lost one of its fighters as well. The enemy had finally suffered casualties, but the price the Zala Team had paid was dear… too dear for Yzak.

Dearka… Nicole… Even Athrun, whom Yzak viewed as a rival in his quest to make a name for himself, did not escape his thoughts. They had their differences, sure, but they were still comrades, still soldiers of ZAFT.

He pounded the floor for nearly a full minute before the burning sensation in his chest subsided. All he could do now was just stare at the cold gray metal, all energy having fled his body.

"You guys can't be dead…" he whispered, "You can't be dead…"

….

His head throbbing, his body feeling sore all over, Athrun Zala slowly made his way back to consciousness. His eyelids fluttered for a few seconds before he was finally able to open them all the way. He was surprised to see a white ceiling overhead, and a glance to his right revealed the sea below; he was on a plane. The sun was beginning to creep lower on the horizon, casting an orange hue across the waves and sky.

The ZAFT pilot tried to prop himself up on his arms, but a sharp pain in his left meant his efforts were rather clumsy. Pushing himself up on his right arm, he saw that the left was in a sling. A fracture, he thought, or is it broken? It was actually hard to tell; the pain from trying to exert that arm had subsided rather quickly, but Coordinators were very durable, and broken bones healed faster for them than they did for Naturals.

"You're finally up," said a familiar female voice.

Athrun's eyes widened as he turned to see Cagalli standing next to the bed. "It's you…" he said, having a hard time believing what his eyes were showing them, "It can't be… must've hit my head harder than I thought." Looking around, he saw that he was in some kind of medical cabin, with an open package of bandages lying on a small counter, along with a roll of gauze wrap.

Cagalli's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a hallucination," she growled, "and you're wide awake, which means you've got some questions to answer."

"Mind answering one of mine first?" asked Athrun, "Where am I?"

"You're on an Orb jet," said Cagalli, "We found you lying on the beach of one of the Marshall Islands, and we took you into custody… and treated your wounds."

Athrun chuckled. "I see… so I'm your prisoner now. How ironic."

"No, you're not," she replied sternly, "Orb's a neutral nation, and we have no intention of holding you prisoner. We just established contact with your allies a little while ago; they're sending someone out to pick you up, and we're meeting them halfway."

"Neutral," said Athrun softly, with more than a bit of sarcasm, "after building those machines for the Alliance… helping them make the Strike… right."

Cagalli looked down for a moment before turning her attention back to him. "What you think of my country doesn't matter… but the Strike does. We saw the debris down there." She raised her voice slightly. "What happened to the pilot? What happened to Kira?"

Athrun looked down at the sheets, all the memories of the previous battle rushing back to him, failing to realize the significance of the girl knowing the name of his old friend. He smiled, but there was no mirth or amusement behind it. On the contrary, it was grim and twisted.

"He's dead," he said, his voice becoming hoarse as he struggled to choke back tears, "I'm the one who killed him."

He heard her gasp, but didn't bother to look up. Something inside him compelled Athrun to continue his grim tale, all the while being unable to look the girl in the eyes while he did so.

"I went after him in the Aegis," he said, "and self-destructed the machine after I'd captured the Strike. I managed to bail out, but there's no way the pilot could've survived."

Suddenly she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up a ways, though not completely out of bed. At the same time, she drew her pistol and pressed it against his chest.

"You bastard!" she cried, and the sheer rage and grief in her voice took Athrun completely off guard, "You may not realize it, but Kira… the Strike's pilot… he wasn't a normal Alliance soldier. He just wanted to protect his friends! Sure, sometimes he could be weak, even a crybaby… but he was kind."

She lifted him up a bit further, forcing him to meet her gaze… and see the tears flowing from her beautiful amber eyes.

"He was a nice guy!" she cried, "He didn't want to fight!"

Without thinking, Athrun chuckled. "Yeah, I know," he said, looking down again, "Sounds like Kira hadn't changed a bit."

"What?" she said, letting go of him and stepping back in surprise, "You mean you knew Kira?"

"Yeah," he replied, "we'd known each other since we were kids. We went to the Lunar prep school together. He was smart, but also kind of lazy. Still, we were the best of friends. I moved to the PLANTs, and he was supposed to follow… but he wound up on Heliopolis somehow instead."

"You…" she said, and as Athrun looked up again he saw that she was trembling, "If you were friends… then why did you kill him?"

Fresh anger flowed from within, and he glared up at Cagalli… all the while tears flowed from his eyes. "I didn't have a choice!" he said, "He was a Coordinator, one of us, but he fought against ZAFT… and he killed Nicole! He was my friend, and a nice guy too! He was quiet, smart, and loved the piano… he didn't deserve to die!"

"So that's it then?" yelled Cagalli, pointing the gun at his head, "Kira killed your friend, so you killed Kira? How does that kind of thinking solve anything?"

He tried to reply, but suddenly words failed him. Athrun couldn't think of anything to say that was a suitable response. More importantly… a part of his mind was arguing that she was right.

"I…" he said, but that was all he could get out. He lowered his head, part of him wishing she'd actually go ahead and shoot him; death would be preferable to the living hell he'd woken up to.

It was not to be. He heard her holster the gun, and as he looked up she slapped him across the face. He didn't even try to dodge, though with his Coordinator reflexes it certainly would not have been an issue to do so. Cagalli then turned and stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door as she did so.

….

About a half an hour later Cagalli returned. "We'll be touching down in five minutes," she said, "ZAFT sent a float-plane out to pick you up; they're already at the rendezvous point."

He looked out the window, gazing absently at the setting sun. "I see," he said quietly, making no move to get up.

The girl pulled a chair from the medical cabin's desk and sat next to the bed. An awkward silence fell between them, and Athrun was unsure how to break it.

Fortunately, Cagalli did that for him. "There's something I want to know," she said.

Athrun looked at her, his eyes widening a bit at her tone; it wasn't confrontational or accusatory like he'd expected, but straight and to the point.

"What is it?" he asked.

She looked down for a moment before turning her gaze back to him. "Back on that island… where we first met… you said that your mother had died on Junius Seven. Was the reason you became a soldier… just to avenge her?"

That certainly hadn't been what he'd expected. Turning his gaze inward, Athrun took a moment to gather his thoughts. After a few seconds he looked at Cagalli. "At the time… it was certainly a driving factor… but it wasn't the main one. I wanted to protect people… and make sure they wouldn't suffer the same loss and pain that I had."

"I thought so," said Cagalli, causing him to look up at her in surprise. Her expression softened, becoming a strange mix of pity and sorrow. "At heart, you're not the kind of guy who fights for revenge. I can understand the rage of your friend's death driving you to do so in the heat of the moment; I've been there. But… that's not who you really are… and though it may not be my place to say this, I don't think it's who your mother would want you to be. The same goes for the people you want to protect. Also… I think it's why you were crying earlier… when you told me you killed Kira. I think both you and him have kind hearts… and even in the rage you felt for your friend's death, it still tore at your soul to fight Kira with the intent to kill."

She past him, out the window. "Better hang on," she said, "looks like we're descending."

He followed her gaze, and he could indeed see the ocean getting closer to the jet as it went lower. At the same time, he could also spot a VoLPHAU, a four-winged multi-environment transport plane used by ZAFT in surface operations. Larger than the kind that had born his team to Carpentaria prior to the battle at Orb's border, it had the advantage of being able to touch down on either land or sea.

Grabbing the railing by his bed, he held tight as the Orb jet made its final approach and touched down about five hundred meters off the VoLPHAU's port side. After the plane had settled down and the waves created by its landing had subsided, Cagalli stood up. "Come on," she said, "they've probably already got a zodiac coming out to get you."

Athrun nodded and did as she said, following her to one of the exit hatchways. Before she opened it though, she reached beneath the neckline of her shirt and pulled out a necklace that she had worn under it. It was a simple piece of jewelry; a thin black string with a red-brown stone on it.

His eyes widened as Cagalli held the necklace up and put it on him. "What's this?" he said.

"It's a Haumea talisman," she said, looking down as she did so, "You have a penchant for getting yourself into trouble. These are said to offer some protection from beyond."

Athrun looked at the stone for a moment before turning back to Cagalli. "Why give me this… especially after I killed Kira?"

"Because," she said softly, looking back up at him with a mix of concern and sadness in her eyes, "I don't want to see anyone else get hurt… including you. Yes, you killed Kira… but what does hating you, wanting you to die, get me? I know Kira wouldn't want me to... it just wasn't who he was, and it's not who you are. You're a good guy who let himself be taken over by grief and anger… don't lose yourself to them again."

He looked in awe at the girl before him, unable to keep his jaw from dropping a bit. The kind of compassion and forgiveness that was in her voice and words was one that he had witnessed in very few people… his mother and Lacus foremost among them.

Despite everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, Athrun Zala couldn't help but smile slightly. This time it wasn't twisted by any sense of vengeance or sorrow. Rather, it was almost… bittersweet.

Mother… this girl, she reminds me so much of you… I wish the two of you could've met.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," Cagalli replied.

She then reached over and raised the latch, allowing the door to open. As the sea breeze came into the plane, a soldier with dark skin and long black hair came down from the cockpit.

"Kisaka," said Cagalli, "are they ready?"

He nodded and pointed past her. Both she and Athrun looked to see an inflatable motor boat rapidly approaching.

As it pulled up alongside the plane, Athrun looked at Cagalli again. "Goodbye, Cagalli," he said.

She nodded and held out her hand. After a moment of hesitation, he took it. "Farewell, Athrun Zala," said Cagalli, "and… take care of yourself, alright?"

He nodded. "I will... and you as well."

….

"Thank you for staying with me up there," said Murrue, "I can't begin to tell you how much that meant to me… especially today."

Heero nodded as the bridge door closed behind the two of them. "I told you, Murrue; I won't abandon you." He turned to her, his beautiful Prussian blue eyes meeting her gaze. The two sapphires held both compassion and strength, two of the many qualities that drew her so powerfully to the young man before her.

Her own eyes widened slightly as he took her hand. "Come on," he said, "let's go to the mess first. I'm sure you're not feeling hungry right now, but you have to eat something to keep your strength up."

Murrue nodded. "You're right… and it's my duty to do so, if I'm to be able to help the rest of my crew make it to Alaska alive. Lead on, Heero."

"Roger that," he said, and he gently pulled her along towards the mess. "We'll just grab some granola bars and water, does that work?"

"Yes," she replied, "Listen, Heero… after we do that, could we go over to my quarters? I… want to talk to you in private, if that's ok."

"Of course," said Heero, turning to her again, "I was going to suggest the same thing, actually. When Tolle died… before Kira fell as well, I promised you that if you needed to talk, I'd be here for you. It's the least I can do."

"Oh, Heero…" Murrue said softly. Despite all that had happened, she couldn't help but smile slightly. You're always one step ahead of me… and you're as selfless as ever. She also felt her cheeks flush slightly when she realized that she would be alone with him, in her room…

Down, girl, she chastised herself, Heero's doing this because he wants to help you; you're not going to take advantage of it… or of him.

Still, the thought lingered in the back of her mind, as well as the possibility that other members of the crew might reach certain… conclusions about the two of them, especially since Murrue had made no effort to deny the bond that had formed between her and the Gundam pilot.

Also, she could not deny just how badly she needed him right now. In the time they had spent together, Heero had quickly become a pillar of strength for her, someone she knew she could count on when things got rough. With her sense of duty towards her crew and her desire to keep them safe, the loss of two of her pilots, along with the fact that said pilots had mere months ago been civilians more or less thrown into the war against their will, had hit her harder than her subordinates might suspect. More so than that sense of duty, it was Heero that was keeping her from succumbing to despair; the young man who was so willing to risk his life to keep her safe had become her sole source of reassurance amidst the tragedy that had engulfed the ship, and she knew that the only place she could find any form of shelter and hope would be with him.

That was why, as they continued to walk towards the mess, images of herself in his arms continued to flash through her mind. Despite her desire to not take advantage of him, especially due to his age, her need for Heero's strength combined with her recently realized love for him were threatening to overwhelm her restraint.

No, she thought, I swore to myself that I wouldn't rush him, that I'd let him take his time to explore his own feelings! All Heero's ever known is war; love is something he's never been able to experience for himself. After all he's done for me, what does it say about me if I put my own desires over his feelings? I can't do that!

Suddenly she felt Heero squeeze her hand a little tighter, snapping her out of her thoughts. She realized that they had stopped in the hallway, and that the Gundam pilot was looking at her, fresh concern in his eyes.

"Murrue," he said, "are you ok?"

Looking down at his hand again, Murrue marveled at just how comforting both his touch and his words were, and how that simple display of his compassion did so much to calm the storm of thoughts and emotions swirling within her. I can control myself, she thought, for his sake, I have to. I can still let out my feelings with him, my grief… my need for his strength, but I can't let them overwhelm me. And I think… so long as I don't push things further… I can take shelter in his arms. No… I know I can; after all, that compassion is one of the biggest reasons I've fallen in love with him.

Murrue faced Heero again, giving him a soft smile. "I'm alright for now, Heero. Shall we continue onward? The mess is just down this hall."

Heero nodded and started walking again, still holding her hand, gently pulling her along behind him.

They arrived in the mess about a minute later. The two of them didn't stay long; Heero went over to the counter to grab a couple strawberry granola bars and two bottles of water before going back to her. "This isn't too much, is it?" he asked, "I don't have much of an appetite myself, but we should both have something."

Those words revealed more to her about his emotional state than anything else he'd said so far. So he is affected, she thought, I mean, I know he's not a cold person, and he did talk to Kira sometimes… Heero, are you alright?

Murrue decided to save her concerns until they were in her room. "These are fine," she said, accepting a bar and a water bottle from him, "thank you."

Heero nodded. "Let's go," he said, turning to leave.

Murrue followed suit, moving alongside him. As the two of them walked through the crew quarters section of the ship on their way to Murrue's room, they could both here a familiar voice sobbing.

"Tolle…" said Miriallia, "Kira…"

Turning to the right, the two of them saw that the girl's door was open, and she was sitting on her bed, head resting on her knees. No one was in there with her, which surprised Murrue, but perhaps the girl had requested time alone. I certainly couldn't blame her, she thought.

She looked at Heero, and he nodded, indicating that they should move on and leave Miriallia be for the moment. However, before they could do so, the girl looked up and saw them standing there. "Captain…" she said, eyes widening slightly, "Heero…"

Murrue nodded at her. "Miss Haw," she said, "I'm sorry… about Tolle and Kira."

Miriallia returned the gesture before looking at Heero. After a moment she stood up and walked over to the Gundam pilot.

"Heero…" she said, fresh tears welling up in her eyes, "why… why didn't you protect Tolle and Kira?"

Murrue's heart went out to both Miriallia and Heero, and she wanted to say something on his behalf. However, a quick look from the Gundam pilot told her that he wanted to handle the situation by himself.

"I had my own battle to fight," he said, "you were on the bridge, you know what the situation was."

"Maybe," she said, looking down, "when you were fighting the Buster, I could understand…" Then she looked back at him, her voice rising. "But why… why didn't you help Kira after you took it down?"

Because I ordered him not to, thought Murrue. She tried to speak again, but Heero looked at her and shook his head. Why, Heero? This is my fault, you know it's true.

All she could do was watch as Heero answered Miriallia. "I couldn't," he said, "I didn't have a clear shot."

"Bullshit!" she cried, lunging at him. Murrue's eyes widened in shock as Miriallia tried to punch Heero. She tried to move to help, but Heero had already dropped the granola bar and water bottle he'd been carrying and caught Miriallia's arm with his left hand. Moving incredibly fast, he twisted it behind her back while at the same time grabbing her by the shoulder, immobilizing her.

That didn't stop the grief-stricken young lady from glaring at him over her shoulder through her tear soaked eyes. "You're the best damn pilot we have!" she cried, "You're the Reaper of North Africa! Don't tell me you couldn't have saved Kira! Don't lie to me!"

"It's the truth," Heero replied, his voice as calm and collected as ever, "whether you believe me or not is your decision."

Miriallia continued to glare at him, lips trembling, her whole body shaking. After what felt like an eternity to Murrue but was probably no more than a few seconds, Heero released the girl.

She stepped back a bit, and Murrue thought she had calmed down a bit, but before turning to go into her room the Captain saw the girl's right arm tense. Murrue glanced at Heero, the narrowing of his eyes telling her that he knew what was coming. Before Murrue could react, Miriallia slapped Heero across the face. The Gundam pilot could've easily caught the blow like he had the last one, but Murrue knew that he had let it connect on purpose, though she didn't know why.

Breathing heavily, choking back sobs, Miriallia's eyes widened in shock as she realized what she had done. "I…" she said, "I'm… I'm sorry, Heero. I don't know what…"

Heero simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he replied, "just go and get some rest."

The girl nodded numbly before returning to her room, this time closing the door. Heero and Murrue stood outside in silence for a moment before he picked up what he'd dropped and turned to her. "Let's go," he said.

Murrue nodded. "Alright," she said, not sure how to react to what had just happened. She knew Heero had his reasons for handling that encounter the way he had, and was sure he'd tell her when they got to her room; she'd save her questions for then.

As they walked towards the officers' cabins, Heero turned to her. "Murrue, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course," she replied, eyes widening slightly, "what is it?"

"About what happened with Miriallia," he said, "don't write her up for it, alright?"

Murrue smiled slightly, touched by just how understanding he was being towards a young lady stricken by such a terrible tragedy. "Don't worry about it, Heero," she said, "I won't say a word about it to anyone else."

He nodded. "Thanks."

Murrue's smile held until Heero turned away from her and they continued down the hallway. Once again she felt guilt wash over her, knowing that she had played a part in Miriallia's grief. I held Heero back, she thought, I know he said he didn't have a clear shot, but I'm willing to bet he said that just to keep Miss Haw from directing her anger at me. It's true that I wanted Heero to stay over the Buster until we could detain the pilot, but… Tolle had just died, and I was terrified of something happening to Heero as well. I acted impulsively, I wanted to keep him from harm… and Kira died because of it.

Lost in her self-incriminations, she failed to notice their arrival at her door until Heero spoke up. "Murrue," he said softly, "we're here."

She looked up, momentarily startled, before nodding at him. Pressing a button on the keypad, she stepped back as the door slid open. "Come on in," she said, leading the way.

He followed her in, and then moved slightly ahead to set his food and drink down on the table over by the window, through which they had a clear view of the setting sun. Murrue followed suit before, after checking to make sure the door had closed, sitting down on her bed.

Heero turned to her, and Murrue gave him a weak smile. "I'll eat a little later, ok? You can go ahead if you're hungry though; don't wait on my account."

Heero shook his head. "No, I'll save it for later." The young man moved a little closer to the bed, his blue eyes full of concern as he looked at her.

How, she thought, how can he believe that I'm worthy of such kindness after what I did today?

She looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "Heero," she said, "when Miriallia confronted us… why did you stop me from speaking? You know that I'm the one to blame for what happened to Kira and Tolle… why did you protect me?"

Murrue heard him sigh before feeling him sit down to her left on the bed. "You're wrong, Murrue," he said, "What happened today was not your fault. You did your duty as Captain of this ship to the best of your capabilities. You're not responsible for Tolle's and Kira's deaths."

"Yes, I am!" she cried, struggling to hold back tears. Murrue still couldn't bring herself to look Heero in the eyes, so she kept her head down as she spoke. "They got involved in this war because of me! They were both flying today under my orders… they'd be living normal lives if it weren't for me!"

"The only role you played in their getting involved in this war was in the beginning, at Heliopolis," Heero retorted, "They had their chance to leave before the orbital battle, and they chose to stay instead. They knew the risks they faced in doing so, but they made their decision, not you."

"Even so," said Murrue, almost choking as she tried to keep what little remained of her composure, "I should've done more to protect them, especially today. I was irresponsible, irrational… and it got them killed!"

"That's not what I remember," said Heero, "You're letting your grief cloud your judgment, Murrue. The actions you took, the orders you issued, they were all well in line with what the situation called for."

"In the beginning of the battle, yes," said Murrue, "but, Heero… when Kira and Tolle were fighting the Aegis, I should've done more to back them up."

"You couldn't," replied Heero, "you did all you could to hold the Aegis off until the Strike could get there to take its attention off you. Once Kira and Tolle had engaged it, any anti-aircraft fire you threw into the mix would've had as much chance of hitting them as it would the enemy. Besides, the Archangel had taken damage, particularly to the port side weapons; you had to ensure the survival of the ship. Also, La Flaga's fighter was already damaged and had been forced to land, and I was fighting the Blitz and Buster; you didn't have any more resources you could've possibly sent their way."

Murrue took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself so she could try to analyze what Heero had said in something close to a professional manner. She realized that he was right, at least about that part… but her guilt slammed back into her at full force when she remembered what had happened next.

"That may be true," she said, finally working up the courage to look him in the eye, "but, Heero… after you took the Buster down, and Kira had already destroyed the Blitz… I held you back; I prevented you from going to assist him. I know Tolle… had died while you were fighting the Buster, but I still could've asked you to help Kira instead of hovering over the Buster."

As her gaze met his, she saw that there was no incriminating look in his eyes, only that same strength and compassion that had come to mean so much to her. "You had a good reason to hold me back," said Heero, "the Buster's Phase Shift Armor may have been down, but it still could've fired its weapons. Even under the Archangel's guns, it still could've tried something. Having me remain overhead until the pilot could be detained was a sensible precaution."

Murrue sighed. "I'd agree with you… if that were my only reason for holding you back."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Murrue took a breath to steady herself before looking him in the eye again and speaking. "Heero… when Tolle died… I was scared… no, horrified, that something could happen to you next. I…"

Murrue could feel what little remained of her strength crumbling, and the tears that she had been struggling so hard to hold back finally began to fall.

"I wanted to do something… anything…" she choked out, "to protect you… to keep you safe. My instincts took over, I acted without thinking… and Kira's dead because of it!"

….

Heero watched as Murrue began to cry, struggling to figure out how to respond to the situation. He'd never been in this kind of position before, and at the same time he could feel his chest tighten as the woman he'd come to care so much for threatened to succumb under the weight of what he saw as self-perceived guilt.

He wanted to help her; he had to help her… but how? None the training he'd gone through over the years had prepared him for something like this. It was true that he'd provided reassurance to Murrue before when she had her doubts, but it had never been like this.

What do I do?, he thought numbly, feeling utterly helpless to aid, to comfort Murrue…

… until a very familiar refrain passed through his mind, spoken by a man long dead.

"The best way to give a good life is to act on your emotions."

Remembering those words that Odin Lowe had left to him as a parting gift helped Heero find his center. The doubts that were assailing him faded, and while he still wasn't completely certain what the best way to comfort Murrue was, he knew what he would do to help her.

"Murrue," he said as he put his arm around her, "look at me."

She stopped sobbing as she felt him pull her towards him and met his gaze. It pained Heero more than anything else to see her beautiful brown eyes so full of tears, and he resolved to do all he could right now to give her some form of solace and shelter from her despair.

"Your actions weren't wrong," he said, "Even if you made your call impulsively, it wasn't the wrong one. I couldn't have helped Kira even if you'd ordered me to; the Strike and the Aegis were too close to each other, and their duel was extremely fierce. If I'd intervened, I could very well have killed Kira along with his foe. Even with the Zero system guiding my senses, there was just no way to guarantee that my actions wouldn't have resulted in friendly fire."

"Murrue," he continued, putting his left hand on her cheek, "you made the right decision, even if it was influenced by your feelings. Neither Kira nor Tolle's deaths were your fault. I know you want to keep everyone on this ship safe, and that you've taken responsibility for their lives, but there's only so much anyone can do to help others survive in war… even if that person is the Captain of the most advanced warship in the Earth Sphere."

"Heero…" Murrue said softly, her eyes widening, "I… I still let my feelings get the better of me though. I should've remained completely objective, I should've…"

"No," said Heero firmly, "Murrue, remember what I told you back before the orbital battle, after our debriefing with Admiral Halberton?"

She slowly nodded. "You said… that I should have more faith in myself… and that acting on your emotions was the best way to live."

"Yes," Heero replied, "It's true that we have to be more mindful of our feelings in battle, and keep them restrained as much as we can… but it isn't wrong to act on them. Even with your call being influenced by your emotions, your actions were still in line with your responsibilities as Captain of the Archangel; you did the best you could, in a horrible situation, to keep your crew safe. On the battlefield, you can't protect everyone; what you've been able to accomplish so far has been nothing short of miraculous."

He then gave her a soft smile, hoping it would lift her spirits at least a little. "Murrue," he said, "thank you."

"What?" she said, startled, "What for, Heero?"

"You said one of the reasons you held me back was because you didn't want anything to happen to me," he said, "You know full well what I'm capable of, but you still worry about my well being, my safety… that means a lot to me. Thank you… for caring."

"Heero…" she said softly. They stared at each other for a moment before a small smile graced her lovely face. "You're welcome… and thank you, for being here, for listening to me, for your words…"

Murrue lowered her gaze slightly. "I'm so weak, aren't I? Acting like this when I'm the Captain… I'm pathetic."

"No," said Heero, causing her to look at him again, "that's the last thing you are."

He gave her another small smile. "You're only human, Murrue. In the end, we all are… and you're still the strongest person I know."

"Oh, Heero…" she said. A few more tears fell from her eyes, but she was still smiling as she leaned in further, putting more of her weight on him. This prompted the Gundam pilot to pull her even nearer, until he wrapped both his arms around her and held her close.

Murrue put her head on his shoulder, and Heero could feel teardrops hit his skin as well as soak into his tank-top. He didn't mind in the least though. Adjusting his position, pulling Murrue along with him, the Gundam pilot laid back on the bed, the beautiful Captain lying on his chest, her head nestled in his shoulder. Heero's heartbeat increased slightly as he felt her ample breasts pressed against his chest, but he gave no sign of discomfort. In fact… he actually didn't mind it at all.

They just lay there like that, neither speaking. There was no sound save for their breathing. Heero knew Murrue was still crying, but it wasn't the heart wrenching sobbing she had done earlier. Rather, it was quiet, and the only real evidence of it was the steady stream of tears that fell onto him.

"Murrue," said Heero a few minutes later, "do you need anything?"

She raised her head from his shoulder to look at the Gundam pilot. Heero saw that Murrue was smiling again, even through her tears.

"Just you, Heero," she said softly, "Could you stay with me for awhile?"

Heero nodded. "As long as you'd like, Murrue. I'm not going anywhere."

Her smile grew a little at that, and before Heero could react she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The Perfect Soldier once again felt a familiar rush of heat to his face, amplified by the fact that Murrue was laying right on top of him.

Her lips lingered on his cheek longer than the last time she had kissed him, and Heero found himself wishing they'd never leave. All too soon though, she pulled away. As she did so, her face stayed a few inches above his, and she smiled down at him, all the while her tears were falling onto him.

"Heero," said Murrue, "thank you. You're… truly an amazing man."

His eyes widened slightly at that. After a moment he managed a small smile. "You're welcome, Murrue."

Her expression then became a little more serious, and as she managed to stop the flow of her tears, she spoke. "Heero… how are you holding up?"

"What?" he said, surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Well," said Murrue, "I know you weren't particularly close to Tolle, but you did talk to Kira. The way you've held your composure is remarkable, but you're not a cold person; you must be feeling something."

She was right, although Heero hadn't really given his own feelings regarding Kira's death any serious thought until now; he'd been too worried about Murrue to examine his own emotions on the matter.

The Gundam pilot hadn't been particularly impressed with Kira Yamato when they had first met. His piloting was sloppy, he was undisciplined both on and off the battlefield, and he was far too naïve for a mobile suit pilot. Of course, Heero knew that those could be attributed to the fact that the boy had been a civilian who had managed to stay out of the war until the attack on his colony, and had been forced without warning into the life of a soldier, but he still hadn't put much effort into adapting to his circumstances until after he'd volunteered to remain aboard the Archangel.

From then on though, things had subtly begun to shift. After the landing in North Africa and their first fight with the forces of the Desert Tiger, the two boys had actually begun to socialize, in a strange way. Naturally, Kira was curious about Heero's life as a soldier, along with the fact that he was from another world, and while the Gundam pilot hadn't given him any details, he had begun dropping bits of advice. There was a perfectly good reason for Heero to do so, of course; anything that increased the Coordinator's effectiveness as a pilot was good in his book, and he knew that Kira had at least taken some of what he'd said into consideration.

As their journey continued, their interactions remained more or less at that level, but when they had arrived in Orb and started working for Morgenroete, Heero had by then become more at ease with Kira. He remembered that first day when he'd complimented the boy on his work on the M1's Operating System. It had been sincere; Heero truly had been impressed with how much Kira had been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, even with the enhanced mental capabilities that came with being a Coordinator. After that day he had spent most of his time with Erica Simmons in his role as a technical advisor before she'd declared that his work was finished, but he had still come down to the testing hangar from time to time. Kira had always been eager to chat when Heero had done so, and while he'd remained somewhat aloof and didn't discuss any details regarding his past, he was willing to talk about some of the work he was doing with Morgenroete's Chief Engineer, along with the war and the general geo-political situation of the Earth Sphere. The Coordinator was still hopelessly naïve when it came to intrigue, but Heero didn't mind elaborating and explaining certain topics when necessary. The fact that Cagalli had come by almost every day and had taken a very active role in their conversations had added a certain spice and liveliness to them, and Heero had actually come to enjoy them after awhile.

In short, Heero realized that he had gone from thinking of Kira as a green, reluctant pilot who had no place anywhere near a battlefield… to a friend. Though he'd been too focused on other matters to give it thought, Heero now understood that he'd formed a bond of sorts with his fellow mobile suit pilot… one that had been rent asunder in the most brutal of ways that morning.

Now that he gave it attention, he realized that there was a small pain of sorts in his chest, one that he'd been purposefully suppressing in order to try and help Murrue. Now that she had asked him about it, he knew that he did feel a sense of loss at the Coordinator's death. It wasn't incredibly pronounced, certainly not on the order of the sheer agony that Miriallia and the rest of Kira's friends from Heliopolis were feeling, nor anywhere near the crushing guilt Murrue had burdened herself with… but there was sorrow, in a quiet, subdued sense of the word.

How to give it voice was something he wasn't quite sure how to do, especially since he didn't want to upset Murrue more than she already was… but Heero wasn't about to leave her question unanswered.

Taking a breath to center himself, he spoke. "I'm… alright, Murrue. You're right; I do feel something regarding Kira's death. I didn't realize this before, but…"

"You considered him a friend, didn't you?" said Murrue, a soft, understanding smile on her face.

Heero looked up at her and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I guess it kind of snuck up on me. I wish I could've saved him, but I don't think I could've… and I don't blame you for that, Murrue. Don't think for a second that I do; I already told you that his death was not your fault, and I meant every word of it."

"I know you did, Heero," said Murrue. They starred at each other for a moment before she once again laid her head down on his shoulder.

"Heero," she whispered in his ear, "if you need anything, please tell me."

Heero couldn't help but smile slightly. "Just this, Murrue," he replied, "Lying here, like this, with you… this is all I need."

….

Lacus did her best to keep the worry from her face as the shuttle landed in Aprilius One's Docking Bay Five. As the giant white craft touched down and opened its starboard hatch, the pink-haired songstress walked over towards the ship, getting as close as she could, watching the passengers disembark. Wearing her signature white dress with its long purple skirt, she certainly stood out from the dockworkers and the people waiting to greet the men and women departing the shuttle. 'Night' had fallen on the PLANTs, but the docks were an area that never slept, and there were always flights coming and going, especially in the capitol.

Her father, with the aid of Field Marshall Bristow, had arranged for Reverend Malchio and Kira to be flown out of Carpentaria with a group of wounded soldiers, the latest to return to the PLANT capitol for treatment. The 'Wolf of the Far East' had quickly forged a set of documents for Kira, creating a temporary identity as a ZAFT pilot shot down in a skirmish over the South China Sea. Bristow had reassured her that the false documents would be good enough for a one-time use, which was just what they needed to get Kira to the PLANTs. As for Reverend Malchio, it had been easy to get him onto the flight; though he was a pacifist, the spiritual figure had performed chaplain services for soldiers before, and the Carpentaria base staff, along with the men and women on the shuttle, had welcomed him with open arms. The monk could inspire both hope and peace in any traumatized veteran, a talent that the fighters of ZAFT had great respect for.

As the parade of wounded, both walking and carried, came out of the shuttle, they all turned to Lacus as she approached. Those who were able to waved, and all save those that were unconscious smiled. Lacus knew that her songs were another source of hope and peace for those brave men and women, and was honored to know that she was able to help them. The young woman may have been a proponent of peace, but she harbored no ill will towards those who had chosen to fight to protect that which they held dear.

Eventually she saw Reverend Malchio towards the end of the line, pushing a gurney with Kira lying on it, his eyes closed, and she walked over to them, trying to keep her pace somewhat measured and controlled. It's strange, she thought to herself, when I'm onstage, performing for crowds of thousands, I'm always so composed… but being here like this, seeing Kira in such shape… my nerves are totally on edge.

She had good reason to be, and barely managed to stifle a gasp as she saw the boy lying before her. Though Lacus had seen him over the video screen before, being up close to the badly wounded young man was something entirely different.

"How is he?" she asked Malchio.

The blind man bowed his head. "Stable, for now; the medics at Carpentaria were most helpful. Still, his wounds are quite severe, and his condition is serious. Tell me, Miss Lacus; where will we be taking him?"

"My home," she replied, "my father has already arranged for a medical team to meet us outside the dock with an unmarked van; we'll be taking that."

"Ah," the monk replied, "it seems he and Mr. Bristow have taken care of things on this end too, then. I'm glad to hear it; considering Chairman Zala's… temperament, I doubt he would take too kindly to us hiding an Alliance pilot here in the PLANTs. I imagine he's have the boy hauled in for interrogation… followed by execution; I fear he may no longer feel it necessary to abide by the conventions regarding prisoners of war."

"I fear you may be right," said Lacus, "though I pray it is otherwise. Come, we must hurry; I fear my arrival has already attracted attention."

She knew she wasn't be followed by Zala's men, at least not yet; Eric Bristow had a team of operatives observing her. They had given her a two way radio, and promised to contact her the instant they spotted a possible tail from the radical faction. So far there had been no problems, but Lacus knew that her arrival at the port had drawn the attention of the dockworkers and the ordinary citizens, and it was certainly possible that any ally of Zala's who happened to be there could take an interest.

As they walked towards the main concourse, Lacus looked down again at Kira. Her heart went out to the kind young man as she saw the extent of his injuries. She shuddered as she thought of the battle that he had sustained them in. Thanks to Field Marshall Bristow's allies in the military, the songstress knew that Kira had been fighting Athrun's team when he had gone down, and that her fiancé had been declared M.I.A. in that same fight. She had worried for both of them equally until she had learned that Athrun had been recovered by Orb and transferred over to ZAFT. After hearing that he was safe, Lacus had turned her full attention to Kira, praying that he would hang on long enough to arrive in the PLANTs.

The kind, gentle young man had made quite an impression on the girl. She thought back to when they had met, how he had brought her aboard the Archangel after her life pod had been ejected from the Silverwind. He had been so thoughtful, so considerate, even though he was an Alliance soldier and she was the daughter of the then-leader of the PLANTs. Kira had said it was because they were both Coordinators, but Lacus had seen through him instantly, and knew that the real reason he acted the way he did was because it was simply who he was. She had come to grow quite fond of him during the time they'd spent together on the Alliance ship, and respected the fact that he was fighting only to protect his friends. Lacus had been shocked to learn that he and Athrun had been best friends before the war, and deeply saddened to learn that they were now fighting each other.

When the time had come for her to return to ZAFT, Lacus had wished that Kira could come with her and Athrun. However, she knew that the boy was determined to protect his friends aboard the Archangel, and while Athrun seemed to have trouble grasping that fact, she understood his reasons. Since then she had continually prayed for his safety, and hoped that they might someday meet again.

Now we have, she thought as they exited the port and made their way towards a white van, but this is not how I wished for that meeting to take place. As the group made their way towards a white van, Lacus sighed.

Fate can work in cruel ways at times… still, there is hope. I will help Kira, I will save him!

….

Alone in Kira's quarters, Flay sat on the bed, her legs up against her chest, her head resting on her knees. It was the first time she'd been back there since her argument with the boy before their departure from Orb. Now she was back, after she had sworn to herself to apologize for all that she had done to him… and he was gone.

Gone, and never coming back.

"Kira…"she whimpered, tears streaming from her eyes. Flay had heard the old saying before, that one didn't know what they had until it was gone, but she had never paid it any heed until today. She had seen Kira's kindness and bravery only as tools by which to manipulate him with, and by the time she had come to realize just how truly special they made him, it had been too late for her to try to undo the damage she'd caused. The young man would've forgiven her, she knew that… but it was too late now.

A familiar weight settled on her shoulder. "Birdy?" said Kira's robot bird.

Flay raised her head and looked over at the mechanical creature. Seeing it was an all too painful reminder of its owner, and Flay wondered how the bird was feeling. Strange, she thought, it's a robot, it shouldn't have feelings… so why do I suddenly think it does? She couldn't say, couldn't find the right words for it… but as she looked at Birdy, she could almost feel a sense of sadness coming it.

She reached up to pat the green and yellow bird on the head. "You miss him too, don't you?" she said. The robot bobbed its head in response.

Watching it, Flay found herself overwhelmed by a fresh wave of grief. The red-head buried her head in her arms. "Kira…" she sobbed, "…I'm…. I'm so sorry."

….

"Hey," said La Flaga, "you doing alright?"

Natarle looked up from her glass of water as the fighter pilot entered the lounge. She had just finished her shift on the bridge awhile ago, and had decided to go by the lounge for a bit before turning in for the night.

As Mu La Flaga settled in next to her, she nodded. "I suppose so… it's just hard to believe, I guess. We've gone for so long without any casualties…"

"…and now two of our pilots are dead in a single fight," sighed the blond ace, "Yeah, I gotta say, it's a real shock to the system."

"You're right," said Natarle. They were quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Do you think we'll make it to Alliance territory?"

"Don't worry," said La Flaga, putting his arm around her, "we'll be fine. We've still got Heero, and my fighter will be fixed up in a day or two. Besides, Hawaii's only a few days journey away from here. Even with our speed reduced, we'll make it. Once we affect some repairs there, it will be a straight shot to Alaska."

Natarle blushed slightly as his hand settled on her shoulder, but nevertheless found the gesture to be quite reassuring. "I hope you're right."

"Hey," said La Flaga, "how about a little more optimism here, eh? Look, today was bad, no question about it, but ZAFT took a beating too. They'll back off for awhile to lick their wounds before coming at us again, and by then we'll be within range of Alliance air patrols."

"Natarle," he said, pulling her a little closer, "it's gonna be alright. You hear me?"

Despite everything that had happened that day, she couldn't help but smile at his words. "Ok," she said, surprising herself by laying her head on his shoulder.

I'll hold you to that, La Flaga, she thought, so you better stay alive.

….

Her eyes fluttering open, Murrue awakened to a sight she'd actually been dreaming about for awhile now; Heero Yuy, his eyes closed, his face right next to hers. Her eyes widened as she saw him, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that they were both still fully dressed. Thank goodness, she thought, I managed to restrain myself… I didn't take advantage of him.

Murrue felt a surge of heat rush to her face all the same, knowing that the temptation she had struggled so hard against was still before her… hell, she was lying on top of the source of it. It didn't matter, though. She smiled as she felt Heero's arms still wrapped around her. They were slender, yet at the same time there was an incredible strength within them, and they held her firmly yet gently. Murrue knew that she couldn't get up without waking him, and she didn't want to do that anyway. She could feel his chest rise and fall slightly with each breath he took, and the rhythm of motion was very comforting. Looking over at the clock on the wall, she was shocked to realize that it was almost five in the morning; they'd been asleep for nearly nine hours.

She sighed as she laid her head back down on Heero's shoulder, smiling at the still sleeping young man. Reaching over, she began to run her right hand through his thick brown hair, softly tussling it. Heero, she thought, remembering how he had comforted her when she was on the brink of losing herself to guilt and despair, thank you… for everything. I know it's strange to believe this, especially after all that's happened… but right now, here in your arms, I feel like nothing can hurt me. Even though we're still quite a ways away from friendly territory, I feel like there's no safer place in the entire Earth Sphere than right here, with you…

She slowly leaned over and kissed his cheek. Heero Yuy, she thought, her smile growing bigger as she pulled away and laid back on his shoulder, gazing at her handsome protector, I am truly, deeply, and inescapably in love with you. I'm still not sure exactly how you feel about me, but I know now beyond the shadow of a doubt that you do feel something that goes beyond this friendship we've forged. Don't worry, I'm not going to push you into anything; if I am indeed the first woman you've truly begun to fall in love with, then I'll give you all the time you need to come to terms with those feelings. I know that you believe in acting on your emotions, and when you decide to do so, I'll be here.

Murrue starred at him for awhile, admiring his features, until she saw his eyelids begin to flutter. After a moment, they opened, revealing his magnificent Prussian blue eyes. Those eyes, she thought, I could lose myself in them… and be the happiest woman in the world, just staring at those beautiful eyes.

Murrue couldn't help but giggle a bit as she saw a hint of red rush to the young man's face. I definitely can't blame him, all things considered. After a moment Heero looked over at her, met her gaze, and smiled. It was another small one, but to Murrue it was one of the most incredible things she'd ever seen. Whenever he looks at me like that… I feel like I can do anything.

"Hey," she said, her smile becoming a bit playful, "rise and shine, sleepyhead."

"Murrue…" he said, "how long have you been up?"

"Just a few minutes," she replied, "and we still have about an hour until we need to get up. So… do you mind if we just keep lying here like this until then?"

Heero nodded. "Sure, I'd like that."

"As would I," she said softly. After a moment she brought up her hand again, slowly running her fingers through his hair. She saw Heero smile slightly as she did so, and was surprised when he let go of her with his right hand and brought it forward, brushing some of her disheveled hair out of her face. He then brought the arm back to where it had been, and Murrue was once again completely enclosed in his strong, comforting embrace.

This hour is going to go by all too quickly, she thought, I could stay like this forever…

….

"Good morning, Captain Ramius" said Ensign Neumann, "Hey, Heero. You two doing alright?"

The Gundam pilot and Murrue both nodded as they entered the bridge. Heero watched as the black-haired man got up from the command chair and moved aside so Murrue could take her seat.

"As well as we can be, considering the circumstances," said Murrue, "Go get some rest, Ensign Neumann. I'm sure you could use it."

He nodded. "Thank you, Captain. I'll see you in a few hours then."

As he left the bridge, Heero saw Lieutenant Badgiruel enter. "Captain," she said, saluting.

Murrue nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant. Did you rest well?"

She nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Natarle then turned to Heero and gave him a nod before heading to her station.

The Gundam pilot returned the gesture before turning to look out the forward viewport. The sun was steadily climbing in the morning sky, and the sea stretched as far as the eye could see. We're back over open water, he thought, let's hope ZAFT's recent losses will discourage any pursuit for the time being.

Lieutenant Badgiruel's voice came up from the CIC. "Captain, I have the medical bay on the line. The doctor says he wants to perform an examination of the Coordinator we captured yesterday to check for any injuries he may have sustained during the fighting. The security detail noted nothing external when they brought him in, but considering how hard the Buster hit the ground, and the height from which it fell, it's possible he may have sustained bone fractures or other internal injuries."

"Very well," said Murrue, "send a security detail down to the brig to pick up the prisoner. Make sure he's properly restrained before moving him."

As the Lieutenant relayed her orders, Heero saw Murrue turn to him. "Heero, do you mind going along with the security detail until they get the prisoner to the sickbay? I wouldn't mind a little extra insurance in case he tries to escape during the transfer from the brig."

Heero nodded. "No problem. I'll head on down."

"Thank you," she said, "I'll let the security personnel know you're coming."

….

"Damn," Dearka groaned as he lay in his cell, "must've hit the ground harder than I thought."

A day after the battle in the Marshall Islands, the ZAFT pilot was still sore all over. While he was confident that he at least had no broken bones, or at least none that he could detect, it hurt like hell just to roll over on the bed in his cell, so he couldn't rule out the possibility of fractures.

Though he was uncomfortable, Dearka had to admit that he had been treated quite well, all things considered. When he'd surrendered to the Earth Forces soldiers, they'd jabbed him with a needle that he'd assumed contained some kind of powerful sedative, because it had knocked him out for a good three hours. Afterwards, he had been brought a meal, and it had been a fairly decent one considering he was a prisoner; a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. A guard had always been posted outside his cell, but he hadn't been hostile to the young man; he'd glance over periodically to make sure Dearka wasn't trying anything suspicious, but other than that he'd seemed like just an average soldier. The same had gone for his shift replacement, leading the young man to begin to question some of the stories he'd been told back in the academy regarding Naturals.

He looked over as his cell door opened, and was surprised to see two soldiers with assault rifles in hand, though not aimed directly at him. There was also a young man who appeared to be about his age, wearing jeans and a green tank-top. He had a calm and cool edge about him, and there was something about him that made Dearka think that he should know the guy, though he didn't know why.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're transferring you to the medical ward for an examination," said one of the guards. At the same time, the other advanced forward with a set of restraints, and Dearka turned around and let him cuff him without hesitation. Nice of them to do this, all things considered, he thought, no sense in trying anything. Besides, I'm in no shape to try to escape; my body still hurts all over, and by now we're probably over the open ocean. The Buster's engines don't work, and I doubt I'd have any luck stealing one of their fighters, let alone Wing Zero; considering how powerful that thing is, I have no doubt the pilot has some serious security systems installed on it.

As they began marching him out of the cell block, Dearka looked over his shoulder at the young man trailing behind them. His blue eyes were narrowed as he met the Coordinator's gaze, and the ZAFT pilot knew that to try anything would result in his death at the hands of this mysterious stranger. This guy's cold as ice, he thought, shuddering as he looked away. At the same time though, he just couldn't shake the feeling that he should know him.

….

"Hey, Miriallia," said Kuzzey, "you don't look too good. Did you get any sleep last night?"

She shook her head. "No, can't say I did, Kuzzey."

Miriallia was in the mess hall with him and Sai. The two boys were trying their best to get her to eat something, but so far had met with no success. She could appreciate their concern, and was grateful for it… but she just couldn't bring herself to take a bite from the food they'd put in front of her. Now she knew that they would tell her to go take a nap… but sleeping was as impossible to do as eating at the moment.

"Look," said Sai, "the Captain gave you today off; you really should use it to rest up."

Miriallia looked down. "I know, but… I just can't fall asleep, Sai."

"Hey," said Kuzzey, "why don't you go over to the med ward. I'm sure the doctor has something that could help."

"I don't know," said Miriallia, "popping pills just to get some sleep? I don't think it's healthy."

"It'd be even worse to go without any sleep at all," said Sai, "Look, just do it for today, alright? Please, we're worried about you."

Miriallia couldn't help but give her friends a small, sad smile. "Alright, I will." She stood up. "I'll head over right now. Thanks, guys."

"Do you want us to come along?" said Sai.

She shook her head. "No, you guys go ahead and keep eating. I'll just head by the sickbay, then go to my room and try to get some sleep."

….

Stepping out of Kira's quarters, Flay began making her way towards the mess hall. It was true that she didn't have a particularly strong appetite at the moment, but she knew that she would have to eat sooner or later. As she rounded the corner though, any thoughts of food vanished from her mind as she saw who was coming down the hallway.

Ducking inside a storage closet, she cracked the door and watched as two soldiers and Heero escorted a young man with tan skin and blond hair down the corridor. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that he must be the Coordinator that had been captured the other day. What's he doing out of his cell?, she thought. Then a burning rage took hold of her as her mind instantly went to Kira and her father… both dead at the hands of Coordinators.

It didn't matter that Kira himself was a Coordinator; in fact, her fury made her completely forget that key detail. All that mattered was that Coordinator's had killed both her father and the boy who had been kinder to her than she had ever deserved… and she wanted payback.

However, she couldn't take her revenge in the midst of such an escort. She'd have to follow them, find out where they were going, figure out how to isolate the prisoner, not to mention pick up a weapon along the way. The last bit would not be an issue; she had been on the ship long enough to know where the firearms storage was located.

You… Coordinator, she thought, her old fury reignited amidst her grief, your kind took away two of the people that I held dear… and I will make you pay for that!

….

"Ah, good, you're here," said the doctor as the door to the medical ward opened, "I've been expecting you." Looking over the heavily armed group, he frowned. "I'd prefer to keep the heavy artillery out of my sick bay," he said.

Dearka raised an eyebrow as the doctor looked at the two soldiers. "You two wait outside," he said, "that's the only door in or out of this place anyway, so it's not like he'll be able to escape." He then turned to the third member of Dearka's escort and sighed. "Well, if you're here, it must mean that the Captain's a little nervous. I suppose I can't blame her, all things considered. You can come in, Heero."

"I was going to do that anyway," the young man replied, and Dearka's eyes widened in shock. No way, he thought, I've heard that voice before!

"You…" he said as Heero walked him into the sickbay, the door closing behind them, "you're Wing Zero's pilot, aren't you?"

Heero nodded, but didn't reply beyond that.

Any further inquiries of Dearka's were cut off by the doctor. "That's enough chit chat for now," he said, "I've got x-rays to perform, an MRI to run, blood tests... we're gonna be here for awhile."

….

As she approached the sickbay, Miriallia was surprised to see two members of the Archangel's security detachment standing outside the door. I wonder what's going on?

She approached the two men nervously. "Uhm, hi," she said, "is it ok if I go inside real quick? I just wanted to ask the doctor about something; it won't take long."

One of them nodded, and smiled at her sympathetically; everyone on board knew that she and Tolle had been in a relationship. "Go ahead," he said, "though you might have to wait inside a bit; the doctor's busy, and I'm not sure how much his assistants have to do either."

"Thank you," Miriallia replied, bowing her head before going inside.

As the door closed behind her, she was surprised to see Heero leaning against a nearby wall. She walked up to him nervously. "Uhm, hey, Heero," she said, "Why are you here? Is everything alright?"

Heero nodded. "I'm fine. Just here as a contingency."

"Contingency?" said Miriallia, confused, "For what?"

"For him," he said, pointing over at one of the beds. Following his hand, Miriallia was surprised to see an unfamiliar tan skinned young man lying in it, his hands bound behind his back.

Her eyes widened as she realized who the person was. He must be the prisoner everyone's been talking about! But why… why is he in here?

The boy saw her looking at him, and raised an eyebrow. "So they have girls on this ship too," he said, "I'm surprised."

The sight of him served as another painful reminder of the battle yesterday, and Tolle's death. Her expression fell as another wave of grief threatened to overwhelm her… and the boy noticed.

"What's up?" he said, an arrogant look on his face, "Did your Natural boyfriend die or something?" He then looked over at Heero. "Hey, how much longer is that doc gonna need to look at those scans? When's he coming back?"

Miriallia froze, but only for a second. Suddenly, white hot rage coursed through her body, and before she knew what she was doing, she lunged for a nearby table, grabbed one of the scalpels lying on it, and charged at the Coordinator.

She screamed, barely aware of the tears in her eyes as she raised her hand, preparing to bring the blade down on the boy's head. Miriallia saw his eyes widen in terror, but before she could attack an incredibly strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She looked over her shoulder and saw Heero behind her, his piercing blue eyes narrowed as he focused on redirecting the scalpel away from her target… and anyone else.

Behind him, Miriallia saw the two guards from earlier enter the door. However, upon seeing Heero holding her back, they apparently did not know how to react, and simply stood where they were, rifles pointing at the floor.

"Miriallia," said Heero, "do you really think this is going to get rid of the pain you're feeling?" His voice was mostly calm, although there was an edge to it she'd only heard over the radio during combat, particularly when the Archangel was threatened. "Killing him won't bring Tolle back."

"I…" she said, struggling to hold back sobs, "I don't… I don't…"

Heero quickly reached up and grabbed the scalpel from her hand, all the while looking her in the eye.

"You're not a killer, Miriallia," he said, and she realized that his voice had softened somewhat, "and believe me, you don't want to become one. Going down that road will change you forever, and you won't be able to handle it. More importantly… Tolle wouldn't want you to do this, and I think you know that. You knew him better than anyone, after all."

At his words, she felt the strength leave her legs, and she fell to her knees. She was dimly aware of Heero letting go of her arm and placing the scalpel back on the table.

Tolle, she thought, tears falling, Heero's right… I'm a fool; I know you wouldn't want me to take a life. Oh, Tolle… I love you, I miss you…

Miriallia then heard another familiar voice in the sickbay. "If you're not going to kill him," Flay cried, "then I will!"

….

Flay stood in the doorway, her hands trembling as she pointed the gun she'd stolen at the Coordinator lying in the bed. Dimly, she was aware of Heero drawing his own sidearm and aiming it at her, but she didn't care. The security personnel failed to react at all; the events rapidly unfolding before them were way outside of what they had been trained to deal with, and they were reluctant to draw upon two grief stricken young ladies.

"Flay," said Heero, his voice taking on an arctic chill, "drop the gun, right now."

"No!" she screamed, rage and sorrow warring within her, "Kira's dead… my father's dead… Coordinators killed them both!"

Unconsciously, Flay had separated Kira in her mind from the Coordinators in general. He was different, he was her friend; therefore he wasn't really a Coordinator. It was a twisted logic, the kind that a psychologist would've loved to dissect, if they didn't mind gun-toting, emotionally distraught teenage girls.

She glared at the ZAFT pilot, wrath burning in her chest. "There's no room in this world for Coordinators!"

….

Still down on her knees, Flay's words kicked Miriallia out of her funk. The girl's blind prejudice was the exact opposite attitude that her beloved Tolle had embraced. Miriallia remembered, as if it were yesterday, back on Heliopolis, when she and Tolle had taken time one day to discuss Kira being a Coordinator. He had just told them a few days prior; they'd been friends for several months at that point, and the young man had been awfully nervous when he had told them the truth. Tolle, of course had been fine with it. Miriallia didn't voice any protests, but she was shocked at his revelation.

However, her talk later on with Tolle had done wonders for her fears. Tolle, never the brightest of guys but a good person at heart, had ironically been the one to tell her that genetics did not determine who someone was, and that just because someone was a Coordinator did not mean that they couldn't be a nice, fun guy to hang out with. Sure, his physical and mental abilities were well beyond theirs, but that didn't matter. Kira was their friend, Tolle had said, and he'd stick with him no matter what.

Miriallia had been greatly reassured, and indeed had felt quite foolish about her own doubts. She'd sworn to herself to adopt the same attitude as Tolle, not just towards Kira but to Coordinators in general, and not to base her opinions on misguided prejudice.

Now, in the Archangel's sickbay, when she was at her lowest, Tolle's words came flooding back to her, along with her strength. Moving faster than she had thought herself capable of, she stood up and got between Flay and the bedridden Coordinator, throwing her arms out.

"No!" she screamed at the vengeful red-head.

Flay's eyes widened in shock. "Miriallia… what are you doing? You hate them too, don't you? The Coordinators killed Tolle, they killed Kira… you want them dead too, I know you do!"

"No," Miriallia cried, "I'm not like you! I don't hate Coordinators, I never have… and I won't let you kill this one! I won't let you kill anyone!"

"Miriallia…" said Flay, apparently lost for any other words, her hands trembling as she tried to keep her grip on the gun.

Miriallia didn't know if Flay would still shoot; her friend had changed so much since coming aboard the Archangel that it was almost impossible to predict what she would and wouldn't do anymore… but it didn't matter. Miriallia had made her choice; she would honor Tolle's memory not through hatred and racism, but by being the strong, kindhearted young woman he'd always said she was… the woman she knew he had loved.

Miriallia closed her eyes, praying for a way out of the mess she'd found herself in.

A single shot rang out.

Miriallia screamed and clutched her chest, but after a moment she realized that she felt no pain. Slowly opening her eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Flay holding her hand, the gun she'd stolen lying on the floor. Looking at Heero, she saw him holster his own weapon and rush over to grab the pistol at her feet. A single shell casing lay on the floor about where Heero had stood, and Miriallia knew that he had been the one who'd fired… and quite possibly saved her life.

Flay took a step back, utter shock written on her face as she looked from the gun she had been holding to the young man who had shot it out of her hand. Miriallia saw her shudder as the Gundam pilot gave her a withering glare. "Get out," he said, his voice low and menacing, "now."

Miriallia looked on as Flay fled the room, and though she saw fresh tears falling from her eyes. Meanwhile, Heero walked over to one of the guards and handed him the pistol. "Take that back to the armory," he said, "and then come back here."

He nodded and walked out of the room. After he'd left, Heero looked over at the other guard. "Go back outside," he said, "I'll keep an eye on things in here until the doctor's done with the prisoner."

The soldier nodded before leaving the room. After the door closed, Heero then turned to Miriallia. He looked at her for a moment, and Miriallia struggled to figure out just what the strange young pilot was thinking.

After a few seconds he nodded at her. "That was a very brave thing you did," he said, "I didn't know Tolle very well… but I think he'd be proud of you right now."

She bowed her head. "Thank you, Heero... both for helping me, and for stopping me earlier."

"You're welcome," he said. Miriallia was surprised to see him stare off into space for a moment, a strange, almost sage-like look on his face. "This world has enough killers in it already," he said, "It'd be a tragedy for someone like you to join our ranks."

Our ranks, he'd said, and Miriallia knew he was deliberately including himself in that category. She had no idea what he'd done in his past, but he'd obviously seen a lot of death, and it had left its mark on him. If the phrase 'wise beyond their years' were ever to fit one man, she thought, Heero would definitely be it.

She was broken out of her musings by the prisoner over whom all the fuss had been about. "What the hell is up with you people?" he said, looking back and forth from Heero to Miriallia, "Are all you Naturals this crazy?"

Despite everything that had happened, Miriallia couldn't help but laugh slightly at his words. "Just the ones on this ship," she said.

….

Murrue sighed as Heero finished relaying the events that had unfolded in sickbay. "I see," she said, "I suppose I'll have to improve our firearms security. Someone like Crewman Allster shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a gun. I should've considered what might happen if one of the Heliopolis students had encountered the prisoner, especially after what happened to Kira and Tolle."

Heero shook his head before putting a hand on her shoulders. "This wasn't your fault, Murrue," he said, "None of us could've foreseen what happened down in sickbay. All we can do from here is learn from the events of today, and try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Murrue smiled as she looked up at him from the command chair. "Thank you, Heero. By the way, I'm assuming the ZAFT pilot is back in the brig?"

Heero nodded. "Yeah, the doctor had already finished the majority of his tests by the time Miriallia and Flay entered the medical ward. The security detail and I took him back down to his cell shortly after the girls left."

"Good," she replied, "and thanks for stopping the girls. Things would've been a lot worse if you'd not been there."

"No problem," he said, "although… you should thank Miriallia, too. I know she was the first to attack, but she also shielded the pilot from Flay when she came in with the gun, so I'm sure she was appalled at what she'd tried to do and wanted to atone."

"I will the next time I see her," said Murrue, "Do you think either her or Crewman Allster could possibly repeat their actions?"

"Miriallia, no," said Heero, "It's a little harder to tell with Flay. So long as we keep a security guard with the prisoner though, there shouldn't be a problem."

"I'll do that," she said. Turning back towards the forward viewport, she sighed. "We still have a few days to go before we reach Hawaii. I can only pray that this incident will be the worse that we face."

"Don't worry," said Heero. Murrue looked up at him, and was heartened to see the strength and determination in his eyes. "I'll make sure we get there. I'll protect you, Murrue."

She smiled. "I know you will, Heero. I promise that I'll do the same for you."

….

A fresh wave of pain washed over Kira's body as he slowly made his way back to consciousness. His body felt like it had been trampled by a herd of angry bulls… but the fact that he could feel at all meant that he was indeed still alive.

He tried to open his eyes, but had to close them as he was assaulted by what seemed to him to be a blinding light. The young Coordinator groaned, prompting someone to lay their cool, slender hands on his face. "It's alright," said a female voice, faint but growing stronger with each passing second… and it sounded familiar.

"Kira," the voice said, and the young man once again struggled to open his eyes. He went slower, this time, in order to give himself a chance to adjust to the light.

When he was finally able to make out his surroundings, he was shocked to see a certain pink-haired, light blue eyed girl standing over him, wearing a lovely white dress. She was wearing a white dress that went well with her pale skin.

Kira's bedside angel smiled as he fully regained consciousness. "Kira," said Lacus Clyne, "welcome back. I'm so glad you're alive!"

Preview for next time!

After a brief stopover at Hawaii for repairs, the Archangel finally arrives at the Alliance's Alaska HQ. However, the crew receive a cool reception upon arrival, and are ordered not to leave the ship. Meanwhile, Kira coalesces at the residence of Lacus Clyne, and finds himself visited by some other familiar faces. All tihs is played out amidst a backdrop lies, betrayals, and intrigue as the final preparations are made for the long awaited Operation Spitbreak. The players within both the Alliance and ZAFT prepare to play the cards in their hands, the lives of countless people considered to be mere chips in their twisted poker game. Next time, on "Journey to a New Battlefield", Episode Fourteen: Gathering Shadows.

The board is set... and soon the pieces will move.

Author's Notes: Intrigue and deception are king next chapter, so once again the fight scenes are on hold. Don't worry, though: Episode Fifteen kicks off Operation Spitbreak, so the action will return with a vengeance, I promise you that! Kira and Lacus will also get some alone time, and Heero and Murrue will of course have their own moments as well.

Please review, and until next time my friends!