Sorry for the wait but I had to work on my Gundam 00 story as I have left those readers hanging on since November! Anyways here is the next chapter, enjoy!

Phase 12 - Reversal

"It feels a bit odd," Yzak said leaning back against the wall. They both sat in their positions on the bridge of the Reversal; a ship so majestic that their enemies would be scattered at the very sight of them. It was an architectural masterpiece designed by the very best engineers that redemption had to offer. Now they waited like a lion in the grass stalking his prey.

"What?" Milady asked.

"Stalking our enemies; waiting for a chance," Yzak replied. They sat now in a dark place behind the cover of many rocks watching the ROW base, waiting for the moment where they could make their move. They had been listening to transmissions for what seemed like days, they had discovered that Liene was leaving the base soon to head somewhere else. Apparently there was a new machine being developed that he had to oversee.

"Wait," a crew member stood up pointing to the camera. There on the screen was one of the main hangars of the small Mars base, which seemed more like a dirty outpost to him, and out of that hangar came a medium sized craft built for extreme speed.

"That's his ship!" Milady exclaimed standing up as she recognized it instantly. Yzak knew that she would know that ship anywhere, after all she had spent time on the original version of it herself as one of Liene's right hand officers. It was this dark past that she sought to reverse now using her newly launched ship to do it. They were almost ready; soon the battle would begin.

"Prepare the teams," Yzak said, he had waited years for this moment and it was finally here.

A few hours later it began

"Take us out!" Milady yelled as the Reversals engines fired up, "call mobile suit teams A6 and T9! All ships out now!" With that three other redemption class ships appeared from behind rocks around the base. Milady smiled as she watched the small circle form on the unsuspecting members of the evil organization of ROW.

"Launch long range misses!" Yzak ordered following the detailed plan that had been laid out by their forecasters, "open missile shafts 2 and 3! Aim all main cannons at their watchtowers and standby." Milady held up her hand waiting for the signal from all the ships; they had to move together in order for this plan to be successful.

"FIRE!" she yelled as soon as she had the singnal. Streams of fire power them went from all four ships.

"Jam all communications!" Yzak ordered, "don't let them tell anyone about us!" Five technicians aboard the different ships were there just for that reason; because Liene's ship had just left and they did not want him to know about the battle or the rescue until they were long gone. Milady was sure that if he had been there that his tactics would outweigh hers and send them all off without their goal being met. No they would not loose here, and Kira would be saved though the cost might be high.

"Yzak prepare to launch!" Milady ordered Yzak. He then ran off the bridge toward the mobile suit bay with purpose knowing what his next move would be. He would complete this mission with as much ease as the last one he was sure of it.

"Concentrate fire on all hangars!" Milady yelled stirring up her troops, "don't let them launch anything!"

"Rodger!" Yzak jumped into the honor as a pack of missiles was loaded on it; he launched into the heat of the battle taking out a few mobile suits in his way before heading toward the first ship hangar and opening up a blast of missiles on it. He then took out a few more hangars with backup from other mobile suit teams. Now ROW's own tactics started to kick in and he watched in amazement as four mobile suit teams somehow broke through their line of power from the hangars. He would do his part here but the rescue was up to Gern and Lrise

"What's going on up there?" Kira asked as blasts continued to rock the base. He had been awakened by the sound of firepower and his head had begun to throb from all the torture that he had endured. The noise was doing nothing for the headache he now had.

"I told you help was coming," Gern said with a smile and Kira noticed he was out of his chains, "and it has come." He walked over to Kira with small lock pick in hand and began to work on Kira's own chains. Kira then began to understand; Gren had not been captured on accident but he had purposefully allowed himself to be brought there because somehow he knew Kira was there and for some reason someone he did not know had set this all up for the sole purpose of rescuing him. Now that the attack was happening outside Kira began to feel a new found hope that soon he would be able to see Lacus and his children again soon.

"Cease long range bombardment!" Milady yelled, "have half the ships maintain firepower on their cannons! Now Greatness release Lrise, Frelia, and Grant; get Gren and Kira out of there!" The Greatness was one of the main ships and with Milady's command it now broke off from the formation and dropped three pods near the ROW base.

At that instant two ships finally launched from ROWs hangars because they finally had a chance to get out.

"Hold up the ranks!" Milady yelled as the ships bore down toward the line, "engage enemy! Launch mobile suit teams B12 and Y8; Greatness and Sureness now move in toward those ships with the mobile suit teams! All remaining teams focus on the enemy mobile suits! Honor defend the agents. We only have to hold them for a little longer!" She knew they were very close now but ROW was finally starting to catch up with them. If they allowed a few more ships out of the hangars then they just might not make it.

Lrise moved swiftly through the route he had memorized to the holding cells; he had been trained for this type of combat for years and knew how to remain invisible while moving through the ship at a fast rate. He would be there soon and he hoped that they were not too late to rescue Gren and Kira. He heard a blast from down one of the halls he slopped past and knew that agent Grant had now made it in. He always choose to make a loud entrance rather than to move silently. Grant and Frelia had been given jobs to shut down the systems inside the base while he was sent to move Kira and Gren out.

He made it through the base quickly and arrived at the holding area. The only guard there instantly turned on him but he was the faster draw. His gun was whipped out at the guard laid on the floor dead before anyone could even blink. He quickly rushed to the controls and hacked them opening the large metal doors to the cell. He smiled as they rolled back to reveal Gren standing there supporting a very weak Kira Yamato. The sight of Kira inspired hope in Lrise and Milady had promised it would and Lrise rushed forward to help Gren.

"Took you long enough!" Gren complained, "you don't know how bad the food is here! Next time you wait in the cell!"

"There is not going to be a next time brother!" Lrise said smiling at his younger brother, "the Reversal has been launched and Milady Redemption is now on the rise."

"The Greatness is in a bad position Milady," one of the bridge members said, "and the Sureness is being bombarded by mobile suits."

"Just a little more time," Milady gritted her teeth and began to switch tactics, "Launch our final two mobile suit teams and have the Mightness battle those two ships along with the Sureness and Greatness. Move the Reverasal in!" Everyone quickly worked to obey her orders knowing that their lives all hung in the balance of their leaders plan.

"Now Honor!" She called for Yzak who instantly responded, "defend us! We are going to blow the final hangar with everything! We can't have them launch anything else!"

"Rodger!" Yzak responded moving with the reversal and fighting off any mobile suit units that dare to interfere with them.

Lrise, Gren and Kira ran through the base as Lrise measured their location. He smiled as they reached the checkpoint and Kira looked confused when they stopped running but the two brothers did not offer any explanation. The seconds seemed to pass by very slowly as Lrise counted down. They would be out of there soon and then the next part depended on Frelia and Yzak. Frelia would set a virus in ROW's computer systems and Yzak would defend their escape.

"Three, Two, One," Lrise whispered as the wall down the hall from them suddenly exploded and a small craft came from behind it. Lrise smiled as it pulled up to them and it's doors opened revealing Grant inside.

"Need a lift," Grant said and Kira began to wonder what sort of organization these guys belonged to.

"Just on time Grant!" Gren said jumping in, "now get us out of here." A few ROW guards began to run into the room but they were too late as the small craft reversed and shot through the path it had cleared into space.

"Milady!" A crew member yelled in triumph, "Grant just picked up Lrise and the two prisoners! They are on their way out here!" Milday smiled at this as she realized that they may make it out of this yet. She was still nervous though as she saw a third ship attempt to leave one of the hangars.

"Have the Honor defend them!" she yelled standing up, "and signal our troops we are leaving the battlefield as soon as they board!" Yzak's image was instantly before her on her screen.

"I have them!" he said, "I'm guiding them and we should be there in 20 seconds! Have everyone ready to leave at that time." Milady acknowledged the information and relayed it.

"19 seconds!" she said to all her troops over the loudspeaker, "gear up back engines prepare to fly past the base over their towers! Remember concentrate all shields to the bottom of your ships as we pass over full speed! Concentrate! All mobile suit teams back to your ships! 15 seconds!" As their flares went up she watched her mobile suit teams, which were now much smaller than they were before the battle stream back.

"10 seconds!" she announced as she waited for Yzak to say that the small craft was aboard.

"We've lost Frelia's signal!" a crew member announced and everyone on the ship looked shocked.

"Just conentrate! 7 seconds!" she sat down now and watched the clock waiting.

"5 seconds!"

"4"

"3"

"2"

"1!" she yelled the last one as the green light appeared that Grant's craft and Yzaks suit were now aboard the ship! "All redemption vessels fly now." Everyone aboard the four crafts felt the sudden pull as the engines fired up at two speed and the ships began to take off over the base.

"The base is launching their ships now!" a crew member said with concern. This meant nothing to Milady as she knew once they ceased bombardment everything would launch. She watched as they pulled farther and farther away though many shots were fired at the ship and many of them did hit.

"The Greatness is experiencing problems!" Another crew member cried out, "they are being pinned back!" Milady frowned as she knew they could not go back for the ship and if it did not pull out it was lost.

"Tell them to hurry!" she cried, "we don't want to loose anyone!" Suddenly a red light went off on the side of her chair and she knew what had happened.

"The Greatness is gone!" the crew member cried when another shouted in triumph.

"We're out of their firing range," the member said standing up, "and the ships have stopped pursuit. Milady bowed her head in thanks to the unseen power that had allowed them to be successful and in reverence to the lives that were lost on the battlefield before them. She now prayed their lives had not been lost in vain.

Milady entered the medical bay knowing that this moment was not going to be easy for her and she had been praying for strength to see it through since she set out on the mission to rescue Kira. Now she had to see him, to attend to him and to see if he had made it out alright for she feared that ROW had treated him very harshly and that his health would be failing when he arrived. She walked into the room and saw Gren and Lrise standing off to the side as the doctors began to examine a very weak looking Kira Yamato.

"Milady," both Gren and Lrise saluted as she walked in and Kira looked up to see a redhead woman standing before him clad in a white uniform wearing a white mask hiding most of her face and her eyes. She seemed very calm and the others treated her like their leader.

"Gren, Lrise," she said saluting back and smiling, "you both did well out there today; you're performance in the line of duty was inspiring. Keep up the good work, for I fear there will be many battles ahead where your skills will be needed." She then turned and walked to the doctor who now stood in front of a computer screen examining some of Kira Yamato's tests.

"How is he doctor?" she asked.

"I am fine," Kira spoke up before the doctor could say anything, "just take me back to my family!" Milady looked at him with a slightly saddened look as she knew that she could not grant his request at this time. Lacus was safe but it would be better if no one enter her hideout as ROW and the PLANTs had people everywhere trying to find the Clyne Faction base. She also knew that Kira's kids were on earth in ORB, a reckless move on Lacus's part, and it was out of the question to send him there. The political landscape of the world was very messed up right now and she was unable to do anything about that, though she prayed she would be able to change it soon.

"Rest assured that your family is safe," Milady said looking toward him, "And any reckless moves on our part could jeopardize that and you would not want us to place them in danger."

"Who are you?" Kira asked. She smiled at that as she knew exactly who she was. Her life had led her through many things that most people would not have been able to endure yet here she stood strong and ready for anything. Her troops had just completed and almost impossible and dangerous mission with ease and care; she only regretted that some lives were lost.

"My name is Milady Redemption," she responded to his question with pride evident in the way she stood and spoke, "I am the founder and leader of a military organization known as Redemption which was created for the sole purpose of defeating ROW and saving this world from total destruction."

"Where is my family?" He asked; she was prepared for this as she knew he must have been through a lot in ROW. He was separated from those he loved for too long and in the darkest sort of way, and Liene would not have been lenient on him. Glancing over the doctors shoulder she saw that the tests were not looking very good. ROW had used very powerful drugs on him to try and make him do something or say something; what she did not know. She only knew they had not succeeded as Kira was in no way broken; the way he spoke was as strong as ever.

"There will be time for all that later," she replied putting a hand on the doctors shoulder, "but for now you must rest. You are a guest here until we can find a safe way to send you back to your family." She then walked out with the doctor trailing behind her.

"It's a miracle he survived all this!" the doctor said urgently.

"It's no miracle," Milady turned around with a smile, "he's done it before; after all he is the Ultimate Coordinator."

"I am still worried," the doctor replied, "these readings are terrible! It will be hard to tell if he will recover for a couple of weeks."

"I am worried as well," Milady replied, "he must be in perfect health before he is sent home. Please have him hospitalized and monitored 24/7! Report everything to me. Lacus needs him back completely whole for only then can they face what is coming."

Yzak floated down the halls of the Reversal searching for his leader, the white lady of redemption. Their mission had bee successful though there were lives lost and he knew she would take every death as a personal offense against her. Milady was not like other leaders in the world, she knew every single person that joined Redemption and she worked to form relationships with them all. No doubt she knew the names of all those who had died and that now she would be praying for their souls. He frowned as he finally arrived at his destination; a room in the Reversal that had a stunning view of space and as he expected there stood Milady caressing her mask and crying over those who had died.

"Frelia was a dear friend of mine Yzak," she said knowing he was there. He nearly smiled at her instincts and how much she knew about how he would approach. He did not doubt any of her words.

"I know Milady," he replied placing an arm around her, "it is a price we all agreed to pay when we joined redemption. We all pledged we would do everything we could even if it cost us our lives to save the world. Frelia and the others were no different, they wanted to see this thing through as much as we both do and their deaths were not in vain." He was sure that she knew everything he said was true as she had once told him these words but he knew it would do little to comfort her. Death had followed her for a long time, from the first time she watched someone she cared about die. Yzak was the only person who really knew her past and sometimes he wondered how she had even been able to tell everything to him.

"We must not fail them," Milady said raising her head and wiping the tears from her eyes, instantly the sadness was replaced with determination, "we have to find her Yzak!" Milady looked at him with urgency, "I'm tired of Liene playing with me like this! We are getting Kira back to Lacus then we are fighting with everything we have for her!" Yzak let a cocky grin onto his face.

"Should I contact base?" He asked knowing exactly what plan would be placed into action.

"Tell them that the time is now," her eyes were full of fire, she had waited seventeen years for this, "tell them that we will take Liene's greatest warrior from him and that we will breathe life into this dying world!" Yzak knew her words were true for this is why he had joined redemption.

"The Resurrection will launch then," he said, "and the world will be redeemed!"

"Along with Meiko's soul," Milady said speaking the name she had not spoken for so long; she would save the child whose destiny it was to save the world.

Dearka Elsman wandered the streets of ORB aimlessly as he had some time on his hands and it had been a long time since he had been here. Athrun and Cagalli were trying to sort out what to do with the recent news he told them and Lacus had given him express orders to stay in ORB since there were to many spies waiting for someone to follow back to the Clyne faction base. He enjoyed the peace of ORB for now but he still felt the pressing weight of the problems that they were all facing in the world. It seemed that things couldn't get worse which worried him because he knew they could always get worse.

"Dearka?" he heard a questioning female voice and turned to see the last person he expected to run into, Miriallia Haw! They dated for a short time after the first war and then ran into each other a few times around the time of the Gibraltar incident but he had not seen her since; over ten years had gone by.

"Miriallia?" he mustered, "I forgot you lived in ORB." She smiled at this, he had always been a very forgetful person.

"Well you're the last person I expected to see this morning," she responded, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm not sure I should discuss that on the street," he responded knowing that she would understand this. They were both part of the alliance between ORB, Lacus and a few other small powers. Mirallia herself was still part of the Archangel crew, though the ship had not been since since the Gibraltar incident. He had seen her name in the listings while in space and knew she was still loyal.

"I understand," she replied, "but I still would like to know how things are doing; the world is in such a messed up state right now."

"Well I'm staying with Athrun and Cagalli," he responded with a smile, "If you stopped by sometime then I would be able to fill you in about all the things that are happening. It's been a pretty crazy few months." She did not doubt that, with Lacus's escape, Kira's disappearance, the unrest in ORB, Cagalli's assassination attempt and the escalation of trouble in the world things did not seem to be slowing down but rather speeding up toward something huge.

"I think I'll take you up on that," she replied, "I am working for a news station but even we don't get everything; there is so much I want to know about what is happening around us. But listen I have to run, I have to meet Murrue and Mu about some things." She stopped and looked at him and then added, "you know why don't you come with me? I'm sure that where I am going will be a safe place to talk about everything and I am sure that Murrue and Mu would both like to know everything that is going on as well."

"Sure," he responded, "I have the rest of the day off so I can come."

Murrue Ramius sat in silence as she felt the weight of everything Dearka had told her, Mu and Miriallia; she had missed too much in the past few months. It was still hard for her to see the kids she fought with now as adults when they were forced to face so much so young. Now it seemed that things were getting worse and on top of that she had no idea that Lacus and Kira's children had been in ORB for awhile. She hadn't seen them since Kayla was a newborn and she was sure they had grown up a lot. When thinking about it all she felt fear for Kira's situation, all they knew is he might have been captured by ROW or he might be dead. She had watched him grow up quickly and she knew how much he had affected the lives of the people around him; it would be devastating to them all to loose him and if they did Lacus would break.

"I can't believe we've missed so much being down here in ORB," Mu said summing up her feelings. She turned to him seeing him sitting by their adopted son, Talia Gladys's boy Jacob Gladys. Jacob was a couple years older than Yaro and he went to a military university in ORB.

"Kira," Murrue said looking back to Dearka, "Oh, what should we do? How is Lacus taking all this?"

"I haven't spoken to her in awhile," Dearka replied with sadness in his eyes, "but last time I saw her she was trying very hard to hold it together. She has so many people around her to help her though so I am sure that they are supporting her. Basically all we can do now is hope that things turn around soon. The way things look now..."

"I still think ROW has something they haven't revealed yet," Mu spoke up, "there is so much going on now but I don't think we've seen their worst and it makes me wonder what is coming. I'm not as young as I used to be but if things get worse the battlefield may become the safest place for all of us."

"And what of the two ROW pilots you spoke of?" Murrue asked, "do you think that ROW might have people that can rival Athrun or Shinn?"

"I got beat bad in space," Dearka said with a heaviness on him, "by a new mobile suit and a pilot with skill that I have never seen before. It was sheer luck that Yaro and Uzumi lived fighting that pilot. I don't know how much luck we have left against them."

"It's not luck, Right will always win," Jacob spoke up, "no matter how bad things get they have to get better soon! I know that this sounds so typical of someone who hasn't witnessed these things first hand but we can't give up hope!" Murrue smiled at her son's words, he had been raised based on the belief in hope and it had been hope that lit a fire in the lives of her and her ship eighteen years before in the bloody valentine war. Hope was all they had left; hope that somehow something from above would save them from what was coming. She then knew that they would have to pray for someone to come save them, for they were running out of time.

Andrew Waltfeld sipped his coffee while glancing over the updates on the new mobile suits the Clyne faction was working on. Though they would not be done for some time it was still important to oversee every detail of their designs. The engineers who worked on them now had been assigned by Lacus three years before to pave the way for new advancements in mobile suit technology because she wanted to make sure her pilots were protected. The engineers had made some new discoveries about mobile suit armor that astounded Waltfeld; these new mobile suits were sure to be a force to reckon with.

He put the designs down realizing that he had nearly memorized them and that he would not be able to find a flaw with them, though others might. These designs were perfect in his mind. Now he turned his attention back to the computer in front of him. Many of the computer scientists in the Clyne faction had been working for the past few days on trying to find ROW frequencies and networks to hack. The news that Kira might have been captured by ROW had everyone in the faction worried. Kira was no doubt one of the greatest mobile suit pilot in the world and having him on their side made them a force to be reckoned with. Waltfeld worried for his safety and so far no one had been able to find anything about him using their methods. Still they all waited patiently for someone to find an answer about what was going on.

"You won't find anything," He looked up to see Lacus Clyne herself walk in. He had protected her since she was very young and in watching her grow up he had learned that she had an unparalleled ability to understand the things around her and to make the best of her situation. She had been able to keep her head through so many things, including the disaster of the Gibraltar incident where everyone was sure they would loose her. Now she was able to keep her head through Kira's disappearance and possibly his capture. She showed no signs of breaking.

"Just give us some time Lacus," he responded, knowing that she would never really give up on Kira.

"No," she looked down then looked up at him with hope filling her eyes; it was her hopeful gaze that had inspired the masses in the past two wars. Her eyes had told a story of loss and despair but they had been filled with an undying hope that the world would be set right she spoke with authority and assurance in such a way that no one could doubt her words.

"Kira is alive," she said confidently, "and I somehow know now that he is safe and that we can rest easy. I know it may sound crazy but me and Kira have been bound together since the first time I saw him and I do not doubt that somehow if he was captured that he has escaped." Waltfeld did not doubt her connection with Kira but he did doubt that Kira was completely safe.

"Nevertheless," Waltfeld stood up to refill his glass with more coffee, "we will continue looking for him."

"I know," Lacus sat down, "I just am happy to feel like he is safe. You know how much I care about him and I just really want to see him again."

"I know Lacus," Waltfeld sighed, "I know."

***One Month Later***

They walked together in silence as they found each others presence comforting a month ago. He enjoyed her company and she enjoyed the light she felt radiating from him. Together they found solace from the world and for one month they spent any free moments they got together, strolling through parks and searching for remote places around ORB. She was always mysterious and at times a bit confusing but it did not bother him at all. She found him to be very pleasant and wise and though her mind told her to stay away from him her heart had been longing for a friend; someone to have by her side and someone who she could trust would not desert her.

Yaro and Meiko were just right for each other. He was all light and she was all darkness; complete opposites somehow bound together by some fate and Meiko believed that those same fates were laughing at her weakness but she did not care anymore. She had lived life alone and she believed she deserved some comfort while she was forced to live here in ORB. She had not spent all her time idly hanging around with Yaro; she had taken the time to befriend Uzumi and she was waiting very patiently to be invited over by him so that she could see what it was that was going on behind the gates of the Attha mansion. Uzumi, though very friendly still seemed to be spending a lot of time alone at school and everywhere else for whatever reason. She recognized what was going on with him immediately; he was feeling the darkness that she had felt her entire life. She wanted to help him but she did not know how as she had never been able to escape the darkness herself.

"Look there," she was brought out of her thoughts by Yaro's kind voice as he pointed out toward the sky over the sea. She paused for a second to try and see what it was he was pointing at as they were walking along the cliffs. She gazed for awhile and finally saw it; a flock of birds was flying toward the cliffs with the wind.

"They're beautiful," she said as his hand fell to his side, "they are so free."

"If only the whole world could feel as free as they do," he replied taking a seat on one of the rocks, she sat beside him picturing what it would be like if everyone traveled the world peacefully like a bird, never raising a hand to fight another.

"It's as if they don't have a worry in the world," she said looking toward her calloused hands, "and when I see them I wish I could be like them. I want a future free of cares and worries." She clenched her hands into fists and let them fall to her sides; he had noticed in the last month that her hands seemed to always be curled into fists, never open and free as most people's were. He wondered about her as she had never spoken about her past, only about the present and about the future.

"I believe in the future," Yaro began to open up to his own thoughts and speak them, "a future that can be free of war and strife and of tyrants like ROW." Meiko stiffened at the mention of ROW. Yaro began to think more about her as they sat in a short bout of silence; she always reacted to the mention of ROW, could it be that her family was killed by ROW. "You know you've never told me where you are from. Were you from one of those nations that is suffering under ROW control right now?" Meiko seemed to stiffen more at this question.

"Yes," she finally responded realizing that it was not really a lie, she lived in space under ROW, "I lived in a nation where peace should reign because there was no reason for things to be so bad yet it was so dark. I never felt happy there and I think that here in ORB for the first time ever I almost feel a little happy." He impulsively put an arm around her and she leaned into him, "what about you Yaro? Where are you from?"

"I am from the PLANTs," he replied immediately then he realized he could not tell her the whole story so he went into the official one that Cagalli's people had given him, "I graduated from a prep school up there then decided to come here for a forgiven exchange program. I wanted the top ORB military training but it seems you're better than anyone in our class without it." She frowned at that; he did not even know what she was capable of in a mobile suit. She had taken battlefields completely over with no help from anyone. She had also become one of ROW's top assassins. She had killed time and time again and she did not deserve his kindness, remembering that she quickly pulled away from him and stood up. "We should keep walking," was all she said. He followed her and they walked together for another half and hour in silence which he spent wondering what he had done wrong.

"The sun is almost gone," Meiko finally spoke up breaking the silence, "we should start heading back."

"You know Meiko," he said not responding to what she had said, "I can't quite figure you out." She stiffened again at his words, and for a second he was distracted how beautiful she was but he soon got back to what he was saying, "you're just different, I mean at one moment you're completely open then the next you shut everyone out."

"Is there a point to you saying all this," she said turning to him with a fire in her eyes he had never seen before. It scared him a little but he was relentless and he needed to let her know that.

"Let me finish," he said putting a hand on her arm, "through everything I see a light in you that I think perhaps you do not see, a bright light that reminds me so much of something, yet I can't place it. You are amazing Meiko, and I don't think you believe it which is why I have to say it." Her muscles relaxed as her mind began to think of what he had just said. She saw his admiration for her in his eyes and once again knew she did not deserve it but before she could say something his com phone started ringing.

"Hello," he walked a short distance away obviously talking to someone who was frustrated as he got a little flustered; after a few moments he walked back toward her, "my brother Kiran is being anxious and apparently Uzumi has been looking for me so I have to go home." She thought for a moment about his connection with Uzumi before speaking again.

"Where exactly do you live?" she asked; it had always been something she wondered since he apparently had a little brother named Kiran and they both hung around Uzumi a lot. She had let him into her apartment before but he had never shown her his home.

"With Uzumi," he replied a little quickly then realized it probably didn't sound right, "I mean me and him became friends through my foreign exchange program and his mother offered me and my brother a place to stay while we were here." Meiko instantly knew what she had to do. Uzumi was never going to invite her over but Yaro might; though she hated using him like this she had a mission and that was her reason for being in ORB.

"You know maybe I could come visit you tomorrow," she said with a small smile trying to use whatever he saw in her against him.

"I don't know how that would work," Yaro responded, "I can't really invite people over, it's not my home." This bothered him as he really did want her over. She however did not mind, the idea was planted in his head and she was sure he would follow up on it.

"I understand," she said using her sweetest fake smile, "perhaps another time."

So they walked on for a little while longer. Speaking simple words to each other and neither of them realized that they both were lying to themselves and to each other.

Note by note she played the tune again letting it wash through her as it had the first time she had ever played it. It was beautiful, haunting, melodic and hopeful. It was unfinished. Leyas frustratingly erased the lyric she had just written and began playing the melody again. The perfect lyrics had to exist somewhere but she couldn't find them. She played the song again a little faster before letting her head drop on the piano, this was not working at all. She had been working on it for a month and nothing seemed to come together.

"You've been playing that same melody for the past three hours, don't you have homework?" She turned around to see her younger sister Kayla smiling at her. Kayla was followed by their mothers pink Haro which had accompanied Kayla to earth. The sight of the small round robot reminded Leyas of her mother, which whom Leyas had written many of her greatest songs. Now here she was trying to work with a melody she was sure would be a winner yet she could not think of any lyrics that would fit. The tune was too complicated for her, just like the world she was living in. It had movements of Mystery, sorrow, fear, and at the chorus to entered into a feeling of hope. The whole tune was wrapped up in a questioning chord and Leyas really felt all the emotions belonged to her and to that girl she had met a month earlier in the school auditorium, the day she had first played the tune.

"It's just a little something I've been trying to finish," Leyas said running her fingers across the ivory keys, "I can't seem to think of any good lyrics for it, but I can't give up on it because I think it might be the greatest thing I've ever written." Kayla walked forward thinking about what her sister was saying and remembering the tune, It was so beautiful and she really loved what her sister had come up with. It was very intriguing to the young girl.

"Play the first verse again," Kayla said sitting next to her sister, "perhaps I can help." Leyas smiled obliging her litter sister, she doubted Kayla could help but at this point it was worth a try to let the little girl hear and understand. After playing the first verse Leyas turned to Kayla.

"I have a line I like so far," Leyas then played again singing it.

Running, through the dark

I've found a light so small

These were words she felt were true through everything she went through in space. She had seen death and fear all around her yet in the midst of that there seemed to be a light of hope shining. She had longed for the source of that hope and she had hoped that she could capture it.

"Well What about this next," Kayla said motioning for Leyas to play more and singing a line she had just thought

Unsure, I embark

And my fear I forestall

"I like that," Leyas said writing it down quickly, "I really like that." The two worked together for the next two hours thinking of lyrics until they were called to dinner and after dinner they returned to the song. It was the first time Leyas had ever written a song with her little sister who loved poetry which explained her skill with words and rhymes. Kayla was happy to be spending time with her older sister for the first time in a long time, the two had grown distant since Leyas seemed to lock herself away after their father left. After another day of work Kayla called Cagalli and Athrun in to hear the finished product, Leyas's perfect song.

Running, through the dark I've found a light so small

Unsure, I embark and my fear I forestall

Cause my heart has broken from lies I'm told

And I can not find a way to reach my dream

Can You understand why this has to end

Can you see the truth of everything we've done

Keep us warm, through this storm

I know that this night will end

Though this dark is long, hate does not belong

In this world that we love and that we fight for

Give us peace and strength now

In these hardships we fear now

We will search for our hope, carry on

Breaking, all the death and all the hatred in our hearts

Shaking, take a breath, keep moving on and on

Cause our thoughts are chosen and our minds our broken

And everything that we believe is gone

Can you feel the pain, do you take the blame

For the lives that will never come back to breathe the air again

I know that this night will end

Very soon this fighting it has to end

Peace must come from our hearts to heal this broken land

Give us peace and strength now, In these hardships we fear now

We will fight, through this night, we will carry on

I have fought For so long, I can't see the sun through the night

And no one is there to save me from these fears that I hold

It's getting cold and I am alone, then I turn to see the light

Still beside me leading me on, Through this never ending storm

I know that this night will end

Very soon this fighting it has to end

Peace must come from our hearts to heal this broken land

And I will love you through everything

To this one small hope I cling, we will survive

Through this night, Carry on

and on and on and on, Carry on, please please carry on

Leyas smiled when her song was finished as it conveyed everything she had wanted. Cagalli and Athrun clapped and looked at her with a bit of surprise. The two girls had conveyed feelings of grief and fear through their song that unnerved the older woman simply because she knew them so well. Though all seemed hopeless the young still clung to this seemingly evasive hope; the song was meant to inspire many and to fulfill the dreams of a peaceful word. Cagalli knew that it had to come soon before all people on earth lost this hope and with that hope they would loose their strength.

He is trying to be strong yet there is a darkness growing in his mind, he had carried the burdens of so many for so long and he knew that it was not going to end well for him. He sliced thought he mobile suit in front of him effortlessly letting got of the controls momentarily before grasping them tightly again. The battle was heavy and the forces kept coming at him. Letting out a yell he brandished two identical cannons and fired them rapidly at the host of oncoming enemies. His aim was accurate and most of them went down with a single shot, others made it through his barricade. He pulled out his twin beam sabers and spun gracefully about his enemies leading them in a deadly dance of death. After dispatching the next group he held his sabers tightly and gritted his teeth.

He watched the enemy ship in the distance waiting for it to come. He eyes were darkened and though he knew he was better than all of them a fear pressed in his mind. He was loosing something, a part of himself. It had been slowly dissolving inside of him every time he grasped these controls. He watched in anger as the ship refused to launch any more mobile suits, it would not do. Charging forward he went to fight the enemy but it seemed they did have one more mobile suit and he knew it was foolish to fight it so close to the ship but at this point he was tired of waiting for this battle to be over. It was time for him to end it, he could do it be himself because he was the best. No matter what they said he was the best and it was his duty to destroy his enemies for the fate of the world had to be changed. People depended on him, and the lives of the people he cared about were in his hands! He let out a battle cry and attacked the mobile suit while dodging fire from the ship.

This one was much better than the last swarms he had been able to defeat, not only that it seemed to get better as he fought it. shot after shot, beams crashing together; the mobile suit before him would not back down and it showed no sign of getting weaker. He fought desperately knowing that he had to win this. It was up to him to save them all. He fought harder and harder until something exploded in the back of his mind as a power flowed through him he had never felt before. His fighting became stronger and his enemy was now loosing. As he moved to land the killing blow the images around him faded and he found himself in the simulator.

As the door opened he angrily stormed out to see his father standing waiting for him.

"You've passed your old scores Uzumi," Athrun said putting a hand on his shoulder, "well done."

"It's not enough!" Uzumi protested, "why did you stop it?"

"There are things you are not ready to face," Athrun responded walking toward the exit, "and there are things within your mind which you do not understand now. But they are things you must learn to control before you can continue."

"But I was winning!" Uzumi said, "Why don't you ever let me keep on fighting."

"You've been angry lately," Athrun said, "too angry for your own good. On a battlefield you have to control your anger, you can't let it consume you for if it does you may do things you'll regret later or worse you'll loose your focus and become unable to continue fighting."

"But anger makes people stronger!" Uzumi said, "and we need strength to stay alive!"

"True, many great warriors experience anger and win their battles; but the greatest warriors of all control their anger and do not let it control them." Uzumi breathed out heavily as his father left the room. It was getting to be too much for him. He had been trained to fight all his life and he had proven himself on the battlefield but he still felt as though he wasn't strong enough, as though something was going to happen that was beyond his control. He felt darkness all around him and there was no way for him to escape it. It was suffocating him and he did not know why but he did know that it started the day his mother was almost assassinated. He was beginning to fear the darkness in his own mind but he knew that he had to keep going for the fate of the world, for the people he loved; he had to be strong.

Shinn walked down the dark hallway with sureness grasping the gun in his hand and keeping his eyes peeled for trouble, though Meyrin had assured him and Lunamaria that this place was completely abandoned. They had stumbled across this place as they were crossing the Saharan desert and they had found it intriguing as it seemed completely empty and the outside bore a strange symbol with a R, a ribbon and a rose. It was clear that it was abandoned but it was also clear that someone had been here recently.

As he searched around he came to the conclusion that whoever had abandoned it had left in a hurry. Lunamaria followed him saying nothing and he knew just by that, that she had the same eerie feeling that he had. Something about this place was very odd indeed. They walked on together in silence opening rooms filled with furniture. Finally they found a room different than all the rest. It was very large and had a large screen that he was sure belonged to a computer so he sat down on it and turned it on. Lunamaria began to search around the room as there seemed to be a few folders jammed in the walls. As the computer started up he realized it was like all the computers in this base, all the data had been completely erased and whoever had done it had left no traces of what information it might have previously contained. What ever organization had been here had not left clues to whoever might arrive here after they left.

"I found something," Lunamaria declared surprising him as he was sure they would find nothing but the strange symbol which appeared almost everywhere. He turned to see her holding a few pieces of paper in her hands and she walked toward him with surprise on her face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Photos," she responded holding them out to her and he looked them over. They were small obviously taken with security cameras, some better than others. One was of a little girl with long red hair and striking violet eyes and the other was of a similar girl only older and he concluded that they were the same girl. Was she the person who had lived here before? He couldn't quite understand it but there was something about her that he found very odd, kinda like this place.

"Who do you think lived here?" Lunamaria asked, "all I can find are the words Redemption Shall Come, written on some papers."

"I don't know," Shinn responded looking down at the photos again, "but whoever they were, they are long gone now."

Uzumi walked through the park trying to clear his head. He was supposed to be the strong one and now he felt he was growing weaker as time went on and he wasn't even fighting or facing everything he was just training and this weakness made no sense. His father was right he had been angry, mostly at ROW because of what they were doing and what they had tried to do to his mother and to his aunt Lacus. They were crossing the line in trying to hurt his family and now his uncle might be in their clutches. The information had come a month ago yet Lacus sent new information that she feels that he is safe. It trouble Uzumi that they were doing nothing about it and just trusting Lacus's feelings. It had been a month and no sign of Kira yet Lacus refused to believe that she might be wrong.

The people around Uzumi did not seem to realize his weakness which was good as he wanted them to be able to depend on him in the coming storm. He wanted to be as strong as possible for he needed to protect the ones he cared about; his family.

He began to walk a little faster as the sun was near set and most people were out of the park at this time of night so he was free to pick up his pace. He turned his head toward a small park and saw a girl with long red hair sitting on one of the swings and looking out toward the pond. It did not take him more than a few seconds to recognize her as Meiko Virea, the friend he had made before school and the girl with whom Yaro seemed to spend large amounts of time. She seemed lost in thought but he approached her anyway knowing that it would be rude to pass by without even saying hello.

"Hey," he said as he walked toward her and she turned to face him. She had not expected it to be Uzumi as it was usually Yaro she ran into at this time of day and she smiled. Inwardly she hated the fact that he was her mission and that every encounter she had with the kind boy was simply the reason why she was in ORB in the first place.

"Hi," she replied and though her face smiled her voice was downcast. He sat down on the swing next to her, his presence was calming to her numb mind.

"I hardly ever see Yaro now," Uzumi said breaking the calm silence, "is he always with you?"

"Kinda," Meiko replied rocking back and forth a little, "sometimes. We've been exploring ORB together." He smiled at that, Yaro had been very overwhelmed in space and he needed some type of enjoyment before the inevitable battle that was soon to come. Meiko seemed to be a sweet girl and her and Uzumi got along very well. But now he began to notice something different about her as the sunset; her eyes were empty and not full of life as they seemed to be during the day. There was something about her that had always been strange to him. He wondered what she had been through to make her like this. Her shoulders slumped hopelessly and her expression seemed sad. He noticed her hands were not open and free but rather curled into fists as if she was expecting to have to fight something at any moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

She looked at him with sorrow and responded, "are any of us?" He felt the full weight of her words and felt his own confusion rise up in his soul. It was as if she had seen through him and she had found his weakness. True, Meiko had sensed his confusion as he approached for some reason and it had brought up her own sadness as it seemed that there was something similar about them.

"It's just hard now," he looked down, "you know what I mean."

"Yeah," she looked up toward the sky, "I know what it's like to feel afraid." Then she looked toward him. They then sat together in silence both feeling the darkness they shared and both knowing they can not escape from what is coming soon.

Trey watched in horror as Gilligan beat a prisoner without a thought. He had been summoned to speak with his captain and he had walked into this. The thing Trey had hated about ROW from day one was the organizations blatant disregard for human life and the importance of the individual. Officers in ROW could care less how someone felt about something, they were ruthless and their methods were hard. Trey knew he did not belong here but he stayed because it was safe and everyday he felt like a coward.

Trey saw that the prisoner was getting weak as Gilligan repeatedly asked him to talk. About what Trey did not know and he couldn't just stand by and watch this injustice. Acting impulsively he jumped between Gilligan and the prisoner.

"That's enough!" He said forcefully, "you'll kill him if you don't stop!" Gilligan looked at Trey with rage in his eyes but Trey was not afraid he had see this so many times.

"Get out of my way Trey!" he yelled, "this prisoner is a member of Redemption and if he doesn't talk he deserves to die!" Trey knew the name redemption was quite a touchy one with a lot of the upper division ROW officers and he often wondered why. Redemption was just a misguided organization, what about them was so enraging to everyone around him? Sure they had beaten the Prejudice in a very one sided battle but the Eternal had beaten them as well and he had never seen such hatred in the eyes of the officers when he mentioned Lacus Clyne. Something about Redemption just made them go off like bombs and Trey wanted to know why.

"Well you have no right to beat him to death!" Trey yelled, "if you want information from him I suggest you make sure you keep him alive." This was an argument Trey hated but he had heard it used by Liene himself when officers tortured prisoners so he hoped that it would work on Gilligan.

"His life is not your concern Trey!" Gilligan responded getting more angry but Trey stood his ground defending the helpless boy.

"Human life is my concern!" Trey yelled getting angrier as well. The man in front of him had no regard for anything or anyone and it enraged him, "It is unjust to beat a man to death for the crimes of an organization he is in! You don't even know his story, who he is! What he might have been forced to do and you are going to kill him? Do you not understand that it is because of people like you that war still exists in the world!" Gilligan was more angry than ever now Trey had no right to question his authority.

"You are weak," he spat at Trey. He then pulled out a small rod and clicked a button, instantly fire shot through Trey's body as electricity spewed from the rod. He let out a yell of pain unable to control himself. Gilligan smiled and called for guards turning off the small rod. Trey laid on the ground breathing hard unable to think from what had just happened.

"It seems you have a lot to learn Trey," Gilligan said, "and you will not stand in anyone's way. Lock him up!" The guards grabbed Trey's weak form and dragged him along. He knew he had failed as he heard the screams of the boy echoing in the halls but today he had found his courage and ROW could no longer control him.

Liene stood at the forefront of the largest hangar he had ever been in staring in awe at the masterpiece before him. He had waited for this day patiently, the day his true ship would be completed and now here it was. He smiled wryly and turned to the four officers with him.

"The day is drawing near," he said, "the day ROW shows its superiority to the world. No one, not even Redemption will stand in our way!" He turned to one of them, Mike Shurstre, "the time has come to check on Meiko! She has probably made some progress and we need to bring her back soon. Her battle will be the greatest ever seen in the universe." Mike didn't doubt Liene's words for he knew in his heart that Meiko was changing and that her stay in ORB would lead her to find herself. Her battle would be the greatest ever but it would not be for Liene, but for herself.

This is a long one, I wasn't expecting it to be so long but I guess the story is beginning to escalate since we are finally at an uphill toward the end of the first arc of this story.

Preview: So far - Kira's capture has led Redemption onto the battlefield to rescue him. Lacus's escape has led Meiko to ORB and Yaro to the cockpit of a mobile suit. While Athrun and Cagalli fight the political landscape of the world Uzumi fights an inner darkness that begins to weigh on his mind. Shinn and the Minerva crew have gone into the world to find out more about ROW. Leyas prays for hope and Kiran looks for ways to help his family. Liene has not unleashed his full power yet and Meiko is being forced into something she does not want. With everything escalating Meiko and Yaro have somehow forged a bond that might get in the way of both their battles. Will Kira be alright after being rescued? Will Uzumi escape his darkness? Will Yaro somehow discover himself? And will Meiko be forced to choose between the life she has always lived and the life she could have?

What do you all think about what is happening and what is going to happen? Your reviews and comments and predictions will help me get the next chapter done faster, I am serious it really does help.

And I want to know if any of you saw the concept art on my picture trail? I posted the link in my last authors note.

So please you review, look at the concept art and enjoy what is to come!

Thanks for reading

more to come

winterschill