Phase 39: Prelude

Leyas was uncomfortable as she sat there beside Trey in her mothers office with her parents both staring at them with the most peculiar look on their faces. She never thought they would go this far, especially since they had not seemed to care only a few days ago. Suddenly her relationship with Trey had come up in way she had not expected and it seemed the 5 year age difference was troubling to her father even though Kayla seemed to say the exact difference was 4.423 years; something Leyas had not even paid attention to. Trey and her had become best friends and recently they had both discovered a deeper affection for each other. They were both very calm and reasonable about everything but it seemed her parents would not be reasonable.

"It has come to our attention that you two are in some sort of relationship," Kira began, obviously uncomfortable with this. Leyas smiled at this, it was his first time dealing with the boyfriend/girlfriend issue in one of his children. She wondered if he would have the same sort of talk with Yaro and Meiko.

"You make it sound as if we have done something wrong," Leyas said lifting her eyebrows with a sarcastic tone of voice, "yet you've been oblivious to it all this time? It's hard for me to believe that, so why is it that now you start making a big deal of out it?"

"Leyas how old are you?" Kira asked her and to that she raised her eyebrows so he continued, "and he is 19? You're still a child Leyas!" Trey seemed to be more uncomfortable now, he had no idea that his relationship with Leyas would have sparked any reaction like this, her parents did not seem to care that they were spending more and more time together. It had never dawned on him that they did not realize what exactly was going on.

"I'm sorry sir," Trey spoke up now, "I would have come to you to request permission to pursue a relationship with Leyas, but you did not seem to care when it happened. I didn't really think much about it, I've never really dealt with a girls parents before, being in ROW and not having much time for relationships." This was another thing Kira was uncomfortable with, he knew very little about Trey beyond the fact that the boy's past was questionable. He was an ex-ROW agent who lived his life in the organization that had destroyed so many people. Sure he had reformed his ways but Kira had no idea what kind of person would he attached to an organization like that for so long. It was hard for him to look at his daughter and see her with someone whom he was not sure about himself.

"It's not completely your fault Trey," Lacus replied with a distressed look on her face, "Leyas should have known better than to just keep us in the dark about this." Kira looked at Lacus in disbelief. To him it was mostly Trey's fault, he was legally an adult and Leyas was still a minor, granted he had not been in legal society for years it was still common knowledge that such relationships were always looked down upon.

"I didn't know you were in the dark about it all okay," Leyas responded angrily, "it's not my fault you've never made your rules clear."

"Then we can make them clear right now," Kira responded with an edge to his voice as he turned to Trey, "don't sleep with her, she's fourteen! Better yet don't touch her, don't hold her hand and don't even look at her as anything more than a friend until she's at least seventeen if you can wait that long! If not then just leave her be!"

"DAD!" Leyas protested standing up as she turned bright red by what her father had just said. Kira looked at her expression then to the clear uncomfortable expression on Trey's face and his mouth nearly fell over as he turned around trying to keep his cool. Lacus was shocked as well by the expressions on the two teenagers faces and for the first time ever Leyas saw her get angry. Lacus was the most calm of the two parents and Leyas knew her disappointed look but she had never seen her mother angry before and at that moment Leyas turned an even darker shade of red as she realized both her parents had caught on.

"Don't tell me," Lacus said clearly struggling with the idea, "you're fourteen Leyas!" Trey stood up as if he was going to say something but before he could say anything Kira's hand flew to his face in a strong punch knocking him to the floor.

"Daddy!" Leyas yelled, "you're being ridiculous! How old were you when you first…"

"That is irrelevant!" Kira declared, "anything that I ever did in the past is irrelevant to your situation Leyas! Do you have any idea what you are dealing with! It's a little bit more complicated than you realize."

"Not from where I am standing," Leyas responded.

"You are too young!" Lacus replied in a very serious tone, "too young!"

"I'm so sorry sir," Trey said as he stood up from the ground, "I love Leyas, I mean I've never felt this way about anyone. If there is any way I can prove it too you! I want her safe more than anything! What can I do?" Kira looked into his eyes and part of his anger faded as he saw the truth to what Trey was saying. He looked back at Leyas who had tears in her eyes over how far things had gone.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," she said as tears streamed down her face, "we never meant for it to go so far, neither of us. I can't explain what happened." He saw his little girl and he couldn't deal with the fact she was growing up to fast, things were too far and the two of them were in too deep now to completely end it. Kira glanced at the look between Leyas and Trey and wondered what he could do about this. Leyas was too young, yet he knew what it was that they were feeling and he knew the things he had done when he was young; all the things he regretted.

"I understand," Kira said cooling off, "I understand that you think that these feelings you feel now are monumental, but neither of you know what is going to happen in the future. You are emotionally attaching yourselves to one another and if anything happens to either of you only hurt will follow the other. You have to understand that. We are in a war and it's more dangerous out there, and even if we weren't in a war it's still too soon to tell what is going to happen between you two. You may find that you drift apart even though you think you won't and it that happens you will find more pain in a broken relationship where you went all the way than in one where you were chaste."

"I don't think…" Leyas started to say.

"But you haven't really thought about this have you?" Lacus asked backing up what Kira said, "you both haven't really thought things through. You need to take a step back and look at the world, but I fear it could be too late."

"I am not going to force you apart," Kira spoke now in a reasonable tone, "but I'm not going to allow you to spend anymore time alone together, and Leyas you are being appointed a second body guard. Do you understand why?" Leyas nodded, though she thought it was a little unfair she saw where their worry was coming from. Trey also understood, he realized at this moment how much of a mistake it was to just think of her as older. He loved her so much he just forgot how young she really was. Kira was being beyond reasonable in allowing them to still remain a little more than friends and he saw that Kira was being a cautious father the way he should be.

"I understand sir," Trey responded, "and I'm sorry we let things get so far."

"I'm sorry too," Kira replied, "because now I will ask you Trey to prove that you love her." Trey nodded, Kira was her father and of course he deserved that much.

Meiko sat on the ground next to the Phoenix as Milady stood there and after listening to an account of Meiko's visions she grew convinced that things were escalating even in the few days Redemption had spent in ORB. Meiko's knees were bent inward as she held onto them after reliving everything. What she had seen. ROW had introduced a new weapon that had destroyed millions of lives and she saw that John Liene was happy about something.

Milady was just happy that her daughter had come to her with all this first rather than go to someone else. After returning from the Yamato's Meiko had been very silent but when Milady had approached her everything had come out, Meiko needed someone to tell and she was scared of alarming everyone else. What Milady saw now was a childlike dependency that Meiko was reverting to and she understood it as she had once been the same in so many ways. She knelt beside her daughter and put a hand on her arm. She knew that Meiko understood what was happening around her in more ways than she had ever let on. She knew Meiko understood what it was Milady was most afraid of and she knew that Meiko understood that Milady was the only person who really knew her path. Meiko was her daughter and she knew her almost better than she knew herself.

"Liene is still in Mars according to intelligence," Milady sighed as Meiko nodded, "and even with the recent events the base remains the least defended of ROW's known outposts." Meiko nodded. She understood what it was Milady was trying to say about all this. Everything was too perfect; the timing and all.

"He knows I'm still here," Meiko said with fear in her eyes, "and he want's me to come! Mother, he want's me to come! I know that I can't ever believe anything he says and I know that I must face this but despite everything, am I ready? He's leaving himself wide open and I don't know why that is but he has to have something he is holding back!" Tears started to stream down Meiko's face as she thought of all the things Liene had done to her and all the things he had forced her to do. She couldn't bear the thought of being pulled back into that by anything he said and she feared this the most. She didn't want to be forced back into a life of pain.

"Meiko!" She hear Milady say her name and she felt her mothers arms wrap around her. She turned to her wrapping her own arms around the woman who had saved her from everything. "Listen to me Meiko I know that he has something up his sleeve, but I also know that we can beat him at his own game! We are so much stronger than he is, you are so much stronger than he realizes! You have changed into someone he should fear. If he thinks he can play with your emotions and turn you back into his puppet his is disillusioned. You know who you are Meiko, now it's time for you to show the world what it is you have become." Meiko heard her mothers encouragements and leaned on them. She knew now more than ever she needed her mother to say these words.

"But he always knows what he is doing," Meiko whispered, "I want to fight him but if I can't beat him so many may be hurt. I have to destroy him, but he's so strong." Meiko heard her own words as they cut through her heart, she wasn't supposed to be like this in any way. She had told herself she was stronger than this, she had fought to be stronger than this, yet at this moment the thought that Liene knew she was alive terrified her. She had wanted to face him as a ghost of his past without him understanding how she could have survived but somehow he ha figured everything out.

"Meiko," Milady sighed her name as Meiko let go of her and looked her in the eye wiping away the tears.

"I don't know how he understands everything," Meiko spoke now with determination, "but I do know what I must do to change things. You know how I will react to change things. Please let me do this my way, with no interference." Milady nodded, she would give her daughter whatever she wanted.

"Whatever way you choose is the way that it will be," Milady affirmed, "but I do warn you that his words may sound right, and he may say things that will tear you apart, but please always believe in me. I want to protect you Meiko, despite how it seems sometimes." Meiko nodded.

"I understand," Meiko replied, "I just wish you would be more honest with me about everything. There is so much I want to know that you seem to be holding back on."

"Meiko I know it seems that way," she responded thinking over everything she was still holding back on, "but there are some things that I haven't even faced myself. There is a whole other side to me that I have forgotten and until I can really come to terms with everything I can't really speak about it too much, do you understand? I'm not as strong as you are." Meiko nodded, she thought that maybe she understood what her mother was talking about but she did not agree.

"I'm not strong," Meiko responded in a whisper now, "I just hold things in, most of the time." With that Meiko smiled thinking about how ridiculous she was being right now. Her mother smiled with her and when she laughed her mother laughed as well. There was no time for her to waste time worrying. There was a whole world out there waiting for her and all she had to do was to look it in the eye and shout at it. She had to face it, no more time to deny it. Liene could not break her, not when she had the people she cared about to lean on. In this moment just looking in her mothers eyes she knew she had the strength to face him and she knew that she would not really be alone in it.

"We are leaving tomorrow according to my schedule," Milady said.

"Then let us make sure we are ready for this," Meiko replied with determination in her eyes now. When the battle began she would stand her ground. She turned then toward the sunset as she knew in the next six hours everything would be determined then in the morning they would depart, with or without help.

Athrun waited and watched his watch as Kira finally showed up to his office. He had asked his best friend and brother in law to come so that he could speak with him about the affairs at hand. Kira was never normally late so it was a bit surprising, even more so was the expression on Kira's face; he seemed a little flustered but he had come anyway.

"Family troubles?" Athrun asked understanding what Kira's look meant.

"I'd rather not discuss it," Kira responded taking a seat, "you'd understand if you had daughters." Athrun nodded, daughters were something he did not presently understand as he and Cagalli had only had two sons. He often wondered what it would have been like to have a daughter but they had both decided that their two sons were enough. Kira and Lacus on the other hand had just ended up with a larger family.

"So what do you think about Redemption's plans and offers?" Athrun asked moving on past the subject as Kira wanted him to. Kira knew this was what Athrun had wanted to discuss and he was partially prepared for it though his mind was still on Leyas whom was not allowed to see Trey for the evening. Kira turned his thoughts away from the whole issue toward where he was leaning with the Redemption issue. He and Lacus had both discussed things extensively with Yzak and Milady and they had made the decision unofficially to go along with Redemption's plans. They were just waiting to see what ORB's stance was before telling Redemption their decision, not that it would make much of a difference. The way Kira saw it John Liene was the whole reason these wars had begun and he was the person they need to focus on destroying before they could win back the PLANTs and secure Lacus's freedom.

"We're with them one hundred percent," Kira replied thinking over it all again, "they way I see it we could end everything by taking Liene prisoner and her information is extensive. Lacus and I both believe that this needs to end and soon, there is no way we can just sit and wait it out any longer." Athrun nodded, he thought this would be Kira's position as it would be the most active.

"I had a feeling you would say that," Athrun sighed thinking about the stance ORB would have to take, "The ORB council votes on it this afternoon but I think I know which way they will go. The moment Redemption leaves no one really knows what is going to happen with the PLANTs. They were beaten by the Phoenix but will they really hold back from the war when the Phoenix leaves? Granted they are really looking for Lacus Clyne, thank goodness they don't know she's here now. The point is I think the general feelings of ORB officials now is that Milady's plan is more of a gamble than anything else, you're going up against a very strong military force with the assumption that Liene for this one moment is off his gaurd."

"I know it sounds crazy every time I put it that way in my mind," Kira affirmed shaking his head, "but I just don't see any other options. We could wait for ROW to attack again but if we give them any more time they will become stronger and strong. On the other side their eyes are on ORB once again because Redemption is here and I think ORB will be safer if Redemption leaves and if they win which we can help them do. We could end everything in space if we do this."

"And you can make things worse," Athrun replied, "don't forget what Milady depends on most is a girl who spent her life in that organization. You never know what Meiko is going to do, that's the thing about her; she doesn't take orders from anyone and she is completely unpredictable." Kira understood this but he had fought alongside Meiko twice now and he he didn't see her methods in the same way as anyone else. Meiko was dangerous yes but at the same time she was very strong and she seemed to know where her heart was now. He had witnessed so much since she returned and it had made him think about the past quite a bit.

"Uzumi believed in her Athrun," Kira pointed out though he knew it was still a wound for Athrun, "he believed more than any of us and look where that has gotten us. She saved us twice. I think that if we can depend on anyone in Redemption's camp we can depend on her." Athrun had not thought about that, he had not thought about his son's opinion on the matter at all. Uzumi had believed in Meiko, so much to lay his life down for her.

"You have a point," Athrun looked down as he thought about it more. A wave of sadness washed over him for the whole thing.

"And besides it's not just her, Yzak is our friend to," Kira continued, "he believes in this and has for sometime. I think we should trust him and them despite how things seem right now. This may be our last chance to end everything."

"But what if it fails?" Athrun asked now.

"We get back up and try again," Kira replied, "because we have to keep fighting for a better world. The world Uzumi and so many others believed in."

Hands stayed down as Cagalli stood in front of the council watching as everything she predicted unfolded. The council was unanimous, they had just voted to keep all forces in ORB, to protect their nation over the interests of the world. It was part of who they were as neutral and Cagalli knew this was the stance they would take. She dearly wished she could do something to help but this was the only stance she could take in this situation. She had to be certain that her nation knew she was with their decision.

"So we will remain," Cagalli spoke now with authority, "we will protect our nation above anything else and our people. We are ORB and we will not attack another nation, we will not allow another nation to attack us and we will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations. We must maintain our stance despite the actions that we have been taking in the past months toward the Clyne faction and toward the world." With that she dismissed the council and turned and walked out. She was driven to her home and she saw that Kira and Athrun were walking and talking together but Kira was just leaving to walk inside. She stepped out of the car quickly.

"Kira wait!" She yelled stopping him from going in. He almost laughed at his sister's yell, in so many ways she still had not changed.

"What was the decision?" Athrun asked as she approached him and he put an arm around her shoulders. He just looked in her eyes and he knew what it was.

"We will remain," Cagalli responded to Athrun, "but I did get them to amend to send Yaro and the Dreamer as a sign of good faith and thankfulness for what Redemption did for us." Kira was glad to hear this, at least his son would be with them.

Lacus walked alongside Milady Redemption through the ORB military base where Redemption was completing their resupply for departure the next day, it seemed that no matter what ORB's official decision was they were going. The announcement from the ORB government had been completely expected by everyone but what they had not expected was that the Dreamer would be released to go with them. The turn of events was indeed favorable and now Milady walked with Lacus as the former PLANT chairwoman talked out her own decision.

"We are with you Milady," Lacus spoke with conviction, "I have talked to Kira and all my officials on this one and we have decided that we will follow you in this battle for the sake of the world. This is something we have to do. We have looked at every angle and we have understood every danger and potential consequence and we are certain that with your leadership this task can be completed." Milady smiled at this, she had wanted the Clyne faction with her more than ORB on this one. She was happy that things were working out between the two groups and Lacus seemed to have no reservation based upon how many believed Milady was not to be trusted. Lacus did wonder why it was she wore a mask but she didn't let the mask stop her from seeing the important things. Redemption was fighting for the sake of the world and now this fight could bring them to the end of everything.

"If we succeed of course I am sure we will be able to link the rise of Jayley to ROW," Milady responded, "and in that instance you will have your life back and the battlefield will end." Lacus nodded she had thought this through as well. If they could end Lacus's bad reputation in the PLANTs and get her name cleared then her children would have much peaceful lives. Leyas would be able to return to singing and her sons would be able to return to school in the PLANTs. Everything would fall in place if they suceeded. Lacus did not dare think of what could happen if they failed.

"Failure is not even something I have considered," Lacus smiled as she said this, "I am sure that we have right on our side and with the Phoenix and the Dreamer we are sure to have the odds tipped in our favor." Milady nodded.

"But what about Kira's new mobile suit?" Milady asked. She had been wondering if it was finished or if the Clyne faction was ready to unveil it. Lacus thought about that one. Athrun had given Kira the Infinite Justice and that machine was up to date and upgraded but it was nothing compared to the machine Kira was working on. Something she wondered if he would ever complete.

"Last I checked it was very close to complete," Lacus responded, "but still in its trial stages. We're not sure how everything is going to play out with that." Milady smiled.

No matter what went on they had power and they would for sure have enough of it to stop this war from escalating. Milady had put all fear out of her mind at that. If Meiko could find the will and strength to face Liene again, knowing that he is prepared for her, then Milady could have the strength to look at the odds and smile. The next day they would be off on a gamble that she was sure she would win. For the sake of the world she would win.

Athrun and Kira were standing in front of Kira's new unfinished mobile suit looking over some details as it had now been determined that Kira was going and Athrun was not, he wanted to make sure he could help in some way. They were talking over some details when they heard the voice of Shinn approaching with Lunamaria.

"Kira, Athrun," Shinn spoke their names with a bit of unease in his voice, "Meyrin tells us that the Minerva is staying in ORB as well as all the ORB forces but the Clyne faction has forced an alliance with Redemption. What is that all about?" Shinn questioned. He did not like being kept out of the loop when it came to these things despite the fact that he had nothing to do with the politics of it all. He had insisted long ago that he remain in the military even when Cagalli requested of him to make a political speech years before he had turned her down. He just felt that it wasn't his place and that he had made too many mistakes in the past wars to be in the public eye.

"ORB's official stance should not surprise you Shinn," Athrun responded to his remarks, "we've been the same for years, always done things this way. You know the official line of being neutral." Shinn frowned more at this, yes he knew and he understood that was what the nation was about but he hated the idea of sitting around and doing nothing while Yaro Yamato got to go out and fight for what he believed in.

"The point is Athrun we both feel that we should get the opportunity to decide where we fight," Lunamaria spoke now getting more to the point than Shinn would have. "Meyrin says since the Minerva is staying we have been given official orders to stay as well, but I say that since we are not a part of the ORB military we have a choice. This caused a bit of a fight earlier and Shinn and I decided to clear things up with you." Athurn smiled at the idea that Meyrin and Luna would be arguing over something so trivial. It was true that the Minerva was not officially connected to ORB and it's pilots were under no government constraints. Athrun had made sure that this would be the case even when the Minerva joined with ORB so that Shinn and Luna could make their own decisions.

"As far as I see it both of you are free to go if you want to," Athrun said looking back down at the screen that he and Kira were addressing, "you are correct in assuming that you are not a part of ORB's decisions and your decisions are entirely up to you." Shinn looked a little shocked at how simply that was declared and how simple it sounded when it was declared.

"Then we are going!" Shinn announced, "there is no way we are going to sit around here!" Luna nodded and Athrun looked at them and started laughing. Kira joined in and soon all of them were laughing as they thought about it all. They had been fighting alongside each other for so long now and they knew it would always be like this. They would always stand up for one another in each battle that came and when things got dark they would stand together as one and fight off the darkness.

She was silent as he sat beside her on the cliffs of ORB, he knew that they were all leaving the next day by now and he was not exactly sure how she would react to the news that the Dreamer would be with them. She seemed happy but also a lot freer than she had ever been in the past; despite that there was still a burden of something hanging over her. He did not push her to tell him anything as he would have in the past, for they had gone through so much and now just being together was enough. He red hair was loose in the air, not half bound back as it had always been in the past and he noticed that she seemed to look faraway now.

"Don't worry about me Yaro," she spoke now addressing his observations without him even asking. She understood and she was very observant. He was worried about her, and she knew that; it was because he had lost her and now that she was back she knew that he was holding on to her. This time he had determined that he wouldn't loose her again. She turned to him with a slight smile. "I'm alright Yaro, but I need you to understand that there are things I have to do. I will be honest with you, I am frightened but I also know things will be alright; Uzumi promised me that much and I trust him." Yaro did not understand what she was alluding to but he nodded, still she felt the need to continue. "I am going to face John Liene in the next battle. I am certain that there is no other way to secure him. With his lies and his twisted nature he will divide us before we really have a chance to stop him and if that happens then there will be no turning back. He is cunning and he is ready for anything. Believe me when I say this, we are walking into a trap and I am sure it has been set for me."

"What?" Yaro questioned. He had not even thought of this; he was sure that no one else knew Meiko was alive but then he realized Liene trained her and she had made a rather grand entrance into the battle against the PLANTs. That entrance attracted so much attention that Liene was sure to have noticed it and in noticing it he left himself vulnerable.

"It's true," Meiko said softer now, "I believe that he is waiting for me up there. He knows that Redemption is reckless enough to take a chance and he knows me well enough to know that I want him dead. In that I am sure he has some card up his sleeve to try and throw us off but I know that I am stronger than he is now. I know that I can take what ever he has for me, but I am not sure about everyone else so I need you to promise me Yaro. Promise me that no matter what happens you won't listen to a word he says. If he somehow finds a way to try and divide and confuse everyone you have to hold strong. Please promise me." She took his hand then and looked him in the eye. She wanted to make sure that he understood this, for he was the one that was most likely to be in danger; for he was the most reckless.

"I promise Meiko," he responded confused, he wouldn't dare refuse her anything but he did not understand exactly what she was promising. What could Liene say that would ever sway him? Liene was the man who had killed Uzumi and caused the confusion in the PLANTs, he was the person who ruined everything.

"Yaro," she whispered now, "I know it seems senseless but you have to trust me. I know him between than anyone by now, he's mad yet at the same time he is strong. If he can find one slight way to undermine anyone he will." Yaro nodded.

"I believe you," he replied, "I may not understand, but I believe you." That was enough for her, she seemed more satisfied with that answer. What he was not satisfied with was her distant look and her very unsure gaze off toward the horizon. "Do you ever wish things could have been different Meiko?" She looked at him questioning what he meant so he continued "Like I mean do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had not grown up in ROW." At this point she understood what he was asking and she understood what her own answer really was. She had changed in so many ways and now she had accepted her life.

"I have wondered," she said looking down toward the ground now, "so many nights I used to wonder but now I'm free of them. What's past is past and though it was hard and though so many bad things happened, I can't imagine them being different. I did that too many times and I have accepted now that it is time to move forward into whatever lies ahead. You understand?" He nodded at her. "I don't feel so alone anymore, I have Milady and Yzak, I have you and I know I have Uzumi."

"I guess that's a good way to look at it," he responded thinking about it.

"I've also learned something about my past," she said with a bit of happiness, "this may sound shocking but Milady is my mother." He looked at her shocked.

"What!" he exclaimed.

"It's true," Meiko responded as tears filled her eyes, "she was always watching me from afar waiting for a chance to save me from ROW and she found her chance when I was dying after the STING explosion. I wondered for so long," he hand moved to her heart necklace, "but now I know the truth."

"Well at least you know who your family are," he sighed thinking about his own dilemma, "I have no idea who mine were."

"Well I don't know who my father was," Meiko said to lighten him up a little, "she says he died in battle but she won't even tell me his name. I don't know why but it seems to make her sad so I haven't pressed on for more information."

"But why wouldn't she just tell you?" Yaro asked wondering about it. What could be so difficult for Milady to talk about if he was dead now? He wondered whether there was something more to her story than met the eye. He was happy for Meiko but thinking about his own family mad him sad. He wanted to know who they were or at least that they were dead so that he could know that they loved him but just were not around to care for him anymore. The whole thing made him feel quite alone in the world, without much of anyone who was really exactly like him. Meiko had been an orphan but now she had a mother and what he saw on her face was a free expression that he longed to feel. He longed to know what it was like to have a family of people who were your blood.

"I don't know," Meiko sighed thinking about it, "but it doesn't make much difference either way, he is dead and gone. At least she let me know that he was the best sort of person." Then he saw her smile again and it made him wonder even more what it was like. He loved the Yamatos and he thought of them as family but he knew that there was a longing that would always be in his soul to know who his real family really was. His thoughts turned away from that as it only made him sad but he found that what they turned to was the super seed.

"What do you think about the super seed Meiko?" he asked her now and he saw fear fill her eyes at his words. She had thought a lot about this in the past few days, especially with it's reawakening. She was a bit worried about it's effects on her, but she knew Milady was convinced that this super seed would help them greatly in the future. To Meiko at this moment it was a great burden and it was something she had wanted to keep to herself but that was not it's nature, now everyone knew that there was a weakness in her and that it was unpredictable and at any moment it could take her into a world of nightmares. The whole thing was too uncertain and too hard for her to deal with when trying to deal with what she had to do to stop Liene's poison from continuing to spread through the world. After all it was also Liene's fault that her super seed was prematurely awakened. It was the power that had stopped the S-system but her accessing it had not made her strong enough to save Uzumi then. She worried that it would remain a weakness for longer than it should have, she longed for it to completely evolve but she knew that she was not ready to take it.

"Honestly," she spoke very softly as she spoke to Yaro, "I am not sure how it will help me, and because it has seemed to cause more harm than good, I'm a little frightened. I don't know what to do about it or how to stop it and it is unpredictable, but I am certain that I am strong willed enough that it won't prevent me in the coming battle." This was the face they had to put on.

"Don't' worry Meiko," he responded, "they say mine is ahead of yours, that mine is evolving. In that case I will be able to use it to counter yours, like what you did for me." Tears filled her eyes at those words, she had not wanted him to find out about that moment. It was a time she struggled with what to do, because that moment was the one that had set her back, and that left her with the super seed still as an unpredictable measure of power.

"Yaro…" she said his name but he interrupted her by catching her mouth in a kiss.

Leyas was perhaps the simplest of the Yamato children. She was in every way what Kira had been in his youth, a sensitive child who was eager to please and ready to fight for what she believed was right. When it came to the people around her she wanted them all to be safe and she felt that she often had no way of really fighting the way the others did, this is why she reacted to situations the way she did. She had withdrawn from so many when ROW was pushing them into hiding and taking away their lives and when Uzumi had been killed she had made up her mind that she wanted to be like him, but that was so hard. She had no skills beyond her song so she had made up her mind to sing again in hopes of one day soon returning to liberate the PLANTs from the lies that Jayley had brought them into.

It had been right after this that she had met Trey, he was lost after everything and he was quite out of place in the Clyne faction as he was a natural and an ex ROW agent. She simply became friends with him after realizing that something else she possessed was kindness. What she did not realize then was how much he would really effect her. He had let her tag along when he did things for the Clyne faction and he had taught her the basics of how a mobile suit worked. She didn't have to beg him to teach her the basics of piloting, he was eager to help her in any way he could. Together they made an unlikely pair but they found themselves always with each other and it was then that they realized that though they came from different backgrounds, they cared about each other so dearly. He wanted to protect her innocence and sensitivity to life and she wanted to help him fight so that he would never be alone in the fight again. They did not think much of what others would think as they only saw each other in everything they did.

Now they stood apart with so many people between them as they would not be allowed to be alone again. It did not seem fair to Leyas but she did not want to disappoint her father. Kira had given her leave to fight alongside him with the mobile suit they both piloted, by that was only after Leyas tested and did a training session with Athrun so that he deemed it safe. She didn't question it because she knew Trey had taught her enough to stand on her own out there, and she was not really alone in any fight because of the joint mobile suit. She sighed and looked at him with longing eyes. It hurt to be so far away from him now.

Now they had to wait, until Kira decided what to do. Until Trey could find a way to prove to Kira that he did indeed really love her. She had no doubt that he would find a way, for she knew that he loved her and she knew that she loved him too.

"So we will leave with Redemption then meet with the Clyne faction at the coordinates that Milady gave me," Lacus spoke to Kira as they both stood together watching the Justice and his unfinished mobile suit being loaded onto the Reversal. They had been discussing how everything would play out for quite a bit of time. It was much simpler when they could verify everything with each other, they did work better together than with anyone else and they had been solving problems together for quite a long time.

"I wish we had ORB with us on this one," Kira responded, "but I guess that can't be helped. At least we know they will help us if anything goes wrong." Lacus looked at him with a confused gaze. Kira not one to think about what would happen if things went wrong, he was the kind of person who believed that since they were in the right they were destined to win. Even when things looked bad everyone could count on him to not give up on a good outcome. To hear him say something like 'if anything goes wrong' impacted Lacus as she realized the real gravity of what they were getting themselves into. There were a great number of things that could very easily go wrong and even Kira realized this. Liene was playing some sort of game with them as he somehow allowed the information of his current vulnerable whereabouts to be made known.

"No matter what happens out there I believe that we are strong enough to put up one of the greatest fights of our life," Lacus said reassuring him, "we have everything that is right and good on our side. We are fighting for the fate of the world and under that mandate I believe we will succeed." He loved hearing her talk like that and he smiled at her causing her to smile back. They had fought so long for peace in the world and tomorrow would be no different. The path they took was as it would ever be because they took it together and they knew that their efforts would not be in vain because there had to be a way to change the world and to save the world.

Liene stared out into space as he could almost see the earth spinning and the threads of decision traveling around the globe. His existence was wider ranged than ever and as such he had more enemies than ever before. They would be coming for him soon and he knew this, but they would not get what they bargained for. Sure they could take the base, they could destroy his lab and experiments but they would also loose something that was important to them. John Liene understood the darkest side of human nature better than anyone and he knew the damage simple truth could do when it was revealed at the wrong time. All the work that Milady had done would be in vain and he would have to make sure of it. If ROW was defeated it could not be by her hand, for he would turn the world against her before long and he would even turn her daughter against her. He smiled as he thought about it.

Then there was the matter of the traitor, Mike Shustre; he too would meet his end but even that was something that he had planned to change the tide of the battle and maybe even the war. He realized now that Meiko was too far gone and too determined to stop now so he would have to twist her mind and focus his attentions on the stronger one; he would have to focus on his A1, Yaro Yamato. The boy whom Milady so cruelly stole from him and the one who was destined to carry the first fully evolved super seed. It was something he had always known would happen and he saw traces of it as the boy became so strong in such a short amount of time. He was changing and now more than ever he was open for the lies of Liene. First Liene would turn Yaro against himself and then the boy would be so weak and malleable that it would be only a matter of time before Liene could turn the world against him and thus stop those who opposed ROW. Perhaps Yaro would be as Liene had always planned, perhaps he would be able to even make Yaro defeat Kira Yamato; for Liene realized now that Yaro was the only one who could really do it. For the light of the super seed would be strong enough to break through every defense.

Things were going in Liene's favor, now all he had to do was wait for the group and their futile attempt to stop him. Their futile attempt to beat him at his own game, on his own playing field under his terms.

Entering the final Ten, they do have titles which I will reveal now

Phase 40: Onward Towards the End
Phase 41: Fighting Back
Phase 42: Hatred
Phase 43: Echos of the Darkened Past
Phase 44: Ultimatum
Phase 45: The Crossroads
Phase 46: The Battle for Mankind
Phase 47: The Light of the Seed
Phase 48: Unbroken
Phase 49: Yaro's Path
Phase 50: Shattered

These are tentative titles which I have given each level of the story as I am pretty shocked that this is all that is left to write. I'm pretty sure most of it is battle! I am really excited about this! So much in store for you all then it will continue of GSI, but this one will pretty much wrap up the story as a stand alone piece just in case I never actually get to write the next one! But Yeah so review and tell me what you thought about this chapter, I know it was slow but I had to get through this part and then next chapter will be another slower chapter with the battle beginning in Phase 41. So we are so close to done! I am so excited!

REVIEW! REVIEW!

-Winter Chill