Author's Notes: Hello! First of all, sincerest apologies for the delay in finishing this chapter, I never meant for it to take me this long! I'll do my best to make the next one shorter to try to make it up to you all.

Song list for the chapter, in order of appearance: "Juggernaut" from Ace Combat Zero; The Belkan War, "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin, and "A Stranger I Remain," "The Stains of Time," and "Red Sun," all from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

Enjoy!

Episode Thirteen: Devils and Hellhounds

Okay, Talia, she thought as she walked into the hangar, act casual. It's just four more pilots that are capable of ripping your ship apart from the inside out. Nothing to worry about….

She anxiously looked around for the pilots under her command, praying that Shinn hadn't picked a fight with the new arrivals. She saw him, along with Athrun, Lunamaria, and Rey gathered off to the side warily observing the Gundams. Meanwhile, Wufei had already gone over to join his friends as they got out of their mobile suits, leaving Talia to wonder just what he'd told them before she'd arrived. It wasn't as though she had any authority to keep him from talking to the other Gundam pilots about the Minerva or what the ship had been up to since the orbital battle, and while none of that information was considered classified she was still worried just the same.

She decided to address the pilots under her command first in order to minimize the chances of a major incident. She approached Shinn and the others, who saluted her as she drew near.

"Captain!" they all said as one.

"At ease," she replied, "It's good to see you're all safe."

"Captain, is my sister okay?" asked Lunamaria.

Talia smiled. "Meyrin's fine. The bridge didn't suffer any damage during the fighting."

Lunamaria sighed with relief. "That's good to hear."

"What's the status of the ship?" asked Rey.

"We took a few hits, but all things considered we got off relatively easy," said Talia, "It's nothing that we can't patch up while on the move."

Athrun nodded. "Good. The Earth Alliance will probably try to take another shot at us, so it's better if we're able to stay mobile and keep a step ahead of them."

"Agreed," said Talia, "We're already back on course towards the Suez. Our scopes appear to be clear for the time being, so you all should take this chance to rest up."

"Understood, ma'am," said Rey.

Talia then turned to Shinn. "Just what the hell were you thinking out there? Were you trying to get yourself captured or killed?"

Shinn bristled. "I was doing my job, Captain!"

Talia shook her head in frustration. "Your job was to defend the Minerva. That duty did not end just because the enemy took flight! You engaged in a pursuit that was reckless to the point of suicidal, and I have no doubt that had Athrun Zala not decided to follow you and save you from yourself it would've ended in your defeat. Do you think ZAFT can afford to have skilled pilots killed or captured so casually? And don't even get me started on the Impulse; destroyed or seized, its loss would be a serious blow to the war effort!"

"The ship was secure," Shinn shot back defiantly, "I was doing what needed to be done!"

Talia glared daggers at him. "You were indulging in your own anger and pride, nothing more! If you cannot master either of them and remember your place in battle, then you will not be fit to wear that uniform!"

Shinn folded his arms. "So what are you going to do, punish me? I did nothing wrong!"

"You did not disobey any direct orders," Talia admitted, "but you still made an incredibly stupid decision. Rest assured that the Defense Council will be informed of your actions, Shinn! In the meantime, I suggest you get a grip on your temper if you don't want to find yourself stripped of your rank and privileges. That is all for now; you're dismissed."

Hopefully he won't do anything stupid in the meanwhile, she thought as she left her pilots and approached the new arrivals, I've got enough to worry about as it is.

Heero nodded as she drew near. "Captain Gladys. Thanks for allowing us to land."

Talia smiled. "You're welcome. Actually, it's I that should be thanking you. We were in real trouble back there before you showed up."

"I take it that you did not intend to engage the enemy out here today?" asked Trowa.

Talia shook her head. "No. We were trying to avoid a confrontation until we reached the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the enemy forced our hand."

"I thought as much," said Quatre, "Your escorts took a real beating."

Talia sighed. "Yes… the enemy had greater strength out here than we had anticipated."

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about this particular group of hostiles anymore," said Duo with a smile, "We showed them who's boss."

"Indeed, you did," said Talia, "Forgive me if this sounds unduly suspicious, but it was not by chance that you found us out here, was it?"

Heero nodded. "You're correct. While we didn't expect to find you engaged in battle, we were searching for the Minerva."

Wufei smirked. "So the raids against the Earth Alliance weren't enough action for you? That figures."

"Could we possibly continue this conversation in private?" asked Heero, "The hangar hardly seems like an appropriate place for diplomatic matters."

Talia nodded. "Of course. Please, follow me."

It only took a few minutes for her to lead them to the ship's conference room. Along the way it was impossible to miss the glances members of her crew gave the Gundam pilots. While Talia certainly couldn't blame them for doing double-takes, she hoped that the attention would not rub her guests the wrong way.

"Here we are," she said as she opened the door to the conference room, "Please, come in and take a seat. I can have refreshments brought as well if you wish; I'm sure you boys worked up quite a thirst during the battle."

"Thanks," said Heero, "We can wait until later, though."

Duo folded his arms. "Way to ruin it for the rest of us, buddy! I was about to ask for a beer!"

Talia smiled; as serious as the situation was, if one of her guests was willing to lighten things up with a bit of humor then she would happily play along. "I'm sorry, Duo, but it's not ZAFT policy for a ship to carry alcohol. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's a shame, really; I've seen at least a few places on the Minerva that one could convert to a decent bar with the right resources."

Quatre smirked. "I think we'll be able to manage."

"The last thing Duo needs is booze," Trowa quipped.

Wufei chuckled. "No kidding. He's clumsy enough as it is."

Duo scowled at his comrades. "Just gotta gang up on me, eh? I see how it is…"

"We've got enough on our plate without you getting yourself hammered," said Heero dryly, "I'm assuming you've got a full workload yourself, Captain. Would that be accurate?"

Talia nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, although your arrival certainly improved things for us. It's true that our escorts took significant losses, and while I have no wish to make light of their sacrifice, I'll freely admit that, if it truly is your intention to join us again, you'll make up for the casualties they suffered and then some."

Duo grinned. "Well, lucky you, then; we're here to help you out!"

"With your permission, we'd like to stay aboard the Minerva as she continues her journey west," said Quatre, "The war in the Pacific is calming down, which means the action's shifting to the Mediterranean. Since you're already heading that way, it makes sense for us to join you."

"Our arrangement would be similar to the one we had up in orbit," said Trowa, "Would you object to that?"

Talia shook her head. "Not at all. However, up in orbit you were very clear that it was a temporary alliance, and that you were pursuing your own mission at the time. Would I be correct in assuming that's the case here as well?"

Heero nodded. "Yes. We have a common enemy and are willing to ally with you to fight them, but our mission isn't to help ZAFT win this war outright; it's to restore peace to the Earth Sphere before this conflict degenerates into the orgy of war crimes that the last one became. We will not be joining the ranks of ZAFT in any official capacity."

"So, in other words, think of our current arrangement, plus four more of me," said Wufei.

"Simply put," Talia replied, "I will of course have to report this to my superiors. However, given how productive our previous partnership was, I can't imagine that they'd object to a repeat performance, especially after today."

If they do object, that'll put me in quite the bind, she mused, I can't imagine it'd be an easy task to force them to leave my ship if they don't want to, and god forbid if Durandal or the Defense Council orders me to detain them…

Duo smiled. "Well, if that's the case, do you mind if we settle in? We had a pretty long flight out here, so it'd be nice to get a bit of rest."

Talia nodded. "Of course. I'll contact Arthur and have him handle arrangements as far as quarters are concerned."

"We appreciate your willingness to cooperate with us," said Quatre, "I'm sure having fighters like us on board puts you in an awkward spot with your superiors."

Talia smiled. "It's nothing I'm not capable of dealing with. Considering your prowess in battle, I don't think this should cause any problems."

"Tell your mechanics that the same rules as our previous stay on this ship still apply," said Trowa, "They are not to go near our machines unless we give them permission to."

Talia nodded. "Of course."

The Defense Council won't like that, she thought, I know they were quite miffed last time around about missing out on a chance to examine the inner workings of the Gundams. I suppose it can't be helped… and it's a small price to pay to keep them on our side.

….

After the meeting with the Captain concluded and the Gundam pilots had made the appropriate arrangements with her XO, Heero and the others reconvened on the upper observation deck. The setting sun provided a pleasant backdrop, but the main reason that Heero had wanted to meet there was because there were no covert listening devices planted on the outer hull.

All we have to do is watch our six, he thought as he eyed the door, This isn't my ideal place for an under-the-radar meeting, but it'll have to do.

Wufei folded his arms. "So, do you guys mind filling me in on what you've got planned?"

Duo smirked. "Maybe… if you can pull that giant stick out of your ass, that is."

"Why?" Trowa quipped, "If he does that he'll probably try to beat you to death with it."

Quatre chuckled. "Good point."

Heero shook his head. "Now's not the time for this. We're not going to have many chances to meet unobserved on this ship, so we need to make the most of this opportunity. Wufei, what do you know about ZAFT's current operations?"

Wufei shrugged. "No more than you guys, I suspect. They're still dropping reinforcements from orbit to hold their surface positions, and the Minerva's on track to hit the Alliance forces holding the Suez Canal. Why? Did you stumble upon something while I've been here?"

Duo nodded. "You could say that."

"I know the Earth Alliance looks like the main enemy in this war," said Quatre, "but they're not; ZAFT's a threat too, Wufei."

The L5 native raised an eyebrow. "How did you come to that conclusion? From what I've seen, the Earth Alliance has been the clear aggressor in this conflict. The PLANTs have simply fought back."

"On the surface, that's the truth," said Trowa, "but there's more going on beneath that."

"While you've been with the ship, I took the others to Terminal's main base of operations," said Heero, "Shortly after hostilities began, a ZAFT black ops force launched an attack on it. They weren't after us, though; it was a strike aimed at assassinating Lacus Clyne."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "The songstress you told us about up in orbit? She's retired from public life, right? Why would ZAFT target her? That doesn't make any sense."

Duo sighed. "Come on, Wufei, I know you're not this dense. You can't have missed the broadcast that came from the PLANTs after the Earth Alliance tried to nuke the colonies."

Wufei glared at him. "I didn't miss it, for your information. I simply assumed that the PLANTs had created a doppelganger for public relations purposes. It wasn't anything that I considered particularly noteworthy. Governments will employ all sorts of propaganda techniques to boost morale in times of war."

Heero nodded. "By itself, creating a fake Lacus might be unseemly, but hardly a major threat. However, Durandal apparently considered the potential fallout that would result from his fake being revealed to be sufficiently risky to the point that he ordered for the real one to be murdered. If it weren't for us fighting off the strike force, the genuine Lacus Clyne would be dead."

Wufei's eyes narrowed. "You're certain that it was ZAFT that tried to kill her?"

"The strike force was made up of Coordinators, and their equipment was a match to that used by ZAFT special forces, including their mobile suits," said Quatre, "There's no denying it, Wufei; ZAFT tried to murder her."

"So they're not as squeaky clean as you think they are," said Duo, "Although, honestly, I'm kind of surprised that you were ever under that impression in the first place. That's not like you."

Trowa folded his arms. "He's right. Why did you stick with the Minerva after the orbital battle?"

"Because I could tell that this ship would be at the center of the action when the next war began," Wufei replied, "Was I wrong?"

"No, you weren't," Heero conceded, his eyes narrowing, "but was that really all there was to it?"

"What other reason would I need?" Wufei shot back, "I'm not like the others, Heero, and you know that; you know full well that I didn't come out here just to find you."

Duo's eyes widened. "Really? That's news to me."

Quatre sighed. "I had a feeling that might be the case, although I had hoped that I was wrong."

"If it's a just cause to fight for, you won't find it with ZAFT," said Trowa, "They may appear to be in the right on the surface, but there's much more going on here than meets the eye; their attempt to kill Lacus is proof of that."

Heero nodded. "Durandal has an agenda, Wufei, and he's using this war to set it into motion. Whatever his endgame is, it's about far more than simply protecting the PLANTs. This conflict's not nearly as straightforward as that."

"Nothing ever is these days," said Duo, "It bites, but that's the way it is."

Wufei closed his eyes for a moment, leaving Heero to wonder just what was going through his mind. Of all his fellow Gundam pilots, the one from L5 was the hardest to predict. At the same time, though, there was a certain bit of familiarity to it all.

When I first came to the Cosmic Era, I did not know what I was looking for beyond a purpose and a place to belong, he thought, Murrue was the one who showed me what I was truly searching for. The others came out here to find me, but Wufei did not; he's searching for something else. Perhaps what I was looking for two years ago…

"So," said Wufei, "what are you guys planning to do, then?"

"For now, simply observe," said Heero, "We'll fight alongside the Minerva against the Earth Alliance forces while at the same time gathering intel on ZAFT's operations."

"It'd be nice if you worked with us on that, buddy," said Duo, "but we all know how you like to do things your own way."

"You don't have a problem with us spying on the people you've been fighting with, do you?" asked Trowa, his eyes narrowing.

Wufei shrugged. "Do what you will. You have your objectives, and I have mine. As long as we know where we all stand, I don't see an issue."

"Are you sure?" asked Quatre, "Wufei… we're going to have to move against ZAFT at some point. Durandal's not an innocent party; he's committed crimes that he'll have to answer for."

"If Durandal is unjust, then make him answer to justice," said Wufei as he turned to leave, "It's that simple."

The other Gundam pilots looked at each other as Wufei went back inside the ship. It was always hard to tell what Wufei would do next; they could only hope that their friend would be willing to work with them when the time came.

"Well," said Duo after a moment, "I think that could've gone worse."

"I'm not so sure," said Trowa, "He seemed surprised at the attempt on the life of Lacus Clyne, but would that knowledge alone be enough to turn him against ZAFT? He's been fighting alongside them for longer than we have now. He might be more invested in them and their success than he's letting on."

"But his sense of justice would never tolerate an assassination attempt on an innocent person, right?" asked Quatre, "He must see that Durandal's playing his own game."

"How do you want to play this, Heero?" Duo asked.

Heero nodded. "We'll continue to work with him, just like before. However, we should keep an eye on him as well. We need to be ready for anything."

"Understood," said Trowa.

Quatre sighed. "I just hope he's with us when the time comes for us to move against ZAFT."

Duo shook his head. "You never can tell with that guy."

"I'll watch him and see if I can dig up any more information regarding his real motives here," said Heero, "In the meantime, let's get some rest. We're not going to get many breaks on this trip, so let's take advantage of the few that come our way."

….

"What the hell were you thinking?" Athrun shouted before slapping Shinn across the face, "Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

Shinn scowled. "For your information, I saved innocent lives! I was doing what I was trained to do!"

Athrun folded his arms. "Really? So you were trained to follow three advanced machines without any sort of backup and fly right into an ambush? ZAFT's training standards must've dropped sharply since the last war."

Shinn clenched his fists. "Like you would know! You abandoned ZAFT and betrayed your people to fight for Orb in the last war! Everyone else might think you're an icon, but I know the truth; you're a damn traitor!"

It was a good thing that it was just the two of them in the pilots' locker room having this argument; Shinn was sure that Lunamaria would've joined Athrun in slapping him. Shinn was absolutely seething. He had done the right thing, but he was being punished for it. How was he supposed to keep his cool when the circumstances were so blatantly unjust?

Athrun glared at him. "You can think whatever you want about what I did in the last war. I don't expect someone as blind as you to understand it. What I do expect, though, is for a supposedly elite ZAFT Red to remember his training and not rush off in the middle of a battle. You abandoned your friends and allies to engage in solo heroics, and you nearly got yourself captured or killed in the process! Had I not gone after you, that very well could've happened. You're a soldier, Shinn! You're not just fighting for yourself, and it's about damn time you got that through your head!"

"I know damn well what I'm fighting for!" Shinn shot back, "I'm fighting to protect my friends and our people! What I can't figure out is what you're fighting for. You served Cagalli the first time we met, and now suddenly you're serving ZAFT and are a member of FAITH? How is any of that supposed to make sense to me?"

Athrun's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that you can't follow my orders?"

Shinn sighed. "Well, no, it's just… I need to know that we're really on the same side, sir. You… you change flags whenever you feel like it, so I don't know if I can trust you."

Athrun closed his eyes, and for a moment Shinn feared he had crossed a line. However, the famous ZAFT ace appeared quite calm when he faced Shinn again.

"If I were in your position," he said, "I suppose I'd have similar doubts. Fighting for one faction and then another seemingly at the drop of the hat… I can see why you'd have problems trusting me. The actions I've taken have all been for what I believe is right, but I don't expect you to take me at my word on that. I do expect you to trust my experience, though. This isn't my first war, but it is yours. There are reasons why I survived the last conflict while so many others did not. You do want to make it through this war alive, don't you, Shinn?"

Shinn nodded. "Well, yeah. Look, I won't deny that you have more experience than I do, but that's not enough of a reason for me to automatically trust you."

"My experience goes beyond the battlefield, you know," Athrun replied, "You and I are actually more like than you might realize."

Shinn raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"My mother was killed by the Earth Alliance during the attack on Junius Seven," he said somberly, "Your family was killed by them during their assault on Orb's Elysium colony, right? I know what it means to lose the ones I love to the enemy."

Shinn vehemently shook his head. "You're wrong! Cagalli killed my family! It's her fault that they're dead!"

Athrun sighed. "I don't know what it's going to take to get you to move past that belief; the Alliance attacked the colony, not Cagalli. She was fighting to protect her people, but if you're too blinded by grief and rage to see that, then that's your loss. It does grant me some insight, though."

"What do you mean?" asked Shinn.

"When your family was killed," said Athrun, "you were consumed by grief and anger. I know what that's like. The powerlessness you felt at being unable to save those closest to you… that's something I'm quite familiar with, Shinn."

The FAITH operative gave Shinn a sharp look. "Is that why you joined ZAFT? Did you want the power you believed was needed to prevent you from feeling as helpless as you did back then?"

"W-why would I think like that?" Shinn stammered, "Y-you don't know me! Stop acting like you do!"

"I'm not acting, Shinn," Athrun replied, "I know the rage that drives you. I let it consume me, once… and it did not end well."

There was a haunted look in his eyes that prompted a double-take in Shinn. The angry retort he'd planned on delivering died on his tongue, and he found himself at a loss for what to say next.

"You need to understand this, Shinn," Athrun continued, "The greater the power that one person wields, the greater the damage that they can do to both their enemies and their friends. Reckless self-righteousness combined with impulsive decisions in the heat of battle is not how someone resolves conflict. Those are only the means of bringing about greater tragedy. If you're truly able to master your anger and grief and become capable of seeing things beyond the narrow scope of black and white, then you'll become an excellent pilot, one that's truly capable of protecting the people that are closest to him. If you cannot, then you'll just be a blind fool on a rampage."

He then turned around and headed for the exit, but not before shooting a warning over his shoulder. "If that happens, then I know someone who will see it as his duty to put you down. Trust me on this, Shinn; when Heero sets his sights on a target, he doesn't miss."

….

Durandal's eyes narrowed as he took in his agent's latest report. "All of them? Are you certain?"

On the screen he saw Rey nod. "Affirmative. Heero Yuy and all of his associates that we met during the attack on Armory One are aboard the Minerva again."

"And they intend to join you in the assault on the Suez Canal?" he pressed.

"So it would seem," Rey replied, "It's hard to believe that there is not more to it than that, though."

Durandal was inclined to agree. "Yes… this is a rather interesting move for them."

Not at all what I had expected, he silently admitted, Heero Yuy… you truly are an unpredictable opponent. No wonder you gave the likes of Creuset and Zala such a headache in the last war.

"How should we proceed?" asked Rey, "The Captain seems fully intent on cooperating with them. Is that really the best course of action to pursue?"

"That's her call to make, and she has the authority to do so," said Durandal, "I suspect she'll lay out her reasoning in detail when she submits her report. Given the aid that they've rendered in the past, along with the power that they wield, going along with them for the time being would be a wise path to take."

Rey nodded. "Very well, then. Do you have any additional instructions?"

"Monitor them to the best of your abilities," Durandal replied, "Report anything you find to be noteworthy to me. That is all."

"Understood," said Rey.

He leaned back in his chair as Rey disappeared from the monitor. Of all the moves that Heero Yuy could've made, this was the one that Durandal was least prepared to appropriately deal with.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the black ops force he had sent to eliminate Lacus Clyne had met its end at the hands of the Gundam pilot and his associates. Ever since then, Durandal's concern had been what form of retaliation he would inevitably face from them. Their strikes against the Atlantic Federation homeland had been quite unexpected; if anything, Durandal had been anticipating a punitive strike against ZAFT's forces in the region, or for them to go public with the knowledge that he had attempted to murder Lacus Clyne. Instead, they had kept quiet…

…but it was clear that they had not forgotten.

The crew of the Minerva might view the presence of the Gundam pilots as valuable reinforcements, but Durandal knew better. Yes, in the short term, their might would prove most useful against the forces of the Earth Alliance, but a reckoning with them was inevitable. By placing himself aboard ZAFT's prized battleship, Heero was issuing a challenge; strike again, if you dare.

Audacious and cunning, he thought, I can't move against them from this position without risking not only the Minerva, but the broader allegiance of the armed forces. With the knowledge that he possesses, it would all too easy for him to sow doubt amongst the ranks of ZAFT by revealing the assassination attempt on Miss Clyne. She remains an icon to them, after all, while Heero Yuy holds a great deal of credibility due to his actions in the last war. Contending with him will not be easy.

Making matters even more complicated was the presence of Athrun Zala aboard the Minerva. When Durandal had initially sent him down to the surface with the Saviour, he had not anticipated that the young man would wind up encountering any of his former associates from the Clyne Faction again so soon. If the attempt on the life of the songstress was revealed to him, it was impossible to say how he would react.

The game was entering a new phase…

…one that gave Durandal no small amount of concern.

….

Meyrin sighed with relief as the bridge door closed behind her. After all the action she'd endured today she was absolutely wiped out. Now that her shift was finally over, she wanted nothing more than to grab a quick bite to eat and get some well-deserved sleep.

It feels like we haven't really had a chance to rest since we left Orb, she thought, I mean, I know that most of Earth is considered hostile territory, but still… how much more of this gauntlet do we have to run?

The day had been rough, there was no denying that. While Meyrin was relieved that the crew of the Minerva had suffered no casualties, the same could not be said for those of the Nyiragongo and Whakaari. She was fully aware of the heavy losses the two Vosgulov-class submarine/carriers had taken with regards to their mobile suits, and their mission was not over yet.

The only good news was the arrival of the remaining Gundam pilots. Their very presence aboard the ship was a shot in the arm that the crew desperately needed for the sake of morale, even if some of them were still a little wary of the newcomers. For her part, Meyrin would take all the help that she could get.

Especially from one pilot in particular.

I can't believe he's actually back, she thought with a smile, I didn't know if I'd ever see him again after the orbital battle. Duo…

She was tempted to go find him and see if he remembered her, but she was just too tired. Reintroductions could wait until tomorrow.

And that was when she came around a corner and rammed right into him.

"Ah!" she cried as she lost her footing and fell flat on her butt, "D-duo?"

"Hey, there," he said with a smile as he held out a hand, "You okay? Sorry about that!"

"I-it's all right," she stammered as he helped her to her feet, "It was my fault… I should really watch where I'm going."

"Don't worry about it," he replied as he looked her over, "Meyrin, right?"

She smiled and felt a surge of heat rush to her face. "Yes… you remembered… thank you."

"Hey, it's the least I could do," he said, "You were pretty nice to us the last time we were here, after all."

Meyrin couldn't help but blush further. "Oh, well… that's just how I am, I guess."

She was embarrassed by her stomach making an audible growl, but Duo simply laughed it off. "Sounds like I'm not the only one who's hungry. I was actually just on my way to grab a bite to eat. Want to come along?"

Meyrin nodded. "Sure."

The two of them made their way to the ship's mess. Meyrin found herself in an all-too-familiar predicament; wanting to ask a million questions but too nervous to open her mouth.

I don't know why I get like this around him, she thought, I mean, he's a nice guy, so I should be able to talk to him…

"Ah, now that's more like it," said Duo as they dished up, "Nothing like a good meal after a hard day's worth of fighting."

"So… are you and your friends really joining up with us again?" she asked hopefully.

Duo nodded. "Yup. Hope you don't mind!"

Meyrin smiled. "No, not at all! It'll be good to have you guys with us. I know we could definitely use the help."

"That's what I figured," said Duo in between bites, "You guys looked like you were taking a beating before we showed up."

Meyrin nodded. "Yeah… it wasn't looking good for a while there. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad you guys showed up when you did, but… I wish it had been sooner. Sorry…"

Duo shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I know it's not easy losing comrades, even if they're not from the same ship as you."

Meyrin sighed. "Is… is it wrong that the most important thing to me is that my sister survived? I mean, she's one person compared to the numerous pilots that we lost, but still… she matters more to me than all the others."

Duo gave her a warm smile. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. She's your family, and family comes first. That's perfectly natural. No one's going to hold that against you, so don't beat yourself up over it."

Meyrin smiled. "Okay… thanks."

"No prob," said Duo as he wolfed down his dinner.

She gave him a few minutes to eat before asking him another question. "So, how long will you guys be with us this time?"

Duo shrugged. "Not sure. A while, at least. We gotta help you guys take the Suez Canal from the Alliance, if nothing else. After that, I guess it's kind of up in the air. I think we'll be sticking around for longer than last time, though."

Meyrin smiled. "That's good. I know much of the crew doesn't really trust you, but I think you guys are fun to have around."

Duo grinned. "Thanks! Nice to know that someone around here likes us."

Meyrin blushed. "Well, of course. I mean… you guys do keep saving us, after all."

Oh, why do I get this way around him?, she thought, Maybe I should talk to Luna about it later… no, bad idea. She'll just tease me about it.

Regardless of how she felt, all she knew was that it was good to have him back aboard the ship. That didn't mean the end of the trials ahead, of course, but it would make them much easier to deal with.

And as long as Duo was here, Meyrin could face them with a smile.

….

Folding his arms and scowling under his mask, Nazara looked down at his sedated subordinate. "So, she's finally stable?"

The carrier's chief medical officer nodded. "Yes, although we had to marginally increase the dosage in her sedatives this time. It appears the psychological trauma that she suffered from the loss of her teammates was more severe than projected."

I don't doubt it, he thought, I could barely get her to maintain control out there when Kevin and Melissa kicked the bucket. After we made our escape, she just wouldn't shut up between the sobbing and the screaming. So fragile… and yet, she still survived. She seems to have a gift for that.

"I see," said the Colonel after a moment, "How soon can she be made operational again?"

"We'll proceed with the normal memory modification procedures as soon as she regains consciousness," the doctor replied, "It's hard to tell just how resistant she'll be given the state she was in when you brought her back, but getting her back to operational status shouldn't take longer than it normally does."

Nazara nodded. "I want no delays, doctor. Expedite the process in whatever manner is possible; she will need to fight again quite soon."

"Understood, Colonel," said the doctor.

What a nuisance, he thought as he left the ship's infirmary, I only have one Extended that can consistently make it through a fight, yet she's a wreck every time. If it weren't for her usefulness as a pleasurable diversion off the battlefield then I would've disposed of her long ago…

The notion of making a request for additional augmented pilots to Djibril rankled him, but it would have to be done. If nothing else, they were good for tying up enemy pilots, even if it was just for a little while. Nazara knew that he would need all the help he could get now that the enemy had received reinforcements.

While numerically the ZAFT flotilla had suffered a net loss of mobile suits, the Colonel was well aware that those casualties were more than offset by the arrival of Wing Zero and its accompanying machines. The various intelligence agencies of the Earth Alliance remained unable to determine where they had come from or when they had been developed, and the identities of their pilots beyond Heero Yuy was still a mystery as well. That was no small problem when one considered the hell Djibril was liable to rage at the mere mention of them. Nazara was hardly looking forward to reporting to his superior that they had interfered in yet another Alliance operation, especially so soon after their strikes on the Atlantic Federation's naval bases.

"Off to give some good news to our mutual employer?" said a familiar, insolent voice.

Nazara glowered beneath his helmet when he saw Rodrigues leaning against the wall, seemingly without a care in the world. Simply conversing with the flippant mercenary was enough to try the Colonel's patience, and it was already wearing thin.

"Yes," Nazara growled, "and I'll be sure to tell him how poor of an investment you've been."

Rodrigues shrugged. "Tell him what you will. The combat data will back me up; I performed my task quite well. He'll have more of a bone to pick with you and the poor performance of the children you insist on throwing at our enemies, I think."

That was one of the things Nazara hated about Minuano; no matter what he threatened him with, the mercenary was never fazed. He knew that the Colonel couldn't afford to lose him, especially given that he was one of the few pilots capable of consistently holding his own against the new aces that now seemed to accompany Wing Zero wherever it went. Nazara's bluff had been called, and he had shown that he had no cards to play against the cocky private contractor.

That didn't mean that the Colonel would take the pilot's insolence lying down, though. "If you want to have a career after this war, I suggest that you remember your place, mongrel. It would be a simple matter for the Atlantic Federation to blacklist you from taking any further contract work from us."

Rodrigues chuckled. "You act as if your country is the only one in the Earth Sphere that needs men like me to do its dirty work. As long as humanity exists, my kind will never lack for employment. I thought you were smart enough to know that by now, Colonel."

"One less of you will hardly be missed," Nazara spat, "You're simply a gifted hellhound, one that is easily replaced!"

The mercenary gave him that oh-so-infuriating shit-eating grin. "Whatever you say, boss."

The Colonel was beat, and they both knew it, but the last thing Nazara would do was give Rodrigues the satisfaction of openly admitting it. It was sorely tempting to lash out physically, but Jetstream Sam wasn't a rank and file Earth Alliance officer; he would have no compunctions about countering, no matter who attacked him. As proud as Nazara was of his skills, when it came down to hand-to-hand combat he actually wasn't sure if he had what it took to triumph against the private contractor.

Not to mention he still has his sword, thought the Colonel, warily eyeing the katana at the man's hip, and besting him isn't worth the potential loss of a limb… or worse. His time will come, but at a moment of my choosing… when I hold all the cards.

Unwilling to waste any more time on the mercenary, Nazara brushed past him and went to his quarters. Once he was inside he went to his desk and powered up the monitor. He was not looking forward at all to the conversation that was about to occur, but he wanted to get it over with.

Djibril's face appeared a moment after the link was established. "Ah, Colonel. It's good to hear from you again. I take it your mission is complete and the Minerva now lies at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, yes?"

"Unfortunately, no," Nazara replied, "There was interference… by Wing Zero."

Djibril's gaze hardened. "Explain. Now."

"We attacked the Minerva and her escorts as planned," said the Colonel, "However, before we could defeat them, Wing Zero and the rest of the advanced mobile suits that we encountered in orbit entered the combat zone. They reinforced the Minerva and destroyed most of the strike force. I'm afraid that ZAFT was also able to attack our facility in the Maldives after driving off our mobile suits, and they were able to inflict considerable damage on the base. Our losses were substantial, including two of the Extended, although the Gaia and its pilot survived."

"Small consolation," Djibril spat, "So, not only is the Minerva still intact and heading for the Suez Canal, but it now carries our greatest enemy. I don't think the word 'catastrophe' is even close to adequate in describing just how monumental of a fuck-up this is for you, Colonel!"

"We had no way of knowing that Wing Zero and the other mobile suits based off its design would be able to make it to our area of operation," Nazara countered, "especially after their strikes on the Pearl Harbor and San Diego naval bases. Since our intelligence agencies have repeatedly failed with regards to scoping out the full capabilities of those machines and their pilots, we remain in the dark as to the true extent of their power."

Djibril folded his arms. "I'd say that we've been given plenty practical demonstrations of their power at this point. Their interference in this operation may not have been anticipated, but it should have been! That is your job, is it not? If you are incapable of making appropriate contingency plans given the nature of our enemies, then I have to wonder if you truly deserve your rank, Colonel."

Nazara glared under his mask. "Are you threatening to demote me? Go ahead, if that's what you wish, but know that you'll be hard pressed to find another officer and pilot that can serve as an adequate replacement. For all our setbacks, I'm still your best bet for executing our grand design, and you know it."

"That remains to be seen," Djibril replied, "Your performance thus far in this war has been a mixed bag to say the least."

"We don't have time to debate the past when the future is at stake," said Nazara, "I will make for the Suez Canal at the greatest possible speed. If we reinforce it now then we will be able to stop the Minerva in its tracks."

Djibril nodded. "Yes… and most of Desperado Enforcements Winds of Destruction are already on site, correct?"

"All but Minuano," said Nazara, "and I will make sure that he gets there before ZAFT begins their assault."

"See that you are there as well, Colonel," said Djibril as his eyes narrowed, "I will take no chances here. Word of Wing Zero's resurrection and the power of its new form is having a debilitating effect on the morale of our soldiers, and that is only being made worse by the strength demonstrated by the new mobile suits that have been fighting alongside it. The legend of Heero Yuy must be crushed before matters deteriorate further. Is that understood?"

Nazara nodded. "Yes."

"Good," he replied, "Then get to work."

That went better than expected, the Colonel mused as the video conference ended, I don't think he's lost his fangs, but there definitely wasn't as much bite that time as I thought there'd be.

He immediately set up another call, and a moment later Sundowner's face appeared on the monitor. The field commander of Desperado Enforcement had a knowing smirk on his face, and Nazara knew what that meant; Rodrigues had already reported to him.

"Hello, Colonel," he said, "Nice to see you're still alive; it'd be a shame if I had to go elsewhere for my paycheck."

Nazara was in no mood for games. "If you do not prepare yourself, you will not live long enough to collect any paychecks, Sundowner. The Minerva remains on course to the Suez Canal, and it's been reinforced by Wing Zero. There isn't a moment to lose, Sundowner; Heero Yuy is heading right for you."

The mercenary grinned. "Good. It's about damn time we had a decent fight around here. Stomping out desert rats is getting boring."

"This is not a sport," Nazara growled, "He has enough firepower to destroy hardened facilities and lay waste to entire fleets! Put your men on standby alert immediately, Sundowner. I'm on my way back with Rodrigues now, and I expect our defenses to be ready before I get there."

Sundowner nodded. "All right, all right. I'll get everyone whipped into shape. Anything else you need?"

"Only for you to be prepared for the fight of your life," said the Colonel, "Nazara, out."

….

Athrun blinked several times; there was no way that he could've heard Heero correctly. "Sorry, but… could you say that again? It sounded like you just accused ZAFT of attempting to murder Lacus."

"That's exactly what I said," Heero replied bluntly.

It was just the two of them out on the observation deck of the Minerva now, which was definitely a good thing; what Heero had just told Athrun wouldn't exactly play well with the ship's crew. As for himself, Athrun felt himself torn between disbelief and outrage. Heero wasn't the type to make something like this up, but Athrun still had a very hard time accepting it.

"No," he said as he shook his head emphatically, "No, no, no. Heero, I don't mean to doubt you here, but that cannot be right!"

"It can't be right, or you don't want it to be right?" asked Heero pointedly, "There's a key distinction, you know."

"Pick whatever one you want!" Athrun shot back, "Heero, Durandal isn't my father! Look, I know that you and some of the others in Terminal have doubts about him and ZAFT, but I've met him face to face and worked with him. He's not our enemy!"

"I have combat data stored in the Albion's cockpit that proves otherwise," Heero countered, "The mobile suits that attacked Home One were the new UMF/SSO-3 ASH units; only ZAFT has those, and they've only gone into production very recently. We wiped out an entire strike team worth of them on the beach just outside the mansion, and that's not the only proof that it was a ZAFT hit; the weapons and equipment used by the special forces soldiers that tried to breach the house all matched with the latest gear issued to elite fire teams in the PLANT military. What further evidence do you need, Athrun?"

He had to admit that what Heero presented him with was pretty damning, and he had no doubt that his friend was telling the truth regarding the combat data, but Athrun wasn't about to give up just yet. "It could've been a rogue faction. We stopped a group of fanatics that followed my father's beliefs from dropping the remains on Junius Seven, and they were all armed with ZAFT hardware. It's not outside the realm of possibility for another group of them to be out there; they could've sat out the orbital battle and decided to take a shot at Lacus on Earth. My father hated her, after all, so she'd be a clear target for them."

"The remnants of the old regime that we fought in orbit were armed with older units," said Heero, "They made good use of them, and their age didn't stop it from being deadly, but the fact remains that they didn't have access to the latest hardware. This group did, Athrun. There's also the fact that they were able to find Home One in the first place. Is it possible that followers of Patrick Zala could've discovered it eventually? Of course. However, they wouldn't have had nearly the same access to intelligence resources as the actual government of the PLANTs. Between a fully funded administration and the battered underground remnants of the former regime, which do you think would have a better shot at discovering our chief base of operations on Earth?"

Athrun shook his head. "You still can't prove it was Durandal that ordered the attack."

"He had the means, motive and opportunity to do so," Heero argued, "If it were discovered that his Lacus Clyne was a fake there would be a significant decline in the morale of both ZAFT and the PLANT civilian population. They would also be far less likely to take Durandal's administration at its word, and they would demand investigations. The image of a popular icon backing the government is a powerful tool in Durandal's public relations arsenal, and he has plenty of motivation to maintain it by any means necessary."

"He's not that kind of leader!" Athrun insisted, "He doesn't rule the PLANTs like my father did, or how the people you fought against in your world ruled the Earth Sphere. He has a vision, Heero, and it's not all that different from ours!"

Heero gave Athrun a long look, and it was hard to tell if disbelief or disappointment was more prominent in it. "You're really buying into his pitch, aren't you?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Athrun asked, "Heero, he's not our enemy."

"He wasn't when this war began," said Heero, "but that changed the moment he targeted us. I don't know all that he told you, but I do know this; the kind of world that you believe he'll deliver is not what we'll get if he wins."

Athrun glared at him. "So you'd rather the Alliance win? You know damn well what they want to accomplish in this war!"

Heero shook his head. "I never said that, and you know it. What I'm saying, Athrun, is that we shouldn't want either of them to win outright. The Alliance's agenda has been clear from the moment that this war started, and they remain our enemy. Durandal's plan isn't nearly as clear cut, but if it were as noble as you seem to believe, tell me; would he require the assassination of an innocent woman to put it into effect? Would you still support him if he were willing to go that far?"

"Of course not!" Athrun protested, "Either way, you haven't proven that he was behind the attempt on her life. She has a lot of enemies, Heero. All of you do."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "All of us? If I didn't know better, I'd say that you no longer count yourself amongst our ranks."

Athrun looked downwards, ashamed that it had come to this. "Look, it's not like that. I want to help you guys, it's just… I don't think what we did last time around is going to work. We don't have Orb on our side anymore; they've joined the Alliance. I know that Cagalli tried to stop it, but she wasn't able to."

"And that's why she's fighting with us to save her country from the Earth Alliance," said Heero, giving him an accusatory look, "She's remained true to herself and Orb's ideals, and the rest of us are helping her the same way we did in the last war. You leaving her to rejoin ZAFT didn't exactly improve her position. Her burden's heavier than the ones that the rest of us carry; she's responsible for the lives of her people, even in exile. She needs people around her that are willing to help her shoulder that burden… and you left when she needed you more than the rest of us combined."

"You act as though I wanted to leave her!" Athrun shot back, "Heero, I returned to ZAFT because I wanted to help her! I told you and Kira as much before I went to the PLANTs. I wasn't able to accomplish anything in Orb, especially with the Seirans stepping between us. I thought I could accomplish more by joining forces with ZAFT, and I was right! Look at me now; I have my own mobile suit, an elite rank, and the freedom to act on my own initiative to do what I feel is right. As a member of FAITH, I can do more to help bring this war to an end than I ever could if I'd remained in Orb. It wasn't easy to leave, and I never wanted to hurt Cagalli, but this was the right thing to do!"

Heero shook his head. "Was it? I'm having a hard time buying that."

"Well, it's the truth," said Athrun, "Heero, this was the best possible outcome! Durandal trusts me, and he's given me the means to make a real difference in this war!"

"As long as it's the kind of difference that favors ZAFT," Heero replied, "Do you really think that his help doesn't come with strings attached?"

"What's good for ZAFT in this war is good for the rest of us," Athrun countered, "They're not the ones fighting a war of extermination!"

Heero nodded. "No, they're not. That still doesn't mean that we should trust them, especially after the attack on Home One. Durandal's playing a double game, Athrun. Do you really intend to play along with him?"

"I'm not 'playing along' with him or anyone else," said Athrun, "I'm doing what's best for everyone, including you!"

"You're doing what comes naturally to you," Heero shot back, "Athrun, we all know that leaving ZAFT in the last war wasn't easy for you. It's only natural that rejoining them in a time of crisis would feel like the right thing to do, especially since its leadership has changed significantly since the prior conflict. However, in doing so, it's clear that you played right into Durandal's hand. He's shown you the ZAFT that you wanted to fight for in the last war, rather than the army that your father commanded. He has a much subtler touch than your father, but that makes him no less dangerous."

Athrun turned his back to Heero. "You're wrong. You have to be."

He heard Heero sigh behind him. "I'd like to be, but I know I'm not. The rest of Terminal has come to the same conclusion. We know what we're going to do. The question now is this; what are you going to do?"

As he turned around, Athrun had to force himself not to recoil from the look in Heero's eyes. It was cold, harsh and evaluating.

Like he was sizing Athrun up as a potential target.

It can't have come down to this, he thought, Heero, you're wrong… I just need to find a way to prove that you're wrong.

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring this war to an end," said Athrun, "Working with ZAFT is the best way to accomplish that. I don't know what it will take to convince you that I'm right, Heero, but I will find a way to do so."

Heero nodded. "If that's what you feel is right. However… what will you do if Durandal orders you to fight against us in the name of his agenda?"

"That won't happen," Athrun replied firmly.

"I hope you're right," said Heero, and Athrun felt a chill go down his spine when his gaze met Heero's, "because if you're wrong, and if you remain with ZAFT despite that, then I will do what I must. Is that clear?"

Athrun couldn't help but wince at the threat. "Yes."

"Good," said Heero as he turned to leave, "I really hope it doesn't come down to that, but if it does, remember this; you'll get one warning shot for old times' sake. After that…"

"…all bets are off."

….

October 30th, C.E. 73

"Ah, that felt good," said Shinn with a smile as the simulation ended.

Nothing beats a practice fight for a stress reliever, he thought as he popped open the cockpit of the Impulse, I need to keep myself sharp; we're supposed to be hitting the Red Sea any day now. After that, the Suez Canal will be just a short cruise away…

He didn't have a good idea as to what they were heading towards, but based on what he'd heard from Rey it didn't sound like a walk in the park. As harrowing as the clash from the previous day had been, Shinn knew that what they'd encountered was really just a strike force. By contrast, what they'd be facing when they arrived at the Suez Canal would likely be a fortified army. Even Shinn, as confident as he was in his skills, couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the prospect of going into such a fight. After all, his previous battles had been lightning-paced affairs, but this would be the first engagement he'd ever been involved in where the objective was to take a heavily reinforced and well-defended position.

He wasn't the only one who was a bit on edge; he'd caught Lunamaria engaging in simulations more than usual, and Rey seemed to be taking advantage of the brief lull to get some training in as well. Shinn had even spotted Athrun emerging from the cockpit of the Saviour with sweat on his brow a couple times, which as far as he was concerned was a good indicator of the level of difficulty that would be involved in the next battle.

Shinn hadn't failed to note that the Gundam pilots didn't seem to be particularly worried about the upcoming fight. The only times he had seen any of them in the hangar since the battle the day before had been when they were checking up on their mobile suits; none of them appeared to be training like the ZAFT pilots. Then again, it wasn't as if they really needed to at this point. After all, they'd already amply demonstrated their sheer dominance over the battlefield regardless of what kind of opposition they faced.

They might be the best pilots on this ship right now, he thought as he left the hangar, but that'll change. I'll catch up to them. It's only a matter of time. I can already tell that I've gotten stronger since the fights up in space.

If Shinn had it his way, Heero Yuy and his friends wouldn't be anywhere near the Minerva. Dealing with Athrun suddenly rejoining ZAFT had been one thing, but this was quite another; they held no official position within the military of the PLANTs, yet from the moment they had come aboard the ship they'd acted as though they were senior officers. It was absolutely infuriating to Shinn, and what made it even more galling was the fact that the Captain actually seemed to treat them as equals. It didn't matter to him that they had already proven their skills and had plenty of combat experience; they were outsiders and should've been treated accordingly.

"We don't need them," he muttered under his breath as he headed towards the upper observation deck, "We can win this war without them."

He was looking forward to having some fresh air to himself, but when he got to the observation deck he saw that someone had already beaten him there… and it was the last person that he wanted to deal with at the moment.

Heero Yuy.

Shinn hadn't forgotten just how effortlessly the legendary pilot had decked him during his first stay aboard the Minerva. The humiliation continued to sting, and Shinn had been burning with the desire to get even. However, once the famous ace had left the Minerva following Operation Redemption the chance for payback had slipped through his fingers. Now Shinn had a fresh opportunity, but his distaste for his fellow mobile suit pilot was such that he really just didn't want anything to do with him at the moment.

Heero's back was to the door, so Shinn figured he could slip away unnoticed. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that Heero's hearing was as sharp as his piloting skills; without even turning to face him, he called out to the ZAFT Red.

"I know you're there," he said, "There's no need to leave on my account."

"Well, I don't really feel like dealing with you right now," Shinn grumbled as he turned to leave.

"That's too bad," said Heero, "I was hoping for a chance to talk to you before the next fight."

Shinn raised an eyebrow. "Really? What about?"

"If you're going to leave, then do you really need to know?" Heero quipped dryly.

Shinn rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll stay."

He went over to join Heero at the railing. It was hard to tell what was going through his mind, but he seemed rather relaxed. If Shinn's distrust and animosity towards him was reciprocated, Heero gave no sign of it.

This guy's just too damn hard to read, thought Shinn, I don't get how he's able to be like that…

"Your skills have improved since Operation Redemption," said Heero after a moment, "You've been making good use of your newfound combat experience."

Shinn was a bit taken aback by that; he hadn't been expecting praise. "You really think so?"

Heero nodded. "You've got a natural gift for piloting. Having a few fights under your belt will go a long way towards augmenting and refining that talent. You're also capable of bringing out more of the Impulse's potential as a fighting machine than the last time I saw you in battle."

Shinn had been bracing for an argument, so the continuing stream of compliments was actually keeping him off balance. "Oh… well, thanks."

"No problem," Heero replied, "If you continue to sharpen those skills both in the field and in simulations, you'll have a decent shot at making it through this war. I wouldn't be surprised if your superiors had you in consideration for another machine at some point down the line."

Shinn's eyes widened. "You're joking, right? I only just got the Impulse a couple months ago, and that's one of the most advanced mobile suits in ZAFT's entire arsenal!"

"You'd be surprised how quickly technological advances in weaponry are made during wartime," Heero pointed out, "Look at the First Bloody Valentine War and compare the suits ZAFT captured at Heliopolis with the machines that they developed later on."

Shinn nodded. "Good point. I mean, I wasn't in ZAFT myself back then, but during my Academy training we were taught all about the Heliopolis prototypes and the units that were created based on studying them afterwards. All that research and development was actually a big portion of the foundation for our Second Stage Series machines, or at least that's what one of the Impulse's designers told me."

"And the Second Stage Series machines will in turn lay the groundwork for further advances," said Heero, "That's the way of weapons development."

"But three of the Second Stage prototypes were stolen," Shinn pointed out, "We don't have access to their combat data. We could always recapture the Gaia, but you destroyed the Abyss and Chaos."

Heero shrugged. "It hardly matters. In my opinion, the machines that the Alliance stole were the weakest of the Second Stage prototypes. The Impulse and Saviour were the real prizes in that collection, and the enemy missed both of them."

Shinn raised an eyebrow. "Really? I always thought that all the machines in the Second Stage Series were evenly matched, or at least close to it. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and that was so they could balance each other out."

Heero nodded. "True, but one of the greatest assets for a mobile suit is versatility, and the Impulse is by far the winner in that category. I'd say that the Saviour's a close second. It was the same story with the Heliopolis prototypes; the Strike was the most flexible unit in the whole set, and ZAFT missed it. They paid quite dearly for that, and now they're returning the favor to the Alliance courtesy of you and the Impulse."

Shinn's eyes narrowed. "That reminds me; two of the Heliopolis machines actually wound up with you guys towards the end of the war, right? What did you do with the Buster and the Duel?"

"We downloaded all of their combat data and decommissioned them," said Heero, "While they were advanced machines for their time, they had actually become obsolete by the time the war was over. They served their purpose well, and what was gained from them has been put to good use."

"What about their pilots?" asked Shinn, "Both of them betrayed ZAFT to join up with your group."

Heero nodded. "Indeed, they did. They remain with our faction. I know Durandal's stance towards soldiers that defected during the last war isn't as hardline as that taken by the Atlantic Federation, but they still wouldn't exactly be welcomed back to the PLANTs with open arms. Keeping them with us was the best solution, and it was one that they chose willingly. Exile does have its benefits, after all."

Shinn folded his arms. "And you trust them even though they're traitors? What's to stop them from betraying you?"

"It is because they betrayed ZAFT that I trust them," Heero replied, "I know that I can count on them to do the right thing."

Shinn shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

Heero sighed. "The world isn't black and white, Shinn. It's understandable that ZAFT would teach its soldiers to view traitors with contempt and disgust; any military would do that. However, given the regime that they were serving at the time, treason was the only real moral option. They knew the risks, but they chose to go through with it all the same."

"But they abandoned their people!" Shinn protested, "The Alliance was trying to wipe us all out in that war, and they're attempting to do the same in this one! It was their duty as soldiers of ZAFT to protect the PLANTs!"

Heero's eyes narrowed. "ZAFT was no innocent party, and you know it. The Zala regime was hell-bent on genocide during the final campaign. It became no different than the regime that it was fighting. To betray ZAFT at that point in the war meant having the two most powerful militaries in the Earth Sphere as enemies, and both sides had already proven that they would stop at nothing to achieve their ends. That was why the soldiers who abandoned both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT came together in the Three Ships Alliance; we fought to stop them from wiping out each side's civilian population. We succeeded, although it wasn't without cost. Many soldiers that you and your superiors deride as traitors made the ultimate sacrifice in service of a much higher calling; protecting all life in the Earth Sphere. They knew that the odds of success weren't great, but they fought just the same. Tell me this, Shinn; could you make the same choice?"

"I would've found another way!" Shinn shot back, "One that didn't involve betraying my country!"

"Orb was once your country, and yet you bear naught but ill-will towards it and the woman who's burdened with leading it," Heero pointed out, "Combine that with the fact that not only did you leave Orb and joined ZAFT but are now fighting under its banner and attempted to attack the forces of the Orb Union during your flight from that county, an argument could be made that you fit your own definition of a traitor."

"That's a load of bullshit!" Shinn snapped, "Orb killed my family! Cagalli let them die! How could you ever expect me to remain loyal to them?"

Heero shook his head. "Your anger is misguided. I know what happened to your family during the Battle of Elysium. I was there, Shinn. So was Cagalli. I fought alongside her as she did everything in her power to protect her people. She put her life on the line for their sake, which is far more than can be said for most rulers."

"She still got them killed!" Shinn shouted, "She didn't save them! The Freedom didn't save them! They let my family die!"

Heero raised an eyebrow. "The Freedom? What's that machine have to do with this?"

"I saw it inside the colony!" Shinn cried, "It was there when my family was killed, and it did nothing! It was fighting under Cagalli's orders, but it didn't do anything to save us!"

"You're wrong, Shinn," Heero replied, "We all fought that day to save the people inside the colony, and that includes the Freedom's pilot. Unfortunately, no matter how skilled a soldier might be, it's impossible for them to control every aspect of a battle. Tragedies in war are unavoidable. It's important to be able to keep a sense of perspective even in the midst of our pain."

"You can take your 'perspective' and shove it right up your ass!" Shinn yelled, "I know who's responsible for my family getting killed, and I'm going to make them pay!"

Heero folded his arms. "Is that the real reason why you seek the power of the mobile suit? If you're flying to satisfy your anger and desire for vengeance, then the only thing that will come of your actions is greater tragedy. You won't heal though rage, Shinn. All you'll do is inflict pain, upon both your victims and ultimately yourself."

"Shut up!" Shinn shouted, "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel!"

Heero shook his head. "Wrong again, Shinn… in ways that you could never imagine."

Shinn was absolutely seething now. "You… you're enjoying this, aren't you? Standing there acting like you're better than me because you can act so damn calm and smug?"

"I'm trying to help you, Shinn," said Heero firmly, "The rage that you've been building up inside yourself over the years will ultimately be your undoing. You may think that you can use it as fuel, but you're going to lose control. Anger and hatred are an inherently unstable combination, and when they reach critical mass they consume everything. You're nuclear, Shinn, and not in the sense of a power source; you're a chain reaction away from destroying anyone and anything around you… even the people that you care for."

"You're wrong," Shinn hissed, "It makes me strong, and eventually it'll make me stronger than you. You know it, don't you? I bet you're actually afraid of me, aren't you?"

"The only thing I'm afraid of is the damage that you'll do when your rage passes the point of no return," said Heero grimly, "I've seen what happens when people reach that point, Shinn. It never ends well for anyone. It's not too late for you to step back from the brink."

"The only thing that I'm on the brink of is power greater than that of any other mobile suit pilot," Shinn replied, "I can feel it. Once my strength has reached that point, I'll be able to protect everyone that I care about… and make all the evil in the war pay for making people like me suffer!"

"You'll only create more victims," Heero replied, "Your rage will feed the cycle of retribution, and nothing will change. In the end, you'll ultimately destroy yourself."

Shinn glared at him. "You know, your lectures are really getting old."

"As is your refusal to heed the advice I'm trying to give you," Heero calmly countered, "What is it you really want, Shinn? Is to protect the people you care about, or is to give your anger a target? You can't have both."

"Watch me," Shinn growled as he turned around, "Next time we head into battle, I'll show you exactly what I can do with my anger!"

As he left he heard Heero sigh behind him, and he almost sounded regretful. "So be it."

….

October 31st, C.E. 73

So far, so good, thought Talia, I just hope our strike force will be ready when we arrive; we'll need to hit the ground running.

The Minerva was racing up the Red Sea, and it would not be much longer until she reached the point where ZAFT had been dropping troops in preparation for their arrival. Talia hadn't heard any recent news regarding the area of operations, which was a matter for concern; she had hoped for regular status updates from local forces as soon as her ship had entered the area.

The plan was simple; the Minerva was to rendezvous with the units that ZAFT had dropped into the area south of the Suez Canal, and together they would push forward while another strike force launched a simultaneous attack from the north. With the enemy's defenses forced to engage on two fronts, it would be just a matter of overwhelming their forces and smashing their lines. There wasn't much finesse to the strategy, and they wouldn't exactly be able to hide their intentions from the enemy. Talia felt rather uneasy about taking what was essentially a brute force approach, but this was the plan that had been developed by her superiors, and she was charged with faithfully executing it.

"Any word from our local forces?" she asked.

"Negative," the communications officer replied.

Arthur's brow furrowed. "They should be aware that we're on final approach to the rendezvous point. We haven't exactly been stealthy, and given the size of the reinforcements that the Defense Council has been inserting into the area they shouldn't be concerned about maintaining radio silence."

That was certainly true; there would be no way to conceal the sizeable force that ZAFT had been building up in the area, so radio silence would've been pointless. Talia could not help but feel a bit apprehensive; had something happened to the forces that they were supposed to meet up with?

"Comms, try to reach out to them," she said, "We need to know what we're walking into."

A few moments later the communications officer spoke up. "Ma'am, I've got a connection established with the Bagley! I can put them through whenever you're ready!"

The Bagley's a Petrie-class ground cruiser, she thought, I was under the impression that our initial contact point was supposed to be the Lesseps-class ground battleship Desmond. Something's not right here…

A tan-skinned officer with black hair and dark brown eyes appeared on the main bridge monitor. "This is Captain Ian Jameson of the Bagley. Minerva, can you read me?"

Talia nodded. "I'm Captain Talia Gladys of the Minerva. We read you loud and clear, Captain Jameson."

Jameson sighed with relief. "Good. At least something's gone right today."

Talia suppressed a grimace; the officer's tone did not bode well. "No disrespect intended, Captain Jameson, but our contact was supposed to be Major Joachim Ruddle from the Desmond. Could you route us through to him, or is his ship suffering a communications malfunction?"

Jameson shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Captain Gladys, and it's not due to a communications malfunction; the Desmond was lost earlier this morning with all hands."

Talia's eyes widened in shock. "What? How is that possible?"

"The enemy launched a surprise attack," Jameson replied grimly, "They were specifically targeting the command ship. Only three mobile suits took part in the strike, but that was all they needed to rip the Desmond apart."

Arthur looked dumbfounded. "Only three? The Desmond couldn't possibly have succumbed to such a meager force!"

"These weren't normal machines," said Jameson, "and they definitely weren't normal pilots. They got through the anti-air umbrella before the ship could launch all of its mobile suits, and then they gutted it. I've never seen pilots fight with the level of brutality that they showed."

Talia suspected that she knew just who had attacked the Desmond. "The mobile suits that made up the strike team… did they bear any unique markings?"

Jameson nodded. "A red skull set in a diamond. I've never seen that insignia before."

"I have," said Talia grimly, "That's the logo of Desperado Enforcement LLC."

The officer's eyes widened. "Are you serious? You mean to tell me that we got hit by the worst dogs of war in the entire Earth Sphere?"

"So it would seem," Talia replied, "Can you send us the data on the mobile suits that took out the Desmond?"

"Of course," said Jameson, "I hope you've got a way to counter them, because we're going to need it when we hit the enemy base."

"We can't possibly still be on schedule for an attack?" said Arthur incredulously, "The command ship for the southern strike force has been destroyed!"

"My XO has a point," said Talia, "Captain Jameson, do we still have the means to carry out our operation?"

Jameson sighed. "That's difficult to say. We still have three Petrie-class ground cruisers, including the Bagley. The firepower of the Minerva and her mobile suits might be enough to make an attack viable."

"What about the northern force?" asked Talia, "They haven't been hit as well, have they?"

"No, but it's been weakened by other means," said Jameson, "The Earth Alliance has significantly increased its presence in the region, and it's not just Atlantic Federation troops that they've brought in; units from the Eurasian Federation are also operating in the region. Our northern strike group was forced to divert some of its units to cover the coast in order to prevent the enemy from attacking their rear during the operation."

"I see," said Talia, "What strength do they have left for our mission?"

"One Petrie-class and one Lesseps-class," said Jameson.

Not nearly as much firepower as I'd hoped for, thought Talia, but that's still better than nothing. We'll have our work cut out for us, but we might still be able to pull this off…

"Understood," she said, "Is the rendezvous point the same, or has that been changed due to the surprise attack on your group?"

"We've altered it," Jameson replied, "I'll have new coordinates transmitted to you shortly."

Talia nodded. "Thank you. With Major Ruddle's loss, where does that leave the chain of command?"

"The flagship is now the Minerva," said Jameson.

Talia's eyes widened. "What? Are you certain?"

"You're the Captain with the greatest seniority," Jameson confirmed, "Once you reach the rendezvous point, we'll be awaiting your orders."

Talia nodded, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "Understood. We'll see you soon. Minerva, out."

Full command of the operation is now mine, she thought as she tried to process the weight that had just been dropped on her, I knew that this was always a possibility, and I am a member of FAITH now, but still… am I ready for this?

While the responsibility for commanding a single warship was daunting enough, being put in charge of an entire strike force was something entirely new for Talia. The amount of lives that were now in her hands had been multiplied exponentially.

She could only hope that she had what it took to lead them all in the coming fight.

….

"So," said Duo as the five Gundam pilots headed for the hangar, "are you sure you want all of us to tag along? We're not exactly the most diplomatic bunch, you know?"

Trowa shook his head. "Speak for yourself. If you keep your mouth shut then we shouldn't have to worry about you making trouble for the rest of us."

Duo folded his arms. "Hey! If I've got something to say, I'll damn well say it!"

Quatre laughed. "All right, all right, that's enough! I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, it's important for us all to find out who we're working with."

"For all the help they'll be," said Wufei dryly, "The five of us should be more than enough to deal with whatever forces the Earth Alliance has deployed to this area."

"We need to know what we're up against," Heero pointed out, "The ZAFT officers that we're meeting with today have been in the region long enough to have good intel on the terrain and the enemy forces positioned here. Besides, by working with ZAFT's regular army for this mission, we can reduce some of the fire that'll be directed our way."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "That sounds a bit cold, old buddy. I mean, we may not exactly be pals with them, but still…"

Heero sighed. "I didn't mean that we should consider them to be expendable, but we have to remember their position in relation to ours. They're temporary allies, and that status can change all too quickly. Don't forget who ultimately commands them."

I may have sympathy for the soldiers that follow you out of devotion to protecting their people, Durandal, he thought, but that won't stop me from doing what I must when the time comes. I don't care if you keep the rank and file in the dark about ops like your attempt to kill Lacus; their ignorance won't save them from me.

They entered the hangar a moment later. It didn't take Heero long to spot Talia, and she wasn't alone; Athrun, Lunamaria, Rey, and Shinn were with her. Heero didn't want to openly question the Captain's personnel decisions, but bringing a hothead like Shinn along to a high-level meeting struck him as unwise, regardless of his rank. He was far more worried about the pilot of the Impulse saying or doing something stupid than Duo.

Duo nodded at the officers that were disembarking from the trio of helicopters that had just set down inside the hangar. "Do they really think it's wise to have the Captains of so many ships on board one vessel? Haven't these guys ever heard of not putting all their eggs in one basket?"

"The risks are undeniable," said Trowa, "but there is some logic to the move. A face-to-face meeting eliminates the risk of valuable intel being intercepted and decrypted by the enemy over the radio."

Quatre smirked as the new arrivals began gawking at the Gundams. "Let's hope they're not so distracted by our mobile suits that they forget about the meeting all together."

"They'd better stay away from Nataku," said Wufei as his hand hovered over the handle of his sword, "Allies or not, I will not tolerate prying."

Heero nodded. "Agreed. Let's go introduce ourselves."

If the ZAFT officers were surprised at the presence of the Gundams, they looked absolutely dumbfounded when they caught sight of Heero. Despite the gravity of the situation, Heero couldn't help but be slightly amused by the way the jaws of the three Captains and their subordinates all but hit the floor as he approached Talia.

It seems that they weren't fully briefed on who all was coming to reinforce them, he mused, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing…

Much to Heero's surprise, it wasn't just ZAFT officers that had boarded the Minerva. There was a girl amongst the new arrivals that wore no military uniform, although the way she carried herself suggested that she was no stranger to fighting. Her dark brown hair was worn in a ponytail, and her aqua eyes had a sharp edge to them. Her attire consisted of a pair of dark grey pants, boots, a tan jacket over an orange shirt, and was topped off by a green scarf and a pair of goggles worn around her neck. A sidearm was holstered at her hip, and she seemed rather casual about wearing it. From what Heero could tell, she looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Who's the chick?" Duo muttered.

"A local fighter from the look of things," said Trowa.

Heero nodded. "Makes sense. I doubt the Alliance has done much to ingratiate themselves with the population."

"She'd better stay out of our way," said Wufei, "We have no room for amateurs on our battlefield."

"Easy there, Wufei," said Quatre, "Let's try not to alienate a potential ally, all right?"

Heero nodded. "Agreed. Follow my lead for the time being."

The girl gave him a hard stare as he and his friends drew near, but Heero ignored her. Instead he turned his attention to the commanding officer of the Minerva.

"Thanks for the invitation, Captain Gladys," he said.

Talia nodded. "Of course. Given the stakes involved in this operation, I felt it would be prudent to make sure that you and your colleagues were included."

"Captain Gladys," said one of the newly arrived Captains, a red-haired man in his mid-twenties, "Is this…?"

"It cannot be!" gasped another Captain, this one a blond man who looked about the same age as his peer.

The third Captain, a black-haired man, was studying him carefully. "Is it really…?"

Talia smiled. "It is, actually. Allow me to introduce Heero Yuy. These are his associates; Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and Chang Wufei. They joined us while we were passing through the Indian Ocean, and I apologize for not informing you earlier of their arrival. That being said, I think you'll find that their abilities and the power of their mobile suits will be most welcome assets for our strike force."

"I hope our presence isn't a problem, Captains…" said Heero, giving the ZAFT officers a change to introduce themselves.

The blond man was the first to respond. "Herman Friedeburg, of the Schliemann. It's an honor."

"Reginald Key, of the Garstang," said the red-haired officer, "Likewise. If you're fighting alongside us, then we may yet have a shot at pulling this off."

The black-haired Captain nodded. "Indeed. I'm Captain Ian Jameson of the Bagley. Whatever your reasons for being here may be, we certainly won't turn you away."

"Who's the kid?" asked Shinn as he pointed at the girl Heero had noticed earlier, "Why is she here?"

The girl folded her arms. "Excuse me? I've got a name, you know! It's Conille Almeta!"

And just like that, he's already managed to tick someone off, thought Heero, That doesn't bode well…

"You're still a kid," said Shinn, "How old are you, anyway?"

Lunamaria gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs. "Shinn, cut it out! You're being rude!"

"For your information, I'm fourteen," Conille shot back, "I've also been fighting since the Alliance showed up here, so I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I apologize for any offense my subordinate may have given, Miss Almeta," said Talia as she shot a glare at Shinn, "I hope that you can forgive him."

"He did raise a valid point, though," Athrun chimed in, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"Miss Almeta's our contact with the local resistance fighters," said Captain, "They're operating under a guerilla network that goes by the name of Desert Wind. She was sent as their representative for this meeting."

Not unlike Cagalli with Desert Dawn during the last war, Heero mused as he studied the girl, Of course, Cagalli wound up being much more than what we had initially been led to believe…

Conille nodded. "We know the land better than you or the Alliance, and we wanted to offer the information that we've gathered to you. It'll be crucial to the success of your operation."

Quatre gave her a friendly smile, clearly trying to break the ice. "We're grateful for any help that you can provide. I'm sure you and your comrades risked a great deal to gather that information."

Her expression became grim. "More than you know. We've lost too many people to the Alliance already, and it's been getting worse by the day since those dogs of war arrived."

Lunamaria raised an eyebrow. "Dogs of war? Who are you talking about?"

"We can discuss that in the briefing room," said Talia, "If everyone would please follow me, I'll lead you there. We haven't a moment to lose."

As the group left the hangar, Heero once again caught Conille looking at him. "Is there a problem?"

After a moment she shook her head. "After all I've heard about you, I though you'd be… I don't know… taller, I guess."

Heero was a bit surprised that that was what was bothering her; it seemed so trivial as to border on the ridiculous. "My height is an issue for you?"

Conille shrugged. "All the stories make you out to be some unstoppable demon. You look pretty normal to me."

Heero wasn't entirely sure how to take that, but the girl didn't appear to have meant it as an insult so he didn't press the matter. "Fair enough."

"He's not all that bad once you get to know him," said Duo with a grin, "Stick around him long enough and he might even crack a joke! Stranger things have happened, you know."

"I just hope that he can fight as well as the rumors say he can," Conille replied, "The rest of you better know how to handle yourselves, too."

"We're professionals," said Trowa, "You needn't concern yourself with our performance."

"You're not qualified to judge our abilities, anyway," said Wufei dismissively.

Conille glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't mind him!" said Quatre as he stepped between the two of them, "He can be a bit… abrasive at times, but he doesn't mean anything by it."

So far, so good, thought Heero as the group entered the briefing room, No one's thrown a punch yet, anyway, although that's setting a rather low bar to clear…

As they took their seats, Talia went to the front of the room. She was carrying a small remote, and with a click of a button the large screen on the far wall came to life. A detailed map of the Suez Canal and the surrounding region appeared on the monitor, with both friendly and enemy positions clearly marked.

"I'll be blunt with you all," she began, "We're facing an uphill fight. With the loss of the Desmond and the redeployment of elements of the northern strike force to counter Alliance reinforcements moving in from the Mediterranean, our firepower and numbers have taken a serious hit."

"You still have the Nyiragongo and Whakaari just off shore, correct?" asked Captain Jameson, "Surely their units can support our operation."

Talia shook her head. "I'm afraid their ability to provide support is quite limited. While we were traversing the Indian Ocean, we came under attack by a substantial Alliance force. We were able to beat them back, but not without cost. Between the two of them, the Nyiragongo and Whakaari can only field four BABIs and two ZnOs. That's barely enough for them to protect themselves, let alone reinforce the rest of us."

"Damn it," hissed Captain Friedeburg, "Just our luck…"

"What about their Marine complements?" asked Captain Key, "The two vessels were fully outfitted before their departure from Carpentaria, yes?"

Talia nodded. "That's correct, but it was the standard amount for both vessels. They're geared up for commando strikes and can deploy with a low profile, but they lack the numbers to take and secure the entire canal."

"We can help with that," Conille chimed in, "Desert Wind's taken heavy losses recently, but we still have plenty of fighters that are able and willing to engage the enemy. They can work with your Marines to secure the canal itself, and many of them actually used to work there; they have inside knowledge of the facilities, and we'd be happy to share their expertise."

"That's all well and good," said Captain Jameson grimly, "but I'm afraid it's not the canal that's our main problem. It's the fortifications that have been established to the east of it that are the source of our woes."

Talia pointed the remote and the screen, and the image zoomed in on what appeared to be a large ravine. The area was absolutely swarming with crimson hostile contact markers, even more so than the Suez Canal itself.

"The Gulnahan Ravine, you mean," said Talia, "The enemy has certainly beefed up the forces they have guarding it."

"That passage is just as important as the canal itself, if not more so," said Captain Friedeburg, "If we cannot take it, our land cruisers will have no other means to traverse north and south. It is critical that we take it."

Captain Key sighed. "Unfortunately, seizing the ravine is a rather tall order. Captain Gladys, if you'll please zoom in on the center portion of the pass, you'll see what I mean."

The monitor shifted again as Talia made the necessary adjustments, and Heero could see two large and heavily fortified positions flanking both sides of the ravine. Mounted within them were weapons that Heero instantly recognized.

Lohengrin Positron Blaster Cannons.

No wonder ZAFT hasn't been able to take the pass before now, he thought, I can't see their land cruisers making it past those guns in one piece…

Duo whistled. "Now that's some heavy artillery!"

"Indeed," said Captain Jameson, "The gun on the eastern flank faces north, while the western emplacement is aimed south. No heavy units can get close enough to line up a clear shot on either weapon."

"They must have dedicated power generators set up for those guns," said Trowa, "Have you tried targeting them with airstrikes?"

Captain Friedeburg shook his head. "The generators were installed in heavily reinforced bunkers. Our mobile suits lack the firepower to crack their shells."

"The area is also heavily guarded by enemy mobile suits and anti-air defenses," said Captain Key, "Precision targeting under those circumstances is out of the question."

"I'm afraid that's not the worst of it, either," said Captain Jameson grimly as he stood up and handed a small data drive to Talia, "We've tried probing their defenses before, and we found something nasty."

Talia plugged the data drive into a slot just below the monitor. The image on the screen shifted again, this time revealing a grey and beige hybrid machine unlike anything Heero had ever seen before. Its lower body vaguely reminded him of a beetle, with six legs, a sleek profile, and two large fin-like structures that could be mistaken for wings. Mounted on its back just behind where the beetle's 'head' would've been, however, was the upper body of a mobile suit. It held two beam rifles, one in each hand, and Heero was sure that those weren't the only weapons it was equipped with.

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is that?"

"I've never seen a unit configuration like that before," said Quatre.

"Is that a new type of mobile armor?" asked Lunamaria.

Captain Jameson nodded. "Yes. We believe it was shipped out here about the same time that the Lohengrin emplacements were set up. Our mobile suits have skirmished with it before, and it's a rather nasty piece of work."

Rey looked skeptical. "Really? Its large frame looks like it would be rather cumbersome in combat. Surely your pilots would have little trouble outmaneuvering it."

"It's faster than it looks," said Captain Friedeburg, "and it's quite powerful."

"The firepower it carries is formidable, but that's not the main the issue," growled Captain Key, "The problem's that damn energy shield!"

Talia raised an eyebrow. "Energy shield?"

Captain Jameson nodded. "When our BABIs made an attack run, they tried to take it down with brute force. They fired a combined salvo with their Ardor cannons, but an energy barrier deflected their shots."

"Shells and missiles fared no better," said Captain Friedeburg grimly, "That thing is as durable as it is ugly."

"We faced a similar unit when we departed the Orb Union," said Talia, "It would seem that machine was just the first of the Earth Alliance's new prototype heavy mobile armors."

"We beat the first one they sent against us," said Shinn confidently, "We can beat this one, too!"

Athrun nodded. "If ranged attacks were no good against this thing, then I imagine the best way to take it out would be up close. I can think of a few pilots here who would be more than capable of pulling that off, myself included."

Conille shook her head. "That's easier said than done, you know. That mobile armor's not the only problem here. If none of you can deal with the dogs of war the Alliance brought in, then you won't be able to get close to the mobile armor."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to Desperado Enforcement? How many pilots do they have defending the region?"

"According to Captain Jameson, three of them were responsible for the loss of the Desmond," said Talia, "It's entirely possible that more of them are operating in this area."

"Is Rodrigues one of them?" asked Wufei.

"We don't know the names of the individual pilots," said Captain Jameson, "It is possible, though."

Wufei folded his arms. "If he's here, I'll find him."

"We'll need to find all of the Desperado aces operating in the area," said Heero, "Keeping track of them and isolating them from the broader engagement will be vital if we're going to pull this off."

"It'll certainly help," said Captain Friedeburg, "However, it'll all be for naught if we can't find a way to deal with those Lohengrin emplacements."

Captain Key smiled. "I believe that's where Miss Almeta can be of assistance."

Shinn looked skeptical. "Really? How?"

"For starters, my comrades and I know the Gulnahan Ravine better than the Earth Alliance does," said Conille, "There's a cave system with an entrance just to the southeast of the ravine. Maneuvering would be tight, but a skilled pilot would be able to fly through it and come out practically right next to the Lohengrin on the eastern side."

"Show us," Talia ordered.

Conille stood up and presented her with another data drive. Talia plugged it into another slot beneath the monitor, and a map of the cave she had mentioned appeared on the screen, along with several interior pictures.

Heero studied the pictures carefully. The cave definitely appeared large, but he had to wonder if it really would be possible to get an entire mobile suit through them.

Duo appeared to have his doubts. "Tight fit, even for us."

Trowa nodded. "Agreed. It might be more feasible to have a commando unit sneak through on foot and try to plant demolitions charges on the Lohengrin closest to the exit."

Conille shook her head. "Going through on foot will take too long!"

"I think she's right," said Quatre before looking over at Shinn, "However, there could be another way…"

Heero quickly realized what Quatre had in mind. "The Core Splendor… that might work."

Shinn's eyes widened. "Wait, you want me to go through there?"

"The Core Splendor's smaller than a mobile suit, but still has some firepower," said Wufei, "If you can make it through the cave, you'd be in an ideal position for a precision strike on both Lohengrins."

"It would be difficult," said Rey, "but not impossible."

Lunamaria smiled. "I think it's a good idea! Shinn, you could totally pull it off!"

Conille eyed Shinn skeptically. "Him? Are you sure?"

Shinn glared at her. "What, you got a problem with that?"

"I just don't know if you can handle it," she replied, "You act so green compared to everyone else."

"He doesn't have as much experience as some of us here," said Heero, "but he has the talents necessary for an operation like this."

Shinn looked a bit taken aback by Heero's endorsement. "You think so? Thanks."

"Don't thank me just yet," said Heero as he turned towards Talia, "It's not my call to make, after all."

The Captain of the Minerva eyed the ZAFT Red carefully. Heero could tell that she was weighing his abilities with his recklessness and insubordination. Her hesitation was understandable, but even with factoring in Shinn's hotheaded nature, Heero still felt that he was a good candidate for this task.

After a long moment, Talia nodded. "It'll be a difficult operation, but I believe that you can handle it, Shinn. However, I'll understand if you have reservations."

Shinn shook his head. "No, ma'am. I can do it!"

Talia smiled. "Very well, then. Miss Almeta, after the briefing's over, I want you to give Shinn every bit of information you have on those caves. He's going to need it."

Conille sighed, but nodded all the same. "Understood."

"Captain," said Rey, "Forgive me if this sounds like I'm questioning your decision, but I do have a concern with regards to this operation. I do not doubt Shinn's abilities, but the Core Splendor's payload is quite limited; I do not think it'll be enough to successfully knock out both Lohengrins, regardless of how precise his attacks are."

Talia nodded. "Your point's a valid one. Still, our options are rather limited."

An idea began taking shape in Heero's mind. "Perhaps, but there might be a way to work around that."

He turned to Duo, and from the smile on his old friend's face Heero knew that he didn't need to elaborate further. "Say no more, buddy!"

Captain Jameson didn't look convinced. "No offense, young man, but what makes you think that you are the one that's capable of dealing with the second Lohengrin?"

Duo grinned. "Now, now, that would be spoiling the fun!"

"This is a war, not a game!" barked Captain Friedeburg.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Man, you guys are way too uptight about this. Look, I'll put it to you in terms that you can understand. My Gundam? It's a stealth attack unit. I've got this in the bag."

Captain Key eyed him skeptically. "A stealth attack mobile suit? As in a unit equipped with Mirage Colloid? That technology was banned by the Treaty of Junius Seven!"

"A treaty that wasn't worth the paper it was written on," said Wufei with more than a hint of disdain, "Just ask the Alliance."

"Your enemy has shown no qualms about using technology and weapons banned by the peace accords of the last war," said Trowa, "If they're going to take advantage of advanced stealth systems, why shouldn't you?"

"We're offering our services in order to liberate this region and set back the Earth Alliance's plans," said Quatre, "I can understand your reluctance to trust us given that we're not part of ZAFT, but given your current situation I don't think you can afford to turn down our support just because you're uneasy with the nature of one of our Gundams."

Talia nodded. "I understand your concern, Captain Key, but as the senior Captain and a member of FAITH, the decision to utilize Duo's machine and its unique capabilities in this operation falls to me. Given the tactical and strategic considerations, I fully intend to take him up on his offer. If you disagree, you are of course free to report my actions to the Defense Council."

Captain Key looked like he was about to press the matter, but after a moment seemed to reconsider. "No… I do not think that will be necessary. I shall abide by your decision, Captain Gladys."

"As will the rest of us," said Captain Friedeburg.

Captain Jameson sighed. "That takes care of the Lohengrins, but even after they're taken out, the enemy will still have a substantial force. Taking them in on in a head-to-head fight will be quite costly for us."

"Isn't there a way to divide the enemy's forces?" asked Quatre, "Surely there must be something we can do to soften them up before the big push."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "The enemy's not guarding a single strategic point; it has two it needs to protect. Attacking one may draw units away from the other."

Duo nodded. "The Suez Canal or the Gulnahan Ravine; they can't have both."

"Neither can we," Athrun countered, "We don't have the numbers to take both points simultaneously."

"We don't have to," said Heero, "We just need to make them think our objective is one rather than the other."

"A diversionary attack on the Suez Canal would do the trick," said Trowa, "The submarine/carriers would come in handy for such a strike."

Talia shook her head. "They don't have enough remaining mobile suits to make such an attack viable."

"Which is why we need to send one of ours as backup," said Heero.

"Just one mobile suit will not make a difference," scoffed Captain Key.

Wufei folded his arms. "Clearly you haven't been paying attention to this war."

Talia's eyes narrowed. "The only mobile suits that are powerful enough to make that sort of difference on their own would be your Gundams. Are you volunteering one of them to play the role of decoy?"

Heero turned to Trowa. "Heavyarms Arsenal would be ideal; it can lay down a strong opening barrage and can provide cover fire for a withdrawal. You up for it?"

Trowa nodded. "Sure. It doesn't sound all that different from our old missions."

Talia sighed. "I'm not sure about this. We're going to need as much firepower as we can get in order to secure the Gulnahan Ravine. Diverting even one machine weakens that effort."

"It'll be worth it if that machine can draw some of the enemy units away, even just for a little while," Quatre argued, "Trowa's more than capable of handling an operation like this. All the pilots of the Nyiragongo and Whakaari would have to do is act as backup. It'll be a much better use of them there then having them join us to attack the ravine."

"This is your operation, Captain Gladys," said Heero, "It's not our place to tell you how to plan your missions. However, I believe that this move will increase our chances of success. Trowa will be taking on most of the risk, so it's not like ZAFT has much to lose."

There was a moment of silence as Talia appeared to be considering the plan. After a moment she nodded.

"Very well, then," she said, "Trowa Barton, you'll lead a diversionary strike on the Suez Canal. Once the enemy's sent reinforcements from the Gulnahan Ravine to repel your assault, we'll launch our attack on the Lohengrins. I'll also have the Captains of the Nyiragongo and Whakaari prepare their commandos for a raid on the canal fortifications; they should be able to sabotage at least a few weapons emplacements and be able to pull out before you arrive."

"Understood," said Trowa, "I'll be sure to coordinate my actions carefully with the appropriate Captains."

"When will we put this plan into motion?" asked Athrun, "The longer we stay here, the more time the enemy has to bolster their defenses."

"I'm well aware of that," Talia replied, "That's why we'll begin preparations immediately. Time is of the essence, and I intend to waste none of it."

"I'll contact my people and make sure that they're ready," said Conille, "It'll be much shorter notice than any of us were planning on, but we should still be able to support the operation."

Talia nodded. "We all have our assignments. Let's get to work!"

….

Murrue's eyes narrowed as Heero finished describing the coming operation. "So that's the plan? Diversion, sneak attack, and then frontal assault?"

On the main bridge monitor, Heero nodded. "Pretty much. We'll be kicking things off pretty quickly. How far behind us are you?"

Murrue smiled. "Not far at all. Did you need some help?"

"Some low-profile help, if possible," Heero admitted, "Can Natarle spare the Wraiths? I've got an idea, and if it all works out they won't even have to deactivate their Mirage Colloids."

"As long as she's still got the Werewolf, Tallgeese Kai and Epyon Revenant to defend the Dominion, I don't think she'll mind loaning the three Wraiths out for a mission," Murrue replied, "What did you have in mind?"

"A bit of stealth firepower to support our diversion," said Heero, "One salvo from them would be more than enough."

Murrue nodded. "I'll let Natarle know. Pass on any data you have to me and I'll forward it to her."

"Understood," said Heero, "and thanks."

Murrue smiled. "Of course. Is there anything else we can do to help? Just say the word and we'll join you on the front lines."

Heero sighed. "I'd like to take you up on that, but I think it'd be best to keep the Archangel and the Dominion off the radar for the time being. Keeping a low profile will make both ships much more valuable as an ace in the hole."

Murrue figured that he'd say something along those lines. His point was valid, but part of her suspected that he wanted to keep her off the battlefield for her own safety. She could appreciate the concern, but she was tougher than that, and she knew that he was well aware of that.

I'll play along for now, Heero, she thought, but so help me, if you take a risk that's foolish even by your standards just because you want to avoid putting me in danger, you'd better believe that I'm going to take exception to that…

"All right," she said after a moment, "I don't like it, but I trust your judgement. Just promise me that you'll take care of yourself out there, okay?"

"You have my word," he replied.

Murrue smiled. "That's all I can ask for. I'll make sure the girls get the data when you send it over. Give 'em hell, Heero."

Heero nodded. "Roger that."

….

On the western side of the Suez Canal, Atlantic Federation Corporal Norman Wilcox was practically baking in the late afternoon sun. The sandy-blond haired, blue eyed 23-year old officer had long since given up trying to get used to the North African heat; as a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the scorching temperatures might as well have been as alien to him as the surface of Mars.

The rest of the crew manning the anti-air missile battery he was in charge of seemed to be faring little better. Norman wasn't the most sociable of soldiers, but he had made at least some efforts to get to know the men under his command. As it turned out, most of them happened to be from either the upper Midwest or Northeast, so they hated the heat about as much as he did. Being stationed in North Africa was practically a sentence to their own personal hell, so the Corporal was hardly inclined to stop his subordinates from complaining about the unholy temperatures as long as they still managed to carry out their duties.

Best thing to do is keep them busy, he thought, although we haven't really had much to do since the mercenaries got here. I almost feel sorry for the local guerillas…

"McKenzie, Perez!" he barked, "Is the calibration check done yet?"

Private Alfonso Perez nodded. "Just wrapping it up now, sir. Everything looks good!"

"Of course, it's good," groaned Private Dustin McKenzie, "We check the damn calibrations twice a day! Why would they be any different?"

Norman sighed. "I know it's tedious, but it's also important. We don't want these babies to go on the fritz when we need them most, after all. We play it by the book, and by the book in this case means calibration checks twice a day. You got that, Private?"

"Sir, yes sir!" replied McKenzie.

Norman smiled. "I'll tell you what, McKenzie. Since I'm feeling generous, here's the deal; if either you or Perez beat me in tonight's poker round, I'll do the calibrations myself tomorrow. What do you say?"

Perez raised an eyebrow. "You serious, sir?"

"You ought to know me by now, Private," said Norman, "When I make a wager, I'm good for it win or lose. You two in?"

McKenzie grinned. "You bet!"

Perez shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

I doubt the brass would approve of us using our duties as wages in our off hours entertainment, he mused with a smirk, but, then again, it's not like any of us really give a shit about what they think.

He moved towards the sandbags that formed a makeshift perimeter around the anti-air emplacement. Leaning against the rather hastily erected cover, he grabbed his binoculars and peered out at the desert beyond. Keeping lookout wasn't exactly his job, but he needed something to relieve his boredom and keep his mind off of the heat.

As he idly scanned the dunes, he caught a hint of movement in the distance. Norman was about to brush it off as nothing more than a bit of local wildlife, but something seemed off about it. Taking another look, he realized that it was human.

Multiple humans, in fact.

Armed humans.

And one was kneeling in the sand and taking aim right at Norman's emplacement with something that was definitely more than just your typical rifle.

"RPG!" he yelled, "Hit the deck!"

He turned his words into action, and it wasn't a moment too soon. Norman heard the roar of the high-explosive projectile racing across the sand, a second later it hit the anti-air missile launcher head on. His world was rocked as the blast devastated the emplacement, and his ears were ringing, but as he checked himself over he couldn't find any signs that he'd been wounded.

Looking around frantically, he found McKenzie and Perez a moment later. His two subordinates had been thrown clear away from the battery by the blast, and Norman rushed over to them. He stumbled as he did so, his coordination thrown off by the explosion, but he was still able to make it over where they lay. Kneeling to look them over, Norman was relieved to find that they were both still alive; apart from suffering a few minor burns, they'd only been knocked out cold by the blast.

Lucky break for us, he thought as his gaze turned to the blackened, ruined husk of the missile launcher the three of them had been in charge of, I can't say the same for our weapon, though.

Looking around, it quickly became clear that his emplacement wasn't the only one that had come under attack. Plumes of smoke were rising on both sides of the canal, and as he grabbed his binoculars again he could individual fireteams with portable missile launchers beating a hasty retreat. His emplacement had been hit by an older weapon, but some of the others that Norman caught glimpses of looked to be much more sophisticated. That was when he realized that it was more than just guerillas that were attacking them this time.

"Shit," he hissed as he fumbled for his radio, "Fuck you, ZAFT…"

His head was still ringing, and his sense of balance was completely thrown out of whack. At the very minimum, Norman knew that he had suffered a concussion, and he was sure the medics would find more when they got to him. The Corporal and his subordinates had been given rifles, but their guns had been right next to the missile launcher when it had gone up in smoke; they were nothing more than twisted bits of scrap now. Norman still had his sidearm, but it wasn't like it would do much good in a situation like this, especially when his aim was so off thanks to his head trauma.

He made his call for medical assistance and then sat down in the sand next to his unconscious comrades. Giving himself another look over, he saw a bit of blood on his hand after he'd checked his ears; there was probably a ruptured eardrum to add to his list of problems now.

The three of us are out of this one right from the get-go, he thought grimly, At least we're alive, though. Can't ask for more than that…

….

Start "Juggernaut"

Skimming low over the water's surface, Trowa could see plumes of smoke rising in the distance. He increased his speed and gained a bit of altitude as he set himself up for his opening attack. His scanners indicated that several mobile suits had launched from hangars on both sides of the canal; he would have to distract them if the ZAFT commandos and local guerillas were to have a chance at retreating to safety.

"Stick to the plan," he ordered the four BABI pilots that were trailing in his wake, "Let me draw the heat."

Sighting in on his first targets, Trowa cut loose. A blast from the Double Assault Beam Cannon blew away a Windam, while a hail of bullets from the Double Barrell Gatling Gun ripped apart two more machines. The other Earth Alliance mobile suits immediately altered course as they realized a much greater threat than a bunch of foot soldiers was heading their way.

Switching over to an encrypted channel Heero had given him earlier, Trowa contacted his concealed backup. "They took the bait. Now's your chance."

"Copy that," said Adaline, "Commencing attack."

Cloaked and lying in wait, the three Wraiths unleashed a salvo of Lancer Dart missiles. As the enemy mobile suits had reoriented themselves to face Trowa's attack from the south, they were completely unprepared as warheads appeared seemingly out of thin air from the east, west, and above them. A string of explosions lit up the sky, and Trowa saw at least a dozen hostile machines vanish from his sensors.

Perfect, he thought, My turn.

Locking onto the disorganized mobile suits, Trowa unleashed a wave of missiles, bullets, and beams. At the same time, the three Wraiths fired a second salvo of Lancer Dart missiles. The result was a series of overlapping barrages that utterly decimated the Alliance's aerial units and gave Trowa some valuable breathing room.

"That's it for us," said Adaline, "We're pulling out. Good luck."

Trowa nodded. "Roger that."

With the skies momentarily his, the Gundam pilot turned his attention to the surface. He sighted in on two destroyers sitting near the entrance of the canal. Missile lock warnings rang in the cockpit, but Trowa wasn't bothered in the least. As the two vessels launched their anti-air warheads, two quick bursts from the Double Barrell Gatling Gun was all he needed to destroy the projectiles midflight. He then turned his weapons on the warships themselves and opened fire. A salvo from the Double Assault Beam Cannon hit one destroyer amidships at the waterline, and the power of the twin blasts of energy was enough to break the ship in half. As for the second destroyer, a rain of missiles from Heavyarms Arsenal ravaged its upper decks, defanging the ship and leaving it as little more than a charred, floating hulk.

A beeping from his sensors informed him that more Windams were on the way. "I'll keep them busy. You four begin your attack runs."

"Copy that," said the lead BABI pilot.

As Trowa moved out ahead, the four BABIs swooped low. All four machines were in their mobile armor form due to the increased speed it offered, and they swiftly cut loose with their beam rifles, gun launchers, and missiles. Explosions dotted the ground on both sides of the canal as weapons emplacements went up in flames.

With much less in the way of surface fire to worry about, Trowa concentrated on the next batch of incoming mobile suits. This one was larger than the initial flock, and was composed of both Dagger-Ls and Windams. The L3 native knew that the key to his survival would be to keep his distance; he had no melee weapons to counter their beam sabers with, and his fellow Gundam pilots were not here to support him this time.

The sky filled with bullets, missiles, and particle beams as Trowa opened up with everything he had. Dagger-Ls and Windams alike scattered, but not enough to avoid the barrage altogether. Several machines were outright torn apart by the hail of fire, while others plummeted towards the surface trailing smoke and fire. This time, though, the enemy didn't have cloaked attackers to deal with on top of the Heavyarms Arsenal, and they were able to return fire. Particle beams and air-to-air missiles sought out the Gundam, and while the shots were scattered Trowa still had to work to evade them.

They'll only get more effective the longer this battle goes on, he thought as he continued to pour fire back at his foes, I imagine it'll only be a matter of time before the number of reinforcements becomes overwhelming.

The sheer volume of fire that Heavyarms Arsenal could put out was unsurpassed by any other mobile suit, but Trowa knew that his ammo supply was finite. Having the Double Assault Beam Cannon gave him something to fall back on once he was out of bullets and missiles, but its rate of fire was much slower than what he was used to dealing with. Once he was reduced to just that weapon, Trowa knew that the enemy would have a much easier time closing the distance to engage him.

With the skies once again a little clearer, Trowa began reducing his outgoing fire to short bursts. It was enough to keep the enemy on their toes while at the same time allowing him to make his ammunition last longer. As skilled as he was, though, he would not deny that he much preferred working alongside his fellow Gundam pilots; the mutual support and teamwork went a considerable way towards helping him make his munitions last longer in battle.

While Trowa continued to engage the enemy mobile suits, the BABIs had shifted their attention towards naval targets. An Alliance cruiser escorted by two destroyers was making its way down the canal towards them, and the ZAFT pilots wasted no time in swooping in for an attack run. Particle beams and shells raked the warships, blackening their hulls and setting off secondary explosions as their munitions magazines went up in flames. Unfortunately, the effort didn't come without cost; a lucky missile from one of the escorting destroyers nailed a BABI head-on and sent the machine plummeting down into the waves.

"Pull back," Trowa ordered the remaining three, "Cover my flanks until it's time to withdraw."

The surviving BABIs followed his orders. It was a relief to Trowa to see that these particular ZAFT pilots had no problem with working under him even though he was an outsider. He just hoped that he could keep the other three alive long enough for them to make it back to their home vessels.

So far, so good, he thought as he shredded a Windam with a pinpoint burst, Heero and the others should be making their move anytime now…

End "Juggernaut"

….

Studying the Nosferatu's cockpit display, Nazara's brow furrowed beneath his mask. Although the Colonel's mobile suit was ready to take off and repel the attack on the canal, he hadn't gotten airborne yet. There was something about the nature of this attack that was giving him pause.

"Control," he said, "Confirm number of enemy contacts."

"Four hostile mobile suits remaining," the base's mobile suit combat coordinator replied, "One of the BABIs was shot down. There were reports earlier of missiles appearing out of thin air, though; cloaked machines may be active in the area."

Nazara nodded. "And you can confirm that Wing Zero is not among the units attacking the canal?"

"We've spotted no sign of it," Control replied, "The artillery unit that was spotted in previous engagements is leading the attack with the BABIs, but neither Wing Zero or any of the other machines based off of it has made an appearance."

And they likely will not, at least not there, thought the Colonel as he put the pieces together, ZAFT suffered considerably from Wing Zero's firepower during the last war, so if it's working with them this time around, then it would likely be at the center of whatever assault they have planned.

"Control, cease diverting units to the canal," he ordered.

The operator was confused. "Excuse me, Colonel?"

"You heard me," said Nazara firmly, "The engagement there is a diversion; the enemy's real objective is the Gulnahan Ravine. Dispatch the main body of our force there immediately!"

The Colonel didn't even wait for Control to respond cutting the connection. Gunning his engines, he was in the air immediately and racing towards the Lohengrin Gate.

I'm one step ahead of you, Heero Yuy, he thought with a smile, I won't lose this time!

….

"Shit!" hissed Shinn as the Core Splendor zipped past an outcropping, "That was way too close!"

I can't believe I actually agreed to go along with this, he thought as he sped through the cave, I had no idea it'd be this intense!

The young ZAFT Red was practically white knuckling the controls, and he was amazed that he hadn't crashed half a dozen times by now. He was following the terrain layout provided by Conille to the letter, but that didn't change the fact that this sort of flying was still far beyond anything he had ever attempted before. His academy training had barely offered more than a handful of simulator flights for lessons on operating in such an enclosed environment, and now that Shinn found himself doing it for real he was faced with the painful realization that those few sessions weren't nearly enough.

Taking a quick glance at the mission timer on his display, he could at least comfort himself with the fact that he was on schedule. The precise timeframe required to pull off this operation meant that he was walking one hell of a tightrope. If he flew too fast, there was no way he'd be able to make it through the caves alive. However, if he flew too slow he risked arriving late or outright causing his aircraft to stall and crash. While Shinn was all for putting his skills to the test, if he never had to fly this sort of mission again after today was done he would be very grateful.

The caves might've been large for someone going through them on foot, but for an aircraft they offered very little room for error. It was fortunate for Shinn that the Earth Alliance was unaware of them; if the enemy had set up even minimal defenses in here, he wouldn't have stood a chance at making it to his objective.

Please tell me I'm almost there, he thought as he checked the map again, I'd rather be trading fire with the enemy than flying through this deathtrap!

Luckily, he appeared to be close to the exit. However, according to the map, the home stretch was the hardest yet; there were more turns there than the rest of the cave combined. It wasn't like Shinn could turn back now, though.

"All right," he said as he leaned forward, "Let's do this!"

….

Being a sentry charged with guarding one of the Lohengrin emplacements wasn't exactly the most exciting duty a soldier could have, but Private Kit Mills could definitely think of worse assignments. If nothing else, the black haired and blue-eyed 18-year old was grateful for the fact that the massive weapon provided plenty of shade against the scorching Middle Eastern sun. That alone was almost enough to make up for the tediousness of the assignment.

It's definitely one of the safest posts in the area, he thought as he idly checked his rifle for signs of wear and tear, I mean, the last time ZAFT and the local rebels tried to attack they didn't even get close to this thing. Between the mobile armor's shield and the firepower of the Lohengrin, you'd have to be suicidal to try to strike it.

Of course, the Private was no fool; just because the weapon was well defended didn't mean that there weren't people out there crazy enough to test those defenses. Since a frontal attack had already failed, Kit's superiors had informed the soldiers guarding both Lohengrins that the next strike would likely come in the form of a commando raid. Given that this was the Middle East and they were fighting the locals as well as ZAFT, his commander had also advised him to be on the lookout for potential suicide bombers. Kit hadn't heard of the guerillas in the area using such desperate tactics, but that didn't mean that they couldn't change their minds.

Either way, it looked like he wouldn't have to worry about anything today. There was an attack in progress, but it was taking place at the Suez Canal, not the Gulnahan Ravine. Kit hadn't heard much in the way of details, but between the Alliance garrison and the mercenaries that had been brought in as reinforcements, he doubted that ZAFT and the guerillas were capable of doing much more than harassing the defenders. The fighting would likely be over before he could even lay eyes on the enemy, and Kit was just fine with that.

Just like my old man said, he mused, it doesn't matter if you see action or not; all that matters in war is that you survive to the end of it. I don't care if it means I won't have any exciting stories to tell; if I get guard posts at locations where the enemy can't touch me for the rest of this war, I'll take those any day of the week.

Unfortunately, his nice and safe posting wasn't as secure as he thought it was.

The sudden blaring of an alarm took him completely by surprise. The enemy was still attacking the canal, right? There was no way they could have the strength to attack both there and the Gulnahan Ravine at the same time. Looking around frantically, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a single white and blue fighter jet flying barely more than a handful of meters above the ground and racing towards his emplacement.

"You've got to be kidding…" he murmured as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.

It shouldn't have mattered how low the aircraft was flying; no fighter should've been able to pierce the anti-air umbrella that had been established around the twin Lohengrin emplacements. Yet here it was, and it had apparently made its approach undetected until the last possible moment. Kit was no expert when it came to aircraft, but it didn't take a genius to spot the missiles mounted on the wings of the fighter, and he had a pretty good idea as to what its target was. Acting on instinct alone, he hit the deck.

It was a good move; the aircraft had unleashed its payload a split-second later. Its missiles went right into the Lohengrin, and the ground rumbled as multiple warheads detonated. Kit found himself thrown back against a nearby barricade, but his helmet and body armor took the brunt of the blow. His ears were ringing and his head was spinning, but he was very much alive.

The Lohengrin Positron Blaster Cannon was another story, though. Sparks and smoke sputtered from the scorched and twisted frame of the weapon; it had been utterly wrecked.

And Kit feared that this was just the beginning.

….

Duo chuckled as he saw smoke billow from the husk of the Lohengrin on the eastern side of the ravine. "I'll be damned. The kid actually pulled it off. Not bad!"

That means no more lounging around for me, though, he thought as he returned his gaze to the Lohengrin emplacement that he was targeting I guess it's time to get to work…

Thanks to the Deathscythe Omega's cloaking system, positioning himself behind enemy lines had been a piece of cake. There'd been no need to make any sort of hazardous and crazy flight plan like the one Shinn had just gone through; he'd simply flown right up to the western Lohengrin and parked his Gundam right next to it. If Shinn's airstrike had taken the enemy by surprise, then Duo could only imagine how they would react once they realized that he'd been sitting right next to their second heavy weapon the whole time.

Duo grinned. "All right, then. Time to fuck shit up!"

Star "Immigrant Song"

Igniting his Beam Scythe, he hit his thrusters and set up for his attack. He was in position a moment later and swung the energy blade into the western Lohengrin. The strike carved right through the heart of the weapon, and Duo slammed his engines into reverse to avoid getting caught in the blast. At the same time, he deactivated the Gundam's active cloaking system; stealth was out the window now that he had launched his opening attack.

His main target was wrecked, but that was no reason to stop there. He wasted no time in charging a nearby anti-air battery, and a single swipe of his Beam Scythe was all it took to lay waste to the missile launchers. Duo ignored the scattered ground troops as they ran for cover; his only concern was their artillery, at least until they actually fielded something that actually resembled a fighting opposition.

"All right," he said as he looked around, "Who's next?"

A trailer-mounted radar system flanked by a handful of self-propelled anti-air artillery pieces caught his eye, and he immediately charged them. The heavy anti-air guns got off a handful of shells, but the ones that actually managed to hit Deathscythe Omega simply glanced off its Gundanium alloy frame. Duo's counterattack was significantly more effective; a broad sweep with his Beam Scythe eliminated the guns, while a follow-up attack reduced the anti-air radar dish and the trailer it sat on to little more than twisted, molten medal.

A beeping from his display was all he needed to know that enemy air units were inbound. "Huh. They scrambled much faster than I thought they would."

It was as he began gaining altitude to meet them that he got a message from Heavyarms Arsenal. "Duo, have you commenced your attack?"

The L2 native gave his buddy a nod and a smirk. "Yup! The western Lohengrin's a wreck, and Shinn actually managed to take out the eastern one!"

"Good," said Trowa, "I'm still engaging enemy forces at the canal, but their counterattack hasn't been as heavy as we were anticipating. I think the enemy commander has already figured out that my attack's the diversion."

Duo's eyes narrowed. "That explains why they've already got mobile suits airborne over hear. Thanks for the heads-up."

Trowa nodded. "I'll try to wrap things up over here quickly before resupplying at the Minerva. Good luck."

"Same to you, buddy," said Duo.

He immediately switched over to Heero. "Just heard from Trowa; sounds like the enemy didn't completely take the bait. Both Lohengrins are out of commission, but we've got hostile squadrons moving in fast."

"Copy that," Heero replied, "We'll be there momentarily."

Duo grinned. "Can't wait! Deathscythe Omega, out!"

His smile became devious as he turned his attention to the first wave of Windams. "So, you want to tangle with the God of Death? No need to get in line; I'll take all you bitches on!"

End "Immigrant Song"

….

Locking on with his Twin Buster Rifle, Heero sent a wave of energy across the sky to announce his arrival onto the battlefield. The blast took out the three lead Windams, but the rest of the enemy units had already begun to scatter the moment they'd detected the energy spike.

They're getting better at reacting to my presence on the battlefield, he mused, I'll just have to work harder to keep them off balance going forward.

He was at a relatively high altitude, so he had a good view of the broader engagement zone. It wasn't hard to spot the smoking wrecks of the twin Lohengrin Positron Blaster Cannons, nor was it difficult to find Duo wreaking havoc on the enemy forces near the ruins of the western emplacement. A moment later he caught sight of Shinn Asuka racing to the south in the Core Splendor, no doubt contacting the Minerva to have them launch the rest of the Impulse's components. Heero didn't know what configuration the young ZAFT pilot would be going with for this battle but given that the heavy targets had already been eliminated and it was a wide-open environment, he suspected that Shinn would chose the Force Silhouette for the increased mobility.

"Wow, they really scrambled quickly this time!" said Quatre, "I guess our diversion wasn't as effective as we thought it would be."

"It still served its purpose," said Wufei, "Trowa did his job, and now we have to do ours."

Heero nodded. "Agreed. Pick your targets and engage at will. Keep an eye out for any unique machines; those'll likely be the ones piloted by the Desperado captains."

"They'd better be here," Wufei replied, and Heero could tell that he wasn't even trying to hide his excitement, "Rodrigues owes me another match."

"Picking up a large contact," said Athrun, "I think that's the new model mobile armor."

Heero spotted it on his sensors too, and as he adjusted his scopes he saw that it was indeed the same unit that they'd been shown in the briefing earlier. Its legs were retracted, and it was skimming over the ground as it rushed to join the battle. The ZAFT officers had been right; it was faster than its appearance suggested.

"Looks like it," said Heero, "You want this one, Athrun?"

"Sure," he replied, "Just keep the small fry off my back."

"Roger that," said Heero.

The Saviour, currently in its mobile armor form, broke off from the rest of the Gundams and went into a dive. Like a bird of prey, it descended on its target, and two streams of crimson energy flew from its Amfortas plasma cannons. The air in front of the mobile armor shimmered, and the twin blasts were deflected by an energy shield. Heero's eyes narrowed as he studied the phenomenon, noting that the emitters for the shield appeared to be on the shoulders of the mobile suit portion of the machine, along with the lower body.

Based on the combat data Wufei was able to provide, the prototype from the engagement when the Minerva was fleeing Orb had to reposition its whole body to use its shield system, thought Heero, but this one has all of its reflectors up front, reducing deployment time. It appears that the Alliance is refining their designs…

He had to wonder just what the Earth Alliance was thinking by spending so much time and resources developing these new mobile armors. The last war had proven quite decisively that the age of the mobile armor was over, and while the prototypes that they were fielding now were certainly far more advanced and formidable than the old Moebius units or the FA-X Juggernaut assault machines that had been deployed in the final campaign, in Heero's mind the effort and expense that had gone into them would be far better spent on mobile suit development and manufacturing instead. Ultimately, though, he supposed it didn't matter; Athrun would take this one down, and if any others reared their ugly heads the Gundam pilots would deal with them too.

Taking aim with the Wing Zero Albion's Xiphias rail cannons, he took down two Windams with a precise salvo. "Let's get to work on clearing the skies. We need to take out as many of these things as possible before the Winds of Destruction move to intercept us."

"No need to ask twice, buddy!" called Duo as he slammed his Beam Scythe straight through a Windam's cockpit.

"I'll focus on the right flank," said Quatre before hacking a Windam to pieces.

"I've got the left," Wufei chimed in as he impaled a hostile mobile suit.

Heero nodded. "Then the middle's mine. Let's do this."

….

"Shit!" Athrun hissed as he shifted the Saviour into its mobile suit configuration, "That damn barrier…'

He'd made two more attack runs with his machine in mobile armor form before, blasting away with his plasma cannons, but each time the enemy's energy shield had deflected the shots. It was clear that the Saviour's artillery would not be enough to take the prototype mobile armor down; he'd have to get up close and personal to destroy it. Athrun was fine with that, but he did wish that he had his old Justice mobile suit for this mission. The Saviour was a fine machine, but the nuclear-powered mobile suit he'd flown in the last campaign of the First Bloody Valentine War would've been perfect for this assignment.

The Saviour had barely managed to complete the transformation into its mobile suit form in time to evade the enemy mobile armor's counterattack. Its two beam rifles had a lethal mix of power and a relatively high rate of fire, and Athrun was sure that the unit had far more energy to draw upon than he did. If it came down to a battle of attrition, he'd be in trouble; the Saviour could have its power replenished thanks to the Deuterion Beam technology pioneered by ZAFT, but Athrun would have to break off his attack first, and he didn't want to think about the kind of damage the mobile armor could inflict on his allies if he wasn't able to keep it distracted.

Unfortunately for him, Athrun soon realized that the twin beam rifles weren't the only weapons the mobile armor was packing. As he attempted to close the distance, he saw the machine raise its two pincer-like front legs, and his eyes widened as he realized that both limbs had beam cannons mounted on them. He gunned his engines and gained altitude, and not a moment too soon; the mobile armor unleashed a hail of particle beams, and if Athrun had been caught in the confines of the ravine he would've had no room for evasive maneuvers.

This is going to be much tougher than I first thought, he mused, I wonder if it's too late to get some backup…

Checking his display as he dodged the mobile armor's fire, he was disappointed to see that none of the Gundam pilots were able to lend him a hand. Heero was confronting the main body of the enemy's airborne squadrons head-on, racing across the sky so swiftly that his Gundam often appeared to be no more than a streak of azure light. One Windam after another fell, either to his beam saber or railguns, but there were plenty of units left to engage him. He wasn't alone, though; Deathscythe Omega was watching his back, and while it wasn't as fast it was still utterly lethal. Broad swings from its signature weapon cleaved through mobile suit fireteams as easily as a farmer might cut wheat, and the mechanical Grim Reaper seemed hellbent on ensuring a bloody harvest.

The enemy squadrons were attempting to adapt by organizing flanking strikes, but their efforts were being disrupted by Quatre and Wufei. Gundam Sandrock Saladin was carving a swath of destruction across the sky as it tore into one Windam after another on the right flank, while the Altron was ripping apart the Alliance's squadrons on the left with its whirling double-ended beam trident and fearsome Dragon Fangs. However, this was still the early stage of the battle; Athrun knew that the enemy forces were still scrambling their squadrons, and according to the intel presented in the briefing the local garrison had plenty of machines to throw into the fray.

That's not counting the Desperado Captains, he thought as he continued to evade fire from the mobile armor, I'm not seeing them on my scopes yet, but they've got to be hitting the field soon…

Little did Athrun know that the mercenaries actually already were on the field.

Just not the southern part of it.

….

While he was always happy to find himself right in the thick of the fighting, Jetstream Sam's enthusiasm inevitably took a nosedive whenever he was assigned to take on inferior opponents. The mobile suit pilots that had taken off from the Lesseps-class land battleship and Petrie-class land cruiser of ZAFT's northern force were a case in point; none of them could offer anything close to the challenge that he craved, yet he had been tasked with eliminating them first before he would be allowed to turn his attention south towards the real battle that was taking place.

This is a waste of my talents, he thought as he sliced a BABI in half with the Ronin's beam katana, and I know I'm not the only one that feels that way…

His personal distaste aside, Sam could appreciate Colonel Nazara's plan from a purely tactical standpoint. The idea was straightforward; it was all too obvious that ZAFT's northern and southern forces would move in for a pincer attack when the time came, so why not eliminate the weaker of the two as quickly as possible rather than having the Alliance units in the area become subject to a fight on two fronts? Once it had been determined that the attack on the Suez Canal was a decoy and the real strike would be against the fortifications at the Gulnahan Ravine, it had simply become a matter of determining how to deal with the inevitable threat of Wing Zero and its fellow advanced machines. Nazara's answer had been to throw the rank and file Earth Alliance pilots against them to buy time while the elites, including the Colonel and the Winds of Destruction, swiftly destroyed ZAFT's northern force. Once that objective was complete, they would then swing south to take on their real enemy without fear of an attack from behind.

Ground fire from a BuCUE forced him to go evasive, although the unit's railgun rounds posed little direct threat to the Ronin's Phase Shift Armor. Sam was about to rush in for a counterattack when a particle beam pierced the ZAFT mobile suit's right side and turned it into a fireball. It only took a moment for the mercenary to find the source; the Gaia.

It's in its element down here, he thought, although I'm not sure if the girl's capable of bringing out that machine's true potential.

His private doubts aside, there was no denying that the unit was performing well. For the first time since it had been stolen from Armory One, the Gaia was actually being used in the environment that it had been built for, and its mobile armor form made the BuCUEs look like cheap knockoffs despite the fact that the former was actually descended from the latter. The black mechanical wolf was tearing through machines that it had originally been meant to fight side-by-side with, and Sam idly wondered if the enemy had any appreciation for the inherent irony of the situation.

Then again, the enemy had more important things to worry about at the moment. ZAFT's northern force was fighting for its life, and it was a fight that they didn't stand a chance at winning. While they were only confronted with six mobile suits, those machines and their pilots were more than a match for them.

The Lesseps-class land battleship was being subjected to a withering bombardment from the Nosferatu. Although the vessel was heavily armored, Sam knew that there was no way it would be able to stand up to the punishing barrage for long. Between its four gunbarrel drones, hip-mounted linear guns, beam rifle, and the plasma cannon on its shoulder, the nuclear-powered mobile suit had more than enough firepower to bring the warship to its knees. In fact, Sam was surprised that the land battleship hadn't fallen already. After a moment he chalked it up to the Colonel wanting to toy with his target a bit before delivering the killing blow; the man was a sadist, after all.

And he wasn't the only twisted individual that was ripping into ZAFT's northern force.

Over the tactical channel, he heard Sundowner cackle with cruel glee. "Come on, children; it's playtime!"

And here I thought that I had issues, Sam thought as he shook his head, I almost come across as sane compared to the boss when he's in the middle of a fight.

It wasn't hard to pick out the machine of Desperado's field commander in the middle of the fight; the GAT-X 195 Bloodlust was impossible to miss. Although it sported the same color scheme as Sam's Ronin and the rest of the mobile suits used by the Winds of Destruction, it was bulkier than the others, and its weapons were quite distinctive. In each hand it held two large machetes with beam emitters on their edges, and he was using them to cleave through the opposition with effortless brutality. What made the Bloodlust truly unique, though, was the series of six shield-like panels mounted on its back. Capable of swinging in front of the machine courtesy of the slender and flexible 'arms' that served as their connection to the rear of the mobile suit, these panels concealed a nasty surprise; layers of explosive reactive armor. If anyone tried to take on Sundowner up close and wound up hitting any of those panels, they'd be in for quite a shock. A pair of 75mm Igelstellung CIWS mounted on the head rounded out the mobile suit's arsenal, but Sam doubted Sundowner would have any need for those in this fight.

While Sundowner's machine went for brute force when it came to carving through the enemy, the mobile suits of the other two Winds of Destruction took a more sophisticated approach. This was exemplified by Mistral's unit, the GAT-X 193 Nomad. It was a slenderer machine than Sundowner's Bloodlust, and in fact the frame was quite similar to Sam's Ronin. Apart from the CIWS in its head, the unit's only weapon was a unique polearm codenamed 'L'Etranger'. At first glance it appeared to be a black metal staff with a beam emitter at the end, but in fact it was something much more exotic. As Mistral swung the weapon at a BuCUE that appeared to be out of its range, the staff suddenly segmented, taking on a whip-like appearance. Running through the segments of the staff was a strand of violet energy quite similar to what was used for mobile suit beam sabers. Its effect on the BuCUE was devastating; it utterly ripped the ZAFT machine apart before the unit's pilot even knew what hit it. Then the weapon shifted back to its spear form as Mistral sought out a new target.

The final advanced Desperado Enforcement mobile suit on the field was picking apart the enemy with pinpoint precision. Another slender-frame machine, the GAT-X 194 Dystopia was a unit unlike any other. While superficially it bore a resemblance to the Nomad and Ronin and even had the same CIWS mounted in its head, that was wear the similarities ended. Monsoon's weapons of choice were a pair of sais with beam emitters on the edges and tips. Small and light, they were weapons that the mobile suit could use quickly, shifting from offense to defense at the drop of a hat. However, it wasn't the blades themselves that made the mobile suit so deadly; it was the hands and arms that held them.

As Sam evaded anti-air fire from the Petrie-class land cruiser, he saw the Dystopia's right arm detach at the shoulder. Through a combination of experimental electromagnets, built-in micro-thrusters and a wireless guidance system similar to the Nosferatu's gunbarrel pods, the arm sought out a BABI and thrust its sai right through the ZAFT machine's cockpit. Both arms were equipped with such a system, and Monsoon could wield it with uncanny accuracy and grace.

It's damn near creepy, he thought as he dived to the surface and plunged his beam katana into a BuCUE's back, I don't know what twisted mind thought of a system like that, but I don't want them coming anywhere near my Ronin.

"The strong devour the weak," he heard Monsoon proclaim over the tactical channel, "Let nature run its course!"

"Glad to see that someone's having fun with the small fries," Sam muttered.

Sundowner was still laughing as he continued to butcher ZAFT's ground forces. "Is that all you animals got? Pathetic!"

"They are a bit lacking," said Mistral with a theatrical sigh as she carved up another BuCUE, "They simply fight out of desperation to survive… how shallow."

"Cut the chatter and focus!" Nazara admonished them as he finished off the Lesseps-class land battleship with a concentrated salvo to the bridge, "We need to mop up quickly and join the main force to the south. There is no time to waste!"

Says the man who took his sweet time neutralizing his target, thought Sam with a roll of his eyes, I swear, his sense of self-awareness leaves much to be desired…

Still, he was eager to get this particular part of the battle over with. After all, the sooner the northern force was defeated, the sooner he could take part in the real fight. He knew that the five Gundams were already on the field, which meant that it wouldn't be long before he'd be able to take on a foe that was actually worth fighting.

….

Meyrin eyes darted over her console as she contacted Shinn. "Impulse, do read me?"

Shinn appeared on the screen a moment later. "Loud and clear. I need a Force Silhouette right away!"

Meyrin turned to Talia, who wasted no time in giving her the go-ahead. "Get it in the air ASAP!"

"Yes, ma'am!" she replied before turning back to Shinn, "Stay on course, Shinn; it'll be airborne shortly."

Shinn nodded. "Understood. Impulse, out!"

She took a deep breath to center herself. Having a few battles under her belt made dealing with this new fight somewhat easier, but Meyrin still felt like she was one good jolt away from having a heart attack. How everyone else could stay so composed at a time like this was something she really wanted to figure out, because she'd give her life-savings to have nerves of steel right about now.

Keep it together, Meyrin, she silently told herself, I know you're scared, but people are counting on you.

Not for the first time since the battle had started, she checked the small window she had tucked away into the bottom right corner of her monitor. There she saw Gundam Deathscythe Omega, and it was living up to its image as a mechanical Grim Reaper. One Earth Alliance mobile suit after another fell to its sweeping emerald blade, and it showed no signs of slowing down.

She was tempted to contact him, if only as a means to calm her nerves, but she knew she couldn't; it would be unproffesional and could distract him. Even though her position as the warship's mobile suit combat controller meant that she had the ability to do so, she was forced to refrain. If it wasn't a pressing concern regarding the battle, it would have to wait.

She quickly found new reason to worry, though, as the sensor operator cried out a warning. "The northern force has been wiped out!"

Meyrin felt her blood chill; they'd been counting on the northern group to take some of the heat off of them with an assault on the enemy's rear. If they'd been destroyed, was the battle already lost?

She turned to the Captain and was jealous of how she still appeared calm, although her eyes widened slightly at the news. "What? By who? How were they taken down so quickly?"

The sensor officer shook his head. "I'm not sure, ma'am. All I know is that they're gone."

"What should we do, Captain?" asked Arthur.

"We continue the operation," Talia replied firmly, "We're still on the offensive, and we have the Gundams out front as well. This battle's far from over. Send out a warning to the others, though; without that second front, the enemy's defenses will be harder to overcome."

"Understood," said the communications officer.

A chime from her console drew Meyrin back to her duties, and she was surprised at the source of it. A moment later, the pilot of Heavyarms Arsenal appeared on her screen.

"I need a resupply," said Trowa, "I'll be making my landing approach soon."

Meyrin nodded. "Understood. The hangar crews will be ready."

"Roger that," Trowa replied, "Heavyarms Arsenal, out."

After giving the ship's mechanics a heads-up, she turned to Talia again. "Captain Gladys, Heavyarms Arsenal will be arriving shortly."

Talia nodded. "Thanks for the notice. That means the diversionary attack on the canal's run its course, then. Did the pilot tell you anything else?"

Meyrin shook her head. "No, ma'am."

"I see," Talia replied, "Very well, then. Carry on."

I didn't think the diversion would be over so quickly, Meyrin mused, I guess the enemy's smarter than we thought they were. That's not good…

She tried to shake those thoughts from her head; they were beyond the scope of her responsibilities. Worrying about something outside of her control wouldn't do her any good. The best that she could do was focus on her duties and trust that the others would be able to perform there's.

Switching gears, she checked up on her sister and Rey. The crimson ZAKU Gunner and white Blaze ZAKU Phantom were already in their customary positions on the upper deck of the Minerva. No enemy mobile suits had come within range yet, but if previous battles were any indication Meyrin was sure that would change soon enough.

At least they wouldn't be operating alone when the enemy inevitably came for them. While the heavy hitters were out front, the Minerva was still supported by the three Petrie-class land cruisers of the southern force. They'd already launched their BuCUEs and BABIs, and the mobile suits had swiftly fanned out; they'd be ready to engage anything that came their way. When combined with the firepower of the land cruisers and the Minerva it made Meyrin feel a little better about their chances in this fight.

We can still do this, she thought as she instinctively pulled up her window tracking the Deathscythe Omega again, At least, I hope we can do this…

….

Completing the linkup with the rest of the Impulse's components and the Force Silhouette pack, Shinn immediately turned around and rushed back towards the battle. The Heavyarms Arsenal had just entered the Minerva as Shinn had initiated the linkup sequence, and he knew it wouldn't take the ship's crews long to resupply the Gundam and have it back out on the field as well.

Gunning his engines as he moved to join the fight, Shinn actually wasn't quite sure where he should start. Destroying the eastern Lohengrin had been his primary objective in this operation, and he had accomplished that. His orders regarding what to do after that had been fairly open-ended, and he wasn't used to having quite as much discretion as he had been given. Although the Gulnahan Ravine remained the center of the fighting, the battle was spread out across a broad enough area that there were several points where Shinn could jump into the fray.

At the center of the fighting, naturally, was the Gundam Albion. The Windam squadrons seemed to be concentrating on Heero with a frantic desperation, but no matter how much fire they poured at the veteran pilot they weren't coming anywhere near close to bringing him down. Between blasts from the machine's powerful rifle, railgun salvoes, and the emerald streak of its beam saber, the Gundam had itself more than covered at close, mid and long-range. Even if that weren't the case, it wasn't like Heero was fighting alone; Duo was right up there in the thick of the fighting with him, and the Deathscythe Omega was more than living up to its demonic image.

Moving in from one of the flanks might've been a better option, but Shinn wasn't sure if he'd really have much to contribute there, either. Sandrock Saladin seemed to have the right flank on lockdown as its twin blades gleamed in the desert sun. The two massive Heat Shotels were carving up one Earth Alliance machine after another with brutal efficiency, and despite the Gundam's disadvantage at long-range the enemy was having a hard time taking advantage of that. Whenever hostile units attempted to pin Quatre down with beam rifle fire he was able to swiftly close the distance, forcing the enemy to either pull back or face him in melee combat, the latter of which was tantamount to a death sentence.

It was pretty much the same situation on the left flank, except instead of twin metal blades keeping the enemy at bay it was the double-ended beam trident and the Dragon Fangs of the Altron Custom. Unlike Quatre, Wufei had a powerful mid-range weapon in addition to being lethal at close-range, and in addition to their striking power the Dragon Fangs also had the benefit of being tough enough to serve as improvised shields. Wufei was utterly relentless in his assault; the enemy was barely able to get off more than the occasional potshot before the Gundam pilot descended upon them with ruthless ferocity.

Down in the ravine itself, Shinn saw the Saviour continuing to duke it out with the Alliance's newest mobile armor. The confrontation appeared to be a stalemate, with Athrun's superior mobility and skill being matched only by the mobile armor's formidable defenses. Every time the Saviour closed the distance, a flurry of particle beam fire from its opponent forced it to pull back, while any attempt Athrun made to engage the enemy at long-range was made futile by his foe's energy shield. If they were out in the dunes the confrontation would be much more in Athrun's favor due to the Saviour's maneuverability, but in the confines of the ravine the mobile armor had the advantage. It would certainly be possible for Shinn to move into position and strike the mobile armor from behind, but the dual smoothbore cannons mounted on the unit's rear made that a dicey proposition.

The Impulse's Phase Shift Armor should be able to tank the rounds from those cannons if I get hit, he thought, I just hope that thing's not packing any more heat back there than it already is…

However, before he could get himself into position for an attack run on the mobile armor, he was distracted by several new contacts showing up on his sensor display. "What the hell are those?"

He recognized three of them right off the bat; the Gaia, the Ronin, and whatever the hell the violet gunbarrel unit was called. However, there were three more machines that Shinn had never seen before. They all had the same color scheme as the Ronin, though, and that included the logo for Desperado Enforcement LLC.

"Well, that changes things," he said, "At least I know where the enemy's heavy hitters are, now."

Bring it on!

….

"Winds of Destruction, break and engage the pilot of your choice," Nazara ordered, "with the exception of Wing Zero; Stella, that one is ours."

"Understood," the Gaia's pilot replied.

Sundowner chuckled. "Out to settle that old score, Colonel?"

Nazara glowered beneath his mask. "That's none of your concern. Focus on your own target, and do not fail me."

"You're the boss," Desperado's field commander replied.

At least he's not as insolent as Jetstream Sam, thought the Colonel as he sighted in on his target, I'd hate having to put up with another arrogant mercenary like him…

As Nazara and Stella set up to attack Wing Zero, the black and red machines of Desperado Enforcement split up and made for their objectives. Studying his display, he saw that Sundowner was moving to intercept the Impulse, which was rapidly approaching the engagement. Sam, of course, was heading straight for what intercepted transmissions had identified as the Altron Gundam; no doubt Minuano was eager for a rematch with that machine's pilot. Mistral was moving to engage the black machine with the beam scythe, while Monsoon appeared to be angling for the unit with the curved metal blades. The Colonel didn't know why Sundowner, Mistral and Monsoon had picked each particular machine to engage, but he didn't care; as long as they could tie up the sophisticated units that had come to be known as Gundams in one-on-one battles, that would be all Nazara required for the rest of his plan to work.

Once Heero Yuy and his colleagues were drawn into individual engagements, the strategy was simple; Nazara's surviving Windam squadrons currently on the field and his strategic reserves would attack ZAFT's southern strike force. With the Gundams and the Impulse distracted, ZAFT would have no aces to play, and its remaining mobile suits would be overwhelmed by the agile Windams. Once the defending units had been taken out, it would be a simple matter for the Windam squadrons to pick off the heavier land cruisers and the Minerva one at a time. It wasn't a particularly elegant plan, but it was workable, and that was all the Colonel cared about.

They will not make it to the Mediterranean, he thought, They will all die before they even catch sight of it!

He unleashed his gunbarrel drones and opened fire, hoping to catch Wing Zero off guard, with Stella adding a volley from the Gaia's beam rifle to the mix. Their target was still engaged with a group of Windams, but Heero still managed to evade the incoming fire at the last possible moment. A burst from the machine cannons imbedded in its shoulders shredded two Windams, and then the Gundam turned its fearsome rifle towards the Nosferatu and Gaia.

"Break!" Nazara ordered.

It wasn't a moment too soon; a blast of golden-yellow energy ripped through the space between the two mobile suits a split-second later. The Colonel immediately returned fire with everything he had, but his target was too fast. Not only was it more than capable of evading the mix of particle beams, linear gun rounds, and curving lances of plasma, but it was rapidly closing the distance. Stella's supporting fire did little to dissuade it, and Nazara knew that if Heero went for her first she wouldn't last five minutes.

"I'll take him head on," said the Colonel, "Stella, flank him as soon as you get an opening!"

"Yes, sir!" she replied.

Nazara no longer cared about beating Wing Zero in single combat. That approach had brought him naught but defeat, so it was time for something new. His pride made relying on any form of assistance to take down his nemesis difficult to say the least, but to kill the hated Heero Yuy he was willing to make some sacrifices.

All that matters is that I live and he dies!

He ignited his beam saber and brought it up to block Wing Zero's incoming energy blade. The Nosferatu was rocked by the force behind the enemy's attack, but Nazara was still able to withstand the powerful blow and counterattack. Of course, Heero was able to deflect the Colonel's retaliatory strike and renew his assault, but that didn't matter to Nazara; he could see the Gaia moving in on Wing Zero's right flank. All he had to do was hold his ground and distract his enemy long enough for Stella to launch her attack.

Unfortunately, he had once again underestimated his foe's situational awareness. Stella unleashed a fresh volley from her beam rifle, but Wing Zero was able to almost casually deflect the burst with one of its wings and the energy shield system they carried. At the same time, it was still capable of continuing to engage the Nosferatu, and Nazara was forced to give ground under his enemy's relentless assault.

It's like he has eyes in the back of his head, the Colonel silently fumed, or that he can see the future… damn it! No pilot should be this good! What the hell is he?

Of course, it wasn't like his foe was going to do him the courtesy of answering that question. Nazara would just have to figure out how to overcome the infamous pilot's seemingly superhuman abilities and senses in the field, although that was a major case of easier said than done. Regardless, the Colonel was determined to pull it off. After all, if he could do so, then the biggest threat to the Earth Alliance would finally be removed from the board. He would have his victory…

…and his revenge.

….

Quatre smelled trouble the moment the Windams began to pull back. While he'd been inflicting plenty of damage upon them, he knew that their advantage in numbers meant that they shouldn't be throwing in the towel just yet. It only took him a moment to figure out what was going on; they were simply getting out of the way as a new enemy machine raced towards him. Quatre didn't recognize the exact model, but the black and red color-scheme was all he needed to know who it belonged to.

Looks like Desperado's heavy hitters are on the field now, he thought as he steeled himself for this new challenger, I hope we're ready for this.

The unit that was approaching Sandrock Saladin appeared deceptively under-armed, but Quatre wasn't about to let his guard down. The only visible weapons may have been the head-mounted CIWS and the pair of beam sais, but there was always the chance that it had something else up its sleeves. If nothing else, the mobile suits of the Cosmic Era had proven to be just as sophisticated as those of the After Colony world in the short time that Quatre had been here, and he would leave nothing to chance.

Quatre was braced for the enemy's attack, but it came in a manner that he hadn't been expecting. Rather than completely close the distance to engage him, the black and red machine's arms actually detached from the rest of the mobile suit and came flying at him. Raising his twin Heat Shotels, Quatre was barely able to bat away the devilishly quick strikes from the floating blades.

"Wireless limbs," he muttered under his breath, "That's a new trick."

He couldn't begin to guess at the kind of software that had been set up to allow the enemy pilot to control the detached limbs with such precision or the hardware that allowed them to separate from the mobile suit so quickly and seamlessly, but now was hardly the time for a technical analysis anyway. The enemy certainly wasn't going to explain their machine's capabilities to him, and all Quatre needed to know right now was how best to counter their attacks. An in-depth study of the combat data would have to wait until after the fight.

There were still valuable and more immediate insights that he could gain from a cursory scan, though. As he continued to deflect strikes from the remote sais, a quick glance at his sensors told him that the machine he was up against was battery-powered, not nuclear, which meant that if it came down to it Quatre could simply outlast his opponent. Its Phase Shift Armor was a potent defense, but at the same time it would also draw valuable power from the batteries. The machine was agile, but Quatre was still able to keep pace with it. It was clearly meant for quick and precise combat, not a battle of attrition.

Knowing the machine is one thing, he thought as he defended himself, but a much more valuable advantage would be to know the pilot. Unfortunately, I would seem to be at a disadvantage on that front. The way he's fighting… at the very least, he's taken some time to study my moves.

Lucky for Quatre, he was a fast learner. Since he'd been on the defensive this whole time he hadn't taken a chance to counter, but he was still learning plenty just from fending off his opponent's strikes. They were highly aggressive, but their attacks weren't those of a beast lashing out; there was method to them. They would alternate angles and elevation, seeking to divide his attention and create gaps in his defenses. None of them had gotten through yet, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

His foe was skilled, but they weren't perfect. With both of the mobile suit's arms detached, the unit was actually vulnerable up close. All Quatre had to do was find a way to neutralize the arms, even temporarily, and that would give him the opening he'd need to end the fight.

Simple in theory.

In practice, not so much.

….

"Aw, where you guys going?" asked Duo as the Windams he'd been engaging pulled away, "You done already?"

A new contact approaching on his sensor display told him that wasn't quite the case; they were just letting someone else tag in. Bringing it up on his monitor, he saw that it was one of the black and red machines of Desperado Enforcement LLC. The build was similar to that of the mercenary unit that had taken part in the attack on Armory One, but instead of a beam katana it had a black spear with a violet beam enveloping the point. It was coming in fast, and Duo knew that it'd be on him in a matter of seconds.

Of course, he wasn't about to simply sit back and let them make the first move. Facing his new opponent, Duo charged forward and took a swing with his beam scythe. His swift seizure of the initiative took his foe off guard, but they were still able to block the attack. Duo's eyes narrowed when he saw that it wasn't the spear-tip with the beam emitters that had actually taken the hit; it was the shaft, and it appeared to be undamaged.

Must have some type of anti-beam coating applied to it, he thought, This should be interesting…

The enemy then countered, and it was in a manner that Duo had not expected. They lashed out with their spear, but as they did so the weapon broke up into several smaller segments, each one interconnected through a long whip-like beam that ran through them.

"Whoa!" he cried as he slammed his thrusters in reverse while deflecting the attack, "That's a new trick!"

One of the hallmarks of being a Gundam pilot was the ability to adapt to unexpected circumstances on the fly, and Duo's mind was already racing to find ways to counter this new weapon. He'd have to figure out its full reach and limitations before he could mount a serious offensive, so he decided to start by probing the enemy's defenses. Moving back in and making a low swing towards the mobile suit's legs, he saw the strange whip swiftly condense and reform into a polearm as his foe blocked the attack. However, they only stayed on defense for a moment; the weapon immediately segmented again as they lashed out, forcing Duo to break off once more.

Quick reaction times and a very flexible weapon, he mused, I'm not sure how I'm going to pull off the win here, but it ain't gonna be easy…

Then again, 'easy' wasn't for Gundam pilots.

….

Wufei couldn't help but smile as he caught sight of a familiar mobile suit approaching him. Cutting down the last Windam that had been facing him, he turned to face Jetstream Sam and immediately let fly with his Dragon Fangs. The mercenary naturally was able to evade both of them, and Wufei noted that he'd done so with greater ease than he had in previous encounters; he was becoming more accustomed to Nataku's unique capabilities with each passing engagement.

Good, he thought, A true warrior should improve from facing the same enemy in multiple battles. Experiencing that evolution in one's self and one's opponent is part of what makes those battles worth fighting.

He could feel the adrenaline surge within him as he crossed blades with this most welcome foe. Whirling his double-ended beam trident, he rained down a rapid succession of blows upon his opponent, only to find them all deflected. The mercenary was swift to respond with a series of lightning-fast strikes with his beam katana, forcing Wufei onto the defensive.

As he fended off the attacks a familiar voice came over the cockpit speakers. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

Wufei smirked. "The feeling's mutual."

"Tell me something," said Sam as he pressed his assault, "What do you get out of all of this? I'm a dog of war, but you don't strike me as the type that does this for a paycheck."

"There's a higher purpose to my fighting," Wufei replied as he countered with a thrust, "but does that really matter here and now?"

The mercenary chuckled. "No, I suppose not. The paycheck's just a means to an end. The test of my skills, the self-satisfaction to be found in a clash with one like you; that is the only goal I require."

"Thought so," said Wufei as he made a series of broad, sweeping slashes, "As far as our little score goes, that's all we need."

He drove his opponent towards the surface, but the contract fighter was too cagey to let himself be boxed in so easily. The Ronin slipped to the right and gained altitude, and Wufei gunned his thrusters in pursuit. Sparks flew as violet and emerald energy blades clashed again and again, with the two combatants steadily rising above the battlefield. Under other circumstances, Wufei might've used his position to survey the broader engagement, but there was no time for that now; the mercenary required his full attention.

And he was more than willing to deliver it.

….

Racing towards the front line, Shinn had his sights set on the Gaia. The fact that the Earth Alliance still possessed that machine rankled him, and he was determined to close the book on the theft from Armory One, so to speak.

Unfortunately for him, it turned out that the enemy had other ideas. Shinn was focused so intently on the Gaia that he was practically blindsided by another until, unaware of it until it was all but right on top of him. It was one of the black and red mobile suits fielded by Desperado Enforcement LLC, and if Shinn had been a split-second slower in taking the Impulse into a dive it would've sliced him clean in half.

"Shit!" he snarled as he reoriented himself.

The enemy had no intention of giving him any sort of breathing room. They charged forward, a blade with beam emitters along the edges held in each hand, and Shinn was barely able to bring his beam saber up in time to block their attacks. Even so, the enemy hit hard, rocking the Impulse as Shinn struggled to fend off their blows.

Frantically defending himself, Shinn barely had time to study his new opponent. The new mobile suit might've been bulky, but it didn't seem to be any slower than the mercenary unit Shinn had faced at Armory One. Its attacks were both powerful and relentless, and Shinn found himself being hammered repeatedly and driven lower and lower.

Gotta find a way to turn the tables, and fast, he thought, I don't know who this guy is, but he's dangerous!

Bringing the Impulse's shield up to fend off the next attack, Shinn was finally able to give himself enough room to counter. He thrust his beam saber forward, and while the enemy was able to block the attack it still served to disrupt their momentum. Now Shinn had a chance to go on the offensive, and he seized it.

His saber flashed through the air in a series of violet streaks, but each and every one of his attacks was blocked by the twin blades of his opponent. As he pressed his assault Shinn took note of the odd collection of manipulator arms and panels sprouting from the back of the mobile suit; what the hell were those for?

He got his answer a few seconds later, and it was a very unpleasant one. As Shinn continued to drive his opponent back, the manipulator arms brought the panels in front of his target. Shinn was already mid-swing and wasn't the type to halt an attack once he'd committed to it. Unfortunately, that proved to be a mistake; when his beam saber struck the panel, it was engulfed in a sudden explosion. When the fire and smoke cleared, Shinn had nasty surprise in store for him; the handle of the beam saber had been wrecked, and the hand holding it was damaged.

"What the hell?" he cried as he slammed his thrusters in reverse.

A new voice came over an open channel, male and full of contempt. "That was too easy! You walked right into that! I guess you Coordinators aren't as smart as you make yourselves out to be!"

"Who the hell are you?" Shinn asked as he frantically brought his shield up to block his enemy's attacks.

"Call me Sundowner," he replied, "You should at least know the name of the man who's going to kill you, after all!"

"Bring it on!" Shinn shot back.

He wished he felt as confident as he sounded. The Impulse's right hand could still function, but the damage it had taken in the blast had cost it some dexterity. Shinn wasted no time in drawing the Force Silhouette's second beam saber, but that would only help him defend against the enemy's attacks. Punching through their defenses was another matter entirely.

I've gotta figure something out fast, he thought as he fended off the blows his foe was raining down on him, otherwise I'll really be in trouble!

….

"Damn it!" Lunamaria hissed as she missed her shot, "They're too fast!"

I fucking hate these Windams, she thought as she reacquired her target, I wish the ZAKU had an atmospheric flight pack. Guess that was too much to ask of the engineers.

There was more to it than that, of course; ZAFT already had a dedicated air superiority mobile suit in the form of the BABI, although since it was a new model the Coordinator military was also making do with the older DINN until it could be completely phased out. The ZAKU series units had been designed first and foremost to function in outer space, and they naturally performed very well there. It wasn't totally unsuited for surface combat, but it certainly came off as lacking in the mobility department when compared with other units.

Giving herself a little extra lead on her target, Lunamaria's eyes narrowed as she took another shot. This time her aim was true, and the Windam in question was blown out of the sky by a lance of crimson plasma.

"That's more like it," she murmured as she sought out another target.

There was certainly no shortage of them. Now that Desperado's Winds of Destruction had taken the field and were keeping three of the Gundam pilots plus Shinn occupied, the Earth Alliance's rank and file units could fully concentrate on the Minerva and her escorts. No help would come from the Gundam Albion, which was busy fighting off both the enemy's nuclear-powered gunbarrel unit and the Gaia, while the Saviour was still mixing it up with the prototype mobile armor. The main body of ZAFT's southern attack force would have to punch through the enemy ranks the old-fashioned way, and it was shaping up to be an uphill fight.

"Hey, Rey!" she called, "You doing okay over there?"

"I'm fine," he replied as he picked off an enemy contact, "Don't worry about me."

I wish I had his level of chill, she thought, I swear, nothing ever phases him.

For her part, Lunamaria was feeling the pressure. The enemy was pressing hard, and despite her and Rey's best efforts to supplement the anti-aircraft fire of the Minerva the Windams darting across the sky were still able to score hits on the battleship. Their attacks were spread out far enough to encompass the three Petrie-class land cruisers accompanying them, and they also had to contend with BABIs in the air and BuCUEs on the ground which served to somewhat disperse their strikes, but even if the enemy wasn't concentrating their efforts at the moment they still had the numbers to make up for that.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a Windam charging from the battleship's portside. Swinging her Orthros beam cannon around, Lunamaria squeezed off a quick shot. The blast caught the Windam in the side and sent it spiraling towards the ground, but not before it got off a shot of its own. The particle beam hit the hull a mere meter away from Lunamaria's position, and the force of the impact almost caused her to lose her footing.

"Crap!" she growled, "That was too close!"

Her sister's face appeared in the bottom left corner of her monitor. "Luna! You okay?"

Lunamaria forced a smile for Meyrin. "I'm good, sis! Don't worry about me!"

Meyrin nodded. "All right. You'll have some help real soon."

Lunamaria raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The hangar crews just finished rearming Heavyarms Arsenal," Meyrin replied, "Trowa's on the catapult now."

Indeed, out of the corner of her eye Lunamaria caught sight of the starboard launch bay doors opening. A few seconds later the blue and white Gundam shot out like a cannonball. It rapidly gained altitude and immediately began cutting loose with its Double Barrel Gatling Gun and Double Assault Beam Cannon. The sudden return of the Gundam to the fight caught the attacking Windams completely off guard, and three machines were blown apart in rapid succession before the rest were able to adjust to the presence of this powerful new foe.

Well, she thought, this'll make things a little easier.

With the anti-air firepower of the Minerva now boosted by the Gundam, the Earth Alliance forces altered their attack patterns. Windams still made runs on the battleship, but now the bulk of the squadrons were shifting their focus to the three Petrie-class land cruisers. The older vessels and their mobile suits had been hanging in there up until now, but Lunamaria feared that this renewed assault might become the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Shit!" she cried as she tried to shift her fire to lend some support, "They need help!"

"Focus on defending the Minerva," Rey admonished her, "That is our task."

"They're our comrades!" Lunamaria protested, "We can't just let them get pummeled like this!"

"They have their orders," Rey replied, "and we have ours."

She almost recoiled at just how cold his answer was. It was ruthless military logic, and while her head could see his point her heart vehemently disagreed. Unfortunately, it looked like Rey was going to win this argument; there were still just enough mobile suits harassing the Minerva to require Lunamaria's attention. The rest of the southern strike force would have to wait.

Damn it all…

….

Start "A Stranger I Remain"

Licking her lips as she traded blows with her foe, Mistral could feel the heat surging through her. She could not recall the last time she'd felt like this in a fight; to finally have an opponent that could go toe-to-toe with her in a true clash of warriors.

More…

I want more!

The Nomad had power to spare, and she knew that before the day was through she would likely expend all of it. Every time she attacked with L'Etranger, whether in polearm or whip form, her adversary always had an answer for it. The black demon of a machine that she was up against was swift and powerful, and the beam scythe it wielded gave it considerable reach. The weapon's size should've been a liability against an armament as flexible as her L'Etranger, but somehow her foe had turned it into an asset, with broad sweeping motions that not only kept her attacks at bay but gave her enemy a chance to make strikes of their own. They were skilled; there was no denying that.

But what drove them to achieve such abilities? What propelled them to such heights in combat? What was the fuel for their fire, the true source of the strength they brought to the battlefield?

What kind of ideal was at the heart of a warrior that could fight like this?

Monsoon, Sundowner, and Minuano had scoffed at her whenever she'd tried to find deeper meaning in her comrades' motives. To them the notion of 'ideals' meant nothing, even if they all had them in one form or another. She had once been the same; a hollow creature wandering the battlefields, killing for no other reason than because she could. She had been a shell of a weapon; all edge, but no heart.

Until she'd met him.

The founder of Desperado Enforcement LLC.

His dream was of a world where the strong ruled without fetters, without any sort of chains to hold them back. He had allied the group with LOGOS to turn Desperado into the vanguard of the new world, one united under those who would rule with absolute power, and Mistral had followed without hesitation. She had seen the fire that fueled his dream, burning hotter than the North African sun.

Did the warrior she was fighting now possess such powerful conviction in their ideals?

She wanted to find out.

….

His beam scythe whirling as he zig-zagged across the desert sand, Duo found himself confronted with his first real fight since arriving in the Cosmic Era. Whoever he was engaged with now, they weren't like the cannon fodder he'd faced before; they had the right combination of skill and a sophisticated mobile suit necessary to actually put up more than just a struggle for survival. Their reaction times were impressive, and they wielded their strange and flexible polearm with speed and precision.

Fending off a strike from the weapon in its whip-form, Duo rushed forward and made a low and broad slash, attempting to take the mobile suit's legs out. Unfortunately for him, the enemy's strange weapon had already reformed into its spear configuration, allowing them to parry the blow. As they did so they whirled around, adding centrifugal force to their counterattack while their weapon became a whip again, and it was only thanks to reflexes refined by countless battles that Duo was able to deflect the strike.

Just my luck, he thought as he took another swipe at his foe, I actually found someone who knows what they're doing…

As their duel raged on, Duo quickly ran through a mental checklist of Deathscythe Omega's abilities versus what he'd learned so far about the unit he was up against. In terms of firepower, they appeared to be evenly matched; both had a strong melee weapon with a wide reach, along with head-mounted machineguns for missile interception. They were both well-armored, although Deathscythe Omega's Gundanium alloy hull gave it an edge when it came to defense. The two machines were also quite maneuverable, and while Duo was willing to bet that his mobile suit was faster he couldn't say for sure that he'd seen everything that his opponent was capable of just yet. He knew for a fact that he had an advantage when it came to stealth, but this was a duel on the open field; it was hard to see how he could set up a good sneak attack under these circumstances.

Hitting his thrusters in reverse to avoid a strike from the whip, Duo then circled left in an effort to flank his foe. The enemy was able to keep pace, though, and he once again found his attack parried. Deciding to experiment, Duo tried the same move again but went right instead of left, closely studying his opponent as he did so. Once again, the enemy reacted with impressive speed, but the L2 native could detect a gap in the machine's acceleration when compared to that of Deathscythe Omega. That confirmed his earlier guess; his Gundam had a slight edge in speed over the hostile mobile suit.

"Every little bit helps," he muttered as he fended off the enemy's counterattack.

He responded by striking high, aiming for the mobile suit's head. He got close, but his foe was able to parry the attack by bringing its weapon back into the polearm configuration. It then thrust out, forcing Duo to slip to the side to avoid getting impaled through the cockpit. He countered with a horizontal swing aimed at cleaving the enemy machine in half, but it was able to backpedal just enough to avoid that fate. Duo scowled as his foe dodged his strike; the beam scythe had probably been just about a meter away from carving through his enemy.

Close, but no cigar. Damn it!

He wasn't about to let that discourage him, though. He kept up his offensive, sweeping his beam scythe left and right, determined to keep his foe on the backfoot. Of course, the enemy wasn't about to take that lying down. Zig-zagging across the sand, it weaved through his attacks as it searched for an opening to counterattack. A few moments later it found it and lashed out, shifting its weapon to the whip configuration for increased reach.

His eyes widened as he pulled back, barely able to deflect the attack. "Whoa! That was close!"

As he countered with a low sweep that the enemy swiftly blocked, he was surprised to hear a voice come over his cockpit speakers on an open channel. "Not bad… not bad at all."

There was no visual to accompany the feed, but the voice was clearly female, and with a distinct French accent to boot. That caught Duo off guard; the intel he'd gotten from Heero had indicated that the Atlantic Federation had stopped employing female soldiers after the rather prominent defections of their two top Captains during the last war. Then again, he wasn't fighting a member of their regular forces; apparently Desperado Enforcement was more willing to cross the gender line when it came to recruits.

Duo smirked as he countered with a slash towards his foe's torso, who went into reverse and deflected the attack. "Not bad? Are you trying to insult me?"

The laugh that came from his foe was as sultry as it was wicked. "Not at all, mon gars."

Just my luck, he thought as he traded blows with his opponent, I'm the only guy in our group that went and got himself married, and now I'm facing off against a woman whose voice sounds like pure, distilled sex. If Hilde were here I'm pretty sure she'd try to get me to switch opponents with one of the guys. Too late for that now, though. Sorry, honey…

Even with the ring on his finger, though, it was hard to resist having a little fun with what was otherwise a very serious and deadly situation. "Glad to hear it. Don't take this the wrong way, but what's a dame like you doing with a pack of hellhounds like this? I thought the Earth Alliance was too intimidated by badass women to hire them after what happened in the last war!"

"Even the shortsightedness of weaklings behind desks has its limits," she replied as she went on the offensive, "Being a contract fighter is enough for them to make an exception, apparently."

"You might wish they hadn't done so by the time this fight's over," said Duo as he countered and retook the initiative, "I usually don't pick fights with women, but on the battlefield, I don't pull my punches!"

"As it should be," said his foe, "It'd be a shame to defeat you only because you were holding back!"

Duo saw his foe's thrusters flare, and the machine shot into the air. It did a flip as it did so, becoming a wheel of death as its weapon whirled through the air. Duo had no choice but to block with his beam scythe; the enemy was moving too quickly for him to dodge or counter. Three blows hammered his defenses in rapid succession before the enemy came down behind him. Whirling around, Duo attempted to cut the hostile machine in half, but it simply pulled back and deflected his strike.

As he pressed his assault he heard his foe laugh again. "That's it! Fight like the devil that your machine embodies!"

Duo grinned. "Have it your way, then!"

He rained blow after blow down on her, but she managed to parry each and every strike. Her moves remained as crisp and polished as they'd been at the start of the fight; clearly it was going to take a lot more than this to wear her down.

So she's got stamina to go with that speed, he thought, Been a while since I've fought someone this good…

Much to his surprise, she somehow found the time to keep on talking even as he attacked her. "Such brutality and power… you truly are a reaper."

Duo chuckled. "Just call me the God of Death, lady!"

"A title I'm sure you've earned," she replied as she parried his strikes and counterattacked, "although it doesn't quite roll off the tongue, if you will."

Duo shrugged as he was forced onto the defensive. "Fine, then go with Duo. Not that it'll matter once you're six feet under!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, mon gars," she said as she pressed her assault, "You have not won yet!"

Duo smirked; if nothing else, he could respect her confidence. "Fair enough. Got a name, lady?"

"I am Mistral," she said, "The cold wind of France. Well met, Duo."

Blocking her strike, Duo transitioned into a sweeping slash that forced her to gain altitude to evade it. "France, eh? You're a long way from home."

"Hardly," she said as she dived back into the fray, "The battlefield is my home. Wherever I can fight the enemy is where my heart belongs, and right now that is here with you!"

Duo shook his head as he deflected a strike from her whip. "I'm flattered, but I'm afraid all you'll find here is your grave!"

"Bring it on, God of Death" she shot back, "I shall rip you apart!"

She's got a lot of spirit, he thought, She won't go down easy. I won't either, though.

Bring it on, you psycho bitch!

End "A Stranger I Remain"

….

Start "The Stains of Time"

Sweat building on his brow, Quatre stood his ground against his foe's furious assault. What the enemy lacked in raw power they more than made up for with speed, precision and unpredictability. The sheer unconventionality of their mobile suit's detachable and remote-guided limbs made for a formidable obstacle; they gave the enemy almost limitless options for their attacks and constantly kept Quatre on his toes.

You can take them, he told himself as he swatted aside the twin sais yet again, You just need to find a way to keep them at bay long enough to close the gap.

Unfortunately, that was a case of easier said than done. Whoever his enemy was, they were no fool; their attack patterns indicated that they were well aware of their vulnerabilities. The twin sais were typically staggered as a result rather than attacking simultaneously, meaning that the enemy could always quickly bring one to bear for an interception should Quatre being to make headway.

As soon as Quatre fended off one sequence of attacks his foe would launch another. Left and right, high and low; the vectors were always varied, his foe always trying to split his attention between the two weapons so that a strike could slip through his defenses. In a way it felt like being up to bat at baseball, only in this case the pitcher could through two balls instead of one.

Taking a broad swing with his Heat Shotels, he managed to swipe both sais aside. He used this brief opening to lunge forward, but it turned out the enemy had created this opening intentionally. The main body of the hostile mobile suit went backwards, while the two sais suddenly had Quatre pincered, one up front and one from behind. Breaking to the left, Quatre was forced to abandon his attack in order to avoid getting betting hit.

Shifting tactics, he decided to try targeting the arms themselves. Unfortunately, his options for doing so were limited. Apart from the Heat Shotels, Sandrock Saladin's only offensive weapons were the two homing missile pods mounted on its legs and the Vulcan Cannons embedded in its head. The two remote arms were agile enough that Quatre doubted he could get a lock on them with his missiles, while the Vulcan Cannons didn't have enough firepower to do significant damage to them. Not for the first time Quatre cursed his Gundam's lack of serious long-range firepower.

I'm starting to think that it was more than chance that brought this guy to me, he mused as he traded blows with the remote arms, It feels like he picked me deliberately because my Gundam's the one he's best suited to counter.

His Heat Shotels were powerful, and Quatre could wield them with ease, but they were larger than the twin sais that his enemy was using against him and in this case bigger wasn't better; every time he tried to strike at the arms directly, the enemy was able to manipulate them so his Heat Shotels would only meet the beam sais. Targeting the arms directly like this clearly wasn't going to work.

"Come on, think!" he muttered under his breath, "He's got to have another weakness that you can exploit!"

As he parried blows from the twin sais he found his Gundam's visual sensors meeting the gaze of his opponent. The 'eyes' of the mobile suit might've been mechanical, but to Quatre they still conveyed the feeling of a predator looking at a rival on its turf.

And that was when it hit him.

It was so simple that he wanted to slap himself for not realizing it sooner.

The eyes…

With that one thought, the whole battle turned around. Suddenly, Quatre wasn't scrambling to find a way to counter his opponent; he knew exactly what needed to be done. Now it was just a matter of timing.

….

Even as he pressed his assault, Monsoon was keenly aware of the subtle shift in his opponent's posture. Their defense was firmer, their resolve set in stone. There was no longer that hint of uncertainty that he'd detected earlier, the hesitation that came from facing someone with skills and a mobile suit as deadly as his. Whoever his foe was, they were no longer afraid.

That's a mistake, he thought, but it's one that he won't live long enough to regret.

Throughout the fight, Monsoon had worked to properly take the measure of his opponent. The opportunity he'd been granted to study combat footage regarding this unit prior to the battle was most informative, but there was still no substitute for facing an enemy properly in the field. The data he'd reviewed before had been more than enough to tell him that this particular foe was good, but it was only through crossing blades with him that Monsoon had discovered just how good they really were.

It was rare indeed to find a foe that could last more than a few moments against the pinpoint, swift strikes that the Dystopia was capable of unleashing. A few feints were normally enough to throw off his opponents and open them up for a killing blow, but this particular adversary had been able to resist such ploys. Their defensive skills were formidable, and while Monsoon had a more agile machine his enemy had proven more than capable of keeping up with him. Having been denied a quick victory, Monsoon had settled into a strategy of wearing his opponent down, battering their defenses until they made a fatal mistake. He'd expected gaps to be showing up right about now, but the enemy was apparently made of tougher stuff than he'd given them credit for.

"Not as weak as most," he muttered under his breath, "He has strength, but he'll still be devoured!"

The Wind of Destruction redoubled his assault, launching a series of rapid thrusts designed to visually disorient his foe and create the opening he'd need to finish the fight. Unfortunately, his opponent seemed to posses a greater discipline than Monsoon had initially realized, for their great curved blades met each and every strike. Their blocks were tight and efficient, minimizing exposure and wasting no energy.

As far as defenses go, his is a mighty wall of blades, he thought, but even the greatest barriers can be undermined.

Pressing his attack, he smirked as his foe fell back under the withering assault. This battle was as good as won now. All that remained was for his enemy to make that one fatal mistake that Monsoon would require to seal the deal.

A few seconds later he caught it. The left arm of the enemy mobile suit moved just a tiny bit slower than the right in an effort to block his thrust, and Monsoon pounced. He drove the right arm of his machine forward, aiming straight for the enemy's cockpit.

And that was when it all came undone.

Monsoon had barely paid attention to the shield mounted on the left arm of the hostile machine, and that had turned out to be a catastrophic mistake. From the two 'eyes' carved into the shield flashed a brilliant white light that overwhelmed the Dystopia's visual sensors. Even Monsoon's cybernetic visual implants were temporarily dazed by the glare. The system recovered within just a few seconds…

…but that was all his opponent had needed to turn the tables on him.

Damage alarms rang out, and Monsoon saw that his mobile suit's right arm had been completely torn apart. He was barely able to pull the left one back to keep it from suffering the same fate. He managed to block the enemy's slash, but now Monsoon had been put decisively onto the defensive. His foe surged forward, and it was all the mercenary captain could do to keep himself alive.

"That bastard!" he snarled, "He was holding back!"

His earlier assessment of his foe was now completely out the window. Where he had once considered them to be skilled, now he knew the truth; they were cunning and devious beyond measure.

And he would be lucky to escape from this battlefield with his life.

End "The Stains of Time"

….

"Crap!" hissed Athrun as he weaved through a rain of particle beam fire, "I'm getting nowhere with this thing!"

Locked in a fierce stalemate with the prototype mobile armor guarding the ravine, the newly minted FAITH operative was wracking his brain for a way to gain a decisive upper hand against his foe. His edge in speed meant nothing when his foe could deflect his long-range attacks, and every time he tried to close the gap to get into beam saber range he found himself stymied by a thick barrage of particle beams.

This just keeps dragging on and on, he thought as his frustration kept mounting, I can't afford to be stuck in some pointless duel!

His position hadn't given him much of an opportunity to survey the larger battlefield, but the few glances he'd been able to take at his sensors had told him more than enough. The broader engagement raged around him, with both sides vying for the advantage. ZAFT's initial strategy of catching the forces guarding the Gulnahan Ravine in a pincer attack had been completely shot to hell with the destruction of the northern force, leaving the southern force to carry the full weight of the operation. They were still moving forward, but Athrun knew that the enemy could grind their momentum to a halt if this kept up.

Gunning his engines and gaining altitude, he then immediately swung the Saviour around and went into a dive. His intent was to take out the mobile armor from above, but it was able to pull back just far enough to draw a bead on him with its considerable arsenal. He was forced to break off his attack as a fresh barrage of particle beams flew at him, and he grit his teeth in exasperation.

"Pull yourself together!" he snarled at himself, "You fought guys that were way tougher than this in the last war!"

That was certainly true. It wasn't as if Athrun was out of practice, either. He was simply confronted with a unique opponent. The environment that they were fighting in also played a role; the ravine was perfect ground for the mobile armor to make a stand on, and whoever was piloting it clearly knew that.

Taking aim with the Saviour's plasma cannons as they moved into firing position, he cut loose on the mobile armor. Just like before, though, the blasts were intercepted by the unit's energy shield. The was a flash of light as the plasma was dispersed by the barrier, doing no damage whatsoever to the mobile armor. Follow-up shots were defeated the same way, with no visible signs of the barrier weakening.

My sensors would be able to tell if this were a nuclear-powered machine, he thought, I'm not getting any sort of radiation readings, so it's clearly powered by batteries just like most mobile suits. That means it doesn't have a limitless supply of energy, but the same goes for me.

He had no way to tell what kind of impact constant use of the energy shield was having on his opponent's power supply, but Athrun could tell what the barrage was doing to the Saviour's energy reserves. Since it was part of ZAFT's Second Stage Series prototypes, the unit possessed a Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System, so if need be he could get his power restored from the Minerva remotely. However, the system required line-of-sight contact between the mobile suit and the battleship to work properly, and that would mean Athrun would have to break off his attack on the mobile armor for an energy replenishment. If he did that, then there was no telling what sort of carnage his foe would wreak on the battlefield without him to keep it occupied.

There had to be a way to turn the tide. It shouldn't matter how strong his foe's defenses were; Athrun had more than enough combat experience under his belt to find a way around them. Hell, he'd survived fights with Heero Yuy in the last war, something that very few mobile suit pilots could brag about. Compared to him, a single mobile armor should've been nothing, no matter how advanced the technology behind it might be.

"Come on!" he muttered as he fired another salvo at the mobile armor, only for it to be harmlessly dispersed by the unit's energy barrier, "What's this guy's weakness?"

The next salvo and the one after that had much the same effect; brilliant crimson lances of plasma splashing against the energy shield. Apart from making for a dazzling light show it accomplished absolutely nothing.

A light show… wait a second!

He fired yet another salvo, only this time it wasn't to punch through his foe's defenses; it was to test a theory. His eyes narrowed as the twin blasts yet again failed to punch through, but this time he carefully studied how the energy seemed to ripple along the barrier put up by his foe…

…and how the glare from that energy was disrupting his enemy's line-of-sight.

With that realization, it all fell into place.

Athrun knew what he had to do to win.

It would be a risky move.

He had a feeling Heero and the other Gundam pilots would approve.

Gunning his engines, he rapidly gained altitude as he shifted the Saviour into its high-speed mobile armor form. He then circled back and took his machine into a dive, leveling out barely more than a meter or so above the floor of the ravine. That was when he pushed his thrusters to the max, charging the mobile armor head-on while at the same time pouring fire from his plasma cannons and Super Fortis beam cannons into his foe. None of them were able to pierce the enemy's barrier, but they weren't meant to.

They were only meant to put on a light show.

I knew it, Athrun thought as he raced forward, his fingers still squeezing the triggers and pumping shot after shot into his foe's shield, He can't aim at me through the glare! Here goes nothing…

He kept firing as he charged and did not let up on the throttle. The constant barrage against the mobile armor's energy shield prevented the machine from drawing a bead on him, but it still had just enough visibility to know that he was barreling towards it. Athrun's brow furrowed as he raced along the floor of the ravine; it was going to be close.

At the last possible second, he flipped the switch that triggered the Saviour's transformation process. As soon as he was able to he drew his beam saber. He was right in front of the mobile armor and well within striking range now, and while the energy from his last salvo was dissipating from the barrier the enemy could see him; it was now or never.

Athrun didn't hesitate. As the enemy took aim at him, he thrust his beam saber forward. The blow caught the unit right in the torso, and Athrun didn't stop there. He dragged the blade along the machine as his momentum carried him forward, taking the saber from the torso to the insectoid main body of the mobile armor. Gouts of flame ripped open along the mechanical monstrosity, and as he cleared the beast the whole machine blew apart behind him.

"About time," he muttered as he caught his breath.

Indeed, it hadn't come a moment too soon; his energy gauge was just about to dip into the red. As much as Athrun wanted to help out his friends, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do them a whole lot of good without sufficient energy reserves. Shifting the Saviour back into its mobile armor form again, he set course for the Minerva; as soon as he got an energy refill, he'd be back in the fight.

There were still plenty of enemies left to go around, after all.

….

Soaring high over the battlefield, Heero cut loose with the Twin Buster Rifle. The column of energy ripped through the sky and forced the gunbarrel unit and the Gaia to split up, disrupting their attacks. Refusing to give the enemy so much as a moment of respite, Heero accelerated and met the violet machine head-on. He thrust his emerald beam saber forward, only for the enemy to deflect the attack. Heero didn't let that slow him down; he pressed his assault, pushing the enemy back with every blow.

As he attacked the gunbarrel machine, though, the Gaia was moving in to attack his rear. It was a reasonable move, but also a predictable one, and Heero was more than ready for it. As he parried the gunbarrel mobile suit's counter he then shifted Wing Zero Albion so that his left side was facing the Gaia. He then slapped the stolen prototype aside with an energy shield-augmented wing before going right back to trading strikes with the gunbarrel machine.

The Gaia's a solid mobile suit, but whoever they got piloting it could use some work, he mused as he renewed his assault on the more dangerous of the two foes he currently faced, Aggression without consideration for tactical circumstances or the capabilities of the enemy is more of a hindrance than a help, a lesson that pilot does not seem to have learned.

His primary foe wasn't about to let him completely dominate the fight. They launched their four gunbarrel drones, forcing Heero to break off as they filled the sky with emerald particle beams. Slugs from the linear guns at the unit's hips and arcs of plasma from the machine's shoulder cannon were thrown into the mix as well, along with fire from its beam rifle. The Gaia opened fire as well, and with the attacks coming from multiple angles Heero zipped all over the sky in an effort to stay one step ahead of the enemy. Wing Zero Albion was little more than an azure streak as he pushed the Voiture Lumiere and conventional thrusters embedded in the Gundam's four white wings harder and harder.

He ascended as he weaved through their fire, giving himself a chance to survey the broader battlefield. While the engagement was still in full-swing, Heero could spot indicators that the fighting was beginning to shift in the Gundam pilots' favor.

Of all of After Colony's warriors, Quatre had been the first to draw blood against the mercenary captains of Desperado. Heero wasn't surprised; the young man from L4 might've been the gentlest of the Gundam pilots, but in Heero's mind he was also the smartest. His compassion belied a cunning matched only by the likes of Zechs Merquise and Treize Khushrenada. The Winds of Destruction might all posses unique and powerful mobile suits, but no Gundam pilot was better equipped to analyze their capabilities and devise tactics to exploit their weaknesses than Quatre. With one of his foe's remote arms destroyed, the head of the Winner Family was now firmly on the offensive, and it was all his enemy could do to simply defend themselves.

Duo was still locked in his duel with the whip-staff-wielding machine. On the surface they might appear to be evenly matched, but Heero knew better. For all of Duo's care-free attitude, he was nothing if not adaptable. Deathscythe Omega was matching its opponent blow for blow, easily adjusting to deal with the enemy's weapon in any configuration it took. Duo's opponent may have had the advantage of exotic and unfamiliar weaponry, but the L2 native was quick and sharp. Already Heero could spot hints of his old friend seizing the initiative in the fight even when he appeared to be on the defensive. He had found his footing, and the enemy would regret letting him live long enough to do so.

Wufei's latest rematch with Jetstream Sam continued apace, with both warriors fiercely duking it out above the ravine. Altron Custom's double-ended beam trident left arcs of verdant light trailing across the sky, which were matched by streams of violet from the mercenary's beam katana. Heero would give credit where it was due; the mercenary's machine was inferior to Wufei's Gundam in every way, yet this particular Wind of Destruction possessed more than sufficient skill to make up for the technological gap. He had a feeling that Zechs would've liked to witness the mercenary in action and couldn't help but wonder what the likes of Treize would've made of him.

The Gundam pilots weren't the only ones pulling their weight in this fight. Heero spotted the Saviour in its mobile armor mode making a beeline for the Minerva, and he knew what that meant; Athrun had finally taken down the enemy's prototype mobile armor. He didn't know what Athrun planned to do next, but he was confident that his friend possessed the tactical discretion necessary to figure out what part of the battlefield required his attention.

One area that Heero thought could use Athrun's help was Shinn's ongoing duel with the fourth Desperado captain on the field. The Impulse appeared to be more maneuverable than its bulky opponent, but the array of shields it wielded was giving the ZAFT Red pause. Heero couldn't blame Shinn for the difficulty; he'd caught a glimpse of the reactive armor on one of the panels detonating earlier, and he knew that such a defense mechanism would be tricky to deal with if one lacked heavy artillery. He doubted the shields could stand up to the might of the Twin Buster Rifle, but he was hardly in a position to take a shot at the machine at the moment.

ZAFT's southern force had been taking some hits earlier, but with the Heavyarms Arsenal now resupplied they were in a much better position. Trowa was using his Gundam's immense array of weapons to clear the skies as fast as he could, putting out a blizzard of accurate and lethal anti-aircraft fire. With the support of ZAFT's warships and their escorting mobile suits, Heero knew that Trowa wouldn't require any help from the rest of the Gundam pilots, leaving them free to take the fight to the enemy's elite soldiers.

This fight will be ours, he thought as he cut loose with a fresh blast from the Twin Buster Rifle, We will complete our mission…

…and the enemy will rue the day they came to this land.

….

Start "Red Sun"

Shinn Asuka was in trouble.

With the damage his mobile suit's right hand had taken from the enemy's reactive armor, his grip on the Impulse's backup beam saber was compromised. He could still wield the weapon, but he had to be far more cautions than normal in order to ensure that he didn't lose it. As a result, he had become far more reliant on the mobile suit's shield, which naturally led to him being almost constantly on the defensive as his duel with Sundowner dragged on.

He was on the ropes, and his enemy knew it. They were pressing hard, hammering him with one blow after another. Shinn had been able to block them all so far, but he was under no illusions; at the rate things were going, it was only a matter of time before the enemy would start landing hits.

"Come on!" his foe cackled with mocking glee as they continued their attack, "Is this all you've got? How disappointing!"

"Shut up!" Shinn snarled.

He attempted to pull back so he could use his beam rifle, but the enemy refused to let up. As Shinn took aim, Sundowner surged forward, and before he could even get a shot off the mercenary chopped the rifle clean in half.

"You'll have to do better than that!" laughed Sundowner, "Unless this is really the best you can do!"

Shinn lunged forward and lashed out with his beam saber. Unfortunately, his foe had baited him. As Shinn attacked, the six shields of the other machine swung forward again and formed a barrier between the Impulse and the enemy. Shinn desperately tried to alter the trajectory of his strike, but the tip of his beam saber still hit the barrier and caused the reactive armor to detonate. The Impulse shook from the blast, but by some miracle the beam saber was still operational.

"You see that?" Sundowner howled triumphantly, "I'm fucking invincible!"

Shinn couldn't afford the luxury of a response as his foe counterattacked. Their twin blades lashed out with one furious strike after another, and it was all Shinn could do to fend them off. A horizontal strike was deflected by his beam saber, and a follow-up slash met his shield, but the enemy just kept coming. It charged forward and slammed into the Impulse like a linebacker, and as Shinn reeled under the blow it thrust one of its blades forward. Shinn frantically tried to deflect the blow, and while he succeeded in warding off an otherwise-fatal attack the blade still left a vertical scar down the right side of the mobile suit's face, taking out one of the sensor 'eyes' in the process.

"Damn you!" Shinn growled.

Facing an enemy like this was absolutely infuriating. Were it not for their damn shields and reactive paneling, Shinn was sure that he would've landed a solid blow by now. The enemy wasn't beating him due to superior skill; it was from nothing more than a damn gimmick. How was he supposed to be able to protect his friends if he was incapable of finding a way to work around what amounted to little more than a few simple gadgets?

You're better than this, he thought, his fury growing with each passing slash he deflected, ZAFT made you the pilot of the Impulse! You have to fight and win, otherwise this guy's going to kill you and go after your friends!

Amidst his desperation and rage, a new sensation emerged.

One that he hadn't felt since their desperate escape from Orb.

A sense of clarity, of direction, of newfound power…

…as a seed burst in his mind's eye.

….

There were few things in life that Sundowner enjoyed more than utterly dominating his opponents, and the match with the Impulse was a case in point. Oh, sure, the Coordinator pilot had some talent, but they were nothing compared to the combination of the mercenary's experience and the sophistication of his mobile suit. The Bloodlust was a work of art, more than a cut above the Windams and Dagger-Ls used by the Alliance's rank and file troops, and Sundowner was pleased to see that it was proving itself superior to ZAFT's prized prototype.

I can't believe the higher-ups were making such a big deal over not being able to steal this thing from Armory One, he thought with a smirk as he continued to hammer its defenses, ZAFT's little toy here is a complete joke!

And as far as Sundowner was concerned, the punchline would be the moment he tore that toy apart limb from limb. It was only a matter of time.

Until suddenly it wasn't.

As Sundowner brought down both blades in a hard, vertical strike, the Impulse suddenly surged forward. It caught both of the Bloodlust's blades on its shield before thrusting forward with its beam saber. Caught flat-footed, Sundowner tried to bring his own shields forward, but the enemy was actually able to cut through two of the left manipulator arms and sent the barriers attached to them plummeting towards the sand and rocks below.

"Son of a bitch!" he snarled, "You'll pay for that, you little punk!"

He still had two-thirds of his explosive barrier to work with, and he immediately deployed it in front of him in anticipation of a follow-up attack. It didn't come, at least not from the direction that Sundowner had been expecting. Instead of striking from head-on, the enemy went to the left, attacking on the flank where the Bloodlust's barriers had already been weakened. Another saber thrust from the Impulse took out the third and final manipulator arm on the Bloodlust's left side and the shield attached to it, now leaving a considerable gap in Sundowner's defenses.

What the hell's happening here?, the Wind of Destruction thought as he counterattacked, only for the enemy to block both of his blades with their shield again, He wasn't moving like this before! He's different now!

The enemy fended off his strikes and responded with a forward thrust, again aiming for the Bloodlust's left side. Sundowner was able to parry the first blow, but then the Impulse charged forward and slammed its shield into him before he could deploy his remaining barriers. As Sundowner reeled from the blow his foe made another thrust with its beam saber, and this time the energy blade drove into the Bloodlust's left shoulder.

The mercenary was able to pull back just enough so that the strike didn't sever his mobile suit's arm entirely, but the damage had been done. The left arm was unresponsive to the point of being dead weight; it actually would've been better if it had been cut off completely. Now Sundowner only had his right blade and the barriers on the same side to work with; his left side was completely exposed, and from the way the enemy was moving now it sure seemed like they were aiming to take advantage of that.

Sundowner snarled. He might've been cornered, but a dog of war with his back against the wall was not a beast to be taken lightly. He didn't know if he could win now, but he was determined to at very least survive, if for no other reason than to spite his foe.

End "Red Sun"

….

Acting as a one mobile suit anti-air battery, Trowa was sweeping the skies with ruthless efficiency. Thanks to his earlier resupply on the Minerva he had everything he needed to secure the airspace over the warship and then some. Gatling rounds, particle beams and missiles streamed from Heavyarms Arsenal and tore into the formations of Windams that were trying to halt ZAFT's southern force in its tracks.

Unfortunately for the Gundam pilot, the enemy had begun to take measures to adapt to his presence. They still tried to attack the Minerva, but they were being more careful about it, making sure to have some mobile suits draw the Gundam's fire while others made their runs on the battleship. Lunamaria and Rey were able to supplement Trowa's efforts to protect the vessel, but they had their work cut out for them. With the Minerva having become a more difficult target to go after, the Earth Alliance pilots were ramping up their attacks on the three Petrie-class land cruisers accompanying the battleship, and their efforts were starting to pay off.

The land cruiser on the right flank of the southern force, the Schliemann, was getting the worst of it. Particle beams and rocket fire from strafing Windams raked her upper decks and ravaged her defenses. Her rear and portside cannons had been destroyed, and numerous gouges had been ripped into her armor, with fire and smoke belching from them. The BABIs and BuCUEs defending her had likewise been mauled; their green pilots were getting demolished by their Alliance counterparts. Heavily wounded and barely guarded, she was ripe for a killing blow. Trowa momentarily debated shifting his position to provide support to the stricken land cruiser, but a barrage of particle beams from behind the Schliemann turned it into a moot point; they punched through the already-weakened rear armor and tore into the engine room. The subsequent blast ripped the land cruiser apart and sent twisted pieces flying across the battlefield.

Not good, he thought as he shredded a Windam with Gatling fire, Can the others still be saved?

The Bagley and the Garstang were still in the fight despite each having suffered moderate damage, but if the enemy got a chance to concentrate fire on them they would suffer the same fate as the Schliemann. While protecting the Minerva remained a high priority, Trowa knew that the battleship could take a greater beating than either of the surviving land cruisers, and even if Lunamaria and Rey couldn't provide complete anti-air cover they could still give the ship a measure of breathing room.

Making up his mind, he contacted the two ZAFT pilots. "I'm going to draw some of the heat off of the other two land cruisers. Can you two manage here?"

"Affirmative," said Rey.

"Leave it to us!" shouted Lunamaria.

Trowa nodded before hitting his thrusters. Heavyarms Arsenal surged towards the remaining two land cruisers, firing as it went. Fresh explosions dotted the sky as Windams were blown apart by his barrage, and Trowa was just getting warmed up. A salvo from the Double Assault Beam Cannon melted the upper torso of one machine, causing the rest of it to fall to the sand below, while a burst from his Gatlings punctured the cockpit of another and sent it plummeting.

As he began to clear the airspace over the land cruisers he caught sight of the Saviour heading towards the Minerva. The prototype was in its mobile armor form, and Trowa realized that it was setting up for a Deuterion Beam recharge from the battleship. He knew that the process was quick in theory, but Athrun would still have to line up his machine right, and it wasn't like the enemy was just going to sit back and let him resupply at his leisure.

Lunamaria and Rey will have to cover him, he thought as he mowed down another Alliance mobile suit, I have work to do.

….

Be careful what you wish for, Lunamaria mentally chided herself, You just might get it…

She had wanted Trowa to help the rest of ZAFT's southern strike force and had thought that she and Rey would be more than enough to make up for the resulting gap in the Minerva's defenses. However, now that the enemy was sending fresh squadrons to harass the battleship she was starting to have second thoughts. She envied all the rapid-fire artillery that Trowa's Gundam had; the Gunner ZAKU Warrior's heavy rifle was powerful enough to take out conventional mobile suits in a single shot, but its rate of fire left much to be desired.

She was getting better at compensating for it, though. Lunamaria was no longer that green soldier that had barely been able to survive the attack on Armory One; she had some fights under her belt now, and even as this current battle went on she could feel herself becoming more in tune with her machine. She kept a cool head and led her shots, and while not all of them found their marks her accuracy was improving.

Steady, she thought as she tracked her latest target, and don't forget to breathe…

She pulled the trigger a moment later and had the satisfaction of seeing her target become a fireball in the sky. "Yes! One less to worry about!"

Unfortunately, her moment of celebration cost her. Another Windam swooped in low and opened fire, and their particle beams slammed into the hull plating surrounding her. None of them scored a direct hit on Lunamaria's machine, but they did throw her off balance.

"Shit, shit, shit!" she hissed as she struggled to regain her footing.

A volley from the nearest of the battleship's CIWS tore the attacking Windam apart, giving Lunamaria the precious space she needed to reassert control over her mobile suit. It was embarrassing to have to be saved by the ship that she was supposed to be protecting, but since she was still alive Lunamaria wasn't about to complain.

"Are you all right over there?" asked Rey as he sniped another Alliance machine out of the sky.

"I'm fine," replied Lunamaria, a little more curtly than she had intended, "Let's just do our jobs and get through this fight alive."

"Agreed," said Rey.

As Rey disappeared from the corner of her screen, Meyrin took her place. "Sis! Are you doing okay?"

Lunamaria smiled. "I'm not dead yet!"

"Don't jinx it," said Meyrin, "Listen, the Saviour's coming in for a Deuterion Beam energy replenishment, but it needs covering fire so it can get into position for the Minerva to recharge it. You'll have to back Athrun up!"

Lunamaria nodded as she spotted the Saviour on her sensors in mobile armor form. "Okay, then. Leave it to me!"

"Good luck!" said Meyrin before she vanished from the screen.

"Rey, cover me!" shouted Lunamaria as she raised her rifle, "I need to support the Saviour for a minute!"

"Understood," said Rey.

Lunamaria could feel the sweat gather at her brow as she took aim. Here she was, about to provide critical covering fire for one of the heroes of the First Bloody Valentine War. Athrun's life was in her hands; the responsibility was almost dizzying.

Shake it off, she thought, You have a job to do. Focus!

As the Saviour shifted back to its mobile suit form, Lunamaria saw a trio of Windams moving in to attack. Shifting her aim, she opened fire on the lead machine and managed to catch it right in the torso. As the Windam blew apart the other two split up, with one still gunning for Athrun while the other moved in on her.

She only had a split second to choose her target. Lunamaria knew her mission; protect Athrun until the Saviour could be recharged. She would have to trust Rey to carry out his mission.

She took aim at the mobile suit moving against Athrun and opened fire. The crimson lance of plasma from her rifle swatted the Windam from the sky, but the second machine was taking aim at her. Lunamaria was already attempting to switch targets, but she knew that she'd never make it in time.

And that was when a volley of emerald beams pierced the mobile suit that had been about to shoot her.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of Rey's white mobile suit. "Thanks for the save."

"You're welcome," Rey replied.

That moment of cover was all that had been required for the Saviour to receive the Deuterion beam from the Minerva. With its energy replenished, the mobile suit immediately accelerated and went after the Windams attacking ZAFT's southern force.

Now that he's back in the fight, things should get a little easier, thought Lunamaria as she sought out her next target, I doubt this fight will go on much longer. It's been rough, but we can win this. I know we can…

… and I'll do my part to make sure that happens!

….

Emerald beam trident whirling circles of death around his Gundam, Wufei continued his dance with Rodrigues at breakneck speed. For every slash and thrust the Altron Custom could dish out, the Ronin had an answer, and thus both pilots were locked in a stalemate. For others that might be frustrating, but Wufei thrived upon it; it meant that his foe deserved every ounce of skill that he could bring to the table.

In fact, Wufei would daresay that his foe deserved a bit more.

I haven't used these at all since I've arrived in the Cosmic Era, he thought, I guess it's time to change that.

Deflecting a slash from the Ronin's beam katana, Wufei retaliated with his left Dragon Fang. The mercenary pulled back in response, and normally it would've been enough to evade the blow entirely, but that was when Wufei unleashed the nasty surprise hidden within the weapon; the high-power flame throwers.

Wufei wasn't sure what effect fire would have on Phase Shift Armor, but either way engulfing the Ronin in the stream of flames flowing from the Dragon Fang served him nicely. He wasn't aiming to cook his foe alive, but rather to take him off balance and temporarily obscure his vision. From the way Rodrigues fired his thrusters in reverse, it seemed that Wufei had at least achieved the former objective. He thrust forward with his beam trident, determined to make the most of the opening he'd gained.

His foe brought his beam katana up just in time to avoid taking a fatal blow, but it wasn't a clean deflection. The left prong of the beam trident caught the Ronin near where the right leg met the mobile suit's hip. It was hardly a crippling blow since the two mobile suits were fighting in the air rather than on the ground, but it was first blood.

Now that he was up close with the Ronin again he could better assess the damage Nataku's flamethrowers had done. As he'd anticipated, the mobile suit's Phase Shift Armor had weathered the heat for the most part, but Wufei could spot patches of hull that appeared to have been slightly warped.

So it's good as a distraction, not so much for direct damage against a machine like his, Wufei mused, I suppose that's good to know.

He pressed his assault, and now the mercenary captain was fully on the defensive. Wufei hammered him with everything he had, concentrating on the same spot where he'd landed his earlier hit. Rodrigues was still able to deflect Wufei's attacks, but the Gundam pilot could definitely detect a growing sense of unease in his adversary. The tide of the duel had shifted in his favor.

Blade to blade, you're as good as Treize, he silently complimented his foe, I almost don't want it to end here, but this is the battlefield.

I'm sure you'd understand.

….

Despite the setback, Jetstream Sam couldn't help but smile. "So, you had another trick up your sleeve, eh? That was a nasty one!"

Flamethrowers on a mobile suit was an unconventional loadout to say the least; to the mercenary's knowledge, neither the Earth Alliance or ZAFT had seen fit to implement such weapons on their units. There hardly seemed to be a point when even the armor of mass production models could easily withstand the heat such devices, but the ones wielded by Minuano's enemy were a different story. The Phase Shift Armor of the Ronin may have protected the mobile suit from suffering major external damage, but it had been wounded in a more insidious manner; the extreme heat of the flames had fused some of the wiring and hydraulics in the unit's joints. The mercenary could still defend himself, but the longer the fight went on the greater the internal damage to the Ronin would be exacerbated.

There was also the fact that the enemy's flamethrowers had damn near turned the Ronin's cockpit into an oven. Jetstream Sam had already been working up a sweat from the duel, but the blast that had engulfed his machine had been so powerful that it felt like he'd suddenly been thrust into the opening of an active volcano. He was still conscious, but at the very least severe heatstroke would be a distinct possibility if he was caught in a sustained blast from those weapons again… if they didn't outright fry him.

Much as I hate to admit it, I think I've lost this round, he mused as he worked furiously to defend himself against his foe's relentless assault, I had no idea he had this kind of weapon hidden away.

A survival trait for any self-respecting dog of war was recognizing when it was time to withdraw, and the moment had clearly come. While his duel with Wufei had understandably consumed the bulk of his attention, Jetstream Sam had not been blind to how the broader battle was unfolding. One by one, his fellow Winds of Destruction were beginning to give ground against their foes. Momentum was with the enemy now, and it would be wise to retreat while they could still do so in an orderly manner.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the mercenary's call to make. Colonel Nazara was in command of the Alliance force, and that included the Winds of Destruction. Given that the masked pilot was still duking it out with Heero Yuy and the Nosferatu was in perfect fighting order, Rodrigues imagined that the commander of Phantom Pain was hardly in the mood to signal the withdrawal; Nazara's hatred of his opponent and his desire to prove his superiority were not conducive to knowing when it was time to retreat. The fact that the Gaia was supporting him would likely only further serve to keep him on the field for as long as possible; a two against one advantage had likely gone to the Colonel's head.

"Arrogant prick," he hissed as he continued to fend off Wufei's attacks, "Why can't he do us all a favor and get himself killed already?"

He certainly wouldn't complain if that was what happened today. The Colonel paid well but working under him was a grating experience. He was prideful, vengeful, and likely had more than one screw loose. He was a skilled pilot, but his personality didn't make him the best field commander.

Jetstream Sam could only hope that the Colonel wised up before he got them all killed.

….

This isn't working, thought Heero as he weaved through the sky, I need to try something else to bring this fight to an end.

He was still locked in stalemate with the Gaia and the gunbarrel-drone machine. The two-on-one match had fallen into a pattern of him firing his Twin Buster Rifle to scatter the two machines, followed by him rushing in to beam saber range for the killing blow. However, each time the enemy had been able to block his attacks, and while they had done so the second mobile suit would move in for a flanking attack, forcing Heero to switch his focus and fend off one machine while trying to bring down the other. Eventually he would have to break off to gain some space to regroup, and then the cycle would repeat itself again.

It wasn't the most difficult fight that he had ever found himself in, but it was still a challenging situation. One enemy was clearly better than the other, and if there had been a way to isolate the two machines Heero would've immediately picked off the Gaia before giving his full attention to the gunbarrel-drone machine. However, the pilot of the Gaia had proven to be just good enough to survive his attacks long enough for their partner to bail them out. Heero needed to switch things up if he wanted to bring this fight to a close and wrap up this battle.

Fortunately, he already had an idea as to how he could accomplish that. His typical fighting style revolved around balancing close and long-range combat, switching seamlessly between the two as the situation required. This meant that the right hand of the Wing Zero Albion would always hold a beam saber while the left held the Twin Buster Rifle. The machine cannons and Xiphias railguns would be used to supplement his main weapons as needed, although in this case their utility was minimal since both his foes had Phase Shift Armor.

In this case, the most powerful weapon in his arsenal just wasn't cutting it. For all its might, even on its lowest power-setting the Twin Buster Rifle's rate of fire was just too slow for a fight like this. It was good for forcing his two foes to split up, but that was only a temporary measure. Heero would have to sacrifice range for greater attack speed, and he would just need a bit of space to do so.

He fired the Twin Buster Rifle one more time. Once again, the enemy machines split up, giving Heero the space he needed to put his plan into action. He rapidly ascended, and as he did so he slid the Twin Buster Rifle into its storage slot between the two inner wings. He then drew a second beam saber from the left inner wing and ignited it before diving back into the fray.

Weaving through the barrage of fire thrown up by the gunbarrel-drone unit, he swooped in on the Gaia like an avenging angel. The stolen prototype fired at him with everything it had, but the raw speed of the Wing Zero Albion made it all but impossible for the enemy pilot to draw a bead on him. Closing the gap in the blink of an eye, Heero lashed out with his twin blades. The first strike was barely blocked by the Gaia's violet beam saber, but the second blade found its mark and pierced the right shoulder of the machine. Following through with his strike, Heero succeeded in not only severing the Gaia's sword arm but also cut into the wing that housed one of the Griffon 2 Beam Blades that the unit used while in mobile armor form. The Gaia immediately pulled back, and the ensuing volley from its beam rifle was made all the sloppier due to the obvious panic that was gripping the enemy pilot.

The Gaia was vulnerable now, but Heero had no time to go in for the coup de grace; the violet gunbarrel-drone machine was racing at him and firing everything it had. Going evasive, Heero swiftly reoriented himself before rushing to meet his foe head-on. Wing Zero Albion flashed across the sky as the Gundam pilot pushed the throttle as hard as it would go; he was determined to end this battle here and now.

Not many people have fought me as many times as you have, he thought as he bore down on his foe, and each time, you've managed to slink away with your life.

Let's see if your luck's still with you.

….

Nazara was in trouble.

He didn't need the damage alert alarms that were blaring in his cockpit as Wing Zero tore apart one of the Nosferatu's drones to know that. The instant his foe had swapped their legendary rifle for a second beam saber, he realized that he'd yet again been tricked. What truly infuriated him was the manner in which his enemy had deceived him this time.

Throughout the entire history of the First Bloody Valentine War, for all of the chaos that Wing Zero had brought to that conflict there had been at least one constant; it would wield a beam saber, its fearsome rifle, and its shoulder-mounted machine cannons with devastating effect. It had always been that balanced loadout; not once had it changed in the last war, and the additional of two railguns for this new conflict only modestly increased its already demonic firepower.

Not once in any recorded battle had Heero Yuy ever actually put away the rifle that made his mobile suit such an instrument of terror in the field. No military or intelligence analyst had ever even considered the possibility that it might do so in favor of wielding two beam sabers at once. In hindsight, that contingency easily should've been accounted for. After all, mobile suits like the Freedom and Justice had been known to dual wield energy blades on occasion; it should've been child's play to consider the concept of Heero Yuy doing the same thing.

And yet no one had ever thought of it.

And now Nazara was paying for it.

He poured fire at his foe with his remaining drones along with the rest of his artillery, but between the enemy's agility and their wing-shields nothing could get through. Supporting fire from Stella did little to make a difference, and in fact the Colonel was actually concerned that it would only serve to make her a target; without a beam saber, the Gaia was defenseless if Wing Zero decided to finish it off.

For better or worse, though, Heero Yuy seemed content to evade or deflect the fire from the Gaia as needed. The Nosferatu appeared to be his top priority, and he was already moving in for another attack. Nazara opened up with everything he had left while bringing his beam saber up into a guard position. Making that move in advance served him well; it was likely the only thing that saved him from Wing Zero's blindingly fast strike. Nazara was able to successfully block a slash that had been aimed at his cockpit, however he was too slow to deflect the strike from Heero's second beam saber. He attempted to pull back, but his foe still managed to land a hit on the Nosferatu's left shoulder, destroying the modified Hresvelgr plasma cannon and severely damaging the motor controls in the joint. It was fortunate for the Colonel that his machine's left arm held only the beam rifle along with the shield mounted on it; had it been his unit's sword arm his defenses would've been fatally compromised.

Cutting loose with his three remaining drones, Nazara was able to temporarily drive Wing Zero back. However, he knew that his reprieve would not last long. Supporting fire from the Gaia was enough to keep Wing Zero on the defensive for at least a few seconds, and the Colonel used that brief window to take stock of the broader strategic situation.

What he found wasn't encouraging. For starters, every mobile suit belonging to the Winds of Destruction, with the exception of Mistral's Nomad, had taken damage in one form or another. All of the mercenary Captains were still in the fight, and Sundowner had even managed to damage the Impulse, but Nazara was smart enough to realize that his best fighters were on the defensive. To make matters worse, the prototype YMAG-X7F Gells-Ghe defense mobile armor had been destroyed by ZAFT's Saviour, and now that the crimson mobile suit and its pilot weren't distracted by the machine they were free to engage the Windam squadrons that had been attacking the enemy's southern force. The Minerva and two of its accompanying land cruisers remained in the fight and were continuing to advance, along with several BuCUEs and BABIs. In addition to the critical support they were receiving from the Saviour, they were also being helped by covering fire from the blue custom artillery unit that had appeared along with Wing Zero and its other derivatives during the battle at Armory One. The Atlantic Federation squadrons were faltering, and as much as he hated to admit it the Colonel could recognize that their attacks had just about run their course.

Utter hatred burned in his eyes beneath the mask as he came to the inescapable conclusion; the battle was lost. Not officially, but it was only a matter of time.

He'd lost to Heero Yuy again.

No, he thought, I've only really lost if he gets the chance to kill me. As long as I can survive, our battle hasn't truly ended. It will merely be put on pause.

He knew what had to be done, and he wasted no time in seeing to it. "All surviving Windams, break off your attack on ZAFT. Concentrate all fire on Wing Zero."

That would buy him some time. He then switched over to the tactical channel that was reserved for the Winds of Destruction. Mercenaries were supposed to be expendable, but they were the only other pilots on the field that had managed to hold their own against the enemy; Nazara would need them for the battles to come.

"All Winds of Destruction, withdraw to the north immediately," he ordered as he hastily deflected Heero's latest strike, "Don't both returning to base; it'll be overrun before the day is out. Head to the coast and rendezvous with the fleet."

Not even waiting for a confirmation, he immediately transferred to the private channel set up between him and the Gaia while continuing to frantically defend himself against Wing Zero's furious assault. "Stella, once the Windams target Wing Zero, we're getting out of here."

"But they'll all be killed!" Stella protested.

"It doesn't matter," Nazara spat out, "We must survive! Do not disobey me!"

Her reply was a pathetic whimper. "Yes… Colonel."

Just a little longer, he thought as the sweat built up beneath his helmet, I just need to last a few more seconds…

….

Opening up with his beam rifle, Athrun swiftly picked off a Windam with a volley of emerald energy. Taking full advantage of the Saviour's speed and maneuverability, he rushed in and took down his prior target's wingman with a beam saber thrust right to the cockpit. Even as the machine exploded, Athrun was already searching for his next target. That was when he noticed a change in the behavior of the remaining Alliance pilots.

"They're pulling back," he muttered under his breath as he looked around, "Have we won?"

Studying them carefully, he realized that he wasn't entirely correct. The surviving Windams were breaking off their attacks on the Minerva and the two remaining land cruisers, but instead of withdrawing, they were converging on a new target.

Wing Zero.

"Shit!" Athrun hissed as he gunned his engines, "Heero, watch your back!"

His warning came right in the nick of time. Heero had been engaged with the Gaia and the violet nuclear-powered machine, but the Wing Zero Albion suddenly broke off and ascended like a rocket. The Windams that had been moving in to attack were taken off balance by this move, which gave the Gundam pilot critical breathing room.

"Thanks," said Heero.

Athrun nodded as he lined up his shot. "Anytime."

He opened fire with his beam rifle, nailing a Windam right in the back. At the same time, Wing Zero Albion cut loose with its machine cannons and railguns. The barrage of bullets and shells ripped two more machines apart, but the rest opened fire with their rifles, forcing Heero onto the defensive. Thanks to his Gundam's incredible speed he was able to stay one step ahead of the barrage and move in to counterattack, but Athrun could spot the Gaia and the violet nuclear-powered mobile suit making use of the Windams' attacks to begin withdrawing to the north.

Was the enemy commander really about to sacrifice so many mass production machines and their pilots just so two advanced prototypes could escape?

As he and Heero tore into their ranks, Athrun realized that he had already answered his own question.

"Damn them," he muttered as he grimly picked off one Windam after another, "The Earth Alliance is as cruel as ever…"

The two veteran pilots were soon joined by a third; a barrage of bullets, missiles and beams from the Heavyarms Arsenal signaled Trowa Barton's entrance into the fray. At this point, though, Athrun had a hard time calling it a proper engagement. Between the two Gundams and the Saviour, what the three of them were really perpetrating against the Windam pilots was more of a slaughter than a battle. The enemy was still fighting back, but while they had numbers they were outmatched in both skill and firepower.

This is too much, he thought, I have to do something to stop this.

He wasn't sure how far his authority as a FAITH operative stretched, but he figured it was worth pushing some boundaries to find out. He doubted Captain Gladys would mind in this case, especially if it meant bringing the battle to an early conclusion.

"This is Athrun Zala of ZAFT calling all surviving Earth Alliance soldiers," he said as he climbed above the fight to give himself some breathing room, "I am a member of FAITH and thus represent Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal on this battlefield. In this capacity, I offer you the chance to surrender. Land and power down your mobile suits and you will not be harmed!"

The only response he received was a fresh volley of beam rifle fire. Athrun blocked the shots on the Saviour's shield but did not return fire; there was still a chance to make the enemy see reason.

"This is your only chance to make it through this battle alive!" he implored the enemy, "You're up against the Gundams; you can't win! Surrender now and I give you my word that you'll be treated fairly!"

This time he got a reply that was more than just return fire, but it was no less hostile. "We saw what ZAFT did to prisoners last time around! If we're going to die anyway, then we'll die fighting!"

"This isn't like the last war!" Athrun yelled, "Stop this!"

But they would not. If anything, the enemy redoubled their efforts, which only served to make their demise all the more wasteful. Heero and Trowa were ruthlessly efficient as they swept through the tattered remnants of the Alliance squadrons, and with the enemy still attacking him Athrun had no choice but to reluctantly join in.

The battle was all but over, only now Athrun didn't feel like he was fighting the soldiers of the Earth Alliance. As one Windam after another went up in flames, Athrun saw a specter of the last war hanging over each death.

The specter of Patrick Zala.

Father, he thought ruefully as he proceeded with the mop-up, if it weren't for the policies you implemented in the last war, they would've surrendered. How long am I going to have to fight your ghost?

How many more people are you going to make suffer from beyond the grave?

….

Withdraw, he says, thought Mistral as she fended off a vicious strike from her foe, I say that's easier said than done…

Mistral wasn't the only Wind of Destruction faced with this problem; her fellow mercenary captains were likewise still locked in their respective duels. Her situation may have been better than the others due to the fact that she had yet to take any substantial damage, but she was still engaged with a highly skilled foe who would not let her slip away so easily.

There was also the fact that she didn't want to slip away. At least, not yet.

After all, she was having the time of her life.

A self-proclaimed God of Death that actually lives up to his boasts, she thought with a grin, Duo… I could not ask for a better opponent.

Deflecting a broad slash, she then made a series of rapid thrusts. Her adversary moved back to avoid getting hit, which gave Mistral the chance to follow-up by shifting her weapon into its whip form again. She swiftly lashed out, but it immediately became clear that she hadn't been the only one waiting for such an opening. As soon as she'd begun her swing the enemy had moved forward, and he smoothly deflected the attack as he closed the distance. Now it was Mistral who was on the defensive, and she gunned her engines in reverse as Duo made a broad swing with his beam scythe. She ascended to avoid the worst of it, but she didn't make it out entirely unscathed; the emerald blade cut off the Nomad's left leg below the knee.

It wasn't a crippling blow, but it did change the dynamics of the fight. Now Mistral knew that she couldn't touch down on the surface; the rest of this duel would have to be fought in the air. Retracting the weapon back to its spear form, she made a thrust towards the head of the mechanical grim reaper, only for the enemy to swat it aside. Duo then raised his beam scythe and brought it down hard, with Mistral only barely being able to block it and prevent the blade from splitting her machine in half vertically.

"Sorry, lady," she heard him say over her cockpit speakers, "but I'm onto your moves now. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty sweet machine you've got, but it's got limitations."

Mistral smirked as she countered with a thrust at his mobile suit's torso. "The only real limitation is a pilot's will to fight. I thought that someone like you would understand that, mon gars."

"Oh, you've definitely got the will, I'll give you that," Duo replied as he deflected her attack and countered with a low slash that she was barely able to block, "but this fight's been going on for awhile now, and I know your mobile suit's not nuclear-powered. How much longer can you afford to go toe-to-toe with the God of Death?"

"Long enough," she shot back.

They continued to exchange blows as they went back and forth across the sky, and while her foe was on the offensive Mistral was still holding her own. If anything, she was feeding off the adrenaline of their fight, a heady perfume sweeter than any aphrodisiac. It was almost a shame that the two of them were locked in mortal combat; under more amenable circumstances, Mistral would be all for finding out if her opponent could bring the same energy and stamina he had on the battlefield to the bedroom.

It's only in a life-and-death battle that such strength can be displayed, she thought with a smile, and only through combat that people like us can truly feel alive.

Despite her desires, she would concede that Duo had a point with regards to her mobile suit's durability. Her body and spirit were still going strong, but her machine's energy reserves were not infinite. The Earth Alliance had come a long way with improving mobile suit battery-life since the First Bloody Valentine War, yet the march of technological advancement still had its constraints. The fire in Mistral's heart was still burning bright, but the Nomad was being pushed to its limits.

She would have to disengage, and soon. However, before she would do so, there was still one more thing she had to do.

She had to find out what drove her enemy to fight.

….

She's tenacious, thought Duo as he pressed his assault, I'll give her that much.

Despite the difference between their mobile suits in terms of strength and durability, Mistral was still holding her own. He could certainly respect that, although it wouldn't stop him from taking her down. After all, he hadn't come all the way out to another world just to lose to a mercenary.

"Tell me something, lady," he said, "Are your employers really worth dying over? Your forces have already lost this battle; all that's left is for you to decide if you're going down with them."

"They are not why I fight," she replied as she continued to fend off his attacks, "As for our battle, I will end it only when I deem it time to do so!"

Duo shook his head. "Come on; we've been fighting long enough that I've got a good feel for your skills. You're good enough to know that you're not coming out on top of this one."

"Perhaps so," she conceded as she countered a slash by transitioning her weapon into its whip form and lashing out again, "but I will not leave until I have the answer I seek."

Duo raised an eyebrow as he deflected her attack. "And what answer's that?"

"You called yourself the God of Death," she said as they traded blows, "Tell me, what drives a man like you to claim that title?"

Duo was thrown for a loop by that. "What's it to ya?"

"Anyone can fight," she shot back as she went on the offensive, "but why they fight is another matter entirely. Those who show true strength on the battlefield do not fight for trivial things like a flag or a paycheck. They fight for something more."

"That's rich, coming from a mercenary," Duo quipped as he deflected each of her attacks, "I thought your kind was all about the paycheck."

"This world is crude," she replied as she pressed her assault, "It only understands money. That is but the currency of the flesh; it is only a means to an end. The currency of the soul is what I seek!"

Duo shook his head as he continued to fend off her attacks. "Currency of the soul? What the hell are you trying to get at, lady?"

"Ideals," said Mistral, "Skill only takes a warrior so far. It is one's convictions that make the real difference. They are what allow a man like yourself to ascend far beyond the rank and file. They are what separate warriors like us from all the others!"

Duo chuckled as he deflected her strikes. "And you think knowing why I fight will help you beat me? I think you've got a few screws loose, lady!"

He was surprised to actually here her laugh at that. "And what if I do? Can pilots like you and me really be considered sane with the risks we take?"

She actually had a point there, though Duo wasn't about to openly admit it. "If you're after ideals, then you've got the wrong opponent, lady. I'm the God of Death, and that's all you're going to get from me!"

Countering her latest thrust, he whirled his beam scythe around and slammed the handle of it into her mobile suit's torso. The blow knocked his foe back, but before he could follow it up with a finishing strike she hit her thrusters and ascended.

"Perhaps it's all I'll get today," she conceded, "but this will not be the last time we face each other. Au revoir, God of Death!"

She threw her weapon at him as her mobile suit continued to climb. Duo attempted to bat the strike aside, but it turned out she had a nasty parting gift for him; her strange weapon suddenly separated into its individual segments, each of them trailing violet strands of energy from both ends. He was forced to pull back and close the Deathscythe Omega's Active Cloak Beam Deflection Barrier in order to protect his Gundam, and while he did so his opponent accelerated and withdrew from the fight.

For a moment Duo debated whether or not to pursue, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn't his job to hunt down a single mercenary; it was to win the larger fight. Still, he knew that his foe would be even more dangerous the next time around.

He'd just have to be even deadlier.

….

Quatre's foe might've been down to just their left arm, but that didn't mean that they were going down easy. As hard as he attacked, the enemy was still able to deflect his strikes and keep themselves alive. However, Quatre wasn't worried; he knew that the fight had swung decisively in his direction ever since he'd destroyed the enemy mobile suit's right arm. He just had to keep up the pressure and eventually he would be able to finish off his opponent.

Even now, I can't afford to underestimate them, he thought as he hammered the enemy with one strike after another, I've never seen a mobile suit like this one before. Despite the damage it's taken, it's still a deadly machine. Whoever's piloting it has clearly seen plenty of battles.

His foe was swift and vicious, all the more so now that Quatre had them on the ropes. They had to know that the broader battle was lost, yet they were still fighting Sandrock Saladin with everything they had. It was impressive, but as the fight continued to drag on it just felt all the more meaningless.

He opened a channel with his foe. "I don't know who you are, but you must understand that further fighting at this point will accomplish nothing. Surrender and you won't be harmed."

He was surprised to hear a raspy laugh come over the cockpit speakers. "An offer to spare my life? You disappoint me."

That certainly wasn't what Quatre had expected. "What are you talking about? This battle's all but over! Fighting now is meaningless!"

"I would've thought that a foe as powerful as you would understand," the enemy replied, "No battle is meaningless. They are the essence of nature; the strong fighting for dominance and consuming the weak. The victor proves their right to exist and stand atop the food chain!"

Quatre shook his head in disgust. "So, you're fighting out of nothing more than Social Darwinism? In case you haven't noticed, that's not doing you any favors right now!"

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," said his foe, "You're far stronger than I had anticipated going into this battle. If this duel drags on, the odds are strongly in favor of you killing me. However, the strong aren't guaranteed to be able to kill those weaker than them. After all, brute strength alone isn't enough to ensure survival!"

His foe suddenly sent his remaining remote arm straight at Quatre. The Gundam pilot brought both of his Heat Shotels up into guard position in response. The arm made a few quick thrusts, but after deflecting them Quatre was able to counter and then strike at the arm itself. Twin blades flashing in streaks of silver, the Desert Prince ripped the arm apart.

Unfortunately for him, the few seconds he'd spent dealing with the arm were all that his opponent had needed to begin their retreat. By the time Quatre had finished off the remote limb, his foe was already accelerating northwards. Quatre momentarily considered pursuing, but then he saw Heero, Trowa and Athrun engaging the surviving Windam squadrons. He decided that it would be better to help them than waste time pursuing one damaged machine.

I'm sure he'll show his face again on the battlefield soon enough, thought Quatre as he moved to assist his friends, and if I'm the one he chooses to fight again, then I'll do what I must.

….

Shinn Asuka was on a roll.

Flying with speed, clarity, and power, he hammered his foe with a relentless assault. Every one of his senses felt ridiculously sharp, and the fire burning within him seemed to have a limitless supply of fuel. He was beyond the top of his game, so much so that he didn't even know how to properly describe the new heights his abilities had reached. The Impulse was practically dancing circles around its damaged foe, and Shinn wasn't about to let up.

He wasn't piloting based on conscious thought. This was combat on an instinctive level, one that Shinn recalled reaching only once before; in the frantic clash with the prototype mobile armor during the Minerva's escape from Orb. Now that same relentless fury and speed were being brought to bear against a mobile suit, and that machine did not look like it would hold up much longer against Shinn's attacks. A small part of his mind was trying to tell him to be aware of the broader battle, but it was overwhelmed, drowned out by the raw power and wrath coursing through every fiber of his being.

His beam saber repeatedly clashed with his enemy's remaining blade. Each time the black and red machine tried to bring up its reactive barrier Shinn was ready. His reaction times were on fire; the explosive panels almost seemed like there were moving in slow-motion as the enemy brought them to bear. It was all too easy to avoid them now, although they were still enough of an obstacle that they'd kept Shinn from completely demolishing his foe.

That wouldn't last for much longer, though.

He could practically taste his imminent victory.

And he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it.

Unfortunately for the ZAFT prodigy, he'd forgotten one of the most crucial rules of war; no battle plan survives contact with the enemy. While Shinn felt assured in his triumph, his foe was determined to spite him through survival, and desperation was ample fuel for that determination. Shinn had backed his foe into a corner, and he'd failed to take into account what that might result in.

So he was caught completely off guard when, instead of simply trying to block his beam saber with its reactive armor, the enemy mobile suit simply jettisoned the remaining panels.

And all of them flew right at the Impulse.

The mobile suit's Variable Phase Shift Armor held up against the string of explosions that rocked the Impulse, but Shinn was still thrown completely off guard by the move. It also gave his foe a chance to back off and try to run. However, Shinn wasn't about to let them go that easily.

"Get back here, coward!" he yelled as he charged forward.

He was fast, but in his haste to deliver the final blow he let his guard down. Rather than engage him directly, his opponent simply threw his remaining blade at the Impulse. Shinn tried to doge it, and while he was able to avoid taking a fatal blow the blade still connected with the mobile suit. It plunged into the Impulse's right shoulder, paralyzing the machine's sword arm.

"Next time, don't count your chickens before they hatch, boy!" Sundowner cackled.

Shinn slammed his fist into the console. "Son of a bitch!"

He could still hear his foe's laughter over the cockpit speakers as Sundowner withdrew. With only the Impulse's shield arm operable at this point, Shinn's options for attacking were limited. Worse, the cumulative damage that the machine had taken over the course of the fight was starting to take its toll on the mobile suit. On top of that, the state of fury-fueled adrenaline that had propelled Shinn so far in this duel was finally starting wear off. He was suddenly aware of his heavy breathing and the sweat gathering at his brow. Both pilot and mobile suit were approaching their limits, although Shinn would only begrudgingly admit it.

Fortunately for him, the Minerva's mobile suit combat coordinator was much more willing to say what he wouldn't, and Meyrin's face had just popped up on his screen. "Shinn, let him go. The Impulse has taken a beating; the Captain wants you to come back to the ship!"

Shinn sighed. "Is that an order?"

Meyrin gave him a rare scowl. "Yes! Shinn, don't disobey her this time, please! It won't end well for you!"

"I know, I know," he replied reluctantly, "All right, I'm coming back to the ship."

Meyrin sighed with relief. "Good. The hangar crews will be ready for you."

My part in this battle's over, he thought as he spared one last glance at his retreating adversary, I sent that bastard running for the hills, so I guess that's good enough for now. Next time, though, he won't get off so easily.

….

Lunging forward, Wufei aimed a thrust right at his foe's cockpit. Rodrigues was able to deflect the attack, but the Gundam pilot wasn't about to let up. He swung the weapon around, slashing with the other end of the double-ended beam trident, this time aiming at the enemy's upper torso. Once again, his adversary was able to block the strike, but it was a close thing.

I doubt it's because he's tired, thought Wufei, More likely it's because of the damage his machine's taken.

Wufei hadn't been blind to the fact that the Ronin's performance had taken a hit ever since he'd blasted it with Nataku's flamethrowers. Its joints in particular had suffered from the heat, and he could tell that his foe was struggling to fight with their machine at the same pace that they'd been going at earlier. It actually made Wufei almost regret the move; he wanted to defeat his foe, but doing so through gradually weakening their machine wasn't nearly as satisfying as the idea of taking them down with a big decisive blow. Perhaps that was why the fight was beginning to sour on him.

Then again, a much clearer reason for that was likely the fact that, while Rodrigues was still standing his ground, the other Winds of Destruction were hightailing it. Tactically and strategically it made sense; while he'd been locked in his private duel with the mercenary, Wufei had not been blind to the broader flow of the battle. The engagement was all but over, and only fools would argue otherwise. However, Wufei's foe was still holding his own even after his comrades had begun to flee, which made him far worthier of respect than his fellow captains. In that light, it almost felt unfair that his foe should have to die while the other enemy commanders were able to flee the battle.

"There's no justice behind it," he muttered as he parried his foe's counterattack, "Do you agree, Nataku?"

There was no audible reply, but Wufei didn't need one to know that pilot and Gundam were in accord. This battle had become meaningless, and this was hardly the manner in which he wanted to defeat his foe. Rodrigues might've been a mercenary, but he'd fought with honor and tenacity. At this point, letting him go would be the proper courtesy.

That was why, after deflecting his opponent's latest round of attacks, Wufei didn't retaliate. Instead he simply pulled back, ready to defend himself but no more than that. Rodrigues seemed to get the message, because he lowered his sword a moment later.

"Why?" he asked.

"This battle's over," said Wufei, "There's no more meaning behind it. Besides, it'd be a shame for you to be the one to die while your cowardly comrades get to live."

He heard Rodrigues chuckle. "You're seriously going to let me go? I've learned quite a bit about you over the course of all our fights; you know I'll take that knowledge and use it against you next time around."

Wufei nodded. "I know. I'm counting on it."

There was a pause before his opponent spoke again. "You know, I think you might be as crazy as me."

Wufei smirked. "Probably."

"Well then," said his foe, "See you next time, Chang Wufei."

As the mercenary withdrew, Wufei gained altitude to survey the larger battle field. The last of the enemy Windams were being mopped up by his fellow Gundam pilots. The only thing left to do now was to seize control over the enemy's main base in the region and the engagement would be complete.

….

Picking off the last of the Windams with a salvo from his railguns, Heero took a moment to survey the area. The Winds of Destruction were in full retreat, while the Gaia and the gunbarrel drone machine were already long gone. There were no more enemy mobile suits that posed an immediate threat to the Gundam pilots or ZAFT; the battle was essentially over.

We still need to secure the region, thought Heero as he extinguished his second beam saber and put it away before drawing the Twin Buster Rifle again, and that means confirming the surrender of the enemy base. That might be easier said than done, though.

He got on the tactical channel that was reserved for the Gundam pilots. "Status report."

"No problems here," said Duo.

"I'm good," said Trowa.

"Same here," Quatre reported.

"All green," Wufei replied.

"All right, then," said Heero as he checked his sensors, "In that case, our job's not quite done yet. The enemy's primary regional base is a few kilometers west of here. That's where we'll be finishing this fight."

"How?" asked Quatre, "Heero, all of their mobile suits have been destroyed! You can't be suggesting that we kill them all!"

Heero shook his head. "No. We need to convince them to surrender. However, given recent history, that might be a tall order."

"You mean because of what happened two years ago with both sides massacring troops that surrendered, right?" asked Duo.

"You got it," said Heero grimly.

Duo sighed. "Man, I didn't even think of that. We might have our work cut out for us here."

"That's true," Trowa conceded, "Our Gundams will serve as a show of force, but that may not be enough to convince the ground troops and support personnel to lay down their arms."

"We could always destroy a few buildings or vehicles just to show that we're serious," said Wufei.

"It might come to that," Heero admitted, "However, we need to make a good faith attempt to show them that we'll accept their surrender as legitimate and that we can keep them from suffering the same fate as others did in the last war. Quatre, you might have to do the heavy lifting here."

"Why me?" asked Quatre, "Heero, you know the Cosmic Era better than the rest of us combined. You've got better insights into how the soldiers of this world think than me."

Heero shook his head. "Those insights won't be enough. You're a natural diplomat, Quatre, more so than I'll ever be. That's the kind of talent that we need right now."

Quatre nodded. "All right, then. I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask," said Heero, "Let's move out."

The five Gundams accelerated as one, heading into the west as streaks of blue-white thruster fire. As Heero took point, he got on the line with the Minerva.

Meyrin appeared on the screen. "Oh, Heero! What can I do for you?"

"Can you patch me through to the Captain?" he asked, "It's important."

Meyrin nodded. "Of course. One moment."

Captain Gladys appeared on the screen a moment later. "Heero, thank you for all that you've done; the enemy's been routed, and were it not for the efforts of you and your fellow Gundam pilots I doubt this battle would've gone our way."

"It's not over yet," said Heero as his eyes narrowed, "We're heading to the enemy's main base to convince them to surrender. If they agree to lay down your arms, do I have your word that they'll be treated according to international conventions?"

The Captain nodded, and from the way she stiffened slightly in her chair Heero knew that she'd gotten the underlying message. "You do. I swear that we will not commit the same barbarous acts as our predecessors. I'll pass the message along to the rest of our force."

"I'll hold you to that," said Heero firmly, "Make sure that all of our force gets that message; if the Desert Wind guerillas start killing prisoners out of retribution for the occupation, then I'll consider them enemies. They ought to be able to fill in the blanks."

"I understand," said Captain Gladys, "I'll make sure there's no room for misinterpretation."

Heero nodded. "Appreciated. Gundam Albion, out."

"Wait," she said before Heero could cut the connection, "I'm sending Athrun with you; as a member of FAITH, he will have the authority of the Supreme Council Chairman to accept the Alliance soldiers' surrender on behalf of the PLANTs and ZAFT."

"Very well, then," said Heero.

She disappeared from the screen, and a few moments later Heero saw the Saviour shift to its mobile armor mode and rapidly accelerate as it raced to catch up with the Gundam pilots. Heero hoped that this wouldn't cause problems; while he trusted Athrun, the legacy of his father still had an insidious influence over parts of the Cosmic Era. That had been amply demonstrated earlier in the fight, when the Windam pilots had refused to surrender precisely because of the brutal acts committed by soldiers of the past PLANT regime.

He could only hope that the ghost of Patrick Zala wouldn't cause yet more soldiers to lose their lives.

….

Quatre took a series of deep breaths as he and his comrades approached the Earth Alliance's regional base. It was a sprawling complex, but it wasn't its size that had him nervous. If the mission was to attack, he wouldn't be so apprehensive. Attacking facilities was just another day at work for Gundam pilots, but this was something different; he had to convince the soldiers stationed at the base to accept that the battle was over and that the only way for them to survive lay in surrender.

Based on the radar array and the prominent control tower, Quatre was sure that they knew just how badly their mobile suit squadrons had fared in today's engagement. From a tactical and strategic standpoint, further resistance from the Alliance forces was pointless and downright suicidal. If this were any other war, Quatre might not have felt so nervous about attempting to convince them to surrender, but this was not any other war; this was the sequel to a conflict where both sides had been waging campaigns of outright extermination against each other. When viewed in that light, he could understand why the Alliance soldiers stationed here might prefer to fight to the death rather than surrender and simply be gunned down after laying down their arms.

"Hey, Athrun," he said, "If we're actually able to convince these guys to surrender, it might be best if you don't mention your last name. No offense, but…"

"It's all right," Athrun replied, "I know what you're getting at. Don't worry about. I'll simply tell them that I have the authority to accept their surrender on behalf of the Chairman and can guarantee their protection."

Quatre smiled. "Thanks. We just might be able to pull this off."

Of course, it was right when he said that that missile lock alarms began going off in his cockpit. Scanning the area, Quatre saw multiple anti-air emplacements all turning towards him and his fellow pilots.

Heero was already on it. "Shoot down the missiles, but don't attack the launchers. If they see that further attacks against us are meaningless, it might help convince them to surrender."

Between Wing Zero Albion's machine-cannons, the Vulcans of Deathscythe Omega, Sandrock Saladin and Altron Custom, not to mention the Saviour's CIWS and everything the Heavyarms Arsenal could bring to bear, dealing with the anti-air missiles was easy. It only took a few bursts of fire from the six mobile suits to eliminate the projectiles, and it was while the enemy was reloading that Quatre seized his chance.

"Attention Earth Alliance forces," he said, "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner, pilot of the Gundam Sandrock Saladin. As you can see, further attacks against us will have no effect; we can shoot down or deflect anything you fire at us. Your mobile suits have all been destroyed, so you have no effective means to fight us. This engagement is over! Lay down your arms and you will be spared!"

Silence was all that answered him at first, and for a moment Quatre feared that was the only answer he would appear. However, after a few seconds he realized that the enemy still hadn't launched a follow-up volley from their missile batteries, and there was no gunfire coming at Sandrock Saladin or any of the other mobile suits.

Come on, he thought desperately, Please, let cooler heads prevail here.

A moment later a gruff mail voice came over the radio, and Quatre quickly isolated it to the control tower. "This is General Harold Zacharias of the Atlantic Federation armed forces. I'm the commandant of this base."

Quatre smiled. "Thank you for responding, General. May I take this to mean that you're at least willing to hear us out?"

"Yes," the officer replied, "but before that, I need to you tell me something."

Quatre nodded. "Of course. What would that be?"

"Your rank and affiliation," said the General, "When you announced yourself, both were conspicuously lacking."

"That's because I have no rank," said Quatre, "I'm a mobile suit pilot affiliated with Heero Yuy. We may be fighting alongside ZAFT, but we're not an official part of their organization or command structure."

There was a pause before Zacharias answered. "I thought as much. The only machine among you that even looks like a ZAFT model is that red one. If you can't speak for ZAFT in an official capacity, then how are we to believe that you can accept our surrender even if we were to capitulate?"

Quatre shook his head. "It's true that I would be unable to accept it in an official capacity, but you were right about one thing; the crimson mobile suit is a ZAFT model, and the pilot is of sufficient rank and status that he can speak with the authority of the Supreme Council."

"Then why isn't he making the offer?" asked Zacharias pointedly.

"I'm the one that he entrusted to make the offer," Quatre answered, "but rest assured that he will gladly accept your surrender."

A rueful chuckle came over the speaker. "Just how gladly, I wonder? No offense, but I don't see why I should trust a damn thing any of you say. Not after what happened in the last war."

"Trusting me is the only way that you and your men will live to see tomorrow!" Quatre countered, "I'm well aware of what happened two years ago, but the ZAFT that you're fighting now is not the same army that the Alliance waged war against in the First Bloody Valentine War. Your surrender will be honored!"

"And how can you guarantee that?" asked the General curtly.

Heero appeared on the bottom left corner of Quatre's monitor. "Mind if I cut in? It'll just be for a moment."

Quatre nodded; he'd take all the help that he could get. "Go for it."

Heero nodded before addressing the base commandant. "General, this is Heero Yuy. I am the guarantee that your surrender will be honored."

There was a notable pause before Zacharias spoke again. "The Demon Lord of Avalon… I never thought I'd be addressed by the likes of you. What do you mean when you say that you will be the guarantee?"

"I've made our position clear to the senior Captain in charge of ZAFT's local forces," Heero replied, "Anyone who attempts to extract retribution against you and your men after you've given your surrender will be considered an enemy to myself and my friends here. I'm sure you can recall the fates that befell my enemies in the last war."

"Yes," said the General, his tone somewhere between fear and grudging respect, "Quite clearly. ZAFT was one of your enemies in the last war, though, so why are you fighting alongside them now?"

"They are not the ones that opened this war with an attempt at nuclear holocaust, General," Heero answered, "Do you deny the actions of your government?"

It took a moment for the General to respond. "No. Not all of us endorsed that course of action, though."

"I'm well aware of that," said Heero, "Just as I am aware that ZAFT did not endorse the attempt to drop the remains of Junius Seven onto Earth. The Atlantic Federation made its intentions in this war explicit, so I'm acting against them. However, if ZAFT decides to tread the path it walked in the prior conflict once again, I will not hesitate to take up arms against them as well. The same goes for Quatre and the rest of our comrades; we are acting to prevent the massacres that defined the First Bloody Valentine War. That is why I will act to guarantee the safety of you and your men should you choose to surrender. The senior ZAFT Captain in this zone of operation is a veteran of the last war; she understands that I'm fully capable of delivering on my threats."

Quatre realized that now was his chance to seal the deal, and he jumped on it. "General, I can understand your reluctance to trust us, but given the situation I can tell you without a doubt that this is the best way to save your men. We have the means to make sure that ZAFT treats your surrender appropriately, and they likewise have a strong incentive to honor it. I'm sure that your superiors will rage at this, but what's more important to you; their approval of you dying in a pointless gesture of defiance, or the chance for your men to survive this war and eventually make it home to their families?"

There was a very long pause, and Quatre feared that his words had fallen upon deaf ears. However, the General eventually replied, and when he did so he sounded both resigned and relieved.

"Very well, then," he said, "I've been around long enough to recognize a situation that we can't hope to fight our way out of… and the pride of my superiors is hardly worth dying for. I hereby surrender this base, myself, and my men."

On que, ZAFT's representative in their group spoke up. "This is Athrun, FAITH operative and agent of the Supreme Council Chairman on this battlefield. I hereby accept your surrender. I'll advise the strike force that we're now in a state of ceasefire."

Quatre was glad that Athrun had left out his last name, and if the General recognized his first name he didn't say anything. "Understood. I'll have my men present themselves on the tarmac. When will the rest of your force be here?"

"They're some ways behind us," Athrun replied, "but I'll inform them of your disposition so they can take the appropriate measures to ensure security. We'll likely be using this base for coordinating regional operations and to house you, so at the very least you should get to stay on familiar turf."

"We'll stay here until ZAFT's main force arrives," Heero chimed in, "Trowa, take up watch on the eastern perimeter. Duo, you're on the south. Quatre, take the north. Wufei, you watch the west. I'll gain altitude and remain on overwatch until the Minerva and the land cruisers come on scene. Athrun, switch your machine to its mobile armor configuration and run a combat air patrol around the area until the main force relieves us."

"What do we need to watch out for now?" asked Duo, "The battle's over, and the only enemies capable of threatening us have already run away."

"The guerillas," Heero answered, "We need to keep them away from the prisoners to make sure they don't try to enact reprisals for the occupation."

"They won't be happy about that," Trowa quipped.

"I know," said Heero, "Captain Gladys should've already told them to stand down, but we need to make sure they abide by her orders. Consider the five of us to be wardens until ZAFT takes custody of the prisoners."

"Roger that," said Quatre, "Let's move!"

….

Stepping out of the rugged jeep, Conille walked up to the Gundam Heavyarms Arsenal, her hands on her hips. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Captain Gladys should've already made that clear," Trowa Barton replied over his mobile suit's speakers, "You can't proceed any further."

Conille scowled. "You know that those are Alliance soldiers you're protecting, right? They're the ones that invaded our land, killed our friends and family members! They're the bad guys here!"

"They've also surrendered," Trowa replied, "They're no longer active combatants."

"That's a load of bullshit!" yelled a man from behind Conille.

"Yeah!" screamed another, "They need to pay for what they've done!"

"The ZAFT soldiers that take custody of the prisoners will do a proper accounting for any potential war crimes that have been committed," said Trowa, "If you wish to act as witnesses, I'd advise that you speak with them."

"Forget this 'witness' crap," snarled a third Desert Wind fighter, "We want justice for what these monsters have done to our people!"

"He's right," said Conille, "and the only way we'll see justice done is if we kill these bastards ourselves!"

"Slaughtering men who have surrendered is your idea of justice?" asked Trowa, and Conille could tell that he was mocking her, "In that case, what exactly separates you from them? You call them monsters, but from where I'm sitting it seems like you're itching to try on that label yourselves."

Conille glared up at the Gundam. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," said Trowa, "Tell me how repaying their crimes with your own makes you any different from them."

"Screw this!" said one of the fighters as he hoisted a rocket launcher over his shoulder, "We don't have to take this crap from the likes of you!"

Before the man could fire, the Gundam aimed its Gatlings directly at the assembled guerilla fighters, and Conille couldn't help but gulp as she realized just how big those gunbarrels looked up close like this. "I would advise that you consider your next move carefully. If you take any actions that I deem to be hostile, I'll react accordingly."

"You… you wouldn't," said Conille, trying to sound tougher than she felt right now, "If you fire on us, ZAFT…"

"Will understand," Trowa finished for her, "Heero's already discussed the matter with Captain Gladys. Whether or not I open fire at this point is up to you, though. What will you do?"

Conille was infuriated at the situation, but what could she do? Even if it had been from afar, she'd seen what the Gundams were capable of; the battle had offered plenty of examples of their incredible destructive power. An RPG or two wasn't about to take one down, and the fighters of Desert Wind didn't have anything else that could pose even a remote threat to machines like them. If it came down to a shootout, the guerillas wouldn't last five seconds.

They were already beaten.

"Fine," she growled dejectedly as she stepped back, "We'll back down."

"Conille, what the hell?" asked one of the fighters.

"You can't be serious?' asked another.

Conille shook her head. "Look, I don't like it, but you know as well as I do that we can't beat one of these things. Do you want to die for nothing?"

That was enough to give her fellow guerillas pause. They were still pissed, but they knew as well as she did that if a fight started here, they'd be on the losing side. The only real choice was to throw in the towel.

She went back to the jeep. "Come on, let's get out of here. We'll talk to ZAFT later and make sure they know what kind of scumbags they're taking custody of. That's all we can do now if we want to see anything like justice at this point."

Before departing, she gave one last look to Heavyarms Arsenal. The Gundams had been pivotal to defeating the Earth Alliance forces in the area, yet now they were defending the enemy troops just because they'd surrendered.

Just whose side were they really on?

It was a question that Conille doubted she'd get an answer to anytime soon.

….

Heero nodded as Trowa finished his status update. "I see. Thanks for convincing them to back down."

"No problem," said Trowa, "Are you sure this won't cause us any problems with our allies?"

Heero shook his head. "We already told Captain Gladys what to expect. She doesn't seem cut from the same mold as the officers loyal to Patrick Zala's true agenda during the last war, so I think she's willing to side with us on this matter. At the very least, she doesn't strike me as the type of commander that willingly commits war crimes."

"I'll trust your judgment on that," Trowa replied, "Want me to stay on station?"

"Yeah," said Heero, "ZAFT still hasn't secured the area yet, after all. They should be here soon, though."

Trowa nodded. "Roger that. Heavyarms Arsenal, out."

Still on overwatch, Heero carefully considered the news Trowa had relayed to him. It was certainly a good thing that his friend had been able to send the guerillas packing without having to fire a shot, but the fact that it had required intimidation from a Gundam to dissuade the fighters of Desert Dawn from attempting to massacre the prisoners was a forbidding sign. He had no reason to doubt that the Earth Alliance's occupation of the region had been brutal, but he also had no way to know how much was the responsibility of the men they'd just captured rather than the mercenaries they'd sent packing. Were they all guilty? That seemed highly unlikely.

What's more important is the fact that the guerillas were so eager to enact war crimes of their own in retribution for their suffering at the hands of the Alliance forces, he thought grimly, Terminal's mission is to prevent either side from enacting such atrocities. In a climate such as this, though, I don't know if it's possible for us to stop them all.

The First Bloody Valentine War had been a clear lesson on the power of the cycle of hatred. Once it got going it only grew more and more vicious, with more and more people getting sucked into it. Eventually it had gotten to the point where all life in the Earth Sphere had been endangered by it.

Was the Second Bloody Valentine War going down that exact same path? Rau Le Creuset may no longer have been around to pull the strings, but the Earth Alliance at the very least seemed more than willing to dance to the same tune he had called two years ago. The shadow of the prior conflict was long and dark, and Heero feared that it threatened to drag this new war down into the same depths.

I don't know how much we can really accomplish against the forces arrayed in this war, he thought firmly, but I do know this much; I'm not going to let them turn this world into an inferno without a fight.

Preview for next time!

With the Gulnahan Ravine and the Suez Canal secure, the Minerva heads north. However, rather than continue on to Gibraltar, the battleship is ordered to divert to a new ZAFT base established on the coast of the Black Sea. There they come face to face with none other than Chairman Durandal, who has journeyed to the surface of the Earth to brief the crew of the Minerva in person on the true enemy they face in this war. Next time, on "Destiny's Call", Episode Fourteen: LOGOS.

As long as there is war, there will be those who seek to profit from the suffering it brings.

Author's Notes: Whew, another long one finally done! Like I said before, next time I'll try to shoot for a shorter chapter. It won't be an action one, either; this one's more of a little lull before the fighting resumes.

I hope you liked the Desperado mobile suits, I based them on the cybernetic bodies and weapons that the Winds of Destruction had in Metal Gear Rising. It was a lot of fun adapting them to suit the Cosmic Era! They won't be the last new mobile suits that you see in this story, either.

Until next time! Please review!