Gundam Wing: Destiny's Call

by operation meteor

Sequel to Journey to a New Battlefield. It's been two years since the Bloody Valentine War and tensions are rising. When a shadowy group attacks the colony of Armory One, a certain Gundam pilot takes to the battlefield once again. However, little to his knowledge, some old friends are on a journey to his new world. M for language and violence (again, it's war. What do you expect?)

16. Chapter 16

Author's Notes: Hello! My apologies for the long delay here, I wanted to take my time and make sure that the battle in this chapter was up to my standards. Things will get pretty crazy here, and Seed Destiny canon will take a hit or two, so fun times ahead!

Song list for the chapter, in order of appearance: "Two Pairs" and "Sol Squadron" from Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and "Legend of Zero – XXXG 00W0" from Gundam Wing.

Enjoy!

Episode Sixteen: Chaos at the Dardanelles

November 7th, C.E. 73

Talia was doing her best to hide her concern, but she had to wonder just how good of a job she was doing. She had enough on her plate with the Minerva being scheduled to launch this morning, and to be called away from her warship to the office the Chairman was using at Diocuia base only further served to increase her anxiety.

The moment we try to break out into the Mediterranean, the Alliance will pounce, she thought, I know that'd be my play if I were in their position. The sooner we leave the base, the better our chances of successfully breaching whatever blockade line they attempt to set up will be. A longer wait means more time for the enemy to assemble forces to block our path.

Unfortunately, she wasn't in a position to refuse a request from the Chairman. Talia had to wonder just what Durandal wanted with her now. Apart from their meeting on the day that the Minerva had arrived at the base, the Chairman hadn't sought out any other chance to speak with her, formal or otherwise. His timing left much to be desired in this case.

"Captain Gladys," said the aide, "The Chairman will see you now."

Talia nodded. "Understood."

The young woman opened the doors for her, and Talia strode into the office. Behind his desk, Durandal rose to greet her.

Talia snapped to salute as the doors closed behind her. "Chairman."

Durandal smiled. "Talia, please; there's no call for formalities when it's just the two of us."

So, that's how he wants to play it, she thought, Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I guess I'll play along and find out.

She returned his smile, although it was a little strained. "Don't take this the wrong way, Gilbert, but I hope you called me here for more than just to chat. I need to be on the bridge of my ship."

Durandal nodded. "I understand. I know that delaying your departure is ill-advised given the opposition you're likely to face once you try to leave the Black Sea, and I'll try to make this brief. Trust me when I say that this is important."

"All right," said Talia, "What is it you needed to discuss? If you're not willing to entrust it to an encrypted channel, then I take it that this is for more than just new orders."

"Quite so," Durandal replied, "With regards to the enemy resistance that I'm sure you'll be facing once you attempt to enter the Mediterranean Sea, would I be wrong to presume that the Gundam pilots will serve as your primary offensive option?"

Talia raised an eyebrow; where was this coming from? "In the previous battles where we've cooperated, they've taken on such a role. They're well-suited for it, especially the Gundam Albion."

"Of course," said Durandal, "My arena is politics, while yours is the battlefield, so it is hardly my place to question your tactics. However, it strikes me that our past few victories have come about thanks more to the Gundams and their pilots rather than our own soldiers. Don't get me wrong; the pilots under your direct command have performed quite well thus far, and I don't think I'm wrong in my belief that their skills are improving with each passing battle. That being said, I'm rather concerned that we might be overly reliant on soldiers that are not formally bound to us and can leave at any time."

Talia nodded. "That's something I have taken into account. They've offered their help all the same, though, and given the odds we face in the field I'm hardly in a position to turn them down."

"I understand that," said Durandal, "Still, it would be prudent for us to have solid contingencies in the works for when they decide this temporary alliance has outlived its usefulness to them."

Talia's eyes narrowed. "If I'm reading you right, it sounds like you think that point is coming sooner rather than later. Should I be concerned?"

Durandal sighed. "To be blunt, yes. I'll give Heero Yuy this much credit; he's been quite up front regarding his views on our alliance. We would be wise to make preparations regarding his eventual betrayal."

"I have no doubt that he and his fellow Gundam pilots will leave the Minerva at some point," said Talia, "but that's hardly the same thing as treason. They might not be under our banner, but they're hardly foes. Besides, for them to fight both the Alliance and ZAFT at the same time would be utterly foolish."

Durandal shook his head. "Have you forgotten, Talia? I'm not sure about the other four, but Heero Yuy most certainly did fight against the Alliance and ZAFT simultaneously during the prior conflict. In fact, the historical record and surviving combat data indicates he made more than a good accounting for himself in that two-front fight. The past is quite likely to be prologue under these circumstances."

"I'm not going to turn my guns on them without just cause," said Talia firmly, "Regardless of where their true allegiances lie, we owe them for the help they've given us in this war. The Minerva would've been destroyed several times over by now were it not for them."

Durandal nodded. "Believe me, I'm well aware of that. It still doesn't change the fact that they are not our friends. Be prepared to do what is necessary, Talia."

Talia sighed. "Is there anything else, Chairman?"

There was the slightest hint of a recoil; it seemed to sting him that she was switching back to formalities. "No… Captain Gladys. I wish you good fortune in your mission."

….

This is it, thought Meer, They're really going…

She'd known it was coming, of course. The Chairman had shared the warship's itinerary with her in order to better facilitate her mission of attempting to get into the good graces of the Gundam pilots along with continuing to play the part of Athrun's fiancé. The departure was inevitable; the ship was fully repaired and resupplied, and its place was on the front lines. Meer had been fully aware of this, yet now that the moment had come, she found it hard to watch as the Minerva slowly slipped free of the docks and out towards the sea.

What made it even stranger was that it wasn't the knowledge that Athrun was leaving that had her the most torn up. Looking up at the vessel, she saw the real reason for her inner turmoil standing on the upper deck, and even from this distance Meer knew that he was looking straight at her.

Trowa Barton.

She'd only known him for just a few days, but he'd somehow managed to throw her world into complete turmoil. As much as she wanted to focus on playing her part as the Chairman's Lacus Clyne, the words of the Gundam pilot would not leave her mind. Between the knowledge of the attempt on her icon's life and what her role in this war really was, Meer had a lot on her mind, and the young man she was looking at now had brought it all into focus in a way that she didn't think anyone else could.

As much as he had upended her world and shaken her to her core, Meer was surprised to realize that the last thing she wanted right now was for Trowa to leave. His words might've been blunt and harsh, but at the same time he hadn't been judging her. In fact, he actually genuinely seemed to have been concerned about her and had tried to help in his own way. Now he was heading back to the battlefield, and despite his skill and the power of his machine there was no guarantee that Meer would ever see him again.

"Please be safe," she whispered, "I… I want to talk to you again sometime."

Amazingly, she actually saw him nod. Had he been able to read her lips all the way from the upper deck of the warship?

I guess I shouldn't put it past him, she thought, Pilots like him seem to be full of surprises these days…

She smiled and waved. "Good luck out there! Do your best, and come back in one piece!"

To any casual observer, it would've looked like Lacus Clyne bidding the ship farewell. However, Meer belatedly realized that she wasn't actually acting in her role right now. The person she was right now wasn't Lacus Clyne.

It was herself.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

….

Looking up at the bridge monitor, Murrue's brow furrowed as she listened to Heero's update. "I see. How long until you reach the Dardanelles?"

"No more than a few hours at the rate we're going," Heero replied, "The Minerva can move at a pretty decent clip over the water when she wants to."

To her right, Andrew Waltfeld stepped forward. "I hope you and the rest of the boys are ready for a fight, because you're heading right into one."

"I figured as much," said Heero, "What's the latest on our expected opposition?"

Murrue sighed. "Between the Orb Union First Fleet and the Atlantic Federation's battle group, we're looking at upwards of fifty ships."

Andrew chuckled. "They really want you dead, Heero!"

"Better than them have tried," Heero replied, "Do we have a carrier count?"

"According to Adaline, there are a dozen carriers operating in the combined force," Murrue answered, "However, those likely won't be the only sources of hostile aerial mobile suits."

Heero raised an eyebrow. "Really? Where else will they be coming from?"

"We've noticed a significant pickup in radio chatter originating from Eurasian Federation bases on both sides of the Dardanelles," said Murrue, "We had Lan take her Wraith to check out both facilities and confirmed that they're massing Windams. At this point, it's only logical to assume that they'll be supporting the naval forces in the coming engagement."

Andrew nodded. "You're going to get hit from the south, east, and west. I know you're good when it comes to fighting against long odds, but there's only so much that you can do."

"Agreed," said Heero, "Any chance you guys could provide support?"

Murrue smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

Andrew grinned. "Our current position's rather fortunate; the combined fleet's taking up position to block the Dardanelles, and we're submerged practically right behind them. As soon as you engage them up front, we can hit them hard from the rear!"

Heero nodded. "If we divide their attention the we should be able to punch through their lines with our heavy artillery. Inflict enough damage in a short amount of time and they might just pack it in early."

"That'd be nice," said Murrue, "Still, you know the old saying; no plan survives contact with the enemy."

The Desert Tiger stroked his chin in thought. "Agreed. The Seirans in particular are staking a lot on this fight; the First Fleet's not a resource you'd commit lightly. They must want to emphasize to the Atlantic Federation the value of their new alliance."

Murrue sighed. "If they're determined to put on a good show for their American partners, then it won't bode well for Cagalli. She's hoping to get them to back down before they start taking casualties. That might not be in the cards here, though."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Will she be making a sortie?"

"The Strike Rouge has already been prepped for launch," said Andrew grimly, "She's set on going out there, and no one here can talk her out of it. You know how she is."

"Right," said Heero, "In that case, just tell her to keep away from the Impulse."

"Are you worried about Shinn taking a shot at her?" asked Murrue.

"Yeah," Heero replied, "His hatred of her old administration for what he perceives as their role in his family's death is powerful, and in the heat of battle he could easily act on it."

Andrew nodded. "We'll keep an eye on her. She's not going down on our watch."

"Will you be coming back to the Archangel after the battle?" Murrue asked hopefully.

Heero gave her a small smile. "I'd certainly like to, but we should wait and see how things play out. It might be better to stick with the Minerva for a little while longer."

Murrue smiled as well. "Whatever you decide, I've got your back. Whether it's sooner or later, just promise that you'll come back here in one piece."

Heero nodded. "Roger that."

….

Try as she might, Cagalli couldn't keep her hands from trembling as she suited up. She'd flown into plenty of battles in the last war, but none of them had been against her own people.

You're not going to fight them, she reminded herself, You're going to stop this madness and convince them to stand down.

That was the plan, but could she really pull it off? Kisaka had told her in the past that the Orb Union military was loyal to her family, yet here was the First Fleet operating under the command of the Seirans in a mission that they had to know ran contrary to the Athha family's beliefs. Would they listen to her when she had failed to command her own government ministers and had essentially been reduced to little more than a puppet ruler?

She had to try to make them see reason. It was her responsibility to protect her people even if she didn't have the power to govern them right now. Cagalli had no doubt how their so-called 'partners' in the Atlantic Federation would use her troops; they'd put them front and center, making them take the losses that otherwise would've been inflicted on the Earth Alliance's soldiers. That was bad enough, but given who was currently riding with the Minerva, if thing got out of hand it would be a thousand times worth.

"Yuna, you idiot," she hissed as she zipped up her flight suit, "Do you have any idea who you're picking a fight with?"

Of course, he didn't. This was Yuna she was talking about here; arrogance was his defining trait more than any other. Orb's First Fleet wasn't a real threat to Gundam pilots. If anything, all it presented to them was a target-rich environment. They weren't sailing into a battle; they were offering themselves up for slaughter.

I have to get them to pull back before it's too late, she thought frantically, Heero and his friends aren't Kira; they'll be playing for keeps when the shooting starts!

She wanted to believe that they would exercise restraint, but she knew better. Heero was a good man, and his friends from his old world seemed pretty decent too, but in her gut Cagalli knew what call they'd make when the shit hit the fan. They hadn't made it through global conflicts by playing nice.

There was a knock at the pilots' ready-room door, followed by a familiar female voice. "Cagalli? May I come in?"

Cagalli forced a smile. "Sure thing, Lacus."

The door slid open and the songstress entered a moment later. She wasn't even trying to hid her concern, and Cagalli had a feeling she knew why she was here.

"Must you go out there today?" asked Lacus, "No one here questions your courage, Cagalli. You could just as easily contact your countrymen from the bridge of the Archangel."

Cagalli sighed. "Did Kira ask you to come talk to me?"

Lacus shook her head. "He's worried about you, but he did not request that I seek you out. I'm here of my own volition, Cagalli. I'm here as your friend."

Cagalli nodded. "I appreciate the concern, but this is something I have to do. It's not enough for me to simply contact the First Fleet from the Archangel. Actions speak louder than words. By going out there myself, I'll be able to send a more powerful message."

"Your reputation for putting your life on the line for the sake of your beliefs was already well-established in the last war," Lacus countered, "You have no need to prove your valor again. If you put yourself in this position then you may very well be confronted by your own countrymen firing upon you!"

"It won't come to that!" Cagalli protested, "I'll stop them! I'll make them understand that what they're doing isn't what they're meant to do as soldiers of the Orb Union!"

"I know the soldiers of the Orb military hold you in high esteem," said Lacus, "but they'll be fighting under the orders of your cousin out there today. What if you can't reach them?"

"I don't have a choice," Cagalli replied, her voice cracking, "If I don't… I… I can't let them die out there!"

Her hands started trembling again, and it was only when Lacus grabbed them that they stopped. The songstress took her into a gentle embrace, and Cagalli didn't fight it.

"I know how deeply you care for your people," said Lacus softly, "but know that there are people around you that care for you just as deeply. I don't want you throwing your life away out there, and I know that I'm not the only one that feels that way."

Cagalli smiled as the songstress released her. "I know, and I'm not going out there to throw my life away. I'm going out there to save the lives of my people and help bring this war to an end."

Lacus nodded. "Part of me still wants to try to stop you, but… well, I know how you get when you set your mind on something. Know that I'll be doing all I can to support you from the bridge of the Archangel, and I won't be the only one. We're all behind you, Cagalli, no matter what happens. Don't forget that."

"I won't," said Cagalli, "Thank you."

"Of course," said Lacus, "Please, be careful out there."

Cagalli smirked. "No promises."

….

Talia leaned back against the wall as she absorbed what she'd just been told. "Fifty ships at least? You're sure of this?"

Heero nodded. "The intel's from a source that I trust more than any other in the Earth Sphere. It's accurate."

She should've been on the bridge at the moment, but when the most dangerous pilot in the world had asked for the chance to give her a private intelligence update, she'd found it hard to say no. The two of them were currently in a small officer's meeting room just aft of the bridge, and Talia was thankful for the seclusion; she needed a moment to compose herself.

I knew we'd have a rough time breaking out into the Mediterranean, she thought, but still… this is worse than I feared.

"There'll also be supporting shore-based squadrons of Eurasian Windams," Heero continued, "It'll be a three-pronged attack."

Talia sighed. "And we're sailing right into it. I know we've beaten the odds before, but this is going to push us to our limits."

"Past that, more likely," said Heero, "The Minerva can't stand against such an assault, and it's unlikely that we can intercept everything the enemy throws at you, especially if they bring any of the aces that we had to face at the Gulnahan Ravine."

Talia closed her eyes for a moment. "Well, if a pilot like you is saying something like that… then we're going to our deaths."

"Not quite," Heero countered, "Your luck hasn't run out yet."

Talia's eyes opened, and her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"How much do you trust us?" he asked.

"By 'us' I'm assuming you mean you and your fellow Gundam pilots, right?" said Talia, "Well, we wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you, so you've definitely earned some goodwill."

"In that case, launch us first," said Heero, "and do it before the Minerva gets in range to launch her conventional mobile suits."

Talia raised an eyebrow. "What are you hoping to accomplish here?"

"This will only work if the five of us are already airborne when the battle commences," said Heero, "Launch your machines once you're in range. Beyond that, you'll just have to trust us."

Talia folded her arms. "You're hiding something."

"I play my cards close to the chest," Heero replied, "Experience has been a valuable teacher in that regard."

"I don't doubt that," said Talia, "but if I'm taking my ship into a battle where the tactical situation is this lopsided, then I need access to every scrap of intel I can get. What do you have planned here?"

"I have allies in the area," Heero answered, "Allies both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT have been completely unaware of up until now."

Talia's eyes narrowed. "You mean the Archangel, don't you?"

"I can't confirm or deny that," Heero answered, his face betraying nothing.

"I have a hard time imagining any other possible allies," said Talia, "Whether you confirm or deny it is irrelevant at this point."

"You'll get your answer during the battle," said Heero, "I won't say anything more than that."

Talia sighed. "I suppose that's the best I'm going to get out of you for now, isn't it?"

"It'll have to be enough," Heero replied as he headed for the door, "Make sure the crew's ready for a fight, Captain. It's going to be a big one."

….

The hangar of the carrier was alive with activity as Mihaly headed over to the MSX-02 Wyvern. There was a palpable air of unease amongst the mechanics and pilots, and for good reason.

We're no more than a few hours away from engaging the enemy, he thought, and this enemy's proven itself capable of decimating entire fleets in the past. It's hard to blame the crew for not being enthusiastic about what's coming.

The Eurasian Federation ace's feelings on the matter were decidedly mixed. He knew what his job was; to engage the deadliest pilot in the enemy's ranks. It was an exciting prospect, but that thrill was tempered by the knowledge of his past debt. Mihaly wouldn't have survived the First Battle of Alaska without the intervention of Wing Zero, and the irony of now fighting alongside the forces of the very same Atlantic Federation that had set them up for slaughter two years ago wasn't lost on him.

Looking up at his machine, his brow furrowed as he tried to imagine the test that both mobile suit and pilot would be put to today. The prototype was the fastest unit ever built by the Eurasian Federation, and Mihaly knew that he would need to squeeze every last ounce of agility out of the Wyvern if he was to have a chance at surviving the coming encounter, let alone come out on top. Which was at the greater risk of cracking under the pressure; man or machine? The mobile suit had been fine-tuned to his exact specifications in the lead-up to the coming fight, which left Mihaly to begrudgingly admit that his body was more likely to betray him than his machine. Professor Morozov and his subordinates had done all they could to adjust his flight suit before he had shipped out, but Mihaly was under no illusions; he was going to push the suit to its limits today, and likely fly right over the red line.

"Don't tell me you're nervous now," said a male voice from behind him, "Then again, I suppose I couldn't blame you if that were the case."

Turning around, Mihaly saw his fellow Eurasian Federation pilots, Alberto and Marcella, approaching. Their mobile suits were berthed not too far from his own, and both pilots looked ready to sortie.

"You drew top bidding," said Marcella, "Either that or the shortest straw in the lot. I suppose it depends on how you look at it."

"This was always going to be the way it played out," Mihaly replied, "After all, our American friends have already taken their shots and failed."

Alberto smirked. "Quite the sterling record they have."

"Not the word I'd use for it, love," Marcella quipped.

"Their record's irrelevant now," said Mihaly, "All that matters now is the fight that's ahead of us. We'll stick to the plan we worked out earlier; I'll take Wing Zero while the two of you keep the other advanced units off my back."

"Simple enough," said Alberto, "Far be it from me to question a pilot with your record, but is this really a dance that you can take? Your soon-to-be partner's got a well-documented history of taking everyone who challenges him to the cleaners."

Marcella looked concerned. "We don't doubt your abilities or your machine. However, this an adversary unlike any other."

Mihaly's eyes narrowed as he gazed up at his mobile suit. "You don't need to remind me."

"We're not about to disobey you," said Alberto, "You're the senior officer in our little contingent, after all. Still, are you sure you don't want some help?"

Mihaly shook his head. "Heero Yuy is mine. You two just need to keep his friends busy."

Alberto and Marcella looked at each other for a moment, and Mihaly wondered if they meant to press the matter. After a few seconds had passed, though, it appeared that they'd decided against it.

"Very well, then," said Alberto, "In that case, good hunting."

"Don't go getting yourself killed out there," Marcella added, "You're the only bit of civilized company we have on this ship."

"Duly noted," Mihaly quipped.

….

"Did you understand all that?" asked Major Hamilton.

Stella nodded. "Yes, sir. The Eurasian pilots and the Desperado mercenaries will deal with the Gundams. Our responsibility will be the Impulse. The rest of the fleet's mobile suits will deal with the remainder of ZAFT's machines."

Hamilton nodded. "Good."

Complex strategies and tactics are a bit too much for her, he thought, Give her a simple game plan, though, and she grasps it well enough.

He had enough on his plate as it was, so making sure Stella would be able to carry out her role effectively before the battle actually started was crucial. The Atlantic Federation forces already had their orders, but the trick would be carrying them out in cooperation with the Orb Union's First Fleet. Hamilton had made efforts to familiarize himself with the combat doctrines of the Orb Union, and while they were conventional enough and easy to grasp the issue was that of who had overall command of the First Fleet.

Captain Todaka was officially the field commander, and his flagship was the advanced carrier Takemikazuchi. His service record was solid and under normal circumstances the Major wouldn't be too concerned about working with him. However, there was the small matter of the carrier's civilian VIP to consider. Yuna Seiran acted as the one that really called the shots, and while he liked to boast about his strategic intelligence, Hamilton had his doubts.

He has no real military record, the Major mused, The First Fleet's breakthrough to the Mediterranean was mostly due to brute force and Alliance forces striking from the north while Orb attacked from the south. There was no concerted effort to dislodge ZAFT from the base they had taken in the area; the operation was simply about getting Orb's fleet through the Suez Canal. ZAFT recognized that and thus were able to pull back and hold the base, meaning the resistance our combined forces faced in the area wasn't as fierce as it will be today. In short, he has no experience with facing off against an enemy that will fight with everything they have.

Making matters worse was Yuna's status as an aristocrat. Hamilton had little respect for bloodline nobility, particularly because he had worked his way up from a middle-class background to earn his current position. His impression of Yuna was that of a young man who expected the world to be delivered to him on a silver platter, and that seemed all too likely to extend to his expectations on the battlefield. He hardly appeared to be the sort of commander that could inspire genuine loyalty, which would definitely be a problem given the nature of their opposition.

While Hamilton expected the Eurasian aces to at least hold Wing Zero at bay, he had no way to be certain that they could actually defeat the legendary mobile suit and its fearsome pilot. This was a problem for more than just the obvious reasons; Wing Zero had fought in the defense of the Orb Union during the previous conflict, and if there were veterans of the First Bloody Valentine War amongst the crews and mobile suit pilots of the First Fleet then that meant they'd be fighting against a renowned warrior who had once put his life on the line for their homeland. His record in combat was more than that of a relentless killing machine; his ability to influence the soldiers around him was well-documented. After all, not only had he stormed the Dominion in the final battle of the last war, but after the boarding action that vessel had fought on the same side as Wing Zero for the remainder of the engagement.

In short, the enemy's deadliest ace was a man that had an ability, conscious or otherwise, to sway soldiers to his cause. Given the lackluster quality of Yuna as a leader, that meant that the loyalty of the Orb Union's troops could very easily be undermined.

We have to destroy the Minerva quickly while the Eurasians keep Wing Zero occupied, he thought, Heero Yuy's simply using that ship as a base of operations; he had no loyalty to ZAFT in the last war, so this is likely a temporary alliance. Take out the ship and he'll have to withdraw… likely to the Archangel.

Atlantic Federation High Command was desperate to track down the Archangel and the Dominion, especially after both ships and their mobile suits had decimated the Alliance naval forces in the Pacific. The vessels weren't Hamilton's top priority at the moment, but he knew that he'd be a fool to disregard them. They were two major unknowns in this conflict, and if Wing Zero was forced to withdraw it would be possible to track Heero Yuy down and possibly locate the Archangel in the process. Whether or not the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet would be in any condition to engage the battleship and her mobile suits after what was likely to be a costly victory over ZAFT was another matter entirely, but they could at least try to figure out where the ship was currently at and make efforts to keep tabs on it.

"Major?" said Stella, snapping Hamilton out of his thoughts, "Is there anything else I need to do?"

"Stay on standby in the Gaia for now," he replied, "I'll be in my Windam. Be ready to launch at a moment's notice."

Stella nodded before heading towards her machine. Hamilton looked around the hangar, his eyes lingering on the mobile suits of Desperado Enforcement's Winds of Destruction. He'd be counting on them to at least keep the other Gundams at bay, and if their performance at the Battle of the Gulnahan Ravine was any indication, they were capable of that. Their individual personalities made them somewhat unpredictable in combat, though, and the Major didn't like having so many variables within his own forces.

They're being paid well enough, so they ought to at least do their job, he thought as he headed for his Windam, I'll do mine, and hopefully everyone else will do theirs. That's the only way any of us will have a chance at getting through this coming battle alive.

….

Thanks to the Mirage Colloid system of her Wraith, Priscilla was in an ideal position to observe the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet; hovering in the air right behind them. She'd just swapped out with Adaline about an hour ago so her friend would be able to get at least a little bit of rest before the fighting kicked off, and she was focusing her efforts on observing the carriers.

The first signs of impending battle will come from them, she thought, I guess the only question is who will launch first; Atlantic Federation or Orb?

While the force arrayed before her certainly wasn't the largest she'd faced in her time, Priscilla still couldn't help but feel more than a bit apprehensive. This wasn't the full might of the enemy; there were still the Eurasian land-based Windam squadrons that were prepped to launch and flank from the east and west the moment battle was joined. It was going to be impossible for Terminal to control the engagement, and despite her hopes she wasn't optimistic with regards to Cagalli's ability to convince the Orb fleet to stand down. The imminent fight was going to be nothing short of chaos and mayhem.

A small chime came from her sensors, and as she adjusted her scopes, she saw activity on one of the Atlantic Federation's carriers. Three mobile suits had been moved to the flight deck, and they weren't Windams or Dagger-Ls. They weren't any of the units identified by the Gundam pilots as belonging to the Desperado mercenaries either, nor were the Gaia or the purple gunbarrel-drone machine among them. In fact, they didn't match anything in her Wraith's database. The lead unit was a slender machine with a black paint base and orange markings, while the two mobile suits behind it had frames that were vaguely reminiscent of the old Heliopolis prototypes save for the large backpack binders.

"They've got Eurasian IFF tags," she murmured, "Advanced models… not good."

She compiled what she was seeing into a quick data packet and sent it as a burst transmission to the Dominion. The enemy would detect it, but Priscilla was already moving to a new position so they wouldn't be able to ensnare her in a net of anti-air fire. All they would know was that they were being watched, they wouldn't know by who or what kind of firepower they had.

The slender machine was the first to take off, with the two bulkier units rising shortly afterwards. All three rapidly gained altitude as they headed north, and Priscilla's eyes widened as she realized what was going on.

They're moving to intercept Heero… they've predicted his opening move!

….

The plan was simple; launch early, start taking shots at the enemy fleet with the Twin Buster Rifle, and generally sow chaos before the Minerva got on the scene and the Archangel and Dominion made their moves. It was the kind of operation that Gundam pilots did best, and while Heero knew that there were plenty of countermeasures the enemy could take to disrupt such a strategy, the Alliance hadn't exactly proven themselves to be the most innovative or tactically flexible party in the war thus far.

The three blips on his sensors rapidly approaching from the front told him that the enemy might've finally decided to ditch a few of their old habits.

New models, he thought as he scanned the distant contacts with the Search Eye, and not from the Atlantic Federation or the Orb Union; those are Eurasian Federation markings.

He only had a matter of seconds to process that information and make a decision. All five Gundams were airborne, but they weren't all together. Wing Zero Albion was the furthest out and at the highest altitude. Deathscythe Omega was at the lowest altitude and was also cloaked to maximize the element of surprise. Heavyarms Arsenal and Sandrock Saladin were higher up than Duo, while Wufei was at roughly the same altitude but further out.

Meanwhile, the lead unit, a surprisingly sleek and streamlined machine, put on a burst of acceleration and gained altitude, heading straight for Heero. The two larger machines maintained their current trajectory, and the Gundam pilot didn't need Wing Zero Albion's sensors to know that they were heading for the Minerva.

"The lead unit's mine," he said, "Who wants the other two?"

"I'll take them," said Trowa, "The rest of you will be needed for the fleet assault."

"Copy that," said Wufei.

"Be careful, Trowa!" Quatre chimed in.

"Don't do anything too crazy!" Duo added.

Heero nodded. "Good hunting."

Start "Two Pairs"

He was already bringing the Twin Buster Rifle to bear on his target, and a moment later he let fly with his opening shot. His opponent was no slouch, though, and they gracefully evaded the blast. Their counterattack consisted of a volley of emerald particle beams from their rifle, and while Heero was able to dodge them they came much closer to him than he had anticipated.

If nothing else, this guy's a good shot, he mused, I need to watch out for that rifle…

The weapon didn't appear to be much stronger than a standard beam rifle, but it definitely displayed marked improvement in distance and accuracy. Of course, the fight wasn't going to remain a long-distance affair for much longer; at the rate Heero and his foe were closing in on each other, a saber clash was just seconds away, and the Gundam pilot was already igniting his emerald blade. Up ahead, he saw the enemy do the same as a shaft of violet light sprang to life.

Before they could cross blades, Heero let loose a burst from Wing Zero Albion's shoulder-mounted machine cannons. The onrushing mobile suit almost seemed to dance around the flurry of bullets, twisting through the air and hardly losing any of its forward momentum. Then it was right in his face and thrusting its blade straight at his cockpit.

Swiftly deflecting and redirecting the blow, Heero immediately transitioned into a counterattack with a horizontal slash aimed at slicing the hostile mobile suit in half. His adversary slammed their thrusters in reverse while parrying his attack. They then seamlessly shifted back to the offensive with an overhand strike.

As Heero blocked the attack and countered, he studied his foe's movements. They were crisp and precise, fluid and efficient in a manner that few enemy pilots had demonstrated in the war up to this point. His opponent didn't hesitate whether it was on offense or defense; they weren't intimidated by him in the least.

Whoever they are, they don't fight like an amateur, he thought, Eurasia has one mean ace in this mobile suit, that's for damn sure.

The machine was as impressive as the pilot. The Search Eye had not picked up any trace of nuclear power or N-Jammer Cancellers, meaning Heero's opponent was operating a battery-powered mobile suit, yet its performance was nothing less than remarkable. It was incredibly agile, and the way it responded to his moves and matched them was extraordinary. The entire design appeared focused on one thing; squeezing every last bit of maneuverability and speed that was possible out of the frame.

After parrying a slash from his foe and responding with a thrust, Heero saw his opponent gun their thrusters and rapidly climb rather than deflect his attack. The Eurasian machine aimed its rifle downwards and sent a volley his way, forcing Heero to block the emerald particle beams on the Gundam's wing-mounted energy shields as he chased after his foe. He sighted in with Wing Zero Albion's twin hip-mounted railguns and let rip with a salvo, but the enemy evaded to the right while returning fire.

Weaving through the attacks, Heero poured on the acceleration and raced towards his foe. He swiftly closed the distance and made a powerful overhand strike, but his adversary expertly angled their violet blade downwards to deflect the attack and bleed off much of its energy. Their counterattack came in the form of a diagonal slash, one that Heero was barely able to parry. He struck back with a horizontal slash, but his opponent was ready for it, diving to evade while sending yet another volley of rifle fire at him.

"He's good," Heero muttered as he dodged to the right before sending another burst of machine cannon fire at his foe, only for the enemy to evade to the left, "Very good."

As his adversary rushed towards the waves below, Heero gave chase. He let fly with another salvo from his railguns, but his opponent almost effortlessly slipped to the right, allowing the slugs to sail harmlessly past. Mere meters above the surface of the sea, his foe whirled around and fired off another burst with their beam rifle. The shot grouping was tight, and Heero didn't have time to dodge, so he was forced to take the particle beams on his wing shields. Gunning his thrusters, Heero found himself in beam saber range mere seconds later and wasted no time in attacking with a swift slash aimed at the mobile suit's torso.

His opponent blocked the strike, but this time their reply wasn't limited to just a counter attack; a voice came over Heero's cockpit speakers, male and sounding much older than the Gundam pilot had been expecting. "I'm glad the past two years haven't dulled your skills."

Heero raised an eyebrow as he parried his opponent's strike before countering. "Have we met before? I'd like to think that I'd remember an enemy with your level of skill."

"We weren't enemies back then," said his adversary, his voice gravelly but quite firm, "Fate's not without a sense of irony, it seems."

Heero shook his head as he and his foe crossed blades again. "Sorry, but I'm afraid you're not ringing any bells."

"The First Battle of Alaska," said his enemy as he thrust towards Heero's cockpit, forcing the Gundam pilot to dodge to the left, "Were it not for your actions there, I wouldn't be here to challenge you today. Does that help clear things up?"

Heero's eyes widened ever so slightly. "You're one of the surviving Eurasian Federation pilots…"

The Eurasian Federation didn't have any mobile suits in the ranks of the force it had present at Alaska back then, he thought, his mind racing as he processed the implications, This guy survived that carnage in a damn fighter jet!

"Yes," the enemy replied as they pressed their assault, "I though the age of the mobile suit would mean my exile from the kingdom of the skies, but it seems I was mistaken. This machine can't match yours for raw power; no mobile suit can. The folly of ZAFT and the Atlantic Federation was to attempt to fight you in a contest of sheer strength. Eurasia had other ideas."

"Speed was their answer," said Heero as he fended off his foe's attacks, "I'll give them points for creativity. Is this really a fight you want, though? You know that right now the fleet you're fighting for is partially from the nation that set us both up to die at Alaska. We shouldn't be enemies."

"Allies become enemies and enemies become allies," his adversary answered as they continued to search for an opening in Heero's defenses, "You know this better than most. I have my orders; to take you down. That's all there is to it."

Heero's eyes narrowed as he finally countered and went on the offensive, hammering his foe's defenses with a punishing series of blows. "Then further conversation's meaningless."

"Indeed," said his foe, "although I'll at least give you my name; it's Mihaly Reyne, Eurasian Federation Air Force Major."

Heero nodded as he kept up his assault. "You clearly know what you're getting yourself into, so I'm sure you already know my name. Enough talk."

"Yes," said Mihaly, "We'll let our abilities speak for us."

Heero wouldn't have it any other way.

….

He exceeds all expectations.

Mihaly had known going in that this would be the fight of his life, but that foreknowledge still felt lacking when stacked up against the high-speed clash he was now locked in. The upgraded Wing Zero was nothing less than a work of art in his eyes. Speed, power, grace; it had all that and more. Between its beam saber, infamous rifle, the railguns and machine cannons, it had a weapon for almost all possible encounters. The angelic wings were more than just for decoration and defense; he had not failed to notice how each of them were lined with propulsion mechanisms, which gave the mobile suit unmatched precision in its combat maneuvers.

In short, it was the perfect killing machine.

And that was before one took the pilot into consideration.

The Wyvern pushed the envelope to its absolute limits when it came to mobile suit agility, but Mihaly's opponent had proven more than capable of keeping up with him. He was sure that his flight experience was greater than that of his foe, but that hardly seemed to matter given what he was seeing here. The Demon Lord of Avalon seemingly had a counter for every attack Mihaly made, and his strikes in retaliation were as powerful as they were swift.

Mihaly couldn't have asked for a better opponent.

How long had it been since he'd tangled with a foe that could offer a challenge of this caliber? Even when he'd flown an outdated fighter jet during the battles of the First Bloody Valentine War, he'd still been able to outfight ZAFT's DINNs despite their power and the enhanced abilities of their Coordinator pilots. They'd been overconfident, and he had proven himself able to exploit that, hence his capacity to survive even a clash as brutal and grueling as the First Battle of Alaska. With the Wyvern, he could now truly push his skills to their limits in the age of the mobile suit.

On the surface, his expression appeared as calm as ever, but the adrenaline was racing through his veins. A fight like this was almost enough to make him forget his age; the excitement at facing a truly dangerous foe in one-on-one combat had him pushing the Wyvern harder now than he ever had during the test flights, not to mention giving his custom flight suit a run for its money. It was testament to Professor Morozov and his team's skills that Mihaly was still conscious despite already hitting ridiculously high Gs in his duel against Heero, and the fight was still young.

Mihaly planned to savor every second of it.

End "Two Pairs"

….

Sighting in on the pair of mobile suits approaching him, Trowa cut loose with both the Double Barrel Gatling Gun and the Double Assault Beam Cannon, hoping to knock the two machines out of the fight quickly. Unfortunately, the enemy pilots had already begun to split up as soon Trowa had taken aim, and they were able to evade his opening salvo.

If nothing else, they're not rookies, he thought, I wonder what tricks their machines have in store for me.

Climbing to avoid getting pincered, he saw both mobile suits raise their primary weapons and open fire. Particle beams flew forth in rapid-succession; not the full-size shots from a standard beam rifle, but smaller bolts. Apparently, Trowa's opponents shared his fondness for rapid-fire weaponry. Taking evasive action, he returned fire with a salvo of missiles, but the volley had little effect; whatever warheads his enemies didn't dodge they simply shot out of the sky.

The two machines raced towards him, and Trowa saw the two large beam cannons on their backpack binders shift position, coming up and over the shoulders of the mobile suits. They opened fire a moment later, and Trowa went left and dived to avoid the heavy particle beams that tore through the sky.

Light and heavy weaponry, he mused, They have a well-balanced loadout. This won't be easy.

He had a tough balancing act ahead of him. Focusing on one machine would leave him exposed to the second unit, but keeping his attention and weaponry divided meant he couldn't concentrate fire and overwhelm a target. Whoever his opponents were, they clearly knew what they were doing.

Maneuvering so that both hostiles would be within the overall firing arc of Heavyarms Arsenal's considerable array of weaponry, Trowa cut loose. There was no way that his foes could evade his barrage, and they couldn't shoot down bullets or particle beams; he had them.

Or at least he thought he did.

His eyes widened in shock as both machines were suddenly enveloped in fields of swirling sea-green energy. The barriers were up only for the few moments necessary for them to deflect Trowa's shots, but that was enough; when the shields disappeared, there wasn't a single mark on either machine.

Trowa grit his teeth as the enemy returned fire; this engagement had just gotten much more complicated.

….

Talk about a trial by fire, Alberto mused as the Armure Lumiere deflected the fearsome barrage of bullets that the enemy had unleashed upon him, I don't think I've ever seen a mobile suit put out this much lead before. I owe a few beers to the engineers that maintain this unit's shield system…

A quick glance showed that his partner had likewise weathered the storm thanks to her Hyperion's Lightwave barriers. While the defensive system had been put through live-fire testing before, there was still a difference between a controlled range and the unpredictability of the battlefield. The fact that the Armure Lumiere had proven itself capable of standing up to the impressive firepower of the Gundam facing off with Alberto and Marcella was a good sign, but the Eurasian ace knew it would take more than just solid shielding to get the two of them through this fight.

Of all the Gundams Espada One and Espada Two could've faced off with today, Alberto hadn't been planning on the one that was basically a single mobile suit anti-air battery. The combat data from the Alliance's prior engagements with that machine had shown that it typically engaged rank and file units, utilizing its considerable artillery to thin the herd. That it had moved to intercept Alberto and Marcella was surprising, but whoever was piloting that Gundam clearly felt that taking the two of them down was more important than fulfilling its usual role of filling grunts with hot lead.

"Let's get in close," said Alberto, "It doesn't look like this thing has melee weaponry."

"Copy that," Marcella replied, "Lead the way."

Keeping their beam submachineguns in their right hands, each Hyperion drew and ignited one of their beam knives with their left. They didn't have the same reach as beam sabers, but they'd do the job just fine.

Provided Espada One and Two could actually get in range to use them, that is.

Alberto poured on the thrust, accelerating as hard as he could, and Marcella was right behind him. The two of them opened up with the rest of their artillery to keep the enemy busy, but as Espada One studied his enemy's movements he could tell that the Gundam pilot wasn't fooled. A full barrage of bullets, beams and missiles was unleashed, and once again Alberto and Marcella had to activate their Armure Lumiere shields to keep from being shot to pieces. They kept moving forward, but the diversion of energy from engines to shields meant that their foe was able to reposition and keep a respectable difference between him and the two Hyperions.

He's not going to make this easy, thought Alberto, I should've expected nothing less from a machine and pilot like this…

….

Standing on the bridge of the Atlantic Federation Spengler-class carrier Mattis, Captain Oscar Lowry tapped his foot impatiently. Thirty-three years of age, short black hair hidden beneath his cap and blue eyes focusing on his ship's flight controller, he was quite eager to get his vessel's Windams into the air. Reports had just come through that the three Eurasian aces on loan to the fleet had engaged two of the Gundams that were responsible for so much of the Earth Alliance's casualties since the war had begun, and Oscar knew that the best way to keep himself off the list was to have his carrier's machines engage the rest of them as far out as possible. Unfortunately, they hadn't expected the opening encounter to be this early, so the lead units were only now making their final preparations for launch.

"Whisky One and Whisky Two report green across the board," said the flight controller, "Stand by for launch… launching!"

Oscar smiled as the two lead Windams of Whisky Squadron raced into the sky. Now to just get the rest into the air, and then he could relax just a bit.

That was the plan, at least.

Unfortunately, Oscar's plan didn't get that far. Looking out the window, his eyes narrowed as he saw something highly unusual; the carrier and her escorts were suddenly being engulfed by a rapidly spreading mist. The weather conditions were completely wrong for this sort of thing, especially at this time of day.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

And that's when he saw it.

Shrouded in the mist, a silhouette appeared. Black bat-like wings spread, and emerald eyes locked onto the carrier. The faint outline of a staff appeared, only for a verdant crescent blade to appear at one end.

And Oscar realized that he was looking at his death.

He could only watch in stunned silence, but one of his bridge officers' cry of terror summed up the situation quite nicely.

"It's a Gundam!"

The mechanical Grim Reaper then lashed out with its wicked scythe, and Oscar's world was consumed by fire.

….

Duo normally would've had a halfway decent one-liner on hand for his opening strike, but he didn't have time for that today. With Heero engaging one Eurasian ace and Trowa up against two more, the original plan of having all five Gundam pilots act as a vanguard and punch a hole in the enemy fleet had taken a serious hit. Now it was just him, Quatre and Wufei making the opening strike on the fleet, and Duo knew that it wouldn't be long before they got swarmed by enemy mobile suits.

At least I finally got to try out Deathscythe Omega's fog emitters, he mused, I've been wanting to give those babies a chance to shine for a while now…

As the mauled carrier began to sink, Duo wasted no time in sighting in on his next target. Gunning the throttle, he went straight for the closest escort, a destroyer. A single swing was all it took to eviscerate the upper superstructure and leave the vessel as little more than burning husk.

The stealth capabilities of the Deathscythe Omega had allowed Duo to make his opening attack deep with the ranks of the enemy fleet, but Quatre and Wufei lacked that luxury. Therefore, Sandrock Saladin and Altron Custom hit the front line of the armada, striking a cruiser and destroyer respectively. Both vessels crumpled quickly under their attacks, but the rest of the fleet quickly began to concentrate fire on the Gundams while fresh mobile suits were launched from the carriers and rushed to engage.

How long until they realize that we're only attacking the Atlantic Federation elements of the fleet?, he thought as he sliced a Windam in half, How long can we go before we have to engage Orb Union hostiles? Heero said Cagalli wants a chance to talk them out of this, but we might not have the luxury of waiting for her to arrive…

Those were questions that would have to be answered quickly. Murasames were taking off from the carriers of the First Fleet, and while they were currently operating as whole squadrons Duo was sure that the inevitable chaos of battle meant that they'd soon be intermixed with the Atlantic Federation's mobile suits. A precise engagement would be impossible; the L2 native knew a brewing brawl when he saw one, and even in just the opening stages of the fight he could tell that this was going to escalate very quickly.

CIWS fire from nearby warships peppered his machine. While Gundanium alloy could shrug those shells off with contemptuous ease, if the assorted cruisers and destroyers were able to concentrate on him with their heavy weaponry Duo knew that he'd be in trouble. He was of the opinion that the best defense was a good offense, so he wasted no time in taking the fight to the closest available target.

"Bad move, pal," he said as he plunged his beam scythe down into a destroyer, piercing the ship from bridge to keel, "Now, who's next?"

As if to answer his challenge, a trio of Windams raced towards him. The lead machine had its beam saber drawn, while the two flanking it proceeded to open fire with their rifles. Weaving through the volley, Duo swiftly gained altitude and moved to intercept them. The lead machine took a swing at him, but the Gundam pilot was able to block the saber with his scythe before pushing forward. Jamming the long handle of the weapon into the Windam's cockpit and throwing the enemy pilot off balance, he then followed up with a swift slash that turned the machine into a fireball. The two supporting units soon joined their leader, reduced to fire and bits of superheated metal by a broad swing from the God of Death's signature weapon.

They're not going to just keep feeding me cannon fodder, he thought as he scanned the battlefield, Where are the big shots?

Right on cue, he saw a black and red machine racing across the battlefield. Its hands grasped a familiar polearm, and it was making a beeline for him.

He smirked as he altered course to meet his adversary. If Mistral was back for another round, then who was he to say no?

….

Paying no heed to the burning warships that surrounded her target, Mistral charged her foe head-on with a grin on her face. This was a rematch that she'd been most eager for, and she was all for getting down to business.

We meet again, Duo, she thought, or should I call you God of Death? To each their own.

As soon as she got in range, she lashed out with the Nomad's signature weapon. The polearm immediately shifted to its whip-form, but after already surviving one round with her Duo was ready to counter. With a skillful slash he met her attack halfway, disrupting her momentum before smoothly transitioning into a follow-up strike that forced Mistral to shift to the defensive.

As her opponent went on the attack, Mistral heard a familiar male voice come over her cockpit speakers. "Didn't learn your lesson the first time around, eh?"

She smirked as she expertly parried his strikes. "You'll find that I'm the persistent type, mon gars. I'm owed an answer, and I won't cease my pursuit until I have it!"

Her opponent chuckled as he pressed his assault. "An answer? You still going on about ideals? I'm the God of Death, lady! Ideals mean nothing once you're under the Reaper's scythe!"

"No," Mistral replied calmly as she deflected a slash before retaking the initiative, "Your machine may embody the Reaper, but you are still a man. Yet you have ascended to a level of dominance on the battlefield that few warriors could hope to match, and it is not because you've proclaimed yourself the God of Death. There is something deeper behind that, and I will drag it out of you!"

"Bring it on, psycho bitch!" Duo shot back.

Mistral licked her lips. "With pleasure, mon gars!"

….

Damn it, thought Quatre as he carved up a Windam, this isn't good!

He'd only managed to take down a cruiser and a destroyer before he'd been forced to divert his attention from the enemy warships to the mobile suits launching from the carriers. Without Heero blasting the fleet from on-high, the Gundam pilots had done much less damage in their opening attack than their plan had been counting on. To make matters worse, Quatre was sure that the Eurasians were scrambling their land-based Windams at this very moment; it likely wouldn't be much longer until they joined the fight.

Particle beams, missiles, and CIWS shells crisscrossed the sky, and Quatre was constantly on the move to keep from giving the enemy a chance to pin him down. His twin Heat Shotels made mincemeat of any Atlantic Federation mobile suit that tried to engage him, but Quatre knew it was just a matter of time before Orb Union machines moved to attack as well. What would happen once the enemy realized that the Gundam pilots were deliberately avoiding targeting the forces of the Orb Union? If they had so much as a pair of working brain cells to rub together, Quatre was sure they'd exploit it by sending every Murasame in the fleet to face the Gundam pilots.

He knew it was early, but at this point he was really hoping that the Terminal forces hiding nearby would decide to make their strike on the enemy's rear. Yes, they'd be facing more firepower than initially planned thanks to Heero being unable to bombard the fleet, but if Cagalli could get airborne there was still the off-chance that she could at least convince some of the Orb Union soldiers to stand down. If that didn't work, then the Gundam pilots would have to give Cagalli's countrymen a taste of the beatdown they treated their enemies to, something Quatre wasn't exactly looking forward to.

Slicing one Windam in half, he charged forward to assault the destroyer that he'd originally been gunning for before that mobile suit had gotten in his way. The ship's deck guns, missile launchers and CIWS poured fire into Sandrock Saladin, but they didn't pack nearly enough of a punch to penetrate the Gundam's armor. Quatre raised his blades and brought them down hard, cleaving through the warship's bridge and ultimately cutting all the way down to the keel. Fire and smoke belched from the hull as the destroyer split in half, both sides floating for a few moments before beginning to slip beneath the waves.

Unfortunately for Quatre, his attack on the ship had left his back exposed, and a group of Windams were moving in to take advantage of that. He was forced to go evasive as particle fire filled the air around him. Quatre wasn't going to let the enemy pin him down so easily, though. Weaving through the fleet and using the warships around him as cover, he maneuvered until he was right beneath the mobile suits that had been attacking him and moved in for the kill. The lead Windam was carved up in an instant, while its companions fell to the flashing twin blades moments later.

An alarm went off in his cockpit, and as he checked his sensors he bit back a curse as he saw a black and red mobile suit heading straight for him. Taking down another pair of Windams as he turned to face this new threat, Quatre was barely able to bring his Heat Shotels up in time to intercept his foe's opening strike. Its arms had already detached, and the two beam sai were right in his face in mere seconds.

That unit from the Gulnahan Ravine, he thought, I should've known it'd show up here!

….

From the moment the Gundams had been sighted, Monsoon had been chomping at the bit for the chance to engage. As soon as he had taken flight, he'd immediately began searching the battlefield until he found the unit he'd been longing to face again and had rushed to commence the rematch. The twin bladed Gundam from before was easy to pick out in a crowd, and Monsoon wasn't about to forget it anytime soon.

You outfoxed me in North Africa, he thought with a smirk, I'll give you that. You won't be able to pull that cheap blinding trick on me twice, though.

In preparation for this fight, Monsoon had made some modifications to the sensors of the Dystopia, along with his cybernetic visual aid. Now they could compensate for drastic shifts in light much more quickly, meaning that his foe wouldn't be able to disrupt his sight so easily this time.

As the old saying goes, the devil's in the details…

His enemy moved to meet him head-on. Monsoon would give his foe this much; he didn't back down from a challenge. Sending his remote arms out, beam sais ignited, he went straight for the Gundam's torso. As expected, his foe swatted both blades aside. Monsoon altered his attack angles, striking high and low, from the flanks, and any other vector he could manage. His adversary deflected them all.

"Good," he muttered under his breath, "It's no fun if it's too easy."

The Gundam slammed on its thrusters and climbed before altering course and coming right at Monsoon, forcing him to recall his remote arms so he could defend himself. His opponent moved swiftly, clearly hoping to overwhelm him with a powerful frontal assault. Monsoon gave ground, parrying the attacks rather than directly blocking them; in a contest of sheer strength, he knew that the Dystopia was at a distinct disadvantage.

Fortunately, Monsoon could make up for the strength deficit with his mobile suit's superior agility and unique design. Keeping the right arm of the Dystopia attached and using that blade for defense, he detached the left arm and launched a flank attack with it. His enemy was able to block the strike, but it was enough to shift the momentum back in Monsoon's favor, and he eagerly pressed his advantage.

This won't end the way it did in North Africa, he thought with a grin, I'll devour you and spit out your bones before this fight's through!

….

His double-bladed beam trident whirling around him, Wufei ripped through the attacking mobile suits with contemptuous ease. No units of the Orb Union had moved to engage him, but if they did, he had no qualms about giving them the same treatment he was dishing out to the pilots of the Atlantic Federation.

If their Chief Representative can't sortie on time and convince them to stand down, that's on her head, not mine, he thought as he impaled a Windam through the cockpit, Anyone who moves to attack me is my enemy, regardless of their nationality.

Cutting down another Atlantic Federation machine, he then took aim with his left Dragon Fang and let fly, crushing the bridge of a cruiser. Jets of fire from the flamethrowers embedded in the weapon torched the upper decks, leaving the vessel as little more than a burning wreck while Wufei sought out his next target.

"Relying on numbers," Wufei muttered disdainfully as he cut down a pair of Windams that had tried to attack him from behind, "No different from OZ or the old Alliance…"

Granted, those numbers could eventually take their toll. Wufei wasn't stupid; Nataku was powerful, but not invincible. The enemy had the forces on the field necessary to concentrate fire and take him down through sheer volume if he didn't mind his surroundings and stay on the move. Fortunately, the advanced thrusters that Howard had installed on the Gundam prior to the journey to the Cosmic Era meant that he could outrun and outfight almost anything that the Atlantic Federation could throw at him.

Flying at breakneck speed while skimming just a handful of meters over the waves, he zeroed in on a destroyer. CIWS rounds and a handful of missiles rocked the Gundam but couldn't make Wufei alter course. Bringing his beam trident to bear, he made a sweeping upward slash and cleaved clean through the warship, setting off secondary explosions and turning the vessel into a blackened and twisted wreck.

Particle beams impacted the water around him, sending up geysers of steam. Gaining altitude, Wufei went straight for the closest Windams, impaling one and slicing another in half. He would've pressed his assault, but a familiar blip on his sensors caught his attention and elicited a smirk.

I was hoping you'd be here, he thought as he laid eyes on a black and red mobile suit that was heading straight for him, I'm starting to lose track of how many matches we've had now. How much have you improved this time, Rodrigues?

Let's find out!

….

A head on attack against ridiculous odds, thought Jetstream Sam with a smile, I like your style, Chang Wufei.

Based on the fact that only three of the five Gundams were attacking the fleet directly, the mercenary could only assume that the Eurasian aces had engaged the other two. He had to respect the stones on them, especially if his hunch was right and that old-timer was the one tangling with Wing Zero. It would've been entertaining to watch that fight unfold, but Sam had a dance partner of his own to attend to.

He'd taken steps to avoid a repeat of the last encounter; the Ronin's joints had been given extra heat protection, as had the hydraulic lines. Sustained contact from Wufei's flamethrowers would still do damage, but it wouldn't impact his mobility to the same extent as it had in the prior duel. He knew he still had an uphill fight ahead of him, but he would take every little advantage he could get.

He didn't bother trying to attack from the flanks or attempt any sort of subterfuge; this was the kind of foe he would only be satisfied with attacking head-on. The violet edge of his beam katana was already ignited, and he was pleased to see Wufei moving to meet him. A Dragon Fang flew forth, forcing Sam to dodge to the right and sacrifice some of his forward momentum. He recovered quickly enough, though, and a few seconds later he was crossing blades with his rival.

He was grinning ear-to-ear as sparks flew from the clashing energy weapons. "Show me a good time, Wufei!"

….

"It's started, then," muttered Hamilton under his breath.

Requesting that the Eurasian aces sortie early had proven to be wise; as Wing Zero was now engaged with the Wyvern, it could not bombard the fleet. It was a move that he doubted other Alliance officers would've made, not the least because the batch that had come to replace the heavy casualties of the First Bloody Valentine war had proven to be quite lacking when it came to tactical and strategic innovation.

They continued to make the same mistakes over and over again, he thought with no small amount of disdain, Atlantic Federation combat doctrine is as ossified as the crusty old admirals and generals that came up with it. It falls to my generation to break the mold.

All things considered, the opening stage of the battle was going about as well as could be expected. Yes, the fleet had taken losses, but they were far less than they would've been had Wing Zero been allowed to get into range and attack with its fearsome rifle. The fact that the artillery unit was caught up in a two-on-one clash with Espada Team was a bonus; that Gundam's role as a mobile anti-air battery for the Minerva would've been a formidable obstacle for the Major's battle plan. As for the other three Gundams, ordering the three Winds of Destruction who had engaged them at the Gulnahan Ravine to seek them out again once they made their appearance had proven to be the right call. The remaining mercenary captain, Sundowner, would act as a reserve in case Wing Zero was able to get past the Wyvern and threaten the fleet.

All five of the enemy's deadliest pilots were contained, which meant it was time to go on the attack. Hamilton was leading the way, with Stella on his right flank. Between the Windams and Murasames launching from the fleet carriers and the Eurasian land-based squadrons that were even now rushing to join the fray, the enemy would be caught on three sides. They could always attempt to retreat north, but that would leave the engines of ZAFT's prize battleship exposed to Alliance fire, and Hamilton was just waiting for the chance to cripple the vessel before moving in for the killing blow.

My predecessor was too focused on his grudge with Heero Yuy, the Major mused, and as a result he lost sight of the larger picture. That's a weakness I lack, and I shall deliver where he failed because of it.

A fresh series of chimes came from his sensors. Checking the display, Hamilton saw mobile suits taking off from the Minerva. First into the air was the Impulse equipped with a Force Silhouette pack, followed by the crimson prototype that had been absent during Phantom Pain's raid on Armory One. A crimson Gunner ZAKU and white Blaze ZAKU Phantom soon emerged as well, quickly taking up position on the upper hull of the battleship. After a few seconds passed a third unit took to the sky; an orange ZGMF-2000 GOUF Ignited.

That type was seen during the opening attack on L5 in the hands of the mercenary Galm Team, thought the Major, I wonder if ZAFT's closer to large-scale production…

"Just like we planned," said Hamilton, "Stella, the Impulse is ours."

"Understood," his subordinate replied.

The Major smirked as he caught sight of new contacts at the edges of his display; the lead elements of the Eurasian Federation land-based squadrons were right on time. Switching to a separate tactical frequency, he quickly signaled his allies.

"Sköll and Hati Squadrons, your target is the Saviour," Hamilton ordered, "All remaining units, target the Minerva. Her luck ends today."

….

Shinn whistled nervously as he studied his sensors. "Okay… that's a lot of hostiles."

Granted, most of them weren't in range to engage the Impulse just yet, but seeing so much of the enemy on his scanners was definitely cause for concern. The Captain hadn't been kidding; this was definitely going to be an uphill fight.

The Gundams were supposed to give the enemy fleet carriers a good smackdown, he thought, I guess they're not as powerful as everyone else thinks they are. I knew the Captain was relying on them too much!

Under other circumstances, it might've been satisfying to know that there were enemies capable of giving Heero and the other Gundam pilots trouble. However, given that Shinn had to share the same battlefield as those enemies it was a decidedly bitter pill to swallow. Between the Atlantic Federation and Orb Union mobile suits that had launched from the carriers and the land-based Eurasian squadrons that were approaching from the east and west, there was plenty of fight to go around. The question, as always, was this; where to start?

Shinn got his answer in short order as lock-on alarms went off in his cockpit. He dived towards the waves, and not a moment too soon; a flurry of particle beams flew through the patch of sky above where he'd just been. It didn't take long to find the source.

"Shit!" Shinn hissed as he adjusted course, "The Gaia!"

The Gaia wasn't alone; there was a Windam flying with it. Shinn thought they would blow past him and attack the Minerva directly, but they actually altered their vector to match his evasive maneuvers.

Looks like I'm their main target…

He quickly contacted the battleship. "Meyrin, tell the Captain I'm taking on the Gaia!"

In the corner of his main monitor, Meyrin nodded. "Understood. Be careful!"

As she disappeared from his screen, Shinn charged head-on at the stolen prototype. "You're not getting away this time!"

Bringing his rifle to bear, he let fly with a quick volley. The Gaia and the Windam split up to avoid the incoming fire, but that was fine with Shinn; he wanted to isolate the prototype and take it down as quickly as possible. Igniting his violet beam saber, he raised the blade and brought it down hard in an overhand strike, but his foe was able to bring their own blade up just in time to block the attack. Shinn would've pressed the assault, but before he could the Windam was suddenly charging at him from the flank, its saber thrusting forward. It was only by slamming his thrusters in reverse that he was able to keep from getting skewered.

On second thought, he mused, maybe I should take down this Windam first and then focus on the Gaia.

He shifted his focus, determined to swiftly overwhelm the mass production machine with a powerful frontal assault. Unfortunately for Shinn, the enemy pilot wasn't like the rank and file soldiers he'd carved his way through since the war had started. They skillfully deflected his strikes before countering, actually putting Shinn on the backfoot. He had to climb to avoid getting pincered between the Windam and the Gaia as the latter tried to attack him from behind.

"Crap!" he snarled, "This guy actually knows what he's doing!"

This won't be easy…

….

"Not good," Athrun muttered as he studied the battlefield, "Nothing's going right."

The enemy had thrown the perfect wrench into their plan by intercepting Heero before he could get within range of the fleet. Had it been with just a bunch of rank and file pilots, Athrun knew that his friend could've simply blasted his way through and continued on to hammer the fleet. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here. Whoever the pilot of the lead Eurasian prototype was, they were clearly a cut above the rest. Matters were only made worse by the fact that the other four Gundam pilots had likewise been forced to divert from their attacks to tangle with enemy aces instead, meaning most of the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union Fleet was more or less intact.

I don't know who the hell they found to solo Heero, he thought, glancing at the distant duel between Wing Zero Albion and the new Eurasian prototype, but they're good. That's not good for us.

They had to make up for lost time, so Athrun was keen on moving forward and striking the enemy fleet. He was very much aware that this would mean he'd have to engage the forces of the Orb Union in addition to those of the Atlantic Federation, but right now that just couldn't be helped. He could only hope that he'd have a chance to explain his actions to Cagalli later. It was war, and it wasn't like he was looking forward to fighting her countrymen. She'd understand… right?

Whether she would or not would be a moot point if he couldn't survive the battle, of course. Unfortunately, the enemy's Eurasian allies were proving themselves quite adept at throwing wrenches into ZAFT's best-laid plans. Athrun's sensors had lit up like crazy as land-based Windam squadrons approached from the east and west, threatening to pincer the Minerva. As much as he wanted to move forward and engage the main fleet, Athrun knew that Lunamaria and Rey wouldn't be able to hold off such a force on their own. Fortunately, he wasn't the only aerial mobile suit in the area.

"Heine," he said, "Can you help cover the Minerva?"

"You got it," his fellow FAITH operative replied, "Good luck!"

Athrun nodded. "Same to you."

Two squadrons, each composed of eight Windams, were actually breaking off from the main force. It only took Athrun a moment to realize that they were moving to engage him rather than attack the Minerva. While the Windams were identical in terms of specs, two unique paintjobs set them apart. One was a light blue base, and emblazoned on the torso was the image of a black wolf chasing a rising sun. The other had a dark blue base with a light gray wolf chasing a white crescent moon. Athrun was sure that there was a mythological reference or two he was missing, but he had more important things to focus on at the moment.

He shifted the Saviour to its mobile armor form; numbers weren't his friend in this situation, but speed was another matter. Cutting loose with his twin plasma cannons, he had the satisfaction of seeing two Windams get blown to smithereens. He slammed on the throttle, his strategy simple; reduce the numerical disparity with hit and run strikes. However, it soon became clear that his foes weren't amateurs. Their formation was loose, giving them plenty of room to maneuver, and they swiftly adapted to his mobile suit's transformation and increased mobility. Athrun made a pass, picking off another machine with his beam cannons, but he had to break off under coordinated fire from the rest of the Windams.

They know what they're doing, he thought, Are these guys elites, or does the Eurasian Federation just have higher training standards for their pilots than the Americans? A lot can change in two years…

Slamming on the thrusters, he took the Saviour into a climb, twisting and weaving through a barrage of particle beams. Once he reached the apex, he twisted his machine around and dived towards his foes. Rolling right and left to keep the enemy guessing, he opened up with the Saviour's plasma cannons, but only succeeded in taking down a single Windam. Once again, the remaining machines quickly reorganized, and a fresh round of concentrated fire forced Athrun to back off.

If he was going to take the rest of these guys down quickly enough so that he could get back into the larger fight, he would have to up his game.

….

"Whoa…" Lunamaria muttered, "Look at them go…"

Her perch on the upper starboard hull of the Minerva gave her a killer view of the aerial combat unfolding above and in front of the battleship. Shinn was putting in a good performance against the Gaia and its accompanying Windam, shifting back and forth between offense and defense as the situation allowed for. The fight was in full-swing, and despite the enemy's two-to-one edge against him Shinn was more than holding his own. As for Athrun, his high-speed strikes against the Eurasian Windams were a downright beautiful display of piloting skills, although she couldn't help but notice that his opponents had rapidly adapted to his tactics and were making him work for kills.

I really wish I could get in there and help out, she thought, more than a little miffed at her mobile suit's lack of atmospheric flight capability, I actually could if we were still up in space. Damn it all…

Like it or not, she was stuck on the Minerva. Her Gunner ZAKU Warrior's thrusters could get her out of the ocean if she was dislodged from the battleship, but that was about the extent of her mobility. Rey had it slightly better off; the Blaze ZAKU Phantom had her machine beat when it came to mobility, but in atmosphere it wouldn't be partaking in fast-paced dogfights anytime soon. They did at least have some close air support in the form of Heine and his GOUF Ignited. Lunamaria didn't know just how skilled the FAITH operative was, and she could only hope that he was good enough to survive the incoming onslaught.

"Heads up," said Rey, drawing Lunamaria's focus back to their primary mission, "We have incoming."

Indeed, they did. Windams with Eurasian IFF tags were closing in from port and starboard; the two ZAKUs were going to have their hands full in fending them off. Lunamaria could only hope that the anti-air arsenal of the Minerva would be up to the task of supporting them.

"Right," she replied as she sighted in on her first target, "Starboard's mine, just like we planned."

"I have the portside," said Rey, "Shoot well."

Lunamaria nodded. "Same to you."

With that, she opened fire. A crimson lance of energy cut through the sky, nailing Lunamaria's target dead-center. It was a promising start, but she wasn't about to kid herself; they had a seriously uphill fight ahead.

Fortunately, she had some serious backup in the form of the battleship's anti-air weaponry. While Lunamaria drew a bead on her next target, the Minerva was already letting fly with her first salvo of Dispar interceptor missiles. A few were shot out of the sky by the CIWS of the Windams, and more were outright evaded, but some did find their mark; four of the Eurasian Federation mobile suits became blossoms of fire. However, it wasn't just missiles the enemy pilots had to contend with.

Heine swooped in, Tempest beam sword in his mobile suit's right hand and Slayer Whip Heat Rod emerging from its left forearm. The FAITH operative immediately got to work, slicing one Windam in half with his sword while ripping another to pieces with his whip. The GOUF Ignited's attacks combined with missile fire from the Minerva put the Eurasians on the ropes, although they definitely still held the numerical advantage.

"Take this!" Lunamaria hissed as she pulled the trigger, claiming her second kill of the day.

Taking a quick glance at one of her side monitors, she saw Rey was meeting with similar success. Precise shots from his beam rifle had already downed a pair of hostile machines, and he still had the Blaze ZAKU Phantom's missiles to call upon once the enemy got in close. If he was intimidated by the size of the enemy force they were up against today, he gave no sign of it.

Cool as ever, she thought as she found her next target, a trickle of nervous sweat running down the side of her face, I swear, one of these days I need to get him to tell me how he keeps it together like that. First thing's first, though…

…gotta focus on getting through this battle in one piece.

….

Damn it, thought Talia, We couldn't be off to a worse start!

To say that the tactical and strategic situation of the Minerva was less than optimal would be a considerable understatement. Yes, the ship hadn't taken any damage yet and all her mobile suits were still in one piece, but their initial battle plan had already been shot to hell courtesy of the Eurasian pilots flying with the enemy force. Thanks to Heero's earlier warning she was at least ready for the shore-based squadrons, but the last thing she'd expected was for the Eurasians to have contributed aces capable of matching a Gundam pilot in single combat. Without the Gundam Albion to bombard the fleet, how the Minerva would punch through was an open question without a clear answer.

"Enemy mobile suits in range of CIWS!" called Arthur.

Talia nodded. "Let them have it!"

The twelve 40mm CIWS spread across the battleship's hull opened fire, filling the sky with shells. Four Windams went down in the opening barrage, and while the rest were quick to scatter several more were picked off either by the warship itself or by coordinated fire from Rey and Lunamaria. Adding to the carnage in their ranks was Heine, whose maneuverable GOUF Ignited was proving more than capable of keeping pace with the Alliance's mass production mobile suits.

I suppose it's a good thing that the Eurasians didn't bring any naval units to the party, she mused, otherwise we'd really be in trouble…

With the Eurasian land-based squadrons currently occupied, the Captain had a chance to study the broader battlefield. With Shinn locked in a two-on-one match with the Gaia and a Windam, she wouldn't be able to call upon the Impulse for backup anytime soon. The Saviour was having better luck; although the Eurasian pilots Athrun was up against appeared to be rather skilled, he was still whittling down their numbers, having taken down almost half of them so far. The remaining units kept a tight formation, clearly determined to make him at least have to work at destroying them.

"Heavy anti-ship missiles incoming!" cried her sensor officer.

"None of our mobile suits are in a position to intercept them!" Meyrin called out.

"Shift CIWS fire to the anti-ship missiles now!" Talia ordered.

A string of explosions lit up the sky ahead of the Minerva as incoming warheads were blown apart by streams of shells. Unfortunately, while the battleship's ability to intercept missiles was formidable, it wasn't completely immune to them. The enemy had fired a large salvo, and some of the warheads inevitably got through. The Minerva was severely rattled as it took multiple impacts, and Talia was nearly thrown from her seat.

"Damage report!" she yelled.

"Frontal and upper armor plating took the hits," an officer replied, "Hull's still holding."

For now, she thought grimly, but that's just the first salvo. There'll be more…

Checking the main monitor, she could see the faint silhouettes of destroyers and cruisers in the distance; the first line of the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet. Talia was sure that they were already reloading their missile tubes in preparation for the next volley, and she wasn't going to take it lying down.

"Let's show them that we're more than just set-dressing for this battle," she ordered, "I want Parsifal missiles on those lead ships now! Follow up with fire from the Tristan and Isolde cannons as soon as you have targeting solutions!"

"Aye, Captain!" called Arthur.

A few seconds later the first ship-to-surface missiles were airborne, arcing over the Minerva before racing towards their targets. Like the ones the enemy had fired at the battleship, not all of them made it to their targets; some were shot out of the sky by either ship-based CIWS or by mobile suits. Still, bursts of fire and smoke from two lead ships confirmed that at least a few of the warheads had found their mark. Shells and particle beams rushed across the sky moments later, catching a destroyer amidships while also wrecking the upper superstructure of a cruiser.

I'll hold back the Tannhäuser until we're closer, she thought, That's going to be our trump card for punching through the fleet. We don't need to take them all down, just blast a hole in their lines and run the gauntlet. Of course, the enemy's not going to make it easy for us.

When do they ever, though?

….

Even as the ship shuddered around her, Meyrin forced herself to remain focused on her console. Her reflection on the screen looked a lot calmer than she currently felt; all the fighting the Minerva had seen since the surprise attack on Armory One had rapidly acclimated her crew to the rigors of battle, and Meyrin was no exception.

The enemy's got our mobile suits all spread out and isolated, she thought as she studied her display, Even the Gundam pilots are bogged down…

The Gundam Albion being locked in a duel with the new Eurasian Federation prototype was a considerable wrench thrown into their battleplan, but Meyrin's eyes were focused on a different match. It might've been her responsibility to coordinate all friendly mobile suits on the field, but her gaze had inevitably been drawn to one machine in particular; the Gundam Deathscythe Omega.

She recognized the black and red machine he was dueling as one of the Desperado Enforcement mobile suits from the battle at the Gulnahan Ravine. In fact, based on the combat data from that engagement, Meyrin was certain that the unit Duo was fighting now was the same one that had clashed with him in that previous battle. That only made her even more nervous than she already was; if Duo was up against an opponent that had survived fighting him once before, then that meant his adversary was a dangerous one.

"Be careful," she whispered.

As much as she wanted to keep watching Duo's clash, she had to keep her eyes on the larger engagement and provide updated tactical data to the other mobile suits. The closest point of concern was Shinn's two-on-one fight with the Gaia and the Windam accompanying the stolen prototype. He was holding his own, but Meyrin knew that they couldn't afford to have the Impulse bogged down in such a skirmish; its firepower would be sorely needed for punching through the fleet up ahead.

There's gotta be something I can do to help Shinn break the deadlock, she thought, but what?

After about a minute or so of observing the clash, Meyrin began to notice a pattern to the enemy's movements. The Gaia was fighting much more aggressively than the Windam; while the latter would still attack the Impulse, it was with greater precision and deliberation than the former.

That's it!

The proverbial lightbulb switching on in her head, Meyrin immediately contacted the Impulse. "Shinn, the Gaia's not the lead unit! Go after the Windam; that pilot's the one coordinating the attacks on you!"

"Got it!" Shinn replied, "Thanks, Meyrin!"

"Good luck," she whispered as he signed off.

If she was right, he'd be able to pull out the win. If she was wrong, then she might've just signed Shinn's death warrant.

Not exactly a comforting thought.

….

"You're mine!" snarled Shinn as he thrust his beam saber forward.

It was close, but no cigar; the Windam slammed on the thrusters and climbed to avoid the attack at the last moment. Shinn wanted to pursue, but the Gaia charging in from the right flank forced him to shift his focus and take the strike on his shield.

Damn it, he thought, Meyrin said to take out the Windam since the commander's inside it, but I can't land a solid hit! Every time I get close, the Gaia makes the save.

Pulling back to get both mobile suits in his arc of fire, he raised his beam rifle and opened up. Darts of emerald energy raced through the sky, with a few shots going towards the Gaia but most rushing at the Windam. The idea was simple; get the Gaia on the defensive long enough for Shinn to have a window to destroy the Windam, then deal with the stolen prototype.

Over the course of the clash, his enemies' fighting styles had become rather distinctive. The Gaia was the brawler of the duo, attacking head-on with speed and power. It actually reminded Shinn a bit of himself, and it made him wonder what the other pilot was like. He didn't have too much freedom to ponder that at the moment, though. Whenever he got locked in a clash with the Gaia, the Windam would take that moment to launch a precise attack in the form of either a beam saber thrust or a rifle shot. This was when Shinn would typically shift his focus to the Windam, and while that machine wasn't as powerful as the Gaia its pilot did appear to have a greater level of skill and tactical ability. The Windam couldn't take the Impulse in a direct fight, but its pilot was capable of fending Shinn off long enough for the Gaia to come to the rescue. Making the Windam his primary target instead of the Gaia hadn't shifted the overall situation too much, and Shinn was still struggling to figure out how to get himself out of the pickle he found himself in.

Maybe if I give them less room to maneuver, something will give, he mused as he looked around, I might as well take a shot at it.

Restricting the enemy's mobility on this battlefield would be tricky. They were over open water, so it wasn't like there was much in the way of terrain or obstacles. He couldn't really impede their horizontal maneuvering, but he might be able to hinder them vertically.

Gaining altitude, he unleashed another volley with his rifle. The shots kept the enemy on the evasive, but Shinn's real goal was to get them to keep their altitude low and get them as close to the surface of the water as possible. Herding them like this was by no means a simple task; too much fire with the rifle would drain his batteries, and while he could get a recharge courtesy of the Minerva's Deuterion Beam Energy Transfer System he'd be in danger while getting himself into position to replenish his power supply. It might only take a few seconds, but in a chaotic fight like this that'd be all the opening the enemy would need to kill him.

Of course, the enemy wasn't just going to quietly play along. The Gaia and the Windam both returned fire, so Shinn had to constantly zigzag across the sky even as he was lining up shots of his own. He had to fight with a level of precision that he wasn't used to, walking a tightrope that could throw him off at any possible moment.

"Just a little more…" he muttered under his breath.

While Shinn would've liked to claim that what happened next was the result of pure skill, even he could recognize when he'd gotten extremely lucky. Firing off another volley meant to force the Windam closer to the ground, his eyes widened when one of the particle beams actually hit one of the two main thrusters on its Jet Striker pack. Gouts of flame and smoke belched from the machine, and the mobile suit lost balance along with altitude.

Now's my chance, thought Shinn, gunning his thrusters and charging in, Time to finish you off!

….

Stella's eyes widened in panic as she saw Hamilton's Windam lose altitude. "Major!"

The Impulse was diving in to finish the job, but she was determined to prevent that from happening. Slamming on her thrusters, she put herself between the Impulse and the Windam, blocking the enemy's strike with her shield.

"Get away from him!" she shrieked as she struck back, lashing out wildly with her beam saber.

"Stella, calm down!" her commander replied, "I'm not dead yet."

Taking a brief moment to check the Major's machine after fending off the Impulse, Stella saw that its descent had stalled, although the engine on the Jet Striker pack that had been hit was still spewing fire and smoke.

"Major, you need to get out of here," she said, "You can't fight like this!"

"I know," Hamilton answered, "I'm heading back to the carrier; I'll get a new Jet Striker pack and rejoin you. You'll have to keep the Impulse away from me while I pull back, though. Can you do that?"

Stella nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Good luck," he said, "Don't get careless."

Stella glared at the Impulse as she saw it shifting its aim, trying to pick off the weakened Windam. Once again, she imposed herself between the ZAFT machine and the Major, taking the particle beam hits on the Gaia's shield before returning fire with her rifle.

You won't get away this time, she thought as she glared at the target on her screen, I'm taking you down today!

….

Lieutenant Tsukino shook her head. "What a mess…"

Murrue found it hard to argue with her XO on that. The original battle plan had been almost completely shot to hell, and the longer the fight dragged on the worse things were liable to get. Thankfully, neither the Atlantic Federation or Orb Union forces had detected the Archangel and the Dominion in their submerged positions at the edges of the battlefield, so if they acted now at least they'd still have the element of surprise.

We can still act, she thought as she glanced at her personal monitor, but the enemy fleet hasn't been softened up nearly as much as our initial strategy had called for.

Heero…

When Priscilla had reported the launch of three Eurasian Federation prototypes from one of the Atlantic Federation carriers, Murrue had been aware of the potential for trouble, but she hadn't expected anything like this. Having two of the units tying down Trowa Barton in a firefight was bad enough, but the real shocker had come from the lead unit not only engaging Heero in a duel but actually holding its own. The footage Pricilla had transmitted to the two submerged warships of the clash between Wing Zero Albion and the mystery machine had caught everyone off guard, most of all Murrue.

She hadn't seen a duel approaching this kind of speed and ferocity since Heero's final clash with the Galm Team at the climax of the Second Battle of Jachin Due. The analysts aboard the Archangel had been frantically studying the images of the prototype engaging Terminal's top ace, looking for anything that would allow them to identify the exact model or who could be piloting it, but they'd come up empty. The enemy had managed to keep this new machine completely off the grid, and now it and its pilot were showing the world exactly what they were capable of.

"It's only a matter of time before the Gundam pilots start engaging Orb Union forces," said Flay as she monitored communications across the combat zone, drawing Murrue's attention back to the broader tactical situation.

Lacus sighed. "It's a miracle they haven't had to shoot down any Orb pilots yet. That won't last."

Murrue nodded. "Agreed. I think it's now or never."

She turned to her mobile suit flight coordinator. "Are all our pilots ready for launch?"

Miriallia nodded. "Aye, Captain!"

"All right, then," she said, "As soon as we breach the surface, I want the Freedom and Strike Rouge to be the first out the gates. Kira can give Cagalli some breathing room while she contacts the Orb Union combatants. The Waltfelds will provide close-air-support to the Archangel while Yzak and Dearka go on offense against the hostile fleet."

"Should I start drawing up firing solutions, Captain?" asked Lieutenant Tsukino.

Murrue nodded. "Target the closest Atlantic Federation warships and give them a torpedo and Valiant volley on my mark. Helm, get us up to the surface as soon as that first salvo's away! Flay, contact the Dominion; I want Natarle to time her attack with ours."

As her bridge officers raced to carry out her orders, Murrue once again looked at her personal monitor. Wing Zero Albion and the Eurasian Federation prototype remained locked in their incredibly high-paced duel, and neither pilot gave any sign of backing down. Murrue wasn't sure if the mystery ace her boyfriend was fighting would break off and move to support the fleet once the Archangel and Dominion revealed themselves, but no one could fault her for hoping that might be the case. If nothing else, the sight of two infamous battleships rising from the waves might just distract the enemy pilot long enough for Wing Zero Albion to get in the killing blow.

Hang on, Heero. Help's on the way!

….

Sitting on the bridge of the Takemikazuchi, Yuna Seiran smiled at the battle unfolding outside the window. "A splendid performance so far, if I do say so myself."

That was a bit generous when one considered that the ships and mobile suits of the Orb Union First Fleet hadn't done much by way of directly engaging the enemy yet, but that would be rectified soon enough. With the Gundam pilots caught up in duels with the mercenary and Eurasian aces, they would be easy targets for flank attacks from the Murasames, and those who weren't moving to attack the Minerva were maneuvering into position to strike the Gundams at the earliest opportunity. Yuna expected that there would be losses, but sacrifices would naturally be necessary in order to take out such fearsome machines.

The legend of Heero Yuy will end today, he thought triumphantly, and when his fall is combined with the destruction of ZAFT's prized battleship, the Atlantic Federation will have no choice but to acknowledge our contribution to this great victory and increase the funding and security support they send our way. Our power will be solidified, and we'll be able to cast off any need of Cagalli for good. Her absence has been a nuisance up until now, but soon she'll be rendered completely irrelevant by our rising strength.

Yes, it was all coming together. There had been some bumps and mishaps along the way, but this battle was where things would finally turn around. House Seiran's ascendancy would be solidified, and Yuna's name would go down in history as the one to bring his family to true dominance over the Orb Union.

Visions of glory were still playing out in his mind when one of the bridge officers shattered the illusion with a shout. "The Utah's been hit by torpedoes! Arizona's also reporting impacts below the waterline!"

Yuna's eyes widened as he checked the display. The two cruisers that had been named by the officer were part of the fleet's rear guard, but all the action was up front. What was going on?

His confusion only increased when the same officer called out the names of additional stricken warships, these likewise to the rear of the formation. "Destroyers Tippecanoe and Little Bighorn struck! Holy… impacts appear to be from linear cannon rounds!"

That's impossible…

Yuna checked the display again. The stricken warships were blinking red, indicating severe to critical damage. He wasn't concerned about that; they weren't Orb Union warships, after all. What did worry him, though, were their positions. Each one had been close to one of the cruisers that had been hit by torpedoes, and had been guarding the left and right rear of the fleet respectively.

Captain Todaka was the first to vocalize what Yuna was thinking. "We're being attacked from behind! Find who fired those shots!"

"Captain, two large contacts detected at the rear!" cried the sensor officer, "They're coming up to the surface!"

"How large?" asked Yuna.

"Verifying…" said the officer, and Yuna saw his face pale, "No… it can't be!"

"Surface breaches to the east and west!" shouted an officer.

Other personnel rushed towards the windows to get a better look, while Yuna checked the main monitor. Shock turned to fear as he recognized two familiar silhouettes rising from the water.

No…

Not here… not now!

Not them!

There was no denying it, though, no matter how much he might want to.

It was the Archangel and the Dominion.

….

As soon the mobile suit launch catapults of the Archangel were clear of the water, Kira Yamato was airborne. Rushing out of the ship's starboard 'leg' and rapidly gaining altitude, he saw Cagalli's Strike Rouge zip out of the portside catapult a second later. Her ascent was smooth and controlled; all the simulator practice to keep her skills sharp was paying off.

Kira could only hope that Cagalli wouldn't have to test those skills against her own people today. Scanning the battlefield, his eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. Data provided to the Freedom by the bridge crew of the Archangel prior to launch had already given him an idea as to what to expect, but it was another thing entirely to see it with his own eyes. The sky was full of mobile suits, mostly Windams and Murasames. They had been moving to either join the Eurasian squadrons in the attack on the Minerva or to try and attack the Gundams while they were taking on the enemy prototypes and Desperado Enforcement aces, but with the arrival of the Archangel and Dominion there was a distinct sense of confusion and hesitation in their flying. The forces of Terminal had an opening here, but Kira knew that it wouldn't last long.

The Archangel had surfaced to the rear of the combined fleet's left wing, while the Dominion was behind the right. Just as Kira and Cagalli had been the first pilots of the former to take to the skies, the two lead pilots out of the latter were Shemei Bristow and Mu La Flaga in the Gundam Epyon Revenant and Tallgeese Kai respectively. The Valkyrie and the Hawk of Endymion wasted no time in rushing straight towards the closest Atlantic Federation warships, keen to hit the enemy before they could reorganize and make a proper counterattack. It wouldn't be long before the three Wraiths and GuAIZ Werewolf took to the skies as well.

Taking a quick glance at the Freedom's rear sensors, Kira saw Yzak and Dearka's mobile suits, the Mercurius Kai and Vayeate Kai respectively, mounted on the catapults of the Archangel; they'd be airborne in moments. Following them would be the Waltfelds in their Murasames, with both Andrew and Aisha hanging back to cover the battleship just in case the enemy got any ideas. They were ready for battle, but Kira had to wonder if they were truly prepared for a fight like this.

Checking his sensors, he worked furiously to sort the Orb Union mobile suits from those of the Atlantic Federation. His job was clear; give Cagalli a chance to convince the soldiers of Orb to stand down and withdraw from the combat zone. That meant he had to provide cover fire in case of attack by either the Atlantic Federation or the First Fleet. He'd be aiming to disable, but he was hoping to have to avoid firing on Orb Union soldiers entirely if possible.

In the meantime, his comrades weren't standing by idly. As soon as their heavy guns had breached the surface, both the Archangel and the Dominion had sighted in on new targets. Volleys of emerald particle beams from the ships' dual Gottfried cannons flew forth, utterly mauling Atlantic Federation warships. Sledgehammer anti-ship missiles raced from the vessels' rear launchers, arcing over the warships before zeroing in on their prey. Some warheads were blown apart by CIWS fire, but others found their mark, inflicting severe damage to Alliance destroyers and cruisers alike.

It was a good start, but there was plenty of work left to be done. Kira was honestly amazed that the combined enemy fleet still had so many ships afloat. He didn't have to look far to find the reason for it. Out ahead of the fleet, Heero's furious duel with the Eurasian Federation prototype and unidentified ace pilot continued unabated. Kira was shocked when his scans showed that the machine challenging Wing Zero Albion wasn't even nuclear powered.

That thing's going toe-to-toe with a Gundam on conventional batteries, he thought in amazement, I don't know who designed that thing, but they created one lean and mean mobile suit! That's not even considering the pilot…

As fascinating as the duel was, Kira couldn't afford to be distracted. Sighting in on the closest grouping of Atlantic Federation machines he could find, he cut loose with the Freedom's formidable array of artillery. Particle beams, lances of crimson plasma and railgun rounds ripped across the sky, destroying the weapons and head-sensors of seven Windams while leaving the mobile suits themselves more or less intact. While those machines were now out of the fight, quite a few more were already turning to face the new threat, and they included units from the Orb Union.

"Cagalli, let them know you're here!" he ordered as he selected new targets, "I'll cover you!"

On the bottom right corner of his main monitor, he saw his sister nod. "Got it. Thanks, Kira!"

I hope this works…

….

Even in the midst of his tangle with the Eurasian squadrons, Athrun would've had to be blind to have missed the appearance of the Archangel and Dominion on the battlefield. They were certainly a welcome sight, especially given that they were already hammering the enemy fleet from the rear, but he also knew that their arrival would complicate an already chaotic situation.

There she is, thought Athrun as he shot down another Windam, I knew she'd be with that ship…

Cagalli…

The Strike Rouge had deployed simultaneously with the Freedom, and Kira had already made his presence known thanks to one of his trademark precision barrages. Athrun was all for his old friend disabling Atlantic Federation mobile suits and making his life easier, but he knew it wasn't that simple. Terminal wasn't firing on ZAFT yet, but given what Heero had told him regarding the attack on Home One that wasn't out of the question.

Lock-on alarms forced his full attention back to the dogfight he was in. He had to wrap this up quickly if he was going to have a chance to talk to Kira before he wound up engaging the mobile suits of the Minerva along with those of the Earth Alliance. He'd made progress whittling down their numbers, but there were still six Eurasian Windams left. The survivors had made sure to coordinate their fire, leaving no easy openings for Athrun to exploit. They weren't the best pilots in the Earth Sphere by any means, but they certainly were worthy of being called combat professionals.

Going high and once again shifting the Saviour to its mobile armor configuration, Athrun went into a dive and cut loose. The twin lances of plasma that spewed forth from the machine's heavy cannons only took out a single Windam, and heavy return fire forced him to break off before he could take another shot. He transitioned the unit back to mobile suit configuration as he descended, gunning the engines and reigniting his beam saber the instant the transformation was complete. The remaining five Windams fired on him all the while, but what shots he couldn't evade he was able to block courtesy of the Saviour's aerodynamic shield mounted on the mobile suit's left arm. A swift stab with his violet blade as soon as he was in range skewered another machine, but the remaining four already had their beam sabers raised, and Athrun had to slam his thrusters to drop below them before they could run him through.

No more hit-and-run, he mentally told himself, I need to get aggressive and take the rest of them out now!

Zipping to the right and left, he regained altitude and raised his beam rifle. The shot he fired nailed one of the Windams in its Jet Striker pack, causing the main thrusters to explode and sending the mobile suit plunging towards the waves below. He barely had time to bring his shield up before the three surviving machines concentrated fire, and the Saviour rocked under the impacts. Gritting his teeth, Athrun pressed forward, getting right in their faces and slicing a Windam in half. Breaking off as the last two Windams attempted to impale him from both flanks, he dived before coming back in, zigzagging to avoid rifle fire. Pushing the Saviour's engines as hard as they would go, he was on top of the enemy before they could react. A diagonal slash with his violet blade ripped one machine apart, while a shot to the torso with his beam rifle turned the final unit into nothing more than a fireball.

"Finally," he muttered, "That took way too long…"

Taking a brief moment to assess the situation, he saw that between Heine, Rey, Lunamaria, and the anti-air weaponry of the Minerva, the remaining Eurasian Windams appeared to be under control. Shinn was still dancing with the Gaia, but now that its supporting Windam had withdrawn the ZAFT Red seemed to have the upper hand in the fight. The Minerva was steadily advancing forward, which meant that the primary threat now was the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet. While the arrival of the Archangel and the Dominion along with their complement of deadly mobile suits had forced a substantial redeployment on the enemy's part, there were still enough Windams and Murasames available to pose a significant threat to ZAFT's prize battleship. With the Gundam pilots still wrapped up in engagements with individual aces, they were in no position to blunt the coming assault.

Knowing Kira and Cagalli, they'll try to get the Orb Union forces to stand down and withdraw, he thought, I hope that works, but even if it does, Terminal's not exactly on friendly terms with ZAFT right now. This could get ugly… I need to act now before things get really ugly.

Without further ado, he gunned his engines and headed for Cagalli and Kira.

….

I can't believe it came to this, thought Cagalli as she looked out over the battlefield, Yuna, you sold out Orb and everything it stands for… it's a miracle none of our soldiers have died yet because of you.

She gave silent thanks to the Gundam pilots; their opening strikes against the combined fleet had focused solely on Atlantic Federation units. However, she knew that such restraint couldn't last forever. While they were currently fighting either aces from the Eurasian Federation or mercenaries hired by the Atlantic Federation, Cagalli could see the Murasames moving along with Atlantic Federation Windams to try to sneak attack the Gundams. She wasn't about to let them attack Heero and his friends; she was going to stop all of this here and now.

Checking her communications display and making sure she was broadcasting on all frequencies, she made her presence known. "All soldiers of the Orb Union First Fleet, this is Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha! As the Orb Union's head of state, I command all Orb forces on this battlefield to cease hostilities and withdraw at once!"

A ripple of sorts seemed to spread across the area. The Atlantic Federation units kept fighting, but there was a noticeable pause in the movements of the Orb Union mobile suits. Many of them turned towards the Freedom and Strike Rouge, although there was no immediate reply from any of the First Fleet's members. Still, the fact that they appeared to be acknowledging her, or were at least startled enough by her presence that they'd stopped in their tracks, was as good a start as Cagalli could hope for.

Please, let them listen to me. If they don't…

…they could all die here!

….

From the moment he'd seen the iconic bridge of the Archangel breach the surface, Yuna had known that Cagalli would be making her appearance; it was just a matter of how. For her to take to the skies once again in the Strike Rouge was very much her style, and the Freedom loomed ominously nearby as a powerful escort. Orb Union forces had become paralyzed by her announcement, and that was reflected very much in the bridge crew of the Takemikazuchi. Even the normally stone-faced Captain Todaka seemed to be thrown on the backfoot by this sudden curveball.

"Lady Cagalli…" the carrier's commanding officer muttered.

Shit, thought Yuna, I can't believe she picked now of all times to make a public appearance! Cagalli, you bitch!

The voice of his cousin continued to ring out over the bridge speakers. "I'm aboard the mobile suit Strike Rouge, and I've come to this battlefield to remind you of your duty! If you are truly soldiers of the Orb Union, then you must know that the partnership the Seirans have brokered with the Earth Alliance goes against everything our nation stands for. You have been brought in to serve as nothing more than cannon fodder for a power that opened this war with a blatant attempt at genocide! Have you already forgotten that the Earth Alliance launched a nuclear attack on the PLANTs less than a month ago?"

A collective shudder ran through the bridge crew. Looking around nervously, Yuna could sense that all the power he had worked to acquire was now under threat. Political wheeling-and-dealing was not Cagalli's forte, but there was no denying her ability to reach people through impassioned speeches.

"Your participation in this battle goes against everything we fought for two years ago!" she continued, "Countless lives were lost in order to prevent two world powers from enacting nothing short of mass slaughter, and you are now fighting under one of those powers! The Seiran family has turned you into pawns for this war, but you don't have to remain so. You have a choice; the same choice that so many were given two years ago. The Orb Union has no place fighting alongside the Earth Alliance in this battle or any other! As Chief Representative, I command that you stand down and withdraw at once!"

"Sir, we have an incoming hail from the Atlantic Federation flagship!" called the communications officer."

"Put it on at once!" Yuna ordered, sweating bullets as he tried to compose himself.

Major Allen Hamilton appeared on the monitor a moment later. He was still clad in his flight suit and in the cockpit of his mobile suit; Yuna knew that his Windam had taken a serious hit earlier in the battle, and since the transmission was being routed through his flagship, he was probably waiting for repairs to be finished before making his next sortie.

"I hope you have a good explanation for this, Yuna," growled the Major, staring daggers through the screen.

Yuna flinched as he stammered out his response. "Well… y-you see… I don't… she's not…"

"Let's dispense with the bullshit," Hamilton cut in, "I don't have time for it. Does this individual really represent your government? If she does, and your forces do withdraw, then our partnership with the Orb Union is over. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what would happen next."

"She absolutely does not represent my government!" Yuna hastily replied, his voice cracking from panic, "She… she's an imposter!"

"Then deal with her accordingly," the Major curtly ordered, "Hamilton, out."

Captain Todaka rounded on Yuna as the Major vanished from the screen. "Lord Yuna, what the hell are you doing? That unit's been positively identified as the Strike Rouge, and Cagalli's seal is on its shoulder!"

"That doesn't mean Cagalli's operating it!" Yuna shrieked, all pretense of dignity flying out the window, "That's a body double, nothing more!"

"You traitor…" Todaka snarled through gritted teeth.

"I am the head of the Orb Union!" Yuna snapped, "You're a soldier, Captain; obey the orders your given! Shoot down the imposter and anyone flying with her! If you don't, then the Earth Alliance will start attacking us!"

"I will give no such order!" Todaka barked.

Yuna glared at him. "You will if you want to live. Guards!"

A squad of men bearing rifles stepped forward from the back of the bridge. These weren't Orb Union Marines; they were the contracted guards Yuna had brought aboard the carrier for exactly this kind of situation. Their weapons weren't aimed at the Captain just yet, but that could change easily enough.

"Let us be clear, Captain," Yuna sneered, "The pilot of the Strike Rouge is not Cagalli. They're an imposter, and anyone supporting them is a traitor to the Orb Union. Do we understand each other?"

If looks could kill, Captain Todaka's arctic glare would've struck Yuna dead on the spot. He made no further move, though, and Yuna knew he had him. The Captain likely didn't fear death, but he did care for the lives of his subordinates, and Yuna had no qualms about making examples out of them.

The Captain finally nodded, although his voice was little more than a guttural growl that suggested if he had the chance, he would murder Yuna right then and there. "Yes… we understand each other quite clearly."

Yuna smirked. "Good. Now, carry out my orders. The Strike Rouge, the Freedom, the two battleships and all mobile suits that they've launched; destroy them all!"

….

"Captain, the First Fleet mobile suits are changing course!" called the sensor officer, "They're setting up for strike vectors on our forces, including the Strike Rouge!"

So it's come to this, then, thought Murrue grimly as she surveyed the main display, I feared it would… I'm sorry, Cagalli.

Cagalli's words had fallen upon deaf ears, which meant that all Orb Union forces on the field were now hostile targets. Murrue wasn't looking forward to what was coming next, but she'd already steeled herself for the orders she now had to give.

"Miriallia, tell Kira to keep them off Cagalli no matter what!" she barked, "Inform our pilots that all Orb Union forces on this field are now to be considered as hostile targets unless they openly signal intent to defect!"

Miriallia nodded. "Understood, Captain."

"Lieutenant Tsukino, I want targeting solutions on the closest First Fleet warships," she commanded, "We need to knock them out of the fight now!"

"Aye, Captain!" her XO replied.

"Flay, get Natarle on the line at once!" she ordered.

Her communications officer responded a second later. "Link's open, Captain!"

The Captain of the Dominion appeared on the main monitor, her expression one of firm resolve. "Worst case scenario, Captain Ramius?"

Murrue nodded. "They're not responding to Cagalli. Engage the First Fleet at will."

"Copy that," Natarle replied somberly, "Dominion, out."

As her friend disappeared from the screen, Murrue once again checked her personal monitor. It was still locked on Heero's lightning-paced clash with the Eurasian ace, and it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

Come on, Heero! We could really use your firepower right about now…

….

Start "Sol Squadron"

If Heero had it his way, he would've been blasting the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet from on high, but a bombardment was very much out of the question right now. As his friends in Terminal engaged the enemy armada below, the Gundam pilot was engaged in a duel the likes of which he hadn't fought in at least two years.

Never thought I'd find another pilot of this caliber out here, he thought as the sweat built at his brow, I haven't had a fight like this since my last match with the Galm Team…

He had to give credit to both man and machine as they raced across the sky, their clashing energy blades illuminating the clouds with sparks so frequently a casual observer would be forgiven for thinking a thunderstorm was taking place overhead. While the Gundam Wing Zero Albion had a clear advantage in power, the Eurasian machine had been designed for speed above all else, and in that it was as close to matching the incredible maneuverability and velocity of the Voiture Lumiere light-wave propulsion system embedded in the mobile suit's out wings as any conventional battery-powered unit could get. The prototype was a beautiful encapsulation of the philosophy behind its creators, as well as a cheeky rebuke to the Atlantic Federation and ZAFT; both nations had attempted to challenge Wing Zero with brute force, but the Eurasians had played it smart and gone for agility over strength.

Of course, the machine wouldn't be anywhere near as effective as it was proving itself to be right now were it not for its current pilot. To say that Mihaly was aggressive would be a considerable understatement; the man was constantly seeking out and taking advantage of the slightest openings he could get, and while he'd occasionally pop off a volley with his mobile suit's rifle, he tended to keep the action up close and personal. He'd been so in Heero's face that the Gundam pilot didn't even have the space needed to put the Twin Buster Rifle away and draw his second beam saber in its place. His reflexes were incredibly sharp, but they weren't the real secret to his success. In fact, based on what he'd heard when the pilot had spoken, Heero guessed that Mihaly's peak days were actually behind him. However, experience and skill were proving to be more than enough to compensate for the detriments of age.

Zechs' would've killed to fight this guy, Heero mused as he fended off the latest assault from his foe, and Shemei would probably be right behind him.

Deflecting an overhand strike, the Gundam pilot countered with a thrust aimed right at the enemy's cockpit. However, pilot and machine were already reacting, pulling back at the last possible moment to avoid being run through. Their return strike was a swift diagonal slash, one that Heero was able to parry before replying a broad stroke in an attempt to slice his adversary in half. This was blocked, and the clash of the two brilliant soldiers continued.

Dropping altitude just enough to fall into a cloudbank, Heero let fly with a quick burst from Wing Zero Albion's shoulder-mounted machine cannons. The Gundam's advanced sensors were still able to track the target even in the midst of such natural visual interference, but his opponent appeared to have anticipated his move, zipping to the right to evade the opening burst before rushing right in to resume their clash of energy blades.

Heero gritted his teeth as he deflected Mihaly's strike. He didn't have time for this. Murrue and Natarle had brought their respective warships to the surface, and the enemy fleet wasn't nearly as weakened as he had wanted it to be at this point in the battle. Were it not for Mihaly's interference, he could've inflicted substantial losses on the assembled warships below, but the Eurasian ace had seen to it that the Gundam pilot couldn't take so much as a single shot at the assembled armada without leaving himself exposed to attack from the devilishly agile enemy prototype.

"I don't have time for this," he hissed under his breath.

Of course, it wasn't like his foe was just going to politely stand by and let him bombard the fleet below. There was also the chance that if Heero tried to break off from the duel then Mihaly would go after his friends instead. He wasn't worried about his fellow Gundam pilots if the man decided to attack them, but there were other friendlies on the field that he wasn't sure could handle the Eurasian ace.

Taking aim with his twin railguns, he fired off a quick salvo, only for his opponent to seemingly slip past it without any effort. The enemy responded with a burst from his beam rifle before rushing back in to take the fight up close and personal. Both aces danced around each other, energy blades clashing for brief seconds before the two combatants broke off and regrouped for the next exchange.

Come on, he thought as his saber met Mihaly's again, you've fought your way out of worse engagements than this before. There has to be something you're missing…

Charging forward, he unleashed a powerful overhand blow, and while his adversary was able to block it they did appear to buckle under the strength of the attack. Heero didn't let up, pressing his assault with all the ferocity and speed that he could muster. His opponent refused to back down, deflecting each attack as it came.

His brow furrowed as he studied the hostile machine even as he continued to cross swords with it. There had to be some kind of weakness that he could exploit to bring the duel to a quick end. This wasn't a dance that he could afford to partake in forever.

I can't overwhelm it with pure power, he thought even as he kept up his furious assault, His skill and speed are more than enough to counter a brute force approach. If I could swap the rifle for the second blade that might turn the tables, but he hasn't given me the space I need to do that. He knows that keeping the fight a close-range one is the best way to win.

Even as his frantic duel continued, he wasn't blind to the broader strategic picture. A quick glance at his sensors told him that the Minerva had won at least a temporary reprieve; the Eurasian squadrons that had been launched from the land bases had been thinned out considerably, with Heine handling mop-up while Athrun raced ahead towards the enemy fleet. Shinn was still duking it out with the Gaia, but now that the clash was one-on-one the ZAFT Red was demonstrating a noticeable edge in skill compared to his opponent. If there was any cause for concern on ZAFT's end, it was that the Minerva would take heavier anti-ship fire the closer it got to the Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet. She was already exchanging steady salvos with cruisers and destroyers, and while her heavy armor and superior armaments were currently allowing her to do more than hold her own the concentration of fire heading her way would only increase as she pressed forward.

Ideally, his fellow Gundam pilots should've been able to put a dent in the firepower of the combined fleet, but the enemy had prepped well to keep them occupied. The pair of Eurasian aces Trowa was engaging were no slouches, and the brief flashes of energy barriers engulfing them at key moments to ward off the worst of Heavyarms Arsenal's firepower told Heero that the enemy had brought both the right pilots and the right machines to the party. Trowa was continuing to keep his foes at a distance to avoid his Gundam's severe weakness when it came to close-quarters combat, but if the enemy was failing to get right up in his face it sure wasn't for lack of trying. His old friend was in a tough spot, but getting out of a bind was something that Gundam pilots had a knack for, and Heero believed that his comrade was more than capable of pulling out the win.

The other Gundam pilots were likewise locked in clashes with aces, although in these cases the duels were with mercenary aces rather than those fighting for a national flag. His friends had told him after the battle in North Africa about the wild bunch of Desperado Enforcement pilots that they'd tangled with, but whatever issues the contractors had in the mental department apparently didn't detract from their ability to survive on the battlefield. They might've been fighting for a regime hell-bent on genocide, but Heero couldn't deny that they had talent and ferocity in spades.

Wufei was still locked in his latest rematch with Rodrigues, both combatants zipping back and forth just meters over the waves as beam trident and katana clashed with unrelenting fury. Heero was sure that the L5 native was enjoying himself, but he was concerned that Wufei's enthusiasm for the duel with his new favorite rival was counterproductive. He could understand the thrill of finding an equal and wanting to push oneself to new heights in order to beat them, yet given what he'd observed from Wufei since his fellow Gundam pilot had arrived in the Cosmic Era he was now convinced that the battlefields of this new world were what Altron Custom's wielder truly desired. That had the potential to create problems down the line, especially if others recognized Wufei's desire for battle and were able to take advantage of it. Of course, now was hardly the time for Heero to worry about something like that; he had more pressing issues to take care of.

At least he didn't have to worry about the other Gundam pilots. Quatre and Duo were still mixing it up with the mercenaries that they'd clashed with at the Gulnahan Ravine, but unlike Wufei Heero wasn't concerned about them getting overly absorbed in their respective duels. The two had come to the Cosmic Era to find him, not seek out purpose in a new conflict. They could contend with their opponents, although Heero hoped they would do so quickly; their strength was needed against the enemy fleet, so the sooner they could take down the Winds of Destruction, the better.

Heero could at least take comfort in the fact that the enemy fleet was under assault from the rear. The Archangel and Dominion were pouring fire into any warship unfortunate enough to fall into their sights. Particle beams, railgun slugs, and heavy anti-ship missiles streamed from the two stolen Alliance battleships, each salvo a deathblow to its target. The Atlantic Federation and Orb Union vessels were returning fire, but the armor of the Archangel and the Dominion was much thicker than that of the destroyers, cruisers and carriers the enemy had brought to the fray, and that wasn't even counting all the missiles that were being shot down courtesy of the two warships' formidable arrays of CIWS. If the Earth Alliance wanted to truly threaten the twin behemoths, they would have to concentrate their fire much more heavily than what they were currently doing.

It wasn't just the two Terminal warships laying into the combined fleet; the organization's hotshot pilots were strutting their stuff in fine fashion. Kira was still keeping close to Cagalli, but the Freedom was more than making its presence known with salvos of particle beams, plasma fire and railgun slugs. The Vayeate Kai was above the fleet, raining down blast after blast with its heavy Beam Cannon. Murasames and Windams alike were attempting to take him down, but so far none had been able to get past Yzak. The Mercurius Kai was well-suited to providing cover for its more offensive oriented counterpart, with the air around the mobile suit shimmering as the ten Planet Defensors deployed and activated their energy shield. Meanwhile, Yzak was picking off any machines that managed to get around the barrier with his beam rifle, only having to resort to the mobile suit's saber sparingly. The Waltfelds were still back in reserve, patrolling over the Archangel in their Murasames and supplementing the warship's anti-air and anti-missile umbrella.

The mobile suits launched from the Archangel weren't the only ones putting on a show; the Dominion had her machines in the air, and now the Orb Union First Fleet was getting a taste of the pain that the Atlantic Federation was already feeling. At the head of the pack was the Gundam Epyon Revenant, a crimson mechanical demon that was more than living up to its hellish appearance. Sweeping through the skies like a monster let loose from the underworld, Shemei was carving swaths of destruction through the ranks of Murasames and Windams without discrimination. Her emerald beam sword was blazing like a beacon as it cut down one machine after another, while the wicked Heat Rod curled and lashed through the air like a thing possessed, utterly mauling anything in its reach.

While their leader played the part of devil incarnate to the enemy mobile suits, Adaline, Priscilla and Lan were concentrating their efforts on the enemy warships. With so much fire flying around the Wraiths' Mirage Colloid systems would actually be a liability since having it active meant the machines couldn't use their Phase Shift Armor, so they were instead going with protection over stealth. Particle beams, missiles and railgun rounds slammed into warships with lethal power and precision, broadening the devastation that had been wrought by the Dominion. Covering their efforts was Mu La Flaga and the Tallgeese Kai, picking off any machines that tried to disrupt their attacks with his beam rifle and saber. No Atlantic Federation or Orb Union machine could match the Hawk of Endymion's speed and agility, and any shots that got close quickly found themselves deflected by the mobile suit's four Planet Defensors. Hanging back to provide cover to the Dominion was Eric Bristow in the GuAIZ Werewolf, its dual beam claws blazing menacingly and twin Hydra Gatling Beam Cannons ready to spit little bits of emerald death at anyone foolish enough to approach.

They're all carrying out their mission, Heero thought as he blocked a strike from Mihaly, and you need to do yours. You're not here to duel this guy; you're here to bombard the fleet. He's a distraction you can't afford right now!

Mihaly was an opponent that definitely deserved his full attention, but fighting him wasn't what Heero was supposed to do with this battle. A pilot like Wufei or Zechs might've devoted themselves completely to the duel, but Heero was mindful of the broader strategic picture. Maybe it was disrespectful to a foe that had shown such a formidable level of skill, but Heero wasn't concerned about things like warrior's pride. He had to get his mission back on track…

…and now that Terminal's forces were on the field, he had an idea as to how to accomplish that.

Taking his Gundam into a dive towards the heart of the broader battle, Heero continued to fend off the Eurasian ace's attacks. He was about to pull a cheap shot, but he wouldn't apologize for it. He wasn't some honorable samurai or knight; he was a soldier. The mission was paramount, and he would achieve his objective. So, as the two combatants descended, continuing to cross blades as they got closer and closer to the chaotic clash below…

…Heero began sending targeting data to the Freedom.

….

Keeping himself between Cagalli and the enemy as best as he could, Kira had his hands full. The Freedom's formidable arsenal was given no time to rest, constantly blasting away as he fended off fresh waves of attackers. He fought with his trademark restraint, taking out the weapons and targeting sensors of hostile mobile suits rather than the machines… but unfortunately, his friends weren't doing the same.

"No!" cried Cagalli desperately, "Stop this! It doesn't have to be this way!"

Kira sighed. He had hoped beyond hope that his sister would be able to talk her countrymen down, but it was not to be. The Orb Union First Fleet was fully in the thrall of the Earth Alliance; their continued attempts to shoot down Cagalli were proof enough of that. He wished that Murrue had been able to find another way for Terminal's forces to engage without striking down Orb pilots, but in the chaos of battle he knew that was simply too much to ask. At this point, Terminal's priority was survival and to weaken the enemy, so restraint was now out the window.

As he beat back a mix of Windams and Murasames, a chime came from his console. Checking the bottom right corner of his main monitor, his eyes widened slightly when he saw that Heero had opened a data feed with him. Confirming Wing Zero Albion's position and current trajectory, Kira instantly grasped what his friend wanted. He understood the reasoning behind it… but he also knew that Cagalli wouldn't like the result. After all, Heero's duel with the Eurasian mystery pilot was the only thing keeping him from bringing his formidable firepower to bear on the Orb Union First Fleet. If Cagalli thought things were bad for her countrymen now…

…they were about to get a whole lot worse.

….

Aggression had served Mihaly well so far, and he wasn't about to let up now. As Wing Zero continued its descent, 'The Beast' stuck with him, continuing to rain blow after blow down upon his foe. His mission was clear; keep Heero Yuy's focus on him and away from the combined fleet below. It was just as clear that his adversary was intent on breaking off from the duel to bombard the armada, and he wasn't about to let that happen.

Keep up the pressure, he silently told himself as he pressed the attack, I have to force an opening in his defenses before this drags on for much longer…

He wouldn't admit it publicly, but the truth was that he just couldn't fight for as long as he'd been capable of when he was younger. Age had caught up with him in that regard, and if this match came down to endurance Mihaly knew that he would lose. That was why he'd pressed the attack against Heero at every opportunity; he had to bring the duel to a conclusion before his body began to betray him. Doctor Morozov's flight suit was holding up, but given the intensity of the fight and the high-speeds at which the two mobile suits were clashing it was just a matter of time before the extreme Gs started to take their toll.

So he kept up his assault… and Wing Zero continued to descend. His foe was fighting purely defensively now, which told Mihaly that something was up. Whenever an opening to counter had presented itself before, Heero had taken it. The fact that he wasn't now raised alarm bells in the veteran pilot's mind. He was being drawn in, and he had a choice before him; pull back now or redouble his efforts to bring the Gundam down ASAP.

He only spent a moment thinking about it, but that was all it took for his foe to spring their trap. Lock-on alarms blared, and out of the corner of his eye Mihaly caught sight of a new mobile suit taking aim at him; the Freedom. Realizing that he'd been set up, he immediately took the Wyvern into a climb.

It was too late.

A salvo of particle beams, railgun rounds and bursts of plasma ripped across the sky. Even at long-range, the Freedom's accuracy was devastating. Despite his best efforts to evade the fire coming his way, the Wyvern was still rocked by impacts. It was only his cockpit harness that kept Mihaly from being slammed into his console. Sparks flew, and the Eurasian ace quickly assessed the damage. He'd avoided taking a fatal blow, but the Wyvern was in no shape to fight; the left arm and the rifle it held had been completely destroyed, half of the mobile suit's head had been blown away, and one of his primary thrusters was spewing smoke and flames. The machine was already losing altitude, and he judged that it barely had enough thruster power left to avoid crashing into the waves before.

"He played me," Mihaly muttered, "A duel wasn't his mission, after all. Damn it…"

He was vulnerable; if his foe was going to finish him off, now was the time. Heero didn't, though. Instead, the legendary ace was racing towards the Earth Alliance fleet, the powerful rifle of his Gundam already raised. He now had a clear shot at the warships below, and he was wasting no time in taking it.

There was nothing Mihaly could do now but withdraw. Heading for the carriers would be a death sentence now that Wing Zero had them in its sights, so his only option was to make for shore. He'd be pushing his mauled machine to its limits, but it was a gamble he had to take.

Even though he was leaving the field in failure, Mihaly couldn't help but give a small smile as he took one last look at machine he'd been assigned to fight. He hadn't experienced a clash like that in a long time…

…and he was already looking forward to the rematch.

End "Sol Squadron"

….

Sundowner smirked as he watched the Wyvern limp away from the field. "So, he didn't have what it takes after all. Should've expected as much from a damn Eurasian."

Unlike his fellow Winds of Destruction, Sundowner had yet to engage the enemy. He had deliberately hung back, keeping an eye on Mihaly's duel with Heero. The Eurasian ace had only been expected to stall Wing Zero, even if his official mission was to destroy it. Sundowner and Major Hamilton had been betting on the Wyvern tiring out the meddlesome pilot so that the mercenary could finish him off. Now that the Wyvern was withdrawing, it was time for Sundowner to play his part.

He raced towards his target, hungry for blood and glory. He would accomplish today what so many other aces had failed to do; kill Heero Yuy. Just imagining the reward for such a deed was enough to get his blood pumping. He could practically taste the renown already.

And that was when it all went straight to hell.

His twin blades were drawn and their beam emitters ignited, primed to carve into his prey, when an alarm suddenly went off in his cockpit; a new contact was approaching him, and it was a fast one. In fact, it was barely more than a streak of crimson light on his screen, charging so quickly that it was practically right on top of him before he was able to bring his blades up to block a hard overhand strike from its beam sword. What was before him now was not Wing Zero, but its demonic counterpart.

"Shit!" he snarled as he found his mobile suit being pushed back; the power behind his enemy's attack was staggering to say the least, "Not this bitch!"

He didn't know the name of the mobile suit that was attacking him now, but he had seen it before; the data Phantom Pain had gathered from the orbital battle had been shared freely with Desperado Enforcement. The crimson frame, broad emerald beam sword, and the menacing whip were impossible to miss. He'd seen this unit launch from the Dominion earlier and had tried to stay out of its way, but in his zeal to take down Wing Zero he'd discounted this particular threat until it was far too late. Now it was staring him down and out for his blood.

The Valkyrie had come.

….

Shemei smirked as she pressed her attack. "Sorry, pal, but my friend's got bigger fish to fry."

She'd been in the middle of engaging a team of Murasames when she'd spotted the Desperado Enforcement mobile suit heading for Heero. It had only taken a few seconds for her to carve through the Orb Union pilots and make her interception. The overall tactical situation was very much in flux, but she knew that Terminal didn't need Heero dueling another enemy ace; he needed to start blasting the fleet.

Right on cue, Heero's voice came over her cockpit speakers. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"No sweat," she replied, "This won't take long. You better get to work!"

"Roger that," said Heero.

None of the Gundam pilots had fought this particular machine directly, but Heero had been able to pilfer combat data regarding it from ZAFT and send it to Terminal. As a result, Shemei was well aware of the nasty surprise embedded in its shields, and she had no intention of making the same mistakes that the pilot of the Impulse had at the Gulnahan Ravine. She kept up her assault, not even giving her foe time to deploy their shields and instead forcing them to rely on their twin blades for defense.

It was the kind of duel that the Gundam Epyon Revenant was perfectly suited for. The mobile suit's speed, close-quarters-combat oriented arsenal, and the ZERO System were a lethal combination, and as she continued her attack it was clear that her foe was already buckling under the pressure.

They're used to relying on those explosive shields as a gimmick, she thought, I bet they're pretty effective against pilots who don't know about them.

Her opponent's desperation was clearly growing. Despite barely having room to defend themselves with their twin blades as it was, the enemy tried to bring their shields up just the same. The Valkyrie was ready, and lashed out with her Heat Rod. The searing whip carved right through the manipulator arms that the shields were mounted on, swiftly turning them into bits of smoking scrap metal that fell towards the waves below. Before her enemy likely realized what had happened, all six of the explosive shields had already been neutralized.

She grinned, a predator bearing her fangs. "Let's see if you can actually fight with skill and not some cheap tricks!"

The answer, as it soon became clear, was decidedly no. In her unrelenting assault, Shemei found that her enemy was barely able to defend themselves, much less counter and go on the attack. It wasn't just a matter of the Gundam Epyon Revenant being the superior machine, though. As she made strike after strike and her opponent desperately continued to block, Shemei realized just what kind of enemy she was up against, and she was completely disgusted.

This guy's nothing more than a thug on the Atlantic Federation's payroll, she thought, I've seen his type before. A bully with a mobile suit… and now that that he's up against a more powerful foe, all he can do is quake in fear. There's no skill here; he's just a brute who's used to tormenting the weak.

This was the type of foe that she hated the most, and she wanted to make sure he felt the full force of her contempt before this fight was over. "And you thought you were worthy of taking on Heero Yuy? Pathetic."

"Damn Coordinator bitch!" came her enemy's reply, the Southern drawl of his voice only serving to irritate her further, "They should've nuked all of you two years ago, not just Junius Seven!"

"Too bad for you they failed," Shemei hissed, "and so have you!"

She made a powerful horizontal slash, and her foe was forced to use both of his blades to block the attack. This was the opening she'd been waiting for, and she seized it. With a single swipe of her Heat Rod, she ripped both arms from the Desperado Enforcement mobile suit. Now completely defenseless, the enemy turned to flee, but the Valkyrie would have none of it. With a single thrust, she plunged her beam sword into the back of the mercenary, impaling the machine through the cockpit.

"Say hi to Azrael in Hell," she said as the black and red mobile suit exploded on her blade.

….

"Kira!" Athrun called out as he plowed his way through a mixed flock of Murasames and Windams, "Cagalli!"

His old friend's face appeared in the bottom right corner of his monitor a second later. "Athrun! What are you doing here?"

"I'm still flying with the Minerva, remember?" he pointed out as he shot down an Atlantic Federation mobile suit.

Cagalli's face then appeared in the bottom left corner of his screen. "Athrun! Why are you flying that thing?"

Athrun sighed; he hadn't been looking forward to this conversation, and now was hardly an opportune moment to have it. "I want to help bring this war to an end. This was the only way I could make an impact."

"By joining ZAFT again?" Cagalli cried, "Athrun, they're using you! Do you know what they tried to do to Lacus?"

"Heero already gave me the rundown," Athrun replied curtly as he blasted a Murasame from the sky.

"So, you know that they can't be trusted then," said Kira as the Freedom lit up the sky with another barrage, destroying the weapons and sensors of Murasames and Windams alike.

"All I know is that this war needs to end!" Athrun countered, "We can get to the bottom of what happened with Lacus later."

Cagalli's eyes widened in shock. "Athrun, do you even hear yourself?"

"Are you so eager to fight for ZAFT again that you'll turn a blind eye to their attempt to assassinate Lacus?" asked Kira.

Athrun shook his head. "It's not like that at all! I just want to stop the fighting before it's too late. Isn't that Terminal's mission?"

Whatever reply Kira or Cagalli had for him was drowned out by fresh alarms as more mobile suits closed in. The enemy was clearly making a push to take out Cagalli, with both Atlantic Federation and Orb Union machines charging towards her. A fresh volley flew forth from the Freedom, and Athrun added his fire as well. Kira might've been shooting to disable, but Athrun wasn't, and both Windams and Murasames fell to his attacks.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli," he said, "This is just the way things have to be right now. We can't afford to talk about this during the middle of a battle!"

Cagalli sighed. "Athrun… what happened to you?"

"I made a choice," he answered firmly, "and I'm standing by it."

Cagalli shook her head. "You shoulder never have left Terminal. You're being used, Athrun! You have to see that!"

"No one's using me," Athrun shot back, his tone getting much more defensive than he had intended, "I'm acting on my own free will."

"You're wrong, Athrun," said Kira as he continued to pour fire into the approaching hostile forces, "You're a pawn on Durandal's chess board. I thought what you learned in the last war would've allowed you to recognize that."

"Durandal's not my father!" Athrun countered as he shot down a Windam.

"That doesn't mean he's our ally," Kira replied, "He can't be trusted!"

Athrun shook his head as he evaded incoming fire. "I've said what I have to say. We can argue more about it later."

Assuming all this chaos doesn't kill us first…

….

It's been a long time since I've had a fight like this, thought Trowa as he continued to trade fire with the two Eurasian machines, A prolonged duel like this is… problematic.

It had been a delicate dance, keeping the two hostile aces in his line of sight while at the same time not allowing them to close into melee-range. Heavyarms Arsenal was a beast of a machine, but it wasn't meant for a fight like this. The Gundam was designed to unload massive amounts of rapid firepower onto large numbers of targets, yet Trowa was squandering his munitions against just a pair of mobile suits. It was a gross waste of the Gundam's combat potential, and it was a testament to the skills of the pilots he was up against that he still hadn't ended this fight.

The two machines facing off with him had impressive firepower in their own right, but the real issue Trowa kept running into were their energy shields. His foes would only utilize them for just a few seconds at a time, but that was enough to save them from the bursts of fire he sent their way. The Gundam's scanners had told him that the two Eurasian mobile suits were battery-powered machines, so the fact that the enemy was only using their energy shields in short bursts told Trowa that they likely drew heavily on the units' power reserves. Normally, Trowa would simply cut the Gordian Knot by unloading everything he had against one target to get it to exhaust its power supplies, but since he was up against a pair of enemies, he couldn't concentrate fully on one without exposing himself to the other.

These pilots are fully aware of the limitations of their machines and counterbalance them through teamwork, he mused as he opened up with the Double Assault Beam Cannon, only for the energy shields of the lead machine to deflect the salvo, Seamless cooperation, shifting between offense and defense on a dime… these two have been working together for a long time.

He had to find a way out of this pickle he was in, and quickly. Thanks to the Gundam's reactor powering the Double Assault Beam Cannon, he could fire that weapon indefinitely. However, it had a relatively slow rate of fire, and while Trowa would balance that out with his machine's array of rapid-fire weaponry those guns used physical shells rather than particle beams. He'd already expended too much ammunition against his foes as it was, and he was beginning run low. Once his bullets and missiles were exhausted, it'd be much easier for the Eurasian aces to find an opening to bring him down.

Over the course of the fight, he'd been able to pinpoint the locations of the energy shield emitters on the two enemy mobile suits. Trowa had tried to go after the emitters directly before they could actually create the shield, but he'd found no success there. However, as the battle had gone on, he'd had ample opportunities to study how the barriers deflected his attacks, and at what angles his bullets would fly when they bounced off the shields.

That gave him an idea.

….

You've fought valiantly, thought Alberto as he sent a fresh salvo of particle beams at his foe, but you're not much longer for this battlefield, are you?

He would say this much; Gundam pilots more than lived up to their reputations. The machine he and Marcella were up against clearly wasn't meant for dueling, yet it had put on a marvelous performance all the same. Each time Espada One and Espada Two tried to close the distance or flank it, the pilot would swiftly adjust to get both of the back within their line of sight and then force them to deploy their shields with a burst of fire while putting fresh space between them. For a mobile suit that was clearly meant for heavy suppressing fire against large forces rather than precision fighting, it was a remarkable display of gunnery skill and spatial awareness.

However, the tide was slowly turning. Alberto hadn't failed to notice that the enemy had become much more conservative with their ammunition. Apart from the dual beam cannon mounted on the machine's left arm, its munitions were likely running low. By contrast, Alberto still had about a minute's worth of power for his energy shields, and as long as he kept using them in short bursts and swapped in and out with Marcella, he could make those energy reserves last for quite a while.

The plan was simple; once they knew that the enemy was out of ammo, they'd get much more aggressive and finish the job. Sure, their foe would still be able to put up a fight with its dual beam cannon, but the slow rate of fire the weapon had demonstrated meant it was ill-suited to combat foes like Alberto and Marcella. Without the rest of its formidable arsenal to keep them at bay, it would just be a matter of one pilot keeping the sole remaining weapon occupied while the other swooped in for the fatal blow.

"He has to be near his limit," said Marcella as she deflected a salvo of particle beam fire.

Alberto nodded as he fired off a burst with his beam submachinegun. "Our patience will soon be rewarded."

"Good," Marcella replied, and Alberto noted a slight shortness of breath, "It's been a long time since we've faced a foe this stubborn."

Her frustration was clear in her tone, but Alberto knew that there was more to it than that. Her calling their adversary 'stubborn' was a compliment to the enemy's skill and tenacity, a sentiment that Alberto shared. It was a shame that they didn't even know the name of the pilot they were about to kill. He was tempted to open a channel and ask, but victory took priority over all other concerns.

"I'll close with him and draw his fire one more time," said Alberto, "Be ready to go in for the kill once I have his attention."

"Copy that," said his wingman.

Alberto hit the thrusters and charged head on, firing as he went. Just like before, the enemy was more than capable of evading the particle beams, but the barrage was only meant to distract him and get him to focus on Alberto. The Eurasian ace saw the Gundam take aim with its beam cannons and Gatling guns and immediately activated the Hyperion's shields. As the emerald barrier materialized, he saw Marcella begin to accelerate.

It's over.

As it turned out, it was.

Just not for the Gundam pilot.

The enemy ace opened up with his beam cannons and Gatling guns, but while the particle beams splashed off the shields and were harmlessly dispersed, the bullets were deflected…

…right into Espada Two.

Alberto's eyes widened in shock as his partner's Hyperion took multiple hits in rapid succession. None of them were to the cockpit, but the mobile suit's engines were belching smoke, and no less than four of the shield emitters had been taken out. Espada One was dumbfounded as he processed what he'd just seen.

He used my shields to bank those rounds! No pilot in the Earth Sphere should be that good of a shot, especially not with weapons like those!

It was an impossible feat of marksmanship with armaments that were poorly suited to such a deed, yet the enemy had pulled it off just the same. Under other circumstances, Alberto would've congratulated his adversary on pulling off such a stunt, but given that the victim of this superb display of gunnery was his partner his admiration was far outweighed by concern.

"Espada Two, respond!" he shouted as he kept his shields up and his mobile suit between Marcella and the Gundam, "Talk to me!"

There was a brief burst of static before his partner was able to respond. "I'm all right, but I can't say the same for the mobile suit. Thruster output's at forty percent, and the emitters are trashed."

"Fall back," Alberto ordered as his shields took a punishing barrage from the Gundam, "and not to the fleet; Wing Zero's about to trash it. Get to one of the mainland bases!"

He expected her to argue; she was hardly the type of woman who would back down from a fight. However, much to his relief, she seemed to accept the harsh reality of the situation.

"Very well," she said, "The eastern base is closer, so I'll head there. You'd better meet me there, Espada One!"

Alberto nodded. "Don't worry; I won't be far behind."

It was true; he'd kept his shields up to continue covering his partner, which meant his Hyperion's power supply was rapidly draining. He wouldn't be able to fight for much longer, so he could only hope that his energy reserves would be sufficient to cover their retreat.

Much to his surprise, that was when the Gundam stopped firing. Its weapons were still trained on Alberto as Marcella limped away from the battlefield, but it wasn't shooting. Alberto was smart enough to take the hint.

"Fight's over," he muttered, "If you're going to let me withdraw, I'll oblige."

He gave a respectful nod to his foe, still keeping his shields up as he began to pull back. A few seconds later the Gundam broke off, and Alberto noted that it was on a course straight for the Minerva.

Likely going to restock his munitions, he thought, I can't say he didn't put them to good use.

Their American allies wouldn't be happy with their retreat, but based on what was happening in the broader battle, Alberto doubted there would be many Atlantic Federation survivors to complain about his actions. Espada Team had kept one of the Gundams occupied for as long as possible, and they were in no shape to continue doing so. They'd done their job, and it was time to pack it in.

….

His twin Heat Shotels up in guard position, Quatre was having a hard time finding an opening to launch a counterattack against his foe. The mercenary he was up against had definitely learned a thing or two from their prior encounter at the Gulnahan Ravine. Their aggression was enhanced with greater precision born from the enemy's experience with Quatre's fighting style. They understood his patterns, and Quatre also had a sense of familiarity with regards to his opponent that didn't necessarily give him a decisive edge. In fact, the greater speed of his enemy combined with those tricky remote arms meant that Quatre was actually at a disadvantage.

This has gone on for too long already, he thought grimly, I need to end this now!

Keeping up his defense, he fell back, hoping that the enemy would become overconfident. When it looked like they might overextend themselves, Quatre turned his shield to face his foe and activated the blinding lights that were built into it. Unfortunately, the trick that had proved vital to his prior victory didn't work this time; the enemy wasn't fazed in the slightest by the brilliant white flash.

"Shit!" Quatre hissed as he blocked the latest barrage of blows, "He must've adjusted his mobile suit's optical sensors after the last fight!"

If he couldn't blind his foe and win, he'd have to think of something else. As he continued to fend off the enemy's attacks, Quatre quickly looked around the battlefield for something he could use to turn the tide.

Then he saw the air behind his opponent shimmer, and he realized that someone else was about to solve his problem for him.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a blade of violet energy materialized and impaled the Desperado Enforcement machine through the torso. As the mobile suit was torn apart by the subsequent explosion, the shimmering air behind the blast resolved itself into a black machine; a ZGMF-X08A Wraith. Quatre had a feeling he knew who the pilot was, and his suspicions were confirmed a moment later when a certain lovely Chinese Coordinator appeared in the bottom right corner of his screen, grinning like the proverbial cat that caught the canary.

"Hey there, lover boy," said Lan, "Miss me?"

Quatre could not keep himself from blushing even in the middle of a raging battlefield. "Thanks for the assist, Lan. I owe you one."

"Don't sweat it," she replied with a wink, "I've got an idea as to how you can pay me back later!"

Quatre was pretty sure he already knew what she had in mind. As entertaining a prospect as that was, though, he had to brush it from his thoughts for now. The broader fight was still underway; distraction was a death sentence.

"I'll be looking forward to it," he said, "For now, let's just focus on staying alive."

Lan nodded. "Copy that, Quatre."

….

A duel with a psycho bitch in the middle of an enemy fleet isn't exactly my idea of a good time, thought Duo as he fended off the latest series of strikes from Mistral, I really need to get this wrapped up quickly!

She certainly wasn't making things easy on him. The mercenary might've had more than a few screws loose, but it was clear that she had a natural instinct for battle, and that was showing even more so in their second encounter than their first. She'd taken her prior experience with his fighting style and the limitations of Deathscythe Omega and was now expertly applying that knowledge. When combined with the unique and unpredictable nature of her mobile suit's main weapon, the result was a rapid barrage of thrusts and lashes as her instrument of death shifted between spear and whip-form practically on a dime. Under different circumstances, Duo might've found it beautiful, but being on the other end of it was souring his opinion.

Her wild weapon and its wide reach did present an unexpected benefit to Duo, though. Due to just how far it could lash out and how devilishly difficult it was to anticipate, mobile suits from the Atlantic Federation and Orb Union were finding it fiendishly hard to get close to the duel without the risk of an errant swing from Mistral taking them out. Duo still had to watch his back, of course, but the fast-paced nature of the clash combined with the two powerful combatants involved meant that the rank and file grunts were quite reluctant to stick their necks out even if it meant the chance to take out a Gundam. The Atlantic Federation and Orb Union warships were presented with a similar dilemma; because Duo and Mistral were engaging in fast and fierce close-quarters combat, the cruisers and destroyers couldn't open fire without the risk of possibly hitting the Desperado officer. This gave the God of Death some much-needed breathing room, and he needed every bit of it to focus on his clash with the wild Frenchwoman.

Blocking a hard-horizontal strike, Duo countered with a broad swing of his beam scythe. His foe was able to intercept the attack, but the force of the impact did send her back a bit. That was one advantage he had over her, at least; her machine was faster, but Duo had more power at his disposal. The trick, of course, was making the most of it.

Gotta time it just right, he thought, otherwise she'll wreck my day…

Pushing forward, he closed the Active Cloak Beam Deflection Barrier in order to give Deathscythe Omega greater defensive coverage. Such an action would limit the range of motion for his mobile suit's arms, but the benefits of the move became apparent quite quickly; Mistral lashed out in a series of swift attacks, and what Duo couldn't block directly with his beam scythe wound up striking the folded black cloak at an angle and glanced off it, doing little more than scratching the paint.

"Sorry, lady," said Duo with a smirk, "I usually prefer the sneaky approach over brute force, but I'm in a hurry!"

Holding his beam scythe horizontally, he gunned his thrusters and slammed into her. Shifting her weapon back to its spear form, she was able to block the scythe itself, but momentum and power were on Duo's side. His charge carried both of them forward…

…right into the starboard side of an Orb Union destroyer.

The mercenary's machine took the brunt of the impact, slamming into the ship and caving in the vessel's superstructure. The mobile suit's Phase Shift Armor was enough to protect it from direct damage, but Duo could tell that the force of the impact had momentarily stunned the pilot, and that was just the opening he'd been looking for. He pushed forward, attempting to carve right through her cockpit, but the mercenary was able to keep her weapon up and just barely avoid a fatal blow. However, she was now pinned between Deathscythe Omega and the Orb Union destroyer, and the vessel was listing heavily due to the combined pressure of two mobile suits bearing down on it.

"Not bad," he heard his foe purr over the speakers, "You truly are a formidable warrior. That strength and cunning… you've earned your moniker, God of Death."

Duo chuckled; it was hard to believe she was praising him when she was literally mere meters away from death by beam scythe. "Damned right. Now, time to pay the butcher's bill."

"Are you sure about that?" she replied, and Duo didn't like her tone; she sounded way to confident given her compromised position.

"It's over, lady," he shot back, pressing forward with everything he had, "You're not getting out of this one!"

This time she straight up laughed in his face. "Au contraire, mon gars!"

That was when Duo saw her weapon slacken beneath him. It was almost enough for him to cut down into her cockpit, but instead he pulled back, and not a moment too soon; the head of her spear had suddenly curled around, and if Duo had backed off just a split second later the blade at the end would've speared his machine right through the head. As it was, the tip of the violet energy blade managed to cut into the Gundam's face, leaving a vertical scar on the machine's left 'cheek'.

Holy shit, he thought, that was way too close!

She might not have scored a decisive hit, but that last-ditch attack was all she'd needed to recover. Once Duo had backed off, Mistral had wasted no time in pushing off from the stricken destroyer and getting airborne again. She looked ready to go another round, but that was when Duo saw her machine's Phase Shift Armor start to flicker.

Duo grinned; the impact with the destroyer had taxed her armor more than had been first apparent. At this point, she probably had less than a minute before she went down into her emergency energy reserves. He just had to keep his guard up and watch for any more tricks like that last one, and he had her.

Unfortunately, his opponent had other ideas. "Au revoir, God of Death."

Her mobile suit rapidly gained altitude, and from her vector Duo realized that she was heading for the eastern coast of the Dardanelles.

She knows the fleet's toast, he thought, so she's going for one of the Eurasian bases rather than the carriers. Clever girl. Didn't think she'd cut and run.

It was tempting to chase after her, but Duo had bigger fish to fry. The broader battle was still in progress, which meant he had work to do.

"Until next time, psycho bitch," he muttered as he turned his attention to a cluster of Murasames, "This Reaper will make sure the devil gets his due one way or the other."

….

His beam trident whirling as he fended off a vicious series of attacks from his foe, Wufei was having the time of his life. In every single clash, the mercenary he was facing off with had improved, and this bout was no different. His moves were sharper, faster, more precise. He could match Wufei's style and counter as effectively as Treize had been able to in that final clash at the end of the Eve Wars, and if Wufei had to pick one he'd actually label Rodrigues as the better swordsman at this point.

Everything I could ask for in an opponent and more, he thought with a grin, I couldn't be happier! The Cosmic Era truly is a warrior's paradise.

Heero might've refused to accept that truth, but Wufei had willingly embraced it. This was a world that had proven itself capable of producing fighters on par with the likes of those he'd faced during the conflicts in the After Colony world, and unlike his old world, the Cosmic Era provided an environment where soldiers could absolutely thrive. They would always be needed here.

He would always be needed here.

Deflecting an overhand strike from the mercenary, Wufei swiftly countered with a broad sweep. The black and red machine before him slammed its thrusters in reverse as it parried the blow, bleeding off some of the attack's energy in the process. It didn't stop Wufei from pressing his assault and hammering his adversary with a cyclone of emerald death, but he could still appreciate the skill behind his foe's defensive efforts.

His opponent seemed to share the sentiment. "Now this is the kind of dance I like!"

Wufei chuckled. "Good. I'd hate for it to be over too soon."

The feed was strictly audio, but from the tone of the mercenary's voice Wufei was sure he was smirking. "You don't care about anything but the fight, do you? The Earth Alliance, Orb Union, ZAFT; none of those matter to you. You're just out here to test yourself."

"I won't say you're completely right," Wufei replied as the mercenary countered and put him on the defensive, "but you're not wrong, either."

"Is that so?" asked Rodrigues, sounding genuinely intrigued even as he pressed his assault, "I don't see you flying a ZAFT IFF tag. You're not part of their official forces, even though you've been operating with them for some time now. What gives? Why fight for them?"

"I could ask you the same question," Wufei shot back as he fended off a series of rapid slashes from his foe, "Why fight for the Atlantic Federation? It's not just because the American war machine has deep pockets, is it?"

Rodrigues actually laughed at that. "They think money buys loyalty, but it's just a means to an end. Who doesn't want to get paid to do what they love?"

Wufei nodded. "So, it's all for the fight, then. You don't give a damn about this whole Coordinator versus Natural bullshit."

"Nope," the mercenary freely admitted as Wufei deflected a diagonal slash and went on the offensive, "Sounds like you don't, either."

"Not quite," said Wufei as he hammered his foe with a vicious series of strikes, "I think it's a pointless squabble, but if the Alliance is willing to attempt genocide, then a just warrior has to stand against them. That's why I'm fighting alongside ZAFT."

"You actually believe there's justice in war?" his opponent asked, and Wufei could detect more than a hint of disdain in his tone, "I didn't think you were the naïve type."

"I'm not," Wufei answered firmly even as he continued his assault, "but even a jaded soldier can still recognize evil. That's why I want to know; why are you still fighting for them? Even mercenaries should draw the line at nuclear holocaust."

"You act as though your benefactors are any better," Rodrigues sneered, "You know what they tried to do in the final battle of the last war, right?"

"I'm well aware of GENESIS," Wufei calmly replied, "That was the evil and folly of the old regime, and they are gone."

"Are they, now?" said the dog of war as he deflected each of Wufei's blows with casual grace, "I seem to recall the remnants trying to drop half a colony on this planet not too long ago."

"Remnants is all that they were," Wufei countered, "and they were defeated. Their kind no longer threatens the Earth Sphere. The same can't be said for the ones writing your paychecks, though. This is a war of aggression, and your backers are using you as nothing more than a blunt instrument for their campaign. Are you really willing to accept that? I thought you had more self-respect than that!"

"I could say the same about you," Rodrigues shot back as he continued to fend off Wufei's attacks, "Look at ZAFT; invading the surface and taking new territory despite claiming that their war is a defensive one. If their objective was really just defense of their homeland, why establish a new base on Earth and massively increase their surface forces. If I'm being used by the Alliance, then you're being used by ZAFT. What does it matter, though? After all, we're using them to satisfy ourselves! Through them, we're able to fight each other. We've had our dances from outer space down to the surface thanks to this war. That's what both of us are really after; to prove ourselves against an equal on the other side. Ideals and politics mean nothing to us!"

Wufei glared at the black and crimson mobile suit facing off with him. He might've only felt alive while on the battlefield, but at least he strove for a purpose in combat as well; to fight for his sense of justice. Rodrigues didn't have that, though. He fought to fight, and to Wufei clashing with him now felt like dueling a dark reflection of himself.

When you look into the abyss, he mused grimly, the abyss looks back. I thought I fully understood that saying before, but now I'm not so sure. If he's who I would be if I didn't fight for justice…

…then it's all the more important that I keep that justice firmly in my sights.

….

It was all falling apart.

That was what Yuna saw as he looked out the viewport of the Takemikazuchi. The carefully crafted plan to take down the Minerva was in tatters; not only was the ZAFT battleship still in one piece, but the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet was getting mauled by the Archangel and the Dominion. Matters weren't much better for their mobile suits thanks to the combination of ZAFT's ace pilots, the mechanical demons that were the Gundams, and the host of veteran pilots that had launched from the two infamous battleships once they'd breached the surface.

A part of Yuna's mind was screaming to order the retreat. However, he didn't actually have the authority to do so. The Orb Union forces were operating under the umbrella of the Earth Alliance, and overall fleet command rested with Major Hamilton. Yuna hadn't spoken to the man since Cagalli had made her appearance, but he knew that he'd already made his next sortie and was back in the fray. More importantly, he hadn't ordered a retreat, which meant Yuna couldn't either.

What was he supposed to do? The Minerva was the target of this operation, but it clearly wasn't the biggest threat on the battlefield. More to the point, even if the fleet was ordered to retreat, their path was cut off by the Archangel and Dominion. That was when Yuna realized that he could kill two birds with one stone; secure an avenue for retreat and still make a positive impression on his benefactors.

"Which ship is closest to the majority of our warships?" he asked.

"The Archangel!" the sensor operator replied.

Yuna nodded. "Right, then. Change of plans; have all First Fleet warships and mobile suits concentrate against the Archangel. Bring that ship down!"

Forget the Minerva, he thought with a smile, Major Hamilton won't care about that ship if we can destroy the Archangel. That ship's been a thorn in the Atlantic Federation's side for over two years; they'll be quite pleased if we can take it out. If Cagalli dies defending it…

… so much the better!

….

"Fresh volley of missiles incoming!" the sensor officer called out.

"CIWS, intercept!" ordered Lieutenant Tsukino.

Out the forward viewport, Murrue saw a string of explosions light up the sky. It wasn't just the Archangel chewing into the incoming warheads; Andrew and Aisha Waltfeld supplemented the warship's firepower with bursts from the beam rifles and CIWS of their Murasames, and even more missiles went up like firecrackers. However, as formidable as this umbrella was, it wasn't perfect, and the Archangel rocked as a few warheads found their mark.

"Damage report!" Murrue called out.

"Armor's still holding," the damage control officer replied, "That'll change if they throw enough firepower at us, though!"

Murrue nodded. "Gottfrieds, Valiants, and Xiphias; open up!"

A salvo of particle beams and railgun slugs ripped forth as the Archangel exacted her vengeance on the closest attackers. It was a pair of Orb Union warships, a cruiser and destroyer, and both vessels were utterly mauled by the powerful and precise barrage. Quickly reduced to burning hulks, the warships began to slip beneath the waves mere seconds after they were hit.

I'm sorry, Cagalli, she thought, but it looks like your cousin has his fist clenched around the throat of the First Fleet. We have no choice but to take them down.

A glance at the tactical display told Murrue that the Archangel was about to get even more attention from the Orb Union forces; ever single surviving First Fleet warship was altering course and bringing the bulk of their weapons to bear on Terminal's flagship. Murrue couldn't help but dryly note that Cagalli was also in their line of fire. It was clear that Yuna was determined to both kill his cousin and destroy the Archangel in order to maintain the support of his Atlantic Federation masters.

She was concerned about Cagalli, but both Kira and Athrun appeared to have her covered. Murrue had been surprised by Athrun's actions; she'd already known that he was fighting with the Minerva thanks to Heero, but she had expected him to act as direct air support for the ZAFT battleship. Instead he was currently cooperating with Cagalli and Kira, which Murrue was by no means complaining about. With Cagalli no doubt distraught over her failure to sway her countrymen to her cause, Murrue knew that she needed all the protection she could get right about now.

How to address this new turn of events? The pilots under Murrue's direct command were divided, with Kira protecting Cagalli, the Waltfelds flying close-air-support for the Archangel, and Dearka assaulting the fleet while Yzak covered him. The losses of the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union armada were definitely mounting, but a concentrated assault from the First Fleet would still pose a serious threat to Murrue's vessel. Despite the legendary battleship's upgrades, it wasn't invincible.

That was when Flay suddenly cried out. "Captain, I've got an open channel broadcast from the Albion! Audio only!"

Murrue's eyes widened; what was Heero thinking? "On speaker, now!"

Heero's voice echoed from the bridge speakers, and Murrue felt a chill go down her spine; his tone was barely more than a low and menacing hiss. "To the Orb Union First Fleet, this is Heero Yuy. The aces that were meant to protect you from me are gone. This will be your one and only warning; withdraw now, or you will all die here."

The bridge went silent, and Murrue knew exactly what was going on; like her, Heero had recognized that Orb's fleet was maneuvering to launch a concentrated assault on the Archangel. Quite simply, he now classified them as a direct threat to her…

…and Murrue knew that there was only one way Heero would respond to such a threat.

Checking the main monitor, she saw that the Orb Union warships were still advancing, although none of them had fired yet. Her breath nearly caught in her chest; if Cagalli's countrymen were going to take Heero's warning to heart, it was now or never.

Then fresh plumes of fire and smoke erupted from the fleet as cruisers and destroyers launched another volley of missiles at the Archangel. Heero's reaction was immediate; the Twin Buster Rifle cut loose, and the torrent of golden hellfire that was unleashed incinerated almost half of the warheads, leaving the rest as easy pickings for Terminal's battleship and her escorts. As CIWS fire from the Archangel picked off surviving incoming missiles and beam rifle bursts from Andrew and Aisha's Murasames tended to the rest, Murrue could only look on in grim resignation at what was about to be unleashed upon the First Fleet.

They had their chance…

…and they blew it.

Three words came from Heero over the open channel, eerily calm and all the more chilling for it. "So be it."

The Twin Buster Rifle split, and each gun quickly found a target. A moment later, they opened up, signaling the death knell of the First Fleet.

….

"No…" Cagalli whispered as she looked on in despair, "This can't be happening…"

From the moment she'd learned that the First Fleet had joined the Earth Alliance forces to attack the Minerva and that the Gundam pilots were still aboard that ship, there had been one outcome above all others that she'd feared. Now that nightmare scenario was the one playing out before her very eyes, and it was so much worse than what her imagination had conjured up before.

The Orb Union forces had taken losses earlier, but even as the situation had deteriorated Cagalli had still held out hope that the bulk of the First Fleet could be convinced to withdraw if the battle went badly enough. Whether through an act of panic or spite, though, her cousin had done the one thing that was guaranteed to ensure that an orderly withdrawal would not happen; launching an assault on the Archangel was the equivalent of signing one's own death warrant when the Gundam Wing Zero Albion ruled the skies and had nothing to distract it.

Alternating fire with his split guns, Heero's bombardment was efficient, methodical, and utterly devastating. Carving a fiery swath through the fleet, the Gundam pilot's assault had begun with the destroyers and cruisers that posed the most immediate threat to the Archangel. Each subsequent shot from the mobile suit cut deeper into the ranks of the fleet, and there were no evasive maneuvers from the Captains of the individual warships that could save their vessels from destruction.

It wasn't just Heero contributing to the destruction; both the Archangel and the Dominion continued to pour fire into the armada. Dearka was above in the Vayeate Kai, continuing to pick off warships while Yzak covered him, while the three Wraiths were likewise taking down Atlantic Federation and Orb Union vessels as the Gundam Epyon Revenant flew overhead like a watchful demon striking down any enemy mobile suits that dared interfere. The Minerva, now quite close to the armada, was making its presence known too, with its main guns helping it carve a path through the fleet while its mobile suits continued to fend off the few units the enemy could send its way. Quatre and Duo, their mercenary opponents either dead or having withdrawn from the field, were likewise making life miserable for the fleet as only fellow Gundam pilots could.

Yet it was Heero's assault that terrified Cagalli the most, because she knew exactly what he was capable of and why he was doing it. This wasn't a rampage like what had taken place two years ago during the defense of Orb; this was a cold and ruthlessly calculated execution. Sure, anti-air missiles flew forth from the warships below as they frantically tried to shoot down the Wing Zero Albion, but they were easily dealt with courtesy of the Gundam's shoulder-mounted machine cannons. The raw firepower of the mobile suit combined with the precision given to it by the ZERO System was on full horrific display, and Cagalli was desperate to stop it.

"Heero, don't!" she cried out, flying towards him, "This isn't why we're here!"

"Cagalli, wait!" called Kira, still fending off Murasames and Windams that were trying to shoot her down.

Heero's response was curt and harsh. "They had their chance. They've made their choice."

"You're wrong!" she shot back, "Yuna's made that choice for them! He's the one responsible for this!"

"And he will be held accountable," Heero replied as he blasted two more First Fleet vessels into oblivion, "but he's in a carrier; that vessel's firepower comes from its mobile suits, and they're being dealt with as we speak. It's the escorting warships that are the primary threat right now, so I'm dealing with them first."

It was exactly what Cagalli had feared; Heero had categorized the First Fleet as a threat to the Archangel and was acting accordingly. To make matters worse, she couldn't say his actions weren't justified; they had been maneuvering for a coordinated assault on the Archangel, and Murrue was firing on them just as much as Heero was. The difference, of course, was that Heero could dish out death and carnage at a far greater pace than either the Archangel or the Dominion was capable of.

And there was nothing Cagalli could do to stop him.

….

"Damn it!" growled Shinn, "They just won't quit!"

He'd been able to keep the upper-hand while fighting the Gaia one-on-one, but as soon as the Windam from before had rejoined the fray he was thrown back on the defensive. His earlier trick of trying to herd the two machines with his beam rifle and limit their room to maneuver wasn't working this time; the enemy was making sure to constantly keep their mobile suits split up and engaging him from two wildly different angles, maintaining pressure and not giving him a single opening to strike back.

It was all he could do simply to fend them off, and even that was taking its toll. The battle had been raging for quite some time now, and Shinn could sense that it was more than just his mobile suit's energy reserves that were being depleted. His stamina was being sorely tested now, and while there was the chance that the Gaia's pilot was similarly exhausted the same did not appear to be the case for the accompanying Windam; its pilot had apparently gotten enough rest while their machine had been repaired on the carrier to be more than ready for another round.

As he crossed blades with the Gaia yet again, Shinn only had time to block the black machine's attack before pulling back and diving to avoid a strike from the Windam. Both machines cut loose with volleys of particle beam fire, hemming Shinn in much the way that he had done to them earlier. The shoe was on the other foot now; the net was tightening.

The Windam went high, peppering him with rifle fire while the Gaia roughly matched Shinn's altitude. Caught in a withering crossfire, Shinn was able to block the shots he couldn't dodge with his shield, but it meant that he could only play defense now. At this rate, the Impulse would run out of power, and there would be no opening for him to get a recharging Deuterion Beam from the Minerva.

I'm not going to die here, he thought desperately, I won't let you kill me!

It was the sentiment of a cornered rat that refused to accept reality. He had no way out, and part of him knew it. He fought on, but at this point it was only to spite the inevitable. If the Atlantic Federation wanted his life, he was determined to make them work for it.

And that was when a friendly voice came over his cockpit speaker. "Shinn, break right! Now!"

Acting purely on instinct, he did as he'd been instructed. It was not a moment too soon; a hail of small emerald bolts of energy ripped through the sky where he'd been just a split second later, and the Gaia only narrowly avoided getting hit by diving at the last possible instant. Checking his sensors, Shinn saw a very welcome IFF tag rapidly approaching his position; Heine's GOUF Ignited.

Shinn smiled as the Gaia and the Windam pulled back to regroup. "Thanks for the save! I owe you one!"

"Don't mention it," Heine replied, "That's what comrades are for, right?"

"What about the Minerva?" Shinn asked as he blocked fire from the Windam on his shield, "Aren't you supposed to be providing air support for the ship?"

"The air threat's eliminated," said Heine, "All we have to worry about is what lies ahead."

Scanning the battlefield, Shinn quickly pinpointed the Minerva. The battleship still appeared to be in one piece, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Lunamaria and Rey were all right too. The airspace around the ship was clear, with the few remaining Eurasian Federation Windams retreating to the east and west.

"We actually beat them back," he muttered.

"Hey, stay focused!" called Heine as he crossed blades with the Gaia, "The fight's not over yet!"

Shinn nodded, his eyes narrowing as he traded fire with the Windam. "Right!"

He might not have been out of the woods, but at least the odds were even now. That was good enough for Shinn at the moment.

….

"Damn Eurasians," Hamilton muttered under his breath, "You had one job to do!"

The fault wasn't entirely with them; given who Mihaly and the Espada Team in particular had been up against, Hamilton had no complaints regarding their performance. Two of the Gundams, including the deadliest among them, had been held off for a time. That alone was an achievement, although Hamilton would've preferred for at least one of them to have been destroyed.

The problem was that the main Eurasian squadrons had failed to so much as soften up the Minerva. All of her mobile suits remained intact, and the battleship was as much of a threat now as it had been at the start of the engagement. The addition of the new orange mobile suit that had just saved the Impulse had not been anticipated, but that machine alone shouldn't have been enough to make too much of a difference in the defense of the warship. It wasn't as powerful as the Armor One prototypes, yet it was clearly a step above the ZAKU line.

Intelligence reports indicated that the GOUF Ignited was a limited production model only in use with ZAFT's space forces, he thought, but it seems the spies dropped the ball. A common theme of late…

The presence of the GOUF Ignited was hardly the only area where the Earth Alliance intelligence services had screwed up. Of far greater importance than a single ZAFT mobile suit was the fact that the presence of two highly advanced battleships in the region had gone completely unnoticed until it was far too late. Hamilton had been aware of the fact that the Archangel and Dominion were active in this war, but their last known positions had been in the Pacific Ocean. How they had travelled from there all the way to the Mediterranean Sea undetected was a complete mystery to him, but the fact was that they had pulled it off and were utterly wrecking the combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union armada.

The situation was untenable. With the Eurasian aces having withdrawn and the shattered remnants of their Windam squadrons doing the same, both the Minerva and Wing Zero could act with impunity. Hamilton's backup plan in the form of Desperado Enforcement's Winds of Destruction was likewise a bust; Sundowner and Monsoon were dead, Mistral had retreated, and Rodrigues was still locked in his duel with the green Gundam. ZAFT's prize battleship was advancing, the Gundam that the Espada Team had been distracting had returned to the Minerva to rearm, and now that Heero Yuy no longer had to worry about Mihaly he was absolutely pulverizing the Orb Union First Fleet.

Things were going even worse for the Atlantic Federation portion of the fleet. Hamilton had not failed to notice how the Gundams had initially only attacked Atlantic Federation warships, and the same had gone for the Archangel and Dominion. As a result, the Atlantic Federation naval units had suffered severe losses even before the overall tide of battle had been turned; now the writing was clearly on the wall.

Crossing blades with the Impulse again, the Major addressed the combined fleet over the tactical channel. "All remaining units, this is Major Hamilton. Retreat has been authorized; there's nothing further we can do here. Withdraw to rally point Foxtrot and regroup."

Giving the general retreat order was one thing; carrying it out himself was another. Breaking off would be no easy task given the aggression of the Impulse and the GOUF Ignited, and Hamilton suspected ZAFT was quite keen on recapturing the Gaia. If him and Stella were to make a breakaway, sacrifices would have to be made.

Switching frequencies, he contacted the Orb Union First Fleet's flagship. "Takemikazuchi control, this is Major Hamilton. My partner and I need whatever Murasames you can spare to cover our withdrawal."

The carrier's flight control officer answered a moment later. "Understood."

No hesitation whatsoever at sending their own pilots on what they know is a suicide mission, the Major mused, Yuna's personal guards must still have control over the bridge. Lucky me.

He despised the Seiran heir's cowardice, but right now it was serving him well. All Hamilton and Stella had to do now was hold out until the sacrificial lambs arrived, and then they could retreat. Not to the fleet, of course; most of the carriers had already been sunk by either the Archangel or Dominion, and he wasn't willing to risk his safety or that of a prized asset with one of the few remaining while Wing Zero held dominance in the skies above. They would retreat to the Eurasian Federation airbase to the west, and from there they would make their way back to Atlantic Federation forces.

"This round is yours, ZAFT," he murmured, "You owe your lives to the allies of Heero Yuy. Pray that your luck holds, for I'll be ready to strike the instant fortune fails you."

….

Rodrigues shook his head in disdain at the military catastrophe unfolding around him. "Collapsing at the first sign of trouble… pathetic."

That was the trouble with being a skilled single combatant; for all his individual ability, his overall effect on the greater battle was limited thanks to the mediocrity of the mainline Earth Alliance forces. Here he was, once again locked in a duel with an astounding warrior, yet despite the joy he found in such a clash it did not change the fact that it kept him from making a larger contribution to the overall engagement. He did not wish to make excuses, but nevertheless a part of him could not help but wonder what he might be able to accomplish if he had a mobile suit that was truly on par with one of the fearsome Gundams that had wrought so much death and destruction across the battlefields of the Second Bloody Valentine War.

Even in the midst of his lightning-paced dance of death with Wufei, Rodrigues could assess the strategic situation and understand that all was lost. The combined fleet, already in trouble thanks to the arrival of the Archangel and Dominion, was completely falling apart. While the two renegade battleships and their mobile suits ravaged warships and mobile suits of both nations, Wing Zero's wrath appeared to be reserved specifically for the vessels of the Orb Union First Fleet. The cruiser and destroyer squadrons had been completely decimated, while any Murasames that attempted to stop the attack on the fleet were intercepted by the crimson demon that had launched from the Dominion. With their escorting force mauled, the carriers at the heart of the fleet had no cover; it was now their turn to face the might of the weapon that had destroyed the gargantuan GENESIS with a single shot two years ago.

So the guy they call 'The Beast' wasn't up to the job, he thought as he fended off Wufei's latest onslaught, I suppose he did do better than most, though, and he escaped with his life. Can't say the same for Sundowner… not that any of us will miss him.

It was certainly a bad look for Desperado Enforcement; not only was their main field commander dead, but so was Monsoon as well. Mistral had already pulled out, and Rodrigues knew she had the right idea. Retreat was the only viable option, but that didn't mean his boss would be happy about another withdrawal or the loss of such expensive company assets. Prototypes such as those used by the Winds of Destruction did not come cheap, to put it mildly.

"We just can't catch a break with these guys," he muttered, "Then again, seems most people have that problem with them."

Much to his surprise, Wufei suddenly ceased his assault. His double beam trident was still raised in a guard position, but the Gundam pilot made no move to attack.

"Pack it in," his adversary said, "There's no point in you sticking around here."

Rodrigues raised an eyebrow. "Letting me go so easily? What about our conversation from earlier? You going to let a rabid dog of war like myself continue to run free?"

"I might disagree with your reasons for fighting, but I can still recognize your skills," Wufei replied, "Besides, it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth if your cowardly commanders got to run while you were forced to stay behind. When I defeat you for good, it's going to be in a battle where I can strike down the evil that commands you at the same time."

The mercenary chuckled. "In that case, we might be doing this dance for some time to come."

"We'll see," Wufei shot back, "In any case, this round's over. Begone."

….

Start "Legend of Zero – XXXG 00W0"

The very sea below had become a reflection of Hell on Earth. Column after column of golden-yellow death rained down from on high, each one claiming a new victim and turning an Orb Union warship into a blazing inferno. What pitiful counterfire the surviving vessels could muster was of no avail; missiles were shot down by shoulder-mounted machine cannons, while bullets from CIWS turrets were either evaded entirely or simply bounced off of Gundanium alloy and doing nothing more than scratching the paint.

In this moment, the Wing Gundam Zero Albion truly was the Angel of Death. Deathscythe Omega's pilot could claim the mantle of 'God of Death' all he liked, but while Heero respected the capabilities of Duo's machine he knew that it could never match the carnage he was dishing out now. To an outside observer, his expression was as calm as ever, but one who knew him well would recognize the look in his eyes; cold and calculated wrath, far more terrifying than open fury.

He had carved through the front lines of the Orb Union First Fleet with lethal efficiency. Now his true targets were in sight; the carriers. There were only a few, but they were all brand new vessels meant to make up for the devastation Orb's surface forces had suffered in the last war. They were ships that Terminal had been meant to fight alongside should hostilities break out between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT again, yet here Heero was with them as his targets.

He wasn't blind to the larger battle; this was not a rampage like what had happened during the defense of the Orb Union two years ago. The combined Atlantic Federation and Orb Union fleet was finally moving to withdraw. Under other circumstances, Heero would've ceased his bombardment here, but there was one target he was determined to eliminate before allowing the rest of the stragglers to retreat.

Recombining the split guns of the Twin Buster Rifle into their original form, he zeroed in on the flagship of the Orb Union fleet. The Takemikazuchi was undamaged, and based on intercepted transmissions from earlier in the battle Heero knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yuna Roma Seiran was aboard her. From what Cagalli had told him, Yuna and his father were the strongest advocates for Orb allying itself with the Atlantic Federation. Unato was safely back in the Orb Union, but here was Yuna. Political assassination would've caused problems for Cagalli, but Yuna was aboard a carrier in the middle of a battlefield acting as a field commander; he was a perfectly valid military target.

You betrayed your country and Cagalli, aligned yourself with a power that opened this war with an attempt at genocide, and attacked the Archangel rather than run when I gave you the chance. Yuna Roma Seiran…

…burn in Hell with Azrael.

With that, he took aim and charged up the Twin Buster Rifle.

….

It had all fallen apart. His dreams of personal glory and power, of Orb under his control, of ushering in a new golden age for himself and his country; it was as shot to pieces as his fleet, and Yuna couldn't even process it. What had started as a mission to take down ZAFT's most advanced warship and prove the value of the Orb Union's partnership with the Earth Alliance had become an utter catastrophe, one that Yuna had given himself a front row seat for. In that moment, whatever pride he'd possessed had gone out the window; all he wanted as he stared up at the Gundam that had decimated his fleet was simply not to be shot.

"Open a channel with the Strike Rouge!" he frantically cried out, "Get me Cagalli!"

Captain Todaka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought she was an imposter."

Yuna's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets in panic. "Contact her before that demon overhead kills us all! She's the only one that can call that monster off!"

"Opening link," called the communications officer, "Connection established!"

Cagalli's face appeared on the screen, but before she could get a word out the sensor officer shouted a warning that chilled everyone on the bridge to the bone. "Energy spike!"

Yuna practically threw himself forward, all but prostrating himself before his cousin; his life was now measured in mere seconds if he didn't act quickly enough. "Cagalli! We…"

The word 'surrender' never got the chance to escape past his lips, for the Angel of Death had chosen that exact moment to pull the trigger. For a brief instant, the Takemikazuchi was bathed in brilliant golden light…

…and then the ship and all aboard her were consumed in the ensuing inferno.

End "Legend of Zero – XXXG 00W0"

….

Cagalli could only look on in numb horror at the charred bits of debris that were the only remnants of the Takemikazuchi. For a brief moment, Yuna had appeared on her monitor, and the two words he'd spoken lingered in her mind.

"Cagalli! We…"

She knew what the unuttered third word would've been. Had he contacted her just a few seconds later, things could've been different. She could've saved everyone aboard the Takemikazuchi, and while her cousin wasn't high on the list of people that she wanted to rescue she would've tolerated him if it meant preventing the tragedy that had just occurred.

That possible future would remain strictly hypothetical, though. The harsh reality was that Yuna had waited too long to recognize what he was truly up against, and the very people Cagalli wanted to save had been forced to pay the ultimate price for her cousin's arrogance.

And the horror show still wasn't over.

The First Fleet's flagship might've been destroyed, but there were still a few Orb Union warships left on the field… and Wing Zero remained overhead. Yuna's transmission had been so brief thanks to the Twin Buster Rifle cutting him off that Cagalli wasn't sure if Heero had even caught it. The chain of command for the Orb Union forces had likely been devastated thanks to his bombardment, so the shattered remnants of the First Fleet still had not officially surrendered or begun an orderly withdrawal. They were still legitimate combatants, and just because Heero had obliterated their flagship didn't mean that he was done with them.

Without missing a beat, another blast of hellfire ripped forth from the Twin Buster Rifle, immolating a cruiser. The few scattered ships remaining were a pitiful sight, and a potent symbol of just how far down the wrong path Cagalli's cousin had led the Orb Union.

"Heero," she said desperately, her voice hoarse from the tears she was choking back, "Please… stop. Yuna's dead… the rest will run."

There was a moment of silence before the Gundam pilot answered. "This will be the last chance for the survivors. If any of them so much as twitch in the direction of the Archangel…"

He let the rest of the threat go unspoken, and Cagalli hardly needed him to finish to know what would happen. "They won't. I'll… I'll make sure of that."

Yuna was gone now, so there was a chance that the survivors of the First Fleet would listen to her. Cagalli had to try; she had to at least save some of her people from today's catastrophe.

She cleared her throat as she checked to make sure she'd be broadcasting on the Orb forces' frequency. "This is Cagalli Yula Athha to all surviving members of the Orb Union First Fleet… please, retreat now! Yuna is dead; whatever officer is next in the chain of command, you must know that staying here means nothing but death for you and your subordinates. Get out of here while you still can!"

She got no direct answer and feared the worst, but a few seconds later she saw the handful of survivors begin to turn and make for the open sea. Cagalli allowed herself a subdued sigh of relief; at least some of her countrymen would survive this nightmare.

Yuna had a lot to answer for by bringing them out here, she thought somberly, I suppose his death was fitting, but it would've been better to bring him to trial for his corruption and dealings with the Atlantic Federation. Unato's still out there, though… and I will bring him down.

….

"Did we… actually win?" muttered Arthur.

I'm not sure how much 'we' had to do with it, Talia mused, Heero Yuy… I suspected that one of the allies you mentioned earlier was the Archangel, but I didn't think that the Dominion would be joining the party too.

She certainly wasn't complaining; the intervention of the two rogue battleships had been the decisive factor in the battle. Without them launching a surprise assault from the combined fleet's rear, the Minerva would've been sailing right into concentrated fire from the entire armada. Thanks to the twin battleships' attacks, though, the ZAFT warship was more or less in the clear.

Talia would've counted herself and her crew lucky to simply survive running the Earth Alliance's gauntlet, but they'd done more than that today; they'd pulled out a genuine victory. Yes, the Gaia had escaped capture or destruction again, this time thanks to a squadron of Murasames engaging the Impulse and GOUF Ignited in a delaying action, but Talia was hardly concerned about the last stolen prototype at the moment. Both the Atlantic Federation and Orb Union naval assets in the region had been utterly devastated, which would give ZAFT much greater freedom to maneuver in the Mediterranean Sea. The Eurasian shore-based squadrons had been a concern, but the Minerva had held her own in no small part thanks to its newest pilot playing the role of interceptor. Talia still had questions about why Durandal has assigned another FAITH operative to the Minerva, yet she was more than willing to give Heine the benefit of the doubt thanks to his performance today.

Of course, the real MVPs were once again the Gundam pilots. Sure, the original plan had been derailed thanks to the enemy launching aces to intercept them early, but Heero and his comrades had not only held them off but eventually prevailed before going on to assault the main enemy force. Talia's particular area of concern had been the ace who had gone toe-to-toe with Heero; their machine was a new model, completely unregistered in ZAFT's database. She hoped Heero would be willing to provide whatever data he'd been able to gather on the mobile suit to her so she could forward it to the Defense Council for study.

I pray that thing's just a prototype, she thought, and that it was more due to pilot skill that it was able to duel the Albion on even footing. If the enemy's able to mass produce those, then we could be in serious trouble.

That was a concern for another time, though. What few enemy ships and mobile suits remained on the field were rapidly pulling away. It was not even close to an organized retreat; they were simply scattering in whatever direction they though would give them the greatest chance of survival. Talia could hardly blame them for panicking, especially given who their opposition was.

Her gaze shifted to the Archangel and the Dominion. Those two ships had saved ZAFT's proverbial bacon twice within recent months; here and during the frantic operation to stop the fall of the Junius Seven remains. They might not be aligned with ZAFT, but right now they were hardly enemies, and while the Defense Council might not offer any expression of gratitude for their aid Talia wanted them to know that at least someone within ZAFT appreciated what they'd done.

"Open a channel with the Archangel," she ordered.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Captain?"

Talia smiled. "Don't worry, Arthur; I have no intention of picking a fight."

Her XO shook his head. "It's not that, Captain. It's just… would it be proper? The Defense Council considers her to be a rogue ship, right?"

"So does the Earth Alliance," Talia reminded him, "Today, the enemy of our enemy is very much our friend."

"Establishing link," said the communications officer, "Connecting… link open!"

The image on the main bridge monitor shifted, and Talia's eyes widened slightly when a woman with long brown hair and dark brown eyes wearing an Orb Union military uniform appeared on the screen. She instantly recognized her as the dock manager she'd spoken to when the Minerva had been in Orb following Operation Redemption: Maria Bernes.

Commander of the Archangel, thought Talia, which means her real name is…

As it turned out, the Captain of the famous warship beat her to the punch. "This is Captain Murrue Ramius of the Archangel. Is there something we can assist you with, Captain Gladys?"

Talia smiled. "I think you've given us plenty of assistance today as it is, Captain Ramius. I simply wanted to thank you and your crew for your efforts, along with those of the Dominion. We would've had a much harder time of things today were it not for you."

Murrue nodded. "You're quite welcome. Rest assured we have no intention of hindering your progress. However, I would ask one favor; let the remaining Orb Union forces go. I think they've had enough for one day."

"Of course," said Talia, "and I can hardly blame them. Still, why ask for clemency on their behalf? Your vessel was engaging them as well not too long ago."

"Because their leadership foolishly committed them to this battle," Murrue replied, "That leadership is no longer a problem; Yuna Seiran is dead."

Talia couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me? You mean the heir of Orb's Seiran noble house?"

"Yes," said Murrue, "He was aboard the Orb Union First Fleet's flagship, the carrier Takemikazuchi. I trust you saw what happened to it?"

Talia nodded. "It was hard to miss. I didn't realize there was a VIP aboard, though."

"I'm sure you had more pressing concerns," said Murrue, "I certainly would given the odds arrayed against you here."

"True enough," Talia conceded, "Regardless, we're in your debt… not once, but twice now. The PLANTs might've downplayed your role in Operation Redemption for the sake of bolstering ZAFT's image, but trust that those of us who were actually there have not forgotten your invaluable contribution."

Murrue smiled. "It was the least we could do. Safe travels, Captain Gladys. With luck, perhaps we'll meet again someplace other than a battlefield."

They'd already done so, of course, but Talia would keep that to herself; if Captain Ramius had used an alias while at the Orb Union dock, Talia would respect her desire for anonymity. "I'd like that. Farewell, Captain Ramius."

As the commander of the Archangel disappeared from the screen, Talia turned to Meyrin. "Recall the Impulse and Saviour; their energy reserves are likely running low. Lunamaria, Rey, and Westenfluss will remain deployed until we're clear of this area."

Meyrin nodded. "Aye, Captain."

Now for the million-dollar question, thought Talia as she turned back to the main monitor, her attention on one particular mobile suit, Heero Yuy… will you come back here, or rejoin the Archangel?

….

The sea below was still bathed in orange as it reflected the flaming derelict hulks drifting about. A combined fleet decimated, an ace fought, and the enemy sent packing; for a Gundam pilot, it was just another day at the office. As he surveyed the post-battle wreckage, though, Heero found it hard to congratulate himself on a job well-done.

I had no idea Eurasia had a pilot of that caliber up their sleeves, he thought, his duel with Mihaly flashing through his mind, I doubt this is the last time I'll run into him, either. His survival won't go unnoticed by his superiors. It looks like I've found a new rival in this war.

The duel had taken way too long. It wasn't that his skills had atrophied; Heero's abilities remained sharp thanks to both training in the interwar years and the battles of this fresh conflict. Rather, it was clear that this new enemy had studied Heero's past fights in the Cosmic Era and had tailored their combat style specifically to counter him. The same went for the mobile suit Mihaly had used; its emphasis on speed and maneuverability over power made it a very potent machine, one that was ideal for duels such as the one that had taken place today.

His prolonged clash with the Eurasian ace wasn't the only aspect of the fight lingering in his mind. While he had not hesitated to decimate the Orb Union First Fleet, that didn't mean he was happy about it. The soldiers that he'd killed should've been Terminal's allies, and if Yuna had half a brain he would've recognized what was coming his way the instant Heero had broken free of his fight with Mihaly. It was hard to feel proud of inflicting such massive damage upon a fleet that by right's should've been fighting side by side with the Archangel rather than moving to attack it, but those were the cards he'd been dealt today.

His gaze lingered on the Strike Rouge as it hovered over the devastation. Cagalli's last desperate plea for the lives of her countrymen was still echoing in Heero's mind. He couldn't begin to imagine the guilt and regret she likely felt at this moment, and any words of solace he might be able offer would probably be ill-received given the role he'd played. Heero suspected that things would likely be frosty between him and Cagalli for a little while, and he was prepared to shoulder whatever ire she had for him. He'd made his choice; she could dispute it all she wanted, but he would stand by it.

With the fighting over, the victors were beginning to withdraw their mobile suits. The Saviour had been hovering near the Freedom and the Strike Rouge, but Athrun was now pulling back to the Minerva. Likewise, the Archangel and the Dominion were recalling their machines as well. While Wufei was returning to the ZAFT battleship, the other Gundam pilots hesitated, and Heero knew they were waiting on him. There was a choice before him; continue operating with the Minerva, or at last rejoin the Archangel. Heero was sorely tempted to do the latter at this point, but the time wasn't quite right. He still hadn't learned enough about ZAFT's true intentions in this war, or rather, the intentions of Chairman Durandal. He needed more time, although he was keenly aware that staying with the Minerva posed risks of its own.

As if on cue, his console chimed, and Murrue appeared on his monitor a moment later. She gave him a weary smile, clearly ready to put this battlefield behind her.

"Thanks for taking the heat off of us," she said, "Are you all right?"

Heero nodded. "I am. Sorry it took me so long to get around to the fleet; I was held up by an unexpected obstacle."

Murrue's eyes narrowed. "The Eurasian machine. Who was the pilot?"

"He called himself Mihaly Reyne," Heero replied, "He's a Major in the Eurasian Air Force. I had no idea they had a pilot of his caliber in their ranks."

"I'll ask Eric to do some digging on him," said Murrue, "I'm not sure what his contacts in ZAFT will be able to find on a Eurasian pilot, but it'll at least be a start."

Her gaze softened somewhat, with a hint of worry in her eyes. "I was watching, Heero… you haven't had an opponent like that in a long time."

"No, I haven't," he conceded, "He was good… very good. We'll need to keep an eye out for him going forward, along with any other mobile suits of that particular model."

"Speaking of going forward," said Murrue with a clear note of hope in her voice, "what do you want to do? Will you be returning to the Archangel?"

Heero reluctantly shook his head. "As much as I'd like to, I can't yet. I still haven't found the information we need."

Murrue sighed. "About ZAFT's real objective, you mean. I feared you'd say that. I know I can't stop you, but… Heero, please be careful. The longer you stay aboard that ship, the greater the danger of them moving against you first grows."

Heero nodded, giving her a small smile; it always touched him to know she worried about him, even though he hated to give her cause for concern. "I know. I'll watch my back… and I'll return to you when the time comes. I promise."

Murrue smiled. "I'll hold you to that. Take care of yourself, Heero."

"Roger that," he replied.

….

Athrun shook his head bitterly as he gazed down upon the wreckage floating in the waves. None of this should've happened; it should only have been the Earth Alliance as the enemy today, yet the Orb Union had demonstrated its commitment to its new partnership and had paid dearly for it. This never would've happened had Cagalli remained in power, and a small part of him wondered if things would've been different had he stayed by her side rather than return to ZAFT.

No, he thought, I can't afford doubts right now. I've come too far… this is the path I have to take. This is the best way that I can bring about peace.

That's what he told himself, anyway. It wasn't exactly easy to believe it when he looked at what had been wrought here today.

As he gradually pulled back to the Minerva, a chime came from his console. Checking the display, Athrun saw that it was a burst transmission from the Freedom. There was no audio content; it was simply a string of coordinates, followed by a date and time. Kira wanted to set up a meeting… and they clearly had a great deal to talk about.

Would he be able to make it? He ran the coordinates through the Saviour's navigation systems and found that they were within easy flight distance; it was one of the islands off of the coast of Greece. The time Kira had requested wasn't today, so Athrun did have a bit of room to make the necessary preparations. Of course, getting away from the Minerva would be the tricky part. As a FAITH operative, he had the freedom to act on his own initiative, but a move like this would raise eyebrows to put it mildly.

I'll run it by Captain Gladys upon my return, he thought, Her broadcast to the Archangel makes it clear that she doesn't view Terminal as an enemy. She should be willing to sign off on a meeting.

He quickly sent his reply to Kira's transmission; he'd be there. As he sent his response, though, he had to wonder if it would just be him and Kira… or if Cagalli would be there too.

What would she say to her if she was? He hadn't just shot down Windams today, after all; Murasames had been amongst his list of kills as well. He hadn't killed nearly as many of her countrymen today as Heero, but he had the blood of Orb soldiers on his hands just the same. Would he be able to face her?

Would the two of them ever be able to go back to the way things had been before once this was all over?

As he flew back to the Minerva, Athrun somberly realized that he had no answer.

Preview for next time!

The Battle of the Dardanelles is over, and its repercussions ripple across the Earth Sphere. The loss of both the First Fleet and Yuna Roma Seiran throws the Orb Union into turmoil, weakening the position of Unato. Having suffered heavy casualties, the Earth Alliance's naval superiority in the Mediterranean is now ripe for a challenge by ZAFT. While both sides shift their strategies to account for this new reality, a meeting takes place on a small Greek island. On one side is Athrun, and on the other is Kira and Cagalli. With the growing fault lines between them exasperated by the carnage of the recent battle, the path of reconciliation will be a rocky one to say the least. Meanwhile, ZAFT intelligence reports reveal a hidden Atlantic Federation research facility not too far from the Suez Canal, and the crew of the Minerva are ordered to return to North Africa to investigate. The horrors that await them will shock even the most battle-hardened veterans amongst them, including the Gundam pilots. Next time, on "Destiny's Call", Episode Seventeen: Ghosts of Lodonia.

When science is corrupted in the name of war, the resulting stain of evil runs deep indeed…

Author's Notes: Ah, that feeling of posting a new chapter never gets old, regardless of the story it's for! So glad to finally have another one out for this one, it's been far too long. Thank you so much for your patience in putting up with me! Next chapter won't really have much on the action side; politics, character interaction, and scientific atrocity are the order of the day, along with the reveal of a rather juicy secret.

Hope you liked the chapter! Please review, and I'll see you next time!