Gundam Seed: The Federation ver 2

by Blackshadow999

Different telling of Gundam Seed. With the conflict between Naturals and Coordinators getting worse as time passes, some nations have banded together and formed the organization known as the Human Federation. Will the Federation be able to help bring peace or will the hatred between Naturals and Coordinators destroy everything and bring extinction of humanity? Cover by Saddle Patch

79. Phase 79: Neflheim Siege: To Asgard

A/n

Here is the next phase. For whichever holiday you readers celebrate, this is a present for you for the holidays, so I hope you enjoy it.

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Phase 79: Neflheim Siege: To Asgard

October 22nd, 73 CE

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South of Asgard, Northeastern Atlantic Ocean

The Minerva was still traveling toward the Federation's Asgard base since it had headed out from Gibraltar. The ship had been making good time from Gibraltar thus far in the early hours of the morning. Talia, Matt, and Aila had kept the ship moving by themselves until hitting the open Atlantic Ocean. By that point, other members of the crew had realized they were not in dock at Gibraltar. Talia had known that when some of the Minerva's crew found out the ship had left Gibraltar, they would question what was going on. She would stand by her decision of having the Minerva go and retrieve Shinn Asuka and the Impulse. The Minerva needed its missing Gundam and those around Gibraltar weren't willing to help them in that task. Thus, there hadn't been much of another viable option that Talia had seen which the Minerva could do but go itself and retrieve its machine. It came at the price of the Minerva being on its own until it returned to Gibraltar. And while Talia didn't exactly like that, it was more acceptable than leaving Shinn and the Impulse to whatever situation they were potentially facing.

The ship's travel speed had been better than its technical cruising speed that specs said it was capable of. Talia would thank Chief Aves later for whatever he had done to pull more speed from the engines. The man had proven once again he was the best fit for the chief mechanic and leader of the other mechanics. Because of his efforts, the Minerva would cut out hours of travel time at the normal cruising speed it would've taken to arrive at Asgard. The sooner the Minerva could arrive at Asgard and pick up the Impulse the better Talia would feel. What Aila had mentioned Captain McGregor had said about tension worried her. It implied Asgard was expecting something bad to happen, even if it hadn't been stated specifically. Whether that meant they were expecting an attack from the Alliance or something else, Talia couldn't be sure. But she took the warning given seriously and made use of the time they had.

When Arthur had woken up, he had been confused since it felt like the ship was moving. That shouldn't be the case since the Minerva should be in dock at Gibraltar. However, as Arthur woke up more, he found he wasn't imagining things, the Minerva was indeed moving. That got him up and putting on his uniform so he could get to the bridge and find out what was going on. Along his way to the bridge, Arthur saw he wasn't the only one to notice the Minerva was moving. Some of the crew even came up to him and asked what was going on for the ship to be moving when it should be in dock. He could understand the confusion as he shared in the point not knowing why the Minerva would be moving. Arthur could only answer he was going to find out what was going on since he didn't know currently.

Arthur came onto the Minerva's bridge and blinked at the sight that met him. Aila and Matt were there, but they were those in charge until the captain would take over in an hour or two. Yet Matt was at the helm and Aila was sitting at the sensor and detection station while Captain Gladys was at Arthur's own station currently. None of that made logical sense to Arthur with the circumstances as they were. He had so many questions he couldn't come up with answers for. The Minerva hadn't received new orders which he was aware of. Any orders from Gibraltar would've been given to the captain and himself per policy and protocol. And he hadn't heard of any orders while he'd been on shift. "What is going on, Captain," Arthur asked. "Why is the Minerva moving and where are we headed? Aren't we supposed to be docked at Gibraltar until the Spear of Twilight Operation occurs?"

Talia turned to see Arthur at the door. She had expected him to be coming along at some point after the Minerva had set out. Arthur had every right to know what the Minerva had set out to do as any of the crew did. It had been her decision to have the Minerva set out for Asgard, and she would take responsibility for it. "It's a bit of an explanation," Talia admitted. "To shorten it, I'll say that Gibraltar wasn't willing to help Mr. Asuka and the Impulse get back to the ship. After I contacted another, it seems the higher-ups weren't aware such was the case. The Minerva was permitted to go and retrieve the two if we were quick about it."

Arthur blinked at the answer, glancing between Talia and Aila. Aila's answer last night had not sat well with Arthur. She had said something about unpleasant details and that Gibraltar wasn't willing to help the Minerva get the Impulse and its pilot back. He'd hoped that something had changed that, and Gibraltar would do something to help them. Two weeks had gone by after all and that should've been more than enough time to arrange something. But apparently, a different path had been taken to assist Mr. Asuka and the Impulse. The way that the captain had said permitted implied there was a condition with the Minerva going out. "And what was the condition we accepted to leave Gibraltar, ma'am," Arthur questioned evenly. "I have a feeling there was at least one which you haven't said." Talia was aware that Arthur was smart and so could pick up on implied inference. "The condition is we will be on our own," Talia replied. "We will not get any help from ZAFT while we are away from Gibraltar since we are currently off the books."

While Arthur could understand the captain's wish to help Shinn and the Impulse get back to the Minerva, the condition for the ship to do so was potentially harsh. The Gibraltar higher-ups should be stepping in and helping the Impulse Gundam get back to ZAFT hands. "And they really wouldn't help the Minerva get its missing mobile suit back," Arthur questioned. "It is a ZAFT Gundam, we don't get all that many of those to work with." Talia shook her head, "They are concentrating on the Spear of Twilight operation. No transports could be spared for days at the very least. The Minerva going itself to retrieve the Impulse and its pilot was the most proficient way."

Talia shifted her thoughts from answering the questions to what needed to be done. With Arthur here, she and he could plan contingencies for the various scenarios they could face soon. Retrieving the Impulse was complicated in most cases that could happen. The best-case scenario was the Minerva arrived at Asgard and the Impulse and Shinn were transferred to them and the ship leaves. However, with the mention of tensions around Asgard, the best-case scenario was less likely to occur. It was more probable that the worst-case scenario which would have Asgard under attack when the Minerva arrived would be the case. In that scenario, it would be much harder for the Minerva to retrieve the Impulse and leave without being involved in the battle. "But with you here, Arthur," Talia said, "We can discuss contingencies for what is potentially ahead."

Arthur moved to the tactical table which an island laid out on it. There were lots of structures and other things on the display, though there were a lot of markings saying information was questionable. "Do we even know where the Impulse and Mr. Asuka are captain," he asked as he kept studying the display. Talia gestured at the tactical display, "Yes, and that's the reason what is displayed is on the table." Arthur kept looking over the display, wondering what it was of as he couldn't come up with an answer. Yet, as he kept studying, the island's outline began to look familiar. But he couldn't figure out why what he was looking at was what the thought coming to him said it was. "Wait," Arthur began, "Is this displaying the Federation's Asgard base, their unassailable fortress and Earth based headquarters?"

Talia knew of the rumors and fears of the Federation's Asgard base. The Federation's "mysteriousness" played a part in the fear and rumors about their headquarters. To her knowledge, ZAFT had made two attempts to "test" the base's defensive capabilities. But both of those attempts had failed in spectacular fashion from what rumors said, though she couldn't say exactly how since those records were sealed. "Correct, Arthur," Talia returned, "this is displaying what ZAFT knows about the Federation's Earth based headquarters. That is where Mr. Asuka and the Impulse ended out after descent?" Arthur looked back at the display with a little apprehension. Asgard had never come close to falling to an assaulting enemy force that he'd heard of. The base's reputation was well earned as it had been attacked several times and always ousted the attackers. "What scenarios and contingencies were we looking at, captain," Arthur inquired slowly. "This already looks questionably hazardous for the Minerva and its crew."

Talia folded her arms, "I know our current situation isn't ideal, but let's start with the best-case scenario that we could face," she began. "Ideally, in the best-case scenario, we arrive at Asgard and have the two transferred to us with little if any fuss." Arthur thought for a moment about the likelihood of such a scenario to happen for the Minerva. The scenario certainly sounded great if things played out that way. However, Talia didn't sound really confident such would happen. "I take it that the best-case scenario is unlikely, correct ma'am," Arthur posed. Talia shook her head after a moment, "Yes, while ideal, it is less likely to be what we find." She paused, "With what Aila told me, I'm more inclined to believe we will face the worst-case scenario. And that would have Asgard under assault when we arrive by the Alliance were I to guess."

OMNI attacking the Federation's military headquarters on Earth was concerning for several reasons. Arthur could think of a couple of reasons that would be stated by those who would be asked. While the Alliance had attacked the Federation base before now, the current climate made such a thing worse. As far as Arthur knew, the Alliance's attempts against Asgard had failed in spectacular fashion and that was being nice. The Alliance had less luck than ZAFT had during its attempts, and they had made more of them. However, for the Alliance to assault Asgard shortly after the failed nuclear strike the Alliance made against the PLANTs gave implications. The strongest implication was the Alliance wanted revenge against the Federation for their assistance in the PLANTs defense. The Alliance-PLANT War had taught how ridiculous the cycle of revenge was in the end. And yet, the flames which fed the revenge cycle had already been spreading. "So, then," Arthur began, "What kind of contingencies can we plan for?"

Talia knew the question was coming, and it was the one that needed to have answers. If the worst-case scenario was the one they would face, what would be the best path for the Minerva? There were many factors that would need to be considered, and yet, they knew less than half of them right now. She ended out exhaling heavily, "Let's start by assuming the worst-case scenario is what we find when we get into range of Asgard." Talia had the tactical display zoom in to have the island Asgard was built on fill the display. "It is safe to assume OMNI would be attacking from the west of Asgard as building a fleet without drawing notice of most would be done around the Atlantic Federation. We are approaching from the south so OMNI forces will be to our port." Talia paused for a moment thinking about the proposed situation. "I'm fairly confident that OMNI will be focused on Asgard and its defense forces. So, they will unlikely notice our presence right away."

Arthur considered what Talia was saying and assumed what they could be going into. He agreed with the assumptions thus far as they were logical and sensible. However, the longer the Minerva was around Asgard, the more probable it was OMNI would take notice of the ship. "But the longer the Minerva is around Asgard, the more likely its presence will be noticed by OMNI forces," Arthur stated. "Meaning we would need to establish a position or leave quickly." Talia nodded to Arthur's reply. His world view was something she appreciated in her deputy. Arthur may not always have the gumption to act on his own even when he knew the best path, but his tactical mind was sharper than others she'd seen. "Indeed, so the main question is what is the best way to find the Impulse? Is there even the chance we can locate the Impulse quickly enough to retrieve it and leave before being noticed?"

Aila had been listening to the conversation going on between Talia and Arthur. She agreed with the worst-case scenario which had been laid out between the two. With what Mr. McGregor had implied with what he said, those at Asgard were expecting something to happen soon. An attack by OMNI made logical sense especially after the failure to use nuclear weapons on the PLANTs. The Federation's assistance in stopping the nuclear attack had been appreciated by ZAFT. But the Alliance wasn't pleased at all because the Federation had helped stop the attempt. The Alliance hadn't been above thirsting for revenge as far as Aila knew, so it was nearly expectation for them to seek it and use such an excuse. How that had translated into them potentially attacking Asgard, Aila couldn't say.

The real issue that the Minerva faced directly was not what was happening to Asgard, it was merely related. With the Impulse around Asgard, locating it would likely be difficult. That was before figuring out if Shinn was in whatever was going on around Asgard or not. And even should the Minerva arrive at Asgard, and it be under attack and Shinn be involved as she suspected, locating the Impulse would be anything but easy. Assuming Shinn was helping the Federation, it was possible and even likely he would be working with a Federation team. The Minerva had no way of knowing which team Shinn could be working with or where they were. There were just so many factors to try identifying and figuring out, it was hard to wrap one's head around it.

It all came down to how Shinn had reacted to both Asgard being assaulted and being potentially told about Gibraltar's response to the Federation's call by what Aila figured. If Shinn had been told of what Gibraltar's response, she doubted he would've taken that the best. Aila felt that Mr. McGregor had informed Shinn about what Gibraltar had said from what he'd iterated. His tone had made it clear Gibraltar's actions weren't received well. And that had been before McGregor had straight out said Shinn knew of what was going on with Gibraltar. Not that Aila really couldn't blame Shinn for a bad response. He'd been left for two weeks wondering if any of his allies cared about what happened to him. Should Shinn have recovered from the shock that ZAFT wasn't going to help him get back to the Minerva, he wouldn't want to sit around and do nothing. And yet, if Shinn hadn't gotten past Gibraltar leaving him to fend for himself, Aila couldn't say what he would do.

If Shinn had gotten over Gibraltar leaving him to fend for himself, he would insist on doing something. The question was would the Federation accept his wish to help them against an OMNI attack? Aila was leaning toward the Federation letting Shinn help with the Impulse. She had no evidence to support her theory, but her intuition was telling her the kid would find a way to help. If anything, he would want to help those that had been kind to him and treated him as a guest while those who were supposed to be his allies refused to do anything for him. Aila couldn't fault Shinn for wanting to help as he could. To want to help others was a good quality to have in an individual and they shouldn't be faulted for it. But the point should be put out to be involved with any contingency. "If I might interject," Aila said loud enough to draw the attention of Talia and Arthur. "I think locating the Impulse will come down to two general variations. Either it will be in a hangar stored for the time being, or it will be out fighting." Matt agreed with Aila's view about the Impulse, and he picked up from where she had left off. "And if it is in one of their hangars," he remarked, "I can't see the Federation appreciating or allowing us going around looking while they are fighting. We don't need them chasing us away for foolish stuff, I would say."

Talia didn't disagree with Aila or Matt with what they had brought up. However, she needed more than just suggestions to go on to have the Minerva be put in danger for just a guess. "Do you have any evidence to support any of that," she asked. Aila shook her head, "Not specifically. Yet, I can't see Shinn sitting around and doing nothing should Asgard be under assault. He was told about Gibraltar's response, and I doubt that went down the best. I don't think anyone would appreciate being left to fend for yourself for two weeks and told about it by others. With what I've seen, Shinn would want to assist those who had treated him kindly and as a guest which those at Asgard would have done. Fighting to help the Federation seems the most logical course of action for Shinn to take."

Talia couldn't argue against what Aila had said as she agreed with the points she had brought up. She could see Shinn doing just what Aila had stated, and Talia wouldn't fault him for such things. However, should the Impulse be out in battle around Asgard, it would be harder to retrieve it. "We'll take such into consideration," Talia remarked before she turned back to Arthur. "I think the best path for the Minerva should the Impulse be in a hangar at Asgard or fighting OMNI forces assaulting the base will essentially be the same. And that is to assist the Federation in the defense of their headquarters."

While the suggested path would be a harder one to take, Arthur felt that the captain was right in the end. With the Minerva off the books right now with ZAFT, the Minerva had to decide its actions with that in mind. Yes, helping the Federation could potentially be seen as an issue were ZAFT to have had anything to do with it. But the Minerva was operating outside of that point, so ZAFT had plausible deniability. But before Arthur could reply, others came onto the bridge. They were the primary bridge crew and Talia directed them to their stations. "Malik, take the helm from Matt," she ordered. "Burt, relieve Aila so she and Matt can get some rest. Meyrin, get to your station, there is work to be done for all of you." None questioned the orders, merely went to their stations without a word. Talia faced Aila and Matt, "You two go get some rest," she said. "Let us hope things will be easy and we can get the Impulse and Shinn back without much fuss."

The Minerva had been getting closer and closer to Asgard with hours going by. It was around midday when the Minerva was getting close to the communications range of the Federation base. Talia and Arthur had been discussing finer details about contingency plans while they had been drawing closer to their destination. Talia feared the Minerva would face the potential worst-case scenario which she and Aila had iterated. The Federation weren't the type to exaggerate things. They were more inclined to use inference to say something could happen rather than say the point straight out. So, one had to read between the lines to get the real picture that was being referred to with the Federation more often than not. Talia hadn't figured out why the Federation went with inference rather than just saying the truth as they knew it. However, that was the choice of the Federation, and she had no part in such things.

Time moved forward, Talia and Arthur were wrapping up their discussion when Malik noticed something different ahead of the Minerva. He squinted for a moment and rubbed his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real. There were explosions ahead over and to the west of the island coming out of the horizon. It was obvious there was fighting going on ahead and quite the large battle if Malik was seeing correctly. He'd not been directly listening to what the Captain and Deputy had been discussing. But Malik had heard bits and pieces which pointed to the "worst-case" scenario the Minerva could face. If what Malik was seeing wasn't the mention worst-case scenario, he didn't know what else could be. "Captain," Malik began, "You will want to see what is ahead of us. It isn't looking good."

Talia turned to face Malik before glancing up slightly to see out the forward viewing ports. The sight of explosions ahead wasn't the one Talia had hoped to see when the Minerva came into range of Asgard. The worst-case scenario of Asgard being under assault was reality with the scene before her. It meant the Minerva had limited options to choose from to help the Impulse with circumstances were. There wasn't much time to make critical decisions for the ship in what was looming in the immediate future. The two contingencies which had been brought up by her and Arthur would either have the Minerva get in and out quickly or settle in for a long fight. And truthfully, without knowing where the Impulse was, the latter contingency was the more logical one to go with. Fighting OMNI off wouldn't be the greatest, but if it got Shinn and the Impulse back in one piece, then it was worth it.

Talia turned to her deputy, "Arthur, take your station," she ordered before twisting around to face Meyrin's direction. "Meyrin, get ahold of Chief Aves and tell him to get the engines to put out as much as they can without burning them out." Talia turned to Burt, "Burt, see what you can pull up on what is ahead. We need what we can get to plan accordingly." She faced forward, "Malik, once Aves has the engines putting out what they can, put on the speed. We need to reach the battle as quickly as possible." None questioned or talked back against the orders which Talia was putting out. After a minute, Meyrin said that Aves was doing what he could to have the Minerva's engines pushing hard. Malik had the Minerva speed up a notable margin in response. Talia then set Meyrin the task of trying to reach out to Asgard's command center when the ship came into range. If the Minerva could say it wanted to assist the Federation, the less likely it could be seen as a hostile target.

Down in the Minerva's mess, Lunamaria was glaring at the tray of food in front of her. She was frustrated with the current circumstances and her inability to change them. The Minerva had been docked at Gibraltar for around two weeks since descending down to Earth. During that time, there had been no news in relation to Shinn's location or condition. Luna knew Aila and the guy Dems had been trying to find out information, but they had said nothing thus far. Then, this morning when Meyrin had woken up Luna, her little sister had said the ship was moving. The Minerva should still be docked at Gibraltar, not moving and traveling to wherever. Meyrin had been insistent that the ship was moving before she'd left their quarters. After waking up more, Luna had found her sister had been right. Since then, none that Luna had come across had been able to answer where the Minerva was going or why. Thus, her frustration had come to a boiling point with the lack of answers to any questions she had.

Rey was sitting across from Luna and had been observing her for the last half an hour. It had been obvious that Luna was in a bad mood as she had been for the last two weeks. Luna had been showing she was worried about Shinn and what had happened to him after the Minerva's descent to Earth. Not that Rey wasn't concerned about Shinn, but there was nothing they could do to help Shinn right now. He had accepted they would have to wait for the opportunity while Luna hadn't accepted such at all. Aila and Mr. Dems had been looking into Shinn's situation, they had or would find out information, Rey was confident about that. With the Minerva moving, it was likely that Aila had found out something which had translated into action. And even if he didn't have all the information, he didn't see a reason to become frustrated as Luna was. "Letting your frustration get the better of you won't help, Lunamaria," Rey remarked. "It tends to make things worse for the majority."

Luna didn't like it when others told her to stay calm and be patient as some had for the last two weeks. It had quickly become irritating and had been hard not to snap back at those telling her such things. Luna had been patient and hadn't gotten any answers to the reasonable questions she had. And Rey's statement had driven her to go beyond her boiling point she had come to. Her hands banged into the table, "Give into my frustration," Luna snarled. "Well forgive me for wanting answers to what happened to Shinn and where he is. I seem to be among the few who want to know about that, and it irks me. No one has given answers to where Shinn is and why he hasn't been able to get back to the Minerva. All that has been said is "it's being looked into" and nothing more."

Aila and Matt had been coming to the mess to grab something to eat while there was the time. However, that intention changed when they had heard Lunamaria's outburst. The tone made it clear that Luna was beyond frustrated with the lack of news about Shinn and the Impulse. She had been the most vocal among those who were worried about the Minerva's missing pilot. And with Lunamaria's "attitude" or her "control" of her emotions, Aila had felt it would only be a matter of time before it came to a boiling point. Aila had tried to keep Lunamaria calm, but it had been a hit or miss type of result. Thus, her snapping at others had been expected at some point and was problematic as it only made things worse.

Matt gazed at the girl that had been an issue while he'd been managing things when Aila wasn't able to do so. He'd seen her attitude and the real problem it could be when it came out. Matt couldn't have missed the issue with how the girl had been during operations. The girl had been argumentative, stubborn, and just plan abstinent when Matt gave out orders. It had been like anything he'd said was personally insulting to her and was offensive in some way that Matt had fully intended when he hadn't. And Lunamaria's current attitude was just as unhelpful as her stubborn streak he'd dealt with before. Things were already precarious enough without someone's outbursts making it worse.

Matt looked to Aila and silently gestured at Lunamaria, saying the girl needed to be reined in. Aila knew what Matt was saying and was aware he was right. Lunamaria, for all her passion and loyalty to others, needed to learn restraint. There was a time and place for such things and her outburst wasn't the way to express it. Aila had intended to sit down Lunamaria after the upcoming ZAFT operation and have a serious talk with her. But it seemed it couldn't wait that long since it was becoming a problem which couldn't be ignored. The two moved forward intending to tell Lunamaria to stop snapping at Rey who hadn't done anything to deserve it. Yet, there was an announcement over the ship's PA before the two could tell Luna off. "The Minerva is moving to Condition Red, all hands to combat ready stations," said the voice of Meyrin. "I repeat, the Minerva is moving to Condition Red, all hands to combat ready stations."

Aila stopped where she was, forgetting about Lunamaria's outburst and telling her off. For the Minerva to go to Condition Red was not a good sign. It implied that the ship would be facing the potential worst-case scenario discussed before shortly. While Aila had known it was the most likely situation the Minerva would face around Asgard, she had hoped in her heart it wouldn't be. But there was no point in arguing or denying the point now as the Minerva was about to head into combat. Matt was of the same mind as Aila with the call to Condition Red. It had been hoped to be avoided, but evidence had pointed to it being ahead of the Minerva. The real questions that remained were what the Minerva would be up against and where the Impulse was. "Well, that doesn't bode well," Aila remarked. Matt shook his head, "Nope, it certainly does not, Aila."

Luna jumped slightly at hearing the two voices behind her. She turned and saw Aila and Mr. Dems standing there. "What the," she exclaimed, "What are you two doing here and what do you mean doesn't bode well?" Aila sighed, trying to figure out how to explain the current situation. "We were coming to grab a bit to eat when we came upon you two," Aila began. "And were about to step in and chide you for snapping at Rey about not hearing news about Shinn and the Impulse." Luna lowered her head a bit at being called out about her outburst. She knew snapping at Rey wasn't the best or a good way to express her frustration. But Rey had listened when others had been waving her off and she wanted someone to hear her out. Aila continued, "However, Condition Red changes that intention as it means the hope for a simple outcome is now essentially an impossibility." Rey was attempting to follow what Aila was saying but couldn't. He figured there were facts missing making following her nigh impossible. Asking Aila would hopefully clear up the missing facts and build a better picture for him to understand. "Could you elaborate, ma'am," Rey requested. "There are facts missing, so I can't follow what you are saying."

Aila glanced at Matt who shrugged to say what point was there in not telling them the facts as they knew them. They had only learned of the key points that had led to the Minerva heading toward Asgard yesterday. There was no blame to place on them as they didn't know about Shinn and the Impulse before that. Some around Gibraltar had been hiding things which had led to the current situation being necessary. Aila exhaled heavily, "Put simply, the Minerva has been heading to go and get Shinn." Lunamaria gawked at being told the ship was heading to pick up Shinn as it was the first she'd heard of it. Why hadn't there been nothing said about Shinn and going to get him? "What are you talking about, Aila," she exclaimed. "What do you know about Shinn?"

Matt was a little irritated that Hawke was interrupting Aila instead of listening to what she could say. If Hawke were quiet and listened, she would get the answer to the question she'd just asked and likely others she had. "Hawke," Matt stated firmly, drawing Lunamaria's attention, "If you wouldn't interrupt and just listen, you will get some answers." Luna didn't like being called out by Mr. Dems, but as much as she didn't want to admit it, he had a point. She'd just been so desperate for answers, her patience was worn and short. Aila kept going after Matt had silenced Luna, "Yesterday, we found out some around Gibraltar have been keeping information back. The Federation had reached out multiple times about a ZAFT Gundam that had come to them recently. Those that were on-duty at the time those calls came in refused to help the Federation get the Gundam back."

Luna was flustered and mad at what she was hearing. If the Federation had reached out about a ZAFT Gundam which was obviously the Impulse, then why hadn't the Minerva been informed about it? Should those who had taken the calls from the Federation not have told others, why hadn't it been reported to Gibraltar's higher-ups? "But why would those at Gibraltar refuse to help one of our machines get back to allied territory," Luna demanded. Aila felt it would be best not to mention at the moment the Minerva was going to Asgard, not with its reputation. So, Aila shrugged in response, "We don't have an answer to that as much as I wish we did. When I informed the captain about the facts we learned, she got in touch with some. Since Gibraltar wasn't willing to help us, Captain Gladys decided to take action herself. I don't know who she talked to, but they helped the Minerva get underway. The Minerva was on route to Federation territory to retrieve the Impulse and Shinn. It was hoped that we could pop in and take the two and leave just as quickly, but it sounds like that won't be an option anymore."

Rey was starting to put the picture together of what the Minerva was facing in the very near future. With the Minerva heading to Federation territory to retrieve the Impulse and Shinn, things could go several different ways depending where exactly the Minerva was going. And it seemed things were going in a less than nice or desirable direction than had been hoped upon the outset. Should wherever they were heading be under some sort of attack, then retrieving the Impulse would be more complicated. "I assume wherever we are going is under some sort of attack before we began our approach," Rey surmised. Matt nodded, "Most likely. We got a message from a Federation agent who implied something was going to happen soon. Aila and I felt it was probably an attack of some sort, likely by the Alliance."

Luna couldn't process what was all being said. The idea of the Alliance attacking any Federation military complex these days was nuts. For example, if the Alliance was attacking the Federation's Asgard base, it would be terrible. That place was called an unassailable fortress by ZAFT and the Alliance for a reason. The base had never come close to falling to any that assaulted it. But it was unlikely the Minerva was heading for the Federation's earth-based headquarters. Yet, with the Minerva going to Condition Red, that implied that the ship would be fighting around wherever they were going. Assumedly, the Minerva would fight on the Federation's side of the place ahead, but there were no suggestions on what that could entail. However, Luna wanted to know if there was more info on Shinn and the Impulse. "Do we know anything else about Shinn and the Impulse," Luna asked evenly. She was keeping her frustration toned down as she could, but she was finally getting something, and she didn't want that opportunity to stop.

Aila thought for a moment about what they could say. Most of what they had currently on Shinn and the Impulse was implied or assumed. Those on the Minerva didn't have much in the point of concrete facts about the two. "We don't have solid facts on them," Aila admitted, "From what we have been told, Shinn has been treated as a guest while around the Federation complex he's been at." Aila stopped, not wanting to say that Shinn had been told Gibraltar didn't intend to assist him. Matt could see Aila was hesitating, both with not revealing exactly where they were going, and Shinn being told the truth. He understood why Aila wasn't saying they were heading for Asgard, the place had both a good and bad rap. But it was only fair that Shinn's friends knew the position he'd been in. "Shinn has likely been told Gibraltar didn't plan to do anything to help him, and that the Federation would be responsible for getting Shinn and the Impulse back to Gibraltar."

Back on the Minerva's bridge, Talia and Arthur were managing things as Minerva drew closer to Asgard. The battle became clearer the closer the Minerva got to the base's vicinity. The Alliance was indeed assaulting Asgard with a large force. It was nigh impossible for Talia to tell who had the upper hand in the battle. OMNI was intermixed with Federation forces, one could only tell apart their ships due to their classes that were recognizable. The one thing which was clear was the battle was intense and neither side was willing to give into the other. However, from what Talia could see of the island, the battle hadn't reached its shores yet. There was fighting ahead of it to the west where the fighting was, but the main battle wasn't over Asgard itself. Talia asked Burt if he could see any sign of the Impulse among the fighting mobile suits. She didn't have high hopes for a signal to be picked out of the countless ones clashing. At the range the Minerva was, there was little means to pick out one of its own mobile suits from the storm of signals the battle was generating.

Burt had been trying to find anything to point to the Impulse, putting some of his basic academy training to use. But in all honesty, finding the Impulse among the fighting was a ridiculous task with circumstances as they were. It was him fighting a near vertical uphill battle with the incoming data from the sensors and that was putting it mildly. The storm of incoming data made it hard to even put together anything sensible beyond general facts of two sides fighting one another. The mixture of radio noise and interference from N-jammers made cleaning up the sensor data a lost cause. How the Federation could make sense of the storm, Burt could only get they had equipment that could do better than ZAFT sensors and systems in this kind of situation. The chances of Burt being able to pick out a single signal out of the hundreds was akin to as the old phrase went, "finding a needle in a haystack." As much as Burt wanted to find the Impulse and help the Minerva's missing pilot and Gundam return, it wasn't going to happen at this moment. It was as likely as the Alliance saying they were wrong about Coordinators and genuinely apologizing for what they had done. Burt told Talia there was far too much noise and interference for him to find a specific signal among the mess ahead.

Talia turned to Meyrin and asked her if she'd made any progress in getting ahold of Asgard's command center. Meyrin had been trying to do what the captain had asked her to but had little success. She could hear all the noise that OMNI was making over the radio channels. However, there was nothing from the Federation's end that she had been able to tap into. Meyrin had always heard the Federation encrypted their communication channels, but this was the first real-world experience she'd had with the idea. Thus, Meyrin was running out of ideas of how to potentially reach the Federation so she could give the captain's offer. She did tell Captain Gladys she was trying but wasn't getting anywhere yet. Talia knew her crew were doing the best they could in the current situation.

The battle ahead was unlike anything the Minerva was supposed to face yet in its service. No ship in ZAFT was supposed to get involved with conflict between the Alliance and the Federation per standing protocol. However, with the actions of some around Gibraltar, the Minerva had been left with little choice but to go and retrieve its missing mobile suit and pilot. The battle complicated things in the Impulse's retrieval. It would be especially more complex should the Impulse be involved in the fighting. And with what Aila said about Shinn, Talia was also inclined to believe Shinn would have volunteered to help the Federation's defense of Asgard. But those factors were out of the hands of those on the Minerva to have any influence on. So, instead, Talia told Arthur to take charge of the bridge and keep to the plan they were working on.

Arthur agreed to the point before Talia left the bridge to brief the Minerva's pilots on the current situation. It was normally Arthur's duty to brief the ship's pilots before they went out to fight. However, in the current situation, Arthur was willing to bow out and let Talia do the job instead. The circumstances the Minerva was going into were completely out of the ordinary ones ZAFT tended to deal with. And the Minerva would have no support from allies even if it desperately needed it. With the trip being off the books, ZAFT would never admit to it happening should any ask about it. Arthur glanced out the forward viewing port, watching the battle playing out ahead. He felt the fight the Minerva was about to enter would be different than any other it had seen before.

Talia left the bridge and headed for the briefing room the Minerva had. It was intended to be used for mission planning and briefings. The Minerva was expected to lead forces as a flagship, Talia knew that, even if it hadn't done so yet. The briefing room had only been used once during the pursuit of Bogey One. Beyond that, the room hadn't been used for the function it had been intended for. Arthur as the deputy captain was expected to brief the pilots before a battle. However, since Talia had dragged the Minerva into this, she felt it was only right she gave them the explanation of what was ahead. Aila and Matt may know the basic facts, but Rey and Lunamaria didn't have any information about what was going on. It was for Shinn, but Talia was putting the Minerva and its crew in danger from doing what they were doing.

Talia took the lift to the hangar deck and strode to the briefing room. When she entered, Talia saw that all four of the Minerva's pilots were sitting in seats. Lunamaria was talking with Rey, and by what Talia was hearing, the girl was discussing the gossip going around the ship. Aila and Matt were glancing at the younger pilots and at each other. Aila was the first to notice that Talia had entered the room. It was kind of surprising for Talia to come down to the briefing room. It was an expectation for Arthur as deputy captain to brief the ship pilots. The only real exception that Aila knew of was if the upcoming operation was a critical or a serious priority for ZAFT. Granted, Aila knew the fight the Minerva was about to enter would be a unique one which could have Talia briefing them. Yet, with the need to contact the Federation, Aila had just assumed she would be working on that. "Captain," Aila started, "Didn't expect you to be briefing us on the current situation." Matt faced forward and waited for Captain Gladys to give the rundown.

Lunamaria had been arguing with Rey on what could have the Minerva moving to Condition Red. There was so little factual information going around the Minerva about what was going on. Only the commanding officers seemed to be fully aware of what was going down and weren't saying anything to the crew directly. Heck, there wasn't even a consensus on the Minerva's current destination among the crew. Alia and Mr. Dems appeared to have a clue of what was happening from what Luna had seen. She'd wanted them to explain what they knew of the current situation. However, Rey had told her with Condition Red, it wasn't the time to ask such questions. That had devolved into the argument the two had been having until Aila had spoken up. For the captain to be the one briefing the pilots on what was ahead was rare for ZAFT. It was normally the deputy or a mission commander's job to brief pilots on the ongoing situation.

Talia moved to be beside the main display in the briefing room. "I know this is sudden to have you to suit up and here to be briefed," Talia began. "And I will do my best to bring up all up to speed of what is ahead of us in this meeting." Lunamaria folded her arms, hoping she would finally get some real answers, "How about starting with where the Minerva is exactly heading? No one has mentioned our destination, only that it is a Federation military complex. Then tell us why the Minerva has gone to Condition Red," she replied. Matt and Rey sighed at the same time and shook their heads at Luna's response. Aila knew that Luna's mood would likely have her forgoing manners. But it wasn't going to help things move forward and prepare them to be able to deal with what loomed ahead. "Luna," Aila began, "you would do well to listen to the briefing instead of insisting on getting your questions answered."

Talia knew that her decision to have the Minerva go and retrieve the Impulse and Shinn would be questioned when the crew found out about it. She felt most would agree with her thoughts which had motivated her to push for the Minerva to head out from Gibraltar. However, there hadn't been the time when the ship had been setting out to inquire what the crew thought about the idea. "Currently, the Minerva is heading for the Federation's Asgard base," Talia stated flatly. "We are less than ten minutes from coming into range of it at current speed." Both Aila and Matt knew about the destination for the Minerva as they had been in on the plan from the outset. Yet, the Minerva had made better than good time to get so close to the Federation's headquarters. However, neither had mentioned the Minerva's destination to anyone else yet.

Rey and Luna had differing reactions to the captain stating the Minerva was heading for Asgard. Rey accepted the point, figuring there was a good reason for the ship to be traveling toward the Federation's headquarters. He assumed the captain would give more details about what circumstances had led to where they were. Lunamaria on the other hand, blinked and took a moment to process what had just been revealed. As what Captain Gladys had said sank in, Luna was more confused and was trying to wrap her head around what was implied. Luna had been joking about the Minerva potentially going the Federation's Asgard base. There was no real logical reason for the Minerva to being heading for the Federation's unassailable fortress. She couldn't even come up with circumstances which could lead the Minerva to head for the base. "Wait what," Luna exclaimed, "Why would the Minerva being heading for the Federation's military fortress?"

Talia paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts on how to properly explain the situation. She didn't want it to be assumed all at Gibraltar had refused to help Shinn make it back to the Minerva. It was the actions of a few that had caused the need for the Minerva to head out to Asgard. "It came to our attention that Shinn and the Impulse ended out at Asgard. Due to the actions of some, Gibraltar is unable to help quickly. Thus, the Minerva headed out from Gibraltar so it could retrieve the Impulse and its pilot."

Aila assumed that the Minerva going to Condition Red meant Asgard was under attack by an enemy force. Were that so, retrieving the Impulse would be likely more difficult than hoped. And if Shinn had reacted as Aila felt he would, then Shinn would be somewhere on the battlefield. Locating the Impulse would be difficult with the ongoing battle, and without being able to do that, retrieving it would be impossible with the situation as it was. Thus, the best path was the plan which Talia and Arthur had discussed having the Minerva help the Federation defend Asgard. The real question that remained was could the Minerva get into contact with the Federation before being considered hostile. "And what are the chances of Meyrin being able to get the Federation to give us a moment to speak with them," Aila asked. "Helping them defend Asgard is the best way for us to get the Impulse back, but they would need to not see us as an enemy."

Talia knew Meyrin was doing the best she could to get some from Asgard's command center in contact with the Minerva. But reaching the Federation while they were in combat was nigh impossible if one didn't already have a way to get to them. It was an unsaid fact that the Federation encrypted their communication channels while they were in battle. "Meyrin is trying," Talia admitted, "Yet, I don't know if she will have much success without some way for us to reach the Federation and then direct a message to them."

Back on the Minerva's bridge, Meyrin had been attempting all she could think of to get ahold of Asgard's command center. However, she'd had no success thus far with all she'd tried. Meyrin was wracking her brain when she came across a log of a call coming in the night before. It looked like something from Gibraltar, but when she listened to it, she knew it wasn't from Gibraltar. It sounded like it was from a Federation operative which was something she could work with. The path which the channel had taken to get to the Minerva was a complex one, Meyrin would admit. Whoever the McGregor was, Meyrin was impressed with the skill it had to have taken to get past Gibraltar's security without being noticed. But with Meyrin's technical skills, she could at least replicate enough of what the message had used to reach the Minerva to get back to its general source. That said source should have a way to get to Asgard's command center if they were a Federation agent.

It took a minute, but Meyrin managed to reverse the path from last night and sent a signal. Meyrin hoped she would get someone to pick up on the other end. She really wanted to do what the captain had asked her to. The Minerva could really use the Federation's acceptance of their help, so they didn't end up fighting both OMNI and the Federation. It felt like a long moment later that Meyrin heard a female voice answering and asking who it was communicating. Meyrin said she was on the ZAFT vessel, the Minerva. The one on the other end said Meyrin had reached the "Normandy." She then laid out what Captain Gladys had told her to get across to the Federation. The one she'd talked to got another on the line who was introduced as the Normandy's vice-captain. Meyrin asked the woman she had been transferred to deliver the captain's message of the Minerva wanting to help in Asgard's defense.

On the other end of the call, Lisa had listened to the girl who had reached the Normandy. She couldn't begin to get how the girl had reached the ship from the ZAFT vessel she said she was calling from. When the name of the Minerva had been mentioned, Lisa was left to wonder. Had whatever Tyler had done in regards of prodding been the cause of this? Lisa wouldn't be the most surprised if somehow Tyler had managed to prod the Minerva to try and retrieve Shinn and the Impulse. Tyler had a real knack of getting ridiculous possibilities to somehow occur no matter how unlikely it could be. It was more a surprise the Minerva could've gotten around Asgard in such a short period. They would've had to head out from Gibraltar late last night and cruise at a fair pace to arrive around the base by this point.

Lisa had no issue passing on the message that the Minerva wished to help in Asgard's defense to Asgard High Command. She wouldn't promise the girl and through her, the ship's superior officers, that the message would have the effect they may want. The offer of help in Asgard's defense was nice of the Minerva. However, Lisa felt it was more for the goal of getting Shinn and his Gundam back. It was logical that the battle would have to be decided before Shinn could get back to the Minerva and the ship leave. The kid had volunteered, and his offer had been accepted by Asgard High Command. He was working with one of the defending squadrons by what Tyler had said. Lisa assured "Meyrin" she would pass the message along. If the offer was of interest, then Asgard High Command would reach out to the Minerva. The call ended, and Lisa asked Alloy to establish a channel with Asgard High Command. It was done and after Lisa told the one who took the call about an important message for those in charge, she was transferred. Within slightly less than half a minute, Lisa found herself facing the Admiral in charge of Asgard High Command currently, Elle Vianno. Lisa didn't waste time and just told the admiral about the message from the Minerva.

Elle had been a tad irritated when she was told an "important" message was coming in from the Normandy. It was the new frigate class that had descended around two weeks ago and come into dock at Asgard. Its captain was a known "troublemaker" when it came to following rules and protocol. Thus far, Captain McGregor hadn't been so bad, though he had been insisting on helping the ZAFT pilot the Normandy had brought with them. That had brought on a separate set of frustrations with the response from Gibraltar about the point. The message from the Normandy's vice-captain was the ZAFT vessel which had been spotted in the last ten minutes wanted to assist in Asgard's defense. For a ZAFT vessel to even come around Asgard was an oddity since most avoided the base and the surrounding area. The ship was being watched but not seen as a direct threat as of yet with the focus on OMNI's attacking forces. When Elle asked Malto what goal the ZAFT ship could have to offer helping in Asgard's defense, the answer was unexpected. The "Minerva" as was the name of the ZAFT vessel was supposedly here to retrieve the ZAFT Gundam and its pilot. It made Elle wonder if Gibraltar had sent the ship or if it had come on its own against orders. And Asgard wasn't really in the position currently to refuse help right away. Elle thanked vice-captain Malto for the information and said she would consider the offer.

Elle thought for a moment about whether to accept the ZAFT vessel's help. She brought up specs on the Minerva from ZAFT records. The ship wasn't anything to scoff at with what Elle was seeing. Its arsenal it had would be useful against OMNI's fleet. And if they had mobile suits to send out, it would bolster defending forces. Regardless of their reasons for being here, Asgard could use the help should the ship and its crew be willing. The Minerva's captain would be the one to have to answer if the ship was true to the offer being stated. Elle told one of the communication staff to get a channel to the ZAFT vessel for her.

Back with the Minerva, Meyrin had her fingers crossed that her attempt through the Normandy would have some sort of success. Nothing else she'd tried had been able to do anything to achieve what the captain had asked for. And there wasn't a great deal of time left before the Minerva would come under the influence of the battle going on. So, Meyrin's nerves were strained with the waiting she was having to do. When a call came in, her response did reveal her nervousness which was starting to get the better of her. That nervousness shot up when the ]person on the other end stated they were an "admiral" and they wanted to speak with the one in charge. Meyrin told the deputy about the call and Arthur told Meyrin to put it on the bridge speaker.

When Meyrin said she had an incoming call from the Federation, Arthur hoped that she'd gotten the message the captain wanted across. The best way the Minerva could get the Impulse back was by helping shoo OMNI away from Asgard. It would be to the Minerva's benefit to have the Federation's acceptance of their help. Meyrin transferred the call to the bridge's speaker system before Arthur spoke, "This is the Minerva's deputy captain, Arthur Trine," he greeted. "To whom am I addressing?" Elle had been seeking the Minerva's captain, not the second-in-command. A vice-captain's duty was to delegate orders and work with the captain of a ship. They weren't the top authority for a vessel, that was universal between the factions. "I'm not calling to talk to your ship's second-in-command," Elle stated firmly. "Put your captain on the line. They will be the one who speaks for the ship in this situation."

Arthur could tell the woman he was speaking to was serious, she would only talk to Captain Gladys. The tone made that point clear and nothing Arthur could say would likely change the woman's mind. Talia should currently be briefing the Minerva's pilots on the situation the ship and its crew were facing. But having the Federation's permission was a priority so that the Minerva wouldn't be seen as a hostile ship to Asgard in the current circumstances. "One moment," Arthur returned, "I will get the captain on the line."

Talia had been made to wait as Lunamaria had started barraging her with questions. The other three had to take the time to silence her before Talia could go on. Once Luna had quieted down, Talia continued, "Let me start with giving you a picture of the current situation that we are facing." She brought up the fighting which had been seen from the bridge on the main display. "As you can see for yourselves, it isn't a very pretty picture ahead of us." What Aila and Matt were seeing on the screen was about what they had expected. The Alliance was assaulting Asgard with a fleet. The fleet was larger than either of them would've expected, but the size wouldn't have been small if it had any chance of success against the Federation's headquarters. "I figured things wouldn't be nice," Aila remarked. "Although I didn't think OMNI, or the Alliance would go so far in their vendetta."

Lunamaria was just gaping at the image on the main display. The battle going on was nigh impossible to follow. The few things that Luna could tell was one side appeared to be made up of Federation forces and the other Alliance forces. Beyond that, Luna could see any signs of which side might be winning or have the advantage over the other. However, should what the captain have said about the Impulse be true, then Shinn could be in the fight or somewhere around Asgard while the skirmish was going on. Any hope of getting in, getting Shinn and the Impulse, and then leaving Asgard had all but disappeared. "And we're expected to go out into that," Luna asked pointing at the display coming up with the only word she could for it, "mess?"

Talia knew she was asking quite a bit of the Minerva's pilots with current circumstances. The hope had been the Minerva could get to Asgard, quickly retrieve the Impulse and Shinn and leave just as quick. However, with OMNI assaulting Asgard, the hope was as good as gone and couldn't happen. Thus, the best course of action for the Minerva was to assist the Federation. The sooner the assault on Asgard was settled and over, the sooner the Minerva could retrieve the Impulse and Shinn. And with the Minerva working off the books right now, such assistance wouldn't be held against the ship by ZAFT higher-ups. While the Minerva was a powerful and competent ship, the size of OMNI's fleet which could be seen would tax even the Minerva with the Federation's help.

Talia was asking the Minerva's pilots to go out and fight to not only protect the ship, but also help the Federation defending forces. Of course, if they spotted the Impulse, they were to help Shinn as they could. But even if the Impulse was found while the battle was going on, having the Minerva leave after that would be difficult and complicated. First, it would expose the Minerva to enemy attack for a worrisome period of time before escaping firing and attack range of OMNI. Second, should Shinn be fighting on the side of the Federation, it was unlikely Shinn would be willing to leave while the battle was still going. Third, damage to the Minerva was to be kept to a minimum as it needed to get back to Gibraltar as rapidly as possible. Damage would cut down on how quickly the ship could travel back to the base. Thus, it was unwise for the Minerva to grab the Impulse and immediately withdraw from the battle around Asgard.

Talia knew it was a lot to ask the pilots under her command and charge to go out and fight in a battle they would normally have nothing to do with. Yet, this was to be done to bring back one of the Minerva's own pilot and mobile suit. Talia was sure that Aila and Matt would be up for the fight and would go into it willingly. However, she couldn't be as sure if it would be the same with Rey and Lunamaria. Talia didn't want to expect or ask them to do something that put their lives in potential danger if they weren't willing. She would have given more detail, but a beeping from the room's comm panel drew her attention. Talia glanced at it and saw there was an incoming call from the bridge. She rounded back at the pilots, "Be silent for the moment," Talia ordered before turning back and connecting the call. "What is it, Arthur?" There was a brief pause before Arthur's voice was heard. "Captain, we have a channel to Asgard's command center. I tried to take the call, but they won't work with me, stating they want you specifically."

Talia wasn't exactly surprised that Asgard's command center wanted to go through her as the Minerva's captain. From what she'd seen and heard, the Federation tended to want to work with the top commanding officer of a group. They were consistent with that point as far as Talia was aware, and Talia didn't have an issue talking with whoever was on the line. It would hopefully moving things along so she and Arthur solidify a plan for the Minerva in this. "I understand, Arthur," Talia replied, "Put them through to the briefing room." Arthur acknowledged the order and did what she asked. Talia saw the communication ID change and she took that as she was now speaking to Asgard's command center. "This is Captain Talia Gladys of the Minerva, to whom am I speaking?"

While it had taken a bit of time, which was in short supply, Elle had finally reached the captain of the ZAFT vessel it seemed. She had nothing against the Minerva's deputy captain personally. It was just with the current situation, one needed to converse with those who could get things done regardless of what was needed. And Deputy Trine had gotten Elle to the Minerva's captain as the name matched the ship's roster. "This is Admiral Vianno," Elle stated, "Currently in charge here at Asgard High Command. It was brought to my attention that your ship wishes to assist us in Asgard's defense, is that correct?" It sounded like Meyrin had gotten a message to Asgard's command center somehow to Talia. She mead a mental note to thank the girl later for her hard work. "Yes, that is correct," Talia returned. "We are here to pick up our missing mobile suit which is supposed to be around here."

It seemed that Elle's assumption of the Minerva coming to Asgard to get the ZAFT Gundam was correct. That didn't answer whether the Minerva was here per ZAFT's orders or by its own volition. Elle was leaning toward the latter rather than the former since ZAFT would unlikely wish to get involved with OMNI attack Asgard. However, whichever it was didn't matter in the big picture of things. If the Minerva was volunteering to help, Elle wasn't going to say no to their assistance. They would be treated as any other Federation vessel in this battle, but Elle didn't see a reason why that would be argued. The Minerva would be given a one-time use temporary Federation ID to link them into the communication array. "You are referring to the ZAFT Gundam," Elle replied. "Your pilot volunteered to help in Asgard's defense, and it wasn't refused when it came. In any case, should you be joining in the defense of our headquarters, you will be treated as any other Federation vessel. Is there an issue with that?"

Talia saw no issue with the Minerva being seen as any other Federation vessel was during the battle. She hoped that meant the Minerva would have a means to communicate with Asgard's command center should it be needed while the fight was going on. In a large-scale battle such as the one they were about to enter, proper communication was a key to success. And it also was implied that the woman Talia was talking to knew potentially what was going on with the Impulse and where it could be. "I don't see an issue with the condition," Talia answered. "I hope that means we will be able to communicate properly so we can coordinate." There was a brief pause, "Indeed, your ship will be given a temporary ID which will link you into our communications network. The Minerva is to move to join the southern defense forces contingent and help them push OMNI back. Are your ship's orders clear?"

The orders were straightforward enough that there wasn't much to question about them. However, Talia wanted to see if the one commanding Asgard's defending forces may have more information about the Impulse. Right now, she would take anything with the hope it would say Shinn was alive and the Impulse was still in the fight. "Not with the orders, ma'am," Talia stated. "But you mentioned our Gundam, do you have any more current information on it. We will take anything right now since we've had essentially nothing for the last two weeks." Elle could respect a commanding officer wanting to know about someone under their charge and command. It showed the Minerva's captain cared about those she led and wanted to make sure they kept alive. While not rare with ZAFT commanding officers, caring enough to potentially go against orders wasn't common either. "The last collection of data that I happened to see said your Gundam was still with the mobile suit squadron it was assigned to work with at the onset of the assault. We have been managing its resupply when needed. Yet, beyond that, I can't say anything else definitive."

Talia was grateful for the information about the Impulse, for it was more than they'd had before. "Thank you for the information," Talia returned. "The Minerva will move to the designated area and reinforce defending forces." The call ended after the woman acknowledged. Talia than dialed the bridge, "Arthur, I assume at least you were listening in on the exchange," she iterated. "So, I don't need to summarize or go over it again?" Arthur replied he'd been listening and would have the Minerva head for the designated area. He would also have Meyrin connect to the Federation communications and get a better understanding of the situation. Talia turned back to face the four pilots the Minerva had to work with. "As you heard, the Minerva will be helping the Federation in its defense of Asgard in the stance and position of an ally." Talia focused on Aila, "Aila you will be the team lead for the duration of this combat situation. Thus, I'll leave the finer details of how you will set yourselves up out there will be up to you. I would recommend you have at least one defending the Minerva at all times. Remember, OMNI wants us sunk and they have an opportunity to do that here."

Aila had figured she would be team lead for the field once she was well enough to go out again. Matt had made it clear he didn't want the position if he didn't have to take it. And with what had been on the display, Aila already intended the four of them to break off into pairs to work in. One pair would focus on protecting the Minerva from oncoming enemy forces. The other pair would assist in pushing OMNI back from Asgard with the Federation mobile suits. So, Aila nodded, "I planned to have us in pairs with one defending the ship while the other worked on OMNI." Aila paused for a moment, "However, what are we to do about the Impulse? By the sound of it, Shinn is working with a Federation mobile suit squadron somewhere out there. Is there anything you want specifically done in that respect? I would rather one of us not go off on their own to go looking if it can be helped. Not with what I saw on that screen. The one who would go off would be swarmed by OMNI and taken down given time."

Talia agreed with Aila that it was unwise to have any of the Minerva's pilots to go off on their own with the fight going on. Were someone to do so, the Minerva could do little to help them if they got into trouble. It was more a way to potentially lose a mobile suit and pilot be killed to go that route as Aila said. "No, Aila, you are not to allow any to go out on their own. So, I make it clear no one is to go off looking for the Impulse on their own," Talia stated firmly. "Should any do so and get back to the ship, I will be disciplining them for reckless endangerment. The four of you can keep an eye out for the Impulse. And should it be spotted and isn't too far from the Minerva, you are free to assist it. Beyond that, focus on defending the Minerva and pushing OMNI back from Asgard, that is the priority." Talia left the briefing room and headed back to the bridge to get to work on final battle preparations.

After Talia left the room, Aila rose from her seat and went to the front of the room and faced the other three. "Well, we have our work cut out for us I would say," Aila began. "As I said, we will be working in pairs which I will assign. One pair will stay with the Minerva and be its defenders to intercept and counter enemy attacks. The other pair will be further out working with the Federation defending forces to oust OMNI. Yet, they will not stray too far from the ship in case the defending pair is pressed by OMNI." Aila stopped as normally the team lead would have the "best" mobile suit to work with which in this was the Osiris. However, she wasn't up to serious and likely harsh combat maneuvers just yet. Thus, she would be in the defending pair with the Minerva. But Aila felt the non-defender pair should have the Osiris instead of the other. So, Aila glanced at Matt, "Matt, you will be taking the Osiris and I'll work with the ZAKU Blaze. I'm not up for harsh aerial combat just yet, so I'll be in the defending pair while you will be in the other." Matt nodded understanding Aila's reasoning for her decision. Aila continued, "Now, as the Minerva is only carrying one Guul, that means it will go with the non-defending pair."

While Luna still wasn't fully happy with the Minerva getting involved with the fight around Asgard, she wasn't in the position to argue it. However, she would get out and do everything she could to help Shinn get back to the ship. So, she was determined to be the one to use the Guul and be on the non-defending pair. "I'll take the Guul," she said, "I'll just equip the Slash set and be good to go." Aila looked at Lunamaria for a moment. She knew the girl was determined to go out and fight to help Shinn return. And while her enthusiasm was great, it wasn't what was needed at the moment. Plus, Talia had just said none of them were to go out on their own searching for the Impulse. And Aila would be helping Talia in the disciplining of any that did that after being told not to.

Then, Aila planned for Rey to take the Guul and work with Matt away from the ship, not Lunamaria. It was the far better option to go with for two reasons. First, Luna didn't get along with Matt and argued against his orders/instructions and that hadn't been correct yet. With the combat between the Federation and OMNI, it was the last thing the Minerva needed. Second, Rey had better skills and experience fighting at mid and close range than Luna did. The fight on the frontlines would be mostly mid to close range combat as far as Aila had seen. So, she shook her head, "No, Luna," Aila replied before twisting to gaze at Rey, "Rey, you will be taking the Guul and working with Matt on the frontlines."

Luna blinked at what Aila had just said. She had not "ignored" Luna, but she had refused her commitment to go out. Instead, Aila had stated Rey would go out which wasn't bad but didn't make sense to Luna. She and Rey had roughly the same amount of battlefield experience. Then, Luna had volunteered to go out first, which should logically have her doing the job unless there was a reason Rey could do it better. Luna couldn't think of a reason that Rey could do the job better than her. So, she would ask the reason why Aila was choosing Rey over her before arguing. "Why is Rey taking the Guul instead of me, ma'am," Luna questioned evenly, controlling her frustration. "I volunteered to take it out and am willing to do what it takes to get the job done."

With the outburst Aila had heard in the mess, she had figured that the girl would be high-strung for the time being. However, with circumstances as they were, being emotional would be more detrimental which would do potential harm to her if not others. Not only was Rey more in control of his emotions while Luna was not, but his skills were also more favorable in this situation than hers. Thus, Aila sighed knowing Luna would unlikely take her explanation well. "I appreciate your willingness to volunteer for a job Lunamaria. However, in this situation, Rey's skill set will be more proficient on the field around the frontlines." Luna was about to argue that, but Aila held up a hand to stop her. "I'm not saying your skills would not be helpful. Yet, the fighting will be more mid to close range combat, and Rey is better at that kind of combat than you are. Your specialty is long range and are the best the Minerva has with that skill. You are more average when it comes to midrange and close-range combat. It has also come to my attention that you don't work well with Matt. As he will be the one in charge of the frontline pair, I think it best the two of you are not paired together."

Luna deflated slightly at being told what she was by Aila. She knew her best skill set with a mobile suit was mid to long range, specifically sniping. But she'd done alright with mid and close-range fighting during training and in the battles the Minerva had gotten into so far. And yes, she wasn't the fondest of Mr. Dems and how he did things. His sudden appearance and claims had rubbed her the wrong way. His orders didn't always make sense and he didn't give any kind of explanation most of the time. However, Luna was willing to put up with the guy if it helped Shinn make it back to the Minerva alive. Her friend's life meant more to her than her pride. "But I-" Luna began, but Aila cut her off. "I'm sorry Lunamaria, but this isn't the time to argue. You will be paired with me defending the Minerva. So, I would recommend you equip the gunner wizard instead of the slash."

Luna bowed her head knowing she wouldn't be able to change the decision being made. Aila was right, Luna wasn't thinking as she should with the fight ahead. As much as she wanted to help Shinn as quickly as possible, he needed as the old phrase went, "more haste and less speed." In other words, Shinn needed the most effective help when he could get it instead of the fastest assistance which could get to him. Luna was worried about him, but even she could understand cool logic was right in this situation. She would help Shinn when she could, but Aila was right in implying she would have to be patient about it.

Aila saw Luna seemed to understand she couldn't do as she pleased in this situation. She'd hoped to talk to her before this came up and lay out things so Luna would comprehend the point. Helping Shinn needed to come down to the best kind of help rather than the quickest he could get. There had been no information as to how long OMNI had been assaulting Asgard before the Minerva had arrived. Should Shinn have been in the battle since the beginning as was likely, he would be worn in some way Aila wouldn't doubt. The Federation could potentially and likely have done battery resupply when needed. However, Aila couldn't see how the Impulse's equipment could be resupplied by Asgard. So, Shinn would be stuck with the Force set from the start and if he lost anything, there was not a way to get another. "I know we are all worried about Shinn and the Impulse," Aila continued. "But the priority needs to be helping end OMNI's assault on Asgard. We all know what we need to do in this, so board your machines and ready yourselves to head out. The sooner the battle comes to an end, the quicker we can find the Impulse and help it get back to the ship."

Aila directed the others to board their machines and ready themselves to head out to the battlefield. Luna boarded her red ZAKU and told the mechanics to equip it with the gunner wizard. Rey went to his Phantom requesting the slash set be equipped before it headed out. Aila watched the two younger pilots boarding their machines. Lunamaria still clearly had frustration she was dealing with, and it was showing. On the other hand, Rey was calm and collected as he normally was. That was one of the unsaid reasons Aila had paired Rey with Matt. Rey would be more in control than Lunamaria would be in this fight, while Luna would be letting her emotions affect her. Hence why Luna would do better on the defensive rather than at the front lines where small mistakes could come with a hefty cost.

Aila nodded at Matt as he was heading for the Osiris's cockpit, which he returned. Aila then moved toward the other ZAKU the Minerva had to work with. It had been meant for Shinn to use when he wasn't being a backup pilot for one of the Gundams. And it would be the machine Shinn would be put back to should nothing change when he returned. Aila felt Shinn's skills were better suited for a Gundam-type, but she didn't have the authority to change suit assignments. Talia would have to make that decision and Aila hoped she would put Shinn to a Gundam.

Aila told the mechanic who checked in with her that she would take the blaze equipment to work with. The launching order for the Minerva's mobile suits was Aila and Lunamaria for the first set. That would be followed by Matt and Rey with the Guul set to the catapult right after the Osiris. Aila's ZAKU moved to the right catapult and received the guided missile launcher the set gave a ZAKU. She also took the beam assault rifle that came out of storage for her before looking forward. The linear catapult opened and Aila got her first real view of the battle going on just ahead of the Minerva. The image that Talia had shown had given the impression things were a mess and seeing it with her own eyes merely drilled the point home for Aila. It also showed the battle would unlikely end in a short period of time. Aila launched out and then landed on the Minerva's upper deck behind the starboard catapult.

Luna was out shortly after Aila headed to the field and landed on the other upper deck platform behind the port side catapult. The view of the fighting between OMNI and the Federation was even worse from what Luna could see. What she'd seen in the briefing room and been messy to say the least. Yet, viewing the fighting with her own eyes it was hard to tell which side was making any progress over the other. Both the Federation and OMNI were appearing to be taking losses and not letting that dampen their standing. And now the Minerva was about to wade into this battle and who knew how long the fighting would last for. The Osiris and the ZAKU Phantom came out of the Minerva a moment later. The Osiris shifted into its armor/flight mode and climbed to be just below where most of the fighting was taking place at. Rey landed on the upper deck right in front of Aila to wait for the Guul he was going to use. The Guul shot out and Rey jumped onto the lifter before following the Osiris.

After the mobile suits had launched out, the Minerva surged forward toward the designated position it had been given. The Minerva's weapons had all been switched to active use and pointed toward the OMNI ships ahead beyond the Federation vessels. The Federation vessels had formed two defensive lines one in front of the other facing off against OMNI. Talia had the bridge lowered to its combat position. And what was coming in with Burt, OMNI was pushing against Asgard's defending forces hard. Meyrin had informed her that the ship had been linked into what seemed to be general Federation communication frequencies. Thus, the Minerva was hearing the chatter between Federation vessels and Asgard's command center. They weren't apparently being put into the chatter going on with the mobile suits. Talia didn't see much of an issue with the Minerva being kept out of the mobile suit coms. It could've helped with potentially locating the Impulse, but the chances of that had been slim. The Federation was holding their defensive lines and hadn't let them fold so far. Talia didn't know how much the Minerva could help move the ousting of OMNI along. But they would do what they could to assist so they could get the Impulse and Shinn back. So, Talia began giving out orders as the Minerva moved into the fight.

A/n

That's where I'll leave off for this phase and pick up in the next one which will finish off the battle around Asgard. Now onto the highlights from this Phase and there are a few to go over. Let us begin with the first scene and go from there, shall we? So, before got into the Alliance's assault on Asgard, remember that Tyler "prodded" those on the Minerva to do something and that translated into the Minerva going to Asgard to retrieve Shinn and the Impulse. I know in canon the Minerva would be around Carpentaria around this time, but again I only "loosely" follow canon overall. You will find that the Minerva does have more notable interactions with the Federation than other ZAFT ships in my story. So, there is a reason that I have the Minerva "off-the-books" for this event. I would state at this point in Destiny, the relationship between ZAFT and the Federation is better than fine, but not trusting allies. Thus, they aren't enemies like the Federation and the Alliance are. And it is standing Federation policy that non-Federation military forces do not get too close to Federation military complexes and facilities. I will explain more about that in later phases, but I wanted to put that out there.

Let's move on to the scene on the bridge when Arthur comes on. So, remember, Talia didn't inform the crew about what the ship would be doing before it left Gibraltar. Talia knew time was of the essence and so the Minerva had to head out as soon as possible. Due to that, there wasn't the time to question the crew about whether they were onboard to going to Asgard to get Shinn and the Impulse. Talia was aware that she would have to explain the point after the Minerva was on its way, Arthur was just the first. I also wanted to give Arthur some time on screen to show some of his character. He is tactically minded as Talia notes, but he is willing to accept explanations from some as they are given and not ask further questions.

Next, let's go over the "planning" session which those in charge of the Minerva go through. Now, I know I list the best-case scenario, but for those who have read this story, you know the best case rarely happens. So, I spent more time on the worst-case scenario as that's pretty much what is ahead of them. In this phase, I do go into the "reputation" that the Federation's Asgard base has and viewed by the other factions. I've hinted at Asgard's reputation with others before this, and I've said it is seen as a symbol of the Federation's strength and power on Earth. Attempts by the Alliance and ZAFT have been made to "test" the base's defenses have been done. None of those attempts had any success, which feeds the view of the place being an unassailable fortress.

The worst-case scenario of course is the Alliance attacking Asgard when the Minerva arrives which is the case. This is more than concerning to ZAFT for a few reasons. First, it would draw the Federation into a war which the Alliance was pushing. Think back to how things changed in the Alliance-PLANT War when the Federation came into fully. With that in mind, I think most of us understand why ZAFT is worried with a war on the horizon and the Federation coming into it. Second, the Federation isn't an ally and could potentially become an enemy to ZAFT if conflict pushed things in a bad way. And third, the Federation's position and influence on Earth is what essentially keeps the "peace" even if loosely there. Should that standing change, a war would be a certainty and it would be a worse one that it could be if the Federation kept their standing.

Talia knows that the Minerva is more than likely to come into a fight around Asgard. That sets the tone for the contingencies which she and Arthur work on. In essence, it comes to either getting in and out quick or going in for the long haul. And that hangs on whether Shinn is in the fight or watching from the sidelines. You readers know the answer from the last Phase, but those on the Minerva don't know of Shinn volunteering to help.

Moving onto the next scene in the Minerva's mess with Luna and Rey, let me go over that. Now if it isn't obvious from what you read, Lunamaria has not been in the best mood or really even in a good mood since coming down to Earth. I know I've been portraying her as an emotional teenager, which she is to an extent, but there is more to her than that. For those who watch canon, you might have a guess as to why she is acting up. I will state that she is "worried" about Shinn, more than others and give hints as the story progresses. However, I want to focus on the consequences and effects of her emotional attitude. For the last few phases, Luna has been "acting up" which have been tolerated for the most part. Aila tries to keep Luna from going too far as the girl respects her, but that only goes so far. Matt and Rey are more trying to keep Luna from lashing out at other members of the Minerva's crew.

Now when this scene starts, Luna is at the edge of her breaking point. And I can't really blame the girl as there had been nothing about Shinn for two weeks or so. Of course, Aila had told her that Matt and she were looking into finding information about Shinn's situation and whereabouts. However, time hadn't been kind to Luna as it her emotions had been boiling and, in this Phase, got the better of her. When Luna unloads on Rey, you got to give the guy credit. Rey takes Lunamaria's outburst without reacting in kind which isn't as easy as some would think. Aila and Matt step in of course, and help Rey, but the guy had emotional discipline, you got to give him that. The "interaction" between Matt and Aila is telling for the both of them. It shows Aila is the "nice mentor" while Matt tends to be the upfront soldier. I'm not saying that Aila can't be serious when she needs to be, we see that later which I will go into later.

Shifting to the scene on the bridge, things weren't looking anything like the best-case scenario. In the last Phase, I gave a general view of the scale of OMNI's assault on Asgard, and it wasn't small. And while the Minerva is a powerful ship, it is still one ship, not a one ship armada as it can seem sometimes. The view from the sidelines of the battle only shows a mess that is extremely difficult to pick apart. I would remind you readers that the Federation had tactical and technological advantages. Those advantages really make a difference for the Federation's military. In Asgard's case, while the Minerva is having issues sorting out the mess, Asgard isn't having the same problems. Thus, the potential quick option for the Minerva to get in snatch up the Impulse and get out is gone. And then, I've implied it before this, but the Federation encrypt their communications just in general, but more so during combat.

I want to take a moment to talk about Meyrin at this point as I think she is a character which doesn't get the attention she deserves. We know her as the Minerva's communications and mobile suit controller, but there is much more to her than that. It is implied in canon, but I will state it outright, she has some awesome technical skills. Yes, she would need those for her job, but it goes beyond that. We see it later, but I show some of it in this Phase, but Meyrin has hacking and computer/system manipulation skills. They are nowhere near Tyler's skill level, but there are some similarities between the skill sets. She does want to do what is asked of her and will try her best in the tasks she is given even when some would say they are impossible. So, let this be the first view of what Meyrin can do and some character development for her.

Back to the scene on the bridge, Meyrin manages to get a message to the Normandy using elements from Tyler's message the night before. That translates into getting Asgard's high command to reach out to them. Now, I will state that it is rather rare for one of the Federation's Admirals to speak to those who are not Federation personnel or military leaders of the other factions. That is the reason Talia and Aila were surprised when Talia spoke with Elle. The Federation's military doesn't reach out to others for help with their own issues when they come up. So, the situation the Minerva is in is one of those which isn't foreseen and don't tend to be recorded on record.

The last scene of this Phase has a few things I want to point out. Now, originally, Aila was to be team lead when the official one that had been planned wasn't available, which had been Ryan Peters. So, she was essentially the second in command for the Minerva's mobile suit teams. Aila has command skills if that wasn't visible, and I will be showing that in the Phases to come after this. The battle setup is a logical one two on offense and two on defense. I want to point out that Aila is aware of the issue that has come up between Luna and Matt. It is the reason Aila didn't want Luna working with Matt. The fight is bad enough without having arguments between one another. Thus, Aila has Rey working with Matt rather than Luna. Plus, Aila recognizes Rey's skillset is better suited for the fight they are going into for the offensive rather than the defensive.

In conclusion, there will be one more phase for this event. The last one will be action-packed; I assure you as it will be the battle climax and ending. I'm sorry this event is being broken up into parts. But if I didn't do that it would've ended out being well over 30k words and that just too much to read in one go if you ask me. So, the three parts is how it worked out and it fits together better in the end. As always, I ask some of you to take the time to write a review and tell me what you think of the Phase. I take comments, critique, and questions as they come from you readers. I try not to give spoilers with the questions, and I ask if you critique, to be constructive about it and not just say you hate the story and bash about how it is written. The next Phase is on track so far and so I hope to have it ready in around two weeks. It is titled: "Neflheim Siege: Turning Tides." Peace out until the next Phase, please stay safe wherever you are.