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

33. Phase 33: Calm Before the Storm

A/n

Here is Phase 33, and yes, there are some changes from what the original version had. Enjoy the phase readers!

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Phase 33: Calm Before the Storm

May 21st 71 CE

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The Archangel, Alaska

After meeting back up with the Archangel's crew, the next twenty minutes were spent getting the mobile weapons back onto the ship. As Tyler came into the hangar, he caught sight of the Buster in a dock. If his health were going better, Tyler would have wondered why and how one of the stolen OMNI units was here. But Tyler's health had caught up with him, and he knew things were going badly for him. He may have told Lisa that he was managing and he would see a doctor soon, but he was coming to realize it would be more a matter of him being rushed to a doctor. Tyler's breathing was labored and was getting worse as time went on. He could feel dampness under his suit, meaning he was likely bleeding again. What was worse, Tyler suspected that the stitches over his right lung had likely ruptured.

Once the Freedom was in a dock, Tyler had the cockpit open and the seat rise so he could exit. Tyler intended to head for the Archangel's infirmary and hoped the doctor there could help him. He was to the point that he knew he needed help, and waving it off and being tightlipped about it would be detrimental. So, Tyler crawled to the zip line and began descending down towards the hangar deck. However, Tyler could feel the lightheadedness and the sweat under his suit, saying things were going downhill quickly. It may come down to crawling to the infirmary, or Tyler feared being carried there.

Lisa had moved the Shadow into the dock directed by the mechanics in the hangar. It was her first time on the ship that Tyler, she, and the others had been looking into on Heliopolis. She'd seen the blueprints of it, and the ship was designed well for space combat. From what Lisa had seen, the ship's interior made sense overall but had things that were done oddly. She did remember where the infirmary was thankfully as Tyler would need to go there sooner rather than later. The battle they had been in would have taken a toll on Tyler, and any toll was multiplied with his health. So the moment the Shadow was locked into the dock, Lisa moved out of the cockpit and used the zip line to descend.

Kira also moved the Strike into its dock, much like the Freedom as Tyler had called it had done, and the Shadow was just finishing. Mu and Krystal had brought on the skygrasper and the other aircraft they had used, and those were being moved for storage. Kira was just so relieved that Tyler was alive and had found his way back to them. The past month had been torture and had Tyler's friends lost on what to do. His presence would help with many things, especially now with what happened at JOSH-A.

As Tyler descended towards the deck, he could feel his health was plummeting quicker than a stone falls. Concentrating was becoming difficult, keeping awake was harder by the minute and that was just the simple things occurring. And while Tyler didn't like to admit when he was dealing with his own problems, he would admit them when they got to a certain point. He knew his recovery wasn't being helped with his pushing to get to the Archangel as he had. Doctors had been clear in saying that Tyler needed bedrest, a solid month of it at a bare minimum. But Tyler believed that if he hadn't gotten here, the Archangel would have been sunk and his friends dead. So, as much pain as he was in, and the poorness of his health, it was worth the price to save them.

However, just after the zip line came to a stop, pain surged up and coursed through him. Tyler's grip on the line involuntarily released, and he collapsed to the deck hard. He was face down, and his body was trembling as pain wracked him. Tyler couldn't move on his own, the pain was overriding any orders from his brain. Also, his breathing had become harder, now coming in wheezes and gasps each pain-filled. It was like something was sitting on his chest again, but not a ridiculous weight. A hand had gone to hold the right side of his chest, which told Tyler his assumption had been right. The stitches over his lung had likely ruptured, and blood was seeping out. Tyler's hand squeezed there to try to slow the flow of blood, but that increased the already horrible waves of pain. The nearby mechanics hadn't missed Tyler collapsing, but they weren't sure what was going on.

Lisa moved over towards the Freedom just after she got to the deck. She would check on Tyler and then if need be, drag him to the infirmary to get him looked over. However, she found he was writhing on the ground by the time she got over to where she figured Tyler would be. It was a worrying sign that Tyler's health had taken a bad turn which was the last thing he needed. She knelt next to him, removed his helmet, and wasn't encouraged. Tyler was gasping for air, his skin was close to white now, and his forehead was damp with sweat. He needed a medical professional, and he needed one hours ago, that much was clear. So, Lisa helped Tyler start rising to his feet, but an amount of blood was expelled from his mouth along the way which was a turn for the worse. So, Lisa took Tyler's left arm, put it over her shoulders, and lifted him the rest of the way while putting her right arm around his waist. "Come on, Tyler," she said, "Let's get you to the infirmary."

Tyler twisted his head to look at Lisa, "I think," Tyler wheezed, "my stitches," he stopped gasping, "have ruptured."

Lisa heard Tyler's assumption and figured he was likely right. If that was true, the issue was that that came with multiple problems such as bleeding and breathing difficulties. Tyler had already lost more blood than he should, he needed the bleeding to stop, so he wasn't in more danger than he was now. Thankfully, due to Tyler's blood type, it simply a point of needing someone's blood, he could have any type. Lisa would even give her own blood if that were required, she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Kira had been talking with Krystal after getting to the hangar's deck, saying he was okay before he went to find Tyler. However, when Kira looked in the Freedom's direction, he was met by a horrible sight. Tyler was being supported by the one who had come from the Shadow, and Tyler didn't look to be walking on his own. Granted, Kira had seen subtle signs that Tyler wasn't doing the best regarding his health. But Kira hadn't thought things with Tyler were as bad as he was seeing now. So, Kira rushed forward to Tyler's side and was further horrified at seeing Tyler closer up. His face was almost white, most of the color had been drained from it. Then, blood came from Tyler, and he was breathing in near rasping, which only increased Kira's concern. Kira shook his head, got on Tyler's right side, took his right arm, and put it over his own shoulders to support Tyler. Both Lisa and Kira carried Tyler from the hangar through the corridors to the infirmary.

Krystal didn't miss Kira running off, and when she gazed after him, her eyes widened. Another was supporting Tyler, and Kira quickly helped in that. Tyler looked more than ragged, he looked like he had been assaulted and had come off on the losing end. It made her wonder how Tyler could have not only gotten here but piloted a mobile suit in combat. It was obvious that Tyler's health was bad putting it mildly. She couldn't help but respect that type of dedication from another.

Doctor Graham had been putting away files of injured crew members. The last battle had caused quite a few of the maintenance crew to be caught up in explosions. Their injuries had been superficial to serious, and that had taken his time to patch up. He had been busier as this ship's doctor than any of the previous assignments he'd had. But just as he was about to finish, the door to the infirmary slid open, and three people came in. It took a moment for Graham to recognize Ensign Yamato, who was supporting someone else. The person that Yamato supported was gasping or rasping and looked bad when it came to health. "Doctor Graham," Kira started, "Please, he needs help now."

Graham directed to the open bed table, to which Lisa and Kira lifted and placed Tyler on it. Tyler's eyes were glazed over, and he was still breathing in wheezes and rasps. Lisa undid the neck clasp of Tyler's suit and went through the process of opening the torso part of the suit. It was the first time that Graham had dealt with a Federation spacesuit, so he was glad the woman had opened it. However, he was shocked by what he saw under the suit, the young man's body was wrapped in bandages. Worrisomely, there was a growing crimson spot over the right side of the man's chest. There were other red spots, but not as deep crimson or as large as those over the chest. It was clear the young man had endured a horrible event and had come off the worse for wear. So, he didn't waste any more time, hooking Tyler to equipment to watch his vitals.

Kira was in num shock at seeing Tyler's body with his pilot suit open. He was covered from the neck down as far as Kira could see in bandages. There were also red spots that said Tyler was bleeding or had at least. The crimson area over Tyler's chest could have something to do with his breathing issues, but Kira couldn't be sure. The sheer amount of bandages suggested that Tyler had been through a great deal. That his friend was alive seemed to be a miracle from what was visible.

Graham was glancing over the readings from the medical equipment and wasn't encouraged. The young man's injuries were extensive from preliminary examinations, which was fixable. However, the bleeding was problematic as blood was coming out at a rate that helped this young man was slim. And Lisa could see the concerned expression, "It is likely he is bleeding from ruptured stitches over his lung," she said.

Graham removed the bandages and saw that the woman was right, but with the blood flowing out faster than he would be able to fix things, this didn't bode well. "I can see that," Graham replied, "Unfortunately, he is losing blood at a rate that I won't be able to help him in the time it would take."

Kira was panicking at hearing Tyler could die. His friend couldn't die when he had just gotten back to the Archangel. If he was losing blood, then couldn't he just be given more to replenish what he was losing? Kira would do anything to prevent Tyler from dying, whatever he could do. "Doctor Graham," Kira started, "What if he could be given blood?"

Ensign Yamato suggested could work if it was the correct blood type and could be done quickly. But Graham didn't know the young man's blood type or if anyone on this ship had the required type. "I would need his blood type and then a matching kind Ensign," Graham began.

Lisa could see where Kira was going and if Tyler could get blood and the bleeding stop, it would be a good thing. "He had blood type AB negative, so any blood will do, type does not matter," Lisa replied.

Graham would admit that the young man having the universal receiver blood type was one of the few good things he had going for him. But the Archangel's infirmary didn't have blood on hand right now, so any would have to be given from a person. Graham was about to say that they would still need a willing volunteer, but he never got a chance. "He can have mine," Kira said without hesitation, "Just tell me what you need me to do." Graham would applaud Yamato for his willingness to help the one he and the woman brought to him. It was admirable for him to give blood to another without hesitation. It made him wonder who this young man was, he hadn't heard a name yet.

There wasn't the time to argue the point, the young man on the table needed medical work done on him quickly. So, Graham directed Kira to a chair next to the table while moving to the small pump with two tubes connected to it. The device would be able to draw blood out of a person and then pump it into another. As Graham got one of the tubes into Tyler's right arm, he looked to Lisa, "Could you make sure no one comes in," he asked, "the fewer bodies in here, the better right now." Lisa nodded and exited the infirmary while Graham moved over to Kira with the second tube. "Are you positive you are okay with doing this?"

Kira hadn't been as sure about something as he was about giving blood to Tyler. Tyler had helped Kira time and time again in all sorts of things whenever Kira needed him to. This was one of the times that Kira could help Tyler and those were rare. With all that Tyler had done for Kira, including saving his life, Kira wanted to make it up to him now. So, Kira nodded, "Yes, I am, doing so can help him," he answered.

Graham bowed his head and put the needle into Kira's left forearm. The needle stabbing into Kira's arm stung, but he ignored the pain before Graham started the pump to transfer blood. Once the blood transfer started, Graham got to work on Tyler removing the bandages over Tyler's chest. He quickly saw where the bleeding was coming from, which was from the long but thin opening over the young man's lung. There were stitches, but more than half of them had ruptured by what looked like physical stress. The stitches would need to be replaced after the opening was closed as best as possible, so Graham got to work removing the stitches. Kira watched as Doctor Graham as he worked to save Tyler's life and his blood was flowing into Tyler. And he wondered just how much Tyler had gone through to get back to the Archangel, it couldn't have been easy in anyway.

Meanwhile, Lisa was standing guard outside the infirmary as per request from the ship's doctor. She was still worried about Tyler, but at this point, his life was in the doctor's hands as she couldn't do anything to help him than she already had. It wasn't more than a few minutes before Krystal came into the corridor with the infirmary. She saw the woman that had come out of the Shadow standing outside the Archangel's infirmary. She looked in her early twenties and was in a Federation pilot suit. Krystal walked up to the woman, "I assume that you're standing outside the infirmary due to something Doctor Graham said," Krystal posed.

Lisa had seen the brunette woman approaching from the direction of the ship's hangar. She had likely come out of one of the aircraft she'd seen in the Archangel's hangar. Tyler had mentioned the Archangel had two armor pilots with them, and Lisa assumed this was one of them. The armor pilots were supposed to be aces, the Hawk of Endymion and the Lunar Peregrine by what he said. If this was the Lunar Peregrine, then the woman wasn't as stories suggested, but the same could easily be said of Tyler. So, Lisa nodded, "This ship's doctor said he wanted the least bodies in the infirmary while he works."

"Fair enough," Krystal replied and would have said more, but Mu and Sai coming into the corridor stopped her from doing so.

Mu saw Krystal standing outside the infirmary with a woman he didn't know. He assumed that an unknown woman had come on the Shadow. That they were standing in front of the infirmary suggested someone could have been hurt. The most likely to be "hurt" that Mu could think of was Tyler at the moment. Granted, the kid may have looked okay, but his worn face and the shuffle which he had done back to the Freedom said otherwise. The real question was how bad Tyler's condition was right now, and Mu didn't know if he wanted the answer to that. However, Sai was the first of the two to speak, "Where's Kira," he began, "And is Tyler okay?"

Lisa sighed, "The ship's doctor is working on helping Tyler and has asked others not be in the infirmary while he works." Mu didn't like the inference that Tyler was being worked on, it said that the kid's injuries were serious. And the woman hadn't said where Kira was, though Mu would bet the kid was in the infirmary himself. With the loyalty Kira had shown for Tyler, Mu would be surprised if the kid were anywhere else. Sai moved forward, but Mu stopped him, "If the doc says he wants to have less in the room Sai, best to let the man work with that help," Mu stated.

Sai struggled for a moment, "I just need to check on Kira and Tyler," he shot back.

Lisa could see that Tyler cared as much about the friends he had as they did him, they really did care about one another. She would be shocked if Tyler's friends here weren't very worried about him right now. They had probably thought he had died when the Shadow was destroyed, it was a logical conclusion. If Lisa hadn't found Tyler when she had, and the rescue team extracted him, Tyler wouldn't have likely survived. "Mr. Yamato is in there supplying blood for Tyler right now, so you would be a hindrance," Lisa said simply.

The mention of supplying blood increased Sai's struggling and the other pilots' worry. For Tyler to need blood given to him did not bode well for the older teen, the opposite really. Mu was still holding Sai back as Krystal spoke, "How bad is Tyler's condition that he would need blood given to him?"

Lisa frowned, "Are you sure you want to know," she asked, "The answer isn't nice." Krystal nodded as Mu was busy holding Sai back, so Lisa continued, "This will be his sixth blood transfusion if that says anything." Krystal was horrified at hearing Tyler had needed blood given to him that many times. Lisa kept going, "He really should be in a bed for a month or more to recover to even a decent level, but he refuses to do that. Thus, his poor health has caught up with him, and his healing injuries have reopened. Your ship doctor should be able to help Tyler, thanks in part to Mr. Yamato giving blood to Tyler."

Sai was having trouble keeping the panicking down from hearing what Tyler had been going through. Yes, it was wonderful that Tyler was alive, but he was far from okay right now by the sound of it. Sai knew he wasn't the only one worrying about Tyler, Miriallia, Tolle, and Kuzzey were just as concerned. They would rush down here when they found out Tyler was in bad condition. But Sai knew that Mu holding him back was the right thing to do, even if Sai didn't like it. So, he stopped struggling against the Commander and took the time to calm down. "Sorry, Commander," Sai muttered, "I lost it for a moment."

Mu let Sai go, "I don't blame you, but I think Tyler needs less haste and hovering right now than worry and pestering," Mu remarked. He then exhaled heavily, "Krystal, why don't we report what we know and help get things in order. I have a feeling that Tyler is going to be in there for a time."

Krystal followed Mu as she agreed that Tyler would be with the doctor for a while, and there was still a lot to do. The Archangel was still doing repairs, and they were down a few mechanics due to injuries in the battle around JOSH-A. And that was before what they would do next going forward. Sai stayed at the infirmary entrance, not wanting to leave until he knew Tyler was at least out of danger. And this woman seemed to know Tyler and what he had been through recently since he had been considered dead. Sai also recalled that this woman was one of those around Tyler's place in Shira. But beyond that, Sai hadn't heard of any kind of relationship between the woman and Tyler. Not that Tyler having a potentially romantic relationship with a woman was Sai's business, but he'd never given any hint of such a thing. Sai was still left to wonder how the two knew each other. "So," Sai began, "How do you know Tyler?"

Lisa stared at Sai for a moment, thinking about what she could tell him and what Tyler had potentially had said. She couldn't say things, mostly due to Federation protocol with missions they had done. And there were some of Tyler's missions the majority of SOLAS assigned that he couldn't talk about them. Lisa had her thoughts about those, but she didn't ask about SOLAS missions Tyler may or may not have been involved in. That was the thing with SOLAS, they got tasks that weren't discussed, usually because of the nasty nature they could involve. Even the non-SOLAS missions were not discussed with non-military personnel. It was the kindness the Federation's citizens were given, they weren't told about all the efforts that went into protecting them and giving them peace. Thus, Lisa hesitated for a moment, "First, my name is Lisa Malto, and we've worked together on some things. And because of that, we got to know one another and became friends."

Sai could tell this Lisa was giving "vague" answers, but he couldn't figure out why she wasn't giving specifics. It also made Sai realize that he and the others didn't know Tyler as much as they thought they did. It had been a surprise to find out that Tyler was a soldier for the Federation's Military. None of them had ever expected that, there had been no hint of such a thing from Tyler. "What kind of things have you worked with Tyler on," Sai asked.

Lisa sighed as the teenager didn't take the hint that military business wasn't something that was normally discussed. "I'm unable to give much detail other than we have worked on assignments together for the Federation's military. Military protocol doesn't allow discussion of operations with civilians, please understand that." Lisa paused, thinking about what she could say about what Tyler did and had done for those on this ship. "Truthfully, you're quite lucky to have Tyler as a friend. He has done a lot to prevent those on this ship from facing harsher hardship along its journey. You don't see much of what he did for this ship and its crew," Lisa remarked. "He was nearly killed when the Shadow was destroyed, and that was yet another thing he did for those here."

Sai wanted more details about what Lisa meant by "Nearly killed." His mind was racing with ideas and possibilities of what that reference could mean, and none of them were good. And if Doctor Graham was working on Tyler, that implied he was doing poorly. Sai looked at the floor, "How bad is his health?"

Lisa hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should give too much detail about how bad things had been for Tyler. His injuries had been bad enough, his recovery had made that clear he would be on a hard road ahead. Lisa would doubt Tyler would not want others to know about his Recoyal Syndrome. The way that he'd reacted when he had explained the illness said he was ashamed of it. "Put simply, he had been going on a rough road to make it to where he is right now," Lisa remarked. Sai looked at Lisa with an expression of stern determination, which Lisa took as to give more detail. "The Orb hospital did what they could when he was brought to them. He had two blood transfusions while he was there and was stabilized. Tyler was then transported off of Earth to a medical institute. That institute managed to reconstruct the bones that had been shattered in the Shadow's destruction. His burn damage was fixed through regeneration treatments, so there are no marks left from the burns he got." Lisa paused, "The worst issue he has is a lung injury complication, which is what the ship doctor is working on right now."

The extent of the injuries that were listed for Tyler horrified Sai. Injuries like those would take most months to recover, even enough to be considered on the road for improving health. Granted, Tyler had looked more than tired when he had met the crew, but he hadn't looked that bad that Sai could recall. But apparently, Tyler's health was far worse than any of him or the others had thought. Learning that Tyler was in such a bad condition increased Sai's worry. "He was really injured that bad," Sai muttered.

Lisa nodded, "As much as I wish it weren't true, Tyler was indeed at the edge of death. He wouldn't be here if not for the doctors at the institute that helped him."

Within the Archangel's infirmary, Kira watched Graham working on Tyler. The stitches that had been removed had revealed an incision that went to Tyler's right lung. From what Kira could see, the lung appeared to be healing from an extensive injury which he couldn't say what it had been. Graham closed the wound and put in new stitches, which helped slow the bleeding Tyler was having issues with. It was painful for Kira to see Tyler as hurt as he was right now, to see him as "broken" as he was. Tyler had gotten these injuries by using the Shadow to block the Aegis from reaching the Asuka. The Aegis had detonated and destroyed the Shadow in place of the Asuka. Had Tyler not done so, Kira would likely be in Tyler's position or worse, Kira knew that. As Kira kept watching, he gained a feeling of lightheadedness, which he figured was coming from him giving Tyler blood. It was clear that Tyler's journey back here had been a long and hard one.

However, after an hour, Graham started wrapping new bandages around Tyler's body, signaling that he had finished his work. Even if his eyes weren't open right now, he was still breathing, and Kira would take that. Tyler would need time to recover, but that was better than him not being here and dying. Kira also wanted more information about where Tyler had been and what he had been doing while he'd been away. Tyler always seemed to know what was happening and at least more details about the potential why. Kira had been wrapping his head around what happened at JOSH-A but had been unable to come up with anything solid. Kira's attention was turned back as Doctor Graham backed off, "I have done what I am able," he stated tiredly, "He is alive by some miracle, likely due in part to your blood."

Kira let out a sigh of relief, "Doctor Graham, thank you very much for your efforts," he replied in heartfelt gratitude. "I feared I might have to go through losing a friend a second time, but I'm glad I don't have to."

Graham glanced at Yamato and then to the one he had brought into the infirmary. He'd been wondering the story about the young man, and that Yamato saying he was a friend filled in a hole. The Archangel's mobile suit pilots had been friends as far as Graham had been led to understand. And just before Orb, there had been the report that one of those pilots had died in the battle, the Shadow's pilot specifically. Should this young man be that pilot, then Graham had a couple of questions. Graham had heard about the ship's "third" and "oddest" mobile suit pilot, he was a common subject of gossip among the crew. So when news of his death had circulated the ship, the majority had taken it rather hard.

Tyler McGregor was supposed to be a Federation soldier that was "helping" the Archangel. Graham hadn't heard much about why the said pilot would be helping an Alliance ship since Federation personnel didn't take sides in the war. And according to La Flaga and McAlester, McGregor was supposed to be some kind of ace pilot too. Of course, Graham had heard several of the stories about the Federation's Military and the pilots they had. Federation pilots were supposed to be on par with or better than ZAFT pilots on average. At least, records stated that the Federation had far fewer losses when they went against ZAFT than when OMNI did. In fact, Graham couldn't recall when the Federation had lost against either ZAFT or OMNI. Thus, if this young man was the Tyler McGregor Graham had heard about, he had even more respect for him. To survive a mobile weapon being destroyed was a serious feat in and of itself, none really argued that. And if it were true, it would explain the extent of the young man's injuries. There was evidence of burn regeneration treatment done along with bone reconstruction. Those two pieces alone pointed to serious trauma, if not a near-death experience happening.

"So then," Graham started, "Am I correct in assuming the one you brought me is the Tyler McGregor I've heard so much about?"

Kira hadn't been so naïve to have missed the gossip which had traveled the ship about Tyler. The three main subjects had been Tyler being a Federation soldier, the next had been his piloting skills and ability, then the last one was the clashes between Miss Badgiruel and him. Kira had wondered what Tye had done for a job, he certainly had an income from what he'd said. However, Kira hadn't expected his friend was a soldier, though it did explain some of the unique skills he had, his piloting skills for one. Then, every crew member knew of the "clashes" and "fights" that went on between Natarle and Tyler. They seemed to occur at least once a week when the two had been on the ship together. From what Tyler had said to him, those like Natarle never would get along with his behavior which he had no intention of changing. It made Kira wonder what Tyler had told his mother when reports of his "behavior" got to her. Ellen wasn't one to sit by and do nothing about issues that came to her that had been made clear to Kira. So, Kira nodded, "Yes, the one whose like you just saved is my friend Tyler McGregor," he admitted. "He is one I've found can be counted on when it really counts, so I'm beyond happy he is alive."

Graham bowed his head, "I can believe that with the injuries I've seen," the doctor returned. "This young man has been through," Graham paused for a moment, "pardon the old phrase, gone through hell and back before getting here. I'm amazed with what I've patched that he was able to get out of a bed and not only get inside a mobile suit but also pilot it in combat as he did. I assure you, the vast majority would have given up and done nothing or collapsed in the attempt." Graham headed towards the door, "Make sure when he wakes up, he heads in the direction of a bed, and a meal along the way wouldn't do any harm as well."

Outside the infirmary, Lisa explained what she could to Sai, which he had been having difficulty swallowing. An hour had gone by as the doctor had been working, and Sai hadn't gone anywhere. He wanted to make sure that Tyler was alive and at least awake enough to confirm he wouldn't be dying with his own eyes. Sai and the rest of his group had already been in the process of grieving once, and that had been horrific. Sai didn't think any of them would be able to do so a second time and continue to do any of the duties asked of them. It had been nightmarish the first time, Sai had barely been able to go through the motions, he couldn't if they lost Tyler a second time. So, when the infirmary door slid open, both Lisa and Sai turned to see Graham coming out. "I have done all I can," he said, "It will be up to him to recover the rest of the way."

When Doctor Graham said that, Sai rushed into the infirmary to check on Kira and Tyler. Lisa, on the other hand, bowed, "Thank you for your efforts, they are very much appreciated," she said before heading into the infirmary herself.

When Sai got into the infirmary, he saw Kira in a chair next to the main table in the middle. On the table, Tyler was wrapped in bandages from his neck down. He was breathing on his own true, which was a relief to Sai, and he knew it would be the same for the others. Sai turned to face Kira, "Is he okay, Kira?"

Kira was still dealing with the lightheadedness that had come from giving blood to Tyler. And though he saw Sai coming in, Kira wasn't able to get up yet to meet him and say to take it easy on Tyler right now. "I can answer for myself, you know," Tyler said from the table, but then he had to take the time to breathe in and out as pain flowed in him. "Ow, talking doesn't feel great right now." Both Kira and Sai snapped around to gaze at Tyler, whose eyes were open and looking at them. "I'm alive, feel crappy, but I believe I will be okay with sleep."

Kira smiled, "It's good to see you awake, Tye, you weren't looking good at all when the lady and I brought you here."

Tyler tried letting out a scoff, but it came out in a pained grunt instead. "Kira," Tyler started, "not looking good has been the story of my life for the last month, if not slightly longer."

Kira snickered a bit, "You're stubborn as ever, aren't you, Tye," Kira remarked.

Tyler groaned, "That stubbornness is what got me here and saved you and the rest Kira," he replied. Then Tyler looked down to see he was wrapped in bandages from his neck to his feet and no clothes. "Moving on, any chance I could get some clothes to wear? I would rather not waltz around in just bandages if I don't have to thank you very much."

Sai smiled, wiping his eyes, which were tearing up at Tyler's retorts. It made it clear he was alive and well enough to talk back to those around him. Tyler was likely in pain, but he would be able to recover here on the ship. He'd always been stubborn as long as Sai had known Tyler, part of his personality as far as he could tell. Sai and the others had become used to Tyler's stubbornness, though Miriallia had her moments of frustration with it. "I'll run and fetch you some clothes from your quarters, Tye," Sai said.

Tyler watched as Sai ran out of the infirmary before turning back to Kira, "How long have I been in here on this table," he asked.

"You've been in here with the doctor working on you for a little over an hour," Lisa stated. "Hopefully, here you will take the time to recover more than you did in the last month and a half." Tyler had little to nothing to say any response to Lisa's remark. He knew that he'd need a doctor after getting to the Archangel. His health was poor at best, and he needed rest for his recovery, which was still a long road. The ship doctor had mentioned getting Tyler to a bed and a meal along the way, as Tyler had heard. And he wouldn't say no to that, but there were still questions that had to be answered sooner rather than later. Lisa continued, "So, it would be best for you to get rest before asking questions."

It was a short period later that Sai reappeared with clothes for Tyler. Kira tried to get up from his chair but found the lightheadedness was still making things difficult for him. So instead, Sai assisted Tyler from the table and put on the clothes he had for him. Sai was still left to wonder just how bad things were for Tyler after what had been described to him by Lisa. The bandages wrapping him suggested Tyler's injuries were as stated. That implied that Tyler would need time to recover to his health to be close to where it was normally. Putting on clothes was certainly a more labor-involved task than it should be with disturbing the bandages as little as possible. Once Tyler was dressed, Sai helped Kira while Lisa did the same for Tyler and the group began heading toward the mess hall.

Upon arriving in the mess hall, Lisa moved Tyler to a table while Kira and Sai went to the kitchen and grabbed two trays. Kira then headed to the table and sat across from Tyler, and Sai set the other tray in front of Tyler. Tyler glanced down at the food, and honestly, it was some of the best smelling food he'd been around for weeks. Not to say that what he'd gotten around Lacus' place had been bad or anything, but he'd been on a limited diet back then due to his health. So, it had been a time since Tyler had a "decent" meal that wasn't with bland food. Thus, Tyler didn't waste time just grabbing the eating utensil and eating the food on the tray.

As Tyler started eating, Kira began to tell him about what had happened while he'd been away. Tyler had suspected much of what Kira was saying to him, it had been rather easy to figure it out. The Archangel had stopped by in Orb along their way to JOSH-A, where Lacus got off. She had told him about that stop when she had caught up with him at her place on Aprilius One. From Orb, the ship had made the near month journey to Alaska to meet with their "allies" they had been working to help. And as Tyler had known, the crew had been blamed for much of what occurred with the Archangel. Tyler had been dropping hints to the Archangel's officers about their standing with OMNI and the Alliance, but none had been heeded clearly. Then as Kira had told the crew for Tyler, the crew had been divided into those they wanted to keep and those they would dispose of. Tyler had considered telling the ship's crew about the point, but they wouldn't have listened to him any more than the other truths he had given them.

According to Sai, Mu, and Krystal had come back to help the Archangel and had warned them about the cyclops system. Tyler figured that the action the two armor pilots had taken had effectively destroyed any chance of a continuing career they could have had with the Alliance. Any that survived what happened at JOSH-A knew too much for the Alliance to trust and let live. Tyler had known it had been a matter of time before the Archangel's crew learned too much, and the Alliance tried to kill them. And JOSH-A's destruction had been the Alliance's way of cleaning the slate for themselves. He hadn't been happy that he'd guessed what means the Alliance had chosen to use to kill ZAFT forces. Truthfully, Tyler was just glad he had gotten to the Archangel in time to help them out since they had been in a bad spot.

At the same time, Tolle and Miriallia had just gotten off shift on the bridge. Tolle had convinced her to swing by the mess to get something to eat before going by the infirmary to check on Tyler. Sai had gone to do that earlier and had promised to the rest he would get an update about Tyler. The rumor was that Tyler wasn't doing the best right now, so Tolle figured doctor Graham might need time to help with that. Commander La Flaga had come onto the bridge and said Tyler was being cared for by the doctor, but little other detail other than that. Thus, the two had made their way to the mess hall to get food before seeing Tyler.

Kira had just gotten to the point when the Freedom had arrived on the scene when the mess hall door slid open. Those in the mess turned to the door and saw both Miriallia and Tolle walking in. Those coming in glanced over those in the room already, and they both came to a stop on Tyler. Tolle did spot bandages around Tyler's forehead and took that to mean that he was recovering. So he was about to grab Miriallia and prevent her from shooting forward, but she began moving before he could do so. Miriallia was relieved to see Tyler there and alive she couldn't stop herself from rushing forward and embracing him. There was so much she wanted to say, to shout at Tyler, and to tell him how sorry she was for things she had said.

The moment Miriallia hit him, Tyler felt pain surge and flow throughout his body, reverberating back and forth. And it wasn't that Tyler thought Miriallia was trying to cause him pain, he knew the girl wasn't. She'd been worried as all of his friends likely had been and so were relieved that he was alive and here. It was just that Tyler's health was at the point that normal gestures were not welcome since they induced pain. However, Tyler didn't have the strength to get Miriallia to let him go, let alone tell her to back off. It was taking all he had not to wheeze and rasp in pain with his right lung as it was.

After what Kira had seen in the infirmary, he knew Tyler wasn't up to a lot of things. And the expression he caught a glimpse of on Tyler's face, Kira could tell the hug from Miriallia wasn't feeling good at all. As much as Kira could sympathize with Miriallia hugging Tyler to make sure he was there and alive and showing how much she missed him, it wasn't helpful. So, Kira got up and briskly made his way to the other side of the table and began tugging on Miriallia to get her off Tyler. Sai saw what Kira was doing, and he agreed that Miriallia's action wasn't a good thing right now. It took a moment for the two to get Miriallia to back off, and she wasn't happy they were doing so. She quickly started berating them about stopping her welcoming Tyler back after she'd been forced to back off.

The moment Miriallia was off of him, Tyler sunk back to the bench, processing the pain still coursing through him. It was dulling as time passed, but there was still a lot of pain Tyler was dealing with from the simple gesture. Tyler was forced to use the table to support himself by his elbows and forearms as his body trembled from the pain. Lisa could see that the embrace hadn't been a good thing for Tyler. However, a quick scan over him showed no crimson spots, which was better than the alternative. Tyler had just been patched up, it wouldn't be good should he need to go back to the infirmary the same day to have it done again. That Tyler needed the table to support himself, said that he would be on the floor if it hadn't been there. Thus, Lisa could only put a gentle hand on Tyler's shoulder, making sure he knew she was there to help should he need it.

Tolle had been about to attempt to calm Miriallia down and help both Sai and Kira, but his attention was shifted. That came when he saw Tyler fall back to the bench and then, shortly after that, hunch over the table. Tolle then took a moment to look Tyler over more critically, and horror began to fill him. What Tolle had thought was a white long-sleeved shirt, in reality was a short-sleeved one with Tyler's arms wrapped in bandages. Tyler's body was also shaking as he was hunched over the table, which didn't seem like him laughing or anything of the sort. Also, Tyler's skin looked paler than Tolle had ever seen it before, it wasn't too far from being white. So, Tolle moved forward past the others, "Tye," Tolle started, "Are you uh, okay?"

Tyler was taking in as deep of breaths as he could, which were coming in ragged gasps in the hope he could steady himself. He'd heard Tolle's question, but the answer was so complicated right now Tyler didn't know where to start. Yet, after a moment, Tyler twisted his head slowly to look at Tolle, forcing a smile that he didn't feel at all. "That is a complicated question, Tolle," Tyler replied before he rasped and his right hand when to his right side. Miriallia had ceased her argument with Kira and Sai when she heard the ragged gasping that came from Tyler. She had whipped around to gaze at him and took in his extremely pale skin. Tyler continued, "The nice way I can say it is that I've had much better days than the ones I've been through the last few weeks." Tyler grunted as the pain surged again, "If the bandages I'm wrapped in don't tell you things have been bad for me, I doubt my curses could tell you much better."

Miriallia was taking in all the bandages Tyler was in and was filled with guilt that she had hugged him in that condition. If she had just taken a moment to see Tyler's appearance, she would have seen he was doing poorly. So, she bowed her head, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, Tye," she said in a wavering voice, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Tyler glanced at Miriallia, knowing the girl hadn't meant anything harmful by her gesture. He would bet that she had just been so glad he was alive that she couldn't contain herself. "It's fine, Miriallia," Tyler returned before breathing in and out, "You didn't mean to bring the pain, hard not to right now. But if all of you could pass the word along that hugging and the like is to be avoided for the time being to others, I'd really appreciate that. I need time to be able to handle simple things and not feel crummy if not worse."

As Tyler finished his meal, the others sat around him, talking about what they had gone through. They said he had been right, and at least they had believed him even if others hadn't. Tyler felt it comforting that his friends had believed the warnings he gave to the crew. It made it feel like he wasn't wasting time talking essentially to a wall or something like it with what he said. Tyler would love to tell them what he'd been through while away, but he felt it wasn't the right time yet for them to know. But after he finished the meal, all five there helped him back to the quarters that still appeared to belong to him. Tyler was grateful for his friends who would help him in hard times, which he was definitely going through right now. Kira and the rest with him left Tyler's quarters as he had quickly dropped off to sleep. Kira would say that Tyler had definitely needed sleep and had more than earned it. He could wait for a better explanation of what Tyler had been up to while separated from the Archangel.

Lisa left the teens and made her way to the ship's bridge to hopefully find the captain. She would be on this ship, for the time being, best Lisa made that known fact and did not have strained relations with the crew. From what Tyler had mentioned, the majority of the crew were reasonable people. The only exception had been the vice-captain since Tyler clashed with her as far as Lisa knew. Lisa doubted that Badgiruel would have been any nicer or accepting of Tyler if she'd seen his personnel file. It clearly stated that Tyler would not follow orders unless he agreed with them or came from someone he respected. The vice-captain had learned that there was no better way to say that the hard way.

Lisa came onto the bridge and found a light skeleton crew at the needed stations. However, the one in the captain's chair was the woman from before that had talked with Lisa outside the infirmary. And Lisa was sure the woman wasn't the captain, but one of the two armor pilots likely filling in to give the captain a break. With the lack of crew, it was understandable that the crew would fill multiple positions to manage the ship.

Krystal had twisted in the captain's chair at the sound of the bridge lift's door sliding open. She had been filling in for Murrue so that she could have a break after what went down at JOSH-A. Both Mu and her had come to terms with the Alliance sending the Archangel to be sunk and kill the crew. Murrue seemed to be taking it harder than others that the Alliance had written them off while they likely thought nothing of it. Then there was the situation with Tyler, which only added to the list of difficulties they had. And now, the woman that had been with Tyler had appeared on the bridge, and Krystal couldn't think of why. "Is there something you needed," Krystal asked in greeting.

"I was searching for the captain to introduce and inform her about being on the ship," Lisa replied. Krystal told Lisa that Murrue was in her quarters, though she didn't mention that Mu had gone to "talk" to Murrue. Krystal figured Mu might have a better chance of helping Murrue come to terms with the Alliance's betrayal. So, Lisa left the bridge and headed for the captain's quarters which was along the officers' quarters wing of the crew deck. The set of quarters was on the opposite end of where Tyler's were if Lisa remembered the ship's layout right.

At the same time, Murrue tried to come to terms with what happened to JOSH-A and the fallout that came with it. She was still wrapping her brain around the fact the Alliance had left the Archangel and others to die at OMNI HQ. It didn't make sense to her that any of the General Staff or the Alliance leadership would be willing to sacrifice defense forces for a chance to kill ZAFT forces. It was borderline mass murder, and Murrue didn't want to believe the Alliance was so desperate that they would lower themselves to that.

Mu could see the turmoil Murrue was in, she was questioning the Alliance and what it was supposed to stand for. He'd been wondering much the same for the past month, if not two with the signs he'd been seeing. The silence from those who were supposed to be allies, along with the absence of help, had Mu reconsidering several things. Mu had known that OMNI hadn't been doing well in this ongoing war, and they hadn't been for over a year. The Alliance had been working on changing that direction with the Atlantic Federation's G-Project. Mu had not been sure before that OMNI getting mobile suits would help in the war, but the higher-ups had been claiming it would. And yet, Mu recalled what Tyler said about the Federation's "concern" in OMNI getting mobile suits.

Much like when he'd asked Krystal about whether the general staff would send the Archangel to be sunk, Mu's thoughts had changed. Before reaching Earth, Mu would have said it was unlikely Tyler and others within the Federation were right in what they suspected. Even with the "behavior" from those at Artemis, Mu would think that OMNI wouldn't be so foolish as to prod the Federation's Military. However, the continuing silence from OMNI and the Alliance had been sowing doubts in him. Those doubts had been growing up to just before JOSH-A when they had become serious concerns. What had gone down at JOSH-A had confirmed the concerns and said the Alliance leadership could no longer be trusted. That led to the possibilities ahead with the Alliance doing as Tyler said they would and them using mobile suits against the Federation. Mu focused back on the present, "You wish to talk about what happened at JOSH-A, Murrue," he asked.

Murrue faced Mu hoping that he could help her see reason where she could find none. The Alliance had betrayed them, those they had given so much for had turned their back on them with little thought. Were principles so meaningless now that they could be tossed aside so casually? Did the OMNI uniform now stand for victory at any cost, including the giving up of integrity and the essence of humanity? "How did things come to this, Mu," Murrue questioned, "When did the Alliance become so horrible?"

Mu sighed, "I don't have an answer to that, and I really want one, but I doubt we are the only ones that are asking that." Mu would have continued, but a knock on the door stopped him and got both Murrue and him to glance in that direction. Those on duty wouldn't need to come directly to the captain's quarters they could just radio down. Murrue said for whoever was knocking to come in, wondering who it was in the back of her mind. After the door slid open, a woman stepped inside, Murrue couldn't place. She looked a tad younger than Murrue herself, likely by a year or two, along with being somewhat shorter than her. This woman possessed long black hair that was in a ponytail which complimented her green eyes. And she was in a Federation pilot suit as well, but Murrue couldn't think of a reason for this person to be here. On the other hand, Mu recognized the woman as the one that had been outside the infirmary when he'd gone to check on Tyler. He'd never gotten a name for her, other things had come up at the time. "Can I help you with something, Miss," Murrue asked in greeting.

Lisa bowed her head, "My name is Lisa Malto, and I'm here to introduce myself," Lisa began. "I came with Tyler, who is unavailable since he is getting bedrest after this ship's doctor patched him up." Mu had told Murrue that Doctor Graham was "working on" Tyler but hadn't given much detail about it. She imagined that Tyler would have suffered injuries with being near a mobile suit detonation, let alone in the middle of it. Lisa continued, "I came with him in the Shadow as he was stubbornly insistent on getting here to help you."

Mu heard the tone that "stubbornly insistent" had been said in, and it had been in such a way to say Tyler had been not listening to others. The kid had likely ignored his bad health instead putting his friends' lives first. Mu could respect one that put the lives of others before their own, especially when they were friends. Thus, Mu had even more respect for what Tyler did, the kid truly went above and beyond what was expected of him. As much as others would insult and curse Tyler, the kid's actions spoke more for him than anything he said. "And out of curiosity, where did the Shadow come from," Mu asked, "the original was destroyed."

Lisa shrugged, "Teswa built a second unit," she replied, "Tyler knows some there, and they do things for him sometimes." Lisa paused, "But to business, I will be staying on this ship for a time, mostly to make sure Tyler doesn't do something stupid. Here is my ID should you wish to see it." Lisa took out the ID stick she had and made it project and display her Federation ID.

Mu was once again impressed by some of the things the Federation used, their holographic ID display was neat. Murrue blinked at the image being projected in front of her and glanced over what she was seeing. The ID stated the woman's name and that she had the rank of Lieutenant and she was part of the Federation's special forces. Murrue certainly wouldn't refuse another competent pilot on hand should the need arise. The Archangel had empty quarters still as no personnel had been added at JOSH-A. The ship needed any help it could get now, and their "allies" had only hindered. So, Murrue nodded tiredly, "Permission granted for being on board the Archangel. You can choose which quarters you use as there are so many free right now."

Lisa nodded before leaving the room, leaving Mu and Murrue alone again and back to the conversation they had been having. "We can't change what happened at JOSH-A," Mu said, "Even if it was wrong. The standing question is, what do we do now?"

That was a question that Murrue had been considering hard since JOSH-A. According to OMNI, as Mu had implied, the Archangel had been written off as sunk. Thus, there would be problems if they showed up in Panama and joined the rest of the main fleet. The best-case scenario was they would be court-marshaled, while the worst was being branded traitors and executed. "I can't see heading for Panama ending well for any of us," Murrue remarked.

Mu shook his head, "No, I can't either. We would be seen as traitors and be 'handled' as such. We know too much for OMNI to trust us again, or rather the Atlantic Federation won't trust us I would say," he replied.

Murrue sighed in frustration, "The decisions of the top brass make no sense if they want to end the war," she snapped. "How is sacrificing allies supposed to help end the conflict?!"

"I'm in full agreement with you, Murrue," Mu returned, "I can't make sense of it either. But perhaps it would be best we have the whole crew answering the question of what we do next."

A meeting was arranged for a day later that all of the crew was to attend. Lisa even helped Tyler to make his way to the bridge to participate in the said meeting. The moment the two got there, Tyler was offered a chair at the communication station right behind the captain's chair. While Tyler was grateful for the thought, he figured that it was others taking pity on him. Normally, Tyler didn't like nor accept pity from others that weren't close friends. But with his health, as it was, he didn't have the energy to refuse any offered to him. The painkillers were helping ignore the pain Tyler was still in, and that was the best Tyler could say for himself currently. Bedrest would be the best thing to help along with his recovery, and he knew that. However, it had been said this meeting was important and if at all possible he should attend.

Tyler did notice that only one mechanic was on the bridge, which Murdoch had as an in-charge when needed. He assumed that meant Murdoch and the rest were working their butts off, as usual, to keep the ship going. The Archangel had certainly seen better days, and would likely need an overhaul when it could get it to go back to being ready for service. Tyler would give the Archangel's mechanics credit for being dedicated to their jobs. The efforts they put forth for this ship were one of the things that kept the Archangel going, whether others admitted that or not. Tyler at least, had respect for the group, far more than any he had for the officers of the ship. Yet, Tyler's view of the Archangel's crew had changed as they now knew how the Alliance truly was.

Mu opened the meeting by speaking up first, "By what I saw, the cyclops system was the trump card that was going to be played from the start."

Murrue sighed, "And there was no hint of that to the defense forces," she commented, "We knew nothing until it was too late to do much about it."

"But how could they have known," Pal asked, "Headquarters would have to have known about ZAFT's real target for some time to put in a system of that size."

Tyler's thoughts returned to the possibility of a rat in the mix of recent events, it was the only thing that he could think of that would achieve the result. The informants that were in the National Defense Committee had been reporting the operation's target had been Panama. Only as Spitbreak began had such changed, meaning the informants had been kept in the dark as well. The list of individuals that could be said rat was getting smaller, but not enough to make a good guess as to who it was. But that enough in the Alliance had known was troubling as they had access to high-level information within both factions. Kira was the next to speak up, "If that is true, then did ZAFT have any idea they were aiming for Alaska before they started their attack?"

"No, they didn't," Tyler replied, "it wasn't revealed to them until the start of the operation. The Information Network confirmed that beyond doubt." Tyler paused, "It means that both factions have their liers, and such are very good at getting many killed."

Krystal had heard how good the Federation's Information Network was, it had been proven time and time again. But it begged the question of how it would have found out about what Tyler said. "Not that I doubt what you say about the Federation's network, but how would such a fact be discovered," Krystal asked.

Tyler sighed, "I will not disclose the means other than there are informants everywhere that provide information for the network." Tyler stopped, "And while I know the Alliance doesn't play nice, a cyclops system is an elaborate way to take out enemy forces."

"True, but you can't deny they also got rid of unwanted forces in the process," Lisa chimed in. "That would be a bonus to taking out a good chunk of ZAFT's fighting force had things gone as they wanted."

There was silence for a few minutes before Tyler spoke again, "Yet that goes back to the question of how the Alliance found out about ZAFT's real target. And honestly, I'm seriously starting to suspect a rat is at work."

Everyone was trying to figure out what Tyler meant by a rat, the term could have several connotations. However, Tolle voiced the question, "A rat, Tye? What are you talking about?"

Tyler shook his head since much of his knowledge of this type of subject came from his work within SOLAS. He'd discovered and hunted down "rats" before during his first year of service. Tyler disliked them as they were nothing but trouble and had no loyalty to anyone but themselves. And from his experiences, Tyler could see the signs which led to the kind of trail said rats tended to leave in their wake. "A rat is a term I use for those that are out to kill people and bring about destruction in their paths. They are your spies, your traitors, those that only work for their own goals." Tyler paused, "And the rat whose trail I'm seeing is a dirty one that is playing with both the Alliance and ZAFT while appearing to be helping them win against the other. It was this rat that I would bet told at least one Alliance higher-up about JOSH-A being the target."

What Tyler said painted a beyond grim picture of recent events. Mu and Krystal knew of the type of individuals that Tyler referred to, and it made sense as to how JOSH-A played out. Every war had its traitors and charlatans that looked like good people when they weren't. However, the rest of the crew were just trying to process the idea Tyler suggested to them. Miriallia couldn't help but speak her thought out loud, "But why would anyone do something like that?"

Tyler had never figured out what someone would become a rat. The idea made no sense to him, and nothing he'd learned from the rats he caught had helped answer the question. There seemed to be a fanatical obsession with them that was not explainable other than loss of sanity. Sanity was a fragile thing Tyler had found, so he couldn't say why some seemed to lose it easier than others. So, Tyler shrugged, "I've never figured out rats become what they do," he replied. "My best guess is loss of sanity or that some have odd and sick hobbies they use to get their kicks."

A feeling of unease settled over the bridge at Tyler's explanation of his view of a "rat." The kind of individuals that Tyler described was horrible and disgusting. Nevertheless, Kira spoke up, breaking the silence, "Then, what do we do now, what are the Archangel's plans to move forward?"

"Move forward," Murrue inquired, confused at the question, not knowing how to answer it properly yet. It was much the same that Mu had asked her, and Murrue still didn't know what was best yet.

"Well, we haven't been able to re-establish contact with the Alliance yet, due to the N-jammers in the area," Jackie said.

Arnold turned in his chair, "Should we make repairs in the field and then head to Panama on our own?"

Mu snorted at the question, "Oh, think they'll be happy to see us there? We know way too much for our own good," he said, and rightly so, for he had a point, and Tyler knew that.

"We're more a threat to the top brass than a help now," Krystal added.

"They'll probably say that we disobeyed orders, abandoned the frontline, and deserted while under attack," Murrue said in slight despair.

"So, even were we to return, all we would face would be a court-martial," Arnold remarked.

"And that would be yet another black mark on our record," Pal said.

"It's becoming harder to understand who or what we're fighting for," Murrue stated in frustration.

Tyler had been listening but not contributing to the conversation. And by the sound of it, Tyler was appreciating what he was hearing from these people. The crew of the Archangel was really good people that horrible people had used. They saw what the Alliance was like and did not just see the picture they put up. Tyler was all too familiar with what the Alliance was truly like, his SOLAS missions had made their true colors perfectly clear. And those on the Archangel weren't the same as the scum that led and made up the Alliance, and it was a wonderful thing they weren't. Even Natarle was a decent enough person that she didn't deserve to be fooled by the Alliance.

And after all the hints he'd been dropping for the last few months, it was gratifying to see them finally start to grasp the truth. It was a horrible truth to be sure, Tyler wouldn't argue nor deny that, but it was better in the end to know it. Much like Halberton, the Archangel would have a chance to start fighting for the right reasons. Yes, Tyler had learned that Halberton had started working with the Federation shortly after the battle of the Eighth Fleet in orbit. The Archangel could still make a difference, Tyler was confident in that. It would just be in a better way now potentially than it could have been known for. So, Tyler began to clap, which drew the attention of all on the bridge. "At last, you all are seeing the light," he said with relief. "And by that, I'm saying you're witnessing how the Earth Alliance and through them, OMNI, do business while not closely watched by others."

While Tyler had a point that the ship's crew realized that the Alliance wasn't as they portrayed themselves, he could have put it better. Yes, Tyler had said he'd been dropping hints to the crew, hoping they would see the trouble they had been walking into. He'd been frustrated that none seemed to be getting his hints, but Tyler had accepted it would take more than his word to convince them. Thus, Lisa sighed at Tyler's remark, "You could put the idea better, Tyler. You're right, of course, but we know that as we've seen stunts along the same lines as what happened at JOSH-A."

Even if Tyler was right about there being a rat, that didn't answer the question as to what to do next. That was an important question that needed an answer sooner rather than later. "Then," Kira said, and attention shifted to him. "What do you think we should be fighting against to end all of this?" There was silence at Kira's question as no one had any answer or reply to the question Kira posed. Even Tyler wondered what to say as this was so out of character for Kira. Kira's naiveté was normally very good at having Tyler's friend miss the non-blatantly obvious. This was one of those rare times Kira had a moment of clear view and understanding about a situation. Kira continued, "Whatever it is, I believe that it's time we started fighting against it."

Tyler would clap Kira on the shoulders if he had the energy and strength to do so with this awareness show. But with his health, Tyler couldn't congratulate Kira for the step he'd made forward from what his naiveté had done to him. He and Athrun had been working to help Kira with his naiveté for years. It was the nice thing they had been doing, even if in different ways. So, Tyler had a smile coming to his face, "Well said, my friend! How wonderful to see you're making progress forward from that naiveté of yours."

The meeting began to break up after that so that more consideration could be done as to the next action of the Archangel. Kira and Lisa went back to Tyler and helped him back to his quarters to get bed rest. He thought about talking with Murrue and slipping her a suggestion to head to Federation territory. That was the best course that he could think of, which Orb or the Republic would be the closest. Being in Federation territory would give time for the Archangel to consider what its next actions could be. Tyler had no idea what the best thing for them to do was, he was still working on recovering his health. It would take close to a month before the Archangel could reach Orb or slightly longer to get to the Republic. If he were to take it easy and get lots of bed rest, Tyler's health should improve a good amount to be ready for whatever was next. So, he dropped off quickly after being lowered to the bed in his quarters.

The next time Tyler woke up, he glanced at the clock display in his quarters and saw he'd been asleep for around a day. He got out of bed slowly and managed to get to his feet, and found his legs supported his weight. Tyler took that as a hopeful sign that he may be getting better and could do some things. Thus, he got dressed and made his way slowly to the mess hall and got a meal for himself. While recovery was slow, at least it was moving forward, and Tyler would take that as it was. And as he was awake enough to have a meaningful conversation, Tyler decided to give Kira the low down on the Freedom and what that involved. So, when Tyler crossed paths with Sai, he asked him to tell Kira to swing by his quarters when he could. Sai agreed to tell Kira Tyler wanted to talk to him before Tyler left to head back to his quarters.

When Sai told Kira about Tyler wanting to talk to him, Kira was curious about what his friend needed to discuss with him. It would be nice if Tyler told him more about what happened to him while he had been separated from the Archangel. However, that Tyler wanted a talk said that he was at least feeling up to more than sleeping as he had done all yesterday. So, Kira headed for Tyler's quarters to see what Tyler wanted to talk to him about. Upon entering, Kira found that Tyler was on his bed propped up on a pillow, clearly waiting for him.

Tyler glanced at Kira, "Take the seat at the desk, Kira," he said flatly.

Kira paused at the tone, as Tyler didn't have it often, normally only when the situation was extremely serious. "Um, Tye," Kira began about to ask what Tyler intended to talk about but never got the chance.

"That wasn't a suggestion, Kira," Tyler cutover, "sit your butt in that seat so that we can get this over with. I already feel crummy, and what we're going to talk about is unpleasant as can be, which is worse with my health."

Kira did as he was told instead of arguing with Tyler as it was clear that he was very testy about the chat he had asked for. Once Kira was in the chair, Tyler exhaled heavily, "What is going to be said in this conversation is to be kept to yourself until I say it is alright to tell others, is that clear?" Kira nodded slowly, not knowing what to think of Tyler's current attitude. Obviously, Tyler was not feeling the best, which contributed to his non-nice attitude. After Kira nodded, Tyler continued, "Before I said that, the Freedom came to me due to a chain of events I recently got roped into."

He paused, ordering his thoughts to get the point he wanted to get across to Kira. Tyler took his friend's naiveté into account, which Tyler had cursed over the years. It wasn't a matter of trust, Kira would comprehend that there was a need of trust with the events that had happened. And in this, Tyler wanted Kira to understand the stakes he was going to be involved with in knowing about the Freedom. "For the beginning of my recovery," Tyler started, "by what I've been told, I was stabilized in Orb before I was sent to Aprilius One. There, the medical institute did the needed work to help me make it through the Shadow's destruction. After that, I was taken to the Clyne residence to do the rest of my recuperation. Apparently, Siegel agreed to help me out before even knowing it was me according to what he said to me."

Kira wondered how Tyler could have ended out on the PLANTs and stayed at Lacus' place. Kira hadn't been there for years now, mostly as he'd been working on school, so Lacus had come to see him instead of him going to her. Tyler continued, "Once I was well enough, Siegel asked a favor of me." Tyler paused, and Kira had the thought that Siegel going to Tyler for a task was odd, especially with his health. Lacus' father, as the Supreme Council's Chairman, could ask a committee to handle something he needed. "I agreed to help with the favor, but the said favor came with consequences, and honestly, I'm getting off easy."

"But if Chairman Clyne had something he needed down, why wouldn't he just ask his secretary to have someone handle it," Kira asked.

Tyler knew the question was valid, and he would have had it if not for what Siegel had shown him made it clear what the task involved. "Well, two points I would state for that question," Tyler replied. "First, Siegel came to me with the information he did as it was dangerous, and I'll get to why in a moment. Second, the majority on the Council is going in a different direction than those like Siegel would have. Thus, it isn't a surprise that while I was there, Siegel was unseated as the Chairman and replaced, leaving him a consultant. That apparently happened before I woke up though I found out later." Tyler stopped knowing the next part wouldn't be seen well at all. "Which knowing that makes me respect the man more for what he did as I bet he knew what he would face for doing so." Tyler paused, gazing at Kira, "And please, no more questions until I finish this, after I'm done telling you, ask whatever questions you want."

Tyler took a moment to breathe in and out before he kept going, "Siegel showed me full specs on the Freedom and another unit which ZAFT's R&D had just finished developing. I have no idea how he got the files, my best guess is someone who felt they were dangerous got them to Siegel, but that is not the point. Minutes looking over the specs, I was more than concerned about what ZAFT had come up with. The N-jammer Canceller worried me as that will lead to the return of nuclear tech coming back, which means nuclear weapons." Tyler shrugged his shoulders, "Siegel said that there were some other than himself that wanted to get one of the units to the Federation. It was to have countermeasures for the n-jammer cancellers if ZAFT decides to work with nuclear weapons. Thus, the task that Siegel asked of me was to steal one of the units, which ended out being the Freedom."

Kira was horrified at what Tyler was saying and also what he wasn't saying, just implying. Siegel asking Tyler to steal a ZAFT machine could be seen by some as him helping an enemy. The man didn't deserve to be hated or cursed, Siegel had done so much for the PLANTs over the years. Tyler continued, "And though you won't like it any more than I do, Lacus insisted on helping, so she'll face the same kind of backlash." Kira shook his head, "Wait, Lacus was there too," Kira began, but Tyler held up a hand to silence his friend. "Yes, she was there, and against both Siegel's and my own reservations, she insisted on helping out on the theft. And for the record, Lacus essentially begged me to allow her to reach out to you and the others to say I was alive. However, with what was going on at the time, I felt it better than outbound communication was best kept to a minimum."

Kira didn't like that both Lacus and her father would be seen as traitors just for wanting to help things be better any more than Tyler did. And though Tyler had been against letting Lacus tell them Tyler was alive, Kira could see why Tyler had said no. Things had been tense, and the less involved, the better it was said. On a lighter note, Kira did have a thought that things could have been harder for Tyler. If Sakura had chosen to swing around home during Tyler's stay, that was so. From what Kira had seen around Shira, Sakura would have smothered Tyler with "concern." Either that or Sakura would have demanded who was responsible for putting Tyler in the condition he'd been in and then hunted them down. With Athrun having played a part in what happened to Tyler, Kira didn't want to know what Sakura might do if she found that out.

"Well, Tye, you're lucky that Sakura didn't choose to visit home while you were there," he commented.

That one sentence brought Tyler to a halt as his mind processed what Kira said and what it meant. During his recovery, things had been hard for Tyler, even the simple things that were done daily. The very idea of adding Sakura to that difficulty sent a shiver down Tyler's spine. That woman caused him grief when she got around him, and that sucked when he was in good health. Tyler didn't want to imagine what Sakura may do to "help along with his recovery" if she was made aware of his bad health. For all he knew, Sakura might just dress up in some sort of nurse's outfit and claim she would "take care" of him. And while Sakura would likely make said outfit look more than good, Tyler hadn't been up to dealing with her antics. However, Tyler's stalker could just as likely demand who was at fault for Tyler's health and then track them down. Tyler wouldn't doom his friend Athrun to the scorn of Sakura, he didn't deserve anything like that. Plus, Athrun was more than likely beating himself up about what happened, knowing him as Tyler did. Thus, Tyler laughed nervously, "Very true, Kira, glad she wasn't around there at the time. I don't think I could've handled her worries and affections that she shows me."

Tyler returned back to talking about the theft itself and how it played out. Kira blinked at hearing what Tyler did before boarding since it made no sense to him. Why Tyler would perform for the cameras, Kira couldn't say, it had taken the time he could have been leaving with the Freedom. But Tyler kept going with leaving the PLANTs and heading for Earth after meeting with a Federation vessel. Once on Earth, Tyler had taken the Freedom to Teswa and handed over the files he'd been given. As Tyler said, the Federation would undoubtedly begin working on countermeasures for the machines. Then he'd headed to JOSH-A to help the Archangel and its crew from the trouble he rightfully suspected they were in. Tyler ended his explanation after that, which left Kira to his thoughts.

While Kira was grateful for Tyler telling him about what he'd been through during his separation, he was also worried. He could understand now why Tyler hadn't wanted to talk about it in front of the crew. The mention of the PLANTs, Siegel, and Lacus would have inspired questions that would have dangerous implications were it to be learned by the Alliance. Plus, the crew would have been asking about Lacus, which Tyler likely didn't have answers for right now. Kira would wish her the best of luck, keeping herself from being caught by those that would chase her. But there were still questions that Kira had which he wanted answers for before he ever agreed to pilot the Freedom. "Was there no other way to do what you did and not put Lacus and her father in the position they are in now? You've always been good at coming up with plans no matter how insane they may seem and having them do what you want," Kira stated.

Tyler shook his head sadly as he had asked himself and Lacus that same question and cursed he didn't have an answer to it. "At the time, no, there wasn't any other way available for the time there was. I curse the point as I never like others to pay the price for my actions, it leaves a horrid taste in my mouth and chills my soul. But by what Siegel said, the National Defense Committee was already considering pilots, so time was limited." Tyler paused, grimacing, "Both Siegel and Lacus said they had accepted the consequences they would face. And unfortunately, with the ones that are in charge, they will be hunted as traitors even when they are working to help the PLANTs in the long run."

"And what you did before leaving with the Freedom," Kira posed.

Tyler blinked, then stared at Kira for a moment, wondering if he was joking, but found he wasn't. Tyler could only shake his head at the signs of naiveté coming into play. He should've expected it, Kira's naiveté would blind him with the purpose of Tyler's actions, both what he intended and the gesture he used. So, Tyler put a hand to his temple, "Of course, your naiveté would hold you back in seeing the point." Kira blinked at Tyler, saying he was naïve, it was the way Tyler told him that he was missing something others would see. But Kira couldn't think of anything he could have misunderstood. "And by your confused expression, you haven't a clue what I'm referring to," Tyler continued. "Once again, I'm left to wonder if you'll ever be free of it. You would do so much better if you didn't have your naivete, but then you wouldn't be yourself, and I wouldn't care as I do." Tyler took a breath, "What I was doing, Kira, before boarding the Freedom was drawing attention to myself and delivering a message, even you should be able to understand my reasons for the first part."

Kira blinked again, still with a confused expression on his face. Tyler sighed, "I wanted to draw attention away from Lacus and Siegel, and the best way to do that is to have it on myself, Kira." Kira's expression morphed into comprehension while Tyler continued, "It was the best thing I could think of to help them at the time. And rest assured, I will do what I can to help bail them out when the time comes. As for the message, I believe the gesture I used should say what I wanted to get across."

Kira tilted his head, "The gesture? But what does it mean," he questioned.

Tyler smacked his forehead and pointed the finger at the terminal, "Look up what does giving the middle finger mean historically, Kira. After you do, then we'll continue with the question you asked about my actions."

Kira did as Tyler told him, and a minute later, data came up for him to the inquiry he put in. He read over the first record that came up, and his eyes widened at what the record said. According to the record, Giving someone the middle finger is an offensive gesture in which a person flips up their middle finger in a fist to show contempt or defiance among other much more insulting things. If that was what Tyler had intended to tell those viewing the security footage, then what was he thinking? Council members could possibly view that footage! So, Kira whipped his head back to stare at Tyler, "Tye, what were you thinking?! Are you crazy?! PLANT government officials could watch that," Kira exclaimed.

Tyler smiled, "I certainly hope some of them do," he replied, to which Kira gawked. "My message was directed at those leading the PLANTs and ZAFT these days. Admiral Treize would likely laugh at seeing the footage from the stuff I've heard. And if that is the case and I meet him someday, I will bow to him and ask if he enjoyed the performance." Kira shook his head, "Tyler, this isn't the type of stunt that most wave off," he challenged. "Think if your mother saw it, you would be facing her!"

Tyler nodded with a sober look, "I'm well aware that I would be in serious trouble should my mother see said footage." Tyler's face changed over to having a happy smile, "Which is why I'm extremely glad the chances of her seeing it are extremely low. I couldn't care less what those leading the PLANTs think of me, they can hate and curse me as they please. I would still have done exactly what I did for the message." Tyler's expression shifted to a serious one, "But moving on, do you have any other questions with what I've told you? For there is one other point, we need to talk about."

Kira's shoulders slumped as it was clear Tyler wasn't in any way repentant, so it was pointless to argue with him on it. So, instead, he moved on to the other question he had, "Why bring the Freedom to me," Kira asked. "You said it fit my piloting style more than yours, which I can't say I agree or disagree with since I've not looked over the suit. Then, what did you mean you've seen another mobile suit you're interested in working with?"

"Well, that works on leading into the other thing we need to talk about," Tyler remarked. "You can look over the Freedom as you like, and I would encourage it before going out in it. But trust me when I say it will be a good fit for you, thus I'm entrusting it to you, Kira." Tyler paused for a moment, thinking about how to explain this without any misunderstandings. "And when I say entrusting you, I mean you will be involved with the whole chain of events that I went through with the theft." Tyler pointed a finger at Kira, "You will promise me that you will keep that mobile suit from falling into the wrong hands by whatever means are necessary. And when I say any means, I mean and means. If that means you shoot and kill someone, then you will pull the trigger and do just that."

Kira was again gawking at Tyler for what he was telling Kira he would be promising. Kira didn't want to shoot someone else, that's why he didn't aim for cockpits of enemy machines. And who were those that Tyler meant when he said the "wrong hands?" "Tyler, you can't be serious in asking me to promise that I would shoot another," Kira uttered.

Tyler's expression didn't change, "I'm dead serious, Kira," he returned. "And let me tell you why I am. Siegel, Lacus, and others put their lives on the line, facing imprisonment and execution to get the Freedom away from those who would be willing to abuse what it has to make this war so much worse. Should the Alliance get n-jammer cancellers, they will use nukes on the PLANTs then on Earth against those who stand up to them. ZAFT is not much different, they invented the cancellers, so I doubt the mobile suits they built will be the only thing they use nuclear technology for. The return of nuclear tech will take lives if used by those that want this war, then the loss of life will be horribly massive." Tyler paused, his lips tightening, "I believe it will be so bad that it would make the Bloody Valentine look a discomfort," he iterated angrily. "That is the reason why they must not fall into the wrong hands too quickly, not until countermeasures are made."

Kira could barely believe what he heard Tyler say. Lacus and those that had helped the Freedom get away would never betray the PLANTs, yet others would accuse them of doing so. His expectation of what would happen if the n-jammer canceller were to be acquired by the Alliance was horrible. Then the accusation that ZAFT was building nuclear weapons was concerning as Tyler seemed to know what he was talking about. But Kira didn't want to believe that nuclear weapons would be used both on Earth and off of it. Kira sighed, "And who do you mean when you say "the wrong hands," Tye?"

Tyler exhale, "Some you might imagine, such as most of the Alliance, much of ZAFT, and those that have hatred for a type of humanity. And that is why you will promise you will make sure no one takes the Freedom from you." Tyler paused, "Those on the Archangel are trustworthy enough that I'm not concerned about them in this. Yet those they worked for are in no way the same, what happened at JOSH-A is proof of that."

In the end, Tyler got Kira to promise, though reluctantly, that he would not let the Freedom be taken by others that would use its technology. It was with the understanding that it was for the greater good that Tyler managed to get across. Kira, after the conversation, went off to look over the Freedom while Tyler slept for most of the day. Tyler felt somewhat better with getting off his chest what had happened from the theft of the Freedom. However, Tyler did decide he would talk to Murrue when he woke up next. There really hadn't been much of a decision as to where the Archangel would go next. Yes, it was made clear that the ship wouldn't go to the Alliance, and Tyler didn't blame them. Should the Archangel go back to the Alliance, they would be branded deserters and/or traitors, whether via Panama or elsewhere.

Thus, the next morning, Tyler got out of bed and headed towards the captain's quarters after getting ready. He hoped that this time would be better than the previous experiences he'd had in the room. When Tyler was in the room, he was usually lectured about his behavior. However, having learned Natarle had left the ship, Tyler felt he would get along with the crew marginally better. Granted, Tyler knew that his behavior which Natarle didn't like, contributed to the environment on the Archangel. He still felt that Natarle would be used by the Alliance and completely ignorant of it. The woman's military mentality wouldn't let her consider the real possibility that those in charge could have their own agenda that wasn't the same as the organization's goals. That blindness would bite Natarle in the butt at some point in the near future.

However, Tyler was brought out of his thoughts when he reached the door to the captain's quarters. He had basically what he wanted to say in mind, even if he wasn't feeling up to answering potential questions. As he was on the ship, he would make his voice heard in what the Archangel did going forward. It was even more the case since the crew seemed to be more willing actually to listen to what he had to say. It would be the first time Murrue may take him seriously where she hadn't before. So, Tyler knocked on the door and waited for any response before heading for the bridge to find out where the ship's captain was.

At the same time, Murrue was going over data trying to decide what the Archangel should do next. The rest of the crew had made it clear enough that going back to the Alliance was not the way to go. The ship was essentially on its own with no one to report to and would be required to make its own decisions. Murrue was unsure what to do as the crew looked to her for direction.

She had started all of this as a Lieutenant supposed to be assigned to the electronic warfare station in the CIC. Never in her life had Murrue thought she would command a vessel before she was thirty. Thirty was seen as an early age to command a ship, and any younger was very rare in OMNI. Murrue assumed it was the same with ZAFT and the Federation, even when soldiers were younger than they used to be. Tyler being a Commander was more than odd, and Murrue would be interested in hearing the story of how it came to be. Honestly, the best choice right now for the Archangel would be to dock in a Federation port and get repairs done. However, Murrue was brought out of her thoughts when a knock on her door came. She looked up and wondered who it was that would be calling on her at this time of the morning. She wasn't due on the bridge for another hour since Mu had volunteered to take the late-night and early morning command shift. "Yes, come in," Murrue called.

Tyler entered as instructed, still feeling the glum as he normally did when coming into the room. Murrue was shocked to see Tyler coming in as he was the last one she would have expected to come and see her. First, Tyler wasn't one to come to any of the ship officers if he didn't have to, Natarle being the first in line for that. And then, by what she'd heard, Tyler's health was pretty bad, so he was in the recovery phase. Tyler had a slow shuffle from the rumors while he moved about the ship, saying his health was not good. So, Murrue had no idea what Tyler was here for, "Tyler," Murrue greeted, slightly confused, "What is it I can do for you?"

Tyler had to admit, the greeting he'd just gotten was one of the nicer ones he'd received on the Archangel from one of its officers. Normally, they would give him orders or lecture him about something he had done they didn't like. However, Tyler had other things to do like sleeping and recovering, so there wasn't the time to waste on pleasantries. "Captain Ramius," Tyler began but stopped at the expression Murrue gave him.

Murrue was gawking slightly at Tyler as he had never referred to her as captain that she could recall. Tyler had really not used titles or rank when addressing the officers of the Archangel, herself included. The only ones he had not used their last names were Natarle, Mu, and Krystal. Murrue assumed that the lack of titles and ranks was Tyler's way of stating his dismissal of respect to the same. Yet Tyler continued, "Why are you looking at me like I'm going crazy though not insane at this point?"

Murrue shook her head to come out of her daze, "Because I think that's the first time that you've called me by captain and either last or first name with the title," she replied.

While what Murrue said was true, Tyler had his reasons for not referring to the ship's officers by rank. However, those left on the Archangel had proven they were not like the rest of OMNI and the Alliance. They had shown they were decent people, as Tyler had suspected, and so he would give them a modicum of respect. So Tyler shrugged, "You've earned some respect from me, captain, or whatever way you prefer I address you as." Tyler paused, allowing Murrue to say how to address her. "Murrue or captain will be fine," she replied.

Tyler nodded, "Fair enough, Murrue," he said. "As I was saying, you've earned some respect from me, which isn't an easy thing to do. Those who have earned my respect can tell you I don't impress easily, Halberton is one of those. The way you protected your crew, ahead of the orders you were under, that is the mark of a good commanding officer." Murrue was somber at Tyler's remark as that was the closest thing to a compliment that he'd ever said to her. Yet, before she could say anything, Tyler kept going, "So then, on a different topic, I know the question has been put forth, but I haven't heard an answer to it, what is the plan for the Archangel going forward. I would doubt that any on this ship want to go back to the Alliance after what they tried to do to you all."

It was the question of the hour, so to speak, and it had been one that Murrue had been considering heavily. And at this point, she was willing to hear Tyler's advice as he always seemed to have some. "No, I don't believe any wish to return to the Alliance after JOSH-A," Murrue stated. "Many, I think, are questioning what it is we've been working for to get to Alaska to tell the truth. But I don't know what to do to move forward, there is just so much to consider before making a decision."

Tyler could sympathize with the situation that Murrue was in currently. It would be shocking if most, if not all on the Archangel weren't questioning what the Alliance stood for. The Alliance's goals were kilometers apart from what they portrayed them to be, almost like night and day. They claimed to be fighting the "good fight" on behalf of the defense of Naturals, but that wasn't what drove them. It was all about exterminating Coordinators, that's what they claimed indirectly, destroying all Coordinators would end the war. And over the years of the war, the Alliance had lost or gotten rid of those that didn't have that same view while keeping the noble picture of protecting Earth. "You've seen part of a truth that the Alliance goes to great effort to hide from as many as they can," Tyler stated. "So perhaps, it would do well to have time to think about the future before making a choice. And for that, it would do well to head for a Federation member nation as you won't be in immediate danger of being attacked. The closest ones would either be the Orb Union or the Republic, you can pick which you would rather go to."

Tyler's suggestion made sense, as the teen's logic always seemed to. That Tyler said what happened at JOSH-A was something the Alliance did, Murrue wasn't ready to accept that as truth. But to dock in a Federation port for repairs and to have time to think was reasonable. And with the current course and speed, the Archangel would reach Orb in around two weeks from now.

A/n

Okay, I'll leave off the Phase there and continue in the next one. Now, on to the differences that I want to elaborate on in this Phase. The first and most obvious change is the detail I go into with Tyler's injuries while on the Archangel. Originally, Tyler was "helped" to the infirmary and he was patched up and while in pain he was okay. Instead, Tyler is not doing well as in reality he would be with what he went through. Tyler didn't take the time he should've and so he was paying the consequences for the choice. I imagine that injuries such as his would take many months to get over at bear minimum, but not the point in the story. The other reason I changed Tyler's experience with getting patched up was I wanted to show Kira's and the rest of Tyler's friends reactions to the results of what Tyler went through. I also wanted to introduce the holographic projection tech that the Federation has. It is an idea that I will be developing going forward and thought the "ID stick" was a good way to introduce it.

Now onto the "conversation" that went on between Tyler and Kira about the Freedom and what came with it. I know I did this in the original, but I expanded it for a reason in this rendition. First, Tyler isn't in a good mood, not just due to the crapload of pain he is in, but he's had the time to stew about what Lacus and Siegel will face and isn't pleased about it. Thus, Tyler snaps at Kira about things and isn't trying to be mean to Kira. Kira of course can see this naivete aside, so does as told. I did throw in the "giving the middle finger" joke for you readers to make you laugh and to imply that things we do and say today would be seen as historical to the Cosmic Era and may or may not happen in general.

As I always ask at the end of Phases, please some of you write a review and tell me what you thought of the phase. You can tell me what you liked or what you think could have been better, I take the comments seriously and do what I can to improve. The next phase will be titled, "Moving Through Uncertainty," I'm confident I can have it out in the next two weeks. Peace out until then!