A/n

Here is Phase 58 for you readers. I hope you enjoy it.

Phase 58: Path Towards Peace

October 4th 71 CE

In the week that went by, the clean-up of the battle and the buildup of both ZAFT and OMNI were worked upon. The active work was done in eight-hour shifts, followed by pilots, crew, and other personnel getting sixteen hours to do what they would. Pilots would work their active shift doing patrols or being on watch, helping with the clean-up or disarmament of nuclear weapons. The job involved all armed forces from all three factions, as two of the factions had nuclear arsenals. Any influence of the radical element the Alliance and ZAFT had were rooted out or arrested. The undertaking of cleaning up the effects of the attempted nuclear standoff and shootout was extensive. However, it was a united effort that helped humanity move forward away from the near cliff it had rushed off. There was also accounting for the casualty count of those that had gone out that hadn't returned. Most, if not all, knew the cleanup from the battle and the war efforts wouldn't be anything besides messy and horrible.

It took a few days for Tyler to recover enough to volunteer to help with the ongoing work and be allowed to participate. Of course, he couldn't use the Aurora with it in the condition it had come out of the battle in. Instead, Tyler borrowed the Regenerate since Lacus stayed on the Eternal helping there. To put it mildly, he knew the Aurora would need repair, more like an amount of reconstruction and an overhaul. Tyler would get the Aurora back to Earth, and Teswa where he would beg those there to do the work. He'd taken a serious liking to the Aurora and wanted to use it for a while longer, or until it was destroyed, or should a newer and seriously better machine be offered to him. Tyler wasn't left to assist with the cleanup alone; he always had a friend with him. Normally, it was either Athrun or Kira working alongside Tyler to keep an eye on him. His health was still not good enough for Tyler to be left to his own devices for a great deal of time.

When Tyler wasn't on duty, he would be close to a ghost, not being seen by the Eternal's crew. He would be glimpsed in the mess when Tyler would stop by and eat a meal. Tyler was dealing with the things which had happened during the battle around Jachin Due. Many had died in the battle; one had been his friend and teammate, Alan. Alan had given his life hoping that Tyler would save Earth from being struck by a nuclear weapon. And while Tyler had done that by the end with the destruction of GENESIS, it didn't feel right. Tyler didn't want to admit Alan's sacrifice had been necessary to make such more possible. His former teammate had a family, and now they would be told of Alan's sacrifice and that he wouldn't come home again. And Tyler felt it was only right that he, at some point, face Alan's wife and son, telling them the truth and saying how sorry and grateful he was to Alan.

Alan's death wasn't the only scene coming back and playing in Tyler's mind from the battle. The altercation with Chairman Zala also came back, along with the fight with the rat. What had gone down with the Chairman could've gone so much better but not too much worse. Tyler had figured confronting the Chairman would not go well. The man wouldn't and hadn't listened to reason or facts, he wanted his lies and the garbage he had to justify his vendetta. When Athrun and Tyler had countered him with facts, the Chairman had waved them off, saying they were wrong. The man was humankind's true enemy per the full definition, regardless of what he argued against such a claim. Even with the attempt to arrest him so that he could live to see another day had been refused. In the end, the man's death had been necessary, required even to solve the problem the man was causing. Tyler regretted that Athrun had felt the need to help him handle the Chairman. His friend shouldn't have had to help against the man who wore his father's face and had his voice. That task should not be expected of Athrun and should've fallen on others to fulfill.

Then the memory of fighting against Creuset was the other collection of scenes that haunted Tyler. Tyler had been trying to save Kira from the rat who was attempting to kill him, but that hadn't happened as intended. Fighting that man before had normally had Tyler having the advantage of using a Gundam against the mask-man. In the previous battle, that advantage had been nullified as the rat had a Gundam of his own. The rat's Gundam had remote weapons, which had been difficult to deal with and had cost Tyler. And if not for Kira, Creuset would've likely nailed Tyler and ended his life. Granted, Tyler had thrown off the rat by telling him about the trap set for GENESIS, but that hadn't been enough. Then the rat played the last card he had as he died by detonating his nuclear reactor. While it had ended okay by the finish, the odds of that were low, and things could've gone far south.

The times that Tyler got sleep were the few times he didn't have to deal with the haunting memories. He worked hard enough to be exhausted when he reached his quarters. With the exhaustion, Tyler didn't recall any dreams he may or may not have had when he slept. He felt it was a mercy, and he didn't have a lot of those to work with, so he didn't complain about the point. However, Tyler's focus was a form of avoidance of facing the after-effects of the battle. The peace talks that were in the works would help humanity heal. Tyler did not doubt that. But a lot of damage had been done by the war, which would take more time after the said talks. There would be some things that wouldn't be able to heal from what the war had done to it. There would be work needing to be done for years for the human race to return to where it had been before the war. In the future, from that point, if it could be reached would be another matter for humanity.

The days of work blurred for Tyler, so he couldn't remember a great deal when looking back on the time. He didn't much care about the point as the cleanup job was one Tyler would rather forget. Tyler had gone beyond caring much about what went on around him. That included Sakura's behavior, which Tyler had never thought would happen to him. Sakura didn't push her advantage though she was tempted a bit to push with Tyler as he wasn't resisting like he normally did. She certainly enjoyed the cuddling she got with her beloved, which she'd been denied due to the war. Sakura may not get the response she wanted yet, but Tyler wasn't outright rejecting her. And it wasn't just the cuddling that Sakura liked; she was getting time with her beloved. She didn't let him out of her sight for long. When Tyler went out to work, so did she. When Tyler was eating or sleeping, so too was Sakura.

Nevertheless, as the cleanup work went on, Tyler's mind shifted to something else. Of those who had given their lives in the battle, his thoughts dwelled on Mu La Flaga. The man had died defending the Archangel and had seemed to have done so without hesitation. Tyler could respect those who fought for what was right and were willing to do anything, even give their life to do such. Mu had stood up and protected what he saw as important by making the ultimate sacrifice while others would shrink from it. The man had certainly been of a rare caliber that humanity didn't see every day, of a heroic level even. Humanity did need heroes in dark times such as the war had brought, Tyler believed that. Mu had stepped forward when called upon and had done all he could to make a difference. Such dedication deserved recognition for the valor and courage it required. Tyler felt Mu deserved a medal for what he'd done, not just for the Archangel but for the efforts to end the war. However, recognition medals weren't given out to just anyone or without good reason. Nevertheless, Tyler was confident he could successfully argue for Mu to get a medal. And if Tyler had his way, it would be the Federation's Medal of Honor, which was the highest honor a soldier could receive. So, Tyler shook off Sakura and got over to the Britania to make his case to Admiral Moses.

Moses had been busy with the cleanup operation that had been in full swing for a week. He had never imagined he would be overseeing the largest effort to disarm war efforts during his service to the Federation. Yet, he was doing just that, and while he was proud of the work going on, he wondered if it would be the start many wanted it to be for Humanity. The human race could move forward into a future it had only dreamed of before. However, it was also possible to swing back to the habits that had brought about the war. Of course, Moses would love nothing more than to see humanity leave behind the bloody dark past it had been stuck in and cease a brighter future. Yet, that wouldn't be simple or easy since humans were creatures that were prone to habitual behavior. However, Moses was interrupted by a knock coming on his quarter's door, which got him to raise his head. Moses wasn't expecting any to come by, and there had been no reports that implied officers would be communicating in person.

When Tyler heard the response to come in, he entered the Admiral's quarters. He'd readied himself to debate and argued his view that Mu deserved a medal for the service he had given. Tyler was no stranger to arguing his position on a given subject, not with how often he had to do such during his service in the Federation. It happened a few times a year but was normally done through reports and not in person. But Mu had made a serious impression on Tyler, so he would do what he could to get the man what he deserved. Thus, Tyler floated in and to the front of the Admiral's desk and saluted, "Begging your pardon if I'm interrupting something, Admiral."

Moses blinked, slightly surprised to see McGregor here. From what Moses had read, the teen had been injured during the battle and had been working on recovery. Tyler had been working when he could be, but that was his work ethic by what Moses had seen. McGregor had a reputation for not listening to doctors, as he probably should when he got injured. However, with the serious look on the teen's face, Moses wondered what he was there for. "Commander McGregor, it's a surprise to see you so soon again," Moses greeted. "It is good to see you on the mend, as I hear you were injured from the battle around Jachin Due." Tyler nodded, "Yeah, I got injured a bit during the event, which is why I have stitches and staples in me. But I'm on the mend and so am fit to work even if not at my best right now." Tyler paused for a moment and breathed, "However, that isn't why I'm here, sir. I'm here to recommend and justify a medal being awarded to someone I happen to know."

Moses stared at McGregor since this was the first time the teen would recommend any for a medal that Moses knew of. Truthfully, the teen was being recommended by some to receive the Federation's Medal of Honor for his critical efforts in the battle around Jachin Due. The teen had been absolutely needed to defend Earth and the PLANTs from being struck by nuclear weapons. McGregor had easily gone well beyond the call of duty and any expectations set on his shoulders. And it was becoming likely that Tyler would be awarded the medal given a little more time from what Moses had heard. Still, Moses would be interested in hearing who McGregor wanted a medal to be awarded to, which medal, and why. "I can make time, McGregor," Moses returned. "More so, as this is the first time I know of that you want to recommend another receive a medal for anything."

Tyler was glad the Admiral would make time to listen since he felt his argument would be a bit of a long one. Yet, Mu certainly deserved to be honored for what he'd done over the current year for not just the Archangel but to help end the war. Tyler took a breath and began, "To start, the person I'm recommending is OMNI's Commander Mu La Flaga. The man wasn't the normal expected OMNI soldier as I thought he could be upon the first encounter. He quickly proved to me he had the honor and fought for what he believed was right. The values I observed were much like our own, wanting war to end with as many alive as possible. The man defended the ship he was on under serious hardship, even when odds were high, he would die doing such." Tyler continued talking about Mu, describing his character, which set him apart from OMNI. And he had no shortage of material to say about Mu being an honorable man with real integrity.

Moses listened to McGregor's argument about this Mu La Flaga. He'd heard about the man who was OMNI's Hawk of Endymion, for there had been reports about him. La Flaga was one of the few good pilots OMNI had left at the start of this year. Most of the rest had either died or come to the Federation to work to end the war. There had been discussions as Moses had heard to approach La Flaga and offer him a place in the Federation's Military. However, he couldn't say where those had gone as the Intelligence Agency or the Mobile Suit Core normally did such things. Yet, for Tyler to talk about the man as he held Moses's attention as the teen was an uncannily accurate judge of character.

"He was willing to defy orders to save his life to help others that had been consigned to die." Tyler took a breath and kept going, "The Alliance still had use for him, but he decided for himself to fight for the right reasons rather than follow orders that would keep him alive. If that doesn't show his character, then I don't know what could do much better. At JOSH-A, La Flaga dove into a battle he knew would be a lost cause, but he didn't hesitate to do what he did. And while I know OMNI and the Alliance aren't above tossing away lives for their benefit, JOSH-A was a new low. Due to the efforts of the man, odds were better for us to defend our citizens along with ending the war as we have." Tyler kept stopping for a moment, thinking about what Mu had done while in space, not just for the Archangel but for many. "In the end, he made the ultimate sacrifice to save the Archangel and gave a better chance for others." Moses nodded at what had been said, "You have certainly made a good case as the merits Commander La Flaga had. I have no doubt his presence will be missed by many. However, you have said little about what medal you want him to receive and why. He would be the first outside the Federation to receive a Federation medal; you are aware of that."

Tyler breathed in, "Yes," he replied, nodding, "But La Flaga would be a wonderful example of the caliber expected to have a chance of such recognition. And I was getting to my reasoning. I wanted to recommend Mu La Flaga be awarded the Medal of Honor for his service. He has met the requirements of the award. He went far beyond the call of duty to save lives and work for the betterment of humanity. His efforts showed the best of humanity and made a difference in ending the war." Tyler paused, knowing there was still one other step he needed to do: the one he wasn't confident with. To get this considered, there had to be not just one person making the recommendation, and there had to be a second who agreed. The one Tyler had in mind for that. He was fairly sure would support the idea of getting Mu the medal of honor. But Tyler hadn't asked or brought up the subject with them before this. And Tyler had already put in more than thirty minutes into this debate, so he didn't want that to be wasted. "I know I need another to agree with my assessment and support it to be considered." Tyler hesitated, "And I would ask you to reach out to Cormag Swift for that. He knew La Flaga far longer and likely better than I did, so he can be an excellent judge in this."

Moses considered what McGregor had just put out in his "case." The Medal of Honor was the highest honor and wasn't given out to many. McGregor knew what was required for the medal of honor to be considered for any. Thus far, he'd met two out of the four. There was still the secondary recommendation that Tyler had already pointed to. The final hurdle was there to be a meeting of four admirals to discuss whether it was a good decision. There was already one of those going for McGregor as the teen spoke. Tyler waited for Admiral Moses to speak and give him an answer. "I will say, Commander," Moses began, "You have given a solid case to be considered. It is clear you have come to respect Commander La Flaga. And with your judge of character, that is quite the compliment to the man. Give me a moment to reach out to Commander Swift to see if he will agree with you and support the recommendation." Moses typed a command on his desk console, and a moment later, a voice was heard, "Yes, Admiral, what can I do for you?" Moses took a breath, "Can you reach out and get Commander Swift on the line so I can talk with him?" The response was quick to the request, "Certainly, Admiral, one moment."

When the call came, Cormag had been off active duty; he'd gotten off a little over an hour ago. He'd been winding down he was told an officer was asking for him to talk to them about "something." Cormag was curious about what an "officer" would want to speak to him on. He did little wrong or questionable to get called out on things. Normally, he was praised for his actions and performance more than when he worked within OMNI. Cormag when to the desk in his quarters to take the call. He was surprised when the face of Admiral Moses came onto the vid-screen. The man was the Federation's top admiral, so he had a lot on his plate. For him to take the time to talk to him about something made Cormag wonder what the talk would be about. "Admiral Moses," Cormag began, "To do I owe the pleasure of you calling me?"

"Commander Swift," Moses started, "I have Commander McGregor here, and he requested I talk to you about something he brought up. He has been in front of me making a case for Mu La Flaga receiving the medal of honor." Cormag blinked at being told Tyler was in front of Admiral Moses and was making a case for Mu to receive the medal of honor. Not that Cormag didn't feel La Flaga deserved recognition for his work. Mu had been one of Cormag's better students while teaching at the OMNI academy. "You don't say, Admiral," Cormag mused, "And what did McGregor say La Flaga has done to warrant gettin the medal of honor?"

Moses gave a summary of what Tyler had told him in order to answer Swift's inquiry. Cormag listened and was impressed by what Tyler had noticed around La Flaga. Sure, he knew Tyler had greater than good observation skills. The kid had shown that to him before. But Tyler had seen things that most missed with La Flaga. It was a shame, as La Flaga was a real good guy and had rare qualities. Cormag could see some of the reasons why Tyler made a case for Mu to get the medal of honor. And that led to the reason why Cormag was called, which he now knew was to get a second person to support the case. Cormag had heard that Mu had sacrificed himself to save a ship, and he respected the man for doing that. From what rumor said, Mu had done that for those on the ship he'd been with, which Cormag believed. Once Moses finished, it left Cormag thinking for a moment, "I take it I'm being called in as a potential second to support the case," he posed. Moses nodded, "Indeed, McGregor seems sure that you would support the case for La Flaga being considered for the honor."

Cormag could guess some of the reasons why Tyler would think of him agreeing with him to honor Mu. He knew Mu better than many did from the time they had spent around each other at the academy. After a full minute, Cormag spoke again, "I can't deny that McGregor makes quite a fine case for the point, Admiral. I can personally say that La Flaga was a rare man, both talented and strong in his convictions. With what La Flaga has done this year alone, he has certainly shown himself to be of a caliber uncommon. His actions in the last battle did go above and beyond any expectations of him, and I will attest to that. In that regard, La Flaga does deserve to be considered for the medal." Cormag paused, "When all is said and done, I will support the case to have La Flaga considered for the medal. His actions should be commended and recognized by the world as to what he fought for and tried to help bring about."

Tyler had been fairly sure Cormag would see what Tyler had been trying to do in his case. The two had known each other from OMNI's pilot academy, so they would be aware of their personality quirks and strengths. And in the end, Cormag had supported Tyler's case, which was what Tyler wanted. The admiralty panel would still discuss and decide whether Mu would be awarded the medal of honor. But to get the consideration to that stage was a challenge as the case had to be argued successfully. That didn't guarantee Mu would be awarded the medal; the panel would decide. It was what Tyler could ask for, and then he could only hope the four admirals would agree with his side of the case. "With a second supporting my case," Tyler said, "I hereby officially petition that an admiralty panel consider the case."

Moses figured McGregor would submit the petition once he got a second to support it. And he would send it to the panel that was discussing McGregor's candidacy for the same medal. "I will pass the petition along, McGregor," Moses assured, then he turned to Cormag, "Thank you for your time Commander Swift, that was all." The video was cut, and Moses looked at Tyler, "Luckily for you, there is already a panel in session, so I will send it to them for consideration." Tyler hadn't thought his case would be looked at so quickly. He'd hoped it would be done in a timely manner so he could present the medal at Mu's funeral in a few days. If the panel looked at it today, then all the better. However, it made Tyler wonder what an admiralty panel would be meeting for. It was more than likely for a case or more of medals to be awarded. But it got Tyler to think about who would be in line to receive a medal for what happened in the battle. "Not that it is my business, admiral," Tyler began, "But I assume the panel has convened to discuss medals and awards being handed out?"

Moses nodded, "That is correct, so I can have them look at your case." The man paused, considering whether to tell the young man he was under consideration for receiving a medal for his actions. There was no rule against mentioning to a potential recipient they were under consideration. And McGregor rarely got praised for what he did for the Federation and the human race. That mostly came from the missions that McGregor was assigned tended to be classified. "And for your information, you are one of those under consideration for being awarded recognition."

Tyler blinked at being told he was being considered for some type of recognition by the admiralty panel. He didn't think he deserved such, but that wasn't his decision. The praise was nice as it wasn't something he often got for what he did in his military service. Tyler had accepted that working in SOLAS meant his work wouldn't be talked about to the public. And for a lot of his missions, Tyler believed it better most people didn't know about the messes Tyler helped with. So, it was thanks enough for the Federation's citizens to live their peaceful lives without worrying. "I appreciate the praise, Admiral," Tyler replied graciously. "But for whatever recognition is being considered for me, I just work to make the world and colonies safer places to live." McGregor was always humble and didn't require recognition as some demanded; Moses knew that. The teen had shown himself to be modest, to his credit. Moses assumed the quality was developed by the young man's father, Professor Blass. So, Moses said he would pass along the decision on Tyler's case when it came.

Tyler left satisfied with the result and was very hopeful that the panel would side with him on his case. It was more a matter of time, even when Tyler didn't like to wait. The panel was likely busy with all the cases on their plates. He returned to the Eternal and packed up the stuff he would need for a week or two. Then he transferred himself to the Archangel so he could be around for his friends. The price of the transfer was that Tyler wouldn't be helping with the cleanup as much as there was not a mobile suit for him to use actively. It would force him to focus on his health recovery, which he knew he should do. However, it did give him time away from Sakura, and the woman had been far too clingy for Tyler's liking. Yet, Tyler's thoughts moved to realize it had been some time since he'd been on the Archangel, a few weeks at least.

The shuttle Tyler had taken to the Archangel dropped him off and headed out from the ship quickly afterward. He saw that the Shadow was in its normal dock in the hangar. There was also the Duel, Buster, and Blitz in docks as well. So, he could still go out and help with the cleanup should he borrow one of the mobile suits here. Tyler didn't consider asking to borrow the Duel since the pilot was too much of a hothead for that idea to go well. But perhaps Dearka or Nicole would be willing to let him if the opportunity came up. If worst came to worst, Tyler could go to Krystal and ask her to use the Shadow for a bit. The other thing that Tyler noticed upon arrival was the glum and melancholy mood that hung over the hangar. And he guessed it would be much the same around the rest of the Archangel. It wasn't surprising to Tyler that this was the case with recent events. It would've been more shocking if there wasn't the mood with Mu having given his life to protect the ship. There hadn't been all that many crew losses for the Archangel along its journey, which was surprising with what it faced along the way. So each that had happened felt harder than it would be on other ships.

Tyler's presence appeared to be unnoticed as he left the hangar and traveled through the ship. Tyler could do that when he wanted to, but he wasn't doing the idea actively. It seemed to Tyler that the crew was going through the motions rather than working on their duties. It was being used as a coping mechanism from what Tyler could see, which only said the loss of Mu was hitting them hard. Tyler made his way to the mess hall to see if his friends were in there. Should they be in there, Tyler could prove to them he was doing much better, and any rumors about him being in bad straights were not true. The last time he'd been injured and came back, his friends had been more than worried. That had translated into them hovering over him, which he detested being done to him.

The four from Heliopolis were in a mess during the rare time that they all had off-duty time at the same moment. They were grabbing a meal while they could during the downtime. The mood on the ship was low as the cleanup operation had been going on during the last week. Commander La Flaga's memorial service was set to be in the hangar in four days. It was great the man was being honored, but it was still hard to accept he was gone. Then, from what Kira said, Tyler had been recovering from being hurt during the battle against those who insisted on using nuclear weapons. There had been little more detail about Tyler's condition, even when questions had been raised about it. But apparently, from the rumors, Tyler was good enough to go and work, according to Lacus, who hadn't sounded happy about Tyler doing that. That implied Tyler was, as normal, pushing forward and not paying attention to his health, even when others were telling him to.

They were sitting at a table when the door to the corridor opened. When they looked up, they paused as Tyler stood in the doorway. Miriallia was the first up from the table and rushed toward Tyler. She was relieved that Tyler seemed okay rather than the alternative possibilities. The loss of the Commander was hard enough, and she didn't want to mourn another she knew, especially not a friend. She embraced Tyler, tears coming from her eyes, happy he was here. "Tyler," she sobbed, "I'm so glad you're still alive and okay! I was scared and worried when Kira said you had been hurt during the battle."

The others had risen from the table and made their way over to where Miriallia and Tyler were. What Miriallia had said was hard to understand between her sobs by the boys. Sai and Tolle could see they would need to calm Miriallia down before they could separate her from Tyler. Although, like her, the three boys were glad to see Tyler seemed okay when it came to his health. Tolle, Sai, and Kuzzey worked hard for five minutes to calm Miriallia down so they could get her to let go of Tyler. Tyler was still trying to figure out what Miriallia had been saying through the sobbing she was doing. The girl was clearly glad he was okay, but beyond that, he couldn't say the message she was trying to convey. He hadn't thought Miriallia was the emotional type that would break down into tears. The girl certainly knew how to express feelings like frustration and irritation, but other things didn't seem to translate well by what Tyler saw. And Tyler wasn't comfortable watching Miriallia cry as she was. It just didn't feel right. "Miriallia," Tyler started, "There is no reason to cry, especially about me."

Tolle did what he could to comfort Miriallia while Sai glanced Tyler over. Kira had definitely stated Tyler had been injured, but he saw no signs of such. Tyler appeared perfectly fine, from what Sai could tell, yet that could mean his injuries may be hidden. "Tye, are you okay," Sai asked. "Kira said something about you getting hurt or something." Tyler figured that Kira would mention something to their friends from Heliopolis. That was the kind of person Kira was, tell your friends things about another so they "wouldn't worry." Not that Tyler had an issue with Kira having told their friends about what happened to him to an extent. They didn't need the gory details about what Tyler had been involved with. They would ask further questions, which Tyler wouldn't be inclined to answer, making things awkward. "It was nothing to be concerned with," Tyler remarked. "I have several stitches and some staples, but that's all, and those are temporary." Tyler glanced at Miriallia, "Though I couldn't say what Miriallia was saying as it was hard to tell with her sobbing."

Miriallia's attention shifted from Tolle, who was trying to calm her down to Tyler at the mention of stitches. Such things weren't used for "nothing to be concerned with," as Tyler said about himself; quite the opposite in truth. Miriallia wasn't normally emotional, especially around Tyler, but he could've died or been shot down during the battle. Believing to have lost him once had been horrendous, she didn't want to face that a second time. She went over to Tyler and began beating his torso with her fists, sobbing about how much of an idiot he was. Tolle moved forward just after Miriallia had. She was caught up in her emotions, including her relief that Tyler was here and okay. Tyler glanced at Tolle, "Um," he started, "I'm having a hard time telling what Miriallia is saying between the sobs still. Maybe you, Tolle, or one of the others can translate for me? She's trying to say something to me, and I want to answer if it is a question, as I owe you all that. If she's cursing me, which I kind of doubt, I want to know what she's cursing me for, at least."

From what Tolle had heard, Miriallia had been worried about Tyler. He believed she had been saying how worried she'd been between the sobs. With the loss of Commander La Flaga, the Archangel's crew had been down about how the battle ended. They had thought they'd lost Tyler once before, and that experience had been so unforgettable due to the pain it brought to them. "I believe Mir has been saying she's glad you're here and okay. There have been many shot down and killed during the fighting," Tolle paused, "like Commander La Flaga." What Tolle said made sense to Tyler even if that hadn't been what he'd taken from what sounds Miriallia had been making. Thus, Tyler nodded slowly, "So that's what she was saying. It was hard to tell between the sobs, sorry to say, so I wasn't quite sure." Tyler paused to recall how many stitches and staples the Eternal's doctor said he had put in. "And I got out of it with, I believe, eighty stitches and thirty staples in total, if I recall the doctor saying correctly."

For those listening to Tyler didn't know how to react to Tyler saying he had so many stitches and staples. Stitches would imply he'd been injured enough that he'd been in danger for a time, and he hadn't said anything to that effect. For staples to be needed to help Tyler to heal and recover said his injuries had been serious. Stitches were normally used for deep and/or wide gashes and cuts to assist their healing. Staples were used to hold and help with long gashes or complex injuries closed to the open air. That both had been employed to help fix up, Tyler didn't bode well even if he did look okay upon simple examination. Sai was the first to speak after the moment of silence, "What happened for you to need that many stitches and staples?"

Tyler hesitated for a moment, not wanting to explain what he'd been through during the battle in any real detail. Telling Kira, Lacus, and Sakura had been hard enough, and they had to understand the stuff that went into the events. And it wasn't that Tyler doubted his friends from Heliopolis would not believe him or see the reasons he'd work with them. He had faith they would understand why he took the actions he did. They knew Athrun was a friend of Kira, and he had told them as much. And Tyler left no doubt he went far beyond what most did when helping friends when they were in trouble. But to take a bullet was a more extreme example of what Tyler would do when called upon. Saving Kira ended up putting shrapnel in Tyler's side, which the Eternal's doctor had dug out, was yet another example. However, the details that led to the two events weren't something one brought up in normal or even uncommon conversation. So, what could Tyler tell his friends to say how he'd end out with the stitches and staples? Thus, Tyler hesitated at the question Sai put forth, "Well," he began, "the battle was harsh on a smaller level than you may have seen." Tyler paused for a moment, "And I was kept real busy since I was certainly popular in my Gundam with enemy forces. It made me a magnet for enemy ZAFT and OMNI forces. I had to go against those three Gundams we have encountered a few times. Then I ended up doing more precision work that others didn't take up, which is how I got my injuries." Tyler held up his hands, "I assure you I did try to avoid what led me to get hurt, but things didn't work out for the best as hoped."

Sai blinked at Tyler's answer since it addressed the given question, yet it didn't give much detail to support it. Granted, Tyler admitted he'd done "precision work," but that didn't say what the said work actually was. Tolle scratched his head, unable to make much sense of Tyler's answer. "You're being vague about saying how you got injured, Tye. You're more avoiding the subject and not giving up key details that would answer the question," Tolle remarked. Sai nodded, "Indeed, you are dancing around the answer by not saying what happened to you other than in loose terms."

Tyler knew he was dancing around the point, and it was for good reason that he did so. He wanted to shield his friends from the horrors he got involved in. They were good people, so they shouldn't have to bear the weight of knowing a friend did horrible things to work for peace. Thus, Tyler sighed, "Okay, look, I did some hard stuff that others didn't as the opportunity came to me, that's the truth," Tyler replied, jabbing a finger at his left shoulder. "Some things I do, whether I choose to or not, come with hazards to my health, it's part of the job I chose. The journey from Heliopolis should have shown you what work I get handed can be and usually is risky. As a soldier, the odds that one will get hurt from time to time in risky business fluctuates from low to high, depending on the situation. In my case, in this instance, I got hurt, and that's what it is." Tyler shrugged, "I've taken time for partial recovery, and I'm on the road to improving health. I was forced to rest before going out to help with the cleanup, and even then, I was accompanied each time I went out." Tyler looked at the floor and frowned, "Plus, I had another who insisted on helping my health improve even when I refused."

Miriallia had calmed down somewhat as Tyler had been talking and giving his "answer," which hadn't been an answer to her. His reasoning about the risk of what work he did, likely for the Federation Military, was "common sense," but he still didn't "check out" with her. Tyler tended to be prepared for dangerous things and avoided them most of the time to "dodge" problematic consequences. So for him to have been injured was rare, but it did happen, admittedly. She wasn't happy Tye had been hurt, but he looked to be on the mend from what she could tell. And by what he said, others had forced him to take the time to rest and recover before he did things again. However, Tyler mentioning one helping his health improve caught Miriallia's attention. Specifically, the way he'd said "insisted" was odd as it held a tired yet frustrated tone with it. It implied that whoever it was that "helped" Tyler's health improve hadn't made Tyler comfortable about what they were doing. She'd never seen Tyler "uncomfortable" with what another was doing, at least not without making that opinion vocal and clear. That was normally followed, much to her frustration with Tyler shooing said individual away. It made her curious about who and what that person had done to have Tyler remember the unpleasant experience. "Who was this other who helped your health improve, Tye," Miriallia asked.

Tyler visibly flinched at Miriallia's question, which reaction was very rare from what Tyler's friends had seen. He wasn't one to show emotional reactions most of the time, if at all, in this way. It had been frustrating to Miriallia since nothing seemed to phase him when it should. At least, nothing she or her friends had done appeared to have phased Tyler notably. However, whoever the person was who had helped Tyler in his recovery affected him drastically. And Miriallia wasn't the only one to be taken aback by Tyler's reaction to her question. The three boys noticed Tyler flinching and wondered what had happened for him to do that. But it was Tolle that spoke first, "Man, Tye, who is it that can get you to flinch as you did? And what did they do to affect you so?"

Tyler shuttered at the memories of Sakura's "nursing" she insisted on doing for him during his early recovery. The woman hadn't left him alone, which unfortunately had become an expectation if he didn't work hard to change that. She had gone beyond invading his personal space back then, and Tyler hadn't liked that at all. Granted, Sakura had been true to her word and hadn't pushed and essentially raped him as she had gotten close to doing at his house, which Tyler was grateful for. But her cuddling had been uncomfortable yet somewhat interesting and had a warmth that had not comforted him. The other feelings that had come besides discomfort had concerned Tyler as Sakura could take advantage of them. "Please don't ask, Tolle," Tyler remarked, "I rather not recall or talk about it."

Sai's eyes widened at the response Tyler had, for it was so out of step from what Tyler would normally have. Oh, Tyler would have some "bad" responses to some people, which in the end tended to be a warning flag about said individual. Yet, for him not to want to recall the person or what they did said a great deal. When Tyler didn't "like" another, he would still talk about them and mention why he didn't prefer their company. That he didn't do so made Sai all the more curious about who it was to put off Tyler and what they did. "It's rare for you not to want to even talk about one that puts you off, Tye. You've at least mentioned what one did to get you not to like them before now," Sai commented.

While what Sai said was true, Sakura was a different story for Tyler and had been for a while. First, she was a freaking stalker; even that wasn't a completely accurate term with how determined she was to get whatever she wanted from him. If he only had to deal with that, Tyler would figure out a way to avoid her better and think little of it. But with Sakura being Lacus's older sister, it complicated things when it came to the woman. Tyler didn't want to estrange Lacus if there was a way around it, even if it meant tolerating her older sister. That led to him "suffering in silence," which was the kind of friend he was. And while he cursed that he did so at times, it gave far more benefits, which was why Tyler dealt with the non-pleasant things that came with friendship. However, explaining that to others, even friends was difficult and have it make sense. Tyler had tried to do such with Kira and Athrun with less-than-desirable results. With Kira, Tyler didn't know why he'd attempted to explain to him. The guy's naïveté had doomed any attempt Tyler made, and he really should've known better and not wasted time. When it came to Athrun, his friend had gone away from it bewildered, which wasn't what Tyler had wanted. So, another try to explain could go either way or a different result entirely. Tyler mulled over whether it was worth the hassle and decided to try. "I wouldn't disagree with that point, Sai." Tyler sighed heavily with thoughts of what he'd dealt with when it came to Sakura. He shook his head and kept going in a softer voice, "Dealing with that woman has never been simple, and she always makes things harder for me."

Tolle had thought he had heard wrong for a moment when Tyler mumbled something about dealing with a woman. As far as he knew, Tyler didn't have anything that would be akin to a "love interest," such as a girlfriend and the like. However, whatever had happened to him recently may provide evidence to the contrary. Sure, Tolle had teased Tyler about not having a girlfriend, while Kira had Lacus. Yet, that had been in jest, not meant to be any more than that, definitely not an encouragement. "Dude, Tye, I know I teased you about it, but for you to go out and get a girlfriend is amazing." Tyler flinched and twisted around to look at Tolle as he kept going. "But good for you, so what's her name, and where did you meet her?"

Tyler so didn't want to get into the crap he was forced to deal with when Sakura was involved. His best friends didn't believe him when he told them about Sakura's antics. It wasn't until they saw the point firsthand that they apologized for not listening and believing him at his word. That was the power of Sakura's reputation, even though that wouldn't come up since Tyler didn't see a reason to mention Sakura being ZAFT's Black Zephyr. Yet, Tyler didn't think saying he was involved with Lacus's older sister would go over well, either. And it wasn't the teasing that would come to him that Tyler was concerned with. It was the further questions that would be the problem. Sakura wasn't his girlfriend, nothing close. She was his unwanted stalker, period. Tolle's question irked Tyler as it just reminded him what crap had come to him because of Sakura. "First and foremost, she ain't my girlfriend or anything close to it. She won't leave me alone even when I demand her to. She never hears no when I say it, she freaking ignores it or takes it as encouragement." Tyler backed up a bit as an irritated expression came to his face, "And second, it isn't anyone else's fudging business, so don't pry."

At the same time, the door to the mess slid open, revealing Kira and Lacus. The two stopped taking in the scene of Tyler facing their friends. Tyler was clearly not happy about something which the conversation was about. Then, the last two lines which Kira and Lacus had heard implied very strongly that he was referring to Sakura. From what Lacus and Kira had found out, Sakura had hovered over him during his recovery, much to Tyler's ire and frustration. Lacus hadn't found out what had gone on between her sister and Tyler yet, though she'd tried doing some research on the subject. She hadn't gotten around to asking Sakura, but that also felt awkward to ask her older sister about her potential relationship.

Instead, Kira and Lacus moved forward and worked at helping Tyler get out of the conversation about Sakura. Their friends did try to get more information about the woman Tyler had been dealing with. Lacus made sure not to mention or imply that the woman being referred to was her older sister. She didn't know how the others would react if they knew Tyler was being pursued by Sakura, who was related to Lacus. Plus, Lacus didn't want her sister to be seen as some sort of stalker. Sakura was a really nice person at heart, the war had just scarred her, and that shouldn't be held against her. It took time, but those from Heliopolis were sated for the time being and didn't inquire further about what Tyler had been going through.

Over the passing four days, Tyler stayed on the Archangel while Kira and Lacus went between there and the Eternal. There was preparation going on for Mu's "memorial ceremony." Tyler had heard that the event was to take place on the Archangel in its hangar. He hoped to have Mu's award, which Tyler was confident would be approved by the admiralty panel. Tyler felt if he could present the medal at Mu's memorial, it would show not just the respect Tyler had for the man but how his actions would be remembered by many. Also, Tyler had heard that several from the Dominion would be attending the ceremony. And for Mu, Tyler would not prod Natarle as he would be shocked if she wasn't there. No matter how tempting the woman could make prodding her, he would resist the temptation.

The day before the memorial, Tyler retrieved the medal he planned to present to Mu. And with the few days he spent on the Archangel, he could observe a few things. Members of the ship's crew took Mu's death in varying ways and degrees. Of course, Murrue was taking the man's death the worst out of all on the Archangel. Tyler hadn't missed the subtle signs the two had been in a relationship, likely a romantic one. If they had been romantically involved, it would make more sense why the woman was so glum. A close second to Murrue was Krystal, as she wasn't taking Mu's loss much better. Yet, from what Tyler had learned and read, Mu and Krystal had been friends and fought alongside each other for much of the war. Out of all those that had been with the Archangel, Tyler could understand dealing with the loss of a teammate or comrade. Tyler had faced losing teammates, mostly those he didn't know much. And with Alan's death, he was dealing with the pain of losing a friend who had been a teammate currently.

Tyler had observed crew members try to "comfort" the two women, but none succeeded in their attempts. He couldn't blame the tries to help the two women and others that were suffering from Mu's loss. Tyler hadn't made any attempts to help any get past or accept Mu's death himself. Tyler wasn't the most elegant with words and wasn't too proud to admit that shortcoming. His mother had the gift with words far more than him. She'd proven it more times than Tyler wanted to count in the years he'd been growing up. He hadn't inherited that gift from her, though he'd been told he had his moments he could have a way with words. Thus, Tyler kept his mouth shut and just watched those on the Archangel. His contribution would come at the memorial in awarding Mu the medal of honor Tyler had argued for the man to get.

When the day came, Tyler actually dressed in his formal uniform. Yes, Tyler had formal clothing even though he rarely wore it since he disliked putting on such things. He had considered just wearing his normal Federation uniform for a moment but decided against it. However, Mu had earned the respect of Tyler, so he would show that wearing the formal uniform he saved for specific occasions. He knew that he would get odd and surprised looks for his clothes, but Tyler would take those. The ribbons he'd earned were over the left breast of his uniform in the form of two rows of three. His Bronze star ribbon was the first on the top row, followed by his basic training honors and SOLAS training ribbons. The second row had Tyler's distinguished service ribbon, followed by his good conduct and joint exemplary achievement ribbons. Tyler ensured his uniform was nice and neat as this was one of the few times he chose to wear it, not because it would be prudent of him to do so. Once ready, Tyler grabbed the box that contained the medal and made his way toward the hangar, as the memorial would start soon enough.

As Tyler went along, he could see others heading in the same direction as him. There were those he did know as part of the crew of the Archangel. However, there were some that Tyler had never seen before now. He assumed that the unknown people were likely people from the Dominion. None really seemed to notice Tyler as he was moving along, or at least none showed a form of acknowledgment. Not that Tyler felt the need for any of that since he was going to the memorial to honor Mu. With his current clothes, he would look out of place, and the crew wouldn't recognize him at first glance.

Athrun was with those that came from the Kusanagi to the Archangel. They were on the ship to attend the memorial of Command La Flaga, who had given his life for the ship. Athrun had seen the man cared about the Archangel and its crew. La Flaga had fought hard for the crew to protect them from those who attacked the ship. Athrun wanted to at least honor one who had fought for what he believed in, much as he did when he'd found his way. Plus, coming to the Archangel allowed checking on Tyler. Kira had said Tyler had transferred to the Archangel from the Eternal after some "time" for recovery. Kira hadn't said much beyond Tyler getting injured during the battle enough that doctors had to do work on him. Athrun worried that something had happened to Tyler after they had parted once leaving Jachin Due. And he was worried about his friend as he'd heard nothing after he had returned to the Kusanagi. Athrun had even gone back out once the Justice was repaired somewhat and resupplied. But there had been no sign of the Aurora while the battle was being concluded.

As his group was heading down the mid-deck towards the lift that would take them down to the hangar deck, Athrun spotted Tyler. Yet, he was forced to pause momentarily as his friend was in a Federation officer uniform. It was odd to see Tyler in "formalwear" since he didn't wear such things whenever Athrun was around him. However, he appeared to be visibly okay and not injured, which comforted Athrun. "Tyler," he called out. Tyler turned at the sound of his name and found himself looking at Athrun and others who looked to be from the Kusanagi. "Oh, hey," Tyler replied, "I assume you are here to honor Mu La Flaga?"

Cagalli, who was in her Orb Admiral's uniform, nodded at Tyler in reply. She had also noticed Tyler was in a Federation officer uniform with the shoulder markings of commander. It was the first time she'd seen the guy in anything other than casual clothes or the Federation soldier's uniform. Tyler was the most formal-looking Cagalli had seen him before now. She also saw something over the left breast pocket that looked like some award badges or something similar. But it was Kisaka that spoke first, "Indeed, we are here to attend Commander La Flaga's memorial. He assisted Orb in its time of need and helped the Kusanagi when we needed help." Tyler nodded, "I can understand doing that," he returned. "The man did more than any could've expected of him, in OMNI or outside of it."

Athrun found the use of his voice at that point, "Tye, I have been wanting to ask you something," he started. "You seem to avoid wearing formal stuff; why is that?" It was something Athrun had noticed before now about his friend. Tyler seemed only to wear what most would consider "formal attire" when another Tyler absolutely forced him would follow. Athrun had never figured out what reason Tyler made an effort to avoid such things. Tyler didn't do things without reason; that was a quality Athrun knew of him without a doubt.

Tyler was forced to pause at the question as it was on a subject that he didn't get into. His younger days when he had to attend "parties" that his mother hosted haunted him. Those events had been horrible and were bad memories for Tyler. He detested all the cooing and similar treatment he'd received back then. Women especially had fawned over him when he'd been stuffed into a child-sized suit for those parties. His cheeks had stung after those all the pinching he'd endured. Those memories had made wearing formalwear something to avoid for him. There were just too many bad memories associated with suits and the like for Tyler to wear such things willingly. "Oh, there's a reason I don't wear formal stuff," Tyler answered. "I was forced to wear suits when I was younger and made to go to "events" by my dad and mom. In those places, I was forced to take cooing and other similar treatment from guests at the parties. I didn't like any of that treatment, so formalwear is registered with those bad memories."

Athrun's gaze moved to the board of ribbons on Tyler's uniform's overcoat. He could see six distinct ribbons on it, meaning the Federation had recognized Tyler for six different things. Athrun didn't know what ribbon meant, but military recognition was earned, not given for little to nothing. "And what recognition do your ribbons represent," he asked.

Tyler glanced down at the ribbon board he had on his uniform, which Athrun had pointed out. With Athrun being in a military organization, he would understand military ribbons and what type of things they were awarded for. "Yeah, these," Tyler remarked, gesturing to his ribbons, which the rest of the Kusanagi's crew were now looking at. "They are for the recognition I've earned during my service in the Federation's Military." Tyler pointed at his bronze star ribbon, "This is my bronze star I earned fifteen months ago after a dicey operation, which I can't give details on." Tyler moved to his two training ribbons, "This one was given for me being at the top of the class with basic training. And the other is given for passing SOLAS training and doing so above average, which isn't easy, I'll tell you." He pointed at the second row, "The first on this row is for distinguished service, which I earned at the same time as my bronze star. The next is for good conduct and judgment, which I got just before coming to Heliopolis. And the last is my Joint Exemplary Achievement ribbon, which I earned in the operation after the one I got my bronze star."

Athrun was surprised by the recognition that his friend had earned during his service in the Federation. Tyler had confirmed he was in the Federation's SOLAS. Athrun wasn't sure Tyler had been serious when he mentioned being in the organization. His friend didn't often exaggerate things, but there were times things Tyler said were hard to believe. That Tyler had earned a "bronze star" bowled Athrun over. In ZAFT, earning what was equivalent took something more than notable. Not that Athrun doubted Tyler could do amazing things, he'd seen his friend do such things. Yet, Athrun recalled the other question he wanted to ask Tyler now that he had his attention. "Are you okay, Tye," Athrun asked. "Kira mentioned he had to have a doctor do some work on you."

Tyler had to think for a moment about how to answer Athrun's question. He didn't know what Kira had said to Athrun about what he had gone through. Athrun knew about him being shot in the left shoulder but hadn't been around when shrapnel had ripped into him. It had been to save Kira, but Athrun may not know that. "I had to have my shoulder patched up from the bullet going through it, as you may guess," Tyler remarked. "However, when I bailed Kira out of a serious jam, that ended out having shrapnel go into my right side. Doctors had to dig the pieces out of me before wrapping me up." Athrun blinked at what Tyler had just said. He didn't like hearing Tyler was further injured before the battle had ended. Tyler appeared fine as Athrun glanced him over again. "And what did you bail Kira out of," Athrun questioned.

Tyler shrugged at the thoughts of fighting the rat and how that event had gone. The fight could've gone better, but it could've gone far worse, as Tyler thought about it. Both had survived the event, but that was questionable at the time. Tyler still had the stitches for his injuries, which could be removed in around two weeks by the timetable the doctor had given. However, knowing Kira being as naïve as he was, he wouldn't have given Athrun details about what happened. Tyler sighed, "Kira didn't give you details, did he," Tyler posed, to which Athrun shook his head. Kira hadn't given much detail to him on what events had involved him and Tyler when he told him about Tyler being injured. Tyler shook his head, "Of course, that naïve fool would forget to say key details. Why should we expect him to do that when most would? He probably would say you shouldn't worry and so didn't tell you what exactly happened." Tyler paused for a moment, "After we separated outside Jachin Due, I went looking for Kira, as I implied to you. I found him after a little searching; unfortunately, he was going against the rat, Creuset."

Kira hadn't said anything about being in a fight with Creuset when he had talked about Tyler being injured. Granted, Athrun had noticed Commander Creuset had a worrisome interest in the machines that Kira had been piloting. But he hadn't thought it had gone to the point where his friend's life would be in the balance. It was silly looking back to think that Athrun knew it, yet he'd hoped things wouldn't come to that. Athrun's head lowered a bit, "I take it that Kira wasn't doing the best against his opponent," he posed. Tyler shrugged, "Not the best, no. As much as I detest the rat and what he represented, I have to say he has piloting skill, and he ain't a novice," Tyler commented. "Even when I jumped in, I was forced to take the masked man seriously, or I would've lost in a short period. I managed to get the rat off Kira, and the two of us beat the punk in the end. However, the rat pulled a dirty trick at the very end and had his nuclear reactor detonate. Just before the explosion, I used the Aurora to shield the Freedom from the detonation. The Aurora took a lot of damage in that action, and that did cause shrapnel to rip into my side. Doctors have dug out the metal scraps and stitched me up with hundred-ten stitches as a result."

Athrun sighed as Tyler explained what had happened with him and Kira. Tyler had always been the reckless one of their trio of friends. It left no doubt that Tyler would risk himself for Kira and Athrun. And in the last battle, Tyler had proven it to both Kira and himself by risking his own life for them. It made Athrun more grateful that Tyler was his friend than ever before. Plus, Athrun was glad Tyler was okay even if he'd been injured; he was recovering and would be fine given time. "That explains more than what Kira said," Athrun returned.

Tyler joined up with those from the Kusanagi and continued to the hangar where the memorial would take place. When they entered the hangar, Tyler noticed that pretty much all the Archangel's crew were there, his friends included. He saw Natarle was there, but as he had promised himself, he would not go and prod her. He and she hadn't parted ways the best last time. No, it had been much worse than they usually did. Natarle had accused him of being a traitor to the Archangel, which had been expected. Much had changed since then, but there were still awkward feelings between Tyler and Natarle before their mutual displeasure with one another. So, Tyler would not be around her as his way to respect Mu and not make light of this memorial. Thus, Tyler separated from the Kusanagi crew and moseyed his way over to where his friends intended to be with them to not give in to bad behavior. His friends would help make it easier not to give in to the urges that led to the behavior he was lectured for.

Kira was the first to notice Tyler popping up, and he was caused to pause at the sight of what his friend was wearing. From what Kira saw, Tyler wore the uniform Federation's Military officers tended to wear. And as long as Kira had known Tyler, his friend didn't wear formal attire unless another forced him, which he actually listened to told him. When Kira had asked, Tyler avoided formalwear like the plague though he didn't go into a great amount of detail as to why. The only thing Kira had gotten from Tyler was his implication that something in his childhood had made formalwear something he cursed and shied away from. So, to see him in the "officer's" uniform was odd since it clashed with Tyler's personality. "Uh Tye," Kira began, "What are you wearing?" Kira's question got the rest from Heliopolis, plus Lacus to turn and look at Tyler. They all paused at seeing Tyler in the Federation's officer uniform, as it was so different for him. None had seen Tyler in what most would consider "formalwear" before now. Lacus and Miriallia had to admit that Tyler cleaned up really nicely when he put forth the effort.

Tyler knew he would get odd looks from most that had gotten to know him. Formalwear wasn't his thing, and he clarified that point to most. It came from his childhood when he'd been stuffed into suits for formal events. When he was younger, Tyler had detested being cooed over by many, mostly women. His father had laughed at Tyler's plight when it had been brought up. The man had found Tyler being fawned over hysterical with how much he had laughed about it. When Tyler came to her, his mother told him just to tolerate it. That was why when Tyler got older, he avoided formalwear when he could. The memories of being endlessly cooed over were unpleasant, and he didn't like recalling them as he did when wearing formal stuff. Instead of snapping, Tyler sighed, "I'm well aware I'm not one to wear formal stuff when others would. But as this is a memorial service, I feel that counts as an exception to my avoidance of formal wear. And this uniform is the more formal set of clothes I have to work with." Tyler shivered slightly, "I don't own a suit and don't plan to anytime in the near future. Please don't ask why I don't own one nor wish to; I would rather not talk about it."

Tolle had known Tyler dressed the way he did for some reason which he didn't state out loud. Nor did Tolle miss Miriallia and Lacus staring at Tyler, saying they were shocked at Tyler trusted us in the uniform. Thus, he smirked, "Must say, Tye," he started, "Didn't know you could clean up so good. You're giving the ladies some eye candy to treat themselves to."

Tyler's gaze swept across the group seeing Lacus and Miriallia taking in his uniform as Tolle implied. He hadn't been trying to look good for the ladies, and his good looks did that for him without much effort from him. Tyler had dressed the way he had to honor Mu as the man had earned respect from Tyler. Thus, Tyler waved a hand in dismissal, "That wasn't my intention. I'm respecting Mu for what he has done, and this is my way of doing so."

Sai had spotted the badges or awards over Tyler's uniform's left breast. The colors meant nothing to Sai, but there were a few on the badge, meaning Tyler likely had earned a few awards for his service. So, Sai pointed at the ribbons, "And what do those mean," he asked.

Tyler glanced down at the ribbon board he had on his uniform. The six ribbons he'd earned during his service would likely mean nothing to his friends as they wouldn't know military awards and recognition. "Oh, these," Tyler remarked, gesturing to his ribbons. "They are forms of recognition I've earned during my service in the Federation's Military." Tyler pointed at his bronze star ribbon, "This is my bronze star I earned fifteen months ago after a dicey operation, which I can't give details on." Tyler moved to his two training ribbons, "This one was given for me being among the top of the class with basic training. And the other is given for passing SOLAS training and doing so above average, which isn't easy, I'll tell you." He pointed at the second row, "The first on this row is for distinguished service, which I earned at the same time as my bronze star. The next is for good conduct and judgment, which I got just before coming to Heliopolis. And the last is my Joint Exemplary Achievement ribbon, which I earned in the operation after the one I got my bronze star."

Tyler's friends were stunned at hearing about the "awards and recognition" he'd earned while in the Federation's Military. It made them curious as Tyler saying he couldn't give detail implied the "missions" he'd been assigned were not public knowledge. It also echoed that they didn't know much, if anything, about Tyler's military service. At Heliopolis, his "job" had been working for a "news organization," or that was what he said. That didn't change the trust they had in Tyler. It was just a side they didn't know as his friends. Tyler could see the uncomfortable silence between him and his friends and didn't like it. So, he shrugged, "I do what I can to protect people, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I'm still myself the vast majority of the time. My soldier duties don't come up frequently, comes from me being a specialist. You don't need to treat me differently now that you know I've been recognized for my work."

The conversation ended as Murrue stepped forward to be next to the "table" that was being used for Mu's memorial. She had been trying to think of what to say about Mu to summarize his life and the service he'd given. However, her pain of losing him had made thinking about him much harder than it normally was. Krystal could see Murrue floundering in speaking about Mu. She couldn't blame Murrue as the loss of Mu was hitting her the hardest. Thus, Krystal moved forward and started talking about how good of a man Mu had been. She had a lot of experience to draw upon as she and Mu had worked together for most of the war. They had known one another around the pilot academy when they had been there. Mu's service was hard to argue for the Alliance before the Archangel, and he had been one of the Alliance's better pilots. When with the Archangel, Mu had done much for the ship, and the crew would attest to his efforts. And in the end, Mu was the same, not hesitating when protecting those he cared about was in danger. The man gave his life to protect them and hadn't thought about what that would do to him.

Tyler listened to the speech and would admit Krystal had done a great job at summarizing Mu La Flaga's life. He could imagine the man modestly beaming at the summary being given for him. The man had been the type to be modest and not take credit and inflate pride. There were several in tears by the end of Krystal's sermon, Murrue being one of the more visible ones. And Tyler felt his presenting the Federation's medal of honor would only amplify the feelings in the hangar. That wouldn't stop Tyler from presenting the award, not after the case he'd made for it. Mu deserved the recognition the medal of honor came with; Tyler would stand by that. So, after a minute of silence, Tyler moved forward. "Pardon me, Captain Ramius," Tyler said, "if I may, I would like to add something, please."

Murre could think of nothing that Tyler could add to the memorial. That the teen was in what appeared to be an officer uniform, even if a Federation one was something she didn't think she would see. Tyler McGregor had been one that wouldn't wear a uniform or a spacesuit that he didn't want to. The teen had proven that during the journey from Heliopolis beyond a shadow of a doubt. So for the teen to be in a uniform, let alone a formal one was significant. She believed it was Tyler's way of showing respect for Mu. That was unexpected from Tyler as he had shown little in the way of respect to any on the Archangel until recently. But if the teen wanted to add something to Mu's memorial, Murrue couldn't deny him. So, she nodded and took a step back to allow Tyler to do what he wanted.

Tyler slowly walked forward toward the table where things related to Mu were sitting. He could feel the stares of all in the hangar on him as he moved slowly forward. That wouldn't stop Tyler in the presentation he would make for Mu. Tyler owed the man for protecting the Archangel and, through those efforts, defending his friends. He respected the man for doing such a thing by his own choice and without hesitation. Tyler pulled out the box that contained the medal he'd gotten for Mu. He placed the box on the table and opened it to reveal the medal within to the view of those in the hangar. Murrue gasped at seeing what the box contained. From what she could see, inside was a Federation medal, which was made of a gold star with a circular wreath around the edge of the star. She'd never seen the particular medal in the box, but by its detail, it was no ordinary one.

Murrue wasn't the only one gazing at the medal Tyler had brought and set on the table. Natarle was looking at the medal intently, studying it. There was something about it that was naggingly familiar to her, but she couldn't place what the feeling was pointing to. The elegance of the medal suggested it was one rarely given out. And as Natarle hadn't seen it that she could recall among OMNI or Alliance awards, she assumed it was a Federation medal of some kind. Yet that raised the question of how Tyler could possibly get such a thing for Mu. The Federation wasn't the type to hand out medals for little reason to their own that she knew of, let alone outsiders. From what Natarle had understood, those who received medals or recognition from the Federation earned such. However, much of what she knew was based on rumors or things her father would say about them.

Krystal was in a state of shock at seeing the medal Tyler had brought out. She'd seen something similar but not the exact same as the one she was looking at. She was a teenager when she'd seen a similar medal and was told it was a silver star. From the explanation given had said the star was awarded to those who went above the call of duty and saved lives. There was supposedly only one award of higher honor that the Federation would potentially award their soldiers or consider for outsiders, which was their medal of honor. And with the medal Krystal was seeing, she would bet it was the Federation's medal of honor. How Tyler had gotten such for Mu was beyond any comprehension Krystal could come up with. As far as Krystal knew, none outside the Federation had ever been awarded their medal of honor that she knew of.

Tyler set the box as the centerpiece before he moved back a bit. He took in a deep breath before speaking, "Commander Mu La Flaga, you have shown courage and valor, rare and uncommon. You have gone well above the calling of the duties that you have chosen to bear." Tyler paused for a moment, "For displays such as yours, I am proud to be here to award you the Human Federation's Medal of Honor to recognize your efforts to protect and serve." Tyler then gave a proper salute. The first he'd given to any from the Archangel and the first since Halberton who were from the Alliance. "You've set the bar high for those who come after you, going to infinity and beyond. It has been an honor to serve alongside and get to know you, Mu La Flaga. I know I'll never forget you for as long as I live."

The officers in the hangar that had served on the Archangel were stunned. Both at what Tyler had just added and his actions that had come with it. The Federation's highest honor wasn't given out for nothing; they all knew that. Historically, their medal of honor had never been given to someone outside their military or faction. None could guess how Tyler had managed to get the medal of Mu. Then, for Tyler to salute was close to unheard of for the Archangel officers. The select few times Tyler had "saluted," it had been a loose version or an almost insulting salute. Natarle had never thought she would see Tyler do a proper salute in her presence. And yet, she had just seen the teen do so for Mu.

As the cleanup around Lagrange 5 was going on, Muruta Azrael was taken to a Federation holding facility. He had been brought here after being apprehended by the Federation's SOLAS team to "await trial" for his crimes. Beyond that fact, he had no idea where he had been taken or what would happen to him. From the few things he'd heard, the battle had ended with the Federation "winning." However, Azrael got nothing much more than that from the talk he could listen to while he waited in the cell he had been placed in. He had been forced to dress in a blue jumpsuit. His wrists had cuffs around each, with a long loose cord going between the two cuffs. There was also an ankle bracelet around his right leg to trace him wherever he went at all times. And to top it off, two guards were posted outside the cell door, and more were down the corridor.

Inside the cell, he was simply left to his own thoughts while waiting for whatever the Federation had in store for him. The stories of what the Federation supposedly did to those they "arrested" came to Azrael's mind from time to time. Rumors weren't in short supply and were anywhere from reasonable to ridiculous. The only fact that could be proven was that those who were arrested and "tried" vanished and were never seen again. At least, none that Azrael had heard of had ever been spotted after the Federation had gotten ahold of them.

Other memories that were coming to Azrael were the times his mother told him there would be hard and bad days in his life. And how right she'd been, as there had been a number of those in recent days. It was hard to believe that mere weeks ago, Azrael had been at the top and had nothing but good things ahead. He was director of the Alliance's National Defense Industry Association and pretty much ran the leadership of the Alliance. Everything had been lined up almost picture perfectly to end the war with the Alliance as the victor. Ships and mobile armor had been refitted to carry nuclear missiles to deliver to assigned targets. All of them had been on their way to take them to the PLANTs to blow them to kingdom come. The finish line had been in sight, within reach, there for the taking. All the work that had been put into ending the war would've been justified with the PLANTs' destruction. But just before things could happen as they should be, it was snatched away the step before the climax!

And why was everything that had been stacked for the rightful end taken before it could occur, some might ask? It was all because those in the Federation and its accursed military couldn't mind their own business and stay out of others. The Federation claimed to be noble and have the "best interest" of humanity with their decisions. It was hypocritical as far as Azrael was concerned, and he would debate that with any who disagreed. The Federation had not been obedient and waited their turn to be dealt with when it came to their grievances. History may say they were the "good guys," with them holding to their views and principles of "righteousness." It was sickening and infuriating to Azrael with their excuses of why they wouldn't do their duty in ending the war as the Alliance was doing. If only his father, Bruno Azrael, could see him now in the dank prison cell. He would laugh at his failure, telling him he was a good-for-nothing son who wasn't related to him. Or else would hit him and say how disappointing he was at coming so close and yet tripping and messing up just before crossing the finish line.

However, what was irking Muruta Azrael the most as he sat and fumed in the cell was that he had come so close to succeeding and yet had been foiled. He had been so close to achieving the main goal of Blue Cosmos, so near it that he had been tasting victory! Nonetheless, due to a few's actions and the interference the meddling Federation's Military had made, the PLANTs still stood. Their rifles had cheated the Alliance of their nuclear victory. All of the horrible hourglass-shaped colonies remained. All the effort and work, all the planning and dreams had come to not due to the actions of the blindest of fools and the dumbest of idiots. To say that Azrael was angry and frustrated was a huge understatement. Azrael was beyond mad and enraged, beyond bitter and resentful at those that had contributed to cheating him of his greatest desire of wiping out all Coordinators. And now he was going to "stand trial" for the "crimes" he was supposed to have committed.

From what had been said to Azrael, his trial was set for a week from when he arrived at this "place." Said trial would not be fair in Azrael's mind in any way for him, nor would he have much of a chance to dismiss it, not with the Federation running it. Azrael wouldn't have freedom after the trial if stories and rumors were true. He would unlikely see Alliance territory ever again in his lifetime. Things were indeed grim for Azrael, and he couldn't see any viable way to get out of his situation or circumstances. Before now, Azrael had always had a backup plan, a way to worm his way out of the consequences of his actions. Yet, the Federation hadn't left any "loose ends" Azrael could use to get out of this.

As the days ticked by toward the time of the trial, Azrael fumed in his hatred and rage. On the day of the trial, Azrael was brought out of his thoughts when the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the long corridor the cell was down. Azrael brought up his head and saw six armed soldiers outside his cell. The door slid open, and the soldiers came in and surrounded him. Azrael didn't react to the soldiers, but he stood when they commanded to him. He said nothing to them, no curses as none would be enough, no obscenities, for there were none strong enough to be fitting. Five soldiers formed a half circle in front of him and pointed guns at him. The other stepped forward, "hold out your wrist shackles, prisoner," the soldier ordered. Azrael held a deadpan expression as he gazed at the soldier before slowly raising his arms. The lead soldier moved forward and tapped a device onto the right shackle making the cord connected to the wrist shackles retract into part of the restraints and have the cuffs come together.

The five other soldiers shifted to be behind and to Azrael's side, and the lead ordered him to move forward. Azrael assumed these soldiers were here to escort him to wherever the trial was to take place. Azrael's pace was measured while he stood tall, showing that his treatment hadn't broken his spirit at all. Once outside the cell, three soldiers set themselves in front, the other three took the rear, and the party began moving forward. The journey was not terribly long, nor was any of the scenery Azrael caught sight of telling about where he could be. His thoughts were swirling on what possible defense he could put forth to get out of whatever crimes the Federation could pin on him. Azrael still said nothing even as he entered a large room that was clearly where the trial would take place.

The room was set up as a large courtroom, and the setup was not unknown to Muruta Azrael. It was as the pictures he'd seen of the Ecumenical Humanity Court of Law from historic accounts. The only real difference in this instance was no group decided the verdict, the "jury" who could be influenced as there had been. No, a tribunal did that instead, along with the prosecution and sentencing. And one glance around the room told Azrael his chances would be beyond slim to get out of this. Azrael was brought to a desk in the center of the room and sat down in the chair by the soldiers. Then, the soldiers backed away, fading into the shadows at the room's edges and out of sight of Azrael himself.

Azrael looked up to see and face those who would "judge him," his eyes filled with hatred and rage. There were eight of them, most he didn't know directly, but more by reputation if they were who he suspected. Some were talking to each other while others were reading papers. However, there were three of the eight that he did know on a personal level. One was a representative from the Federation's Euros Coalition by the name of Irma Beltorchika, their chief diplomat. Beltorchika had always been an annoying diplomat to be around, always asking for proof and statistics of proposals. She never took anything the Alliance said as it was said. She required proof of what was said. Another was none other than the senior member of the Alliance's general council, who Azrael was seething to see here. Most of the time, the man had been against Azrael's ideas he brought to the council. The one that had been outspoken against him, so for him to be here didn't help Azrael's case. Then the other was the wench Ellen Blass herself; he already had a lot of enmity against her. Azrael had no wish to see her without horrible things occurring to the woman first. Blass was the most stubborn of the Federation's political leaders and had irritated Azrael.

The rest of the eight had signs which inferred who they could be, like their clothing, for example. The man who was in a white dress shirt, maroon suit jacket, and same color dress pants had to be from the Orb Union. It was the outfit that the country's representative council wore, so the individual had to be from there. However, it wasn't Uzumi Athha, but there appeared to be a resemblance between them and Athha, so likely a relation. One of the other men was dressed as the governmental staff from the Equatorial Union. They were likely from either their administration or foreign staff. The other non-military person here looked to be representing the Kingdom of Scandinavia. The remaining three were in the Federation military's uniform, saying they were a part of the organization.

Matilda Ajan was in charge of this trial for the war criminal Muruta Azrael. She was the second admiral that led the Federation Military's Admiralty with Ben Moses. She was forty-nine, almost fifty. Possessing an average figure and height for a female, Matilda was a Coordinator that hailed from the Kingdom of Scandinavia. With Ben Moses overseeing the cleanup of the mess that the Second Battle of Jachin Due had made, the trial of this particular man fallen to her. Muruta Azrael had been able to avoid capture for close to four years since the Bloody Valentine. There was no way a criminal of his caliber would be allowed to worm out of facing justice for his actions with the Bloody Valentine and other horrible events he was involved in since then. Those gathered here for the tribunal had been specially selected to judge Azrael. It was why it had taken a week for the trial to be scheduled and set up. The Alliance council member had been a last thought. But the man had led the Alliance's general council in rejecting the radicals. After some questioning, Matilda had been sure the man would be a fair judge in Azrael's trial. "This court is called to order," Matilda stated.

The other seven took their seats, faced forward, and gazed at Azrael in the chair in the center. Matilda focused on Azrael, "Muruta Azrael, former leader of the anti-Coordinator organization Blue Cosmos. Former director of the Earth Alliance's National Defense Industry Association. You have been brought here to this Ecumenical Humanity Court of Law to stand and be judged for the crimes you are accused of committing, including war crimes."

Matilda's opening was a good and strong one; her next-door neighbor would admit that. He was a barreled-chested man named Kaises Buyer and was the second in charge of the Federation military's Intelligences Agency. He knew of the crimes Azrael had committed. The man was on the Federation's most-wanted list and had held the top spot for years. It had been a standing embarrassment for the Intelligence Agency for the man to avoid capture with the information they'd provided. So, Buyer wouldn't miss this trial and see the man sentenced for life for the many crimes he'd committed. His boss Cecilia Irene would've been here, but she was busy making sure any others involved with the nuclear weapon use and the war efforts were collected to be dealt with. Thus, he picked up where Matilda left off, "Rest assured, Azrael, the list of the crimes and wrongs you are held responsible for and/or were involved in is not short. We in the Federation's Intelligence Agency have kept records and gathered evidence connecting you to each of them."

Buyer took up the collection of papers in front of him, which was evidence that stated just what Azrael had done. It had been compiled by many within the Federation's Intelligence Agency branch as Azrael was a high-profile criminal. Buyer didn't hesitate and began reading the list of crimes, summarizing some of the more horrifying ones. Hearing the list and summaries was terrible for those there to judge and sentence Muruta Azrael. The wrongs that Azrael had done that the public suspected of him were bad, but there were more events that Azrael had a part in that the general accusers had little to no clue about. The Alliance councilman knew of more of the crimes than most there as he had been kept informed of Azrael's activities. The most condemning 'achievement' Azrael had made was his involvement in the planning and carrying out of the Bloody Valentine Incident. It was that and the attempted nuclear strike on the PLANTs, which were Azrael's main war crimes, that made him a "war criminal."

Azrael said nothing as the "list" of his crimes was read to the tribunal. He was not given an opportunity to argue or justify the claims anyways. He regretted none of his actions that were being stated and implied were "crimes." To Azrael, he was ridding the world of the scourge that Coordinators are since few apparently saw them for the monsters they were. Azrael had been doing what he saw as necessary, plain and simple. He had been cleansing the world of what didn't belong in the human race. So, as it was being titled, this "accounting" was a waste of time to him and was boring to listen to. Azrael would rather have these fools give their verdict and decision on what punishment he would be forced to face and get this over with. However, that is not how this event was going. Azrael was being treated to hearing the drivel of the monster-loving idiots.

All in the room listened for a little over an hour to Azrael's efforts to end as many Coordinators as possible. It had been going on for close to a decade with Azrael, and it had built to the nuclear strike on Junius Seven in year sixty-six of the Cosmic Era. The trail of blood he had left in his wake, even before becoming an active member of Blue Cosmos, was not only vast, but much of it had been buried and hidden from the public. Nonetheless, none on the judge bar saw or noted any reaction or form of regret from Azrael as his accomplishments were repeated and moderate detail supplied. So, it was more procedure that Azrael would be given a chance to give a defense for himself upon wrapping up the reading of the crimes. "Now that your actions have been revealed and iterated," posed Matilda. "Is there anything you wish to add, whether in your defense or any other reason?"

Azrael stood up at the question, and every other sound in the room faded as he did. All attention was focused on the man here to face the consequences of his actions. "I do not deny any of the events which have been stated. Nor will I take back any of it that I helped along," he stated evenly and with little to no emotion. He then took a breath and continued, "You claim what I have done is wrong when I'm just assisting natural selection to do what it's done since history began being recorded. The human race has survived up to the modern era because of survival of the fittest without any other interference from science, religion, or any other idea any cares to mention. So, why I ask, should such be thrown away for the unnatural choices "science" brings simply because it can and gain money for it?" Azrael would use what science had done to humanity to defend his actions. Science had driven humans to make horrible mistakes. He was just helping clean up some of those mistakes and correcting them. So, Azrael looked directly at his accusers as he continued, "What has genetic manipulation and alteration science has made possible brought the human race as a whole?"

The reaction from some looking at Azrael said that his question was unexpected, so he continued. "How is choosing the exact appearance and qualities of one's child doing what's best for them? Isn't it more the dreams and greed of the parents that drive them to get their child's genes "designed?" That greed and those dreams are what has brought about the "evil" you speak of." He kept going as none were stopping him, "It feeds the chaos that exists in the world and space today, which leads to war. Coordinators look down on Naturals because they have been "engineered to be better than everyone else naturally born." How long will you blind yourselves into thinking that no Coordinator would do the exact same things that you state are crimes?! If the nuclear strike hadn't been made on Junius Seven, it would have been done somewhere on Earth. Done by Coordinators who believed themselves above the rest of the human race. And where would any of us be if that was what happened instead?!" Some of the soldiers came out of the shadows in order to restrain him as his voice had been rising in volume. "If anything, I am a hero working to bring back the system that has proven to work just fine before now. Saving other people from foolish lies and machinations told to them by madmen who think science makes them gods! And along with doing that, I would bring peace for the human species," he screeched as the soldiers reached him and grabbed him.

There was outrage and indignation at the last few lines that came from Azrael from all of those who were to judge him. It took some time to restore order in the room while Azrael was forced back into the chair he had been put in at the start of this by the soldiers. The six stayed around him to keep him in check as needed. Matilda, along with Buyer and Frederick Algreus managed to regain order before they all faced Muruta Azrael. "I am sorry you see things in such a way as you have stated, Muruta Azrael. I pity you for closing your eyes to the progress you infer hasn't been made. However, by the definition in the United Nations' Charter, which is still completely valid, you have committed two counts of war crimes according to evidence and potentially more," Matilda remarked. "The consequences of performing such actions are clearly stated to be decided by a council, which we are representative of."

Azrael was kept in the chair as the eight above him left the room to 'discussed' what they said should be done with him. He returned to brooding as he was forced to wait for the verdict. He didn't expect it to be nice in any way, really. None of them understood what work he'd been doing for the human race. So, when the eight reentered the room, Azrael had become nearly absolutely despondent. "Muruta Azrael," Matilda stated firmly. "Your sentence has been decided by unanimous vote. You will be taken to the Federation's Tartarus Containment Facility located on Mars, and there you will remain for the rest of your days doing manual labor."

Muruta Azrael was brought out of his despondency, stunned at the sentence handed to him. Granted, he didn't entertain any hope that he would have any real freedom from now on. That had been a given to him once either of the other two factions captured him. Azrael was convinced ZAFT would've killed him and been done with things. The Federation wouldn't have gone that route; they were too noble to do that. But to never return to Earth again as part of his sentence was out of the blue. Then, for there to be a colony on mars was a metaphorical slap in the face for the Alliance and even ZAFT. It proved that the rumors of the Federation having colonies elsewhere were correct. Still, imprisonment for life was what Azrael had suspected he would receive from the Federation. It didn't mean he liked the outcome, but he knew there was nothing he could do to change it.

Peace talks were arranged and scheduled for close to six months after the battle around Jachin Due and the following cease-fire. The talks were set for March 10th of year seventy-two of the Cosmic Era. They were arranged to take place at the lunar Serenity City, which was classified as neutral. The lunar city was the other major city on the moon other than Copernicus City, even if it was the majority of the construction was done by the Human Federation. The city was built at the historical site that in the past was the first landing humans made on the moon with the Apollo space program. It was influenced by the Federation with its Luna Base a short distance away from the city and had connections to it. However, Serenity City was independently governed by a council and governor. The Federation oversaw security as a show of cooperation between the independent leaders and a partnership between the two. Yet, due to the city's reputation for neutrality through its independent government, the decision to host a peace talk there was seen as best.

The selection of personnel that would represent each faction was carefully done by the leadership of each faction. These talks would determine a great deal of policy going forward, and there was no doubt about that. The Alliance and ZAFT had lost an amount during the war and wanted back what had been taken. But they knew the Federation would have the heaviest vote on what would be done in that regard. And for the peace talks, each faction would be permitted three main representatives to speak for them. For each chosen representative, some staff, such as secretaries and the like, would be allowed. There would be two "mediators" to help the peace talks, but those had already been selected before any faction had the time to choose their representatives. The mediators were Siegel Clyne and Reverend Malchio, and none of the factions stated any objections to them. For the Alliance, the senior general councilman and two OMNI top brass were there to represent them. The PLANTs sent their Supreme Council's acting chairwoman Eileen Canaver, Lanus Treize, and Maria Loloths, to speak for them. And the Federation had Uzumi Athha, Foreign Minister Lindermann from the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Euros Coalition's Irma Beltorchika.

Once all participants were there, the talks, which were being done in the form of a convention, started. The first thing done was a summary overview of the damage the Alliance-PLANT war had done to Earth, the Moon, and the colonies. There was little held back during the summary; it was more the damage and victims that were stated rather than who was responsible. That set the stage for what could be done to prevent such things from occurring again in the near future. These talks aimed to create a treaty that would stand as a standard for the factions to follow. The treaty would need to be specific to ensure it could be enforced and upheld. Thus, the convention drafted the Junius Seven Treaty for all factions to follow.

The first point of the treaty was all faction boundaries were redrawn and essentially returned to status quo ante Bellum or what they were before the war officially started. There had been debate on territorial lines, with the Alliance being the most vocal. ZAFT had originally taken an amount of territory and land on Earth that had belonged to the Alliance, and they wanted it back. There were arguments that those who lived in the stated territories were used to ZAFT governing them. After close to an hour of debate, it was agreed, even if begrudgingly, that the Oceania Union and the northern part of the African Union would remain under ZAFT control for the time being. However, over the next five years, those living in said territories would decide who they would be allied with. ZAFT would get to keep their Gibraltar base and their Carpentaria base, even when the Alliance had taken Carpentaria. Yet, any other territory ZAFT had taken from the Alliance was to be returned. The other end of that was territory taken by the Alliance during the war was to be returned to its previous owners. Federation territory was drawn to be what it was before the Alliance had begun its assault on them. It took hours for the territory "discussion" to be done, and all three sides agreed to the terms overall.

The talks moved onto the treaty's second major point, which was the first preventative measure. It was suggested by the Federation that there should be a ban on sharing data that had to do with military applications. Data for military use had led to nuclear weapons being developed and used against one another. And the provision was specifically stated as military data so that it wouldn't include scientific data that could be used to improve quality of life. The difference in living conditions contributed to the war coming about. Thus, if those conditions could be improved for the majority on average, there would be less of a chance of people complaining and swaying by hatred.

The next three provisions of the treaty that were put on the table did cause a heated argument to start. The first point was about nuclear technology and its uses. The treaty was to prohibit any further military use for all sides. This included N-Jammers and N-Jammer Cancellers or any device that performed the same functions as either the jammer or its canceller. That meant no further development of nuclear tech, either with weapons or mobile suits. It also would include no construction or amass of nuclear arsenals by any factions. That essentially meant that nuclear missiles and other nuclear weapons would be banned from use or possession. Nuclear weapons were not to be built to avoid another incident like the Second Battle of Jachin Due or Bloody Valentine. The Alliance was not the most pleased by that provision, even if it was an expectation.

The second provision on the table was limiting the size of military buildup for all factions. The non-military representatives reasoned that military buildup had made the war far worse than it could've been. By putting limits on the size and type of forces, each faction could have by the rule of the treaty would help prevent wide-scale conflict. Limiting size referred to ships on Earth and in space, mobile weapons, and restrictions on Gundam-types and custom mobile suits. Each faction would be required to state how many they had of each specialized mobile suit and the number of ships in general. The provision that Lindemann had written up would have the size of the military organization proportional to the resources, population, and economic output of the nations that made up each faction overall. With how the provision was written, there wouldn't be one faction that would have a large advantage over the others, as the Oceania Union and the North African Community were included with the PLANTs, which equaled out the nations that were with the Federation and the Alliance.

The third provision, which did pass by a majority vote, with one of the OMNI top brass voting against it, had to do with stealth technology. The Federation had possessed the advantage during the majority of the war, and the Alliance demanded that change. ZAFT wasn't against standards being put into place for the use of stealth tech. The use of Mirage Colloid invented by the Alliance was banned outright. The arguments from the Alliance were struck down by the show of how the tech had already been used. The Federation's military's use and employment of stealth tech were not to be used in specific areas and places. And it wasn't just the Federation that the standard was set for but for all of them. The areas were seen as "neutral" and so not to be turned into battle zones. These places were on Earth and in space, though they were clearly defined so that no mistake as to where they were being referred to was made.

Other demands and exchanges were also discussed at the convention, aside from the Treaty of Junius Seven. Yet the treaty itself was carved into a black marble monument that would be placed among the ruins of Junius Seven. This was done for two reasons; first, as a way to help keep a remembrance of the new peace and pledge to uphold it, and second, to honor those who had lost their lives in the colony's collapse.

Another major subject that came up was the ongoing energy crisis on Earth in Alliance territory. Nuclear power had been what had provided power to the citizens before the April Fool's Crisis. Alternatives had been attempted but had failed either due to implementation issues or insufficient power production. An exception was made for using N-Jammer Cancelers to provide the needed power for those in Alliance territory. Nuclear power plants on Earth were fitted with N-Jammer Cancellers so that they could resume energy production to fill the needs of the severely crippled economies of Earth, which helped in the short term. To assist in the long-term, groups were assigned to begin the process of removing the N-Jammers, which would be a long and costly endeavor. However, it was done with the understanding that nuclear power would not be used for military use. The Alliance was forced to promise they wouldn't use the n-jammer cancelers for military use.

The second to last item that was discussed while the talks were going on was the punishments for those accused of war crimes committed during the war. Terrorist groups such as Blue Cosmos were to be disbanded and punished for the crimes they committed. The factions' leadership was to look at the evidence provided and then hand over the criminals they had. There were calls for the criminals to face justice and go on trial for what they had done. They would be sentenced if proven guilty or released if found innocent. This included several soldiers for their actions during the war, but it would come at a later date after the talks ended. The tribunal that would judge the individuals would be made from representatives from each faction, so it would be fair.

The last item that came up at the peace talks was a proposal made by the Federation. The proposal was a project to search for all the victims of the Bloody Valentine and identify them. Once identified, they could be sent to their next of kin, giving closure to many and helping in healing. It would be an extensive undertaking, but it would do much to help humanity move forward. The project would involve personnel from all three factions, both to complete it in a timely manner and to be thorough. Lanus was instantly onboard with the project and promised ZAFT's assistance and participation in it. OMNI said they would help with it but couldn't provide a great deal due to the losses from the war. But it was agreed the project would be initiated in the coming months.

After the convention came to a close, the marble monument was escorted to where it would be set, and the official end of the "Alliance-PLANT War" was acknowledged. Things settled down from where they had been during the war between the Alliance, the Federation, and the PLANTs. The trials of those classified as war criminals came and went without much fuss. Each factions' military handled the conduct of their other soldiers that had done wrong during the fighting. Of note, Athrun Zala and Dearka Elsman were charged with desertion, and where Dearka took a rank demotion. Athrun took an official discharge, though it was recorded as an honorable discharge due to the defense others provided. Those who used "unnecessary force" were punished according to the judgment of the leaders of ZAFT.

A/n

Okay, that's will be where I'll leave off for this Phase and pick it up in the next one. Now onto the part where I highlight and point out things for the Phase which there are some things in this one. This was the last part of the original Phase 26 for those who read the original already you would likely have noticed that. But on to the highlights for this Phase and me staying on task for this.

So, the first scene is a "review" of the battle's results by Tyler of course. I'm sorry if it was kind of boring, but I felt it helped set the scene in this Phase. I say this with the contradiction of hating the "recounting" episodes the anime had, and I skipped those admittedly. Now remember, that Tyler is still recovering from the gunshot wounds and the shrapnel he took. I did change he only had stitches to having staples too, and I felt that was more realistic with his injuries. Plus, he's dealing with Sakura which he doesn't like any more now than before. But that will be put on hold for the moment and be looked at later (wink wink).

Moving onto Tyler's actions for Mu with Admiral Moses as I want to get into that. Okay, so in the original, I summarized this scene in paragraphs. Yet, I expanded it and did so not just for my satisfaction but for your entertainment. I want to point out that the remark about Tyler not recommending another for a medal before this is significant. It shows more Tyler's judge of character combined with the respect Mu earned from him. I know I'm implied Tyler doesn't respect just anyone just because. One has to earn Tyler's respect and that task isn't easy to do as should be clear by this point. And that is noticed by some of those who know Tyler, some of his superiors included in that. I will get back to Tyler's medal shortly as I want to focus on Tyler's case for Mu first.

Now, as has been shown with Athrun at least, Tyler is a heck of a defender one could ask for. This scene is yet another example to prove that point. There are the highlights of the Archangel's journey, focusing on Mu's actions. Tyler is pulling to get Mu the Federation's medal of honor which is the highest on in the Federation. I want to repeat what is said in the Phase, none outside the Federation has earned it or any other medal at that time. So, Tyler's case would be the first to argue for the point to be considered by those in the Federation. Tyler believes Mu would be an excellent bar to judge others by in the future, and I would agree. There are qualifications for the medal of course which I mention in the Phase. Tyler fulfills two of them and directs Moses to the third which comes in the form of Cormag. So, I know I don't go into detail about Cormag until latter in the original, but I say why not. As stated or rather implied, he was a teach at OMNI's pilot academy when he was with the Alliance. He was also their ace pilot put simply. He was the one that recommended Mu and Krystal try the Zero Armors.

Anyway, back to the point of Tyler being in line to earn the medal of honor for himself. With what he did in the Second battle of Jachin Due, is it really all that surprising he earned a medal? I chose the medal of honor as Tyler is humble and wouldn't want it. But he won't be given the choice in the matter which will be seen later. It isn't the first award or recognition Tyler has received, but we know that from a later scene. The other thing I want to highlight is the top brass of the Federation's military do know who Tyler really is. They know who his family is and don't hold him hiding that against him.

Let's move onto the next scene where Tyler goes back to the Archangel and encounters his friends, shall we? So, we know Miriallia can be emotional and she shows that, but she does care about Tyler. The relationship between Tyler and her has its ups and downs as has been implied. However, I actually spell out what she says where I didn't in the original. And of course, Tyler waves off his injuries so others don't worry about him which does the opposite. Now the funny part which I added is the reference to Sakura Tyler makes that his friends pick up on. And his avoidance on not wanting to talk about Sakura makes his situation worse. Remember Tyler is seen as a pillar of strength, one cool under pressure, takes things as they come and handles them with relative ease. So, his friends ask about his reaction as it is out of character for Tyler as they know him.

I hope I've established Tyler's suffering with Sakura and why he does it by this point in the story. If I haven't made it clear through the comical situations it provides, then I suggest you read this from the beginning again and pay attention to the goods. Tyler's misstep comes when he mentions his issue is with a woman. As you should recall, Tolle teased Tyler in the earlier Phases that Kira was beating him with Lacus as his "girlfriend." Now you will hear about Sakura's and Tyler's first encounter at a later point so don't ask about that right now please. So, Tyler reacts badly as we would expect when it comes to Sakura. But this is a comical point which will come back later I assure you.

On to Mu's memorial as that scene has a point to it if not a few to work with. Tyler wears his officer's uniform which is the most formal set of clothes he has. As I explained, when Tyler was a child, he was fawned over by others and hated it. So a suit is registered with those memories which Tyler detests, which is why he doesn't own one. That uniform includes the recognition ribbons he's earned during his service. The ribbons' appearance are based on the US military ribbons if you want to look them up to see them. But let me point to a few, the SOLAS ribbon is the same as the Air force honor graduate. The others are as the names would refer to ribbons in the US military. The other change in Mu's memorial from the original is the guests that attended which some of you readers may have noticed. I felt it better to have those from the Kusanagi and Natarle to be there as they had known him.

The second to last scene with Azrael is I feel an important one to have in this Phase and the story in general. I know most hate Azrael and rightly so with the things he's done both in cannon and what I've implied in my story. He is one of the villains of this half of Gundam Seed so we aren't meant to like him. However, I wanted to show what happens to him as it both shows one doesn't escape the consequences in the end and Justice can and should prevail. Now of course, Azrael isn't happy with what he sees ahead of him. His reflection may be dull, but it does put forth the view of Azrael's past. He knew what he was doing the whole time, don't mistake his actions as anything else. While Azrael is partially a product of the environment he grew up in, he made the choices to get to where he is. As is stated, the Federation's reputation with holding criminals accountable is well-established, especially for war criminals. What those criminals face if captured isn't public, it is merely said they are "handled" and little else. So this scene also gives you readers a peak behind the curtain on some things that are implied but not said outright in my world of Gundam.

The trial is a bit different from the original with who is on the tribunal, which I chose for a reason. Some make sense and others may not, but I still picked them carefully. There is a representative from each Federation member nation even if I don't name all of them, like Homura Athha for example. I did add the head of the Alliance's general council, the man who disagreed with Azrael during the meeting Phases ago. I did so as I thought would it not give more validity to the trial if one of Azrael's own peers were there? And then there were three members of the Federation's Admiralty there as well. Their names can be looked up on the Gundam Wikia if you want clear images, meaning I don't own them but am borrowing them. Now during the trial, I imply that Azrael has been a top target of the Federation's Military as I have done before now. It is much like in the crimes shows like NCIS with the wall of their "most wanted" pictures in a fashion. The flow of the trial is much as it was in the original overall, so not much to say about that.

And finally, the last scene is the peace talks which ends with the Treaty of Junius Seven. I fleshed this out more as I wanted to give more detail than canon ever does. In canon the talks take place at Copernicus City, but this gave me the chance to showcase my lunar city that is non-canon. Serenity City has significance in my Gundam world more than Copernicus in a few ways. One point which I go into later is it is around where the "moon landing" which the Apollo program made and there is a museum over that site. The other more important point of the city is it is nearby and has a connection to the Federation's Luna Base. However, I make it clear the city itself is independent from the Federation even if it works with them a lot.

Now I took the time to select who would participate in the conference and I hope some of you can appreciate the point. It is a view into my valuing characters, whether my own which I created or those I've borrowed from other places and universes. I do see characters and almost real people one can talk to and laugh with face to face. That is a difference in my personal view from a casual writer and a passionate one, loving the characters and world you create and work with. I want that to be understood as some changes I do going forward really show some hard work I put into characters to make them human and not just figments of imagination.

The talks themselves are fairly straightforward, but note things that will come into play in future Phases. The territorial arrangements are I feel clear and self-explanatory so not much to say about them other than the ZAFT territory piece. So, in canon, the Alliance got back territory from ZAFT and there was little argument which caused lots of issues. In my telling, those lands are given five years to choose and transition to whichever faction they want to.

The major changes with the talks is the expansion of the preventative measures the treaty sets out. Sharing data which could be used for military applications was an obvious idea to include, even though the Federation already had that idea in place for themselves. However, there is exception made to improve quality of living. That is meant to help the Alliance with their energy crisis by allowing nuclear energy to be used. That is the simple provision which most agreed upon though some didn't like it at all. The other three main provisions are anything but agreed upon by most and it is telling on what some want. Of course, nuclear tech is to be banned in future military development. That doesn't mean the "Gundams" which had nuclear reactors are banned, but they are few so that was taken into account. It was meant to make future nuclear weapon development was to stop and not progress.

The next provision is a new one I put in with the limiting of military buildup. This one came to mind for a few reasons and they made sense even though we know this provision won't hold up for long. So the "equation" which this provision uses is per nation or state's economic output and population, they get a percentage of military forces to protect that. That translates to each nation adding to the faction they are a part of has to work with. This was created with the idea of if military buildup was curtailed, war and the like was less likely to happen. I know it is stupid or foolish for any to think this will work forever, and I'm in that camp too honestly. But this treaty is being made in good faith, so it includes things that will not likely last. The third and final provision of the Treaty is about stealth tech of course which I bring up for a reason. Before this the Federation had the advantage of stealth technology and had used it to great effect. Make no mistake, the Federation will still have that advantage going forward, but it won't be as "present" as it was before.

Now, there is one other point the talks bring which I want to point out as it is a foreshadowing of what is coming. The project with the ruins of Junius Seven will be done, that is essentially what the next Phase will be about. And please understand, there are two events I'm going to be adding which the project is one that will be part of the transition to Destiny's timeline. This is the major reason I've gone to three weeks between posting Phases as I'm writing two of them from scratch. It is my hope that once they are done and things are back on track I can get back to posting every two weeks. I do not promise that will happen, but I will be trying to return to that when it is possible.

In conclusion, I apologize once again the ending notes are as long as they are. There is just so much to explain and highlight with the Phases as they are becoming. I certainly hope you readers are enjoying the changes and the story as it is coming. The time it takes to do this is hard to come by these days. Working full time and doing overtime off and on lately hasn't been helping me work on this. Nor has school been assisting with giving me time to write as I would like. Now, as always, please some of you take the time to write a review and tell me what you think, ask questions of me, or criticize as you like. I read it all and comment as I'm able to those that do such for me. The next phase is titled: "Returning Home" and is coming along and so hopefully will be ready in three weeks. Peace out until then!