Phase-04: Stardust battlefield

"My record isn't that great on debris field battles." Lunamaria complained as she looked around. Her Gunner ZAKU Warrior, the Impulse, and two ZGMF-601R GuAIZ R were carefully passing though an area full of wreckage... the ideal place for an ambush.

"The enemy will have noticed us by now. Stay alert." Shinn advised.

"I know! You're starting to sound like Rey! It's throwing me off!" Indeed, as the most level-headed one, it was usually Rey's role to caution his friends... and Shinn was usually the one the most in need to be cautioned. In the Minerva, Trine asked if there were any changes to the enemy ship but no, the course and speed were the same. Satisfied, he ordered to load launchers one to six, numbers one through four with "Dispar" interceptor missiles and activate the CIWS and "Tristan". They would get them this time!

"Mr. Chairman... that's..." Cagalli stammered. Athrun had been found out partly because of her and she felt guilty. Also as Head of State and Athrun's and Seren's superior she felt it was her responsibility to clear the situation with the Chairman. Talia heaved a sigh. Lying in wait among the debris, Sting, Auel and Stella had located the enemies coming their way. The Girty Lue detached the anchor from the asteroid. Shinn was wondering why nothing was happening.

"Not to worry, Representative Athha. I'm not challenging him for his actions." Durandal reassured the girls. Athrun looked away and gritted his teeth. "I know what happened, and I understand the measures taken against him and others by former Chairwoman Canaver. It's just that if I am to talk to you, I'd rather talk to the real you, Athrun. That's all." However, this conversation ended when they received an update. Bogey One was at a distance of 1400 from the Impulse. Trine was surprised they still hadn't changed their course or made any move. Was it part of a plan? Talia frowned.

"Damn!" She cursed.

"It's a decoy!" Athrun and Seren suddenly shouted.

"Please call back the mobile suits, they're going straight into an ambush... just like us! The enemy will come at us from behind! Turn about immediately and get away from the asteroid or we'll lose our mobility! Prepare for anti-mobile suit and anti-air combat!" Ledford added. Because she had grasped the urgency and direness of their situation, because she felt this certainty in her guts, because she had this raw instinct, this sheer fighting sense and the intuition developed by her combat experience and honed by studying military strategy and tactics during the previous war, because she had grown used to giving orders... She had forgotten her place and spoken with too much authority, giving orders as if SHE was the captain of this ship. Gladys turned to them, gaping. Cagalli was staring at them with a sad expression. Seren and Athrun sat back, realizing what they had done. And the ambassadress deeply apologized for having spoken out of line before shrinking back in her seat. She was innerly berating herself. She was just a civilian guest! And even without that... Just what was she doing?! No, what were they doing? She glanced at Athrun and their confused gazes met before they looked down. They did not notice the smirk on Gilbert's lips or the interest in his eyes.

"Okay! Let's do this!" Sting signaled the start of the battle. The two others assented. They came out of hiding and attacked the ZAFT soldiers. From the get go, a GuAIZ R was destroyed by the Chaos' gunbarrels.

"Shawn!" Hawke cried. But she had no time to mourn the death of her comrade as she had become the next target. She avoided the beams.

"We'll scatter and fight them separately!" Shinn took command dodged before cursing. "Damn! They'd been waiting for us!" Suddenly, Bogey One disappeared. The Minerva had also lost the signal. Zala and Ledford clenched their fists.

"We've also lost the signal of Shawn's machine! Three heat sources at Yellow 62, Beta. It's Chaos, Gaia and Abyss!" Meyrin reported. Talia ordered to quickly find the enemy vessel, Bogey One. In the Girty Lue, Roanoke raised his right hand. That was the signal.

"Start the engines and send out the Dagger team! Fire missile launchers five through eight! Aim main cannons at enemy battleship!" Lee barked. The thrusters of the EA vessel started and the Daggers sortied from the two catapults.

"Heat source at Blue 18, Mark 9, Charlie! It's Bogey One! Distance 500! Also two mobile suits!" Burt Heim, Minerva bridge staff mainly in charge of search operations, alerted, shocking Trine… and Gladys. The enemy was coming from behind?! "Detecting targeting lasers, directed at us!" And just as he said that, Bogey One fired missiles and main Gottfrieds cannons.

"Fire anti-beam depth charges. 30 to starboard. Aim Tristan." Talia instructed. But they couldn't do it. Mobile suits at Orange 22, Delta! She gritted her teeth. "Engines to maximum! Turn us around using that starboard asteroid as shield!" She adapted. Pilot Malik Yardbirds did his best. The depth charges dissipated the beams, the CIWS detonated some of the missiles while others struck rock outcroppings. They had been saved by the special aspect of the planetoid, though they were still caught in the shockwave. The Minerva shook. Inside, everyone held onto whatever they could. "Meyrin, call back Shinn and the others. And prepare to send out our remaining machines. Malik, use the asteroid's surface features to protect us from any direct hits! Arthur, counterattack."

"Launcher five, launcher ten! Dispars, fire!" The vice-captain yelled out. Seren and Athrun were glaring straight ahead and grinding their teeth, but Cagalli and Durandal were only watching the two young Coordinators between them… they could feel their irritation, their frustration…

Ahead, the battle between ZAFT and the three EA units was continuing. The second GuAIZ R was hiding behind a large array of panels. The Abyss shot his multi-phase beam cannon and 3-barrel beam cannons, causing damage over a wide area and hitting their intended target. The GuAIZ R blew up. Luna cried her other comrade – Dale's name. The enemy had got two of them in no time! Shinn swore. They received the message from the Minerva telling them to return, and that their ship had been damaged by a surprise attack. And Hawke finally understood they had walked straight into a trap. But for Asuka, they couldn't return in this situation. The Minerva was flying along a large trench on its right, its wing almost touching. They avoided a shower of beams that hit the celestial body and they passed through the resulting dust cloud. They launched the 'Neidhardts', though the retaliation failed when the space missiles crashed against the floating debris. Talia wanted to get behind them since there was nothing that could be done with the enemy on their tail but Malik replied it was impossible. The best they could do was to avoid the attacks. The deputy captain suggested sending out Rey's ZAKU but they couldn't do that either. Right now they couldn't get a clear course to send anyone out. The Gaia turned into a MA and ran across another array of panels, furrowing it like a wolf running on a field covered by a thick layer of snow after its prey, the red ZAKU. Luna turned back, aimed, and fired her "Orthros" cannon, destroying a large zone, but missing the Gaia. The female ZAFT pilot was growing angrier by the minute.

"Who do you think you are?! You… You thieves!" She fired, and missed again. Her heavy, slow firing long range beam cannon was too bad a match for the agile and speedy black mobile armor that was well suited to this kind of battlefield and zoomed along the debris, jumping from one part to another. However, Shinn was holding his own against the Abyss and Chaos, albeit with some trouble. He went into a shaft, formerly the entryway of a harbor facility. Sting told Auel to get behind him; they were going to get him this time for sure! Now, the pilot of the Impulse couldn't locate them. Suddenly, Luna's MS crashed in front of him. The tunnel changed and the whole length of a wall was made of glass. Asuka fired his two large M2000F "Kerberos" high-energy long-range beam cannons at the Gaia that had closed in a bit too much. Stella dodged and didn't quite appreciate having that guy interfere with her again. The Minerva managed to evade the beams of the Daggers and Girty Lue but having their right side literally against the wall rendered a whole half of their firepower useless. And because of the drifting rocks getting in the way, their shots couldn't reach the enemy.

"They're hanging in." Ian Lee commented.

"But they're finished if they stop moving." Roanoke noted. He stood up. "Fire missiles into that asteroid they're stuck to! Let's give them the gift of a crushed rock shower! Enough to bury their hull!" He yelled before turning to the ship captain. "I'm going out to finish them. Take over for me."

Heim detected six approaching missiles and Talia ordered the counterattack… but… Athrun and Seren noted those missiles were not aimed at them. Then could their actual aim be…

So that's how you're going to come after all… You really want to bury us here! Ledford clenched her fists.

"This is bad! Move the ship away from the asteroid!" 'Alex' shouted. A second later, the wave of missiles hit the asteroid. Meyrin screamed as the vessel rocked when it passed through the clouds of debris.

"Get us out of here! Raise bow 15!" Gladys-kanchou bellowed.

"Second wave of missiles approaching!" Burt alerted.

"Decelerate 20!" Thanks to her orders, the projectiles fell ahead enough to prevent direct damage but the resulting rock shower could not be avoided and the impact of the large boulders caused deep dents and scratches, impairing the hull, wearing it down.

"Now… I'm really sorry to do this before your launching ceremony but…. I will sink you!" Roanoke joined the Daggers in his TS-MA4F Exus. Suddenly, a giant piece of asteroid, several times the size of a space battleship, blocked partially the path of the Minerva.

"Thrusters number 4 and 6 damaged!" Arthur reported. "Captain! At this rate we'll be trapped!" Just as he said that, more rubble fell in front of them, closing their route off.

"Mobile armor and mobile suits approaching!" The young Hawke informed. The ZAFT ship captain called MS technical staff team leader Aves and told him to send Rey out. They didn't have to deploy the catapult, he could just walk out. Meyrin said the Impulse and ZAKU were still in battle against the Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss.

"Aren't there any more mobile suits on this ship?!" Durandal demanded.

"We have no pilots." Talia replied, turning to him. Seren and Athrun gasped and backed slightly. Cagalli was observing their reactions, clearly worried about them. Their desire to do something for this ship was glaringly obvious. What they could do... was fight... Those two knew it best... they could certainly pilot mobile suits… especially if it was to save lives… but… they were no longer soldiers! Trine suggested crushing the cliff ahead of them with the 'Tannhäuser' cannon but his superior was against it. That would only scatter more rocks towards them as they approached to destroy the next layer of solid rock. But the Chairman was still smirking as he looked back at the two young Coordinators seated behind him and racking their brains for a solution. The hatch opened and Rey's ZAKU came out.

Gil's on the Minerva! I won't allow you to sink it! The only person that could evoke strong emotions and extreme devotion in the all too stoic and detached Rey... was Gilbert Durandal. Roanoke sensed his presence. Shinn and Luna were starting to lose patience. If they didn't hurry back, the Minerva was going to sink! Asuka fired the "Deluge" hyper velocity rail cannons, followed by the "Kerberos" beam cannons. But although they missed their targets, the "Kerberos" had blasted in one hit a 'ruin' over twice the size of a battleship and their sheer firepower was nothing short of staggering, especially for the enemies. Ledford asked how many starboard thrusters were still functioning. Talia hesitated but the Chairman and nodded at her.

"Six. But heading out there now, we'll only be target practice for them." The captain finally replied.

"Fire everything on starboard all at once, against the asteroid." Zala said, shocking the vice-captain.

"We'll push the hull out away in one motion with the force of the explosion... together with the rocks surrounding us." His fellow Orb Coordinator added.

"Don't be ridiculous! Think of the damage to the Minerva's hull if we did that!" Trine argued.

"Our priority is getting out of here! If we stay we'll either get buried or shot down. Sacrifice the flesh to save the bone. There's no other option! If you think you have something better, then say it now!" Seren insisted.

"Talia." Durandal smiled at the captain who folded and conceded the point (despite not looking too pleased about it). She agreed to give their idea a try, to Arthur's surprise. He attempted to protest but she didn't let him. They would talk about it later. They just didn't have the time to hesitate.

"Prepare to fire all starboard weapons! Starboard thrusters to maximum as we fire! Match the timing!" Gladys ordered.

Having sensed the danger and presence, Rey was able to react in time to dodge the Exus' attack. Two Daggers soon came over and one was quickly shot down. The commander ordered the other to get back and focus on the enemy ship as that white baldy was tough. Miller obeyed. Rey attempted to go after him but he met with a barrage of beams from the gunbarrels of the MA. One grazed his unit's leg. The Red Coat retaliated with a wave of missiles before turning to the last Dagger and shooting it down with his beam assault rifle. Lunamaria came out of hiding and attacked the Abyss that evaded. Shinn was pursed by the Chaos and Gaia when he made a sudden turn about and charged, forcing them to disperse. The tables had turned. He launched his 'Firefly' missiles. Sting and Stella shielded themselves behind debris and detonated other projectiles. They cursed. Why couldn't they take that guy down?! It was the same as last time! The Girty Lue was approaching the Minerva to finish it off, though they couldn't take on a direct hit with all the rocks in the way. Lee told his subordinates to just corner the enemy vessel so they couldn't come after them. Roanoke-taisa was not exactly satisfied but their mobile suits were soon going to run out of power.

"Bogey One, distance 150." Heim informed.

"All hands, prepare for impact! Here we go!" The female captain warned. "Starboard thrusters to maximum!"

"All starboard cannons, fire!" Trine yelled. The full starboard weaponry fired simultaneously, blowing a crater in the asteroid. The resulting shockwave sent rocks flying and propelled the ZAFT ship that managed to get away. Its force was so great though that many crew members who had not been able to secure themselves were tossed against the walls along with their tools and equipment. Lee, Roanoke and Rey turned to see the cause of the commotion. The Minerva had freed itself! The Exus avoided the blasted boulders.

"Turn bow 30! Fire at Bogey One!" Talia immediately commanded the beginning of the counterattack even though her ship was still rocking from the explosion. Her deputy officer ordered to aim the "Tannhäuser".

"Evade! Hard to port!" The captain of the Girty Lue shouted.

"Fire!" Gladys bellowed. The positron blaster cannon fired and vaporized the rocks next to the EA ship and grazed its right side, damaging it. The pilot of the mobile armor cursed those guys for having managed to rise from the brink of defeat and headed to the Minerva but he could not shake off the white ZAKU. Now that the ZAFT vessel had broken free, the situation had taken a turn for the worst for the Earth forces. Roanoke launched the flares, meaning it was time to withdraw. Seeing that, Ian Lee instructed to send the retreat signal to Oakley and the others. They were leaving the area. The Exus returned to the Girty Lue.

"I look forward to seeing you again, white baldy-kun, and the ZAFT crew." Its pilot glanced back at the ZAFT unit and vessel. Rey didn't chase him, his duty being to guard the Minerva. The Girty Lue launched the flares too, surprising everyone. Loussier gazed at them, smiling like an enchanted little girl who had stumbled upon a fairy. But that wasn't just because those were pretty lights. Those pretty lights meant that Neo was calling them and telling them to come back. And that made her happy. Auel was disappointed though, having to go back after only two kills. But as Sting said, it couldn't be helped. The three returned to their ship, and Bogey One left. Meyrin informed that the power of both the Impulse and Lunamaria's ZAKU had reached critical level. And Arthur reported that with that earlier explosion, their engine number two, as well as their portside heat sensors had been damaged. Impaired detection and propulsion, deteriorated hull... pursuing the enemy in that condition was just too dangerous...

"Captain Gladys, it's enough. We'll think of another plan." The chairman made his decision. "I personally cannot inconvenience Representative Athha and Miss Ledford any longer." He turned to the guests. Talia deeply apologized. The Minerva also launched the signal flares. Luna was panting and Shinn gritting his teeth. They had failed in their mission. And now they had to return. The bridge rose to its initial position. The captain and the Chairman escorted the three Orb civilians back to their quarters. Once again, Durandal apologized for having involved the Representative and Ambassadress in this mess.

"Nevermind us. Although I must say I regret very much that things ended this way. I pray from my heart that you'll be able to quickly resolve things." Cagalli replied formally and sincerely. Gilbert thanked her. Meyrin floated in a hallway and joined her older sister and the two other pilots who had left their pilot suit to put on their uniforms. She asked if they were alright and informed them about what had happened on the bridge while they had been fighting. And Shinn was surprised to hear that the one who had operated the ZAKU and saved him from the Abyss, the one who escorted Ledford and Athha... was really Athrun Zala. Durandal and Gladys told their guests that they had finally reestablished contact with the homeland and that rescue teams and investigation units were on their way to Armory One. The captain had requested that one vessel was sent their way to pick them up. The two younger women thanked her. Cagalli entered the room where Chacha the robotic squirrel already was.

"But really, we were saved earlier, thanks to them. Weren't we, captain?" Gilbert was evidently referring to the two Orb Coordinators.

"Ah... yes..." She agreed. The door closed behind Cagalli and before the ambassadress and her aide.

"That was impressive. You certainly showed us the true strength of people who have survived numerous battles... and after fighting those numerous battles as enemies and as comrades... your synergy was splendid." The Chairman praised them, although they didn't seem too happy about it and apologized for having said too much and acted the way they did.

"Your decisions were correct. Thank you." The captain smiled kindly.

"Miss Ledford had even anticipated the events of this battle! 'The enemy will come at us from behind', 'get away from the asteroid or we'll lose our mobility', the ambush, the order to recall the mobile suits... things unfolded just as she had foretold." Durandal went on.

"I was just lucky... or unlucky..." The female diplomat smiled awkwardly. She had caught their attention in a way she didn't like. And if possible, she wanted to leave things at that and not involve herself in that sort of situation any further. That much was clear. The two adults left. And the teens looked down. Seren looked at the door. She couldn't face Cagalli as she was now. If Cagalli wavered, it was her role and duty as her subordinate and older sister to support her, and that was why she had to be strong. But now, she couldn't. She needed to settle down, and reaffirm her feelings and convictions. She couldn't let Cagalli see her like this. She turned to Athrun with a weak little smile and they went to a lounge.

"Aren't there any more mobile suits on this ship?!"

"We have no pilots."

"We've also lost the signal of Shawn's machine!"

Again, people died on the battlefield... like Miguel, like Nicol, like Tolle, Flay, Natarle-san, Mu-san... all those who have been sacrificed for this peace, could they have died for nothing? People were still dying. Could those deaths have been prevented had they piloted a mobile suit? But that was not their role anymore. Their role now... was to prevent battles from happening. They already knew that they couldn't protect through fighting, that was why they had decided to help Cagalli, so they'd never have to fight and go through that again...

"The name of a thing is an indicator to its existence. Then what if that name is not real? If it's not real, would that mean its existence is not real either?"

Seren saw Zala vehemently shake his head, trying to shake the words out of his mind, and she leant against his shoulder guessing what had upset him like this.

"You know, whatever our name is, it doesn't change who we are inside. Whether I am Seren Ashford or Seren Ledford, I am still me. Whether you are Alex Dino or Athrun Zala, you are still you."

"Yeah." He smiled weakly and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and brought her closer to him.

"But really, what were we doing, giving directives like that...?" Ledford sighed. Like that... like they were eager to return to the battlefield... like they were suited to something like that... However, at such a time, the girl also couldn't help but remember Mu's words... "You have the power, so just do what you can." ... as well as her own words..."I don't want to die here like this, and I don't want to let any of you die. So I will do what I can to increase our chances of survival by even 1%. And if it means piloting, fighting, and learning the ways of war, then so be it." Even though they were supposed to have surpassed that... even though they knew the price for wielding such a power... and it had cost them dearly enough... But... what would have happened had they not spoken up? Could they truly say 'we had to or everyone would have died, it couldn't be helped'? Was there really no other way? They couldn't know, and it was too late. But then, they heard talking in the hallway and pulled away.

"But was there really a need to change his name?" Meyrin wondered, walking with the three pilots. "I mean, before he was…"

"What are you saying?" Her sister replied. "Regardless of his past-" But then the four who were going to enter the lounge suddenly stopped when they saw the subject of their discussion sitting there. Meyrin clamped her hands on her mouth and hid behind Rey. Shinn glared at the two guests from Orb. But they nonetheless greeted the ambassadress who told them there was no need for them to stand on ceremony now. The female Red Coat smiled and approached confidently.

"We heard about what happened on the bridge, what you did… and we were just talking about you, and about you, Athrun Zala. As expected of you. It's an honor to have the chance to meet two legendary aces in such a place."

"I'm nothing like that. I'm Alex."

"It's a thing of the past. I'm trying to make it so that there's no need for battles or aces."

"That's why you two won't board a mobile suit again?" The female pilot questioned, like she was testing and challenging them. Alex glared at her but Seren made an expression that clearly said it was none of her business what they chose to do or not to do.

"Stop it, Luna! Who cares about anyone living in Orb? They don't know anything." Shinn left. Now that reaction of his had again caught the attention of the two Orb civilians. Rey saluted and politely excused himself too.

"In any case, you saved this ship from danger. Thank you very much." Luna also saluted and left, followed by her sister. The Minerva stopped against another asteroid for reparations. They were surrounded by scraps of unknown origin, like they were in a metal-only landfill site.

While in a space station near the PLANTs, someone had detected something. It was totally absurd... and nonetheless true. That person had checked it several times, and shown proof by displaying images taken at different intervals. It was very gradual but unmistakable. Junius Seven had left her fixed orbit.

The mechanics were fixing the damage on the Minerva. Arthur was in the CIC doing a review with another crewmember. Captain Gladys was in her room, resting on her armchair at her desk. Athrun and Seren had returned to the room they shared with Cagalli. The blonde girl was sleeping on her side, her sister next to her was staring at the ceiling, her arms behind her head and Chacha curled up on her belly. Athrun was sitting at the desk. Shinn was sitting on his bed. He glanced at the pink cell phone on the table, stood up, and took it. He pressed a few buttons and listened. 'Hi! Mayu here! But I'm sorry, I can't talk to you right now! I'll call you back later, so please leave your name after the beep!' That was the only way he could still hear her voice.

We believed in just "believing". Before we know it, we recall the sour stench of the battlefield. The moment we were cornered, "instincts" embraced us. What hides behind this level of strength, nobody notices it... it might just be "trembling". We defy this flow because we want to live for the sake of a smile. These continually smoldering feelings, are they our fortunes?

Author's note: I thought I should warn you, when people copy/paste previous comments, my motivation drops to rock bottom. It makes me feel that there are robots automatically posting the same thing over and over. What would you feel if authors wrote a single chapter and posted it again and again? If you have nothing to say, you don't have to force yourself :) If you don't know what to say, I suggest answering a simple question: what part, in this specific chapter, made your heart race? What part exactly did you particularly like? It's all about content, not length. Proper feedback will motivate me an awful lot.