Author's note: I had more time than usual so here.

Phase-27: Entrusted Wish

The LHM-BB01 Minerva had found refuge in a circular bay protected by tall rock cliffs, vestiges of a collapsed volcano. The captain and vice-captain were discussing the damages from the recent battle. Nothing serious had been inflicted to the main engines, but the ship's hull and weapons had suffered greatly. That also included the ship's mobile weapons. The Warrior and Savior were totaled, while the Fortuna and Phantom had sustained medium damage. Gladys complained it was frustrating to have to wait here again for more supplies and repairs when Gibraltar was so close but it couldn't be helped. Although it was not like they had suffered defeat, these battles still left a terrible aftertaste. She ordered them to continue monitoring the air and sea.

The whole ship was actually awash with an undercurrent of frustration, disappointment, and vexation. In the dark changing room, Athrun closed the door of his locker. Given the state of his mobile suit, he wasn't going to wear his pilot suit again any time soon. He went to sit quietly in his room, his forearms on his lap. Once more, he had neglected to switch on the light, the darkness of the room reflecting the darkness of his mood. The turmoil he felt having to fight him, to fight Orb, had dulled his combat ability. And as a result, Kira had dismembered the Savior. Because of that, Athrun will no longer be able to protect his comrades for the time being.

Seren was taking a shower. But while her body felt better, the water did not wash away the muddy feelings she was mired in and she did not feel refreshed. Would a proper bath have been better? The Archangel had a traditional onsen-like bath built in now. That would have been good. Or so she was trying to distract herself. She stared at her trembling hands. With those very hands, she had sunk Orb ships and killed Orb soldiers. She knew better than anyone Cagalli's... her family's love for Orb. And she had just fought this hard against Orb, the Archangel, and that very family of hers. She recalled that Murasame going for a suicide attack. How strong was their loyalty? She remembered what she had done to the Blast Wave and the Freedom. The sensation was still left in her fingers.

There was no way she could return, not for a long time. How did things come to this again? What could be done to fix them? How long was this going to take? And due to that battle, she could no longer fight. She felt like she had truly come to a standstill. And the same was certainly true for Athrun... But at least, the Fortuna was still fixable... However, given how the Freedom had dismembered the Savior... Well, Athrun should be fine physically, if only that. She was more worried about Lunamaria who she heard had been injured, so she headed towards the infirmary, her faithful robotic pet on her shoulder.

Just as she was getting there, Seren saw Luna coming out while thanking the medical staff and ran to her, checking the gravity of her wounds. A bandage was wrapped around her head and others plastered on her cheeks but the problem would be her left arm that was in a cast held by a sling. She had a sprained elbow and a small tear in her radius. It should take around three weeks to heal. The FAITH member was relieved it wasn't worse. Luna asked about Athrun. Canaver made a difficult face and told her to go to the hangar and see the Savior before anything. Then, as Seren still entered the infirmary Hawke got worried that she was injured too although she didn't look like it.

"Nope, just doing a courtesy visit."

"Geez..."

Seren went straight to Stella. A glance was enough to tell she was getting worse and worse. She requested to be shown her data. Although she was far from being an expert, she did have some knowledge. She frowned upon reading the file and sighed heavily before returning the documents. Seren stared at the sleeping girl. She was told how much time Shinn spent here and how much he seemed to like that girl. Could Stella even survive the trip to Gibraltar? But even if she survived, she would most likely still be treated as a test subject. Could... and would they ensure a minimum of decency as a human, and do everything to make sure she lived on? Then at least, there could be some hope... Or would she be nothing more than a rat to them? Even if Seren (surely with Shinn's and Athrun's help) extorted a promise to treat Stella well, those people could pretend to agree just to placate them, and actually do whatever they wanted as there was no means to ensure the promise would be kept.

If Stella was returned to the Earth Forces... there was absolutely no doubt she would be made to fight them again. That was how those people operated after all. And there was the punishment to consider. Were she to do it, not only would she be imprisoned for violating military rules (as she was now officially in the army) but her own already very delicate position would take a nosedive, complicating things a lot. Actually, she also recalled Murrue-san saying that the penalty in such cases was a meeting with the firing squad. She didn't want to be executed. Even if she took no action herself and merely expressed her support in public, should worst come to worst her asking to save an Extended's life would be basically feeding her own opposition. Shinn, on the other hand... his Impulse was the only mobile suit in a position to sortie, so as long as they were attacked, he would be released. He certainly was the best pick. The problem was his terrifying self-righteousness. He had no awareness of his responsibilities and shortcomings either. Would he even understand the gravity and possible consequences of his actions? Seren started violently shaking and scratching her head. Chacha nuzzled her so she petted it, which calmed her down at least somewhat. And since she was here, she was made to have a check-up despite her protests.

It also came to her mind that she would be having none of those thoughts or feelings were she still on the Archangel. Worrying about her position, treading on eggshells around the crew... She would never need to be careful of what she did and said in front of Murrue-san, her family, or the Archangel's crew... Even if she fought with them, she could be honest with them, she could be herself. If she wanted to save someone, they would surely support her regardless of the uniform the person was wearing. On the other hand, she had to be wary of Gladys-kanchou who sent Luna to spy on her, likely on Chairman Durandal's orders... Shinn was the way he was. What about Rey? His voice and appearance were so similar to people she knew. Not to mention that strange feeling she got whenever he was near. Strange yet familiar... that reminded her of a certain person, or two, who died in the last war...

Yolan and Vino were complaining too. The mechanic staff had been ordered to fix the Savior, but it was plain impossible. That was the Freedom's handiwork, right? Guess even an almighty FAITH member couldn't do anything against that one. But the other had heard that Seren had landed some good blows in and managed to drive it away... although they had more or less taken each other out. Shinn was glaring at the wrecked remains of the Savior before turning to the Fortuna. His eyes softened just slightly. It might be mutilated too but much less. Finally, he left the hangar too under Rey's watchful gaze.

The Archangel was hiding underwater again. Everyone had been shocked by the sorry state of the Freedom and Black Wave, especially given the skills of their pilots. Those on the bridge knew somewhat but it was still something else to witness it with your own eyes. And knowing who had reduced them to that left them even more conflicted. Certainly Seren had that ability so that was understandable, but because it was Seren, it was unthinkable... to think she would go that far against her cousin and brother... The seriousness of the damage seemed to show just how seriously angry she was at them. Cagalli was starting to sob. Because she had betrayed Seren, betrayed her faith in her, Seren had abandoned her. But Kira and Rayner did not think so. Despite calling herself a ZAFT FAITH agent, she had said that all the blood needlessly shed here would be their cross to bear for as long as they lived... and hers as well... meaning she still considered herself part of Orb. She was definitely angry, but she had not abandoned them altogether. Her blame had also contained a hidden warning that ZAFT would consider them as enemies, and so would other countries. They will have to act carefully. She had spoken like she had wanted to teach them something, she wanted them to grow as leaders. And inside, she had surely been crying too. The young woman tightly hugged her brother and lover who comforted her.

This time, the Archangel's hangar not only contained the Freedom, Blast Wave and Strike Rouge but many Murasames as well. A number of soldiers, pilots, and officers who had abandoned the sinking ships had decided to join the Archangel and were in the bridge. Amagi was speaking to Cagalli and Rayner as their representative. She was reluctant to accept their goodwill, knowing what little she had done to deserve it. After all, none of her efforts had rendered any results.

"'I will take responsibility for everything! If you've decided to sacrifice your life, then take those who share your beliefs and go to the Archangel! I'm sure that someday, they'll open a path!' Those were Captain Todaka's last words." Amagi relayed, causing the blonde girl to gasp and Rayner to clench his fists. "I cannot find the words to apologize after repeatedly ignoring your orders to stop fighting and for the loss of our ships and many soldiers' lives!" He deeply bowed. The men who had come with him emulated him just a second later. "However, please, if you can understand the difficult position Captain Todaka and I were in, then please, from now on allow us to journey together with the Archangel! Please!" His voice conveyed all the force and earnestness of his plea.

"Lieutenant Amagi... No... I should be the one to apologize! I'm sorry!" Cagalli gripped the man's shoulders, straightening him as she was the one who lowered her head to him, trembling, tears brimming in her eyes. "All because I was such a fool, because I was powerless... the precious good-hearted men of Orb and their ideals were...!"

"Cagalli-sama!" Amagi also grasped her shoulders.

"I... I..." She stammered, unable to give voice to the depth of her shame and regrets. Her emotions too heavy to bear, she sank to her knees. They filled her to the brim and tears overflowed.

"No, Cagalli-sama! No!" The Orb soldiers knew how much she had struggled and endured to lead their nation through these troubled times. She was just an eighteen-year-old girl and had a whole country saddled onto her small shoulders despite having lost her family. Why didn't they support her more? Amagi and all those who had come with him started crying too. Kira placed a hand on his sister's shoulder and told her not to cry.

"Orb doesn't belong to one person. It's much too heavy to bear. When a leader lacks strength, it is the duty of their retainers and family to support them. But we too were powerless. Our feelings alone were not enough. We're currently understaffed so your help would be a great boon. The more allies we have, the better, but..." Rayner turned towards Kira who looked at all the newcomers.

"All we know right now is that things are not okay as they are. But we don't know what has to be done or how. In all likelihood, attacking ZAFT won't do us any good, and neither will attacking the Earth Forces. Since we've already done that many times. That's why the hatred never stops, and the fighting won't end. Even us, maybe we're actually wrong to keep on fighting." Although he didn't show it, Yamato too had doubts swirling in a corner of his heart when he thought of his other sister and friend that weren't here with them, when he recalled how strongly they had clashed with both words and blades... and how he loved them still. "I'm sure that all of us, including the PLANTs and Earth, just want a world where we can live happily. So... uhm... if you're all thinking along the same lines, uhm..."

"Of course, Kira-sama. We didn't come here with the intention of seeking revenge or just because we wanted to fight. We're soldiers who entered the military because we believed in Orb's ideals. So we'd like to fight for Orb's true ideals." Amagi declared, standing up and glancing back at his comrades. Everyone had stopped crying and they were nodding along with expressions of resolve. "We fully understand that it will be difficult. And that's exactly why we want to join you, Cagalli-sama, and this ship." His words elicited a smile on his chosen ruler's lips, something that had not been seen in a long while.

"I understand, I apologize for my rude words. Welcome aboard." Kira said, unwittingly prompting all the new soldiers to straighten up and salute, which surprised and flustered him a bit. Murrue giggled when she saw that.

"Lieutenant Amagi, everyone, Seren is currently a piloting a ZAFT unit as part of the Minerva's crew... do you... uhm... it was because of me that she went to the PLANTs and joined ZAFT, if you... "

"No, we do not resent her. We understand her position very well, and what she must be feeling inside. We are actually grateful to her. After speaking to the men, it seems that Seren-sama did her utmost damage our units as little as possible and to protect us from stray shells when we were down. She provided us with the opportunity to leave the battlefield in an ideal way so we could join you. Despite everything, we are confident that her heart is still with Orb and with you, Cagalli-sama." The officer reassured her with a smile. The other men nodded as well. Cagalli's eyes moistened again, but from her beaming smile, those were tears of relief and happiness. Kira and Rayner placed a fist on their chest, obviously relieved as well. Right, no matter how much they fought, they were still family.

Stella was still strapped to the medical bed, an oxygen mask to her face. She was sleeping now, but anyone could see just from her complexion that her condition was worsening day by day. She was truly extremely weak. As often, Shinn was sitting by her side, staring at the jar in which he had put the shell piece she had gifted him. When the girl stirred he quickly left his chair to kneel by her bed, calling her name, asking how she was feeling. Stella managed to force out his name, but she was obviously in great pain. He looked around but to his annoyance, there was no one to help. Then he noticed her staring at the pink shard and waved it a little.

"You gave me this. Do you remember?" He asked gently. She nodded with a smile before cringing and coughing as her breathing grew irregular.

"No... this place... scary... protect... me... Shinn... you said... you'd protect me..." Tears beaded at the corner of her tightly shut eyes, causing Shinn to grit his teeth in frustration and curse his powerlessness. Even though he had promised, there was nothing he could do. It was then a nurse came in and pushed him out of the way in order to check on the patient and give her yet another dose of sedative.

"So it's Shinn who destroyed the enemy ship? Again?" Vino questioned.

"The enemy fleet! Most of it! Although Seren destroyed a number of them too." Meyrin replied. As she, Vino, and Yolan counted among the youngest crew members, they often stuck together. They were currently taking a small but well-earned break. After all the ship and mobile suits were in much and dire need of repairs... when they were repairable at all. The two mechanics were of course in the heart of the matter but there was also much to do for Meyrin who dealt with information and coordination. "Shinn's been really amazing lately. 'Minerva! Sword Silhouette!' He keeps yelling commands like that now. He's like a perfect ace pilot now." She added. Vino made an impressed noise. "He's usually all stuck-up, prickly and kinda scary, but during battle he's just incredible."

"Meyrin!"

"Oh, big sis, are you okay?"

"What do you mean 'are you okay?' I can't be believe you..." Luna did not hide her exasperation. "I was shot for crying out loud, and you never came to see me." She complained. Well, given that her left arm was in a cast and her head bandaged, her ill temper was quite understandable.

"But I was on duty the whole time." Mey sheepishly retorted. Her onee-chan glared at her for a time but ended up forgiving her with that.

"Nevermind. I was wondering about Athrun, do you know what he's doing?" She turned Vino who had no idea but cowered a bit. Her little sibling asked what she meant. "I didn't know the Savior had been damaged so badly." So she was worried about him. It was natural since she had ended in this state when her own ZAKU had been hit. The mechanics reassured her. He wasn't hurt or anything, totally unharmed, though they had no idea where he was or what he was doing now. Asuka entered the lounge a moment later and asked Luna if she was alright as he passed the group to stop before the drinks... vending machine. "I'm fine. Although they sure did a number on me."

"I see." The boy replied rather uncaringly.

"Hey, how's Athrun? Do you know how he's doing?"

"Huh? No." Shinn pressed a button, getting his black coffee. "He was beaten up pretty good by the Freedom. He's probably moping in his room." But soon his dismissive attitude devolved into outright disdain. "He's not that strong after all. How can someone like that be a FAITH member? Is it because he used to be strong?" He drank a little and left, his friends' silent gaze on him.

In the JP Jones, Neo Roanoke was staring at the cradles. Only two were occupied. Auel and Sting were undergoing their 'maintenance'. The masked officer recalled his superior's words.

"However, goals must be achieved. All orders are given because they are necessary. We're not here to play. Don't forget this is the reason you're all here."

The reason they're here, the reason for their continued existence...

"What are we fighting for?" He muttered. The staff member looked up at him quizzically, having not quite caught what he had said. "Once we start thinking like that, we're finished." Neo smiled in self-derision. The man didn't really get him but agreed nonetheless.

"I see. There's really nothing that can be done about it?" Gladys-kanchou questioned the doctor who confirmed it was only a matter of time. None of the two heard Shinn gasp as he overheard their conversation and remained hidden around the corner behind them, can still in hand, so they continued their callous debate. The physician would like nothing more than to be able to hand that girl over alive but if that was impossible, it would be counterproductive to keep her on life support any longer since it would make difficult the obtainment of accurate, uncorrupted data during the autopsy. "We already have enough tissue samples and body parts from that research lab. What the council wants is a living Extended." Talia argued. Her words made Shinn gasp and widen his eyes in horror. "In any case, leave her on life support system. If at all possible, we should hand her over alive." The ship captain ordered. The doctor complied and promised to do everything he could.

Asuka stood there in a daze, barely able to register what had happened. They all saw Stella not as a human, a pitiful suffering girl and another victim of the war (or that is, the Earth Forces who made her go through that) but as nothing more than a lab rat... He had not saved her so they could experiment on her! But he snapped out of it when they mentioned his name.

"What about Shinn? Does he still come to see her?"

"Yes, quite often. I can't understand why he cares so much for her."

"I see." Talia replied. She did not continue but from her tone he could perfectly hear her unvoiced complaint... 'what a troublesome child'. The boy scowled in annoyance and walked away.

Athrun finally left his room (where Shinn had correctly guessed he would be sitting and moping) and went to the deck from some fresh air. The sun was already setting though, meaning he did spent a lot of time in his room. This deck had escaped total destruction, but was still marred with countless dents and scorched marks. And it was really the perfect place to contemplate the extensiveness of the damage done to the ship.

"Of course it will! The moment every last Natural is exterminated the war will end! That's the whole point of this war!" His father...

"The way things are progressing, the world will be caught between two forces that refuse to recognize the existence of the other." Uzumi-sama...

"As long as they're pulling the strings, the PLANTS and the Earth will probably continue to fight. I would like to do something about that if I can... but that itself, will be more difficult than anything else." Chairman Durandal...

"Cagalli is crying right now! She's crying right now because she didn't want things to turn out like this! Why can't you understand that?! And yet you are saying that this battle, that these sacrifices can't be helped?! That this is all Orb's, and Cagalli's fault?! Will you say that and destroy the very things Cagalli is trying to protect?!" And Kira...

The young man gritted his teeth and made a frustrated noise. His musings were interrupted though when someone opened the door. He turned to see Shinn. Upon noticing him Shinn turned heels and started leaving.

"Shinn!" Athrun stopped him.

"...What is it?" Asuka asked somewhat sharply.

"Ah... no."

"So I see you came here to mope instead of staying in your room. How carefree. Luna was worried about you. She asked how you were doing. Even though she was injured in that battle."

"Shinn..." Zala spoke his name warningly.

"You can act important all you want but if you can't accomplish anything, what good is it?!"

"What did you say?!"

"This is all the Earth Forces' fault! You, yourself, returned to ZAFT to fight against them, right?!" The boy barked, causing Athrun to falter. "Then get it together already!" Having said his piece, Shinn returned inside. Still stunned, Athrun kept looking at him.

"You went too far Shinn. That was quite insensitive of you. Don't you know already Athrun's real strength isn't something like that? It's because it was Orb and the Archangel." Seren scolded him coldly, although the robotic squirrel on her head lessened the impact.

"Then that really doesn't make sense. What about you? Even though you should have been more affected than him, you incapacitated the Blast Wave and drove off the Freedom."

"We were affected differently. Because I cared, the blood got to my head and I snapped at them, just like you."

"I don't ca-"

"Yeah, yeah, keep deluding yourself or whatever. Shinn, Athrun and I might be real angry at them at the moment but it doesn't change the fact that Cagalli is my sister, and the pilots of the Freedom and Blast Wave as well as the crew of the Archangel are important to us. Just because you have a fight with someone doesn't mean you don't love them anymore. Could you have killed your family with your own hands, just because you have different opinions? Understand that's what you're demanding of us here. So Shinn, cut your childish crap already and start thinking more about other people's feelings. It's high time you stop being so self-righteous and inconsiderate." She harshly rebuked him in a low voice.

"I-it's not like you have to kill them..." The boy weakly protested, slightly glaring at her. Although there wasn't much room for debate against her sound arguments and fierce rebuke (despite her quiet voice), he just had to say something, anything.

"Shinn, I'm sure I told you a number of times to be more thoughtful and careful with your words. Just like you showed your fighting ability, please show that you can actually listen to others and respect them. Even FAITH members are not fighting machines, but humans with feelings. Please understand that." She was starting much more tired than angry.

"Yes..."

"Good. Now let's apologize to him, okay?" Seren petted his head, which prompted Chacha to jump on her arm, and then on his head.

"Eh? Why?" Asuka backed away, his eyes wide. The woman glared at him. She didn't say anything but her thoughts were written on her face nonetheless... 'When you know you've done something wrong, it's obvious you should apologize. That you don't even get something so basic, are you an idiot?' "I-I get it! I'll go." Or so he said but he kept looking between her and the door. She sighed.

"Since it looks like you don't have the courage to go alone, I'll hold your hand and go with you." Seren smirked, grabbed his hand, and pulled him before he had the time to react. Athrun was surprised to see them both together, holding hands and coming to him, or rather, Seren dragging Shinn along. They stopped a distance from him and she let go and put a hand on his back. "Now Shinn, show me your courage, show me your solicitude and sincerity. Waiting will only make it harder. It's better to quickly get it over with."

"Hum... Hum... A-Athrun-san, I uh... I'm sorry." His eyes might be darting about as always, but even just getting him to apologize at all, regardless of the extent of his sincerity, was a miracle that surprised Athrun who mumbled an assent. Seren praised Asuka for his efforts and told him to go. The boy quickly returned the mechanic animal to its owner and ran away. Chacha disappeared among Seren's clothes.

"You're really incredible... How did you do that?" Zala questioned.

"How indeed..." She smiled mysteriously with a hint of smug playfulness and happiness. In any case, he could tell she had defended him and smoothed things out with Shinn for him, as always. As always, she supported him. He could not put into words how grateful he was to her, or how much he loved her, nor was he allowed to. So he hugged her. Even between friends that much should be allowed, right? "Athrun, you wavered, didn't you?"

"Of course! That kind of battle... But when Kira said Cagalli was crying, like he wasn't thinking about your feelings at all, about our feelings... like you weren't crying inside, like it didn't pain us to shoot Orb soldiers... that angered me so much I just froze. Did they not understand the Minerva would have sunk if we, if you had hesitated?" Fury and frustration were dripping from his voice. Seren did not reply and just silently hugged him back. "We came here to help, to do something for Orb, didn't we?"

"...Yeah, we did."

"Then just what were we able to protect?" Even though they had left to do something about this war before it reached Orb, and to support Cagalli, Rayner, Kira, and everyone from afar, because there was nothing they could do to help while at their side... Why was it that they had to fight the very nation they had wanted to protect? Why did they fight the very family and friends they had wanted to help so much?

"... The Minerva." It was exactly because their surroundings were getting all dark and blurry and they were losing sight of their path, goal and reason to fight that they had to focus on something close, manageable, and simple enough to recognize and understand. They had to walk forward, even if they couldn't see further than the tip of their nose. That was exactly what Lacus had done for her in the last war, how she had saved her and Kira after that fated battle on the Marshall Islands had left them broken. How to protect? What must be sacrificed in order to protect? How much were you even willing to sacrifice? They had asked themselves the same questions back then. They kept holding true even now. And still, no answer had been found.

"...Is it enough? Just what is it we can do here?"

"Everything is changing... this war, people's hearts, their path... That's why we don't know where we are anymore. But no night lasts forever. Let's wait until things get clearer and everyone decides on their new position and course. Surely our own new path shall appear by then. Until that time, let's focus on protecting the Minerva, since it is the only thing we can do now."

"...Seren, from the bottom of my heart, I'm glad you're here with me." Athrun squeezed her tighter. Seren said nothing and just held him tighter too, even though she would have usually refrained from the intimacy. But right now, they both needed something to hold onto, a sign of affection, the familiar, comforting, and nostalgic scent and embrace from the person they loved to warm and soothe their wounded hearts. With the other being the sole person who understood and supported them, just knowing for certain they had each other would be sure to get them through this.

This night, Rey awoke to a constant clickety sound. He saw Shinn still fully dressed, typing non-stop on the laptop, and asked what he was doing. Asuka sheepishly replied it was nothing and Rey turned around, apparently going back to sleep. On the laptop was all the data on the Gaia. Some time later, he went to the infirmary. The nurse, who was taking care of Stella, voiced her surprise that he would come here so late in the night. He didn't say anything and instead lunged at her, punching her in the abdomen, knocking her out before gently sitting her down against the equipment. He softly called Stella's name to wake her up.

"...Neo?" She murmured groggily. The boy's eyes widened. "...Shinn..." Stella finally recognized him and smiled weakly.

"Let's go home. I will keep my promise. I will protect you, Stella." His gaze, his voice were incredibly tender. He moved the medical bed, opened the door, checked that the corridor was empty and then pulled and pushed the bed outside.

"Well, I'm sure there'll be an opportunity once we get to Gibraltar."

"But as long as we stay here, it's not as if we can go home even on our days off." A guard and mechanic were gossiping until they heard the creaking of wheels and saw a Red Coat pushing a medical bed.

"Hey, you! What are you doing over there?! Don't move!" The soldier, and others, alerted by the noise, rushed over to hold him at gun point, though the pilot had already pushed the bed inside another elevator and closed the door. They failed to notice Rey sneaking up behind them before it was too late. The time he punched two men and knocked them out, the one who had reached Shinn turned around to aim his automatic firearm at Rey... only to be struck from behind by Shinn. The mechanics just stood there, confused at to what to do.

"Are you returning her?" Rey asked his friend.

'Y-yeah. If she stays here she'll die. And even after that, they'll dissect her like some test animal. I can't allow that!" Asuka opened the door again and went inside. Rey stopped it from closing.

"You will come back, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then hurry, I'll open the gate for you. No matter who she is, if given the chance, I'm sure she'd like to live." The blonde ZAFT pilot pensively turned his head to the side. Something in his tone and expression caught Shinn's attention but there was no time to ask. The elevator departed.

The doctor and second nurse returned to the infirmary and gasped upon finding their fallen colleague. The alarm sounded a moment later, but Shinn had already boarded the impulse, Stella in his arms, and Rey had already taken control of the operation room. Talia Gladys entered the CIC and asked what was happening. Burt Heim told her the medical wing had reported the disappearance of the Extended. The Core Splendor was ready to launch. The maintenance staff hit their fists against a door but Rey had locked himself in. He gave his friend the green light. The Core Splendor took off, followed by the Chest and Leg Flyers, and the Force Silhouette. The parts combined and Shinn flew away. Meyrin reported the Impulse's unauthorized sortie. The door of the operation room was forced open and Rey was arrested. Athrun, Seren, and Luna watched him be taken away but the FAITH members quickly followed.

"Yes, that's right! Can't be helped, can it? We have no machines available to pursue him." Talia, who had gone to her office/room, ended the communication right as the military police took Rey into the room, accompanied by Athrun and Seren... though the two were immediately dismissed. Despite their reluctance, the young FAITH agents saluted and left, just like the guards. She clearly wanted to talk to Rey alone.

"Even if you don't go after him, Shinn will come back." The Phantom's pilot stepped forward.

"Care to explain, Rey? Are you following instructions from that person again?"

Neo was called to the bridge of the John Paul Jones where, as strange as it was since the unit had been captured, the Gaia's identification code had been picked up. Someone was repeatedly using that to contact them. The commander raised the alert level. All hands to level two battle stations. That said, only his windam was ready to sortie. He told the communication officer to try responding. Shinn accepted the transmission and sent his message "To Neo: Stella's waiting. Come alone to point S228 to retrieve her." He repeated it one more time.

Rey informed Talia that he was taking full responsibility for this incident and asked her to punish him according to standard procedures. He insisted that Shinn had only gone to return that girl, and that he was going to come back for sure.

Roanoke boarded his Windam and activated it. His subordinates were still unsure about letting him go alone but there was no choice as the Chaos was still out of action. Even if it was a trap, he had to go and do something or they wouldn't find out anything.

The Impulse reached point S228 ahead of time and got down on one knee. It was a very small rocky islet with nothing but the ruins of a Greek temple. This cluster of islets was all that remained of a bigger island. Shinn reassured Stella and told her to hang in there just a little more. Neo should definitely arrive soon. And indeed, not a minute passed before his machine detected the approach of the Windam. Neo recognized the ZAFT unit and landed next to it before opening his cockpit and coming down and advancing a few steps.

"I've come! I'm Neo Roanoke! I've come here alone, as promised!" Following his introduction, the cockpit of the Impulse opened and Shinn came down as well, supporting Stella with one arm. But as they reached the ground and his arm shifted to carry her, Stella, too weak to even stand on her own, collapsed, taking the boy with her. He stopped himself with one hand and one knee on the ground while supporting Stella against his knee so she wouldn't be hurt and tightly hugged her while glaring at the masked man.

"I'm bringing her back because I don't want her to die! So you, please promise me that you will return her to a world far from war and mobile suits and anything associated with death! Promise that you will return her to a kind warm world!" The ZAFT pilot stood up, picking the unconscious Stella in his arms. As Neo walked towards them, Asuka took a few steps back and gripped the girl tighter. The man stopped.

"... I promise." The Earth Forces commander said gravely. Shinn gave Stella one last regretful look before going to the masked soldier and entrusting her to him. "Stella..." He called softly.

"Neo..." The girl opened her eyes a little and upon recognizing him, smiled happily, though her rejoicing gave Shinn somewhat conflicted feelings.

"I suppose thanks are in order."

"Nevermind that stuff! But don't forget what I said!"

"I know." The two stared at each other for a time, as if seizing the other up. "Then, bye." Neo started leaving but the Red Coat held him back.

"Wait! Here... Stella gave it to me. Stella really liked it, so..." He showed the jar with the pink shell shard.

"Shinn..."

"Here, Stella... Don't forget... don't you forget me..." He gave her the jar that she accepted with a weak smile. But after a few seconds he made a really pained grimace and, literally tearing himself from her, ran away, back to the Impulse that he boarded under Stella's and Neo's gaze. Once inside the cockpit, he wiped his tears away with his sleeve and the ZAFT unit soon took off. The two left behind kept looking at it until it disappeared from view.

"Shinn..." Stella muttered again.

Doubt always weighs up love against anger. There are exceedingly few things our hands can reach and save. And now, there are even less. Just what can we protect with chipped and broken blades? At a standstill, with our path suddenly cut off, we wondered, did we make a mistake? Did we reach a deadend? Unable to protect the people and ideals we truly wanted to protect, do we have no choice but to entrust our wishes and hopes to someone else? We all live in the wandering 'now'.

Author's note: hmm, from here, Seren and Athrun should slowly work their way up.

Next chapter: Phase-28: 'Endless Night'.