Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Howl of Destiny

By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure

Pursuit Course

The Storm Wolf's makeshift mobile suit team could only goggle at the fast movements of their incoming foe. The jet black Exus shot through their formation, the gunbarrels wheeling about in a circle as they fired. Rey barely got out of the way, an emerald bolt slashing across his machine's port side shield, scorching it and causing a large burn mark to appear. Juliana and Shinn opened fire together, but Neo was too quick, dodging and weaving among the green web being cast.

The Exus did a quick about face in order and rushed back towards his target, zeroing in on Sebastian's ZAKU. "You're the commander, aren't you? I can tell by how you move!" He smirked, watching as the crosshairs zeroed in and turned from blue to red, "Well, you know what they say about cutting off the head!" He opened fire with his linear cannons. Sebastian evaded to the left, letting Shinn slide into the place he once occupied taking the shells right off the VPS.

"You all right, General Connor?" Shinn asked.

"Just right as rain, Lieutenant Asuka. Thanks for the cover. But don't make that a regular technique of yours. Next time it may not be a projectile-based weapon that hits you." Sebastian replied.

"Understood, sir!" Shinn said, trying very hard to suppress the desire to give a fanboyish squeal. The black-haired youth remembering hearing the announcement of Sebastian replacing the Seirans as one of the Five Noble Families of Orb, he had been surprised and curious to see what he would do in his new capacity.

The fateful day when Orb burned gave Shinn all the convincing he needed. When the white and green Gundam had emerged from the trees, destroying that Duel Dagger and saving both him and his little sister. The interest in the man who saved his life only grew when he entered the ZAFT Keystone Military Academy and heard the stories of Junius Seven, Yggdrasil, Jachin I, his battles on the Grimaldi Front, and subsequent disappearance until Heliopolis.

Shinn knew that this was a man he wanted to emulate. He made the bold declaration he would become the next Supreme Ace and dedicated himself to becoming the best possible, even earning the prestigious redcoat status. Shinn had thought he had finally made it. But now the man himself was right next to him. He had been completely cowed by the Storm Wolf's presence. Proving that just because he no longer wore a ZAFT uniform, Sebastian was still the one in charge. The youth watched his idol with deep red eyes, determined to learn as much as possible from him.

Hero worship was the last thing on the Storm Wolf's mind at the moment. The appearance of Neo's Exus had totally thrown him for a loop. "He's like a Black Comet! It's almost near impossible to hit!" Sebastian remarked, watching the dark mobile armor zip about. He brought the axe up again in anticipation of his next pass. "Then again, I really don't have much in the way of ranged weaponry to begin with!"

"Sebastian if you have a plan, now is the time to share it with us!" Cagalli said.

"Alright…Cagalli, Kazuma, provide cover fire for me. I'm going to try and take this guy head on. Lieutenant Za Burrel, you take Lieutenants Asuka and Everhart and keep an eye out for any other enemy machines. The people who stole the Gundams had back up giving them cover fire when they escaped. I would not be surprised in the slightest if they tried to butt in!"

"Understood, General. Shinn, Juliana, you heard the order." Rey said, "Good luck to you, sir." The three mobile suits took off.

(Girty Lue, Hangar)

Sebastian was partially right. At that moment the three Dagger Ls belonging to the Headhunters were currently being refueled and their ammo stocks replenished. After escorting the stolen Gundams back to the Girty Lue, Morris was nervously pacing about as the last of the 12.5mm ammunition for the Todesschrecken CIWS was being loaded.

"Are you finished yet?" Morris impatiently asked the lead mechanic, who just closed up the loading port.

"Locked and loaded, Commander! You're ready for take off!" the technician replied. The sniper smirked and leapt up into the cockpit of his machine. His two teammates were already powered up and moving onto the catapults.

As an elite special forces unit, Phantom Pain had access to the latest technology, usually being the first to test them in the field. The Dagger Ls were testing out the new Jet Striker pack for the very first time. Derived from the vaunted Aile pack, the unit allowed for better maneuverability and speed. Despite not carrying beam sabers, it did have four hardpoints for either missile and rocket pods or extra propellant tanks, depending on the mission profile.

In addition to that, Phantom Pain's mobile suits had unique customizations unavailable to the regular Earth Alliance forces, like Morris's wingmen carrying more powerful MX703G beam rifles used by GAT-01A2R Slaughter Daggers instead of the standard M703K beam carbines. They also each carried a 75mm beam sniper rifle, keeping with their primary specialty as snipers. Morris attached himself to the Girty Lue's starboard catapult. Once again lurching off into the void.

The three Dagger Ls soon fell into formation. Morris felt a certain amount of ease when he saw the other two black machines flanking him. Gavin O'Neill and Michael Jonas had been Morris's friends since high school, all three of them had went to Annapolis together, and then sniper school after that, graduating at the top of their class. Their unit was a tight knit one. All three of them were regarded as the best marksmen in the entire Earth Alliance.

But Daniel Morris had an ambition. He didn't just want to be the best sniper in the Earth Forces. Morris wanted to be the best in the world, period. However someone else was currently in that spot. Rear Admiral Anthony Russo, the White Wolf of Alaska, as he was known through the ranks of OMNI Enforcer. Coming up through the academy he had heard of Anthony's exploits, and Morris wasn't impressed. So he had failed to take out Muruta Azrael, big deal. One day he would find his rival on the field of battle, when that occurred he would prove he was the better shot. For now, he'd focus on the job at hand, and give his boss some cover fire.

(Armory One Airspace)

Neo Roanoke's Exus had been giving the Storm Wolf and his companions the runaround throughout the entire conflict, moving so fast that Kazuma and Cagalli were having trouble drawing a bead, and when they did manage to get a lock on. He'd stall the machine, and their beam shots were hitting nothing but empty space. Sebastian swung the axe, trying to hit one of the beam pods.

Roanoke smirked, "If it's a melee fight he wants, I'll be happy to oblige!" On the pod a pair of beam edged blades folded out. The Exus dove on the ZAKU. Sebastian quickly brought the axe up to block. The pod twisted to the left cleaving right through the shaft of the weapon. Knowing he only had seconds, Sebastian discarded his now bifurcated weapon, watching it explode.

"That wasn't very nice!" Sebastian snarled, pulling out the MA-M8 Beam Tomahawk from the right shield rack, along with the the ZR11Q flashbang grenade "Time to put some of this machine's other weapons to the test!" With a practiced eye he saw the Exus swing around for another run, both of its linear cannons firing 105mm shells. Sebastian knew exactly what his target was going to be. He flung the tomahawk with all of his might, not flinching as the Exus banked away from it.

"You may have avoided that, but you won't avoid this!" The Storm Wolf smirked, pulling the pin on the grenade, hurling it at the mobile armor. The resulting flash washed across Neo's monitors, also temporarily blinding him. So he didn't see the engines of his opponent's machine suddenly flare to life, second beam tomahawk in hand. Sebastian swung, cleaving through the port linear cannon, rendering it useless.

Sebastian smirked in triumph; finally he had managed to get in a good hit on his enemy. He didn't have time to do a victory dance though. "Storm Wolf Actual, Look out!" Juliana's voice brought him back to reality as he just avoided getting incinerated by large orange-red beam. He turned to see three Dagger units, painted the same black color as the Exus.

"I guess this guy brought friends!" Sebastian quipped.

Morris had witnessed the fight between Sebastian and Neo. Neo and the sniper had become good friends since the Headhunters became part of the masked swordsman's battalion, and so he was understandably angered when he saw the green ZAKU cut off the linear cannon's barrel. Morris's eyes narrowed, He wasn't about to sit by and let anything happen to his commanding officer. "Phantom Pain Actual is in trouble, Michael, Gavin, let's give him some support!"

"Roger that!" Michael said, bringing his rifle up.

"On your orders, Commander Morris!" Gavin replied in a crisp English accent, mirroring his friend's action.

"Fire at will!" Morris said, and they let loose. The sniper never would have known he came within inches of doing what no one else had accomplished by taking out the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due. If not for the purple ZAKU's warning, he would have been legendary. Instead the two green ZAKUs quickly clustered around the command unit and began opening fire.

"Headhunter 1-1 to Phantom Pain Actual, you alright Captain?" Morris asked.

"Ah, so nice of you to join us, Commander. I had things in hand, but I'll never turn down your support." Neo said. "What's the status of the Extended?"

"All three of them managed to get back to the ship, sir. We've accomplished our mission. I think it's about time to wrap things up around here, Captain Roanoke." Morris said.

"Not yet, Commander." Neo said, looking to Sebastian's ZAKU. "One of these pilots has caught my eye. I want to engage him a little more thoroughly. If you'd be so kind, please take care of his teammates. I want to face him one on one." Morris said nothing, just responding a quick set of clicks.

Neo smirked, "And now my friend, we'll see just how good you really are!"

Sebastian winced at the arrival of the Daggers. They were good shots. The one who had nearly plugged him had to be at least as good as Anthony. The pilot of the Exus was still his main focus, he was going to have face him one on one. "Cagalli, Kazuma, try and keep those sharpshooters off my back while I deal with this mobile armor pilot. Whoever he is, he's no rookie." Kazuma then threw his beam rifle at the Storm Wolf.

"Go ahead and take it Sebastian, I can manage without it." Kazuma said, pulling out his beam tomahawk. "I'm sure those ZAFT pilots will assist us, and I know Cagalli will always have my back, right?"

"Don't I always?" The Lioness of Orb replied, before turning her attention to the Storm Wolf. "Sebastian…please be careful against this guy. I don't want to explain to Lacus why you became space vapor." She said.

"Will do, Cagalli." Sebastian offered a salute to his companions, who moved to engage the trio of marksmen. The Storm Wolf's blue eyes once again focused intently on his enemy. "Alright pal. I'm getting tired of you flitting all over the place like a mosquito on crack. This time I've got some firepower of my own!" He opened fire on Neo, actually managing to score a hit on the Exus's starboard flank.

Neo gaped at the fact someone had managed to hit him, no one had ever managed it before. His surprise quickly turned to excitement though. Perhaps this opponent would give him the fight he desired so much. The gunbarrels unwound and began spinning around him, the beam cannons extended. Emerald and yellow bursts of light began flaring outward, reaching out toward the Storm Wolf.

(Armory One Airspace)

It didn't take long for Kazuma and Cagalli to run into the Headhunters. The three black Dagger Ls were using the time honored and well-proven tactic of throwing up a wall of energy to dissuade any one from getting too close. But the two Orb Nobles were both of veterans of the First Bloody Valentine War, even survived the hell that was the Second Battle of Jachin Due itself. They weren't about to be stopped by something like that.

Cagalli opened fire on Morris. But he was too quick for her, dodging off to the side. She grunted in annoyance. She had already gone through one whole magazine. So she swapped out for a fresh one. In the middle of it, Gavin ignited one of his beam sabers, aiming straight for the cockpit. His weapon was intercepted by Kazuma's tomahawk.

"Sorry pal, not getting there anytime soon!" He said, snapping downwards and driving the English pilot back. Cagalli fired a couple of rounds at Michael, managing to score hits on the Dagger's shoulder and leg.

That angered Morris quite a bit. All three of the Headhunters took great pride in their skill, and they were used to always being on the winning side. The pilots of the two green ZAKUs were actually holding their own. drew a bead on the offending ZAKU. "Say goodbye, patchwork!" He sneered. A green beam whizzed by his Dagger's head, throwing off his aim. The round went wide, roaring into the void of space. "What the hell?" He asked.

His answer came in the form of the Impulse, flanked by two ZAKU Phantoms, one white, the other violet, bearing down on their targets. "Get out of the way, Attha!" Shinn shouted before squeezing off a round that splashed off of Gavin's shield. The Impulse took a protective position in front of Cagalli. "I'm still not a big fan of your father, your highness. But you did save my sister, so I guess I should at least return the favor!"

The Gundam and four ZAKUS got into a defensive formation. Juliana assessed the situation, "Three on five, we got the advantage here. Not only in numbers, but we have Shinn in the Impulse. This will be an easy win for us." She said. Juliana was more than worthy of the redcoat, however it was that very same elite status that gave her the perception that she was better than everybody else. Many of her fellow pilots, Rey, Lunamaria, and even Shinn had warned her about her ego constantly.

"Don't be so sure about that, Lieutenant Everhart." Cagalli said, "These guys aren't your regular Earth Alliance grunts. I should know since I faced plenty of them in the latter days of the war. These guys are a step above that." She switched to an open channel. "This is Commodore Cagalli Yula Attha of the Orb Defense Forces, state your business here. Are you with the Earth Alliance?"

A deep masculine voice just gave a mocking laugh. "Well well, the Lioness of Orb herself! It's my lucky day! Very well then, I'm Commander Daniel Morris, of the Earth Alliance's 181st Independent Mobile Battalion, known better as Phantom Pain. And you are my next victim. You're not Anthony Russo, but you're still better than these other wannabes." The Dagger reached for one of its hip mounted beam sabers, "Let's dance, Princess. Show me the strength of Orb's supposed ideals!"

"Don't worry," Cagalli said, snapping up her tomahawk, "We'll be happy to oblige!" But before the fighting could begin in earnest, a barrage of beam shots forced the two groups of mobile suits apart. "Where did that come from?" She asked, looking around to see who was getting involved, Malachite eyes widened in surprise when she saw it.

Yet another spray of emerald darts forced the Headhunters back even further. "What the?" Morris looked to see the source of the attack. "It looks like ZAFT has reinforcements." His eyes narrowed slightly, "Very bright reinforcements."

Kazuma wondered who had come to their rescue. It was not what he was expecting. It was a mobile suit, it looked similar to a ZAKU, but instead of a Wizard Pack, it had a winged flight pack, spitting out emerald fire from its wrist mounted beam cannons. But what attracted everyone's attention was its color…a brilliant eye searing orange.

"YAHOO!" Yukimasa cheered, "Hang on guys! The cavalry is here! You leave these guys to me!" He grinned at the three black mobile suits, pulling out an extendable sword that flashed to life with a pair of beams running along the edges. "It's been awhile since I've been in combat, but I can assure you that I've kept myself sharp. This isn't going to be an easy fight!"

Morris smirked, "Actually, I think it's best if we just cut our losses for right now and clear out. Later flyboys. We'll meet again!" The three Daggers lowered their weapons and took off for the Girty Lue. Leaving a group of very bewildered Orb and ZAFT pilots.

"Well…that was anticlimactic. I was all ready to go into action! I had an awesome speech and everything!" Yukimasa pouted. "Well, we should probably get back to the Minerva and regroup. Where's General Connor at?" He asked.

"He's still fighting against that mobile armor." Kazuma said, getting a bead on where the Exus and ZAKU were still exchanging shots with each other. Much to the Sasaki heir's surprise, the ZAKU had taken quite a beating, with numerous burns and gouges from the cannons and beam cutters, "Wow…I'd never thought I say this. The pilot is giving Storm a lot of trouble!"

"Shouldn't we help him?" Shinn asked, not liking the plight his idol was in.

"We're all too low on energy, Shinn. I doubt we could give him much help." Rey said, "Besides I think this fight is almost over anyway. This was a raid, and there's no point in them sticking around to slug it out."

Indeed, Rey's assumption was true. Both Sebastian and Neo were on their last legs. The Exus flew within inches of Sebastian's ZAKU. The beam tomahawk slashed downwards through the port gunbarrel pod at the same time the twin GAU-868L2 dual beam cannons discharged. The beam superheated the mobile suit's head and causing it to explode, seconds before the pod followed suit. Neo winced as his entire machine shook. "Damn it, I guess it's time to withdraw! Ian, notify all of our units, we're pulling out."

He gave one glance to the battered ZAKU, offering a mock salute. "Until we meet again." The Exus turned on its vertical axis and limped away, training smoke from its destroyed gunbarrel pod and linear cannon. Neo reflected on his mysterious opponent. "The pilot of that mobile suit with the two shields…he was no ordinary grunt. I have a feeling this is not the last time I will encounter him." He smirked, "Perhaps next time we'll be able to battle properly."

Sebastian had the same thoughts as he watched the black Exus turn and flew away. He sighed, "Well, that was entertaining. That guy…was no run of the mill pilot." He saw the others slowly approach. "Is everyone here all right?"

"Just right as rain, General." Yukimasa said, looking over the rents, gouges, and blast marks on the ZAKU's body, "Looks like you had quite a few problems with that mobile armor, sir. You got chewed up pretty good from the looks of it." He clicked his tongue in disapproval; "You realize I'm going to charge you for all the repairs to that thing. It was a brand new mobile suit and it looks like it went through a shredder!"

"If it means that much to you, Charge all damages to the Orb Government, Lieutenant Sanada. I'm certain Chief Representative Sasaki can pick up the tab." Sebastian rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Come on, let's get back to the ship."

(Minerva, Bridge)

Durandal noted the grim expression on the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due's face as he strode onto the bridge, followed by the his fellow nobles and the rest of the ship's pilots. "Judging from that look on your face, I can assume your attempt to retrieve the prototypes ended in failure, General Connor?" He asked.

"More or less!" Sebastian replied, Sighing as he put his hands in the pockets of his leather coat, "I apologize, Chairman. We tried to get the new Gundams back, we really did. Unfortunately we ran into an unexpected guest." His thoughts burned at the memory of the Exus, "That black mobile armor has me a little on the worried side. Anyone who's capable of using remote weapons is accounted for. Rau is dead, and both Captain La Flaga and Commander Chevalier are back in Orb." Sebastian didn't notice Rey wince as the mention of the masked pilot. "Not to mention he was just a really good pilot."

"Perhaps there was another survivor of the Moebius Zero Corps who only now has resurfaced." Durandal offered, himself wondering how it would affect his scenario.

"You could be right. I'll have to ask Mu when we get back." Sebastian yawned, "Is there a place where we can get some rest, Mr. Chairman? It's been a long day. We're all kind of tired."

"The VIP lounge is available to you, General Connor." Captain Gladys said, "We have plenty of empty rooms so it shouldn't be a problem. If you don't mind, I need to run damage control."

"Of course, Talia." Sebastian looked to his cohorts, "Come on guys. Let's get out of Captain Gladys's hair and rest for a bit."

(Minerva, VIP Lounge)

Sebastian removed his coat and sat down on the couch, sinking into the sleek black leather. "Well…it appears my fears were justified." He sighed, "On the other hand, I have to say that for being my first time in the cockpit since the whole mess with Rau. I didn't do all that bad. Anthony's training really paid off in the end." He looked to his companions. "You guys did pretty good as well. You sure adjusted quickly to those ZAKUs."

"Yeah, the cockpit set up wasn't all that different from the GINNs you bought for us to practice on. I guess forcing us to go through Admiral Russo's ridiculous training was worth it after all." Kazuma remarked; causing Cagalli to wince at the memories of the strict and often outright insane training course the Arctic White Wolf had set up for his brother after the Blood Valentine War's end. Sebastian had coerced his fellow nobles to join him, citing the need of 'sparring partners'

Sebastian just chortled before giving his friends a wolfish grin. "And you guys said it would be…and I quote, 'A waste of time!' Not only did it force you to keep your skills sharp, but also it helped you to adjust to pilot machines you had never even seen before. It's like Anthony and I have told you. A little preparation goes a long way to success!"

Cagalli's brilliant malachite eyes rolled in annoyance. "Only you or Anthony could call that a 'little preparation,' Sebastian. I thought I was going to die a couple of times during those three weeks!" She learned the hard way just how truly nasty of an instructor the White Wolf could get when he wanted to. But it had the effect of reminding her of the importance of always keeping her skills sharp in order to be ready to protect Orb. The blonde took three hours in the simulator every day without fail and it had shown during the brief skirmish in and around Armory One.

Before the banter could continue any further, the doors to the lounge slid open, admitting Yukimasa. "Oh good! You guys are okay?" He said, sweeping up Cagalli in a big hug.

"We're just fine, Masa. I was going to ask you what the story with that weird mobile suit was?" Kazuma asked.

"I figured it could help us later on." He replied, thinking of the orange mobile suit sitting in the hangar. "But enough of that…Chairman Durandal has ordered the Minerva to pursue that new Earth Alliance vessel. They've dubbed it 'Bogey One' until they can determine the ship's class. The question I want to know is, what is our next course of action? What are we going to do?"

All eyes looked to Sebastian. Despite being the most junior of the Orb nobles as far as time in his position went he was still the Supreme Ace and thus the others deferred to him when it came to any military decisions. The Storm Wolf pulled out a pair of mirrored aviator shades from his coat, and reclined back on the couch, putting his hands behind his head. It was a habit he picked up in the last few months. Putting on the sunglasses when he was in deep thought. He said they were to keep people from looking into his eyes when he did it, saying it interfered with his train of thought.

"My first instinct is to just stay out of it. Like Lieutenant Everhart said earlier…it's really not our fight." Sebastian said, continuing before Cagalli or Yukimasa could protest, "On the other hand. As it is right now the Minerva is severely lacking in combat strength. It was supposed to carry the four prototypes, the three ZAKUs belonging to Lieutenants Za Burrel, Hawke, and Everhart, plus the two GuAIZ Rs. With three of the Gundams stolen, and the GuAIZs both destroyed that leaves them with just four machines."

"We still have those three ZAKUs we brought with us." Cagalli offered.

"Plus we also have the mobile suit I retrieved earlier, that brings our numbers up to eight." Yukimasa said, a plan starting to form in his own head. "We could go to Talia and offer our services in hunting down the Earth Forces, Sebastian. I put a lot of time and effort into building the Chaos, Gaia, and Abyss. I'd rather like to have them back."

"I understand how you feel, Yukimasa. Not to mention I'd like some payback for the grenades those guys threw at me from earlier. I rather like to keep my legs where they are thank you very much!" Sebastian said. "Alright then, so are we all in agreement for joining the hunt?" Kazuma and Cagalli both nodded. "Then it's settled."

"I'm starting to regret leaving the Namikaze behind. I wouldn't mind the extra firepower about now." Kazuma said, to which the unsettling wolfish grin returned to the Supreme Ace's face. "You know it really bothers me when you smile like that, Storm. It means you're up to something!"

"That's because in this case, you're right on the money my friend!" Sebastian said. "As soon as Chairman Durandal gave the offer to Cagalli to tour the facilities here, She and I immediately flashed back to Heliopolis. We were both present and recalled in vivid detail of what happened that day. The more I thought about it, the more it would be likely history would repeat itself. And I was right! So I began drawing up a little contingency plan. Just after we departed Orb, I told Natarle to launch the Amatarasu…with our mobile suits on board."

That made both of the other Orb nobles very relieved. "Good, that means we won't have to rely on those ZAKUs forever. They weren't bad machines. But I'll definitely feel better once I have Namikaze again." Kazuma said. "There's just something about a Gundam that a mass production machine can't match."

"Yeah, I'd definitely feel better about facing the Second Stage machines if I have Akatsuki." Cagalli said; relishing the chance to have the machine her father gave as a means to protect her homeland at her command once more. Besides spending time in the simulator she also made sure to get as much practice in with the Golden Gundam, usually dueling against either Kazuma or even Kira himself. "That was a good call, Sebastian."

The Storm Wolf's grin just got wider. "Don't pat me on the back just yet. In addition to our own mobile suits, I also ordered Kira to be on board the Amatarasu…and to have Freedom with him as well." That got everyone's attention really quick. "Kira and Freedom are my main insurance policy. I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to have one of the most powerful suits in the world around. If the Earth Forces are involved, Freedom's presence would definitely give them pause."

Yukimasa now had a grin to match Sebastian's, "No kidding! Now we really have the means to counter the prototypes!"

"It's not just the prototypes I'm concerned about." Sebastian said as he recalled his conversation with Anthony at the victory party two years ago, "I think we can all agree that the Earth Alliance hasn't been idle since the war's end. They've been aggressively developing their mobile suit program, and retraining their pilot corps. Let's also not forget they were the ones who created the G-Weapons in the first place. It would be the height of arrogance to think they wouldn't have built a few more to bolster their forces."

"Makes sense, the effectiveness of the Gundams has already been well proven by now. Alliance Headquarters would want a few units out in the field to meet our own machines should the fighting start again." Kazuma said.

Cagalli's shoulders slumped, "So that means…we're looking at another war again, aren't we?" The sadness in her voice was all too evident. Yukimasa and Kazuma both put their arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. Sebastian gave a sympathetic gaze to the blonde.

"I hate to say this, Cagalli, but I'm afraid that is indeed the case. Even though we took out Azrael at Jachin, Blue Cosmos itself still exists. It wouldn't take much for them to push the more weak-minded members of the Atlantic Federation government to start hostilities again. We can't stop it from happening. For that I'm sorry," Sebastian said, "The best thing we can do is be prepared for when it happens."

"I suppose you're right." She said before yawning. "Oh, I'm tired. I think I'll grab a nap." Cagalli laid down on one of the couches and promptly went to sleep. The three guys looked on in amusement. Sebastian reached out, giving the sleeping blonde a gentle pat on the cheek.

"Sleep tight, our sweet princess." He said, turning to look to his friends. "I'm going up to the bridge. I'm certain Captain Gladys and the Chairman would love to have our services to tracking down that ship." Sebastian said.

"You do your thing, I'll do mine." Yukimasa said, stretching out his arms. "I'm heading down to the hangar. I want to do a full maintenance check on our machines, don't want to go into battle with faulty gear now, do we?" he looked to Kazuma, "Want to come with?"

"Sure, why not? I've got nothing else better to do." The Sasaki heir replied. So the three men left the lounge and split up, Sebastian going to bridge, Yukimasa and Kazuma headed the other direction down to the hangar bay.

(Bridge)

Talia slumped a little in her command chair. Her executive officer, Arthur Trine came up holding a clipboard "Captain, we just received word from Armory One…it's a preliminary report on the damages sustained during the attack. The Earth Forces apparently used chemical gas in the spaceport…quite a few people died because of it. The count right now is sixty-nine."

"What a disaster this has turned into!" Talia sighed, wanting to throw the clipboard across the room, not caring in that moment if it was considered unprofessional, "Three of the prototypes were stolen. Dozens of essential personnel were killed. This is sloppy, Arthur. This is not the best way to start the tour of a brand new ship." She shook her head in disgust. The doors squeaked open, admitting Sebastian. "Oh, hello, General Connor."

"You don't need to be formal, Talia. We're old friends after all." Sebastian said, giving a slight nod to Trine before noticing the clipboard in hand, "Bad news?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so…damage report from Armory One. It wasn't enough the prototypes were stolen, we lost a lot of good people as well, Sebastian." Talia's eyes darkened, "It's why we're going after those bastards. No way I'm letting this go unanswered."

Sebastian smirked, "Then you wouldn't mind if we tagged along? Because it looks like you're a little shorthanded."

"You would be willing to help us, General?" She asked, hope coloring her voice just for a second before slipping back behind the cool professionalism of a ship's captain. "It would be nice, Sebastian. But I couldn't accept it. You're not part of ZAFT anymore. Even if you are one of the best pilots of our time, I couldn't let a VIP put himself in danger like that…even if I did need the extra help."

The Storm Wolf patted her on the shoulder, giving a reassuring gaze, "Talia, I'm here. As is Cagalli and Kazuma. I'm not putting down your pilots. All four of them asserted themselves quite well during the crisis so far. But they're still green. All three of us are experienced, and we have the power to fight back. We can call it a joint operation between ZAFT and Orb if it helps. You focus on taking care of the ship, and let me deal with the big picture, okay?"

Talia felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. "Thank you, Sebastian." She said, "It's a shame you don't have your Gundams with you. That would be a huge help."

"That may not be too far off." Sebastian muttered.

"What did you say?" Talia asked.

"Nothing," He said. "If you'll excuse me, Talia. I won't keep you from your duties any longer." He left the bridge and took off down the corridor.

(Minerva, Hangar)

Kazuma and Yukimasa walked down the corridors of the Minerva. "I gotta say this is a pretty nice spread, Yukimasa. It reminds me of the Izumo-class somewhat. I take it you had a hand in creating this lovely little piece of engineering? Don't deny it, I can see your handiwork all over it" He asked. The youngest Sahaku sibling just grinned, taking a slight bow.

"I cannot tell a lie. Yes I did." Brilliant red eyes became affectionate as he looked around the shining metallic corridors. "I helped give birth to this lovely goddess of a ship. I did borrow from the Izumo, the Archangel as well. Then I added a few of my own original ideas for spice. I'd put this ship up against anything that's currently in service and I guarantee it will deliver every single time."

"You always did have a knack for working with machines…even as a kid. I'm glad you were able to make something of it." Kazuma said, thumping Yukimasa on the back. "So where did you come up with the whole 'Daisuke Sanada' alias, Masa?"

"I can thank my maternal great-grandparents for the inspiration," Yukimasa replied, "Grandma's maiden name, Grandpa's first name. It's quite idiot proof." The two arrived in front of the mobile suit that Yukimasa had brought on board. "Well, what do you think?"

"Uhh," Kazuma was at a loss for words. So he was content to let his fellow noble begin gushing about the machine in question.

"Say hello to the ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited, the second model in the New Millennium Series. It was designed to replace the ZAKU Phantom as a commander style mobile suit." Yukimasa grinned, clearly enjoying the opportunity to show off another one of his creations, the only thing that would make it better was if Lunamaria was around to help out like before. A pretty girl made everything look better.

"Unlike the ZAKU, it's unable to use Wizard Packs, instead this little beauty has a flight pack that allows it to function in atmosphere without a subflight lifter like a Guul and gives it extra maneuverability in space. Weaponry includes two Draupnir four-barrel beam guns mounted on the forearms, a pair of Slayer Whip heat rods that can deliver a nasty electrical shock, and a collapsible Tempest beam sword for melee combat. What do you think, Kaz?"

Kazuma was unable to reply to his friend's words. He was too fixated on the color the mobile suit had been painted in. It just overwhelmed his vision. The Sasaki heir's blue eyes were slowly being sucked in by the brightly colored void that seemed to emanate from the innocuous looking mobile suit. "It's orange…Masa." He finally remarked in a dazed tone. "It's very orange."

Yukimasa gave an apologetic grin. "The legacy of Heine Westenfluss, the machine's former test pilot." The youngest Sahaku sibling admitted, "His favorite color was orange so I obliged him. He was very good in the cockpit. Not quite on the same level as the General or Major Yamato, but definitely worthy of the redcoat." He recalled with wistfulness in his voice.

"I'd like to see what he could have done with one of the new G-Weapons," A germ of an idea began forming in Yukimasa's head with those words, "And now that I think of it, that's a great idea! Once the kinks in the transformation system are ironed out, I'll see if Heine can be given the Savior and then assigned here to the Minerva. We could always use the extra firepower. Another Gundam is never a bad thing."

"Yeah…whatever you say, Masa." Kazuma said, running a hand through his hair, his eyes were starting to burn from the GOUF's color scheme. "I think I'm going to go back to the lounge and check on Cagalli. My eyes are starting to hurt from looking at this thing!" Yukimasa cackled as his friend left, he had found a new weapon with which to defeat his enemies…eye strain caused by staring at bright colors for too long. It was something he'd have to consider for a later date.

After making sure every ZAKU, the GOUF and the Impulse were in top working order. Yukimasa was able to finally settle down and go to his quarters for some rest. That is if he didn't see the most gorgeous creature in the world coming down the hall the other way. Meyrin's twin ponytails bobbed up and down in the low gravity. She smiled when she saw him. "Oh, hi Daisuke." She said.

"Well, who is this vision of loveliness? Perhaps it's true that angels exist among the stars." Yukimasa grinned as Meyrin's pale cheeks turned bright red at his words, neatly matching the color of her hair. Ever since beginning work on the New Millennium Series he had become very close to the younger Hawke sister. She had a knowledge of computers and electronics that rivaled his own, not many people knew that the shy redhead had made some small contributions to the software of the operating systems in the ZAKUs and Second Stage Gundams.

Yukimasa had wanted to give Meyrin credit where it was due, but she had declined, stating she was just helping out in any small way she could. It was that shyness that endeared her to him. He reached out and gently ran his fingers along her face, causing her blush to become even brighter. "You remind me of a rabbit when you do that, acting so demure and innocent."

Meyrin giggled. "Stop that! What if someone sees us? They'll tell Luna and she would never let me hear the end of it!" Indeed the elder Hawke sister would have had a field day if she caught Yukimasa and Meyrin flirting with each other the way they did. Meyrin talent with computers and machines hadn't gone unnoticed by the youngest of the Sahakus. It was her mind that attracted him, her innate good looks and sweetness were just icing on the cake.

Her bluish-purple eyes became worried. "I heard we're going after the guys who took the prototypes, Daisuke. It's kind of scary to think the Earth Forces managed to find this place and make off with them so quickly." Yukimasa just ran his fingers along her cheek, relishing the feel of her pale alabaster skin, which slowly turned pink.

"You don't have anything to worry about, Meyrin. I'll protect you. Your sister won't let anything happen to you either. Not to mention the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due himself is onboard the Minerva. The Earth Alliance is going to be reminded of just what the Supreme Ace can do the hard way, so don't worry your pretty little pigtailed head at all. We've got everything taken care of."

Meyrin brightened, "Thanks Yukimasa. I feel a lot better now." She put on what he had called her 'shy bunny' face.

"Um…Mayu relieved me so I just got off my shift. Want to come to my quarters for awhile and hang out?" Yukimasa grinned.

"Sure, let me take a shower first and then I'm all yours!"