Author's Notes: Hello there! Hope quarantine's treating you all okay! Crazy times, eh? I kind of lucked out, got a job that I can do from home. Since that job involves auto claims and there are less people driving and getting into accidents these days, this whole coronavirus deal has actually made my work easier. Not trying to make light of what's obviously a very serious situation, just making an observation. It's also given me more time to work on my writing, which I've put to good use!

Song list for the chapter, in order of appearance; "Siren's Song" and "Sol Squadron" from Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and "A Stranger I Remain" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

Enjoy!

Episode Eighteen: Night Raid at Cagliari

When word had come through that the fireteam was returning, Lunamaria hadn't even bothered to confirm if she was off standby now. The fact that no one had stopped her from leaving her ZAKU seemed to reinforce the impression that the likelihood of Captain Gladys needing her to sortie was low, and she was reasonably confident that she wouldn't get in trouble for leaving her mobile suit for a bit. She'd made haste towards the cargo loading area where she knew the jeep would be pulling up into, but the sight that greeted her wasn't what she'd expected.

What naturally caught her attention first was the fact that the jeep she saw cresting the ramp and entering the ship wasn't fully loaded. Duo was in the driver's seat, but the front passenger seat was empty. As the vehicle came to a stop, Lunamaria's eyes widened when she saw Wufei in the back looking down over Rey, who looked like he was doing his best to simply stay conscious.

She was about to ask what had happened when the ship's chief medical officer and two nurses burst into the area and damn near ran her over in their rush to get to the jeep. They were pulling a gurney with them, and they had Rey on it in short order. Lunamaria only got a brief look at her friend, and she couldn't see any obvious wounds. Still, the way his brow was furrowed combined with the tremor in his right arm was enough to tell Lunamaria that something was definitely wrong with him.

"Rey!" she cried out, trying to get closer only to be blocked by one of the nurses.

"He'll be all right," the woman said, "but we need to get him to sickbay right away, and we can't have any interference. We'll let you know when you can see him."

Lunamaria wanted to press the matter, but a stern look from the nurse told her that she'd be fighting a losing battle. All she could do was watch as they rushed her fellow ZAFT Red away, and the doors closed behind them a moment later.

She turned back to Duo and Wufei as the two of them got out of the vehicle. "What the hell happened out there? What's wrong with Rey? Where are Heero, Quatre and Trowa?"

Duo shook his head. "Not sure what's up with Rey. He had a reaction to something in that base, but apart from that I really couldn't tell you much. The others are fine; Wufei and I just came back early to get Rey to the medics."

She saw Wufei's eyes narrow, and his gaze was on the open cargo door and the dunes beyond. "I'm not sure when the others will be back. There's plenty for them to investigate out there, after all."

"What did you guys find?" she asked, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer or not.

There was a long moment of silence as the two Gundam pilots glanced at each other, and Lunamaria was taken back by the haunted looks in their eyes. She was so used to them being utterly at ease, confident even in the face of seemingly ridiculous circumstances, that she didn't know what to make of this.

"Guys?" she said nervously, "You okay?"

Duo finally responded with a long and weary sigh. "Look… just be happy you weren't part of the ground team, okay? I need a freaking drink."

"There isn't any alcohol on this ship," Lunamaria pointed out.

"There is in my Gundam," Duo replied as he headed off towards the hangar, "Man, am I glad I bootlegged for this trip, because I could really use that good shit right about now."

Lunamaria turned to Wufei. "Is this the part where you leave too and don't give me an answer?"

Wufei looked around for a moment, only responding once he was sure that they didn't have an audience. "Your world has some sick individuals in it, you know that? Our has its share too, but… I didn't see anything like that in our last war."

"Like what?" Lunamaria pressed, tired of getting the runaround.

"Like a bunch of kids who were turned into lab rats and then set on each other like a pack of rabid dogs, for starters," said Wufei.

Her eyes widened; she couldn't have heard him right. "Wait… what?"

"You heard me," Wufei answered grimly, "Child experimentation, turning the kids into living weapons, having them fight each other for the sake of test results; it's a real house of horrors out there."

Lunamaria needed a moment to process all of that. "Holy shit… I had no idea we'd find something like that out here."

Wufei nodded. "I suspected it'd be bad, but… well, this was a whole different level of twisted. Hopefully Heero and the others will find someone out there to string up; the Alliance has a lot to answer for."

He sighed. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back out there. I've got their ride, after all. Want to tag along?"

Lunamaria shook her head. "Sorry, but technically I'm still on standby status. I don't think the Captain would approve of me leaving the Minerva."

Wufei shrugged. "Fair enough. I'll catch you later."

She could only watch as he revved the jeep's engine up again before turning the vehicle around and heading back out into the dunes. Was it wrong that a part of her very much wanted to disobey orders and head out with him, even knowing now what she would find should she do so? She didn't know.

Gundam pilots, she constantly had to remind herself, never seemed to offer easy answers.

….

After what had felt like forever, Heero leaned back in the chair behind the dead doctor's desk and pulled the drive from the console. "Done."

"How much did you get?" asked Quatre.

"Everything that matters," he replied as he stood up and pocketed the drive, "and a good deal more just to be on the safe side."

Quatre looked down at the corpse of the scientist who had been in charge of the nightmare factory they were in and shook his head. "Too bad we won't be able to use it in a trial for him. I'm not normally one for torture, but… he died way too quickly considering what happened here."

"No argument there," said Heero, "Still, what's done is done. I'm surprised ZAFT still hasn't come down here. They're taking their sweet time."

Quatre shrugged. "Probably clearing out the rest of the facility. There shouldn't be that much left to sweep, though. I mean, all the important stuff's down here."

Heero turned towards the doorway. "Trowa, how are we looking out there?"

"Clear," the L3 native answered.

"Not likely for much longer," said Quatre.

Heero shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We've got enough. Let's get back to the Minerva. I'll transmit our findings to the Archangel."

Quatre nodded at the console. "What about that? Are we really going to leave that data for ZAFT? You simply copied the files from that computer; the originals are still there."

Heero paused for a moment as he considered the matter. It would be a simple matter to destroy the computer, but its data could possibly be backed up on a server hidden in the base. With ZAFT having already taken the facility's control room, they likely had a complete layout of the base now. It wouldn't take them long to find the facility's electronic archives, assuming they hadn't done so already. Besides, while Heero definitely didn't trust Durandal's government, at the moment they were in a far better position to launch a war crimes investigation than Terminal was, and if they did manage to capture any of Doctor Frick's associates then it would be good for them to have as much evidence on hand as they could get.

"Leave it," he said, "ZAFT might not be our friends, but they're still the enemy of the Alliance. The Atlantic Federation's been employing these Extended troops against them, so anything ZAFT can use to fight them is helpful to us as well. Durandal doesn't need to augment his troops; they're all Coordinators, so they're all already enhanced. Besides, if they can present this stuff at a tribunal, so much the better."

"All right, then," Quatre replied, "We'll follow your lead, Heero."

Heero nodded. "Let's get out of here. I'll forward copies of the data to your Gundams so we can start studying everything in detail. We've got a lot of homework ahead of us."

….

Murrue had smiled when she'd gotten word that Heero was contacting the Archangel, but that smile had faded when she saw the look on his face. There was a heaviness in his expression that she hadn't seen in quite some time, and the dark edge in his gaze was an ill omen.

As much as she would've liked to open the conversation with a happy greeting, it was abundantly clear that pleasantries would not be appropriate here. Her boyfriend might've loved to see her smile, but she knew that he appreciated honesty far more than false cheer.

"Heero, what's the matter?" she asked, "You don't look well."

He gave a weary sigh, and Murrue suspected that whatever had happened was worse than she had initially feared. "I suppose not. No physical wounds, but… we found something, Murrue. Something horrific."

Hyperbole wasn't Heero's style, so if he was leading with that then Murrue knew things were grim. "What was it?"

She saw him glance to the side for the moment, and she could hear his fingers tapping keys on the Gundam's console over the speakers. "I'm sending you the data now. It's an Alliance research facility codenamed Lodonia. They were conducting experiments on bio-augmentation and chemical enhancement, hoping to produce powerful shock troops… and their subjects were all children."

Murrue's eyes widened at the news. "What?"

Heero nodded solemnly. "Believe me, I wish I was making this up. The data you're receiving will include a full breakdown of the tests they were running… along with information on all the victims I could find. Most were war orphans, although some were children of political dissidents who were abducted when their parents were imprisoned. Either way, none of them were really given a choice in the matter… and the program had a very high body count."

"How bad?" she asked, not sure that she actually wanted to know the answer.

"Hard to say for certain right now," Heero replied, "I counted at least 300 victims in the base while we were down there, but there must've been many more that were already disposed of. This program's been running at least since the last war, and likely even longer. The Alliance started deploying pilots from it during their attack on Orb, and they've definitely been using them in this war as well."

A chime came from her personal monitor, and Murrue gave Heero a nod. "I just got the data. I'll review it with the others later."

"Before you do, there's something else that you need to know," said Heero, his eyes narrowing, "There was another project going on here, one linked to both Azrael and the research done at the old Mendel colony."

A chill went down her spine as she recalled what they had discovered at L4 during the last war. "What sort of project?"

"You know the purple mobile suit that I've clashed with a few times since Armory One?" asked Heero, "The one with the gun drones? The pilot is a product of this program. It's a modified clone… of Muruta Azrael."

Murrue blinked a few times; she had to have heard that wrong. "Heero… can you… say that again?"

"I'm afraid you heard me right the first time," he said grimly, "Azrael had himself cloned, and we've been fighting that clone since Armory One. He's the field commander of Phantom Pain, the Atlantic Federation's black ops division. The Extended program, the one where they were experimenting on children, was also under that group's purview."

Murrue leaned back in her chair, needing a moment to process it all. Of all the enemies that the Three Ships Alliance had faced off against in the last war, few had been more deserving of death than Azrael. It had been no small relief to for her when his death had been confirmed, all the more so considering it had been at Heero's hands; her boyfriend had made damn sure to inflict nothing less than a fatal blow. Natarle spacing his body after the Second Battle of Jachin Due had really just been the icing on the cake. The man himself was still dead, but to know that his legacy had a literal embodiment in the form of a clone felt like an insult to what they had fought for two years ago.

She wanted so badly to not believe that they were fighting a clone of him, but she knew Heero all too well; he wouldn't lie to her, especially not about something like this. Looking around the bridge, she saw that her subordinates were having as much trouble absorbing it all as she was. Flay in particular had it the worst, looking outright horrified. Seeing as she had been on the bridge of the Dominion with Azrael during the final battle of the last war, Murrue found it hard to blame her.

Murrue sighed heavily. "Just when I thought that this war couldn't get any worse… damn it. The others aren't going to like this one bit."

Heero nodded. "Agreed. At least we know who we're really fighting now. For what it's worth, while this clone fights on the frontlines unlike the original, his authority doesn't match that of the real Azrael. Phantom Pain appears to be the only organization under his direct command. I imagine he can requisition official Earth Alliance divisions, but he's not calling the shots as a whole. Since his influence is a bit more limited, that should make him slightly easier to deal with."

Murrue shook her head. "Maybe, but if this clone's skilled enough to survive multiple encounters with you, then he isn't a foe we can afford to take lightly. It's all the worse if he's got an army of chemically enhanced soldiers under his command."

"He should have less of those going forward, at least," Heero pointed out, "Lodonia appears to have been a major center in the Extended program. It's probably not the only facility the Alliance has conducting this kind of work, but the amount of time and resources they invested into it indicates that it's a basket they were putting a lot of eggs into. Same goes for the Azrael cloning vanity project. Losing this base should set them back significantly."

Murrue nodded, her eyes narrowing. "And thanks to you, we now have hard data on their crimes. If we can get this out to the broader public it should help erode support for the war effort. It's worth a shot."

"Can't hurt to run it by the others," Heero agreed, "If you don't mind, I've got a request."

Murrue smiled. "Name it."

"Amongst the data I'm sending is information on the chemical compounds that were used in the Extended program," said Heero, "Could you forward that to our medical specialists and have them analyze it?"

"What are you looking for?" asked Murrue.

Heero's eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened, she thought she detected a hint of pity in them. "A way to help any potential survivors. I know it's a long shot, especially since those that are still alive are likely being lined up by the Alliance to throw against us and ZAFT, but… those kids didn't ask for this, Murrue. In Operation Meteor, my friends and I had a choice. These kids didn't have that here. It's too late to help most of them, I know, but if there's even one out there that we could save…"

"Of course," said Murrue, "I'll have the chief medical officer make it a priority, and I'll forward the information to the Dominion and Erica Simmons as well. We'll do all that we can."

"Thanks," he replied, "As for Azrael's clone, I didn't see his machine in the fight at the Dardanelles, and he wasn't anywhere near the Lodonia base that I could tell. I don't know where he's at, so keep your eyes open. The Alliance doctor I spoke to indicated that his main grudge is with me, but he probably hates the Archangel and everyone aboard her as well. Same goes for the Dominion. We need to keep our guard up."

Murrue nodded. "We'll be careful, Heero. Don't worry about us; just focus on you and the other Gundam pilots for now, okay? You five are in a far more dangerous position than we are at the moment."

"Copy that," said Heero.

The young man's face disappeared from the screen a moment later, and Murrue wasted no time in getting to work. "Flay, send copies of the data from Heero to all major Terminal warships and bases. Make sure one packet is set aside specifically for our ship's medical staff to review. Inform Natarle to do the same."

"Aye, Captain," Flay responded, looking more than a little subdued.

Murrue had a pretty good idea what was going through her head right now. "Flay, the real Azrael is still dead. He can't hurt you, and we're not going to let this clone harm you either. You have my word."

Flay nodded, although the poor girl still looked rather shaken. "Right."

Murrue then stood up and turned to her XO. "Lieutenant Tsukino, you have the bridge. I need to speak to Andrew and Lacus. The situation has become much more complicated."

….

Standing next to Rey's bed in the infirmary, Shinn didn't know what to do. He'd come over the moment he had heard that his friend was down, and while he was glad that Rey wasn't wounded and didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, he still couldn't tell what the hell was going on. The medics had suddenly become very tight-lipped when he'd tried to press the issue, at one point even threatening to call the Captain if he continued to push things.

So, there he was, looking down impotently at his friend. The feeling of helplessness was an all-too familiar one to Shinn, uncomfortably reminding him of that fateful day two years ago in the Elysium colony. His family had been completely at the mercy of events with no say in their fate, and Shinn knew that he had survived only through chance. The doctors could reassure him all they wanted to, but that would do nothing to shake his unease and the sense that his friend could count on nothing but luck at this point.

He was still brooding on the fragile nature of mortality when he heard the infirmary door open. Shinn thought that it might be Lunamaria popping in for another quick check up on Rey, but he was surprised to see none other than Heero enter the room. His earlier sense of helplessness rapidly shifted to one of blame; after all, Heero had been in charge of the fireteam that had gone out to investigate the underground base.

"How's he doing?" asked Heero as he came forward.

"Why would you care?" Shinn snarled at him.

The Gundam pilot gave him a careful look. It was one that Shinn hated; whenever he saw it on Heero's face, it felt as though he was reading him like an open book.

Heero turned away from Shinn, looking down at Rey. "The doctors are keeping a lid on things, aren't they? Figured as much."

Shinn gave him an accusatory glare. "What the hell happened out there? You know something; I can tell. Spit it out!"

"You're only half-right," Heero replied calmly, "I have speculations based on prior experience, but little more than that to go off of at the moment."

Shinn's answer was cut off by Rey stirring, and much to his surprise and relief he saw his friend open his eyes. "Shinn… Heero… what are you…?"

"Checking in," Heero answered, "Looks like they've got you stabilized."

Rey nodded, although Shinn didn't miss the suspicious look that he gave Heero. "Seems so… the worst should be over."

"Good," said Heero as he looked around the infirmary, and Shinn realized that he was checking to make that the doctor and nurses were out of earshot, "I'll make this brief; your condition's one that I might know a thing or two about. I think I know what happened, but I need your help to confirm my theory."

Shinn raised an eyebrow as he looked back and forth between Heero and Rey. "What are you talking about? What condition?"

Rey's eyes narrowed. "Do you… know what kind of ground… you're treading on?"

"More than you might think," Heero countered, "Does the name 'Mendel' mean anything to you? Or Al Da Flaga, for that matter?"

Rey's already-pale face damn near went white as snow. "How do you know…?"

"I went to L4 during the last war," said Heero, "and I have friends who are connected to what happened out there. Judging from your response, I'm willing to bet you have a pretty good idea as to who I'm referring to."

Shinn was thoroughly confused. "L4? Mendel? What the hell are you going on about?"

"That's classified, Shinn," said Rey, his voice much firmer now, "and it's not something to delve into lightly."

Heero shrugged. "Whether it's classified or not is irrelevant to me; I'm not part of your command structure. Thanks for confirming my theory."

Rey did a double-take before realizing what had just happened. "You… you played me."

"Only a little," Heero argued, "Your episode down in the base combined with the data we uncovered after you were evacuated pointed pretty solidly towards you being connected to the L4 projects. I just needed to be certain, and you gave me exactly what I was hoping for."

Rey gave him a cold glare. "You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Word will reach the Chairman soon enough."

"Good," Heero replied calmly, "I'd like for him to know where things really stand between us."

Rey shook his head. "You're picking a fight you can't win."

"Not the first time I've been told that," said Heero casually as he turned around and headed for the exit, "Rest well."

Shinn wasn't entirely sure whether to stay with Rey or follow Heero, but his friend did seem to be in remarkably better condition than before, although it wasn't like Shinn could call himself a qualified doctor. It also quickly became clear that Rey wasn't really in the mood for company at the moment, not if the surprisingly foul scowl he had shot at Heero while he was leaving the room was any indication. After a moment's hesitation, Shinn figured he might as well chase after Heero; he might actually get a real answer or two from him this time.

It didn't take long to catch up to him; he was still strolling down the corridor away from sickbay. In fact, Shinn could've sworn his pace was a bit slower than usual. It almost felt like Heero was hoping Shinn would pursue him.

Fine, he thought, I'll play along.

Heero looked over his shoulder as Shinn approached. "Need something?"

"Yeah," said Shinn, folding his arms, "Some answers. What was all that about back there?"

"Why not ask Rey?" Heero countered.

"He needs to rest," Shinn replied, "and… well, it didn't look like it was something that he really wanted to talk about."

Heero nodded. "He did mention it was classified. Knowing that, you still want to delve into it? It could get you into trouble."

Shinn shook his head. "I don't care about that. I'm sick of always being in the dark. I want to know what's really going on!"

Much to his surprise, he actually saw the barest hint of a smirk appear on Heero's face. "Good. You're finally learning."

Shinn was a bit taken aback; that wasn't the response he'd been expecting. "Excuse me?"

"Follow me," said Heero, "Let's take this topside; less chance for an audience up there."

All Shinn could do was nod and let Heero take the lead. It only took the two of them a few minutes to reach the upper deck. Heero went over to the railing and leaned against it, looking out over the sea of sand. Shinn joined him and waited for him to make the first move.

"What do you know about the old L4 colonies?" asked Heero.

Shinn took a moment to rack his brain. "They were run by the Alliance, but heavy fighting during the last war destroyed most of them and rendered the rest uninhabitable. The only people that go out that way now are scrappers. I think Armory One was built in part by using recycled materials from the ruined colonies out there."

Heero nodded. "That's all correct. However, there was more going on out there under the surface than most people were aware of. It was all centered on one colony in particular."

Shinn's eyes narrowed. "The one you called Mendel, right? What were they doing?"

"Genetic research, for starters," Heero answered, "They also had a cloning program."

Shinn recoiled in shock. "A cloning program? I thought direct cloning was illegal!"

"It was and still very much is," Heero confirmed, "It was done in secrecy and funded by Al Da Flaga, a wealthy and influential Atlantic Federation industrialist and politician. From what his son told me, it seems that the man had an extremely inflated ego. His whole reason for funding the illegal cloning program was to have a 'pure' legacy; a child that lacked the taint of 'inferior' DNA from a mother."

Shinn shook his head. "Sounds like a real asshole."

"I'm sure his son would agree," said Heero, "In order to get his direct clones, though, Al Da Flaga had to fund another project in exchange. Both the cloning program and this second project were overseen by Professor Ulen Hibiki, a brilliant and incredibly ambitious geneticist. Al Da Flaga's financial backing was exactly what the Professor needed to push forward with his Ultimate Coordinator Project."

Shinn raised an eyebrow. "Ultimate Coordinator Project? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Shinn saw Heero's brow furrow in thought. "A question that I've asked myself more than once over the past two years. I won't deny that the young man who was a result of the project is definitely something special, but how does one truly define what makes the 'Ultimate' Coordinator? To his credit, I don't think the resulting Coordinator really knows the answer either. Whether or not he ever does find that answer, he's not the type of person who would let that kind of a label define him. The Earth Sphere should be very grateful for that."

Shinn was thoroughly confused. "How's any of this related to what happened today with Rey?"

"Those who were involved in the research at Mendel, particularly the cloning program, have a unique connection to each other," said Heero, "From what I understand, they have a special kind of sixth sense, able to detect each other when they're within a certain proximity. That connection can occasionally manifest itself in rather debilitating forms depending on the circumstances. Given what we found today, in hindsight Rey's episode shouldn't come as a surprise."

Shinn didn't like where this was going. "What exactly are you getting at?"

Heero sighed. "Are you going to make me spell it out for you? Rey's one of Al Da Flaga's clones, Shinn. His medical issues stem from that, and since some of the research going on out here is related to what was happening at Mendel, that triggered his reaction."

Shinn had to take a step back as he struggled to process what he had just heard. "Rey… you've got to be kidding me. He's… he's a Coordinator like the everyone else in ZAFT. During training… his reaction times were similar to ours… that's not something you can fake."

"He's a modified clone," Heero replied firmly, "Whether those modifications include enhancing his physical abilities to match those of a Coordinator or if he achieved that through extra training is something only he and a few others could likely tell you. Ask him if you want, but be mindful of the risk you'll be taking. I suspect the only people on the Minerva that are authorized to know the truth about him are a few key members of the medical staff, along with possibly the Captain."

Shinn shook his head. "Why keep such a tight lid on it? Clone or not, he's still a ZAFT soldier. It shouldn't matter, right?"

Heero's gaze took on a dark edge. "There was another clone of Al Da Flaga that served in ZAFT. He wasn't modified, either; he was a pure direct clone, able to pass as a Coordinator through his own brilliant intellect and likely intensive physical training. You've probably heard his name before; he was a famous ace and commander during the last war, known for wearing a mask."

"Rau Le Creuset…" Shinn muttered under his breath.

Shinn had heard the name before; it had come up a few times during lessons at the Academy. Creuset had been widely known as one of ZAFT's best pilots and field officers, and several battles that he'd taken part in had been closely studied by cadets in the two years since the First Bloody Valentine War. While his exploits and tactics had been explored in-depth, the instructors had curiously clammed up whenever students had asked questions about the man himself. Shinn and Lunamaria had even tried looking him up through basic personnel records, but everything about the man had been given a security classification so ridiculously high that it wasn't remotely funny.

Heero nodded. "That's right. I don't know how many people within ZAFT knew his secret; the number was probably in single digits, if even that. There wasn't any real need for them to dig into him at first given his battlefield exploits in the service of L5. He was a celebrated ace, after all. Why would they investigate one of their greatest heroes? However, it turned out that ZAFT probably should have done some serious digging on him. If they had, perhaps millions of lives could've been saved."

"What do you mean?" asked Shinn.

"As I'm sure you're aware, in the latter part of the war ZAFT developed the N-Jammer Canceller," said Heero, "This was a significant technological breakthrough, and one that ZAFT should've guarded jealously… and yet, in the final stage of the conflict, the Earth Alliance somehow managed to acquire that technology and use it to revive their nuclear arsenal. Tell me this, Shinn; how did ZAFT's greatest enemy get its hands on the fruits of top-secret research?"

"Both the Freedom and the Justice were stolen," Shinn pointed out, "The technology leaked pretty quickly."

Heero shook his head. "The Freedom and Justice both went straight to the Three Ships Alliance, and we knew full-well what it would mean if the secrets of the N-Jammer Canceller were to leak to the Earth Alliance. We made damn sure to carefully guard that information, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that we were not the conduit through which Azrael received that vital data."

Shinn folded his arms in skepticism. "How can you be so sure?"

"During the First Battle of Alaska, Creuset managed to infiltrate the Alliance base," Heero replied, "In the process, he took a girl prisoner. He kept her with ZAFT for some time, although she didn't stay in the brig; from what she reported to us after the final battle, she was given a ZAFT uniform and disguised as part of his command ship's crew. She was under his wing for a little while, gradually manipulated by him. Eventually, she was set adrift in an escape pod at L4 during a three-way clash there between us, ZAFT, and the Alliance. Her pod was intercepted by an Alliance mobile suit, just as Creuset planned. You see, he didn't release her out of the goodness of his heart; he had a very special gift that he wanted her to present to the Alliance."

Shinn felt his blood chill as he put two and two together. "The data on the N-Jammer Cancellers…"

Heero nodded. "Exactly. The Alliance was able to reactivate its nuclear stockpile because one of ZAFT's greatest aces wanted them to."

Shinn shook his head as he struggled to make sense of it all. "I… I don't get it. Why?"

"The later stages of the war weren't simply an exchange of move and countermove between the Alliance and ZAFT," Heero answered, "Both were fed information by Creuset, who wanted the conflict to escalate in brutality. The opposing powers were more than happy to oblige, and they took things all the way to their logical endpoint, turning the final campaign into a war of annihilation."

"But what would Creuset gain out of that?" asked Shinn, "Why betray ZAFT just to make sure both powers fight to the death?"

"Because Creuset wasn't gunning for a victory by either ZAFT or the Alliance," Heero replied, "His aim was mutually assured destruction; he wanted all of humanity, Coordinator and Natural alike, wiped out."

There was a long moment of silence as Shinn absorbed the full weight of what Heero had just told him. "Wait… what? He was trying to kill everyone? Why the hell did he want that?"

"His motives for desiring such slaughter ultimately come back to how he came into existence," said Heero grimly, "Direct human cloning is illegal for a variety of reasons, and one of those is the ethical implications of bringing a person into this world who is guaranteed to have less time than others from day one. You see, a side-effect of the cloning process is shortened telomeres, which are linked to aging. In other words, Creuset had gotten the short end of the life lottery; it didn't matter that he was surrounded by wealth when he wouldn't be around long enough to fully experience all that life had to offer. Combine that with the circumstances of his birth, particularly the fact that he was essentially a product of one man's enormous ego and greed, and… well, suffice to say it gave him a very negative perception of humanity as a whole. He found mankind wanting, and his bitterness at the world evolved into nihilistic hatred of our very species. In his eyes, humanity deserved nothing less than utter eradication."

Now Shinn started to put the puzzle pieces together. "That's why information about him was classified after the war; ZAFT didn't want it to get out that one of its top commanders was trying to wipe out the entire human race!"

Heero nodded. "I'm sure that factored into their decision to seal his file. I don't know if they ever discovered that he had committed treason, but I'm willing to bet that at least a few officials suspected him as the conduit for the Alliance getting their hands on the N-Jammer Canceller schematics. His downward spiral and ultimate fate are why ZAFT has been very cautious when it comes to anything related to the work that spawned him… or anything related to him at all."

Shinn's eyes widened as realization hit him. "Rey's condition… why the doctors wouldn't tell me anything…"

"That's right," said Heero, "Rey might be a skilled a pilot, but he's one that ZAFT no doubt is keeping under careful observation… and I'm sure he's well aware of that. Hard to tell what his thoughts on the matter are, though."

Shinn didn't like where this was going. "Hold on a minute! Are you saying that they're watching him because they're afraid that he'll become another Creuset?"

"Yes," Heero replied bluntly.

Shinn clenched his fists in indignation. "So, they're just automatically assuming he's going to turn out like him? That's a load of shit! Rey doesn't deserve that!"

"For what it's worth, I agree," Heero answered calmly, taking a good deal of the wind out of Shinn's sails, "That being said, I also understand why those who are aware of Rey's condition and origins would want to be careful. The truth regarding the last war isn't widely known. Most people understand that we got pretty close to the point of no return, but by and large they don't have the information to really appreciate just how close we were to going over the brink or why. Creuset's end goal was monstrous, but the man was brilliant in how he went about it. Through cunning and manipulation, he got withing a hair's width of his objective. Think about that; a single individual, through patience, skill, and intellect, was nearly able to turn the First Bloody Valentine War into the instrument of humanity's extinction."

Shinn shook his head. "It's still not right. Rey's not like that."

"Perhaps, but do you think that's a chance ZAFT is willing to take?" asked Heero, "No matter how useful his skills are to them, they'll always see him as potentially another Creuset waiting to happen. He'll always be under observation, ostensibly due to the medical complications that come with being a clone, but really simply due to the fact that he's a clone in the first place. How do you think he feels about that?"

Shinn sighed. "He probably hates it. I know I would."

Heero nodded. "That would only be natural. It's why your friendship with him matters more than you think. The same goes for Lunamaria and Meyrin. I don't know how close you all are to him, but you all went to ZAFT's Academy together, right?"

"Yeah," said Shinn, "We almost always hung out together after training. Rey was as quiet back then as he is now, but… well, he was still part of our group. Always has been. We're his friends… I'd like to think that he sees us that way, at least."

"I hope so," said Heero with a dark look in his eyes, "because that might be all that stands between him embracing the same bitterness and hatred that Creuset did."

….

November 11th, C.E. 73

On her monitor, Talia saw Durandal's eyes narrow as she wrapped up her report. "Augmentation and cloning… no wonder the Atlantic Federation was so determined to keep this place a secret."

Talia had to suppress a shudder. Her reaction upon first reviewing the report from ZAFT's ground forces upon completing their sweep of the facility had been far more visceral, and she was very relieved that her shipboard office had a small side door that led to a private restroom; it would've been unbecoming for a warship's commanding officer to vomit on her desk. Even now, thinking about the images that had been captured and sent to her caused her stomach to churn, and she could only hope that Durandal didn't insist on reviewing them here and now.

"I knew that our enemies weren't exactly restrained by ethics and morals," said Talia, "but I never imagined we'd find a facility like this in our fight against them."

Durandal gave a weary sigh. "I doubt it's the only one of its kind. The Atlantic Federation likely has multiple facilities dedicated to this kind of research. I'm sure we've already faced some of the resulting creations in battle, and we'll probably have to deal with more before this war is over."

'Creations'? They're human beings, Gilbert, she thought, aghast at his callousness even as she maintained her calm and professional demeanor, and if the reports are any indicator, they probably didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I know our enemies were running this facility, but the children that they put through their foul research are victims first and foremost. Even the ones that survived and have faced us in combat…

"I'm glad I requested that the Minerva join the forces attacking this base," Durandal continued, "A few members of the Defense Council thought it a waste of resources and preferred that you remain on course for Gibraltar. However, I think this change of plans was for the better. It would've taken our local forces much longer to breach the facility without your help. Once again, you and your crew have performed your duties with excellence, Talia."

Talia nodded, but despite his praise she couldn't bring herself to smile; with the gruesome images from Lodonia's interior still fresh in her mind, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. "Thank you, Chairman."

There was a moment of hesitation on his part, as if he were taken aback by her insistence on using his title rather than his name. "Well… I'd hate to have you think that I'm simply dispatching you here and there like my personal errand runner, but I'm afraid I require you and your crew elsewhere in the immediate future."

Talia raised an eyebrow. "You have new orders?"

"Yes," Durandal replied, "I wanted to relay them to you personally; this next operation will be of great strategic importance."

Talia leaned forward slightly. "What's the mission?"

"We've received new intelligence regarding enemy fleet movements," the Chairman answered, "The Atlantic Federation's last major naval assets in the European theater are massing in the English Channel just south of Plymouth. Meanwhile, the Eurasian Federation has launched several squadrons of warships from their bases in Toulon, Taranto, Skaramagas, and Durrës. Based on the movements of some ships from the closer bases, it appears they are rallying off the port of Cagliari on the island of Sardinia."

Talia's eyes narrowed as she put two and two together. "They're preparing to strike Gibraltar."

Durandal nodded. "That's the conclusion drawn by the Defense Council as well, and one that I fully support. Further evidence of this comes in the form of reports regarding Eurasian Federation Army movements; significant ground forces have been massing in the Iberian Peninsula for some time now. There's been a presence outside the Gibraltar base's perimeter since the conflict began, of course, but these new divisions are for more than simply reinforcing the current front. The enemy's about to make a push."

"Do they have the numbers needed to win?" asked Talia, "Gibraltar's by far our most fortified position on the surface. The enemy would need nothing less that overwhelming force in order to take it."

"They will have the numbers if they are allowed to strike together," said Durandal, "Their plan of attack is clear; a three-pronged offensive, with the naval assault coming from the east and west while the ground forces move in from the north. I believe the combined assault would be sufficient, although it would be a costly victory for them. However, their strategy is dependent on all three groups striking in coordination and at full strength. Disrupting just one element of the attack force should be enough to compromise the entire operation, at least in theory. That's where the Minerva comes into play… particularly your five guests."

Talia could already see where this was going. "You want us to launch a preemptive strike on the Eurasians."

Durandal smiled. "Precisely. From your current position, it would not take long for the Minerva to move to a point where an air raid against the Eurasian naval rally point at Cagliari would be possible. Your vessel has multiple units which would be perfect for a surprise attack, with the Gundams making for an effective spearhead."

Talia agreed, but the conversation she'd had with Durandal prior to the fight at the Dardanelles was nagging at the back of her mind. "I thought you said we couldn't trust the Gundam pilots, and that eventually they would be our enemies. Now you want them to play the lead role in a critical operation?"

There was a slight bit of tension in Durandal's smile now, although he hardly let that slow him down. "I was simply acknowledging the temporary nature of our partnership. That remains the case, but seeing as it hasn't expired yet, we might as well continue to take advantage of it. I might have my disagreements with Heero Yuy, but to his credit he's been up front about this being an alliance of convenience for both parties involved. He's using us, so we might as well return the favor. Given that the Earth Alliance is still his enemy just as much as it is ours, I doubt he'll complain. Besides, I would've thought that you'd want them on this strike anyway; no disrespect to the skilled pilots under your command, but this isn't the kind of attack that they could pull off on their own."

Talia wasn't about to argue that point. "You're correct on that front. I just wanted to make sure we both had a full understanding of the situation."

"Of course," said Durandal, "I'll always be up front with you, Talia. Anything less would be an insult to you, especially in light of all you and your crew have achieved in this war to date."

Talia had to bite back a sharp retort. Lunamaria's encounter with the Wraith and the accusation of the attempt on Lacus Clyne's life hadn't been far from her mind over the past few days. The more she thought about it, especially given his use of what Talia could now clearly recognize as a fake Lacus, the less she was willing to simply dismiss it. For Durandal to claim that he would be upfront with her while not even mentioning his plan regarding the fake Lacus, let alone the possibility that he had tried to kill the original to cover up the scheme, was particularly galling.

Suddenly she didn't feel quite so guilty about not informing Durandal of the security leak she had in the form of a certain Gundam pilot. Then again, given his distrust of them, it was possible that Durandal had already considered the possibility of Heero or his friends passing information to their allies on the Archangel and Dominion.

She was careful to keep her composure even as doubts and suspicions swirled away in her mind. "I appreciate that. I don't suppose this forthrightness includes data on what kind of opposition our pilots will be facing in this raid, does it?"

Durandal chuckled. "Of course. I'll have the relevant information sent over within the hour."

Talia nodded. "Thank you. When are we to launch this raid?"

"I'll leave that to your discretion," Durandal replied, "You'll be operating independently here; if we dispatch additional warships to reinforce you, it'll only increase the risks of the enemy figuring out our intentions. We want them to believe we plan on waging a static defense of Gibraltar. This attack must have the element of surprise if it is to achieve success."

"Understood," said Talia, "As soon as I have the data, I can begin planning our strike. Where do you want us once the raid is done?"

"The Defense Council is split on that matter," Durandal answered, "Some want you to go back to Diocuia, while others wish for the Minerva to reinforce Gibraltar. I promise you'll have new orders confirming your next destination once the raid is complete."

It wasn't the answer Talia had been hoping for, but it would have to do for now. "Very well, then. Anything further, Chairman?"

Durandal shook his head. "Not at this time. Good hunting, Talia."

….

On the flight deck of the Eurasian Federation Spengler-class carrier Borodino, Mihaly watched as the Gaia and a Windam with Atlantic Federation markings circled above waiting for clearance to land. The veteran pilot had only just landed and secured his mobile suit a little while ago himself; the carrier was very busy today.

After surviving the disastrous engagement at the Dardanelles and having limped back to a Eurasian Federation airbase, Mihaly had been determined to get back into the action as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the MSX-02 Wyvern had been repaired relatively quickly, and it hadn't taken long for the Major to receive new orders. Transferring to the Borodino while the ship had still been docked at Durrës, he'd been followed by Alberto and Marcella, and the three of them had quickly set up shop on the carrier. The ship had only recently gotten underway as part of a small flotilla, and the Eurasian ace had just been informed today that a few other notable survivors from the catastrophic fight at the Dardanelles were heading for the vessel as well.

The higher-ups have been pretty tight-lipped over what's going on, he thought, but I can hazard a guess or two…

The warship's heading and that of her escorts was clearly west, and the only enemy installation in the western Mediterranean Sea was ZAFT's Gibraltar base. While Mihaly was confident in his skills, he knew that the Borodino and her escorts alone wouldn't be enough to break through ZAFT's defenses, so clearly, they were on their way to rendezvous with a larger strike force. Since they'd already passed around the Italian peninsula and Sicily without meeting up with other vessels, there were only a few other suitable rally points between where the Borodino was now and the Gibraltar base.

"Sardinia…" he muttered under his breath.

It was an obvious choice. The island's position made it ideal as a place where warships from multiple Eurasian Federation naval bases across the Mediterranean could meet up relatively quickly before proceeding further west. A military airfield was on the island too, meaning it could help ensure airspace security while fleet units linked up below. The island was also easily within range of airborne units based in mainland Europe as well, particularly Italy and France, making it easy to reinforce on short notice.

After the beating that the Alliance forces had taken at the Dardanelles, did they really have the warships and mobile suits needed for an attack on Gibraltar? The fact that Eurasian Federation vessels like the Borodino were being mobilized in earnest now indicated that the higher-ups were determined to take a shot at it, though Mihaly was privately against such a play. In his mind, a better move would've been attempting to retake the Suez Canal so they could at least have control over one of the two key global shipping routes that passed through the Mediterranean. He wasn't in command, though, so it wasn't his call to make.

He saw the Windam descend, and a few minutes later it touched down on the carrier's flight deck. Mihaly didn't need to see the machine's IFF signature to know that it was Major Hamilton's mobile suit; the smooth landing was more than enough. The Eurasian Federation ace might not have particularly liked his Atlantic Federation counterpart, but he would at least admit that the man was a halfway decent pilot.

Better him at the head of things than that masked Colonel, Mihaly mused, if even half the rumors about that alleged psychopath are true…

The Windam moved to the hangar in short order, allowing for the Gaia to finally descend. Despite the ZAFT prototype being more advanced than the machine that had been flying with it, it's descent and landing were sloppier. Sure, the pilot was still able to bring their machine down without crashing, but they were overly hasty. Mihaly figured the pilot was going stir-crazy after the flight and was eager for fresh air.

As the Gaia moved to the hangar, Mihaly heard a familiar male voice from behind him. "Glad to see you're no worse for the wear, Major Reyne."

Mihaly turned around to see Major Hamilton approaching him, still in his flight suit; the man had rushed from the hangar below to meet him. "Same goes for you. You had a close call in the last fight."

"Won't be the last one either, I suspect," replied Hamilton, "Not with the missions we've been given as of late."

"Speaking of missions, perhaps you'll be so kind as to confirm my suspicions about this one," said Mihaly, his eyes narrowing, "We're going after Gibraltar, right?"

There was a moment's hesitation on the part of the Atlantic Federation officer before he answered. "I suppose there's no point in hiding it now. Yes, Gibraltar is our target."

Mihaly gestured at one of the carrier's escorting warships. "I trust you know that this little flotilla won't be nearly enough for that. Even I can only accomplish so much."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hamilton countered, "Of course, there's more than just this squadron involved. We'll be rendezvousing with additional fleet elements at Cagliari, and there are other strike groups involved in this operation. Gibraltar won't go down without a fight, but even its formidable defenses will crumble under the assault we've got planned for it."

"But do we have the pilots for it?" asked Mihaly, "I didn't see you bring your Desperado attack dogs along for the ride."

Hamilton shook his head. "They linked up with a separate carrier yesterday. They should already be at the rally point."

Mihaly raised an eyebrow. "So, why are you here and not with them?"

"The attack dogs can manage themselves for a while," Hamilton replied, "Besides, I needed more time to make sure Stella was ready for action. We had to leave a bit later as a result."

"Something wrong with the girl?" asked Mihaly.

"No," Hamilton answered, "Just the usual upkeep between missions."

His detached tone was a little unnerving; it was almost as if he was speaking of his subordinate as a piece of equipment that required fine-tuning rather than a human being. Not for the first time, Mihaly reflected on the oddity that was the Gaia's pilot. After some rather high-profile defections in the last war, the Atlantic Federation had discharged all female soldiers from its ranks, yet her was Stella; quite clearly a girl and serving in the uniform of the Atlantic Federation. More important was the fact that she was the one assigned to use the stolen ZAFT prototype, and while she did have some skill Mihaly didn't find her to be a particularly noteworthy mobile suit pilot. Given the capabilities of the Gaia, by rights it should've gone to a much more capable pilot. Sure, the Atlantic Federation had taken considerable losses in the pilot department, but Mihaly was certain that it still had more than a few aces that could've been assigned to the prototype.

She's obviously not part of the regular forces, he thought as he reflected on the combat data from the previous engagement, and her combat style… there's something off about it. The Gaia's movements have all indicated that she has better than average reflexes, but she's not very disciplined on the battlefield. It'd be easy to dismiss her as simply getting by on the speed and power of the prototype, and yet that doesn't feel like the right explanation.

"She'll be in shape for the coming fight, right?" he inquired cautiously.

Hamilton nodded. "She will."

Mihaly had his doubts, but he kept them private. "What kind of opposition are we expecting in terms of pilots? Any high-profile aces operating out of Gibraltar?"

"Eager for a rematch with Heero Yuy?" asked Hamilton.

"I like to know what kind of mess I'm flying into," Mihaly replied.

Hamilton shrugged. "Gibraltar's one of ZAFT's most important surface possessions, so it's naturally got a solid pilot corps attached to it. No one at the same caliber as yourself or any of the other aces we have assigned to this operation, but we are expecting the opposition to be made up of seasoned veterans. They won't be able to match you one on one, but they'll likely be smart enough not to try in the first place. That means no solo operating from you; coordinate with Espada One and Two so you don't get isolated and overwhelmed."

Mihaly bristled. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"

"You have a tendency towards independent action," Hamilton pointed out, "Given the sheer speed of your mobile suit, it's only natural that you're out ahead of your comrades. The Wyvern's an incredible machine, but it has limits. You know as well as anyone what it sacrifices to achieve its astounding mobility; it doesn't take many hits to put you out of the fight."

"I'm aware of my machine's drawbacks," Mihaly countered, "High speed strikes are its specialty, and I can't pull those off if I'm weighed down by slower mobile suits. The Wyvern is a unit that's meant for risky maneuvers. It's why I was assigned to pilot it."

The two men stared each other down for a moment before Hamilton blinked. "I'm not doubting your abilities, and I understand your mobile suit's strong points. I simply wish to make sure that we're maximizing all of our advantages here. You're a valuable asset, especially given who we're up against in this war. Gibraltar cannot become your grave."

Mihaly folded his arms as he looked out over the sea. "You don't need to worry about that. I'm not going to die before I get my chance at a rematch with him."

"See to it that you don't," said Hamilton, "Much as I hate to admit it, our roster of top-tier pilots is quite thin. You're the only one in the current area of operations that's proven capable of challenging our deadliest foe in single combat. That makes you our only viable countermeasure should the worst happen. Don't forget that."

The Atlantic Federation Major headed back inside the carrier, leaving Mihaly still starring out at the waves. His mind wasn't on the sea, though; it was on the young man that had given him the fight of his life.

A pity he's not at Gibraltar, he mused, but it doesn't really matter. With the way this war's going, it's only a matter of time before we clash again…

….

Walking into the briefing room, Heero took a moment to study the room and see who was in attendance. He'd been down in the hangar running maintenance checks on the Wing Zero Albion when the announcement for pilots to assemble had gone out, and he was the last of the five Gundam pilots to arrive. All of ZAFT's pilots were in attendance as well, and at this point the only person missing was Captain Gladys.

The ship got underway just a little while ago, he mused as he took a seat next between Duo and Quatre, I suppose we'll get an answer as to why soon. I was operating under the assumption that the Minerva was going to remain on site here for a few more days while the Alliance base was studied in detail. What changed?

Duo leaned over to whisper in Heero's ear. "Any idea what's up?"

Heero shook his head. "I'm as in the dark as you."

"Something big must've come up," Quatre chimed in, "Otherwise, there's no way they'd be redeploying so quickly."

"We're on a northwest course," Trowa added, "Wherever we're heading, I'd say we have a pretty good chance of seeing combat."

"Good," Wufei muttered, "The Alliance owes a blood debt for what we saw back there. It's time for us to collect."

"Keep your cool," Heero admonished him, "Let's find out what the actual mission is first before making plans for karmic retribution."

As if on cue, Talia and Arthur entered the briefing room just a moment later. Talia moved to the center, while Arthur went to the side and began making adjustments to the large monitor on the far wall.

"Thanks for coming here so quickly," the Captain began, "I hadn't anticipated being redeployed this soon, but the enemy is preparing for a major operation. If we can't disrupt it, then our comrades will pay a heavy price."

She turned to Arthur and nodded. Her XO clicked a button on the remote, and a map appeared on the monitor. It was a wide one that covered most of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, going as far north as the British Isles and as far south as the North African coastline. A flashing light blue dot highlighted the current relative position of the Minerva, and Heero saw two green squares that had to be the Gibraltar and Diocuia bases. Groups of dark blue and red dots representing ZAFT and Alliance forces across the region appeared as well, and it didn't take Heero long to realize what the latter were up to as he tracked their movements.

Talia confirmed his suspicions a moment later. "The Earth Alliance is gathering its forces for an assault on Gibraltar. The Atlantic Federation's last major fleet units in the European theater have marshalled in the English Channel, while the Eurasians are massing troops on the Iberian Peninsula and warships in Cagliari, the southern port of Sardinia. Their operation will require all three prongs of the attack working in concert to succeed, which means we only need to strike at one to disrupt their entire plan."

"What's our target?" asked Lunamaria.

Talia gave Arthur another nod, and the map quickly zoomed in on Sardinia. "The Eurasian naval forces rallying at Cagliari. It's the closest of the three staging areas to our position. Timing is crucial here; we have to strike before they leave port and commence their assault."

Athrun nodded. "Makes sense. What level of opposition are we dealing with here?"

The map of the port lit up with red dots representing the various warships assembled as Talia continued. "Our latest reports indicate nearly three-dozen vessels are currently at the rally point, and that number is expected to climb. At least four carriers have been confirmed present, and at minimal one or two more are on the way. The more time the enemy is given, the more firepower they'll amass here. As things stand, they already have a formidable force assembled."

"No kidding," said Shinn, "Who are we working with on this attack?"

Talia shook her head. "No one, I'm afraid. We're on our own for this operation."

There was a moment of silence in the briefing room. Heero and his fellow Gundam pilots were unfazed, but the same couldn't be said for ZAFT's pilots. It was hard to blame them; despite the lopsided odds they'd confronted up until now, it was only natural to expect that a strike this would be carried out with backup from other elements of ZAFT's forces. To be told that the attack would be done by them alone would naturally give them pause.

Heine was the first to break the silence. "Captain… are you certain about this? For a strike of such importance, surely the Defense Council would authorize at least some form of support."

"I'm quite certain," Talia replied firmly, "The Minerva is expected to carry out this mission independently."

"That's nuts!" Shinn protested.

Even Rey seemed concerned. "I don't wish to second guess the Defense Council or discount our abilities, but… they may be asking too much here."

"I know it looks like a daunting task," Talia conceded, "but we can pull it off. The biggest point in our favor here is that the enemy's not expecting a preemptive strike on our part. They are vulnerable, but maintaining the element of surprise will be crucial to the success of this attack."

Heero saw her gaze then shift towards Duo. "That's where your machine comes into play, Maxwell. In order to maximize our chances of success, there are two preliminary targets that need to be eliminated first, and your Gundam is the only one that can do it without being detected."

Duo leaned forward. "Go on."

She nodded at Arthur, and the image on the screen shifted. The focus of the map was now on the center of the Mediterranean, more specifically on the islands of Malta and Sicily. Blinking red squares appeared on both islands as Talia continued the briefing.

"The Eurasian Federation armed forces maintain a series of radar stations across the Mediterranean Sea as part of their advanced early warning system," she said, "Two of these are along the most direct path to the target area and will need to be taken out. Maxwell, your machine is well-suited to tasks like this, yes?"

Duo nodded. "You're not wrong there, but won't me targeting just these two locations clue the enemy into there being something up? It wouldn't be hard to put two and two together."

"There's always the chance of that, yes," Talia admitted, "but leaving these stations intact will just be a dead giveaway that a strike force is incoming. For this mission to have any chance of success, they have to be destroyed."

Quatre scratched his chin as he looked at Duo. "Not necessarily. There's another way to do it, one that would draw far less attention than two key radar sites suddenly going dark."

Duo smirked, his mind clearly on the same wavelength as Quatre's. "The Hyper Jammer ECM Suite… yeah, I think that would work nicely."

"Explain, please," Talia requested.

"My Gundam's got one of the most advanced electronic warfare systems ever implemented in a mobile suit," Duo requested, "Scrambling enemy radar is just one of the neat little tricks its capable of. By flying in tight formation with Deathscythe Omega in the center, we can obscure our strike force from the Eurasians. It'll just register as a few seconds of static on their instruments as we pass by, something they'd be pretty likely to write off as just a technical glitch as opposed to hostile action. By the time someone realizes what's actually going on, the enemy fleet will already be set ablaze."

"If we're going to try that, there's something we need to know first," said Heero, "Who's involved in the strike itself? Is the Minerva going to attack directly, or will this be an air raid?"

"The latter," Talia replied, "The strike force will be composed of the five Gundams, Impulse, Saviour, and the GOUF Ignited. Rey and Lunamaria will remain on the Minerva to defend the ship if we're attacked during the operation."

"Eight mobile suits in total, then," said Trowa.

Duo nodded. "It'll be tight, but doable. In order for the Hyper Jammer to cover the whole strike team, we're going to have to fly pretty close together when we're going past those radar stations."

"How close?" asked Athrun.

Duo shrugged. "No more than a few meters worth of clearance between each mobile suit in the formation."

Shinn did a double take. "That close? With eight machines? That's impossible!"

"It would be stretching our precision flying skills to their limits," Heine conceded.

Heero shook his head. "We can do it. Let me manage the formation; I can keep us together."

"How?" asked Shinn, "We'd have to maintain radio silence while passing the radar sites. Without communication, we can't coordinate."

"Leave that to me," Heero answered.

Looking around at his fellow Gundam pilots, he saw the four of them nod; they knew what he had in mind. Athrun was just a second behind them, but soon enough Heero saw the light of comprehension flick on in his eyes.

Heine was skeptical. "You expect us to just take you at your word?"

"If you don't think you're up to it, you can always bow out," Heero shot back, "I'm sure the Captain wouldn't mind having another mobile suit on hand to guard the ship while the rest of us are out."

Heine smiled. "Well, let it not be said that I'll back down easily from a challenge! Very well then, Heero; I'll play along. I'm eager to see how you pull this off."

"That makes two of us," Shinn muttered.

"Once we get to the operation zone, what are our main targets?" asked Quatre.

"The enemy fleet carriers take top priority," Talia answered, "After that, any ships or mobile suits that you can bag."

Wufei leaned forward. "What's our window over the target? Airbases on the mainland will scramble mobile suits to reinforce the port. What's their estimated response time?"

"There is a small air base on the island itself, and a larger facility is on Corsica," Talia replied, "We don't have hard numbers on their average response time, so assume they'll be taking the field shortly after you start sinking ships. After that, enemy machines will be taking off from bases on the Italian Peninsula and southern France. It'll take them much longer to respond than the units from Corsica; you should have the main targets and most of the secondary ones eliminated well before they start to trickle in."

"What intel do we have on the enemy pilots operating with the Eurasian forces at the target area?" asked Trowa, "Any high-profile aces?"

Talia shook her head. "Unfortunately, signals intelligence hasn't been able to get us much on that front. ZAFT has very little in the way of information assets inside the Eurasian Federation, and they're much better about cycling new encryptions for their communications than the Americans are. Given the nature of the mission the enemy is preparing for, though, it's reasonable to assume that the Eurasians will have at least some highly skilled pilots operating with the fleet. That's why it's imperative to kill the carriers immediately; with any luck, you'll take them down before they get the chance to launch their mobile suits. Otherwise, expect the worst and hope for the best."

"Story of our lives," Duo muttered.

Heero saw Talia turn her attention to the pilots who actually wore ZAFT uniforms. "I shouldn't need to remind you three of this, but I will anyway; watch your energy reserves out there. The last thing we need is any of you losing power during the retreat and falling into the sea. We'd launch a search and rescue operation, of course, but odds are the Eurasians would reach you first. Their policy regarding prisoners in this conflict is unknown."

Athrun sighed. "Meaning that, for all we know, they've embraced the same kill on sight mentality that dominated the Atlantic Federation in the last war."

Talia nodded grimly. "It's a possibility that we can't ignore. Anti-Coordinator sentiment hasn't historically run as deep in the Eurasian Federation as it has in the Atlantic Federation, but that could change as the war drags on. Even if they have a capture policy, they could always end up transferring prisoners to the Americans. If that were to happen… well, you don't need me to fill in the blanks there."

"Well, then," said Heine, "We'll just have to stay on our toes."

"When do we take off?" asked Heero.

"Tomorrow night," Talia replied, "We're trying to strike a balance here; we obviously want to attack before they move out, but at the same time we also want to catch as many capital ships in this operation as possible. Based on intel's current projections, at least one of the possible additional carriers should be arriving at the Cagliari rally point tomorrow evening. The more of those buggers that we can sink in one go, the better. You'll be launching just after sunset."

"So, we should rest up while we can, then," said Trowa.

Talia nodded. "You'll have quite the flight out to the operation zone. Take the time to simulate close formation flying so you'll be better able to coordinate for the stealth phase of this mission. We're only going to get one shot at this, and we have to make it count."

Heero stood up and nodded at his fellow pilots. "In that case, no time like the present. Meet me down in the hanger. We'll synch up our suits and run a basic formation sim. You'll get your answers on how we're going to pull this off then."

The other Gundam pilots didn't hesitate, but the skepticism of Shinn and Heine wasn't hard to miss. Only Athrun looked confident, which wasn't a surprise; he'd likely already guessed what Heero had in mind.

I'll have to walk a fine line here, he thought as he looked at Shinn and Heine, I can't have them figure out how I'm actually going to coordinate the formation. If word gets out to the ZAFT higher-ups, then their interest in my machine will go through the roof. This is going to be tricky…

….

Murrue leaned forward in her seat, eyes narrowing as she absorbed what Heero had just told her. "An impending assault on Gibraltar… that would explain the Eurasian Federation fleet movements we've been observing over the past few days."

Up on the main bridge monitor, she saw Heero nod. "Our upcoming strike on Cagliari should be enough to make them abort their operation. The plan we're working with right now ought to do the trick, but I want to stack the deck in our favor as much as possible.

Murrue smiled. "What do you need from me? You want the Archangel and Dominion to join in on the fun?"

"Not quite," Heero replied, "I'd rather ZAFT and the Alliance not be able to figure out your current position; having them sweating bullets about not knowing where you're really at is one of our advantages. Instead, I was hoping for some under-the-radar support, if you will."

It only took Murrue a moment to figure out what he wanted. "You mean the Wraiths, don't you?"

"That's right," Heero answered, "Can you have Natarle set up rotating recon flights at Cagliari? I want our intelligence to be better than ZAFT's on this operation."

Murrue nodded. "I'll pass that along to her. Is there anything else that we can do to help?"

Heero shook his head. "For now, just keep a low profile. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."

Murrue smiled. "All right, then. Be careful out there, you got that?"

Heero nodded. "Roger that."

….

November 12th, C.E. 73

As much as Rodrigues hated the inevitable waits that came with preparing for a large-scale operation, he had to admit that there were much worse ports that he could've passed the time in. Cagliari was absolutely beautiful both on shore and when viewed from the upper deck of a carrier. Between stunning recreational beaches, lovingly preserved samples of Middle Age and early modern-period fortifications, and a hopping night-life, the city had something to offer for everyone. Granted, he wasn't expecting a particularly long stay in port before setting sail again, so there wasn't quite as much time as one might've liked to take in the sights, but he still planned to soak it up while he could.

Been a long time since I was last out this way, he thought with a smile, folding his arms as he took in the vista, What was the name of that spicy young woman I met the last time around? Carla? Clarissa? Good times either way…

He was very much looking forward to going ashore later, although he expected it to make his life slightly more difficult when he returned to the carrier. As a mercenary as opposed to being a uniformed officer of the Earth Alliance, he enjoyed a considerably greater degree of freedom than the bulk of his shipmates, and he knew that the resentment they already had for him would only grow when he disembarked while the rest of them were stuck on board. They were bound by operational security regulations thanks to the upcoming battle, and while Rodrigues had to abide by a good chunk of those as well, the sheer value of his skills as a pilot gave him much greater leeway.

He heard footsteps coming from behind him, and looking over his shoulder he saw his fellow surviving Wind of Destruction approaching. "Quite the sight, eh? If you want to join me later, I know a nice little café on the waterfront."

Mistral shook her head. "Tourism is not exactly on my mind at the moment."

Rodrigues chuckled. "What's the matter? Wound a little too tight? You never struck me as the type to let pre-mission jitters get to you."

Mistral rolled her eyes. "Hardly anything so trivial. Leisure activity simply lacks appeal when compared to our past few battles. The old pursuits feel dull and faded in comparison."

Rodrigues shook his head; as much as he loved a good fight, he knew when a break was needed. "You'll get your chance for more battlefield excitement soon enough. No need to rush into it."

Mistral scowled. "You know as well as I do that attacking Gibraltar is going to be little more than a brute-force slugging match. There will be no dances upon the razor's edge between life and death there, just a dull slog."

Rodrigues had to concede the point there. "An assault into the teeth of an entrenched enemy… even if the strike comes from three directions at once, it's going to be ugly."

"And with no one on the opposite side capable of offering anything approaching a real challenge," she lamented, "Just grunts to mow down by the dozens. Not much sport in that."

"They may be grunts, but there'll be a lot of them," Rodrigues reminded her, "A shot from a grunt is still as lethal as one from an ace if it connects."

Mistral scoffed. "You can't fool me; you're not the least bit concerned about the small fries taking either of us down. You know exactly how it's going to play out, just like I do. It's all so dull."

Rodrigues shrugged. "Maybe. Then again, we might luck out. Gibraltar's a high-priority target, and ZAFT knows that. Maybe they'll surprise us and get the Minerva over there to aid in the defense before our operation begins. That would make things interesting."

Mistral actually smiled at that. "It would… especially if a certain God of Death is still with that ship."

Rodrigues raised an eyebrow. "That black machine, right? What is it about that one that gets your motor going?"

Mistral laughed. "Spirit, for starters! How many other pilots do you know of that claim a moniker like that and actually live up to it? He fights with deviousness and tenacity, and he has fire to him, even if he won't say as much whenever I try to coax it out of him."

Rodrigues shook his head. "Don't tell me that you're flirting with him in the middle of combat."

"What if I am?" she replied, "It's hardly any different from your in-flight chats with the pilot that you've been so focused on."

Rodrigues chuckled. "Fair point."

Their conversation was interrupted by both of their radios going off. The two mercenaries shared a glance before checking to see what the fuss was about.

"Make it quick," he said, not even bothering to hide his irritation.

"New orders from Major Hamilton," the voice on the other end replied, "You're to engage in night-flying exercises with him and several other pilots this evening. The Major wants you to rest up until then."

So much for a chance to go ashore.

"Fine," he answered dismissively, "Minuano, out."

He looked over at Mistral, who had just finished up with her message as well. "Early to bed for you as well?"

Mistral nodded. "Yes. I suppose it has been awhile since we've done night-fighting drills. Since the attack on Gibraltar will likely last several days, it's natural to prepare for the worst. All our fights down here so far have been during broad daylight, but there's no guarantee that things will stay that way."

Rodrigues sighed. "Well, time to hit the sack, then. Can't disappoint the Major with sloppy maneuvering later, after all."

Mistral was already heading for the nearest hatch. "I'll see you in the sky tonight, Jetstream Sam."

….

The hangar of the Minerva was alive with activity as the tech crews scrambled about making final preparations for the start of the operation. It would only be a few more minutes until the pilots assigned to the mission would launch, which meant that Lunamaria had to hurry.

I swear, if he does anything stupid out there, I'm going to kill him, she thought as she made her way towards a certain green Gundam, I mean it…

She arrived at the Altron Custom a few moments later, and she was relieved to see that the hatch was still open. Climbing up the ladder to the pilot's service gantry, she peeked into the cockpit and saw that Wufei was running through his preflight checklist. He was so focused on it that it actually took him a moment to realize that she was there.

"Hey," she said awkwardly.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, clearly puzzled by her presence, "What are you doing here?"

That was a good question. She was supposed to be with her machine right now, waiting on standby in case the Minerva was attacked while the strike team was away. Since the team hadn't left yet, though, she probably wasn't going to get in trouble for being away from her post. Besides, her ZAKU was in the same hangar as the Altron Custom, so it wasn't like she was all that far away from where she was supposed to be.

Supposed to be there, but she was here. Why?

Because…

…she was worried about him.

He would be taking off into battle, and she was going to be stuck back here. She hated that, and not just for the reasons she normally would have. She'd always despised having to remain behind while others risked their lives, but now… things were different. Things had been different for a while now, actually.

Ever since she'd met Wufei, to be exact.

It shouldn't have been this way. He was arrogant, prickly, and more than a little condescending at times. He could fluster and infuriate her without even trying, and yet…

…she was drawn to him.

Sure, it'd be easy to write it off as just her trying to repay him for saving her life, but there was more to it than that. Getting to know him definitely hadn't been easy, but the more time she'd spent with him, the more she'd come to admire him. It wasn't just for his skills as a pilot or martial artist, no matter how impressive those might be. His sense of justice and honor were unlike those of any other pilot she'd met. He was driven by motives and passions that she'd never expected to find in a fellow soldier, compelled by a past that even now Lunamaria was still struggling to understand.

Struggling to, but desperately wanted to.

"Look," she said, trying to ignore the heat that was slowly building up in her face, "You… you better be careful out there, all right? Don't go being more reckless than you already are."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Where's this coming from? You know I can handle myself, right?"

Lunamaria gave an exasperated sigh; why did he always have to make things difficult? "Yes, of course, I do. I also know that you take risks the rest of us wouldn't dream of. Look… you have to come back. I… I want you to tell me more about the world you're from… and the war you fought. You're not allowed to die out there, you got that?"

Much to her surprise, he actually gave her a small smile. "Wasn't planning on it."

Before Lunamaria realized just what she was doing, she quickly leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Heat surged furiously through her as she pulled away, and she didn't need a mirror to know that she was blushing. Still, seeing the surprised look on Wufei's face definitely made it worth it.

"I'll be holding you to that," she said, amazed that she was capable of forming complete sentences at the moment, "Don't let me down."

There was a moment's pause as Wufei looked at her, and Lunamaria desperate wished she could figure out just what was going through that head of his. "I'll be back. You have my word on that."

Lunamaria smiled as she backed out of the cockpit. "Good. Get out there and give 'em hell. Show them what Nataku can do."

And then come back…

…so I can figure out why I'm falling for you.

….

The last time Shinn had gripped the controls of the Impulse as hard as he was now, he'd been flying its Core Splendor module underground. There was no subterranean piloting on the agenda for tonight's raid, but the incredibly tight formation flying that was required for slipping past the two advanced early warning radar posts between the Minerva and Cagliari still had Shinn's stomach twisting into knots. His eyes darted across his monitor with frantic energy as he did everything in his power to remain on the course that had been plotted for him.

This shouldn't even be possible, yet we're doing it, he thought as he studied his instruments, I don't get it…

…how the hell did Heero figure this out?

In the practice simulator runs, Heero had sent over what he'd called a predictive course program to the other pilots involved in the mission. According him, it supposedly analyzed the flight data of the mobile suits in the formation along with atmospheric conditions and used that information to project the desired flight path. With all the mobile suits running this program, there was no need for in-flight communication to coordinate the formation, allowing for the radio silence needed to avoid alerting the enemy to their presence. Shinn had never heard of anything like it, and he hadn't been the only pilot skeptical of the whole thing; Heine had expressed initial doubts as well. Still, Shinn had to admit that it was working, although that wasn't enough to alleviate the tension he felt.

In theory, all he had to do was follow the line projected on his monitor. However, in practice it was hardly that simply. Shinn had to constantly mind his position relative to the other mobile suits and make minute adjustments to avoid potential collisions. Since they all had to remain close to the Deathscythe Omega in order to stay within range of its Hyper Jammer ECM Suite, they did not have much room to maneuver. Shinn actually preferred open combat to precision flying like this; at least then he'd have freedom to evade as he pleased. Being locked into such a tight formation was hardly a pleasant experience, especially when one wrong move was all it would take to ruin everything.

The sooner we get out of range of these radar stations, the better, he thought as sweat continued to build at his brow, I'm not sure how much more of this tension I can take.

….

Duo smirked as he made a slight adjustment to keep himself on course. He had to hand it to Heero; he had really outdone himself here. The so-called 'predictive course program' that he had shared with the strike team was actually an off-shoot of none other than the ZERO System. It didn't involve the same pilot-machine interface that was at the heart of the incredibly dangerous system, nor did it have anywhere near the same level of computational power; it wasn't going to be predicting complex battle maneuvers or the moves of enemy aces, that was for damn sure. Instead, it simply relied on inputs from the mobile suits' sensors to calculate the necessary course for a set formation and any necessary corrections. It was very limited in its applications, which was why Duo knew Heero had been comfortable sharing it with ZAFT. It didn't offer anywhere near the level of information ZAFT would need to replicate the ZERO System, and since they were still completely unaware of said system's very existence they wouldn't realize that what they were using was actually derived from the operating system at the heart of the Gundam that had been the bane of their existence during the last war.

Making a quick check of his instruments, he allowed himself a sigh of relief. He had triple-checked the Hyper Jammer ECM Suite before the mission had begun, but he was still acutely aware that the slightest malfunction could be enough to expose them and trash the whole operation. Fortunately, it was still up and running without so much as a hiccup.

I never thought I'd be using my machine's electronic warfare gear for formation flying, he mused, Then again, there's a lot of stuff that I never thought I'd be doing before I came to the Cosmic Era.

He felt a little uneasy, but it wasn't related to the operation itself. The mission was a straightforward surprise attack; he'd pulled plenty of those off in his time, so he wasn't worried about that. However, the horror factory that was Lodonia was still stuck in his mind. Even as he tried to focus on the operation, images of the ghastly footage he'd seen on the base's security feed kept intruding. That had been some messed up shit, easily surpassing anything he'd seen back in the After Colony world.

"People here have issues," he muttered under his breath as he tried to shake the images from his head, "Damn it all…"

There was a lot that he wanted to tell Hilde and the others when he finally returned to the After Colony world, but there were also a few things that he'd just as soon forget. Lodonia was definitely one of them.

No, he thought, that's not right. Someone has to remember the kids that were murdered there…

His eyes narrowed in grim resolve. The Earth Alliance had stacked up one hell of a karmic debt…

…and tonight, Duo planned to start collecting on it.

….

As Mihaly took the Wyvern through a series of twists and turns before leveling out over the coastline, he had to admit that it was a beautiful evening for night training. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the multitude of stars above were a lovely mirror image of Cagliari's twinkling lights below. While he loved flying above all else, a small part of him did find itself wishing that there would be a bit of time for shore leave. It had been far too long since he'd last gotten to enjoy a slice of civilian life in the Mediterranean, and Cagliari had a lot to offer.

Might not be a bad place to retire to once this old body of mine finally throws in the towel, he mused, I wonder what the cost of living down there is…

He shook his head. He'd seen more than his share of war movies; so much as thinking about possible retirement was damn near a surefire jinx. Mihaly didn't consider himself the superstitious type, but there were still some instances that felt way too much like tempting fate. Better to focus on the training exercise than set himself up for an ironic end; going down over the city where he was considering spending his twilight years was hardly how he wanted to cap off the night.

His wasn't the only mobile suit currently airborne; Major Hamilton's Windam was present, along the Gaia and Desperado Enforcement's two remaining custom machines. The twin Hyperion units of Alberto and Marcella were likewise conducting night-combat exercises, moving in the fluid coordination that one would expect from longtime partners. They were actually close to wrapping things up for the evening; they couldn't throw their internal clocks too far out of whack before the big assault on Gibraltar, after all.

As much as he enjoyed a good fight, Mihaly was hardly looking forward to the upcoming operation. When he had a thrilling one-on-one fight like the clash over the Dardanelles with Heero he could forget such misgivings, but that wouldn't be in the cards here. The coming battle would be brutal, and not just due to the nature of the base they were targeting.

The Atlantic Federation's prisoner policy regarding Coordinators hasn't changed since the last war, he thought grimly, Gibraltar is going to be a mass grave when the operation is over.

The Eurasian Federation had not officially embraced the same policy as the Atlantic Federation, and their units actually would outnumber those of the Americans during the coming battle. However, Mihaly was under no illusions; the Eurasian Federation commanders weren't going to make some big moral stand about the ethical treatment of prisoners once the fighting was over. If the leadership of his country really had that kind of backbone, then the nation wouldn't have followed the Atlantic Federation into this war to begin with. When the inevitable mass executions began, Mihaly fully and bitterly expected his superiors to look the other way.

He would have no part in it. He'd engage the defenders in open battle, but he would not lower himself to the level of the Americans and gun down survivors. What could he reasonably expect to achieve, though? A one-man stand against the combined might of the Atlantic and Eurasian Federation assault forces, even after they were depleted by battle, would be nothing more than an invitation to suicide. By the time the atrocities began in earnest, the Wyvern's energy reserves would likely be low, so any fight Mihaly could wage against the war criminals his country was so willing to back would probably be a short one. Even if he could prevent a massacre, there'd be no escape afterwards. Eurasian Federation bases would no longer be friendly, and the only other ZAFT base in Europe wouldn't be within the Wyvern's range after expending so much of its energy in battle.

No matter what way he looked at it, there was no way to win. At this point, he was honestly hoping that ZAFT would be able to stop the assault in its tracks. That was a fool's hope, though. Gibraltar's defending forces were formidable, but they would be heavily outnumbered here. Unless ZAFT had a miracle stored away in its back pocket to bust out for emergencies like this, its soldiers at Gibraltar were facing an imminent massacre.

And that was when an explosion rocked the harbor.

Mihaly's eyes widened in shock as one of the carriers below was ripped open by a massive gout of fire and smoke. For a wild moment, he thought that there had been an accident with the ship's munitions or powerplant, but upon closer inspection he saw a black figure next to the rapidly listing vessel.

A black mobile suit…

…with an emerald beam scythe blazing in the night.

Even as he recognized the machine from the clash at the Dardanelles, an alarm went off in his cockpit; his sensors were detecting a massive energy spike coming from above. Shifting his focus, Mihaly was just in time to witness two lances of golden-yellow hellfire slice through the night sky and slam into the flight decks of two more carriers, bursting the warships in a fatally fantastic pyrotechnic display. Adjusting his sensors, Mihaly quickly zeroed in on the source.

Floating on high and casting its baleful gaze down upon the harbor like an angel of death…

…was Wing Zero.

….

I'll have to give Adaline my thanks later, he mused as he surveyed the results of the opening strike, Her intel on the enemy's position was perfect.

In the final approach to Cagliari, Heero had received a tight-beam transmission from the red-haired Wraith pilot providing updated information regarding the disposition of enemy warships and mobile suits in the target area. It was thanks to her that he'd been able to issue last-minute instructions to his teammates so they could set up for their strike; they were well clear of enemy radar and monitoring stations when her data had come through, so it hadn't posed a risk to the operation. Her Wraith was still out there, cloaked at the edge of the harbor and observing the attack on behalf of Terminal. Adaline wouldn't be making her presence known unless the situation became truly dire, and Heero hoped to avoid that.

With Duo going low and cloaked while Heero had gone high, the two Gundam pilots had pulled off a perfect one-two punch, bagging three of the carriers that were the mission's top priority targets. The rest of the strike team had fallen back in order to avoid drawing attention to the two units setting up for their opening strike, but now that the attack was truly underway, they had gunned their thrusters and were rushing into the harbor. Heero was thankful that they were moving in so quickly; he'd be counting on them from here on out to inflict damage on the fleet.

I'm going to be tied up for a little bit, he thought as he rejoined the two halves of the Twin Buster Rifle and ignited his beam saber, I was hoping that wouldn't be the case, but it can't be helped now…

Thanks to Adaline's recon, he had been well aware of the presence of the Eurasian aces that they'd faced off with back at the Dardanelles. Indeed, the sleek black and orange mobile suit that he'd tangled with in that chaotic battle was already racing towards him, rifle taking aim and beam saber blazing in the night. Heero snapped off a quick salvo with his railguns, but the devilishly quick machine gracefully slipped to the side, evading his shots with an almost casual elegance. As much as Heero hadn't wanted to run into Mihaly here, he couldn't help but admire the man's flying style. The age that his gravelly voice had hinted at in their previous clash didn't show in his maneuvers; they were crisp, clean, and daring.

It was too bad that he was on the wrong side.

….

As his first victim burned behind him, Duo was already zeroing in on the next one. With the enemy caught completely off guard by his sneak attack, he had a limited window of opportunity to wreak absolute havoc amongst the fleet, and he was going to take full advantage of it. Racing mere meters over the water, he charged at another carrier, his scythe already raised and ready to strike. Panicked fire from the carrier's CIWS and anti-air missile launchers filled the sky, but Duo was hardly concerned; the few rounds that did manage to hit him pinged harmlessly off of Deathscythe Omega's Gundanium alloy frame.

"Sorry," he said as he rapidly closed the distance, "but you'll have to hit me a bit harder than that!"

Of course, he wasn't about to give them the chance to do so. Zigzagging as he made his final approach, he came up along the portside of the carrier and made a wide swing. His beam scythe tore into the vessel, creating a long gash that immediately began belching flames. Pulling his emerald blade out, he hit his thrusters, gaining just enough altitude to put the warship's bridge in his sights. He raised his scythe and then brought it down a moment later, carving into the vessel's command center and cleaving it in half from top to bottom. The warship was already listing hard to port; his decapitation strike was little more than double-tapping the mortally wounded vessel at this point.

It was a good kill, but Duo wasn't particularly satisfied with it. The ships and soldiers here were all from the Eurasian Federation, and it was the Atlantic Federation that he really wanted to tear into; the Americans had been the ones responsible for the horror show that was Lodonia, after all. Still, the Eurasians were part of the Earth Alliance, and if they were participating in this war then as far as he was concerned it meant that they were signing off on their ally's brutality. They might not have been the ones that he wanted to target, but for tonight he would have to accept their blood instead of the Atlantic Federation's.

And that was when he spotted a very familiar black and red mobile suit making a beeline for his position.

A mobile suit with Desperado Enforcement's logo emblazoned on its Phase Shift Armor.

Duo smirked as he turned to face the onrushing foe. The rank and file chumps here might be Eurasian Federation grunts, but not this particular pilot. This one was flying for an Atlantic Federation mercenary company; this was a target that Duo very much wanted to sink his teeth into.

"So, you want to dance again, eh?" he muttered under his breath as he moved to intercept Mistral, "All right, psycho bitch. It takes two to tango, and I'm ready to paint the dancefloor with your blood!"

….

Circling overhead in his Windam, Major Hamilton struggled to take in the full scope of what was happening. The enemy's opening strike had come out of nowhere, and the disaster was rapidly snowballing from there. There was no question as to who was attacking them; the question was how they'd made it here without triggering any of the myriad of early warning systems designed to prevent exactly this kind of thing from happening in the first place.

The Minerva was last reported to be off the North African coastline, he thought as he tried frantically to assess the situation, For a strike team to get from her position to here, the quickest route would've taken them well within range of radar posts on Malta and Sicily! How the hell did they slip past without raising alarms?

It was a question that he didn't have time to puzzle out at the moment, not with the blazing wrecks of four capital ships below him and more on the chopping block. The enemy had chosen the ideal moment to strike; not all of the Eurasian Federation naval forces assigned to the Gibraltar operation had arrived yet, but the most important ships were. With four of the five carriers currently at Cagliari nothing more than burning husks now, the impending assault had already suffered a crippling blow.

And the enemy had only just gotten started.

While the combined high-altitude salvo from Wing Zero and the up-close stealth attack from the black machine might've been the opening strike, these two mobile suits were hardly the only ones that the Alliance would have to deal with here. Hamilton's sensors were picking up no less than six more machines flying into the harbor at low altitude and high speed, and their signatures all matched contacts that had been identified in previous engagements. All five of the Gundams were now at Cagliari, along with the Impulse, Saviour, and ZAFT's newest close-range combat mobile suit, the GOUF Ignited. They'd be amongst the assembled warships and tearing them apart within moments.

What did Major Hamilton have to fight them with? Apart from the Desperado and Eurasian Federation aces taking part in the night drills, along with Stella, there were only a handful of friendly mobile suits currently active on combat air patrol. The fifth carrier was finally starting to get Windams airborne, but Hamilton was under no illusions; he was certain that it would be destroyed before it could get all of its mobile suits into the sky. Mobile suits from the island's local garrison amounted to no more than a handful of rookies who would be swept from the sky within seconds of joining the fray. At this point, his only hope was to buy time until land-based squadrons could make it out to reinforce Cagliari.

Mihaly was already confronting Wing Zero, so that was at least one threat contained, although Hamilton had to wonder just how long it would last. Mistral had moved without his orders, but seeing as she had gone to engage the black machine that had opened this surprise attack, he wasn't about to stop her. Minuano was moving to intercept the green Gundam, also acting without orders, but as long as he could keep another one of those fearsome machines occupied Hamilton would leave him to it. That just left the twin blade and mobile anti-air-artillery battery Gundams, the Impulse, Saviour, and GOUF Ignited to deal with.

"Stella, with me," he ordered, "We're going to keep the Impulse and its friends back. Espada One and Two; the remaining Gundams are yours."

"Copy that," replied Alberto.

"Yes, sir," said Stella.

How long could they hold out against foes like this?

There was only one way to find out.

….

His double-ended beam trident already ignited as he zipped over the water, Wufei was making a beeline for the closest destroyer. It wasn't a high-priority target by any stretch of the imagination, but the L5 native had already spotted a very familiar mobile suit heading his way and he wanted to take down at least one warship before he got caught up in the inevitable duel. Gunning Nataku's thrusters as hard as he could push them in atmosphere, he only made a few minor course deviations to throw off the aim of the CIWS and anti-air missile launchers aboard his target before making his move. Briefly gaining altitude, he then dropped his Gundam onto the upper hull of the vessel and plunged his beam trident through its decks. Smoke and flame immediately began belching from the wound, and the deck heaved upward as the fires set off munitions inside the ship in a string of secondary explosions.

Pulling his weapon out and regaining altitude, Wufei did a brief check to confirm no follow-up strike was needed. It only took a cursory look; fires were rapidly spreading across the ship despite the damage control crews' best efforts to get them underway, and the internal detonations of stored missiles and shells had knocked out the bulk of the vessel's offensive weapons. His target was crippled, if not mortally wounded. There was no need for further action against it.

Not that he had time for that. He'd barely pulled away from the stricken vessel when he was forced to raise his beam trident into a guard position. The move was well-timed, for Jetstream Sam was already upon him, and Wufei's block came at the last possible moment.

"Well, now," he heard a familiar male voice say over the radio, "Didn't expect to see you out here! Did you miss me that much?"

Wufei smirked as he pushed his foe back before countering with a slash. "Don't get too full of yourself. Consider this a happy accident."

Rodrigues chuckled as he deflected Wufei's strike. "Either works for me! Shall we dance?"

Wufei grinned. "Let's!"

….

"Targets sighted," said Trowa as he took aim at a destroyer and a cruiser.

"Go for it," said Quatre, flying above him, "I'll cover you!"

Trowa nodded. "Thanks."

Trowa was going to need the support. While he wanted to focus on laying waste to the assembled warships, he wasn't blind to the larger picture. He had instantly recognized the two advanced Eurasian Federation mobile suits that he had faced off with at the Dardanelles flying over the harbor, and he had no doubt that they had picked him on their sensors as well. Trowa didn't know if they would go for him again or target his fellow pilots instead, and he had to be ready for anything. He'd driven them back the last time, but the clash with them had exposed Gundam Heavyarms Arsenal's weakness in the realm of close-quarters-combat, and he was sure that the pilots of those two machines would be even deadlier in a rematch now that they had experience in fighting against him.

Quatre's much better suited to engaging them than I am, he thought as he locked onto his targets, I'll be much more effective at sowing destruction amongst the fleet rather than fighting a pair of enemy aces.

Confident that his back was secure for the moment, Trowa opened fire. A hailstorm of missiles and shells flew forth from the Gundam, and while the CIWS of the targeted destroyer and cruiser did manage to shoot a handful of his warheads out of the sky, it wasn't nearly enough. The destroyer got the worst of it, with its superstructure being engulfed in an inferno as a series of vicious explosions ripping apart weapons emplacements, radar suites, the bridge and supporting command infrastructure. Meanwhile, the cruiser had sustained multiple hits both to its upper hull and near the waterline at the bow, but the subsequent fires did not rage as fiercely as those on the destroyer, and the warship still had the bulk of its aft weapons alive and kicking.

That called for a follow-up strike, which Trowa made with the Double Assault Beam Cannon. The twin lances of yellow light that flew forth from the weapon punched clean through the cruiser's hull, and the surprisingly ferocious explosion that followed told Trowa that he'd likely scored a detonation in one of the cruiser's missile racks. A gnarly gash with blackened and twisted metal around the edges was barely visible through the smoke and flames, and the warship began listing heavily to port. If the vessel hadn't been doomed before, it certainly was now.

He checked his sensors again as the cruiser began to go under. "Quatre, those two machines…"

"Leave them to me," his friend replied, "I can handle them!"

Trowa nodded. "Understood. Be careful. Their pilots are good."

"I figured as much," said Quatre, "I should be able to keep them occupied for a while. You focus on the fleet!"

"Copy that," Trowa answered.

….

Having studied Trowa's combat data from the clash at the Dardanelles, Quatre could at least take some comfort from the knowledge that, unlike his friend, he wasn't flying into this flight blind to what the enemy machines were capable of. The energy shields that the two Eurasian Federation mobile suits could generate was definitely worrisome, but based on how they'd apparently tried to use them in only short bursts it was clear to Quatre that the barriers weren't a tool that could be used indefinitely. He wasn't sure what the power requirements for them were, but he imagined that they were considerable.

The sensor readings from Heavyarms Arsenal didn't pick up any traces of nuclear activity within those two machines, Quatre recalled, which means they're battery-powered. When it comes to endurance, our Gundams have them beat. I'm sure that they're well aware of that…

The plan was simple; intercept and stall the two aces while Trowa continued his assault on the fleet. While Quatre would of course try to destroy the two machines, they weren't the real targets of this operation. If he could keep them at bay long enough for his friend to work his destructive magic, he'd consider it a win.

His twin Heat Shotels were at the ready as he gained altitude, rushing to intercept the two swiftly diving machines. They were flying in a relatively loose formation for flexibility, and both were already taking aim at him. Salvos of emerald particle beams flew forth from the heavy cannons mounted on their backpack binders. Quatre slipped smoothly to the right to evade them, but the distance had closed in the meantime and both machines had already switched to the beam submachine guns in their right hands while igniting emerald beam knives in their left.

Quite the flexible loadout, he thought as he weaved through a rain of small green bolts of energy, I wonder how many of these things the Eurasian Federation has. They're solid frontline units.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the lead unit accelerate towards him. The second machine had dropped back and moved to the right, and Quatre immediately saw what was going on. The lead unit meant to keep him occupied while the trailing machine would go around once Quatre engaged it, either to strike him from the flank or to continue on for a shot at Trowa. It was a solid opening move, but Quatre was ready for it.

Gunning his thrusters, he aimed straight for the lead unit. However, at the last possible moment he swerved to the right, taking a quick swipe at the machine in the process. The enemy was able to deflect his Heat Shotel with its beam knife, but that was fine; Quatre hadn't been aiming for a kill on that unit in the first place. Instead, he allowed his momentum to carry him past…

…and set him up for an attack on the surprised wingman.

….

Alberto damn near had a heart attack when he realized what was happening. He'd been utterly convinced that the twin blade Gundam was dead set on clashing with him that he was thrown completely for a loop when it simply slipped past him. Before he could attempt a counterattack with his beam knife, the machine was already out of range and closing in fast on Marcella. She'd barely had time to squeeze off a burst of fire from her beam submachinegun before the enemy was upon her, and while she was able to block her foe's right blade with her beam knife, she was forced to activate the Hyperion's Lightwave shield to fend off the left. Espada Two attempted to counterattack, but her foe brushed aside her beam knife with almost contemptuous ease before striking again with both of its massive curved swords. Alberto's partner was firmly on the defensive, and he had a snap decision to make.

"Shit!" he hissed as he turned around and raced to help Marcella.

If this pilot was as good as the one that they'd fought at the Dardanelles, then there was no way either of them could solo this particular enemy. As highly as Alberto might've thought of his and his partner's skills, his ego wasn't so great as to blind him to objective reality. Just the way that this adversary had opened the fight was enough to tell him that they were dealing with an opponent who meant business and would require their full focus to fight.

He cut loose with a burst from his beam submachinegun, but the enemy had anticipated an attack from behind and was already evading to the right. Marcella used the opening to put some distance between herself and their foe before adding fire from her heavy beam cannons to the mix. Her salvo didn't connect, but it did momentarily put the enemy on the defensive and give her a chance to regroup with Alberto.

"Quite the fight we seem to have picked here," she said.

Alberto nodded. "Agreed. I'll take point. Look for an opening to strike from the flank."

"Copy that!" she replied.

I don't know who you are, thought Alberto as he rushed forward, beam submachinegun blazing away, but if you're anything like your friend, I don't see you going down easily.

Have at you!

….

Shinn could hardly believe what he was seeing.

The assault had only just begun, yet already the harbor was bathed in orange light from the burning wrecks of warships. All but one of the assembled fleet carriers had been reduced to blazing hulks within seconds, and the sky was lit up with panicked tracer rounds and missile contrails as desperate sailors tried in vain to fend off the attackers. The enemy was rushing to put up some form of defense, but so far, they only had a handful of mobile suits in the air and the fire from the destroyers and cruisers was proving to be quite ineffective.

It almost feels like the three of us are mere accessories here, he thought, I'm not sure my contribution will mean much in this fight.

He and Heine were currently in a delta formation with Athrun. Impulse was to the Saviour's right, while the GOUF Ignited was to its left. The trio of ZAFT machines were rushing towards the escort perimeter, looking to punch through the closest destroyers and cruisers and sow even more chaos amidst the Eurasian Federation fleet. With the enemy's anti-air defenses currently focused on the Gundams, Shinn and his comrades had a window of opportunity here, but it wouldn't last long. Already he could see the CIWS turrets of a handful of warships rotating to draw a bead on the Impulse, and the first of what he was sure would be many missile lock alarms began ringing in his cockpit.

Overhead, he saw a trail of blue and white light clash with a smaller one; Heero and the ace he'd fought back at the Dardanelles were going at it in a lightning-fast rematch. Occasional pinpricks of green light would fly forth from the smaller contact as it opened fire on the Gundam Albion with its beam rifle, and small yellow bolts would respond as Heero countered with his mobile suit's railguns. Neither combatant managed to score a hit, but ranged weapons were a secondary factor in this duel. Tiny flashes of light would briefly appear as the two mobile suits clashed with their beam sabers, and Shinn could only marvel at how the enemy was going toe-to-toe with Heero despite his sensor readings showing quite clearly that their machine was only powered by conventional batteries.

Heero's fight with the slender and swift machine from the Battle of the Dardanelles was not the only duel that had broken out in this surprise attack. At a much lower altitude, barely a few meters above the water, Wufei was once again mixing it up with the Desperado Enforcement machine that Shinn had seen him fight several times now. Shinn had to wonder at just how the Atlantic Federation mercenary was still alive after multiple clashes with a Gundam pilot despite having an inferior machine at his disposal. However, it was quite clear that the enemy's skill more than adequately compensated for any technological deficiency.

Shinn watched as Wufei let fly with one of his Gundam's Dragon Fangs, only for the enemy to slip past it with almost graceful ease. The first Dragon Fang was quickly followed up by the second, but this one failed to find its mark either. Wufei swiftly withdrew the strange weapons as his foe closed the distance, bringing his double ended beam trident up to deflect a slash from the Desperado Enforcement unit's beam katana. Counterattacking with a veritable whirlwind of strikes, Wufei immediately began pushing his opponent back, but Shinn could tell that the duel was far from over.

Wufei wasn't the only one locked in a low altitude duel. Deathscythe Omega had taken down two of the Eurasian carriers, but now it was unable to target additional warships thanks to the furious fight it was waging with another mobile suit from Desperado Enforcement. Shinn recognized it as another survivor from the Dardanelles, and in fact it had been in North Africa too during the clash at the Gulnahan Ravine. It's strange signature hybrid polearm-whip weapon was impossible to miss, and it was weaving an eerily beautiful and deadly series of slashes through the air as it tried to overwhelm Deathscythe Omega. Duo was on the defensive, but there were no signs of desperation or panic in his moves. He was patiently fending off his opponent's strikes and waiting for the right moment to counterattack; Shinn had a feeling he didn't need to worry about the self-proclaimed God of Death.

Meanwhile, at a slightly higher altitude, a two-on-one clash between Quatre and the other two Eurasian Federation aces from the Dardanelles engagement was in full swing. Shinn vaguely recalled studying those two units after Trowa had shared his combat data during the debriefing following the battle, but the fight Gundam Sandrock Saladin was waging now was very different than the one Gundam Heavyarms Arsenal had put up. The focus here was clearly on close-quarters brawling, and Quatre was demonstrating just how ruthlessly effective his mobile suit was at that. Walls of green light would periodically spring up as the Eurasian Federation machines' beam knives proved insufficient to counter Quatre's Heat Shotels and they were forced to use their energy shields to pick up the slack, and Shinn could only imagine just how much power those two units were expending in the process.

Of course, the enemy wasn't taking this assault lying down. While Quatre would focus his efforts on one unit in order to take it out quickly, the other would attack from the flank. Occasionally, that unit would open fire with the large beam cannons mounted on its backpack binders, but more often it would use its beam submachinegun instead; Shinn was sure that the former had significantly higher power requirements than the latter. These burst of emerald particle beams would force Quatre to evade, but it only offered a temporary respite for the enemy as the Gundam pilot then switched his focus to the unit that had been bold enough to interrupt him. Both Eurasian pilots were definitely skilled, but it was readily apparent that Quatre was the deadlier when it came to single combat. The two of them had no choice but to confront Sandrock Saladin together, which meant that they were both tied up in the clash and thus unable to protect the fleet below from the rest of the strike team.

Up ahead, things weren't looking much better for the Eurasian Federation fleet. Trowa might've been the only Gundam pilot still able to focus on targeting warships, but just one Gundam was still a one-mobile-suit-army, as the enemy was finding out the hard way. Missiles, rapid fire shells, and salvos of yellow particle beams ripped forth from Heavyarms Arsenal, and mauled any vessel unfortunate enough to be in the Gundam's line of fire. A destroyer was turned into a blazing inferno as a volley of missiles ripped apart its superstructure and detonated stored munitions, while a cruiser was listing heavily to starboard after its hull had a massive hole blown into it courtesy of the Gundam's pair of heavy beam cannons. Other nearby warships were countering with CIWS and anti-air missile fire, but the number of vessels that could target the Gundam was limited thanks to the relatively confined engagement zone; the chance for friendly fire was quite high, so the Eurasians had to be cautious when taking aim at their target. Trowa, by contrast, was only limited by his Gundam's ammunition stores.

Athrun's voice came over Shinn's cockpit speakers, drawing him back to their part of the battle. "Head's up, we've got incoming!"

Checking his sensors, Shinn saw that Athrun was right. A flight of five mobile suits was inbound, with four of them being Windams and the fifth none other than the Gaia. Meanwhile, more missile lock alarms began ringing as additional warships sought to target the Impulse and bring it down before it could threaten the fleet.

"What's the plan?" asked Shinn.

"The fleet's our top priority, and between the three of us I have the most firepower," Athrun replied, "I'm going to punch right through. You two keep the mobile suits off my back."

"Simple enough," said Heine.

Shinn nodded. "Copy that."

The three of them gunned it, racing at the flight of incoming mobile suits in a headlong charge. Both groups opened fire as the distance rapidly closed, and the sky between them became filled with crisscrossing emerald particle beams. One of the Windams caught a beam from Shinn's rifle right in the cockpit and was blown apart, while another one took a hit from Athrun to the right engine on its Jet Striker Pack. The stricken machine began losing altitude, only to be shredded by a volley of small green bolts from Heine's Draupnir 4-barrel beam gun.

"I'm going in," said Athrun, "Good luck!"

"You too!" Heine called back.

The Saviour rushed ahead of the rest of the formation, while the Impulse and GOUF Ignited laid down covering fire. The screen of particle beams forced the Gaia and two remaining Windams to break off, although the former did manage to squeeze off a few shots at Shinn first. Unable to evade, Shinn had no choice but to take the hits on the Impulse's shield. Knowing that they would soon be within melee range, Shinn ignited his violet beam saber while Heine activated the GOUF's Tempest Beam Sword.

"Let's do this!" shouted Shinn.

….

It was all Stella could do to keep her grip steady as her beam saber clashed with that of the Impulse. How many times had she faced off against this machine now? Would both of them walk away again today, or would one of them finally run out of luck?

"Remember the plan, Stella," came Major Hamilton's voice over the radio, "You keep the Impulse at bay until reinforcements arrive. I'll handle the other machine."

Hearing him helped calm her nerves even as she blocked a series of slashes from her foe. "Okay."

Stella had been comforted by the fact that the Major at least had another Windam backing him up against the orange ZAFT machine, but that comfort hadn't lasted long. While the Major had met the enemy mobile suit head-on, beam saber meeting the unit's heavier beam sword, the other Windam had attempted to climb and strike from above. It was a decent plan, but the enemy had apparently seen it coming. The ZAFT machine had only bothered to block Hamilton's strike before gunning its thrusters and racing upwards. The Windam did manage to squeeze off a shot with its beam rifle, but it was blocked on the GOUF Ignited's shield. Unfortunately for the Windam, the enemy only needed a moment to close the distance. A strange whip-like weapon suddenly shot out of the orange machine's left forearm and wrapped around the Windam's torso, ripping the mobile suit apart a moment later.

She didn't have time to mourn the lost pilot, not with the Impulse right in her face. Deflecting a diagonal slash, she went on the attack, attempting to drive the enemy down towards the sea. Unfortunately for her, the enemy wasn't about to let her dictate the course of the engagement. Stella managed to push her foe back a bit, but the Impulse countered by gunning its thrusters in reverse to open up the gap before firing at her with is beam rifle. She was able to block the shots on her shield easily enough, but while she was doing so her enemy had circled around to the left and was charging her, ready to bring its beam saber down on her mobile suit's head.

She brought up her beam saber to deflect the blow, but it was only the first of several. It was clear that whoever was piloting the Impulse had gotten better since the start of the war, and they were unrelenting in their assault. Stella couldn't count on backup bailing her out anytime soon; the Major was still engaged in a furious duel with the orange ZAFT machine, and it would be a while before land-based mobile suit squadrons would be able to reinforce them. For now, she was on her own.

….

Start "Siren's Song"

Shifting the Saviour to its mobile armor form, Athrun was barely a meter or so above the waves as he rushed towards the assembled fleet. While most of the Eurasian Federation warships were concentrating their anti-air weaponry on the Gundam Heavyarms Arsenal, Athrun's cockpit speakers were ringing with missile lock alarms as several vessels at the edge of the formation attempted to neutralize him before he could strike. He almost felt sorry for the sailors attempting to shoot him down.

It's easy to say that they made their choice when they signed up for service, he thought, but they wouldn't be in this position if the leaders of their nation hadn't followed the Atlantic Federation into this war. Either way, it's too late for regrets now.

Fingers hovering over the triggers, Athrun took a moment to double check his firing solution before opening up. The pair of M106 Amfortas Plasma Beam Cannons that made up the Saviour's primary armament while in its mobile armor form cut loose with two crimson lances of plasma, and the salvo punctured a destroyer amidships. The subsequent blast ripped the vessel in half, but Athrun had no time to appreciate the kill. CIWS and anti-air missile launchers from the vessels closest to the fallen destroyer were opening up in earnest, and evasion was preferable to tanking the hits on his machine's Variable Phase Shift Armor and draining his energy reserves.

Pulling up as he weaved through the shells and missiles, Athrun spotted a flight of four Windams closing in on him. They were from the remaining carrier, and he was sure that more were on the way. He needed to take that ship out quickly, but he'd have to deal with the mobile suits first.

Gunning the throttle, he rushed them. Closing the distance before the enemy could react, Athrun let fly with another salvo of twin plasma blasts. The Eurasian formation scattered, but the pilot at the tail end didn't react quickly enough, and one of the beams lanced through the machine's right shoulder and Jet Striker Pack. The engine on the augmentation pack exploded, sending the mobile suit spiraling downward, where it crashed into the water a moment later. Athrun didn't see the machine itself explode, and he hoped that meant the pilot survived the crash and would have a chance to escape.

He gained altitude, buying himself space to shift his machine back to mobile suit form to better engage the remaining three Windams. The transformation only took a few seconds, but Athrun was keenly aware of his vulnerability during the process. Fortunately for him, the three Eurasian pilots were focused more on regrouping rather than attacking him, and the anti-air fire from the warships below was wild and unfocused. A few CIWS rounds did hit him, but they pinged off his Variable Phase Shift Armor with no effect apart from sapping a tiny bit of energy from the mobile suit's batteries.

Igniting his violet beam saber in the Saviour's right hand while drawing the beam rifle with its left, Athrun dived back into the fray. He let loose with a quick volley, forcing the Eurasian pilots to scatter again, although this time none of his shots connected. That was fine with him, though, as it gave him a few critical seconds to close the distance. He rushed the lead Windam, and while his first slash with his beam saber was blocked by the enemy, he kept up his assault, hammering it with a second strike that cut into the unit's left shoulder and a third that cleaved clean through the machine's torso. The Windam burst like a grenade in front of him, but burst of emerald beam rifle fire from behind him forced Athrun to go on the defensive lest the remaining two machines take him out with fire from the flanks.

Unfortunately for him, these two machines weren't acting alone. Fresh missile lock alarms blared from his speakers, and Athrun saw a swarm of warheads racing up at him from the warships below. The two surviving Windams peppered him with beam rifle fire as he zipped across the sky trying to shake the locks; these guys were clearly a step above the average pilot, or at least a bit smarter.

Athrun snapped off a few quick shots with his beam rifle at both machines, but those were meant more to force them to evade rather than actually take them out. His main concern was the missiles rushing towards him, and he reoriented his machine so that its head-mounted CIWS could get in on the action. Bursts of shells ripped forth, and a trio of warheads were detonated by the precise shots. Athrun followed that up with a volley from his beam rifle, and a string of explosions bloomed in the night sky as missiles burst below him.

The vessels that had targeted him would need a few seconds to reload their launchers, which gave Athrun a brief window to eliminate the remaining two Windams. The two machines hadn't been idle while he was focused on shooting down and evading warheads, though; they'd set up for a classic pincer attack, with one coming at him from below and to the right while the other charged him from the left. They were fast, but the Saviour was definitely faster, and Athrun charged the machine that was coming at him from the right. He threw in a few quick jukes to throw off the aim of the unit that would now have a shot at his rear as he rapidly closed the distance with the other machine, beam saber at the ready. Athrun brought his blade down in a powerful overhand strike, and while the Windam was able to block the attack it wasn't prepared for the sudden knee to the cockpit that he gave it. The force of the impact momentarily dazed the enemy pilot, and that gave Athrun the opening he needed to cut it down with a diagonal slash.

That just left the Windam coming at him from behind, although a fresh series of missile lock alarms told Athrun that the mobile suit wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. Another flock of warheads took flight from the vessels below, while the Windam kept its distance and took potshots at him to keep him distracted. In response, Athrun quickly gained altitude while shifting the Saviour to respond to the missile threat, opening up with both its beam rifle and CIWS while zigzagging to throw off the aim of the Windam. Just like before, missiles burst below him in a deadly yet beautiful pyrotechnic display. Seeing an opportunity, Athrun put his machine into a dive, continuing to destroy incoming missiles even as he raced at them. This put the Saviour in the middle of a cluster of blasts as warheads detonated around it, which temporarily hid it from the view of the Windam and forcing the enemy pilot to take blind shots at him that were nowhere near hitting the mark.

Reorienting himself to face the fourth machine, Athrun slammed down on the acceleration and rocketed through the fireballs surrounding him straight at the Windam. The enemy desperately tried to take him down with a volley of beam rifle fire, but Athrun was able to tank the shots on the Saviour's shield. Rather than return fire, he simply kept charging until his machine rammed the Windam, with his shield taking the brunt of the impact. His machine rattled around him, and Athrun struggled to keep his grip on the controls, but he'd been expecting the impact; his enemy had not, as was amply evident by the sputtering of thruster fire from the Windam as its pilot struggled to keep his unit airborne. It was a prime opportunity, and Athrun seized it, thrusting his beam saber right through the mobile suit's cockpit.

Finally, he thought as the Windam exploded, I don't have time for aerial dances like this.

He searched the harbor and quickly locked onto the remaining carrier, but while he'd been tangling with the four Windams the vessel had unfortunately gotten more mobile suits airborne. In addition to those, another squadron was approaching the harbor from the north, likely having launched from the island's airbase. Some were heading for Heavyarms Arsenal, but at least one flight was beelining for Athrun's position on an intercept vector. If he wanted the carrier, he'd have to go through them.

So be it.

End "Siren's Song"

….

Start "Sol Squadron"

Snapping off a quick salvo with his railguns, Heero immediately gunned his engines, racing towards Mihaly even as the Eurasian Federation ace juked his shots. The Gundam pilot gave him no time to counter, making a horizontal slash at the slender black and orange machine with the intent of cleaving it in two. Alas, it was not to be; Mihaly expertly parried the strike before countering with a thrust aimed straight at Heero's cockpit. Heero was able to redirect the strike before making a counter of his own, with sparks flying as his emerald beam saber met his foe's violet blade.

He's even faster than last time, Heero thought as he parried an overhand strike from his adversary before replying with a thrust, I expected as much; we both have a better grasp of each other's combat styles now. Adapt or die is the name of the game. Always has been.

He was in a tough spot. A duel with a deadly ace wasn't his mission; ripping apart the Eurasian Federation Navy was. Yes, he'd already killed two of the carriers, while Duo had sunk another pair, but there was one still operational. Trowa was doing what he could to carve a fiery swath towards the vessel, but at the moment he was still trading volleys with the escorting cruisers and destroyers. Heero had hoped that Athrun would be able to make the strike, but his friend was busy engaging Windams that had launched from both the carrier and the nearby airbase. None of the other pilots involved in the operation were in a position to take down that fifth high-priority target, and that needed to change quickly.

Heero didn't have time to give the broader battlefield more than a cursory glance; Mihaly would make him pay for the slightest distraction with his life. Indeed, the sleek Eurasian Federation prototype machine was right up in his face, launching a sequence of rapid slashes that were all aimed at Wing Zero Albion's cockpit. Heero had to give this foe props for his aggressive combat style; when combined with the speed of the mobile suit it was the only thing that really gave the enemy a chance against him. Ideally, Heero would've put away the Twin Buster Rifle and drawn his second beam saber instead, but the insanely fast-paced nature of the duel meant that the few seconds he would need to make the swap would be all the window that Mihaly required.

He let fly with his shoulder-mounted machine cannons, not really aiming to hit his foe as much as force him to back off a bit. The enemy machine dived, but it quickly reoriented itself and snapped off a quick volley from its beam rifle. Heero swiftly shifted the right outer wing to cover the front of the Gundam, and the shots splashed against the energy shield generated over the wing.

Blocking the shot only took a moment, but it was all the opening that Mihaly needed to take the initiative. He closed hard and fast, hammering Heero's defenses with a series of rapid slashes and thrusts. The Gundam pilot was able to hold his own, but he had to admit that his foe was putting on an impressive performance. His opponent had learned much from their first clash, and he was putting it to good use.

As he fended off Mihaly's assault, Heero was surprised to hear the enemy ace's voice on his cockpit speakers. "I wanted a rematch, but I didn't think I'd get it here. I suppose I should be thanking you."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Heero couldn't help but give a small smirk. "It's not often that my foes thank me for attacking their fleet."

"I'm sure," his opponent replied as their energy blades clashed again and again, "My superiors certainly won't appreciate it. I'm of a different mind, though."

"What do you mean?" asked Heero as he went on the attack, pressing hard against his adversary's defenses.

"I think you already know," Mihaly countered as he deflected Heero's strikes, "This might be a Eurasian Federation fleet, but it's the Atlantic Federation calling the shots for the operation. If you're attacking here, I assume you already know what our real intention is."

"It wasn't hard to figure out," said Heero as was forced to parry a surprise thrust from his opponent, "You're after Gibraltar."

Mihaly chuckled while unleashing a series of lightning-fast strikes, putting Heero on the defensive, "I thought you'd puzzle that out… just as I'm sure you know what our allies would do to any ZAFT survivors once the operation was complete."

Heero's eyes narrowed as his mind jumped to the obvious conclusion. "There wouldn't be any survivors. Not officially. The reports for the public would've been that the enemy fought to the death. In reality, anyone that surrendered would've been gunned down without mercy. A complete massacre."

"Exactly," Mihaly confirmed as Heero deflected a combination slash and thrust that came dangerously close to his cockpit, "Their policy hasn't changed since the last war. Gibraltar would've been a bloodbath… but after tonight, that fate will be postponed. All thanks to you and your friends. You really do have a knack for ruining everyone's plans, although in this case I'd say that's definitely a good thing."

"So, you don't buy into it, then," said Heero, probing his opponent's mindset even as he commenced his counterattack, launching a fresh assault against the Eurasian ace, "You didn't want to be a tool for a massacre. You don't believe in the cause that your superiors have brought you into service of."

There was a long silence as the two aces continued to clash blades. Was his foe simply at a loss for words, or was there more to it than that? Heero was sure that the cockpit recorders of Mihaly's mobile suit were capturing their conversation; perhaps the Eurasian ace didn't feel like he could air his true thoughts on the matter safely. That was understandable, if rather amusing when one considered the fact that the two of them were engaged in life-or-death combat.

Heero had almost given up on a response when his opponent finally spoke up. "It is… distasteful."

Heero raised an eyebrow as he deflected a slash from Mihaly; that was a surprisingly direct answer, all things considered. "Then why go along with it? Last I checked, the Eurasian Federation armed forces are volunteer only. You're not just a pilot; you're an officer. If you can't fight for them in good conscience, why not resign your commission?"

The answer Heero got was not one that he had expected. "By rights, I shouldn't be flying at all. According to the regulations, I should've aged out of combat piloting long ago. Sure, they need my skills, but they didn't force me into this role. I'm here because… I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise."

"What do you mean?" asked Heero as he counterattacked, launching a series of fast and powerful strikes at his adversary.

"Before I took to the sky, I felt like there was something missing from my life," the Eurasian ace replied as he deflected every attack that Heero threw at him, "It wasn't until I flew for the first time that I realized what it was. The freedom to soar across the sky, whether it be black or blue… well, do I really have to explain it to someone like you? A pilot of your caliber should know what I'm talking about."

Heero had a feeling that he did. "You found your wings, and the thought of losing them terrified you. You only feel truly alive in the cockpit. Does that sound about right?"

His foe gave a rueful chuckle as Heero pressed his assault. "Yeah… hit the nail on the head. Testing this prototype, fighting you first at the Dardanelles and now here… it's all due to my ego. I was willing to play along with those I despised just so I could keep my wings. They needed a weapon to wield against you, and I needed to fly. Nothing else mattered."

"There are other options if you're looking to keep your wings," Heero pointed out as Mihaly deflected his latest slash before responding with a flurry of thrusts that put the Gundam pilot on the defensive, "You could've gone to the private sector, or said that you were too old for combat operations and requested reassignment as a logistical support pilot or combat medivac. You didn't just want to keep flying; you wanted to fight. Your fulfillment doesn't just come from simply being in the sky, does it?"

"No point in denying it, I guess," Mihaly replied as he kept up the attack, keeping as close to Heero as possible to negate the Gundam's advantage in ranged combat, "To fly in combat, testing myself against the next generation of pilots… against pilots like you… there's nothing else like it. Staring Death in the face, trying not to blink… nothing else in this world comes close to it."

"At what cost, though?" Heero shot back as he parried Mihaly's latest thrust before replying with one of his own, "Your ability is beyond question, but what about your dignity? You knew what your country was getting itself into when it signaled support for the Atlantic Federation in this campaign. Are you so desperate to fight pilots like me that you'll make yourself an accessory to mass slaughter?"

"You're still young," Mihaly answered as he continued his assault, unleashing a flurry of slashes that kept Heero on the backfoot, "You've yet to meet the one true enemy of pilots like us; age. Time is the one foe we cannot defeat, regardless of our skills. However, it's an adversary that we fight against all the same, with every last ounce of strength that we can muster. I'm no fool; I'm past my prime, no matter how I might try to hide it. Nevertheless, I'm not about to fade quietly. It's egotistical in the extreme, and I have no problem admitting that. One way or another, this war will be my last. If I can spend it fighting against pilots like you, a new generation of aces rising to conquer the kingdom of the skies, then I can go to my grave satisfied."

Heero shook his head as he deflected a slash and countered with a thrust, throwing Mihaly back onto the defensive. "You're right about one thing; that is egotistical. Maybe your skills aren't what they once were, but they're still far beyond most pilots in the world. You could be using them for something better than aiding and abetting a genocide campaign."

"I'm a soldier of the Eurasian Federation," Mihaly shot back as his violet blade weaved a barrier around him, blocking each strike that Heero sent his way, "Not all of us are like you, able to fight for whatever cause fits our ideals. The vast majority of combat pilots in this world are those that fly under the banner of one nation or another. Those obligations are not lightly thrown aside."

"You might believe that," Heero countered as he continued his withering barrage of slashes and thrusts, "but you're wrong. I've seen plenty of soldiers recognize that there are more important things to fight for than just a country. You know the group I'm part of, and what we did in the last war. Soldiers from every combatant nation joined our ranks because they recognized that both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT were leading the world into the largest mass grave in human history. Pilots far less talented than you found the strength to leave their homelands behind and fight for something more important than a country. Don't use the flag of your nation as an excuse for what you're doing."

This time, the only reply Heero got from his opponent was a parry followed by a counterattack as the enemy finally disrupted his assault and went on the offensive. Had his words gotten under the Eurasian ace's skin? It was hard to say, and in the end, Heero supposed that it was irrelevant. His foe had apparently decided that they were done talking, and that was fine with Heero.

He made his choice, just as I made mine long ago. Words no longer matter.

Our abilities will do the talking from here on out.

End "Sol Squadron"

….

Start "A Stranger I Remain"

"You know," said Duo as he whirled his beam scythe around his machine to fend off the whip strikes from his foe, "I'm getting really tired of running into you like this!"

A sultry laugh came over his cockpit speakers as his opponent's weapon shifted back to its polearm form while Duo moved in to counterattack. "What's the matter, mon gar? Am I a bit too much for you?"

"If I was in the market for a psychotic French bitch, I would've dropped a hint or two," Duo quipped as he assaulted his adversary with a barrage of wide and powerful swings, "What the hell makes me your target of choice? Heero's usually the one that the ladies go for!"

"I did consider chasing after him," Mistral conceded as she blocked each and every one of his attacks, "but my superior had dibs originally, and now that old Eurasian wolf has his attention. You were available, and you've proven to be far more entertaining than I could ever have imagined!"

"You have a wild idea of what qualifies as entertainment, lady," Duo deadpanned as her weapon suddenly altered back to its whip form and began lashing out at him, forcing him back on the defensive, "This is really how you get your kicks? Moonlighting as an enforcer for genocidal asshats?"

"They are but a means to an end, mon gar," she replied as her strange weapon coiled up before lashing out again like a viper, "That end was just to fight, but finding you… well, suffice to say that I've revised my goals since our first fight. You have no one but yourself to blame; calling yourself the God of Death and actually backing up the talk with real skill makes you irresistible!"

Duo suppressed a shudder as he imagined Hilde glaring daggers at him while the nutcase mercenary flirted away. He wasn't getting paid enough for this shit.

Actually, I don't think I'm getting paid at all for this shit!

"Word of advice, lady," Duo growled as he deflected a strike aimed at his cockpit before replying in kind, forcing his foe to revert her weapon back to its polearm form for defense, "If you're going to court Death, don't complain when he delivers."

A disturbingly gleeful cackle echoed over his speakers. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it! You are exactly what I was looking for when this war began. Someone with fire, confidence and ability, striding across an ocean of fire and blood, unapologetically acting as nothing less than Death's emissary… you are what mobile suit pilots should aspire to be. I thank you, Duo, from the bottom of my heart. Truly."

Duo rolled his eyes as he pressed his assault, hammering his foe's defenses with a whirlwind of powerful swings. "I knew you had a few screws, but Jesus Christ, lady. What nuthouse did they find you in?"

"The same one that you and your friends call home," she replied as she fell back under his withering barrage, "My childhood was lost to the cruelties of war. The battlefield became my school, my playground, as it were. I am here because I know nothing else, and I imagine that is much the same for you as well."

"If you're playing for sympathy, you're barking up the wrong tree," Duo shot back, glaring at the black and red mobile suit on his monitor, "I saw what was inside the Lodonia lab. I know what kind of twisted shit your bosses have been getting up to. If you're fighting for them, then you get to take on their blood debt."

"Lodonia? I've heard that name before," she said as she deflected a slash from his beam scythe before her polearm transformed into a whip again for her counterattack, forcing Duo back on the defensive, "My company had a few squads working security there, but I don't know what was going on in that facility."

"Probably not the details," Duo conceded as he fended off a flurry of lashes from his foe, "but rumors always get out, no matter how much people try to keep things under wraps. You must've heard something about what they were up to."

"Whispers here and there," she admitted in a tone that was entirely too casual for his liking, "Something about a next generation of super soldiers, or some other supposed wonder weapon. Whatever it was, it sounds like we won't be getting our hands on it thanks to you, which renders the rumors a moot point."

As a Gundam pilot, Duo tried to keep a cool head during combat. However, what he was hearing from his opponent was really starting to get under his skin, especially after what he'd seen on the Lodonia facility's security monitors. He didn't know whether she was telling the truth or not, and he was starting to feel like it didn't matter. She was working for the bastards who had run that horror show; that was more than enough for him to want her head.

"Want to know what I saw there?" he asked, his voice becoming a low and menacing snarl as he deflected a strike aimed at his legs before charging her, "Do you want to know the sick shit I saw in that hellhole?"

"It's an Atlantic Federation black site," Mistral replied without missing a beat as Duo pushed her back, "I'm sure there was all manner of horrors on display. What of it?"

"What of it?" Duo repeated, fighting to keep the incredulity from his voice as he hammered her defenses, forcing her to move towards the fleet, "The people you're fighting for were experimenting on kids and then lining them up against the wall to be shot! They had them fighting each other to the death just for the sake of research!"

"So that's what they were up to down there," she answered, and Duo felt his simmering fury building at just how nonchalant her tone was, "Not that it did them much good. It does explain where a few of our more volatile pilots came from, though."

"You really don't care, do you?" asked Duo as he kept up his assault, fully aware that he was driving her towards warships fully capable of laying down supporting fire against him, "The people you're fighting for were running a butcher shop that would've made Mengele proud, and you don't even give a shit!"

"I've always known that the nation employing my company was vile," Mistral casually countered, "ZAFT can hardly say it's better given their conduct in the last war. The great powers that rule this world are monsters. That has never been in doubt. I accepted horror long ago. So long as they're paying me to do what I love, nothing else matters."

If there had been a mirror present in Duo's cockpit, it would've reflected a very dark look in his eyes. "You asked me about my ideals once. What drives me to fight. Do you want the answer?"

"Oh, ho!" she chortled while continuing to fend off his assault while missile lock alarms began blaring in his cockpit, "Yes, I most certainly do! Finally drawn you out, have I?"

"You know what they say," he growled as he gunned the thrusters, "Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it!"

His beam scythe held before him horizontally like a batter setting up to bunt, Duo braced himself for the impact. Mistral was able to bring her polearm up so that her machine wasn't cut in half by his weapon, but that had never been Duo's objective. Deathscythe Omega slammed into the black and red machine like a rampaging bull, and he didn't let up there. Pushing the throttle to its limits, he forced her back, aiming for one of the destroyers. It was the same move he'd used against her at the Dardanelles, but this time he wouldn't give her a chance for the last-ditch counterattack she'd used on him back then.

"I'll let you in on a secret about us Gundam pilots," he hissed as he drove her back, "Everyone thinks we're heroes, but they're dead wrong. We're monsters. We've painted our legends in the blood of entire armies, and our body counts are still rising. End of the day, we're really just extremely effective killers."

"Yes!" she replied in something that sounded uncomfortably close to ecstasy as both of their machines came inexorably closer to the unlucky destroyer behind them, "You admit it! You boys are just like me!"

"Not quite," Duo shot back, his eyes darting towards his sensor display as a swarm of missiles took flight from the fleet ahead, "Unlike you, we actually serve a purpose. One that's about more than just getting our kicks."

"And what purpose is that, mon gar?" she asked with bated breath.

Set on his course, there was no room to dodge the incoming warheads, and with Mistral's machine right in his face Duo couldn't shoot them down with his CIWs. There was another option, though, one that Duo had been preparing since the moment he'd began his charge. Activating Deathscythe Omega's Hyper Jammer ECM Suite, he sent out a burst that scrambled the guidance systems of the onrushing missiles. The warheads began wildly deviating from their original courses, with some smashing into each other and detonating while others nosedived and plunged into the sea.

A menacing smile appeared on Duo's face. "We're the monsters that keep worse monsters in check. Demons from Hell wandering the Earth, hunting for those fouler than us. We're the devil's loan sharks, and we always collect, one way or the other!"

Taking one last glance to check his course, Duo braced himself for what was coming. "I'm the God of Death, and it's time you paid the Reaper what he's owed!"

There was a violent crash as both machines slammed into the Eurasian destroyer's portside. Duo could only see the black and red mobile suit in front of him, but it was easy enough to imagine the warship's superstructure crumpling in under the weight of the two units, its hull sagging dangerously low in the water. Now came the tricky part. He switched his thrusters to reverse for just a second, enough to give him the space needed to wield his signature weapon.

Sure enough, Mistral seized the opening, with the tip of her polearm suddenly curling around like a snake and darting for Deathscythe Omega's head. This time, though, Duo contemptuously swatted it aside like he might a fly. He then slammed the butt of his weapon's handle into the mercenary mobile suit's torso, pushing her further into the warship. In a single fluid motion, he whirled the weapon around and brought its shimmering emerald blade down.

Right into Mistral's cockpit.

The verdant crescent of energy punched clean through the mercenary's mobile suit and down into the destroyer beneath it. Mobile suit and warship alike were ripped apart by the ensuing explosion, and while Deathscythe Omega was buffeted by the blast its Gundanium alloy frame allowed it to ride out the detonation with minimal effect. Looking down at the charred remains of his foe and the superheated chunks of the destroyer around it, Duo would only allow himself a small measure of satisfaction.

The night was young…

…and the God of Death still had work to do.

End "A Stranger I Remain"

….

He's improved again, thought Wufei as he fell back, double-ended beam trident whirling in front of him and forming an emerald shield to deflect the attacks from the mercenary engaging him, although that's not exactly a surprise. We're each quite familiar with how the other fights now.

It wasn't all that long ago that Wufei would've unambiguously felt that to be a good thing. After all, if the battlefield was truly where he felt alive, then having a foe that could evolve with their clashes and push his abilities to new heights should've been an absolute win in his book. He'd certainly believed that in their past clashes, yet as he fended off the strikes from Rodrigues's beam katana now, that thrill he'd felt before was tempered by something new. Their conversation from the previous clash at the Dardanelles had never been far from his mind, and it had caused Wufei to view the mercenary in a more unsettling light.

The more Wufei had thought about it, the more he'd been forced to realize an uncomfortable truth; he and Rodrigues were two sides of the same coin. Both were possessed by a hunger for battle above all else, but while Wufei believed that he had channeled his desire for combat to serve justice, the mercenary had devoted himself completely to it. In fact, Wufei probably stood closer to the edge of the coin than he liked to admit. ZAFT's war might've been fought with greater justification than that of the Earth Alliance, but its leadership had still engaged in acts that clashed with Wufei's sense of honor and justice. The attempted assassination of Lacus Clyne in order to cover for the fake one employed by Chairman Durandal was at the top of the list; while Wufei hadn't been present personally for the attack on Home One, he had no reason to doubt the account of Heero and his fellow Gundam pilots. They wouldn't lie to him about something like that.

Rodrigues had lowered himself into being nothing more than an attack dog for the Atlantic Federation. Was Wufei in danger of becoming the same for ZAFT? It was a question that deserved his full attention, but now was hardly the time for it; he was in the middle of a fight, after all.

Last time they'd clashed, Wufei had told Rodrigues that he wanted to defeat him and the evil that commanded the mercenary in the same battle. While he wanted to hold true to that vow, he wasn't blind to the problems with it. Those that signed the mercenary's paychecks were as cowardly as they were cruel; for all that they loved to send lowly underlings to their deaths, the men pulling the strings wouldn't be showing up on the battlefield themselves and giving Wufei a chance to strike them down anytime soon.

We're two dogs of war who have clashed with each other and walked away from it several times now, he thought as he smoothly transitioned from a parry to a thrust, throwing his foe onto the defensive, but that's not the way it's supposed to be. When two hellhounds clash, only one should leave alive.

Wufei could figure out his true place in this war later, along with how he could cut out the evil at the heart of it. Right now, he had a mercenary to kill.

….

Dodging both of the strange extending dragon-like weapons mounted on the Gundam's arms, Rodrigues charged in, his blade aimed straight at Wufei's cockpit. His opponent wasn't about to let himself get taken out that easily, though; Wufei brought his double ended beam trident in close, blocking his attack on one end before swinging the weapon around to attack Rodrigues with the other. Rather than immediately follow up with another strike, though, Wufei suddenly pulled back. Jetstream Sam only had a moment to wonder what his foe was up to before jets of flame ripped forth from the projectors mounted on the exotic serpentine weapons he'd dodged just a few moments ago.

He gunned his thrusters and pulled sharply to the right, only to realize a second later that the flamethrowers hadn't actually been aimed at him. The rivers of fire hit the water, immediately releasing vast clouds of steam that engulfed both combatants. It was a surprising application for those particular weapons, striking Rodrigues as a rather odd choice; in all their previous encounters, Wufei had fought in a pretty straightforward manner rather than engaging in subterfuge and trickery.

Maybe he's getting tired of these little dances of ours, the mercenary thought as he gained altitude, racing to get above the steam and regain his bearings, I wonder if something changed between our last fight and this one…

It only took him a moment to make it out of the mist, but he barely had time to reorient himself. Both of Wufei's exotic serpent-like weapons rushed out of the steam, and only a quick burst from his thrusters allowed him to dodge. The Gundam itself followed a moment later and immediately launched a withering assault, its double ended beam trident moving so fast it was little more than a blur of emerald energy. Rodrigues had no choice but to slam his thrusters in reverse, his beam katana remaining in a guard position as he furiously worked to deflect the barrage of blows that Wufei was raining down on him.

It was a furious offensive, with a ferociousness behind it that the mercenary hadn't seen from his adversary before. This was more than just the enemy seizing the initiative and trying to overwhelm him; it almost felt like there was genuine anger behind this assault.

Ever the cheeky son of a bitch, Rodrigues couldn't resist prodding at his foe even as he tried to fend off the unrelenting sequence of strikes. "You seem a little more worked up than usual! Was it something I said?"

"Tell me something," Wufei replied even as he continued to attack, "Does the name 'Lodonia' mean anything to you?"

The mercenary's brow furrowed, both from the effort he was putting into his defense as well as from trying to recall where he'd heard that name before. "Vaguely… some sort of black site, I think. I remember hearing that the company had shipped out a few squads to that place. What of it?"

"They're dead," said Wufei, "At least some of them by my hand. They deserved it, to put it mildly."

Rodrigues raised an eyebrow; where was this coming from? "They were contract fighters, just like myself. War's nothing personal to the likes of us; it's just how we make our living. I thought you understood that."

"It wasn't war that they were engaged in at that damned place," Wufei hissed as he unleashed a series of rapid whirling strikes, all aimed at Jetstream Sam's cockpit, "It was butchery and sadism. Your company was guarding monsters who experimented on and murdered children!"

Rodrigues winced; he'd heard rumors, but he'd never put much stock in them. "Well, then… if that was the case, then I suppose I'd find it hard to argue with you about them deserving their fates."

"That's it?" asked Wufei, "Shrugging it off just like that?"

"What, are you expecting me to get worked up about it?" Rodrigues quipped as he blocked a particularly powerful swing, "Desperado Enforcement has a reputation for taking unsavory contracts, and it's one that we've more than earned. I'm under no illusions about the company I work for."

"You really are no more than a dog of war!" Wufei growled.

Rodrigues chuckled as he parried Wufei's next attack before countering with a slash, forcing his foe back on the defensive. "Of course, I am! I've never pretended to be anything else. I don't lie about what I am, Wufei. Can you say the same?"

"Just what are you implying?" asked Wufei as he fended off a sequence of swift and precise strikes from the mercenary.

Rodrigues smirked as he thrust his beam katana at the Gundam's cockpit, forcing Wufei to redirect the blow. "Last time we fought, you spoke of justice. You say that's what you're fighting for, but who do you think you're kidding? We've fought more than enough times now to understand each other. We're both no more than dogs of war. One of us is just more honest about it than the other!"

"The battlefield's where I feel alive," Wufei replied as he counterattacked with a thrust of his own, pushing Rodrigues back, "I've never pretended otherwise, but I've always worked to channel that desire towards something good in this world. I've never lowered myself to fight for unworthy scum like you have!"

Rodrigues laughed as he parried a slash from his opponent. "You think ZAFT is worthy? The same people who tried to wipe out all life on Earth just two years ago? If you think they've truly turned over a new leaf, you are sorely mistaken!"

"They're not perfect," Wufei admitted as he pressed the assault, "No nation is. They're not the ones that kicked off this war with an attempted nuclear strike on civilians, though."

Rodrigues shrugged. "No, you've got us there. Still, their true nature will rear its ugly head soon enough. Patrick Zala and his followers might be gone, but the idea of Coordinator supremacy is alive and well. Durandal's just a more restrained and cunning believer in it."

"If he acts on it, then I'll deal with him when the time comes," Wufei countered as he hammered the mercenary's defenses with a whirlwind of slashes, "He's not the one carving up children and butchering them right now, though. That's squarely on the Earth Alliance's head, and I'm not going to let that go unpunished."

"You think you can purge this world of every injustice?" Rodrigues sneered, "You delusional fool. I can't believe that I thought better of you than that."

"Call me whatever you want!" Wufei shot back, "That won't stop me from taking you down!"

Rodrigues grinned even as Wufei redoubled his assault. "Is that so? Well then, hit me with your best shot!"

….

Charging one of the Eurasian Federation prototypes, Quatre unleashed a pair of swift and powerful swings with his Heat Shotels in rapid succession. The machine he was targeting managed to evade the slash he made with his right blade, but they were forced to block the follow-up strike from his left with their beam knife. Normally, Quatre would've pressed the assault, but he was fully aware of the second machine approaching him from the right. Slamming his thrusters in reverse, he pulled back, and not a moment too soon; a burst of emerald bolts flew forth from the flanking unit's beam submachine gun and raced through the space that Quatre had occupied mere seconds ago.

Solid teamwork, he thought as he shifted his focus and rushed the flanking machine, I really wish I didn't have to fight both of these guys by myself.

Quatre could've asked Duo for help; the God of Death had already dispatched the enemy ace that had engaged him, after all. However, it was more important for the mission that Duo aid Trowa in the assault on the fleet. Indeed, the L2 native appeared to have already come to that same conclusion, at least if the way he was wreaking havoc amongst the assembled warships was any indication. A broad swing from Deathscythe Omega's signature weapon ripped clean through a destroyer, tearing apart its upper decks and exposing the ship's powerplant. The God of Death then brought his beam scythe down in a follow-up attack, with the emerald crescent blade carving through the destroyer's engines with brutal efficiency. As the charred hulk of the doomed warship began to slip beneath the waves, Duo was already racing across the water in search of his next victim.

Quatre didn't have time to check which ship his friend was going after next. Closing the distance with the machine that had tried to pepper him with a bunch of green energy bolts just a few seconds ago, Quatre swung both Heat Shotels forward in a scissors-motion. The Eurasian prototype gunned its thrusters and rapidly ascended, managing to avoid getting caught by the pair of curved blades by just a handful of meters. Quatre wanted to pursue, but a fresh burst of beam submachinegun fire from the other Eurasian machine forced him to dive instead to avoid taking the shots in the back.

As he whirled around to meet the machine head-on, he was surprised to hear a male voice come over his cockpit speakers. "You're as good as your friend! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Who are you?" asked Quatre as he rushed forward, Heat Shotels flashing through the air as he attacked.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you," his opponent replied as he dodged Quatre's right blade before blocking the left with his beam knife, "Alberto Lopez. Captain, Eurasian Federation armed forces, flight lead for Espada Team. I never got the name of your friend back at the Dardanelles. I don't suppose I could get yours, could I?"

Quatre didn't see the harm; it wasn't like his family was known in the Cosmic Era outside of Heero's close circle, after all. "Quatre Raberba Winner. Gundam pilot."

"No rank?" asked Alberto as Quatre was forced to climb to avoid flanking fire from the other Eurasian machine.

"No need for one," Quatre answered as he reoriented himself and charged the second unit, "Who's your friend?"

This time, the voice that answered was female, slightly strained due to them focusing on evading Quatre's strikes. "Marcella Vasquez. Lieutenant and Espada Two. It's a pleasure."

Quatre shook his head as he brought down both Heat Shotels in a powerful overhand strike, only for her to slam her thrusters in reverse and evade by the slimmest of margins. "Do you two really think that chatting with me is a good idea right now?"

"No harm in trying to understand our opponent, right?" Alberto pointed out as he sent another burst of beam submachinegun fire his way, forcing Quatre to evade to the right and dive to avoid getting caught in a pincer attack, "We can walk and chew gum at the same time, if you will."

"You're taking this fight too lightly," Quatre countered as he suddenly regained altitude, charging Alberto's machine, "I don't think you realize what you've gotten yourselves into here."

"We have a pretty good idea," Marcella shot back as she unleashed a stream of emerald bolts, forcing Quatre to zigzag while still rushing the other machine, "You and your friends stand out on the battlefield; everyone with two eyes and a functioning brain has been watching your fights."

"You're powerful," Alberto added as his machine ducked beneath the slashes from Quatre's Heat Shotels before countering with a knife thrust that the Gundam pilot was barely able to dodge, "and I'm not just referring to your machines. The skills of you and your friends are beyond most pilots in the Earth Sphere. The five of you are equal to entire wings of mobile suits in combat!"

"If that's your opinion of my abilities, then you're being awfully casual about all this," Quatre replied as he took his machine hard to the right in order to avoid getting backstabbed by Marcella, "This is hardly the time for either of you to be chatting with me!"

"Perhaps," Marcella conceded as Quatre whirled around and tried to take her mobile suit's head off, only for her to dive beneath the blow and thrust up with her beam knife, forcing the Gundam pilot to backpedal in order to avoid taking a blow to the cockpit, "but be honest; you're just playing for time here. You're keeping the two of us occupied so your friends can trash the fleet. You don't care if you actually kill us or not; you just want to tie us up for a bit."

Quatre didn't respond verbally, but he didn't need to; she'd read the situation perfectly, and he was sure that she knew it. He bore the two Eurasian aces no personal ill-will, and he would be perfectly content to keep them distracted with this two-on-one match while his fellow Gundam pilots destroyed the warships below. Quatre's strikes were certainly made with the intent to kill, but whether or not he took down the pair of pilots chatting with him now wasn't something that would impact the mission all that much.

They don't seem to care all that much that I'm essentially just a screening unit for the others, he mused as he evaded a burst of emerald bolts from Alberto, I don't think they're even really trying to get past me anymore. They seem content just to let this play out. What's up with that?

Quatre didn't have an answer, but as long as the wing-pair was engaging him rather than his friends, he supposed he didn't really need one. In the end, he was just buying time for the rest of the strike team to complete their mission. If the enemy was willing to play along, who was he to say no?

….

Sweat building at his furrowed brow, Shinn weaved through the barrage of particle beams coming from the Gaia. The pilot of the stolen machine had always shown aggressive tendencies during their previous encounters, and this time was no different. Their fire perhaps wasn't the most accurate, but it was more than enough to keep Shinn on his toes. He had the Impulse's shield raised to tank the shots he couldn't dodge, all as he tried to get back into melee range of his opponent.

This thing's been a huge pain in the ass since Armory One, he thought as he gunned his thrusters and rushed forward, I'm really getting tired of facing it nearly every single time I go into battle!

He felt the impacts of particle beams on his shield, but it only took him a few seconds to close the distance. Shinn wasted no time in thrusting his beam saber forward, only for the Gaia to dodge to the right. Still, it was enough to put the enemy on the defensive, and Shinn pressed his attack. He drove the stolen machine downwards with a rain of overhand strikes, aiming to hem it in between himself and the sea. Neither the Impulse or Gaia did especially well underwater, and Shinn was hoping that his enemy's desperation to avoid getting pushed beneath the waves would make them sloppy.

He wasn't the only one hitting the enemy with a relentless assault. For most of his duel with the Windam, Heine had been on the offensive. The GOUF Ignited was in its element here, showing off its impressive close-combat capabilities. To their credit, the enemy pilot had recognized their peril and had attempted to keep Heine at bay with their beam rifle fire, but the FAITH operative was having none of it. The new ZAFT mobile suit was more than capable of closing the distance even with a machine as agile as the Windam, and Heine was mixing things up with both his beam sword and Heat Rod whips, keeping his opponent constantly guessing as to what kind of attack was coming next.

It would've been nice if Athrun was still flying with them as well, but Shinn understood the role that the Saviour had to play in the overall picture. A glance at his sensors told him that Athrun was dogfighting with additional mobile suits that had launched from the fifth carrier, and it was better that Athrun kept them focused on him than allowed them to get past and strike Shinn and Heine in the back. Eliminating as much of the enemy's fighting strength as possible before reinforcements arrived was the name of the game, and while Shinn and Heine might've been tied up with two particularly troublesome opponents they could at least take comfort in the fact that other members of the strike team were hitting the opposition where it hurt.

Duo and Trowa were utterly ravaging the Eurasian Federation fleet. While the self-proclaimed God of Death wrought utter havoc amongst the escorts, the flying artillery battery was blazing a methodical path of destruction towards the heart of the assembled warships. As Deathscythe Omega cleaved a destroyer clean in half with its signature weapon, Heavyarms Arsenal reduced a cruiser to a flaming hulk through a combined barrage of shells, missiles and particle beams. Their fighting styles were diametrically opposed, but Shinn had to admit that they were both quite capable of wreaking devastating carnage just the same. When he compared the amount of naval contacts on his sensors now when compared to the start of the battle, Shinn was shocked to realize that they had been reduced to nearly half their number; the Gundam pilots were brutally efficient in their work.

I'm glad they're on our side, he mused as he traded beam saber strikes with the Gaia, I'd hate to be the unlucky fool that pisses them off…

His foe parried a slash aimed at their cockpit before countering with a thrust, disrupting Shinn's momentum. He managed to deflect the blow, but it cost him the initiative, and the enemy was capitalizing on him. They struck hard and fast, hammering his defenses with wild swings that might've lacked technique but more than made up for that with ferocious desperation. The enemy was fighting like a cornered rat, lashing out with everything that they had.

As Shinn furiously fended off his adversary's assault, a quick glance at his monitor showed that he wasn't the only one still struggling with a particularly troublesome foe. Overhead, Heero's fierce duel with the slender Eurasian Federation prototype was still raging, and if anything, the tempo of the clash only seemed to be intensifying. There would be the occasional volley of particle beams, machine-cannon rounds and railgun slugs flying between the two combatants, but the vast majority of the clash was taking place up close and personal.

Shinn might've had a high opinion of his abilities, but even he possessed enough self-awareness to recognize that he wasn't at the level of skill that either combatant was displaying above, at least not yet. It was a bitter pill to swallow, especially given how far he believed he had come since the surprise attack on Armory One. Still, he had to face the truth; the insanely fast clash of beam sabers unfolding between Heero and the Eurasian Federation ace was something he could not hope to replicate as he stood now. Both machines were pulling off maneuvers that should've caused normal pilots to black out, twisting and whirling about like insane flying dervishes. Shinn was proud of the Impulse, but he knew that ZAFT's prized prototype was nowhere near capable of matching either the Gundam Albion or the Eurasian Federation prototype in their maddening speed and agility.

Much closer to the surface, another high-speed duel was in full- swing, albeit one at a pace that Shinn actually stood a chance at keeping up with. He'd lost track now of how many times Wufei and the Desperado Enforcement machine with the beam katana had clashed since the war began; it seemed like the damn thing was determined to show up almost everywhere the Minerva or her mobile suits went. Just like before, despite the difference in the capabilities of their mobile suits, both pilots appeared to be evenly matched. Wufei's unique weaponry gave him greater reach than his foe, but the enemy hardly seemed deterred by that. Whenever the Gundam pilot let fly with the Altron Custom's twin Dragon Fangs, his foe would gracefully slip to the side, both evading the attacks and nicely setting up for a counter. Charging forward, the black and red machine typically aimed its attacks at the Gundam's cockpit, but Wufei's double-ended beam trident was always there to intercept, weaving an emerald barrier to fend off the mercenary's strikes. The Desperado unit would then break off, and the cycle would begin anew.

"How are you holding up, Shinn?" asked Heine as the FAITH operative traded blows with the Windam above and to the right of the Impulse.

Shinn forced a smile as he crossed blades with the Gaia yet again. "I can do this all night!"

Heine laughed. "Good, although let's not put that to the test! Reinforcements are no doubt on their way. We haven't much time left."

"I know," said Shinn as he parried a slash from the Gaia before countering with a thrust, "Watch yourself over there."

"Same goes for you," Heine replied.

….

For all the calm confidence he tried to project, the truth of the matter was that Heine had begun to feel frustrated. The GOUF Ignited was meant to become ZAFT's newest mass production high-speed close-combat mobile suit, surpassing the mainline models of the Earth Alliance and the Orb Union. A single Jet Windam should not have been a significant obstacle, yet the FAITH operative still found himself locked in a duel with this rather stubborn foe.

He's good, Heine begrudgingly admitted as he weaved through beam rifle fire from his opponent before opening up with a hail of emerald bolts from the Draupnir 4-barrel Beam Gun on the GOUF Ignited's left forearm, I'm surprised that the Alliance has him only piloting a Windam, given his level of skill.

It was certainly a blessing that his adversary was flying a mass production machine rather than an advanced prototype, but it still left Heine in the same annoying situation. Shinn at least had a valid excuse for his circumstances; the Gaia and Impulse were both sophisticated prototypes developed together at Armory One, and while Heine believed that Shinn was superior to whoever was flying the stolen unit, he could still understand why it'd be difficult to take down a machine like that. What excuse did Heine have? Sure, the Windam was newer than the Dagger-Ls that had become the mainstay of the Earth Alliance forces in the years between the wars, but the GOUF Ignited had been meant to eclipse both models.

Heine had the superior machine. It was his job to prove that he was the superior pilot. If he couldn't, then he hardly deserved to be a ZAFT Red, let alone a member of FAITH. He had to play to his strengths if he wanted to come out on top. The Windam was a more balanced machine, and with its Jet Striker pack it had proven capable of matching the GOUF Ignited's agility in atmospheric combat. Heine's best hope were his mobile suit's more unconventional weapons when compared to those of the Windam, particularly the two Slayer Whip Heat Rods.

Get in close and stay there, he silently told himself as he tanked beam rifle fire on his mobile suit's shield, and then end this ASAP!

There were no fancy maneuvers here; Heine simply charged forward like a raging bull. The Windam initially slammed its thrusters in reverse, firing as it went, but the Alliance machine wasn't as fast going backwards as the GOUF Ignited was going forwards. Recognizing that they were simply delaying the inevitable, the enemy pilot instead gained altitude. Heine adjusted his trajectory, knowing he only had a limited window to catch his foe before the Jet Striker pack's thrusters succeeded in opening up the distance.

"You're not getting away this time!" he growled as he opened up with both of his Draupnirs.

The two 4-barrel weapons were meant for short to mid-range combat and weren't exactly the most accurate or powerful guns in ZAFT's arsenal, but quantity had a quality all of its own. A handful of emerald bolts punched holes in the left wing of the Windam's Jet Striker pack, but the crucial blow was dealt when a burst managed to pierce the left engine, which immediately began spitting out smoke and sparks. His opponent's rate of ascent slowed dramatically, and Heine swiftly closed the gap.

With his beam sword in the GOUF's right hand, Heine slashed at the Windam, aiming at the thrusters mounted on its legs. His adversary was able to deflect the strike with their beam saber, but Heine immediately followed up by lashing out with his left Heat Rod. This time, his blow hit home, with the Slayer Whip coiling around the Windam's right leg before ripping the limb off at the knee. Off balance and limited in mobility, the Windam was now at a severe disadvantage.

Heine smiled as he moved in for the kill. "You're mine!"

Matching his foe's altitude, he thrust his beam saber forward. The enemy was able to block and redirect the strike, but with most of their effort focused on simply maintaining some semblance of stability, they could hardly counterattack. Heine pressed his assault, hammering the Windam with blow after blow, each one blocked only by the slimmest of margins. As his blade locked with that of the enemy yet again, Heine unleashed the Slayer Whip mounted in the GOUF's left forearm again. The Heat Rod managed to entangle the arm holding the Windam's rifle, and he sheered right through it at the elbow a moment later. With its ranged armament now reduced to just the head-mounted CIWS, the hostile mobile suit's options were rapidly running out.

To their credit, the Earth Alliance pilot fought on. Heine was actually forced to raise his shield to deflect CIWS fire; the shells weren't a threat to the mobile suit directly, but the ZAFT Red had immediately seen that the enemy was aiming for the GOUF's face and sensors, which most certainly were vulnerable. Heine countered by accelerating, slamming into the Windam with his shield. The Alliance machine was momentarily thrown back, and with its stability already compromised thanks to the earlier damage taken, it was finally open for the coup de grace.

And Heine delivered it in the form of a single thrust with his sword straight into the Windam's cockpit.

….

Time froze for Stella when she saw Major Hamilton's Windam explode. The image of the orange ZAFT machine piercing his cockpit with its sword was seared into her mind, and her chest was gripped with a searing heat the likes of which she could scarcely comprehend. Anguish and anger, sorrow and wrath warred within her, a devastating maelstrom that threatened to consume her more thoroughly than any enemy could ever hope to.

She hadn't known the Major as long as Colonel Nazara; his loss shouldn't have hurt this much. Yet despite not being as familiar with him as she'd been with her previous commander, for a reason she couldn't place, she'd felt safer with him. Hamilton hadn't been a particularly warm individual, and in fact had come across as quite stern, but he'd also fair and understanding in his own way. He'd given her clear focus and direction while at the same time backing her up in the heat of battle, comforting her with the knowledge that she wasn't fighting alone.

And now, he was gone.

Now she was alone.

Primal instinct clashed within her. Fight or flight; which would it be? She was outnumbered, but there was nowhere to run to; even her grief-stricken mind could recognize that. She was still in battle, still engaged with the enemy, and they had slain her commander. She would fight.

Tears streaking down her face, she shrieked as she fired off a wild volley of particle beams at the Impulse. None of the shots connected, but they did force the other prototype to take evasive action. That gave Stella the opening she needed. Screaming like the enraged and mournful banshee that she had become, she whirled around and charged the orange machine that had taken the Major from her.

….

Shinn felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as a bloodcurdling shriek came over the radio on an open channel. He didn't need the Impulse's instruments to identify the source as the Gaia; the wild charge and subsequent frenzied swings it took at Heine were all he needed. Shinn had barely been able to warn his friend of the enemy's advance, and their assault was so ferocious that he feared even a pilot as skilled as the FAITH operative would have a hard time protecting himself.

The pilot of the Gaia was fighting like a wounded beast, lashing out with powerful slashes that lacked any form of technique or training. It was a display of fury and sorrow completely overpowering reason and tactical awareness. Shinn knew that he was a hothead and prone to letting his emotions get the better of him, but he was pretty sure that he'd never lost it in the middle of battle quite as badly as the Gaia's pilot clearly had here.

All that was only of secondary concern, though. What had floored Shinn upon hearing that wail over the radio was shocking recognition; even though it was consumed by rage and grief, he'd instantly realized who it was.

Stella.

Images of the scared and confused girl he'd rescued from the sea flashed through his mind. This couldn't be right. She was a civilian; she didn't belong anywhere near a battlefield, let alone within the cockpit of a mobile suit! It was completely impossible, and Shinn desperately wanted to believe that he had imagined it, but he knew in his gut that it wasn't the case. Indeed, Stella herself put whatever lingering doubts he had to rest just a moment later.

"Give him back!" she wailed as she hammered Heine's defenses with powerful, flailing strikes, "Give the Major back to me!"

"Shinn, I could use a little help here!" Heine called out as he struggled to block the wild blows his foe was raining down upon him.

Shinn accelerated forward, but he couldn't bring himself to draw a bead on the Gaia. This… this was all wrong. Why was Stella here? Why was she piloting the Gaia, of all things?

And that was when another image of the girl flashed through his mind. Only this time, it wasn't of that poor, scared and gentle young woman he'd saved from the cold ocean depths.

It was of the girl he'd totally crashed into way back in Armory One.

The girl he'd accidently copped a feel on and had subsequently been slapped by...

…the same day as the attack on the colony.

The horrifying pieces suddenly came together in one fell swoop.

She had stolen the Gaia.

Stella… terrified, slightly-scatterbrained, almost child-like Stella…

…was an Earth Alliance pilot.

How many times had Shinn fought her now without even realizing it? How many times had he come close to killing her since that fateful day? How had she wound up fighting for the Alliance in the first place? These were just a mere sampling of the countless questions racing through Shinn's mind now.

And none of them would matter if she died here.

"Shinn, come on!" Heine snapped, the normally affable young man sounding rather frustrated at the moment, "You've got a clear shot at her back! Take her out!"

The cold and brutal logic of war would certainly point to that being the correct course of action. Stella was fighting for the enemy. She'd attacked Armory One before the war had even officially began and had been flying a stolen ZAFT prototype ever since. She'd tried to kill Shinn and his friends several times now. Shinn was a soldier on the opposite side from her; he would be expected to pull the trigger without hesitation.

But he couldn't do it.

Regardless of the current situation or what she'd done in the past, Shinn couldn't see her as an enemy. No matter what, his mind kept going back to that same trembling and vulnerable girl he'd pulled from the Black Sea. He'd saved her then…

…and he could save her now.

Fragments of a plan began to assemble in his mind. It was a desperate plan, but it was all he had. It would have to be enough.

"Heine, hold her off for just a few more seconds!" Shinn shouted, "I'll get you an opening, and then you can capture her with your whips!"

The GOUF Ignited's Slayer Whip Heat Rods could do more than simply rip enemy mobile suits to shreds. They were also capable of delivering an electric shock that could stun enemy pilots, leaving them vulnerable. However, as far as Shinn was aware, this capability was only theoretical; he'd never seen Heine actually try it out in battle. He also wasn't sure what effect it could have on Stella, and in fact there was a real chance of it causing serious harm. It was the only card Shinn had to play though, especially if he wanted to both save Stella and make sure that she didn't kill Heine while he was trying to help her.

"Are you crazy?" asked Heine as he desperately fended off Stella's frenzied attacks, "We need to take her out!"

"Heine, listen to me!" Shinn pleaded, "I… I've met her before! I don't think she's here willingly. She's not our enemy; she's a victim! We can capture her and the Gaia if we work together. Please!"

Heine sighed. "Make it quick. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep her at bay like this!"

Shinn breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"Thank me when you haven't gotten us both killed," Heine quipped while deflecting the Gaia's strikes, "You'll have a lot of explaining to do if we make it out of here alive."

"I'll worry about that later," Shinn replied, "Just be ready!"

He then switched to an open frequency, praying that what he was about to do wouldn't get anyone killed. "Stella… Stella, it's Shinn! Can you hear me?"

Much to his surprise and relief, the Gaia actually stopped mid-strike, seemingly frozen in disbelief. "Shinn… Shinn… from before… where are…"

She was stunned and confused, and while Shinn wanted to gently explain things to her, they didn't exactly have the luxury of time right now. He saw the GOUF Ignited immediately unleash one of its whips, with sparks racing up and down the weapon. Shinn had to keep Stella's attention on him if this was going to work.

"I'm over here!" he quickly answered, "In the Impulse! Turn around!"

The Gaia turned around, its pilot seeming to have momentarily forgotten the target of her rage. She didn't say anything, but Shinn could hear her ragged gasps echoing over his cockpit speakers. His hear ached as she chocked back sobs; he could only imagine what a mess she must've been right now.

With her back now to Heine, the FAITH operative seized the opening Shinn had provided. In a single swing, the ZAFT Red managed to coil the Heat Rod around the Gaia's torso. The sparks Shinn had spotted earlier intensified as Heine sent a powerful charge down the length of the whip, and his eyes widened in horror as he heard Stella shriek in agony.

"Heine!" he shouted, "Don't kill her!"

"I'm not trying to!" Heine countered, "We need to make she can't fight back, though!"

"Just wrap her up in both whips!" Shinn frantically ordered, "Put your sword away; I'll keep watch in case she tries something!"

Shinn had his beam saber at the ready, praying that he wouldn't have to use it. At the same time, Heine unfurled his second whip, although thankfully the lack of sparks indicated he'd opted not to add it's charge to Stella's torment. This time, the whip wrapped around the Gaia's sword-arm, and a moment later the Heat Rod's high-frequency vibration kicked into gear and sheered the limb off at the elbow. Shinn briefly panicked, fearing that Heine had decided to simply eliminate Stella rather than bother with capture, but his concerns were allayed when the Heat Rod went limp a second later. The Gaia began to thrash wildly, but with another swing Heine was able to properly restrain it.

As a precaution, Shinn moved in and destroyed the Gaia's beam rifle with his saber. The machine still possessed its CIWS, but those couldn't take down the GOUF Ignited or the Impulse. There was always the possibility that Stella would try to transform her machine, but it wouldn't accomplish much; its mobile armor form wasn't capable of flight, and out over the sea like this it would plummet straight down into the water.

Shinn could still hear Stella's ragged breathing coming over the speakers, but the fight seemed to have gone out of her. He winced, her pained shriek from the GOUF's charged whip still echoing in his mind. Incapacitating her was definitely preferable to killing her, but Shinn wished that there'd been a way to do it painlessly for her.

"Shinn, we have to get out of here," said Heine, "There's no way that I can hold her and fight at the same time!"

Shinn nodded. "I know."

He took a moment to check his sensors. The Eurasian Federation forces in the area were still scrambling to deal with the Gundams' attack on their fleet, but at the edges of his scopes he saw new contacts start to appear. No doubt they were only the first of what would be many reinforcement squadrons; the strike team had overstayed its welcome.

"Heero," he said, "Heine and I have captured the Gaia. If we want to get it back to the Minerva in one piece, we need to leave now!"

The Gundam pilot's reply was immediate. "Roger that. You two withdraw. The rest of us will follow shortly."

"Understood," Shinn acknowledged.

….

I didn't expect the situation to unfold like that, thought Heero as he fended off Mihaly's latest assault, I was hoping they'd just keep the Gaia at bay, possibly destroy it. Capturing it, though… not bad, you two. Not bad at all.

It would definitely serve as a nice little feather in the cap of this mission, as it were. Heero was sure that Captain Gladys and her superiors would be thrilled to have regained one of the stolen prototypes, especially given how much money ZAFT had sunk into developing the damn thing. He was curious about the pilot; despite his focus on the duel with the Eurasian Ace, he'd heard Shinn's open channel transmission loud and clear. The two clearly knew each other, and Heero was very interested in learning the story behind that. Of course, that would have to wait until they were back on the Minerva.

Disengagement most of the strike team didn't appear to be an issue. Sure, Heero was still locked in his duel with Mihaly, and he doubted the Eurasian Federation ace would let him go easily. However, he was confident that the Wing Zero Albion could outpace his opponent's mobile suit during the retreat, and the latter would be limited in range thanks to its more conventional power source. Timing would be the real trick, especially since the last thing he wanted was for Mihaly to catch up to Heine and Shinn while they were trying to escape with the Gaia in tow.

Had they inflicted enough damage, though? The whole point of the operation was to trash the Eurasian naval forces and thus disrupt the enemy's planned assault on Gibraltar, not to capture a single mobile suit. As he fended off a series of blindingly fast slashes from his adversary, Heero took the briefest of glances at his sensors to assess the overall tactical and strategic situation.

With four out of the five carriers destroyed and over half of their escorts either destroyed or severely damaged, the strike power of the Eurasian Federation fleet had been decimated. The sole remaining carrier appeared to have expended the bulk of its mobile suits against Athrun in a futile attempt to bring down the Saviour, leaving the last enemy capital ship as little more than an empty floating hangar. Sure, the Eurasians would no doubt act to replenish the vessel's depleted squadrons as quickly as they could, but even then, it would still take precious time. A single carrier and accompanying support ships would still be a threat, but a much more manageable one when compared to the force that had originally been assembled.

It was still possible that the carrier could be destroyed before the strike team withdrew. Duo and Trowa were still carving a fiery swath of devastation amidst the surviving warships, and the Eurasian Federation fleet was in such disarray now that one of the two Gundam pilots could probably make a run on the vessel. However, more Jet Striker Windams and older model Dagger-Ls were beginning to trickle in from the north. For the moment, their numbers were still manageable by Gundam pilot standards, but every minute that passed promised to tilt the balance further and further in the enemy's favor as more reinforcements arrived.

Complicating matters was the fact that the remaining two Gundam pilots were still tied up in their respective duels. Heero briefly caught sight of the Altron trading blows with the black and red Desperado Enforcement machine it had fought so many times now, with both pilots fully focused on the one-on-one clash. The two combatants both appeared to have energy to spare, and Heero knew how Wufei felt about having a worthy opponent to test himself against. He'd likely be upset if the strike team withdrew now, but Heero had more important things to worry about than wounding the L5 native's pride. Wufei might've been a fierce and proud warrior trying to live and fight by his peculiar code of honor and justice, but he still had enough sense to recognize when a tactical withdrawal was in order.

Quatre's situation, however, was a bit more concerning. Heero hadn't been able to give the L4 native's clash with the two Eurasian Federation aces much more than a couple of cursory glances, but those few quick looks combined with the data he'd reviewed from Trowa's engagement with them back at the Dardanelles was all he needed to understand that they were damn good pilots. A one-on-one clash would've been easier for Quatre to break off from, but his two-on-one fight was a trickier matter. It was one thing for him to keep the wing-pair tied up while the rest of the strike team did its work, but now that the moment to retreat was nearing, the enemy would certainly move to cut off Quatre's withdrawal. He would need help to make a clean break.

Making a snap decision while continuing to deflect the latest flurry of slashes from Mihaly, Heero issued new orders. "Trowa, disengage from the fleet and back up Quatre; get him out of that fight. Duo, go dark and kill that last carrier now. Athrun, keep the aerial units occupied until Duo eliminates the target, then fall back. Wufei, stall your opponent until the carrier's destroyed, then pull out."

"What about you?" asked Athrun as he shot down another Windam, "We're not just going to leave you here!"

"You're not," Heero replied calmly as he countered a thrust from Mihaly with one of his own, retaking the initiative, "Once you all have begun to pull out, I'll join you as the rearguard. I've got no intention of staying here any longer than necessary."

"I'm not leaving until I've taken this guy down once and for all!" Wufei protested while trading blows with the mercenary.

Heero did not have time for this. "Use your damn head, Wufei! If we stick around much longer, we're going to be swamped by enemy reinforcements. Shove your pride aside and be ready to withdraw once Duo eliminates the last target."

He heard a frustrated snarl come from the L5 native before Wufei finally relented. "Copy that."

Heero saw Deathscythe Omega disappear from his sensors a moment later; Duo had already activated his cloak. The carrier would be taken down shortly, and then the withdrawal could commence in earnest. All Heero had to do was keep his current opponent at bay for a little while longer.

Fortunately for him, Mihaly only seemed interested in dueling Heero rather than going after anyone else on the battlefield. Heero hammered his defenses with a sequence of brutally fast and powerful blows, but his adversary parried them all calmly and efficiently. He tried to mix things up with a burst of shells from his Gundam's shoulder-mounted machine cannons, yet his enemy had started to dive the moment the barrels had begun to spin, causing the rounds to zip by harmlessly overhead. His opponent returned fire with their beam rifle, causing Heero to zigzag to evade the shots before countering with a salvo from his railguns. Once again, the Eurasian ace gracefully slipped past the shots before closing the distance with Heero and once again engaged him with his beam saber.

Perhaps his adversary sensed that Heero was about to retreat, for Mihaly redoubled his assault. The black and orange mobile suit poured on the speed, launching a flurry of saber strikes. The violet blade moved so quickly that Heero was surprised that the machine's sword-arm hadn't torn itself off from the strain. Heero pulled back to the south, maintaining a strong and tight defense with his emerald blade as he fought to hold off his foe.

He would've been an absolute monster back in his prime, Heero mused, sweat building at his brow as he deflected what felt like an endless stream of blows, I have to hand it to him; he's fighting his age with everything he's got and then some…

Pinpricks of blue-white thruster fire were growing behind the Wyvern in both brightness and number; Eurasian Federation reinforcements. The strike team had perhaps a minute or two at the most before they'd start swarming the field in earnest. They were out of time.

Come on, Duo, he thought through gritted teeth as he parried a sequence of swift slashes, Kill that damn carrier now!

For a moment, Heero wondered if he'd have to order the general retreat before the L2 native could eliminate their last major target, but a second later he caught a glimpse of orange light out of the corner of his eye. Firing off a burst from his machine cannons along with a salvo of railgun slugs to momentarily force his foe to back off, Heero took a brief glance at the carrier. Sure enough, gouts of flame and smoke were pouring from a massive gash that had been torn into the vessel's portside, and Deathscythe Omega was visible again. Secondary explosions within the ship widened the gash in the ship's hull, and the carrier was already developing a severe list.

He breathed a sigh of relief even as Mihaly closed back in for another exchange. Firing off a sustained burst from his machine cannons and multiple railgun salvos, Heero slammed his thrusters in reverse. For good measure, he also snapped off a low-power shot from the Twin Buster Rifle, keeping the Eurasian Federation ace on the defensive.

"That's it," he said, "Strike team, mission accomplished. Withdraw immediately."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Duo chirped, and indeed, Deathscythe Omega was already racing south.

"Roger that," said Athrun, with the Saviour shifting over to its mobile armor form as he joined Duo.

Heero turned around and opened up the throttle in earnest. There was still a brief window where Mihaly could've caught up for a few seconds to engage, but his foe made no such move. Was he simply tired, or did he recognize that further engagement here was pointless?

Either way, it didn't matter to Heero. Leaving his foe behind, he angled towards Quatre. Trowa had already joined the L4 native in his engagement with the other two Eurasian Federation prototypes, but both sides were still firmly locked in battle; the two Gundam pilots hadn't yet been able to successfully break off from the clash with the pair of hostile aces. Bringing the Twin Buster Rifle to bear, Heero decided to give the enemy some additional encouragement to back down.

"Quatre, Trowa, break on my mark," he ordered as he sent the two of them his projected line of fire.

"Copy that," they both replied in unison.

Adjusting his aim and charging his weapon, Heero finished his mental countdown a moment later. "Mark."

The Gundams split up, with Sandrock Saladin evading to the right while Heavyarms Arsenal broke left. Heero opened fire, sending a torrent of golden-yellow hellfire downrange. It was mid-power shot, and it proved more than of a threat for the Eurasian pilots to break off rather than try to tank it on their mobile suits' energy shields. That gave Quatre and Trowa the opening they needed to gun their thrusters and retreat. As Heero raced forward, he saw the two enemy machines turn, and for a moment he wondered if they would actually attempt to intercept him. However, they apparently decided that discretion was the better part of valor and began falling back towards the shore.

Heero then looked for Wufei, hoping that Altron Custom's stubborn pilot had listened to him. His eyes narrowed when he saw that Wufei was still engaged in his duel with the Desperado Enforcement pilot, and Heero was about to intervene when he saw massive jets of flame suddenly shoot forth from the Gundam. They hit the water between Wufei and his foe, and a giant cloud of steam rapidly enveloped the two machines. Altron Custom broke out first, gunning its engines as it raced south. The black and red machine appeared a few seconds later, but Wufei had already opened up a lead, and with the mercenary unit built for close-quarters-combat it had no meaningful ranged weaponry beyond its CIWS. Its pilot seemed to realize that pursuit was futile, for the machine slowed to a halt just a few moments later, simply hovering over the water and watching as Wufei withdrew.

We cut it pretty damn close there, Heero mused as the enemy reinforcement squadrons flooded the area in earnest now, I suppose I should discourage pursuit.

Flipping Wing Zero Albion around, he put away his beam saber before splitting the Twin Buster Rifle. Charging the fearsome weapon up to full power, he unleashed two rivers of energy at the oncoming flights of Dagger-Ls and Windams. Ten of the hostile machines fell to his salvo, with the rest scattering and regrouping. Heero put his split weapon back together as he pulled back, but he still was ready to unleash another blast should the occasion call for it.

Mindful of his comrades' relative positions, Heero made sure to keep himself at the back of the formation in case the enemy required another reminder of who they would be facing if they gave chase. It was fortunate that Heine and Shinn had withdrawn ahead of the others; with the former dragging the Gaia along with the latter remained on hand in case their prisoner tried something, it wasn't as if they could move particularly fast. If the enemy managed to position forces for an intercept along their return route, there would be problems. Heero could only hope that the heavy fleet losses suffered at Cagliari would throw the Earth Alliance forces in the region into disarray and put them on a defensive posture. After all, if ZAFT had only dispatched eight mobile suits to hit the fleet, then in the eyes of the enemy that meant the military of the PLANTs still had potential raiding forces stationed at Gibraltar and Diocuia to launch additional attacks with. For all the Earth Alliance knew, this night's strike might just be the first of several.

There was a chime on Heero's console as a brief coded transmission reached him; Adaline, acknowledging the completion of the strike and her subsequent withdrawal back to the Dominion. She'd silently observed the whole battle, invisible to all thanks to her Wraith's Mirage Colloid. Heero respected her restraint, imagining how she must've yearned to leap into the fray but fought back the urge for the sake of the mission. Shemei had trained her well.

Checking his sensors again to make sure that no enemy units were moving in to engage, he then shifted his attention to the Gaia. Once again, the brief exchange between Shinn and the Gaia's pilot played out in his mind. He needed to find out what the connection there was. Shinn knew her to the point that he was willing to make the much riskier move of capturing rather than killing her; that alone was worth investigating. There was also the bloodcurdling shriek he'd heard from her before Shinn had spoken to her. It was more than just a soldier mourning the loss of a comrade. There was something darker to it, like some last shred of innocence being violently ripped away.

Thoughts of the horrors that had been unearthed in Lodonia came unbidden to his mind, and a chill went down his spine as he regarded the black ZAFT prototype. The pilot… she couldn't be… could she?

There was only one way to find out.

Preview for next time!

With the Eurasian Federation naval forces in the Mediterranean decimated, the Earth Alliance's plan to assault Gibraltar is shelved. With at least temporary supremacy achieved in this theater of the war, the crew of the Minerva are ordered to resume their original mission to reinforce ZAFT's mighty Gibraltar base. Tailing the battleship from beneath the waves, the members of Terminal aboard the Archangel and Dominion plot their next move. Meanwhile, as the Earth Alliance licks its wounds, the stirrings of popular unrest within the Eurasian Federation threatens to undermine their war effort. Amidst the backdrop of a grand strategic shuffle as the great powers regroup and reorganize, Shinn Asuka launches a personal battle to save the battered and traumatized Stella Loussier from the ever-present darkness threatening to consume her. Next time, on "Destiny's Call", Episode Nineteen: Doubt and Resolution.

To save a wounded angel, a young warrior must swallow his anger and pride…

Author's Notes: Ah, this was long overdue, glad to have another chapter posted for this story again! Apologies for the wait, the battle in this chapter wound up being much bigger than I had originally intended. I'm not complaining though, I'm quite happy with how it turned out!

Seeing as how we're all probably bored out of our minds thanks to COVID-19, let's play a little game to lighten the mood. What's something strange, funny or interesting that you've learned or realized during quarantine? For me, it's the following; Chinese takeout and legal weed keep me sane, gummy bears make everything all right, people will fight to the death for toilet paper and cleaning supplies, and R.E.M's 'It's The End Of The World' might've aged a bit too well for my liking! Looking forward to your answers in the reviews.

Hope you liked the chapter! Please review, and I'll see you next time!