Old Friends Anew: Destiny's True Beginning

Special Edition Part 1

Shattered Worlds, Worlds Apart

Basked in the purple glow of the morning sunrise, a young couple took a stroll on a beach, ignoring the wreckage the war left there. In that same early morning, at the ORB spaceport in Onogoro, a personal guard examined the itinerary for an important spacecraft, while his charge tried to dodge flies that protested her trip to space. In seeing this, the emerald-eyed teen smiled slightly.

"Continuing coverage on yesterday's terrorist bombing and attack of ZAFT military factories in San Diego," Someone had turned up a news broadcast, replaying the security photos of an SUV barreling into the main building and exploding. "It has been confirmed that the "Holy Land" group, a remaining spur of the defeated Blue Cosmos terrorists, was involved. The PLANT government, infuriated at the Atlantic Federation's ineptitude, still awaits further clarification." At this, the man drew his lips tight.

Two years and still they wouldn't stop fighting. He remembered a passage that he had once read, and looked it up once again, on his trip to the stars. "'"You may freely eat any fruit in the garden, other than the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of this fruit, you will surely die."'" A tall man with long black hair stared at his itinerary, squinting at one certain appointment. At the same time, a nameless man in a flight suit floated in front of his machine, determination etched into his face, and the scar across his nose. Two pilots, one of a white one-eyed mecha, and one of a blue and white two-eyed mech, parked their vehicles and powered down, their melee training exercise over. "'Now, the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures God had made. "You won't die!" The serpent hissed. "When you eat of the fruit your eyes will be opened, and God knows that, and you will become like God, knowing both good and evil." Believing that, the first humans ate of the fruit.'" As he finished, he closed his eyes, letting his blue hair cover them as he slept.

Cosmic Era, year 72. The one and a half year war between Earth and PLANT came to an end following the battle of Jachin Due. The two sides formed their treaty in the ruins of Junius Seven, a place of unprecedented tragedy in the conflict. This treaty outlined the intentions of both sides to maintain peace and work towards a mutual understanding. Thus, the world has been set on the path to stability. However….

"ORL-010, localize… online."

"ORL-010, NavCom link confirming."

"010, entry vector is on target. Continue your approach. Go to deck number three, and stand by at receiving status B." The L4 PLANT, also known as ZAFT's Armory One, radioed the ORB spacecraft, as it began its docking run. A certain golden-haired girl stared out the window as the port enveloped them.

"The final rehearsal for the military bands will be held on Helipad Three, beginning at 1400 hours."

"Gateau Team of the Second Maintenance Unit, please report to Six Hangar."

"BB01 docking completed. All phase five linkups are to be executed immediately."

"Core Team, Seventh Crew, report to the spaceport and assist Second Crew." The military facility was no less busy than the spaceport. Mobile suits in official dress colors were sent every which way as they prepared for a launch ceremony, to the brand new battleship that sat in dry dock.

A door slid open, admitting an ORB representative, her body guard, and the security escorts into the room. To meet her was the tall man with long hair, and his entourage. "Yo. It's the Princess. I apologize for making you travel all this way to meet here." He welcomed her with open arms, his formal words flowing from his mouth like honey.

"No, I believe I should thank the Chairman for adding us into his busy schedule." Princess Cagalli of ORB returned as she shook his hand. "I'm grateful for this, Gichou."

He turned his head towards the body guard unexpectedly. The blue haired teen bowed in respect but said nothing. The Chairman gave only a small nod before motioning the lady to the seats. "How go things in your nation? I have heard many tales of problems being resolved since you became the Representative, Princess. As your ally, I congratulate you, and to be honest, am a bit envious of you." A young teen with black hair examined his cell phone as he waited for his friend, who showed up a few moments later, while a trio of three marched down the street, seemingly disinterested in each other, but obviously a group.

"There's still a lot to be done, I'm afraid." Cagalli took a seat.

"And? I've been wondering, what kind of matter could be so urgent that you would come here, on your own and unannounced, in spite of said obligations? Our Ambassador has informed me that there is something… shall we say complex… to discuss."

Cagalli's mouth twitched at the description. "I personally don't feel it's complicated at all. Even so, I've not received a clear response from the nation of PLANT regarding it. As I thought, whether it is complex or not depends on your consideration, correct?" The Chairman's aides looked to each other in surprise. "We have continually made requests that you, as a nation, cease applying resources acquired from ORB to military projects. Both technology and human resources have come your way after the ORB battle are being used as such." In the lull in the conversation, a girl stared at her reflection in a storefront window with her pale purple eyes, looking past her golden hair, at the beautiful dress she wore, twirling around once to examine herself. "Yet we haven't received any response until this moment. Why?"

The Chairman sighed. "That would best be answered during a tour of the facility." One of his aides winced at that, but he paid him no mind. "If you would please come with me, Princess."

The trio stood, waiting impatiently on a hill, the golden haired girl just staring off into space. A military jeep pulled up to them. "Get in."

As the tour procession stopped to let a GINN stomp its way through, the Chairman spoke. "The Princess is a woman of great courage, one who piloted a mobile suit in the war. You are also the ultimate Athha, successor to Lord Uzumi, the Lion of ORB, and have held true to his ideals for the nation, even under intense pressure. So, in your opinion, how should we act given the current state of the world? You know the answer to that question as well as I do." Her bodyguard gasped as he saw a new model mass produced suit.

A jeep drove passed them, containing a mechanic and a ZAFT redcoat in a mini-skirt, running her fingers through her short reddish-purple hair. Cagalli answered without much thought to the matter. "We will keep and defend the ideals of our nation. That's all there is to it."

"'ORB will not attack other nations. ORB will not allow attacks from other nations. ORB will not interfere in the disputes of other nations.'" Durandal quoted the Representative's rulebook, as a long blonde boy in a red coat recognized the voice, and quickly walked away.

"Exactly."

"Then those are the noble sentiments that we both believe in. If possible, that would be the best way to do things. However, only power makes that possible. I'm sure even you… no especially you understand that concept, Princess. That's the reason that ORB still has fully operational military facilities, isn't it?" Cagalli winced, getting caught in the hypocritical truth.

In one of the nearby hangars, the two boys and one girl hid at the side of the inner bay door, as the two ZAFT uniformed escorts unzipped their bags. From them, the boys pulled out and loaded automatic weapons in record time. The girl pulled out a long battle knife, staring at it blankly. Her expression slowly turned to anger and determination.

Cagalli went forward and faced the Chairman head on. "Even so, too much power can only lead to another conflict!"

That conflict was just beginning, as the three teens tore into the hangar, a gun in each hand. The boys picked off batches of workers and MPs before they even knew they were there. The girl took to the air, landing in the middle of a group, alternating between shooting and slashing as she spilt blood from their necks without mercy or waver. The green-haired leader looked around after pumping no less than four men full of lead. "Auel, up high!" The blue haired teen just smiled as he pointed the machine gun above his head without even looking, creating two more casualties.

"No, Princess." Durandal shook his head. "Power is necessary, because conflict will never disappear."

The leader of the assaulters smirked as he lofted a grenade that landed in the middle of the final batch of soldiers. The girl didn't even wince at the sound, multiple bodies felled around her. Seeing that she had no more enemies to kill, she dropped the weapons. "Sting." The blue-haired one known as Auel spoke to the leader.

"Yosh! Let's move!" They both dropped their weapons and headed for the three mobile suits, leaping up and into the cockpits. They began to boot up the weapons systems, their OS's reading an acronym, one that spelled GUNDAM. "How're they?"

"Okay. The intel was spot on." Auel smiled as he continued his checks.

"Fine here." The blonde answered in a monotone. Three sets of eyes flashed to life, and they slowly rose into standing position. Their grey forms were quickly covered with green, blue, and black coloring respectively. As they turned towards the hangar doors, a mechanic lifted himself up to the control station, and with his last breath, slammed his fist into the emergency alarm, sending a siren throughout the facility.

"What the…?" Chairman Durandal gasped, as the hangar doors were pierced by beam weaponry and exploded.

A second round tore into the hangar across. The explosion it caused was huge. "Cagalli!" The bodyguard dove on top of her.

"Gichou!" Durandal's aides shoved him to the side as well.

"Nani?! Guh!" Cagalli grunted on impact as the cloud of dust reached them.

From the smoke came three mobile suits. "Chaos… Gaia… Abyss?!" A mechanic observed as everyone else around him was running every which way.

"Stellar, you've got the left." Auel smirked.

"Understood." The blonde spoke flatly. All three broke. The girl's mobile suit turned into a galloping canine form, firing her beam rifle and shoulder cannons into a GuAIZ hangar, destroying most of the mobile suits inside. Abyss found another, firing its javelin cables and tearing them out, taking the entire roof down. Celebratory GINNs were of no use when Chaos pierced them with its beam rifle blasts.

"GINNs, hurry!" All available pilots were in a scramble.

"The new models from Hangar Six, they've been jacked!"

"Sortie everything we've got! Capture them at all costs!"

"What was that?!" Durandal and Cagalli got up.

"New models?" Cagalli looked around, as Abyss came into view, firing its core cannon into and through a building.

Upon seeing it's face, there was no doubt in either of their minds. "That's a…"

"Gundam!" Cagalli was in shock as well.

"Get the Princess to a shelter!" The Chairman ordered his most trusted aide. "Where are those countermeasures?! Get Minerva for backup!"

"Sir!"

"Come with me." The aide spoke to the representative.

She couldn't budge, stunned at seeing another of those kind of mobile suits. "Cagalli!" The boy shook her for a second before taking her hand and dragging her along.

Onboard the battleship bridge, the woman in the Captain's chair put down her phone. "Arthur, where's Shinn?"

Turning into one alley wound up being a dead end for Cagalli. Chaos withdrew its beam saber from a GINN's chest. Her bodyguard and she dove into the nearest building, while the escort mistakenly tried the other way. "Athrun!" The girl yelped as the mobile suit exploded, killing their escort instantly. Two more mobile suits tried to lure the green Gundam.

A DINN attempted an aerial shot at Gaia, but leaping into the air and extending its wing-sabers was enough to destroy the mobile suit in one swipe. What was left of the suit slammed into a hangar, blowing it up from the inside out. A new model ZAKU fell through the wall onto its back near the couple, as they hunkered down behind an upturned vehicle. Gaia reared up in mobile suit form, destroying a commander CGUE and GuAIZ in two accurate beam rifle shots. The two ORB members were stuck with no way out. Athrun looked around, desperate to find anything. Then the green metal of the mobile suit focused on his eyes. 'No choice, huh?' "Come on!" He grabbed Cagalli by the shoulder.

A flight-suited pilot flipped into a tiny white and blue jet as a cute female voice echoed through the bay. "Impulse, launch standby. Pilot to Core Splendor. Module Sword has been selected. Silhouette Hangar two opening. Silhouette Flyer, launch standby." A white, red, and black jet on a platform slid out of a cargo hatch and attached to a lift with a green light. "Platform set complete. Central catapult, online. Airtight shutters now closing. Launch area, beginning decompression sequence. All emergency personnel, stand by at your stations." A strong plexiglass shutter surrounded the lift platforms, and they started to go up. "Central catapult raising to liftoff positon." The pilot started going through all the checks. "Core Splendor, all systems online." A GUNDAM bootup screen played through. "Launch sequence, initializing. Hatch released. Linear launch system engaged." In the center of the Minerva, a hatch to the air opened, and the little blue jet rose up to the deck, a propellant wall slid behind it as the lights on the runway turned green. "Course clear. Core Splendor, hashin. Dozo." With those words the pilot pressed the throttle in preparation. A three stage checklist went by at light speed, and the jet released its breaks. It shot into the air, doing a double barrel roll.

"Catapult engaged." The girl continued as another platform was raised to the deck. "Chest Flyer, deploy. Go ahead." What looked like a mobile suit torso shot out of the bay. "Next, Silhouette Flyer, deploy. Go ahead." Its engines took a while to heat up, but it was out instantly when it was ready. "Leg Flyer, deploy. Dozo." There was no mistaking that these were legs, as they shot from their grappling locks.

Athrun grunted slightly as he lifted Cagalli up onto the chest of the giant robot. "Get inside."

"Eh?" He didn't have time to explain so he picked her up and jumped into the cockpit, sealing the hatch. He started booting up the system. "You're…."

"Like I'm going to let you die in a place like this!" The mobile suit's purple eye glowed and the arms moved, lifting the torso up into a sitting position as the legs bent. Slowly, the green armored creature stood up, venting steam from its chest as it completed its bootup. Directly in front of him was Gaia, which turned to notice them.

"What's this?" The girl said to no one, lifting her rifle against them.

"Kgh!" Athrun grunted as he hit the throttle, skidding away from the blast.

"Uh? Nani?" Before she could react, the suit landed on one foot and charged, with its spiked shield, sending the black machine flying one way, and its beam rifle the other. "This one…!" She hissed as she pulled a beam saber from her hip, throttling forward.

"Ah!" Cagalli gasped from her ringside seat as the danger alarm went off. From the shield slid out a beam axe, which Athrun took and slammed against the Gundam's shield, as the saber did the same to his.

Stellar had the better stance and forced them back, the metal of their armors ringing. "Reeaaah!" She swung her saber horizontally, and Athrun ducked low. The next blow was a backhand up his right shoulder. Though not strong enough of a swing to damage the suit, it did knock it back.

In the midst of the clash, the Chaos landed behind the ZAFT mass produced model, whipping out its own saber. "Stellar!"

"Ah!" Cagalli saw it from the her vantage point first.

"Kgh! Another one!" Just as the ZAKU turned, Sting came down upon him, slicing up the arm just below the shield. Simultaneously, two missiles managed to make it through his guard, pushing him away. Both thieves gasped, looking towards the source, as it zoomed passed them.

A small jet followed by a torso and legs barrel rolled into the air. The core fighter pulled straight up, ejecting its missile batteries as its wings and nose folded down. Leveling out, it turned on its laser sights, matching up two points on the legs. The pilot decelerated slightly as he squinted his dark red eyes. As the two parts linked up, the legs unfolded, all systems connecting.

Laser sights lined up the other piece in front of the two part contraption, and they both lifted into the air, so that when it docked, the entire mass of metal was vertical. As its systems connected, the shield moved out from the main camera, revealing the head of a Gundam.

The final flyer ejected its guidance pod, and lifted away, the laser sights activating on the main portion. A small wing-like portion rotated 180 degrees as it clamped onto the mobile suit's shoulders. The gray armor coated itself in a red and white scheme with the unmistakable sound of shimmering Phase Shift. It came down upon the enemies, grasping its equipment with both hands.

"Nani?!" Sting gulped.

"Huh?!" Stellar's alarms blared as she moved out of the way just before the attacking weapon bit into the stone under her.

The unknown suit slammed the two long swords together, twirling it over its head and activating the sabers when bringing it down to hip level. "Why is this happening? Do you people want to start another war?!" The pilot growled as he went forward, lifting the double sword over his head.

"What the… hell is this?" Stellar squeaked, dodging just in the nick of time as the attack sent a shower of rocks into the air. He broadsided her the opposite way, sending her flying into the air. Gaia's machine cannons in the head went off, bouncing harmlessly off of the armor as the red-eyed pilot reached behind him, whipping out the beam rifle mounted on his back, firing. Gaia thrustered to the side. When she landed she reclaimed her lost rifle and kicked off again just before the second shot tore into the ground.

Athrun and Cagalli could only stare wide eyed at the power and speed of the newcomer. Sting came out from his cover and fired his beam rifle twice. The reciprocating shot destroyed his cover instantly and he hid behind some more wreckage. "Another new model? Gundam?" Activating his onboard computer did him no good. "What's going on? There's no data on this thing at all! Auel!" As they began to regroup, Durandal power walked his way towards the Minerva.

"Tch! This one…!" Stellar growled as the enemy split his swords apart and swung them both down at her. She jumped into the narrow space in between and whirled around in BaCOE form, firing her overhead cannons. As the red and white Gundam turned around, he caught the attack on the small shield on its left arm before hurling the long sword in his right at the girl. In a bout of quick thinking, she transformed and placed the shield in front of her. The impact sent her flying.

"Shinn!" A communiqué from the Minerva opened on his screen. "Your orders are to capture them! You get that, don't you? They're our suits after all!"

"I know that!" He shot back. "But I'm not sure if that's possible as things stand."

The captain spoke into her phone at the same time. "If they're on a seizure mission, there should be a carrier somewhere outside. Any information?"

"I don't have all the details, but it doesn't seem like there's any movement. Please make recovery your top priority."

"Eeehh!" Stellar went on the attack, swinging her saber wildly. He easily dodged them and retaliated, pinning her sword against his and his shield.

"Just how did we manage to let the enemy steal them so easily?!" He snarled.

On the bridge an answer never came as Arthur gasped, entering the room was the most important man in the PLANTs. Turning her chair around, the captain's eyes went wide. "Gichou!"

"Situation report! What's going on here?!" He spoke without even a greeting.

Outside of the colony, a metallic shadow shimmered. Inside of the hidden battleship, a man in an Earth Alliance uniform, wearing a full headed helmet and mask, looked at his watch. Two black Alliance Dagger suits tapped their maneuvering thrusters, heading for the spaceport. The watch hit 1:00 PM. "Yosh! Let's go! Discretely, that is."

"Gottfried, TEI!" The ship's captain ordered. Four beams of thick green energy emerged from nothing, tearing straight through a Nazca class battleship. They had no warning before the entire crew was lost to the explosion. As the initial attack was still being felt, the element of surprise was with the ship that emerged from its mirror-like coating, sending countless missiles and more beam volleys into the vacuum.

"Unknown battleship has been spotted, attacking our troops!"

"What?! Sortie the Lesseps classes. Hurry!" As one of such began its exit run, the Daggers came around the corner at full burn and leveled their cannons at the bridge. The captain was vaporized as a missile exploded. One of the engines was taken out, sending the ships propulsion off balance, and the other active engine veered straight into the control tower, disintegrating everything and everyone inside.

The explosion rocked the entire colony. "Nani?" The captain looked around as all the others let out their own expressions of surprise.

"That was…" It clicked in Cagalli's brain.

"An attack from the outside. The port, maybe?"

Shinn brought his blade down on Gaia, as Stellar guarded with both her shield and sword. "Hwaaaaaahhh!"

"Stellar!" Sting thrust forward. The girl slid the blade away and jumped backwards.

"Uh?" Shinn's proximity alarm went off and he looked over his shoulder. "Kgh!" Chaos leapt up and let Abyss directly behind him take the shot with his core cannon. Impulse jumped to the side just in time. "Ou!" The grunt got stuck in his throat as Chaos turned on the sabers in its feet and slammed down just after the opposing suit jumped backwards. Sting lined up a shot and fired, Shinn raising his shield just in time. "Geeehh!" His alarm went off again as he looked to his left. "Uh!" Gaia came up to him and swung for the chest. Impulse ducked under the attack and jumped away.

"Reeeeaaaaahhh!" Her second attack ricocheted off the shield.

"Gwaaaaahh!" Impulse was sent to the ground.

"Uh!" Athrun gasped as he instantly went to adjust his settings.

"Athrun!" Cagalli urged him on.

"Hang on tight!" He grunted.

Auel skidded up behind Impulse and raised his melee weapon. "I've got you!"

The ZAKU bounded forward. "Hheeyy!" He charged the suit head on. "Ghhh!"

"Nani?!" Auel gasped as he was flung back. In reciprocation his core cannon went off, slamming into the ZAKU's shield, and flinging the mobile suit into the wall of a building.

Cagalli yelped and fell into Athrun's arms. "Uh? Cagalli!" He gasped as he pulled his hand away from her head, moist with fresh blood. He immediately took to the skies before the second attack came.

All of them switched to an aerial battle. Shinn gripped a boomerang above his shoulder and hurled it at Gaia. The machine blocked the shot and rolled away. Abyss took it's place. "Eeeh! Why you!" He opened up his shoulder shields and sent six midoric beams hurtling his way. Impulse shoved its shield into one of the beams and the others completely missed him, but tore into the allied mobile suits below. Shinn gasped at the scene before turning back to the battle in anger. "One more push! Geh!" He winced as a beam hit his shield and forced him away.

Sting looked to his side as two more ZAKUs, one white, one red, closed in. The red one's pilot was the miniskirted girl from before. "You little… don't look down on us because you took our suits!" She fired her rifle at Gaia, the blonde pilot twitching the controls to skit away. Sting turned away to follow her as Auel covered the rear, firing his projectile cannons at them. "Ah!" The female redcoat gasped as she realized their tactic.

"You're not getting away!" Shinn yelled. "Minerva! Force Silhouette!" He broke through Auel's barrage. The white and red ZAKUs followed, but the red one's engine blew, sending alarms cascading through her systems. She had no choice but to back off.

'This scene….' Athrun sighed internally as he landed by the emergency camp. 'It's like an entire horrible déjà vu.'

"B Block won't do! All working machines, dock with Minerva!" An XO issued orders.

"Uh?" Athrun targeted where he pointed. "Minerva?"

From said ship, yet another platform was raised to the deck, this time, with different equipment on the guidance pod. "Silhouette Flyer, sestsu. Go ahead!" The engines roared to life and it shot out of the catapult, the folded wings extending fully once it was clear.

"Eeeeehhh!" Stellar aimed all of her weapons at the colony wall, which absorbed the blast.

"Kuso!" Shinn grunted as he pulled both boomerangs from their casings at once, sending them flying at the machine. Auel stepped to the side and fired all seven of his beams into the path, destroying the weapons.

The white ZAKU whipped out its beam axe and slammed it into Abyss's scythe. The thief kicked it twice, and opened up its shields, sending multiple beams his way. "Kgh!" The blonde pilot hissed as he attempted to evade.

Chaos came up behind Impulse in its speedier mobile armor form. It released its gunbarrells from their moorings, firing beams from two different directions, each of which Shinn had to block with his shield. Raising his sword to attack the main portion, he didn't get enough momentum, and Chaos snapped it in half. "Kgh!" Shinn gasped. He was now weaponless. He could only defend as Chaos peppered him with beam spray.

The remaining ZAKU came in from above, forcing Sting to back away as the final Silhouette Flyer approached. "Shinn!" The Gundam pilot rose to meet it as Abyss swooped in, trying to attack the white suit, dodged expertly by the pilot.

Shinn ejected what was left of his flyer, and the phase shift coloring disappeared from its armor. The red and black flyer came up behind him, and clamped onto the shoulders. The phase shift armor returned, but with a new scheme of red, blue, and white. The shield opened up into a larger, full sized version, and the verniers went to full burn. All three enemies jaws dropped as he closed in at incredible speed. "Haaaaaaahh!" From his shoulder, he pulled out a beam saber.

Sting fired his rifle twice, expertly dodged by the speedy suit, before thrustering up at all possible speed. "This one's…."

"He has interchangeable equipment?!" Auel opened up his shields and fired. Two of the beams met Shinn's shield, but they didn't even slow him down. "Uh?!" The shield rammed him, sending electricity coursing through his systems.

Athrun and Cagalli's ZAKU landed in the Minerva's docking bay, with a little trouble, escaping the danger outside, as Chaos fired all four of its weapons into the colony wall, this time burning a hole straight through it. The air began to rush out of the colony, Impulse and the ZAKU fighting against the pull. The three stolen suits went out with all speed. "Kuso!" Impulse turned towards the opening.

"Shinn! Kgh." The blonde boy ran after him.

As Athrun lowered the poor girl from the suit, the red ZAKU's pilot gasped. "Who the hell are those people?" An MP drew his weapon. "Give me that!" She took it from him immediately. "You two over there, freeze!" Athrun immediately but himself between Cagalli and the weapon-toting girl.

"We can't lose Impulse as well." The captain of the ship stood. "Minerva must launch!"

"Minerva, launch sequence start." Arthur's voice was heard over every intercom. "This ship will now be in combat status."

"System control, all hands at attention. As of now, LHM-BB01, Minerva's ID code has become active. A55M6 alarm active." Cables retracted from the ship as the hatch below it opened, and the hulk of metal was lowered into the elevator shaft. "Teams two and five, stand by for damage control."

Outside, the unknown battleship grabbed all three of the stolen suits as Shinn scanned the stars. "Damn it… where are they?"

"Shinn, pull back for now! This is far too reckless!" His wingman complained.

On the side of the colony, a red and purple mobile armor sat attached as the masked man observed the two. "So that's why. Looks like I underestimated them a bit." He weighed anchor and went forward at attack speed. The blonde boy gasped as a shocking pressure ran through his brain. Two of the mobile armor's pods released and broke off into different directions. "I'll be taking that machine too!"

The weapons fired, corralling the mobile suit. Shinn turned around just in time to block one blast with his shield. "Geh! Where'd that come from? Uh!" The target vectored in on him at high speed. The white ZAKU went to full burn and blocked the shot of one of the pods. "Ray!"

"What the hell are you doing? If you don't focus all you are is a target! This enemy is far from normal!"

The last sentence, somehow made its way into the other man's brain. "What was… that just now?"

"Kuh!" Ray hissed as he saw the battleship round the corner of the colony.

"Launch gate, complete depressurization. Whenever you're ready, Captain."

"Engines active. Minerva, hashin saru!" The docking clamps released and the red and grey goddess of war was released, unfolding its wings as it went into full battle status.

As Ray and the unknown enemy engaged each other, he saw it. "Battleship?" It sent up flares, red, green, blue.

"Minerva?" Ray was stunned.

"Return signal? How come?" Shinn panted, his hot breath making clouds on his helmet.

"Bogey One is the target! Lower the bridge! Set course to Indigo-Delta! Accelerate by 20 percent." The captain ordered as the entire bridge lowered into a more sheltered area.

"Launcher control eight, load numbers one through four with Niedhardts!" The first officer ordered into his earpiece. "Tristan, one and two, Isolde, activate." The beam cannons calibrated their targets, and three linear cannons rose from an alcove in the bow. "Target: Bogey One!"

"FIRE!" The captain ordered. Missiles hurtled from the ship.

"Evade!" The EAF captain ordered. Its anti-aircraft cannons spun up, peppering the missiles with shrapnel.

The next volley was from the projectile cannons, exploding around the ship just as the mobile armor slid into the barricade net inside the catapult. "Withdraw now, Lee!" He ordered.

As he watched Cagalli's injury get treated, Athrun looked up as he heard the explosions, he himself being watched by the woman who before pointed a gun at him. Minerva fired its Tristan blasts, followed quickly by cannon fire. The speedy enemy dodged and released two propellant tanks from either side of the ship.

"Bogey One has discarded a part of its hull!" The radar man yelled.

"Turn ten to starboard, full speed!" The captain yelled. "Avoid it, now!"

The propellant detonated in proximity to the ship, causing the intelligence officer to scream.

"What the…" Athrun and Cagalli's escort grabbed a hold of the nearest grip.

When the smoke cleared, the enemy battleship was out of sight. ' "Too much power can only lead to another conflict" was it?' Athrun sighed as the battle ended. ' "Power is necessary, because conflict will never disappear" was it? Which one of those two phrases is the right one? But one of them will have to shape this world eventually.' He couldn't help but sigh, as Durandal finally spoke with Cagalli one on one, as emergency repairs to the ship were made.

Within a space graveyard, an abnormal amount of activity was present. "Solar wind velocity: steady. Flare level, S3. Particle arrival estimated in 30 seconds."

A modified GINN watched over the automated robot spiders as they did their work all around. "Particle arrival confirmed. Flare motor activation." Millions of mobile-suit size electronic devices lit up around the wreckage. One of the GINNs saluted. "Junius 7 has begun to move."

The wreckage of the Bloody Valentine tragedy brought worldwide attention when it began to move. "It's accelerated by another two percent!"

"At this rate, it will collide with Earth. Vector zero zero five."

"What in the world would cause this?!"

"The mass is way too large for such a major course change!"

"Someone contact the Chairman onboard the Minerva!"

A call came to the captain's chambers, where Durandal rested in a bathrobe as she answered it. "What is it?"

"Captain." The intel officer answered. "Durandal-gichou has a call from the council on channel one." The twos' eyes met in concern.

Once he received the details he immediately called the other aboard-ship guest into a meeting. "What do you mean…" Cagalli burst. "by saying Junius Seven is moving? Why?!"

"That I don't know." The Chairman answered quickly. "But it is indeed moving, and at a rather high rate of speed. It's on the most dangerous course possible. I have to apologize for bringing you into another accident, but I've ordered the Minerva to Junius Seven the moment repairs are complete." Both the representative and her boyfriend gasped at that. "I hope you can understand the reasoning, Princess."

On the bridge… "Eh?! No way!" The younger Hawke sibling gasped as she looked at the data on her co-worker's screen. "This can't be real!"

"I've gone through the simulations three times. It's going to collide with Earth."

On the Earth, an impromptu meeting at an ancient country club was being held. "Honestly, this is quite the unprecedented crisis. Earth destruction scenario, really."

"Hmph. Hasn't a movie been made like this once?"

"I've seen it. It hits Texas. This isn't even the least bit interesting." The bearded man took a shot on the billiards table.

"Wars I don't mind, but natural disasters are nothing but trouble for us."

The youngest of the club spoke up. "That's why today, I asked you all to gather." The entire room turned towards him. "It's our duty to make what is not interesting, interesting. Let us use this to our advantage."

In the crew lounge of Minerva, Shinn cracked open a can of coffee. "Is it really on a collision course with Earth?"

"Unh." Meyrin nodded, her pigtails flapping in the low gravity. "At least that's what Bart-san was saying."

"But with that, what are we going to do about it?" Her older sister asked anyone around.

"Ue?" One of the younger mechanics grunted, not expecting to be asked directly.

"Is there anything we can do?"

As everyone thought, Cagalli and Athrun walked down the same hallway. "Break it up." The normally silent Ray answered, drawing confusion from the rest of the room.

"Break it up?" Vino's face showed incredulity. "That thing?"

"It's already passed the point of no return. The gravity well will pull it into the Earth, and it's impossible to change the orbit. To avoid a direct collision, it will have to be shattered."

"But it's gigantic!" Youlan complained. "Even breaking it in half it'll still have an eight kilometer diameter!"

"Is it even possible to break something up that big?" Vino looked around. No one answered.

"If it collides, that will be the end of the Earth. Nothing will remain, no living thing will survive." Ray said with a flat gaze.

"Earth… eliminated…."

"Exactly."

"No way…" Meyrin gasped.

"Oh well." Youlan sighed. "If it can't be helped, it can't be helped. If it's beyond our control that is." It was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time, as he began to draw irritated looks. "To be honest, it might make life easier for PLANT. That'll eliminate a lot of hassles."

"KEH!" Cagalli snarled as she charged into the room after hearing it.

"Cagalli!" Athrun was taken off guard.

"How dare you say such blasphemy?!" She scolded, making everyone wince. "'It can't be helped'?! 'It might make life easier'?! Do you have any clue at all? About what would happen to Earth?! How many people would die for the sake of your easier life?! Do you really know what you're saying?!"

Her outburst shook the room as everyone fell silent. "I apologize." Youlan tried to seem meek.

"Khh! Is that how all of you ZAFT think?" Cagalli overstepped in her rage, making even Athrun wince. "We all lived through the war! Suffered through it! Even now nothing's changed?!"

"Stop it, Cagalli." Athrun grabbed her arm. She looked back at him in frustration.

"Huh. Sugarcoating everything has always been an Athha specialty, hasn't it?" An obnoxious tone emerged from the corner of the room. "It's not like it was supposed to be taken seriously, what Youlan said. Can't you see the difference, you?"

"What was that?!" Cagalli hissed at the red-eyed teen.

"Cagalli!" Athrun tightened his grip.

"Shinn, be careful with your words." Ray stared at nothing as he spoke.

After shooting an irritated look at his comrade, Shinn rolled his eyes. "Ah, I forgot. This girl is our distinguished guest, ORB's representative, isn't she?"

"You little!" She wrenched her arm free and began tromping forward.

"I said knock it off, Cagalli!" Athrun re-acquired his hold and pulled her behind him as he stepped forward. "And you are?" He spoke to the boy.

He glared but didn't say a word. Ray answered for him. "Shinn Asuka, Impulse's pilot."

Athrun lowered his brow. "Wearing a red uniform, do you think you're too good to introduce yourself?"

Shinn grunted, but before he could say anything, Ray spoke again. "He is an ORB refugee."

"Eh? ORB refugee?" Cagalli and Athrun's anger was replaced with surprise.

"Eeeh, that's right!" The boy tromped forward, his voice getting louder. "At Onogoro, because of your father, my entire family was killed! My best friend too! We all believed in the nation, and your weak ideals! In the end, we were betrayed!"

"Even so, we promised, right?" The words of a young girl entered his mind.

"Rambling about ORBs ideals on and on…." Shinn's can was crushed in his hand. "You people never stopped to think about how many people would die because of your stubbornness! Well let me add four more people to your list! My mother, my father, my little sister Mayu, and my best friend Adam! You and your father took them all from me!"

Cagalli's eyes began to shudder. "Wh… Adam…."

Shinn took a deep breath and let it out. "I just wish someone who hasn't a single clue wouldn't talk as if they did." He stormed out of the room, not before slamming into her shoulder, hard.

"Uh… oi Shinn!" Vino ran after him as Athrun and the others looked on in shock.

As the Minerva's engines came back online and went to cruising speed, Athrun placed down a drink on Cagalli's desk, the girl staring at it deadpan. Noticing her reaction, Athrun kneeled down next to her. "Try not to think about it, Cagalli. It'll do no good. You knew it would happen eventually, meeting a person like him."

Shinn sat on his bed, searching through a pink cellphone's photo album, seeing pictures of himself, his parents, his sister. He smiled settling on one of him, Mayu, and a boy of about his age with orange hair and brown eyes, all covered with fall leaves.

"But to talk about my father that way..." She gritted her teeth, trying to keep her tears from flowing. "Father always suffered in making those choices. And yet…."

"But nothing can be done. We can't just go and ask him to understand." He gripped the sides of her arms supportively. "Right now, he wouldn't be able to." He thought back to his own rage during Flashing Blades. "Because of that, there's nothing we can do."

"But he…" Cagalli sniffed. "Doesn't understand. I lost my best friend too! Adam… I could never find him! His house was destroyed, there was no record of him evacuating..."

"Oh… so that's it. You know it's probably not the same Adam, Cagalli."

"I know… I know…." Her tears rolled down her cheeks. "I miss him so much… and Fath…." She fell forward, sending the two of them to the floor as she wailed. He held onto her tightly until she passed out, her energy gone.

After making sure she was comfortable, he floated out of the room, to the nearest elevator. It opened up, only to release Lunamaria. "Oh! Is she okay, the Princess?"

"You know, she lost her best friend and many other people important to her, including her father to that war. It's not like she doesn't understand grief." He floated into the elevator and the door shut with the last word. Luna looked to the door, feeling guilty.

"Junius Seven, arriving in 1200." The navi spoke as Athrun was admitted to the bridge.

"Incoming visual." Meyrin pulled it on screen.

"Um?" Durandal noticed the newcomer. "Something wrong, Alex-kun? The Princess?"

He nodded to the man and turned to the captain. "I realize this might be impossible, but I would ask to borrow a mobile suit."

"Eh?" She answered, the entire crew turning to stare at him. "I wasn't sure if you were going to ask that or not, but that is rather impossible after all. Do you really think I can grant that request to a foreign civilian, even if it were under regular circumstances?"

"True." He answered. "But I can't just do nothing in this situation. If you have any type of machine I can use, I beg of you!" He bowed. The captain sighed.

"A name shows everyone that its owner exists." Everyone turned to the Chairman, confused. "But what if the name is actually fake? If the name is fake, would that mean that the existence in and of itself is fake? Is that what it would mean, Alex Dino? No, Athrun Zala-kun."

His eyes opened in shock. "Eeeh?!" Arthur took a step back.

"Gichou…" The boy was speechless.

"Athrun… Zala…" Captain Gladys could only stare at the boy and chastise herself for not figuring it out sooner.

"It's fine, Captain." Durandal smiled. "I'll authorize it. Call it the Chairman's authority in an emergency situation."

"Gichou! That's…."

"It's not like this is in combat. With an operation of this scale, the more machines, the better. And you know his flight record." Any other opposition was silenced as Meyrin received a report. Dearka Elsman and the Meteor Breaker squadron entered the vicinity of Junius Seven.

"Three minutes until mobile suit launch. All pilots standby in your suits. I repeat…." Meyrin's voice echoed in the hangar.

"We're supposed to support the crews breaking it up, right? But what exactly are we doing?" Luna complained to Youlan. "Uh?" She saw another red-clad figure float up to a green ZAKU.

"From what I heard, he's going too. Guess the more the merrier is the motto for this operation." He informed the girl as Athrun pulled himself into the machine.

"Heeeeh? Well, he can handle a mobile suit, that's for sure."

"Eh? Him too?" Shinn got the news from Vino.

"Apparently Meyrin got the big scoop." Youlan leaned against her ZAKU's armor. "He used to be a ZAFT red coat. Heard of Athrun Zala?"

"WHA?!"

The GuAIZ teams moved their equipment into position to land on the moving wreckage. Out of hiding, a black and purple GINN shot its beam rifle into one of them, detonating the breaker and killing the men. "Nani?" Elsman's ZAKU took off just before two blasts tore into the space where he used to be. "What is this? High Maneuver GINNs?!"

Two more GuAIZ were destroyed before the report could make it to his commander, Yzak Joule. "GINNs you say? What's the meaning of this? Who's are they?"

"Unknown. They're not sending IFF signals."

"What?"

"Junius Seven, battle heat detected!" Bart announced the moment it came on his sensors. "Mobile suits! I've also got Bogey One on sensors! Green 25, Delta!"

"Them too?" Arthur blinked as Meyrin relayed it to the pilots.

"What's going on here?" Athrun spoke.

"I have no information." Meyrin answered. "Even so, this ship's mission to render assistance to the Joule Team is unchanged. Once you get battle equipment, launch immediately."

Her big sister came on the line immediately afterwards. "How long's it been since you've been in a real battle? Don't worry, Athrun Zala. All of us will watch your back."

He let out his irritation through his nose. "Don't say stupid things."

"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor, ikkimas!" Shinn's speedy ship barreled out of the central catapult.

"Ray za Burrel, ZAKU, hashin salu!" His checklist went off, and the catapult skids shot him and his Blaze wizard pack into the vacuum.

After linking up with her gunner pack, Luna slid her visor down. "Lunamaria Hawke, ZAKU, deruwayo!"

Athrun decided on the spare Blaze wizard, and it locked into place. "Course clear. Launch when ready." Meyrin confirmed.

"Athrun Zala, deru!"

The bridge doors opened to admit ORB's representative. "They're using GINNs, those insurgents?" The Chairman asked.

"Hai."

"But why would they fight us?" Arthur pondered. "Is Junius Seven's orbit change caused by these guys?"

"Eh?" Cagalli grunted in surprise.

"Just what kind of fool would do that?"

"Princess…." Durandal motioned for her to take a seat.

"A…Ah…." She floated into a chair in front of the map table. "What was that conversation about?"

"Exactly what you heard. The situation has become much worse than we assumed." From the Joule teams' battleships, weapons packs were catapulted out of the bay, before the commander himself shot from the ship in his custom blue Slash ZAKU Phantom. "Though their intent is unknown, it's an unavoidable situation. We need to contact Bogey One somehow. Can we do it?"

"Uh… maybe…." Meyrin turned to the chairman. "We can try the universal emergency channel, but if they're not listening, they won't get it. I'm sorry I can't do more."

"It's fine, we'll go with that. Inform them of our plans to destroy Junius Seven in an effort to keep it from falling to Earth."

"Hai."

The weapons packs burst apart, sending beam rifles to the GuAIZ teams. One such unit caught one and whirled around firing into the GINN formation. The lead one pulled out its sword, raising its shield to deflect the blast. With a hard swing, the attack bit into the armor, and the GuAIZ pilot screamed before the machine blew.

Dearka's ZAKU forced back the safety on the on his buster cannon and let loose a devastating blast, totaling an asteroid one enemy was using for cover. "Just who do these bastards hail for? They've mastered those GINNs inside and out!"

Yzak's ZAKU came forward rifle blazing, forcing one of the enemies away from a Meteor Breaker team. "Work crews continue with demolition! The rest of you defend them! We're running low on time!" He pulled back before a GINN fired at him. His reciprocation pierced the cockpit. Three new signatures blared on their screens, the Gundams stolen from Armory One.

"Don't joke around! What the hell are you doing in a place like this?" Sting snarled as he maxed his throttle.

"So it's your fault, making this thing move!" Auel yelled.

Chaos switched to mobile armor form, launching its pods while Gaia shot its weapons into one of the GINNs. Sting's attention turned to the GuAIZ, as a distracted suit was caught in the back. Abyss fired all its weapons into a Breaker, destroying everything, including the three mobile suits escorting it.

The reinforcements from Minerva finally reached the battlefield. "Tch, it's them again!" Shinn hissed, boosting forward.

"Those three units are going down for sure!" Luna snarled, itching for the battle that she never got to participate in the first time.

Athrun chastised them both. "Battle isn't our current objective!"

"I know that, but if they're attacking us, we've got to shoot back! If we don't take them out, then we won't get any work done!" Athrun grunted, realizing the validity of her statement.

"Eeeeyyy!" Shinn fired his rifle, Abyss quickly moving its shield into place.

"Oopsy!" He smiled, turning back around, letting his shoulder cannons fly. Impulse slid out of the way, sending a shot across its side, rolling just in time to avoid a core cannon shot.

It became a catfight as Luna and Stellar spun around each other, trying to make a hit. "Eeeey!" Stellar cried as Luna yanked out her beam axe. The black Gundam was too fast however, and her leg was sliced off. However she did manage to slice in half Stellar's beam rifle.

Another Breaker unit was under attack. Athrun slid between them and the enemy, destroying the GINNs main camera with an expert shot, a leg next on the list. He looked to the side as two more came at him full burn. His training in Justice returned as he flipped over the beams, firing the entire time. He turned away from one that came within inches and pulled an impossible shot from behind the back that totaled one beam rifle. The second GINN's main camera was next, and it retreated. As the first GINN switched to its sword, its arm was suddenly detached from its body. Now weaponless, it retreated.

Chaos came in on another Breaker formation. "KUSO!" Athrun turned around and began to unload.

"Uh?" Sting shrugged as he released his pods. The ZAKU barrel rolled around one attack, and swinging around the back caught another with his rifle.

In the midst of the explosion he came up to the enemy, gripping his beam rifle arm. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

Chaos raised its head and fired its machine guns. The ZAKU balled its fist and slammed it into the chest, and repelling away. "Just who is this guy? He's strong!"

The entire world watched the sky, praying for a miracle. As the orphans played on ignorant to the situation, Kira's mother and the reverend who ran the orphanage listened to the latest press release. Outside, Kira looked blankly towards his beloved and confidant, hearing the news just fine from the chair he was sitting in.

Two Breakers drilled into the wreckage of Junius Seven, detonating in large explosions when they reached a certain depth. The leader of the rebels twitched. "Kuso! I won't let you do it! It will survive!"

"Eehh!" Dearka grunted at the new contact. His red and blue blast tore into the GINN's leg. The Breaker that Ray was escorting dug into the ground. With a flash of light, the wreck began to fissure, splitting the creation into two parts. The heavier piece slowed down as the smaller one continued on its course. "GREAT! We did it!"

"But it's not over yet!" Athrun spoke quickly, pushing his thrusters to the limit. "It still needs to break into smaller pieces!"

"A…Athrun?!" Dearka gasped.

"You prick!" Yzak growled. "Just why the hell are you out here?"

"Does that even matter right now?"

"Tch." His attitude changed with a small smile.

"The mission comes first!"

"… Ah!" Dearka agreed, still in disbelief.

"Knew that already, duh!"

Dearka grabbed the nearest Breaker and the others formed up on him. "You're the same as ever, Yzak."

"You should talk!"

Dearka cracked his neck. "Here we go again."

The remaining GINNs began a frontal assault. The commander and former commander broke formation, their beams crisscrossing in space as they played chicken with one another. Athrun's pinpoint shot destroyed a beam rifle. Distracted by the explosion, the GINN never saw Yzak come in with his beam halberd, slicing off both his sword arm and leg before pulling back to avoid the other enemy. His beam spray cannons spun up on his shoulders, forcing the opponent to pull up, to where Dearka's aim was waiting, his beam cannon piercing into and through the mobile suit.

"Those ones!" Auel grunted, firing three of its beams at them as they moved again. Shinn dove after him as fast as he could.

"Yzak!" Athrun yelled.

"Shut up!" Beam rifle and spray cannons met Abyss's shield. Yzak pulled in close. "Or did you forget that I'm the commander now! Don't give orders, you fucking civilian!" His hard halberd swipe slashed Auel's melee weapon in half, as Athrun came up from behind, tearing into his leg.

"Auel!" Sting came in for backup. Athrun was the first to see him, going to full attack speed, forcing him to raise his shield. Within seconds he was missing half his shield as the Slash Phantom… well… slashed. Athrun hurled his beam axe at the enemy, cutting through the beam rifle with ease.

"Incredible." Shinn stared wide eyed. "The Jachin Due surviving pilots, so this is their power?"

Bogey One shot up its retreat flares. The stolen Gundams turned and ran. Seeing it, Cagalli gasped. "Seems like they believed us." Durandal said, relieved.

"It would appear that way at first, but there may be more to it than that." Captain Gladys looked on, unblinking.

"More to it?"

"The altimeter."

"Haaah!" Cagalli realized what she was saying.

"If we continue to fall with Junius Seven, no ship will be able to escape the gravity well." Lunamaria's one-legged suit landed in the bay, herself panting heavily. "I sincerely apologize for this situation, but I must ask you to transfer to the Voltaire."

"Eh?" The chairman was, for once, confused.

"Minerva will continue to descend into the atmosphere, and continue the demolition effort using our main cannon for as long as possible."

"EEEEHH?!" Meyrin and Arthur both gasped. The severity of the statement was too much to bear. "C-Captain… that's…."

"I have no clue just how much we'll be able to do, but if there is something that we can do then we should."

"Talia, that's still…."

"Did you forget that I've been known as a very lucky woman?" She smiled. "Please leave it in my hands."

"I understand. Forgive me, Captain. Thank you."

"Not at all." She saluted. "Now then, you should get going, Gichou."

"In that case, Representative…." The man got up from his seat.

"Notify the Voltaire that the Chairman is coming aboard. Send the return signal to all mobile suits!" Talia turned to the blonde girl at the map table.

"I know you're worried about him, but you should have Minerva take care of it."

"Eh?" Cagalli blinked.

"He didn't tell you?" Durandal was taken aback. "Alex-kun requested to help with the operation. He's out there right now." The young man finished another breaker as the other suits began to pull out.

Cagalli's eyes widened. "Athrun!"

Durandal's shuttle left from the launch bay as quickly as possible. "Attention all hands!" Arthur's voice echoed. "Once we finish recovering the mobile suits, this ship will continue demolition using its main cannon while falling with it into the atmosphere."

"Eh?! That's suicide!" Luna gasped as she emerged from her MS.

The main bridge lowered into the battle bridge. "All crewmembers are to review their re-entry manuals and prepare to take action."

The smaller chunks of the massive hulk began to glow as the atmosphere began to appear. Shinn stared at it for a while, until he saw a lone ZAKU with a Breaker. "Just what the hell are you doing?" He spoke to Athrun. "We've been given the return order, haven't we? Did you get the notice?"

"Ah, I already know. Get back to the ship quickly!"

"You want to get blown up with this rock? Are you fine with that?!"

"Minerva's main weapon won't be as effective at destroying the target from the outside. If only I could start this one up…."

Impulse grabbed the other handle. "Why is a person like you a part of ORB?" The answer never came as a trio of GINNs came at them at full speed.

"GwwwwaaaaaaaaahhhH!"

"We won't let you do any more!"

"They're still alive?!" Shinn grunted. One of them fired its rifle, Athrun's shield deflecting one, as the other slammed into the ground, tipping the breaker over.

"This is the graveyard of my daughter! It must fall or else the world will never change!"

Impulse's beam saber sliced the man in half. "Daughter?!" Shinn gasped.

"What are they…" The ZAKU and a GINN clashed sword on shield.

The leader grunted with the strain. "Have you all forgotten what happened to the people whose lives were thrown away here?! Stop living in that dream world, where the butchers who caused it all laugh, you fucking bastards!" Both Athrun and Shinn were too stunned to speak. "Too many times the Clynes' successors deceived us! They've made ZAFT weak and corrupt!" They broke away from each other. "Why won't you realize it?!" He slammed his sword into the ZAKU's shield, making the armor ring. "The Coordinators true path lies with the choices Patrick Zala had chosen for the world!"

"EH?!" Athrun's chest thumped in pain, remembering the man that ordered GENESIS to fire on the Earth, devastating the atmosphere. He was too shocked to move as the GINN extracted its sword and sliced up his axe arm.

"Uh…aah…" Shinn came to his senses, trying to help his comrade, but another GINN intercepted him. With a quick boost, he was behind the enemy that took a swing at him, removing his sword arm.

In desperation, the GINN clamped its legs around Impulse. "Teeehhh!" The pilot cried before detonating his suit.

"Gyaaaaahhhh!" Impulse fell away.

"Shinn!" Athrun finally came out of his stupor, as the GINN's head flew towards the Breaker. Hitting it was just what it needed to start up.

"Re-entry sequence, phase two!" The ship's wings folded in as the heat began to increase.

Kira stood on the beach in the night, staring at the massive chunk of rock and metal as it fell. His jaw dropped, trembling.

In the red-hot atmosphere, the GINN still continued to come. "The Naturals will feel our sorrow this time for sure!" Athrun turned tail and ran, but the GINN grabbed onto his leg and wouldn't let go. Shinn came in from above, slicing off the leg just above the knee, kicking the GINN away, just before dropping the saber and pulling Athrun away. "Gaaaaaaaahhh!" His GINN slammed into the wreckage, the explosion causing it to fissure even more.

Alarms were blaring on all of Shinn's systems. The hydraulic joints in the ZAKU's hand began to melt, and it's hand slipped out of Impulse's. "Ah!" Athrun was pulled towards the Earth, quickly followed by Impulse.

"Tannhauser, take aim. Target the structure off our starboard bow!" The ship's positron cannon emerged from its internal housing and began charging. "TEI!" At a key point in the rock, the beam hit, sending a large chunk flying off.

Impulse turned around, putting his shield forward. Athrun tried to hide behind his shoulder shield, but the Phantom pack wasn't so lucky, as a piece of it flew off, intercepting a small piece of the colony and exploding. The Minerva fired again, cutting another swath into the rock. "Phase Three has automatically activated!" Arthur and the others were shaken as they lost all visual and audio communications.

In the skies above the planet, glowing rocks painted it a blood red color. "Haro, Haro! Tyandei!"

"Torii!"

Inside Kira and Lacus's bunker, the entire orphanage sat in the most armored room, a small earthquake shaking the facility. "It's all right." Lacus cuddled one. "Everything will be all right."

To calm the sobbing children she began to sing a lullaby she had written. If she had seen the chaos outside, it would have been incredibly morbid. A large chunk tore into the Louver. Nothing remained of Athens when the strike hit the mountain and expanded from there. In China, the rice fields were ruined as shockwave after shockwave devastated the fields. One meteor slammed into and through the Great Wall. Desert landscapes were changed forever. Entire cities were wiped off the map. Anyone on the coasts were doomed, as massive tidal waves washed ashore miles in.

"Woa… this is really incredible!" Auel watched from the ship's observation deck with the others.

"Damn it!" Sting pounded his fist into the sill.

Stellar gripped her sides, quivering. "They're dying… everything is dying?!"

"Unfold wings!" Talia ordered as the ship began to decelerate.

"Wings unfolding. Switching to atmospheric flight mode."

Shinn grabbed what was left of the ZAKU and descended through a cloud, landing roughly behind one of the cannons. "Impulse, ZAKU, landed." Meyrin confirmed. In the gray, churned up seas, the ZAFT goddess of war skidded to a stop, sending up a spray miles high.

"Rome, Shanghai, Gobe Desert, Quebec, Philadelphia, and most of the Northern Atlantic." Durandal stood at the window of his office in PLANT, as his mysterious guest played with one of his chess pieces. "I'm afraid to see the numbers when the death toll stops climbing. Such a horrific tragedy." The female figure said nothing as she sat there, pondering his statement. "But I fear the worst may still have not arrived." He drew his lips tight in mild frustration.

"Two degrees to starboard. Reducing speed by 20 percent." The docking klaxon rang as the damaged and burnt Minerva coasted into ORB's main port of Onogoro.

Athrun could only watch as Cagalli paced impatiently on the bridge. 'Even when two people are dealing with the same situation, they may wind up interpreting it differently.' He was left deep in thought. 'But in the end they care more about the results than the process that gets them there. And since that is so, we'll be involved in yet another crisis.' An overjoyed blue-haired man, one of the flies that pestered her at the start of the trip, threw his arms around Cagalli as they disembarked. 'A good plant can't emerge from a bad seed. But most people don't think that's true.' After taking a nice long shower to clear his head, Athrun hopped into his sleek black convertible with the lesseps license plate, and hit the road like he was a bat out of hell.

As Athrun slapped his hand on the stickshift, Cagalli's hand slapped hard onto the assembly table. "What was that?! The Atlantic Federation has issued us a treaty to make us their allies?! And you're taking it?! Just what are you thinking, especially at a time like this?!"

"The times we're in is exactly why, Representative." Cagalli turned to the older man in irritation.

In his secluded room, the man who lead the country club meeting pressed a few keys. "Everyone, in a few moments, should receive something quite important to us. Phantom Pain sent us something rather interesting this time."

"These are… flare motors?" Pictures from the surface of Junius Seven appeared on the screen.

"Such a wonderful trump card, is it not? There won't be anyone left to forgive them after seeing these."

"This is…." Cagalli stared in disbelief at what the council showed her. "Where did these pictures come from?"

"Direct information from the Atlantic Federation. But, PLANT has basically acknowledged this to be the true occurrence." The blue-haired man spoke.

"Those bastards will be wiped out this time, for the preservation of our pure blue world." The overconfident man, speaking the phrase of Blue Cosmos, lifted a glass of wine to his screens.

As Athrun rounded the corner, he recognized a group on the shoreline. Grinding to a halt, he honked his horn at the children gathered around two teens he knew very well. Kira turned around. "Athrun?"

Within a few moments he was in the passenger seat, leaving the care of the orphans to Lacus. "Everyone probably knows by now just what happened to cause it to fall, right?"

"Umh." Kira nodded.

"One of the terrorists said something to me. 'Have you all forgotten what happened to the people whose lives were thrown away here?! Stop living in that dream world, where the butchers who caused it all laugh, you fucking bastards!'"

Hearing it took Kira aback, knowing just how bad that statement would hurt Athrun. "So you fought them?"

"Junius Seven demolition needed some help, so I went out, and they were waiting." He slowed down and parked at the edge of the cliffs where Kira and friends lived after the cottage was destroyed. Athrun didn't even look at the sunset. "That time back here in ORB, you remember it right? 'What should we really be fighting against, and how do we do it?'"

"Umh."

"At that you said, 'We'll look for that answer together.'"

"Umh."

The blue-haired teen gripped the steering wheel tightly. "But I still haven't found it. I'm heading to PLANT!"

"Uh?"

"I just can't leave things where they lay."

"Unh." Kira nodded once more.

As the Minerva was being repaired, Shinn leaned forward on the lookout, feeling numb, while his friends and crewmates of the same age exited the ship in their civilian clothes for some shore leave. Not really wanting to stare at that piece of ground anymore, he went inside, where he ran into Lunamaria. "Auda? Something wrong, Shinn?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Youlan and the others had left, and I thought you went with."

"Eh?" He barely was audible.

"Isn't it great they're letting us disembark? ORB is…"

"ORB is… I can't stand even looking at that country! Just what's so great about that hunk of shit?" He stomped away without even a second look at her.

"Eh?" Luna couldn't grasp what he was getting at at all.

At the Athha mansion, a hoverjet landed, Cagalli and Athrun waiting in the courtyard. "Sorry for leaving you at a time like this." He said.

"Nah, that's fine."

After pausing for a second he put his suitcase down and turned towards her. "The thing between Yuna Roma and yourself, I really do understand it. But that doesn't mean I have to show interest in it." He grabbed her wrist and pulled something from his pocket, sliding it onto the fourth finger of her left hand.

It was a platinum band with hand-carved scrolling, topped with a beautiful ruby. "Uh… EH?!" Her jaw dropped as she stared at him. Athrun couldn't look at the girl, blushing brightly. "Y…you…. No, um…. What kind of way to give a girl a ring is this?!"

"Well sorreee."

After a short process of his reaction, she smiled, a chuckle emerging from her mouth. "Be careful. Contact me, will you?"

"Cagalli too, keep at it." He pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. When they finished, he smiled and turned to the ship. As Athrun's ride took off, Cagalli stared at her ring, slowly tracing it with her fingers.

In the setting sun, a lone figure stepped onto a patch of the ORB coastline, wearing clothes he hadn't touched in years. Staring at the flower garden, Shinn's ears could only hear the sound of gunshots and explosions that riddled Astrays with death and destruction.

"Tousan!" Shinn ran up to his father, his mother and little sister panting hard by his side.

"Honey…" His mother spoke to the man in worry.

"Don't worry, their targets will mostly be military facilities. Hurry, Shinn!"

The Calamity fired three of its beam weapons into the mobile suits on the mountainside. The party screeched as they hunkered down from the explosion. Calamity landed behind them, in its crablike mobile armor form, firing its cannons into the air. Freedom barreled around the attack and reciprocated with its beam rifle. Calamity jumped out of the way as the family continued to run. "Mayu! Keep going!"

The panting girl stumbled on a rock and her pink cell phone tumbled from her bag. "Ah! My cell!"

She stretched for it, but her mother's hand gripped her tightly. "Just leave it!"

"No!"

Shinn dropped his bag without a word and jumped after it, sliding down to the tree it was next to. As he grasped it, Calamity and Freedom clashed with all of their weapons at once. The explosion blew Shinn away hard, flinging him to the concrete of the harbor.

"Kgh!" Shinn squeezed the phone, tears beginning to well in his eyes.

"Help the injured!" A man in a military uniform ran up to him. "Are you okay?!" Shinn lifted himself into standing position, still in shock. "Follow me, hurry!"

"Hah!" He gasped, turning around. "Father… mother…? Mayu?" He looked up to where he was before… or what was left of it. He was blown so far down there was only a pit of rubble left. Looking down quickly, he saw something… his sister's hand next to a rock. "Ah! Mayu!" He ran towards her.

"Oi!" The military man tried to stop him.

"Huah!" Shinn gasped as he got closer. Mayu's dirty, bloody arm was attached to nothingness. Looking up, he saw the rest of her, lying back in a pool of her own blood, her bones shattered. To the right of her was his mother, cast onto a rock covered in blood, her limbs twisted into impossible positions. Higher up, he saw his father, a tree trunk crushing him, as his life ran down the cliff.

Shinn fell to his knees in front of Mayu's severed arm. His voice wouldn't come to him. He reached for the hand, but clenched his fist before he got to it, gripping the earth next to it, tears pouring down his face. He didn't even take notice as two mobile suits stirred up a gust of wind. "You…." The military man reached for him.

Shinn turned around, looking into the skies, his suffering turning to rage as he saw Freedom, Calamity, Raider, and Forbidden going at it in the skies. Clenching his sister's phone, he raised his head into the air. "HEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Shinn shut his eyes tightly as he remembered that day, looking into the same skies that contained his hatred. "Hi. Mayu here!" His sister's voice emerged from the phone. "I'm really sorry, but I can't talk to you right now. I'll try to call you back, so leave your name after the beep. Buh bye!"

"But, we did promise, right?" The line his sister spoke came to his ears again.

A young boy ran his hand through his orange hair. "If only it would be like this forever."

"Huh?" The two Asuka siblings asked from their position, lying on the grassy hill.

"It's just that this moment, right now, seems so perfect." He sighed. "I just want it to stay like this forever."

"Unh." The other two agreed, turning back to the sky, to watch the clouds go by.

"But it won't, will it?" Mayu asked.

"No, it won't." The citrus-haired boy closed his eyes. "The seasons will change, we'll grow up, and attempt to find purposes to our lives."

"Oh great, he's getting all philosophical again." Shinn rolled his eyes. "So, Adam Freud, here's some counter-logic for you. If you know that the perfect moments won't last, then enjoy them to the best of your abilities, while they last."

"I know, and I doubt I'll ever forget today, but," He turned to the two of them. "We'll always be together, right?" The others in the party blinked. "I mean, you know how much I was picked on when I was younger. You two are my only true friends, save one, and she's gone to study abroad. I want more perfect moments, like this, just the three of us."

Shinn closed his eyes and smiled. "What are you going on about, moron? Of course we'll be together."

"Yeah, that's right. We've got a bond that surpasses all. True friendship will always bring us back together!" Mayu balled her fists and nodded emphatically.

"That sounded really cheesy, Mayu." Shinn raised an eyebrow.

"I know, but it's all I've got. And I really mean it too. Let's swear to each other, right here that no matter what happens, we will always reunite, and create more perfect moments."

Adam whispered to Shinn. "She just got all weird and passionate all of a sudden."

"Must be a schoolgirl promise thing." He whispered back. "I've seen it all the time in Anime, just go with it."

"Okay then." Adam put his hand forward. "As best friends, in this place…."

"None loved less than another, we hereby swear..." Mayu's hand was next on the pile.

"To definitely return to this place together…." Shinn added his hand.

"So we can make even more perfect memories." They all spoke at once, adding their other hands to the mix.

A breeze blew through as they sat there. They all blinked in turn. "Does anyone else think that was a bit much?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, I think I may have just got diabetes." Shinn put down his hands.

"I admit that went over my usual quota of cheesiness. Sorry guys." Mayu shrugged.

"Hey! What are you three doing over there?" Shinn's mother waved to them as his dad set the plates on the picnic table. "The food's almost ready, come over and give us a hand, okay?"

"Be right there, okaa-san!" Mayu called back as she stood. "Demo, yakusokushitanda ne?" She tilted her head to the side and let out a small giggle.

Shinn gritted his teeth, staring at the exact same hill, an apparition of the group appearing there, and disappearing as quickly as it came. "Adam, I'm here…." He whispered. "I promised, and I'm here. Where are you?" He looked into the sunset as the tears flew from his eyes. "I promised! I'm here!" Nothing answered him. "Adam, I promised! I'm here!" His voice got louder. "WHERE ARE YOU?! COME BACK! ADAAAAAAAAMM!" He pounded his fist into the concrete, salty water darkening it in circular drops. "Damn it! Come back! You promised me!"

After a few moments to regain his composure, he stood up, taking a deep breath, and letting it out. When he looked to the side he saw another person, with a robotic green bird on his shoulder, looking at him, standing next to a plain stone slab. "Torii!" The creature took off as Shinn turned towards him fully. "Is that… a memorial?"

"Unh." The brown-haired teen nodded. "At least that's what it seems to be. I can't really be sure, since this is my first time here as well. I wanted to make an effort to come here." He looked towards the memorial. "The flowers finally bloomed, but they'll wither soon because of the tidal wave. It washed away most of the ground around here, and now the crashing waves will harm them."

"I guess that means that nature can't be fooled." Shinn spoke, staring at the cliffs. "No matter how beautiful the flowers become, humans will just blow them all away."

"You… are you…?"

From the side, carrying a small bouquet and singing a sad tune, a pink haired girl climbed up between them. Noticing the two boys, she stopped, observing them both. "Sorry about that." Shinn bowed quickly. "I said something strange." He turned to leave.

Kira stared after him as Lacus placed her flowers on the memorial and said a prayer. Afterwards she joined him. "That was?"

"I don't know. But there's something about him that's familiar."

"That's ridiculous!" Cagalli stood in her office as the representatives crowded the desk. "In this kind of situation, they're declaring war?! Just how could they do something that foolish?!"

"Even so, it's the truth. The Alliance, including Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation, has released a unified statement. Should PLANT refuse to meet their demands, they will be classified as a hostile enemy state and viewed a risk to the whole of humanity." Yuna Roma's father spoke to her without wavering. "The EAF also threatens to do whatever it takes to eliminate the threat, and that includes deadly force."

Cagalli stared at him, fear and disbelief etched onto her face.

In space, a massive fleet of EAF battleships drove forward. "44th battle group has completed launch of all machines. Foxtrot November. At this moment, we switch to operation phase six. EAF Daggers filled the emptiness of space with different weapons packs on their shoulders.

On the Minerva, Meyrin's voice echoed throughout the ship. "Condition Yellow announced! Condition Yellow announced! Ship security status is now at level B1. As of now, no outside personnel are allowed aboard ship. All security personnel to your stations."

"War outbreak?" Shinn sat up in his bed, reaching for his pants. "No way!"

As Athrun propelled himself out of the shuttle docked at the PLANT colony of Aprilius, a Nazca class on the intercept team launched a custom orange Blaze ZAKU Phantom from its bay, with multiple GINNs, GuAIZ, CGUEs, and ZAKUs lifting off from the other ships. "The first wave will enter firing range shortly. All weapons free." The pilot of the orange ZAKU narrowed his emerald green eyes.

The GINNs let loose their anti-ship missiles from their launchers. The battle had begun. Mobile suits on both sides began opening fire. A GuAIZ was cut into by a Dagger's beam shot, the explosion sending its head flying away. The revenge was short in coming as the Dagger was pierced through the cockpit.

"Sierra Antares One, launch standby." Yzak's Slash Zaku was dropped onto the catapult. "Launch system engage."

"So in the end it comes to this, just like I thought!" He grumbled. "Sierra Antares One here! Joule Team's Yzak Joule, deruzo!" His machine leaned forward as he pulled away.

"Dearka Elsman, ZAKU, hashin saru!" His machine was next out the gate.

A commander's CGUE took a disarming blow from the hand, as a squadron of GuAIZ teamed up against a squad of Daggers. One Dagger was quickly vanquished by a precision shot from the orange ZAKU. "Good piloting, but you won't live to get any better!" He closed in on a 100m class and fired his beam rifle at point blank range. As he broke off the enemy ship became a misshapen pink cloud and shrapnel.

"Someone get me the defense force commander! Where are they setting up the last line?" Durandal's office was abuzz with activity.

"All spaceports have been sealed off, sir."

"What about a warning signal?"

"The MPs should be prepared if panic breaks out."

"Even if we evacuated, there would be nowhere to go!" He spoke to them all, silencing their questions. "We must protect PLANT at all costs!"

Hidden behind an asteroid, a Reconnaissance GINN was scanning with everything it had. On the other side of the rock, another large EAF force vectored in from above. "Those are…." The pilot gasped as he zoomed in on the Daggers' equipment.

"Message from Polar Orbit patrol. A second force detected with… Mark V nuclear missiles!"

"Nukes?!"

"Gichou!" The word reached his office.

Yzak emptied his rifle into a Dagger. "A nuclear attack force? From Polar Orbit?"

"These are decoys! The real attack is from above!" Dearka changed course.

"Distance to target, 90!" The Daggers dove at high speed, while a squad of Nazca class, one with a bizarre looking equipment pack on it, deployed between them and PLANT.

"All systems, status nominal. Quantum fresnels, terminal one through five, begin multiple targeting coordinates. Operation time, seven seconds. Grid targeting underway."

"Now go! This time for sure, for the sake of our pure and blue world!" A Dagger pilot pulled the trigger, letting the nukes free. The others followed suit.

"Stampeder, irradiate!" The panels on the Nazca's equipment began to sing as they vibrated violently.

From the barrel came a bizarre form of energy, destroying all the fired nuclear weapons within seconds of destroying PLANT. It overtook the mobile suits, and kept going, straight for the ships they were launched from. "The first attack wave has been annihilated!"

"What?"

"That Nazca-class… it's equipment...!" He couldn't finish his sentence as the entire ship, including the spare nukes, was vanquished in an instant. As the council stared at the destruction, Durandal smiled in relief at the success.

"Uaah!" One of the orphans pointed at the sky as purple flashes of light cascaded across the sky.

"Those are…!" Lacus gripped her shawl tightly.

"The lights of nuclear explosions…." Kira gripped the concrete rail tightly as he remembered his fight with the insane men at the end of the first war.

"It can't be…" His girlfriend trembled.

After the battle had finished, ZAFT pushing the EAF back, Durandal finally had time to meet with a certain emerald-eyed teen. "Even though their attack wasn't unexpected, it was an incredible shock." He spoke to the boy frankly. "They forcefully declared war, and then immediately used nukes to attack us. I wouldn't even call this a war."

"Hai."

"The EAF has pulled back for now, but I doubt their plans are over. In comparison, our side has become a state of panic. We were able to defend ourselves, yes, but we still had nukes fired at us again." Athrun gripped his knees tightly, hissing.

"There wasn't even an alarm!" One man said. "Why didn't they do anything?!"

"Why didn't the Council do more to stop this from happening?!"

"Think of what would have happened if even ONE of those missiles hit us!"

Athrun was hesitant to speak, but he did so nonetheless. "What about PLANT's view? They attacked you, declared war upon you… PLANT… what is it's intention when it comes to dealing with this?" After a long pause, Durandal sighed, staring at the screens.

Panic was beginning to set in the streets. "I can't handle another war! Not again!"

"It can't be helped! They'll just attack us again if we don't do something!"

"We have no other choice but to fight!"

Finally having his answer formulated, the Chairman answered. "If we retaliate in reciprocation to their attack, then the world will again begin the endless waltz of war. We both realize that. It goes without saying that I wish to avoid that, but the situation is very grave. There's no denying that fact. Now realizing what we had kept from them, they're rising up in anger, saying 'I won't forgive them!'" Athrun winced. "Just what should we do here?" The boy bit his lip.

"Vengance!" A man cried.

"To protect us all… I'll fight!"

"If we wait to take action, it'll be too late!"

"There's no more time to take the diplomatic route!"

"But…" Athrun clenched his fists "But even so… I beg you, Gichou! Being blinded by anger and hatred, we can't fight each other like that! At this rate the world will be enveloped in a battle of meaningless sacrifice! I beg of you not to let that happen!" He once again returned to the Flashing Blades battle, where he lost Nicol, and almost his own life.

"Alex-kun…."

"I am… I am Athrun Zala!" His voice was weak with pain as he announced it, a feeling that the older man didn't expect. "Two years ago…the man who fanned the flames of war into an inferno and saturated the world with his poisonous hatred was my father! I believed in his words as the truth, fought for him, taking the enemy's lives away, and I even tried to kill my best friend! When I realized all the mistakes we had made, there was nothing I could do to stop him, and I lost everything! Yet even now his words… still linger!"

"Athrun…"

His shoulders trembled as his fists bit into his legs. "That tragedy must never be repeated again! Again…."

"ATHRUN!" It brought him back to his senses, suddenly realizing just how much of his own personal strife he shared in that one moment. He looked up, a bit calmer as the Chairman stood. "I already know what was said to you at Junius Seven by the culprits, from Shinn's report." The boy bent with the weight of the memories. "For you to hear that was beyond cruel."

"No, I disagree." His eyes trembled. "I'm glad I learned it. If I hadn't, I'd again not know anything."

"Iie, that's not true at all, Athrun. You don't have a reason to feel guilty because of their actions. I know that because of the circumstances, you can only think of Chairman Zala in a negative light. That can't really be helped, but was Chairman Zala originally that way?"

"No… he…." Athrun stared at his drink.

"Even the greatest of men can wind up making the greatest of mistakes. Statements they make can easily be misshapen and taken out of context by those who hear it. The listener will always interpret statements into what he or she wants to hear."

"Gichou…."

"The Junius Seven perpetrators lacked a pressure valve to vent their frustrations and anger, using Zala-gichou's words as an excuse. Saying 'We're not mistaken. Why? Because it's what Zala-gichou said, right?'" Athrun gasped, realizing the sense he made. "So please don't let something like this control your life. They were they. Zala-gichou was Chairman Zala. And you're you. Does it really matter that he was your father? Don't let yourself take the blame for something you don't condone. It has nothing to do with who you are, and everything with what you want to be."

"Gichou…." He stood up to meet him eye to eye.

"You're your own person, who came here with the greatest of missions, to stop a war that is about to happen. Since that's so, everything else is fine. The responsibility isn't yours to bear, so stop taking it on." Athrun looked away, speechless.

The crowds in PLANT were beginning to mob, creating anti-earth signs and parading in the streets. Then every broadcast was switched over to an eye-catching animated Haro. The picture switched to an even more eye-catching teenage girl with long bubblegum-pink hair. "Everyone!" She spoke, and they turned towards the monitors, even Athrun. "I am… Lacus Clyne."

"Ehh?" The blue-haired teen gasped at the screen.

"I beg of you to please calm down and listen to my words." The video zoomed out enough to show off her rather busty figure.

"Lacus Clyne?"

"It IS Lacus-sama!"

"Why is she speaking now?"

"This latest tragedy with Junius Seven, the EAF's declaration of war, and the sudden attack on our homes are all indeed severe, sad, and tragic. I sympathize with all your thoughts and feelings of shock and resentment to their nuclear strike. Even so, I beg of you to think it through clearly with a calm heart and mind!"

Athrun turned to the Chairman in disbelief. "If you want to laugh, go ahead." The older man said, smiling. "I know you'd be able to tell… the difference that is."

As she began to sing a calming tune, the crowds lowered their signs and weapons. "If Lacus Clyne says it…"

"True…."

"Yeah, we're not thinking."

"That girl's words are true."

"I… managed to hear her words at Jachin Due…."

"It's foolish, I admit…." The Chairman sighed. "But that girl's talents are very valuable to me right now. I'm in need of your talents as well."

"My… talents?"

"Could you come with me for a bit?" The taller man spread a large smile. Without waiting for an answer he walked out of the room.

They floated into a restricted area, landing on a platform. With a quick signal by the Chairman, the lights were turned on, to reveal a brand new gray mobile suit with the head of a Gundam. "This is…"

"'I want to entrust this machine to you.' What would your reaction be if I said that?"

"And just what are you implying with that? Do you want me to return to ZAFT?"

"Hmm… Not the way I'd put it. I simply want to give you the unit, as I stated. Of course, from the official point of view, it would be just like you said. My attitudes towards this incident are exactly what my 'Lacus Clyne' is saying. Even so, in this world, thoughts of opponents, humans, and organizations tend to get scrambled. It's not easy to get things to go in the direction you want them to. It's almost like bumper pool. If I can do it, I'd like to avoid the war. Even with that, I can't just sit around and wait for PLANT to be vanquished. If that happens, I think you need to be someone with strength backing him."

"Uh… Gichou…."

"I know this sounds rushed. The human heart can't decide things like this in an instant. However, what you can do, and what you want to do…." He pushed off and floated towards the door. "Those are things only you know the best."

Athrun had a lot on his mind as he entered his hotel lobby. Unbeknownst to him, a certain girl that everyone knew, and yet didn't know, was waiting for him. "Hey, hey, hey!" A little red ball spoke as it bounced on the table.

"Athrun!" He turned to the voice, and a flustered Lacus Clyne ran up to him, desperately trying to keep her skirt from falling off, throwing herself into him. "Welcome back. I've been waiting here for you."

"Eh?! Um… you… uh…."

"Mia… Mia Campbell." She whispered as she pulled to within inches of his nose. "But remember to call me Lacus whenever others are around." She winked at him as he looked at her in disbelief.

"Haaaah." He sighed as he walked around her. She would have nothing of it as she grabbed his free arm and yanked. "Gaaaahh!" He hopped on one leg as she continued to guide him.

"Say, you haven't had dinner yet, right?" She pressed his arm deep into her cleavage. "I'm guessing not. So let's get something to eat together!"

"Eh?! No, um…"

"Athrun is Lacus' fiance' after all, right?"

"Well, not since two years ago…." He muttered under his breath, resigned to his cruel fate.

"Let's see…" Mia opened up a menu as Athrun sat down. "Athrun, which do you like, the meat or the fish?" He just stared at her, not answering, studying her completely, comparing her to the memories of the real one he had cared for. Suddenly her head snapped up. "Ah! That's right!" She tried to look cute behind her menu. "You were watching my performance today, right?"

"Uh?"

"How'd I do? Did I do it right? Like her?" Her Haro opened its flaps in expectation too. Athrun only turned to the window. "Was it that bad?"

"Haro?" It sighed sadly.

"Uh… no. That's not the case at all."

"Heh? Seriously?!"

"Ah…." He stared at the night view of the city again. "You look like her twin, near identical. No one could tell from a simple glance."

She squeaked, her mouth opening wide. "Oh! That makes me glad! Thank God!" She began to squirm in her seat in enjoyment, and her Haro copied her every move. "Coming from Athrun, it means the world to me!"

"I understand! You understand! Thank you very much!"

She was the only happy one, as Athrun bit his lip before sighing, a bit guilty. Making it halfway through the meal was a bit difficult for him, but he managed. "You know, I…" The girl put down her silverware. "I've been Lacus-san's fan foreeeeeever! Singing her songs was always a favorite pastime of mine. That's when they started telling me I sounded like her. Then out of the blue, the Chairman called my house."

Athrun sighed again. "And the result is what I see before me?"

"Hai!" She nodded emphatically. "He said he wanted my strengths for PLANTs sake, so…."

Athrun's brow furrowed. "Your talents aren't what he needs, they're Lacus'." It was a stinging blow.

The girl suddenly lost her appetite. "That's probably true… but for now…." Athrun turned to her in surprise, figuring her to be totally deluded to the situation. "No, It's not for now alone, Lacus-san's talents are needed everywhere, for everyone, everywhen. Strong, beautiful, kind. Mia isn't really needed by anyone."

"You…." He stared at her in shock.

"Even so, as long as I'm here now it's fine! If I can help everyone and the Chairman for the absent Lacus-san, then that's perfectly alright with me! Athrun, I'm glad I got to meet you too!" He didn't react. "You know a lot about Lacus-san, right? Could you tell me more about her? What things she knows, what things she likes, what things she doesn't, what things she's good at, etcetera etcetera." He thought back to his own loved one and slammed his glass down, thinking back to the silhouette of the Gundam.

In the Council strategy meeting, everyone applauded as Durandal stood. "Then, by the unanimous vote of the Supreme Council, we hereby approve the plan submitted by the National Defense Committee."

In Earth orbit, drop pods began to set up, mobile suits attaching themselves to the inner latches before becoming enclosed. "The 12th Battlegroup's rendezvous point is now Ritardent Niner."

"Second squadron, finish your loading procedures immediately."

"However…." The Chairman spoke up again. "May I remind you that we are simply asserting our right to an aggressive self-defense. It is my sincerest wish that the weapons we wield will lead to the end of all conflict!"

"N… no way…." Cagalli read the decree.

"Asserting their right to aggressive self-defense, huh?" Yuna summed it up for her. "War is an untamed beast. Who knows what will happen when it's released. We will then sign the treaty with the Atlantic Federation."

"Ugha?!" She lifted her head up quickly, in total shock. The position of the others were solid. She couldn't stop them, and she knew it.

"Additionally, I believe we should begin to consider measures we should take to curtail citizen outrage or rioting at our next meeting. I'll introduce a draft law to the board for you to consider." He bowed.

"Time limit, huh?" A coffee loving man with a very colorful shirt and a tiger-headed cane walked over to an old-fashioned radio transmitter. "Minerva, are you receiving me? Time is running short. ZAFT will soon being their descent operation."

"It's coming through one of the older secret channels." Bart said to the captain as he played the message. "He's been doing this for a while now."

"When that happens, ORB won't have a choice but to move. The white chip stuck between two blacks will flip over to black itself. Leave before it's too late!"

The water was pumped into Minerva's dry dock. "Launch will proceed on schedule. All hands, submit your final check reports quickly." Meyrin announced as the golden-haired Representative got out of her vehicle and boarded the ship with security escort, wanting to speak to the Captain one last time. "Gunnery Team B, you're assigned to bank three. Condition Yellow announced. Pilots to the briefing room."

"The ZAFT defense operation, when's that starting?" Shinn asked his fellow pilot.

"How the hell would I know?" Luna was still a little bitter at his treatment of her the other day.

Cagalli rounded the corner and noticed the boy. "Uh?!"

"HAH! What the hell are you doing here?! Back then, the EAF had attacked ORB, and you're making them an ally?!" Shinn snarled as she looked away, suffering. "Can you people become any greater assholes?!"

"No… this…"

"If you're making ZAFT the enemy, I'll be the one to destroy ORB this time! This latrine of a country…" He once again slammed his shoulder into her as he passed. She could say nothing as he passed, the others rushing to follow.

"FCS, contact." Arthur spoke from his station. "Power bus, online. Gate released."

"Ahead slow." Talia ordered. "Minerva, begin launch!"

"Zenshin bisoku." Arthur echoed. "Minerva, hashin!" The goddess of war's engines came to life as the water rippled around the slowly departing ship. Cagalli was the only one to see them off.

In PLANT, Athrun gripped the Haumeiya life stone that the girl had given him years ago. It had saved his life many times, and he hoped it would guide him this time.

Yuna looked to the sunset as Cagalli sat in her office chair, numb. "It can't be helped, Cagalli. Ideals don't exist in politics, only reality." He knelt down next to her chair. "You tried your best. You were thrust into the Representative position, but you know everyone in ORB loves you."

"Yuna…."

"Because of that, you should relax a little. You know I'm here for you. I'll be your support, as your husband."

"Eh?!" His words sunk in quickly as the expression returned to her face, one of fear and surprise.

"Hai… I desire to make an appointment with Durandal-gichou." Athrun spoke into his hotel phone.

"Multiple heat sources ahead of the ship. Distance: 20!"

"Eh?" Both the captain and first officer turned to Burt's station.

"Acquiring match. This is… an entire fleet… EAF fleet! A moment…. An ORB fleet is approaching from the stern, spreading out across their boarder."

"Heh?!" Meyrin gasped, switching screens to check his readings.

The bridge was lowered into battle position. "All hands, this is Captain Talia Gladys speaking."

"Hurry with the final checks!" The chief mechanic ordered the scrambling jumpsuits.

"Currently, an Earth Forces fleet, including four carriers has been deployed dead ahead. And to our rear, an ORB fleet sits in wait, shutting their doors to us."

Luna screeched to a halt. "Four carriers? What are we, a super-ship?"

"ORB is behind us?!" Shinn joined her.

"The Earth forces most likely heard of our departure and set this net to trap us. ORB then turned the key and locked the door shut. Therefore we have no other choice but to break through the enemy ahead of us. This will most likely be the hardest battle you have ever faced, but it is imperative we break the line. Please be prideful in the fact that you are the Minerva's crew and will never give up until the very end!" Vino cringed at the situation, only to get stared down by his crewmates.

"Kuso!" Shinn raced for his cockpit as the carriers launched brand new Windam model mobile suits, the next generation of the Dagger.

"Catapult, energy nominal. Course clear." Shinn's machine was raised to the launch deck. "Core Splendor, launch! Go ahead."

"Shinn Asuka, Core Splendor, ikkimas!" Within seconds he was barrel rolling out of the ship.

Ray's ZAKU stepped out of the gate and landed behind the Tristan on the port side. Lunamaria's unit slammed onto the starboard side, her beam cannon already primed for firing. Ahead of them, three of the escort ships shot their cannons, sending explosive pillars of water around the ship. "Isolde, launcher one! Numbers one through four, Parsifal… TEI!" Arthur ordered, as the port launchers ignited their missiles. The cannons shot their shells, the backlash sending a wave rippling from the ship. One of the shells hit its target, sending one of the speedier ships to a watery grave at sea. A Parsifal detonated on target, destroying the bridge of one of the ships.

In midair, Shinn unleashed beam blasts from his rifle, rending a hole into the chest of a Windam. Turning around, he slid past a reciprocation shot, shoving a blob of energy particles into another's cockpit. As mobile suits surrounded the ship, Ray and Luna shot their weapons at anything that moved. "Mobile suits, approaching from 3 o'clock high! Number: three!" Burt reported as fast as he got the reading.

"Evade! Portside 10 degrees!" Talia yelled.

"Eeehhhh!" Luna leaned forward as her cannon went off.

"Kgh!" Ray hissed as his mobile suit leaned forward, launching his missile pods and dispatching with two Daggers, a third releasing missiles from its flight pack before it too was destroyed.

The CIWS anti-air guns were left to take care of the missiles, however one got through the guard and hit the bow's armor plate, shaking the ship. "Gyah!" Meyrin was thrown across her terminal from the attack.

"Kgh!" Shinn hissed. "In a place like this…" He whipped out the beam saber from his shoulder, pulling up to a mobile suit before it could react, splitting it down the middle. "You really think you'll take me down?!"

From the fourth carrier at the back of the fleet, the launch deck opened up. "Zulu-01, lift up. B80 personnel, evacuate to the bunker after the machine has been guided out. Course clear. Launch when ready." A giant metallic creature was elevated to the deck, a big green cross between a beetle and a crab. Its huge verniers came to life, lifting it of the deck. Once clear it went forward at incredible speed.

"Unknown approaching!" Burt spoke quickly.

"Pulling up a visual!" Meyrin got the coordinates and switched the screens.

"What the hell is that?" Arthur gaped at it.

"Mobile armor?" The captain made a guess.

"Something that big?! It's larger than the escorts!"

"If that thing gets close to us, it's over! Arthur, Tannhauser active! Wipe it out with the fleet on that side with one shot!"

"Eeehh?!" Arthur stared at her in disbelief.

"Do you want us to sink?"

"Hai! Erm… iie!" He turned back to his controls. "Tannhauser active! Switching to linear controls!" The Minerva's positron cannon was lifted up out of its hatch, lighting up as the energy charged. "Target: Enemy Mobile Armor!"

"Energy signature of a positron cannon confirmed." One of the three pilots of the giant flying crab reported.

"Spread the Positron Reflector immediately! Adjust the reflection angle towards the enemy ship." The armor pitched forward, pointing its back spikes straight up. On the tips of those spikes glowed a purple energy that spread into an energy web in front of the ship.

"FIRE!" Arthur ordered, and the thick red and blue beam erupted from the ship, sending plasma explosions into the air as it went. It met the armor head on. The power pushed the enemy back, past the escorts it was trying to protect. They were disintegrated in the explosion that sent smoke billowing a mile high.

As the ship was showered with the spray, Luna, Ray, and Shinn looked on in amazement at the power of their own ship's cannon. However, when the smoke cleared, most of the fleet still remained, and the mobile armor floated in front of them all, almost laughing at them. "The Tannhauser… no way… it countered it?!" Shinn could hardly believe it.

"Turn 20 to port! Full speed! Tristans, target the enemy ships to port!" Talia barked orders as if unfazed.

"But, Captain, what about that thing out there?!"

"I'm open to suggestions!" She snapped at him. "Malik, I'm trusting you with evasion from hereon."

"Hai!"

Impulse's beam saber thrust forward as he dove for the mobile armor. "Teeeaaahhh!" The enemy pulled back quickly, evading the attack like it wasn't a huge megaton hulk of metal. "Just what is this thing?" He turned around and attempted another charge.

"Claws, unfold!" The giant crab now really looked like a crab, stretching out two large metal claws that began to glow red hot.

"Ah!" Shinn pulled backwards as fast as possible, attempting to evade the deadly weapons.

"But really, that's some amazing weapon…." A man in ORB's military command center commented, as Yuna Roma looked on at the battle.

"To think it actually defeated a positron cannon."

The door opened to admit Cagalli. "What are you doing?" She sneered at the other representative.

"Um? Cagalli?"

"Yuna… what is going on around here?" The entire base saluted her as she gasped. "Minerva is… fighting them? The EAF?"

"Correct. But outside ORB's boundaries."

Another Dagger released its missiles, one getting above the CIWS, slamming into the starboard catapult. "Tristan, TEI!" The twin green beams erupted from the port cannons. The mobile armor just deflected it.

Shinn took another shot that simply bounced off the beam shield. In an answer to it, the giant insect fired six beams at the Gundam. "What incredible power it's got! This is overkill!" His battery monitor began to put a warning beep.

"Impulse power, in the danger zone!" Meyrin also got the advisory.

"Seven o'clock, mobile suits, four!"

Luna turned around. "Ray!"

"Tch!" He hissed as he reloaded his rifle cartridge, quickly shooting at a Windam that released its missiles. Luna's beam cannon was unleashed, rending the enemy completely through.

"Minerva, closing in on our borders. They'll cross the line in two minutes."

"Issue an advisory." Yuna ordered the man. "And then fire some warning shots! Make sure they don't cross into our waters! If they continue, a direct attack is authorized!"

"You're going to block the Minerva from retreating into our territory?!" Cagalli gasped. "Then they won't have anywhere to run!"

"But that's ORB's rule. Even then, though we haven't made an official announcement as of yet, we're already going to sign the Atlantic Federation Treaty." She could only stare at him. "Because of that, I'm sure you know of the actions we need to take in this situation." As he spoke a Dagger hit the water hard, rolling into pieces, as the Isolde cannons let loose their payloads once again.

"Even so!"

Yuna whipped around. "This country isn't your toy!"

"Ah!" She was stunned by his curt tone.

"Enough of your sentimental hogwash! Knock if off!"

From the ORB fleet, a military man stared into his binoculars. "So we're becoming the allies with the people that once attacked us and destroy the ship that risked everything to rescue the world, huh?" He sighed as Shinn barreled away from the armor as it lanced two of its beam cannon blasts at Impulse. "I believe the word 'Ingrate' would be best used to describe someone such as that." Shinn tried to return fire, but the beam reflector once again negated the attack. Turning around, it fired back with four of its beam weapons. "But that word probably doesn't exist in politics. Send out the advisory! Aim for the waters directly in front of Minerva. You'd better not hit them even once!"

"Sir!"

"Commander, those aren't our orders." His second whispered to him.

"Like I care? I'm no politician." The ships projectile cannons fired, sending a spray of water onto the ZAFT ship, drawing gasps from all of the bridge crew.

"ORB is… serious?!" Shinn gasped, staring back at them. It was a mistake, as in that moment, the enemy mobile armor grabbed his leg with its red hot claw. "Hagh! Aw, shit!" He began to be dragged down by the hulk. "Gyaaaaaaahhh!" Impulse's power level flatlined at that very moment, and the phase shift armor disappeared. His leg was torn apart as he was swung towards the ocean. "Aaaaaaahhhh!"

"Shinn!" Meyrin peeped.

As alarms blared around him, his eyes rolled into his head. His families bloody remains ran through his mind. ORB was attacking him. The people that attacked his home were targeting his ship. He was about to die. "I can't… I can't be defeated here!" His eyes opened wide, and a small red shape, similar to that of a football, touched water in the back of his mind. It burst apart, firing off neurons that shown brightly with every color in existence. His mind became clear, as he lowered his brow, his eyes completely solidified in red. Without a second thought he pushed his thrusters as far as they would go. The legs of the mobile armor pointed down and fired all their weapons at him. He skidded out of the way just in time, sliding against the surface. He flipped around, diving towards his ship. "Minerva! Meyrin! Deuterion Beam, now!" Impulse rolled as the persistent enemy came upon his flank and fired again. "Also, Leg Flyer, Sword Silhouette, prep for launch!"

"Shinn…!" Meyrin gaped, not knowing what to say.

"Move it! Can you do it?"

"H-hai." She turned to the captain quickly.

"Do as he asks." The woman in command answered without her ever asking the question.

Impulse pulled up into the sky. "Deuterion Beam, irradiate!" From the port side, a thin wire of energy lanced at Impulse's forehead plate. The eyes flashed to life as the power gauge went back to full power. His blue, red, and white coloring returned with a vengeance as he turned around, whipping out his beam saber.

"TEI!" The mobile armor commander yelled. The beam cannons on the front legs erupted. Shinn dove into one of them full bore with his shield. As the defensive measure was blown away, the boy lifted up and came crashing down on top of the machine, slamming his saber into the cockpit. He bailed quickly, as the entire mobile armor began to destruct, one explosion sending it plummeting into the ocean.

Disengaging from his Force pack and damaged legs turned off his Phase Shift, as the new pair flew in to replace it. The Sword pack latched onto his shoulders, the plugin adjusting the power output into a red and white color scheme. "Ghhhrrrrrrr!" He snarled as he pulled out both his Excalibur swords. The entire fleet launched missiles at him, but Shinn boosted above them, landing on the bow of one of the ships. His weapons cut two swaths into the ship before he turned around, crashing the sword through the bridge. Impulse hit its booster again, taking off before the ship exploded, landing on another, plunging his weapon into an armament bay. The missiles inside were cut apart, igniting the explosives, sending multiple crewmembers to their deaths. His crusade continued in this pattern, as the crew of the Minerva looked on in awe. On the final battleship, one valiant machine cannon peppered his armor with bullets that didn't even make a dent. He turned towards it, like a demon enraged. "HaaaAAAAAHHH!" With one swipe he cut through the top half of the ship, taking the cannon with it. "KGH!" He turned towards the ORB fleet with hatred in his solid red eyes. The battle was over.

That night, the orphans in the mansion along the coastline got a very rude awakening. "Lacus!" Kira opened the door.

Outside, a shot was fired, and glass broke. Waltfeld had found an intruder and showed him out the hard way. Another enemy peppered the window with bullets in reciprocation. After the spray was over the former Desert Tiger returned fire.

"Try to keep away from the windows!" Murrue pulled out her own weapon as she escorted the civilians. "Get to the shelter as fast as you can!" She saw movement outside and quickly shot through the windows. The kids squealed in fear.

"It's okay." Lacus spoke to them softly. "Now, let's hurry!"

Confident enough that the danger had passed, Ramius took point, covering the hallway as they crossed. The door burst open and a man in body armor with a silenced machine gun rolled out. The woman fell back just before he let a round of bullets free. "Murrue-san!"

"Get moving!" She said quickly. As the enemy rounded the corner she timed her strike perfectly, swinging her left foot into his face. Twirling around, she shot him in the face twice.

"C'mon!" Kira picked up one of the children and turned him in the right direction.

Waltfeld was having no better a time of it, hunkering behind a bullet-proof table he was pinned to. He dashed out of the room with barely an inch to spare. Murrue covered the entrance to the shelter as the reverend began to unlock it. As the doors opened, Lacus stood up. "Now, let's hurry."

A night vision targeting scope put her ear in the crosshairs. Her Haro bounced inbetween her and her assailant. "I won't admit it! Ittabidakunai!" She caught it in her hands.

"Agh!" Kira gasped, seeing the silencer poking out of an air vent. "LACUS!" He dove for her as the shot was fired. The bullet landed in the wall, whizzing past Kira's ear as they both hit the floor. Both gun-toting members of their team turned towards the vent and emptied their clips. The man's head dropped to the metal, blood running down the wall.

Kira took Lacus's hand and yanked her into the shelter, Waltfelt and Ramius following soon after, pointing their weapons through the door until it closed completely. The access panel receded, an armored plate sealing it tight. The former Archangel captain fell to her knees, panting heavily. "You okay?" Waltfeld asked the teens.

"Hai." Kira answered quickly.

"They're all Coordinators." Murrue managed to get out between gasps.

"Ah. And they're not amateurs, either. They're pros, trained specifically for this mission."

"Kira…." Lacus approached her lover. "Commander Waltfeld, Murrue-san, they were aiming for me, weren't they?" Her eyes quivered in fear. Before anyone could say anything, an explosion rocked the shelter. Kira caught the girl quickly before she fell.

Outside, a clawed metal foot dug into the sand, it's twin-bladed hands clicked together, and the monocular camera slid into place at its lowest point, glowing in an unearthly purple light. Lowering its shoulders, the mech launched multiple missiles from its twin batteries, destroying an entire side of the building. Five of these green amphibious machines pointed their arm-mounted beam cannons at the structure and fired.

The crew went deeper into the shelter as the doors closed behind them, an explosion destroying the area they were in only moments before. "It's not that they were after you. They haven't stopped! Kuso!" Concentrated fire peppered the armor plating. "Lacus, you have the keys, right?"

"Hah!" She gasped, gripping her Haro tightly.

"We'll open the door. There's no choice now." Murrue looked away at his admission. "Or would you rather we all die here like this?"

"No! Of course not! But that's…."

"Lacus…." Kira looked into her eyes.

"Kira…" Her tears began to well.

"Ah!" The boy turned towards a giant door, as if what was behind it was calling to him, begging him to open it. "I'll take them." Kira said without looking away. "Then I'll open it instead."

"No, but this is…" She shook her head.

He turned towards her. "It's okay. I've come to terms with it, Lacus."

"Kira..."

He gripped her shoulders and drew her into him. "It would wound me much more if I wasn't able to protect you here and now."

"Kira…." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"So please… hand over the keys." She reluctantly opened her Haro, the keys lying inside.

On either side of the door, Waltfeld and Kira put them into the locks. "San, ni, ich!" They turned them at the same time and the door opened wide. Inside, the lights turned on, a gray and white mobile suit stood there, staring at Kira, its cockpit open, awaiting a pilot. The blank face beckoned to him, and he stepped forward. The doors closed behind him, leaving Lacus to stare at the cold metal as the rush of air blew her skirt back.

The lull was shortlived as an explosion went through the armor, and one of the purple eyes looked inside. "Okay, let's move!" The commander of the insurgents spoke.

The operating system of the unit turned on. It was a rebuilt ZAFT OS. As the bootup continued, seven words flashed across the screen. Generation, Unsubdued, Nuclear, Drive, Assault, Module, Complex. The interface came to life around Kira as he narrowed his gaze. Its yellow eyes flashed to life and he pressed a single button. As cabled detached from the suit, its white and black Phase Shift coated its frame. Pushing forward on the throttle, the thrusters came to life. He pressed down on a foot pedal, and the suit crouched, before leaping into the launch tunnel above him.

"The inside is much more vast than our intel provided. Morgan and Kranick will…." The commander's thought was stopped as the earth shook and his proximity alarm went off. From the hill behind them, a single green beam shot into the night sky, and from a cloud of dust emerged a mobile suit. "Huh? What the hell is that?"

The suit's vents released its hot, stale air and took in the night atmosphere. "That can't be… Freedom?!"

"EH?!"

The mobile suit of legend spread its eight azure wings, releasing all of its stale air in a shower of sparks. In Kira's violet eyes, a football of the same structure exploded, solidifying them. Freedom's thrusters went to full burn, whipping out his beam saber from his left hip. One of the enemy units lost a leg and both its arms with one swing. The clear-headed teen looked back as two more fired their beam gattling weapons. Sliding to the left, rolling to the right, none of the attacks hit him. Flipping upside down, he fired all five of his weapons at the enemies, disabling two more completely.

"Kgh!" Another turned towards him, firing desperately. With his beam saber drawn, he slid between the attacks, severing both of the enemy's claws. Going upside down again, Freedom's shoulder cannons burst, dismembering its remaining limbs.

Only the commander was left. "This is ridiculous! Kgh!" He fired all of his missiles at once. In an expert show of evasion, Freedom rolled past the smoke trails and brought his sword down. The enemy suit jumped backwards. "Haaaaaahhh!" The man let out a battlecry, engaging the beams attached to his claw and thrust it forward. Kira's shield forced the attack to slip high, and the boy lifted the suit over his shoulders, onto its back. "Gaah!"

Without saying a word, he pulled out his beam rifle as the insurgent got up. Before he could bring his weapon to bear, Freedom pierced the arm, blowing it up. Being a persistent bastard, he aimed with the other hand. That was blown up too. The missile batteries were next on Kira's list, followed by the legs. Only the torso remained as it fell back. Kira lowered his weapon. None of the enemies could harm him anymore.

"Khhh…" The enemy gripped a handle on the side of his cockpit and lifted. The machine detonated in a self-destruct.

"Eh?" Kira gasped, as the others followed suit, the mass suicide of the pilots destroying all evidence of their existence.

In PLANT, Athrun adjusted the collar of his military uniform. When he was done, Mia clasped her hands together in admiration. The boy smiled slightly at her hyjinx. Durandal approached. "This is for you." He held out a box with a white and gold pin in the shape of a wing.

"That's a FAITH…" The emerald-eyed teen looked up, unable to finish his sentence.

"I don't think you belong in the ordinary chain of command, and that would be problematic for you too. This should make things a little more convenient. As the name implies, FAITH requires you to pledge your loyalty. I only ask you to pledge your loyalty to your own convictions and beliefs."

"Gichou…."

"You're the kind of person that follows what he believes, won't give into simple intimidation, and will fight when need be, correct?"

"That's what I'd like to believe."

"If it's you, then you can do it. So use this power as you please whenever you need it." His tone rang with sincerity. "Not for ZAFT, PLANT, or anything else other than a world that can live in peace and harmony."

Athrun stared at the badge for a few moments, finally picking it up and holding it to his chest. "Hai!"

His machine began to boot up. 'Something massive has begun to move, but I can't tell if it's a good or bad thing. But, if there isn't anyone to stop it when the time comes, nothing will move forward.' The suit's green eyes flashed to life, and the Phase Shift armor coated its form in red for the very first time. 'Most likely, that's what it means to live.' "Athrun Zala, Savior, hashin saru!" The mobile suit took off in a blaze of engine light.

Talia sighed, the battle finally over. "Wow, what a performance, that Shinn!" Arthur spoke. "I've never heard of someone taking down nine enemy battleships before! Captain, I'd like to voice my vote to give him a decoration!"

"I second that one!"

"I third it!"

"Okay, okay!" The captain chuckled. "Everyone submit those to me later when we have time. Let's just be happy we got out of that alive."

Pilots and mechanics gathered around Impulse as the pilot was winched down. Vino gave him a giant hug. "Shinn!" Luna called out to him. "You were amazing out there today! Do you even know how many you got there?!"

"Nah, I wasn't keeping track."

"I'll pull the memory core later and check it out." Vino answered.

Ray stared at him from afar for a while, before smiling when they made eye contact.

Amidst the wreckage of their home, Freedom stood like a guardian, looking over the children that were released into the morning sunrise from their secret exit. "Kira…." Lacus sighed.

"Lacus…." He looked back at her from his seat.

"Torii!" His bird landed on his shoulder, cocking its head at him.

Athrun's brand new Gundam flew out of the docking bay, heading on a course for Earth.

In the wreckage of an old residential district of ORB, a foot scraped a loose stone against the concrete. The teenager it belonged to looked into the sunrise with his brown eyes, covered by his sunglasses. He ran his fingers through his bright orange hair as he took a deep breath of the morning air. Without saying a word, he slung his bag over his shoulder and began to walk.