Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed. The company Bandai is the legal owner.

"The Endymion Ghosts"

Prologue Chapter: "The Fate That Binds"

The fierce battle of the Endymion Crater, this one battle set the standard for all battles afterwards, below the belt blows with cowardly concern for the fighting soldiers on the line. Before that final battle, four heroes had emerged from both sides of the line. The two heroes of the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, or ZAFT, was the twin duo of Commander Crim Eagleton, the "Crimson Eagle" of the '69 Blockade Run and Commander Sakura Ryusouke, the "Lunar Cherry Blossom." The Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion Enforcer, or OMNI Enforcer or Earth Alliance or just plain Earth Forces was a talented infantry grunt reassigned to the elite Moebius Zero Mobile Armor Corps, Corporal turned Ensign Justin "Grizzly" Glick, the "The Grizzly Bear" and the Hero of the Battle of Endymion, Lieutanent JG (Junior Grade) Mu "Peregrine" La Flaga.

Endymion Crater, Grimaldi Front, Near Side of the Moon

June 6th, 70 Cosmic Era

"Red Five evade!"

"I can't… AAH!" static.

"Jean you got a Zero on your tail! Jink Left!"

"NOOOOOOOOO!" static.

"Damn it! I've got Grizzly on my tail! Someone! HELP! AHHH!" static.

"Grizzly just bagged his second kill!"

"Alright! That's some good news!"

"But here comes some bad news!"

"Where the hell did the Eagle come from…" static.

"Thanks sir, you saved my life, but here comes Peregrine himself!"

A lone Zero appeared and started to duel with the ZAFT mobile suits. Three top ZAFT aces, two red uniforms and a regular green suit, attempted to deal with the Zero, only they didn't survive their encounter with him, though they had gotten the jump on the soon to be Hawk of Endymion, they got cocky and failed to capitalize on their advantage and the Hawk quickly turned the tables on them and in one fluid motion had gotten two with two gunbarrels a piece and a Linear shot through the chest plate of the lone green coat.

"Look at Peregrine go! He's racking them up!" called out a regular Moebius pilot.

"Oh yeah! He's going to be something great! Hmm... THE SAKURA!" called out an AA gunner.

A pink and white GINN appeared from behind a wrecked AA emplacement and decimated several more like it and a hapless Zero. Then the Grizzly Bear came down to fight her and the two went at it. Meanwhile the 'Eagle' and the 'Hawk' went head to head. The rest of their teams and units went at it just the same, but every now and then a snooper would try to kill one of the "Four Masters of Luna" and find themselves breathing vacuum, if they lived that long.

Crim Eagleton's POV

"Eagle Seven watch yourself, Zero at six!"

"I see'em, but I have five regs all over..." what I heard next was just static.

I checked Eagle 7's, Ray Burton, age 17, beacon and saw it was gone and that his IFF readout showed red. Another one gone, 10 of my pilots out of 24, not good. This'll be one of those damnable empty victories. I wish Rau Le Creuset would sound recall and get what's left of us clear. Where is he, now that I think about it? He's missing, last I saw him was near that AA emplacement that Sakura was hanging around before Mister California decided to ask her for a dance.

Hmm... Not good and I mean that in a very, very bad way. Well, no time like the present to cut and run, better sound recall myself.

"This is Eagle Lead to all ZAFT Forces..." I never finished.

"BOSS! I'm detecting high levels of radiation!" I heard Eagle 12 shout into my ears, fear filling her voice for the first time since I've met her.

"WHAT?" They couldn't be thinking what I think they're thinking.

"ALL ZAFT AND ALLIANCE FORCES... BUG OUT! BUG OUT NOW! THE ENDYMION SUPPLY BASE IS SELF DETONATING! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" I shouted and prayed everyone would run, most did, and few would make it, I knew that to be too damn true.

End Eagleton's POV

ZAFT and Alliance troops took off in every conceivable and non-conceivable direction. They pushed their machines past the limits that the eggheads and experts said they could not reach and could not survive, but they were and though a few would survive, none died from anything short of the explosion that was hungrily chasing them down.

Sakura Ryosouke's POV

'Damn it' I thought as I pushed my machine to beyond its limit. My Wild Flowers were beside me and we were running for our lives in mixed units, including Alliance forces, armor, ships, whatever!

It was just like Crim thought, Blue Cosmos truly...

End Ryosouke's POV

Watching his kill getting caught in the blast, Ensign Justin Glick released his gun barrels and wrapped them around the Lunar Cherry Blossom's mobile suit and two more of her mates and started to drag them to safety, but he wouldn't make it alone, but several other Zero pilots duplicated the move and some mobile suits helped out as well. A lot of lives ended up being saved that way, as well as a couple dozen ships, life boats, whatever could ferry human life to safety, trying to clear out as well. That meant even more lives were saved. Though there had been quite a number of heroic sacrifices, none that would ever be forgotten, not if the Endymion survivors had their say and they would… lots of it.

The fighting for the Moon concluded shortly thereafter. Though there had been heavy fighting between Alliance Forces and ZAFT forces covering the retreat of the ZAFT Lunar Expeditionary Force, it was still very limited in scope.

One pilot continued to fight while the rest of his unit withdrew to safety. The ear piecing cry of the vengeful eagle cut through all radio waves and paralyzed enemy troop formations. The fighting continued to rage. No Zeroes were flying, too few left, in fact only one, the rest had gone MIA during the final blast impact of the Cyclops System. The whole Third Lunar Fleet was gone save for the Hawk of Endymion.

The last active pilot of ZAFT's LEF fought on and fought hard. Sinking ships and slicing through Mobile Armor. His crimson paint scheme with the form of a brown and white eagle diving for the attack shown brightly and he truly lived up to his name, that was until the wounds of Endymion caught up to him.

Eagleton's POV

"Die you bastards! Just DIE or GO away! I don't CARE!" I screamed, livid with unchecked fury and rage.

They just kept coming, and coming. I don't see anyone from the 8th Fleet, that's good news. Yet the 7th and 9th Orbital Fleets are a pain in the six. What was that explosion? Damn, a hospital ship just went up, but there are survivors, I'm needed there.

Maybe we're lucky that the 3rd Fleet is gone and with them, their Zeroes. We wouldn't have lasted this long. Where is Le Creuset? Coward probably ran away with the lead units, the least in danger elements and he calls himself an Ace. I'm the Ace and a Master of Aces at that.

Err... GO AWAY! DAMN IT TO HELL!

I can't believe they are going after medical ships. If we use those, they should know that the pilots would most likely end up on Reserve and/or inactive service. Damn it all and damn those cowards of Blue Cosmos and Alliance Command. Money talks indeed, what a sickening thought!

Good the last teams are away, now to buy time. Damn it, these wounds hurt like hell. I wish I could find Rau Le Creuset! Damn it! A Blue Boy has more courage than him and that's an absolute joke! Where did he come from? Damn it, I'm losing it, need to last a little longer and the LEF will be safe.

"Come on soldiers! Pull it together and hold the line! We need to ensure that everyone gets away! Stop those bastards! FOR THE PLANTS!" I yelled over the TACNET, everyone redoubled their efforts.

I see a hospital ship launch late, damn it, vultures are all over it! I need to protect it! Damn it, get there faster! NO! DON'T! A Nelson has it with-in firing range! Get away, I have to make it! They're shooting!

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Flying up from his slumber screaming his head off, a man with short strawberry colored hair shot awake as the nightmare past, though his screaming had brought his wife to him as she came running to his side.

"It's alright dear, it was a bad dream, just a dream," she says to him.

He quietly begins to sob into her left shoulder. The fear and terror, the heart ache and the sadness, all of it, all that which he has gained from a terrible war and that finally seems to be calming down. It has been nearly a year since Endymion, but still he can't help, but still feel the after effects. The Nightmare of Endymion and the following retreat will always be there, but thankfully, he was no where near the front lines these days.

"You better hurry or you might be late to Professor Kato's office. I have to go and help with the Astrays," his wife said soothingly.

"Yeah I know, sorry for the wake up call. Is Jun already at the yard?" he inquired.

"Yes, and there seems to be more activity then we thought, I believe the Alliance..." He finished for her, "is here. I know."

She gave a look that prodded him into telling, "I saw an old friend around the yards, namely one of the restricted yards. I have the feeling that the Alliance mobile suits, the G-Weapons if our Intel is right, are being produced here and now, along with the fact I saw and worked on their new carrier Archangel."

She giggled and he looked at her. Well shaped body, strong teal eyes, long and straight in a pony tail silver hair, and the most beautiful lips he has every seen. At 169 cm tall and well filled out with the curves in the right places, no man ever wanted to take his gaze away...

…That's when a pounding on their door came.

"Yo Rick, you up?" called a voice.

"Yeah, I am Sean, give me a moment to eat," Rick Bluefield called out. He stood 201 cm tall, a real giant of a man with gentle hands despite the fact his face is heavily tattooed with claw like marks that in reality cover the fact that they are scars obtained facing death on more than half dozen occasions. It was widely rumored he was a deserter from the Alliance, but he was not. He was built real tough and seemed to walk like a soldier, but he was real kind and helpful. His wife, May Bluefield, was the meaner of the two, or at least that's what their co-workers say!

Their friends Sean Hayes and Jun Yamasaki were of equal build, but Sean was more board shouldered, heavier set and 175 cm compared to Jun's slender build, small shouldered, and 157 cm height. The four had arrived at different times on Heliopolis, but became fast friends. They had a lot more friends at work and aboard, but they rarely saw any of them.

What did you expect? A war was going on for Pete's Sake!

Though that day would become a fateful day for them and others as Rick got ready for work. That day many lives would change forever more and the war finally and truly would begin and in earnest.

For those new, this story has been overhauled and hopefully given new life. I even added call signs, something that has been strangely missing in most Anime. Hopefully, this will get this early work of my a much needed boost.

So please, when you finish reading, please leave a review.