Disclaimer: This is a Story, based on a Story, based on a Story that I do not own, so if you'd kindly... SCREW OFF!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Radio"

Chapter Three: Ripples Through Space

Archangel, Bridge

"Bridge secured, all observational devices deactivated." Kira announced as she looked up from the computer console she had been working on to make sure any and all listening devices were inactive.

"Alright Takeshi, what's going on?" Ryu asked seriously as he leant on the console between the pilot and co-pilot's seats.

The majority of the upper-staff had been gathered, the ship set onto autopilot and most of the bridge crew dismissed, all in all, occupying the bridge at the time were the pilots, Murrue, Natarle, Murdoch and Neumann.

Takeshi sighed. "I just got a text message from Terminal Command - most likely routed to me from some other Terminal Assets in the area. Who those assets are, I have no idea, but it's more than likely a stealth ship of some kind. As to the contents of the message... well... see for yourself..."

He plugged the portable storage device he'd saved the message on into another console, and then tapped a few controls, causing the contents of the message to appear on the Bridge's main display screen.

Azure Tempest

The situation of Heliopolis has been reported to ORB Representatives, and as of 0:00 last night ORB has enacted Article 1 of our Treaty, we are withdrawing all Terminal Assets to their nearest base in preparation for waging a Shadow War against the EA and ZAFT alongside of ORB.

This next part is in reference to the crew of the Archangel, the Benefactors are extending an invitation for the crew of the Archangel to join Terminal, or even asylum during this Conflict.

There is also an Invitation for both Ryu Hisanaga and Mu la Flaga in particular, their service record allows them to join with the Rank of Squad Commander and Lieutenant respectively.

Agent Yamato, you are hereby ordered to make your way to Terminal Command Asteroid New Platea to receive new orders, should the crew of the Archangel not be willing to accept our offer, leave and send a signal using Theta Sigma code to the enclosed coordinates for a ride, if otherwise send a signal using Alpha Centauri code to the coordinates.

With Regards

Fleet Admiral David Anderson.

In the few moments of silence as the others in the room read the message, Takeshi looked around the room, gauging their reactions.

Ryu and Mu were exchanging words with their eyes, quite obviously tempted by the offer.

Kira's jaw was slack as her eyes were continually re-reading the message over and over.

The Command Staff of the Archangel were in a similar position to his sister, slack-jawed as they almost seemed to be doubting the validity of the contents.

Cagalli looked deeply perturbed at the news that her homeland was gearing for war, a frown creasing her face as hundreds of thoughts crossed her mind.

Both Matthew and Amy had reactions of wide eyes of shock, reading the message again to make sure their eyes were not playing tricks "O-Orb's going to war...?" Amy repeated...

"I knew they'd do something after the attack... but going straight to War?" Matthew asked, just as disbelievingly.

"It's been building," Ryu informed, breaking off his silent conversation with Mu. "ORB has been a sleeping Lion from the very beginning, and don't forget, ORB was affected by both Junius Seven and the April Fool's Crisis. This was just the final straw."

"Yeah," Takeshi remarked, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Things have been heating up for a while in regards to ORB and Terminal - I'm not privy to all the details, but apparently the higher-ups have been getting worried about some of the more radical elements in both the EA and ZAFT Governments, and I could tell that all it would take would be just one incident for both ORB and Terminal to enter the war... the only question would be on which side.

"And that question has just been answered: Their own," Takeshi continued. "They are fed up with both the EA and ZAFT, and will be fighting both of them in an attempt to truly bring this war to an end before it gets out of hand. The question now lies before each of you: What will you do? Will you side with the EA, which is becoming increasingly Anti-Coordinator? Will you side with ZAFT, whose higher-ups and top aces are becoming more Anti-Natural? Or will you side with Terminal and ORB, who are fighting for what is right?"

Ryu and Mu exchanged looks again before giving each other nods. "We're in," Ryu announced, getting slight gasps from some of the Command Staff. "Yuna... she has a brother who is a Captain within Terminal... and I think we owe it to ourselves to do this."

"I'm in, too," Kira said. "Where Ryu goes, I go."

"I'm not leaving, either," Amy said, stepping forward. "If it means I can help... I will. I still need to see why Jaden-nii joined ZAFT."

Matthew sighed. "Normally I'd object... but hell, if you're doing it, I gotta do it, too," he groaned. "Mom would kill me if anything happened to you."

"ORB is my country," Cagalli remarked. "I'll do what I can to defend it, even though I want to give my father a piece of my mind and ask him what he's thinking by choosing this path."

Takeshi nodded. "Well, Captain, Miss Badgiruel, Mister Neumann, Mister Murdoch, that leaves you four. Where do you stand?"

"I'm in," Murdoch announced, getting looks from the rest of the Command Staff. "I've been on the verge of jumping ship for Terminal ever since Endymion."

"It'll be good to have you around, Murdoch," Ryu informed with a smile. "My suit never feels like it's running optimally unless you're running the maintenance crews."

Takeshi smiled. Having a good mechanic around never hurt. "What about you, Mister Neumann?" he asked the helmsman.

Before Neumann could come up with an answer however, Kira, who was working on her Computer console, shouted, "What the Hell?" causing everyone to look at her, as she glared up at Murrue and Natarle, glaring daggers. "Did you know about these fucking orders?" she shouted.

"W-What orders?" Murrue asked, sounding confused. She glanced at Natarle, who shrugged just as confused.

Kira looked back on her console. "I just found these orders on the late Captain's logs," she said. "If anything, it was a good thing ZAFT attacked!"

Matthew, and everyone else looked at her oddly. "Kira, what are you talking about?" Matt asked. "ZAFT destroyed the colony!"

"Yeah, but at least they tried not to kill civilians," Kira said. "It turns out the last Captain of the Archangel had gotten another order from EA Command: Once the Archangel secures the G-Weapons, they were to destroy the whole colony with the G-Weapons and the Archangel, and make it look like ZAFT destroyed the colony, forcing ORB to go to war with ZAFT! They were going to deliberately kill everyone on the colony, and whoever resisted! They wanted to make sure ORB didn't copy any data for their own use!"

Sharp inhalations echoed throughout the bridge as the eyes of the occupants widened. "That answers my question..." Neumann said with a growl. "No way in hell am I working for the EA anymore after learning that... Captain? Ensign?"

Murrue swallowed as she shook her shock off. "I agree," she informed seriously. "I cannot in good conscience work for such an organization."

Natarle looked the most shaken as she read the orders on the console. "It's true, by the order of the Admiralty Council..." She whispered, before looking at Murrue with wide eyes. "Ma'am, we need to inform Admiral Halburton of this, no way in hell would he sign off on this!"

"You've all made the right choice," Takeshi remarked. He removed the storage device he had used to show them the message, and then handed it to Kira. "Imouto, the coordinates Admiral Anderson wanted a reply sent to will be in there, and I also included the proper codes for whether we all came or only some of us. if you could key up a reply message, including the information you just got from the Captain's Logs, as well as a request to get that information to Halberton if they can, and send it off using the Alpha Centauri Code, I'd really appreciate it."

Kira smiled as she accepted the flash drive. "Got it, Take-nii," she informed as she rapidly began to type away at the computer. "Also I'm adding in access codes to the Kira Special I planted on the ZAFT Ship, with it undoubtedly heading back for repairs it'll be uploaded to their mainframe then throughout the fleet."

Takeshi smiled. "I never really experienced your hacking skills before, Imouto..." he said, "...but now that I've seen them in action, I have to say that I've never seen anyone as good as you."

Kira grinned, an evil hue taking shape around her. "Oh, you've seen nothing yet, Take-nii..." she informed with an evil chuckle.

Ryu groaned as he palmed his face. "Great Takeshi, thanks a lot, you set off her 'Evil Tyrant Mode'," he said with a heavy sigh as Kira's chuckle turned into a cackle.

Takeshi chuckled a bit. "As long as she turns it on ZAFT and the EA, that's fine by me," he said. His expression turned serious again as he turned to Murrue. "Captain, you might want to address the crew and the refugees. Let them know what's going on, what we just learned, and where we're heading. Everyone on this ship faces the same choice you faced, and knowing all the facts will help them make the choice they feel is right." 'And maybe give Flay Allster the wake-up call she needs when she learns that her own government - maybe even her own father - was willing to sacrifice her without batting an eye.'

Ryu let out a sigh at the thought of that. "ORB civilians will be angry, but supportive..." He informed as he looked out the viewport into space before pushing off against the console. "Can you wait a few minutes before sending off the message Kira?" He requested of his girlfriend as he drifted towards the door. "I have a message that I need Terminal to deliver for me."

Kira blinked but nodded as she paused in her typing. "Sure..." She agreed, her mouth opened to ask a question, but she paused as she saw the look on his face.

It was a strange one... it looked happy... but at the same time it looked extremely sad. "I'll be right back," he informed, looking over to Kira. "It's been waiting for this day for quite a while now..."

With those words Ryu left the bridge, presumably heading for his quarters.

"I wonder what it is he's wanting to send," Takeshi remarked as he watched Ryu leave. "And who it is he wants to send it to..."

Kira shrugged as she resumed typing, changing the program window to the Archangel's Operation System, updating all of the software on the warship. "He does things like that from time to time," she informed, unworried and unconcerned. "He's asked me to encrypt a few and help him send them off to some contact he has in Terminal, probably the Captain he mentioned."

"Right," Takeshi remarked. "Makes sense..." He then turned back to Murrue. "Anyway, once we get that message off, we should continue on to the Debris Belt like we originally planned," he said. "New Platea is one of our Asteroid Bases that uses the Debris Belt for camouflage. And if anyone among the crew wants to return to the EA even after we disclose what Kira just learned, we can send them off in a lifeboat before we enter the belt, giving them enough supplies that they should be able to make it to Ptolemaeus."

Murrue nodded in agreement and turned to Natarle. "Ensign, can you please marshal the crew members in the hanger please? I will be addressing them personally." Natarle nodded and saluted before going to follow the order. "Mr. Yamato, would you please inform the civilians of this development?"

"Sure," he remarked. "I should probably wait for Ryu, however - if any of the civilians get a bit unruly, he should be able to keep them under control."

"That I can do," Ryu informed as he walked in carrying a flashdrive that he handed to Kira. "Mark it for Drake Falcon and put a message saying 'The May Rain is Beginning.' He'll understand what it means." He turned back to Takeshi. "After I put the smackdown on some unruly Blue Cosmos supporters, people learned to shut up and sit down when I say so."

"Good to hear it," Takeshi replied. He turned to Neumann. "Mister Neumann, once Kira-Imouto sends that message off, we should start heading for the Debris Belt." At Neumann's nod, Takeshi turned back to Ryu and said, "Well, let's go, Ryu - time to let the civilians know what's going on. You can come with us as well, Cagalli, unless you were planning on doing anything else."

Cagalli shook her head. "No, I will go with you, it is my responsibility as the daughter of the Chief Representative to ensure the safety of the ORB citizens on this ship." She informed determinedly.

Ryu smirked. "Alright then, but I will say this only once, if someone gets physical, let me handle it," he instructed. "I'm certain Lord Uzumi had you trained in Self-Defense, but I don't want to be the one to explain why his daughter's arm was broken."

Takeshi nodded in agreement as the three walked out of the Bridge. "Neither do I," he remarked.

Vesalius, Jaden's Quarters

Jaden was lying, or more rather floating above the bed in his quarters on the Vesalius, staring up at the ceiling. 'I had him...' he thought, 'I just had to lure him into my last minefield... then I would've had him...'

Jaden let out a small growl, before he put it down. He knew he had to choose between his friends or revenge, and unlike many other people he could mention, he would always pick his friends over Revenge if they were in danger. 'I'm not that blind,' he thought.

The Blitz had taken quite a number from the battle, and it was going to be sent back to the homeland along with Athrun, Le Creuset, and the Aegis for repairs, as the council had also called them back for the report on Heliopolis. They said they were sending a few ships to replace the Vesalius in the chase for the Archangel, but not before they accomplished another objective they needed completed.

However, before the Blitz was transferred, with Nicol's permission and the Commander's go-ahead, he had removed the Blitz's Mirage Colloid, and refit his GiNN with it so now it had its same stealth systems, as well as permanently mounting the Trikeros Offensive/Defensive shield unit onto its arm. The Blitz would have those weapons and systems replaced with the data they had gathered.

Suddenly, however, his computer beeped to life, as he glanced at the screen, a message from his AI Lucy. 'Jaden, I found something.'

Jaden blinked as he sat up straight and typed on the Computer.

Jaden: What's up

Lucy: Jaden, during the battle I intercepted a long-range message, it was a heavily encrypted, High Terminal-base Communique directed at the Archangel, specifically towards one of the G-Weapons, the one we ID'd as the Tempest.

Jaden: What was in it? Did you de-encrypt it?

Lucy: Yeah... and we have a huge problem.

Lucy then began showing him what was in the message. Jaden read through it, his eyes narrowing as he read before he growled. "Damnit, Le Creuset!" he shouted. "I warned you this would happen!" He then proceeded to the bridge of the Vesalius, his laptop in hand.

Meanwhile, on the Vesalius Bridge

"Once the fleet arrives, we shall make way for the Homeland," Rau said to Athrun, Nicol, and Ades, "We will meet them just outside the Artemis defense line, I can only assume that they want us to attempt a strike-"

"Le Creuset!" Jaden's voice shouted, as he came into the bridge, glaring daggers at the Commander. "Congratulations Commander, you just forced ZAFT into a Multi-front war!"

Even though he was wearing a mask, Rau quite obviously had an eyebrow risen. "What is it, Jaden?" He asked curiously, an odd sense of trepidation rising up within him.

"Lucy intercepted a transmission from Terminal, directed at the Archangel, and the pilot of the Tempest," Jaden said, still glaring at him. "Terminal and Orb are declaring war on both ZAFT and the Earth Forces for the attack on Heliopolis, and what the EA were doing since the Orb government had NO idea what was going on here!"

"What?" Ades asked, his eyes wide with fear. He suddenly turned onto Creuset with an angry glare. "I fucking told you, Creuset!" The crew stared at the Captain in surprise, Ades was notorious for never raising his voice... ever, and he always respected protocol and referred to superiors by rank and never by name. "I fucking told you this would happen!"

"Jaden, are you sure?" Athrun asked, and Jaden nodded as he pulled out his laptop and showed the message.

"100%," he said. "It's been signed by both the Commander of Terminal, and Uzumi Nara Attha. They're going to be striking ZAFT and EA targets soon. For now it's only starting off as a Shadow war, but it's going to evolve into full-scale invasions before long." He once again glared at the Commander. "Now, we gotta fight a war on three Fronts: Earth Forces, Orb, and Terminal. And this also means we have lost any support Terminal would be willing to provide us, which weakens us even more! And now the EA and Orb have access to Mobile Weapons far superior to a standard GiNN!"

Nicol, looking over the message, said, "You might be jumping the gun a bit when saying the EA has access to them, Jaden." When they all turned to look at him, he pointed at a portion of the message and clarified his point by saying, "Look here - the message is basically extending an offer for the Archangel and its crew to defect from the EA to join Terminal. If they accept, it means that the EA doesn't have access to its G-Weapons. If nothing else, that might delay their development of mass-production units since they will have to build new prototypes - and this time they won't have any help from Morgenroete."

Jaden shook his head. "Nicol, I like your optimism, but as much as I hate the EA, they're not idiots," he said, surprising Nicol. "I doubt they threw all of their biscuits in the basket with Heliopolis. They knew there would be a chance they were discovered, so they would have to have more Prototypes that they were building elsewhere, without us knowing about it. More ideally, somewhere deeper within E.A-controlled territory, or at a facility we don't even know about. The Earth Forces would most likely steal the data developed here at Heliopolis to further their own development projects."

"This changes things," Ades informed before turning to one of the officers. "Get me a link to the council yesterday! They need a status update now!"

"Y-yessir!" the officer replied, having overheard the entire conversation and therefore knowing, in his personal opinion, how deeply ZAFT was screwed. He sat down at the communications console, and established the communication as quickly as physically able, the Main Display Screen soon showing an image of the Supreme Council Chambers.

"Captain Ades, Commander Creuset, I thought you were coming in person to make your report," said the Supreme Chairman, Siegel Clyne, in surprise.

"Unfortunately sir, we have just received some critical news that you must hear," Ades said seriously. "Takeo, if you please."

Jaden nodded as he plugged his computer in, to show them the message "Councilors, I regret to inform you that, because of Le Creuset's reluctance to wait until the Earth Forces left Heliopolis before attacking, thus resulting in the destruction of Heliopolis... Terminal and Orb are declaring war on both ZAFT and the Earth Forces."

For the briefest of seconds, Jaden could've sworn that Siegel's eyes narrowed angrily, but he shook it off as his imagination as Siegel gasped in shock with the rest of the council. "Commander Creuset... you do realize what this means do you not?" Siegel asked, his eyes narrowing instantly onto the masked commander.

"I stand by my actions," Rau informed proudly.

"Very well, you are to return for a court martial," Siegel informed seriously. "At this time you are hereby stripped of your rank. Pilot Takeo, you are to take charge of the pilots in his place until his replacement arrives."

This bit of information surprised Rau, Nicole, Ades, and everyone on the bridge, including Jaden. "S-Sir?" Jaden asked, not sure he heard correctly.

"Those are your orders, Pilot Takeo," Siegel informed seriously, his eyes turning to Rau who was on the verge of speaking. "Creuset, your actions have led to the figurative sleeping giant awakening, it is good that they have not joined us, but you were responsible for destroying their colony. We cannot allow this to slide."

Rau swallowed the words he was about to say and bowed his head, relenting to the Supreme Councillor. "I understand, sir..." he informed quietly before stepping back.

Siegel turned back to Jaden. "Pilot Takeo, you are hereby ordered to cease your pursuit of the Legged Ship," he ordered, getting gasps of surprise of the the occupants of the bridge. "You are ordered to head to the rendezvous of the task force that will be attacking Artemis Station, we believe that while the station itself holds no value, their Lightwave barrier system may be useful for protecting the PLANTs."

Jaden seemed a bit reluctant for a few moments, wanting to get back to hunting Hisanaga. However, he knew that the Chairman was correct, with the EA now making their own Mobile Weapons, the PLANT's needed any advantage they could get, and Lightwave barriers could prove a great help in defending the PLANT's from more EA attacks.

"Understood, sir," Jaden said with a salute. "We will meet with the task force, and prepare for the strike. We won't let you down."

Siegel nodded and turned to Ades. "Captain Ades, you are also being reassigned," he announced, surprising the Captain. "Our newest ship is being put into the Task Force as a field test, and you were selected to be the ship's captain at the recommendation from several Commanders and Admirals."

Ades shook off his shock. "Understood, sir," he informed, snapping off a salute. "I'll be sure not to let you down and send you a list of possible replacements for the Vesalius' Captain."

Siegel nodded his understanding. "You have your orders," he said as he finished the call. "Godspeed, gentlemen." And with that, the Communication line cut out.

Athrun then looked at Jaden. "Well... I guess I'd better get used to calling you 'Sir' from now on," he said with a dry chuckle.

Jaden groaned. "This is not how I planned on being promoted..." he said. "And for the love of god, don't do that Athrun, you know I hate the whole 'no sir yes sir' stuff."

Ades sighed as he took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair. "Why the hell was I selected, I didn't even want to leave this ship..." he groaned to himself. "And who the hell recommended me?"

Meanwhile, in the Archangel's Mess Hall

Takeshi, Ryu, and Cagalli now stood at the head of the Archangel's Mess Hall, which had been temporarily converted into an Audience Hall. In front of them were all the refugees they had picked up from Heliopolis, including Flay, as well as Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, and Kuzzey.

"All right," Takeshi began, "You're probably wondering why we called you all here." Seeing a few nods from the audience, he continued, "The reason for this meeting is that we received some new information, and felt it best to inform you about it as soon as possible."

There were more nods from the audience, showing they understood, and Takeshi began. "Word of what happened at Heliopolis has already reached the ORB Homeland, and they and Terminal have come to the decision to declare war on both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance." There were some murmurs from the crowd, but they were halted as Takeshi raised a hand. "Also, one of our pilots managed to find the previous Captain's logs, and discovered some rather shocking information." He paused for a moment and elaborated, "The previous captain of this ship had been ordered by the EA to destroy Heliopolis as soon as the G-Weapons were secured, leaving no survivors and making it look like a ZAFT attack."

Silence reigned in the Mess Hall as the eyes of every civilian were wide with shock as the news settled in onto them.

After a moment to let it sink in, Takeshi continued, "Upon learning about the orders given to the previous Captain, the current Captain and her senior staff all decided to resign from the EA, and accept a recruitment offer from my superiors in Terminal. We are currently on our way to a Terminal Outpost, where we will gear up for our role in the war to come. However, you now have a choice.

"At this moment, the Captain is giving the rest of the crew a choice to either join her in joining Terminal or return to the EA. Those that choose the latter will be sent off in a lifeboat with enough supplies to reach the Earth Forces' Lunar Base. Anyone among you who does not want to return to ORB can join them.

"If you still wish to return to ORB, we can arrange passage for you once we get to our destination. However, you also have a third choice - as a Combat Agent of Terminal, I am hereby extending a recruitment offer to any of you who want to help in the war to come. It will not be made official until we reach our destination, but if you accept my offer I will do what I can to help your official recruitment process to go as smoothly as possible."

"You expect us to believe that?" a voice shouted, causing Takeshi to groan as Flay Allster stood up, glaring at him. "There's no way the Earth Alliance would do that to an Orb Colony!"

"Unfortunately, it's the truth, Miss Allster," Takeshi replied. "I saw the order when my fellow pilot discovered it - it was signed by the Earth Alliance Admiralty Council."

Flay narrowed her eyes at Takeshi. "And why the hell should we believe you?" she demanded. "This could be some sort of trick! My dad wouldn't allow something like that to happen!"

Takeshi opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off as Ryu stepped forward. "Miss Allster," he said calmly, all movement in the room pausing as everyone turned to him. "I would like you to come with me for a moment, there is something I believe that you should see."

Flay blinked as she looked at Ryu nervously, but by the look in his eye she knew she probably didn't have a choice in the matter. So she stepped forward, and followed Ryu.

Giving a nod to Takeshi, Ryu left the Mess Hall and moved towards the Hangar of the Archangel. "Miss Allster... tell me something," he requested as they walked. "What do you see Coordinators as?"

Flay looked at Ryu surprised, but answered. "They're... Coordinators are just... unnatural," she said. "They're stronger and smarter than humans, they're just... Look at what they did to Earth, its in an energy crisis because of them! And now they attacked Heliopolis without a second thought! They don't care about Naturals, just themselves!"

"True... but they deployed the N-Jammers in order to prevent another nuclear attack on the PLANTs, where thousands of innocent civilians live. Junius Seven's only Military Value was Food Production that fed pretty much all of the PLANTs. As for Heliopolis, that was the choice of the Task Force Commander, Rau is a merciless bastard, not all of them are like that. And the reason behind being at Heliopolis... they were trying to keep the only edge they have in this war, Mobile Suits. As for not caring about Naturals, that is, except for extremists, mostly untrue. They realize that without Naturals, we Coordinators would not exist, all they want is to be simply left alone to manage their own affairs."

"If that's true, then why are they still fighting the EA?" Flay asked, "They had space! Why did they have to attack Earth itself, and cause so many people to die!" A few tears began to rise in in Flay's eyes. "It's because of Coordinators that my mom is Dead!"

Ryu was silent for a minute as he continued to walk. "I heard of that," he admitted, his voice unchanged. "It is a tragedy that so many innocent people died, actually, there are members of the ZAFT council who hold a memorial for those who died on that day, both Coordinators and Naturals, both were affected by the April Fools tragedy... but can you really blame them, for reacting like that? The EA threw the first punch so to speak, and ZAFT responded, that is how all wars happen... my own family died during the battle for Ontario, killed by Coordinators, but I do not hate them, and not because I myself am a Coordinator, but because I do not judge the race by the actions of a few..."

Flay's hands balled up, a few tears still streaming down her face. "That doesn't excuse them... for killing her..." she said. "And they're still born different... it's just not natural..."

Ryu was silent for a bit before responding. "Does that mean they don't have a soul?" he asked, his voice heavy. "Does that mean they do not have their own wish to live? Does that make their right to life any less important than yours?"

That said, Flay finally stopped as her eyes widened, a few tears still in them. She never thought about it like that. Her father and most of his friends have always told her Coordinators were the enemy, and they were monsters. She never stopped to think if that means they don't have souls or dreams. "I..."

"Every living thing has a soul... some believe even those created by human hands, such as mobile suits, have souls of their own..." Ryu continued as he stopped at the observation deck above the Hangar, looking out at the mobile suits currently docked. "Personally, I believe in that... there have been many times when I was on the battlefield when my suit did something I thought impossible, or a couple extra seconds of power miraculously appeared..." he placed a hand on his chest, feeling the pulse of his heart. "I believe that was my suit's soul trying its best to help me..." he turned to Flay, his green eyes piercing as they met her grey ones. "Do you know, Miss Allster, what it is like to have your soul rejected by others? It is a very painful experience... that is what all Coordinators feel whenever a supporter of Blue Cosmos says that we are not human, that we are monsters, that we deserve to be killed. It is the same on the flip side - Naturals feel the same way whenever a Coordinator Extremist declares themselves superiors to Naturals and that Naturals need to be wiped out in order for Coordinators to reach their full potential..."

He took in a breath and broke the eye lock, and turned back to the mobile suits. "But one only has to looks at these Gundams to see the truth..." he informed, making Flay turn to face them. "G-Weapons, many believe it is Genocide that the G stands for... but they are wrong... it stands for Genesis... the hope for our rebirth, not as Coordinators and Naturals... but as Humans..."

Flay was silent, as she looked at the Gundams in the hangar. It took a minute before Flay finally spoke again. "You... you really think that?" she asked.

"I do," A voice said, as Ryu and Flay turned to see Matthew standing there, leaning on the door frame, a picture in his hand that he looked at. "I know for a fact that's what the G in Gundam meant... that's what Jaden wanted."

Ryu rose an eyebrow at that "What do you mean?" He asked, as Matthew sighed as he flung the picture in his hand towards him. Ryu caught it, and he looked with some surprise on his face. On it was a younger-looking Jaden, Matthew and Amy, Jaden in the center holding a small model, which looked strikingly familiar to the Gundam's, V head crest and everything, only with a pair of steel-looking wings that resembled a bird or angel's.

"My brother... made a model a few years ago, when Mobile Suits first debuted," Matt said. "He loves Mobile Suits... wanted to make and pilot his own... he made that model a while back, saying one day... he would make that machine, and pilot it himself, and keep everyone he cared about safe... he called it a Gundam."

"So that's what he meant," Takeshi said, as he walked into the room with Cagalli behind him. "At the end of the last battle, Jaden said, 'I will not let the Earth Forces desecrate the true meaning of a Gundam.' I wondered what he meant... but hearing that he made the first Gundam, even as a model, puts everything in perspective there."

Matthew chuckled a bit dryly. "Yeah..." he said. "Me and Amy were surprised about the Acronym... Mom works for Morgenroete, so she had to have been in its development... it's too much of a coincidence." He then sighed. "Jaden always wanted to work in Morgenroete... to make the Gundam a reality, so he could protect Orb and everyone... but then Junius Seven happened, he left and joined ZAFT. Haven't heard from him since... until now."

Takeshi nodded. "War often does that," he said. "In war, quite often two people who would normally be friends can end up facing each other as sworn enemies... even entire families can be torn apart by war, if they live in opposing countries."

He then turned to Flay, a gentle expression on his face. "I hope you can see things more clearly now, Miss Allster," he said. "I gain nothing by lying to you, or even tricking you. I simply wish to bring this war to an end before it gets out of hand, before one side develops the means to exterminate the other... and now that ORB and Terminal are entering the fray, fighting for that very reason, we have a means to stop the war from getting out of hand."

His expression then turned serious. "Most of the other refugees have already made their choice," he said. "What is yours? Do you wish to leave the ship? Do you wish to return to ORB? Or do you wish to join us in our fight to end this war?"

Flay was silent, thinking about it for a bit. "I... I don't know..." she said, shaking her head. "I... I need to think..."

"Take your time," Ryu informed. "Terminal will be providing transportation for any civilians to a destination of their choice. Think seriously on it."

Flay nodded, before she turned around and left the observation deck, leaving only Matt, Ryu, Takeshi and Cagalli there.

Turning to Ryu, Takeshi said, "Most of the refugees wanted to return to ORB, though a few accepted my offer to join Terminal." He chuckled. "In fact, Tolle, Mir, Sai, and Kuzzey not only wanted to join, they wanted to help out on the ship. I sent them on up to the Bridge, for Neumann and Natarle to start training them in."

Ryu nodded absently as he turned away to look at the Gundams once more. "Hmm, I was wondering where the secondary elements came from in their design," he mused aloud, catching their attention. "It didn't really fit Sutura's style of design..."

"Jaden showed mom the model the moment he finished it," Matt said. "She liked it... I never thought she would take it this far..." he chuckled a bit. "I'm looking at 'em right now, and I still can't believe it..." He then glanced at Ryu. "Ryu, I don't know why Jaden hates you... but I know some of the old him is still in there," he said. "Jaden used to admire you before the war, he said you were his inspiration to one day join Orb's military or Morgenroete. Some of the old him must be in there... he may not admit it, but deep down he still respects you."

Ryu was silent as he stared at the mobile suits, a distant memory playing before his eyes. "It was the Battle of Endymion..." he said, getting their attention. "My Squadron commander, my fiancee, Yuna Falcon... she died during a suicide run against a ZAFT ship containing a prototype signal jammer..." his blank eyes closed as his hands rose up and moved as if they were holding the controls of a mobile suit. "I went completely and utterly berserk. I killed everything before me in the most brutal and ruthless fashion conceived, including that of Jaden's Commander, whose unit was damaged, but functional enough to move."

Matthew looked at Ryu, listening intently. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes slightly narrowed. "What did you do?"

"I slaughtered him," Ryu answered emotionlessly as his hands dropped and his eyes opened. "I saw no difference at that time, injured or healthy, fighting or retreating. I slaughtered him and so many others I cannot even count them... Jaden said that I am a monster who does not feel regret or guilt... but he is wrong... every night, I see their faces and they say. 'Your time comes brother... the time comes when you will join us in this hell'."

"Wow..." Takeshi muttered, his eyes wide. "I... I knew you had been through a lot, but I never realized you'd been through this much..."

Ryu was silent for a few moments, before he continued. "After that... it was his turn to go berserk," he said. "Jaden and I fought... both of us not caring what was around us, all we saw were enemies. Any EA ship or Moebius in his way he destroyed, just as I destroyed any ZAFT ship or MS in sight. Our fight lasted... until the Cyclops went off, and I never saw Jaden again, until now..." He shook his head. "And now he hates me..." He sighed and shook his head again. "But... I bear more hatred than just his, after all, the families of the Third ZAFT Fleet hate me as well after my 'River of Blood' Rampage..."

Takeshi put his hand on Ryu's shoulder. "You've been through a lot, Ryu..." he said. "Losing your fiancee like that... it's something I can't even imagine... and dealing with all the hate directed at you after that... it's no wonder you came to ORB looking for a fresh start." He smiled. "I'll support you as much as I can, though. And I know Kira-Imouto will support you, as well, no matter what." He then turned to the doorway, where his Spatial Awareness had told him his sister was. "Am I right?" he asked her.

Kira stood there, a calm smile on her face as everyone turned to face her. "Of course I will," she informed as she walked forward until she was beside Ryu and leant against him comfortingly. "After all... remember our promise?"

Ryu smiled as he slipped an arm around her shoulder and held her close. "How could I ever forget that?" he countered softly, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. He then leant down slightly and whispered into her ear, "You are the light in my dark life Kira... thank you..."

Kira smiled reassuringly as she squeezed his waist tightly. "And you are my rock, Ryu... thank you," she countered in a whisper of her own, her lips quirking into a smirk as she rose on her toes a bit to kiss him sweetly.

Takeshi watched them, smiling. "Every time I see them like that, it affirms in my mind that they're perfect for each other," he whispered to Cagalli. "I also wish I had a relationship like theirs, but I know it'll come eventually."

Cagalli snorted. "Seeing them like that, it makes me feel like I'm bearing witness to a once in a century event." She muttered. "Then again, I don't exactly understand relationships."

Matthew simply looked at Kira and Ryu for a moment, with a small smile as he thought back to someone he once cared about... however he shook that from his mind before he left.

Takeshi cleared his throat, causing Kira and Ryu to break their kiss and look at him. "Why don't you two get some rest," he said. "We shouldn't have any problems getting to New Platea, and I can deal with them if we do."

Kira smiled thankfully at her brother as she linked her arm with Ryu's. "Thanks, Take-nii!" She said gratefully as she and Ryu headed off towards their quarters.

After they left, Takeshi turned towards the other exit. "I'm gonna go help with maintenance on the Tempest," he remarked. "It still needs repairs after the last battle, and I'll need it back in top shape ASAP if we run into any trouble. What are you going to do now, Cagalli?"

Cagalli shrugged. "I'm going to put some time in on the Strike's Simulator, I'm still not quite accustomed to it's performance specs," she informed as she headed for the Hangar. "I need to be able to master the Strike if I am to protect ORB and end this war."

Takeshi smiled, even as he followed her to the Hangar. "Excellent determination there, Cagalli," he said. "I think you'll make a fine leader when the time comes for you to succeed your father."

Meanwhile, outside Artemis defensive line

The Buster, Duel, and Archer Gundams launched from the Vesalius, and were soon followed by Miguel and Jaden's customized GiNN's, as well as a shuttle launched from the Vesalius,which carried Captain Ades. The Vesalius meanwhile turned around, and headed back towards the PLANT's.

Meanwhile, the mobile suits and shuttle approached the small fleet of ships now approaching them. One Laurasia-class Frigate, two Nazca-class Destroyers, and one ship Jaden had never seen before. It was large, easily larger than even a Nazca-class and rivaled the size of Archangel.

"Whoa..." Miguel said. "What is that ship?"

"The data package said it's called the Andraste," Jaden said, looking at the ship. "Latest ship class of the fleet... she's 15% faster than a Nazca-class, and even better armed. She's planned to replace the Nazca as ZAFT's Flagship vessels for the fleets. She's possibly the best ship in the fleet now."

The Mobile Suits and shuttles landed on the Andraste, while the M.S docked into their ports, Ades' shuttle landed on the ship's hangar, where the crew had gathered to meet their new Captain.

Ades paused as he looked around the Hangar and inspected the assembled crew members. "I will be keeping this brief as I am not one for ceremony. I am Captain Fredrik Ades and I will be taking control of the Andraste by the order of the PLANTs Council," he said, introducing himself. "Our first mission and the Andraste's christening will be the capture of the Eurasian Satellite Base Artemis in order to acquire their Lightwave Barrier Technology. I expect you all to give this your all and show me you what you are all capable of. You are dismissed to your battlestations ladies and gentlemen. Pilots, report to the bridge for your mission briefing."

The crew all saluted, as they dispersed to reach their respective battlestations, and the Captain himself headed and left for the Bridge while the Pilots left their suits.

Dearka let out a low whistle as he looked around. "I'm liking this ship," he said. "It's bigger, and makes the Vesalius look like a cheap escort ship in comparison!"

"Yeah, it's okay I guess," Rusty said, looking around as well, "I like the Vesalius though... we've been on it since we joined ZAFT."

Yzak nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it became just as much a home as the PLANTs." He agreed.

Then, a new female voice spoke up. "I know how you feel, Yzak," it said, causing Yzak and the others to blink. "I used to be on the Marvest, but they transfered me here. But the ship is just as good, if not better." The group turned to see five individuals approaching them, four of them in ZAFT Red coats, and one wearing a white coat. The first was a woman about 16 years old with waist-length dark brown hair, that was tied up near the bottom and grey colored eyes.

The second was also a woman, much older in her mid 20's with short neck-length orange hair, and a single black eye, her right eye having an eye-patch over it.

The next was male, in his late 20's with short black hair and brown eyes, and next to him was a another man wearing glasses, with short blue hair and black eyes with a scar moving above his left eye. And finally, the last of them was a man, with short white hair and hazel colored eyes.

Dearka let out a low whistle as he felt a slight amount of sweat trickle down the back of his neck. "Man, talk about peer pressure," he announced. "Being put on the same ship as a buch of ace pilots... man do I feel insignificant."

The woman who spoke, the one with the dark brown hair, smiled a bit as she looked at Yzak. "Great to see you again, Yzak," she said, surprising the others, minus Yzak. "It's been a while since the Academy."

"You know her, Yzak?" Rusty asked, and Yzak nodded.

"Yeah, we knew each other from the academy," he said, with a smile of his own. "Good to see you too, Shiho. Last I heard you were in the Ground Corps."

Shiho shrugged. "I got transferred out," she said. "I was selected for the CGUE DEEP Arms project," she tilted her head up, indicating the Dark Blue and Aqua colored CGUE DEEP Arms. "I love that machine... but the Thermal Cannons are a real problem though."

"I can fix that for you," Jaden said, as Shiho looked at him in surprise. "I helped in the DEEP Arms' development, I can have those Cannons fixed to more modern standards after the battle."

However, Jaden turned back to the woman with the eye-patch and the two Red coats who flanked her along with the lone white coat. Jaden smiled as he saluted her. "Good to see you again, Commander Harken," he said. "You too Simeon, Reinhard, Mikhail."

Hilda smirked a bit. "Good to see you too, Kid," she said, causing the other pilots to look at Jaden surprised. "It's been a long time since Endymion."

"Damn, does everyone but me know ace pilots..." Dearka groaned out, getting a weak chuckle from Rusty.

Miguel however looked surprised "Jaden, you never told us you knew the Black Tri Stars and Mikhail Coast!" He asked, stunned.

Mars Simeon grinned as he grabbed Jaden and put him into a headlock, as Jaden shouted in protest. "Yeah, we were all on the same team before and during Endymion," he said. "Haven't seen from him since, ya little runt! And look at you now! A Full Commander!" Mikhail, meanwhile, smiled a bit while Herbert Von Reinhard chuckled.

"So no need to call us 'sir' anymore, Jaden," Hilda said, smiling. "We're all the same rank now. James would be proud, Jaden."

Jaden frowned for a brief second before he forced up a smile. "Thanks, Hilda," he said. "So, I think it's about time we got to the bridge: We've got a mission to plan."

Archangel, Ryu and Kira's Quarters

Ryu sighed as he leant back in the chair he was sitting in, staring at the screen of his laptop that showed a schematic for a mobile suit on it. "Hmm, but now the problem is powering it," he muttered to himself. "The dual energy battery doesn't have enough output to be able to power the unit fully, even Terminal's Enhanced Batteries wouldn't be able to power it for a very long time... this is just like that unit all over again..."

He tapped a finger on the desk for a minute before he hit a few buttons bringing up a separate schematic, this one showing a remarkable likeness to the G-Weapons. 'So... Jaden had also designed a unit like this one, huh?' He asked himself, his eyes narrowing tightly. 'Is it fate perhaps? I wonder what kind of situation we would have been in, had this unit been produced instead of the Duo...'

His eyes flicked up to the title of the blueprint.

UNited

Inter-Neuro

Tactical

SYstem

Project Unity.

One of the few things he took when he left the EA. 'I know I was right to take the Unity blueprints with me,' he thought to himself. 'This unit, when I designed it... I wanted it to be the revolution for mankind... not the weapon of death the EA wanted to use it for, but they managed to construct the Duo from the data they salvaged... I suppose I owe ZAFT one for attacking when they did... or I would never have been able to grab the Duo when I did, I was close to hiring Terminal to steal it for me...'

He tilted his head as he heard the shower in the bathroom stop, Kira having gone in for one shortly after they had gotten back into their quarters.

Letting out another sigh, he shut down his laptop. "Enough of that for today, I think," he muttered to himself.

Hearing the door to the bathroom open up he looked over, only to freeze as all conscious thought left him.

Stepping out of the bathroom door was Kira, wearing almost nothing with just a white towel wrapped around her, which barely covered her modesty, as she had wrapped it in a way which showed every last one of her curves. Kira herself smirked a bit, as she leaned on the Bathroom door frame. "See something you like, Ryu?" she asked with a light giggle.

Ryu blinked stupidly for a minute as his eyes took her in. "Yes," he admitted with complete honesty.

Kira giggled a bit more before she walked towards Ryu, swaying her hips quite noticeably towards him. "I can't imagine all that you've been through, Ryu," she said, "but you don't have to face life, or your past, alone anymore. I will always be by your side, and support you however I am able."

"Kira..." Ryu started, but was cut off as Kira placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I... I know that you will probably always love Yuna more than me..." she whispered. "But... that doesn't change just how much I love you, Ryu... I want to remain by your side forever, just that is enough for me."

"Kira... actually, you're wrong about something," he informed her, his arms slipping around her waist as he held her close to his body. "Yuna... I will always love her, she is someone that could never disappear from my heart, but Kira... you are just as important to me as she is, I love you Kira, nothing will ever change that."

Kira had to blink back a few tears as a radiant smile grew onto her face. "Ryu..." she whispered, joy flooding into her voice.

Ryu looked deep into her eyes for a few heartbeats before leaning in and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that Kira returned with just as much passion as she could muster. When they separated, Kira could feel the deep flush on her cheeks as her hooded eyes stared into Ryu's. "Ryu... I want you..." she informed, getting a hitched breath from Ryu. "Please, Ryu... I want you so much..."

"Kira..." Ryu breathed as her hand moved to the towel that was wrapped around her.

Undoing the knot that held the towel in place, she allowed it to drop from her body, revealing her smooth tanned skin to Ryu, fully exposed.

***Lemon Start***

"Please, Ryu," she pleaded as she flushed a deep red. "I want this..."

Ryu nodded dumbly, as he moved his hands slowly, first around her waist, before moving up, trailing across her smooth skin before cupping her breasts, causing Kira to let out a small moan at the sensation as he began to fondle with her large C-Cup Breasts. "Ryu..." She moaned out, as she used her hands to bring Ryu's head closer to her breasts.

"Kira..." Ryu breathed out as he nipped at her aureolas, making her back stiffen from the pleasure she was feeling. "Your skin is so soft... your entire body is warm..." he took one of her nipples into his mouth and gently sucked on it, getting a loud moan of pleasure from the brunette as she arched her back, pushing her breasts further into his face.

Kira's eyes were wide, and her mouth agape, feeling pleasure she had never felt, and letting out moans as Ryu continued sucking and teasing her breasts. "Ryu... Ahh..." she moaned out. "D-Don't stop...ahh... "

Ryu didn't stop as he moved one of his hands from her breasts lower to her snatch, where he lightly stroked the outside of her lower lips causing her to gasp lightly as she tightly gripped at head.

"R... Ryu..." She moaned out as her hips jerked slightly.

Ryu's lips smirked around the nipple in his mouth as he looked up at Kira before separating. "Mm, Kira, you seem to enjoy this," he teased lightly as he rubbed the outside of her pussy.

Kira let out a loud moan as she nodded, her hips jerking a bit more noticeably. "Ahh...y-yes..." She panted out. "I-It feels... so... GOOD!"

Ryu smiled as he continued his ministrations. "Good," he whispered softly as he leant back in and captured her lips in a searing kiss that caused her toes to curl up on themselves. "That's what I want," he informed as he slowly pushed a finger into her damp pussy, making her loudly moan.

"YES!" She hiss/moaned out while still kissing Ryu deeply, as he began pumping it in and out of her soaking pussy. Her hips now bucking almost uncontrollably. "So good... So good!"

Ryu then added in a second finger as he increased his pace and added a bit more pressure to his other hand's ministration of her breast, pinching and pulling it. Kira's moans tripled, as pleasure was assaulting her body almost constantly from Ryu's ministrations. Suddenly, Kira began feeling a strong pressure building up below. "R-R-Ryu!" she said. "I-I think I-I'm cumming!"

"Cum for me Kira..." Ryu whispered huskily into her ear. "Please cum for me."

Kira suddenly let out a loud ear-piercing scream of pleasure, as her pussy tightened around Ryu's fingers, which became covered in her juices as she came hard.

Ryu gently kissed the crook of her neck as she rode through her orgasm, her body twitching sporadically. "You alright?" he asked when he saw coherency return to her eyes.

"Y... yeah..." Kira panted. "That was... amazing... but... I want more... I... I want you in me, Ryu..."

Ryu gently kissed her gently as he cupped a hand around the back of her neck. "Of course, my love," he assured her as her hands tugged at the undershirt he was wearing.

Complying with her unspoken wish, Ryu quickly shedding himself of his shirt, closely followed by the boxers he was wearing, revealing his rather large member that stood at attention. He quickly scooped Kira up into his arms and moved her over to the bed, his lips occupied with her own the entire time, even as he set her on the bed and slid on top of her. "Are you sure about this... Kira?" He asked softly as their lips separated.

"Yes..." Kira replied, looking up at him with longing. "I want this so much... I want you so much... please, Ryu..."

"Very well, then," he agreed as he lined himself up with her wet entrance and slowly began to push in, breaking through her barrier as she screamed out, clutching his shoulders tightly. "There, I'm in," he informed once he was fully sheathed within her, lightly kissing along her neck, trying to ease the pain however he could.

Kira nodded. "It hurts a bit, but... I was expecting that..." she replied. "But more than that, it feels good..." After a few moments to let the pain subside, she said, "Y... you can start moving now, Ryu..."

Ryu nodded as he slowly started to shift his hips, pulling his length from her pussy before slowly pushing them back in, causing Kira to moan loudly as her nails scratched at Ryu's back. "You're so tight Kira," he whispered huskily into her ear. "It feels like you're going to suck me in completely..."

"Ryu..." she whispered in reply. "You fill me up so much... it feels so good..."

Ryu's pace began to pick up, much to Kira's vocal approval, as his hands gently kneaded her breasts, his fingers expertly pinching her nipples as he thrusted faster into her pussy. "Kira..." he breathed out. "I'm gonna cum..."

"M... me, too..." she moaned. "Please... cum with me... cum inside me... I want to feel it..."

Ryu grunted as his thrusts became erratic and caught her lips in a searing kiss when he finally slammed his hips flush against hers, his cock pushing against Kira's womb sending her into a screeching orgasm, her velvety walls fluttering around his cock trying to milk him for all he had as his seed spilled into her open womb. "KIRA!" He shouted as he held her close to him. "I love you..."

"I love you, too, Ryu..." she replied. "I love you so much... I promise, I will always be by your side..."

***LEMON END***

Ryu smiled as he held Kira close to him as he slipped the covers over them. "Thank you Kira..." He whispered softly to her as they slipped off into sleep. "Thank you for being my light in the darkness that is my life..." He softly kissed her brow and buried his face into her hair, his eyes drifting closed as a single tear slipped from his eye. "I love you."

Kira smiled as her eyes drifted closed, happy to have just made love to the one she cared about, and who returned her feelings.

Neither of them aware of the new life that now lay within her...

END CHAPTER

New Ship Specs!

Andraste-class Assault Cruiser
Manufacturer: ZAFT
Operators: ZAFT
Ships of the Line: (BVW1): Andraste, Britannia, Vicious, Latis, Coventina, Satiada, Nodens, Veteris
Overall Length: 354 Meters
Overall Width: 98 Meters
Power-Plant: Unknown
MS Hangar: 2
M.S Catapult: 2
M.S Capacity: 12
Armaments: 6 x 2-Barrel 177cm High-Energy Beam Cannon; 2 x 937mm High-Energy Cannon; 10 x 3-Barrel 58mm CIWS Defensive Turrets; 8 x 450mm Multipurpose Launch System;
Technical and Historical Notes: The Andraste-class was a newly developed ship class and type developed during the course of the First Bloody Valentine war. Developed in parallel to the Eternal-class Battleship, the Andraste is considered the predecessor to both the Eternal, and the Minerva. The Andraste was an assault cruiser, and was the first vessel produced by ZAFT that could not only fight in space, but has Atmospheric re-entry and flight capabilities, as well as the ability to submerge itself beneath the waves of Earth like a submarine. At its time, it was ZAFT's most versatile vessel, only surpassed by the Archangel. Its engine output was 15% greater than that of the Nazca, making it the fastest vessel in the ZAFT fleet.
The Andraste-class was developed to succeed the Nazca-class as fleet Flagships. As such, after the launch of the Andraste and its success, numerous more such ships were developed and produced. By the end of the war, eight more Andraste-class Cruisers had been constructed, and production had yet to cease even after the war. By the time of the second Bloody Valentine war, the Andraste-class was a common ship class in the naval forces of ZAFT, operating alongside the Nazca and Laurasia-class vessels.
Appearance: Looks like the Alexandria-class Heavy Cruiser
Colors: Red with Dark Green trimming