“How can this happen?!” The spikes from Tadgh’s blade continued to launch towards him. The spikes made their way towards Athrun’s Gundam while his Infinity found some amount of safety alongside one of the nearest buildings when he tried to deliver a decent shot against Tadgh’s mobile suit. He cursed his luck, “This can’t go on much longer!” Athrun was quick to contact his ally, “Kira! This colony is not going to hold much longer against the attacks!”
Kira clearly agreed with the situation when contacted back, “If that’s the case then we’ll have to do everything to make our way out of here.”
“In the Archangel?”
“It’s an outdated ship by now alright. But it’s our best shot at getting out of here in one piece now.”
Athrun was hesitant before he agreed to the motion, “If it continues to work then that should be our best chance.”
Kira gave him his own mission when he pointed out, “We have to see that the Terminus is able to make its way out of here. Athrun. I need you to find what emergency crew is available and help them take it into the outer area of the colony.”
Athrun saw the logic behind it but pointed out the defense problem, “… Terra is going to have some issue with this on her own…”
Kira assured him, “She’ll handle herself well Athrun. She’s among our finest.” 
Athrun finally agreed to the order when he warned, “I’ll see to it that the Terminus begins to take off. If any Actualizers try to slow me down I will face them though.”
“Follow what you feel the best course of action Athrun. The clearance code for the Terminus in Hangar 4 is 31178.”
Athrun’s Infinity Gundam began to make its way towards the end of the colony when he contacted his daughter, “Terra, try to hold them back. The evacuation has to begin soon.” The Generics tried to make their way towards him while the Infinity fired on them but eventually managed to make its way out of the battlefield.

The Infinity managed to find its way through the destruction of the colony when it finally made its way towards the nearby hangar bay. There were a few explosions headed his way as he recognized the urgency of the situation. He found a nearby security office when he left the Gundam and found his way to the nearest security officer. “Can you get me a connection with any ship personnel?”
The officer made his way towards the office when he quickly decided, “There is a crew of ZAFT and some Alliance officers waiting in the bays below trying to guide the civilians out of here. We can establish a contact with them through this office. They’re located in hangar area level 54.”
Athrun shooed him out of the room when he requested the secrecy, “Good enough. I’ll help them out.” Athrun adjusted the communication signal when he announced to the remaining members in the hangar below, “Attention all personnel available. Report to Hangar 4 for emergency boarding of the AERO flagship. Clearance code is 31178, prepare to evacuate.”

Kira gave the order to his crew, “Have the engines prepared. We have to make our way out of here.”
Terzo had one moment of hesitance when he remembered, “This was supposed to be this ship’s final mission…” He regained his composure when he ordered to the crew, “All personnel prepare for launch. We must make our way towards the ship bay doors for an exit.”
One of the operators observed the systems and reported, “The engines are still functioning Commander. We should be able to find a way out if we have decent defenses.”
Another one tried to figure out their hopes of survival asking, “Will we even hold against the attacks though?”
Kira promised the crew, “The Centennial is still holding off against the Actualizer mobile suits. We should be able to survive the exit.”
Meyryth was the only one to snarl at the idea when she commented, “That kid’s on the ground running. His defense better be something better than a heroic sacrifice.”

The Centennial and Ridill’s mobile suit began their duel as they charged one another. Within the sky of the colony the Centennial’s blades resonated the nuclear energy and sliced through the spikes that attempted to destroy him. Every slice was matched with another attack of the spikes before they were reduced to only four and left Ridill on the defensive.
The Centennial made its final deflection against Ridill’s spear spikes when he prepared his blades for the final strike. “You won’t stand against us any longer!” Making a final move in the charge he ordered his opponent, “DIE!” The two mobile suits charged towards one another with their weapons and the fate of both was determined. With that charge the Centennial’s blades on its left arm and leg sliced Ridill’s mobile suit to pieces. The legs fell down with much of the right arm when it tried to grasp for support. The Centennial made another charge down when it plunged both of its arm blades into the cockpit area of the mobile suit and charged down to the ground. Sousuke saw the energy short circuiting and forced the Centennial to ascend from the blast area. In that next instant the cockpit of the Actualizer mobile suit erupted in an explosion. 
Sousuke looked down at his hand when he observed the first action of his new life, “I… I’ve… I killed someone…” For a solid portion of time the Centennial stood atop the wreckage of its defeated opponent as though it were hesitant to continue making a stand against its enemy.

Terzo was in as much shock as the rest of the bridge when the crew saw the duel between Ridill and Sousuke finally end. He was the first to observe however, “He… He did it…”
Even Meyryth was taken aback when the teen she didn’t see any potential in achieve what few others had. “That kid managed to take one down…”
One of the nearest operators was in awe when he asked, “Do we have some kind of special pilot in that Gundam?”
Kira answered the question when he confirmed, “We have one in the making in that Gundam. The one that will give us our best chance of standing against the Actualizers.”
Terzo tried to maintain the mission when he asked, “Does the mission to deliver it to the Alliance still stand Commander?”
Kira confirmed their goal when he answered, “Yes Lieutenant. Signal it to return and prepare for the Archangel to depart from the colony.”
Meyryth pointed to the Orb assistance, “The bay doors are being covered by the Izanagi. If we continue to follow them we should have the cover to move through.”
Terzo reminded them of the ZETA holding its own, “We can’t do much if we leave Commander Zala’s daughter behind.”
Kira recognized the danger when he observed, “She’s still down there.” Kira called for attention from Sousuke when he ordered on the nearest panel, “Attention Centennial. Form up with the ZETA and assist in whatever defense you can.”

Sousuke snapped to attention when he answered back, “Sure. Will do…” He found the nearest target when Eleanor’s mobile suit attempted to destroy the ZETA. The Centennial moved in and prepared its blades when it moved in and sliced away at the debris that attempted to swipe away through the colony. Even as it was sliced away in his charge he did everything to move in close to the enemy mobile suit with the manipulating gun and made a slice at the barrel.
The debris fell to the ground as the mobile suit lost concentration and moved away from the attack. Even with the damage the gun was still able to fire beams of light while the Centennial dodged at every shot. Before it could come into contact with Eleanor’s mobile suit he recognized the Generics still holding back the Astray mobile suits that were attempting to assist.
The Centennial sped past Eleanor’s position while slicing away at the attacking Generics. He recognized the Actualizer infantry falling to pieces when the blades managed to cut them down. As soon as he accomplished his attack though he recognized the Generics gathering back up from the ground into a whole again. “They can’t be destroyed…” Sousuke observed before his senses were able to understand why they were capable of doing so. “They require their conjoining joints!”
The Centennial raised into the air when it prepared its nuclear blades again and prepared to swipe in to make another attack. With the charge he managed to strike at the weak points of the Generics located in their arms, legs and chests. The joints were burned away from them as they fell to the ground incapable of joining back to the wholes.
Sousuke prepared to charge again when he remembered the weak points of the Generics and prepared to destroy them. Every Generic that found its way in the path of the Centennial as it tried to prepare for an attack on the ZETA but couldn’t reach the target as they were sliced down by their enemy’s blades. It wasn’t long before the Centennial was standing next to the ZETA in preparation for a possible joint attack to push back the Actualizers from the Archangel.
Even in this moment of tension, Sousuke continued to observe the destruction of the colony before him when he cursed himself, “I… I took up this life…” He questioned even his own decision to help his father when he asked himself, “Is this really what I should have taken?”

Aboard the civilian evacuation ship bay the members of the dance club observed the destruction outside from a balcony when Trip observed, “One of them’s been taken down…”
Among him three others wondered about the Actualizer defeat, “It wasn’t just some Generic?”
“It was one of the big ones alright.”
“Do we even get to hear who did it?”
Trip turned to face the others when shook his head answering, “Nah, the military doesn’t want us to know that kind of stuff.”
Mei observed the ground beneath her as she told herself, “My Sousuke would never do something like that… He’d never be in one of those things…”
Trip walked up to her when he reminded her of the reason they were leaving, “If he was or wasn’t, either way a lot of lives have been changed today Mei. We have to get out of here before they get to us now.”
Mei continued to look forlornly at the remains of the colony as she prayed for Sousuke’s return while walking away from the destruction.