First off I said it was a battle between the shows. Right now their position in the show is completely irrelivant. This is a fight for life. And if you are complaining that Shinn is there still how about this. Athrun made him help because athrun is his superior. As for the Minerva. Athrun asked Talia and the crew very nicely to help him save his friends and nuetralize the new threat of gundams that threatens their world even further.