EPISODE 27: FUGITIVE!
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Lt. Col. Athena Ibaz, former heroine of the Earth Federation Forces, is now on the run from her former comrades-at-arms...wanted dead or alive, for TREASON.
An abandoned mobile suit cockpit module, recently jettisoned from a Cour de Leon mobile suit, sits in a derelict docking airlock unoccupied since the Gryps Conflict. Moments earlier, the sole occupant of that cockpit module had floated free of its confines, abandoning her normalsuit as soon as the airlock sealed.
Lt. Col. Athena Ibaz of the Earth Federation Forces, if indeed that name and title still have any meaning, is now a fugitive from the very Federal Forces of which, until an hour ago, she had been a highly valued Special Forces officer. Now, her former colleagues have orders to hunt her down – to arrest her if possible, to kill her if necessary.
And Athena knows that her hunters are formidable adversaries; after all, she had personally trained a number of them. That, perhaps, could work to her advantage…
Athena had considered retaining her normalsuit…in case survival meant a quick escape into the void of space. She finally decided against it, however, reasoning that she would likely need to make her way through Green Oasis City to find transportation out of Federation-controlled Side 7 to independent Side 6…or anywhere else she would be relatively safe from pursuing Earth Federation and Zeon authorities. Wearing a normalsuit on the city streets, even in a military town, would be fatally conspicuous.
Realist that she is, Athena knows that her chances of escaping could be generously described as nil, but she is accustomed to betting her life on such odds.
Athena wraps her command overcoat around herself and pulls her officer’s cap down low. Garrison Noah is home to tens of thousands of Federal Forces officers, including several thousand female soldiers who wear uniforms similar to hers. If she is cautious, she can use the uniform to blend into the mass anonymity of the Federation war machine. Perhaps, however, she should wait until morning…when Federal Forces soldiers will fill the streets of Green Oasis City. Only civilians, and mostly only unsavory nocturnal types, would be on the streets at this hour, and Athena’s presence would surely attract attention…the last thing Athena needs. Besides, there are likely no spacecraft leaving the port at this hour, and Federal Forces MPs will doubtless be all over the spaceport looking for her.
Athena needs sleep, although she knows it will be difficult for her to get any. Even in the best of times, sleep did not come to her easily.
But alertness of mind will be necessary if she is to survive.
Athena hugs her long, shapely legs close to her body and places her smooth, pretty face between her knees. At the preprogrammed colony morning’s first light, she will make her move.
************************************************** **************
“I’ve always had my reservations about Ibaz,” growls General Manron Blackhead, having rushed back to his office at the indecent hour of 02:30 to address the current emergency, “but even so, this act of treason is shocking. She even killed Cairlay!”
Archduke Alexander Miguel, whom Blackhead had invited to meet with him upon hearing of Athena Ibaz’s treachery, smiles wanly and hands a Datadisc to the commanding officer of the Earth Federation Space Forces, “Perhaps it won’t be so much of a shock, General, after you’ve had a look at this. Something my intelligence personnel discovered.”
General Blackhead takes the Datadisc and loads it into his personal Datapad. The general turns pale, then reddens as he studies the information contained on the Datadisc.
After several long minutes, Blackhead finds his voice again, and he rumbles angrily, “So…Ibaz was Minerva Zabi, the former Duchess of Zeon.”
“My father and I had searched for her royal highness, the Duchess Minerva, for years,” Miguel says, “we would never have thought that she had become an officer of the Earth Federation Forces.”
Blackhead reddens again, not from outrage this time, but from embarrassment at allowing Ibaz…no, Zabi’s deception slip by him, “It explains much…Ibaz’s ISRLA sympathies, for starters. We were idiots! Allowing the last of the Zabis into our central command structure like that! Fools such as Bright Noah and their permissive attitude towards these Spacenoids…no disrespect intended, Archduke.”
Miguel nods graciously, “What do you plan to do, General?”
Blackhead says, “The Zabi Royal Family is responsible for mass atrocities unprecedented in human history. It is the duty of the Earth Federation Forces to exterminate them…but Minerva Zabi is the sovereign of your nation, Archduke Miguel.”
“Was,” Miguel says, “but it’s a new day for the Archduchy of Zeon, General. When I signed the armistice, I committed my nation to a new direction…one that rejected the genocidal ambitions of the Zabis and embraced a new era of cooperation with your Federation. For this reason, you need not have any reservations about fulfilling your duty as an Earth Federation Forces officer on the Archduchy of Zeon’s account. In fact, we will gladly lend you our support in hunting down the last of that murderous clan that brought war and ruin to our illustrious nation. The people of Zeon have turned their backs on the Zabis and their genocidal legacy, and will join with the Earth Federation to eliminate their threat forever.”
General Blackhead extends a hand of friendship to Archduke Miguel, “We’re grateful for your assistance, Archduke.”
Alexander Miguel shakes the Federation officer’s hand, smiling a devious smile. With Minerva Zabi dead, the Zabi Royal Family will be extinct. No one will be left to challenge him for supremacy over the Zeon Empire.
And next, the foolish Earth Federation would fall.
************************************************** *************
“I don’t believe that Athena turned traitor on us,” 2Lt. Chieming Noah says, “I just can’t believe it.”
“She was our sister-at-arms,” Msgt. Karim Abdul Al-Said agrees, “we loved and trusted her. This…this is unthinkable.”
“I feel like my heart’s been ripped out of my chest,” Ssgt. Tomo Higashi adds, “First, Jolie leaves us…now, Athena turns against us. All due respect to the rest of you guys…this doesn’t feel like the Centurion Team anymore. How can there be a Centurion Team without Athena and Jolie? It’s like a lion with no teeth or claws.”
1Lt. Jonah Michaels, who has been silent until now, observes, “There’s more to Athena’s apparent ‘betrayal’ than meets the eye. We know this woman: we’ve all been the beneficiaries of her loyalty to us. For her to turn against the Federation…she must have had her reasons.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand those ‘reasons,’” Sgt. Anna Horowitz adds, “we trusted Athena with our lives…”
“…and she never let us down to the end,” Chieming reminds Anna, “All of us have always come back from our missions alive because of Athena’s leadership. But…we won’t have that leadership anymore.”
A dark pall seems to fall over the Centurion Team. The heart and mind of their team has been ripped out, and the young Centurion Team soldiers know that their future is in doubt as a result.
The team’s somber reflections are interrupted by the arrival of General Manron Blackhead of the Earth Federation Space Forces and Archduke Alexander Miguel of the Archduchy of Zeon. Even under the current unusual circumstances, the Centurions are caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of such high-ranking officers at their quarters.
“Attention!” an escort MP announces.
The Centurions rise as one and salute General Blackhead.
Blackhead looks at them severely, “At ease. As you are undoubtedly well aware, Lt. Col. Athena Ibaz, commanding officer of the Centurion Team and Deputy Director of the Special Forces, is now regarded as a traitor to the Earth Federation Forces. For reasons yet to be ascertained, Lt. Col. Ibaz assisted ISRLA insurgents in sabotaging a shipment of vital supplies that was to have been delivered to the Archduchy of Zeon authorities. Consequently, both our forces and Archduke Miguel’s are now under orders to locate and neutralize Lt. Col. Ibaz.”
“Neutralize?” Jonah blurts out, “but sir, Lt. Col. Ibaz deserves a fair…”
“AS YOU WERE, SOLDIER!” General Blackhead cuts Jonah off wrathfully. After he has controlled his outrage, the general continues, “Archduke Miguel has revealed to us your former commanding officer was none other than Duchess Minerva Zabi of the old Archduchy of Zeon!”
A collective gasp of shock emanates from the Centurion Team members, “WHAT?!”
“Athena…is…Minerva…Zabi?” Chieming whispers tonelessly, her mind spinning.
In a rare moment of lapsed decorum, Karim sits down without asking permission of the ranking officer in his presence. Tomo shakes his head angrily in denial. Anna’s hands fly to her mouth in shock.
“Archduke Miguel has presented us with extensive and incontrovertible evidence that Athena Ibaz was nothing more than a false identity concocted by Minerva Zabi to infiltrate and undermine our Earth Federation Forces,” General Blackhead continues, “she is extremely dangerous and must be exterminated.”
The Centurions, against their training, begin to voice their protests, to which Blackhead replies with a thunderous “SILENCE!”
Having gained the team’s momentary quiescence, the general continues, “In the course of her betrayal, Zabi also murdered Col. Cairlay, Director of Special Forces. I will assume direct command over the Special Forces during the interim until a new, permanent director is appointed. As for the Centurion Team…1Lt. Michaels?”
“Yes, sir,” Jonah answers dutifully, but sullenly, retaining no respect for the highest ranking officer in the Earth Federation Space Forces
“You are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain, and will assume the position of Centurion Leader,” Blackhead says without any pleasure, “Archduke Miguel recommended you for the position, which is also appropriate in terms of chain in command.”
Jonah steals a glance past General Blackhead to his elder brother. Alexander smiles and winks at him; Jonah responds with a distrustful and angry scowl.
“Thank you, sir,” Jonah says with difficulty, suddenly unable to breathe, feeling a crushing weight suddenly upon his shoulders. Is this how Athena felt when she led the team?
Blackhead says to the team, “You all have understandably strong emotional ties to Minerva Zabi. The Federation does not believe that you can suspend your feelings and act objectively. Your colleagues in the Special Forces and the Military Police have been dispatched to locate Zabi, but the Centurion Team is collectively suspended from duty until further notice. Be warned that any attempt to aid Minerva Zabi in any way will be construed as an act of abetting treason and will be punished severely. Dismissed.”
Blackhead and his entourage leave. Alexander stops in front of Jonah before leaving the Centurion Team’s barracks, extending a hand to his younger brother, “Congratulations, Captain Michaels. The future of your military career shows great promise.”
“…Thank you, your highness…,” Jonah replies tentatively, suspecting that Alexander has ulterior motives for supporting his promotion to Centurion Leader.
Jonah pauses to consider the irony of his situation: he has been doing the same thing that Athena…that Duchess Minerva has been doing all along. Like the Duchess, Jonah is Zeon royalty (now that Alexander has proclaimed himself Archduke), serving in the Earth Federation Special Forces under a false identity. Jonah wonders when he, like Duchess Minerva, will be exposed as a traitor.
It dawns on Jonah that he could actually be exposed easily by his own brother. Jonah finds it strange that Alexander has not done so, especially as it would force Jonah to leave the Federal Forces and return home to Zeon, as Alexander undoubtedly wishes.
A moment’s further reflection reveals the truth to Jonah: Alexander considers him much more valuable as an insider with the Earth Federation Forces than just another junior officer in the Archduchy of Zeon Forces. With Jonah in the position of Centurion Leader, Alexander can use him for strategic, intelligence, and political objectives.
Jonah resolves that he will not allow himself to be used as his brother’s pawn. Jonah understands Alexander all too well, and vows to thwart his brother’s mad ambitions.
To accomplish that end, however, Jonah will need to play cooperative soldier and good brother…for now.
After General Blackhead and Alexander leave, the Centurion Team members turn to their new commanding officer.
“Jonah…Captain Michaels, what do we do now?” asks 2Lt. Chieming Noah.
“Officially, we do nothing,” Jonah replies, “We’ve basically been put on enforced leave. We’re not confined to quarters, so we’re free to move about in the city as we please until new orders come down.”
“Captain Michaels,” MSgt. Karim Abdul Al-Said queries, “do you mean…?”
“We have to find Athena before they do,” Jonah says grimly, “We’re the only ones who can save her.”
“But we don’t even know where to begin looking,” Sgt. Anna Horowitz points out, “she could be anywhere. She might even be dead. What makes you think she’s here at Green Oasis?”
“First,” Jonah says, “Athena needs transportation if she’s going to escape to neutral space, and no hub of transportation is closer to the location from which she disappeared than Side 7. Second, it’s the only colony in range of her Cour de Leon cockpit module’s emergency thrusters. Third…I sense her presence here at Side 7.”
“You do?” the Centurions press. They are aware of Jonah’s Newtype abilities, and hopeful he can use it to locate Athena.
“Do you know where she is, Jonah?” Chieming ventures hopefully.
“No,” Jonah replies glumly, “Unfortunately, I can’t pinpoint an exact location, but I know she’s here…nearby.”
“Then let’s go!” Chieming says, “Before the military police or the Zeon troops get her!”
“Right,” Jonah says, “we’ll split into pairs. Chieming, you’re with me. The rest of you, pair up and search the city on foot. Dress civilian so that you’ll be inconspicuous.”
The Centurions salute their new commanding officer and rush to their quarters to change out of their uniforms and into civilian clothing for the task at hand. They vow to find their previous commanding officer…and save her life. It’s the least they can do for a friend who has saved their lives so many times before. That loyalty runs deeper than their loyalty to the Federation.
to be continued...