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Thread: Mobile Suit Gundam - The Second Century (Part 2: The Second Century)

  1. #341
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    Episode 45 continued...

    “We’ll be deploying on two sequential fronts,” Archduke Alexander Miguel instructs his troops, now collected on the Zeon flagship Enforcer, “the first group will consist of three shock trooper squads. These squads will launch a fire bombardment and toxin gas assault upon the Shangrila colony, whose 2.5 million inhabitants make it the most populous as well as the oldest space colony of Side 1. This will draw out the United Forces Armada. The shock troops will then engage the United Forces Armada inside Shangrila. When the enemy is entrenched there, the rest of our forces will then move in on them while they are trapped inside Shangrila. Is that understood?”

    “Yes, m’lord!” comes the collective reply.

    “We will be deploying within the hour,” Archduke Miguel says, returning his men’s salutes, “Sieg, Zeon!”

    Thousands of voices answer in unison, “SIEG, ZEON!”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At around the same time, Minerva Zabi addresses the troops of the United Forces Armada through a prerecorded hologram that was hand-delivered to each vessel commander to eliminate the risk of the message being electronically intercepted.

    Mineva’s holographic image appears simultaneously aboard the thirty-eight ships that comprise the United Forces Armada, “Judging from Alexander Miguel’s previous strategic patterns, he will likely instruct his forces to launch a two-sequence attack: the first as a luring tactic, the second being the actual assault. We’ll beat the Zeon to the punch by attacking them at Nostos first. We’re presently operating with the advantage that the enemy isn’t aware that we know where they’re located, but we shouldn't expect that situation to endure. Consequently, the Earth Federation Special Forces will deploy to attack Nostos while the remainder of our forces will defend Side 1 against likely attack. Even if the plan should go awry, the enemy will not be able to wipe us all out in a single strike.”

    Minerva pauses for a moment before finishing, “The Special Forces will begin their assault on Nostos at precisely 06:00.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Scarcely ten minutes after Minerva’s hologram relays the order, Captain Jonah Michaels, 1Lt. Jolie Minh, and the rest of the Earth Federation Special Forces are aboard their mobile suits, bringing the combat systems to life, prepared for immediate deployment.

    Elsewhere, aboard the Amuro Ray, Judau Ashta, Lu Luka-Ashta, Eno Abbov, and Mondo Agake have boarded the ZZ Gundam, and are similarly ready for deployment.

    Aboard the Mapother, Minerva Zabi aboard her Kizi Aslan and Hathaway Noah aboard his Oglu Aslan are also ready to sortie, as are hundreds of other United Forces mobile suits under Minerva’s command.

    The command comes at 05:18: “Move out.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    05:56, Nostos Colony…previously an agricultural colony that supplied grains, fruit, and vegetable products to Side 1 until damage to its solar lighting, temperature regulation, and hydration systems during the One Year War rendered it lifeless and useless. Over the years, Nostos has fallen into disuse and has been scheduled for decommissioning for nearly two decades, but the bureaucracy that rules the Earth Federation Government has left the colony drifting uselessly for years.

    Since their occupation of Side 1 started three months earlier, the Archduchy of Zeon Forces have gradually converted Nostos into a military fortress…a location ideal for hosting the occupation forces they posted to Side 1.

    Archduke Alexander Miguel is aboard his new mobile armor, the Azrael. The successor of the Sazabi and Nightingale mobile suits, MSN-14S Azrael was designed by Alexander’s own sister, Nanai, specifically to fit Alexander’s Newtype biorhythmic idiosyncrasies. His ability to synchronize his mind and body with the mecha, and for the mecha to anticipate his needs, is unprecedented…utilizing refinements of the technology incorporated in Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi’s Elmeth Gamma and Gamma Azieru mobile armors. The Azrael is devilishly quick, and packs enough weaponry to liquidate an entire space colony or terrestrial city.

    Alexander can feel the Azrael’s power throbbing, not only through his muscles and bones, but through his mind. This is a far more powerful war machine than any other he has operated in his long career as a combat MS pilot, and Alexander knows that it is more than merely the return to active combat after many months of inactivity that is causing this sensation. The Azrael seems so much more than mere mobile suit; it is a mechanical embodiment of the Angel of Death from which it derives its name…a name chosen by Archduke Alexander himself.

    Around the Azrael, the Zeon Occupation Forces, fifty warships and three-hundred mobile suits deployed to apply an iron heel to Side 1 – to ensure that the colony’s civilian government understood that the Archduchy of Zeon was its current overlord, and that no vestige of the Earth Federation would be tolerated.

    Miguel issues the order, “Attack forces, move ou…”

    Before Alexander can even finish relaying the order, multiple explosions rock Nostos Colony, with a hail of beam fire targeting the Zeon assault forces.

    Before they can make their first move to attack, the Zeon forces find themselves under attack.

    “Order update,” the Archduke Miguel says calmly, his mind already adjusting to the unanticipated circumstances, “All forces focus on retreating from Nostos Colony! Repeat: all forces retreat. Take down as many enemy units as you can on the way out, but retreat!”

    The enemy took the first strike away from us, Alexander acknowledges, but their timing and their sudden knowledge of our position here fit too well to be coincidental. Col. Putnam and the civilian government of Side 1 were supposed to have laid the groundwork for luring the United Forces to Side 1, and they succeeded in accomplishing that objective, so how…?

    As he adroitly fights off a few attacking United Forces Javelin mobile suits using the Psychom-operated weapons systems of his Azrael, Alexander raises the ranking command officer of the Zeon Occupation Forces at Side 1, Vice Admiral Alphonse Stacker.

    “Stacker, come in,” Miguel’s voice comes through the com-net.

    Vice Admiral Stacker replies from the bridge of the Enforcer, “Your Majesty. Vice Admiral Alphonse Stacker reporting, sir.”

    “Stacker,” Miguel says with unnerving coldness even as he dispatches another United Forces’ mobile suit, “I need to speak with Col. Putnam.”

    Stacker swallows uneasily before replying, “My regrets, Your Majesty: Col. Putnam…isn’t available to speak with Your Majesty.”

    “Explain,” Miguel demands.

    “Your Majesty,” Stacker continues, sweat dripping from his jowls, “Col. Putnam was captured by the enemy over twenty-four hours ago. He’s likely POW…possibly even dead.”

    “Why was I not informed of this?” Miguel asks, his voice soft and steady as he obliterates two Nemo-VIIs with well-placed beam rifle strikes.

    Stacker says with a resigned sigh, “I…I feared that you would be displeased by that information, Your Majesty.”

    Miguel bares his teeth, “Stacker…”

    Stacker replies with a quavering voice, “Y-your M-Majesty…”

    Miguel hisses, “You no longer have a home in Zeon, Vice Admiral. In fact, you no longer have any home at all.”

    A pistol appears in a gloved hand behind Stacker’s head, unleashing a single shot that collapses Stacker’s skull.

    Stacker collapses to the deck as Captain Wyman Stone re-holsters his sidearm.

    “I admire your decisiveness, Captain Stone,” Miguel says, “I hereby promote you to the rank of Rear Admiral. You are to carry out the orders I gave to Stacker.”

    “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Stone salutes.

    A part of this is my fault, Alexander reflects, I’ve cultivated a culture of fear in my forces. Fear is a wonderful motivator, but it also has its liabilities.

    Alexander sets his reflections aside as he notes a whirlwind of activity that quickly eats away at his forces. A dozen of his mobile suits are quickly eliminated by bursts of powerful beam strikes.

    Alexander spots two Federal Forces mobile suits approaching…two Gundams.

    Jonah…Miguel realizes, …and Jolie Minh.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Shangrila Colony of Side 1 was the first space colony ever occupied by humanity. To this day, it remains among the most populous…with 2.5 million inhabitants, it is home to over twice as many Spacenoids as most other space colonies.

    In spite of its historical value, Shangrila is a colony that has fallen into an obvious pattern of disrepair and neglect. The Earth Federation Government has curtailed support for Shangrila for decades in favor of newer developments at Side 7 and colonies outside the Cislunar Sphere. The aging and decay of infrastructure within the colony has persisted and grown worse for years, but nevertheless, the people of Shangrila have persisted and lived their way of life within the colony as best they can. Shangrilaers are a tough, proud bunch known for their tenacity and their knack for survival.

    At 06:30, the faculty and students at Shangrila Central High School are about to settle in for another day of Language Arts, Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences. In the hallways, teenagers gossip about which of their friends are dating (or cheating on) other friends, where to score reefers, tomorrow’s Physics AP test, or trying out for the school production of Romeo and Juliet. A day like any other…

    In Room 287, mathematics teacher Miss Reina Ashta is getting her class ready for the day’s Algebra 2 lesson. Reina has just started her discussion on polynomials when they feel the first vibrations.

    “What’s that noise?” a student asks.

    “Sounds like an explosion,” another answers.

    The entire school building shakes as something heavy crashes outside.

    “Quick!” Reina cries out to her students, “Get to the far side of the wall! Cover your heads!”

    As her students scramble for safety, Reina looks out the window. To her horror, she sees dozens of Zeon mobile suits on the streets of Shangrila!

    Episode 45 to be continued...

  2. #342
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    Episode 45 continued...

    Jolie’s White Phoenix Gundam and Jonah’s Centurion Gundam attempt to fight their way through a thick screen of Zeon mobile suits to reach their objective: Archduke Alexander Miguel’s Azrael mobile armor, but the Zeon mobile suits that oppose them pose a difficult challenge…even for them. These are not ordinary Gellonds or Rick Diablos piloted by rank-and-file Zeon troops, but members of Archduke Miguel’s handpicked Newtype Guard, each piloting a Sazabi-S type mobile suit superior to the unit used by Col. Char Aznable during his insurrection in U.C. 0093.

    Seeing that his two most dangerous adversaries are momentarily occupied, Alexander transforms the Azrael to mobile armor configuration and uses its powerful thrusters to vector away from the Nostos Colony.

    With unshakeable determination, Jolie and Jonah fight their way through the elite Zeon Newtype Guard, destroying one enemy unit after another. They have momentarily lost sight of the Azrael…

    Jolie reaches out with her mind…reaches out to the man she has hated for half a lifetime…

    “He’s headed for Shangrila!” Jolie says.

    “Let’s go!” Jonah affirms.

    White Phoenix Gundam and Centurion Gundam merge into PSI-Gundam and blasts towards Shangrila.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Miss Reina Ashta and her students run desperately for their lives as Zeon and United Forces mobile suits engage in vicious combat on the streets of their beloved cosmic city. The air within the colony is choked with smoke, and fires burn out of control throughout the colony. Shangrila has reached the end of its days…

    A particularly large, frightening-looking Zeon mobile suit lands in front of Reina and her fleeing students and colleagues, blocking off their path of escape.

    Archduke Miguel takes stock of the civilians at his mobile suit’s feet.

    Young Spacenoids, Miguel notes, I cannot understand why these fine young people, born of the cosmos, choose to live under the inept rule of the degenerate Earth Federation.

    Another mobile suit lands behind them, and Reina cannot help smiling as she recognizes it, “Double Zeta! JUDAU!”

    The voice of Judau Ashta, Reina’s older brother, booms from the ZZ Gundam’s loudspeaker, “Reina! You and those kids get out of here, now!”

    Judau scarcely gets the word out before he is forced to dodge a shot from the Azrael. The ZZ Gundam clears out of the way just in time to avoid being stricken by a lancing beam from the Zeon mobile suit’s beam rifle.

    The Azrael transforms into mobile armor configuration and lifts off into the skies, wanting no part of this combat.

    “Hey!” Judau yells, “You can’t just leave!”

    With that, Judau launches the ZZ into the air, transforming the United Forces mobile suit into its Core Fortress configuration.

    “Be careful, Judau,” Judau’s wife, Lu, warns him from the engineering station behind and slightly above his own cockpit station.

    Within the Core Base and Core Top units, Eno and Mondo stand by, waiting for the call to separate and engage the enemy as individual combat units…

    Judau takes aim with the Double Zeta’s double beam rifle, launching several thunderous blasts towards the Azrael, but the Zeon mobile suit proves blindingly nimble, dodging Judau’s shots and charging towards the ZZ Gundam with its beam saber drawn.

    “Damn!” Judau curses, “This guy’s even better than Haman Karn!”

    And how…with a deft maneuver, the Azrael reconfigures its beam saber into a beam scythe, scoring a cut across the ZZ Gundam that damages several key systems.

    From the shelter of a mound of nearby rubble, Reina responds with horror, “Oh, no!”

    “We’ve taken a critical hit!” Lu reports from her engineering station, “We’re losing power!”

    “Eno! Mondo!” Judau orders, “Separate Double Zeta into Core units now!”

    “Right!” comes the response.

    The ZZ Gundam’s components disengage into three separate combat units: Core Top, Core Fighter, and Core Base. The three component pieces swarm after the Azrael, forcing Archduke Miguel to retreat.

    A fresh squad of Zeon mobile suits joins the fray, chasing away Judau and Lu’s Core Fighter, leaving Eno and Mondo isolated against the Azrael.

    “Let’s finish this Zeon bastard, Eno!” Mondo calls out!

    ‘Right, Mondo!” Eno replies, “These Zeon have hurt enough people! How dare they come into our home colony and hurt our friends and neighbors like this!”

    The Core Base and Core Top assault the Azrael in unison.

    Archduke Miguel’s eyes flash in anger, “Swine…”

    Alexander lines up the Core Base and Core Top in his sights. A single blast catches Mondo’s Core Top, incinerating it. The flaming wreckage veers into Eno’s Core Base, causing both craft to crash in a fiery explosion on the streets of Shagrila!

    “MONDO!!! ENO!!!” Judau and Lu scream in simultaneous horror.

    Through his tears and rage, Judau bares his teeth, “You’ll pay for that!”

    But a blindside shot by a Zeon mobile suit tears off the Core Fighter’s rear stabilizer, forcing the craft to land in the streets of Shangrila. Judau is able to deploy the aerospace fighter craft’s emergency parachute in time to cushion their landing, but rejoining the battle is out of the question.

    Judau and Lu look up in horror as they see the mass of the Azrael looming over them, beam rifle pointed directly at them.

    Husband and wife stand together in heroic defiance of their enemy, daring him to disintegrate them.

    A powerful Newtype, Alexander notes, Judau Ashta, I believe…the man who defeated Lady Haman Karn. Such a talent. Such a shame that he chooses to oppose Zeon even now. I could use such talent in my forces.


    Alexander’s finger tightens around the trigger.

    The Azrael is blasted by an impact so powerful that it fractures Alexander’s left shoulder blade, immobilizing his left arm. The cockpit of Azrael begins to smoke and spark, burning the Archduke’s arm, upper back, and side before internal sprinklers put the conflagration out.

    The Azrael, heavily damaged, transforms into mobile armor configuration and speeds away.

    In pursuit is 1Lt. Jolie Minh’s White Phoenix Gundam.

    Jonah’s Centurion Gundam lands on the street in front of Judau and Lu.

    “Are you two all right?” Jonah asks the couple.

    “We’re all right, Captain Michaels,” Judau confirms, “Go after that one: he murdered two of our friends!”

    Two more, Jonah reflects bitterly, How many more are you going to kill, Alex?

    The Centurion Gundam takes off in the direction where the White Phoenix Gundam and the Azrael disappeared.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jolie has the Azrael in her sights.

    No doubt about it, Jolie thinks to herself, that pig Miguel is in that mobile armor. All I have to do is shoot and my family’s spirits can finally be at rest.

    Jolie is about to unleash the fatal beam when she is forced to dodge a firestorm.

    Critically wounded, bleeding from injuries to his head and back, Alexander looks up in disbelief, “Kyoko!”

    “Alex,” Kyoko says gently, “Do not worry. I’m here.”

    “You’re not supposed to be here,” Alexander insists, wincing from the pain of his injuries.

    “Say no more,” Kyoko says, “I have to get you out of here.”

    So saying, the Gamma Azieru pulls the damaged Azrael away from the battle as dozens of Sazabi-S mobile suits from the Zeon Newtype Corps rush in to occupy the approaching White Phoenix Gundam.

    Systematically, Jolie eliminates the Sazabi-S units with torrents of missiles, beam rifle shots, and Psychom Bit blasts. Her rage fuels her attacks, making her like an enraged tigress among frightened wolves.

    Momentarily, Jonah’s Centurion Gundam joins the fray and within instants, the Zeon Newtype Corps is reduced to wreckage.

    But their true quarry, Archduke Alexander Miguel, has escaped.

    “RRRRGH!” Jolie rages, pulling off her helmet in frustration and throwing it angrily against the inner cockpit hatch of the White Phoenix Gundam.

    The Centurion Gundam puts its armored hand on the shoulder of the White Phoenix Gundam in a calming gesture. Within the cockpit of the CG, Jonah breathes a sigh of momentary relief. Neither Alex nor Jolie was killed…this time.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Archduchy of Zeon Forces withdraw from the Side 1 Zone in disarray. Side 3 is too far to fall back to, so the Zeon retreat towards Side 6, which they continue to control.

    Through the pain of his wounds, Alexander Miguel hisses, “Kyoko…why did you disobey me? I ordered you to stay home.”

    “If I had obeyed you, you’d be dead,” Kyoko says, “Alex, I would do anything you ask me to do, but I refuse to see you die.”

    Alexander cannot help smiling, “I love you, Kyoko.”

    Kyoko’s heart flutters upon hearing those words, “Then listen to me, for once: retreat and rest. When your wounds are healed, we’ll punish the United Forces together.”

    “Lead the way,” Alexander responds, enjoying the taste of blood in his mouth.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At Side 1, there is jubilation in the streets as citizens of the colonies, having endured the terror of Zeon rule for over three months, taste freedom once more. Rescue and recovery efforts begin under the vigilant eye of the United Forces.

    From the shoulder of her Kizi Aslan, Minerva Zabi looks out at the smoldering ruins of Shangrila, Such horrific waste. This must end soon.

    Minerva descends from her mobile suit, as does her husband and partner Hathaway, as they join the effort to relocate the colony’s many now homeless civilians.

    to be continued in Episode 46

  3. #343
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    EPISODE 46: SIDE 6...YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW



    Side 6 (The Riah Republic), Baldur Bay Colony, December 5, U.C. 0079...

    The Earth Federation Forces' space battle carrier
    White Base prepares to depart from the Baldur Bay Space Colony of Side 6, en rout to the Texas Colony of Side 5. As the flagship of the Federation Armada’s 13th Autonomous Corps, the White Base and its mobile suit contingent of RX-78 Gundam (2Lt. Amuro Ray), RX-77 Guncannon (2Lt. Kai Shiden and Sgt. Hayato Kobayashi), and Core Booster aerospace fighters (1Lt. Sleggar Raul and 2Lt. Sayla Mass) represent the spearhead of a diversionary attack to draw the Archduchy of Zeon Forces away from the space fortresses Solomon and Abowaku.

    The
    White Base prepares for a quick departure, the impending arrival of a Zeon attack fleet spurring the authorities of the Riah Republic to pull the welcome mat for the Earth Federation troops. The Riah Republic wants no part of the war between the Earth Federation and the Archduchy of Zeon, which has now raged nearly a year and claimed billions of lives.

    District Attorney Cameron Bloom, a firm believer in the Riah Republic’s independence, is eager to see the ship go. He has little use for those warmongers from the Federation or the Zeon alike, and in their few days of supposed shore leave at Baldur Bay, they have been enough of a nuisance. Cameron has had no peace of mind since the
    White Base docked at Baldur Bay, and its departure would bring much-needed relief.

    But Cameron is not eager to see one member of the Federation’s warship leave – its helmswoman, 2Lt. Mirai Yashima.

    He finds her leaning on a guardrail on an observation walkway in the docking bay where the
    White Base is being loaded with (non-military) provisions in preparation for its departure from the colony.

    Cameron approaches her slowly. Less than a year ago, they had been so close…so intimate. Now, for reasons that Cameron cannot fathom, there is a barrier between them…intangible, invisible, but more impermeable than the titanium bulkheads that separate Side 6’s artificial environment from the void of space.

    Leaning against the guardrail, standing so close to Mirai that he can feel her warmth across the fabric of her Federal Forces uniform, Cameron opens his mouth to speak, but it takes an awkward, agonizing half-minute before he can finally ask, softly, “You’re…really going to go?”

    “I must go,” Mirai replies evenly, not looking at Cameron, then adds, “My comrades need me. I’m the ship’s helmswoman. Without me, the
    White Base goes nowhere.”

    “You’re not fooling anyone, Mirai,” Cameron says, “Sayla Mass can helm that ship. Even that gorilla Sleggar Raul can muscle that ship. It’s not really about your duty to the Federation…I know it’s about Bright Noah.”

    Mirai says nothing, looking uncomfortably at her uniform boots, her face betraying silent anguish.

    $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2268/miraicamerononeyearwar.jpg')

    Cameron Bloom and Mirai Yashima in U.C. 0079

    “Do you love him?” Cameron asks Mirai.

    “I...,” Mirai answers, “I…don’t want to answer that, Cameron.”

    Cameron sighs, “I always thought you were more decisive than that. I also thought you had more integrity. You made me a promise…”

    “Yes,” Mirai concedes, “I did. That was a different Mirai, from a different time. The war has changed everything, Cameron. It’s changed all of us. I…I can’t keep those promises I made because they were made by a different person. Please accept that, Cameron. You don’t have to forgive me if you feel you can’t.”

    Mirai leaves Cameron to return to her place on the bridge of the
    White Base…leaving Cameron with an emptiness that would not be filled…


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    …twenty years later.

    December 5, U.C. 0100

    Former Prime Minister Cameron Bloom of the Riah Republic, now more commonly referred to as Prisoner # 11101979, is led in restraints by two Zeon guards within Baldur Bay’s Central Men’s Penitentiary, previously used for housing Side 6’s own criminal element, who have since been exterminated (“If they’re of no use to Side 6, then they’re of even less use to Zeon,” Archduke Miguel remarked) to make room for Zeon political prisoners – namely, those of the former Riah Republic’s government who have refused to recognize Zeon rule over Side 6. Those who have acquiesced to the Zeon have been rewarded with prestigious positions as administrators of Zeon’s rule over the formerly independent space colony; those who have resisted have either been executed or, if like Prime Minister Bloom, remain of value, been cast into the hellish environment of the men’s penitentiary, jokingly named “The Riah Resort.”

    Cameron was popularly elected Prime Minister of the Riah Republic in U.C. 0096 on a campaign platform of staunch resistance to Earth Federation hegemony and administrative reform within the Riah government. Prime Minister Bloom was also known to be an outspoken supporter of the ISRLA movement (before it had adopted the name of “Shambala Republic”), providing various forms of support to the nascent Spacenoid independence movement, with whom the prime minister often reminded his fellow citizens that they shared an ideological kinship.

    When the Archduchy of Zeon Forces invaded Side four months earlier, Prime Minister Bloom deployed the Side 6 Civil Defense Guard to repel the enemy. The Riah Forces fought bravely and spiritedly, but their defenses collapsed after fewer than twenty-four hours in the face of the Zeons’ superior technology and numbers. The Archduchy of Zeon Forces flattened all resistance in less than a week’s time, and while guerilla resistance forces remain scattered across Side 6, they are too small and ill-equipped to provide any meaningful resistance.

    Prime Minister Bloom and his cabinet members refused to surrender to the Zeon Forces. Even when Archduke Miguel’s new Zeon military governor arrived with a legion of armed Zeon troops within the halls of the Riah Parliament, Cameron and his people resisted…some at the cost of their lives. The remaining resisters, including Cameron himself, have stubbornly refused to acquiesce even after four months of imprisonment…imprisonment that has yielded constant torture and privation.

    Presently, Cameron is forced to kneel on a floor of broken glass. Deprived of his spectacles months ago, Cameron is unable to see the faces of his tormentors clearly…not that his eyeglasses would have helped him much in the darkness.

    Momentarily, Cameron feels the shock of impact as a half dozen weighted batons rain down heavily upon his arms, legs, face, and body. This has been a part of Cameron’s daily routine for the past two weeks. Previously, there had also been oxygen-deprivation, electro-shock, and waterboarding “treatments,” as the Zeon officials like to call them. All very much against Antarctic Treaty agreements, which Riah never signed and which the Zeon have long disregarded.

    Cameron hisses in pain as he feels the hard impact of the cold, hard steel of the batons against his flesh. Compared to some of the other things he has been subjected to during the past few months, this is relatively mild. The Zeon seem to be going soft…

    From the darkness, Captain Trotter, the Zeon officer in charge of the prison facility, blows a ring of smoke from a stinking Cuban cigar and asks, “Prisoner 11101979…Mr. Prime Minister…do you have anything to say to me today?”

    Cameron spits out the blood gathering in his mouth, “Go to hell, Zeon scum.”

    This response is met by a flurry of renewed and more intense baton strikes, which continue until Trotter calls an end to it.

    “We’ll talk again tomorrow, Mr. Prime Minister,” Trotter says, indicating to the guards to take Cameron back to his cell.

    As bad as it is for me, Cameron reflects, it’s probably worse for the citizens outside the prison. Mirai…will I ever see you again?


    To be continued...

  4. #344
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    Episode 46 continued...

    Senator Mirai Yashima-Noah is in a conference with the leaders of the Earth Federation Government, now provisionally based at Side 7. The mother planet is now virtually uninhabitable; ironically, the *Earth* Federation Government is unlikely to return to Earth for years; those who have spent a lifetime waging war against Spacenoids find themselves forced to become Spacenoids.

    President Brenner and the Federation’s Deliberative and Legislative Assemblies are discussing an initiative to lend more support to the Riah Republic until the United Forces have succeeded in liberating it from Zeon control. The majority vote is to send support, mostly in the form of transport vessels for evacuation and work Hydrosuits for repair and maintenance work. The loss of Earth means that the Federation’s resources are stretched very thin indeed. The “help” that the Federation is providing to the Riah Republic is more a show of solidarity than anything of much practical value.

    Mirai understands that she serves a diminished Federation…one that is far removed from the mighty world government that her father had served a half century earlier - before the wars against the Archduchy of Zeon took their devastating toll on the Federation, which now resembles a dying old bear…growing increasingly feeble and impotent by the day.

    Even as she casts her vote in support of the relief effort for the Riah Republic at Side 6, Mirai cannot help feeling a pang of guilt that she is more concerned about an independent orbital state than she is about the Federation she represents - perhaps a macrocosmic parallel to a similar dilemma she feels on a more personal level…


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An hour after the meeting adjourns, Mirai finds herself leaning against a rail in the upper level of the Federation’s provisional Deliberative Assembly Hall at Garrison Noah…recently converted to that function from a multimedia assembly theater that the Earth Federation Forces had previously used for large-scale training sessions or strategy presentations.

    General Bright Noah, Supreme Commander of the Earth Federation Forces, approaches his wife, draping his command overcoat over her shoulders, and not failing to note the expression of worry on her face.

    “There’s something on your mind - I can tell,” Bright says, “Care to talk about it?”

    Mirai sighs and answers, “I’m worried about what’s going to happen to Side 6. Hathaway, Minerva, and Sayla have gone there to see if they can liberate it from Zeon control.”

    Bright smiles wanly, “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there? You’re worried about Cameron.”

    Mirai acknowledges with a quiet nod.

    Bright continues, probing gently, “Do you still love him?”

    Mirai, dreading that question, considers her response before saying, “He’s a very dear friend. I…”

    “Mirai,” Bright says softly, without any hint of displeasure, “It’s all right. I understand. Cameron is my friend too, and I’m also concerned for him.”

    Bright and Mirai smile at each other. In twenty years of marriage, an unbreakable bond of trust has developed between the couple. Mirai chides herself for entertaining the thought that Bright would be jealous if she were to express concern for Cameron, for whom she has had great affection since she was a teenager, but who was ultimately not the man she wanted to marry.

    “Don’t worry too much,” Bright says with a reassuring smile, putting his hands on Mirai’s shoulders, “Hathaway, Minerva, and Sayla will see to it that Side 6 and Cameron will be safe…and free of Zeon control.”

    “I’m just as worried about them,” Mirai says, “Alexander Miguel is a dangerous man. I fear…”

    “They’ll be all right,” Bright says, not entirely sure he believes it himself now.

    “Like Amuro?” Mirai asks, her eyes turning moist, “or Hayato…or Kai…or Ryu…or Sleggar?”

    Bright has no answer for Mirai other than to take her into his arms and hold her tightly. Standing back and watching friends and family throw themselves into the jaws of peril is more agonizing than diving headfirst into that danger oneself.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At Side 1’s Shangrila Colony, Judau Ashta, his younger sister Reina Ashta, and his wife Lu Luka Ashta lay wreaths of fresh flowers at recently erected memorials to Eno Abbov and Mondo Agake, friends who fell in battle against the Archduchy of Zeon Forces. Only Eno is interred here, at a memorial park in the same colony where he was born and raised, and to which he gave his life to defend from the Zeon. Mondo had, in his will, indicated his preference to have his remains buried at the space colony Moon Moon, alongside the woman he loved, Rasara Moon.

    Reina uses her handkerchief to bring Eno and Mondo’s memorial stones, tastefully-shaped transparent crystals bearing holographic images of the two young men’s visages and notations of their accomplishments. She sheds tears for them both…dear, dear friends who cared so much for her and her brother, and who saved both their lives so many times. Eno…so gentle and compassionate, never meant for war, but brave in the face of it. Mondo, who could be peevish and petty at times, but in times of need, never turned his back on those whom he loved or on what was right. She would miss them both.

    If Eno and Mondo’s deaths are hard on her, however, Reina notices that her brother Judau is taking it much worse. He lays a hand on each of his friends’ memorial crystals, and in a quaking voice whispers, “Two more…how many more tomorrow?”

    Lu puts a comforting hand on her husband’s shoulder, and then turns her head to see more fresh flowers being placed before Eno and Mondo’s memorials.

    “Dr. Artasia!” Reina’s eyes light up with joy as she recognizes one of the two newly arrived women.

    Dr. Artasia Daikun, known to some as Sayla Mass, smiles warmly as she engages Reina in a long embrace.

    A decade ago, ten-year old Reina Ashta was gravely wounded on Dakar, Earth during a firefight between Haman Karn’s Axis Zeon Forces and AEUG freedom fighters. Reina would have died of her wounds if not for the intervention of Dr. Artasia Daikun, who saved Reina’s life and reunited her with her brother Judau.

    Artasia and Reina have remained friends over the years although they have seen little of each other. Since U.C. 0094, Artasia has been busy leading the Independent Spacenoid Movement (now called the Shambala Republic Movement) and Reina completed her high school studies and went on to teacher’s college. Three or four messages have been exchanged each year, and Artasia has received a package of Reina’s Christmas cookies every December…except this year, as Artasia has been traveling so much on behalf of the Shambala movement that she has not had anything resembling a permanent address in months.

    “It’s good to see you, Reina,” Artasia says fondly, “You’re looking good…much stronger and healthier than when I last saw you on the Nahl Ahrgama…almost twelve years ago, was it?”

    Reina nods, “Thanks to you, Artasia.”

    Judau rises from where he has been kneeling near Eno’s memorial stone. He looks at Artasia with a look of ambivalence…caught between gratitude and a growing sense of distrust.

    Towards Minerva Zabi, the other young woman, Judau shoots a venomous look and turns away.

    If Judau cannot bear to look at Minerva, then Lu’s furious glare has all the intensity of a beam weapon.

    “It’s because of you,” Lu points accusingly at Minerva, “You and your goddamned unholy crusade! Our friends are dead because of you!”

    Minerva casts her eyes down silently, not challenging the accusation.

    “Lu,” Judau says quietly, “That’s enough. Let’s go.”

    “Judau,” Artasia begins.

    “Dr. Artasia,” Judau says, not turning to face the leader of the Shambala Republic Movement, “I thank you for all you’ve done for Reina and me. I wish you well. I pray that the dream of Spacenoid independence comes true. But my family and friends want no more of part of your war…or any war.”

    “Judau,” Artasia begins again, “Where will you go? What will you do?”

    “I plan to stay here,” Judau says, “To help rebuild Side 1. When you’re ready to build instead of destroy, we’ll welcome you back here. Both of you.”

    Judau walks away…from his friends’ graves…from the war, forever.

    Lu spares Minerva and Artasia one last angry glare before joining her husband.

    Reina looks towards Artasia and Minerva with some regret, “Dr. Artasia…Miss Zabi. My brother and sister-in-law…”

    “Don’t worry about it,” Artasia says reassuringly, “I understand how they feel.”

    With mutual nods of understanding, Artasia and Reina part ways again…not knowing when they might meet next.

    Minerva silently watches Reina depart after her brother and sister-in-law, their figures becoming indistinct in the distance.

    Artasia puts a gentle hand on Minerva’s shoulder, “Don’t take it to heart. They don’t really hate you; it’s the grief they’re feeling.”

    Minerva smiles wryly, “It’s not me they hate; it’s what my name represents…and what your father’s name has come to represent. We need to finish destroying, Artasia, so that, as Judau said, we can begin building.”

    Artasia nods, “What Zeon and Zabi destroyed, Zeon and Zabi will restore.”

    Minerva does not answer, but gives another silent, wry smile, wondering if Artasia senses the irony as acutely as she does.

    Episode 46 to be continued...

  5. #345
    Senior Member Ghaleon's Avatar
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    I can finally understand some of the backstory in your fanfic. I watched 8 episodes on the weekend (busy weekend) but I finally got to the part where they introduced the Neo-Zeons and the Zabi family. I can see you have some ZZ references. Is it necessary to watch ZZ to know the whole story of the Neo-Zeons or does Char's Counterattack explain what happens? I'm going to try to finish Zeta today as I got lot of free time today.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ghaleon View Post
    I can finally understand some of the backstory in your fanfic. I watched 8 episodes on the weekend (busy weekend) but I finally got to the part where they introduced the Neo-Zeons and the Zabi family. I can see you have some ZZ references. Is it necessary to watch ZZ to know the whole story of the Neo-Zeons or does Char's Counterattack explain what happens? I'm going to try to finish Zeta today as I got lot of free time today.
    ZZ is not necessary for the enjoyment and appreciation of CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK. Nevertheless, ZZ helps to set the table for the events of CC. It is enough to know, I suppose, that Char's Neo Zeon movement is not the first resurgence of the Zeon since the One Year War, but you would already know that from the end of ZETA.

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    Episode 46 continued...

    Three hours later, Artasia and Minerva have made the short space shuttle flight from Shangrila to Londenion, where the Earth Federation Special Forces were founded with the first Special Forces Team, Lond Bell, in the early U.C. 0090s. Londenion is also the headquarters of the Earth Federation Forces’ Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI), under whose auspices Minerva (as sixteen-year old Earth Federation Special Forces Cadet Athena Ibaz) trained for a period of six months in field intelligence disciplines.

    Londenion Colony was also host to the infamous negotiations that ceded control of Axis Fortress to Col. Char Aznable, who then proceeded to use the asteroid fortress to create nuclear winter on Earth. Char’s plot was foiled by the intervention of Captain Amuro Ray and the Lond Bell Force, but where Char failed, Alexander Miguel has succeeded all too well less than a decade later…

    Ironically, it is the chambers of Londenion’s Lords’ and Commons’ Hall, Side 1’s seat of government, where officials of the Earth Federation Government signed away control of Axis Fortress to Char, into which Artasia and Minerva presently find themselves stepping. With them is Hathaway Noah, son of General Bright Noah and Senator Mirai Yashima-Noah and Minerva’s fiancé.

    Artasia, Minerva, and Hathaway quietly and unobtrusively take seats near the back of the grand assembly hall as Side 1’s government administers a matter of jurisprudence: the trial of its previous Governor, James D. Cadena, on a charge of treason.

    As they take their seats, Hathaway mutters under his breath, “This is the place where Quess’ father sold out the Federation to Char by giving him Axis Fortress.”

    Minerva gives Hathaway a sidelong glance, but says nothing. Minerva has never been the jealous type, and Hathaway’s lingering preoccupation with his first love, Quess Parayana, does not faze her. What does trouble Minerva, however, is her fiancé’s continuing preoccupation with the corruption within the ranks of the Earth Federation.

    This is a problem that Minerva herself has come to accept as a given; as long as there is an Earth Federation, it will likely be rife with internal decay. It cannot be helped. The Federation is weighted down by the Earth’s gravity…now by a dead Earth’s gravity. Being preoccupied with that decay is a waste of valuable time and energy.

    “This tribunal declares former Governor James D. Cadena guilty of the charge of treason,” recites the tribunal magistrate, “He is now relieved of his position as Governor of Side 1 and is sentenced to deportation from Side 1. The government of the Archduchy of Zeon at Side 6 has extended political asylum to Mr. Cadena.”

    With that, armed security personnel lead Cadena away. A space shuttle already awaits the disgraced former Governor of Side 1 to transport him to Side 6, where the Archduchy of Zeon authorities will decide his future.

    The magistrate’s mood lightens as he moves onto the next order of business, “Now that our government is no longer under the domination of the Archduchy of Zeon, I declare that Miriam Mandara has been elected, by consensus vote of the people of Side 1, as the new Governor of Side 1.”

    The assembled leaders of Side 1’s government collectively rise to their feet and loudly applaud the election of their new governor. Miriam Mandara is a popular grassroots leader at Side 1, known for her opposition to both the Archduchy of Zeon and the Earth Federation. A close friend of murdered former Governor Henry Yeh, Mandara became a political refugee during the months of Zeon occupation and was named the head of the underground resistance against Cadena’s Zeon-sponsored puppet regime. Her election to the post of Governor is a reflection of the will of Side 1’s people.

    “My fellow citizens,” Governor Mandara begins, “I am humbled by the enormity of the responsibility you have elected me to fulfill. Side 1 suffered grave losses as a result of the Zeon invasion and occupation. Cadena’s treachery has hurt us all.”

    Mandara pauses a moment before continuing, “Although our spirit is undiminished, our ability to protect our citizens from further incursion by the Zeon has been severely weakened. The Earth Federation Forces have been severely battered by the Zeon assault, and we cannot expect that they will be able to protect us as they have in the past. Moreover, Side 1 is past the era that should be ruled by the Earth Federation: the Federation cannot look after even its own interests, let alone ours. Henceforth, we reclaim the name Zarn Province, and we stand independent of both the Earth Federation and the Archduchy of Zeon.”

    To that, the chamber explodes with cheers, shouts, and applause that threaten to overwhelm the building’s walls. Those within the chamber are not sure if the vibration they feel is an emotional or physical sensation.

    Mandara continues even before the clamor has completely subsided, “To survive, however, we will need friends. Today, the Zarn Province is free of Zeon control only through the assistance of our fellow Spacenoids, the freedom fighters of the Shambala Republic of Side 3. I would like to invite the Director of the Shambala Republic Movement, Dr. Artasia Daikun, to address this assembly.”

    Artasia rises to respectful, but muted applause. She can tell that even with Governor Mandara vouching for her, the leaders of the Zarn Province are wary of her…or at least of the movement she represents. Artasia understands that her job is to win their trust.

    The applause falls away as Artasia takes the lectern and podium vacated by Governor Mandara, the seal of Side 1/the Zarn Province displayed on its front.

    Artasia speaks in a clear, strong voice, “My friends: four decades ago, my father took the first step towards the realization of the Spacenoid dream of liberation from Earth. He did not have the opportunity to take a second step, however, before militarists bent on imperialist goals twisted that dream into a nightmare of subjugation and mass murder that has persisted for forty years…a nightmare you have experienced four times over, most recently in the form of Alexander Miguel’s attempt to extend the reach of his domain into your home.”

    One of Hathaway’s aides in the Shambala Intelligence Agency approaches and whispers something into his ear. Hathaway, in turn, whispers that same information into Minerva’s ear.

    Minerva nods, and she and Hathaway both rise from their seats and quietly leave the assembly hall, noting that Artasia has things well in hand in her address to the Zarn Province’s leadership.

    Artasia has her audience’s rapt attention as she continues, “…our hope that the citizens of the Zarn Province will join the Shambala Republic movement as allies and friends. Shambala’s goal is not to rule over you…or to determine your destiny, but to extend a hand of mutual assistance the achievement of our common goals...”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An hour later, a private space shuttle chartered by the Archduchy of Zeon ferries former Governor James D. Cadena from Side 1 to Side 6, where he will in turn board another shuttle to Cosmic Alexandria at Side 3.

    Others, however, have already determined that the recently ousted governor would never see the capital of Zeon.

    Ahead of the space shuttle, a mobile suit arms its beam rifle, charging it to full power for a lethal blast…

    To that mobile suit’s side, six more identical mobile suits perform the same series of actions. One-by-one, the muzzles of their beam rifles begin to glow.

    The concentrated Minovsky particles are superheated and released in seven devastating streams…all of which converge upon the space shuttle bearing Cadena.

    Cadena has only a moment to comprehend what is happening before he is ejected from the exploding spacecraft, his body reduced to atoms by the streams of energy.

    The explosion dies within seconds. In deep space, with little oxygen other than what escaped from within the cabin of the destroyed space shuttle, there is nothing to burn.

    Only debris remains.

    The squad of seven mobile suits, their work done, departs the scene with ghostlike swiftness. Emblazoned on each war machine’s chest is a crossbones-and-dagger insignia…

    Two Shambala Republic Defense Guard mobile suits, a red Kizi Aslan and a blue Oglu Aslan, arrive on the scene to observe, but take no part of the destruction.

    "We're too late," Hathaway Noah exhales.

    Minerva Zabi says nothing in response.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A day later, Minerva is in the office of Meitzer Ronah, Chairman of the Buch Concern, aboard the Buch Concern's corporate space carrier Nebuchadnezzar, which rivals the Jupitorius Corporation’s largest tanker ships for scale and mass and serves as the Buch Concern’s mobile headquarters. The Buch Concern has deployed a dozen such ships across the Solar System, using them as manufacturing sites and distribution centers as well as corporate bases. Their mobile nature (to say nothing of their heavy armament; each Buch Concern Cosmic Supertanker is a veritable battlefortress, armed from bow to stern with dozens of beam cannon and missile battery emplacements, to say nothing of the crackerjack force of mobile suits stationed on each ship) makes the Buch Concern much less vulnerable to takeover or destruction by hostile forces, which is how and why the Buch Concern has largely escaped the attention and influence of both the Earth Federation and the Archduchy of Zeon.

    Ronah pours two snifters of cognac from a vintage bottle and hands one of the snifters to Minerva, with whom he exchanges a toast.

    Ronah swills the expensive spirit in his mouth for a moment, nodding with appreciation, before remarking, “Excellent brandy.”

    Minerva smiles enigmatically, her gaze fixed on Ronah, “Refined, like the marksmen who pilot your mobile suits.”

    Ronah is silent for a moment, and then lets out a low rumble of a laugh, “So you’ve learned of Cadena’s fate.”

    “In this universe,” Minerva remarks dryly, “the only secrets are those that stay within the mind…and in this age of Newtypes, even those aren’t necessarily sacrosanct.”

    Uncomfortable with the subject, and with Minerva’s probing remarks, Ronah redirects the course of the discussion, “I’m pleased that you were impressed with my mobile suit pilots. They are indeed, as you say, excellent marksmen and all-around warriors, but I believe that you would be worth more than a hundred of them. If you’re interested, Miss Zabi…”

    “I’m interested,” Minerva says, cutting off Ronah in mid-sentence as few others in the universe would dare do, “in purchasing a thirty-percent interest in the Buch Concern.”

    The proposition is so stunning that it takes Ronah a moment to process what he has just heard and formulate an appropriate response, “With what do you plan to purchase this thirty-percent interest?”

    Minerva answers directly, “The Zabi Family fortune.”

    Ronah nods, “Quite a substantial treasure your family piled up in the U.C. 0060s and 0070s…undoubtedly at the cost of quite a few broken backs. But surely, most of what was once the Zabi Family fortune must be gone by now. Over the years, the Federation and these new Zeon regimes must have taken every last scrap of it.”

    “Mr. Ronah,” Minerva says, “When you have a good idea, it is wise to assume that someone else has also thought of that idea. You demonstrated keen wisdom in choosing to keep the Buch Concern’s assets mobile and fluid. I’ve done the same. After I left the Earth Federation, I took my family’s assets, which were based on Earth, and reconfigured and redistributed them into shares of ownership in the Anaheim, Luo, Kuromizu, and Jupitorius operations. I am a thirty-percent shareholder and voting member on the board of directors in each of these corporations.”

    “Very impressive,” Ronah says with a smile, “and so you’d like to complete your collection with a thirty-percent stake in the Buch Concern.”

    “You of all people know that nothing can be had for free,” Minerva says keenly, “if you want a part in the Shambala Republic government, then you’ll first need to sell me thirty-percent interest in your company. I can live quite happily without your thirty-percent, Mr. Ronah. Are you willing to give up your stake in Shambala?”

    Ronah scowls. This insolent girl drives a hard, but irresistible bargain.

    “I’ll let you know, Miss Zabi,” Ronah says at last.

    “Thank you for your time,” Minerva says, rising from her seat, heading towards the French rococo double doors.

    There is the slightest, practically imperceptible stirring movement to the left, and Minerva deftly whips out her Walther handpistol in a single, swift, fluid motion…firing a single shot towards the ornamented shoji screen at the office’s left wall, and then arcs her firearm towards a large wooden cabinet standing against the room's right wall, pulling the trigger a second time.

    The sniper behind the shoji screen falls forward, his blood staining the white paper of the screen a dark red. The second sniper concealed within the large wooden cabinet to the right of Ronah’s mammoth desk falls forward a moment later, his own pool of blood staining the marble chessboard-pattern of the office floor.

    Minerva points the gun directly at Ronah and savors the man’s terror for an instant before re-pocketing her sidearm.

    “I deal with you in good faith,” Minerva says softly, “I hope that you will reciprocate.”

    Ronah smiles nervously, then says, “Very well, then, Miss Zabi. We have a deal. Thirty-percent it is.”

    “I really must leave now,” Minerva says over her shoulder, “Mr. Ronah: please be warned that you must not delay me any further. My people have orders to destroy this ship and several others in your fleet by any means necessary if I do not report back to them within a quarter hour from now.”

    Minerva leaves without being accosted any further; behind her, Meitzer Ronah fumes.

    “Arrogant Zeon b*tch,” Ronah snarls through clenched teeth, I will make certain you regret this.

    Episode 46 to be continued...

  8. #348
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Episode 46 continued...

    An hour later, Minerva is back aboard the Jupitorius Super Cargocruiser Mapother, which along with the rest of the United Forces Armada, is departing Side 1 for Side 6 on the opposite arc of the same LaGrange point…a short journey that should last only a few hours.

    “I didn’t leave Ronah much of a choice,” Minerva tells Hathaway Noah in one of the Mapother’s many lounges, “By the time I left, he was prepared to agree to anything.”

    Hathaway hands his strikingly attractive fiancée a fresh cup of steaming hot black coffee and smiles knowingly, “You do have a way of getting what you want…but do you really trust him?”

    “Not at all,” Minerva confesses, “For now, though, I’ve put enough fear in him that he’ll sell that 30% share of the Buch Concern.”

    “You’ve never stricken me as the greedy capitalist type,” Hathaway says, sipping from his own mug of coffee.

    Minerva smiles, “A growing new nation needs its captains of industry…and to keep a watchful eye on them.”

    Hathaway nods in agreement, then changes the subject, “Next order of business: Side 6. Artasia wants us to rescue its former Prime Minister, Cameron Bloom, from Zeon captivity at the Baldur Bay Men’s Penitentiary. Naturally, the Riah Republic will want its elected leadership restored, after it’s liberated…and there’s also a personal angle to it.”

    “Cameron used to be Mirai’s lover,” Minerva says.

    Hathaway nods, “Somehow, I’m not surprised that you know. Mom and Cameron were close before she met Dad. They were engaged at one point, but we all know how that ended up working out. Still, I know she has a soft spot for him. Even my dad considers Cameron a friend. I promised them that we’d rescue Cameron.”

    Minerva rises from her seat as she replies, “Then we’d better start making preparations to move out. We’re going to need to go in personally on this one.”

    Hathaway, who has also risen from his seat, nods. The couple makes their way to begin organizing their resources for their next move.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Baldur Bay General Hospital is one of the finest inpatient medical facilities to be found anywhere. With the destruction of Shanghai General on Earth following the Skyfall Assault, Baldur Bay and Cosmic Alexandria’s Lady Senna State Memorial Hospital represent the world’s foremost houses of medicine.

    Baldur General, or “BaldGen” as local residents affectionately call it, is a sprawling facility boasting two-thousand beds on seven acres of land. The staff includes over three-hundred physicians and seven-hundred additional personnel.

    BaldGen has served the people of Side 6 since the founding of the colony, but in recent months, all patients (regardless of their medical condition and needs) were evicted from the facility so that it could be used exclusively to treat Zeon troops wounded in combat.

    During the past two weeks, BaldGen has become the focus of a massive concentration of security detail, as has Baldur Bay in general, because of the admission of one particular patient of utmost importance…His Majesty Archduke Alexander Miguel of the Archduchy of Zeon.

    Archduke Alexander was wounded in combat against the Earth Federation Forces during the Battle of Side 1. The Archduke suffered his injuries during single combat against the White Phoenix, 1Lt. Jolie Minh – the ace pilot of the Earth Federation Forces and her mighty White Phoenix Gundam. Despite his own extraordinary skill as a mobile suit pilot and the formidable power of his new mobile suit MSN-14S Azrael, the Archduke likely would have perished were it not for the intervention of the Zeon Forces’ top ace, Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi, the Black Raven, who is also the Archduke’s betrothed.

    The Archduke suffered a shattered shoulder blade and first- and second-degree burns to his arm and back, but his physicians expect the Archduke to make a full recovery. The doctors have urged the Archduke to remain in bed for at least the remainder of the current week, a proposition that the Archduke grudgingly agreed to after the doctors persuaded him that his combat abilities remain impaired by his injuries and that returning to combat in his current condition would be imprudent.

    Alexander found the doctors’ prognosis irritating, but incontrovertibly correct. When he was first admitted to the hospital, he was unable to move his left arm even slightly without excruciating agony. Emergency surgery has repaired his shoulder, but the doctors informed the Archduke that it would be weeks before his arm would be healed sufficiently for him to return to combat.

    As the week has progressed, however, the Archduke has found his recuperation less irritating…particularly because of the tender love and care he has been receiving from his wife-to-be, Kyoko, without whose intervention he would have surely died in the space outside Side 1.

    Presently, Kyoko offers Alexander one of her beautiful smiles as she wipes his mouth with a napkin after having fed him a bowl of chicken soup. Feeling her warmth so close to him, Alexander wonders for the hundredth time what he would ever do without her…or how he ever did for so long.

    Alexander takes Kyoko’s hand in his own and stares into Kyoko’s large, black eyes, whispering to her, “I can’t tell you…how grateful I am that you came into my life. My destiny is to lead all of humankind, but without you at my side, I would not be able to lead anything.”

    “Serving you and serving Zeon are all that I wish for, Alexander,” Kyoko says, “I do this because I choose to. It is not destiny because destiny is foreordained. Only through choice can there be an expression of true love.”

    Alexander gives a slight laugh of amusement, “You’ve grown philosophical, I see….do you think that I should give our people a choice? That to show our love for our people, we must allow them to choose their own future?”

    Kyoko says, “Fear is a powerful motivator, but love might be an even stronger one.”

    Alexander shakes his head, “But people, given choice, do not always choose wisely as you did, Kyoko. If they did, the Earth Federation would have crumbled away long ago, as it should have.”

    To that, Kyoko responds, “It’s not good for you to focus on such things before you’ve fully recovered. Please rest. There will be plenty of tomorrows to consider such things.”

    So saying, Kyoko leans her head on Alexander’s chest, and Alexander strokes her long, fine black hair fondly.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Aboard the La Kaelum-II, which is headed as is the rest of the United Forces Armada towards Side 6, 1Lt. Jolie Minh is tormented by her confusion and frustration.

    Three years that to Jolie, now seem a lifetime ago, not long after Jolie joined the Earth Federation Forces, Athena Ibaz (Minerva Zabi) gave her Shakespeare’s Hamlet (among dozens of other texts) to read. At the time, Jolie thought that Hamlet was the stupidest character in the history of fiction…unable to resolve whether or not to seek justice against his mother and uncle for the murder of his father. To Jolie, the answer was plainly obvious: the murderers had to pay with their lives for the life they had taken. It was simple, and Hamlet was a fool for agonizing so long about it, driving himself insane in the process.

    Only now, Jolie realizes that it isn’t quite so simple…and that Hamlet’s agony might not have been so silly after all.

    Jonah emerges from the shower in the bedroom that the couple shares aboard the La Kaelum-II. He spots Jolie sitting on their bed, staring out the viewport at the distant stars, the colonies of Side 6 still too distant to be visible. Jolie sits with her long, gorgeously-shaped legs tucked up to her chest, her chin resting upon the tops of her knees. Clad in only a pink button-up shirt, Jolie is seated in a position that gives Jonah a wonderful and electrifying view of her legs and the graceful curve of her buttocks, setting his senses on fire.

    Jonah’s pleasant stimulation, however, turns to dismay as he recognizes that look on Jolie’s beautiful young face again – that morose, moody scowl that has increasingly come to replace the carefree, vivacious smiles that Jonah once knew.

    Jonah, clad only in a blue terrycloth bathrobe, takes a seat next to his very pretty fiancée. He gently fingers the warm, silk-smooth skin of the bottom of Jolie’s exposed upper right thigh and buttock, enjoying the sensation but failing to evoke the usual passionate response.

    “Jolie…” Jonah begins.

    Jolie says nothing.

    “Jolie…” Jonah tries again.

    “Just say what’s on your mind, Jonah,” Jolie says quietly, “I hate it when people aren’t straightforward with their feelings.”

    Jonah removes his hand from Jolie’s thigh and puts it on her shoulder instead, “Jolie…I think you should reconsider this goal of killing Alexander.”

    “We’ve already talked about this, Jonah,” Jolie says with a sigh of resignation, “That Zeon pig has to die to pay the price for all those people he murdered. And to stop him from murdering any more people. Haven’t you always told me that you believe in justice? You can’t tell me you think it’s justice to let Miguel get away with killing all those people he’s killed…or to let him continue to live to kill again.”

    Jonah crosses his arms, “Jolie, Alexander deserves justice for the evil he’s done, and he must be stopped from committing more acts of evil against humanity. Killing him in cold blood, though, isn’t the best way to do that…”

    Jolie rolls her eyes and shows a wry smile, “All this ‘ethics’ bullshit again. Just tell it like it is, Jonah: you just don’t want me to kill your beloved big brother, right? That’s what all this preaching you’re doing is all about, isn’t it?”

    “It’s not to protect Alexander,” Jonah says solemnly, “It’s to protect you. You’re losing your soul to your hatred for Alex, Jolie, and I love you too much to just watch you condemn yourself to that kind of hell.”

    “It's my soul,” Jolie says darkly, “and my choice.”

    With that, Jolie straightens her legs and pulls the hem of her shirt down lower to cover her bare legs just above the knees, as if cutting off access to herself to Jonah.

    She pulls the covers over herself and lies down, facing away from Jonah.

    Jonah sighs and lies down next to Jolie, also turning away from her.

    So close, yet so far apart…

    Episode 46 to be continued...

  9. #349
    Senior Member Ghaleon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    ZZ is not necessary for the enjoyment and appreciation of CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK. Nevertheless, ZZ helps to set the table for the events of CC. It is enough to know, I suppose, that Char's Neo Zeon movement is not the first resurgence of the Zeon since the One Year War, but you would already know that from the end of ZETA.
    Great. I'll be starting Char's Counterattack soon. Took a little break from the Gundam series. So to re-clarify, all we need to know is that after the events in Zeta, there are various Neo Zeon activities in ZZ. But in CC, we see Char create his own Neo Zeon movement? So i guess ZZ just serves as more Neo Zeon backstory for CC?

  10. #350
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ghaleon View Post
    Great. I'll be starting Char's Counterattack soon. Took a little break from the Gundam series. So to re-clarify, all we need to know is that after the events in Zeta, there are various Neo Zeon activities in ZZ. But in CC, we see Char create his own Neo Zeon movement? So i guess ZZ just serves as more Neo Zeon backstory for CC?
    Yes. The Neo Zeon Invasion of U.C. 0087-0089 (i.e. GUNDAM ZZ) was actually a much more extensive war (it lasted more than a year and took place on many space colonies and all over the Earth) than the conflict depicted in CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK (it occurred over the course of just a few days and was mostly localized around Side 1, although the Earth was under threat and the Federation's capital city of Lhasa, Tibet, was destroyed by an asteroid dropped by Char's forces).

    During the One Year War (GUNDAM), the Archduchy of Zeon was a single, unified force with centralized power concentrated under the authority of the Zabi Royal Family. During the era of ZZ, however, the Zeon Forces began to fragment. Not all the Zeon generals fell into lockstep with Haman Karn, Duchess Minerva's regent. Five years later, Char's Neo Zeon had very little in common with Haman's Neo Zeon other than name and overall ideology. Although some of them might have been remnants of Haman's forces, they were loyal to Char now, and his campaign was entirely separate from the two previous Zeon regimes that fought in the name of the Zabi Royal Family.

    In my fanfic, the Zeon state is even more fragmented as assorted Zeon generals who had served under the Zabis, Haman, or Char each seek to establish suzerainty over the Zeon name for themselves, and fight for control of territory in the Asteroid Belt and the outer Solar System.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    Yes. The Neo Zeon Invasion of U.C. 0087-0089 (i.e. GUNDAM ZZ) was actually a much more extensive war (it lasted more than a year and took place on many space colonies and all over the Earth) than the conflict depicted in CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK (it occurred over the course of just a few days and was mostly localized around Side 1, although the Earth was under threat and the Federation's capital city of Lhasa, Tibet, was destroyed by an asteroid dropped by Char's forces).

    During the One Year War (GUNDAM), the Archduchy of Zeon was a single, unified force with centralized power concentrated under the authority of the Zabi Royal Family. During the era of ZZ, however, the Zeon Forces began to fragment. Not all the Zeon generals fell into lockstep with Haman Karn, Duchess Minerva's regent. Five years later, Char's Neo Zeon had very little in common with Haman's Neo Zeon other than name and overall ideology. Although some of them might have been remnants of Haman's forces, they were loyal to Char now, and his campaign was entirely separate from the two previous Zeon regimes that fought in the name of the Zabi Royal Family.

    In my fanfic, the Zeon state is even more fragmented as assorted Zeon generals who had served under the Zabis, Haman, or Char each seek to establish suzerainty over the Zeon name for themselves, and fight for control of territory in the Asteroid Belt and the outer Solar System.
    Great, thanks for the detailed info. I'm going to try to watch it tonight. I like how Char is in control of his own Neo Zeon gang. It kind of brings thing full circle after his hero stint in Zeta. So does Char play an important role or have an important influence in your fanfic? Amuro and Char seem to be the cornerstone of the Gundam franchise so I'm guessing they both have a pretty big influence in your story.

    I can't believe Lhasa Tibet is the HQ of the Federation. What's up with that? I like Tibet and all but what's a mystical secluded city in the middle of nowhere serving as the head quarters of the technological advanced powerful Federation?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ghaleon View Post
    Great, thanks for the detailed info. I'm going to try to watch it tonight. I like how Char is in control of his own Neo Zeon gang. It kind of brings thing full circle after his hero stint in Zeta. So does Char play an important role or have an important influence in your fanfic? Amuro and Char seem to be the cornerstone of the Gundam franchise so I'm guessing they both have a pretty big influence in your story.
    After you watch CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK, it becomes obvious why neither Amuro nor Char appear in the actual main story. Both, however, show up briefly in flashback during the first two chapters of Part 1 of my fanfic. Char's brief appearance is crucial to Athena's origin, while Amuro's appearance is equally crucial to Jolie's. In fact, there is clearly a parallel between Char's rescue of Minerva/Athena and Amuro's rescue of Jolie. It's almost as if these two girls were saved to be their successors.

    And in a sense, they are. Athena and Jolie are the spiritual heirs to Char and Amuro, respectively. The two girls' story arc, however, takes a different trajectory from their predecessors'. Instead of beginning and ending as mortal enemies (with an intervening period of being uneasy allies), Athena and Jolie begin and spend most of the story as friends, albeit friends with a great amount of tension between them (think Hui Mun Keung and Ding Lik). Eventually, circumstances will force them to confront each other as enemies, but neither one really wants to hurt the other.


    I can't believe Lhasa Tibet is the HQ of the Federation. What's up with that? I like Tibet and all but what's a mystical secluded city in the middle of nowhere serving as the head quarters of the technological advanced powerful Federation?
    During Z and ZZ, the Earth Federation Government was based in Dakar, Senegal in Africa (although no word on where the Federation's capital was during the One Year War; I heard rumors that it was once in London, Britain, but I don't know how true that is). The Federation moved its operations to Lhasa, Tibet when it realized that it was too vulnerable at Dakar and that Lhasa provided more protection because it was up in the Himalayas (that didn't protect it from a falling asteroid, though).

    In my fanfic, the capital of the Federation has moved once again...to Shanghai, China! You can probably understand why I chose that location.

    I have Athena and Hathaway first meet in Shanghai, on a snowy November day in the Federation's capital in U.C. 0098.

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    Episode 46 continued...

    Early the next morning, Minerva Zabi and Hathaway Noah have entered the Baldur Bay Colony…secretly, and in the assumed guises of Archduchy of Zeon officers escorting newly captured political prisoners into the Baldur Bay Men’s Penitentiary.

    Minerva and Hathaway’s disguises are no mere cosmetic alterations, although there are plenty of those to help conceal their true identities. As Executive Director of the Shambala Republic (to say nothing of Archduchess of Zeon and Deputy Director of the Earth Federation Special Forces before that) and Director of the Shambala Intelligence Bureau (and son of Bright and Mirai Noah), Minerva and Hathaway’s faces are too well known to not take some discreet measures. Makeup has been applied, hairstyles altered, false identity and personnel record files have been entered into the Zeon authorities’ databases, and all of the couple’s thespian talents are on display to create the false identities of 1Lts. Katrina Max and Hank Nobel of the Archduchy of Zeon Forces.

    Along with Minerva and Hathaway are a dozen “political prisoners,” who in reality are Shambala espionage and intelligence agents and commandos, trained in infiltration and special ops. To a man, they are clad in prisoner grays, helped by strategic use of makeup to resemble authentic prisoners of war.

    Minerva, Hathaway, and their group pull up to the gates of the penitentiary in a Zeon ground vehicle that they had commandeered at Side 1. Nothing has been left to chance, despite the limited time they have had to prepare for this operation.

    Minerva, in the assumed persona of 1Lt. Katrina Max, rolls down the window of the transport vehicle and says in Katrina’s characteristic Germanic accent, “We’re transferring prisoners…Shambala and Federation elements taken prisoner when our forces overran Side 1.”

    The gate guard responds, “Hold for clearance, 1Lt….”

    Katrina (Minerva) finishes, “Max. 1Lt. Katrina Max, 2nd Fleet, 89th Military Police Corps.”

    The guard checks the database, confirming the origination of such a transfer order from Side 1 logged eighteen hours ago.

    “Ma’am, you are admitted,” the gate guard salutes.

    Katrina returns the salute, “Ja…danke!”

    The van rolls forward as the gates to the prison open.

    When they are far out of the guards’ earshot, Hathaway, wearing a false moustache along with a Zeon officer’s uniform in his guise as “1Lt. Hank Nobel,” exhales, “You don’t know how glad I am that your hack program worked.”

    “Their security software will detect and expunge that code in less than an hour,” Minerva remarks, “We’d better work quickly.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Zeon prison personnel open Prisoner 11101979’s cell door, to bring the prisoner out for his daily interrogation.

    Today’s interrogation, however, is planned not to end like the others…with former Prime Minister Cameron Bloom returning to his cell after another unproductive interrogation. Archduke Miguel has already issued the direct order from his hospital bed that if Bloom does not cooperate after today, he is to be immediately terminated with extreme prejudice. The fall of Side 1 and its pledge of allegiance with the Shambala Republic has led the Archduke to judge that the situation has gotten out of hand, and political delicacy must give way to brutal force.

    The Zeon guards drag Cameron to his feet roughly by his arms, but then Cameron feels their grip go limp following two muffled “phut…phut!” noises.

    Cameron, through the haze and the limited lighting of the cell, makes out the figure of a young, moustached Zeon soldier, a smoking pistol with a silencer on its muzzle in his hand.

    Cameron finds something vaguely…familiar about the young Zeon soldier, and senses that the young man means him no harm…that he is here to aid him in some way.

    “Prime Minister Bloom?” the young man says.

    “Y-yes,” Cameron responds uncertainly, “Who are you? What is this?”

    Hathaway Noah removes the false moustache to reveal his clean-shaven visage, so much like that of his parents, “Uncle Cameron…I’m Hathaway Noah.”

    “Hathaway?” Cameron says in momentary disbelief, “Hathaway, is that really you, my boy?”

    Hathaway smiles, “Mother and Father send you their best wishes. I’ve come to get you out of here.”

    “Hathaway…” Cameron begins, attempting to warn the youngster about the inherent danger of such a venture.

    “No time to argue,” Hathaway says, handing Cameron a normalsuit, “Put this on now, Uncle Cameron. We’re getting out of here.”

    Trusting his former lover and her husband’s son, whom Cameron has always thought of fondly as a nephew, the once and future Prime Minister of the Riah Republic dons the normalsuit and steels himself for what he is certain to be an incredible ordeal of an escape.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Approximately twenty meters away in the corridor, Minerva, still in the guise of 1Lt. Katrina Max, lights a cigarette between her lips…the signal for a five-second countdown.

    As Minerva removes the cigarette from her lips and exhales, explosions rip through several different locations around the prison…all far removed from Cameron Bloom’s cell.

    Fire, smoke, noise, and chaos erupt throughout the penitentiary compound.

    Minerva extracts her sidearm, while her “prisoners” also draw out concealed weaponry.

    The Shambala insurgents lay down fire against Zeon guardsmen, clearing an escape route.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hathaway and Cameron make their way through the smoke-choked corridors. Hathaway has given Cameron a sidearm that the lifelong civil official scarcely knows how to use.

    Hathaway fires his submachine gun down a corridor, wounding two Zeon guardsmen. He can hear the footsteps and voices of more guardsmen up ahead.

    Hathaway removes a grenade from his belt clip and hurls it down the corridor, clearing both enemy personnel and hindering wall.

    “Let’s go!” Hathaway whispers harshly to Cameron.

    The two men make their way down the corridor, where they encounter Minerva and the other Shambala agents in a firefight against Zeon personnel.

    Minerva calmly transmits a voice signal outside of the colony, “Jonah, Jolie…commence your attack.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Upon receiving Minerva’s signal, the Earth Federation Special Forces launch into immediate action. Centurion Gundam and White Phoenix Gundam lead a force of three dozen Federation and Shambala Republic mobile suits in a direct assault upon the Zeon Forces at Side 6. Behind them, the United Forces Armada approaches to lend additional fire support.

    The United Forces MS descend upon Baldur Bay, launching a lightning attack upon all Zeon military installations, weaponry, and personnel.

    Minerva and Hathaway’s infiltration and rescue team is about to confront a fresh squad of Zeon guardsmen when the guardsmen are vaporized by a stream of beam rifle fire.

    Minerva and Hathaway cast their eyes skyward as the comfortingly familiar shadow of 2Lt. Chieming Noah’s Jet Jegan looms over them.

    “Chieming!” Hathaway shouts up to his younger sibling, “Get Prime Minister Bloom safely out of here!”

    “Roger,” Chieming’s voice booms from the Jet Jegan’s external speakers.

    Cameron steps onto the palm of the Jet Jegan’s armored hand, which lifts him to the cockpit hatch, where he is greeted by another familiar, youthful face.

    “Welcome aboard, Uncle Cameron,” the pretty visage of Chieming Noah smiles at him.

    “Chieming,” Cameron smiles, “Mirai and Bright have done a fabulous job raising you and your brother.”

    “We’ll talk about that later, Uncle Cameron,” Chieming says, closing the cockpit hatch, “Right now, I’ve got to get you out of Baldur Bay Colony...at least until we’ve destroyed or chased away the Zeon Forces.”

    Chieming brings the Jet Jegan to its feet and launches the mecha into the sky, her path cleared by her allies, who engage any Zeon mecha that might pursue.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At BaldGen, a heavy security escort rushes Archduke Miguel to a waiting vehicle, which will take him to a shuttlecraft that will in turn ferry him to the flagship Cassius, waiting outside the Side 6 Zone. The Zeon military leaders have decided that the situation at Side 6 has become too fluid and that it would be unwise to risk the Archduke’s life by having him remain at Side 6 any longer.

    Though wounded, the Archduke walks proudly, on his own power, without assistance towards his destination…his long, strong strides indicating that he is recovering well from his wounds and will soon be fit to lead his forces into combat against the enemy once again.

    At the Archduke’s side, as always, is Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi, the Black Raven, clad in her normalsuit…ready to protect her liege and her love from the cockpit of her Gamma Azieru.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On the streets of Baldur Bay, Centurion Gundam, White Phoenix Gundam, and the Jet Jegans, Guncannon-100s, and Javelins of the Earth Federation Special Forces make short work of the Zeon mobile suits posted at the colony. The battle cannot be accurately characterized as such; it is a rout in obvious favor of the United Forces.

    The remaining Zeon Forces relinquish Baldur Bay and exit the colony into local space.

    Captain Jonah Michaels orders his forces to pursue.

    United Forces and Archduchy of Zeon Forces take the battle into space.

    A PSI-spark crosses Jolie, and she notes the Gamma Azieru and a dozen Gellond-S mobile suits escorting a shuttlecraft away from Baldur Bay.

    “It’s them!” Jolie snarls, “They’re getting away!”

    Jolie turns the White Phoenix Gundam’s weapons in the direction of the departing convoy, but the armored hand of the Centurion Gundam restrains her.

    “Not now, Jolie,” Jonah commands, “Our priority is to secure the Side 6 Zone.”

    Jolie fumes at yet another missed opportunity, but complies, venting her frustration on an incoming flight of Zeon MS, striking them down with beam rifle blasts and missile strikes.

    Within the hour, the last of the Zeon Occupation Forces are expelled from the Side 6 Zone or eradicated, and the United Forces move in to secure Side 6 from further attack.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Aboard the Shambala Republic flagship Mapother, Cameron Bloom is reunited with Mirai Yashima-Noah and General Bright Noah, who have made the journey from Side 7 to welcome their friend back from his long ordeal.

    “Mirai,” Cameron says fondly, embracing her, “I didn’t know that I would ever see you again. Thank you for sending the kids to rescue me.”

    Mirai smiles at him, “The kids couldn’t just stand by and watch their ‘Uncle’ Cameron being held prisoner by the Zeon. I’m very relieved that you’re all right, Cameron.”

    Cameron extends a friendly hand to Bright Noah, once his rival for Mirai’s affections, “Thank you for everything, Bright.”

    Bright takes Cameron’s hand, “You’ve helped us on several occasions in the past, Cameron. We owed you this one.”

    Cameron looks beyond Bright to notice the approach of an attractive blonde woman, who is also familiar to him.

    “Sayla Mass,” Cameron says, “or is it Dr. Artasia Daikun these days?”

    Artasia grins, offering Cameron her hand, “It’s been a long time, Mr. Prime Minister. You need some time to rest and recuperate from your ordeal. When you feel up to it, there are a few things I’d like to discuss with you.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Two days later, Prime Minister Cameron Bloom, soon to be restored to office, is looking much healthier and stronger, having exchanged his prison grays for his more familiar and comfortable business suit, and having eaten several decent meals and had an opportunity to bathe and groom properly for the first time in months. “Prisoner 11101979” has regained his identity, although Cameron would remember for the rest of life his harrowing days as a prisoner of war.

    Cameron is lost in thought as he watches the mobile suits of the Shambala Republic being armed and maintained on the launch deck of the Mapother, readied for deployment to protect the Riah Republic from further Zeon incursions.

    Senator Mirai Yashima-Noah approaches her old friend and puts a gentle hand upon his shoulder, offering him a tender smile, “You seem to be heavily weighed down by thoughts.”

    “I’ve been talking with Artasia,” Cameron says, “and she’s proposing for Side 6 to join the Shambala Republic.”

    Mirai says, “You don’t trust her?”

    Cameron shakes his head, “It’s not about personal trust, although her being Char’s sister is something that does make me a little nervous, reasonably or not. It’s just the idea of the Riah Republic giving up its independence to become a part of another nation. I don’t know if I can sell that idea to the people of the republic, Mirai. The people of Riah are very proud of their independence, but I can see the reality as well as anyone can: we don’t have the means to protect ourselves against the Zeon.”

    “Being a leader isn’t ever easy,” Mirai agrees, “That’s something I learned when I was a crewperson aboard the White Base, and that I’m learning again now as a senator in the Federation. Nobody can make that decision for you, Cameron, but from one leader to another, I’ll offer a few words of advice: lead with your conscience, and you’ll always be able to live with your decision, whatever the consequences.”

    Mirai leaves Cameron with that thought and a chaste kiss upon the cheek.

    Cameron leans against the guardrail of the observation deck, resolve building in his heart.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    “…we are the first cosmic democracy,” Prime Minister Cameron Bloom tells his constituents in a televised address before the Parliament the following day, “and so we will choose our own destiny through the exercise of the democratic process. Today: we, my fellow citizens of the Riah Republic, will decide if we will become a part of the Shambala Republic movement.”

    Cameron’s remarks are met with a mixed response…some polite applause, and some murmurs of discontent.

    Following the speech, Cameron meets with Artasia and Minerva in his restored office at the Riah Republic Paliamentary Building. The votes are still being tallied, and a definitive answer would not be known until the next morning at the soonest.

    “I need to emphasize that the Riah Republic is in no way obliged to join our movement,” Artasia reminds Cameron reassuringly, “We’re extending a hand of friendship to our brothers and sisters here at Side 6, but if your people choose to remain independent, we will accept that choice and protect your sovereignty regardless.”

    “I appreciate that,” Cameron says, “and so do the people of this republic. We will know soon what their will is.”

    Minerva has said nothing, but a thoughtful gleam appears momentarily in her eye.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Across Side 6, people switch on their television sets and personal communications devices to receive the latest news.

    Reporter Selica Chu appears on the screen, “This is UNN. Selica Chu reporting. Breaking news from Side 6: the Riah Republic authority has voted 54% to 46% in favor of joining the Shambala Republic…”

    To be continued in Episode 47

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    EPISODE 47: FIAT LUX

    December 11, U.C. 0100

    Hydrosuits deploy by the hundreds from Baldur Bay and dozens of other space colonies that comprise the Riah Republic of Side 6, industriously putting back in place what was upended by the Archduchy of Zeon Forces during their four-month occupation of the colony. Damaged solar panels are replaced…nuclear fusion facilities are restored to civilian use, and wrecked infrastructure is repaired.

    Within the space colonies, construction crews are similarly engaged in restoring the cosmic communities of the Riah Republic to prewar conditions. The recovery process will take years to complete, but the people of Side 6 approach the monumental challenge with a new sense of energy because, for the first time in decades, they have reason to believe that the future will be brighter instead of darker.

    Fiat lux.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Prime Minister Cameron Bloom of the Riah Republic, General Bright Noah of the Earth Federation Forces, and Bright’s wife Senator Mirai Yashima-Noah of the Earth Federation Government are sharing coffee at a sidewalk café on the newly liberated streets of the Baldur Bay Colony of Side 6. Scarcely a week earlier, the colony had been occupied by the Archduchy of Zeon Forces, but the United Forces have driven the Zeon from Side 6.

    Cameron offers friendly waves to passersby as he sips his coffee. Of his fellow Riah citizens’ resiliency he is not surprised; Side 6 Spacenoids have always been a tough breed, but he finds himself marveling at how quickly the people have taken to putting back in place what the Zeon ruined during the four dark months of their occupation. Public transportation is already back in service, schools began operating again three days earlier, and most businesses have returned to the transaction of commerce. Damaged infrastructure is replaced or repaired as needed, all with remarkable efficiency and swiftness.

    “It’s good to see the people of Baldur Bay getting their lives in order again,” Mirai remarks, as if reading Cameron’s thoughts.

    Mirai’s husband, the supreme commander of the Earth Federation Forces, nods in agreement, “The people here cherish their freedom…something that those of us who grew up under the Earth Federation lost sight of. It’s ironic to think that to preserve their freedom, the people of Riah have willingly chosen to forfeit their sovereignty to the Shambala Republic.”

    “The irony isn’t lost on me,” Cameron says with a wry smile, “If you asked me six months ago whether something like this would ever happen, I would’ve had you committed to an asylum. It’s happening, though, because many of our people have decided that becoming a part of the Shambala Republic movement is a step that will make our freedoms safer.”

    “Do you really believe that, Cameron?” Bright ventures.

    Cameron nods, “I do. Artasia Daikun and Minerva Zabi have more than just a vision; they have a plan: Riah will retain its independence, but become a member of a partnership led by Shambala, a partnership that already also includes the Zarn Province of Side 1 and that Dr. Daikun and Miss Zabi hope will also include Sides 2 and 4 and the Lunar cities. Effective at the beginning of the new year, the Riah Republic will be called the Riah Province, and my title will change from ‘Prime Minister’ to ‘Governor.’ Other than that, however, little will change except that the Riah Province will provide whatever support we choose to give to the Shambala Republic movement and in return, Shambala gives Riah its protection. We’ve chosen to become part of an alliance of popular consent, Bright. We’re not being coerced by military force to join a totalitarian empire or a paternalistic overseer.”

    “A Daikun and a Zabi,” Bright muses aloud, “We’ve been down this road before…”

    “I think it’s the ‘Zabi’ side of that consideration that you’re uncomfortable with,” Cameron remarks, spooning powdered creamer into a fresh cup of coffee, “that’s what you’re getting at, isn’t it, Bright? You don’t trust Minerva Zabi.”

    Bright and Mirai exchange a knowing smile, and Mirai finally says with a twinkle in her eye, “You’re wrong about that, Cameron. Both of us trust Minerva Zabi without reservation. If we didn’t, we couldn’t have accepted her as our future daughter-in-law.”

    Cameron stares blankly at the couple for a minute until finally, Bright and Mirai let out the laughs that they can no longer contain.

    “Minerva Zabi…she’s Hathaway’s fiancée?” Cameron asks, needing to hear confirmation from Bright and Mirai before he can believe it.

    Mirai says, “That’s right.”

    Cameron’s expression twists into an amused grin, “Bright and Mirai, I’ve got to say it: you two have raised yourselves one hell of a son! Not only has he become an incredible espionage man, but he’s somehow lucked into marrying a former duchess!”

    The trio laughs, but then the laughter fades into a more serious tone.

    “We’ve had some difficult times, though,” Mirai confesses.

    Bright nods and sighs, “You remember the incident with Quess Parayana and 1Lt. Chien Agi.”

    Cameron mirrors Bright’s body language, “As if I could forget…you were hard on the boy in the aftermath of that.”

    “Hathaway took an innocent life in a moment of blind rage,” Bright said, “and in my own rage, I wanted to end his. But I’ve seen enough war to understand the madness that drives men to do things they would otherwise never do. That does not excuse them, and I do not excuse what my son did that day. But I’ve come to see what a waste it would be to exact a death for a death. Hathaway is doing now what he must do: he’s atoning for his past mistakes by dedicating his life towards building a better world, and he has my support in doing that.”

    Cameron smiles, saying, “Hathaway stayed with me briefly after you kicked him out of the house. He figured Side 6 was the one place he could stay out of the way of both the Federation and the Zeon, but it was only a couple of months later that he hooked up with the ISRLA movement, which was just getting started at that time…”

    Not particularly keen on revisiting those dark days, Mirai turns the discussion in a more forward- (or at least present-) looking, positive direction, “The reconstruction work is going much faster than I would have expected. Just two weeks ago, this place was a ruin. Now, it’s quickly becoming very livable again.”

    “Credit that to your daughter-in-law to be,” Cameron replies.

    That response draws surprised looks from Mirai and Bright, the latter of which asks, “Minerva? She’s involved in this?”

    Cameron nods, “Minerva mobilized the resources of Anaheim, Kuromizu, Luo, and the Buch Concern towards the reconstruction effort. She wants Side 6 up and running again as soon as possible, and she wants it to be better than it was before the Zeon occupation.”

    Bright nods, “Last time we saw Hathaway, he did mention that Minerva had gotten herself onto the boards of directors on each of those corporate bigs. Still, this comes as a surprise…”

    Bright’s hand wanders worriedly to his lips.

    “Where are the kids now?” Cameron asks, “They were around for a day or two after the liberation…to coordinate and oversee the beginning of the reconstruction effort, but they seemed to just vanish after that.”

    “Moving on to Side 4, to liberate it and Side 5 from Zeon occupation to use as a beachhead to take the Lunar Cities and Side 3,” Bright replies, “And there’s something going on at Side 3…something ominous. Hathaway and Minerva have gone to check it out.”

    Mirai turns her eyes out the mammoth glass solar panels to gaze beyond the Baldur Bay Colony of Side 6 towards the endless cosmos. Somewhere out there is her son, placing himself in peril again, bringing anxiety once more into the heart of a mother…

    to be continued...

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    Episode 47 continued...

    When Anaheim Enterprises developed the Aslan series of mobile suits, its goal was to provide the fledgling ISRLA movement (now known as the Shambala Republic Movement's) mobile suit forces with a mecha that could contend with the Earth Federation Forces’ powerful Gundam-series mobile suits.

    For that purpose, Dr. Camille Vidan, Chief of Anaheim’s Mobile Suit R&D Division, looked long and hard at two of his earlier creations: the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam that he himself had piloted into battle against the Titans and the Axis Zeons during the late U.C. 0080s, and the RMS-100S Cour de Leon, attempting to improve upon their hallmark speed and maneuverability, and adding a new stealth element that would be required by the often clandestine nature of the Shambala Defense Guard’s operations.

    What Camille ultimately came up with was a modular system of interchangeable units that could be attached or removed from the Aslans’ core systems with relative convenience and ease to suit the particular needs of specific missions. If either the Kizi or the Oglu Aslan prototypes were to be deployed into a heavy combat situation, they could be quickly outfitted with extra weaponry and armor. If, on the other hand, the mobile suits were to be dispatched on an espionage mission, the weaponry and armor could be replaced by suites of sensors and detection-suppression devices.

    It is the latter that have been incorporated onto Hathaway Noah’s blue-tinted Oglu Aslan today, as the mobile suit drifts undetected within the shadow of the asteroid to which it is attached…its cameras and scanning devices fixed upon a number of apparently abandoned space colonies in the Side 3 Zone. For months, now, there has been an extraordinary amount of activity there…activity that cannot be explained away as construction projects, no matter how ambitious.

    Hathaway’s partner on this reconnaissance sortie is Dory Ischinda, outfitted with an Eyezack-II type mobile suit also heavily decked with surveillance instrumentation.

    The scanning equipment that Anaheim’s engineers installed into both the Oglu Aslan and the Eyezack-II for this reconnaissance mission are as multifarious as they are sensitive: the various monitoring systems include radiation scans at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as vibrational scans and chemical scans.

    What interests and horrifies Hathaway and Dory the most, however, are the readings they are getting off the thermal scans; the internal temperatures that their mechas’ sensors are detecting from the Side 3 Zone…thermal readings that far, far surpass the normal heat output from the operation of a space colony’s life-support and industrial systems.

    “This isn’t a good sign,” Hathaway mutters, as much as himself as to Dory, “you just don’t see readings like these on the thermographs like this unless you’ve got a nuclear weapon on the verge of reaching critical mass. We’re looking at Giren Zabi’s ‘Zeon’s Light’ project all over again…or the colony laser that the Titans had at Grypps!”

    “This one might one up even those monstrosities,” Dory says grimly, “Giren Zabi and the Titans’ cannon utilized a concentrated and hyper-amplified solar beam…so does this one, but that sort of thermal reading indicates that it also uses a nuclear core to supplement and perhaps boost the power.”

    “I see construction crews at around at least a half dozen colonies,” Hathaway says, “We’re not just dealing with one of these. My God…if the Zeon get all of these things online…”

    “We’ve got to get our data back to Minerva and Artasia…” Dory begins.

    “Let’s get some more data first,” Hathaway replies, “We don’t have enough hard information on this new weapon.”

    Without waiting for Dory’s concurrence, Hathaway maneuvers the Oglu Aslan farther into the Side 3 Zone.

    Against her better judgment, Dory follows him.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On the bridge of the flagship Cassius, Dr. Lenape Timberland, nuclear physicist tenured at Zum University for three decades, explains to Archduke Alexander Miguel the underlying physical principles behind the phenomenon that the Archduke will momentarily witness.

    “In principle, this weapon system is fundamentally not unlike the Solar Ray Cannon used during the One Year War, or the Gryps Colony Laser used by the Titans,” Dr. Timberland explains, “but the state of engineering technology has improved since those times to the point that we have a much more efficient and sustainable power source for the weapon, meaning that not only can we build a superior weapon to those of the past, but we can build more of them with the resources available to us.”

    “Twelve will suffice…” says the Archduke, now well on his way to full recovery from wounds sustained in combat, with Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi, as ever, by his side, “…to draw, as the expression goes, the moths to the flame. I do not wish to place any additional burden on our populace. We have already demanded great sacrifices from them, and though as loyal citizens, they make these sacrifices gladly, I would be remiss in my responsibilities to them as their leader to ask them to bear more sacrifices then necessary for victory.”

    Timberland nods, then advises the Archduke, “This would be a good time to put on your flash goggles, Your Majesty. The Celestial Light System, at this range, does produce a flash of sufficient intensity to cause permanent damage to the optic nerves.”

    The Archduke does not need a second admonition from the engineer and scientist, pulling down dark protective goggles around his eyes. At his side, Lt. Col. Yamaguchi and General Ross Davenport do likewise, as does the bridge crew of the Cassius.

    “CLS Projector Cannon Unit 1: shot test energy buildup at 85%,” announces one of the bridge techs, “T-minus forty-eight seconds to critical mass.”

    “Target acquired: derelict colony Bunch 77-8,” another tech intones, “Locking onto target.”

    “T-minus thirty-five seconds and counting,” the first tech notes.

    Alexander takes Kyoko’s hand as they prepare to witness the first firing of the Celestial Light.

    “Five, four, three, two, one…zero!”

    The blackness of space silently becomes brighter than whiteness, rendering the universe momentarily invisible.

    A beam of concentrated solar energy, boosted by the power produced within the nuclear fusion reactor of an O’Neill Island Three-type space colony, bursts forth from the massive metallic cylinder’s gaping, kilometer-wide maw…with an intensity of light and heat that mimics the moment of cosmic creation.

    The beam reaches out silently, devoid of mass, but instantly causing the entire mass of a second colony cylinder, identical in structure to the first, to disappear in its wake.

    “Target destroyed,” a tech announces, “now acquiring new target at 230 degrees starboard. Lateral maneuvering thruster system engaged at 100% output.”

    “The moon?” the Archduke inquires.

    “Yes,” Timberland replies, “so that Your Majesty may see the system’s mobility as well as its firepower.”

    The intense light fades to blackness for two minutes as the colony laser weapon momentarily powers down. The massive cylinder swivels 230 degrees towards the right as it builds up energy for a second salvo.

    “Target acquired,” the tech says tersely, “T-minus sixty seconds to firing.”

    In those sixty seconds, Archduke Miguel asks Dr. Timberland, “Doctor, are you a follower of sports?”

    Timberland, taken aback by the seemingly non-sequitor nature of the question, replies, “I played soccer and basketball during my high school years, but not so much since my college days.”

    “Ever take an interest in boxing?” the Archduke continues.

    “No, Your Majesty,” the scientist replies, wondering how the discussion turned in this direction.

    “I’ve been a boxer since my boyhood days,” the Archduke says, “Truly the most exciting of all sports. A few nights ago, I viewed some old footage of a great match from the 20th Century: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman in 1974. Do you know of it?”

    “I can’t say that I do, Your Majesty,” Timberland says, “My area of expertise is nuclear physics, not sports history.”

    “Ali was considered the greatest sportsman of his time,” the Archduke explains, “but he was a champion not because of superior physique or brawn, but because of superior willpower and superior application of the mind. I named this flagship that we’re aboard after Ali, who was called Cassius Clay before he converted to Islam.”

    The references are lost on the scientist, as the universe once again attains lightness beyond whiteness, and a concentrated beam of energy as hot as the core of the sun rips forward, cutting into the Lunar surface.

    The beam burns a gash onto the face of the moon, erasing craters and leveling mountains…carving a trench a kilometer wide, sixteen kilometers long, and seven kilometers deep onto Earth’s largest natural satellite.

    The light fades, leaving behind blackness, as the powerful weapon momentarily expends its charge.

    Fiat lux.

    The Archduke and other personnel on the bridge of the Cassius remove their flash goggles, their vision momentarily obscured by the aftereffect of the hellacious light despite the protection provided by the goggles.

    One of the hotline phones on the Cassius trills, and General Ross Davenport takes the call. His face becomes ashen as he receives the news.

    “Your Majesty,” Davenport says, “We’ve just received word that our forces have withdrawn from Side 2 and Side 4. The United Forces are now occupying the Side 2 and Side 4 Zones.”

    The Archduke acknowledges with a nod, “So noted.”

    Davenport raises a curious eyebrow, “Your Majesty, shouldn’t we send reinforcements?”

    “No.” Miguel replies, twirling the flash goggles on his fingers absently.

    “Your Majesty,” one of the techs pipes up, “We’re picking up some irregularities at bearing eight-four-zero, approximately two-hundred kilometers from our current location.”

    “Kyoko,” the Archduke says, “Go check it out.”

    “Yes, Your Majesty,” Kyoko replies, sprinting towards the mobile suit hangar.

    Miguel turns gain to Gen. Ross Davenport, noting the man’s confused look, and offers a reassuring pat on the shoulder along with a smile, “Another Muhammad once observed that if he could not go to the mountain, the mountain would come to him. War is chess, Ross, and it’s also poker. You don’t show your real hand early in the game…”

    Episode 47 to be continued...

  16. #356
    Senior Member Ghaleon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    During Z and ZZ, the Earth Federation Government was based in Dakar, Senegal in Africa (although no word on where the Federation's capital was during the One Year War; I heard rumors that it was once in London, Britain, but I don't know how true that is). The Federation moved its operations to Lhasa, Tibet when it realized that it was too vulnerable at Dakar and that Lhasa provided more protection because it was up in the Himalayas (that didn't protect it from a falling asteroid, though).

    In my fanfic, the capital of the Federation has moved once again...to Shanghai, China! You can probably understand why I chose that location.

    I have Athena and Hathaway first meet in Shanghai, on a snowy November day in the Federation's capital in U.C. 0098.
    As Bund's #1 fan, have you thought of introducing futuristic Shanghai gangsters in your fanfic? It might add a little bit more grittiness to the atmosphere of your fanfic. Well I guess it depends how 'dark' u want your fanfic to be. But my general impression is that you're shooting for a somewhat murky gray morals type of thing like the Bund.

  17. #357
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    Episode 47 continued...

    In the cockpits of their mobile suits, Hathaway Noah and Dory Ischinda sit slack-jawed, eyes wide in silent horror at the display of power they have just witnessed.

    Several long, breathless moments ensue before Hathaway can find his voice, a dry croak that can only stammer, “W-we’d…let’s…get the hell out of here.”

    The Oglu Aslan reconfigures itself into Wavediver configuration, and Dory’s Eyezack-II magnetizes itself onto the hull.

    Hathaway opens the throttle wide on the thruster and the Wavediver accelerates rapidly towards Mach 3, tearing towards the perimeter of the Side 3 Zone.

    After a grim minute, Dory finally says, “This…changes everything.”

    “That’s an understatement,” Hathaway mutters through their helmet communications link, “Minerva has been suspecting that our victories from Side 7 onward have been too easy. Now we’ve got an idea why…Miguel wants to lure us to Side 3 so he can wipe us out with that new colony laser weapon!”

    Dory exhales, “That thing was MOBILE, Hathaway! You saw how easily the Zeon were able to swing that thing around and blast the moon after zapping one of their own colonies! The data we’ve collected has to give us something useful we can use to…”

    “Hang on,” Hathaway interjects, worry-to-fear in his voice, “We’ve got a bogey incoming fast at our seven.”

    In another aspect of his life and career as a Spacenoid independence activist, Hathaway Noah is a journalist and a writer. His skill with the spoken and written word is not inferior to his skill in the cockpit of a mobile suit.

    Even so, “fast” is the best he can do in describing the object now approaching his and Dory’s mobile suits, and even as Hathaway winces at how pitiably inadequate that word is in describing what he sees on his MS’s scopes right now, there is arguably no word that would be up to the task…

    What the hell could be faster than an Aslan or Leon series mobile armor in Wavediver configuration? Hathaway marvels.

    Marveling becomes disbelief before settling on utter terror as the approaching bogey disgorges a dozen even faster objects, all of which bear down towards the Oglu Aslan and the Eyezack-II mounted on its back.

    Reflexively, Hathaway attempts to push the throttle on the Aslan’s thrusters, only to realize in dismay that the thruster is already at its maximum capacity.

    The missiles close in. The Aslan’s onboard computer has calculated forty-four seconds to fatal impact…

    “Hang on, Dory,” Hathaway says breathlessly.

    Calling upon all his piloting skill and the maneuverability of the Oglu Aslan, Hathaway twists and jukes his mobile armor, corkscrewing and zigzagging while at the same time laying a trail of heat emission flares and assorted ECM jamming waves…all to no avail. Something else is guiding those missiles inexorably towards the Oglu Aslan.

    “Thirty seconds to impact,” the combat computer reports with eerie detachment.

    Desperate, Hathaway unloads a torrent of his own missiles and a stream of beam fire behind his streaking mobile armor. A few of the antimissiles hit home, and the beam fire manages to take down an incoming missile or two. But of the original twelve missiles, seven are still bearing down upon the Oglu Aslan and the Eyezack-II.

    “Hathaway!” Dory cries out, her voice filled with terror.

    “Ten seconds to impact,” the combat computer announces ominously.

    Hathaway has already begun a review of his life…his regrets, of which there are only two: he regrets having killed 1Lt. Chien Agi in a moment of blind rage years ago…a good woman who had done nothing wrong, but whose life Hathaway took in anger.

    The other regret is that he will not be able to keep his promise to Minerva of spending the rest of his life with her.

    Hathaway closes his eyes, waiting for the end.

    In the cockpit of the Eyezack-II, Dory does likewise.

    “Five seconds to imp…”

    The computer goes silent.

    Hathaway feels no impact. It’s been said that the passage from life to death is a serene experience, however violently it might arrive.

    In no account of what the experience of death might be like that Hathaway has encountered, however, was there any mention of hearing electronic beeping noises, or the sound of mobile suit engine thrusters fully engaged.

    Hathaway opens his eyes…he is still inside the cockpit of the Oglu Aslan, still alive…his mobile suit intact.

    The incoming missiles have disappeared from his scopes.

    Another incoming object, from in front this time…closing in at high speed.

    “Hathaway!” a familiar young female voice comes through the communications net, “Get the hell out of here, now!”

    Jolie! Hathaway realizes, smiling.

    The White Phoenix Gundam, in Wavediver configuration, streaks past the Oglu Aslan.

    Ahead, Hathaway’s scanners pick up a group of about two-dozen friendly-signatures…mobile suits from the Earth Federation Special Forces and the Shambala Defense Guard, headed by Minerva Zabi’s scarlet Kizi Aslan.

    “’Bout time you showed up, lady,” Hathaway says, relief and affection in his voice.

    Minerva’s response comes with an arch lilt, “I did some thinking, and decided I’d be miserable as a widow, so I had to come.”

    All mirth is set aside as the United Forces find themselves up against an elite Zeon mobile suit squadron. A firefight is engaged, and casualties begin mounting on both sides.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The White Phoenix and the Black Raven face each other across an expanse of space that is farther than the edge of the universe, and at the same time, closer than skin upon muscle. A dozen volleys are exchanged in the blink of an eye…beam sabers are extracted, their blades twirling around each other like some elaborately choreographed dance.

    The Gamma Azieru, in its mobile suit configuration, uses an elegant sweeping, dancing motion to nearly decapitate the White Phoenix Gundam, which manages to avoid the blade by microseconds and millimeters.

    When Jolie has brought the WPG up to counterattack, she finds the Gamma Azieru in mobile armor mode, streaking towards an abandoned satellite fortress…Solomon.

    Jolie switches to Wavediver configuration and pursues, chopping at the Azieru with the White Phoenix Gundam’s beam cannon, but unable to score a hit upon her foe.

    The Gamma Azieru leads the White Phoenix Gundam into the bowels of Solomon Fortress, through its dozens of winding tunnels and bays. Several times, the two mecha nearly barrel to their destruction against the narrow confines of fortress’ innards, obliteration averted only through deft maneuvering and blasting through barriers when there is no space in which to operate.

    The Gamma Azieru finally enters a large docking bay, once used to service large battleships for the Archduchy of Zeon Forces.

    The Gamma Azieru comes to a halt, as does the pursuing White Phoenix Gundam. The lights of the enormous docking bay partly illuminate, throwing the mammoth space into shadows. Airlocks seal, and oxygen begins to fill the space, as does limited gravity.

    Aboard the White Phoenix Gundam, Jolie pants as she awaits her foe’s next move.

    …which is something that Jolie completely did not expect.

    The cockpit of the Gamma Azieru opens, and a small, helmeted figure floats out, signaling with her hand for Jolie to do likewise.

    Jolie checks her sidearm and cautiously exits the cockpit of the White Phoenix Gundam.

    They float in the low-gravity environment, the hissing sound of pressurized oxygen audible through their helmet audio pickups. Steam from automated hydraulics mechanisms slowly begins to fill the space, and the sounds of distant machinery at work echoes throughout the bay.

    Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi doffs her helmet, letting her long, black hair flow down the length of her back.

    No way…Jolie thinks, her eyes widening in disbelief.

    Jolie removes her own helmet, letting her own river of jet black hair flow downward.

    The two young women stare at each other, mesmerized, for a long moment, the same thought running through both of their minds.

    She looks exactly like me!

    “Jolie…Minh?” Kyoko says tentatively.

    “Kyoko…Yamaguchi,” Jolie says, by way of affirmation.

    Kyoko stares at Jolie silently for another long moment, and then lets out a laugh, “It’s unbelievable, but it’s also fitting…a mirror image!”

    Jolie says, “I don’t think we can coexist.”

    “You’re right,” Kyoko says, “Because you hate Alexander…hate him with such passion that you’ve committed your life to destroying him. I warn you, Jolie Minh, that my love for him, however, is greater than your hatred: as long as I live, you won’t ever harm Alexander.”

    Jolie points an accusing finger at Kyoko, “It's not just Miguel! There’s also you! You murdered my daughter, Zeon *****!”

    Kyoko's expression, on a beautiful, silky-smooth face so much like Jolie's, becomes remorseful, “On Earth…in China’s Kunlun Mountains?”

    A tear rolls down Jolie’s cheek as her eyes flash with fiery rage, “Her name was Joannie…she never…never even had a chance to live…because of you and that pig of an Archduke you call Alexander Miguel!”

    Kyoko hangs her head and bites her lip before whispering, “I’m sorry.”

    Jolie cannot believe what she has heard; did Kyoko just apologize to her for killing her unborn daughter?

    “You are my enemy,” Kyoko says with a hint of warmth through the coldness, “I have no reason to be merciful to you, especially as you intend to murder Alexander, but I…regret your loss of your child. Had I a choice, I would not choose to inflict that upon you.”

    For a moment, Jolie experiences a feeling of…respect…maybe even admiration for her enemy, but then remembers that this woman, her own mirror image, stands in the way of her vengeance.

    Jolie reaches for her sidearm.

    “Not now,” Kyoko says, leaving her own sidearm in its holster at her hip, “We’ve fought indecisively on a half-dozen occasions now. Each time, our combat was interrupted by the greater struggle going on between our forces. At any moment now, your comrades and mine will enter this fortress and interfere with our battle again. You and I are too closely matched: we will resolve nothing in a short, quick battle. Only without interference can we truly learn which of us is superior.”

    “Then when?” Jolie asks, reholstering her weapon.

    “Forty-eight hours from now,” Kyoko says, “At a location of your choosing.”

    Jolie looks around, “Right here.”

    Kyoko smiles keenly at Jolie, “Ceding the home field advantage to me?”

    “Because you remembered and recognized my daughter,” Jolie says.

    Kyoko extends a hand to Jolie. Jolie takes it, sealing their pact to duel.

    “To the death,” Kyoko rasps.

    “Yours, not mine,” Jolie responds coldly.

    Jolie and Kyoko release their gloved grips on each other’s hands, take a hard look into one another’s eyes, and then place their helmets back on their heads, hiding their beautiful visages behind dark visors.

    The ace pilots of the Earth Federation Forces and the Archduchy of Zeon Forces activate their respective mecha, the White Phoenix Gundam and the Gamma Azieru, and separately depart from Solomon Fortress.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nearby, the battle between the United Forces and the Archduchy of Zeon Forces has reached a stalemate when a large shadow looms ominously over the battle site.

    “That’s the weapon,” Hathaway says, “the new colony laser.”

    “Maneuvered by a nuclear pulse thruster system,” Minerva observes, “Everybody scatter!”

    The United Forces mobile suits break battle formation, at great risk to themselves, and scatter as far as they can from the barrel of the colony laser, whose maw has begun to glow with hellfire.

    “Anna,” Captain Jonah Michaels of the Centurion Team orders, “What’s their target objective?!”

    “They’re targeted the 11th Bunch of Side 4,” Chief Warrant Officer Anna Horowitz says, “the Amsterdam Colony. Population: 918,472, including 11,228 Earth Federation Forces military personnel.”

    “Warn them!” Jonah cries out.

    “It’s too late,” Minerva Zabi observes sadly.

    The universe turns white once again as a stream of superheated energy a kilometer wide and hundreds of kilometers long lances forth. The energy engulfs the Amsterdam Colony of Side 4 like an icicle in the path of a blowtorch.

    Multiple voices scream expletives of shock and horror as hundreds of thousands perish.

    Even before the harsh glare of the colony laser’s death beam fades, Minerva orders the United Forces, “Retreat! Fall back to the Side 6 Zone!”

    Fiat lux.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Having also witnessed the firing of the colony laser, an enraged Jolie sends the White Phoenix Gundam in a headlong attack against the massive weapon.

    She is unable to launch even a first fusillade, however, before being chased away by the Black Raven’s Gamma Azieru, Archduke Miguel’s Azrael mobile suit, and a squad of mobile suits from the Zeons’ elite Newtype Corps.

    “Jolie,” comes Jonah’s orders through the White Phoenix’s helmet receivers, “Withdraw now.”

    “Roger,” Jolie replies, knowing that not even she can hope to handle that much opposition by herself.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Four hours later, the situation is grim as Minerva consults with General Bright Noah, Lt. Col. Christina MacKenzie, and Dr. Artasia Daikun. Alexander Miguel has a powerful new weapon…possibly more than just one of them, and invading and liberating Side 3 will be an unattainable goal unless and until this weapon is dealt with.

    “I had been suspecting that our recent victories had been coming a bit too easily,” Minerva confesses to her comrades, “Although we did manage, with a bit of luck, to severely weaken the Zeon Forces on Mars and on Earth, their resistance against our attacks since Side 7 has not matched their actual strength…and now, we’ve gained a better understanding of the reason behind that.”

    “It’s a ‘rope a dope’ tactic,” General Noah agrees, “They want us to enter the Side 3 Zone…so that they can wipe us out in one decisive strike.”

    Minerva nods, “Which is why for now, we need to stay as far from Side 3 as possible….at least until we can eliminate their colony laser weapons systems. Hathaway and Dory believe that there might be more than just that one cannon.”

    “One of them is already being maneuvered towards our position here at Side 6,” Dr. Daikun says, “Minerva, do what you must do…stop them.”

    Minerva nods, “Yes, ma’am,” even as she privately acknowledges that accomplishing this task will present a difficult challenge.

    Celestial Light System Projector Unit 1 is already en rout to the Side 6 Zone, even as Units 2 and 3 are aligned to fire upon colonies in the Side 2 and Side 4 Zones. The remaining units remain on standby status at Side 3, awaiting their prey.

    Fiat lux.

    To be continued in Episode 48!

  18. #358
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    EPISODE 2-48: DUEL

    MS Hangar Deck, La Kaelum-II, 22:49, December 12, U.C. 0079…ship and personnel are on Combat Level 1, hanging literally in the shadow of the enemy’s new colony laser weapons system.

    The loud hiss of hydraulics mechanisms fades into the distant echo of metal tools dropping onto metal floors, a sound that is in turn replaced by the whir of powerful mechanical servos and the kata-chak! of machine parts locking into place. Amidst this mechanized symphony comes complementary organic sounds…a piercing whistle through pursed lips, a shouted demand for a replacement joint component, hearty laughter following an inaudible joke, a raspy cough from lungs that have inhaled both too much tobacco smoke and lubrication fluid-choked air…

    …so much activity and noise, all in preparation for the relentless stillness and silence of death.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An extended mop reaches upwards, probing uncertainly for several seconds before settling upon Gundarium armor to begin scrubbing away debris that has accumulated on the external armor of the White Phoenix Gundam. In time, these minute particles, if allowed to collect within the mobile suit’s hinges and joints, could slow the mecha’s reaction time, with fatal consequences for its pilot.

    Get rid of anything you don’t need, 1Lt. Jolie Minh thinks to herself for the umpteenth time as she works the mop in a circular motion, The little things that slow you down can kill you…just as much as the big things can.

    For a combat pilot, the most obvious danger comes in the form of enemy weapons fire, but more nefarious are the distractions created within the pilot’s own mind…the hang-ups that she brings into combat. The hesitation that occupies less time than an inhalation of breath will frequently alter the outcome of a battle.

    From the corner of her eye, Jolie spots her husband, Captain Jonah Michaels, approaching along the maintenance gantry. She swiftly turns away, as if not noticing his arrival, and rubs the mop against the armor of her mobile suit with more intense rigor.

    Jonah arrives, strikingly handsome clad in his Earth Federation Special Forces’ officer’s uniform, supplemented with an officer’s hat and command overcoat…a stylish touch of flare he cribbed from his predecessor, Lt. Col. Athena Ibaz, whose influence on the sartorial sensibilities of young Federal Forces officers rivals that of her strategic and tactical contributions.

    Jonah sets down a small container on the gantry, and says softly to Jolie, “Time to take a break, Jolie. You skipped dinner tonight.”

    “Didn’t notice,” Jolie says brusquely, as she turns the mop at a more oblique angle to remove debris that has accumulated within a hinge joint just below the WPG’s left frontal heat exhaust nozzle.

    “Brought you something to eat,” Jonah says, indicating the container.

    “Thanks,” Jolie replies, not taking her eyes off her work.

    “Jolie,” Jonah says more insistently, although as always, gently, “I need to talk to you.”

    Jolie exhales irritably, and returns curtly, “Can’t talk right now.”

    “You mean you don’t want to,” Jonah challenges mildly.

    Jolie says nothing, swinging the mop towards another waiting section of armor.

    Jonah leans back against the railing of the maintenance gantry catwalk, watching silently as Jolie works the mop with almost comically exaggerated rigor.

    Several agonizing moments of awkward, tense silence pass…punctuated only by the mechanical noises of the MS maintenance deck…the distant clatter of machine parts…the hiss of hydraulic mechanisms…the shouted orders and requests.

    Jonah grins wryly as he murmurs, “Two years…”

    “Hmmm?” Jolie responds absently as she continues to swing the mop.

    “I mean to say it’s been almost two years since we met,” Jonah explains, “and it was in a place just like this. I remember when the drill sergeant…Atsuka, I think? He brought me down a gantry just like this one and you came out of the Centurion Gundam with your helmet on. I must admit when I first saw you, I thought you were a really short and thin…guy.”

    “That’s ‘cause you’re f*cking blind, Jonah,” Jolie replies acidly, but Jonah hears the amusement and thaw in her voice.

    “A blind painter?” Jonah asks, subdued levity in his voice, “Sounds like something out of a circus sideshow.”

    “Something tells me you didn’t come here just to reminisce,” Jolie says, her standoffish demeanor returning.

    “Actually, I sort of did,” Jonah says more seriously, “I wanted for us to both remember what things were like at the beginning…before everything became so complicated.”

    “That kind of thinking will get you killed in battle,” Jolie says, finally withdrawing the mop and turning to face Jonah, “The past is the worst place to put your focus when you’re on Combat Level 1 status.”

    “Understood, Lieutenant Minh,” Jonah says with a smile.

    Jolie deigns to smile at last, saying, “Everything has changed, and nothing has at the same time. At first, I was your training officer, but you’re my commanding officer now! Weird how that happened.”

    “Weird how everything during the last two years happened,” Jonah amends, “I originally left home because I didn’t want to be a soldier for the Zeon as Alex wanted me to be, then I ended up becoming a soldier for the Federation…and meeting you.”

    “And that rat bastard you call your brother murdered my family,” Jolie says, all warmth disappearing, the mop returning to the WPG’s armor, “I often ask myself why God played such a cruel trick on us.”

    Jonah has no answer for that. Another long, awkward silence ensues…Jolie working the mop on the armor of the WPG, and Jonah watches her…longing for her although she stands not a meter away from him.

    “Don’t stay up too late,” Jonah says, “Being rested and alert is part of a soldier’s duty as well.”

    “Yes, sir,” Jolie answers. Never one to doggedly observe military protocol, Jolie’s uncharacteristically formal reply is all the more cutting to Jonah’s sensibilities.

    As Jonah turns to leave, Jolie drops the mop the ground and calls to him in a voice laden with desperation and despair, “Jonah!”

    Jonah turns, looking deeply into Jolie’s eyes, and takes a moment before asking, “What is it?”

    Jolie opens her mouth, but says nothing. Her eyes burn with liquid fire.

    Jolie finally casts her eyes down, whispering, “It’s nothing. Nothing important. I’ll talk about it with you later.”

    Jonah puts his hands comfortingly on Jolie’s shoulders, “All right then. If it’s something important, don’t be afraid to share it with me. We’re fellow soldiers…and we’re husband and wife.”

    Jolie looks up to Jonah and offers a forced smile and a whispered, “Yeah…right.”

    Jonah turns to leave. Jolie plaintively watches him go.

    No words are harder to say than “good-bye.”

    To be continued...

  19. #359
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ghaleon View Post
    As Bund's #1 fan, have you thought of introducing futuristic Shanghai gangsters in your fanfic? It might add a little bit more grittiness to the atmosphere of your fanfic. Well I guess it depends how 'dark' u want your fanfic to be. But my general impression is that you're shooting for a somewhat murky gray morals type of thing like the Bund.
    There will be some development towards that end in Part 3. By the time of Part 3, mobile suit technology has been a part of military life for more than a quarter century. Often, military technology finds its way into the hands of organized crime within such a timeframe.

    One thing the GUNDAM universe hasn't really explored is the possibility of organized crime using MS technology. It would indeed be fun to play with this idea to some extent in Part 3.

  20. #360
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Episode 48 continued...

    The Archduchy of Zeon’s imperial flagship Cassius and the armada under its command prowl the cosmic sea – a school of armored sharks menacing enough on its own, but overshadowed, literally and figuratively, by the titanium leviathans that are Celestial Light Projector Systems Units 1 and Unit 2, whose kilometer-wide cannon barrels are directed towards the Side 6 Zone and the United Forces Armada now widely dispersed both within and immediately outside its perimeter.

    Archduke Miguel holds council with his command staff, plotting the Archduchy of Zeon Forces’ next move.

    “The United Forces are scattered throughout the Side 6 Zone and the open space between Side 6 and Side 1,” Miguel tells the audience of admirals and generals, the best under His Eminence’s command, “We’ll need to corral their forces together to make the most effective use of the CLPS. I’ll be relying on you gentlemen and the valiant forces under your command to carry out that directive. Our old Solomon Fortress, which the Federation Forces relocated to the perimeter of the Side 6 Zone ten years ago, would be the ideal site to lure them to. Its internal nuclear generator facilities are inactive, but the core materials have not, according to our intelligence reports, been stripped by the Federation. Using the CLPS on Solomon itself will likely cause the widest range of destruction. Do any of you have any questions or concerns remaining?”

    “No, Your Majesty,” reply the Zeon commanders in unison, saluting their leader.

    The Archduke returns their salute, “Gentlemen, the people of Zeon place their hopes into your capable hands.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the mecha hangar bay of the Cassius, Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi sits within the cockpit of the Elmeth Gamma. Since the rollout of her new transformable mobile armor Gamma Azieru, Kyoko’s first mobile armor has sat on standby status.

    Today, however, Kyoko prepares her original combat mecha for one final, crucial sortie…

    The Elmeth Gamma and the Gamma Azieru were both specifically designed for Kyoko’s use by Dr. Nanai Miguel. Dr. Miguel’s technical knowledge is unrivaled except by the mobile armors’ pilot, who is as familiar with their combat operating systems as she is with the features on her own face.

    Kyoko interfaces with the Elmeth Gamma’s combat A.I., meticulously inputting the logarithms so that the Elmeth unit will carry out the precise set of operations vital to Kyoko’s plans.

    Kyoko hears the familiar footsteps of Archduke Alexander Miguel approaching. Within a minute, the Archduke’s familiar, handsome visage appears at the cockpit hatch.

    “We will be deploying shortly, Kyoko,” the Archduke says, “Are you planning to deploy in the Elmeth Gamma for this operation?”

    “No,” Kyoko replies, “the Gamma Azieru is better suited for the operation, but the Elmeth Gamma must be prepared…in case it is necessary. Lady Nanai and her staff of engineers and technicians are readying the Azieru for combat deployment.”

    The Archduke nods, “Kyoko, the White Phoenix Gundam is the one enemy that can ruin all of our plans. I’m counting on you to eliminate her.”

    Kyoko rises from her seat and meets Alexander at the hatch, “I won’t fail, Alexander. Either the White Phoenix dies…or I do.”

    Alexander cups his hands around Kyoko’s soft, smooth chin, “Then the White Phoenix must perish.”

    The lovers kiss…one more time; Kyoko’s lips ooze the warmth of life.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Deputy Director Minerva Zabi of the Shambala Republic is in conference with General Bright Noah and Lt. Col. Christina McKenzie of the Earth Federation Forces, deciding the best course of action for dealing with the Zeon Forces’ frightfully powerful new Celestial Light weapons systems.

    “Miguel is likely to attempt to goad us into concentrating our forces,” Minerva says, “so that he can eliminate us in a single strike with his new weapons. He’ll use that large and very well-armed fleet at his command to hem us in; he has numbers on us, three-to-one, so that’s well within the range of the enemy’s abilities.”

    “We could keep our forces widely dispersed,” General Noah muses, “but will we be able to defend Side 6 in that disposition?”

    “Negative,” Lt. Col. McKenzie says, confirming her statement with a display of data from her handheld computer, “as presently distributed, our forces are momentarily safe from attack from the enemy’s colony laser weapons systems, but Side 6, Side 1, and possibly the areas we recently secured will be wide open to attack by the Zeon armada.”

    “That puts us in quite a dilemma,” General Noah says grimly, “We can’t let the Sides fall to the Zeon again, but we also don’t want to walk into their trap.”

    “We need to use our elite units to sabotage and disable their colony lasers,” Minerva says, turning to Christina McKenzie.

    “I could assemble a surgical strike team,” Christina says, “but we’ll need to move quickly. I received an intelligence report just a few minutes ago indicating that the Zeon Forces will be deploying imminently; we don’t have much time.”

    “We’ll provide as many units as you need for support,” Minerva says, “The outcome of this battle likely determines the outcome of this entire war.”


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    General quarters sounds aboard the La Kaelum-II and other ships across the United Forces Armada: “Red alert! Red alert! Enemy spacecraft sighted within defense perimeter! All combat units to battle stations!”

    Captain Jonah Michaels and 1Lt. Jolie Minh, normalsuited, strap themselves into the cockpits of their mobile suits, the Centurion Gundam and the White Phoenix Gundam, and prepare to deploy.

    “This is Centurion Leader to bridge control,” Jonah says into his helmet’s communications network pickup, “Control, please relay enemy disposition and numbers.”

    The reply comes from the bridge control tech momentarily, “Recon report indicates one enemy unit.”

    “What th’…only one?” Jonah muses, “Target identification.”

    “AMX-88 Elmeth Gamma,” comes the reply.

    “The Black Raven,” Jolie hisses, knowingly.

    “All right,” Jonah resolves, “Centurion Leader to all un..”

    “Jonah,” Jolie interjects, “If the enemy is deploying only one enemy unit, then there’s a chance that this is a diversionary attack. The Zeon might be trying to draw us away from their real objective…or drawing us together so they can wipe all of us out at once.”

    Jonah considers Jolie’s assessment momentarily, then nods, “Recommendation, Lieutenant?”

    “Let me go out and meet the Elmeth Gamma,” Jolie says, “I’m the only one who can handle her anyway. You and the other units should deploy, but remain on standby until we get a clearer picture of what’s going on.”

    “Out of the question!” Jonah replies hotly, “You’re not going to face the Black Raven alone, Jolie!”

    The La Kaelum-II is rocked by enemy cannon fire, causing the young mobile suit pilots of the Special Forces to brace themselves within the cockpits of their mecha.

    “You’re the commanding officer of the Centurion Team!” Jolie bites out, “Start acting like it! We can’t BOTH get wiped out!”

    Jonah clenches teeth momentarily, then, as another salvo rattles the La Kaelum-II, confirms the order, “1Lt. Minh: deploy White Phoenix Gundam to meet enemy unit. All other units: we will deploy and disperse across the perimeter: maintain ten kilometer distance between each unit.”

    “Roger, sir,” come the replies from the Special Forces units.

    The White Phoenix Gundam mounts itself on the launch catapult.

    “1Lt. Jolie Minh, White Phoenix Gundam, now deploying!” Jolie announces.

    Jolie opens the throttle to 110% thrust for launch; the WPG swings forward on the launch deck of the La Kaelum-II, catapulting as the deck control light changes from red to green.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jolie finds the Elmeth Gamma precisely where she expected to meet it, at the prescribed time she planned to meet it...outside the abandoned wreck of the old Zeon space fortress Solomon. The Zeon mobile armor that took the life of Jolie’s unborn daughter looms ahead, just beneath massive iron-ore octahedron that is Solomon. Extending “six ways from zero,” even a dead and disarmed Solomon carries an aura of unrelenting menace.

    Jolie has the Elmeth Gamma bracketed within the crosshairs of the WPG’s combat targeting system; her finger tenses on the trigger, which Jolie has armed with the WPG’s beam rifle, medium-range plasma missiles, and dual backpack-mounted heavy particle beam cannon…more than enough firepower to incinerate the Elmeth Gamma.

    Before she can unleash hellfire, however, Jolie senses something amiss about the Elmeth Gamma. Its movements are too regular, too predictable, too static…and she does not sense the aura of the Black Raven centered around the Elmeth Gamma.

    Behind! a voice in Jolie’s head that she recognizes as her own says as Jolie hits reverse thrust on the WPG’s yoke, backing the WPG away from a massive beam of superheated and hyperaccelerated Minovsky particles that streak fewer than two meters past the WPG to strike the Elmeth Gamma, delivering the Zeon mobile armor the fiery fate that Jolie had planned for it just instants earlier.

    Within the cockpit of the Gamma Azieru, a spark flashes in the eye of Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi, the deadly Black Raven of the Archduchy of Zeon Forces.

    Unfortunate loss, Kyoko muses, but the Elmeth Gamma has already served its purpose.

    The Gamma Azieru and the White Phoenix Gundam streak upwards along the longest vertex of Solomon Fortress, climbing each side of the fortress to meet at its peak. Behind the fortress looms the glowing disc of the moon, casting Solomon in an eerie and foreboding silhouette.

    Silhouetted as well are the armored, anthropomorphic forms of the Archduchy of Zeon and the Earth Federation Forces’ most advanced, most dangerous combat mecha…set for their final confrontation.

    For a moment that seemingly extends into eternity, the two rivals and enemies gaze across the space between them in silent stillness. There is no movement…no sound. The entire universe seems to come to a tense halt.

    In the eternal blackness beyond, the flash of a streaking comet serves as the only reminder of time’s passage…of movement. Deep within Solomon’s abandoned corridors, debris eddies as automated pressurization systems perform their programmed routines, loud hisses echoing in the air within. Light-years away, the stars twinkle impassively as they had and would for eons.

    Blood races at an accelerating pace through the arteries and veins of the two combatants, and both can almost hear the fluid of life racing through their bodies. The loudest sounds are those of a heartbeat…of a breath.

    Not far from Solomon Fortress are the flashes of light created by the ordnance explosions and beam cannon salvoes exchanged between the armadas of the Archduchy of Zeon Forces and the United Forces.

    One stray beam, its point of origin unknown and unimportant, strikes the side of Solomon Fortress, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.

    The preparation and the waiting have come to an end.

    Gamma Azieru and White Phoenix Gundam draw out their beam rifles and fire them simultaneously. Two powerful streams of kinetic energy meet head-on, creating a hellacious, blinding explosion that turns the world between them an intense, blinding white.

    The flash-suppressing properties molded into her helmet visor and her eyes’ natural adjustments restore vision to Lt. Col. Kyoko Yamaguchi just in time for her to see more than a dozen missiles twisting towards her Gamma Azieru, and behind them the White Phoenix Gundam that launched them, its beam saber extended, streaking forth like an angry thunderbolt.

    Kyoko jukes the control stick, deftly threading the Gamma Azieru through the storm of missiles that threaten to engulf her, narrowly avoiding deadly contact a half dozen times in the blink of an eye. With her other hand, Kyoko fingers the control that deploys the Gamma Azieru’s Psychomm Funnels.

    The Funnels form a defensive perimeter around the Gamma Azieru, pinpointing, targeting, and finally blasting the WPG’s missiles to oblivion, sparing their parent mecha a fiery finish.

    That leaves the remaining problem of the WPG’s beam saber, whose superheated tip is now mere meters from burning through the armor of the Gamma Azieru.

    Gotcha! Jolie thinks, a vicious smirk emerging on her lips.

    The WPG’s beam saber lances forth…thrusting forward for the kill.

    But the Gamma Azieru is no longer visible.

    Where? Jolie clenches her teeth in momentary confusion and dismay.

    An open access tunnel, steam rising from its mouth indicating the recent passage of a heat-generating body, provides the answer.

    The White Phoenix Gundam dives into the hellish bowels of the long decommissioned space fortress.

    Episode 48 to be continued...

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