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

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Mobile Suit Gundam - The Second Century (Part 2: The Second Century)

    MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE SECOND CENTURY (PART 2: THE SECOND CENTURY)

    Author’s Preface

    If you’ve clicked on this thread, a reasonable assumption is that you have already read Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century Part 1: Prelude 0099 and enjoyed that story, and that’s why you’re here for Part 2.

    If you aren’t interested in reading about the genesis of this story, then go right on ahead and skip to Episode 1.

    For the rest of you, however, here is how this story came to be and some of my thoughts on the story.

    Although Part 2 is the second part of the saga, it was the first to be written. Part 2 was actually what I started with when I first began writing this story in 1991, and by the time I finished around 1994, I had 50 episodes (then intending it as a screenplay for an anime television series). Even before I finished writing the 50 episodes, however, I knew that I wanted to provide more of a backstory for the characters of Jolie Minh and Athena Ibaz and hence, beginning in 1994 and until 1996, I wrote Part 1 (which is now complete and available elsewhere on the Fanfic Forum at the link given above).

    The central character of Part 1 was Athena Ibaz (Minerva Zabi), and Part 1 revolved around the beginning and early trials of the two young women’s friendship. This is to lay the foundations for much of what comes later (especially in Part 3), but is no longer the focus of Part 2. In Part 2, Jolie Minh takes on a greater role than she did in Part 1, while Athena becomes more of an important supporting character in this round (although there will be a few Athena-centric episodes dead-smack in the middle of Part 2). Additionally, Part 2 introduces the third major character of the saga overall, Jonah Michaels.

    So who is Jonah Michaels? Well, to start with, his real name is Jonah Miguel. If you’re a long time Gundam fan, you might be wondering: is Jonah connected in any way to Nanai Miguel from Char’s Counterattack? The answer is yes: Jonah is the youngest of three siblings of which Nanai is the eldest. Jonah and Jolie together are the focus of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Second Century Part 2. They are, in Gundam tradition, destined for a tragic relationship that will change both of them forever. Some might think: is this a repeat of the subplot with Hathaway Noah and Athena Ibaz in Part 1? Not exactly. There are some themes in common between the Hathaway/Athena subplot (which will be resolved in Part 2 and take on greater significance in Part 3), but Hathaway/Athena was just a mild foretaste of what to expect with Jonah/Jolie. For starters, whereas Hathaway was in and out of the Part 1 storyline in two episodes (more or less), Jonah is the FOCUS character (alongside Jolie) in Part 2, and readers will be seeing many events unfold through his and Jolie’s points of view. Part 2 features Jonah and Jolie sharing the story focus and top character billing.

    And what of the political backdrop of the story? Old-school Gundam fans will be pleased to know that Part 2 reintroduces the classic Earth Federation/Archduchy of Zeon war that was the focus of classic Gundam in full force. This does not mean that the ISRLA movement introduced in Part 1 becomes irrelevant: FAR from it. The ISRLA will play a crucial role in the second half of Part 2, but what that exact role will be is not to be revealed until near the end of Part 2. The focus of the first half of Part 2, however, is the Federation and the Zeon, and the ISRLA does not become a significant presence in the story until halfway into Part 2.

    An important thing to note is that in my original draft of Part 2, there were a total of 50 episodes. In retrospect, a number of those episodes contained fluff and filler that, given the perspective of a decade, serve no useful purpose and that I’m not particularly proud of. They seemed like good ideas at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight, some of them were poorly done and self-indulgent. For these reasons, the final episode count of Part 2 might be 45 or even 40 (I haven’t decided yet) rather the originally-intended 50.

    Finally, a continuity point for the sake of clarity: Episode 1 of Part 2 takes place between March and June of U.C. 0098, which means on the timeline, it actually overlaps with the early episodes of Part 1 (i.e. around the time that Jolie first joined the Centurion Team). It is not until Episode 2 of Part 2 that Part 2 “synchs up” with the end of Episode 10 of Part 1 (I hope you’re following all that so far). So don’t let the sequence of events confuse you.

    I think that’s enough information to get you all started. Enjoy the story, and please leave comments.

    The adventures of Jolie, Athena, and now…JONAH, continue.


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    Jonah Miguel and Jolie Minh. Lovers in the crossfire of war.

  2. #2
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    PROLOGUE

    March, U.C. 0098, the Asteroid Belt and the Outer Solar System.

    Two-hundred years have passed since human beings first journeyed beyond their homeworld of Earth. One-hundred have passed since human beings first migrated en masse into outer space to alleviate the problems of overcrowding, environmental pollution, and natural resource depletion that besieged the planet. Nearly fifty years have passed since a great thinker and leader prophesized that with humanity’s migration into the gravity-free environment of space, Homo sapiens would evolve into a more advanced form with increased telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Almost twenty years have passed since the people of Earth and their Spacenoid brothers first went to war against one another over the right to decide humanity’s future.

    In U.C. 0079, the Archduchy of Zeon ruled by the Zabi Royal Family began its war of independence and conquest against the Earth Federation Government. The Zabis’ goal was to destroy the Federation by any means necessary, including genocide. Prince Giren Zabi of the Archduchy of Zeon decided that the “Oldtypes” of Earth represented an obsolete and degenerate form of humanity…one that needed to be eradicated before the Chosen People of Zeon could rise to claim their destiny among the stars. The main weapon of war for both sides: massive, anthropoid mechanical engines of destruction known as MOBILE SUITS.

    The Archduchy of Zeon was defeated by the Earth Federation Forces in U.C. 0080, only to menace Earth and the Cislunar space colonies again in U.C. 0087-0088 under the leadership of Regent Haman Khan, then the acting ruler of Neo Zeon for Duchess Minerva Zabi, last heir of the Zabi Royal Family.

    Five years later, Colonel Char Aznable led a second Neo Zeon War, attempting to create nuclear winter on Earth by dropping the massive Axis asteroid spacefortress onto the surface of the Earth. Fortunately for Earth’s people, Colonel Char’s plot was thwarted by Captain Amuro Ray and Colonel Bright Noah.

    After Char’s attempt to destroy Earth, the remaining military force of the Neo Zeon Empire withdrew to the Asteroid Belt. There, the remaining generals of Neo Zeon began to divide the colonies of the Asteroid Belt and Outer Solar System among themselves, in effect becoming feudal warlords, each waging war against the other in hopes of someday becoming the sole ruler of the Neo Zeon Empire.

    In March, U.C. 0098, five Neo Zeon generals who once served under either Regent Haman Khan or Colonel Char Aznable vie for power in the Outer Solar System.

    Generalissimo Hadrian Reglas is the Lord of Titan, a Neo Zeon colony established on the largest moon of Saturn.

    General Napoleon Spector has declared himself the Viceroy of Jupitorius, having conquered and occupied the Jupitorius space colonies as the base of his Neo Zeon military domain.

    Admiral Lara Constantinas rules the Neo Zeon as the Governess of Callisto, based on one of the largest of Jupiter’s moons.

    Field Martial Konrad Von Bach rules the Imperium of Deimos, from the Martian moon of the same name.

    General Alexander Miguel rules the Principality of Phobos Neo Zeon from the other Mars of moon, named after the ancient Greek god of fear. A fitting name for the home of one of perhaps the most fearsome man alive in U.C. 0098.

    In years past, the Archduchy of Zeon, in its various incarnations, had always put forth a united front against its enemy, the Earth Federation Forces. There had always, however, been an underlying rivalry among the Zeon leaders that the Federation seldom knew about, but always gained a significant advantage from. Historians generally agree that, had Prince Giren Zabi not assassinated his father, Duke Degin Zabi, which in turn compelled Giren’s younger sister, Princess Kishiria Zabi, to summarily execute Giren in retribution, the Zeon Armed Forces might not necessarily have been defeated by the Federal Forces in December, U.C. 0079. Similarly, eight years later, the Axis Neo Zeon invasion began to crumble when General Glemy Toto led an insurrection against Regent Haman Khan. The infighting among the Neo Zeon leaders enabled the Earth Federation/AEUG Alliance to gain the upper hand and drive the Neo Zeon from Earth and battle them to the gates of Side 3.

    Those Zeon internecine conflicts, however, pale now before the Neo Zeon civil war that has erupted among the warlords of Titan, Jupitorius, Callisto, Deimos, and Phobos.

    The war started within six months of Colonel Char Aznable’s death and the destruction of Axis Fortress. During the past five years, millions have died in the Asteroid Belt and the Outer Solar System. Most of these deaths have occurred in Neo Zeon or independent space colonies, but several hundred thousand citizens of the Earth Federation’s Outer Solar System and Asteroid Belt colonies have also perished in incidents of “collateral damage” during the war.

    For its part, the Earth Federation has elected to remain neutral in the Neo Zeon Civil War. The leaders of the Earth Federation Government have reasoned that it is beneficial to the Federation to let the Zeon busy themselves fighting each other in the distant Asteroid Belt and Outer Solar System; there is simply no need or benefit to be gained from intervening in the Zeon’s internal conflicts.

    Such is the status quo in the Asteroid Belt and Outer Solar System in March, U.C. 0098.

  3. #3
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    EPISODE 1: JONAH

    The obsidian-hued Geara Doga mobile suit twists and fires its beam rifle. Already fatally the damaged, the Doga nevertheless manages to score a direct hit through the center of the gray-colored Zaku III whose Heat Hawk had damaged the Doga. Both mobile suits explode into thousands of pieces of titanium alloy shrapnel.

    Elsewhere, a gray-colored Dreissen MK-II of the Imperium of Deimos rips into a black Gellond with its beam tri-blade, bisecting the ebony-colored Phobos Principality mobile suit with a three gracefully violent motions of its weapon.

    The same Dreissen MK-II is then blasted from behind by the beam rifle of a Phobos Jagd Doga mobile suit.

    The Jagd Doga dodges incoming missile fire from a pair of Gaza-G mobile suits, only to fall prey to the beam rifle of a grey Geara Doga with Imperium of Deimos markings.

    And the scene is repeated dozens of times over in local space: sixty black-colored mobile suits belonging to the Principality of Phobos versus fifty grey-colored mobile suits from the Imperium of Deimos. Neo Zeon versus Neo Zeon, in the name of supremacy…in the name of “turf” (or as close as the domination of space can come).

    Of the many mobile suits deployed in combat this day, the pilot of one of them takes particular relish in the battle. Many emotions course through the mind of a mobile suit pilot in combat: terror, remorse, hatred, anger…even complete numbness.

    For General Alexander Miguel, Prince of the Principality of Phobos (Neo Zeon), however, there is only the sheer ecstasy of bringing death and suffering to his enemies, whom Alexander considers all those who stand in the way of his goals.

    During the past five years, the Principality of Phobos and the Imperium of Deimos have struggled over the control of Mars and Marsspace. Mars’ vast mineral resources and strategic location represent a rich and juicy fruit that both Miguel and his counterpart from Deimos, Imperator Konrad Von Bach, salivate over and for which they are willing to send hundreds, if not thousands of men, to their deaths. Moreover, Mars will prove an invaluable touchstone for the conquest of their rivals farther out in the Solar System…in the Asteroid Belt and the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, and eventually, to the Earth Federation-dominated Cislunar Space, where the sourcepoint and birthplace of Zeon, Side 3, remains occupied by the Federation.

    These long-term ambitions are never far from the mind of Alexander Miguel. In fact, they represent the core of Alexander’s life…the reason for which he lives. During combat, however, he can set aside, at least for a short interval, these considerations and simply live for the moment…the sheer thrill of crushing the life out of his enemies, and watching the weak and degenerate die as they are meant to.

    General Alexander Miguel does not tolerate weakness…not among his own people, and certainly not among his enemies. The Neo Zeon units under Alexander’s command are brutal, but also well-trained. Within several minutes, they have their enemies from the Imperium of Deimos in full retreat.

    But one does not escape from Alexander Miguel so easily.

    Alexander’s mobile suit is a black-colored MSN-04S Nightingale, a development from the MSN-04 Sazabi project that provided Colonel Char Aznable his final mobile suit. The Nightingale had originally been intended for Colonel Char’s use should the Sazabi prove insufficient to handle the Earth Federation Forces’ RX-93 Nu Gundam (piloted by Captain Amuro Ray). After Colonel Char’s demise, the then-Colonel Alexander Miguel seized the experimental mobile suit for himself, and has had his crew of engineers and technicians continually upgrade it since.

    Alexander fires a spray of shots from the Nightingale’s arm mounted beam-cannon, riddling an enemy Zaku-III unit full of holes. The enemy mobile suit is disabled, but the pilot lives. Alexander does not wish for his enemy to die so quickly: first, he must experience the terror and pain that the Prince of Phobos relishes to mete out.

    Alexander drives the armored hand of his Nightingale into the chest cavity of the disabled Zaku-III, directly into the mobile suit’s cockpit. The Nightingale’s hand wraps itself around the terrified pilot.

    Slowly, gradually, Alexander increases the pressure of his mobile suit’s hand around the pilot.

    Opening communications to the enemy pilot’s helmet receiver, Alexander says to his foe, “This is happening to you because you are weak. The weak aren’t worthy to live. Nature determines that the weak must die, in pain…and in terror…”

    The hand of the Nightingale squeezes around the Zaku-III pilot, crushing every bone in the man’s body and causing his internal organs to implode. Alexander takes perverse satisfaction in hearing the enemy pilot’s screams of terror and pain in his horrific final moments.

    And then, it is over. There is silence, and a bloody, fleshy mass in the hand of the Nightingale.

    The sight of the blood, quickly freezing solid in the cold of space, causes Alexander’s mouth to water.

    His bloodlust sated, at least for the moment, Alexander opens communications to his mobile suit pilots, “This is the Leader. Good hunting today, men. Let’s return to the Lair.”

    “The Lair” is code for Phobos Fortress, the enormous Neo Zeon military base built into the Martian moon of the same name. Not only does Phobos Fortress house the Phobos Forces’ 500-plus mobile suits, 800-plus war spacecraft, and 50-plus space battleships (as well as the facilities for manufacturing and maintaining them), but it is also the seat of government and civic life for the Principality of Phobos Neo Zeon. Within the moon is Phobos City, home to one million Neo Zeon citizens living under Alexander Miguel’s protection and rule.

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    Phobos, one of two large moons of Mars. Within this massive asteroid is the Neo Zeon military complex commanded by General Alexander Miguel. The hollowed-out asteroid also contains a self-sufficent city state of several million people, including one Jonah Miguel.

    It cannot be said that General Alexander Miguel is defined entirely by hatred, cruelty, and sadism. These aspects of his personality, though dominant, are generally directed only towards his enemies and those whom he considers weak. To the people of Phobos, General Miguel is a hero…one who cares about them as a father would care about his children. When Miguel brought his people to Phobos in the early U.C. 0090s, they were a mass of desperate refugees, eating each other’s flesh to survive, surrendering their minds to madness in the emptiness of space, resigning themselves to the slow, agonizing death of oxygen-depletion and asphyxiation as what little oxygen remained in their escape vessels dwindled away.

    Those who surrendered and those who resigned were those whom Alexander considered unfit to live under his protection, and they were left to die or, more commonly, dispatched by Alexander and his forces to the Great Beyond. Those who persevered and stood by Alexander during those difficult early days became his Chosen People…the strong ones whom no amount of suffering could break…whose loyalty to him was unquestionable. Those were the ones who would benefit from Alexander’s largesse. Those are the ones who would have the privilege of living and the honor of continuing to stand beside him. To those who have proven themselves strongest and most loyal, Alexander has shown great generosity, and the wealth and power that they have helped Alexander to accumulate in battle is shared with them. From this wealth and power, a great metropolis has been built within Phobos Fortress, a city-state run by a culture of brutality and fear.

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    Phobos City, the city-state that is the center of the Principality of Phobos Neo Zeon. Jonah Miguel grew up here, and at age seventeen, escaped its oppressive, militaristic society.

    But this is a universe that abhors absolutes. Within even the most extreme darkness, there must yet shine the tiniest flicker of light. And so it is that in the militaristic, authoritarian society of the Principality of Phobos, and in the cold, dark heart of Alexander Miguel, the light that shines brightest is one young man…his younger brother, Jonah Miguel.

    Episode 1 to be continued...

  4. #4
    Senior Member sheraldine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: THE SECOND CENTURY (PART 2: THE SECOND CENTURY)



    $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/6871/jonahandjolieresizepc1.jpg')


    Jonah Miguel and Jolie Minh. Lovers in the crossfire of war.


    you know ken, it reminds me of those comics and mangas that tempt the hormone growing teens and romantic young fans. what a way of intro..... say, who is jonah again? i seemed to recall a spanish guy who is young and rather good looking, which i never thought of him until recently
    Last edited by Ken Cheng; 09-08-07 at 12:45 AM.

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheraldine View Post


    you know ken, it reminds me of those comics and mangas that tempt the hormone growing teens and romantic young fans. what a way of intro.....
    Got to know your market, and target towards the market demographic. Rule # 1 of the media business.

    This was one of several concept pieces an artist friend of mine did back in the mid-1990s when he was working with me on this project. This past weekend, I attended Anime Expo here in Southern California and commissioned another artist friend of mine to do a more appropriate "cover" for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to get that up in the near future.

    say, who is jonah again? i seemed to recall a spanish guy who is young and rather good looking, which i never thought of him until recently
    We never did cast Jonah. We couldn't find anybody suitable.

    He's a clean-cut, seventeen year old youth. Polite and educated looking. A "nice guy" type.

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    Episode 1 continued...

    Seventeen year old Jonah Miguel gently applies the brush, endeavoring to lend just the proper tone of color he wants to convey the mood of the portrait. Stepping, he frowns at the result.

    Not exactly what I intended, Jonah evaluates.

    Patiently laying down his filbert paintbrush and picking up a palette knife, Jonah gently removes the recently misapplied paint. Every mistake can be corrected. Jonah believes this to be true of painting, and to be true in all human affairs and enterprises.

    Tall, as the men in his family have always tended to be, dark-haired, and dark-eyed, Jonah Miguel is a strikingly handsome youth. Jonah’s fit, but somewhat slight build affirms his temperament and inclination as an artist and a scholar. He is clearly a young man for whom constant physical labor is not the norm. His hands are the hands of a painter: slim, refined, and graceful. His eyes, dark as the cosmos, reflect a soul much older than his seventeen years. Like his two older siblings, Jonah has inherited the good looks of their mother…a woman known in her youth to be among the most beautiful women of Zeon.

    Realizing that the moment of inspiration has passed and that no further progress can be made on the painting today, Jonah turns his attention to a message he received recently on his Datapad. Jonah smiles as he reads the message for perhaps the hundredth time during the past few days, hardly able to believe his good fortune.

    The message is from the famous L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France on Earth. Founded during the 17th Century (on the old Gregorian calendar) as the Académie des Beaux-Arts, the institution has trained such renowned masters as Degas, Monet, and Renoir. Closed for a period of nearly ten years after the devastation suffered on Earth during the One Year War, L’École des Beaux-Arts is once again providing education and training to those with the requisite gift of heart, imagination, eye, and hand to bring beauty into the world – something humanity has needed now more than ever in light of the horrors of the past twenty-five years.

    Horrors, Jonah realizes, that his family has had no small part in perpetuating.
    Turning away that dark thought, Jonah reads the email once again:


    March 2, U.C. 0098

    Dear Mr. Miguel:

    It is the pleasure of our academy to inform you that that the admissions committee has decided to extend you the privilege of admission to the academy for the continuation of your education during the following semester. The committee evaluated your portfolio with great care and sensitivity, and found itself highly impressed by your abilities…


    Jonah was barely able to contain his excitement upon receiving the message a week earlier. L’École des Beaux-Arts is famous for its extremely stringent admissions standards, and few were extended the opportunity of refining their craft within its hallowed halls. But Jonah has invested a lifetime of work into refining his craft. He first took up the paintbrush at the age of four, demonstrating a keenness of perception and an eye for detail regarded as highly improbable for a child of that age. At the age of ten, he already knew that he wanted to spend his life searching for and creating beauty and meaning in a universe that has, of late, known too little of such virtues.

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    L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Attending this famous and prestigious art college is Jonah's dream.

    As the scion of the powerful and wealthy Miguel noble family of the Archduchy of Zeon, Jonah has no worries that he will not be able to afford the tuition fees of the L’École des Beaux-Arts. Indeed, the Miguels have enough wealth to buy the academy itself for what to most people would be the proportionate equivalent of money spent to purchase a cup of tea. The Miguel family is among the elites of the Zeon aristocracy, heralded only a level below the infamous Zabi Family itself. Jonah begins to wonder if the L’École des Beaux-Arts had accepted his application on the merits of his artistic work, or if it had accepted him because of the wealth and power of his family. Considering the Miguels’ reputation on Earth, however, Jonah takes greater confidence that his admission is the fruit of his abilities rather than his connections. Moreover, Jonah had declined to make any reference of his connection to the famous Miguel family of Zeon on his application, figuring the less said on that matter, the better.

    No, affordability would not be an issue. Artistic and academic qualification would not be an issue either. There is one issue, however, that troubles Jonah deeply, and upon which he has been indecisive for days…

    How will Alexander react to the news?

    Alexander Miguel and Jonah Miguel share a set of parents and an elder sister. They are both extraordinarily handsome young men who each can and have won the heart of many a young Zeon woman in Phobos City. That’s where the similarities end, however. There can be very little in common between the brutal warrior known as the Prince of Phobos and the gentle, reserved young man known among his friends and peers as a talented, but shy painter.

    That is not to say, however, that the Miguel brothers have experienced great friction between one another during their upbringing. Quite the contrary, in fact. Alexander, thirteen years Jonah’s senior, has been the world to his younger brother. Their mother having died shortly after Jonah’s birth, and their father following her to death in Jonah’s tenth year, Alexander has been as much surrogate father to Jonah as he has been older brother. Although Jonah knows of and gravely disapproves of his brother’s belligerent, warlike ways, he has no doubt about Alexander’s benignity towards him. Whatever else Alexander might have done, he has always been generous and kind to his younger sibling, furnishing Jonah all the comforts that the wealth and power of the Miguel family could obtain. Jonah’s needs, however, have always been modest and simple, and Jonah has invariably declined Alexander’s more extravagant favors. Jonah’s liberal education has given the youngster an egalitarian bent, and causes him to disfavor the notion that wealth should be the domain of a privileged few.

    The door of Jonah’s bedroom in the spacious, Gothic manor known as the Palace of Phobos opens. In strides Alexander Miguel, fresh from the clamor and din of battle.

    Anyone who meets the Miguel brothers would have no doubt that they are siblings. Descended from a long bloodline of European nobles whose history dates to the Middle Ages, the Miguels are known for their aristocratic attractiveness.

    That being said, despite the obvious familial similarities, there is also no mistaking that Alexander and Jonah Miguel are two very different kinds of men. Alexander takes on the aspect of the savage hawk: a merciless predator endlessly prowling and stalking new prey, reveling in the spilling of blood and the glory of the kill. Jonah’s aura is much gentler and more benign, like that of a dove in flight, an enemy to no one…completely absent of malice.

    The hawk and the dove, brothers of contrast.

    “Jonah,” Alexander greets his younger brother with his customary killer’s grin.

    “Alex,” Jonah replies, motioning his elder brother towards him, “Come here and tell me what you think of this.”

    Alexander steps around Jonah’s easel to survey the portrait that his brother has been developing. It is a portrait of Alexander himself, dressed as he is now in the military regalia that is the only raiment that Jonah has ever known his brother to wear. By the time that Jonah was old enough to remember, Alexander was already a teenaged cadet in the Archduchy of Zeon Military Academy.

    After the death of their father and Alexander’s ascension to the position of Prince of Phobos, Alexander’s life revolved around the military more than ever. At times, when Alexander is in the midst of a military campaign, the brothers would not see each other for months.

    Jonah is sometimes glad for those periods. Although he holds great personal affection for Alexander, Jonah has long realized that he and his brother carry incompatible worldviews, and have had their share of arguments over such topics as human rights, war and peace, and authoritarianism versus liberalism.

    At the moment, however, Alexander is agreeable with the work that Jonah has done on his portrait, “That’s very good. An excellent likeness. Somewhat smaller than it should be, but it can be enlarged after you’re finished.”

    Larger than life, Jonah reflects wryly, Just the way Alexander always likes things when they refer to himself.

    Alexander takes the opportunity to broach the subject he actually came to discuss with his younger brother. Picking up one of Jonah’s sharp painting tools, Alexander says, “Fine arts makes for a good pasttime, but as heir to the Miguel tradition, Jonah, the sharp eye and steady hand you bring to your painting should be applied to strengthening our nation.”

    Jonah sighs. He knows this has been coming. For months now, he has dreaded conversing with his brother because inevitably, this troublesome subject would come up.

    “I’ve told you many times before, Alex,” Jonah says calmly as he cleans paint residue from his brushes, “I don’t want to be a soldier.”

    “And I’ve told you many times before,” Alex says sternly, “that this matter is not about what you personally ‘want.’ It is about your duty to our Miguel family heritage, to our Zeon nation, and to humanity’s future.”

    Jonah replies, “I don’t see causing death and suffering, or depriving others of their freedom, as any kind of ‘duty’ that anyone can have a moral obligation to fulfill. I also can’t see war and violence as somehow good for ‘humanity’s future.’”

    Alexander continues firmly, “I’m not going to debate ethics with you. Ethics are irrevelant - the psychological crutch of the weak, the doomed, and the defeated. Only those who are committed to the gain and use of power survive in the end. For this reason, I expect you to enlist in the Principality Military Academy within three days’ time. You will serve your nation and your family heritage. There is no choice, as far as you are concerned.”

    We’ll see about that, Jonah thinks to himself, but does not iterate.

    Alexander has said all that he feels needs to be said on the subject, and turns to leave, expecting Jonah to comply with his directive. Alexander Miguel has not risen to power by tolerating disobedience of his directives. He does not tolerate it of the military officers who serve him, and he will not tolerate it even from his own younger brother.

    Jonah sighs, resigned to his fate. He finishes cleaning his painting tools and storing them away.

    Jonah stares at the half-completed portrait of his elder brother, General Alexander Miguel. He wonders when, if ever, he will complete the portrait.

    Jonah takes a traveling valise from his closet and begins packing clothing and some personal items, including the portable items of his painting equipment, into it.

    Episode 1 to be continued...

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    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Episode 1 continued...

    Ninety minutes later, Jonah is at the Phobos City Spaceport, boarding a hastily booked shuttle flight from Phobos to the Frontier 8 space colony located halfway between Mars and Cislunar Space. To avoid being traced by his brother, Jonah pays for his shuttle ticket through cash rather credit card.

    Jonah has one-thousand Zeon credits on him, which he figures will be enough for him to live on for about a month. Jonah’s plan is to find temporary work at Frontier 8 to earn enough money for passage to Earth, then find other work after he enrolls at the art academy.

    A man of his own mind already at age seventeen, Jonah knows that he cannot and will not follow his brother’s path. However kind and loving Alexander has been to him on a personal level, Jonah refuses to buy into Alexander’s predatory ideology and join him as a killer. To a great extent, Jonah regrets leaving Alexander behind to continue his life of bloodshed and conquest. Every death that Alexander causes weighs upon his younger brother’s soul. Jonah feels a moral obligation to persuade his brother to abandon the pursuit of war, as unrealistic as Jonah knows it is to expect Alexander to listen and accept such a proposition.

    Every mistake can be corrected, Jonah reminds himself.

    The shuttle leaves the Phobos City Spaceport, bound for Frontier 8. Jonah Miguel departs the Zeon asteroid spacefortress that is the home of his youth, unknowingly taking the first step on a path that will define the remainder of his life.


    Butcher Neville, Lord Chamberlain of the Phobos Imperial Household, reports to General Alexander Miguel, “My lord, young master Jonah is not in the palace. He might have gone into the city for…”

    Alexander cuts off the lord chamberlain, “I doubt you’ll find him there, Butcher. I believe my brother’s plans go far beyond a brief visit to the city. Nevertheless, have my men begin their search there. Trace all activity on Jonah’s credit cards. My brother has initiative; I must concede him that. Nevertheless, he will serve his family, his nation, and his people in battle as is expected of him. He will not escape his duty.”

    Chamberlain Neville replies, “Yes, sir,” then rushes to carry out Alexander’s orders.

    At Phobos Fortress, the word of General Alexander Miguel is law, and someday, Alexander knows, the authority of his word will extend to all of humanity.

    Such is the destiny of the strong: to rule over, exploit, and, when necessary or desired, destroy the weak.

    Alexander broods darkly in his sepulcher-like private study. Although Alexander holds great affection for his younger brother Jonah, he will accept disobedience of his will from no one. Being Alexander’s brother will spare Jonah his life, but nevertheless, Alexander resolves that Jonah will taste the bitter fruit of discipline when he is returned to Phobos Fortress, before he begins his service to the Zeon cause.


    The construction of Frontier 8, located approximately equidistant between Earth and Mars, began in the mid-U.C. 0070s, even before the completion of Side 7 shortly before the outbreak of the One Year War in U.C. 0079. The beginning of the Earth-Zeon War era rapidly halted Frontier 8’s construction, and further development of the colony was delayed for a decade until the late U.C. 0080s, after the end of the First Neo Zeon War and the Federation’s subsequent realization that it needed a greater presence in the Outer Solar System. Progress on Frontier 8’s construction has proceeded relatively rapidly during the U.C. 0090s, and the colony is now, in the spring of U.C. 0098, nearing forty percent completion. Top officials of both the Earth Federation Government and the private sector conglomerates behind Frontier 8’s construction estimate that the colony will be complete by U.C. 0110.

    Frontier 8 began receiving its first immigrants a mere four years earlier. Many of these immigrants hail from older space colonies such as Side 1 and Side 2, as well as those who have left behind the strife of Side 3. Frontier 8 has taken on a reputation as a great venue for people who desire to get a fresh start on life. The colony’s remote location relative to Earth and Cislunar Space makes it ideal for such a purpose: contact with the Earth Sphere is minimal (other than supply and merchant vessels, and the occasional military convoy), and one is hardly likely to run into familiars out at Frontier 8.

    $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8710/i511jm8.jpg')

    Crosshaven Space Colony, Frontier 8

    Overall, Frontier 8 is residential in composition. Its distance from the natural resource centers of Earth, the moon, and Mars make it unsuitable to serve as a heavy industrial base. The Earth Federation Government originally had plans to make Frontier 8 a military bulwark against the growing Neo Zeon presence in the Asteroid Belt, but internal disagreement among the Federation Security Council has left those plans in limbo. One faction, headed by General Bright Noah, supports heavily arming Frontier 8 as a deterrent to resurgent Neo Zeon aggression originating from the Outer Solar System, as occurred during the U.C. 0080s. A second faction, however, headed by General Manron Blackhead considers such a heavy allocation of Federal Forces resources so far from Cislunar Space a wasteful venture, and that the Federation should concentrate its strength near its center rather than out in the figurative hinterlands of the Outer Solar System. The result is an impasse that has limited Frontier 8’s fortifications to a token defense force of ten battlecruisers, fifty mobile suits, and one-thousand Federal Forces officers and enlisted soldiers – a laughably inadequate force for defending a space colony.

    Frontier 8 is probably best represented by space colonies such as Crosshaven, a colony in Frontier 8’s Third Bunch. Crosshaven reflects the typical Frontier 8 colony and the Federation’s vision for its new generation Outer Solar System colonies. Crosshaven consists mostly of suburban-style single family homes, small businesses, parks, libraries, schools, and churches. In short, it is an excellent place for younger people to settle down and start families, or for the elderly to retire, or for a young man looking to take his first step towards a life independent of his family…

    Episode 1 to be continued...

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    Episode 1 continued...

    Jonah Miguel stands in a long line at Crosshaven’s Employment Development Department office. Like many young people new to the space colony, Jonah is in need of work. Having never held a paying job before (being the son of General Carloman Miguel of the Archduchy of Zeon precludes such a need), Jonah wonders if he’ll be able to find any suitable work…or if he will have the skills necessary to perform whatever work might become available to him.

    Jonah’s intent is not to stay at Crosshaven for long. His plan is to find temporary work that will pay him enough to complete the journey to Earth, and for at least one semester’s worth of tuition and board at the L’École des Beaux-Arts. Nevertheless, the environment at Crosshaven is pleasant enough, and Jonah can see himself returning here to do his work after he has earned his fine arts’ degree.

    After several hours, during which he has already sketched out the figures and faces of a dozen people standing either in front of or behind him in line, Jonah reaches the window of the clerk, whose face bears the unmistakable put-upon, weary look of the overworked, underpaid bureaucrat.

    “Name,” the clerk says with almost mechanical impassivity.

    “Jonah Michaels,” Jonah says, using a pseudonym that he created to avoid the possible problems that the surname “Miguel” could cause for him in non-Zeon territory.

    “What kind of work are you looking for?” the clearly bored clerk asks.

    “Um, no preference, really,” Jonah replies, “Anything that pays decently.”

    “Would you be willing to do temporary work?” the clerk asks.

    “Yes,” Jonah replies, “in fact, that’s what I’m mostly interested in.”

    “What kind of skills and experience do you have?” the clerk continues.

    Jonah says, “I’m a painter. I just finished high school a few months ago, and this will be my first job.”

    “Just a kid out of school, eh?” the clerk says, showing some genuine human interest for the first time, “What do you mean by ‘painter?’ I mean, do you paint people’s houses, paint logos on military hardware, paint Easter Eggs…?”

    Jonah smiles, “I’m an artist. I do portraits. Still-life paintings. Abstract art. That kind of thing.”

    “A junior Van Gogh, eh?” says the clerk, looking through is computer files for a suitable match, “Let’s see what we’ve got here…”

    “I’m going to be attending art college on Earth,” Jonah says, “I just need a temporary job that will pay me enough for the first semester’s tuition…and books, a room, and meals.”

    The clerk produces a computer printout for Jonah, “This is all I have: a new elementary school is being finished in the Woodbridge District. They need a painter to decorate the outside walls of the school with a mural. It pays about fourteen credits an hour, and you’ll be working about nine hours a day, five days a week, for probably about two weeks. Want to take it?”

    Jonah nods and replies, “It’s a start.”

    The clerk hands the printout, which includes the school’s name and location, to Jonah, “You start tomorrow morning at 6 a.m.”


    Early the following morning, Jonah is already at work painting the mural outside the school. The night before, the project manager had laid out for Jonah what he wanted: a mural featuring happy children playing under a bright, sunny sky, done in a cartoonish style that would appeal to young children. It’s not Jonah’s usual style, but he is a skilled and versatile enough artist to do what is required of him. Jonah believes that he can get the job done within the two-week timeframe that the project manager has proposed.

    Jonah begins by sketching out the basic outline of his vision on his artist’s pad. This, Jonah completes within two hours. He then patiently and methodically begins the long, painstaking task of transferring the idea of this sketch onto charcoal outlines on the school’s outer wall. Jonah estimates that this process will take approximately three days.

    After a while, a little boy and a little girl, the boy around nine and the girl around seven years of age, shyly approach the young painter as he works.

    Jonah smiles a friendly smile at the two children, “Hi, there.”

    The little boy asks, “Are you the one who’s gonna paint our new school?”

    “Yes,” Jonah says, “Do you like it?”

    The little boy studies the drawing, just a rough charcoal outline so far, and says, “Can you draw a mobile suit on it?”

    The girl then interrupts, “No, no mobile suits! Pony! Draw a pony!”

    The boy says, “No, a fighter jet! With lots of guns!”

    The girl adds, “A big dragon, and some knights!”

    Jonah grins. The kids’ visions of what the school should look like are much more imaginative than the project manager’s.

    Jonah tells the children, “Well, it’s not up to me what to draw on the wall. Dragons and mobile suits are cool, but my boss wants me to draw some kids playing.”

    The two children, whom Jonah guesses are brother and sister, look at each other. The girl then says, “Can you make two of the kids you paint on the wall us, then?”

    Jonah smiles and pats the little girl on the head, “Sure. What are your names?”

    The little girl says, “My name is Jocelyn. This is my brother Kirby.”

    The boy thumps his chest proudly, “Kirby Han. My sister and I live just across the street. We’re gonna start going to this school when it opens!”

    Jonah says, “My name is Jonah. I’m a painter. I’m going to be going to school too, but not here. I’m going to go to an art college on Earth.”

    “Wow,” says Jocelyn, “You’re gonna go to Earth? Cool!”

    “I wish we could go to Earth,” Kirby adds, “Grandpa always talks about how beautiful it is there.”

    “It’s going to be my first time there too,” Jonah tells the children, “but only if I can earn enough money. I’m doing this job because I need the money to pay for school when I get to Earth.”

    “Where are you from, Jonah?” Kirby asks.

    Jonah winces internally. He hates to lie, especially to children, but the less said about his past, the better, “I’m from…uh, another Bunch here at Frontier 8. I came to Frontier 8 when I was really little and grew up here.”

    Jonah looks at his watch and frowns, “It doesn’t look like much more work is going to get done today. I’ve still got to find a place to stay.”

    Kirby says, “You haven’t got a home?”

    “No,” Jonah admits, “I just got here not too long ago, and I haven’t found a place to stay. I’ve been sleeping in a park the last two nights.”

    Jocelyn smiles and tugs on Jonah’s hand, “Why don’t you come home with us? Mommy and Daddy won’t mind. They’re really nice people.”

    “Thanks,” Jonah says, “but I don’t want to impose on your family. It wouldn’t be right for me to just stay at your home like that.”

    “Don’t you like us?” Jocelyn says, suddenly appearing miffed.

    “I like you both just fine,” Jonah says, “It’s just that you guys barely know me and…”

    “Then at least come for dinner?” Kirby presses.

    “Well…,” Jonah says, realizing he has not had a decent meal in two days.

    “Come on!” Jocelyn all but insists.

    “All right,” Jonah finally agrees, “Thank you both.”

    The children guide Jonah to their home across the street from the unfinished school. Their home is a pleasant, simple two-story single family house, the kind in which Jonah himself has never lived. To Jonah, it seems much warmer and cozier than the cavernous halls of Phobos Palace.

    “Mommy!” Jocelyn calls as she opens the door to her home, “Kirby and I brought home a friend!”

    Mrs. Han, an attractive woman of Asian descent in her late twenties or early thirties, expects her daughter’s announcement to mean another child her own age. She is mildly surprised to see the studiously handsome young man dressed in work coveralls standing at her door.

    “Hello, Mrs. Han,” Jonah says with a friendly grin, “My name is Jonah Michaels. I’m painting the school across the street. Your children invited me over.”

    “For dinner!” Kirby adds.

    Mrs. Han smiles at her son, then turns the smile to Jonah, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. So you’re the painter working on the school?”

    “Yes, ma’am,” Jonah responds politely.

    “You look very young,” Mrs. Han says, “Are you still in high school?”

    Jonah replies, “I just graduated a few months ago, ma’am.”

    “This must be your first job, then,” Mrs. Han accurately observes, “Does your family live here in Crosshaven?”

    “No, ma’am,” Jonah says, more quickly than he would have liked, “They’re…uh, far away from here.”

    “You poor thing,” Mrs. Han says, “living and working so far from home. Why don’t you have a seat? Would you like some coffee, tea, or juice? My husband will be home within an hour, and you’re welcome to join us for dinner. Hope you like Korean food.”

    “Thank you very much,” Jonah says, “I do enjoy Korean food. I’ll also take up that offer for a drink, although just water will be fine.”

    Mrs. Han tells her children, “Kirby, Jocelyn: keep Jonah company for just a minute while Mommy gets him a glass of water, OK?”

    “All right, Mom!” the kids reply.

    “So you’re like an artist, huh?” Kirby says, “Are you famous or anything?”

    Jonah laughs, “No, not yet. Maybe someday.”

    “What kind of stuff do you paint?” Jocelyn asks.

    “Different things,” Jonah replies, “I paint portraits of people, of things I see with my eyes, of things I see in my imagination.”

    “Isn’t that kind of boring, though?” Kirby asks.

    “I don’t think so,” Jonah replies, “I enjoy it very much.”

    Kirby declares proudly, “I’m gonna be a mobile suit pilot when I grow up! I’m gonna kick Zeon butt!”

    Jonah smiles at the boy’s youthful enthusiasm, masking his disapproval of the violent implications the boy’s career aspirations.

    Mrs. Han returns with the glass of water that Jonah had requested. Jonah accepts the water with a polite, “Thank you.”

    “Are you a painter by trade, Jonah?” asks Mrs. Han, making friendly conversation.

    “You could say that,” Jonah replies, “although not in the sense of being a wall painter. I’m actually going to be studying at the L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France on Earth.”

    “That’s wonderful,” Mrs. Han smiles, “Being able to go down to Earth is a really rare privilege. You’re very lucky.”

    Jonah nods, “Yes, but before I get there, I need to earn myself at least enough money to pay my way through the first semester.”

    “Which is why you’ve taken the school-painting job?” Mrs. Han ventures.

    “Yes, exactly,” Jonah replies.

    At that moment, a bespectacled, scholarly-looking gentleman in his mid-thirties enters the home. Mrs. Han smiles and rises to greet him.

    “Hello,” the man says in a friendly manner, “I didn’t realize we were having company tonight.”

    “Hi, honey,” Mrs. Han says, kissing her husband on the cheek, “This is Jonah. He’s an art student who's working right now as the painter of the new school across the street. The kids brought him home for dinner. Jonah, this is my husband, Adrian.”

    “How do you do, sir?” Jonah says, shaking the man’s hand.

    “It’s a pleasure, Jonah,” replies Mr. Adrian Han.

    A few minutes later, everybody is seated around the dinner table.

    “So you have nowhere to stay?” Mr. Han says.

    “I just got here, and I’m looking for a place,” Jonah says, “I don’t plan on staying long. A month, maybe. Two tops.”

    “Why don’t you stay with us?” Mr. Han says, “We have extra room, and the kids could use a tutor. That could be your room and board for at least a month.”

    “But I couldn’t…” Jonah begins.

    Mrs. Han smiles, “It wouldn’t be a big imposition. The children like you and I think you’d be a good influence on them.”

    “Yeah!” Kirby enthuses.

    “Yeah!” his little sister Jocelyn echoes.

    Jonah smiles, “You’re all very kind people. Thank you.”

    Episode 1 to be continued...

  9. #9
    Senior Member sheraldine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    Episode 1 continued...

    Jonah smiles, “You’re all very kind people. Thank you.”
    ahem, you are welcome.....

    and speaking of character, is his quiet determination gonna turn into silent rebellion? he is sorta running away, isnt he?

    off topic wise, gonna see Harry Potter this saturday - thinking to give it a miss since phonix is the most boring book to date, but i never have peace in my house for the next few months if i do. are you watching?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheraldine View Post
    ahem, you are welcome.....

    and speaking of character, is his quiet determination gonna turn into silent rebellion? he is sorta running away, isnt he?
    Yes. He is. In fact, in my original draft of the story, Episode 1 was given the title "Runaway." I changed it to "Jonah" because I wanted consistency with the episodes that introduced the other two main characters (i.e. in Part 1, Episode 1 was called "Athena" and Episode 2 was called "Jolie"). Only the main characters get this privilege of having their debut episodes named after them.

    I wrote Part 2 first, however, so I didn't have that thematic unity at first. I called it "Runaway" because that's what Jonah was.

    He's not going to be running for long, however...

    off topic wise, gonna see Harry Potter this saturday - thinking to give it a miss since phonix is the most boring book to date, but i never have peace in my house for the next few months if i do. are you watching?
    Nah, I've never been a fan. Stuff with magic has never appealed to me much for some reason.

    Moreover, I've read some of the first HARRY POTTER novel with one of my students. I didn't hate it, but at the same time, I failed to see what was so special about it. When I was a kid, I read many children's novels that were much less famous and successful than HARRY POTTER has become, but were at least as good and in many cases, way better. The whole HARRY POTTER phenomenon is a bit overrated, in my opinion.

  11. #11
    Senior Member sheraldine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    The whole HARRY POTTER phenomenon is a bit overrated, in my opinion.
    Harry Potter is not phenomenon, daniel radcliff is.... and dont forget, he is richer than prince harry of britain, even my 80 years old mother sit up and took notice when my girl show her Harry-Daniel Radcliff-Potter! poor me have to foot out those movie tickets!!

    back to jonah and PM, yeah, i get your geek meaning

  12. #12
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    BTW, guys, I hope you're enjoying the space colony interior pictures I've included in the last few updates. I realized that after finishing Part 1, there were very few illustrations to indicate that much of this story is happening in outer space, with millions of people living in space colonies. This is supposed to be a science fiction story, after all.

    So I've rectified that by looking around for some suitable illustrations of space colony interiors.

    The one for Phobos City was especially great: a kind of "Hell in Space" scenario...beautiful, but foreboding at the same time. No wonder Jonah ran away from there.

  13. #13
    Senior Member sheraldine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    The one for Phobos City was especially great: a kind of "Hell in Space" scenario...beautiful, but foreboding at the same time. No wonder Jonah ran away from there.
    i admit, you lost me there.... i admire arts but of a different kind. science and sheraldine just dont mix

    as for the other picture, now, those structure and arhitecture are something i understand and appreciate.
    Last edited by sheraldine; 07-09-07 at 06:34 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sheraldine View Post
    i admit, you lost me there.... i admire arts but of a different kind. science and sheraldine just dont mix
    Well, this isn't hardcore: you're basically just looking at some pictures of the insides of some space colonies and imagining what it might be like to live there.

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    Episode 1 continued...

    The next two weeks pass uneventfully. Jonah works meticulously on the school mural by day, and tutors the Han children by night. Overall, it’s a good life that Jonah feels very comfortable in. It’s certainly a great improvement over the pressure of Alexander forcing him into military service back at Phobos.

    Jonah comes to admire Mr. and Mrs. Han greatly. Both are very good-hearted people, and what Jonah admires most about them is their devotion to each other and to their children. Jonah has never been a part of a family like theirs. Perhaps someday, he could rectify that…

    “Jonah!” Jocelyn Han calls out, bringing the young man a glass of juice, “Mommy told me to give you this!”

    “Thank you,” Jonah replies, taking the drink gratefully, “What do you think of the painting?”

    Jocelyn looks at the developing mural for a moment, then her eyes light up, “That little girl looks like me!”

    “It is you,” Jonah says with a smile.

    Kirby takes an appraising look at the mural, and then adds, “But where are the mobile suits?”

    Jonah grins and shakes his head. Kids will be kids.


    One hundred kilometers away in the space outside of the Frontier 8 Zone, the threatening forces of war gather for a storm.

    A Deimos Forces Dreissen II explodes as it is stricken by beam fire from a Phobos Geara Doga…the shrapnel of its ballooning explosion flung far into space.

    All around local space, the scene is repeated as mobile suits of the Phobos Principality Forces rout the Deimos Imperium Forces mobile suits they have chased to the gates of Frontier 8 from Martian orbit. The Phobos Forces include three Gwadjin-class battleships as well as fifty mobile suits. The Deimos’ mobile suits motherships have already been destroyed, making the defeat of the remaining Deimos mobile suits just a matter of time.

    Of course, General Alexander Miguel never leaves for time to accomplish what he can with some well-placed beam cannon shots and missiles.

    Miguel dispatches enemy MS after MS with callous casualness, smiting them out of the skies with less care than most people would bring to killing insects.

    Captain Blais Cummings, leader of the Deimos Forces mobile squadron 108, nicknamed the “Vultures,” grits his teeth in pain at the shrapnel digging into his side, the result of impact from Vulcan cannon rounds that struck his Zaku III Officer’s Type several minutes ago.

    Captain Cummings opens communications to the surviving members of his unit, “This is Vulture Leader to Vulture Squad. Retreat into the Frontier 8 Zone for shelter.”

    “Sir,” replies one of the Vulture Squad pilots, “Frontier 8 is under Federation jurisdiction. If we enter…”

    Cummings cuts off his subordinate, “Let’s take our chances with that rather than getting killed by the Phobos out here. Obey your orders, soldier!”

    The five remaining Deimos Forces mobile suits of the Vulture Squad plunge into the Frontier 8 Zone.

    General Alexander Miguel surveys the situation, and then orders his subordinates, “Continue pursuit. No prisoners.”


    At the Federation garrison in Frontier 8, the approach of the warring Zeon forces has been monitored. An order comes through from Colonel Richard Maiter, commander of the garrison, to scramble civil defense units to intercept the approaching Zeon forces.

    A mobile suit squadron of ten GM-III MS is deployed.

    As to not create an undue panic, Colonel Maiter has ordered that the civilian authorities not yet be alerted to the approaching Zeon forces. Maiter hopes that his civil defense units can drive the Zeon forces out of the Frontier 8 Zone without unduly alarming the civilian population.

    It is an error in judgment that will prove costly to many this day…


    The mobile suits of the Federal Forces MS Squadron 139, nicknamed “Roundheads,” take up a defensive position near Crosshaven Colony, towards which the fleeing Deimos Forces and the pursuing Phobos Forces are rapidly headed.

    “Enemy units approaching bearing fiver-zero,” Sgt. Henry Garner reports to his commanding officer, Lieutenant Felipe Orozco.

    “Roundhead Leader to all units,” 1Lt. Orozco orders, “Target incoming enemy mobile suits and fire at will.”

    The GM-III mobile suits let loose with beam cannon shots and missile racks. Hellfire erupts into the stygian sky.


    The pilot of one of the five remaining Vulture Squad units screams in the agony of fiery death as his mobile suit is immolated by the incoming Federal Forces gunfire. His comrades, more fearful of the Phobos Forces units behind them than the Federal Forces units ahead of them, plow ahead despite the demise of their brother-at-arms.

    “We’ve lost L’il Moulty,” says Captain Cummings, “Regardless: fight your way into the colony! It’s your only chance!”

    The Vulture Squad fires back at the Roundheads. Although weakened, the Vultures still pack a punch. They are fighting for their lives, and desperate men in mobile suits are a force to be reckoned with.

    Two of the Federal Forces GM-IIIs explode in the counterfire. Captain Cummings’ Zaku-III rams into Lieutenant Orozco’s GM-III with its shoulder, pushing the Federal Forces MS in the direction of the Crosshaven colony.

    From behind this carnage, Alexander Miguel watches with quiet delight, “Hmph. Now the Federation becomes involved too. Very interesting. Attention all units: continue pursuit! Target Deimos and Federal Forces units alike!”


    Inside Crosshaven, Jonah is watching Jocelyn and Kirby play on the newly completed playground of the school. The two children delight in the newness of the playground’s swings, slides, and jungle bars.

    As it is a Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Han are both relaxing at home across the street. Mrs. Han tends to the front garden while Mr. Han naps peacefully on a lawn chair.

    Jonah is the first to hear the distant explosion and see the flash of light approximately six kilometers away across the length of the colony. He senses the approach of danger.

    “Jocelyn, Kirby,” Jonah says, leading the children away from the school and toward their home by the hand, “Let’s go, now.”

    “What’s wrong, Jonah?” Jocelyn asks.

    “Hopefully, nothing,” Jonah replies, not wanting to frighten the little girl, but concerned about her safety.

    Jonah rushes the children across the street. Mrs. Han notices Jonah’s unease and asks, “What’s wrong, Jonah?”

    “Mrs. Han,” Jonah says, “There’s going to be danger here soon. Please get yourself, your husband, and the children to safety.”

    “What’s going on?” asks Mr. Han, awakening from his nap.

    “Jonah says there’s some kind of danger coming,” Mrs. Han says.

    Mr. Han replies, “What kind of dan…?”

    Adrian Han never gets to complete his question. It is answered for him by the fire, smoke, ground-shaking impact, and noise of mobile suits crashing through the external wall of the space colony into Crosshaven’s residential innards.

    The horror of war has arrived in the suburban paradise of Crosshaven.

    Episode 1 to be continued...

  16. #16
    Senior Member sheraldine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    Episode 1 continued...

    The horror of war has arrived in the suburban paradise of Crosshaven.

    Episode 1 to be continued...
    urgggh....!! i hate war!!

    Well, this isn't hardcore: you're basically just looking at some pictures of the insides of some space colonies and imagining what it might be like to live there

    should be as fun as imagination goes

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheraldine View Post
    urgggh....!! i hate war!!
    Yes...war. Lest we forget, GUNDAM is a war story.

    The creator of the GUNDAM series, Yoshiyuki Tomino, has a nickname in anime fandom circles: "Kill 'Em All Tomino," for his penchant of killing of many of his major characters as well as millions of unnamed civilians in each of his GUNDAM stories.

    Will I follow in his footsteps? Time will tell.

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    Hmmm...Is part 2 still portions of the story you've already written and now editing? Because I'm curious as to how you can churn out all these "episodes" while also working full-time as a teacher.
    I just love how you Captivate My Mind

    Self reminder - Update blog more often and continue editing/writing for TOV fanfic.

  19. #19
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Suet Seung View Post
    Hmmm...Is part 2 still portions of the story you've already written and now editing?
    Yes. I'm always about 25-30 pages "ahead" of the current posting. You've probably noticed that I'm on the Wuxia Forum less these days. That's largely because the time I previously gave to wuxia discussion is now given to manually transferring/editing the hard copies of my original manuscript onto MS Word for pasting here.

    And I generally don't update until one of the other fanfics have updated, which gives me lead time to compile a good backlog.

  20. #20
    Moderator Suet Seung's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    Yes. I'm always about 25-30 pages "ahead" of the current posting. You've probably noticed that I'm on the Wuxia Forum less these days. That's largely because the time I previously gave to wuxia discussion is now given to manually transferring/editing the hard copies of my original manuscript onto MS Word for pasting here.

    And I generally don't update until one of the other fanfics have updated, which gives me lead time to compile a good backlog.
    Good for you Ken. To have that dedication and effort. I wish I could go back to writing my fanfics. But lately, I haven't felt inspired to write and it's been a while since I've posted up a chapter. I wonder if it would help stir my inspiration and creative juice, if I reread certain chapters to get myself back in that mode of writing fanfics?

    BTW, I just saw your picture. You're so tanned. You look exactly as a person of your age would look. But yes, you look like a teacher. Were you on vacation when that picture was taken?
    Last edited by Suet Seung; 07-10-07 at 05:41 AM.
    I just love how you Captivate My Mind

    Self reminder - Update blog more often and continue editing/writing for TOV fanfic.

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