MISSION 2306-PROLOUGE PF

Setsuna F. Seie sat in front of the computer in his room, staring at the screen. His right hand was holding a CD containing video footage of earlier Gundam interventions before his time. Yeah, that day itself was the day that Setsuna would be involved in his very first mission: Mission 2306.

"It's almost time." Setsuna thought, looking at the time at the computer. "But I still got time to watch them first." he inserted the CD into the drive and accessed the video data.

"Huh? This is…!"

The video that flashed in front of him that moment, was somewhere in the year 2288, almost 20 years ago, long before he was born. The video was kinda blur, since it was taken from another surveillance camera that was retrieved after the battle. But Setsuna , despite knowing that he was still an unborn at that time, was able to recognize that place in the video.

"Azadistan…" he mumbled. Looking at how the land looked like at the time before the monarch was reinstalled, he knew the situation was far worse at that time. The economy was already getting bad by then, caused by the Union.

"That… must be it." he notice a small battle somewhere in that region. Those Anfs that seemed to be attacking a base were destroyed easily by a white mobile suit in the air, none were spared alive. Setsuna zoomed the video closer as that unit turned towards the camera. He could see the GN particles scattering out from behind it.

"That… Gundam." Setsuna saw its face. He stared at it closer, trying to think back of something as well.

"Gundam…. Astraea…" he thought. He typed some data into his computer, and a bunch full of info appeared at the side of the video.

"Gundam Astraea Type F, later was given a GN Sword… that sword now was installed at Gundam Exia." he stopped. "My Gundam."

He exited that video, not wanting to looked further into it. "I only got some time left. Must look at the rest of it first." he selected another video. It was a very short recording, quite blur as well and dark. But Setsuna went on to view it. He knew he just had to see it.

"Gundam Sadalsuud…" he thought. "the mobile suit that will eventually become Lockon's model, Dynames."

The camera was focused on a tall structure somewhere on an island, which looked like it was still yet to be completed. The tower was already as tall as the Taipei 101, with some metal pieces still dangling out at certain parts.

"That must be the HRL's orbital elevator." he thought. He could see some beams being shot from the side, not in the recording, hitting a few of the Anfs nearby, destroying them into pieces.

"That was a great shot! Think they can ever spot us? Not." he heard someone's voice from the video.

"Must be an old member." he thought. The camera rotated, and caught sight of the Gundam Sadalsuud. It stared directly into the video, and Setsuna heard another voice.

"Beats me! This model shall be the Grand Sniper Of All Time. Wonder if the Union can even create their own sniper weapon?"

Setsuna closed the video again and skipped to the next one, one which was a mere boring one.

An aircraft was flying in the sky, the only thing visible on the screen. Setsuna looked at it carefully.

"It's more like a Gundam to me."

He heard another voice in the video, saying…

"So, how's Abulhool's flying powers?"

"Looks great to me. Though I still don't like it's design."

"What can you say? This is still a prototype model after all."

"Abulhool?" Setsuna typed the name into his system, and Gundam Abulhool's data flashed in front of him. He scrolled down and caught a glimpse of its mobile suit form.

"Abulhool..." he quitted that video trying to search for other Abulhool videos, but to no avail.

"No more… crap." he thought. H looked at the time again. 5 minutes remaining.

"Where's Plutone?" he dug out another CD and switched with the one in the drive. There was only one video in that CD, with the label `Exhibition'. It was somewhere in the hangar, perhaps one of Celestial Being's secret hangars. The camera zoomed up to another white mobile suit; a Gundam.

"That must be it." Setsuna mumbled. "So it's 2300 already, or around that."

"So that's the Plutone?" another voice in the video spoke out.

"Yeah, another prototype, but this one's apparently had another system installed in it."

"What system?"

"Top secret for the time being. And especially when you are still recording it."

"Oh, sorry."

"Put it down, will you?"

"Oh, ok."

The camera angle went down recording the floor, before it became blur, and then that was it.

"Not enough data…" thought Setsuna. "Aeolia Schenberg sure knows how to get rid of most evidence. Maybe Veda would have knew something." he held his clasp at his chin, thinking.

"Setsuna!"

"Huh?"

Tieria Erde entered his room.

"It is time. Sumeragi wants you to get into your Exia now." he stared at him.

"Understood." Setsuna got up and put his computer into standby mode. Tieria noticed the other CD on the table.

"Are you ready to start your mission? Don't say you will give up at the last moment? This will be your first real encounter in war, not an ordinary war, but a mobile suit war."

"I am ready. This is my only path now. There is no turning back, ever since that day." he looked back with his really serious look. "Gundam war." he thought.

"I see. Then, let's go." Tieria left the room. Setsuna grabbed his helmet and followed him. They went to the main dock. Setsuna noticed some other Ptolemios crew were performing a maintenance on Gundam Nadleeh, with some of Virtue's armor by its side. They went to Gundam Exia.

"Are you ready? Your very first mission." Tieria looked at him again.

"I am ready."

"Is Setsuna ready?" Christina's voice could be heard from the nearby speaker.

"Yeah, prepare standby mode."

Setsuna leaped into Exia and activated its OS. He put on his helmet while waiting for the next order.

"Sumeragi, is everything ready?" Tieria exclaimed back loud.

"Everything is all in position." she replied from her post. "Setsuna, are you ready? The gates will be opened now."

"Ready." he grabbed the controls. "Exia, in position, ready to blast off."

"Gates opening." said Christina, as the gates in front of him opened slowly. And then…

"All clear. Exia, you may launch."

"Roger that. Exia, Setsuna F. Seie, launching. Commencing mission!" he pushed the handle, and Exia launched forward using powers from the GN Drive.