A prequel to "The Classified Projects", this story was quite fun for me to write. I hope at least a few others like it too.
From Jaburo to Solomon:
The Chronicles of Anthony Hendricks
Mission Log 1: Welcome to the Earth Federation
Birds chirped loudly throughout the dense forest. Along the river, snakes crossed the water, skimming from bank to bank. The sky was calm and quiet, until the loud roaring sounds of jet turbine engines echoed through the jungle.
Four Medea-class transports flew over the dense canopy of the Amazonian rainforest, escorted by several fly-mantas fighter/bombers and eight Tin Cod fighters. Also accompanying the Medeas were three Gunperry transports.
Onboard the leading Medea was Maj. Kyle Staufman, operations leader of the 5th mobile transport squadron. He looked over the forest line for a sight that would tell him his mission was almost over.
Meanwhile, on the forest floor, trees began to shift to the side and the ground rose up, revealing a large docking port. Maj. Staufman saw this and directed his Medeas towards it.
One-by-one, the transports docked and rode the conveyer ramp down into the final destination of the mission.
The Earth Federation underground secret headquarters at Jaburo.
When the docking was complete, the Maj. Ordered that his supplies and personnel be unloaded. Almost immediately, federation engineers unlocked the cargo holders and carefully unloaded the precious cargo.
On board were new trainees and experimental weapons, including the pre-production model mobile suits, serial number RGM-79G. Also, in the Gunperrys were three top-secret mobile suits, serial number RX-79G.
Disembarking the Medea were various plots and trainees. They had arrived at Jaburo to begin training and pilot the new Federation mobile suits.
One of the pilots leaving the transport was 16yr. old Anthony Hendricks, a newly recruited soldier serving under the Earth Federation Space Forces. He transferred from the colonies to begin pilot training at Jaburo.
The young private looked around in awe at the large underground facility. This secret base was the headquarters for the entire Earth Federation forces.
A tall man in officer's clothing appeared. "New recruits, follow me."
As the man walked away, Hendricks and the other twenty recruits followed him, walking into a building listed "New Arrivals".
He noticed a poster hanging on the wall. It was a recruitment poster with a large shadowed picture of a Zeon 'Zaku' mobile suit towering over a single federation soldier. The caption read: "Stand together, and giants will fall!"
Hendricks laughed; he saw the same poster on the colony he was in. Side 5 used to be a peaceful colony, until the attack of Zeon mobile suits…
Flashback
"Come on freeloader, wake up and pay me my rent!"
Hendricks groaned sleepily as he opened one of his eyes. His landlord was pounding at his door yet again, he being not too happy about Hendricks' second late payment.
He tried speaking, his voice heavy with tiredness. "Mr. Jacques, I told you, I'll be a little late again making this payment."
He heard his manager snort. "Yes, that is what you said last week! I want my money now!"
The broke and tired man sighed. "Listen, I promise to pay you as soon as I can."
"Keh," retorted his landlord, "we'll see about that freeloader!"
Hearing his angry footsteps stomping away, Hendricks sat up on his bed. His small apartment wasn't much, but it was home. He looked at his clock and saw it was 9 o' clock in the morning. He sighed; he might as well get up. As he did, he felt the ground underneath him shake.
"Wh-what's happening?"
He steadied himself and went to look out the window only to dodge flying glass as it blew out. When he got up he checked for injury, but saw none. He then shakily got up and looked out the shattered window.
There appeared to be large green giants attacking the docking yards. Hendricks recognized the giants as 'Zakus', giant mechanized machines created by the Republic of Zeon. He saw them on the propaganda posters posted in and around the colony.
Zeon was a rogue group of colonies at Side 3 who declared war against the Earth Federation. The war has so-far lasted eight months and is at a stalemate, but not before both sides losing half their estimated populations.
Hendricks watched at the Zakus fired their massive machine-guns at the docking yard, destroying crates and machinery. Why were they attacking Side 5? This question was soon answered however when a Zaku was shot by a volley of bullets.
As he continued watching he saw a new machine stand up and activate. It was white, with a blue and red chest color and a gold v-fin antenna.
The machine turned and faced the Zeon Zakus and at first it mostly dodged their attacks, but then it reached for what appeared to be a pole on its back. This "pole" turned out to be a handle which activated a beam-like sword. The machine slashed at the Zaku, cutting it in half.
As the two halves separated the destroyed Zaku exploded and breeched a hole in the colony's wall. When it did, Hendricks ducked down and grabbed a hold of what he could. The breach may have been far away, but the decompression of it could still suck him out. He heard an alarm sound that signaled a breech in the colony wall.
Hendricks slowly got up and looked out the window. The hole had been sealed by the colony's sealant system. The white machine walked away from the sealed hole and towards the docking yard. The Zeon Zaku meanwhile was nowhere to be found.
He stood up and walked over to change into his outside clothing, then once he was finished he rushed outside, only to bump into his landlord.
"Hey, watch where you are going!" he yelled. Then, unfortunately for Hendricks, he recognized him. "Hey, it is you, Mr. Hendricks. Where is my money?!"
"Um, I'll pay you later," yelled Hendricks as he got up and ran.
"Get back here you freeloader!"
Ignoring his enraged property owner, he continued down the hall, and then he raced down the stairs until he reached the final floor. He ran to the parking lot and hopped into his car. He was about to start it when someone yelled his name.
Turning around he saw his friends Jacob and Scott running towards him.
"Dude, did you see that battle?" said Jacob. "Those were Zeon mobile suits!"
"Mobile whats?" said Hendricks.
"Mobile suits," explained Scott, "they are large mechanized machines powered by the new Micovsky particle engine. Those mobile suits in particular were the model MS-06F code-named Zaku II."
The other two friends looked at Scott in confusion.
"Um… thanks for the info Prof. Nerd," joked Jacob.
Scott sighed. "Guys if you keep in touch with the news lately you'd know what I'm talking about."
"Well we don't see it 24/7 like you do Scott," retorted Hendricks. "Now come on, I'm gonna go drive over to the battle site. Do you guys wanna come?"
"Hell yeah!" yelled both friends in response.
Scott and Jacob jumped into Hendricks car and the three raced to the scene of the battle. However, Earth Federation personnel stopped them.
"Halt, this is a restricted area, you cannot come through."
Hendricks rolled down his window to talk. "Excuse me sir, we are representatives of the Side 5 colony group. We were in the area and saw a conflict. We have come to investigate."
The soldier bought the lie and saluted them. "I apologize for my interference sir, the command building is that way." He pointed and Hendricks drove on.
"Dude… you just lied to a freakin' soldier," said Jacob in shock. "We are so gonna get busted if they find us."
"Well then let's not be found," replied Hendricks.
They continued driving and stumbled upon the docking area. They climbed out and looked around.
Bad luck seemed to be on their side however, as they were spotted again soon later.
"You there, stop!"
The three stopped dead in their tracks and saw two Federation officers. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"Um," Hendricks rattled his brain for an excuse, but Scott beat him to it.
"Well sir, we were looking for the shelters and got lost. We were walking around to see if we could help."
Jacob and Hendricks looked at Scott in disbelief, but the officers believed him.
"Well, normally we wouldn't ask for civilian help, but we could use a few hands. So congratulations, the Earth Federation Forces has just recruited you."
Jacob laughed awkwardly, "Thanks sir… that's just what we've always wanted."
The officers told them to follow and they did. They lead them to the docking yard. Scattered everywhere were the shattered remains of large mechanical machines. Scott recognized them as mobile suits.
"That can't be," said Scott in disbelief, "The Earth Federation doesn't have mobile suits. Unless…"
"Unless these are new mobile suits and the reason Zeon attacked," finished Hendricks.
"You're correct," replied one of the officers. "I am Lt. Cmdr. Roger Glasgow and this is Ensign Junio Kite."
The Ensign guided the two to a set of claspers and packs. "We need you to help pick up the wreckage of our test models, the RX-75 and RX-77."
"Jeez, not more numbers to memorize," complained Jacob.
The three grabbed what was needed and joined up with some other Federation personnel and volunteers. It took a while to clean up the smaller objects and a crane was called in to hoist up the larger ones. Finally, after everything was finished Hendricks and his friends walked back to the Officers, who were listening to a report.
The rest of the day was spent filing them into classes and then they were informed that they were going to be shipped to pilot training. As the months went by, Hendricks, Scott, and Jacob joined the ranks of the Federation, becoming pilot cadets.
They were loaded onto a transport and were told that they were going to be sent for mobile suit training at the Earth base in Jaburo.
As the three pilots climbed on board the Salamis-class cruiser that was to take them to their transports, they thought about what lay in store for them, as mobile suit pilots…
End Flashback
Hendricks continued walking and ended up in a large room with other soldiers and recruits. Jacob enrolled with the Jaburo Air Defense Squadron, and Scott was hauled over to the maintenance department.
He sat and listened to a two-hour lecture about the mechanics of the mobile suits and their importance. A couple times, he almost dozed off, but stayed awake remembering why he even agreed to come to Jaburo.
Finally, the instructor finished and divided the large group into smaller clusters off five men each. Hendricks was luck as he was the in the first cluster. He and the other four men he was with followed the instructor as he led them down a long hall.
"Hey, what's your name?" asked on of the recruits next to Hendricks. He had Short ruffled dark brown hair and green eyes.
"I'm Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Hendricks. You?"
"Pilot Cadet Kyle Landers."
"And I'm Lamar Hans," replied another man near them. He was dark skinned and spoke with a deep voice.
"My name is Ivan Sanskrov," said a large gruff looking man, "pleased to meet you."
"And I'm Jen Mayasara" said the last person, a young shapely looking woman.
The other four pilots looked her over and she rolled her eyes.
"If your done gawking, I think you'd like to know the instructor is almost gone…"
The others turned and quickly tried to catch up to their instructor who by now had stopped walking and was standing by large metal door.
"Alright, behind here are the mobile suit hangers. What you see now is top-secret, so keep that in mind." He opened the door and they all walked in.
Calling the hanger they were in tall would be an understatement.
It stretched high and wide and appeared large enough for a gunperry to fly in. As a matter-of-fact, some fighter-copters flew inside in small two or three unit formations. The fighter-copters however weren't what Hendricks and the others were looking at.
Lined up, row by row were mobile suits, large and chrome-white in color with red on the shoulders, chest, and feet. The head had a helmet like appearance and the mobile suit itself looked like an armored man, appearing much different from the Zeon units.
"These are the model number RGM-79A," explained the instructor, "Also known as the GMs."
Hendricks gazed over the units. There were seven in total. Next to them were similar mobile suits, but orange in color and with different cockpits. Coincidentally the instructor pointed to them.
"Now those, are the model number TGM-79 GM Trainer, your mobile suits."
"Our mobile suits?!" yelled Kyle in surprise, "But… we don't even know how to pilot one of those!"
"Do not worry, the TGM-79 is specially designed for you trainees, hence it's "Trainer" designation."
Kyle realized his mistake and quickly grew silent in embarrassment.
The instructor led them down another hall and to an elevator that led up to one of the behemoth machines. As he and the others walked down a long catwalk, more people, instructors by the looks of their uniforms, were waiting by the machines.
"Alright, Cadet Kyle Landers, step forward."
Kyle gulped and stepped forward as asked.
One of the instructors, a tall serious looking man with narrowed eyes stood in front of him and looked down at him.
"My name is Usagu Reingu, and I'll be instructor."
Kyle nodded looking up at the man. Kyle was only about 5 feet, eight inches tall and this man had to be at least over six feet.
"PO2 Jen Mayasara, step forward."
Jen walked up this time and was greeted with a woman who appeared twice her age. Her hair was tied back and her face serious.
"I am Sara Michael; I'll be your instructor Miss Mayasara."
"Private Ivan Sanskrov, step forward."
Ivan walked up and was greeted with a shorter, but broad shouldered man with cropped blonde hair.
"I'm Steven Hanson, your new instructor."
"Private Lamar Hans, step forward."
Lamar walked forward and was greeted by an old looking man with wavy black hair.
"My name is Carson Viers and I'll be your instructor. It's nice to meet you private."
Hendricks tensed knowing he was the last.
"PO3 Anthony Hendricks, step forward."
As he obeyed the command, he noticed that no other instructors were left except the one who addressed him.
"As I stated in the lecture, I am Les Evander, and I am your instructor Officer Hendricks."
The soon-to-be pilots and their instructors saluted each other. The sun was setting outside the hanger doors and Hendricks noticed the beautiful orange tinted sky.
Tomorrow, he thought, was going to be a day he would never forget.
-End Mission Log 1 –
Okay, possibly the longest single chapter I've written, but hey, I like it. I just hope others do too. I'll continue once I get two or more reviews.