(This story does not reflect anything that happens at the end of the 08th team series. I decided to continue the series as if the war did not end. Please be nice in your reviews.)

Chapter 1

It was four months after their commander had disappeared, they still had found no sign of him anywhere. The new 8th team commander was due to arrive today, and tensions were running more than just a little high.

"Great, another newbie to train." Eladore said as he sat down on the pilot seat of the hover truck.

"Micheal, get over here and clean out this barrel." Karen called from up in the cockpit of her Gundam.

Sanders was busy cleaning out the debris from the charred remains of Shiro's Ez8, hoping to recover any parts that had not been damaged. He found the watch that the commander had carried around through his time there. He had remembered when he was known as the Reaper, because every third mission that he had gone on with his team, he was the only one who had made it back. But Shiro had said that he would break the cure, and he did. But after they had returned from the battle, some of the other team members had begun calling the whole team cursed, because every one of their missions always had something go wrong. He sighed and threw the trinket in the trash heap, when he heard Karen yell at Micheal he perked up. At least she was acting like this wasn't bothering her. But he knew better. When she was with Eladore, she would break down and cry about how she should've been more supportive of him and she should never had fired on him. Nothing any of them said would convince her that Shiro held nothing against her, she was only following orders.

"MICHEAL! NOW!" She yelled again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. It's not like it really needs it though. I cleaned it out yesterday." He said sticking the brush in the barrel of the gun.

Micheal and Kiki were probably the least affected by Shiro's disappearance. Kiki had set about rebuilding her community and mourning her fathers death. And Micheal was busy trying desperatly to hook up with a girl from that area who he had become infatuated with. Neither really ever talked about him that much. Kiki would get distant and refuse to talk, her eyes would glisten with unshed tears. She was in love with him and he had completely blown her off. That hurt more than his loving Aina. Micheal never really had any respect for Shiro until the end there, when it counted.

"Hey babe, let's go get something to drink. I'm gettin tired of sittin around doing nothing!" Eladore called to Karen.

She snorted at his pet name, but climbed down from her Gundam and got on the motorcycle with him. After they had sped off towards town, Micheal dropped the brush and went into the hover truck and closed the door. Sanders climed out of the wreckage and began to walk towards Micheal's unfinished chore, when he heard a vehicle approaching. He thought it was Eladore and Karen returning early, but it was a military Jeep. The new commander was fast approaching, and soon the war would start again.

"Hey newbie, what did you say your name was?" The driver asked as he sped towards the 8th team section of the base.

"Enseign Dash Koryu." He replied in a dull monotone voice. This was boring him, he wanted to see some action. And this place was dried up.

"So you're gonna be the new commander of the cursed 8th team? God, I feel sorry for you kid." The driver said, slowing down a little so he could flash ID at the guards that were around the perimeter.

"Cursed?" Dash said, his curiosity peaked.

"Yeah, every mission they went on always had something go wrong. They came back alive, but it was always by the skin of their teeth."

"Sounds like fun. I could use a little of that after being stationed at Jaaburo. God that place is boring. After the whole ordeal with the protoype, things got dull." He said looking out the side of the Jeep into the desert.

"You were stationed at Jaaburo? You lucky bastard. I'd never want to leave that place. Boring or not." The driver pulled up in front of a nearly destroyed Gundam. "This is your stop. Good luck, you'll need it."

Dash jumped out and nodded at the driver as he sped off in the direction he came. He looked up and sighed, he never thought that in a million years that someone would pilot a gundam till it was in this condition. It was unheard of. Even the great Amuro abandoned his Gundam after it's leg and arm were taken out.

"Jesus."

He was running his hand over the charred metal when a harsd voice called to him.

"Hey! What are you doing? Get away from that!"

Dash looked up and saw a man about two feet taller than he running towards him with an angry look on his face. When the tall man reached him, Dash smiled.

"And so it begins. I'm Dash Karyu, new commander of the 8th mobile suit team. And your Lt. Sanders I assume?"

The tall man's angry look disappeared and was replaced with a bemused look. He laughed a little then held out his hand.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know. Yeah, I"m Lt. Sanders. Just call me Sanders, everyone else does. Eladore and Karen are in town and Micheal is in the hover truck."

Dash shook Sanders' hand and returned the smile.

"Well, good thing I"m in no hurry. Just point me to the barracks and I'll be on my way."

Sanders pointed to his right and Dash nodded and headed off towards the building. He was humming Zeon's war song, poorly. He was about three meters away from the barracks when he heard an explosion. He turned and looked back at Sanders who was waving wildly, and smiled.

"And so the fun begins."