Mobile Suit
GUNDAM 00
Gundam Meister Grace
Prologue
2295 AD
Little Feldt Grace peeked through the crack in the door at the two men and the woman who were having a conversation in her daddy's room. The first man was tall, well built and had a serious demeanor. The second was dressed in a military uniform but little Feldt wasn't old enough to know which military that was and was short and had the look of a man that had been well muscled and had gone to seed, especially with the crop of grey and white hair on his head. The woman was tall, well curved and graceful and had a commanding presence. She seemed to be the one guiding the conversation but was currently on one of those handheld vidphones.
"Well yes, it could have been worse. No, make sure that everything is cleaned up and make sure that no one from the Union, HRL or AEU notices. Thank you."
She hung up the phone and turned to her male companions.
"Was that Krung Thep?" asked the rotund officer.
"There was an accident. Two of the pilots are dead. But the secrets of the Gundams and Celestial Being are safe for now."
"Well better lost than in the wrong hands," said the officer, "what of the GN Drives?"
"Damaged but repairable," said the woman.
"How soon can they be rebuilt?" asked the officer again.
"Rebuilt? Not a chance." Said the woman, pouring a dark liquid from a crystal flask into a glass with large ice cubes in it.
"The observers will have something to say about that," said the tall man with more than a hint of rebuke in his tone.
"The observers have no understanding of the situation. The designs were flawed and now two of our best test pilots have died. God knows how many more would have died if they'd flown. No gentlemen, these Gundams will never fly again," said the woman firmly.
"What now then? What do we tell the Ptolemaios?" asked the officer.
"Tell them we're going back to the drawing board." Noticing the disgruntled looks on the faces of the men, she almost flippantly brushed a strand of hair to the side of her head.
"Relax gentlemen this will not delay the Plan by any great stretch. Gundams can be built with our resources relatively easily. It's the Solar Furnaces, that are irreplaceable to a degree."
The men looked somewhat mollified but the tall man was still frowning.
"What of the pilots' child? The young girl? She's a security risk." The woman's eyes flashed in the light of the fire that was burning in the office's hearth.
"What exactly are you suggesting sir?" she said, frost congealing on every word. Trying not to show how much the woman's words had affected him, the tall man continued, "You know the protocols concerning security risks. We cannot leave any evidence behind until such time as the Plan has reached conclusion." The woman exploded into motion, hurling her glass into the fire, the alcohol inside igniting into a fireball that shot up the chimney with a whoosh of displaced air. Feldt clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the scream she had let slip from being heard.
"I don't believe it. You're suggesting that we put a gun to the head of a child?" she said, her voice rising to a shout.
"The protocols are clear, what else can we do? It's not like we joined Celestial Being to do this sort of thing!" the officer shouted back.
"The answer's obvious to anyone with an ounce of sense," shot back the woman.
'And what answer is that?" responded the tall man, definite irritation creeping into his tone.
"We will make her a part of the organization. It's as simple as that."
"The girl? Is that wise?" said the tall man.
"I can see the reasoning behind it," said the tall man, rubbing his chin, "if you want to indoctrinate someone into your way of life, best to start young."
"While it will surely ruin any chance the girl will have for a normal life, at least there will be no breach of security, and that would be terrible wouldn't it?" said the woman, a note of derision creeping into her tone. The men didn't have a chance to respond as a new voice blared forth like the sounding of the trump.
"Feldt! Feldt! Let's play! Let's play!"
"Haro!" Feldt whispered fiercely as the ball-shaped robot bounced up to her, eyes flashing.
"Who's there?" thundered the officer as the tall man and the woman charged forward and threw open the double doors to reveal little Feldt and the robot called Haro, Feldt looking like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.
"It's the girl!" exclaimed the tall man.
"Well I guess this settles it. Corner, take the Haro and go report back to the others, I'll deal with little miss Grace. As the tall man nodded, the woman bent down and gathered Feldt into her arms. Feldt reached out for Haro but it was clear they weren't going to let her have him so she turned to the woman for answers. The woman was very pretty now that Feldt could see her up close and she smiled sadly to Feldt.
"Mama? Papa?" asked Feldt quietly, blue eyes wide and questioning.
"Yes little one. About you're mother and father…"
Twelve years later…
The tall man with the long brown hair stared down at her as she finished pulling on her suit.
"You ready to do this?"
"Yes," she said simply.
"You're sure?" he said, doubt evident in his voice. He had always seemed to doubt her appointment to the team. She stood up and for the first time since the man had known her, turned and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I am a Gundam Meister, like my parents before me. I will not falter," she said with quiet strength in her voice.
He smiled at her. "Well, that sounds like a strong conviction. Sorry for doubting you. It's just that, well, being the youngest of us… but, it sounds like you're ready. Let's get going.
"Roger," she replied, picking up her helmet. Gundam Meister Lockon Stratos stepped to the side, gallantly allowing her to leave the pilot's room first. 14-year-old Gundam Meister Feldt Grace walked out of the room, followed Lockon, to rendezvous with Fate.