One week was all the time they were given before the operation was set to begin, meaning that in that single week they had to finalize every little detail and ensure everything was squared away. The plan had all but been pieced together now, the shuttle purchased with aid of an anonymous donor and licensed with the Federation and the contract written and signed by their very first 'customer'; a group called the Reclamation Bros; a precious metal dealer based out of Side 1. Under this guise these two vessels frequently landed at the VerAc yards to collect bulk scrap metal for processing into various precious resources and while it all looked good on paper the more the Movement's spies looked into it the more it became clear that these may not be the pirates troubling the Federation, but that they had some connection to in some way. It was ironic really; if their plan succeeded, a fake company would have ripped off another, as on the Movement's end they would company would fly under the façade of Fleetserv Pro, a company who specialized in long distance refueling and freighter maintenance while out of dock. It was sufficient cover to get them close enough to spring their trap, especially since the ship the purchased was a modified Columbus-Class refueling tanker, capable of docking next to two capital ships at once with one on each side. This would make boarding both ships at the same time simple and hopefully easy. The entire Movement revolved around this being a treasure trove of military hardware with failure meaning the loss of their hope for freedom, so each little bit of help they were able to gain was welcomed. In the days following the mission the crews learned their assignments and were all assigned corresponding ranks based on how they had done throughout their training as well as the skill and ability they presented during that period.
Now fully revealed to be ex-Federation pilot Edward McNeil, Monty was placed as head of the Mobile Suit Corp as its Lieutenant Commander. Following under him at the rank of Ensign and serving as his direct subordinate and right hand man was another ex-Federation Pilot named Geoff Walker, who had only recently appeared into the Movement after heeding Monty's call for assistance, since upon the plan's completion they would have two separate ships to crew. Marcus, Sam and Amaury were all promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 1st class, while the remaining pilots were spread between Petty Officer 2nd and 3rd class and a total of one hundred and twenty men and women were chosen take part in the operation, no appropriately named Operation Duality, and were to be split into two sets of sixty man crews to man the two vessels.
Two days before the operation all of those destined for departure received strict orders that over the final two days they were to simply relax and enjoy what time they had left at home as it was uncertain when they exactly would return, and were allowed to spend their time however they wanted. Everyone was stressed and extremely anxious with the tension in the air so thick it was almost suffocating, and Admiral Krupp felt it necessary that everyone relax before the beginning of their uprising. Though, there did come a stipulation that everyone behave however as they couldn't afford for anyone to be arrested and risk exposing The Movement. On their second to last night home Marcus, having been quite the night lurker prior to the Dresden Incident, dragged Sam and Amaury reluctantly from the Filtration Plant to a somewhat popular bar and club known simply as 'The Launch', which took its name from the docks only a few blocks from its location. It was a young person's bar and they fit right in without much question, though admittedly it was odd seeing each other in normal clothing and out in public after having spent so much time in training in what was essentially an underground bunker.
"Oh come on you two!" Marcus mocked as he looked across the table at the barely legal boy, his face down on the bar, half full beer bottle in hand. "Sam, you've barely had five beers and you're already drunk!? And Amaury, you haven't even finished your first! What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Hollered Marcus loudly, who himself had already polished off several drinks; at least double the amount of Sam. "I told you I don't really drink, it's just not in my nature." Amaury replied, leaning back in the club booth as he fiddled with his antiquated phone, looking up once and a while to scan the room. As much as he tried to relax he could not do so effectively, not just because such a life changing event was about to take place, but also because this was all foreign territory to him. Unknown to even his best friends Marcus and Sam he had never once been to a place like this. Sure, dive bars were where he sometimes would stay the night in exchange for cleaning up the place after closing, but not this. This was a club with people dancing and singing; it might as well been a whole other planet.
"Well what's his excuse, huh?" Marcus asked after pointing to Sam, whose mumbled words formed something inaudible as his face laid against the polished hardwood in response to Marcus' comments. Amaury looked up and shook his head. "He's just not as good as you." He smirked as Marcus slammed his hands down on the table, laughing, causing Sam to lift his head and look around disoriented. "Your damn right!" He hollered again as Amaury rolled his eyes.
"Amaury, you need to relax." Marcus said as he flagged down the server again, calling for another round of drinks for all three of them while giving the server what he assumed was a naughty whisper in the ear as she giggled and went to fetch the beer. He certainly had a mighty tolerance for alcohol and a way with women that was unrivaled within the rest of the mobile suit corps. Even some of the women within the Corp itself found themselves rather intrigued by the man, a fact Amaury had come to know after witnessing some of them gathered around him a week prior, gawking as he recalled details of a simulation match he had just finished against Amaury. "We may all die tomorrow; you have to live life today!" Marcus instructed as Amaury raised his eyebrow and looked up at his teammate. As far as he knew, he was living just fine; much better than he had been the past few years at least. "You mean, the day after tomorrow?" He sarcastically replied, taking a drink of his existing beer.
"I mean, since tomorrow the only danger I will encounter will be trying to pack a months' worth of uniforms into a single bag, and then attempting to carry said bag all the way to the docks." Amaury added as Marcus scoffed, finishing the last big gulp of his own beer as he signaled the server to bring them more. "You know what I mean, don't fuck with me. We are literally surrounded by beautiful women and you are just playing with your phone. We are in a club! Listen to this great music, go find someone, get drunk, take them home, and enjoy life!" Marcus yelled loudly with his hands in the air, a few of the other resistance members in the bar cheering him on. Amaury just remained silent however, scrolling through the page he was reading on his phone, returning his attention to it promptly. Seeing that Amaury was unwilling to bite on his bait, Marcus sighed. "What are you even reading?" He asked, trying to peer over the table at his phone.
Seeing Marcus' attempt to read his phone, Amaury turned it towards him to show him the article of news. "It's just news from Earth about the Federation's cut backs. They have been retiring and decommissioning a large portion of their armed forces over the last decade and the news today is that they are calling for more cuts." He said, scrolling through the pages and pictures, showing Marcus who only nodded. "The Naval administration is opposed to this, but since there hasn't been much conflict really since the defeat of The Sleeves in '96, the Prime Minister and his security council are going over their heads. Last year they even announced the end of the Gundam Program." Amaury stated while locking his phone screen, having finished the article he was reading. "I've spent the last weeks wondering how we could stand up to the Federation, even without the Gundams, but if they keep this up, everything should be easier than we hoped. Monty claims that your average Federation Jegan Pilot is still less capable than one of us." Amaury stated, looking over to Sam to make sure he was still alive as Marcus stared at him for a second, before looking up at the waitress as she return with their drinks, sliding one into Sam's hand despite his already well inebriated state.
"Amaury let me ask you a question." He said, taking a drink of his fresh beer, Amaury's sight returning to him again. "Do you have family here in the colonies? I know that you had talked about your dad, but what about your mother? Any brothers or sisters? We've known each other now for two months and I don't think I've asked you this yet. At least, I don't remember doing so." He asked as Amaury looked at his phone momentarily as if contemplating using it as a distraction to get away from this conversation, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Gently biting his tongue a few times in his mouth as he thought, he set his phone down and sat back, looking back to Marcus before speaking. "On the colonies? No. I'm an only child. My father was killed during the first Neo-Zeon war and my mother left a few years back when I was fourteen, unable to take me with her. I have no idea where she is, what she is doing, or if she is even alive. I… prefer not to think about it." He stated, sliding his phone back to himself on the table and then placing it in his pocket as Marcus nodded again. "Ah." He replied, not entirely sure what to say. It took a while of for him to come up with something, but before he could speak something caught his eye; Sam had starting drinking again. "There you go Sam, get it in!" Marcus laughed as he patted Sam on the back, proud that he was still drinking.
Turning back to Amaury, Marcus attempted to finish his thought but his eye caught something else on the far side of the club. "Well, look at that." He said with a smirk, prompting Amaury to look up at him and then across the bar, sifting from face to face until he saw Carina, sitting alone at a booth near the club's front windows. "There ya go Amaury, that's who you should be talking to tonight!" Marcus smirked as Amaury immediately shot his glare back to him. "Don't even think about it." Amaury warned with a stern demeanor as he stared his friend down, attempting his best to throw daggers into Marcus' soul with his eyes. "Me? I'm not doing anything." Marcus joked, motioning his hands to represent them being clean before turning to look at Carina again, appearing to be looking for her attention. "Come on Marcus, really? You're going to start this again?" Amaury asked, rubbing his face as Marcus stared at him with an almost evil grin. "Come on, don't be a fool. You know that she has some kind of thing for you. Look at the way she looks at you for example. She don't look at Monty like that, that's for sure. How can you deny that?" He asked as Sam laughed a little though he was still unable to form complete words, leading whatever he had said to come out in a mash of sounds similar to babbles. Whatever he had actually managed to drink was obviously too much, leaving him completely smashed.
"Because Marcus, I'm not going to sleep with my commanding officer's girlfriend." He replied, covering his face from Marcus' vision while simultaneously looking at Carina. She seemed upset, staring into the glass in her left hand blankly as the right supported her head. She was rather deep in thought about something, not taking notice to anything else going on in the world around her. This was a side of her none of them had really seen before, nor had they seen her long dark hair let down from its braids or the ornate day dress she was wearing; its bright color and floral pattern catching his eye no matter how he tried to look away. Was the empty seat across from her meant for Monty, and if so, where was he? "Please. He might be our commanding officer, but you have to admit he can be a bit of a dickhead." Marcus replied, taking another drink of his beer in the process.
As Carina lifted her head for a moment and looked around the club Amaury put his head back down to avoid being scene, though with Marcus staring right at her it wouldn't be particularly effective. "Well, apparently those guys don't seem to care if he is your commanding officer's girlfriend or not." Marcus added, pointing at the two men who had approached her a few seconds after Amaury looked away, now talking to her despite the fact that she clearly did not want to be bothered. It was clear they were EFSF soldiers by the uniforms they wore, though he couldn't tell exactly what rank or role they played. "Someone should do something, you know, since Monty isn't here." Marcus added as he stared across the table at Amaury with a devilish look until Amaury looked to him and then Sam, whose blank stare across the bar automatically ruled him out of this. With a heavy sigh Amaury stood from the table and turned towards Carina, the two soldiers still pestering her. "Well don't everyone jump up at once." He said, looking at Sam, then Marcus. "Don't let him drink anymore. I'll be back." Marcus grinned at Amaury's instruction and nodded. "We've got your back Amaury." He reassured Amaury with a laugh, causing the boy to roll his eyes as he walked over towards Carina and the two men. Watching as he walked over Marcus waited until Amaury was out of earshot before sliding Amaury's untouched beer over into Sam's hand, preparing to watch whatever was about to play out.
Nervously swallowing, as a reaction to both Carina and the two well-built men harassing her, Amaury approached and stood next to her. "Hey Carina, I didn't know that you were here." He said with a slightly timid smile as she returned the gesture, grateful that he had come to her aid, though it was clear he wasn't familiar with the bar tactic of pretending to be someone's date or guest to shake unwanted attention. "Y-Yeah, I just got he-" She started to say before one of the soldiers intervened, huffing in annoyance at the new boy's appearance. "Hey, we were talking to her kid, fuck off." The tallest one stated as the other, a much smaller individual, smirked. "Yeah, fuck off." He echoed as Amaury stared at the two from the corner of his eye before looking at Carina once again; the girl seeming to be even more nervous at their harsh displeasure of his arrival. "That is true, you were here first… but I don't think she really wants to talk to you, that's the problem." Amaury replied sharply after a second as he now turned to the two men, both of which stood straight up from their previously hunched stance while leaning on the table.
"I really don't want to be rude guys, I just don't feel well and I really should be going. My friend here, he-" She said, trying to diffuse the situation by standing to leave but the two soldiers seemed unwilling to let her slip away, preventing her from walking from the table while keeping their attention on the dark haired boy who opposed them. "Oh yeah? Who do you think you are kid? We are soldiers; mobile suit pilots. And what are you? Just some street rat? Nothing but gutter scum." The one said, pushing Amaury back violently as Carina bit her tongue. Amaury remained quiet for a second as he regained his balance before forming a smug grin across his lips. "Pilots?" Amaury said softly as Carina shook her head slowly towards him, afraid he was going to say something he shouldn't. Seeing her reminder to keep quiet, Amaury bit his tongue and instead tightening his fists in anger as the smaller soldier pushed him again amongst laughter from the two of them. This was what was wrong with the Federation; largely inhabited with men like these two who saw the colonies as their playing ground, not a sovereign nation filled with people.
"Yeah, pilots. You know, those big walking things with guns that have kept you all safe?" The smaller soldier taunted Amaury while his scowl deepened. Safe? These two needed to research the meaning of 'safe', for it certainly didn't include shooting civilian protesters with ammunition the size of trash cans. Making a distance between Amaury and Carina, the larger soldier saw an opportunity to act on his own, resuming his conversation with the girl. "So, like I was saying earlier, have you ever seen the inside of mobile suit?" He asked, bending down a bit, since he was the taller of the two and basically towered over the petite girl, smelling her hair like some kind of animal and placing his hand on her shoulder as he did so. "Because I'd be more than willing to give you the grand tour, if you know what I mean." He added, sending shivers down her spin and causing her face to cringe, breaking Amaury's tolerance clear in half.
Immediately growling under his breath he grabbed the wine bottle in front of Carina and smashed it over the smaller soldier's head causing him to stumble back away from the group and grab his bloodied head. "Guah, you b-bastard!" He cried out in pain while Amaury, not allowing a second for the other soldier to fully realize what was happening, dashed forward to shoulder-ram him and knock him back, though much to his surprise the man was fast and quickly gained the upper hand anyway. "You little prick!" He yelled, connecting his fist into the Amaury's face and knocking him harshly to the floor as from across the floor Marcus' jaw dropped. "Oh Shit!" He yelled, pushing Sam out into the aisle before he ran towards the fight and instantly tackled the taller soldier to the ground as the area around the fight began to clear out, even Carina stepping back as the small soldier stood back to his feet and kicked Amaury in the stomach; blood running from his face where the glass had slashed across his nose and forehead. "Look what you did, you fuckin' scum!" He yelled, drawing a knife from his pocket and unfolding it in a flashy, overly eccentric maneuver, though just as he did a drunken Sam appeared and cracked him in the jaw and caused him to stumble.
"Ouch!" Sam yelled as he shook his fist, looking the small soldier right in the face as he reared back his fist. "I'm sorry-" Sam attempted to apologize before he himself was punched out cold; his head recoiling back before he slowly, and comically, fell backwards to the ground. Although he didn't do well in the fight, Sam certainly gave Amaury enough time to get to his feet. "Sam!" Amaury yelled before tackling the shorter soldier into a table and disarming him and grabbing the knife though the larger brute quickly grabbed Amaury by his shirt, lifted him up above the table and tossed him through a window into the street outside; a car swerving to avoid hitting the boy as he came to a stop in middle of the road.
Himself rolling out of the bar to his feet, Marcus rushed to Amaury's side, raising him to his feet as he did so without delay. "Amaury, get up. Come on, get up!" His voice called with a bit of excitement from the adrenaline rush associated with a good fist fight as Amaury looked at him, his nose and face bleeding from a few cuts, though his most serious injury was his eye, which had swollen quite a bit from the soldier's fist. "I'm up, I'm up…" He huffed while shaking his head to regain his senses, just as Marcus pointed to the door. "Good, because here they come!" He yelled, charging forward and locking grip with the larger of the two, freeing the smaller one up for Amaury.
"You should have just left us alone kid!" He yelled as Amaury ran at him, grunting as he watched him pulling what appeared to be a folding baton from a pouch on his belt and extended it. Too late to cancel his swing, Amaury swung and missed and was immediately whipping harshly in the forearm, which he had mistakenly lifted to defend against the steel rod. Crying out in pain, he dodged the second swing and responded, swinging forward and hitting the soldier in the nose, breaking it immediately.
"You FUCK!" The soldier screamed loudly in a rage before swinging frantically to hit Amaury, striking him in the side and causing him to fall to a knee in pain. Recoiling from the pain as he grunted loudly, Amaury closed his eyes, but as he opened them again it was clear to him that something had… changed. In front of him charged the enemy swinging his weapon wildly towards him, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Confused, Amaury looked around at the others around him, seeing that they too had slowed, at least in his mind. He had been in plenty of fights over the years, but never before had this happened. Sure, he knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by adrenaline, but this was different, and while it was not truly 'slow motion', his enemy moved at such a rate that it seemed as if he could predict his movements. Seeing this he was able to dodge the soldier's baton again and seizing the opportunity, he grabbed the soldier's arm at the wrist holding the baton as forcefully as he could, halting the attack in its tracks.
Shocked, the soldier gasped, trying his hardest to continue the baton down onto Amaury's head. "What? How?!" The soldier cried out as Amaury stood, still holding his wrist. "H-How did he move that fast?!" The man asked aloud again as the boy before him continued to stare at him in anger and confusion while he continued to think about this odd sensation. In his mind he too moved slowly but not as slow as his enemies, with the only thing that didn't seem affected being his mind and his vision, which worked at an accelerated rate in this reality. What could this be? Was this something to do with him being a Newtype? It shouldn't be since he had never felt anything like this before, but could it? What changed in him? A crowd had now gathered outside the bar as men and women cheered on both sides of the fight including Carina, who after giving up attempting to wake up Sam came to see what exactly was going on. Upon seeing Amaury she almost immediately knew something was off about him, especially with how intently he stared at his foe while crushing his wrist.
"Tom, g-get this guy off of me…" The small soldier tried to call his friend to help but stopped as Amaury's eyes flicked back to him in an instant; his seemingly emotionless face causing him to panic as without warning, Amaury suddenly and violently snapped his wrist, breaking it before knocking the man onto his back, kneeling on his chest and using the now free baton to strike him in the head, knocking him out cold. "Oooh!" The crowd called out in both surprise and disgust at the boy's attack, some of which looked away after becoming nauseous from the noise the snapping bones made; Carina included.
As the boy's fight ended however he collapsed to a knee, panting heavily from exhaustion as the slow motion reality he had encounter disappeared. Turning towards Marcus, who had apparently finished his own brawl and stood watching him, Amaury laughed once. "Good job kid. We won." Marcus said, helping Amaury to his feet as he winced in pain, his body sore all over. "Did we really though?" He asked as his eyes looked around for Carina, who the whole fight had been fought over. Much to his surprised however, she was walking towards the two of them with concern across her face. "Are you two alright?" She asked as she came close, prompting both Marcus and Amaury to laugh under their heavy breathes. "Yeah, we are ok." The man replied as Amaury looked her over quickly. "What about you… are you okay, Carina?" The boy asked as she smiled and shook her head. "I'm not the one who just got thrown through a window." She replied, preparing to say something else before they heard whaling down the streets toward them. "Oh great, that's what we need. Amaury you and Carina get out of here, I'm gonna grab Sam and do the same. I'll meet you two back at the plant." Marcus exclaimed, running through the crowd into the bar as Amaury, who remained in a bit of a brain fog, grabbed Carina's hand instinctively and began to run down the street before cutting into an alley while behind them the other bar patrons scattered as well.
A few blocks away they stopped to catch their breath in the shadow of a large brick building, the two leaning up against the side as a police car drove by towards the scene of the fight. Obviously very much out of breath based on how hard he was panting, Amaury leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes completely unaware he still had Carina's hand in his, though the girl had noticed. With a red face, Carina nervously cleared her throat. "Umm, Amaury." She quietly stated, swinging their hand a bit to say what she had to say without physically doing so, causing the boy to not only let go but to step back in surprise, mortified that he had done that. His face darkened significantly as a result, much darker than hers as he took his hand with his other and looked down at the ground. "O-Oh, I-I'm sorry." He muttered as his eyes looked up to her, afraid to lift his head. "I, uh. I think we are safe now." He adds nervously as the girl giggles in response. "Good, because these were not my ideal jogging shoes." She replied, showing the flats that she had been wearing as Amaury smiled a little.
"Well this wasn't my ideal night either." He said, inspecting his ruined clothing and then the other side of the dark colony above them. "I'm sorry that all happened." Carina said sheepishly, holding her wrist and looking down at the ground as Amaury blinked. "What? No. It wasn't your fault." He said with a smile while looking back down at her, finding her looking back up to him with the same smile, both of their faces red. "C'mon, let's get back." He said, motioning down the street towards the plant, which could be seen several blocks away down an alley, to which she agreed and walked the sidewalk next to him.
"So what were you guys doing there anyway?" Carina eventually asked after a minute or two of silence, looking over at Amaury who still stared at the other side of the colony, deep in thought. He turned to look at her and blinked, having to think for a second to realize that she had asked him a question. "Oh, well…" He began to rub his neck nervously, trying his best to formulate an intelligent and well composed answer. "Marcus dragged me and Sam out for the night. I originally didn't want to go, but he told me 'Admiral Krupp's orders, don't defy the Admiral' and some other stuff." Amaury said, mocking Marcus' voice as he mentioned Krupp which turned out to be humorous as Carina laughed. "That does sound like something Marcus would do, to be honest. But, I'm glad you guys were there. Who knows how much of a pain those two would have been had it not been for you and Marcus. Oh, and Sam. Poor Sam." She trailed off, concerned for the drunken boy who had been carried home as Amaury laughed. "Yeah, he will be fine though. He's tough like the rest of the crew." He replied as she nodded, but now it was his turn to ask. "What about you? What were you doing there?" He asked, looking to her as she shrugged. "Well, I was supposed to be meeting Monty, but he didn't show up. He… I don't know…" She responded, but it was obvious that something was troubling her.
Amaury looked at her for a moment, then down at the intersection they were at, almost directly in front of home. "You can tell me you know. I'm not going to say anything. We are friends, and that's what friends do, right?" He asked smiling a bit as she stared at him, seeing now under the streetlight the bruises on his face and the dried blood where the glass had cut the side of his face. Frowning a bit, she nodded. "Yes, that is what friends do. I just… really needed tonight to be calm and normal. We have a lot of weight on our shoulders and on top of worrying about that Monty has been acting really strange recently, very distant and even cold. It's just not helping me calm down. I'm afraid, Amaury. I keep telling myself that everyone is scared, but it doesn't help much. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just have this horrible feeling in my stomach." She said, feeling embarrassed while nervously playing with the edge of her dress. She knew, like Amaury, that this was not going to be easy, and that it was very much a possibility that some of them would die in the process. Looking away as to not embarrass the girl, he took in what she was saying. So apparently it wasn't just him who felt Monty's demeanor change as of late, and it really wasn't just him who was afraid.
"I'm scared too, Carina. Like the rest of us I know what we are getting ourselves into, and that scares the shit out of me. But it has to be done. And honestly, there is nobody else I would rather be walking to this firestorm with than all of you guys. You all are my family. We will be okay." He stated, looking up to the factory in front of them as Carina turned to him instead. He was afraid too? She thought maybe the others might be, but not these A-Rank pilots. "Monty does seem a little off at the moment, I will agree. He is likely stressed like the rest of us. But I know that he is not going to let anything happen to you, so if you are scared, just remember that." He added looking at her from the corner of his eye, a small smile creeping over his face. Smiling back the girl nodded, her face tinged a bit red at his words. Did he really, truly consider all of them family, and did he really believe so strongly in them? "Thank you, Amaury." She replied finally, looking back to the road to draw attention away from her face. "Apparently neither will you." She joked, causing his face to darken now as he looked at her and laughed lightly. "Of course not." Amaury replied, nervously rubbing his neck as she giggled slightly. She looked forward at their home and fearing that Monty might be lurking around, made what she was about to do quick.
"Well, thank you for helping me." She thanked him, turning to walk away before she stopped and turned towards him and, with a red face, kissed his cheek before swiftly heading inside, hiding the dark red blush that rushed across her own cheeks while Amaury, himself the darkest color of red he had ever been, stood in shock at what just happened, unable to breathe as he watched her walk away. Did that really just happen? Did she really just kiss his cheek? Subconsciously he reached up and touched his face, feeling now the same feeling the rush of heat until he heard footsteps behind him, forcing him spin around towards Marcus and Sam, the later of which was still unconscious with one arm around Marcus' head; the smug look across his face making it clear that he had seen everything. But instead of tearing into him like he had assumed Marcus was going to do, he simply shook his head and walked up to Amaury, motioning for him to help carry the boys other arm on his shoulder, the continued towards the compound. "Women." He stated, bring Amaury to look at him, then down at the ground; a smile hidden on his face as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, women."