Author's Notes: Just as a precaution, this chapter is a bit suggestive especially given how in the RP text, Valeria did follow her mother's "advise."


Sieg Zeon:

An Alternate Tale of the Universal Century

Chapter 5: Hopes and Promises

*"…The recently declared Riah Republic, has offered all of Side 6 as neutral ground for Zeon and Federation officials to pursue further efforts to broker an end to hostilities. This comes in the wake of a press statement from Sovereign Degwin Zabi, expressing his hopes that lasting peace could soon be achieved, as the late Zeon Deikun would have wanted. In other news, celebrations continue across…"*

Valeria Caine grudgingly woke up to the sounds of a TV carelessly left on, her blurred eyes quickly adjusting to the dimmed lighting. According at the clock displayed on the screen, it was early morning. Even with what felt like a nagging discomfort in her head, it didn't take long before she found her bearings in what looked like a dormitory room at the wrong part of the barracks, though from the looks of the mess it might as well have been a motel room from the middle-era.

*"…The 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit, the operators of the Jormungand cannon that performed spectacularly in Loum, were awarded earlier today with multiple commendations at the behest of Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi…"*

The hell happened last night? The young woman groaned silently as she sat up, feeling a sudden chill in the air. Looking down she found her answer, the light from the TV illuminating her pale, bare skin. Fully awake, she glanced at the sleeping man beside her, his face while somewhat cute still showing exhaustion. Don't tell me…no!

Her face reddened profusely. A part of her wondered, as she carefully got out of the bed, just what possessed her to take a few drinks too many during the celebrations that followed the rousing return to the homeland. Or just what kind of antics her mother was involved in back in her day to suggest letting herself "go wild every now and then" was a good idea. At the very least she didn't feel anything out of the ordinary with her body, save perhaps for a slight aching or vague recollections of pleasure. Though it was fun, I guess...Damn it, focus! Of course, training and experience meant that putting on her clothing took about as fast as whatever led her to take them off. Still, it took much effort not to recall the finer details. I'd rather not overstay my welcome!

*"…The convoy has come into view, ladies and gentlemen. This is history in the making! For the first time in this Universal Century, the giant that is the Federation has been humbled…"*

As Valeria fixed the last button on her uniform however, she noticed that the TV was now rerunning an earlier ZeoNet report on the public "parade" Gihren Zabi had arranged for the captive Gen. Revil, still in his uniform from Loum; no doubt by now, such broadcasts were being aired all across the Earth Sphere. A part of her felt a pang of sympathy at how utterly degrading it must have been for such a distinguished officer to be made a fool, if the grim look on the old man's face suggested anything. Then again, it wasn't everyday that her countrymen could to vent their just anger at the enemy commander in person. He deserved it, after all.

With one last glance at the screen and a scoff, she put on her boots and, as quietly as she could muster, briskly left the room. The last thing she wanted was some awkward conversation with a stranger she never even saw back in academy. To her momentary surprise, out of the building and into the slightly chilly fresh air – or as close to fresh air as the homeland's "closed-type" colonies could manage – proved easier than expected, not with all the scattered after-parties that could still be heard. Nor the night shift MPs conveniently looking the other way if not having a hangover they'd regret once their rounds were done.

Don't we all? To say that spirits were at an all time high across the Principality was an understatement; it made no difference whether it was on a ship or in the homeland when it came to celebrations. But such was the unquestioned, sorely needed victory at Loum that she couldn't blame anyone for getting caught up in the euphoria. Myself included, though not so wild next time…

Even after all the carnage, horrors and deaths that had happened over just the past few weeks – of which Valeria herself had at least some part in – the young pilot couldn't help but smile as she walked back to her part of the barracks. There was ample time to get back to her quarters before daybreak, or rather the luminescent lighting sequence that passed for it in Zeon, while her leave wasn't technically set to be in effect for another six hours or so. Beyond that, she mused, she could more seriously entertain prospects for a better future, perhaps even an honorable discharge once things quiet down and the Feddies surrender.

Whichever way, truly peace and absolute victory were at hand. I hope…

-o-

It was January 28, UC 0079. The Holstein had only returned to base an hour earlier from a routine patrol – with the EFSF virtually non-existent outside of its remaining strongholds, there'd barely been any skirmishes to break the monotony – when the latest news broke regarding Gen. Revil's escape. What began as rumors barely a week earlier turned to shock, which became anger as a manhunt was launched to find him and whoever broke him from captivity. To the frustration of many however, it had been in vain.

*"…For those of you joining us, it has been confirmed that Gen. Johann Ibrahim Revil is no longer in Zeon territory and is believed to be en route to enemy territory. The Public Safety Department has also apprehended many of those believed to be responsible for the Federation POW's bold escape in an abandoned apartment block, the remainder having been gunned down in the subsequent shootout…"*

"Traitors, the whole lot of them!" Valeria heard someone cry out in the crowded mess hall as she continued watching the screens. "Our friends didn't die just so those damn Feddie lovers could weigh their souls down by Earth's gravity!"

A part of her vaguely recalled an old Anno Domini phrase about thirty pieces of silver. You're right on that, Judas. Still, after all the Earth Federation had done to those who lived in space, she couldn't possibly fathom how anyone would be so foolish as to willingly aid those same oppressors. And from the looks of the people around her, she wasn't alone in thinking that.

Nonetheless, she knew, negotiations were still ongoing between Zeon and the Federation that would at last put an end to the war. Delegates from both sides had since moved the venue from Side 6 to the still-frigid continent of Antarctica on Earth itself. Even with the news surrounding the escape, the networks maintained a live ticker on just how close the diplomats were to signing what was hoped to be the definitive treaty; word down the grapevine was that if all went well, it could be signed today. Common sense had to prevail. It has to!

Then once more, reality set in.

*"We interrupt this segment to bring you breaking news,"* the ZeoNet newscaster reported with a look that screamed concern. *"A live feed has been intercepted from an undisclosed location, being transmitted on all Earth Federation channels – This just in: By order of Rear Admiral Kycilia Zabi, we're to broadcast that feed, believed to be from Luna II, momentarily and in full. Patching in now."*

Within a moment, every screen flickered to reveal a hastily furnished pressroom filled with Feddies. In the midst of them, standing behind a lectern with the EFSF's insignia was none other than Gen. Revil himself in full uniform. The sudden silence that fell upon everyone watching the scene in that mess hall was broken when the escaped captive opened his mouth.

*"Fellow Earth Federation citizens! I appeal to you all,"* the old man intoned, his voice firm for his age yet betraying more than a hint of rage. *"Zeon is exhausted! It is low on troops! Low on ships, weapons, and even ammunition! Why then should we surrender?"*

Valeria was stunned as the defeated commander began a stern yet rousing litany against Zeon and even his erstwhile leaders in the Federation. She had to admit that despite the General spoke with conviction and measured diction, reflecting the sort of military lineage that was perhaps as diverse as his name.

*"…Degwin Zabi must not be allowed to justify his vision of Zeon because of corruption in one part of our Federation. His words are the dogma of a man plotting a dynasty of Zabi dictators on Zeon. Even if we recognize the existence of the Zeon dictatorship, that in no sense means we must also sink to our knees before it! The Earth Federation is a government, founded on the premise of sovereign individual rights. Mankind was able to advance into outer space as a result of the Federation government, which is itself a crystallization of all mankind's accumulated knowledge and experience…."*

It was one thing to slander the ruling Zabi family, for all their flaws, or to make such bold lies about the Federation. Yet as the speech went on, it became apparent just how much those words betrayed immense bitterness and spite, as well as a fervent support of the very status quo Spacenoids sought to escape from, even as he feigned to loathe his own superiors. Whatever respect she still had evaporated as he began using not only Gihren Zabi's bluff – some of the alleged quotes seeming more like mad lies made up on the spot – but also the immense deaths wrought by Operation British as though he were twisting a knife on what was still a fresh, painful collective wound. All so he and his fellow Feddies could exact their vengeance, however much they may try to mask it under a supposed moral high ground. Do they really think that they could actually win?!

*"…Fellow citizens! Listen to what I say! Gihren's threats are a mere bluff. Unworthy as I am of my good fortune, I was captured rather than killed by Zeon forces, and thus was afforded the opportunity to see the Zeon nation first-hand. I therefore can assure you that the people of Zeon are exhausted, and there is no way they can possibly strengthen their forces enough to carry out their threats. So I say to you, Gihren Zabi, if you think you can send Luna II crashing to Earth, well then, go ahead and try!

"Zeon's strength was expended in the Battle of Loum. There is no way they can create soldiers overnight, and Gihren Zabi knows it. I therefore appeal to all the citizens of the Earth Federation, to each and every one of you. Zeon is exhausted! Now is not the time for us to kneel before Zeon. It is time for us to rise! Now, more than ever, is our chance to defeat Zeon!"*

"That fucking liar!" Valeria finally snapped aloud as she walked out of the hall as it erupted into chaos. She wasn't sure what would happen first, whether she'd lose it altogether or the Feddie delegates in Antarctica start getting ideas. For at that moment, against her increasingly desperate if not distant hopes of peace in her time, she knew deep down that the promise of quick victory had just been dashed by Gen. Revil. But after all that had happened, she wasn't going to let that old man's treachery go unanswered. Not her, nor the rest of her fellow Spacenoids.

Even it means taking the fight to them! If the Federation really wanted war that badly, then they would have it.

"I hope they're ready."


General Johann Ibrahim Revil is a significant figure in the original series and the canon OYW in general, being not only the defacto head of the not only the EFSF but a major leader in the Federation military's High Command in general. Compared to most other Federation commanders however, he's known not only for his competence but also for his generally noble demeanor and good nature. His actions however following the Battle of Loum prove to have lasting, unintended consequences for good and ill. As seen in his "Zeon is Exhausted" speech.

The "Riah Republic" is the result of Side 6 wanting to stay neutral in canon over the course of the One Year War, and is suspected to have been a partially successful attempt by Zeon early on to stir pro-independence sentiment.

The general flow of events is based on Mark Simmons' compiled timeline. Due to the differences brought about previously, some of the changes from canon start to be a bit more evident.

Also, in UC canon it's not unheard of to refer to the AD era as either the "middle era" or even "middle ages," to contrast it to the Universal Century.

Side 3/Zeon is the only one that utilizes the "closed-type" variation of the O'Neill Cylinder design compared to the other Sides.

the Public Safety Department is a reference to the manga The Plot to Assassinate Gihren, a crime/political thriller set towards the end of the One Year War notable for taking inspiration from the real-life Operation Valkyrie plot against Hitler.

The differences from canon continue making their presence felt even if still rather subtle at this point, such as with the infamous "Zeon is Exhausted" speech, though the outcome is the same: the war continues and what would have been the peace treaty that would have ended it becomes the Antarctic Treaty.

Compared to the RP text, this is substantially expanded upon though still keeping true to the original material, both to give a bit more characterization to Valeria and to show a snippet of how things were like in Zeon during that particular period, when it seemed that absolute victory was certain. In addition it's also an opportunity to show how, even in the changing turn of events from canon, the likes of Valeria and her countrymen would react to the "Zeon is Exhausted" speech in contrast to the Federation.

In addition, to better synchronize the RP timeframe and the canon one, I had the "Zeon is Exhausted" speech happen on January 28, though the Antarctic Treaty is still signed on January 31.