Chapter 7
ENCOUNTER: BLUE COSMOS
'They got their butts kicked'

ORB
Athha Palace

Colonel Kisaka arrived to give an Intelligence report to Rep. Cagalli on the investigation of Ranma Saotome's Past. His answer,

"No record, are you sure?" Cagalli ask seeming to doubt the information

"Our contacts in the AF military archives found no record of anyone name Lt.Ranma Saotome serving in the old USAF Military as far a hundred years, and we even went further to 200 years, we also inquire on the current EA, Zaft or any other armed forces we know of and still we found nothing Lady Cagalli"

"If this is true then who is he actually?" Cagalli wonders, leaning back to her seat and looking up at the ceiling wondering of who really Lt.Ranma Saotome is as there is not even a shred of evidence that he ever existed. Furthermore, Lacus is keeping quiet of who really is Ranma Saotome as he left a letter which she's keeping it for herself but shared the Disk with thousands of movies they have never seen or heard before and if these movies were ever shown in a movie theatres no doubt the people will flock to see it.

The Disk itself is also quite remarkable as it seems to be made of a from of crystal and not the usual polycarbonate plastic, like all CD are made of, and even the compression data format is far more sophisticated which took a while for them to create a program to read the CD and to their surprise, the disk can hold at a staggering 50 terabytes of data.

What is even more curious is a piece of metal found by Mr.Waltfeld when he was examining Ranma's uniform. The metal is small only the size of a button hidden in one of the pocket. When Morgenroete examine it and discovered that it's a metal lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel or titanium. The metal alloy further analysis found the similarities from the brittle material they found on a resource satellite near Heliopolis before it fell from the War. With samples in their possession, they tried to duplicate the metal alloy which was quite a discovery for them.

They unknowingly discovered 'Tritium alloy'

"Mr.Saotome left the country and we have no idea who he really is," he look to Col.Kisaka and ordered

"Have all our agents and all our contact keep their eyes open for any sightings of Mr.Saotome," she said and ads

"I really need to talk with Lacus, see if I can convince her to tell me what's on that letter he left"

"Yes, Ma'am"

As Cagalli ordered the search for Ranma, unbeknownst to them, their search attracted the attention Earth Alliance Intelligence which they made an investigation. A report was made and was on the desk of the President, which then he sent it to Blue Cosmos leader and head of their financier Lord Djibril of LOGOS Group.

Djibril watches a recording of mock battles of the X-105 Strike against a dozen of Orbs M-1 and reread the report with great interest.

"Magnificent" he said as he watch in awe "So this pilot, he actually operated a Mobile Suit with an OS designed for a Coordinator and he is a Natural?"

"That is correct Djibril" answered the AF president at a comm link with Djibril

"According to our Intel, Orb have been trying to track down his location for weeks but so far they haven't found him, obviously they want him back"

"They have been trying to confirm if he's EA, ZAFT or from any other military, so far he is an unknown" he said wondering what Orb was up to and look then toward the president

"Have you found him?" he ask

"We are in the process of searching for him but nothing so far"

"Then keep on searching you fool, I did not spend so much money on your presidential campaign just for you to loaf around!" he said with an authoritative and degrading tone to him

"If he's important to the Orb government then he's likely to be a person of importance, so find him!"

"Yes Djibril" he answered solemn taking his abuse completely and left the comm link

The way Djibril treated the president it is a sure sign that Djibril, head of the National Defense Committee is the one pulling the strings behind the president and not the other way around.

Meanwhile, Ranma himself arrive at the shores of California right before the crack of dawn. He ditched his boat and went civilian as a cross country hiker.

Hiking across the state he did encounters a few obstacles along the way, namely a few Blue Cosmos agents that cornered him at a McDonalds Restaurant. They ask to talk to him nicely enough at the start, they ask question, offered many things including the 'Join us or else' bit, and that did not go well with him.

Ranma dispatched them easily enough when they tried to detain him, Blue Cosmos did not take NO for an answer very well, and tried to hold him but couldn't, and when they became violent, Blue Cosmos started regretting of ever hearing the name, Ranma Saotome.

WARNING: Encounters with Ranma Saotome can result in the usual and costly, mass property destruction along with multiple injuries that's cause by receiving a brief, but free lessons in the 'Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, how to make a 'HUMAN PRETZEL' and the infamous grade school bullying methods 'RAISE THE WEDGIE FLAG' while you are still wearing your underpants,and anyone receives such demonstration will be staying for several months in the hospital.

This was Ranma's saying to them 'SCRAM!' 'GET LOST' he was being gentle, getting him mad was another matter.

By bribe by force or by threats, they could not hold him, later, Ranma found Blue Cosmos to be a bunch 'Scum of the Earth' types for several of them were worst and no doubt the equivalent of the Racist Nazis they have back home.

Though it made Ranma feel good to pound to the ground, the REAL bad guys of this world, too bad for Blue Cosmos

Right Now, Djibril is seething mad as he's looking at property damage reports, medical bills of a number of its agents in the hospital recovering from a whole list of multiple injuries from black eyes to punctured lungs and a number of injuries, and the rise of insurance premiums of several of his corporate buildings after Ranma reduced them to a pile of rubble.

Worst of all is that the faces of many of Blue Cosmos agents is splattered all over the media, their faces and identities were sent to the desk of many governments and media groups or anyone who wants to know who the Blue Cosmos members are. To that end they became useless to Djibril as pawns.

"What the Hell is this" Djibril anger boiled over and he screamed angrily "He is just one man, why can't you apprehend just one man!" he threw out the report from his hand then grab a bottle of vintage brandy on a table and threw it at one of the monitors where the AF president is on.

"How can one man cause this much ANARCHY?!"

The violent reaction Djibril have shown wasn't surprising after seeing how much damage one man has done in a span of less than a month ever since they found him. The AF President himself, admittedly, couldn't believe that one person, who seems to let himself be easily caught then fought his way out to freedom from Blue Cosmos custody by breaking everything and everyone in sight. Of course, it was Ranma's plan as he's caught three times and three times he escaped leaving a trail of destruction behind

If his hypothesis is correct then Ranma Saotome is quite confident in his skills and abilities. It makes sense as to why Orb was looking for him so badly, as his skills are quite impressive and even made it more impressive because he's a Natural not a genetically enhanced human.

For a month, Ranma played cat and mouse with Blue Cosmos and made some friends all throughout the journey. Still Blue Cosmos agents kept coming and Ranma kept sending them to the hospital and leaving them on top of flagpoles with a stapled piece of paper on their chest 'Help Me! I am a Blue Cosmos Idiot's' and worst of all, Ranma tortured his oppressors for information and confessions about Blue Cosmos. Ranma broke them and told all their secrets to him

The exposed Blue Cosmos agents were recognized by many and were now blacklisted by governments and corporations, and this cause Djibril headaches as many of them were employees to a number of LOGOS held companies and the EAF. One of the worst thing to a corporation would have is to be associated with a militant groups committing terrorist acts.

Though the EAF and the suspected corporations will deny it eventually, claiming that were not aware of their extremists views. But the damage was done, and Djibril is feeling the costly pinch in the slide down of his stock prices in Wall Street, along with the publics questioning as to why there are members of a violent militant group serving in the military.

One thing Blue Cosmos do not need is public scrutiny, secrecy is a must in order to be active, as this time, they are blamed for escalating violence between Naturals and Coordinators. Djibril had had it

"Kill him! Forget about capturing him, KILL HIM!!"

Djibril's orders came too late because right now, Ranma Saotome of USAF-SGC went into the offensive and track down Blue Cosmos location with information he acquired from other BC members while others beat a breath inch from death and made them tell as much as he wants to know about their organization.

With their base location found, Ranma went on to plan his assault like a military operation instead of 'play by ear' the head on attack Ranma usually would do when he's rescuing Akane. Yet this was no rescue mission, but a search and destroys one.

West Forge Corporation
Silicon Valley California

He got in to where he was told where Blue Cosmos offices are located and from the inside out he dismantles it from the inside out by starting a fake fire alarm. He observe minimum casualties as he wanted to avoid unnecessary deaths since most of the people working in the building were not affiliated with the group other than employees of the company.

When most of the people have left the building, the one who stayed are the members of the despicable group, for according the BC member he interrogated,

'If I cause a fake fire alarm, will the members of the BC stays behind?"

'Yes,' he answered 'Regular employees will leave but to the ones who are members, they will stay to protect the office' he couldn't tell a lie since Ranma poke him with acupuncture needles that make him tell the truth without hesitation.

Ranma found every members of Blue Cosmos and a few of them (Scum of the Earth) ended up being pounded to a pulp, limbs pulled off from their sockets and later having their spine amateurishly removed from their backs by hand.

Those left were not that many, Ranma counted no less than 44 and they were easy for Ranma to dispatch one by one or by groups. As soon as he was finished, he went on to their computer database and copied all of BC files and found some info worth alot to the right people, and that is the head of Blue Cosmos and the shadow group who control and finance them.

With a few bruising he has finish his mission and is now planning to make sure that his pursuers get a clear message from him.

Ten minutes later

The now empty office building imploded into a sinkhole, Ranma uses his 'Breaking Point' destroying one more of Blue Cosmos lair

What's worst is that, Djibril Real Estate insurance doesn't even cover sinkholes.

Those who survive Ranma wrath he took them outside and to the nearest Flag Pole, and raises them up by their underpants.

Plus he stapled a note on their forehead saying 'Blue Cosmos Idiot Member Please Hate Me'

It something of a trademark that Ranma is enjoying doing to the bad guys, and while they are in agony, he gave them a message…warning to their boss

"Tell Lord Djibril your boss from LOGOS, that if he ever bothers me again I will personally visit him and pull his spine off from his back, do I make myself clear!" he said warningly and gave a nice kick on the metal flagpole which vibrated giving them a nasty sting between their legs

"I can't believe you guys are such stupid Jerks committing violence on the coordinators!" he shouted and gave the flagpole another kick

"What you have done achieves nothing for your so called cause, 'For the Preservation of a Pure and Blue World my foot'" he mocked "The only thing you guys has ever achieve is making people sympathize to them, wasting your time, resources and the lives of people in senseless violence that furthered their belief that they, the Coordinators are the future, to believe that they are right because you are doing them great wrong!" he gave another kick which cause more and scream in pain as the flagpole sways back and fourth.

"GROW UP YOU JERKS!"

While they wail and scream Ranma walks away and disappeared from Blue Cosmos radar. Ranma started switching genders with a bit of disguise and make up which gives his pursuers the slip, and so far no one has harassed him and in any way, as he travels the rest the western United States unhindered.

Blue Cosmos had to give up the chase, three days after the incident and exposure of more BC members and another suspect company is making Djibril suffer, as not just one of his companies suffered a stock price crash but every one of his holdings is taking a nosedive.

Meanwhile, Ranma took the time to mail a few items to Rev. Malchio on Orb. In a small package are copies from Blue Cosmos database which is something Lacus and Ms.Ramius would be very interested in learning about the Terrorist group.

Plants
Aprillius One
Several days later

The recent public exposure of Blue Cosmos agents has attracted the attention of ZAFT and the New Plant Chairman, Gilbert Dullindal. ZAFT as of now were a bit annoyed that one of their Vosgulov Subs were moonlighting as pirates and got themselves caught by the EAF by a mysterious woman.

Evidence presented by the EAF were unquestionable and could not argue that it was fabricated and the surviving crew were put in public trial as they are now being blamed that they are the cause of a number of ships reported missing for the past 6 months around the Pacific. A judicial nightmare for ZAFT when the EAF gave a copy to their chairman, of one the female crew of the Cargo ship Cornglass was being rape by a ZAFT officers now EAF custody.

Gilbert had no choice but to condemn the crews of the Vosgulov Subs for their acts of piracy and promises compensation for the families of the people they have harmed. The result of that is moral drop for Zaft.

The EAF would have been smiling in glee for ZAFT disgrace if it weren't for a number of incidents linking them to Blue Cosmos.

They are having their own public relations nightmare in the exposure a number of suspected Blue Cosmos agents whom many turns out to be members of the EAF military. The cause of their problem is one man, who was being located by ORB, which then attracted the attention of the EAF, and now attracted the attention of ZAFT.

Gilbert reads intensely at the Intel file from ORB and a video of Ranma's ORB MS training session is being played on a screen. To what he sees, Ranma is a Natural with incredible skills as to pilot a Mobile Suit with an OS designed for Coordinators, and how easily he defeated his adversary's shows that, he's in the level of the Pilot of the Strike.

"Curious" he remarks as he reads the copies from the ORB military that they have obtained from a secret source but the data Gilbert receives was incomplete as ORB classified every data concerning Ranma, what he have is a file on the DNA and blood test result.

"Now, why a blood test would show that trace elements and…what the?" from the next page is a preliminary DNA test but it was enough to surprise him "Well, now what do we have here?"

Gilbert Dullindal, who is a noted genius in genetic research, can tell the potential of a person by looking at their DNA strand. What he's seeing now he can only describe as…FLAWLESS.

It was the only word he can describe it, what their scientist have been trying to do for decades by genetics, mother nature have already done so, and is looking at him, and maybe even perhaps why Orb was looking for him

He was about to call his secretary to get a line to the Zaft intelligence dept when his comm screens open up first.

"Chairman Dullindal, I think you should see this" the image change to that of a TV News, a flash report

Orb
Rev. Malchio Orphanage
at that same time

Rep. Cagalli Yula Athha came by to talk with Lacus and they were having some heated discussion when a tv news flash report interrupted the kids morning cartoon that got their attention.

An amateur video footage taken 3 days ago, of Ranma raising several tied up people on a flagpole by their underpants and on the background is a sinkhole where the West Forge Company once stood.

They all watch the video and can hear the words of the unidentified man

"Tell Lord Djibril your boss from LOGOS, that if he ever bothers me again I will personally visit him and pull his spine off from his back, do I make myself clear!" he said warningly and gave a nice kick on the metal flagpole which vibrated giving them a nasty sting between their legs

"I can't believe you guys are such stupid Jerks committing violence on the coordinators!" he shouted and gave the flagpole another kick

"What you have done achieves nothing for your so called cause, 'For the Preservation of a Pure and Blue World my foot'" he mocked "The only thing you guys has ever achieve is making people sympathize to them, wasting your time, resources and the lives of people in senseless violence that furthered their belief that they, the Coordinators are the future, to believe that they are right because you are doing them great wrong!" he gave another kick which cause more and scream in pain as the flagpole sways back and fourth.

"GROW UP YOU JERKS!"

The Unidentified Man disappeared, but the amateur video played all around the world. He name the boss of Blue Cosmos who happens to be the owner of West Forge, and with this public exposure, it will only be a matter of time that people will confirm the name of the financial backer of Blue Cosmos

LOGOS! The word is pasted in every newspaper and discussed by every news and information bureau all across the globe and what the words of the man echoed even further

'In senseless violence that furthered their belief that the Coordinators are the future, to believe that they are right because you are doing them great wrong!'

Those words were heard by many people from the scholars, intellectuals to the ordinary man. Ranma's words made them think hard, and made them think about the past decade and the recent war that cost so many lives. Soon all over the world was talking and questioning Blue Cosmos violence, Ranma's words were making sense, for Blue Cosmos may have permeated the belief that being a Coordinator is better than being a Natural.

That night, Lacus is watching the starry night sky and remembers what Ranma said that day on the beach.

"Nothing in life is ever easy" he remark

"Some people says that 'God created all men as equals', but in what is happening now, many no longer believe that true anymore" he said

"But then you know, if you put aside genetics for a moment, whether you are Natural or a Coordinator, people are always different and people are still the same" he said Ranma remember something his mother told her

"My Mother once said that, we are all born different and yet we are all born the same, we are born equals, and we are not, we are born unique and we are nothing special. We are all of this, more and less"

'Ranma sees everyone as equals' she thought 'He never looks down on anyone and never like anyone who looks down on others' looking back of what he said at the TV, Lacus seems to understand him.

Ranma has understood that the violence from the hate and envy by Blue Cosmos and other groups is causing many Coordinators to be arrogant, and conceited of the idea being born a Coordinator who is superior to a Natural.

Back on the Plants, many believe this to be true since they have achieved many things centuries in advance than the average Natural and Lacus knows that such ideas of superiority is wrong and it will ultimately hurt her people in the end if such ideas are allowed to foster in the hearts of her people.

'Coordinators are an evolve new species' is what Patrick Zala called the Coordinators, but former Chairman Seigel Clyne disagrees, 'Coordinators are not evolve, were just different' her fathers words were true than those of Zala

'Yes you are right father, we are just different

Walking the rough road to Colorado, Ranma Saotome checks his Compass to see where he is in the wilderness after he sent a package to Orb. He has no Idea that the event of West Forge is shaping the face of the world.

TO BE CONTINUED