Chapter 10

Awareness Bringer- Not telling what the upgrade is. But I will say it'll take the weapons and equipment of one Gundam and attempt to incorporate those into the original as best as possible while keeping the strengths of both. I guess you can say he'll get a new suit at Odessa. And thank you again for telling me of those errors.

RedRat8- Yeah, Ramba Ral with a more powerful mobile suit like a Dom is quite terrifying really. Honestly, I argue that had the Dom was introduced even earlier in the war and the Zeons just focused on it instead of all the crazy mobile armors (Though I will admit they made some powerful machines of war with those mobile armors.) they decided to waste resources at and even the Gelgoog, they might have won the war.

Some beach

"Children, don't go too deep!" Yelled Fraw as she played with the remaining children on White Base. With them finally out of Zeon territory, the White Base staff decided now was a good time to do a thorough analysis of the ship's systems. Though there was still a Zeon presence, it was far more minimal than what they had to deal with. With nothing to do but relax, non-essential personal were taking the chance to enjoy the sun and the beach they decided to park the ship at, much to the chagrin to the engineers.

"Earth." Sayla said as she basked in the sunlight. "No wonder earthnoids like this place so much. Its truly beautiful and relaxing."

"Sure is." Said Mirai as she two based in the sunlight. "Its not like the artificial lighting out in a colony that's for sure." Sayla just nodded, agreeing with her. Sometimes the real thing was better. As she watched the children play, Sayla thought of her childhood, the good parts anyway, and smiled. Back when there wasn't a war and people were just trying to live their lives as best as possible. She soon stopped thinking of her childhood lest the bad times crouched in her mind and thought of something more recent.

"By the way, have you seen Amuro? I haven't seen him, Kai, Hayato, or Chan since we landed?"

"Oh them. They all took off in the Gunperry. Amuro's hometown was nearby and he wanted to go check up on her. The others tagged alone with one of Carmine's men. Guy was admanent in them taking civilian clothes." Sayla nodded in understanding, agreeing with Carmine.

"Can't blame him. Heard there's a Zeon base near here." Mirai just nodded in agreement.

"Let's hope the others don't get spotted by them or else they'll be in great trouble." Sayla just nodded, praying for their safety.

Amuro's hometown

"This it?" Asked Corporal Stratton, one of Carmine's best men. He was ordered by Carmine to escort to the kids to Amuro's hometown in case something goes wrong. He also ordered them all to take civilian clothing in case they meet with Zeon soldiers.

"Yes." Said Amuro with excitement, eager to see his mother again. He, like everyone else, was wearing civilian clothing in case they were spotted by Zeon soldiers. That way, they can't link them back to the White Base or any Federation forces in the area.

"Alright. I'll land someplace obscure and try my best to hide the Gunperry. Can't afford to let the Zeon find this thing. It'll cause to many complications. I'll catch up when I can." Amuro just nodded before thanking the man and going to the cargo bay, where Chan, Kai, and Hayato were waiting. Once there, he saw Kai holding a standard issue pistol, checking it for any faults or problems, while Hayato was speaking with Chan. They all wore the clothing they wore before the Zeon attack on Side seven. Since Chan wasn't there and was instead on Luna II with only military uniforms allowed there, she had to borrow some from Sayla and Fraw, who had some spares for her. She wore a red jacket over a white shirt and some black pants and shoes. She found them to be a little small for her, but she'll handle it. "You guys didn't have to come, you know."

"Oh, come on. It was either this or being stuck on a beach. Besides, wanted to see your mother for myself." Kai said while placing the pistol in his jacket pocket, with the safety, of course, and the clip in the other pocket.

"Same. Wanted to see if one of our parents survived." Hayato said, knowing that his parents were dead from the Zeon attack as well as Kai's. Truth be told, if just one of their parents were alive, then he would be happy to know that one of them still had someone to go back to once this war was over. He then looked at Chan. "Um…not including you Chan. Sorry." Chan just smiled, understanding in her eyes.

"Its okay, Hayato. To be honest, I feel bad that both of my parents are alive while most of yours aren't." Amuro frowned at that before speaking up.

"Don't be." Amuro said as he made his way to them. "Its not your fault Chan. You had no control over what happened." He then frowned. "It's this damn war's fault. Lot of people lost someone close to them. Its honestly rare to find someone who didn't lose someone in this war. Well, unless you're from Side six. Anyway, point is, don't beat yourself up Chan that your parents are still alive and not ours. If anything, you should be glad that they're alive." Chan just widened her eyes a bit before looking at Hayato and Kai, who both just nodded their heads in agreement. Smiling a bit, she thanked them.

"Alright. Let's go. Don't want to keep Amuro from his mother any longer." With that, the four got out of the Gunperry and walked to Amuro's home town. As they walked, they noticed that the place look deserted with only a few people outside and that they were packing up.

"What happened?" Asked Hayato, though he knew the answer.

"Must have all left. Heard that there's still some fighting thats close by." Kai said as he noticed that not a single kid was running around and that the adults looked a bit depressed. Amuro just nodded as they walked passed the town. His face soon lit up when he saw his old home. Running ahead of everyone else, he sprinted his way to his old home. As he approached the home, he began to hear a song. Confused, Amuro started to slow down. Looking inside via a window, he was shocked to see Federation soldiers playing around in his home, drinking beer.

"Amuro! What's wrong?" Asked Chan as she, Kai, and Hayato arrived. The three looked inside and were surprised. "What are they doing here? Regulations clearly state that Federation soldiers can't enter an owned house without permission." Without answering, Amuro opened the door and saw that the soldiers were clearly drunk. Despite this, he knew he needed to ask them some questions regarding his mother. With that, he looked around for the radio that was playing the music. Once he found it, he turned it off, causing the soldiers to look at the person who shut off their radio.

"Who the hell are you four?" Asked one soldier with a slurred tone. Chan just looked at the man in disgust before answering.

"Well, we're looking for our friend's mother. This was his house before he moved up to space with father, but his mother stayed behind." Chan explained as she held Amuro's shoulder. "Do you have any information about his mother. She has his brown hair." The soldiers, clearly wanting them to leave, just answered.

"Sorry kids, but when we got here, no one was here. Place was abandoned." Said the leader, holding his beer bottle. "Think it was two weeks since we took this place for ourselves." Amuro, shocked to hear this, denied it all.

"You're lying!" He then ran toward the various rooms in the house, hoping that they were wrong.

"Oh, Amuro." Chan said as she held her hands in worry. She looked around the house until she spotted an old wooden doll on top of the fire place. Walking over to it, she grabbed it and examined it. The wear and tear on the doll indicated that it was at least a decade old, likely meaning that it belonged to Amuro when he still lived her. The others just stayed silent as the Federation soldiers just laughed at Amuro, jeering at his attempts to find his mother. Hayato clenched his fists while Kai just stared coldly at them with a face of indifference. This was the government they were fighting for? Whose soldiers get drunk and mock those that they're suppose to protect and fight for? Once Amuro returned to them, looking down casted, Chan gave him the doll. Recognizing his childhood toy, Amuro took it, surprised that it was still in relatively good condition.

"Thanks, Chan." As he looked at the doll, thinking about his mother, a Federation soldier came up to him.

"Still looking for your mother, kid?" Asked the soldier. "Well, maybe I can give you what I think happened. She died while trying to run away from all the fighting. Or maybe she just didn't love you enough to stay and decided to go and have another kid. One that actually knows where she is." Gritting his teeth in anger at what he said, as well as everyone else, Amuro was about to punch him in the face when Chan put her hand on his shoulder again. Looking at her, he saw her motioning to the door. Realizing that they'll get in trouble if they pick a fight again men at are much stronger than them, Amuro just let it go. Taking a deep breath, Amuro just left with the group, still steamed though. As the soldiers laughed at them, the four just closed the door and left, feeling more than a bit peeved at their actions.

"Who do they think they are?" Demanded Hayato as he glared back at the house. "What the hell is their problem?" Chan just sighed before trying to rationalize the situation.

"They're drunk. People say things that they shouldn't say when they're drunk. But what they said is completely uncalled for." She then looked at Amuro in sympathy. "I'm sorry for all those awful things they said. You didn't deserve them."

"Just drop it." Amuro said, still a bit peeved at the Federation soldiers and he didn't want to unleash it on his friends.

"What do we do now?" Kai asked. "Keep searching for your mother?" Amuro just nodded his head. He needed to know what happened to his mother. If she really moved or she died during the war. Maybe one of their old neighbors can tell him. Before he could tell them the plan, he heard a commotion. Running over, he saw two Federation soldiers with a woman. The woman seemed to be begging the soldiers about something. Going over, he managed to overhear their conversation.

"Please, sir. Can you pay me for that apple? Its all we have to go on here." Begged the woman as the soldier just sneered at her. Pulling out a coin from his pocket, he then lazily tossed it into the ground.

"Oops." The soldier said insincerely as his buddy snickered. Sighing to herself, the woman knelt to pick up the coin. Clenching his fists at the display and recognizing the woman as one of his old neighbors, Amuro finally snapped, his anger finally unleashed.

"Don't pick it up!" Yelled Amuro as he approached the three, who looked at the young boy coming at them. "What's wrong with you two!? She's struggling to make a living and you just treat her like this!? Don't you have any compassion!?"

"This isn't any of your business, kid." Said one of the soldiers, annoyed that a kid was telling him how to behave. "Move along. Besides, the old woman can handle herself and should know her place." Gritting his teeth, Amuro just charged and tackled the man that dropped the coin. He repeatedly punched the man as he tried to grasp the situation. After the forth punch, the other soldier hit Amuro with the butt of his rifle, knocking him off his companion. Before Amuro could get up, the other soldier began to hit Amuro with his foot, which was soon joined by his friend. "This will teach you punk!" Yelled the soldier as he kicked Amuro. He was so focused on teaching Amuro a lesson that he didn't noticed another civilian tackle him.

"That's it! I've had it." Yelled Hayato as he punched the soldier he tackled. "You guys don't deserve to be called soldiers!" Upon seeing his friend being assaulted, Hayato snapped and went to help. Consequences for assaulting them be damned. To Hayato, this was more than him. This was standing up to Amuro and that lady. Once the other soldier realized his compatriot was being attacked by Hayato, he tried to help only to get suckered punched by Kai, who also had enough of the behavior of the Federation troops in the area. With the grunts off of him, Amuro joined in and helped the two beat up the Federation soldiers. Chan, meanwhile, was helping out the lady.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Asked Chan as she helped the woman up. The woman, grateful for her assistance, nodded her thanks before looking at the fight before them. Upon seeing Amuro, she gasped in recognition.

"Is that?" Said the woman before running over and begging them all to stop fighting, which wasn't heard as everyone was too busy fighting each other to listen. They only stopped when a gunshot was heard, causing over one to look over to see Stratton coming over, pistol in hand.

"What the hell is going on here?" Demanded Stratton as the boys walked away from the soldiers. "What the hell were you boys thinking?"

"Just teaching these guys some manners." Kai said, nonchalant of the whole thing. Stratton just shook his head before going over to the soldiers, who were glaring at the boys.

"I'm sorry about this. Corporal Stratton of the EFSF. What's your designation and rank?" He then held his military ID for the soldiers to see. Upon seeing the ID, the soldiers straightened up and spoke.

"Private Hayes of the EFGF, sir. Simply put corporal, these kids jumped us when we're trying to get a snack. Bunch of ingrates." The soldier said, lying of course. Stratton just rose an eyebrow at that, knowing that the man was lying as Amuro and Hayato didn't seem the type of people to just attack someone without reason.

"Somehow I doubt that private. I know these kids and they aren't the type to just attack people without reason." The soldiers got annoyed by this and were about to argue when the old woman and Chan stepped forward.

"Actually, sir, these men were being unprofessional toward this woman, sir. When she begged them to pay, they just threw the money to the ground and expected her to pick it up." The woman just nodded, siding with Chan.

"Is this true, Private? And don't lie to me. That's an order." The man just growled before nodding. Sighing to himself, Stratton shook his head before speaking. "That kind of behavior is unbecoming of a soldier, boy. Its that type of behavior that makes people think the Zeons were right to fight us. That the Federation is corrupt and evil. That there isn't any good people left in it." The soldiers just growled as they listened to this speech from the man. "Now, I'll let you boys off with a warning if you apologize to the woman and pay her properly. That clear?" Eager to get away, the soldiers complied and did what Stratton requested. Upon giving the woman the money, the soldiers glared at the boys, who glared right back, before leaving. Once they were gone, Stratton looked at the pilots. "You boys aren't off the hook. What you did was completely uncalled for and against regulation. I know that you all aren't trained in the Federation military or even joined willingly, but your actions represent it, nonetheless. I know that those soldiers' actions were despicable, but what you did wasn't the right way to go either." The boys just grumbled to themselves as they listened to Stratton's speech. As he was speaking to them, Chan, knowing that this will get nowhere for now, just went up to Stratton and spoke to him.

"Sir, while I agree that they need to be disciplined, this isn't the place to do so." Chan said. "Its better if you do this on the ship and with Bright and Carmine. Besides, there's rumors of a Zeon base close by. We shouldn't be doing this close to our enemy." Sighing to himself, Stratton agreed and choose to report this to Bright and Carmine, who were probably better at this than him, despite being younger than him. Sighing in relief, the boys looked at Chan gratefully before looking at the woman.

"I'm sorry for all that, ma'am." Amuro said, walking over to the woman. "If it isn't too much to ask, do you recognize me?" The woman simply smiled at the question.

"How could I forget the boy who played with my little girl." Said the woman before motioning them all to follow her to her home, which they did. Once they arrived, however, they were shocked to see it was partly bombed out.

"What happened?" Asked Amuro. The woman simply sighed as she took a seat on her porch before explaining what happened.

"You see, a few weeks ago, the Zeons managed to build an airfield in the mountains near here. In response, the Federation outpost nearby tried to assault it, but they were shelled repeatedly from fighter planes and artillery. A few of the townsfolk were caught in the crossfire and died. Including my daughter and husband." The group was in shock at this and gave the woman their sympathy. The woman let out a few tears as she remembered the bombing. "War. It's just so awful." Everyone just nodded at that, allowing the woman a few minutes to cry. Once she was done, Stratton spoke to her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, ma'am. I truly am. But about what soldiers here? What happened to them?" The woman just sniffed a couple of seconds before speaking again.

"Well, I don't know why, but Federation headquarters just abandoned them after the outpost was destroyed. And they've been drinking their sorrows or passing it on us as a way to handle the thought of being abandoned by the Federation." Though they understood the soldier's predicament, that wasn't an excuse to get drunk and bully the residents of this town.

"I see." Amuro said, sad to hear her story. Much as he wanted to comfort her, he needed to find his mother. "Is my mother okay, ma'am? Did she leave town?" The woman just looked at him in confusion.

"You didn't receive any of her letters?" Asked the woman. "So, you don't know that she's at the refuges camp as a volunteer?" Upon hearing that, Amuro looked at the woman with hope.

"She's alive?" Asked Amuro, his voice filled with hope. The woman just smiled and nodded.

"Yes. The refugee camp is by the church. You remember where it is, right?" Amuro just nodded before thanking the woman, making her smile a bit. "Don't get hurt on your way Amuro!"

"I won't!" Yelled Amuro as he ran to the church. The group just shook their heads before asking the woman for directions. Once she gave it to them, they ran after Amuro, hoping to catch up to him.

Meanwhile

White Base

Oscar Dublin, one of the operators that monitored for any enemy and friendly forces around the White Base, was monitoring the radar for any incoming enemy forces when he suddenly caught two incoming signals fast approaching.

"Mr. Bright! We have enemy fighters closing in!" Said Oscar, causing Bright to look out the window. This was a bad time. They still haven't finished with repairs and most of their pilots were gone. Just as he was about to order a fighter be sent out, the two signals left as soon as they came. "They left sir! Looks like they were just a standard recon group." Bright just frowned at that. That meant that there was an enemy base somewhere nearby.

"What should we do, Bright?" Asked Mirai, having finished with her break. "Should we intercept them?"

"I don't know." Said Bright. "They may not have noticed us, otherwise we should have spotted a flare coming from them. And if we try to attack them, they'll notice us for sure and try and contact their base of operations."

"But if they've did spot us, they may be going back to report about our position and be back with reinforcements." Bright just nodded, seeing her point. "I think its better safe than sorry, Bright."

"Agreed, have a core fighter sent out to intercept and destroy those fighters!" Sayla just nodded before relaying the orders. Soon, Ryu was sent out to take out the enemy aircraft. Once that was done, Sayla received a transmission. An encrypted one.

"Mr. Bright! We're getting a transmission from Lieutenant Matilda! She wants you." Upon hearing that, Bright took the captain's seat and took the call.

"Lieutenant, its good to see you again." Bright said as her face appeared from a screen above the helmsman's position.

"Likewise. I'm glad to see that you've all made it out of Zeon territory." Matilda said as her ship was approaching the White Base. "Much as I like to say this was just for a friendly chat, duty calls. We need your assistance."

"Go ahead." Bright was ready for anything that Matilda needed them. Matilda just nodded before giving the White Base coordinates to a Zeon base.

"I'm not sure if you know, but a Zeon base is nearby, its been sending airstrikes against nearby Federation positions and has been used as a supply base for Zeon forces. Federation HQ has largely ignored it, deeming it unimportant, but I say otherwise." Bright just raise an eyebrow before asking her what she's planning on doing. She just smirked before telling him the plan. "Since its filled with supplies and with you nearby, we can attack the base and relieve them of their supplies. That way, we've cut back on Zeon air attacks and gain supplies for the soldiers in the area." Bright just nodded, seeing the idea.

"Alright, I'll notify you once we're ready to go." Bright said. "We'll go in force and attack them with our mobile suits. We'll force them to surrender and take the base for ourselves." Matilda just nodded before saying she wait nearby. Once the connection was severed, Bright ordered that Amuro and the others arrive back at the ship as they'll need them.

"Are you sure, Bright?" Sayla asked. "Pretty sure we just need Vega and Ryu to deal with the enemy base."

"I'm sure, we don't know if the enemy has mobile suits or not. Better to be prepared should the worse come to pass." Sayla just nodded, before going on the comms, trying to reach the group away from the White Base.

Refugee camp

"Man. Its bigger than I thought it would be." Kai said as the group passed though the various tents surrounding the church. The other just nodded as they watched people hand out food to others in need or were waiting for their meal. Amuro just nodded as they watched people trying to remake something of their old lives before the town was caught in the war. The misery and desperation gave them all shudders and made them wonder why the Federation hadn't tried to attack the Zeon base. "Well, let's focus on your mother, alright Amuro. After that, let's see if we can't help this people a bit." Amuro nodded in agreement.

"Why don't you guys do it now? I can find her on my own." Stratton just pursed his lips, thinking it through. Just as he was about to give his answer, he got a call from the White Base. Picking it up, he answered.

"Yes, sir?" A few seconds passed as he received his orders. "Alright. I understand. I'll tell the others." Once he put his radio away, he turned to the others. "Just got a call from Bright. He's ordering us back to the White Base. Says we're to help Lieutenant Matilda with a raid on the nearby Zeon base. I'll get the Gunperry and bring it back here. Just be ready for a pickup."

"You're not forcing us to go?" Asked Hayato, knowing it would be fast if they all go.

"Nah. I know how important this is to Amuro and I know these people need all the help they can get. So, you guys wait here until I come back with the plane. Just don't pick anymore fights." The teens just smiled gratefully at Stratton before saying their thanks as he left for the Gunperry.

"Alright. I'll go to the sacks over there." Said Amuro, pointing to the large metal sacks nearby. "You guys try and help out."

"Yeah, sure." Kai said. "Just go and find your mom. Don't want this to be a complete waste of time." Amuro just nodded before taking off. "Alright guy and girl, let's go find someone that can give us directions." With that Kai left toe find someone that can help them with the refuges. Before she followed Kai, Chan looked at Amuro's direction, hoping that he'll find his mother.

As he made his way to the metal sacks, he knocked on the door to the closet one. Once someone opened the door, an old man, he spoke to him.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, sir, but have you seen a woman by the name of Kamaria Ray?" The man, recognizing the name, just nodded and pointed to another shack.

"She's in there. Treating people that're suffering from the attack on the town sometime ago. She shouldn't be too busy. No one is seriously hurt or anything. So, you should be fine to disturb her for a bit." Thanking the man, Amuro went to the pointed sack and opened it, revealing a bunch of people in beds, getting medical treatment or were just waiting for their turn. As he looked around for his mother, he ventured deeper into the sack, trying not to disturb the people that were hard at work. Eventually, he passed through one bed and saw his mother finishing up giving water to a patient. Happiness filling up in him, Amuro walked over and lightly tapped her shoulder.

"Yes, what is it?" Asked Kamaria as she turned around, only to gasp at seeing Amuro. Blinking a few times to make sure it isn't an illusion, she cried out in happiness as she embraced her son, who returned the embrace. After a few moments of this touching moment, she let go and spoke softly to her son. "You've grown so much, Amuro."

"I guess I did." Amuro said with a smile, happy to see his mother again. "I take it you're not busy, right?" Kamaria just shook her head.

"No, of course not. I just finished up. I should be free now." She then led her son to an empty bed. Upon sitting on it, she began to ask questions to Amuro. "While I'm glad to see you again Amuro, where's your father? Did he let you leave Side 7 just to visit me?" Amuro just donned a sad expression on his face. Upon seeing it, Kamaria assumed the worst. "Don't tell me…that the war came to Side 7?" Amuro just closed his eyes before nodding. He then sat next to her.

"It's a long story, mom." Amuro said before telling her everything that happened at Side 7 and on the White Base.

Meanwhile

One of the refugee camp mess halls

"Is there any way we can help, sir?" Asked Chan as she spoke to the main chef of this mess hall. The man just sighed as he thought of something for them to do.

"Honestly, unless you can cook or have knowledge on more advanced medical procedures, we're doing fine here. I suppose you could go and talk with Scott. He's in charge with supply distribution. He could use the help with passing down supplies to the refugees. He's in the big tent nearby. You'll know it when you see it." Said the chef. Thanking the man, Chan led the boys out of the mess hall and outside.

"Well, this is great." Kai said as he looked around them. "Gets we got supply distribution to do now. Hope people won't complain about it."

"Come on, Kai, you knew this was going to be boring the moment you agreed to do this." Hayato argued, making Kai just shrugged, knowing he was right. As they walked, Hayato watched as people looked at them suspiciously. "Why are they looking at us like that?"

"It because we're strangers, man. With what happened to the town nearby and the nearby base, they're wary of any new faces. That and the behavior of the Feddies doesn't help much either." Chan would have agreed with Kai's assessment, but something about their stares towards them that seemed to extend beyond just wariness. And it scarred her.

"I don't know about that, Kai." Said Chan. "Somethings off with some of the stares we've been getting. We should hurry up to that supply depot." Kai, getting what she was saying, agreed and the three began to move faster. Once they arrived, they saw a man taking inventory of the supplies. Upon seeing them approaching, the man rose an eyebrow and walked towards them.

"You can't get any of these supplies. Wait until you get your delivery of food and water." Said the man that they assumed to be Scott.

"Oh no, sir. We're here to help!" Said Chan, stepping forward. "You see, we wanted to help out any way we can. And we were wondering if you wanted some help. One of the chefs pointed to you." Upon hearing that, the man relaxed. If that was the case, he supposed he could trust them.

"I see." Said the man. "Well, I honestly need some help with categorizing all the supplies we have left. Need to see how much of everything we have and what we need to ration. It'll be appreciated if you guys help out with that." Chan let out a smile at that.

"We could do that, sir. And with us, it'll get done much faster and you have more time to do other tasks." The man nodded in agreement.

"Alright, suppose I could use the help. Names Scott, by the way." Said the man. As he was about to tell them their jobs, he thought of something and spoke to them. "Before we go, got to ask. Are any of you from the colonies? Like born and raise in them Sides?" The three just looked at each other in confusion before nodding. Scott cursed at that before whispering to them. "Then keep that information to yourselves. Lot of people don't like, even hate, those from space. Especially after what the Zeons did to the town. They might do something awful to you guys if they found out that your spacenoids. Really bad." Chan and Hayato were shocked to hear this. They couldn't believe that people would go so far just because of what the Zeons did. They did a lot of morally disgusting acts, sure, but to just randomly attack people just because they're spacenoids? Kai, however, wasn't surprised. Once, when his family was on vacation on Side 6. They were meeting up with some of his parent's friends at a restaurant. Things were going well when suddenly they all heard gunshots. It came from a nearby mall. Fearing for their lives, everyone hid in either the bathrooms or the kitchen, something that the staff didn't mind. Unfortunately, the whatever was going on came to them as gunfire began to erupt in the restaurant. Nobody was, fortunately, killed and the perpetrators were arrested. It wasn't until three weeks later that Kai found out that the incident was caused by a bunch of Earth elitists that saw spacenoids as the bottom of the barrel in society. Kai honestly thought that was just an insolated incident, that it was just some people trying to make a name for themselves or make them feel special, but he was wrong. As he grew older, he saw more prejudiced to spacenoids from those from Earth. People were selected for jobs based on whether they're from Earth or not. Bullied just for being from space. And, worst of all, being killed just from being born on a space colony. Fortunately, Kai wasn't subject to much of this as his family was mostly able to avoid those type of people, but he never forgot about the mistreatment of spacenoids given by those from Earth that he heard or witnessed.

Maybe the Zeons were right to want independence. For most of its time, the Earth Federation was just an attack dog for those from Earth's upper class, treating those from the space colonies with nothing but disgust, yet they treated those from Earth with respect. Getting someone that was actually nice, who was also in charge of the Federation garrison on the colony you were in, was considered rare. Most people from Earth didn't like highly of spacenoids and those in the military that were form space, weren't in very high-ranking positions as officers and soldiers from Earth were usually considered more fitting for promotion over those from colonies, even if they were better than they're earthnoid counterparts. You were considered lucky if you were able to get a high-ranking position in the military if you're a spacenoid. With all that, Kai couldn't really blame the Zeons for wanting independence from a corrupt government that served only a select few. It was their actions that Kai couldn't take. Though he showed a mask of indifference, he was, in truth, horrified at operation British and the amount of deaths that the Zeons caused when they dropped a colony Earth. It really demonized them to many, especially those from Side 5. In honesty, he was glad he joined up with the Federation. He'll take corrupt and racist individuals over those that'll justify such massive losses of life. That being said, it still annoyed him that people would fight someone or kill them over such a petty thing.

"We'll keep that shut, sir. Don't you worry." Kai said as he looked around for anyone eavesdropping. Whether it was a good or bad sign, he didn't spot anyone.

"Okay, good." Scott said. "Follow me." With that, the three followed the man to where they were needed.

With Amuro

Meanwhile, Amuro was finishing the story of what happened at Side 7 to his mother. After the story finishing, Kamaria Ray just sighed in anguish.

"I didn't know…that the Zeons would go so far to win the war." She then sighed again. "This war is just so terrible, Amuro. You have no idea how many people are suffering right now in this camp and beyond." Amuro just stayed silent, knowing she was right. He had no idea how many people were missing their parents, siblings, or even their children right now. And he had no idea how many more were going to suffer through something like him as the war progresses. It was honestly daunting to him.

"I know, mom." Said Amuro. "Are all these people from our town or from other places?" Kamaria just nodded.

"Both. Both the Federation and Zeons were relentless in their attacks on each other. They didn't care about who got in the crossfire so long as they hurt their enemies. So many people here lost their homes, loved one, and even their way of life just because the Federation and Zeons didn't know when to stop and consider if they're hurting people that just want to stay neutral from all this." She then sighed again. "And you have no idea how you're father died?" Amuro just nodded his head.

"No. I assumed he died during the initial volley. Lot of the other Federation personal were killed when the first shots were fired." Amuro said, not wanting to think about how his dad died. Sighing to himself, he decided to talk about the White Base crew. "So, anyway mom, I've made some friends out of the crew of the ship I'm serving on."

"Oh. That's good to hear." Kamaria was happy that her son made some friends from those in Side 7. He was always such a reclusive boy and had very few friends during his time on Earth. It was nice to hear he made more, even if it was with military personal. "How are they?"

"They're good people." Said Amuro with a smile. "There's Kai. He's a bit of a jerk initially, but he's actually a good guy once you get to know him. Hayato's got a good heart and he's willing to help out when I need it. Same with a cadet named Ryu. I also made friends with three girls. Sayla, Chan and Fraw. Sayla is a bit of a mystery for me, but she seems nice. Fraw was my first friend on Side 7 and she's been there whenever dad was away for work. Chan, my most recent friend, was a cadet from Luna II. She's been transferred to the ship I'm serving in and we've been bonding over technical stuff." Kamaria just smiled upon hearing all those names. Feeling proud that her son was finally gaining more people in his life.

"I'm proud that you've made some friends, Amuro." Kamaria said. "Its good to know that you have people that aren't from your family." Amuro just nodded. "So, are all your new friends from space?" Amuro just looked at her in confusion, wondering why she asked, before answering.

"Well I'm not sure about Ryu, but everyone I mentioned was born in space colonies. Why?" Kamaria just bit her lip upon hearing that.

"Not good." Thought Kamaria. Knowing her son needed to know, she whispered to him. "I know this shouldn't be said, but you need to know. There's a great deal of people here who hate those from space a great deal." Amuro just looked at her in shock.

"What do you mean?" Kamaria just sighed before explaining it in detail.

"Ever since this refugee camp was made, the Zeons have made routine inspections, trying to see if we're hiding guerilla fighters or Federation soldiers. While here, they take what they want and treat everyone with disdain, even the children. One time a boy and his father were shot by a Zeon soldier for not answering his questions. They survived, but the camp has become anti-Zeon since. Unfortunately, the spread to spacenoids in general." Amuro couldn't believe what he was hearing. Just because Zeon soldiers were harassing them, the camp just began to hate all spacenoids? Even ones from Side 6?

"That's completely stupid." Whispered Amuro. "I meet both good and bad people in space. They're not so different from those from Earth. Why do these people think all spacenoids are bad?" Kamaria just nodded her head in agreement, sharing in her son's thoughts.

"I don't know." Kamaria said. "I don't know how that sentiment came to be and I wish it hadn't. I'm just glad that your friends aren't here. People may just attack them just because they're not from here." Amuro just gasped upon hearing that.

"Mom, I brought some of them with me. They went to help out with the refugees." Kamaria just gasped upon hearing that. Worried for them, Amuro got up and ran out the door, hoping to find them and warn them. Kamaria, knowing that the more extreme refugees would hurt her son if they saw him support his friends, went with him, hoping she could diffuse the possible confrontation before it could escalate. As the two Rays looked around for any possible clues, they suddenly heard a gunshot. Fearing the worst, the two went over to where the gunshot was fired from with people coming out of the tents, wondering what was going on. As they were running, they heard two more gunshots. Gritting his teeth in fear and worry, Amuro sprinted toward the sounds, hoping that his friends were all right. When he finally made his way to the commotion, his heart stopped as he saw Chan tending to a man and Hayato, both suffering a head injury and were bleeding, while Kai was holding a gun at six armed men, all with either hammers or bats. They had them surrounded and looked ready to kill them. A few seconds passed and one of them charged at Kai, forcing him to shoot him in the knee, bringing him down. Unfortunately, the others saw the opportunity and rushed in. Kai managed to non-fatally shoot two more before he was forced to tackle one from hitting Chan with a hammer. With him distracted, the other ganged up on Chan and the two wounded people. They were about to bludgeon them to death. Upon seeing the look of terror on Chan's face, Amuro went into action. Acting quickly, he pulled out his emergency gun and fired twice. The gunshots hit the men in the guts, shocking them. The men dropped their weapons and fell to the ground in shock. Amuro then fired high up in the air, causing everyone to look at him.

"Get away from them!" Demanded Amuro as he pointed the gun at the man that was now on top of Kai. The man just held his hands before backing off from Kai, who spit in the ground, before helping Chan with Hayato and the man. With his friends behind him now, Amuro kept an eye for more as they escorted the two males out of there and to a medical sack. Taking deep breaths, Amuro holstered his side arm before following them. As he was walking with them, he saw his mother's eyes and it made his heart drop. They were full of shock and horror. But not at what happened. On what her son had done. Ignoring it for now, he looked at Chan.

"What happened?" Asked Amuro, worried for his friends. Chan just sighed before she explained the whole thing

A few minutes ago

"Alright, get the hell away now! Or else the next bullet is going in one of you! Yelled Kai as he watched each of the armed men, knowing if they rushed him, they're disarm him and beat him to death. Fortunately, they seemed to care about their lives and were holding back for now. As Chan tried to aid the two men with what she had, she thought back how this came to be. The four were inspecting all the food and medicine in the supply tent when suddenly Kai spotted six men coming at them with bats and hammers. Upon telling them about it, Scott went up to them, demanding what was going on. The men then accused him of siding with spacenoids and one of them tried to hit Scott with his bat. The man dodged the first swing, but the 2nd hit him square in the head, causing him to crumble and fall to the ground. Just before the others could join in, Hayato threw a can of meat at them and tried to get to Scott. While Kai was brining out his side arm, Chan tried to help Hayato, only to watch as he got hit with a hammer when he tried to tackle on of them. Before they could do anything to either man, Kai fired his gun and forced them all back. With them distracted by Kai, Chan rushed toward the two with a basic med kit and tried to help them. Though she wasn't a medic, she was trained in basic medical training and tried to stabilize their wounds.

"Like hell, we'll do that! We saw you guys with the supplies! You're spies working for those Zeons! Trying to figure out what's valuable and what's not!" Yelled one of the men. Chan, who was busy applying first aid on both the man and Hayato, just glared at them.

"You're completely irrational! This man was in charge of keeping check of your supplies! He was with us the entire time! His presence and relaxed stance should have been enough to tell you that nothing was wrong. And why did you assume we're spacenoids, anyway?"

"Both are obvious, girl! He's obviously working for the Zeons as an undercover spy! How else can the Zeons be so calm when they keep coming over for inspections! As for how we know you're spacenoids! Its obvious with your blue hair and his grayish hair! Only spacenoids have that type of hair color!" Chan just gritted her teeth as she went back to focusing on the wounded, praying that someone will come to diffuse the situation before something drastic happens. As the man got closer, Kai started moving towards Chan and the others. Sweat was dropping down his pores as Kai saw the men surrounding them. Once they completely encircled them, they soon charged at them. Hearing at come at him from behind, Kai turned around and shot him. Unfortunately, the others charged in as well.

"Damnit!" Thought Kai as he shot two more. Before he could shoot another, he saw one going for Chan, hammer raised. Gritting his teeth, he tackled him, dropping his gun at the process. As he was holding the man down, the others were making a move on Chan, causing Kai to look back. This, unfortunately, gave the man the chance to get the upper hand. The man soon punched Kai and forced him on the ground. He then started to choke Kai as he grunted in pain. Just as he was about to finish him, the two men heard a gunshot.

Present

"And that's when you showed up." Chan said as she carefully laid Hayato on the bed with Kai doing the same with Scott. She then sighed. "Thanks for coming when you did. If you hadn't, we would have been dead." Amuro just nodded firmly at that, not wanting to think about what would have happened to them if he didn't arrive sooner. As a doctor soon came to tend to them, Kamaria decided to speak to her son about his actions.

"Amuro, why did you shoot those men. They all had families here in the camp." Kamaria said. "There was no need to shoot them." Not believing what he was hearing, Amuro looked at his mother in disbelief.

"Mom, didn't you see what happened? Those men were about to kill this man and my friends. I had to do something." Kamaria just shook her head.

"I completely understand that, Amuro. Yes, you needed to save them, but did you have to shoot those men. They had people that are relying on them here. I know one of those men was a mechanic that kept the generators and radios running and another was helping out with making bread for everyone. Now, they can't do their jobs for awhile now that you and your friend shot them. If you just fired into the air, they would have stopped and I would have explained the situation to them. They would have let them go once I explained what was going on to them. I would have even begged them to stop." Though he understood the consequences of his actions and saw the logic in her idea, Amuro wasn't going to let his side of the argument go down without a fight. Plus, he saw a hole in her plan.

"Mom, I completely get what you're saying. I really am. But, if I hadn't acted in time, my friends may have been severely hurt or worse. Besides mom, those men hated my friends just because they're from space. And they attacked them just because of that. I doubt that they're willing to just let them go because you asked them to. And Kai shot three of them before I intervened, I don't think they would have stopped by then." Kamaria just starred at her boy, shocked that he didn't see her reasoning and what he's become. He was far too different from the boy she raised. He was far colder and more ruthless. Not giving a thought to those that he caused suffering to as well as those under their care.

"Your sons got a point, lady." Said Kai, keeping an eye out in case anyone tried anything. "I saw it in their eyes. They weren't going to back down, no matter what. They only backed away when they saw they couldn't do much to us. Bet you, right now, they're gathering their friends and going to try and kill us again. Including your son." Kamaria just looked at Kai in shock, appalled by this pessimistic words, before looking back at Amuro.

"What happened to you, Amuro?" Asked Kamaria. "You used to be sweeter and kinder, but now…you're so cold and callous towards those that you deem your enemies. I…don't recognize you anymore." Upon hearing that, Amuro just looked at his mother with a heartbroken expression, something that hurt Kamaria. Kai and Chan also looked at her in shock, not believing what she just said. It took a few moments before Amuro could speak.

"Are…are you saying that…you don't love me anymore?" Asked Amuro with a heartbroken tone. Kamaria just shook her head at that.

"What kind of mother wouldn't love her son? How could you say that?" Asked Kamaria. She tried to touch Amuro's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"If you did love me, then you shouldn't have said that!" Yelled Amuro, hurt and pain in his eyes. Something that hurt Kamaria as well. Before the talk could escalate, Amuro received a call from the White Base. Sighing to himself, he took the call with his wrist communicator. "What is it?"

"Amuro, I'm arriving with the Gunperry now." Said Stratton. "Round everyone up and get ready to assault the enemy base." Amuro just looked at Hayato and frowned. He was in no condition to be moved and he didn't trust the people here now.

"I'm afraid we have a problem, Stratton. Hayato suffered an injury from the refuges here and we need someone to stay behind to take care of him."

"What?" Yelled Stratton, shocked. "What happened?"

"It's …complicated. Right now, we need to leave someone behind to take care of Hayato. I'll come alone if I have to."

"I'm afraid not. We need all of you here. Bright thinks that the enemy may have mobile suits in their possession, so he wants the Guncannon on standby in case they do. If Kai is combat ready, then you'll have to take him with you." Amuro just gritted his teeth. While he was confident that Chan had basic firearms training, she was just an engineer cadet and focused more on electronics and computers. Not combat. And with who knows how many refugees that were anti-spacenoids, he wasn't going to leave her alone.

"I don't want to leave her alone here with Hayato, sir. Can you stay behind to guard them?" Stratton, upon hearing that, nodded his head.

"Of course. I was in put of protecting you guys. I failed at protecting Hayato, but I'm going to make amends for that now. Just get back at the White Base as soon as possible. I'm landing soon."

"Understood. We'll be out soon." He then ended the transmission. "Kai, we got to go. Stratton will protect them now."

"*Scoffs* Better do a good job at it. He's been lousy since it started." The two were about to leave when Kamaria looked at Amuro.

"Are you going out to a battlefield? To kill enemy soldiers?" Amuro just frowned before nodding.

"It's my duty, mom. I have to do it." Said Amuro. Upon hearing that, Kamaria just shook her head. She couldn't believe the words she heard from her son.

"Just like with those men, you don't care about anyone that you label as an enemy to you or your friends. Don't you care about the families of the soldiers you'll kill soon? Don't you care about them?" Amuro just clenched his fists before speaking.

"Mom. This is war. It's them or us." Amuro said before taking off with Kai, who starred coldly at Kamaria, before following Amuro. As they walked away, Kamaria yelled out to her son.

"You've become so cold…I'm ashamed to call you my son!" Upon hearing that, Amuro stopped for a moment, letting those words sink, before steeling himself and walking away, approaching the Gunperry as it made its descent. Kamaria, who had finished her sentence, felt regret at what she said. She knew what she said was wrong and that it hurt her son. But she couldn't bear the thought of him going out there and killing other human beings, leaving families without fathers, brothers, sons, and siblings. Sighing to herself, she looked to see his blue-haired companion looking at her in disgust, obviously upset with her words to Amuro. She was about to speak to her when the blue-haired girl spoke to the doctor.

"If it isn't too much to ask, can I get another volunteer to help out? This one is making me feel uncomfortable. And probably my friend as well." Chan asked, not bothering to look at Kamaria. Her words stung Kamaria, but she knew the girl was in her right to hate her. She basically disowned her son, her friend, while he was trying to protect her and the others from death. Excusing herself, Kamaria left the girl alone and went to get some water. She felt like she needed it after what happened a few minutes ago.

Thirty minutes later

White Base

"Alright. Gundam is ready to go." Amuro said as he was in the pilot seat of the Gundam, waiting to be launched into the enemy base. As the engineers were readying the launch procedures, Vega was noticing that Amuro's emotional state was off by a large degree. Even more so, then when they first fought together back at Side 7.

"Amuro. Is something the matter?" Asked Vega, concerned for his pilot. Amuro just tightened his grip on the controls. "Amuro. It isn't advisable to not speak about your problems, especially if they leave you emotional. You should consult a doctor or speak to a friend. My records tell me that it helps to not bottle your problems up or else they'll…"

"I'm fine, Vega! I don't need to talk about them!" Yelled Amuro, still sore about his mother's words. The AI was surprised to hear this from him but complied with his wishes. Though he was still angry at Vega's persistent nagging on him, Amuro felt ashamed to speak to the AI like that. He didn't deserve it. He would have apologized, but the docking crew just began the launch procedure. Sighing to himself, Amuro prepared himself as the Gundam was launched at the Zeon base, who was scrambling their fighters. Taking aim at the first fighter group that was beginning to take off, Amuro fired the Vulcans at them, destroying them before they could take off. Knowing that they needed to take the base with minimal destruction to its infrastructure, Amuro just used the Vulcans to attack the main defenses, like the Dopps or the various machinegun towers placed around the base. The other weapons of the Gundam were overkill, anyway. Soon after, Kai joined in with the Guncannon and joined in on the assault. Once the last of the defenses were destroyed, Amuro contacted the White Base.

"It's all clear here. You can signal the Medea to come in." Bright, upon hearing this, ordered a com link be established with the Medea to tell them to proceed. As this was happening, Oscar detected a new two new targets emitting from the base.

"Sir! We got two new contacts! Their size indicates mobile suits!" With that, Bright ordered the Medea to pull back and informed the Gundam and Guncannon of the new threat. The two pilots then got ready for any danger. Soon, they got their danger in the form of two mobile suits emerging from two large warehouses in the base, breaking the roofs in the process. The two pilots were shocked to see them. They were completely different from the Zaku. Well, at least one was.

One of them was a Zaku look-alike, but with a dull grey color scheme. It also has two spiked ball shoulders, rather than the standard one spike shoulder and one shoulder shield. The most drastic difference, however, was the chest design. It features a more outward cockpit design with some orange paint near the cable waist. The armaments were a bit different, it had a traditional shield, like the Gundams, but it had a sword hilt sticking out of it, likely its only weapon.

The other machine, however, was the most drastic of the two, being completely different from the Zaku. Rather than a more human head, it a plus-shaped head and looked more heavily armed and armored than a Zaku. The traditional mono-eye looked at the two Federation mobile suits before glowing and the new Zeon mobile suit grabbed the rocket launcher on its back while its compatriot drew out its sword, which then began to heat up, making Kai and Amuro realize it similar to the heat hawk of a Zaku. The four mobile suits looked at each other for a moment before opening fire.

In case anyone was wondering, the two mobile suits at the end are the MS-07A Gouf while the other is the YMS-09 Prototype Dom.