Expectations of peace soar to their greatest heights with the formation of the Earth Sphere United Nations. The year is After Colony 225. The dissolution of mobile suits and militaries from the human race has allowed veterans and civilians alike to a progressive new era for humanity. Grudges however are far more powerful than what many realize. Former members of the Romefeller Foundation have taken to the stars to act against the ESUN's pacifism policies. The horrors of war have revisited the Earth for a new generation of humanity in the form of the vengeful Falson Coalition. 11 years have passed since the conflict began. The ESUN's hope lies in the form of its own mobile suit project. Operation Rising Himalayas. The revival of GUNDAM.

Episode 13: In the Face of Defection

The convoy full of scientists and engineers made its way through the city before the central monument came into view. There stood a statue dedicated to Sir Albert Farthing, the political founder of the city he created. Few people would believe or even know, beneath his statue was the greatest hope for the Earth Sphere forces. Sally looked out the window of her truck when she signaled, "We're almost out of here! Just pull over near the statue!"

One of the leading scientists congratulated, "Good work. Now we just have to get to Solaris."

Gawel pointed out the obvious to the naked eye as soon as the trucks began to stop, "I thought we were supposed to be headed for a shuttle sir. Where is it now?"

Several of the scientists made their way towards the statue and were beginning to work on a panel that was supposed to serve explaining the founder to tourists. "One moment, we shall begin accessing the entry very soon." One of them separated the face plating from the panel before working on a small keypad beneath the wiring.

Zachariah stood next to the working engineer when he asked, "You're kidding right? It was all the way out here in the open like this?"

"It is. They know it's out here but don't know how to get in."

Roy watched the hacking process when he commented, "You guys are made of thicker stuff than I thought if you managed to keep this from the Coalition."

The engineer continued to work when he agreed, "Not exactly something we wanted to prove but I'm the only one who knows the code to this part of the entry anyway."

Donna found herself curious about the process when she asked, "If the control panel is all the way out here where the Coalition could easily hack it, how is this position meant to be an ideal way of protecting the shuttle?"

Zachariah was next to her when he added, "That's a good point. I thought the Coalition guys were supposed to have a hard time being able to crack the entry code."

The engineer didn't allow anyone to see his work when he answered Zachariah, "Several correct ones to open this thing but without the actual right one, they'll just have a lot of climbing back up to get to the platform."

"Emergency mechanism in case unwanted guests got in?"

"That's one way of putting it."

A few seconds passed before the process was finished and he announced, "That'll do it! Everybody step onto a single quadrant!"

One of the Earth pilots ran with the group when he asked, "Quadrant? What's he talking about?"

One of the engineers near him pointed, "That side where the others are."

Keijo was one of the last men to run to another side when he warned, "We're about to find out how they've been keeping this shuttle of theirs hidden."

The shifting sounds beneath them were loud enough to carry through the enclosed city while the soldiers stood in place shocked by the scale of the change.

The preparations began when in the central monument's area the statue was lowered and secured into an underground compartment. The ground sank as the combined resistance watched the central park fall below the ground level while the four corners of the circular park began to separate from the center and into the circular roads until they began to touch the nearest buildings. There was a plus shaped crevasse in the parks place with a center that stretched a mile across. As soon as the process was finished, a steel cylinder had begun to rise towards the top of the dome.

Gawel watched the ground beneath and saw what the scientists and engineers were more concerned about earlier. "You have got to be shitting me! Every staged soldier is going to be after us in a second!"

One of the leading scientists heard the concern when he reminded, "Won't matter once we're down there! Just hold on for the entry stairs to fold out!" A few seconds passed before an orange metallic case of stairs descended to the seemingly bottomless hole beneath.

The way down was revealed to the gathering of resistance fighters, but the sight of their overarching goal gave them all a moment of pause. "There's the Solaris. Still in one piece and ready for takeoff."

The gathering of mobile suit pilots, engineers, and scientists were able to observe with a reverent study. The shuttle was not a craft like anyone had seen before being wrapped almost entirely in solar panels and seemed to stretch all the way down as infinitely as it did ascend.

Mercurio took in as much of the sight of the shuttle as he could left to comment, "Holy shit."

"Took the words out of my mouth." Gawel said next to him.

Donna looked at the ship in awe when she continued to observe. "I remember hearing of the Libra in the Eve Wars, but this may actually be a bigger creation."

Gawel continued to observe the ship when he agreed, "Most likely. The bigger achievement is that a held up old babe like this can still be a fully functioning transport ship."

Elias prepared his rifle when he ordered to the gathered resistance, "We have our way down. Men, keep our flanks covered and follow the personnel down there. Make sure not to fall over. This thing is not built for going all the way down."

Sally was next to the Colonel when she added, "All of you, take point. We'll have you covered in case of enemy activity."

The scientists and engineers of the Solaris gathered in front of the steps while making a brisk run down the steps. Keijo made a sweeping look of the area around him when he asked, "How is this supposed to be practical in any way? How is this taking us to the shuttle?"

Sally assured him, "Once we reach the bottom to the entry platform that's when we'll have our way in."

Elias was nearby when he reinforced the mission, "They know this thing better than we do. Just keep following them." He turned to check the collected prisoners accounted for before ordering, "They're on their way down! Move out!" Only a brief second passed before the soldier pilots gathered in front of the stairway to begin their descent.

Roy watched the edges of the hole above him as he kept an eye open for Coalition soldiers. He turned briefly to notice the stairs led to a pair of steel beams. "Is this thing supposed to even lead anywhere? Where's the platform?"

One of the engineers in front worked on a small panel when he promised, "Just one second... There." As the engineer finished work on the panel a platform descended down the steel beams with four open sides waiting for occupants. He turned to the assembly of military personnel behind him when he offered, "We can get down this way."

Elias saw the platform arrive when he ordered, "Everybody on. Try not to fall off."

A short period passed before the soldier pilots were assembled on the platform with the Solaris crew when Alberto evaluated, "It looks like everybody sir."

Elias nodded when he ordered the nearby engineer, "Take us down." The engineer working on the panel before entered another command before the platform made its descent further towards the shuttle.

Roy was on the edge of the platform when he saw the sight of the shuttle coming closer to him. He tried to keep himself from falling off the ledge of the open platform when he asked, "Totally fine with this, how much longer is it before we're finally ready to get out of here?"

Alberto watched the platform his fellow resistance fighters stood on descend as he promised, "Our luck is holding out right now private. Just keep your head level for a few more seconds."

Gawel cited his sentiment when he asked, "Emphasis on a few more seconds okay guys? This mission is almost finished. I'd rather we didn't have any additional obstacles to get stressed over."

A few seconds passed before the gathered assembly of soldiers found themselves in front of the shuttle entry door. One of the engineers stepped off the platform and onto the scaffolding when he offered, "There we go! All we need to do now is activate the launch sequence once we are inside. Shall we be going then?"

As the former Martian prisoners began their work, Ludwika pointed out to Sally, "Well Colonel it's been a struggle but it looks like we'll finally be able to get this thing to Earth."

Gawel agreed, "This had just better be worth everything we did. We're probably going to be a two months disadvantage once we make our way home."

Sally agreed to their sentiments, "I'm sure the Earth forces will be fully capable of offering their best defense. We can only hope that this is the great necessary step towards making Operation Rising Himalayas a possibility."

Keijo asked one of the leading engineers, "Not sure if it's too late to ask now, but just what is so special about this one shuttle we needed three Gundams and a squad to escort out of here?"

The leading engineer diplomatically answered, "To put it simply this is not just a shuttle, it's a weapon. It's an effort that we've been working on for the past thirteen years since the authorization by the Minister of Defense under President Xhosa."

Mercurio overheard the answer when he immediately noticed the timeframe. "Thirteen? This weapon was started before the Coalition even knew about this place or invaded Earth?" The fact that a weapon was in development in this period had caught him off guard.

Keijo recognized the situation when he added, "Something certainly doesn't add up there. The previous administrations were only supposed to be providing funding to the Preventers, not developing a new weapon entirely."

"Father would have at least attempted to utilize this loophole if he had known it were possible. I don't even think he would have needed this war to even try this." Donna added.

Another one of the engineers explained, "Apparently there was some kind of loophole in the policies because we've been asked to start development. It might have been a preventative measure in case the Coalition pulled of something like this war."

Alberto ended the conversation, "I know it's a lot to handle Yuy, but we're only here to fulfill a mission, not try to legitimize our cause."

Mercurio found himself forced to remember his duties and reluctantly agreed, "Yes sir." He gave a salute to his superior before looking over the other men and women who followed him this far.

Keijo was next to him when he pointed out, "Never thought you would find yourself questioning your big decisions Mercurio. You're usually the one who tries to motivate people to remember what their end goal is."

Mercurio shrugged his shoulders when he agreed, "Yeah. I guess sometimes I need to be reminded myself. It seems like a breach of what we were led to believe."

Alberto was still behind him when he offered, "I don't think I can really give better advice but moving forward is all we can attempt to do now. We can't really do much to change the past and we just found out what we've been after all this time. If Colonel Rumfoord is right about this thing being enough to win the war then we'll have a chance to discover what the real intentions behind this thing were."

Mercurio continued to observe the men in front of him when he added, "We're supposed to be paving a new path to peace. I can't let myself be turned away from what I promised to achieve."

Zachariah and Roy were at the front of the gathered section of pilots observing the marvel when Zachariah asked, "This thing managed to be finished under the Coalition's nose and our own? The former administrations had some seriously deep pockets and connections to get this sort of thing to happen."

One of the free scientists stood when he explained, "They did. It's the only way this could have happened. We're only lucky this could be made possible at all. We could have sent this to Earth sooner if we weren't discovered by the Coalition."

Roy pointed out, "And the Coalition knew about this but didn't even try to extract it from this place? They're practically short of gift wrapping it for us just for our convenience."

A leading engineer overheard the conversation when he answered, "Multiple layers of coding pretty much rend this thing immobile and the process for an optimal launch is safe with us. Thankfully from what we've seen the Coalition doesn't have the resources to pull off the same procedure all the way out here. Not unless they want to scorch the city with this thing taking off."

Elias watched the progress on the hacking when he encouraged, "We've managed to take our men all the way here and we're finally about to have our efforts pay off. Let's begin the preparations and prepare for our trip back to Earth."

The leading engineer accepted the encouragement when he continued his work, "We hear you Colonel. Won't be too much longer before we're ready to go."

Roy sat himself down on the scaffolding floor when he asked no on in particular, "At this rate it's only a matter of time before the launch begins right? I want to be back on earth where I feel like I'm actually good at combat."

The engineer confirmed the question when he promised, "We'll have the shuttle ready for liftoff right when we get inside. We'll have the great hopes of the Earth Sphere to be realized."

"We'll still have the greater good to worry about won't we?"

Gawel watched over the hacking the engineers as he contained his excitement for the shuttle that stood before him. "This shit's greater than any shuttle we've ever constructed. The design's literally out of this world." "Is this whole thing really powered through only solar power?"

One of the leading scientists standing next to him confirmed, "It's on solar alright. We've even built the containment batteries necessary to ensure it's able to fly even without having a prior launch."

"Not even the half of what we have here. Keeping something this secret is something that everybody should be seeing." Gawel turned away from the shuttle when he asked, "Is this the first step to something really big? I swear if we could build this in mass production we'd have space travel done in a cinch!"

Sally answered, "I hope so. If this thing is enough to win a war then that will be enough. We should get the sniper support team ready to move out since the shuttle begins to take of. You can establish contact private?"

Gawel took out his laptop and agreed, "Uh yes sir. I should be able to patch us through to Captain Houston. If the enemy picks us up… Well it pretty much doesn't matter anymore once we get off this rock."

Gawel handed Sally a microphone and she thanked, "Nice work Majewski." She gave the order, "Captain this is Lieutenant Colonel Po speaking. We're about to launch and we'll need you to be ready to attach and board the shuttle soon. Just get here when it's time, you're going to be needed and we'll need the other Gundams boarded as well. Have the Clankers ditched and get our men to bring them aboard."

Not only was Dana very disappointed to not have a chance to prove her worth to Sally, but being on stakeout for an enemy that didn't have interest in trying to find potential snipers was not an exciting mission. Her unease was not helped when she heard the pilot from the Uriel ask, "This situation going easy for you at all Captain?"

Dana continued to watch the ground beneath her when she answered, "Hardly. Those patrol units are just there and we can't do anything about them."

"I think I know what you mean sir. They just sit there waiting for us to take them out and even just a little bit of damage to the dome can put the whole city under risk."

The pilot from the Sandesgeist asked, "You think they might hold the city at gunpoint if we try to take them on?" Dana found herself silent when she listened to the conversation that started between the two pilots.

"Why would they turn guns on the only life supporting function on this whole rock?"

"Maybe not. A lot of the people in there would not be happy about having to fix a deliberate piece of damage."

"So this is a type of mission you been on before right Captain?"

"God damn it. This talking and conjecturing is making me more uneasy over here." Dana thanked herself when she found her channel was silent after saying so. She ordered in a resolved soldier's attitude when she reminded, "Try and maintain radio silence. We run the risk of being picked up." Her trigger finger wasn't any less itchy to engage with the enemy scouts but she was able to remind herself of the dangerous situation.

Dana felt a dash of relief when she heard the transmission from the Lieutenant Colonel announce, "Repeat. Captain, we are about to launch. We need you and the others to be ready to board the shuttle."

Dana checked her radio signal when she repeated the order, "I'm picking up your signal Colonel. You want us to move out there and prepare to board."

"Good to see this thing is working. The Solaris is going to be in launching procedures very soon. Don't stay back for anything. Leave the Clanker mobile suits behind and get the pilots on board when you can."

After receiving the order Dana confirmed, "Roger that Colonel." She changed her frequency to the channel with the nearby mobile suits nearby ordering, "Manning, Epstein. You're going to have a very important job pretty soon. We need to get the Gundams to the shuttle once it's ready to launch. Only use them to get to the shuttle and don't do anything else with them. You're given this opportunity to pilot them only because we trust your ability to handle them. They are valuable equipment, so don't even get a scratch on them. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." The pilot Trenton Manning confirmed.

"No need to elaborate sir." The pilot Nasir Epstein confirmed in a lightly irritated tone from such a long order.

Dana finished the order when she announced, "Everyone else. Prepare to move out but be ready to ditch your mobile suits. For all we know this shuttle won't have a lot of room. Move out!"

At that order the three Gundam units moved forward off the mountain side. The patrol units seen before were missing as the Earth Sphere mobile suits made their way down to the foot of the mountain.

General Aleksei Fedorov and his convoy placed their concentration on the center area of the city as the resistance continued its effort to make its way off the planet. His armored vehicle was at the head of a battalion of soldiers following the position of their leader. Aleksei looked out his window while commenting on the giant cylinder that stood in the city center, "The secrets of this city monument that were alluded to have always escaped me. Now they are right in front of us. It took us years to even begin discovering the secrets of this shuttle. and in mere moments the Earth Sphere has done away with a final obstacle."

His Colonel waited for the other soldiers to catch up when he agreed, "Their loyalties to their united Earth cause are commendable as soldiers. We shall have to see if they will cooperate with us or if we have to finish the resistance in a final encounter."

"The resistance has no other place to run to either way. Position the men at the nearest entrance and keep all eyes open for the enemy if they try to escape."'

The Colonel grabbed a phone when he ordered, "Yes sir. Divisions! Take watch at the east and west sides! Don't let any of them get past us! Move out now!"

The Coalition soldiers among the armored jeeps followed the order to move out as Aleksei watched them take positions. He observed the assembly while requesting from his Colonel, "I shall prevent them from escaping this scenario."

"Yes sir. The frequency of the main base is open."

Aleksei contacted the operators at his command center, "This is the General reporting. Activate the SCAB units now. Prepare to fire them if necessary."

The voice on the other line agreed, "Yes sir. Preparing primary firing sequences."

With the order given, turrets surrounding the city dome rose from beneath the red sand of the planet. The barrels shining with a mighty force that would have been blinding up close and prepared to fire its energy in whatever direction it was programmed.

Dana had kept her focus on reaching to the city dome before she saw the SCAB units rise from the sand. The Artemis stopped in its tracks while the remaining mobile suits stopped to recognize what they had encountered.

One of the Clanker pilots was left stunned when he asked, "What the hell? What are those things?"

Trenton watched the structures as they rotated in their spot. "No idea what those are. The Coalition's never shown anything like these on the field."

Nasir pointed the Sandesgeist gun at the structure when he warned, "Whatever they are, I think it's pretty safe to argue that those pointy things on them are most likely gun barrels."

Dana felt realization strike as soon as she recognized the structures as weapons. She scrambled to find the frequency Sally had given earlier when she warned, "Colonel! There's some kind of defense perimeter showing up around the dome!"

"What's the Captain trying to warn us about?"

"Sounds like something but the static sure is proving to be a problem."

Sally listened to the chat around Gawel's laptop when she reached for the nearby phone. "Give me that." She checked to make sure the channel was correct when she asked, "This is the Lieutenant Colonel speaking. You're saying there's a defense perimeter of turrets Captain? Are they targeting above the city dome area?"

Dana's voice was on the other line when she answered, "It looks like it Colonel. Just poking out of there will probably be a danger."

When Sally heard the warning she knew the alarm behind Dana's voice was legitimate. She gave the order through a nearby intercom, "Stop the thrusters! Don't take off! The enemy is waiting for us!" She hoped the order wasn't too late when she announced this through the shuttle intercom. They were now stuck in a very rough place just after having gained a sense of victory.

Alberto found himself less collected than usual when he asked, "What the hell happened? Was the Coalition waiting for this?"

Elias considered the situation before he answered, "There's no way they could have been this prepared. Stay on standby until further notice. We'll see if our guys outside are able to handle this or not."

Gawel's tried to scrounge for some hope when he said, "If they're only turrets then our sniper team outside should be enough to take them out. We'll have to hold our grounds until then."

Roy was next to him when he reminded, "Yeah easier said than done. The Coalition knows we're here by now and they're probably going to do anything to get this thing off our hands."

Sally wasn't any less determined when she answered, "And we're not going to let them have a chance at trying to get in either." She reestablished contact with Dana when she commanded, "Captain, engage the turrets and make it quick!"

"I read you colonel." Dana changed her channel when she contacted the Gundam units, "Good news boys. Looks like you'll be seeing some action after all."

Nasir prepared one of the Sandesgeist scythes when he agreed, "Yeah against some turrets? Better than just a routine patrol I guess."

"Don't let the dome get in your line of vision if you're firing. Both of you form up and prepare to engage! Clanker units are to remain behind!"

Trenton affirmed his preparation when he said, "Right behind you Captain!"

Nasir was next, "Moving out!" With that confirmation the three Gundam units launched towards the dome with the target turrets in sight.

Before the first shots were fired, Trenton saw one of the turrets rotate to the direction of "What the hell?!" He contacted Dana as he warned, "Captain that thing is turning its aim on us!"

Dana watched her target rotate when she confirmed Trenton's warning. The other turrets were unmoved but this one had different targets in its sight.

"It's got full directional support alright. Just worry about getting a hit!" With that order the three Gundam units raised their respective guns to the turret before unleashing a volley of fire at one concentrated point. Just before the gunfire hit, a massive energy field emitted as it ruptured the energy fire.

Trenton was among the first to recognize the problem when he warned, "I'm firing at it Captain! None of the shots are getting through!"

"How the hell do you accomplish that?!" Dana tried to search through the blinding light that blocked her vision before recognizing the problem. The turret didn't fire back but instead emitted a field blocking any energy shots coming forward. "Time to see if this thing can hold against a physical attack. You both have your weapons available, get ready to move in!"

The Uriel had its shield raised when Trenton asked, "This shield functions as a weapon doesn't it?"

"Remember to attack with the edge. Both of you go in and try to attack! I'll keep it busy!" The Uriel and Sandesgeist moved towards the immobile turret while the Artemis took aim with its buster rifle. The rifle shots from the Artemis collided with the field while the advancing Gundams neared in before the field began to shine brighter.

Trenton checked the main panel of the Uriel as he recognized the internal temperature readings steadily climb. "Ah shit! That shield is about to give us more problems Epstein!"

Nasir saw the temperature readings climb when he agreed, "It's exerting heat particles in our direction? Shit we're not even going to be able last that long in these!"

Even attacking from a distance, Dana caught the rising heat wave Nasir and Trenton had when they closed in as she asked, "Just one "screw you" after another isn't it?" She pulled the Artemis away from the range of the SCAB when she ordered, "Stand back both of you! Don't let the Gundams be damaged beyond repair!"

There weren't any objections when both the Uriel and Sandesgeist flew away from the turret range with their weapons in hand. The Sandesgeist landed next to the Artemis when Nasir commented, "Hope you have something to work with Captain! We don't even have a way of getting close to those junk heaps!"

"I'll show you how! This one's built for serious poundings!" Dana warned. The two Gundam units swept away from the Artemis as it made a dash towards the closest blind spots of the nearby turrets when the attacking Gundam prepared its own attack. As the Artemis continued to fire, the energy shots only dissipated through the energy field upon collision while the turret prepared to fire.

Nasir fired with the Sandesgeist gun on the field when he pointed out, "Captain, I thought you said that one packed a punch!"

Dana set the Artemis buster rifle to its highest settings when she warned, "Looks like these things take more punishment then I thought. Let's see it handle this!"

Within the main military base of the city dome activity had brightened as several operators watched the SCAB turrets in action. One of the turret operators observed the activity outside confirming, "We have confirmation of the enemy. They are attempting to attack the SCABs."

The commanding officer of the defense observed, "Certainly not enough of them to attack all of them. Unfortunately, they seem quick to learn that close attacks will not do them any good."

The main radar system gave a loud siren sound when one of the target planted itself in its spot and stopped moving. "We're getting a massive energy reading from one of them sir! This one looks ready to fire!"

The commanding officer recognized the situation when he ordered, "Turret 6. Switch to Absorption Mode."

"Copy sir."

"All turret operators prepare to switch to Rebound Mode."

With its buster rifle in both hands the Artemis fired upon the immobile SCAB. The shot gave way, the beam of energy from the rifle instead only collided with the turret instead of going through. Seconds passed before Dana saw the beam from her rifle die down and was left speechless. "Not even a scratch?!"

Before she could question her situation any further, she saw the turret lighting up and preparing a giant burst for its counterattack. "Ah shit!"

"That turret is absorbing the energy from the shot!" Nasir realized.

"Try getting behind another one Captain!"

Dana followed with Trenton's decision as she watched the turret prepare to unleash its energy. The SCAB unit released its energy towards the standing Gundam. The shot went past the Artemis as it dodged out of the blind spot between the turrets. Dana kept her eyes shielded as she tried to confirm the destruction of her target. Just like the previous shot she made, the energy was absorbed by the waiting turret. "Shit load of good that did! We're about to have a light show down here now!"

Nasir snapped at the growing sense of helplessness he had when he warned, "Captain! We can't do much else here! We've got nothing on them!"

Dana only had to think for a paused second before she saw Nasir's concern. Her defeat was given a more personal blow to her pride when she remembered who to report to. "Attention Colonel! We can't do anything about those turrets! They're taking everything we have and we can't even touch them!"

A brief pause passed before Sally's voice ordered, "Affirmative Captain. Retreat. Don't risk your life when still need some hope in here." The Gundam units didn't stop to have their orders reissued when they made a dash for the nearby mountain. The beam of energy the Artemis unit fired was unleashed behind the gathered retreat point. The three Gundams avoided the shot but could see what damage was done to the mountain side.

Trenton voiced his displeasure among the newly established silence when he cursed, "Damn it. We got screwed over hard."

Dana wasn't as vocal when she promised herself, "Those sons of bitches. They won't be able to handle me a second time."

As Aleksei Fedorov observed the shuttle shaft, he was able to observe that no further steps were being made when fumes weren't reported from the exhaust ports. "We can confirm they do not have any plans for launch?"

His Colonel watched next to him, "Most likely General. It's possible they have either already learned about the SCAB units outside or they have a severe issue with the shuttle we do not know of."

"We are only in a more ideal situation because of it. We have the resistance trapped within one space of the city unless they are prepared to meet their end." He ordered one of his nearby officers, "Prepare to engage the enemy. Now with their positions they have no choice but to hear out our offer to them."

The Captain confirmed the order, "Yes sir." The progress down the entry of the shuttle was done by the elevator with a company of soldiers prepared to engage at any possible resistance from the enemy. Their escape from the prison building might have been easy, but the resistance would see how they had no choice but to hear out the Martian General.

Aleksei ordered to his command, "If the enemy should be found anywhere near here, conserve enough energy to direct damage at the enemy shuttle as well. Don't have the possibility of escape open anywhere. And prepare a city announcement. I must prepare the men to hear out our day of triumph." He did not even listen to the other end on his radio before shutting it off.

Sally was reluctant to face the rest of the crew when she saw the pilots around her waiting for good news. She let out a sigh before reporting, "It's no good. Not even the Gundams are able to get past those turrets."

"What? You're serious?"

"I thought we were prepared for situations like these!"

"This is not the sort of shit we were supposed to hear!"

Mercurio was among the many soldiers to recognize that the shuttle was not going to be launching and recognize the defenses were more than what even the Gundams could handle. This and the shuttle were clearly too close to avoid major damage. Trying to understand what they were up against he asked Elias, "Did the enemy build these things out of anticipation for a clear invasion sir?"

Elias observed, "Either that or something to serve as a backup plan for this type of situation. Regrettable that between us and them the Coalition appears to have mastered the best possible defenses in this environment."

Alberto checked the nearest computer screen when he warned, "There's soldiers making their way down here. Should we do anything to prepare for them Colonel?"

The Colonel ordered, "I'll be meeting with them and find out what they have to say to us. If need be we will probably have to fight to the last man to prevent them from taking this thing."

Mercurio hoped to see that the Colonel was still clear headed by asking, "You won't go out there alone will you sir?"

The Colonel agreed, "Good point Yuy. Take the other remaining pilots and stick close to the Lieutenant Colonel and follow whatever she orders. And I do mean follow her orders exactly."

Mercurio agreed, "Yes sir."

Elias turned to Sally when he reiterated, "Lieutenant Colonel. You're to take the pilots outside and prepare for any possible hostilities in case the Coalition has plans to take us down. Make sure that they don't engage in anything beyond their duty. Is that clear?"

Sally agreed, "We'll do it Colonel." She turned to Alberto when she ordered, "Major, your team will follow mine and we'll allow the Colonel to do the talking. We will only engage if the enemy fires first so leave your most trigger happy at the back end." She saw Gawel working on the computer panels frantically and ordered, "Majewski. You're with me."

Gawel cursed, "Shit not again. I swear nobody has ever heard of specialization in just one area. I bet I could bypass the defenses if I was given a few hours." He kept ranting with this mindset while he prepared his pistol and wrapped a few grenades to his belt.

Donna was silent for the conversation as she loaded her pistol and hid it in her pocket with the safety on. Mercurio recognized her preparation when he asked, "You think this will bring out another firefight?"

Donna hesitated before she answered, "I hope not. The last one was enough to deal with as it is... I kind of wish I was back in the Sandesgeist already. At least we were assured superiority in our Gundams."

"The situation is different when we have to fight on our own isn't it? I didn't think we would have that fact in front of us more than once today."

"For the men who gave their lives today to rescue these scientists, I'll make sure that the Coalition recognizes what they got themselves into."

"The Colonel is going to be speaking with the Coalition. If somehow the best outcome happens. Just be sure to follow the Lieutenant Colonel's orders and she'll make sure this goes through without another fight."

"... You're probably right." Donna agreed as she tried to shake her doubts from her mind. She couldn't find it in herself to trust the Coalition but still recognized herself as a soldier. "If the Colonel believes something can be achieved then I will have to hope for the best from both of them." She followed the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel as they walked to the platform.

Sally observed the state of her troops and heard another hail on the laptop of Gawel set up with Dana asking, "Command the artillery units seem to be staying in place and there's no sign of enemy patrol in the area. Requesting authorization to engage again."

Sally quickly picked up Dana's frequency and ordered, "Denied Captain. Those things are powerful enough to hold off against everything you had for them. We need you intact remember. Wait until you have a plan of attack first. Stay in place, that is an order."

Dana accepted the command responding, "Yes sir. Sorry if I sounded insubordinate sir."

Sally accepted it telling her, "Don't worry about it Captain. We're all stuck in something really dire here. Just keep a clear head and we'll be able to return the favor with their surprise."

Dana agreed to the plan, "Roger Colonel. We'll maintain our position. Over and out."

Colonel Rumfoord found the troops were quick to prepare for the negotiations and could see the concern about the entrapment even in some of the more hardened ones willing to step forward for their duty. He spoke to the troops, "The Coalition isn't made of soldiers who execute the enemy on sight. If their leaders are willing to meet face to face with enemies then they will probably give us more than one option. The most likely scenario is they will ask us to surrender and come with them quietly. If they do bring up these terms then follow my instruction."

Alberto stepped forward for the group, "Does this mean we will be agreeing to surrender sir?"

The Colonel explained, "We may be given the option Major. If so then we will have to play along with them but we will have to take some extreme measures with the situation. We may have to self-destruct this shuttle."

The pilots overhearing became more visibly concerned when they heard this and Zachariah stepped out of his line, "Sir if we do that won't we end up dealing severe damage to the city along with destroying our hopes of defeating the Coalition?" The Colonel was able to see the pilot's concern knowing that no one signed up to go out in a blaze of glory by enduring a self-destruct sequence.

He addressed the question directly, "There are some stepladders still attached to the shuttle for the escape. We won't just throw out our fighting strength to the wind. Even if we have to, it is better we deny the enemy the chance to use it against us than let them have it."

Zachariah accepted the hope with some hope of getting out confirming, "Understood sir. We're prepared to follow your instruction." The crew was showing more concern with their trapped situation and even the hint of something to save themselves wasn't entirely reassuring.

The Colonel remained vigilant however and ordered, "We're only in a hard situation, not an impossible one. Let's not show the enemy we're afraid. We are the Earth Sphere military aren't we?"

The Earth Sphere pilots agreed in a chorus, "Yes sir!"

The Colonel saluted, "Good to hear I'm talking to soldiers. Even if the enemy has respectable men, we have to remember that we are fighting for a cause we all believe in." The pep rally was finished and the Earth Sphere soldiers marched towards the way they came in with the Colonel and the Lieutenant Colonel leading the way.

The negotiation began on the platform as Aleksei Fedorov was surrounded by several cameras with some directed at the Colonel as well. He greeted himself, "Greetings General. I am Colonel Elias Rumfoord. We are willing to hear out your conditions."

Even for all their public discipline the General could see the desperate situation the Earth Sphere soldiers were struggling with. Perhaps this will be enough to ease them into my proposal. He greeted, "Welcome Colonel. I believe you have known me for some time seeing how long my division has been here. I should thank Mr. Greg Blaylock for letting me know about what your plans were." He allowed Blaylock to step forward allowing his betrayal to be confirmed. The General continued, "I knew that you have the worst-case scenario in mind for such an impossible situation. However, I have no intention of wasting potentially powerful allies." He began to give his explanation when he signaled the cameras to focus on him and both the resistance along with the rest of the city would soon learn his ambition.

Seeing one of their own betray them was one thing, but for Sally to see something this elaborate among the Coalition ranks felt like far more than she could take in. She was lucky to find Blaylock before her seeing she had a few choice words for him. She drew him away from the cameras demanding, "This is crazy Blaylock! You sold us out to him?! After we placed our trust in you to our cause?!"

Greg answered her questions, "I can't sell you out Colonel. I can't sell out a cause I never even believed in. But now that General Fedorov is here, he's prepared to bring the ultimate solution for humanity." He pressed further with the argument by reminding Sally, "Don't you see it? Does Fedorov have to spell it out for you? We have what we need to isolate ourselves from the rest of humanity and then we will be able to create our own peaceful society at last!" Sally saw what was going through his head now. "You wanted to find a way out of continuing to fight for this war's duration. You really believe that man is able to pull off this level of isolation." He did claim to be part of the Coalition once but it was now clear he had no loyalties but to his General.

She sympathized, "I guess a war going on this long can drive people into this sort of thinking. I will warn you right now Blaylock, the Colonel won't stop until we're able to fight again. And you'll have to be a really smooth talker if you want to get out of this alive."

Greg wasn't just surprised by Sally's sting but by her defiance to the isolation being offered. He asked her, "What? Do you really think the human race is still able to save itself after everything we've failed to meet for ourselves? You really think we need to stay on Earth with that war still going on?"

Sally continued with her rebuttal with the same amount of disdain, "Very considerate of you to worry about us Blaylock. I'll have to say that I'm afraid it's what we still have to fight for. I know good men who would roll out of their graves to kick my ass for even thinking of turning my back on our cause. I know you can't understand what we want for the people on Earth, but that's what were' trying to bring to future generations."

The broadcast began with the General still on the landing entry platform with the Colonel and the soldiers in view. He began, "Greetings my people of Mons Ridge. Before you now is the resistance that has sought to free you from control of the Falson Coalition. Hear me now when I say that I not only desire freedom from the Coalition or from the Earth Sphere as well. I seek to give us as a people a chance at a new era of humanity. One in which we with the power of history and the strength of a new world that we shall remove ourselves from the great failure humanity has presented.

"We have seen the great failure of pacifism on Earth. Serving to be nothing more than an empty promise to delay the inevitable return of humanity's most repetitive habit. It is clear that the people cannot follow the Peacecraft path to unity and brotherhood. I can be certain of this much; if war is to be the only constant on Earth then I shall establish a new humanity upon this barren red planet. We will not be constrained by the forces of Earth to continue fighting and we shall uphold the path to total peace that humanity set for itself years ago.

"Here in this city a new chapter shall be written. Out here we shall realize what we have failed to do among the billions of who shall continue to fight among themselves.

"I now offer all surviving resistance members this chance. Will you cast aside your old loyalties in favor of my new haven for the human race? This great piece of technology you and the strength of the Gundams will be capable of bringing a new order for our race in a chance to start over. For years our only option to utilize the Solaris technology has been to scrape and only go so far as the surface. We were capable of creating simple constructions based on what it can achieve, but the possibilities of what our collaboration can bring can make our wish for a self-sustaining human city a reality. With our combined strength we shall have the power to push back the old humanity as ours grows and develop. It will form and grow to obtain the sense of unity that humanity has not seen for centuries! It is on this day that with the cooperation of all who live here we shall see the creation of a Martian Humanity!" The soldiers following the General stood in salute to their superior's ideals. Outside the majority of the Coalition soldiers stood in applauding support to their General. The support was given further by the civilian population outside who heard the speech offered their support in the same way. It was now clear that the people of Mars did not want to be a part of this war anymore, and their General saw the option they all wanted. Total isolation.

As the broadcast made by the General played in the briefing room of the Main Base, Tano was not pleased. He forced himself to contain his anger at the General wishing to break away from the Coalition to build a new nation on Mars. His squad was also in the room watching history unfold. He walked towards his superior.

"Captain." He said. "I believe we should be next to head out on patrol..."

Devon was quick to recognize the suggestion behind Tano's observation. "You read my mind Lieutenant. I may have to stop for some confirmation." Both Tano and Devon walked out of the room, his men followed. They knew what he meant.

Donna did everything she could to remain in her spot. The idea of defection from the Coalition seemed to come completely out of nowhere. Greg Blaylock had just sold out her fellow soldiers. It seemed that Mars was about to turn against them when they did come to help. She was tempted to draw her gun from her pocket out of pure instinct to the General's logic.

Greg stared down Sally after the speech, "You have commendable loyalty Colonel. However it seems your superior will have the final say on where your forces will go." The negotiation still stood and Sally knew what Greg said was still true. But she could not hope to believe the idea that Colonel Rumfoord would turn his back on Earth.

Everything Mercurio heard from the defecting General was a gradual test of his own discipline. When someone brought up his mother's policies to be criticized he was willing to hear it out, but having them used against him was another matter entirely. He continued to look down at the platform and grip his hands through the proposal until it ended and Elias began, "I must know beforehand General, what do you –"

"I won't join!" Mercurio interrupted. Before Donna had fully grasped her gun handle, Mercurio's interruption stopped her. Before the deal could continue he began to speak for the inner voice of all who wanted to be free from the madness of the General. He then began his own speech for the Coalition General, "Relena Peacecraft never made running away from war a way for peace. You're only letting our fellow man kill itself as though we're the only ones worth saving. People like you are why the Coalition… No, humanity isn't able to move towards peace! Her path to pacifism was her creation. But she survived to make them possible because she was still willing to show her path was worth fighting for!" His fellow soldiers didn't show any outward signs of support, but it was clear that his words did offer some boost of morale.

Even Colonel Rumfoord found himself impressed by the young man's encouraging words. Now will it present any chance to leave without engaging in battle? He wondered to himself as Mercurio effectively became the voice of his forces.

Donna listened as Mercurio countered the General's words with his own to defend the Peacecraft doctrine. Just being the son of Relena Peacecraft won't help. She chose to back him up with her own statement.

"Mercurio is right." She agreed. "You are no better than the Coalition. Isolation will make the war worse. The Coalition won't let you get away with your independence easily and the Gundams will not save you." She hoped that she was able to back her fellow pilot.

Aleksei listened to the soldier's defiant interruption with legitimate interest while also signaling the camera crew to focus on Mercurio. It was the sort of passion and determination he expected from a private, but certainly not any of the constraint. What was more he claimed to know about what Relena Peacecraft wanted for humanity but here he was as a soldier. Aleksei knew it wasn't hypocritical. He was a soldier who was now aspiring to obtain political power. But a mere private was speaking to him.

As soon as Mercurio was finished speaking, Aleksei signaled the camera off and began his dialogue with Mercurio, "You claim to know the ambitions and dreams of her youth. Do you expect me to believe that one so young is capable of understanding what she wished humanity to achieve? We cannot fight for peace. All you demonstrate is a willingness to contribute to the cycle of war. You have no power to stop the fighting; I can give us a new home. All you and your Colonel will achieve by defying my offer is a longer war and a further push from peace." The General hoped it would be enough to damper the spirits of this man. If he couldn't win over the resistance to his side, he would at least be able to shoot them down without any hope of winning.

He did however have another unexpected supporting soldier offering support to the one who from what he heard was named Mercurio. He agreed with the difficulty of the problem, "I can see how that this would be a concern worth of addressing. However, the turrets outside were constructed from the Solaris from what we have been able to salvage. Just for context, these SCAB units we have manufactured are powerful enough to bypass shields at a distance of three miles. If we had the ability to create something this powerful, we shall have the technology to force the invaders away from our new home world. That is what we require the full cooperation from the resistance for. This way we might use the Solaris as the basis of our new weaponry. We have already achieved it with the Scorpio units, we can even enhance them and create the most powerful mobile suit army ever created."

Despite the General's hopes to crush Mercurio's resolve he had his plans thrown back at him. Donna spoke a great deal of sense as for the reality of the situation but wondered if this man would even listen to reason at this point. If he was going to back down from his hopes of achieving an isolated Mars, he would have to see the folly in this attempt at peace. The General would have to see what he was trying to accomplish as a human being.

Even if it was a statement that would not dissuade the Coalition General away from his position, Mercurio emphasized his dedication to the Earth Sphere cause when he answered, "I don't claim to fight for peace. It has nothing to do with what happens in war and it can never be a goal any military action can make. I will only fight to allow humanity to have its path made a possibility. It's a path that both you and the Falsons are guilty of blocking. What I signed up to achieve is make sure that we have a chance to remove anyone who denies humanity its pursuit of peace."

Alberto would be lying if he said he was displeased to see Mercurio standing for what he believed in. "God damn it... I will have to discipline him for speaking out of turn like this." He continued to stand at attention with the others and hoped Colonel Rumfoord would be able to recover the situation.

Instead the Colonel continued, "I think the private just saved us a few hours of discussion. The short of it, we have a mission for Earth and we may have to go down fighting if we have to."

Aleksei nodded to Elias's observation before he requested, "I believe he may have Colonel. However I should like to see just how one of your own can maintain such a such a stoic stance on the situation. This is a confirmation I would like to hear from him myself."

Roy stepped from the formation when he asked, "You... Are you joshing us right now?"

Alberto stepped forward as he offered, "Permit me to go Colonel. I won't let any of these men and women fall before I do."

Aleksei addressed Alberto's concern when he said, "I do not intend harm on him. Merely the meeting of two men."

Alberto was silenced when he heard this and turned to Elias hoping for an answered. Elias turned to Mercurio when he asked him, "Yuy... Will you be heading up there on your own?"

Mercurio continued to watch the defecting General's actions before he asked, "Will the others be permitted to live if I agree to your request General?"

Aleksei nodded when he gave his promise, "I give you my word they will be left here."

There was a small pause among the gathering of soldiers before Mercurio answered, "I shall follow your request for now on your promise as a military leader."

An awkward pause took grip among the Earth Sphere soldiers before Roy asked, "You're... You're actually going up there kid?!"

Mercurio had taken two steps towards Aleksei when he answered, "If he has words he wants to share with me alone, then I will grant him audience." There were no further questions on the matter when Mercurio turned to follow Aleksei. Surrounded by several Coalition soldiers and with Greg watching him closely, both Mercurio and the General ascended the main platform leading to the surface.

Zachariah had his fists clenched before asking his fellow soldiers, "Kid's as good as dead up there. And we're just going to let him go ahead with Federov's request?"

Roy turned away from his formation when he commented, "If we're all dead anyway then what's a last chance for him to defect and pledge to a free Mars?"

"Stop with that kind of thinking!" Donna interrupted. To the pilots who weren't commanding officers the notion of her speaking out so loudly was enough to give them pause. "If Mercurio were behind the idea of this free Mars, why would he have stood against it in the first place!"

Roy didn't show any signs of backing down when he countered, "It's only common sense! We're getting stuck down here unless we want to try power housing our way out and he's the only one who was given a chance to meet with a bloody General!"

"And it's probably because of him speaking out that he was able to keep us from trying a suicidal venture like that!"

"Stow that talk!" The argument was ended as soon as Alberto interrupted. Both pilots were quick to regroup in their formation before telling both of them, "I know how much you all detest the idea of us giving Yuy over to the enemy, but we're not exactly in a bargaining position. All we can do is wait and see if this moment will have any grievous consequences." Alberto wasn't beneath the concern for Mercurio though when he faced the platform rails and sighed, "Yuy... You better come back here in one piece..."

"Get in line sir..." Gawel said under his breath.