Another conversation that very well could have happened behind the scenes after episode 13. I forget why I decided to write two shots for one episode, but I did like the mix of bold, regular, and italic font to denote different speakers without resorting to "he", "she," and other pronouns.

I was off in regards to what would happen in the next episode, but not by much. (I was expecting a two-power alliance, not all three.)

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I disagree. He may not have captured a gundam, but that was through no fault of his own. He had conflicting orders, and acted in our nation's best interest every time.

Our nation's "best interest" is to capture a gundam, so that we can take its technology into our own. He had two opportunities the like of which we've never had before, and he squandered them!

As much as I hate agreeing with my friend in uniform there, the soldier in question did the proper action. As the man on the spot, he acted to fulfill our agreement with Azadistan and insured that the government was not overthrown. We have increased our credibility in the region, and that can only help us in the future. We will have another chance.

He had a Gundam completely still the first time, and the second time one was entirely unarmed! Two regular Flags and one of our Custom designs could have easily captured it. At either point, capturing a gundam would have been worth the diplomatic costs.

You have looked too much at the surface of things, then. While it's true that to our knowledge Acre is the only pilot to have ever engaged the sniper in close combat, that is no guarantee that he would have won. The gundam had discarded its rifle and taken out its short range guns, and was still entirely undamaged. There was no guarantee. And had not clue as to where the sniper was during the hostage return. In all likelihood, trying to capture the sword gundam would have led to our taskforce being shot out of the sky.

Besides, do you really believe that they would risk a Gundam when they could have just turned the man over somewhere else? They were making a political statement, and had we appeared around the world to have not only destroy the chance for peace, but to also have failed to capture a Gundam, our leadership of the Union would have been endangered. Ever since Celestial Being intervened in Moralia, President Brian has given us all strict orders not to inflame anti-American sentiments anywhere, especially with our strengthened presence in South America as of late.

Your state department people are all the same. There is going to be anti-American propaganda any, and yet you take baby step around what could make it all irrelevant. Tsch.

That's because we know that we can't escape the consequences of screwups, unlike you people who think that any Intelligence screw up can just be hidden and forgotten.

Gentlemen! Save your inter-agency sniping untill after we finish this report for the President. Now tell us, any progress made in regards to the Human Reform League?

Yes. We were surprised when they approached us, but with President Brian's permission we may have a joint operation in, if not the next few weeks, within a few months. Rough terms have already been agreed, and what remains is more detailed-oriented.

Such as?

This is more of the State Department's area. Roughly, we both agree that should a gundam be destroyed or capture during an operation in which both parties have made real assistance, we will share data and research on the gundam in joint research labs. Besides some safeguards to prevent one from withholding Gundam data from the other, we also agree to not share the data with the Advanced European Union and other proofs of good intent. Some of these have already gone into effect; we have already shifted support for Siri Lanka rebels over to the European espionage networks, and the amount of propaganda and aid for anti-American groups in South America has already reduced. Of course neither of us will entirely stop what we think we can get away with, but that is typical.

Good. I'll make sure that gets into the briefing. For the final piece of business: any remaining objections for keeping the current status of the Anti-Gundam taskforce in regards to pilot Graham Acre?

None here. I suggest that a note recognizing his decisions in keeping and improving our relations with Azadistan be placed in his service jacket. From the state department view, he made the best decisions.

I don't agree with that, but I won't argue that he has become our Gundam expert, being the source of most of our data and information about the Gundams. And that our investigators have found no hints of foreign influence over him or any of his peers.

Consider both of those duly noted. I might also remind everyone that he is to date the only man we know of to have survived three sorties against the Gundams without being shot down. His experiences and anti-gundam tactics are already being taught to select pilots across the Union. We haven't had many engagements with Celestial Being, but we also seem to be having a better combat rate than most. I will also not that in the appropriate report. Now, does anyone have any other issues to bring up? No? Then I call this meeting over.