"The tension between the workers of the Dort Colonies and Gjallarhorn erupted into a shootout after a series of explosions of unknown origin rocked the Headquarters of the Dort Company."
A lie. Well, a half lie. The tension did devolve after explosions, and the instigator of the explosions was unknown, but the timing of events was too perfect. Everything was a little too organized for Jessica to let it go.
The higher-ups at the news station were more than willing to let the sleeping dogs alone, especially after Gjallarhorn expressed a sincere interest in the direction of the story. Governing bodies controlling the news; it wasn't anything new to human history, but it wasn't something any self-respecting field reporter could easily stomach.
"The plaza is currently under Gjallarhorn control. Residents are advised to avoid the area and stay at home. In response to the firefight, terrorist attacks have been popping up across the colonies. Gjallarhorn is doing what it can to subdue the protestors and asks for any information to be directed to its hotline."
The words slipped off of her tongue easily enough. The teleprompter helped. Dan insisted on having one present, being updated live from the production room back at the station headquarters. Couldn't risk upsetting the fearless protectors of peace.
"Mr. Navona Mingo has been confirmed dead. He was believed to be a leader in the Plaza Gathering. It is unknown whether the order to detonate the explosives came from him or from another leader within the party."
The Dort Colonies thrummed and shuddered like an angry insect nest. The staccato of rifles and the dull booms of explosives could be heard even in the station leading to the civilian Space Ports. A crowd gathered in front of the elevator doors, pressing forward and shifting back like an angry hive. Some were asking what was happening while others tried appealing to the humanity of the stoic Gjallarhorn officers.
Neither mother's tears nor child's screams moved them. Their expressions were unreadable behind their visors.
Opposite the elevator doors was a panel of monitors; a slightly smaller hive loitered around them. A news channel was broadcasting live. The desk reporters droned on in a back-and-forth about the events of the past few hours.
I glanced over at Kudelia to see if she was watching, but her eyes were fixed on the floor. She clung to Atra's hand and seemed so small beneath Mika's jacket. Blood stained her shirt, though physically she was uninjured.
I wanted to comfort her, but I had no words. An angry knot twisted in my stomach. There was nothing I wanted more than to throttle whoever had made her upset, her and Biscuit, but I was powerless. What was done was done; I could only stand there in silence and pain while the reporters droned on.
"Mr. Navona Mingo has been confirmed dead. He was believed to be a leader in the Plaza Gathering. It is unknown whether the order to detonate the explosives came from him or from another leader within the party." I glanced back at the monitors, now there was a single woman speaking. She had dust on her sweater, her hair was slightly disheveled but her voice was clear. Her eyes moved back and forth as she spoke, obviously reading.
She implored people to stay inside and cooperate with officials. The word "terrorist" was used multiple times to describe the Workers. Gjallarhorn would probably hate to have them labeled as Freedom Fighters; Terrorist was a better term for a dangerous foe.
"The Company's armed launches and Mobile Suits are launching from each Space Port. Their goal seems to be to support the protest movements within the Dort 3 Colony." The Reporter said. The monitor flashed to footage of Mechs and transports leaving different hangars.
Orga stood beside me; he put himself between me and the crowd with the wall at our backs. It was a standard defensive position: the weaker members of the group behind the stronger. He probably didn't even know he was doing it. Biscuit, Kudelia, Atra and Yamagi stood beside me with Mika, Shino and Eugene forming the rest of the barrier.
"If we tried contacting the Isaribi, we still have the problem of a transport." Eugene said.
"The main Arianrhod fleet, who were on alert nearby, is subduing the situation in small conflicts around the colonies." The screens changed again to show battle ships and small cruisers firing on the rebel launches. Gjallarhorn mechs were ripping through armed Dort Mobile Suits.
"Fleet Headquarters are issuing the following statement: We have the advantage in terms of strength, and are confident the damages will be minimal. Peace will return soon." The reporter was back on screen and continued to implore people to stay calm. The screens switched over to live footage of the combat.
The pirated lunched and suits were being crushed on all sides by the better-armed Arianrhod fleet.
"That's not combat. They're being tortured to death." Mika said. I couldn't agree more. Shino and Eugene were tense, their hands balled into fists at their sides. Mika's eyes were glued to the screens, his mouth set in a hard line. No matter how they felt it was Orga who would decide whether or not we did anything about it. I was itching to see the new improvements to the Gusion on a test run.
"It's not right to stand by an watch them be slaughtered." Shino growled.
"Can't we do anything?" Eugene asked.
"What would you do? If we go out there guns blazing, we'll be crushed." Orga said sternly; though I could tell he wanted nothing more than to send all of our Mobile Suits out to support the Workers.
Teiwaz's orders were to fly under the radar and not draw attention. "Going out in any capacity will draw Teiwaz under fire from Gjallarhorn." I said.
"We can't just ignore this though." Eugene looked at me, I held his gaze until he looked away.
"They called us knights of hope! Would a knight just stand back and watch people be butchered."
"Depends on the knight." I murmured.
"I said no!" We al looked at Orga, who never raised his voice unless he was particularly frustrated, "Our job is to safely escort Kudelia to Earth, NOT to get involved in every conflict we come across."
Biscuit stepped up to support him. "If we don't fulfill our promise after everything that's happened… "
All of our sacrifices would be in vain.
Noah.
Shino and Eugene started to argue, but a quiet sound shushed everyone.
"I…" she hesitated but soon her voice grew stronger, "I can't go to Earth like this. I set out to Earth to negotiate a better future for the people of Mars. But it's not just Mars. The people here are also oppressed, stepped on."
Assassinated. Used and then thrown away like trash. Like my parents, like the kids at CGS and in the Brewers. Like so many people across the solar system. I found myself nodding along to her.
"If I can't save them… If I can't stand up… No one will listen to what I have to say. I have to do something." She looked at each of us; I nodded encouragement when she turned to me.
"Even if I go alone. I won't run… not again. Like Fumitan told me, from a book we read when I was little: I want to become hope."
Orga considered her words before asking each of us what we would do. Eugene and Shino were already itching to fight. Atra nodded, Yamagi looked at me but Orga looked to Mikazuki.
"I'll follow your orders, Orga… But I don't want to see them keep losing like this."
Orga sighed and rubbed his neck, "You guys… I guess just standing here won't do us any good."
Biscuit sighed in defeat, poor guy was too outnumbered, "I guess we'll just get arrested if we wait around. There may be another way to get out of here."
"In the Center of Dort 3 it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop. But now and then the sound of gunfire can be heard echoing from the industrial and residential areas. Though the Arianrhod fleet is suppressing the pirated Mobile Suits and Launches, Protestors are still resisting throughout the colony." A blast shuddered through the colony and a new stream of smoke erupted from a building in the distance.
Before Jessica could continue, Dan signaled for her to cut the program, "That's enough, pack it in."
"What?" She asked.
"Why pack up now?" Leo grunted.
"HQ says no more about the poor state of public safety, too damaging to the colony's image as a safe place to live." Dan shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Can't go breaking images now, can we?" Jessica said bitterly. This stank of the government inserting itself where it didn't belong.
"So much for reporting the truth." Dan agreed.
Jessica opened her mouth to reply when something caught her eye. A green jacket and a shock of blonde hair disappeared around a corner. Dan must have seen it too because he jogged off to investigate without another word.
"Leo, don't pack up the cameras just yet." She ordered before following the field producer. A field reporter had to be ready at any moment. Maybe this was hers.
"Hey! You guys!" She heard Dan yell, "Wait!"
They were all kids, the oldest no more than twenty if she was being generous. Nine in total, the oldest ones moved to block the younger ones and the girls from view. One of the girls put herself in front of the blonde girl from the plaza. The protective girl was pale and there was blood staining the left arm of her jacket. "That's the reporter from the news" Jessica heard the injured girl say to the tallest boy. Her voice had an edge to it, either from fatigue or pain.
The tall boy was certainly handsome with eyes that were a shade of gold and hair that seemed to shift between grey and a light purple; in a TV series he would probably play the young hero. Or maybe the anti-hero, she changed her mind.
From the way the others in the group glanced and positioned themselves the injured girl and the handsome boy were the ones in charge. They were the ones to watch.
"You were with the protesters, right?" Dan asked, he looked right at the blonde girl and seemed not to notice the glares coming from the other two boys.
"Me?" The blonde girl asked.
"Can we talk for a bit?" Dan continued.
The handsome boy and a brunette boy almost his height moved to close off the reporters. Everything from their facial expressions to body postures promised threats. Jessica remembered war veterans and mobsters doing the same in shows she watched as a girl. It clashed with how young their faces were.
"Sorry, but we're in a hurry." The handsome boy's voice was harsh and heavy.
"It won't take long," Jessica stepped up. She'd heard somewhere that smaller bodies and higher voices were less threatening to animals, and these kids seemed ready to spook. "Please, the story that's being reported is too one-sided. It goes against everything I stand for as a reporter."
Jessica looked at each of them but her eyes were drawn to the injured girl. She had freckles sprinkled over her nose and the brightest green eyes Jessica ever saw. There was sadness in those eyes, but also something hard. Jessica dropped her gaze after a few seconds. She didn't want the girl to see her as a threat.
"We need to report the voices of the workers too, as best we can." Dan followed up.
The handsome boy closed the distance between himself and Dan, "I said we're in a hurry."
His arm moved in threat but the injured girl caught it with her good arm. The blonde girl moved forward, "Please wait."
She stopped when she was in front of Dan, at the head of the group; "I came from Mars with a message. Can you help me deliver it?"
Mars.
There was another girl traveling from Mars; a girl who supposedly championed the plight of poor Martians and wanted to negotiate for their freedom. She was the daughter of some Martian politician. The news station was working on a story about her. All approved by Gjallarhorn of course.
"You're…" Jessica trailed off.
"My name is Kudelia Aina Bernstein." The girl finished.
Dan seemed puzzled. Jessica couldn't blame him, he was more concerned on the news in the field while she was trying to work her way up. "The girl from the independence movement." She explained.
"This is the Isaribi." Merribit's voice rang out through the Launch's speakers. There was an audible exhale of breath around the tiny craft.
"It's me," Orga replied.
"Boss? What about the rest of the crew? Nadi is threatening to man a rescue ship."
"Tell him this is why I don't take breaks." I said into the speaker. Orga frowned at me, I grinned up at him before turning back to the monitor. I hit send and hoped the message got through.
"We'll get caught up later, I have new orders"
Behind us the reporter was explaining the back-story of the Dort protests to Kudelia. Shino and Eugene listened to her while Yamagi helped Mika pull on a space suit. The two men with the reporter observed everything; one had a camera but pointed it at the ground for now.
Orga confirmed the new orders and switch contacts to the Hammerhead.
"You can't be serious." Naze complained when Orga explained his new plan, he didn't sound all that surprised.
"At Kudelia's request, we're heading to Earth with a bang" Orga said solemnly.
"We're too well-known as a teiwaz affiliate. You'll be on your own in this." Naze replied.
Amida watched Orga's reaction. She traded her usual easy grin for a stare that would chill bones. We'd known they would hold back if it came to this.
"Well, if it's decided… don't make me look bad." Naze grinned.
"Yes sir."
"Did Eco get the design plans I sent earlier?" I stepped forward into the camera's view. Amida frowned when she saw how I held my arm, but didn't comment on it.
"She did, there wasn't time to implement the full design but the base is there."
I grinned, "good."
Orga closed the communication line and stepped back. Mikazuki was ready to leave. He was in space walk equipment with a hand-held navigation unit clipped to his belt. He was small enough that any mech would see ignore him as another piece of debris on an already cluttered battlefield. Orga bumped fists with him and wished him luck. Mika just nodded and headed to the airlock.
"Will he be alright by himself? He's just a kid." The man without a camera asked.
"There's no need to worry. He'll be safer than if we flew out with him." Biscuit assured him.
The launch monitors showed different views of the colonies. Fuel, oxygen, and sparks mixed explosively to announce one death after another. It was a grotesque display. Most of the Workers probably never experienced a real fight before now, and they were up against the Arianrhod fleet. They were considered the best in Gjallarhorn.
Biscuit stood beside me at the monitors. "I feel so small standing here. All of… this, " he waved at the screen, "is impossibly big."
"I know" I didn't really, but saying that wouldn't help.
We stood together for a while until by E-pad beeped angrily.
I fished it up out of the large cargo pocket; half amazed it wasn't chipped or cracked from the earlier excitement. The Barbatos's system layout blinked across the screen with the words "Unit activated" flashing in another window.
"Mika's on his way." I reported. A cheer went through the launch, though the reporter and her crew looked thoroughly confused.
Biscuit pulled up the Barbatos's location on a monitor; he would reach us in a minute or so.
"What exactly is he coming back in?" The reporter asked.
Atra pointed up to the monitor showing a pair of mobile suits struggling. One was dingy and scuffed while the other was obviously top-of-the-line and well maintained, it was easy to tell sides. Suddenly a white blur slashed between the two, leaving the Worker unharmed and the Gjallarhorn suit immobilized.
"Oh." The woman's eyes widened at the site of Mika and the Barbatos.
"Shino, we're ready to move out." Orga ordered.
"You got it boss." Shino seated himself at the launch controls. The reporters repeated some passcode to allow us to undock. The little launch rocked forward unwillingly, as if it knew we were going to sail through a battlefield.
If they were flying through a battlefield, you'd never know it by looking at the kids. Dan and Leo practically shook, though Jessica herself wasn't much better. She tried taking calming breaths but even that failed there was no sound but the monitors showed the battle raging around them.
The protesters were being slaughtered by the Mobile Suits of the Arianrhod fleet. Though the Gjallarhorn Suits weren't completely safe themselves: a white Mobile Suit stormed across the screens, leaving the Protester suits untouched and the peacekeepers in ruins. According to the small girl with short hair, that was the short kid who'd left the launch with nothing more than a space suit and a navigation unit.
"Who are these kids?" Dan asked.
"They're the ones who'll get me to Earth." The blonde, Kudelia answered. She never moved her eyes from the screen showing the white Suit. Jessica remembered reports of a white Mobile Suit being spotted in the skies above Mars. It was supposed to be part of the Tekkadan gang's fleet.
The injured girl, Aurora her name was, watched the screens and her E-pad. She looked to be getting updates about the Mobile Suit's status. She'd said something about designs earlier, could it be she was some sort of mechanic? Or was that something an engineer did?
One of the boys, Shino, was piloting them across the field while a young boy clung to the shoulder of his seat. Jessica couldn't help but wonder what each of them did. Were they all mechanics? All pilots? Where did they learn all of this at such a young age?
"They're a bit young for a transport mission, aren't they?" She asked Kudelia.
"The young ones are on the Isaribi." The last tall boy, a blonde with striking green eyes and a perpetually frowning face replied.
"But aren't there adults with you? Aren't your families worried?"
He gave her a confused look, "the crew is our family. Not many of us have blood families to go back to."
Jessica wanted to press on but a warning siren screeched in her ears.
Aurora swore in a way that made Jessica's face turn bright red. The Blonde boy rushed into the seat beside Shino, he started typing out commands.
A Mobile Suit was rushing for them, gun raised… But a larger ship blocked it. The body was red with a stylized logo in white on the nose of the craft.
"Yamagi! Make sure the Graze is ready for launch, don't let Nadi storm over you too much." I yelled to Yamagi before turning toward the Bridge. The Gusion was on the Hammerhead and the Barbatos was launched, there was nothing for me to do in the Hangar. Especially with one working hand. I grimaced, just thinking of my arm made it throb.
Shino and Eugene herded reporter and crew up to the Bridge with Atra leading the way.
I had to work to keep pace with Orga. "You should be going to the Medbay." He growled.
"And possibly spend my last few moments of life alone. Not gonna happen." I tried to sound calm when I was anything but.
He didn't reply.
"H-hey, we didn't sign on to help you guys fight or anything." The man shouted up at us.
The other two were making similar noises before Kudelia replied softly: "Please do what they say, I'll be back shortly. I have some preparations to make."
She kicked down the hallway leading to the sleeping quarters.
"Nice timing Chad!" Orga called when we filed into the Bridge. Eugene and Biscuit went to their spaces at the monitors. I had no assigned spot so I stood behind Orga like I'd seen Amida do for Naze.
"Sorry to worry you guys." Orga said from the captain's chair.
"I'm glad you're all safe" Meribit replied.
"I thought they were gonna shoot us down." Eugene laughed while he logged into his terminal.
"Mikazuki's the reason we're still in one piece." Biscuit added.
Atra led the reporters in, they still seemed unsure of what they were doing there. I was pretty sure I had an idea of what Kudelia was thinking, hopefully she could pull it off.
"Who are they exactly?" Chad asked.
"Um… there's a reason…" Biscuit trailed off.
An explosion rocked the ship before anyone could think of a reply. The screens showed a purple Schwalbe unit flying away, one of the same units that attacked us when we launched from Mars.
"Shino are you ready to go?" Orga shouted into the comms. With Akihiro in the Gusion, Shino would be in the Graze Kai; Yamagi's charge now. It was damaged in the fight with the Brewers, but we had enough parts lying around that it was nearly good as new.
"Ready any time!" Shino's voice sounded through the bridge speakers, I couldn't help but smile. He managed to sound enthusiastic no matter the situation he was heading into.
I heard Yamagi tell him to be careful before loading Shino into the launch. Shino, in typical form, jauntily told him something about not needing ice flowers just yet.
"Shino Norba, Ryusei-Go. Freakin' going!" The monitors showed him throttling away from the launch.
"Who let Shino name his own Mobile Suit?" I asked Orga, he just shrugged. There were people who named suits and then there were people who slapped cool sounding words together. Shino was the latter.
From the monitors I could see Shino come into contact with the purple Schwalbe unit. He must have said something over the battleComm because the enemy hesitated before raising its blade arm at the last second.
The Ryusei-Go was only the start of the Kai's remodel. Instead of a patchwork of white and Graze-green, Ride repainted the whole mech a eye-stabbingly bright shade of pink with an eye on either side of the "head".
They were too far away for the Isaribi to pick up the battleComm signal but if I knew Shino, he was probably taunting the other pilot. Or saying pink was a man's color.
On another monitor Mika was trying to pin down a unit I'd never seen before. It was purple like the Schwalbe but the basic frame was different. It had higher speed and agility capacities than the Barbatos, which was painfully obvious. The enemy looped in to ram Mika with a lance.
The mechanic in me winced when Mika caught it instead of evading. The lance was a part of the unit's arm a clever way to avoid being disarmed but also an easy way for Mika to trap him. The Barbatos raised its mace to crush the enemy's main sensory apparatus… but cannons hidden in the armor at the enemy Mobile Suit's shoulder allowed the Suit to escape. The enemy threw the Barbatos away with a force that ripped the mace out of its manipulator.
The enemy unit looped back around to impale the Barbatos.
But the lance slipped harmlessly off of the Gusion's shield.
"Now we get to see what you and Eco cooked up on the Hammerhead." Orga said to me.
"Just you wait." I said. The Gusion wasn't as fast as the Barbatos, but that was fine it wasn't meant to be. We made the mech to account for the pilot. Mikazuki was small, fast, and versatile. Akihiro was built to take a punch and send it back four-fold. Their fighting styles would reflect that.
"Sorry I took so long." Akihiro's voice rumbled over the Bridge's directComms.
"You're right on time Akihiro." Orga called back.
Akihiro shot three rounds from the Barbatos' long gun into the enemy to push it back and give Mika time to regroup. He tossed it over after firing another round for good measure.
The enemy swooped back, quick as lightning, but Akihiro blocked his assault. He and Mika traded off attacking and defense. Mika drew him close and dodged away while Akihiro let the blows land ineffectually on his shield.
Shino was doing his best to keep the purple Schwalbe occupied but it managed to slip past him and leveled its cannons at the compartment holding the Bridge. I grabbed Orga's shoulder and felt his hand cover mine. One good hit was all it took. It was one of the design flaws for this ship model, and a contributing factor in the line's discontinuation.
"Get back!" The ship's comms picked up Shino's battleComms. The Ryusei-Go barreled into the Schwalbe and knocked its aim off-target. The violent impact rattled the ship enough to make the reporters shout in fright. Though everything seemed to make the reporters shout in fright.
"Sorry!" Shino called to us.
"Idiot! You should've had him by now!" Eugene yelled back at him.
"B-but, it's my first time." Shino stammered back.
I heard the woman reporter ask if the guys were okay. Atra trailed off in her answer, but another voice, a stronger voice answered for her.
"They're fine." Kudelia said while she marched into the Bridge.
Meribit's terminal beeped, "A quantum encrypted message." She reported.
"It's from Nobliss Gordon, correct?" Kudelia stopped on the other side of the captain's chair. She nodded at me before turning back to the monitors. How the heck did this girl know Nobliss Gordon?
"Yes…" Merribit trailed off.
"What are you planning?" Orga asked. I didn't like the way he was looking at her. She was the client, but I was pretty sure he'd go against her orders if we were put in danger. He didn't like being left out of potentially life threatening plans.
On the side monitor the Schwalbe blocked the Gusion from hacking through the unknown unit. From the looks of it, the Schwalbe wouldn't be a problem until it got a full work-over.
If only the two Mobile Suits were our biggest problem.