Chapter 10
RedRat8- No axis. Yes, to Cima flashbacks
Synapse's quarters
It didn't take Synapse long to recover from the revelations the woman has given him that she was a former Principality of Zeon soldier and that she was a collaborator with the Delaz fleet. Once he did recover, he looked at the woman with a stern look on his face.
"If all what you said is true, why are you giving me information about the Delaz fleet's plan?" Asked Synapse, looking at the woman with suspicion clear on his face. Cima just smiled at that.
"Simple." Said Cima. "I want the Delaz fleet to fail in their attempt to bring back the Principality of Zeon in the coming days." She then patted the briefcase in her hands. "And this briefcase has all the information you need in order to stop them completely." Synapse just frowned at that, still not trusting this woman. It was clear to Synapse that this woman wasn't lying in that she was a former soldier of the Principality of Zeon, her stance was clear on that, but what wasn't clear to Synapse was why she would give intel that could spell doom for whatever the Delaz fleet was intending to do with the stolen Gundam. For all he knew, this was an attempt to mislead the Federation so the Delaz fleet can achieve their goals easier by diverting forces away from their true goals.
The woman can see that he wasn't buying her offer, so she smirked.
"I can see that you don't trust me." Said the woman. "That's actually good. That means you're not as dumb or glory hungry as I thought. That means you can easily become the hero that the Federation needs in order to prevent the Delaz fleet from completing their goals." Synapse can hear the sincerity in her voice and though it surprised him, it still didn't leave him convinced of her sincerity of helping the Federation.
"Even if I was as corrupt and stupid as you once thought, I still would be cautious in being given intel from a soldier of a government that I had fought in a devastating war." Said Synapse. "Even more so when they are collaborators of other soldiers of said government that have refused to accept the futility of continued fighting against the victors of that war." Cima just nodded at that in understanding.
"I suppose." Said Cima. "But still, you are in desperate need of information regarding the Delaz fleet, are you not? And I'm willing to provide you that information for free." She then gave the briefcase to Synapse, who reluctantly took it from the woman. "At the very least look into the contents. It may be quite illuminating for you. Who knows? It might even convince you of my sincerity." Looking at the woman with a frown, Synapse, nonetheless, opened the briefcase and looked at its contents. Cima watched as Synapse carefully searched through the contents of the briefcase, eyeing all of it carefully. The black-haired woman felt great satisfaction at seeing the man's eyes widen in shock as he read each and every piece of information she had in the briefcase. It was only when he finished going through it all did, he looked at her with shock in his eyes.
"This is…this is utter madness." Said Synapse, recovering from what he had gleamed into from that briefcase. With all that information in that briefcase, there was no denying that the woman was telling the truth. There was simply too much information for him to deny the woman's sincerity. But still. What the Delaz fleet was planning was utterly insane. What are they thinking? Doing another colony drop on Earth again?! Using nuclear weapons?! Synapse couldn't even imagine the public backlash on Side 3 when it becomes public knowledge of this Operation Stardust. Things were already precarious enough for Side 3 at the moment, things would become even more precarious for them when the other Sides learn of the Delaz fleet, former Side 3 soldiers that refused to recognize the treaty of Varik. There will also be people that will criticize the Federation as well for allowing such a renegade group of soldiers to attempt such an operation, but they'll likely be a small group of people that will be a minor nuisance to the Earth Federation that'll also likely be swept under the rug when the Federation media notices them, even more so when the Federation stops them at the most critical parts of the operation.
"Do you believe me now?" Asked Cima, looking at Synapse once he recovered. Sighing, Synapse looked at the woman before nodding.
"Yes, I do." Said Synapse, looking at Cima. "That being said, why are you doing this? You're a Zeon soldier. And since you're not within the Side 3 militia, as far as I know, so why are you helping the Earth Federation in this." Cima just frowned at that. "If you wish for me to completely trust you, I need to know the reason why you're doing this. I'm still going to deliver this information to Federation high command, but it'll help my mind if you can tell me the reasons why you're going to help us in defeating the Delaz fleet." Cima pursed her lips at that, wondering if this was a good idea or not. She didn't like telling her past to anyone, even those she trusted, but given the man's insistence and the fact she needed his complete trust if she wanted to complete all her objectives, she relented.
"Very well." Said Cima before telling her story. "Like you said, I was a Zeon soldier for Side 3 during the One Year War. A mobile suit pilot to be precise. I was there when operation British was being commenced. And I was there when we gassed a colony in order to use it as a projectile against Earth." Cima winced as she recalled that day.
Four years ago
Cima
One Year War
Cima couldn't help but feel despair as she saw what her and her fellow soldiers have done to the people of the colony their high command had ordered them to attack. But instead of using conventional forces, they used nerve gas in order to prevent any casualties on their forces. They said that it was going to be painless and that the people in the colony would recover later, but reports from soldiers that have knowledge on what was going on in the colony were reporting in that the people are dying with those close to the origin points of the G3 gas having their skin sloughing off as they died. Some of the soldiers were in shock at this information while others were shrugging it off, seeing it as necessary in order to win this war quicker, but Cima couldn't do nothing but look at the colony in horror as its people are being killed off by the G3 gas. Gas that she helped unleash on it.
Gaping at the horror she unleashed on the colony, Cima wondered how the Federation and the people of Side 3 will react at this. Killing civilians is considered a war crime for all corners of the Earth Sphere and violating this rule would most likely end badly for Side 3 when word of this travesty spreads throughout the Earth Sphere. And Cima knew that she was the others that had helped commit this travesty would become pariahs for this. Not that she expected anything less from her people.
Tearing up at all this, Cima felt a tinge of anger and hatred coming from her for her nation, specifically those in charge of it and for those that authorized the usage of G3 gas on this colony. And the days following that day, she never spoke about that festering hatred to anyone, allowing it to grow in the coming days of the One Year War.
Present
"So, that was the start of your disillusion with your government?" Asked Synapse, causing Cima to nod. "If that is the case, why did you continue to being a soldier for the Principality of Zeon?"
"Because I still had reasons to support my nation and its goals. And my patriotism was still strong, despite that hatred." Said Cima. "Call it naivety, but I still believed in the goals of my people and I still had a home in the form of my home colony of Mahal." Said Cima before she tightened her hold on her fan. "But then the end of the war happened and everything changed. You recall the colony laser? The one that Gihren Zabi tried to use at A Baoa Qu?" Synapse nodded at that. How couldn't he? If that thing had been used against the Federation during the battle of A Baoa Qu, he doubted they would have won that battle at all. Maybe even lost the war due to the casualties they sustained from that thing firing on them. "Well, they used my home colony as the base for the solar ray system, making me and all of my men homeless. And you know what we got in return? Nothing. Just a letter of appreciation from Gihren Zabi or a promise of aid when the war is over. And you know what happened to the latter." Synapse frowned at that, knowing full well what happened.
"I see." Said Synapse. "I assume that left you with very little love for your people then." Cima just grunted at that.
"That's an understatement." Said Cima. "The day I lost my patriotism is the day my home was lost to me and all the people that called Mahal were left homeless. The fact that Gihren still thought that victory is still possible against the Federation just compounded all that. *Scoffs* And the people just gummed it all up and followed him like brainless sheep. You know what I received when I asked my C.O., at the time, if all of what we're doing is just pointless. That it's all for naught? He laughed at me and told me to stop worrying and to place my faith in Gihren Zabi. For it was all we needed to win against the Federation. *Scoffs* Imbecile." Synapse frowned at that, wondering why she still continued to fight for Zeon if she had such negative thoughts. Cima must have saw that and smirked. "I didn't continue fighting for Side 3, if that is what you want to know. I decided that day to no longer fight for Side 3. Rather fight for myself and to get vengeance on the Zabi family for all they did to me." Synapse raised an eyebrow at that.
"How?" Asked Synapse. As far as he knew, no Side 3 personal fought with the Federation at A Baoa Qu or any other conflicts. Cima just smiled at that.
"How did you think the Federation managed to find the Solar Ray system in time?" Asked Cima, causing Synapse to widen his eyes in shock.
Three years ago
Cima
Zanzibar II
"Lieutenant Colonel Garahau, we've located a single Pegasus carrier in the radar." Said the radar operator of the Lili Marleen, a Zanzibar II warship for the Principality of Zeon, as Cima smirked at this information. That was excellent news to her. Very excellent news. Now she had a way to gain vengeance on the Principality of Zeon and in a big way too.
"Excellent." Said Cima. "Quickly, establish communications with them. Before they launch their mobile suits and annihilate us." Her crew, following orders, did just that and quickly opened an open channel to the Pegasus carrier. Like their commander, the crew of the Lili Marleen had become disillusioned with the Principality of Zeon with their recent actions and so have joined Cima in her quest of enacting vengeance on the Principality of Zeon for all they did to them and the Earth Sphere, but mostly on them for taking away their home of Mahal. Unfortunately, they were just a handful of people and ships against an entire nation's military, however diminished. So, they won't be much of a dent to the Principality.
Fortunately for them, they have some information that can tip the scale in the One Year War if given to the right people as well as giving them a big shot on inflicting a major blow to the Principality of Zeon, far more than what they can do on their own with that information. And right now, they had a perfect opportunity now.
A Federation Pegasus carrier this deep in Zeon territory meant that it was crewed with some of the best Federation soldiers and pilots in it. Perhaps they even had a Gundam mobile suit in their arsenal. Even if they didn't, they still must be of great skill for the Federation to send them behind enemy lines. And that is enough for Cima. And if they weren't as good as Cima thought they were, then shame on the Federation and she'll just looked for something else to use to get her revenge. She just hoped that this Federation ship and its crew weren't the shoot first and ask questions later type.
Fate seemed to be on her side, however, and soon the channel they put up was answered by the Pegasus captain.
"This is captain Lombard of the Federation ship, Thoroughbred." Said a Federation officer with graying hair with a beard as his face appeared in a screen in front of Cima's command chair. "Addressing the captain of the Zeon ship that opened up an open communications channel." With that Cima spoke to the captain of the Federation vessel.
"This is colonel Cima Garahau of the Principality of Zeon military." Said Cima. "And I believe I have some information that you may find quite interesting." Lombard raised an eyebrow at that.
"And what information would that be?" Asked Lombard, a bit surprised at hearing this. He thought this small patrol would go in and attack them. Yet here they were planning on giving them some information. Lombard wasn't a fool, though. This was very likely a trap, but something about the honesty in the woman's voice made him second guess that.
"Information about a powerful Zeon superweapon." Said Cima, causing Lombard to blink in surprise before humming.
"And why would you be giving us this information?" Asked Lombard. "That superweapon may be the only thing that will win you the war. Why give us this information?" Cima just twitched her lips at that.
"Let's just say I become disillusioned with the way my nation." Said Cima. "A bit late, yes, but what can I say, I was a fool." Cima then gave Lombard a glance of annoyance. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness. Nor the forgiveness of the rest of the Earth Sphere. In fact, I care little about the rest of the Earth Sphere. What my crew and I want is simple. Revenge against our nation for this war and bringing so much misery on us. Nothing more." Cima then clinked her tongue before speaking again. "So, I'll cut it straight to you, captain. You either take the information I have and let me and my crew live to continue haunting our former allies, becoming heroes of the Federation in the process. Or not and allow countless Federation lives to be lost. All because you don't trust me." She then crossed one leg over the other. "You better choose now, captain, because every second you waste is another second you give the Principality to prepare the weapon and use it against your comrades at A Baoa Qu. So…what will it be." Lombard just stared at the woman for a moment before giving her his answer.
Present
"So that is how Lombard found out about the Solar Ray system." Thought Synapse as Cima finished her story. It was a source of debate amongst the Federation military on how Lombard and his crew managed to find the Solar Ray and then use it against the Principality of Zeon at A Baoa Qu. When asked by both the media and high command, he simply said they acquired the information from a Zeon patrol, but that was all he and his crew was willing to provide. No details on how they managed to acquire it or what it costed. Now he knew why Lombard kept it a secret. And now he had to thank him because it was likely that, had he exposed Cima to the public, they might have never been able to stop this Operation Stardust in time. Sighing, Synapse spoke.
"Okay, that clears somethings up, but I still wonder why Delaz has any hope of this operation restoring the Principality of Zeon." Said Synapse. "At best, the Federation will experience some embarrassment at failing to protect one of their prototype Gundams from an underequipped enemy, but that is just the extent of it. I don't see how it can bring about the second coming of Zeon." Cima just shrugged at that.
"What can I say? Delaz and his whole damn fleet are insane and stubborn." Said Cima. "They refuse to see that the days of the Principality of Zeon are gone and that the Federation is here to stay. They refuse to accept that the chances of the Principality ruling the Earth Sphere are now gone and that the nation itself is gone as well. What's more, they think that dropping a colony on Earth will have the other sides help them out and support them. Insanity at its fineness." Synapse couldn't help but agree at that. If anything, that will just justify the sides in supporting the Federation and donating money to Federation forces that are dedicated to seeking out and destroying Zeon remnant holdouts as well as lowering public opinion on Side 3. This Operation Stardust will do more harm than good for Side 3 and Delaz seems to not see it that way. "Now, do you fully trust me?"
"Not completely, but enough for me to take this information seriously." Said Synapse as he closed the briefcase. His answer caused Cima to smile in satisfaction.
"Good enough." Said Cima. "Now, before I leave and allow you to do what you need to do to stop Delaz and his insanity, I need you to know that my men will assist you in dealing with Delaz. Once that stolen Gundam fails in its objective, Delaz will try to regroup at his fleet's headquarters and figure out a new plan. That is when you and the Federation come and finish them off. When you come, my men will come and assist you in dealing with them. Don't worry about friendly fire. You'll know us when you see our ships and mobile suits. My men are the only ones that have Gelgoog mobile suits in the entire Zeon remnant force participating in this operation as well as having brown Musai cruisers and a single Zanzibar warship." Synapse nodded at that, promising to notify high command of that when they launch an attack on the Delaz fleet. Smirking at that, Cima then left the man to his devices. Just before she left, however, she spoke again.
"And captain." Said Cima. "Just because Delaz is going to be taken care off, doesn't mean your work is done. Nor the Federation for that matter." Synapse raised an eyebrow at that. Before he could ask, Cima spoke again. "There's more fish for you to fry. Some of them quite close to home." With that, Cima left him to his own devices. Frowning, Synapse wondered what she meant by that when he suddenly received a call from the bridge. Answering it, Synapse asked what that situation was.
"Sir, there's a broadcast airing across all military and public channels." Said Simone. "It's from the Delaz fleet." Upon hearing that, Synapse steeled himself and told her that he was on his way to the bridge. Ending the call, Synapse walked to the bridge with the briefcase that will end Delaz and his lackies for good.