Falcon of Tekkadan

Chapter 32: My Friend

Once the crew of the Hotarubi managed to get down to the surface through the SAU, Kenji, Mikazuki, and Hush got into their Mobile Suits and went to the battlefield where McGillis is located.

"So, we're going to save Mac?" Kenji asked.

"Yeah, Orga told us not to let Chocolate Man die." Mikazuki said.

"Hush, you ready?" Kenji asked.

"I'm ready." Hush said.

"Hopefully we'll find the people who started this war as well." Kenji said.

The three of them got something on their radars.

"Over there. Chocolate Man is fighting against..." Mikazuki pauses. "Takaki and Aston?"

"So, the Earth Branch is being manipulated, that means Radice has betrayed Tekkadan." Kenji said.

Barbatos immediately flew up and got the drop on the mysterious Mobile Suit that has its gun pointed at McGillis while he's being restrained by Aston, who was seriously injured. Phoenix also flew up and did a slash attack on the other mysterious Mobile Suit, cutting off an arm in the process. Both Gundam Frames got in front of McGillis and Phoenix pointed one of its guns at the Mobile Suit that nearly killed McGillis.

"Orga told me not to let you die." Mikazuki sounded a little irritated. "But..."

"Mac? What did you do to Aston?" Kenji asked.

"I was defending myself." McGillis said. "But it looks like your people were being manipulated by someone else."

Hush appeared in his Shiden. "Mr. Mikazuki! Mr. Kenji! What's going on here?"

Kenji turned to the mysterious Mobile Suit. "Identify yourself immediately! Are you the one who started this war? Are you the mastermind behind the attempt on Mr. Makanai's life? Is Radice Riloto of Tekkadan's Earth Branch your accomplice? Answer me!"

The pilot didn't answer, it just started to retreat while the other Mobile Suit three a grenade to cover their escape.

"They're getting away!" Kenji said.

"Like I'd let you go." Mikazuki was about to chase them, but then he and Kenji heard Takaki's voice.

"Aston! Aston!" Takaki was trying to open the cockpit of Aston's Mobile Suit. "Aston, I'll get you out!"

"No, forget it." Aston said.

"Forget what?" Takaki looked at Aston. "No... No! Because you were there for me... I was able to make it here on Earth. After leaving Mars, I was so scared if I'd be able to make Fuka happy. But because you were by my side... Because you became my friend..."

"Not me." Aston started. "You, Takaki. And Fuka. I wish I'd never met you two. Human Debris can't survive if they have feelings. If you mourned a friend's death, you'd be crushed. We survived by killing our own souls. But... But... I really wish... I'd never met you all. Because..."

Takaki managed to get his hand on Aston's face. "Aston!"

Aston saw Takaki was crying. "Because I don't wanna loss such life... while I have to die now." Aston started crying too and made a smile. "But... Thanks." He then went limp and fell silent.

Takaki then started screaming very loud, loud enough for Kenji and Mikazuki to hear.

"Rest in peace, Aston Altland." Kenji said as he prayed, then he became angry. "Radice… you traitor…"

The Hotarubi crew soon discovered that Tekkadan has lost a lot of members from the past month and that Radice was working with a mercenary by the name of Galan Mossa, the one responsible for keeping this war in a stalemate. Luckily, Radice managed to obtain the location of Galan's hideout so Akihiro was going to hunt down Galan himself while the other Tekkadan Mobile Suits prevent any mercenaries from escaping. Kenji, Mikazuki, and Hush were waiting in the trees nearby the hideout during the night.

Hush spotted three of the mercenaries. "They're coming."

"I'll lead, so you two just follow me around." Mikazuki said. "Hush, don't try to do what you can't." Barbatos went ahead.

"I can fight, too." Hush said.

"Remember what I said, look at death straight in the face without freezing up from fear, and you can call yourself a Mobile Suit pilot." Kenji said as Phoenix followed Barbatos.

"How hard can that be?" Hush said as he started following as well.

The three Mobile Suits engaged the three enemy mercenaries in combat. Phoenix and Barbatos were doing very well against their opponents, but Hush's Shiden was having a bit of trouble. It wasn't long until Hush was knocked down. Just before he was about to receive the killing blow, Barbatos kicked the Shiden out of the way and take out one of the enemy's shoulder armor.

"Don't get in my way." Mikazuki said before he took off.

"Wait..." Hush said, then Phoenix arrived to check on Hush.

"You froze up from fear, didn't you?" Kenji asked.

Hush tried to explain. "I..."

"No need to say anything, it's clear to me. You have a long way to go before you can call yourself a Mobile Suit pilot." Kenji then went back into combat.

The battle was eventually finished with Galan Mossa killing himself by activating his Mobile Suit's self-destruct function just as Akihiro was crushing him with Gusion's giant scissors.

The next day, Kenji, Mikazuki, Eugene, Akihiro, Takaki, Azee, and Lafter we're in the same room with Radice. Eugene was currently questioning Radice about his betrayal while Kenji was beating him up, but the traitor was trying to play innocent.

"We trusted you! You bastard!" Kenji yelled as he was punching Radice in the face. "Grandpa McMurdo also trusted you! How could you do this to all of us? To Takaki? Aston died because of you!"

"I've told you Kenji, you've got me wrong. If we crossed Galan Mossa, the Earth Branch wouldn't have had a chance. I did it to protect Tekkadan." Radice said.

Eugene held up a tablet to Radice's face. "Then what is this personal contract you had with him? Your money and safety are guaranteed in exchange for selling us out."

"That's..." Radice was stuttering. "It was to trick that man. Don't you understand the game of diplomacy?"

Akihiro grabbed Radice's collar and pulled him back to the couch. "Don't move." He looked up to Kenji. "Kenji, got any more punches?"

Kenji just kept punching Radice in the face and in the gut. "You traitorous bastard!"

Eugene groaned. "This is ridiculous."

"What are we even talking to him for?" Mikazuki asked. "He betrayed Tekkadan. He let our people die in vain." Mikazuki pulled out his gun. "Therefore..."

At the same time, Kenji stepped back and grabbed his katana. "How would you like to die, traitor? Gun or katana?"

"No!" Radice pleaded.

"Let me." Takaki said. "Let me talk with him."

Eugene was surprised. "Takaki?"

"What for?" Mikazuki asked.

"This is the Earth Branch's problem." Takaki said. "Mr. Chad left me in charge. Let me settle this."

"Takaki's going to kill Radice, isn't he?" Kenji thought.

Mikazuki got up.

"Hey, Mikazuki." Eugene said.

Mikazuki offered his gun to Takaki, who grabbed it.

Everyone cleared out of the room, leaving Takaki and Radice alone.

"Why'd he want to be alone with him?" Eugene asked.

"Takaki won't let Radice go, will he?" Lafter asked.

"He'll most likely execute Radice with Mikazuki's gun." Kenji said.

"What? I can't imagine Takaki killing anyone." Lafter said.

"You're right. He's a kind boy." Azee said.

"He just watched his best friend die in front of him, he'll need someone to blame." Kenji said.

"We don't know what went on here. Takaki might've felt some kind of attachment to that traitor, Radice." Akihiro said.

"Finding out that the person you trusted was lying to you the whole time, right after seeing your best friend die right in front of you because of those lies. That traitor just dug his own grave." Kenji said.

"What should we do? Should we go and stop him?" Lafter asked.

"Forget it." Mikazuki said as he started to walk away.

"You're right. This is the Earth Branch's problem to begin with. With Chad hospitalized now, Takaki can make the decisions." Eugene also started to walk away. Akihiro and Kenji followed soon after.

"Akihiro! Kenji!" Lafter called out.

"Takaki said he'd settle it himself." Akihiro said. "However he decides to do it, I'm for it."

"Like I said, the traitor dug his own grave." Kenji said.

After a few minutes had passed, the guys stopped when they heard three gunshots in the distance.

"It's finished then." Kenji said.

"I guess so." Eugene said.

"Yeah." Akihiro said.

Mikazuki started walking back to that room. "I'm going to get my gun back from Takaki."

Later in the afternoon, Kenji and Mikazuki went to visit McGillis at the wreckage of Galan Mossa's destroyed Mobile Suit.

"What were they?" Mikazuki asked.

"An organization under the influence of Rustal's faction." McGillis said.

"So, your rival on the Seven Stars orchestrated this war to discredit you? Is that it, Mac?" Kenji asked.

"Yes. But all proof of that has become nothing but ashes." McGillis said.

"Proof?" Mikazuki asked.

"The mercenaries we captured know nothing about that. Seems like this Galan character was very cautious. He managed all the records by himself with software on this machine." McGillis said.

"Of course. Only an amateur would be dumb enough to leave behind any evidence, he must have been a professional." Kenji said.

Mikazuki was impressed. "Really."

"I forgot to thank you two." McGillis said. "Especially you Mikazuki Augus."

Mikazuki was trying to find another palm to eat but couldn't find anything. "It's my job."

McGillis then offered some chocolates to Mikazuki, who just took one. This irritated Kenji a bit.

"Why does Mac always have chocolate on him? I'm getting serious pedophile vibes from him right now." Kenji thought.

"When you and your Barbatos saved me..." McGillis started. "It was like watching a scene from the legend of Agnika Kaieru."

Mikazuki just looked at McGillis while he was eating the chocolate piece. "Agnika?"

"Gjallarhorn's founder who also helped end the Calamity War, right?" Kenji said.

McGillis looked up at the sky. "That's correct Kenji. The man who created Gjallarhorn."

"Mac must really look up to the guy." Kenji thought.