Even as victors are selected, there are many who chose not to submit to their greatest falls. Just as there are those who attempt to avoid being subject to the consequences of their actions, there are those who are more than eager to reap what they have sown. Where many see an ending, the strongest see their defeat as a reason to struggle for the cause that is most important to them. Such has been the nature of humans since the dawn of war. It is for those who live to witness history that such defiance is judged. The year is After Colony 225. This principle remains unshaken.

Episode 58: Beginning of an Unforeseen Cleanse

Among the many new recruits who were integrated into the ranks of the Rogue Wings, Mercurio and Zachariah were pleased to see that their members had been given the bolster they were hoping for. The reminder of what their current purpose would fulfill. It left them both with a sense of hollow accomplishment. Mercurio asked, "It's kind of hard to get used to this sort of situation isn't it?"

Zachariah agreed, "We've got wide eyed recruits out here again and ready to go out in a blaze of glory as an ideal case scenario. Got to admit though it kind of just feels like we're piling on shit at this point."

Roy observed from a nearby crate as he smoked a cigar and asked, "Yeah. We're just looking forward to seeing more meat ground through this unending war, aren't we?"

Mercuiro asked, "I take it you aren't letting yourself be too angry at this point?"

Roy threw the cigar at Mercurio's feet when he told him, "Worst case scenario I say we're just getting ready for nothing at this point. Here I was never thinking I would have the chance to get far in this war and now I might as well be a mass killer waiting to be let loose into the wild. Hell, it ain't my fault that I was never a pussy at heart all along."

The three pilots heard a man's voice ask, "You guys usually this mopey?"

The three turned to see Richard and Elna behind them before Zachariah answered, "It's hard to be the optimist when you see some real shit. Corny as hell to say but it is something that you find out for real at some point."

Richard observed, "From the sounds of it, you guys were able to endure a lot more than what we had the chance to see."

Roy confirmed, "Be glad that all you guys had to deal with was your opposing forces. I literally got to watch my assignment turned on its head and pulled inside out at this point."

Elna remembered, "Yeah I can see why somebody might be a little taken by the idea of… well what you went through to get here. I guess unwillingly causing another series of problems might not have helped either."

Mercurio agreed, "The president sent us on a mission that was meant to help us win this war. Under any other situation I should feel like I've done my duty. Like I've helped the Earth win a war it was struggling to win. Now every day it feels las though I've been doing everything the Coalition accused the Earth would become."

Richard asked, "So you think you've been fighting for some kind of ambitious society this whole time, do you? I agree that not every governing body is exempt from having skeletons in the closet, but this big reveal is something that's been affecting all of us."

Mercurio remembered the grief the Lindemann family was going through with the discovery of what Klaus Ulbricht had done in the connection of Franz from 19 years ago. Zachariah agreed, "The craziest thing is that all of this seems to be carried out by just one guy. Like he's somehow been able to gather the right people next to him to cause all of this shit and that came after he thought about what he was going to be."

Elna added, "It does explain how far he wants to win a war. But did he really anticipate that it would take place? Did he do all of this just because he wanted people to get back on a war treadmill?"

Richard confirmed, "That's something we should try to figure out. There's the public records and everything, but there has to be something that would clue us in on what kind of person he really was. Maybe that Dafina lady can dig up some of that dirt for us Yuy?"

Mercurio agreed, "If she can find any information that might give us a clue, it could be done. Me? All I have to look forward to is seeing if anyone here is ready to go on a serious mission when we get called again."

Roy confirmed, "Even when the Gundams won the Eve Wars there were still assholes who wanted to keep fighting. We've had a few retreats from what I saw, and I don't plan on letting them get off so easily."

Elna gestured in the direction of the new pilots when she told them, "I think you might be better off worrying about having the others feel welcome here. They are all anxious to see the main heroes of the Earth Sphere show them around."

Mercurio agreed, "Seems like the captain is still busy with the Artemis. I might as well take the initiative."

Zachariah followed him when he encouraged, "Try not to sound like you've been utterly defeated, these guys are relying on us to set an example."

Roy watched the two walk off while Richard asked, "I take it he was a bit different when he made the jump to Mars."

Roy lay down on his crate when he confirmed, "He sure was. He was our company foot kisser and stuck up rooky before. Now he's about how the average soldier should be. Just a little sad to see become a thing when you consider how much hope we originally had."

Elna commented, "I only got to see just a few of my guys fall when we defended Berlin. Our guys even got a hand of a Scutum unit before we had to see them blow up with just one shot. Honestly after surviving for as long as we did, I feel kind of shitty after not shaking the world like the Gundam did."

Richard added, "A pretty dangerous way to look at our remaining time. Like we're all about to be completely taken into the idea that killing is the only way we can redeem ourselves. Of course, we've been asked to embrace that way of thinking for a while haven't we?"

Roy agreed, "Even a few of us who did manage to recognize that fact are having trouble accepting the idea all together. That's the big weakness that Mercurio has right now."

Richard asked, "What kind? The fact that he spared the Tallgeese just because he didn't want to kill his cousin?"

Roy didn't hesitate when he plainly told him, "Yes."

Elna told Richard, "I think there might be a few pointers around here that Mercurio can offer. That guy there isn't going to cause any trouble is he?"

Richard shrugged his shoulders when he told her, "Can't see him doing much. Apparently, he's only about as dangerous as Suchart is right now."

The two walked off as Roy was left to himself to comment, "Hmph. Showoffs."


Mercuiro stood in front of the new recruits when he asked, "Okay guys. Introductions."

The first soldier greeted, "Private Nick Walker."

The second one greeted, "Private Robbie Coffin."

The third one greeted, "Private Rudolf Flint. Are you a superior officer?"

Mercurio answered, "Just a guy your rank trying to get an idea of who's who is all. Now we have a chance to show you guys around and tell you how things work around here."

Frederic and Daisuke made their way to the three new recruits when Robbie asked, "So are all of the reports real? I was worried that you were probably going rogue again. What I'm hearing it seems like the former president was a secret nutter in the end."

Nick asked, "You're Heero Yuy's kid aren't you?"

Mercurio sighed when he answered, "Yes. And I came to the frontlines because I volunteered to be here two years ago when I began to serve my mandatory term of service."

Nick pointed out, "It seems like you get that question a bit more often than you like."

Frederic agreed, "There aren't that many people who had a chance at a handout when it comes to Gundam. Maybe we can assume that some of them are actually worth taking seriously."

Nick agreed, "I get he's probably had a few more opportunities to prove himself in the past few months than a lot of people have. I think it's pretty mental that most of the people who thought the Eve Wars would mark the end of human conflict only to end up here."

Mercurio asked, "You've had family in those days?"

Nick confirmed, "My Uncle Oswald had the opportunity to see the Sandrock and Heavyarms tear Corsica asunder. Before he was another casualty anyway. He was supposed to have said a few times that a free gathering of colonies would mark the undoing of humanity. Maybe he was right, but I sure hope his idea of keeping them in check isn't what everyone is afraid that it will come to."

Mercurio told him, "The fact that you're willing to question if any of this is the right scenario is enough for you to prove that you believe in a better humanity than what many might give us credit for. This is something that a lot of us go through, but if you ever come to the idea that everyone who opposes you deserves to die don't let yourself be controlled that way. I went through it and I regret everyone who had to die because of that."

Rudolf observed, "That's pretty hefty for a fellow private to learn and try to tell others. I wish I could hear everything that lead up to this becoming a thing."

Mercurio told them, "Let's just try and keep our heads in the present and look at everything as new guys okay? Daisuke you said you been with the Lindemann brothers for a while, haven't you?"

Daisuke pointed in the direction of the three Nornir Gundams when he confirmed, "Those are the guys who stood against Celler's brigade and gave them hell for so long. You're looking at three of the hardest guys I know."

Mercurio walked over to them while Christian greeted, "Hey nice to see the new guys are anxious to meet everybody."

Christoph added, "We're all here to give support. We expect you guys to do the same."

Robbie commented, "I don't think we can expect having any serious guns for ourselves like these things, right?"

Mercurio confirmed, "As far as I know there don't seem to be any more in our armory that we've been preparing. You'll have to see if any of the technicians have something up their sleeves. Until then you'll just have to stick to what you've been used to."

Elna told them, "It's not such a bad deal really. At least we won't be one of the primary targets."

Nick made his way over to the spot Zachariah and Mercurio viewed when he asked, "So I take it you guys have been pretty easy together for a while?"

Mercurio kept his view forward when he answered, "We both became more than just brothers in arms at this point. I' haven't seven been able to speak with Keijo for a while."

Nick told him, "I'm really just more worried about how much I'm going to trust you for the remainder of these operations. The captain seems to be a solid leader, the brothers been through some shit but still have their heads on right. For some reason, only you and that Lindemann chick seem to be less than ready to jump back into action."

Mercurio corrected, "Just stuff that's on our mind is all. We are not performing any better or worse than we could have otherwise."

Zachariah told him, "I think Nick has a bit more than just a little worry about how you're talking."

Mercurio told them, "The captain is willing to hear out any complaints you might have."

Nick answered, "It's something I need to see dispelled yourself Yuy. I was told that the Gundam pilots were always a bunch of mentally strained schizophrenics. How are you supposed to be worth fighting next to? Your family name doesn't even have a lot of weight behind it."

Mercurio told him, "It doesn't. Heero Yuy doesn't know a great deal about his past but he learned a long time ago that he was the only one who could determine what sort of man he was."

Zachariah added to the account, "Believe me, me and some of the remaining pilots who started out in Warsaw actually had a priority mission to have the Gundam pilots taken out if they ever went out of control. That includes the captain."

Nick commented, "You guys must have had a pretty crazy commitment to be ready for that day. From what I can see though it doesn't seem like you made much of an effort."

Mercurio told him, "Roy did. He used to just be an asshole for the time everybody ever knew him, now he's just desperate to survive. He planned to kill me, the captain and Donna in hopes of going home. We ended up giving him a bit more of a life experience than we though. Now I'm just worried what he's going to be like if this ever ends."

Nick agreed, "Those are some more substantiated thoughts than I thought I'd hear from anybody. Even when that happened you make it sound like it was just a minor insult that didn't need to be addressed. Seeing you guys still here and doing so much just to have a shot at ending the Coalitions hold on the capital makes me wonder just how crazy you guys are to achieve what you kicked off. I don't think I would even be able to handle the stress. For all I know I might be dead a while ago."

Zachariah confirmed, "More than a few of us haven't been able to make it here and they had to come to terms with being on the run. More than a few of us I think might be reeling from the fact that we don't have a solid conclusion of whether or not we're actually finished fighting after this long."

Mercurio added, "Some of us had to come to terms with our weaknesses as well. I honestly have no idea if I'm going to face the people I've disappointed and shaken ever since I got back here."

Nick offered, "How about we renew that promise then? We keep each others backs and make sure that we continue to act in the best interest of the Earth. I bet it's what our leaders would want. It's probably what our fellow pilots would hope to see done."

Mercurio told him, "It might be hard to see to the guys we've had for a while, but I can see why new guys like yourselves might find the idea to be a good one. Me, I really think it might be more important to ask ourselves who we should be looking up to. If the people who are higher ranked than us are prepared to give everything for the cause of a unified Earth and if they are doing so for the good of the human race."

Nick agreed, "All well and good. We've got a lot of goals to set for ourselves. I just hope we aren't about to crush underneath the pressure of handling all of them."

Mercurio stood up as he looked to the sky outside and confirmed, "I've seen a few areas I'll have to handle myself, but it's probably something I'll just have to deal with for as long as I live now. If it becomes worse, it will all be because of my actions and my choices."


As Donna looked over the footage in an effort to discern what was attacking the Coalition and Earth Sphere forces, she was only able to process the amount of devastation that was being achieved before she asked herself, "These can't be the Sol Theros can they?"

Her father asked, "You are referring to these mobile dolls that Franz apparently authorized? What sort of sense does it make to have them destroy both forces?"

Donna tried to be firm with her answer as she shakily told Till, "The ambitions of Franz are more than destroying the Coalition. He wants to destroy all of us."

Till shook his head as he brought the video play from his hands. Donna was able to recognize there was no disappointment for her answer, but for what he allowed himself to fall victim to. He confirmed the concerns Donna had when he told her, "The only benefit to this scenario is that now OZ will perform what its true duty was to achieve. To ensure that the leaders of Earth would not allow destruction of such scale to come to pass. To prove to the colonies that we are not subservient to the will of one man's chaotic vision. And yet all of this was made possible because of the man who hoped to support me. Because Franz was capable of going behind my back simply using one to God knows what ambitions he had for these things."

Donna took her father's arm when she told him, "You aren't the only one at fault. It was because me and the other Gundams that the Sol Invictus is about to be operational. We were all manipulated into committing an act that is dangerous for the entire human race. The only failure any of us achieved was in striving to fulfill the duty that we were tasked with fulfilling. The only way that any of this could have been prevented is fi the Coalition was successful in destroying us or the Solaris."

Till sighed as he registered his daughters answer. He parted away from her when he sat himself down in an arm chair and rubbed his right temple, "It is an unfortunate tragedy how right you are Donna. That the realization of these accomplishments was the exact catalyst for what perfect storm Franz was hoping to brew. No matter what his ambitions might have been, my resolve must be to ensure that mine are greater than his. These opportunities of betrayal I have had to endure for these brief periods are ones that I currently have to promise myself that I will not be defeated only because I allowed trust to cloud my judgement."

"Was your judgment clouded purely because you allowed others to strive to achieve what you hoped for?"

"No. It was because I believed that the underhanded nature of achieving some greater schemes was not something most men are capable of answering. And yet that number continues to grow whether it be in our favor or in favor of Franz and whoever supports him now."

"Perhaps it may be both our errors. I believed that my fellow soldiers were all included at some point. In retrospect, perhaps they all had some fault that would upend who they were."

Till was interested by the claim when he looked up to see his daughter reflect on the current situation. He noticed her face gave sign of disappointment as she looked to her side and had no motion other than despair. He asked her, "Did one of them try to betray your group as well?"

Donna regained her focus as she looked to her father and answered, "Not quite so. There was a man among us who wanted to see all of us die because he hoped that he would be spared if he was returned back to civilization. I believe you know that Warsaw's main squadron was tasked with keeping me and the others in check?"

"Yes. I always hoped it would be nothing other than a formality. I suppose the scenario where you and the others were stranded out in the Sahara and forced to kill two generals would result in at least a few deciding that this mission would have to be done. Even if this man is still alive, the fact is that he has stuck along for this long to see the capital be retaken. He was just a mere private, wasn't he?"

"Roy is a private. But he was only the catalyst for shaking a man I thought could be someone great."

"Hm. Quite the troublemaker that one it seems. Unfortunately, I can only empathize that your willingness to utilize such a man was setting yourself for disappointment. I must remind you that idealizing the best qualities of someone only leads to a mighty fall once you see what can cause them to fall."

"Is that how you were able to be so strong when you saw what Klaus was capable of?"

"Very much so. I believed him to be a good friend for a number of years but when it came time for me to face the reality of what he did to me, to Griselda, I could only take satisfaction in the idea that he would not be honored with facing the Earth leaders again or with being released in an execution. Fellow pilots only deserve to be seen as expendable numbers from a critical view, but on the field you must be willing to say that you will treat them as your own brothers. It is the only way that you will be able to survive through a battlefield and the only way you will be able to stand for yourself after."

Donna sighed at the reasons that she was given to stop trusting anyone. She sat in an arm chair across from him when she reflected on how she would question her father further. She turned to the fire place that was burning within its pit when she asked, "Were you able to open to mother when you met her? Did she see something in you that was worth living with?"

Till paused when he remembered how hard the advice he was giving his daughter to understand. He turned to gaze into the fire place when he told her, "I was young as was she. I believed it was possible that I might be able to live a life not based in preparing for another war or for the intention to avenge Treize. The words of Relena Peacecraft at the time had me believe that the human race would be ready to cease all conflicts with one another. Griselda had me believe that I could have that life when I also inherited the title of lordship. It was unfortunately my inability to see one minor tragedy escalate into another before everything she advocated for fell to pieces."

Donna confirmed the decisions behind her father's beliefs when she told him, "It is truly unfortunate that we have to live with such a way. Perhaps I was born too late to be able to see any period of hope when the human race had the potential to be part of something great. There are still even times where I Wonder if I am ever to have a day where I am not forced to look into the face of destruction."

Till told her, "The unfortunate fact is that some of us are not meant to experience what a period of peace times can be. Not even just for those who fell in battle, but for those who survive to see their work accomplished. What I have learned from this cycle is that everything we fight to achieve simply will fall. It is only a question of how soon it will all come down. It leaves us only with the choice of acting this cycle and deciding what our purpose will be and how we will face what comes after. We are only made to be tools of war and must chose to see this as the only opportunity of a proper life we will have."

Donna agreed to the advice her father gave, "We made a life committing warfare. Perhaps there simply never will eb enough people who will hope to put an end to this old habit. Do you believe that this is what caused Mars to attempt its breakaway?"

"I do not know much of what Aleksei Federov was originally planning, but from the sounds of it he may not have had any plans to go beyond the declaration. I honestly cannot imagine that his vision would have lasted."

"They were able to accomplish a few things with what they could discover of the Solaris. There might have been some kind of struggle of another kind if you're right about what could have occurred afterwards."

"And this is why I hoped to ensure you would fully recognize this way of thinking since you were younger. So that one day you could be ready for such a day you could come to understand this."

Donna paused before being careful to ask, "If mother were still alive today, do you believe you would feel the same way?"

Till turned to Donna with a face devoid of any emotion and told her, "The simple answer is no. Because I would be able to say that I have some kind of hope that there was something greater people such as us could become. It truly is a sad fact how weak I truly am. That I never was able to become anything greater than what Griselda was able to help me become."

For one of the few times Donna had known her father, she saw a vulnerability that few others were able to see. One that she would not be able to see revealed to even his closest advisors. One of the few times that she would be able to guess that she was in fact his daughter. "For what you have helped me understand today father, I will ensure that you remain the strong symbol of Earth unity that you have willed yourself to become. I will do everything I can to make sure that one day you do not have to look down on others with the intention of seeing their best qualities be given to the good of the human race."

Till nodded when he told her, "It is because of a promise such as this one that I can say that I raised you the right way."


Within the medical room that had been filled with the injured Earth Sphere soldiers and handful of Edwards men, Relena looked around to find the nearest nurse before asking her, "Pardon me, is Heero Yuy around anywhere?"

The nurse confirmed, "He is in room 121. You have permission to see him Madame Representative."

Relena nodded as she made her way down the hall and found the room number before opening the door. She saw Ludwika with another nurse and her two daughters watching over him. She made her way over when she asked, "Are his injuries serious?"

Ludwika looked up to greet Relena, "I'll tell you that it is quite the miracle that he's still good and well representative. He's got a bit of nerve damage though and using this arm might be a little painful to use from now on. If he's planning to do anything else with that arm, it better not be something that will put him at risk. Any further injuries and he'll be forced to amputate."

The nurse next to her agreed, "The best-case scenario is that he will be able to survive and use his arm in as many easy scenarios as possible. Otherwise it is rather remarkable that he was able to remain in such health. Private Zawadzka was not exaggerating when she told me about what he was capable of."

Relena nodded, "I did see him endure serious injuries like these before. I suppose I was only worried that he might be so resilient at his current age."

Heero agreed, "I wasn't even concerned about that at the time. The fact that Relena came out alive is more than enough for me."

Ludwika told him, "With all due respect sir, your kid had to endure a lot les but made getting back here the one thing he wanted to achieve the most. It would be rather shitty if you suddenly died of hemorrhaging or just general lack of care for your arm."

Heero agreed, "I'm not going anywhere. And I'm going to pull my weight as long as I can work up the strength."

The nurse accepted, "Fortunately you should be alright for the moment. Thank you for the report Private Zawadzka. I have other patients I have to tend to now."

Ludwika nodded when she told Relena, "I'm going to have to make sure that some of my guys don't cause a ruckus. You guys have the chance to do some reunion stuff right?"

Relena nodded, "We would be fine. You'll be here to offer any support if needed right?"

Ludwika agreed, "Anything to keep my specialty, I'll gladly come running." She left the room following the nurse while Relena welcomed her daughters, "Helena. Selena. Has your father been behaving properly?"

Helena answered, "He hasn't tried to force himself out or tear off any of the support restrains. He won't have to be here for too long will he?"

Heero told her, "What I need to know is how long you managed to be on the run from the Coalition. I don't want to hear that the two of you risked your necks just to reach both of us."

Selena told him, "We've been more than able to handle ourselves dad. Helena is still part of the medical field and no one ever wants to harm them regardless of which side. The worst that ever happens is that someone stops us to ensure that we actually are legitimate."

Relena told them, "I think I remember that the two of you were supposed to stay in Aarhus until this war ended and to head further north if you could. Did either of you really think it would be an easy journey to make it here?"

Helena told her, "No mom. That's why we had to make our way here. We needed to make sure that you would both still be alive and well. Ever since the siege we needed to make sure you could be saved."

Heero told Relena, "It can't be helped, they both made it here and we know that they're fine. If this war continues as it does now, there's probably no safer place for them."

Relena sighed before agreeing, "Everything that has happened has left me and your father on edge. We had to go on for months without even hearing one mention of if Mercurio was alive or not. Right now, all I want is to hold him and make sure he was real."

Heero agreed, "When I saw him arrive to my side that was the first thing I hoped you would have the luxury to do."

Selena asked, "You were more concerned about mom having the chance? Dad this is why we had periods wondering if you had any feelings at all."

Relena told her, "This is only your father's way of admitting he was worried. He always has worried about what would happen to any of you, but when he was even younger than you are now, he wouldn't have even entertained the thought. Everyone just has a different way of coping with danger and what happens after. I've told you before that this is in essence his way of being human."

Helena agreed, "He's been with us every day and supported us whenever we needed it. Maybe in a way we still need to remember that he supports others in a different way than others."

Relena confirmed, "That was something I had to learn when we decided to live the rest of our lives together. Honestly it was something I had to learn when I first met him so long ago."

Heero reached out his left hand to her arm when he told her, "Don't forget what you did to make this possible. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be here right now. Or I probably would have done something else a long time ago."

Relena told him, "No one can know how things might have been different. We can only be thankful that we were able to have the lives we were given."

Helena added, "A lot of people have been changed and people are changed still by the deaths of others. This place would be… No, I just don't want to speculate."

Selena nodded, "I think everyone here would be at ease if we know what was going through Franz's head. Why does he want to leave Earth willingly and travel all the way to that giant space station?"

Relena sighed as she was reminded of the harsh reality that she had to face in the question. She told her daughters, "I was afraid that something like this might happen. But the fact that it is him who is placing us in such danger is practically a nightmare vision for me."

Helena asked, "Because you don't hate him enough to wish that he is a truly dangerous man?"

Relena nodded, "No one should have the desire to see someone who opposes them as an enemy. This sort of accusatory rhetoric is what caused many conflicts of years before and may bring about further ones. But the fact that someone who could look at the progress that the human race made, that everyone on Earth was able to make, and desire to undo all of it for whatever reason is only a tragic occurrence."

Heero added, "Franz did all of this so he could have the opportunity to achieve his control of the Sol Invictus. We won't know the full extent of his ambition until he arrives. If we had any opportunity to chase him down and prevent him, we should be taking it."

Selena greed, "I'm not sure what the holdup is. Even if we don't see Mercurio again for a long time, I know he'll be happier seeing an opportunity to make sure the Coalition is wrong about wanting to subjugate the human race."

Heero told her, "The only thing holding them now is repairs and the right opportunity to have the numbers we need. Gundams or not, three of them are going to be pushing their limits of that station is well defended."

Relena agreed, "What I'm going to have to learn is how much Franz is truly planning to achieve. To learn what his true intentions are and how far he is hoping to go for them."

Helena confirmed her mother's concern when she lamented, "I though there weren't' supposed to be people who wanted to really do bad things anymore. What reason does he have that's causing him to even consider such things?"

Relena told her, "I learned long ago that no one truly does something terrible with the intention of only wanting to perform them. Not someone who believes in the unity of the human race and its venture to seek an end to conflict."

Helena shook lightly when she asked, "Does that mean he actually had something in mind when he started by ordering the assassination of Griselda Lindemann?"

Heero answered, "He was able to convince her husband that he would have to remain at his side for more than ten years so he could find a way to exact revenge. He worked with the previous president to make the Earth Sphere spend everything into the Sol Invictus project because he had something in mind when it came to creating a unified humanity. And he prepared for a war to happen one day because he was worried about someone finding out the truth whatever he was building towards. The man determined many things when he prepared to see this day come. There are only a few who tried to stop any of what Franz set up and yet they have to be the ones we may save to avenge."

Selena told him, "I know how you're going to come out of this dad. I know that you're still a soldier who believes that fighting for what you believe in is the best way to prevent anyone from causing further detestation. You aren't the sort of person who is going to say that everything you and the others fought for is pointless. You won't let anyone who fought on either side have their sacrifices be for nothing will you?"

Heero confirmed, "There were no true villains in this war. Everyone fought for something and in a way to end this conflict as something that had to be resolved. All that separated us was the fact that one man had the willingness to bring about an entire war while another family saw through his actions and had their words fall on deaf ears as they tried to warn everyone. Right now, we all have just one duty and that's to make sure as many people come out of this alive as possible."

He looked to Helena and Selena when he told them, "The two of you should help out the others as much as you can." He turned to Relena when he told her, "Relena. Do what you've always done best. Lead."

Relena held her husband's hand when she told him, "I'm going to make sure that you don't have to fight anymore. I won't allow anyone to commit any tragedies."


Within the personal shuttle Franz took to reach the Solaris, there was only the persistent call signal ringing that hoped to establish contact with him. The shuttle had been abandoned in favor of the targets that Franz was hoping to come into contact with. The Solaris continue its flight through space with the space station in the distance waiting for his control.

"No matter the millions of miles, I can almost see everything striven for within my grasp." He sat in the cockpit of the shuttle as he viewed the computer screen projecting his course. With a few button presses he was able to ensure the shuttle autopilot continued its course towards its final destination. As his course continued, he heard a signal hail him from one of the computer speakers. "There is only one signal that will be able to find me now…" He activated his video signal when he saw two men appear within a control room. He greeted, "Amandala Jeffery. Designer N. I imagine you have both been waiting for some time."

Amandala asked, "I see that Mr. Goslin was unable to find his way here. Did you feel that he was no longer necessary?"

Franz confirmed, "He was only to be here if I met my fate in an execution. The Solaris itself however is now on course to reach the Sol Invictus."

Amandala nodded, "We will probably not learn of his fate for a good while. I have full confidence that he will be ready to see the results of our efforts quite soon."

Franz nodded, "As of right now they are likely still concerned of your presence and what I would accomplish on my own. Right now, they cannot hope to stop us. Though they may be able to prevent our great plans in a easier way than we hoped."

The man known as Designer N asked, "Did Architect I not design the mobile dolls as we anticipated he would?"

Franz shook his head, "The Sol Theros are making their descent to Earth and carrying out their mission as intended. Till Lindemann however was a more forward-thinking man that we could have imagined. He has provided the Earth forces with an additional four Gundams that I know of. If things progress as we might speculate, they may prepare to challenge the Sol Invictus sooner than we would anticipate."

Amandala told him, "They will have their leaders to be concerned of. Once the Sol Theros fully bring about the destruction of the occupants on Earth, they will have little choice but to go on a defensive. If three Gundams alone were able to determine that saving their leader was the only course of action they could take, things should be no different for these new pilots. All this will do is simply bring our plans forward faster than we could initially have supposed."

Designer N pointed out, "This is only assuming that the Gundams will be able to survive and bring out the best in those they are commanded by. Did you witness any indication that the Coalition would be ready to negotiate with the Earth Sphere?"

Franz answered, "I had to leave under a tight schedule and did not learn of a willingness to cease the conflict. All of this however is now left to pure speculation on my part. Nathaniel Falson is dead. I saw to his end and now the choice of how they will progress will depend on Lucas Lehrer's decision I believe."

Designer N nodded, "The man did believe in finding an end to this war if both sides were willing to cooperate. Very soon however, an argument of what both sides intend to accomplish will be littler more than a speculation of what other course history could have taken."

Franz agreed, "There was little else that I have been hoping to see realized. My arrival will see to the Sol Invictus being realized. This will be the only way we will have the opportunity to move the human race towards a unified tomorrow."

Amandala confirmed, "With our action to come, l we will be among those who will have the opportunity to bear the weight of history on our shoulders. We will be among few who will have the privilege to bear witness to such an important day. I suggest that you do not allow another moment's hesitation to bring the Solaris here."

Franz agreed, "Every victory that we allowed to become a reality will soon accumulate. Indeed we will be among those fortunate to bear the worst of the human race." The connection cut as Franz sat back in his chair and reflected on what he and a few men were capable of achieving. "The promise of what is soon to come will be far more interesting. The human race race easily be changed from its original intention. How soon the climax of our achievements will be brought about, now that is a scenario that I may soon live long enough to witness. Nathan, you are soon to show me just what the true extent of human unity can achieve. I will soon be able to witness what you were so confident in being brought out in the most dire hour of the human race."


The chance to regroup was one that initially welcomed by the men and women who had taken Brussels back under control of the Earth Sphere forces. Among the many who had a chance to enjoy what little peace had been achieved, Campbell was one of the few who had to keep his side arm from falling out of his hands. He kept watch of the hangar bay that contained the Gundams and the few mobile suits that offered support. He watched over the location as he told himself, "Damn, have we forced ourselves into a situation new did not plan on being in."

He saw Hyrum make his way up to him when Hyurm asked, "So I take it you've been hoping to see another mobile suit in action?"

Campbell answered, "I can't even begin to tell you how angry I am man. I never thought I'd be given the chance to see our victory only to find out that the Coalition was on to something the whole time. Just what in the hell are we supposed to do huh? Go up to every Coalition pilot we killed and offer a big hug and a sorry? Are we really supposed to just let 11 years of war be excused because we were too busy following orders and not asking what we were supposed to do?"

"This is sure a familiar statement." The two heard another voice speak up. In front of them, Christoph Lindemann walked up to them with a greeting, "It seems like you guys were able to help a number of the parliament members form being compromised. You had a chance to fulfill your duties after all."

Hyrum waved, "Great to see that you were able to come to our rescue Christoph. You managed to finish the job I chipped away at back in Berlin even. Honestly I wish this whole thing was just as easy as us being good and them being bad again."

Christoph saw Christian join them when he asked, "It's not like you ever thought the guy on the other end was anything less than a mobile doll right? We get taught at the start of every training course that a man gets into a cockpit with only one goal. The make the other guy bleed because what he's fighting for is the wrong thing he's standing for."

Christoph confirmed, "I even had to make him realize how much he was risking his neck by heading out to kill so much. If those guys were in our place right now, they would probably just be basing about how they were but might feel sorry for everyone who fought for the belief that a united Earth was worth upholding no matter the cost."

Campbell told him, "I can't even get through my head how we're trying to handle this. Do you think this is going to be a question that will follow us a long while after we see how this mess ends?"

Christoph told him, "From what I understand that's going to be the case for everybody. A better question would probably be asking what we're going to do when we see what a day like this take es to preserve."

Campbell confirmed, "I don't even know if I'm going to stay in this whole troupe for much longer. With what happened to Ulbricht and whatever our president is planning, I feel like I won't be able to guess anyone is who they claim to be."

Christian left to agree, "I never thought we would see that kind of day. If he didn't help Donna, I'd be a bit more anxious to see him beat to a pulp in my spare time. Right now, him and his boys are apparently the best choice we have to defend ourselves as long as its not our guys who have to be at the front."

Campbell told them, "It's great that we all had a little bit of a group therapy here. But I really don't feel any closer to getting a decent night's sleep."

Christoph told him, "That might be the idea. It's not like we'll find anyone who can tell us that we should be proud of being played like we were. I wouldn't be surprised if our old man kept Klaus alive so he could beat the shit out of him just because he can. Just try and comprehend how he feels about being a major piece in all of this."

Hyrum answered, "I don't think any of us can even begin to guess. Right now, I think what Campbell is trying to figure out is if this whole struggle to free the capital was for anything."

Campbell confirmed, "We win, Franz gets to head up there. We lose, apparently Neil Goslin would have gone up there anyway. Whatever the situation, we could see some old fart fly up into space and proclaim his big reign of terror from several million miles away. What was anything we did supposed to achieve?"

Christian spoke up, "You're making it sound like the lives of the parliament wasn't for shit. Our old man is only able to do so much as a leader. We're all soldiers and we have to believe in our real superiors that they want to do good things for us all. That's what we all struggled for, and even being able to save as many as we did to me that's enough to say our struggle was worth something. The fact that we paved the way for Donna and the others to have a chance at redeeming themselves, I think it was worth letting them be able to come out alive. We were the ones who did everything to make taking back the capital possible. We cannot let our big achievements or the sacrifices that came before he valued down to nothing."

Campbell and the others were left with a great impression of what Christian was able to deduce. The pause was brief before Campbell confessed, "We allowed General de Lombard to head out and sacrifice himself. Too many more good men died than they had to. Now I'm just wondering what could happen to eclipse everything we just saw. I'm scared that there probably will be something to cause it to happen one day."

Hyrum told him, "And it's our job to make sure that we do everything we can to prevent that from happening. When I told my old man that I was about to join the main forces, he wanted me to know that me being ready to face the biggest challenge a war could give was what I should consider to be the bare minimum requirement for heading out. Doesn't matter how hard or how convoluted it gets, we have to keep heading out with the intention of having no regrets for what we believe in. That's just I think we only really understand once we have to challenge ourselves when the time comes."

Christoph told them, "Nice to se that we didn't completely lose you guys. We're probably just going to be a statistic pretty soon no matter what we achieve. And we're going to need to support each other best we can if the fighting continues."

Hyrum asked, "I think we can do that easily. Though do you think Richard is going to pick up on this advice pretty easy?"

Christian smirked when he told everyone, "Oh it won't be a problem for him. He's already got something better than group therapy to get him through this kind of day. Believe me, the locker room last night, well let's say that Suchart found himself in there and he saw him and Elna letting off some excess excitement from all of the work that's been piling up recently."

Hyrum and Christoph turned to Christian in surprise at the news while Campbell chuckled, "I think that was supposed to be one of the arguments against a gender neutral system in our forces wasn't' it?"

Christian nodded, "I think someone actually managed to spin this as a reason why we should have this system. Apparently he though he lost some serious bet at first but then I had to remind him that he was looking at Richard and that the amount of female support was a little more limited than he originally though."

Campbell asked, "So what kind of bet did Suchart say he was worried about losing?"

Christian answered, "Don't know. He passed out before he could tell me."

The pilots let out a laugh at the situation before Christoph told them, "Nice to see that we are at least a little easier on subjects like these. Nice way to prioritize right?"

Hyrum agreed, "We could be doing worse. We could be trying to do the job for our superiors. Our job right now is just to get ready to jump when we're told to. I think we should just be ready to face whatever is headed our way."

Christoph looked up at the sky when he reflected, "I got no idea what we are supposed to be facing next. But if we don't survive much longer, at least we'll be able to say we achieved more than what we give ourselves credit for."

Christian agreed, "No one who stands firm for what they originally believed in ever joins a war where their contributions means nothing. Even if someone wants to say that we were never made for greatness no matter how long from now, we only got ourselves to be thankful for allowing someone to have that day to ask that question."


When Dana gave the order to gather the pilots, Ermes went to find Donna with Till. "Donna, the Captain wants to speak on another mission." He informed her.

Donna wanted to ask more on the mission. "What's the mission?" She asked him.

Ermes jogged his memory. "There's news on an attack on Amsterdam." He remembered. "We'll have to split a number of us to get there and leave some of us behind to defend the capital when those unknown attackers come. I think Amsterdam is attacked by the same people as well actually"

Till listened. "Well the Sandesgeist won't be able to reach there in time." He noted.

Donna saw that her father did have a point. "I'll go tell the Captain that I'll remain in Brussels to assist in the defense." She told Ermes. "You're going to Amsterdam with the Aquarius right?"

Ermes gave a nod. "The Aquarius will be quick enough." He reasoned.

Donna returned to the hangar to the Captain's briefing. She lined up among the pilots and Ermes returned with her.

Dana gave one final speech to the pilots when she explained, "Now listen up new guys. You may have been instructed by the academy to be ready for enemy contact against standard Coalition mobile suits. It's time for a break in protocol now. These things regardless of your skill as a pilot will kill you. I don't even mean that as a motivation to do better, these Sol Thero units are built to be that powerful. Unless the interference program works better than we think it might, attack the enemy from a distance and make defending our leaders the top priority. Am I clear?"

Mercurio was the first to agree to the mission when he said, "I'll follow you sir." Right afterwards Ermes gave his offer to volunteer while Gawel and Zachariah got their pilot gear ready.

Dana nodded at their offers when she ordered, "The three of us should be enough. Everybody else stay behind. We'll need as many people defending our capital as possible."

Dafina agreed to the count when she eyed the Tallgeese Throne, "I'll remain behind to assist Donna. The system updates should be enough to handle the mobile dolls."

Roy understood the plan but asked, "Will we even be able to handle against these things?"

Gawel removed a hard drive from his nearby computer when he explained, "The disruption viral systems from the Aquarius should be enough to cut down their effectiveness. If we're going to gamble our luck on anything it's gonna have to be on this."

"Even if it's only the Zero System it should be enough."

The pilots saluted before answering, "Clear sir!"

Dana began to rush towards the carrier when she ordered, "Let's head out. Our guys need help."

Mercuiro followed, "Yes sir. Prepared to move out."

A few moments before takeoff Gawel adjusted the carrier's jets he announced their time to leave, "Time to get our baby off the ground again."

Zachariah checked the holding for the other mobile suits when he agreed, "Just make sure it's ready to pick up some extra passengers. Ideally, we get Nasir and the others out of there. Assuming three Gundams are enough to prevent any more damage."

After the briefing Ermes began to help in loading some cargo into the carrier. He noticed Donna about to leave and prompted him to return to her briefly. "Hey Donna." He called and made his way to her. "Take care of yourself okay." He showed his genuine worry.

Donna wasn't able to reply properly, only with whispers nobody could hear. She then wrapped her keffiyeh over on Ermes and discreetly kissed him.

Ermes was caught off-guard to what Donna did. His conscious of reason was paralyzed. "Donna, did you just?"

Donna blushed. "Please come back." She told him. "That was what I was trying to say earlier." She walked away to Sandesgeist.

Suchart was able to see the kiss hidden by the keffiyeh by guessing. "Lucky bastard." He thought. Just as he was returning to loading the crates he saw Nick helping out. "Thank you taking for Ermes's place." He thanked the young cadet, giving a smile.

Nick gave a salute. "Thank you, sir." He replied, saluting to his senior.


Malcolm looked over Marcel's report in preparation for the next launch of their forces. Marcel gave his final point, "We may be able to reach Kecker's location at the Sol Invictus if our course projection is correct. It will take the same amount of time to reach his destination as his own shuttle however. The longer we wait the more window of time he will have to use the Sol Invictus for whatever he has planned. Once Amsterdam is secured, we must take begin the launch at the first available moment."

Malcolm knew the plan was the best they had and signed an order to make it an official order. "What is the current status of our remaining forces?"

Marcel brought out another paper listing the pilots available for OZ and the Earth Sphere. "We have received confirmation that our remaining forces in Amsterdam have made contact with destructive forces. Our chance to pursue the Sol Invictus will depend on this mission."

The sudden surge of the enemy from the first reports in Pasewalk to the destruction of Dusseldorf made Malcolm show visible concern whenever it was brought up. "Amsterdam cannot fall now. Can we still send our forces to defend the city?"

"Three Gundams are currently on their way Mr. President."

"The others?"

Marcel shook his head when he answered, "We will require them for our own safety sir." He brought out a copy of the Sol Thero photo with its planet defensors explaining, "We haven't determined the enemy but we have an idea of what we are dealing with."

"So this is their mission." Malcolm cursed. "Assemble the representatives and order our ground forces to evacuate the civilian population that has returned. We cannot afford anyone to be lost."

"Yes sir." The General saluted.


Till Lindemann was back at his makeshift office. This time he was counting the OZ forces for Malcom as he was requested when Donna left. "So the final battle with come..." He thought. "She can be avenged after all those years..." He finished with compiling forces in North America including his sons who would soon return.

Spades were drawn to bury the coffin. The young Lord refused to watch the dirt being filled into the neatly made hole. Stuart and Ulbricht were among those burying the coffin of Lady Lindemann. Once the job was done, most of the people at the funeral left including Lindemann's children were also taken back to the estate against their will. The priest of the funeral, notable with a braid to tie his long brown hair approached him. "Lord, it will be better to leave." He prompted. "It will be raining in a couple of minutes."

The Lord ignored the advice. "Tell me Father." He asked. "Will God avenge her?"

The priest saw how the man was broken. "I'm afraid God may not be able to do that." He responded. "That is the God of Death's job." He left the cemetery in a car, in time as the rain began to fall.

Till walked to where the coffin was buried, seeds of poppies freshly sewn. The tombstone was crafted with granite with gold gilded over, highlighting the name "Lady Griselda Lindemann" so it can be seen from a distance. "The wife of Lord Till Lindemann, mother of Richard, Christian, Christoph, Flake, and Donna. Born: A.C. 175, Died: A.C. 206." He didn't care about his surrounding anymore only staring at the gravestone, ignoring the rain above him.

Andrew looked at how his friend stood in once place for minutes. He realized that there is no sign of him leaving and promptly ran to get him. "You need to be out of here!" He shouted, grabbing his shoulder. "Your wife died and that doesn't you have the damn excuse to kill yourself!" He forcefully grabbed him out of the cemetery to a car to take him back to his residence.

Andrew's knocking at the door got the Lord's attention. "We're being called assemble by Malcom." He informed.

Till realized that he was wasting his time remembering the past. "I'll be on my way." He answered back.


Ten hours had passed before the mobile suit carrier brought the remaining Kaliningrad forces to the nearly leveled city of Moscow. The civilian population was all but gone while soldiers and pilots searched the debris for anything useful or missing survivors. The carrier landed against a mound of debris while the pilot checked the area for anything headed their way.

He turned to the Kaliningrad forces greeting, "Here we are. I don't recommend taking in the view."

Oleg nodded when he unbuckled and made his way to the landing zone. He saw and older man in a Coalition trench coat waiting for him and several guards behind him. "Captain?" Oleg saluted.

"Tsubarov." He saluted back. "I take it you would be Lieutenant Kiprotich correct?" He turned asking Tano.

Tano returned a salute before shaking the Captain's hand. "Yes, that is me." He replied. He surveyed the destruction of the city. It looked as if the Mobile Dolls didn't kill them, the weather would kill the survivors. He thought on Nathaniel's safety. "Captain, is there any news on President Falson?" He asked. "Is he safe?" Although these were key largest concerns, he would be disappointed with the news.

While the officers were speaking Kieran felt better that he was on the ground again after hours on the airship. What he would prefer would ultimately be the Colonies.

The Captain looked at the mobile suits loaded and recognized one of them as the key component his men needed. He pointed to Oleg's mobile suit when he ordered some of his men, "Get some answers from the technical team on that one. We'll need as much help as we can get." As soon as he heard Tano's question on the status of the President he knew it was time to bring more soldiers to reality.

"Regrettable the news has reached so few." He said to himself. He dashed any final doubts when he announced to the Kaliningrad forces, "I'm afraid that the reclaiming of Brussels resulted in the death of President Falson. Lucas Lehrer has recently taken office as we have just found out about an hour ago. As it seems, both the reclamation of Brussels and the loss of our leaders has permitted the enemy to regain its footing."

The confirmation weighed on Oleg's mind when he commented, "If this continues, we might not be able to retain our hold on the Earth."

"We won't. The President knew defeating the Earth Sphere would hinge on seeing Kecker brought to justice." Kazantsev said shaking his head. "What's more, we have found that even their victory may not accomplish much as their own leader has gone missing as well."

Despite the questions that were brought to their minds, Oleg and Tano would meet the new President when one of the soldiers announced, "Sir. We have contact from the President."

Kazantsev nodded when he gestured to them, "Please follow me."

Within the remains of the headquarters there was one functioning hologram of Lucas Lehrer standing before the Coalition crew. He introduced, "Captain. It is most fortunate to see more of our forces have survived. Have you determined if the shuttle bay will be operational?"

Kazantsev confirmed, "Yes sir. We had a few barely operational mobile suits left but we managed to get the debris out of the way. Should we begin an escape sir?"

Lucas began acknowledged the issue when he answered, "I will accept it as your choice if you feel it the only one, but as of right now we must see a final mission achieved. The odds of returning will not be in anyone's favor."

Kazantsev was reluctant to hear his report but knew this was the sort of mission he had been trained to prepare for. He made certain his gestures on the concept couldn't be seen when he requested, "Please tell us Mr. President."

Lucas began by showing the plans for the Sol Invictus to the room's occupants. "This construction is known as the Sol Invictus. We have learned from the Earth Sphere that this construction is built to be the most powerful weapon humankind has ever produced. It was through the unwitting cooperation of a few Earth Sphere pilots that permitted it to be finished. Worse it was under the turned eyes of the Earth Sphere that the funding and efforts were made to make it possible." The plans were compressed at Lucas' shutting hands when he continued, "We are uncertain of its target, but we only recognize it is planned to be used for nothing short of destruction." He commented grimly. He became even more solemn in the report when he explained the stakes, "Much has been asked of our numbers already and we have lost far too much. But if we do not act now, we may risk permitting untold numbers to pay the price of war the Falsons made an effort to prevent. I ask this of all remaining forces. Will you at least make one final effort in fulfilling the mission of the Coalition and prevent this weapon from destroying more lives?"

The news of the Coalition leader's death brought devastating blow to Tano, but he maintained his composure as he realized how serious the need for a penultimate objective that would judge him for the rest of his life as a soldier. He felt that his mission failed once again as thoughts raced on his mind on his recent failures. All of it had become irrelevant as he was given this new mission that could offer him vindication. It was the sense of duty to the coalition that brought Tano away from this despair of defeat. "Yes Mr. President." He replied. "I will fight for the Falson family once more." He gave a salute to commit himself back to his duty.

Kieran complied with the order to bring Oleg's modified machine for analysis. "Looks like someone appreciates my work greatly." He thought. The captured reactor was brought over to be inspected as well. Realizing that he will need to answer some questions, he made his way to where Oleg's Leo III was being unloaded.