War is a conflict that has been the constant companion of humanity since the beginning of its existence. For every attempt to suppress this facet, it returns to claim many more for how long it has been held back. Conflict however is never a simple summary. Underneath every act of brutality is an act of deception and underneath every deception is a mask of the true intentions of justifying the slaughter of others. What those who bear witness to such deception and how they will accept it will inevitably escalate violently. Such is the scenario proposed in After Colony 225.
Episode 62: Resolves to be Protected
Ermes got out of the carrier and noticed Donna. "Looks like you defended the city well." He commented. "Wish we did better."
Donna raised an eyebrow? "What happened?" She asked. "I thought the city was saved."
Ermes gave the bad news. "Well the spaceport is now unusable." He explained.
The Gundam pilot showed disappointment with the news. "That mean we won't be able to go after Kecker then." She said with a slight upset tone.
Nick went around with some updates. "The Captain wants us for an announcement again." He informed. He still looked naive as before but it may be an act to hold his group together.
The news brought them to Dana so they can hear new orders. After they were given, they returned to where they were. Donna was also reminded to see Instructor W. "I should see the Instructor." She told Ermes. "He should receive the order as well." She left to find the Instructor having a break from repairing Mobile Suits. He didn't hide his eyes this time with the goggles. "I didn't know your eyes were that good." She remarked.
The Instructor took a sip of his coffee before answering. "I don't really show my eyes to much people anymore." He explained. "I guess you're one of the lucky people to see them since the Falson War. You wanted to see me?"
"There's the order for Second Carthage." She gave the information.
The Instructor knew what it meant. "Got it." He answered. "I'll get ready to pack soon then."
Dana saw the Artemis loaded into the bay of the Wing 1 when she found Mercurio prepared to make his way to the entryway. She made her way down when she asked, "Yuy, I think you remember that message we got from Architect I right?"
Mercurio turned around to answer, "Yeah, it's been a while since we brought it up."
"Here's the thing, after what we faced in Amsterdam I think it might be a good idea to find out what he has to say."
"You think his message has something?"
"He couldn't have accidentally sent one to you knowing what I was piloting."
"I guess I could." As Dana and Mercurio made their way to the Artemis, neither of them were prepared for what they were about to see.
As Till and Edward made their way down the steps after witnessing the recent battle, Till told his prisoner, "I feel that it is key to trust our men. We were first united under the hopes to revive OZ but now what binds the organization is retribution."
Edward followed alongside Till when he agreed, "I never would have imagined that something so incredible as what we are facing now to be possible, but there are few instances in life where we must rely on the one another in order to see our very survival is secure."
An official walked up to them when he reported, "The Parliament is gathering for an announcement by the Acting President." He informed before returning.
Till gave a simple nod. "We'd better get going then." He said, leading the way.
Malcolm was at the head of the leading carrier where the Parliament was gathered while he waited for the liftoff to commence. His gaze was interrupted when Devine entered, "Mr. President, we've received a status update the equipment and mobile suits have been gathered."
"Good work. Be sure to issue the quarantine warning on the city for now."
"Right away sir." Barra walked to one of the nearby panels when he followed his order.
As soon as Malcolm saw the leaders outside were prepared for the liftoff he activated his computer terminal to contact the remaining military personnel. "Attention military leaders of the Earth Sphere United Nations. The Second Carthage Protocol is now in effect. Our capital has become too much of a target with the Sol Theros and insistent members of the Coalition determined to destroy us. We will however have the chance to prevent ourselves from enduring another siege when we regroup in Quebec City. The Coalition is currently situated in the Americas, but the defenses of our city will be capable of holding their own against any attacks. It is my hope that we will be able to hold our own here until Kecker's intentions have been made clear and brought to a halt. This may not end the war, but it will hopefully bring us a step closer to discovering what we were lured into executing. The organization for Earth Sphere and OZ forces is available for all leaders to assign their men. Prepare to leave shortly, we must permit our main forces to prepare for their mission as soon as possible." When he was finished he turned to Barra asking, "Have our forces been organized according to assignment?"
"Yes sir. The Gundams have been loaded to the head of the fleet and Major Yuy has escorted the Representatives to their transport. Berlin Central Command now confirms that Second Carthage is in effect. They will be able to operate efficiently while we are away and have been informed to make contact with any Coalition forces under the same conditions according to the terms of friendly engagement."
"It is truly regrettable that our capital must fall this way. It will be better we survive to the end so that our people have someone to look up to."
"One day the people will be able to rebuild their lives. We must only begin with defending them and what forces we have."
Edward had some time to himself when he entered his personal room on the carrier before two of his guards entered. He commanded without greeting, "So it has been decided that Quebec is our next destination after all. Once we arrive leave all activity with the Coalition to me. I want none of you to contact them regardless of our situation."
One of them brought out the first concern asking, "With all due respect sir, are you certain you haven't thrown in your cause to the Earth Sphere?"
Edward gave a brisk of his hand when he denied, "You may dismiss any such concern. I am only doing what I may find possible in order to survive for now. These failures we have endured only serve to relieve this planet of the incompetent."
"And this trip to Quebec is set to further that strategy?" The other guard asked.
Edward turned in his chair to face the table when he answered, "With any luck the Sol Theros will be present in the Americas as well. Otherwise our forces in New Brunswick will see them destroyed. Only then I will have the grounds of calling myself a true General and Coalition leader."
"I see. The strategy depends on letting the Gundams into space while we find our way to the enemy capital. Once they leave we won't have to worry about anything but our Earth Sphere captors. The Sol Theros would probably still be a problem if they've landed."
As Edward considered his answer his face became melancholic when he remembered the proper quote for this situation. "It will be seen today that we permit the deer into security whilst I the wolf lie in wait for the proper moment." He returned to his thoughts of planning when he turned to face them demanding, "Of course I should assume if any of you have loyalty to the Coalition you will not let anyone know of this plan other than ourselves."
They both saluted when they answered, "Yes sir. The new President will approve of this takeover."
Edward was pleased with himself when he saw his plan unfolding. "Provided that we see this strategy proceeds as planned. Once it does however then we will have what remains of Earth civilization in my hands."
Relena saw the other representatives continued to wait for takeoff when she looked for her husband. Heero was at the head of the cockpit area where the President was when she asked him, "Heero. Can you please find the one where our son is?"
"He's on Wing 1 with the others. Their forces will be dropping once we pass over St. Johns." He answered seeming to already know.
Despite everything she knew about the procedure Relena pleaded, "Please. Give me a chance to speak with him before he goes."
"No." Heero answered. With everything that happened Relena didn't want to make such a request an issue but found it wasn't necessary. He placed a hand on her shoulder when he finished, "We'll contact him together."
Dana was at the cockpit with Gawel and Zachariah as they prepared the engines and programmed the autopilot. She looked at the schematics for the new buster rifle on the Artemis she displayed earlier while asking, "How soon do you think it can be done?"
Gawel was the first to answer, "If we ask real nicely at St. Johns we might have the materials necessary. After that construction won't be much of an issue but test firing at this point is pretty much a no go. You'll have another field test to do it looks like."
Dana accepted this situation, "Good enough. If anything we won't just be throwing sticks and stones at the Sol Invictus."
Zachariah entered the conversation when he asked, "Seriosuly the way we keep finding tech along these lines is just crazy. You're still not willing to tell us who gave you this?"
Dana shook her head explaining, "Yeah. It's a pretty touchy subject right now."
Zachariah turned to the schematics again when he accepted, "If you say so sir." He saw the communications panel light up when he responded into the microphone, "This is Wing 1 reporting."
Nasir strapped himself to his seat when he looked outside at the capital observing, "Well this is it. If we're lucky at all this might be our last mission."
Mercurio answered in a slightly downcast tone, "It has been for many of our men. I don't want to see any more of us die but if we might have to take that risk again."
Keijo was next to him when he asked, "Feeling okay Mercurio? Sound like something has you down."
Mercurio leaned back slightly while he looked as if he was trying to solve a difficult puzzle. "I guess some revelations are just a bit much to take in before they can be explained. Sorry."
Cinzia seemed to overhear the problem when she offered, "We've all had some of those. Maybe tell us when you feel ready then?"
Mercurio nodded when he promised, "Sure. I can do that. Not sure if I can say when though."
Dana made her way to the holding area for the pilots when she notified, "Hey Yuy." Mercurio stood up to see Dana was holding a small hologram projector when she continued, "You got a private call from one of the carriers. The back room can give you the silence you might need."
Mercurio accepted it when he confirmed, "Thanks sir." He wasn't sure what the privacy would be needed for but he decided it might be a good time.
It was only a moment before he found out why he was offered the chance. He saw a hologram of his mother, father, and two sisters Helena and Selena to greet him. Relena was the first to introduce, "Mercurio. Having a chance to see you again was such a relief. It's so regrettable it had to be so short."
Mercurio smiled when he agreed, "Thanks mom. I never thought I'd have to help save you myself but you're safe now."
Selena showed her enthusiasm for the moment when she reminded him, "Yeah you had to help dad when mom was at gunpoint. This is probably the closest thing to one of their old days we got to hear."
Helena grabbed her arm when she reminded, "Selena, mom and dad were having a moment with Mercurio. Besides you forget dad got shot so it's not glorious."
As if to break away Relena's control of the message Heero separated the twins with his good arm when he said, "Girls, I'd do it again if I had to. It's not anything that goes against my duty."
Mercurio responded to the answer, "I heard one time you wouldn't even consider doing that."
Heero sighed when he agreed, "A lot happens even in just a few years Mercurio. I never even thought I would have to be out there again."
"I'd say you did the best you could considering everything." Mercurio reminded.
Heero kept his injured arm in a safe position when he agreed, "I guess I did."
Selena was quick to point out, "Yeah you did. Don't be modest about it."
"Don't interrupt them." Helena prompted.
Heero cut them both off when he said, "So your mother wanted to make this call. I think I'll let her speak now."
Relena came forth with her question, "Mercurio. Do you know how long this mission will be?"
Mercurio thought briefly before answering, "I'll be gone another six weeks if the calculations are right. It's going to be a while before anyone finds out who's coming back alive."
Heero reminded, "Whatever happens out there, just remember everything I told you."
Relena was next to point out, "And remember who you have to return to."
Mercurio gazed into their projections when he promised, "I'll make sure to. I've lost a lot of friends on my way through here but I'll bring as many of them back as I can. We'll all get the chance to return to Earth."
Relena didn't give her next command with the motherly concern Mercurio expected but saw her with the face of a mother who fully accepted her son being sent to war. "If this is the case it will be another long while before we see you again. Mercurio, when you return please come to the city. Even if it's just for another few moments I want us all together again."
Mercurio gave a simple few words that anyone would wish to hear in this moment, "I promise I'll be back."
Relena lifted her hand in parting, "Goodbye Mercurio. My son."
Heero parted, "Good luck out there. Make us all proud."
Selena added, "Remember us when we're out there."
Helena promised, "We'll make sure everyone hears about you up there."
Mercurio ended the call when he offered, "Goodbye. I love you guys." The hologram disappeared while Mercurio made his way back to his seat. Moments passed before the carriers one by one made their way off the ground and towards the west where the new capital would await them.
Donna noted how Mercurio was able to speak to his parents, both alive and well with how the Captain called him to answer them. Ermes found Donna in her depression. "You look glum again." He commented and gave her a can of soft drink.
Donna gave a nod. "Just thinking about family again." She replied. She sat on a crate and cracked open the can.
Instructor W was also on board the same carrier because of how he's in charge of the Gundam units' maintenance. He noticed the two together again. "So what made you two close together?" He asked.
"Well… just certain things." The Gundam pilot replied with a slight blush.
Ermes was compelled to laugh at Donna's reaction. He used the laugh so he won't have to give his answer.
The Instructor decided to take a seat with them. "Donna, I know that you're thinking about your family." He whispered. "You've been thinking about it for days." He produced a photo of himself with a girl that had a surprising resemblance
Donna raised her eyebrows. "Your sister?" She asked, rather surprised at the strong resemblance.
The Instructor gave a nod. "We were escaping from L4 together." He explained. "She didn't make it as me. A shot from a Coalition guard got her into a coma. Currently she's in good care, watched over by someone I can trust. Your father was also generous to provide some of the money to keep her in good health."
Donna was able to smile with the fact that her father did have a heart. "I didn't know about her." She replied. "What's her name?"
"Her name's Katherine." He told her. "I'll make sure to take you to her after the war."
The multiple carriers near the city of Brussels showed signs of preparation for takeoff as the mobile suits that remained and the leaders of the Earth Sphere parliament were given the opportunity to begin their escape. The plans were all proceeding as Malcolm scheduled and would soon be able to take residence in a place of the world that would be safer.
Andrew watched from the top of the Parliamentary Building as he gave his overview of the preparations when he heard a door open and someone introduce from behind him, "My lord. The Excalibur and the Bulwark are prepared to escort the parliament once the evacuations have begun."
Andrew turned to see his Admiral, Reece Gardiner, offer the report. Andrew asked, "And has Lord Lindemanns project been delivered as we were ordered?"
Reece confirmed, "Yes my lord. It is has remained untouched and will be prepared for introduction to the field should Lord Lindemann determine it is prepared."
"I recognize you managed to keep yourself rather busy for the most part Admiral. You were able to confirm that our passage to another spaceport may not be within our reach?"
"I regret this is the case my lord. The Excalibur made its search past the frontlines and we saw more of the Sol Thero mobile dolls are descending upon this very continent and will be arriving very soon."
"And we struggled to even make our final stand here. Hopefully the destruction of the Sol Invictus is at the very least a way to prevent any further destruction eventually greater."
"We have very few answers other than the ones that you were able to learn recently my lord. If it were up to me I would have made an attempt to reestablish some amount of organization around here."
"It is not your fault that we are in a difficult position now Admiral. As of right now our duty is to see that our leaders are offered an opportunity to have a new area of safety." Andrew turned to the stairway that Reece stood in front of when he told him, "We won't do anyone any favors by remaining up here. Prepare the carriers for liftoff and make sure that all squadrons are prepared for battle. The worst we can expect is these mobile dolls potentially being able to maneuver through the air when we cross the Atlantic."
As he watched his Ursa unit loaded into the carrier, Zachariah lifted his head to turn and see Gawel with the others and one of the pilots who hadn't seen action for a while. He greeted, "Hey Patrick. You manage to get a full recovery?"
Patrick nodded, "Sorry I was a dead weight for such a period. I would have kicked myself if I never got to stand again."
Zachariah told him, "Don't be that harsh on yourself. You're more valuable to us alive than anything."
The mood was somber among the gathering as they tried to process the thinning number among them. Cinzia sighed before telling them, "I really don't think that we're going to be ready to offer another defense if we keep it like this. We just need to hear it from each other that we lost. And yes, it's been hard for me to live up to that."
Keijo added, "To tell you the truth I'd like to hear what our losses were as well. This really isn't anything new to us."
Zachariah paused as he looked up and tried to form an answer before telling his fellow pilots, "Ludwika is gone. We've been sticking close to the grind for so long that nothing seemed to be without her. Someone who's actually been with us since the beginning all the way here is gone."
Patrick felt himself grieved at the answer while Fredric agreed, "I see how it can get. We lost more than a few of our guys ourselves when the Nornir Gundams tried to free Brussels. It's something that just sucks doesn't it?"
Suchart showed up near the corner as he tried to step away unnoticed. Cinzia called out to him, "Suchart we do not need any suspicions right now. Please tell us you have something to break the ice around here."
Suchart showed himself when he walked over with a bottle of whiskey in hand and greeted, "Hey don't look at me guys, I'm just as beat by the results as you. Especially without getting to hear Roy's loud mouth ever again."
Everyone turned to hear Suchart's answer and Keijo asked, "You're kidding? Roy's actually dead?"
Suchart confirmed, "Looks like we aren't even going to have a chance to hear a more pleasant side of him. Those Sol Thero things are a serious kick to our nuts aren't they?"
Zachariah was disheartened again as he remembered the parting words he offered Roy he made on his way to Amsterdam. How close he was to seeing him actually offer his value as a person. "He was so close to shedding his dickishness after all this time and now he's gone. This is one shitty way we could have asked for a resolution."
Cinzia asked, "So what do you plan to do? We lost other before, it's not like we really have the right to mourn his passing by now."
Zachariah agreed, "We don't. And that's what frightens me." Cinzia realized the context of Zachariah's sorrow when he told her this.
Gawel added, "We've all been dealing with casualties ever since the Major died. And now we, the common man, are coming to feel the pain from the realities of war. From what I can tell we were a pretty privileged bunch considering everything that happened around us."
Fredric agreed, "Sorry to see that you guys have to go through what we endured. You all had a mission to keep an eye on the Gundam pilots didn't you?"
Keijo confirmed, "To make sure that they didn't betray the Earth Sphere. And yet they had to do it just so we had a chance to be here. We just had too much trust built with them by the time we got back to Earth."
Gawel pointed out, "It's not like it was all hugs and kisses around. It's a big part of what motivated the Gundam pilots to have a purpose for so long."
Fredric asked, "How's that?"
Zachariah answered, "Roy wanted to survive for so long and he was willing to do anything to get that. He actually shot Yuy and we had to keep him down while Ludwika tended to his wounds."
Fredric shook his head when he admitted, "Damn. It's like losing a rehab patient before the healing is done."
Gawel agreed, "He was an asshole but you know what? He was one of our own. Even as much of an annoyance he was, one thing he did right was try to keep us alive. He gave us a reason to continue sticking together for as long as we did."
Cinzia added, "I haven't been here as long as you guys, but it sure has been a ride to see you all go from a bunch of bickering kids to being this reflective. Granted if more of my unit was alive I'd probably be able to see what they thought of this whole situation. Captain Houston didn't even have much of a chance to miss Major Ramos after what happened in the Sahara and she seems to be throwing a lot of work onto herself to keep her mind off of it."
Nasir added, "I only got to know how you guys a little longer and I think both me and Patrick wish we had the chance to get this whole drama show. Sounds like we might be enduring a case of "be careful what you wish for," at least now that we had a chance to endure a dose of reality this hard."
Suchart asked, "Now that brings us to the great question we had to face this whole war. What to do so that we can keep going? We got more Sol Theros to deal with later on don't we? So how is it that we get ourselves ready for another engagement?"
Gawel told them, "Suchart is on to something. We're up against machines who don't give a bytes worth of shit about what we're enduring or how morally right their objective is. And the day we can get these things to make us stop killing us, we're stuck with asking just when we're going to be desensitized enough to get back at these things?"
Fredric answered, "I think Elna might have been on to something. At least if what rumor you've been talking about is true."
Gawel told him, "Maybe an activity that won't get all of us chewed to death. We're supposed to be apathetic, not suicidal."
Zachariah told them, "You guys are all overlooking something really key here. Most of the guys who fought along our side fought because they wanted to see an end to all of this, not so we could get ourselves creamed over and over again."
Nasir told them, "If what you're trying to say is that we need to keep going out there just being ready to honor the sacrifices made, I swear I am going to smash your heads underneath this crate here."
Zachariah told him, "What I'm saying is that at this point what else are we supposed to fight for? We started our commitment to this war so that we could live more than just another day and we're out here doing the same thing. But really, underneath a lot of the oaths that we give when we get sworn in, wen we sit out here on the field, we really only fight for one thing and that's ourselves."
Keijo told him, "That's an interesting way to look at it. I always took you as the kind of guy who thought fighting selflessly was the best way to fight."
Zachariah agreed, "Maybe what we should actually look at is even if we were all drafted and we didn't have a lot to connect ourselves to what the big brass on high is trying to endure, maybe we can still keep going if we have that same sort of mentality we had when we formed the Rogue Wings. That we all remind ourselves that we're trying to pull off the same thing and I guess that we all might be the same person in a sense. So really, what better way is there for us other than to keep fighting for ourselves?"
Gawel observed, "There must have been at least a few of us who would have brushed off that sort of thinking as a bunch of group hugging bologna. We fight for ourselves and we keep going as though each of us is strong enough to keep ourselves sane. At this point in the game though, there might not be much point but I'm not sure I see the harm in it either."
Cinzia added, "I guess that is something we already promised each other to fulfill but it's not something we actually understood. That sounds like a situation a bunch of rookies like ourselves would do."
Zachariah agreed, "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if it's something I'm ready to grasp either. Is there anyone here who would prefer to just fall off the deep end and go mute with the shit we have? We do that and we basically let down Roy when he and the others needed someone to convince them when we were more than just struggling to survive."
Patrick added, "It's not like all of us have gone through the same amount of shit through the same thing. The least we can all do now is not look down on the people who are only trying to stick by our side and win us this war."
Suchart raised the whiskey bottle when he offered, "Well to the survivors then. Let's see which one of us comes out at the top shall we?"
Zachariah answered, "I think I'd prefer to get us all up there. But if it makes us all feel better, maybe we'll have some better results."
Cinzia pointed out, "That does leave me wondering just how we're going to gauge when this all ends and who is going to pull it off.'
Nasir told her, "I think there's only a handful of people who we are going to look forward to now. The ones who managed to deal more damage than all of us combined."
Fredric asked, "You're talking about the Gundams huh? I guess we all resigned ourselves to being cannon fodder the day the Gundams were ordered to be made. It is all possible that we might not have a whole lot left in this now that they're going to lead the charge to every front."
Gawel added, "It's just how it is at this point. Whatever Franz is up to in space trying to accomplish, we somehow have to deal with a giant black shadow that looms over us and rely on the guys who have the big guns to deal with it."
Cinzia pointed out, "I'm not sure if this is something we can call acceptable guys. The Gundam pilots may have big guns, but they aren't any less human than we are."
Keijo agreed, "We're trying to keep a hold of our own sanity and we aren't even seeing the real soldiers."
Suchart agreed, "Sure makes the rest of us feel a little small when we're trying to find out what our place is in this conflict is going to be isn't it? I mean we've been trying to make sense out of this whole future plan to climb bullshit mountain and I don't think we even managed to get any real answers. We are just a sad band of pussies aren't we?"
Gawel told him, "It's not like we can have all the answers at once. If we did, we would be part of the top brass trying to justify all this shit. I guess if we are going to embrace anything though, it might as well be that we have a handful of people we can look up to as trying to do their best for us. We just try to handle that, maybe the last of the people trying to betray the Earth is not going to be made apparent."
Zachariah agreed, "For all we know everyone has set their chips on the table and we don't have a lot to expect at this point. That is something we need to be ready for though isn't it? Being ready to see what our roles as the Rogue Wing forces will be won't it?"
Keijo agreed, "The fate of a lot of people declaring their loyalty to is still up in the air right now."
Edward watched the forces of the Rogue Wings loading on to every carrier that remained ready for takeoff. He saw a few squads of Ursa mobile suits loaded onto the carriers before he heard the door behind him slide open and Celso greeted, "Everything has been accounted for General. As of right now, we have 16 squadrons of pilots and our ground forces number approximately 10,000 in both our forces and the remains of General Vasquez. It is unfortunate that we endured as many losses as we did already but all things considered I believe we did our best."
Edward turned to face him when he reminded him, "We still have to consider the strength of our current benefactors. They are capable of holding us still and were fortunate to avoid as many casualties as we did. Have you been able to confirm that we will not be facing a true challenge when we arrive in North America?"
Julian answered, "Most of the guys we have to deal with have all come from here where a majority of the conflict has been taking place anyway. We still have a three to one number against us, but the good news is that it's all combined from the Brussels air forces, the remaining Earth Sphere military and the men assigned to OZ who have a loyalty to the Earth Sphere."
Edward nodded when he told his guards, "I do not want one man of our force to be left behind. This will be our opportunity to end the opponents of my rise to power with the force of weariness weighing down on them heavily."
He heard a message on his intercom computer panel, "General Edward Blare, report to the bridge."
Edward answered, "I will be there right away." He told Julian and Celso, "Both of you remain here. Do not allow anyone access to the information we have."
He turned as he made his way down the halls and to the bridge of the carrier where he saw Till Lindemann and Barra Devine looking ahead to the Americas in the far distance. At the lowest section of the bridge, Edward saw the four colonial representatives who had been taken prisoner before he asked, "Did you have General Ulbricht confined to another area of the ship?"
Till told him, "The former General is not of our concern. As of right now I am concerned just what our most valuable prisoners are supposed to do to preve3nt an imminent danger we are soon to face."
Barra told Edward, "As of right now these men do not share the same vision of ending the tensions we still hold against one another."
Edward asked, "And what is the problem they have right now?"
John Windham answered, "General Blare. The very fact that you have been so willing to sell yourself to the Earth Sphere is enough of a conflict of interest. Much of the Coalition has indeed endured great losses, but you will have to answer for the leadership that remains."
Derek Estes added, "Lucas Lehrer has already assumed the leadership at this point and he will be expecting you to face a trial for your actions."
Edward told the men, "I have only acted on what I personally believed the proper course of the human race must be. Throughout all my years, I have been truly more loyal to my men than any one man. My men only desired to see that I would end this era of strife and none of us were able to see a stable ear of peace with Nathaniel Falson leading the future of the human race."
Felix Bryant spoke up, "And it was your unfaithfulness to the Presidents cause that cost us this war! Because of you, humanity is divided as it has ever been and we are forced to place our final hopes to that of a ragtag army that has endured so much!"
Till told them, "As far as I am concerned, the General's lack of faith in the Coalition's ability to hold together is why our greatest hope has and not been destroyed. The fact that we endured such a great collective collapse would from my point of view, be the reason we are not scrounging the dirt in desperation to find the pieces of the Gundam remains just so we can desperately find a way to defend ourselves. As much as I do not approve of a man turning his back on what he once stood for, a stunt such as this one is what allowed us to discover everything that we were afraid to see realized."
Norio Mashima told Till, "He may have saved many of our lives, but this act is still going to face him within the conditions where he must be taken as a prisoner and treated as a traitor to the colonies. It is only the situation of due process after all."
Till told him, "And men of our position is what allows for bureaucracy such as yourselves to have the opportunity to call for such a time."
John warned, "I'm afraid that you do not appreciate the scenario you are advocating Lord Lindemann. By allowing this traitor to roam free and hide behind your organization as a means of establishing a new place to call loyal to, the stability of the colonies and the Coalition maintaining its current truce is going to be a fragile one that is not going to give us any advantage over the enemy we now face, that enemy being a manufacture lined of soulless machines designed not to discriminate which target is in their way."
Norio pointed out, "And you wish to advocate for containing our struggle to survive by being as asphyxiated on destruction as much as those things? The struggle for our right to be human is not limited to facing our enemies."
Till had a visible sign of being agitated with the discussion when he briefly shut his eyes and sighed before telling them, "Edward Blare is still a soldier who has spoken many times of placing his men ahead of everything else. I am willing to offer what may gives some ease of the situation by announcing him as my foremost leader on every future frontline."
Edward nodded at the decision in approval while Barra observed the judgement Till made with a curious look. Felix asked, "So you all believe that placing him in what could very well be his execution is what will make a resolution of this matter?"
Till confirmed, "If he does die, he does so doing what he admires most and he is no longer a danger to either of us. As of right now them embers of OZ are dedicated to seeing the demise of those who wish to extend conflict whatever reason and if Edward lives long enough to see that he accomplishes his new mission, he will be offered right into your hands to be dealt with as you see fit. Unless I am to assume the General has an objection to his fate."
Edward noticed Till turning to him waiting for a confirmation before answering, "I now have only one final objective to live for and if it must be achieve with my fate being so blead, then I hope it is enough that my men will see a brighter tomorrow because of it."
Derek told him, "You have something to fall back on now that you are here General. You are fortunate that we do not have the position to question your motives further."
Norio added, "If you are not seen at the forefront of every attack from this point on, we will request the right to take you for questioning. You had best hope that Lord Lindemann is not so fond of you that he would sacrifice what he has achieved just for your safety."
Till told him, "I was reluctant to have ever spared him as well. In all truth I think it would be a more fitting fate to see he is given true due process, but I intend to exploit every strength he has as a General before I do."
Felix accepted the offer, "It is the least we can accept right now. As long as Edward does not protect his fate, I believe we will be able to discover what little he has to offer the human race."
Till accepted, "The matter has been decided then. I hope to not have to learn of any future descent. Contrary to what you may think I do not intend to rupture the peace that we have recently achieved."
Derek told him, "I do hope that you demonstrate truth to win this hour."
Till and Barra turned as they made their way to the exit of the bridge and told the guards standing by the doors, "Return them to their holding cells. Ensure that the main crew is prepared for takeoff." He turned to Edward when he told him, "I expect you to remain where you were assigned. The accounting of your forces will be handled by my men."
Edward agreed, "Right away Lord Lindemann." The men parted as Edward made his way down the halls of the carrier to his living quarters. He saw Julian standing near his door when he was asked, "So you were fortunate to meet with the Coalition leaders just now?"
Edward opened his door when he confirmed, "Yes. About the experience that I had been expecting." The two men made their way in before the door slid shut and Julian held out his hand to ask, "That means I take it you were able to get the confirmation we needed out of them right?"
Edward removed a small box from his breast pocket when he confirmed, "It was all answered as we needed it to be."
Julian took the recording box when he told his superior, "If we're going to have things go our way, our chance to have a new start is looking pretty likely General."
Edward agreed, "We only need to maintain this appearance for so long. Celso. Bring Jens and Susanne back on board and inform them that the plan is soon to be set in motion. Very soon we will have to narrow the forces remains on this planet and should ideally be the last time we will have to do so."
As Barra followed Till down the halls of the carrier he asked, "Have you come to trust the former General of what he claims to be his true intentions?"
Till answered, "Not even a little. The man is far too ready to accept the fate that he has been assigned. I offered him the choice of either facing execution or fighting until his last man falls before him. There are too few men who would be strong enough to accept either answer. I remain unconvinced that he is such a man who intends to live up to the example set by the men who were able to make that choice."
"I am grateful that you are able to take my warnings to consideration this way. Are you certain that you will not attempt to find a way to have him removed however?"
"I do not wish to compare your struggle to mine, but I cannot force him to meet his and because it will undermine everything that we hoped to achieve."
"Indeed he warned me that his death now would incur the retribution of his men. Were the Sol Theros not a threat this would not be an issue to send the war to a close and yet I'm afraid that he may already know how this and is prepared to take full advantage of it."
"It is with this knowledge that he will hopefully be kept at the frontlines. Eventually he will be able to have his men reduced so significantly that any ambition he has to overthrow us, as you did warn me, will only be a faint fantasy that will elude him until his final days on the field."
"We give him the glorious end that he seeks but in doing so we have an opportunity to destroy the last splinter of the Coalition that extends this war for too long. And of everyone present I am fortunate that you have been willing to hear me out Lord Lindemann."
"It is a personal value that I have always held. To never trust a traitor. Not even one that I install myself. I must warn that this applies to you and the Peacecraft children as well."
Barra was uneasy about the warning but managed to ask, "Is there a certain way that you feel should redeem the sort of traitors that me and Dafina are supposed to be?"
Till continued to look ahead when he answered, "By acknowledging that everyone you have ever fought under is to be destroyed."
Barra stopped in his tracks when he told Till, "But it is that sort of thinking that will prevent any future peace talks from being achieved Till. The only goal that me and miss Dafina ever had was to see that Franz Kecker was to be brought to justice for his actions.
Till looked him in the eye when he told Barra, "And your initial loyalty to the Coalition is what unfortunately posits you and Dafina as traitors. Men who follow you will easily be able to find a way to turn this situation to your advantage should it be possible that you will betray us. This world has become a pit of slithering traitors who all seek to overpower one another with their ambitions no matter how small. Your mistress shot me in the knees and saved my daughter while choosing to fight for the intention of Franz being tried, you yourself assisted her in this endeavor and now seek to warn me about now about another possible traitor. Quite frankly I have no intention to allow anyone who struggles to achieve this in the past or future have the opportunity to bring about further chaos."
"This is a dangerous way to assure your choices Till. Even calling for the death of Franz, your intention to have the Coalition destroyed is one that will not allow for an era of peace. I do not wish to sound as though I give you an order, but if you feel so strongly that the Coalition must fall, then I suggest you should cast your doubt on the loyalty of Edward right now."
"I hope you do not think I am so naïve to think that the colonies and the Earth are capable of coexisting now that Franz has been revealed to be the man that hie is. The Coalition will use this against us and have their own ambitions afterwards. Saving ourselves from this era of destruction is only going to pave the way for another war that I will not allow to overpower any man who continues have a fighting spirit."
"And did you not once consider that you may find yourself being host to contributing in a never-ending cycle that will consume you as well based on your own mentality?"
Till was unshaken as he pointed towards Barra and told him, "Unless your plan to divulge every detail of what might be done to achieve your mission, I have no desire to be corrected by someone who only has a vague idea of what this man is supposed to be. The majority of my life has gone with one having a war and I expect to one day die as a soldier even if I must await another generation of slaughter. The fact is there are times where the cycle of violence will only rear its head once again. We are all foolish to believe it could be achieved once. I for one will not be among those who fall into a false sense of security."
Till watched the first of his crew make their way towards him when he added, "You may either continue to offer your support or you may step aside and allow me to work." Till walked away from Barra as he left him with the choice he had to make about his future role in the Earth Sphere and OZ struggle to survive.
"Even united we struggle to find common ground. You have been able to carve yourself a secure place among us Edward. What's more is that now everything is set to become a powder keg that is waiting for the moment to explode. Something I cannot hope to prevent, but must now prepare for when it is all cumulated." Barra told himself as he turned to make his way to the bridge.
Dafina watched the Tallgeese Throne loaded into the aircraft carrier next to the other Gundams when she heard Donna greeted, "You did well out there to help us. Things could have been easier, but we were fortunate to prevent the city from falling."
Dafina turned to greet Donna, "I wish I didn't kill all of the Earth Sphere military I did to get here, I was fortunate to redeem myself somewhat, but being caught in a war for so long has caused me to claim casualties on both sides. I will admit it was nice to fight alongside you this time."
Dafina hesitated before admitting, "My father always told me to never trust a traitor. Even one that we trust. In the greater scheme of things though, I think your intentions to make the Earth Sphere recognize its wrongs only gives you the right to say you were never aligned to anyone. The only mistake you could be making now is doubting yourself at this moment."
"That's actually a nice way to think. Sadly trying to create an era of peace is a delicate procedure that requires many fortunate factors. As it is, many of them simply did not come to be realized. What is not regrettable is that this is probably the best-case scenario we could have asked for."
"We can at least look at it this way, we might be able to prevent any further conflict if we can have the Coalition understand that we hope to resolve this misunderstanding. Most who formed the Coalition only did so because they thought they could not get us to understand our mistake otherwise didn't they?'
"Most of the men who had the ambition to use the Coalition to their advantage are indeed dead. However there will be a period of distrust as we try to make sense of those who have tried to exploit this conflict. It may be the unfortunate affect that we are simply destined to face."
"If anything I hope that I will be able to make a place on Mars where I will be able to assist in the terraformation."
"You have the approval of your father to leave this planet when it is all over?"
Donna hesitated before she answered, "I couldn't see him in many years possibly giving me his blessing to make residence on Mars. But I hopefully won't need it once I have my chance to leave on my own."
Dafina pointed to her when she pointed out, "I hope that's not the only reason you may have been trying to cozy up to my brother."
Donna was forced to pause again as she considered the indication she had to explain. She asked, "Did Ermes tell you about us?"
Dafina plainly answered, "He's more or less told me about you really. He respects your choice and hopes to be with someone, but recently you have been getting really friendly with him. It's nothing to be ashamed of if you just don't want to die out there with regrets, your brother Richard is actually in the same situation. I'm just saying that you should be considerate of how others are going to feel with you being a big part of their lives."
Donna felt a cloud of shame hang over her as she recognized how she was trying to bring herself into Ermes's life instead of allowing him to have a way in. She finally found an answer when she told Dafina, "I guess I should have asked for how he felt. I honestly don't know how he feels even now, but I can see him as the only one who has any real sense of hope in himself now."
"You haven't gotten that feeling from any of the other pilots?"
"Everyone is either dead or has been changed by all the horrors that they have recently seen. For the longest time it seemed as though Mercurio would be the exception. But after Tahat, I can't say that he is the same person I came to respect. As the days go on, I have a feeling that he will become more like my father and I wouldn't find myself any better off around him. It seems to happen to everyone who lives on Earth, I honestly don't even want to be among the others who come out as one of the survivors. I haven't changed even a little and I would be among the most unusual cases of survivors if I do live long enough."
"There is a reason you felt isolated for so long. You were hoping that you could uphold the absolute best of others as being the only virtue that you wanted to be seen. That's unfortunately not something humans are capable of achieving. The fact is your father does have a certain strength that he allows to motivate him. One that has almost come to overpower him. Being able to look the faults of others as only an obstacle to be overcome. He doesn't hope that you will compare yourself to him, he hopes that you will take hold of the obstacle you set for yourself to surpass him."
Donna was hesitant before she could consider the question, "You think my father really had that sort of idea in mind?"
Dafina confirmed, "Every father who pressures their children to do more wants that to happen one day. My father taught that at least. And I believe if he saw you as strong enough to pilot a Gundam, he already sees a kind of strength that he admires in you and hopes to see flourish. I want you to understand though, I don't want you to break up with Ermes. I just want you to consider what the real intentions of those around you are. It makes it easier to be honest with yourself and others. And you will have a better life for it."
Donna leaned against the wall of a hangar when she considered the words Dafina had for her. The strength that she was being told to take hold of was something that she had never thought to actually claim. They were words she heard but never actually came to understand. Even with the words that weighed on her form the conversation she wasn't sure that she could say that her spirits had been lifted completely or that she would be ready to change her life entirely.
After her reflection, Donna told Dafina, "If I live long enough to really appreciate what you say, I should be able to take what you say into consideration. I just hope that Ermes doesn't try to brush me off or push me away when I apologize."
Dafina nodded when she told her, "The only apology you need to make is for not staying by the side of your fellow pilots when they need you the most. Once that is done, it will be up to you to live up to what your father would wish from you."
The final preparations were being made for the carriers as Mercurio and Ermes saw the last of the Gundams loaded. Ermes asked, "We are supposed to be safer within Quebec City aren't we?"
Mercurio nodded, "At least the parliament will. Pretty soon we just have to focus on stopping Franz from using the Sol Invictus. As long as we aren't too late, that should be the only thing we need to concern ourselves with."
Another voice entered, "Sounds like you boys are awful dedicated to this one thing. You think the others are strong enough to hold the fort down?"
Mercurio turned to greet when he said, "They have to be. We're too far into this struggle to give up now. I expect you to be ready along with the others."
Ermes asked, "You're one of General Blare's guards aren't you?"
She confirmed, "You can just call me Susanne. I'm not sure if you had a chance to overhear some of your fellow pilots but it doesn't sound like they're ready to endure something this big."
Mercurio corrected, "Everyone has fear take hold of them at some point. We still have a choice of whether we can be controlled by it or intimidated."
Ermes agreed, "A lot of them were ready and anxious to see themselves out of one fire and into another. But they all act like how soldiers should. Being brave and prepared to stand against any challenge that comes next."
Susanne asked, "That's at least a bit of encouragement. It took one and the others a bit of willpower to decide General Blare was on to something. If things turned out better sooner, there might not be as many casualties. We can only wish for easy can't we?"
Ermes agreed, "And yet it never comes something that we are assured to grasp. What do you think though? Are you going to be ready for defending your General down to the last man standing?"
Susanne told him, "I've been at his side for years and I've never met a more worthy man to earn my respect. The fact that he couldn't overthrow the Falsons sooner is an unfortunate injustice to the human race."
Mercurio told her, "It's great to admire someone. But looking them to a high degree should only depend on how close you actually are."
Susanne asked, "So both of you think you have something to fight for that's comparable to your superiors?"
Mercurio answered, "I have a family to stand by. Mother, father, siblings, cousins, and friends. Everyone who has stood to make this day possible deserve to be held in the highest regard. That's what I feel is important at least."
Ermes agreed, "I've got all those on Mars and you to fight for. Having a higher cause does help."
Susanne pointed out, "I've heard and read a prior report about your escapades before getting here. It seems like this Roy Gilliam guy was supposed to be one of the lesser choices you'd support after what he did."
Mercurio denied, "No. Everyone had something important to offer and he was someone who pushed me to do better. The truth is he fought like a man to his dying breath and he did what any soldier should do. Even if I failed him, I won't let his name be devalued in life."
Susanne acknowledged the promise when she said, "I have to admit I wish I had more than half of what you're dedicated to kid. Maybe if you make your way back here, you could humor me with at least a sparring round or two?"
Mercurio agreed, "Sure. It will be that time before you know it."
Susanne waved as she made her way to the hall of the carrier out of the hangar area when an intercom voice sounded, "Attention all personnel. We are beginning our flight in sixty seconds. Prepare for liftoff."
Malcolm and the members of the Parliament waited next to Marcel as one of the operators announced, "Hangar bay and passenger capacity are both at 100%."
Another one confirmed, "We have readings form the others as well."
Malcolm ordered, "We shall leave then. It is time that we prepared for our escape."
The ship captain confirmed, "All engines are prepared. Beginning flight in five… four… three… two… one… We have liftoff."
Across the Belgian countryside, the few onlookers could only watch as the carriers rose to the sky and prepared to make their flight towards another side of the world. The squadrons of Sol Thero units that came upon the outer edge of the city of Brussels could only watch as the carriers took off at full speed away from their target location. The leaders of the Earth Sphere were able to claim another day where they could survive the progressing purge, but everyone and everything who saw the sight knew that there was still no ending in sight for the greater plans before them.
