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 65: The Challenge of Fortitude

Another day dawned over Quebec City while the Nornir Walkure made its entry into its designated hangar bay. As it situated itself near the scaffolding that allowed its pilots to exit, Richard asked, "Could you please tell me that radar of yours is working Flake? I'm at least expecting there to be some kind of minor threat for us to eradicate."

Flake told him, "We make sure of the systems every time before heading out Richard. Just want to say that sounds like the sort of thing Christian should be asking right now."

Christian agreed, "I'm looking for some action as well so it's not that big of a complaint for me."

Flake explained, "I at least want a reason for what I'm doing out there. Every hour out there I have to be on patrol is another one I don't get to be around Elna."

Christoph told him, "I thought your big concern was with having a convenient relationship. You sound like you're just a little more attached than you should be for something like that."

Richard scratched the back of his head when he told his brothers, "Yeah I'm just packing a shitload of heat is all. It's not that big of a deal."

Flake warned, "If you keep this sort of thing going I think it's going to be a big enough leak for dad to get involved."

Christoph gestured, "Speaking of which we have a report to give on what we've found."

Christian agreed, "Let's not keep him waiting."

The four brothers made their way to an empty meeting room where Flake activated a hologram projector to reveal their father was waiting for their report. Christoph stood in salute when he told his father, "Sir, we have completed our patrol along all quadrants and we have found no new activity risking our security."

The hologram of Till asked, "You have not seen any of the outside Coalition forces attempt to engage us in the eastern quadrant?"

Flake answered, "We haven't even had a chance to pick them up on radar sir. Seems like they don't even want to be seen right now."

Till reflected on the report before observing, "It sounds as though those men in particular have no desire to be seen. We will have to consider engaging these men very soon if we do not wish to see another engagement occur outside the capital."

Andrew appeared next to Till when he pointed out, "Acting this way will raise some serous concerns my lord. Even if are allowed to remain autonomous of the administrations command, they do hold us accountable to uphold a peace we have achieved, not instigate new conflicts."

Till paused before agreeing, "If I do willingly start such a conflict, I will be playing directly into the hands of an individual who would likely love to see that day occur. The best-case scenario being that I end up being the usurper our recent enemies accuse me of being." He lifted his head up to view his sons when he told them, "You are to remain on standby in case the Coalition forces do chose to engage us. What is most important is that I wish to see the capital defended at whatever cost we are charged with."

Christoph agreed, "We're ready for the first order to move out. Give us the order and we will respond."

Till nodded, "I expect no less. I must let you know now that I intend to obtain the approval of the President to engage. Remain where you are and you will have authorization soon enough."

The hologram of Till and Andrew faded before Richard commented, "Great. Our plan is to just sit out here on our asses and wait for the higher ups in command to give the okay?"

Christoph told him, "It's not as though we have an immediate threat to tackle. At least it doesn't seem like these guys are suicidal like the previous ones."

Flake agreed, "It is the best-case scenario. So do you think we'll be fortunate to just be relegated to patrol duties until we hear about the Sol Invictus's destruction?"

Christian answered, "If that is our duty, that would be a pretty anti-climactic way to end our contributions to this war here. Flake here only getting to help us take down a battalion before this was all over and we only had enough missions to put a few dents in the Coalition before the Gundams found their way back here? The situation is even less interesting when we barely have any Sol Theros to attack back out there."

Richard told his three brothers, "Let me tell you the truth, I'd really rather this whole thing not be all that big anyway. We're probably four Gundam pilots who have had the least action and we actually have a chance to live to the end. At least we have something a little honorable about all of this."

Christian sighed as he made his way out of the meeting room and told him, "What would be honorable is if we were any closer to making this planet any safer and possible to live on., Honestly I doubt that we're going to be all that significant of a presence when all of this is said and done. And that really does not sit well with me."

Flake commented as Christian walked out, "Got to admit, I was worried I wasn't going to hear enough of dads critique of what we do, but I think I forgot how much Christian takes after him."

Christoph agreed, "We do need to remember that Donna is out there right now just waiting for a chance at her first real battle out there and is probably going to be the biggest do or die choice out there. And yet there's 80 percent of his kids all gathered down here just to be regulated to some more mundane tasks by comparison."

Richard learned on a nearby wall when he told his brothers, "It's great that most of us at least plan on playing soldier boy on some level but I would honestly be happy if this whole thing would end tomorrow and we didn't have to worry about any further pressure we have to sit through. If I'm the only one of us who thinks that, I still know I'm not the only one wishing for that."

Flake began to follow Christian on his way out when he told him, "Right now I think the only thing we can do is be ready for the worst. Speaking of which, I have a bit of handiwork to do myself."


While the defense of the capital had been maintained by the recent actions of the Coalition pushed aside, Till found himself having a grudge against he process he had to fulfill. He told his superior, "You must be able to recognize that we are placing ourselves at a great risk by remaining here. The longer we wait, the greater the risk we face the attack of the Sol Theros or another brigade of Coalition soldiers that decides we may be at our weakest."

Marcel told him, "Under many circumstances we should be able to make the advance, but currently our numbers are facing a dangerous low when we evaluate our options. Even by only sending the Nornir Walkure we risk ourselves being exposed to a breach in our defenses. We will only gain very little advantage if we should take the initiative anyway. We can only destroy them before they come within a dangerous range. In addition not every Coalition force will be minded like General Willms was. We cannot risk another tragedy such as his."

Andrew pointed out, "We may be more fortified if we remain where we are, but we still risk not being able to save many others or rally them to our location if we remain here. Initiative could be to our fortune if we could discover what the condition of the world is now."

Malcolm pointed out, "I can see the need to attempt a risk such as this one, but I believe General Neustadt had a particular warning about our numbers."

Marcel confirmed, "I believe you may be somewhat pleased to know that we have been closely monitoring General Blare's men Lord Lindemann. However an initial count has determined that our forces are dangerously close to being outnumbered by his count. It is for this that we must have some way of keeping them from being found together and prepared to engage a unified strike if they find the opportunity."

Till asked, "You would hope for me to divide General Blare's men? I may be able to do so if they are properly convinced for something."

Marcel agreed, "That is why it is possibly enough that you might be able to convince him that the men from the North Main Woods will only be willing to evacuate the area if someone they know is there to confirm their security. In the meantime we can keep an ear on their plans once they arrive at the rallying point. Once we hear the first sign of a planned attack, we utilize the Nornir Walkure to destroy them in one blast. Afterwards the men under the pledge of General Blare will only have a choice of becoming prisoner or finding a new cause to be loyal to."

Till agreed to the idea, "Assuming we are able to find a way to intercept them without our knowing. Do we have a plan for how to overhear them?"

Marcel answered, "That is what we are hoping to discover. We may be able to discover the division Edward sees if you speak to him directly and determine his plan."

Till iterated, "Discover his next pawn and then destroy his forces in front of him. I suppose at least we will be able to see a genuine reaction from him and if possible back him in the same room as Klaus."

Malcolm reminded him, "This is assuming we discover that the General does in fact have plans such as the ones we suspect. Once you have learned the information from General Blare, you inform us right away and we will ensure that our agent is able to pinpoint this person right away."

Till agreed, "Perhaps it does fall to me if I intend to reveal what sort of man Edward must truly be. If we are able to solidify our ranks as it is now, perhaps soon enough we will have true security in this area at least."

Malcolm agreed, "Even the smallest doubt can be enough to build reason of suspicion if it becomes clear that he has no intention to usurp us however. I must ask that you begin to trust General Blare as though he was always at our side. We are in a period o where we cannot afford to allow suspicion to govern our every action."

Till pointed out, "It cannot be so simple that we rely on this one eavesdrop. Even if he is completely unaware of the Nornir Walkure watching him there is no guarantee that he will willingly expose his plans. He is a far more devious man than we could give him credit for."

Andrew added, "Lord Lindemann does raise a legitimate concern. If the General were able to usurp us from within, it would be a more efficient and more productive long-term achievement."

Marcel told him, "That is what we hope to discover. For right now we will wait for them to arrive outside the city and explain that we are preparing accommodations which will take 24 hours to fulfill. Even if they are as close as they will be, our forces will be able to eradicate them from a safe distance if the first sign of warning comes from the General that he has hidden motivations."

Malcolm added, "More importantly, it will be a great benefit to us Lord Lindemann if you were able to listen to the General's commands by planting the first bug on him. It will be equally as likely that he will be communicating form a long distance call on how he plans to execute a supposed greater plan."

Till nodded before he agreed, "Perhaps this is the closest thing I can have to seeing my greater plans achieved. If I must then I will see this done."

Andrew added, "We will have our men keep watch over the General's quarters and offer the first warning if he so much as tries to leave his accommodations."

Malcolm confirmed, "It is fortunate to see that we were able to come to this conclusion. We will be able to determine for certain what sort of man Edward truly is and we will be able to resume our defense as it was intended."

Till agreed, "That is a far more roundabout way than I would have liked it to be, but I am determined to remain loyal to the Earth Sphere leader as I have for many years."

Marcel told him, "Meet with Barra outside and we will begin this mission. Most importantly be ready to accept whatever we come to learn when we do discover Edwards intentions."


As Relena made her way to the household her family was assigned to, she saw a sight that she didn't hope to see when she entered the main room. She saw Heero on one of the couches fitting himself into a uniform while flexing his right arm as though he tried to keep the blood circulating through it.

She tried to deny the obvious but asked, "Heero, just what do you have planned now?"

Heero looked up when he answered, "Relena. The forces are running low and there aren't many pilots left. I have to be ready to fulfill my rank and lead the others out there."

She walked up to him as she placed her hands on his right arm and saw him lightly tense at the feeling. She told him, "You can't be in the right condition to be out there. Your arm is almost completely damaged beyond healing. You aren't the boy who could heal himself after a fatal gunshot anymore you know."

Heero stood up when he told her, "We also can't allow everyone to suffer the fate of being destroyed if I can somehow prevent it. I can still manage myself out there."

Relena told him, "You won't' be of any good to anyone if you exert yourself further than this. At least don't go out there trying to get any more injuries."

Heero looked out the window when he told Relena, "I'm not going out there to kill myself Relena. Someone needs to make sure that we have a city for everyone to return to. I'm not going to have Mercurio come back here just to find all of us are gone."

Relena reluctantly let go of Heero's arm when she told him, "I just can't do anything to stop you can I? It seems like with every day that passes by we are slowly losing our ability to handle issues in any diplomatic fashion. Was there nothing that could have been done to prevent this recent tragedy in the west?"

Heero leaned his left arm on a windowsill when he told her, "Not from what I understand. We were fortunate to have lost as few as we did, but we are starting to run out of options for those who can defend us. Right now what I want to see happen is that your work with the President and make sure that you achieve your own goals. We need something to stand for when this all ends."

Relena smiled when she told him, "I'm happy that you believe we will have something for everyone making the final mission. T he least I should do now is be ready for that day."

Heero kissed Relena before he told her, "That's all we can do right now. I know that it will happen. And when all of this ends, we won't have to suffer at the hands of people who want to deceive us. You taught me to have that belief a long time ago. I wont' let you forget that you had that belief for everyone."

Relena agreed, "I do have to stay strong for you don't I?"

Heero placed a hand on her shoulder when he confirmed, "More importantly for those who we are building this world for." He turned away and made his way out the door as he left Relena for both of them to fulfill their duties.

Relena made her way to the couch Heero sat on before announcing, "There's no need for you two don't need to hide now."

Both Helena and Selena stepped out of the nearby corridor when they heard their mother and Helena told her, "We didn't want to disturb your talk is all mom. Is dad still going to be heading out there whenever he gets a chance?"

Relena confirmed, "Yes. He was born and raised to fight for what he believed in but he has always allowed his heart to be in the right place because of it."

Selena agreed, "I thought both you and dad would have a hard time staying out of this when the Coalition came and captured you. Even if you're both still alive, I just don't know if we're ever going to be safe from further destruction."

Relena continued to look out the window when she told her daughters, "He is only making a difference the best way he knows how. Long ago I thought that I would have made a world where he didn't have to be a soldier anymore. But now it would seem that his life has come around to meet him again."

Selena pointed out, "You don't sound very disappointed by that. I thought with so much you tried ot achieve the peace you had before, you would be more saddened by this."

Relena agreed, "I probably should be. But honestly now I can see Mercurio in Heero. I see someone who is much more than a warrior now. It's almost as though everything he became has brought him to this point. The least I can do now is be the support he needs when he really needs it."

Helena agreed, "I never thought you would come to a conclusion like that one mom. If we can live through this, I want to see that you remain a beacon of hope for everyone out here."

Relena agreed, "It is hard to be the girl that I used to be. But we all have the human race to give our support to.' She stood up and turned to her daughters when she told them, "The soldiers will need help tending to their injuries. Try not to keep them waiting."

Helena confirmed, "We'll head out there now mom."

Selena encouraged, "Try to make a difference out there."

Relena allowed her daughters to walk ahead of her as they left the front door and made their way to the city hospital. Relena followed their steps as she turned her head towards the capital building and said, "Heero. We have something so valuable to live for now. You have to live for that example."


The morning hours on the Executor Rising had come and the pilots were given a chance to enjoy the breakfast that was provided to them. Most of all they had the chance to enjoy the process of waking up more than the food they had been offered. After a mouthful of rehydrated scrambled eggs, Gawel chugged down his coffee before telling his fellow pilots, "After this folks, I think I've had more than my fill of this rehydrated shit. If becoming a fruitarian means that I get this out of my system, I'm ready to register as one."

Suchart agreed, "This stuff does get to be more tedious to eat when it's all you have. Makes me yearn for even just a brief stop where we can get some real food for a last meal."

Oleg asked, "So you guys had so much of this stuff that you're able to tell a night and day difference by now?"

Tano confirmed, "They took several months going to and leaving Mars alone with just one stop at the L4 cluster. You guys should be thankful that's all you ever had to go through."

Zachariah asked, "Why's that? Di you have to live off of this for even longer?"

Tano confirmed, "I've been on the Coalition fleet for years and I don't even remember the last time I had a real unprocessed meal like the one you guys talk about."

Gawel told him, "Well the most I have to say to that is, "Shit.""

Suchart agreed, "You come with me to Earth when this is over kid. I know a place that will serve a balut that you could never imagine."

Zachariah chuckled before telling Suchart, "Seeing you that night, I don't know if I would trust you showing someone what a balut was."

Suchart told him, "It's a food Zach, don't get the wrong idea through your head."

The rest of the table gave a round of laughter at the answer while Tano grinned and accepted the joke. Oleg heard Kieran form behind him observe, "Really entertaining to see that this stuff is capable of bringing people together. Not sure if we're just undervaluing this stuff or if it's just a reflection of what it is we should be ready for."

Oleg agreed, "I really think that you have a 50 percent accuracy on what the answer is. The suspense is killing us so much that we're willing to just bullshit with each other over stuff that is really just this… well this."

Kieran laughed before patting Oleg's back when he agreed, "You could be doing worse right? It's not like you're being asked to eat rocks right? Besides you basically had your brush with extravagance already from what I heard. Be glad that I'm only a little pissed I wasn't invited."

Zachariah told him, "Our goal was really just to serve among ourselves. It's just a little tragic we have to wait a long while before we can have something resembling a victory party if we make it out alive."

Oleg added, "It's not like you were looking to get chewed out by the Admiral were you? That is what would have happened if you participated anyway. We need you to be keeping yourself sober so we can have the right weapons for when the final battle arrives."

Kieran offered a feigned gesture of disappointment when he told them, "Well I am very hurt to think that you see me in such a way. I thought we actually had a real friendship going for a little while."

Gawel chewed on his toast while telling the pilots, "I'm enjoying the show as much as you guys are but the big long wait is about to test us for another few hours. Until then we all have a date with the Captain to finalize our formations for what the advance will be."

Tano asked, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen everyone here. Did they decide to leave or finish early?"

Zachariah gestured to the halls behind him when he answered, "I saw Mercurio and Donna headed down that way. Something interesting might be happening but I don't think it will happen if we were to get a peak."

Oleg told him, "Frankly this bit of gossip talk doesn't really intrigue me that much anyway. Can we at least try to avoid getting in trouble with the Captain again?"

Suchart laughed before asking, "Why not? I'd be funny as hell to see you being smacked again."

The mess hall was being slowly emptied as the breakfast hours came to a close and many of the mobile suit pilots had gone to prepare themselves for the final confrontation that loomed over them like a prophesized day of destruction they had been preparing for. It was the sort of atmosphere that made Donna understand what it was that could cause them to be so relatively calm. While she was far from about to have a panic, she couldn't see herself willing to handle everything as lightly as her fellow pilots could. "This sort of ease that they're able to have. Is this the sort of thing that comes naturally?"

She barely had a chance to wonder about herself before she saw someone make his way up to her. Instead of Ermes as she had silently hoped for, she looked up to see Mercurio standing across from her. He greeted, "The captain has been wondering if you were prepared for todays routine. Nothing's bothering you is it?"

Donna shook her head when she answered, "Nothing serious. I guess I'm just worried about what we're getting into is all."

"Ermes told me about what you talked to him about. It has to be something more than just that."

"Just that? Mercurio I think you forget that we are about to handle the greatest threat to the human race in recent times. It's hard to ask us to be composed when we could very well be destroyed within one blast."

"I get that it's a hard thing to deal with and we don't even know what Franz is planning to do when he has the controls of the Sol Invictus in his hands. But I've wanted us to be ready for what's coming. And we're going to have a hard time being at our best when we have regrets weighing us down."

Donna paused when she recognized Mercurio's answer. She tried to keep herself defended from the further questioning when she asked, "What is it even about me anyway? Why are you so concerned about what I'm feeling when everyone else has just about as much as me on their mind?"

Mercurio explained, "A big part of it is because I had an idea that you were different. Dana is the only other person who I know who puts others ahead of herself and is still alive. I was told once by Alberto that the Gundam pilots were chosen by their dedication to allow a better life for everyone they fought for. I don't want ot be the selfish one, but I thought you would be one of those people."

Donna found herself understanding the sort of person Mercurio imagined her to be. What was worse was how she began to feel smaller under the critical observation that Mercurio offered her. It was a short while before she acknowledged, "I've been searching my whole life to find a way that I wouldn't have to be judged for what I personally wanted. I thought I could find it with Ermes but it seems like he doesn't even want to be around me with how I have acted recently."

Mercurio asked after a period of reflection, "What were you hoping to achieve? I thought you cared about Ermes and wanted to be with him. Is he not feeling the same way?"

Donna confirmed, "He seems to think that I only want to be around him because I want him to take me to Mars where he lives. Unfortunately he might be right. I didn't even try to begin something with him until we reached Brussels so he might have had reason to suspect me."

"That's definitely going to be the case. But if he's right and that is your intention, what is it you were hoping to achieve by making Mars your new home?"

"I only wanted a place where I could hopefully start again. Where I wouldn't have to live under the prestige of a family name and be just another person. I don't know how you and Ermes are happy with having such names to live up to, but it's something that I never wanted to uphold."

Mercurio was surprised to hear the answer and asked, "It's because you wanted to run away from your heritage? How is that even something you think is possible? And from what I understand, the death of your mother was the only thing you ever had as a tragedy."

Donna confirmed, "My mother has been away from my life for a long time. After that day, I had the life of a soldier's training but father was never interested in seeing me live for anything else. I never even really had a chance to determine what I wanted to do for myself. I have four older brothers who can replace everything I do and have so much more. It's not as though my father actually needs me around for anything other than to be another pilot for his own projects."

"Are you going to let that define you though? Are you just going to let yourself run away from the first sight of a life that comes after being on the field? You've met a lot of friends and they can all provide so many options of what you can chose to be. You don't have to live on Mars to do that."

Donna was hesitant when she came to recognize the answer he would have to give. It was one that she had trouble understanding herself but knew she would have to simply reveal what she thought about the friends she made on the long journey. "I just don't feel like there's anyone I can truly trust. So many of us are just so blatantly weak."

Merucrio was at a loss when he heard the answer and unsure how he would be able to talk to her further. He tried to rationalize her answer when he asked, "Is there some kind of weakness that you're afraid of facing?"

Donna managed to give him an answer, "I've had a hard time being able to see myself as someone strong enough to be the support for someone else. But I just haven't met anyone who I could call truly strong. Ermes is the closest I ever saw to being someone who had a flaw that would make him someone I would have to be there for all the time and he lives on Mars. I imagined that if he would have me, I could run away to live with him somewhere I didn't have to live as someone important. Maybe then I wouldn't have to live like I would on Earth."

Mercurio nodded when he told her, "He's been with us a bit and he does have things about him that make him seem like someone anyone would like to be with. He is also from another planet. Even if you did make this work, would you still be able to be happy with your decision? Both sides to a relationship of any kind have to be strong in order for them to work."

"I don't want to presume anything, but it sounds as thought you have an idea of how a relationship is supposed to work. What makes you think you have an idea anyway?"

"My dad told me all about his when I was younger. He believed that he wouldn't be able to live for anything other than fighting and he was prepared to die at every new spark of conflict. When the Mariemaia Rebellion ended, he thought all he had left to live for was being a guard for my mother. It took him giving the idea of letting another person really enter his life before he was able to discover who he could be. It wasn't because my mother was charitable or even because she wanted to be him. It was because she believed that my father could be a good man. It took years for him to adjust, but he was able to find a side of himself that he didn't believe had a chance to exist. But now he's been able to live more than half his life as a man he never would have expected to be. Neither of them truly were strong or weak. But they were both able to see themselves as part of a greater whole. Not to complete one another, but to add to one another."

The answer gave a great deal for Donna to think about when Mercurio told her the story of his father. After a brief moment she was able to see what caused Ermes to be so hesitant about the idea of being with her. "I'm strong enough to be a Gundam pilot, but I'm barely able to stand on my own as a human being." She whispered under her breath. She brought her attention back up to Mercurio when she told him, "That sounds like what my father allowed himself to do. It sounds as though he didn't allow himself to stand on his own after my mother died. Afterwards he became a very vengeful man who wanted to see justice was done for her rather than to see me or my brothers have a chance to live their own life."

Mercurio corrected, "I honestly don't think he really wants that sort of life for anyone. Different people have different ways of handling a tragedy. I think that his intention is that he wanted you and your brothers to have a world to live in. I think my father would have done the same thing if he was given the same scenario."

With as much as she was given, Donna began to fee a great revelation about everything she had done and how she had been isolating herself form almost everyone around her. Even after questioning the intentions of her fellow pilots she was now able to see the faults of her desire to find someone for herself. "I wanted to find someone who didn't have an evident weakness and yet I neglected to acknowledge that I have the same weaknesses of my own. Some of them might be so great that all I would do is just end up being a burden for the one who was with me. I really haven't done anything to prove myself as being worthy of Ermes's companionship, let alone of anyone else."

Mercurio placed a hand on her shoulder when he told her, "You will. Even if this battle is the last one we fight together in, it's never too late to change who you are. Just try to remember, there is no real relationship of convenience. Remember that being with someone means that you offer what you have to improve their lives while they improve yourself. Never a one-sided deal."

Donna felt uneasy at first from the gesture but was able to remember the noble and affectionate sort of man that Mercurio was when she actually met him face to face for the first time. She could understand that there was an added layer of complexity to the sort of man he was because of the faults that she assigned to him before, but it was only now that she was able to understand that she had her own to worry about. Or at least would only be a mere obstacle that she would have to overcome.

Donna offered, "Thank you for everything. I hope you're right and I'll be able to really find myself and have a better life because of it. I suppose if I even want to be with Ermes, I have to be able to stand on my own first."

Mercurio parted form her when he agreed, "If living with him is what you truly hope for, I'm sure he'll help you make it work. At least we have a while before all of this has to be resolved. Well we shouldn't be late for the training session with the Captain. Let's go meet her won't we?"

Donna agreed, "If there's one thing that I don't want to do today it's to raise the concern the captain might have for me."


As another day came to pass on the Earth, the danger of the Sol Thero attacks continued to be a very real danger. One that left many to wonder if there was a sound strategy in not standing together at all times. Even with this question, General Clint Kerluke was able to pressure his meant that he would not be one of the victims to fall at the hands of the devastators

As his forces left the Lake Champlain behind them, Clint asked his strategist, "Do we have a lock on the location of Colonel Huerta's location?"

His strategist answered, "I'm afraid that may be a bit of an issue General. We have not been able to establish contact with them or determine their closest location."

Clint held his breath before commenting, "It is unfortunate that the situation is not as easy to manage as it should be. Regrettably finding the mobile dolls out here has proven to be a dangerous endeavor. If the worst has indeed happened, then I can only prompt the men to follow through the plan to plead with the Earth Sphere for some form of security."

His strategist agreed, "However many of us remain we will do well to avoid falling into a misstep where we are forced to handle ourselves without support. The best that we should hope for now is that if Colonel Huerta has in fact met his end, we inform the Earth Sphere that there are indeed Sol Thero units that are likely to discover our location."

Before either of the men could discuss their next move, one of the mobile suit pilots reported, "General. We have contact with one of Huerta's men."

Clint was relieved to hear the news when he ordered, "Let him establish contact. I must hear from him."

The signal changed on his radio before the voice of a mobile suit pilot greeted, "General Kerluke. It's great that we've been able to find you."

Clint agreed, "We are most fortunate that there are at least some survivors. What is the status of Colonel Huerta's men?"

The pilot answered, "We've actually made a successful escape from the Sol Theros. We just bee n hoping to fulfill the rendezvous we planned earlier."

Clint agreed, "We have been fortunate to avoid our destruction and we now have a path towards Quebec City that I assume is safe to traverse now?"

The pilot confirmed, "Oh yeah. Unless Sol Theros have some really roundabout route planned for their attack on the capital. All we need is a confirmed route."

Clint's strategist oversaw the radar when he saw a flashing signal indicate a mobile suit signal of Coalition signature. Clint agreed, "If we continue on these lines, we should eb ready to make a unified advance. Direct us to your position pilot."

The pilot agreed, "Confirmed. I'm leading the way General." The Leo III mobile suit turned away from the arrival of Clint's forces as it headed northeast. The pilot inside checked the area around him and saw that he was making his way out of range of Clint's radar range. With each step the pilot saw more men being left behind in his mission to guide them. As he continued his route, he watched the last signal disappear from behind him. He grinned before commenting, "Time for the fun to really start."

He raised his rocket launcher in the air and took aim into the distance. With a shot, the rocket spiraled into the air and was only a brief glimpse in the view of Clint's men. What seemed to be an out of place move for one of the mobile suits was something that gave way to a chain reaction of a plan. Outside of the radar range of the Leo III unit was the gaze of a Sol Thero that saw an explosion in the sky. Scanning the area ahead, it saw a line of mobile suits making their way towards them while many more came from a distance behind. The programming of the Sol Thero determined, 'Targets acquired. Beginning new engagement.'

From behind, the rest of the Sol Thero squadron appeared and followed towards the location of the battalion with arm cannons raised and prepared for combat. Clint was left confused in the meantime when he asked, "What's going on out there? What is the purpose of such an attack?"

His strategist answered, "The pilot is out of range sir. I can't see what he is hoping to do unless… Wait. We have a new signature." The radar reviled eight new signatures heard towards Clints men while the signature the Leo III mobile suit was nowhere to be seen. Clint scrambled to activate his radio when he ordered, "All units prepare to retreat! Don't engage! I repeat do not engage!" The warning was given too late as Clint saw the Sol Theros fire volleys of gunfire in their direction and give way to several explosions that appeared right beside Clint's truck and signified another battle was about to take place between the humans and the mobile dolls. Clint could see his men backing away as they fired their rifles in his direction while he told his strategist, "We need to turn around! We can't stand against those things!"

His strategist agreed, "We unfortunately do not have a safe rout where we can escape. Moreover we won't be able to meet with Colonel Huerta."

Clint was alarmed when he remembered the situation and the danger that many of his men were facing. He reached for the radio when he tried to contact, "Pilot report in! Do you copy? We need Colonel Huerta's security! Do you copy? Where are you? What is it you were trying to achieve?"

The pilot shut off his signal when he heard Clints last words and congratulated himself, "Sorry you and the others wouldn't willingly stand beside us in our new world General. But we need to be prepared for this new uprising of ours." He changed the radio of his Leo III before he achieved the signal he was looking for when he reported, "General Blare, the mission is a success. Gneral Kerlukes forces are as good as dead."


Edward established contact with his personal guards to instruct, "Begin. The hour is at hand."

He heard a knock on his door before he quickly pocketed his phone and saw the door open. Till entered when he asked, "Has everything been progressing as scheduled General?"

Edward looked up form his chair when he answered, "Oh yes they have Lord Lindemann. I have assumed a squadron to prepare for the meeting. I am only now waiting for the authorization, as you have instructed to send them forth."

"Excellent following of my orders general. I am fortunate to see that you know when initiative is necessary and when it is to be relegated. Do you feel that these men will be willing to comply with our requirements?"

"Given the activity that is present in the Vermont area, I believe they are able to recognize their limitations. They very well could beg for us to offer them security by the time they arrive. At least assuming they do not have any false information that General Willms did."

Till walked over to where Edward sat when he told him, "That is one thing I am concerned of. There could be a chance that they have some other motive that they intend to fulfill. Even this requires the words of a man who is capable of orchestrating them to do something that places all of us in danger."

Edward looked to Tills warning gaze when he told him, "I understand that loyalty is not something you take lightly and I still must accomplish more if I am to be fully entrusted with your ranks. It is unfortunate that I have not been able to demonstrate what I am capable of being given how close we are to having only mobile dolls as our only opponents."

"You may have been a victim of circumstance but it does not prevent you from being viewed as a potential source for all of the trouble we are currently facing. And I cannot place anyone within the luxury of being exempt of these accusations should I have any sort of suspicion for why they might feel our fall to be for their benefit."

"Indeed Barra has warned you that I could be a perfect culprit for causing such chaos in this period. It is unfortunate that I cannot put your mind at ease by asking to being the one who has orchestrated all of this. That is what I have been hoping to discover."

Till took out the bug that Barra give him when he told him, "If you have nothing to hide then there should be little reason for you to allow yourself to being closely observed willingly. We allow for there to be no error in which we fail to discover any true intentions. Even if one of your guards is able to help you deactivate the rest of the equipment."

Edward smiled when he asked Till, "So you trust me enough that you will let me know of the oversight I may have. Is this what I am to determine unless you recognize my ability to determine what men are planning?"

Till warned, "I recognize your ability to slither through any obstacle that has been placed in front of you as I have come to suspect. If you are able to survive for all this time despite the appearance of convenience, there is at least one area where you were given room to accomplish your schemes. I must also respect your understanding that the first tampering, touching, or destruction of this device will result in my men immediately entering and having you placed into custody without the knowledge of your men. It is afterwards that we will be able to determine what tur degree of innocence you have in all of this."

"So it shall be then. You may continue to eavesdrop over me Till. If only this will prove my true allegiance."

Till place the bug on Edward's computer and then told him, "We shall learn just how integral your dedication to our survival is. Hopefully if your men are truly interested in their own survival, they will recognize how they do not have the luxury to adhere to your command exclusively. Now before I leave, I must inquire which squadrons you will send to meet with the Coalition forces."

Edward turned his chair to face the main computer screen when he answered, "The 12th squadron assigned to the northern quadrant of city patrol. They are only waiting for the authorization and will meet with the Coalition as soon as they are sent."

Till turned to face the door when he thanked, "It is fortunate that you have been so cooperative General. I did not hope that we would have to resort to a less civilized agreement. But now time will tell if your intentions are true." Till walked out the door of Edward's room as he left Edward to his duties.

Edward looked over the bug that was placed in his presence when he simply grinned and told himself, "We will have a grand opportunity to make this observation a very worthwhile demonstration." Edward turn to his computer when he gave the order to one of his listed signals, "All squads continue standard procedures. All hands are to continue their designated duties. Remain on standby."


While Edward was left in a situation where he had to limit his commands, there were four of his most loyal soldiers who were prepared to make the next move in what he had planned. Jens listened to his superior on his radio when he told his friends, "Looks like we just received the authorization to act. Ready to put our skills to the test?"

Julian grinned, "I've been waiting for way too long to hear that." He turned to the scaffolding that lead towards the cockpit of the Nornir Walkure as he took out several small dog tag beads and told his friends, "Now just to wait for the first victims."

Susanne and Celso waited below him while Celso warned, "Try not to get too excited. We don't need to blow our load before we get to try the real deal."

Julian caught himself rattling the small beads in his right hand before clenching his had shut and agreed, "We've waited a little too long haven't we?"

A few seconds passed before the four saw the four pilots they had their sights on. The Lindemann brothers had little care for their current assignment but voiced when Richard said, "At least we get to do something a little different. I was thinking he was going to leave us with another boring routine."

Flake agreed, "After the last two missions we need to make sure that we have something to demonstrate right?"

Before Christoph could say anything he turned to see Julian offering a wave. Christoph asked, "So who are you and what brings you here?"

Julian answered, "I don't think you heard. I'm part of the replacement crew." Julian threw himself to the ground as he thrust out his right hands and tossed the beads towards the feet of the Lindemann brothers. Before they had a chance to react, Susanne took out a pad and pressed the detonation function. Several explosions ignited in front of the Lindemann brothers on the scaffolding beneath them gave way and Julian held himself up to signal, "Now!"

The four pilots rushed through the smoke and leapt over the hole that had been made while the brothers were forced to recover their hearing from the recent explosions. Flake was blown backwards on his back before he forced himself up and tried to process what was happening. He saw the four Coalition pilots rushing towards the Gundam cockpit when he tried to force himself up and reach for his gun. He felt someone behind him offer support to raise him to his feet. Flakes hearing was still ringing through his head before he heard, "…n you still make it?"

He heard the voice of Christoph before asking, "What the hell is this shit?"

As soon as he asked he heard the hangar bay fill itself with the winds of gunfire as several gunfights began in the small building. Looking around he saw Coalition and Earth Sphere soldiers engaging in fire fights with one another before watching the fight escalate. Christoph answered, "A lot of shit going sideways. Let's get somewhere to safety."

Flake looked around him as he realized tow of his brothers were nowhere to be seen. He ran ahead of Christoph despite the growing noise of firefights when he shouted, "Christian! Richard! Are you guys still around here?"

Before he could wait for an answer, several gun shots grazed past him through the smoke of the recent explosion and he was forced back to the ground. As Christoph ran up to him he grabbed Flake to support him again and warned, "We aren't going to save shit up here. Let's get down there and help the others."

Flake stood up as he tried to find the area where he had safe cover and then saw something that made his day become even worse. The Nornir Walkure separated from the hook of the scaffolding and proceeded to make an exit from the hangar area. Christoph recognized the potential danger he was in before telling Flake, "We need to gather everyone and get out of here."

Flake corrected, "If they have guys in here they can't be crazy enough to want to kill all of their own. We need to get everyone together though."

The two brothers grabbed hold of their pistols as they struggled through the crossfire and took aim at some of the soldiers from below. Their attack was cut short when Christoph saw the Nornir Walkure turn with its fist raised and took aim at his location. Christoph took hold of Flakes waist and shouted, "Jens!"

The two leapt down from the scaffolding rail before a missile flew towards his location and gave a mighty explosion in its place. Christoph reached his arm out as he tried to find something to hold on to while Flake fired at one of the Coalition soldiers from beneath. Christoph took hold of a large crates top before slamming himself face first against the metallic surface and looking down before judging the safety of the drop. He let go of the ledge and fell to the ground where he didn't see anyone else prepared to greet him and Flake. He kept his gun raised as he told his brother, "Take the other side and be ready to take out any of the enemies. I'll see if we can get a clear rush towards the entrance."

Flake kept his pistol raised when he agreed, "I'll make sure our six doesn't get blown. Just try to help Christian and Richard if you get the chance."

Christoph poked his head around the corner of the crate before firing towards a far-off Coalition soldier. He tired to follow through an agreement to help his brothers, but was forced to take cover as a spray of bullets flew in his direction. He agreed, "Assuming we can find a way out of here, we'll be able to start making sense of this giant cluster of ours."

Within the Nornir Walkure there was no chaos to be seen as Celso asked, "So does everyone have a hold of their own systems?"

Jens answered, "I do. And it's pretty unique to say the least."

Susanne confirmed, "It's just what it was reported to be. A bunch of mobile suits with only one determined purpose."

Julian added, "So we need team coordination. Nice to see that we have plenty of that in spades."

Susanne told him, "Our welcoming committee is about to meet with Colonel Huerta. We're about to see things really take off now."

Jens looked at the growing destruction that came from behind when he observed, "It's unfortunate that we have to let our guys take on such a big flank without us. But that does give us the chance to be ready for the Sol Theros I suppose."

Julian agreed, "That is the disappointed part. We have the most powerful weapon on Earth now and we can't uses it until we're given the go ahead. 'Til then, we only get to wait until the first chance we get. If General Kerluke is dead by now and the General guessed right, we will have put a little chance to flex our muscles in our new weapon."

Susanne agreed, "We are now on the precipice of this wars end and we will see a glorious end to it all that stands in our way. Right now I can't think of a better way for all of our struggles to pay off."