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 70: The Purpose of Intentions
The peace that was earned by the Earth Sphere in what was meant to be the end of the long and trying war was once again looming over Quebec City, but not for the same reasons that it had been achieved before. Much of the city had been leveled with much of what made the city an inviting place to enter brutally removed in a conflict that few had come to anticipate. A conflict that single handedly taken many lives and forced them to consider what sort of victory they had hold of.
This sort of perspective that had been offered to the survivors of the Earth Sphere United Nations was one that made the victory a difficult one to accept. The survivors of the Coalition were kept within the barbed wire fence that had been prepared for them while being watched over with many Earth soldiers prepared to shoot at the first sight of anything that challenged their imprisonment. With Edward Blare having met his end, there was now nothing left for any of the loyal soldiers to anticipate other than what possible future they would be forced to accept.
Hyrum looked over the Coalition soldiers who had been taken prisoner when he asked, "Everyone is really… gone aren't they?"
Daisuke gave a heavy sigh when he considered everyone who wasn't with him. He looked over everyone when he confirmed, "We lost a lot of people didn't we? Sorry to hear about what happened to Campbell, I'm sure a lot of other people might be feeling the same way."
Nick shook his head when he commented, "Unfortunately I didn't even get to do a lot to change anything either."
Daisuke pointed to Nick when he pointed out, "Hey, you had a chance to help take Blare's number 2 into custody. It's not like you missed out on all the action."
Keijo made his way up to the pair when he reminded them, "Besides, most of it came from happened because we had to make that final attack possible. Most of us knew what we were getting into when we agreed to sign up for it."
Nick sighed when he reminded them, "We did, and we ended up seeing our best hopes of defending ourselves literally go up in flames."
Daisuke shook his head when he remembered the events of what happened and asked, "Isn't that the truth? If it's any consolation, there probably isn't going to be another offensive of any kind. If two squads of Sol Theros have been destroyed and an entire Coalition brigade has been destroyed, I have no idea what can be thrown at us now."
Nick pointed out, "That's what I'm afraid of. The idea that there might be something getting slapped in our faces that we don't want to see happen."
Before they could contemplate the results of the battle any further, a squad of Earth soldiers made their way up to them when the leader came forward and announced, "Alright your shift is done."
Keijo gave a salute when he told them, "Hey thanks. We'll be back on the hour."
Keijo walked with Nick and Daisuke when they made their way to the makeshift barracks that had been established with an apartment building that had been occupied. Keijo asked, "So did any of you guys get any word of how the injured are being handled?"
Daisuke answered, "From what I understand, they're all being taken to the hospital. Our guys should be getting taken care of right now, I don't know how long it will be before they're fit for duty again."
Nick added, "And that depends if the war is going to go any further than it could be going."
Keijo chuckled when he heard this and pointed out, "That's really optimistic at this point. Whatever our great visionary president happens to believe needs to be done, I'm starting to believe that we haven't been kicked down enough."
Nick turned to Keijo when he tried to correct him, "Even if that were true, how are we going to know when it ends? And what are we going to do when it actually happens?"
Daisuke pat Nick's shoulder when he explained to him, "I get that you want this to end as much as a lot of us. But you should really have an idea of how it's going to be. If we keep ourselves waiting for further disasters to happen, we'll just be ready for the one that comes next."
Nick agreed, "Probably the one thing that we can take solace in is that the day we hear about the end is the day we discover that it's over will be all the more sweet because of it."
Keijo gave a heavy sigh when he looked out the nearest window and commented, "And all because we agreed to house some prick, we'll have a lot less people to share with if it does happen."
Even facing a field without any regrets, Donna had a difficult time accepting what it was that she was facing. Days continued to pass as the Executor Rising led the charge across the stars and towards the location of the future battle site. Every moment the ship came closer to its destination however seemed to create a sense of anxiety that she would have to face.
Her intention to remain distant from others however was noticed when Tano made his way to Donna and saw her viewing the passage of space outside. He offered, "Your name is Donna Lindemann right? It's been a while since I've talked to either of your friends."
Donna turned to see Tano when she broke her fascination away from the passing stars in front of her. She confirmed, "That is my name. Can I help you somehow?"
Tano made his way further up to Donna when he told her, "I really need to find out what's been going on with you. You look like you aren't ready for the battle that's about to come at all. How can you expect to be the best pilot that we need everyone to be when you act like you've already lost?"
The reason made Donna flinch when she heard the question. She stepped towards a nearby rail when she answered, "I'm sorry. I'm just anxious like I'm sure the rest of us must be."
Seeing Donna so reluctant to being honest with herself made Tano feel disappointment in what sort of display he was seeing. He knew that this could not be the same Gundam pilot that he was being asked to work with, let alone the one that kept Brussels from being leveled to a crater. The sight of Donna he was seeing now made him believe he had to look down on her in order to get her to realize just how pathetic he saw her.
Tano raised a fist when he made his way up to her and told her, "Even if you were, acting as though you're about to face an inevitable death is not going to make you perform any better. You must at least act like you aren't resigned to a fate where you have to face your end."
The anger in Tano's voice made Donna feel as though she was talking to a superior even though he hardly appeared young enough to be in the fight. It was enough to make her rush to find an answer. It took her a few seconds before she simply offered the truth, "I'm sure that just like the others, they all have their own idea of what they must anticipate. Unfortunately even in the case of victory I just don't know what to believe in anymore."
Tano sighed when he heard her and made his way over to her side when he leaned against the nearest wall. "At least you have someone to return to. You don't have the right to act like a victim when you have only experienced so little compared to others."
Hearing the reminder made Donna feel another weight fall on her when she remembered how little Tano had coming into the war and how little he would have if he was chosen to live another day. "Honestly Tano, I wish that I had the same fortitude as you do. It must all come from some sort of experience you've had."
Tano turned to bring his eyes to Donna and reminded her, "You already know what it is. I have no one to return to. I don't get to return to anyone and my death won't even mean anything to anyone. You aren't telling me that it's the same thing for you are you?"
"Well, no. At least as far as I know right now. I think we all have a reason to assume that the Sol Theros could easily destroy everything if they remain unchallenged."
"That might happen. But we also know that if we don't defeat Franz before that happens, we won't have the chance to meet with any of them."
Hoping for a way out of the conversation, Donna tried to offer Tano a sense of commitment when she began to walk away and tell him, "I'll keep all the confidence I can manage for what we're going up against. We should all hope for a better tomorrow when all of this comes to pass as well. Many of us will have done much to make this possible."
Before she could go very far, Donna felt Tano place a hand on her shoulder from behind when he told her, "You aren't getting off that easily Donna. The others are not going to be able to give their best if they continue to fight but recognize that one of their own ready to lead them."
Donna turned around when she faced Tano and asked, "An army being as strong as its weakest soldier indeed. Do you believe that I am not proving myself when we work together?"
Tano confirmed what he wanted to see when he told her, "We've seen what you were capable of when we're standing together. But we need to be shown that we still have the Donna who defeated Oleg at Brussels. That is the version of you that we need out there. And I think that is something that we can't do when all of your friends are there to assist you."
"It sounds like having the others at my side has kept me from being able to utilize my strength the best if that is the case."
"If you are still going to be out there when we face our final challenge, we need to see that you are prepared for it. We want you out there and ready to prove how strong you really are."
"It sounds as though you have someone else who you to assist in your demand."
Tano turned around when he made his way down the nearest hall and instructed, "Meet me in the simulation room tonight. I'll decide if you won't be a hinderance after that."
Recognizing that he wouldn't take no for an answer, Donna saw Tano walk away as he left her to prepare for the coming hour. Without anything to discourage her, Donna crossed her arms when she accepted, "Okay. I suppose this will be a different experience at least."
The difficulty that had come from handling a battle as demanding as the one that many had come to endure was one that did little to offer any ease to the men and women who were at last able to see the end of Edward Blare's betrayal. This reminder was not any more evident than with those who endured the most brutal portions of the battle than in the hospital where many of the injured were laid.
Richard lay in his hospital bed as he looked around to see the multiple injured soldiers who had taken as much punishment as he did and found himself harrowed at the fact that there were some who had taken more injuries than he did. As he did his best to block out everything that was happening to him in the room, he was eventually greeted, "Richard. Looks like you managed to tough it out after all."
Richard looked up when he saw Flake followed by Elna and Fredric. Richard grinned when he welcomed back, "Hey there. It's sure nice to have a chance to speak with some people who haven't been reduced to a mess like I have."
Fredric reminded him, "From the looks of this room alone, there are people who have lost more than what you had to endure. You were honestly one of the more fortunate ones."
Richard brought a hand to his eyes when he let out a forced laugh and told him, "I don't know why I would chose today out of all days to suddenly act like the spoiled brat that everybody would accuse me of being. Makes me wonder how many survivors managed to live to see their relatives be blown to bits right in front of them?"
Elna made her way up to him when she placed her hands on his left arm and told him, "I know it's a difficult thing to ask, but this is something that many of us prepared for the moment we enlisted. You really are fortunate that you were able to survive you know."
The answer brought little comfort to Richard as he shook his head and gave a weak laugh at the reminder. This reaction was only his beginning as he began to list off the grievances he had in an increasingly stressed tone, "I get that I have shit to be thankful for, but what am I being put through when I have to be told to see so much fall apart because of some asshole. Seriously why the hell did dad not draw and quarter him the moment he had the chance to do it? Why the hell did he get to live so long when it was clear that he didn't have the right to?"
Elna brought her hand to the Richard's chin when she turned hi to face her and told him, "Get a hold of yourself. You're supposed to be the one who didn't get neck deep in bullshit mountain just to bitch about how much it stinks."
Flake reminded him, "It was either keep Edward alive and take the risk or find some way to take him out of the picture all together and have to deal with the Coalition soldiers who wanted to kill us all the first chance they had anyway. Dad has principles, but I think you're the only one who ever had the balls to call him stupid."
Richard panted a few times before laying back and agreeing, "Yeah, you're right. Who do I think I am? Christian? I guess I could be worse off if I was."
Fredric tried to offer his consolation when he told him, "Your brothers were all great men Richard. You remember how it all went down in Lyon when we had to move out. We were all choosing to becoming an army that day and it was unlike anything I ever imagined. Even through all the mistakes and failures, we still managed to make the Earth a place where we didn't have to see more people needlessly die."
Flake confirmed, "Believe me, I want to make sure that dad understood everything that he was trying to do as well. Ever since the Verdandi was revealed, I wanted to get up on his ass and tell him that he could have saved lives if he did put all of the responsibility on us to handle. How if he just trusted us he could have ended this shitshow sooner than we had to."
Richard looked up to Flake when he told him, "And you didn't because you know that dad needs at least one person to kiss up to him don't you? You know that he's still the man he is right? That's something even Donna came to terms with and it took us a while to adjust to that when he changed."
Elna offered the others, "I'm not sure how much he's going to accept what he's putting up with now, but I think he might need to vent his frustrations in this echo chamber he's in right now."
Richard looked up when he asked, "Aw come on Elna, you're seriously going to just leave me here when I need you the most?"
Elna pushed Richard down to his bed when she told him, "Until you finish your bitching down there, I think you need a time out
Fredric added, "You really should listen to her man. One good thing to come out of this is that you'll only have a preview of what it's like to enjoy your life after this war. Try and act like you weren't totally shaken and you might be given a prosthetic soon enough."
Flake finished, "Listen Richard, we just want the best for you. I don't think anyone is in the mood to jerk you around right now and it probably won't happen again for a while. So just let out that frustration you have in you and people might start to take you seriously."
Without even a parting word, the three left Richard in his bed when he cursed, "God damn it." He rolled over on his side as he ran a hand over his face while trying to accept the exchange that he had just allowed to be given.
The scheduled resting hours for the crew of the Executor Rising had arrived as many of the pilots took the opportunity to sleep for another day of traversing to their target location. Not everyone was asleep however as one select pilot made her way through the halls and to the simulation room that she had occupied hours ago. Donna's business was not finished here today as she looked around the dimly lit room for the one she needed to meet with.
She found that it was only a short while before a few figures made their way into the room from the other side. Donna immediately recognized Tano and Oleg before seeing another face she had only seen a few times before, Kieran. Oleg gave a light wave when he introduced, "Nice to see you Donna. Tano was actually wondering if you were going to show."
Tano corrected, "The good news is that she came and now she doesn't have an excuse to say that she couldn't see us."
Donna pointed out, "I didn't even get a chance through the day yesterday to wonder what it was that wanted from me. Unfortunately I still don't understand it."
Kieran stepped from behind Oleg and Tano when he waved a hard drive and told her, "Just for something to break up the monotony from the usual skirmishes that you've been going through today is all Madame Lindemann. I think you'll find it to be quite entertaining if you humor us."
Donna saw Kieran make his way to the nearest simulation console when she saw him insert the hard drive into a nearby port and saw him input commands before preparing it for something she couldn't discern. Before she could ask anything, Oleg told her, "I think it will be easier if you just try this thing out and then see for yourself what we want to have in store."
Donna turned to Tano when she asked, "You managed to prepare some sort of program that will test us in a different way? Why me in particular?"
Tano answered, "Most of us all have our heads on our shoulders and ready to go in without a second thought. Let's just say that out of everyone, you're probably the one we need to see get her life together as soon as possible."
Deciding there was no way out of the gathering, Donna sighed before she agreed, "Okay. I'll see how this is going to go for now."
Donna and Oleg sat next to each other in their own seats while Tano joined next to Oleg and announced, "Here we go. Begin the simulation McNeil."
Kieran heard the command and agreed, "Right away." With a pull of a switch, the simulation began. Donna found herself in a familiar setting where her Sandesgeist Trabant stood in the middle of a flat grass field with nothing to be seen in the distance. There were no distractions to be seen and Donna felt confident that she could stand on her own for the moment.
In spite of her preparation, Donna was unsure of what the other two pilots wanted from hear as she waited for them to enter but soon received her answer. She saw the Anaconda and the Golem materialize before her and make a few steps towards her. Before Donna could prepare herself, she heard Tano tell her, "You know that in real battle, you don't receive any forewarnings."
Before Donna could say anything, she saw the Anaconda launch its snake arm towards her and left her on the defensive. She was quick to activate the Zero System as she prepared herself for whatever came next and noticed the Golem firing its gatling guns towards her as she prepared the Sandesgeist Trabant to make a dash away from the firing field. The Sandesgiest Trabant sped away from contact when Donna checked the field ahead of her and drew out her heat shotels as she prepared for a potential attack.
Donna saw the opportunity for her to take the Anaconda down when she made the Sandesgeist Trabant dash towards what she was shown by the Zero System was a blind spot for the Golem. She made a dash while ducking beneath the extending arm and made a slice upwards when she saw the arm fly off away from the field and begin to make its landing with the Golem. Her strategy did not go as planned however when she saw the shotels make contact with the planet defensors that had been deployed by its shield.
The lock of the weapons with the field caused the Sandesgeist Trabant to freeze in midair while the Anaconda leapt up from behind with its beam saber. Donna was able to tell right away that Tano intended to cut her down with the current lock engaging her as she made a sweep to the right and fired her Vulcan guns towards the Anaconda. The desperate counterattack proved to be ineffective however as the Anaconda quickly brought its attention back to the Sandesgeist Trabant and prepared for another charge with its beam saber pointed in front.
As the skirmish continued, Donna was able to process the idea that Tano and Oleg did indeed want her for a battle of some sort. Despite this, she struggled to understand just what it was that Tano wanted from her when he confronted her just hours before. As she made a dash towards the Golem, she did what she could to dismiss what concern Tano had when she told herself, "Whatever it is you want, I will make sure that the last thing you take away from this is doubt about me."
Another span of time had passed as Quebec City continued its rebuilding efforts. For many, there was a sense of finality as they considered everything that had come to pass. For much of the leadership of those who overlooked the capital of the human race, it was simply an invitation to another series of challenges that would come in seeing the human race piece itself together. In spite of what many might have anticipated, there were still soldiers who needed to be accounted for, the ones who had not been found their proper superiors and not received their order to cease their conflict.
There had not been an eruption of conflict anywhere near Quebec City, but it had become a confirmation that there were still those who needed to be brought back to safety or into custody with the prisoners. This was one reason that finding the surviving soldiers on the battlefield was so important to many of the superiors who oversaw this mission.
A truck made its way up to the gates when the driver announced, "We've got survivors. Quite a few of them it looks like."
The guard commented, "Real crazy to think that's possible. I really don't know how many people would have looked at all this shit and want to come out alive."
The gates opened as the driver dismissed, "It's up to them now I say. If they can't handle it, that's on them."
The truck made its way towards the inner portions of the capital as it prepared parked near the gathering of captured Coalition soldiers. A pair of Earth Sphere soldiers stepped out with their guns in hand and ordered, "Alright, step out now. One by one and hands where we can see them."
As this order was given, Coalition soldiers stepped out as they were instructed while one in particular looked around to see what sort of victory had been achieved this day. Much to her misfortune, her worst fear had been achieved as she saw what had happened. Susanne was guided towards her fellow soldiers at gunpoint while another patted her sides to check for weapons before she was forced to the ground as she was pushed further into the gathering.
Susanne looked around when she saw everyone who was being asked to deal with the reality of their recent defeat. She had been brought to her knees as she was told by an Earth soldier, "I don't want to see you even think about climbing anything."
Susanne turned around when she saw many guns pointed at her as she recognized how real the situation had become. She turned to one of the captors when she asked, "You all feel vindicated now that you have me kept at gunpoint?"
One of the soldiers answered, "Mercy is too much for pieces of shit like you. Once this is all done, you better hope that we decide to go through with a quick execution for all of you."
Susanne turned away when she heard the response. She and everyone around her had taken on a mighty challenge to the establishment of the Earth and she had lost. The most devastating part of it all, the man that she believed in and the one who she believed could have conquered it all, was now defeated.
Many of the onlookers who looked on did not bother to consider how the Coalition soldiers might have nothing to live for. More than anyone, there were those aligned with the Earth Sphere who believed this would actually be the fate that awaited all of them. The men and women who believed in passing such judgement however were not there to determine what would happen to them.
While the judgment for the Coalition prisoners had not been passed, the few onlookers were given a view of what sort of opponents they had been fighting the whole time. Among them those who were fortunate not to be bedridden to where they couldn't even walk. A condition that Richard had given all of his effort to ensure that he did not fall over when he was making his way towards the gathering of prisoners.
Richard continued his walk down the streets with Fredric next to him when he was asked, "Richard I know you managed to get that new foot sooner than you hoped, but I don't think you are going to achieve much by forcing yourself to walk like this."
"If it means that I don't have to sit next to Nasir any longer than I have to, I think it will be worth managing with."
"Because he's too much like you right now or because he's not the best company for you?"
"Because I don't know how much longer I can go without hearing him squirm in pain. It's not like I can do anything to make him feel better anyway."
Before Richard offered any other insight for what he was going through, he looked over the barbed wire that served as the makeshift prison while he heard one of the guards point out, "It's pretty sad that we just keep finding more of these shitheads. What good is keeping them alive at this point?"
Richard was about to give an answer when he made his way over but found himself cut off from something that he didn't anticipate seeing. He saw Susanne stand out from the rest of the prisoner soldiers as she struggled to remain within a small space of elbow room. Seeing her kept within the imprisonment, Richard felt anger quickly boil in him as he rushed over to the wire.
Richard took hold of the wall that separated him from the others when he cursed, "You piece of shit!"
Many of the nearby Coalition soldiers were startled by the exclamation before Susanne lifted her head and looked up to see one of the men she had helped to upend in ways that she could immediately reduce. She sighed when she saw him and told him, "Yeah. I can see why you would say that."
Richard turned to one of the guards when he commanded, "Give me a gun! This bitch needs to be put down!"
The Earth soldiers on both sides denied him this command as they stepped away while Fredric pulled him away and told him, "God damn it Richard, you're supposed to at least act like you're recovering!"
Richard wiggled as much as he could trying to break out of the hold when he told him, "And when she's burnt to a crisp with the others she won't be causing anyone else any more problems!"
Fredric did everything that he could to keep him pinned to the ground when he raised his fist and prepared to hit him if he continued to struggle. The struggle continued between the two before a cane brought its point down to the ground next to them. Fredric cringed from the sight when he leapt up and made his way up to the fence when he recognized who it was had made his way over.
One of the Earth soldiers gave a salute when he offered, "Lord Lindemann. Our apologies, things are still in order."
Till saw Richard on the ground doing everything he could to force himself to stand up while trying to deal with the difficulty of his new foot. He allowed his son to bring himself up when he asked, "Did I have you enlist just so you could act like you never were a real soldier?"
Richard grit his teeth as he shook his head and answered, "No sir…"
Till sighed at the answer when he told Richard, "I can comprehend the anger that you feel right now. I know that you feel you are owed more than what you have gone through. There are few who will say otherwise. But you can still be better than this pathetic display that you allow others to see."
Richard still had a display of displeasure form the suggestion when he told his father, "I know you went through the same thing. But I just don't get what's with you. Are you seriously not in the least bit angry from this?"
Till answered, "More than you give me credit for. But it is something that I am not sure you can truly comprehend."
As Till turned away from the area, Richard told him, "You… you think I'm… supposed to be okay with this? You really expect me to just lie down and take this shit?"
Till turned around with a piercing look towards Richard when he looked to him. A long silence took hold over everyone as everyone listening before Till told him, "I will have a word with you and Flake about this sort of thing. I need you to at least try to be on your best behavior until then."
Before Richard could ask about his father's order, Till turned away and made his way down the streets of the city while he left him and Fredric to themselves. Fredric helped Richard up when he commented, "Damn. Your old man is the mighty and commanding figure you make him out to be. I didn't think you would allow him to chew you down like that."
Richard looked up when he agreed, "I didn't think there was anything I could get chewed out for at this point."
The battle between the three Gundams continued to go on within the simulation for many long minutes as the Sandesgeist Trabant searched for every opening that was offered and avoiding any contact from the Golem and Anaconda opponents. Donna began to feel herself tense from the continued ongoing battle between the difficult opponents, but did not begin to feel any sort of exhaustion weigh on her when she forced herself away from the potential defeat. Even as she managed to maintain her fortitude however, she noticed how neither f her opponents were letting up in getting a hit on her or trying to provide any advice to improve her style.
Much to Donna's approval this sort of battle with other powerful opponents and no questions to impede upon her thoughts made her thankful that she had something to concentrate on other than what she had recently been asked in the corridor. Even with the small curiosity about what was adjusted, Donna managed to feel at ease somehow with the current simulation offered. She briefly thought about the current situation when she told herself, "Maybe this is the sort of thing that Tano wanted me to have. An opportunity to learn what the remember what awaits me."
She allowed herself to continue the battle in what she believed was an escape from the stress of the real world, Donna found herself being warned of something that soared from behind. The snake arm of the Anaconda came soaring towards her as it forced her to make a dodge and hope the Golem would take the hit. Much to her disappointment, the Golem managed to avoid contact with the arm and began to fire a volley of missiles from its limbs as it sought to destroy her.
Donna removed the shield from the back of her Sandesgeist Trabant and mounted it on her left arm as she charged towards the two Gundams. In hopes of discovering what just happened, Donna contacted the Anaconda, "Tano! How did you pull that off?"
Instead of an answer, Tano's Anaconda drew its beam saber and made contact with the shield the Sandesgeist Trabant had prepared. Realizing that she was not going to be offered a chance to understand her situation, Donna backed her Gundam away from contact before raising her shield to begin her diversionary tactic. Once it was prepared, the eyes of the shield released a mighty flash of light in front of the two Gundams while the Sandesgeist Trabant began a dash backwards.
Now clear of any close range targets, the Sandesgeist Trabant fired its missiles from its torso before preparing its shotels with the shield. Donna now had the shield in its cross-crusher pincer mode as she prepared herself to charge the first Gundam that dared to try and find her. As soon as she made her dash towards them however, she saw the Golem charging forward and firing a volley of missiles in return to the ones she had just sent. Realizing that she was making contact with the planet defensors and the defense field again, Donna forced the Sandesgeist Trabant back from the contact while avoiding the searing stream of flames that made its way towards her.
The tension of managing to make one hit on the Gundams after another began to wear on Donna's focus when she tried to reason just how she was supposed to win. She backed away again as she prepared to fire another series of missiles towards the two Gundams but realized that she had already depleted her ammunition from the launch tubes. The sight of her vulnerability caught her off-guard when she recognized what sort of advantage she wasn't being offered. She used all of her ammunition and she was not being offered a chance to use it again.
Donna groaned when she realized what she was dealing with and noticed that she was not going to have the same conditions as her opponents did. "Not only can they revitalize their limbs the moment they fall, but they have unlimited ammunition as well." Donna realized to herself.
Even knowing what was in front of her, Donna refused to let the concern about the advantage undo her resolve. She dashed forward with the shield in front again as she raised the shotels and prepare for another charge. She made contact with the force field of the planet defensors as the Golem surrounded her and prevented her from moving while the Anaconda prepared for the firsts chance to strike her down when an opening was given.
The teamwork the Golem and Anaconda offered was one that Donna couldn't help but commend but knew that it wasn't going to get her anywhere. As she saw one area of the field dissipate and allow for the Anaconda entry, she saw the snake arm prepare for another volley of fire towards her in an attempt to overheat her in one area. As soon as she saw this opening however, Donna immediately took the chance to dash in and attack the Anaconda with her shield.
The attack managed to connect with the snake arm as it burst around her and gave a great deal of force that would have thrown the Sandesgeist Trabant flying backwards if Donna hadn't used her thrusters as much as possible. As she continued her attack, she saw the Anaconda fly backwards and slice towards her with a beam saber while the Golem manipulated the field to follow her and prevent her from offering another attack. Thanks to the warnings of Zero System however, Donna was able to see the projected patterns of where she would be attacked next and managed to avoid the gunfire that made its way towards him.
Donna cursed the field that gave her a disadvantage when she looked around and saw that she at least had an opening to take advantage of when she tried to find the first opportunity to attack either Gundam. She couldn't determine if the Golem would stand still and prepare to fire on her or if the Anaconda would try to take advantage of her opening. Whatever attack was about to come, Donna knew that she was not going to let Tano see her go down without a fight.
Another night had come to pass as Till looked out his window to see what remained of Quebec City and considered everything that had happened over the course of the last battle. Another harrowing casualty had been confirmed for him with the death of another key member who had made the assembly in Quebec City possible. "Andrew. You did nothing to earn such an unfortunate demise. Were only the world to be so simple that I could have done everything that Richard wanted from me."
Before he could ponder about the current state of the city any further, he heard a report from the other side of his door, "My lord. Your scheduled visitors are here."
Till turned to the door when he ordered, "Allow them in."
As the door opened, Till saw his two remaining sons, Richard and Flake Lindemann, make their way into his office and remain standing at attention as they awaited whatever order they expected their father to give them. Richard gave a half-hearted salute when he answered, "Reporting for duty sir."
Flake added, "As ordered sir."
Till began to pace away from his desk as he began, "I should not be the one to tell you what unbecoming behavior for a soldier is. I understand that there is frustration that you have been trying to deal with, but it is because you are among the best that you are able to perform properly even under the most demanding of circumstances."
Richard kept his frustration under his breath when he told Till, "If you have anything that you need us to fulfill for you, you could just as easily tell us what we need from us."
Till turned to them when he explained, "There is no duty that I will require of you this night. Nor will it be required any later. Only your superior officers from this day forward. Regrettably there is only going to be so much left that the final remnants of OZ will be capable of."
Richard shook his head with a heavy sigh when he tired to understand what his father had hoped to achieve and asked, "Even if that's the case, then I just don't get what the hell it was all for. What was the point of seeing OZ be reinstated at all?"
Till turned to both of his sons when he explained, "To make its final act a reminder of what the human race is. To make the final action of OZ not a glorious one. Where it is not a glorious end like its founders would have wished for. Where it is one that serves as a demonstration of what the worst aspects of the human race is capable of."
The answer brought a pause to both Richard and Flake as they realized just what their father wanted to see happen. Flake pointed out, "An ending where a pit of snakes can eventually devour itself. Just what everyone feared such an organization would become one day."
Richard grit his teeth from Flake's acceptance as he told Till, "It's a really bizarre plan to put into fruition. There's no way anyone would have ever come to this sort of conclusion."
Recognizing the odds being incredibly against him in being a reality, Till nodded when he confirmed, "There are few would ever would have planned so far ahead and expected so much. I didn't know if Edward was a traitor as the few sources we had claimed he was. But with all of his men so prepared to fight to the death for him, there was no way that the Earth government could have been secured with his death."
Richard stomped his way over to his father's desk and slammed his hands when he asked, "Even if that's the case, how can you seriously be okay with all that happened? If you haven't noticed, Christoph and Christian are dead and they are not going to be fighting for us again!"
Seeing the display left Till standing as he viewed his son in the eye and offered, "I understand how it is you would find me to be callous. I honestly should encourage you to hate me for everything that I put you through."
Hearing this answer and groaning in frustration from the calm that his father gave him, Richard demanded, "If that's actually the case, I don't understand why you wouldn't let justice be served for us! You seriously expect us to just be okay with seeing the bitch who caused the murder of so many good men to be left alive?"
Till stepped towards his desk as he placed a hand on his desk and explained, "It is better that you are given the opportunity to not allow your hatred to consume you. I do not care for the woman's life as much as you do, but allowing yourself to be consumed by hatred will only turn you into the sort of man that you see before you now."
The calm in Till's voice made Richard come to a pause when he heard the explanation that he looked down and felt his vision blur from the aggravation that left his shoulders. As much as he didn't want to believe there was any truth to his father's hopes, he couldn't help but stutter, "That… That isn't something to be proud of…"
He felt Flake make his way up to him as he placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke for him, "You basically allowed yourself to become a death merchant by investing so much into all of the projects that you made possible. You don't want us to become those sorts of people."
Till nodded when he explained further, "Precisely. That woman brought about the destruction of lives and gave her allegiance to a man who had no place in this world. The proper thing to do in the end however, is to deny that the world he desired never comes to be. It can only be done once you refuse to allow men such as him the power that seeks."
Richard held back every urge he had to break down from the weight of the emotions he felt when he heard the answer. He brought his eyes back up to Till when he stuttered through his words again, "I… I think I see it… It's really some bitter words to accept… I honestly never thought that I would hear those sorts of words from you dad."
Till gave a small sigh when he agreed with the observation and told him, "I never would have expected you to before. I honestly never had many chances to be a father to all of you. So much that little Donna has not been given the chance to be the woman that she could have been."
Flake voiced his own astonishment with what seemed like a sudden change in the character of his father when he told him, "I couldn't have imagined there was this much weighing on you all this time. You had us both believe that you were the most hardened man that we could have ever met."
Till moved away from the desk when he looked out the nearest window while Richard managed to collect himself and point out, "I would have expected there was a time you would have told us that we should have taken the opportunity. But now it sounds like you had the chance to reflect on everything. Perhaps for a good reason."
Till confirmed the suspicion his sons had towards him when he confirmed, "In the end I never had the opportunity to make life better for all of you as I pressed to the belief that providing you the weapons you would need to take down entire armies would be enough to provide you with the life that you would one day be able to have."
Richard sighed when he accepted the advice that his father had given both him and Flake, "So I guess that will be it for us. Maybe we should let justice be done in the end."
Till confirmed, "That is the sort of attitude that I want to see from you from all of you from now on. Do not allow yourselves to be controlled like I did. If I can do at least one proper thing as a father, I wish for it to be this much."
Flake gave a more enthusiastic salute when he offered, "We'll hold it to you dad."
Till offered a salute in return when he "Well then, you have your duties to fulfill every day. You will have to go have your rest and prepare for another day."
Both Richard and Flake offered in return, "Yes sir."
"And Richard."
Richard turned around when he heard the additional command being given to him and asked, "Yes?"
"That Elna girl. If you feel it is proper, be there for her."
As the battle between the three Gundams continued to draw out, Donna had the chance to confirm something about her challenge against Tano and Oleg. She did indeed have limited ammunition and she was not going to see any of her shields reciprocate from what damage she had just taken. Even with the disadvantage she knew that she had no excuse to back away from the challenge or let herself be defeated.
Donna glanced over the status of her shields when she saw they were still at the half-way mark that kept her from exploding but decided that now would be the time for her to really come to rely on tactics to outsmart her opponents. With the help of Zero System, she knew that it wouldn't be impossible to find a way in but there would still be a challenge for her. Especially if the Zero System they had was going to allow them to see through her plan, all she needed now was quick thinking.
With a plan laid out in front of her, Donna made a charge with the Sandesgeist Trabant towards the pair of opposing Gundams while she kept aim at the Golem. Just as she hoped, the Anaconda stepped in front of her as it prepared to make another launch of its snake arm and saw where the arm was likely to hit. She made a swerve away from the arms landing location and saw a series of gunfire come from the Golem behind it before missiles made their way towards her.
Just as the situation appeared to be hopeless, Donna kept her shield raised as she continued her charge and made her way for the first opportunity to strike one of her opponents. As she forced her Gundam through the smoke and fires, the Sandesgeist Trabant flew through the air while keeping its focus on the Golem and making a mighty dive to the ground. Just as she had hoped, the crusher mode of her shield and shotels made their way through the abdominal area of the Golem before giving way to a mighty explosion that forced the Sandesgeist Trabant flying away from the explosion.
Donna didn't allow herself to breath as she remembered that Tano would be waiting for her with the Anaconda prepared to make another mighty strike towards her as he charged with his beam saber towards her. Raising her shield again, she was able to block the saber in time but found herself open to the snake arm as she saw it launch its way towards her. All it took was a fast dive towards the Gundam however as she managed to see the snake arm only graze her cockpit area while she continued her dive towards the Anaconda's cockpit.
Reminded of how prepared her opponent was, Donna saw the Anaconda move its way back from her ground strike as her shield sank its fangs into the dirt below. Seeing the opportunity to catch the Sadnesgeist Trabant off-guard, the Anaconda launched its twin beam cannons from its shoulders and towards its opponent. Donna guessed that there was something to Tano's current strategy as she prepared herself for another attack by this time drawing her shield out of the ground and preparing the shotels to attack at their full power.
Both shotels glowed a mighty red as they made their strike towards the Anaconda as they tore through the fire and met the cockpit of the Anaconda just as she had been hoping for. Donna saw the two shotels slice their way through the Gundam and make another loud explosion erupt in front of her. She knew better than to linger in the flames for much longer however when she forced her Gundam to make the dash through the flames.
Donna saw that her Gundam had been reduced to the bare minimum when it came to shields but knew that she was able to take solace the fact that she had indeed achieved her goal. Much to her surprise however, the mock battle was not over when Donna saw too late that the Golem and Anaconda were in front of her. The Golem fired its volley of gunfire towards the Sandesgeist Trabant while the Anaconda fired a volley of flames towards her as they prepared for a renewed attack.
Intending to continue the fight at all costs, Donna made a swerve away from the fire but found the attack to be too late as more of the shots came her way and forced her Gundam to the ground. She tried all she could to prepare for another attack but found herself flying across the surface and unable to collect herself for another attack. It was only another few seconds before Donna saw herself unable to continue fighting when she felt the combined firepower of the two Gundams collect on one part of her Gundam and give way to the third explosion to be seen on the field.
As soon as the explosion occurred, the simulation was terminated and Donna saw herself looking at a blnak screen. The battle between her and the other Gundams had grown to be so intense that she had almost forgotten that she was not on the field and even felt a few beads of sweat still in her hands. She brushed her hands on her pants before being reminded of who she was going to be talking to now that her participation had been completed.
Donna saw Tano and Oleg standing to greet her but found herself astonished when she saw what reaction Tano had to her performance. He told her, "Well done. It seems like you are more than what we anticipated after all."
Donna raised an eyebrow when she heard the compliment as she asked, "I don't understand. There was supposed to be something that I was meant to prove in there."
Tano explained, "What we needed to see is if you were really as dedicated to the final conflict as you said you were. Even the best of us might struggle taking down a Sol Thero but being able to stand up against one another is a somewhat decent test of strength I imagine."
Oleg agreed, "It also gave me a chance to test a new strategy that might prove to be useful if I get a chance to use it."
Kieran added, "We probably got to see one of the more exciting battles that we will have the chance to see for a while since that viral system will take the edge off the enemy by a good margin. If you're ready for battle, I hope you enjoyed that while it lasted."
Donna shook her head when she told them, "I'm only waiting to fulfill my duty and little else. If I'm going to be recognized on the battlefield at all, it should be for the fact that I helped a few others live when they didn't have the chance. I think that's what we should all want."
Tano told her, "Your actions say otherwise. Your performance shows that you were fully capable of handling me and Oleg out there on your own. Most others who judge you would assume you were one of the meekest examples of a soldier to ever be brought out. Looks can certainly be deceiving it seems."
Donna accepted the observation when she told Tano, "That is something I've been told for a while. My brothers were fortunate to know my mother for a little while so they probably changed in a way different from me."
Oleg thought for a moment before he remembered, "Yeah, you're the daughter of the Mad Lord of Prussia himself aren't you? You certainly lost someone more valuable than my uncle I can tell you that for certain."
Tano confirmed, "We all could have lived a different life if we didn't lose someone valuable to us. That is one thing that can change our view of the world. I don't know if I can tell you to do anything different Donna, but I'm sure the remainder of your family will all be pleased to see you return. And possibly see you as the most valuable daughter they could ever ask for."
Donna sighed when she confessed, "I don't have much of a choice now. If I do survive and I don't live for battle, I cannot understand what my father will want me to live for."
Hearing a light laugh from Oleg, Donna received a new perspective on her situation when he told her, "For all we know Donna, your old man might be a changed man when we get back. We've been taking a long trip to and back from one planet to the other, if he gets to see everything that you achieved he should be more appreciative of what you were able to give him."
Adding to the life he believed awaited her, Tano gave another point, "Most importantly, you have to be grateful that you have the opportunity to be with him or receive his judgement. Most children do outlive their mother and father. But the day they have to part from life should be one given by the passage of time. When they have little else to offer their children and are prepared to let them live on their own."
Kieran gave a whistle when he heard the words of encouragement when he commented, "Have to say Tano, I didn't think you would have been able to come to that sort of conclusion. It's a pretty optimistic way to look at life considering all the shit you've been handed."
Tano sighed when he recognized how unlikely the reason seemed to be but reasoned, "I know. But it's what I would have wanted to happen. However I have to die, I want it to be in a way that my mother and father would have looked at me with some sort of approval."
Oleg reflected on everyone that he met over the course of his eventful career as a Gundam pilot and agreed, "If there's one thing I've learned from most of us, it's that we all have that sort of desire in some way. Honestly, we've all been brought up by good people. Good people who wanted to see us have a chance to live the life they wanted us to have."
The reminder was bittersweet when Donna reminded them of the reality of war about them, "Some of them had to die and some of them continue to fight for that reason. Many of those on the journey with us today, I should do my best to honor their dedication to this cause. And if anything else, to tell them of the others who helped me realize something about myself that I might not have noticed before but finally came to comprehend."
Oleg smiled while Tano nodded and told her, "And because of you we were able to see that something like this happened. If we are going to honor what everyone wants to see achieved, then we should be ready before anyone hears something."
Donna agreed, "I suppose the Admiral will try to slow down our speed if we do something that might make us look like we're not taking this seriously again. At least we are still a distance away. We can all catch up on sleep after tonight."
Tano accepted, "We better part then. Let's not keep our beds too cold."
As the pilots parted form one another, Oleg walked in between Kieran and Tano when he asked, "So tell me Tano, do you think she passed your test? I think I'd like to use Kieran's hack again just for fun if I can."
Tano continued to walk ahead when he told Oleg, "She is a Gundam pilot we can respect and one that we don't have to doubt can pull her weight."
Kieran chuckled when he told Tano, "I don't think you'll quite get the respect you're looking for if you just look at her that way."
Tano continued ahead when he told Kieran, "There aren't too many people that I would like to meet again. Honestly if there is anything that is keeping me from quelling all of my doubts about her, it's the fact that she seems to be disappointed that she can't call herself part of a whole."
Oleg shrugged at the bit of disappointment Tano displayed when he tried to reason, "Well there's going to be at least a few things keeping everyone from being perfect right?"
Tano crossed his arms when he dismissed the question when he answered, "Assuming that she continues to be the sort of pilot she is on the field. Otherwise I don't know if I could ever truly respect her as a fellow person."
