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 72: The Stars Cry Out

What began as another day in Quebec City was in fact a very key one for Till Lindemann as he made his way to the front door of the Yuy family's temporary home. He pressed the doorbell button on the side of the door, not really expecting anyone to welcome him but found himself fortunate to be greeted by someone. As soon as the door opened, he thought he was being greeted by a familiar face but could hear the difference as soon as she greeted him.

"Forgive me, you are Lord Lindemann?" Selena introduced as she saw Till preparing to meet with those present in the household.

Till had a brief pause when he met with the person who was greeting him at the doorway. The young woman looked a great deal like Relena but could immediately see the difference after a short observation. Most telling about the difference between her and many others he had been familiar with over the last few days alone, just how little she had been exposed to the ravages and stresses of war after so many threatened to take away everything from her.

Till confirmed her questioning when he told Selena, "Hello young miss, I should like the opportunity to speak to you and your family if you would allow me for a while."

The demeanor Selena had seen coming from Till was one that she was unsure how to feel about at first. The manners he had were considerably humble unlike the demanding personality she had heard about him carrying before as the Mad Lord of Prussia. Seeing him be the sort of man he was now made her regret that she did not have the opportunity to understand what had happened to him over his participation of the previous conflicts.

She maintained her composure when she took a small breath and accepted his request, "Of course. Please follow me." It was a short walk to the living room when she introduced, "Mom, there's someone here to see you."

Relena was sitting next to Heero as she looked over his injured arm with Helena and looked up to see who had arrived. "Lord Lindemann. This is quite unexpected."

Till gave a nod when he told her, "I admit that I did not anticipate having the opportunity to see you either. I was prepared to hear that you were busy with the Parliament as your husband told me you are passionate about."

Relena agreed with the expectation when she told him, "Malcolm felt that he wasn't able to continue working efficiently with the current hours we've been operating under. Today he has others preparing documents we need to review when the time comes to decide if they are worth passing."

Heero offered, "Unless I'm mistaken, I wouldn't imagine that you were interested in learning the progress of recent politics."

Recognizing that a conversation was beginning, Selena offered Till, "Can I get you anything Lord Lindemann?"

Till turned to her when he waved a hand to dismiss, "That will be fine, I do not plan on staying long."

Heero added, "I'm afraid there's little here that matters to you as well. See if Helena would appreciate your company."

Selena looked ot the three with a look of small disappointment before accepting, "We'll be here if you need us."

As soon as Selena made her way upstairs, Relena asked, "Is there something that she cannot be allowed to hear?"

Heero answered, "It's something more complicated than she would be able to understand. It's for the better that she doesn't have to overhear anything Till has on his mind."

Till confirmed the answer when he began, "Since Brussels I had my mind on the whole war, how we were deceived all this time. Even more tragic the loss of those I considered good friends." He looked to Relena when he offered her, "At the very least I wish to apologize for antagonizing you for all those years. For all the efforts I went through of trying to portray your legacy as being the sole cause for everything that we now endure."

Relena nodded when she accepted his apology, "We were all used in a game of manipulation that none of us could see. I may have protested the idea of continuing warfare, but I believe you only did so having the best intentions at heart."

Heero confirmed, "Everything he did, he did because he wanted to see his children have a future. He unfortunately never had the chance to be the father he believed he should have been."

Till made his way to the nearest window when he reflected on the forgiveness that he was being offered. Indeed Relena had chosen to be the forgiving figure that embodied what made humanity good after all these years. The greatest difference that she was now a woman who had seen the world collapse but maintained the strength to see pieces that could be put back together. A quality that he lamented not having the reflection to see within him.

He looked from behind the glass when he told them, "Indeed were Griselda looking over any one of us now, she would see the man that I have become and be readily disappointed in what I have done to our children. Well founded intentions only have so much to them before they are nothing more than an attempt at finding an excuse for our shortcomings. That is simply one thing that I am afraid that I no longer have the luxury to attempt to undo."

There was another pause between the three as Relena realized what Till was about to lead into. He was a man who felt that he had long outlived his purpose and was offering little to make the future something that his children could be happy for. It was the sort of thing that her children would have had a difficult time accepting if any of them were listening right now.

Heero spoke her thoughts when he told him, "That is a difficult idea for many to accept."

Till turned around as he offered another question for both of them. "I want to hear it from both of you. Do you have faith in what awaits us should we live to see the final days? That our children be able to improve from our mistakes made in this war?"

When Till offered his second question, Heero answered confidently, "Our defenses and actions of this city alone have allowed them to pave their own path to deciding if we are worth saving or not. They have the ability to change the direction of the world as it is. They only need to decide we are worth saving and still worth receiving wisdom from."

Relena agreed, "It is their choice if they continue to see us as worthy of their struggles. It is up to us to be the example they need us to be if we are to make a world they will continue to uphold."

Feeling a sense of confidence from the two, Till accepted, "Then I'll trust them. There are few people that I would ever consider to be strong enough to handle what is being placed in front of them to challenge. I will offer to both of you that you are two people that command my full respect. If I had more to offer, I might not be making the decision that I am now making."

Relena accepted the decision when she gave a small lament for what Till was preparing to turn his back on when she considered, "Perhaps if circumstances were different, we might not have to see you come to the conclusion you have determined."

Till shook his head when he reasoned, "If circumstances had been different, this city would more than likely be under Edward's grasp by now. The shame of me not living up to my own personal belief against traitors was something that I failed to uphold in the end. It is something that I have to live with. I would hope that none of our children on this day will make the same mistake as I did."

Heero acknowledged every word Till had when he praised, "You are a respectable man to the last day you stand Lord Lindemann. Very few will look at you as a poor example of what the human race can become."

Till humbly accepted the compliment when he returned, "I am more at ease knowing that at least one family name will be far stronger than my own should the world ever turn to chaos again. That is what I feel the most assured about having met all of you."

Relena came next when she commented, "I'm thankful you have been able to come to this conclusion Lord Lindemann. I certainly hope to have the fortune to offer praise to the remainder of your household when I have the opportunity."

Till rubbed his hands as he turned slightly and dismissed himself, "You will find they are a most pleasant bunch to be around as long as you treat them with respect. With such conditions I imagine that it will be quite easy to see you being able to do so. Well, with that much, I must be off then."

Before he had a chance to leave, Heero stood up when he asked, "If it's not too much trouble, can I ask you a few questions while you make your way home?"

Till began to see himself out before he turned and accepted, "Yes. I had been hoping that you would have considered escorting me."

Relena was about to ask about what Heero had in mind but saw him raise a hand and tell her, "It won't be long."

As Heero and Till made their way through the streets of Quebec City, there was still a silence among the city as it waited with a collectively held breath waiting for the next eruption of violence that could occur. For these two men however, there were few questions that were left to be asked. All that remained on their mind was how they planned to continue ot hold their place over the course of the war.

Till looked out to the Canadian landscape when he told Heero, "It has been far too long for me since I first took the opportunity to enjoy what made the Earth as special as it was. It's for a reason such as that one that I find more solace in the idea of returning who I am to it. At least that is one way of thinking that I imagine I should learn to adopt."

Having accepted Till's decision, Heero confirmed, "There are few who can make the conclusions that you make. I'm sure that your children will remember the best aspects of you when they have the world as their own to set guide and protect."

Till continued to look forward into the distance when he smiled and reflected on the endeavors that he witnessed when he saw men and women who were not his own children ready to stand and fight as strong as those he valued the most. "I have seen your son fight well in Tripoli and all the way to Brussels. He left a very impressive record in his fights. More than anything else, I want to rest assured that you will offer him the most well deserved praise when he is given the chance to return home and offer support to what friends of his still live."

Presented with a new responsibility for what he had to follow through with his life, Heero accepted, "It's the least I can do for myself. The least I can do for you is make sure that everyone you cherish is still alive to see that new future with him."

Till smiled when he remembered a memory from long ago that he expected would have been an important motivation for him. "You know, I honestly believe that I might have been allowing myself to forget something that held us both together long ago."

Curious to hear what stopped Till in his thoughts, Heero asked, "Of all times?"

Till confirmed his memory when he looked up to the sky and told him, "I believe we were once in a same Treize Faction. Perhaps we were indeed brothers in arms who were meant to assist one another for so long. I truly should have considered that when I was choosing who to respect."

Given a reminder of how he once met Till Lindemann face to face long ago, Heero confirmed the reminder when he encouraged, "Contemplating about what we could have done in the past does little to move us forward. But if we continue to hold each other as brothers, then it only gives me more reason to see what awaits us in the future we have built."

Till agreed to the sentiment when he offered, "It is pleasant to see that you would agree. Perhaps one day you will be able to prove to the entire human race that there is an untouchable truth to upholding the honor that we build for ourselves."

Without another word to speak about their hopes for the future, Till took hold of a cane that lay next to him and began to walk forward onto a nearby road. Without another word between him and Heero, he began his long walk towards the portions of Quebec that remained untouched by human presence with no destination in sight. Heero watched on as Till began to make his long walk towards wherever it was he hoped to go, but knew that there was only one particular hope that he had in mind for what he wanted to achieve. A sense of isolation from a system that no longer needed him.

Till continued his walk towards the distance when he commented to himself, "Heh. Isn't that quite the future to think about? My children, you are far beyond what I could have ever hoped to be and it will be difficult for you to ruin anything. But you don't need me to tell you that. You don't need me to validate your beliefs or your motivations. This is now your time to prove your worth to everyone. You're in control now."


"Attention all hands. Briefing by the Admiral is commencing. All ship captains tune to the main channel." The leaders of the ships tuned in for the briefing by Admiral Norma Miles when she began to speak. Several weeks had passed for the fleet but the plans to attack the Sol Invictus had finally been prepared when she displayed a holographic battle map to the right of her.

The Gundam pilots and pilots aboard the Executor Rising were present on the Admiral's deck when she began to present, "We are approximately one week away from approaching the Sol Invictus. As it has been determined by the Gundam pilots, we must be prepared for the worst scenario at every corner." The map displayed the ships making a stop in the northwest direction of the station when she continued, "We will arrive within range of the Sol Invictus after the jump has been accomplished. We will not be facing the weapon directly but we will be able to anticipate the enemy prepared to defend itself on our left broadside. All turrets and batteries must be prepared to fire once we have arrived in range, I want the initiative to be taken from all hands effective immediately."

There was a short round of simulated broadside fire from the ships before the mobile suits were launched as Norma explained, "The enemy Sol Thero units are equipped with an artificial intelligence system that is prepared to destroy us at an unprecedented rate as some aboard my ship will attest. The Gundams will be able to provide us with the power we need to break through their ranks however."

Among the simulated mobile suits Norma pointed to the leading ones meant to be the Gundams, "The Tallgeese Throne will lead the attack and disperse a viral system capable of offering our units a realistic chance against the enemy. When the enemy units have been destroyed our ships will face the Invictus and offer what assisting fire we can to destroy the station."

The hologram shut off when Norma continued, "The importance of this mission cannot be emphasized enough and it is a scale that has not been seen in many years. But the responsibility now lies upon us regardless of our anticipation. We must be prepared to face the worst the enemy has to offer. I do not expect everyone to return alive. But if you are required to make a sacrifice on this day, then see it is done to further the survival of humanity. Do it to see that our mission permits us to have loved ones to return to." She concluded the briefing when she commanded, "All artillery hands prepare for immediate fire once we have made the stop. Once we reach within six hours of our destination, all pilots are expected to remain in the cockpits of their mobile suits. That will be all." Her hologram faded through the fleet and the battle plan was soon to be enacted.

One of the strategists on Norma's ship evaluated, "It's an easy to remember strategy sir. We should just hope the Gundams have the guts to pull off those sorts of stunts in the plans right?"

Norma answered, "No. We should hope the pilots have what it takes to do them." She answered with a gaze on the pilots. "When we arrive it will be up to them if we have what it takes to preserve humanity as it continues or if we are to be the final chapter in this human era. I would like to hope that all of you will be able to offer such assurance?"

Dana answered, "We've been through too much to fail now. I think we'll be okay."

Mercurio agreed, "It will be the most difficult mission yet, but it can be done I think."

Oleg agreed, "Yeah, I won't let this be our last hoorah."

Tano added, "We're being asked to offer nothing other than more of what we have out there. There are going to be those who will die, but I want it to be because they gave their effort to see Kecker suffer for what he desired to achieve."

Oleg reminded him, "It's not like we're being asked to die just to die out there. We're all going to have a life that will come after this. It's up to us to chose if we want to choose the afterlife so soon."

Norma confirmed the hopes when she told the pilots, "There was a time that we would have hoped to see one another dead. Much of the death and destruction that we have gone through has in the end been because of our inability to deny the commands of those we deemed our superiors. What we face now is the opportunity to prove that we do not have to let the end be a symbol of everything the human race never sought to be."

Donna agreed with Norma's encouragement when she told Tano, "Even if it seems unlikely, there is a reason that all of us are still fighting. I know for certain that there will be those who will be proud to see you return on the day that we end this conflict."

Tano reflected on his recent thoughts, where the battle would mark the end of the war. He was a victim of the war, reminded of how he was the only survivor in his family. Tano prepared his hands in a prayer when he told everyone, "If what I do now may end future sufferings like this… Then for the Coalition and the lives that were lost."

Dafina was the last to confirm, "This will achieve everything I was sent to do. I only hope that our efforts will prevent anything of this scale from happening again."

"Man your battle stations and prepare for the arrival. Dismissed." Norma ended the meeting with her pilots while she sat hoping to see the remainder prepared to meet with their greatest challenge. The arrival was about to test the very mettle of the human race as it once again had the Gundams gathered to prepare for making the its survival possible. If everyone present on board the Executor Rising were able to comprehend the internal conflict among the Gundam pilots however, the morale that had been gathered would immediately be in question.


After words from the Captain, Donna went to the Sandesgeist to assist Quatre to make sure it was operating at its full potential. For right now, it was going to be the only thing that would keep her mind at ease as she tried to prepare for the day of judgement before her. All she could do in that moment was remember the words of advice she had given Tano and how she wished it was someone else who was giving that vow to her.

Donna sat back in her cockpit seat when she gave a heavy sigh and cursed to herself, "I am such a tragic hypocrite."

"Something else is wrong?" Donna perked up when she heard the voice from the outside of the Gundam cockpit and remembered who she was receiving assistance from on the outside.

She opened the cockpit door to see Quatre waiting for her when she answered, "It's just something from the meeting earlier. There's no difficulties between the pilots or anyone."

"I know you've been isolating yourself for a while, but you have responsibilities to uphold. You can't treat being around others as though it was something you only had a duty to fulfill."

"I know. I won't let it get in my way."

Donna was about to shut the cockpit door in a desperate hope to gain some isolation but was unable to when Quatre stepped in further and told her, "You have the opportunity to prepare for it. The men aboard the Vengeance are prepared to hear the encouragement you have for them."

Donna brought her attention back to Quatre when she tried to confirm what she had just heard. "The encouragement? Was this even scheduled?"

"It was scheduled when the Admiral gave her own report to the rest of the fleet. You have to remind your men that they are going to provide assistance to one of the greatest military operations in history."

Sighing from disappointment of having to deal with something else, Donna stepped out of the cockpit of the Sandesgeist and accepted, "I suppose I can't try to find an excuse out of this one."

Quatre moved in as she prepared to take her place when he told her, "I'll continue with the calibrations and reloading. You worry about your men for right now."

Donna stepped out of her cockpit as she made a brief stroll across the scaffolding. All she could think about in her waking moments were the next hours that would decide the fate of humanity. She sighed to herself when she accepted, "At least with the honesty from Ermes I won't have to die with many regrets… Now I am truly bound to the will of Earth." Donna turned on the messaging systems to establish contact with the Vengeance to speak to the Rhys. As soon as she saw the video feed come through, Donna requested, "Are the OZ forces ready?"

Rhys gave a brief glance behind him when he confirmed, "Absolutely Colonel. We are ready to throw our lives for you when the time comes."

The next part that was about to come was something that Donna did not look forward to, but knew that Quatre would not leave her alone if she didn't go through with it now. She never saw herself as a capable speech giver, especially after the elaborate plan set up by the Coalition Admiral from earlier. She still hoped that she could find a way out of it when she asked, "Do you feel that a speech will make you more encouraged for what is to come?"

Rhys confirmed, "That is something we could use alright Colonel. We can always use some inspirational leadership to remind us of what we are fighting for. Let me gather the men."

Being left to herself after the request for preparation, Donna took a minute to think of a speech that would impress any listeners. Her preparations did not go on for as long as she would have liked them to when she heard the captain announce, "We have everyone here Colonel."

Donna perked her face up again when she began to prepare her speech. She began to think of every best portion of a speech she could think of when she announced, "This is Colonel Donna Nada Lindemann, commander of the OZ forces for this battle. What we will see soon is the twilight of humanity, where our worth will be tested. We can never hope to come out without casualties, but we will prevail. OZ was once a massive military for the Romefeller Foundation. We may be fragmented groups that are a pale shadow of its namesake but we will prove to the Heavens that we carry on their legacy. We will win Ragnarok."

The speech was brief but still enough to inspire some noise from the other side of the channel. Even after such a comparably simple speech, the effort left Donna wanting a drink. As much as she worried about her call to the inevitable battle, she could hear the rallies of supports with the channel being filled with voices shouting the names of houses.

Ermes was in another room when he listened to the impromptu speech that Donna had recently delivered. He smiled as he found himself impressed by the display when he commented to himself, "I know she can survive. She is definitely going to be one of the key pillars of support when we have to prepare for the end." Ermes stood up as he shut off his observation of the channel when he wondered to himself, "Now what kind of person are you going to be when it comes to this challenge? Are you still going to just go with the motions or will you begin to actually take charge of your life?"


After weeks of waiting, Franz Kecker saw the monument he had been waiting for reach completion. The scale of the Sol Invictus's panel wings became more apparent when he looked outside to view where his station was situated in front of the planet Venus. "Now the time has come. Today humanity will be brought forth on the right path to peace." He promised himself.

He opened door to the halls that lead into the deeper parts of the Sol Invictus station The shuttle made its final approach to the entry area before the proper docking procedures were put in place. Franz exited and made his way towards the nearest rail when he found the Designer N greet him. "Greetings Mr. President. We have been waiting for your evaluation."

Franz stopped himself from floating when he grabbed the nearest rail and observed, "As you were ordered. Has the Solaris been charged?"

Designer N confirmed his request after opening the door of a nearby elevator, "We are now at optimal levels to fire the Sol Invictus on your order sir."

Franz entered the small chamber when he requested, "I must see that the guardians of the Invictus are prepared for the defense. We cannot have the Coalition come anywhere near this facility."

"Of course sir." The elevator made its roundabout way through the station when it passed through the nearest hangar bay for the mobile doll defenses. Lines of Sol Theros were aligned facing the closed hangar doors while Designer N elaborated, "As you ordered, we have 45 squadrons of Sol Thero units put on standby to defend the Invictus. Even if the Coalition and Earth Sphere forces were to unite against this station both sides would be completely wiped out."

Franz observed the lines of squadrons while he asked, "And that is why we have prepared the true final defense against such a scenario correct?"

The elevator made its way through the next hangar room when the operator introduced the two greatest weapons the Sol Invictus would have to offer. It was with this reveal that Designer N confirmed, "As promised we have achieved such ambitions. And in an area where something of this scale was indeed possible." The elevator passed through the next chamber and before the men stood the two greatest achievements of mobile doll technology in modern times. "The most powerful mobile dolls ever created. Possibly the greatest works of machinery ever conceived." Designer N gestured to his left, "The Sol Thanatos." A slender black mobile suit whose limbs seemed to be made out of blades standing at 35 meters. He then showed to his right, "The Sol Atlas." A fat red mobile suit of the same height with heavy armor plating but without any visible weapons but only the fists.

Franz stood in content when he agreed, "Excellent. We have everything necessary to prepare for this day. The Coalition will no longer be capable of seeing this conflict worth maintaining."

As Franz continued to gaze upon the twin mobile dolls prepared for destruction that few could ever comprehend, Amandala made his way up to Franz when he confirmed, "It is as many of our critics have estimated. Utilization of this station will allow us to win the war in one fell swoop if we use them this way Mr. President."

Franz confirmed the potential that was at his fingertips when he confirmed, "We will. I come today with the first targets in mind and we shall see the station prepared for firing. Report to the preparation chamber. We must make our way to the main control room. It is now time for us to achieve what so much of the human race is afraid of considering."

Amandala agreed to the assessment when he told Franz, "It is something that the human race does indeed consider Mr. President. It takes strength to be able to perform any great action. As well as vision and dedication."

Designer N looked over the statistics that were on the nearest computer screen when he commented, "Unfortunately so few of us have strength as a key portion of their character. There are far too few who are willing to look at the greater picture and permit that they be done."

Franz turned away from the mobile dolls when he began to make his way back to the elevator that he had descended from and commented, "Indeed perhaps sending Earth into a nuclear winter was a plan that had a great deal of vision to it as well as the best sort of intentions. It was also one that was met with the most inconvenient opposition as well. From men who were unable to stand united in what had to be done to achieve an end to war."

Amandala understood the point when he reminded Franz, "That is the key aspect that we have that our predecessors lacked. We allowed them to assist us while we simply waited in the shadows for the perfect opportunity to begin. We only needed the few of us who are here today to make this day a possibility. And we now have an entire army prepared to fight for our purposes until the day they are no longer able to continue to serve."

Designer N made his way up to Franz when he added, "There is a great deal to be said about progress. Unfortunately we will not be able to say that we have achieved anything until we have tangible results to show for what we have done. It will all be for nothing if we allow ourselves to be complacent when the most critical hour is now before us."

Franz made his way in front of the elevator door when he prepared to give the order he had been waiting to offer. "That is what we are to demonstrate to the human race today. What our unity does to stand out from the attempts at brotherhood they claim to have. And it will only be the beginning. Have the mobile dolls prepared. And ensure that there is no margin of error once the Coalition fleet makes its way here."

Designer N knew the order was being given to him when he confirmed, "Understood sir."


Time passed and Franz found himself in the control room where Franz could observe the targets made for the cannon of the Sol Inivictus. He looked over the screen and saw the distant asteroid within his sights. "Now it has come to this. Neil, once this has begun we will set humanity on the right course." He opened a communication link with the personnel down below asking, "Is 3 Juno within range?"

"It's there Mr. President. But the L2 colony side is in its way. We'll have to wait until they move from view before we have the chance to fire."

Franz immediately shut off the link and ordered into the voice control panel, "Initiate manual override. Enact Primary Directive."

Amandala accepted the order when he began to take away control from everyone who even had a little access to the station. The procedures began to make their way through the station when he informed Franz, "The overrides are underway. We have no resistance to any progression."

Once the panel received the command, Franz saw the computer next to him respond with a line of words, 'Primary Directive engaged. Awaiting further commands.'

Franz looked out towards the window that was in front of him when he gave Amandala another command, "Shut down all access to the station interior."

Along the panels of the Sol Invictus' span, the entire team of repairmen and operators performed their expected duties to ensure the station was prepared to be used. The lead operator who introduced Franz a few hours earlier found one of the repairmen when he asked, "Is everything up to snub around here?"

"It looks like it. We couldn't make the cannon panels any more secure than they are."

"Sounds like we've finished everything then. Report to superiors and get ready to head in."

"Got it sir."

'Lockdown imminent. Lockdown imminent.' The computer voice sounded through the helmets of the men along the scope of the panels. The station closed all of the doors into the Solaris shuttle and panel hangar bays leaving the maintenance workers to futilely attempt finding a way in.

The operators gave various comments of shock as soon as their entrance was denied, "What the? What's going on?"

"We're being sealed out!"

"Help! Anyone! Anyone out there!"

"They can't hear us! We're stuck!"

As access through the Sol Invictus was being denied to everyone other than the three men who were inside, Designer N told the other two, "We are now permitted to be the only witnesses to the first utilization of this structure."

"Activate the broadcast." Franz ordered. He saw a camera activate in front of him and knew his words were about to be heard. He prepared the final speech he would ever give to the human race.
Franz's face appeared on every television signal that received the Earth Sphere signal. Once he had the signal he began his speech to humanity.

"I am Franz Kecker. Weeks ago I cast down my position as President of the Earth Sphere United Nations. I have no association with any organization now. I am not allied with the Falson Coalition or the Earth Sphere, but simply a human being. A human being who was fortunate to be elected by a governing body desperate for safety.

"It was decades ago we promised to forgo the acts of war and our mobile suits. As time progressed, we have merely found ourselves return to that same moment. 18 years of peace simply gave way to another 11 of war and the highest human mortality rate in history. This is proof enough that our past policies have not worked. Nor will they ever work as long as we progress.

"It has been centuries since humankind has looked towards the stars. We have looked up and wondered what waited for us. We were anxious to see where we would be placed in the universe. What I see before me now however, is a race that has refused to change from its old ways. This has been the shortsighted nature of humanity long before this very ambition was conceived. We see the hurdles but we are not willing to trounce them. We see the monsters but we shy from them. We see what can be achieved through cooperation but we only desire individual satisfaction. This mindset we have developed on Earth has followed us into the grips of the frontier we have sought to subdue.

"Through the decades of war, we had believed that an end to conflict was possible. Our last attempt has been nearly three decades ago when we promised to see an end to mobile suit warfare and engage through a path of pure pacifism. As I should hope by now the idealistic creators of this policy have seen what simply oppressing a simple nature of the human mind has done. We stand upon the most demanding war in human history and we are still willing to accept deaths as merely casualties to further personal ends.

"There was to come a time showing what a world simply trying to hold back its old habits has done. We are no closer to achieving a peaceful path forward for the human race. Should we continue along this approach, we will destroy everything that gives us a chance to expand as a species. We will not stop until we have destroyed every chance given to us for a greater humanity.

"Once and for all, it must fall upon the shoulders of one individual to bring an end to the suffering. It will be my hand that sees the human race does not seek further warfare. The answer towards a prosperous humanity has been nothing more than a dream for us. A dream we have not even wished to consider as the necessary step. But as it stands, I see now what must be done.

"We have seen men of the past propose the idea that traumatization is the only path to peace, but they did not have the means nor ambition to see it done. Their desires were nothing more than a chance to see their own goals pursued rather than the face of peace they believed possible. Regardless of their true intentions, I present the true path towards peace and assure that my intentions are purely altruistic. I present to you the greatest technological achievement our species has ever constructed." His speech cut for a moment when the broadcast showed a view of the Sol Invictus with its panels in full spread to fire.

The broadcast returned to him and the speech continued, "The Sol Invictus has shaken many at the mere concept. The potential hazards and devastation are things I cannot simply place in words. I offer now to the human race, the true path to peace. The only way we will ever stand united against the wickedness of our very nature. My action."

With this portion of the speech finished Franz grabbed a handle within an arm spanning hole in the panel. With a pull motion the lever found itself at the surface before he pushed it back down and in that final moment sealed his fate for countless eras to come.


"What's going on in there?"

"The weapon is activating!"

"Get me ou- AAHH!" The men working on the panels and interior of the Sol Invictus were the first to be sacrificed within the wrath of its beam. Unfortunately they would not be the last ones either.


The fleet led by Admiral Norma Miles continued to make its progress but a line of light had suddenly become visible once it passed them. One of the operators noticed the action when she asked, "What's that?"

Norma commanded, "Magnify on that location."

Once the coordinates were locked one of the operators managed to report, "It looks like an energy beam sir... It seems to be coming from Kecker's coordinates!"

Norma stood up in shock when she heard the news asking, "He's fired it?!"

Another one of the operators confirmed, "With the power coming from that shot, I'm afraid that we don't have many alternatives of what it could be."

Norma stepped back as she tried to process what she was bearing witness to when she shook her head in an effort to maintain her composure and requested, "Can we make contact with anyone? Do we have an idea of where that beam is targeting?"

One of the operators reminded her, "I don't think it would do us any good sir. Whatever the target of that beam is, we're already too late."

Mercurio and the other pilots were observing the beam as it shot past the fleet of Coalition battleships and were brought to a state of wonder about what had happened. He watched the ray of light make its way across the void of space when he wondered to himself, "The beam... Has the Invictus been fired already?"

Zachariah made his way to the front when he pointed out, "He's actually doing it. Franz actually fired that thing."

Suchart asked, "He was able to put on a show for us on our way towards him, but what is he even trying to prove with that sort of display?"

Cao was among the onlookers when she commented, "I have a feeling that no one would actually resort to displaying that sort of power if they didn't have the intention of utilizing it. I'm afraid that the Coalition is about to look as though it has been vindicated."

The observation was once something that Mercurio and the others would have simply considered as something that soldiers with no other loyalty than to the Coalition would have said. Unfortunately, it was becoming clear at this point that Cao was more concerned of what was happening to the future of the human race. None of them would have the privilege to comprehend it up close, but the power of the light before them was going to be more than they could have imagined.


Thomas did not have a chance to see the beam of light headed his way when he reported, "We've finally arrived Mr. Lehrer."

"Yes, we can finally be at ease and hope the -AHHHH!" Lucas and the entire crew of the shuttle were instantly burned away to nothing when the shot found its way. The two men were spared of any sight of destruction when the colonies were caught within the light of the super weapon. The ones that weren't hit by the beam became victim to the debris that flew through the carelessness of space. The size and heat of the debris spared nothing in their drift. The L2 colonies were completely wiped out in the arrival of the Invictus' fire.


The Generals of 3 Juno overlooked the progress for the evacuation when one asked, "Are the evacuations proceeding as scheduled?"

"Most of 3 Juno has begun its arrival on Mars. They only wait for the remaining population to arrive."

"Prepare the final - AHHHH!" For all of them the escape never happened when the beam of the Sol Invictus found its way towards 3 Juno and pierced it to its core. The asteroid was completely annihilated with a hole in the middle of its structure while it began to crumble away at what foundations were still holding it together.


The beam made its way through the distance but left a horrified mindset for the crew of the fleet. Norma was the first to request among the chaos, "Can we get an estimate on where the beam was headed?"

"Right away Admiral." One of the strategists confirmed. The area of the inner portion of the Sol System were brought up while he drew a forward line from Franz's position was when he determined, "If the estimates are correct… It passed right through L2 it looks like."

Norma was quick to command, "Get me a contact with the leaders at L2."

One of the operators confirmed, "Patching through."

"This is Admiral Norma Miles. Please report." There was a moment of silence when there wasn't even static on the screens, rather just dead silence. Norma made an effort to contain her composure when she confirmed, "… There's no answer. No one is available…"

One of the strategists was shaking when he asked, "No way… Did that beam actually…"

"I fear to consider what may have been the true extent of the damage done is…" Norma grimly answered.

The unease that was on the main bridge of the Executor Rising was already being felt by the remainder of the crew as they saw it soar past them but realized the most they could do was wonder about who was being given judgement.

"The laser..." While there was a lingering sense of wonder of what sort of person could let themselves be responsible for the destruction that was at hand, Tano could only look in shock.

"The Sol Invictus." Ermes only remarked in disbelief of the destructive force that he had assisted in making a possibility.

Donna hastily returned communication with the assisting forces of the fleet. "Vengeance, do we still have anything resembling morale onboard?" She asked, attempting to keep her cool.

Rhys answered the call when he maintained his report, "The laser we just saw was inevitably going to rattle just about anyone if we were any closer. I regret that it has very likely shaken more than a wee bit of our forces."

Donan returned to her forces. "The laser we have witnessed has show that there's more at stake. We must prevail." She addressed before quickly returning to the Allied forces channel.

"Can we win this?" Suchart asked, fret by the raw power.

Gawel tried to find some sort of assurance against the mountain of worry that had been formed n front of him when he told him, "

Tano received further contact from McNeil. "It looks we lost contact with 3 Juno." He informed.

The news meant the laser was aimed at L2. "Are the Coalition leaders alive?" He asked, desperate for answers.

Kieran was among the crew as he made his way over to Tano when he told everyone, "I just got back down from the bridge. It's no good. I have a feeling that this war has gone to extents that we only feared seeing possible before."

Oleg was the next to question Kieran when he asked him, "What we're really worried about is what we've got left. You can't be telling us that we don't have at least few survivors out there worth keeping hold of."

As Tano and Cao made their way over to Kieran, they hoped to see some sort of correction of what they might have misunderstood from before. As Tano was about to make his way up to Kieran in an effort to comprehend what he was being told, he saw Kieran shake his head and looking at the floor with a sigh of absolute defeat. It was another few seconds before he told everyone, "Unfortunately we're assuming that they were caught in the blast. There's just no way that we can assume any of them would have survived something like that."

"No!" Tano shouted as he screamed in anguish. He had dedicated so much of his life to waging battle with everyone who wanted to take away any meaning in his brief life, but it was all lost in just a few brief seconds. Everyone around Tano saw him fall to the ground as he had just watched as the ideals he fought for were now dead.

Cao made her way up to him when she told him, "Tano… There's no one here who isn't shaken by what we have just seen today."

Tano shot his head up when he told everyone, "And how can this be accepted? How are we supposed to accept that we have lost everyone who believed in the advancement of a cause they believed was right? Is this the punishment they were owed for being misled after so long?"

Cao answered Tano as she helped him up to his feet when she answered, "Everyone here was led astray when we were asked to commit to this war. The only ones who should feel any shame are those who are looking at today and choosing to do nothing."

Recognizing the encouragement Cao had for him, Tano clenched his fists and forced what grief he had out of him as he slammed his fist to the floor beneath him and continued to vent his aggravation through his teeth. The assurance that he was given was enough to make him look up and see everyone around him trying to understand if one of their most valuable pilots could still be considered a valuable part of the fight.

He was confirmed this warning when he saw Gawel make his way up to him and warn, "I want you to understand that there aren't too many other people to substitute for what we have to pilots. And I don't think you want me to be the one to whip you into shape for it either."

Dana placed a hand on his shoulder when she told Tano, "Don't take it personally Tano. We just don't want to think that you could throw yourself into conflict without thinking about how you should really be prepared."

Tano shook his head when he told both of them, "Even if you mean well, you can never truly comprehend just what sort of loss we have endured. This alliance we're part of shouldn't even be formed right now. This war should have ended at Brussels. It should have ended with one side or the other falling. Even if it meant the defeat of the Coalition, it should have been enough to prevent this sort of destruction."

Gawel sighed when he heard the lament and agreed, "I see what you mean. We thought this war would end with you guys bending to our knees but it didn't turn out to be the case after all. Things got more complicated than we could have wanted them to be."

Suchart agreed, "If we weren't about to head into the battle of our lives, I would have considered trying to get more for us to drink and get ready for. Sadly we don't have anything like it and there isn't shit for us to take the edge off this shit."

Dana accepted, "Maybe there's nothing that we can do to make this loss easier to deal with. The only thing I've got is to ask you what you plan to do about this. Do you plan on potentially letting even more people die? Do you want others to feel the same amount of loss that you've just endured? There's going to be several million at least who are going to be condemned to the same hand that you've been dealt. We're already looking at the setup of another period of strife and we need to make sure that we have some kind of answer for what we're being told by Kecker."

Tano sighed as he looked down in grief but less shaken by the devastation that he had to process. He brought his attention back to Kieran once was able to collect his thoughts once again. He gave Kieran a simple statement, "McNeil, once this battle is over, I will resign from the military."

Kieran sighed when he heard Tano's desire and told him, "I don't blame you. I don't know if I can risk having this sort of blood on my hands either."

Suchart sighed when he told them, "It is quite a thought you had. If one of our sides had fallen, how much better off would we even be? You think any of us were worth keeping alive after witnessing something like this?"

Tano shut his eyes when he tried to regain the conviction that he normally had when he told him, "If we are alive for a reason, it should be so that we don't have to live with the burden of choosing not to do anything. It should be so that we understand we have done everything we could to make devastation such as this not happen again."

Suchart agreed with the sentiment when he told him, "If the Gundams are going to exist for anything, it should at least be for something as noble as that. Asking what you plan on doing afterwards at this point is probably kind of pointless I imagine."

Gawel tried to liven the others when he told them, "We aren't going to come out winning shit if we just look at this with the worst-case scenario. We need to actually be ready for a real change now. That's the only way we're going to make our devotion to this battle mean anything."

Quatre lost his ground when he witnessed the laser with his eyes. "It was the light of hatred… Duo… Hilde…" He cursed as he spoke his fears. The image of billions of lives eradicated in a single shot was unnerving even for the previous Gundam pilot. Even more devastating to him was the potential loss of an old friend he knew was still likely present there.

Quatre kept himself from displaying any signs of weakness as he walked away to a nearby hallway when he tried to handle the recent event that had happened. He felt a sense of guilt for what he was unable to prevent, but knew there was little that he would have been able to change where he was. He knew that he only had one bit of assurance that would make his participation in the war mean something. "Donna, you and the others are the only ones that can save us now..."


After the beam was fired from the station Franz continued with his speech when he explained himself, "Let it be seen and known today, I was the one who brought this about. I was once the elected President of the Earth Sphere United Nations, and I was the one willing to perform what you have witnessed. The intentions of many military organizations who have attempted this have been noble. However in the end proved only to be run by hypocrites or unambitious men. Today I achieve everything that they have sought. This is the result of unquestioned loyalty to leaders. This is the only true path to peace.

"This is not the act of any one nation or any military group. This is my action. This is the choice of one man who sees what must be done to move the human race forward. I now offer a choice to the human race. I now await your reactions of what must be done today." With the speech ended he signaled for the camera to end its broadcast.

Franz sat back in his chair when he observed the destruction on his holographic map. His work was complete. Amandala saw the end of the broadcast when he confirmed, "L2 has been completely destroyed."

Franz confirmed the accomplishment when he told Amandala, "We have achieved one thing portion of our mission. It is this day that will only mark the beginning of humanity being set right."

Designer N agreed with the commitment when he added, "The human race requires that we see much more than what we have offered before it is prepared a moments rest. But we have indeed achieved the first step towards our victory."

Franz looked towards the empty scope of space when he offered a silent prayer to himself, "It is done. I can only thank you for your cooperation in making this possible Nathan. At least one of us is destined for hell now. Regardless of our final destination, rest easy now. Know that what I have done today will ensure that humanity is now on course towards progress."