April 10th, 70 CE. Zum City. Principality of Zeon. Garma Zabi POV
For the first five days after the Battle of Granada, Garma remained around the city in command of the Great Degwin, helping Admiral Podarov to install order among the city-state and help to deal with the surrender of the Federal Remnant as well as any possible signs of civil or martial resistance to the annexation of Granada by Zeon. Outside of the escape and defection of the Federal Remnant within the other lunar cities, which Gihren seemed to be strangely non-chalant with by ordering Podarov to not pursue, the occupation had gone smoothly with the Army of the Federal Remnant outside of a few diehard regiments surrendering and the Lunarians graciously accepting their new Zabi rulers.
With the occupation going smoothly and war with the Federal Remnant seemingly at an end, Garma was summoned back to Zum City by Degwin, with the stated intention of helping the rest of the family to plan on what to do with Zeon's position in the Universal Century, and how to move forward in peace with the warring parties and the concurrent conflict of the Alliance-PLANT War.
Since the Battle, neither father nor son had conversed at great length, their talks limited to minute conversations with either a basic relay of commands by Degwin or seeking basic knowledge of one's day. It was a far cry from the normal level of affection between Degwin and Garma, with the duo being able to talk for hours with a high amount of warmth and mirth present. Now there was a heavy distance between the Zabis, and while the current relationship couldn't be described as cold, it lacked the deep connection it once had before.
As much as it pained Garma to go through this, he was grateful for the space as it allowed him to not only focus on the task at hand, but to step back and think on the current family dynamics, why his father acted as he did towards Garma, signaling him out as the special and beloved child while the rest of his children were either loved in a lesser extent or kept at an uncomfortable distance. Unless Garma was horribly wrong, he knew that Degwin loved his siblings, just not on the same level as him. The knowledge gave him some level of comfort that his entire life wasn't a lie and that his family was mostly true. The young prince had various theories and ideas on why his father had acted in such a manner, on the cause of all of his strengths and faults as a parent, but Garma didn't want to act upon them until he received a direct answer from Degwin himself. Garma could have received some conclusion over a video call, but he felt it best to receive these answers in person, where his father had to look him in the eye and explain without running away, as Garma had hypocritically done in his pursuit of battle.
The delay of confrontation was also fortunate for Garma as it allowed him to deal with the immediate repercussions of his actions, the death of those who served upon the Great Degwin. Thanks to the strengths of the Gwazine and its coordination with the rest of the fleet, the ship came out of the battle lightly damaged but not unscathed. Two pilots had died in the engagement with one greatly wounded, and an additional 11 crewmembers who had died aboard the Great Degwin.
While Garma was still proud of his contribution to the battle, he couldn't with dignity state that it was a painless decision with no consequences. Had Garma obeyed his father, then 13 men and women would have returned to their families and perhaps live long lives, now cut short by his thirst for battle. It was Garma's first brush with the responsibility of loss as a commander, and he was doing all he could to move forward. So far Garma had handled it well, writing personal letters to the families of each lost thanking them for their service and visiting members of the crew most affected and thanking them for their time in battle, acting as an open ear to their struggles and receiving input on how they viewed the battle should have been gone. It was an experience which Garma knew would most likely be repeated sometime in the future.
Thankfully for now the wars that had been inflicted upon Zeon were over and barring another instance of unwarranted aggression, no more blood would be shed for Zeon. If all went well with his family, then perhaps it would stay that way.
On the night of the 10th, Garma arrived at Zum City and was escorted to the Royal Palace. His journey through the spaceport was an occasion which was greeted with heavy fanfare as hundreds of reporters had been present at his departure, with the flashes of cameras rapidly blinking as everyone shouted and shoved to get his statement on Granada, all the while a mixture of civilians and servicemen stood behind rows of guards and cheered his return.
It was most likely an event of Gihren's engineering, to present him as the triumphant prince returning in glory after doing his part to kill the Federation. Garma accepted the limelight thrust upon him as he did in the past, giving a few statements to satisfy the carrion hunger of the media, then drove off to be reunited with his family.
About forty minutes later Garma had made his official return, being escorted to his father's personal office with word that Gihren and Kycillia would greet him after talking with Degwin and that Dozle had called from Solomon earlier, wishing his younger brother well and informing that him and Zenna would be arriving early in the morning to briefly visit with family and help in the crafting of the Zabi agenda that was soon to take place.
After a small period where he had stood silently behind the door to Degwin's office, thinking of a million possible ways to greet his father while being paralyzed with anxiety, Garma took a leap of courage and simply opened the door, walking in with a sheepish smile and wave. "Hello father." Garma greeted.
With a blank stare and lack of emotion, Degwin rose from his desk and slowly walked towards Garma. Garma flinched, expecting to get a heavy lecture on how stupid he had been with some punishment for disobedience, but his worst fears had been averted when Degwin closed in and embraced his youngest in a tight hug.
"Welcome home Garma. You don't know how happy I am that you're alive and safe." Degwin informed, with Garma accepting the embrace, burrowing his face into Degwin's uniform with tears threatening to unleash at the reunion.
After some time passed, Degwin leaned back and let go, a look of resignment on his face. "There's a lot I would like to discuss with you, on your disobedience and performance in battle, but before I do, you deserve some answers, on why and how I've failed as a father, on why I treat you and your siblings the way I do. Please sit." Degwin requested, with Garma obediently taking the seat on the couch to the left of Degwin's desk while Degwin sat opposite of him.
Degwin took off his glasses and laid them on the table, raising his hands to his forehead in contemplation of how to proceed foreword. With a tired sigh, Degwin began to answer,
"Garma, did I ever tell you why I pushed you and your siblings into positions of high power?" Degwin began with a question.
Garma thought back to all their previous conversations. There were many memories of how Degwin spoke that he was proud of his children and the good work that they did for Zeon, some arguments over politics, and many instructions on how to rule the Principality, but not once did Degwin ever explain why.
"No Father, you didn't." Garma answered, shaking his head.
Degwin sighed and looked to a picture frame on the right side of his desk, Garma leaned forward to take a peak and realized it was one of the few photos of his grandparents and father, all dressed in traditional Japanese clothing.
"I wish you met your grandparents Garma. They were the kindest, strongest, most loving and honorable people that I ever knew. They would have loved you, I know. They were also far better people than I could ever be, good honest folks who you think of as ideal than a reality. They lived simple lives, my father an electrician and my mother a daycare worker, but they were happy and content with one another, satisfied with the lives they lived. My parents never did anyone wrong, always try to get by each day with honest work and be the best they could. That didn't matter one damn to the Federation. Because my parents were not rich enough, because they didn't have enough clout or status, they were not worthy of residing on the planet they called home. We were forced to Side 3 as one of it's first wave of settlers, transitioning from a decent standard of living in Japan to being forced to survive in a cutthroat newborn colony with millions of other undesirables.
They tried to make the most of it and put on a happy face. My father liked to think he was a pioneer, someone doing important work for humanity that would create the greatest project in human history. My mother treated it as a new adventure in her life, a chapter that she would endure and write with her family. But deep inside, I could tell that they were struggling, grieving over the home and life that had been stolen from us, from the future that their descendants had been denied, all in the name of "saving the world" while the fatcat oligarchs reaped on the fruits of our labors.
Both died in their late 60's of diseases and conditions which would have been easily preventable on Earth. They never even got to meet Gihren. My parents were good and honest people and in return for living humbles lives they were chewed and spit out by oligarchs who abused them as a statistic for their vanity projects!" Degwin venomously spat, his fury gradually increasing throughout the conversation.
Degwin calmed himself after his outburst, there was still visible anger in his body but he was maintaining control. "From a young age I learned that morality and good behavior didn't mean a damn when you did not have power. The only divinity that exists in this world are the gods of chance, cruel deities for their gambles are rigged against those of lesser fortune while those who are born into splendor are blessed with constant success. If I wanted to make a good life within this prison, if I wanted my children to have any semblance of happiness and stability, then I needed power; the power to change the nation which I was exiled to and now called home, the power to turn my family into a dynasty.
I have many feelings on Zeon Zum Deikun, but I am forever grateful to my departed friend for giving me a taste of true power for the first time in my life. I changed this country to make it into a titan of the Sides, helped give our people hope for the first time in years and gave them a reason for living. For countless families, I prevented them from receiving the same suffering that mine did. Not only did I do this, but I amassed enough wealth, power, and influence to make myself a king in all but name. From here I could have continued to play the role of public servant, being forever mortalized as one of the founding fathers of Side 3, and with the power and wealth that I had accumulated, let you five pursue whatever you please to your heart's content, never having to worry about scarcity or suffer from lack of opportunity."
Degwin then became silent, most likely trying to figure out how to continue next. Garma pushed him forward, "But you didn't."
Degwin slowly nodded his head. "Yes, I didn't. At this point, I've forgotten my primary motivator for pushing all of you into my footsteps. Maybe it was for prestige, to create one of the greatest dynasties in human history. Maybe it was idealism, the hope that with my family at my side we could create a truly great nation that would fulfill Zeon's dream. Maybe it was out of a sense of obligation, to give you the reigns of power so that you could rise as high as I did. Maybe it was narcissism, to mold you in my image and tell the world of the greatness of Degwin Zabi, and how it would extend beyond my death.
Whatever the reason, I did it. First it started with Gihren, using corrupt nepotism to push him into becoming a part of Deikun's cabinet. Then it was Sasro, fulfilling the same though instead to control the party. Next it was Dozle, placing him in a position of leadership over our newborn defense force. After that I used Kycillia, fulfilling her childish dream of making Side 3 a safe and orderly place, and giving her power over the laws that few could dare come close to. Lastly there was you, by then I had resigned to allowing you to follow whatever dream you wished Garma, but you admired and loved your brothers and sisters too much. You wanted to be just like them, and saw Dozle's path as the best of service." Degwin explained.
At this point, Garma was gaining a greater understanding, but he still didn't receive his answer and was very confused. "Father, none of this explains why you treat me different from the others, why you love them less than me." Garma pointed out.
Degwin nodded and held out his hand to ask for patience, "I know, I'm getting there. I guess to simplify, I had pushed every one of you into power, gave you the keys to our nation and handed sections of authority to each of you to do as you see fit. I thought I was simply being a good father and ruler, educating my children to lead as best as I did so that they could create the best future for themselves and others. In the end, all I have done was bring out the worst in each of my children, turned them into versions of themselves that act as the cause of all that is wrong with Zeon. I still love them Garma, I truly do, but they have been corrupted from my sins and are the architects of a future for Zeon that I fear, not to mention that this life had most likely caused Sasro's murder. Perhaps they are not as bad as I fear to be, and you four will be the creators of the best possible future for Zeon. I dearly hope this to be the case Garma, but I am not certain. By the time I realized, I was too powerless to stop them, and it was too late to change." Degwin confessed.
Garma sat there in confusion and horror. His father said that he still loved his eldest siblings, yet at the same time he insulted their characters and claimed that they would bring about a terrible fate for Zeon. Garma knew his brothers and sisters were far from perfect, each one had great faults and flaws, but wasn't that true of every human being. They had done so many wondrous things, did great deeds and brought prosperity to Zeon. Surely for all of their faults, they were not bad, how could they be?
As if sensing his internal conflict, Degwin then went on to explain, "I suppose I should start with the best of your elders, Dozle. Had you not been born Garma, then Dozle would be the best of my children. At his heart is a character far better than mine, a true man who dedicates himself to the betterment of his family and those who serve under him. He is a strong and decisive leader, strong and with a brilliant mind, and is a loving husband who will make for a good father. However, within Dozle there are incredible feelings of zealotry and devotion which override his honor and leadership. His Nationalistic pride and love for our nation are matched by few, and he will do whatever it takes to ensure the success of Zeon. Whatever it takes. In doing so he turns a blind eye to morality, ethics, and lawful governance in spite of his strong character, he believes it to be truly necessary. Though he does disagree with Gihren and Kycillia, he'll never once create true conflict and stand his ground, going along with their schemes with only a few rare occasions of defiance. Though he leads in the military well, he'll never have the qualities needed for leadership. Dozle is not a bad man, and perhaps I do treat him too unfairly, but his greatest failing is his lack of ambition and will, making him at the end an enabler for the actions of his eldest brother and sister, though I am admittedly far worse in the sin of inaction.
Kycillia...does what she genuinely believes is for the best of the family and the nation. In that, I am at least content in that her heart is somewhat in the right place and all of her actions are with some line of reason. However, Kycillia goes far and beyond her mandate, engaging in unnecessary acts of cruelty to punish all of our enemies, both real and suspected, and to further her power within the Principality. I cannot deny the genuine good she has done in strengthening the Principality and keeping the nation safe and orderly. However, there is a great deal of bloodshed created that isn't justified, so many enemies created through situations that could have been handled with a more delicate touch.
Lastly there is Gihren. I love the boy Garma, I genuinely do, however he has become someone that I cannot recognize sometimes. When I first introduced him into politics, Gihren was a believer in the cause, the revolution of Contolism and Deikun's path to freedom and independence. Once Gihren got his first taste of power, he changed greatly from the boy I had raised. He became cold, vindictive, calculated, and above all else, greedy. There are few aspects of Zeon that Gihren cannot tolerate under his control, those that are not in his possession are because he views them as non-threats or cannot control them. He's the most ruthless man I've known in politics, treats the situation as life or death, a game of thrones where none of his opponents shall be granted no mercy. Like Kycillia, I cannot deny the effectiveness of Gihren as a statesman, and that is part of why I have never taken any great action against him or removed him from power. Much of Zeon's success and power, perhaps more than I, can be attributed to Gihren's leadership. If I remove Gihren right now, it could lead to catastrophic effects. Still, I can do just as much damage by keeping him in power."
Degwin looked to Garma solemnly, his face shown with conflict over whether or not he should continue, though in the end Degwin proceeded. "Garma, are you aware of Operation Prussian?"
Garma looked confused at the name, "Is that some sort of historical military operation, or a contingency plan of ours?"
Degwin snorted at the phrase, "Contingency, you could call it that now, as it is impossible to use, especially after your victory. Operation Prussian was our pathway to independence and victory against the Earth Federation. What it involved was a rapid attack against the Federation on all fronts using nuclear and chemical weapons to destroy the enemy Sides. It was a plan crafted by Gihren, one he was pushing on the Chiefs of Staff up til the declaration."
Garma's face morphed into a mixture of shock and horror, nearly falling out of his seat. Garma had always regarded all Spacenoids as brothers and sisters in arms. He even sympathized with the lapdogs of Side 1, as Garma believed they were brainwashed into being the Federation's enforcers in space rather than true collaborators. Garma knew that a potential war would have to involve a serious risk of massive civilian casualties, but never once did he think that the way to victory would involve indiscriminate extermination.
"But Father, surely such a scenario was meant to be a last case, one to secure our independence at any cost if all other options failed and a conventional military strategy was impossible to pursue?"
'Gihren's many things, but he's not that bad. Right?'
Degwin shook his head in sorrow. "Garma, Prussian was Gihren's first plan, and to my knowledge, it was the only plan that he had the intention of following. You can see why with such a mind, I worry about Gihren's future, why I have stalled on any official ceremonies or delegations of power with his position as my heir. I believe that Gihren has the capacity to do good, to be a truly great Sovereign, but at this point? He needs to be pushed onto a different path, something that I've been greatly hoping you could do, he does love you the most out of all of us."
"So...those are the reasons that I am the "favorite child"? Because I do not contain the great flaws that my siblings have?" Garma asked.
Even with all of this information, it still didn't make any sense to Garma. Dozle was a great man whose only fault was a lack of ambition and blind duty to his family. How in the world were those supposed to be bad traits? Wasn't humility meant to be prized as a sign of integrity and maturity? How was Garma any better when he acted in a similar manner?
Kycillia may have been a harsh and cold woman, but as Director of State Security, didn't she need to be so in order to fulfill her duty, to do the tough jobs and make hard decisions that others like himself couldn't? Garma had known for a while that politics was a messy and dark career. Even the most well-intentioned men and women who were elected paragons of virtue would have a great amount of blood on their hands by their retirement. What made Kycillia worse?
And Gihren...if Operation Prussian was true, then Gihren really did have a dark side to him that went far beyond what Garma had believed his brother capable of. Yet surely this, and so many other acts of Gihren's were necessary? Gihren was the smartest man Garma knew, every action that he took was done to achieve the best possible victory with the least cost. Gihren's policies saw Zeon transform to the titan of space, the first among the Sides. Surely like Kycillia his actions were a dirty necessity, to do the deeds that had to be done with no one else willing to pull the trigger. Operation Prussian was undoubtedly awful, yet if it was this great evil, why didn't Degwin flat out reject Gihren when he had the capability to? Was Prussian even Gihren's final plan? What if he simply wanted to lay out the worst-case scenario on the table so that they had a goal to avoid and work around?
'Yes my siblings flaws are real, but they are no so great that they deserve less love than me.' Garma concluded.
"While the lack of your sibling's greatest flaws do create a good character, my preference for you goes beyond your absence of high faults. Garma, within the family you are by far the best of us. You have so much potential and you have not been corrupted by the darkness of power like the rest of us. You have a good heart and strong character that outshines even Deikun, bringing all manners of people to your call with great inspiration and devotion. From what I read of your instructor's reports, you had by far the greatest leadership potential the Academy ever saw. You have your mother's kindness, grace, and wisdom, and she was far better than I could ever be. Greatest of all is your love, your unconditional love for this family, which I have failed to impart as a father, that keeps us whole and on the best path. You are a good person Garma, the best of the Zabi dynasty. I do not know why you refuse to see your strengths, but the rest of us do. All of this is why I have preferred you over your siblings."
Degwin's words touched Garma greatly. He didn't believe that he was truly this paragon, this person of high character that his father believed him as, but for Degwin to see Garma in such a light made the youngest Zabi bashful at the praise. He still believed his father was wrong about his siblings, but at least he knew why he acted the way he did and could hopefully work to change his father's perceptions in the future, earn his unconditional love instead of receiving it through his father's fantasy. Still, there was one issue he wished to clarify.
"Father, if you really feel like this, why do treat me like I'm special when I murdered mom by coming into-"
"GARMA!" Degwin shouted deeply in disapproval, causing Garma to flinch. Degwin rose from his chair and slowly moved towards Garma, wrapping him in a great hug. "Garma, don't you ever believe that you murdered your mother. The loss of Naliss was one of the greatest tragedies of my life, but her mortality was a risk that she willingly took when we attempted to conceive despite her poor body. You did not come into this world with the intent of causing your mother's death. You were an innocent baby who was simply trying to live and due to a tragic accident of biology was born too early and in the wrong position. Her time with you before her passing was brief, but she died with a smile on her face, that happiest that I had ever known her was when she briefly held you in her arms. There was never a single second of hatred for you, and she wished that if it was you or her, that the doctors would save you first. I know that if she was here, she would be very proud of the man you've become."
Garma's eyes became teary and he leaned into his father's embrace, breathing into his father's uniform as he struggled to maintain control before years of built up guilt collapsed. While Degwin's kind words were not enough to entirely dissuade Garma's guilt of his existence, he at least was comforted that his mother never held a ounce of hatred for him.
'Still, am I worth more than her?' A nagging voice of self-doubt questioned inside Garma.
Not wanting to break the floodgates of this issue when he was trying to deal with his place in the family, Garma calmed himself after a minute of tugging on Degwin, meeting his father's warm smile.
"Garma, I know I am not a good father, I don't know if I'll ever be the one that you and your siblings deserve, but I promise I shall try my best to be better in the future and treat all of you equally and treat you with the respect that you deserve."
"Thank you Father, I appreciate that greatly." Garma answered with sincerity.
Degwin's face then slipped into a stern mask with his voice exhibiting warning. "However Garma, I must warn you that if you are to receive no special treatment and my full respect towards you as a man, you can never act in such an insubordinate manner again. I will not punish you for running away with the Great Degwin due to your contributions at the battle and your actions being partially of my own making, but if you pull such a stunt again, I'll demote you to private and have you clean the entire palace with a toothbrush."
Garma warmly laughed at the threat. It was not that he didn't respect Degwin or take his father seriously, but this was the first time in so many years that Degwin had taken on the role of disciplinarian to Garma. To the prince, it felt good to be threatened with high punishment. "I won't do it again Father, I promise."
April 11th, 70 CE. Royal Palace. Zum City. Principality of Zeon. Degwin Sodo Zabi POV
Family bonding for the average family involved time conversing with one another, experiencing shared entertainment, going out into the world, and creating memories, among other things. Family bonding for the Zabis rarely included these activities. For Degwin Sodo Zabi and his children, bonding meant plotting, plotting on how to best rule their nation and interact with the world around them.
This brought the Zabi family to a family meeting which was typical of so many strategic sessions of domination in the past, but with far more importance. For at this time, on this day, the Zabi family were discussing the Cosmic Era and how to best act moving forward. The decisions of which would forever change the fate of not only Zeon, but the Cosmic Era. Centuries of history in the future would be decided with a single family, setting course for equal parts prosperity and misery for the Solar system.
The Zabis were located within a wing of the palace dedicated to a botanical sanctuary filled with thousands of plants from the Earth that had been hand picked by Gihren. When the gardens had been created they were for two purposes, to indulge in Gihren's hobby, and to display the wealth of the Zabis and Zeon with a grand showing of exotic greenery that could be replicated by few across the colonies.
Normally a meeting taking place here would be designed as a showing that Gihren was in control of the matter and would be delegating his will to his father and siblings. For once it was neutral ground as Gihren was left with just as much information and resources to act upon the Cosmic Era as the rest of his family. At least, that's what everyone but Gihren believed.
Up until this point the family had been reviewing all the information they had been gained about the Cosmic Era, how it diverged from the Universal Century, what their history was until this point, and what the current state of the Earth sphere and greater solar system was. Kycillia had detailed the historical divergences and paths of the timeline, Garma presented some of the unique socio-cultural traits of the timeline, Gihren the geopolitics, and finishing the family were Dozle and Zenna with their shared analysis of the Alliance-PLANT War, colloquially referred as either the PLANT Revolution or the Bloody Valentine War.
When Dozle finished off with the events leading up to the event, Degwin lounged in his seat slightly with a confusing headache. "Were it not for Solomon and the threat that the Coordinators present with their miracle science and superhuman citizens, then I would be more than happy to intervene and push ZAFT's independence, liberating a fellow Spacenoid state and grating us supremacy of the Earth sphere. Their near murder of Dozle and Zenna aside, they present an existential threat to Zeon. Yet the Alliance exhibits many of the worst traits of the Federation. It appears that we must choose the lesser of two evils."
All of his children and Zenna nodded in agreement, with the exception of Gihren who merely kept a cool stare and occasionally acted aloof by gazing at the Zum City nightscape instead of participating in the discussion.
To Degwin this was extremely concerning. Gihren may have been a master manipulator and politician, but he had his ticks and mannerisms which could indicate what he was plotting or how he was feeling. Degwin along with Kycillia were the only two who picked up on this and as such while they could never completely counter Gihren, they could always anticipate what he was planning. Yet here Gihren was keeping his best poker face in his life, for once not fighting to take charge of the conversation and instead letting the rest of the family participate, only speaking when asked.
Was this a sign of Gihren being out of his depth for the first time in his life? Was the current circumstances simply too much and Gihren was overwhelmed?
'No it can't be, that is not who Gihren is.' Degwin deduced. If Gihren were truly panicking then that would only push him further to usurp authority and control. No, Gihren was planning something. All Degwin could guess for now was that Gihren wanted to gather as much information as possible before he could act. Something he expected Kycillia agreed with due to her cool and judging stares at Gihren.
For now, Degwin had to let it slide. Until Gihren revealed his hand, all he could do was wait.
"Dozle, if we were to maintain total neutrality, who would win the war?" Degwin asked, wanting to focus on the issues at hand for now instead of becoming paranoid over Gihren's schemes.
Dozle happily answered his father, mostly unaware of the current standoff he and Kycillia were having with Gihren. "I would say ZAFT. The Alliance's economies are heavily crippled and with each passing day the homefront will suffer and they will have to choose between relief of their civilians or just barely maintaining the war. Their fleets were obliterated in orbit and Pezun, their nukes are useless, and they have no weapon to stand against a mobile suit. The only positive for the Alliance is that their core territories are intact and if the war continues, I doubt that with the stunning resistance the Alliance has put up, that ZAFT and their allies can produce a full conquest. ZAFT is going to win, the main question is if they shall achieve so through a negotiated peace or unconditional surrender." Dozle informed.
"I wouldn't count them out just yet. We were superior to the Federation in every single category but resources, and yet we were going to use...drastic measures to achieve total victory due to inferiority in numbers. If the Alliance is truly committed to this war and they have the ability to rally their citizens completely through their suffering, then they'll make Zaft along with Africa and Oceania bleed heavily for each victory. Also considering the presence of the N-Jammers, perhaps the Alliance has an ace, or is creating an ace up their sleeve that could not only equalize the war with ZAFT, but make them stand as equals to us." Zenna said as devil's advocate.
"Up until April Fool's ZAFT had a continuous advantage in quality with only the Alliance's numbers and nuclear weaponry acting as the equalizer like how the Federation was to us. I fail to see how the nations who consolidate all powers into the hands of Naturals, who have proven themselves to be the inferiors of Coordinators in every category, could create a weapon or weapons that could stand up to ZAFT." Countered Kycillia.
Zenna nodded in concession to her sister-in-law, "True, but it's not like every single technological and scientific advancement since George Glenn in this timeline was made solely by the Coordinators. The Naturals have their own share of achievements, and look at us, a Natural nation who has outperformed the PLANTs with wonders such as nuclear fusion and Minovsky physics, with much of our advantages being created before George Glenn was born. Perhaps I'm overestimating the Alliance, but given the amount of impossibilities that have occurred recently, anything is possible. Zenna said, with Kycillia nodding to her in respect.
"I have to admit, I don't like the concept of Coordination and ZAFT has done a great deal of wrong to both us and the Earth, but at the end of the day shouldn't we support their cause as the morally righteous one? They're Spacenoids just like us who want their independence, and days into the war one of their colonies was nuked by the Alliance. I don't think we should directly intervene with our Space Force after Solomon, and they need to be punished, but shouldn't we make sure Lagrange 5 is free of Earth's control, like how we did with Riah?" Garma asked.
A silent air of agreement was met with Garma, only to be interrupted by Gihren. "I wouldn't count them as the heroes of this story Garma. While East Asia has stuffed its spacenoids into ghettoes, this sort of behavior was not present in the rest of the Alliance, with the other states treating their Spacenoids as full citizens equal to those on Earth. Moreover, from what I've found those of PLANT live under no true oppression that we Spacenoids of the Universal Century had to endure. All of their colonies have a high standard of living with plenty of space and access to high modern comforts with jobs for all. Most colonies of Zeon can't even compare in quality of life, they do not know the same hardships as we do. Let us not forget how their attack on Earth crippled neutral nations such as South America and Scandinavia, while they attacked us without any investigation, while East Asia only did so under the belief that we were ZAFT thanks to extraordinary circumstances. I can sympathize with wanting independence, but the PLANTs are no saints, nor are they are friends simply because they are Spacenoids." Gihren lectured.
Gihren's statement produced a slow nod of understanding in Garma and begrudging acknowledgment from Dozle and Zenna. Both Degwin and Kycillia looked at Gihren as if he grew another head. The first time he decided to make an opinionated statement that night, and it was to defend the nations of Earth, not to mention preach about the ill morality of PLANT. Degwin knew that deep down, Gihren was a man of firm principles and beliefs, but he was not a moralist and most likely had no great care for either side of the conflict. So why did he play devil's advocate for the Alliance?
"So Gihren, you're saying that we should intervene for the Alliance?" Kycillia tested.
"If I wanted to save them from destruction and prop them up as the total victors, I would have ordered Dozle to mobilize the fleet after Solomon and initiate Prussian on ZAFT." Gihren answered something Degwin suspected to only be a half-truth.
With the others growing slightly uneasy about Gihren's casual mention of his abominable creation, Zenna appeared to be prompted to change the subject. "What shall we do about nations currently not involved in the war? Thankfully not every nation on Earth appears to be a repeat of the Federation, and we have already opened up strong and amicable relations with Orb."
'You can say that again.' Degwin thought. While the Sovereign loathed the Federation with every fiber of its being, he held no great hatred for the people of Earth or the planet itself. Sure millions of them back in the Universal Century had been involved with Zeon's oppression as part of the Earthnoid Elite, but there were countless more who had been ordinary men and women forced to go along with the system, with their subservience being due to either an inability to fight the system or being born and warped by the Elite to become mindless slaves of the oligarchy from which they could not rise. It was comforting to Degwin that the Cosmic Era had proven that just because a nation was from Earth, it did not mean it was a great evil out to enslave all of space, contrary to Gihren's propaganda machines.
"I for one wouldn't mind pursuing closer relations with Orb. They seem to have the right mindset of autocracy and treat all of their citizens, regardless of genes or ethnicity, pretty well. Heliopolis appears to be a living representation of the lie that the Federation preached about at the start of the Universal Century, Side 1 without the bootlicking. It's a damn shame they're so paranoid about neutrality, but no nation has ever truly been the same across human history. Perhaps we can convert them into an ally before my time on the throne ends." Degwin said.
Garma nodded his head in agreement, "I'm sure they're not perfect and have some skeletons, but from my interactions with them they seem to be rational and about as good as you can get from nobility, like us. They won't be of much use in terms of martial strength, but through them we can gain access to this timeline's superior technologies and be integrated into the global economy."
"As soon as this war ends one of our first priorities in foreign policy should be placing South America into our sphere of influence, either through diplomacy or subversion. They've been distancing themselves from the Atlantic Federation and the Alliance over genetics and lack of goodwill towards space, yet PLANT has caused their nation's collapse despite their leadership attempting to ally with them in the war, being under Federation occupation, and being highly sympathetic. They'll hate the colonies they once shouted as righteous, but they'll also despise the Alliance for starting this war and make them a target. With the nation weakened, we can come in as their saviors and make them indebted to us for generations. Present ourselves as the good third way, and they'll follow." Kycillia said.
"I would also try to do the same with both Scandinavia and the Equatorial Union. While they appear to be mostly close to the Alliance, with their staunch neutrality and lack of firm commitments besides security treaties from Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation respectively, I'm sure we can push them to our side, especially when the Alliance loses and can't protect or trade with them. Not to mention they're not going to be going to Orb anytime soon with the N-Jammer." Dozle added.
The Zabis continued to discuss the geopolitical situation along with some of the history of the Cosmic Era up until that point. While everyone had their own opinions on who was right or wrong in the Cosmic Era, no firm move could be made on who to side with along with what general trend Zeon should take in foreign policy after victory, the only confirmed action being to draw the neutral states into Zeon's sphere of influence. Had it just been a question of geopolitics Degwin and his children could most likely make a decision, but there was one factor that complicated affairs and prevented them from intervening in one side or another.
"And what about the Coordinators? Should we embrace them as our Newtypes, or take a firm stand against their existence?" Degwin asked his children. He felt firmly uncomfortable with the subject but could acknowledge that with genetic manipulation there could be a great deal of good resulting from it. The Universal Century was able to eliminate countless diseases and genetic conditions thanks to gene therapy. However, there was a firm difference between healing through reconstruction of the body and transforming an embryo to create a superior being. Civil Rights worked because at the end of the day men and women of different races were equals and could be treated by the law as such. How could you practice equality when you had a race who was designed from birth to be the perfect humans?
"I sympathize with the concept of Coordination and there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting your children to be born with the best strength and intelligence they can have." Garma started. It was a point that was very understandable due to his own troubled origins, being born prematurely with the resulting causing his mother's death. "Yet at the same time not only do the Coordinators go too far forward in both departments, but there's neither a single blueprint for Coordinators or a cheap one. You can make your child a Coordinator and focus their enhancement solely on a single trait like speed, memory, singing, intellect, strength. If Coordinators can be made to be superior to their peers in one category, then won't Coordinators want to improve their children to be superior to them in that subject? It's an endless loop and soon all of humanity will be turned into a genetic caste system. Then there's the fact that the technique costs a fortune. Our revolution was built on the anger of the working people against the Spacenoid elite who hoarded the Earth to themselves and reaped their wealth, how can Zeon possibly be at peace if a ruling class of supermen comes into creation? I think there could be a way for Coordinators to work, but it's impossible at the moment." Garma said.
Dozle nodded in agreement. "Even if we were to push for Coordination and Zeon was completely tolerant and accepting of such people, it won't stop the rise of genetic classes and the separation of wealth and power. Orb may be miraculously tolerant for their Coordinators, but the data shows that the majority of their nation's wealth outside of the Five Houses is held in the hands of Coordinators with the leadership of the private sphere being dominantly Coordinators. Most Naturals in Orb may be at peace with their neighbor, but when conditions break down and their paradise is no more, will they still love them, or be jealous of their success. The news reports from Scandinavia already show anti-Coordinator hate crimes skyrocketing. I can see such a state happening for Zeon." Dozle said.
"It just goes to show that even in the best situations, people will always be divided over identity. It took decades for Zeon to move past its racial conflicts when we had dozens of ethnicities, some of whom were hostile for centuries, be forced together. If it weren't for Deikun and his message, we would still be divided over archaic lines. If we had Coordinator citizens, would they think of themselves as Spacenoids, or Coordinators first? Maybe we can do it, but I doubt such a solution will happen within our lifetimes." Zenna commented.
"Obviously a blanket embrace of Coordination is going to be impossible, yet if we go towards a total ban of Coordination, it's only going to be just as messy. The nations of Earth banned the practice for several decades under the Turin Protocols, yet without a firm punishment and offenders only being given slaps on the wrist, there was no danger to prevent rich Earthnoids from going ahead and making their perfect designer babies. When the states of the Alliance were forced to accept their illegal children as citizens and had these people outperform their natural citizens, conflict was created, and because they didn't have the stomach to kill their illegal citizens, they kicked them into space, creating resentment and hatred with the continuation of the new status quo leading to the current war. I can probably enforce a ban on Coordination, but that's going to enforce more pervasive surveillance along with instant and brutal retaliation against those who break the law. I can make it work, but it'll probably create greater resentment, one we can't work around with Gihren's speeches and the handing of carrots with velvet gloves." Kycillia added, causing a sense of frustration to permeate throughout the room, with the exception of Gihren who continued to act stoic and firm.
'Perhaps Gihren has already made his mind on the issue?' Degwin thought.
Gihren opened his mouth and was most likely going to share such an opinion, only for Kycillia to keep talking. "However, I have a way that I believe we can work around this issue. What if we can present a third path, just as we plan to do so in geopolitics. What if we give the people a concept of transhumanism that would replace Coordinators, but at the same time not produce a backlash or creation of a Natural group and any ideology such as Blue Cosmos. One that every true-blooded son and daughter of Zeon would happily embrace, even if they don't belong."
"What are you proposing Kycillia?" Gihren asked in high suspicion.
"Newtypes." Kycillia stated.
Gihren scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Deikun's fairytale? I know you've been supporting the Flanagan Institution, but this is ridiculous. They've been a useful propaganda tool for the past decade, but when faced with real Transhumans, the illusion is going to die soon. Besides, I've been hoping to get the people attached to new identities, we need to purify ourselves of the old guard as much as possible."
Kycillia smirked, displaying such a show of confidence that worried Degwin. It was a look of triumph that Kycillia showed when she knew with absolute certainty and no margin of error, that she was correct or victorious. "But my dear brother, Newtypes do exist. All those people of the Cosmic Era who collapsed when we came into existence? They're Newtypes. As I'm sure you've heard by now, tens of millions of our citizens gave reports of hallucinations, visions, or mental fatigue when awakening, they were all Newtypes. I just got tested at the Institute yesterday, Doctor Flanagan confirmed without a doubt that I am a Newtype. Perhaps you are as well." Kycillia casually stated.
Such a massive bombshell brought the greenhouse to total silence. All of the Zabi's except Kycillia were in complete shock with various amounts of disturbance. Degwin was highly flabbergasted, surprised that his old friend's ramblings were fact. Garma was confused but appeared somewhat excited, a feeling shared visibly by Zenna. Dozle appeared confused, yet slowly showed signs of realization and understanding. Gihren's was the greatest reaction, jerking in his chair and for one of the few rare times in his life, showing genuine fear and distress.
Gihren's reaction caused great pleasure in Kycillia, but it was only brief with Gihren then recomposing himself into neutrality, and then slowly into understanding and satisfaction, very great satisfaction. From what Degwin knew of his son, this was no bluff, this was a genuine showing that Gihren had accepted the groundbreaking information and had formulated it into his plans, with his break from stoicism into vindication and joy showing that his hand was now ready to be revealed. Both Degwin and Kycillia observed this, with Kycilia biting her lip and fighting to hold back a curse, her grand moment only adding to Gihren's machinations.
"Wait, Kycillia, you're a psychic now?" Garma asked in wonder.
Kycillia's anger was softened by Garma's childish response, her lips curling upward slightly as she shook her head at her older brother. "If you're asking if I can see into the future or move stuff with my mind, not really. From what I understand of Doctor Flanagan, most Newtypes just have a higher sense of spatial awareness, with a sixth sense alerting them in high stress situations. Most Newtypes have some degree of what appear to be emphatic powers, but this usually once again occurs with people in volatile and highly emotional states, so you can't exactly know what someone's thinking or how they're feeling 24/7. I was able to exhibit such traits, but only testing which would prompt my Newtype abilities to occur. Some of Flanagan's most advanced subjects however do exhibit true powers which would make them appear to be psychic. High sensory, empathy, spatial awareness, and limited forms of precognition and telekinesis. They are not superhuman like the Coordinators in intellect or strength, and you can outperform them, but they are superior to the baseline human."
"You said that the people who saw something before they woke up during the Event are probably Newtypes, right?" Dozle asked, with Kycillia nodded. "Then I think I might be a Newtype." Dozle said, eliciting mild surprise from the rest of the family. Zenna held her husband's arm in warmth and support, and Gihren looked to be even more confident and pleased.
"Why do you say so, son?" Degwin asked.
"When I woke up at Solomon I met this girl. She was a short teenager with red hair, spouted nonsense about war and some great battle involving Solomon. She also seemed to know me, thought I was dead."
"Wait, was that who you were talking to when I woke up?" Zenna asked in concern, with Dozle nodding.
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me about this Dozle?" Zenna questioned.
"Since then nothing came of it, so I thought it was a hallucination. But this, combined with what happened before, during, and after the Battle of Pezun, where I felt some sort of emotional connection to the battle, to the spirits of the men who fought under me and the enemy, when I felt those people on Earth suffering during the N-Jammer crisis, I know this means I'm a Newtype." Dozle stated confidently.
"I received plenty of reports of similar phenomena at Granada, but I never got around to investigating them because I was too focused on taking care of the Remnant. Now that I think about it though, there were some times during the battle where I felt some sort of sixth sense pushing me on. There would be this flash of electricity through my spine, and my body would move on its own in reaction, piloting my mobile suit to react to an unseen enemy or adjust my forces to developments that just occurred." Garma said.
"That's exactly like how my ace pilots at Solomon described. Char himself said so in nearly the exact same words." Dozle responded.
"Char was actually confirmed by the Flanagan Institute as a Newtype before the Event, but he had tested low in power that they never followed through with him as his only abilities were increased spatial awareness and limited precognition, primarily related to his time in a mobile suit cockpit." Kycillia further explained.
"Are Newtypes genetic like the Coordinators?" Zenna asked.
"No, perhaps there is some sort of biological link, but until now there have been no indicators that a person's biology has to be made a certain way to become a Newtype. There are some theories that indicate a strong familial link with Newtypes having Newtype children or siblings, but there aren't enough studies to show a confirmation pattern, not to mention there are several cases of Newtypes with Oldtype families." Kycillia responded.
It was at that moment that Gihren chose to finally enter and take control of the discussion, "I too had an experience before I woke up after the Declaration, a vision of the future of sorts. I never thought of it, just a dream, but with what has been said, I feel it is a strong indication of my Newtype potential."
"Oh? So the apostate is now a believer?" Kycillia sneered, though Gihren seemed merely amused.
"I still don't believe in the nonsense of Deikun's ideology, I am merely acknowledging that Newtypes exist, not that they follow his concepts and prophecies completely, something I'm sure you'll agree with sister." Gihren countered, with Kycillia turning away with a huff. "No matter if we are Newtypes or not, what's important is that now we have a tool, a tool to rise above this timeline's divisions of Natural and Coordinator, and to come out on top, to create Zeon supremacy and position Zeon Spacenoids as the master race and future of humanity." Gihren began, words that greatly worried Degwin.
Gihren rose from his chair and then walked behind Degwin, positioning himself in front of the windows of the greenhouse that faced the city, forcing everyone to turn to him. "From what we have discussed so far, all of you have the right mindset in how to establish ourselves within this timeline, but your planning has been too limited. Every one of you believes that in order to achieve the victory that we must input effort into diplomacy, action, economics, etc. We shall enter into conflict with the Cosmic Era, and no matter the means of the fight, we shall emerge victorious. But why waste resources, energy, and manpower on playing the great game, when we can simply direct the solar system to our will as the game master, moving the players around the board to our ultimate victory, despite never participating?"
"What are you getting at Gihren?" Degwin hummed.
"What I'm getting at father, is that instead of going to war with the other powers, a war which shall shed Zeon blood and make us suffer, directing resources that we could use to expand into the outer solar system unopposed, why don't we take advantage of the current war that we have found ourselves in? Back in the Universal Century, any conflict would be us alone against the Federation. Sure we could bring in Riah and maybe Jupiter or Luna, but at the end of the day it was going to be a simple two-sided affair, space vs Earth. Here we find a similar structure of duality, this time of genetics, Naturals vs. Coordinators."
"But ZAFT has Natural allies and Eurasia has Coordinator citizens." Pointed out Zenna.
"Yes, but those demographics are meaningless. At the end of the day, Africa and Oceania are willing slaves to PLANT. PLANT is far superior to them in every category and from what we've seen of the war on Earth and space, they move at PLANT's beckoning. Even if both Africa and Oceania were to emerge from the war with the acquisition of empires, they'll always be servants at best. While Eurasia has embraced Coordinators, this is not totally. Many of their member-states still make Coordination illegal, not to mention they are still loyal allies to the Atlantic Federation, a nation that wishes to destroy Coordinators and has started their war of annihilation with Junius Seven. Eurasia may have howled and cried at the nuking, but why did they still remain in the Alliance. If they are truly sympathetic to Coordinator rights, then why have they not given ZAFT a victory and withdrawn from the war, ending their people's suffering?" Gihren pointed out, with Zenna unable to answer.
"There are neutral states to be true, but they do not have the power to truly stand independent of both the Alliance and ZAFT. Sooner or later, lines will be drawn and everyone will be forced to pick a side and stand with the victors or burn with the losers. This has already started with South America, and soon even the Pacific Switzerland that is Orb will be forced to the same. Sure we can draw them to our side as you all have suggested, but this will still take time and resources with ourselves participating in a game where we allow the possibility of victory for either the Alliance or ZAFT. Why don't we instead create a situation where every nation shall be forced to either join us or stand against us with no possibility of victory?
As it stands, both the Alliance and ZAFT are inherent threats to Zeon's sovereignty. The Alliance has displayed traits belonging to the Federation in their policies towards space. Once upon a time the Earth Federation was merely meant to be a more enhanced United Nations, never a true one-world state, yet look where that ended. They have resources and manpower near equal to the Federation, yet unlike the Federation, they have not poured their economic future solely off of the exploitation of space and nearly all of their territories are of high development. Where it not for their asinine and slow space colonization which lead to them investing most of their capital and extra-planetary industry into a group of colonies that they hate, they would definitely be equals to the Federation. As it is, if they emerge out of this war victorious, they will have the potential to be equals to us.
Then there is ZAFT. On paper, we outclass them in every category. Demographics? We outnumber them 70 to 1. Economics? Their GDP is equal to a fraction of our colonies. Science and technology? Despite their superhuman brains, they were never able to create stable fusion power, something we conquered over a century ago. Military? Dozle showed how we can obliterate them. Yet despite all of this, they have the potential to surpass us. The Earth Alliance was once in the same position as us, and yet look at where they are now? How long before ZAFT comes up with a weapon to surpass the mobile suit? How long until they not only master Minovsky physics but create a machine that can manipulate fusion power at will, the power to turn off the sun? Newtypes have superior powers, but like you said Kycillia, there are still ways for Oldtypes or Naturals to overcome them. Do you know of any Newtypes who have the monstrous and alien genius and strength of George Glenn?" Gihren demanded, with Kycillia remaining silent.
"Newtypes can be superior, and if so many of our citizens can truly become Newtypes, and Newtypes are not some gods among men, slightly advantaged people produced at random, then we can give Zeon and the Cosmic Era a path to transhumanism which they can accept as normal, preserving the social order. It is just as you said Garma, Coordination can never be a truly sustainable path due to constant improvements and wars of genetics to create the perfect being. In an environment solely made up of apex predators, the predators shall turn on each other in starvation to survive.
Honestly, I'm tempted to just perform Prussian on this Earth sphere, just do away with our enemies and establish ourselves as the hegemon. Yet it's been shown at Solomon, Pezun, and Granada that even when we have clear supremacy in every single category, that Zeon will bleed. With all the unique advantages of this timeline, I don't know if we can go against the Earth sphere alone and stand. But what if we don't have to fight against them, yet still win the war?"
Gihren then turned around and faced his family, face brimming with confidence and triumph. He appeared to be in a similar state to his propaganda speeches. While he would never get his siblings and father to follow him zealously like the people, Gihren didn't need to, all he needed was their agreement.
"With each day this war between Earth and space pushes us further and further towards supremacy over the Solar system. Had we been inserted in any other time, the nations of the Cosmic Era would unite against us, in fear of our power, but their hatred and racial lines make them blind to our presence. With each battle waged, with each city destroyed, with every death, we further ourselves as the dominant and master race of the Cosmic Era. Let us use Heliopolis as a breeding ground for further hatred between ZAFT and the Alliance, all the while they become in debt to Zeon. With the Alliance, we give them access to nuclear fusion, Minovsky physics, and mobile suits which shall enable them to fight ZAFT as equals and end their power crisis. With ZAFT, we open them to our markets and resources and give all manners of aid that do not result in an exchange of Minovsky or military technology, allowing their war machine to surpass their limits and bring the war to new possibilities.
We give to both sides, make them sign treaties that allow us to infiltrate their markets and claim their resources for Zeon. We push the war to a climactic final battle, one that shall result in a final and decisive victor. By then, the Earth sphere will be scarred and no one can dare stand as our equal. While the belligerents kill each other as far as possible, we shall establish dominance over the Belt and the Jovian Sphere. While global trade is at a collapse, we shall be the gateway to space for the neutrals while acting as the lifeline of both ZAFT and the Alliance. Naturals or Coordinators may prove themselves as the superior race, but all of which shall be pointless if Newtypes are at the top of the pyramid. In the end, the Cosmic Era shall stab itself to the brink of death, and we shall assimilate it into a Zeon Empire. All of this, and we will not shed a drop of blood." Gihren declared.
'Gihren couldn't have possibly come up with this on the spot. No, he came here with this plan in mind.' Degwin realized, and suddenly Gihren's behavior and activities made a great deal of sense. Gihren's lack of calls for retaliation and annihilation of East Asia and ZAFT. His constant desire to search for the strength and weaknesses of both sides of the war. His lack of commitment to one path. Gihren had not been simply planning to establish Zeon's victory, he was going to have the rest of the world wipe each other out and leave Zeon as the sole superpower standing.
It was a despicable plan with Gihren's strategy of having him play the puppet master over humanity and make the Cosmic Era dance to his tune. There would be a great deal of bloodshed on both sides, and in Gihren's vision, there would be no true equals to Zeon, just friendly servants, and enemies. However, Degwin could not deny that there was sound logic and reason in his plan. Gihren's strategy was far more realistic than his revolution against the Federation and if it was successful then Zeon would be in a position of dominance for generations without any great loss of life. Not to mention, that as disturbing as this scheme was, it was far more humane than Prussian. If there was one thing that Degwin feared, it was that his son would attempt to wipe out half of humanity just to obtain victory.
Degwin looked to his children to see any objections if Gihren's plan could be altered for a lesser one, yet to his shame, he found no great reservation. Kycillia was completely on board with the mindset and most likely saw Gihren's plan as the best path for Zeon, her only regrets being that she did not come up with it and Gihren did, it was how she agreed to Prussian after all. Dozle was also in full support, but without any of the reservations of Kycillia. Both Zenna and Garma showed some signs of discomfort, but they did not appear to be taking action with Zenna resigned and Garma uneasy but understanding. It appeared that their earlier talk had little effect as of yet.
Just as he had always done, Gihren had manipulated the situation to his favor and obtained victory. The worst part was, that deep inside a large part of Degwin approved of and was in full agreement with his son. There was no surprise there, everytime Gihren had won it was because Degwin had let him with some inner agreement. As much as Gihren liked to lambast his son as hungry and ruthless, was Degwin really so different? At this stage the course was set, all Degiwn could do was limit the scope of his son's vision and push things on a gentler path.
In the end, no one could stop Gihren's Greed.
A/N: Hello everyone, Kaiser Chris here with another chapter of Gihren's Greed. This one was a long time coming due to a plethora of exams, spending a good deal of time with my family, health issues (though thankfully I have not contracted COVID and have been fully vaccinated, yay!), and the batshit weather that Texas has recently undergone. For example, the other day my dorm was pelted with about half an hour of continuous golf-ball sized hail, something that did a number on my car. Thankfully I was never completely idle during the break and this long update along with another chapter, are here. So after months of chapters of CE exclusive focus, we finally get back to the Zabis and see what our favorite fascist family have been plotting. First up is Garma and Degwin's much needed talk over why Degwin has been a bad parent and why Garma has special treatment. The reasons given line up with how they act in the anime and UC EU, but you'll also notice the flaws of each characters. For Degwin, he is fully aware of the great flaws and worst traits of his children but has never taken any hard action to correct this as a parent despite his constant whining. This is due to a mixture of his love for his children getting in the way, and Degwin's tendency to not get into a confrontation. Once upon a time as seen in Gihren's Glory, he would be active with his kids and reign them in, but by now his eldest three are relative equals, and in Gihren's case he has surpassed his father in power. Without active planning and preparation on Degwin's part, his chances of victory are not secure. This can make Degwin sympathetic as a man whose greed and ambition warped his children, yet it shows his failure as a leader and father by enabling his children, allowing Gihren to rise to full power and enact his canon atrocities. Then there is Garma who despite being the moral center of the Zabi's, is not some wise and enlightened being who can do no wrong. Garma intellectually knows there is something wrong with his brothers and sister, yet due to his love and adoration for them along with some inferiority complex, he can never tear apart his fantasies of his siblings and take actions to keep them restrained, even though he has great power to do so. Garma also makes up excuses for his family's faults and at times can be blind to how bad they can truly be. This is evidence by his dismissal of Prussian as something Gihren wouldn't do, and in canon after the One Week Battle and British, Garma gaslighted himself along with some presumed manipulation from Gihren to make him believe Zeon are the undeniable heroes and that everything was necessary. Garma has the capacity to rebel and make a stand as seen in his "Garma's Reborn Zeon" Let's Play in Gihren's Greed, but it's going to take a lot of steps to get there. Ultimately both Degwin and Garma are extremely flawed people, but this instance of honest communication will help open them up to different paths and potentially being better men. Next we have the Zabi endgame, with their thoughts on the Cosmic Era and what they shall do moving forward. I'm not too fond of the result of this chapter as there is so much I wanted to write on the Zabi viewpoints along with more conflict and dialogue on what they personally believe and how they perceive the Cosmic Era, but the chapter has gotten way too damn long and I have delayed the chapter enough, so for now I'll focus on getting the major points across then making this chapter a philosophy textbook. I'll do my best to try and show their viewpoints in future chapters. Now up until this point, a lot of you have been begging me to have Zeon ally with ZAFT and you'll probably be very disappointed by the decision they have taken, but just to note, the Zabi's immediately allying with ZAFT was never going to happen. There is a strong reason this story is called "Gihren's Greed". It's because the Zabi family and Zeon are lead by Canon Gihren, a man who has unlimited greed and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals of Zeon domination and leadership of humanity. This Gihren is not that of Gihren's Glory, a flawed but good man who does his best for his new family and hopes to lead a true revolution of freedom and justice. This is Canon Gihren, a man who was willing to nuke and gas so many colonies that were sympathetic to Zeon and likely would have risen in revolution alongside them. ZAFT's history and character do not matter, they are merely a pawn to Gihren and since Gihren is the De Facto head of the family and the other Zabis either fully agree with his plan or reluctantly go with the flow, then this is the course of action to take. Keep in mind the plan is not how the rest of the story is going to go off note by note and Zeon and the Zabis do have the capacity and willingness to change positions given new developments. Their plan is insanely risky by essentially pouring gasoline onto the war and hoping that everyone's burned in the process. However, they'll be giving aid and support to their supposed rivals, and both ZAFT and the Alliance have their own agendas along with the capacity and means to go beyond Zeon's expectations. So it's going to be a wild ride in the future. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!