The Dawn Rebellion Part II: Diverging Paths

"He's in." Anavel signaled.

"Right. Bring the APC to the fence on the back side. Have the mortar take it's position." Samuel nodded,

"What?!" The deputy regimental commander got up in shock.

"It's true!" Ryan insisted, "They're going there with everything!"

The regimental commander wasted no time, picking up an intercom, he said, "All soldiers, report to the main machine hangar! You'll be briefed en route!" He turned back to Adrian, "You, follow me."

"Yes sir." As he left the depot's main barracks, he began to whistle a loud tune.

Anavel strained his ears to pick up for the signal, and sure enough, a loud tune carried to his ears.

"All going well. Move into the main machine hangar." He signaled to the rest of the cadets, Samuel gave him the thumbs up, he activated his jetpack, inhaled, and boosted up and over the fence.

"You want us to fly over the fence?!" Samuel asked incredulously,

"Yes. We can't cut the wire, it will (A) Trigger a basewide alarm and (B) Send an electrical voltage of 7,000 volts through you that'll fry your hands."

"We'll get shot down!"

"Not if they're all distracted, and it's a short distance if you arrive at the back of the main hangar

"Won't they hear?"

"The main machine hangars are relatively isolated, and if we keep the engine noise to a minimum, we should be fine."

The regimental commander along with Ryan ran into the main machine hangar, met by a bunch of drivers and gunners standing around in nervousness. Their sidearms were all gone as well.

"What are you guys standing around-" He felt a sharp coldness as a hammer was clicked, the sound reverberating through his skull.

"Sorry commander, I'm going to need you to surrender."

"Son, this is a very ill-timed prank."

"No prank Lt. Colonel."

"Was there even an attack?" He asked,

"Everything I said was true. In fact-" He looked at his watch, "A second wave under Garma Zabi should be beginning the attack."

"So...you've won. What now?"

"We raze this place to the ground, with you guys in it." Adrian looked up, "Tie them up!"

"Roger!" Gato saluted and grabbed a rope and began to tie the soldiers up.

Adrian slammed his gun into the back of the Lt. Colonel's head, knocking him solidly unconscious.

"Now that we've secured the complex - for the most part - what now?" Aina asked,

"I was thinking we use the explosives in our APCs to blow this place skyhigh as I just said, but I realize we can do something else."

"What?" Aina asked,

He approached a guntank. "Split into groups of two, Anavel and Samuel, finish rigging the explosives." He turned back to the RTX-65, "I'm going to need paint. Lot's of it."

Kelly and Karius returned to the hangar carrying buckets of paint. "We could only find black paint."

Adrian looked at the cans. "Black. I like it." He picked up the paint, grabbed a mop from a corner and dipped it into one of the cans.

"Are the explosives done?" Adrian asked.

"Yes sir. We can blow this place skyhigh."

"And the prisoners?"

"Sitting tight."

"Great." He stood back, the RTX-65 was about partially painted, with spots still showing Federation colors, but it would distinguish them from a normal crew.

Adrian finished up a few of the more noticeable spots then splashed what remained of the paint hastily, then spread it a bit more before climbing in. "Let's do this."

A group of Guntanks approached the rear entrance of the barracks, much to the elatement of the soldiers.

"Reinforcements!"

"Thank god!" They began advancing, bolstered by their new allies, then they realized something was wrong.

"Oy! Why aren't you firing?!" One soldier shouted,

"That lead tank has an odd color scheme…"

Adrian aimed down at the soldiers,

"G-Guntank?! S-Stand down!" A panicked officer tried to raise him over the comms.

"Sieg Zeon." Adrian said, right before cutting him off. A bright display saying WEAPONS ALIGNED appeared on his screen, and he pulled back the trigger, vaporizing a group of Federation soldiers in front of him.

He rolled forward, and suddenly, a shell flew out of nowhere and impacted his right shoulder, in response, he leveled the offending tank with a spray of autocannon fire, the Federation soldiers scattered in fear as the Guntanks proceeded to decimate their rear line, trapping them between the cadets in front, and the rogue Guntanks behind.

"Char!" A panicked cadet called to him, "26 Guntanks have just entered the complex at the south side!"

'What?' Char looked up, his comms with Lino just having cut out. 'Did Ryan fail?' He briefly began to panic.

"And they're attacking the Feds! It's Adrian's group!" The cadet said in a relieved tone.

'I see.' He switched to public comms, "All forces! Advance! Do not attack the Guntanks that have just arrived, they're are on our side!"

Led by Garma Zabi, a group of approximately 360 cadets led a successful uprising and forced the EFF Security Forces to surrender, and under the leadership of Ryan Sahalin, Thirty-six cadets successfully neutralized two Federation armored battalions before they managed to mobilize.

Later, their combined efforts would become known as the Dawn Rebellion and would stir the hearts of not just the Republic of Zeon, but all of the colonies as well. But this incident would set off a series of the greatest tragedies in human history, one of which would be none other than the infamous One-Year War.

The Dawn Rebellion

Combatants:

Zeon Guardian Banchi National Defense Academy

182 Third Year Cadets

182 Second Year Cadets

26x RTX-65 Guntanks (Captured)

10x Type 68 Armored Personnel Carriers

10x Type 72 Self-Propelled Mortars

Earth Federation Security Forces

2,000 Security Soldiers

76x Type 61 Tanks

10x RTX-65 Guntanks

Casualties

Zeon Guardian Banchi National Defense Academy

15 Third Year Cadets

12 Second Year Cadets

1x Type 68 Armored Personnel Carriers

Earth Federation Security Forces

650 Security Soldiers

76x Type 61 Tanks

10x RTX-65 Guntanks

The morning of March 23rd

"Did you hear-"

"-He graduated early?"

"-Garma says it's because of his role in the Rebellion-"

As Adrian walked down the halls, people gave him a respectful berth as a tribute to his role in disabling two the Federation armored battalions.

Aina fell in step beside him, "Did you hear? Char graduated early!"

"What?"

"Well, that's what Superintendent Dozle said, Garma says what really happened is that Char was the fall guy for what happened last week. But it was too late in the year to do anything so they graduated him early and sent him into the reserves of the NG."

"Huh." Before Adrian could formulate a further response, the school PA sounded.

"Cadet Ryan Sahalin please report to the superintendent's office. Ryan Sahalin, please report to the superintendent." The pa went off with a click!

Aina gulped audibly, "Well, good luck." She nodded,

Adrian looked up, 'If Char got expelled, it's likely I could be as well.' He sighed, 'Better get this over with…'

Adrian knocked on the superintendent's door.

"Come in." Dozle replied gruffly.

Adrian eeked in, to his surprise, his older brother Ginias was standing in the corner.

"Sir? You requested to see me?"

"I'd like to ask you a question, and answer honestly. Did you and Char put Garma up to the tomfoolery last week?"

Adrian sighed, "Yes sir."

"I see." Dozle nodded, "I appreciate your honesty."

Adrian nodded, "What happens now?"

"You'll be expelled, but the Finals have already finished, you'll be stationed anyway." Dozle said, and Adrian sighed,

"Reserves sir?"

"That was originally the plan. But your brother Ginias has a better use for you."

"Excuse me?" Adrian's ears perked up,

"I assume you've at least heard of the Mobile Suit Project, either from Garma or Ginias."

"Yes sir. You're developing humanoid mobile weapons called mobile suits."

"Long story short, I'd like you to be a test pilot for our latest model. The YMS-05 Zaku I."

"A test pilot…" Adrian breathed, this was a long shot from Char's fate.

"That's not all." Dozle said, he pulled out a tablet and slid it across the table. On it was a view of what appeared to be Libdot Colony in Riah, in which Side 6 Security Forces and Riah Liberation Front were battling in the streets.

"I'm sending you with a team of other pilots to...intervene on behalf of our spacenoid brethren in Side 6."

"I'm going to be part of an armed intervention?"

"Exactly. You'll assess the performance of the Zaku I in live combat. If you accept of course,"

Ryan nodded, "I'll do it. I'll pilot a Mobile Suit."

Rosary was hunched over a desk studying, when a knocking on the door jolted her out of her thoughts.

"It's open!" The teacher said without looking up,

The door opened, revealing a Federation officer. "We're here for Rose Sahalin."

The entire class turned to look at her, many assuming the worst. She stood, "I'm Rose Sahalin."

"Follow me please."

Rose followed the man down to an office, where a Federation Commandant was seated.

"Sir?" She had no idea why a Federation officer - A commandant no less - would want to see her.

"Ms. Sahalin. I'll make this brief, we'd like to accept you on scholarship to a Federation academy on Earth."

"W-what?!" Rose was taken aback, 'It's barely been a week since the Dawn Rebellion…'

"You are the top student out of the Class of 0080. I'm sorry for the hastiness of which this was done, but as Federation forces are leaving Side 3 as we speak...we have to do this now or never."

Rose gulped, realizing just how serious this was, but...she was curious. She wanted to leave Side 3. Explore Earth!

But if she did...she might never see Adrian or the Sahalin's again. She began to sweat, then she blurted out:

"I'll go!"

The commandant smiled, "Well then, welcome aboard. We leave two days from now."

"Is that all sir?" Adrian asked,

"Yes." Dozle nodded, "You leave two days from now."

Adrian saluted, then headed out, but before he left Ginias stopped him. "Adrian...there's something I need to talk to you about."

A/N: Oh yeah, quick note, I changed the name to Mobile Suit Golden Gundam since the titular gundam of the sequel will be Gold not Black. I don't want to repeat the same colors for both sides.