Expectations of peace soar to their greatest heights with the formation of the Earth Sphere United Nations. The year is After Colony 225. The dissolution of mobile suits and militaries from the human race has allowed veterans and civilians alike to a progressive new era for humanity. Grudges however are far more powerful than what many realize. Former members of the Romefeller Foundation have taken to the stars to act against the ESUN's pacifism policies. The horrors of war have revisited the Earth for a new generation of humanity in the form of the vengeful Falson Coalition. 11 years have passed since the conflict began. The ESUN's hope lies in the form of its own mobile suit project. Operation Rising Himalayas. The revival of GUNDAM.

Episode 9: Into the Barren World

The embers of the siege had gone cold since their emission but the signs of war were still ever present. Edward watched from his main camera of the Testudo where the edges of Berlin were observed. His strategist Bertram entered the command room when he reported, "Our siege of the city continues into its first week General. According to the reports from Warsaw we have had issue with Earth Sphere soldiers attempting to rob our supply trucks."

Edward remained unmoved when he continued to observe the battlefield asking, "Unfortunate for them that Moscow prepared for such a possibility I assume?"

"Indeed General. Unfortunately the convoy has been set back a week for necessary repairs."

"The scenario in which Ostrava may still be active is an unfortunate detriment. If, however we can accomplish this next operation then our wait will be worth enduring."

"Indeed. I believe you did endure greater waits than this one before becoming General."

Edward turned to Bertram when he confirmed, "The reports of my involvement during the Division Period are as accurate as accounted after all. As commendable as my accomplishements were they became paved with the pieces of crushed ambitions which claimed real lives."

"The chiefest among them being your effort to end the Division Period with Lady Hermine. I can say from personal speaking with him that Nathaniel did wish the outcome did not end so."

"Neither of us did. Lady Hermine was never a woman who would let reason dictate what her next action would be. Regretably she held onto mere personal desires all to the end." Edward blinked before turning to one of the nearby windows of his command room continuing, "I never did take pleasure in doing so. In fact it is because of that day I feel obliged to serve the remainder of my duties under him."

Bertram turned to observe the crew in the command room when he observed, "I can also tell you from personal experience that the men on the Testudo feel the same as you do Edward. And not for your dedication to fulfilling this mission."

"But to letting this be our final act of war. After which we can hope that fateful day will lead to one where we no longer must live under the cloud of defending ourselves."

"And should this next operation be successful that day may yet become possible."

Edward turned to Bertram with a face of renewed conviction when he promised, "I do intend to see it become a reality Bertram."

Oleg hung from his legs on a railing while he watched the Aquarius and other defense mobile suits loaded in the Testudo hangar. Several Coalition pilots marched through the hangar scaffolding while Oleg continued his routine of pulling himself up.

"Tsubarov. Trying to keep up with your PT schedule?" He heard a familiar voice before lifting himself up to salute.

"Captain Belyakova. Nice to see you finally get back from patrol."

"I can't disappoint my old squad mate can I? I prefer being able to return for another assignment anyway."

"It's not like I don't follow under your orders anymore Captain. I'm still a private assigned to your squadron officially."

Aglaii leaned on one of the nearby railings when she reminded, "Before long you probably won't be. The General has been hovering over the progression of the Aquarius like a boy waiting for his cake to be finished. He's going to want you under his service by the time the Aquarius is completed."

Oleg looked up to his Gundam when he agreed, "He probably does want that doesn't he?" He shook his head before adding, "Can't say it would matter that much. I don't want to have to be here any longer than I need to. We're literally just right in front of the enemy capital and we can end this war with one military action."

Aglaii paused in reflection of Oleg's hope when she agreed, "Many of us feel that way Oleg. But this whole war has been about plans that end up being crushed at the last minute. If we're lucky we'll still be alive if it ever happens again."

Oleg turned to face her when he told her, "Kind of a negative way to look at it Captain... But I guess it's not without merit."

"I know you want to be out of this as much as anyone else. But it has to be done so that no one has to bear this repsonsibility down the line. I know you don't want what happened at Utena to happen again."

It was Oleg's turn to pause when he added, "Perhaps it is the only way no one will have to repeat what happened that day. I will continue to serve if it means putting an end to that sort of suffering Captain."

Aglaii stood in salute to him when she parted, "And I don't have any intention of exploiting that day to the Coalition's favor. I'll see you out on the field Oleg." Oleg returned the salute as she walked off towards the preparation hall for the mobile suit pilots.

Aglaii entered the hallway for the Coalition pilots when she heard one of them ask, "Can't keep your mind off him can you Captain?"

Aglaii hung her helmet on one of the nearby hangers when she agreed, "Seeing him be this successful does make me pretty proud. He's come a way since we picked him out of Vilinius."

A pilot next to her voiced her curiosity, "How many cities across Russia did the kid have to go through before it finally got to his head the Earth Sphere considered that place a lost cause anyway?"

"From what he told me, quite a distance. Not really the kind of story I want to see becoming a bigger deal than it needs to be. Oleg deserves that much respect."

Another one of the pilots added, "Just don't let him get to your head sir. It's not like we can all keep him on a leash for long."

Aglaii opened the doorway to a hall of windows when she accepted, "Yeah. And it might not even be what he's hoping for."

On the second floor of the scafolding, mechanics continued to check on the insides of the newly acquired Gundam while their Chief Engineer made brief glances of their progress. As McNeil continued to plug away at his computer for the Aquarius plans he heard footsteps approaching. "Status Report."

McNeil stood up from his chair saluting, "Chief Engineer Feargus McNeil reporting General."

Edward stood at ease from the salute when he asked, "Good afternoon Chief Engineer. I trust you have prepared the Aquarius to be fitted once the enhancements have arrived?"

"Without a second's delay General. Progress on the Testudo will be able to begin at the same time once we are ready."

Edward turned to observe the Aquarius when he added, "The Testudo will be important to winning this war indeed. However I should hope to see the Aquarius be capable of defending itself while still being the force we saw on the field in the first siege."

Kieran stood to stand a short distance away from his superior when he agreed, "We all want results. Tsubarov down there just probably wasn't the most experience pilot we could have picked."

"Not the most experience but the most driven."

"So a warrior with the most to lose is the one that is the most willing to rise above all others."

Edward turned to face Kieran when he emphasized, "Precisely. I don't intend this fact to be gossip either. It is simply what motivates him the most."

"The fact you're willing to speak so freely with your fellow men General does help me think you would be honest talking about those sorts of things."

"You honor me with your trust Kieran. I should hope to see you achieve greater things in life after we have taken the enemy capital."

"Same to you General. I don't think either side wants any more people to die than they have at this point." The two men saluted and Edward left Kieran to his work. "Not like I really helped with that of course."

Within the command room of the Earth Sphere base, plans had begun to go underway for an offensive. General Ulbricht stood in front of a squad of Ursa pilots with the holographic map to his right. "This is where we stand. The Spinossismus units in Heringsdorf have managed to get within firing range of the enemy's location. This will be our only chance to use them however so we must see that the strike delivers the strongest blow possible."

The leading pilot voiced his concern, "Even among the chance that these shots might destroy parts of the city sir?"

Marcel stood to remind, "The President's orders go above our evaluation. If we must subvert the enemy's victory with the risk casualties to our forces then we must see it is done."

"To a point but with its foundation." Klaus agreed. "We have recieved transmission from Heringsdorf that the launch will begin in a matter of hours and is set to strike at the Testudo's loation. Essentially your orders will be to get in close and ensure the enemy does not have the means of shooting down the torpedoes before they land. This mission will be sucessful if we manage to use this opportunity to ensure optimal damage to the formation."

One of the pilots questioned the decision pointing out, "Just what for exactly? If the torpedos are able to hit then they should already be guided to their location."

Klaus brought up stock footage of the Aquarius in battle from the battle map when he answered, "You might be familiar with what the Aqaurius was capable of doing in the Berlin siege. If it uses its viral systems properly it will be able to stop the torpedoes from hitting their target."

"Assuming its pilot is capable of course."

"We were capable of an operation that demanding a week ago." Another one of the pilots reminded.

"Regardless of the unlikelyhood of any situation we must ensure that it is made possible with our assistance. Do not let any shots go to waste out there. Dismissed." Klaus saluted to signify the end of the meeting. The squad saluted back in unison before marching out of the command room towards the hangar bay.

One of the pilots broke the silence saying, "If they catch us out there this ceasefire is pretty much finished."

The squad captain reminded him, "A ceasefire was never really declared in the first place. The only option we'll have is to return to base once we see what happens to the torpedos."

"Our key concern would be the Aquarius wouldn't it? The other units might have a chance but they don't have full capabilities to take out a projectile that big."

Turning to face the rest of his squad the Captain answered, "Most likely. Just stay formed on your squad and we can see this as just a chance to have front row seats to some big explosion."

The command center was livened with activity as base personnel watched the view of the Testudo come on screen. One of the operators saw the screens come alive when he announced, "Sir. The 7th Ursa squad is in position."

Marcel checked the status of the battlemap when he reported, "We now have visual feed of the enemy location sir. They don't have any visible air defenses in place."

Klaus faced the map when he ordered, "Contact Heringsdorf. Fire the torpedos on command."

One of the operators contacted the signal, "Attention 3rd Aquatic Squadron. We are now clear for launch."

"We read you command. Preparing land strike." Within the depths of the Baltic Sea a squadron of Spinosissimus mobile suit units stood with torpedoes pointing out of the tips of the head. The anticipation for the launch only hung for a few seconds as the pilots inside the mobile suits ensured their coordinates were correct.

"All torpedoes have been armed Captain."

"Launching. 3. 2. 1." The command was given and the torpedoes launched from the sea and into the air towards their target. "Torpedoes are away command."

The calm that once had hold over the command room of the Testudo was broken once an alarm sounded. Edward stood to discover the disruption when he heard one of the operators announce, "General! We have enemy fire from the north!"

Edward turned his gaze to the lower areas of the command room when he requested, "Point of attack?"

"Unconfirmed sir! But the projectiles are headed this way fast!"

"Torpedoes. So they did have the means of attacking from a distance." Edward observed. "Prepare the Aquarius for launch! Prepare the jettison tube!"

One of the operators switched frequency to the hangar area of the Testudo announcing, "Attention Aquarius! Prepare for deep space jettison mode!"

"They have got to be kidding! I've never went through a deep space launch!" Oleg cursed as he rushed for the Aquarius.

Just when Oleg threw himself into his cockpit Kieran ran behind assuring, "It won't be so bad out there. It's just going to be a big fall on the way down. The Aquarius was already fitted with the equipment necessary to brace for the way back down."

"Real comforting. So I take it those torpedos aren't something I can just shoot down?"

"They aren't. But if you can get the Aqaurius' viral systems to do their work on the functioning systems then slicing out the core explosion mechanisms shouldn't be a problem." The cockpit of the Aquarius shut closed with Oleg given his mission.

Oleg grabbed onto his controls when he prepared for the launch. "Can't really complain any more about this. I don't help the General it's my life on the line as well."

The intercom of the hangar bay announced to the personnel, "Jettison mode engaged. Aquarius is prepared for launching."

"Adjusting trajectory and launch speed. Requesting confirmation from pilot." McNeil answered before the final preparations were made."

"This is Tsubarov. Prepared for launch." Just before the launch began Oleg finished with, "Go! Aquarius!"

As the command was given the blue Gundam was launched from the Testudo and into the sky above. The Earth squadron watched the launch in progress when one of the pilots asked, "What's that they launched?"

The Captain of the squad was quick to jump to the only scenario the Coalition would attempt. "It's the Aquarius! Fire!" At the order the Ursa units began to fire at the blue Gundam far above them.

The Ursa units fired with their energy rifles but the pilots couldn't see any damage being done to the Gundam above them. One of the pilots voiced his concerns, "I can't get a hit! It's out of range!"

The Captain continued firing towards the projected coordinates of the Aquairus when he ordered, "Don't let it stop! We need to get that thing down at all costs!"

The Aquarius continued to shoot up into the air while Oleg found energy shots coming his way with every second. He forced himself to reach for the nearest thruster contols to dodge the incoming shots. He managed to find himself cutting close to the nearby shots while his armor was still in tact. "God damn... How much further..." Oleg checked in front of him and found the incoming torpedo headed his way. He reached for the command to release the Aquarius virus. "Come on and work!" Jamming the button with the full force of his finger he waited for the AI system to confirm his accomplished mission. Oleg watched the computer screen when he saw the tropedo in front of him lose propulsion and began to fall to the ground.

He heard one of the Testudo operators report, "You did good on disabling them Tsubarov! That one you're on is still headed towards the Testudo however! Take it out now!"

The Aquarius continued to fly towards the torpedo before Oleg prepared its heat rods. "You have got to be kidding me!" He spun the Aquarius in a twirl to avoid the blast shots from below while he prepared to strike at the torpedo. He watched the computer screen and saw the signal to slice at the projectile. Right when the torpedo was in reach he sliced with the heat rods inwards and cut away the reactor. The Aquarius continued to fly into the sky before the reactor exploded and threw Oleg far away from the Testudo.

"Ah! Shit!" Oleg cursed as he spun out of control. He watched as the other torpedos fell to the ground near him before eruptting into an explosion. He held onto the arms of his pilot chair for hopes of surviving.

Just a second later he heard McNeil's voice from his communications panel, "Activate the emergency thrusters! It's the only way you'll survive the crash!"

Oleg came to his sense when he grabbed the nearest thrusters ordering, "Come on! Help me out here you piece of junk!" The explosions continued to rock the Gundam's path down before it positioned itself feet first. The thrusters kicked in and the fall of the blue Gundam began to slow down before it made a mighty landing on the ground below. The Aquarius was on all fours while its hands were buried in the ground preventing it from shifting from nearby the nearby explosions.

Oleg forced his head up trying to push back his vertigo. "Ah... Damn it... Not doing that again."

"The destruction of the torpedoes is successful General. The Aquarius signal is still going strong."

Edward nodded when he ordered, "Excellent. Not even the targeting computers of enemy projectiles can withstand the viral systems. Order the Aquarius back to base. We shall continue the defense."

One of the operators near the battle map reported, "We have a retreating enemy squadron sir. Shall we pursue?"

Edward turned to the map to determine how far away the Earth mobile suits were. "Negative. Let them return with the news of what happened today."

An hour passed before Oleg returned to the Testudo with the Aquarius brought in for repairs. He exited the cockpit finding Aglaii waiting for him greeting, "So you see what it's like to handle a desperate defense like that?"

Oleg sat down in McNeil's chair when he agreed, "Yeah. I can tell the Earth Sphere is desperate in trying to end this conflict in their favor. I guess desperation is going to continue breaking this silence until the greater conflict ends."

Aglaii looked out a window when she told him, "Regardless of how you look at it we're in a barren landscape of tension where we both want to see it broken. It will only end when either of us has destroyed the other."

"As barren and hopeless for them it is out here, they still want to undo our progress."

"Whatever you plan to do out there, don't let sacrificing yourself be your goal Tsubarov. Every hand out there that can move our cause along is on this fortress for a reason."

"Makes you realize just what our situation is when we're this anxious for extra hands."

McNeil entered the observation room when he pointed out, "It does. Although right now I don't think it will be a any different if we manage to take Brussels at this point."

Oleg looked up when he asked, "You think our forces won't be able to handle a second strike on Berlin?"

"The Gundams. The Gundams are still out there and their return will mark a greater challenge for all of us."

"And we'll be counting on you to see that we stand a chance against them."

Aglaii tried to remind them both of their mission when she said, "Regardless of how much we all want this war to end we'll have many lingering problems next to us when it is all done."

Oleg looked back down when he voiced his concern, "And perhaps it may never end after all..."

Earth Sphere Shuttle 1
Enroute to Mars

Alberto looked over the pilots leaving their recent simulation tests when he announced, "Attention all pilots. We are now reaching within landing distance of Mars. I expect all of you to prepare for the landing and be prepared to come out fighting if necessary."

Roy stood to answer, "Fully prepared sir. The sooner the better if you ask me."

Alberto nodded in his direction when he agreed, "With how Mars is right now we'll have to find out how much of a battleground it's going to be. As two squadrons we do not have the men or resources to liberate the entire planet. Our mission above everything else is to find Colonel Rumfoord and help him recover what he needs to get off Mars. Dismissed."

The pilots of the shuttle floated to the bunk area when Roy commented, "About time we finally got here. Another week and I think I'll get a serious case of cabin fever."

Zachariah turned to him pointing out, "Don't start eating those words when we land. We're going to be in serious shit when we end up smack in the middle of enemy territory."

Roy shrugged when he accepted, "No plans. I'm still waiting to see if the rookies in our squad are ready to handle this sort of mission or if we'll be the ones handling all the Gundam observation."

Gawel shook his head amidst the concerns when he added, "As much as I want to focus on that mission I'd really appreciate it if this mission didn't head that far south."

Ludwika made an effort to calm the argument when he reminded, "They're pilots for the Earth Sphere like us guys. The only thing you should be concerned about is if the pilots are ready for this mission as well."

Gawel didnt' show any relief when he reminded, "That sort of optimism is a bit of a luxury around here Ludwika. The Coalition's only real trump card over the Gundams is the Testudo and even that might not last for long against the right infantry strikes."

Before the conversation carried the bedroom door opened to reveal Alberto standing in the hall when he ordered, "Pilots. I want your heads focused on the mission and not on where things might go wrong. Fearing the worst will only promote its possibility and I don't want to call this mission lost before we even start."

The four pilots agreed in unison, "Yes sir." Without another word Alberto left and the pilots were left to their slumber.

"And with that we mark week two of trip up here. Do you both feel ready for coordinating your attacks together?"

"Yes sir." Donna and Mercurio said at attention. The Earth Sphere shuttles were still on its path towards Mars without any interruption leaving the pilots to continue with their zero-gravity training.

Dana accepted the answer, "Just what I want to hear. Now I'm hoping you can make action on the ground match that promise."

Mercurio was stepped forward when he asked, "Just to be on the same page Captain do you think you could tell us what makes Mars such an important part of the Earth Sphere's priorities? At least for you anyway?"

Dana leaned into her pilot chair when she answered, "I just never was much of a story teller I guess. A lot of the stuff that I have been is stuff that I think is just better moving on from."

"Is the reason because of Penza Captain?" Donna lightly asked.

Dana paused before she took a drink of her water answering, "It's more of a rookie's first days than anything else. Although it's not something I've ever been proud of sharing with even good friends of mine."

"Do you think you could tell us anything about the campaign on Mars though Captain?" Mercurio reminded.

"I can do that much." Dana took out her thumbdrive when she showed an image of the familiar Geminass model. "You might be familiar with the attempts from the Coalition trying to mass produce this thing. They almost got close during the Division Period. Me and Capon were part of an infiltration squad sent to stop these units from reaching enemy hands."

"They haven't been seen on the frontlines though." Donna agreed.

Dana continued with her story when she showed another image. "They didn't make it. We managed to pull it off but more from the help of someone we didn't think was even going to be a possibility."

Mercurio was confused when he saw the white mobile suit. "The Tallgeese..."

"The one and only." Dana agreed. "This thing managed to take out the factory before the Coalition had a chance to go enroute to Earth. Turns out it was part of a big diversion though." She found another image where the "Somehow during the Division Period the Coalition had enough resources to start producing the necessary parts for the Scutum unit."

"Is that how the Coalition obtained its heavy infantry?" Donna asked.

Dana nodded when she answered, "How they got the resources is something we haven't been able to determine but yeah. The Scutum units were made possible when the Coalition took them to Luna."

Mercurio focused his inquiry on the earlier image asking, "The Tallgeese pilot though. He had to give some sort of intel or at least give some kind of assistance to the Earth Sphere forces."

Dana turned her gaze to Mercurio when she answered, "That's what the big question about this mobile suit is. We dont' know who the pilot is and this machine in particular acted independently of our forces."

Mercurio asked his final question, "Even then the person who helped must have had the interest of at least bringing stability to Mars somehow. Will Colonel Rumfoord at least know who it is?"

Dana answered, "We'll have to ask him ourselves. There's no other way to know for certain. Mars has been an unmanageable quagmire ever since the war began. But now it looks like there's one final thing the President wants us to get our hands on before the Coalition does."

Donna agreed with the sentiment, "Whatever Colonel Rumfoord has there I hope it manages to turn the tables before we're too late."

Dana turned to face the view of Mars outside when she ordered, "It's what we all want to be the case. We'll be arriving within Mars' range in a matter of hours. Both of you hit the sack and get what last minute sleep you can."

Both Mercurio and Donna saluted to their superior, "Yes sir."

Both Mercurio and Donna entered their bunkroom when Mercurio said, "It's not going to be long now. Pretty soon we'll be arriving on Mars and our mission can begin."

Donna took the lower bunk when she agreed, "The quiet has been welcome for me at least. Although Captain Houston's training schedule has been demanding enough."

Mercurio lifted himself up when he agreed, "Fair enough. Unfortunately it's only going to be more of a challenge when we actually have to weigh ourselves against the differing gravity on Mars. We'll have to both calculate and handle that at the same time."

"Yes." Donna said with a simple tone.

"Are you feeling okay Donna?"

"Just considering the possibilities of Mars is all."

"About what could happen down there?"

"More about what it could have been really."

"I'm sure once we end this war we'll be able to refocus what we have on the terraformation project."

"Mercurio... If the stories about the Tallgeese are true, do you believe Milliardo Peacecraft himself was piloting it?"

Mercurio shifted to face the ceiling of the shuttle when he answered, "It's always possible. I wish I was able to speak with him even once in my life."

"It is a regretable scenario when a war literally manages to sever family ties like this."

"The truly unfortunate thing being that he wanted to leave Earth so he could find an unbreakable peace for himself."

"Is that what your mother told you?"

Mercurio paused answering, "It was. If we are going to find the Colonel on that planet then I can only hope Uncle Milliardo will still be alive."

"I will do everything to help you if he does need your help Mercurio. The only flaw of his wish was that he didn't see conflict coming to his home." It was Donna's turn to pause when she added, "If I had been able to find my way here I would have probably hoped for the same thing."

"You were planning to find your way to Mars before?"

Avoiding the subject Donna finished, "I'm getting sleepy. Good night."

Mercurio ended the conversation when he agreed, "Yeah. Good night."

Coalition Battleship
Foundation of Fortitude
Enroute to Mars

"Lieutenant. Do you at least want to tell me that you've been sleeping up there?"

"I've slept when I had a chance okay? I'm not going to be totally useless out in the field."

"I sure hope not. I don't think your next superior is going to put up with lousy performances in the field based on neck cramps or sore backs."

"And last time I checked you weren't my commanding officer. So maybe you should mind your own business and let me get to work."

"Yeah hope you don't live to regret that decision. We're getting ready for a speed break pretty soon. I suggest you hold onto a nearby wall and get ready to embrace the inertia."

"Whatever. I know what the proceedures are to follow at this point." This argument was held on board the Foundation of Fortitude as one of the Coalition pilots spoke to Tano warning him of their trip's progress.

He met one of his fellow pilots ask, "So did you inform him?"

"Yeah. He's still the little war puppy he's always been."

"There really isn't anything you can do to make that kid do anything that isn't war related. Captain Schafer said himself he didn't he'd make it too much further in life past what he's been through."

"Yeah. Don't think he'll be able to offer any advice to him now. Does anyone even bother to find out what makes Kiprotich such a loner?"

"There have been reports to the superiors. Not really accessible to lower guys like us. I think they just expect us just not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Can't say for a late entry to the war he does too poorly."

"Probably how he sees it too. And it's probably all he wants for this war and everything going forward."

"Let's hit the walls. We've got a break to prepare for."

Eleven days had passed since the shuttle carrying the Gundams encountered any enemy action, but it didn't let the pilots lose their focus or preparation. Their training simulations had brought the three pilots up to date on the current basic strategies of how to handle space and low gravity battles while giving them an idea of what the enemy would have to fight against. Dana felt ready as ever knowing that she would be called to do low gravity battle again.

"So how are we doing now?" Dana checked her computer to notice the progess of her shuttle's travel. She was now forty thousand miles away from their planet target when the computer monitor flashed noting their location. "Well that's a nice sound if I ever heard it." She opened the cockpit hallway door when she announced, "Yuy. Lindemann. I hope you're ready for the real thing. We're about an hour away from Mars. Once we land it's time to come out swinging and test everything you've learned."

Donna saw a glimpse of Mars outside her window as her flight continued. "The planet named after the Roman God of war. Unfortunately appropriate for its name. Even after being torn apart by such strife it feels more like I'm going home."

Just as soon as Dana had announced their near arrival to Mars, Mercurio broke from his ponderings and saw the red planet humanity had always sought to colonize. It was only a matter of time now before he landed on another planet. He had no time to take in the view or wonder about what the planet would be like, the Coalition was preparing for battle as soon as they landed. Their mission would then begin and hopefully the tide of war could truly begin to turn.

It was in a few moments after announcing it that the shuttle had gone into battle station warning for what they were soon to encounter. Dana looked at the radar and cursed, "Shit. The enemy had the right time to prepare for this attack. Our route was too easy to track."
Right before them was a blockade of Coalition warships that were prepared to make contact with them. She knew that this time Mercurio and Donna would not be enough to get their shuttles out of the blockade. Dana began to fasten her own pilot helmet and warned, "Listen up, we're not going to get any heroic flights today. So I need both of you to give 110% of your fighting capabilities. I'll be out there to assist however I can, now move out!"

Mercurio's thoughts were interrupted as he was brought alert the moment he heard the battle stations warning. The Coalition was not going to let the greatest hope of the Earth Sphere go by unnoticed. If there was anything he could do, it was use the skills and training he had gained to allow him a way down.

He confirmed Captain Houston's order and agreed, "Preparing now Captain." He made his way down to the hangar bay and towards the Uriel in preparation for another space battle. This would likely be even more intense than their last one with how many battleships there were now, but he was not going to let himself be intimidated by this task.

When the order to launch with Sandesgeist arrived, Donna made her way to the cockpit. She turned on the Gundam when she remided herself, "This will be just like the attack at L5. These battleships will be the real challenge though." She grasped her nearest thrusters when she announced, "Donna Lindemann, Gundam Sandesgeist Launching!" The Gundam walked to the catapult deck and was sent into the new battle.

As soon as the three pilots were prepared for another battle, the launching sequence for the three Gundams began. It would be another close range battle since the shuttle was still moving at its current speed so the lifelines were attached and secured. The gundam launches began in order with the Sandesgeist first. Unit 2 came next with, "Mercurio Yuy, Gundam Uriel Launching!" The catapult sent its second mobile suit to the side of the shuttle with the feet being magnetized. As they came closer to the battleships awaiting them, Mercurio took aim with his blaster and had his buster sword in shield mode. The most valuable thing from his training made him understand the blaster better but it would be time to see if results could be gained from using it against the enemy in real time. "Come on... I'll prove myself this time..."

On the other shuttle the Ursa pilots began to recognize the situation they were headed in and one of them warned Alberto, "Sir! The Gundam shuttle is preparing for battle! We'll be making contact with the first battleship very soon!"

Alberto saw the path of the shuttle entering the Martian blockade on his radar when he ordered, "Prepare all available Ursa units! It's time for us to put our training to use!"

Gawel confirmed, "Understood Captain!" He relayed the order to the crew, "All units pilots be ready on standby! We'll be making contact with the enemy! Our Gundam units will need the support and we can't let them down this time!"

Dana's fellow pilots made their launch as the first two gundams began to prepare for battle on the shuttle. "Just be out there wild and roudy for a chance to go guns blazing. That's the spirit." Dana told herself as she supressed her concern if the auto-pilot would be enough to get them through the fire that the Coalition battle cruisers were about to pose. She couldn't let any worry be visible for anyone ready to fight with her, only that they would find their way out of this blockade. The first two units launched and Dana announced, "Dana Houston, Gundam Artemis! All systems go!" The final gundam launched out towards the side with the other two. The shuttle continued to speed through the empty void of space while Dana familiarized herself with the current surroundings. The battleships were preparing to fire on them while Dana took out her buster rifle and aimed at the nearest one. She warned, "We've managed to match the Wing Zero's power from this thing! Nothing's going to survive this shot!"

The nearest battleship to the two shuttles was observing the Earth Sphere's flight path and saw how easily they would soon be able to take them down. One of the radar operators announced, "We have the shuttles on radar sir! They are approaching our range of fire and our aim is within estimated arrival periods!"

The Captain of the ship ordered, "Good work. Our men from L5 had the estimates right. Have our mobile suits on standby and prepare all turrets to fire!"

The final order was given throughout the ship, "All units prepare for combat!"

At this command the mobile suits and turrets began to take aim at the shuttles. Another one of the nearby ships had its strategists workign quickly to determine where to hit. "If we manage to get the flight pattern right, it should take an hour for the shuttles to make their way to the planet surface."

The Captain observed the shuttles headed their way when he reminded, "And our goal is to make sure they don't even get there. Focus all fire power on them! We must stop them here at all costs!"

"Captain! Massive energy signal coming from the - AAAAAAH!" Before the Coalition battleship had a chance to begin its offensive, one of the Gundams managed to let out a powerful blast towards one of the battleships that destroyed it in just one shot.

On a nearby ship the radar operator shielded his eyes from the explosion reporting, "Sir! One of the battleships has been destroyed!"

The Captain cursed, "Damn. They do have the power of the Gundams. Keep firing! Don't let them through!"

As Mercurio made his shots at the enemy wherever he could, he saw the bright explosion from Dana's buster rifle. One of the battleships had gone down in a mighty explosion while mobile suits around it were engulfed in it. He continued to fire with his cannon at turrets and Leo III models alike making certain to achieve optimal damage. He reminded himself, "We're making it through. It's going to be a long flight but we won't fail now." He observed his surroundings and found that three of the Leo III mobile suits fitted for space combat had begun to make their dash towards Donna's position. Mercurio quickly warned, "Unit 1! Three enemy units are headed your direction!"

Meanwhile the other shuttle had begun to offer supporting fire with their Ursa units from the right side. Major Capon was briefed, "Majewski and Jutila have begun their attack sir. We can't determine what damage we're doing at this range though."
The Captain reminded them, "If it's doing anything to get that enemy fire off our backs then keep firing. We didn't come all this way to be shot down."

As soon as the battleship in the distance exploded with the damage done to the blockade, Dana was grateful, "There's one down." She didn't have long to enjoy this victory once the Leo III mobile suits began to make their descent to strike at the shuttle in hopes of destroying it. The effort was dashed when Dana and the others made their shots at the squad and cut off most of the fire. Some of it managed to make its dent on the Gundam shuttle though and the three gundams could feel the damage that was done. Dana warned, "Yuy! We've taken damage on this side! Keep your eyes open for any further enemy attacks!" She took out another power cell for the buster rifle to work at its maximum power and challenged, "Come on! I won't let you take this one down!"

With Mercurio's warning, Donna was able to react in time. She used her heat shotel to slice the approaching Leo IIIs apart. "Not bad. These cables aren't such a detreiment after all." She commented to herself. She then felt the shock as the shuttle was hit. "Not another one!" She braced herself from the impact ensuring her Gundam remained attached to the shuttle.

The Ursa units continued to offer assisting fire to the Gundams on the far off shuttle with their fire while Alberto continued to steer the ship clear of the enemy. It was mere seconds before Alberto recognized the desperate situation his shuttle was in when he was headed right into the face of one of the enemy battleships.

Alberto pressed himself on the controlswhen he contacted the Ursa units, "All units! We may not be able to assist for long! We're headed right into an enemy ship!"

He heard Gawel contact him, "Sir! How are we supposed to get across that thing when the defense fire is going to be so close?!"

Alberto checked the battleship on his computer to find the turrets in sight. He transmitted the feed to the Ursa units ordering, "Go for the turrets! Keep firing at the underside of the enemy ship!"

Keijo continued to fire when he warned, "If we keep firing there we won't be able to hit anything critical!"

Alberto was undeterred when he reminded, "It will at least give the gundams a shot at taking it down! They'll have a more clear shot than us!"

Zachariah ended the small argument when he agreed, "Alright. We probably can't do much else on their end anyway. Keep firing at the underside!"

As Donna continued to focus herself from the shocks she noticed the accompanying Earth shuttle in the distance. The Ursas made every effort to defend themselves against the Coalition attacks but found them dealing little damage. "I have to help them somehow... Wait!" Donna switched her communications channel to Major Capon's reporting, "Attention Shuttle 1! I'm going to send you the systems necessary for better accuracy!" Her left hand went on the keyboard to reconfigure the targeting array as it was sent to the Ursas while she used her right hand to avoid enemy fire.

The Ursa units prepared for their blitz on the battleship's underside before Zachariah heard the transmission from Donna. "Major! We've got a transmission from Lindemann! She sent the targeting array to our units!"

Alberto seized the chance when he ordered, "Use them now! We need that ship taken down!"

The Ursa units on the right side of the shuttle continued their assault while trying to hit their new target. The Leo IIIs were either getting in their line of fire or just side targets for the squadron at this point. In the middle of the fire, one of the beam rifle shots managed to scrape along the underside of the battleship and expose very key components that were meant to be protected from gunfire.

As the shuttle began to make its course towards the largest gathering of battleships the Coalition had prepared, the Captain on the leading ship was reported, "We have them in our sights Captain!"

At this opportunity the Captain commanded, "Perfect. Direct all cannon fire in front and don't miss! We shall destroy the Earth Sphere's final hope in one strike!"

Another on of the helmsman reported, "Confirmed sir! All cannons and units converge fire on these coordinates!"

As soon as the coordinates were sent, the might of the Coalition had begun to mount up in their hopes to destroy the Gundams. The fire and close range attacks were becoming more frequent. It was only a matter of time now, the Coalition could now claim its victory over the Earth Sphere if their shots were correct. "Now is our chance. We shall be the ones to destroy the Gundams." The Captain promised himself.

The shots continued while the shuttles continued to make their way through the blockade. Dana took every shot possible to take down the enemy battleships while they were still flying and saw Mercurio and Donna putting in as much effort with what they had. The flight took a few hits but it wasn't until they were about half way through the blockade that Dana saw one of their main thrusters damaged from the enemy fire. As soon as the hit dealt its damage, Dana found the shuttle begin to take an upward turn towards and into one of the enemy battleships. "Damn it!" She cursed while rushing over to the thruster. She thrust Artemis' left arm towards it and warned, "It looks like we're going to be headed into further enemy lines! Keep them off us while I try to fix this!" With that warning the shuttle began to drift into the line of enemy numbers while Dana was now burdened with firing her rifle at the enemy and trying to fix the thruster at the same time. If there was any consolation it at least gave her a better shot at the enemy battleships from behind them. She only hoped that Mercurio and Donna wouldn't be overwhelmed by too many further odds before getting them out of this.

As soon as the Ursa units recieved the targeting array, their accuracy had greatly increased. There was still an issue when Keijo reported, "Major! The Gundam shuttle is starting to deviate from its projected course!"

Alberto made an effort to maintain his head level when he ordered, "Oh great! They're headed into that group of battleships up there! Cover fire on their location! Don't let them go down!"

Mercurio saw the sudden rise in the shuttle's course as it began to head forward into the firing range of the nearest Coalition battleships. He kept firing and hoped that the damage wouldn't be unbearable. They were very close to the base on Mars and being shot down now would show their efforts to be in vain. These were on his mind when the shuttle began to fly through.

"Both of you stay clear of this the next explosion!" Dana warned as she prepared her buster rifle to aim at the battleship on their left. She fired and shot along the side with a mighty eruption from the core as it was now sunk from the attack. Dana found herself pleased with the results but noticed one major disadvantage. She was now out of ammo for this rifle. She drew her rifle to her back and warned, "I have to readjust the thrusters! Keep attacking but don't stray from the ship!" She was now using both of her hands to force the shuttle thrusters into the correct position hoping to avoid collision. It continued to speed through and delved further towards its greatest threat as well as the final annal of hope they had of making it out alive.

The flight towards the battleship continued while Dana tried everything Artemis could do to adjust the shuttle down. They were making a slight decline below the ship but continued to take fire from both enemy units and the turret fire. Mercurio saw the possible shot he could make to get them out of here. It would be a risky shot but their shuttle was being damaged enough as it was and probably wouldn't last another few shots. He warned, "Hold on! This could get messy!" He made a few shots towards the opening under the battleship but it took a few until the blasts were strong enough that it managed to cause the engine of the ship to explode. He hung onto his portion of the ship hoping to see the other shuttle continue its path towards Mars with them. Hopefully this attempt at throwing off their enemy wouldn't cause their location to be offset. He contacted Dana, "Captain, is the rest of the way clear?"

Dana wasn't sure what Mercurio meant when he gave his first warning but when he began to fire at the underside of the battleship she recognized what he was trying to do. The first few shots were close but the last one managed to hit the underside of the engine right where it was most vital.

The chaos within the ship began to grow as soon as the shuttle made its dive directly under the bow of the ship. One of the helmsman reported, "Captain! They've flown right under us!"

The Captain persisted, "Keep firing! We cannot lose them now!"

One of the operators reminded him, "Sir, we've lost our shields! We won't last much longer at this rate!" The Captain was more frustrated at the notion when he realized that the enemy had been taking out their shield generators and taken out what they had to defend themselves from beam weaponry.

He persisted, "They can't destroy us! We're not facing equal firepower!" The crossfire between the Leo IIIs and enemy mobile suits continued when the breach was made. The fatal hole that would destroy the ship with the most precise shot.

"Hull breach in the left engine!"

The Captain realized his desperate situation and ordered, "Damn! Pull out now! Begin all repair procedures!"

It was too late though when the shot was made from the Uriel. The engine began to explode and the rest of the ship's bridge with it. One of the operators did not ask for clearance when he began to order, "Explosion in the engine room! We're collapsing! All personnel begin eva-" It was too late when the ship split in two and both pieces drifted off in their opposite directions. The damage had been accomplished and the Coalition made its loss.

The explosion was powerful enough that it managed to push the shuttle down with a heavy force. Dana ordered, "Aw shit! Everyone magnetize!" At that order the Gundams clung to the side of the shuttle waiting for the force of the explosion to lighten while keeping their eyes open for any more enemies.

With the Ursas' accuracy improving Donna focused her efforts on sticking to the shuttle and avoiding any damage to her Gundam. "Magnetising!" Donna said as she heard the order. The Sandesgeist was barely able to grab on to the shuttle but was still attached to the shuttle by the time the explosion reached its peak. She was briefly blinded and yanked by the explosion but recovered as soon as the force of the shockwave subsided. She was still able to hang on to the shuttle and let out another sigh of relief. When the order to prepare for atmouspheric landing came, she returned to the hangar of the shuttle. She got out of the cockpit and returned to her seat in the shuttle.

Dana thanked, "Not bad Yuy. We might be able to get out of this one alive now." To answer his question on the rest of the way she reported, "The forward path is clear, but the enemy is still in pursuit! Head to the hangar and brace for landing!" It was going to be a bumpy landing at its best but the Earth Sphere forces would be able to say they had made it to Mars. It was a giant leap that brought the Earth forces to the battlefield upon another planet.

On the main ship overlooking the rest of the battlefield, the Admiral of the fleet was briefed by his secretary, "Admiral, we are now reporting the mission as a failure. The shuttles are now preparing entry to Mars."

"So these mobile suits are as powerful as the Earth Sphere wished them. No one could have anticipated them to be this skilled. Send a message to the Mars forces. They are about to have a very difficult foe to face." The Coalition had lost this battle but as soon as Mars was the next battleground for the gundams it would become a very different story. "Even the Gundams will have issue with what awaits them down there. The new Maritan mobile suits will be waiting for them. Their arrival on Earth shall only assist in expediting the end of this war."

After having made their final defense and with Mercurio's lucky shot, the shuttles were now able to make their descent down to Mars and begin their assistance with Mars. Dana headed into the hangar and rushed towards the pilot seat. She reached for the nearest controls when she attempted to correct the course with the thruster issues in mind. "You have got to be shitting me!" She said as she noticed the damage report on her computer. The landing gear had been shot and the planned smooth touchdown was not going to happen. She warned the other two pilots, "Hang on! This isn't going to be easy on anyone!" The descent continued with the shuttle piercing the planet's atmosphere and soon to land square into the base of one of the red planet's mountains.

As soon as Dana warned about the impact, Mercurio felt a rush of concern as the shuttle continued to fall. "Something is going to go wrong with the landing sequence." Even more unsettling was the sudden speed at which the shuttle was making its touchdown. The gravity was pulling them down with the inevitable crash threatening to crush them to size. Both factors were the most worrying thing for any shuttle landing and Mercurio now had an idea of what that alarm was like. He held onto his controls and prepared for liftoff if the worst came. It never did when the shuttle landed and the crunch happened. The landing was long and fearsome to sit through, but it was practically over in a second with the landing finally done. He remembered that Dana was taking over the controls manually and doing what she could to avert the worst damage for them. Hoping to confirm one survivor he contacted the Sandesgeist asking, "Donna... Are you alright?"

Donna was able to survive the descent without any major injury. "Still alive." She replied to Mercurio.

As the Gundams began moving out, she lookedat the terrain of Mars. The planet was red just like it was seen from Earth. She also observed the scattered remains of Mobile Armour and Mobile Suits. She noticed that there are Leo IIIs among the corpses. Interestingly they were in two colours, presumably used by the Martian Resistance as well. She aso had another glance and saw some bits of Mobile Suits that looked similar to an Aries.

"Quite a sight. Most of the tech around here was some of the earliest the war saw." Dana explained. One of the earliest battles that went under most of humanity's knowledge was one that halted the terraformation of Mars. It was a great ambition that wasn't even able to take its first step because of the Coalition's war declaration. She couldn't wonder about more of the past now that she had a mission to stay focused on. She contacted Major Capon in the other shuttle, "Shuttle 2. We have landed and are seeking rendezvous. Requesting coordinates." For a short while she wasn't getting anything but static. Upon entry to the planet no one had seen if he and the other Ursa squadron survived but hoped that the worst didn't come to pass. "Come on, don't be dead now..."

As the other shuttle made its touchdown on the planet surface, Major Capon saw the Gundam shuttle land fairly far away from their location. From what he could tell they were probably real close to the field that hosted the battle of Echus. He was out surveying the site with other pilots to see if there were any Coalition outposts nearby or any patrol units. Luckily they hadn't encountered any such problems or saw much of a sign. As soon as Dana offered a transmission though, Zachariah reported, "Sir, we're receiving a transmission from Captain Dana Houston. They're trying to meet up with us."

Major Capon was thankful, "First bit of good news." He answered the radio, "We read you Captain. We are sending you coordinates for the rallying point. Prepare to move out and follow to our mission objective."

As the Earth Sphere forces did what they could to regroup with one another, a distant patrol squad had just come across their location. The Coalition mobile suit designed for Mars listed as the Scorpio Minor were capable of hiding within the constant red tone of the planet they occupied and were kept from distant sight.

One of the pilots noted, "About time something like this happened. Thought we'd never get to see something happen this far out."

The Captain reminded, "The Earth Sphere isn't going to abandon their own. We'll have to see if it is them first though." Following procedure he contacted the base with, "Olympus this is Beta leader. We have contact with a crash site. We believe it is possibly the enemy. Permission to engage."

"We read you Beta leader. Observe the site first and then proceed according to protocol."

"Roger that command. Over and out."

A few minutes after the crash landing, Dana recovered her senses and searched around where the shuttle was now. Thankfully she had her helmet on seeing the front window of the shuttle had been smashed along with most of the shuttle's bottom half. "Better shred this return ticket." She noted to herself. Without extensive repairs that would take time they didn't have this shuttle would not be flight worthy for a trip back to Earth. She checked the radar systems and found that they only managed to work on their current location seeing the range sensors were shot. It didn't matter, she only needed to make sure that they had landed where they intended to be and it was only a mile or so off location. It could have been much worse at least.

She took out her binoculars and contacted the other two pilots through their pilot helmets, "Alright, hope you had a pleasant flight. We need to start making our trip to the next resistance base ASAP. Get ready to move and follow my lead."

When it was time to move, the three gundams had begun to move out following up on Dana's orders. She had the coordinates to meet up with the resistance and ultimately help them off this planet. He never did imagine that his first trip to another planet would end up this way, but it was probably how most people felt. He searched around the barren landscape and found very little to stand out from the red dirt and dried grounds. He did pick up a large amount of metal in the distance on his radar. "Is the enemy nearby?" He wondered. He checked his radar screens and found that the image of the signal wasn't clear but could be somewhat discerned. It appeared to be a large gathering of junk piled up into a single area. "Well we're not the first ones doing battle on this field it looks like." He knew this as soon as it turned out that the scrap was that of destroyed mobile armor and mobile suits from a battle fought quite some time ago.

Dana heard Mercurio's words leaving her to ask, "The concept of war is newer to this planet isn't it? The scars are going to be that much harder to recover from."

As the stand-down continued for the period, Zelma observed the damage that was being done and what would probably continue for a while at least. The Coalition President had just arrived and the forces were visibly showing their alert nature with someone so important to them under their protection. It had been weeks since she had turned away from the Coalition's cause for her own, but she did not have any desire to do anything for the Earth Sphere either. Not after what she had found. She remembered her conversation from two weeks ago attempting to understand her situation.

After the decoding and hacking necessary to make the deciphering, Zelma finally managed to discover just what was being contained in the data within. She was rather shocked at what had been achieved, but it seemed to be the sort of programming that they would be capable of creating at this rate. It was a lost technology that was supposed to remain lost after the war. She couldn't determine what to do with it, she had an instinct to destroy it but had to make sure with her superior that it was correct.

She contacted another voice on a secure radio channel reporting, "The Earth Sphere is in the direction you warned."

"I see. After a war this long, I couldn't expect them to resist this temptation. Can you determine how far this goes within the Earth Sphere government?"

"I'm afraid I can only point to Lord Till Lindemann as the primary investor of this force. Who would have allowed its use is uncertain."

"Yes. We have to determine this. Continue to maintain the stalemate for now. Once it cannot help but be broken, send the datapad, find out what the Earth Sphere's plan is. You'll know what to do."

The channel closed without any mention of what Zelma's orders were now. She understood it, but she couldn't allow anyone else to learn. The mystery of the Earth Sphere was soon to be discovered and it was only a matter of time now.

Zelma brought her mind back to the present when she finished thinking about what to do next. The stalemate was continuing between the two forces in Berlin but Zelma knew that it wasn't going to remain for long. She looked at the datapad and commented, "It is almost time."