Few comprehend the scale of the devastation brought by the Falson Coalition's desire for the retribution of Ewan Falson. Born from a desire to see a fair economy be achieved was this one man moved to speak his voice for the many who were oppressed. By the hand of one however was this man's mighty protest silenced. The years that came to follow created an animosity from the colonies before it came to form the broken promise the Earth had feared. Eleven years have passed since the formation of this Coalition and its desire for vengeance. Even today it has not been sated.

Episode 21: Misguided Endurance

As the battle raged on in the city of Berlin, two squadrons had been sent to scout the German countryside of Hannover in hopes of finding the pride of the Coalition military, the Testudo. The first Captain reported, "This is Ypsilon leader reporting. No signs of the enemy on our end."

"Same here Ypsilon. The enemy isn't showing up here it looks like."

"Got that right. Kind of seems like a waste we can't be holding up the front lines at this point."

"I'd be more of a problem if there wasn't anyone here to warn our main guys about the enemy if they were making their way up here."

"Might as well be. I guess we can just hope for something to happen."

"We should scout to the east and see if the Testudo is making its way here. They're a lot closer ever since they took Poland."

The talk was interrupted when they saw a falling airship making its way towards the location of their city base. The first captain asked, "The Testudo hasn't been confirmed to have air superiority has it?"

The other answered, "It shouldn't have been. But I think it's clear the-"

The squads found out too late when the fire was shot from the mobile fortress. Upon collision the explosion engulfed all humans within the blast radius leaving no survivors. The city was gone and the Earth Sphere would have no way of warning anyone about what was coming closer to their capital. Even with what little methods the Earth Sphere had in trying to discover the Coalition's path to victory, the walking fortress called the Testudo remained unopposed. It was able to walk over the destroyed remains of the Ursa mobile suits without any resistance while the ashes of the destroyed countryside swept through the winds. For every hour the Testudo continued its way through the destruction, it came ever closer to securing the victory of the Coalition.

The Griffon units were able to continue bombing the mobile suits down below as they saw the Phalanx mobile armors fall to the ground in defeat. There was obvious pride among some units as one exclaimed, "We're doing something right! Those Phalanx units are dying faster than flies in a closed room!"

The leading Captain ordered, "Keep up the assault! We need to support the land units!"

Another unit observed how close the Scutum units were getting to the city and warned, "Those land units look like they'll need to pick up the pace and get to those Scutum units ASAP. It doesn't look like they'll be able to handle too much fire now."

Hyrum managed to continue firing on the Leo III units and started to lose count of how many he had shot down at this point. Possibly seven or eight by now, he couldn't tell seeing how many times he and Campbell had to come to someone's rescue to make sure that the other units were saved. As the casualties continued to mount among the Coalition ranks Hyrum found the best opportunity to attack a Scutum unit signaling, "Captain! That unit over there is wide open!"

His superior saw it as soon as Hyrum announced it and ordered his unit, "Form up and attack! We just need one leg cut down!"

The eight Ursa units began to charge towards the exposed Scutum unit and quickly managed to find themselves surprised by the Scorpio Major. Campbell warned, "Those red units! They're in front!"

The Captain saw the obstacle before his unit but pressed, "Keep charging! Slice and dice as many that get in your way!"

"Admiral. I'm afraid that we have dire news."

Hayden wasn't shaken when he heard the warning given and simply requested, "Present all details."

The operator answered, "We have news of the progression on the Testudo. Regrettably it would seem the Albion has been destroyed before revealing its location. They are currently located in Hannover and are most likely not too much further away."

Hayden nodded at the loss as he kept himself calculating. He gave the order, "Inform the ground forces of the location. Our concentrated attack can soon begin."

"Right away sir."

"Colonel, we have received a report from the Illustrious. The Testudo is passing through the remains of Hannover base right now."

The Colonel was quick to asses the situation of his men when he ordered, "This is it boys. It's time to follow on General Ulbricht's orders. If we're going to find our way out, then we need to circumvent our way around the enemy and towards our target."

One of the captains in an Ursa unit nearby added, "We still have an opening on the west quadrant of the city sir. That should be our way out."

The Colonel accepted this when he told himself, "Even if they are expecting us to make that retreat this is the only way out we have right now." He gave the order, "Prepare to fall back. Use the buildings as cover if necessary, just do everything to get to the Testudo."

Across the city of Berlin, the order had been given. Klaus Ulbricht was able to watch the Earth Sphere mobile suits make their way through the city while the shots of Scutum shells made contact nearby. Against the eruptions of destruction he made his way to his personal jeep while Marcel entered it on the opposite side. It was only a short while before the vehicle made its way out of the headquarters garage as others followed. Marcel gave his gaze to the windows outside when he asked, "Do we have the strategy necessary sir?"

Klaus confirmed the inquiry, "For right now we will make the retreat. But most critical we will avoid all enemy contact. We will keep the northern quadrant on the defensive to prevent the enemy from keeping track of our retreat while the remaining two thirds can make their way out through the unoccupied area. Soon enough we will be able to pursue the Testudo and see to its destruction."

Marcel accepted the decision when he commented, "We shall only need to see to it that the remaining forces in that quadrant are able to hold off the enemy then."

"The assistance of Admiral Chadwick's forces will be enough to even the field. Our concern for now will be to see that we aren't too late in stopping the enemy."

"I will follow the plan General. Shall I send a message to Admiral Chadwick on what we must do?"

"We will require their air support and their efforts to stop the Testudo in its tracks. It may be asking for too much, but they must act on both situations regardless of their numbers."

"Right away General. This is what our men were assigned for." Marcel took hold of a message machine lodged to the back of the driver's seat in front of him and began to type the message to the defending Berlin units."

While things continued to be desperate for the Earth Sphere mobile suits, the Coalition units were still stuck trying to make an advance on the city. The situation seemed unchanging but a report for Rayen Vasquez would give him the announcement he needed to hear.

"General. We have unusual enemy activity on the southern and eastern quadrants."

Rayen opened his eyes when he asked, "What is the activity?"

The operator answered, "The enemy appears to be making a retreat from these sectors. We have the opportunity to advance."

Rayen smiled when he observed, "Excellent. They are now acting just as anticipated. I want this order relayed to all squadrons beginning the offense. Form up on the northern quadrant and prepare to cut off the enemy from advancing in that direction. Retain that position until we have fully concentrated our position and then cut them off from a western progression. All Scutum units are to set their aim on those airships, permit no distraction from the ground forces and see that they hit the ground swiftly."

Another one of the operators confirmed, "Relaying the order now sir."

The first operator to give the report confirmed, "All units are now being transmitted the fourth predetermined strategy for advance."

Rayen sat back as he felt his Scutum unit reposition itself to begin a march towards its target destination. He watched the retreating Earth Sphere mobile suits advancing through the city when he waited with anticipation. "How well prepared are they for such a development?" He asked himself.

The Lindemann brothers made their way through the unoccupied city as buildings nearby made loud crashing sounds with their collapse. Christoph was in the lead as he asked, "What's the state of our forces right now?"

Richard answered, "The General should be out of here now. Seems like the Eastern quadrant isn't the focus of the enemy."

Christian added to the observation, "Seems like they aren't interested in making their way through the city either."

Christoph kept his eyes forward when he said to himself, "Hope that means it's just them trying to find a time to reload." Before the three brothers could offer any other report, they all saw the sight of a squadron of Phalanx units make their way to the border of the city. "Ah shit! Cover!" The three Maganac units ran to the nearest buildings that offered cover as the shots came into range to emit an explosion where they originally stood.

Christian prepared his assault rifle when he asked, "I take it they haven't pulled away for the advance yet?"

Richard leaned around the building when he answered, "It's not like they were going to let us get out of here easy." The two Maganac units stepped out of cover as they fired on the vulnerable attack armors.

One of them exploded after another before Christoph warned, "They're concentrating fire!" The buildings around the three and the roads beneath them crumbled as the three Maganac units made their way away from the blast zone as they scrambled to find cover. Christoph saw the static increase on his interface before he checked his comms device to ask, "How are things looking right now?"

Richard was the first to answer, "We got out somehow. Unfortunately we're back in interference territory."

Christian gave his report, "I can barely get a shot from here, but they're getting ready to fire again if they need to."

Christoph told his brothers, "Stick close and try avoiding getting any further near the headquarters. We can regroup at the Eastern quadrant."

Before they made their way out of the city Christian saw the airships from above making a pass over the city. Even when it seemed safe, there was a barrage of black clouds filling the sky as soon as they came to the edge of the city. He warned, "Better make it quick. Our guys in the sky will need help."

Christoph heard the warning when he wondered, "They're able to aim at the airships?"

Richard pointed out, "only the Scutum units will be able to do serious damage from here. Why would they divert their fire away from the ground forces unless they knew we were trying to pull out of here?"

Christoph briefly wondered about the observation before he recognized the threat to the Earth Sphere military's defensive. "They do realize it. And they're going to try some serious sacrifices to keep us back. Both of you stay behind and hold back the enemy. I have to warn the General about this."

Christian fired towards the front lines of the city when he warned, "Get there without a hitch or the failure to report is on all of us!"

Klaus felt a small amount of relief when he wasn't in the city under siege behind him. He asked Marcel, "What is the status of the retreat?"

Marcel answered, "We are making our way out sir. Our supporters from Britain are pressing forward with the Testudo's destruction. However, it would seem that there is a complication with the move away from the city."

"There can't be. Are they not pressing forward in an effort to claim the city as a defensive position?"

"Not even in the slightest sir. We have reports of no enemy movement towards our headquarters."

Before Klaus could speculate on what the plan was, he heard a heavily static announcement from his radio say, "Attention General. We are requesting your priority attention. Repeat, priority attention."

Klaus answered the request when he commanded, "Relay your report soldier."

The voice of Christoph Lindemann answered, "We've encountered a difficulty with the retreat sir! The enemy is redirecting itself to form on the northern and western quadrants! We can't make a pursuit for the Testudo in our current position!"

Klaus grit his teeth when he heard the report as he observed, "They were anticipating our retreat! Moreover, they are trying to send every last one of their men to block us off!"

Marcel reflected on the strategy when he realized, "They used our ignorance of the Testudo's location to an optimal advantage and now have the determination to allow its advance. Even if it costs the life of every last soldier they have."

Klaus kept his concentration on the battle steady when he ordered, "There is only one path towards the Testudo. All units must now begin a spearhead through the enemy ranks and towards the target."

Marcel tried to offer an alternative strategy when he said, "Do we not have a maneuver around the enemy sir? We risk losing far too many with this plan."

Klaus shook his head when he told Marcel, "Attempting to maneuver around it now will only offer the enemy more time to reach within range. We must make the push now." Have the aerial support offer as much as they are still capable of offering as we press through the enemy lines."

Marcel gave a solemn nod when he accepted, "God help us that we shall not fall here."

The fighting between the two forces had dragged on for long hours as the two sides found the line where the two would not meet each other in close quarters combat. The majority of Phalanx units had been destroyed by the combined efforts of several squadrons while the Griffon units gave every effort they had to take out the enemy units from the air.

This all happened at once when Hyrum and his squadron found themselves charging through the Scorpio Major units and towards the Scutum unit they had targeted. "Rear units defend the flank! Don't let anyone get behind us!"

"The front is probably going to be as much of a problem sir!" One of the pilots following him warned.

The Captain simply commanded, "Just prepare to make a pass at the Scutum's leg! We'll take out the others if we have a chance!"

It was only a few more long moments of blasting through the Scorpio Major units and the Scutum turrets that one of the squad members announced, "We're making the advance Captain! All units prepare beam sabers for the slice!"

The Captain concurred, "Keep it up!" The Ursa units had taken out their beam sabers and made quick swipes at the Scutum units' front legs some of them being able to hit twice. Hyrum couldn't tell who made the final swipe, but he was able to hear his Captain announce their success.

"It's going down! All units pull back to the front lines!" One Scutum unit had been taken down from its legs in at least one victory but there were still another five to worry about. The battle was going to drag on for some time with some wishing that the Coalition had only sent its Phalanx units to make their defense that much easier.

With the orders relayed by the leading men of the Earth Sphere, Christoph contacted the nearest airship, "Bulwark, do we have a clear pushing point?"

The captain of the Bulwark confirmed over his radio, "We are prepared to offer support. Once through we will still have the enemy's attention, so prepare to make an immediate press forward."

Christoph accepted, "We're counting on you guys. We're almost ready to begin."

The three Lindemann brothers had made their way through the city to where the Earth Sphere forces had gathered when the captain of the Bulwark answered, "Here are your coordinates to begin to begin the spearhead. Don't' go off course."

Christoph accepted, "This is a joint effort. Let's see the results."

As soon as he finished speaking with the captain he heard Richard question, "This plan doesn't exactly sound the safest. Anyone can point out how we're leaving ourselves open for a flank."

Before Christoph could answer, Christian simply answered, "It just means the ones in back will have to provide the defense. Be more worried about those Scutums so we can give our sky pals a hand."

Christoph answered, "That's the blunt of it. Let's just be ready to make our way through."

The three brothers assembled at the gathering area for the Earth Sphere mobile suits when they heard the Colonel announce, "All units prepare to make the advance! Press forward to the target!"

There was an unspoken confirmation among the Earth Sphere pilots as they primed the thrusters of their Ursa units and in a gathered push forward saw the enemy units prepare to meet them in combat. A few Scutum units took the lead in guiding the nearby Leo III units to the escaping Earth Sphere forces.

Christoph only had a minor distraction when he heard Hyrum warn, "The Scutum units are being given protection. We might not be able to take down many of them."

Christoph answered, "If we make it past them then we can still make a way for the target. Sorry Bernett, at this rate it is going to turn into a suicide run."

He could hear Hyrum give an audible sigh before telling Christoph, "Just make an effort to support our aerial guys. We're here to make a difference."

Christoph agreed, "And we'll press on with an undeterred promise to our victory. Let's take them down."

Christian agreed to the call when he prepared his assault rifle and shotel for the nearest enemy unit. The line of Earth Sphere mobile suits made their charge while the three Maganac II units made a separate attack on the incoming Scutum unit. Denis saw the attack as he commanded, "Provide covering fire! Let these guys get to the target!"

The Scutum unit was assaulted with a barrage of rifle fire from its right side as the three Maganac units made a dash through the oncoming fire the defending Leo III units offered. Richard weaved around the enemy fire while sending several shots towards the defending enemy lines as he reminded, "Christian! Go for one of the legs! Remember that strategy!"

Christian took lead of the charge when he confirmed, "They just won't be permitted to fire another shell!"

Christian's Maganac unit charged towards the Scutum unit that was targeted as he took several hits but wasn't slowed down in his dash. With shotel in hand he made a dash towards the nearest Scutum unit before making a mighty slash towards the nearest leg of the Scutum. Only an indentation was made but Christian continued to slash at the leg with several passes back and forth to his target.

Hyrum offered supporting fire to the attack when he warned, "The enemy is closing in! He won't last much longer out there!"

Denis ordered, "Support his position! He needs to take that thing down!"

Christian's Maganac unit continued its weave away and in between the Leo III units but continued to see the minor hits to his armor add up. He began to see how dangerous his attack was when he warned, "I'm making this count! This is my last pass!"

With another strike of his shotel he made another fatal strike to the Scutum leg. It hadn't gone down but was reduced to a slow walk as it continued to fire in its defense and towards the airships above. Christoph saw Christian make his way out of the crowd of Leo III units when he ordered, "Open fire on that leg!"

The squadron of Ursa units gave a concentrated attack on the leg that Christian had stricken multiple times before the mighty mobile armor collapsed as the leg snapped from the attack. Richard watched it go down when he added, "The main gun is wide open! Let's take it out!"

One final concentrated attack was given as the top of the Scutum erupted from the attack. The three Maganac units returned to each other's side when Richard pointed out, "You're a little beaten up there Christian. Stay with the group."

Christian responded, "The Scutum is down. That's what's important."

Christoph added, "The airships have more of a clear flight path now. We should be able to get to the Testudo now."

Christian heard this news and commanded, "Then let's move! We have a weapon to take down!"

Christoph accepted his brother's call to battle when he encouraged, "The spearhead is still going strong! Here goes everything!"

With the encouraging words given, the line of Earth Sphere mobile suits made a concentrated push out of the city grounds and towards the Testudo's location.

Rayen watched the burning city in front of him as he heard one of the operators announce, "We have a report on the enemy sir. They are now attempting to break through our advance. Ah... Another one of our Scutum units has gone down sir."

Rayen kept his gaze forward as he rushed his mind to determine the next strategy. he remained calm when he ordered, "Rush forward and break their retreat. Let none of them find their way past our occupied zone."

Another one of the operators warned, "Sir, we have almost exhausted all of our mobile dolls. Our men will be forced to hold the enemy in their current location."

Rayen wasn't discouraged when he answered, "Our men knew they were prepared for a struggle this great. In their final hours they must now give all they have in which we will see the end of Earth's oppression. We are here to see a victory to end all. However, many men must be sent is the number before the end of their suppression can be seen!"

The first operator confirmed, "We will see to the order's execution sir!"

Another operator agreed, "For the freedom of humanity!"

Rayen nodded when he waited for the plans to be acted on and watched the battleground in the distance begin to blaze with new fires. He felt the Scutum he was in move as he was left to tell no one in particular, "Edward, it is on you that this victory now lies. Demonstrate to the world what might can overturn the union of a planet."

Kieran watched the Aquarius make its way into the landing area it was situated on. He kept his enthusiasm low when he tried to be professional when he would meet with Oleg. He didn't pay attention to any of the nearby Leo units that made their way rushed over to the opening cockpit when he saw Oleg reveal himself. "Damn man you put out everything that time. Are you trying to get this piece of work wrecked?"

Oleg lift his cockpit when he answered, "I had twice the target to take down and had to bring out twice the payload is all."

"Eh don't give yourself that much credit. From the looks of it only one of the airships was actually wrecked to the point of going down."

"The goal was to make sure we were able to destroy another enemy strong point. After everything I did today alone, if I don't even get a promotion, I don't know how thankless I would be able to call the Coalition."

Oleg had removed his helmet and made his way out of the cockpit seat when Kieran reminded, "And I thought you didn't have such aims from the start Oleg. But just because we get new vacancies in our positions does not mean you can expect to be considered right away."

Oleg shrugged when he accepted, "I guess that whatever comes to pass is what I'll be able to call my piece of legacy and that will be all I can take as a side benefit."

Kieran kept himself from raising his voice when he asked, "I take it that's what's this has been to you now? Really man you didn't have much of a fighting spirit when you started and now you're just trying to treat this whole thing like it's just another work day for you? I would think by now that you would have more of a spirit than that."

Oleg turned to face Kieran when he answered, "You're right. I was never even meant to be a soldier when I was younger but after all that has happened, I've determined something that is true regardless of what our position is. I'm not here to fight for anyone bigger than me or anyone who claims to be bigger than me. I'm here to make sure that I never have to be subjected to an oppressive time. I'm here only because I believe in what this giant walking hunk of bolts is able to do. Not for anyone who wants to call me a buddy or an underling." Kieran let go of what thought he had in trying to correct Oleg when he watched him make his way across the scaffolding and heard him say, "Be sure you get the Aquarius back in top condition before the next stop."

Kieran turned to face the Aquarius with a slightly defeating feeling, "Yeah, right before we start the victory parade. Sure thing."

Admiral Demetrios Kontoyannis continued to wait as his fleet made their pursuit of the Solaris shuttle. He was left to only observe the few images of the Solaris he was given from earlier reports but was still impressed by what the Earth Sphere was able to achieve. "Truly a work that involved the blood and sweat of many hard-working men and women." He told himself.

His Vice Admiral was in agreement when he added, "There must be a number of redundancy systems the shuttle had to make it so difficult to take control of. I do hope the worst scenario does not come to pass."

Demetrios nodded when he simply ordered, "We will see if the Earth Sphere is wiling to sacrifice so many years worth of work once we have prevented them from utilizing it. Right now, I shall have to offer the news for Captain Keaney and his pilots."

The Vice Admiral accepted the order, "Yes sir. They shall arrive shortly." He walked towards the nearest door as he opened it to allow Devon and the pilots to line in formation before the Admiral.

Demetrios gave a salute to the awaiting men and began, "So if the previous transmission is to be believed from the words of Lieutenant Kiprotich, then General Fedorov rebelled against the name of the Coalition cause. Lucky for all you I have nothing but your word to go off of and due to some evidence of damage we have seen from the last transmission it seems that Mars indeed has attempted to go independent." He gave his own idea of what might have happened with the infiltration by adding, "If I am looking at the situation correctly then I must believe that you have been able to find something that Fedorov's men had overlooked. Add to that and the ability to infiltrate the dome as well as take the Scorpio Majors by surprise you are either overdue for promotion or there were some forces you encountered for assistance."

He needed to hear from Tano's lips about what happened when he asked, "Tell me now Lieutenant. Who was it that assisted you in the surprise attack and how did the rebels manage to launch Solaris right past us?"

Tano gave another salute before he answered the Admiral's question, "I received information on tunnels under Mars that were previously mined for resources from a few soldiers stationed on Mars." He explained. "I have used them to my advantage to catch the traitors by surprise. With the attack, the power generator for the SCABs was destroyed and the Solaris has used this chance to escape."

The Admiral considered everything Tano was able to accomplish with the problems before them, "I see. Fair method. Your inability to keep the Solaris from being taken into enemy hands and allowing it to be sent to wherever its target location is now is rather unfortunate however." He turned back to the battle screen, "It is in the past however. You shall all have your second chances when we make contact with the Solaris. It is imperative that we take it back or destroy it should that prove to be impossible."

"Yes, sir." Tano responded.

Demetrios ended the meeting when he told the pilots, "With your case for now resolved, you shall all return to the hangar and await further orders. Dismissed."

Devon and Tano gave a salute as they left the bridge to return to the hangar with the pilots behind them. The Mobile Suits were being repaired by the engineers of the ship at a fast pace for their coming operation against the Solaris. The pilots under Tano's command took the time to rest from incredibly long day thanks to Federov. They're now back to fighting the Gundams now instead of Scorpio Majors. He sat on a crate and oversaw the Sagittarius' maintenance. He wasn't going to let the Gundams escape but he had a feeling that there was some distrust from the Admiral. He hopes that he isn't another defector.

As one of the British airships made its way to the location of the Coalition super weapon, Hayden noted, "The Testudo mobile armor is down there. It appears the higher ups were correct in their assumption." He ordered into his intercom, "All units stay on standby! We're going to take out that fortress down there!"

One of the operators reported, "All squadrons are waiting for your order sir!"

Another one found the Aquarius and the Leo IIIs making their way behind the airships and warned, "Sir! We have enemy contact with their squadron!"

"The enemy has the sent just one squadron against us?"

"It appears so sir! They have flight capabilities and there's a blue one leading them!"

"Lindemann's pet project I assume. Send the main squadrons of our ship to make contact with the enemy! Don't let it bring any damage!"

"We'll do that sir! All squadrons man your battle stations!"

Once the Griffon units made their pass towards the rear of the ship one of the units reported, "The enemy has been located sir! The Aquarius is back here command! We'll begin the attack now!

Three hours had passed since the Coalition made the first advance towards the Berlin capital and the fighting was not making any progress to ending. The reinforcements of Britain had proven to be a setback for the Coalition forces as they continued to fire on their ground superiority but were too few in number to make the turnaround immediate. With one of the airships taken down, the risk of the Testudo being stopped in its tracks was becoming less likely

As Edward watched the progressing German countryside with the same level of dedication as he had for the last few hours. He heard Bertram report, "General Vasquez has upheld his command sir. We have been given a new squadron to prepare our defenses. Mechanic McNeil has informed me that damages to the Aquarius were minimum and will be prepared for a defense or offense if necessary."

Edward nodded when he confirmed, "I imagined he would be timely enough to come to our assistance. We are soon to proceed into the final throws of the enemy's defense. The only stratagem we need follow now is to see that the enemy capital can still be captured."

Bertram nodded when he added, "We will need to see that our forces are allocated properly then. There may yet still be some resistance on their part afterward."

Edward wasn't any less determined when he simply answered, "Even should that be so, the end of their governing body alone will be enough to render their dedication as little more than a short lived ambition."

With the Testudo remaining uninterrupted in its march, the operators were able to find the city of Munster before them. "We are reaching within target range sir. The British reinforcements are leaving away from the city."

Edward then heard one of the operators announce, "General, we have new enemy signatures making their way to our location."

Edward kept his gaze forward when he ordered, "Maintain our current course. See that our squadron is prepared to make another aerial launch. The enemy will surely be more determined by now."

Bertram turned to check the holographic map when he confirmed, "They were only capable of doubling their effort. Our forces have done their job on the Berlin fronts quite well.

Edward kept his gaze forward when he answered, "Regardless of the effect our ground forces may have, our aerial disadvantage keeps the Testudo in a vulnerable position. Our primary efforts must now lie with seeing the airships destroyed. Once we arrive within range of Munster there can be no alternative situation than to see both of the airships forced to the ground."

Bertram considered the strategy briefly before he agreed, "The enemy is certainly in a perfect position for them to be located. Unfortunately, those airships will still provide a bit of a challenge to take down. Unless we were willing to spend energy trying to shoot them down from the sky."

"Not an option at this time. At least they won't be an issue if we take them out along with the city."

"Yes. This is what the aerial squadron has been designed for. It may be quite an issue however considering just how we only have one squadron against their numbers."

"And we have Aquarius as well as a more efficient plan."

"And you are confident in Private Tsubarov's ability to destroy both of them?"

"He must be. Regardless of his skill he knows that he is a soldier who must have the dedication to go beyond what is demanded of him."

Oleg kept watching the Aquarius as he waited for his order before hearing Bertram announce, "All pilots prepare for launch. Prepare for aerial assault on contact with the enemy."

Kieran popped his head out of the loose panel of the Aquarius' left shoulder when he asked, "You aren't too shaken up to be ready for another attack are you Oleg?"

Oleg prepared his helmet as Kieran hastily screwed the panel back in place. Oleg answered, "No reason to be. Everyone who leaves this base puts their life on the line and they chose if they come back or not."

Kieran slid down to the nearest scaffolding when he commented, "I'm just glad I'm not out there."

"Why? Are you afraid to die?"

"No. Because I have a feeling that I have no friends who will have enough of a disposition to care about who does die."

"I guess we have all gotten to that point haven't we?"

Kieran turned to accept, "Some of us just aren't as resigned to meet our final fate as others. Just be sure to ask yourself where you see yourself if you do make it back alive."

Oleg was left with nothing to respond when he saw Kieran make his way to the nearest computer panel. He was left with a brief period where he was able to reflect on what warning Kieran had given. He watched his cockpit rise up to present his computer interface before he gave a belated response, "That's pretty optimistic of estimating our odds."

He heard the voice of Bertram on the intercom announce, "All pilots confirm your battle stations."

Oleg knew the other pilots were giving their answer when he replied, "Aquarius is prepared for launching."

He then saw an image of his superior on his computer announce, "Tsubarov! Your command is to take down all of the British airships. Force them to make ground contact and once they are disabled return to base!"

Oleg heard the order and agreed, "Yes sir!" He announced his preparedness, "Go Aquarius!"

There was a familiar rush as he felt himself pushed against the force of the launch to the skies, but soon found himself in familiar territories when his target was coming ever closer. Oleg found the nearest British airship and began to work on the engines with the heat rods. Upon the first strike the damage had become visible while the Aquarius thrust its heat rod every which way to throw off any missiles or turrets that were nearby. He ordered to the Griffon squadron behind him, "Stand by and cover me! First one is about to go down!"

He heard from the leading unit, "We've got several Griffon squads closing in on us Aquarius! That work is going to have to be quick!"

Oleg found the Griffon squads flying in and preparing to fire on the blue mobile suit. "Not surprising. Time for some real damage!" He made another strike with the head rod but was stopped when he found a Griffon sweep in and prepare to fire on him. "Try and stop me will ya?" Taking his rods out of the hull the Aquarius launched them towards the Griffon units. They were now trying to maneuver around the rods but the strikes were more wide than any of them had anticipated. A series of explosions only helped to further damage the airship and with a final strike managed to take out the engine room of the airship.

"That's the first one down! Hope the Testudo is ready for a big one!" Oleg proclaimed as the ship began to fall to the ground.

Once the Aquarius took off and made its way towards the next airship, he heard the pilot of a Leo III unit congratulate, "Nice work Tsubarov! Let's see how many we can take down before the cannon gets in range!"

"If you can get one down then be sure to lend me that rifle Private!"

The leading unit cut into the conversation when he reminded him, "You're not a superior officer yet Tsubarov. Try and remember who you're working with."

"Yeah sure. Let's just get less talking and more destroying out there!" The battle continued as the damage was made and the ships had begun to go down one by one.

An amount of time had passed and the Testudo had begun to go within range. Oleg heard the leading Leo III unit warn, "The Testudo is about to fire! It's time we high tail it out of here!"

"Sorry I couldn't take out the last one. Must be off today."

"Taking down just one is going above the call of duty Private. Just fly back and enjoy the fireworks." It was only a little while later when the wreckage that surrounded the city of Munster had been engulfed in the blast of the Testudo cannon just like Hannover before it. Whatever chaos there was on the ground before had been calmed when the mobile fortress destroyed the city in its way.

Oleg landed on the Testudo's hull and prepared for another launch if he was needed. He took the time to contemplate to himself on the state of the war at this point. "I wonder how many people have died in this crossfire by now? Whatever the number I hope that not too many more have to pay the price." He recalled Zelma's words on what might have been justifiable for the course of a war and began to wonder how much of the pain and suffering might be on his hands. There were many who would be dead at this point that widows and families everywhere would pay a great price just to see that his own could live a good life again.

To both situations he forced himself to conclude, "I've committed to this course now. I'm with the winning side and I will see that those suits in Brussels pay for their schemes."

Once the engines were destroyed on the hull of the leading airship there was a quick spread of panic among the crew as shown by one of its operators, "Admiral! We're going down! Our rear engine hull has been destroyed!"

The Admiral saw that his options were limited, and they could only hope for their situation to get better when they endured their defeat. "All hands brace for impact! Launch all Griffon units immediately!"

As the Griffon squadrons made their way off the ship one of the operators commented on their situation to the Admiral, "Sir shouldn't we try to get out of here?"

"Our only option is to land this ship! That mobile suit and the rest of the following squad is moving to another one of our ships! We might be able to make an escape if we land!"

"Yes sir, we'll begin the landing procedure!" The operator announced to the crew on the intercom, "All hands brace for impact!"

Another operator found the same situation on one of the lesser airships warning, "Another one is going down sir! They're landing within our perimeter!"

The Admiral was able to confirm it was going down just looking outside and rushed to his intercom asking, "Bulwark this is the Illustrious! Are you prepared for landing? We may need to begin an evacuation!"

The voice on the other line answered, "This is the Bulwark! We are preparing for landing procedures! Requesting rally point!"

"We must make our way to Berlin! It is the only way we'll be able to return to our Griffon squadrons!"

"Understood Admiral! We shall Begin to move out once we've landed!"

The Testudo had continued its march with only minimal interruption but was now prepared to set itself for another target. The top cannon moved only slightly while its feet clenched the ground beneath it. Within the control room of the Testudo, Edward watched the remaining airships make their crash landing near the target city. His opportunity for another sight of the Testudo's power came when one of the operators announced, "We are now within range of the enemy city General."

Edward gave his command, "Prepare the main cannon."

A brief few seconds passed before he was told, "The cannon is primed and ready sir."

Edward answered, "Fire." At that order, the Testudo fired its main cannon once again and the beam of light shot towards the city of Munster.

Over the course of the destruction the Aquarius had taken down almost all of the airships holding the Griffon units. Hayden had his truck prepared along with several other soldiers who observed the noise and destruction occurring around them.

They were safely outside the city believing they wouldn't be seen by the enemy as they waited for the others to arrive. It had been a few minutes before the other trucks managed to find their way towards Hayden's location. Once the other trucks were gathered Hayden ordered, "We must get out of here! Don't let th-" It was too late when the shot from the Testudo came to destroy the city of Munster. In that moment both the ships and the city had been decimated within the blast.

An eruption of light that had become so familiar had destroyed another city while Edward and Bertram watched with solid observation of the destruction. Edward was not shaken in the slightest when he gave an additional order, "Continue the advance. We are now reaching ever closer to our target destination."

One of the operators accepted, "Yes sir. Continuing course to final destination."

Bertram remained next to Edward when he observed, "The might of the Testudo has truly come to leave its mark on the Earth now."

Edward agreed, "Should circumstances allow, this will be the final necessary use for this weapon's destructive power."

"Our final use will be determined once we have arrived within range of the enemy capital. It shall be on them if they should chose to defy us to the last man standing."

"Should the enemy still be capable of offering a resistance that is worth y of our strength, so will the time come when we must remind them of their place."

"Your confidence may be grounded upon something Edward, however you must see that a war sees its end once there are no longer men who believe their cause is one worth dying for." Bertram gestured to the holographic map behind them when he showed the progressing rush of Earth Sphere mobile suits making their way through the surrounding line that the Leo III units and Phalanx units had done everything to establish. Even with the strength of the defense, there still managed to be a number of signatures making their way towards the Testudo.

Edward wasn't concerned about the situation when he answered, "The convictions of a man in his desire to wage a war can be distilled once they see what they fought for is on the verge of being completely eliminated. They may harbor hatred hereafter, but they will sooner see what they have fought for be kept captive rather than see it be forever lost. No Bertram. There is only one period in which war comes to its end. It is the day which there is no man left who has true ambition to reap what can be gained from such an unending conflict."

Bertram smiled when heard Edward's words and added, "You are certainly correct in that there are so few men of remarkable ambition. Years of such conflict as we have witnessed would weigh down on the will of many average men. From all I have seen however, you sir are not to be dismissed as such a man."

Edward agreed to the observation when he answered, "My father raised me to be nothing less than such. Now with the era of conflict between space and Earth once again, I am to soon solidify my place as among the true victors to the turning page of history."

At that observation, both Edward and Bertram watched the countryside progress from their front window as it came closer to the ashes of what was once the city of Munster. With what damage the Testudo had taken, it continued to march forward with the men who would see a new deciding chapter in history soon to unfold. Edward had become stoic in a statuesque observation as he held back his enthusiasm for what he knew would determine his existence for many years to come.

One of the leading units Griffon squads had a horrified thought that the Admiral was dead. He made a desperate call, "Admiral! Are you out of the blast radius?!" There was no way around it now. The Admiral and much of the top crew had been destroyed. "It looks like they've been taken in the blast radius."

One of the following units asked, "What do we do now? That mobile fortress is probably going to continue making its way towards some target!"

"14th Squadron report to Berlin! Warn General Ulbricht that the Testudo is still continuing across the country!"

The leader of the squadron agreed, "Done sir! We're on our way now!"

He went back to preparing for another battle when he saw the Testudo marching across the crater Schwerin had become, "Alright let's sweep down and see if we can make that egg crack! All squads begin the descent!" The 14th squad had begun to make its way across the battlefield when the other remaining squads began to attack.

The leading unit heard a transmission from one of the airships, "14th! This is the Rhiannon! We are requesting a status update on the other Griffon units!"

"They're going to be attempting an attack on the Testudo sir! It's probably the best idea that the Excalibur and the Albion fly over and try to avoid any enemy fire!"

"It's probably the only way that we're getting out of here alive now. Form up and we'll try to assist! We'll just need to hope that the Coalition doesn't have any plans on catching up with us today!"

At that suggestion it was decided, "Copy that Rhiannon! 14th! Form up and cover the remaining ships! We can't let our casualties get any higher now!"

Arch managed to find some enjoyment in the concealment of the identities but wouldn't allow that period of amusement to hold him back. Having acquired his own Ursa unit he was able to make an escape from the hangar of the Solaris. He wasn't permitted a chance for his own safety though when he saw several blasts shoot past him.

More than a dozen Ursa units had followed him with the intention of seeing to his capture. His unit flourished a blaster rifle as he offered a first shot to make contact with his pursuers. The explosion resulting from the destruction of the Ursa damaged the Solaris but he was able to remain stuck to the shuttle when he reached for the nearest panel his Ursa could grasp. With even such minimum fortitude he was able to remain stable while firing on the incoming Ursa units.

He watched his shots fly through the area of conflict as one shot after another brought about an explosion to mark the end of another enemy. Even when he could see the enemy units meet their end he saw them making an advance ever closer to his position. "They have fortitude alright." Arch observed to himself. "Now. Do they have resilience?"

He let go of his grip before allowing his Ursa unit to fall further behind. He found himself out of range of the enemy of the enemy units but now had difficulty taking aim as well. Against what his interface was warning him however, he fired in the general direction of the Ursa units to see only one explosion erupt before he shuffled his mobile suit around the shuttle surface. With the force of the shuttle's velocity on his side he was able to fall further out of line from his enemies but saw them make an advance at a more determined speed than they first used. "Good on you all to catch onto my trick."

Arch offered another volley of fire from his assault rifle only to see them make a dividing formation to flank him on both sides. He kept his guard lifted as he saw the remaining Ursa units make their attack before he readied his assault rifle to fly against the incoming shots. More Ursa units erupted in a blaze of destruction but he saw two remaining Ursa units make one final advance to his position.

As he looked behind him he saw he had run out of space to escape as he was so close to the engine thrusters of the Solaris. He made a leap with his unit but the Ursa unit to his right managed to clip off part of his mobile suit's leg before he spun out of control. "D-Damn it!" Arch said before he saw the other remaining unit fire its assault rifle in his direction. The incoming shot was the last thing he saw of his skirmish as his sight went to a complete blank.

The visor that blinded Arch's vision slid out of the view of his eyes when he was given a view of the leaderboard for the results of the exercise he had gone through. "There. You see? No one is undefeatable." Zachariah pointed out. The squadron of Leo pilots and Martian soldiers gave each other pats in approval of their performances while Nasir pointed out, "I'll admit he is good. Sounds like we can give him more than I thought as far as credit."

Mercurio was nearby when he agreed, "He even managed to pull it off without help from the Gundams for that matter."

Roy bumped him when he commented, "Don't give yourself that much credit kid. As a pilot, you're about as expendable as anyone else around here."

Donna was the next to point out in the conversation, "If anything it just shows that Arch is able to hold his own as long as he has the weapons necessary."

Ludwika agreed with the comment when she added, "That's if he has the bare minimum anyway. Seriously, this kid has a ranking up to par with you three. Any one of you is lost we have an easy second choice to replace you with."

Dana took a look on the leaderboards Ludwika was referring to where she saw Arch in a respectable top five ranking. Even with the fact confirmed she reminded, "We aren't here to anticipate any of us dying any time soon. Right now we'll just use this info to keep Arch on the front lines."

Keijo agreed with the reminder when he reminded, "We are the ones here who are just making sure that Operation Rising Himalayas is able to go by without a hitch. The Gundam pilots are the ones who need to be given special protection."

Trenton was next when he agreed, "Piloting those things sure are a chore and a half as it is. I'm not even a little jealous of any of you guys."

Dana nodded when she told them, "We're done for the day. Let's get just a little shut eye before we have to prepare with tomorrow's PT."

Gawel rolled his shoulders when he accepted, "Can't lose one wink Arch. The Captain's known to be very punctual and aggressive when it comes to this part of military regulation."

Roy waited for the three Gundam pilots to leave the virtual training room before he warned Arch, "They might be trying to act friendly, just realize that they aren't that much empathetic towards us."

Ludwika smacked him in the head from behind when she told him, "We aren't here to start rumors either. Now quit being such a jealous bitch."

Zachariah agreed with her when he added, "We made our last mission work because we coordinated as a team. Do you think starting distrust is going to help somehow?"

Roy crossed his arms when he answered, "And we aren't here to make friends either. We've probably lost a lot of guys back there on Mars as it is."

The pilot known as Suchart came to the gathering of pilots when he asked, "Do you think maybe it would be a good idea for Arch here to come up with his own conclusion? He's supposed to be a team player like the rest of us."

Nasir reminded him, "We thought that Blaylock was on our side too. Doesn't really change the fact that he's a guy with a gun and the ability to pilot a mobile suit."

Arch entered the conversation when he told them, "Speaking of me being my own man, I think I have the right to give my own opinion on this matter."

Ludwika accepted his request to speak when she told him, "This happens when there's a few too many loud mouths trying to complicate the situation. Regardless of how things are on Earth, you can come to your own conclusion if our side was worth fighting for."

Arch nodded when he told the remaining pilots, "If I was here to make a sabotage, I would have tried a little harder to keep the Solaris grounded for an hour or two so that I could have boarded more guys who could support me. My folks have put me through the proper training but not to be a bonafide soldier like all of you."

Suchart added, "You might not want to sell us the whole thing of you being a frail soldier there. There are people who think that it just makes you more suspicious."

Trenton was next to him when he pointed out, "Even if he was more of a soldier than his is, it's not like he could do much on his own. Let's just lay off the interrogation and let him show how much of a help to the cause he is."

Arch was happy to hear a more collective round of acceptance when he offered, "I think it's just great to know there are more than a few Gundam pilots around here. It sure doesn't make the trip boring."

Zachariah gave his input on the observation when he told Arch, "Unfortunately we can't say that we're here just to provide company for the Gundam pilots. They need a support team to make sure they're in line and well... Turns out we all drew the short straws."

Roy stood next to Zachariah when he warned, "He knows enough about our situation as it is."

Nasir gave an agreeing comment, "It's not like we were hoping to get settled into this whole escort mission. Just try and picture this Arch. We have to take a round trip from one planet to another and we need to make sure this big metal torpedo we're on can get to its destination. Just the slightest deviation from our initial plan can be enough to start raising suspicion and make us all weary."

Ludwika pushed Nasir in the direction of the hallways when she told him, "How about we try and build an argument for him to stay on our side? He's probably coming up with his own critique with every second you try to show off our humanity."

Nasir shrugged when he walked away telling her, "Sorry for being a new guy and being able to catch on so fast." The remaining Ursa pilots made their way out of the training area until Zachariah and Arch were left o be the last ones to exit.

Arch observed, "Quite eccentric. It's pretty impressive that everyone is able to remain so committed even in the face of such overwhelming odds. Even dissenters must have pretty solid reason for wanting Earth to come out as the victor."

Zachariah confirmed, "Just about everybody here has a story of some kind kid. Dedication to a cause is powerful enough to build a whole army and we're walking proof that's the case. With how close to over this war probably is though, you might only get a glimpse of what that trust is like."

Arch shrugged at the idea when he accepted, "I would hope that it ends in our favor. Right now, I just want this to be our turning point against the Coalition." He looked up at the ceiling as though he was looking to the sky out of habit. "I didn't want it to turn out this way Mom. Pops. One day you'll both be able to see a truly free humanity."

General Alphonse de Lombard checked behind him as he saw his French units still moving forward to make their way towards the Berlin defense. Alphonse inquired of his strategist, "Have we heard of any progress in Berlin?"

His strategist answered, "We have received word that the main forces are making a retreat from the city defense line. General Ulbricht has informed us that he hopes to see the destruction of the Testudo if they are able to pinpoint its exact location."

Alphonse wasn't encouraged by the words when he reminded, "We may be able to rendezvous with them at the retreat point, but we are no closer to preventing the Coalition from closing in on the capital. We cannot allow our fellow men to fall at the enemy's hands."

Before he had a chance to find a new strategy, he heard his Lieutenant General report, "General. We have now received word from General Ulbricht on their progress! They have recently reported on the destruction of Munster and are hoping to cut off the enemy from their advance."

Alphonse ordered, "Have all units press double time to the General's location. We must see that he is given the assistance necessary."