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 22: Apex of Despair

As the Testudo took out the city before them along with what airships had been shot down Blare was able to observe the damage that had been done along with the enemy's last attempt at an offense. He knew of his success before one of the operators announced, "The attack has been successful General! The enemy airships have begun to make their escape!"

The General observed the lack of obstacles before his machine's progress ordering, "Excellent work. Continue forward at our current course."

Edward ordered to the operators of the Testudo fortress, "Power our shields and target any Griffon units that arrive within our range!" He had already come so far into enemy territory that no one would have imagined it possible until today. He would not allow the Testudo to be destroyed because of that same mistake he permitted.

He heard one of the operators issue the command, "Yes General! All turret hands prepare for combat! We have enemy units gathering at our position! All hands fire!" It had been another series of long stretches through the battle as the Testudo turrets fired on the incoming Griffon squadrons.

As the turrets offered every supporting shot they could muster, the Aquarius made a leap into the air as high as it dispersed its virus to the nearby Griffon units to cause them to fly without any proper direction. The sight of it destroying multiple units at once gave hopes for many of the Coalition personnel below. One Griffon unit after another fell down from the air as they let a rain of fire fall from the destruction when the Aquarius used its arm cannon to fire on one after another while using its heat rods to slice away at every nearby unit that came within striking distance.

The enthusiasm for the spectacle of what the Aquarius was capable of was restrained as the men within the control room of the Testudo waited in the Testudo's advance. Bertram remained next to Edward when he confirmed Edward's thoughts. "It would seem you won't allow the enemy to accomplish the same sabotage they had initially utilized."

Edward confirmed the observation when he added, "We are within an advantageous position with our defenses. So long as the Aquarius remains vigilant to our victory, we will not fall within the same pitfall that we have previously." He then added to his previous order to the operators, "Maintain our ammunition. Let our squadron land and prepare for fortress defenses."

After giving the order, Bertram pointed, "The Aquarius has arrived within loading General."

Edward used his computer panel when he patched a signal to the Aquarius when he demanded, "Private. You will report on the assault."

He heard Oleg reported, "The attack was successful sir! The enemy will be receiving minimal reinforcements and the Griffon units shouldn't provide any trouble!"

The General congratulated Oleg's performance, "Your assistance has been valuable for our forces Private. Return to the hangar and standby for repairs."

Oleg returned to a state of calm when he agreed, "Gladly sir. I'll be ready for whatever is next out there."

It had been a fairly short flight for the remaining airships along with the 14th squadron to make its way towards the rear of the retreating Earth Sphere forces but even when they arrived the fighting had still been going on. The Captain of the Excalibur airship reported, "Berlin Command this is the Excalibur. We are prepared to offer what assistance we can."

The voice of Klaus came through when he thanked, "Great to see you arrive Excalibur. Is the remainder of the fleet still behind?"

"Negative Command. That's what we need to warn you about. The Testudo is making its way through the German countryside and it is most likely making its way towards the capital."

The day had just gone from bad to worse as the General realized how dire the situation continued to be. "The Coalition continues to have us distracted."

The Captain had a dire warning when the "The Aquarius is also following it. It alone managed to take out almost all of our ships."

"We must prepare to charge after the defense. Keep the rear defenses of the retreating forces at bay in which we may permit the attack to continue."

"Yes General. We will hold them back for as long as necessary. Ensure that your safety is a key priority to continue leading the men."

"Continue with your duty then Captain. I will ensure that we do not have to endure a failure so critical."

The French forces continued their advance towards the city of Berlin while remaining vigilant for the possible threat the Coalition would have offered. Although Klaus would hope to hear good news from the continuing effort to hold back the Testudo, he would soon hear from General Alphonse de Lombard of a united effort. "Berlin Defenses, do you copy? This is General de Lombard with the French Division."

Klaus answered the call as he welcomed, "We read you French Division. You've managed to arrive within a reasonable period. Our forces need assistance in holding back the enemy for our pursuit. Continue your advance and await any further updates."

Alphonse agreed to the strategy, "We read you General." He tuned into his Lieutenant General and ordered, "All units are to remain on course. We must be prepared to assist with the Berlin forces in the pursuit."

"Yes sir. We will report on any further update for the pursuit.

As the long and arduous task of marching the Testudo across the German countryside continued, Oleg had begun to reflect on the situation he was now waiting for. He did so as he remained to himself without any interest in the Testudo crew around him. This period was interrupted however when Kieran leapt down from the top of the Aquarius and offered Oleg company. "You waiting for a reason to leave the hangar bay man? There's a chance we aren't even going to be called out for anything."

Oleg watched the countryside scrolling past the view of his window when he answered, "A chance for sure. Doesn't meant the enemy isn't going to attempt a last second attack. They aren't going to give up a fight when they're this close to the capital."

Kieran approached him and added, "From all I can tell you just want to be in this thing just to make sure you come out alive. Is everything that your fellow pilots struggled for just some trivial matter for you still?"

Oleg paused before he was able to give an answer. He considered everything that he had been through with Aglaii and the soldiers who believed there was a cause greater than themselves and how far they were willing to risk their livelihood from such a dangerous conflict. He ultimately had a simple answer for such a question. "Yeah. For me, this is all I need. It's not as though any of us were meant to achieve something great anyway."

Kieran was silent for a brief few seconds before deciding, "That's how you've been ever since we let you on board the Testudo. Somehow you were just fortunate enough to be able to pick the winning team."

Oleg confirmed the reminder when he added, "I wouldn't have been able to join the Earth Sphere if I wanted to anyway. There're more than a few people who run the Earth Sphere military who would look at my surname alone and assume that I'm out for some kind of revenge by infiltrating their ranks. My granduncle just left me and my folks out there in the cold wastelands to fend for ourselves and when the Earth Sphere was created, it was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for human equality."

Kieran gave a solemn nod when he added, "And then it didn't happen. The recession was able to hit everyone hard and it seems like you and your folks were hit as hard as mine."

"After that it was just my folks trying to scrounge up a living by living off the land and repairing mechanical equipment. As you might have guessed, only one of those options was easy to actually make something resembling a living."

"Yeah. The return of the mobile suits on the Earth Sphere side must have been a blessing. Hell, you looked like you hadn't seen a machine before when you first saw us arrive. I saw you from the window you're looking out now in fact."

"That sure was the case. My folks were able to find work in Moscow thanks to this change. I'm' just here to build some financial security now so they don't have to go through what happened in the recession."

"And you think you might be a special case?" Both Oleg and Kieran turned to see another man enter their conversation. Oleg was able to recognize him as one of the pilots for the squadron of the Testudo. He was one of the few pilots who he could recall making his way back alive every time.

Oleg wasn't intimidated by the pilot's question when he answered, "Well it happened to me didn't it? That's really all I can give a shit about."

The pilot reminded him, "The recession didn't just hit Earth. Most of humanity does live in the colonies nowadays and they were able to feel the blunt of such effects until the Coalition was able to establish its place on L2. All of this because the whole terraformation of Mars was such an expensive money pit that didn't seem to be getting any closer to one day becoming a reality."

Oleg confirmed the fact when he added, "And that's why we even have such a grand scale war as we do now. Your point being that I should try to consider what everyone around me has been forced to endure I take it?"

The pilot shook his head when he corrected, "It's why I have to make sure that the guys around me aren't going to try anything that would put this final offense in jeopardy. My folks are dead but I still have a few friends I'm hoping to return to and I don't want to see it sabotaged by some kid whose loyalty is so thin."

Oleg brushed off the warning when he told him, "If the Earth Sphere was willing to pay more for my services, you would have known it by now. The closest thing to contact I've ever had has been with Agent Zelma, wherever she decided to run off to."

Kieran entered the observation of Oleg's character when he told the pilot, "End thing to take away from this is that Tsubarov doesn't exactly plan on taking us down with the Aquarius himself at this point. We apparently pay him too good for it Mr..."

The pilot nodded when he offered, "Just call me Celso. Nice to formally meet both of you this time."

Oleg accepted the name when he answered, "If you've been assigned to keep an eye on me, that just gives me the incentive to bore you as much as possible. See you out on the field."

Celso walked away when he told them, "Makes my job quite a bit easier. Just be glad that Captain Belyakova isn't here to hear words like those."

Oleg had a brief feeling of guilt when he heard those words but turned away back to the window when he continued to watch the passing countryside. Kieran asked, "Sounds like that's what it must be. I'm sure the captain wouldn't be pleased to see you this withdrawn."

Oleg gave a small confession, "She always was concerned about me as a team player it seemed like. I don't think I'll ever be able to know what the full description of her as a soldier was all this time."

Kieran kept his guilt at bringing up the conversation from getting control of him when he observed, "We're all at risk of losing someone and for all we know, each death is causing another big change for the human race as a whole."

Oleg wasn't shaken by the words when he simply accepted, "When it all ends, that's when we'll learn who the real changers of humanity will be."

As the uncertainty continued to be prevalent among the occupiers of the Testudo, the desperation for a meaningful victory was very much alive among the Earth Sphere forces. Even after having broken through the line the Coalition intended for the Berlin defenses, there was still a mighty battle that would not end in the current hours.

Hyrum was able to recognize the danger as he continued to make a dash in his Ursa unit while Coalition units gathered to make a new offensive. "God damn it! How much are they going to risk?" He found himself asking. Before the Coalition units made contact with his location, he watched several bursts of fire descend to the ground to bring forth a series of explosions.

He heard Campbell contact him when he was asked, Our airship pals are still supporting us I take it? How long is it before they take down the Testudo?"

Hyrum kept looking behind him to see that he was still clear of enemy fire before he answered, "I've got no idea. We haven't even heard the first indication of how much damage they've dealt." He changed his channel to find Richard when he asked, "Any word on whether or not the Testudo is down?"

Richard shook his head when he answered, "Only word on Admiral Chadwick. We've just sent three big fliers for them all to get decimated. Sorry to say, but it looks like we're going to be the ones who have to take the thing down."

Hyrum took a few breaths before he accepted, "Things are just going to keep getting more and more tense aren't they? Let's see if we can get there in time."

Campbell wasn't as hopeful when he reluctantly accepted, "God damn. This is what I signed up for wasn't it?"

Richard confirmed the question when he told him, "We're in a group effort. This is going to be our last chance to stop the Coalition from winning, now let's keep going!"

Even as the Coalition came closer to victory with each step of the Testudo, Rayen was able to watch the progress of the mighty weapon on his personal computer screen with the aerial view he was provided. While he was able to hold the line against the Earth Sphere making an advance as he had planned, he knew what the enemy mobile suits would soon attempt. He ordered, "Press all Scutum units towards the front of the lines. Have them suppress the airships and prepare our forces to charge the enemy's advance from behind."

One of the operators acknowledge the order when he reported, "Our advancing forces are in the proper positions to allow for the advance of the nearby Scutums."

Another one of the operators reported, "General, our forces are taking too much damage from the aerial assault. We might not be able to handle the offense for much longer."

Rayen was not intimidated by the warning when he told him, "The men knew going in that this is the sort of danger they were prepared for. What we must see is that the outcome is worthy of what they are willing to press for their sacrifice. We shall not allow for any compromise other than the absolute failure of the Earth Sphere in its defense."

The operator who gave the warning shakily accepted, "We will continue forward with the offense General."

Rayen watched the screen as he acknowledge to himself, "They are too desperate now to focus on our attacking forces. A rear attack will crush them with the weight of the target they hope to destroy. Now Edward, do you recognize the necessary defense?" Rayen waited as he felt his Scutum unit advance forward. Regardless of how prepared Edward was for Rayen's crushing strategy, Rayen continued with nothing less than complete confidence in how close his victory would be.

Aboard the Testudo, the mobile suit hangar bay sounded with the familiar call to battle from the alarm when the voice of Bertram announced, "All pilots prepare you battle stations. Prepare for a standard launch."

Oleg broke his attention from the view of the countryside when he was reminded of the enemy headed for the opposite side of the Testudo. He rushed to the Aquarius where he saw Celso rush by and offer, "Looking forward to your final defense out there Tsubarov."

Oleg gave a glance in Celso's direction when he agreed, "Don't slouch just because I'm out there." He threw himself into the cockpit seat as he watched the cockpit interface raise to meet him.

An image of Edward appeared on his screen when he briefed, "Hear me now Testudo squadron. Today marks another chapter in the ever-present threat of the Earth Sphere's persistence. We are here to demonstrate how deep our dedication to a free and united humanity. There is now soon to be the ongoing charge of the bulk of Earth Sphere mobile suits who wish to offer one final attack in a desperate hope to cease our progress. Their effort is now soon to be for naught as we will soon remind them. As our allies pursue them from behind, we shall now be prepared to offer them a crushing defeat by the strength of our forces alone. I ask you now, prepare yourselves for one final offense! Let our efforts accumulate today as this one final attack!"

Oleg knew now how Edward demanded a response of confirmation at the end of such a speech when he answered, "We are prepared for that final offense sir."

He felt the holding plates of his Gundam lift before he saw the other mobile suits of his squadron form around him atop the moving fortress. He heard Edward give a final order, "You have your objective. Go forth and see the enemy gasp its last breath!"

The screen shut off to give Oleg a view of the soon to be formed battlefield in front of him. "Go! Aquarius!" Oleg announced. He felt the thrust of his Gundam push him back only slightly as he and the Testudo squadron prepared their attack.

He then heard Celso warn, "We're going to be closing in on them pretty quick. This isn't going to be one that you can win by yourself."

Oleg answered the warning, "We're supposed to meet with General Vasquez's forces. It's true I won't be alone even if I want to."

"And you do know that there aren't any mobile suits who are immune to your best weapon right?"

Oleg caught onto what Celso was referring to when he remembered the effects of the virus the Aquarius would spread. Using it here would place more than just Earth Sphere soldiers at risk. "I'm not here to be a loose cannon. Just be sure to follow your suggestion on teamwork."

Celso confirmed the warning, "Of course. You won't be lost on my watch."

With the course of the Earth Sphere mobile suits making their way, the forests of the Harz mountain range were littered with their numbers they made their escape from the Coalition units behind them. Although there was a period of clam for the escaping defenders of Berlin, there was little time for any of them to enjoy the sight of what was a part of the planet that was untouched by mobile suits.

Denis remained at the front next to the Colonel when he warned his squadron, "We should be clear of the enemy for right now. They won't be able to handle the mountain range like we can."

Campbell confirmed the observation but was still weary when he asked, "Should we maintain current speed sir? I don't think the enemy is going to slow down for us even if they're so far ahead."

Denis answered, "Of course. Just be sure to stick together."

Hyrum was nearby when he agreed, "We'll be sure to reach the target above all else sir."

Denis accepted the answer when he ordered, "Let's keep the chatter to a minimum then. We won't be reaching the enemy any faster if we distract ourselves."

Hyrum shut off his channel with Denis and Campbell when he accepted the order but heard Christian contact him, "So we're headed towards the target then? How do we figure that it's still where it is?"

Hyrum answered, "The last report we got from Admiral Chadwick was of the Testudo's destruction of Munster. We should be able to reach them if we follow that general location."

Christian accepted the estimation when he said, "It better amount for something. If we are right, I'll take that thing down by myself if I have to." Before Christian could add anything else he warned, "Shit! Guys I think there's something out here."

Hyrum checked both left to right of him when he saw only the slight ruffling of a few nearby tree tops but didn't notice any color out of the ordinary. he asked Christian, "Are you sure it's not an unusual wind trajectory in that area?"

"No way. It can't be anything like that."

"Try and getting some confirmation from the guys ahead of us. We can't risk the friendly fire out here."

"Alright. Contact you in a bit." Christian changed his channel when he asked, "Captain, how wide is our forward numbers right now?"

Denis answered, "We've been moving in a narrow line for the most part. We shouldn't have much beyond a few hundred meters."

Before Christian could check the area again, he saw a blast shoot out from the top of a nearby area as it destroyed two Ursa units with its shot. "Shit! What was that?"

He fired in the direction of the blast when he heard Christoph warn, "We've got a surprise attack! Shoot them where they're standing!"

Christian rushed forward as the ranks of Ursa units broke the formation to attack the hidden enemy units in the tree tops. "God damn it, they cannot be ahead of us already!" Campbell cursed before seeing one of the mobile suits fall from the trees. He got a closer look at the defeated mobile suit before he recognized what model the attacker was. "Aren't these those red things that were giving us radar problems?"

Hyrum answered, "It looks like it! Damn they thought this far ahead?"

They watched as Richard's Maganac picked away at the nearby tree tops with his assault rifle before he warned, "There can't be too many of them out here, but I don't think we got all of them."

Christoph recognized the danger when he advised, "Let's not try and get chaotic. That's what the enemy is going to be hoping to achieve."

There was another shot from the trees above as it hit Christian's Maganac before he retaliated and saw the attack stop. He added to the suggestion, "Try and keep this thing from the sight of the guys in back. There's a lot of us here and we can't afford the distraction."

A series of explosions erupted in what was supposed to be a tranquil piece of the German countryside. All of them were visible as the squadron of Testudo mobile suits waited for their chance to attack. Celso was moderately intrigued when he watched the number of Scorpio Major signals dwindle for each few seconds he was able to watch the forest. "They're handling those things pretty well for not being able to track them." He observed.

Before he could attempt another observation, he heard the captain of the Testudo squadron announce, "They're off guard now. They'll be focused on their front defenses. We have our orders now everyone. We'll maneuver around the enemy front. Once we've hit them enough, we'll make our way to the other side and continue our attack. We just need to hold them back long enough, let's dish out everything we have."

Celso asked, "So will we be safe with the Gundam as a part of our offense sir?"

The captain answered, "Of course. He's pulled off miracles before, just watch him plow through the enemy."

Celso heard Oleg add, "only as much as we can hold them back. I'm not in any rush to have the most kills."

Celso accepted Oleg's words when he told himself, "Yeah. He's the humble one. Now to see if he's serious about coming out on top." He followed his squadron as it continued to weave through the forest while a few explosions erupted while more of the forest was destroyed by the conflict. As soon as there was only one signal left for the Scorpio Major units, he warned his superior, "We're about to have another big skirmish on our hands sir."

The captain recognized the signal when he ordered, "This is it folks. Let's take them down!" At that announcement, the sole squadron opposing the Earth Sphere advance made a dash to the left side of the progressing Ursa units.

Christoph thought he would have a moments breather from what seemed like the end of the surprise attack but couldn't feel any ease of mind when he was told, "If these things were able to get camouflage this easily, it's not a good sign of how ready they were for us."

Christian kept his assault rifle at the ready when he warned, "Just keep your eyes open for any more of them."

Campbell interrupted the discussion when he warned, "Guys, we've got a squadron headed for us!"

Richard recognized the warning when he observed, "One we can actually pick upon? How many of them are just regular units?"

Christoph warned, "If it's one squadron, they won't be headed this way without a serious punch."

Before they could offer any warning to their fellow units, a shot came from the front as it destroyed one of the nearest Ursa units. Hyrum announced, "It's the Aquarius! We're under attack!"

Denis stepped to the front with his unit when he ordered, "We have to keep moving forward! Don't let the attack deter our progress!"

Without any order, the Ursa units had in unison began a defense as they fired towards the first direction their radar indicated an enemy presence. The long line of Ursa units continued to fire as a portion of the forest was destroyed by the indiscriminate firing. No one was able to confirm if the Coalition targets were destroyed as they moved at the radar range of the Ursa units. As the defense continued, Christoph tried to maintain his calm when he reasoned, "We have to keep pressing forward. If we stop here the enemy will catch up to us." He recognized the other part of the plan when he realized, "And if we keep moving forward, this they'll try to maneuver the Aquarius around us and keep picking away out our numbers." He contacted Christian and Richard when he told them, "We have to take out that squadron guys. This is time for us to break formation and take out the Aquarius."

Christian heard the words and agreed, "About time we got serious in taking them down."

Richard saw Christian draw his shotel when he asked Christoph, "Is this even a good idea? We'll be breaking the formation and the Colonel's orders."

Christoph answered, "We have to do it so that we can keep them from having an effective hit and run strategy. More importantly we have to take down the Aquarius before it gets us all."

Christoph prepared his Maganac's thrusters when he told himself, "Now we just have to hope he relies on the Aquarius and isn't that great of a pilot."

Without any delay he broke his Maganac from the formation while the two behind him followed. As the three made their way to the nearest enemy signal, Christoph saw Campbell on his screen ask, "Hey! Where are you guys going? This is no time for a show off!"

Christoph answered, "Sit tight! We're just going to make the advance a bit easier!" He shut off Campbell's signal before he had any further protest. Without any further distractions Christoph saw the first few Coalition mobile suits waiting for him.

Oleg continued to fire in the direction of the Earth Sphere enemy as he strafed along the lines of the enemy detection. After a few shots he heard Celso contact him, "They should be softened up by now Tsubarov. Ready to show us how an offense is done?"

Oleg answered, "I'm supposed to go in once they've reached within the edge of the forest. Keep waiting."

"Good boy, you passed that part of your examination." Before Celso offered him any other commentary he checked his radar to find several enemy signatures in his direction. He then warned, "Hey it looks like we've got our first deviation from the plan taking place.

Oleg prepared the heat rods of the Aquarius when he agreed, "I hear you." The chaos of another skirmish then erupted when a shot from a beam rifle hit one of the escorting Leo IIIs and caused it to explode. Oleg dashed away from the explosion when he checked his interface to see him being warned of another series of incoming shots.

This was when Oleg saw several mobile suits he didn't recall seeing before. Only one of them charged towards him while the other two made a pursuit for the rest of the squadron. It dashed towards him with a shotel in one hand, but Oleg was quick enough to activate his heat rods to wrap around the weapon. he fired his head vulcan cannons as he attempted to drag the Maganac unit towards him but saw he was quick to let go and make a dash backwards. It then fired its beam rifle towards Oleg's Aquarius while he made a swift turn away from the incoming shot and prepared to fire on his opponent with his arm cannon. He found he was too slow however when the Maganac unit drew a beam saber and made a slice towards Oleg. Oleg drew his Gundam's arm back at this attempt to damage him as he drew his right arm forward to make a sweep with his heat rod towards his opponent.

Even with the fight going so far, Oleg saw the opposing mobile suit was quick enough to avoid another attack from his sweep. "Hold still will you?" Oleg shouted as he pressed on with his offense. He brought his right arm up next as he attacked the Maganac's other side with a heat rod only to see it back away again as it charged with its beam saber. None of the attempts at destroying the Maganac unit had gone as planned but Oleg made a swipe around his opponent as he made a swipe with his heat rods hoping to find the opposing unit off guard. Instead the Maganac made another dash forward as it made some distance between itself and the Aquarius before it took out its beam saber and fired in Oleg's direction. With the warning given to him by his interface, Oleg made another sweep around the Maganac as he fired in its direction with his arm cannon.

The duel continued to drag on while Oleg heard Celso warn, "Hey Tsubarov! We aren't going to last much longer at this rate!"

Oleg took cover behind a nearby tree as he watched several beam shots fly past him. He asked Celso, "And how close are the advancing main forces right now?"

"They're coming very close in range right now. Even worse, all of our support is being picked off."

Oleg saw his interface give a warning of the Maganac preparing to attack him from behind as he made a dash forward. He watched the Maganac unit slice the tree in half as it fell down before it made another charge towards him. Oleg prepared his heat rods again when he told himself, "You aren't holding us back any longer."

Christian made a wide slash with his shotel as he sliced off the arm of a Leo III before cutting it across the torso. His opponent erupted in an explosion while he backed away and looked around to find the nearest unit to take down. He was interrupted when he heard Richard warn, "We gotta pull away, Christoph needs our help!"

Christian turned to find Richard's Maganac unit nearby when he told him, "I've caught up with three of those guys. Just leave the Aquarius to me." He dashed past Richard as he prepared his shotel for another mighty strike but for the blue Gundam this time.

Oleg continued to make one strike after another where the Maganac stood only to find it continue to slide its way out of his reach. As he continued to offer one strike after another to the elusive opponent, Oleg heard Celso contact him again, "You've got an invitation Tsubarov. Use that virus now."

Oleg remained on the offensive as he tried to land a hit on the Maganac with his heat rods. He watched it dash away towards the forest that was undamaged when he asked, "I'm not here to make everyone's life difficult. What the hell are you expecting me to break protocol on the strategy for now?"

"Because we're almost all down. That's why."

Oleg paused when he recognized what Celso meant. He lost another squadron even though they were all following him. He gripped his handle grips on the pilot controls when he prepared to dodge the Maganac's incoming shots. As thy flew past him he asked, "What the hell were they all sent out here for?"

Celso heard him as the Aquarius prepared for a charge answering, "To prepare the attack we need to see Tsubarov. They believed in what the Coalition stood for enough to protect you from the attack. What do you plan on doing for them?"

Oleg suppressed his anger when he activated the virus system of the Aquarius when he answered, "Honoring their sacrifices will just come with the circumstances. If people are still stupid enough to take up a cause against odds like these that's all on them!"

Celso accepted Oleg's answer when he told him, "I do hope you are strong enough for that sort of conviction Tsubarov." Oleg saw another explosion in the once untouched part of the forest when he realized how timely Celso's question was.

The other two Maganac units were making their way towards him as they prepared to offer a joint attack to take him down. Oleg now had the best weapon of the Gundam activated as he watched the three take a more cautious approach towards him. As he made closer contact with the staggering Maganac, he made a downward slash with his heat rod to see its left arm sliced off. He then saw his interface warn of a swarm of missiles approaching him as he made a sharp turn to slice away at what missiles came close to him. The only damage his Gundam he had taken now was the minor scuffs from the explosions.

With the area in front of him clear, Oleg took aim with his arm cannon and fired on the nearest Maganac unit to see it fall to the ground. Before he could prepare a destroying blow for the downed mobile suits, the one with one arm remaining came from behind with a beam rifle prepared to make a fatal shot while the other free Maganac prepared a charge with a beam saber. Oleg paid attention to the warnings he was given as he backed away from the two-way attack as he saw the other Maganac go down from the beam shot. He then prepared his heat rods as he swung down in both directions on his sides. The Maganac with a beam rifle went down as it was cut across the legs while the one on the ground was dealt a decisive blow. The heat rod smashed the Maganac unit across the area where the cockpit was, although Oleg thought he saw the presence of one of the pilots making its way for the forest.

He wasn't concerned with the well being of the pilot though when he saw the last Maganac unit able to stand prepare to make a final attack. It offered several shots in his direction that he dodged before throwing his heat rod around the weapon to see it melt and combust upon contact. Before Oleg could make a final strike he saw something he didn't hope to encounter. The incoming force of well over a hundred Ursa units was approaching him with a volley of beam fire intent on his destruction. "General... Just what the hell were you hoping to achieve with me heading out here?" Oleg wondered to himself. He didn't have any time to guess what Edward's plan was however when he realized what he had to prepare for. He was being asked to face an army after allowing more of his fellow Coalition soldiers to be destroyed.

He made a dash backwards where he saw the last Maganac unit kneeling but didn't bother trying to approach it. Unlike the incoming flood of Ursa units in front of him, it was no longer active in hoping to see his demise. He looked down at his panel as he remembered a key part of Edward's strategy, "Wait for him to contact me. Now this big victory falls on me huh? Gee. thanks for the supreme honor sir." He prepared his heat rods as he charged forward with only the virus as his shield. He charged onwards with his preparation to solidify his recognition as a Gundam pilot.

Klaus waited in his armored vehicle as he and Marcel trailed behind the gathered forces of Berlin in their pursuit of the Testudo. He had a view of the Kramershai forest but was able to view the top of the explosions in the distance. "It would seem the enemy is still able to catch up to us. Either that or they were anticipating the advance."

Marcel agreed, "Most likely the latter sir. They will have prepared for any possible strategy if we even had some way of discovering the Testudo's location."

"The worst of it is that they had the means of making this strategy work all along. By now we should have exhausted their reserve of mobile dolls after such a period, but they even have the soldiers dedicated to such a cause that the Falsons have brought out for so long. Either that should be so, or they now perceive our weakness of holding this Earth together as being so fragile.

Marcel recognized the concern Klaus had when he added, "They may yet be so determined to see the end of this war that they hope to see an end to it all. Even the most dedicated of our men have been facing their quandaries with these wars being extended for so long."

"There is even another factor behind the ambition to this ending. Once again the colonies will win a very crucial period of war and they shall feel the reparations will have to be met to a very surmountable degree."

"Realistically General they will probably wish to temporarily partition the planet so they can exact their justice on the ones who are deemed responsible for the war's ignition."

"It will be far greater than that. When unions are most commonly formed among the human race, the intention is to see that partitioning of what humanity possesses shall not allow for the future destruction for future generations. The Falson Coalition was initially formed with the desire to see that one man was given the justice he deserved only to be ignored for so many years in which they determined that a new war was the final choice for having their voices heard. When there are those among the human race who have struggled for so many years, they shall without hesitation come to the conclusion that a reprieve as great as the loss shall be necessary to begin mending the wound that we all collectively render. The colonies will have all the reason necessary to see themselves as the superior force of humanity with the Falson Coalition as their blade. The union of Earth that so many have dreamed to see become true shall be undone and we shall all soon face another period where the human race shall divide itself for the illusion of what is being done in the name of performing justices."

Marcel briefly considered Klaus's words when he added, "Even if you were directly quoted for saying so sir, all of those words could possible be taken well out of context as the rantings of one who lost a war when it was so critical for him to be at his finest."

Klaus wasn't shaken when he agreed, "Should I live to see beyond the coming years in which are to follow, I shall only be responsible to allow my men to see beyond the exacting of justice the Coalition has in mind. Hopefully so that one day we can all see a time where this form of continuing violence does not have to occur again."

"I understand that you have always sought to see this conflict end sir, but that ambition is one that I believe would be well out of our grasp."

Klaus paused before he agreed, "You may be correct on that matter. However, I cannot relent and allow myself to be shaken by what may soon come."

Before Marcel could inquire his superior of his thoughts, he saw an update on his messaging machine that indicated the location of the French Division of Earth Sphere mobile suits prepared to cross their location. "We may yet have something that could change all of this General. Our reinforcements are making their way towards our location."

Klaus ordered, "Allow me to establish contact with General de Lombard. I shall bring him up to what has recently progressed."

Entering the codes for the necessary contact, Marcel offered Klaus the signal he needed to communicate with General Alphonse de Lombard who greeted, "General, you are still secure?"

Klaus responded, "My safety is second to that of my men. You must now follow through in meeting up with them in Harz. There will likely be a Gundam present, Lord Lindemann's project, but as of now we must exercise our action to see to its retreat. It may be the last method we have of guaranteeing our contact with the Testudo."

Alphonse voiced his concern when he pointed out, "I believe that this may be a less than optimal plan. Even if we could push the Aquarius into a retreat, we will still have an issue in being able to catch up to it. It may already be too close to the capital if we are unable to immediately pinpoint its location."

Klaus reminded, "It may unfortunately be our last chance in being able to find the Testudo. Right now, it is our only chance in when we may find a way to destroy it."

Alphonse paused before he agreed, "We shall have to learn for ourselves if the Testudo is more fortunate to avoid contact with our forces. If it does not approach the west however we will continue in that direction wherever the weapon is located."

Klaus accepted the plan when he told Alphonse, "I would hope that it is your intention General. We must see to it that all shall proceed in our favor, God willing."

Alphonse gave a final confirmation when he answered, "As long as my men stand with me and against the direction of Earth as a prize, we will prevent the Coalition from claiming victory."

His signal shut off when Marcel observed, "We are fortunate to still have fighting men and women who support our cause. As long as there is a belief in a united Earth, we can continue to overcome what the most demanding war takes from us."

Klaus remained unshaken when he answered, "Wherever this one war may end, so it shall give rise to another conflict. Remain vigilant for what is to come Marcel. We shall not spare ourselves of the challenges that may come after."

With as much desperation the Earth Sphere had in preventing its final defeat, the tension aboard the Testudo was not lifted. Edward checked the map behind him when he saw the conflict growing. The Earth Sphere forces continued their retreat from Berlin with Rayen's forces behind them but were suffering difficulties from the airships that were still operational. He was given another two updates when one operator warned, "General, we have just found that our squadron has nearly been completely wiped out. Only the Aquarius is still operational."

Edward bit his lower lip before regaining his focus as he heard the news but then heard another warn, "This isn't looking good sir. There is another enemy force preparing for an advance towards our Berlin offensive."

Bertram gave a quick evaluation of the gathering forces when he warned, "If the two Earth Sphere forces are brought together General, they will be capable of overpowering our Testudo and Aquarius by the sheer strength of numbers."

Edward didn't let himself be intimidated as he clenched his fists to ask in a stoic manner, "How many shots are powered within the main cannon?"

One of the operators answered, "We have one final charge necessary for the arrival within range of Brussels General. It may be enough to wipe out a significant portion of the Earth Sphere forces if we -"

"We shall continue to utilize the final shot for its intended purpose." Edward answered. The operator turned back to his computer when he continued to work on his estimation of the upcoming siege. Edward gave another reminder to the waiting crew, "Understand that we are in the most critical period of our time. Our final destination lies within our reach, we have already come this far. There is no circumstance where I will accept anything less than the victorious scenario and I expect all of you here to be anticipating nothing less. Now let's continue to press forward and give the enemy one final blow!"

The operators accepted their role as they returned to observing the functions of the Testudo while Edward was given a period to watch the progressing countryside. He heard Bertram next to him observe, "Shorter than the usual. Are you steeling yourself for the final hour regardless of the outcome?"

Edward pierced his gaze to the view outside when he answered, "For as close as we are, I have no other outcome to brace myself for. The men shall demand only one thing now, the fruits of their victory being laid before them. We have marched across this countryside for what can be felt to be the longest wait in this war and I shall not be denied of a final triumph."

Bertram nodded when he agreed, "The time for promises has come and gone indeed. Now it is time to see that humanity at long last shall be granted justice."

Before Edward could offer a response, he heard one of the operators warn, "General, the Aquarius is still out there and is undefended by any supporting units."

Bertram offered to Edward, "It would be better for us to have some form of defense rather than remaining completely off guard. I must request that you order the withdrawal for Tsubarov."

Edward accepted the suggestion when he opened a frequency with the Aquarius unit. He warned under his breath, "I shall continue to remain innocent of his actions and his final outcome."

Oleg saw the first opening in the ranks of Earth Sphere mobile suits before activating his virus system and made a mighty charge with both heat rods at his sides. In an instant he saw six Ursa units erupt from contact before he had a view of the breached formation of mobile suits. With their accuracy reduced from the interference, Oleg made a brisk dodge before pulling away from the area. Even with such protection, Oleg found his Aquarius still under fire as he took minor damage from the cluster of blaster fire. He kept an eye on his systems when he found that he was inching closer to his Gundam being destroyed. "These idiots have nowhere to go. And they still march on hoping to take me down. How long is it before they get that through their heads?"

What started off as a simple day of destroying the mobile suits however was immediately changed when he felt a barrage of assault rifle fire hit him from behind. He fell down when he asked, "What the hell? What just hit me?" He checked his radar only to find a few enemy signatures before they quickly began to grow in number. "Damn. Looks like they got lucky to get a hit from that distance."

He stood the Aquarius up before receiving a transmission signal from the Testudo. He turned it on to see the face of Edward order, "Attention Private. You are to return to the Testudo without any further delay. We require now only one final defense against the Griffon units."

Oleg checked for the first opening his interface presented him when he answered, "I read you General. I am returning now."

The face of Edward accepted the acknowledgement, "Make haste Private. We are still making our way ever closer to a final confrontation."

The transmission shut off as Oleg was given a clear view of the field in front of him. With the arrival of the Earth Sphere reinforcements he was able to offer, "You guys have all made my job easy." The Aquarius made a dash through the forest as it avoided the incoming fire from the few nearby mobile suits near his path of escape.

He thought he had a clear way before a squad of Ursa mobile suits lined up to prevent him from making progress. They didn't prove to be an obstacle however as he leapt above one with his thruster jets and made a mighty strike to the ground beneath him. His heat rod sliced the mobile suit from its cockpit torso up to its head as he was left to weave out of the way of incoming shots from the beam rifles. Oleg turned the Aquarius to attack the Ursa units from behind with his arm cannon. They continued to miss as the Aquarius offered one hit after another that created a series of explosions. Every kill the Aquarius was able to accumulate however was returned with retaliating shot that managed to scrap away at his armor.

Oleg saw an incoming tree about to block his path before he leapt into the air and sliced the tree down to a stump as he pressed forward with the intention of only finding his way out of the gathering Earth Sphere forces. Oleg kept an eye on his radar as he watched the number of signals dwindle as he prepared himself for an encounter with the conflict grounds at the Testudo.

"Just keep going. They want to keep going even if they know they'll lose? Fine by me." Oleg told himself this as he made a dash out of the forest and towards the mountains that kept him from his target.

Christian's gaze was hazy as he tried to force himself to his feet but still felt relief as he limped out of his cockpit and onto the grass of the forest clearing beneath him. He felt a hand grasp him as he was lifted to his feet when he heard Richard ask, "You still alive Christian?"

Christian ran a hand over his face when he answered, "I can stand on my own. Damn, dad's project was tougher than I thought."

Richard still helped him up as he guided him away from the fallen Maganac unit adding, "You put out more than you have man. Just focus on trying to recover."

Christian suppressed a pang in his head with his right hand when he asked, "Sure and you expect me to just let Christoph take all the credit for taking down the Aquarius?"

"Did that thing hit you harder than it looked Christian?" Christian heard the voice of Christoph ask as he made his way to the edge of the forest.

Christian shook his head when he realized, "Not even you could manage to do serious damage to that thing?"

Christoph answered, "What's important now is that we follow the others to make sure that we can at least offer some assistance in taking out the Testudo. They'll need an infiltration team of some kind and it's not too late to volunteer."

Richard let go of Christian as he allowed him to stand on his own before telling him, "Let's not keep Hyrum waiting. The rest of the forces are moving along without us as it is."

Christoph agreed when he gestured in the direction of the Ursa mobile suit that remained on one knee while the others passed it by. The three brothers took hold of the stepping bars on its leg. Christoph climbed his way up to the cockpit area where he knocked on the entry door. Hyrum opened the door when he asked, "So you guys all managed to survive out there? Pretty impressive. Sorry we couldn't do much to help you."

Christoph shook his head when he told him, "We might not have been able to do much anyway."

Hyrum stood his Ursa on both feet when he reminded, "Gundam or not, numbers alone should have been able to stop it. We'll have to see if the plan works and we can trace it back to the Testudo."

Christoph felt the wind brush against him as the Ursa unit caught up with the remaining ranks. In the short distance ahead, he saw another gathering of Ursa units waiting for them when he asked, "Where did the reinforcements come from?"

Hyrum answered, "General de Lombard managed to catch up with us in time and we might be able to overpower the Testudo at this rate."

Christoph agreed with the final chance the Earth Sphere forces had when he told him, "We've been lost and confused about the Testudo's location for too long. We'll have to see if this timeframe is less than they needed to sneak past us."

Hyrum nodded in approval when he promised, "We're going to see soon enough." He shut the cockpit door as he brought his Ursa unit into full speed to catch up with the ongoing march of mobile suits.

Far away from the pursuing Earth Sphere squadrons, the Testudo continued its march towards its final destination. With the sight of the final German city in sight, Edward heard the announcement he had been waiting to hear all day from one of the operators. "General. We are closing in on the city of Dusseldorf. We will be arriving at the final location shortly."

Another one announced, "We have a trace of the Aquarius General. It is now nearing our location shortly."

Edward kept his gaze forward when he ordered, "Continue forward and prepare to endure any final resistance. Once we have arrived, prepare a signal for all of the Earth Sphere military leadership to hear."

The operators continued their work while Bertram told Edward, "Our victory has now become all but assured. Very soon we shall be witnesses to see one of the greatest changes in human history."

Edward continued to gaze forward when he answered, "We will both be figures to stand among all Bertram. Once the President has arrived, then we shall have the greatest opportunity to see our ambitions realized."

Bertram stood next to Edward as he watched the window of the Testudo march closer towards the edge of the city. One building after another was knocked down as the mighty steps left indentations on the ground. The marching fortress made a few more steps before finally after a seven-hour march had stopped in its target location.

One of the operators restrained his enthusiasm when he reported, "We've done it General! We are now within firing distance of Brussels!"

Edward permitted himself to allow an enthusiastic grin when he heard the news and prepared for what would bring the entire world to its knees. "We have done it men. We have arrived within the grasp of victory itself. Today you are all witnesses to the final days of the Earth Sphere's resistance!"

The operators lifted themselves from their seats as they gathered behind Edward to view the city outside. As if he saw them from behind, he added, "Do not falter now men. We must prevent the enemy from having a final moment of resistance. We must hear the words of surrender from them."

One of the operators accepted the command when he announced, "The signal is prepared for transmission General. They'll be able to see what we have achieved on the way here."

Edward entered a few commands on his panel before he had a broadcast across the nearest Earth Sphere forces. "Attention all soldiers of the Earth Sphere United Nations. Your days of resisting the Coalition's advance must now end here. You now have a view of the cities that were destroyed by the might of the Testudo and if you wish to see the leadership spared, you will stand down immediately. This is a matter that is only to be concluded by the leadership both forces as we determine what is to be the final negotiation between all of humanity. I ask you again, stand down."

As Klaus continued to wait for his destination, he heard the familiar sound of a signal on his communications device calling for him directly. The most unfortunate news however was that he would not be able to act on any strategy that would push back on the Coalition. The threat of destruction loomed over the heads of the Earth Sphere leadership and his attempts were to be for nothing.

With a heavy voice he changed his transmission signal and gave the order, "All units. Stand down. I repeat stand down. Remain where you are now and await further orders."

Marcel was surprised by the order when he asked, "Sir? What are we stopping for?"

Klaus turned to him to answer, "The most grievous of all scenarios Marcel. The Coalition strategy it would seem was indeed its most effective decision. The simple truth is, we have lost."

Marcel was taken aback by the answer as he had to realize what sort of days were coming. "I do hope General de Lombard is able to recognize the protocol we must now follow." He said with the same regret as his superior.

Christoph continued to hold onto his part of the Ursa's leg bars but was confused when he felt the wind of the progressing dash cease. Not only did Hyrum stop, but all of the mobile suits in front of him. He knocked on the cockpit door when he asked, "Hey, what's the hold up? The enemy in front of us?"

Hyrum opened his cockpit when he met Christoph with a defeated look on his face. He answered, "It's worse than that. It's over, we've lost."

"What? How? You can't be telling me that the Testudo got Brussels!"

"That's what happened. We have to stop here, or we risk losing the leadership."

Christoph hung his head as he heard the words. He could tell the same sentiment was hanging over the other pilots as he waited to discover what his fate would be. "We put all this effort out there and we get told that we can't do a damn thing to change it. Dad, how can we even hope for your approval now?" He remained on the waist of the Ursa unit as he tried to prepare himself to explain to the others about what sort of historic event had just occurred that night.