Even as victors are selected, there are many who chose not to submit to their greatest falls. Just as there are those who attempt to avoid being subject to the consequences of their actions, there are those who are more than eager to reap what they have sown. Where many see an ending, the strongest see their defeat as a reason to struggle for the cause that is most important to them. Such has been the nature of humans since the dawn of war. It is for those who live to witness history that such defiance is judged. The year is After Colony 225. This principle remains unshaken.

Episode 40: To the Greater Cause

Tano's condition had remarkably improved since he was given the treatment on his arm. His usual audience had reduced to only a handful of pilots including Cao at this point. One of them entered the resting area with the obvious question in mind. "How's his status now doc?"

The doctor looked over the results and found his arm had at least modestly recovered from the fractures and would showed signs he would live. "Just about complete. Lucky for him he will be able to pilot again once he has had at least a sufficient resting period." He disconnected the anesthesia from Tano's breathing tube allowing him a chance to breath in what oxygen he could.

Now was an optimal time to find out just who he was when the doctor took out a needle to extract a drop of blood from Tano's arm. When the doctor saw the DNA results progress through the main screen he found Tano's name appear from the database. "Hm... Welcome aboard Lieutenant."

Ermes observed the one-sided battle with the Earth Sphere and the Gundams. The Earth Sphere was losing their fighting morale with the deaths of the commanding officers but he was sure that the Gundam pilots are psychologically affected as well.

Donna lamented on what she's forced to do for her survival. First there was the deployment of Mobile Dolls and now she was fighting her own side. The deaths she caused will haunt her for a long time unlike the Coalition soldiers she killed. "Damn it! How many more do we have to fight?" She growled frustratingly with what she was doing. There was no option of taking them down non-lethally for they'll fight again with orders to kill. She was able to count the units left and the numbers shrunk tremendously.

Roy saw the Gundams prepare their further destruction until the numbers had dwindled significantly. "Damn. Now those units are dropping like flies."

Keijo reminded him of the great tragedy they were looking at right now. "Not something to celebrate either. Those are our guys after all."

Another pilot tried to make sense of it vainly asking, "I... I don't get it. How could they agree to getting creamed out here like this?"

The remaining Ursa units found themselves in a desperate situation when they were facing the power of the Gundams. One of the pilots had one of the better suggestions. "Our commanding officers have been destroyed! Requesting orders!"

"Retreat! Don't let them take our numbers down any further!"

Mercurio saw the enemy making their way back and had to hope that one thing would happen when he asked for confirmation from Dana. "... The enemy is retreating Captain. Requesting further orders."

The retreat was finally in effect and Dana could tell that the men inside the mobile suits were probably scared for their lives at this point. She knew that they couldn't report back or else they would tell High Command what the Gundams had done. The least Dana could do was take a little more weight off the other two Gundam pilots. The Artemis rushed forward transforming into bird mode when she ordered, "Stand back. They're done."

The surviving Ursa pilots had brought themselves to a safe crevasse when Suchart asked, "Well it looks like we made it out of this one... What cost do you think?"

Gawel brought his opinion to the table when he answered with his fears. "What do I think? I think we might as well stuff ourselves into a return trip to Mars. Maybe further than that. How long do you think it will be before the Coalition finds out about this?"

Nasir agreed, "It might have even been their plan all along."

Ludwika pointed out, "If it was why couldn't we get out of it?"

"Or at least try to retreat." Trenton agreed.

Pascal asked, "How can we avoid something we didn't even know would happen?"

Roy added, "Besides, we've already lost a lot of our guys out there and some of them look like they'll be executed if they're left out there."

Trenton was the one to step towards the battlefield when he told his group, "Alright. You guys wait here, I have to find out if there's any pilots left to save."

After the long period of defeating their fellow Earth Sphere soldiers, Mercurio felt an amount of relief flow over him as they began to retreat. But the cost of their safety had become so great of a cost for them to accept. The worst came as he saw Ursa units firing on the men on the ground while making their escape from the carnage that had recently passed. He took aim with his arm cannon and fired on the remaining units who tried to wipe out the survivors. Mercurio saw the explosions form in the distance as he asked, "How could this all be allowed to pass? Why have they forced me?"

He withdrew the Uriel's buster sword as he continued to fire on each Ursa unit that showed signs of trying to kill any of the Earth Sphere survivors. Eventually he had lost all sense of time and continued to star into the distance as the few survivors made their escape from the slaughter they were subjected to.

Dana contacted him after a long pause, "Yuy, are you still able to move?"

Mercurio slammed his fists at the act he had recently committed when he answered, "Why should I be? I did something that no one will ever forgive me for. Why did it have to be them instead of me?"

She answered, "We don't have time for this. If we don't move now we'll be exposed to future attacks."

Mercurio forced himself to turn as the Uriel saw the few who survived the recent act of betrayal. He contacted Donna when he asked, "Have you taken any serious damage?"

Donna shakily answered, "I'm still operational. I think we're going to need some serious repairs though after this."

Mercurio felt himself snap when he asked, "Is that all you can think right now?! We just killed two of our own generals!"

Donna answered, "I've considered that. I don't feel any pride in what we have done… We can't allow our actions to weigh us down. This isn't what they would want."

Mercurio accepted, "I'm sorry… This is my doing…" He shut off his communications signal when he gathered at the area where the other remaining mobile suits gathered while Mercurio struggled to even consider stepping out of his Gundam.

Even taking Donna's advice of not being weighed down brought him to recall every word the two generals had to offer as parting reasons for their decision. In the deviation of his mission they were forced to commit an act that would remain with him until the end of his days. In this moment the only thing Mercurio allowed himself to decide was purely to fuel what rage he felt. He could only muster anger for the one mane who allowed this event to pass.

"Nathaniel Falson. You've caused enough pain. I'll make sure you don't live long enough to further your crimes to the human race." He looked down on the gathered survivors who managed to find their way out of the carnage. His captain and the other survivors were the only ones who would stand with him now. "From now on, you are all my mission to protect."

The development of Brussels' occupation was under way as another brigade made its way into the city without any conflict. At the entrance of the city, Edward greeted the soldiers and mobile suits, "General Hui Kung. It is fortunate for you and your men to have arrived."

From the frontmost truck, Hui stepped out and offered Edward a salute when he greeted, "It is fortunate that we see our target location in such stable shape general. From what I understand we recently had a difficulty with one of our men attempting to usurp the occupation we have already established."

Edward brushed off the concern, "It has been taken care of. As of right now I only intend to see this occupation fulfill its intention. You were fortunate to arrive right after we took care of our situation with the remaining Earth Sphere soldiers. Very soon we'll see the end of Franz Kecker and his hold over the human race."

The two men had a brief walk before entering the Parliamentary Building and seeing the Earth Sphere representatives on the floor of their halls. Hui asked Edward, "Is it going to be long before they learn of what their own Gundams have done to commit to their survival?"

Edward smiled when he answered, "It is something that the president has expressed his intention to reveal. In which case I believe it is imperative that you meet with him and confirm your arrival."

Hui accepted, "I expect that this will all come to an end. The absence of General Celler has been a very curious one I must admit."

Edward told him, "You may have to ask the president of his current absence. I do not have any immediate information on the matter myself."

Hui accepted the answer, "I look forward to working alongside you general. The guilty will soon be forced to accept everything they have reaped." Hui left Edward with a salute as he made his way to Nathaniel's office.

As soon as Hui entered Nathaniel's office, he saw the president Franz Kecker look up from his desk when he answered, "Will you truly be able to accept this act Nathan? Will you truly allow yourself to be the creator of monsters in order to serve your purpose? Such an act is one that will not benefit your portrayal."

Nathaniel wasn't intimidated when he told Franz, "I am here to see that your crimes are answered for. The fact is that I am now required to be a monster myself. After so many years of devastation, this is the only way that others will view either of us. You are the man with the intent to subjugate all of humanity to a system that will send us back to an ear of oppression. I am the one who must be capable of breaking that system. There is only a convenience now that I shall be able to destroy the instruments of your will."

He played the footage of the Gundams destroying the Earth Sphere brigades when he asked, "And with everything that you will end the human race's intention to harm itself, you are still able to remain rested and deny that you committed nothing of a great crime?"

Franz answered, "You have simply done everything you promised you would not Nathan. There is no reason for me to regret my current position."

Nathaniel slammed his hands on the desk when he asked, "Do you have no regard for what you have done Franz? Do you truly not care that your actions have resulted in the deaths of so many that you continue to remain so stoic in the face of your actions? Before you ever became the apathetic creature, you are now you warned me and others that allowing a greater conflict to erupt would ensue. What amount of humanity is left in you Franz? What is there that allows you to dismiss this tragedy as though it were nothing?"

Franz remained undaunted when he told Nathaniel, "I'm afraid that you have lost sight of what is truly important Nathan. You orchestrated this event and now you are every bit the inhuman destroyer you accuse me to be. In order to prove my inadequacies as a leader, you have demonstrated on your own. The fact remains that I have done nothing you would not have done."

Nathaniel sighed at the answer when he accepted, "I can see how this is Franz. You will not confess to your crimes and you will not reveal what goes on in that mind of yours. If I am to prove myself now, I must see that you do not live to see another day. You made your choice Franz. I will allow you to witness the end of your ambition." Nathaniel turned away from Franz as he made his way to the doors and told him, "You shall be remembered as a villain whose only intention is to sow chaos. You will not do so beyond the grave should that be allowed for you."

The deed was done when Dana had swept in to destroy the final remaining Ursa units making their retreat. Thankfully Zero System was able to find the correct points to fire without making their deaths drag out too long. The final explosions erupted on the battlefield when the sweep was done. From everything her scanners and sights could tell the enemy had been completely decimated and there was no longer a battle. At least now she would be able to see if there were any survivors. "This is the Captain speaking. Defense is complete. Regroup and let's weigh our options."

The Artemis changed back to its regular form and Dana was able to hop down to see the remains of the previous half hour at least. On her side the Sol Thero units had been destroyed and a majority of the Ursa units had either met the same fate or had probably taken too much damage to be considered operational. It all could have been much worse for them, but the situation couldn't be said for the Earth Sphere forces they had to kill off.

She turned to see Trenton near one of the crippled Ursas helping Zachariah to his feet likely from some serious injuries. The other Gundams had touched down and it made Dana wonder just what the other pilots would be thinking in this situation. Were they still Earth Sphere pilots or were they now something else? She turned to a group of the men nearby asking, "How many of us are still alive?"

Nasir looked around at what members of the group had survived the attack within the mountain range. "From what I was able to count there's fifteen of us left. Colonel Rumfoord's shuttle got shot down obviously and we've lost a number of guys in that previous fight."

Dana tried to maintain a bit of leadership when she gestured behind her to a nearby area. "I know this isn't the welcome home you've been waiting for. But we have to find out just what we're doing next."

Trenton lifted Zachariah to his feet hoping to keep his fellow pilot alive. "If we're going to have a meeting can it at least do it in the shade? I don't know how much heat the injured are going to be able to take."

Dana knew that the injured were going to need some attention if they would be able to continue their fight for survival. She found the position of the sun was offering at least one area where they should all have some coolness if even for just an hour. "We should be okay over there."

Nathaniel's doors opened as Hui Kung entered to greet him. Hui offered a salute when he greeted, "Mr. President. We have just arrived and are now stabilizing the city encampments."

Nathaniel accepted Hui's welcome, "I am relieved to see that you have arrived general. Our current situation does call for the need of some more fortunate news. Particularly on the eve of the president's trail."

Hui confirmed, "We have received word that General Celler has been delayed. Is it true indeed that another enemy force has recently risen right outside the borders of this capital?"

Nathaniel was quick to answer, "Yes general. We have seen at least one unconfirmed presence that has made itself know. Regrettably there does not seem to be a great deal more about what we can do to have them cornered."

Hui told Nathaniel, "I have been sent here to ensure that this transition of power is one that will not result in another conflict. I do hope you appreciate the support that the colonies have offered the Coalition for so long. Currently a report of your situation is not a favorable one."

Nathaniel offered, "One army will be enough to handle the might of even several Gundams. We will remain fortified until we have completed our trial of President Kecker."

Hui warned Nathaniel, "You have taken your time to see that Franz is unusually tried for his crimes. An action that has taken more time to accomplish than trying the representatives. The removal of the president must now be as critical as ever. We must see to the end of the Earth Sphere's conviction."

Nathaniel stood up when he agreed, "Once he is gone, the remainder of the Earth Sphere resistance will fall. The reasons and intentions behind everything that he stood for will be invalidated. As well the very foundations of a united Earth." Nathaniel left Hui in the room when he told him, "Ensure that your men have the equipment they will require. We must be prepared for whatever act of resistance appears."

Nathaniel left while Hui remained where he stood. Without hesitation, Nathaniel made his way into the room Franz remained in while a television played the footage of the recent battle at Mount Tahat. The audio had been silenced while Franz only allowed himself to observe the footage with only some headlines scrolling across the bottom.

Nathaniel introduced himself, "Have you come to recognize a redundancy in the development of the recent betrayal?"

Franz remained seated when he watched the footage and answered, "I would imagine that I have already considered every observation that could be made about this observation. Right now, the human race has the intention to make sense out of this devastation and they may be willing to accept whatever official reasoning they are given. Do you truly intend to be the man who uses death as your own tactic to further your ambition?"

Nathaniel answered, "You are a man who utilized that very idea. This entire era was created because of your kind allowing voices of dissent to go unheard or be discredited. Once you have been removed from this era, you will be remembered as the most sociopathic and dangerous political leader in human history. And we will all be better for it. We will never allow a man such as yourself to sit where you are now. What ideals you had about unifying the Earth for the simple intention of unity will be discredited for all time. I do not even concern myself with how I am perceived afterwards. I will only live with myself knowing that I was the one who ended the desires of the most hated leader in recent history."

He turned away from Franz when he told him, "I have a speech to offer. I suggest that you listen when it begins. I shall permit you a chance to think on what you have done in these previous years Franz. In the meantime, please enjoy the show. Prepare to see the world united against a new enemy."

The reporters and various Coalition officials had gathered in the Parliamentary meeting hall to see what the President was ready to announce. The news was reported to be urgent so the media was obviously hoping this would be something worth their time. One of the reporters saw the speech was soon to begin when he announced to his camera, "We go now live to an announcement from President Nathaniel Falson on a new development with the war." This news was critical for every news organization and channel that was hoping to see a contribution to their ratings.

It was a few moments when Nathaniel began to speak but the screen behind him was currently blank. "People of the Earth Sphere United Nations. I address my warning to you as well as my own people. Months ago you may have discovered the rumors that President Kecker pushed for the creation of a new Gundam project. I am here to confirm that these Gundams have come into existence. The results have been catastrophic for our military forces. They have only recently made their way from here to Mars in the act of a currently unconfirmed military action. Now that they have returned to their Earth, we can confirm that the worst possible scenario is now before us."

It was within a few moments when the footage of the recent attack at Mount Tahat had begun. The shocking footage of the Gundams destroying the Earth Sphere forces was harrowing enough for anyone to handle. Now faith in the United Earth had been gravely shaken when this destruction was before the eyes of humanity.

The bulk of Nathaniel's speech began a few seconds after the Gundams had begun to unleash their power on the nearby forces. "What you see now is the Gundams engaging with their fellow Earth Sphere soldiers. We do not understand why it is they wish to engage in such an act of aggression, but what is clear now is that the pilots of these machines are now prepared to begin to act on their own. The pilots have seen what their Gundams are capable of and now they believe they have the power to stand against their own fellow soldiers. They now wish to see their power brought to the greatest extent possible. If they are willing to see their own fellow soldiers as enemies of their ambitions and the Coalition is still considered their enemy, then how can we hope to see a peaceful end to this conflict when they are still on the battlefield?

"I will promise you this however people of the Earth. From this conflict we shall no longer be divided against one another. These Gundams have been able to cause great damage to human society in past decades. Now they threaten to do so again with their unrestricted actions. But this will only happen if we allow them to roam free among the nations of Earth and hesitate to take necessary action. This is the time to prevent another generation of fighting and end the war among ourselves once and for all. Today I ask all of you to rally to my side and prepare for the greatest effort to bring about peace. I promise you now my people. Once these Gundams have been destroyed, we shall see the true end of conflict! We shall see a progressive new age as we punish those who have given us the future we have been denied!"

He remembered one of the key factors that would have to be made before his great proposal.

"Sacrifices must be made. And adding just another death to those who die facing the Gundams will be too much to ask for. However, shall we permit the Gundams to exist only because we are afraid to take a final stand? Will we let President Kecker's mistake run rampant to destroy the Earth further? Or will we stand firm and push them aside for our own future? The Gundams have been shown not to be invincible before. Through dedication and hard work we will be able to prevent the destruction. We will take away power of the wrongly ambitious, and it shall be handed back to the people in their steps towards a truly peaceful world without conflict! I promise this to you my people! The end of the Gundams, shall be the end of this war! Justice is now at hand! And through the vengeance of those done wrong, we shall see true progression march forward!"

As soon as the speech was finished there was a great deal of support rushing forward to the Coalition in the form of rousing applause from what was seen to be a very brave man standing in the face of adversity. Most of it came from applause within the space colonies controlled by the Coalition, but the support had now become mutual with a sizeable portion of the Earth Sphere people as they saw Nathaniel Falson in a new light.

Gawel panted as he made his way up the mountainside and looked around the others who survived the recent betrayal. Even in the face of two brigades taking on the Gundams, he found himself still able to stand and say he was alive. He couldn't muster the ability to be thankful for his blessing when he asked, "I hope at least somebody is planning to take my idea seriously. Believe me, after what we just did, I think the guys on Mars will be more than willing to take us in."

Zachariah pointed out, "And how are we supposed to do that? Our only way out of here has been shot down and even then we'll still have the rest of the Coalition trying to deal with us."

Pascal pointed out, "Things are hard. I get it. But… Shit I got nothing."

Roy raised his gun when he told them, "There's only one way out for us now!" Roy took aim with his gun before firing in the direction of the three Gundam pilots. Mercurio was the one to take the bullet as it grazed through his left lumbar. He brought his hands to the area where the bullet made its exit as he fell face first to the ground.

Pascal and Cinzia rushed over to Roy as they pushed him to the ground while Pascal prepared his own handgun to fire on Roy's head. "Would you care to tell me what the hell that was for?!"

Roy was angry when he answered, "I don't know what your superiors have told you, but we were specifically assigned to be ready for this sort of thing! The pilots ever get crazy enough to strike on their own, we take them down!"

Donna continued to look over Mercurio when she turned to see the other pilots gazing back at her with dutiful but reluctant frowns. Donna tried to process the turn but asked her remaining superior, "Is this really what it's come to now? Is this how our efforts end?"

Dana faced the pilots who stared her down with weapons at the ready when she answered, "We can't tell anyone what to do if they have a higher mission than ours. It's all on their shoulders now."

Ermes brought himself up when he asked, "Is this really what we have come down to? The choice to sacrifice so many lives to save your own is not something anyone could see as an easy question to answer. Is this really how you plan to thank them?"

Ludwika stepped forward when she threw her handgun to the ground with her hands up. She reached for the first aid kit on her belt when she told Ermes, "He'll need attention or else the wound will get worse."

Ermes hesitated for a second before stepping aside to let Ludwika past him. The gathered soldiers watched Ludwika remove a portion of Mercurio's shirt before everyone near him saw Ludwika mechanically at work treating Mercurio's wound.

Roy in the meantime struggled to make his way up the slope while Pascal held him down. Roy asked, "What are you all waiting for? Kill them! This is our only way out! This was our mission!"

Zachariah watched Ermes, Donna, and Dana stand their ground when he lowered his hand over his pistol while the soldiers from Luna looked on with disapproval and his fellow squad mates tried to find an alternative to their situation. Gawel was the next man to step forward as he drew his pistol and faced the three who allowed Mercurio to be treated.

Dana warned, "Majewski you better have that gun ready to kill or I'm going to make you wish you did."

Gawel stood shakily in front of Dana when he asked, "At least tell me captain. Was this really a good idea? Do you really think this was all worth it?"

Dana shut her eyes as she leaned her head down to answer, "I hoped this would be. For me it was all a question of who I would let live. My squad or our executioners. The three of us are all condemned criminals for a pretty good reason now. Anything beyond what could have been our end just didn't cross my mind at the time."

Ermes stepped forward when he walked up to Gawel and told him, "I don't think most people will ever forgive these three. But don't you have a mission that's more important than keeping them in line? Are you really willing to let everything our predecessor fought to create simply fall into nothing?"

Roy interrupted, "What chance in hell do we even have now? No one is going to support our attempts at this point and no power fantasy we can come up with is going to end with us being welcomed by the Earth Sphere!"

"Oh shut the hell up!" Gawel drew his gun and fired in Roys direction as it narrowly missed his head by an inch. The argument between the Earth Sphere soldiers was brought to another stop as everyone was forced to view their current situation. Zachariah walked up to Gawel as he lowered his frozen arms that just pulled the trigger on one of his fellow soldiers.

Zachariah turned to everyone when he asked, "The captain and the others had a drastic choice to make. I don't think many of us would have been able to handle this situation nearly as well as they have. And I'm not even trying to understand what they had to do. I'm pointing out what sort of bigger picture they saw. I don't know about you guys, but I took our mission to mean that we should make sure our guys keep fighting for the Earth Sphere instead of their own interests. And I think they've all forced themselves to finish a test that no one else would have been able to handle. And what sort of dickheads are we supposed to be to let them be punished for it?"

Keijo walked up to Zachariah when he answered, "I can't call myself willing to go against those we're supposed to fight alongside. But honestly, I think we've come too far just to lie down and call this whole thing quits. We're soldiers guys. Our duty is to give our lives for the good of our people. Our people have leaders they depend on. Now we're all at a crossroads of either throwing away our best chance for victory or giving the Coalition hell before we fulfill our duty."

Belle, Maurycy, Dirk, and Patrick made their way up to Keijo's area when Dirk answered, "Captain Houston, I hope you don't think our support is nothing major, but we know that the Gundams can be something that can change the current situation for the human race."

Patrick agreed, What the Coalition did today was more than enough to make them the bad guys. I want to see every one of them have a face of horror once we get revenge for our guys."

Dana was happy to see what support she had from her peers, shaky as some of their promises might have been. She told Dirk, "I don't take anyone's dedication lightly. What I do want though is the full support of everyone. Right now, it only looks like I have one or two who are hesitating to offer any support. Majewski. Are you ready to endure a serious dive into hell once we go further with our intention?"

Gawel looked down when he dropped his handgun and answered, "My old man believed in Earth being united more than anything else. If he was here or saw what was happening, he would probably chew my ass for not throwing in my support sooner. Really, I should be kicking myself for not seeing everybody is more willing to win than I am. Yuy, if you're not in too much pain, I hope you can hear me when I'm telling you to get out there and make this war a final obstacle like you promised me."

Roy picked himself off the ground while Pascal and Cinzia let him up when he told everyone, "You're all a bunch of suicidal morons. That's the blunt of my answer. You really want me to give my support, you might want to start with something other than waiting for the Coalition to come to us and finish the job. Staying out here? Well shit, I think I'm a dead man no matter which choice I make. The least I can do is try to go down trying to make myself look a little better right?"

Dana nodded as she looked over the men and women who offered their allegiance to the final attempt at freeing the Earth Sphere. Everyone who declared their support remained at the ready to take an order but Dana could tell that their less than enthusiastic acceptance wasn't the result of the Sahara heat.

She turned to the area where Mercurio fell when she asked Ludwika, "How does he look?"

Ludwika continued to work on Mercurio's injury when she answered, "A lot prettier than most. For one it's nice to see Gilliam not be an ace shot with a gun, missing every potential organ at least."

She turned Mercurio on his back when she continued her work while Dana heard Mercurio groan through his teeth a curse he promised to fulfill. She leaned down to hear him before recognizing the promise he was offering. "I'll kill them… I'll kill all of them…"

Dana asked, "You're not that pissed at Gilliam are you Yuy?"

After another groan of pain she heard Mercurio clarify his answer with two words, "The… Coalition…"

Hyrum kept the key card secret while he was escorted back to the area he had met Heero in. He was cautiously optimistic of what he had gained but knew what he was risking as well. He made sure that none of the Coalition guards were overlooking his actions while he made his way back to his new leader. "Major Yuy. I think I have what we need to make our escape possible." He handed the key card to Heero while reluctantly explaining what had happened. He knew it was going to be one of the first questions so he addressed it right away. "... This was handed to me from... One of the Coalition Generals."

Heero heard out Hyrum's proposal which sounded promising at first. Then the key problem rang into the works. "One of the Coalition Generals?" He had to remain vigilant against any possible. He hoped Hyrum had the same idea when he questioned him on what was just the two had just dealt in. "And you think this won't be a trap of some kind?"

Hiram rushed over to the conversation when he pointed out, "Quite true. We can't be sure he's probably using this opportunity to try and get us all together for some kind of ruse."

One of the Parliament soldiers tried to find a middle ground when he offered an idea. "We'll have to come up with a plan to see if something wrong is happening here."

"Did the General give you any instructions to use this?" Heero asked. If there were any key instructions on how this key was to be used it might have offered an idea of what Edward was planning.
While Heero tried to find out about the Coalition General's plans Hiram was deep in thought of the possibilities the situation had. "And what if it is true and the General is trying to use us to his own ends?"
"If it is true then our situation is only getting worse by the minute." Relena grimly pointed out. She could not be the beacon of hope in this instance. There was only reality crashing into their faces. They had to respond to it, or they would be the ones victimized.

Heero considered Hyrum's idea and knew that it was probably the only way they were going to get any kind of confirmation. Of course, it would probably rely on Hyrum getting taken to General Blare again but it had to be possible. "You'll have to be certain to make it count. We can't afford to let this opportunity slip up." Heero pressed this idea into Hyrum's mind.

One of the nearby guards came in to announce the President's speech was about to take place. "Everyone! To the meeting room! The President is going to have something for you to see!" The representatives and soldiers marched out of their room in a single file towards the meeting hall to see what would happen in this next speech with Relena close behind Heero still trying to understand his motives.

"Are you seriously considering this Heero?"

Heero took a quick look to see that the guards weren't overhearing their conversation when he quickly answered her. "It might work. If it does though… Be ready to endure the takeover."

Relena didn't bother combating the idea when she reminded him of what he might have forgotten. "I'm not going to just be deadweight in this action Heero."

Dana didn't hear any announcements that her team wanted to back out of the situation at this point. Dana did expect this scenario to happen under a best-case scenario, she would need as much help as possible to find her way through the desert and hopefully to the capital one day.

She stood up and warned the soldiers one final time of what they were heading into. "Whatever you guys say. Just remember there's no backing out of it now." She got back on track with the speech. She knew that it was time to speaking from her gut. It was time for her to become a leader. "I understand now that all of you have hope for some sort of united earth. I understand that you are willing to fight against Coalition and Earth Sphere forces to see it through. We still fight for the Earth Sphere cause but we can no longer be part of the Earth Sphere. From this day forward we establish our own ranks. Today we prepare to stand as the last roadblock between the Coalition and its victory. That's why today… We become Rogue Wings."

Dana let the new title for their group sink in and began the process to recognize herself and the surviving members. She held out her dog tags as if she were introducing herself for the first time. "I'm Dana Houston. I'll serve as your leader if you want me to and I will see Brussels liberated." She dropped it to the desert sand to signal where she signaled the others should be set.

The same thing repeated with each of the soldiers stepping forward as part of their initiation. "Gawel Majewski."

"Nasir Epstein."

"Trenton Manning."

"Jasenka Kos."

"Maurycy Piotrowski."

"Suchart Nantakarn"

It was Donna's turn to step forward after Suchart. What she thought was that it's actually her first time hearing everyone's full name. "Donna Lindemann." She introduced. After it was done, she returned to where she was sitting before.

Ermes was adjusting his radio-watch during the pledge for communications from either the Earth Sphere or Coalition. It was his turn to stand up. "Ermes Peacecraft." He said, "Mars will support the Rogue Wings through the conflict." He returned to adjusting the radio with his part done.

The remainder of the soldiers stepped forward to take part in the ritual once it was confirmed just what would be done. Zachariah stood up on his own two feet holding to his sides when he marched towards the pile. "Zachariah Maddox"

"Roy Gilliam."

"Ludwika Zawadzka."

"Keijo Jutila."

It was after those soldiers stepped forward with their tags that the survivors from Luna had thrown their cause to the Rogue Wings as well. "Cinzia Colombo."

"Patrick Papst."

"Dirk Lemann."

"Pascal Richer."

"Belle Lizotte."

Mercurio saw dedication was mounting among the newly formed group opposed to what he had thought would happen. There would probably be some who believed the cause was lost but it wasn't them. If there was any moment for him to become what his father was this was it. Now… It's time for me to use the Uriel to my own cause… At least now I can say I am not lying to myself.

Mercurio stepped forward being the last soldier to drop his dog tags but his words were no less effective for it. "Mercurio Yuy." It was complete in that moment and all of the soldiers who had survived the descent to Earth had thrown their dedication to Dana's leadership. They were hers to command.
I'll have to hope that I'm doing the right thing… Mercurio did everything to push those final doubts to the side when he pressed forward with his conviction. "I know we're only going to endure more at this point forward. But if we're going to remain dedicated to our cause then we should act as we did when we were Earth Sphere soldiers."

Dana could remember how months ago she wasn't able to see her recruits as anything but desperate final additions to the military. Not only were they literally the last hope the Earth Sphere had but they were probably a lot more than she had initially given credit for. These people were all survivors... We've had the Gundams and they managed to contribute to the cause. Time to see how much more they can handle. Dana stood with an amount of her conviction restored and prepared to lead this new resistance movement. "Starting today, we are no longer part of the Earth Sphere. We will continue for the Earth Sphere cause however and I promise that there will be a day when we can return home. It will be up to us all to make that happen. We'll even go as far to see that we save the Earth Sphere from destruction. Only a handful of Gundams were able to change the world before when they were united. If we maintain that unity we've found today, we won't be any different. Let's remember that the Rogue Wings had their origins here in the scorched sand but will move to strike wherever we are needed. Let's all keep our heads high and prepare to shake our enemies to their knees."

Mercurio saw the conviction Dana had for this cause and knew that it was time to see if their group would be able to handle this long journey towards saving their vision of Earth. "Thank you Captain." If one day in history there was a claim that her speech was something that rallied the soldiers to the cause in an instant it would be every bit a lie as it was the initial reaction to the Emancipation Proclamation. Even so it gave the great deal of pilots something to hope for as they looked towards Dana for their guidance.

Ermes was in a state of fascination from the group of rag tags formed out of Earth Sphere's military. "We have a veteran captain, the hero's son and the daughter of a hardline militant noble as the Gundam pilots. Quite a unique series of lead pilots."

Later the Wings had gathered around to decide their next move with Dirk pointing out, "I'd say if we're going to embrace our new status then we should probably be ready for the long haul."

Ludwika agreed with this. "Good idea. Our mobile suits will still need ammunition, but the nearest Earth Sphere base isn't exactly going to be an option. Just to add to that we'll also need new mobile suits to contribute to what fighting force we have."

"We were only supposed to be going through this strip of hell for another 36 hours. If we're going to be staying out here longer than planned, we better have a rationing system planned." Roy elaborated.

"Closest Coalition installment is back in Niger though. Seeing we're already in the middle of the desert we're probably going to have an issue even getting to one." Mercurio knew this probably wasn't the reminder they wanted to hear but reality had to be considered if a plan was actually going to work.

"Shouldn't we try to hit coastal cities?" Donna suggested. "I'm sure we can get more resources there."

Ermes interrupted them. "Hey! Looks like the Coalition's having a speech!" He pointed at his radio-watch.

With Ermes's information on a broadcast, Donna came close to listen.

Till Lindemann is setting up a video cameras, making sure the sound is properly recorded for what he's planning. His moment to counterattack is coming soon with contacts carefully made with supporters, mostly nobility of the Earth Sphere that also fled prosecution. Instructor W rushed into the room, bringing news of importance.

"Lord Lindemann, there will be a speech from Brussels!" He informed, taking seconds to regain his breath.

Till turned from adjusting his camera to the Instructor. "Is it a rally by the Falson?" He asked.

"I don't know." The instructor replied. "It's important though!"

The Lord walked to the door his ally came from. "I'll watch what this is about." He said when he exited with the Instructor following him and guiding him to a television.

Within the hidden base the remainder of the resistance occupied, Christoph asked, "Christian, do you have any serious signs of damage on the Urth?"

Christian looked up at his Gundam when he answered, "A few paint scratches but nothing serious. Time to face it, once that army gets here, we're going to need that sort of condition at worst."

Christoph told him, "One thing that we need to face is that we are not starting out there as three separate Gundams. Going out there as the Nornir Triumvirate is our best bet to holding our position."

Christian countered, "We'll cover more ground if we separate. You and Richard were able to handle yourselves out there pretty well from what I saw."

Christoph corrected, "You saw wrong if you think we were able to handle ourselves out there like you did. Even concentrating our defenses to this area will protect us better than going separate."

Christian remained persistent when he asked, "Is there seriously something that keeps you from being able to see the real way forward? We need to make as hard of an attack on them as possible and we can't do that as just one unit."

Richard entered the conversation when he told Christian, "Yeah we do have a problem here. It's your willingness to just storm out there to the point of where we jeopardize our own ability to handle the Coalition's army. Seriously we can't risk every bit that you try to bite off, so we need to keep you on some kind of leash."

Christian countered, "I don't know about you guys, but I think I managed to wear them down a bit more than just letting them have a chance to regroup."

Daisuke made his way to the three brothers when he told them, "Guys, the Lachesis and Clotho have been rearmed. They'll be ready to move out once you are."

Christian asked, "And you are getting to work on the Urth so it has the missiles right?"

Daisuke answered, "We're on it, but we might not be able to hit one hundred percent capacity. We don't have the missiles to spare."

Christian turned to Christoph when he asked, "You did no t just try to shorthand me did you?"

Christoph corrected, "This is why we can't afford taking on every threat from the Coalition we face. We need to tackle what we can with what we have, and it just happens you got a little trigger happy out there."

Christian rubbed his face in his hand when he cursed, "You seriously just want this whole thing to be a challenge for all of us don't you? I swear right now I could be push into Brussels myself if I had the chance."

Richard reminded, "Sure you could. You just have to take on a whopping four armies who plan to defend the city from us small guys."

Christian reminded, "We are not small guys. We have the Gundams on our side. We have to assume that the others aren't coming back."

Richard reminded him, "If that's how you really want to treat Donna, then go ahead. Why don't we just assume we've lost Flake while we're at it? Let's really remind ourselves that we don't have shit for support."

Christian clenched his fists as he prepared to throw himself at Richard and warned, "I thought you knew better than to treat the rest of our family like that!"

Christoph and Daisuke set themselves between the two guarding soldiers when Daisuke asked, "We seriously need to have this kind of conversation? If I knew our last hopes were locked on a glorified circle jerk of menstruating princesses, I would have stuck with General de Lombard where we would at least have some kind of prayer!"

Christoph added, "I don't blame you Daisuke, but some people just need a dose of reality before they can actually think straight."

Richard crossed his arms when he told them, "Sorry for trying to be the smart guy around her. I was sure we were getting somewhere to knocking some sense into Christian's thick head here."

Christoph told him, "You aren't being accused of anything Richard. This is just all a big thing that we've had to tackle because of some extraordinary circumstances."

Daisuke added, "Probably the result of three brothers who have too much of conflicting personalities. Now please tell me that we aren't going to pin all of our hopes and prayers on seeing which of you three comes out as the dog on top."

Richard shrugged at the request, "Christian doesn't start anything, there won't be anything."

Christian was more reluctant when he told them, "If it's really going to take this much to get our asses in gear, I hope you all get ready to prove me that we don't need to separate later on."

The conversation was interrupted when an intercom said, "Everyone, we've got some serious problems headed our way. You might want to take a look."

Christoph gestured to the command center when he told everyone, "Let's not keep Pan waiting. We might have something to get us going after all." The small number of resistance fighters made their way to the command center where Pan was creating a holographic map of the base area. Christoph asked, "How serious is our situation?"

Pan answered, "We managed to avoid being seen for a good while, but it looks like that luck is about to run out. We have a squad of two Leo IIIs who have just found our location. Destroy them or leave them alone, the Coalition is going to know we're here."

Richard asked, "So how do we use this situation to our advantage? Are we just going to hold up a defensive?"

Christoph answered, "Even if we do that, we'll just have more to worry about later. It seems like our best option right now would be to push through and… well hope we can escape somewhere."

One of the soldiers asked, "Are we seriously planning to improvise? We go out with that plan and we'll be opening ourselves another world of hurt, courtesy of the Coalition."

Daisuke corrected, "We can still get out of here and not have casualties that way. This is probably our best use for the Nornir right about now."

Richard agreed, "We should be able to break through, but does that mean we have everything to make a clear getaway?"

Christoph decided, "All we can do is make sure that we don't get caught up with the rest of the enemy. Have we exhausted the supplies this base has?"

Pan answered, "With the exception of the supply rations we don't have anything of value the enemy could steal."

Christoph gave his plan, "We've got our way out then. We'll take on the enemy with the Nornir and you guys get situated to make a ride out of here. Pan, Daisuke, you both take a Leo III and carry everyone else out of here along with everything you can carry. We'll keep you covered."

Daisuke accepted, "I don't want to hear any pissing contests about how sideways everything gets while we're out there."

Christoph turned to his brother when he promised, "We won't let anything stop us. Let's move out!"

The soldiers left the command room while Pan and Daisuke made their way to their assigned mobile suits and the Lindemann brothers made a rush to their respective Gundams. Christoph entered the cockpit of the Clotho before priming the systems and felt himself move along the runway. He was moving right ahead of Christian's Urth when he announced, "Let's combine guys."

The back of the Clotho opened while the Urth made its entry and the Lachesis came in from behind. The three Gundams accomplished their combination and the three formed the Nornir Triumvirate. The gate in front of them opened while Chrsitoph ordered, "We're heading out. Let's show them what we still have."

The Nornir Triumvirate made its way out of the gate searched for the first nearby target. Richard checked his radar when he announced, "We've got a few of them headed our way. Get started guys."

The Nornir made its way towards the incoming targets with its fists raised before firing its missiles in the direction of the distant Leo IIIs. An explosion erupted among the nearby trees while the few Coalition Leo IIIs scattered to prepare for an attack. At the Nornir progressed, Christoph pointed, "We're coming in close. Keep us headed to each target Richard."

Richard agreed, "I'll provide what support I can give."

The Nornir came into distance with another Leo III before the arms pulled back and punched through the cockpit area. Christian checked the main monitor when he asked, "Where's the rest of them?"

Christoph checked the radar signal before answering, "I think we're going to find out guys."

Charging to their location was a mobile suit that was already dreaded as a piece of sieging Berlin. The Phalanx unit made a charge towards the Nornir Triumvirate with its main turret guns turned on their location. The shots flew towards the combined Gundam before Christoph raised the arms of Urth in defense. The act pushed the Nornir back against the thrust of the Lachesis's speed causing it to fall on its back while the smoke of the explosion clouded the monitor vision the brothers had.

Christian encouraged, "Let's get moving already! The only thing a Phalanx has is size!"

Richard told him, "Pick your ass back up and get us past those guns!"

The Nornir stood up as its five primary jets propelled towards the Phalanx unit. The Phalanx fired in the direction of the Nornir while the joined Gundam weaved across every shot that came its direction. Multiple shots landed in the forests while sending debris in front of the Nornirs direction. The Phalanx saw the Nornir making its advance before taking aim with its main guns towards the charging Nornir.

Richard took aim with his leg turrets when he told Christian, "Fire on those guns!" The Nornir fired missiles from its legs and fists as they flew towards the target guns. To the approval of the brothers, they saw the missiles make contact while being left to dodge one final shot before it landed to their right. The mighty Leo unit fell backwards onto the ground before erupting in an explosion.

Christoph checked his radar when he told his bothers, "That's what they've sent so far. Keep a watch for anything else."

Pan contacted them when he asked, "Does everything look clear? We're ready to move."

Christoph answered, "It's all clear. Make a way north and wait for us to catch up to you."

Pan confirmed the order, "We're expecting that safety."

The two captured Leo III units made their way out of the hidden base before Christian told his brothers, "Those squads are headed our way."

Christoph recognized the signals on his radar when he told his brothers, "Get ready for close contact. Hold back on ammunition unless we have to."

Richard adjusted the legs of the Nornir before releasing the jets to guide the Gundam towards its targets. Christoph saw multiple beam shots fly towards his location when he told his brothers, "Stay ready for defenses. We're coming in close."

Christian saw the Leo III units fire on his location while he lifted his Urth arms to deflect each blast that came in contact. Just behind them was the oncoming presence of the two Leo III units he knew were on his side. He made a quick estimation in his head before determining they would both be in danger by the time they reached their location. He asked Richard, "Richard, can you get a clear shot of the enemy units?"

Richard took aim through his camera before finding the multiple turrets prepared to fire. He confirmed, "Firing now!" Missiles flew out of the sides of the Nornir legs before making contact with many of the Leo III units that came within striking distance. Even when the multiple explosions erupted, shots came from the smoke as the Nornir Triumvirate pushed forward. Christoph took charge of the situation when he drew the beam rifle out of the Clotho's chest and told his brothers, "Hold back on the missiles, we're going in for close contact!"

Richard continued his press on the location of the targets where the Leo III stood when he asked, "How are we going to handle any more of those reinforcements?"

Christoph told him, "Worry about those pinpoints, I'll worry about the reinforcements."

Christian warned, "This thing is literally in my hands. Don't let this charge be a goose chase."

Christoph dashed through the smoke before telling Christian, "Spray wide!" The arms of the Nornir then fired its beam rifle in a small wave before another two Leo IIIs erupted on contact. The three pilots didn't celebrate however when they saw a greater number of Leo III units appearing in the distance.

Christoph saw his radar light up with multiple signals that warned of their march towards his location before ordering, "They're on to our location! Let's get out of here!"

The legs of the Nornir turned as it made its way towards the rendezvous point of the friendly units. Christian tried to rotate his Urth arms to the direction of the incoming enemy reinforcements when eh asked, "What the hell? How do we defend ourselves against their offense?"

Christoph thrust the jets of the Clotho to their highest setting when he told him, "We'll take on what we can. Right now, the pilots need us."

Richard added, "We've got ammunition to worry about. Let's worry about the enemy after we get to a secure location."

Christian was displeased with the decision but kept himself ready for the incoming Coalition signal as they gradually disappeared from the radar range. Christoph contacted the nearest Leo III, "You guys are clear. Let's get moving out of here."

Daisuke agreed to the plan, "As long as we're ready to lose them."

The Nornir and two Leo IIIs made their contact with one another before making a dash north and away from the oncoming enemy. Things did not progress smoothly however when Christoph saw the last thing he hoped for. His radar showed a growing number of enemy signals while the Nornir continued its path. He then heard Pan asked, "Hey guys, is this reading supposed to be right?"

Christoph looked up at his monitor when he saw two Leo III units appear over the horizon. Richard asked, "Shit. Did they just anticipate our path this way?"

Christian asked, "We've got no choice but contact now."

Christoph shook his doubt before agreeing, "Now's the time to press through. Don't let any of them take down our guys."

Christian took aim with the beam rifle his arms held when he agreed, "That I can do." The Nornir fired its weapon across a range of the Leo III units to see several fall into an explosion while they began their advance. The resistance was welcomed with a volley of fire towards the Nornir while its arms blocked the shots and its chest endured several that came close. Christoph checked his armor when he warned, "We need to make this quick, let's mow another line down!"

Christian took aim with his weapon and fired on one Leo III after another when he told his brother, "Let's see if you have anything to support with!"

Richard guided the legs of the Nornir through the shots when he agreed, "Christian's on to something for once. We don't draw another surprise out of our asses, we're stuck taking all these blows."

Christoph kept a view of the field in front of him but recognize the Leo III signals behind him come to a stop. He learned about their status when Pan contacted him, "Hey guys, we're pinned down here. Not to play the damsel in distress but we can't overpower those sheer numbers."

Christoph recognized the danger as his fellow soldiers were in danger again. The evenly matched units would not be able to take the sheer scope of numbers the Coalition had to slow them down. At the moment, Christoph found himself stuck in a problem he couldn't immediately find an answer for.

A few more signals appeared before Christoph saw a potential way to save himself. The main monitor flashed the words, "Helfire Cannon Engaged." A grip appeared from a nearby panel as it opened and raised to Christoph's hand level. He reached for it and turned it clockwise ninety degrees before feeling the panel slip out of his grasp. Christoph saw a countdown appear on his screen when he warned, "Guys, I think we're about to see another surprise from this thing!"

Outside, the viewers could see the center of the Nornir's chest open to reveal a mighty chest cannon that primed a mighty blaze before it fired in the direction of the Coalition line. The beam soared from the chest of the Nornir while one squad after another fell victim to the devastation the weapon brought. The three brothers were left in awe as they saw the might of their weapon make short work of the Coalition forces.

Daisuke contacted them, "Can you guys read me? Are you still shooting at something?"

Christoph viewed the radar to see there were still a few enemy signals making a retreat, but the Hellfire Cannon that had been activated was still at work bringing devastation. He answered, "No idea how long this thing lasts. I think we've cleared a way at least."

The cannon stopped firing as if on cue and then the words, "Emergency Disengage" appeared on the main screen. Before Christoph could ask anything, he felt his cockpit separate from the others before the back of his Clotho shut closed and left him to check the area around him. Christoph was left in awe at the rows of leveled ground the Helfire Cannon had created and saw newly formed trenches and smoldering piles of debris where enemy mobile suits once stood. He heard Christian contact him, "Holy hell! I didn't know we had that in this thing!"

Christoph was left shaken when he tried to keep himself level and reason, "Probably for a good reason."

He then heard Richard tell them, "I don't know if you noticed, but I think we just managed to pull off something too much for even just one Gundam."

Christoph observed his systems when he saw his cooling systems rapidly at work on the internal systems. He warned the others, "Let's try and avoid enemy contact. We're exposing ourselves to some serious damage under these conditions."

The three Gundams led the Leo IIIs across the field when Daisuke asked, "You guys still okay? Did you seriously just find that weapon?"

Richard answered, "Yeah. And I think I can see why it was held back so much. This is just me, but I didn't see any indication of that sort of option."

Christoph confirmed, "The systems seem to only offer it as an option when there's enough enemies in the area. We'll have to keep that in mind."

Christian asked, "Well we at least managed to cream our pursuers. We have another plan for an attack?"

Christoph told him, "If we keep heading northeast, we should find an enemy base somewhere. We'll have to make sure we're ready for another attack if we're going to have a shot at getting a resupply."

Pan agreed, "We've got another six guys here who are itching to go guns blazing against another Coalition unit. Let's head out to our first destination already."

Christoph accepted the request, "We've got a raid to start boys. Let's not disappoint the Coalition's expectations."