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 42: Earth's Rise

Tano woke up from the ocean of his memories. It felt like hours to him since he passed out. He found himself in a bed with his wound tended to. He tried to move his injured arm but he felt the pain. He remembered that he was nearly killed by a Gundam. It was different from the ones he fought in the ruins of the Long Colony and L4 and had a temporary ceasefire with on Mars. It was more close-combat oriented with curved blades and black and green in color. He decided to speak with the doctor to see if he is captured by a Lunar corporation or if he's rescued and place inside a Coalition battleship. "Excuse me." He said, his throat able to give enough energy to be heard. "Where am I?"

Mercurio was allowed to stand as he checked the left side of his abdomen to ensure it was still stitched. Ludwika asked him, "So you can stand now right Yuy?"

Mercurio nodded when he answered, "Yeah. I'm not feeling like anything could pop."

Ludwika placed her hands on his shoulders when she told him, "Good. Now sit your ass down and keep that from getting worse."

Dana asked her, "So you're sure he's going to live doc?"

Ludwika nodded, "He should be thankful the bullet passed right through him. I'm advising against him having any action on foot though."

Dana nodded when she accepted, "As long as he stays in use. It'll be better for both of us."

Roy was nearby when he asked, "How? You have that little faith in the Artemis and Sandesgeist to carry out this operation?"

Dana turned to him when she answered, "it's better for him because he won't be able to handle just laying down and accepting his position." She pointed to the scar on her face when she told him, "I had a medic tell me that I would lose an eye if I didn't just accept medical attention. It took William about an hour to hold me down before I couldn't take it any longer. And this is just one instance I'm talking about."

Patrick overheard the story when he told her, "It's regrettable what had to happen, but I think you might have surmised what happened to the Major sir."

Dana only nodded, "He managed to get you guys off Luna at the cost of his life. To think it would only be another few hours before I got promoted to leader of this group. Even better, I have to be a leader of renegades now."

Roy commented, "I don't know captain, you seem to be taking it like an opportunity for the most part. Am I supposed to believe those guys were that important to you?"

Dana grit her teeth when she told Roy, "Your ass is already on thin ice Gilliam. I hope you don't need a reminder of the "overwhelming support" you have for your attempt to overtake the Gundams."

Overhearing the conversation about the leadership scenario gave Donna a chance to ask, "It truly is a tragedy today isn't it?"

Zachariah asked, "Yeah I don't think a lot of us really saw a day like this as an opportunity."

Donna elaborated, "It's more a greater picture than just this. The fact that history has now come full circle. The forces who created the Gundams are now the ones who have been pressured to destroy their own creation. I did agree to accept this sort of scenario anyway."

Ermes was confused when he asked, "What makes you think you were destined to have this type of life when you accepted piloting the Sandesgeist?"

Donna answered, "When the Gundams were first built they were intended to be used by pilots that no common man of society would ever regret seeing be on the field. I knew long ago this would have the potential to happen. For the most part I was prepared to accept this idea because I thought it would be my own escape. I never thought it would be this bloody of a way to achieve it though."

Pascal dismissed the answer when he told her, "No one would keep themselves ready for that sort of life girl. This whole thing is probably messing with your head too much. If we're going to pull anything off, the captain is going to get us out of this cluster some way."

Suchart asked, "You have that sort of faith in the captain already?"

Pascal nodded, "What else are we going to do? Lay down and wait for a firing squad? It already looks like Yuy doesn't have that sort of idea."

Donna was left to conclude, "Everyone seems to acknowledge this idea. They have a certain strength that I haven't mustered before."

Ermes asked, "What's that? The ability to be ready to continue on?"

Donna corrected, "The sense of being able to stand with others. Right now, it seems like everyone is ready to stand united as a group. I don't think I've ever stood alongside anyone until I joined the military."

Ermes told her, "Well you do have that strength Donna. Being able to stand here and declare your allegiance to our group shows you think for yourself and you believe in something. You'd be right next to Gilliam if that wasn't the case."

Donna thanked, "I prefer that idea. But it would be nice if you could offer me some form of support when we continue on."

Ermes shrugged, "I'll help when I can. But Donna, I think Mercurio is going to need someone to help him maintain his humanity as it is."

Before Donna asked what he meant, she saw him on a nearby slope holding on to his recently tended wounds and without a sign of pain on his face. He offered a gaze that she had only seldom seen before. A gaze without any focus on anyone in particular. "All of us have been changed on this day." Donna came to realize.

She stayed where she was when the considered what sort of person Mercurio would become on this day. Zachariah in the meantime asked Dana, "So what are we going to do with Gilliam here? We can't exactly trust him completely after his whole show."

Dana answered, "Send Epstein to keep an eye on him. Have him ready to give a weapon or two if the situation gets desperate." Zachariah turned to find Nasir when he told him, "Well it's the captains orders. I hope you don't mind looking over our own loudmouth."

Nasir accepted, "I didn't think there could be anyone worse than me, but I have to admit he needs some shutting up."

He turned his attention to Dana when he asked, "So have you thought up some kind of plan captain? If we're going to be renegades, we'll need an idea of what to take on first."

Dana answered, "We will. We'll need some kind of unity. And I think it's time for me to live up to my rank."

Pascal asked Suchart, "You're okay with trying to keep things going on the run huh? Didn't think you would be willing to stay that dedicated."

Suchart accepted, "We didn't even have any shots ever since we got to leave Luna. Maybe my head just isn't on right and that's why I'm staying okay with this. I think you sound like you need some kind of support after all this. Losing your superiors and all."

Pascal accepted, "Yeah. Our guys need some kind of leader and need to hold up our cause. The Earth Sphere can't fall after everything your friends have fought for."

Maurycy agreed, "And we'll be able to celebrate once this is all over won't we? It's been too many years since we didn't have to follow protocol."

Dana reminded them, "We'll have a long fight ahead of us when we do pull off freeing the capital. The Coalition will be fighting back harder than before in an attempt to take their revenge for what we pull off. But that's why I don't want any of you to follow standard protocol. I want you and everyone to fight as wild and hard as possible. We don't slouch even with the Gundams on our side."

Suchart agreed, "That would put us in a new defensive wouldn't it?"

Ermes listed to the conversation when he asked Donna, "You think you'll be ready for taking on the entire world after what we just had to do?"

Donna looked toward the gathering when she answered, "I have to admit. I've committed something I will never forgive myself for. But after all of this, I think I might actually have a potential calling to adhere to. Like I actually haven't lost anything to fight for."

Zachariah offered, "You with us Donna. We can always stand stronger as one unit."

Roy agreed, "I probably shouldn't have pulled that fast one on you and the others. The least we can do right now is try and not be the big destroyers the rest of the Earth will think we are."

Ludwika gestured to Mercurio who looked over the hole of dog tags. When he stood up, he whispered to himself, "From now on there is no mercy. No second chances. I'll make everyone who fights for the Coalition wish they had never taken a mobile suit."

Ludwika told them, "If there's anyone who is going to push himself to the front, I think we have one reliable first attacker."

Ermes stopped behind Mercurio when he heard his promise. The very man who's outwardly idealistic personality managed to keep the gathered soldiers together was tainted. He was looking forward to the horizon with the intention to kill the first person who would dare to cross him.

Ermes gave his cousin the space he needed when he asked, "Mercurio… Is this what you've been waiting to let loose after so long?"

Everyone who remained under at the moment of the execution was still able to hear the gunshots that had recently sounded outside. The soldiers making their way into the building unharmed and virtually clean gave confirmation in that no one attempted to resist their fate. Even worse was the sight of two of the Coalition generals pleased with their work finished.

Rayen stepped in front of them as he warned, "The threat you face is real. Every man and woman who has dedicated themselves to the establishment of this war in this room has met their end. At least those who have been tried. Many more of you will meet your fate soon enough. If you intend to reach a more certain end however, everyone now stationed here has been given the order to shoot should you attempt to make one step outside this area. Everyone here is to continue waiting until the day of President Kecker's trial. That will be all for now."

Rayen stepped away with Hui at his side while Relena did her best to control the storm of emotions that rushed through her at the news. Heero kept Relena supported as he told her, "This is only a temporary struggle we have to endure. You have to be ready for saving the president."

Relena asked him, "How can anyone accept that this is what needs to happen? Evangeline and the others… They're all dead. We've committed an unforgivable act."

Heero told her, "You can't let this determine what you will be throughout the duration of our situation. I know that's not you. I know you have the strength to look this day in the eye and refuse to let it control you."

Relena reflected on the encouragement Heero offered when she asked, "Is it really something that we have a right to continue facing through? For everything that we've done generations past have all of our deeds been rendered pointless? My intention was that this day would never have to come. And now we have no shortage of death surrounding us. I wanted us all to be a better example for our children than this."

Heero told her, "Nothing we did was pointless Relena. The only way we will let down our children now is if we do nothing. I never hoped you would have to learn this in such a way, but we have to be the example we want our future generations to be. Everything we did will have more meaning than ever if we have the strength to stand for what we believe in."

Relena allowed herself to fall into an embrace with Heero when she told him, "I can promise that you will have my support. In this time more than ever though, I will need you by my side."

Heero returned the embrace when he told her, "You helped me realize what the best in humanity was capable of achieving. I'll stand to be your support and the soldier you need me to be. It's the least I should be willing to offer now."

The two parted from their embrace at the time when Malcolm came to their location and asked, "Relena. Everything that has come to pass is something I hope to see repaid properly. I must inquire it is true that the preparations are under way?"

Relena looked around her to see the other representatives being watched by the Coalition soldiers when she told him, "One of the Coalition generals is offering us the opportunity to save President Kecker. Most of the men in here must be under his command if they are overlooking every conversation down here."

Heero agreed, "They most likely want to assist in some way. Recently one of our own has been acquiring weapons from their storage, everyone here should be ready once the final trial begins." He took out a pistol when he told Malcolm, "Make sure that everyone else knows about this. We will need all of the Coalition soldiers taken by surprise."

Malcolm accepted the gun as he drew it within his suit and told him, "I do hope this will proceed in our favor. Mrs. Yuy, we did have a multitude of differences over the years but now is the time where we must stand united against something more than ever before. I only hope to see that this will be enough to save everything we consider important."

Relena agreed, "I've needed to have myself prepared for this day Mr. Hunter. If this must occur, then I will prepare for what we attempt. Today we will all be truly united as a human race. We must demonstrate that we can have humanity united under this planet.

The Tallgeese Authority had left the battlefield once the two Earth Sphere Generals had sealed their fate in facing the Gundams. Zelma still found herself out of range but managed to find the right path when the newly formed Rogue Wings had begun to make their journey. "As expected. Now should be an ideal time to warn them." If it were only possible to warn them ahead of time this step might not have been necessary. Zelma thought to herself. If she was going to save the Parliament she would have to ensure that the Gundams would follow through with their battle. She couldn't let anyone there die for what Kecker needed to pay for. Zelma made sure to contact the Coalition forces nearby on her status. "This is Zelma reporting. Mission has gone as planned. Beginning a sweep of the area to determine enemy path."

Dana considered the options the pilots weighed in on and eventually came to accept that there was only one choice for their own survival. Donna gave the most obvious solution if they were going to maintain their efficiency, but it still gave Dana a dose of reality to handle. "Unfortunately, that's probably our only option." Dana answered with slight hesitation. "I was hoping the Earth Sphere installations wouldn't be on our hit list but if we're going to have anything to continue our fight, they're pretty much the only area." She was about to continue her evaluation on the coming trip before Ermes announced his radio watch catching in on Nathaniel's speech. "Could be important..." Dana and the others listened in on what the Coalition had to say when the speech began.

The representatives of the Earth Sphere Parliament had been gathered to the meeting hall where they would hear President Falson speak again for his people. It had been mere hours after announcing the Gundams as enemies but he was about to make his appearance on the world stage again. "People of the Earth. As has been discovered by the actions of the Gundams, it is clear that the greatest threat to us also the greatest mistake the key members of the Earth Sphere have attempted to construct. It is clear however that there is one party that must accept full blame for the action that was taken."

Nathaniel gestured below him to the Parliament members summoned for this second speech. He continued his rhetoric a moment later. "Before us is the Parliament of the Earth Sphere United Nations. Grouped together they are meant to represent the will of the Earth Sphere people. Not all of them are guilty of promoting war however. Many of them have been found guilty, but it is clear to me that only the members with direct influence on the war are to blame if this Parliament is to be blamed for anything."

He turned his focus back to the cameras in front of him when he began speaking again. "If I were to press the same blame to the entirety of this government body without discretion, it would be the same as accusing the people who elected them. It will not be long before they face justice, but they will see what has been done to our planet because of their actions."

Here he decided to make the main point of his speech. "What they must see is that their mistake can be rectified. The attempt to bring back the Gundams to our world shall be undone. I now assure all who chose to side with me under the Coalition that this threat to our society shall be destroyed. There shall not be another dismantling of the order this world has achieved. All who chose to cooperate shall be the first to participate in a true unity of humanity. From this day forward, we the people of the Coalition will see the mistakes of war corrected! War is not the eternal destiny of our race! United and against a common foe, we now demonstrate what our conviction has brought us!" There wasn't any applause from the audience but there was likely some amount of appreciation from the Coalition citizens. Nathaniel could tell that this was the case, he didn't need to hear the will of those still loyal to the Earth Sphere to know that there wasn't as much enthusiasm. But soon they will not even have a choice...

"What I have brought myself here for the second time today my good people is not to reiterate what I once said but to answer the burning question many of us have wondered. I had believed that President Franz Kecker would feel a sense of guilt and bring himself before the courts to confess his crimes. This is the man responsible for spreading the flames of war many years ago. What is clear to me now is that this man has no sense of guilt! He does not strive for peace, he instead brought about this war for the sole purpose of undoing everything the generations past attempted to see done!

"I do not wish to slander the name of the previous administration for falling for such a trick. I promise you this my people! The age of Earth's oppression will not be repeated! The fate of former President Franz Kecker shall be determined! Soon after the Earth Sphere United Nations will be no more! Today marks the beginning of the colonies! Today is our time to guide the people of Earth in the right direction towards peace! Today begins our time as the Division Sectors of the human race!" With those final words the applause from either side offering support to the idea had begun around the Earth's orbit.

When the speech finished, Nathaniel made his way towards the entry hall he took to the front podium.

Edward lightly applauded the speech when he took his leave and towards the exit of the building. Nathaniel Falson was certainly a decent communicator when he wanted to get his way with the people. Edward knew that it was one shoe he would have to fill but he knew that he would have the opportunity to overthrow him when he had the men rallied to his cause.

The Parliament members began to talk among themselves when they heard what the Coalition President had planned for his conquest. One of the Representatives found himself stuck in despair at the idea of their loss. "The Gundams are soon to be destroyed. There can't be any way they will survive long on their own."

"Assuming that they cannot avoid the gaze of the Coalition." Heero reminded.

"There are some things I'm uncertain of however. What exactly are the Division Sectors Mr. Falson is proposing?"

Relena considered the term and had one possible conclusion for what he was planning. "It must be his reorganizing of the colonies into the new governing bodies of Earth."

"So the days of a united earth are soon to leave us if this comes to pass." Malcolm observed. "To the victor goes the spoils. He wishes the colonies to have their time as the ruling class now."

Evangeline by now had done everything to hide what despair she had for what her husband's fate might have been and simply pointed out the worst case scenario for the Earth Sphere Parliament. "Right now it seems like General Blare's betrayal is all we have to go with."

"And we might not even have his support. We will have to be cautious with him." Hiram reminded when he added the weight of the situation. Right now, it was a matter of whether or not Hyrum would be able to strike a deal with Edward to get the uprising to move forward faster.

Nathaniel saw Rayen waiting for him as he gave a quick salute, "I believe that we will have the people rallying to our support Mr. President."

Nathaniel showed his hope for the outcome when he reminded Rayen of their final goal. "I believe that we will have the people within our agreed with the "It is the first step to progress. The colonies shall have their autonomy and the Earth will be brought to order. Hopefully we will not see another Earth Alliance rise from the ashes or reason to begin another war."

"There may be another war one day, but we shall at least prevent it from claiming another generation. Our race shall require at least some period of peace. I am optimistic it shall be achieved." He turned his attention back to what he tried to determine of his fellow General when he asked Nathaniel his own question. "I should like to know however Mr. President. Is General Blare's case something you are about to consider?"

"I may have to discharge him. I can't trust him to be around my men when I am still uncertain of what happened at the Testudo."

"Do you plan to any time soon?"

"I require him to maintain order within the city. I suppose it is time for me to find a replacement for him. Afterwards he will need to be held captive from service."

Rayen knew he had to maintain his air of loyalty when he thanked, "I am honored that you would trust me with this information Mr. President."

"You are so far the only leading official I can trust within this knowledge General. We must see that stability pulls through until Kecker has seen justice."

"It shall be done Mr. President." Rayen now had what he needed to find out what Nathaniel's fate would be. He had to be warned or Nathaniel would not see many more days in the Coalition forces.

It was official; they were already the number one entry on humanity's hit list. The Rogue Wings were about to live up to their name and would have to prepare for the worst situation if their hope of saving the Earth Sphere could become a reality. Dana tried to press forward with her leadership as though she didn't hear the speech from earlier. "Libya will probably be less well defended then the areas in Algeria. If we continue that way we might be able to reach one of the installations before we run out of resources and we might find some to take for ourselves."

The broadcast confirmed Donna that now they are now wanted. It was if history was going to repeat like a broken record when she remembered how the Gundams of Operation Meteor were betrayed by those they were fighting for. Dana agreeing on moving North-East was their next move, but they might have to fight more Earth Sphere forces. She returned to look at the Sandesgeist standing on the sands and thought about how the surviving Ursas and any Mobile Suit they'll obtain will have to be re-painted to tell the difference. She saw no need to repaint the Sandesgeist since it was painted in the Lindemann family's colors. She briefly returned to the cockpit to grab a few scarves from the pocket and returned back to where the other pilots are.

Ermes heard Mercurio and the other pilots' concern on rationing. These topics weren't new for him for he's a Martian Resistance fighter but being undercover allowed him to have some meals at Coalition barracks. He can however give some advice if necessary but it looked like they got things fine. He got a tap from the back and found Donna handing a scarf for him. "Take it." She said. "It helps you in the desert."

"Thanks, I guess." Ermes replied as he accepted it. He wondered if it was an apology for forcibly kicking him out of the Gundam earlier and while he was doing that, the girl was gone to the other pilots.

Mercurio felt somewhat more confident in the group effort he was now part of when he offered his evaluation. "Okay. Sounds like that's where we're headed. Once we've got them, we can probably hope for a better chance to fend for ourselves."

Dana felt ready to move out with her newfound team as she evaluated, "If anything at least we're able to say we can say we won't be against one another." She looked at a map of the North African region pointing out, "Closest city looks like should be in Ghat if we keep going to Libya. Still about five and a half hours out of the way though. If we reach the city within that time we probably won't have to worry about supplies for much longer." She gave an order when she motivated the soldiers again. "Everyone get to a mobile suit or a Gundam and prepare to hang on for the duration of the journey. Just treat it as one long hanging exercise and we'll be there before you know it. I'll have to scout with the Artemis in bird mode though just to make sure we don't encounter any enemy activity this time around. Prepare to move out."

The soldiers began to search for the nearest machine that had something for them to hang on to while the anticipation to move out had begun to build. She turned to Ermes when he had his scarf on and offered, "I could use the extra eyes. Feel like taking a ride in the co-pilot seat?"

Ermes replied to Captain Dana's offer. "Yes, I will be able to become an extra." He accepted. He found himself wearing the scarf over his head like Donna while he walked to the Artemis. He climbed to the co-pilot sear and strapped on his seatbelt. "I am ready to move Captain." He said to her.

"Good to hear." Dana was in the main seat when she began to take off in the Artemis. It was a matter of time before they had begun to move out but the Rogue Wings would have their rough start towards the next settlement. Hopefully if all went as planned Dana would be able to work efficiently in the oversight.

Mercurio and the others had retrieved their Gundams and were soon to embark on their journey to the nearest settlement in this barren portion of the world. Mercurio's Uriel activated with the familiar sounds and displayed the area with the external camera while tracking enemy movement. "Ready to move out Captain." The Zero System hadn't been activated but he knew that it was right next to him now when the Wings would encounter their next battle.

One of the Ursa units had shown it was still operational when it began to prepare its flight mode to catch up with its leader. "Yeah it's about time we got started." Ludwika announced from the mobile suit's communication panel.

The recording session was done. Till had the end-product, a video tape in his hand for his plan. The Instructor saw a small smile from him, probably from the small accomplishment that will grow into a mountain.

"We will have to find a station to broadcast this from." The Instructor commented.

Till nodded in agreement. "There should be a civilian station we can try to hijack."

W noted on the Lord's pragmatic idea. "We better move quick." He added.

It was a few moments after he saw a familiar face meet with him he had to consider his previous meeting. "Lieutenant. Do you need my assistance?"

Hyrum found Edward at the right moment and began to ask his question while making sure that no one was overhearing him. "General. My superiors aren't exactly convinced that you are trying to get us out of here. It also sounds like we won't be able to wait much longer before the President receives his trial. We both know how it's going to turn out." He got to the matter at hand when he asked the General for the request in mind. "Can you give us a chance to make our way towards the weapons room?"

Edward saw what Hyrum wanted. If the President wasn't saved from what was likely to be just a few moments before his execution that was already planned the Earth Sphere would have a hard time standing on its own after escaping from Brussels. If he was going to see them find their way out, he knew that the resistance would have to feel like they were ready. "I'm afraid that I cannot help you with the way to the weapons room. However, if you seek to save the President I can at least offer at a temporary distraction. I might be able to move the watch from the area for enough of a period to enter and take what you need. Don't worry about the camera system, I will ensure that everything is overlooked." He reminded him of a final thing before he left to make the change of guards. "See that you will continue to use this decision to prepare for the escape."

"It will help somewhat." Hyrum left quickly as he made his way towards the hall holding the weapons room. He wasn't sure what the General was planning but he had to make sure that there wouldn't be any Coalition guards to stop him if this small heist was going to work. It didn't seem like there was any soldiers looking for people out of their holding area but they were moving out on some orders they had probably received. Hyrum scrambled for the hallway when he was sure the guards had all left finding that the camera system was still searching for the area. Now I have to find out if the General's words are true. At least if I do get caught it'll just be me. He knew what would await him if he was caught, he had to remain vigilant and not reveal this was part of a greater plan.

Edward made a call with the security room hoping to prevent any issues for Hyrum making his way to the weapons room. He simply demanded from the men on the other line, "Requesting update with camera system."

"We've found someone making their way to the weapons room sir. We'll send in the security to deal with him."

"Don't move. He is a mole working for us to expose the uprising that is soon to occur."

"Oh. I understand sir, ceasing warning."

"Make sure the remainder of the security hears this. We need to see that he is able to do his job." He ended the call without any further requests. Edward knew that Hyrum would be able to bring out the weapons to his leaders without issue, he only needed to wait for President Kecker's trial before they were ready to see the uprising begin. "Well then. It's time to see how this plays out. Hopefully they don't disappoint with this ambition."

Just as soon as Hyrum made his way towards the weapons room he used the key card to gain access and quickly made his way in. Thankfully there didn't seem to be anyone in there at the moment and the pistols were the most immediate to be taken. Hyrum stashed the weapons into his jacket trying to make sure that the bulge wouldn't be conspicuous. As soon as he though he had enough he made his way for the bullet clips to make sure they would be loaded. As soon as he had enough to make his way back without being caught he stepped away and checked the way outside for any guards that might have been making their way here. He didn't see any and the words of General Blare must have been fulfilled after all. At least he hoped it was this and not that he was just quick enough. He stepped as quickly as possible to make sure he didn't lose any of the ammunition or weapons from his jacket and avoided any Coalition guards that might have gotten in his way.

Hyrum quickly entered the room making sure that none of the Coalition guards were able to overhear the uprising that would soon take place. "Major Yuy." He called to his superior's attention. When the remaining soldiers heard the Lieutenant's call they were ready to find out just what news he had. "General Blare was good on his word." He spread out a few pistols and ammunition clips on the ground to offer his fellow soldiers when he expressed his personal hope. "This should be enough to get us a start."

Once Hyrum had brought out the weapons for the trapped soldiers to use, Heero slowly loaded one of the pistols with an ammunition clip. "Good work Lieutenant. It's time for us to follow with a plan."

One of the soldiers waited to hear out what Heero had planned for the uprising before he thought of loading his own pistol. "So what do we have planned at this point?"

"These will be enough to give us a start. We have to secure the President's safety and the Parliament at the same time. This is going to require perfect timing."

The soldiers of the Parliamentary Building were slowly gathering around the spot that had their best hope of salvation. Another one of the soldiers had the obvious question in mind when he asked, "And how do we pull that off?"

Heero was quick to go through the plan in his head before he pointed out the first stages. "There are a few guards behind the President and there are ones gathered around the entry ways of the meeting hall. We'll need a signal to begin."

"Which target do you plan to take Major?"

Heero knew it was time for him to push himself as a soldier. It had been a long time since the last time he used a gun but it was time for him to do it again. He had to do this for the sake of the Earth Sphere. "I'll take out the guards behind the Presidents."

Another one of the soldiers tried to find out "President Kecker should be safe once they're taken out. Perhaps that's when we should begin the shootout?"

"We'll begin then. Make every shot count before you hear the first one."

Another one of the soldiers pointed out the big problem in their plan. "The Parliament however? The Coalition guards might open fire on the representatives to find us."

Heero knew that the parliament was going to be in grave danger when they were caught between the crossfire. He thought quickly to get this mark off his initial plan. "Once the shooting begins tell the representatives to get to the ground." He turned to Hyrum with the plan in mind. "Once the nearby guards have been taken out, prepare to guide them to the weapons room. We'll be able to hold guard until we've forced the Coalition out of the building."

"So everyone has to be a Grade A marksman for this mission then? Might as well start writing our suicide notes if we're going to try something this ambitious." One of the soldiers pointed out the obvious concern the Earth Sphere soldiers had. They couldn't rely on just one man to take out every Coalition guard with a headshot and now it was the bare minimum to participate in such a coup.

Heero gave what would pass for pep talk in his mind when he told the soldiers around him, "This is a do or die mission. We've enlisted to protect the Earth Sphere government. Now is our time to do our duty."
Lightly encouraged by the words they gave a soft, "Yes sir."

Relena could only wait and overhear the conversation as the plan went over. She knew that these men and women were ready to lay down their lives for this cause now but she still felt a sense of dread from being caught in another close up conflict. She promised Heero she wouldn't be deadweight for this plan, she would have to be a leader again and see her fellow representatives to safety. I won't let anyone turn this plan around. Even if I must engage in it as well. She thought to herself as the soldiers began plotting their positions.

Hyrum had his own pistol loaded when Heero had given the main idea of the operation. If they were going to save President Kecker then now was the time to prepare for that moment. "I understand the mission Major. We'll see that General Alphonse's sacrifice wasn't for nothing." He announced when he felt prepared for the mission. I've got something to live up to now. I'll have to hope the others are as ready for this.

"We shall follow through with the plan as well Major." Malcolm assured Heero. "We will see that the remainder of the Parliament is brought to safety once the crossfire has begun. It is regrettable that we did not cooperate to end the war years ago. The past cannot be unchanged but it is possible to undo the mistakes we have made."

Relena stepped forward with respect for her opposing leader, "Thank you Mr. Hunter. This is our time to redeem ourselves of what our divisions brought us."

Heero knew that everyone was prepared for the coup when he said, "As long as we minimize casualties on our side we won't have to worry about it.

The recovery had taken its time but as expected it paid off in seeing Tano make a recovery. The doctor observed his patient's arm while greeting, "Ah greetings Lieutenant. Welcome aboard the Executor Rising." The doctor introduced Tano's location. The doctor continued to explain the situation when he looked over the results of the previous battle. He offered the usual warning for any patient waking from such an injury. "Try not to move the arm too much. It will require some time to be fully functional again."

Admiral Norma Miles sounded like a familiar name to Tano. He remembered after a few seconds that he's the Admiral of the Second Fleet. He got up but his arm was hurting from the movement. "Excuse me Doctor, what happened to Admiral Kontoyannis?" He asked. He found his jacket hanged in a rack with identical labcoats and wore it to hide his wound.

"As you might have suspected, the attack on Luna can only be described as disastrous and the majority of our forces were destroyed. Among the casualties Admiral Kontoyannis was one of them aboard his flagship. We have been able to escape the wrath of the new mobile suit units the Earth Sphere has produced." He was able to maintain his confidence though when he added to the report, "We will likely not have much to worry about however. The Coalition has now begun to subject the Earth Sphere to its will and the destruction of the Gundams will likely soon end the war."

Tano took the news of the defeat like a bullet shot through him. Most things he had were crushed from the battle like his Sagittarius and subordinates. He hid his feeling of defeat from the doctor and asked the next question to him. "What happened to the Gundams?" He asked. "Tell me where they went and I'll continue my mission of searching and destroying them."

"The Gundams? Well I haven't exactly been briefed on battlefield information so critical." Even with the battle ended the most that any view from a distance could determine that a shuttle had been destroyed. The doctor still knew that Tano's determination would not be subverted. "Seeing that you are determined to discover such information yourself Lieutenant I shall see that you are escorted to the Admiral herself and briefed up to speed." He opened one of the nearest entryways when he spoke, "Private Nhung. Please show Lieutenant Kiprotich to the bridge. He wishes to hear from the Admiral on the situation."

Cao made her way up to Tano when she offered, "Of course. Right this way Lieutenant."

As the Rogue Wings remained in their group, Mercurio heard Ermes ask, "Tell us, is your wound still doing okay?"

Mercurio continued to stay observant as he looked in both directions for an enemy presence when he told him, "I'm fine. It's not like I'm doing anything on the ground any time soon. Everything I do out here is purely from my cockpit here."

Dana told him, "You do know that's not much of a difference, right? If one of those stiches' pops, we don't need you risking bleeding out instead of dying in a fight."

Mercurio told him, "I don't have any intention of it happening captain. No one who goes against me is going to survive."

Ermes heard the restrained anger in his cousin's voice when he asked, "You know that involves following the captain's orders right? We do need to keep some kind of leadership going around here after all."

Mercurio nodded when he told them, "Just point me to where the enemy is, and I'll fulfill my orders." Mercurio shut off his signal with the Artemis before haring another announce its hailing. Mercurio activated it to see Zachariah on the screen when he asked, "You got a minute Yuy?"

Mercurio answered, "As long as it's not asking about my injury. The captain knows enough already and still keeps her eye on me."

Zachariah agreed, "I'm sure she will. But really, it's a few things. Just wanted to thank you for helping us out there. I'm sure most people wouldn't have done the same as you."

Mercurio agreed, "They probably wouldn't. But most people aren't soldiers. Those men back at That wouldn't have agreed to the mission if either of the generals told them not to."

Zachariah added, "And Gilliam. Gilliam was pretty much the only guy who made the attempt to have you guys killed. Are you planning to hold anything against him?"

Mercurio shook his head when he told him, "He wasn't acting out of pure instance. In all honesty I deserved it and probably more."

Zachariah asked, "You aren't planning to get yourself killed out there are you?"

Mercurio told him, "If I did, I'd be doing a disservice to everyone who died out there. All I can do now is make sure that none of our own has to die because of what I did. If you get to speak to Gilliam again, let him know that he is a soldier just like the rest of us. And right now, your mission is the only thing that should keep us going forward."

The answer that Mercurio gave was given in a tone that wasn't intended to inspire hope, but one that was meant to remind those around him that death had become a much greater possibility than before. Zachariah tried to accept the answer when he told Mercurio, "Okay. If that's what you got in mind, I'm here for your support."

Mercurio thanked, "Good to hear. Now stay on the lookout for anything that's waiting for us."

Zachariah saw his signal shut off when he had to continue his search around him. The heat of the Sahara continued to weigh on his body when he removed his uniform shirt as many of his fellow pilots had done. He kept an eye on his fuel gauge to see it remaining very close to the empty symbol. Even with the conditions still weighing down on him he was left with an impression of how much had recently changed. "We still have a mission and it's only gotten everybody to be even less stable. What are we going to look like once this is all over?"

Edward and Rayen observed everything that had passed in the previous few hours as they tried to determine the appropriate time to take down their President.

Rayen began, "The issue of OZ has been discovered. This will not be something we take lightly."

Edward was curious on the matter. "And just how is it the President plans on handling the situation with the reformation?"

"We have a statement to issue in regards to this creation. We will be answering with force however. Given a matter of days the colonies will be pouring their military resources into the Earth by the thousands."

"Is that what the upcoming meeting is meant for?"

"What he has told me is the case. The Earth Sphere will officially be dissolved, and the colonies will decide for themselves what portions of the Earth will be theirs."

"If that is the case then the President will soon be in the most vulnerable situation we can have him. Be it with or without the Testudo I will end Nathaniel."

"Either way we are soon to achieve what we initially hoped for. However, can you rise to the occasion on the issue of the reformed OZ?"

"This formation is nothing but the rantings of a madman who hopes to relieve the glory days of his relevancy. His support will dwindle over a matter of time when those fighting for him see the futility in this endeavor."

Rayen asked the final detail on their planned uprising, "Will the uprising from the Representatives be the final key to seeing Nathaniel Falson fall underneath his own ambitions?"

"He will die once he tells me the location of the Testudo ammunition. Once it has been taken, we will have everything we need to bring the remaining Earth threat to our knees."

The Rogue Wings were making their way through the Sahara when the destination had been decided and the trip was only now about three hours in. The heat still beamed down in every direction and the group did not show any signs of willing to wait it out any longer. Mercurio checked the stats on his panel finding out that his fuel was reaching the one quarter mark. He reminded Dana of their situation, "We better get there soon. Don't know how much further our mobile suits will be able to go at this point."

"If the fuel depletion doesn't get to us then the heat will probably scramble everything at some point." Ludwika warned. From the sound on her end Mercurio was able to guess the situation wasn't going any better.

The Tallgeese Authority had been at least a small distance behind Agent Zelma when she looked for the resistance making its way towards the nearest city. If anything, they probably wouldn't be able to see her mobile suit because of the height of the nearby dune, she needed to be ready for some element of surprise. Zelma looked up and fired her flare gun. It fired and hopefully Mercurio's group would be able to see it signal towards her. She tugged slightly at her head scarf when she prayed to herself on the encounter. "Hopefully they see reason."

For the three hours the Rogue Wings were on their trek it was mostly the dry air that got to the soldiers since the sixty miles an hour breeze beat against their faces in the travel. The Artemis was still in bird mode searching out the area for enemy units, but the results were still not showing anything. "See anything out there Ermes? I know the difference between this and Mars is kind of minimal but we'll probably get some different terrain soon enough... What's that?" Dana checked her front view again to notice a small light in the distance. "A flare? Is there someone out there?"

Ermes kept his eye closely on the desert since they departed. There was nothing interesting to report to three hours. When the conversation with Dana was interrupted, he saw the flare. He saw where it came from, but the shooter is difficult to see. "Yes Captain I saw that." He replied.

Donna's Sandesgeist's interface was still fine for now, with all systems still showing as positive. Sandesgeist's design for desert warfare paid off when the pilot heard Suchart ranting about how all of his camera will die. "Now I can't see the remaining fuel!". One of the LDS crewman signaled Donna to turn it off, which she gladly did when she was forced to listen to it. She noticed the flare out in the sky like everyone else, like if it was trying to get their attention. She contacted the captain on the sight. "Captain, should we investigate the source?" She asked over the comm.

Dana agreed that the flare had to be considered if they were going to continue across the Sahara without any hitches. "Can't be too much of a distraction. Someone out there might need our help." She agreed to Donna's evaluation. Dana ordered the band following behind her, "Take five everyone. We'll find out just who needs our attention."

It was a few moments before the Artemis in bird mode set foot down to the area where the flare might have been fired and the only visible thing was a lone figure standing in front of one of the large sand dunes. It was difficult to see Zelma from a distance but when Dana made her way out of the cockpit she made her way to introduce herself. "Hello? Anybody I should know?"

When Mercurio saw the flare in the distance he began to wonder who was out there. "Wonder who that is out there?" He opened the Uriel's cockpit and spoke to the other soldiers on the Gundam, "You guys stay here. I'll make sure the Captain can handle whoever she's meeting." He made his way down when the Uriel made its way towards the Artemis on the ground.

As soon as he began to meet up with Dana and the agent before them, Zelma began to speak. "Gundam pilots. I work under the guise of Agent Zelma. I am here to warn you about what you might have planned regarding your previous decision." Before the obvious conclusion could be made she answered, "I must explain this to you, Franz Kecker is the cause of the war you have been part of. The recent background checks on him have proven this is true. He is now within the grasp of the Coalition and will be executed before he can deal any further damage to the human race." She went to her final point and explained the final proposal. "You muster permit your Gundams to self-destruct. Do so and we will be able to see the Coalition offer justice to humanity."

Dana tried to understand where Zelma was coming from when she gave her explanation and was rather quick to point out the problem with her warning. "So you want us to give up our only chances of facing the Coalition? Sounds just like you're revealing your mission just a little too soon." It was even less believable when she had to account for the side Zelma was fighting for. "How are we even supposed to believe the sort of anti-Earth Sphere propaganda that the Coalition has been warning about if we haven't even seen anything like it?" It was clear now at this point that Dana wasn't convinced that she was going to accept Zelma's warning. "It's great you might want us to support peace on some level but just giving our cause over to the Coalition isn't exactly how we plan to go out."

"I understand that it is something to bear serious consideration. The united Earth you fight for is one that will lead to a grim fate for those who live in space." She took out a folder with the clearest evidence she could muster for Dana warning, "This is everything Franz Kecker was planning to achieve with the Solaris." As soon as it was read Dana would find that the Solaris was being launched towards Venus and finally utilized within a larger structure of some sort. Zelma went on to explain the issue they were facing when Dana seemed to be done reading. "If Franz is allowed to use the Solaris, this weapon will be used to destroy the lives of everyone who lives in space. This conflict must be stopped before any needless casualties are committed." If this wouldn't work she would probably have a difficult time trying to convince any of them that the war had to be ended here. Hopefully the worst outcome wasn't at hand.

While the other Gundam pilots were speaking to Agent Zelma, Donna stood on guard in her Gundam. There was something else from Suchart again. "Hey guys!" Suchart said. "There's a broadcast about a crazy old man declaring war! Check your transmissions!"

Donna adjusted her channel to find the broadcast. It was her father in a sealed room, sitting on an ornate chair. "People of the Earth Sphere." He began. "I am Lord Lindemann, patriarch of the Lindemann Family."

The pilot was shocked on seeing her father and Ermes watched the footage on the co-pilot's seat. The broadcast continued. "It is sad knowledge that the Earth Sphere government has lost in this war in a humiliating unconditional surrender." His tone changed. "Which is why I will continue the war. I will hereby announce the reformation of the Organization of the Zodiac for the purpose of destroying the Falson Coalition! You will join me to continue the war!" Just before the transmission ended, 32°54'8"N 13°11'9"E was shown on the bottom-left of the screen for a second before it ended.

Donna's reaction was mixed with her father's announcement. In her interpretation, her father completely lost his mind in continuing the war alone. She always doubted on his ability to revive OZ but being able to get soldiers to join him sounded difficult. She returned her channel back to the team while Ermes took note of the numbers that appeared before. She had to tell the captain on what was broadcasted when she returns.

As Dana was reading through the details on what she had escorted the Solaris for she began to wonder just where Zelma had gotten this information from. She couldn't have replicated these documents, she had to find out how this sort of thing could have been created. Could the President have been calling for a super weapon of this scale? The Solaris was a huge priority, but she had to see why this was all happening for herself. She answered the Agent with a few responses, "It's great you want to warn us about a big mistake we're probably making. But right now, I'll have to hear it from the man himself." She iterated her point when she pointed out Zelma's request. "You came out all this way expecting us to destroy our Gundams just so this war could end sooner. If you think we're going to cave into something a stranger wants us to do, it's too high of an order to expect from us." Dana handed the document back to Zelma telling her, "I'll leave the choice to the others, but you'll probably have to tell your superiors that you're not going to get the response you hoped for."

Mercurio saw the Captain was engaged in some sort of deal when both she and Zelma were trying to compromise with. It didn't seem like it was going to go over well though, the Captain was returning the document sheets by the time he touched down to the ground. Hopefully there wasn't anything bad about to happen.

Zelma listened to Dana's denial of the claim until she was finished speaking. "I only have one superior. He is not interested in who governs the human race, he only wishes to see war end with no further casualties to humanity." She answered back to Dana's denial, "If you will not save yourselves from the Coalition's ambition then I'm afraid that I must stop you from reaching your next destination."

Whatever restraint Dana had when it came to dealing with Zelma was diminished when she heard the final warning. It was then Dana gave her own warning. "I know what you're asking me to do Ms. Agent. I'm afraid I have higher standards than what you're offering though and I've never been known as someone to buckle under enemy pressure." Before Zelma could offer anything else to make her surrender Dana emphasized her stance, "And another thing: I've been under the gun of Coalition soldiers with even harsher conditions. Take whatever warnings you have left for me and take a giant dump on them already. You give me a reason to shake in my boots right now or I'm calling BS on your warning." Dana knew that she had to maintain her cool head in order to be prepared for whatever Zelma had for her. She couldn't have made her way out here by air and there was probably something waiting for her now.

Zelma saw the intensity in Dana's eyes and parted with a quick warning, "Whatever you wish Captain." It was in that moment Zelma threw her head scarf in Dana's direction. It was an obvious distraction but it bought her enough time to begin running up the sand dunes with her pistol in hand. It was time to stop the Gundams and it would probably result in the worst case scenario. If she was destined to battle these three Gundams she hoped she had the skills to only incapacitate them. She couldn't let Mercurio die.
They are misguided. Their Captain at least has loyalty to Kecker… Then again who could imagine something of this scale could happen? Zelma thought these things to herself when she continued to run uphill towards her Tallgeese Authority. She would soon have to finish things the best way she knew in dealing with other mobile suits despite how honorable the Gundams pilots might be.

When Zelma threw her headscarf at Dana she gave the almost universal response for anything that was unexpected. "The hell?!" She had her view clear and saw Zelma sprinting up the sand dune at an unusually fast speed. She took out her pistol warning, "Get back here or I'll shoot!" It was about a second before Dana began to fire at Zelma. Dana couldn't let the Coalition agent escape now. The Coalition may have the Gundams listed as the Earth's most wanted but having someone on their tail would just add to their worries.

Despite Dana's aim she wasn't able to hit Zelma when the Coalition agent made quick dodges and leaps to avoid the gunfire. It wasn't until Zelma reached the top of the sand dune that she disappeared from sight. Dana rushed towards the cockpit of the Artemis warning Ermes, "We've got a problem on our hands. Get ready for a possible encounter." The cockpit shut and Dana prepared for whatever came next out of the agent's book of tricks.

It was clear that the deal had gone sour when Dana was finished speaking. The Coalition agent began to make her escape from Dana's firing range and Zelma made her way over the sand dune. Mercurio saw this from afar and had a feeling that Zelma had prepared for this. Before he heard any order from Dana he began to rush back to the Uriel and warned everyone, "The enemy is here to engage! Hit the ground and wait for the engagement to end!" The soldiers didn't even bother questioning at this point and only hit the sand in hopes of enduring whatever destruction was soon to come.

Zelma dodged every bullet from Dana until she managed to make her way towards the tip of the dune. She took a final high leap into the air and down towards the waiting empty cockpit of the Tallgeese Authority. As she soared down, she planted her feet on the metal surface of the entry and quickly entered the cockpit seat. It was a few moments before the Tallgeese Authority had been activated and prepared for combat. She warned the Rogue Wings, "This is what you have dedicated your fighting lives to. I hope you are not willing to discard it now."

Ermes saw the talk between the Captain and the agent going badly as if it was some bad news. The situation got worse when the agent threw her scarf and Dana now shooting at her in retaliation. When the shots missed, and Zelma now gone the Captain returned to the Artemis' cockpit. "Roger." He replied. "I will pass this on to the pilots." He paused for a few seconds when he witnessed the Tallgeese Authority, the same Mobile Suit used by his father now under the hands of Zelma.

Donna, distracted with the broadcast from his father was snapped out of it when Ermes relayed the order. "Captain's order, prepare to fight the Tallgeese Authority." He informed. The Rogue Wings non-combatants got off quickly with the announcement to let Donna pilot her Gundam without any interference. Once the cockpit was sealed, she activated the Zero System at the sight of the Tallgeese Authority. "Can the Coalition afford to pilot Mobile Suits that should be in a museum?" She asked herself. The Tallgeese Authority should be outdated by now and outnumbered by three Gundams, making her confident that they can beat the agent with ease.

Zelma prepared the Tallgeese Authority and knew that the Gundams were prepared for battle when she ascended. "Now to see if it works." Zelma selected the nearest option for the viral program from the Aquarius. The effects were going to cripple the Gundams greatly, but she still had to be ready for the upcoming combat.

The Artemis began to ascend from the ground once the Tallgeese Authority made its way over the sand dune. With a quick sweep in the air it began to transform in midair and made a hard landing. Ermes was in the passenger seat now but might be able to provide some tips on how to handle this machine if needed. "Just make sure to sit tight Ermes. This should be over in a quick." The Artemis had its sniper shield prepared for combat as well as its buster rifle for precise damage. What no one expected was the viral system being transmitted to the Gundams when Dana activated Zero System. "What the hell?!" The screens and monitors on Dana's end had become scrambled and distorted beyond readability when the virus made its way in. "Damn it! What is that thing using?!" She made a desperate call hoping that her fellow Gundam pilots still had the ability to at least discern their target. "Yuy! Lindemann! Can you hear me out there?!" The Artemis lifted its shield up in defense ready for whatever strike came next.

Mercurio threw himself into the cockpit of the Uriel prepared for battle. As his opponent appeared he saw a ghost from the past that should not have been possible. Regardless he forced himself to be ready for a deadly encounter. "Whatever it takes..." As soon as he activated Uriel he began to notice the same issues Dana was having in her mobile suit. "What?!" It was just a few moments later when he heard Dana try to contact him but could barely make anything out past her scrambled communication. "Captain! Is that you?! I'm barely reading your signal!"

Once Zelma saw the Gundams having an issue trying to move she knew it was time to strike. "How many of you are completely defenseless?" She began with nonlethal strikes towards the Gundams as planned when the Tallgeese Authority launched its heat rod forward towards the Artemis.

Keijo and the others managed to hit the ground in time before the battle could begin. "Just great. Looks like we got front row seats again."

Zachariah tried to look through the small dust storm that was picking up from the attacks as he wondered, "How long is it before they take out that white mobile suit though?"

Keijo shook his head as he saw the initial results. "Can't tell if they just underestimated that agent out there or if they're going easy on her. This is probably going to be a while at this rate."

As Dana tried to move the Artemis forward she found the reaction time had decreased by quite a bit and the sniper shield barely came up in time to block the heat rod attack. "Shit! Come on girl stay together!"

Dana tried to move her Gundam again but found that the command was becoming harder the more she tried to utilize her weapons system. "This thing's got a scrambling system even more powerful than those Scorpio units. Guess that thing isn't as big of a pushover as I thought." Dana only hoped that nothing was unsalvageable when she tried to ask Ermes's evaluation down below. "Ermes! Can you see anything down there? Does everything look like it's in place?" In the meantime, she pushed the Artemis to its limits trying to use the shield to block the further attacks from the heat rod.

Ermes checked on the systems of the Artemis for possible faults. All systems were prepared minutes before the scrambling system kicked in, making navigating the interface impossible. "It should be in place!" He exclaimed baffled and realized what was happening. "The Tallgeese Authority. The pilot must have refitted it." He thought of a solution. "I'll try to fix this before we get killed." He brought out the keyboard to start in his attempt to solve the OS problem.

The virus spread to Donna's Sandesgeist like a plague. Donna knew something was wrong when the Zero System started showing errors and information on programs not able to respond. The side-cameras began blurring and the main camera scrambled chronically. The radar showed multiple allied IFFs that were everywhere and no enemies, rendering it completely useless. Captain Dana's attempt to contact her was in vain when only more scrambles can be heard. "What is this thing?!" She roared at the virus attack. The Gundam tried to move forward but because leg balance was affected, it instead fell flat on the sands. Donna screams as she felt that she was falling but she was saved from injury when the airbags activated to break the shock. The Gundam as a result can't use it's close combat weapons in the fight and would be forced to use its beam machinegun while it lies on the ground.

Mercurio could tell that whatever Zelma was using to immobilize the Gundams was going to be their undoing. The most the Sandesgeist could do was offer long range fire that the Tallgeese III was probably able to avoid. The Uriel brought its buster sword forward in a jerky motion as he tried to prepare for an attack. Without Zero System to offer assistance Mercurio had to rely on his own evaluation of where the Tallgeese Authority would remain.

It seems to be sticking with non-lethal strikes for now. I hope this can be an advantage. The Uriel lunged its buster sword forward with a sudden rush before the Tallgeese Authority made a quick dodge from sloppy blow while building distance from the Artemis. Mercurio groaned as he tried to make an effective strike again but found the heat rod wrapping around the blade at the next strike. Mercurio quickly found the heat activation was going to cause a great deal of damage and just as soon activated the heat power in his own blade. The two weapons struggled to wrench the other free in a quick struggle.

Zelma warned to herself on the situation she was forced into when the struggled continued, "Things should not have turned out this way. Further casualties are not necessary for this war."

Dana saw the Uriel begin to struggle with the heat rod and buster sword trying to break free of their entrapment. Dana made a desperate attempt at assistance when she tried to contact Mercurio among the struggle. "Just hang on! We'll break you out of this!" With that warning the Artemis aimed its buster rifle with manual adjustment. At the same time the Tallgeese Authority seemed to know the shot was coming and simply broke out of the struggle in time. "Oh great. Just the outcome I wanted." While the Uriel was still making an effort just to move around the Artemis was forced to raise its shield again in defense. The heat rod strikes were still being averted but were bound to break the shield at some point. Dana realized something key about the attack pattern the Tallgeese Authority was doing when she observed the attack. "If that bitch just wants to play with us, she should have just said so." She noted this when she found that the Tallgeese wasn't planning on any lethal strikes. If only her system was up and running again she might be able to take advantage of this. Still have to make due with what I've got. Let's just see if there's an opening.

Mercurio launched forward to prevent the Tallgeese Authority from taking out the Artemis and managed to break the heat rod from making its way towards the enemy. "Leave them!" He found himself working with the Artemis in attempts to overpower the mobile suit before them. "How much longer?!" He asked out of desperation for the long battle he endured.

Zelma observed the struggle both the Artemis and Uriel brought to the battle when they were trying to stop her. "They are still capable of fighting even without optimal efficiency."

Mercurio pulled his blade attempting to see the heat rod dislodged from the white mobile suit's arm. "I won't let this progress!" He announced preparing a final pull.

"Very well. I will see this ended immediately." She disengaged and through a quick series of movements threw both the Artemis and Uriel to the ground. With the buster rifle aimed at the Artemis and heat rod prepared to launch at the Uriel, Zelma contacted both mobile suits issuing thing a command. "You will all surrender."

Falling over the sand limited the action Donna can take. Fortunately for her, it looked like the Tallgeese was ignoring her. She took the chance to aim her beam machinegun at the enemy Mobile Suit, trying to aim for a precise shot with the blurring camera on the way. She took the chance of saving everyone else by pulling the trigger of the machinegun.

Despite the Sandesgeist supposedly being knocked down the Tallgeese Authority was exposed when it had one major factor ignored from the equation. This ultimately cost Zelma the battle when she saw the machine gun fire take out her main camera.

Mercurio found the opening he needed to end this battle. "Great work Donna. Let's end it now!" He announced in his monumental strike. In that moment Mercurio took the opportunity to use the Uriel's buster sword to knock the Tallgeese Authority to its knees.

Zelma saw her primary camera taken out and was forced to see the battle outside manually. "Damn..." She cursed. "I cannot do anything now." Even if she managed to have a sort of chance against the enemy she couldn't do so without most likely destroying the pilots. She began to back away from the battlefield with a final warning as she primed her buster rifle. "I will let you live with your choice for now Gundams. But understand that you will not live to be grateful for it." She fired her rifle and in that moment the Uriel changed its sword into shield mode. The fire was enough to allow the Tallgeese Authority to escape from the sheer propulsion. Within moments the white mobile suit disappeared into the distance without anyone to catch up to it.

Mercurio looked around him and saw the virus was still present in his system. He announced to the others in hopes of seeing them safe, "I think we did it. Is everyone still alright?"