Chapter Four: Sins of the Father and a Mysterious Suit

Solo stood alone in the graveyard of Colony X-15221. The Peacemillion V spaceship was resting calmly on the ground behind him. I side were the other three Gundam Pilots. Solo looked down at the grave in front of him.

"Mom."

Duo walked up and put his hand on Solo's shoulder.

"It's okay, Solo," he said, "Your Mom would be proud of you for what you're doing." Solo turned around and looked his Father dead in the eye.

"What do you know?" retorted Solo, "When Mom died, what did you do? You did nothing. You just couldn't go on with your life! It's hard, yeah, but you need to at least have some sort of... I don't know!" With that, Solo ran off.

Duo could only stand there in shock. His slightly wrinkled face was solemn looking in the bright sunshine. Odin stepped out from behind a nearby gravestone.

"You were there the whole time, Odin." Duo smirked, "I'm very alert, y'know. Learned that from your Dad." Odin turned Duo around and slapped him in the face.

"What's wrong with you?" Odin yelled, "Whenever my Dad talked about you, he would always say you were the one that broke him. You were the one that made him a human being again. Gave him back that piece of humanity that gives you feelings that Dr. J and Dechem Barton took from him. When I learned you were going to be with us during this war, I was ecstatic. But, you're not anything like my Dad described you as. No. You're more like a lifeless shell of what you once were."
Duo closed his eyes. He almost shed a tear, but then Treize came running up.

"Mr. Maxwell!" yelled Treize, "Neo OZ is on TV!"

"What are they doing?" asked Odin. Treize shrugged.

They ran back to the ship, and barged into the meeting room. Treize and Duo followed Odin, and when they saw the screen, they gasped. There was Wu Fei Chang, Treize's Father, tied to a wooden pole and blindfolded. Under him was a graphic on the TV that said "Fang Conspirator: Wu Fei Chang".

Treize almost cried out. He knew his Father didn't have anything to do with the Fang. As a matter of fact, he had been sick at home with pneumonia! Treize knew his Mother wouldn't have let Wou Fei do anything like that anyway.

Milliardo Khushrenada walked onto the stage, followed by a troop of soldiers holding muskets.

"Today," Khushrenada said, "we at Neo OZ have made a great stride in the war on the Fang. The man you see before you is Wu Fei Chang, the original pilot of the Gundam Shenlong. Yesterday, during a retaliation against the Fang, we were attacked by a team consisting of the four original Gundams besides my good aid's Terra Sandrock.

This man here was exposed as the man who brought this new, so called "Omega Gundam Team". Mr. Chang is here as an example. He will be executed."

Treize gasped. "What?!" he cried, "What's his deal?! I mean, he's making this fake story, he's captured my Father, and he's even made some fake names for us! I... can't let this happen!" Treize ran towards the bay. Towards his Gundam.

Raphaela grabbed him. "Don't." she said, "There's nothing you can do. They're 78 billion miles away, and even if you did get there, all you would do is tarnish our record even more."

"Are you a psychic?" Solo asked, "'Cause it looks like there's another mobile suit attacking the execution!"

On the television, a giant, black mobile suit descended upon the croud. The pilot's voice was muffled, but it boomed over the crowd.

"I am the pilot of the Pandora Gundam!" he yelled, "I am a member of the Omega Gundam Team, a division of the Fang. Prepare to pay for trying to kill our leader!" The Pandora pulled out a large staff that exploded at both ends, revealing a dual sided beam axe!

Pandora began rushing towards the stage, but a squadron of LEOs appeared and held the Gundam at bay. Milliardo held up his arm and the soldiers readied their muskets. Treize froze.

Milliardo dropped his arm and the guns fired.

The Pandora Gundam left, it's mission failed.

Treize fell to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes.

~

Solo stood alone in the graveyard, this time near Quatre and Trowa's graves. There were still three more graves left. One was marked with the gravestone of Wu Fei Chang. Another said Heero Yuy. The last said nothing.

Duo slowly walked up and faced his son. He looked down at the unmarked grave.

"That's for my friend." he said to Solo, "That was where I got my nickname. The God of Death. That is what I am and always will be. Even after my own death. That space is saved for the souls I've failed to save. Those who were innocently killed as I did nothing about them. In that grave, they can rest.

"That is where Sister Helen is, and all the people at the Maxwell Church. There is also the man who gave you your name, son. His name was Solo. He said he would be with me forever. ... So did Hildy. For awhile, I didn't acknowledge that. They've always been here with me, I just... haven't noticed them." Duo walked up and ripped the unmarked gravestone from the ground with his bare hands.

"They don't need a grave." Duo whispered, "They're still here. They'll always be with me." Solo looked at his Dad coyly. Then he hugged him. For the first time in 10 years.

~

Jion Marquise sat in Milliardo's office, waiting for him to return. He looked to his right and stared at Pagan, Milliardo's butler. He smiled. He was about to say something when Milliardo Khushrenada walked in.

"Mr. Milliardo," said Jion, "Did all go well?"

Milliardo nodded and grinned.

"Shall we proceed with the plan?"

Milliardo nodded again. Pagan reached into his pocket and Jion quickly turned to look at him as Milliardo stared blankly at the wall. Pagan pulled out a duster and began to dust the shelves aligning the walls.

Later, Milliardo was on a plane headed towards Alaska. There, Vinsfeld would be waiting for him, and then the final phase of Operation:Evolution would begin.

_

It looks like the Gundam Pilots are heading into a full-scale war with Neo OZ. But what is "Operation:Evolution"? What is OZ's plan? What's up with the Pandora Gundam? Hopefully all will be answered in the next chapter, "She Falls".

BOOYA! - Matt Ryan