SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER... "Everything's been finalized. You leave for Earth within the week." "Understood. I do, however, see a problem with the recent end to hostilities. People are going to want to forget about war for a while." "It won't last. This war of theirs didn't end decisively. There will be people on both sides who will want to finish the war once and for all. Besides, conflict is in these beings' nature. And even if this Dr. Zoldark manages to unite them under one purpose, it will hardly matter. Between the aspirations of the Kyouryu and the Youma, the ancient gender wars of the Zentraedi and Meltrandi, and the remorseless advance of the STMC, settlements will burn, the dead will pile up in the streets, governments will fall, and anarchy will reign. In the end, they'll beg us to save them." "What about the Principality of Zeon? The Zabis will most certainly rearm since most of their cold war restraint died with Archduke Degin Zabi. The eldest son, Giren, is both aggressive and dangerous. He's already expanded the fortifications at A'bao'a'qu, only a month after the Atalia Treaty was signed. And then there's the Neo-Zeon faction, led by Majarajah Khan and his daughter Haman, and they make Giren Zabi look like Ghandi." "A family of pretentious fools playing at running the human sphere, when most of the human sphere has already passed them by. Let them plot and scheme. In the end, their fate will be no different than the rest." "There's also another matter to consider: their technical and scientific expertise. They might unravel the secrets of the dreadnought." "Yes. Which is why there can be no deviation from the timetable. Even if there is, our technological base is far superior to theirs. And their top researchers are, shall we say, ethically inflexible. So much so, that we have the latitude to pursue avenues of research they wouldn't even consider." "Like your Psychodriver project?" "Among other things. Speaking of which, I expect a preliminary report on the sample pool for the project as soon as possible. We have been through much, you and I, but soon a new age will dawn. Once, the Balmar Empire was the brightest beacon in the galaxy. It will be again." "And we are to be the new rulers?" "You still think too small. 'Rulers' is too limiting of a term. I prefer 'gods'." *** Since the start of the 17th Century There's been the scent of unseasoned wood, burning in the air And the conquest of nature meant nothing at all While we betray exception, we take all that's there But motives are translucent in the reflection of shame The actions ghostly remnants of our ancestral ways And unwittingly you just take your place in this parade The voracious march of godliness makes us all the same anyway All the same... Since the dawn of our human family There's been concentrated sepsis, blowing in the breeze And we turned on each other with ferocity Desperation, forced without reprieve But the missions were misguided and the trammelled led astray The air resounds with thunder as the victor seized the day And the haunting voice of history lives ignored but not betrayed The voracious march of godliness will get us close to Heaven one day Some day... The voracious march of godliness, the voracious march of godliness The voracious march of godliness, the voracious march of godliness The voracious march of godliness, the voracious march of godliness The voracious march of godliness makes us all the same anyway All the same... -- Bad Religion "The Voracious March Of Godliness" _No Substance_ Rock And A Hard Place Productions presents a Tale of the Super Robot Wars written and directed by SliderDF (sliderdf@hotmail.com) Story copyright 2002, Rock And A Hard Place Productions Kage No Senshi -- Cycle 1: When Your Regular Deus Ex Machina Isn't Cutting It Anymore Phase 2: The Kid With The Broken Halo *** The ship, thought Jay Denton as his Huckevine MkII approached it, was magnificent. It was thermocoated white, with both its catapults flanking a raised central section that boasted a centerline main cannon on the prow below a proud flying bridge. The rear thruster nacelles, big and blocky, were split wide on the rear of the ship. Two blocks with two ports each, the purpose of which Jay could not discern at first glance, sat behind each catapult. The ship fairly bristled with weapons. "Looks like you guys are ready for anything that comes your way," Jay radioed. "We like to think so," Pink-and-Maroon answered with a hint of a smile. "There she is, the Ahgama. We're about to enter her holding pattern now." [Something that big and that heavily armed couldn't have been built by a civilian yard,] Cortana, the AI onboard Jay's Huckevine MkII observed, her words echoing in Jay's mind. [It might be a captured warship, or it might have been built in secret. I'll know more when we get aboard.] [There's something I've been meaning to ask you,] Jay replied as his eyes drank in every detail on the Ahgama. [How did this particular PT get an AI assigned to it?] [You've only ever piloted mass-production PTs before, haven't you?] [Trainers, mostly. Until today.] [Close enough. Anyway, AIs in experimental mecha are not uncommon. In prototype Personal Troopers, they monitor the systems on the PT, assist in target identification, and prioritize damaged systems for repair by the damage control subsystem. Both the original RTX-008 Huckevine and the SRG-001 Grungast had AIs, as well as the six units of the Defender project way back in '78. Primitive by today's standards, but the Defender AIs stood as precursors for what was to come. [AIs on newer prototypes were scheduled to be phased out altogether -- in fact, the R-Series Personal Troopers were designed without onboard AIs -- but in the wake of the Vanishing Trooper Incident, an extra level of safety was deemed necessary. At the very least, in the Huckevine-class...] Cortana would have said more, but was interrupted by the aeroboss. "Personal Trooper, you are clear to land. Be advised, the Captain would like to speak with you on landing." "Roger that," Jay replied. "Ready for ALS interlock when you are." [So,] Cortana summed up, [Here I am, and here we are. Engaging automated landing system... now.] The Huckevine MkII gracefully alighted on the deck inside the hangar's lower level, which from all appearances was reserved for recovery of launched mecha. Jay walked his Huckevine over to a berth that a deck chief waved him toward and backed in. The first thought that occured to Jay upon docking was that there were no armed guards waiting to escort him to whatever fate awaited him. Just the one man, in the hot pink and maroon pressure suit. The second thought that occured to Jay upon docking was that he never imagined he'd be in the same room with a Federation Senator. At least, a former Federation senator. But here he was, in the wardroom of the Ahgama, with no less a personage than Brex Forra. The architect of the liberation of Zeon-occupied Earth during the One Year War (and later interim Chief Of Staff after the entire Earth High Command had perished outside A'bao'a'qu), he had retired with two stars on his flag to pursue a career in politics, and quickly made a name for himself as an advocate of colonist's rights. The last Jay had heard of him, he had declined to seek reelection to the Senate in protest against the Extension to the Federation Defense Act which had passed in 0183, creating both the Titans and the Specials. And yet he sat at the head of the wardroom table, poring over a document, looking a lot like a blond department-store Santa (without the moustache, and with a better-trimmed beard) double-checking his "naughty" and "nice" lists. Some people have odd ideas on how to spend their retirement, Jay thought. "They should be securing the Personal Trooper for transport as we speak," Quattro Bajina (or at least that was the name Pink-and-Maroon gave Jay) said as he walked back to the table from the intercom panel on the wall, having slipped on a pair of sunglasses shortly after landing and lifting off his pressure suit's helmet. "Very well," Henken Beckner, the tall, burly captain of the Ahgama, acknowledged from his seat at Forra's right hand. Brex looked up. "Ah, Major," he said to Quattro by way of greeting. "I suppose this young man must be the pilot," he said, indicating the brown-haired lad at the foot of the table with a wave of his hand. Jay had noted that the rank badge on Quattro's collar was that of a Federation field captain, but knew enough to know that only one man on a ship was called "Captain". "Yes sir," Quattro replied. "I must admit that in all the excitement, I didn't catch his name." "Jason Denton, sir," Jay said with the hint of a blush, "mecha pilot for Mao Industries, late of the merchant freighter Marathon, at your service." Brex nodded, the corners of his mouth curling up into a warm smile. "Of course you are. Come, sit." "So what kind of Personal Trooper was that, anyway?" asked Henken as he scratched his head. "A Huckevine MkII," answered Jay as he sat. "It's an advanced prototype." "Huckevine, Huckevine... didn't one of those tear up that moon base a while back?" Quattro answered for Jay. "Yes, the Vanishing Trooper Incident. It made most of the screamsheets, as I recall." "The Huckevine-class does incorporate many instances of extra-overtechnology," Brex mused. Extra-overtechnology, or EOT for short, was a blanket term used to describe the bleeding-edge breakthroughs accomplished in the wake of the One Year War, most notably in gravitic power and propulsion. "But we are forgetting ourselves. Captain Beckner, if you would make berthing arrangements for our guest... Jason, is it?" "Jay, please." Henken nodded. "Consider it done," he said as he got up to page a yeoman. "It just doesn't make any sense," Jay noted at some length. "Why would the Titans attack a convoy just for one Personal Trooper? If they're supposed to be a government agency, why couldn't have they just requisitioned it when we docked at Side 7?" "The Titans," Brex said, "were supposed to be Earth's best soldiers. Empowered to prevent another war by any means necessary. And why not, what with the Zeon forces at Axis suddenly styling themselves the Neo-Zeon, and Aiguille Delaz's fleet still fighting the One Year War, since they never recognized the Atalia Treaty. Both are threats to the stability of the human sphere, and the hawks in the Senate felt that a permanent ready-reaction force in the vein of the old Thirteenth Independent Legion would be the best-equipped to deal with those threats. At least that was the theory." "However," Henken said as he towered over the back of his chair, "in practice, a better description would be 'empowered to do whatever they like'. They're dedicated to the eradication of Zeon, as well as anybody who would threaten the order they strive to create. Their membership is predominantly earthnoid and Earth supremacist, and their commander runs them like they were his own personal army." "Because effectively," a female voice said from behind Jay, "that is what they are." Jay turned around to regard an elegant woman in a green pressure suit with yellow trim, a couple of inches shorter than him, with short flame-red hair and blue eyes. "You must be the PT pilot. Reccoa Rondo." She extended a hand, which Jay shook. "Make no mistake, Jay," Brex intoned, drawing his attention back to the discussion, if only reluctantly. "The Titans are about one thing: control. Control over human space, control over the justice system, even control over thought itself if they could manage it. Thank God when you say your prayers tonight that they haven't figured that one out yet. "Which brings us back to your situation. I'm sure you're aware of how valuable a prize overtech mecha would be. Somebody would have had to have leaked information on your convoy to the Titans. And since Lynn Mao doesn't sell to the Titans, they couldn't have requisitioned it without a legitimate emergency." "And if you go after just one ship of a convoy," Henken added, "everyone will know that you knew what you were after. The attack on the entire convoy itself was doubtlessly a smoke-screen. It just looks like commerce raiding -- which the Titans would step in and put down, of course -- and nobody would be the wiser." "The Titans may be about control, as you say," Jay replied, "but from the looks of it, -they're- the ones out of control." "Exactly," replied Henken grimly. "I had heard stories about them, but I figured those to be misinformation. After all, 'honest citizens have nothing to fear from the Titans,' right?" Brex nodded sagely. "'In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.' Martin Niemoller, a man who lived on Earth during what the old calendar called the Twentieth Century, said that. In those days, that country was in the grip of a brutal repressive regime, obsessed with racial and ideological purity. The repression led to imprisonment, which then became genocide." "Some of us have no intention of repeating that mistake," Henken said. "In fact," Brex said, warming to his subject, "some of us have already begun to take action. The Ahgama is the flagship of the Anti-Earth Union Group, or AEUG." "Our mission is simple," Quattro said. "We exist to oppose the Titans' oppression of the colonies. We stand for peace with honor, not the peace of the gun." "Which when you get down to it," Brex added, "is what any old soldier, no matter what side he fought on during the war, wants. Unfortunately, those hawks in Dakar don't see it that way. It's time somebody made them face reality." "Why this?" Jay asked. "You were a Senator once, sir. You could have served as a moderating voice in the Senate." "I believe an ancient Roman said it best: 'Let he who desires peace prepare for war'. The human sphere is in the midst of an arms race right now, Jay. Even the Titans are in on it. And if you've read the reports about 30 Bunch, you'd know as well as I do that the time for diplomacy is over." Jay's eyes widened. 30 Bunch was the latest scandal, involving an anti-Earth demonstration that had put down with nerve gas. "It's all true?" Brex nodded slowly. "We could use people like you in the days to come. I can't make that decision for you, but we need all the help we can get." "And if I say no?" "We can drop you off via shuttle when we reach our destination," Henken answered. "Of course, no one is to know of what you saw here today." "You don't have to give us an answer right away," Quattro said. "When you reach your decision, at least one of us will be aboard at all times." "Until then," Brex said as he stood up, "you are our guest aboard this ship." Henken punched the intercom button. "Mr. Torres, set course for Green Noah 2." The intercom answered, "Aye aye, sir." "We'll be on the bridge if you need us," Brex said as he walked toward the door. "There's just something I need to ask you," Jay said, a worried expression creasing his face as he stood. He swallowed. "Did anybody else from the Marathon get out all right?" "I just came from the wreck," said Reccoa. "I couldn't tell if anyone got out. They shot the escape pods as they launched." She stopped as she saw the brown-haired boy's brave facade begin to crumble. "Jay, I'm sorry." # Moby "Everything Is Wrong" _Everything Is Wrong_ "I-I-It's all right," Jay said before he turned back toward the wardroom table. It wouldn't have done to break down into tears in front of war heroes, after all. He waited until everybody had left before dropping into the chair at the foot of the table and weeping. Dammit, I tried... I just wasn't fast enough! He decompressed his skinsuit and took out the photograph holder, studying it with blurred eyes. At least I sent you a side party to escort you to wherever it is you're going. If there's any justice in this world, they'd probably get turned away at the gate, anyway. He put his head back down on his arms, trying to wall off the bitter reality of the wreckage his life had become. Oh, Yuko, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Astonage Medosso vaulted his lanky, pressure-suited frame into the cockpit of the Huckevine MkII. 720-degree VirtuaCockpit, he noted. Quite the step up from the older screen style. "Ok," he said as his fingers flew over the keypad on the center console, "let's see what you got." System diagnostics appeared on the VDU just above the keypad. "Hmmm, Subach energy rifle. Classy..." More tapping. "Most of the readouts look like the Geshpenst MkII's... all right, let's see you move." He punched the fine motor control key down, and got an electronic blat sound for his troubles. "That's strange." He tried again. Another blat. The computer voice (female, of course, to cater to the old men who make procurement decisions) spoke, "Level 2 interface needed to test fine motor control." Astonage tapped a few more keys. "What's this? A brainwave reader?" He looked around. "Built into the helmet, which the pilot took with him..." He opened a cargo pocket in his pressure suit and pulled out a headband with wires leading out of it, along with several plug adapters. You never know when a simsense 'trode band will come in handy, he thought as he pulled it over his shock of light brown hair and hooked it up. Settling the trode band across his forehead, he touched the "L2I CONNECT TEST" key... And found himself in pitch blackness. He could see himself if he looked down, but he couldn't make out any detail of the cockpit at all. He looked back up and found himself staring at a female figure in purple and black with her arms folded across her chest, her blue eyes narrowing as she gave him the eyeball. "You're not supposed to be here," she said flatly. And as quickly as the tableau had came, it was gone, leaving Astonage to rip the trode band off his head with one hand and massage his forehead with his other. Fighting down a wave of vertigo and nausea, he dimly recalled reading about a phenomenon not unlike this one for a college paper about pre-orbital era computing. What was it called? Dump shock? Yes, that had to be it. He was still fighting to keep his dinner down, resolving to take a look at the runcode image on the Personal Trooper's computer systems when he heard one of his crew. "Boss," the crewman said, "the bridge's been calling. They need the Major's MS ready to go ASAP. You ok?" "I'm fine," Astonage replied. "Tell them I'll get right on it." He unhooked the 'trode band and looked under the seat of the PT, moving the survival equipment case out of the way. Just as he thought, there was a panel where he hadn't expected one to be. About the right size, he figured, for housing an EOT AI core crystal, with carrier. Curiouser and curiouser... Jay wandered back on the bridge half an hour later. Henken looked down from his conn chair. "What is it, Jay?" he asked. "What's at Green Noah 2?" Jay asked. "The Titans have a well-established presence at that colony. We believe they also have a base there." "Are you sure you should be telling him this?" Quattro asked Henken, indicating Jay with a nod of his head. "Of course. He's got a right to know at least that much. You'd better get ready." "I am ready. I'm just waiting on them to finish rearming and refuelling." "What's this all about?" Jay asked. "Oh, Quattro's gonna head down to Green Noah 2 and have a look around," Henken replied. "The Ahgama's going to hang back outside the beacon perimeter in case the Titans try something." "Jay," Quattro said, "this ship is about to go to battle stations soon. For your own safety, I urge you to leave the bridge." Jay could barely believe it. Here he was, feeling like a fifth wheel after less than a couple of hours aboard Ahgama. Still, it was their ship, and they had been at this a lot longer than he had. Besides, he hadn't fully committed to this AEUG that Forra spoke of. He turned to walk back to his berth, and the photograph holder under his skinsuit shifted. It was like somebody had mentally tapped him on the shoulder. He could see the last conversation he had with Yuko, all played out in his mind's eye -- everything from running into her in the corridor to her last kiss to the brushing of his fingers as she left for the bridge that last time. He saw it all, and knew he would never experience that feeling again, never get the chance to tell her that he loved her. His hands subconsciously tightened into fists as he thought about those responsible for that chain of circumstance. He just didn't care anymore. All that was left was to revenge himself on whoever did this to him. "Quattro," said Jay as he turned back toward the bridge, only to find the towheaded officer looking over a map at a bridge station. He tried again, a little louder this time. "Major!" That got his attention. Jay could make out a little diagonal scar on the major's forehead, just above the bridge of the nose. "There's a perfectly good Huckevine that you could bring along." "That's very generous of you, but I don't believe I know how to pilot it, and this is only a recon mission." "Take me with you." "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? A recon mission is quite different from a full frontal assault." "I know that! I just want a chance to strike back at them, that's all." "You'll get your chance, I can assure you of that. But not right now. Right now, you're thinking too much like a jilted lover instead of a soldier. And if I take anybody along with me, they have to be capable of thinking objectively. Especially given the nature of this mission." The retort died in Jay's throat. How did he--? Never mind how. Jay knew if he took that bait, he'd only confirm that he deserved to stay on the ship. He turned to Brex. "A Huckevine-class PT would make a few Titans think twice about attacking the Major." Quattro turned to Brex. "General, I always recon alone. You know that." Brex regarded Jay with an even gaze. "You really want to go on this mission?" "You're damn right I do. The Titans killed my girl all because they wanted to get their grubby hands on some overtech. Well, the only thing they've got is my attention. And I want to show them how bad an idea that was. Just say the word. I won't let you down." Brex turned to look at Henken, who replied, "He's gotta learn somehow." Quattro sighed softly, conceding the point. "Very well. This would be a good training mission anyway. Jay, get your helmet and meet me in the hangar in five minutes. We're going to Green Noah 2." "Aye aye, sir!" Both pilots left the bridge as Henken chuckled and got up out of his chair to stand by the front bridge window. "The Major always seems like he has a lot on his mind, doesn't he?" "Um-hmmm," Brex replied as he followed the captain. "You sound like you know him a lot longer than he's been with us." "Only by reputation. You've heard the legends about the Red Comet, right? How he destroyed five Salamis-class cruisers in a single engagement while driving a Zaku?" Henken paused. "I commanded one of the Salamis refits -- the Roanoke -- towards the end of the One Year War. Didn't see much action as we advanced on A'bao'a'qu, but I had heard reports of that Zeong mobile armor the Zeeks were rumored to be testing there. Didn't get to see that one, either. But as we approached, somehow I -knew- the Red Comet was the pilot. I could just feel his power, even from so far away. And I still feel that power even now." "Oh? From whom?" "The Major. Quattro Bajina." "I see," Brex mused. "Still trying to deliver the true message of Zeon Zum Daikun to us spacenoids..." "I thought the Zabi family ruled Zeon," offered Torres. "Well, they do," Henken responded. "But Zeon Daikun was prime minister of the Side 3 Republics long before Degin Zabi assumed power and created the Principality of Zeon. Consensus reports state that old Degin had something to do with Daikun's death back in '68. The Zabis always claimed it was Federation propaganda, but then again, the first rule in the Principality is that the truth is whatever the Zabis say it is." "And what the Titans fail to realize," Brex intoned, "is that they're following in the Zabis' footsteps." Another daycycle began on Green Noah 2, much like any other in any of the hundreds of O'Neill-style colony cylinders that dotted Earth's orbit. People went about the routines of their daily lives -- work, school, and the like -- but for one boy running down the paths of his high school campus, this day would be anything but routine. He was short for a boy of his age, with dark blue hair that fell around his intense face in a style resembling a football helmet. He was dressed like a respectable young person, with a tasteful blue sweater with green sleeves worn over a yellow shirt. Dark blue slacks completed the ensemble. He rounded the corner onto the sidewalk coming down from the stairs, never slackening his pace. "Camille!" a soprano voice called out, its owner trotting up alongside the running boy, her long black hair trailing behind her. She was wearing a red sleeveless cardigan over a yellow turtleneck sweater, with black shorts and knee-high yellow socks. Her name was Fa Yuri. "Camille! What are you doing?" The boy spared her a brief glance and kept on running. "I'm playing hooky," he answered. "What does it look like I'm doing?" "Camille!" "Don't say that," Camille replied. "Keep calling me that and soon everybody's gonna know that name!" "Everybody already does," Fa answered. "The only person that's not cool with that name is you." She saved her breath for running as they crossed over to the parking lot on the other side of the school. Without breaking his stride, Camille reached under his sweater and pulled out the passcard that would activate one of the cars lined up in the carport. He slid it through on the run and vaulted into the driver's seat, slotting the card into the reader located above the ignition keypad. Fa hopped in, landing in the passenger's seat. "You're going to the port authority again, aren't you?" she asked after they had gotten into the car. "Is there anything wrong with that?" Camille answered, keying in the car's ignition code. "If you keep missing your club activities, there is!" Any further protest on Fa's part ended in a squeak as Camille pulled out of the carport and got on the thoroughfare to the monorail station leading to the port authority. Jay was surprised that the initialization for the Level 2 interface had taken less time than it did the first time. All he saw was a swirling tunnel of color for a second, and there was Cortana, sitting on his lap. "Took you long enough," she said. "So I've been busy," Jay responded. "And how come I didn't see my life flash before my eyes again?" Cortana stood up. "That phenomenon has been reported to happen during initial calibration of the L2 interface. What you saw just now, you can expect every time you start up the Huckevine MkII from now on." "Oh-k," Jay said as he looked at the scarlet Rick Dias. Quattro was carrying a folded jetpack device with him. "Cortana, do we have a homoavis on board? My skinsuit can't accept the homoavises they have." Cortana closed her eyes as she put a hand to her forehead in thought. Her eyes opened after a couple of seconds. "We do, but it's stored in an outer compartment. You'd have to get out to get it." The AEUG's rotating solar system icon appeared in the comm window before crew chief Astonage Medosso's pressure-helmed face replaced it. "You're all charged up, Jay. You're cleared to depart on Cat 2." "Roger that, I'm on my way." He walked the Personal Trooper over to the elevator serving the launch catapults and waited for it to raise itself to the level of the outer deck hatch. Walking out of the hatch, he found the launcher sled and locked the Huckevine's feet into the spaces indicated for them. The mech looked to any observers like a ski jumper preparing to make a run. A light bar began counting down, much like a drag strip's, and soon Jay and his Huckevine MkII were spaceborne. Camille chewed a thumbnail in nervous anticipation. Couldn't this monorail car get moving any faster? "Honestly, Camille," said Fa, irritated. "Can't you do anything about that habit of yours? It's disgusting!" Camille looked out the window. "Sheesh," he muttered. At length, the monorail car rolled through the airlock, and ran down the length of the colony cylinder. Camille never got tired of looking out into space. It looked so pristine, unspoiled. Of course, it wasn't really, but the junkers had done a fine job of clearing up the space junk in this part of space. Out there, he thought, that's where my future is. Finally, Camille said, "You're right, about the club thing... it's just that the White Base is scheduled to arrive today and I don't want to miss it as it comes in." "You ever get tired of seeing that ship?" Fa asked. "It may not be the original White Base, but it's as close to it as we'll get. A piece of history, the original was. The Thirteenth Independent Legion was based from it throughout the One Year War. The Zeons spent countless marks and men trying to bring it down, but they never could get it done until A'bao'a'qu, and by then, their backs were to the wall. I even got Captain Bright's autograph the last time he was here." Fa rolled her eyes behind Camille's back as they set off towards the terminals. Meanwhile, in one of the terminals in the port authority, a different sort of reception was well underway. A few Titans were already in the terminal, having an informal welcome for one of their own. "There," said Kirkricon Cacooler, a stocky, balding fellow with slicked-back brown hair concealed by a red peaked cap. "Now you look like a proper Titan. Welcome aboard." "Camille!" a soprano voice said, and the person Kirkricon was addressing looked back toward the zero-g transfer zone. He was tall and rangy, dressed in the Titans' black and red uniform with his blond hair in a pompadour and narrow blue eyes. He was Jerrid Messa, and he had just recently been selected for the Titans. "Camille," said the girl who had just arrived to her companion, "They're probably not going to let you see him." "Hmm," Jerrid softly mused. "A girl's name..." He sighed. "Oh well, too bad it's only some guy." Fa was too busy looking at the assembled Titans and the MPs that were evenly spaced out over the military reception terminal, but if she had been looking at Camille, she would have seen his light blue eyes focused on infinity. As it stood, the only hint she got that something was amiss came in the form of Camille's yellow school binder hitting the floor and his shoulders tensing. For Camille, although he was clear across the terminal, could hear Jerrid as clearly as if he had been standing right next to him. He clenched his fists and began slowly advancing on the Titans. # Limp Bizkit "Break Stuff" _Significant Other_ "Friend of yours?" Jerrid asked Kirkricon. "Umm-umm," replied Kirkricon, shaking his head. By then, Camille had already crossed the terminal to stand at the transfer zone for arrivals from ship. "Don't insult me!" he barked, fixing Jerrid upon his gaze. And with that, he vaulted the turnstile, using the extra inertia he had in microgravity to spring forward and drop Jerrid to the deck with a left to the chin. Camille sprung back, but pushed off too hard with his legs, sending him flying across the transfer zone to trip over the turnstile and land on his back. He crawled back under the turnstile as two other Titans stood in front of their downed comrade. "Do you realize you just assaulted an officer?" one of them asked. "He started it!" Camille shouted back. "What's so wrong about a boy having a name like 'Camille'? I'm a MAN, dammit!" The first of the Titans rushed in with a right cross that Camille neatly sidestepped and turned into a throw, sending him flying over the turnstile into the terminal. This also had the side effect of leaving him open to the second's punch, which tagged him across the jaw. Camille spun with the punch, barely bringing his arms up to block the next two punches from the Titan before lifting him off the deck with a series of body blows. Here's where the martial arts club meetings I did show for pay off, he thought. Unfortunately, throwing the first Titan into the terminal alerted the MPs that there was a fight brewing, and between the Titans still in it and the MPs, Camille had no chance at all. He was quickly subdued and held to the floor by a MP and one of the Titans. "Camille!" Fa shouted, ready to rush to his aid, but a MP cut her off. "I'm sorry, miss," he said, "but this is a restricted area." By then, Jerrid had already managed to stand up and make his way over to the restrained youth. "Has anyone ever told you there are things you can say and things you shouldn't?" he asked, struggling against his captors. "So you're Camille," Jerrid said, lifting up Camille's head gently with his boot. "What was it I said to piss you off?" "For starters, you don't EVER say 'oh well, too bad it's just some guy' to another guy!" "Oh, I get it," Jerrid said. "You're a man, right?" Camille glowered and nodded, or at least as much as he could with the MP having a double handful of his hair. "Then I suppose I should treat you like one!" And with that, Jerrid launched a kick straight into Camille's face, right between his eyes. There was hardly any place for Camille's head to go, what with it being held by the MP. Consciousness quickly abandoned him. One of the Titans who had helped Jerrid to his feet, a Lieutenant Emma Sheen, shot Jerrid a dirty look. "Was that really necessary, Lieutenant?" she asked. "You saw what he did," Jerrid retorted. "Now we're running late for the Gundam MkII trials." Emma held the look on Jerrid for a few seconds, but said nothing more. "Get him out of here," Kirkricon said to the MP, gesturing at Camille's unconscious form. As the Titans left, Emma looked back at the girl being kept back from the impromptu arrest, and her heart went out to her. But there was little she could do. Quattro's Rick Dias held up its right hand clenched into a fist as he stopped in the middle of a service passage. Then the Rick Dias knelt. Jay walked the Huckevine MkII over and placed a hand on its shoulder. Quattro had ordered strict radio silence for this part of the mission, but communication like this could not be jammed or intercepted by the enemy. Presently, Quattro's face appeared on Jay's comm window. "We walk from here," he said. By the time Jay finished dropping his Huckevine into a crouch, Quattro had already shut down, strapped on his homoavis, and had hovered up to the cockpit hatch. "Do you have a sidearm?" he asked when Jay opened the cockpit. "Didn't think I'd be needing one when I packed," Jay answered. "Check your survival kit. Most milspec survival kits have an emergency sidearm." Jay undid the catches on his shoulder pauldrons and lap belt and crouched down next to his seat, finding the equipment case. He unlatched the case and opened it. A card fell out, but that paled in comparison to what Jay's eyes beheld. "Hippy l'chayim, brother trucker," he breathed reverently as he took out the pistol in both hands. The original Seburo CX was a product of the bad old days before the colonies, reintroduced for the chaotic times of today that had led up to the One Year War. In its time, it was the last word in fully-automatic machine pistols, holding thirty rounds of 5.7mm FN ammunition and capable of emptying its clip in less than 2 seconds. It had a bullpup configuration, and was easily manageable, reliable, and concealable. About the only obstacle it had to widespread use was the price. No government or security agency operating on a level larger than that of a major city could afford to adopt a Seburo design for their main battle rifle, let alone a machine pistol. The CX-R version that lay in Jay's hands included a three-round burst setting. He ejected the banana clip that extended all the way to the grip of the weapon. Subsonic rounds, of course. Regular supersonic rounds would punch through a ship's hull or a colony cylinder. Jay picked up the card from where it had fallen and read it. Handwritten on it was the following: I'm proud of you! -- Uncle Morgan They must have told him about this trip of mine, Jay thought, and had him include it to surprise me. Not that I mind the surprise or the gift, but would he still be proud if he knew what I was using this for? "A Seburo?" Quattro asked, jolting Jay out of his reverie. "My uncle Morgan's idea of personal protection," Jay said, reinserting the magazine and pulling the holster and spare clip out of the kit. "He's a vice president at Knight-Errant." "The private security company?" Quattro asked. Jay nodded as he stood up and strapped the Seburo to his right thigh. He would have preferred to wear it on his belt cross-draw, but few mecha seat restraints could accomodate it. [Cortana, the homoavis?] Cortana, back at regular human height, pointed at the Huckevine's right shoulder across her body with her left hand. [You can't miss it.] [Thanks. Be back soon.] Jay tabbed the hibernate button, stepped out, and pushed off in the microgravity of the service tunnel, aiming for the PT's right shoulder. He found the marked compartment on the right collarbone, as it were, and quickly put it on. The lines on this homoavis were more graceful than those in the AEUG motor pool, with the thruster pods located higher, towards the shoulders as opposed to straight from the waist. "A quick reminder," Quattro said, "before we proceed. We are here to gather information. You are to take no aggressive action unless I do so first. Am I clear?" "Crystal." Quattro pulled out a codebreaker and attached it to the keypad on the door leading into the more narrow tunnels. After a while, it beeped, which prompted him to enter the code it displayed on its LCD screen, and the door slid open. The two continued along the tunnels in this fashion, Quattro applying his codebreaker as needed, until they came to the door that led to the colony interior. "That's strange," said a colony tech. "Airlock 23 just opened." "CMC's got some fresh meat training out there," his compatriot replied. "CMC picked a strange place to break in some new people, if they chose Green Noah." The other tech put his finger to his lips. "Sssssh! Unless you want the Colonel to call you on the carpet, the name of this place is 'Gripps'!" "Woo-hah," the first tech said nonchalantly. "Such a big shot the Colonel is. Looks like the newbies figured out how to cycle the airlock now." "Yeah, go figure." Inside the computer systems of the colony, Cortana breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close! She headed over to a intra-colony communications node. For the first time since they started out, the codebreaker failed to work on a door. "Oh well," Quattro said as he secured the codebreaker. "I didn't expect this thing to be able to open doors four times in a row." "Have him try 096528," Cortana's voice said over Jay's suit radio as Quattro detached an oblong tube from his belt. "Cortana?" Jay asked, but the transmission cut off. Jay then realized that the oblong tube was a Semtex charge with detonator. "Wait," Jay said as he reached over to type the code on the keypad. The door opened. "How did you know that?" Quattro asked. "I've got a silent partner." "Ah. When this is over, you'll have to introduce him." "Soon." The two men flew off into the lower gravity of the colony center. "What do you mean," shouted an officious MP, "you've never heard of the AEUG?!" He sat down opposite Camille at the table in what was euphemistically referred to as "the box". "I thought all high school kids knew about the AEUG!" He picked up a file folder and leafed through it. "Well now, -Mister- Vidan," he said after a moment in a normal tone of voice, which Camille had thought this man was incapable of producing. "I see here you've won the annual UIL U-18 homoavis race two years running, and this year you also won the mobile suit event at the regional FIRST competition. Based on what I see here, you could hold your own in a real fight." He snapped the file folder shut. "If you aren't with the AEUG, then why the -hell- did you pick a fight with an officer of the Titans?!" Camille said nothing. "Let me tell you about the AEUG, son. They say that they stand for autonomy for the colonies. Well, guess what? It's the same old Zeon propaganda, delivered by a pack of malcontents who aren't good for anything but criticizing the people of Earth. You're Hauptmann Vidan's kid, aren't you? You should be working side-by-side with him, not getting into fights with Earth's defenders!" The MP stood up. "What a waste. You can sit there and rot for all I care." And with that, he walked out. Camille slowly set his head on the edge of the table and looked down at the floor. For a second, he thought he could see a space battle unfolding. "Now I know I'm tired," he mumbled. "I'm beginning to see things." Quattro was lucky Jay was flying behind him, so that he couldn't see his eyes focusing on infinity. For some reason, he could hear heavy breathing, but knew it was neither Jay's nor his own. He hadn't felt a presence this strong since he last saw Amuro Ray or Lalah Sun... no, it couldn't be Lalah. "Come again, sir?" Jay asked, and Quattro cursed inwardly as he realized he had said some of his own thoughts aloud. "It's nothing," he responded, but something on the ground soon caught his eye. "What the--!" "What?" Jay wondered. "A Gundam?" Quattro mused, looking at the black MS parked on the tarmac of the base he and Jay were observing. "I'd recognize that silhouette anywhere," he said more firmly. "Like the one that Amuro Ray used in the War, right?" Jay asked. Quattro nodded before snapping a picture of the parked Gundam with his digital camera. "You don't suppose they're conducting Newtype research, do you, Captain?" Quattro knew all about Newtypes. Supposedly the next level of human evolution (or at least that's what his father had said, so many years ago), Newtypes were a breed of men who had adapted to life in space, and with that, had a broader range of sensory perception than most. Quattro found it odd that although his father had first postulated the existence of Newtypes, the first documented case by the Federation (and to date, sole surviving example) had been Amuro Ray. Such a large solar system, he thought, and yet we still move in the same small circles. "I doubt it," he answered. "The Titans largely see the Gundam as a symbol of Earth's power. After all, the first Gundam turned the tide of the One Year War, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. To them, it'd be like saying, 'Hey, spacenoid! Head to head you cannot stop us, you cannot kill us, you cannot survive our wrath.' It's still only part of the puzzle, though." "So does this mean Amuro's working -with- the Titans?" "Probably not. He wouldn't have stood for half of what the Titans have done. Besides, Newtypes were never meant to be the tools of war." He let out a deep breath. "We've seen enough. Let's get back to the tunnels. It's time for Phase 2." As they left, Jay thought about what Quattro had said. If Newtypes weren't meant to be the tools of war, then how come all the Newtypes he had read about were so good at it? "This Gundam handles like a dream," Jerrid said from the cockpit of his own black-painted Gundam MkII. "Much better than a GM Quel." "Just don't handle the controls too roughly," Kirkricon replied. "I still remember having to fish you out of a colony mirror the last time you drove a Quel in space." "Ah, ruin my fun, why doncha?" Jerrid said, slightly put out. The hurt expression dissolved into a smile. "This ought to put the fear of God into those Zeeks!" "Pay attention," Quattro said once they had gotten back to their mechs. "We're going to capture that Gundam we saw at the base, and bring it back for study. The only way we can get into the main colony cylinder is to blow a hole in it big enough to admit a MS. That's gonna set off the explosive decompression alarms, which means we're going to have company right from the word 'go'. At this stage, it's going to be a simple smash-and-grab. No more than ten minutes, tops. If you're not out of there in ten minutes, you'll have to walk home." Both mechs left the colony cylinder. [We're gonna draw a lot of fire,] Jay sent over the neural link. [How fast can you get that Gravity Wall up?] [Fast enough,] replied Cortana. [How did you know about the door code?] [I used the comm system to hack into their database. The access IC was no trouble at all.] Jay looked up as Quattro launched a flare from one of the knuckles on his left hand actuator. "Ringing the doorbell, kid." Quattro explained. "That's the signal!" Henken exclaimed. "Mr. Saegusa, target a window section of the colony and fire. We only get one shot at this, so make it count." A red beam lit the sky as a shot from Ahgama's primary batteries found the mark, punching a hole in the colony and causing atmosphere to vent almost immediately after. "Showtime, Jay!" Quattro shouted as his Rick Dias headed for the breach, with the Huckevine MkII following close behind. "The hell?" Jerrid asked as the general alarm sounded over his comm system. "Did a meteor hit the colony?" "I'm picking up two mobile suits," Kirkricon said. "Possibly AEUG." "Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Kirkricon looked at his sensors again and muttered, "That can't be right." In a louder tone of voice, he said, "Wait one." His eyes widened. "That second suit's no MS... that's a Huckevine-class Personal Trooper!" Jerrid's eyes widened. "You've gotta be shitting me." "The silhouette looks like a Huckevine to me. They're still too far out to get a detailed reading. But still... you have read about the Vanishing Trooper Incident, right?" Jerrid's features tightened into an evil grin. "They wanted us to test these Gundams, didn't they?" "Hold your horses, Jerrid! You know we're not supposed to fight inside the colony!" "Bullshit! We're Titans! Don't tell me you've forgotten Col. Ohm's standing orders to be 'proactive in battle'? If the AEUG wants to fight inside a colony, that's their business! And it's our duty to stop those guerillas! So what if they have a Huckevine? This is what we've trained for! Hector Squad, move out and engage!" # The Offspring "L.A.P.D." _Ignition_ "You got three Marasais coming in," Cortana said, "designated Pisces Wing. Aquarius Wing are the two Gundam MkIIs supporting Pisces, and our objective, Aquarius Three. For an organization dedicated to preventing another war, they sure do a lot of thinking with their trigger fingers and their testicles." She put a hand to her forehead, lost in thought for a second. "I'm going to take a look around for a few. I'll be right back." "All right, as long as you come back in time for the fireworks," Jay responded. "I wasn't asking your permission, but thanks anyway." Cortana's icon vanished. Jay urged the Huckevine MkII forward along the road leading to the base. According to the radar, neither Pisces nor Aquarius Wings could intercept the AEUG mechs before they could reach the base. A light hop got him over the fence and onto the base grounds proper. "There it is," Quattro said, pointing with the Rick Dias's left hand at the truck the Gundam was parked on. "Keep the damage to a minimum, ok?" "Roger that," Jay replied. Camille could hear the alarms outside and the bustle of frenzied activity. Experimentally, he tried the door to the interview room and found it to be unlocked. Of course, he thought. The colony damage alarm's sounded. It wouldn't do to keep someone in here until the air runs out, now would it? "Hey, you can't--" the MP next to the door said before Camille silenced him with a kick to the face. After ramming his head into the wall a couple times, the MP's body slackened. Camille checked for signs of breathing and found them. Good, he's only unconscious. He rummaged in the guard's pockets and found the keys to his handcuffs. It was time to leave this place. "Captain," a yeoman said, "we've got mobile suits inside the perimeter!" Bright Noah swallowed a curse. Where the hell were those GMs?, he thought. To the driver of the carrier truck, he shouted, "Launch Unit 3 as soon as the pilot gets here!" "Aren't you the captain of the White Base?" the driver asked. "I am, and this is a real battle, soldier! Forget the protocol and just do it!" "Sorry I'm late," Emma Sheen said as she ran up to the truck, dressed in her own black pressure suit. "Lieutenant, are you even trained on the Gundam MkII?" "I'm a Titan, sir. My duty is clear, even though I've only had the basics." "Who the--!" Bright exclaimed as a dark haired kid darted over to the side of the truck. "Hey! You! Stop!" Camille stopped for a second before clambering up the side of the truck. Just then, a jeep roared up, and a familiar voice shouted, "What the hell are you doing? Launch Unit 3 now!" It's that blustering MP!, Camille thought. I'll show him! "Hey!" the truck driver said as he approached Camille, who promptly threw him off the truck. "What are you doing?" Emma asked. "Get away from that MS!" Bright shouted. Emma approached the Gundam as Camille entered the cockpit. "Stop this right now!" she said sharply. "You'd better get back, Emma," Camille replied. "It's dangerous here." And with that, he closed the cockpit hatch. How does he know the Gundam MkII's systems? Emma thought. And how did he know my name? All right, thought Camille as he looked over the panels. I knew getting this information off Dad's computer would come in handy someday... [Jay,] Cortana sent urgently, [Aquarius Three just powered up!] [What?] Jay replied, but Cortana had other pressing things to deal with, for no answer came. He punched up a zoom window and saw a woman in a black pressure suit standing on the supine Gundam, banging on the cockpit hatch. That's strange, he thought before the threat alarm startled him back into action. He moved the Huckevine's back to a building wall and took aim at the oncoming Marasais. "Get out of that MS immediately!" Bright shouted over the jeep's loudspeaker. "It's not a toy!" "What are you doing that for?" the MP bellowed. "The enemy is HERE!" "That's not the proper pilot in there." "How can that MS move then?" "Get back, all of you!" Camille replied over his loudspeaker. "You might get hurt if you stay! Lt. Emma, Commander Bright, please." "He's serious, then," mused Emma. "Hmmm," replied Bright as he guided Emma back to the jeep. "When and where have I heard that tone of voice before?" It was a rhetorical question at best, for Bright knew the answers already. Seven years ago, during the One Year War. On another colony in Side 7, from a then 15-year-old Amuro Ray. # Babylon AD "The Kid Goes Wild" _Babylon AD_ Camille's eyes swept over the VirtuaCockpit's display. Where'd that MP disappear to? ... There! The Gundam MkII lit its thrusters for a short hop, coming down behind the MP, cutting off his avenue of escape. "YOU!" Camille shouted over the loudspeaker. The MP looked up. "YES, YOU!" Camille shouted. "How does it feel to have your rights trampled?" He fired a frugally short burst from the head-mounted vulcan cannons at the MP, who scrambled like mad to get away. "I'm talking to you!" Camille shouted, but all the MP could do at this point was gibber, foul himself, and try to get anywhere but where he was at right now. Camille cut off the loudspeaker and laughed out loud like a man insane. The ultimate thrill of finally turning of the tables was his. "Pathetic. You're not so tough now, are you?" Jay started to bring the Subach to bear on the black MS when he heard its pilot say over the loudspeaker, "Attention unknown mobile suits! I'm on your side!" Quattro was dumbfounded. "What the--?" "You want proof?" the unknown pilot asked. "I'll give you proof!" The black Gundam lit its thrusters again, this time jumping across town, right at the other Gundam MkIIs. It landed in front of the advancing Gundams, and sprung forward, drawing its beam saber and slicing right at the Gundam MkII with the numeral "02" on its left shoulder. Kirkricon pulled back, letting the beam saber's stroke leave a shallow cut on his Gundam MkII's chest. However, he pulled back too far and ended up on his butt in an undignified sprawl. Jerrid's beam rifle shot kept Unit 3 from pressing its advantage, and Unit 3 took cover behind a building. "Dammit!" Kirkricon shouted. "Not even any sim time and I'm already in a battle!" Cortana's icon rezzed back into being on Jay's knee, standing with both hands on her hips. Already, that pose was becoming a trademark for her. "There. That ought to keep them wondering for at -least- the next couple of years." "What were you doing?" Jay asked. "I told you. Getting the lay of the land, not to mention misdirecting that Federation GM platoon that was coming to reinforce the Titans. By the time they figure out where they need to be, we'll be long gone. There's something else, though." "What is it?" "I found out who orchestrated the raid on our convoy. None other than Commander Jamican Dannigan, the number-three man in the Titans organization. Apparently, he got the information from 'a reliable source' and figured he'd impress the higher-ups by bringing an overtech PT into the fold." "So?" Jay asked as he put a Marasai down with a single Subach shot. "What are you telling me this for?" Cortana's face took on an expression that was all mischief and mayhem. "It just so happens our dear friend the commander is a patron of one of Side 6's finest escort services. At five hundred Federation dollars a night, they don't come cheap, but I assume one would get what he paid for. Seeing as how he paid for a whole weekend when he's never even heard of this escort service, he ought to go insane when one of his other payment debits bounces. Not as insane as his wife when she gets the receipt, though." Jay was speechless for a few seconds, his internal ruminations briefly interrupted by sending one of the Marasais back behind cover with another blast from the Subach. "That's just wrong," he said at length. "Is it? This man tried to have you killed!" "That's no excuse to go around messing up a man's personal life!" Jay replied. "Why not? He did it to you! You had a point back there -- they could've just waited until the convoy reached Side 7 and taken the PTs there. Instead, they stage an attack, kill lots of civilians -- including Yuko -- and come away with nothing." She spread her arms wide before settling her hands back on her hips. "Think what you will, but anybody who'd make that kind of decision doesn't -deserve- to live that well." Jay exhaled slowly, fighting back a fresh wave of pain. Part of him wanted to come right out and ask how Cortana knew about the conversation in Ahgama's wardroom, while the other part of him wanted to snap her head off at the neck for bringing up Yuko. After a pregnant pause, he said, "You're a vicious woman, Cortana." "It's in the job description. And retribution is a moral imperative." Jay looked out over the unfolding scene with a faraway look in his eye. "Can you boost power to the laser comm array? Say, enough to scar the tarmac?" "Sure, but why?" "Call it a moral imperative." "If you're going to do what I think you're going to do, then as an AI on a combat mech, I must tell you that doing that is tactically dangerous. But, as a woman who has recently seen these fascists murder friends of hers, I say more power to you." # Pantera "Mouth For War" _Vulgar Display Of Power_ "You stay down," Jerrid radioed to Kirkricon as he readied his Gundam's bazooka. "I'll bag this bastard." A voice over the radio shouted, "JERRID! It's time we found out how bad you really are without your running buddies to help you!" "That voice..." Jerrid mused. Raising his voice, he retorted, "So the girly-boy wants a second helping!" His remark was answered by a beam shot that tagged the Gundam's right knee, snapping myomers and dropping it down to one knee. Jerrid fired his shell, which scattered into thousands of pellets in mid-air, seeking out Camille's Gundam. Unfortunately, none of them found the mark. Jerrid cursed and loaded a HEAT round into the bazooka. Just then, he saw his quarry break cover, darting across the street toward another building. Jerrid snap-fired the bazooka, but only hit a parked car, which went up in a fireball that would have been more satisfying if it had been the Gundam that was hit. "Not that easy, Jerrid!" Camille shouted, firing his own bazooka at Jerrid's Gundam, which hit the left chest right at the shoulder joint, shearing off the left arm entirely. Camille grinned with sadistic glee. This was too easy. Then again, the son of a bitch had it coming. His concentration was disrupted by a bazooka shell that missed him by a meter or two, detonating against the corner of the building he was hiding behind and causing him to duck back behind the building. "He's so fast," Kirkricon muttered as he reloaded. "Could he be a Newtype?" "They're still shooting in the colony?" Camille wondered. "This is insane!" He peeked back around the corner and caught the other Gundam in the head with a HEAT round, making the head disappear in a fireball! The headless Gundam then fell back onto the road like a sack of old potatoes, its sensors destroyed. Kirkricon, for his part, was in shock. "Unbelievable," he muttered. Jerrid knew he had to move immediately or he would surely die here. He managed to lever his Gundam back upright and was hobbling toward the building that Girly-Boy was hiding behind. He loaded another HEAT round into the bazooka. As far as he was concerned, the playing around stopped -now-. "You better stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye," he grunted as he rounded the corner, looking for the shot in the rear... Only to find his quarry rising on ion jets, beam rifle at the ready, snapping a shot off that narrowly missed the head, but etched a deep scar into the engine shielding, causing it to crack and vent drive plasma. Only Jerrid's quick reflexes in shutting down his reactor saved his life. It did not, however, save his Gundam MkII as it toppled over on its side into the building, collapsing the upper two floors. Jerrid shook his head ruefully. "Looks like I underestimated you a little. But don't even THINK this is over!" The AEUG icon appeared in Camille's comm window, and was soon replaced by Quattro's face. "Pretty good shooting, kid," he said, "What's your name?" "Camille. Camille Vidan." "Think you can fly that Gundam back to our ship, Camille?" "Yessir." "Follow us, then. Jay, let's move." The three mechs took off into the early afternooncycle sky and headed for the rent in the colony's side. "What's this I hear about the AEUG stealing a Gundam MkII?" Hauptmann-Kommandant Cima Garahau asked over a secure vidlink. "We were in the process of testing the protoypes," answered Jamican Dannigan. "We only lost one of them. The remaining two--" "Are undergoing extensive repairs, if I hear correctly. You barely have the frames built on your other four, as well." She steepled her gloved hands in front of her. "And you call yourselves Titans." "You listen to me, you arrogant little wench!" Bosque Ohm, the bald-headed, goggled colonel of the Titans barked as he slammed a hand down on the desk. "You came to us. We did not come to you! It would behoove you to keep that in mind." Cima scowled. "Might I also remind you of who provided the baseline data that made that Gundam MkII design of yours possible?" She took a deep breath. "I trust you will be able to make the agreed-upon rendevous, correct?" Jamican nodded. "Of course," he said. "Then any further discussion at this time would be counter-productive. We can table our additional business until such time as cooler heads prevail, yes?" Bosque sighed. "Very well," he spat. The vidlink turned off. "Commander, I do believe that... woman would -eat- her young. And the reports of this EOT mech also complicates things. How bad was the colony damaged?" "Aside from the breach, a good number of homes in the residential area surrounding the base were destroyed. With Gripps so close to completion, I see no point in rebuilding just to have them all move out two months later." "All right, arrange for a full evacuation of civilian and non-essential personnel." "Colonel," a secretary announced via a desk intercom, "Lieutenants Cacooler and Sheen are here." "Send them in." The door opened, admitting the two officers. "Sir," Kirkricon said, "Units 1 and 2 have been taken aboard the Alexandria for further repairs." "Commander Noah is also here to see you," Emma added. "He says it's urgent." Bosque nodded curtly. The two Titans officers moved to stand before the sofa on the side wall of the office as Bright Noah walked in with a full head of steam. "Colonel, why did you conduct the Gundam MkII training inside the colony? If you had conducted it in space or on Green Noah 1, it would have minimized any damage to the residential are--" That was about as far as Bright could go before Bosque stood up out of his chair and answered Bright's question with a right cross to the face. Emma looked on in shock as Bright collapsed to the floor. She started towards the center of the room, but Bosque said, "Leave him be, Lieutenant." To Bright's prostrate form, he said, "The day-to-day affairs on this colony are -not- the regular army's concern. This is a Titans base, Commander. We have our own way of doing things here, and you would do well to remember it!" Bright staggered to his feet. "I was under the impression that the Titans were part of the Federation Armed Forces... sir." "As a matter of fact," Bosque said, completely evading the last question, "this is the staging area for our campaign against the remnants of Zeon, and their allies, the AEUG. They are the ones responsible for the anti-Earth demonstrations, and we cannot decisively deal with this threat if we have to consider the convenience of every spacenoid living here." Bright's lips tightened. "If I may speak freely?" "Morbid curiosity compels me to grant you that request, Commander." "I would like to tell you something from my own personal experience. The more colonies you turn into bases, the more colonies will slip right through your fingers. You might wipe out the AEUG, true, but there will be more organizations just like them if this policy continues!" Kirkricon sprung in front of Bright and cuffed him sharply. "That's enough out of you!" Bright collected himself. "How dare you strike a superior officer!" "You're not -my- superior," Kirkricon sneered. "Wake up and smell the coffee, sailor. This is a -Titans- base. The normal rules do not apply here." "The only thing this policy will do is widen the rift between the colonies and Earth!" A Titans yeoman said, "He said, that's enough!" as he punched Bright in the face. Bright collapsed against the sofa as the yeoman and Kirkricon moved in to perform what could best be called a gang beatdown. Bosque calmly collected his cap and left the office. Emma held her salute as the colonel left. She looked over toward the beating and wondered, not for the first time, what the world was coming to when war heroes were beaten just for speaking their minds. Quattro's Rick Dias shot a blob of white polymer at the breach. It clung to the edges, like a man-made spider web. "Watch the birdlime, you two," he said as he slipped his Rick Dias through the largest hole left uncovered by the polymer patch. It was a tricky approach, and Quattro made it look easy. Jay only needed to make a minor correction, while Camille needed to ply his verniers like a madman to make the gap unscathed. Well, not entirely unscathed, thought Camille as his master alarm went off. He checked the damage control panel, and found it reading an air leak in the cockpit. Without any conscious thought at all, he reached under his sweater, ripped a piece of his shirt off, and let it go inside the cockpit, where it came to a stop inside a spot on the VirtuaCockpit display. The alarm tones began to wane before dying down completely, and the master alarm lamp shut off. "How long before we can relax?" he asked over the radio. Jay answered, "Well, it took us 30 minutes to get here, so I reckon it'd take 30 minutes to get back." "Why do you ask?" Quattro queried. "Well, uh, this is my first time in space," Camille stammered. It really is every bit as beautiful as I thought it would be, he thought. "You get the hang of it soon enough," Jay said. The three mechs hurtled on to their rendevous point. # Stevie Ray Vaughan "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" _Couldn't Stand The Weather_ TO BE CONTINUED... Appendix: Military Rank Chart for Officers of Human Armies, c. April 0187, Part One ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Note: O-ratings for other armies are listed as equivalents to Earth Federation forces) Earth Federation Navy --------------------- O-1 Ensign O-2 Lieutenant (j.g.) O-3 Lieutenant O-4 Lt. Commander O-5 Commander O-6 Captain O-7 Rear Admiral O-8 Vice Admiral O-9 Admiral O-10 Fleet Admiral AEUG (see Earth Federation Navy for naval ranks to O-6) ---- O-1 Ensign O-2 Leftenant O-3 Captain O-4 Major O-5 Lt. Colonel O-6 Colonel O-7 General (currently Brex Forra) Principality of Zeon (Army/Navy, MS units use army ranks) (Neo-Zeon uses army ranks exclusively until O-6, then navy ranks exclusively) -------------------- O-1 Unterleutnant/Leutnant (zur Sterne) O-2 Leutnant/Oberleutnant (zur Sterne) O-3 Hauptmann/Kapitanleutnant O-4 Kommandant/Korvettenkapitan O-5 Hauptmann-Kommandant/Fregattenkapitan O-6 Oberst/Kapitan O-7 Brigadegeneral/Flottillenadmiral O-8 Generalleutnant/Vizeadmiral O-9 General/Admiral O-10 Field Marshal (currently Giren Zabi) Titans ------ O-1 Pilot (MS/Aero, naval branch uses Ensign) O-2 Lieutenant O-3 Hauptmann O-5 Commander O-6 Colonel (currently Bosque Ohm) O-9 General (currently Jamitov Heimann) Acknowledgements ---------------- To Banpresto, purveyors of fine mecha-gaming goodness. To Sunrise, purveyors of fine mecha anime. To Zhou Tai An and Mark Neidengard, for their excellent body of work. To my prereaders, for making me readable: particularly Will Mao, who may find himself in similar straits one day; and (once again) the incredible Jan Michael Aldeguer. To Eric Nylund, for teaching us all not to piss off the AI. Embellishment List v. 1.01 -------------------------- The FREESPACE series and RED FACTION by Volition Inc. STARLANCER by Digital Anvil The MARATHON series and HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED by Bungie Studios DEUS EX by Ion Storm INTRON DEPOT by Masamune Shirow SCUD: THE DISPOSABLE ASSASSIN by Rob Schrab HALO: THE FALL OF REACH by Eric Nylund SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND (TV) THE MATRIX (movie) CYBERPUNK 2.0.2.0. and MEKTON ZETA by R. Taslorian Games HEAVY GEAR and JOVIAN CHRONICLES by Dream Pod 9 SHADOWRUN by FASA Corporation The RENEGADE LEGION series, originally by FASA Corporation The FIRST competition mentioned by the interrogator really does exist. Check out for more info. Sorry, no mobile suit division yet. If anybody sold you a hardcopy of this work, they ripped you off. I'm not writing this fic for monetary gain (it's freely available and distributable as long as the credits and disclaimer remain intact), nor to challenge the copyrights on enough characters, likenesses, and indicia to fill a major metropolitan area. Besides, I'm just this guy struggling to make ends meet, you know? Any faults with when and where certain characters fit into the general scheme of things can be blamed solely on the author. Jay Denton will return in "The Winds Of War/Ohm's Law"
