Ptolemaeus Lunar Base, September 10, C.E. 71, 1200.
Mother Earth hovered in all its glory above the barren, deserted surface of the moon. Her blue oceans were stark opposites of the gray land, and her cloud filled sky was completely different than the airless state that was the moon. Soldiers off duty at the lunar base could not help but be lost in the majestic sight that was their home, and a home that they were willing to fight and to die for.
Above the lunar base, the guardian ships that made up the 5th, 6th, and 7th Orbital fleets hung silently in the black sky. Mobile armors and Strike Daggers patrolled the areas to which the larger ships could not venture without being dangerously close to the surface. Other ships sat in the base's main docks, undergoing repairs or being resupplied after long journeys. One of these was the giant Agamemnon-class ship, the Regress, fresh from its victorious mission to Gyndana. Half of her mobile armor squadron had been lost and she was busily awaiting her new pilots and machines. Repair crews scrambled across her deck, welding steel together, removing templates, and refurbishing weapons implants. Scattered fragments of light dotted the hull where blow torches scanned across its surface, making the pieces of steel that formed the great ship become whole again.
The next dock down, the Valiant slid into it gently, fresh from its latest combat simlulation. The modified Gerosian-class starship was originally similar in design to the much smaller 250-class, but when certain problems arose because of its design and structure, the class had been pulled before more than 50 had been produced. The Valiant was one of these, though when General Bradford had taken over her at the end of C.E. 70, she had undergone a complete renovation, which made her look more in tune with the Jani-class, with its spiked bow and large engines in the rear. Instead of having two large main cannons like the Intrepid did next to her, the Valiant displayed a group of six smaller cannons, each capable of delivering rapid bursts of fire equal in strength to the Gottfried guns on several other ship classes. Her mobile units were deployed from a hatch at the front of the ship, where the triangular shaped bow would fold outward and then upward in order to launch the Strike Daggers and Moebieus' she had inside her. From an obsolete warship ready for scrap, the Valiant had become one of the most combat ready vessels in the fleet.
Seymour had been able to digest all this well enough in his first three months on the job, now entering his fourth, and the ship had become his home away from home as of this moment. He listened to the conversation between two of his bridge crew as he relaxed in his command chair after the intense simulation. They'd succeeded this time. Their fifth successful simulation in a row. "Positron bank on number five cannon is empty, Captain," Lester reported from his station ahead and to the right of Seymour's chair. "No response from number three or four either."
"Rear missile tubes are functioning normal, Captain," Tomer added. "Engines and power levels are at maximum now, receding smoothly."
"Give those specifics to the mechanics when they go over the old girl," Seymour ordered. "May be able to take her out into combat soon anyhow."
"You're eager to go into combat, Captain McKinley?" Tomer asked.
"Who said I wanted to, Tomer?" Seymour responded, typing several commands into the consoles in his chair's armrests. "If it was up to me, we'd all be back home right now, sitting back and enjoying ourselves. Instead we're fighting a war. Why do you think I'd rather have the latter?"
"Yes...sorry, Captain."
"Forget it," Seymour said. "Just keep in touch with your monitoring and we'll be alright." Seymour brought up several figures and graphic that displayed the Valiant's performance during the most recent simulation. Good records on the ship movement and guidance. Strike Daggers perfect as usual. Mobile armor results improving nicely. All enemies neutralized in time limit. "Not bad," Seymour said to himself, leaning back in his chair and resting his arms behind his head.
"Seymour!" came a voice from the monitor on Seymour's chair. His eyes darted towards it and saw Jessie's face staring back at him through the screen.
"Yeah, Jessie. What's up?"
"The crews are here to work on the ship. Should I give them the go?"
"That's great, thanks," Seymour answered, sitting up in his chair. "How goes the air group performance?"
"Better, I'll admit," Jessie said, shrugging a little. "Mobieus pilots still need a lot of work, but otherwise they've gotten a lot better. As for me and Keryuoko, we're fine. The Strike Daggers really are impressive mobile suits once you get the hang of them."
"No doubt in my mind you guys won't let anyone get near this ship when we head on combat missions," Seymour complimented.
"Aw, you're too nice, Captain," Jessie answered, smiling innocently. Seymour grinned back. "Hey, do we have any more information on the ZAFT fleet movements as of late?" she asked.
"Nothing. We won't really know until the General gets back." Seymour sighed. "I can only assume that they'll come up with something. Otherwise, we'll have to sit back and watch our home planet be invaded again."
"Yeah..." Jessie responded, her voice dropping.
Inside the base's command center, a young soldier strolled into the large room, lights blinking from consoles and maps all around him. "The Regress is almost ready to go, Admiral McCarthy," he said without hesitation. "All that matters now is-."
"Shhhh!" another soldier scolded him. "Can't you see the Admiral's busy right now! There's a meeting of the command staff going on right now, you idiot!"
Below a large video screen at the eastern side of the command room, lay a large map of the Earth. Standing in a straight line above it were General Bradford, Admiral McCarthy, Captain Norris, and the base commander, each staring at the blinking lights below them, signifying targets of interest and areas where conflict was currently under way. On the video screen above them, Sutherland's image stared hard and determined at his subordinate officers.
"The first strike will commence at approximately 0600 on the 15th," he said. "The forces from the Pacific Fleet will engage the enemy at the point designated approximately forty miles from the Carpentaria base's main premises. Meanwhile, with our mobile units acting as a distraction, our airborne and gliderborne troops will descend within ten miles of the base and seize key radar network facilities and other security outposts. The Pacific Fleet will provide cover for the forces as they make their way towards Carpentaria's main facilities.Our primary targets are the mass driver facilities and the mobile suit factories. It won't be easy, but with the situation we have at the moment, we have little choice as to what our next move shall be."
McCarthy and Bradford eached puffed on the cigarettes they had lodged between their lips and exhaled smoke which covered the map in front of them. Norris relit the large cigar in his hand and placed it back into its place in his mouth and puffed a few times. "I trust you gentlemen have no serious objections to the operation's current status, do you?" Sutherland inquiried.
"No, not at all, Admiral," McCarthy replied quietly, removing his cigarette from his mouth. "Overall, it's a well planned assault and invasion rolled into one. Carpentaria will be pressed to meet this threat with everything they've got, I'll give you that."
"The only threat I can see to our forces would be the possibility that ZAFT gets ahold of what we're up to and brings in more forces from Oceania or possibly Kaoshiung," Norris added. "Of course, it's not like we already haven't let the ZAFT know where our next target's going to be, anyway."
"With some luck, we may be able to take Carpentaria by the 18th, but we're anticipating that if everything goes according to plan, we'll seize it on most likely the 20th or 21st." Sutherland sighed. "Hopefully the Coordinators won't turn desperate and destroy the mass driver before we get to it." He raised an eyebrow ever so slightly and added, "General Bradford. You've been rather quiet during this entire time. Something on your mind?"
Bradford puffed on his cigarette and didn't answer for a moment. Finally, he removed the cigarette and aimed the butt at a spot on the map below him. "Carpentaria's going to put up a hell of a fight, I know that much. But, it's not my decision right now, Admiral. It's yours and the Inner Council's call, and I'll support whatever it is that you decide. But there's something else that rather worries me, I'll admit."
"The invasion of Earth?" Norris asked.
Bradford nodded. "Unless I'm mistaken the ZAFT forces are recalling almost their entire fleet back to home space. An obvious hint towards an invasion."
The map below them changed its complexion to that of the Earth and the surrounding space. "From what intelligence has told us, the ZAFT have brought back almost all of their mobile suit teams and their carriers to the PLANTs," Sutherland confirmed. "I too believe they're going to invade."
"Do you have any specific orders for us regarding these...troubling events at the moment, Admiral?" the base commander asked, tugging at the edges of his thin mustache.
"If the invasion does happen, we'll have to do what's in our power to stop it. Since I must be on Earth for the Carpentaria operation, I'm going to have to leave it to you gentlemen to see to the defense of the Earth." Sutherland's eyes narrowed. "Niles, I'm going to temporarily put the 7th Fleet under your command to go along with the remaining vessels of your fleet. It will be your mission to delay the ZAFT invasion as much as you can and if possible, stop it. I can't afford to send your ships out into combat at the moment, Woodrow. They're still too inexperienced."
"I agree," Bradford said. "But, unless I'm mistaken, if the intelligence is correct, Admiral...the ZAFT have gathered enough forces back at the PLANTs to outnumber both the 7th and the 6th Fleets two to one. Worse odds than even Alaska. What if the invasion cannot be stopped?"
"There's another element to the equation that has surfaced recently, and has also piked my interest," Sutherland responded. "It seems that the former Head Representative of the Orb Union, Uzumi Nara Athha, has been trying to establish contact with Chairman Zala and the PLANTs regarding the same situation. I'll forward one of the transmissions our forces have intercepted."
Seconds later, Sutherland's image was replaced by that of the long brown hair and beard of Uzumi Nara Athha. His hands were folded casually in front of him, and his voice was calm as he began. "Chairman Zala. Let me first say that I am honored that you have taken the time to listen to this message. However, let me assure you that this message in no means is a plea to join with your ZAFT alliance. In contrary, I call you now in order for us to meet face to face. It is my understanding, that your forces have been gathering in preparation for the invasion of Earth, the planet which you and I were both created on. I am inclined, as a citizen of not only the Orb Union, but of the Earth itself, to urge you to reconsider your plans for invasion. No doubt, you are aware of the grave consequences your forces suffered at Alaska and more recently at Cuba, and I am inclined to say, that if this invasion goes through, the casualties will be devastatingly high. Therefore I urge you, please, to call off your invasion. This is not a plea for you to stop the war and have the Earth Alliance win. Moreover, this is a plea for you to prevent that devastation that would accompany the invasion. If you and I could meet face to face, man to man, human to human, we could discuss these matters like civilized people, and find a way that would satisfy both our beliefs. Chairman Zala, I understand that you are upset and feel the need to prosecute the people who dastardly attacked you and your fellow Coordinators in the Bloody Valentine, but I urge you. Please, do not invade the Earth. It will only lead to more losses of lives, and the continued chain of events that will bring this war to deadly new heights. Thank you for your time." Uzumi's image disappeared.
McCarthy blew smoke out of the corner of his mouth which was accompanied by a sigh. Norris folded his arms and rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling. Bradford said nothing, and did nothing. Sutherland's image reappeared on the video screen and said, "This is not the only message that Athha has broadcast to Zala. He's been continually trying to get in touch with him, but we've received no word that Zala has agreed to speak with him. However, I am interested to see how this plays out."
"You're suggesting that we let Uzumi and the Orb forces deal with Zala?" Bradford pondered.
"Given the circumstances, it would seem only logical to allow Uzumi the chance to cast his die against Zala. And if he succeeds, we'll have seen a weakness in Zala's demeanor. If not, that's one more bug out of our way," Sutherland added.
"But at the moment, the only forces we know the Orb Union has in orbit is that one vessel that was sighted at Gyndana," Bradford responded. "If we leave it up to Orb..."
"I'm fully aware of what the consequences will be if we leave it to Orb to handle," Sutherland answered, a bit angrily. "But at the moment, our top priority is to seize Carpentaria. Admiral McCarthy will be in charge of our forces to stop the invasion. Until then..." Another man entered the screen and whispered something in Sutherland's ear. "What...?" Sutherland said quietly. Then his eyes widened, and his teeth clenched. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen, something very important has come up." Sutherland saluted and his image was gone abruptly, leaving a stunned quarter of officers on the other side of the connection.
South Africa, 1220.
"What the hell do you mean the gas was contaminated!" Sutherland snapped at the crewman who had spoken to him just moments before. "That was to be our top strategy for us to take Victoria and eliminate every Coordinator there!"
Captain Rutherford and Captain Omanney stood off to the side, neither willing to break into the 'conversation' in fear of being Sutherland's next victim. All they knew was that Admiral Sutherland had planned something for the operation at Victoria, and now it was apparently gone.
The door to the bridge hissed open and Azrael entered swiftly. "What's this I hear about our little plan going down the drain, Admiral?" he asked deliberately.
Sutherland was still displaying signs of intense anger as he spoke. "Apparently someone has murdered the doctor and his assistants and contaminated the batch of gas so that it is useless to us now," he hissed.
"What do you mean, murder?" Azrael asked suspiciously.
"Well..." the crewman stuttered, "Basically...judging by the fact that the doctor's head was found at least ten feet away from his body...it's pretty clear that he was murdered. His assistants were found in much the same manner..."
"They chopped his head off?" Hal said.
"Yes, Captain. The analysts have confirmed that it was a blade that made the attack on all of the men."
"And now our little insurance is gone," Sutherland said. "So much for plan A."
"Well then, we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way," Azrael said. "You're still keeping everyone in orbit in the dark, correct Admiral?"
"For security reasons, yes Mr. Azrael. Everyone at the Lunar Base thinks the target is Carpentaria." Sutherland managed a slight grin. "Which is most likely what the Coordinators are anticipating as well."
"Very good. Captain Omanney, I suggest you ready your forces for immediate action," Azrael said. "We will be delaying the offensive for a few days to reconvene. Until then, be ready to go at a moments notice."
"Yes...sir," Hal said slowly. The new pilots that had come aboard the Dominion at the beginning of the month hadn't been to kindly to him during their stay aboard the ship. He shuddered at the idea of having to deal with them for more than this amount of time already.
In another part of the ship, Hugh Nicol wiped clean the blade which he had used to decapitate the scientists who were developing the agent to use against the forces at Victoria. Blood stained the rag he wiped across the silvery blade, its handle still gleaming gold and violet, the way it had when it had first been given to him. He glanced in the mirror beside him and smirked. The scars on his face had healed some, and his back didn't hurt anymore. His hair was still a cross between blonde and brown, and his face was still dark, but this was how he wanted it. After all, if he didn't was his true identity discovered, he would have to remain like this until the time came. When he had the opportunity to return to his friends. And bring peace to the person he'd promised he would.
Mendel, September 12, C.E. 71, 1500.
The daily routines had become almost predictable for the forces inside the Mendel colony. On the Kusanagi, Wayne and Orel supervised the pilots under their command as they ran through another round of simulations. Each man commanded a unit of seven M1's including themselves, which gave the Kusanagi a force of fourteen M1's.
On the Archangel's bridge, Murrue spoke to Lacus through the video screen at the front of the bridge. "Since the Eternal is designed specifically for the Freedom and the Justice, I'll be sending them over to you."
"Thank you," Lacus answered. "We appreciate your assistance given the circumstances we find ourselves in."
"I'll have the crew get ready to receive them, Captain Ramius," Captain Steele added, saluting.
Others were also busy on this day as well. "This is what those Morgenrate guys have been up to," Murdoch announced to Mwu, Kira, and Athrun who followed him up towards the Strike, sitting in the Archangel's hangar.
"We finally got the old girl back from 'em?" Mwu asked.
"Yeah. They brought it back aboard last night." Murdoch pushed a switch and the cockpit shield opened.
Mwu leaned inside and looked around. "It almost looks exactly the same." He looked upwards and saw that the targeting computer was gone. "What happened to the targeting block?"
"It's right here," Murdoch said, pressing a button at the bottom of the diagnostic board. Suddenly, a new board rose up out of the original one. A circular bracket with green lines laced across it. "They put in a newer one like the ones the Freedom and the Justice have. They say it gives you a better read on where your targets are."
Mwu sat down in the pilot seat and felt for all the controls and switches that lay before him. "Very impressive, Chief Murdoch. It's like a whole new mobile suit."
"They do the same with the Buster?" Athrun asked, peeking into the cockpit.
"They're still working on it right now. Though I really don't see the point considering we don't have a pilot for it." Kira and Mwu shot Murdoch angry looks. It was then that it hit Murdoch in the head and he grabbed it in embarassment. "Hehe...sorry..."
"What's this thing do?" Mwu asked, pointing to a red button on the side of the arm rest.
"Uh...don't touch that Commander," Murdoch said.
"Why not? I don't even know what it does," Mwu answered.
"That's the switch for the cockpit escape hatch."
"Escape hatch?" Mwu, Kira, and Athrun all said together.
"Athrun, back up," Murdoch said, pushing Athrun back and looking over the side of the Strike to make sure that no one was in the way. He then pressed the red button and a portion of the port side of the cockpit broke off with a great hiss and tumbled towards the deck below. "Like I said, escape hatch. They tell me that they installed 'em so that if you guys got into trouble you could just get the hell out of there without having to open up the cockpit completely. Also save a lot of time and pilots, which we really do need."
Athrun and Kira examined the hole that the hatch had left in its wake. "It's just like the escape hatch on the GINN," Athrun said. "Only it's not the same wiring."
"They based it off of the ejector components on the Skygraspers," Murdoch said. "Those things do get you out quick, so I guess they figured why not try it on these."
"Are you gonna have these installed on the Freedom and the Justice?" Mwu asked.
"It can't happen," Kira answered. "The design of the cockpits on those two are different enough from the Strike's so that it would be impossible to install an escape hatch like this."
Mwu stepped out of the cockpit and into the weightless state outside. "I appreciate the work the Morgenrate people put into this, Chief, but it all seems a little too precautionary to me. What happens if I hit that button by mistake and end up being catapulted into the vacuum?"
Murdoch shrugged. "Then I guess, you're on your own."
Mwu sighed. Kira had gone inside his old cockpit to examine it for himself while Murdoch and Athrun talked on the other side. Below him, Mwu heard someone call his name. He looked down to see Frank standing on the deck below him, waving his hand. "Mwu! John wants to see you, now."
"Hang on!" Mwu called back. "You guys go over the rest of the stuff without me. I've got something I've gotta do."
"Right," Kira answered from inside the cockpit. Mwu floated down towards the deck where Frank awaited and they proceeded out of the hangar and into one of the corridors adjacent to it.
"Any idea what he wants?" Mwu asked.
"Not a clue. I'm guessing he wants our input on whatever the hell he's come up with for Jachin Due."
"You know about the target?" Mwu said incredulously. As far as he was concerned, only senior officers knew about the true target at this moment for the invasion rendezvous.
"I'm third highest on the command structure for the Archangel, Mwu. Plus, my sister's the Captain. How am I not going to know?" Frank chuckled.
"Yeah..." Mwu said, defeated. "How's the work on the Zero going?"
"Great. Finally got the targeting mechanisms straight, so we're going at a hundred percent." Frank rolled his eyes. "Hopefully those Gyndana guys are done with it by now, so I can take it out for a test ride tonight. What about the Strike?"
"Got a new targeting computer and an escape hatch installed," Mwu said. "Otherwise, the repairs are done, and the Striker packs are set, so we're good."
"I hear the Admiral's gonna have us set out in couple days. Guess he's planning on John coming up with something spectacular," Frank commented. "Should be a hell of a week."
"Don't I know it," Mwu answered. They descended in the elevator towards a lower level of the ship and eventually made their way into Mendel's interior. Orb soldiers and officials passed them along the way, saluting as they did. "Reminds you of the old days, don't it," Mwu said dryly, referring to their early days in the Earth Alliance forces.
"Yeah," Frank added harshly. "Hey, Mwu. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
"What is it?" Mwu said, holding his arms behind his head and stretching.
"What did you say to my sister?" Mwu turned to his friend in confusion. "You were the only one who talked to her that night when..." Frank paused, remembering the story he'd told that night. Murrue hadn't exactly been happy with him about telling it, but she hadn't been exactly angry either.
"Why do you ask?" Mwu said, coming to a stop.
"Well, ever since that day, Murrue hasn't said anything about it. Only thing she's told me is that you two talked and now everything's good. What'd you say to her?"
Mwu shrugged his shoulders and said, "Just told her that it'd be alright and we'd be there for her if something like this came up again."
"For some odd reason, I'm getting the impression that you two are together now," Frank said, cupping his chin with his hand. "Are you?"
"Ha-wha-," Mwu stuttered, trying to find the right words. His head tilted and he scratched at his hair. "Well...uh...I...guess so...I mean...we...look Frank. If you don't want us to be-."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Frank interrupted, holding his hands up in defense. "Who said I didn't want you two to be happy?" He raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly. "As far as I'm concerned, as long as she's happy, I'm good with it. Besides, there's nobody else I'd rather have be with her than you. You'd be the first one pick!"
"Oh..." Mwu said quickly, turning his eyes from one direction to another. "Thanks...?"
"No problem. Just let me tell you this Mwu, alright?" Frank moved close to his friend and said quietly, "If you break her heart...I will break your legs."
"Sure," Mwu managed quickly and quietly. "Can count on me, Frank."
"Good. Because I can assure you..." Frank turned his hand into a fist and brandished the steel ligaments underneath it, sparkling in the light above them. "I can break your legs with ease."
"Yeah...I know. Is that it?"
"Yeah, that's it." Frank began walking back down the corridor, leaving Mwu behind him. "Come on, John's waiting. I will say this though," he added off to the side. "You and my sister are a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Lieutenant Badgiruel in these types of conversations."
"Lieutenant...hey wait a minute!" Mwu called, chasing after Frank. "Now there's something I want to ask you. What is going on with you and the Lieutenant?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Frank answered calmly, not even bothering to stop.
"There is something Frank, I know it," Mwu said, grabbing Frank by the arm and jerking him to a stop. "There's something going on between you two, and I want to know what."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mwu," Frank said.
"Oh, come on Frank," Mwu berated. "Like you haven't noticed how she acts around you."
"Huh?"
"Well whenever it's just me, her, or Murrue she's a tough son of a bitch. But the minute you walk in, she's a nice lady. I'm thinking there's something going on between you two, too."
"We're friends Mwu," Frank reassured him sternly. "Just friends. Just trying to make the most out of both our situations, O.K.?"
"But that still doesn't explain some things," Mwu said.
"Mwu," Frank said. "We're gonna be late and John's waiting as it is." Frank walked down the corridor, Mwu trailing behind him, still trying to figure out the thoughts circulating in his head.
The door to John's interim office inside Mendel slid open to admit the two men when they arrived. John was bent over a small desk at the rear of the room, his small lamp providing the only light visible inside the tiny structure. "You wanted to see us, John?" Mwu asked, stepping inside the office.
"Yeah. I need your input on these things I've got here." Frank turned to Mwu and smiled slyly. Mwu just sighed. They moved further into the room to stand on opposite sides of John and look down upon the strewn papers and maps below him. John removed the cigar in his mouth and said, "the Jachin Due asteroid fortress."
It indeed was. The asteroid fortress and the surrounding airspace was laid out on a large blue map on the desk, spread from end to end of the flat surface. The asteroid with its many gun emplacements was clearly defined by its angles and ridges in the center of the map, with the docks and repair facilites around it also sticking out clearly. There were no ships in the picture, because this was just a map of what the facility looked like without anything in it, to see its structural design. The ten anti-ship emplacements guarding the asteroid that guarded the PLANTs were painted red, to symbolize their significance as key strategic targets of defense. Jachin Due had a total of twelve mobile suit divisions, according to the map, and space to accomodate a fleet of at least forty warships, easily big enough to fit the entire invasion force. Jachin Due was indeed the target. And what a target it was.
Mwu whistled long and slow as his gaze swept across the map's contents. "See anything you like?" John asked sheepishly.
"Unless I miss my guess...and I don't think I am...this is probably the most heavily defended facility ZAFT has in service." He stood up straight and added, "Zala sure picked a hell of a spot to put his fleet."
"You sure you're gonna be able to get us into the defensive parameter so we can attack, John?" Frank asked.
"Anything's penetrable if you know how to do it," John said. He reached across his desk and picked up another roll of paper. He spread it out across the desk, its transparent surface fitting perfectly on top of the Jachin Due map. "And this is how I think we can do it."
"What are all these green dots situated here?" Mwu asked, pointing down at the map.
"Those are ships. The ships Zala's recalled so far." Mwu's and Frank's mouths dropped. Zala had recalled what appeared to be a force of almost sixty ships, and countless mobile suits inside them to Jachin's docks. This time, he meant real business when he said invasion. "And we're gonna destroy 'em."
"How?" Frank asked. "We're a force of six ships. That's a ten to one underdog against that force. Plus we don't have a lot of mobile suits to go with."
"And on top of all that, there's the problem of how we're going to get inside the defensive parameter," Mwu added. "Those anti-ship guns can tear a ship like the Archangel up in a matter of seconds, John."
"I know. That's why we're going to get around them." John laid out his plan so far before his two students and fellow pilots. Every detail it seemed had been taken into account, which amazed Mwu and Frank since they didn't know that this many details even existed. Ship movements, gun speed and accuracy, radio traffic, defensive monitoring, mobile suit forces, geographic locations. Everything. It all made sense. They could do this. "You get it now?"
"I guess so," Mwu said, sighing a bit. "It still sounds like a crazy plan to me, but if history's taught me anything it's not to doubt you John."
"I've got to go with Mwu," Frank added. "Nothing wrong I can see with it. Risks are almost second to none of somebody getting caught by the anti-ship guns. The only question is can we do enough damage to halt the invasion in the time limit we're going to have before the mobile suits are deployed."
"A surprise attack doesn't depend on how long you have to complete it, but how much damage you do in the time limit," John said. "And if my estimates are correct, we can have this done in ten or fifteen minutes with ease."
"You think Cantarii and Uzumi will see it that way?" Mwu asked.
"We'll find out tomorrow won't we?" John answered, grinning. "I'm gonna present this to 'em tomorrow and see what they think. Uzumi makes the final decision on what we do because he's still trying to solve the issue diplomatically. If he gets through to Zala, we'll have to pull the plan out of the stove and let it cool for a while because I'd personally rather have a peaceful solution than a bloody one. Don't you?"
"Yes," both Mwu and Frank answered.
"All that matters now is if Cantarii buys it or sells it. He'll be the man in charge of it, so we'll have to follow whatever orders he gives us." John smiled. "But I wouldn't doubt he'd trust my word. He's not one to take unnecessary risks, now is he?" he added sarcastically. Mwu and Frank both laughed.
Kusanagi, September 13, C.E. 71, 0800.
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again John," Cantarii said, looking up at the map on the screen above him. "You are the smartest...and the craziest son of a bitch I've ever met."
"So you think it'll work?" John asked from in front of him.
"Hell, as far as I'm concerned this thing's a work of genius considering what we're up against." Cantarii turned back to face John and the others on the front deck of the bridge and added, "Gonna have to take a big risk if we're going to pull this off, though."
"We'll have to use every piece of machinery we have," Cagalli added from behind him. "A lot of the specifics in this are depending entirely on chance, though."
"If something goes even the slightest bit awry, we'll have to pull out," Andy added.
"In hindsight General, what Commander la Flaga, Kira, and Athrun do is gonna determine what the rest of us do." Cantarii leaned back in his chair and added, "If something goes wrong, it's very likely that you three'll be trapped back there, and we won't be able to bust you out."
"Then we won't get trapped," Athrun said. "We'll just have to be careful."
"Careful may not even be enough Zala," Captain Jackson added. "Right now we're outnumbered ten to one in ships and over twenty to one in mobile weaponry. Not very good odds."
"Well, we knew it was going to be difficult in the first place. I just tried to minimize the risks of someone getting killed," John said. "I think I got it down enough because the only ones immediately at risk will be the Freedom, the Justice, and the Strike. The heavy ships will be out of range of the anti-ship guns, so they'll be safe."
"Yeah..." Cantarii said, scratching at the back of his neck. "Right now I don't see anything wrong with John's plan. Anybody have any objections?"
"I'm fine with it," Jackson said.
"Nothing wrong with it from our standpoint," Murrue added.
Andy shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. "I say, let's do it."
"O.K., it's on then. Will Kusanagi and Eternal be ready for it in time, Mrs. Simmons?" Cantarii asked.
"The devices have already been finished," Erica answered. "All we have to do is install them, which shouldn't be too difficult even if the ships are moving."
"Good. Lord Uzumi still hasn't received any word back from Patrick, so I'd say it's almost positive that we're going to be in combat on the 19th. That's six days to get ready, people. Make sure you are." Cantarii shut his eyes and added, "Though it seems that you think he still can be talked out of it John."
"Yeah," John answered. "Can't kill me for trying at least to have someone talk to Zala. This way we'll have at most a ten minute window before we strike for somebody to talk to Zala."
"You planning on bringing Lord Uzumi with us, Admiral?" Andy asked.
"Hell no. I'm not risking his life. We'll need him in the long run," Cantarii responded.
"Who's gonna talk to him, then?" Athrun asked. "Lord Uzumi won't be there, so who's gonna do it?"
John turned and fixed his gaze on Athrun. "You are," he said quickly.
Athrun's face went pale. "What? Why me?"
"Because your his kid," Cantarii said. "If anybody can get Zala to open his mouth, it'd be you Athrun."
"But I've already tried to talk to him," Athrun said. "And I got shot a bullet in the shoulder for it."
"This time you'll be in the Justice, Athrun," Cagalli reminded him.
"All we're asking you to do Athrun, is just talk to him. Try and get him to talk to somebody at least," John said.
"But if what you've said is true, you're not even anticipating that he'll listen," Athrun pointed out. "Why not just go straight into the plan?"
"Zala..." Jackson interrupted. "Do you honestly think that any of us want to go into Jachin Due and start blowing ships up? None of wanted to do this if it could be helped. But it can't be helped."
"At least this will show that we at least tried to talk to Patrick," Cantarii added. He sighed. "Captain Jackson. Order all vessels to prepare for launch tomorrow morning at 0400. All crews are to be aboard their ships an hour before that. We'll finalize our plans on the 17th. John, you'll be serving as strike commander for the mobile forces. General Waltfeld, you'll be in charge of getting the ships in place. I'll be commanding the larger ships and their crews. Everyone else is to do the job they've been doing ever since they got here. That is all, people. Thank you."
People started filing out of the bridge, heading back towards their usual assignments. Athrun struggled to accept the fact that he was being given another chance to speak with his father. He knew his father had gone over the edge, and was intending to wipe out every last Natural. Then why did he suddenly have the feeling that he could talk him out of it? It didn't make sense.
"What an honor you've been given, huh?" Cagalli said, coming up beside him. "Another chance to talk to your dad."
"Yeah...what an honor," Athrun said quietly.
"Athrun." Cagalli stood in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. "Everyone here knows that if anyone can get into your father's head, it's you. We need you to do this Athrun. Otherwise it will look like we just went into Jachin Due with our guns blazing. How's that going to affect our stance as peace seekers?"
Athrun sighed. "I need to go work on the Justice." He pushed his way past Cagalli and headed back down the corridor, leaving a stunned Cagalli in his wake.
Meanwhile, inside one of the crew quarters on the Archangel, Jeremy Bennett turned the Gyndana Guardsman badge in his hand over and over. He was waiting for something. What it was exactly, he wasn't sure. It was supposed to be some sort of update on his orders regarding his mission. He'd already spent enough time around these people on the Archangel to make him sick. They sickened him with their hope of peace for both sides. Bennett chuckled. That's never going to happen. At least if I have anything to say about it.
A chiming sound brought Bennett over to his small computer console. The flicking light on the screen signaled that a message had been received. Bennett clicked on the screen and brought up the message. It read: Our master is on his way to space. Be patient. You will have the opportunity to move soon. Keep your senses alert, and be careful. Affione and Rodriguez must not know our true intentions. SJR.
Bennett brought the small keyboard over his lap and typed in two simple sentences. Message received, WFYS. SFJB. It would only be a matter of time now. This ship and everyone in it would go through hell and back. And when it was over, Jeremy Bennett would be the one basquing in all the glory of war and fulfillment.