The Full Armor Enhanced ZZ blended in with the night sky, on its journey towards Alaska. Inside the cockpit, Cole was thinking about the Earth Alliance and its rebuilt bases. "Josh-A was destroyed during the Bloody Valentine War a hundred years ago, but it took that much time for them to finally rebuild it in a more ideal location." He looked at the screen, which showed the location of Josh-A, which was rebuilt closer inland to Canada than the first Josh-A. The base came into view in the pale moonlight. "And of course they'll be wondering who I am and my purpose. However, if that man is still leader, I'll have more trouble than I thought." The ZZ came into view of Josh-A's control tower, the soldiers inside suddenly bustling and getting into place. The soldier at the radio called to the ZZ.
"Attention, unidentified mobile suit. You are coming upon the airspace of the Earth Alliance base Josh-A. State your name and business." Cole smiled and opened a visual.
"This is Cole Leonix, independent. I have come here to talk with the head of the Earth Alliance base Josh-A concerning matters of lost technology." The line remained quiet for a few minutes. The ZZ slowed to a halt mere kilometers from the coast. The video in the cockpit switched over to a man in an EA uniform with short, blonde hair and brown eyes. "Ah... A different commander..."
"I am Admiral Matthais Trenton, commander of this base. Identify yourself again." Cole sighed as the man spoke.
"I already said it. I am Cole Leonix, former member of the rebel squad Angel Wing." The soldiers started talking amongst themselves and whispering. The admiral cleared his throat, making the room quiet.
"Mr. Leonix--"
"Just Cole, sir."
"Okay... Cole, what do you wish to talk about?"
"The death planet and information concerning the Devil Gundam." The admiral's eyes widened and he lowered his head. Cole's smile faded when he saw the admiral's reaction. The admiral put the radio down, not shutting it off.
"Let him land. I'll meet with him on the ground personally." He picked up the radio again as the soldiers scurried about. "You're clear for landing." Cole nods and closes the communication. The lights of the base shift on as the ZZ comes in and lands in front of a nearby hangar, facing the control tower. A jeep drove up to the mobile suit as Cole got out and tethered to the ground. The jeep turned and stopped, its right side facing Cole. The admiral got up from the passenger seat and saluted him. "Welcome to Josh-A, Lunar Lion." Cole sighed, looking at the admiral. He wasn't too old, in his early twenties and a bit taller than Cole.
"How about just Cole, okay? I hate pseudonyms and ranks, Matthais."
"I don't. Call me Admiral." Cole smiled, sighing silently through his teeth. "Get in. I'll take you to a place where we can talk about your information." Cole hopped into the back seat and the admiral got back into the passenger side. The jeep shook slightly and moved on, heading towards the control tower.
"I hope I don't have to ride in anymore jeeps after this," Cole remarked as he watched buildings pass by.
"We will get onto the main road from here and head for the base," the admiral kept his head unturned as he spoke. Cole rubbed the back of his head, nodding slightly. "We don't get many night visitors, much less a man of your candor. We appreciate what you and your group did for us on the Moon those years ago."
"Yeah, well it's too bad Psy Ops decided to take the Moon up as well. You should really be thanking our real commander."
"Indeed. James Leonheart was a true hero and leader. I guess it wouldn't surprise me if he somehow was your father." Cole winced a bit at his comment, looking off towards the ocean.
"No, I guess not." He remained quiet, prompting the admiral to continue.
"Well, I was stationed here only a few weeks ago, to replace the previous commander. He apparently became ill and was hospitalized." Cole looked back at the admiral. "He eventually died I think." Cole looked down, seeming half-surprised, but half-relieved.
"Well, I guess that is something rather sad," Cole commented, not too sad himself. The jeep eventually came through some dense forest roads and to the main building. "Hidden in the trees: An ideal place for a rebuilt Earth Alliance base." The admiral remained silent as the jeep drove into the parking garage and stopped on the second floor. The admiral and driver got out and headed to the elevator that led to the first floor. Cole followed, looking at the area as they headed into the actual base. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this place was made many years before it was announced completed." He looked around, seeing that the walls and floors were rather decrepit. The admiral ignored his comment and led Cole into a conference room, which had a few other high-ranking military leaders in it. The admiral walked to the head of the table and motioned for Cole to sit opposite of him. Cole moved to the chair as the others stood, sitting down after they did.
"I apologize for gathering you people at such a late time, but it appears we have a greater problem than ZAFT and this newer group," The admiral began as the other officers started chattering quietly amongst themselves. "We have with us today one of our greatest allies in defeating the ZAFT radicals posted at the moon, ace pilot Cole Leonix, otherwise known as the Lunar Lion." Cole sighed as the officers muttered some more. I don't exactly like the name that I was given, but people know it better than my real name. "He has something he wants to bring to our attention before it brings itself into view. Cole." The admiral motioned to Cole, the other officers quieting down and looking at him. Cole sighed as he stood up and walked over to the nearby projector, sliding in a data disk.
"This disk contains information on several pieces of lost technology that were discovered years ago, specifically..." He lifted the remote and pressed the button, showing a snapshot of the Devil's head and body. "...This beast." The officers gasped a bit, murmuring. "This is the mobile suit JDG-00X, code named Devil Gundam. It was discovered in the seas South of Hokkaido, Japan. It was brought from the waters by Morgenroete and taken to Onogoro. There it was gathered and sent into Space to be finished at Heliopolis." One of the officers stood up.
"Spare us the grueling details, Mr. Leonix--"
"Call me Cole... Sir," he interrupted, the officer clearing his throat and continuing.
"Why don't you just get to the point? If not, if you could permit me to have a light nap before business starts up." The other officers chuckled a bit. Cole sighed and kept on talking.
"This thing is outfitted with about ten Hyper Mega Cannons." The officers stopped and remained silent. "Fire-linked, it'd be enough to wipe out the entire continent of North America and then some, gentlemen." They looked a bit surprised. "Not to mention it has the ability to take over anything organic using a special type of substance known as DG Cells. It can take over animals, plants, environments... Even human beings." One of the other officers stood up.
"Are you saying that this thing can easily destroy everyone on the planet? If so, then why hasn't it done so?"
"I'm not sure, but I do know that it has some connection with the second satellite of the Earth." The admiral looked at Cole and decided to ask.
"So, you're saying this Devil Gundam has a connection to the Death Planet?" Cole nodded. The other officers sat back down and started conversing amongst themselves. "And, by any chance, do you know who decided to complete it?"
"I have a nagging suspicion," Cole replied, the officers looking at him, now seeming more serious. "...The previous commander of this base, General John Mist." The officers stood up in unison, beginning to yell.
"That is unheard of! No one would be so foolish, even him!"
"That General was as corrupted as you are, you fool!"
"He was always trying to get more power in the military! This is proof!"
"Gentlemen, calm down! Sit down!" The admiral was having a hard time getting them quiet. Cole watched them quietly, his breathing slowly becoming a growl as he walked back to the table. As the men argued, Cole pulled his right hand into his coat, drew out a long broadsword, and slammed it into the table, breaking it in half. The officers quieted down and looked at Cole.
"That's enough! This is no time to bicker! This thing is a real threat to the planet! I have fought it myself and lost all of my comrades. This thing is truly a demon and must be destroyed." He glares at the others, his eyes slowly becoming blood red. "However, to destroy it, we need everyone's cooperation: Earth Alliance, Aube, and even ZAFT. Now, it is possible that the General was the catalyst behind this thing; however it was not in connection to the Earth Alliance. But that doesn't matter anymore!" Cole put away his sword as the rest of the room sat down. "What matters now is that you do your best to get anyone willing and able to come to space and aid in defeating this thing before it can touch the Earth. If you cannot even perform such a simple task, then you very much deserve to die." He turns and walks towards the computer, pulling the disk out. He looks back at the admiral, who's quite shocked. "If you want to do what's best for this world, then you will make this thing your number one target." Cole stood behind his chair, watching the officers just sit in their chairs, absorbing all that was said. The admiral stood and looked at him.
"This is indeed a great threat... However, we cannot afford to sacrifice any manpower at this time. What if ZAFT were to attack us? If we sent mobile suits out now, then we'd be defenseless and easily defeated." Cole's eyes widen quickly and narrowed just as fast. "I am sorry, but due to circumstances, we cannot. We cannot trust ZAFT, even if they send troops out there as well." Cole growled and glared at the admiral.
"I see... Too worried about your own asses to care about the rest of the world." He turns and starts walking out. "If you truly value the Earth above all else and wish to protect it, then you will send help to Space."
"I wish we could, but you're just one man. We can't support someone who's on his or her own. If you were maybe part of a group then it would be feasible. However, that would be nearly impossible to do now; to form a new faction." Cole looked back, smiling a bit.
"It's a good thing I got a head start then." He walked out and closed the door, leaving some very confused soldiers in the conference room. He found his way out of the building and to the parking garage, where he got on the jeep and drove it out of the complex and down the road towards the airstrips. "Idiots... I may not be much of a politician, but I know that ZAFT could care less about the Earth Alliance with that mobile suit flying around in space. That thing is as much of a threat to the PLANTs as it is to the Earth." Cole slowly pulls up to the entrance to the airfield, which was now fenced closed and the checkpoint's gate lowered. The guard stopped him and looked at him.
"And you are?"
"Leaving. I came in on the ZZ." The guard walked into the security booth and picked up the radio, calling to the base. Cole lowered his right hand from the steering wheel and to the sword hidden under his coat. After a minute of talking, the soldier came back out and waved to Cole, the fence opening up and the wooden gate rising up. Cole saluted lightly and drove in, looking back at the guard through the mirror. When the jeep drove past the gate, the guard went back in and called on the radio again. A bit curious, Cole turned on the jeep's radio, seeing if anything was picked up. He turned the frequency up and down a few times as he drove up to the Full Armor Enhanced ZZ. By the time he had stopped the jeep, he picked up a signal and turned it up.
"We have an intruder on the base. Orders are to shoot him on site. Prepare the mobile suits for launch," Cole scoffed as the radio went on. He jumped out of the jeep and pulled on the tether connected to the cockpit, lifting him off the ground. Halfway up, bullets sped by around Cole as soldiers came out and started firing on him. Cole swung the tether around, dodging the bullets as he finally swung upward and into the cockpit, letting the tether reel in before he closed the cockpit completely. The ZZ fired up its thrusters and lifted off from the ground, getting airborne and moving South. Inside, Cole was grunting as he held his hand to his left shoulder, which got scraped by one of the bullets. He looked at the screens, seeing if he was being followed. Sure enough, behind him were three Strike Daggers, ready to fire on him.
"Shit. Can't I get a break?" Cole scoffed as the ZZ turned and fried its missiles at the Daggers, destroying one of the suit's heads and shield, forcing it to return. The other two started firing on the ZZ, which was now aiming its rifle as well. "And you two are a pain in the ass!" He shot both rifles off of the Daggers and suddenly veered to the side and got behind them, the ZZ drawing a saber and slashing off their heads as well. The blue suit sped past the two headless Daggers and slowly ascended. "I should go into Space. I need to get back home." Cole commented, his mobile suit disappearing in the darkness of the sky.