Greetings everyone.
Before I begin, I have to clear up one thing. Though set in the Gundam Seed universe, this story also requires knowledge of The Golden Age trilogy by Maderfole. One could say this is a fanfic of a fanfic. So if you haven't read those stories, I highly recommend that you do. Word of warning though, those three stories are massive. More than 3.5 million words of world building, character development and general Gundam goodness.
Those who are familiar with the setting, congratulations. I got you to waste a bit of your time.
Either way, let's get this thing going.
Roland was never comfortable when it came to being in his father's study. It wasn't like the room was off limits to him, he could come and go as he wished, and his family's estate on Luna had plenty of space. It's just that entering the room felt like intruding on his father's personal space. Not only that, but the purpose of the room intimidated him. It was one of the locations from where the business side of the Beckett family was run. It was like the throne room of a vast and powerful kingdom. One he was meant to inherit.
Roland gripped the armrests of his chair a little bit tighter when that thought entered his head. Sure, he had been prepared for it for his entire life, but at the same time he knew just how much he still had to learn. It would be years before he felt even remotely confident of seizing the reigns of his family's business empire.
Thankfully, that day was still far in the future. Today, he was there for a different purpose. A purpose that was no less important than running the family, but one he had been looking forward for many years. Not just looking forward to, but preparing for as well. Preparing to the point where felt ready to take the first step on an ancient journey.
Sitting on the other side of the massive desk his father, Oliver Beckett, looked up from the monitor and met his gaze. Roland had the same, dark blue eyes as his father, but they lacked the piercing intensity age and experience brought. The steady gaze, coupled with the serious expression nearly made Roland squirm in his chair, even though he had done nothing wrong.
"So, Roland, as you are aware there is something important we have to discuss. As you know, it is tradition for all children in our family to serve in the military when they are old enough. Obviously, this should have been done sooner, but the situation back then was chaotic, to say the least."
"I understand. The Eden Disaster changed everything. Though I do think that enlisting back then would have allowed me to make a bigger difference." Roland replied as his thoughts wondered back to recent history. It had been three years since the great disaster, when Earth had been poisoned by the Green Eden nanoplague. The mass evacuation of Earth as well as the collapse of practically every government had resulted in a crisis from which humanity still hadn't fully recovered. While the threat of immediate extinction had been averted, it was still there, lurking around the corner. It would take years of hard work until it truly went away. Still, things were improving. Slowly, but improving. "Joining now makes me feel like a coward."
"And how would a fresh soldier made a difference? You would have been a drop in the ocean, son. One among millions of young people." Oliver pointed out. "Not unless you wanted me to use my connections in the military to get you an influential position."
Roland gave his father a sharp look. It was one thing to admit the unpleasant reality. It was an entirely different thing to insinuate that he was the sort of person who would use such an underhanded way of achieving progress. Win or fail, Roland was determined to do it on his own merit. "No father, that would be wrong. I do not want to be someone who bought his position in the military."
"I know. That is why I am proud of you, son." Oliver favored him with a smile as he leaned forward and rested his chin on the bridge of his hands. "Now, back to the topic. Have you decided in which branch would you like to serve?"
Roland immediately sat up straighter. "Yes! I want to be a Mobile Suit pilot. I want to serve in the Solar Knights." He answered instantly. The eagerness of his reply made his father blink in surprise.
"Solar Knights? Are you sure? Not to disparage the Solar Knights, but I think you could do better than that by serving in the navy. You could achieve many great things." It wasn't like Oliver hadn't expected this answer. It was the eagerness that caught him off-guard. Ever since their appearance more than a decade ago, Mobile Suits had become one of, if not the dominant weapon on the battlefield. In some cases high performance units like Gundams could influence the outcome of a battle by their mere presence. So it made sense that many people would love the idea of wielding such power.
"That is possible." Roland knew it very well why his father wanted him to serve in the navy. It was simple rivalry. Oliver had served in the navy, so it made sense that he would want Roland to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately for Oliver, Roland had made up his mind a long time ago. "But I have made my decision. I will be a Solar Knight."
"Why?"
"Because Solar Knights are the ones who protect humanity against threats regular forces are unable to handle. They are the ones who push forward when everyone else falls back. Also, I hate the idea of siding with one member state and competing against others when I can serve the whole of USN instead."
"You do realize that in the aftermath of the Eden Disaster, all member states have practically ceased to exist as separate entities? USN is all there is." Oliver pointed out with an amused look at his son.
"Well… yes, but..." Roland could not help but feel slightly embarrassed after his father had knocked the wind out of his sails. "I really like Mobile Suits and I want to be a Solar Knight." He added, feeling even more embarrassed with himself. This was supposed to be a serious discussion, but here he was, presenting his arguments like a little child.
Oliver chuckled at Roland's frustrated expression. Sometimes he could not resist poking fun at his son. Roland had the occasional habit of taking things too seriously. He was slightly concerned that Roland's argument sounded like something straight out of a recruitment add, but considering how much Roland loved stories about knights in shining armor, it made sense that he would jump at the chance of living out his fantasies. Sure, it sounded like a childish motivation, but Oliver trusted Roland to keep his head straight. Besides, people enlisted for various reasons.
"Very well. If your mind is firmly set on Solar Knights, then that's settled. Now that I think of it, you'll be the first Mobile Suit pilot of our family." Oliver tried to recall anyone from the large family becoming a Mobile Suit pilot, but other than a distant relative on his brother's side piloting a Mobile Armor, there was nothing. He then turned his attention to the monitor and reached for the keyboard. "Now, I know a couple of people who… this is not what you think!" Oliver spoke up before Roland could protest. "What I will do, is give you a little push to the top of the list of people trying to become Solar Knights. I am giving you an opportunity to prove yourself sooner. Fail or succeed, that will be entirely up to you."
"That… that is fair. Thank you." The idea of riding on the coattails of his family's status was distasteful, but he quickly realized that his father was merely unlocking the door to his future. It was up to Roland to open them and enter. A giddy sensation was rising up inside him and he could hold an excited smile off his face. "I will be a Mobile Suit pilot." He said to himself. "I will be a Solar Knight!"
