"Attention!" the Orb National Guard commander called as the door to Cervantes Zunnichi's private transport jet slowly opened and the automatic stairway descended. The two rows of ceremonially dressed soldiers snapped sharply to attention and saluted. Cervantes looked out the door and managed to hide his grin. "I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome." He mumbled out of the corner of his mouth to one of his bodyguards, one of the elite Hellhounds of EFSOU that operated under Asmodeus's direct command.
"You… or rather the Earth Alliance… is more popular here than you would think, sir." The man replied.
"Really? I guess that makes things easier. Right then, lets not keep them waiting. Holding a salute for dignitaries is not a pleasant task." Cervantes said with a short laugh before heading down the stairs into the early morning sun. He quickly passed through the side honors being rendered to him and entered an official EA ambassadorial limousine. His four man security team piled in behind him, followed by a plethora of aides and other minor administrative drones getting into other cars that formed the EA official convoy.
"Hmmph. I wonder how many of them would be waving so ferociously if they knew about the occupation forces coming in behind me?" Cervantes said once he was inside the secure car, looking out at the crowds of Orb citizens that lined the side walks along the convoy route, shouting and waving hands and hand lettered signs of welcome.
"Many of them would be, sir. According to Captain Sark's most recent intelligence findings, Orb is decidedly pro-Alliance right now. After the war their economy wasn't as strong as it used to be, due largely to loss of their primary resource source, the colony Helipolis. Also, much of their advanced manufacturing capabilities were devastated during the initial invasion and occupation during the war. Their entire military has had to be built up from the ground up again in these few short months. Also, because of the situation with their former leader, Ms. Yula Attha, their political body is wrecked. Orb is weak and the EA is offering them strength, sir. It's no surprise that the EA is so popular."
"A fine analysis. You are a citizen of Orb yourself, aren't you? What do you feel, taking into account the fact that you know about the impending second occupation?" Cervantes asked.
"A former citizen, sir. As for how I feel, I'm glad. Orb has been through some troubled times. The country is too weak to stand by itself. Perhaps if Lord Nara Attha was still alive, Orb could remain independent, but with the current weak leadership the country is doomed unless it can find aid in getting the economy restarted and infrastructure rebuilt. And the best source of that aid is the Earth Alliance. Some people will of course protest to the idea of being an occupied territory, but the influx of wealth and trade will quickly silence them. Also, when the soldiers of the occupation force help in the reconstruction, all doubts about the Earth Forces's intentions will be gone." The bodyguard replied.
"Are all of you Hellhounds so politically versed?" Cervantes asked, a little amazed. The man smiled and his comrades nodded slightly.
"You don't get into the Hellhounds just because you can pull a trigger or pick a lock. Captain Sark requires all of us to pass monthly exams on the current world political state at the national and global levels, economic conditions world wide and current technology in dozens of fields. Of course, we're more than proficient at the arts of killing, but you know that already sir. I'm not even particularly adept at politics by our unit's standards. If you want a real debate or in depth analysis, you'd need to talk to either the Lieutenant or Sergeant-Major Glory."
"I'm glad you're on my side, in any case." Cervantes said with a laugh. The conversation died down after that. Cervantes didn't usually talk with the help, even though this last exchange had been most helpful. The convoy passed by a beach area where crowds of teenagers fresh from school or young adults just out of work were relaxing on the sand or playing in the water. Soon they were in the city itself, passing through an outdoor market before finally reaching the Orb governmental building where the political rally… really just a front for Cervantes's announcement of Orb's annexation… but in any case where the rally was due to start in several hours. Cervantes and his guards hurried out of the car and into the building, going to one of the side rooms off the main meeting hall to put in the last minute fine tuning and planning that Cervantes's speech would need. Cervantes took a short break to put in a call to Asmodeus.
"This is Captain Sark speaking." Asmodeus said, looking up from his computer screens to face the tele-communication system mounted in one of his office walls. "Oh, good morning, sir."
"Good morning to you too, Asmodeus. I trust you've been well since last we spoke?"
"Yes, sir. You received my files on the members of the terrorist group that has been attacking Blue Cosmos?"
"Yes. Some frightening individuals in that group, Asmodeus. Very frightening. Have you had any success in tracking them down?"
"I've managed to connect them all together in Switzerland but from there the trail is mostly blank. The stealth systems on the transport jet they used are EFSOU spec, probably stolen by Major Jones. However, I have had some recent successes. A jet nearly identical to the one they used to flee from Switzerland was recently reported as having been spotted in Hawaii, yesterday in fact. Apparently the jet in question nearly destroyed a tank leading a relief convoy to Pearl Harbor. The report is a bit confused. The tank commander makes it sound like the jet nearly rammed his tank, which seems a little far fetched to me."
"Where did the jet go from Hawaii?" Cervantes asked.
"Tough to know sir. They activated their stealth system again. Given the capabilities of that class of jet, they could be anywhere from Alaska to Carpentaria by now." Asmodeus replied calmly.
"So really you're no closer to getting rid of them than you were after you found out who they were?" Cervantes asked. Asmodeus sighed.
"I'm afraid so, sir. These people are very skilled. Leaders in their fields. They won't be found as easily as previous opponents and they won't go down quietly either." Asmodeus replied.
"You will find them." Cervantes did not make it a question. "And you will then kill them."
"Yes sir. This is nothing but a delay. They will be found and they will be eliminated." Asmodeus replied stiffly.
"What of Frost? Has he returned yet?" Cervantes asked.
"Yes, sir. He's currently under post-combat sedation and restraint. You remember how violent he was after the simulators? Well he's much worse than that after real combat. We lost nearly a platoon of security guards getting him from the hanger to the medical room." Asmodeus replied, rubbing his forehead to clear the ache.
"Un-sedate him." Cervantes ordered.
"What?"
"Un-sedate him and bring him here. You should come as well, piloting the Purifier. Bring the Fury as well. If you are efficient, you should be able to arrive before the occupation forces."
"Um, excuse me for asking sir, but why?" Asmodeus asked.
"The velvet glove and the iron gauntlet." Cervantes replied with a superior smile.
"Sir… I've been up for the past forty two hours straight. I beg a little more clarity, please."
"A little plan I've got going. The last time the people of Orb saw the Freedom… or the Purifier now… it fought valiantly in defense of their country. Imagine what a boost it will be if the Freedom came down like an angel from the blue and sanctioned what I… and the Earth Forces… will be saying? They'll go wild." Cervantes said confidently.
"Two more questions, sir. Why me and what of Frost?"
"I'll answer the second first. If, for some reason Orb rejects the occupation forces and what I have to say, then we'll need to launch an immediate invasion of Orb. And I don't trust that Regent Kisaka person or the current Orb government. Remember how unexpected their damn mobile suits were last time? They undoubtedly have a few new surprises prepped in case of another attack. With Frost and the Fury present, anything new they may have will quickly join the slag heaps." Cervantes replied.
"And why me?" Asmodeus asked, much more pushy than usual.
"I know you are tired and frustrated, Asmodeus, so I'll let that tone go this time. But you should speak more respectfully in the future." Cervantes warned.
"Yes, sir."
"Now, as for why you. For one, you are the pilot of the Purifier. For another, I may be setting YOU up as regent of Orb after it is ours and it is fitting for you to be there when it becomes ours. Finally, and most compelling, I've been getting this feeling."
"A feeling sir?"
"Yes. My intuition has been tripped, by what I don't know yet. I just have a good feeling about you joining me here in Orb. A hunch, you might call it."
Asmodeus considered that. On one hand, he was a very busy man, especially with this research, search and destroy mission Cervantes already had him on. He hardly had the time to go gallivanting off to Orb in the Purifier for a public relations boost. Weighed against that on the other hand was the fact that when Cervantes Zunnichi had a hunch, it was usually worth following up on. It was because of hunches and good feelings like what Cervantes had just described that Cervantes occupied his current position in life. And besides, Cervantes would probably just order him to do it if he refused anyway. "I'll be there as soon as possible, sir. I'll tell the Doc to wake Frost and send him to rendezvous with me outside of Orb waters in ten hours. We should arrive just as the rally is winding down and a good four hours ahead of the occupation fleet."
"That's good, Asmodeus. Who knows, maybe you'll find some clues related to your other mission while you're here. Maybe we can make time to visit former Regent Kisaka. He seems to have a relationship to our terrorists. He might be able to give us a few pointers." Cervantes said with a chuckle. Asmodeus smiled himself.
"That is a good idea sir, though I doubt he'll talk."
"Frost might be able to persuade him. And if not, then its past time that he left the stage. Permanently. There must be no alternative leaders for the Orbites to have."
"As you say, sir. Please excuse me, if I'm to make your deadline, I must leave immediately."
"Of course. I'll be awaiting your entrance eagerly, my friend." Cervantes cut the channel. "Now… to work again." He mumbled, calling his aides and speech writers back into the room. "I have a few things I'd like to work out in the third paragraph of page seven…"
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"Five serving eight!" the burly young man called out, sweat dripping down his bare tanned chest as he tossed the volleyball into the air before smiting it on the way down. The white ball sailed high in a ballistic arc that would bring it down in the far left corner of the other side of the sand pit. Or that was the burly youth's plan anyhow. However, much to his continued disgruntlement the ball was intercepted before it could touch the sand.
"Mine!" Dearka called, using both hands together to bounce the ball back into the air, redirecting it towards the net.
"I've got it!" Miriallia replied, positioning herself under the descending ball and setting it up with both hands in a push-like motion.
"And I'll finish it." Ysak shouted, with a wild grin. He jumped up and seemed to hang in midair next to the ball. Ysak glanced down at the three high school seniors on the other team. The two in front were already tensing up, having been on the receiving end of a spike from Ysak several times now. Ysak swung one arm down and slammed the ball almost straight down. The high schooler nearest the ball tentatively held up his arms to block but didn't even get close. The ball thudded into the sand on the high schoolers side of the net and the boy looked a bit relieved that he hadn't been in the path of the ball. Several of his friends had had to be subbed out to tend to bruised or bloody body parts after intercepting a spike from the thin youth with the massive scar and pale hair. "HAH! Our serve!" Ysak celebrated.
"Moron! What the hell are you so scared of? You're acting like a little girl!" the burly high schooler shouted at his teammate.
"B-but have you seen what his spike does?" the boy protested.
"Oh come on. What happened to your competitive spirit? It's just a little bruise. Man up!"
"Go Ysak!" Chanel cheered.
"Hooray!" Katie echoed from their position just on the sidelines of the beach volleyball pit. It was the morning of the day after they had arrived in Orb. Everyone had been too stressed and tired the day before to do much other than change out of their disguises and collapse into bed. But the next morning… today… that was a whole different story. Everyone had slept in till about eight or nine and then left in small groups to amuse themselves for the day. Alkire and Vladimir had left before the sun rose, off on their intelligence gathering, while Raine, Victor and James went off to do adult things somewhere else.
Dearka, Miriallia, Ysak, Chanel and Katie had decided to sample the beach, this being the first time in a long while that any of them had been able to relax near the ocean. The last time Dearka, Miriallia and Ysak had been near an ocean they'd been nearly constantly fighting and didn't have the time to enjoy themselves and Katie and Chanel had actually never been to a beach before. Kira and Lacus had gone off to tour the city and do some sight seeing alone, while Athrun and Cagalli… now named Aaron and Cindy… had disappeared into the crowds of people walking along the boardwalk next to the beach after walking down from the resort with Dearka and Ysak's group.
Dearka, Ysak, Chanel, Katie and Miriallia had spent some time sunbathing, some time talking, some time swimming in the ocean and were now competing in an impromptu three vs three beach volleyball tournament being run by a nearby high school. They were currently in the semifinals round. Ysak and Dearka were unsurprisingly their best players, though neither had really ever played volleyball before. Miriallia knew the game well, but she wasn't as athletic as Chanel and Katie were, so they rotated in and out of the game whenever one of them got tired or frustrated.
"My serve." Dearka said, taking the ball back to the far right corner of the pit. "Eight serving five." He launched the ball in an underhand serve, still not familiar enough with the game to serve overhand like the high schoolers and Miriallia did. The ball ascribed a tall arc that would end with the ball landing right in the middle of the other team's side.
"I'll show them how it's done! Set me up!" the burly youth ordered. He moved up to the near net position. His teammates bounced the serve back up and then set it right above his head, a nearly perfect set up. Clearly this was a well practiced event. The burly youth leaped up, his arm winding back like a coiled hammer. The restraints had clearly been taken off. Never one to back down before a challenge, Ysak leapt up as well, rising to meet the burly youth, facing each other at ball height across the net. Ysak could feel the other's dislike and watched in the brief flickers of time that always seemed so slow when you were truly having fun as the burly youth measured him for a target. Clearly the youth planned to pay Ysak back with interest for his spikes from before. This ball wasn't going straight to the ground, oh no, this one was going to be bounced off Ysak's head, perhaps smashing his nose in a spray of bright blood that would make the burly youth feel immensely better. Well, that was the high schooler's plan anyway.
Ysak never had been one to go along with the plans of the enemy. Or even his allies for that matter. The burly youth slammed the ball at him; the ball sped almost directly at his face. If it hit, it would certainly be painful. Ysak brought his hands up and smashed the descending ball back across the net, intercepting the spike in mid plunge. The ball cratered into the sand on the high schooler's side of the net, but not before it ricocheted rather painfully from the burly youth's chest, leaving a rapidly forming welt of epic proportions. "Our point." Ysak gloated. For a moment the burly youth looked like he wanted to come under the net to settle a personal problem with Ysak in a more personal manner, but the youth studied Ysak's massive facial scar once again and decided against it. Anybody with a scar like that probably wouldn't be someone he wanted to mess with.
The game was quickly finished up after that, Ysak's team winning fifteen to five. They moved on to the finals, but that wasn't scheduled to take place for another hour or so, to give both teams time to recuperate. Dearka suggested going inside to get some lunch, because the tropical sun was quite fierce that day. Ysak wasted no time in agreeing. Unlike his friend, he had very pale skin and he was pretty sure that he was already badly sunburned, even if the physical evidence had yet to manifest. He cursed the vagaries of sun block and ocean water under his breath as everyone headed across the boardwalk to one of the many restaurants and snack bars positioned along it.
"You're so talented, Ysak." Chanel cooed after they had sat down and ordered tall glasses of iced juice.
"Of course I am. I'm good at everything I do." Ysak replied instantly. Dearka muffled a laugh, which drew him a glare from Ysak. "What?"
"Yeah… you're just the best at everything, aren't you?" Dearka said, bringing his chuckling under control.
"What are you going to bring up this time?" Ysak asked nastily. Whenever Dearka saw fit to contradict him, it was usually because he was about to bring up some little factoid about Ysak's past that Ysak had forgotten about. Ysak tended to forget the embarrassing things that happened to him, usually because whenever he remembered them he got angry and moody.
"Oh… not much. Just that little escapade back in basic training…" Dearka began pleasantly. Ysak tensed. If it occurred during basic training then it wasn't going to be fun.
"Go on!" Katie pushed.
"Don't encourage him!" Ysak protested. "Which one?" he asked Dearka.
"The military bearing incident." Dearka replied. Ysak struggled to remember what that one was about. "Where you managed to talk yourself into standing an eight hour watch at attention during a scheduled rain." Dearka prompted.
"Oh… that's right… that's when I learned that making bets with you was a foolish thing to do." Ysak replied. "That's not nearly as bad as I was fearing."
"What's this?" Chanel asked.
"Ysak's most unique talent is the ability to almost instantly spoil the mood of any person he spends more than five minutes in the company of, as I'm sure you've noticed." Dearka began.
"Not really." Katie said.
"Not in my experience." Chanel added. Dearka shrugged that off.
"Whatever. Continuing on though, I made a bet with Ysak. I bet that he couldn't spend twenty minutes alone with one of our female fellow cadets without causing her to burst into tears. The penalty for the loser of the bet was having to stand the aforementioned eight hour watch at attention during the planned rain."
"And how did that go?" Miriallia asked.
"I won after eight minutes and seventeen seconds. She fled crying to her bunk room and wouldn't come out for the rest of the day. Every time she saw Ysak after that she always got pissed off and up tight." Dearka replied. "I was worried for a while after the five minute mark had passed."
"What did you do to her?" Katie asked Ysak. He glowered at everyone at the table.
"I didn't do anything to her. I merely pointed out some discrepancies with her appearance as related to military standards and gave her a few recommendations on how I thought she could fix herself to be more in line with what was expected of a soldier." Ysak protested.
"You pointed out discrepancies?" Miriallia asked.
"Sounded a little more like a large helping of criticism and a side of uncomplimentary opinions to me." Dearka said. Ysak shrugged.
"I'm sorry, but if you're going to be that sensitive about your appearance, you shouldn't be in the military, where your appearance has to fit within certain regulations." Ysak replied.
"Oh, come on, Ysak. Criticizing her over her uniform I could see, it was out of regulation. But those comments about her hair and her weight were totally out of line." Dearka retorted.
"You criticized her hair…" Katie began.
"…and her weight?" Chanel finished.
"I may have let something slip about her needing to lose a little weight." Ysak hedged. "And that she needed to choose a more appropriate hairstyle."
"Tell me no more." Miriallia said. "That poor girl. No wonder she was in tears. You're such an insensitive brute. You never make uncomplimentary comments about a girl's hair or weight. Not if you ever want female companionship."
"To quote your exact words, you told her "… and you could also stand to lose about thirty pounds. Or have you hidden a bunch of sausages under your shirt? And do you call that a haircut? You look like you stuck your head into a fan and turned it on high, and then smeared the remains with butter…", so I can also see why she was in tears." Dearka said gleefully. Katie giggled and a moment later so did Chanel.
"That is a funny image." Chanel whispered to her sister.
"Isn't it? I can hardly imagine a fat Coordinator with greasy hair." Katie replied.
"Coordinators don't have any special immunity against getting fat if you eat too much." Dearka hastened to point out.
"What about greasy hair?" Miriallia asked.
"Well… it wasn't really greasy. Just excessively gelled with styling products. She was really trying to look nice… she just over did it a tad." Dearka replied.
"You set me up for failure." Ysak said, intensifying his glare.
"Are you saying you truly believe that if it had been someone else you could have lasted the full twenty minutes? Back then I was the only person who could stand to be around you more than absolutely necessary." Dearka countered. Ysak considered that.
"Fine. Your point. Are you done yet? There are sure to be other things we could be doing while we wait for the next game, more productive things."
"Like what? I don't mean to rain on your parade, but normally teenagers at the beach don't have much to do besides just hang out." Dearka replied.
"Well, you can stay here and hang out then. Me, I'm going for a walk." Ysak informed everyone.
"Where?" Katie asked.
"Anywhere. No where. For a walk." Ysak answered. He stood up and paused. "Coming?" he asked Chanel and Katie.
"After we finish our drinks." Chanel said.
"You go on ahead. We'll catch up with you in about ten minutes." Katie added.
Ysak stared at them. "But not even I know where I'm going. How are you going to know where I am to meet up with me?"
"Follow the sounds of combat." Dearka commented to Miriallia.
"Look for weeping girls with greasy hair." Mir commented back. Ysak ignored them.
"You're forgetting about big sister Raine and Uncle Alkire. They showed us how to find people in crowds like this, even if you had no idea where they were. In case we ever got separated from them." Katie said more seriously.
"Though their methods are much harder than the one Katie and I use." Chanel put in before clamping a hand to her mouth quickly.
"Huh? What's that?" Ysak asked.
"Nothing." Both girls chorused. Ysak looked at them strangely but shook his head slightly.
"Whatever. I guess I'll see you in about ten minutes then." He walked out of the boardwalk drink stand and quickly vanished from view.
"So what's this special method you have for locating people that works better than the no doubt field tested and proven methods of elite commandos?" Dearka asked the moment he was sure Ysak was out of earshot. Katie glared at her sister, who seemed to shrink into herself.
"Nothing. A slip of the tongue. What Chanel meant to say was that we merely found a few ways to refine the methods we were taught." Katie said earnestly.
"Yes, that's right." Chanel confirmed in a small voice.
"What methods are those?" Dearka persisted. Katie switched her glare to him and for a very brief moment Dearka felt a strange sensation of profound unease wash through him.
"You wouldn't understand. If you want to know then ask Alkire. He'll be able to explain it to you." Katie informed him.
"Maybe I will." Dearka blustered, his sense of unease growing deeper and then suddenly vanishing as if it had never been.
"Now, now, Katie you know Uncle Alkire will never tell trade secrets to other people unless he has to. And before you ask, Dearka, he wouldn't want us telling you either. Sorry, but you've seen what he's like about secrecy. Suffice it to say that we won't have any trouble locating Ysak when we want to." Chanel cut in.
"What, you're psychic or something?" Dearka quipped. The unease returned at double intensity. Nobody said anything for a very long moment.
"No. We're not psychic. Psychic people don't exist, it's just a scam used to get money from the naïve." Chanel said at length.
"Let's go look for Ysak now. I'm done with my drink." Katie added. The twin sisters got up almost in unison, tossed money for the drinks on the table and then left. To Dearka it seemed that they almost made a conscious effort not to appear rushed.
"That was really odd." Miriallia commented when the twins had left the building.
"No kidding. They've both got at least a fourth of their drinks remaining. And that was nowhere near ten minutes." Dearka replied. He sipped his own after he spoke, the unease fading slowly away. "But then again, they're pretty weird all the time, you know. Speaking in turn, finishing each others sentences and all that."
"I've heard that sort of thing can happen with twins. They know each other so well they can tell what each other are thinking." Miriallia said.
"I've heard that too. But Chanel and Katie… well, I don't quite know how to say it… but they seem like they're hiding something, you know?"
"Yeah, I kinda got that feeling too. I've no idea what though. I really don't know too much about them. I mean, we're friends and have been ever since school in Switzerland and I know a little about them as people, but everything past about two years ago is just non-existent with them in regards to what I know."
"That was a very confused sentence."
"Probably because I'm pretty confused about them. They're nice, and sweet and very girlish and innocent at times. Yet they're also deadly soldiers who didn't hesitate an instant back in the forest where they killed all those Blue Cosmos terrorists. I suppose they're a little like you in a way, but really exaggerated." Mir said.
"Like me? Huh? How so?" Dearka asked, stumped.
"A nice guy who's also a soldier. Someone who can be very sweet, gentle and loving one day and a cold hearted soldier that mercilessly kills his foes on the battlefield the next."
"Cold hearted?" Dearka protested.
"It's not a flaw, love. I'd much prefer a cold hearted man who comes back than a reckless berserker that gets killed the moment he enters the battlefield."
"I guess I see your point. They're like a lot of people with gentle natures who fight in wars. They have multiple sides to them. The 'at peace' side and the 'at war' side at the very least. Though I'd say they're more like Kira used to be, back during the flight from Heliopolis. A nice guy who didn't want to fight most of the time, but an absolute monster on the field of combat when he had no other choice. Me, I'm not quite so bipolar, or so I like to think." Dearka said.
"Yes. But you're also right. They're both hiding something and its something pretty big, not just their secretly ferocious natures. I wonder if Ysak knows what it is."
"Even if he does, he'd never tell us."
"Yeah." Miriallia laughed shortly.
"What?"
"Just thinking. If you and Kira are the soft hearted kind off the battlefield and the monsters on it, then what is Ysak? A double monster? Or is he secretly a nice guy when he's fighting?"
"More the former. Much more. Nice is not a soberquiet I'd apply to Ysak lightly, and never on the field of battle." Dearka replied firmly. Mirillia sighed.
"What?"
"I'm turning into you now. Gossiping about all of my friends when they're not around. Next I'll be playing practical jokes on Lacus."
"You don't need to sound depressed about it!" Dearka cried. "Though if you're going to play a practical joke it'd be better to do it to Cagalli. Lacus is much too easy of a target. And her boyfriend… well let's just say I'd really, really prefer not to have to explain to Kira why I made Lacus cry, if you catch my meaning."
"Yeah. That's a little bit of an understatement. Mountains will quake, seas will part and nations will crumble if that happens."
"We should stop talking about this or I'm going to scare myself out of my volleyball skills."
"What skills? You get by on talent alone."
"Oh, that's it. Come on then, Ms. Doubtful. I'll show you some skills." Dearka said, putting money on the table to pay for the drinks. He took Miriallia's hand and pulled her after him, heading back for the volleyball pits.