Episode 13: In the Ascendant
The year is After Colony 205. Following the breakdown of the peace negotiations, President Relena Darlian authorizes the Preventer Corps to use force in the defense of Earth and its colonies. On Mars, groups of loyal Preventers are making guerrilla attacks on military facilities and are one by one being destroyed by the Aresian Military Service. The Preventer Corps begins to increase the frequency and power of its patrols and correspondingly swells the ranks of its pilot division.
"Well, we're coming up on Mars. I wonder what's been goin' on while we were away," Odin said as the spacecraft he, his elder brother Odel, his fiancée Lucille, and their friend Dick Hidaski were on entered Martian space.
"Attention, Mars. This is the Preventer Experimental Interstellar Engine Vehicle. Come in, Lieutenant Commander Peacecraft," Lucille broadcast.
"Personally, I wonder if Mikol Esroni is still preaching secession," Odel replied.
"Come in, Preventer Experimental Interstellar Engine Vehicle. Lieutenant Commander Peacecraft is unavailable. This is Mars Aerospace Traffic Control. Would you like to land?"
"Yes, thank you," Lucille said.
"I'm transmitting landing field co-ordinates to you now. Welcome back."
When they disembarked, they were met by a platoon of armed guards in strange uniforms and a truck.
"Get into the truck. You'll be meeting with the Governor later so that he can explain the current situation," said the leader of the soldiers.
"What, Governor Peacecraft wants to see us personally?"
The trooper laughed. "Milliardo Peacecraft is no longer in power here on Mars," he said. "Mikol Esroni is in charge now. Get in the truck, and welcome to the Free Planet of Mars."
Lucille, Odin, Odel, and Dick were handcuffed and pushed into the back of the truck. They were joined by most of the platoon a moment later, and the truck started up, and drove off down the road.
"So, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, since we have dealt with all other issues currently up for debate, let us decide whether or not to declare war. Does anyone wish to speak before voting?" Relena addressed the Senate. I'm sure that Henry Preston, at least, will want to say something, she thought. But to her surprise, no one stepped forward. "In that case, cast your votes for, against, or abstain now, please," she said.
The vote was near unanimous. Relena looked at Heero, whose expression was inscrutable. She turned back to the Senate.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, the Earth Sphere Unified Nation is now officially at war with the Free Planet of Mars. This concludes our meeting for today," she said into the gargantuan chamber and was greeted by silence before people began filing out.
Relena sat back in her chair next to Heero. "I expected this to happen," she said, "but now that it has, I find that I was still emotionally unprepared for it."
"I know what you mean," Heero said. Relena looked at him in surprise. He continued, "You might want to contact Lady Une. You wouldn't want to Preventer from acting as quickly as possible." He said this with a completely straight face.
Relena blinked. Did Heero- Heero, of all people- just make a joke? she wondered, and confirmed it when Heero smiled slightly. With his dark glasses, it had the effect of making him look a little more menacing and more than a little psychotic.
"Heero," she inquired, "are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine, Relena. I was just trying to cheer you up," Heero said, his facial expression returning to normal, that is, expressionless. "Pagan is waiting with your limo around the back, so you can avoid the reporters."
Lucille, Odin, Odel, and Dick were escorted into an office. Behind the desk was a man in wheelchair, with glasses reading a paper of some sort.
"Governor, these are the Preventers who arrived," the leader of the troopers said. The man looked up.
"Ah," he said, putting down the document. "I am Mikol Esroni, Governor of the Free Planet of Mars. The reason I took over from Milliardo Peacecraft and seceded was my belief that the Black Death was reorganizing, and the World Nation had ignored the threat that was growing under their noses. I, like you and many others who live on Mars, came from MO-V before it was destroyed, and the memory of that incident instilled into my soul a desire never to see an atrocity like that happen again. But the Preventers refused to listen to me, so I began preaching secession, and the movement grew, culminating in the coup that brought me into power here and the war Mars and Earth are currently engaged in.
"I remember you, Odin and Odel, from when MO-V was under attack by OZ Prize. You are excellent pilots, and we could sorely use you. As for you, Dick Hidaski and Lucille Aisley, you are valuable in your capacities as engineer and administrator. I would prefer not to have you locked up until the end of the war, but if you don't agree to aid our cause, I'm afraid that I will have to," Esroni finished and looked at the soldier in charge. "Take them to a cell. Let them discuss my offer for the rest of today, then bring them back here tomorrow morning."
"Come on," the soldier said roughly, nudging them out the door.
Relena sighed as she got into her limousine, which was now, at Heero's insistence, black.
"How are things going, Miss Relena?" Pagan asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's going pretty well, thank you, Pagan," Relena smiled as Heero got in next to her, closed the door, and took off his sunglasses. Pagan's the only one who still calls me that, she thought, and somehow, it's very comforting and reassuring. Much more so than all of Heero's modifications to my limo. She smiled again as the memory came to the surface of her mind. Gundanium plating on the body, bulletproof glass... probably rocket-proof, too, if I know Heero... and I bet he wasn't kidding when he said that the smallest weapon that could possibly damage the car itself was an antitank rocket. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if we could survive in outer space in here... Actually, even though those things don't make me feel comfortable, it is comforting to know that Heero cares about me this much. In the space between them, her hand closed over Heero's.
"... Relena..." Heero's voice was soft, gentle and hesitant.
"Yes, Heero?" She looked into his face, and in his eyes, just for a moment, she saw a hint of conflicting emotional impulses before his expressionless mask dropped back into place.
"I'd prefer it if you'd let go of my gun hand, Relena," he said. "I realize that many people feel more secure when in physical contact with those they are emotionally close to, but I would much rather be able to provide you with actual security than with a psychological semblance of it."
"Heero, you're absolutely incorrigible," Relena teased lightly, releasing his hand. "And here I was, thinking we were unassailable in this mobile fortress masquerading as my limousine."
"Mmm," Heero acknowledged. Damnit, Heero, what happened to 'follow your emotions?'
They were thrown into a dimly lit cell. The door hissed shut behind them.
"What're we gonna do?" Odin broke the silence after a while.
"I don't know about you, Odin, but I'm joining Esroni," Odel said.
"Why?"
"Ever since the Black Death blew up MO-V, taking Tricia and Mark with it," Odel's voice caught in his throat and his eyes filled with tears, "I've wanted nothing more than to be able to pay them back for that. This is my chance to do so."
"Odel...," Lucille said, but trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.
"What, Odin? What, Lucille? They blew up my wife and my infant son! I'll avenge them if it's the last thing I do!" Odel was very fierce now, and if his eyes still held tears of grief and pain, they were mingled now with tears of anger and hatred. "I'll avenge them," he repeated quietly, his voice full of conviction, "if it's the last thing I do. I swear to God I will."
"What about you, Dick? Are you going to defect, too?" Odin asked.
"I honestly don't know yet, Odin. The Earth will probably win out in the end, but Mars seems to have a worthy cause. What're you two gonna do?" Dick deflected attention from himself.
Odin and Lucille looked at each other. "We're going to uphold the oaths we swore to the Earth Sphere Unified Nation," Odin said for both of them.
"Do you have a problem with that, Odel?" Lucille asked.
"You're doing what you think is right," Odel said. "No, I don't have any problems."
"What is it, Ms. President?" Lady Une answered the phone.
"Please, Lady Une, call me Relena. The Senate has declared war. You may begin mass-producing the Taurus II."
"Thank you, Relena." Lady Une put the phone down, picked it up, and dialed in a number.
"Hello? Yes, Lady Une here. The President just informed me that the Senate has declared war and we can start mass-production of the Taurus II."
Odin lay awake that night. I wish there was a chance that Odel is just planning to work against Mars from within, just like he did with OZ Prize as Silver Crown. He sighed. But I know there isn't. Odel is bent on avenging Tricia's and Mark's death... just like I would be if Lucille had been blown up. He sighed.
"Still awake, Odin?"
"Yeah, Lucille. I was just thinking about how painful it must have been, must be for Odel to have concealed himself in OZ like he did, to do all of that to protect Tricia. I mean, he did it to protect all of us, but Tricia especially. And then to join the Preventers to continue to protect her and their son, only to fail seven years later... I really feel sorry for him."
"... Yeah," Lucille agreed.
"And he's become so intensely focused on avenging them that he doesn't care if he dies, as long he can take some Black Death goons with him. Ironic, really. His hatred for them has warped him into something similar. Ironic and sad."
"That's unusually perceptive of you, Odin. Almost philosophical."
"Well, I've been thinking about it all night," Odin said. "Why are you awake, Lucille?"
"Same reason," she answered. "Thinking." She put her arms around Odin from behind and rested her head on his shoulder. "Goodnight."
"G'night, Lucille," Odin replied.
"Today, the Senate unanimously declared war on Mars, and the Preventer Corps has begun mass-producing their Taurus II mobile suits, which possess a considerable edge in combat over the Medusas which are the mainstay of the Martian fleet. This recording was made by Captain Roche Nattono, commander of Knights of the Realm Squadron, the premier Taurus II unit, as he and his squadron engaged two full squadrons of Medusas yesterday afternoon." The television showed the gray-and white Taurus IIs heavily engaged with the dome-headed Medusas.
Catherine and Trowa watched the battle silently.
"In other news, -" Cathy turned off the TV and turned to Trowa.
"I'll be careful, Cathy," Trowa said. "I don't think I'll be in danger anytime within the next couple of days," he smiled just a bit.
"I'm getting a bit predictable, aren't I?" Catherine smiled tearily back.
"Just a bit," Trowa answered.
"Hey, we're on TV!" someone said in KotR Squadron's ready room. Mariemaia turned to look from where she was playing chess against Zhacque and saw that, indeed, they were on TV. She went back to the chess game, which was more interesting. She became aware of another person behind her.
"What's up, Mike?" Zhacque asked absently as he made his move.
Mike! Mariemaia thought angrily. That slimy bastard! "Yeah, Mike. Whaddya want?" she tried to clear a space for strategic thought in her mind. Tried, and failed.
"Nothin'. How are you two doing?" Mike pulled a chair over and sat down.
"Nothing much," Zhacque answered, waiting for Mariemaia.
Mariemaia finally settled on a move and made it.
Zhacque looked at Mariemaia's move. It gave him a distinct advantage. "Um, Mariemaia, you might want to reconsider that move," he said.
"Oh crap. Thanks Zhacque. I owe you one," she smiled and moved a different piece.
"Neither of you has answered my question," Mike interrupted.
"We're fine. Now go away, we're trying to concentrate."
"Fine, be that way," Mike left.
Zhacque watched Mike's retreating back. "Do you think he just suspects us of being lovers, or do you think he actually knows?" he whispered.
"I dunno," Mariemaia replied. "But given the people's minds usually work, I'd say the former. It'd be hard to come up with something like reality unless you actually knew it."
"Sure, I guess," Zhacque said, looking over the top of Mariemaia's head at the back of Mike's.
"Besides, don't you find it encouraging that someone's mistaken us for a couple?" Mariemaia teased.
No, Zhacque thought, it makes me even more depressed, because... Zhacque was never able to finish his thought, because Mariemaia made a move.
"Checkmate."
"Really?" Zhacque looked at the board in disbelief. It was indeed checkmate. "Play again?"
"Sure," Mariemaia said. "I might as well enjoy the experience of beating you while I can."
"Oh, you make it sound so very easy!" Zhacque retorted as they set the pieces back up.
"Hey, get up," one of the soldiers nudged Odin with a booted foot.
Odin opened his eyes. "Hm?" Lucille's arms were still around him. "Hey, Lucille, wake up," he said. "They want us to go give Esroni our answer." He disengaged from Lucille's embrace, sat up, and shook her shoulder.
"Huh? Wha-? Oh. Yeah," Lucille shot up to a sitting position.
"Come on," the soldier said. Odin and Lucille stood up. and joined Dick and Odel, who were already standing.
"Move it," one soldier said, pushing them out of the cell.
"Today is a very sad day. For the first time in our brief history as a single nation since After Colony 195, we of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, also known as the World Nation, find ourselves officially at war.
"The root of the current conflict goes back to four years ago, in After Colony 202, when a terrorist organization called the Black Death, a cult of twisted logic bent on destroying humanity, detonated the fusion generators of the outermost colony MO-V. The few survivors fled to Mars, carrying with them immense grief for their dead families and a desire to never again see such pointless death and destruction. One year later, the Preventer Corps finally managed to infiltrate the Black Death and destroyed them.
"Now," Relena said, standing behind the lectern, "Mikol Esroni, himself a survivor of the MO-V Massacre, has taken over Mars and seceded from the World Nation, claiming that he has tried and tried to get us to realize that the Black Death have reorganized and sees no other way with which to gain our attention than by declaring war against us.
"If Mikol Esroni truly desires the complete destruction of the Black Death, he would not have done this, for as the Preventers gear up for war, they devote less of their attention to investigating terrorists. If he truly desired incidents like the MO-V Massacre to never occur again, he would not have begun a war which provides a perfect cover for the acts which the Black Death are likely to perpetrate.
"Now, citizens of the World Nation, I ask you to support the war we presently find ourselves fighting in, in order to hasten the day when we are once again at peace, and without fear of attacks from such despicable terrorists and secessionists. Thank you for your time."
William Preston turned off the television and smiled to himself. "Well done, Ms. President. Unwittingly, you just provided us with an opportunity to infiltrate your precious Preventers under the cover of an upsurge in enlistment."
"That was an excellent speech, Miss Relena," Dorothy Catalonia murmured, "and I'm sure the people of the World Nation will agree with you. It's nice to see you face the reality that conflict is sometimes necessary."
"Let me get this straight. The Taurus IIs beat two whole squadrons of Medusas without taking a single casualty?" The chief engineer asked incredulously.
"That's right, Sir," the Senior Chief Petty Officer cowered.
"Your CO is right. We do need a new multi-purpose design, in addition to the two specialized designs were refining right now. Hmmm... Nothing wrong with the Medusa's basic frame, though. If we fiddled around with the armament and engine designs a bit..." The engineer became lost in the world of levers, gears, circuitry, and fusion generators. "Run along, Senior Chief. Tell your CO we're on it."
The SCPO fled, glad to get away. I need a drink, he thought.
"Sir, the prisoners."
Mikol Esroni looked up. "Thank you," he said. "Bring them in."
Odel, Dick, Odin, and Lucille filed into the room.
"So. Have you made your decisions?" Esroni asked.
The door closed behind them.
Continued in Episode 14: Warriors Reborn