Hotel Charlie
Federation Lines:
Mogadishu, Africa, Earth
April 0079UC:
"What were your losses?" the newly minted Major Park asked.
Park leaned over the table. The table was covered in charts, maps, and blueprints of the streets and buildings of Mogadishu. Takagi was with her in the Type 74 Hover Truck. The hover truck was stopped two blocks from the radio station.
"Of the eighty eight members of Fox Company," Takagi spoke. "Eighteen are dead and forty-six wounded. Of the eight members of Noble Company, including myself, two are dead and one wounded, mortally."
"It was a tough spot," Park replied. "But you held the line. And because of it, we still have the radio station."
The air inside the armored vehicle was hot and stale. The dust kicked up from the road filtered in through the view slits in the armored plating, as other vehicles passed. The haze was visible through the narrow beams of penetrating sunlight.
"I'm reorganizing the Regiment," Park spoke. "I want you to take temporary command of my second battalion. I'm combining what is left of Fox and Noble, with Golf Company. Leighton will take command of that unit, for the time being. I've relieved Captain Durand of Golf Company for his abandonment of the radio station."
Takagi nodded in acknowledgement. He understood it was a temporary posting, until replacement men and officers could be sent. It was a fantastic opportunity for Takagi, only a recent Academy graduate. The excitement, he kept to himself.
"Thank you ma'am," Takagi politely responded.
"It won't be an easy assignment," said Park. "But you have clearly proved yourself capable by holding the radio station. Since we were able to hold onto to the radio station, the intel boys have discovered something of interest."
Park opened the satchel she had slung under her shoulder and removed a folded paper. She unfolded the paper and the size grew to that of a large map. It was a map of the old Mogadishu Stadium. This was the impact site of the Zeon resupply capsule that had crash landed the day before. It was only a few hundred meters from the Federation occupied zone. The major laid the map on the table; covering up the others.
"You told me the other day you thought it would be advantageous to hit the Zeon," Park began. "This is where I think you should hit them."
Takagi examined the map. In actuality, the map was a large printed aerial photograph taken by an unmanned reconnaissance drone of the crashed capsule and the surrounding area. A cartographer made the effort to label the streets and buildings. In his head, Takagi began to formulate tactical approaches to the capsule; ways that provided the best cover and the best line of retreat, should the need arise.
"Turns out, the Zeon fucked this one up," Park said, though cursing was uncustomary. "The capsule undershot its intended landing zone by a good twenty, thirty kilometers. Someone there must not have gotten the entry math precise enough. Long story short, it was off course and slammed down right in the middle of town."
"These are the type which transports Zakus?" Takagi asked.
"Correct. We know they're supply has been drained. There could be maybe three or four on board. And we've caught another break."
"How so?"
"When the capsule impacted, it was at an angle. It landed on the side with the ramp, meaning the Zeon cannot get it open."
"Are you serious?"
It was a stunning revelation. The enemy's resupply hampered by the fact that they could not get the door to their own capsule opened. The capsule's pilot had been given inaccurate entry coordinates. As a result, he undershot the intended landing site to the north of Mogadishu and landed in the city itself. The descent angle was too steep and the pilot had to fire the retro rockets at full power to prevent from disintegrating upon landing. While the capsule landed mostly intact, it was at an angle with the capsule's door facing toward the ground. Personnel could escape through a small crew hatch, but the ramp for the heavy equipment could not be opened.
"We've picked up additional chatter," Park continued. "Zeon engineers are bringing heavy cranes to try and upright the capsule. Our UAVs have confirmed movement of engineering equipment to the front. So, command wants us to deprive the enemy of their resupply."
"…And what would that entail," Takagi asked with enthusiasm.
"You volunteered the idea. The entire Division will be massed to attack the Zeon capsule. I want you leading the charge, so to speak. Your Battalion will be tasked with capturing and subsequently destroying the capsule."
"I am honored Major, but this seems like the Air Force's jurisdiction."
"Negative. The Zeon have moved up significant numbers of anti-air assets into the area. They aren't making it easy for us to drop a bomb on it."
An idea struck Takagi. This could perhaps be an opportunity to change the fortune of the beleaguered 5th Army.
"Suppose we capture and hold the capsule," Takagi spoke. "We help ourselves to the Zaku units onboard. We pilot them out of there and then redeploy them as our own!"
"It is a bold plan, but…" Park responded with a long pause. "The mobile suits are extremely complex machines. Do you know someone who could pilot one?"
It took Takagi a moment to think. He did not like the answer to the question. Leighton was that answer. Lieutenant Leighton was ruthless, savage, and unpredictable. He was an engineer by trade and had spent an extensive amount of time studying the systems of a downed Zaku on his own initiative. All things considered, he was the best choice, though not one Takagi would like to make.
"Lieutenant Leighton, I believe, knows how to pilot one," Takagi's words sounded hesitant.
"Leighton…" Park said, with spite in her voice. "The man is a monster. I have severe reservations about trusting him with the command of the combined companies and you want to trust him with a Zaku? He was the reason why you were brought in."
"I don't like it either. If we want to win this war, we need mobile suits. Leighton understands more than anyone else in the 5th Army."
A moment of silence passed between the Major and the Captain. It was as quiet as one could get in the middle of a warzone. Park contemplated heavily on the idea. It was true what Takagi said. If the Federation wanted a fighting chance, it needed mobile suits. It was also true that Leighton's extracurricular study of the downed Zaku provided him wealth of knowledge on their workings. It was to the point that he could possibly pilot one. Park had also heard the rumors. Word had spread that Leighton had executed a group of Zeon prisoners. Though, no physical evidence linked him directly to the atrocity, the court of public opinion had passed its verdict. After tense moments of contemplation, Park made her decision.
"If you can secure a Zaku, do it," said Park. "If Leighton can somehow get it working and can get it to walk, I'll tell command to give him a clear avenue to the airport. I will not allow the attack, however, to be held up while he tinkers with one of those things. He needs to get in and haul ass, or else he's going up in smoke with the rest of the capsule."
Takagi felt uneasy. It was a feeling equivalent to one who has made a deal with the devil. Park stared straight into the eyes of Takagi. It was a look of dire warning.
"You keep an eye on him, Takagi," Park spoke somberly. "He may hate the Zeon for what they've done to him, but at the end of the day, he is still one of them."
000
HoratioLeighton pressed a hand to the concrete wall in order to support himself and remain upright. He started to cough several times and then he was able to throw up. His head spun after he had lifted it way from the fumes of his vomit. It was only the early afternoon and he was already drunk. Several moments had transpired before the Lieutenant had to lean forward and vomit for a second time.
"Zeon fucks!" Leighton screamed, as he tiled his head back.
The rage boiled inside of Leighton, as he fought to maintain his balance. Today he was angry and spoiling for a fight. There was an abandoned café nearby with its façade removed by a bomb. Leighton stumbled inside and found a seat in a torn up vinyl booth. He removed his helmet and looked inside. In the helmet's interior, among the straps, Leighton secured his photograph of the wife and son he had lost. The sight of his family, and affect of the alcohol, sent him deeper into an unstable condition. It had been an hour since he had finished the last of his whiskey. The thought of sobriety was unwelcoming.
All of a sudden, his ears were ringing. Leighton felt himself tossed through the air; colliding with the musty pastry display at the counter. He shattered the glass of the display with his landing. It took a few moments to orient to the situation. Even drunk, there was no mistaking the aerial rumble.
The Zeon Dopp fighter's engine was unmistakable. It had the sound of a high pitched mechanical screech, as it raced across the sky. The Dopp's engine was designed by spacefarers for a space environment. The deployment to an atmospheric combat theatre showcased the design drawbacks of the Dopp.
There was a large crater in the street in front of the café. Bits of debris burned while a Dopp raced overhead. A second Dopp fired its rockets at the building opposite the café. The rockets hit their mark and a section of the building's façade was obliterated.
Leighton stumbled to his feet. This was an inopportune moment to be as drunk as he was now. There were bits of glass imbedded in his left arm from the landing. The alcohol had numbed the pain significantly. Leighton turned and began to pluck the larger shards of glass one by one.
The two Dopps circled around and began a second attack run. The sound of the fighters and their attack had sent the Federation soldiers scrambling for cover. A column of Federation jeeps and light trucks had just turned onto the street, as the attack began. The twin Dopps opened fire with their Vulcan cannons; strafing the convoy. The rounds fired from the Dopps tore through the vehicles. The jeeps were shredded to bits and the personnel into smaller fragments. The trucks were torn to pieces. The column had been decimated.
The drunken Leighton stumbled to his feet. He leaned forward, unbalanced, and grasped his helmet. With one last look at the image inside, he placed it on his head. The deafening screech was overhead. Leighton rushed out onto the street and saw the fighters pass him. He pulled his sidearm from its belt holster and began to fire. Not thinking it through, Leighton emptied the pistol's magazine futilely at the jets.
It was not long before the Dopps had turned back toward Zeon lines. The Zeon were becoming bolder. Their army, besieging Mogadishu, was stretched thin, short on supplies, and desperate. They had to force an outcome before more of their men and materials were diverted to other fronts. The ferocious assault on the radio station the previous day and the air raids demonstrated the Zeon's almost reckless strategy.
The vehicles of the Federation convoy burned or lay ruined. Leighton saw the Federal soldiers crawl out from some of the vehicles. Many were severely wounded, a few of their number missing limbs. They screamed in agony from their wounds. Others pleaded for their mothers and loved ones to comfort their suffering. Leighton felt oddly detached from their misery. He experienced hatred toward the Zeon over empathy for his comrades. The war had claimed another.
000
Zeon engineers worked at a feverous pace. They had rushed heavy lifting equipment and cranes to the front. Most of the equipment was pressed into service; captured from civilian construction companies. Throughout the night, they worked to secure cables and lines around the capsule. The progress was hampered by the crash site. The capsule had landed on and subsequently crushed the southern section of the city stadium. It was imbedded in the earth at an angle that covered the main cargo door. The ideal location to park the cranes, for them to attach their cables, was blocked by the remaining section of the stadium and the scattered debris. On top of that, Federation ground forces harassed the work with small arms and artillery fire.
Despite the effort of the engineers, the work was taking a lot longer than anticipated. The Zeon commander was in an inopportune spot. In order to reinforce the capsule crash site from Federation attack, Zeon soldiers would have to be taken from another section of the Mogadishu front line. This would leave that section vulnerable to a Federation counterattack. The Zeon commander simply did not have the adequate reserves to properly secure the site and hold the line. He gambled on the fact that the Federation 5th Army was too weak and demoralized to act.
From their lines, Federation soldiers gawked at the massive capsule. They stood on rooftops and peered from bombed out windows, as large cranes and excavation equipment converged on the site. "Hotel Charlie" was the name given. It was a short note jotted down by a forward observer and passed along in a report to Federation command. The Federation soldiers all knew what was next. The capsule was too close to their lines to be ignored. An attack would be ordered. The soldiers hoped it would not be their unit called upon to participate.
000
Takagi was jolted awake. Corporal Bukowski knelt beside him and shook the Captain's arm.
"Sir," Bukowski spoke. "It's time."
The Corporal looked nervous in the red lamp glow of the hover truck's interior. The coming attack had everyone on edge. This was a risky operation for the Federation. If the Zeon held the capsule, the Zakus and supplies inside could tip the battle into their favor. This was the make or break moment for the 5th Army.
Takagi had been going over everything. He had barely had any sleep since the fight for the radio station. It had only been an hour or two, but it would have to suffice. The commanders of the Battalion's four Companies assembled at the rear ramp to the hover truck. In addition, there was the commander of the Tank Battalion that would support the advance. Leighton was among their number; barely sobered up. Takagi motioned for them to enter. The rear section of the Type 74 Hover Truck was covered with a tarp and used to store supplies and provisions. This particular truck had its rear section converted to a command post. It was outfitted with makeshift map tables and communications equipment, so it could act as a command and control center.
"Our objective is Hotel Charlie," Takagi said, as he pointed to the map. "That is the codename for the crashed Zeon capsule. Our Regiment, along with the 4th Armored, will be the vanguard for the assault. Command is throwing the entire Division into this one."
"This is suicide!" proclaimed Captain Soliani. "The Zekes are dug in around that thing. We'll be cut to shreds."
"Shut your fucking face Soliani," Leighton interrupted. "Goddamn cowards like you have cost us dearly in this the war!"
Soliani turned toward Leighton with a rage that manifested inside. Leighton turned back and responded in kind. The two squared off. It appeared as if they were about to erupt into violence.
"Both of you!" Takagi shouted in a firm and commanding voice. "Captain Soliani, Lieutenant Leighton, I will not stand for this behavior. Stow the shit because we have a job to do."
Another officer put his hand on Soliani's shoulder to calm the man down. Leighton heeded the command from Takagi and backed off. Once he was satisfied order had been restored, Takagi continued with the briefing.
"We will advance north along the Jidka Isbartiimadda," Takagi spoke. "To make it easier for radio traffic, it'll go by the codename 'Paradise' road. The rest of the Brigade will follow behind. Parallel to our advance, Snyder's Brigade will be moving up on the Jidka Janaral Daud, codename 'Varsity' road. The rally point is Hotel Charlie at the city stadium. Captain Cho's tanks from the 4th Armored will advance with us. We will hold the position while the engineers plant demo-charges. Once the bombs are placed, we pull back while they blow the place to hell…any questions?"
There was a long silence. There were those among the group that wanted to voice their protest to the operation. They clung to the imminent ceasefire rumor and this was a senseless waste of lives on the eve of capitulation. Despite the reservations, the fact that the attack was going to happen sunk in. Whether they liked it or not, they would have to fight.
"Good," Takagi said confidently. "Assemble your men and make final preparations. Dismissed."
The group snapped to attention in unison, and then began to disperse. Leighton turned to leave, but felt a hand grab him by the arm.
"A word Lieutenant," said Takagi.
Leighton felt he was about to be lectured. It was something that he started to dread. He did not like Takagi. The pair had their disagreements. Takagi disapproved of Leighton's conduct while Leighton found Takagi too sanctimonious.
"Command seems to think there are Zakus on board that capsule," Takagi started. "If we were to secure the site long enough, do you think you could get one moving to make it back to the airport?"
It only took a fraction of a second for Leighton to decide. His eyes lit up with excitement and eagerness at the suggestion. He had wanted to pilot a mobile suit, the obsession consumed him. All of the effort placed into the study of the one downed in the Bakaaraha Market was about to pay off.
"I can pilot the Zaku," Leighton said, collectedly. "So can Sergeant Tupolev. He has been going over all of the information with me. He should know enough by now to master basic movement."
"I want this to stay between us," said Takagi with all seriousness. "Major Park stresses that no time considerations can be granted while you get the Zaku working. The engineers will still blow Hotel Charlie on schedule. You need to get the Zaku up and going, and get the hell out of there as fast as possible."
"Don't worry about that. We'll be Oscar Mike long before then. Just make sure we don't get shot at by friendlies."
"The Major will see to that."
Leighton gave the Captain a crooked, sinister smile. It was the kind of smile that could unnerve the most stalwart of men. Takagi hoped he would not regret this decision. The Lieutenant departed his Captain's company, as a column of Type 61 tanks proceeded down the avenue. The twin barreled Federation tanks would be supported by the infantry.
The men of the reorganized Golf Company, under Leighton's command, assembled around the lead tank. The reorganization gave Leighton sixty men, nowhere near full strength. To the south, the sounds of battle could be heard. A feint attack had been launched on the Zeon's right flank in order to draw enemy forces in that direction. The rest of the Brigade fell in behind Golf Company. The hour had arrived and the advance began.
The lead tank made a sharp left onto Paradise Road. Leighton and his men advanced on either side of the vehicles. The men on foot moved quickly to match the pace of the mechanical beast. Directly ahead was the Federation's front line at the Jidka Sodonka. On schedule, a flight of Federation AF-01 Mongoose twin seat ground attack jets raced overhead.
The AF-01s buzzed in low over the buildings and toward the Zeon. When they were on target, the AF-01s dropped their bombs and pulled back in a sharp arch. The ordinance exploded on the Zeon frontline. The blast lit up the pre-dawn sky in a brilliant orange hue. The buildings once occupied by Zeon forces crumbled from the attack. Immediately, the Zeon responded with a twinkle light display of automatic anti-aircraft cannons. The flashes from Zeon rockets fired into the air added to the colorful spectacle. One of the jets burst into flames and dove straight toward the ground. The others had to adopt a sporadic flight pattern in order to avoid the fate of their comrade. The Zeon were able to down another plane before the flight made it back to the airport.
There was justification to the costly airstrike. The road, crossing into the Zeon occupied sector, was heavily fortified and mined. The planes were able to take out several of the Zeon heavy gun emplacements and detonated the mine field. The line of advance was clear. There were a few stunned Zeon soldiers that wandered into the street in the confusion. Leighton and his Company opened fire.
The men pressed forward. The used the tanks for covered and fired at the enemy. The front line had been breached, but the resistance began to mount. Zeon, who were billeted in the surrounding buildings, woke from their beds by advancing Federation forces. The Zeon soldiers raced to the windows that overlooked the street and began to fire. The hail of rifle fire descended on the Federation troops below.
A burst of elevated machine gun fire struck a private in the Company. The man fell to the ground, as he grasped at the wound in his throat. The blood soaked into the sand covered road. After a few brief moments, the private was dead. There was no time to lament. The Federation soldiers dashed for cover. Some pressed up against the tanks; others sought refuge in the debris from blasted out buildings.
"Left side, left side!" Corporal Bukowski cried out. "Enemy contacts. Shit! Shit! SHIT!"
"Cut the pussy shit, Bukowski!" Leighton screamed. "Pop smoke to mark the targets."
Bukowski followed the order. Leighton once held a gun to Bukowski's head, to steady the Corporal's nerves. There would no longer be any upsetting of the Lieutenant. Mounted under the fore grip of Bukowski's M72A1 was a grenade launcher tube. The Corporal, in a quick motion, pulled the tube forward to open the breach. He grabbed a smoke grenade, loaded it, and slammed the chamber shut. The Zeon machine gun fired brazenly onto the Federation soldiers in the street below. Two more Federal soldiers fell dead by the time Bukowski had the machine gun emplacement sighted.
The Corporal squeezed the launcher's trigger. The grenade whizzed out of the launcher. It landed right in the window where the machine gun fire originated. The Zeon gunners watched in horror, as the grenade banged around before coming to a rest at their feet. It suddenly burst and engulfed them in a thick haze of purple smoke.
A Federation infantryman stood at the rear of the second tank in the column. Throughout the engagement, he trailed the tank and communicated with the crew via a phone receiver attached to a rear panel. The man observed the smoke and called out the sighting to the tank's gunner.
The tank's mechanical turret swung in response and had the position in sight. Two loaders inside the turret placed a high explosive devastator round into each barrel. The infantry on the street ducked, as they knew the beast was about to fire. The two high explosive devastator rounds tore into the building. The blast threw sections of concrete and debris all over the street. The building, already heavily damaged from a previous battle, collapsed.
With the building thoroughly demolished, the advance continued. The Federation soldiers came under an increased amount of fire. The casualties were starting to mount. A man would be shredded by automatic weapons fire and another, disintegrated by a rocket explosion. The advance had to temporarily halt, as a Federal soldier, only a man from the torso upward, was dragged out of the lead tank's path.
Bukowski crept along with the advancing Federal forces. He stayed as close as he could to the rear of the tank, shielding himself from enemy fire. The commander of the tank sat exposed in the turret barking orders at the top of his lungs. With a pair of binoculars in his hand, he would select targets for his gunners. A loud shot rang out, more audible than the other small arms. The sound came from an elevated position and could be assumed to be a large caliber shot. The commander of the tank slumped forward, a gaping wound in the center of his chest. A hand from an unseen body reached up and grabbed onto the lifeless commander. The body of the commander was forcefully pulled to the safe interior of the tank. Bukowski was horrified, as he watched the scene play out before his eyes. To his left and right, the infantry on the streets dove for cover. The Corporal was young, and though he had witnessed many horrors in this war, he still had trouble processing them. Leighton grabbed Bukowski by one of the load straps on the Corporal's flak jacket and dragged him from the street.
"The hell is wrong with you Bukowski!?" Leighton screamed, in a rhetorical fashion.
The tank of the deceased commander rotated its turret. The barrels elevated and the target sighted. Two loud blasts rang out, as the shells raced toward their mark. The windows of a corner section of the building exploded. Debris flew out and the dust covered the area. If the sniper had remained, there would be little left to identify. More plausibly, they fired their shot and retreated with haste.
Leighton and his men did battle against their fortified foe. The tanks were firing both of their barrels wildly into buildings, mostly old apartments, to dislodge the defenders. Other Federal infantryman equipped with shoulder mounted rockets fired at the entrenched Zeon.
The surprise of the attack worked in the Federation's favor. The overconfident and overextended Zeon force had underestimated the Federation 5th Army. It was believed the 5th Army was on the verge of collapse and another victory for the Zeon African Front was at hand. Most of the Zeon were content to wait for the capitulation and, as a result, had become sedentary. They would initially fire a few shots at the Federation soldiers before the seriousness of the situation was grasped. The resistance mounted by the Zeon soldiers quickly disintegrated. The men lacked sufficient anti-tank weapons since they relied so heavily on the Zaku's firepower against Federation armored targets. The cumbersome rocket launchers were cast off by the overconfident Zeon infantry.
A heavy smoke from the bombs dropped blanketed the area. The dust thrown up by the crumbling buildings created a dense haze. The visibility was drastically reduced. Soldiers were covered in the fine powder from the concrete. They looked like ghostly apparitions; traversing the avenue. If a Federation soldier was hit, a medic was called. There was no stopping the column to evacuate the wounded. They would have to wait for ambulances from the rear.
Leighton's Company was ordered to press the attack. They were to reach the Zeon capsule no matter the cost. The Zeon troops were taken by surprise. Their numbers swelled in the street, as they sought to flee from the Federation advance. The overly successful campaign made any notion of Federation attack a figment of the imagination, but this advance was all too real. Leighton's men kept up an aggressive fire to their front and into the backs of the fleeing Zeon. A few Zeon soldiers attempted to organize, but they were simply overwhelmed. Not even the stubborn Zeon holdouts that refused to vacate the buildings could stop the advance. Flankers branched from the Federation column to enter the buildings and eliminate the resistance. The utilization of the flankers made it possible for Golf Company to spearhead the advance and not have to worry about the exposed flanks.
To the south of the stadium, and the wrecked capsule, was a large open area. The open area, free of buildings, had been a large city park before the war. The Zeon had repurposed the park as a staging area for supply depots and field hospitals. The clearing proved advantageous for the Federation armor. Now, they could extend from a column to a line of advance. No longer moving single file, they attacked in a unified front.
The Federation tanks sped up to hurry their advance. Zeon soldiers fled while doctors and nurses struggled to carry those unable to walk. They fled so quickly, the Zeon tankers made no effort to man their vehicles. Rather, they focused more on their own flight from the field. The Federation tanks crushed stacks of crates under their treads. They crashed through the Zeon tents; ripping them down and flattening any materials left inside. The gunners kept up a furious shelling of the Zeon. All manner of Zeon armored vehicles and support trucks went up in flames. The creaking treads of the Federation tanks trampled the ground once occupied by the spacenoid enemy.
The Federation attack was going fairly well, much better than expected. There had been several casualties, men hit by small arms fire. The tanks had all remained intact. The few Zeon light rockets fired at the tanks had either missed or bounced off a sloped armor section. Leighton caught a glimpse of the massive Zeon capsule. It was indeed a massive contraption, large enough to accommodate three Zaku mobile suits on a descent through the atmosphere to the Earth. The Zeon engineers, that had worked to upright the capsule, began to scatter. They too were taken by complete surprise at the sudden appearance of Federation soldiers. Their retreat had been made with such haste that they abandoned the heavy lifting equipment. Leighton and his men picked off the last remaining engineers, who were vainly attempting to salvage the equipment or too slow to evacuate.
The Federation tanks surged forward to surround the stadium and the prized downed capsule. Other Federation infantry arrived to secure the position. The 2nd Brigade, which advanced up Varsity Road, linked up with the 8th to strengthen the Federation's hold. The word was passed for the engineers to be brought up, so they could lay their charges. The orders were to hold the position until the engineering corps could rig the Zeon capsule for demolition. Once readied, the Federal forces would withdraw. The capsule would be detonated and the Zeon deprived of the much needed supplies. The feint attack launched to the southwest had diverted a bulk of the Zeon reserves, including most of their Zakus.
The Federation also threw all available air assets into the fray. The skies were filled with Federation fighters and ground attack planes relentlessly attacking any and every Zeon target they could find. The Federation pilots sought out Zeon targets all over the city, attacking ones far away from the ground combat, in order to sow confusion amongst the enemy's ranks. The Zeon, naturally, attempted to counter the Federation air attack by launching their fighters. Unfortunately, the inadequate Zeon Dopp fighters, though in superior numbers, fell victim to their gravitationally accustomed adversaries.
Leighton opened a personnel hatch on the side of the capsule. He left command of Golf Company with Sergeant Khan, the acting commander of Fox Company prior to the reorganization. The capsule's interior had a dark and cavernous feeling. Leighton switched on his tactical flashlight and searched for an electrical panel. Sergeant Tupolev followed the Lieutenant inside and also switched on his light. The two searched cautiously, for there was the danger that Zeon soldier may have sought shelter in the capsule and could act unpredictably in a panic. Their rifles were held closely in one hand while they illuminated the area with the flashlights in the other. After a few moments, the panel was located.
Sergeant Tupolev opened the panel up and began to flip the breakers. Floodlights attached to the capsule's interior structure lit up and gave Leighton his first glimpse of the prize. Three towering Zakus glistened with their Zeon olive drab paint jobs and brand new appearance. The sight brought much excitement to Lieutenant Leighton. For so long he had watched the enemy decimate his comrades with these mobile suits. Now, he had one and was ready to use the enemy's weapon. One of the Zakus, Leighton noticed, was damaged. The hard impact of the capsule into the stadium had caused a bottom section to buckle. The buckling of the capsule's structure had, in turn, almost torn off the left leg of one of the Zakus. The leg was barely attached; held on by a few cables. There was no way to salvage this one for immediate use. Leighton had to make do with the two remaining units.
Outside of the capsule, the battle raged. The tanks had secured a perimeter and the Federation infantry had taken up positions. The engineers had set to work laying their charges. The Zeon headquarters had finally realized what was happening. Once the word reached the Zeon commander that the capsule had fallen into Federation hands, an immediate counterattack was ordered. The area around the capsule fell silent for an hour. The initial Federation thrust had sent the Zeon reeling. While the enemy reorganized itself, the Federation soldiers prepared for the inevitable counterattack. They only needed to hold the position until the engineers finished their work. The hour lull was interrupted when a large force of Zeon HB-01B Magella Attack Tanks, supported by a mass of infantry, and one Zaku mobile suit, was spotted converging on the stadium from the north, east, and west. The Federation line of retreat was still secured and remained opened.
Takagi had accompanied Park in a hover truck that arrived after the stadium had been secured. He stepped out of the vehicle. The scene was chaotic. The system for the evacuation of the wounded had broken down. There were several groups of wounded soldiers scattered about with maybe one or two field medics to tend to a cluster of twenty. No ambulances were in sight. A large collection of Zeon prisoners were having their personal effects taken from them by their Federation guards. When a Zeon prisoner would resist the theft, they were shot dead where they stood. Major Park was desperate to find her 1st Battalion. The Battalion had become separated from the main column during the final assault on the stadium. There was still no contact.
The members of Leighton's Company loitered around the capsule's exterior. Less than half of the reorganized Company had made it to this point. Some of the men had taken to looting the bodies of dead Zeon soldiers, while others lounged in the shade provided by the listing capsule. A detachment of engineers busily set to work laying the demolition charges.
"Where is Lieutenant Leighton!?" Takagi demanded.
"Sir, he is inside the capsule," Bukowski responded with a pair liberated Zeon officer boots, which were his size, in his hand.
The sight disgusted Takagi. The looting was a dishonorable practice. There was no doubt Leighton condoned this activity, Takagi believed, the Lieutenant may have even encouraged it. The thought was interrupted by a shell burst. A top section of the stadium exploded from the impact. The blast came from a shell fired by a Magella tank. The Zeon were close.
The Federation tanks opened fire in retaliation. The battle for the stadium had resumed with a massive Zeon counterattack. The men of Golf Company scrambled to their feet. They tried to balance securing their spoils while seeking cover. Leighton sat in the cockpit of one Zaku while Tupolev claimed the other. The two ran a diagnostic in each of their mobile suits to bring the systems online. This was taking longer than expected. Leighton removed his helmet and placed it against the console. It was proving too cumbersome in the cramped cockpit. He kept the radio headset on to communicate with Tupolev.
"Misha," Leighton radioed. "How's yours coming?"
"Ah, slow going Lieutenant," Tupolev responded. "Still loading framework is what message says."
"They must be in some kind of power down mode for orbital entry. Maybe we aren't booting properly."
"Or maybe Zeon have failsafe to keep idiot Feddies from stealing their equipment."
Leighton was hard pressed to resist a small chuckle. There was no failsafe in place on these models. The Zeon were confident, perhaps overconfident, that the Zaku was so complex it would be impossible for the enemy to operate one. The time it was taking was of concern. The pair knew they had been there for an hour and had yet to get the Zakus operational. With the loud blast outside; it was understood time was running out.
"What's your status?" Takagi broke the silence over the radio.
"Damn things are in some kind of power down mode," Leighton responded. "It's taking longer than expected. Zekes must've powered them down for the orbital drop."
Takagi had stepped through the door into the capsule. He was mesmerized by the sight of mobile suits. The dire situation brought him back to reality. The engineers were ready with their charges. The Zeon forces were coming up in force and were poised to overrun the position. There was no longer a need for this indefensible salient in the Federation line. The order was issued to begin to fall back.
"The engineers are ready to blow this site," Takagi radioed. "Command has ordered the withdraw. Leave the damn Zakus, they'll be blown to hell. We need to get out of here!"
"Dammit!" Leighton shouted directly to Takagi, as he leaned out of the torso cockpit. "We can get these things going. Buy us some more fucking time!"
"Command isn't giving you any more fucking time, Lieutenant. The objective has been accomplished. We're ready to demo the site and pull out. That includes you. You can come to your senses and leave, or I can order you out!"
"The hell with you!"
At that last outburst, Leighton slammed a button on a side panel. It closed the hatch to the Zaku's torso cockpit and isolated Leighton from Takagi. The Captain was enraged. He glared at Sergeant Tupolev, who was stunned by the act.
"I am sorry sir," Tupolev replied calmly, as he closed his cockpit hatch.
Takagi was furious. His own subordinate had refused a direct order and encouraged another to follow suit. If Leighton survived this, somehow, Takagi would personally file the court marshal charges. There was little time to dwell on that, for the explosives planted by the engineers were to detonate. The warning had been given to clear the area. The Federation tanks had already begun to fire and fall back; the accompanying infantry doing the same. Takagi dashed out of the capsule through the access hatch. He made his way over to the command hover truck and climbed aboard. Seemingly out of nowhere, the recollection of what Park said, about Leighton being a Zeon, came to mind. He wondered what that could truly mean.
Leighton was in a panic. He was in a desperate race to get the Zaku started before the explosives went off. Everything that he could think of to do, he did. The MIL-Book computer he plugged into the Zaku's console ran all of the operations programs he had created. In the desperation, Leighton began to type in an old activation code line on the MIL-Book. It was a basic startup code he used to restart colony systems while on spacewalks, such as antenna, exterior hatches, life support, etc. The code was a long shot, but it worked.
The Zaku's main power came on line and the movement functions appeared to be operational. Leighton grabbed a throttle and manipulated the controls. The arm of the mobile suit slowly lifted and the fingers curled inward. Tupolev watched in amazement.
"You're going to feel like an idiot for this one," Leighton radioed. "Run the basic extra-municipal startup code. Like the one you use when trying to open a hatch on a colony or recalibrate something, and the system has locked you out. I did it all the time when I used to work on the colonies."
"Ok I'll try!" Tupolev responded. "Well fuck me, it worked!"
"I feel like a fucking idiot. Damn things were designed by spacenoids, in theory, they should be running off of the same programming concepts we used up there."
Tupolev's Zaku powered up to full. Mimicking Leighton, Tupolev also manipulated the controls and began to move the machine's limbs. Leighton was ecstatic in the pilot's seat; behind the controls of the mobile suit. Ever since his Company had downed one with a rocket, he had studied every system on the Zaku to prepare for this moment. Hardly able to contain his excitement, Leighton pressed his foot down on one of the pedals. The Zaku Leighton piloted took a step forward. The capsule's interior did not permit much movement. The next goal was to get outside.
The Federation tanks began the withdrawal. The ones on the perimeter fell back to a rally point at the stadium itself. The Zeon were approaching in force. The Magella tanks fired rounds into the Federation positions. The Federation infantry moved back with the Type 61s, each relying on the other for support. When the capsule initially landed, a force of Zeon engineers arrived with heavy lift equipment. The cranes brought in were able to upright the capsule, but there was still a considerable amount of debris that blocked the main loading ramp from opening. The Federation forces captured the site before the Zeon engineers could finish their work.
Time was about to run out for Leighton and Tupolev. The final evacuation order had been issued. The engineers would detonate their charges the instant the last Federation tanks cleared the blast zone. There would be no waiting for the men left inside. Leighton was confident enough to pilot the Zaku, thanks to all of the simulations he constructed in his engineering program. He knew which controls operated which systems. The Zaku took an unbalanced step toward the ramp. Leighton pulled the Zaku's right shoulder back and then slammed it into the capsule's side.
The Zeon were closing in. The Magella tanks could be seen lumbering down the avenues, some even exchanged direct fire with Federation tanks. The twin barreled Federation Type 61s could outgun their Zeon counterparts and possessed superior armor. The Zeon Magella were lighter, faster, more maneuverable, and more numerous. Two rounds fired from a Type 61 whizzed down the avenue and blew apart a Magella. It seemed every time one Magella went up in flames, three more raced forward from out of the smoke. The tank war, however, was fast becoming obsolete. A lone Zeon Zaku dashed forward in the direction of the stadium. There was little the Federation tanks could do to stop it.
The Zaku blasted apart four Federation tanks and then proceeded to the stadium. The Zeon mobile suit scaled the northern face of the stadium and perched itself in the low cost bleachers. The Federation soldiers on the field, around the capsule, fled in panic. They would not stand their ground against it. The Zaku smashed a section of seats with every step it took, as it traversed toward the contestant field. In a matter of moments, the Federation forces had vacated the area. Orders were about to be given to destroy the capsule. The Zaku's glowing red eye swung back and forth, as it scanned the area. It picked up a reading from inside the capsule. The reading registered as a friendly in the Zaku's system, so there was no need to respond.
The ramp to the capsule buckled. The full might of Leighton's Zaku pressed against the bulkhead had created an opening. The morning sun trickled into the cavernous interior and illumined the brilliant mobile suits. One more thrust from the Zaku's shoulder pried the capsule's ramp open. Leighton manipulated the controls and brought the upper portion of his Zaku through the opening he had created. The Zeon Zaku turned in bewilderment at the emerging mobile suit. The enemy pilot did not know what to make of the sight.
Leighton slammed his right controller forward. The right arm of his Zaku thrust forward; the fingers on the hand extended. Before there was a chance for the enemy pilot to register the hostile act, Leighton had a hold on the enemy's Zaku. The fingers of Leighton's mobile suit crushed the optical sensor of the enemy unit and mangled the head component. The enemy pilot was blind. He frantically flipped switches, to try and reboot the optics system. Leighton went for the kill.
The grip on the enemy's Zaku tightened. Leighton pulled the enemy Zaku to the ground by his hold on the face. The enemy Zaku slammed into the ground. The pilot was unable to compensate due to the blindness. Leighton acted quickly. He planted his Zaku's knee into the fallen enemy and knelt down over his prey. Unsure how best to proceed, Leighton pressed the left hand into the enemy back. With the right, Leighton began to furiously punch the enemy. If one could see Leighton in the cockpit, they would observe a look of cruel satisfaction upon his face.
The impact of the heavy fist strikes left large impressions on the enemy Zaku. The armored plating buckled and gave way. The convulsive movements of the enemy soon ceased, evidence that the enemy suit had lost power. Leighton stopped his assault. He took a moment to survey his handiwork.
Over Leighton's shoulder, Tupolev's Zaku staggered out of the capsule. The Sergeant, not as adept a pilot, struggled to keep his mobile suit upright. He had to constantly compensate movement to keep from falling over. The controls were complex and Tupolev had studied them with Leighton. Leighton, however, had been consumed with piloting a Zaku and devoted a vast amount of time learning how to pilot one, through hacked Zeon software. Once Tupolev had caught his balance, he stood his mobile suit up straight.
"I think I am getting the hang of this," Tupolev said over the comm link. "But clearly you have already mastered yours."
"I feel like I can take on the entire Principality," Leighton said, boastfully.
"No doubt you could, Lieutenant, but our orders are to return to our lines. Besides, they're about to make this place go boom!"
Tupolev fed a command into his Zaku and began to climb out of the capsule. Leighton turned his around, once Tupolev cleared the entrance, he reached back inside. Using the Zaku's hand, Leighton grabbed his mobile suit's 120mm machine gun. Tupolev emerged with his unit's weapon in hand already.
"It is a lot harder in person," Tupolev said, as he fought to maintain balance.
"Switch on the upright auto stabilization function," Leighton responded. "It'll have the computer correct for balance, so you can focus on other actions."
Leighton knew what he was talking about. The technology was very familiar to him. Tupolev followed the direction and opened a command prompt on his Zaku's computer. He quickly typed in a command for balance and watched in amazement, as the mobile suit took over that function.
"That worked!" Tupolev exclaimed. "Now, we really should be getting out of here bef…"
A large explosion rocked the capsule. The entire craft was destroyed by explosives of the Federation engineers. The blast wave unbalanced Leighton's Zaku and violently shook Tupolev's. The entire remaining southern section of the stadium was leveled. Shrapnel from the exterior of the capsule flew out in all directions, some embedded in the Zakus. Leighton struggled for several moments to get back on his feet. He had not quite mastered every movement of the Zaku. Tupolev was a bit shaken up, but his systems were still intact.
"Guess we should get going?" Leighton said.
"Agreed," responded Tupolev.
000
Takagi watched the explosion from the turret of the command hover truck. The turret weapon had been removed to make space for this observation point. The Type 74 was in the middle of a column of vehicles that raced south, just passing through the Federation front lines. The Captain held the binoculars to his eyes in order to focus on the blast site. It was hard to distinguish anything, the blast and collapsing structure threw a blinding amount of dust into the air. He had hoped Leighton had made it out with a Zaku. The enemy's mobile suit in Federation hands might help their fortunes in this war. However, it would be a mobile suit in the unpredictable and insubordinate hands of Leighton. The notion was unsettling.
The sand thrown up by the hover truck's lift fans choked anyone who stayed in the turret for too long. Takagi had succumbed and climbed back inside; shutting the hatch. The interior was full of persons; some were commanders, who all outranked him, as well as select members of their staff, and the vehicle's crew. Takagi squeezed his way through the throng of bodies to a communications engineer seated at a computer terminal.
"Any signs of movement at the blast site?" Takagi asked the engineer.
"Nothing yet," the engineer replied. "Zekes throwing up Minovsky Particles like an underage girl at a frat party, guess their pissed about our visit. It's disrupting the sensors, plus all that dust has killed the visibility. Those bomb guys laid enough ordinance to blow that place to hell several times over. No way anyone there, still is."
"Thank you for your colorful input, lieutenant."
Takagi shuffled over to an unoccupied corner. By now, most of the occupants had huddled around a map on a table situated in the center of the compartment. Their attention was focused solely on that. Takagi slumped down onto the floor and leaned his head back against the bulkhead. He let the thought of Leighton's passing sink in. It felt more like a burden lifted.
000
Leighton was in a full sprint; his Zaku taking one quick step after another. Tupolev followed closely, as the pair made their way down the Paradise Road. They moved quickly to avoid interaction with the enemy. The Zeon forces in this sector had been thrown into complete disarray. They were not completely oblivious to the theft of two of their Zakus, nor were they in a position to reclaim their mobile suits. The main objective for Leighton and Tupolev was to reach the Federation lines and deliver the prizes.
The pair had yet to establish communication with their own forces. Federation channels did not work easily with Zeon communications equipment. The primary fear was being mistaken for Zeon and met with friendly fire. Takagi had promised Leighton that Federation forces would hold their fire if the theft was successful. Leighton was not sure if that offer was still on the table. He was not sure if he was expected, or had already labeled as missing in action following the blast. Leighton stared down at the photograph he wedged into the control panel; the one of his wife and child.
"I'm almost there Ellie," he spoke to the photo. "I can make it."
A missile whizzed past the chest of Leighton's Zaku. The exhaust plume led to a building on his immediate left. Leighton stopped his sprint in order to react. His blood was up and he was angry. The optical scanner picked up a Federation rocket team on an upper floor of a building ahead. Leighton frantically tuned his comm equipment in an effort to broadcast on their frequency. The one thing the Federation forces got right was their radios. Federation transmissions were complexly encrypted and could not be intercepted or hijacked by Zeon equipment. Therefore, Leighton's efforts were in vain.
Tupolev acted quickly. He waved the arms of his Zaku in an effort to get the rocket crew to cease fire and establish communication. The effort was in vain, as the panicked rocket crew reloaded for another shot. The crew observed the Zakus acting in a strange manner; not attacking, but rather motioning and standing in place.
Takagi opened his eyes. A radio transmission played on a speaker at the hover truck's terminal caught his attention. The message was not intended for anyone in the hover truck, but it was sent over common channel. On one end was a Federation soldier in the field screaming about coming up against two Zakus and pleading for help. The soldier then went on to describe the Zakus' odd behavior. Takagi leapt to his feet and dashed to the engineer at the terminal.
"That signal!" Takagi shouted. "Where is it coming from?"
"OP behind us several city blocks," the engineer responded.
"My God, he's done it!" Takagi shouted. "Tell them to hold fire!"
"Are you serious?"
"Just trust me, lieutenant. Have one of the men shine their torch at the Zaku and flash N-O-B-L-E in Morse. If he responds with some manor of expletive, it's Leighton."
The frightened Federation rocket crew commander was dumbfounded by his orders. His crew was panicked and worked in a state of terror to reload their rocket launcher. Two Zakus standing only meters away gave cause for their agitated behavior. The crew commander, upon hearing instructions from over the radio, nervously unhooked his flashlight from the clip on his flak jacket. The rest of the crew watched in disbelief, as their commander approached the edge of the ruined opening of the building. He stared the Zaku down, terror in his eyes, and signaled on his flashlight. Several tense moments transpired, as the crew commander looked on. A mechanical grinding broke the silence. The blast door that covered the pilot's seat opened.
"Jesus-fucking-Christ," Leighton swore loudly from his cockpit seat. "About bloody time you recognized us as friendly."
000
The evening sun began to set and darkness crept upon the city by the sea. The waves crashed on the sandy shore and against the breakwater that protected the main runway of the Aden Adde International Airport. The ground crews worked at a feverish pace to direct aircraft preparing to takeoff and those taxiing from landing. A formation of Medea transports recently arrived with evacuated Federation troops from the Iraqi theatre. As the beleaguered troops disembarked from the ramp of their transport planes, they were stunned by the sight of two Zaku's waiting on the tarmac.
A large contingent of onlookers turned out to inspect the captured quarry. Leighton had navigated, with Tupolev closely behind, the Zakus onto a stretch of tarmac adjacent to an aircraft maintenance hangar. The mobile suits flanked by an escort of Federation tanks. The Lieutenant entered the command for the Zaku to kneel, and the mobile suit executed the function. This allowed Leighton a more convenient exit from the mobile suit. Now, the Lieutenant surveyed the Zaku, as throngs of Federation soldiers clamored around the mechanical beast.
The Federation soldiers gawked in amazement at the Zakus. They had all witnessed the destructive capability of the Zeon's mobile suits and had suffered defeat at its hands. Their dread of the mobile suits turned to wonder. Hardly any of them had been able to get this close this safely to a Zaku. The men would approach the limbs of the Zaku and, reverently, touch a hand to the mobile suit.
Their gaze soon shifted to Leighton and Tupolev. To these two extraordinary figures who miraculously delivered the dreaded enemy's weapons into the Federation camp. Cheers erupted among the Federation troops. Several of the men took to hoisting Leighton and Tupolev onto their shoulders. Leighton vehemently, though futilely, resisted, as there were diagnostics he wished to run on his captured prize. Tupolev, however, seemed to enjoy the praise.
Takagi emerged from the command hover truck. The scene was a jubilant one. The morale of the men appeared transformed. There had been little celebrating on the Federation side in the war. The men of the 5th Army were on the verge of collapse. Now, with the arrival of two Zakus, their spirit was lifted. The Captain rushed over to Leighton. He had to force himself through the euphoric mob.
"Lieutenant," Takagi said, getting Leighton's attention. "You're a fucking lunatic…But good job."
Leighton cracked a half smile, as the soldiers carried him off toward the still functional airport lounge. They were intent on honoring their new Federation champion. The military police arrived shortly after the Captain's praise. They were to assume control of the situation. With efficient haste, they established a perimeter around the two Zakus; directing the revelers in another direction. A group of MPs pulled Leighton and Tupolev down from their perch and hurried the two away. Takagi turned to see Major Park follow the MPs. She gave Takagi an unsettling look. He could tell it concerned Leighton and something bad was about to happen.
000
The situation seemed unbefitting to a triumphant conqueror. Lieutenant Leighton had just delivered the Zeon's super weapon to the Federation. Now, he sat alone at a table in a locked room. His handcuffed wrists rested on the table, as he stared into the mirror directly ahead. Of course, it was evident that he was being watched from the other side of the mirror.
Leighton was unsure how long he had been here, several hours perhaps. The idea occurred to him to go to sleep, since whoever was responsible for this incarceration was in no hurry. He was ready to lower his head to the table and take a nap when the door shuttered. In rushed a clean cut, well carried female officer, from the intelligence corps. Leighton recognized the division insignia.
"Lieutenant Horatio Leighton," the officer began. "I am Ensign Yo. I am here to resolve a few discrepancies concerning your background."
"You got me," Leighton replied with full sarcasm. "I lied on the application. I am Level 5 certified for Spacewalks and E.V. Operations. I omitted that because I wanted to serve in the frontline infantry so badly."
"An engineer by trade."
"A damn good one."
"So, what did you do before the war?"
"What's it to you?" Leighton was becoming annoyed.
"Humor me," Yo replied.
The room was poorly ventilated. A slow rotating ceiling fan provided almost no comfort. The African heat caused sweltering conditions in the interrogation room. Leighton had figured it was kept this way intentionally.
"Fine," Leighton retorted, though frustrated. "I was a structural engineer before the war."
"And what does that entail?" Yo asked.
"I fix shit."
"What kind of…shit?"
"I was responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of the space colonies. To ensure none sprung a leak and explosively decompressed. So, a ton of E.V.A. work, structural tests, etc….happy?"
"Which colonies did you do engineering work for? Which Sides did you frequent most?"
Leighton had figured out where the questioning was headed. The intelligence officer was trying to pry details about any connection he may have with Side 3, or Zeon, as they liked to call themselves.
"Yes," Leighton started, with a smug undertone. "I worked on the colonies and stations of Side 3. And yes for the record, I was born on Side 3. I grew up there, attended University there, and earned my Engineering Degree and Certification there. Is that satisfactory?"
"We were aware of your birthplace, Lieutenant," Yo continued. "You seemed loyal to the Federation and an enemy to Zeon, that's good. However, there is one detail that has us concerned."
"Let me guess, I get a Zaku started and am able to successfully pilot it to Federation lines. This, despite no formal training provided by the Federation on Zaku operation, makes my actions suspicious."
"I think you're on the right track. It does seem strange doesn't it? I mean, here you are able to pilot the enemy's super weapon back to the safety of our lines? A weapon only Zeon possess and operates. Our own mobile suit deployment is nowhere near ready, but that is not relevant, as you have no access to that program. Yet, somehow you manage to bring a Zaku here?"
"The damn thing is a machine, I am an engineer. It's my fucking job to be good with machines. The Zakus run off of a standard Zeon operation system, the same one I majored in at University, the same one I used fixing their colonies on spacewalks. Being familiar with it means it isn't hard to figure out how to use."
"So, you expect the Federation and I to believe that you taught yourself how to pilot a Zaku?"
It was clear this interrogation infuriated Leighton. Leighton hated the Zeon, for what they had done. He held no allegiance to Side 3, not after their atrocities. The situation was frustrating. He was not a spy for the Zeon, if anything; he wished to see every last Zeon dead.
"What is it you people want from me?" Leighton asked, defeated.
"We want to know the truth," Yo responded.
"The truth…The truth is I had a family. I had a wife and an infant son, before the war. They were aboard the colony from Side 2 that the Zeon dropped on Sydney. The Zeon gassed everyone aboard before they turned the station into an orbital kinetic weapon. I was on Luna Two when it happened, contract job for the Navy. I had no way to get to them. I watched the whole thing happen on the news, helplessly, as the Zeon intentionally drove the colony into the Earth's atmosphere. Millions dead, my Ellie and Thomas among them."
A silence overtook the room. Leighton's words had gotten to Ensign Yo. She was young, like so many thrown into this war. Only fresh out of training, she still retained her remnant of humanity. It was clear she sympathized with Leighton. She did all she could to restrain and suppress her emotions. Abruptly, Ensign Yo stood and exited the room. Leighton sat in silence. He thought about his wife and his son. Both were casualties in this cruel war. The exhaustion of the confession overtook Leighton. He laid his head down on the table and went to sleep.
000