Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Create the Future
Chapter 5: Eternity's Soldier, Kingdom's Child
October 15, 2314 A.D: Earth Federation Capital, Federation Headquarters
"I see that you've been well. Who would have thought you'd become part of the Federation government," Lyle said as he took his place in the seat in front of Klaus's desk. Even after working through the crowded press, Lyle hadn't been able to get Klaus's attention right away. With the press trying to get responses from whatever government official they could grab, Klaus couldn't break free easily. His friend was stuck answering questions for quite some time, most likely feeling obligated to inform the public as much as he could. Once Klaus was able to get away, he took Lyle directly to his office.
Lyle took a quick glance at his friend's office. It was pretty typical for a government official. The desk was a little messy, folders spread out across it. The resistance leader turned government official was working hard as ever.
"You seem to be doing well yourself," Lyle said.
"As much as I'd like to catch up, I'm assuming you've come here for a reason," Klaus leaned against the side of his desk, waiting to hear what Lyle had to say.
"You haven't changed a bit. A few weeks ago, I was on job and I'm pretty sure that Shirin recognized me. I was wondering if she mentioned it to anyone else."
Klaus smirked, knowing the meaning behind Lyle's words. "She did mention something to me. I don't think you have to worry about Shirin telling other about you. She's not the type to gossip. There were some rumors from some of the crew, but I doubt there's anything for you to worry about. Was something like that worth the trouble of coming out here?"
A small chuckle left Lyle's lips. "Well, it doesn't hurt to be a little careful. Besides, I was sent to cover the the Innovator story. Something like this needs to be checked out in person. There were a couple other reasons but it's not something you have to concern yourself with."
"I see. Anything else I can do for you?" Klaus asked.
"Since you're here, I want to ask you what you think about the Innovator situation. I know you're probably tired with these sorts of questions but I'm curious. This seems like something that could test the Federation," Lyle said.
"I figured as much. Sorry to say that there's not much to tell you at this point. The Federation is still working on how to handle the Innovator population. We have a rough idea on how member nations will . But I don't think it'll be easy."
"Any thoughts on the non-member nations? I heard that some of them did send representatives to the conference."
"We sent out invitation all the countries. But there are other countries that don't exactly hold the new government in high regard. Some countries still hold a grudge against the Federation." While the Federation did include a majority of the nations of Earth, there were still quite a few that had kept their independence. A few countries that had been forced to join had defected from the Federation and become independent nations after the truth about the A-laws became public. Since the Federation was pursuing more peaceful methods, they allowed the countries to leave.
"That could be a problem. That's not going to make the future easier for you guys."
"Trust me when I say I know. But it's not too bad. Some of those countries still are willing to work us and listen to what we have to say. We might eventually be able to work things out."
"I guess it doesn't hurt to be optimistic. But I think that is enough politics. Why don't we take some time to relax and catch up," Lyle suggested. Klaus obliged and the two began to reminisce of simpler times. Before they had become dragged into war and politics. It was strange how drastically their lives had changed over the years. Back then, their lives had been so much simpler.
Lyle leaned back into his seat, stretching his arms. The mission had gone off relatively well. They got a good look at the Innovator and it looked like Celestial Being's intervention was left as nothing but rumors. Setsuna didn't seem to shaken up afterwards. For the rest of the day, they could have a chance to take it easy and enjoy the time on Earth.
Lyle's terminal went off. He took a look and saw that he had a call from Mileina. "Hello? Mileina, calm down. I can't understand a word your saying...He did what?"
Earth Federation Capital, City District
Marina watched Setsuna's companions as they tried to work out their situation, trying to reach their other allies. It had been quite some time since Setsuna ran off. Their driver had found a proper place to park their vehicle and they had been waiting since. While the others tried to figure out the situation, Marina was left to her own thoughts.
Since the incident with the colony corporation, Marina had been thinking about Setsuna. She had been sure that he had been there to rescue her. By some stroke of fate, the two had finally seen each other again. But Setsuna seemed more distant, even by normal standards. His mind seemed to be preoccupied with something. And then there was the way he had ran out onto the streets, as if something had startled him. What had Setsuna seen that made him leave the way he did?
Since that day they crossed paths back in Scotland all those years ago, Setsuna had carved a place into her heart. After he revealed himself as part of Celestial Being and a former citizen of Krugis, the Azadistan princess began thinking of the young man. They met again when he rescued Rasa and helped calm down the chaos in Azadistan. She could still remember shedding tears after reading the message he had sent to her, around the time when the the three main powers united against Celestial Being. Four years later, he reappeared and rescued her from the A-laws. She remembered how he chose to continue fighting, refusing her offer to go with her and live in peace. Some time later, they met again at a Katharon base. He was injured and they once again had a chance to speak to each other. She learned more about his past and his ideals while sharing information about herself. Before he left, he told her that he would have liked to hear her song once again. Most of all, Marina remembered writing the letter she was never able to give him, the letter where she was able to put her feeling for him into words. When she had spotted Setsuna on the streets, Marina had thought that she had been given the chance to share the words and feelings that she had been unable to send him over two years ago.
Marina was snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Feldt Grace and Mileina Vashti walking towards her. Marina approached the two. "Have you heard anything from Setsuna yet?"
Feldt shook her head. "We let someone know that he ran off but we haven't been able to reach Setsuna."
"I see. Do you have any idea what caused him to run like that?" Marina asked. Again, Feldt shook her head. Marina lowered her head, unsure what to say. What if Setsuna was in danger?
"Marina, I don't think it's wise for us to just stay here like this any longer. We should get going now," Shirin advised.
"You're leaving?" Mileina asked.
Shirin looked at the young girl. "That was the idea. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to find your comrade but we really must be going."
"We understand. Thank you for the ride. I'm sorry it has to end like this," Feldt said.
"Will the two of you be all right on your own?" With the distress caused by Setsuna's departure, Marina was uncomfortable with just leaving the two on their own.
Mileina grinned. " We can take care of ourselves. Right, Feldt?"
Feldt nodded. "Don't worry about us, Princess Marina."
"Or about Mr. Seiei. Even if he's in trouble, he knows how to handle himself," Mileina added.
"Please, you don't have to be so formal. You can just call me Marina," the Azadistan princess insisted.
"Oh, Marina it is then," Feldt said. An awkward silence passed between the group, no one quite sure what to say. Shirin stepped to Marina's side. The older woman had been waiting patiently while they had sorted out the situation. But Marina knew that her friend was right in saying that they needed to leave. Shirin stared at Marina before letting out a combination of a groan and sigh. In an instant, Shirin had pulled out her personal terminal and began working with it.
"You can use this channel to contact us. Please refrain from using it unless it is absolutely necessary. It's a private channel. Only Marina and myself know this frequency," Shirin explained as she showed the information to Feldt. Surprised, Feldt fumbled with her own device, obviously not expecting Shirin to do something like this. Marina was just as surprised.
"If there is anything I can do for you or Setsuna, please let me know. I'll do anything I can with in my power to help you," Marina requested, holding her hand to the Feldt.
"Of course. Goodbye and take care of yourself," the other woman said, shaking Marina's hand politely. Mileina also shook her hand and said goodbye. Shirin gave each of the girls a polite nod.
With that, Marina and Shirin went back into the limousine. As they drove off, Marina gave one more glance at the two girls. She had to trust that they would be able to find him. She prayed for Setsuna's safety and hoped that they would see each other again one day.
The city streets still bustled with crowds of citizens going about their everyday lives. Setsuna kept looking around for any sign of Ribbons. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he began his chase or where he was going. All that mattered was finding Ribbons Almark. However, it had been futile. There had been no sign of his enemy for the entirety of his search, as if he had disappeared.
Setsuna ran farther down the street. He was breaking away from the crowds, now finding himself in the city park. The area was a stark contrast to the busy streets of the there still being no sign of his target, Setsuna began to wonder if he had truly seen Ribbons Almark. Had he imagined it? Did the contact he made with Descartes Shaman affect his mind?
The Gundam meister expanded his quantum brainwaves once again. There were fewer people within the area. He could feel twinges of their emotions. But still no sign of Ribbons. As he continued to search the area, Setsuna felt a familiar presence.
"Setsuna!" The meister turned slowly at the call of his name, seeing Lyle standing not too far from him.
"Lockon, why are you here?" Setsuna asked.
"I could ask you the same question. Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you? It's a miracle that I was able to find you. I thought you would have known better than to run off like that," Lyle retorted, giving him a sharp look. Setsuna had nothing to say. His comrade was right.
Lyle sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, there's no point hanging around here. We should get going now."
Setsuna nodded and followed his fellow meister. Despite his efforts, Ribbons Almark was gone and there was no way to track him. He had nothing to show for his actions and doubted that the others would believe what he saw. Maybe it had been his imagination. But his instincts told him otherwise. He needed to speak with Tieria as soon as possible and find out if his comrade knew anything. Setsuna and Lyle made their way through the streets, neither breaking the silence between them.
Earth Federation Capital, Hotel Room
From his view, the sunset casted one side of the city in a blaze of orange light while leaving the rest in shadow. It was a simple, yet alluring sight. After spending so much time confined in space, Descartes had come to appreciate the beauty of the Earth since his arrival. Hearing something other than computer monitors and breathing in the Earth's air was a luxury he had longed for. However, his mind was concentrated on a more intriguing matter. At that moment, Descartes didn't care that he was most likely still being monitored by the Federation. He didn't care about the guards standing outside his room.
With what he had sensed during the conference, Descartes was positive that it had been another Innovator he had sensed at the conference. Unlike any of the other Innovades or even humans with low level quantum brainwaves, he had actually been able to easily communicate with the other Innovator. While he had been curious on what it would be like to meet another Innovator, he had never given it much thought. Now he didn't want to do anything but think about it. Those quantum brainwaves were unlike anything he felt from the Innovades on the Celestial Being. Even in the crowded room, that individual's quantum brainwaves dwarfed all the emotions of the humans.
The other Innovator may have reacted badly to their short communication, but Descartes did not let that discourage him. It was understandable. Even he hadn't known that they would communicate telepathically. When he had heard the Innovator's voice, Descartes strengthened his quantum brainwaves. In hindsight, it was a poor action to take. Even so, Descartes knew what to expect from other Innovators.
Could there be more Innovators in the world? There had to be. More Innovators like him who were limited by society, unaware of the power they were capable of. How long before the Federation contained them, stripping them of their freedom? How many would have their abilities unused and wasted? Descartes knew what it was like to be held back by inferior beings. Had it not been for the Innovade, he would have been tied to a meaningless existence as the Federation's lab rat. Now he was on the verge of a grand future.
The Federation officials believed that they had an idea of the power of Innovators. Ignorant fools. Those humans would never be able to feel what he had today. They would never come close to understanding the hidden potential that lay with all Innovators. Did they believe that they could one day understand? It was impossible. What right did they have to watch over and control the Innovator population.
The door to the room opened. Descartes heard footsteps and sensed who it was. He had been anticipating this visit. His ally had finally arrived. "You seem to be in quite a cheerful mood, Descartes Shaman."
"There you are! I've been waiting for you to show up. There's something I have to tell you. I found another Innovator in the city," Descartes said from his seat, still gazing out the window.
"Oh, did you now?" the Innovade asked. Descartes could hear the Innovade approaching him slowly. He turned and saw that the Innovade had chosen a light purple haired body to occupy.
"Yes. He was at the conference and our quantum brainwaves came into contact. I never would have thought I would sense another so soon. Do you understand what this means? We need to search for him and other Innovators. Now I know what it ...you don't seem to be as surprised as I am," Descartes said, noticing the Innovade's nonchalant attitude. He had been too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the Innovade's lack of surprise or concern. Finding another Innovator would help their goals. Why was he so apathetic to this piece of information?
"That would be because I am not surprised. I have known about this particular Innovator for quite some time," the Innovade replied.
Descartes was stunned. More accurately, he was furious. He sprung from his seat to face the Innovade. "You knew about that Innovator? Why didn't you tell me?"
"He is of no use to us. You'd best forget about him," the Innovade said simply. Descartes grit his teeth in frustration. Since their first encounter months ago, the Innovade had remained a mystery even to him. He had known the Innovade had been keeping secrets, even going so far as to keep his name hidden, and had gone along without a complaint. But he hadn't expected the Innovade to go so far as to keep the existence of another Innovator from him.
"Why should I forget about him? I could sense his thoughts, his emotions. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced. There was a moment where he was considering communicating with me. And you're telling me that we have no use for him? If I can come into contact with him again, I may be able to convince him to join us. To leave such potential unused would be outrageous. We need to have him on our side," Descartes snapped.
"That one has already chosen his path. He is incapable of leading humanity in the dialogues to come," As the Innovade spoke, Descartes sensed a quiet fury emanating from him. A familiar fury. It took a moment for Descartes to remember when he had felt the Innovade feel like this. Back before he had gone off in his Gadelaza to destroy the Europa. It all came down to Celestial Being.
"He's involved with Celestial Being, isn't he? All the more reason to seek him out. If I can gain his loyalty, then our enemy will be weakened and we will have someone who knows their weaknesses."
The Innovade looked Descartes directly in his eyes. "You wish to see this one again so badly? Even when you know so little about him? There is so much that you do not know."
"If you disagree, you'd best give me a reason not to," Descartes replied. Surprisingly, Descartes felt the Innovade's exasperation dissipate. In fact, it seemed that the Innovade was glad to hear such words.
The Innovade smiled as if accepting Descartes's challenge. "Very well, Descartes Shaman. I believe it's time I shared what I know with you. Let me tell you all I know about Setsuna F. Seiei, humanity's first purebred Innovator."
Between Lagrange 4 and 5, Celestial Being Asteroid Satellite
The main hangar had been damaged greatly. As the crew of the satellite took care of the damage and prepared for evacuation, Tieria was deep in thought. Whoever the enemy was, they had planned this attack and chosen an excellent time. Ian mentioned that they had been working on the Qan(T) at the time and the Ptolemaios was on Earth. The loss of the Qan(T) was an unfortunate setback. Raphael had been damaged as well. That last attack from the GN-XIII had leave Seravee unusable. Still, at least his Gundam was operational and there would be time later to do repairs.
Thankfully, Zabanya and Harute had been safe in storage during the attack and remained undamaged. The enemy didn't seem to care about the other Gundams. And he had been able to protect the GN drives, preventing the last two years of work from falling into the wrong hands. However, the enemy did detonate explosives in other parts of the satellite. With the severity of the attack, Tieria was sure that there had been casualties. If only he had gotten here faster.
Tieria saw that Ian and Linda were headed towards him. "What's our status?"
Ian sighed. "Well, we've confirmed a few dead and some are still missing.
"They were after the Qan(T) and GN drives, but why were they going through the hallways?" Linda wondered.
"What?" Ian and Tieria asked at the same time.
"Ian, you didn't say anything about the enemy leaving the hangar," Tieria said.
"I didn't know anything about it. I thought they were trying to do something with the Qan(T) or drives," Ian explained. "But I guess there was enough time before you got here for them to get out. But it that's the case, then what were they after?"
He had a point. If they had gone to other parts of the satellite, then the enemy was after more than just the Qan(T) and GN drives. Tieria turned his attention to Linda. "Linda, tell me what you saw."
"I was going through the hallways during the attack. I saw a pair of the enemy pilots down the corridor. They saw me and one of them fired. Luckily, the door was shutting. I saw one of the crew in a suit on the ground, but I couldn't see who."
"They killed him?"
"I'm not quite sure. They were standing over him, but I didn't see any blood," Linda mentioned.
"Did you notice anything else about the enemy?" Tieria asked.
Linda gathered her thoughts. "Now that I think about it, the way they moved seemed strange."
Tieria gave her a look. "What do you mean by strange?"
"I'm not quite sure how to put it. I suppose it was how stiffly they moved. And the bullet they fired sounded off. That's everything that happened before you showed up."
Ian turned to Tieria. "What do you think this means?"
Tieria folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not quite sure. But the enemy had been easy for me to destroy. They must have been after something other than the Gundam and GN drives. There isn't anything else important here, is there?"
"I don't think so. I can check and see what we're missing."
"Has the Ptolemaios responded back yet?" Linda asked.
Tieria shook his head. "I've sent a message before I launched in Raphael. They should have left as soon as the mission was completed. Anyway, we should start making plans to evacuate the facility."
"Do you think the enemy knows about the others?" Ian asked.
Tieria contemplated the question for a moment. "If the enemy did somehow have access to Veda, then it is possible that they were able to locate this facility by tracing it through from the times I contacted you. If I'm right about that, then that would mean that the other facilities should be safe."
Once the Federation had occupied Celestial Being, Tieria had been sure that there wasn't any information on the locations of the satellites. After the death of Aeolia Schenburg, Veda had been wiped of any information related to Celestial Being and Tieria hadn't found anything while he had been in Veda. This particular facility had been the only one he had communicated regularly with. That would explain how the facility had been discovered and how the enemy knew of the GN drives and the 00 Qan(T). Still, that just left the question as to who could have access to Veda without his knowledge. Could Veda once again be compromised?
"Anyway, Linda and I are going to contact the Ptolemaios. We just want to see how they're doing," Ian said.
Tieria nodded and turned to face the damage after Ian and Linda left. He sighed, feeling exhaustion from the day's events. There were many questions that needed to be answered. Unfortunately, Tieria couldn't shake the feeling that the future would only bring more trials for them.
Ptolemaios
Sumeragi hurried down the hall to meet up with the others. After Ian had contacted the Ptolemaios, the tactical forecaster acted quickly. How had they not received Tieria's message? Sumeragi pushed the question aside. Wondering about that wouldn't change the fact that they couldn't reach the satellite. There were more important problems they had to deal with at the moment. The fact that Setsuna had ran off only made things worse. What was he thinking? Was it because of Descartes Shaman? Had she been wrong to allow Setsuna to go on the mission? Sumeragi hoped that the Gundam meister would be able work out whatever was disturbing him.
The four were gathered near the entrance to the hall. The moment they had boarded the Ptolemaios, Lasse had began heading towards Mongolia and she had already sent a message to Allelujah and Marie. They didn't have any time to waste. The sooner they rendezvoused with the others the better. As long as the enemy was out there and the GN drives were unused, they had to assume that they would strike again at any moment.
Mileina was the first to acknowledge the tactical forecaster. "Miss Sumeragi?"
"Setsuna, care to explain yourself?" Sumeragi asked. Setsuna remained silent, avoiding eye contact.
"While you were in the city, there was an incident. We've received a report that our satellite was attacked by an unknown enemy earlier today," Sumeragi announced. She had chosen to tell them about the attack in person. The information shocked the team, Mileina especially.
"What? Are Mama and Papa hurt?" Mileina asked.
"They're alright. Fortunately, Tieria arrived and defeated the enemy. Unfortunately, we lost the 00 Qan(T). The enemy destroyed it when it was apparent they couldn't escape," Sumeragi eyes Setsuna, wondering how he would react to hearing that the new Gundam had been destroyed. The Gundam meister didn't seem to be especially shocked by this piece of news. His expression remained unchanged.
"Tieria's back?" Feldt asked.
Sumeragi nodded. "He realized what was going on before any of us. Right now, he's with Ian and the others."
"So what's our next move? Are we going after these guys?" Lockon asked.
"No, not yet. While Tieria and the others evacuate the satellites, we're going to retrieve Allelujah and Marie. We'll come up with our next move after that. Whoever attacked our satellite knew about the Qan(T) and the GN drives. For now, we're relocating the crew and There's a chance that they could go after those two as well."
"So the team is getting back together. So much for peace," Lyle said, trying to lighten the situation.
"Enough joking. We're still trying to figure out the details. Anyway, we need to get moving. Now might be a good time for you to get some rest. You'll want to be ready to take on the enemy," Sumeragi suggested. Lyle nodded and made his way down the hall.
"Mileina, I'm sure your parents would want to hear from you. Why don't you go and speak with them," Sumeragi advised.
"Okay, Miss Sumeragi," the young girl said, obviously anxious to see that her parents were unharmed.
As Mileina headed off to the bridge, Feldt floated closer to Setsuna's side. "Setsuna, what happened? Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," Setsuna muttered, his eyes directed to the floor. Despite what he said the look on his face said otherwise. Whatever had happened down on Earth was still weighing heavily on his mind. Sumeragi wasn't sure whether to try to get Setsuna to tell them what exactly happened or leave him be. She stood still, keeping an eye on the pair.
"You sensed something, didn't you?" Feldt asked, her tone becoming more serious.
"I'm not sure," Setsuna replied, still carrying a confused and conflicted expression.
"By the way, Marina gave me a way for us to contact her. She said she wanted you to use it if you ever needed her. If you want, I can see if she has some time to talk with you," Feldt offered. Setsuna turned slightly, as if he was thinking of taking the offer.
"Now is not a good time," the Gundam meister decided.
"Oh, all right then. Let me know if you change your mind," Feldt said. He stood there for a moment, paying no mind to either Sumeragi or Feldt, before heading down the hallway. Whatever had happened during the mission was still weighing on his mind. Feldt kept her eyes on him, obviously having her own inner conflict.
"You're worried about Setsuna, aren't you?" Sumeragi knew that she didn't even have to ask. The answer was written all over Feldt's face plain as day.
Feldt lowered her head. "I'm just kind of scared. Ever since Setsuna became an Innovator, it's like he went back to the way he used to be when we first met him. When he didn't open his heart for anything...or anyone."
"He's just struggling to come to terms with his reformation and his abilities," Sumeragi explained as she turned to look down the hallway. "He's overly conscious about how different he has become from the rest of us."
"But isn't there anything I can do to help him through it?" Feldt looked towards Sumeragi, seeking guidance.
Sumeragi turned to face Feldt, offering the girl a gentle smile. "There is. Keep caring for him."
"Caring for him?" Feldt repeated.
"Yes. That's what you need to understand each other. Even if you're on different paths, you have to continue caring for him. Otherwise, your feelings will never reach him. Those feelings are what tie people together. They are what help us understand each other in the truest sense."
Sumeragi stepped forward, placing one hand on Feldt's shoulder and the other on her cheek. Setsuna wasn't the only one who had changed. When she had first met Feldt, the little girl had been a quiet and withdrawn from the rest of the crew. Over the years, she had learned to open up to the rest of them. Now she had become a gentle and caring young woman.
"So, those feelings you have. Don't you give them up."
"Right," Feldt seemed to cheer up at her words. Sumeragi saw a renewed spark of energy in the young woman's eyes. She seemed to be taking her words to heart. Those feelings could help her through the difficult times that might come and Sumeragi didn't want to see her give up too easily.
"Good. Now let's go. We've got work to do."
Lagrange 4, Colony Proud, Command Center
Five GN-XIIIs had been lost on the mission. It had been difficult enough to secure mobile suits without the Federation finding out. There was an even greater risk when Julius had been ordered to smuggle in equipment used to create Innovades for the squadron. Pacing across the room, Julius thought about what this failure would cost him. Directly attacking a Celestial Being facility was a risky move. The organization would definitely retaliate. The was no way for them to know that he was involved, but that didn't stop Julius from worrying. What if they were overpowered or if the Federation got involved? Julius doubted that they were prepared to fight both of them. Had he made the wrong chose in aligning himself with that person?
The door opened and Julius turned around, spotting two figures in black pilot suits. The first was a woman with black hair that reached her shoulders and green eyes. By most standards, she was a striking woman. She was carrying the purple Haro. The other was a boy who looked no older than fifteen. He was with blonde hair so pale it looked nearly white. Two of that Innovade's companions, Scheris Talion and Cypher Aleph. The last thing he needed was to have them aggravate him. As the two made their way to him, Julius wondered where the last member of the trio was. Where did these freaks come from?
"You're still here? How long do I have to put up with you three?" Julius demanded to know. Having to use his resources to support some unknown plan and put himself at risk was one thing. Keeping them around was another matter. Julius didn't understand why he needed to allow these people onto his colony. They had their own base, why bother him?
The woman smirked. "We'll leave once the boss gives us the order. What you want isn't important to us. Try to remember who's in charge."
"Who's in charge. Who's in charge," the purple Haro repeated. Tightening his fist, Julius fought down the urge to lash out at them.
"Miss Talion, don't say it like that. Mr. Vardon is kind enough to let us stay here," the boy said. Julius was never able to tell if he was being sincere or was just finding a way to mock him. To anyone else, the smile the boy sported on his face would have been a sign of innocence and good will. Julius knew that it was used to hide the true monster the boy was.
"Cypher, you have a lot to learn. Vardon doesn't have a choice. The boss decides what he'll do, how he'll do it, and when he'll get it done. Like a good dog, Vardon will follow orders. He's in too deep to do otherwise."
"Enough! I don't need to take this from some bitch!" Julius shouted. "Don't think that you can just talk to me like that. I've been doing actual work while you sit around doing nothing. Unlike you two, I have something to lose from all of this."
"Is now the time to argue?" The three turned their attention to the purple Haro, whose playful voice had switched to a cold, mechanical one.
"You finally decided to show up. Took you long enough," Scheris remarked, her voice carrying a hint of irritation.
"I see that you're still upset."
"We're taking too long. We should have already made our move against the Federation. I could have taken them out if you'd let me. It would make things a hell of a lot easier for us." As much as Julius detested the woman, he had to agree with her. At least then he wouldn't have to worry about what the Federation would do if they found out what he had been doing.
"And how do you think the government would react? Or Celestial Being? Your hunger for vengeance will be sated in time. Our forces are far from complete. Speaking of our forces, have you made the proper arrangements?"
"I've been keeping in contact with a few old comrades who've gone looking up others. I'll get you the names soon. You can look them over but don't expect them to wait around. "
"Speaking of our forces, Mr. Shaman seemed to be acting a little strangely during the conference," Cypher said.
"Ah, yes. I had expected such an occurrence with Descartes Shaman. It is nothing that you should concern yourself with," The purple Haro stated.
"It was the one from Celestial Being, wasn't it? That is another reason why we should have struck them while we had the chance," Scheris snapped.
"Calm down. Don't let your desire for revenge cloud your mind. Our forces are far from sufficient. We are not ready to take on both the Federation army and Celestial Being. Once the preparations are complete, we will have your former allies rendezvous with us. Then we will be ready to take on the world."
Julius snorted at the statement. "You're actually going to rely on some second rate pilots. What's the point? We've proven that Innovades can be used as soldiers and you already had me go through all the trouble of bringing the machinery needed to create them into a couple of my colonies. You've even already taken a few of the new Innovades for yourself. They're more reliable than whatever army rejects Talion could find."
Scheris scoffed. "And look how your precious soldiers turned out. We could have had some real pilots take care of the mission. They would have put up an actual fight."
"This was a mission I couldn't entrust to those who have yet to prove their loyalty. I will admit that the Innovade soldiers are far from perfect. Their skills leave much to be desired. However, they will improve in time. Until then, we need skilled pilots for our forces. We will need human forces, Julius Vardon. They can provide something that even the Innovades cannot. And there is a chance for those humans to develop into Innovators. Besides, those Innovades wouldn't have the skills necessary for the custom mobile suits I have prepared. Don't you agree, Scheris Talion? Cypher Aleph?"
"So our mobile suits are almost ready? It's about time. When do we get to see them?" Scheris asked, grinning at the news.
"Nezach, Melquth, and Gevura are on the way as we speak. They should arrive within a few hours. I'm sure that you all will find them suitable mobile suits."
"How exciting. It'll be very interesting to see how we compare with Celestial Being after all our training. Don't you agree, Miss Talion?" Cypher asked.
Scheris gave the boy a quick nod and looked down to the Haro in her arms. "At least you've been doing something all this time. It'll be nice to take out my Nezach. We're all getting a little impatient waiting around, him especially."
"Of course. Celestial Being will be vulnerable for a bit. I will send you out soon enough. We may not be ready for a full fledged war but I'm sure that a battle would give you experience against our enemies. At the very least it will show how capable your mobile suits are. I hope you all are prepared to engage the Gundams."
Julius growled in frustration. "And what if we fail? What if Celestial Being takes them down? You think a few customs suits are enough to take them on? All this time planning would have been a waste. I'm beginning to doubt you even know what you're doing. Do you realize that you've wasted my GN-XIIIs? Out of the squadron you sent, only three units were able to escape. How could you waste our units like that?"
"Our units? I don't believe claiming ownership over those GN-XIIIs. While your resources have been a great help to our cause, I have been capable of gathering my own. The ones sacrificed on the mission were a necessary loss all things considered."
"Necessary loss? You used the GN-XIIIs I gathered and lost them on a failed mission! You couldn't get those GN drives and had to destroy that Gundam! I've been willing to follow your orders for over a year and you still haven't shown any results for this so called plan," Julius roared.
"I'll admit that failing to obtain the Gundam is a disappointment, but destroying it will weaken Celestial Being. As for the GN drives, you'll understand soon enough. In fact, take a look at the hangar monitor," the Haro advised. With a scoff, Julius reluctantly did so. Scheris and Cypher did the same, curiosity sparking in their eyes.
On the screen, the three GN-XIIIs landed in the colony hangar. The cockpits opened and Julius's eyes widened as he saw the Innovade pilots step out of their mobile suits. None of the three pilots were alone. Two members floated from their mobile suits each carrying a captive in a white spacesuit, the third had carried two. From how unresponsive the bodies were, the captives were most likely unconscious. It was unlikely that they were dead. Who were these people? Were they hostages from Celestial Being? As he realized what this meant, Julius was left in a stunned silence.
Scheris whistled. "Well, I guess we can't complain about you not getting results."
Cypher laughed loudly. "I get it now. Things are going to get very interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next."
"Do you understand now, Julius Vardon? Did you honestly believe that I would return empty handed? Do not doubt my judgement or my dedication. My very existence is dedicated to the completion of the plan. In time, we will have all we need to pursue the Aeolia plan."
Once again sitting in the same chair, Descartes let the words of the Innovade sink in. Once again, his life had drastically changed in less than one day. Out of curiosity for the Innovade's plan and his own desire for freedom, he had gone along with the Innovade. The Innovade knew that and didn't seem to think anything of it, appreciating having the Innovator he had been searching for. But after today, Descartes realized what he wanted was more than freedom. He now had a desire, an ambition. He wanted to see what sort of future a world of Innovators would lead to. Or rather, he wanted to create it, he would create it. And both the Innovade and Setsuna F. Seiei would aid him in that goal.
Descartes could understand his ally's feelings towards this Setsuna F. Seiei. Descartes never would have expected that the Innovator he sensed would also turn out to be a pilot of a Gundam. Whatever occurred between the Innovade and Celestial Being had left quite an impression on his ally. Throughout their conversation on the other Innovator, Descartes could feel a strong wave of bitterness from the Innovade. He told Descartes about Setsuna F. Seiei, his past and how he became an Innovator. The Innovade went on to explain how he would deal with the Innovator. Descartes could see the Innovade's point of view and his plan could be successful. From his short contact with the other Innovator, Descartes felt the man was under distress. He was unsure of himself and the world around him. Setsuna F. Seiei went to the conference to find answers. However, He couldn't help but wonder if the Innovade was underestimating the power of an Innovator. Descartes wouldn't be surprised if the plan failed.
The more Descartes focused on the subject of Setsuna F. Seiei and what the Innovade had told him, the more questions he found. Should he be angry with the realization that he wasn't the first Innovator? Was he mistaken in wanting the other Innovator's allegiance? Was the Innovade correct in his assumption of the other Innovator? In the end, it didn't matter. Regardless of how he felt, regardless of what questions he asked himself, Setsuna F. Seiei would have a role to play in the future. That fact alone gave Descartes a sense of anticipation he hadn't felt in quite awhile.
Setsuna F. Seiei, what will you do? Will you join me as my ally or stand against me as my opponent? I have chosen my path and you will have to choose yours. But no matter which path you follow, our paths will cross again. Don't disappoint me. When the time comes, you and I will show the world the true potential of Innovators.
Author's Note: Finally got another chapter down. For some reason, this one was incredibly frustrating to write. However, there were some good things that came out it. I made some slight changes to what I had planned, but I think it works out for the better. I know I've been vague regarding certain aspects of this story, but there will be answers in the upcoming chapters. Feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.