Odessa
November 11th, 079
The ruins of the battlefield were strewn with biological and mechanical debris.
Recovery Guntanks hauled wreckage away to be buried, recovered, and scrapped.
At the crest of a hill, a lone machine stood, looking intimidating and undamaged despite the carnage around it including the ruins of a Gouf whose corpse lay at its feet.
Many would be confused why it hadn't moved since the day before.
Inside the cockpit, Lewis Baker sipped some of the water in his emergency rations with a look of annoyance.
Before him was the wrecked remains of his controls, so badly wrecked that even hot wiring had not helped.
A sigh escaped his lips, "What a fool I was." He spoke.
The day before, his Ground Gundam had charged into battle with a bazooka and a machine gun in company with tanks and aircraft while Guntanks fired in support.
All had gone well with him taking down five Zakus, then the squadron leader of said Mobile Suits had engaged.
A Gouf with 87 marks indicating kills on its head had charged him, he had to throw down his bazooka and draw a beam saber to engage.
The clash had been brief but vicious, however after slicing the Goufs Heat Sword with his Saber he had gone for the kill with his blade striking home.
The Goufs Heat Rod had lashed out, electricity from it had surged into the Gundam for over a minute frying the electrical systems and shutting down the reactor and jamming the hatch shut.
Since then, the Gundam had stood motionless while it's pilot awaited rescue unaware of what was going on in the outside world.
Baker suspected the Federation had won but the lack of motion or sounds prevented him from knowing.
Then he heard a knock from the hatch and a muffled voice called, "Lieutenant Baker?"
Getting up, he pounded back and called, "Present and accounted for! Hatch is jammed and needs a welding torch!"
The voice didn't answer for a few minutes but then spoke, "Very good sir, we have some welders climbing up now."
Bakers face looked annoyed, this was confirmation that the Ground Gundams and GMs (what did that even stand for?) hatches were easily jammed. Like he suspected they were.
"Good, I eagerly await the sun. Tell me, what of the battle?" He asked.
"Battle ended yesterday, Zeon forces surrendered or arent a factor. 3 Ground GMs active of the 24 we brought, rest are destroyed or disabled or nonfunctional. All nine of the other Ground Gundams are active." The voice responded.
"Very good." His face fell, the Ground Gundam pilots survival was something to celebrate but the destruction of the GMs was something he felt awful about. He doubted the pilots survived the experience.
His face nearly crumpled remembering their names and faces, 'How many more would this war collect?' Too many had perished in tanks, Guntanks and Guncannons.
His face recovered as he heard the hiss of a torch going through the door. He wanted to present a brave face to the troops under his command.
The truth could be told to a psychiatrist later.
As the hatch was opened, a helmeted face looked in.
"There you are, no one knew if you were alive or dead. So apologies." The figure spoke, offering her hand she added, "Ensign Catleburn".
Shaking her hand, he emerged out of the cockpit and looked around.
The scale of destruction, something obscured by the smoke of battle the day before was now obvious along with the recovery efforts.
"Quite a battle wasn't it?" The ensign spoke.
The Lieutenant nodded slowly as his eyes took in the view.
"Oh yes. Hopefully this will be the largest it will be." Baker responded knowing full well that the war had really just begun.