Chapter 14
U.C. 0094.2.4 0847 EOST
Calyx Military Port, Palau, L4
"Well I must say, my good man, that you have managed to exceed even my wildest dreams on what would be the results of your expedition." Governor Pepe said jovially, looking down as the unloading of the haul from Axis moved along. Mobile suits hailing from all spectrum of the Axis Zeon design family were being moved around by dock cranes, then strapped down to giant hovercraft dollys, which looked like the bastard child of a base jabber and a old earth dolly to me, that took them deeper into Calyx for processing by my mechanics. Glancing back at the governor, I realized he looked thinner than when I had last seen him. His pot belly had reduced in size and he seemed to have returned to a more active lifestyle in the time that had passed between now and then.
"And some of my own expectations as well." I replied, checking my wristwatch quickly to check the time until the post operation debriefing with my command staff. "Just wait until you see the size of the shipyard we're hauling in."
"Where is that by the way? I noticed you seem to have lost a few of your warships as well."
"The warships are hauling the shipyard, and are currently engaged in the multi day long process of de-accelerating what I have been assured is an extremely heavy piece of metal and rock, so that we can bring it to a smooth halt alongside Palau and not have the place go...boom for lack of a better phrase."
"A very reasonable course of action."
"Indeed." I nodded
"You also mentioned that some of those mobile suits would be coming into my possession. Care to elaborate?" Pepe glanced at me sideways.
I shrugged my shoulders while running a hand through my blond curls, which stretched down to my shoulders after a recent trim. "You're getting thirty mobile suits. Three Ga-Zowmns and the rest are late Gaza-D models. Wasn't able to find enough paint for the Gazas, so they're still eye searing pink." Another shrug. "But I put all of them through their paces personally, so they'll perform under pressure."
Pepe nodded his head along with my words. "Then I believe the Riah Independence Movement now has the second largest private military in the Earth Sphere. With your Neo Zeon having the semi-illustrious honor of being number one."
"Wouldn't go about broadcasting that fact out where anyone could overhear it Pepe. Feddies don't take kindly to those other than themselves having military hardware." I said. "But you could definitely give the Feddies over at Riah a run for their money if you decided to take an extremely direct route to independence."
He snorted at the last part of my statement. "That type of independence would be measured in days. And those NSP and EGUM groups from the turn of decade proved exactly where rushing off to take the fight to the Federation without a plan will get you: dead in space with no fuel or air."
Well that sounded like common knowledge right there. Smile and nod your head mode engage.
"And I wouldn't want you to act on such a plan anyways my friend." I told him, clapping him on the back in a friendly way. "Besides, that is the whole purpose of our AEUG. A united front made up of those with common interests."
The governor reached up and scratched at his chin. "Yet despite the AEUG being an equal partnership between our groups, and any future allies, I feel like the inferior partner."
I could feel the emotion behind Pepe's words, in a way that I hadn't been able to in our previous conversations. It was a strange feeling, like I had gained a second of momentary insight into the emotional depths of the man before me. This flash lasted for no less than a second but the knowledge I gained told me how I would need to shape this conversation for both my and Pepe's long term benefit.
I'd have to muster all my cunning to not make my helpful manipulations obvious though, and muster all of my willpower to stay awake for the length of the conversation. It had been a grueling three weeks at Axis with snatched hours of sleep here and there and plenty of caffeine to get me through it. The end result at the end of those three weeks was that I was dead tired and desperately wanted to crawl into a nice soft, fluffy, clean, warm, dry, many blanketed and many pillowed bed, and then not emerge for the rest of the month. But I was a man bound by duty, so personal pleasures must come after business.
So mustering the previously mentioned cunning and willpower, I started talking. "That is an odd thing to say, my friend. But it seems to me that you've given this a good amount of thought, so please continue."
Pepe nodded at my words before gesturing to the hallways behind us. "Let's talk back at my office, it's more private there. Also, I've recently come into some fine cigars and a bottle of limoncello that I'd figure we share over our joint successes."
So this conversation wasn't going to be all doom and gloom then. Good, I'd had far too much doom 'n gloom digging through the graveyard that was Axis. The walk would also give me the chance to get a better read on Pepe's motives, if he gave anything away that is.
"An unusual choice of drink." I commented as we started to move away from Calyx and towards the Governor General's Palace back on Corolla A. The drink had something to do with lemons from what I vaguely remembered. Or was it oranges? I could never really tell with European drinks honestly, the names weren't always the most self explanatory.
"I come by the taste honestly." Pepe said, chortling a bit as he spoke. "My family originally lived on the Amalfi coast for generations before the Universal Century was proclaimed and the Colony Resettlement Plan got underway. The local branch of the FSTB punted us off Italia and into space. We took the lemons with us and started producing the drink in the colonies. Family has been at it ever since."
"I assume you took a different career path?" I asked, ducking around a passing mechanic.
"Oh I liked the principle behind producing liquor and the mythology around the trade. I found the reality to be far less appealing." He told me. "Ended up being the military for me, though it was the colony militia at first."
I smiled to myself. He was delaying the real meat of the conversation until we got to his office. Maybe to avoid being overheard or just because he was eager to get at those cigars. I'd take things easy until we arrived. The chance to learn more about the man who currently was and would most likely remain my foremost ally was an added bonus to me.
"I trust that the men and women under my command have been presenting themselves with all necessary decorum to the people of Palau while I was away." I prodded for information as the two of us got into the elevator that would take us to Corolla C. Zeon remnants had a bit of a history for, let's say less than perfect interactions with civilians, I'd come to learn while parsing through Char's journal entries.
'The only reputation they've earned is one of them being big spenders." Pepe said wryly. "I don't think I've seen the vendors in the residential block so lively in a number of years."
Sounds good so far, tossing around money to stimulate the local economy gave the impression that Neo Zeon wasn't in dire financial straits. I'd know if I hadn't had access to the slightly better food rations due to my position of command, I'd have been bleeding my wallet dry the very second real food was dangled before me.
"As I made you aware before I left for Axis, I had ordered my subordinates to open up recruiting posts in the population center in order to flesh out the ranks of my crews." I paused, mulling over how to say the question.
I settled on. "I hope they haven't been press ganging anyone in service?"
I glanced at Pepe. "They haven't right?"
"Ah... no, no. It's been all above the board. A recruiting center in the residential area, done all proper like." Pepe informed me. "I had one of my aids examine the paperwork that your boys were having them sign, it all checked out."
"I also hope that you don't consider my...efforts to be poaching." I said, remembering a topic that I had been meaning to address in my cominques with Pepe but that had been before the going ons of Operation Aesop at Axis had drawn the majority of my attention before our talks had reached it.
"Not at all. I am well aware of the geographical and political realities of Palau. The vast majority of the citizenry now identify as spacenoids, Palauans specifically, rather than Riahans. The people I govern have been separated from Riah for close to a decade now, only the most ardent supporters still actively want to return to Side 6 and I had already brought them into my employ before your arrival." Pepe said, waving a hand in greeting to the guards that manned the gates of the governor's palace, as we passed through. "Economically, we're even more separated from Riah than we are geographically. What little outside economic activity that happens at Palau is tied to the asteroid mining business and the occasional stopover from vessels tied to the Jupiter Energy Fleet."
I nodded in understanding, not that Pepe could see my response, and the rest of our jaunt was passed in amicable silence. I took the brief time to soak in the decor of the governor's palace, I came to the conclusion that no matter how much time had passed, I would still be amazed at the unusual sight of a pristine palace, constructed in the French Baroque style, in the middle of an asteroid that was floating in outer space.
Upon reaching Pepe's personal office, which was smaller and more personal than the more formal, and throne-like, ceremonial office, he ushered me into a comfortable leather chair. Then he pulled out a thin wooden case and an unmarked frosted glass bottle filled with a yellow drink, which I presumed to be the famous limoncello Pepe had regaled me about on the way here. With a bit of flair, Pepe withdrew two lowball tumblers from inside a drawer in his desk. They impacted the wood paneling of his desk with a solid thunk that showcased their sound make.
The wooden case, that I was certain was carrying cigars inside it, was placed to the side as Pepe uncorked the bottle and filled both tumblers up to the brim with limoncello. One was pushed towards me while Pepe took the other in his hand.
"Drinks first then cigars?" I asked, leaning forward to take the tumbler.
Pepe toasted me. "Pleasure then business as my father always said. Cheers."
"Cheers." I mumbled back, taking a deep drink of the limoncello. A second passed, then two, then three and then I found that my glass was empty, the wonderful taste of sweet citrus was on my tongue, I could see my blue eyes at the bottom of my glass and I was feeling far more awake and human than I had felt an hour ago.
A laugh emerged from my lips and I placed the tumbler back on the desk.
"Now that," I pointed at the bottle. "Was the finest drink I have had all year, truly."
Pepe matched my chuckle with one of his own. "I'll let my brother know about your ringing endorsement next time I see him."
"Tell him to contact my talent agent if he wants me to appear in a commercial or two for him." I joked, relaxing further into the leather chair and marveling at the quality in that drink in the back of my mind.
The drinks were set aside and the promised cigars were then introduced, the ends were cut off then lit and soon we were puffing away. Pepe with far more enthusiasm than myself.
Judging that the moment was right, I made my move. "So, this must be a serious topic if you wanted to have it all the way over here. Not that I don't appreciate the accoutrements of our talk, just want to know what exactly we'll be talking about." My cigar waved a faint smoke trail as I waved it through the air, encompassing the room in a gesture.
"Then I suppose it'd be best to move into the main then." Pepe leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. "It's about the AEUG, specifically how it's going to be run at the upper levels."
"So you mean our level?" I asked, wanting clarification.
"Well...yes."
"I suppose it is about time that we got around this then." I crossed my legs and drummed the fingers of my empty hang against the armrest of the chair I was sitting in, using the break in talking to put my thoughts in order.
"Okay then." I broke the silence. "What do you want to know, or maybe more importantly, what do your Nationalist friends back in Riah want to know?"
I'd hit the nail square on the head judging by the expression of admission that appeared on Pepe's face. He didn't look contrite by my discovery or anything, rather I got the impression that he was just doing away with any factitious veneer of hiding the true reason behind this dialogue being initiated. Fine by me, I'd always liked having a go at potential problems head on in order to get things straightened back out.
"They and I want to know the same things more or less. They are just naturally more suspicious of you due the second hand nature of their interactions with you. But between you and me that feeling will go away once they get the chance to interact with you in some capacity." Pepe informed me, taking hefty puffs of his cigar in between sentences.
"They think I'm some kind of Federal Intelligence plant then? Or the centerpiece of a honeypot operation designed to draw out dissidents." I guessed, taking a stab in the dark as to the reason behind Pepe's Nationalist friends questions.
"Nothing so severe as that, they just want to know if you are the real deal or not."
"In ideology or intent?"
"Oh they believe you're the real deal ideologically, the video evidence you provided me of your forces engaging that EFSF patrol in the Pezun Debris Field was more than enough to convince them that you are in fact the head of Neo Zeon now." Unsaid went the notion that Zeon remnants like Neo Zeon were the only anti-Federation groups with the ability to meet the mighty EFF on somewhat equal footing.
"What they are more concerned about is if you're going to hold up the promise you mentioned. The one about the AEUG leadership not being a hierarchy but a council of equals." Pepe ashed his cigar after he had finished speaking.
"Asides from promising the Riah Independence Movement a place at the table once it gets itself off the ground as an organized movement, I don't see how exactly your friends want me to prove the honesty of my intentions. Since they clearly don't want to take a man on his good word alone." I shrugged, inwardly starting to become annoyed at Pepe's comrades. I was confident that the talk with Pepe would turn out in both of our interests, yet it was innately rather hard to convince people I'd never met that I was on the level with my intentions.
Considering the nasty habit pro-spacenoid movements had of stabbing each other in the back when the chips were down, I almost didn't blame them for their caution. Almost.
"A quandary that I pondered while you were away," Pepe held up two fingers. "And I devised upon two things that would certainly move them to our side of things. Firstly, you type up a document outlining the formal structure of the AEUG and how all the parts will work together in the whole."
"Like a legal document?" I asked.
"I was thinking more of a report."
"Not a bad idea honestly, we were going to have to stratify how things work in our AEUG at some point in time anyways. Might as well get it sorted sooner rather than later." I admitted, taking an absentminded puff of my cigar. I remembered that people like to structure in an organization they were considering joining, made it seem like the group in question had their shit squared away and had their course all plotted out. Or something like that.
"Secondly-" Pepe started but paused as I interjected.
"Do you have something I can type on? Figured it's best to do this now so your friends in Riah can get it as soon as possible."
"Uh...no, I don't. Maybe there is some paper around here" Pepe started to look around.
"Ah never mind. I have this." I waved Char's(mine) tablet that I always kept on my person. I'd only used it for research before this, so much so that I'd nearly forgotten that I could write with it. With both hands occupied, I stubbed out my cigar so I could better operated the tablet.
"Would you like me to leave the room so you can work?" Pepe asked hesitantly as I manipulated the tablet's controls to open up a blank page and project a holographic keyboard, looking mildly surprised that I wasn't going to take my time in writing this up.
"There's no need, this will take very little time. Here I'll narrate it for you as I go." I said confidently, fingers beginning to fly across the surprisingly tactile holographic keyboard. Considering the apparent age of the tablet(to my undiscerning eyes), Char must have spent a small fortune when he bought this. It was probably a custom job as well, I couldn't see any normal retailer that would stock their shelves with products bearing Zeon iconography.
I wasn't making this up off the top of my head, of course. The inner workings of my AEUG had been something I'd been mulling over in the back of my head as soon as I got Pepe on board with the idea back in the last days of 0093.
The main objective of the AEUG organization, at first, would be to act as the common bank for any and all organizations looking to take the fight to the Federation, with respect to the fact that we would not fund actual terrorist operations(the Feds were going to call us terrorists anyways but that didn't mean we had to live up to the label!). Cash, resources, and contacts, the AEUG would supply it all to the member organizations that made up her ranks. Each organization would have monthly dues of said cash, resources and contacts that they would supply to the AEUG, and the dispensation of those dues would be decided upon the AEUG High Command, made up of the leaders of each organization. The dues would have to be stored in the care of some discrete third party to prevent theft of the stuff, maybe Anaheim or the Swiss banks if they were still active.
The first department of the AEUG, besides the High Command, would be the Watchdog department. It's job would be to track every single move the EFF made, compile then disperse reports to the member organizations of AEUG. My hope was that it would act as the counter to Federation Intelligence's efforts to track us down and infiltrate our ranks with spies, like they had done previously(and in the future if I remained at Palau long enough for them to get a lock on our movements.). The department would be made up of people from all member organizations that would be on a rotating roster of staff that would switch out now and again. Didn't want people to think we were poaching their people after all. I suspected that this would be the most active part of my AEUG in the early days and made sure to leave room for the expansion of its duties as time went on, in a way that the common bank didn't have.
The second department was the War Department. Its purpose was, descriptively, short, sweet and simple: Direct the united AEUG war effort against the Earth Federation. In reality, I just knew that it would end up being a very complex organization but such was the reality of the creation I was bringing into existence. Neo Zeon and the Riah Independence Movement would have to sit down, once Pepe had kicked his comrades into gear and gotten his military forces set up, so we could hammer out the finer details of the War Department's powers and reach. And if Kaises had done his job there would soon be a third party at the table for Pepe and myself to bring into the fold.
The disturbing thought that Pepe might not become the leader of the RIM, and that I'd have to deal with someone I didn't know and understand, was quickly shoved aside.
With the vagueness of the War Department finished, I finally stopped typing and stopped talking. My throat was relatively parched, the unfortunate end result of talking for a period of time. A glance at the clock confirmed that about an hour, plus a handful of minutes, had passed.
"Mind if I have another drink?" I asked Pepe, deciding that it was best to not let a silence develop. I needed him to agree to what I proposed, and preferably immediately rather than let him digest and mull what I had told him over. His endorsement had a high chance of being what would push his comrades into accepting the conditions of entry at face value. Which I needed them to do.
"After that amount of talking I'd be surprised if you didn't want something to drink. I'm thirsty and all I did was listen to you. Here." Pepe passed the limoncello bottle back to me. I poured myself two fingers of the drink and quaffed it down.
"All said and done, do you have any objections to what I outlined to you?" I asked, silently hoping for immediate acceptance.
"How could I when I've been presented with something that thorough and well thought out?" Pepe said in a joking tone that didn't quite fail to hide the impressed nature of his words. Through a valiant effort on the part of moi, I tapped down on the self satisfied smirk I wanted to let out. "In all seriousness my colleges were concerned that the AEUG proposal was your way of getting access to their money and manpower. A scam organization if you will."
Explains the references to EGUM and NSP, I guess.
"And the thoroughness of my plan for the AEUG will ease their worries I hope?"
"I can guarantee that I'll whip the recalcitrants among them into acceptance if they maintain their stance after giving this a read, let me tell you." Pepe assured me. "But this should get everyone on board back home. They like things to be nice and neat before they agree to something official like this. Between you and me, I'm pretty sure it's because most of them were REMFs during our shared military days. Logistical officers and the like."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Nevertheless their expertise will allow you to quickly get off the ground from an organizational standpoint."
"My thoughts exactly!" Pepe said cheerfully. The previous gloom I had gleaned from him had vanished entirely. His eyes were brighter and his mustache covered lips were curved upwards in approval, which I took to be a sign of a successful mission on my part.
"Well," I said, standing up out of my chair and quickly stretching my arms above my head. "I have a meeting with my people to get to, so I'm going to send this over to my secretary and have them make it more official-like in appearance and add all the bureaucratic language your friends are sure to appreciate. They'll send you a copy to forward to your comrades in Riah. That works for you?"
"Of course." He replied. I nodded in response and had just about left the room when I remembered that there was something else he had wanted.
"Wasn't there something else?" I asked, theatrically snapping my fingers to emphasize my remembrance.
Luckily, judging by the surprise on Pepe's face, we had both forgotten, so I didn't feel too bad about almost walking out on him.
"Ahem, yes. While we all appreciate your generousness in providing the initial components of our mobile suit forces, the RIM is going to need its own regular source of mobile suits, and ships, if we are to be your equals in military capability." He told me. I furrowed my eyebrows in thought, which he must have taken for something else because he hurriedly carried on. "They, and I, aren't asking you and by extension Neo Zeon to be that provider. You've been open with me about the maintenance problems you've been dealing with in your MS corp. But it was brought up in my meetings that Neo Zeon would have more...let's say business contacts to facilitate the acquisition of the tools of your trade."
"Hoping I'd send over some recommendations?"
"Indeed."
I bit the inside of my cheek absentmindedly, before nodding to myself. "I could give you some but I'll do you one better. Are you free around the end of this week?" He nodded. "Good, you're going to need at least one lawyer and one accountant, and two security guards to form your retinue. They'd also have to be loyal to you and not the Moore government."
"I know the people in my personal employ who fit those criteria. Why would I need them for this trip exactly." He asked.
I grinned and jabbed a thumb at my chest. "I'm heading over to Von Braun to renegotiate my contracts with Anaheim. I've gathered the impression that Anaheim is always looking to expand the contracts that feed its military industrial complex, so they're not going to turn their nose up at you."
Assuming I have preliminary funds for the down payment though." Pepe said, pointing out the flaw in this burgeoning plan of mine.
"Luckily for you, I happen to have recently come into an amount of material wealth and in light of our upcoming formalization of the AEUG, I figure that a one time donation from Neo Zeon to the first of our sister organizations was in order."
Pepe chuckled. "Well who am I to deny the spirit of camaraderie that exists between friends? I'll find the people I'm going to need for this trip and let you know when I've assembled my team."
"Good, I'll let you know when my secretary has finished gussying up my rough draft so you can get the network connection to Riah set up."
Pepe raised a skeptical eyebrow at that statement. "If that's what you call a rough draft then I really want to see what you consider a complete document."
"You'll get the chance when I draft the Federation's surrender." And with that bold statement, we parted ways, spirits high and minds hopefully turned to our tasks with renewed vigor. At least on Pepe's part, I'd gained enough energy to hopefully get through this next meeting. And then I'd finally, finally be able to catch some sleep. And nothing would disturb me for the rest of the day.
Ha! Like that's ever going to happen. But a man can dream, can he not? I was basically planning a war around a dream after all.
A/N: And we are back baby! I'll be the first to admit that this chapter took longer than it should have and that it's not the most exciting of chapters bring back after a hiatus but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. The Neo AEUG was a topic that needed to be explained and discussed in depth for the role its going to play the future parts of the story. Next time, military planning with Full Frontal and co with a side of Newtypes.
Reviews are welcome as always.
