Hey, peeps~! Here's the next chapter of The Phoenix Rising. I hope you guys are ready for what's coming next here. ;) Let's just say the resistance prepares to undertake a new operation, and one that will have consequences on the Atlantian Reich's crusade... ;3

Review replies:

- operation meteor: Hey. Thanks. :) I'm glad ya like the Blue Masque and I did want to delve further into the other nations of the Cosmic Era. :3

- Spiceracksergeant001: Heh. Right on the money. :) Yes, the Kingdom of Scandinavia is condemning LOGOs globally and further pushing them into the spotlight. The L4 Coalition is indeed shifting their position more in line with the resistance and they will indeed prove their worth. ;) The USSA actually does have the Panama Canal, having gotten it back a few days ago. And the Equatorial Union is going to unveil a surprise themselves. ;) As for Djibril, he's not going to like this upcoming operation for sure! XD

- CT7567Rules: Well you're not wrong. :) Most people are indeed decent. And the resistance is going to drive this home by a drastic action that will leave the world stunned. ;) And Rob will make his move soon. ;)

(A small light is shown flickering before it flares across the screen, fading to show the Strike Dagger S, Spray sitting on its shoulder, his trench coat fluttering in the breeze)

START MIKAKUNIN HIKOUSEN BY TAKAYOSHI TANIMOTO

(The camera pivots to show the mobile suit outside the main base of the resistance on Earth in Denver, the door open to show the interior of the warehouse with several shapes before the cylinders)

Oh yeah! Be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The camera zooms in on them to show President Eisenhower, Dr. Keith Martinez, Dr. Klaus Brand, Warren Thompson, and Marcus Wolcott with Turbine behind the warehouse itself)

Pass the orbit beyond the sky (The camera pivots away from them and out to show the resistance forces mobilizing to attack a camp in the desert, guards arming their rifles)

I can't hold back this rushing speed (The leading machine speeds in front, showing a NEMO armed with a clay bazooka, its pilot being shown to be a woman, her hazel eyes hard as she aims the gun and fires at a Destroy)

A familiar town becomes a diorama (The Destroy is hit by the explosive round, the flames engulfing the camera before it fades to show the camp in ruins)

Burst through the unclear skies (The camera pivots away to show another explosion as a Murasame blasts past, bearing an unfamiliar emblem)

Blow away your worries and discontent (The camera zooms in on the wolf head emblem before it starts to flutter as a flag, panning down to show the leader of Sicario, Arnold Franken, on the screen)

Who needs a journey that's by the book? (The commander of the mercenaries waves his hand and three mobile suits blast overhead, their pilots shown with their emblems behind them)

Even if you're lost or trembling, raise the altitude (The three engage a number of shadowy mobile suits before a beam engulfs the camera before fading to show Stella being held by Shinn in her agony)

Oh yeah! Show off, mess up, and stand back up (The boy is glaring as images of the Extended march past him, his eyes hidden in shadow before he looks up, his eyes in SEED Mode)

I'll watch the unknown horizon with you (The camera pans away to show the captain of the Archangel and Heero standing beside one another, their hands entwining)

Now be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The two look at one another before a mobile suit flies past, panning up to show the Strike Dagger with a new Striker Pack resembling phoenix wings)

Use the sun that lights tomorrow as a guide (A dark shadow looms behind the machine, its hand grasping for the image of the Earth as a ship is shown flying away, its name glinting in the light)

Fly off to the glorious world of freedom! (The image shows the resistance ship and their allies facing down the dark shadow, Djibril's face behind it as he looms over them)

GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING

Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall

- Steven Jackson 'Spray' Krane

CHAPTER XXX: Ideals - Strike One

Warehouse Resistance Headquarters

Denver, Colorado

December 14th, CE 0073

The entire warehouse was silent as the resistance leadership sat at their table, eyeing the main monitor mounted on the wall facing them in the underground basement.

President Eisenhower had her hands tented in front of her mouth as she narrowed her eyes.

She knew that Dr. Martinez had just put a call out to her a few hours ago, and he was late to his own meeting. That was worrisome in of itself, and that already had her mind racing as she tried to come up with possible scenarios for his lateness and countertactics to deal with the worst of them.

But she needn't have worried. The screen suddenly flickered, making everyone present jump as the monitor filled with static briefly before dissipating to reveal the symbol of the BOLO Initiative: a single orb with circuits reaching out and vanishing into the surrounding background.

A few others stared at the image before it vanished, to show the face of Dr. Keith Martinez.

His eyes had bags under them and he had a hint of stubble on his face, but the glint of his eyes indicated he was far from exhausted even though he obviously had been awake a considerable time. Despite the messiness of his hair, he had managed to at least clean up a bit. It was the way he held himself that caught Eisenhower right off the bat.

"Dr. Martinez." She gave a nod and he returned it.

"Madam President." He sat back and sighed. "I'm sorry for this, but... you really have to hear what I just found out," he admitted.

"If it requires you to call from Mexico, and it's not about the Initiative, that's good enough cause for me to listen," she replied. "Although I am a bit curious on it as well."

"We'll get to that later," Dr. Martinez said seriously. His eyes narrowed. "Let's just say Dr. Sung had a lot to say... and not all of it is good news for us."

"Explain!" Eisenhower ordered.

Dr. Martinez nodded.

"As you are aware, after we attacked the lab and captured him, we wound up bringing him to our base so we could try and get information out of him pertaining to the creation and mental modifications of the Extended, all three generations and an in-progress fourth generation, as well as plans for a fifth generation, which, thank God, will never get off the ground," he began. "The lab also had a number of servers that we captured intact and are rooting through now."

His face then turned a bit green and his eyes darkened. "God... some of the stuff they were doing... it's just disgusting," he muttered.

"Just tell us what we need to know," the President insisted.

He nodded, although he still looked like he was about to throw up. "The information we obtained from the servers was comprehensive and thorough, but some things just didn't make any sense, so we turned to the man himself for an explanation. The drugs were one big component of the process to make a normal human into an Extended. There are countless chemical compounds they were testing on the Extended to boost their reflexes, strength, and whatnot to unheard of levels that can only be described as superhuman. But it came with severe drawbacks in that they would burn through the current dosage and even suffer nervous system damage. That was for the first stage of the drug compound."

"And of the second stage?" Dr. Henrietta Lars asked, cutting in. "I assume the cocktail has worked?"

"Hold on!" Dr. Martinez said, holding up his hands. "Let me finish!"

The medical expert scowled, but sat back in her chair, folding her arms as she did so.

"Anyway, the second stage compounds are less volatile and addictive, which is a good thing, but the tradeoff is that the doses are needed more frequently through a spray form," the AI expert continued. "The spray is administered as the Extended of the second generation are resting in what can only be termed... incubation pods... of a sort." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "That thing also has a sort of... device... that scans the memories of the Extended and then their memories are modified accordingly to ensure that they remember nothing of their past or their old comrades. That kind of stuff. It's like they're only machines."

"That's just wrong!" someone else hissed.

"Believe me, you'd be right on that one," Dr. Martinez stated. "The third generation, on the other hand, have a number of differences from the first two generations. The main thing is their mental conditioning. Everything that makes them human is removed, leaving only a machine clad in human flesh behind. The only way to 'activate' them to full combat status is through their trigger phrase, which then turns on their combat programming and making them more dangerous. But that generation of Extended has a serious glitch that can be exploited, as you already know."

"The counter phrases," Charlene Durbin remarked. Her eyes flickered a bit with concern for the children.

"That's right, Madame Secretary," the computer whiz said. "That's the biggest glitch. But... the fourth generation we did not know at the time was actually in operation. And those kids that were outfitted with those damned machines that injected the drugs into them were a part of it. But what really startled a bunch of us was the fact that some of them were even Coordinators!"

That sent exclamations of shock and horror and disgust all throughout the room, forcing Eisenhower to look at them with a cold, icy glare that made them freeze. Once the commotion had died down, she nodded for Dr. Martinez to continue. "Explain why they would even think of using Coordinators for such a project when they despise them so much," she said.

"Well, to be frank, it was not so much as a reason to use them as it was for testing purposes," the AI expert explained. "The only reason they were using them was to test the drugs out and see how far they could push their bodies before they died. A number did prove to be proficient in combat and there was talk about including them in the Extended, but the leader of LOGOs forbade it, stating it was going against human nature to use such things. But... a few were put into combat units to try and show their worth."

"And what happened to them?" Eisenhower asked, her voice icy cold.

"They survived a number of clashes, but they were never treated for their wounds and some of them died in medical care," Keith said softly. "There are only three left, and we think that they may have been assigned to one of the bases or camps here in North America for guarding dissidents or... even Kiddie Camp."

Eisenhower's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Tell me exactly which ones survive," she ordered.

Keith nodded and did something on his end of the transmission. His screen shrank down to the bottom right hand side and three images started to load. "The first one..." Here an image of a fifteen-year-old girl appeared, her left eye a dark red and the right one a blood red color, her hair a brilliant red. "...is codenamed EXC-1043 according to the files. Her real name has been scrubbed from all public records, but thanks to some persistent digging, we were able to find out what her name is. Her real name is Selene McGriff, and she was the daughter of the McGriffs who ran one of the biggest banks before they were killed by assassins. Her block word is apparently 'love', which is quite stupid, really. It sets her into a complete frenzy, like a hyena going after a kill. Therefore she has to be drugged with a powerful sedative, which is administered through the machine on her chest."

"The poor girl..." Diego Vist muttered, his eyes wide.

The President was dead silent as she closed her eyes.

"The second of the EX-Cs..." Keith brought up the image of a teenage boy with one black eye and the other slate gray and pure white hair. "... is the son of a prominent Coordinator rights activist who lost his life after the Mendel attack. His codename is EX-C 1304, but unlike the other two, his true name was never recorded or found out. He's a brute. There's no question about it. He's a complete beast in battle, and unlike the girl, his brutish tendencies derive from the drugs in the machine on his chest. He's more calm and calculated, and he believes in killing Coordinators personally. His block word is '13 Omega Red' which we think refers to the drug compounds that give him his boosted abilities in battle. An interesting thing is he has the SEED Factor and Newtype abilities, so he's a very dangerous opponent. He also has a tendency to mark ace kills on his forearm through scars." Here his eyes narrowed. "He was the top scorer in all scenarios, according to the server data."

Everyone was silent as they looked at one another in shock. An ace EX-C with dual abilities... And who was an utterly ruthless killer. It was one of their worst nightmares.

"And the last kid?" Eisenhower asked softly as she opened her eyes. Her eyes were as hard as ice, and she narrowed them into mere slits.

"The last kid is a bit of an odd one, but there may be hope for him," Keith said. He brought up the image of a teenager in his late teens, his hair a brilliant neon green and purple eyes. "He was once the son of a political family who was so close to attaining the rights of Coordinators in the States and all other countries now under the banner of the Reich. His codename is EX-C 1054, and his real name is James Goodall. Now, unlike the other two, he's more of a sort of moderate presence. He follows orders, but does not attack with brutal efficiency like the other two do. His block word of 'hate' and the drugs therefore are tailored to increase his aggression when on the battlefield. It makes him a lot harder to deal with in combat, but he prefers to try and disable the opponent before backing away. So we think this is because his conditioning was not as effective as they thought."

The President pursed her lips as she thought. 'Two that can't be saved, but one that can...' she mused. 'Not good odds, but better than the ones we've been dealt so far.'

"What else can you tell us about these EX-Cs?" she asked.

"Just that they're highly trained and have specialized machines that match their fighting styles," Keith replied. "I'll send you the details on those later. Right now, we have a lot more to cover."

He then directed his gaze to Dr. Lars. "As for your question, Dr. Lars, for the drug cocktails, we've been working with the data you transmitted to us a few weeks ago, and we've gotten a number of them in effect. There are three that actually show a lot of promise, but they do have their side effects. And we have a fourth one in the works we may think be a lot more effective than what we have already."

"Then tell me," Dr. Lars insisted.

The AI expert nodded. "Right. Well, the first cocktail that shows the most promise is labeled Gamma Protaz. It's got a track record of removing all traces of the first and second stage drugs from the Extended, but the issue is that the damage caused by the sudden flush of the drugs causes damage to their nerves and even their brain with the sudden loss of the substances needed to boost their aggression in combat. The symptoms can range from excruciating pain and seizures to possible memory loss and brain damage," he explained. "This one we don't want to use as it only increases the suffering those kids are put under already."

"The second cocktail, Beta Adrenal is less damaging, but it does take longer. But the side effects are more long lasting. This combination was developed to purge the third generation of their drugs in a slower manner so as to keep the brains in their machine-like state," Keith continued. "The side effects here are loss of limb sensation and possible paralysis of key bodily functions if used consistently. A number of Extended we are treating are actually suffering from this as a result. So, we're considering using it, but spread out."

"That's good news," someone remarked.

Keith nodded. "Yes, but still very dangerous. The third cocktail, named after the one who developed it in the first place, Larsium, is the least damaging, but the most addicting. It can cause the one it's given to to crave more of it. The plus is the more that the substance is used, the more it purges the drugs from their system. The bad news is that it can be just as damaging as the drugs that are in those damned machines if taken consistently. So, while it is useful, it's a double edged sword. So we're keeping that one as a last resort."

Here some of the resistance members looked at Dr. Lars as she glanced down. "Yes. That drug I developed as a means to purge the combat drugs from their bodies swiftly. But... it came with a cost I do not want them to suffer any more than anyone else here," she admitted.

"And the fourth cocktail?" Eisenhower asked.

"That one... it's a work in progress," Keith admitted. "The thing is, we want this one to be not damaging, or addictive, or even harmful. We also want it to purge the drugs in a very efficient manner."

Dr. Lars narrowed her eyes as she lifted her gaze to meet Keith's. "I hope you're going through it carefully," she warned.

"Believe me, Henrietta, the last thing we want to do is damage the kids even further," Keith told her. His eyes were hard as he looked up. "The main issue is that we have to find the right combination of drugs to do what we want it to do. As well as the proper percentage. It'll take some time, but I'm fairly confident we can do it."

"Just be honest with me, Keith," Dr. Lars said. "Are you going to ask that man what you think would work?"

Keith grimaced at the thought. "Honestly, I have considered it. But given his reputation and how many people here hate him, well... I'm not even going to, no matter how much I want to."

That was enough to reassure the chief medical professional and she nodded. "Good. Because while he is a genius, he is also... somewhat not all there in the head. The smells of the drugs have affected his brain in some way that altered his psychological profile."

"I noticed," Keith deadpanned. "He's been a bit crazed ever since we brought him in. We also think he may have a bit of brain damage from a concussion. But he won't let us scan him."

"Damn. So much for that," Eisenhower muttered. She leaned forward a bit, her fingers tented in front of her mouth. "Speaking of, how is AI-23 dealing with this?" she asked.

"Oh, you mean Turbine?" Keith blurted, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Given what the AI's gone through so far, I'm a bit concerned in regards to how the thing views humanity now," Eisenhower admitted. "Although I didn't expect AI-23 to take the name Turbine."

"Trust me, I was surprised, too," the AI expert reported. "But in all honesty, Turbine Martinez sounds a hell of a lot better than AI-23. And for the record, Turbine identifies as male. So, please refer to him as his gender instead of as 'it'."

"I see," Eisenhower mused.

"Anyway, as for your question, Turbine's confused as to why humans have done this to their children, and well... He's a bit offended and angry to boot," Keith admitted. "But he's not going on a rampage, if that's what you're concerned about." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "For what it's worth, I think he's just confused as to how this could happen. So, I'm gonna have a talk with him on this soon."

"You'd better," Secretary Green remarked, his eyes hard. "Otherwise this project of yours could backfire."

"I'm well aware, Mister Secretary," Keith stated. "I'll get on it soon. But right now, we have a bit more to cover."

"Such as?" Eisenhower mused, arching an eyebrow.

"The fate of those that escaped," was all the AI expert said.

"I see." Here Eisenhower looked up. "What can you tell me about them?"

"I have a list of all the personnel we have in custody as well as those we don't have," Keith said. He pressed a button on his end and the images of the EX-Cs vanished, only to be replaced by a list that had all the names of the personnel. A large number of them had little a 'c' by their names, but a fair number did not. She pursed her lips as she examined it critically. "Most of them were also those who were in charge of procurement of the children in question," Keith explained. "So this would definitely be of use to Heero when it comes to bringing them down."

"How about the other mad doctors we couldn't get?" Eisenhower asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Some of them did manage to escape, but we were able to track down possible locations for them to head to," Keith told her. He brought up a small map off to the left of his image and the map lit up with several cities in question, some of them outside of the former United States. "These are the areas where they had smaller labs set up. So if Terminal can hit one of them, or even after the war bring them down, it would be a good thing for everyone."

"All right. I'll have this data compiled and sent as soon as possible," the President said with a nod. "Good work."

. . .

Satellite City

Mexico

December 14th, CE 0073

Keith sighed as he sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

'Of all the things... I never expected them to use Coordinators as Extended...' he thought. 'How can some people be so depraved...?'

"Keith?"

The computer expert looked up, his eyes widening as he heard the familiar voice of Jen. He turned in his seat to look at her as she stood in the doorway to his lab.

"Oh, Jen..." Keith struggled to say around a yawn. "...what brings you here?"

"I just wanted to check in on you," she said, approaching him with a concerned look in her eyes. "Ever since we captured the lab and interrogated Dr. Sung, you've been working nonstop. You really need to take a break."

"Sorry. But until I can figure out how they did this damned programming, then I can't rest," Keith said apologetically. "I want to know how he did it... how did he effectively erase their memories despite all evidence saying it can't be done?"

"Keith..." Jen placed a hand on his shoulder before he could resume his work. He looked to her, confused.

"Uh... Jen? What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to get you to rest," Jen answered as she pulled him to his feet. "And for what it's worth, it's not just me that's worried. Everyone is. Especially Turbine."

"Turbine...?" Keith was a bit confused. "Why?"

"Because he's seen your state. And he's concerned about your health," his friend told him seriously as she slipped an arm across her shoulders as his legs gave out. "And for the record, you did say you were going to talk to him, remember?"

Keith did recall. But his mind was so muddled he could barely think right now.

All the questions he needed answers for were just right there at his fingertips. He just needed a bit more time...

His eyes wavered and he could barely stay awake. He tried his best, he really did. But his exhausted mind could barely keep him awake any longer and he fell into a deep sleep, his exhaustion finally taking its toll on him.

Jen looked at him with concern in her eyes as she helped the sleeping man down the hall to his office not far from his lab. He had given her the code for precisely this kind of situation and she swiftly entered it before the door slid open. She practically dragged the sleeping AI expert into his room and she slid his body onto the bed, pulling the covers down as she did so. She proceeded to slide him fully under the covers and placed them over his body before she turned and crept out, turning off the light and closing the door behind her as she left.

'Poor Keith... he's really been working himself into the ground with not just this new project, but the BOLO Initiative,' Jen thought worriedly as she left his quarters. 'He's always been putting this first and foremost... and he's never let anyone else help him. Despite the fact he acknowledges us and asks us for assistance when needed, he's done all the hard work himself. It's in a way both admirable and tragic... Admirable in how much he puts into his work, but tragic in that he needs to learn he's got people to back him up. Even after asking us for help... he's always indicated he'd rather do it himself. He's got the drive, I will admit that. But sometimes he needs to be given a wakeup call. And this is just one such time.'

She looked up as she turned and strode in the direction of the hangar.

If Keith couldn't talk to Turbine, then she'd just have to do it instead.

As she walked, she could only wonder what Turbine was making of all this. She knew he had been in battle against his creator and then against Dr. Sung and the Destroys at his command. But now?

Well, that's why she wanted to talk to the AI.

And it was not just that.

Despite everything that Turbine had done and disproven about the notion of a genocidal AI, there was that instinctual fear of him that rendered many others unsure of his true goals. But the Mexican cell in the resistance was, from what she had seen and heard, more open to the idea of working alongside the new AIs developed under the BOLO Initiative. It was a sort of moment that the two sides were at here. The entire cell was willing to work with Turbine, but he had no idea of the fear that many others had of his kind. And on top of that, if he learned of it, there was no telling how he'd react.

There was all sorts of stuff that lay in the realm of the unknown with this project. But the fact that the Mexican resistance cell was even willing to take the opportunity to try and work with Turbine to find the proper balance and trust between humans and machines... that was telling right there. It was a matter of working to build that trust that many refused to take, following only the herd to the fear of Artificial Intelligence. And it was those that broke from the herd that could change society as a whole.

Lacus, Kira, Heero, Murrue... and all the others involved in Terminal were perfect examples of breaking the herd mentality.

It was all up to those who sought to change the world.

And she was determined to be one of them.

The hangar doors loomed before her as she stopped before them.

She gulped nervously.

The guards before the doors looked to her curiously. One of them stepped forward, holding his gun at the ready. "Hold it. What are you doing down here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm Jennifer Morris," she said, holding up her ID card. "I work for Dr. Martinez. He and I are in charge of the BOLO Initiative."

The guard took the ID and held it up, comparing the image to Jen's face. He studied her critically before he nodded and handed it back. "That still doesn't explain your reasoning for being here," he clarified.

"I came to see Turbine," Jen stated.

"You mean the AI, right?" the female guard asked, lowering her rifle a bit, but not letting her guard down.

"That's correct," Jen confirmed.

The two guards looked to the rest of their companions, then nodded as they stepped aside. "Very well," the lead guard replied. "We'll let you in."

He reached to his walkie-talkie and pressed the button a few times.

A clanging echoed as the doors were unlocked from the other side. The guard nodded. "Good luck."

'Thanks...' Jen thought to herself as she started to walk. She grasped one of the doors and pushed, the heavy metal slab sliding open to expose the catwalks running throughout the underground hangar complex.

She could already see a large number of personnel and pilots working on the mobile suits that had been damaged in the battle that cost them their old base. Thankfully all spare parts had been removed before the base collapsed. A number of machines were being repaired even as she entered, the door swinging shut behind her. She let her gaze rove over the hangar before her eyes landed on the single mobile suit she had come to see.

The Freedom Retribution.

She ran throughout the maze of catwalks and gantries, hurrying past several other workers as they welded damaged parts back together or were working on the machines' wiring. Jen gave a few hurried apologies as she approached Turbine's location.

While not really a space of his own, there was at least some privacy with other crates and large metal slabs that acted as makeshift walls. There was no 'bed' to speak of, but there was a separate cradle for him. The AI was currently locked in his cradle, his optics dimmed as if in recharge. She didn't want to wake him, but she did want to talk to him and find out his perspective on the fighting thus far and what he thought of the lab they had just seized.

She slowly approached, her footsteps reaching his keen audios.

The AI stirred, his optics brightening as he lifted his helm.

"Jen?" He fixed those cyan optics on her as she slowed to a walk.

"Hey, Turbine," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit weary, but that's to be expected," the AI stated. "The battle did take a lot of energy from my reserves."

"Kind of figured," Jen said as she stopped just across from his 'living space'. "But that's not the reason why I came down to see you."

"It isn't?" Turbine asked, tilting his helm to the side.

Jen shook her head. "No. What I want to know is... how do you feel? I mean... how do you feel in terms of... your emotions regarding what we just did a few days ago."

Turbine was silent as he lowered his helm, pondering. She could practically sense his processors whirring as he thought. "What we did a few days ago..." He looked up. "You mean Dr. Sung and the lab, right?"

Jen nodded. "Yes. That."

"Why do you want to know how I feel about it?" Turbine asked. "I already know how I feel about it. Men like those must be stopped at all costs."

"Yes, that is true," Jen stated, "but what I want to know is how do you feel about their actions? Going on what you know, what you experienced, and what you witnessed... what do you think about the atrocities. Don't go on what we tell you or what we say. Go on what you feel and think."

The AI was silent as he looked back down, this time a bit confused. He knew how he felt about those men. And those who carried out such atrocities. But why was she asking how he felt about it? It wasn't like...

Like... what?

It wasn't like anything he had ever witnessed.

Sure he had seen images and footage when his father was teaching him, but to see it was another perspective. It was a whole other angle. And it just didn't make any sense to him.

He lifted his cyan gaze and met her dark gray eyes. "...I guess... I'd say I'm... confused... on such things..." he finally admitted. "I mean, sure seeing it in images and from historical accounts is one thing, but... to see it with my own optics... How could anyone do such things?"

Jen gave a grim smile at that. "That's one of the things we may never know until we actually capture one of them and get the answer straight from the source."

"But why?" Turbine inquired. "That's... from what I've seen... many people should care about children... so why go to such lengths?"

The computer engineer looked down, clenching her hands on the railing before her. "Unfortunately, that's something I don't have an answer to. But... from what many of the psychology people are thinking, it may be because they fear change more than anything. And anything that has to do with changing the human genome. But in order to beat the enemy they see as unholy, they'll resort to any means possible to win." Her eyes hardened into shards of obsidian. "They could care less about that as long as they see Coordinators as a threat to be beaten. To them, change is everything to fear. From new technology such as your kind, to the ability to evolve the human genome. It's a trait that men like them share. All men of their status and power only seek to hold onto that power, and they don't want to upset the status quo."

"So, it's like they don't want to let go of what they acquired," Turbine noted.

"A simplistic, but apt summary of it," Jen remarked. "But that's just the first part. The second part pertains to their ideals."

Turbine dimmed his optics a shade as his sensors detected her heartrate increase slightly. "There's more to it than that," he surmised.

"You'd be right..." Jen's eyes narrowed. "Because their endgame, according to Dr. Sung, is not so much to wipe out the Coordinators." She gritted her teeth and her hands just about bent the metal bar of the railing.

"It's to wipe out the human race."

Silence filled the area between the two for a moment before Turbine slowly uncurled his digits, his frame going lax in his stunned silence.

"W...W...what?!" Turbine honestly didn't know what to say.

"You heard me." Jen's eyes were as dark as space now. "They want to wipe out the human race."

"But that's just like what that nutjob from the First BV War did!" Turbine blurted.

"If you're referring to Rau Le Creuset, then yes," Jen said seriously. "And it's not just them. It's LOGOs as well." She looked up at the ceiling of the base, her eyes becoming a bit glazed as she began to drift.

"Blue Cosmos was once an environmentalist group," she explained. "Their ideals were to make do with less and to help the world return to a pure and blue state. But the thing is, they never really said as to how they were going to do it. For all we know, they wanted us to move into space and become independent of our home planet. But after Coordinators were revealed to the world by George Glenn, they shifted their stance and went full on genophobic on everyone. They claimed Coordinators were an affront to God and sought to wipe them out. But seeing as how they were not in a position of political power, it only made sense they'd turn to the group who could give them that power..."

Turbine's optics flickered a little. "LOGOs... am I correct?"

"Yes." Jen nodded. "LOGOs. And LOGOs also saw within them a possible partner, as they too saw Coordinators as a threat. Both parties, from what we ascertained from meeting minutes recorded by Bruno Azrael and Djibril's father, formed a backroom alliance. LOGOs would use their power and clout to slip Blue Cosmos members into positions of political and military power. They would then use their media influence to turn the people into genocidal Nazis, and the war profits they attained would allow them to buy off other governmental authorities around the world, and form a shadow government with them at the head."

Turbine's keen processors already were working as he saw a glaring flaw in LOGOs' plans. "Hold on a moment," he said. "Something doesn't add up."

"Hm?" Jen came back to herself as she looked into his optics.

"If LOGOs was to do as you say, then how would they keep their power?" he asked.

Jen gave a small smile in response. "They had plans for that, too," she admitted. "They were to create new Coordinator enemies using their own genetic techniques and keep people in terror and on edge. Then this way they could continue to profit from this neverending war. It would continue on and on... and eventually Earth would die off, and so would all of humanity."

Turbine's optics flashed. "Wait... then it was all a grand scheme to cause humanity's extinction either way?!"

Jen glanced down. "I know it's hard to accept, but... both LOGOs and Blue Cosmos are after the same goal. And as long as their nihilism continues to fester and grow, there will be no hope for the future regardless of what we do."

Turbine was stunned by this whole thing.

Sure he had known of LOGOs' goal to wipe out the Coordinators, but to hear that their long-term goal was to wipe out the human race so as to prevent the loss of their power and the creation of new technologies designed to help the human race advance? It was beyond belief. It seemed like something out of a movie or even a horror film.

And he hadn't even seen any horror films!

He didn't know what to say at that.

"But... how...?" Turbine's vocalizer failed him at that point. There was no way for him to properly articulate the words he wanted to ask. All kinds of questions ran through his processor, trying to piece together the sheer insanity of it all.

For all he had seen and experienced, he was still very young. To be faced with this kind of revelation right off the bat was something that most would say would turn an AI against those who it had come to know and trust as companions. But Turbine was not an ordinary AI. As a command-class, he had the ability to learn, and as such, there was so much that many didn't understand about how such an AI actually functioned. But if there was one thing Keith had been correct on, it was that Turbine would not turn against humanity in spite of everything.

All because of how he had first been treated by Keith and his friends, even after his torment at the hands of Kenta.

Jen looked down, tears pricking at her eyes. "It's so sick, really... all because they want to maintain the human race in its base form when we have to evolve if we are to survive... and all because of those who were genetically enhanced they turn to butchering children and refusing to let them live as children." She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists even tighter on the railing. "In some ways, I think it's more like a temper tantrum, but some might argue that it's a refusal to accept the fact that things, including humanity, have to change." She sighed heavily as she closed her eyes. "The truth is... we may never really know what the answer to their fear is..."

"So... if they want to destroy all of humanity, then..." Turbine's optics dimmed a shade as he bowed his helm. "...then that means... that there is something else at work here...?"

Jen shook her head. "We just don't know," she admitted. "And I don't think we'll ever know. But in reality... there may be a reason. We just don't know what it is. And I don't think they will either."

"Somehow I doubt it's that complicated," a familiar voice said, catching the attention of the two.

Jen and Turbine's gazes snapped to face Alicia as she approached, her helmet held under one arm. "The real reason is that they do fear change, and they don't want others to accept change as inevitable. That is the reason behind their nihilism and hatred for the way we are progressing. That is why they seek to reverse all the progress humankind has made over the last centuries," the ex-psychiatrist explained. "In some ways, it's like a child lashing out because they can't accept the consequences of the changes they themselves have wrought."

"But why?" Turbine asked her, his optics brightening back to their usual hue. "Why fear change if it only makes things better?"

"It's because they don't want to see humanity thrive in a sense that forces us to evolve from our base form," Alicia explained. "But that's not how it works. Evolution will not force us to change our shape. Instead, genetic technology can be used to offset that flaw and keep us in our base state, but with enhancements to better survive in outer space."

"So it's all because they fear humans could become some alien creatures in a short time span?" Turbine was incredulous as he stared at the pilot.

"To sum it up, yes," Alicia noted. Then she chuckled. "It's kind of ridiculous, really. Humans can't evolve like that in a short time span. It takes millions of years for evolution to work its magic."

"Sounds to me like they weren't taught that, or they forgot that kind of lesson," Jen snorted.

Turbine gusted air out his vents in a pseudo-snort. "Kind of stupid, if you ask me," he remarked.

Alicia nodded. "You got it."

The computer expert turned back to Turbine. "So, based on this, I want to know. What is your honest opinion of the human race?" she asked.

Turbine's optics flashed in surprise. "The whole human race?" he asked, baffled.

She nodded. "Yes."

Turbine dimmed his optics as he finally answered.

. . .

Resistance Warehouse Headquarters

Denver Colorado

December 14th, CE 0073

The President's eyes narrowed as she considered the words from Keith.

The report had just come in, and she was not only disgusted, but appalled at the lengths Blue Cosmos and LOGOs were willing to go to in order to make sure Coordinators did not exist. The very decision by both ruling elites to wipe out the human race was enough to make her sick to her stomach. It reminded her all too much of the intel the resistance had gathered from defectors pertaining to the former ZAFT commander, and she could only wonder how the man's views had become so warped. Some part of her theorized it had to do with the cloning, but another part insisted it was because of the presence of something darker within his psyche taking hold.

She could ponder that later.

Right now, she had to meet with her intel team and prepare for her next operation.

Eisenhower looked up as she turned her gaze to the table at which she sat.

"So, you got all that?" she asked.

Jacques gave a nod, his eyes hard. "Yeah. All the more reason for us to make our move and soon."

"I just don't get how some old men can be so nihilistic," FBI Director Gerro remarked. "And these are the same men who run the country? It's just so... surreal."

Eisenhower knew where he was coming from. "Trust me, I'm just as stupefied as you are," she stated. "But the fact of the matter is, it's real. And we have to act soon. So... we're going to be stepping up our plans."

"Huh?!" Everyone was surprised at this.

Eisenhower was normally one for caution, often acting once she was certain a battle would go in their favor or if an operation was going to have long-term implications to allow them to build up their forces or act on a new possible scenario resulting from that operation. She was known for planning out contingencies and then having plans for those as well, and having backups if things went south still. She was not one to literally take such a step. To do so though, meant something big was being planned...

Or something else was going to go down.

"What exactly do you mean by stepping up our plans?" Garfield Hartfelt asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "From what I heard of you, you're not one to do something like this."

"That may be the case, but the sooner we can act to deprive LOGOs and Blue Cosmos of American, Canadian, Mexican, Irish, and British industrial might and manpower, the sooner we can isolate them and then deprive them of any means to send forces abroad," Eisenhower stated, her eyes hardening into gems of ice. "And... as well as make a statement with the upcoming operation."

"What operation?" Gena Darre wondered.

Here, Eisenhower's eyes glinted as she gave a smirk all too reminiscent of a predator. "Operation: Strikeout."

"Strikeout?" Jacques blinked.

Eisenhower nodded. "Yes." She reached down and pulled out a map, laying it on the table and opening it. The map was of the entire Atlantian Reich, as well as a few of the other territories. On each side of the mainland Reich, large black Xs were marked over several large cities, including some smaller ones. "There will be three phases to this operation. The first phase consists of removing the major asset that helped America turn the tide in the Second World War." Her finger moved over the map, pointing to each X in question. "While America did outproduce everyone else overall, the real gamechanger was the ships. Shipbuilding capacity literally cranked into overdrive during the war, and it was that shipping that led to the downfall of the Axis Powers."

She placed both hands on the map as she glanced at each of her intel team. "That alone can be a gamechanger for many countries, especially this one." Her eyes hardened. "And if we can remove that factor from the equation, it not only limits the amount of power that they can send abroad, but... it limits supplies being transferred to other theaters of war. And it also isolates the more fanatical troops at home."

"But what if someone catches on to the sabotage?" Darre asked.

"That's where Phase II comes into play," Eisenhower explained. She moved one hand to the center of the map where a large red X was plastered in the desert. "Phase II will deal with Operation: Kindergarten." She tapped it with a finger. "We'll have our forces out there, and Sicario's Ronin Team, assault it from two fronts: the major front on land, and an aerial drop to invade the camp from within. Along with them, a number of news reporters from Task Force Narrative and our mole in LOGOs' media empire will be filming everything."

She moved her hand back. "That will lead into Phase III. That's the main one here."

"What's Phase III?" Garfield inquired, although he did have a sinking feeling as to what it was.

Eisenhower gave a grin that sent a shiver down their spines. "Operation: Dustbowl." Her grin then faded as she sat back down. "Operation: Dustbowl is essentially going to be a large series of riots that will occur across the country, mostly centered in New York City, which is now their de facto feudal capital city. If we can cause enough trouble there, they will be forced to flee for their own safety. And if they do..." Here her eyes flashed. "We'll catch them."

"How do you plan to capture them if they flee to their estates?" Jacques wondered.

Here Director Gerro pursed his lips. "I think I see what you're aiming for," he mused. "You force them to flee, and if they get to their private jets, then the personnel on board will capture them, is that it?"

"That's the plan," Eisenhower confirmed. "We were just lucky that some of the personnel were rotated off to allow our agents to get on those flight plans."

"A smart move," the director stated. "Although, what of contingencies?"

"I have a number in mind already, but if things go accordingly, then we won't need them," Eisenhower remarked.

The team all nodded.

"Now, here's the plan." She looked to Jacques.

. . .

Norfolk Shipyard

"Director Gerro, you are to get in contact with the guys in the shipyards. They are to commence sabotage operations as soon as possible."

A number of personnel at Norfolk Shipyard all gave the confirmation before they snuck about, bringing the necessary supplies to enact the sabotage.

Someone went to work on the cranes, slipping sugar into the engines while another individual unscrewed a pipe hose and started to spill oil into one of the dry docks. A third agent slipped a sprocket wrench into the engines of another ship undergoing construction.

. . .

Newport News Shipyard

"Tell all agents to not destroy the yards, but make them unusable in any way they can. The best choice is to tamper with the equipment and make it unusable. After all, Anaheim is responsible for a lot of the heavy equipment in those yards as well."

Within Newport News, several dry docks were flooded, but not with water.

They were flooded with seaweed.

Some heavy vehicles with guns and other components on them were drained of all gas and the gas was pumped into a number of other docks to further complicate things.

. . .

Brown Shipbuilding

"That's kind of pushing it," Jacques said.

The entire facility was left abandoned as a strike was initiated. But that was just what the saboteurs needed to sneak in and do their work.

Paint cans were left lying all over the place as graffiti was spraypainted on the cranes and worker offices. Car tires were slashed and a number were dumped into dry docks and left littering the construction sites of several ships.

. . .

Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction

"We also have several... other... assets that we're going to be utilizing here," Eisenhower pointed out.

Unlike other shipyards that were being sabotaged, there were a few that did not require it. In fact, one of them was the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction yards in Seattle. These yards chose not to work, with the dockyards closing and the crews remaining at home, letting the ships sit unfinished.

There was a good reason for this, and no one in LOGOs was aware of it.

. . .

National Steel and Shipbuilding

"I think we know what you mean," Director Gerro mused.

The shipyard's largest docks were flooded with deceased cows, which was an insult in of itself, but it was also a hazard due to their decomposing state.

It also didn't help much that the shipyard equipment had been tampered with, a large number of components missing from said equipment. And the thing was, no one knew how those cows got there, or who stole the vital components for their equipment.

. . .

Resistance Warehouse

Denver, Colorado

The President gave a nod. "Good." Then she turned to face the other members of the team.

. . .

Integrity

"Jacques, I want you to get in contact with Sicario and tell them the operation is about to commence. The sooner we get Ronin out there, the better."

The captain of the Integrity narrowed his eyes as he read over the orders.

John turned to Arthur. "You get that?" he asked.

Arthur nodded. "Oh, yeah. We're going to war for real now." His eyes hardened. "And I cannot wait to show LOGOs what they're dealing with here!"

. . .

New York City

"Garfield, you're to contact Carson and tell him to be prepared to evac if he gets found out. We can't risk his safety or that of his son. Also, inform Tekkadan to be prepared to fight as well. There's no telling what will happen."

"You get that, boss?" Orga asked as he lowered the phone.

Ben Carson nodded, a sense of foreboding filling his being. "I did. It's almost time then."

Akihiro grunted as he slammed his fist into an open palm. "The sooner we get out of here the better then!"

. . .

Lord Djibril's Estate

"Gena, keep a close eye on Djibril and also get your agents prepared for whatever plan you guys have got."

"I think we'll wait for our part," Gena said. "I don't want to ruin the surprise is all."

"Very well. Just keep an eye on Djibril and make sure the guy doesn't find out about us."

"Will do."

In his estate, Lord Djibril's eyes narrowed as he considered his next moves. With everything turning against him, it was only a matter of time before his plans for global conquest and the extermination of the Coordinator menace were thwarted.

He needed to find a way to regain the initiative.

The only question was... how?

. . .

Zephyr

Bruno's eye narrowed as he observed the news reports.

"So... someone's started to act," he mused.

A predatory grin crossed his face at this. "This is going to be good..."