"Many cultures hold a developed image of the superior man. Some believe them to be beings of great physical strength. In contrast, others see them as intellectuals of unrivaled caliber, and many others see them as gifted leaders who would eventually bring their civilizations into a golden age. I see the superior man as all or any of those things, but with one commonality: the superior man, no matter what his gifts may be, always represents what our race should aspire to."
- Chivvay Sem Daikun

Chapter VIII: The Legend of Newtypes

Caladin Starport
Callax III, Callax System
July 25, GC 379

With a drawn-out hiss, the hatchway on the Ralmel's underbelly opened, allowing Char and his compatriots to walk out into Callax III's open air. As he breathed fresh air, he slowly began to realize just how long it had been since he had been planetside. From the light of the setting sun Callax to the feeling of wind brushing against his face and the various aromas his enhanced olfactory sense was picking up, it might as well have been eons since he had stepped onto the surface of a natural world. Eons since he had descended from space.

It's only natural. He thought as he stepped down the walkway toward the tarmac, a knowing smile brushing against his lips. Comets can only thrive in space.

As he and his entourage made their way to the tarmac, they quickly saw they weren't alone. Standing at attention in row after row, a line of Zeon soldiers stood by and watched Char make his way to the ground, their arms snapping into a synchronized salute as soon as his boots hit the pavement, all without needing to be ordered to. Char couldn't help smiling at this, if only for the irony; if only these men and women before him knew who he was underneath the proverbial mask. Even so, he returned the salute as he began walking, suddenly feeling more like an Admiral about to review the lined troops rather than a "mere" Commander who happened to be the best ace in Zeon.

In that regard, his eyes, still concealed behind his physical mask, were quick to lock onto the man at the head of the line; the same man, as hard as it was to think of him as such, he had known since his time at the academy. Dressed in a dark violet rendition of the Imperial uniform, golden Admiral shoulder pips shining proudly under the twilight, Garma Zabi was the youngest flag officer in the Empire and looked every bit of it. In clear spite of his uniform, the young Zabi heir's extremely boyish face, while considered a very handsome trait, kept him from looking like an adult in any way. This impression was further reinforced by his full head of equally violet hair and youthful, energetic gaze. One would believe him more as a child playing dress up in his father or grandfather's uniform than as the commander of Zeon's Second Fleet.

Of course, Char was well aware of the actual story there. By all accounts, Garma was a skilled mobile suit pilot, such that Char had long acknowledged his skills but otherwise had been a long way off from formal command, let alone flag rank. That all changed with the untimely death of Sasro Zabi, Garma's second eldest brother and then-commander of the Imperial Ground Force, who had met his end at Riah as Artesia's twenty-fourth kill. In the following political and social upheaval, Gihren elevated Garma to full Admiral - reportedly against Garma's protests and Dozle's and Kycilia's - and placed him in command, where he had been ever since. Considering that, Char momentarily wondered how much ill-will Garma still held over his sudden elevation in rank and responsibility but decided that was not worth pursuing.

"Hello, Char," Garma greeted casually, then shook Char's hand. "Nice of you to visit after all this time."

"It's good to see you as well, Garma," Char commented as he gave a strong shake and then withdrew his hand. He looked over to the soldiers standing behind him, who all stared back with admiration in their eyes. "I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee," he said.

Garma laughed at that. "Well, far be it for me not to give the Red Comet an Emperor's welcome. Besides, these last few days have been a rather dull experience, so I thought some brief liveliness wouldn't hurt."

Char nodded in response. "Regardless, I'm quite honored."

"As you should be," Garma said in a mocking tone. He and Char had gone back too far for him to hold social ranking above his friend. After a few more brief words, Garma dispersed the lines, and the two aces made their way to Garma's personal transport.

"So, what brings you to my sector?" Garma asked as Char entered the vehicle. Once he was in, the driver began returning to the Second Fleet's headquarters. "Don't tell me you need my help fighting the Feddies."

Char shook his head. "As humiliating as it is to admit it," he said, pulling out a datapad from his pocket. "I do." He then handed the datapad to Garma.

Garma was quick to recognize the data's subject. "Ah yes, the Federation's thirteenth Trojan Horse," he exclaimed, his tone suddenly becoming serious. She's been making a lot of noise as of late."

Char understood that right away. "So you heard about Admiral Delaz's operation as well?" he asked, keeping his ill feelings over the said operation in check.

"Who hasn't?" Garma exclaimed. "The Feddies have been harping it up as some triumphant victory for the last month, just as our side has been downplaying the Fourth Fleet's losses," he said before giving Char a furtive look. "Either way, I can safely say every soul in the galaxy and those without souls have heard of the 'great' Battle of Juno."

He looked back over the datapad. "That being said, I've also heard about your little run-ins with the Ark Royal at Durga and X-145," Garma confirmed. "Suffice to say I still can't believe she survived your kill shot at Arcturus."

The Red Comet could only shrug. "I never believed her dead Garma," he explained. "While I destroyed most of her, there was still enough left for the Feddies to salvage."

"And now we're paying the price for assuming otherwise," Garma surmised. He then moved past the Ark Royal's data to a new set, specifically around a mobile suit design that Garma had never seen before. "Is this what I think it is?"

Char nodded. "Indeed," he answered. "The Federation's latest model, courtesy of Project V."

The young Admiral took a moment to glance at that set of data. "I read those reports from Juno as well. How could the Feddies make such a monster? Three of them, no less?"

Again, Char shrugged. "There are still many mysteries behind this Project V. But for now, I suggest we focus on hunting down the Ark Royal and eliminating her alongside those three."

Twisting his fingers between his hair, an old childhood habit that he had yet to grow out of, Garma nodded in agreement. "Very well. I'll have my senior staff gather for your briefing in a few hours, and we'll go over the Juno data before then," he stated before adding with a wistful smile. "It has been long since I've gone on the hunt."

Char raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "You're going to take command in the field?" he inquired. "What would Grand Admiral Dozle think of this?"

The young Zabi gave a disgusted expression toward that. "I love my brother Char, but he is far too overprotective," he exclaimed with a dismissive wave. "I was fighting on the frontlines well before I gained this damned rank," he stated, brushing his hands over his collar tabs. "And I will not be denied that pleasure again."

He then gave off a more reassuring smile. "Besides, as far as I'm concerned, a dear friend is asking for my help. What kind of man would I be if I didn't give that help in person?"

Char smiled back. Unlike Garma's, however, his smile was noticeably darker. "You have my gratitude, Garma."

Failing to notice the tone behind Char's smile, Garma looked back over the datapad. "I must say, this is quite the challenging prey," he said, looking over the data for the Ark Royal and her mysterious mobile suits side by side. "Should at least be worth a Zeon Cross."

He then let out a small laugh as another thought came to mind. "Hell, maybe it will be enough even to impress Kycilia."

Char's smile returned at that notion. "It might very well be Garma," he commented, his mind already working out a strategy for a certain objective. One that he had been waiting for for years to fulfill. "It might very well be."


Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Warp

With a visibly pleased expression, Mirai quietly reached out and picked up the teacup from her chair's side tray, savoring the scent of the green tea before taking a sip. It was a quiet morning, and she enjoyed every minute. Outside the distinct noises of operating machines and accompanying clicks of present crew members at their stations, the bridge was almost in complete silence. And much more, there wasn't any sign of Zeon's presence, ensuring that the Ark Royal would enjoy a pleasant warp flight as long as that would last anyway.

It had now been over two weeks since the Ark Royal had completed her refit at Golan and nearly a month since the Battle of Juno. Compared to the chaos of the Ark Royal's flight from Antillia and beyond, things had greatly settled down over the present period, with the Ark Royal continuing her original mission unhindered while the physical and emotional fatigue of the constant fighting, as well as Juno's destruction, had slowly died away. The war continued, but now it was continuing in other parts of the galaxy that were well away from the Ark Royal, thereby allowing her crew relief and recollection. Even Commander Amada, who arguably suffered from Juno more than anyone else on the ship - save, perhaps, from Lieutenant Amuro - seemed to have completely recovered. He continued his duties as the 13th's DCAG as he had before.

God's in his Heaven, and All's right with the Universe. Mirai mused absent-mindedly as she took another sip of her tea. She was beginning to realize how long it had been since she could relax like this. Well, up to the genocidal supermen trying to enslave the galaxy, at least. "Status."

"Holding course, Commander," Katz reported proudly from the helm, resisting the urge to lean back in his chair. As smooth as the ride was - something the young helmsman took great personal pride in - he was still on duty. "If all goes well, we'll reach Federation lines in no time."

"No ships or objects within immediate range," Kikka reported from her station. "Though that's not discounting cloaked ships, ma'am."

"Understood, Ensign," Mirai replied, her lips pursing into a frown. That was the one downside of the Ark Royal's present state - she still had no way of breaking the Zeeks' damned cloaking tech. As such, anything from a warship to a warp booster-equipped mobile suit could be tracking them now, and they wouldn't know about it. Still, the fact they had yet to be attacked meant if anyone was indeed following them, then they were only keeping track of them. That was good enough at this time.

Even so, it was still a long way to Federation lines, and it helped even less that the Ark Royal was closer to Zeon than she was to Earth. That said, anything could happen almost any time, and Mirai knew better than to believe the Zeeks had given up on destroying the final member of the vaunted Lexington line. She was sure that more than a few flags in the Imperial High Command and intelligence apparatus were beating themselves for that minor oversight from Arcturus. Assuming Emperor Gihren hadn't executed them all for said oversight, that was.

On that end, the Battle of Juno had long faded into the background, but much to the surprise of Mirai and the rest of the crew, both the Federation and Zeon had taken focal interest in the battle and its aftereffects. On Earth, Juno was hailed as a great triumph against the Zeon; yes, it was acknowledged that Juno had been lost to the surprise colony laser attack, but the fact remained that an outnumbered Earth battlegroup decimated a much larger Zeon force led by one of Gihren's favorite admirals. A Pyrrhic victory was still a victory as far as the people on Earth were concerned, and the Federation needed every victory it could get. The propagandists certainly wouldn't let it go to waste.

In that regard, given the Ark Royal's current mission, her participation and those of her four mobile suit squadrons were kept secret from the Federation's newsfeeds. This had put off some of the crew, but that displeasure quickly dissipated when it was claimed medals and other awards would be passed out in recognition. There were even rumors that the ship was to receive a Presidential Unit Citation and that Commander Noa would receive a second Space Force Cross - following the first one he received from Arcturus - for his actions in preserving the ship and leading her into battle. Mirai couldn't help but wonder if either or both resulted from Admiral Wakkein making amends for his earlier misjudgments. If they were, then she didn't mind in the least.

On the other side, things were a bit more complicated. Mirai had no way of knowing exactly what was happening with the Zeeks. However, what was reported came directly from Mayfly, the Federation's top spy within the Empire, which was then sent to Intelligence and transmitted through the proverbial grapevine to the Ark Royal herself. News of the continued existence of the Federation's thirteenth Trojan Horse, alongside the newfound existence of the three Gundams, had spread throughout Zeon like wildfire, such that it was a sure bet everyone from the lowest Imperial spacer to Emperor Gihren himself had heard of either. This, in turn, was claimed to be the first major upset within the Zeek ranks since the war had begun; not even the Battle of the Northwest Passage, in which the Lexington's command and control capabilities had been displayed for the first time, nor the realization of King Milliardo personally leading the Sanc Royal Astrum from the legendary mobile suit Tallgeese, had thrown the Zeeks so out of motion.

In particular, Unit Alpha's performance was a focal point. Never had a single mobile suit, much more a Federation mobile suit, brought so much destruction upon a Zeon force nor instilled so much terror throughout the Zeek ranks within a single fight. Not even Sleggar's trail of destruction at Arcturus nor Lieutenant Mass' single-handed slaughter of twenty-four mobile suits - as well as Admiral Sasro - at Riah had made such an impact upon the enemy. It was almost eerie in that regard; not only could Mirai not recall a time when a Federation unit had so shaken the Zeeks, but she knew full well that their newly instilled terror held warrant. She had, after all, been at Juno herself, and she had seen what Unit Alpha had done there, especially at the end.

As a side effect of this, the Zeon, just like Sleggar and Sayla before, had dubbed Unit Alpha and its still "unknown" pilot with a rather fitting alias: the White Devil. In Mirai's opinion, it was not as majestic as the Eagle of Arcturus or the Valkyrie of Riah, but it still sent the message. The white mobile suit - and its pilot - was Death incarnate, a seemingly immortal being that would descend upon the Zeon with great and unholy rage before sending their souls directly into the arms of Hell. A demon summoned into the mortal realm to collect the souls of the damned.

Alongside this, Mirai also recognized an unintentional double meaning: in the ancient culture of her heritage, white was the color of death, ranging from the souls of the deceased to the shinigami himself. And if that wasn't enough, there was the old Biblical adage about the Horseman of Death riding a "pale" horse - which Mirai considered another shade of white - as he slew a fourth of the world with "sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts." Both images sent a rather distinct chill down her spine, especially when she again recalled Unit Alpha's performance before. However, the White Devil was a very fitting title for the Federation's newest ace.

Of course, as Mirai knew all too well, this only led to further complications for the Ark Royal. Yes, they had another ace in their muster, but that only meant that the Zeon would be paying even more attention to them now and concentrating more ships and mobile suits on hunting them. And it wasn't like the Zeon didn't have enough reason to hunt the Ark Royal already, again being that she was the thirteenth of the Lexington line, as well as carrying units of the Federation's formerly secret Project V. Now it was likely the Zeeks would dedicate entire fleets tracking them, as they had with several of the Ark Royal's sister ships.

Either way... she thought, as she felt herself nearly sag into her chair. Despite what you said just now, Katz, it will be a long trip home.


"I must say this is all quite the enigma," the sultry voice on the other end of the terminal screen commented as its originator looked over the data in front of her, amber-colored eyes flickering with interest behind a pair of square-framed glasses. "To be perfectly honest, I've never seen such technology before. Not even when I was doing government work."

"Not exactly the answer I was hoping for," Bright commented as he rested his chin against his clenched fists, elbows firmly held upon his desk. He didn't care if the face on the screen was one of the brightest minds in the universe. It still irked him that he had shared one of the Federation's deepest and darkest secrets with a civilian. A civilian with a completely unknown past and identity herself. "Can you at least tell us if this is Federation-originated tech? Or if it came from another nation?"

"Like, say, a certain bunch of Wacky Space Nazis?" Sleggar commented from behind Bright, leaning against the bulkhead with his arms crossed as he also observed the conversation. Like Bright, he was also uncomfortable with the face on the opposite end, even if it was that of a beautiful woman. At the same time, however, Sleggar also knew that if anyone outside Project V could provide the information they sought, it was her.

For her part, the woman only seemed amused at the pair's discomfort. It wasn't every day she saw two higher-ranking officers squirm under her gaze, though she knew she could have that effect on anyone she wished. She was, after all, the one and only Professor - a woman of such force and intrigue that she needed only her title to be recognized, all while her real name remained unknown to the rest of humanity, up to and including her comrades in the Junk Guild.

Brushing aside a strand of her long scarlet red hair from her perfectly portioned and attractive face, the Professor smiled back. "Don't worry, it isn't Zeon technology. Even the Empire has nothing remotely similar to this," she answered as Bright and Sleggar inwardly sighed in relief. "That being said, I'm afraid I can't give you a direct answer to that question either. It could be either..."

"Give me an educated guess then," Bright stated, resisting the urge to rub his forehead. He could almost feel a headache starting. "Both on the last question and everything else."

After a brief pause to consider her answer, the Professor finally replied. "I believe Commander Law is correct in that this technology was made specifically for them," she started. "Going by what I've analyzed and what you've told me about Juno, I believe this system is a psionic interface designed to link that type of pilot directly to the machine itself."

Bright raised an eyebrow at that. "An interface?" he repeated. "How do you propose it works?"

The Professor laughed at that notion in a hearty voice. "I can't even begin to tell you how it works, Commander, but I have a theory on its general function," she said before bringing a schematic of one of the atom-sized hexagons. "These hexagons are receivers that absorb the pilot's projected brainwaves, enabling them to control the equipped unit as if it were their own physical body. A true mind-to-machine control system."

Sleggar looked up at that. "I heard of this concept," he said, eyes slightly widened. "It was always rumored that Lockheed Martin was experimenting with it," he exclaimed, earning confused glances from both Bright and the Professor. Sighing, Sleggar clarified. "That was during the early 21st century AD."

Blinking a little in response, the Professor merely nodded. "Well, now it looks like it has been brought back," she said with an alluring smile. "Of course, it helps that there is only one type of human capable of projecting his or her brainwaves over a large area, thereby making the system even remotely possible."

Bright took all this in evenly. "Which gives us an idea of the technology's originator..."

"Indeed," the Professor confirmed with a nod. "It can only be Flanagan."

The captain sighed at the mention of that name. The Flanagan Institute. One of the most secretive organizations within the Federation. Very little was known about it, though it had often been claimed that Flanagan was engaged in numerous black projects within Earth and elsewhere, among which was a rumored research program involving a certain kind of human. Specifically, a certain type of human was said to possess paranormal abilities.

"Of course," Sleggar spoke up again after the brief pause. "None of this explains Unit Alpha's little light show at Juno," he pointed out. "Got any theories on that, Professor?"

The Professor visibly shrugged. "Not with the technology itself, unfortunately. However..." she thought, stroking her chin. "Considering the system's nature, the logical explanation is that Unit Alpha was generating some resonance."

Sleggar arched an eyebrow. "Resonance?" he repeated. "As in increased system oscillation due to the influence of an exterior force?"

Again, the Professor blinked, this time in surprise. "Yes, exactly that. And here I thought you were only a typical mobile suit jock, Commander."

The ace beamed in return. "High school science project. Got a B+," he said before turning serious again. "On that end, I have a feeling I know what Unit Alpha was resonating against..."

"As do I," Bright answered with a sigh, recalling how his crew had acted in the wake of Juno's destruction. It wasn't hard to fathom Lieutenant Amuro's mental state then. "I don't suppose you have any contacts within Flanagan or Project V?"

The Professor shook her head. "Flanagan was always outside my sector, and Project V is too recent. However, if you allow me to keep the data, I will continue to review it and inform you of any additional findings."

Sleggar answered before Bright could. "Fine by us. So long as you don't try replicating it, at least," he visibly shivered. "I can only imagine how the system would react to your crew's antics..."

Before the Professor could reply, her image was interrupted by a sudden burst of static followed by an explosion. Both Bright and Sleggar suddenly looked up just as another voice sounded.

"Kisato to Professor, you better get down here!" a rather shaken female voice called out over the comm. "Lowe's little 'reactor experiment' just went up in smoke! Literally!"

Groaning, the Professor tapped the comm circuit. "Alright, I'll be down there in a minute," she replied, looking back at the monitor. "Sorry, boys, but duty calls. I'll contact you again once I find anything else."

Bright nodded in clear sympathy. "Understood. Until next time, Professor."

"Until next time, Commander," Professor responded in kind. "George Glenn out."

The terminal monitor went dark, allowing abstract silence to return to the captain's officer. And so, taking in another breath, Bright asked the inevitable. "What do you think?"

The pilot could only sigh in exasperation at that question. "I think this is all one big Charlie Foxtrot, Bright. I think Project V, whatever it is, is the military and scientific equivalence of black magic. I think the Federation is stepping in to get a new wonder weapon over the Zeeks, assuming that's all Project V's aim is."

The commander's eyes then narrowed with derision. "And I think my pilots and I are now caught up in everything."

"To say nothing of my ship and crew," Bright said, clearly concurring despite his inner conflict. "Be that as it may, however, our objective remains. As stipulated, we'll take the Gundams and Lieutenant Amuro back to Earth."

Sleggar held a terse gaze on that. "I don't disagree with those orders, Bright, you know that," he said. "However, I don't think this is something we should pretend never happened."

"And what do you expect to do about it, Sleggar?" Bright shot back. "Both High Command and the Federation government, up to and including the President himself, are backing Project V," he stated. "Besides, we're soldiers fighting a war. Ours..."

"...is not to reason why, but to do or die," Sleggar finished for the captain. "Believe me, I know that mantra well, and to this day, I wish it were all that simple."

The Gundam pilot then looked down, almost regretfully. "But the reality is you must question what you're fighting for now and then. Otherwise, you may fight for a side worse than the opposition, and those around you may suffer."

Bright was about to reply to that, but Sleggar spoke first. "Anyway, think about it for a while," he stated as he got up and moved toward the door. "And keep me posted on anything else from the nutty professor."

"And what will you be doing in the meantime?" Bright stiffly inquired.

"Me?" Sleggar replied with mock innocence. "Why, I have a party to set up. Don't you remember?"

Yet again, Bright resisted the urge to rub his forehead, even though the headache was about to come on strong. "How could I forget?" he dryly replied. "Just ensure your pilots leave the mess in one piece this time."

"I make no promises," Sleggar replied as he exited.


In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. Sayla began as she stopped in front of the observation deck's viewport, which continued to display the flashing stars.

Standing in the middle of the deck, Amuro listened intently to her telepathic words, just as he had since they began these sessions. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

As always, Sayla did not use words alone. Within his mind's eye, Amuro watched as the observation deck disappeared around him and was replaced by complete black. As Sayla went on, that very same darkness began to shift. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light...

With that, a blinding supernova-like flash erupted from the void, causing Amuro to wince from the intensity of the newfound light. When Amuro's eyes finally adjusted, he saw that a speck, not unlike a distant sun within the void, was now placed in front of him. Slowly but surely, that light grew steadily as the words passed.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Yet again, the light encompassed the darkness until everything became a field of white. It was so intense that Amuro felt his arms subconsciously raised to shield his eyes.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

From that, the light settled back into the darkness. Only now, however, wasn't only the darkness present; now, various spectrums of light, taking the form of a great aurora, surrounded and embraced Amuro. Amuro could only look on in wonder as Sayla's words continued to enter his mind.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

And then, all at once, the light and darkness of the void rescinded. In their place came the image of surging water and a storm filled sky, with rain and lightning clashing around Amuro.

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Suddenly, Amuro watched a single speck of rock jett out from beneath the waves. At first, like the light before it, it was little more than a speck of dirt in the middle of the great ocean. However, as time continued to pass, that rock suddenly became a bigger rock, and then a mountain, and then, quite simply, land.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

From there, the water rescinded to the newly formed continent, which grew further. As it did so, dirt and the vast green of grass and trees gradually replaced the bare rock.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Yet again, Amuro watched as darkness—specifically, the darkness over the landscape—receded, with the clouds parting and the black giving way to the newly rising sun.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

With that, the sun moved over the sky and gradually set, again replaced by night's darkness. Only now, however, was the darkness no longer complete, as the moon and the surrounding stars appeared within it. So the cycle began, with the night receding to the light of the sun and the sun receding to the night after.

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

At last, the cycle ended with an encompassing white flash. When that ended, Amuro's eyes were met with the image of animals dwelling on the land, from various birds in the air and on land to great whales leaping from the sea.

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

A moment later, cattle grazing on the plains could be heard while fish began to leap out of the sea. Beside them, Amuro saw the image of a lion pride moving about inconspicuously near the cattle, which alarmed him a little. However, he quickly realized that the lions weren't even paying attention to them, instead simply moving to another part of the land. And even further on, Amuro could see the galloping of wild horses, followed by the trumpeting sounds of elephants.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

And finally, Amuro saw a single image that changed all with its existence. That of a single man, presumably Adam, awakening from the sea and moving upon the land. With great majesty, the man drove past Amuro and into the center of the plains, the surrounding animals immediately taking notice of his presence. Moments later, a woman, whom Amuro immediately identified as Eve, joined him while the animals adhered to their authority.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Amuro looked around him again and immediately realized all that had happened. What had once been a vast emptiness had now become paradise. Life went on its way around him, with the various animals attending to their needs while Adam and Eve observed and interacted with some of them. There was no conflict here, no hostility, just simple peace and tranquility alongside great wonder and majesty.

Indeed, such a realm could only be Eden.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Suddenly, Amuro felt Sayla's presence beside him again. When he turned to face her, he saw she was looking at the world around them.

Ever since I was a child, I've been enamored by this story. Though I find the concept and existence of a conscious and omnipotent God somewhat dubious and this explanation of the universe's creation to be quite unlikely, I see this story as telling of an entirely different subject altogether.

It was only then she turned to look at Amuro. Specifically, not how the universe came to be, but rather what it is.

She then gestured to the field, imploring Amuro to look back and behold. Light, darkness, space, time, life, evolution, existence, she continued as Amuro gazed over everything and wondered. These elements combine to make the universe as we know and understand it.

Then she added. And it is precisely in these areas, among others, that our shared gift resides.

Hearing that, Amuro turned back to her with a curious glance. And what is our 'gift' per se?

Sayla laughed slightly at that as if it were a wholly obvious question. Our gift is many things. The scientific community would claim it as telepathy or a heightened mental state, while the more religious-oriented would see it as divine understanding or spiritual enlightenment. I see it simply as perception.

At that point, Adam and Eve came into view again, moving past Amuro and Sayla as if the latter were both invisible. Both appeared to be drawn to something. By normal parameters, humans perceive all around them through their five physical senses. Sight depicts the light from the darkness; hearing identifies sound from silence; smell absorbs scent from the air; touch determines feeling from abstraction; and taste brings texture from substance. Through these, humans identify and choose all that is before them, from the land below and the sky above to the life forces that move about near the passage of time.

After a moment, Amuro quickly realized that the pair were drawn to a single tree standing in the middle of the field. Sayla went on regardless. And though these senses are adequate, they remain highly limited. Can one see the universe's scope when sight cannot even move beyond the sky above? How can one feel the passage of time and space when touch can barely determine the direction of the wind?

Soon enough, Eve picked a single fruit from underneath the tree, which she offered to her husband. And how can one hear the songs of the heavens when they cannot even hear the heartbeat of the world around them? Sayla said, just as both took a bite from the fruit.

And our gift can do all of this? Amuro wondered as he watched both devour the fruit, wondering what would happen next. "Perceive" things that the normal senses can't?

Sayla smiled at this. Indeed, and much more.

Yet again, the landscape became enveloped in a vast field of white, causing Amuro to close his eyes from the sudden brightness. And when he opened them again, he found himself no longer standing within Eden or a physical field. Rather, the plain he was now in was more metaphysical, appearing as a vast space of vibrant and continuously shifting color while bright lights like stars flashed in the background. And in that space, there were no planets, no physical objects of any kind beyond himself and Sayla. Just pure light and openness.

Our sight does not end with the sky of a planet; our touch feels far more than air, and our hearing can detect the rhythm of an earth and far more. Sayla continued to explain from beside him, her voice seemingly echoing through the surrounding space. Through this perception, we can identify and determine everything, from the makeup of the universe we dwell upon to the souls of all living things around us.

With that, new images flashed around Amuro, seemingly swirling over him like flower petals caught in the wind and disappearing back into the void just as quickly. Upon them, Amuro beheld many things: numerous worlds and their inhabitants, mysterious phenomena occurring within the depths of space, the beginning and end of stars and civilizations, and events of human history that ranged at random times. All constant, yet so fleeting, such that he could not even describe it all.

We can see Time in its purest form, such that it cannot be categorized into "Past," "Present," or "Future." Sayla went on, now holding out her hand. We can feel the vastness of Space and its dimensions to the point that our galaxy appears as but a mundane speck to a far greater whole. We can hear the psalms of countless earths and heavens alongside the grand orchestra that is Existence itself.

A moment later, energy collected over her palm, seemingly giving birth to a new star within her hand. And above all else, just as we can perceive all around us, so too can we influence them.

Then, in another great flash, that star transformed into the fruit that Adam and Eve had previously devoured. With that, Sayla moved closer to Amuro and held the fruit out for him to take, which he did. To see what cannot be seen. To hear what cannot be heard. To smell what cannot be breathed. To touch what cannot be felt. To taste what cannot be consumed. And to make the impossible possible.

As she continued, Amuro placed his hands upon the fruit, with Sayla watching as he gazed over the object with marvel. All of these things are part of the gift bestowed upon our kind: humans that, through humanity's progression into the void, have reached the next stage of evolution and become something more.

Her smile increased as she added. A Newtype of lifeform.

Amuro felt that word ring over him for some reason, so he looked up from the fruit. Newtype? he repeated as if uttering a sacred title of some sort. Is that what we are?

Sayla nodded. That's what we are referred to by those aware of our existence. I find it a dull and unimaginative title, but it is what it is.

Hearing that, Amuro looked back toward the fruit; all the while, the word echoed through his mind. At last, he had a word, a name, to describe himself and his power. Something he had been seeking since he had been born. Newtype...

Suddenly, Sayla looked up as if suddenly realizing a new occurrence. "We will leave off of that for today," she said, using her physical mouth instead of telepathically transmitting the words to Amuro.

As such, when Amuro looked up again, he was no longer in the mysterious realm or dimension but back on the Ark Royal's observation deck. Out of reflex, he looked back at his hand, only to see that the fruit was no longer there. "Why?" he nearly demanded, feeling disappointment weigh on him. "There's still so much..."

Nodded in acknowledgement, Sayla explained further. "There is a most ancient saying: a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," she said. "And that is what you are about to take."

Amuro opened his mouth to inquire further, but Sayla continued speaking. "For the longest time, your power has only brought you pain and suffering, both from within yourself and from those around you," she said, reaching out her hand again. "Today, however, it will bring you joy."

Though initially hesitant, Amuro took Sayla's hand. Pleased with this, the Valkyrie of Riah proceeded to lead her ward out of the observation deck and to parts unknown.


Zeon Second Fleet Headquarters
Callax III, Callax System

Char had to admit that he was impressed with what he saw outside and within the footage. On the outside, he was impressed that Garma had been able to get firsthand holo records of the Battle of Juno, reportedly taken from the Rwaden herself, something that, due to its outcome, had been kept under lock and key from the rest of Zeon proper, Char included. This bemused the Red Comet to no end; for all his chafing against his rank, Garma seemingly had no problems utilizing its benefits. Or, for that matter, his relationship with the current Emperor.

As for the footage itself, which Char was now viewing with Garma, he was even more impressed with what he saw within. Even compared to his experiences in battles such as Arcturus, he found Delaz's drive against Juno to be highly intense, with the carnage almost overwhelming. It made perfect sense; with Wakkein's fleet backed into a corner as it had been, the Feddies had no choice but to fight with all they had against Delaz's much larger force. It helped that their forces were augmented by the Ark Royal's presence, granting them a fighting chance. Char knew from experience that the "lowborn" - a word he hesitated to use - were an unpredictable breed. Some of their kind would back down and attempt to retreat rather than face a superior force; others would decide to fight to the end. Char couldn't help but wonder if Delaz had considered that when formulating his strategy.

And then there was Juno's destruction. In Char's opinion, that had been Delaz's greatest triumph and failure in this operation. On the one hand, while Char found the colony laser attack detestable - he could and would never condone the destruction of an entire world, especially when it was made in his family's legacy - it was admittedly a sound strategy, as it cost the Federation a vital military installation while opening the surrounding sector up to further incursion, all in one fell swoop. On the other, it had also served to incense the Federals further, to the point that they had fought much harder than they would have. Even without the Ark Royal and the three Project V units there, he had little doubt Wakkein and his ships would have gone on the offensive regardless and that the Feddies would have made it a point to take as many Zeon down with them before they rejoined their fallen comrades and citizens of Juno. Once more, it was their nature, and Char, despite all he was, admired them for it.

From there, Char reviewed the footage of the three Project V suits. Of special note was that the three were no longer painted in the standard Federation grey but now held individualized colors. On that, it had taken Char a moment. He eventually managed to distinguish them: the one marked Alpha was now in pure white, the one marked Beta was dark blue, and the one marked Gamma, Artesia's unit, was colored in the same shade of crimson as his Zaku. For his part, Char wasn't sure how he felt toward the latter but ultimately decided that it was not something to dwell on in the present.

As expected, the three prototypes proved to be effective juggernauts throughout Delaz's ranks. While the white and blue units plowed through Zakus with great abandon, Char was surprised to see Artesia engage and dominate Delaz's favorite ace, Commander Anavel" Nightmare of Solomon" Gato, in a vicious swordfight. From that, it was obvious that Juno's destruction had weighed heavily upon Artesia and the white unit's pilot, further adding to Char's original viewpoint on Delaz's strategy. And though Char knew that as much as she had suffered and been enraged, Artesia would eventually be able to recompose herself, he couldn't help but wonder about the white unit pilot. Char felt that Juno's destruction had scarred him far more than it had done his sister.

And precisely at that point, the greatest image of intrigue came about. Specifically, augmented by some energy field, the white mobile suit charged through the Zeon forces even faster than before, effectively taking on all of Delaz's fleet by itself. It was from that part of the footage that Char understood everything: why the footage had been hidden in the beginning, why Zeon's upper brass was so terrified of the Federation's new wonder weapons, and, perhaps most importantly, why it seemed the Empire as a whole was horrified by the Federation's latest ace. The one that the few survivors of the battle had labeled the "White Devil."

"Impossible..." Garma barely breathed as he watched the white mobile suit continue its rampage, decimating any ship or Zaku it came across without breaking stride. "I reiterate what I said before: how could the Feddies make such a monster?"

Again, Char inwardly smiled. His choice in sparing the Alpha unit's young pilot at X-145 seemed the right one. "We're dealing with far more than mere baseline units," he commented, stroking his chin in thought. "Perhaps we should begin thinking of them as superweapons."

As if to emphasize Char's point, the last segment of the battle at last came to pass: when the white mobile suit, after speeding its way through the remnants of Delaz's defense force - albeit with Artesia's support - obliterated the laser with but a single shot. Even Char was astonished by that. He knew all too well that the mobile suit's power, as great as it was, wouldn't have been enough to destroy an object the size of a space colony that had been completely due to the pilot. Who was a far greater force than even Char had initially believed.

"Well, either way," Garma stated as the video file finally ended, causing the lights to return to their normal levels. "We have our work cut out for us on this one, Char."

"Indeed, Garma," Char replied. He then tapped a switch on his chair, causing the vidscreen to flicker and display a tactical readout of the Ark Royal and her mobile suit force. "Our primary objective is self-explanatory: the Federation's thirteenth Lexington-class fleetcarrier. She holds firepower equivalent to a battlecruiser, a mobile suit force of approximately four squadrons, and advanced CIC capabilities."

Garma shook his head. "At least she's traveling alone. It would have been much harder if the Feddies had assigned a task force around her, like they've done in the past," he replied. "Why is that, by the way?"

Char shrugged. "According to Intelligence, the Ark Royal was sent to Antillia to ferry the Project V units back to Earth," he explained. "A proper task force would have gained her too much attention."

The young Admiral nodded at this, then looked over the three prototypes. Like Char, he noted their color schemes and the personal emblems on their shoulders. "What do we know about the pilots of those three?" he asked, tapping a switch on his chair to magnify each emblem. "They're all aces, but I don't recognize them."

Char resisted the urge to smirk at this. "You've been out of action for far too long, Garma," he said, earning a questioning glare from his comrade. "There's not a Zaku pilot in the whole military that doesn't know or fear those two," he gestured toward the blue and red units.

"Humor me then," Garma replied sharply, as if he didn't have enough reasons to hate his current rank and position within the Imperial Forces.

Char continued, deciding to cut the young Zabi some slack. "I'm afraid the pilot of the white unit, the one previously designated Alpha, is still a mystery," he said. "Intelligence is trying to gather a file on him, but in my estimation, he's a newcomer."

Garma blinked at this. "You must be joking, Char."

"You would know when I was joking, Garma," Char answered, looking over the white suit. In particular, he made a mental note of the red 'A' sigil on its left shoulder. "I fought that particular unit at Antillia and X-145. And though I will admit it put up a good fight, its pilot seemed lacking in combat experience."

"Then how do you explain what happened at Juno?" Garma pointed out. "Are you implying a rookie did all that we just saw?"

Again, Char grinned, this time enigmatically. "I said he lacked combat experience, Garma. His skill, however, was considerable even before Juno."

Garma could only shake his head at the notion. Deep down, however, he couldn't help but feel rather intrigued. Just what kind of being was this "White Devil"? "Continue, Char."

Nodding again, Char switched over to the blue unit. A minute later, an image profile displaying a blonde-haired Federation officer appeared on the right, complete with background data. "The Beta unit is piloted by Commander Sleggar Law, better known as..."

"The Eagle of Arcturus," Garma exclaimed in amazement, almost rising from his chair.

Char grinned. "So you do recognize him."

Garma nodded in confirmation. "I didn't recognize the sigil. The name, however..." he said. "As you said, there's not a single Zaku pilot who hasn't heard it."

Taking that in, Char went on. "Not much is known about his background. On the other hand, his combat record is well established: approximately one hundred and seventy-three confirmed mobile suit kills and thirty-six confirmed ship kills. Alongside, he is reputed as a skilled leader and tactician, able to make the most of his forces even in the face of a greater enemy force."

Garma looked over the image closely. He had to admit, for such a vaunted warrior, the Eagle of Arcturus was rather disappointing in appearance. Garma had almost expected the man to be more Zeon-like. "Could he be the Ark Royal's mobile suit commander?"

"A strong possibility," Char exclaimed. It would explain the well-performed ambush at X-145. "Even if not, that unit remains in highly capable hands."

Garma understood the message there: expect anything and everything from the enemy. "Which brings us to the third."

Resisting the urge to take a breath, Char moved onto the red Gamma unit. "This is one I know you will recognize on sight." A minute later, Artesia's profile appeared beside it.

Indeed, this time, Garma did rise from his chair, his expression one of astonishment and bordering rage. "Is that...?" he managed to breathe.

"Yes," Char confirmed. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Sayla Mass," he said, looking upon the image himself but with a far different range of emotions. "The Valkyrie of Riah."

Exhaling a long breath, Garma moved over to the image as if directly committing it to memory. "So, this is the Federation's Valkyrie," he exclaimed in clear derision. "The one who killed Sasro."

Char went on to ignore the fury emanating from the young Zabi like waves of flame. "As with the previous two, records are sketchy on her background," he explained, biting back the irony. "But what is known is that she, like the White Devil, the Valkyrie of Riah, is a newcomer to the war, having graduated from the Earth Academy sometime after the Battle of Arcturus. It is even rumored Riah was her first foray."

He then added with a barely noticeable grin. "Current record is ninety-seven confirmed mobile suit kills and twenty-one confirmed ship kills."

Garma glowered in response, the image of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman in an Earth uniform burning itself into his mind. For some reason, as he continued to gaze at the image, he thought he felt some familiarity with the woman; something about her that made him feel this was not the first time he had laid eyes on her. However, he quickly dismissed the thought.

"I want this one alive, Char," Garma growled. "I don't care what happens to the Devil or the Eagle, but the Valkyrie will be taken alive."

The young Admiral's voice suddenly took on a feral tone. "Just long enough for her to pay for my brother's death. In full."

Hearing that, Char could only say nothing, at least for a brief moment. "In that case, I request the honor."

Though his fury remained across his face, Garma regarded Char with curiosity. "I was expecting you to have a rematch with the White Devil. What's your interest in the Valkyrie?"

Char smiled. "Let's just say I also have a score to settle with her."

Before Garma asked for specifics, his data began to beep. He quickly tapped it. "What is it, Darota?"

"Forgive my interruption, Admiral, but this just came in," Commander Darota Whelm, Garma's aide-de-camp, replied.

A second later, a holoscreen appeared in front of Garma, showing a line of information. Garma's eyes immediately widened as he read it: "How long ago was this?"

"Less than ten minutes, sir," Darota reported.

When Char looked on in question, Garma flipped the holoscreen over so his friend could read it. From this, Char instantly understood; a nearby listening post had isolated the warp signature of a lone Federation ship moving through a nearby sector. A lone Federation ship believed to be of the Lexington-class.

"Which of our ships is nearest?" Garma demanded.

Darota took a moment to go over the data. "The cruiser Mielun," he reported. "Shall I order her to intercept?"

"Yes, but not to engage. It will take more than one Musaka to bring down this particular ship," Garma stated adamantly. "Once that's completed, have my task force prepare for immediate departure."

He then glanced over at Char, who nodded in silent confirmation. "Include the Ralmel among the latter."

"It will be done, Admiral," Darota replied before signing off.

Garma quickly stood up and took a new breath, this one of renewed energy. "Well, Char, it appears the game is afoot," he said, a smile forming. I must say I'm looking forward to this."

"As am I, Garma," Char said, smiling as well. "It will be just like old times."

Garma nodded, his smile taking on a warmer tone. "Indeed it will, Red Comet. I can only hope Sasro is watching, wherever he is."

At that, Char's smile took on a newfound tone. A darker tone that Garma failed to notice. I hope so as well. And your father with him.


Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Warp

Hesitance was present, and Amuro followed Sayla's lead through the deck. Though he had trusted the fellow Newtype up to this point, Amuro had no idea where she was taking him; Sayla certainly wasn't dropping any hints, and every time he attempted to focus his senses on the ship, he always found himself rebuffed by an unknown force (most likely Sayla). Amuro would have been terrorized any other time, but for once, he felt assured. Sayla wouldn't lead him to harm after all she had done for him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pair finally came upon the mess, where Amuro, upon approach, thought he heard music playing from within. This indeed turned out to be the truth; upon the doors shifting open, Amuro saw that the mess was filled with people, most notably the other pilots of the 13th Carrier Assault Group, who were all conversing unto themselves over assorted food and cups of alcohol. It was obviously a party in motion.

Soon enough, however, someone noticed Amuro and Sayla's entry and signaled those around him. From that, the music stopped abruptly, and silence dawned throughout the mess. All eyes turned to the entryway, specifically toward Amuro. Feeling the anxiety weigh upon him again, Amuro turned to Sayla, who smiled and nodded reassuringly before silently guiding him inside, her hand holding hers as she did so. That alone was enough for Amuro to press on.

Now inside, Amuro watched as the other pilots parted to either side, granting him and Sayla a path toward the center of the room. In contrast, another pilot, the long blonde-haired one named "Eledore," had pulled out a guitar of his own and was strumming a rather ominous tone upon Amuro's approach. Midway through the path, Sayla let go of Amuro's hand, causing him to fidget momentarily. Still, upon her gesture to continue, Amuro found it in himself to move onto the path alone. All the while, the other pilots watched over him, their eyes holding no expression beyond simple observance. Amuro felt as though he were walking to the gallows from their mute gazes, but he moved on regardless.

Eventually, he made it to the very center of the mess, where, low and behold, Sleggar stood by and gazed back at Amuro, arms crossed and looking as imposing a figure as Amuro had ever seen. Now, feeling like a mouse trapped under the gaze of a great eagle, Amuro glared back at his commanding officer by sheer force of will as he came directly in front of him and then moved to attention. If Sleggar approved of or was offended by this, he didn't show it. Instead, he spoke in monotone.

"State your name," Sleggar commanded.

Swallowing, Amuro complied. "Amuro Ray."

Nodding in confirmation, Sleggar turned to the side. "Lieutenant Sanders, proceed."

With that, a large and burly dark-haired man with full Lieutenant rank pips stepped forward, holding a similar gaze upon Amuro as his commander. "Amuro Ray," he began in a booming voice that seemed to echo throughout the mess. "White Devil of Juno, Bane of Delaz, and Hero of Earth!"

Blinking reflexively at those titles, Amuro listened on as Sanders continued. "You have been summoned here to this sacred ground..." he bellowed. "To join us within the great and noble Brotherhood of the Shrike!"

In other words... Amuro heard Sayla telepathically comment from the background. We want to make you an official part of the squadron.

Sanders stepped forward, completely oblivious to Sayla's explanation. "Do you accept our invitation?" he seemingly demanded.

Just say yes. Sayla once more commented from the back.

Biting back the hesitance, Amuro nodded. "I accept it," he replied, earning a slight grin and nod of approval from Sleggar.

Beaming at this himself, Sanders went on. "Very well then," he said, while the guitarist began playing the "Sunrise" segment of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra." "For this, however, you must take on the Shrike's initiation, as has been practiced for generations. You must drink from the Great Chalice!"

With that, Sleggar and Sanders moved aside to reveal a small table at the center of the room, all to an overly dramatic guitar strum. Amuro saw a simple glass bear mug on that table that held the Shrike Squadron sigil on its side.

"Brothers, sisters!" Sanders called out, causing some of the other Shrikes to rise. "Prepare the Holy Brew!"

Upon that command, the Shrikes began moving, one after another, to the table, each with a single bottle of alcohol in hand. Once they reached the table, they would pour a specified amount of the battle into the mug before retreating into the crowd, from which another would emerge to repeat the process. From his point of view, Amuro wasn't an expert on alcohol, but he noticed several high-quality brands being used in the ceremony. All while "Sunrise" continued to play in the background.

And then, last but not least, Amuro watched as Commander Shiro moved from the crowd, an altogether different bottle in his hand that the other pilots, Sayla included, treated with reverence. That bottle was of Junoan-brewed whiskey, and if Amuro read the mood right, it was likely the last remnant of Juno's legacy. With a near-complete somberness against the guitar tones, Shiro came up to the mug and poured a select amount of the liquid within before momentarily closing his eyes and passing on a silent prayer quietly echoed by the crowd. He then moved back.

"And last but not least," Sleggar commented to Amuro as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a curious-looking pillbox. Taking out two pills, he dropped both into the "brew," causing the liquid to bubble momentarily. The purpose of this emerged fast enough; initially appearing in a sickly brown color, the food coloring pills quickly changed the liquid's tone to a golden mead color. Amuro resisted the urge to roll his eyes at this.

Silence again dawned throughout the mess as the onlookers watched with bated breath. Inwardly sighing, Amuro telepathically peered back at Sayla, who nodded again for him to proceed. Thus, again biting back the hesitance, the young pilot made his way to the table, the more dramatic parts of "Sunrise" playing with each step. As the music picked up, Amuro approached the mug and, though initially pausing mid-extension, reached out and grasped the handle. From there, taking a moment to swallow, he raised the mug and began to drink.

Much to his surprise, Amuro found the "brew" surprisingly smooth, so he had little trouble chugging it down. He would likely have a headache at the end of it, but that was okay; considering what he had been through weeks ago, a hangover would be nothing to him. As such, once the last mead was finished and the guitar player reached the final portion of "Sunrise," Amuro took the mug back and placed it back on the table with a hard thud.

All at once, the mess hall erupted in cheers while Amuro stood by and looked out, putting on a mask of pride and strength as he tried to hold back against the sudden surge of emotion. Again, much to his surprise, however, he found himself adjusting to it, especially when he saw Sayla give her nod of approval.

From there, Sleggar stepped forward again, the cheers silencing as he came next to Amuro. "From this day forward, Amuro Ray is now an official part of the Shrike Squadron and the 13th Carrier Assault Group," he announced with great pride. "Let the celebrations continue!"

Thus, with one final cheer, the party went on. Before Amuro realized what was happening, Fraw, apparently having been within the crowd to this point, emerged and took Amuro by the hand much like Sayla had done before and pulled him over to one of the nearby tables, where the other Shrike pilots - sans Sleggar (who was conversing with the other three squadron commanders), Sayla (much to Amuro's disappointment) and Hayato (who was off to himself in the far corner of the room) - were all sitting. Once she got him to sit down, she sat beside him, and another mug was slid down to Amuro, who caught it out of reflex. From there, he believed another pilot, Lieutenant Karen, began filling it with more Junoan whiskey - apparently the chosen drink of the evening.

Once that was resolved, the pilots and Fraw raised their glasses to Amuro. At that point, Amuro realized that this was the first time he had ever been at the center of a celebration. And much more, it was the first time he had ever felt such energy and emotion directed at him—energy and emotion that he could not even begin to describe. Despite everything he had gone through to this point, it felt good to the point of empowering him.

It will bring you joy. Sayla's words echoed from before. Only now did Amuro, sitting amongst comrades and arms, perhaps even friends, realize the truth of that statement alongside her original claim of taking his first step.

With that in mind, Amuro returned an appreciative smile of his own while raising his glass. After a resounding cheers, the group took their respective drinks.


"Captain on the bridge," Ryu let out as soon as Bright entered.

Taking his chair, Bright focused on the business at hand. "Sitrep?"

"All remains clear, Captain. No contacts of any kind, hostile or otherwise," Mirai replied while looking over the captain curiously. "If you want to head down to the party, I can continue to hold things here."

A flat smile appeared on his lips; Bright shook his head at that. "That's more for the pilots than anything else," he said. "Besides, I'm not a party person."

There's a shocking realization. Katz thought dryly as he continued to pilot the ship. He would be there when his duty shift was up, along with Kikka and Letz.

Failing to pick up on his helmsman's demeanor, Bright looked over at Mirai instead. "I don't suppose you wish to join the festivities, XO."

A disgusted look appeared on Mirai's face. "Last thing I need is some drunken pilot grabbing a very certain part of my anatomy."

Bright blinked at this. "I wouldn't worry too much about that," he replied, trying to sound reassuring. "Sleggar will be there to keep things orderly."

Mirai's expression only deepened in response. "Who do you think I meant by 'some drunken pilot'?" This earned more than a handful of chuckles from around the bridge.

Biting his lip, Bright was tempted to comment that he had never seen Sleggar drunk before or that, considering the amount of alcohol he often consumed, he was outright incapable of getting drunk but decided not to bother. It would have only made things worse anyway. "No contacts at all?" he repeated as he faced forward.

"None, Captain," Mirai replied. "We're alone in deep space."

Bright gaze deepened on that. Why doesn't that feel reassuring?


Zeon Musaka-class cruiser Mielun
Warp

The Feddies certainly build them big, the captain of the Mielun thought as his ship, slowly and carefully, drew closer to its quarry. Though the captain knew his boat was far from the largest in the universe, he couldn't help but feel rather intimidated when looking at the massive Trojan Horse before him. It was gigantic compared to the Mielun, as were her main guns.

Fortunately, however, his orders were to observe and only engage if necessary. The captain appreciated this; after all, he had heard many a tale regarding the Trojan Horses' exploits in battle and the massive amount of ships and resources Zeon had been forced to utilize in sinking even one of those behemoths. He did not want to see how his "little" cruiser would fare against one, even if he did have the first shot. "Target status?"

"Maintaining course and speed, Captain," the sensor operator replied. "Her weapon systems remain inactive."

The captain nodded. At least we know they haven't broken our Mirage Colloid yet. Intelligence was actually right for once.

He then glanced over to his comm operator. "Signal Callax that we have intercepted the Ark Royal and are holding pursuit," he ordered. "And inquire about the ETA of Admiral Garma's task force."

"Yes, sir," the comm operator acknowledged before transmitting the message. A few minutes later, he received a reply. "Taskforce is already en route. ETA to intercept is approximately thirty-two minutes and twenty-seven seconds."

Swallowing at that, the Captain nodded. He would have to babysit this monster for over a half hour before reinforcements arrived. Not a very promising prospect, even with his ship being under cloak.

Still, orders were orders, and the captain was unable to refuse. As such, he sat back in his chair and watched the stars streak around his ship and the monster in front of him.


Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Warp

"So you're from Earth itself, huh?" Sanders commented after taking another swig. "Which part?"

"Cheyenne," Amuro replied as straight-forward as he could. He was still getting too used to it all. "Lived there all my life. Until I attended the Academy, at least."

"I've been to Cheyenne myself," Eledore, sitting right next to Amuro himself, added with a proud smile. "Beautiful city, really beautiful city. And as a bonus, it's home to one of my favorite bands."

"Silverwind?" Michel inquired.

"The Cylinders," Eledore answered before taking another drink himself. "You listen to music, Amuro?"

Amuro thought about that. "I pick up songs I like now and then. But don't ask me about the bands they came from or anything like that. I know next to nothing about music and pop culture."

"That's alright," Kiki replied, then fixing Eledore with a dry gaze. "Between Commander Law and our resident TAKU wannabe, you're pretty much covered."

Eledore fixed Kiki a responding glare. "Never, never bring up TAKU or any of those SGOCK III losers in my presence again. One of the happiest moments of my life was when that redhead knocked that chauvinistic bastard right in the cockpit."

"Certainly was a happy moment for me, too," Kai agreed with a grin. There was just something about androgynous pretty boys wincing in pain that made one feel all warm inside.

Eledore looked back at Amuro again. "That all said, what kind of music do you like? Are you into anything modern or a classical man like Commander Law?"

Again, Amuro hesitated to find an answer. "I like… Lacus Clyne?"

"Awesome!" Eledore exclaimed with clear approval. "She is the best songstress in all the galaxy! I still geek out to 'Fields of Hope' whenever I hear it! Those bastards in Orb are too damn lucky to have her."

"I prefer Marina Ismail myself," Michel added with dreamy eyes to match.

Eledore nearly gagged on that. "She has had only one great song throughout her career. Just one! Princess Poverty should stick to babysitting war orphans."

Now it was Kiki's turn to fix Eledore a withering glare. "Was that a 'stay in the kitchen' crack?"

"No, that was an 'exiled Princesses with bland singing voices should stay out of music' crack," Eledore said. "I still don't understand why the Aeolians couldn't have left her on Azadi. It's not like her songs would cause an uprising. At least, not against them."

"Suffice to say," Shiro purposely spoke up before a true argument broke out. "Music is a huge subject matter with We Shrikes, so you might want to brush up on it when you can."

Still abrasive, Amuro slowly nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, Commander."

It was then that Karen entered. "I heard you're related to Tem Ray. Is he your uncle or something?"

Amuro noted how the others looked up in interest as well. Sighing, he answered. "He's my father."

"Whoa," Job let out. "So that's how you got involved with Project V."

Amuro raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Job quickly raised his hands. "No, no, nothing against you. It's just that..."

"It's non-policy for novices to test pilot new prototypes," Karen explained. "Usually, they're given to experienced veterans, aces even, because they know the mechanics and desired performance by heart."

Amuro nodded to that explanation. "Yeah, I can understand that," he said, again sighing. "But when your father is regarded as one of the greatest physicists and engineers in the universe, and you just happen to have some piloting knowledge, it all falls into place."

He then flatly added. "Regardless of your wishes."

The Shrikes immediately understood the message. They had known their newest member held reservations about piloting in battle, but now they saw those reservations extended to Project V as well. They collectively decided to move away from that.

"So..." Shiro began again. "If not music or piloting, what are your interests?"

That was a question Amuro had no issue answering. "Anything technological. I'm something of an engineer myself."

"Really?" Kiki exclaimed. "Make anything we've heard of?"

This time, Amuro grinned outright. "Ever heard of the Kamaria Circuit?"

That earned a line of interested eyes. "Yeah," Sanders replied. "It's a power distribution node for computers and pretty much anything that runs on electro-plasma."

"Supposed to stabilize and optimize performance throughout the device in question simultaneously. God knows every computer in the Federation has one," Karen said. "You invented that?"

"Named it after my mother," Amuro answered. "And yes, I can prove it. I own the patent."

Kai whistled, causing everyone's attention to shift again. "So there's more to you than being an emo after all," he commented. "Though I didn't take you to be a daddy's boy."

"I'm sorry," Amuro retorted in slight derision. "Are you trying to mock me, Ensign?"

Kai held his hand up at that. "No offense intended at all, Lieutenant," he replied with a tone that clearly stated the opposite. "I'm merely surprised that, outside of killing Zeons and moping about your lot in life, you have other worthwhile talents."

He then grinned outright as he added. "Honestly, I thought you were just another whiny brat that fell into a cockpit with but a manual and a prayer."

"Just ignore him," Kiki commented. "Kai, here is our resident troll. He feeds off the negative emotions emitted by the rest of us."

"What can I say?" Kai replied smarmily, pretending to inspect his nails. "Human anguish is a delicacy."

"Anyway," Eledore said again to avoid yet another conflict. You're an engineer, huh? Tell me..." he said with a gleam in his eye. "What do you know about musical instruments? Specifically, guitars?"

Yet again, Amuro hesitated out of nervousness. "I would have to brush up on the dynamics, but I'm familiar with them. Had one when I was a kid."

"Great!" Eledore exclaimed, then tapped his databank, which displayed a holographic image of a particular guitar. "This is the Eledore Special. I've got it all designed, as you can see, but the problem is putting it all together. I don't have the engineering expertise for it."

"You speak as if that were the only expertise you lack," Karen quipped.

"Ouch," Job exclaimed while others silently chuckled at their fellow pilot's expense, who glared at them in return.

Ignoring that, Amuro looked over the design and the accompanying data. After a moment, he then nodded. "Yeah, that can work. I'll need to modify the design, but I think I can make a prototype."

The glare disappeared like a puff of smoke, and Eledore suddenly became ecstatic. "You mean it?" he let out.

Amuro shrugged. "I could use the side project," he said, glaring up at Kai. "I wouldn't want to give people the wrong impression about myself."

At that, Eledore let out a resounding cheer. "My friend, you are alright!" he said before reaching out and slapping Amuro across the back.

Then Amuro reacted in a way no one in the group, save for one, didn't expect. Nearly jumping up from his seat with a sharp cry of anguish, the Gundam pilot reeled back violently, an expression of shock and naked horror etched across his face as he attempted to move as far away from Eledore as possible. Reactive confusion spread throughout the mess as nearly everyone rose, pushing to see what was happening with the Shrikes' newest member.

Before anything else could happen, however, Fraw, who was well aware of what was happening, placed her arms over his shoulders, keeping him down while signaling to the other pilots that she had it under control. From there, she waited for Amuro to calm down again before gently guiding him back onto his seat, where the Gundam pilot sat quietly, save for his heavy breathing. Under the table, Fraw kept her hand tightly intertwined with his.

"What the hell just happened?" Sanders demanded for the others. Even Kai seemed shaken by the event.

"Ever heard of haphephobia?" Fraw asked, her attention never leaving Amuro.

Karen, an expression of sympathy crossing her eyes, was quick to answer. "I have," she replied, causing the group to look back at her. "It's the fear of being touched."

"Shit," Eledore exclaimed, only then realizing what he did. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." I mean, I saw Sayla holding his hand earlier...

"It's alright," Fraw replied, her voice holding only concern for her charge. "With certain exceptions, Lieutenant Ray does not like being touched, period," she said, only then looking at the group. "So, for future reference, do not attempt any direct physical contact unless necessary."

After several additional minutes, Amuro at last managed to calm himself down. Even so, the sheer dread remained in his eyes, even as he looked up toward the others, alongside the fear that they would cast him out. However, what he saw and what his Newtype senses picked up were entirely different; rather than condemnation, the other pilots only looked back toward him with concern and sympathy. Feelings that Amuro had only seldom felt directed at himself by others.

Eledore moved back again, careful to keep his hands away. "Sorry, man. I really didn't know you had that problem," he said, his voice calm and even. "Are we okay?"

Taking a few more moments to breathe, Amuro found himself slowly and awkwardly nodding. Despite himself, he could see Eledore was being truthful. "Yes, we're okay," he managed to let out.

"Do you need to call it in?" Fraw asked, indirectly asking if Amuro needed to return to his quarters.

Thinking about it, Amuro looked over the faces around him and the assortment of emotions they were each eliciting. A few seconds later, much to his surprise, the pilot of Unit Alpha again shook his head. "No," he replied. "No, I'm still good."

Then, in the most dynamic form he could make, Amuro picked up his mug and took another swig, earning him another resounding cheer from around the mess. With that taken care of, the party continued as Amuro sat back with his new comrades. Even so, Fraw continued to remain nearby, just in case.


As the moment passed, Sayla finally released the breath of air she had unconsciously been holding. For the briefest of moments, it felt as though all of her hard-worked efforts would become undone by her squadmate's inattention to detail, but much to her surprise and approval, Amuro managed to force his way through it and continue. Indeed, the pilot of Unit Alpha proved stronger than she had initially believed, such that she couldn't help but feel a certain pride for him. Of course, it helped that Fraw was also there to keep things calm, something that Sayla had arranged beforehand.

Thus, continuing to stand at the side of the mess where she could observe her ward unseen, Sayla quietly took another sip of her mug, her thoughts momentarily drifting away from both Amuro's current interactions with his newfound squadmates and onto a far more ominous subject. She wasn't sure it had happened, but when Eledore slapped Amuro across the back, she felt an image enter her mind. A very abstract image that she could barely make out, assuming she had seen it, but somehow thought that it was of the silhouette of a human body. One that was restrained on a platform of some kind while shadows moved over it with abandon. Accompanying that image, in such briefness that again Sayla wasn't even sure if she 'heard' it or not, was a great and powerful scream. One with such force that Sayla inwardly winced when it had entered her.

What was that? she wondered as she tried to recall the image but to no avail. It had been so spontaneous that Sayla had little memory of its occurrence, much less its contents. The only evidence she had that it had even happened was the cold chill that ran across her body following it—a chill that was still upon her.

"Well," Sleggar commented as he approached her, inadvertently snapping Sayla out of her thoughts. "It looks like our boy has finally learned to make friends."

Forcing away her initial thought, Sayla forced a renewed smile upon her lips. "He has great potential. Far more than anyone has given him credit for, at least."

At that, Sleggar's eyes shifted to his wingwoman. "Potential as what?" he questioned. "A warrior or a human being?"

Taking quick note of the directness in her commander's tone, Sayla peered back curiously. "I would think the answer was obvious," she said, nodding to Amuro's direction as the latter continued conversing with the other Shrikes. "Do you find something amiss?"

"With him? Not at all," Sleggar answered. The kid is just learning how to open up for the first time," he said, then looked back toward the Valkyrie. You, however...

Picking up on that thought, Sayla finally understood, causing her to glance at Sleggar knowingly. "You're wondering if I'm doing this to make Amuro my pawn," she summarized. "To utilize him as a tool of vengeance."

"Aren't you?" Sleggar shot back as he took another drink.

Sayla paused to consider her answer. "Suppose for a moment that I was. What does it matter to you? And much more, what would you do about it?"

Sleggar took another drink before answering. "Well, it matters to me because Amuro is one of my pilots and an officer of the Federal Forces. Therefore, he is both my comrade-in-arms and my responsibility. And as for what I'd do about it..."

With that, he raised his left hand, the one not holding his mug, and tightened it into a fist. To the point that Sayla could hear knuckle crack. "I think you already have an idea."

This time, Sayla cast a dubious glance at her commanding officer. "I know that, despite all my power, you are not intimidated by me. However, speaking as another one of your pilots and a fellow officer, as well as one you have fought alongside in battle many times over, don't you find that line of thought at least difficult? To turn against me so quickly? Especially after all we've..."

"Don't push it, Sayla," Sleggar growled back. Newtype or not, he knew when someone was trying to get into his head. "I don't want to turn against you, I don't want to end our friendship, and I certainly don't want to kill you," he stated with rising anger. "But rest assured, I will do all those things if it comes down to it. Namely, if you threaten any of my pilots or others on this ship."

At that, Sleggar turned around fully, leaning against the wall so he effectively loomed over his more petite subordinate. "So tell me straight out. Are you fashioning Amuro into your minion or not?"

For a time, Sayla held her gaze into her commanding officer's darker blue eyes, all while the party continued obliviously in front of them. Throughout that period, Sayla wondered how Sleggar could hope to carry out his threat, especially in that moment. After all, she was far stronger than him physically, while spiritually, she held power that very few could ever comprehend. However, Sayla knew she could not take the commander's threat lightly; if it did come down to a conflict between them, she could very well wind up dead under a bloodied but clearly victorious Sleggar Law.

Fortunately, though, it wasn't even a decision for her. She had decided long before this confrontation. "Do you truly think so little of me, Commander? That I am so weak that I must draw upon others to carry out my vengeance?"

A look of slight disgust crossed Sayla's eyes. "Even when I first started upon this path, I swore to myself that I would not bring anyone who did not wish it into my service. Nor would I would harm anyone else unless necessary."

Hearing that, Sleggar cleaned up a little. "Can I take that as a 'no' then?"

"Indeed," Sayla said, then looked at Amuro, still conversing. Sleggar quickly caught his subordinate's gaze warming and softening as her eyes fell upon her fellow Newtype. "I want to help him. As a warrior, human being, and Newtype, I truly want to help him."

Turning his gaze to Amuro, Sleggar knew better than to disbelieve that explanation. It was a surprising development, especially with one as cold and vengeful as the woman before him, but he knew that what he had heard now was the truth. Just as he also knew that, despite all the darkness inside of her, Sayla Mass retained her soul.

Thus, with a small smile, Sleggar turned around and stood by his wingmate again. "That's all good, Sayla. Because I would hate being forced to kill you."

Sayla smirked back in challenge. "You and what army, lowborn? Or should I say Oldtype?" she exclaimed before turning serious again. "Are we still comrades?"

Sleggar snickered at that. Again, despite all she was, Sayla could sometimes make him laugh. "My dear, dear Valkyrie. You, of all people, would know firsthand if we ever stopped being such."

Closing his eyes momentarily, he then smugly added. "Besides, I don't have it in me to turn away a woman. Even if she does hail from a long line of faux ubermensch types."

Hearing that, Sayla was about to respond with a crack at Sleggar's genetic lineage when she felt a sudden surge, not unlike a sudden flicker of lightning, run through her mind. Much worse, as she was still watching Amuro, she saw that he felt the same, as the young pilot suddenly looked up in clear terror. The same terror that Sayla must have held on her face, as Sleggar quickly noticed.

"What is it?" Sleggar inquired, already knowing that something bad was happening.

Taking a moment to find her voice again, Sayla ominously answered. "We're not alone."

Sleggar didn't need to ask Sayla what she meant by that; there could only be one answer. "Where?" he demanded more hurriedly.

"Directly off our stern," Sayla answered.

Hearing that, Sleggar immediately tapped his wristcom. "Law to bridge!"

Without even thinking, Bright activated the comlink. "Bridge here," he replied, ignoring the alarmed stares around him. "What is it, Commander?"

"Bright, we have a stalker!" Sleggar wasted no time in reply. "Directly astern and riding our ass!"

Feeling a renewed chill, one of far greater intensity, run through his spine, Bright then asked. "Did this come from our special sources?"

"You better believe it!" Sleggar hollered back. "And this time, they both picked it up! Simultaneously!"


I was afraid of that. Bright mentally snarled before calling out. "Sound for Level One Battlestations!"

Mirai gave off a similar curse as she tapped her intercom switch. "All hands, Level One Battlestations! All hands Level One Battlestations!"

"Engage weapon systems!" Bright commanded Omar. "Fire aft cannon on my mark!"

Omar shook his head at that. "I can't get a target lock if she's cloaked, Captain!"

"Then set for rapid fire! We need only brush her!" Bright countered, raising his hand and then throwing it forward. "Fire!"


Zeon Musaka-class cruiser Mielun
Warp

The captain was about to doze off when his tactical officer reported the Ark Royal's weapons coming online. And then, before he could demand what was happening, his eyes caught the sight of her aft cannon angling, then firing a series of magenta-colored beams.

How the hell did they detect us!? his mind wailed as a pair of beams streaked past his bridge. Just close enough to cause the ship to rumble.

"Evasive maneuvers!" he commanded to his helmsman as he gripped his chair arms all too late, as he would soon find out.

No sooner than the captain barked the order did the cannon fire once more. In doing so, in a million-to-one shot, one of the newly emerged beams brushed against the Mielun's starboard side, causing one of her spherical generators to explode. This caused the entire ship to rock while the Colloid field phased out, monetarily revealing the green Zeon cruiser underneath.

"Fluctuation in the cloak!" the tactical officer sounded alarmingly as sparks flew around the bridge. "They've seen us!"

Snarling in disdain, the captain had no choice now. "Drop the cloak and arm all weapons!" he commanded. "Fire at will!"


Federation Lexington-class fleetcarrier Ark Royal
Warp

"Zeon cruiser decloaking due aft!" Omar shouted in alarm as the pursuing Musaka came into view at last. "She's charging weapons!"

"Continue firing, all weapons aft!" Mirai commanded in turn. "Sink the bastard!"

The order was followed almost immediately, with the Ark Royal's two stern-mounted beam cannons firing toward the pursuing cruiser, this time in more powered bursts. In turn, the Zeon cruiser, her crew knowing they were effectively dead, fired her cannons back at her target to inflict as much damage as possible.

The result came almost instantly as both beams struck, the first set obliterating the wayward Musaka and the second striking the Ark Royal between her engine blocks. As such, the Zeon cruiser exploded spectacularly while her shots, which had not been fully charged, blasted into the Lexington's stern, causing much smaller explosions than what could have been.

Ship rocking around him from the enemy's singular blow, Bright watched as the Musaka's signal dissipated from the bridge monitor. Seeing it finally disappear outright, Bright let out a sigh of relief. They had won the quickdraw.

However, he soon found that was not to last. "Warp field is destabilizing!" Katz called out as he struggled with the helm. "We're dropping to sub-light!"

Immediately after he said that, the ship shook again, with the streaking stars suddenly turning to normal white pinpricks against the black. The Ark Royal was now out of warp and in the open.

Mirai quickly tapped the comm again. "Bridge to Engineering, status report!" she demanded.

The next voice that was heard belonged to Lieutenant Commander Mora Boscht, the Ark Royal's chief engineer. "Engineering to Bridge, we took a nasty hit down here! No casualties, but the warp drive is badly damaged! It will take some time to repair!"

"How long?" Bright demanded.

"Unknown Captain," Mora reported back. "But rest assured, it will be a while."

Mirai blanched on that. "We might as well be dead in the water."

As if that wasn't bad enough, Omar spoke up once again. "I'm picking up multiple signals coming in at warp speed! They're Zeon!"

Gritting his teeth, Bright gave the only commands he could. "Prepare for enemy assault! Standby to launch mobile suits!"


Alarm klaxons still sounding in the background, the Ark Royal pilots, having long realized what was about to happen, wasted no time scrambling to the hangar decks. From there, after swallowing a detoxification pill - provided to all party attendants before the festivities began - they all changed into their respective normal suits. They proceeded into the hangars, where their loyal steeds waited for battle.

Now dressed in their respective white and red pilot suits, Amuro and Sayla made their way toward Unit Alpha and Unit Gamma while Sleggar followed behind, still adjusting his blue suit. It was a very abrupt and saddening end to what should have been an evening of celebration, but none of the Gundam pilots complained. Their duty, after all, was to protect their ship, which was what was needed now.

As they each approached their mobile suits, Amuro and Sayla could feel, even while in the warp, the incoming Zeon taskforce as it came. All at once, their minds became filled with images of numerous Zeon warships, distinctly uncloaked, moving toward the Ark Royal like sharks attracted to blood. They could also feel the vigor and anticipation of their crews and pilots, who all looked forward to sinking the Federation's thirteenth Trojan Horse and avenging their lost comrades at Juno.

However, it wasn't until both Newtypes brushed against a very familiar presence that they became shaken mentally and physically, as evidenced when Sleggar came up to them with a clear expression of worry across his face. "What happened?" he called out to either of them. "What is it?"

"He's coming...!" Amuro muttered, eyes widened and voice wavering with sheer terror. "He's coming at us again...!"

"Who's coming!?" Sleggar demanded, just barely keeping himself from grabbing and shaking Amuro. "Who!?"

It was Sayla who answered that question. And when she did, the eerie calm in her voice made Sleggar's hair stand on end. But not nearly as much as the three words she uttered. "The Red Comet."


Zeon Rewloola-class battlecruiser Ralmel
Warp

Now fully dressed in his pilot suit and sitting in the cockpit of his Zaku, Char could only wait patiently for the Ralmel to emerge from warp and move into launching position. He had to admit that, despite all of his ulterior motives, he was looking forward to the coming battle. As well as his long overdue reunion with Artesia and the boy from Antillia.

He must have been smiling because the next thing he heard was a soft chuckle over the comlink. "Now there's an expression I haven't seen in a long time," Garma, dressed in his own personalized violet normal suit, commented over the video screen. You must really be looking forward to this, Char."

"Indeed, I am Garma," he replied. "It has taken some time, but I will at last see certain vengeance cast upon my foe," he stated cryptically. "Vengeance that is long overdue."

Garma grinned in turn. "I couldn't agree more, Char," the young Admiral replied. "Today is the day we cast vengeance upon the 'indestructible' Ark Royal!"

Char grinned back at this. If only his "friend" had any idea what he actually meant by his statement.

Moments later, the ship shuttered around him. The Ralmel had at last exited warp.

"That's our cue," Garma said, saluting Char. "Good hunting, my friend."

"You as well," Char replied, returning the salute. "May the glory of victory be yours."

Nodding in appreciation, Garma at last signed off. That taken care of, Char had his Zaku move toward the catapult line just as the hangar doors opened up. From there, Char was once again greeted with the vastness of the void and the shining stars within.

As well as the unmistakable profile of the distant Ark Royal, which was moving as fast as it could away from its pursuers. The Red Comet smiled at this. The hunt was on.

"Char Aznable, Zaku, launch!"