Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 Jean-Pierre La Flaga belongs to Dragoon Swordsman.
Howl of Destiny
By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure
After The World Breaks
(Onogoro Port, United Emirates of Orb, October 12th, C.E. 73.)
The ocean breeze blew through Lacus's long pink locks as she watched the Minerva settle into the docking slip. The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due and his cohorts emerged from the majestic battleship, somber expressions on all their faces. Talia kept on a brave face, as a befitting a soldier, but the captain of ZAFT's newest ship couldn't help but feel a little despondent at not being able to prevent the horrible tragedy outright.
Sebastian's expression brightened a little when his eyes fell on the woman he loved so much. Lacus's blue eyes were gentle as always, but there was a heavy melancholy as well. The pinkette began running to him the minute he stepped off the ramp. Lacus embraced her husband. He ran a hand through her hair, taking in smell of her lavender and rose scented shampoo. "I missed you." She whispered so only he could hear. "I thought about you all the time you were gone."
"I missed you too…my precious Angel of the Stars. It's been a rough trip to put it mildly. I'm really happy to be home." Sebastian whispered back.
"Angel of the Stars? That's a new one." Lacus smiled a little, as Sebastian rubbed his weathered face against her delicate cheeks turning them bright pink at the contact. "I quite like the sound of it."
"I thought it up on the way back, since you are my angel, sent from heaven." Sebastian's expression became serious once again. "Lacus, you remember Talia don't you? She was the Operations Manager on the Calvin before Endymion." Lacus's eyes brightened, and Talia couldn't help but feel her own mood lighten up. Perhaps there was some truth to the daughter of Siegel Clyne's moniker as the "Songstress of Hope."
"But of course I remember her. She came to have to dinner with us one night." Lacus smiled. "It's so wonderful to see you again, Miss Gladys." She inclined her head slightly toward Talia, who responded with a salute. "So you're the Minerva's captain now? It's quite the prestigious position. You deserve the promotion."
"Uh thank you, I guess." Talia couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, although she was a little proud inwardly. "There was nothing special I did, Ma'am. Command called me up and said they needed someone to take the center seat. I was available and I wasn't about to turn down the promotion and the pay raise. I would have been kind of stupid if I didn't accept it."
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Tal." Anthony said in a knowing voice. "I wouldn't have put just anyone in command of the force's newest and most powerful class of warship," His keen eyes scanning every inch of the Minerva. "Just looking at this bad boy here tells me it could give the Archangel a run for her money, and that's saying something."
Talia prayed she wasn't blushing at the compliment. It wouldn't do for Trine or her pilots to see her this way. The Archangel's career was legendary. Thankfully Sebastian didn't notice. He just yawned. "Talia, you can rest knowing your ship is in good hands. Morgenroete has the best technicians and engineers in the world. The Minerva will be fighting fit in no time."
"Thank you, General Connor. It means a lot." Talia was grateful that Orb was willing to conduct repairs despite Orb and the PLANTs not having any kind of formal diplomatic relations.
"It's been a rough couple of days. There are a lot of things the other family heads and I need to discuss," His mind racing back to his abortive duel with Neo Roanoke. "But for right now, I just want to go home and rest up." Lacus nodded, holding onto her husband's arm.
"Well, I'm glad to see you made it back in one piece. We were all a little bit worried given where you were." Anthony said, bumping fists with his younger brother.
"I'm still alive and breathing. That's a good start. Thank you for the assist, by the way." Sebastian sighed. "Although I'm not sure how much good it did in the long run." He took a deep breath. "Tell me honestly, Anthony. How bad was it?"
The Arctic White Wolf took his glasses off, cleaning the lenses. "Bad enough. Granted between the Meteor Breakers, the Minerva's positron cannon and the Augnir, we managed to destroy a lot of the fragments from the colony. But we just couldn't get them all. They struck all over the world, mostly in Eurasian Federation territory. Athens, Cairo, Rome, just to name a few of them. Casualties are currently numbering in the millions, and figures are still coming in."
"Everyone is going to be working overtime on damage control." Talia said. "I imagine Chairman Durandal will extended humanitarian aid to the places hit. But I doubt the Earth Alliance council will accept it."
Sebastian just grunted. "What about here? Did we get hit at all?" He asked. The Storm Wolf had been too preoccupied with his battle with the Black Comet. He hadn't noticed where the pieces of his former home were landing. Anthony just put a reassuring on his shoulder, green eyes radiating comfort.
"Thankfully, we avoided the worst of it. A few small chunks fell our way, but Kumiko deployed the Archangel. Murrue managed to destroy them all before they even got close. Athrun and Justice managed to get the ones she missed. However, it's small comfort given how many others weren't so lucky in other parts of the world."
"Look at the bright side, my snowy friend. We're all still alive." Yukimasa quipped, seemingly materializing from nowhere. "Granted that's not the case for the tens, if not hundreds of millions of people who didn't survive all the chunks of J7 falling on their heads. But hey, that's how it goes when you have a bunch of maniacs with a boner for mass genocide and the suicidal intent to follow through on it." Everyone looked at him like he had grown a second head.
"Honestly, Masa." Mina shook her head. "Just too soon."
Yukimasa just put his hands in his pockets. "Okay…a little bit awkward, I'll admit. But at least give me points for trying to lighten the mood and cheer you sad sacks up."
"If you're looking to make a name for yourself in the world of stand-up comedy, I'll say don't quit your day job, Masa." Kira said, having just disembarked. While the White Knight was one of the most personable individuals around, hanging out with Sebastian had given him a bit of dry wit himself. He yawned, ignoring the mock pout Yukimasa was currently giving him, stretching his arms up to the sky. "Right now the only thing I want to do is go home and see Flay. This has been one trip I would love to forget."
Yukimasa just shrugged, walked up to Mina, "Hey big sis, the prodigal son returns!" The dark haired beauty gave an elegant smile as she hugged him.
"I'm happy to see you home, little brother." Mina said. It hadn't been easy for her to let Yukimasa go on his little sabbatical, but she accepted it, knowing he'd come home eventually. Her voice dropped an octave. "Tell me…did you find them?" She was rewarded with her brother's trademark toothy grin. "Oh that's wonderful! Did you tell them yet?"
Yukimasa shook his head "Not yet, Sis. I thought it was better if we approached Shinn and Mayu together. The kid has a real chip on his shoulder for what happened two years ago. I can't really blame him. If anything else his sister does help to balance him out. I think our best bet is to just level with them."
"All right, we'll wait for the right time." Mina patted her brother on the shoulder. If there was one virtue the Sahaku family prided themselves on it was patience. There was a certain joy in finding that they had other family, but she was in no hurry to bring them in.
Shinn had been ambivalent about emerging from the ship. Mayu just sighed, pushing in the back, causing her brother to stumble out the door. "For Haumea's sake, Shinn, let's go!" Both Lunamaria and Meyrin giggled, as Juliana just gave a smug grin. The wind blew through Shinn's black hair as he laid eyes on his homeland for the first time in two years. Mayu stood at his side, a hand on his arm.
"Did you ever think we would come back here?" She whispered.
"No, I really didn't want to come back to be honest." Shinn said, his voice just as soft. "But I guess we can't avoid the past forever now, can we?" he took hold of his sister's hand; it was always warm and inviting. Even in the darkest times, Shinn could always count on Mayu to balance him out.
The younger Asuka sibling squeezed. "When we get the chance, I want to go to the hill where Mom and Dad died. I heard they turned that entire area into a memorial for the people who died during the invasion." Shinn knew better than to argue with his sister when she used that tone of voice. It reminded him of their mother, Ryoko.
"Whatever you want, little sister." Shinn said, giving Mayu a gentle hug. "I wouldn't mind paying my respects either." He smiled as they walked down the gangwalk together. "You know, I think Mom and Dad would be really proud of how strong you've become, Mayu. Our lives haven't exactly been easy since the two of them died."
She gave a playful grin, putting her arm around her brother's shoulders. "One of us had to be the responsible one. I can't leave you alone for too long after all. You start getting cranky when I'm not there to rein you in." She gave him a mock pat on the cheek. This just made Shinn laugh, if anyone else had done that he would have gotten pissed, but as it was his little sister, she got a pass. The Asuka siblings set foot on their native land for the first time in two years, both feeling a sense of homecoming.
(Yamato Residence)
Kira sighed as he trudged into the house. He had never been happier or more relieved to finally return home. The battle with Karen Willet and GAT-X510 Reaver Gundam had been more than he had anticipated. It had taken all of his skill with the blade Sebastian had entrusted with him, and the full power of the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam to stand an even chance against its black and silver counterpart. "I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think I would take that much!"
It was quite evident that the fires of war would soon engulf the world, and loathe Kira was to admit it, he would soon have to take to the skies once again. Even with the knowledge Athrun and everyone else would be by his side, it left a very bad taste in the pilot of Freedom's mouth. Especially given the knowledge that the Atlantic Federation and Earth Alliance had their own copy of Freedom, but a sword just like the Gerbera Straight both he and Sebastian wielded.
He walked into his bedroom, and his mind came to a crashing halt. Sitting upright on the bed was Flay, smiling at her boyfriend with a joyful expression. She wore a plain red one piece bathing suit, a few shades off from her hair. Red nail polish adorning both finger and toenails. Her cheeks glowing. "Welcome home, Kira." She purred. "I missed you so much while you were away."
It had become a regular occurrence for her to wear only her swimsuit or one of her many leotards around the house. Flay seemed to enjoy watching Kira get all flustered at him walking into the kitchen while she made breakfast, giving him a perfect view of her rear end. Her smile grew wider, and he started blushing as well, so taken by her beauty. Any worries he had about Reaver and its pilot flew out of the window. He was too focused on taking in every detail of Flay.
For the White Knight of Freedom, it made him feel like that awkward student back at Heliopolis, still crushing on her from afar, all over again. However, Kira was a little older and wiser, and he knew that this was the girl who had chosen him, and fully gave her love. Flay just sat there, hugging her knees to her chest. "Well, are you going to say anything to me, silly?" Her lips curled into an adorable looking pout. "You've been gone for almost a full week, and I don't even get a hello back? I'm so hurt."
"Uh, of course not." Kira finally found his voice. "You look as lovely as always, Flay." He couldn't deny it when the evidence was right in front of him. Being a redhead, it meant her skin was always very pale. But given all she had on was her swimsuit, he could clearly see how toned and fit her arms and legs were. "I'm really happy to see you."
The redhead giggled. "So how about you get a shower and join me?" She patted the bed. "I'll be so happy to cuddle up with my brave knight." Flay cooed. Kira needed no further prompting. He bolted for the bathroom to take a shower. Ten minutes later he came back, wearing a t-shirt and shorts. He crashed onto the bed next to his beloved. "Do you feel better now?" Flay asked, gently brushing her fingers along his cheek.
"Much better. Oh Flay, I have so much to tell you about what happened up in space." He recounted the story of the battle and how he faced a second Freedom. "If it wasn't for the fact that the remains of the colony was about to hit the planet. I'm not sure how the fight would have gone. She was as skilled as Sebastian or Rau. It just really unnerved me."
Flay said nothing through the whole story. She just looked at him understanding. "I have to imagine it was quite an ordeal even for you." She then slid a pale leg across his stomach so she was now straddling his midsection. She leaned down so their faces were mere inches from each other. "But I know it will all work out in the end. So please don't worry about it, Kira." She reached down, kissing him on the lips. "I love you."
Kira gently stroked her fire-engine red locks as he took in her bluish-gray eyes. "I love you too. I get the feeling I'm going to need your love now more than ever." He sighed. "There's no doubt about it, Flay. We're going to war again, and I'm going to be there on the front lines."
Flay smiled lovingly. "You're never alone, remember that."
"I know…" Kira smiled back "As long as I have Freedom as my strength, Athrun and Justice fighting at my side, and your love as my resolve to push forward. I think I can handle myself."
"Then how about we get some sleep? Between that huge battle and the long trip beforehand, I know you must be tired." Flay said. They curled up together, secure in each other's arms. Kira rubbed his cheek against Flay's, relishing the feeling of her skin. Suddenly the threat of the oncoming war was far removed from the young lovers' minds.
(Takagi Cliffs, Orb Union, October 15th, C.E. 73)
Meyrin gazed out in awe at the sight before her. Yukimasa had shown up at the barracks with a very expensive looking sports car, saying he had a special treat for her. She hadn't been expecting it. "It's so beautiful here!" the young girl felt her pigtails flap about in the wind. The tall cliffs were made of pure obsidian. The morning sun reflected off the tops, as the clear blue waves splashed at the base of the cliffs.
Yukimasa put an arm around her waist, eliciting a cute squeak and even cuter blush. "Glad you approve. The Takagi Cliffs are one of Orb's best-kept secrets. It's also a very sacred place for me. In my younger days, I'd often come here and reflect about life. The sound of the ocean cracking against the rocks is a great way to clear the mind and soul." He sidled up to a fairly large rock. "Have a seat, my little rabbit. We have some things to talk about." Meyrin nodded.
"Okay, I know you have a lot of questions about who I really am, Mey. I said once we dealt with the prototypes, I'd come clean. Given a lot more has happened since then, but I guess now is better than never." He took her hands, noting how soft they were. "First off, my real name is not Daisuke Sanada. It's an alias I've been using for the last year, because if I used my real name, then it would raise a lot of red flags, in both the Earth Alliance, and here at home." He took a deep breath. "My real name is Yukimasa Ikari Sahaku, I hold the rank of Captain in the Orb Defense Force Reserves. It's very nice to finally address you properly, Meyrin Hawke."
The redhead gasped. "You…you're a member of one of the Five Great Houses?" Meyrin wanted to faint, but Yukimasa's gentle embrace would make that difficult. She found her breathing become labored, only for his hand to gently move to his back and begin rubbing. She began blushing deeply yet again, wishing she wasn't so easily flustered. "So what you said earlier, was that all true?"
"Yeah. Before I joined ZAFT, I was the commander of Tenchu, A secret covert ops unit formed by my family to handle the operations of a rather sensitive nature, ones that the other noble families would rather not acknowledge, espionage, assassinations, just to name a few." Yukimasa sighed. "My team and I had been in deep for a good part of the war. When we got word that the homeland had fallen, we aborted all missions and headed back for Ame-No-Mihashara, the Sahaku family's stronghold in space. That's where I met Sebastian and the others."
"That's where General Connor fought Rau and got thrashed really badly." Meyrin said. That story had become legendary through ZAFT, proof that even the greatest of people could have moments where they could lose control.
"I ran into his fellow Wolf on the way there. I went and chewed his ass out for being so foolish. But that doesn't mean I don't respect him or consider him a friend. We played a pivotal role in neutralizing GENESIS; it can't do much without the focusing mirrors. Those were easy to deal with. Still, it all real touch and go." Yukimasa sighed, looking down at the black cliffs. "After the war ended, I realized I needed a change of scenery. You can only take so much cloak and dagger before it grinds you down."
"Is that why you joined ZAFT?" Meyrin asked.
"It's one of the reasons why I joined up." Yukimasa shrugged. "I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm a good soldier, good at what I do. But I've always considered myself an engineer first. When I was younger, I designed a lot of mobile suits for Morgenroete. General Connor's current machine was one of my first designs, actually. After all the killing and violence and death. I wanted to get back to my first passion."
Meyrin leaned in close to him, giving the youngest of the Sahakus a nice whiff of her shea butter scented body lotion. "You said it was one of the reasons. What was the other?"
Yukimasa shivered a little. "A personal reason. A favor from my sister." He leaned in close. "Simply put, I've been tracking down a couple of our errant family members. I'm certain you've noticed how chummy I've become with the Asukas, right? Well, their mother was Ryoko Miyu Sahaku." Meyrin paled as it sank in. "Yeah, Shinn and Mayu are my cousins. Mina asked me to seek them out. I haven't told them about it yet."
Meyrin started giggling. "Shinn is going to be so mad! He's made it abundantly clear how he feels about Orb, and it turns out he's related to one of the ruling families! That's not going to end up well."
The red-eyed young man let out a bemused chortle as well. "If this had been just a month ago, I would've agreed with you. However, Shinn has already begun warming up since Armory One. He's at least acting civil to Cagalli. The presence of our favorite sword wielding canine and Sauper's ever charming personality has guaranteed that. Mina and I have agreed to speak to them in a few days. We're just going to take it slow and see what happens."
Meyrin smiled. "I hope it turns out well. I really do." She cocked a delicate eyebrow. "So, how do I address you for now? Do I keep calling you Daisuke, or Yukimasa?"
"Until I notify the rest of the crew, keep using my alias. But when it's just the two of us, you can call me Masa. It's what my sister and friends call me." He leaned in close.
"Okay then…Masa." She said, and they shared a gentle kiss, the sun setting on the horizon, as the waves continued to break on the cliffs.
(Orb Parliament Building, Olofat, Orb Union, October 17th, C.E. 73)
Kira fidgeted nervously in his seat, watching as Sebastian and Lacus entered, followed closely by Anthony, Murrue, Mu, and Natarle. Kumiko sat at the head of the table, with Kazuma at her side. Arashi was currently going some reports, with Mina. Erica sat idly tapping a pen against the table. He gave a glance to Flay, currently sitting at his right, while Cagalli gave him a questioning gaze from his left. "This is a pretty high profile meeting. Are you sure I should be here?"
"Uh, yes." Cagalli gave him a disbelieving look. "Do we need to go over this again? You are my brother, Kira. Which makes you a member of the Attha family. Not to mention you were one of the pilots at Break the World. We want you to tell us exactly what happened in your encounter with that copy of Freedom." Kira had told Cagalli about his battle with Reaver, the blonde hadn't taken it well. "We need all the intel we can gather, and we need to get it quick."
"She's right, Kira. If the Earth Alliance do have a copy of Freedom, then we're going to be in for some very rough times." Athrun said, sitting on the opposite side of Cagalli. Kira gave his longtime friend a fist bump.
Flay just gave a reassuring squeeze of his hand. "It will be okay honey." She smiled. Kira couldn't help but find solace in his Red Queen's smile. Athrun just gave a bemused smile. The Crimson Knight was glad that his best friend had found such a lovely woman. Despite becoming a great soldier and pilot, Kira still possessed a gentle soul, and it would take the redhaired beauty's love to help him get through the darkness.
Kumiko wrapped her gavel on the table, calling the meeting to order. "Good evening to everyone. The events of the last few days have been trying for us all. First off let me welcome Yukimasa back home after his little vacation in the PLANTs. Glad to know he hasn't lost his edge when it comes to building things that blow up." The youngest Sahaku sibling gave a slight bow at her words.
The Sasaki Matriarch let out an amused chortle before she turned all business. "So now that we've had our funny moment, let's get right to the point of this meeting. Lieutenant General Sebastian Connor, as you were the senior ranking Orb official on site for the whole incident, please outline just what exactly happened, and leave out nothing."
The Storm Wolf of Jachin Due stood up. "Thank you, Lady Chief Representative". He settled into parade rest stance, looking every bit the seasoned military commander. "On October 3rd, C.E. 73, I departed Orb for the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty's Armory One colony at L4, accompanied by Commodore Cagalli Yula Attha, and Colonel Kazuma Kurokawa Sasaki to inspect the new mobile weapons ZAFT had developed. The New Millennium Series of mass production mobile suits, and the Second Stage Gundams, along with a new carrier ship, the PSV Minerva, to carry them."
"Upon our arrival we met Lieutenant Lunamaria Hawke, one of the elite pilots for the Minerva, she showed the three of us the way to Supreme Chairman Durandal's office, from there we were given a tour of the facilities, where we met Yukimasa." He put his hand on Fenrir's handle, a habit he had picked up over the years. "I have to give him credit. They were all very impressive. However, once the Chairman sent his little invitation. I couldn't help being apprehensive. There were just too many parallels to Heliopolis for my taste. So I took steps to prepare, having Captain Badgiruel with the Amatarasu and our Gundams, not to mention my little insurance policy." He gave a knowing grin to Kira.
"It was a good call to have Major Yamato on standby with the Freedom. Still, I don't think any of us could have seen what was coming with Junius Seven." Mina remarked. "For what it's worth, General, I am sorry about what happened to your former home. I can only imagine the fury you felt for what those renegades did to it."
Sebastian just snorted. "I appreciate your concern, Lady Sahaku. I'll admit I was pissed at the time for what Sato and his little pack of goons did, but it's neither here nor there now. Orb is the place I call home, and I won't let anything happen to it." He sat back down. "What concerns me right now is that the Earth Alliance is going to use this whole fiasco to start up the war again. I can feel it in every fiber of my body and soul. This is just the opportunity they've been waiting for."
"They?" Murrue asked. Sebastian threw a glance over to Anthony, who gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Is there something going on here we haven't been told about?"
"You could say that, Admiral Ramius. I guess now is as good a time as any to read you into it. I don't need to remind everyone of a certain weasel by the name of Muruta Azrael." The Arctic White Wolf began. "We all know what he did and why he did it. However, Pup brought up a valid point to me two years ago. He reasoned that even with Azrael dead, Blue Cosmos hadn't been completely eradicated. There were others the scumbag reported to. So, we sent out the White Wolves and Tenchu to see if we could learn anything more about the power behind Blue Cosmos." He rolled his eyes. "Oh did we ever!"
"It turns out that Blue Cosmos is just a cog in a much greater machine called LOGOS." Sebastian went on to explain, the large monitor on the wall came to life, a torrent of images running through. "The organization is a massive political/military/industrial complex, consisting of politicians, military leaders, arms manufacturers, and the like. They're some of the worst kind of scum, starting wars in order to profit off the production and development of weapons. Unlike Azrael, the heads of LOGOS don't hate Coordinators, they're motivated by pure greed."
"They've manipulated world events for years. Thanks to the owners of the largest news agencies in the world being part of their little circle." Anthony stated, the displays from the monitor dancing off the lenses of his glasses. "They use their influence on television, radio, and newspapers to spin any opportunity to their advantage." He drew a breath. "Like the most recent fiasco." He cleaned off his glasses. "It's a sure bet that LOGOS will use their influence on the various governments of the Earth Alliance member nations to resume the war, in which case…we're going to be in for heavy turbulence."
"Indeed, we got a taste of that already at Break the World." Sebastian's hand clenched. "Our old enemy has learned its lessons well in the last two years. It may not even be much of a stretch to say that the Earth Alliance has surpassed ZAFT in mobile suit development for the immediate future. They've certainly created some very elite mobile suit squadrons with equally elite pilots."
"Ain't that the truth?" Kazuma cut in. "The special forces unit that attacked Armory One was professional. They attacked the hangar, made off with three of the prototypes, while a trio of snipers provided cover fire for their escape. They were in and out in less than ten minutes. It would have been faster if we hadn't held them up as long as we did."
"And there was their commander. He was in another class entirely." Sebastian said.
"We read your report, General, tells more about this Neo Roanoke you engaged." Kumiko said.
"Gladly, Lady Sasaki." Sebastian continued. "I first encountered him at Armory One himself. I was piloting a borrowed ZAKU Phantom at the time, and he was in what appeared to be a next generation Mobieus Zero style mobile armor equipped with remote weapons."
That got Mu's attention. "A Zero style mobile armor? Who in the hell could pull that off? The only ones around these days who are capable of that kind of spatial awareness are Morgan and I. And since I personally saw to it that Rau died at Jachin, I'm fairly confident that it couldn't be him either. Even he couldn't survive being hit by GENESIS."
Sebastian stifled a laugh. "Oh don't worry, Mu. We all know it couldn't have been Rau. Our current theory is that could actually be one of your old comrades from the old Mobieus Zero Corps from back in the day. Perhaps you could offer some insight into whom it could possibly be?"
The Hawk of Endymion settled back into his chair, deep in thought. "It's tough to say, Storm. To be honest, I haven't thought of my old team in forever. The Zero Corps were a special, unique group of people. Only a handful of us had the enhanced spatial awareness that allowed us to make use of the wired gunbarrels. If one of them did survive Endymion, then no one told me about it."
"If you think of anything, then please let me know immediately, Captain. Don't forget that the Storm Wolves clashed with the Zero Corps plenty of times. I remember your old buddies too. And this Roanoke guy was not someone I recognized, he was good, I mean really good. More than a match for myself." Sebastian sighed. "He showed it during the colony drop. He came at me with a mobile suit then. And if I didn't have Maelstrom, I seriously don't think I'd be sitting here right now. I inadvertently gave him a new handle due the color of his machines. The Black Comet." He brought up an image of Tallgeese III with its stark black paint job, which caused a gasp from their resident engineer. "Something wrong, Erica?"
"That machine! How could they?" She said in disbelief, a far cry from her usual cool but friendly demeanor. "Excuse me everyone," She said, running out of the room in a hurry. Everyone just looked at each other in confusion. She returned a few minutes later with her arms full of blueprints and schematic sheets. "I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. General Connor, this situation is graver than I thought."
"Explain, Miss Simmons." The Storm Wolf replied. Erica took one of the sheets of blue paper and rolled it out for everyone to see. Sebastian's eyes widened at the image on the page. "Is that?" It looked like a cruder version of the mobile suit he encountered, the head crest and the face was different, and the large beam cannon was replaced with what looked like a shell firing railgun, but the general body structure was exactly the same, down to even the large vernier engines on the back. "MSX-01 Tallgeese? That's the name of the machine I fought in space, although Roanoke referred to it as Tallgeese III!"
Erica sighed. "That has to be Professor Eifman's work. He's the only one who has a copy of the blueprints and still alive. It figures he'd have refined the original design for the Earth Forces!" She pulled her hair back and regained her composure. "General Connor, this machine has a very long history. The Tallgeese was the very first mobile suit designed for military use. It was the brainchild of three men, Professor Ralph Eifman, Doctor Michael Jones, and Jeffery Simmons…my father."
Sebastian looked the blueprints over more closely. "Appears to be a very solid looking design from my point of view. Your father was a brilliant man, guess it got passed down to you, Erica." The comment elicited a very nice blush from the Director. She cleared her throat and continued.
"You flatter me, General. My father was a very gifted engineer. But Professor Eifman and Dr. Brown weren't exactly idiots either. They all had a hand in giving life to this machine. For years my father spoke of it as his masterpiece. Tallgeese is a powerful mobile suit to be sure, and thanks to the massive bank of vernier engines on the back it has incredible speed, enough to match Freedom and Maelstrom's and it can fly by sheer thruster power alone. However this speed is a double-edged sword. The G-forces Tallgeese puts out exerts incredible strain on the human body, far beyond what the normal pilot could withstand."
"A wild horse. Not exactly something that you'd want to put into mass production." Anthony commented.
"Correct, Admiral. My father and his colleagues had limited resources, and they were only able to create one Tallgeese prototype, and both test pilots met rather gruesome fates." Erica sighed, "One of them endured so much damage to his internal organs that he had to be hospitalized for the rest of his life. The other died when he blacked out in the cockpit and crashed the prototype in the mountain. There was little reason to continue the project after that for obvious reasons."
"I guess not if the machine and pilot are splattered all over the place in little bitty chunks," Yukimasa remarked, eyes still on the picture of the black mobile suit on the screen, "What happened after that?"
"The three of them went their separate ways. And sadly two of the three are dead. Dr. Brown emigrated to the PLANTs and joined the design team that created the GINN. He was killed during the Copernicus bombing. Dad returned to Orb and was one of Morgenroete's founders. He was diagnosed with cancer and died about three years ago. Professor Eifman remained in the Atlantic Federation, teaching at MIT. He's the only one still alive who knew about Tallgeese. So he has to be the one responsible for this improved model."
Sebastian picked up the blueprints. "A very improved design if I'm looking at this right. The original version only has this 155mm railcannon and a shield for defensive purposes. That new machine had a huge beam rifle, beam sabers, one of MY Gerberas, CIWS and a whip kind of weapon. I guess Professor Eifman must have a copy of these schematics as well?"
"All three of them had their own personal copy. I inherited this from my father." Erica confirmed. "General, please be very cautious when you face that Roanoke man again. Like you said, he must be a very skilled pilot in order to handle Tallgeese, probably even a Coordinator." Her voice was sober with those words. Everyone took a moment to let that sink in.
"A Coordinator? Makes me wonder if the Earth Alliance know about it." Arashi said.
"If not, then he's very good at hiding it, Lord Kazama. I think that Roanoke and his people are only the beginning of our troubles." Cagalli said, turning to look at her brother. "Major Yamato engaged another dangerous opponent, isn't that right?" subtly digging her elbow into Kira's side. Kira quickly stood up, eliciting a delicate giggle from Flay.
"By all means, Major. Share with us." Kumiko gave a wry smile, even with the somber nature of the meeting, a little humor would go a long way.
The White Knight of Freedom squared his shoulders. "When General Connor informed me of his plan. I shared his concerns, so I deployed with Freedom on the Amatarasu, meeting them on the Minerva half way. When we ran into the ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces at the colony. I had an encounter with a perfect duplicate of Freedom. I'm not going to lie. It shook me up pretty badly." Flay held his hand for support.
"Let me ask the obvious question straight off, Where did the Earth Alliance get their hands on a complete copy of your Gundam, Major Yamato?" Mina asked. The prospect of the Atlantic Federation having such a powerful weapon at their disposal making everyone present very nervous.
"Here's the scary thing, Lady Sahaku. According to the pilot herself, it was acquired in the aftermath of Jachin II. It had been left adrift so they claimed it for themselves." Images of the black and silver beast flashed through Kira's mind. "She made full use of Freedom's maneuverability and speed. It was like she had been piloting it for years. In the course of the battle, she managed to destroy my beam rifle, the shield, and one of the railguns."
Everyone was in shock at the report. Freedom had been all but invincible during the First War, only the Druggies and Rau Le Creuset himself had managed to do severe enough damage to the white machine, and that kind of damage on a first engagement was a grave concern for everyone at the table. "You spoke with the pilot, Major Yamato?" Arashi said.
"Yes Lord Kazama. She introduced herself as Colonel Karen Willet; she sounded British if I had to judge from the accent. According to her, she's the head of this elite commando team called the Frighteners. She knows what I really am and wants to prove that you don't need to be a Coordinator to be the best. Her entire unit apparently trained their bodies to the point where they have the reflexes of Coordinators, and she's even gone beyond and doesn't even need a Natural based OS for her mobile suit!"
Sebastian took it all in, his surprise locked behind the mask of the commander. "No wonder she managed to wreck your shit so badly. In all seriousness, it sounds like this Colonel Willet was just toying with you. Are you absolutely certain she's not an Extended?" He asked, hoping the answer wasn't yes.
"No sir. She didn't fight like an Extended anyway. Colonel Willet explained that she was at Jachin Due and saw my fight with Rau. Said she wants to 'surpass' me. I never thought I'd say this…but I'm scared. I'm really scared of what this woman can do, and the prospect of there being an entire squad like them, doubly so."
"I share your sentiments, kid." Mu said, looking at his coffee cup, wishing there was something stronger, like whiskey. It was no secret Sebastian had a very ample supply of Jack Daniels for occasions such as t his "Wow, it's hard to believe that there's a group of Naturals that would push themselves so far to be able to fight Coordinators on equal terms just from pure training alone," he said.
"Beside Phantom Pain and the Frighteners, there's a third unit that recently came to our attention courtesy of our Tenchu covert operations unit." Mina said. Even though Yukimasa had stepped down as the team's commander, Tenchu was ever vigilant in protecting Orb, providing a steady stream of intel. "It's one I think we have to keep an extra special eye on." The monitor changed showing a young man with piercing blue eyes and blonde hair, one that resembled Mu a great deal.
"The Blue Knights?" Murrue asked, alternating between looking at the file and the image on the screen. Mina nodded.
"Also known by their official designation, the 127th Anti-Mobile Suit Squadron, and the name speaks for itself. This unit was created with one purpose, to fight other mobile suits. While I doubt they're special operations like Phantom Pain and the Frighteners they are still very much an elite unit, and one we have to keep an eye on," The Sahaku heiress said.
"What about this team warrants such attention?" Natarle asked.
"It's who their commanding officer is that interests me so much, Captain Badguirel." Mina turned to look right at Mu, "Naval Captain Jean-Pierre La Flaga. I believe you might know him?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples, "Uh, yes ma'am. He's my cousin, the son of my Dad's younger brother." Sebastian looked at the photo of the young man on the screen. He was definitely a La Flaga, if the curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes were any indication. The Hawk of Endymion sighed. "So JP joined the military huh? Carrying on the family tradition like a proud La Flaga. What has he been up to lately?"
Anthony picked up the file, "Quite a bit actually. He graduated from Annapolis at the tail end of the first war. Doesn't seem to have your unique ability to use remote weapons but still graduated at the top of his class. Saw combat at Jachin piloting a Duel Dagger…" he whistled, "He made ace by shooting down three GINNs and two GuAIZs. Seems like being a hot stick is in the blood."
Cagalli studied the picture on the screen closely before she was struck by a memory. "I've encountered him!" Everyone looked to the blonde. "It was back at Jachin II! Sebastian, remember you sent me and the others out to take out the Druggies while Kira went after GENESIS and Mu and Athrun went after the nukes?" The Storm Wolf nodded. "Well, after we dealt with Sierra and his ilk, we got bounced by a team of CGUEs and GINNs armed with beam weapons, and then another squad of Duel Daggers attacked them!" She indicated to the picture. "He showed up, said that he wasn't interested in fighting us and let us go."
"He really said that?" Mu said.
"Yeah, said that his fight wasn't with us and that we should go back to the ships." Cagalli's eyes narrowed slightly. "He also said that he would settle accounts with you one day, Captain." The Lioness of Orb recalled how frigid Jean-Pierre's ice blue eyes looked or the disgust in his voice as he spoke of his cousin. "I don't think he was too happy you jumped ship and joined Orb."
The Hawk of Endymion's eyes narrowed slightly, and his fist clenched. "If it's a fight he's looking for, then I'll gladly oblige him!"
Sebastian looked through the file closer, "I'll say this much about your cousin. He didn't stop at Jachin. Apparently he also served during the short intervention in South America. Reported to say that that the Earth Alliance had to invest more in the training of its pilots, and went on to rewrite the entire OMNI Enforcer pilot training manual. He was given a two rank promotion to Captain, and formed the Blue Knights shortly after that. Sounds like someone at Alliance Headquarters was listening."
Mu snorted, "Jean-Pierre was always smart, even as a kid. They called him a prodigy. He always took pride in our family heritage."
"What about the squadron itself? Anything unique about the pilots or the machines they use?" Natarle asked. Sebastian shuffled through the papers.
"Uh, let's see here. There's nothing really special about the unit itself. It's a standard Atlantic Federation Navy twelve-man squadron. Captain La Flaga's personal unit is an improved version of the Duel, GAT-X509 Rapier Gundam. Weaponry includes beam rifle, beam sabers, a shield, CIWS, and wrist mounted parrying blades. A pair of plasma cannons, no doubt inspired by the Freedom. It's also nuclear powered." He picked up another sheet.
"The rest of the unit is equipped with the latest mass produced variant of the Duel, GAT-01DX Duel Stiletto. It was made for one purpose, to destroy other mobile suits. Armament is pretty straightforward, beam rifle, shield, sabers, and CIWS. What it lacks in firepower it makes up with mobility and speed. This is the most agile unit the Earth Alliance has ever made shy of a Gundam. The specific machines assigned to the Blue Knights were also upgraded with Trans Phase Shift Armor."
Mu nodded, "It's a practical platform to use for their specific mission profile. The Duel was made for close quarters combat. And against other mobile suits, that's almost a given. JP was known to be quite the accomplished fencer in high school, won quite a few trophies if I recall. I wonder if he took a lesson from you and had a mobile suit scale physical blade?"
"What about the pilots themselves?" Murrue asked. "Have they trained themselves to Coordinator levels like the Frighteners?" While Murrue didn't scare easy, Kira's report of Willet's crew had rattled even her.
The White Wolf shook his head, "Thankfully no. But all of them are elites, and veterans of the last war. None have any ties to Blue Cosmos at all. It seems that was a major prerequisite for joining the squadron. Captain La Flaga takes the 'Knight' aspect of the unit name very seriously. He makes them follow a very strict code of conduct on the battlefield." Anthony remarked. "They are a very noble and honorable group of soldiers. Just proof that there are good people on both sides."
Sebastian got up from the conference table and gazed out the window, "Phantom Pain, the Frighteners, and the Blue Knights, An interesting little triumvirate of opponents if you ask me. I get the feeling we're going to running into those guys quite a bit over the next couple of months."
"It's not just the Atlantic Federation we have to worry about." Anthony said, grimness in his brilliant green eyes. "The Eurasian Federation has managed to recoup its losses from Operation Spitbreak. It and the Republic of East Asia have reportedly formed and fielded their own elite military units as well. We may well encounter them in the near future as well. Not to mention the quality of the regular, conventional Earth Alliance forces have improved as well. I've heard one of their contractors, Argus Industries, developed a brand new mass-production suit called the GAT-04 Windam. It's about as far from the old GAT-01 Strike Dagger as possible. They've clearly been upping the emphasis on Research and Development over the past two years."
"I don't know about you guys, but this makes me yearn for the days when our biggest threats were Rau Le Creuset, Kyle Evans, and Zavier Yukari." Yukimasa quipped.
"If life were only that simple, Masa." Sebastian said, turning around to look at everyone in the room. "I'll keep it simple and to the point. I don't believe Orb can sit this one out. I know we take great pride in our neutrality, but I just don't seeing it be an option this time around. The Earth Alliance will make the same demands it did the last time around, and I do not see us laying down for them for an instant."
"Then what other option does that leave us?" The worry in Cagalli's voice was palatable. No one believed more in Orb's neutrality than she did, but the Lioness of Orb was no fool. She didn't want to see her homeland come under the Atlantic Federation's subjugation a second time. Whether it was by signing a worthless scrap of paper called a treaty that would only serve the larger nation, or by brute military force.
"The solution to that problem is quite simple…we make our stand with ZAFT and the PLANTs." Lacus had been silent through the entire meeting up to this point, and everyone immediately looked to her when she began speaking. Despite wanting to lead a quiet life with her husband, The Pink Princess was still the daughter of Siegel Clyne, and it was moments like this where she showed it! "Chairman Durandal would certainly be open to it. Carpentaria is within a stone's throw, if Orb was threatened, ZAFT would come to back us up."
"The option is up to you, Kumiko." Sebastian said. "We're just pitching the ideas as they come to us. You're the Chief Representative here. The final decision lies with you." The Sasaki matriarch just steepled her hands in front of her face, A mind forged by twenty-five years of politics racing as she looked at the problem ahead of them from every angle. Everyone hung on the edge of the seats, waiting for the Chief Representative's final call.
"If Uzumi was here, he would stubbornly insist on sticking to our guns and staying the course of neutrality. He was my friend, and I respected him as such." Her hands came down, showing a determined look on her face, the look of a true leader. "But I am not Uzumi by any stretch. I know when to bend, when to seek out help. There's no way in hell I would let the Earth Alliance ever set foot on Orb soil after what they did to us! I am open to seeking an alliance with the PLANTs, but we need to go about this cautiously. I suggest we wait a few days, and see what transpires out of Washington. If the situation warrants it…then we reach out to Chairman Durandal. I doubt he would say no."
The Twin Wolves both grinned. "I think he would be more than open to forming a…let's call it a 'business partnership' between the PLANTS and Orb, Chief Representative Sasaki. Pup and I still have some pull back up in space. Once we know what the Atlantic Federation's demands, we'll reach out and try and make this happen." Anthony said.
It was then Cagalli stood up. "Before we get all gung ho about this. I want to go on record and say I don't agree with the plan. It's not what my father would have wanted." The Lioness of Orb took a deep breath. "However, Like Kumiko said…I am not my father. And it's better than doing nothing. I only ever wanted Orb to enjoy the peace it has. But if we can't stay out of it, if we have to pick sides…then better ZAFT than the bastards who invaded and violated our country."
"I'm glad you being practical, Cagalli." Kumiko said, before looking to the Twin Wolves. "Gentlemen, when the time comes, I want you to take point on it, can you handle it?"
"Just leave it to us." Sebastian said. "As long as Anthony and I are manning the walls. Orb will not fall."
"I certainly hope so gentlemen. Because I will hold you to it." Kumiko banged the gavel, "Adjourned!"
(Lamperouge Residence. Washington DC, Atlantic Federation, October 18th, C.E. 73)
Vice Admiral Mark Lamperouge, commander of the Atlantic Federation's Fifth Orbital Fleet, sat at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper while sipping on a cup of Earl Grey tea. His weathered features twisted into a disgusted grimace as he read about the effects Break the World had on the planet. The damage the falling colony fragments had caused was devastating enough. It had altered weather patterns all over the planet, it would take years if not decades for things to return normal…if they ever did period.
The news agencies were having a field day with it, mentioning how violent and unpredictable the Space Monsters really were, and finally showing their true colors. President Copeland was already talking about bringing the whole of the Atlantic Federation Armed Forces up to full combat readiness, and having the full might of OMNI Enforcer and the Earth Alliance mobilized to end the threat of the horrible menace that was PLANTs for good.
"Absolutely disgraceful…" He grunted in disgust, catching the attention of his wife, Major General Cornelia Lamperouge, commander of the Atlantic Federation's 103rd Mobile Division, currently making her own breakfast. "Those LOGOS vultures! It didn't take them any time to begin chumming the waters!" The Fox tossed his paper down on the table, before messily biting into one of his chocolate frosted donuts. "War is all but inevitable now." Cornelia picked up her waffles, sitting down next to him, taking hold of her beloved's hand.
"Then it just means we'll have to make our move eventually dear. You're not the only one who hates those greedy bastards." Cornelia's eyes flickered over to a framed picture on the counter, showing her with a young woman in her early twenties with long pink hair and blue eyes. "Trust me…when the time comes, we'll make both Blue Cosmos and LOGOS pay for all they've done." Her purplish-blue eyes narrowed in quiet fury. "To Naturals and Coordinators alike!"
The doorbell rang, followed by a quick knock at the front door. Cornelia went to answer it. Standing on the porch was a pair of men clad in Atlantic Federation uniforms. The violet-haired beauty known as "The Goddess of Victory" to her men smiled warmly. "Ah, hello Takachi, Jean-Pierre. Come on in, boys. We were just finishing breakfast. Mark is at the table."
"Good to hear." Commander Takachi Murakumo said. Japanese-American in birth, Takachi was one of Mark's top pilots and most devoted men. Always willing to carry out any order his commanding officer gave him. The two entered, walking back to the kitchen. "Hey Boss! Hope you don't mind us crashing the party." Takachi drawled, plopping down at the table.
"Honestly, Takachi, could you be a bit more professional?" Naval Captain Jean-Pierre La Flaga said in slight irritation, before offering his best salute to the Crimson Fox. The man known as "the Blue Knight" could have stepped straight off a recruiting poster, with his chiseled, aristocratic features. His short blonde hair was cut exactly to military regulations, and anyone who looked hard enough could see the cold professionalism in those hard sky blue eyes. JP considered himself a loyal son of the Atlantic Federation, and held himself to a strict code of honor, both on the battlefield and off. Mark trained Jean-Pierre personally, and considered him a surrogate son.
Mark just gave an amused grunt. "It's all right, JP. We're not on duty right now. You could learn a lesson from Takachi about knowing when to chill out." The Fox's face became somber. "I'm guessing you boys have been paying attention to the news? They've really poured gasoline on the fire now. I'm afraid it won't be too long until we start pointing guns at the PLANTs." He shook his head, "It doesn't take much to stir things up these days I'm afraid."
"It's to be expected, Admiral. This so-called peace has been nothing but a shroud. All the anger and resentment left over from the last war has been just been corralled since then. It was just a matter of time before it was released." JP said. Like his mentor, he had little use for the higher ups that exploited the situation for their own greed, but as a loyal soldier, he would do his job as asked.
"Always ever to the point, JP." Cornelia remarked, putting her plates in the dishwasher. "And you are right in every possible way." She ran a hand through her strident violet hair. "if this whole thing escalates, it's just a matter of time before those idiots over at the Pentagon and on Captiol Hill begin their usual tactics."
"Forcing other nations to join the Alliance when they don't want to." Takachi snorted, all too familiar with how the Kingdom of Scandinavia and Equatorial Union had been all but strong armed into joining the Earth Alliance during the second half of the war. "Do they really intend to use that whole 'obligation as a nation of Earth' bullshit they did last time?"
"Just like clockwork. It's what they do after all." JP snorted derisively. "Some of the other nations might fall into line, if just to avoid any repercussions, but I know one country that will not, and that's the Orb Union. They didn't buy into it last time, and it's clear they won't again, especially after Azrael's invasion during the last war. They'll want nothing to do with us."
Mark nodded. "Especially with Kumiko Sasaki at the helm. Uzumi Nara Attha clung to his neutrality for all it was worth, and he paid for it with his life. However, she's not going to stay out of this one. There's no way she'll allow a repeat of what happened during the last war. They still remember what we did. If that happens, then it's evident whom she'll side with. Which means we won't have just ZAFT to deal with, we'll be fighting Orb too."
"And by extension the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due." Takachi remarked. The image of the white and green mobile suit was one burned into the minds of all Earth Alliance soldiers. Alliance Headquarters had contemplated issuing a 'flee on sight' order if his team was ever spotted on the battlefield. "I find it strange that they'd let ZAFT's former Supreme Ace become a member of the one Five Noble Houses." "What was the reason again, sir? Something about the Seirans selling the country out?"
"Unato Ema Seiran was selling state secrets to us, trying to curry favor with the likes of that idiot Azrael and Sanada." Mark confirmed it. "Not to mention that his idiot son, Yuna Roma Seiran, got his jollies beating up on Uzumi's daughter. The man may have been a staunch pacifist and fiercely dedicated to neutrality, but the little putz crossed the wrong line, you do not beat on a man's daughter." Everyone was in full agreement with his words. No one dared laid a hand on the Crimson Fox's triple daughters or risk incurring the man's wrath.
"Neither of them were men to begin with!" JP snapped, if there was anything that angered him more than traitors and cowards. It was those who beat on women for no other reason than simple amusement. "I've heard about the Storm Wolf's…oddities and quirks. But the man has principles and a strong sense of honor. Orb is all the stronger with his inclusion, and not to mention where the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due goes, the White Wolf of Alaska is right behind him."
"Rear Admiral Russo has long been regarded as one of if not the best sniper the Cosmic Era has ever seen," Mark commented, folding up the newspaper. "The only ones who can match him in sheer skill are his mentor Aster Dupree, and his daughter Rachel. Not to mention his battlefield management skills are second to none. Throw in both the Eagle Knight and Crimson Knight, not to mention Murrue and Natarle Badgiruel, and it makes for a very formidable team."
"Don't forget the Hawk of Endymion!" Takachi blurted out, immediately regretting his words. "Uh…oops. Sorry JP, I know that's a sensitive spot for you." Jean-Pierre La Flaga prided himself on being a professional in all things, but even he had his berserk buttons, chief among them the defection of his cousin. The Blue Knight's hands clenched into fists, fighting an urge to punch something.
"Captain La Flaga, I know Mu's defection is a major source of contention for you, but I would appreciate if you refrained from any kind of violent reaction in my home. Some of the furniture is very expensive." Cornelia's voice was stern, and all it took was a sharp glare from his mentor to calm JP down. He took a deep breath, and his hands relaxed.
"Sorry General. That was unbecoming of me." JP's expression became hard, the aristocrat in him coming to the surface, many would say how much he resembled his uncle, with his humorless expression and imposing glare, one that had been further refined by his time training under his mentor, also known for having a killer death glare. "But rest assured if Mu does appear on the battlefield, then I will face him. He will pay for turning coat! I swear that on my honor as a knight, and I will keep it or die trying."
(Orb Union, October 20th, C.E. 73)
Loretta Frost-Russo splayed out on her beach towel reading a romance novel. The statuesque redhead wore a plain purple one-piece racerback that accentuated her ample chest and long, creamy legs. A black straw sunhat sat on her head shading her ice-blue eyes, framed by brilliant, scarlet tresses. The waves crashed against the near pure white sand of the beach. She sighed contentedly, before turning to Lacus. "You enjoying yourself, Princess? I know I am."
The Songstress of Hope was curled up next to her, wearing a simple sapphire blue one-piece that brought out the color of her eyes, complimented with a white sunhat. "I'm fine, Loretta, but I'm worried about Sebastian." The two women looked to where Sebastian was practicing his sword katas while Anthony observed. "He's been thinking about that man he encountered during the battle in space. It bothers him to know that someone is using the Blaze family sword style."
Loretta smiled, putting a sisterly arm around the younger girl. "I know it bothers you honey. However we both know just how strong our favorite canine is. Just be there for him and everything will turn out fine." Her elegant lips twisted into a playful smile. "After all, our men are the most dangerous aces in all the Cosmic Era. They may take a few hard blows on the way, but they always prevail in the end!"
Sebastian held Fenrir in an Iaijutsu stance, quickly lashing out with his prized weapon, slashing through the air with a practiced ease, before finishing with a leaping vertical slash. In a smooth, controlled motion, he sheathed his blade, before rearing up to his full height, taking a deep breath. Anthony clapped. "Not bad, pup. Your blade work is next to flawless as always."
"Thanks, bro. Kira wanted me to give him a few extra lessons. I know I need the extra training considering what happened up in space." Sebastian took a knee. "I just can't get him out of my head, Anthony. I mean, learning how to use a physical blade of any kind is just so rare in this day and age. And here's someone who not only carries the same kind of weapon I do, but the exact same sword style? The only other person outside of Un No-sensei's family who knows Ryujin Torai is Lowe!" The image of Tallgeese's black armored form with the Gerbera in hand had recently cropped up in his nightmares.
The Arctic White Wolf patted the Storm Wolf of Jachin Due on the shoulder. "It's the height of arrogance to think that Master Blaze wouldn't have taken at least a couple of other students besides you over the years, pup. I will say the odds of the two of you meeting were remarkably high, but it happened anyway. You're just going to have to accept it." The Twin Wolves stood eye-to-eye, not breaking sight for a second with the sun setting in the background.
"I don't know a thing about this Neo Roanoke character, but I know you well enough, Sebastian Connor." Anthony spoke in a knowing voice. "No matter whatever flaws you have, you would never stand idly by while people are suffering. You took up the blade to champion the cause of all those who couldn't do it themselves. And I know for a fact that if it came down to you and Roanoke, you'd win every single time." His voice dropped low. "Not to mention, you have the love of the woman of your heart."
The two looked to their wives with those words, Loretta blew a kiss before giving a playful wave, while Lacus just smiled warmly. The Pink Princess had grown into a lovely young woman, her breasts having matured into upper level B-cups, but it had never just been about how large her chest got. Lacus Clyne had a beautiful soul, and whenever she was around, Sebastian felt at ease.
"Yeah, there's no questioning that, my Brother Wolf. The days are easier to get through when Lacus is my side. I know you and Loretta are the exact same way." The Twin Wolves trekked back to their women, sitting down with them. Sebastian wasted no time pulling a blushing Lacus into his lap, giving her a gentle but very passionate kiss.
"Have I told you how beautiful you really are?" Sebastian asked, stroking her face. "Or how lucky I am to have your love?" Happy tears ran down his face. "I love you, Mrs. Connor."
"Same to you, Mr. Connor." Lacus cooed, giving him another kiss.
"Give me some love as well, baby." Anthony said, Loretta practically tackled him she gave the deepest kiss she could manage, plus a little extra tongue action. The Twin Wolves knew that war was on the horizon, but for a few minutes, they could let their worries abate, and just enjoy the time they had with the women they loved. For the curtain was about to rise, and the second act would soon commence.
Author's Notes: The fallout from Break the World has begun to settle. Both sides are beginning their preparations for the coming conflict, and unlike the first war, both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT are on even ground when it comes to mobile suit technology and quality of pilots. Strap in boys and girls, this storm is kicking up fast!