It's been long, but I haven't forgotten about this story.
Only the silence of his cockpit and the rustling of deep water was his companion as he traveled deep in the darkness of night and covered by the sea. His goal? The X marked place on his map was just on the western borders of Suille, as Lyle indicated. So far, so good because as far as he knew, there was nothing in his vicinity, as he knew they would be targeting the ship. Once he got inland, the GN Drives throughout the Middle East for energy production would provide the perfect cover.
With this, he should be relieved, but he can't. Couldn't. Just as Leesa had predicted hours earlier, they surrounded the Ptolemy, as indicated by the myriads of unknowns on the edge of his sensor.
"Haro, alert me if anything approaches us." Neil pushed the Dynames up; even at this distance, the orange glow of the particles of the fake GN Drives could be seen. Green and orange crossing paths, and the explosions far on the horizon. It tugged on the dormant fear inside of him.
From this distance, even he admits that he can't get shot from this distance. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't for the sake of stealth. As much as it pains him.
When the Ptolemy disappeared from the sky, did he sigh and smile. "They made it, Haro."
"Made it. Made it. Good luck. Good luck."
Patting the head, his partner rolled in his spot. "Me too, buddy."
Stay safe.
By the time he reached land, night had already come, and under the moonlight hidden by the trees, his Dynames was safe in the shadows. He couldn't risk being spotted, so he ate in the relative safety and warmth of the cockpit with only his robot friend and thought as his company. A man and his robotic friend that muttered thoughts that came to its binary mind.
"This is Dynames. Katharon, can you read me." Only white noise greeted him. Looks like it's still far away, he clicked his tongue, scowling at nothing.
Sighing, he tightened the blanket around him and curled up in his cockpit, waiting for sleep to come.
After a day and a half, he reached the Katharon base hidden right in the valleys of the dry lands on the borders of Azadistan and Suille. If one didn't specifically look for it, he doubted anyone could find it. Smart move on their part, since the imaging satellite wouldn't be able to find them easily unless they sent squads to patrol every part of the desert.
"Katharon, this is Dynames. Requesting permission to land."
The operators on the other end spluttered, so Neil put the hands of his Gundam up. A few minutes later, a familiar woman replied, flustered but calmer than the one before.
"Gundam? Celestial Being. Where are the others?"
"I'll explain it to your leaders." So that I don't have to explain it twice, was left unsaid.
Men gathered on the hangar when he landed, their enthusiasm on full display like last time, despite the setbacks they suffered. Among them, Shirin and Klaus with some people who he guessed were Katharon officers.
He waved once at the leaders. "Sorry for the surprise, but we have no choice."
The other Katharon leader murmured, not even bothering to hide their surprise. Klaus stepped forward and met him. "Celestial Being. Is everything alright?" The man murmured the name. "Our spies witnessed the battle from afar and said your ship escaped back to space."
Once more, the men murmured at this. It was easy to forget that even after all the advancements they had since five years ago, they still had more tricks up their sleeves.
"I'll explain it all at once."
Klaus turned to the rotund man, whom he guessed was the leader of this Katharon group, who nodded. "Everyone, get back to your station. Report back to me if you find anything."
The man led them to the base's inner metal halls, to which only a few people came to and fro until they arrived at a room with a long table at the center. Opting to stand, he crossed his arms as his eyes looked at them before looking at the map. "We have infiltrated a party with all A-Laws leadership, and we've seen the people behind it."
Their malevolence and greed unending until they had everything. Their very hands into every part of humanity.
"We personally met the man behind it. For now, we've retreated to space since they've cornered us." He crossed his arms, nodding at the people around him. "I'm here to assist you. If you have any operations, I'm at your service."
Their surprise, shown by their eyes, was the only thing that showed they acknowledged his words.
The rotund man close to Klaus hummed, hand on his chin. "This is great. Klaus, we have enough units here to strike and cause a distraction while I negotiate with the King of Suille. With a Gundam on our side, we can decrease their presence here."
Eyes sweeping at the others, it seemed they didn't share his sentiments, with some even looking at him warily. Which was something he expected for various reasons. Seems that Celestial Being is not wholly trusted by Katharon, one he considered reasonable thinking.
"Or bring down the wrath of the Federation when we're still recovering from the last attack."
Shirin looked at Klaus before turning to the base leader, who fixed his glasses. "Abdel, as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. With the Federation forcing Celestial Being to retreat, and the European branch still under attack, we can't risk much considering they're beginning to crack down on us."
Abdel, for his part, removed the glasses and massaged his temples. "Don't remind me. Hiding is all but the only thing we could do now."
Klaus' fist clenched despite his calm face. "Let's not worry about that now. For now, we have to wait for Suille's response."
"I know some people who could get us in," a tan man with thick hair and glasses said. "It'll take a while, but I'll see what I can do."
One of them palmed his face and shook his head, a silent resignation, but nonetheless complied.
"We're all in agreement then," Klaus said.
With each nodding, the meeting adjourned, and Shirin led him to the quarters larger than what they had on the ship. Just like all rooms he passed by, each was carved from rocks and plated with a metal floor and columns with a light hanging in the center, with the bed on the side and a sparse table. It came with its own bathroom, which was fortunate enough of him to have.
"Usually, only officers use this room, but since we don't have many officers for now. Sorry for the state of the room, but this hasn't been used much by the looks of it."
"It's fine." He said, setting the few clothes and essentials he had on the table and noticing the dust. That was okay. He was used to such things. "Just tell me when the meeting is. And before I forget," he handed her the datastick.
Shirin looked at it, then back at him. "You'll know it when you see it. Think of it as a symbol of faith on our part."
It was only after two days did they received a message from Suille, and gathered at midday. Ikeda, a former reporter, had gotten through, and Abdel would no doubt be going to meet with the King of Suille.
"This is good news. Klaus, I leave the base in your hands. If we get the King's support, we could reveal the truth about A-Laws."
With the way things were, there's a higher chance of the King agreeing with the way the Federation is treating them. If the entirety of the Middle East had power, no doubt a coalition could have formed, but the Federation had stepped in early and nipped the bud before it grew. Not to mention the numerous GN Drives throughout to prevent direct communication with each other.
"On other news, I've read the plans of Celestial Being's Tactical Forecaster, and her predictions were spot on. If we choose to do one of these, we could deal with the Federation's presence in the Middle East."
Shirin didn't bother to hide her enthusiasm on this matter, something he didn't disagree with. If they could push them back in this region, that'd give the Federation something to set their eyes on. Acknowledge Katharon as a threat as a consequence, but give them space to recuperate and plan.
"That plan holds merit, but," Abdel's eyes turned to his officers, his hesitation only lasted for a second before it disappeared. "Depending on our losses, it would hit us hard."
The others protested, willing to go, and some were reluctant as the branch leader.
"The plan relies on fast attack and long-range attacks. With a Gundam on our side, we have greater chances of success." A white man of European descent said. "Klaus, we still have that, right?"
Klaus nodded sharply. "The plan didn't have my unit as part of it, but with adjustments. We can do it."
We have to do it, which was unsaid by them. The destruction of a base in the region would help Katharon in the long run. A reprieve in the tightening noose of the Middle East, even if for a short while.
"And with the Federation surrounding Suille, their numbers would be easily handled before any reinforcements come."
They needed no further convincing, because with their attack, some would be called back and by the time they're back, they'd have reduced the base. Such was the foresight of Leesa.
After the meeting adjourned, just as he was about to rest, the familiar face of the princess, with her eyes wide, met his own.
"Neil," she whispered. Her soft eyes and smile always revealed her gentle soul. One that he envied. "What are you doing here? Is Setsuna with you?"
"Unfortunately, no." He shook his head. "I stayed behind to help Katharon. We can't let A-Laws run free as it is."
Marina looked down, a frown marring her pretty face. "I see."
Crossing his arms, he leaned on the wall, feeling the mountain rock even with his pilot suit. "I'm sorry about Azadistan." He was. All those people dead, and for what? Just so the Federation had a reason to intervene. Toying with people's lives as if they were nothing. "If we knew, we would have sent in the Gundams."
Marina shook her head, eyes fluttering and blinking. "It's not your fault. It was something out of our control."
"It's all coming undone faster." He sighed. "You heard about Suille, right. One wrong move and the Federation will sweep in in the name of peacekeeping."
"What can I do?" Marina lamented. "I don't have any power to do anything. All I have is my faith that everything will be alright."
Smiling, however small, it was all Neil had to offer at the moment. "That's why we're here. Look at them," he tilted his head to the side, people going to and fro while chattering. "Some fight for you, others for their country, and some for their survival, but all we have in common in this is we're in it to fight the wrong."
To right our wrongs.
"After all the fighting is over, it's your job to make sure everything goes well. After all, fighting is the only thing we're good at." That was their purpose, their reason for existence in their life. That was why God made them, and he had no reason to deny it. For every tyrant and government, Celestial Being would be the Sword of Damocles to strike fear in their hearts.
Ribbons would get his in due time. An inevitable fact he was sure of, because if it was not from them, then from someone else. "I know you mean well, Marina, but this malice cannot be stopped by mere words alone. Something hides in the shadow, controlling every facet of government in the planet. Playing with people's lives on a whim."
"You can't be sure of that." Hands on her chest, she replied vehemently on her stance. "How could such evil exist?"
He wanted to spare her the truth, but he could trust her fully with nothing but the entire bitter truth. "Are you busy?" He smiled when she said no. "Walk with me. Since it's a few hours before the operation, we can talk for a while. I'm just glad to see a familiar face."
She looked back, and somehow he had a feeling he knew what she was worried about. Marina felt out of place in a base; her spirit did not belong in such a place as this, in a military world. Her former aide, Shirin, fit in better than she ever could.
No, the Princess belonged in a peaceful era, perhaps later, after all this, she would be the first to fix what had happened in this region of the planet. To be the ones to soothe the blood spilled by tyranny.
"We're acting soon, hopefully it will distract the Federation and give Suille time to meet with Katharon." Marina frowned but said nothing. Accepting the fact that this battle, no, this war, was inevitable. The people could not stay silent against the injustice in the world. "If we're lucky, with my Gundam, it'll gain the attention of the Federation and pull most of them out of Azadistan."
Granted, that was being hopeful, but the lengths their enemies would go to destroy them was great. Ptolemy's escape was proof of that. They arrived at the mess hall, and numerous eyes from the half-filled room turned towards them.
"Princess Ismail." A man near them bowed, his eyes filled with pity. A feeling he hated to its core.
Hushed words and whispers surrounded them as they tried to look discreet in their talks. "I heard Azadistan burned. Damn Federation. I feel sorry for her."
Putting an arm around her shoulder, he pushed her against him and led her towards a corner table before going to get something to eat, which was mostly canned. Marina looked at the food, eyes lost in thought, neither looking at him nor touching it.
"You remember what I said earlier, right?" He coughed, gaining her attention and casting a wary gaze at their surroundings. Marina nodded. If nothing else, his words would give her something to think about other than Azadistan. Even if this was a bigger burden than what she knew it to be.
"This is a well-known secret to Celestial Being, but because of who you are, I'll tell you. Do you know how we knew where to conduct the intervention years ago?" His eyes bore into hers. Sharp eyes silently conveying the weight of the knowledge that he was about to drop on her.
Her eyes furrowed, deep in thought until she finally said, "spies. You have spies everywhere."
"True, but there was something else." Here, he carefully looked for any listeners and nodded in satisfaction when he found none. "Veda," he finally said.
"Veda?" Confusion danced in her eyes. "Like the Veda?"
Chuckling to himself, he replied, "No. Aside from Gundams and GN Drive, old man Aeolia left us something else: Veda, a supercomputer capable of predicting events."
She gasped. Myriads of emotions crossed her face, all lasting no more than a minute, before a professional calm one settled in her face as the realization set in. The regal and class of a queen of a nation. "Then, someone took control of it? Is that the reason for Celestial Being's defeat?"
His eyes darkened upon remembering that as he touched the scar by his right eye, followed by an impressed stare at how fast she caught up. "Alejandro Corner took it. Twisted Aeolia's will. Turned off our Gundams. And now, his former subordinate controls it for their twisted fantasy. The Federation, the A-Laws, and the world, all theirs to control."
Coarse fingers scratched the scar that would forever remind him of his dance with death. As long as he lived, he would never forget it. That memory, that experience, that forever embedded itself into his soul. All of it because of the delusions of those who lurked in the shadows. "Years later, this is us correcting our mistake."
"Alejandro… Corner…," She whispered. He waited for her to say anything more as her brows furrowed, only for it to widen. "The UN Official!"
He nodded. Further investigation on their part revealed who the man was. A member of the UN who spied for Celestial Being, and if his gut was right, was something else too. He did not know what, but he had a feeling a man in that position was something more, but that was neither here nor there since he was long dead. And he liked to leave it at that.
"And now," he said, unable to hide the hate in his voice. "We found the source of the corruption."
Neil told him all that they discovered from Tiera's espionage. Of the fact that the Federation, and subsequently the A-Laws, were not the ones doing it. An inhuman monster in the form of a man, stringing along everyone for his dark fantasies and ego.
Facts that sounded very much like the imagination of a writer, a shadow organization controlling every facet of the government. Its strings moving things like pieces of a marionette doll. A single gesture and something in the whole world changes.
Marina gasped. Unable to form coherent words as she gaped in silence.
Neil wouldn't blame her if she didn't believe him in any way. All that he said, truths as they were, sounded like something that a television drama would do. He wished to God it was, but he stared at her, letting his unblinking eyes that see far speak the truth after he was done.
He sighed, letting himself slump after that. Even just telling it took part of him.
"Is that… why?"
"Why do we fight again?" he said, glancing at her after drinking. He wished he had a can of beer in his hand, but he was still on duty. Though the temptation was really strong after all that. "Yes," he said without her answer, leaving no room for debate.
Under the full moon, the base quietly hummed in inactivity, but he held no doubt it belied strength. But unfortunately for them, he was out of their range and they in his, he smirked from his perch on the mountain with the desert between them.
"Nine o'clock. Nine o'clock," said his round partner, flapping its ears.
"It's up to them." The sniper module lowered, and his eyes didn't take off from his target as he sat there in silence.
A few minutes later, a burst of light shone. Missiles far up north of him light up his sensors even from this distance. Said missiles descended upon the base as the AA guns fired in interception. The eastern part of the base lit up on fire as the crew ran to take the fire out. Three squads of first-generation GNX flew straight out of half of the hangar and towards the missile launcher until they were hardly a blip on his long sight.
"Alright, time for their entrance." As if on cue, eight Helions swept down from the east, their linear rifles spitting blue stars and destroying four of the AA guns and flying away before a squad of GN-X pursued them. Twelve MS came from the west of the base, flying towards a march led by Klaus' Enact Landstriker and the squads under his command.
The three squads had garnered the attention of their enemy so perfectly. He could almost hear Leesa's order as if she were near him. Sad as he was, it was better because he knew they were safe in one of their bases.
Although they equal them now in number, he was not confident in their strength. Those outdated units can only hold for so long.
The GN-X left with older units guarding the base rose to meet them, and about to clash halfway to their target. The GN-X, not armed with the standard lance, pointed their longer guns at his disadvantaged allies. Even this fact, Leesa had taken into account with what limited information that they had. Failui
Not on his watch. "Haro."
"Okay. Okay."
Leesa was right. Of course, she was; he never doubted her prowess in strategy and tactics. She was one of the best, unmatched by few in the A-Laws. As was expected of Celestial Being, only the best of the best.
No emotion came to him as he set his sights on them and pulled the trigger fast. Five consecutive shots, five downed targets all in the head. The enemy scattered, and he ignored the cheers of Katharon in their static communication. No time for celebrating yet, he shot at them again while the others took them from afar.
Klaus' lasers directly hit the enemy as it dodged Neil's shots. The added module to his Enact gained him more attention compared to his allies, who now sped forward, surrounding the squad and shooting endlessly with their linear rifle. This distraction gave him more than a chance to shoot down the remaining enemy units.
Sand spread as the headless GN-Xs that fell shot and hit a few of their allies, felling them. Three of them in total, but they had already achieved their goal. He wouldn't let their deaths be in vain.
"Ground Team, strike the base," Klaus ordered. With him on the lead in his Enact Landstriker, they charged to the now defenseless base. A few Tierens rolled out of the hangar, but it was too late.
The giant Mobile Armor shot every weapon it had against the remaining defense, and the squad divided into two to attack the base from the west and the south.
The other group played cat and mouse against their superior enemy, guiding the other squads away, outspeeding the GN-Xs with their lighter aerodynamic frames.
The Hellion group that led away a squad rolled and spun just to get away from the furious assault of the GN-X, going back to his range. Fingers twitching, just as it caught up to one of them, he pulled the trigger. Half of the wing of his ally was cut off, sending it tumbling out of the sky, but his shot pierced the enemy's chest. The others were fast enough to raise their shield, but he at least one hit their rifle arm, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Come on," he muttered, and shot after shot scattered them. The Hellions circled them, taking turns shooting back. As one aimed at a Hellion's back, he opened fire, ending it. The two left wisened up, standing back to back with the other's GN Shields protecting them from the onslaught while he shot at circling MS. But still, his shots pierced the cover of the only one with two arms, destroying the shield arm.
One that the Hellion Squad capitalized on when they surged forward, shooting nonstop at this vulnerability.
"Two more." And this time, the two were smart enough to fall to the ground and use the desert sand as cover when they shot at the sand. He predicted the actions they took before they did it. The distracted GN-X kept shooting, and the tiny sandstorm headed for him. He shot again, but this time, his shot must've hit one since something blew up and spread their cover for but a brief second.
He fired missiles, scattering them further when the dust settled. Hidden by the sand as they were, but Neil still saw them from his sensors. He drifted his rifle left and fired three shots. The explosion blew away the sands just as his sensors beeped about the approaching two units with beam sabers drawn. The lead one with no left leg charged first, followed by another whose left arm was also gone.
Neil quickly took the pistol in hatchet mode as a beam saber bursts forth, intercepting the swing. His rifle folded into SMG mode and fired point blank, making his foe raise its other arm in defense, scattering the tiny weapon's beam attack. With his enemy distracted, Neil kicked it away and slashed at it, followed by a missile. The blast covered them in smoke, and he flew up, raining the remaining one with beams of his rifle.
He didn't let up until the bogeys' blips disappeared from his sensor.
A sigh came out of his lips, relieved that he could help out the Katharon.
Such was the frightening skill of Leesa, he thought. Predicting that the base would have mostly four to six squads of GN-X and mostly outdated Mobile Suits.
"Time to commence phase two." With the remaining enemies distracted by his attack and left with so few units, he let loose shots on the now vulnerable base. His shots cut through the dark of the night as buildings lit aflame, crumbling under the ferocity of his sniping shots, as it lit up the sky with its hellish hue of smoke visible miles away to the right, where he was.
An unpleasant sight that reminded him of the Throne's operations years ago. But no, this was not an indiscriminate attack, no matter how it looked. Only the destruction of the base was their goal.
Out of the smoke in the sky, nine shadows emerged. Their cross profile familiar even at this distance. A shot forced the nine remaining GN-Xs of the base's attention back to him, realizing he was the biggest threat and not his allies.
"Engaging enemy Mobile Suits. Continue with the attack."
The returning MS Team surged towards him and returned the favor with the Hellions as his backup. The GN Rifle fired non-stop and spread the enemy units before firing all his remaining missiles. At the same time, his backup took the shot against the now spread
The laser of Klaus cutting through the dark sky intercepted a GN-X, dividing their attention and sending them spiraling down towards the ground. Damaged, but not out yet, he concluded, something which he took advantage of and shot them dead in the center of the GN Drive. The now freed-up units took the fight to the remaining eight MS.
Together with his Dynames, they made short work of them with only two losses.
So sure of his shots was Neil that he knew they had decimated the base, any survivors would have already evacuated, and if they were smart, as Leesa predicted, they would call upon their allies when things went wrong for them. With a Gundam's presence, no doubt it would be seen as important.
"Retreat," Klaus ordered just in time to see a red and white flare shot up in the middle of the burning base. "The Gundam will cover our retreat. And be careful with that."
This emphasis made Neil take a second to see what one of the Enact was holding. A mostly intact GN-X without the armor on its right arm and left knee.
"We got a good capture this time, Klaus."
His sensor beeped. He saw trucks and jeeps drove out of the corpse of their former base. A convoy heading elsewhere with nothing but their lives left intact.
"Klaus, they're retreating. Let's give 'em hell!" One of the Katharon pilot said.
"Enough," the Katharon's leader turned, looking exactly at where their enemy was. "Eradicating them was secondary, with the base destroyed, our northern borders are secure for now. If Celestial Being's captain is right, it would also draw some of the ones near Suille to investigate and reinforce their forces here. Don't let their efforts be in vain."
"But—"
"We're lucky more than half of us survived. Don't be foolish as to chase them." He shook his head as he eased his fingers on the control and passed it to Haro. "We need to get out soon before more Federation forces detect us."
Seven of them fell in this, and that was with surprise on their side. If they really wanted to give chase to them, he could not stop them all. All of it depended on Klaus' response.
After a minute of silence, eventually he replied. "Neil is right. Consider this operation lucky. Without the Gundam, we would have been wiped out the first minute they sortied. Not to mention the fires must've already alerted them of our attack."
Their return was, in all things, fortunate, for not one had followed them. With what range his Gundam could go, he detected nothing for miles away. Not even a recon group. All of which was as Leesa predicted. They'd be hard pressed to run and would depend on him holding off squads of them. He was good, but not that good.
And with the captured Mobile Suit, the morale was higher.
"I don't like this, Commander." One of them said.
He silently agreed. There was an ugly roiling feeling in his stomach that refused to subside. As a former soldier, they were trained to follow their instinct, and his instinct was screaming. Telling him something.
Is it a trap? His eyes went to the sensors and found nothing. Well, whatever it was, they'd cross that bridge when they got there.
The peace of the nice was broken as a golden thunder pierced the heavens and earth. Clearing the night clouds as mere pests, and the wind, a wave sending them tumbling in the sky.
"What was—"
The white light from the heavens parted the clouds like the hand of God. His eyes widened and his whole body froze as the very sand itself rose like a wave, and the muttering of those around him was ignored for the very blast that could be heard from where they were, miles away from the titanic thunder that struck the land.
That was the place, wasn't it!?
Suille was the only major settlement in that area. No… the more he thought of it, the more his dread froze his being.
"Haro, calculate distance and scan the energy."
His partner spun around his place, and his eyes lit up before he replied. A distance that he knew was the approximate distance of Suille from where they were further up north.
"Katharon base, do you read." He contacted them at the same time, set on examining the light that fell. It was not GN Particle-based; if it were, it would not take a different form than their weapons. No, it was something else, it had to be.
"Klaus, that was…."
The man's reply to his subordinate froze him to the core, even if he knew it. "Suille." His reply, solemn and low, but the undeniable anger powered his whisper. "Wh—A-Laws!" Something smashed against another, and he knew what it was, for it was the very thing he was avoiding doing. "We need to hurry."
No words needed to be said after that as they hurried, just a few kilometers more. This would give him the chance to examine it with what he had.
So, all throughout their return, nothing but cold anger filled him. The A-Laws had always gone too far, but….damn it! This was too much of too much already! Where does their barbarism end? Damn them all to hell!
"Lockon, Lockon. Finished again. Finished again. Energy. Energy. " His round partner rolled.
"Show me," was his court reply.
His cold eyes read the report: conjecture as it was by Haro, a particle beam with the same properties as the one Federation ship used, but on a bigger scale. There was only one thing large enough that could power such a thing of tremendous proportion. At this, he looked up, imagining the one thing that circled their planet. The one thing the three factions before fought for, one of the greatest legacies of old man Aeolia, the Solar Energy system.
Ribbons was behind it, he was sure of it. Showing his corruption of Aeolia's plan once more. Flaunting his power with wanton abandon.
That begged the question: when was it built? When. His mulling ran short when they saw the base on sight, but it did not relieve him one bit.
As he expected, urgency ran throughout the rest of Katharon as they were soon led to the conference room for another strategy meeting. He had hoped that Katharon, even with fewer resources than Celestial Being, had an answer.
"Klaus! Commander Abdel and—"
"I know!" he replied. Setting himself at the head of the table as the one left in command by Abdel. "What do we have?"
Ikeda shook his head from where he sat, to the left of Klaus. "For now, nothing. The A-Laws poured a lot of money into keeping whatever it was in secret."
"Still, we have no choice, Klaus, we must mobilize the fleet." Shirin all but screamed and slammed her fist on the table, making it echo in this bare room they were in. "How could—"
Another hand comforted the woman's own, which broke her out of her deep reverie.
"It was the same type of weapon the Federation Balkan-class used. A particle beam." He looked at the now-smoldering ruins of Suille, the refugees they took in, the citizens that had nothing to do with this but be in the worst place like the genocides of old wars. "As a warning. To Celestial Being, Katharon, and those who resist them."
"That doesn't justify the killing of millions!"
Breathing deeply, Neil loosened the fist of his crossed arms. Now was not the time for rampant emotions. That comes later. He would mourn all those lost after their deaths avenged, and the consequences paid in full. "We know that. They know that, but they don't, will, not care. All that matters is the result. This will deter any rebellion around the world."
"Does—"
Before anyone could finish it, he replied, "No, we didn't. The fact that they managed to keep this even from us spoke of its importance and secrecy."
They all looked at each other: determination, resignation, and some quiet fear, but that was not what impressed him. No, it was even with all those flashing before their eyes, none wanted to turn away from this. Was this Katharon at its very core?
"How soon can Celestial Being act?"
"I don't know," he said, his nonchalance breaking up with his halfhearted shrugging, "but what I do know is that as soon as they knew about it, we would sooner act than later." He had faith in them to do so.
Klaus closed his eyes, and none spoke. "Ikeda, everyone, we need answers fast. Even just a little will help, and meet again in two days time. I'll contact the whole fleet, and in three days time we will commence an operation. If we can gather information faster, the faster we can commence it. In the meantime, I'll be contacting the fleet for any information."
"But Klaus—"
"Going in without a plan or information will destroy what few resources we have, Fareed. This will be a precise operation, one that we have no choice but to wait." His gray eyes belied the strength the man had. He may not be a military leader, he may not be as thorough as Leesa, but in him, he could see the necessity to do what's right.
All nodded, and all turned to stand with the silent adjourning of the meeting. Not yet, he said to himself. When he raised his hand, everyone stopped and looked at him. "As a representative of Celestial Being, I propose a joint operation."
Shirin's brow furrowed. "How do you propose we do it. You can't contact them."
He felt uncertain as she did, but he was sure Leesa would be quick to commit to an operation as soon as they did, that he was sure of. "I can't, but no doubt our Captain has already put this into her plan. I need to borrow a squad ahead of time, and set up the ideal position far away from A-Laws, but still hit whatever it was. Once you find its location, pass it on to me. If we could time it right, then maybe, just maybe, we could stop this early."
"That doesn't say how—"
"Everyone knew about the Colony Rescue Operation, right?" he said with a reassuring smirk to Shirin.
Memento Mori. It was reported to be called. Whoever named that had a dark sense of humor. One that he would like to view with the scopes of Dynames.
A weapon situated on the photovoltaic array of the Solar Energy System, something that could be used for everyone for good, was used for destruction. A physical manifestation of the corruption of Aeolia's will for peace.
One day was all it took to get all the necessary information about it. One day for them to plan, and one more day before the plan started. One day to get what he needed across the world to where they needed to go. At the first word of it, he was the first to go to a specific Pacific island along with a Katharon squad, in which Shirin volunteered much to Klaus' fearful resignation.
Hopefully, they would return on time to set himself up for the shot. With the speed they were going now, restless in their travel that had started since last night, right after the information was revealed. A few hours more and they'd reach the island, and if they were fortunate, the Federation wouldn't detect them.
The data they had indicated that A-Laws' presence in Asia was not as strong as the one in the Middle East or Europe, where all resistance spread out.
"Are you sure you can hit the weapon?" Shirin asked. She never voiced her doubts when they included him in the plan.
"Certain." He glowered. There was no room for doubts. Left alone, that weapon would terrorize the world with fear and destruction.
By the time they arrived at where he needed to be, the fading light had already given way to the moon. As if whatever hope they had faded along with it.
Yet everything couldn't be more wrong as the small island of no note in the middle came to be in his sights. A place owned by an unknown person rich enough to buy it, but not rich enough to be relevant to anyone. In the middle of the jungle of tall trees, there was a light blue and white GN Container, the same one the old Ptolemy had, containing the weapon they needed.
"Let's see…," he muttered. If everything were the same as before, all he needed was to input the codes.
It was with a satisfying hiss that the container opened as they neared, revealing disassembled parts of a giant gun he only had to use once. Exactly as he left it years ago, untouched by anyone.
He jerked the control stick back and loosened his foot on the pedal, slowing the Dynames and allowing him time to turn, GN Drive facing the particle connector.
"To think they have bases like this." One of the pilots muttered with awe.
The soft tremble and thud let him know the GN Drive connected successfully. "We could fit all the MS in here if everyone huddles, but can the container handle the weight?" he thought to himself as he walked towards the control. The Union Flag and Hellion were on the thin side, he could make it work even with all the parts around.
Perhaps they don't need to worry about the weight. Even if it was originally made for space travel, the GN Particles would lighten it enough to allow it atmospheric travel.
No choice, he sighed.
Thus, he ordered them to slowly situate themselves. The creak and thud echoed even in the control room as they tried to fit themselves in the already cramped container. In the end, the two units were crouching lower than was usual just to fit, even going as far as to step on his poor Dynames.
"A mobile base. Do you think they'll give us one of these if we ask." A blonde woman whispered as she sat to Shirin's left in the control room, but he gave it no thought.
"After all this is over, after A-Laws, you won't need this." You won't need to fight anymore.
The container lurched to one side, tilting them all to one side before landing back on the ground with a thud. Neil had to wrestle the controls back to center, fighting against the tremor of his arms. "Better strap in to your cockpit," he said, hiding the grit of his teeth while gesturing them back to their respective units.
"We're imbalanced," the comrade of Shirin commented, looking at the disassembled parts and the two MS on the sides.
A nod from Shirin was all he got before they returned.
"How much longer until the operation starts," asked Neil while powering up the container once more. It would need at least thirty percent power before they could, as it was, it would need an hour at most. With their weight, ETA would be ten hours at most, if he's mental calculation was right.
"At 0001 hours." She frowned, her apprehension clear to her before moving.
"If anyone can bear the shaking, the locker room has rooms. If possible, it would be best if you guys get your sleep. And the ration lasts for several more years, if anyone gets hungry. But, considering my piloting skills of this thing, better not tempt fate." He turned at the console to check any anomalies he may have missed. Before anyone could reply, he decided to reassure them. "I can handle things from here. I'll warn you if something comes up."
The other two left, leaving him with Shirin, who stopped at the door. "What about you?" He heard her scoff in amusement. "We need you at top shape for what's to come."
Smirking at it, he replied, "Don't worry. We meisters are used to long operations." Long stakeouts in the cockpit or just recon, they were trained for it. Not to mention, as a former military, he was bred for it.
He jerked up when the console beeped and at the beck of Haro, who jumped and called his name. An unexpected yawn came from him before his eyes turned to the sensors to see them just a mile away, the small island of Samhah, a small out-of-the-way island northeast of Somalia and South of Yemen.
On their way, he encountered two fleets patrolling Southeast Asia—southwest Philippines and east Malaysia, luckily with no underwater Mobile Armor like the one they encountered before. Fortunately, the container can go deeper than any conventional detection method can sense. Asia must have had been on lower security risks for the Federation than Europe and the Middle East than he thought it'd be.
The ocean in this part only seldom had a patrol based on their data. Even with that, he remained cautious because with the Middle East under strict scrutiny, he couldn't afford to be arrogant or complacent.
"Haro, keep an eye out for anything. I'll go wake up our guest." He patted the head of his partner and put him on the seat as he activated the autopilot to prepare for the landing.
He got to the small room, a small apartment-sized multi-purpose room that could function as a dining room and a shower, to wake up his guests who had ignored all the shaking halfway through resting in a cramped cockpit. The two ate their rations with mild chatter. Their topic was about their professions before they became Katharon members. Despite their tone, he could feel the tension in the air.
"ETA ten minutes." He looked at his watch to see that they had half an hour before the operation started. "I suggest you do what you need before it. No telling how the Federation or A-Laws reply. There may be no patrols nearby, and the nearest base is miles away, doesn't mean they won't send anyone."
"What about you?" Shirin asked. Her food already finished.
"Don't worry." He gave her a small smile, flattered at their worry despite knowing them for a few days. "I ate an hour ago. I'm more worried about the others in space, they're the ones facing a fleet that's sure to guard it." He glared at nothing but eased up a second later. Unfortunately, this was the best he could do: a distraction.
If he was lucky, hit it before it could fire again. Provided they could make it fire, which meant another target.
On their way to the small island, that was all he thought, even until they landed on the peak of the island while setting the weapon with their help. His trepidation doubled upon seeing the time, just in time for the start of the operation as the timer hit zero.
Lights lit up above them, barely a glimmer but he knew what it was. All of them did. They were still halfway through!
"What's happening?" Neil was unable to keep the urgency in his voice. "Talk to me."
"The fleet is being attacked. Long range beam attacks."
He clicked his tongue, only a few could have units that fire that far away.
"Keep me posted!" he said to Miranda, the blonde woman who was in contact with the base. "Let's move it."
When the alarm rang, he could only stare in silence at the stars above in hopes of seeing a sign, anything, for the plan was risky. They have to be precise, fast, and efficient to achieve maximum results. Making his decision, he barked orders. "Tell them to hold off the attack." He clicked his tongue.
Just a few more minutes!
"We can't. They're already pushing deep into enemy range to shoot back."
Damn it all! Another A-Laws new unit with a range further than ships. It was worrying if it could contend with the Dynames or Cherudim. "Tell them to evade. Anything. Stall before going to position."
Too early, and it may fire at some target they didn't intend to be involved in. Time was ticking, they needed to hurry.
"Just the condenser and particle stabilizer." After that, it would be the barrel, then assembling it. This was his thought while in the background, the nervous chatter of his fellows about the rising casualties didn't help at all. Time was against them. They—he!— needed it now! It could be said that their rushing the completion without sacrificing precision on the delicate equipment was perhaps the fastest they'd been.
They would make it.
I will make it.
I have to be honest, regardless of quality, perceived by you readers or mine. I love writing this chapter.
Hope you like this as I did!
R&R
