Being that a general state of war exists between Federation Council nations, and the Earth Federation Forces are comprised of soldiers and materiel from nations on both sides of the conflict, the Earth Federation Forces hereby declare neutrality in the conflict between the national militaries of the Holy Britannian Empire, Advanced European Union, Far East Republic, and all other Federation member-states, henceforth known as the combatant nations.
This neutrality is contingent upon the following agreements from the combatant nations.
The Federation Direct Administered Zones of Jaburo (Amazon Basin), Dakar (Senegal), and Konpei Island (Lagrange 4) are to remain inviolate. Any armed forces of combatant nations that are not under command of the Earth Federation Forces, an autonomous military reporting to the Federation Council, or registered and permitted military contractors in these locations will be treated as hostile and a violation of the EFF's neutrality.
The Earth's surface and atmosphere north of 60 Degrees North Latitude (the 60th parallel), with the exception of Iceland and its territorial waters, will be considered a neutral and no-fly zone for the militaries of the combatant nations, for the purpose of combating Vega Zone and Siberian Anomaly forces. Any armed forces of combatant nations that are not under command of the Earth Federation Forces, an autonomous military reporting to the Federation Council, or registered and permitted military contractors in these locations will be treated as hostile and a violation of the EFF's neutrality. This neutral zone will be controlled and organized from the EFF Joint Operational Strategic Headquarters - Alaska.
In all other areas of the Earth Sphere, Earth Federation Forces personnel and materiel are to be treated as neutral non-combatants, on the condition that they do not interfere with the prosecution of war between member-states of the Federation.
All other articles of Federation law regarding warfare etc. remain in force and are not superseded by this document.
[X] Admiral Green Wyatt, Inspector-General of the Earth Federation Forces
[ ] Holy Britannian Empire @VoidZero
[ ] Advanced European Union @tankdrop24
[ ] Far East Republic @Hollewanderer
It is regrettable that we, the shining example of earthian idealism of just and tolerance, has been forced into taking control of and arresting this failing condition. But we stand with our heads held high for we know we would do everything to protect our children and our children's children.
-Senator Moses, HBE assembly representative.
"Before we get into this meeting." Captain (and former Instructor) Rin Suzukaze said, "allow me to offer my congratulations." She smiled. "As of this moment, you five have officially graduated from the Military PreJunior Academy."
There was stunned silence for a moment as Team Rabbits processed the news.
"Woo!"
Tamaki and Suruga let out a cheer. Izuru and Asagi didn't move, still trying to understand the words. And Kei...
"Is this another method of appealing to the public?" Kei asked, startling the other four rabbits into paying attention. "We've only been operating for about a month, and we haven't done much other than guard civilian convoys."
Suzukaze sighed, hoping that it would have taken a bit longer before they realized the realities of the situation. "I do not say this to diminish your own accomplishments. But yes, part of the rapidly changing situation in the world is why plans in the GDF have been... accelerating." Black 6 came to mind, although the pilots wouldn't be aware of this for a bit longer.
"With the outbreak of war in the Federation, it makes sense that we're trying to make ourselves look as good as possible." Asagi muttered.
"Yes, and this brings us to the main point of the meeting today. There have been some last minute changes to our mission." Before she could continue, the door to the room slid open.
"I can take it from here, Captain." GDF Commander Simon Gato walked into the room. Surprised that he was on board already, she ceded the floor so he could address the more surprised Rabbits. "As Captain Suzukaze has just said, several plans in the GDF have been accelerated. To that end, the Godinion will be escorting several important GDF leaders in order to conduct face to face meetings at your destination. While before these meetings could have been conducted through long distance communications at Star Rose, it has become more important that we go in person so that the GDF's message will get across to the public eye."
"Wait, you said 'we'." Izuru said. "Does that mean..."
"Yes. One of those figures will be myself."
Team Rabbit's jaws hit the floor.
"We're escorting our boss..." Suruga said with dawning realization. The other four could only nod silently in response at the gravity of what they were about to do.
Being that a general state of war exists between Federation Council nations, and the Earth Federation Forces are comprised of soldiers and materiel from nations on both sides of the conflict, the Earth Federation Forces hereby declare neutrality in the conflict between the national militaries of the Holy Britannian Empire, Advanced European Union, Far East Republic, and all other Federation member-states, henceforth known as the combatant nations.
This neutrality is contingent upon the following agreements from the combatant nations.
The Federation Direct Administered Zones of Jaburo (Amazon Basin), Dakar (Senegal), and Konpei Island (Lagrange 4) are to remain inviolate. Any armed forces of combatant nations that are not under command of the Earth Federation Forces, an autonomous military reporting to the Federation Council, or registered and permitted military contractors in these locations will be treated as hostile and a violation of the EFF's neutrality.
The Earth's surface and atmosphere north of 60 Degrees North Latitude (the 60th parallel), with the exception of Iceland and its territorial waters, will be considered a neutral and no-fly zone for the militaries of the combatant nations, for the purpose of combating Vega Zone and Siberian Anomaly forces. Any armed forces of combatant nations that are not under command of the Earth Federation Forces, an autonomous military reporting to the Federation Council, or registered and permitted military contractors in these locations will be treated as hostile and a violation of the EFF's neutrality. This neutral zone will be controlled and organized from the EFF Joint Operational Strategic Headquarters - Alaska.
In all other areas of the Earth Sphere, Earth Federation Forces personnel and materiel are to be treated as neutral non-combatants, on the condition that they do not interfere with the prosecution of war between member-states of the Federation.
All other articles of Federation law regarding warfare etc. remain in force and are not superseded by this document.
[X] Admiral Green Wyatt, Inspector-General of the Earth Federation Forces
[ ] Holy Britannian Empire @VoidZero
[ ] Advanced European Union @tankdrop24
[ ] Far East Republic @Hollewanderer
"Of Course, we in the AEU will fully respect the rights of the rest of the Federation to remain neutral in this little fight we've found ourselves in. Unlike our opponents, we're careful not to overburden the Earth just for the sake of power."
-Remarks by Representative Alejandro Corner
"Ah Suzaku, welcome." Schneizel said with mug in hand, breath smelled faintly of liquor. "Sherry?" He offered.
"Thank you, highness, but I will pass." Suzaku replied as he sat and promptly sank into the sofa across of the white princes.
"Schneizel is fine Suzaku, formality is reserved for formal settings. You should savor all moments without such tedious things."
"Even for the Prime Minister?"
Schneizel chuckles with redden cheeks. "Of course. Those stood at high places under the spotlight will be taken as the prime example of our way of life. The perfect sample if you will, be it to imitate, dissect, or to understand. No matter what they wish privately."
"I see. Are you inferring about Lelouch's presentation?"
"Take it as an idle observation from a senior. I will not pretend to understand Lulu's motivation or his drive or wishes. That would be too arrogant. I am merely trying to find a way to halt everything so bloodshed will end."
"Was the Atami operation one such attempt?"
"No but I understand why you would think that. It is true that Guinevere, my sister, falls within my clique and the Prime Minster is required to be informed of all military movements. But neither of those factors contradict the fact that I do not know the goal or the target of the operation carried out under authority of the Holy Britannian Empire. And the fact that you, envoy of my will, was shut out and sent back here."
"Assume I believe this, why and how it possible. You are the most powerful of prince and the most senior of officials."
"Oh dear Suzaku, you are trying to apply what is true for the Japanese realm to Britannia. The Prime Minister of Japan might be the ultimate authority in Japan, but his power is given to him by the votes of the masses and the money of the six houses. The power of the Britannian prime minister is whatever he can take from those weaker and less attentive than him. I would not comment on which is a better position to occupy but I'm somewhat certain he did not have to fear being violently removed from office due to faux pas made during previous night's dinner."
Suzaku kept his face straight. "Even so, why wouldn't you, couldn't you order them to stand down. Everyone knew the operation was stupid and mad after everything that happened."
"Because I am not there. Because I am needed here in the homeland and there in the federation hall. Because there are so many people I need to talk to and so many things I need to shut down personally lest everything you see the in the empire turn for the worst."
Schneizel reaches for the second bottle.
"Did you know our federation representative is actively trying to instigate a war with PLANTs, in space? Or the new viceroy wants to shell every inch of the dirt outside the Tokyo settlement with white phosphorus? Did you hear about any of those? No you did not, you only care about Zero and yourself."
"That is, I…."
Schneizel sighed. "Don't worry about it. I do not fault you for this or what happened. It is after all, the past. I have only myself to blame, the most powerful of princes and princess yet I can not protect my siblings." Downing another mug of Sherry, Schneizel continues. "Suzaku. I know you want to ask why you were made a knight of the rounds despite your background and questionable loyalty."
Suzaku nodded and accepted the second offer of Sherry wine.
"You may have thought it was a mistake from machinations, an elevation of station in exchange for loyalty, or a clever maneuver as part of a grand interlocking plan. None of those reasons apply. I chose you to block another Bradley from occupying that seat and abusing that power."
"Even if I am going to challenge the empire's normality with this power?"
"Compared to the likes of Bradley getting the licence to fulfill their base desires? Yes. You are the only devicer that still possess compassion and kindness for those scrapping by below. I would blame my father but I have a feeling that he did not know a lot of things, certainly not aware enough to know there are problems with forever war and fostering a class of emotionally dead soldiery. This is a self-inflicted wound and neither our citizenry or I will deny that fact."
"I'm sensing a but."
"But there are worse things the empire can do if we are not fighting the downward slide, or prevent its mania from manifesting. Everyone is enthralled by the wealth and power robbed from others, even the honorary Britannian who joined unwillingly just to get by. The perverse incentives enable the worst tendencies and turns holy man into monsters. The point is, meaningful change will cause waves of blood no matter what."
"Then what? Give up?"
"I do not know. Praying for a miracle perhaps."
~~~
"Kururugi." A voice called out. It is a rough but calm voice.
"Jeremiah?" Suzaku turned around. Jeremiah Gottwald, sitting alone on bench with cigarette in hand, waved him closer.
"You look well, red and bloated like tomato." Jeremiah moved over, giving Suzaku more room to slouch in. "But it's good to see you doing something other than staring at a wall and being a shut-in."
"If you want to kill me then now is your chance. I don't think we friendly enough for you to care."
"Not friends, but I do look after collogues." Ignoring Suzaku's half scuff and half attempt to keep his stomach inside, Jeremiah continues. "Yes I know, rich coming from me, leader of ol' purist faction showing care to the honorary Britannian who survived a public lynch."
"What do you want then. I'm not in the mood for a chat, or have a clear enough head. Was drinking with Schneizel."
"Very brave. Royalties has an abnormal appetite for liquor. Trait straight from the emperor himself, caskets of the stuff are brought in whenever he visits Lady Marianne." Watching the last bit of cigarette burn out and letting the embers lick his fingers, Jeremiah says. "My lady wants to know why you are avoiding her. She thought things went well the last time you chatted. And I wanted to check if it is at all related to my conduct and make amends."
"Amends? Went well?" Suzaku jabbed at Jeremiah to check if he is real. "Do you even believe the things you say? I have enough trouble trying to tell if I am still me after learning about Geass. And you sit here striking up a conversation as if your head didn't get touched by knifes and magic. All those pushed aside, how could I look at her? Pretend I don't want to murder her son in revenge for the sister he killed?"
"Why should you care. Lady Marianne is aware of the circumstance but did she object? Did she seek to harm you? No, and neither will I. Geass is not something to be feared of by itself, but viewed as another instrument of man's will. It is true that I was Geassed and experimented against my will, but I would have done the same to others."
"Then what about Anya? The girl trapped insider her own body? What justice is there to let her suffer?"
"Justice? I thought you wanted vengeance?"
Suzaku looked as if he was struck.
"Look. The path we walk on is not harmonious or joyful or painless and will end up with a lot of people dead. But you can not pretend you are better to avoid dealing with guilt. We Britannian are the Holy Empire because we have belief, not because we wanted to, but because we have to. Anything to keep going, anything to not fall apart. Ambition, idealism, desire, even Bradley. Well no, Bradley is just being Bradley according to the Directorate."
"Then what do you believe in Jeremiah, what drives you to look past what happened?"
"Dedication to my lady. Her will is my duty, her command is my tenet, her gaze is my pursuit. I do not love her like that between lovers, but admires her singular drive and purity of being. It was a gradual interest turned fixation I admit. But she was beautiful covered in blood holding heads of her foe during the coup. My purpose was revealed then, a vessel, a tool of another's will."
"You are mad."
"I was mad. A hollow ghost wondering in area 11 for a cause, a master. It did not work out. But I am whole again, my purpose returned to me. Suzaku, whatever you chose to do, know that I am grateful as it would have been impossible otherwise for everything to come to this."
'And I will pray for you to find your salvation, wherever it is.' Jeremiah quietly adds as Suzaku runs away.
A mysterious Knight Giga Fortress quietly discovered in the HBE IFF database on the blessed year of UC0087. The developer institution, if one exists, did not make itself easy to find nor identifiable through regular military investigation methodology. There was no trace of the machine's delivery, source, nor manufacturing facility mark. While there is a detailed manual on its maintenance and fuel requirements, there was absolutely no information on pilot selection or the control layout; or any visible control instruments be it traditional (KMF) style or deviant (everyone else) style.
What is confirmed however, is that it is a Knight Giga Fortress or Mobile Armor type machine. Housed under the sleek and unmarred shell are three reactor cores, of which two are the sakuradite based Yggdrasil drive and one is the H3 based Minovsky thermonuclear drive. An unusual combination that compounds the surprise factor for the Earth Federation Nuclear Security Administration, when they received the first ever licence request for an "independent mobile H3 reactor" from the HBE; a federal requirement under "Import, Export and Customs Powers Act UC039" c. 69, 2 and 3 Geo 6. Several inspectors quit before they are scheduled to visit the machine, with the last one approving the licence remotely.
Unnamed sources, foreign spies, claimed the machine is not one designed with moderation and restraint in mind both for the target audience and for the pilot. Ignoring the non-existent controls, be it analog or digital, the machine carries no less than two complete sets of Stark Hadron Cannon with only half of the designed beam constrictor installed. It is unknown how many beam type point-defences the unit hides under the silent shell, nor if that number remain static.
While recorded flight tests are not yet complete, those aware of the Volonte nevertheless assures all willing ears that the machine will make an unignorable impact on the world. Then repletely insists they prefer posts as physically distant to the machine as possible.
Bedivere - Generation 7 Mass Production KMF – Generation 3 MS [2P, 1M]
The final victor of the Britannia military industrial complex's struggle for the next-gen full production model. The Bedivere is both innovative and conservative, proudly displaying the HBE staple of slash harken, landspinner, and float system abet with more modernized designs. It is however a departure from the golden height, four point four meters, of mass production type KMF and instead stands one and half meter taller. Camelot developments confirms the increase was by design and strongly protests accusation of miniaturization failures of several key systems. The most objectionable is the half-integrated float system, resulting in extrusions from the machine's back, forearm, and knee sections. The less notable but still obvious is the overall bulkier chassis compared to earlier designs. A researcher speaking on condition of anonymity, admits the Nidhogg drive took up more than double the space compared to the mature Yggdrasil drive. Britannia high command, however, is extremely pleased with the performance and proclaimed "Bedivere will be the radiant spear to impale all the world's wrongs." The test pilots collectively sing high praises for the machine especially on topic of the refined power they wield. 'There used to be hills around, you will only find glass now.'
Britannia foreign office advises the media explore the positives of such investments in peace and security for all nations instead of making irresponsible conjectures and tortured extrapolations between world events.
"Battlegroup Ares, this is SDF-1 command, you are clear for departure. You may break formation from the SDF-1 and Fold to Mars at your discretion." A UN Spacey communications officer informs the commanding officer, a Zentraedi by the name of Golgono.
"Understood, SDF-1 command, we will Fold to Mars as soon as we are clear of the SDF-1's fleet formation. Vice-Commodore Golgono out." Commodore Golgono says.
"Roger that. Good hunting, commodore. SDF-1 command out."
The line closes, and Vice-Commodore Golgono sighs before looking around the bridge of his battleship. Although less advanced than the Northampton Class Stealth Frigates accompanying it, the Appalachian was still designated as the flagship of battlegroup Ares. Golgono himself was no stranger to fleet command, although he had never been in charge of such a small group.
19 Destroids, 14 VF-1s, 15 Queadlunns, 20 VF-11s, 3 Northampton Class Stealth Frigates, and the Appalachian, Golgono's own ship. That was all he had been given to patrol the space around Mars. He would have to take care to keep the Queadlunns close to the ships lest the PMCs of Mars mistake them as hostile, even with the UN Spacey paintjob applied to them.
Golgono snaps out of his own musings before turning to address his communications officer.
"Tell the rest of the battlegroup to fall in formation. We're Folding to Mars on my mark as soon as we're clear of the rest of the fleet." He says.
The communications officer nods before turning on a battlegroup wide broadcast.
"Attention, battlegroup Ares. Assume formation and prepare to Fold to Mars on the Commodore's mark." The communications officer nods toward Golgono, who picks up a microphone.
A few minutes pass as the four ships of battlegroup Ares break away from the main UN Spacey fleet, the SDF-1 Macross marginally shrinking in view.
Golgono reaches into his pocket and rummages around it a bit before taking out the object of his desire: a Lynn Minmay plushie. In the commodore's unmicronized hand, it appears comically tiny, but he has become an expert in handling goods designed for miclone hands.
I hope that we may convince some of our brethren from the main fleet to defect. Surely they will appreciate the wonders of culture. Golgono thinks to himself as he admires the plushie.
"Be ready to broadcast to the Martian Union that we aren't there to invade them as soon we Fold in." He says to his communications officer, who nods.
Vice-Commodore Golgono turns on his microphone to address the rest of the battlegroup.
"All ships this is Vice-Commodore Golgono. Ensure that all crew and mobile weapons are secured aboard safely, and prepare to Fold to Mars on my mark." After a few seconds, Golgono glances at the digital clock on the bridge, waiting for it to display the next minute before saying into the microphone, "Mark!"
The four UN Spacey ships, 3 of human design, and 1 entirely built by Zentraedi, Folds to Mars, to assist in the planet's defense against the Wulgaru and Zentraedi, and, hopefully, to convince some of the latter to give culture a chance. A/N: Golgono is a Zentreadi OC.
"As regrettable as the current situation is, and how much it reveals about how the Holy Britannian Empire really perceives the rest of Earth Federation, it is important to preserve EFF's ability to act as the guardians of Earth and its population instead of dragging it into this conflict and turning an already bad state of affairs even worse. As such, the Far East Republic fully supports this measure."
-Representative Jin Mei
The month had started off so well. Business deals had ensured that Benerit seized the lucrative contract as the Far East Republic's primary subcontractor for their warship expansion. Similarly the Group had closed a deal with Britannia, signing a contract that would give Benerit access to the precious Sakuradite that had been so critical to the Holy Britannian Empire's rise to power. The expansion and security operations in the Mount Fuji facility had already paid dividends, resources flushing into its coffers while Sakuradite was quietly shipped off the Quiet Zero facility. Delling's scientists did not yet know how to truly unlock the power of Sakuradite, but he was sure Prospera Mercury would be on the case soon enough.
But well, good things didn't last it seemed.
Prospera, being Prospera, had thought it reasonable to send a Gundam into his school. Naturally, it had been detected, and his fool daughter had decided that then had been the best time to display her rebellion, siding with the Witch and defending her on technicalities. Technicalities! Notrette would have been proud, and while it had been him who had to quietly push things along in order for his daughter's arguments to hold any water, it was nevertheless a step in the right direction. Not that he would say it of course. It would all depend on the gala and the support she would receive from investors...which would be a problem, given the global situation as it was right now.
Delling had never believed that the geopolitical situation on Earth had been sustainable. While the Far East Republic had for the most part kept to themselves, the expansionist nature of Britannia, and to a lesser extent the Romefellers, had meant the peace had been inherently untenable. He had hoped that it would continue for a few more years, Earthian unity held up by their war against Zeon and the aliens from beyond the System, yet as had clearly been shown, the powers on Earth had eventually come to a head. Such was the war-loving nature of man, the meaningless destruction that he sought to stop.
...Not that his goals mattered right now. The Benerit Group's entanglement in Japan had inevitably drawn the Group into the conflict. He could only thank fate that Vim Jeturk had not signed a more extensive deal, leaving it to extraction and security of Sakuradite within Mount Fuji's premises. The last time Delling had met the man he was in a jovial mood, yet his unpredictability would always make things uncertain. His sources had shown him to be preoccupied with another matter, so unlikely, but he never knew for sure. Running the Benerit Group was like herding cats, except in this case the cats were more akin to full-grown lions. Yet in the current astropolitical climate the Group did not have the luxury of its current disunity, especially with the League stalking in the corner.
Delling sighed. It was time to call a board meeting.
FROM THE BENERIT GROUP PUBLIC RELATIONS DIVISION (MAIN)
The Benerit Group is deeply saddened by the state of war on Earth. For years has it been the Group's mission to bring peace across the globe, affordable security at the fingertips of any willing state or organization. That the powers on Earth have decided to upend this peace deserves universal condemnation, and as a peace-loving corporation the Benerit Group will naturally declare no part in this.
Thus, the Benerit Group declares NEUTRALITY in the Third Pacific War. While it will continue to operate the Mount Fuji extraction facility, it does so to ensure that even in this time of war the civilians within Area 11 will be able access the basic necessity of electricity. As a contractor with the government of Area 11 the Benerit Group will continue to ensure the security of the facility, so that an energy crisis may be averted.
The Benerit Group seeks understanding with all parties in the war, and a swift reconciliation between the Federation Council.
The four UN Spacey ships, 3 of human design, and 1 entirely built by Zentraedi, Folds to Mars, to assist in the planet's defense against the Wulgaru and Zentraedi, and, hopefully, to convince some of the latter to give culture a chance.
"Spatial disturbance General Mcgillis. Matches Zentraedi signatures."
"What is the IFF?"
"...UN Spacy sir..."
Fareed frowned. The Spacy. NOT the Federation in full. NOT the Titans. NOT any of the families that formed the 'Gjallahorn' power bloc.
He had just sent off a Martian Force to Earth to monitor the deteriorating situation there and now he was inviting Earth and Alien forces to his new home.
Not so long ago he had led his men against Zentraedi raids. For a bred and born warrior race they died with the same mix of fear and pain on their faces. Far. Far too many he knew were just like them.
"Maintain alert ..." he finally decided, "and ready an escort. Open a channel to the Spacy flotilla."
With a beep and the crackle of a radio, The General of Mars found his words.
"Welcome to Mars...."
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE MARTIAN UNION
The Martian Union is displeased with the current events occurring in the Earth Sphere. As a neutral party, we recognize the recent resolution by the Earth Federation Council and by our own choice have sent observers and peacekeepers to monitor the situation in and around the Japanese Archipelago.
OFFICIAL DIRECTIVE OF THE LEAGUE OF RULING COMPANIES
All LRC members are to activate their security forces and ensure the safety and security of League assets and vital personnel. Any employees and dependents of LRC members may seek refuge in LRC member-owned facilities. Any attempt on the safety of LRC member employees or the destruction of LRC member property will be considered a hostile act and be met with appropriate self-defense measures and appropriate legal response.
The LRC as a whole will declare neutrality.
LRC members of the FER, AEU, and HBE may conduct business as usual with their respective clients and the LRC body will not favor one group or the other.
Evidence 01 sat outside of the Supreme Council Chambers like a vast, chthonic portrait, the legacy of George Glenn watching over his successors from a throne of hyperpressurized carbon. Even after the discovery of technologically advanced aliens beyond Sol, Evidence 01 would occupy a special place in humanity's heart as the very first piece of evidence of alien life decades before the Wulguru and Zentraedi would come to haunt them.
Athrun Zala saluted in its shadow as the Supreme Council filed out of their latest session. His father noticed him, the Defense Committee Chairman's brisk footsteps resounding with presence despite the colossus' looming form.
"Father-" Athrun noticed the warning glint in his father's eye. "I mean, Councilman Zala."
"Come now Patrick, there's no need to have Athrun stand on ceremony now that the session is over." A familiar voice interjected behind them. Supreme Chairman Siegel Clyne sighed regretfully as he looked out to Evidence 01. "Now that you've finally returned, Lacus is only finally making her journey back to the PLANTs. When will you two finally make some free time to see each other?"
"Well, I'm sorry sir…"
"There's no reason to apologise to me. I am grateful for all you're giving to the PLANTs." Siegel nodded towards father and son. "You'll be occupied with more soon enough I'm afraid. I'm sure Patrick will fill you in shortly, so I hope you'll just remember that our home is open to you at all times. Please pass on my best wishes to Lenore."
"...I will." Patrick acknowledged as Siegel made his leave. He sighed as he turned back to Athrun, still frowning. "You did well, given the unexpected circumstances. Are you… alright?"
"All of the mission's successes were due to Commander Waltfeld's excellent planning and leadership. I received no injuries during the mission." Athrun knew that it wasn't what his father was asking, and judging by the way his father's frown deepened the latter wasn't impressed by the obvious dodge.
"Walk with me," Patrick said after a long moment. "First, though you will unfortunately not be able to make it to Rusty Mackenzie's funeral due to your duties, I'm sure Councilman Maxwell and Mrs. Mackenzie will appreciate a message if you are able to spare the time.
"Right, yes sir," Athrun shook off the feeling of unpleasant surprise. The funeral had been scheduled for the end of the week, and he had been sure that he would have enough time to attend while he was still in the PLANTs. "Has a situation come up?"
"Not one you would expect. You are being temporarily detached from Waltfeld Team," Athrun's eyes widened, and he instinctively made to protest before his father cut him off. "Temporarily. This is not a disciplinary measure. You are being assigned as a diplomatic attache for the month. Have you been keeping up with your alma mater?"
Alma mater? Athrun couldn't imagine his father showing an interest in Copernicus at a time like this, which only left-
"Not for a while," he admitted. "Is this about this year's Incubation Party? It should be at the end of the week right?"
"Good, then you know what this is about. Normally Benerit's Incubation events are not the concern of the Supreme Council, but Vim Jeturk's decision to entangle Benerit in both Japan and the Far Eastern Republic has been a cause for concern for further escalation of their involvement on Earth. I understand that you were quite popular while you were still attending, so there should be no objection to you visiting and asking some questions on developing events."
"'Popular' isn't the word I'd use." Athrun grimaced, but nodded. "I understand sir."
Patrick nodded. "Formalwear has been arrang-"
"Your Excellency Councilman Zala," a young blonde woman wearing the uniform of a ZAFT Red and saluted crisply. "I apologise profusely for interrupting you, but we've received a priority message from the Gernsback that Admiral Elion would like to request your guidance on."
"You may tell your superior that I will be there shortly Captain Juris." Patrick looked back at Athrun, a hint of apology flashing through so quickly that Athrun wondered if he'd imagined it. "With events on Earth, I will not be able to make much time before you return to duty. Stay safe."
Athrun blinked, but before he could respond Councilman Zala was back, great and foreboding. "Your flight will leave on Friday. Dismissed."
*********
Private Shuttle ElBaradei
Febuary 12th, 0086 UC
Athrun sat heavily into his seat, feeling utterly worn out. Even as he stared out from the observation port, the forms of two Laurasia-class frigates drifted into view, as if to punctuate his overwhelming month. There had been reports of Wulguru breaking into Earth orbit, but the escort seemed over the top.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you." Someone interrupted his thoughts, and a young man wearing an Asticassia uniform sat down next to his seat. Younger than even Athrun's seventeen years. His new companion inclined his head apologetically, "The Benerit Group appears to have attracted much attention as of late."
"No it's fine," Athrun observed his surroundings. Even their private shuttle had a number of PLANT officials on board. "Though I expected to be the youngest person here."
"That would be because I'm a first year transfer student." His companion tapped his uniform, seemingly unruffled by being the youngest person in the shuttle by far. He took out Asticassia's student handbook, a weathered bookmark indicating that he was most of the way through it. "Rey Za Burrel, my guardian arranged transport on this shuttle. A deviation from usual protocol I admit, but he was insistent on my safety after recent events in the Earth Sphere."
Athrun looked down on his expensively tailored suit, feeling more awkward by the moment at how he seemed to belong more with the diplomats on the shuttle than with someone nominally close to him in age. "Athrun Zala, I used to be a student there, though I won't be able to stay around for long. I'm mostly present for a brief social visit, though my father also insisted that I take the shuttle here."
Rey nodded, as if sitting next to the son of the Defense Committee Chairman and surrounded by diplomats was completely normal, shrugging it off with the same immaculate composure like he did everything else. There was a brief surge of g-forces as the shuttle finally began its burn towards its destination in a halo of blue flame, and then a brief, awkward silence as everyone else around them began either chatting or settling in for a long flight.
Before he could consider emulating the latter option, his opposite spoke up. "As an alumni, I would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer on student life in Asticassia. The decision for my transfer came quite late, so I'll be at a disadvantage compared to everyone else. You don't need to answer if my question is too personal."
"Benerit is…" Athrun considered hesitantly. It'd only been a year and a half, but it seemed like a world away after going into active service. And it wasn't like he was ever particularly enamoured with the corporate politics that managed to bleed into the school halls like blood into a crocodile-infested river. "They consider themselves largely spacians despite most of their business being with Earth, so you shouldn't have to worry on that front. Do you have a mobile suit? Duelling with those is a big thing there."
"I have been… offered a donated mobile suit by the Shin Sei Corporation. I'm still undecided whether to accept the offer."
"You have ties with one of the Benerit corporations?" Athrun asked, surprised. Rey coughed in embarrassment, his near unflappable composure disappearing like morning mist. "My guardian had been in contact with their CEO in a professional capacity nearly a decade back. He made a good enough impression on her that she offered a scholarship to me."
"Pardon me, but who is your guardian? He seems to be a powerful figure."
"Ah," Rey grimaced in contrition. "I never mentioned that didn't I? My apologies. Councilman Gilbert Durandal, I believe you would know him better as one of your father's colleagues."
"I wasn't aware that Councilman Durandal had adopted children-" Athrun stopped. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"No, it's nothing." Rey said distractedly, though that faraway gaze put the lie to that question. "I just thought I spotted my brother, that's all."
"Your brother?" A quick glance around the room revealed nothing, no one that resembled Rey at least. What kind of sibling would produce such a reaction?
"Like I said, a mistaken impression." Rey said hurriedly, "I believe you were telling me about Asticassia?"
"Oh, uh, like I said mobile suit duelling is a big thing there. Big enough that the school strongly encourages arbitration through duelling," Athrun shook his head in obvious exasperation at the concept. "If you have the training and a good mobile suit, then you'll be able to establish yourself in the social hierarchy quickly. Most people are not able to call in multimillion credit war machines though, so in practice this means it's a method through which corporate scions establish their pecking order. Their engineering programs are world-class though, so if you have any interest in that you'll learn a lot."
"I see… And what is your opinion as the former Holder?"
"You know about that?" Athrun groaned silently in his head. He'd been hoping he could avoid any gossip until at least they got to L4 proper, "I guess it wouldn't be hard to figure out if you looked. Long story short, it wasn't a position I was ever looking for when I enrolled. Being Patrick Zala's son stirred up enough of a ruckus that students started to challenge me, and I was lucky enough to surprise them in a loaned Demi-Trainer. There is no romantic relationship between me and Miorine Rembran, despite what anyone else might tell you. I'm already engaged, and someone else is Holder now." Though if the email he received in December still held up, which featured a list clinically recording every transgression that Guel Jeturk had committed against her and a request for information on PLANT's political asylum process, things had gone far worse after he was pulled out after 30 Bunch.
"I have no designs on the position of Holder or Miss Rembran's hand. If anything, I sympathise," That strange faraway look flashed across Rey's face again. "It must be difficult to have your future decided like that by another."
"Miorine would agree." And in fact would be first in line to cheerily burn down Benerit for everything it put her through. "Shin Sei's offer would put you at an advantage compared to most, but attention isn't necessarily a good thing. Unless you find something specific to accomplish at Asticassia, then I wouldn't accept." Athrun chuckled sardonically, here he was after possibly the most insane month in his life, between Australia and the entirety of Earth erupting into a war, and he was discussing corporate brats play fighting in military-grade war machines. It was like his life had mutated into some twisted comedy.
"Are you… alright?" Left unsaid was the question whether Athrun entirely retained his sanity.
"No, just- I was thinking of an old school friend." Athrun smiled melancholically, "for some reason I think he'd be pretty disappointed with what I'm doing now."
The salvage ship Villeurbanne had entered night shift as it cruised away from L5, its crew mostly asleep after a long day of repairs to fix the two damaged thrusters. Suberoah Zinnerman had shoed the others off to get some rest, leaving just him and Anavel Gato in the dim red lighting of the bridge. Their topic of conversation was the recruit/hostage/stowaway.
"My team's taken a shine to the kid. They're convinced he's a newtype. And he put in as many hours doing repairs as anyone else. He's still a kid though."
"Mmm." Zinnerman took a pull from his coffee. "But you still let him fly. He's only seventeen. A schoolkid."
Gato pulled a face, feeling an uncharacteristic sense of shame. "We weren't putting kids much older into mobile suits at the end of the war." A beat. "But you're right. I probably shouldn't have. His Excellency's been pretty firm on things. Not sacrificing the next generation of spacenoids and all that. I consider myself called out."
"Hah I'm not trying to call you out. I saw the video, he's raw but he'll be better than you one day."
"That doesn't even make me angry." Gato shook his head. "He's ace material. He's indecisive though. He doesn't know what he wants and until he does, he'll never reach his potential."
"Anavel, were you ever a teenager?"
Gato sputtered for a moment before finally replying. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Heh, just messing. Anyway, the general's made the kid's mind up for him." Zinnerman silently passed a pad over, pushing it through the zero-g for Gato to pull it out of the air.
Gato skimmed the message, his only response a Huh when he got to the end.
+ + +
"Kira. I need to talk to you for a moment."
"Mister, I mean uh, Major Gato. What is it?"
With the Villeurbanne back in a semblance of operational shape the crew was busy while the rest of Gato's team was morosely contemplating the loss of their so recently stolen Gundams. That left the ship's small lounge empty save Kira and Gato.
"Do you have any plans for your future?"
"What? I . . um" Characteristically indecisive outside of any sort of pressure, Kira waffled. "My parents are on the moon for the next month and I . . sort of thought you were going that way."
"Plans have changed and you need to make a decision."
" . . . "
Gato held out a pad, a different one from the night previously. Kira took it hesistantly.
"This is where you try to recruit me, right?"
"Read it."
Kira frowned and began to read the document, scrolling through it with his finger. "What? Are you serious? Is this a joke?"
"His Excellency doesn't joke about things like this."
Kira looked up at Gato, voice strangled. "His ex - You mean Augille Delaz is . . . ??"
There was a certain amused relish in Anavel Gato's voice as he replied in the affirmative. "The one and same.
"We're flying that way and we have to ditch the ship and the Zaku anyway. We'll be debussing in three days, which means you get three days intensive training in how to operate a one year war mobile suit. The ship's autopilot will bring you to Side 4 a day after. Someone's already lined up to take possession of the ship. They'll transfer the monies to an account set up for you, that'll cover tuition and whatever other costs you'll incur. The Zaku is your ticket in."
Kira finally found his voice. "You're sending me to Anticassa with a Zaku? But why?"
"Lessons start in two hours, if you don't chicken out." Gato pushed himself off, stopping at the hatchway. "As for why? Everyone's fighting their own war, kid."
And with that he vanished, leaving Kira Yamato to ponder his closing words.
Lelouch idly tugs on one of his gloves; custom-tailored, of course, and made of a fabric that both breathes and can absorb small-caliber rounds. Nothing but the best for the Black Prince. The fit is excellent, typical of Sayoko's attention to detail.
The rest of the outfit is likewise tailored to fit his lanky frame: European-style court dress along vaguely military lines, including a jacket with tails, trousers, cummerbund, epaulets, and an eye-catching bejeweled broach indicating his allegiance to a company that didn't exist last month. All in shades of black or purple, of course.
What is not typical is what's floating in zero-gravity just in front of him: a sharp-edged, all-black half-mask with faceted purple lenses and an angular crest in gold just above the eyes. He idly double-taps a button set into the glove, and the left eye-lens retracts with a nearly silent hiss, along with the surrounding part of the mask. Another double-tap, and it returns to its previous state.
"Master Lelouch, we're entering our final approach. Please finish your preparations," Sayoko says over the ship's intercom.
Ah, good. This masquerade can begin at last.
With a small smile, Lelouch snags the mask, settling it into place over his head and allowing the pieces to come together and fit snugly to his face. Another brief test of the eye-revealing switch, a minor adjustment to his cravat, and he's ready.
"Thank you, Sayoko, but I'm not Lelouch today. I'm Julius. Julius Kingsley, of the Midnight Arms Consortium."
Beyond the shuttle window, the light of the Sun is eclipsed by the looming silhouette of the Benerit Front as the spacecraft moves towards the waiting dock.
February 0087
Space
On the way to the Benerit Group Front
As their passenger ship made its way to its destination, "Dai" – only one layer in the onion of her secret identities, but one that could still pass for an actual name – considered her situation once more over dinner, her pet snake peering from behind her shoulder, part of a military industry delegation of corporate scions and executives with enough pull to get themselves out of the gravity well before Earth was set ablaze.
Some of them genuinely wanted to form new bonds with Benerit Group, now that the government made its position on the Spacian conglomerate clear. Some of them just wanted to get out of the very literal firing lines and attending a corporate social event seemed like a perfect excuse. And some she still wasn't sure about.
For instance, the daughter of the owner of Ulaanbaatar Shipyards, Sansar Enkhtuya, the one that the Republic's intelligence marked in particular in Dai's mission files. Now that the clean-up was finally wrapping up, repairs were completed and construction was restarting in what was likely Asia's largest landship factory – "warships of the steppe", as marketing called it – her father's company was considered a key strategic asset for the Far East Republic, especially given the inevitable losses in the coming war.
However, while she was no stranger to corporate princesses and princelings – Far East Republic ended up becoming first and foremost a nation of merchants, displacing the old nobility, eunuchs and gentlemen-scholars of the past with people who had enough money and sufficiently little sense to consider vintage One Year War Obsidians as nice birthday presents for their children – the Sansar heiress was infamously a nervous wreck, something that Dai could see was clearly still the case just by looking at the young woman in the black-and-green suit, the green accents in her hair put there to conceal the grey strands stress gave her before her eighteenth birthday, working her way through dinner in a way that suggested she thought forks might be too adventurous.
This wasn't a surprise, of course – the poor girl was right there in the shipyards when Ulaanbaatar was hit by the anomaly front, the Mongolian section of the Great Wall breached and a bleak wind blowing in, carrying with it unthinkable monsters. As the "Spirit Snake", one of the living legends of Far East's intelligence, Dai had access to information about exactly what took place, and what horrors the survivors in the yards went through before the Winter Guard reinforcements could arrive. Enkhtuya herself was found walking through the facilities in a daze, holding a half-empty plasma welder, delirious from blood loss and with mortal fear of bare hands. As far as Dai knew, none of the therapy she received since then helped much.
Even if she, by any measure, was genuinely capable in her current position in the company – Ganbold, her father, was one of the cooler heads among the Republic's business magnates and his own lack of sympathy for nepotism helped him win the President's favour and the support needed to get the shipyard running again – she most definitely did not fit the type of person you'd send out to foreign land and culture for a social event.
There was the official reason he talked with the President about, but Dai was in this line of work for far too long to get fooled by that one.
Still, no matter the anomalies on their own guest list, she had her own obligations. Officially, she was here as an observer from Kunlun Institute – meant to look into the mobile suit business of Benerit members. Most of the staff of the beating heart of the Republic's mechanised warfare R&D was some combination of martial artist and scientist, and while the first was an easy enough mask for Dai to don, the second was actually something of a challenge. She could not give a bad impression of the Institute's researchers if she's actually approached at the gala, after all, even if there was no actual demand for Benerit's mobile suits back home.
For someone so used to putting on masks and deceptions that she forgot how her own smile even feels, it was a welcome change of pace.
Unofficially, of course, there was a lot one could learn at this sort of event beyond what the hosts intended to tell, and despite all the stories, the life of a secret agent involved a lot more listening to gossip and talking with businessmen and politicians than gun battles and car chases, something that suited Dai just fine.
Not that she never engaged in those, of course, but still.
Technically, she was also supposed to safeguard the delegation in case anything happened, but chances of someone starting trouble at the heart of Benerit, right under Rembran's nose, seemed unlikely at best. Whatever one might have thought about some of his decisions, Delling was a veteran, and if Benerit Group was confident enough in its mercenaries to be sending them to Siberia, they should be more than able to secure a gala.
Still, better safe than sorry – and so she was here, together with her robotic pet snake that, unlike the more traditional options, often wasn't actually considered a "weapon" during inspections. If Benerit's security doesn't fall for it, that'd only speak well for them, though. It can sometimes be good to test your hosts a little.
As she picked up another egg with her chopsticks, she went over the floor plans and security arrangements again. It's been a long journey, but they should be arriving soon, at least, and it wouldn't do to overlook something important at the end.
* * * * *
Sansar Ganbold Enkhtuya sighed heavily as she prodded her food with the fork she was holding in her gloved hand, broccoli defiantly rolling on the plate. She was not actually particularly hungry, but the doctors kept telling her that she needed the nutrients, particularly on a space excursion. For her own part, she was glad that the ship had an extensive vegetarian menu, at least. The last time she went abroad, it was to AEU and all she could get on the train was Hungarian goulash.
That was a very long trip.
The noise of a dozen conversations passing her by, talk between old friends meeting again and new acquaintances using the opportunity to make new contacts, was something she found calming. Those were human noises, at least, the sort of background chatter that nothing can properly imitate; if you heard something like it, you could rest easy knowing that, no matter what was happening and no matter where you were, at least you were surrounded by actual people.
There were mimics that could talk. Of course. But they didn't really understand the act.
Her green eyes kept following the tumbling vegetable for a while, before the broccoli was suddenly impaled with all the violence of some terrible aquatic creature spearing its prey. Enkhtuya raised her gaze at Zaya, her personal assistant slash maid that came along as part of her staff, and who, she had to admit, was excellent at managing to not show her annoyance at her charge's actions. They knew each other for far too long to not pick traces of that up, though.
Zaya extended the now lifeless broccoli towards her, impaled on the metal chopstick she was holding in a white-gloved hand.
"There you go, my lady."
"Ah, thanks."
Bite. Chewing. All unpleasant actions and sounds.
Sometimes, people acted like they expected her to jolt at those sorts of movements, like she should fall over backwards in her chair in some comical moment, or maybe float off in zero gravity and bounce off a couple walls. But that's never where the real problem was for her.
She managed to catch the next piece herself, the ex-military giant of a woman returning to pretending to be a statue, a gargoyle waiting over her master. For her part, Enkhtuya never particularly cared for keeping the strict split between servant and VIP meals, seeing them as needlessly constraining formalities, but businesspeople were creatures of formalities and this trip wasn't a vacation.
Well. Technically it was, dad seemed convinced that visiting Benerit's space colonies and maybe taking a detour to PLANT on the way back would do her good, far, far away from Earth, its problems, and Siberia specifically.
But she knew where Benerit was sticking its nose in now, and at the end of the day, space was not a barrier, it was just distance.
During thoughts like these, she missed the comfortable weight of the Bear Killer under her suit, less of a revolver and more of a portable artillery piece, but there was no way they'd let her just walk around with something like that, neither here and most certainly not at Benerit's Front.
She was assured that the government sent in some insurance that should suffice even if Benerit brought back more than it bargained for during its Siberian excursions, but she didn't particularly believe it. You'd need a mobile suit for that - likely not just one, either – and good luck getting one inside where the gala was. Maybe a Gundam would show up! Ha.
She finished the meal in silence, a black-and-green ghost, only her face showing, then got up and started to walk away. She enjoyed the background chatter, but she could do without the smells, hands cutting and tearing flesh.
Hands.
Hands.
She looked slightly down, at one of the others – Zhang Hua, scion of an ammunition-producing conglomerate that was, if she overheard correctly, interested in supplying their next generation of missiles for Jeturk Heavy Machinery's mobile suits, or was it Peil Technologies? Aiming right for the top, in any case. Surprisingly effective, but terribly weak to alcohol, in several meanings of the term.
Several glasses of wine in, the tiny girl bumped into her while getting up herself, her hand resting on Enkhtuya's suit to stop herself from falling as red wine slowly slid off the smart fabric towards the ground.
Monsters made of hands, peeling mobile suits and their pilots like fruit and leaving them scattered around, seeping blood that would drift up, up, towards the ceiling, gravity inverting, ghastly frozen sculptures forming and dancing through the air. Foreman Batu pushing her through sealing security doors even as he was grabbed himself, nothing but pair of hands remaining of the man. The screams.
The screams.
That last one was Hua, once she looked up and saw Enkhtuya's facial expression, green eyes boring into her like beam cannons.
The girl fell over, glass rolling away under another table, and for a couple of seconds a suffocating tension filled the air, until Zaya silently walked over and lifted her charge into the air like a mannequin, making it apparent that she was actually completely petrified in terror. The moment passed, the bubble burst and people started to breathe again.
Another woman – Zaya recognised the robotic pet snake of the Kunlun observer – walked over and helped the Zhang scion stand up, her legs still shaky even if it turned out she was not actually in mortal peril, too out of breath to speak.
Dai raised her eyebrow, looking at the petrified corporate princess and the way her attendant-slash-bodyguard seemingly effortlessly carried her around.
"...is she going to be okay?"
"Eventually. Don't worry too much about it. Mistakes happen, and my lady is not in habit of holding grudges."
The two walked off and eventually, conversations slowly started to resume, now most of them leaning towards Siberia. Sword of Damocles pointing at Far East Republic. Terrible tragedy, really. Their companies worked hard to make sure the Great Wall would never break like that again, and of course the Winter Guards were heroes too. And did you hear about the giant super robot the Russian survivors at Saotome Labs built?
Dai, however, as the legendary Spirit Snake, knew all too well exactly how many mobile suits got taken off the Great Wall's garrison for the war with Britannia, generals in their headquarters in Beijing deciding that fighting the greatest military superpower on Earth could not be done without taking certain risks.
Would the Great Wall really hold?
Here, in space so far away from Earth, she could only hope.
The promised gala event is, for all intents and purposes, a gathering for the Benerit Group to present and source funding for new projects and subsidiaries; their Incubation Party. The elite of space are there, including all of the major houses of Benerit's board, investors, politicians, diplomats, obvious corporate spies from Mars and Luna, the less obvious spies those spies are decoys for, and a random assortment of guests, students, and +1s. With group President Delling Rembran's heiress, her chivalrously-designated fiancée, and the heirs to all three of the major houses all student-age, there's actually a remarkable contingent of young people at the stuffy corporate event...albeit most of them fairly stuffy in their own right. Suletta Mercury, ingenue daughter of the obscure Shin Sei Development Company, has done her best to liven up notable walking drywall Elan Ceres, and seems to have succeeded too well after successfully dueling his Pharact and adding Peil Technologies to the roster of companies whose major prototypes she and her Aerial have inadvertently embarrassed.
Guel Jeturk: 1-2 (one match nullified)
👑Suletta Mercury: 2-0 (one match nullified)
Elan Ceres: 2-1
Canard Pars: 0-1
"So, as you can see, Lady Une, Jeturk Heavy Industries is at the forefront of decision-making combat AI, and would happily partner with your in-house--"
Vim Jeturk drones on in his usual bombastic-yet-empty way while Lady Une quietly dissociates into a deep observation of her wineglass. It's a skill she's long practiced when given assignments she finds troublesome, although she's been worried lately that it's getting out of hand. If nothing else, it's fascinating how good the artificial gravity is in the Benerit Group Front. Almost 1:1 with Earth, based on how unproblematically the liquid flows.
"Your prototype platform was the Darilbalde, correct?" Une interjects when Vim finally has to pause for breath. "Remind me, what happened to it in testing?"
Vim sucks in a breath, stricken by the fact that Une did even basic research. Amateur. "W-we gathered important combat data. Winning or losing a simple school duel is irrelevant to our AI's performance, and in any case it was the fault of the pilot."
"Your eldest son Guel, wasn't it?"
"...yes."
"I hear he's lost three in a row in that little Asticassia dueling game Delling Rembran implemented. Completely thrashed each time by Shin Sei and Peil."
"It was twice. The first one was nullified," Vim grouses. "And in any case, we're working with Shin Sei to--"
"Ah, Vim, are you talking me up?" a third party interrupts the conversation. Une takes a look at her - mid 40's, female, prosthetic face mask and left arm. Prospera Mercury.
"Just the woman I was looking for," Une says, brightening and offering a hand. "I'm Lady Une, Special Colonel Second Class with the AEU. I must say, we're all very impressed with the drone technology you've developed out on Mercury..."
Vim Jeturk gradually turns deeper shades of red as the two women talk before quietly stalking off.
Meanwhile, in a private, intimate corner behind the buffet, Canard Pars has Elan Ceres hoisted up by the front of his shirt.
"Can I help you, Mr. Canard?" Elan asks cheerfully.
"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Canard growls.
"What do you mean? We had that fun duel last month, and we chatted while Ms. Mercury was serenading me, no?"
"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Canard asks. "Human cloning's as easy as it is illegal, and the old ladies probably just do it for fun. Or maybe you're a twin or a body double, but whoever you are, you're apparently too rich to think you need acting classes."
"Well, I can't possibly comment on your conspiracy theories, but can I ask you to let go of my shirt? It's very expensive."
"I'm gonna ask you the same thing I asked the pouty guy. Audience with the old ladies. I've got about 15 minutes before Treize's pet psychopath finds me and drags me to the front lines, so if you want to make it to the end of those 15 minutes..."
Elan shrugs as best he can in this position. "I'm afraid they're busy. They had something prepared for your Mercurian dorm-mate, see--"
"Don't care."
"--but I can answer your question if it's about Mendel Colony."
Canard goes silent and simply glares into the Peil heir's pale green eyes. That's enough confirmation for Elan.
"Lots of black sites like that one went dark. Vanadis, Flanagan...you shouldn't expect to find survivors. That's why they're black sites."
"I know Kira Yamato is alive, asshole. Just tell me where he is."
"Yamato, Yamato...you sure you're looking for hrk--"
Canard tightens his grip.
"Okay, okay. Caridad Yamato, Hyperion Colony, Side 6. Happy?"
Canard releases him at the same time the lights go out for another stage presentation. Elan steps back and straightens the ruff on his shirt.
"Tch. Go find your OZ handlers, would you?" Elan asks. "I'm sure they have something better for you to do than to accost random--"
Canard has already stalked off.
"Not a lot of these new ideas are taking off, are they?" Athrun Zala asks his ex-fiancee from behind a glass of ginger ale.
"It's the war. It's thrown off everyone's lousy rehash business plans. If they want to buy a Zowort, they'll just buy a Zowort that's already built. No need to put cupholders in the cockpit," Miorine Rembran replies. "Anaheim's going to obliterate us this year."
"You sound thrilled."
"My old man has it coming."
Athrun sips his drink awkwardly. "Look, how are you? I got your messages about Guel--"
"He's not a problem anymore," Miorine cuts him off. "How about you? Enjoying your new engagement?"
"Ah, well, Lacus is lovely..."
"I'm more of a Minmay fan, still."
Athrun smiles ruefully. "I'm the same as you, aren't I? Getting married off to a rival's kid to make peace."
"Tch. Well, Siegel Clyne's a little more agreeable than any of the House CEOs, at least," Miorine admits.
"Isn't the new Holder a girl from Mercury? She doesn't seem too...connected."
"Suletta's..." Miorine trails off. "Something."
Athrun laughs, lightly. "That's more than you ever had to say about me."
Miorine shrugs. "I knew you were going to be pulled out eventually. I didn't expect you to lose a duel, but I watch the news. Even before this war broke out, Patrick Zala wasn't going to leave his son and heir in a school for rich Naturals when he could be out winning glory for ZAFT."
"Miorine..."
"You were a decent classmate, Athrun, but you wouldn't have enjoyed marrying into corporate life any more than I could stand being married to a soldier."
"...yeah, that's about right." Athrun sighs. "Is the irrigation system I rigged up running alright, at least?"
"Perfectly. You've got a real gift for automation."
Athrun nods. "I'm glad to hear that."
He pauses and thinks for a second. "Actually, going back to your new groom...I picked up a few things about Shin Sei Development on the flight over, and--"
"What the hell is she doing?" Miorine asks, dashing off toward the stage when she realizes that Suletta's been dragged up there without her.
Athrun brings himself up short. He's not sure he's ever seen Miorine run before.
Unfortunately for Suletta Mercury, Peil Technologies actually does have some serious accusations to level at her and her mother's company, which they do in unnecessarily melodramatic fashion, in place of actually unveiling any new technology at this fundraising event. They accuse Shin Sei Development of building strictly forbidden GUND-type cybernetics into their mobile suit, much like Jeturk had claimed after Suletta's debut duel, but this time they bring proof - at the cost of admitting to using the same tech in their Pharact prototype. Naturally, this would lead to jailtime for Suletta and Prospera, and the destruction of their prototype. However...
Miorine Rembran has a different plan, and immediately announces that she's forming a company to investigate safe usage of GUND, featuring her groom-to-be Suletta as a tester, and asking for investigatory dispensation directly from her father, the man largely credited with getting the technology banned to begin with. Delling Rembran, to the surprise of nearly everybody, especially Miorine, agrees. Miorine's GUND-ARM, Inc., promising revelatory new medical technology based on nothing much but a vague business plan sketched out on a cocktail napkin and the alluring reputation of a promising technology from two decades ago, is one of the first businesses to get funded at this surprisingly eventful gala.
"I wasn't expecting the party to be quite this entertaining," Hayato Jin observes. "The Spacian Elite know how to put on a melodrama."
"Eh, wake me up when they break out the good booze," Benkei Kuruma observes from behind him. Good or not, he's already chugging champagne, although most of the real Benerit elite there see through his boorishness as a camouflage for his job guarding Hayato. "Kyoto House would have had cage matches starting by now."
"Alas, sic transit gloria mundi," Hayato says. "How are we doing for funding?"
"The Rembran girl was a great icebreaker. They're starting to open their pocketbooks now, and the scaredy-cat ones like the idea of selling junk off of Earth."
"If we get any to spare, send a few credits her way," the Professor says. "GUND-ARM...heck of a name."
"Y'ever wonder why Amuro's dad named the Gundam that?"
"Hm."
"It's a tragic thing, us toasting to business up here when there's a war starting on Earth."
"I'm surprised to see an arms industrialist like yourself with that opinion, Mr. Zenelli," Julius Kingsley says from behind his half-mask. "But I suppose that my experience may be colored by living so long in the Britannian homeland."
Sarius Zenelli scoffs. "I'm well aware I'm a hypocrite, Mr. Kingsley, but we live in an imperfect world. I try to balance my sins and my virtues, all the same."
"Indeed. The Grassley Defense Systems specialty schools do, at least, get a lot of war orphans out of bad situations."
Sarius raises his eyebrows and looks at Julius. "You've done your homework, Mr. Kingsley."
"Indeed. So, I'd like to ask of you: be sure to invest in the Midnight Arms Consortium's projects tonight."
"Of course, Mr. Kingsley." Sarius shakes his head to clear whatever cobwebs have appeared in it. "If we're going to talk business, though, I should introduce you to Shaddiq. My time is limited, and he's been seconding me in company business as much as school allows..."
After Britannia's declaration of war and the rapid scramble of the Federation superstructure to get out of the way of the ensuing brawl, it became rapidly clear that the seas would be the first battlefield of the war, given the large bodies of water separating the three primary combatants. Britannia, for its part, prepared for an aggressive defense of the Japanese and Phillipine archipelagos. The bulk of the Knights of the Round remained with a reinforced garrison in the Tokyo Settlement, while Britannia's expansive wet navy began deploying anti-submarine hunter-killer formations, seeking out the culprits of the previous clandestine operations in Japan, and ready to defend itself against the Far East Republic's similarly impressive submersible fleet. Conversely, the Far East Republic coordinated with the Black Knights to begin a strategy of raiding Britannian supply ships and fleet concentrations, in an effort to disrupt supply lines between the homeland and the contested island possessions, as well as disrupting any audacious amphibious attacks on the Far East Republic's sphere of influence. The end result of this is a series of savage running battles in the North Pacific, East China Sea, and Phillipine Sea, with Far East missile subs striking from hiding at Britannian surface flotillas, only to be savaged in return by Knightmare Frames acting as ASW units using Float systems and Sakuradite-enhanced depth charges dug out of mothballs from the One Year War. Predictably, casualties on both sides are horrendous, but the main fighting is at least kept away from population centers for now.
This is also the first place where Celestial Being's armed interventions come into play in the war, this time with a quartet of mobile suits - the sword- and scythe-equipped Gundams, as well as both previously-seen transforming mobile armors - staging their own hit-and-run raids against both sides in several of the smaller combats throughout the month. However, it is clear to military observers that whatever Celestial Being's technological capabilities, they don't seem to be able to muster a large number of mobile suits. The sheer scale of a full-on superpower war seems to have caught them unprepared...or they're simply going to continue surgical strikes until attrition takes its toll. It's not as though the rank-and-file mobile suits of either side can do much to damage them, and both the sword and mega-particle types prove more than capable of single-handedly sinking even modern battleships.
For their part, the Black Knights focus on aerial hit-and-run raids from their flagship Ikaruga, utilizing new-model mobile armors, piloted by promising recruits and the rescued Cyber-Newtype duo from the Murasame labs with instructions to disable, loot, and scupper the mercantile ships and airships keeping Britannian supply lines intact. Between their stealth technology, the qualitative advantage of raider mobile armors, and Zero's penchant for reading Britannian combat tactics like a children's coloring book, the Black Knights inflict severe damage on both Sakuradite leaving Japan and arms and ammunition leaving California for the colonies, eventually drawing out Knight of 3 Gino Weinberg and Knight of 9 Nonette Enneagram, just to take out one of their Mobile Armors in a fighting retreat...as well as noting to their superiors that there were far more submarine assets there than either the Black Knights or the FER should have been able to field.
Black Knights Budget +
Holy Britannian Empire Economy -
The Philippines
Local resistance groups in the Philippines are quick to declare a Republic upon the commencement of the war, with guerillas striking out of the country's hinterlands with surprising coordination and capabilities to seize Britannian airbases and overwhelm garrisons with a motley collection of One Year War mobile suits, early-generation Knightmare Frames (as well as a handful of suspiciously up-to-date Kyoto House designs), and a single super robot from the EFF's Big Falcon base that declared for the rebels. The leading civil voice of the rebels is one of said robot's designers (and the mother of three of its pilots), Dr. Mitsuyo Goh, a Japanese expatriate with a long list of grievances against the Britannian Empire and a longer history of service to the world's defense against weird monsters, who gladly announces a united front between Area 12's disparate resistance groups, Big Falcon, and the Black Knights.
Early fighting eventually resolves into a quagmire of inconclusive irregular combat, with the rebels consolidating around Davao and the Britannian garrison fortifying in Manila. Both sides are happy to leave the warfare at a low simmer until one or the other is able to get reinforcements through the chaos of the naval war.
Holy Britannian Empire
Mechanized Companies: 1 Generation 1 Destroyed
Filipino Rebels
I'm gonna be honest I'm not planning on tracking them. Go read about Japan.
Japan
Though their supply lines are hurting, the Britannian Army is still at saturation strength in Area 11, with ten divisions of conventional ground forces, a similar number of aircraft wings, and over 200 knightmare frames fortifying the islands even over and above the naval forces deploying forward defenses, as well as the bulk of the Knights of the Round and the superpower's two super robots holding in reserve. It's good, then, that they're prepared for an amphibious attack from multiple Metal Beasts coming out of the Pacific, having apparently bypassed the ongoing naval war entirely. An accumulation of artillery cannons in the approximate shape of a tortoise and a huge humanoid with prehensile, drill-like tentacles cause particular problems, as does the interference of a single Celestial Being Gundam, the dragon-type, which takes advantage of the chaos to begin a daring one-unit assault on the Tokyo settlement, apparently set on causing as much damage as possible before retreating. Between him and the multiple Metal Beasts attacking, however, civilians caught in the crossfire are having an exceptionally poor evening...
Tokyo International Airport
First the Metal Beasts, then Celestial Being.
Relena Darlian was going to spend a lot of time hating both.
Her father had been wounded sheltering her from the artillery metal beast's fire on the airport. If only this had happened half an hour later, they would have been out of the country. Now she's having to watch the man who raised her bleed while propped up against a chunk of tarmac, all while he rambles to her, barely coherently, about her birth parents...about her real identity. About her being the heiress to the one thing that could have stopped this war, if anything could...
And that dragon-type Gundam...it had been attacking the Britannian garrison, but as soon as the airport got hit, it had leapt over to the shelled terminal, and now it's towering over her and her father, flamethrower aimed down at her. Then...it speaks. Or its pilot does through a PA system. He sounds like a boy no older than her.
"You there, girl! The God of Wisdom has decreed your death," he says, insanely. "It brings me no pleasure to slaughter like this, but justice is justice! Be happy that your death will ensure world peace!"
Suddenly, bizarrely, a gunshot rings out, and plinks off the head of the mobile suit. It turns to focus its cameras at the same time Relena does.
"...Heero?" she asks.
"Heero?" the pilot of the dragon-type Gundam exclaims, incredulous. "What are you doing?"
"Stand down, Wufei," Heero says, with his usual regard for opsec. "The orders have been countermanded."
"Bullshit! Get out of the way before I fry you!" Relena can't help but think that the audio pickups on that Gundam must be excellent, given that Heero hadn't raised his voice above the same matter-of-fact monotone that he'd used to declare that he'd kill her a couple of weeks ago.
She doesn't have much time to wonder about that before the whining sound of another Gundam, this one flying over the stricken airport terminal, drowns out any possibility of conversation. It's the blue one with all the swords, and it's...pointing one at Wufei, Relena supposes.
Sure, this might as well happen. In any case, it looks like the knight and the dragon are taking their fight to the air, which gives Heero time to grab Relena and drag her back into the makeshift cover where her adoptive father is dying.
"Who are you?" Relena demands of the boy she met the day after the Battle of Atami.
"Heero Yui. Gundam Meister of Celestial Being," he introduces himself, again with the same flat affect.
Vice Foreign Minister Darlian stirs at that, and coughs up blood. "Ha. Ha. That's some codename you've got there, Heero. Are you here...to kill me?"
Heero blinks, surprised that Darlian is still able to talk. "It doesn't matter if I am. You're already done for."
"Fair...enough. And...Relena?"
"There was a disagreement. My coworkers are hashing it out."
"So you're not gonna kill me?" Relena asks him.
He pauses to think about it. "If it's necessary, I will."
Darlian hacks up more blood. Relena can't look at him anymore. "Protect her. Please. If you chose that codename for a reason, you have to. She's..."
"I know."
Darlian leans back. "I've done what I can. Relena...I'll...tell his majesty...you're doing well."
With that, Darlian slumps over. He won't be moving again. Relena's eyes fill with tears as Heero grabs her wrist and starts pulling her along.
Holy Britannian Empire
Mechanized Companies: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
Aircraft Wings: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mobile Suits: 10 Gen 1 Destroyed
As much chaos as is happening in the Pacific and environs, Britannia is a superpower with controlling interests in two oceans, and it is not about to allow its two rivals to forget that, with the Britannian Atlantic Fleet taking off in a spearhead aimed directly at Europe simultaneously to their operations in the Pacific. Leading the charge here is Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Eleven (ha, ha), an Honorary Britannian who's been sent as far from his homeland as possible to attack the AEU. The first step on Britannia's path of conquest toward the land of their ancestors is the AEU's newly-built submarine pen in Iceland, codenamed "Heaven's Base" in official documentation. Not only is this a vital supply link for any future operations by Britannia in Europe, it's the farthest point of AEU force projection and protects the routes to the North and Baltic Seas - a vital chokepoint if Britannia wishes to avoid the naval deathtrap that is the Mediterranean.
Unlike the raiding and counter-raiding happening in the Pacific, both the Britannian admiral and his opposite numbers, Treize Khushrenada of the Special Mobile Suit Corps and Kati Mannequin of the AEU Regulars, seek a decisive engagement akin to the great naval battles of the middle ages, with Treize himself liberally invoking the spirit (and blind damn luck) of Villeneuve in his planning. Initially, it seemed like fortune would favor the Britannians in this case, with their Float System-enhanced air navy riding unseasonably clear weather in a beeline for Reykjavik and beating the AEU's main battle fleet to the punch, with time to spare. With orders to damage the AEU's warmaking capacity as much as possible, the Britannians immediately launch an ambitious air-and-naval envelopment of Heaven's Base, with Suzaku and his Lancelot Pyre making a devastating speartip against the base's half-completed defenses, followed up by a massive barrage of particle-beam, hadron, and rocket shelling from the assembled Britannian line of battle. The naval base finds itself completely unable to contest a landing by Britannian marines and surface KMFs.
Of course, such a landing is exactly what Senior Colonel Khushrenada and Colonel Mannequin had been waiting for, having let their fleet take its time deploying from Calais for exactly this reason. By waiting until the Britannians committed to a landing, they ensured that the Britannian battle line would be forced to wait in place and be pinned up against Iceland's rocky coast for the full might of the AEU Atlantic Fleet to flank them. Moreover, having anticipated Britannia's advanced KMFs, the AEU has brought special units of their own.
The skies over Iceland
To the shock of the Britannian aerial forces, in addition to a veritable fleet of Aries and Enacts in flight mode, the AEU have deployed ten mass-produced versions of the Tallgeese, all in the hands of elite pilots banded together from the Specials, the Regulars, and even mercenaries from the PMC Trust.
"Heh, just one of their little knights?" Gary Biaggi brags. "I was hoping to clip at least three."
"Remember to go easy on the throttle, boys," Lucrezia Noin comments. "You won't be any use if you pass out from the G-forces."
"Leave it to me! I'm undefeated in mock combat!"
"Oi! I'm the ace who's undefeated in mock combat!"
"Arend, Colasour, cut the chatter," Zechs Merquise commanded. "Watch out for the white one - the thing's practically a Gundam. Other than that, tear them up."
"Idiots," is all the newly-returned Canard Pars has to say as the aforementioned undefeated mock combat aces inevitably go full throttle as they charge the Britannian air fleet.
The Battle of Iceland is singular and brutal, with mobile suits and navy gunners both closing to point-blank range to inflict maximum damage; Britannia out of doctrine and the AEU out of desperation to sink anything that might threaten to invade mainland Europe. While Britannia has the numbers advantage, even with their navy split between two oceans, it's the Europeans who get the better of the engagement thanks to the tactical expertise of two of their most decorated officers and the sheer number of high-quality mobile suits they've brought. This doesn't mean that Britannia does not succeed in their strategic goal of inflicting outsized casualties, though. Even distracted by a full squadron of diabolical mobile suits piloted by aces, Suzaku Kururugi in a custom Knightmare Frame is a force of nature, managing to down Valdar Farkill's Tallgeese before taking advantage of Balsam Arend's inevitable white-outs from G-Forces and cleaving fatally through his cockpit.
"You bastard!" Patrick Colasour shouts over open comms. "Balsam was my rival! I'll get you for that!"
It's at this point that a long-range beam shot lances out from the horizon and neatly clips off the verniers on Patrick's Tallgeese unit, sending him spiraling into Faxe Bay.
"Aw, come on!"
Adding to the chaos of this event is another intervention by Celestial Being, their sniper and heavy artillery units intervening to fire indiscriminately into both battle lines in a similar hit-and-run format to what's happening in the Pacific. In this case, their intervention is only needed once, because even with the Gundams showing up, the Britannian and European battle lines continue to savage each other, with the entire battle quickly descending into a furball, and Zechs even scoring a solo kill against one of Britannia's battleships, at the cost of several cracked ribs. In the end, Britannia is forced to withdraw back towards Newfoundland and leave many of its marines to surrender stranded on Iceland, but not without inflicting massive casualties on the AEU defenders.
Advanced European Union
Mobile Suits: 25 Gen 1, 22 Gen 2, 3 Gen 2+ Destroyed
Mobile Armors: 3 Gen 1 Destroyed
Cruisers: 8 Gen 1 Surface Destroyed
Battleships: 1 Gen 1 Surface Destroyed
Holy Britannian Empire
Mechanized Companies: 5 Gen 2 Destroyed or Captured
Aircraft Wings: 2 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mobile Suits: 50 Gen 1 Destroyed or Captured, 12 Gen 2 Destroyed
Cruisers: 8 Gen 1 Surface Destroyed
Battleships: 4 Gen 1 Surface, 1 Gen 2 Destroyed
It's still unclear whether there's any driving motive force behind the Siberian Anomalies, but whether through instinct or strategy, their attacks on the FER's northern border see a spike with the commencement of hostilities with Britannia, and the consequent thinning out of the Super Robots on the border guard. Thankfully for the people of the FER's frontier, the Republic is receiving volunteer aid from several sources that helps blunt this. Great Mazinger and its contemporaries Minerva and Diana make appearances on the front, as does Getter Robo G, making decisive strikes against the amorphous beasts attempting to penetrate the Great Wall.
Lake Baikal
"This is fun and all, but why the hell are we out here instead of fighting the Britannians?" Gou Ichimonji complains for about the 80th time. He gets grouchy whenever he's not Getter's active pilot, and right now Gai Daido is gleefully obliterating monsters with Getter-Poseidon's submarine-launched missiles.
"Because this is our job," Sho Tachibana replies, exasperated. "I want to be back in Japan as much as you do, but things are only going to get worse with the Federation infighting like this."
"What, and Lando's gonna leave Tokyo and Mount Fuji alone while we're hiding out here?"
"We're not hiding," Tetsuya Tsurugi chimes in while clearing out a swarm of horrifying...he doesn't even know what those are. They look like undead Pterosaur-type mechabeasts. They probably are, actually. Siberia is terrible. "Like Sho says, we're doing our jobs. Let Britannia handle the consequences of their own actions."
In addition to the exiled super robot labs, even more help arrives in the form of a volunteer detachment from both UN Spacy and the Global Defense Force, specifically the now-famous Team Rabbits. Friendly rivalry between the fighter-jockeys and the AHSMB pilots aside, they prove remarkably adept at joint-strike operations into the hinterlands, and while it takes the Coordinator team some effort to get used to maneuvering their powerful super robots under gravity, they do contribute significantly to reducing casualties, adding even more to the GDF's public approval and, to a lesser extent, PLANT's. Benerit-owned PMCs also continue to make a name for themselves in the area, putting their mobile suits to good work clearing out the monstrous (and analyzing the eldritch that remains).
Far East Republic
Mobile Suits: 3 Generation 1 Destroyed
NISAR
No Casualties
Science Fortress Laboratory
No Casualties
GDF
No Casualties
UN Spacy
Mobile Suits: 2 Gen 1 Destroyed
Benerit Group
Mobile Suits: 1 Gen 2 Destroyed
Team Rabbits, along with a small detachment of GDF GINNs and Rhinos, have been attached to the ZAFT base in Singapore, and announce an indefinite partnership with the rapid response forces responsible for protecting this part of the world from extra-human threats. Meanwhile, the Science Fortress Laboratory remains securely moored in the Indonesian archipelago, and NISAR's headquarters at Mount Khao Kiao in Thailand is steadily fortified with the remnants of the Saotome Labs, financial assistance from the South Asia Treaty Organization, and a smattering of mercenaries from very different lands...
Chonburi Province, Thailand
"How do Earthians stand it being this humid?" Eugene Sevenstark whines into the evening. "Mankind wasn't meant to exist near this much water, I'm pretty sure.
Mikazuki shrugs and pops another koh kae into his mouth. "It's not so bad."
"Of course it's not so bad for you, your shirt's off! Never thought I'd get nostalgic for Canada, of all places..."
The Peaceful Pacific
Thanks to the Yukon Accords, pockets of the West Pacific manage to avoid the fighting - Hong Kong and the Orb Union, with their special economic status, are happy to avoid it, but more pertinently, the South Ataria Island zone south of Okinawa is protected while the UN Spacy's surface assets that aren't dedicated to anti-Vega Zone operations conduct research operations in the South Pacific.
And by research, we mainly mean dredging.
As it happens, advances in cross-dimensional radar technology, as well as disturbances on the sea floor and the concerted efforts of Dr. Mao Nome, a native of the region, allow for a breakthrough in the search for more Overtechnology - the discovery of what seem to be Protoculture ruins on the sea floor. Whether this was always an underwater city or sank due to war or seismic activity is not immediately clear, but it nonetheless represents a historic find, and UN Spacy is quick to assert control of the area to conduct safe, ethical studies.
Africa
Despite its distance from the major war currently happening, and the happy non-involvement of the African Union, the African continent sees multiple flashpoints of conflict throughout February. The Titans' Earthside forces, after a disappointingly inconclusive search for the missing GP-02 Physalis, find themselves under attack by Karaba in a symbolic hit-and-run raid on their base at Kilimanjaro, deep within the AEU's African zone. With EFF Regular forces doing their best to relocate to safe neutral zones, the raiding strike from Karaba's irregular forces is efficient and silent...but even after fading into the highlands, they cannot all avoid pursuit from the Titans' rapid response force. A slew of transforming mobile suits make their way over the Indian Ocean to punish the raiders, pursuing the largest cell of Karaba militants they could find. Karaba leader and former White Base pilot Hayato Kobayashi and his Audhumla command carrier nearly meet their end and the hands of the Titans' latest creation, a monstrous transforming Mobile Armor that's made the long trip from the Murasame Labs in Japan. They are only saved by the intervention of his old compatriot Amuro Ray, who broke from his long military sabbatical to save his old friend and briefly delay the "Psycho Gundam" prototype at the cost of an entire cargo plane. They, along with the remaining Karaba raiders, fade back into the Rift Valley shortly thereafter.
Titans Autonomous Corps
Aircraft Wings: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
AEUG-Karaba
Mechanized Companies: 2 Gen 1 Destroyed
Aircraft Wings: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mobile Armors: 1 Gen 2 Destroyed
Amuro Ray recruited
Northeast Africa sees further disruptions follow the AEU's abortive attempt to expand in the region, now that they've been distracted by war with a fellow superpower. The Circle of Gaia, in an effort to secure the region's autonomous zones against any economic encroachment, increases armed patrols by their Galliards in the area, but rather than provoking a clash with the AEU, they see themselves attacked by terrorist forces, with the national determinationist "Dawn of Fold" organization claiming credit for a minor skirmish that sees a Gaia fireteam shot down by ambush from missile-armed technicals. Rumors of Celestial Being intervention in this conflict are, unusually, unsubstantiated.
Circle of Gaia
Mobile Suits: 3 Gen 2 Destroyed
Dawn of Fold
Mechanized Companies: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
Finally, North Africa sees a similar, if much larger scale, attack on the AEU at their naval base in Tripoli. This one does include a Celestial Being Gundam, although from all appearances, it is fighting at the head of a rebel unit - namely, the infamous North African separatist unit called the Maganac Corps - rather than engaging "both sides" in the conflict. Also present is a previously-unseen, all-red mobile suit fighting on the rebels' side, which seems as advanced as the latest EFF models, but doesn't correspond to a known type. Rumors of Char Aznable's re-emergence swirl once again, although Char Aznable was never known to use a solid metal katana. General Septem, the AEU commander of African operations, has spent the remainder of the month sending increasingly unhinged missives to high command reminding them that they have more than one front to defend.
Advanced European Union
Mech Companies: 2 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mobile Suits: 12 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mobile Armors: 3 Gen 1 Destroyed
Celestial Being
No Casualties
Maganac Corps
No Casualties
The Libyan Desert
With all the mobile suits camouflaged for the evening, Quatre Raberbera Winner has finished his prayers for the day and settled down with a nice cup of coffee when he's interrupted by the most erstwhile of his allies bursting into his tent, as was her habit.
"Miss Cagalli. Is there something wrong?"
"Listen, Quatre. I bought in when you told me that attacking the AEU while they were distracted was the right thing for Africa. But why in the dick are your Celestial Being friends attacking the Far East Republic? Is this just some corpo scheme to destabilize Earth, Mr. Winner?"
Quatre quietly sets his coffee cup down. "You're making a couple of assumptions that are wrong, and a little ironic, Miss Cagalli Yula Athha."
Cagalli flinches at her full name. "So you know who I am, huh?"
"It's not hard to tell. You've got the confidence and idealism that comes from privilege, and a chip on your shoulder about fighting that means you come from a Total Pacifist country. Also, you're flying a top-secret Morgenrote design," Quatre observes.
"In fairness, I stole it."
"I also stole my Gundam. There's a rash of that lately."
"Wait," Cagalli says, bringing herself up short. "I thought you were with Celestial Being."
"I was, but...," Quatre rubs the back of his head ruefully. "Well, it's one of those organizations where it's hard to tell if you're still working for them or not sometimes. I believe in their ideals, but I didn't go through with some of my orders, and I think the other Gundam Meisters are mad at me, if only because I feel the same way you do about their course of action. In any case, they'll disavow me sooner or later - I expect a visit from Mr. Erde as soon as he realizes what I'm doing, if nothing else."
"So why are you even with them in the first place? Or fighting with your Maganac Corps friends? The Winner family is one of the most famous Total Pacifist groups in space."
"I don't agree with my father any more than I agree with Celestial Being. Or rather...I understand his reaction to the One Year War, but sometimes fighting is necessary. OZ, for example, and the whole mess they've created in the AEU. They're not going anywhere without armed resistance, as I told you when you joined up."
Cagalli looks at the boy, puzzled. "I didn't think you'd thought this through so much. Is that why you get so angsty when you go into battle?"
"War can be a necessity sometimes, Ms. Athha, but what war can't do is create peace. That is why I hate it."
Even with another World War happening, Earth's orbit remains a battlefield, with the biggest conflict happening at the Side 5 shoal zone, as the Titans ramp up their offensive against the Delaz Fleet. Aigille Delaz's worst fears are confimed when the Titans deploy their leftover One Year War tactical superweapon, the Solar System, against the shoal zone - specifically, using the might of the mirror-focused solar laser to blast away many of the larger chunks of debris at a distance, carving a path into the shoal zone and avoiding (or just vaporizing) Delaz's carefully planned ambushes. While this inevitably makes the Kessler effect within the shoal zone far worse and any future salvage operations mostly impossible, it is effective at clearing a path ahead and forcing a response from Delaz.
The long and leisurely flight of Anavel Gato from Side 6 is cut short by the Titans' movements, though the man still does his best to avoid detection and attempts to coordinate with his superior's response, which is necessarily an attempt to disable the Solar Ray at any cost, before the Garden of Thorns becomes vulnerable to direct attack. What occurs is a two-pronged assault on the Solar Ray and its accompanying fleet, along with hit-and-run attacks on other parts of the Titans cordon, to attempt them consolidating forces, creating the largest naval engagement between humans since the One Year War - and certainly the largest one involving Zakus.
Where the Titans bring quantity and mobile suit quality, the Delaz Fleet brings pilot quality and desperation. Surprisingly (to those unaware of his confrontation with PLANT), Gato's detachment fields none of the stolen Gundams - instead, an elite squad of what appear to be advanced Gelgoogs takes point ahead of the assorted Zaku and Rick-Dom types in an attempt to break up the Solar Ray's defensive lines, while Delaz's line ships and a mobile suit squad under Gloria Zabi strike from within the shoal zone as a pincer. The fighting is vicious, but evenly matched, with the Titans' latest prototypes going toe-to-toe with One Year War veterans and the Nightmare of Solomon himself, fighting the superweapon that led to the fall of his namesake.
In the end, the battle remains undecided when Gato commits to an audacious strategy using perhaps his most outdated units - the handful of MA-05 Bigros that Delaz saw fit to assign him. Working quickly to coordinate trajectories and bailout plans, Gato sacrifices all four of his antiquated Bigros by ordering them on a collision course with the Solar System and the pilots to bail out - all four of them either die in the maneuver or are captured, and all four mobile armors are destroyed, but one successfully smashes into the Solar System's main mirror array, taking it out of commission and completing Delaz's strategic objective.
However, by that point, the pursuit force that had originally left Side 7 to attempt to track down Gato in the first place has caught up to him - shocking the Nightmare, who'd thought he'd manage to lose them somewhere closer to the moon. The Delaz Fleet's discipline is the only thing that saves them from a complete rout when they realize they're now being confronted by the Titans' entire spacefaring navy, but the resulting orderly retreat back into the shoal zone is still deleterious for the Zeon remnants as the Titans' superior numbers allow them to surround and pick off even experienced pilots. In the end, this massive dustup does see intervention from a single Celestial Being Gundam - the first one seen in space - but it does not engage either side of the conflict, with the heavy beam-cannon-equipped unit starting a one man cleanup job on the worst of the debris created by the Solar System by finishing off the larger chunks. As soon as any armed mobile suits approach it, it flees.
In the end, the strategic victory goes to Gato and Delaz, but it is a Pyrrhic one in the classical sense, with many sacrifices made to eke out a strategic victory and protect their base from annihilation.
Titans Autonomous Corps
Mobile Suits: 21 Gen 1+, 18 Gen 2 Destroyed, 1 Gen 2+ lightly damaged (Jerid called Tieria a girl's name)
Cruisers: 5 Gen 2 Destroyed
Battleships: 1 Gen 2 Destroyed
Tactical Superweapons: 1 Gen 1 Destroyed
Delaz Fleet
Mobile Suits: 28 Gen 1, 9 Gen 1+, 8 Gen 2 Destroyed
Mobile Armors: 4 Gen 1 Destroyed
Cruisers: 8 Gen 1, 3 Gen 1+ Destroyed
Battleships: 1 Gen 1+ Destroyed
Celestial Being
No Casualties
Aboard the Dogosse Gier
"Heh. Celestial Being. Running out of juice already?" Admiral Hymem observes from his stateroom. "Just another bunch of terrorists, in the end."
"Fully agreed, sir," Paptimus Scirocco's staticky, laser-distorted voice says. "I'm more concerned with the disposition of the stolen Gundams."
"Oh, we got quite a story about those from our informants when they gave us Gato's heading. Between your report's and the Earth unit's, a pattern is starting to arise..."
By the standards of that battle, the alien raids in Earth orbit are almost an afterthought, although Benerit Security Forces and UN Spacy both take some minor attrition to Wulgaru and Zentradi skirmishers, the former when a group of raiders slips past the moon to make a raid on Permet shipments coming from the satellite's surface.
Benerit Group
Mobile Suits: 5 Gen 1 Destroyed
UN Spacy
Mobile Suits: 3 Gen 1 Destroyed
Mars
In fact, it seems that the attention of both of the invading alien species has been, however temporarily, redirected to the Mars Sphere. Both the Zentradi and the Wulgaru make concerted sorties toward the red planet, attacking the UN Spacy expeditionary force, the Martian Union's orbital assets, and each other indiscriminately with mass assault tactics. It's here that the Spacy forces make themselves and their worth quite obvious, broadcasting broad-spectrum music and propaganda at the Zentradi attackers and overwhelming many of their foot soldiers with the emotions that come from their first time experiencing culture. Maximilian and Milia Jenius's home baby videos are also big hits, much to their young daughter's future embarrassment.
That's not the case with the Wulgaru, of course, and that's where the strategic discipline and strength of the Union's Raven units come into play. State-sponsored mercenaries operating independently but under the overall theater command of McGillis Fareed, the Ravens and their new-model "Armored Core" mobile suits prove more than a match for the Wulgaru in skill, if not in numbers. All comes to a head, however, when a new type of Wulgaru unit appears. Assumed to be a high-mobility commander unit and provisionally designated as a third-generation Super Robot equivalent, the massive and speedy green humanoid wreaks havoc on the defending Mars Union forces until reinforcements from UN Spacy arrive to help pin it down and drive it off. The two prototypes of Project Supernova do much to force the commander and its escorts back, but tragedy strikes at the climax of the battle as Guld Goa Bowman, Zentran test pilot of the YF-21, inexplicably opens fire on his counterpart and friend Isamu Alva Dyson in the YF-19. Dyson and his prototype miraculously survive the barrage, but confusion allows the Wulgaru commander to retreat in good order, and Dyson's injuries add a sour note to what should have been a triumphant conclusion to Project Supernova.
Mars Union
Mobile Suits: 23 Gen 1, 9 Gen 2, 1 Gen 2+ Destroyed
UN Spacy
Mobile Suits: 6 Gen 1, 8 Gen 2 Destroyed
Mobile Armors: 2 Gen 1 Destroyed
Gain 20 Gen 1 Mobile Suits, 2 Gen 1 Cruisers from Zentradi defectors
2 Gen 2+ Mobile Suits will be unavailable for one turn, as the YF-19 is repaired and the YF-21's pilot is under investigation pending court-martial.
Transcript: INTERVIEW WITH GDF COMMANDER SIMON GATO AT ZAFT's BASE IN SINGAPORE
"Commander Gato, what is the Global Defense Force's official stance on Celestial Being? Public opinion has been split on their actions, but how does the GDF intend to interact with them going forwards?"
GATO: "To preface our stance, I'd like to remind everyone of the Metal Beast attack on Tokyo earlier this month where Celestial Being was present.
When Celestial Being interfered in the fight in Tokyo, we didn't see them try to fight off the Metal Beasts that had struck directly at the heart of a populated city. What we saw instead was a reckless, indiscriminate assault in the middle of Tokyo that culminated in a fight between two of their own that set fire to a populated airportand endangered countless civilians before leaving without facing accountability. Photos of the destruction and hysterical messages from the survivors have circulated around the world, and yet Celestial Being has remained silent on just what goal was served in their pilot's actions.
This sort of action without regards for the consequences is dangerous. Their initial message claimed that Celestial Being aimed to remove the scourge of war from the world, but so far their methods have simply perpetuated it.
Allow me to make this clear. We've seen how Celestial Being's lack of accountability has resulted in a group of powerful, uncontrollable mobile suits that have the ability to deal significant collateral damage if left unchecked. They are no more accountable to their fellow humans than the Britannian Emperor is to a Number. If Celestial Being intends to continue interfering in a way that endangers innocents, no matter the nationality, the GDF will not hesitate to defend itself nor the civilians that we fight for."
We begin our inaugural broadcast to you, the solar system, with news of the heroic exploits of Major Anavel Gato, the Nightmare of Solomon. He and his brave crew of rebels against the oppressive Earthian world order found time to rescue fellow spacenoid and angel of peace Lacus Clyne from ignominious death at the hands of alien invaders earlier this month. The dashing crew then proceeded to strike a mighty blow to the murderous Titans, destroying their tool of unilateral destruction, the Solar System, before it could be turned against peaceful colonies in the Titans' genocidal campaign against all the people of space.
As the Earth Federation spirals into oblivion in their civil war, Zeon remains the best hope for peace, free of Earth's gravity and the horrors of Federation imperialism! We call upon all the oppressed peoples of Earth and beyond to rise up and join our cause! For freedom, for peace, for humanity's future! SIEG ZEON!
Lunar City Von Braun
"Would you listen to this crap? Gato? That lunatic?"
"I'd re-enlist under Captain Char in a heartbeat, rest his soul, but Delaz is no better than a pirate."
"Does it need to be Char?" a female voice chimes in. "Couldn't you just find common cause with others who think Delaz and Gato are brutes?"
"Who are you, lady?"
"My name's mud, as far as most of Zeon's sons are concerned...but tell me. How much do you know about what happened to Side 2 during the war?"
With a two front war failing to produce positive results and two Areas in active revolt, protest and insurgent activity throughout the Areas increases, with recruiting offices in Latin America and the Australian settlements vandalized and even bombed. Compounding this is an increase in Manhunter deportations within Britannia's sphere, further agitating the populace and reducing available manpower.
Britannia Reserves -
Britannia Stability -
Meanwhile, the regular Earth Federation Forces rapidly expand their command base in Alaska - the complex doesn't yet rival the decades of buildup in Jaburo, but it represents a firm commitment to containing the Vega Zone to the Arctic as much as possible.
The Far East Republic
President Li Lin's economic reforms rapidly escalate into a full-on war economy with the outbreak of the Third Pacific War, supercharging the economy. Continued attempts to pump this growth centrally are drawing the ire of private corporations, though, and further expansion is likely to be curtailed by protest, unless the war starts coming to Chinese shores.
Far East Republic Economy +
Southeast Asia
While their robots fight the good fight in the northern hemisphere, and Hayato Jin fleeces the Spacian Elite for funding, most of the Super Robot Labs are hard at work doing actual archaeology, looking for evidence of the Mycenae, Dinosaurs, and even the Protoculture in and around Indonesia. Working through the long-neglected prehistory of the region yields surprising results, such as evidence that the Protoculture - or someone with access to their technology - actually fought the Mycenae in Earth's ancient past. Why two alien groups would fight on Earth is not yet clear.
Science Fortress Laboratory will get a free research boost next turn.
The Earth Sphere
UN Spacy celebrates the conclusion of its drawn-out search for next-generation Variable Fighters with a parts-sourcing contract with an obscure LRC subsidiary, Raven's Nest. With the outbreak of war on Earth, diversifying its supply chain does wonders for keeping the supply of nuts, bolts, and missiles for new Variable Fighters coming.
Their friendly rivals in the GDF don't quite have the same economic connections, but what they do have is access to PLANT's stable of materials scientists and industrial engineers to help them streamline mass-production of AHSMBs.
UN Spacy Budget +
GDF Budget +
The Benerit Group's internal politics remain both cutthroat and boring, with Delling Rembran going on a spree of consolidation and liquidating underperforming companies to make room for new ventures hatched from the Incubation Party...although he's not giving his daughter any more money. Other internal corporate politics include Guel Jeturk quietly getting passed over in the inheritance race for his younger half-brother, Lauda Neil, with rumors that the former top duelist is also being withdrawn from Asticassia. Not that that's stopping more weird transfer students from showing up.
Asticassia Institute
"Uh, hello? Is this Earth House?"
"Mr. Canard? Oh, welcome ba--huh?"
"Uh, no, my name's Kira. Kira Yamato."
"......eh?"
Further gestures of friendship and cooperation between the major Corporate Houses are taken as insincere flattery, but the stability situation doesn't get any worse, either. Nothing but a spat between the Grassley heir, Shaddiq Zenelli, and Miorine Rembran over control of GUND-ARM, inc., which will surely be resolved in a normal and reasonable gentleman's duel next month, the result of which everyone involved will accept. His plans are only slightly disrupted by his father investing an inordinate amount of money into some shady shell company called Midnight Arms.
Benerit Group Unity fails to improve
Benerit Group Budget +
Black Knights Budget +
Finally, PLANT continues accelerating its armament program, not by shelling out money to foreign mobile suit producers, but activating large contracts with its domestic industry on Maius and Martius colonies, mobile worker and tooling production lines rapidly switching to mobile suits and guns in preparation for an anticipated boom in need.
PLANT Economy +
Mars
A surprising set of deliveries, entrusted to the LRC's long-time partner Teiwaz, make their way from Earth to Mars over the course of the month. Giant mining drills, which upon even cursory inspection resemble the drills used as weapons by various Saotome designs more than traditional miniing gear. A deal has apparently been struck between NISAR and the LRC that goes beyond simply hiring "private security" for Southeast Asia, and it involves vastly improved ore-mining equipment that will see vastly increased exports of halfmetal in the coming months. When the Benerit Group realizes that the deals for this export got brokered at their own party but using their competitors' vertical monopoly, they proceed to whine and gnash their teeth like normal capitalists with no legal recourse.
Martian Union Economy +
The Asteroid Belt
With the alien invaders focusing on Mars this turn and ignoring Axis entirely, it's eerily quiet...an opportune time for the Zeon remnants to deploy more industrial automation.
"None of these people are worthy of being Gundam Meisters!"
Sumeragi Lee Noriega watches Tieria Erde punch the corridor wall in frustration. At least he's nice enough not to break a monitor, or bother the bridge crew aboard the Ptolemaios. God, though, she's not nearly drunk enough for this.
"And what makes you say that this time, Tieria? The GDF insult your honor?"
The purple-haired pilot wheels on her, jaw clenched. She thinks she sees a vein popping. "Quatre Raberbera Winner is AWOL. Chang Wufei picks and chooses the orders that suit him, and Setsuna F. Seiei and Heero Yuy fought him in public! And that's not even going into Allelujah Haptism and Duo Maxwell's antics! The only people here with their heads on straight are me, Lockon, and the damn clown!"
"Uh huh. Tell me, Tieria, what should they be doing, according to you?"
"Veda's will! That's the only way for the plan to succeed."
Sumeragi nods. "I understand how much Veda means to you, but...I'm sorry to say, it doesn't have a will. It's a computer. A predictive algorithm."
"But..."
"Intellectually you know I'm right, Tieria. Getting too dogmatically attached to orders? That's what gets people killed in the field. When those orders are coming from a computer..."
Sumeragi pauses to go look out the window. "Why do we have humans pilot the Gundams, Tieria? Why not just have Veda remote-control them, if it's so wise?"
"..."
"A computer, no matter how advanced, can only predict and analyze. People choose. It's that choice that is Aeolia Schoenberg's will. If you think people are choosing wrong, well...that's why Setsuna and Heero did what they did in Tokyo. That's why we're here, in fact."
"What do you mean?"
"The Armed Interventions were only one possible plan presented by Veda for the reformation of the world. One plan, one set of tactical forecasts. And even those are never a hundred percent certain. Hell, we've regularly seen unlikely worst-case scenarios pop up for the last month. Britannia declaring war was predicted, yes, but this soon? Even Veda didn't give that more than a one in ten," Sumeragi explains. "If we are going to change the world, we're going to have to choose to...and hope that other peoples' choices don't make it too much worse."
Marrakesh, North Africa
It's been a rough month for Myung Fang Lone. The stress of being the "producer" of the hottest up-and-coming idol in the Earth Sphere was bad enough on a normal day, let alone with an actual war starting, and her two best friends getting shipped off to God knows where to fight aliens. Intellectually, she knows Isamu and Guld will be alright if they don't actually kill each other, but...well, she's not completely confident they won't. Combined with the fear of Britannia dropping a missile on her head at any given time, it's been very disruptive to her Song Energy, and therefore, Sharon's.
"Myung. Concentrate, will you?" Dr. Marge Geldoa ordered her from outside the hacked-together lab they used to record her brainwaves into Sharon Apple. "I may be a genius, but the more disruptive your feelings are, the more gets passed on to Sharon. Until I perfect the AI, you're just going to have to deal with your personal issues on your own time."
Myung takes the time to look at the mess of electromagnetic transceivers, Permet nodes, and cabling that connects her to the...thing that houses Sharon's quantum supercomputer core. Myung hasn't been able to sing for years, not since that night, but when offered the chance to lend not only her voice, but her feelings, to a nascent AI, a being that could grow and live inside an electronic shell, only to hatch into her own existence one day...well, it sounded too good to be true. But the money was fantastic, so she tried it anyway.
She likes looking at Sharon's holographic avatar more than the ugly black mainframe that is her true form. It was easier to think of her like a daughter that way...or an alter ego. The way she'd looked at Isamu at that concert in January...the intoxicating power Sharon had over the crowds, like Minmay on steroids...maybe she was--
A blink, and ten gunshots ring out from Dr. Geldoa's supervising booth, splattering the glass observation window with blood. Myung freezes. What's happening?
"Rolo for fuck's sake, that was the scientist!" a petulant child's voice calls from outside the building.
"I thought the girl in the lab would be the scientist."
"Why did I even bring you."
Dr. Gueldoa is dead. Presumably so is all his hired Moralian security given that Myung doesn't hear any answering gunshots. She has to escape, has to run, has to unhook herself from Sharon--
She doesn't have time. The door is kicked open by men speaking English, with Britannian accents, but dressed in robes of some kind, white and gold. They're also carrying submachine guns. Myung remains frozen in place as a boy sweeps in behind them.
"Well, I suppoooooose we only really wanted the AI and the Song Energy research. Tell me, girl, is this Sharon Apple?" the...little boy? asks Myung.
"What...who...who are you?"
"Ah, I'm so sorry. My name's V.V., and you should really answer my questions if you don't want to be riddled with bullets."
"I--" Myung stammers. "There...there is no Sharon Apple. It's just my brainwaves uploaded into a content generator. She's--"
"You're Sharon Apple, then?" V.V. asks. "Okay, I can do stage names. Tell me, Sharon Apple: what do you want?"
"What do...I want?"
The child gives a feral smirk that wouldn't look out of place on the most frightening of old men. "If you value your life, even a smidgen, you really should answer my question."
A strange glowing bird symbol appears on his head. "What. Do. You. Want."
"I..."
Myung turns, and looks at the holographic avatar of Sharon that's appeared over the mainframe. Her AI alter ego looks down...and grins.
Evidence of mounting that at least two Celestial Being Gundams are operating independently of the rest of the organization, the dragon-type and the shotel-type. What this means is a matter of conjecture.
Separatist movements are intensifying and organizing in the overseas territories of the AEU and in Latin America. Organized militias have appeared in parts of North Africa, alongside Britannia's existing rebels in Japan and the Phillipines.
Dr. Marge Geldoa, the scientific mind behind virtuaroid idol Sharon Apple, was found murdered in Marrakesh on February 28. The equipment used to produce Sharon's sophisticated AI and the chief of her production staff, Myung Fang Lone, are both missing.
The Earth Sphere
Debris from combat operations in L1 has escaped into general orbit, causing several minor transportation disasters. No fatalities have been reported. The interdiction and running battle at Side 5 is ongoing.
GUND-ARM, inc., despite being a student project at Asticassia, is the most talked about new venture in business social media. Miorine Rembran proves to be surprisingly memeable.
Zero, leader of the black pawns. What is your desire? What drives you? Is It the cruelty you witnessed? The suffering your endured? The hardship you experienced outside the shell you felt suffocated by?
You want to change the world? Fine. You want to break the shackles? Fine. You want to avenge the people killed, to give meaning to the people you killed? Fine.
Let us face each other outside the shell, outside the web, out from the shadows.
Let us meet on the land drenched with blood. Let me see if your face is twisted by the brother and sister you killed.
Lelouch Lamperouge vi Britannia, remove your mask and face your father.
The Ikaruga's briefing room is uncharacteristically still despite being full of people. The normally lively atmosphere, chatty and informal, has been replaced with a contemplative silence that borders on mutinous in several places. Expressions range from confused to pensive to enraged, with only a few individuals either fully at peace with the recent revelation or otherwise unwilling to show their reaction on their faces.
The entire 'high command' of the Black Knights is present, ranging from chief scientist Rakshata to field commander Tohdoh to ship captain Ohgi to ace pilot Kallen. Tamaki is also there.
Zero arrives last, as is his wont, but with an absence of flourish or drama. He simply walks in from his flag cabin and takes his seat at the head of the table, face impassive behind that all-concealing mask.
After a moment looking around the room, gauging everyone's sentiments, he reaches up and presses a button on the side of his mask, causing it to hiss open. He then takes it off and sets the helmet down on the table, revealing his face to everyone present. For most of them, this is the first time seeing his face, and he's undeniably a Britannian. There's even a resemblance to Charles himself. The response is a collective intake of breath, as though a dozen voices are about to begin speaking, but they're all cut off when he begins talking instead.
"My real name is Lelouch vi Britannia, son of Charles zi Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia. I was the eleventh prince of Britannia and seventeenth in line to the throne. That part is true."
The demonic charisma Zero has is absolutely possessed by Lelouch himself, even at his most solemn. No one says a thing.
"It is also true that I killed my brother, Clovis, and my sister, Euphemia. You all know that already."
He pauses for a moment.
"The suffering I endured... I watched my mother gunned down by assassins when I was ten. She shielded me with her body. The same attack permanently injured my sister. My father had withdrawn our protection due to some court machination. When I confronted him about it, he laughed at me. Had me and my sister sent to Japan as hostages. That was eight years ago."
A few people around the table, either aware of the circumstances surrounding the One Year War or quick on the uptake, wince or frown.
"The only reason I'm alive today, that my sister is alive today, is due to the kindness of Japanese people. We were allowed to shelter with friends of my mother's. I grew up in the Tokyo Settlement. And it was in those eight years that I learned to truly hate Britannia."
He slowly pans his gaze around the room, meeting everyone's eyes in turn. His expression is icy.
"Britannia is a cancer. It is an abomination masquerading as a nation-state, bloated on conquest and existing only to perpetuate a cycle of atrocity. It nurtures within itself some of the most heinous people and groups in history. It endangers all of humanity in the name of its own glory. It crushes people, good and worthy people, beneath its heel. It must be destroyed."
He picks up the mask again, holding it in his hands.
"I'm going to Tokyo. If the Emperor is there, I'm going to do my level best to kill him. I'm going to spend every moment of what remains of my life taking apart the monster he's unleashed upon the world. I'm going to do whatever I can to see a free and independent Japan. All I ask is that you give me this one last battle, so that I can give you one last victory. Afterwards... well, we'll see, won't we?"
He looks around the room and sees, if not enthusiastic approval, at least acquiescence. The willingness to go on. The determination to see the fight won.
The mask slips back over his face, and Lelouch is Zero again. His voice reverberates out through it as he stands up. Everyone in the room stands up with him.
"One more battle. One more victory. And then... the future."
Created by the Science Fortress Laboratory under the Mazinger Army Protocol, the Mazin Brother series is an attempt at actual mass-production of a 'proper' Mazinger. While Mazinger Z possesses some esoteric technologies such as the 'Mazin Power' photon supercharger, it was one of the first of its kind and hence lags behind current units. The Mazin Brother is an attempt to keep the design current. Doffing the Rocket Punch and Iron Cutters for more heavily armored forelimbs, it also adds racks of high-caliber, laser-guided Photon Missiles.
The Mazin Brother likely does not possess all of the 'Extra Over Technology' Mazinger Z does. Field tests have excluded use of Mazin Power, for example. This is perhaps in part due to fear of such technologies falling into enemy hands, and also likely a response to proliferation concerns. When the Federal Civil War ends, the Mazin Brother design will likely be offered to the Federal forces, and the SFL has been always wary of letting its secrets out.
Ichinana - Gen 1 Super Robot
The little brother of the Mazinger Army Protocol models. While full serial production was abandoned due to the attack on the Photon Power Labs, this mobile suit-esque Super Robot is deliberately designed for ease of production. It makes use of a conventional Minovsky-Ionesco Reactor, external hardpoint weaponry, and conventional magnet-coated MS joints. In many respects, it is a "Mazin MS" more than a proper Mazinger. Rumors have circulated, that before the Britannian surprise attack curtailed such plans, the Ichinana design was to be 'de-branded' and handed over to the Black Knights.
Considered by many to be the future of the European wet navy, the Giglio class' double hulled design gives it sufficient space to be equipped with a wide array of features, from supercavitating torpedoes to a hangar capable supporting both submersible and airborne craft to VLS missile tubes. The flexibility the Giglio class presents has been vital in the Atlantic front so far.
Part of the project to restore the Tallgeese to combat ready status was the production of additional spare parts. With the relative quality of the produced parts (not to mention the loss of the original Tallgeese) the decision was made to extend the line into a full blown limited production series to serve as a stopgap machine for the use of the AEU's aces while the next Generation of AEU Mobile Suit is developed. As such, the Tallgeese II is more or less identical in capability to the original.
The Guyana class is the AEU's answer to Britannia's aerial fleet. Each is a veritable flying fortress, armed to the teeth with missiles and laser cannons, and capable of supporting an entire air group single handedly.
A predecessor of the more modern Dogoss Gier class Battleship, the original Brimingham class is still more powerful than anything else in the AEU Space Navy. Different from the original design for the class, these newly constructed ones have a small hanger each for Mobile weapons. It's rumored that the AEU is waiting on more advanced technology to refit them into proper Dogoss Gier class vessels.
Based on a one-off prototype from the One Year War rumored to originally be intended for Amuro Ray, the Alexander Gundams serve as testbeds for what is called the Brain Raid system behind closed doors. This was a somewhat controversial choice, as the program's originally requested a design that was a next generation transformable Knightmare Frame. However, as the frame was itself considered highly experimental, AEU military command was reluctant to use it as a platform for another highly unproven system, so what some would call the more conservative choice was taken.
AEU Order of Battle as of March 0087
European Continental Army
Giant class Land Battleship Lipiriz
Giant class Land Battleship Calezo
15 x Medium class Land Cruisers
15 x OZMS-06A Leo Early Type
5 x OZ-08MS Tragos
50 x Mechanized Companies
7 x Mechanized Companies (Knightmare equipped)
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
EUG-12 Harpy Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
4 x AEU-MA0707 Agrissa Type 7
Iceland Garrison
15 x OZMS-06A Leo Early Type
15 x OZ-08MS Tragos
10 x Mechanized Companies (Knightmare equipped)
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
4 x AEU-MA0707 Agrissa Type 7
wZERO Unit
By the start of March, the wZERO unit has finally been equipped with Mobile suits. In addition, Mechanized companies have been seconded to the unit in order to provide infantry support under the command of Oscar Hammel.
5 x AEUX-11 Gundam Alexander
3 x Mechanized Companies (Knightmare equipped)
PMC Trust
5 x AEU-05 Hellion
16 x OZMS-06A Leo Early Type
2 x AEU-MA07013 Agrissa Type 13
OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
European Army of Africa
Giant class Land Battleship Polyphemus
Giant class Land Battleship Hamlet
Giant class Land Battleship Typhon
25 x Medium class Land Cruisers
23 x OZMS-06A Leo Early Type
5 x OZ-08MS Tragos
47 x Mechanized Companies
20 x Mechanized Companies (Knightmare equipped)
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
EUG-12 Harpy Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
5 x AEU-MA0707 Agrissa Type 7
OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
Special Mobile Suit Troops Africa Division
10 x OZ-06MSD Leo Late Type
6 x OZ-07AMS Aries
Following the repeated (and verbose) requests of General Septem, a detachment of Specials have been assigned to the Army of Africa to assist in countering separatist movements under the command of Oswald Walker.
With the outbreak of war, the various naval fleets of the AEU are reorganized into two commands to allow for smoother coordination in combat. Combined Battle Fleet West under the command of Kati Mannequin, and Combined Battle Fleet East under the Command of Treize Khushrenada.
Combined Battle Fleet West
Carrier Strike Group Malaga
Malaga class Aircraft Carrier Malaga
11 x Zonchio class Cruisers
4 x OZ-08MMS Cancer
3 x OZ-09MMS Pisces
6 x AEU-05 Hellion
4 x OZ-07AMS Aries
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
Carrier Strike Group Pierremont
Malaga class Aircraft Carrier Pierremont
12 x Zonchio class Cruisers
4 x OZ-08MMS Cancer
2 x OZ-09MMS Pisces
6 x AEU-05 Hellion
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
Carrier Strike Group Heinemann
Malaga class Aircraft Carrier Heinemann
12 x Zonchio class Cruisers
4 x OZ-08MMS Cancer
4 x OZ-09MMS Pisces
6 x OZ-07AMS Aries
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
Western Submarine Squadron
5 x Giglio class Submarines
12 x OZ-08MMS Cancer
12 x OZ-09MMS Pisces
Special Mobile Suit Troops Task Force 'Prize'
Magellan Kai class Battleship Garibaldi
Magellan Kai class Battleship Oetygia
Magellan Kai class Battleship Mjolnir
4 x Salamis Kai class Cruiser
36 x OZ-06MSD Leo Late Type
4 x AEU-MA07013 Agrissa Type 13
10 x OZ-07AMS Aries
2 x OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
Recently reinforced by the AEU's other two Magellan Kai class Battleships, Task Force Prize has seen some internal disarray as of late. Lady Une has recently arrived and effectively taken command. Valder Farkill has done his best to contest this, but his recent loss of a Tallgeese at the hands of Suzaku Kururugi has damaged his mystique somewhat.
Combined Battle Fleet East
Carrier Strike Group Athens
Malaga class Aircraft Carrier Athens
18 x Zonchio class Cruisers
8 x OZ-08MMS Cancer
8 x OZ-09MMS Pisces
6 x AEU-05 Hellion
4 x OZ-07AMS Aries
OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
15 x OZ-06MSD Leo Late Type
EUF-77 Gryphon Wing
AEU-05 Hellion Bomber Type Wing
10 x Mechanized Company (Knightmare equipped)
Merged with the Indian Ocean Fleet's various Surface Action Groups in anticipation of heavy fighting in the Pacific, several transports containing mechanized companies have been recently attached to the unit.
Special Mobile Suit Troops Task Force 'Crown'
Guyana class Battleship Guyana
Guyana class Battleship Iceland
16 x AEU-09 Enact
10 x OZ-07AMS Aries
2 x OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II
A newly formed combat unit akin to Prize, Task Force Crown is under the Command of Colonel Zechs, with Lucrezia Noin and Patrick Colasour also assigned to the unit.
Artemis Fleet
Birmingham Class Battleship Paris
Birmingham Class Battleship Aachen
8 x Salamis Kai class Cruiser
20 x OZ-06MSD Leo Late Type
4 x AEU-MA07013 Agrissa Type 13
4 x AEU-MA0707 Agrissa Type 7
