The year is CE 72. It has been one year since the treaty of Junius Seven. One year, since the War known as the Bloody Valentine has ended. Normally, this would be cause for celebration. Anniversaries were known for such, after all.
However, the Earth sphere had not known peace for that year. Nor, truly, had the Earth sphere known peace for many years. The wounds between the Earth Alliance and the colonies signed to the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty were growing deeper and larger. The divide between Natural and Co-Ordinator were becoming almost insurmountable.
"You want me to take one, don't you?"
The woman known as Lola Heiner was not a harsh woman. She was not cruel or mean. She was not known for being particularly strict. For someone like her, it was almost unimagined that she could become a Commander of her own task-force. Sometimes, the military hierarchy of those within the PLANT colonies could be seen as too loose, but when a group of Co-Ordinators got together, what could be made but brilliance?
Such was the words of the organisations founders, at least. Lola didn't hold such opinions. Her hair was a dark emerald, a mark of being a genetically modified human, but her eyes remained a fairly normal, if piercing brown. Her office, if it could be called that, watched over the city of Februa-Three like a small guardian. It was the single point in the central colony shaft that could see the entire PLANT, a fact that she liked very much. At least, when she hadn't spent half an hour being pressured to take a pilot from an Academy of the 'best and brightest'.
"Of course. Do you have an issue with that? I have many qualified candidates." The man she spoke with was named Gilbert Durandal. A man with piercing eyes and raven black hair that flowed like a mane. In the wake of the Bloody Valentine War, the former military officer's rise could be, at best, considered meteoric. If one were to take a dimmer view, however, it was the height of suspicious. His words were like a poison to Lola. With one hand, he offered succor, and the other, he sought to jab you with a knife.
"They're all Reds. I'm not interested." Lola answered.
"They are the cream of the crop."
"None of them are able to pilot the Jackalope." Lola reiterated. "They are too used to standardised controls and simple maneuvers. The Jackalope will eat them alive, and that's assuming their survival instincts don't kick in. It's basically unpilotable."
"Now, that can't be true." Gilbert noted dryly. "If it were, your team would have scrapped it for another design." Lola didn't answer. After all, that was absolutely true. If the Mobile Suit nicknamed the Jackalope was indeed that dangerous, it'd have already been scrapped.
It hadn't been. Indeed, it had given promising test data for the in development ZAKU. At least, it had before its previous pilot had given out and caused an incident. After all, experimental Mobile Suits tended to be missing their safety features.
"And you want another feather in your cap for when you attempt to get elected Chairman." Lola mused. "Well, maybe we can scratch the itch on each others backs, then, Durandal, Sir."
"Ah, old habits. Then I do have what you want." Gilbert surmised softly. "What deal do you want, then, Lola? I'm sure I can accommodate."
"I want all their files. Not just the Reds."
"Done. May I know what you are looking for?"
"You know what I am looking for." Lola retorted with a very unladylike snort. "I'll take one of your pet academy's precious students for my team. But it will be one I pick, not you. I want one with the X-Factor."
"We don't have a way to test for the it." Gilbert noted. "It's not on any of their records."
"That's okay. We have a way of finding each other." Lola noted with a small, dark smile. "Let me have a session with them in the sims. I'll find one before long." She raised her finger. "Let me have my little pilot, and you will have my vote when the general nomination meeting comes."
"Well, then consider it done." Gilbert hummed. In a situation like this, both had a mutually agreeable outcome, yet neither wanted the other to know how many cards the other had in hand. Such was the nature of the secretive ZAFT development teams, constantly in conflict over the most trivial things. "Februa has recovered well."
"Februa-Two through Five have. One is probably a write off." Lola mused sadly. "But then, you know that already, Durandal. What's your game?"
"Well, I have a few more files you might be interested in."
"Those are Reds to."
"Well, one is, but give it a read. You might be convinced." Gilbert noted.
"Does he have a X-Factor?"
"They might. It's the only way I've been able to explain their status as Red." Lola froze at those words, reaching over and snatching the proffered file.
"A Natural?"
"Near as we can tell? Yes." Lola's lips twisted as her finger scratched her cheek.
"Interesting. When can I have a look?"
"That depends. When's the next shuttle to Junius-Three?"
"Silly Durandal. I don't go anywhere without the team. Give me six hours to mobilise Lost Februa. We're going to have a look. I'll look at the rest of the crop on the way."
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You want to play as...
[ ] A young man who has lost all his family. Angry, alone, a Natural in a Co-Ordinators world, with a heart that reaches out into space.
[ ] A young girl who wishes to reunite with what little she has left. A lonely soul who has left the gravity well of Earth and begun searching in the stars.
