[Spender]

I would like to thank John Carey for pushing me to do write this story, and for all the support he has given me with this series. Here it is at last. The first chapter of my next fic. I hope that I can keep up with posting chapters, but only time will tell.

PS: I'll probably be posting at a rate of one chapter a week, maybe two, just so that I can keep ahead of myself in terms of writing the chapters before posting them.

EDIT: I made a slight change to one of the character's names. "Mr. Norton", who is refered to by Lan, has been changed simply to "Manager". This change results from something that happens in a later chapter, and I decided that it would be easier to change it here than in all the chapters I have written so far or to try and come up with some explanation for the inconsistancy.

Prologue

It has been 75 years since the end of the era that historians came to call “The Magnus Wars”. This conflict, originating in civil uprising, forced the world to re-examine the operation of the Global Union, the central government of the world nation. Now, the leaders of the world continue to play a precarious balancing act of power between the GU, and the provincial governments and unions.

One of the very first reforms made after the conclusion to the Magnus Wars was the restriction of Gundara Fluid technology, especially the development of Gundara-powered weapons. Now, the use of such weapons is all but completely illegal, and all Gundara-weapons, especially the mobile suits code-named Gundams, must be registered with the Global Union. As well, there are strong limits to the number of Gundara Weapons that any one regional alliance is allowed to possess.

But peace is a fragile thing, and several young youths will soon find themselves carrying on the legacy of the heroes and heroines of the last war.

Chapter 1

Snow. As a child, she had always wanted to feel it for herself, but being born and raised in Italy, where temperatures seldom sunk below freezing point, it was not something that she was able to experience. She had always longed to experience a white Christmas, even if only once. She had relatives in Canada who were able to experience such a site almost every year. But her parents did not share her childish enthusiasm, so she seemed doomed to go on, living life without ever seeing the cold white precipitation touch the ground. And so, unable to see it for herself, Annette Roselia would dream. Dream of snow. And everything was perfect.

This was one of those nights. Even though she was 18, she still held onto her childhood dream. She hadn't been to Canada yet, as she could not afford the flight, but she was young. She knew that she should not assume that she had years to follow through on her dreams, but she didn't have much choice. Mobile suit pilots did not receive as much pay in times of peace as they did during war, but that was okay. Her father had been a pilot, and both of her grandfathers had fought in the Magnus War when they were teenagers. Being a mobile suit pilot was her other dream. A dream she could now live out, until she could say the same for her other dream.

"Annette! Wake up! It’s role call in fifteen minutes!"

The voice was that of her roommate and fellow pilot, Rosa Sanchez. Rosa was one of the youngest members on the base. In Italy, one could not sign up to join the European Union Forces until the age of 18, but Rosa, who hailed from Spain, had just joined Berlin Base at the age of 16. Annette could not help but be humbled by the dedication of the adolescent girl. She joined the military because she needed a steady pay to support her cousin and ailing grandmother. Every paycheck she got was split in half. One half she kept for herself, mainly for living expenses, while the other half got sent out to her family in Madrid. She always wore her black hair up in a ponytail, and a necklace from her grandmother to remember what she was working for.

Annette stretched, and looked in her mirror. She was upset that she had not been able to experience the full dream. She loved her dreams of snow. It was mid-August. She had joined the EU at the end of June. She could not wait till December, when Germany would be put to sleep under a blanket of the white powder, but she still hoped to be able to experience the sensation in Canada by that time.

Annette slipped off her plain tank-top, her sleep attire, and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. She was lucky; she seldom had to do much with her hair in the mornings. It was naturally wavy, and did not mat together easily. As long as she showered before going to bed, she did not usually need to do much to ready herself in the mornings.

"Is David meeting us at the cafeteria doors?" She called out to Rosa, who was already halfway out the door.

"He didn't say. I'll go by there on my way to the courtyard, but even if he's willing to wait for you, don't think I will!"

Annette smiled. David Lueman was unpredictable, sometimes waiting for them, sometimes going off on his own. The only thing that was constant about him was his love of defying authority. Annette often thought that sometimes the only reason he did wait for her was because it gave him an excuse to be late for the morning role-call sessions.

Annette slipped on her bra and underwent the ritual of assembling her uniform. The female EU Uniform seemed to revolve around the white, wavy mini-skirt., The upper-part of the attire was navy blue, and on its right shoulder was the indication of rank. After placing her top on and with her skirt barely up, Annette practically hopped to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. Rosa was already gone, but Annette didn't mind. She wouldn't want to hold Rosa, who was so concerned with being a dedicated soldier, behind. This just gave her time to think to herself.

She decided that she should go by the cafeteria as well, in case David was there. Sure enough, the brown-haired, mild goth was there, smirking as she rushed up to him. As usual, he wasn't wearing his uniform, and instead elected to wear a black coat and t-shirt, which read "Guilty", along with a pair of blue jeans. There were rumors that David's family was decended of the legendary John and Beverly Carey, heroes of the Magnus wars who fought and survived the final battle which saved mankind. If it was true, David certainly didn't seem to care.

"Sleep in again, Annette?" He casually asked, his accent clearly indicating his English birth, already knowing the answer. He chuckled a bit as Annette stuck her tounge out at him.

"Man, why can't they have these things in the afternoon?" Annette complained. "Especially on weekends. Why do we need to have role-call on weekends?"

"You never know when a war might break out," David half joked, getting more serious as he went on. "Nobody thought that Kuwara would have started the civil conflict that lead to the Magnus War. And there is a lot more tension between the GU and some of the unions and factions than any of the higher-ups or politicians would care to admit. That's why Ivan Tanaka is touring the world, performing anti-conflict songs."

That last part had been meant as a jab at Annette's obsession with the Japanese-American rock star. Ivan Tanaka was one of the world's most famous and influencial peace activists, and was now travelling all over the world, visiting cities and military bases, to try and ease tensions with his voice and talent. He was schedualed to visit Berlin base tomorrow, and Annette could hardly contain her excitement.

The two walked out into the courtyard, and found there positions. Much to David's disappointment, the two managed to make it in time, but Annette knew that the boy would still be able to take pleasure in the lecture he would receive for not wearing his uniform. Annette stared off as she waited for her name to be called, thinking of tomorrow.

Tomorrow would be the day Ivan would perform. Tomorrow would be her day to smile as she got to see her idol perform live. Tomorrow would be a day of destiny.

---------------------

The boy sat, waiting patiently as those around him rushed frantically to prepare. Ivan Tanaka was used to this. He was the performer. His job was to perform. These people were the stagehands. Their job was to prepare for his performances, and not matter how many times Ivan, who felt bad watching others work while he seemingly did nothing, offered to help out, they always told him that they were perfectly fine and that he should focus on what he was going to do when he got up on the stage they were assembling.

“Hey!” trumpeted a young, enthusiastic voice. “Brother, Manager said that we can go out for a few hours and have some fun before the show!”
Ivan looked at his little brother and smiled. The boy was only twelve years old, but because the two had no parents, Lan Tanaka had been forced to follow Ivan on his tours. However, Ivan often worried about the life that he was forcing his younger brother to live. After all, it wasn’t just the life of a rockstar that Ivan was living. There was something else to it.
“Really? How on Earth did you get him to agree to that?” Ivan asked, just as thrilled about being able to get away from the place as Lan was. He frowned when he saw the long blonde wig and trench coat that Lan was carrying with him. The younger brother only smiled.

“We can’t have you attracting too much attention out there. You’re a big-time celebrity after all,” said Lan, almost seeming to enjoy the grimace on his older brother’s face.

--------------------------

Annette always enjoyed the moments where she could act like a teenage girl instead of like a soldier. With a can of pop in her hand and a chocolate bar in the other, she walked through the streets of Berlin with Rosa on her right and David on her left. David was smiling, having played around with the minds of his superiors yet again during his last lecture. No matter how many times he had privileges taken from him, he never got tired of providing stress to his commanders.

“Alright!” Annette burst out spontaneously. “Tomorrow’s the big day! Ivan Tanaka will be performing at our base, so tonight, we celebrate!”

David groaned an inaudible mutter, while Rosa simply covered her face in embarrassment. David was not a partying type of person, even if he did like Ivan Tanaka as much as Annette did. Rosa liked Ivan as well, but she didn’t like it when Annette made big spectacles of herself in public.

Their thoughts all came to a halt as a man with long blonde hair, sunglasses, and a trenchcoat came out of an alleyway and stumbled into them.

“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” David yelled, grabbing the man by his collar.

“I’m terribly sorry. My head was up in the clouds,” he apologized, as a young boy came running up to him. “It’s the first time I’ve been to Berlin, and I don’t really get a lot of free time, so I was taking in as much as I could and forgot that there were people around me. I know its no excuse, but…”

“Brother, we have to go back now. They’ll be needing us for…” the boy stopped, as if he suddenly became aware of the people they had just encountered, and was searching for the right words. “… preparations. You know how mad ‘he’ gets when we’re late.”

“Yes, yes. We can’t have that,” the man said, sounding un-enthused by the thoughts. “Anyway, I must be leaving. Here, perhaps this will make up for the trouble I’ve caused you.”

The man took a rose out of his coat, and handed it to Annette, saying “I hope we can meet again someday, when I have more time and without causing any trouble. Farewell.”

“Who was that freak?” David asked as the stranger left their view. “Who the hell gives a rose to a girl he just met by literally bumping into her.”
“Ah, that’s cute. You’re jealous, Dave,” Annette said coyly, trying to get David worked up, and doing very well at it.

“Whatever the case, we need to get back to base,” Rosa interrupted. “We don’t want all the good stuff to be gone by the time we get to the cafeteria.”

The three friends then continued on their way back to their base, while in the alleyway, on their way back to their hotel room, Ivan removed he wig and glasses, and undid his coat.

“Do you always carry a rose around with you, Ivan,” Lan questioned, slightly annoyed at his brother for the little stunt he had just pulled. “What would you gave done if you’re cover had been blown? All that trouble, just for a girl you’ll probably never see again.”

“That’s not true, Lan,” Ivan countered. “Didn’t you hear? They were talking about my performance tomorrow. That means that they’re soldiers at Berlin Base.”

“That’s all fine and well, but what about after the show? And remember, your performance is an important front. If you get too close, then someone may find out what we’re really doing.”

Ivan sighed. He didn’t hate his role as a rock/pop star, but he was a young adult, and he felt confined and too restricted. Sometimes even he needed to get out and have some fun, and he had always had a bit of a weakness for cute girls (a weakness which didn’t exactly do much to help his situation).

“Well, we’ll just have to wait for when that happens to find out, won’t we?” Ivan responded. Lan smiled, and the brothers went along their way.

----------------------

That night, bound by insomnia born from her excitement, Annette made her way to the roof of the women’s dormitory, and sat on the ledge, her usual spot. Coming to this place was a tradition of hers, one which she followed through with whenever such could not fall asleep. Tomorrow was finally the day, the day she had been waiting for since Ivan Tanaka’s tour had been announced several months earlier, shortly after she first joined the European Union Forces.

She held the rose that the man had given her earlier that day, for some reason unable to get it out of her mind. She had not had a clear view of the man’s face, but there was certainly something familiar about it; exactly what that familiarity was eluded her, and it was eating away at the back of her mind. Unable to piece the puzzle together, she settled instead for twirling the rose in her fingers, smiling. Normally she would have thought such a gesture to be bizarre and strange from someone she didn’t even know (a sentiment which David had been making very clear since the encounter) but Annette could not bring herself to discard the flower, as though it were some connection to one she held dear.

“Heh, you’d think that it was Ivan Tanaka that gave me this flower,” she laughed to herself. Then, deciding that she had had enough fresh air, and not wanting to be too tired for the upcoming day, Annette lifted herself up off her ledge, and made her way back to her room, still spinning and twirling the symbol of romance she held in her hand.

------------------------------------

The woman stood there, facing the mirror in her captain’s quarters, holding the mask in her hand, a look of hesitation upon her face. She would slowly lift the mask, a relic of her family’s secret past, up to her face, then pause and lower it again. It was as she was taking the mask away that one of her officers entered her room.

“Captain Marva, there’s an incoming transmission for you. Line 777.”
“Thank you. Put it through to my room,” Lanara Marva replied, knowing who was calling her and realizing its importance. After the man had left, she pressed a button and a shadowed image appeared on her communications screen.

“I see you are still hesitant to wear it,” the old man’s raspy voice said, with no sign of any emotion. “Why do you hate it? It is your birthright. It is your legacy.”

“I am well aware of my lineage; the descendants of that lunatic’s bastard child. And I fully support your operations. But that doesn’t mean I have to like embracing the legacy of an ancestor that I would rather have no connection to.”

“Remember, Marva, that your face cannot be seen. It would be too easy for someone to connect you to us. Besides, the name and mask of Magnus still hold traces of fear in the hearts of the people. And fear can be an effective weapon if used properly. Now get ready. You know the target and plan. Failure is not an option. Not if the dawning of a new world is to be made reality."

The old man didn’t even wait for a reply, and the transmission was ended with Captain Marva still holding the mask in her hand. Finally, she took a deep breath, and strapped on the artifact from the last war. It covered her entire face, and were it not for her longer hair and her female officer’s uniform, one could easily mistake her for her ancestor.

“Jenkinson, get ready,” Marva commanded over the intercom. “We’re heading for the European Union’s main base in Berlin.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Chapter 2

It was finally the day of the concert, and everyone was getting caught up in the excitement (except for David and other, older officers). Many of the officers (especially the young female ones) were volunteering to help set up the stage for Ivan, several of them doing so in the hopes that they might be able to see him before the show started. The disappointment on their faces was obvious when they found out that Ivan was not there and would not be showing up until just before the show was scheduled to start.

Annette and Rosa were not among those helping out. Rosa liked Ivan Tanaka, but not to the degree of obsession. And Annette insisted that waiting for the show to start made added a degree of excitement and suspense that increased the appeal of the performance (thought both David and Rosa both suspected the real reason was that she just didn’t feel like working at all).

Finally, around noon when the concert was supposed to start, everyone on the base, along with civilians who had been lucky enough to receive the special tickets which also served as day-passes for the base, gathered in front of the stage to watch Ivan perform his anti-violence, pro-peace songs which had made him so famous. Even David was there, if only to accompany his friends.

“I hope this is at least worth skipping out on duties,” David kept saying, happy for any chance he could get to avoid doing his chores.

“You could have stayed in your room, David,” Rosa reminded him. “The whole base got a day off. How you chose to spend it was up to you and you alone.”

“I know. But this is my chance to see what all the hype over this guy is about,” David answered. “Besides, someone has to catch Annette when she faints, and she’s too heavy for one person alone.”

David could barely control his laughter as Rosa had to restrain her from lashing out at her friend. It took a few minutes for Annette to regain her composure, her “vibrant” choice of vocabulary attracted a lot of attention. Finally, she was able to respond to David calmly.

“This is going to be a great opportunity for everyone here,” Annette explained. “Ivan Tanaka is the voice of our generation. He inspires everyone who hears his voice, and leads the way in advocating peace in our time. With him, there should never be another war like the Magnus Wars.”

David’s amused look faded immediately. “I doubt that,” he said. “He may be good at inspiring others, but as long as mankind walks this Earth, no one person will ever be able to persuade everyone to lay down their weapons. There will always be those who seek power. And many of those people would not be opposed to sacrificing lives in order to get that power.”

Annette and Rosa now shared David’s expression, but finally, a pyrotechnic explosion signalled the beginning of the performance, and through the smoke emerged Ivan Tanaka.

--------------------------------------

“Captain, we have sight of Berlin Base. There appears to be a large gathering in the center of the base. Possibly some sort of special event. Shall we proceed?”

Marva stared at the view-screen. They had not anticipated this. Their mission was to invade the base, but with so many people gathered, at one central location, how they went about doing that became a matter of strategy. It was possible, if they played their cards right, that they could avoid unnecessary collateral damage.

“Let’s just wait and study the situation further,” the captain replied. “Have both recon and battle teams ready to launch, but do not do anything until I give the word.”

The bridge staff saluted, and after a unanimous “Yes, Ma’am!” they all began to carry out her orders.

“We’ve suspected that some secret organization has been working against us for some time,” Marva muttered to herself. “There’s a small possibility that if they expected us, or if they are after the same thing we are after, that this may be connected to that organization.”

Lanara Marva then sat back, and began to analyze the situation, determined not to make any mistakes.

----------------------------------------

“From underneath the tree, we watch the sky,
Confusing stars for satellites.
I never dreamed that you’d be mine.
But here we are. We’re here tonight.

Singing Amen. I’m alive. I’m alive.
Singing Amen. I’m alive.

If everyone cared, and nobody cried.
If everyone loved, and nobody lied.
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,
Then we’d see the day where nobody died.”*

It was Ivan Tanaka’s cry for peace; the song which launched him to the top of the charts and became the voice of the generation. And with that song, he ended his performance. The crowd cheered, Ivan did his signature “Gentleman’s” bow, and backed off the stage, disappearing behind a large red curtain.

Ivan let out a sigh of relief. He loved performing, but it always tired him out; especially after putting as much energy into it as he had today.

“Good job, Ivan!” Lan called out, rushing to his older brother. “That was your best show yet!”

“I agree,” said a tall man with long black hair and a short beard. “Quite exceptional, if I do say so.”

“Mr. Norton,” Ivan said, rising up and saluting. “Tell me, did we get what we came for?”

“Yes. We will start analyzing the information as soon as we depart. But for now, I suggest you go give the fans what they want: some more of you.”

The two smiled, and Ivan began to get ready to go greet the audience members. He always liked to interact with his fans after a show, and today would be no exception. He was met with the roar of several hundred youths, and he smiled, happy that he had such an amazing job. Then, he spotted a familiar face, and immediately went up to her.

“Hey there,” he greeted, and Annette couldn’t stop blushing, shocked that her idol had personally come up to her to say hello. “I get the impression that I’ve seen you somewhere before. Can you help me out?”

“I… uh… Hi! I’m… Annette!” the girl stuttered, trying to control her emotions. Ivan smiled, then almost grimaced when he saw the guy who had grabbed him by the collar the other day.

“And who would your friends be?” Ivan asked.

“Oh, that’s Rosa and David,” Annette said, beckoning her companions to come over to greet Ivan Tanaka with them.

“It’s an honour to meet you, sir,” Rosa said politely. David didn’t say anything, just stared at the teen idol, as if trying to analyze him. A few seconds passed, but the look on David’s face gave no indication of acceptance.

“Don’t worry about him,” Rosa told Ivan.

“Yeah. He’s into heavy metal and that stuff. He probably sees you as a talentless pretty boy, which he hates,” Annette said, trying to get a response from David, then suddenly becoming very flustered. “Not that you are! No, of course not! You’re the best there is!”

Ivan smiled, then nodded his farewell as he went off to talk with some more fans. “I understand. It’s impossible to please everyone. Well, I hope I get the chance to see you again.”

Just as he turned around, however, the alarm siren went off (barely audible over all the screaming girls), along with an announcement.

“Attention all personal. An unidentified craft is invading our airspace. Code Yellow is now in effect. Everyone is to report to their battle stations.”

Annette, David and Rosa, along with all the other soldiers, began rushing to the hangars and their respective stations. Ivan stood for a while, and smiled. He then ran back towards the stage, and into the passenger seat of a stand-by truck. He nodded to the driver, and in a few seconds, they were off.

-------------------------------------

“Ma’am, Berlin Base is continuing to request that we change course,” one of the bridge operators reported. “The recon team has not reported back yet.”

“We can’t leave without them. We must get that data,” the captain explained. “Besides, this could actually work in our favour. Prep the Deterrence for launch along with MS team 1. I’ll be accompanying them, providing a distraction so that our men can get out of there. This will also be a good chance for us to destroy any evidence.”

Everyone on the bridge saluted, and prepared everything as their captain had commanded. Within a few moments, the ship was launching its mobile suits in an all-out attack on Berlin Base.

----------------------------------------

Within moments the entire area was a battlefield. The enemy ship started off deploying standard issue suits; ZAKUs, GiNNs, and the like. But then, after the first wave had engaged the mass-produced line that the Berlin base was using as its first line of defence, another mobile suit was launched, one that was clearly much stronger than any mass-produced model.

The machine landed. It had a decorative arch over its head, and two protrusions that had the appearance of tail-feathers, and seemed almost as though it had been designed by the Aztecs or some other ancient Central American civilization. The machine then grabbed the two protrusions, which turned out to be swords, and the semi-circle parted so that half of it was now on either side of the machine.

“Ready the G-Units! I repeat! Ready the-” came an announcement, followed by a loud explosion that cut it off as the Deterrence began making quick work of anything that its companions missed.

“Let’s hurry up and get this clean-up over with,” the captain orders. Then, to the staff still onboard the ship, she says, “I expect a report ready for me by the time I get back.”

Just as she was about to destroy another building, however, Lanara Marva was forced to jump back to avoid the attack of another mobile suit. She turned around to take a look at her assailant, and saw a mobile suit unlike any mass produced model. It carried a large shield with a yellow cross on a red background, and used an energy cross-bow type weapon.

“A Gundam,” the captain muttered to herself, ashamed of her carelessness. She should have figured that, even with the restrictions on Gundara weapons that Berlin Base would have at least a couple of the super-powered mobile suits.

“Rosa Sanchez, reporting from the Grace! I have made contact with the apparent leader of the enemy forces, permission to persue?”

Before Captain Marva was even able to position herself so she could attack her newest adversary, she was attacked yet again, this time by a Gundam wielding two double-edged axes.

“Don’t bother asking for permission, Rosa,” David said. “This is David Lueman, pursuing enemy in the Valor. You got a problem, tough.”

David then joined his twin axes to form one large, double headed battle axe. He then leapt up into the air, and extended a pair of golden wings, and hovered for a few seconds before he lunged down to attack. Lanara easily avoided the direct charge, but immediately realized her mistake when she was grazed by beam-canon fire. She looked over to see a third Gundam, this one wielding four canons; one on each shoulder, and one on each of its hips.

“Annette Roselia, Majesty reporting in!” the young pilot exclaimed. “Thanks for the set-up, David. Too bad I missed.”

“Not a problem, Annette,” David assured. “This one is a lot tougher than any ordinary pilot. Definitely an ace. But still, its three against one. We should be able to take it out.”

The captain clenched her teeth at her own foolishness, but regained her composure and readied her counter attack. She readied her machine for a full out attack against three Gundams, but first, she would need to catch them off guard, since all of them seemed to be of fair skill. The chest plates on her machine opened, and revealed hidden missile launchers. She fired out nine, with three aimed at each one. She had no doubt that the young pilots would be able to evade them, but at the very least they would be surprised enough to drop their guards just enough for her to strike. This plan was foiled, however, as three, red-coloured crescent-shaped blades came in and systematically cut through the missiles. Then, like boomerangs, they reversed direction and returned to their owner.

This latest foe also piloted a Gundam. This one bore a red-and-white frame. It was lightly armoured, but in addition to the three crescent-blades it had just shot out, it also carried with it a massive sword, almost as tall as the machine itself. After the new machine had retrieved its weapons, which connected together, forming a wave-like pattern over its left shoulder, a message came over the intercoms of the three Berlin pilots. All three, especially Annette, were shocked at whose face they were seeing.

“This is Ivan Tanaka. Reporting in the Bushido. Pleased to meet ya.”




*Lyrics from “If Everyone Cared” written and performed by Nickelback.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Xides]

A good start but so far its been a bit slower than your first. Nice choice of song btw.... Nickleback rules
_________________

Which character are you test by Naruto - Kun.com

[Kage-Kaze]

Awesome as always Ben heh loving the European touch
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

[Spender]

Chapter 3

There was obvious confusion among the European pilots; all of it was quite understandable. Here, out of nowhere, a pop-idol appeared in a war machine, aiding them in their defence against a mysterious assailant.

“Oh, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t give the enemy any indication of who I am. It would blow my unit’s cover,” Ivan began casually requesting, but his tone became much more serious as an enemy ZAKU began to fire gattling-gun rounds at him. “I can explain every later. For now, let’s just focus on getting our asses out of this little predicament.”

Ivan positioned his sword to block the majority of the enemy fire, fired his machine’s thrusters to send him flying towards the ZAKU, then, once he was within range, he swung his massive blade, slicing through the enemy machine’s torso like it was constructed of some intangible material.

“Hmm… four Gundams…” Lanara Marva spoke aloud. “I think we may have rushed into this a little. Jenkinson! Did our boys arrive back on the ship?”

A male voice came over the intercom. “Yes, Ma’am! We haven’t yet analysed the data, but they are back on the Dawn.”

“Good. Then I think its time we ended this little party of ours,” Marva responded. “Attention all units: We’re on our way out of here. So move your butts if you don’t want to get left behind!”

The female commander then returned her attention to the enemy Gundams. “As for you, I’d love to finish you all off, but I can’t risk revealing any more than we already have.”

Marva then proceeded to fire out four missiles, one homed onto each of the Gundams, before firing her machines thrusters to maximum power and taking off into the sky.

“What makes you think you’re gonna get away from here that easily!?” Annette shouted as she began to aim one of each of her machine’s four canons at each of the missiles. Ivan opened his mouth to try and warn her not to fire, but it was too late. As each of the shots hit their mark, an EMP shockwave was emitted, temporarily disabling each of the Gundams and all the surrounding machinery. It was only for a few seconds, but it was long enough for the enemy machine to escape without a trace.

“Damn! Who the Hell was that!?” David cursed.

“We’re not sure,” Ivan replied, catching the attention of the three young Gundam pilots, “But that’s what we came here for. We wanted to find out what their organization is up to, and more importantly, what their connection is to the Global Union.”

-----------------------------------

Onboard the Dawn, the ship which Lanara Marva was in charge of, the Deterrence and all remaining units finished boarding, and the captain headed quickly for the briefing room, in a hurry to find out how the operation had gone. The moment she reached the door, she came barging in, almost giving several of those already there heart attacks.

“Did we get the data?” she asked, not waiting for anything and getting right to the point. “I don’t think I need to explain to you just how much trouble we’re in if that information gets discovered.”

The expressions that came across the faces of the soldiers facing her gave her the answer. One lone soldier was brave enough to explain.

“We managed to get to the main terminal without any problem, but upon reviewing the data, we can determined that someone else had already downloaded and deleted the information.”

Marva clenched her teeth and almost cut her own palm making a fist. Then, she relaxed a bit.

“You say that the information was deleted?” she asked. The soldier merely nodded, and Marva smiled. “Then we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. If these people were interested in revealing us to the public, they wouldn’t have had any need to delete that intel. In fact, they would have been better leaking it then and there. The fact that they deleted it after obtaining it is proof that they have their own personal agenda, and that they have no intention of revealing us or themselves to the world. You’re all dismissed. We’re heading back to headquarters, ASAP.”

With that, Lanara Marva left the room, and after reporting to the bridge, went off to rest in her private quarters.

-----------------------------------------

“So let me get this straight,” Rosa began to rationalize after Ivan had explained what had just happened. “You’re really part of a top secret, non-government group called ‘Orion’, and you are investigating a secret operation being carried out by another group with possible connections to the Global Union?”

“That’s basically my story in a nut shell,” Ivan calmly replied. After the fight, he had gone off to hide his machine so that his cover would not be exposed to anyone else, and then had taken the three Gundam pilots aside to explain the situation. “We’ve been aware that this group had its own task force for some time, but this was the first real direct encounter we have had with them. My performances on military bases have been meant to disguise our unit’s true identity. After all, who would expect a pop-star and teen idol to be a part of such an organization.”

“So… that means that you really aren’t all those things,” Annette piped up, obviously trying to hold back tears of confusion. “You aren’t a real performer or singer… not a peace advocate… you’re… a soldier?”

Ivan looked at Annette, and sighed. “It’s real complicated. I do love my performances, and I wish I could be a real singer, but Orion has been taking care of my brother and me for a long time. They’re the ones who arrange everything, who got me my contract with my publisher in the first place. So… I don’t really have any choice but to play along. Besides, Orion does genuinely want the world to be at peace. That’s why we’re doing this investigation.”

“Why are you even telling us this stuff?” David interrupted. “If you are really a secret organization, then isn’t it a bit stupid of you to be revealing yourself to European Federation pilots? Or are you telling us all this because you have to kill us, anyway?”

Rosa looked at David with a surprised expression, as though it had just hit her that David could be right, and that Ivan Tanaka really would end up killing the three of them.

“I revealed myself because I deemed it necessary” Ivan answered. “You would have been less likely to cooperate with me in that battle if I remained an anonymous pilot. By telling you who I was, I increased the chance of you allowing me to help you out, and decreased the chance of you treating me as an enemy. However, you are right. Now that you know, you are a liability to our organization.”

Ivan took out a hidden fire-arm from his vest, and pointed it at Annette, who was between David and Rosa. He then backed away, never taking his gaze off of the three. He was outnumbered, but the European pilots were unarmed. Three shots, less than a second for each. David got ready to pounce on the Japanese-American, but it seemed unlikely that he would be able to do anything. Something about Ivan Tanaka seemed to suggest that he was a well trained fighter, and that the three teen soldiers were now at his mercy.

“However,” Ivan went on, “I am not a ruthless killer. You are just victims caught up in something bigger than yourselves and your governments, and I am the one to blame. So that is why, from now on, you three shall serve as members of Orion.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

nice one ben although you have made it real hard for me to figure out how this is gonna go

Which is a good thing
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 4

“That is why, from now on, you three shall serve as members of Orion.”

Those words came as a shock to David, Rosa, and especially Annette, who was still trying to sort everything out. No one could blame her, really. After all, her long-time idol and crush had just turned out to be pretty much a fake. Rosa was not far behind Annette, always being the most sensitive of the group. As for David, he was just finding it hard to believe that anyone would have the nerve to point a gun at him and make him a member of a secret group without even letting him express his opinions.

“Why should we go with you?” David calmly inquired, taking the role of the group leader, since the girls were not in any condition to speak for themselves.

“Because if you don’t, I will be forced to pull this trigger,” Ivan answered. “I know it sucks. I’m not in a big hurry to kill you, myself. But unfortunately, that’s the reality of this situation, and just because I don’t want to kill you doesn’t mean I won’t do so if I have to. I’ll give you a few moments to discuss it amongst yourselves, but just know that if you make any suspicious movements, I will fire without hesitation.”

David growled and turned around to face Rosa and Annette. “What do you guys think? Should we go along with him? Or should we chance it and turn him down?”

“I think he’s being honest about not wanting to kill us. But I also think he’s honest about doing it if he has to,” Rosa answered. “I also think that the odds are all against us, and I’m in no hurry to die. I have a family to support, after all. I’m going to go with him.”

David paused in thought, then he turned to Annette. “And what about you, Annette? I know this is hard on you, but we don’t have the luxury of time to sort through it all. What are you going to do? Whatever you decide, I’ll go along with you.”

Annette looked at David, then down to the ground. “I… I don’t want it to end like this. I don’t want to spend my last moments confused and with these feelings of betrayal. I want to live to figure all of this out. And to find out what Orion is really about. If, along the way, I find out that it was the wrong thing to do, I can die then. But not any sooner.”

A look of resolve came to Annette’s face, and for the first time since before the mysterious attack, she was once again beaming with confidence. David nodded, and turned around to once again face Ivan Tanaka.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Pretty-boy,” David said. “We’ll go with you. But just know that we’re not liking it.” He spoke mainly for himself, but the girls did also feel his resentment, even if they were more willing that he was to go along with Ivan.

Ivan sighed in relief, then put his gun away. “Good. Now if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to meet my ‘manager’, then we can make all the necessary arrangements.


“So, you are the three new recruits?”

Each of the three pilots had their own way of looking at the slender man who stood before him, the one who lead his team and acted as Ivan’s manager. David kept his usual look of defiance, Rosa had a look of curiosity, and Annette now wore a look of stern determination. Ivan stood to the side, leaning on a crate, with a little boy, whom he had introduced as his brother, Lan, standing right beside him. Annette couldn’t seem to figure it out, but she got the feeling that she had seen that boy somewhere else before.

“Before we go on,” the man continued, “I just want to tell you that I do genuinely wish that you hadn’t gotten involved in this. We had no idea that our enemies would actually go so far as to attack a public gathering. When you address me, you are to refer to me simply as ‘Manager’. My real name is classified intelligence. Not even Ivan knows it.

But anyway, you three are Gundam pilots, correct? That is good. Up until now, we have only had Ivan and his Bushido. For an intelligence unit such as ourselves, that has usually been more than enough, but now that the enemy, whom we shall henceforth be referring to as the ‘concert crashers’, knows of our existence, and that we have combat capabilities, things are going to be more intense, an we will likely need more pilots. We shall arrange with your superiors to allow you extended leave for an unknown period of time, and we will also arrange to have your mobile suits brought with us. Don’t worry about the details.”

“Man, you talk a lot,” David muttered, causing looks of embarrassment to cover the faces of Rosa and Annette.

“Maybe, if you would attend briefing sessions every now and then, you’d be used to it,” Annette replied, looking away from her outspoken team mate.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Rosa apologized to Manager. “He’s always been insubordinate. We’ll talk with him and try to get him to smarten up, but I’ll warn you that it never works on him.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ivan spoke up from the sidelines. “He does talk a lot. All the members of this team joke about how much he loves the sound of his own voice. We call him ‘Mercucio’ all the time, as in the character from ‘Romeo and Juliet’.”

“Don’t go giving them any ideas, Tanaka,” Manager replied, looking a bit crossed. This only got a snicker from both of the Tanaka brothers, and, unnoticed by the others in the room, a smile from Annette.

“Anyway,” Manager continued, “We’ll be leaving in a few hours, so get settled in and ready, because we’ve already received our next orders. Ivan, Lan, I want you to inform everyone else after you’ve heard them. I’ll be giving a proper briefing later, but since I have five of you here already, I might as well give you an idea of what it is now.”

At this, Ivan simply got off the crate, and solemnly walked forward. Lan followed close behind him.

“We will be heading out into space, to a new colony G-71. You’ve probably heard of it. It’s nicknamed ‘Aristotle Colony’ because it’s designed almost exclusively to house aristocrats and the social elite.”

“Joy,” Ivan and David said in unified sarcasm. This caused the two to glare at each other intensely, neither wanting to even consider that they might be similar to the other. Annette and Rosa sighed, knowing that a new rivalry had been born.

“Continuing on,” Manager interrupted, “there is a ballroom gathering being held at one of the residences. We have word that there will likely be supporters, perhaps even members, of the organization we have been investigating. One of our agents will be meeting us there to get us in. You are dismissed.”

The young men and women in the group all made their way towards the exits, but were suddenly stopped as Manager called out to them.

“Oh, and before I forget, we’ve finished our analysis on the data we retrieved,” he explained. “The details of that will be explained at the briefing, which will take place immediately after we leave Earth’s atmosphere. But I’ll tell you now that if the data is reliable, then this whole battle is far greater than we originally believed.

-----------------------------------------------

Lanara Marva seldom had such chances as these, and she made sure to enjoy them to the fullest whenever she got the chance, because there was no telling when the next opportunity would come, nor how long they would last when they did come.

She held her leg up, covered in soapy bath water, and examined it. She then rested it back in the tub, and set her head against the wall, almost ready to fall asleep. She wouldn’t, of course, because that would just make it even more irritating when that inevitable call came in telling her that she was needed elsewhere on the ship or that she had new orders.

Without her mask on, her brown eyes could be seen in all their majesty. They seemed to draw in all light, and shone with a radiance seldom seen. Her hair, although not covered by her mask, also seemed so much softer when she was not trying to mimic her ancestor.

Just as she let out a long, relaxed breath, her communication terminal which she had installed in her bathroom went off. She growled, got up, and before she had even completely wrapped her towel around her body hit the receive button.

“Marva, we just received your latest report,” the old man started. “Very disappointing. Not like you at all. And don’t give me any shit about how you justify it. We don’t care. Just get ready to make up for it by succeeding on your next mission.”

“Yes sir,” Captain Marva muttered. “And what would that mission be?”

“You are to attend a social gathering on the colony G-71. This is a recon mission, so you will not be going in your mask or uniform. We will have your attire and details ready for you when you arrive. Just know that we have strong reason to believe that those who have been meddling with our plans are likely to be there.”

The transmission ended, and Marva began to finish drying off her body.

“So in other words, I may get to meet that pilot face to face,” she said, grinning. “I wont fail you this time, Sir.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

lol that rivalry reminds me of the one I have with my friend Alex I can connect with this....As always loving it keep it up Ben
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 5

Just as Manager had announced, the entire team got together in their make-shift briefing room and were informed of their next mission. The ship used by the Orion team was interesting to say the least; it was simple and in some ways outdated, and clearly designed to give the illusion that it really was just a stage-ship for transporting Ivan, the crew, and the equipment around the world and to the colonies.

“This mission shouldn’t require any special explanation,” Manager said, getting ready to wrap up his briefing. “Ivan and the newbies will enter the party with the help of our informant, and shoot the breeze with anyone they get the chance to talk with to try and gain any information that they can.”

“Sir,” a female member of the team asked, “How exactly will they know what to look for and who to talk to? I mean, going in there and randomly socializing doesn’t exactly sound like a very efficient method, especially when we’re dealing with a secret organization.”

“Very good question, Jane, and there is a very good answer,” Manager began to explain. “We have gone over the data that we collected during the concert. Fortunately, the attack occurred just after our members made it back, so it wasn’t too big of a problem. While we weren’t able to get much useful information out of it, as we were prepared for, we have discovered one very interesting detail. The concert crashers are not just supported by the Global Union, but are actually employed by them. Or, more specifically, they work for a secret branch of the government. The only data we were able to find on this branch was that they are a part of the Security Department, likely developed without the knowledge of the council. The crashers are an elite task force assembled by this branch.”

“So, we can narrow our suspects down to those who work for the Global Union, especially for the Security Department,” Ivan concluded.

“Correct,” Manager confirmed. “And with that, we will end this briefing. Ivan, you and your team are to prepare to disembark right after we dock. I will give you the coordinates of the meeting place before you leave. The rest of us will remain here to provide support. That is all. You’re all dismissed.”



“You sure this is gonna work?” Annette asked uneasily. It was one thing to crash a party, but this was a gathering of the social elite, where everybody knew everybody else. She wasn’t sure if it was even possible for them to fit in.

“Trust me,” the go-between said calmly replied. They had met in a G-71 alleyway to obtain the details and their “uniforms” for this mission, which were actually tuxedoes for Ivan and David, and evening dresses for Rosa and Annette. “Remember, you’ve got Ivan Tanaka, a famous pop-star, and David Lueman, the heir to one of England’s most prestigious families, in your company. It wasn’t hard to get formal invitations for those two, so all you have to do is pose as their dates and everything will be fine.”

The mission was, according to Ivan and Manager, “very simple”. They were to attend the party, engage in conversation with some of the other attendees in order to try and get any useful information, then leave, all without drawing suspicion. However, the fact that the Orion members considered a mission like this easy raised the question among David, Rosa, and Annette about exactly what kinds of missions these guys performed on a regular basis.

“With that, I take my leave. I’ll see you again at the party,” the go-between said, bowing and going back the way he had come.

“So,” Ivan said after the Orion informant had left, “Which one of you girls wants to be my date for this evening? How about you, Annette? Or maybe you, Rosa?”

The manner in which he spoke suggested that he was joking around, but if the group was to infiltrate the gathering, then they would need to get their story figured out before-hand. Still, Annette and Rosa couldn’t help but blush at the straightforward way in which Ivan asked. David merely sighed, not liking the way this was going.

“Let’s just get this over with,” the British pilot said at last. “Girls, hurry up and decide who you’re with, because as annoying as it is, the invitations are for me and Ivan, with you two as our dates, so we need to decide before we go in there.”

“Hey! Stop putting pressure on us like that! How would you like to be forced to pick a date for an event like this on such short notice?” Rosa proclaimed, in one of the few times that she ever expressed irritation to anyone.

“You guys decide,” Annette said sheepishly. “They’re your invitations, after all.”

“But that’s not fair to anyone,” Ivan said ironically. “How am I supposed to chose between to girls as cute as you two?”

Before either Annette or Rosa had time to react to the comment, David whacked Ivan over the head and turned to the two girls. “Okay. I’ll take Rosa. Annette, you can go with Ivan.”

There was an awkward silence among the girls, which didn’t last long before Ivan was able to recuperate from the blow David delivered. “What the hell did you do that for!?” the performer yelled.

“No reason in particular, I’ve just been wanting to do that for a long time and you provided me with a good opportunity.”

As the two boys began to argue amongst themselves, Annette and Rosa could barely contain their laughter. And then, Annette realized the reality of the situation; even if it was for a mission, she was still going to be escorted by Ivan Tanaka.

She blushed and smiled at the same time, and then resumed watching the squabble between David and Ivan.

-----------------------------------------

It was just the usual for Lanara Marva. She had become a soldier to try and get away from the boring lifestyle of the social elite. Before she enlisted, events like this had been quite the norm for her, and unfortunately, so had been her parent’s attempts to try and marry her off to the countless number of eligible bachelors that always seemed to be drawn to occasions such as these. But that was then, when she was a child. Now she was a soldier on a mission, and no longer a child, but a woman. And besides all that, it was something of a relief to not have to wear her mask.

“Good evening,” came the voice of her first victim of the night. “I dare say that you are quite beautiful. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before, and I know that I would never forget a face such as yours.”

Lanara Marva held back an annoyed sigh, and decided to simply play along with things for the time being, at least until she could complete her mission.

“I’m not that good with dealing with other people,” Lanara coyly responded. “Events like these make me feel awkward.”

“Well then, I suppose that I’ll just have to help you overcome your lack of confidence, then,” the man replied.

Oh brother, Lanara groaned in thought, Could this snob be any more arrogant and cheesy?

“Well, truth be told,” Lanara went on, “I’m waiting for some people. Besides, I only dance with intelligent men.”

She had had enough of this, and didn’t care about consequences at that point, and decided to dump her drink all over the man. She would have rather blown her cover than dance for even a few seconds with that man. The fact that she was familiar with men such as that one also made her aware of some of the trick that he would likely have tried to pull on her, such as bringing her onto the dance floor just as a slow song started to play, and then trying to romance her. She didn’t want to have to go through that.

Irritated and embarrassed, the stranger walked away. First victim gone. Now all she could do was wait for victim number two, at least until she could begin her mission. She was familiar with most of the people present, so all she had to do was wait for someone who did not regularly attend social gatherings such as this one and approach him or her. She silently prayed that that person who would save her from the next dance proposal would come soon.

Just then, as her eyes just happened to glance towards the door (perhaps, she thought, in a sub-conscious desire to leave the place immediately), a group of four young adults entered. The two girls she had never seen before, but anyone who knew anything about the social elite would have recognized the other two, who casually showed the doorman their invitations. One was the Japanese-American pop-star, Ivan Tanaka. The other was David Lueman, the son of one of Great Britain’s most elite capitalist, and a known heir to John and Beverly Carey, heroes of the Magnus Wars. She had no idea what the two were doing here together, but it was the first break that she had encountered in this operation, and she would have done anything to avoid more incidents like the last one. And so, she made her way casually to the group of four.

“Man do I feel out of place,” Annette sighed as she looked around the room. “Looking the part is not the same as filling it, you know.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ivan assured her. “You look stunning. And as for these pompous bastards, I say its better, and certainly more fun, to have them hate you than to like you.”

Annette smiled. Though he didn’t deny her claims, he had complimented her and made her feel better in just a couple of sentences. She grabbed his arm and squeezed gently yet firmly, and to everyone in that room, even David and Rosa, the two seemed like an actual couple.

Annette had been given a red dress for the occasion, and for the first time that Rosa or David could remember, she was actually wearing earrings, makeup, and her hair up rather than letting it fall. Rosa’s dress was a blue one, but other than the make-up she was wearing, there was not much else different about her, except that her necklace and pendant now stood out even more. Ivan and David wore traditional black tuxes. Though Ivan did not seem to mind, it was driving David totally insane, and it was all the poor Brit could do just to keep still.

“For once, I agree with Pretty-boy,” David followed suit. “I have no desire to be on the good side of any of these elitist freaks. That’s why I joined the army in the first place.”

Rosa was surprised, as was Annette. David never talked about his upbringing or past. Even a single sentence was more than anyone would think to expect. Not that many people would believe it; David had spent years trying to reject his aristocratic raising, and had certainly succeeded. This thought, however, was interrupted by as a beautiful young woman with brown hair wearing a black dress approached the group.

“Now, what could a British playboy and a world-famous pop-star possibly be doing at an event such as this?”

Before Ivan, who was used to random conversations like this, could answer, David spoke up. “I’m sorry, but I don’t answer questions from people I don’t know.”

Surprisingly, rather than take offence, the woman giggled. “I’m sorry. My name is Lanara Marva. Pleased to meet you. And who would your lovely young dates be this evening?”

This time Ivan made sure to beat David to the punch. “This beautiful girl at my side is Annette Rosalia, while Mr. Lueman’s escort is the lovely Rosa Sanchez. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Marva.”

“Please, call me Lanara,” she replied. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the predicted victim number two heading towards her. He was slightly better looking that the first one, but she could tell that his personality wasn’t going to be any better. Without even thinking, she, grabbed David by the arm and yanked him towards her. “Do you mind if I borrow him, Ms. Sanchez?”

“Feel free,” Rosa casually replied. Lanara nodded in appreciation and dragged David to the dance-floor.

“Well now, this certainly won’t do,” Ivan said after a few moments. “Here, Rosa, you can dance with Annette and myself.” And so, without warning, Rosa was suddenly in the same position as David had been just seconds earlier.

Across the hall from his peers, David was being forced through a waltz with Lanara. Surprisingly, he was actually quite graceful, considering his long absence from classical music.

“You and I are a lot alike, you know,” Lanara said to David as he lead her through the steps. “We both came from the so-called elite, rejected it, and ended up here. Maybe we were destined to be lovers?”

“I don’t believe in destiny,” David argued. “We get to where we are by our own merits. That is, if we are strong. The weak resign themselves to fate.”

“How true,” Lanara replied. “Personally, I think that the Global Union is a strong example of that. For centuries, millennia even, humanity tore away at the world, and slaughtered one another, all because they lived in a world where competition between nations controlled world policies. Then, after so much hard work, they finally put aside their differences, and created an organization that would allow everyone to work together in cooperation, rather than against each other in competition. Yet there are still those who are blind to the Union’s importance, and so, they continue to fight against it.”

“Heh,” David huffed. “Maybe you were right. Maybe we are pretty similar. That’s exactly the way I feel about things. I may be a member of the European Union, but my allegiance has always been towards the peace and unity provided by the Global Union.”

Lanara smiled, and gazed into David’s eyes, causing him to blush. “You’re certainly something, you know. Handsome, intelligent, independent, the girls must fall for you left and right.”

“And what about you?” David asked, wondering where this was going.

“I’m not exactly a little girl,” Lanara responded, “but then again, you’re not exactly a little boy, either.”

“Just because I’m no longer a boy, doesn’t mean I’m a man yet,” David said, embarrassed and trying to keep himself and this conversation under control. To his relief, Lanara did not continue to persue the conversation.

“You know, I think I might have a good job for you,” Lanara said, pulling out a card with contact information printed on it from her purse. “Let me know if you’re interested.”

With that, the song ended, and Lanara Marva left David behind and in a state of confusion. Before he could figure it all out, however, Ivan and the girls approached him. Annette looked particularly annoyed.

“Time to bail,” Ivan whispered. “Manager has decided that there’s no point in pursuing this mission.”

David nodded, and the group left the hall and made their way back to their ship.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

Dude dont let David join those bastards.....Great chapter as always keep it up
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 6

“If you were just going to call us back, why the Hell did you send us there in the first place!?” Annette roared at Manager. “Do you know how awkward that place was for someone like me?”

“Now, now, it wasn’t a total waste of time,” Ivan said, trying to calm Annette down. “We did find out that there were a large number of people there who are pro-Global Union, and that many of them resent that there are those who prefer the Regional Alliances. We can probably assume that this group that we’re fighting shares those sentiments.”

David looked to the side, recalling the conversation he had had with Lanara Marva at the dance. His thoughts were interrupted by Manager.

“That, and we also have had more time to look into the date we retrieved at Berlin.” Manager went on. There is another section of the data that has been encrypted with the most advanced codes and protection programs available. We’ll need to retrieve the encryption key to go any farther, but seeing as how the original data was hidden among military files, I think we can assume that the key will be hidden in a similar matter.”

“Great, so we can narrow our search down to the few hundred military bases that exist within the GU,” Rosa sarcastically replied.

“Rest assure, we have all the finest agents in the intelligence branch working on that. For now, all we can do is continue on with our duties as agents of Orion. That means A) Gathering information and following missions, and B) continuing the façade of being the crew for Ivan Tanaka,” Manager went on. “In time, things will come together.”

“Speaking of our jobs,” Ivan began, “What’s our next one?”

“HQ hasn’t given us our next mission yet,” Manger explained, “so for now, we are just going to continue acting as a tour group. I’ll inform you all of any changes. You’re all dismissed now.”

The group left the briefing room in an orderly fashion. Ivan, David, Rosa, and Annette were all still wearing their formal attire, so they each began to head to their respective rooms. Before they parted, however, Ivan called out to the other three.

“Hey, after we get settled in, how about we all have dinner together?” he proposed. “I’ll give you a guided tour of the ship after we’re done eating. It’s the lease I can do after forcing you all into this situation.”

“Sorry, but I’ll pass,” David responded. “I already know everything that I need to know.” He left it at that and departed.

As she was watching David leave, she noticed a small glint in Annette’s eyes; a glimmer that, as she had learned from being her roommate from the time she had joined the European Union, indicated that Annette was suppressing excitement. The Spanish girl smiled, not finding it hard to figure out what Annette was excited about.

“I think I’m good too,” She said. “I guess that means that its just gonna be you an Annette this evening, then.”Rosa then proceeded to her own quarters, leaving the two behind.

“So what do you say?” Ivan asked, moving towards Annette. “If you want, we could go now and save getting out of these outfits for later. I personally think that you look absolutely exquisite in that dress.” He then held out his hand, waiting for a response. Annette, speechless for one of the first times in her life, simply smiled, took Ivan’s hand, and allowed him to lead her to the ship’s cafeteria.

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Captain, you have a call. I’ve already set it up to be sent straight to your quarters.”

Lanara nodded her confirmation. “Thank you, Jenkinson. Please take control of the bridge till I get there.”

Jenkinson saluted and departed. Lanara Marva didn’t particularly care for this job, but at least she had a reliable and loyal crew, and Jenkinson was always at the top. Sometimes it seemed as though the man could read her mind, and he was always doing things to make her role just a little bit easier. Small things, like having her morning coffee waiting for her when she woke up, or things like this, but they all served to ease her stress, if only by a little bit.

When she got to her room, she activated her vid-screen and, no surprise to her, it was her employer. She started to change out of her dress and into her uniform, not caring if the old man caught sight of anything.

“Did you have a pleasant evening, my dear?” the man casually asked.

“Oh, it was total Hell. All except for one good dance I got in close to the end,” Marva replied, as she reached for her mask and began to strap it on.

“You failed,” the man bluntly snapped. “You found no traces of any of our enemy’s movements. We lead them straight to you and you couldn’t even find them?”

“What was I supposed to do?” Marva calmly answered, not seeing the point in losing control of her emotions over an old man whose time was reaching its end anyway. “Go around asking everyone if they were connected to a secret organization opposing Project: New Dawn? Besides, even if I didn’t find any enemies, I did find a potential ally; someone who shares our view, and could easily come to share our dream.”

The old man was silent for a moment. “I’ll allow you to see to recruiting this new member. In the meantime, I will have our people lead the enemy to the encryption codes. You will wait for them in Italy.”

“Are you sure that you want to point them straight to the real codes?” Marva asked. “They’re no slouches. We shouldn’t assume that an ambush will be 100% perfect.”

“It hardly matters if they get the codes or not. Project: New Dawn is in its final stages. Even if they do manage to uncover our prototype, we have all the data we need to continue with our plans. That is all for now.”

The transmission ended just as Marva finished buttoning up her uniform. After she was dressed, she proceeded straight to the bridge, ready to relay her crews new orders, and to try and figure out a way to get David Lueman on their side.

--------------------------------------------------

Whistles, stares, winks, and an assortment of other responses followed Annette and Ivan throughout the whole evening, each of them still wearing their formal attire. Annette blushed in embarrassment and irritation all through the halls of the ship, though Ivan seemed not to care. After their dinner, if one could call cheap, cafeteria food dinner, Ivan escorted Annette back to her room, bowed (both jokingly and politely), and left for his own quarters.

Rosa approached David from behind as he watched the scene, and as he stared towards Annette’s door, both of them back in their casual clothing.

“Jealous, Dave?” Rosa asked, trying to annoy her team-mate.

David just turned around and glared (irritation evident in his eyes), and replied. “Not likely. If Annette wants to carry out her romantic fantasies with her idol, then who am I to stop her?”

“Or maybe you just prefer older women,” Rosa coyly suggested. “You seemed to be having a grand time with Miss Marva earlier this evening.”

“Think whatever you want to,” David replied. “I don’t really give a damn. If you want to come up with your own twisted ideas about my life, I can’t really stop you.”

David then turned around and headed towards his room, ready to call it a night. Rosa, all alone in the hall, followed David’s example and also went to her room. Meanwhile, Annette laid in her bed, thinking of the events which had been taking place over the last little while. On the one hand, she had been ripped from her fairly normal life against her will, but this evening had her questioning whether it was totally a bad thing or not.

Either way there wasn’t much she could do about it. All she could do was just go along with everything, and hope that it would all work out for the best.


That morning, Manager appeared in the middle of the cafeteria, interrupting everyone’s breakfast to give them their next assignment.

“We have received intelligence which indicates that the encryption key we are looking for is hidden in the files of Italy’s main military base in Rome. We will be heading there as soon as everyone is ready. After you’ve finished eating, report to your stations and get ready. We can’t just appear out of nowhere and ask to perform a concert at the base, so we’re going to have to do this without cover or distraction, so I want all retrieval units to be at the top of their game. Ivan, you and you’re team will stand by in your mobile suits, just in case. You will all receive a more detailed, individual briefing closer to mission time. That is all.”

There was a lot of commotion around the cafeteria as Manager left. Those who had finished their meal did just as he told them to and left for their posts after placing their dishes away to be cleaned. Ivan, Lan, David, Rosa, and Annette all sat still, though Rosa was the only one who hadn’t cleaned her plate yet.

“So, its off to Rome next,” David repeated. “I hope we can get this all over with when we get that encryption key.”

“That will all depend on what we find after we get through the codes and view the data we have so far,” Ivan replied. “It could be that you three will be staying for only a short while, or you could be stuck with us for a long time to come, though I do hope for your sakes that it is the former rather than the later. I like having you around, but it isn’t really fair to you guys. I’ll meet you in the hangar. I’m gonna go talk with Manager for a bit.”

“What do you think he’s going to talk about, Lan?” Rosa asked Ivan’s little brother.

“Well, knowing Ivan, he’s likely going to discuss the upcoming mission,” Lan responded. “Big Brother really doesn’t like quick briefings, especially when it comes to fighting. He always makes sure that he goes over everything with Manager, and now that he has a team, its even more important for him to understand things. Before, the Bushido was just a last line of defence; Ivan would only ever have to use it to protect the ship if things got rough. But now that there are four mobile suits and battles are becoming more frequent, he’s going to try and make sure that he has the best understanding of the situation that he can get.”

Annette looked off in the direction that Ivan had gone. Somehow, she had a feeling that it was more than just re-confirming everything. Especially since Manager had said that he would give a more detailed explanation later. However, there was little she could do, so she just rose and went to deposit her dishes.

In the hallway outside the bridge, Ivan had already started his talk with Manager.

“Are you absolutely sure this isn’t a trap?” Ivan asked. “It seems way too easy to me. The enemy knows of our existence, and I get the impression that this is something they would do in order to lure us out. Even if the data is there, we probably can’t expect to get it so easily.”

“And that’s why I’m having you stand-by for launch,” Manager replied. “I agree with everything you have said, but we need to get that data. There is a chance that the data is there. Even if its not, we don’t know for sure, so we have to take the chance.”

Ivan sighed, saluted, and headed for the mobile suit hangar.

“Okay, guys, get ready for the worst,” Ivan said to the other three. “Lan, are all preparations made? We may need to launch at a moment’s notice.”

“All set, Ivan,” Lan confirmed.

“So I’m going back to Italy,” Annette murmured. “I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing…”

A voice came over the intercom. “Attention all personal. We are about to enter Earth’s atmosphere. Brace yourselves for re-entry. We will be commencing the operation as soon as we reach the outskirts of Rome Base.”

---------------------------------------------

“Ma’am, sensors are picking up a small ship entering the atmosphere. It appears to be heading towards Italy,” Jenkinson reported.

“Very good,” Marva replied. “Wait for them to reach our location, then shoot them down.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

Great as always dude...Keep it up
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 7

“Captain! The unidentified vessel is within firing range!”

“Good,” Captain Marva replied. “Now, fire all weapons! I’m heading out in the Deterrence! Take over for me Jenkinson!”

There was a surge of light and a loud boom as the Dawn fired off everything it had, and all weapons were targeted straight at the Orion ship. Soon afterwards, Marva’s Gundam was launched, and began flying off into the sky to confront its adversaries.

Onboard the Orion ship, the attack did not go unnoticed, as sensors went blazing off all over the bridge.

“Deploy Reflector!” Manager called out.

The entire ship rattled as the reflector field was initiated just a split second before the impact of multiple gunshots, positron cannons, and missiles. It felt to everyone like the vessel might fall apart in mid-air.

“Manager! One mobile suit of Gundam-class has been launched. Should we deploy Tanaka’s team?” a female bridge-operator asked. Manager nodded, and within a few seconds, all four of the Orion Gundams were launched, flying down to meet the Deterrence.

“Damn this!” Ivan cursed. “The Bushido isn’t capable of atmospheric flight. It can’t even glide!”

“Same thing goes for my Grace,” Rosa replied. “So why are we launching when only David and Annette can take on aerial opponents?”

Ivan paused, then snickered as though he had figured it out. “Well, we might not be able to fly, but we can leave a pretty big crater when we land…”

Rosa thought about what Ivan said, then groaned when the plan dawned on her. “This is gonna leave a few marks. David! Annette! Don’t attack till Ivan says it’s alright.”

Before the two could reply to Rosa’s message, the Deterrence appeared, firing shoulder-mounted gattling guns at the group. Ivan nodded to Rosa over the com-screen, indicating that he was about to initiate the plan. A moment afterwards, both the Grace’s and Bushido’s thrusters were fired to maximum power, sending Ivan and Rosa colliding with the Deterrence, forcing it to fall with them down to the Earth.

“Damn these lunatics!” Marva exclaimed, unable to break either of the two machines off of her. She fired her Gundam’s thrusters to maximum force. It wouldn’t be enough to allow flight with the weight of two extra machines hanging onto her, but at the least it would allow a safe descent.

----------------------------------------------

Back on the bridge of the Orion ship, Manager and his crew were trying to figure things out. It was obvious that this had indeed been a trap, just as Ivan had suggested, but now was not the time to worry about that; they had to retrieve the data they had come for.

“Is the new hacking system ready?” Manager asked.

“Theoretically yes,” one crewman replied. “But we aren’t sure if it will work in practice, or what kinds of risks it poses on those who use it.”

“We don’t really have much of a choice,” Manager replied. “I’ll use the system then.”

Just as Manger was about to get up, he was stopped by a female CIC operator. “I’ll go,” the girl said. “We can’t afford to lose you, Manger. You’re the one holding this unit together, whether you realize it or not. I’m trained in computer sciences and a skilled hacker. I should be able to get the data, even if things go wrong.”

“Laura… Okay. Get to it. We need to get done with our business here as fast as possible,” Manger ordered. “Now, focus our fire on the enemy ship!”

The girl, Laura, got up from her seat and rushed out of the bridge, getting out just before another ship-wide tremor indicating that they had just fired back at the enemy almost sent her falling on her knees. She grabbed a railing to stop her descent, and then rushed to another room down the hall, barking orders before she was even inside.

“Get the Remote Data-Retrieval System up and running! I want to be strapped in five- no, ten minutes ago! No objections! Just hurry!”

The crewmen inside the room complied, rushing to assemble and activate the machines that would enable Laura to obtain their target data without leaving the ship.

Outside the ship, the Orion vessel fired a positron blast that barely missed the five Gundams engaged in atmospheric combat. Marva watched as her ship evaded the blast, and began to position itself to lift off and fire again. However, she had more important things to worry about, such as making it through the rough landing that was coming up fast. Realizing that she couldn’t slow down enough, Marva decided to take a bit of a risk; one that would at least allow her to make it out of this situation alive.

“Initiating Core Compression,” She muttered as she flipped some switches and braced herself for the sudden surge in power her machine was about to receive.

In the Bushido, Ivan’s sensors were blazing like a light show. “Rosa! Get off now! We should be close enough to the ground to land with minor damage!”

It was too late, as the Deterrence began to emit an emerald-green glow. Marva spun her machine round in a barrel roll, tossing the two machines pinning her down off of her. Both the Grace and the Bushido crashed down into the Italian countryside beneath them, trying to make it to their feet.

“That’s… Core Compression…” David said both in awe and terror.

“But that kind of technology was made illegal with the Gundara Weaponry Restriction Acts passed after the Magnus Wars…” Annette replied, shocked and trying to find some other explanation.”

“Yeah, did you really expect our friends to play by the rules?” Ivan replied. “Anyway, don’t worry about it. You three just supply some cover fire for me. Just go all out, and try to keep this guy pinned a little, as close to ground-level as you can keep her.”

Before anyone could ask Ivan what his plan was, there was a blinding green light as Ivan initiated the illegal technology, Core Compression, in his own machine.

“I don’t play by the rules, either,” he said with a confident smirk plastered on his face. He fired the Bushido’s thrusters to full, and leapt up into the air, drawing his machine’s massive katana, preparing to slice through the enemy.

---------------------------------------

The battle between the two ships was going nowhere. The Orion vessel, though equipped with a few special (and slightly illegal) weapons and systems, was no match in terms of fire-power against the Dawn. However, at the same time, the Dawn was much larger and less manoeuvrable than the Orion carrier, which was designed to be small and sleek. It was a defensive battle that seemed like it could go on forever. In the end, it was going to be the mobile suit battle taking place which would decide everything.

“Damn it all…” Manager cursed. “I hope Laura can hurry up and get that data so we can get out of here…”

In the data retrieval room, Laura found herself strapped into a large chair with a VR helmet and several cables and wires connecting her to a computer system, which was positioned in front of her. Her long blonde locks hung out from under the helmet. Her hazel eyes were covered by the visor.

“Let’s do this now, before we get shot down,” Laura commanded the technicians in charge of the Retrieval System. “Start the system.”

There was a hesitant nod from the lead operator, as he entered in the codes and procedures that would initiate the Remote Data Retrieval System. It took a few moments for the program to start up, but it wasn’t long before Laura was letting out a scream of agony as her mind was ripped from her body and converted into data. From here she could enter the target system, and retrieve the desired data without leaving any trace of her presence. Of course, there was no guarantee that she’d be able to make it back.

To Laura, it seemed as though everything around her de-materialized, turning into nothing but blue light. Simply by thinking it, she created a pathway that would take her to the military computer.

“I have to get that data. Even if I can’t make it back to my body, I at least have to get them the encryption codes…”

---------------------------------------------------

While the battle between the two ships may have been a defensive stand-still, the mobile suit battle was a standstill of the opposite kind. After Ivan had leapt up to attack, the Deterrence had used its two blades to block Ivan’s sword, twirled around, and tossed Ivan and the Bushido. Ivan had recovered, while Annette, David, and Rosa began trying to attack. Rosa’s and Annette’s gunfire didn’t even scratch the paint of the enemy Gundam, and David, whose machine was meant for close-quarters combat, was just trying not to get sliced in to as he swung the Valour’s axes at the Deterrence.

“How the Hell can we take this creep down if we can’t even damage him?” Annette asked in frustration.

“We have to bide our time until Core Compression exhausts his energy,” David replied. “If we can stay alive long enough for that, then he’ll become totally defenceless and we’ll take the advantage.”

“Out of my way!” Ivan called out to his team-mates as he charged in for another attack. This time, he started by firing the three boomerang-blades from his machine’s shoulder. The Deterrence easily shook them off, but that was what Ivan had expected and hoped for, as he once more leapt into the air and brought his massive sword down upon the now-open enemy. The Deterrence was just barely able to get a single sword up in time to block Ivan’s attack, and was sent falling down into the ground.

Lanara Marva cursed her foolishness. She had initiated Core Compression believing that it would enable her to overpower her foes, but she had not anticipated that the one wielding the large blade would also have this ability. What was worse, this enemy seemed to be using a machine that consumed the energy of the Core Compression reaction at a slower rate, so while he was not as strong as the Deterrence was, he would be able to maintain his power for a longer period of time.

Then, as if God was trying to mess with her mind, several alarms began going off in the Deterrence, indicating that it was about to run out of power.

“Damn it all!” Lanara roared in frustration as she deactivated the reaction.

“Now’s our chance!” Rosa declared.

“Right,” Ivan agreed, deactivating his own Core Compression to conserve energy. “Now everyone close in!”

“Not if I have anything to say about that,” Lanara mused, seeing that her enemies were getting ready to take her out. “When its four against one, you always have to make sure that you’re prepared for anything…”

Then, the whole ground around the five war machines began to explode, obviously rigged ahead of time with mines and traps. Lanara Marva grinned, as she began to slowly retreat, taking the path that had been arranged for her to be free of explosives in the event that she needed to retreat.

“Jenkinson! We’re getting out of here, now,” Lanara ordered as she lifted off and began flying towards her ship, leaving the other four Gundams behind.

-----------------------------------------------------------

“What the Hell is going on down there!?” Manager asked rhetorically, not expecting a good answer from anyone (though a few members of his crew would probably end up giving him some pretty lame ones).

“Manager!” Ivan reported in. “The enemy even more prepared for us than we originally suspected. The entire area has been rigged with explosive traps. The Gundams should be able to survive with relatively minor damage, but it did allow the enemy to escape. And until this inferno settles down I don’t think that our ship can land to pick us up. I’m sending David and Annette back to you. Rosa and I will wait here.”

“Understood, Tanaka,” Manager replied. “Try to hold out until then.”

Just as Ivan signed out, Laura came bursting in. She was pale and sickly-looking, and could barely stand, but she had a smile that indicated what she had come to report.

“Data successfully retrieved,” she said. “I’ve already got the data-analysis team working on it.”

“Finally some good new!” Manager sighed. “Fine. As soon as we can retrieve all the pilots and their machines, we’re heading out, back to HQ.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

It has occurred to me that I kinda lost a bit of focus in the process of writing this, and that a lot of the attention is now on Ivan, even though I intended it to be on Annette, so I’m going to start trying to shine the spotlight more on Annette from this point on.

Chapter 8

“They sure are taking a long time in there,” David muttered impatiently, standing outside the data room where the ship’s best computer scientists and hackers were attempting to make use of the encryption keys that had just been retrieved.

“Data analysis is no easy thing, even if you have all the pieces that you need,” Ivan explained, getting an irritated glare from David. Pleased with this response, Ivan continued. “Just having the key doesn’t mean that you can just walk up to the door and open it. There’s a whole bunch of programming and code-breaking involved. I don’t know the exact details; I’ve never been very good with computers. But it always takes our team some time to sort through anything, because they have to be sure that everything is perfect.”

“Whatever,” David grumbled. “I’m out of here.”

The British pilot stormed off, and Ivan smirked at having got the better of him. But the performer-pilot couldn’t deny that he was a little impatient as well. This was perhaps the biggest thing that they had ever stumbled upon.

After the mishap in Italy, with the explosions finally ceasing and the Orion ship being able to get in low enough to pick up Ivan and Rosa, the team had headed straight back to their headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. The data team had attempted to try and decode the Project Dawn data enroute, but required more advanced computer systems than their ship could provide. They had resumed their attempts immediately after arriving at the main base. Ivan and David had chosen to wait outside the data room, while Rosa and Annette chose to accompany Laura, who, though not seriously injured, still required medical attention.

“This data had better be worth it…” Ivan muttered to himself. “It’s giving us a lot of Hell.”

-------------------------------------------------------

“So… these enemies of ours are also using Core Compression technology…” the old man said after hearing Lanara’s report. “I suppose its not entirely out of the question; they are operating outside of the Global Union, so they probably wouldn’t have any qualms about using illegal technology…”

‘Like you people are any different,’ Lanara thought to herself before speaking outloud. “I believe it was only the red machine with the large sword. The other three machines were clearly the same ones we fought in Berlin, and would have been constructed under the supervision of the GU…”

“So in other words, that red machine and its pilot pose the greatest threat in terms of battle strength, though even without Core Compression any Gundam is a powerful weapon,” the old man responded. “By the way, those pests managed to steal the encryption codes. If they had the power of Core Compression on their side, then it is also possible that they have cyber-neural interface systems as well. But that is besides the point. What I’m trying to say is-”

“That we need to head for Canada, correct?” Lanara interrupted. The old man smiled and ended the transmission.

Lanara removed her mask, and took a deep breath of relief. She had always found the thing to be very restricting and uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, and could never figure out how her ancestor could ever have worn it for so long. That, however, was a small, insignificant question. Now, her task was simple:

Head for Canada, and protect the Project: New Dawn prototype.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Annette twirled her thumbs as she and Rosa sat on either side of Laura’s bed. They had heard about the risk that she had taken in order to obtain the encryption codes, and were both in awe of her dedication, and worried for her health.

“Why the Hell would these guys even think about using cyber-neural integration technology?” Rosa pondered outloud. “I know that they’re not exactly following the law; that much was made clear when Ivan initiated Core Compression, a technology made illegal by the Gundara Restriction Laws passed after the Magnus Wars… but Cyber-neural tech is just downright dangerous, with too many risks to the user. At least Core Compression can be controlled…”

“They must all be really dedicated to their cause, whatever that is…” Annette added. “Why do they fight against the Global Union anyway?”

“We fight because the world needs a balance of power. Without it, the Global Union would have no one to oppose them, and they could not be held accountable for their actions.”

Rosa and Annette both jumped as Manager walked in, carrying a bouquet of flowers, with Lan following behind him.

Manager continued. “We don’t especially hate the GU as a whole, though there are a few members of Orion with a personal grudge… We just don’t think that they can be trusted enough to operate without scrutiny. They are politicians, after all. And this operation that they are carrying out now… even if it doesn’t involve the entire Union, it is still being conducted by a part of it…”

Manager put the flowers beside Laura’s bed, bowed his head, and left the room. Lan stayed behind, and sat himself down at the foot of the bed. “Please, don’t think that we like using illegal technology. We know that breaking the rules in order to enforce them is very hypocritical, but we’re just a small organization with next to no funding; we take what we can get if it means it’ll make us strong enough to carry out our duty.”

Annette looked at the boy, then spoke. “So how exactly did you and Ivan end up in this organization? I mean, Ivan is only a little older than us, and you’re just a little boy…”

Lan glared at Annette, but sighed and answered. “Our parents… were a part of the Yakuza in Tokyo. But they loved us, and took care of us, protected us from their dark and secret world. When Ivan was four, our father began teaching him how to fight, telling him, ‘You must only ever use this strength to protect the ones you care about.’ When I was seven, our parents were killed by the Yakuza. But thanks to Ivan, the two of us were able to escape. Then Orion found us, or rather, they found Ivan. He was already a strong fighter, so they decided to make use of him. I just followed my brother, because he’s the only family I have left…”

Rosa and Annette slumped a bit, unable to imaging the pain that the two had gone through. “By the way,” Annette continued, “It was you and Ivan that we met in the alleyway before the concert, right?” Lan nodded.

Before Annette could say anything more, an announcement came over the intercom, calling their team to the main briefing room. The three reluctantly left Laura alone, following Lan to their destination.


“Okay, its taken a while, but we finally managed to decode all the data that Manager’s team has managed to retrieve. You should all be proud of your accomplishment. But that can come later. Right now, your team has been chosen to finish this operation.”

The man wore what appeared to be a Japanese military uniform. Annette could only wonder if he was really a soldier or not, though if she had learned one thing, it was that nothing about Orion was predicable.

“According to this data, our enemies have been carrying out a covert operation, code-named ‘Project: New Dawn’. The enemy ship you have encountered, by the way, is called the Dawn, and though we don’t know much more, it should be clear that they are the lapdogs of the ones behind this project.

The precise details of New Dawn are no given in this data, but we were able to discover that it is using mass quantities of Gundara Fluid, and the location of its main laboratory. Your team will be given a new ship, our latest vessel, The Jetstream, and head to this base, located in the Northwest Territories of the province of Canada.”

“Canada? Why Canada?” Rosa asked.

“It makes perfect sense from multiple standpoints,” Ivan began answering before David interrupted.

“If they need Gundara Fluid, it would make sense to have a lab located on or around the polar ice caps, since you can’t mine the stuff anywhere else,” David explained. “Since Antarctica’s reserves are collectively owned by all the provinces, that leaves the Arctic Ocean, were several provinces have their own independent reserves, the most notable being the US, Russia, an Canada. Since both the US and Russia are largely supportive of more provincial independence and opposed to the GU to some degree, an organization working for the Union would be unwise to set up shop there. Canada, however, has a long history of supporting the Global Union entirely, so it’s the perfect nation to go when you need support and, of course, Gundara Fluid.”

The two boys glared at each other yet again. Already this was a common event as the two tried to constantly get the better of the other.

“Well explained, Tanaka, Lueman,” the commander said. “Now, Manager, as soon as all your supplies and mobile suits have been transferred to the Jetstream, you are to head to the coordinates you will be receiving before launch, and shut down New Dawn.You’re all dismissed until then.”

Manager saluted, followed by everyone else, and everyone left the room.

“Hey Ivan! Wait up!” Annette called out. Ivan stopped and turned around, waiting for Annette to catch up. “I just wanted to thank you for that rose you gave me in the alleyway…”

“So you finally figured it out,” Ivan commented, grinning. “I kinda hoped you would. I hate wearing disguises, but that’s the only way I’m allowed to go off on my own. So, you ready for this next mission? Its gonna be dangerous…”

“I know, but I still have to go. Not just because I’m a member of this team now, but because I made a promise that I would find the truth behind everything. And besides… I always wanted to go to Canada. I have family there, and I’ve always wanted to see real snow.”

Ivan smiled. “You know that even in the Tundra its not snowy all year, right? Right now, its summer in Canada, so you won’t be able to see anything besides grassy plains where we’re going…”

“I know that, but I still really want to go anyway… maybe we’ll see some mountains or caribou or something amazing!” Annette exclaimed, then blushed as she realized that her excitement was getting the better of her. Ivan was obviously trying to politely hold back his laughter.

“Well, maybe,” Ivan replied. “And maybe you and I could go to Canada later this year. Then you can really see snow and take in the sights. I’m sure that after this mission, we’ll be able to take some time off…”

Annette stared at the floor, her face even more red than it had been previously. And still, Ivan smiled.

“You’re real beautiful, you know that?” Ivan asked. “And you’re so cute right now…”

The next thing she knew, Ivan was brushing his hand against her cheek. She looked up at him, and for the first time, she truly saw how handsome Ivan was. The two began to move closer to one another, and then…

“Hey! Get a move on you two!” a crewmate called out, ignorant of the moment the two were sharing. “We’re all supposed to get onboard the Jetstream and prepare for take-off.”

Ivan sighed, and looked at Annette. “We’ll have to pick up where we left off some other time…” Ivan said, as he began to run off in the same direction as the others. Annette held her own hand to where Ivan’s had been, smiled, then followed close behind.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

Good job Ben....Canada eh? lol I hope they go to England too
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 9

Manager sat down in the captain’s seat of his new ship, and instantaneously began to hand out commands for launch preparations.

“Get the engines fired up and stabalized. This is a Gundara-powered ship, right? Keep an eye on those systems. Run a preliminary diagnostics scan on all weapon and defense systems. I don’t want anything to go wrong in the likely chance that we have to engage in battle.”

While he was in the process of doing this, the bridge door hissed open, and a familiar face walked in, taking her seat at the CIC panel.

“Laura! I thought that you were still being hospitalized!” Manager exclaimed, hardly even bothering to contain his pleasure and excitement.

“Well, I couldn’t stand the thought of being left behind,” Laura responded, “and it will take more than a computer program to take me out of action. So, 2nd Lt. Laura Macher, reporting for duty, sir!”

Manager smiled, nodded, then returned to his duties of making sure the Jetstream was ready for its maiden voyage. “Check in on the mobile suit hangar, too. Get me connected with either one of the technicians or one of the pilots.”

“Roger that,” one of the crewmen replied. “Contacting mobile suit hangar now.”


As the bridge crew was busy making sure all systems were ready for the maiden launch of the Jetstream, the hangar crews were busy making sure everything was go for the Jetstream’s first battle, which was likely to be coming up very soon. Technicians were running from mobile suit to computer and back to mobile suit frantically, wanting to try and get everything done before they took off. It was a young female technician who answered the call from the bridge, being the closest to the monitor at the time.

“How are preparations coming?” Manager asked.

“We’re ahead of schedule, and its almost certain that we’ll be ready before launch,” the energetic young machinist replied as she saluted. “And as per your request, we are installing Core Compression systems into the three European Gundams, though that could take a bit longer to complete. For now, we are focusing on the Valour, since we can’t afford to have three out of four mobile suits out of commission. We will proceed with the Grace afterwards, followed by the Majesty.”

“Very good. Report to me with all system checks are finished, and after each Core Compression system is finished with instalment. Just be sure that all four of our Gundams have the capability before we reach Canada,” Manager both congratulated and ordered. “Signing off now.”

The view-screen went blank, leaving the young technician to get back to her work. Meanwhile, the four pilots were busy helping the inspection crews with the maintenance of their respective mobile suits.

“I don’t like this…” David muttered as he handed one of the technicians a data file on the Valour.

“What? Having your machine out of commission, or installing illegal technology?” the crewman asked.

“Both.” David replied. Then he walked away before the conversation could be carried any further. Annette watched from afar and sighed, at David’s stubborn nature, as well as several other things.

“You’re looking a bit tired,” Ivan said to her, approaching her from behind and nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. After she regained herself, she turned around and answered.

“Can you really blame me?” She asked. “For the last little while I’ve been jumping from country to country to colony and back to country. We’ve been fighting almost non-stop, and when we’re not fighting we’re usually gathering intelligence. And this was all forced upon us with no time to adapt.”

“Yeah, I can see your point,” Ivan responded, scratching his head in embarrassment. “Took me a while to get used to it too.”

The two were silent. Ivan sat down beside Annette, and Annette in turn leaned against Ivan’s shoulder.

“Do you think that I’ll ever be able to go back to my old way of life?” She asked. “The way things were before all of this insanity started?”

Ivan looked down and saw that the poor girl was struggling to hold back tears. He wrapped his arm around her, looked to the ground beneath his feet, and sighed.

“I really can’t say for sure,” he answered honestly. “I’d like to say that after we’re done you’d be allowed to return to the EU forces, but I can’t guarantee that. For all I know, you could be a permanent member of Orion…”

Neither of the two said a word. Neither did they notice David, staring at the two from behind a crate.

“A permanent member,” he muttered to himself. “No way. Not gonna happen to me.”

“Hey! David! They need you for some adjustments to the Valour’s OS!” Rosa called out.

“I’ll be right there,” David mumbled. He stuck his hand into his pocket, and pulled out the contact information that Lanara had given him back on G-71. He shoved it back into his pocket, and walked towards his machine.

---------------------------------------------------

Lanara sat in her captain’s seat, drumming her fingers as her ship and crew headed for the Canadian tundra. Even after they got there, there was no telling how long it would take for the enemy to get there, and not only did Lanara not particularly like the tundra, but she also did not like waiting in ambush.

“This is really starting to get too troublesome…” she muttered to herself. “Jenkinson, take over for me, please.”

She did not even wait for him to accept. She simply left the bridge, and headed down the hall, debating whether she should grab something to eat before having a bath and taking a nap. She held her hands around her waist, and decided not to bother with the snack, and headed straight for her room.

The hot water felt almost impossible good, and as Lanara allowed her mind to drift, she was almost able to forget about her mission. But Project: New Dawn was one of those things that you only thought more about the more you let yourself try and forget. She hated thinking about it, because it only raised more and more self-doubts. She believed that the project was necessary for the world to maintain peace, even if it did involve some less than noble means to its end. But it was starting to become bigger and bigger, and more and more fuss was being made over it since the enemy had discovered it.

But most of all, she kept asking why she of all people, who had not even been a soldier before being chosen to participate in the selection exams for Project Dawn’s main field commander, had been forced to carry the burden of defending the project. To make matters worse, she was forced to embrace a family history that she was personally very ashamed of.

“Way, way too troublesome,” she mumbled, her face almost submerged beneath the bubbly bath water.

Once she started to resemble a dried prune, Lanara got up, dried off, slipped into a bathrobe, and barely made it to her bed before collapsing. This whole affair was starting to stress her out and affect her sleep pattern, but she had to push onward. For the sake of the Global Union, and for the sake of world peace.

For some inconceivable reason, she found herself thinking about David Lueman and the dance they had shared.

“I wonder, David, if you are one of those pilots… I guess it wouldn’t be so bad fighting someone as cute as you…”

And with that thought, Lanara finally showed her human side as she fell asleep from total exhaustion.

----------------------------------------------------

Two days passed onboard the Jetstream without any incident. Normally, the ship would have probably been able to get to Canada from Japan much faster, but the crew was taking things slowly to give themselves more time to prepare, especially in the installing of the Core Compression reactors in the European Gundams. So far, the Valour had been equipped with the illegal technology, and the Majesty was almost finished. With the Grace already being prepped for the upgrade, it seemed fairly certain that all four mobile suits would indeed be capable of releasing their dormant powers by the time the target coordinates were reached.

The two girls, no longer needed by the technicians and hangar crews, had decided to take a shower to get all the grease that had accumulated on them off, and to relax for the first time since the attack on Berlin base.

“So, Annette,” Rosa began, her coy manner of speaking and grin on her face betraying any attempts she may have been making to hide the nature of her next comment, “I see that you and Ivan have been getting pretty close lately.”

Annette almost slipped, fell, and hit her head on the soap bar holder of her selected shower stall. Only quick reflexes on her part saved her from impact. But her face was now almost glowing red, and no hot water had touched her body yet.

“Ivan… and me… we’re just… well, I guess that we could be…” Annette stopped when Rosa began to laugh with great hysteria.

“Oh man, have you got it big for that guy,” Rosa replied, gasping for air and trying to regain her composure. She turned the water for her shower on, carefully using her hand to measure its temperature, before continuing. “But seriously, you two would make an awesome couple. You should totally go all the way with him.”

Annette followed Rosa’s example and turned on the water for her own shower stall, then turned to Rosa, her face perhaps even more red than when Rosa had started the conversation. “I don’t believe that that’s any of your business, Rosa.”

Rosa merely giggled. “Fine. Have it your way. But I’m usually dead on when it comes to this kind of stuff, and I have a strong feeling that things will end up going in that direction no matter how hard you try to deny it.”

Annette remained quiet, and the two girls began to wash.


Elsewhere on the ship, another, more dramatic confrontation was about to begin, as David called out to Ivan, who was walking down the hall that would take him from the hangar to his room.

“Hey! Pretty-boy!” David called. Ivan turned around, not looking forward to this conversation. “Permanent members of Orion, eh? Where the f*** do you get off saying something like that? It’s all your fault we’re here! And Annette… she’s really suffered a lot because of all this. You owe it to her at least to make sure that we get out of this as soon as possible. You know how much she adores you, right?”

“Yes, David, I am aware of all that, and I do intend to get you out of this organization, but unfortunately, despite my fame as a performer, I’m just a lowly soldier with next to no influence on the higher ups,” Ivan snapped back, not really in the mood to put up with David’s stubborn and rebellious personality. “So I can make a case, and try to convince the commanders of your trustworthiness, but in the end, it’s all up to them.”

Even David was surprised by his next action, and the fury from which it was born, as he grabbed Ivan by the collar and threw him into the wall. “That’s just not good enough. I’ll say this now, if you don’t get us out of here, and worse, if you do anything to hurt Annette, or Rosa, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Ivan showed no fear beyond his initial shock, grabbed David’s wrist, squeezed, and as David was letting go, replied, “Don’t worry. I would never hurt Annette or Rosa. Especially not Annette. I’ll do everything I can to get you out of here. But just know this… if you try to kill me, I will defend myself. And when I defend myself, you’re the one who will end up dead.”

The two boys then departed, walking down opposite directions.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Kage-Kaze]

OOOOO Confrontation I can pretty much guess whats gonna happen its awesome keep it up
_________________
Pride and Passion - England Til I die

[Spender]

Chapter 10

“It’s so beautiful!” Annette exclaimed as she looked out the window. After the Compression Core had been installed in all of the Gundams, the Jetstream had increased its pace and had arrived in the Canadian Tundra ahead of schedule. Annette had been clamouring over the scenery since they had arrived. “Man, I really wish that we didn’t have to fight…”

Ivan wrapped his arm around Annette’s shoulder. “It can’t be helped. A fight is almost totally inevitable. But I know how you feel. This place is so beautiful, yet so fragile; one of the only places on Earth that has not been tainted by mankind’s influence.”

The two young pilots turned to face each other. “Uh, I believe that we were interrupted last time,” Annette bashfully reminded. “You said we would pick up… where… we…”

The two were drawn closer and closer to each other, but just before their lips could make contact, an announcement came over the ship’s intercom.

“Attention, we are entering Condition Red. All crew report to battle stations.”

The two let out a long, frustrated sigh, and headed to the hangar to ready their machines.

“Oh, and before I forget,” Ivan said to Annette as the two were jogging down the hall, “Don’t push your machine too far. Core Compression is to be used only in absolute need; if you run out of power before you can finish the job, you’re pretty much toast.”

“Don’t worry,” Annette answered. “I was going to try and get by without using it at all if I could. I’ve read the history books, so I know all about it. And besides, I don’t even feel comfortable just flying a machine with illegal technology installed, let alone actually using that technology…”

Ivan smiled. “That’s okay, and I’m glad to hear that you won’t be using it unnecessarily. Now, what do you say we go kick some ass? I need to vent some frustration…”

“You mean, for being interrupted again?” Annette asked both playfully and curiously.

“That, and a little incident with a certain other crewman that I had a little while ago…” Ivan answered, confusing Annette. “But don’t worry about that. The two of us need to just focus on getting back alive so that we can finally finish off that romantic moment.”

Annette smiled, nodded, and the two entered the hanger to take their places in the cockpits of their respective mobile suits. When they entered, David and Rosa were already there, David already seated in the Valour, and Rosa on the lift taking her up to the cockpit.

“’Bout time you showed up, Pretty-boy,” David shot at Ivan. Ivan was tempted to lift a certain finger in an obscene gesture, but elected instead to stick his tongue out at the Brit.

“Would you boys stop with your childish antics,” Rosa muttered, with a grimace on her face. She didn’t mind a friendly rivalry, but these two had been almost at each other’s throats since they had met. Unfortunately, no one heard her silent plea.

“Just get ready to launch…” Ivan said mostly to David, but as an order to everyone. “Manager has decided that this is too dangerous for our intelligence team; only soldiers like ourselves are suitable for this mission, so congratulations all, we’re the advance team, and the retrieval team, all rolled into one convenient little package.”

There was a noticeable groan from David, after which everyone boarded their Gundams and started all the routines necessary for launch preparation.


On the bridge, preparations were also underway for what was anticipated to be the largest, most important battle the Orion crew had yet faced. There had been no attempts by the enemy to cut them off as they crossed the ocean from Japan to Canada, which likely meant that the Dawn forces had been concentrated at the lab’s location. Manager had to start preparing numerous battle tactics for any given situation, and the bridge crew had to make sure that the Jetstream could take anything that was thrown at it.

“If the enemy tries a pincher formation…” Manager muttered to himself, an habit of his when he was strategizing, “Maybe it would be best if we left one or two of the mobile suits behind for defensive purposes… but then what if they others become overwhelmed in their fight… this is a highly classified project that most people even in the GU are unaware of; I doubt that there will be a large number of enemy units for them to spare, but can we really take that chance?”

Manger stopped when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, and looked up to see Laura smiling. “Don’t push yourself, Manager,” she said, “this would be difficult for any captain. Just go with your instincts, and if you’re wrong, change your plans. No one is going to hate you for making a mistake.”

Manager took a deep breath and smiled. “Thanks, Laura. I needed that.” He then turned his attention to everyone on the bridge, and said, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, its time for the real show to start!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Deep in the Canadian tundra, a short ways away from what appeared to be an small, abandoned look-out post, the Deterrence stood, with the Dawn close by, waiting for their foes to arrive. One crewmember had pointed out that by standing in plain view, they were giving away the camouflage of the secret lab; Marva had countered by pointing out that the enemy had the coordinates for the base, so they’d have figured it out anyway. The best shot they had was at standing right between them and the base. It took away the element of surprise, but also prevented the enemy from being able to slip past them.

“The Dawn will serve as a forward guard, taking on the enemy ship head on,” Marva had explained. “They will likely launch at least two of their four confirmed mobile suits. Those MSs will head straight for the lab, where a team our own mobile suits will be waiting, with me leading. Jenkinson, just focus on the ship and leave the Gundams to me.”

And so the Dawn team had set up their defense, and could only wait while the enemy drew closer. But soon, their patience would pay off, as sensors picked up an unknown vessel heading for them; it was a new ship, but it was definitely heading straight for them, which, in such a remote location, narrowed the list of suspects down to one: the enemy.

“Just follow the plan and focus on taking this ship down,” Marva re-ordered her crew onboard the Dawn. “But be ready for anything; if this is a new ship, its likely better equipped for combat, so don’t let your guard down.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Jenkinson saluted as he ended the transmission with his captain, leaving Marva with the five ZAKU pilots she had selected to act as the rear guard alongside her.

“And as for you,” she said to these pilots, “Our job may be even more difficult. These are Gundams, with well-trained pilots in the cockpits. Do not underestimate them. If you do, then the chances of you living to see your friends and families again drops to practically nothing. Understand?”

There was a unanimous comply, and Marva took a deep breath. She was piloting a Gundam as well, and was arguably one of the best pilots in the world, but she had fought with these enemies before, and she knew that even if she and her five subordinates were at their best, this would be no easy fight.

“Alright,” she said to herself after a deep breath. “Let’s get ready.”

--------------------------------------------------

“Manager! Enemy ship directly ahead!”

“Good. Now, open fire! Launch the Gundams!”

With that, the battle began. Both ships began to open-fire on each other almost simultaneously. Within seconds of the first shots, the four Gundams were launched, and the sped off towards the lab.

“Let them go,” Jenkinson reminded the bridge crew of the Dawn. “The Captain will deal with them. Just focus your attention on the enemy ship.”

“I hope that everyone will be alright,” Annette worried out loud.

“Don’t worry about Manager and the rest. If they could be taken down so easily, then quite frankly the enemy deserves to win,” Ivan said, trying to ease Annette’s worries. “Besides, we have more important fish to fry.”

“Gee, could you have possibly used a more clichéd line, Pretty-boy?” David mocked.

“Shut up, David,” Rosa groaned. “This isn’t the time to let your rivalry get the better of you.”

“She’s right, David,” Annette said. “Or have you not noticed the six enemy mobile suits up ahead?”

David stopped talking, not sure whether to be angry or embarrassed, but not liking it either way. Five of the six energy signatures belonged to standard ZAKUs, while the sixth belonged to the Gundam that they had fought before.

“You three try to focus on taking out the ZAKUs as quickly as possible,” Ivan ordered. “I’ll hold off the enemy Gundam while you do that, then we’ll surround it and take it down. Now, everyone, full speed ahead!”

David almost had to bit his tongue to make another remark about Ivan’s clichéd phrases, but he followed his orders (reluctantly), and the four Gundams charged ahead, with the Majesty and Valour taking the sky, and the Grace and Bushido running along the tundra ground. When the enemy was within range, Ivan readied his main sword, and leapt towards the Deterrence.

Marva saw this attack coming, and already had her dual-blades ready to block the attack. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed for miles, as the Deterrence managed to throw the Bushido back. A single back-flip, and the Bushido landed in a crouching position about thirty meters back, ready for the next attack.

The Majesty was the first of the three Euro-Gundams to strike, firing all four of its beam-cannons. Annette didn’t expect to destroy any targets, but succeeded in her attempts to scatter the five ZAKUs. The Grace, having a firing range that was not as long as the Majesty, fired a continuous barrage of rounds from its energy-crossbow, and the Valour, being a close-range combat unit, was the final machine to strike, but with that strike from one of its dual-axes, David managed to disable the ZAKU, and with his second swing, he made the first kill. He then joined his machine’s twin axes, and prepared for his next attack.

Blood had been drawn. Marva was aware of the fact that one of her pilots had been defeated, but could not afford to pay any heed to it. She had her own battle to worry about.

“And so it begins…” Marva muttered to herself, her mask hiding her grin of anticipation.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Chapter 11

“Damn, this new ship of theirs is pretty tough…” one of the bridge crew members of the Dawn muttered.

“Its only to be expected,” Jenkinson responded. “After all, they’ve fought us before, so if they were going to upgrade, they would make sure that they’d be at least as formidable as us. But forget about that. Just focus on trying to bring them down. Aim missiles at their engines. Aim main cannons at their starboard to try and divert their defences.”

Meanwhile, aboard the Jetstream, Manager and his crew were not doing any better.

“If this keeps up, its gonna be another stalemate,” Laura commented.

“Just keep the reflector shields up and keep charging the Ragnarok. Don’t let them get behind us or too much to either side,” Manager commanded. “This is one situation where we need to keep both eyes on the prize. Now, fire main canons!”

--------------------------------------------------------

Annette fired a single shot from the cannon mounted on her machine’s right hip, and managed to destroy her targets weapon. She then fired her left hip-cannon, forcing the enemy to dodge to the right, right where she had both of her machine’s shoulder cannons aimed. Pieces of the ZAKU flew all over the area after a large explosion. Three ZAKUs remained, plus the enemy Gundam.

It was Rosa’s turn to take down a foe. Holding her shield in front of her, she began taking heavy fire from two ZAKUs. However, the firepower was nowhere near enough to scratch her custom-made shield, and she rammed right into the machine on her left. Before the other machine had time to turn and face her, she fired her energy crossbow right into its cockpit. Two more ZAKUs remaining, then the three European Union pilots would be able to assist Ivan.

However, even as the three European pilots continued to cut the number of enemies down, the battle between the Bushido and the Deterrence raged on. Ivan was flung back after having his blade intercepted by Marva’s two. He managed to recover in mid-air, just before Marva sent forth a wave of six missiles from her machine’s chest compartments.

“So you want to play long-range?” Ivan mused, sending out his machine’s three Boomerang-blades to intercept. There was a series of explosions as the blades hit their marks and returned to the Bushido’s left shoulder. Ivan then took out one of his hidden daggers, and thrust it in the direction of the Deterrence, forcing the enemy machine to come out of the smoke, and in the process creating an opening for him to charge in and attack.

Unfortunately for Ivan, Marva was an expert in battle tactics, and saw the attack coming. However, it was a solid and swift attack, and any lesser pilot would not likely have been able to dodge it at all. Marva was able to twist her way out of a fatal blow, but lost one of her machine’s wings in the process. Since the remaining wing was so heavy and was putting the Deterrence off balance, she was forced to detach it. It was now purely a land-to-land battle.

“This guy is better than I realized…” Marva muttered to herself. She quickly examined the scene to find that soon, her advantage would be lost and she would be fighting all four machines by herself once again.

But before the battle could commence, there was a blinding flash and a loud explosion off in the distance, in the direction of the two ships.

“What the f*** was that?” David asked, looking to the distance.

“The Ragnarok…” Ivan concluded.

----------------------------------------------------------------

“Sir! Are you sure you want us to fire it? We don’t have a clear-enough shot. We’d at best only be able to disable their flight capabilities.”

“We don’t have much of a choice. The weapon can’t stay charged forever. If we don’t fire it soon, we’ll have to release all the stored up energy, and charge it up again. We don’t have time for that,” Manager explained. “Besides, with the way this fight is going, any amount of damage that we can inflict will be a good thing. We take what we can get. Grounding this ship will still be better than nothing at this point.”

Everyone on the bridge nodded, and prepared to fire the Ragnarok. As preparations commenced, the nose of the Jetstream began to open up, and a large positron cannon emerged.

“Gundara Core systems stable. Power levels at 100%. Ragnarok ready to fire.”

On the bridge of the Dawn, there was a lot of commotion in regards to what this meant.

“Evasive manoeuvres!” Jenkinson ordered. “Don’t let them hit us with that thing!”

But it was too late. The Ragnarok’s Gundara-enhanced energy blast flew straight for the Dawn’s engines. Had the enemy ship not been in the process of evading already, it was likely that the entire rear of the ship would have been torn apart.

“Deputy Commander!” One of the Dawn’s crewmen began to report. “Two of the three main engines, along with three of the five secondary engines, are down. We can’t maintain altitude. We’re going down.”

“Focus all firepower on the enemy ship,” Jenkinson ordered. “I don’t care where you fire, just make sure we take it down with us!”

Back on the Jetstream, this next attack did not go unnoticed.

“Have all reflectors deployed at full power! I don’t care what systems you need to divert energy from to do so, just don’t let them hit us!” Manager shouted, trying to have his ship braced for a full attack.

“We can’t! The Ragnarok drained too much energy!”

With that, the port-side of the Jetstream, along with its rear and engines, took heavy fire from the Dawn. Most of the shots were frantic and grazed the armor, and the Jetstream had a very strong hull, so it was not destroyed by any of the enemy fire. However, it too lost its ability to sustain altitude, and so it followed the Dawn in crashing into the Tundra.

When he was sure that he and most of his bridge-crew weren’t dead, Manager regained his composure, and looked in the direction of the Gundams.

“Looks like the rest is all up to you kids,” He said. “Give them Hell.”

----------------------------------------------------

Unable to take flight, and with Annette and Rosa coming to assist Ivan, things were starting to look bleak for Lanara Marva.

“You sure that David can handle those last two on his own?” Ivan asked.

“Don’t worry about him,” Rosa answered. “He had the best combat scores out of anyone in our class. He can handle himself.”

“Wow, David with top scores… I never figured that would be possible…” Ivan joked.

“Yeah, we tend to forget about it too,” Annette replied. “But behind that scowl and attitude there’s a very strong mobile suit pilot. He’ll have those last two enemy ZAKUs in no time.”

“So in other words, we have no time to waste if we want to take this creep down before he gets the chance,” Ivan concluded with a smile on his face. “Okay, everyone. Standard Delta formation! Get this guy from all sides. Don’t give him the opportunity to slip away!”

“Damn! The boss isn’t going to be happy with this…” Marva growled to herself. “I may have to initiate Core Compression if I want to get out of here alive…”

Her thoughts were disrupted, however, when a demolished ZAKU unit was thrown at her, exploding on impact, and tossing her to the side in accordance with the laws of Action/Reaction.

“Dammit!” Ivan cursed. “Looks like we weren’t fast enough…”

“Did you really think that I was just going to let you get all the credit, Pretty-boy?” David half-mocked. “This guy is mine!”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Just a little heads up, after mid-April I may not be able to get to a computer as often, so progress on this fic will likely slow down. Also, I'll be away for a week or so starting after the 14th, and while I will have internet access, I will not be able to access or write any chapters, so that week I will definately not be able to post anything here. That being said, I'll continue with what I do have.

Chapter 12

Marva did a quick review of all systems after the attack. She cursed her carelessness, being so concerned with the three machines in front of her that she completely forgot about the fourth. Fortunately the Deterrence had very strong armour, even for a Gundam, so the damage was mainly superficial and would not affect her fighting strength.

“Captain, we’ve taken heavy damage and have been grounded,” Jenkinson reported. “We did manage to down their ship, though its hull seems to remain intact. We are currently trying to repair engines, but that could take hours, perhaps even days.”

“So it’s all up to me…” Lanara sighed. “Good work, Jenkinson. I’ll join up with you to help with repairs as soon as I’m finished here. Marva out.”

‘Now, to deal with these troublesome pests,’ She thought. ‘Damn, these rebels have been nothing but a thorn in my side since Berlin…’

Meanwhile, as Marva tried to figure out how to gain control of the situation, Ivan, David, Annette, and Rosa were all preparing to end the fight, raid the lab, and finally put an end to the insanity that had engulfed them.

“Alright, here’s the plan,” Ivan instructed. “Hit fast. Hit hard. Don’t get shot. Take this creep down before he can even get in a shot at us.”

“How exactly does that qualify as a plan?” David asked. “Annette could have come up with that idea if you’d given her enough time.”

While Annette growled and stuck her tongue out at David, Ivan almost completely ignored David, only saying “What else to we need? Just surround this guy before he can escape or get re-enforcements. We win this fight, and it should be a smooth ride to the finish line.”

“I for one am glad that something simple has finally come along as opposed to the complex Hell that has become our new norm,” Rosa chirped. “I’m ready whenever you guys are.”

Annette and David both nodded in consent, and from there, Ivan gave a simple, one-word command: “CHARGE!”

From that point onward, Marva was dealing with the combined attacks of four Gundams, all in the hands of exceptional pilots. As good as she was, she knew that it was only a matter of time before the battle was lost. But she could not surrender. She was under orders to protect this facility at all costs. And unlike her previous blunders, this one would likely end with execution. Either way, her life was on the line, and if she was going to die, she at least wanted to go out in a blazing glory, defending what she believed was right.

“For the unity of the world and for peace!” she called out as she charged forward, both of her blades ready to swing, and firing the last of her machines seeker missiles at the Bushido, which was directly in front of her.

The Majesty and the Grace fired their respective weapons, taking out the missiles for Ivan, who readied his guard as he waited for the Deterrence to bolt out of the resulting smoke. His preparations were rewarded when his blade caught those of the Deterrence. He Marva backward, but she recovered. However, as soon as she had regained her footing, she was suddenly forced to protect herself from one of the Valour’s axes, followed soon by the second.

“Damn! Their teamwork has improved a lot over such a short amount of time…” Marva muttered. Then, her attention returned to the Bushido, as it prepared to take advantage of her current inability to act.

“Time to end this!” Ivan roared as he set his machine’s thrusters to full, and sped toward his foe. David jumped out of the way just in time to avoid Ivan’s sword, which sliced straight through the Deterrence’s mid-section.

“Argh!” Marva called out, as her machine was dissected. The Deterrence’s systems began to systematically shut down, and the machine fell to the ground, becoming little better than a pile of scrap metal. Fortunately for Marva, the Deterrence’s cockpit was located higher up than in most other machines, so she was able to avoid any injury besides those that resulted from shorted circuits and the force of impact as she fell. She looked towards the enemy machines, as their pilots prepared to enter the lab, presumably believing that she had been incapacitated completely, perhaps even believing her to be dead. She smiled at their ignorance and naivety.

“Perhaps all is not lost, after all…” she mused, deciding to take advantage of this situation to gain a surprise initiative later on.


A short time later, the Orion soldiers found themselves navigating a seemingly abandoned maze of analytical devices and scientific readouts. Monitors blinked on and off, providing the only source of light at all within the complex. It seemed that the place had been evacuated some time ago, likely in preparation for their arrival. Ivan became worried that they may have taken anything of use with them, but kept his concerns to himself.

“What they Hell kind of place was this, anyway?” Rosa asked. “What kind of work were these creeps doing?”

“Based on these readouts…” Annette answered, hunched over one of monitors, “they were studying both advanced genetics and Gundara fluid… but why would they combine the two studies under one roof?”

A look of shock and fear came over Ivan’s face after hearing Annette’s analysis. “Oh please, God… don’t let that be their intent…” he muttered, catching the attention of David.

“What’s wrong, Pretty-boy?” David inquired suspiciously. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something…”

Ivan turned to his team-mates, a look of fierce distress upon his face. “All we can do is pray that that is not the case…” he answered cryptically. “We have to hurry. I’ll explain the details on the way. Annette, can you find any kind of map on that computer?”

A few seconds of typing and Annette was giving a big thumbs-up to Ivan. “I’ll see if I can print it off.”

After the map was in Ivan’s hands, the group began walking forward. Ivan had examined the map, and found a room labelled as Prototype Storage Facility, and had started leading the group in that direction. As promised, he began revealing the details of his fear.

“Tell me,” He started, “have any of you ever heard of a man by the name of Marcus Greenwald? He was a hero of the Magnus wars, along with Beverly Morachi, John Carey, and Draco Lanning, and the one who defeated Magnus and destroyed the Hellfire Array, saving the Earth from destruction.”

“What are you talking about?” David growled. “Magnus was betrayed by Draco Lanning, his head of intelligence and the son of the previous Emperor Kuwara. Draco used his mobile suit’s stealth capabilities to sneak up on Magnus, nailed him to the array, and in doing so destroyed both targets.”

Annette and Rosa frowned at David as he flaunted his knowledge of history around, but Ivan began to explain why he was slightly off. “Marcus Greenwald and his girlfriend Racheal Rusher wanted to remain anonymous, so they requested that their role in the war be omitted from the history records…” he said. “There were several reasons for this, but the main one was that Marcus Greenwald possessed what came to be called ‘Gundara Genes’. That is, his DNA had merged with the biological components that make up Gundara Fluid, making him perhaps the most powerful living being on the planet.”

The other three were filled with a combination of shock and disbelief… but their surprise increased ten-fold when Annette was able to put together the pieces of the puzzle. “You don’t mean… these guys… they’re trying to…”

“I believe so…” Ivan answered. “I pray that they are not, but it is possible. They are trying to create a new Gundara-enhanced human being to act as a living weapon. That is why we absolutely have to make sure that things end here. We cannot let anyone have access to that kind of power.”

They arrived at their destination, and opened the door. In the center of the chamber, there was a large stasis container, filled with Gundara Fluid. And floating in the container was a young girl, her long blonde hair floating in the thick liquid that surrounded her. With her uncovered body and the green light that surrounded her, she almost seemed to be an angel in the middle of Hell.

Ivan headed towards the computer system beside the tank, and began to enter a few codes. About thirty seconds later, the stasis container hissed open. Gundara Fluid spilled out over the metal floor, and the girl’s body fell limp. Had Annette not been there to catch her, she may have hurt herself as she too hit the ground. Ivan began reading out the details on the girl.

“Dear Lord,” he muttered. “Name: Aurora Greenwald. First successful clone of Marcus Greenwald. Gundara-enhanced human.”

“This girl is a clone of that Marcus guy?” Rosa asked. “But, if he was a boy, how can she be a girl? And why? Don’t tell me the nerds around here just wanted to see a naked girl floating in a Stasis tank!”

“No, there’s a reason for it…” Ivan went on. “It turns out that the Gundara-enhancement process almost completely destroys the Y chromosome. Marcus Greenwald was a one-in-one million chance. To make sure that the process works, you have to use females, so they did some chromosomal replacement in the early stages to try and create a feminized clone, to increase the chances of success.”

The body of Aurora Greenwald began to stir, Annette was just about to ask her if she was alright, when she suddenly found herself being embraced by the clone’s slender arms, and being pulled in for a kiss.

Annette blushed. Rosa and David were both shocked and stifling laughter. And Ivan slapped his face, muttering, “That was supposed to be my kiss…”

Just then, there was a loud bang as a bullet was fired over the group’s heads, causing sparks to fly off of the stasis equipment. A masked woman in a Global Union Forces uniform walked forward.

“Congratulations,” She half praised. “You discovered our dirty little secret. You know our plans. Now, I have no choice but to make sure that none of you ever make it out of here alive.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Chapter 13

The room went tense, but then David made a startling realization. “That hair… that voice… is that you, Lanara?”

The woman slowly took off her mask, never lowering her gun. There was a large smirk on Lanara’s face as she revealed herself to the four. “So… it really was you four,” She confirmed. “It’s a shame, really. I did like you David. I had thought that maybe you would be able to help us out. But it seems you are going to die here with these rebels.”

Ivan turned around to face Marva, for the first time being able to look upon his enemy’s face. “So, you’re the one who was piloting that Gundam,” He concluded. “I have to be honest, I never expected you to be a woman. And that mask…”

“It’s a family heirloom,” Lanara said, hinting at her roots without actually explaining them. “And it wasn’t my idea. My superiors thought it would be fun to have their own little Magnus doll to play around with. I personally can’t stand the thing. But as for you… I thought that it was a bit odd that an underground organization would show up at so many Ivan Tanaka concerts… but now to finally have conclusive proof that you are an enemy agent… I’m not sure whether to be thrilled or to be disappointed. Your songs really are quite good.”

“I’m flattered, but let me assure you,” Ivan responded, “that I am more than just a good voice and a pretty face.”

“Oh, I would imagine,” Marva answered back. “You are the one who has been piloting that red and white machine with the large sword, are you not? Rest assured, I will not underestimate any of you. But if you return the prototype and agree to work under me, then I’m sure I can convince my bosses that you are all worth sparing. And think about it? Sure, we may be dirtying our hands a little, but we’re doing it for the sake of peace and global unity. Right now, the world is in flux. Those whose nationalistic pride blind them to the truth cannot see that the Global Union is the one and only answer. With an army of Gundara Soldiers such as the one you just freed, we would be able to crush uprisings before they even start, and the world would no longer know war.”

Annette held Aurora closer, forgetting all about her girl-to-girl kiss. Now, a sort of sisterly instinct began to take over, and she instantly became determined to protect this poor girl.

“No, but we would know tyrannical totalitarianism,” Ivan snapped. “And even if I could agree with your ideals, playing with human life is not something that can ever be tolerated, even if the intentions are good.”

Lanara sighed. “I didn’t think I could convince you. But it was worth a try. But if there are any other members of this group who would be willing to join me, you may walk towards me with your hands in the air.”

“Yeah, right! Like any of us would-” Rosa was interrupted as David pulled a gun and pointed it to Ivan’s head.

“How about I do you one better, Lanara?” David said with a look of stone-cold seriousness over his face. “I’ll take Tanaka out, then head over your way.”

“So it’s finally come to this…” Ivan sighed. “I thought you and I would eventually have to do this dance, but I never thought it would be so soon, under such circumstances.”

Then, almost faster than the eye could detect, Ivan elbowed David’s face and twisted the gun out of his hand. He then kicked David in the gut, sending him tumbling into an old monitor. Just as Ivan was about to bring his fist down towards him, however, David showed his own fighting skill by using the monitor for leverage and thrusting both is feet into Ivan’s chest, forcing the pop start back.

“Well, it seems that this may not be a total loss, after all,” Marva mused, watching the two boys beat each other senseless. “Now as for you two, surrender the proto-type peacefully, and I won’t have to kill you.”

“How can you call this poor girl a ‘prototype’!?” Annette snapped. “She’s a human being, just like you or me!”

“That’s right!” Rosa agreed.

“Fools, she is no human! She is a weapon, developed sole for the purpose of helping the Global Union maintain peace and order!” Lanara retorted. “In place of blood, Gundara fluid courses through her veins! She may seem rather pathetic now, but with training and time, Aurora Greenwald can become the most powerful being on Earth! How can you think of her as a poor, suffering little girl?”

Annette was just about to snap, when suddenly, Aurora began to move again. The blonde clone looked straight at Marva, and her mouth began to move. At first, all she could muster was a few mumbles, like an infant trying to find its first words. But gradually, she began to form a coherent sentence.

She said to Lanara Marva, “I… am… n-not…your… w-w-weapon.”

Annette looked at Aurora and smiled. “That’s right. You have the right and the ability to choose what you want to be.” The Italian girl then stared at her enemy with a look of absolute defiance. “And if you don’t want to be a weapon, then you don’t have to. So you, Lanara Marva, can shove any ideas of taking Aurora with you up your rear end!”

“You miserable little whore!” Marva roared in rage. “You don’t have any say in the matter. In fact, you wont have much of anything to say once I kill you!”

Marva got ready to pull the trigger. Annette could do nothing but try to shield Aurora with her body, while Rosa got ready to charge in to protect her best friend, but before anyone could get the chance to anything, Marva was knocked to the floor as a very bloody Ivan threw an even bloodier David into her.

“We’re getting out of here!” Ivan ordered. “Take Aurora with you in the Majesty, Annette. We’re heading back. Leave the traitor here with the trash. We can argue over it later!”

Rosa and Annette nodded, as the two of them helped each other carry Aurora with them, as the girl was not yet able to walk on her own. David and Lanara began to recover just as the girls left, leaving only Ivan. The two boys stared at each other intently, as Ivan entered the code to lock the door behind him, imprisoning David and Lanara in the room, if only temporarily. At the very least, it would buy the group some extra time to get back to get out, make their way to their Gundams, and get back to the Jetstream.

David helped Lanara to her feet. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I failed. If I had been a better fighter…”

“That’s quite okay, David Lueman,” Lanara replied. “I won’t hold it against you. In fact, with you on our side, this little loss can still be converted to a victory. You know things about Ivan and his organization, correct? And you are a skilled Gundam pilot. The prototype may have been lost, but it is not the end of Project: Dawn.”

--------------------------------------------------------

Onboard the Jetstream, repairs were still coming along. Fortunately, it seemed that the enemy ship was totally incapacitated, so they did not need to worry about an attack. But it was still essential to get things up and going as soon as possible. Fortunately the Jetstream was designed in such a way that makeshift repairs could easily be made. While these would not be near enough, they would at least enable the Jetstream to make it back to base for better maintenance.

Manager was supervising things from the bridge, when one of the communications officers reported an incoming message from Ivan.

“This is Ivan Tanaka. We are returning now!”

“Was the mission a success?” Manager asked, worried about the urgency in Ivan’s voice.

“Yes and no,” Ivan cryptically responded. “We succeeded in recovering the… main purpose of the lab, and have learned of the purpose of Project: Dawn. We also now know the name and face of the commander of the enemy ship. But no actual data was able to be collected, and… David Lueman has betrayed Orion, and joined the enemy.”

There was a silence onboard the bridge until Manager spoke up. “Very well. We will have the hangar ready to receive three mobile suits. Have repair teams focus on getting the Jetstream ready to launch. Weapons can wait. Also, radio HQ and tell them that there has been a compromise, and that we should start preparing for Relocation Procedure Alpha Zero.”

There was a unified “Yes Sir!” from all the members of the bridge crew as they began carrying out their orders. Manager just lied his head back against his chair, placing his hand over his face, and sighed.

“I swear, nothing but trouble…” he muttered as the rest of the crew made all their respective preparations. “Nothing but trouble ever since Berlin.”

It was not long afterward that the Bushido, Grace, and Majesty all arrived at the area. They swiftly boarded the Jetstream, and and before the Gundams could even dock, there was a strained roar as the few surviving secondary engines and the backup engines struggled to lift the massive heap of metal off the ground and into the air. Manger silently praised whatever god was looking out for him and his crew, and the entire ship flew off, hoping to put as much distance between themselves and the enemy as possible.

Ivan met up with the three girls after the Bushido had been locked in place. He forced himself not to look at Aurora, who was still completely nude. “Annette, take Rosa to your room. Rosa, you go with her. See if you can’t find something for her to wear. I have to deliver my report to Manager, then I’ll meet up with you in the cafeteria.”

Ivan left, and Rosa and Annette did what he had said. They had tried to avoid running into too many male crewmen, but unfortunately they could not be totally avoided. Aurora remained silent the whole time, and Annette really couldn’t blame her. Just because she existed she had to deal with more hardship than pretty much any other girl.

Luckily, Annette’s room was not too far from the hangar, and Aurora was only slightly taller than her, so they were able to quickly find a few articles of clothing for Aurora to try on. While the clone was in the midst of having a blouse put on her by Rosa, she said her first words since her defiant protest to Marva back at the lab. This time her words were less forced, seeming to suggest that her mental development was now quickly catching up with her body.

“I am… sorry… if the kiss I gave you was… uncomfortable…” Aurora explained. “I… was confused… in theory… I should be a separate person from…. Marcus Greenwald… but I still carry his… genetic memories. I saw you and… you looked so much like… Racheal. I… could not… help myself. It was almost… automatic.”

Rosa and Annette both took these words to heart, and Annette smiled. “It’s alright. I understand. I’m more worried about you, and how all this is going to affect you.”

Aurora looked at Annette with a blank expression, but the twitching of her lips suggested she was trying to do something. Finally, a smile formed on Aurora’s face. “Thank you,” she said. “I’ll be... fine.”

Rosa began to help Aurora put on a pair of shorts, and asked “So… how much do you remember or know? I mean, were you in that stasis container for long?”

“I was in there for… all my life,” Aurora answered, and the sorrow in her voice infected the other girls, causing them to feel deeply sorry for the girl (more so than they had before). “I slept… most of the time. But occasionally… they would wake me up. They used computers to… give me all the knowledge I needed… when I was… asleep. When they woke me up… they would tell me I was their weapon… and they would do… experiments on me…”

“That’s horrible,” Rosa answered. “What kind of sick bastards would do such things?”

Aurora then tried to stand up. Rosa was not sure whether to hold her back or encourage her, but she knew that Aurora still needed to develop her motor skills, and since Annette was close by to catch her if she fell, Rosa decided that the latter was the best.

At first, the green-eyed blonde struggled to maintain her balance, but after a few moments of adjustment, she slowly began to place her right foot forward. Then her left, as she made her way towards Annette. It was not long before Annette was holding her, and smiling.

“Good job, Aurora,” Annette praised. “Just remember this; you are your own person. We want to be your friends, and friends help each other out. So you don’t ever have to worry about those lunatics hurting you ever again. You’re safe with us.”

Aurora smiled again, this time with little effort, and placed her head against Annette’s chest, tears of joy rolling down the side of her cheek.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Chapter 14

“So what’s our next move?” Ivan asked Manger as the two walked down the hallways. Ivan had encountered Manager purely by chance on his way to the cafeteria, and jumped all over the opportunity to try and find out more about the situation.

“We’ll be heading to Orion-2,” Manager replied. “We should have enough power to make it out of the atmosphere. The tech-crews are already ahead of schedule on their repairs.”

“Well, they’ve got good motivation,” Ivan mused. “If I were being hunted down, I’d want to leave the planet as soon as I could, too.”

Manager snickered at Ivan’s joke. He welcomed it, seeing it as a ray of light which was needed in this dark period. It was a sign that they would be able to prevail. “By the way,” Manager asked, “What do you think we should do with Aurora?”

“Why are you asking me?” Ivan countered. “I’m just a pilot. You’re the one in charge.”

“Yes, I don’t know anything about her, besides what you have told me,” Manger replied. “And while the girls seem to have forged a deep friendship with her, their opinion would likely be biased. You are the only one in a position to make a good decision on the matter, since you know her better than me, but have yet to form a close bond with her.”

Ivan pondered these words, and then came up with his answer. “Aurora Greenwald is no threat to us. She has no desire to be a part of Project: Dawn, and is really just a victim. She seems to be something of a passivist , but if she ever did decide to fight, she would be a great asset to our forces, given her ‘nature’, though I would not force it upon her. It might be a good idea to monitor her, but I think that having her on our team, whether she chooses to fight or not, would be the best course of action.”

Manager smiled, trusting Ivan’s judgement. “Very well. I will propose that very approach to High Command. In the meantime, you, Annette, and Rosa are to take care of her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do before we head out into space.”

Ivan and Manager saluted each other, and Ivan went off to the cafeteria to meet with the girls.

-------------------------------------------------------

The lab door slowly opened, and Lanara and David were free from the makeshift prison that they had been trapped in. Jenkinson led several technicians into the room where the Project: Dawn prototype had once been kept, followed by the scientists who had been evacuated prior to the fight.

“Captain, are you alright?” Jenkinson inquired. Then he noticed David, and immediately reached for his fire-arm, only to be stopped by Lanara.

“Don’t shoot. He’s with us now,” she explained. “I’ll give you the full de-briefing of the situation later, but first, I want to know how my ship is doing.”

“We’ve finished most major repairs,” Jenkinson reported. “She’ll be ready to fly by the time we get there.”

“Good. Then let’s move out. You lab workers will receive a report on what happened here as soon as I am able to deliver one. If you have any further questions, tough. I’m not in the mood for answers right now.”

Lanara then led David through the pack and to the front. She looked into her new subordinate’s eyes, then asked, “Are you sure this is the path you want to tread, David Lueman? You’ll have to dirty your hands, and even though we are unofficially working for the GU, we are technically criminals. Besides that, your friends are now going to be your enemies.”

“If I wasn’t sure about this, then I wouldn’t have pointed a gun to Ivan’s head,” David retorted. “I don’t care if I have to ‘dirty my hands’, because I believe in the cause. And besides, I wouldn’t exactly call Ivan Tanaka or his little band of rebels my friends.”

“But what about the two girls?” Lanara asked, but when all she got was a dead silence, she decided to leave things be, and simply put her mask back on. “Whatever the case, you’re going to be put under watch until we can be sure of your trust, but I’m sure that someone with your skills and insider information will be a welcomed addition to our team.”

David remained silent, staring ahead, barely even hearing Lanara’s words. All he could think about was what was coming. He truly believed this to be the correct path, but not everyone shared his beliefs. He would eventually have to fight Annette, Rosa, and Ivan. There was an almost certain possibility he may be forced to kill them.

David cast all his doubts aside. This was his choice, and there was no going back. For the peace and unity of the world, he would keep walking forward, with his head high, and with no regrets.

----------------------------------------------------

“So that’s all I can tell you, for now,” Ivan explained. “Aurora is free to stay with us, if she so pleases. At least for the time being.”

“Thank you, Ivan Tanaka, for all of this,” Aurora said with sincere gratitude. Everyone was amazed at how quickly her mind was developing. It hadn’t been an hour since the group had boarded the Jetstream, and already she was able to walk on her own and form coherent sentences.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s starting to use slang terms and less formal sentence structure by the end of the day,’ Annette thought to herself with a smile. So far, despite their somewhat awkward introduction, Annette had gained the strongest friendship with the female clone of Marcus Greenwald, and was quickly sliding into the role of an older sister.

“Just keep in mind,” Ivan reminded, “that at the end of all this, it’s the Orion High Command that will be deciding your fate. Manager will try to persuade them, and I’ve always found that the High Commanders are reasonable and fair people, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

“You’ve done all you can, Ivan,” Rosa reminded. “Don’t feel like you’re responsible for everyone and everything. You’ve done more than your fair shair.”

“That’s right,” Annette quickly agreed. “Even when you dragged us into Orion, you were doing so with our best intention, and have done nothing but try to make us feel like a part of the team since then. And I have no doubt that you will do whatever you can to resolve our situation. I don’t know why David couldn’t see that.”

A look of shock came over her face as she realized what she had just said. The atmosphere suddenly became very gloomy. It would still be some time before they could talk about David’s betrayal without feeling miserable.

It was Aurora who would provide the ray of light among the clouds this time. “David did what he genuinely believed to be the best,” Aurora reminded. “We shouldn’t feel bad about that. In a way, he is someone we should look up to, because he doesn’t let anyone get in the way of his beliefs. He may be on the other side of this conflict, but at least we know that he’s there because he believes it’s the best way to achieve peace. Even after all the hardships they put me through, I can still appreciate that Project: Dawn originated out of a desire to bring peace to this world.”

There was not a soul at that table that was not pleasantly surprised or enlightened by Aurora’s words.

“You’re right,” Ivan responded. “In a way, he’s no different that us, here in Orion. He’s doing what he believes to be the best. The same goes for Lanara. We just happen to believe in different ideals.”

“And even though David may not be with us anymore,” Annette chipped in, looking at Aurora. “We do have a new member, and a new friend, so it’s not all bad.”

Aurora smiled, followed by everyone at the table. It was still going to be hard for the pilots to accept that David was now their enemy, but they all realized that they had to focus on the positives rather than worrying about the negatives. Things were going to get more difficult from this point on, and they were all aware that they would eventually have to fight David, maybe kill him, but at that moment, none of that mattered.

They would get through it all. Together.



EDIT: Okay, so tomorrow (Saturday, April 14th) I'm going to be away for almost a week, so no updates will be made to this fic during that time.

NEway, there you have it. The end of the first major arc of my story. But rest assured, more is yet to come.
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Alright. I'm once again able to start posting chapters after a week of being away. However, as I have said, depending on my work schedual I may not be able to devote as much time to updating this fic as I have had before, so progress may slow down.

Chapter 15

The communication terminal beside Lanara’s bed began to go off like crazy, and at that hour of the morning, it wasn’t hard to guess who it was who was calling. Lanara got up, not even bothering to reach for her clothes or a blanket to cover herself, knowing that the old man wouldn’t wan’t to wait any longer for her to respond. Instead, she merely set the message to audio-only.

“Marva,” her boss sternly “greeted” after Lanara opened up the channel, “Is this your idea of a joke? You told us that you had received information on the location of Orion’s HQ, but all we found were abandoned complexes with absolutely no data at all!”

“What did you expect?” Lanara shot back. “They knew that their location had been compromised. They would have wasted no time in re-locating. A secret organization like theirs would likely have had at least a few back-up plans in case something like this happened. I would have thought that you of all people would be able to understand that.”

“Don’t get smart with me!” the old man growled. “Have you forgotten that they have the prototype? Sure, the operation is still going, but they now have a Gundara-soldier of their own, and that’s overlooking the fact that they shouldn’t have discovered anything about it at all! The only reason we didn’t execute you was because you were able to bring one of their operatives to our side, and that that operative happened to be a prestigious member of the upper-ranks of society.”

“Maybe if you had followed through on the intel right away instead of waiting around on your asses these last four months you would have been able to catch them,” Lanara countered. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to sleep.”

She ended the transmission before her employer could protest, then lied down on her soft bed, pulling her sheet up over her chest. In the four months since the incident at the Canadian tundra lab things had quieted down, and Lanara had been able to adapt to the changes, the most notable of those changes being that David Lueman was now a pilot under her command. The Dawn had been re-called while the higher-ups began to formulate their next moves, and so the entire crew was now in England, enjoying the extended leave as best they could before it ended.

Lanara looked over to David, who had been sleeping right beside her, and found that, not surprisingly, that call had disturbed his sleep as well.

“Why didn’t they act right away?” David asked. “Not acting when the enemy knows that you know where they are has got to be the lamest blunder ever.”

“Who knows?” Lanara responded, exhausted from her conversation. “That old geezer and his flunkies are always scheming and planning. They were probably just being too careful, waiting until they thought the time was right, just like they’ve been doing for everything these last few months. And in a way, it makes sense. We’re an unofficial organization operating on the fringes of the law, just like Orion. So if we reveal them to those not connected to Project: Dawn, then we will end up revealing ourselves as well. But I do agree that Command botched that up.”

She leaned over David and planted a kiss on his cheek. “But we can discuss all that another time. For now, I just want to get some sleep.”

------------------------------------------------------

Annette stood, holding onto Ivan’s arm, with Aurora close behind the two. Lan was standing right beside his older brother. They were wearing heavy clothing to try and hide their appearances, since Dawn operative could be anywhere. Since the Orion High Command was formulating their next move and waiting to see what Dawn would do next, they had given some time off to the crew of the Jetstream. During that time, Rosa had got a letter saying that her grandmother was ill, and was not likely to live much longer, and so Ivan, Annette, and Aurora had all volunteered to accompany her back to Madrid so that she could be with her family.

“Wow… it’s so nice here,” Aurora commented. “Way different than the tundra.”

“Don’t get too attached to it,” Ivan reminded. “We’ll be leaving as soon as Rosa is finished with her business.”

“It’s so sad… her grandmother and her cousin were all she had,” Annette commented. “Now, her grandmother could die, and her cousin could be left all alone.”

The group remained silent for some time after that.


“Grandmother… it’s me. Rosa,” Rosa said softly to her ailing grandparent. “I’m here now. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner…”

“It’s okay, child. I am old. This was inevitable. And you have done nothing but try to support Jesse and myself. I understood that your military duties would likely tie you down. I was actually prepared for the possibility that I wouldn’t see you at all…”

Rosa could not contain her tears. She held her grandmother’s bony hand, and her younger cousin, Jessica, knelt down on the other side of the bed.

“Grandmother, I’m so useless,” Rosa wept. “Even in the military, I’m useless. David was always the smartest and the best pilot. Annette… she is so full of vitality and spirit… me… I have yet to do anything useful. I can’t even help you, the woman who raised me after my parents died, in your last moments…”

Rosa’s face fell on the bed, as she began to cry full-out, holding nothing back. Her grandmother smiled, and rested her aging hand upon her granddaughter’s head.

“You are not useless, child,” she responded. “You have an untapped potential, and a fire in your eyes. The fact that you think you are ‘useless’ simply shows that you are aware of your shortcomings, and that awareness makes you strong, because it means you can overcome them. One day, you shall become a fine young woman. And I will be watching you from above, with your parents, and we will all be proud of you. We are already proud of you.”

Now Jessica began bawling, and fell into an identical, mirrored pose. Her grandmother’s other hand fell upon her head, and the old woman smiled.

“I was going to ask you to take care of Jesse,” the old woman said, “But Rosa, I can see that you have a certain obligation, different than your previous military obligations. You’ve grown, and I can see that. The flame in your eyes is far more intense than I remember. I have arranged for other plans for Jesse. You can come back when you are finished with your mission, because I know that you believe that what you are doing is right, and must be done, and far be it from me to stop you from acting upon your beliefs. Now, Rosa, Jesse, I think its time I left you. But don’t worry, for we will all be united again, someday. And I expect you both to make the most of your lives until that day comes.”

There were no more words, only tears, as a proud and happy woman freely passed away, leaving behind two grandchildren.


Sometime later, Rosa approached the group, with a renewed look of determination on her face.

“Rosa…” Lan began. “We were just talking, and we wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave. Orion is very good about allowing its members to maintain links to their family, and given your situation, and your proven loyalty, I think that High Command would let you-”

“I’m not leaving Orion just yet,” Rosa interrupted. “We have a job to do. We have to stop Project: New Dawn before the enemy can use it to force the world into submission. We have to make sure that no more girls like Aurora are victimized. Only after we’re finished with that could I ever even think of leaving Orion.”

Ivan, Annette, Aurora, and Lan all smiled, inspired by Rosa’s determination. And the group began to head back to the Jetstream to await their next orders.

-----------------------------------------------------

“Is she almost ready?” an old man in a Global Union uniform asked. The wormy-looking scientist he was with nodded.

“Just a short while longer. We were fortunate to have stumbled upon the rapid age-progression techniques before the incident. Otherwise grooming her to your specifications would likely take years. At least 10 to 15.”

“And you’ve worked out all the bugs and glitches? I don’t want a repeat of last time.”

“Of course. We’ve psychologically programmed her for total loyalty to our cause, and for obedience. All that’s left is a few small last-minute adjustments. After that, its up to the Engineering and Mechanical Department to make sure they do their job.”

“Good. Then Project: New Dawn, shall re-commence.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"

[Spender]

Chapter 16

The Orion Oribital HQ was a massive space station in orbit around the Earth, which was able to avoid detection because of its advanced (and in some cases, illegal) technology. After the location of their main base had been compromised, the entire Orion organization had relocated to the Orbital HQ, which had been prepped for use well before. It was clear to Annette that Orion was a serious, well organized unit.

She and Ivan had gotten even closer in the time since the incident at the tundra lab four months previously. The seeds of their relationship had grown, and the two were now almost inseparable (along with Aurora, who, although she was maturing very fast, still in many ways tended to behave more like a little girl).

Ivan guided Annette through the halls of their new home. In four months, even Annette had gotten familiar with the layout, but she liked the company. Aurora had left the two alone, deciding instead to spend her time with Rosa.

“So… I hear that Aurora has started to lose Marcus’ memories…” Ivan said to Annette, trying to pry some details out of the clone’s sister-figure.

“Yeah. She described it as kinda like a flash of light,” Annette explained. “There was a large surge that lasted only for a moment, followed by after-images that have been fading away over time. I know it’s hard to understand, but then again, Aurora’s very existence is something of a mystery, in some ways…”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’m glad that she’s on our side,” Ivan responded. “I know that she has no desire to become a pilot, but I’d rather have her as a passivist with us than a Gundara-soldier with the Dawn forces. Some of the stuff that Marcus Greenwald is said to have been able to do… if Aurora could do even a fraction of it, she’d be one deadly enemy.”

Annette pondered what Ivan had just said, finding it hard to believe that such a gentle girl could be so dangerous, and also feeling sorry for Aurora and what she had to put up with. It was then that the couple entered onto the second-level of the hangar, where the Jetstream and all Orion’s mobile suits and weaponry were undergoing maintenance. Down below, on the first level, the two caught a glimpse of Rosa, as she trained for mobile suit combat in the simulator. Though both had their suspicions, they were afraid that they would upset Rosa by asking her how her new behaviour was connected to the passing of her grandmother.

“I just hope she doesn’t pick up a sarcastic tongue,” Ivan joked. “The last thing we need is another-”

Ivan stopped himself before saying that name, the topic still being quite sensitive to discuss. Before he could analyze what he had almost said, however, Annette swung around him and held her hand around Ivan’s shoulders.

“You’ve got a show coming up, right? That means you’re going to be fairly busy,” Annette playfully stated before running the fingers of her right hand down Ivan’s chest. “I think you and I should get in as much ‘us’ time as we can before that happens. Don’t you agree?”

Ivan smiled and kissed Annette. “I agree entirely.”

---------------------------------------------------

“So who’s this new pilot?” David asked Lanara as the two walked down the halls of the Dawn to meet their newest member. “And why are we launching all of a sudden when there have been no real changes in the situation?”

“I stopped trying to figure out our employers long ago,” Lanara answered. “I’m just as clueless as you are, David. All I know is that this new pilot is supposed to be ‘special’.”

“Wonderful. I love cryptic answers,” David muttered. “At least we’re finally doing something. I suppose we should be thankful for that, at least.”

The two reached the bridge after a few moments, where Deputy Commander Jenkinson was already waiting with a girl in a blue pilot suit and a helmet with a black visor which covered her face. The only real physical detail that could be seen was that the girl had blonde hair flowing out from underneath her helmet.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Lanara saluted. She glanced over to David only to confirm her suspicions that he was not bothering to be polite, and rather than saluting, seemed to be scrutinizing the new recruit. Lanara nudged David, then returned her attention to the girl. “Please forgive Lt. Lueman for his rudeness. Its nothing personal, I assure you. He’s like that to everyone he meets.”

“It’s not a problem,” The girl replied, saluting back at the captain. “I had heard that he was like that, and was well prepared for a cold reception.”

“This girl is highly informed, Captain,” Jenkinson explained. “She was given a briefing on all crewmembers of special interest, as well as all high-ranked officers. Not only that, but she has received the highest test results I’ve ever seen for mobile suit combat simulation.”

“Simulations mean nothing on the battlefield, Jenkinson,” David replied, with an intelligent grin on his face.

“I have to agree with Lt. Lueman,” the girl replied. “Computers are pre-programmed. Real soldiers are unpredictable. We won’t know how good I really am until I start fighting the enemy.”

David was taken aback that this new pilot had actually agreed with his rebellious remark. Normally, saying something like that in front of the person being interviewed would have gotten them all defensive. This girl was definitely more level-headed and intelligent than most girls her age.

“It says here that you will be piloting a Gundam-class mobile suit,” Lanara read off of her profile of the girl. “It doesn’t say anything more.”

“Yes. I will be piloting the Dragon Knight Mark II.”

The full meaning of that statement was lost on David, who still did not know the full truth of what had happened during the Magnus wars, but he could tell that it meant something by looking at the other officers in the room. Lanara’s mask hid her surprise, but Jenkinson did not have such an item to hide his own shock.

“You mean you’ll be piloting the same machine as the legendary Marcus Greenwald!?” He asked.

“It’s technically not the same machine,” the girl corrected. “Just a new model based on the original, but built using upgraded schematics and technology.”

“Who are you, really?” Lanara asked, now very serious. “You’re not just an ordinary pilot, are you?”

In response, the girl raised her hands, and slowly lifted her helmet off of her head. Her hair, which was longer than it seemed, fell out, and seemed to wrap itself around her face. Her eyes shone with a bright, emerald glow. There was a smile on her face, as she took pleasure in the surprised reactions she was getting.

“My name is Faith Greenwald. I’m a Gundara-soldier.”
_________________

Terrified of what's inside,
To save his life, he crawls
like a worm from a bird.
The Used, "The Bird and the Worm"