Chapter
22: Abrupt Changes
'Still
nothing...' Sylvie thought to herself as she tightened her grip on her trigger,
frowning as she did so. She was beginning to doubt her hunches, because if her
hunch was right they should be...
And
then, she saw them. Three darkened figures moving through the jungle, their
engines carving out a path on the ground as they sent a cloud of dirt and
vegetation into the air. Sylvie bit her lip as she began to aim her weapon,
knowing that it would only be a matter of time before...
"Begin
the attack!" the lead Dom pilot ordered as he pulled out his bazooka,
aiming the massive weapon at the enemy Barzam. His two wingmen quickly formed
up behind him, one brandishing a machine gun while the other readied his heat
sword. Sylvie almost immediately recognized their formation.
'So,
they plan to imitate the Black Tri-Stars?' Sylvie realized as she made a quick
adjustment on her monitor, ignoring the rapidly approaching trio. The
jet-stream attack was a potent tactic if it could be pulled off properly, but
for the past four years her only hobby had been studying tactics such as this,
and she already knew its weak point. She fired.
"Good,
but not good enough!" the lead Dom pilot mocked as the Barzam started
firing, the shots coming close but none finding their mark. As the lead pilot,
it was his duty to avoid the incoming weapons fire and lay a safe path for his
wingmen to follow, and he wouldn't have been picked for this job if he wasn't
one of the best in that field. He began to charge his beam scatter gun as he signaled
his men to get ready. Soon they would be close enough to attack, and he was
certain that a mere spacenoid couldn't possibly survive their onslaught...
'Do or
die, Sylvie...' Sylvie decided as she ceased firing, her rifle now only having
enough charge for one last shot. She took a deep breath as the lead Dom slid to
a stop, revealing a disk-shaped weapon on its chest. Sylvie knew what it was,
but she didn't turn away. Instead, she just stared straight into the disk,
waiting for the light to come...
---------------
"It's
over..." Gerhard said out loud as he turned his eye away from the monitor,
the bright flash now turning the screen into a field of white. Subject V's
Barzam hadn't even tried to shield itself from the light, and now that it had
been blinded it was only a matter of time before...
"Agreed,
it IS over," a calm voice suddenly responded over the radio, but to his
surprise the voice wasn't the one Gerhard had expected. It was Subject V.
"What
the hell?!" Gerhard said out loud as his screen returned to normal,
revealing the final results of the battle. All three Doms were now slumped dead
on the ground, each now having a neat hole where the cockpit should have been.
The Barzam, on the other hand, remained untouched, "How...?"
"None
of your business, now get out of here before I change my mind," Sylvie
ordered as she stowed away her empty beam rifle, "There's a Titans unit
from Saigon due north of your position. They should be able get you home."
"Subject
V, you just killed off three of the best-trained pilots within the Titans
ranks," Gerhard insisted, hardly acknowledging her apparent peace gesture,
"I can understand that you may have skewered all three of them in a
single, precisely aimed shot, but how could you have done so while you were
still blinded by that..."
"It's
not a Newtype trick, if that's what you were thinking," Sylvie replied as
she re-adjusted her monitor, restoring the default settings, "Find the CO
of the 345th MS Team in North Africa and ask her how to properly re-configure
your monitor. Her unit is the best when it comes to exterminating Doms, and you
might learn a thing or two from her, like knowing when to quit."
"No
need for sarcasm," Gerhard retorted, "But you do realize that my
sense of honor will not allow me to accept such an act of kindness, nor would I
hesitate to kill you if we meet again in the future."
"You
saved a hospital full of AEUG wounded, something few of your kind would even
consider, so just consider it a debt repaid," Sylvie replied as her Barzam
turned around and started walking back to base, leaving Gerhard and his wrecked
Ashimar behind, "If we meet again however, things will be different, and
you will not be as fortunate."
---------------
'My,
my... what an unfortunate turn of events...' Major Fredrick Bayerlein thought
to himself as he finished reading the latest, or rather, the last dispatch they
would ever get from Gerhard's company. Subject V had performed just as he had
expected, and now he couldn't wait to see how a certain, idiotic superior of
his would react to the news...
"This
is impossible!" Lt. Colonel Wilkins shouted as he stormed into the command
center, "Contact Gerhard again! Confirm that report!"
"Sir,
I'm afraid that the report is genuine," Bayerlein replied, trying hard not
to smile, "It seems that Captain Schneider's entire company has been
destroyed, and Captain Schneider himself is the only survivor. He is currently
trying to..."
"Have
him arrested and court martialled at once!" Wilkins demanded as he banged
his fists into a table, venting out some anger and frustration, "He had
one of the best companies we have ever fielded under his command, and only his
incompetence could bring abut a disaster such as this! Move!"
'So,
there are no bad companies, only bad company commanders, eh?' Bayerlein thought
to himself as he remembered that old German Army motto, "Sir, perhaps you
should reconsider. I must remind you that the rebels may attempt to launch one
of the cruisers back to space soon, and unless we are able to stop it..."
"I
don't care!" Wilkins bellowed, "Colonel Dolvich can handle what's
left of those rebels! She has two battalions under command, doesn't she?! Or is
she even more incompetent than that Schneider?!"
"Sir,
Colonel Dolvich's force is in no shape for combat," Bayerlein replied
dryly, "Her battalions have suffered over eighty percent casualties, and
Colonel Dolvich is..."
"Mister
Bayerlein, may I remind you that _I_ am in command here, and ALL of you shall
follow my orders," Wilkins demanded as he began to grit his teeth,
"Now get on the radio, and tell Dolvich to get moving! She is either to
return victorious or in a body bag, am I understood?!"
"Perfectly,
sir," Bayerlein replied evenly, before taking over a radio console to send
the message himself. He took his time. Colonel Dolvich wouldn't be stupid
enough to follow this order anyway, and even if she did, he knew that it was
going to be too little, too late.
---------------
'Sylvie's
a little late...' Yoko thought to herself as a team of engineers finished
loading her Zugock into the Shigure's hangar. With two Jet Core Booster Kais, a
GM II, a Nemo, and what was left of a Rick Dias already stuffed into the
hangar, her Zugock was proving to be a tight fit in a space that was supposed
to carry only four Mobile Suits, and she knew that it was only going to get
tighter when Sylvie finally arrived with her Barzam...
"Mam,
where IS Captain Gressiere?" O'Connor asked as he finished rigging up the
last of the demolition charges, "We have to launch soon, and there's still
no sign of her anywhere. Do you think she's alright?"
"Calm
down O'Connor, Sylvie's probably not in any danger," Yoko replied with a
grin, "In fact, she's probably just having a little fun with that Titans
pilot before sending him off his way. But then again, if the guy was
particularly handsome maybe she decided to spare him and turn him into a
personal lapdog. It's kinda hard to get a date when you reach her age you know."
"I
don't think she'd be too happy if she heard you say that, mam," O'Connor
replied as his eyes narrowed, not really amused at Yoko's macabre sense of
humor, "And don't you think somebody ought to check up on her?"
"Oh
come on O'Connor, she's been trying to be celibate for the past seven years,
let her have some fun," Yoko went on as her grin widened to almost ear to
ear, much to O'Connor's disgust, "Why? You aren't feeling jealous of the
poor guy, are you?"
"I'm
just concerned about her safety, mam," O'Connor muttered in reply as he
rolled his eyes, wishing he had never started this conversation, "You may
have forgotten it by now, but we've suffered grievous casualties, and I
wouldn't want to see her become one."
"Well
I suggest you stop worrying, because here she comes," Yoko replied as a
familiar shape appeared over the horizon, "Just say hi to your girlfriend
for me, and tell her she can find me in the medbay if I'm needed. I'm going to
check up on some casualties."
"Check
up on casualties?!" O'Connor blurted out loud as he turned to Yoko, who
was now quickly walking away. That ***** was actually going to check up on the
wounded?! What the hell?! She had been acting weird today, but this was far
beyond...
"Lieutenant,
you look rather distressed," Sylvie observed over the radio, "Has any
problems developed concerning the launch?"
"No...
no mam..." O'Connor replied as he turned his attention back to Captain
Gressiere, deciding that it was probably just that time of the month for Yoko,
"Launch will proceed as planned. All we need to do is to load up your
Barzam into the Shigure and we'll be ready to go."
"Fine,
get the work done immediately," Sylvie ordered as she opened her cockpit,
stepping out in the open as she did so, "And I want a full report on
what's been happening while I was gone. Yoko hasn't been spouting off obscenities
about me again, has she?"
"I'm
afraid so mam..." O'Connor replied with a sigh, "I'm afraid
so..."
---------------
"Mam,
we've managed to re-establish contact with High Command at Peking,"
Hawkins reported as he entered the cockpit of Natalie's Marasai, "It looks
as if we're receiving new orders from Colonel Wilkins, and..."
"Hawkins,
start scattering Minovsky particles and sever contact," Natalie ordered as
she turned away, looking as though she was completely uninterested by this
latest development "I need to be alone, and screw those orders from
Wilkins. We'll withdraw as planned."
"But
mam, we can't just ignore orders from High Command," Hawkins protested,
"I understand that their orders are often incompetent and downright
suicidal for the most part, but we have discretion to..."
"Hawkins,
didn't you notice anything about that sniper's fighting style?" Natalie
finally asked, feeling as though she couldn't keep this secret from him any
longer, "Didn't it remind you of anybody?"
"Mam,
do you mind if I close the cockpit doors?" Hawkins requested as he bit his
lip, realizing that some passer-by could overhear this little conversation,
"I think this is a matter that we alone must discuss."
"It
is," Natalie agreed as she punched a few buttons in her controls, closing
the doors and sealing off the cockpit from the outside world. Both of them
suddenly felt uncomfortable at their apparent isolation.
"Th...
thank you mam," Hawkins started nervously, "And yes, I did notice
that the enemy pilot's sniping style was very similar to that of our supposedly
fallen Valkyrie, and though I'm not certain, I do fear that she may have indeed
defected to the AEUG side because of certain atrocities committed by our brethren.
However, I must remind you that..."
"Hawkins,
it wasn't somebody else," Natalie replied sadly as she finally allowed her
eyes to meet his, "I heard her voice, and I'm sure it was her. And,
Hawkins..."
"Mam,
please... don't be disheartened... I understand," Hawkins offered
comfortingly, realizing it must have been difficult for her when she realized
she had been fighting her closest friend, "She was a sister to us all, and
we all knew that we might end up fighting each other once we started going our separate
ways. I... I too would have had problems..."
"Hawkins,
that wasn't the problem..." Natalie interrupted, realizing Hawkins had yet
to understand the full gravity of the situation, "I didn't have to fight
her. She didn't want me to. In fact, even though she wouldn't admit it, she
still cares very deeply for all of us Hawkins, and she wouldn't have left us
just to join those rebels..."
"Mam,
wait I don't quite understand..." Hawkins interrupted, not quite following
along, but realizing that her words clearly had merit. Sylvie could have easily
destroyed the entire 23rd Battalion had she chosen to do so, but she didn't,
choosing instead to disable the unit's GM IIs and sparing its novice pilots.
Guilt would have overcome Natalie had she lost many of her men, and that act
was clearly something Sylvie had orchestrated to prevent that eventuality,
"If she didn't want to join the rebellion, then why is she fighting for
them? Did those rebels fake her death and force her into working for them? That
doesn't seem to be AEUG's style at all."
"Because
it wasn't AEUG who kidnapped her in the first place, Hawkins," Natalie
replied, hatred now creeping into her voice, "You know that there's a certain
friend of ours from high command that's been eyeing her for a long time, and he
only started doing so when he found out about her abilities..."
"Colonel
Wilkins..." Hawkins concluded as his tone became more serious, "But
mam, we have to be realistic. Captain Gressiere was a commissioned officer, and
he couldn't just have sent her to a Newtype Lab. That's a serious violation of
military law, and if he did something like that..."
"Don't
be naive, Hawkins," Natalie countered, "You know those labs aren't
supposed to exist, and bagging a specimen for them would have done wonders for
his career. Besides Hawkins, Sylvie is a spacenoid, do you really think he'd
treat her as though she was human being?"
****...
Hawkins swore to himself, finally realizing why Natalie was being so hard on
herself. Wilkins was a dishonorable, self-serving lout who would sell off his
own children if it would benefit his career, and they both should have realized
that he had other motives for eyeing Captain Gressiere. God only knows what
horrors Sylvie had to endure because of their neglect, and Hawkins found
himself clamoring for revenge,
"Mam... what shall we do about this? Will we try to take this case to the military tribunal at Dakar?
Or are we going to try something more drastic? We simply can not let something
like this go unpunished."
"We
will do neither Hawkins, we don't have the strength nor the evidence to take on
Wilkins at this time, so it's not yet time to act," Natalie replied as
they looked each other eye to eye, forging a silent, unwritten agreement,
"But I need you to trust me Hawkins, as you've always had. There may be
tough times ahead, and if you don't think you're ready to follow me, say so now
and I won't think any less of you. That's all I want for now."
"Mam,
I have promised to serve you faithfully, and I shall," Hawkins declared
dutifully, "We have both faced considerable odds before, and I will follow
you no matter what path you choose to take, even if it may lead to mutiny.
There are simply some virtues that have to upheld, no matter the cost."
"Thank
you, old friend..." Natalie replied with a nod, "Thank you..."
---------------
"Start
the final checkup," Sylvie ordered as she strapped herself into her seat,
feeling a little uneasy sitting in the command chair on the bridge. They had
all... "insisted" that she ought to take that place, and she could
only wonder if this was just another one of Yoko's little plots to make her
work for her...
"The
boosters are all set," Scott Gusman reported over the intercom, "All
systems are working within acceptable safety parameters."
"Demolition
charges are ready too mam," O'Connor followed, "Just say the word and
we'll blow this place to kingdom come."
"Any
sign of the enemy?" Sylvie asked, remembering a harrowing launch she had
to go through during the One Year War, "Are you all certain that the area
is clear?"
"No
signs of the enemy mam, they all seem to have broken off," O'Connor
responded, "Perhaps they got smart and just decided to leave."
'I hope
so...' Sylvie thought but did not say out loud. She wasn't sure if Natalie
would indeed follow her advice and just leave as she had asked, but now, it
really did seem as if...
"Oh
come on Sylvie, enough with the checking," Yoko suggested over the
intercom, "You probably scared them all off already. It's kinda bad for
morale when you're facing a homicidal, psychotic Newtype, isn't it?"
"Say
that again, and I'll cut your dirty little tongue off," Sylvie replied
icily as she gritted her teeth, "O'Connor's been telling me about the
horror stories you've been spreading around, Captain Nagato, and if we had the
time I would be down there disemboweling you right about now."
"Then
get the launch started already, Sylvie," Yoko "requested" in an equally
icy tone, "Because the more I feel the gravity of this polluted planet,
the more I want to spread rumors about you, Subject V. But then again, the rest
of us DO deserve to know the truth, so maybe..."
"Cut
the link..." Sylvie ordered as she rolled her eyes, wishing she could
somehow put a magic bullet through Yoko's skull, "And start the countdown.
Let's get out of here before she drives us all insane."
---------------
"Sir,
this is insane!" Hasegawa demanded as he finally caught up with Major Hawkins,
"The enemy may be able to escape soon, and yet we are here moving at a
pace that even a snail would find oppressive. We must attack the enemy at
once!"
"Hasegawa,
perhaps you should learn a thing or two about logistics before you file more
complaints," Hawkins replied sarcastically, "You do realize that we
have lost much of our combat strength, and most of our pilots are exhausted. At
our current state, do you really believe we can provide serious opposition to
our battle-hardened enemies?"
"Then
I volunteer to be a pilot, sir!" Hasegawa offered, "You'll need your
most experiences men, and I am one of them. Let me take one of those GM
IIs."
"Unacceptable,
you're still injured Hasegawa," Hawkins replied dryly, "Besides, I
don't think..."
Before
Hawkins could finish, both of them heard an explosion go off over the horizon.
More followed, the ground now shaking as AEUG explosives demolished building
after building in the Titans' New Guinea Base, destroying what was left of its
already shattered infrastructure. Several onlookers then pointed at a plume of
smoke, now rising steadily into the clouds. Hawkins almost found himself
smiling as he realized what it was.
"Sir,
they are..." Hasegawa started.
"As
I was saying, Hasegawa," Hawkins went on, deciding to continue his earlier
lecture, "I don't think we could have gotten to the launch facility in
time anyway, so it's better to just let them get away for now. We'll do better
when we meet them again in the future."
"And
if we don't?" Hasegawa asked doubtfully, "Then all of this would go unavenged."
"Don't
worry Lieutenant, I'm certain we'll meet them again," Hawkins replied as
he stared into the sky, wishing Captain Gressiere the best of luck, "You
can almost count on it."
---------------
"Here
she comes..." Jefferson observed as the Shigure finally made it through
the upper atmosphere, the stout cruiser now jettisoning its booster pack as she
finally entered into the airless void that was space. Her main engines soon
came to life for the first time, and the ship began to move gracefully among
the stars, seemingly aware that this was to be her new home. He couldn't help
but admire the simple, unassuming nature of a warship, especially because that
was something most humans would do well to imitate...
"Sir,
the launch was a complete success," the XO reported as he handed the
Colonel with a data pad, "And an officer onboard the Shigure is already
transmitting a full report. I think you might be interested to read it. It
contains a few details that we may have missed."
"So,
it ends not with a bang, but with a whimper..." Jefferson observed as he
scanned through the later parts of the report. It had gotten hairy after the
arrival of those Doms, but in the end it seems those Titans finally just lost
their nerves and turned tail, "XO, are we ready to dock?"
"Yes
sir," the XO responded, "Our cable car is ready, and all we need to
do is pull up alongside her and attach the cables. Should we do it now
sir?"
"Yes,
get right on it..." Jefferson replied with a nod, "And call their
commanding officer. I'd like to have a face to face meeting with her as soon as
possible."
---------------
'Am I
dead?' John wondered as he realized he could no longer feel the pull of Earth's
gravity, 'Is my soul floating off somewhere? Wasn't Yoko...'
'Oh
****...' John realized as his eyes shot opened, revealing a face that sent
chills down his spine. It was, as always, his eternal tormentor: Yoko Nagato.
"Oh,
hello Magic," Yoko greeted with a smile, her eyes filled with mischief as
always, "Welcome to space. I hope you had a nice trip."
---------------
'Oh
please, spare me the pleasantries and just shoot me...' Sylvie thought to
herself as she impatiently awaited the arrival the O'Bannon's CO. She had checked
the records just to be sure, but now she was pretty certain this former Zeon
officer was a close friend of... of that *******, and that he was probably just
coming over to wash her mouth out with soap for torturing him. She didn't have
time for this. Most of the Anderson's men were already dead, and many others
were dying as she sat here waiting for that moron to...
"Mam,
transfer is complete, we're now opening the hatch..." a technician
reported, to which Sylvie responded with only an uninterested nod. Without the
danger of combat pre-occupying her thoughts, she found herself growing more and
more frustrated of being in the same ship as that *******. She couldn't stand
it anymore, especially since she now realized that she had... saved his damn
life in an indirect way, and only her self-control was stopping her from
storming into the medbay and...
"Colonel
Jefferson, welcome onboard," a crewman greeted as the hatch finally
opened, revealing a tall, brown-haired officer wearing a Colonel's uniform. Sylvie
tried not to scowl when she finally started speaking.
"Colonel
Arnold Jefferson, formerly of the Zeon Side 2 Fleet," Sylvie greeted as
she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her eyes showing her contempt for
this particular officer, "What brings you to the Shigure?"
"And
I presume you are Captain Sylvie Gressiere, formerly a pilot for the
Federation's 17th Fleet," Jefferson replied as he almost gave out a sigh,
realizing that she probably already knew about his relation to Ming, "I
think we've already met each other in battle during the One Year War, and I
was..."
"Spare
me the history lesson, Colonel, and get to the point," Sylvie interrupted
dryly, "I already know of your relation to Ming, and if you want me to
remain sane, I suggest that you stop reminding me about him. I don't think I
can control myself from killing him any longer."
"Captain,
please, I understand you anger against Captain Chow..." Jefferson replied
truthfully, "And as his commanding officer, I must apologize for..."
"Colonel,
unless your apology can bring back the dead, I suggest that you shut up and
change the topic," Sylvie replied testily, "My patience is wearing
very thin, so if you have nothing better to add, then go back to your ship and
just send over some medical personnel. We already have a lot of casualties, so
don't make me turn you into one, alright?!"
"Crewman,
contact the O'Bannon and tell them to send in the medical personnel,"
Jefferson ordered without turning away, still staring at Sylvie eye to eye.
Tragedy could certainly warp a person, he reflected, but he'd never thought
he'd see a case that was even worse than Ming... "And Captain Gressiere,
very well, no more history lessons. Do you have a room where we can speak in
private?"
"Do
you need it for my execution?" Sylvie asked coldly, "Because if you
are going to kill me, I'll pick one of the bathrooms. It should make cleaning
up a little easier once my brains are splattered all over the walls."
"No
Captain, no executions," Jefferson replied, though now feeling seriously
disturbed at her outlook on life. It just seemed as though she detested her own
existence, and he now began to seriously doubt she could be reasoned with. But
still, for Ming's sake, he still had to try... "However, what we are going
to discuss concerns your future, and death may still be a part of it depending
on your choice."
---------------
"Sir,
we do not have a choice," Bayerlein started reasonably, "We do not
have the sufficient resources to..."
"I
don't care!" Wilkins bellowed, "Contact the Home Fleet! Order them to
sortie all of their available ships from Baikal! I want that ship sunk!"
"Sir,
the Home Fleet is not within our jurisdiction," Bayerlein reminded,
"We can not simply call Admiral Aeno and order him to launch."
"The
orbital patrols then!" Wilkins ordered, "We must have SOME ships
patrolling around Earth, haven't we?"
"Sir,
the only ship under our jurisdiction within the area is the cruiser
Dorcetshire," Bayerlein replied, trying VERY hard to sound reasonable,
"And even at full speed it will still take almost a day before they can
reach the Shigure's current position. I do not believe that..."
"Bayerlein,
just call the Dorcetshire, and tell them sink that ****ing cruiser!"
Wilkins interrupted as he nearly shoved his face into the Major's, his cheeks
now fuming red in anger, "No quarter is to be given, understood?!"
"Understood,
sir," Bayerlein replied, this time finally letting some contempt creep
into his voice. A ship full of "loyal" officers would now undoubtedly
face certain death because of Wilkins' decision, unless of course, a certain
Subject V decided to show a little mercy...
---------------
'This
isn't working...' Jefferson thought in despair as Sylvie's demeanor remained
unchanged. He had already explained the cause of their rebellion many times,
and he had already reminded her of the brutality she had to suffer at the hands
of those Titans, but it didn't seem to have any effect. As always, it seemed
all Sylvie was interested in was the bottom line.
"Are
you done?" Sylvie asked in an off-handed tone, finally relieved that the
Colonel was finally at a lost for words, "Because if you are I'd like to
be executed right about now. Isn't that what you really want?"
"Sylvie,
please..." Jefferson replied with a sigh, deciding to try a slightly
different approach, "What you did to Ming was indeed serious, but as far
as we are concerned, it didn't reach the level of a capital offense. At most,
you might be imprisoned for around twenty to thirty years, however, we might be
willing to..."
"If
you want justice, then just kill me," Sylvie replied as she rolled her
eyes, amazed at how stubborn this idiot could get, "I'd rather be dead
rather than to rot away in a prison cell. I deserve it anyway. You know this
wasn't the only atrocity that I participated in."
"You
were coerced by those Titans to commit those other atrocities, Captain, so they
don't count," Jefferson replied, trying to be both forceful and
understanding at the same time, "And I also realize why you did that to
Ming. That's why we're willing to give you another chance. We've had other
defectors before, one of them is even a pilot on the Aghama, and if you fight
for us we'd be willing to pardon your..."
"May
I remind you that if you lose this war, that pardon will mean nothing,"
Sylvie reminded matter-of-factly, "And when those Titans manage to get
their hands on me again, if I'm still alive, they aren't going to be happy. I'd
be lucky if I can still remember who I am once they're finished with me."
"So
you think our cause is not worth fighting for?" Jefferson asked, now
feeling as though he was fighting a hopeless battle, "Do you really
believe in what they are doing?"
"No
Colonel, I don't," Sylvie replied, eyes downcast, "They are brutal
tyrants who must be stopped, and it's pretty clear that your side only seeks to
check their abuses. But you're fighting a losing war, and even if I join you,
nothing will change. You'll still lose."
"You
seem to underestimate us a little, Captain," Jefferson responded, now
seeing a slight glimmer of hope for Captain Gressiere, "Just as you
underestimate yourself."
"And
all of you keep on overestimating me," Sylvie replied sadly, the memory of
those "experiments" still fresh in her mind, "I'm no Redcomet,
Colonel Jefferson, and all of you should stop expecting otherwise."
"Captain,
nobody is expecting you to turn the tide of the war for us," Jefferson
promised, putting himself in her shoes, "But you're an experienced officer,
and you command respect from many of your peers. We need people like you to
help us win this war, and even if you can only contribute a small part
to..."
"Jefferson,
you know that I hate Ming with all of my being, and nothing can ever change
that fact" Sylvie interrupted, finally deciding to just end this before
both of them ended up with sore throats, "So stop wasting your breath and
do with me as you wish. As long as Ming is alive I shall never fight for your
cause."
"Oh...
I wouldn't be too sure about that, Subject V..." a playful voice suddenly
declared over the intercom, "Sir, this is Captain Nagato, permission to
enter the room."
"Please..."
Sylvie started, rolling her eyes once again in the process, "Colonel, sir,
for goodness sake don't let her..."
"Well
good timing Captain, I did want to talk to you about something as well,"
Jefferson replied quickly, seemingly oblivious to Sylvie's protests. Her eyes
quickly narrowed in suspicion. Both Jefferson and Yoko were former Zeon
officers, and now that she had finally rejected his offer to join AEUG, could
they possibly be...
"Thank
you, sir," Yoko replied as the door slid open, revealing two figures
standing at the doorway. One of them was Yoko. The other was John.
---------------
Notes:
- Just
in case anybody's wondering, Gerhard is indeed a reference to the recent
animation "Green Divers", hence his survival at the hands of Captain
Gressiere ^_^.
- The
"cable car" the O'Bannon's XO mentions appears in one of the earlier
episodes of Zeta Gundam(episode five, I believe) and was used to transport
Colonel Ohm from the Alexandria to a waiting Salamis Kai(forgot the name of the
Salamis, sorry. I have to re-learn how to read Chinese subtitles ^_^). His trip
wasn't as smooth Jefferson's however, since AEUG decided to step in and make
his life a little bit more miserable ^_^.
- The
"Home Fleet"(along with Admiral Aeno) Wilkins mentions is a canonical
unit from Gundam Sentinel. Task Force Alpha, whose pilots were the protagonists
of the story, was part of the Home Fleet, and they were also launched from the
facility at Lake Baikal.
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