Chapter 2: "The Blazing Horizon"

Zamboanga City, Philippines.
Marketplace...

And indeed, Risa turned around. She stumbled upon someone she never expected to see here, in this peaceful country. "Ha--Hayase!?" she exclaimed, before shifting her gaze to the pair of chickens he was holding. "Now that's what I call a real meal!"

Risa embraced Hayase tight. She had not seen him for months, not after he became more active in the military. "I don't care why you're here, whether you're in a mission or patrol or not! Let's spend some quality time together, just you and me! I want to go hiking up the mountains over there! Locals say its about an hour's drive from here! Come on Hayase! Let's go! Let's enjoy the breathtaking landscape! Please!?" she pleaded with her irresistable puppy dog eyes.

Hayase held Risa tight for a moment kissing her gently on her forehead as he listen to her speak.

Mnemosyne16 wrote:

"I don't care why you're here, whether you're in a mission or patrol or not! Let's spend some quality time together, just you and me! I want to go hiking up the mountains over there! Locals say its about an hour's drive from here! Come on Hayase! Let's go! Let's enjoy the breathtaking landscape! Please!?"

Hayase stared into her eyes. They were begging him to do as she wanted. “Well i guess i could check out the mountain area for signs of the Zeon.” He thought to himself . Hayase released Risa and stepped back taking her hand. “Yea, Lets go. There is a place that i saw over here that rents jeeps.” He said with a smile as he began to pull her along. They quickly reached the rental shop. Hayase quickly ran inside coming back outside after only a few minutes a set of keys in his hand. He then walked over to a black colored jeep and tossed his backpack in the back before hoping in the driver’s seat. Hayase looked over at Risa and once again smiled at her. ”You coming?”

Magnusson sat down on his pig Sierra's back sighing. "Well I am not in the mood to be angry today, you are lucky, Hayashi. Now all of you get into your civilian attire and I want you to scour the town for any signs of those goddamned remnants. I will be chilling here with Sierra, and dear fuck, if I see you just having a good time in that city I'll personally chew you out..." Magnusson warned them. He rose up and inched closer to Alexander.

"You, Del Tierro, I don't want you running around like a freaking brothel hoe! Just because you are the grandson of a general, does not automatically give you autonomy of your own. You're a soldier and dammit, you will comply with my orders. Same goes to you Grant, I'll have Sierra chew on your balls if this undercover mission fails..."

After the lecture he dismissed his pilots and had them go around the city for more information gathering.

Quote :

(EFF and LONDO BELL: You cannot find the Remnants or their MS on your own. Boss Chief will give you chances to discover them, so you better make sure your posts don't make you metagame or gain omniscient powers

ALSO: TIMESKIP! All posts after this will be "2 hours later")

Zamboanga City...
Town Square
12:30 PM (This is approximately 2 hours after the Empyrean landed)

GUNDAM UNICORN OST
"Desert"



With Dust and James as her personal bodyguards, Tatiana drove to the town square to fish for any information pertaining to the existence of the Remnants. Dressed in a white polo shirt, and beige pants, complete with a pair of shades, she could pass off as a tourist. A legitimate tourist. She asked for directions regarding the closest military base in the area, but all she got were unintelligible answers.

"Either the people are very secretive, or they don't know at all..." she told her two companions. She parked the jeep to the side where she saw a run-down burger joint. At least, the burgers smelled fresh. "Does any one have a few gira* or anything? Let's go eat lunch... I'm starving!" Tatiana asked.

She sat down on a wooden chair and waited as the cook fried the burger patties. Looking at the mountains up ahead, she wondered if it was large and spacious enough to hide a dozen mobile suits. "I want to investigate that mountain, but I think it's too dangerous. We don't know this area well, and we might get ambushed by local tribes... Better stay off that path then... so anybody wants soda?"


*gira: Currency in the Universal Century. (source: ZZ Gundam forgot the episode)

Zamboanga City...
Town Square
12:30 PM


"Sir, my ms is all ready to go." Arthor than turns around and heads back to his ms. Taking a few more minutes to make sure his ms was ready. After the quick inspection Arthor change into civilian clothes. Letting out a sight after changing Arthor started to walk to the village. As we walked down hill the trees begin to spread out and becomes less thick. When he reached the edge of the town, Arthor decided to stop at the bar near by. As he walked into the bar, he could smell the aroma of smoke and cheep beer. Laughing to himself Arthor lights up a smoke and takes a seat at the bar counter. "I would like a glass of beer." As the bartender gave him his glass of beer, Arthor smiled at her. "Would you mine if you gave me some company?" Looking into her blue eyes as he take a drinks his beer.

Zamboanga City, Philippines. . .
Town Square. . .
12:30 P.M. . . .

Ulysses shook his head as he walked through the town, looking for any Zeons hiding out, not that he thought they would be stupid enough to put themselves in plain sight, but you never know, there ARE some pretty stupid people out there. He was wearing a brown bomber jacket with a green undershirt and blue jeans. He also wore a pare of amber-tinted sunglasses. Turning his head, he watched a couple walk into a restaurant and sneered. These people had no idea what was in store for them if they found a member of the Remnant hiding amongst them. He would personally lead the extermination team that would burn this city to rubble.

Walking around a bit more, he thought he saw a Zeon emblem, but it was just his paranoia at work, after all, who would be stupid enough to wear that in plain sight?

Walking further into town, he saw a jeep drive by and recognized the Londo Bell captain, her hair was quite distinctive. He snorted mentally, it was a little conspicuous to drive into town with two others when the locals would probably see that and warn any Remnant members about it. He only hoped they didn't blow the whole operation.

Dust dug his hand into his jacket, his hand moving past his firearm to his wallet where he grabbed and threw some gira on the table they were out. Enough to cover what they would be eating.

Quote :

"I want to investigate that mountain, but I think it's too dangerous. We don't know this area well, and we might get ambushed by local tribes... Better stay off that path then... so anybody wants soda?"

"True that area may be large enough to hide them, but the journey would be a harsh one, and as you said we dont know the perils. For now I would probably scout the city some more until we are certain. As for the Soda I would love one, Mam." He looked around, hoping to see something out of the ordinary, but he hadn't so far. He slipped his wallet back into his pocket and the checked the other one. Making sure he had both firearms just in case he needed them. He then took a second to think where else in the area the remnants could possibly be.

Arc had finished up his games of go and was wandering the streets casually eating a bit of some meat a local vendor had sold him. It had an odd flavor that he had never tasted before but after spending nearly his whole life as an insurgent of some kind or another he had learned when in a strange land don't ask what it is just eat it. Plus one of the downfalls of living with a group always on the move good food was a rarity and at least he wasn't eating another meal of roast rat.

So enjoying the sunny day he just wandered around the city taking in the sites and enjoying the ability to be able to move freely while he could. That had always been the hardest part of living on the go. Perhaps it came from being earth born but he loved being able to move about freely and do things like rolling in the grass and splashing in the water. He figured that part of living in space was being used to spending days in enclosed tuna cans. He had chosen this life when he ran away with the Zeon forces way back during the one year war and as much as he liked times like this he wouldn't trade his life for anyone. And so he wandered the streets of the city enjoying the fresh air.

Zamboanga City, Philippines. . .
Town Square. . .

Walking down the street, Ulysses pulled out his top-of-the-line camera and started taking pictures. His cover was that he was a photographer on the lookout for places that were too beautiful to not take a picture of and put them in the next issue of his magazine, which he had false data for. Truth be told, he actually liked taking pictures, in fact, before he dreamed of joining the military, he dreamed of being a world-class photographer. Taking a picture of the crowded street, he saw someone walking nearby with food in his mouth and walked over to him.

"Hey, do you know of any sights that are picture-worthy around here? I work with National Geographic and was hoping to find take some photos of the Philippines."

James left the Empryean escorting the Captain along with Ensign Shikai. It was probably better this way. James wore a tan polo shirt with a brown zip-up sweater, jeans, Nikes, and a pair of sunglasses. He was also secretly wearing a kevlar vest and had his pistol in a holster that was strapped to his left shoulder. They parked the jeep next to a rather ancient looking burger joint. They stopped by to grab a bite to eat and to discuss matters pertaining to the Remnants. They all sat down at a table as they waited for their orders to be finished. Dustin was more than willing to pay for their meal.

Quote :

"I want to investigate that mountain, but I think it's too dangerous. We don't know this area well, and we might get ambushed by local tribes... Better stay off that path then... so anybody wants soda?"

Then the Ensign gave his opinion on the matter.

Quote :

"True that area may be large enough to hide them, but the journey would be a harsh one, and as you said we dont know the perils. For now I would probably scout the city some more until we are certain. As for the Soda I would love one, Mam."

It was true that it would be dangerous for anyone to trek up the mountain, which was all the more reason to investigate. He looked at the Captain with serious face and said "Captain, with your permission I would like to search the mountain myself. Ensign Shikai and yourself can search the town. I know it's dangerous, but doesn't that give us more reason to give it a look? The Zeon could easily hide mobile suits up there. And I'll just have water, thank you."

Empyrean Hanger...
2 Hours After Mission Start...

Luciano had conducted an investigation in town like the Captain had ordered but alas her worry that the locals were already aware of them had turned out to be true. Even alone he had troubles fitting in, he had never liked undercover work as he did not have the heart for it, and eventually he had grown tired of getting no where even if he had been ordered to investigate. As such he had managed to get himself back to the Empyrean although it was harder than getting in since he had went in on the Captain's jeep. He knew the Captain would probably be annoyed that he had returned without finding a single thing but he doubted he'd make a difference: the rest of his squad and Magnusson's EFF team had deployed into the city too.

Besides, if they found the Zeon it was not going to do them much good if they had no Mobile Suit backup ready to launch. Which was what he was planning on preparing right now as he changed out of his civilian clothing and into his white, clean Londo Bell pilot suit. Once suited up he grabbed his helmet and entered the hanger. Due to the climate of the region he had already begun to feel a bit hot but thankfully it was quite cool in the battleship's hanger. He noted that a few technicians were buzzing about his ReZEL Commander Type which made him curious and as he approched the head technician turned to him, "Lieutenant Raines, we weren't expecting any pilots down here today Sir", he spoke in a somewhat worried tone.

Luciano waved his hand in an attempt to dissipate the man's nerves, "Don't worry about it. I was getting no where in the city so I thought it would be better if I returned and went on standby...", the Lieutenant looked up at his machine, "...I trust you and your crew have had no problems tuning my ReZEL for in-atmosphere operation?", he smiled reassuringly and confident. The Empyrean had quite the good deck gang, at least this recent one was quite good.

The technician nodded, "Indeed, all we had to do was alter the verniers and thrusters a little better to ensure you get the same performance as you would in Space. Everything else checks out though we haven't been able to cover the joints in anything to prevent them getting clogged up. Just be careful not to get it too close to sand or anything that can be picked up your engines", the man cautioned the pilot, "The modification process should be done in a few minutes, Sir".

The Lieutenant nodded in acknowledgement, "Understood, I'll make sure the computer is registering the alterations". With that said he found himself eventually in the cockpit of his the machine he was still getting to know having been using a Jegan until his assigned as the Empyrean's Lieutenant. He started up the system checking that the alterations were indeed being registered by the computer, I just hope I don't really need to use you just yet the near-30 year old thought hoping that his comrades would remain safe since he did not a clue what any of them were currently up to. He was sure it was nothing dangerous...

(Note: I'm not saying I'll be getting any Move bonuses. Just the way I see it the ReZEL was primarily a Space-Use MS so I think it's verniers might need a little altering to ensure same performance under gravity. If this is wrong I'll happily modify the post.)

A bit longer after the time that Leon had promised to show up, Leon, having cleaned up about as much as he could, and looking like any mechanic you can find any where in any city, enters the Loby of the Pudge feather Hotel. Looking around the loby, Leon spots the boss, and moves up to him. In a low voice, he asks.

"What's up boss? Sorry it took me so long to get here, the Dom was giving me more trouble then I anticipated. I am here now, and I can guess why you need me. The only thing you could need my help with is a mobile suit?"

Quote :

"Hey, do you know of any sights that are picture-worthy around here? I work with National Geographic and was hoping to find take some photos of the Philippines."

Hearing someone address him Arc turned around to see a man in sunglasses with a bomber jacket. From his general bearing he could tell the this man was had military experience his posture and face told Arc he would be just as calm taking photos on a battlefield as he would be in this city.

"Hmm well I wish I could help but I am merely a traveler myself I am a Go player and I have come to this town as part of my journey to make the divine move. Sadly this town had no real challenges and I mostly played teaching games with the children. So now I am enjoying the town's unique food as I decide where to head next. As a photographer you must get around a lot. So do you know of any small cities and villages that have promising Go players?" Arc asked as he took another bite of his meal and continued looking at the photographer.

Zamboanga City, Philippines. . .
Town Square. . .

Shaking his head, Grant said, "Unfortunately I do not follow that game. I am much more interested in nature these days. Saw enough fighting from the Neo-Zeon wars to last me a lifetime. If I were to follow any game it would probably be chess, although I do not know of any of the modern players. The most recent player I know of was Fisher and that was way back before the Universal Century began! Sorry if that disappoints you. The only thing I know about Go I saw on television and let me tell you that is next to nothing." He paused for a moment, and took a quick glance at the man before him, burning his face into his memory-banks. "But I daresay you would know more about it then I, and I think that is quite alright by me. You wouldn't happen to be able to point me in the direction of someone who does know these parts would you? I would really appreciate it."

Usam1981 wrote:

About 15 minutes after he recieved the radio call, Leon, having cleaned up about as much as he could, and looking like any mechanic you can find any where in any city, enters the Loby of the Pudge feather Hotel. Looking around the loby, Leon spots the boss, and moves up to him. In a low voice, he asks.

"What's up boss? The only thing you could need my help with is a mobile suit?

Zamboanga, Philippines...
Pudgefeather hotel...
2 Hours Later...

For about an hour Boss Chief and Leon discussed matters regarding mobile suits. Leon was the Chief's main man when it came to mobile suit repair and maintenance. After the discussion Boss Chief prepared a small meal and shared it with Leon. He gave Leon a large plastic bag of food so that he can share it with the other remnants. Shortly after their lunch, Boss Chief departed with Leon to the place where the "agent" specified the Zssa to be.

Downtown, abandoned warehouse...
12:45 PM

Boss Chief, along with Leon, got off and went to an old warehouse. He pushed the gates aside, and there in front of him lay something massive, covered with old, used parachutes. Pulling the sheets down, Boss Chief stumbled upon a shiny yellow machine... the Zssa...

"Tune this up for me, Leon," he requested.

Some one in town who knows the location Arc thought. "Hmm well the children I was playing teaching matches with kept talking about the zoo. Maybe you can get some good shots there. If not they have professional guides and I'm sure that they would know about the area and where the best photo locations would be. Otherwise there is the beach everyone loves pics of the sea." Arc said as he finished his meat and realized he was thirsty "Sorry I cant be more help but I think I'm going to go get a drink from a cafe" Arc said as he waved and began heading towards a cafe across the street from where he stood.

Zamboanga, shorelines,
Near the Empyrean warship...



Gundam Unicorn OST | Track 17 | Life & Death

After two hours, Magnusson got bored, tired of waiting for results. An idea emerged from the dark recesses of his mind, and along with it, a very sinister plan to flush the Zeon remnants out of hiding. Magnusson was slowly, but surely getting anxious. He immediately asked that a GM Sniper II be loaded out and sent to a small plateau above them.

In a matter of minutes, somebody got the GM Sniper II in position. "Captain Magnusson, you want me to use my scope to survey the area?" the operator and mechanic, as well as one of his men back in Torrington, asked. Magnusson's face contorted into a devilish caricature full of malice.

"No. You're gonna flush those rats out. If the coordinates are accurate in my map, there should be a city hall a few kilometers away from the center of the city. Blow it up, and the Zeon will come out of hiding!" Magnusson smirked. The pilot was confused, but he couldn't disobey orders. Still, he questioned Magnusson again.

"You sure about this sir?" the operator asked.

Magnusson surprisingly replied in a calm tone. "Don't you want to avenge your family too, Nicholas? Remember how brutally they were killed in Lhasa, Tibet? 5th Luna... dropped on your hometown! The Zeon needs to pay for their atrocities with blood! Nicholas, shoot if you still have a heart!" Magnusson yelled, playing on the GM pilot's feelings.



"I'LL DO IT!!!" Nicholas poured all of his feelings into the press of the trigger. A straight, powerful beam came out of the barrel of the GM Sniper's rifle, headed straight for the Zamboanga City Hall. The beam hit the 4th floor, killing the mayor and most of his staff, along with hundreds of other innocent bystanders. The building collapsed, killing dozens more with the falling slabs of concrete. Several meters from the site, people on the ground were writhing in agony, naked and burned horribly from the heat of the beam.



The beam dissipated soon, and all that was left of the city hall was wrecked buildings, and people burnt to a crisp. That included women and children too. Nicholas couldn't believe what he had just been ordered to do. He pulled out his pistol, and put it in his mouth. With one press of a trigger, he shot himself, blowing his brains out from the mouth out to the back of his head.

Magnusson had Nicholas' corpse removed from the GM Sniper II's cockpit. He laughed. "Heh heh heh! Weak people! I suppose that bastard's conscience isn't made of iron. We don't need that kind of people in the EFF..."

Quote :

To Everyone: Depending on your location, you may have seen the beam, felt the shockwave of the explosion, heard it, or all of the above. Please be guided accordingly

Zamboanga Mountains...
12:50 PM
(doing the location jump for Hayase and me, because he agreed to come with my character wherever she wanted)

Because she and her boyfriend Hayase were having fun, and because they were quite far from the city itself, Risa was oblivious to what was happening back there. Midway through the mountains, they passed through a thick forest. She and Hayase came across a small stream, with some stepping stones conveniently placed across. Risa skipped among these stones, eventually landing on the other side of the stream.

"Hey hey hey Hayase! Catch me if you can!" she said, before running away into a cluster of trees. She kept laughing and laughing, thinking that Hayase will run after her. She kept on going, as fast as her nimble legs could carry her. But soon, the weight of her backpack began to tire her down. She sat under a large baobab tree, its canopy providing shade for her.

Risa heard something hiss above her. When she looked up, she saw a large python coming down the tree, flicking its tongue as it crept. Horror overwhelmed Risa, as the snake moved faster as if it wanted to attack her. She took off and ran once more, only to realize something...

She was lost and Hayase was nowhere in sight.

Trying to retrace her steps, she moved slowly, back to the direction where she came from, but she fell into a previously unseen hole, perhaps dug out by hunters. She found herself surrounded by bugs. "HAYASEEEEEEE!" she screamed.

Zamboanga City, Philippines. . .
Town Square. . .

Grant had been walking across the street toward the zoo when it happened. The city hall blew up, sending out a shockwave that caused widespread damage and killed numerous "innocents". He was flung the rest of the way, going head-over-heels and landing back first on the wall upside down. Rubbing his head he stood up and looked around to figure out what happened. And what he saw was like a beautiful painting. Being the sadistic bastard that he is, he actually laughed at the pain and confusion that the natives were sure to be feeling.

"Serves them right. Probably harboring Zeon's. Just wipe out the lot of them. Don't know why we didn't do this sooner."

By this time, Ulysses had lost his glasses and his camera had flown out of his hands somewhere, but he couldn't be bothered to look for it. He would buy another one after all this was over.

Looking around, he decided that it was time to head back. He wasn't even going to bother pretending being a nice guy to these (for lack of a better word) people. So, it was with a light hard that he made his way back to the shoreline where his mobile awaited.

Zamboanga Mountains,
Forest Area...


Gundam Unicorn OST 2 Track 3 - More....

It took Javier one hour to rid himself of the pungent odor of Rap's urine. Javier had never smelled urine so strong before. Fortunately there was a small pond where he was able to bathe in. After that, he resumed his work on the Galluss-J using a forklift and a crane he borrowed earlier. In one hour, he had assembled the entire unit, needing only fine tuning.

At around quarter to twelve , he went out to check if the trap he set last night worked. He hoped to catch a wild pig, or a deer, which he planned to roast and share with everyone except Rap and Johann. Since those two planned to go to the town, Javier won't have to worry. He finally got the solitude he wanted.

"Fuck that Johann, thinks he's some hot shot but he's just a poser... firing with no bullets and missing that bird. He thinks he's so cool but he's not. And screw that Rap Goblin, his face is uglier than a horse's ass!" he grumbled to himself as he walked to the trap. To his surprise, the cover of leaves were gone. Something had fallen in...

He ran over to check it, expecting some wild animal but all he saw was... a woman! The woman emitted a scream, saying "Hayase!" out loud. Javier covered his ears... then stretched his hand to help her.

"I'm terribly sorry ma'am, this was a trap I made to catch animals! I didn't expect you'd... " he said, pulling Risa up. He wiped off the dirt on her clothes, and as he did, saw her eyes. Instantly he was captivated by her... "Hi, I'm Javier! And you are?" he said, extending his hand...

Phillipines, Zomboanga

Some burger joint, 12:50 PM

James waited to hear an answer from his Captain, only to be interupted by a huge explosion that came from the center of town. They felt a huge quake under their feet as a large billow of smoke blocked out the sun. James stood up and looked towards the enormous cloud, taking off his sunglasses to look at the ensuing chaos. "What the hell was that?!" He ran over to the jeep and jumped into the drivers seat. He yelled to the others "Come on!! We have to get back to the ship now!! Let's go!!" He started up the jeep and got it in gear, ready to haul ass back to the Empyrean.

Zamboanga, shorelines,
Near the Empyrean warship...

BGM" "MOBILE ARMOR"


Alexander didn't really venture far from the ship. He went to some small huts near the beach, talked to some locals, but he didn't get any info. Their mouths seem to be shut regarding matters about war or mobile suits. Unsatisfied, he went back to the Empyrean, only to find a GM Sniper firing a beam in the direction of the city.

Hastily, Alexander climbed up the ship and took out his binoculars. What he saw was mortifying. An entire building going down in smoke and rubble. A gunshot ran out, and soon the GM's pilot was hauled out of the cockpit. It seemed like he committed suicide. Magnusson looked pleased.

Anger boiled up inside Alexander. His father and grandfather did not raise him to be this kind of Feddie. Going against orders, he took out his pistol and ran down back to the beach. He fired one shot, close to Magnusson's foot.

"Captain Brando Magnusson, I am sorry. For the inhuman war crimes you must be arrested and sent back to the HQ for trial! I have never seen such an atrocious act against innocent civilians! Damn you!"

Empyrean Hanger
Immediate aftermath of GM Sniper II Attack...

The silence that allow Luciano to sit inside his cockpit without disturbance, calibrating his machine's systems, had been broken the moment the bridge had detected a beam being fired. Alarms rang out all about the ship and inside the hanger as the Commander called for battle stations. People everywhere began rushing to their stations the deck crew beginning to prepare MS for launch, damnit what the hell happened!?. He pulled his helmet tying into his comms system, "Commander! What the HELL is going on, Sir?".

There was a heavy sign from the other side, "One of the Federation GM Sniper IIs has opened fire on the city. City Hall. A lot of damage and dead and even more injured. We don't know why the unit was out but it can't be good. Launch when you're read Lieutenant and check the immediate area...that Sniper must be damn close".

Luciano sighed, "Roger", with that said he turned his machine's external speakers, "Get back everyone. Get the MS Catapult ready for my machine and hurry!", his voice boomed to the technicians dotted around his machine, who made a quick getaway from whatever they had been doing. He slipped his helmet on as the cockpit door closed and sealed up tightly the panoramic monitor, something that made him like the ReZEL even more, taking only a few seconds to load up. He did not having time to linger on that thought as the MS Bed had been deactivated and he was clear to move to the catapult.

His ReZEL moved swiftly, well as swiftly as a Mobile Suit could, to Catapult 1 which had been cleared for him. The ReZEL stepped onto the catapult and crouched a little having pulled its Mega Beam Launcher into firing position for now so it would not get cut off when he tried to launch. He took a breath and was ready, "Lieutenant Raines in the ReZEL Commander, launching!". The blue/azure-colored machine's feet barely touched the linear catapult as it surged forward and the into the sky and started to scan the immediate area.

It did not take long for him to see the EFF machine which stuck out from the rest of the scenery in these parts, "Damn you...", the Londo Bell pilot murmured to himself. His ReZEL boosted over to hover above the GM Sniper II attacker, which he noticed had a dead body near its feet. Zooming in he could make out a small body of people around the GM Sniper II and one near the cockpit. Another figure appeared having just ran up to the GM Sniper II with a gun in his hand. He lowered the Mega Beam Launcher and took aim at the GM Sniper II, "You there! Around the GM Sniper II! Power down that Mobile Suit right NOW!", he ordered over the external speakers.

Zamboanga City...
Immediate aftermath of GM Sniper II Attack...

"Step on it, James!" Tatiana ordered James to drive back as fast as he could. She called the Empyrean bridge with her phone. "What's the situation back there, Englebert?!" she asked the guy in charge. Englebert informed her about everything that transpired a few minutes ago, including the ReZEL launching out and confronting the GM Sniper II.

"Okay, this has got to be it. I am calling the higher ups and reporting Magnusson for grave abuse of command. He will definitely pay for this!" she said, shaking uncontrollably with anger. One by one she sent the Londo Bell team a message through text:"All Londo Bell pilots report back to the Empyrean A.S.A.P.!"

"Dusk, could you call the Empyrean again and have them stop Officer Del Tierro from shooting the Captain? We could get in big trouble if something happens. And you two, be on alert. If any Zeon mobile suit mobilizes, get ready to sortie. God, I can't believe that Magnusson! He's acting like a three-year-old!" The jeep rumbled across the dusty road, at full speed.

Zamboanga, shore…
Near the Empyrean.

Magnusson appeared calm, even when his own subordinate, Warrant Officer Alexander Del Tierro, was pointing a gun at him. He merely smiled the whole thing off, turning his back on Alexander. He picked up his pig and let out a heavy breath, one filled with sadness.

“So are you willing to kill me, Warrant Officer? Go ahead and shoot me, shoot me right through my rectal orifice. I don’t care. Kill me, hang me, draw me to a chariot, or quarter me into pieces of meat. I don’t give a fuck…” he added. He turned around, faced Alexander with a gun of his own. Luciano’s ReZEL didn’t scare him too.

“You shall see soon why I did that. I just killed hundreds of people. So what?! If it means saving the lives of millions, then all of my decisions are justified. Even when they are morally wrong! Sacrifice is necessary if you want true peace! Blood must be spilled in order for the future! To ensure our future, sacrifice, it is necessary! You are all soldiers! You are not allowed to question my authority! You are no more than tools to carry out orders, cogs in this machine we call the Earth Federation! I am the Master, all of you are pawns! If you truly value your life, and loved ones, follow me, for the future I shall create is pure!”