Chapter 1: Masquerade

Dazed by the slap, Clara was powerless to resist the man. As Boss Chief dragged her, she looked at her co-star whom Boss Chief shot to death.

"I'm sorry... John Lloyd..." she said as the big man pulled her away. She felt her consciousness slowly fading away, and then, she passed out.

BATTLE OVER: FEDDIES WIN
(As spoils of war, i take the Zaku's Heat Hawk)

Ensign Katoma watched as the Zaku's retreat under the blanket of smoke. He doesn't know what's happening right now, but he was thankful. He let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Osmonde, carry this heat hawk for me," Katoma ordered. He noticed a man whom he did not know, tending to Ferrell. The Guntank parked beside the downed Gundam and looked at the guy called Raven.

"Who are you!? State your name, and rank!" he ordered.

30 minutes later, the Chopper that Chief arrived returned with the two warrant officers Tom and Aicelle. They were given back their clothes. The chopper lands near the parking lot of the Hana Ban Ban hotel... where Boss Chief was waiting for them.

"Hmph, it's too dangerous to be playing Adam and Eve now. Heard you were wounded, Officer Alexander. Get to the clinic and we'll have that wound treated..." Boss Chief said. Two men escorted the two rescued officers to the clinic, and helped them get into the beds to rest. Beside them on a third bed was Clara, all tied up so she could not escape.

Boss Chief puffed cigars that would kill a normal man. Whenever he smokes his Brand Skull Cuban Cigars, somebody coughs from second hand smoke. But not the Chief. He smoked and huffed and puffed outside the clinic, peeking among the window drapes looking at Clara. A feisty girl she was earlier... Boss Chief's cup 'o tea. That actress was definitely under age, but she looked damn fine. So damn fine he's sure Clara would warm his night. That will keep his anxiety levels down - a good fuck with a young girl. The Gundam could wait, now this is all that Boss Chief needed.

Tom sighed in relief as the medic finished applying the disinfectant and wrapped his back with medical tape. He lay back on the bed gently. He had never been so happy to wear a pair of pants before in his life, and he was sure Aicelle felt the same. He was thankful that they were called back when they were, although he wished the cost hadn't been so high.

Hopefully the Lt. would be able to deal with the Feddies and leave them in peace. Otherwise he might have to get involved and now definitely wouldn't be a good time to fight him because if you take someone, especially Tom, from a source of comfort, you are liable to have your head chopped off.

Clinic...

Clara glanced to her side and saw two soldiers, one male, and the other female. She was weak, still bound in ropes and had a really nasty concussion. As soon as the medic left, she called out to "Tom"...

"Pssstt..." she called.

"Pssssssssst!" Clara repeated. "What happened to you?" The actress tried to wiggle out of her ropes but she couldn't.

Quote :

Kara wrote:

Clinic...

Clara glanced to her side and saw two soldiers, one male, and the other female. She was weak, still bound in ropes and had a really nasty concussion. As soon as the medic left, she called out to "Tom"...

"Pssstt..." she called.

"Pssssssssst!" Clara repeated. "What happened to you?" The actress tried to wiggle out of her ropes but she couldn't.

While resting on the bed, he heard someone call out to him. Looking around his eyes fell upon a teenage girl tied to a bed. She looked familiar but his mind just couldn't place her at the moment.

He gave a weak smile, "Oh nothing too bad. Just had a little scuffle with a few Monitor Lizards and got scratched on the back, nothing to worry about. What about you? You look like you had your head bashed in by a rock," he asked concerned. He never could stand the sight of an injured child.

"Are you Zekes really this cruel? Why do you act like a bunch of wild animals? What did we ever do to you? Why would you try to conquer Earth?" Clara asked monotonously.

The medic turned around and told Tom of what really happened inside Clara's room.

Temporary base, Palawan
.....

Hurry up and unload the equipment and mobile suits!! yelled Shun to the workers and mechanics. We'll be moving out in an hour!! Pilots, make sure everything checks out and study your region maps!! Pilots respond with a Yes Sir!

Mechanics?! Have the Gundams arrived yet? Mechanics replied, Not yet sir! Damn, we'll just have to pick them up later once we reached our destination then. Meanwhile concentrate on getting the Ground type GMs ready for mobilization! Mechanics replied, Sir!

Shun returned to his quarters to study his map and plot a course his 56th mobile suit corp should take. Lets see, we have 3 Ground type GMs and a guntank......*sigh* wish we had those gundams....oh well might as well go-
Shun was interrupted when his intel officer burst in. Sir! message from HQ! Shun grabbed the message and started reading. .........Sounds like our fight for the Philippines is getting rough. What did it say sir? said the intel officer. Shun replied, It seems that the 24th Mobile squad ran into some Zeke trouble and was hit pretty hard. Don't you think we should help them? Hmmm.....We don't have any orders to send them anything or aide them....but, we'll do a pass by the 24th squad to see if they need assistance if not we'll just continue on our way. Get everyone ready to go! Sir, already done, we are all ready to move out immediately! Well done officer, lets move!!

Shun and his 56th mobile suit corp got packed and left the Palawan base, vanishing into the dense forests.

Clinic

Tom's eyes widened in shock while hearing what Lt. Guerrero did. Granted he knew that there would be civilian casualties like there are in every war, but this, this was wrong. But even though he knew that, there was nothing he could do. He was just a Warrant Officer, and Guerrero was a Lt. And Warrant Officers can't do anything to Lt.'s unless they commit treason and as terrible as this case is it didn't qualify. And he told her as such.

"I wish there was something I could so for you, but it is out of my hands. The only way he could be punished is if there was evidence of treason and I don't know about you but I don't have any. He is my superior officer and I must follow his orders. I won't harm an innocent if I can help it however. And as for why we are here, I believe you can thank your Federation for that. They oppressed us too hard and too long and now we are fighting back. They are only getting what they deserve. My family lived in poverty for most of my life and even now that I have moved away they are barely getting by. My pay can't support an entire family. I won't let it continue any longer. They sent our people into space in the hopes of getting rid of us but as soon as it is inconvenient they abandon us. They deserve to burn for what they have done." Tom's eyes burned with hatred for the E.S.F.F.

MSL wrote:

Ensign Katoma watched as the Zaku's retreat under the blanket of smoke. He doesn't know what's happening right now, but he was thankful. He let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Osmonde, carry this heat hawk for me," Katoma ordered. He noticed a man whom he did not know, tending to Ferrell. The Guntank parked beside the downed Gundam and looked at the guy called Raven.

"Who are you!? State your name, and rank!" he ordered.

Sylvan had just gotten Ferrell out of the cockpit, giving him emergency first-aid while he was laid in a makeshift mat, coming from Sylvan's Rain gear, When someone shouted to him in an authoritative tone. Asking who he was.

"Wait here man, stay with us" He looked around for a medic and found one. "Medic! Over here!" He shouted amongst the chaos as they regrouped and tended to the wounded.

Waiting for the medic to tend to Ferrell, he stood up straight and dusted himself afterwards and then turned around to look at where the voice came from and then spoke in a loud voice.

"Are you the one in-charge here? I answer only to the one in-charge"

He said this for another other than just a rude answer there was an underlying reason, as he waited for what he's going to do to that person in-charge.

"So tell me, are you the one in-charge?"

Inside the clinic:

Aicelle got up and saw the girl tied in ropes. She quickly untied the ropes put of pity. "My God! You're that actress! Clara Del Valle! Tears of Laplace!" exclaimed Aicelle. "I'm a big fan of yours! Can't believe the Boss did that to you though..."

The Warrant Officer took out a pack of ice and applied it on the actresses' swollen cheek. "I'm Warrant Officer Aicelle Quinn! I've seen your show and my, you're a fantastic actress! What brings you here to the Philippines?"

Palawan Jungle...

Ensign Katoma looked at the newly arrived Ensign. "Yes, I am the one in charge here. Ensign Katoma Vartio Mundara is my name. And I was the one who shot that fucking Zaku II off its feet..." he said with a boastful tone. The Guntank stopped. Katoma came down and repeated his question.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

Clara was relieved to see that not all of the Zeon soldiers were bad. She was wary of Tomas Alexander, that guy sure looked like a rapist too. She hugged Warrant Officer Aicelle and thanked her for caring for her.

"I was born and raised on the colonies too, like you..." Clara said, "but Side 6 didn't share the more fanatical beliefs of the other colonies," she added. She got up and drank a glass of water.

"That's why, we weren't easily persuaded by Zeon to join them. I'm sick of war. All I want is a normal life. I just want to be an actress. Shoot soaps and films, be famous..." she said,crying.

Thomas felt his heart breaking at the sight of the girl breaking down in front of him. And yet he knew he couldn't move without aggravating his wound, plus the doctor would kill him if they caught him. So all he could give was words.

His eyes were soft as they looked at the young star, "I am truly sorry for what has happened, Miss Del Valle. If I wasn't wounded I would help you get out of this place but as it stands I am currently out of commission. I can only hope that you make it out of this place in one piece. War is not a civilian-friendly environment after all. But if you need anything you only have to ask, as long as it doesn't involve me losing any limbs or locks of my gorgeous, shiny hair." He said the lost part with a barely contained chuckle and a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

Palawan Jungle
E.F.S.F coalition


"Ensign Katoma huh..." He watched katoma come down and ask him arrogantly for shooting just one zaku. ONE ZAKU.

He gave out an insulting laugh with one hand on his waist and shook his head a bit. This ensign disgusted him in first sight not only with his looks but with attitude too. He cracked his knuckles and then proceeded to walk to the ensign.

"Nice to meet you Ensign Mundara...I'm-" He suddenly gave the ensign a strong punch that landed squarely on his face, his face looking like he ate his fist. "--Ensign Sylvan "Raven" Cruz" he continued after.


"Nice Job getting OUR teammates KILLED, you had orders to wait for me, because i was a pilot and a native GUIDE. but No, you just had to get these men killed!"

Before Ensign Katoma could stand up, Sylvan grabbed him by the collar and spat on his face, before kneeing him in the gut, making him puke saliva, and then threw him face first on a puddle of mud.

"IF you have problems, go complain to the TOP BRASS, cause I was sent here by THEM. with side orders to discipline you for disobeying orders but if you want to complain to me, do it with your fist, you bastard or are you not man enough? Pussy."

He taunted the ensign with two fingers ushering him to charge to him.

"What're you gonna do short-stuff? I'm waiting."

Palawan Jungles...


Several loudspeakers attached to nearby trees were emitting a ringing sound. "Mic test... ahem!" said Boss Chief in the other end. He made sure that he would be heard loud and clear by those goddamn Federation punks. "Attention please," opened Boss Chief, " I have in my custody a very famous soap opera star, Clara Del Valle. You may have seen her act in shows like Tears of Laplace. Well, she is all tied up now, and tomorrow, I'll execute her if you don't follow my conditions. No. I'm not telling you to surrender.I want a duel, a duel to the death with your horned mobile suit, and its pilot!"

Katoma wiped off the blood from his mouth. He was now missing one of his upper front teeth. "Why you, you son of a bitch you motherfucker!?" he replied to Sylvan. He was about to punch back, when he heard the speakers' announcement.

Quote :

"I have in my custody a very famous soap opera star, Clara Del Valle. You may have seen her act in shows like Tears of Laplace. Well, she is all tied up now, and tomorrow, I'll execute her if you don't follow my conditions. No. I'm not telling you to surrender.I want a duel, a duel to the death with your horned mobile suit, and its pilot!"

"Pffftt.... hahahahaha! The Zekes have gone mad!? Whooot!? Whaaaat!? An actress is in trouble? Hell, as if she's going to help us win the war!? I say.... NO! Don't fall for it boys! Hahhhhghh... ughhh..." Katoma grunted, still wiping the blood off his lips. "Don't go, it's a trap! The Zekes will kill us all!"

He saw that katoma was going to fight which made him smile, however an announcement was broadcast around the forest broad as daylight.

BOSS CHIEF wrote:

Several loudspeakers attached to nearby trees were emitting a ringing sound. "Mic test... ahem!" said Boss Chief in the other end. He made sure that he would be heard loud and clear by those goddamn Federation punks. "Attention please," opened Boss Chief, " I have in my custody a very famous soap opera star, Clara Del Valle. You may have seen her act in shows like Tears of Laplace. Well, she is all tied up now, and tomorrow, I'll execute her if you don't follow my conditions. No. I'm not telling you to surrender.I want a duel, a duel to the death with your horned mobile suit, and its pilot!"

He looked around the forest and then thought of their situation.

So we can say that the enemy controls this forest, so we can't afford infiltration or black-ops. We don't even have snipers...I guess to honor that duel would be the best course of action now.

Quote :

"Pffftt.... hahahahaha! The Zekes have gone mad!? Whooot!? Whaaaat!? An actress is in trouble? Hell, as if she's going to help us win the war!? I say.... NO! Don't fall for it boys! Hahhhhghh... ughhh..." Katoma grunted, still wiping the blood off his lips. "Don't go, it's a trap! The Zekes will kill us all!"

"Don't worry, YOUR boys won't go, I'll go in alone..." He said in a sharp tone as katoma went on with his pussy talk, He turned his back on the beat-up ensign and looked at the people remaining.

"I'll pilot the Gundam, please fix it to the best you can...I'll go in alone. If we don't save that girl, we're no different from the zekes who dropped a colony on us and released poison gas on their own colonies, If we abandoned her, we'll be no different from who we're fighting against..."

After talking the mechanics quickly scrambled to the Gundam and started fixing it.

MSL wrote:

"Pffftt.... hahahahaha! The Zekes have gone mad!? Whooot!? Whaaaat!? An actress is in trouble? Hell, as if she's going to help us win the war!? I say.... NO! Don't fall for it boys! Hahhhhghh... ughhh..." Katoma grunted, still wiping the blood off his lips. "Don't go, it's a trap! The Zekes will kill us all!"

Kirkland had been watching the whole time from from his GM what's been going on the whole time and when he heard ensign Katoma make his statement, he couldn't take it anymore. He opened the cockpit, parking the GM on one knee, calmly climbed down and walked over to the Ensign. He looked him dead in the eye and punched him as hard as he could, then he fell to the ground.

He picked him up and said sternly "There is an innocent civilian in enemy territory and you want to leave her there to DIE! And what's more, someone ELSE was supposed to show up to lead us safely through a jungle that's completely foreign to us! Well we have a mission to accomplish, that was YOUR idea, and I intend to get it done right." He drops him flat on his ass and salutes Ensign Cruz. "I am Warrant Officer Daniel Kirkland of the 24th Mobile Suit Team, It's good to see you here sir, what are your orders!"

Katoma fell down from Kirkland's punch. "What wrong with you people!?" He saw that the men were trying to follow Sylvan Cruz instead of him. He was in shock. He went to Sylvan's side and tapped his shoulder.

"If you lose, you'll be wasting very valuable resources. That Gundam is our most precious cargo! We don't even know what kind of traps they've installed there!? Worst of all, you don't know who you're fighting it could be some sort of Zeon mobile armor that for heaven's sake we don't have any data on!"

But Katoma is out of breath. He had endured so much today. He waited for Sylvan's reason.

Meanwhile, Osmond's GM cannon brought in a few of the wrecked GM's parts. He hopes that they can be useful in providing spare materials for the Gundam.

While Sylvan was over-seeing the Gundam's repair while holding a pad with the Gundam's data with it. He noticed a GM kneel down and a pilot not much older than himself go down from it and approached the battered Katoma.

He tilted his head and saw Kirkland look katoma in the eye and punch him. He chuckled amused with the Kirkland's action. He turned to their direction and walked towards them as the Warrant Officer Salutes him and introduces himself.

"Nice job in manning up Warrant Officer, I congratulate you. Don't worry about him reporting you though, you can chalk it up under MY orders."

Before he could finish talking the beat up Ensign ran to his side and put a hand over his shoulder and started to talk like a cowardly soldier.

Quote :

"If you lose, you'll be wasting very valuable resources. That Gundam is our most precious cargo! We don't even know what kind of traps they've installed there!? Worst of all, you don't know who you're fighting it could be some sort of Zeon mobile armor that for heaven's sake we don't have any data on!"

"You worry too much, he won't put up a trap no matter how shrewd the commander may be, He challenged me to a duel, a personal challenge at that he had put his honor as a soldier and most importantly as a man in this challenge he just won't act shrewdly now would he?"

He removed Katoma's hand from his shoulder and brushed his shoulder as if dirt got over it from katoma's hand.

"Plus, if i ever lose i'd blow up the Gundam so they won't have data of it, and i'm sure it's reactor is big enough to cause an explosion when self-destructed so the VALUABLE resources you say won't be wasted, It'll take some zaku's with it. Now if you mind I have to make sure this Gundam is ready to fight for tomorrow."

Sylvan then looked at Kirkland.

"I want you to take Clara after i win the duel, Of course the commander will agree then, that i could, as I'll be the one watching your back."

Katoma merely laughed at the foolish, naive Sylvan. He climbed aboard his Guntank and moved it under the shade of a very large tree. Then he yelled to Sylvan,

"You trust a man, and his so-called honor when he ambushed our team with Land-Mines!? Where's the honor in that, fool!?" he asked Sylvan. "Unlike you, I have no intention of dying in this fucked-up jungle!? Idiot!" he added.

Osmond likewise, just wanted a place to rest for a few hours. He alighted from his GM Cannon and told Ensign Sylvan about how he felt about the whole ordeal.

OSMOND: "Well Sir, I salute your bravery, but to die means to lose everything you all worked for. Good luck with the duel then, and if you need help, just approach me. I can't stand that Mundara-guy anyway, so I guess I'll be following your orders."

The sergeant remembered he had a CD of 'Tears of Laplace' season 1. He took out his DVD player and played it.

OSMOND: "This is the girl we're rescuing?"

Somewhere in the jungle
......

For hours, Shun and the 56th mobile suit corp pressed onwards towards the 24th mobile squad. Battling the elements of the environments

We are getting close team just a little while longer then we'll stop to get some shut eyes. Anything on the Sensors Gm 2? The pilot replied, Nothing yet sir, everything is looking all clear. Okay good, we better stay alert regardless. Intel, anything on your end? Nothing out of the ordinary Sergeant replied the intel officer. He suddenly picks up a weird broadcast signal. SIR! There is a broadcast channel for the Federation Must've been made from those zekes!! Intel, Patch it through to my GM now! Yes sir! replied the intel officer.

Quote :

" I have in my custody a very famous soap opera star, Clara Del Valle. You may have seen her act in shows like Tears of Laplace. Well, she is all tied up now, and tomorrow, I'll execute her if you don't follow my conditions. No. I'm not telling you to surrender.I want a duel, a duel to the death with your horned mobile suit, and its pilot!"

Shun slammed his fist on the control panel in anger. Damn them....DAMN THOSE ZEON scum!! Even a soldier would know where to draw the line!! We need to move now and double time it like we never doubled timed it before!! The 56th replied, YES SIR!!!

Shun and the 56th picked up their pace and headed towards the 24th mobile squad

Quote :

"You trust a man, and his so-called honor when he ambushed our team with Land-Mines!? Where's the honor in that, fool!?" he asked Sylvan. "Unlike you, I have no intention of dying in this fucked-up jungle!? Idiot!" he added.

Sylvan laughed hard with his head tilted up as if having an orgasm, this Katoma guy was blind, he was such an amusement to Sylvan.

"You're the idiot here, It doesn't mean that he has land mines that he has no honor, that was part of his defenses idiot. You're the idiot for falling for it without the radar van checking for mines. the mines were there long before any of us got here. If there was an Idiot it was you who walked into the mines that were at peace with the soil" He said sarcastically and mockingly.

Quote :

OSMOND: "Well Sir, I salute your bravery, but to die means to lose everything you all worked for. Good luck with the duel then, and if you need help, just approach me. I can't stand that Mundara-guy anyway, so I guess I'll be following your orders."

He turned his head to Osmond and listened to his words intently as any leader should with his men.

"Glad to know i have your trust Osmond, and please stop with the formalities call me Raven or Sylvan, whatever your liking is from the two."

Quote :

"This is the girl we're rescuing?"

"I guess so, yes she's the one."

Acruxis wrote:

"I want you to take Clara after i win the duel, Of course the commander will agree then, that i could, as I'll be the one watching your back."

Daniel replied "How do you know he'll keep up his end of the bargain, she could be dead for all we know, or there was no hostage to begin with, there's just no proof!" He was concerned with if it really is a trap to lure in the Gundam. "Sir, with your permission, I would like to investigate myself to see if he was telling the truth and possibly save the hostage."