That was it, the war was over before Rem had much chance to really do anything. He'd proven himself in the battle of A Baoa Qu, but his high kill count wasn't enough to earn him a promotion or any real recognition. His mostly melted GM II didn't earn him any points with the higher-ups either. He tried his best to push such thoughts out of his head as his car came to a halt in the driveway of a small house.
"Why did I get stuck with this... I didn't even know the guy." He thought as he passed the mailbox, the name 'Carter' stuck on with those black and white letter stickers. In his head he tried to rehearse just what he would say, but nothing sounded right.
"How the hell do you tell someone their son got killed? What am I supposed to say that's worth a damn to these people?"Before he knew it, he'd rang the doorbell and still had no idea what to do. He felt stiff, like his blood had frozen in his veins. The door opened, and there stood John Michael Carter, a man who seemed like a mountain standing before Rem in suburbanite garb. Moments passed, and the door closed, not until Rem shut the car door did he realize it was over. Coldly, he'd informed Derek Carter's father that his son, ace test pilot of the EFSF, had been killed facing a Zeon fleet with no support. Emotionlessly, he'd informed the man that Carter had been a hero, and that his death was not in vain. Of course no one knew if that was even true, as everyone who'd served alongside Carter had died soon after in subsequent battles.
Rem sighed as he mentally kicked himself for not even offering a little compassion about it.
"Just who was Derek Carter?" He asked himself, though he was considered an ace, there weren't any stories of his bravery. His reputation was fairly small, and the only pilots who knew of him called him the 'Faceless Ace' due to his nearly non-existant record. Even still, those few that had known him, for the short time Rem knew them before they died, seemed to hold the man in high regard.
Rem forced the subject aside, his last assignment was over, and that meant he could go on leave for a while. He figured he'd go home for a while, tell his friends how he fought off hordes of Zakus and helped shoot down the enemy super-carrier.
~
Six weeks later, Rem stood at the front door of his home. In the back of his mind it nagged at him. He'd step through that door and be greeted by his mother and little brother, and they'd all be relieved that he's returned from the war safely. No one would come to this door to tell his mom that he
was a hero.
He stepped inside, and to his surprise no one was waiting.
"Mom? Hello?" He said loudly, and to his relief his mother's face appeared from the kitchen.
"Oh you're early! I was making a cake to celebrate!" She said happily.
"Oh, so that's what it is..." Rem said, setting his rucksack aside, he wandered into the living room, the sound of explosions and over-dramatized weapons fire pouring from the speakers of their TV set. "Hey Kenny, still haven't outgrown the giant robot shows eh?" He said, dropping onto the couch with a thud and messing up his younger brother's hair to get his attention away from the show.
"Hey! You watched this show too..." Kenny replied, tapping the Omegaroids DVD case with his finger, "I got it out of your room after all."
"Huh? You mean I didn't sell that?" Rem joked as the action onscreen caught his eye. Kyo and Toji, the hero characters, were fighting a vicious battle, their machines pushed to the limit. Rem seemed to recall how this battle went, and he knew it must be the end of the series. As the enemy army charged in for the kill, suddenly the two machines combined and created the all powerful Omega-V, obliterating their foes with a massive energy blast.
"Hey wait... I thought Kyo and Toji died in the end!" Rem said, startled at the unfamiliar scenes. He was sure the last time he watched this that the heroes sacrificed themselves to kill the enemy command ship with a kamikaze attack.
"Of course they did, but this isn't the canon ending, DUH!" Kenny said smartly, glad to have any opportunity to act smarter than his big brother.
"Not canon? I didn't know there was another ending."
"Yeah, the fans wanted a sequel, so they redid the ending so Kyo and Toji lived.... but the sequel didn't sell and got canceled, so they went back and said that this ending never happened. It's on the DVDs as a bonus feature."
Elsewhere, in the cold of space, a pair of mobile suits drifted together, shot up beyond recognition. The Federation machines floated lifelessly, their cockpits laid bare, empty....
~
Universal Century 0087, in response to the ever-increasing severity of the Titans' oppression of the colonies, the Anti-Earth Union Group begins to take direct action. Led by former Zeon and Federation soldiers who are fed up with the complacency of the EFF, the AEUG aims to rectify the situation by any means. Several missions against Titans facilities are launched, spearheaded by the Argama. On the mobile suit deck of a Salamis Kai, one such mission is about to begin.
A pair of Nemos, a now-aging GM Custom and GM Cannon II were being prepared to sortie, their pilots suiting up in the locker room. The pilots hurried to their cockpits, with the two GM variants moving to the catapult deck.
"GM Cannon II ready to launch, you ready partner?"
"GM Custom ready to launch, just leave the rough stuff to us Nemo team, it'll be just like Omegaroids!"
~
Universal Century 0084, The Titans have formed in response to a colony drop recently performed by Zeon remnants. Their methods are harsh but effective, and they are quickly becoming the fast track to promotion within the EFF. Even still, joining the Titans isn't as simple as filling out an application. As the elite of the Federal Forces, they enjoy their pick of soldiers.
Lieutenant Ronald G. Drammen sat at his desk on the recently renamed Gryps colony, his job reduced to simply stamping and sending letters of transfer to the Titans forces. He grumbled as he worked, longing for the sense of accomplishment that used to accompany his work. Before he felt that he'd contributed to the molding of young men into soldiers, now, his hand mechanically stamped letter after letter. *Stamp!* He thought of the pilots he'd sent into combat during the One Year War. *Stamp!* He fondly recalled Captain Reed, though he frowned slightly at the thought of the man's aversion to military doctrine. *Stamp!* He sighed and looked down, 'Petty Officer Second Class, Remington Hace', the name intrigued him for a moment, but the moment passed and he continued stamping.
Weeks later, the letter was open in Rem's hands, and he couldn't help but be pleased. The ship he'd served on until now had been crippled during the disaster at the Naval Review, but now he was being offered a promotion, and a transfer to the Titans, which put him an effective rank higher. This was a chance to be put on the hunt for those who refused to admit the war was over, and a change to prove to himself that he could make a difference for the Federation. Without hesitation, he took the first opportunity to get to Gryps.
"I won't just be another 'Faceless Ace'..." he thought, recalling scenes from the massive battle at A Baoa Qu.
"I'll make even the godlike Zeon Aces tremble in fear! I'll be a Titan!"
