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October 31st, UC 0080

Leroy jumped slightly at the sudden knocking on his door, but forced himself to settle down as he grabbed the bag of candy. It was Halloween; of course people were going to be knocking on his door, even in the middle of a run-down apartment building. He'd taken to drinking heavily this night, hoping to dull his nerves until they could barely comprehend anything. Unfortunately for him, the shots of adrenaline his terrified mind gave him kept him from truly relaxing. The knocking intensified as he shuffled slowly towards the door.

"Hold on, hold on, ya brats," he muttered, opening the door.

The door creaked open, but nobody stood there. Not a single kid in a crappy costume, a stoned college kid looking for a hand-out, not even a cop who suspected him of being a pedophile. Leroy grumbled and shook his head, muttering about some damn kids pranking him. Before the door closed though, something fell onto his foot. He looked down, seeing a dog of all things in some kind of green hood.

"How did you...whatever," Leroy muttered, dropping a candy bar on the dog and pushing it away."

"You know, chocolate is bad for dogs," someone suddenly said behind him.

Leroy turned, wishing he hadn't left his gun on the table, a gun now in the hand of a large, dark figure. The fat man laughed and twirled the pistol gunslinger-style before aiming right for Leroy's chest. Leroy began to sweat, knowing why someone would be pointing a gun at him.

"And embezzling from the company is bad for humans," a new voice said.

Two more black-clad figures holding pistols entered the apartment through the unlocked front door, the dog close behind.

"Happy Halloween," Jeremiah said, sending two shots into the fugitive's chest.

As Jeremiah reported the completion of the mission, Graham and Nevada looked down at the body and then at each other.

"You think it'd be alright if we took the candy with us?" Graham whispered.

"Who gives a shit?" Nevada countered. "I'm taking it anyway."

"At ease, Scarth!" the Colonel happily replied while returning his salute. She sat down with a small thud and immediately began typing at her computer while the second woman went to retrieve something from one of the cardboard boxes. "You caught me at an exciting time so I'm going to make this short," the little woman happily chimed in with her eyes still focused to the monitor. The second woman swiftly returned with a rolled up piece of poster paper that she placed in front of Scarth while the Colonel jumped up from her seat and took up position beside the man.

When the Colonel was in place, the Lieutenant unfolded the poster to reveal a map of the African continent. Various places were circled such as Alexandria, Cape Town, and Kilimanjaro. It was Equatorial Africa, however, that the Colonel jabbed her finger towards. "What," she began, "can you tell me about this place?"

Prelude: Contemplations on the Future

“So the war is over?” thought Redan. “…About time…”

Redan sat in the cockpit of his Gyan, and he pondered on his role in A Bao A Qu, and on what his next actions would be. The great battle of A Bao A Qu claimed a lot of lives and among them the Zabi lineage. With the GM lines being mass produced like toys, Zeon forces struggled to hold their own. There were times where Redan thought he would not make it out alive, but it was partially because of the skills and discipline he acquired through the practice of martial arts that he was able to hold his own. Redan went into battle with the principles of jujitsu and the philosophies of Yamamoto Tsunetomo, which allowed him to keep a calm and controlled mind under duress. With the surrender of Zeon, another issue posed itself.

The samurai of ancient times would fight till the glorious end or otherwise commit seppeku for their masters. Many of Zeon’s pilots were so consumed by the propaganda machine, that they gladly and mindlessly threw away their lives at A Bao A Qu for the Zabi family and their war of conquest. Among these saps, were pilots like Johnny Ridden who sacrificed himself for something greater, he attempted to prevent the death of Kcyilia Zabi, but failed. Redan admired the sacrifice of oneself for a great enough cause, but would sooner surrender than die for the likes of the Zabi family. This is where the problem presented itself. Eliot Lem, a man Redan looked up to almost as a master, had surrendered and joined the Earth Federation’s technical division. Would Redan face shame but follow his mentor or was their another choice?

Veronica Wu was the charismatic and open minded leader the Zeon remnants needed. If there was to be a Neo-Zeon, it would be under the Wu family. Veronica’s goals were not based solely on greed like the Zabi family’s, and if anyone was tactically capable of keeping the remaining Zeon forces together, it would be her. Under her leadership, Zeon would probably be able to make a counterstrike in a matter of years. Under new leadership, Zeon would have to go under a new name if they wanted to bury their dark past or so Redan thought. So Redan had to decide. Would he live on his life as the Wu’s sword and shield in hopes of a new Zeon that would fight solely for the colonists? Or would he join Eliot Rem and bring change to the Federation from within that would usher in a new era of peace?

It was doubtful the Federation would change as the hunting of Zeon forces that did not surrender or pledge loyalty to the Federation Forces had begun. Redan had a bad feeling about the future of colonists. Time and time again, the victors of war would reign over the defeated with an iron fist. It was hardly a choice taking that fact into account. Redan would go into hiding and return, maybe retire at Von Braun until Veronica called him to aid in the revitalization of Zeon. With the decision made, Redan smuggled the Gyan onto a civilian cruiser and paid the captain his last month’s salary for safe passage to the lunar base. The future for Zeon was unknown, but at least it had a future.

Memories of the Past:

~A Brand New Day~

“Is that the new kid?”

“Yeah, I heard he fought in the war.”

“No kidding! What side?”

“Zeon. Apparently he fought in A Bao A Qu.”

“I don’t want to mess with him”

Redan sighed after overhearing the continuous whispers everywhere he went on campus. Being a soldier somehow made him a subject of great mention, and he had heard every misconstrued rumor possible. There were rumors on how he survived only through fleeing and ones where he downed dozens of mobile suits.

It had been a month since the end of the war, but that had not been enough time. There were places around the Earth sphere where Zeon remnants still offered resistance to the federation, but it was gradually dying down. Redan chose to enroll in Von Braun University to study engineering and perhaps put his talents to good use. However, word got out on his background and to most of the students who had only experienced the war through television screens, this was big news.

Redan wanted to put all that behind him, but it seemed he couldn’t escape his past. He wondered what it must have felt to live in this utopia during the war, and how the civilians here were affected. He shrugged it off and made his way to his next class, until he heard someone calling for him. He turned around only to see a young girl about his age with brown hair and a slightly darker skin tone.

“Redan, right?” she asked.

“That would be me, do I know you?” replied Redan.

“No, I’m Sheva Aslan. Don’t worry about all the gossip. It will die down soon. I got the same thing when I first moved here.” Informed Sheva

“So were you a pilot then?” asked Redan.

“Communications officer. I served mostly in the African front” replied Sheva.

“I see…oh look at the time, would you by any chance know where the engineering building is?” Redan inquired.

“Of course, let me show you around.” Offered Sheva

After a brief tour of the campus, the two parted ways and planned to meet up after classes. T’was a great first day for Redan, and life seemed to be turning out for the best. Within a few days, Sheva and Redan started going out to movies, ice rinks, and everything else they had missed out on when they were out in the front-lines. Redan eventually moved into his own apartment after temporarily living in the dorms. He managed to land a job as a fry cook at McDaniel’s, a hamburger chain that started in the colonies. He still remembers the day fairly clearly.

“So what will you have?” asked overworked manager, whose name was Dan based on his name-tag.

“A Bacon Double Cheeseburger and a Veggie for the lady,” Replied Redan. “Are you guys hiring by any chance?”

“Yeah, I have been doing double shifts for the last few days. What is your experience?” inquired Dan.

“I was a pilot...” replied Redan

“Hired! If you can fly a suit, you can flip burgers.” Interrupted Dan.

Before he knew it, another month had passed, and Sheva and Redan were starting to get serious. The calm of peace was comforting after the war that had claimed so many lives. People were still horrified at the atrocities committed in the name of independence whenever they reflected upon the war. Eventually Redan had begun to feel homesick, and he felt that it was time to return to Side 3 to visit his mother. He had only visited once, and it was directly after A Bao A Qu. He hadn’t returned since, to avoid trouble with the Federation.

~Homecoming~

The shuttle landed in the local spaceport, and Redan stepped foot once again on the land he was so familiar with. Sheva accompanied him as well, marking this as her first time being on a space colony. He had noticed an increase in security and the presence of Federation forces at every turn. Things had changed, as the Federation had begun occupying the colonies. Redan ignored them, as he was here for his own reasons, and not to start a fight.

Redan’s first stop was his home to check on his mother. He instantly got a bad vibe; His mother’s tulip garden seemed to have been neglected. He ran inside and called her name as loud as he could, while Sheva remained outside, unsure of what to do. Redan came back out, and his yelling attracted his neighbor, who informed him of his mother’s condition. She had contracted a rare disease and there was only one treatment and it wasn’t something Redan could afford.

Redan stood over her hospital bed, overcome with sorrow as he blamed himself. He was not there for her when he ran off to fight in a war after she had lost the one man she cared most about aside from him. The stress probably worsened her condition was what Redan thought. He spent the night at the hospital and contemplated his next actions. By morning, he had decided. It was time he found a real job, so he informed the doctors to begin treatment using all he had saved up thus far as a down payment. It was still not enough, but they took pity on him and gave him a deadline to collect the rest.

~The Last Gyan Pilot~

Redan needed another source of income as flipping burgers wasn’t covering rent let alone his mother’s hospital costs. He was out of ideas, except for one: sell the Gyan. He didn’t want to part with the Gyan, but he knew he would have to if an opportunity didn’t present itself soon. Sheva was off working, leaving Redan to himself, so he decided to go take a walk downtown to get his mind off things. Coming across an arcade, a game caught his eye. It was a simulation based mobile suit game, with some very detailed graphics, and it wasn’t there the last time he checked.

Redan walked up and gave it a shot by inserting the necessary credits and putting on the virtual reality headset. The Anaheim Electronics logo came up, which caught Redan by surprise. He shrugged it off and continued to the start menu. He had the option to pick from different mobile suits and levels, all based off the One Year War. He chose the Gelgoog to pilot and face up against the white devil, the Gundam.

“This is amazingly realistic, and the handling is not bad.” Thought Redan as he clashed swords with the Gundam.

The battle ended fairly abruptly with Redan’s victory; however he knew if he ever faced the real thing, he would not have stood a chance. He switched to the battlefield mode where had the option to fight in an abridged version of the battle of Solomon. Like with the last match, this didn’t measure up to the feeling of piloting a real mobile suit, a craving that the game had only slightly satisfied. Redan played through the level eventually beating it with the high score. Redan eventually lost interest and quit the game.

“What did you think of the game? I’m Stephanie Luio” asked a women, who seemed to work for the Lunar Union.

“Not bad, but just that, a game.” Responded Redan.

“It is actually based of our training simulations. We are testing it out and seeing what people think. Apparently you scored the highest.” Stephanie pointed out.

“Does that mean I have been chosen to become a pilot for a top secret prototype?” Redan asked, jestingly.

“Not exactly, but close. We thought it would be an innovative wave to recruit petite pilots for our warehouses. The pay is good if you are skilled.” Stephanie replied.

“Alright, when do I start?” asked Redan.

“Come by our offices in the afternoon so we can figure out your schedule.” Replied Stephanie. “Oh and here is my card if you have any questions.”

After a month of working for the Lunar Union, Redan was now busier than ever. He had to quit working for McDaniel’s and focus on school. His other option was to drop out, or find a job that would pay a lot more. The easiest solution would be to just sell the Gyan, as in this time of peace there seemed to be no use for it. The Zeon revolts were quieting down and selling it would let him focus on getting a degree so he would be able to make a difference without relying on violence.

The next day, Redan took Sheva to the secret that he had been keeping from everyone thus far. He led her into his private storage space, where his Gyan kept, still intact. She stared in wonder and smiled as an idea crossed her head.

“I have been keeping a secret too. I wasn’t exactly with the Zeon ground forces.” Admitted Sheva as she turned to face Redan.

“So you were with the Federation? I don’t see how that changes anything.” replied Redan.

“No, I was an operative in the African Union. I still have my contacts, and I’m sure I can find someone who would be willing to hire your services.” Commented Sheva.

“Me? A Mercenary? Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose.” Muttered Redan as he looked up at his mobile suit. “Looks like we’ll be
working together a lot sooner than I thought, old friend.”

~Escort Service~

Sheva came through and was able to book Redan his first merc job. Zeon remnants were looking for someone to help them defend and escort a transport vessel carrying unknown cargo to an unknown location. It was a two man job, and they already had a Zeon veteran aiding them. Almost everything about the mission was classified, and yet they didn’t trust him.

“Are you sure we can trust him?”Asked the veteran, who was an aged bald black man with the build of a fire truck.

“Yes, TJ, you have my word.” Assured Sheva.

“Fine…but I got my eyes on you, kid.” Said Terrell as he faced Redan.

“Let’s just get this over with. I’m the one taking a huge risk. I don’t know what we are transporting or where we are going, and I agreed to let you pay me when we arrive.” Responded Redan, irritated at all the secrecy.

The mission commenced and Redan launched in his Gyan to approach the Pazock class supply ship, where Terrell was already waiting in his Rick Dom. The first couple of hours were uneventful, and Redan was pretty much getting paid to do nothing. However, as expected, this was just the calm before the storm. After the cliché “It’s quiet” line, three bogies appeared out of nowhere, thanks to minovsky interference.

“Look sharp, we’ve got company. I’ll cover the left side, you get the right.” Ordered Terrell, almost excited at the fact that the mission wouldn’t be a bust.

“Affirmative.” Responded Redan, as he pushed on the Gyan’s thrusters, shooting towards a couple GMs.

Terrell blinded the pilot of the first GM he saw with the beam scattering gun, and finished it off with a bazooka shot to its rear thrusters. Terrell followed by yelling out a “Boomshakalaka!” Redan easily evaded beam fire with the superior Gyan, and lunged at his first opponent, covering his advance with a barrage of micro missiles.

As missiles tore up the GM’s armor, Redan performed a coup de grace in the form of a swift slash with his beam sword. He turned to Terrell to see him being ambushed by the final GM. Redan launched the Gyan in the GM’s path, blocking its beam saber thrust with the Gyan’s shield. He then proceeded to bash in the GM’s skull and then stab it in the chest.

“I’m getting too old for this shit…looks like I owe you one, kid.” Commented Terrell as he caught his breath.

“You could give me some straight answers.” Said Redan.

“Hahaha…very well. We are transporting parts and designs to Axis.” Explained Terrell. “Anyways, we should get a move on. That was only a scouting party.”

Within another hour, they arrived at Axis. The Pazock docked in the mighty asteroid base first; Terrell and Redan were soon to follow. Maharaja Kahn, advisor to Zenna Zabi, was there to greet his guests. Credits for services rendered were received for a job well done, and Maharaja specifically chose to approach Redan.

“We could use experienced pilots like you. How would you like to join Axis?” offered Maharaja.

“I appreciate the offer, and I will certainly consider it further in the future, but for now I would have to respectfully decline.” Replied Redan.

Redan spent the next two years taking all sorts of jobs from whoever supplied. Whenever he had a job lined up, he would miss class for up to a week. He’d get his doctor, a Zeon sympathizer, to write him excuses explaining that he needed to get surgical procedures done.

~An Old Friend~

During the summer of 0082, Redan found himself visited by an old friend. Returning from work, he was surprised to see a man he had not seen in years. A good friend of his father’s, Elliot Rem was in his apartment. Sheva had been keeping him company with a fresh pot of tea and conversation.

“Mr. Rem?” questioned Redan, in shock.

“Oh how you have grown, Redan. Do tell me about your life.” Inquired Elliot.

“I am studying engineering at Von Braun, currently working with the Lunar Alliance in their warehouses.” Replied Redan.

“I’m also sorry to hear about your mother. Sheva has told me all about it. I would have done something if I heard about it sooner.” Said Elliot, saddened by the news.

“She is recovering. I have been able to pay for her treatment, but I thank you for the kind words.” Replied Redan.

“Yes, I heard rumors of what you have gotten into. It is not my place to speak, but I would just like you to be careful. I know your father would have been proud of what you have accomplished.” Commented Elliot, as he sipped on the tea Sheva had poured for him.

“Thank you, Mr. Rem. I hear you have become a technical officer for the Federation. What is it like?” asked Redan.

“You can call me Elliot, and you have heard correct. I wish there was more choice in the matter. The Federation can’t seem to decide where to station me. I am also convinced if I hadn’t accepted, the alternative would have been imprisonment, but that is speculation. I would much like to have stayed at Side 3.” Informed Elliot as he then checked his watch.

“I am sorry to hear that, Elliot.” Said Redan.

“That is life. I have to leave; unfortunately I have been limited on how much time I can spend. I came to check on you and you seem to be doing just fine, for which I am glad. Take care of yourself, Redan.” Said Elliot.

“Thank you for visiting, and please do so again whenever you are able to. I’m sorry you couldn’t stay longer.” Replied Redan as he shook hands with the man he respected as much as his father.

~A Game of Cards~

Over the years, Redan had met a lot of new people, started a relationship, reconnected with pilots he knew from the SAF, and all his hard work was finally paying off with his mother’s treatment. He left his job working for the Lunar Union but promised them that if they needed him, he would launch to defend Von Braun from attack. He however chose to leave out the fact that he had been stashing his Gyan in the city for the last 3 years.

It had been a long season but it was finally over. Redan was done with finals, and there weren’t any jobs for him and his crew in the immediate future. Things were looking up again and it was time to just celebrate. Redan, along with Terrell, and the newest member to his troop, Saito Kusanagi, went to their favorite hole in the wall bar in the outskirts of Von Braun. Rituals and traditions had been made here after their successful missions.

On this night, the boys were having an intense game of poker, while sipping on their favorite drinks. For Redan it was a rum n coke, straight whiskey for Terrell, and Saito preferred a bottle of Sapporo. Saito was somehow winning round after round. The crew had become close knit, but there were still aspects of their history that they had never thought to question or bring up.

“So why didn’t you bring your old lady?” jested Terrell

“You kidding me? I have bad luck as is playing this game. With her around I wouldn’t be able to get away with a single bluff or stay focused. I’m in.” Replied Redan, lighthearted as ever.

“How is it that you are so good at this game, Saito?” asked Terrell “I didn’t even know Japanese played poker.”

Saito chuckled and then responded: “Compared to life or death stakes, poker is a child’s game...I’m in too.”

“That’s deep, and I couldn’t agree with you more.” Replied Terrell.

“Saito, there’s something I always wanted to know. How did you lose your eye? You don’t have to answer if it’s personal.” Inquired Redan, looking at his cards, trying to figure out Saito's poker face.

“I don’t mind at all. I have not brought it up before because it doesn’t make great conversion. It was late in the war. I was stationed in a small village in Africa. I had lost the rest of the men in my squad, and I was the last defense. Thus far I had been picking off enemy GMs like flies, as nothing could match my range and accuracy in Zaku I Sniper, or so I thought. Then one fateful day, I came across a modified GM, dark as the night sky. We were I took aim, but I was already in his scopes. I quickly disengaged dashed to take cover. Time and time again, he predicted my movements, knowing where I would appear. Finally I managed to get a clear shot on him, but he was faster at firing. I lost my eye from the shrapnel in the cockpit. I instantly ejected and self destructed my Zaku to give off the impression that he struck the reactor. Later I found out I was facing the ‘Dancing Black Death’ or so the rumors say.” Replied Saito as he then dropped his hand. “Royal shuffle.”

“Ugggh I had no idea you were this good. I have heard of the horror stories and ground forces that got left behind. Earth must have been rough. I don’t think I have ever been, except once when I was very young. I tagged along on a business trip with my father. The harshest battle I faced was A Bo A Qu, which was my first major battle. I’m lucky to have survived. So what was your hardest battle, TJ?” asked Redan, taking sips of his mixed drink in between the pauses.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I overheard your conversation. I am Lieutenant Kelly Layzner and I was curious on what your ranks were.” Said the one armed blonde and extremely muscular man, who towered over the poker table.

“Sure, but have a seat and join us. I’m Chief Petty Officer Redan Hsuodrak.” Replied Redan

“Lieutenant Saito Kusanagi.” Said Saito.

“Commander Terrell Jackson” added Terrell.

“So we’re at a disadvantage, what’s your story?” asked Redan

“I am glad you asked. Most people feel discouraged because of my lost limb. I fought at Solomon alongside Anavel Gato. That is where I lost my arm.” Replied Kelley as he took a seat amongst his new-found comrades.

“No kidding! What was the ‘Nightmare of Solomon’ like?” asked Terrell, who was dealing the next hand.

“Ferocious in battle, with greater devotion than any man I have ever met.” Replied Kelley, reaching for his cards.

Like her room, Col. Reece's office was spartan in appearance. There was a white board with various names written across it, an L shaped desk pushed up against the wall with a computer monitor and phone, two fresh cardboard boxes, and three standard issued office chairs.

Two of the chairs had women sitting them. On the outside of the desk, sat an Asian Lieutenant with long auburn hair. She was young, taller than the average, and shared more in common with a model than the run of the mill Federation soldier. Her smile seemed to radiate warmness although her face showed that she was noticeably tired.

The other woman was short and had the youthful face of a shy teenage girl plus the body to match. Her rank insignia, however, showed that she was a Colonel. She smiled like she was seeing an old friend and gestured for the man to come closer while holding out a hand. Unfortunately for them, she hadn't bothered to come out from the desk so the newcomer would need to reach over it in order to shake.

Day 3 (pending Timeline to confirm date))
-----

Hello (>o.o)>. We're in a car now. Just landed at Torrington a few moments ago. Seems the Colonel sent some Private to greet us and take us to her office. You know, ever since we got that letter, we're surrounded by privates it seems. See! I can be juvenile too! No, the joke didn't suck, you're just jealous. That's right, you're jealous of all my privates!

Seems the driver's been working too hard. Stuckup, prudish, and I'm pretty sure he's a virgin. What's that? He's gay too? Man, no wonder why he insulted you. How much do you want to bet when he gets home, he starts spreading rumors about how 'crazy' we are or how we're a danger to ourselves and those around us. Not sure what passes for training after the war, but discipline and respect of higher ranking soldiers is sure lost on the new classes.

Oh. The door opened. We're going to have to finish this session later. Time to meet with lady destiny.

~Scarth Maheart