One year after "The Conclusion"



"Targets are down," Nelson Robinson reported, hovering over the two destroyed Leos.

As the Running Riot led a small convoy of aircraft through the African skies, Nelson wondered again how he'd come to be fighting his fellow Americans, cutting down Leos fighting alongside Zakus, stealing from now-UESC Medeas piloted by people he might've fought alongside in Canada during the last days of that war...

Now he was a rebel, one of many American soldiers who'd gone AWOL following the official surrender. Rumor had it the Europeans had experienced a similar breakdown in their ranks following the crazy reparations Japan had forced upon them. Nelson had even heard some rebel groups had mixed American/European membership.

"You gonna just float there all day or board the ship?" Crow asked, pulling his Aries alongside the Tallgeese II.

Even though the Running Riot had picked up a load of Overflags and Taurus before following Nelson into desertion, the other SOL Team veteran had chosen to stick with his old Aries, piloting it valiantly against the Europeans' new Daggers, Loyalist Aries, and every mobile suit under the sun aboard a Dodai, managing to come through each time. Kevin Sirveau, a Taurus pilot who'd been recruited to replace Gypsy, followed behind as the Tallgeese II flew towards the convoy of planes.

"Just taking a quick nap," Nelson answered. "We've only been out here six hours."

"When are we getting back to Belfast?" Kevin asked, sweeping back and forth with his beam rifle.

"Assuming we don't make any more random stops," Nelson calculates. "About a week. We still have to sabotage that victory parade in Naples."

Hopefully, harassment techniques and guerrilla warfare would keep the UESC groping around Earth for the Resistance until the Virgo project could be completed in space. The more eyes watching the Tallgeese II's brazen acts of terrorism, the fewer that would searching space.