"Nice flying out there, Nelson," the project technician said as he downloaded the flight data from the Tallgeese.

"I just they'd let me take it out on a real mission," Nelson lamented. "Top-of-the-line tech and they're having me make appearances at car races and volleyball games? Maybe next time I'll use it to play baseball or be the goal at a soccer game!"

"Considering how the rival project did in a real fight, maybe they don't want to throw another prototype into battle," the tech said, bringing up a video on a separate terminal. "Besides, you're a hero, right? The guy who took on an entire aircraft carrier in an Aries and won? The brass love parading propaganda stories like that in front of civilians."

"It didn't go quite like that, but I see your point," Nelson reluctantly admitted.

Nelson watched with interest as a black Flag, moving far faster than the standard blue models seen throughout the Union did, engaged several mobile suits. The black Flag danced with two Aries, using countermeasures to deter their missiles before engaging a regular Flag.

"Live ammo?" Nelson muttered. "That's nuts."

The black Flag was a blur of motion, moving quickly around an Aries' rifle fire before destroying it with his own missiles. The battle ended soon after as a regular Flag slammed the black Flag into the ground.

"Project Overflag," the tech said, switching off the video. "I don't know much about it, unfortunately, just tidbits like that I get from a guy I know who likes to rub their success in my face."

"I'll just have to pick up the pace then, eh Frank?" Nelson replied with a grin.

"'Request Denied'?" Nelson read, surprised. "Damn it anyway!"

He crumpled up the response to his request for a dedicated transport and threw it away without reading the rest. His wingmen simply sat by, continuing what they were doing. Both of them seemed to realize that the Tallgeese project hadn't produced enough results - any results, some could say - to warrant the assignment of a new transport to their team.

"I don't see what wrong with the Prometheus," Gypsy said, leafing through a book. "Not like there isn't enough room."

Nelson struggled to come up with a good answer for her. The carrier had more-than-adequete facilities to maintain their suits and was a safer place to be between missions than a lone transport. The best he could think of at the moment was that they were technically army personnel and this was a navy vessel.

"I like it," Crow chimed in. "Aside from all the swaying and the craziness of trying to land when those fighters are trying to launch at the same time."

"It keeps things interesting, that's for sure," Nelson agreed, considering writing up another requisition form.

"Maybe you just need to smooze an officer," Gypsy suggested. "Find one who'd be willing to give the forms a little kick."

Nelson began to consider it when one of the Tallgeese support staff quickly entered the barracks, carrying a message.

"We've just received word from command!" the panicky technician reported. "The Japs are invading Canada!"

"Well, that'd help explain why we can't get our own plane," Nelson deadpanned. "They're probably pulling up every craft they can to evacuate HQ."

Nelson rose from his seat and left the room, pushing back the tech as he did.

"Where are you going?" Gypsy asked, following the team leader out the door.

"I've been slacking on training," Nelson explained. "If we're going to be sent into real combat, I need to make sure I won't pass out in the middle of a fight."

On board the Prometheus, Nelson was busy writing his latest report on the Tallgeese's performance. Basic maneuvers and firing tests had been accomplished adequately while the performance of his team against the rebel faction had been less-than-optimal, losing hours of repair time to the damage taken by one of the Aries as well as the scattered-but-numerous hits the Tallgeese itself had taken from their hodge-podge arsenal. The other members of the squad slept, getting precious rest before they would be forced into combat with Japanese invaders. Nelson finished the report and shot it off to command, ready for some rest himself. Before he could shuck off his uniform though, a crew member suddenly burst into the room.

"Mutiny!" the man shouted. "Deserters are seizing the ship!"

Nelson was suddenly no longer tired. "What about the mobile suits? We can force the rebels to stand down if they're on our side."

"Enough of the pilots are with the captain to seize the hangar!" the sailor reported, passing out close-quarters weapons to the three pilots. "I'll help you get to your own suits, but I don't know what good they'll do."

"Good enough for us," Nelson answered. "Crow, Gypsy, wake up. We're heading to our suits."

The sounds of combat rang throughout the ship. Loyalists were shot where they stood as they hopelessly battled against the mutineers. More than once, Nelson and his pilots were forced to battle their way through the ship, silently thankful that they had picked quarters close to the hangar for rapid deployment. Soon enough, they found themselves looking into the ship's massive hangar. Several of the new Daughtseat mobile suits stood around, watching over several groups of tied-up workers and sailors, the Tallgeese's support crew amongst them.

"Think there's anything we can do to help them?" Nelson asked quietly, creeping over to the Tallgeese's entry elevator.

"Not a chance," Gypsy answered. "We don't have a way to get them all off."

"I hate to agree," Crow said. "But I agree."

The deck lurched beneath their feet as the ship began to change course. Enough the ship was firmly under the captain's complete control that there were no issues with altering the ship's direction.

"I think we're pointed West now," their guide reported, his brow beginning to sweat. "They might be deserting to Japan!"

"Not our problem right now," Nelson stated. "I'm going to get in the Tallgeese and create a distraction. Your two get to your Aries and we'll take off ASAP."

Nelson's subordinates acknowledged their orders, creeping towards their mobile suits as Nelson climbed quietly up to the Tallgeese's cockpit hatch, glad it had been left open for the support crew to pull data from. None of the active mobile suits seemed to notice his actions, not even when he shut the cockpit.

"Prepare to move," Nelson reported. "I'm starting her up."

The Tallgeese thrashed about, ripping the scaffolding around it apart as it freed itself for battle. The Daughtseats finally noticed someone had activated the visitors' mobile suits and were prepared to deal harshly with loyalists.

"Identify yourself," one of the Daughtseats ordered. "Are you with us or against us?"

"Definitely against!" Nelson answered, slamming shield-first into the suit.

Before the second Daughtseat could come to its comrade's aid, the Tallgeese raised its Dober Gun and fired, blowing a hole in the wall behind the suit and sending it crashing across the hangar. Nelson aimed straight up and fired again, blasting a hole in the ceiling. He fired again to expand the hole, showing unfortunately little concern for the hostages the mutineers had assembled.

"Squad, roll call," Nelson ordered, raising the Tallgeese into open air.

"SOL 2 online," Gypsy reported, following the Tallgeese.

"SOL 3 online," Crow answered, blasting his own way out.

The three suits hovered above the catamaran carrier's deck, looking for a heading back to American soil. Another Daughtseat poked its head out of the hangar, but quickly withdrew under the fire of two Aries.

"Stick close to the water's surface and head for Canada," Nelson ordered. "We've got to have allies there still."

"What about the Prometheus?" Gypsy asked.

"Fly fast enough and they won't bother shooting," Nelson stated. "Don't fire on it either; we don't have the firepower to sink it and we can't waste the shots right now."

Nelson looked down at the scene of carnage below. Some of the loyalists aboard the ship continued to resist. Flashes of small-arms fire could be seen from his angle and he thought he heard the chatter of submachineguns. He felt his guts twist at the thought of leaving good men and women to die, but the only help he could offer would get them caught in the line of fire as well. The two Aries were quickly making their way to shore and Nelson could see the ship's five fighters preparing to deploy. With a heavy heart, Nelson withdrew from the scene, frustrated that he was forced to allow a ship full of deserters to escape punishment.

"We've got word of a fleet of Medeas leaving JOSH-A," Crow reported. "They sound like they need an escort."

"Then let's go," Nelson answered, throwing the Tallgeese into full drive.