Not to say that the government wanted to make things difficult for him, but despite the seemingly poilte refusals for the usage of their land, Phillip managed to convince that it was a publicity campaign which will be beneficial to the Union as well as the country herself.

It was but a pathetic reason for the demonstration of the new mobile suit, however. The reason provided seemed to suffice for the Indonesian leaders, but for Phillip, he had wanted to see the Astray Diver in action. Having seen the summarised technical specifications once through, what he wanted was not information on pieces of paper-whatever the classification might be-but real proof of the potential talked about in the report from his informants. In the end, the opinions of others can only help him go so far.

When one needs or wants something, he has to decide for himself, by himself... He mused. Of course, it was foolish to assume that he will be right all the time, but for this occasion, he needed no one else to help him, not in the areas of the healthcare and civil services of the Union and her various member countries for they were minute to what was coming.

Still.... Phillip felt his impatience creeping up onto him like a stalking predator, waiting to strike. Perhaps it had been the prospect of seeing a new weapon possibly being inaugurated into his plans for the strengthening of the Union's weak military power, for good composure came as second nature to him after all his showings in public appearances as a businessman and as a prospective politician earlier on in his life.

But he knew he had to wait. Waving away an aide who asked if he needed them to contact the other parties involved politely, that was exactly what he did, for he knew good things came to those who were patient.

No, it must not be known, Xavi thought to himself. He watched the images from the cargo hold displayed on the screen before him. The necessary equipment was being loaded into the ship. A lone mobile suit sat awkwardly in the bay.

The Light Hazel was not built to hold mobile suits. Modifications were made to allow easier maintenance and repairing of the suit. However, Xavi was unaccustomed to the sight, as he travelled more often in the Repentance. He could hardly recall the last mission he undertook in the Marseille III class transport.

IC - Punctual as always Wullf stood waiting in the briefing room already in his officer's flightsuit.  As he waited Ahrend flexed his arms and twisted his back a bit, getting a feel for the new suit that he had recently drawn from supply; waiting until he was in combat would be a sad mistake for a Squadron Commander to make.

Seeing that he still had ample time before the rest of the squad was due to report Ahrend opened up the laptop that he had connected to the briefing room's projector and drawing out a disk from his flightsuit's chest pocket he slipped it into the computer.  In response the machine gave a low hum as it began reading the disk.  The room's projector flickered to life and an image of the ZAFT insignia came up on the center of the screen at the front of the room.  However in the lower right corner there was an additional logo, one meant specifically for Wullf Tai.  It was a black outline of a wolf's head, perhaps it wasn't the most threatening thing in the world but it was his badge and Ahrend was proud of it.

Pulling back the sleeve on his flightsuit Ahrend glanced at the time, nearly 1300, 'They should be arriving soon.'  Ahrend bit his lip for a moment, surpressing the feeling of mild anxiety.  After all, he had been in special operations for years, why should his first squad exercise cause him so much grief?

This place.... is huge he thought to himself as he looked left and right. oh well... time to give myself a "small tour" of the place

He first found the dorms and seeing that his name was on one of the doors he opens it and enters. Placing his bags on the bed which was situated on the left hand side and walks out again.

"Where to where to" he mutters to himself as he walks around aimlessly.

"Ah!" he said in surprise "heres the briefing room which I'm suppose to be at. Touring of the place later I guess..." He knocks on the door and enters. Seeing that the room was still empty he sits in one of the chairs near the back of the room and pulls out his case of minor explosives that he carries around with him and reorganises them into their proper order.

Janus clicked his cell phone and returned it to his pocket looking in the distance. The square was large enough of a park in the middle of a city. Janus had just walked in and introduced himself at Armory One, with little to no explanation. He had barely even had a chance to speak with any of the soldiers recently. He wanted to meet and speak with them formally but also wanted to see how they reacted under pressure. The commander seems a little soft. That’s all well and good, but I have to know I can fight at my full potential and not spend every second covering ofr them. Most likely should of asked the commander first. Janus laughed a little bit at the irony. He was making sure people his own age were competent soldiers where the closest Janus himself had come to death was nearly crashing a BABI in a live fire training exercise.

Looking up Janus spoke to himself, “Good, they are arriving. Lets see if they earned the uniform they were wearing.”

The youngest of the trio also had blue hair, though it was far lighter in color than the man's, and was done in a pair of long pigtails.  She was small and frail looking, the picture of innocence as her golden eyes skimmed over the book she was reading; her fingers delicately turning each page as if she was afraid that turning them harshly would ruin the moment.  She sat next to the man as she read her book, which made their size difference stand out all the more, as she was well under five feet tall, giving the man a solid two feet height advantage over her.

Then there was the middle one, who oddly, wasn't made to sit in the middle of the group.  She had an athletically toned body, and unlike the other two who wore their Earth Alliance uniforms in a prim and proper manner, kept her uniform as casual as could be; also choosing to shun the traditional women's uniform for the long pants that came with the men's uniform.  Her golden locks of hair were kept out of her eyes by a blue headband, and her blue eyes gazed back and forth impatiently, unable to find something to occupy herself with unlike the others had.

While difficult to believe at first, the trio were actually a family:  Bian Zoldark, the father, Lune Zoldark, the eldest daughter, and Kyra Relm, the adopted, youngest child.  Lune's constantly curious eyes shifted towards her father for a moment after the aircraft made its final landing, having decided to once again ask the question she had been trying to ask this entire trip; though she knew that she would likely receive the same response as before.

"All right father, so what are we really doing here? I doubt we came just to take in the sights and sounds of the local culture, so spill the beans; whats so important that you have to drag me and the kiddo here?"  She said, her voice, while somewhat harsh, still seemed to hold a tone of respect towards Bian.  Despite everything she might say about him, she had always respected and cared for her father, and knew that no matter how much she might hate some of the things he did, that he often did them for a good reason.  It was that matter of patience that always seemed to keep the pair from ever sharing a true father/daughter moment; Lune was impulsive and spoke her mind, while Bian always had to think things two times over before committing to an action.  Kyra was their balance point of sorts, as while she was decidedly silent and cautious like Bian, Kyra still retained some hints of simple childhood innocence and impulsiveness, meaning that both Lune and Bian had something in Kyra that they could identify to.

"We're here on important military business, and I might require your opinion on certain matters when the time comes; of course, this also meant that we couldn't leave Kyra on her own, so it was best if the three of us went.  For the most part there shouldn't be much you'll have to do, just stay out of trouble while I speak with the chancellor and some of the officials here, and be ready for when I need you."  Bian replied as the trio walked outside of the plane, the crisp air around them bringing a much needed relief to them after sitting in a dry, stuffy cargo transport for several hours.  Kyra remained silent as father and daughter kept up their banter; having quickly grown accustomed to the way Bian and Lune acted around each other.  Instead, she decided to look forwards, hoping to see if someone would arrive soon to interrupt the pair so Bian would be able to attend to his business; though the thought of being left alone in a foreign land with Lune wasn't a heartwarming thought to say the least.

(huzzah for reintroducing three characters at once )

A moment later, he reached the outskirts of the base. Turning into what seemed to be an entrance, he stopped by the guard's booth and presented him his ID.

"New here ey? But don't you think you should go start a family or something?

The guard asked, noticing that Zeru was a little older than most of the willing recruits.

"Well, experience keeps my ass alive. And all I've seen is war, not women anyway. Ive seen the woman I fancy die a little more than I'd like to anyway."

He replied, as he smiled wryly. He thanked the guard for giving him a permit, before he drove in and parked his car in an empty lot. He glanced at his palmtop, looking at the map of the compound, making sure he was headed towards the right place. He headed into a building and upon sighting an information counter, he walked up, and smiled.

"Excuse me, but I'm new here..."

OOC: Would write something better, but without background info and with my mom nagging... Damn it.

The room was dark at the time as the night had entered itself into the PLANT leaving only streetlights from the window to enter as a figure was sitting on his chair and staring outside, a computer having been on the table who which he had his back upon. The screen having shown that there was a online talk with another figure who's face was hidden. Kaze's eyes having stared outside as his head was supported by his hand, his lips having been barely open as he was wondering what else to say at the new decision having been handed out.

" It's not a matter to you. It's an Order from you're superiors. The current tension between the EA and USSA require more direction. "

The voice was filled with voice modifications, having been impossible to decode considering the amount of different additions and warping in tone. Kaze had attempted to change it himself but the data left over from the conversation would be completely deleted as if the call was never made. " The Assumed Creation of Suits. Yes, I've heard. " Kaze mentioned.

" The PLANT's themselves are worried that this may turn into a global war for the planet. A new Leader of your status and capabilities would be better. "

" And of Hitomi? " He had asked wondering what she'd take of this news. The woman had recently become the leader and such a thing may discourage her. If anything threaten her.

" She will remain as she is. Consider it a cooperative Leadership. "

He sighed, this was too sudden to take already. Having turned his seat around to look at the computer screen he had spotted the shine of glass and peered over to a chess board with glass pieces of black and white having been on the corner. " Do you wish for me to end up like the previous chairman? " He had asked referring to his teacher in medicine.

" He served his purpose. That is all. "

No answer like always, Kaze's eyes having darted back to the screen as he gave a disappointed look. " I understand. Keep my updated, though communication from now will be more harder to keep. " He had mentioned as he wondered how they would manage.

" It had never stopped us before. If we do not communicate, a file will be in your computer from the next move. Remember Kaze, do not disappoint us unless you want your experiment to become public. "

His hand twitched while his body remained calm, the fingers tightening a grip on the arm rest as he closed his eyes. " You wish to blackmail me using my Son? " He had mentioned, having understood they would take the chance would do it.

" You've changed. Before you had called him a God, A Failed Experiment, and now a Son. Don't let yourself get attached. It will cloud your judgment. "

He opened his eyes again to stare at the screen. " I call him Hope. A life that I've played God in, the same would go for her father also. " He mentioned having known the girl must have been his son of all others.

" Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness. We have no further progress with this conversation. We will contact you when it's needed. "

The screen had turned black as the computer shut down completely. A weak sigh escaping Kaze's mouth as his hand moved from supporting his cheek to his head, a weak smile forming. " It's all up to their Will then. " He whispered.

Morning

News networks had spread fast and moved to the PLANT's as the sudden spark of political debate had come up of a second Leader. It was a first for Coordinators, having a Cooperative leadership between two entities. The PLANT Supreme Council members having been arguing with themselves as they wondered how such a notion had passed and what it would affect in the future, it was rather unexpected for all of them.

" A Second Supreme Leader?! The PLANT's will just end up in more confusion! "

" Considering our previous ones we will need in case one does as the previous two! It'd be better if Kaze is elected, he's the leading scientist of Technology for the PLANT's. Who else?! "

" For now we'll have to accept it. Whether he steps up or not we'll see. Besides this conversation is not worth our breath. The current issues of Mobile suits being made by USSA and in South America should be our main focus. "

The Council had sighed in frustration, silence finally overtaking the room as a few members looked over to the empty seats as some couldn't make it. The meeting was rather unexpected so it wasn't surprising. Kaze o nthe other hand had to make it to the city in a car that was continually watched by news and several questions being shot at him as he made his way slowly to podium where he would make the speech, the room having been filled with several news networks from which he guessed a few were from Earth and ORB. Never the less there were a few soldiers at his sides that were prepared to defend him if needed.

" I've come to talk about the speculation and rumors that have been going around. And they are true, I will be become the second Chairman of the PLANT's. Regarding my partner Hitomi she will remain also in control so this will be a cooperative leadership. It's rather sudden but for the progress of the PLANT's I feel as if I had no choice to deny it. As many as you know I am also the leading scientist for the military of ZAFT and you may be worried my views are towards War when they're completely far from it. I have been a doctor before and know full well the pain and loss of War. That's why...I wish to ask for a chance. That is all, I'll take no questions. "

The speech was short but he had no desire to continue, having turned as a few people started to shout out questions and come close to him which made the soldiers and bodyguards start to move as they stopped them as he came out the door and into the main room of the Supreme Council building. Having sighed as he turned to look at the rock of the whale like creature that the first coordinator had brought back from space. Having smiled he opened his mouth and spoke:

" Those who have a gift fail to understand the feelings of those who don't and those who don't envy those who do. "

As the set of doors which led into Armory One's main briefing room opened Hitomi let herself relax, things were finally underway.  While she made her way to the stage all of the officers, save one, sat down in the front row int heir respective seats.  Only General Diederich followed behind her and the slightly younger woman stayed in perfect step with Hitomi and was always a pace and a half behind her commander.  The general took the rightmost of the two open seats on the briefing platform while Hitomi immediately moved up to the podium and microphone that had been provided to her.  Everyone was already here, looking out over the crowd she could see as much, and she had intentionally kept them waiting simply to ensure the fact that there would be no latecomers.

"I would like to welcome all of you to Armory One and to extend my greetings to everyone who is watching this broadcast from home."  Hitomi was well aware that the entire nation was focused in on these war games and that with all eyes on her she was responsible to make a strong impression as PLANT's leader.  "Today we will begin the execution of ZAFT's first official war game of the year.  In the past this nation was the target of numerous terrorist attacks from former enemies and wayward soldiers who had lost their place on the battlefield.  As a response to the recognized threat that we, the citizens of PLANT, always live in these war games were developed to simulate such an attack by our own forces here on Armory One.  For those of you watching from home this broadcast will end momentarily as classified information cannot be broadcasted over the open airwaves.  I hope that you will view these war games with great suspense and pride as we demonstrate the will of our country to forge a pathway into a new era."  With that the red lights on the cameras all shut off and Hitomi's access to the audience of her countrymen was shutdown, which was fine since she was done speaking.

"If all you would give you attention to General Diederich she will explain the particular maneuvers of this war game."  Before applause could be given Hitomi turned away from the podium and sat down in her seat, not wanting to delay the exercise any more than she already had.  At the same time the general stood up and took Councilwoman Hitomi's place.

"Thank you Councilor Matsuko."  The general turned and bowed slightly, always sure to be polite when the brass was around.  Turning back to the podium and the audience she began her own, more detailed speech.  "In accordance with those in Central Intelligence this exercise will be codenamed Operation Runaway and will primarily involve two squads, Okina and Zenastan Tai, both of whom will be working in opposition to each other."  At this point Alisha broke the seal on the folder in front of her which up to this moment had contained information only seen by the chief of planning in Central Intelligence.  "All of Armory One's exterior and interior will be available for combat between the two squads and as such the entire colony has been equipped with a special beam coating that will reflect all but the most determined off attacks on the colony's protective walls.  Each squad commander should now be receiving a detailed packet covering the rules and outlines of today's operation and as such no further briefing shall be given in this auditorium except to note that it is currently 1205 hours and that Operation Runaway will begin at 1430 hours giving you just over two hours to prepare.  That is all, you are dismissed and may return to your respective posts."

Each of the packets that Okina and Zenasten had received were entirely different from the others and were as follows.

Okina's Packet

Objective: After gaining access to the colony destroy the simulated headquarters within Armory One and capture the simulated prototype mobile suit kept in one of Armory One's MS hangers.

Rules: From the point of reading this packet until the completion of Operation Runaway you and your squad are not bound by the oaths of loyalty to ZAFT with the exception that you may not destroy Armory One.

Time Limit All objectives must be met by 1600 on the day the operation begins on at which time a simulated "terrorist bomb" will detonate "destroying" Armory One.

Zenastan's Packet

Objective: Sortie out against a suspected group of terrorist, ascertain their objectives and prevent them from accomplishing said objectives; if at all possible capture the terrorists alive for interogation.

Rules: You are bound by all oaths and duties of ZAFT pilots.  As such you shall defend and protect Armory One at all costs and using whatever method the situation calls for, so long as you remain in the bounds of your oaths of duty.  In order to better simulate a real attack you also will not sortie out against the "terrorists" until they are detected by one of Armory One's operators.  You may use whatever resources that Armory One provides to you and from this point forth Squad Commander Zenastan shall act with the full authority granted to him within a combat situation.

Time Limit The operation must be completed by 1600 on the day the operation begins, at which time a simulated "terrorist bomb" will detonate "destroying" Armory One.

Asahi flicked his watch to his face, reading it at 11:48 am, as he approached the cafe. Remembering that he asked for casual clothing, he had no worries on his choice of attire; white t-shirt and black jeans. With his folder of formalities under his arm, he pushed open the door to the cafe. A waiter came up to him and Asahi said politely that he had a reservation for six.

He decided that it would be best to wait until everyone had arrived before doing any administrative duties. Sitting at the round table, Asahi glanced at the time, and with a few minutes to spare before noon, (the designated meeting time) he opened his folder and scanned the faces again. He smiled as he noticed someone, Chrisoph von Crailshelm. Asahi remembered him from the academy. A tough guy, but easy to get along with. Funnily enough, Chrisoph reminded Asahi alot of himself.

A team of six. Two leaders, and four members. Asahi wanted to take the occasion to gather their personalities, and mobile suit preferences as he would be assigning them respective units. He propped his head on his left hand, imagining what they would be like. They might not respect him, as they were mostly his peers. He dismissed the worst case scenario and in response winced and ruffled his hair. It was almost show time, and Asahi had to be at his best. He re-arranged his hair and wiped his glasses. They would be there any second.

As Demetrius entered the base, he winded his way through until he reached one of the large mobile suit hangars.  He arrived just in time to see crews supervising the transport of the Astray Divers to Orb's 3rd Naval Fleet's Takemikazuchi-class carrier.  The immediate area was bustling with additional activity as this last-minute move forced everyone to take action. 

After making some inquiries and personal inspections, he left the men to complete their assigned duties.  He quickly went back to his room to pack his things into a plain-looking duffel.  Though his position as a representative allowed for him to have an orderly, he politely refused since he'd preferred to deal with things directly.  It was not a matter of being stubborn as it was for taking personal responsibility for his duties.  As he returned to the hangar, a VTOL landed nearby.  He knew that the VTOL was there to transport his delegation and himself to the carrier once everything was ready.  The 3rd Fleet would be escorting them while running their usual patrol route near the Equatorial Union.  Only the carrier and an Aegis-class cruisers would directly dock at Rangoon. 

He quickly made his way to a secure console and sent an encrypted e-mail to President de Silva about the sudden 'meeting' before he walked back outside.  All that was left was to wait for his 'troops' and for the preparations to be complete.

IC:

The sun blasted down on the capless Jeep.  The scenery was mostly dessert, but it was hard to really take in the beauty.  On account of Karl weaving in and out of traffic. 

As the three of them made it in to the city they began to scope for their mission objective: find food...fast.  There were many shops and stores on the street.  Filled with people, food, clothing, and every now and then a ZAFT flag was waving in the air.

Karl, hurry up and find some parking.

James said as he put his hand on his stomach, he could feel it bubbling and aching.  Leaning out the side of the Jeep the wind hit his hair and pushed it out of his face.  It's to sunny. He thought to himself.  Taking a deep breathe he waited for the car to stop.

The large building was better looking then any other military dorm he had seen.    Walking in he looked at his assignment papers, breezing on past "Meet at Hanger XX" he looked for his room number.  After checking the room number he looked for any signs which would direct him.

In time he found his way to the room.  The journey to the room was not bad at all, wooden floors, flowers, and the occasional portrait on the wall of some women  in a dress.  Entering the wooden door with the brass knob, James entered.  It was a standard military room, but instead of the stereotypical concrete 4x4 walls, it was replaced with well finished wood.  There was one window opposite of the door and to the left of the window was a single sized bed.  To the right of the window was a small desk with a computer on it.  Walking in farther he saw a bathroom on his right along with a wardrobe.

He was tired so as soon as the bags fell on the floor he fell on the bed.  Grabbing his music player. He put them on a drifted off to sleep.

It was one in the afternoon and Rob had just finished his lunch, he stood up and walked away from the vintage dining table. Rob headed towards his bedroom, wanting a nap. Rob opened the door and entered the dark and silent room, he walked towards his bed and was just about to sit down till a knock on the door came.

Rob signs and quitely says to himself in anger "God sake, can't you leave a soldier alone."

Rob Relentlessly walks towards the door and slowly pushes the handle down, he opens the door and sees an old high ranked militry officer, Robs face goes blank as to the surprise of a high ranked officer meeting him withought rob even knowing. Rob quickly salutes the officer and stands straight.

The officer starts to laugh and says "Looks like you seen a ghost, don't worry I'm only here to tell you that you have been assigned to go to the military headquarters of the Equatorial Union."

Rob gives an evil glance to his superior and quickly responds "Do I have to, I was just getting use to things here?" The officer gives Rob a serious look and firmly replies to Rob " Its an order, also it will be a wounderful experience for a young Pilot like yourself. Anyway you will go there with a few of our politicains to observe the Astray Diver, you will mostly find ORB delegations so don't start any fights and try making some friends."

The officer gave Rob a piece of paper that allowed him entry onto the ship but also a map for the base, the officer saluted and walked away. Rob left hanging there switched the bedroom lights on and kicked the door with frustration "Dam them, don't you worry old man I will be the one causing choas." Rob looked at his suit case and knew most of his possessions were still unpacked, Rob packed the suitcase to how it was when he arrived but there was one thing extra inside it and that was the white uniform he bought from the shop.

Five minutes of walking and Rob had arived where the ship was, before entering Rob looked back at his base woundering if he would come back or not. Rob had zero knowlege about ships so he had no clue what type it was. Rob saw a handful of people walking towards the seats that they would be sitting in, Rob quickly found a seat and made himself comfortable init. The engine started to roar and the ship was ready for takeoff. Rob annoyed about evreything felt he needed some sleep to take his mind off of evreything.

[OCC: This will continue at the Equatorial Union]

As ChengHu entered the refurbished and state-of-the-art Simulator Center, he quickly V-ed his right hand at the officer on duty before sticking his index finger and thumb out.  The officer, who was used to the Lt.Commander's methods, nodded and quickly fingered back thumbs twice, then a V, to indicate that chamber 22 had free Simulator mechanisms.  He nodded his thanks as he gestured for Locke to follow along. 

As they entered Chamber 22, he grabbed a helmet from the nearby rack and said, "Crewman Locke, grab a helmet and get settled into Sim 22B.  I'll provide instructions once you're ready."

"Let's see how he fares," ChengHu thought as his mind continued to calculate.

About 30 minutes later Janus was sitting into the cockpit of a BABI. The new white flight suit was a little itchy to Janus.  It wasn’t his but Gibraltar Command was kind enough to let him test fly one so Janus could adapt to the Earth’s gravity. While running through the setup Janus looked up at the comm. to see the base commander, “Sir, thank you for letting me borrow a BABI. I don’t have a squad yet but I need to adapt to the gravity as soon as possible and command hasn’t sent me a mobile suit yet.”

“Its fine Commander Trine. We are happy to help and will be working your team hard once it arrives. For your test, you will have a few minutes to adapt to atmospheric flight in the BABI. When you are ready we will launch 5 dud missiles for you to intercept.”

“Alright then.” Janus moved the BABI slowly forward out of the hanger. “Janus Trine, BABI taking off” Janus pulled the throttle up, lifting his BABI into the air. Getting the BABI floating a couple of meters off the ground Janus made one last check to make sure he was not about to burn anyone. Seeing he was clear, Janus pushed the throttle to lift the BABI into the air at a good speed.

Several minutes later Janus opened the comm. line to his base. “Sir, launch the missiles. I think I got the hang of this machine.” Janus immediately saw his cockpit light up as he was locked on to and additional beepers were going off as Janus spotted missiles coming at him. Switching his machine into is flight mode, firing his machine cannons and missiles, scoring a couple of hits on the missiles.

As Janus pitched his machine down he realized that the other three missiles were going for another target. It had never occurred to Janus that there would be a wrinkle in the training. Janus quickly switched to mobile suit mode and aimed his beam rifle, trying to get a lock on the missiles. Finally Janus just fired off a barrage of laser blasts trying to intercept the missiles. Janus was disappointed to find out looking at the scoring HUD that he had only tagged one missile. Not good enough yet. Most likely should of used the Chest Cannon and try to intercept those things. I’ll watch the footage later. “Base command, this is Trine. I am returning. Please have a copy of the footage sent to my quarters when it is ready.”

Moments later Janus guided the BABI back into its hanger. Janus removed his helmet and just sighed, sitting in the cockpit. Janus climbed out to be met by one of techs, going over some of the stats.

OOC: I am just doing this to get my character onto base per my assignment. Anyone in my squad feel free to get in this thread and start RPing by introducing yourselves to your commander. This was also so I can be slightly competent at the atmospheric battles.

Mustering the energy to wake up is a challenging task for her, more so than military exercises and the like. Her parents would have leave her alone to wake up at home, but for some reason that is unknown to anyone, even herself, she would always wake up before 10 in the morning, unless she has been really sick.

Bam.

A simple fall from the bed landed her on the floor, with her grumbling around from that. She lacked the mental capacity to push herself up from the fall, but her hands does the job of doing so. Teary-eyed and a yawn later, she looked at the clock at the wall, showing that it's already morning. Pushing herself onto her own 2 feet, her body moved by itself into the bathroom for the usual morning routine of getting herself fresh for the day.

Getting herself dressed in proper would be a fussy task. She, for one, absolutely abhors revealing clothing (unless required to), so she puts on simple white long-sleeved blouse with thin black vertical stripes, and then a black above-knee-length skirt would do. She does not tug in the blouse, and clips her hair to stop the bangs from going down. Another addition is a pair of high-heeled shoes to complement that. She would not even go on to the extent of carrying any weapons or anything fancy, it is just a simple day out. For her, at least.

Taking what is essential to her (skirts are never friendly to huge purses), within minutes, she is already out of the barracks, into the car park, where she passes by an old Japanese-made sports sedan, in pristine condition. It was a car owned by a male friend of hers, who for some reason managed to muster up all the money from pay and possibly some other businesses to actually buy a car like that, just enough to probably show another Sergeant who is interested in cars that he 'mean business'. She have seen the car in action several times, and she never liked the fact that the car basically threatens to shatter anyone's ears at full throttle.

Funny that it wasn't an automobile related incident that landed that friend in a coma.

Passing by the checkpoint, the MPs cleared her of everything, and quickly she lands herself on a passing bus to the main city. Her target location is not a shopping centre of any kind, like usually females her age would do on a free day, but the hospital. It's probably a good thing the seats are empty at this time in the morning, she never liked sardine can-packed buses. Pressing the bell at where it is the time to do so, she slowly walks off the bus, at the front of the hospital.

Reciting some numbers and alphabets, she walked into the hospital, passing by some of the medical personnel on duty here. Some of them might not know her, while some of them might call her as 'the person who is the friend of the Orb pilot in coma', so to speak.

The 'Orb pilot in coma' is the person she is visiting, in fact, something she has been doing in the past few months. Maneuvering herself around the corridors and lifts of the hospital, she landed herself outside a ward with a transparent glass window separating herself from the person 'sleeping' inside the individual ward.

Placing her hands on the glass pane, she looks into the ward without a word. Months ago tears would flow every time she does that, but now she have learned to control it.

" General Darlton and Janus want to know how the production of things are moving along? " One of them had asked while trying to maintain the scientists long strides. Kaze had been ignoring most of the questions and seemed to have had his own thoughts on mind. " Tell them it's moving along fine. " He had answered giving an answer which lacked detail. " Chairwoman Hitomi had also been wishing to talk to you about the current funding for the next few projects. " Another one had said out while the man's walk had increased in speed from the annoyance of the army. " Tell her to call me instead. " He answered in slight annoyance.

Once through the hallway he had come across the main lobby of the PLANT and had planned to take the elevator to transfer out of Januarius and head off to other areas where he was needed. Having stepped in front of the elevator doors he turned and looked at the other men who had more questions and needed answers from the scientist at least. " I suggest sending the rest of the issues and pressing matter to my office. I wish to be alone. " He had said to them as the doors opened and a soldier was already in salute as he was standing inside the elevator. Kaze had smiled a bit and turned around stepping within as the doors closed to the soldiers who were about to follow him but were cut off, his crimson eyes turning to the soldier who was saluting him who was his son;Ryou Misaki. A pair of golden eyes who were hidden behind a few strands of the messy white hair which the boy had grown and left unattended to the natural messy order. Then again he was not one to talk, his own black hair had been longer that it reached past his shoulders at times.

" You can stop saluting me... " He mentioned and walked over to the seats as the elevator had started to rise up. " Sir! " Ryou answered in response and placed his arm back to his side as he waited by the door. Kaze's smile having remained considering his son's attitude; Serious and Cold. He was proud to have him as a son, truly proud and yet there were...many flaws in that. Ryou was after all his finest project; A remake of the remaining information of Hibiki that he could collect without having been suspected. It did him no good, it was a failure in the end and the result caused a conflict between him and his assistant who had believed in a different theory than he did. In the end it resulted in him doing it alone and causing the womb of his wife to turn into a chamber for where he could create at least something similar to the man's hoped for work.

Kaze had realized it now that the remnants he received were not enough information. And the cost of information made him create a failed coordinator; Ryou. Humanity's desire itself was the improve upon itself and Kaze wished for the same, he wanted to make that ultimate being and help the Coordinator's realize their true function: Help Humanity. George Glenn himself had wished for that desire, yet with the recent issue of Coordinators and Naturals it truly had strayed from that past.

Coordinator's turned ambitious and seeked an identity for themselves. Dubbing themselves a New Species, A Better Species, An Improved Species. And of course with such arrogance in themselves they believed that the people of Earth were things of the past and a step lower in the evolutionary scale. Even now it does not change. People's eyes have grown accustomed to seeing them as 'Naturals' and yet what were Coordinators themselves - 'Unnatural'? The answer itself is No. George Glenn was wrong, Coordinators were no different than Naturals themselves. We have to study, train, adapt and grow old like any other human being. Coordinators are no different, just an arrogant race that in the end started a War simply to dub themselves the true rulers of Humanity.

Humans, or Naturals as they liked to be called are no better themselves. If Coordinators did not exist, their blames would be put to themselves and thus would hate one another. The Planet called Earth would simply be filled with humans hating one another with racism. The government themselves couldn't handle all the issue so they instead blame the Coordinators and PLANTS. 'United in Hatred', as one can picture. The President, Countries and Nations, they all help one another for a sole purpose: Hatred for Coordinators. An easy answer for the government and people who are confused as to why they're poor or have civil issues. Truly...Humans are-

" Dad? " Kaze had opened his eyes to realize that he was lost in thought and had closed his eyes. Having been at the top floor already with his son having placed a hand on his shoulder to bring him back into reality. " How have things been with your team? " He had asked his son as the boy stood up straight once more with a somewhat blank face. " I can't complain....other than the lack of experience for the captain. " He had mentioned as Kaze already knew of that, but it couldn't be helped. " Your not the only one. Other teams are starting fresh... " He mentioned as he had looked over the papers and was thinking of what mobile suit would be best for each person. " I guess... " Ryou had said with a shrug of the shoulders as he titled his head back a bit and looked to the side to the city through the elevator glass.

As he stared at his son with the blank look of his son and innocence in soldiers Kaze had realized how War had changed from wanting trained personnel to wanting young children grow into battle itself. There was also an issue of Coordinators themselves making soldiers for the sole purpose of fighting. Those who are legends in battle and are the perfect soldiers, they are the ones who's genes are entered within other infants until they can make a perfect copy; A Clone. Yet this itself has it's own issues and that's something Kaze himself had been ordered to fix...not that it's public information or even known to most of the chairmen and chairwomen in the council. He wondered himself if Hitomi knew of this.

Kaze had realized he spent his time within the elevator long enough so he had stood up and started to walk out and down another long hallway with his son 3 steps behind him. " I'll be needing some time in a room. " He mentioned as Ryou had given a serious 'Sir!' remark back to him and lead him to a room for the time being until a ride was ready to take him back. " Um..what about...meetings and people? " He had asked his father who's simple response was: " Just put them in a meeting room around here and I'll get to them. " He answered and closed the door.

Kaze had sat down behind a desk and opened a laptop with a new email having been received from an Anonymous address which told him ' Continue the Process'. " What a joke...like you're not satisfied with the last two wars... " He whispered, sighing as he opened up a folder and watched the data from the previous wars. " Whether there will be  peace or war...no one but them will know. " He whispered as he turned and opened the window to see the stars outside at least. " At least the stars will be witnesses to Humanity...even now we're traveling beyond the original bounds that's been placed in front of us...and we're repeating the same mistakes.. " He whispered, closing his eyes once more and contemplating the rest of what he had gotten over time.

Ryou on the other hand was running through the corridor in a hectic speed. " Damn it...why'd you leave me to manage all your meetings with people. " He whispered as he didn't even know who wished to speak with the man. This was all too troublesome....

IC: Michael was on his knees hunched over at the foot of the Januarius City Memento Stone. The memento stones were statues made by Michael’s father at the end of the Bloody Valentine War to honor the sacrifices of those who lost their lives and for virtues that Coordinators and mankind must learn to live by.  One was in each PLANT.

The Januarius City memento stone held special meaning to Michael, and within a few moments his tears were falling onto the dozen roses left at its base. The Januarius City Memento Stone was “The Guardian”, and it was a statue of Michael’s mother, who died in the first war. Michael nearly broke the mask that he was now holding in his lap as more and more tears fell. Finally Michael was able to look at the twilight sky.

Michael was filled with memories of the last time he was here a few years ago. When he finally stood up to his father and made the decision to join ZAFT. He was a stubborn man, who had tried to control Janus’s life. “Why mom, why did you leave me with him, and why did you die to protect other people.” Janus couldn’t even muster the energy at the time to scream. More and more tears fell till Michael just hit the ground with his right fist.

After a few moments Michael stood up facing the statue. Putting his mask back on Janus turned and began to slowly walk away from the memento stone. His covered eyes were still showing the signs of his anger and his doubt. This is the right thing to do, I am walking the only path available to me right now. I'll defeat every enemy until I find the answers I want.

IC:

Holding on to the hand railing, James was pulled through the long blue corridor.  It was cold, but that was space.  He had been stationed at the Armory One for a month now, and he was not happy about it.  He thought he was unhappy back when he was stationed at Aprilis, but that was nothing compared to the armory.

News of a team being formed back at Aprilis made him even more angry that he left there.  He was dieing to get in a MS, and for some reason luck and chance had been moving him away from them.  Until now that is.  This morning when he woke up, forms and paper work waited in his mail box to be filled out and brought to the main hanger on this date at XXXX hundred hours.  The papers said "Mobile Suit Re-Certification Class"  He didn't need to be re-certified though, he needed to pilot. 

That time was now.  His uniform was properly set, as well as all his paper work filled out correctly.  Maybe this would be his chance to get into a MS permanently.

He made his right and entered the hanger.  There he waited for the commanding officer to meet him.

Though this was an odd place to hold any sort of meeting Hitomi had wanted the soldiers she had invited over to feel comfortable and have the chance to relax, even though they were expected to arrive in uniform.  As her aide passed her a towel and whispered the time to her Hitomi took both casually while she calculated just how long she would have to shower and prepare herself.

Since she had the time Hitomi treated herself to a long hot bath, after which a different aide came in and helped her prepare her hair and did some last minute fussing over Hitomi's clothing. Today her aides had selected a maroon red skirt/coat match along with a white blouse, while this attire was still formal it was also very low key and unoffensive.  As her hair naturally fell into place Hitomi waved her aide away and took one last look in the mirror before she left the room.

Though an ordinary visitor may have gotten lost at the Chairwoman's large manor home Hitomi knew the hallways quite well, this aided her in achieving a speedy arrival at formal events and served a dual purpose should she ever need to escape the large home.  Pausing outside one of the houses three tea rooms Hitomi waited with an aide who handed her a plain brown folder.  Though she had memorized the names and faces of the soldiers she would meet days ago Hitomi had reviewed the list one more time before entering the room.

Her timing was perfect and just as she sat down one of the house's staff members announced the arrival of a visitor.

He had arrived here early, in fact he had gotten there very early after having come down with his MS in a drop ship earlier this morning.  His GuAIZ R now stood outside of what would soon be Wullf Tai's permanent home.  Though it was empty now Ahrend would soon put in a request for four new mobile suits for his squad, which would hopefully be delivered in a timely manner.  But for now he stood under his GuAIZ R and patiently waited, glancing at his watch every now and then.

Sinking down into one of the cushioned chairs in the room Ahrend let his officer's "face" fade away, after all both he and Laike were officers and if he couldn't even be frank with his executive officer then he would be in real trouble.  Leaning back Ahrend closed his eyes knowing that it would only be a few more seconds before Rinawan came through the door.

Gunshots blared and echoed throughout the nearly vacant shooting range.  After several more shots rang out, a calm silence followed.  ChengHu adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes as he focused on the distant paper target.  He ejected the magazines from his two handguns before pressing a button that then brought the paper target to him.  As it closed in, he nodded to himself as tight clusters of holes were concentrated at the target's heart and head.  He noticed that two of his shots were slightly off and made note of them.  There was always room for improvement. 

He set a new target and deployed it out at around 30 meters.  He then reloaded his handguns and drew them both slowly and deliberately.  As he fired, he recalled yesterday's conversation with Premier Liao:

"Ah, Yinglong, thanks for coming!"

ChengHu frowned slightly as he shook hands with the Premier.  As they sat down on comfy chairs in the Premier's lounge, he replied, "I really wish you wouldn't call me that, Liao Zongli."

"Don't be such a stiff, especially at your age.  Anyways, how's XueLi doing?" the Premier asked in a bombastic manner.

ChengHu sighed and smiled slightly as he knew this was one aspect of the Premier that would never change.  "She's doing well, though she's been busy as of late.  Probably because of the increase in trade with many of the other terrestrial nations that business has been picking up.  How's your family?" ChengHu replied both as a sign of respect and as a formality.

"Midori is doing okay.  She's working graveyard shifts due to the increased cases of some flu over at Xi'an.  Some colleagues of hers from Japan are coming over to help as well.  MingMing is fine, though I still don't get girls' fascination with clothes and makeup," he said with a chuckle as he continued, "DongFeng has been studying alot lately and has improved his marks significantly...no doubt because of your influence."

ChengHu gave an acknowledging nod as he recalled the young man, who was rather complacent with his lifestyle, initially.  It was after several conversations and tours of various factories, reconstructed zones, and military bases that caused DongFeng to begin to see the greater picture.

Then ChengHu's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and spoke frankly, "While I like our casual meetings, I doubt you called me here at your office for little more than just chit-chat."

Premier Liao nodded as he leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands as he spoke in a more serious tone, a contrast to his more jovial manner earlier, "I just wanted to get your view on the new situation between the Alliance and the USSA.  The Alliance, or more specifically, the Atlantic Federation has started to pressure the USSA into allowing them to send investigators into the country."

ChengHu nodded as he quickly recalled and organized what he knew of the situation, "While some may protest, the USSA is at an impasse.  As a recently initiated member of NOVA, they have come to rely on the member states, especially Orb's FREE Forces and Scandanavia's Black Company, for additional security.  However, it is natural for the nation to attempt to reduce their reliance on those nations through recruitment and R&D, not to spite their allies, but to gain a further foothold of their independence.  It is already known that the Atlantic Federation holds a grudge against the USSA for gaining such independence, so it would be wise to view anything the AF says with a bit of skepticism.  I think we should just wait and see how this turns out, at least for the moment, but we should continue to show our 'allies' that we can make decisions by partially supporting the need for investigators."

Premier Liao nodded sagely as he replied, "You just summarized what three hours of discussion with the Secretary General and key members of Parliament discussed.  Secretary General Ho 'expressed' his displeasure and supported the AF's proposal, though he did not do so blindly.  If the USSA are building forbidden weapons or if this is all a ploy by the Atlantic Federation, I will call upon your unit to respond to the matter."

"Of course, Liao zongli."

CLICK!

ChengHu realized he already emptied both handguns.  He put the guns down and stretched slightly.  The other members of the Red Dragon Guard were either off-duty or on light duty at the Shanghai Naval base though he knew they would instantly respond if he needed them to mobilize.  He brought the target in again as he removed the spent magazines from the handguns.  This time, the target showed only one errant shot.  There was always room for improvement.

It was a habit for him, that whenever he was alone, some things generally tend to surface, with foot-tapping being one of them. Although he wasn't particularly nervous, the newly named squadron leader was having second thoughts about the meeting place. Would it be better if it had been Maius, or perhaps Martius? They were two of the PLANTs he knew best and could probably get a bolster in confidence when addressing his new teammates. It might seem silly to contemplate his choices right now when he had earlier decided the venue without giving as much as a single thought about it, but it was yet another one of the habits he had: Thinking too much when he was alone.

Sitting just outside of a quaint little French restaurant 'Monsieur Carte' (while wondering what it could possibly mean), he began imagining what they could be like. Landis was never completely comfortable when meeting with strangers but found his eyes straying to the pretty lady in a comfortable blue dress who stopped near his table. She moved on, and he was back to square one.

Somehow it just seems like almost anyone could be them... He had specifically donned a little more than his usual streetwear-A black patterned collared shirt, unbuttoned and worn over a white t-shirt with light brown jeans- just to draw enough attention, though he had not thought of the group of giggly schoolgirls sitting behind him or a few curious monikers whose names he did not know, but apparently had a good idea of who's a stranger in the neighbourhood.

"May I take your order, sir?" He felt his heartbeat quickened a bit, but mentally bashed himself over being too enthusiastic-or perhaps finally letting the nerves get to him. Recovering quickly, he smiled cordially and informed him that his order could wait. What was wrong with him? He had led in mock missions before, so leadership can't be that hard...Right?

Yeah, right. He thought sarcastically to himself and combed a hand through his messy hair. A small orchestra of rising female voices behind him told him that was a mistake as well.

....So much for setting a good example. Coming early was one thing; Being conspicuous enough was another. In any case, he would have to wait it out till his members came.