Season 2 (continued)

Previously: After the crash of a Federation Victory 2 Gundam in ZAFT controled Austrailia, the crew of Fafnir set out to investigate and make some cash in the process. Unfortunatly for them, a Zeon unit under the command of Clouse Rommel destroyed berserking V-2 Gundam while the Freelancers dealt with an attack by Charon Thanatos of ZAFT.
But as the dust cleared, the Freelancers and Zeons had no time to square off, when their battle was interupted by a broadcast to shake the world. Zeon, ZAFT, and the Space Revolutionary Army annoucned their new alliance, Colonial Axis, and declared war with Earth. With the planet shaken, and the warriors in confusion the next step anyone will take has become unclear.
And now the continuation...

Clouse punched the Screen of his K?mpfer in anger when he saw a the Zaft member, then Tore off his badge and threw in on the ground. Clouse signaled towards the Zaku,
"I am Zeon no more, the traitors will pay for this. Lets stop our bickering and join forces."

Clouse then lit a stogie he was stashing in his gutted Manuel and burned his Zeon Badge as he smoked his stogie, letting out a rather large smoke ring.
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Jared looked baffled as he saw Clouse stop his K?mpfer, wondering what he was going to do; he then realized that the K?mpfer was in the blast range of the anti-ship charge. Jared decided that he would shut off the Charge in case there was a negotiation going on again.

Ben's eyes narrowed as Strike Freedom lifted itself up. "I don't believe this! "Join forces"? Is this some sort of joke?" Ben pointed the beam rifles at the Kampher's major joints. "Trust doesn't come easy out here, just a second ago you tried to kill my buddy!"(Granted... the "Buddy" in question had just punched him, but this was a matter of principle.)

Noone had ever seen Charon lose his composure. There was a good reason for this: he never did lose his composure. He was always calm and calculating. He may have been insane, but it was a cold madness.

Noone would bear witness to his first true rage.

"Dammit!" Charon screamed the curse at his screen. "We're siding with naturals now? We don't the bastards!"

He sat there screaming and ranting in his cockpit for awhile. It was perhaps 0030 minutes later that he received a message.

<font color="violet">"Captain Thanatos, this is Carpentaria, over."</font>

"This is Thanatos, go ahead, over."

<font color="violet">"Sir, the council wishes to speak to you. You are to return to base, board the Styx, and take off as soon as possible for Aprilius One."</font>

"Understood. I've lost two pilots, one presumed dead and the other missing."

The voice on the other end of the line was quiet for a few seconds.

<font color="violet">"We'll take care of it. Just get back here."</font>

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ January 05, 2006 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Charon Thanatos ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 06, 2006 04:05 PM: Message edited by: Charon Thanatos ]</font>

Clouse led his K?mpfer to pick up Jared who was disarming the anti-ship charge.
"Common,? Clouse yelled down to Jared after he had opened his cockpit, "It doesn?t look like they want to join with us..."
<font color="#0000FF">"What do you mean?"</font> Jared yelled back.
"No time," Clouse yelled down and set his had on the ground to pick up Jared.
<font color="#0000FF">"What about the Zaku?" </font>
"I'll handle it."
Jared hopped onto the K?mpfer?s hand and was deposited in the cockpit. Clouse picked up the Anti-ship charge and popped it onto his hip skirt

<font color="gold">"Hey! I'm not done with you yet! You're just going to give up and walk away!?" Bruce yelled as he headed for the retreating ex-soldiers.

"Because if that's the case, we're keeping that Zaku!"</font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 06, 2006 06:57 AM: Message edited by: The Living Fro ]</font>

Clouse just began up into the air, "I'll be in Vietnam if you ever change your mind, ask for the Blue Baron."

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 06, 2006 01:43 AM: Message edited by: Lackloss ]</font>

Ben stared blankly in confusion. "Well... that was weird." The encounter was all too confusing, then again, they got a free Zaku and some GINN parts, so it actually worked out in their favor for once.

Around the same time HLVs were being prepared by the Grand Navy of the Colonies, first to send reinforcements to their territory on Earth and ultimately, to prepare for invasion. While all this was going on the Ragnorok was entertaining its guests from the allied factions on the artificial gravity deck and the mood was one of optimism.
But Fredder Murcor was not among those celebrating, he was instead in his ready room on a private line. He wanted to catch up with an old mentor.

<font color="crimson">"Hello Old Man, I know you can hear me."</font> Fredder waited for a reply. <font color="crimson">"You have no idea how happy I am that you're still alive, I'm quite surprised."</font>

Ben lifted the chared GINN remains and started dragging them toward the ship. "Hey Captain, we actually got some scrap from this mission." Ben chimed in over the radio. "Maybe we can get something other than ramen and MREs to eat."

"Incredible. Absolutely Incredible. As well as unexpected of course. I wonder....is this why this gundam crashed?" Reed mused to himself. However, there was no time to worry about the news.
He drove his jeep up to the Gundam and got out. First thing to do was to check if the pilot was still alive. He suspected a 50/50 chance. Or less. That was quite a battle.
He walked right up to the door, hand on a gun.
"You there, Earth pilot? Still alive?"

Clouse was beginning to fly over the forest in which the gundam had crashed, and saw the strangest of sights, tow doms and a strange looking gundam rushing into the forest. Curious, he shot down at full speed towards the Zeon suits, hailing them, "This is Clouse Rommel, Hold your ground or I will shoot, I say again, Hold your ground."

At the same time, Ben had finished loading the remains of the GINN and walked out again. "I'm gonna see if the captain needs help." Strike Freedom started toward the crash site.

The three suits came to a slow stop and looked at the blue suit. Frank responded <font color="#FF0000">"Who are you, why do you threten us?"</font> Will clamly lite a cigar and asked: <font color="#FF00FF">"Why don't you come on down and have a smoke an a drink?".</font> Frank snapped at Will:<font color="#FF0000">"Why would he come down here?"</font> Will calmly said: <font color="#FF00FF">"S'pose he's friendly and just ner-vace?"</font>

"Are you a member of Zeon?" Clouse inquired, edging down towards the three mobile suits.

Strike Freedom could make out the debris and shortened his steps. (He had a bad habit of almost stepping on people, he hadn't yet, but he had more close calls than the average pilot.) "Damn, I can't believe that was mobile suit." Ben was not familiar the the Victory Gundams which were built around a sort of jet called a core fighter, the legs and top half of the suit could actually attach to the unit to form a larger fighter rather than a humanoid shape, and this is what appeared to be in front of him. Ben zoomed his cameras to find Reed and turned on the speakers. "Captain, is the pilot alive?"

"I'll see what I can do with this, but if a war's really starting I don't know how much we'll get off Federation parts. Normally I'd say quite a bit considering where we are, but after that mess we've been involved in, the fact that we're harboring a fugitive and that our record of ZAFT kills is only increaseing, I wouldn't be too sure. Besides, I've never seen anything like it before, if I hadn't seen it loose its legs I wouldn't even think it was a mobile suit."

Ben took note that the Zeon mech from before had already cought Reed's attention. "That guy's crazy you know, got all upset about that masked guy's broadcast, said something about joining forces with us."

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 11, 2006 01:37 AM: Message edited by: Nick Izumi ]</font>

"Heh. Surprisingly, yes." He dragged him out and put him in the jeep. "Nothing too important seems to be on him. Just a gun." Reed was sad. As hard as he tried to be an "honorable" pirate, money was usually his first thought. Especially, since for the last couple days the crew has been living off of cereal, some fruit, milk, and water.
"Some of the gundam seems salvagable, too. Which is probably more surprising. Think we can do anything with this wreck, Ben?"

Before Reed listened to his answer, he heard the sound again.
"Just try."
He laid the pilot's body next to the mobile suit. "The pilot will be here, too. Maybe we can interview him? I don't want it to be too much like a hostage situation, though."
While Reed was saying this on radio, the jeep was driving towards the meeting of the nearby Gundams. Looks like the Zeon pilot they met before was there, too.

<font color="gold">"Good riddance," said Bruce as he continued to walk towards them, after coming into view just behind Strike Freedom. "Something about that guy just doesn't seem right."

Coming upon the scrap that was formerly the V2, Bruce began searching for interesting parts to add to his </font><font color="white">"collection" </font><font color="gold">. "Hmm, not to many good parts left-"

Suddenly, a strange sight caught his eye. "Whoa! That jet thing has a Gundam head sticking out the back there! A GUNDAM HEAD! I'm SO keeping this thing!"

Bruce then began the removal of the core fighter's back half from the cockpit.</font>

"I really hope the Feddie doesn't miss that." Ben remarked sarcastically, but the thought was unavoidable, "What were they gonna do with some knocked out faction soldier?" He couldn't be left to die, so there was really no choice for the time being.

As Clouse was decending to the Zeon suits he saw something else a little bit farther on his screen, twelve ZAFT GINNs fly towards the forest. "Throw this on," Clouse said, as he handed Jared his waist jet pack.
<font color="#0000FF">"Why?"</font> Jared asked, looking baffled.
"Because there are some ZAFT comming this way, and I need you to talk to these Zeeks," Clouse said coldly, and before Jared could say anymore, Clouse had shoved him out of the cockpit and set off towards the GINNs, his shotgun ready.

"****! They don't give a a break, Captain let's get out of here! Bruce, I you carry the leftovers of that Gundam, I can carry Reed and the feddie!"

<font color="red">"the ship is reday to take off the second you guys are on</font>

Around the same time, a one of the delagates invited to the Federation summit was very late. In ORB, Princess Camilla Shahaku was still zipping up her white military jacket over a red turtle-neck, and being rushed by a number of advisers.

<font color="orange">"Milady it's one thing that we're having trouble loading the mobile suits, by it should never to this much word to load a princess."</font> Commented the captain of the guard as she Camilla walked toward her personal ship.

<font color="gold">"I'm sorry, this thing was last minute after all!"</font> Retorted the disgruntled princess who was noticably stressed. She looked inside as she entered the ship at the mobile suits that it was decided would be brout along, two M1 Astrays, the captain's blue Murasame and her own gold frame M1. <font color="gold">"I know I approved bringing them, but why so many?"</font>

<font color="orange">Compared to what the other nations will likely have, they will seem like too few, they've always been easily spooked."</font>

<font color="gold">"I see..."</font>

<font color="orange">"Princess, do you really think you can keep ORB out of this war? After all, The alliance is breathing down our necks and the PLANTs are threatening..."</font>

<font color="gold">"I know what's at stake Captain, and I will carry out my father's will."</font>

"Good idea, Ben. Leaving might be a good idea. Besides, we got what we wanted, some parts and a pilot."
Reed looked at the meeting of the mobile suits.
"Well, curiosity killed the cat." he said to himself.

Clouse dodged the incoming shots as he dashed towards the GINNs. He got within 40 meters of the lead GINN and dashed above the mobile suit, aiming the shotgun down he shot off a slug. The slug missed by several meters and Clouse kicked the circuit box, and sporadically, the fizz dissipated.
"A bad circuit?" Clouse thought to him self, but was shocked back into reality as he dodged a few more offending shots. Clouse switched off his thrusters so he dropped below their line of fire and then kicked it back up again, zooming above one and let off another shot, this time hitting the GINN right in the head and exploding half-way through the mobile suit. Clouse then dashed forward in a corkscrew, dodging several more shots and rammed his shotgun in the chest of another GINN and let off a shot. Clouse then moved backwards towards another foe as the GINN exploded.
?Two down and ten more to go,? Clouse mumbled to himself. A GINN managed to get behind Clouse and hit the K?mpfer?s missing arm?s shoulder. Clouse turned around and fired a round, missing he strafed to the right, following the GINN and fired another round, this time hitting the GINN in the midsection, ripping it in two.

Ben scooped up his captain and his jeep. "Don't worry Reed, I'm starting to get the hang of tese controls, you should be safe!" As they dashed back to the ship Ben reminded himself to add this to his ever growing list of self proclaimed darring escapes.

<font color="green">"How many times must I remind you? Quit calling me old man!" stated the Harbinger of the Apocalypse very sternly to the masked man on the other end of the line.

Now residing within his private quarters, the Magistrate of Maniacal Laughter could think in peace and talk to his old pupil.

"Regardless, what is the reason you contacted me Fredder? Is this about my message, or about more pressing matters?"</font>

Over Oz territory?

?Nice shot Michel,? The caddy roared as Michel Banks shot a hole in one.
<font color="yellow">?It was nothing,?</font> Michel looked dumb struck as to how he accomplished this.
?Sir, what?s that?? The caddy pointed to a helicopter flying down to the ground, unloading a short, fat man.
<font color="yellow">?It looks like Abram ?s here to join in the fun, Hey, Abram, wanna play some golf?? </font>
Abram looked focused, as though actually considering this, but decided against this and said, <font color="green">?No thank you, sir, there is something urgent that requires your attention right away.?</font>
<font color="yellow">?Look,?</font> Michel looked pissed off and the prospect of shortening his annual vacation to the Oz islands. <font color="yellow"> ?Your not going to rip me and my lovely wife away from Our hard earned vacation just so I can shake some stupid inventor?s hands!?</font>
Abram took a step back, but then took two steps forward and started again, <font color="green">?This isn?t a stupid inventor, this is an important summit, didn?t you get the broadcast, all of the colony?s have declared war on earth.?</font>
Michel looked as though he didn?t care and got ready to hit another ball out into the shooting range,<font color="yellow"> ?and this concerns me how??</font>
<font color="green">?Look, sir, all I need is two days out of your vacation and then you can come right back.?</font>
<font color="yellow">?Fine, but you owe me,?</font> Michel said as he put down his club and walked to the helicopter with Abram.
____________________________________________
Meanwhile, in Moscow?
Yuri stood behind a podium, talking into a mic to a horde of people standing in the streets, listening intently. <font color="red"> ?Dear komrades of the Europe-Asia Federation, the time is apon us to prepare for another var. The tricky Kolonists have declared var vith our glorious nation,? </font> With that the crowed cheered and Yuri waited for the cheers to die down.<font color="red"> ?I have been summoned to a Summit meeting with the dirty Koordinators, and I vill see to it that their tricks vill not be allouved.? </font> The crowed gave a great cheer as Yuri stepped into a airplane with Aneshka and set off for the summit meeting.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 16, 2006 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Lackloss ]</font>

<font color="gold">Making his way back to the ship with his new prize in hand, Bruce had been kind enough to drag the remainder of the V2 behind him in a big net. "I'm not ever going to sell you, no I'm not!" he cooed to the half of a cockpit he held in the Zaku's hands.

Upon reaching the ship, Bruce entered the hanger and dropped off the net in an empty corner before carefully placing his new trophy into the Zaku's backpack. On his way to the bridge, he noticed the still damaged Blitz-R.

'I wonder if we'll ever get that fixed? Wouldn't make much sense without Aya.'

Continuing his walk, he began reliving all the moments he had of life on the ship. Of how lively things had been. Of how it wasn't the same without Aya.

Without even realizing it, Bruce had found himself standing in front of the infirmary, where Aya's cold, death-like comma held her within its grasp like a hobo to a warm bowl of soup.

And then Bruce sat down next to her and began to talk...</font>

<font color="green">"Excellent! Excellent work! My research has been very slow since I destroyed my laboratory. Perhaps I was too hasty, trying to fake my own death and all. However, that's a thing of the past. What's important now is supplying you with what you need. We'll discuss the details later. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a world summit to prepare for, and I wouldn't dare be late."</font>

Strike Freedom, jumped toward the bridge. "Hang on Reed!" Ben set the captain next to the air-lock nearest to the bridge. "I'll take care of the feddie while you do your thing!"

<font color="crimson">"You'll always be the old man to me." </font> Fredder retorted with a smirk as he removed the silver mask. <font color="crimson">"I have something for you, that can help me though..."</font> Fredder pulled out the files of some of his crew.<font color="crimson">"These are my candidates for cyberization, they would make excelent newtypes, and these are my varified newtypes, because I know what you can do for them. </font> Fredder's smirk grew larger. <font color="crimson">"Aren't you proud of what you did with me old man?"</font>

<font color="crimson">"Sounds like the feddies are running around like rats, I only wish I could see it."</font> Fredder donned his mask again. <font color="crimson">"I'll send them for their treaments later."</font> Fredder pointed to the files and ended the communication.

Clouse zipped up into the sky, dodging several shots, and reloading his shotgun. A GINN had outmaneuvered him, and was now about to fire a round in the face of his K?mpfer, Clouse didn?t hesitate, unlike most pilots, he just pulled on the trigger for his Vulcan cannons and unleashed a torrent of fire on the cockpit of the GINN. Admiring his work Clouse soared up higher as he saw the GINN fall lifelessly down into the ground.
Clouse gave a grin and gave a heavy puff on his cigar, ?Four down.? Another GINN moved up behind him but Clouse ignored this and zipped forward to destroy another GINN, striking it in the cockpit and obliterating the machine. It was a bad Idea to ignore the GINN that flew behind him, as a round just barely missed and instead destroyed his shotgun and damaged the arm actuator. Clouse was angry, and drew up his other Shotgun and made a mad dash at the offending GINN. Round flew past him and one round hit his left leg, effectively blowing it off. Clouse aimed at the GINN with a jerky arm and fired a slug at the GINN but missed, reaming and compensating for speed Clouse fired another round and struck the GINN in the thruster pack.
An incredible explosion occurred, making many dazzling lights and a shockwave that flung the K?mpfer several meters back, but Clouse was able to regain his posture and began at another GINN.
?Wow,? Clouse mumbled to himself as he saw another GINN?s wreckage fly from the explosion, ?six down.?

Strike Freedom neared the hanger as Ben looked back at his rear-view camera. "Hot damn, that guy sure is persistant..." He remarked to himself at the sight of the lone fighting Zeon. And with that the suit walked into the hanger and set down the jeep in one hand and held its other hand near to the ground as Ben deactivated the Phase Shift armor while his MS was still kneeling.
climbing out of the cockpit, he carefully moved the Federation pilot and set him aside in a corner he deemed safe, then returned to Freedom to lock it down in the hanger. He then climbed back out of the machine and began trying to move the Federation pilot, who he noticed was unusually young.
"Damn, I guess the Federation doesn't believe in taking its time."

Frank looked at blue suit fight. <font color="#FF0000">"I'll help him. You two should talk to the man he sent."</font> Frank Quickly race to the blue suits aid. <font color="#FF00FF">"wait!" </font>Will put out his suits are to recive the man and opened his cockpit door. <font color="#FF00FF">"So..... who are you?"</font> Frank put out his beam shield to block in coming fire. He hovered full speed into an oppossing suit, punching it in the face. He then pulled out his beam sabor and cut off one of its legs. As it fell he slashed the cockpit, disableing it. As he began to turn too fight an income suit his left hover jet fail, causing him to spin in a rapid cirle until it hit the ground. <font color="#FF0000">"ahhhh, DAMN IT, WHY NOW, WHY WHY WHY"</font> As the suit came in for the kill it was hit by a bazooka shell witch blew it to bit. <font color="#FF0000">"Richy! I told you to stay back there." </font><font color="#FFff00">"s, s s sorry sir. I saw you in trouble and I.."</font> <font color="#FF0000">"I'm fine, I did not need your help. But thanks anyway. Look at that blue suit fight, what kind is it?"</font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 19, 2006 10:11 PM: Message edited by: Shadow Dom ]</font>

Clouse saw the Dom trying to come to his aid during the lull in the battle that followed the explosion. He gave a bit of a smirk and opened a communication?s link between their two suits.
?Glad you could join me, if we both make it out alive I?ll buy us both a round,? Clouse said coolly, scanning the horizon for his prey. A moving object told him that the battle was going to start again and Clouse began to load his shotgun.
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Jared landed in the strange man?s cockpit and threw the man a baffle look, <font color="blue">?What the hell is happening?? </font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 19, 2006 11:32 PM: Message edited by: Lackloss ]</font>

Ben was surprised, granted he had sustained quite a few injuries recently, but the Feddie pilot sure was heavy. He couldn't wait to get to the infimery to finally put the guy down. Strangly he could hear Bruce's voice up ahead. "And I thought this day wasn't gonna get any weirder..."

Fredder stepped back on the bridge. Emily recognized something about the way he was acting that made her uncomfortable.

<font color="crimson">"Ensign Mitchel I'm going to be paying a quick visit to the surface, notify the Hanger to prep my Hyaku , three Sturm Dias teams and one team of Zaku IIIs. While they take care of that I need you to find me all the information you can on the Terrestrial summit." </font>

<font color="green">"Yes sir, but isn't this a little rash?"</font>

<font color="crimson">"There are some things a man must take care of with his own hands. Just tell the African front to have an HLV ready for me so I may return. My team will descend with the rest of the invasion force, if any questions are asked, we miscalculated our descent."</font>