[Hathaway's Flash] Vol.02 Ch.16

Chapter.16
Beauce Londenion

　"To Earth? When?"
　"Early morning, the day after tomorrow."
　Mirai Yashima was taken aback by her husband Bright Noa's words.
　"But we were planning to look at a shop in New Hampshire that day, weren't we?"
　"True, but... can't we go tomorrow instead?"
　"Did you really submit your resignation to the military?"
　"They seemed to accept it, considering my extensive combat experience as a captain. After all, there aren't many captains in Londenion who have actually fought on Earth... But they promised me that I could retire after this operation is completed."
　"You must be joking..."
　Mirai held her tongue and took Bright's hand instead.
　"Can you try asking the real estate agent if they can show us the shop tomorrow?"
　"But we agreed on the day after tomorrow for their sake."
　As she said this, Mirai began pressing the phone's buttons. Her quick reflexes in situations like this harkened back to her days as the helmsman of the White Base.
　She and Bright were married because of their bond as comrades in arms.
　Although neither had yet entered middle age, their early military careers had given Bright more than enough combat experience.
　That's why, in the aftermath of Char's Rebellion, he contemplated retirement and submitted his request about six months ago.
　Some veterans ventured into politics, but for those like Bright, who had endured actual combat since their reserve days, many opted for retirement if they could survive the minimum period required for their pension.
　The mental exhaustion was relentless.
　One might say they aged prematurely.
　In Bright's case, witnessing the deaths of his men weighed heavily on him.
　He did consider that the duty of experienced people was to change society itself to prevent situations like war from happening again.
　However, Bright felt drained of the energy required to become a politician.
　When on the front line, be it in the military or as a bureaucrat, one encounters the inherent issues within organizations.
　With humanity's current capabilities, reforming the detrimental habits birthed by organizations appeared insurmountable.
　Even a saint would find it difficult to change the individual discrepancies that naturally arose within an organization created by ordinary people.
　Bright concluded that the only solution to the bad habits of organizations was for everyone to become pure and incorruptible.
　This was also the foundation that gave rise to the Newtype ideology.
　Bright was a man who had come to this realization amidst circumstances directly linked to the deaths of his men.
　With no alternatives, Bright resolved to attempt something new.
　For a while, they would manage a quaint restaurant and, as ordinary people, contemplate their future within the humdrum world.
　"..."
　Bright sank into the sofa, smirking at the sight of Mirai with the telephone receiver, bowing her head. He couldn't help but think her Japanese heritage contributed to such unnecessary gestures.
　During his time managing their restaurant, his outlook might shift, and he might even dabble in politics. If that time came, he would likely espouse the lofty ideal that humanity must evolve into Newtypes, like a second coming of Zeon Deikun.
　It would be regarded as idealistic foolishness, and it might not garner votes in an election.
　However, in Bright's case, if he didn't do something like that, he feared that everything he had learned in the wars in space would go to waste.
　He resolved to begin with civilian life to acquire the necessary methods and capabilities.
　As for his chosen profession, he sought a building for his restaurant, a venture that addressed the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter.
　He hadn't anticipated Hathaway's sister, Cheimin, lending a hand, but the prospect of working in the kitchen of a lakeside home-turned-restaurant with Mirai seemed appealing.
　With this in mind, Bright had even enrolled in a cooking school to obtain the necessary certification.
　It was at that moment the order to head planetside came down.
　"How about tomorrow afternoon? Can you make time?"
　"I can. I'll convince the higher-ups."
　Bright rose from the sofa, took the receiver from Mirai, and contacted the ship.
　Even if they were to sortie the day after tomorrow, there was no need to worry, as the staff of the Ra Cailum, which Bright currently commanded, were more than capable of handling the preparations.
　Bright had no intention of adhering to a rigid, bureaucratic, and formulaic approach to military matters. After briefly confirming with his second-in-command, Raegen Hamsett, he hung up the phone.
　"In return, we'll head straight to the ship afterward and sortie immediately."
　"Well, there's no helping it."
　Mirai shrugged slightly.
　"But this mission should be straightforward... At least that's the impression I get."
　"Yeah. Though it's a hassle to descend to Earth, we're only providing support for the Circe Unit in the Pacific District. It's nothing serious."
　Bright went upstairs to change his shirt and returned.
　"Do you think the Oenbelli Massacre was the direct cause?"
　"Maybe... I delved into Kimberly Heyman's background, but it seems fairly typical for a civilian-turned-officer. Nothing out of the ordinary."
　"But to have a mobile suit crush people... That's rather extreme, isn't it?"
　Mirai plucked lint from the shoulder of Bright's uniform while sitting in a chair by the entrance.
　"A man lacking combat experience might react that way when confronted with an enemy akin to ground forces."
　"Ground forces... They don't exist in space colonies, do they?"
　Mirai stood while brushing off Bright's jacket.
　"I can't quite imagine guerilla warfare against mobile suits."
　Bright donned his jacket and mused, "It's a challenging issue, controlling one's power when armed like an elephant but beset by ants."
　"Yeah, I suppose so..."
　Bright accepted the military cap Mirai offered and gently kissed her cheek.
　"You might get to see Hathaway, you know."
　"Yeah... after the operation, we'll try to visit the island where he's completing his botanical internship."
　With that, Bright bade Mirai farewell and headed towards the elec-car parked in the front yard.
　"What about dinner tonight?"
　"I won't make it, but I'll definitely return."
　"Alright. Take care, dear."
　As Mirai closed the elec-car door, she chased away the sudden sense of unease with a warm smile, sending Bright on his way.

　This Side 1 space colony, Londenion, was named as such because it was an early colony of the space colony era. The name comes from the ancient Roman word for "barren land," which is the etymology of London, the capital of England.
　Nearly a century later, Londenion had evolved into a colony with a settled, historical ambiance, yet the people's mindset, as evidenced by Bright and his wife, remained deeply rooted in the past century.
　Similarly, the heart of the Australian continent persisted unconquered by humanity, much like Londenion, awaiting the break of dawn.
　"Is this really the time for jokes?"
　Under the sharp silhouette of the Penelope, illuminated by the emerging daylight, Lieutenant Lane Aim gazed down one side of the runway.
　Led by Kenneth, a squad appeared to be heading towards a lone Kessaria as though embarking on a leisurely outing.
　The scene was reminiscent of the one in Davao, with a squad launching for the purpose of sightseeing at Ayers Rock.
　With Gigi Andalusia before them, the pilots of the Kessaria and the two Gustav Karls were delighted that this auspicious young girl would be joining their squad.
　"Understand? The Kessaria with Gigi on board will stay in the rear. Don't even think about entering the combat zone."
　"Hehehehe!"
　At Kenneth's explicit command, the pilots chuckled.
　"Be prepared for the possibility of encountering Mafty's mobile suit forces. We hadn't anticipated Mafty would hide in such an obvious location as Ayers Rock, but our mission is reconnaissance. Remain vigilant!"
　"Yes, sir!"
　The men before Kenneth and Gigi rendered a disciplined salute, if only for a fleeting moment, before promptly ascending the ladder to the Kessaria's bridge.
　"Ms. Gigi! Please, come aboard!"
　The co-pilot, having gone ahead, beckoned Gigi from the lower hatch.
　"Yes, thank you."
　As Kenneth observed Gigi's petite yet curvaceous figure climb the ladder to the bridge, he felt reassured that dispatching a squad to Ayers Rock was a sound strategic decision.
If it weren't for Gigi's suggestion, he wouldn't have carried it out.
　"I'll arrange for your lunch, okay?"
　"Much appreciated, Captain."
　With that, Gigi vanished onto the bridge.
　Lane Aim couldn't discern the specifics from his vantage point, but he too had learned from his fellow pilots that morning why the Kessaria, carrying Gigi, and two Gustav Karls, were bound for Ayers Rock.
　Lane Aim understood that it was a simple good luck charm operation.
　However.
　"Still, involving an amateur girl in the actual operations of a combat unit is the epitome of idiocy. That's the way of a Captain who's gone senile after spending too much time in the technical field."
　Lane thought as much and found it strange that the pilots would accept such a situation.
　Could it be that the mere existence of this unit and the twisted world of the adults pulling the strings was evidence of something fundamentally wrong?
　Since the invasion of the continent, the performance of Penelope had steadily improved, and Lane had become more accustomed to it. The mechanics had become familiar with the machine, too, and it was gradually becoming a true combat unit.
　But Lane could not forget the humiliation of being shot down by that Gundam wannabe. He believed that he had lost because of the guilt he felt over taking a hostage in a mobile suit battle, all under Kenneth's orders.
　He couldn't help but think that as long as they relied on the likes of Gigi, a girl connected to Kenneth, they would never be able to defeat the new mobile suit used by Mafty.
　"Only real strength matters. Luck, predictions... none of that will decide the outcome of a mobile suit battle."
　As far as military matters were concerned, Kenneth was indeed formidable. But by turning Gigi into a mascot, Lane concluded that there was something unbalanced about Kenneth's character.
　It's a conclusion similar to the hostage situation with Gawman.
　"I won't be defeated by that Gundam wannabe again…"
　However, what Lane failed to recognize was that he had only managed to escape from the Gundam without sustaining fatal injuries because of the support from the hostage Gawman.
　His linear way of thinking was a product of his youth.
　Vrrr
　The Kessaria, carrying two Gustav Karls on its back, took off after only a hundred meters of taxiing. It hovered as if saluting Kenneth standing in front of the control building. It gradually gained altitude and headed southwest.
　With the Penelope's head facing the sky, Lane shouted towards the heavens, "There's no way Mafty would be near Ayers Rock!"
　The Kessaria accelerated, drowning out Lane's cry, and vanished into the sky that still held the colors of the night.
　Like Lane, none of the unit members could confirm that Mafty's forces were hiding around Ayers Rock. The damage inflicted on them in this single skirmish would prove immense.
　If Kenneth had believed Gigi's whim as a clear prophecy and sent twice the forces at that time, Mafty would have been annihilated, and the tragedy of Adelaide could have been averted.
　Especially with Lane's Penelope, the results would have been even more certain.
　That, too, must have been a matter of fate.
　Within ten minutes or so, Kenneth and Lane's unit took off from Alice Springs, and headed for Adelaide.