[MONTHLY] - Beltorchika's Children Ch.03

　The rail for the space shuttle in Old Hong Kong city sat atop a massive bridge that ran from the island of Shek O, southwest of Hong Kong Island, to the east. Below the linear rail for the shuttle was a highway. At the head of that same rail was a passenger center where the shuttle Tian Lu was parked, waiting for takeoff.

　A heated exchange could be heard at one corner of a departure counter in the shuttle passenger center next to the rail. Mirai Yashima, the wife of Bright Noa, was locked in an argument with an attendant. Her two children, Hathaway and Cheimin, watched on with intrigue.

　"But this is a valid ticket! I even have a letter of recommendation."

　Unyielding, the attendant replied, "Yes, and it's like I've explained already, circumstances have changed... Are you ready, sir?"

　The Asian man at the counter called out loudly to Adenauer Paraya's family, who were embroiled in their own argument in the middle of the lobby behind Mirai and her children.

　"Hold on!" Adenauer exclaimed, trying to intervene.

　"Forget it! There's no way I'm going with her! I'd rather stay behind and die on Earth!"

　Ignoring Adenauer, his wife shouted as though she were guilting him.

　"Good idea," Quess Paraya nonchalantly chimed in, sitting on one of the suitcases behind her father.

　"Why you! The only reason anyone went looking for you is because I asked your father!"

　"You have a lot of nerve, considering you were the one who drove mom away," Quess fired back, her anger rising.

　Before Quess could say another word, the woman's hand shot out and slapped the girl hard across the cheek. But it was the woman who let out a cry of pain next.

　"Oh, OH!!"

　With a roar that sounded like that of a beast, Mirai, her kids, and the man running the counter all stood dumbfounded, their mouths agape as they stared wide-eyed at the bizarre spectacle of the girl biting the back of the woman's hand.

　"Big Brother..." Cheimin said softly as she put her arms around the elbows of her brother and gave his shoulders a shake.

　"I know," Hathaway replied, even though he couldn't help but look away from the disturbing sight. Mirai, sensing his discomfort, reached out to guide him toward the counter.

　"They're with the Federation government?"

　"Indeed they are, Mrs. Mirai," the clerk affirmed, tapping his ballpoint pen on the counter with nothing else to say as he took another look at the ticket she had produced.

　"Hathaway Noa and Cheimin Noa. Noa is your father's last name?"

　"Yes. Our father is stationed on Londenion. He's a soldier."

　"Well, at least it's clear where he's going to stay."

　"So, there's nothing else you can do?"

　"I'm afraid not."

　As Mirai and the man at the counter glanced back at Adenauer and his daughter, they saw the wife attempting to pull away, her arm trying to shove the girl's head away from her.

　"I've had enough! I can't stand that child!"

　Furiously shaking her bitten hand, she grabbed the handle on her suitcase and stalked away from Adenauer.

　"You--"

　Adenauer's words were cut short as Quess pulled his fedora back as he attempted to call out to his wife.

　"We don't have time, remember?!"

　"Yeah, you're right."

　As they turned toward the counter, Mirai and the clerk's eyes darted back down to the ticket.

　"Well, that's a problem. Because I have a letter from the Federation government."

　Mirai's theatrics were matched by the clerk.

　"You have to understand, ma'am, my hands really are tied for this."

　Adenauer stepped in and presented his own ticket, "All right. Make it two."

　Mirai could hear Adenauer's breath coming in ragged, labored gasps.

　As the clerk gave Mirai a look of "it's complicated," he tapped away on his computer terminal, tore off a boarding ticket, and handed it to Adenauer.

　"Uh, Mister," Adenauer took the man by his elbow and led him away from Mirai as he whispered in his ear.

　"Who is their letter of recommendation from?"

　"Huh? Oh, from John Bauer of the Federation Government."

　"Hm. Bauer, huh? Let one of them on board. The two can take the next flight out?"

　"S-sir?"

　"We jumped the line with my political privileges. Besides, I owe Bauer a favor," he said to the man away from the others before leaving the counter and briskly walking back towards his daughter.

　"Politicians are all the same," said the clerk giving an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders before turning back to Mirai.

　"We can take one of you. I'll put two on the next shuttle?"

　"There might not be a next shuttle."

　"True, according to the news, war has broken out."

　"Then I'm going to send him."

　Mirai produced a single flight ticket and showed it to the man.

　"Hathaway, is it?"

　"But mom!" Hathaway had heard the man's question and looked toward the counter, attempting to protest.

　"You're a big boy now. Besides, it's time you experienced space," she responded, shutting him down.

　"But what about you and Cheimin?"

　"We'll be fine. This war won't last very long. This man says we'll catch up in no time."

　The clerk gave Hathaway a broad, ingratiating smile as he presented the boarding ticket.

　Hathaway navigated the cramped cabin of the shuttle, scanning the rows for his assigned seat. He finally spotted his aisle seat in the same row shared by Adenauer and his daughter.

　The young girl who had bitten the man's wife was staring out the window at the evening sky as though she'd forgotten all the commotion from earlier. Her profile looked so unconcerned and innocent. 

　"Pardon me," Hathaway said to Adenauer Paraya, who was seated next to her, as he shoved his bag under the seat before taking his own. He felt cramped. Sitting elbow to elbow next to the same people who played out a family feud didn't sit well with him. 

　Plus, he was leaving behind his mother and sister. He wondered whether they'd have a place to shelter while they waited for the next shuttle out of Hong Kong. 

　"..."

　The thought made his chest ache, so he tried to distract himself by flipping on the display in the seatback in front of him. The news anchor's voice droned on in the background as an image of Char Aznable filled the screen, the same image that had been broadcasted across countless networks since his fleet had appeared at Sweetwater.

　He pulled his headphones from the armrest and slipped them over his ears.

"Char Aznable says that if Neo Zeon's independence is not acknowledged, he will see to it that it is. However, in subsequent negotiations, he seems to only speak of practical actions rather than direct negotiations. To gain a deeper understanding of Char's statement, let's go to political commentator Bill McKay--"

　"Due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be a slight delay in our departure schedule," an announcement from the captain of the Tian Lu interrupted the news video.

　Confused, Hathaway looked up and around at the cabin.

　"Pardon me," Adenauer said from his left as he slipped in front of the boy and raced toward the cockpit.

　As he thought about how irrational Adenauer seemed, he suddenly glanced over at the window. Looking back at him was that young girl, only now she put on a pleasant smile.

　Caught off guard, he tried to think of something clever to say, but his mind went blank, so all he could do was screw up his face. 

　Feeling a bit lost, Hathaway scanned the aisle for Adenauer, but he was nowhere to be found.

 ＊　＊　＊

　The Ra Cailum's mobile suit forces, the Jegan, were returning one after another. Yet, even as they retreated, they maintained their formation and continued pursuing the descending Fifth Luna.

　The number of severely damaged mobile suits was higher than anticipated, so the ship's deck crews and mechanics worked frantically to accommodate them.

　To their rear, artillery fire from missiles and beam cannons continued intermittently. Several fireballs blossomed in response, erupting in the defense net of particle bombs scattered from the Ra Cailum.

　The current combat strength of the Ra Cailum and Rewloola was such that both sides were doing everything they could to keep Fifth Luna from consuming them.

　Amuro pushed the half-destroyed Psycho Doga suit used by Glarv Guss, along with the backpack of his Re-GZ, down onto the catapult deck of the Ra Cailum before attaching his own suit to the ship's bridge.

　"Amuro! Do you think we've got room for a captured enemy mobile suit?!"

　"Things have changed. I'll explain later," he shot back and then entered the bridge.

　"Side 2 hasn't started their laser attack yet?" raising the visor on his helmet, Amuro called out to Bright Noa as he ascended out of the combat bridge below.

　"I know. It could be that they didn't hear our request," he replied, somewhat dismally.

　"There's no way. They think we're the saviors of Earth."

　As Char unleashed his meteorite, the Earth Federation Forces and the Space Forces' General Staff Headquarters were suddenly jolted into realizing the gravity of their situation. They had never truly comprehended the magnitude of their situation until that moment, and a sense of stunned realization swept over them. Their previously unvoiced complaints were now rendered irrelevant as the true gravity of their situation became clear. 

　"It's here! Incoming heat source!" called out Meunier Thuhigg, an operator who had scrambled up from the combat bridge as his hands flew over the console panel.

　Amuro bent forward, his eyes scanning their upper left. He watched as a flurry of laser beams streaked across the void, hurtling towards Fifth Luna as it made its desperate bid for concealment, retreating into the shadows of Earth's edge. 

　But as the lasers struck, they transformed into radiant halos, illuminating the darkness from where they were positioned. However, from the other side of Fifth Luna, another flash of light shimmered, a reminder that even the vast expanse of space was not immune to pollution.

　"The laser attack from Side 2 seems awfully light, don't you think?"

　"Sir! They've started course correction with the thrusters on Fifth Luna! It's continuing its descent toward Earth!"

　"Understood. Captain, have they issued a warning about Fifth Luna's descent?"

　"To those in Lhasa, Tibet? Those on Earth are probably under the impression that we'll manage something out here. But the bigger question is, did the ones who had the intel run away first without telling anyone?"

　"That's why Char has the upper hand. Still, he needed a lot of energy to propel Fifth Luna. So how'd he get all that nuclear power?"

　"The Federation government?" Bright asked simply.

　As if in response, there was a deafening BAGOOM followed by a blossom of light in front of them.

　"Hard ascent, now! What's going on with the movement of Char's fleet?"

　"It looks like he's planning to go around the Earth once, then break away back in the direction of Sweetwater."

　"Is Char really that simple-minded? Their shots are thinning out..." as Amuro furrowed his brow, light from the laser beams had already ceased.

　A laser cannon on the exterior of a Side 2 colony that had been firing off shots was engulfed in a fiery explosion of red light.

　Inside, men clad in typical normal suits broke into the laser cannon block and engaged in a firefight.

　"Who are you?!"

　"Neo Zeon! Death from the heavens!"

　Their voices crackled in and out in the defender's normal suit headphones as the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the narrow corridor.

　"Hail Neo Zeon!" proclaimed the Neo Zeon soldier, lobbing a grenade into one of the gates.

BOOM! 

　Before the echoes of the explosion had even died down, the laser oscillator detonated with a deafening roar, engulfing the soldier who had thrown the grenade in a swirling vortex of exploding light, blasting a corner of the colony out into the vast expanse of space.

　This same fate befell the other two turrets.

　"So, rebels siding with Char have even infiltrated Side 2, huh?"

　Bright's head hung low in defeat as he acknowledged the disappearance of Fifth Luna on the far side of the planet.

　"Captain."

　"Oh, much appreciated."

　Claire Thrune went about serving coffee to the crew on the bridge. She wasn't all that pretty, but she was an attentive non-commissioned officer, despite her worrying about being too tall.

　"Thanks."

　Amuro smiled back at Claire, who was an entire head taller than he was and accepted a cup of coffee with a straw.

　"For two years now, all the colonies have been inspected by Londo Bell. Yet there wasn't even a whisper about Char or the Neo Zeon. Not a damn thing. So why is it Char was able to put together his forces so quickly?"

　"Most Spacenoids don't want to acknowledge that the Federation government rules outer space from the planet. So long as the citizens and the masses keep their mouths shut, then we as soldiers learn nothing," mumbled Bright, the straw from the coffee in his mouth.

　"One of the enemy ships is breaking off from the rest of the fleet! We might have a second wave incoming!"

　"Amuro!"

　"I know. The question becomes when he'll attack."

　"A course for Sweetwater should set out from Earth's shadow in about twenty minutes, I'd say."

　Amuro nodded as he left the bridge and went down to the mobile suit deck.

 ＊　＊　＊

　"We're clear for takeoff from the control tower, Vice-Minister."

　"Excellent," came Adenauer's nonchalant reply as he tried to leave the cockpit of the Tian Lu shuttle.

　"But Vice-Minister, our course will bring us close to an asteroid. Be prepared."

　"Just so long as we get to Londenion on time," he replied haughtily as he returned to the cabin.

　"He's got some nerve! We'll wear our normal suits," the captain scoffed as he looked at his copilot before opening the door to their normal suit compartment.

　A short time later, the shuttle Tian Lu, with a massive booster on its back, started making its takeoff run.

　Mirai and Cheimin saw it off, watching in silence from the windows of the passenger center as the shuttle soared off into the evening sky, the last light of the day glistening and gleaming off its airframe until the tail of its plume began to bend in the wind.

　The Tian Lu's booster had two stages, a manned first stage followed by an unmanned, disposable second stage. The shuttle itself also had two stages of boosters, which could propel them into lunar orbit. The ascending shuttle shed its main booster and geared up to enter into final acceleration that would break them free from the gravitational sphere. During this twenty-odd-minute accelerated burn, passengers were subjected to mild G-forces.

　Despite that, very few passengers were inclined to read during the unpleasant interlude, so the cabin was silent and still.

　"Ah, look at that!"

　The exclamation was abrupt.

　Quess Paraya's sudden exclamation jolted Hathaway out of his thoughts. He turned to look at her, but because she was behind Adenauer, he didn't know what or why she was shouting.

　"What's wrong?" Adenauer's voice, tight with confusion, reached Hathaway's ears.

　"A fireball! Don't you get it?"

　As Quess shrieked, leaning forward, affording Hathaway a glimpse of the deep worry etched on her face.

　"Huh?"

　Adenauer turned to look out the window.

　"Captain! Steer us to the right!" Quess cried out again, only this time pressing Adenauer into Hathaway, the thirty or so passengers in the cabin now murmuring, grumbling, and criticizing over the girls unpleasant shrieks.

　But, blame from the passengers was entirely unfounded. 

　The two crew members in the cockpit stared in shock at the fiery red object looming in front of them.

　"It's further north than expected!"

　"That intel was bogus!"

　The crew had been aware of a battle happening near Earth, but they had felt confident in the safety of their current airspace, which was located on the opposite side of the combat zone. They had not bothered to conduct adequate radar surveillance. While one might blame the crew for this, it was worth noting that the shuttle's launch procedures had been left to the computer, so this was the time when the crew was naturally inattentive.

　A bright red inferno loomed ahead, punctuated by the blinding flashes of nuclear explosions used for deceleration as Fifth Luna continued its descent.　Smaller chunks of rock broke off from the space rock and shot past on either side of the Tian Lu like shooting stars.

　"Take evasive action!"

　The crew had the Tian Lu's left apogee motors at full-throttle, trying to make their course correction as far south as they could. Despite their efforts, they still couldn't break away from the sector where Fifth Luna's fragments pelted the craft like shooting stars.

　"Oh god!" the two men in the cockpit exclaimed.

　As the tiny meteors came into view through the windows, the passengers erupted into a frenzy of screams and panic, all of it filling the cabin as a supersonic shock sent the shuttle into a wild and violent ride.

　"You've got to go further right! It's coming!"

　"Stay seated! There are meteorites!" Hathaway shouted to Quess. Strangely enough, this time, Adenauer's body wasn't blocking them. Just then, a red light was spat out from the window across from Quess, moving from right to left.

　The main body of Fifth Luna had passed by them.

　"Aaaah?!"

　A violent shutter assaulted the cabin, Quess' body flailed and hit the ceiling. Hathaway stretched out his arms, catching her and pulling her back down.

　In the seat next to him, Adenauer buried his upper body between the seats in front of him, clutching his head with both hands.

　"Please, dear God!"

　Now on Hathaway's lap, Quess could hear her father's panicked prayers clearly over the screams of the other passengers in the cabin.

　"Ptooey!" She spat on her father's back.

　That entire ordeal went unseen by Hathaway as he struggled to support her body amidst the violent shaking.

　It didn't take long for the main body of Fifth Luna, which had only just grazed the shuttle, to appear in the skies over Tibet. The fiery space rock blazed a trail of red as it hurtled towards Lhasa, leaving a trail of meteors in its wake to crash into the highland lakes. Throngs of cars crowded the streets to the east, marveling at the spectacle above.

　"Look, Mama! A huge shooting star!"

　The excited exclamation from the boy caused the mother behind the wheel of their land cruiser to glance up at the massive, fiery red orb of Fifth Luna sinking into the edge of the mountains to their rear.

　"Rumors in Lhasa say it's a meteoroid!"

　"Now we know why the government building was so quiet! The bigwigs ran off a while ago!"

　Their words were replaced with abject joy in having escaped, and there was a collective sigh of relief. But, only one mountain separated them from Lhasa. They were not safe.

　Fifth Luna broke through the clouds and struck Lhasa with several strikes.

　First, a falling supersonic wave threatened those still fleeing Lhasa, a meteoric rain falling upon the surrounding area, sheering off the sandstone and stucco walls of Lhasa's iconic Potala Museum. Then, the compressed force between the ground and the meteor erupted in a fiery explosion. The city was gutted and vanished in an instant.

　Those still in the line of cars who had just witnessed the space rock crash into the mountain across from them now saw the edge of the mountain crumble away with a blinding flash across the sky. The ensuing violent tremor caused the mountain itself to collapse in a storm of earth and sand.

　"Ah!"

　"Get down!"

　Their cries were lost in the deafening roar of a landslide.

 ＊　＊　＊

　Far from geostationary orbit, in an airspace where it was unclear whether it would head for the Moon or Side 2, a Musaka from the Neo Zeon fleet pivoted, its bow aimed toward the pursuing Ra Cailum fleet. Yet, there was no sense of urgency in their movements.

　Several Geara Doga units transferring to the Musaka floated into it, receiving supplies from Petit mobile suits. As this went on, a three-dimensional video of Char floated in space beside the ship. 

　The video of Char Aznable depicted him wearing a sharp, high-collared uniform with a cape, that of the Supreme Commander of Neo Zeon, not the business attire he was often seen in on the news.

　"The operation to drop Fifth Luna marks the first major battle of the Neo Zeon fleet. It has given me the opportunity to observe you in action. I'm very impressed."

　The three-dimensional video was projected from the flagship Rewloola, behind the Musaka, creating the illusion that Char was looking contemptuously at the Earth.

　"However, the dropping of Fifth onto Earth alone was not nearly enough to purify it. That, you are all well aware of."

　As Char's video played on the mobile suit deck of the Rewloola, the Nightingale and other mobile suits stood below it in what seemed like silent attention. 

　The mechanics listened to the speech without tearing their hands away from the resupply and repair of the mobile suits. That freedom is likely what makes Neo Zeon so evocative. 

　But one pilot was not so enraptured by Char's words amongst the sea of focused individuals. Glarv Guss. He paid the speech no mind as he drifted above the mobile suit deck. 

　As he turned around at the catwalk's top ledge, he grabbed onto the lift grip along the walkway leading to the bridge, drifting away.

　"We'll conclude our mission today with a wrap-up. While it is a simple diversion, it is nonetheless a crucial operation that will determine the future fate of Neo Zeon."

　On the bridge of the Rewloola, Char stood in the glare of the projection camera, flanked by two men who, unlike Mesta Mesua, did not have the look of soldiers. These were his political advisors, Kaises M. Buyer, and Horst Harness.

　"This will serve as a check on the fleet of the pursuing Ra Cailum. It is my hope that you will complete this operation safely and return to Sweetwater. That is all."

　Char gave a crisp salute, and the camera light went out.

　"That was first-rate."

　Though shorter in stature, Kaisas Buyer applauded the man, yet his eyes shone with a vigilant gleam.

　"I feel like a total clown."

　Char removed his cape, disapproval marring his face as he tossed it in Mesta's direction. It floated in zero gravity, spreading out as though it were a magic trick. 

　"Yes, but as Neo Zeon's leader, you must maintain your public image. Otherwise, a leader quickly becomes just a Captain who becomes just a pilot," said the other man in plainclothes, Horst Harness.

　"So I should quickly become a politician then?"

　Char winked in Mesta's direction, but she merely smiled back at the man as she gathered up his cape. She despised opening her mouth in front of these men. 

　Leaving the bridge, Char noticed Glarv drifting toward them.

　"Captain!"

　"What is it?"

　"Sir! Are you aware of the nasty rumors going around among the mechanics about you?"

　The young Glarv was being somewhat unreserved, but for Kaises and Horst, who had followed him down the passageway, they paid him no mind. Char positioned himself to hear what he had to say.

　"I wouldn't know. What I do know, though, is that I loathe soldiers who snitch."

　"I'm very sorry. I do have a question, sir."

　"What is it?"

　"Please tell me, why did you abandon my Psycho Doga on Fifth Luna?"

　Mesta couldn't stand the sight of Char's men, let alone the enhanced Glarv, talking to him about such things.

　"Watch your tongue, Glarv," Mesta interjected sharply, "You have another mission to attend to, so get your head in the game and get down to the lower launch deck!"

　"So, what, it was a faute de mieux to let the enemy capture my Psycho Doga?"

　"Don't act like you're the only one who can make the tough calls."

　"Londo Bell doesn't even have any decent mobile suits! We should have repaired the suit and let me use it!" he retorted.

　"The Psycho Doga is beyond repair. There's no way for them to make use of it!"

　Char stepped forward, cutting off the argument, "You've undergone extensive enhancement at the Newtype Labs, which doesn't come cheap. We can't afford to lose you. We can copy the data from the psycommu installed on your Psycho Doga, so it won't affect future operations. That's why I made the call for you to abandon your suit."

　With that said, Char turned away from Glarv and drifted toward the waiting elevator with Horst and Kaises in it.

　"Londo Bell hasn't been able to produce a successor to the Gundam, you know! But you've created the Psycho Doga, the Nightingale, and are even trying to finish the Alpha Azieru, Captain! So then why—Ow!"

　Glarv's words were cut short as Mesta's hand struck him across the cheek.

　"The Captain made the right call. You need to understand that your life and abilities are far more valuable than any mobile suit," she said firmly, her glare intimidating.

　Glarv took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words sink in before offering a crisp salute. With a wave of her hand, Mesta motioned for him to leave, gripping the lift grip to the elevator.

　Despite it all, she knew how he felt.

　Abandoning a Geara Doga would be one thing, but it was a risky play for Char to leave behind one of his main forces mobile suits, namely the Psycho Doga, on Fifth Luna.

　"If what Glarv says about Londo Bell is true," she thought, "then I can only assume why the Captain made that call."

　Yet she knew exactly why.

　"You're trying to make sure everything is perfect…" she whispered.

　Even as the elevator doors opened, she hesitated to step into the empty space. 

　"Ordering a Psycho Doga from Anaheim Electronics on Luna proved to be a fiasco, didn't it? Their factory used to be under the direct control of the Federation government. So it's no surprise that the mechanics are upset about what happened, am I right?"

　Kaises said from the living room of their leader's office, taking over what Glarv was letting on about.

　"True, but had we not, we might not have been able to pull off this operation in time, now would we?" Char countered, entering the room with a smile. "Besides, there's no indication that Anaheim leaked any intel on the Psycho Doga's construction to the Federation government."

　"Well, I certainly wasn't aware of the Psycho Doga's construction period, now was I?"

　Kaises inquired, leaning towards Horst.

　"Yes, well, I was preoccupied at the time…" replied the man over his shoulder, rifling through papers in his briefcase.

　The living room door opened.

　"Pardon me, gentlemen."

　It was Mesta.

　"Is Glarv fit to go with us?"

　"He might be more than a little nervous, but he'll make for dependable security. The colony scenery will also serve as a tranquilizer of sorts, so please, take him with you."

　"As you say," Horst said, nodding.

　"He considers himself an indestructible machine. But, unfortunately, that kind of confidence leads him to make impulsive decisions."

　"Do you think he's been enhanced too much?"

　"My primary focus was on psychological imprinting. Drug-induced neuroreflex enhancement was secondary. Biotech enhancements were—"

　"He's just young. Let's go, shall we?" Char interrupted, emerging from another room dressed in civilian attire.

　"Captain, you have to understand you are the supreme commander of Neo Zeon. This kind of work is your responsibility."

　"Yes, I'm aware. That's why I'm getting ready to act like a politician," he assured the man before turning to Mesta. "Mesta. Can I count on you to orchestrate a diversion against the Londo Bell fleet?" he asked, pulling her close to him by the waist.