[MONTHLY] - Beltorchika's Children Ch.02

PART.2 OVER QUESS' HEAD

　Quess Paraya was identified at the Kashi police station and handed over to her father, Adenauer. Together, they immediately made their way by jet to the Delhi Airport, where they entered the international flight's lobby.

　She was reunited with her father, who had come via helicopter, only a few hours after being captured on the Ganges riverbed. It all happened in what felt like the blink of an eye.

　All this was possible because her father, Adenauer Paraya, was a high-ranking official of the General Staff Headquarters of the Earth Federation Forces. Had he not been, there's no way he would have been able to mobilize the police to search for an errant child.

　However, someone was waiting for them at the airport that Quess had not wanted to see. So she positioned herself behind her father so as not to see her.

　"Quess?" Adenauer said.

　"Why do I have to get on the plane with THAT woman?" she fumed, turning away from her father and starting to walk outside.

　"Just deal with it for now, Quess. Just until we make it out into space, and then you can do whatever you want." 

　He responded, trying to placate her. It wasn't bad for his image; it was just how he had to deal with his daughter.

　"Into space?"

　Quess paused at her father's words. Even though he was a staffer of the Space Forces, he never ventured out into space, so she thought there had to be something behind what he said.

　"Yes. Earth has become too dangerous. Just deal with it for now and go along with your mother--"

　"That woman is NOT my mother!" Quess retorted with disdain.

　Adenauer sighed, "I know. That's why I said to deal with it. Once we're in space, you'll have more freedom. Trust me."

　"Really? You really mean it?" Quess asked, still unsure.

　"Yes," Adenauer confirmed, patting her on the shoulder.

　Together with a porter, they walked towards the woman who was Adenauer's current wife, waiting by the departure counter with several men. 

　"Sorry we kept you waiting," Adenauer said, addressing her.

　"What kept you?" the woman spoke softly to Adenauer but paid Quess no mind. Quess felt sullen, wondering if they would leave the lobby soon. The smell of rotting, dried flowers was overwhelming.

　"We hope for the best then, Vice-Minister," one of the men said.

　"Thanks. Come on, Quess." 

　Quess walked by the men without making a peep, staring at her father's arm wrapped around the woman's waist as they made their way down the stairs and out onto the airport apron where the sleek airframe of the Orient Express was waiting, baking in the Indian heat.

　"It's a charter plane?" Quess asked, noticing that they were the only passengers on board. This would give her a temporary reprieve from having to see the woman she detested.

　Adenauer escorted his wife to the front row of seats and then returned to check on Quess, who was sitting at the back of the plane. 

　"What do you think?" he asked her.

　"About what?"

　"I bought us a house on Side 1's Londenion. I think you'll really like it."

　"Why didn't you come to your senses a lot sooner? As long as you're still an animal living on Earth, you're being tricked by women like HER!"

　Quess exclaimed, her voice loud enough for the woman to hear.

　"Quess!" Adenauer scolded her, glancing towards the front with a sad expression.

　"Will you call mom over, then?"

　"You know I can't do that. She hasn't sent a single letter since she left for space," Adenauer replied but abruptly paused as he noticed his wife rushing toward them from down the aisle.

　"This isn't what we discussed! You said we'd escape to a safer part of the planet! You didn't say anything about going into space!"

　"Kara! Char has already mobilized his forces. My mission is to negotiate with him to prevent the war from escalating further. Otherwise, even you all would be in danger from Char's meteorite attacks..."

　"But the Federation Forces have the Space Forces and Londo Bell, right?!"

　"Thanks to the complacency from those in Lhasa, the Space Forces have been poorly managed. Even if they were to act now, it would take far too long to prepare a counterattack. So I don't have much of a choice. I have to go and negotiate with Char."

　"But isn't that Newtype Amuro Ray a part of Londo Bell?" asked Quess, interrupting the couple.

　"Newtype? That's just a bunch of nonsense about human reformation. It's only something you'd find in comics!"

　"You shouldn't talk. Looking at you, one would think the same!"

　"What was that?!"

　"Enough!" Adenauer said, silencing his wife.

　"Vice-minister, we'll be departing now. So please take your seats," said one of the crewmen, poking out of the cockpit.

　"Yes, yes, just go. But, please, sit down already," Adenauer urged as he nudged his wife back to her seat in the front of the plane.

　"It feels strange being in a civilian plane like this! Why can't we travel on a military shuttle?"

　"I told you, the military's been mobilized. It's safer for us to take a civilian shuttle from Hong Kong."

　"Why couldn't you stop Char's plans of putting Earth in a deep freeze?" Quess asked her father, sarcasm lacing her words.

　"The Earth Federation government didn't believe that Zeon's Char was still alive," he grumbled as he settled his wife into her seat.

　"There are ten billion people living in outer space. You think you all really know them even though you're just looking up at them from Earth! Now that you'll be living in space and trying to figure it all out, it's too late to do anything!"

　"Nevertheless, who would've thought he could assemble an army all on his own?"

　Adenauer's head sank into the headrest as the Orient Express began its slow taxi. The craft would take them to Hong Kong in less than an hour. 

　As they gained altitude, high above them, the Ra Cailum's fleet made inroads into the airspace near Fifth Luna and was starting to make contact with Char's fleet.

* * *

　In a sector of space near Earth's geostationary satellite orbit, flashes erupted on the night side of the planet's plane. They all seemed to be centered around a meteorite. As they faded, the glow from the tail nozzles of mobile suits converging from sectors of space on either side could be seen as large, elongated tails. As they began arcing towards it, close combat among them broke out. 

　With their bulky forms, these mobile suits were called Geara Doga and were deployed from a five-ship fleet commanded by Char Aznable. They spread out with Fifth Luna to their rear. The mobile suits launched from the Ra Cailum, a squadron of Jegan, abandoned their Base Jabbers and attempted to draw closer to Fifth Luna, avoiding the Geara Doga's lines of fire. 

　"Our target is Fifth Luna only! Ignore everything else!"

　That was what word was relayed to the Ra Cailum's pilots.

　"But--!!" one of the Jegan pilots protested before being silenced by the sudden attack from a Geara Doga coming at him from behind. Its attack only proved just how well-trained they were as they appeared to block the relatively linear assault by the Earth Federation Forces pilots with ease. 

　"Lieutenant Amuro!"

　As if in response to the cry, three Jegan moved forward, skirting the airspace of the now-destroyed Jegan.

　"Fifth Luna, it's--!!"

　The team leader of the three Jegans, Lieutenant Kayra Su, rocketed toward the meteorite that seemed to melt into the darkness of the Earth ahead.

　But, as Fifth Luna drew closer, it suddenly started glowing: the four nuclear pulse engines had been activated. 

　"They lit it up!"

　Keira shuddered at the horrific band of light. Fifth Luna had begun its descent towards Earth. 

　Now the Jegan forces had to put a stop to its descent, in addition to the Rewloola fleet. If they failed, the impact from the huge meteorite would cause a devastating deep freeze across the planet. 

　Complicating matters was the awareness that it would impact Lhasa, Tibet, where the seat of the Federation government was located. Char had declared such since he occupied Sweetwater. 

　But, the Earth Federation government dismissed the possibility and even delayed dispatching Londo Bell.

　"The private army of one man can't possibly have enough power to destroy Lhasa." 

　They never envisioned a meteorite drop operation. The same could be said for Amuro and the rest of Londo Bell. 

　"Should the Earth Federation government fail to recognize the sovereignty of Sweetwater, we are prepared to launch a direct attack on Lhasa." 

　Some were confident that Char's declaration meant either a mobile suit battle or a nuclear strike. It wasn't until a third of Char's ships pressed into Fifth Luna's airspace that Londo Bell finally learned of the operation, which had only been made possible with such a small combat force.

　No troops were stationed at Fifth Luna because it was initially a meteorite brought in from the asteroid belt out between Mars and Jupiter to mine for additional resources for colony development. However, Char targeted it due to its ten-odd kilometer diameter and its being equipped with nuclear pulse engines to move the hulking rock. 

　A scorching hot line of fire shot out from one of the recesses of Fifth Luna's unique nuclear pulse engines, engulfing Kayra and other Jegan. 

　"Lieutenant Amuro, Fifth is falling toward Earth! We failed to stop it!" Kayra cried out, decisively evading the line of fire. The other two suits, however, were struck and heavily damaged. 

　Amid the enormous flashes from the nuclear pulse engines, the red triangular silhouette of a Rewloola-type space battleship looming in the distance could be seen.

　"Entry angle of Fifth Luna, check! Speed, check!"

　"Testing nuclear detonation for deceleration!"

　"Check! Velocity minus 23, confirmed!"

　The left side of the Rewloola's narrow combat bridge seemed to have turned into a makeshift Fifth Luna control center. 

　One would think dropping a meteorite onto Earth was easy, as evident by their callouts. Still, the opposite was true: it was more difficult to maintain speed, so it didn't get incinerated by frictional heat upon reentry. The difficulty in making it land at a targeted location was even more obvious. Despite that, the operation appeared to be going smoothly.

　Mesta Mesua, seated to the captain's right, confirmed control of Fifth Luna as she tapped on the keyboard on the right armrest.

　"Captain Char!" she called out. She was sitting in the seat of the tactical command officer. She was somewhat slender, but her thick lips and fullness around her cheekbones gave her a gentle air of femininity. 

　"What is it?"

　On a small display to Mesta's right, the Rewloola's mobile suit deck popped up. She moved the cursor on the display, highlighting the red mobile suit and zooming in. Despite the suit having a somewhat bulky silhouette, it was quite formidable. 

　A yellow normal suit floated up toward the cockpit core in the head, and as it slid into the cockpit, Mesta's display showed the face of a Caucasian man in a yellow helmet.

　"Glarv Guss' sector is in a deadlock. I think we need to offer support."

　Mesta's gaze flicked to the holographic display of the entire airspace between the ship's captain and herself. On it, computer graphics indicated enemy and ally vessels as well as major movements of mobile suits, all centered around Fifth Luna.

　"Is there a possibility of it being destroyed?" his voice tinged with concern.

　"There appears to be a powerful mobile suit in the sector just ahead of Fifth Luna."

　"I take it we've done what's required to send Fifth Luna to Earth? Signal all units to withdraw."

　On her display, Char looked to have more pressing matters on his mind and didn't bother looking at Mesta.

　"I have. But we're unable to disperse Minovsky particles to prevent them from detecting our mobile suits."

　"I see. This will be the first time Nightingale participates in combat. I'm worried I may be unfamiliar with it." 

　"Understood, sir. We'll send the Carrabbas unit back around. They're returning to the ship with only twenty percent damage reported. We can use radio."

　"No, I want to use this chance to familiarize myself with the Nightingale. I'll back up Glarv's Psycho Doga and bring him in! Nightingale, heading out!"

　As the red mobile suit slid out onto the upper catapult deck of the Rewloola, the launch lights illuminated its path before turning green. 

　The single energy tube holding the Nightingale in place hummed and snapped free, allowing the suit's sleek frame to float above the catapult, its wide legs preventing it from using the catapult.

　The six tail nozzles on its back belched out phosphorescent light, propelling the massive suit forward with a sudden jolt before it streaked off and over directly towards the flashes of Fifth Luna's nuclear nozzles in front of the Rewloola.

　"Damn that Glarv. He should've been enhanced. What the hell is he doing?" she cursed as she watched the launch of the Nightingale from the combat bridge.

　Glarv Guss is the only one among the pilots considered a Newtype, enhanced by Mesta. 

　He was far too ornery, and despite some issues adapting as a Cyber-Newtype, he was the only one who could use funnels through psycommu control. 

　Although he was a pilot who should have achieved the most in combat, he'd been stuck in the airspace surrounding Fifth Luna since his initial foray, unable to make significant progress. None of that was enough for Mesta, who cursed his ineptitude and devoted herself to helping Char. 

　Mesta raised the visor on her normal suit.

　"Coordinate mobile suit team retreat and deploy mobile suit forces for direct fleet cover!"

　"Launch escort forces!" signaled the Captain.

　The final three Geara Doga suits aboard the Rewloola clear the ship. Following them were several others returning but were ordered to provide direct cover for the fleet.

　"Londo Bell will likely pursue Fifth as it falls, but the problem lies with the laser attack from colonies on Side 2."

　"Are we able to hold them off?" Captain Lyle asked, finally raising his visor and glancing at Mesta.

　"That is the plan, but something strikes me as odd."

　Mesta activated a display on the ceiling of the combat bridge and input several figures into a concept diagram showing each colony, Fifth Luna, and Earth, along with a rough estimate of lines from which beams from Side 2 would come.

　"Side 2 could've attacked any time in the last thirty minutes..." she said, her face twisted in frustration.

　"Our Neo Zeon spies have infiltrated Side 2's ranks. So they could've suppressed any of the beam attacks-- ah, the heck?!"

　Mesta shone her tactical laser at the officer who made the remark, silencing him.

　"Lieutenant?!"

　"Don't rely on what you can't see! Have our mobile suit forces put up a defense line!"

　"Y-Yes, ma'am!" the officer stammered, quickly complying with her orders.

　Meanwhile, Char's Nightingale drew closer to Fifth Luna to replace their retreating allied units. 

　"This way?"

　The Nightingale picked up speed, maneuvering around Fifth Luna in one smooth motion and positioning itself directly in front of it.

　"Is that it?" Char pondered as he noticed the ring of flashes on his display as he approached.

　On the narrow, rocky terrain of Fifth Luna, the Re-GZ piloted by Amuro Ray was unable to gain ground as he was locked in a running battle with a single mobile suit. Moreover, part of its backpack had already been hit and partially sheered off, rendering his mega particle cannon, which was supposed to be its primary weapon, inoperable. 

　"I can't believe we couldn't stop Fifth Luna from falling to Earth, but I can't take out this one unit either!"

　For the third time, Amuro's eyes met the familiar silhouette of his enemy. Its use of homing-like missiles set it apart from the other enemy suits, signaling to him that it was a psycho-type. Despite his pride in being a Newtype pilot, he couldn't shake off the frustration of his inability to outmaneuver this opponent, fully aware of the capabilities of his own mobile suit from the get-go.

　With a fluid motion, Amuro detached his suit's backpack and descended towards the surface of Fifth Luna, his Re-GZ now unencumbered. But, in that moment of vulnerability, the enemy mobile suit unleashed a beam attack. 

　Evading the attack was something only Amuro could do, but the other pilot's expertise also played a role, toying with the Re-GZ to such an extent preventing Amuro from turning toward the rear of the hulking rock.  

　There was no need for Mesta to be cursing.

　Amuro had successfully limited the enemy's ability to attack by depleting their supply of homing missiles and funnels. Although he could only fly in a straight line, he was still able to hold his own in battle, despite the Re-GZ already lacking the means to counterattack.

　"Nngh!"

　Amuro maintained his bounding suit along the surface of Fifth Luna as he tore after the enemy that was taking cover somewhere directly before him. Reflections from the light of Earth revealed the surface of the rock. 

　Amuro was determined to win the battle and thought, "If he's out of funnels, the outcome should be the same..."

　He unsheathed a beam saber from the attachment pack at his waist with one fluid motion. He primed the energy pack of the beam rifle in his right hand, allowing it to unleash a burst of fire for nearly a second once the rifle left his hand. He released it.

　Naturally, the beam rifle would recoil, using the beam fire as thrust. Amuro brought his suit down low and charged forward. 

　The enemy's Psycho Doga emerged from behind cover and was momentarily stunned by the rifle's attack. Taking advantage of this momentary disorientation, Amuro struck with his beam saber, the energy blade singing through the air. 

　Shung!

　With a swift strike, he severed the mobile suit's left leg. Then, using the momentum from the attack, he brought the beam saber around to slash down on the tail nozzle on its back as well. 

　Gyang!

　The strike wasn't fatal, but it significantly hindered the mobility of the enemy's suit. Either way, it was enough to halve the destructive power of the beam rifle clutched in the enemy's hands. 

　"What the?!" Glarv Guss, the pilot of the mobile suit, cried out in astonishment.

 　"You're mine!" Amuro shouted, reorienting the Re-GZ, intending to deliver a final blow with his beam saber. At the same time, pillar-like beams of light rained down in a circular pattern around the mobile suits, the two briefly vanishing in the plume of smoke created by the explosion, but the Re-GZ had managed to evade the explosion and was slipping away.

 　"What now?!"

 　Amuro sensed tremendous power from the enemy reinforcements. He scanned his displays, locking onto a shadow.

 　"Hm?"

 　A streak of light arced outward against the Earth's light, the red mobile suit of Char's Nightingale discernible.

 　"Damn Glarv, Mesta should've been looking after him!" Char spat out a curse as he watched Glarv's Psycho Doga give one final struggle on the display's enlarged monitor.

 　"Huh? Could that be Char?!"

 　Amuro felt a familiar sense of psychological pressure emanating from the red mobile suit. It had to be Char. These were memories etched deep in his mind, ones he would never forget.

 　 He continued his retreat, releasing a flurry of dummies in his wake. 

 　"Of all time, you pick NOW to show yourself?!"

 　Char had taken to calling himself Supreme Commander since stationing himself at Sweetwater and was the last person Amuro expected to see in a mobile suit. If he did, that would be his downfall, Amuro decided. 

　However, in a way, he didn't necessarily dislike the fact that Char had shown up in one. Despite fighting alongside one another as allies, if Char had reclaimed his position as an enemy and radiated the same intimidating pressure as before, he wouldn't be someone that Amuro could defeat with the Re-GZ. 

 　So, Amuro retreated.

　But, Glarv's Psycho Doga dove out after the retreating Re-GZ, instead colliding with one of the dummies released by the suit. A detonator built into it exploded, hurling the suit away at the cost of the other leg and sending it reeling toward Fifth Luna.

　"Shit!" Glarv cursed as he struggled to control the mobile suit after the direct hit to its knee.

　It was a dummy, a balloon coated with paint that reflected radio waves, making it impossible to pick up on radar. It was also equipped with built-in apogee motors allowing it to zigzag back and forth, giving it the illusion of a mobile suit. One mobile suit is equipped with multiple of these dummies. 

　Glarv was relieved the front display wasn't dead as he checked the beam rifle's energy capacitor gauge, which indicated he'd still have to wait a few more seconds before he could fire again. But he gasped at the scenery before him: the enemy Federation mobile suit was confronting Char's Nightingale. 

　Behind them, the Earth was shifting so much that it was evident they were drawing closer to it. 

　"That Earth Federation government mobile suit bears a striking resemblance to a Gundam. So does that mean the pilot I was up against is a Newtype or Cyber-Newtype?"

　Waves of anger washed over Glarv. He knew the enemy he was dealing with wasn't your typical pilot, but for someone who was supposed to have been enhanced by Mesta, he was forced to put up such a poor fight. He suspected that the level of enhancement he received at the Newtype Labs was inadequate. 

　"What good is it if I can sense the enemy but can't break through them?"

　This kind of thinking was a reflection of the youthful arrogance and pride of Glarv.

　"Hm? Minovsky particles are thinning out?"

　Glarv turned up the volume on his normal suit's headphones. 

　"Why are you crashing this to Earth? Temperatures will drop, and it'll become uninhabitable!"

　"That is my intention! It is to purge those safely living on Earth! I have already proclaimed it to be so!"

　As if following his voice, the red form of the Nightingale charged the enemy mobile suit.

　"?!"

　In a split second, the two mobile suits had disappeared from Glarv's view as they moved behind the Fifth Luna. Glarv attempted to chase after them, but his Psycho Doga could only manage to barely hover above the surface of the rock with half power.

　"I feel that mankind can correct itself accordingly!"

　"It is my destiny to enforce discipline, Amuro!"

　Glarv could tell that Captain Char's voice exuded confidence. But at the same time, he noticed that his commander wasn't using his funnels despite his conviction, which puzzled him. 

　When Glarv finally spotted the two mobile suits on his forward display, they were locked in a fierce battle with their beam sabers. The constant clashing of the sabers created interference waves that erupted and sparked in every direction, giving the illusion that the two suits were being vaporized.

　"One man doesn't have the right to carry out a cleansing of mankind!" 

　"You're a foolish man! Humanity has no right to pollute and destroy the Earth! And that is why I must force a change!"

　"You're full of yourself!"

　"Obviously, you know that the Earth cannot last if this continues! So why do you say that? Humanity must pay the price for polluting the planet for so long!"

　The enemy's mobile suit pulled back as the Nightingale swung its beam saber. Nevertheless, it continued to slash at it.

 　"Oh!"

 　Glarv gasped as the enemy mobile suit deftly continued to avoid the Nightingale's fearsome saber onslaught. 

 　"Hmph! Your mobile suit is still no match for me. This is just the first battle for my Nightingale!"

 　Char's taunting sounded strange as it lingered in Glarv's ears.

 　"Even if you told those in the Federation Forces of your ideals, Captain, they wouldn't understand! The time to pull back has long passed!" Glarv shouted involuntarily, firing off his rifle as he catapulted out with his Psycho Doga. Little did he realize that his own screams were slowing the suit's movement. 

 　Even with Char's Nightingale positioned in front of him, the Re-GZ still tried to counterattack with a beam attack on Glarv. It was a truly superhuman feat to him. 

 　"Uwah!"

 　Glarv felt the flash from the beam that grazed him from the front and the faint impact of the beam's particles impacting him as it forced his suit to the surface of Fifth Luna, only this time unable to move.

 　"Glarv!"

 　By the time Char's cry registered in Glarv's mind, the Nightingale had already landed beside the Psycho Doga and was extending a hand toward it. 

 　The enemy mobile suit seemed to have retreated.

 　"Captain, please go after the enemy! Don't worry about me!"

 　"Your Psycho Doga is unable to retreat. Leave it."

 　"Huh? B-but I'm fine, I can--"

 　"You can't. Not the way you look. Don't rely on the computer readouts so much!"

 　The Nightingale's manipulator wrapt on the Psycho Doga's cockpit, forcing Glarv to open the hatch and exposing his pilot suit to the harshness of space.

 　"Captain! I didn't rely on the computer!"

 　"Enough!" he said peremptorily, the Nightingale's hand clutching Glarv by his pilot suit as he lifted off from the rock. Glarv found it strange to see his suit missing both legs and lying on the surface of Fifth Luna. But as he looked up at the Nightingale, he saw that its mono-eye was already extinguished, the ferocity felt by it gone.

 　Amuro stared in shock at the sheer speed of the red mobile suits retreat but knew that Char was acting according to plan. He emerged from the shadows with his heavily damaged Re-GZ, the bright light from Earth reflecting off its frame.