Captain Yoko Nagato moaned as she gingerly held her right leg. She'd broken it after jumping out of her Zugock, and she couldn't move much without hurting herself further. "A great way to end my career..." she thought sadly. It was an awful shame to go this way, and to top it off she wasn't able to get the guy who got Keith. She sighed, Keith had been a good kid, and she wanted to avenge him somehow. But she also couldn't be taken alive. It was part of her job and she had prepared for this, but still...

"Hand up miss," Juan said as he neared Yoko, side arm drawn. He was surprised that the pilot had been a woman, and he wasn't exactly sure how to react...

Yoko eyed the enemy pilot for a moment. A young man of Spanish origin. His insignia denoted that he was a Corporal. And a pilot... the pilot of that thing that got Keith... she felt an uncontrollable rage start filling her heart...

"Whoa... don't move or I'll shoot..." Juan said nervously as she started to motioned her hands towards her pistol.

"Rookie, I'm telling you now. You're going to have to shoot me or I'll shoot you. Get ready to die!" she screamed as she pulled her pistol out of its holster.

Juan was surprised and fired instinctively. His aim was bad, but it was enough. She was hit in the right shoulder and she fell on the ground, moaning from the pain. She started to try to pick up the gun with her left hand, but Juan quickly kicked the gun away.

"Damn it... kill me already... I'm not going to be a prisoner..." she moaned defiantly.

"We don't shoot prisoners. Come on, enough. Just give up peacefully. Look, the two remaining MSMs are giving up already..." Juan encouraged as he set his pistol down to help her.

Yoko felt like kicking him away, but the pain of her injuries were becoming too great. How embarassing, she thought angrily, that the guy who beat her and killed her wingman was actually HELPING her now... But somehow, deep inside her, he reminded her of something. Maybe it was herself, in what seemed to be a very long time ago... but he was still the one who got Keith. And she always avenged all her dead comrades. ALWAYS.

"Alright, now sit still. The medics ought to be here in a few minutes, I hope..."

She just barely grunted in agreement. Despite all the training, her will to live had now reasserted itself, and she didn't want to die on this beach. Not while she still had unfinished business.
-----------------------------

"Alright, you two. Come out real nice and easy..." Fred said as he closed on the two remaining MSMs. The two pilots were giving up, and that was smart of them he reflected. Suddenly, both of them jumped out of their MSMs and began to run away, VERY quickly.

"Ummmmm.... why are they..." Maurice startled.

"OH ****!"
-----------------------------

Juan was completely shocked when he heard two huge explosions right behind him. He instinctively covered the enemy MSM pilot to protect her from the blast, only to be rewarded by a kick to the stomach.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" she screamed angrily, "Get off me!"

"Alright, alright..." Juan said as he stood up uneasily. Even if she was injured, she had one hell of a kick, he reflected, "I was only trying..."

"Stop helping me already..." Yoko said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry but I can't. I was raised to be nice to women so..."

"So you're doing this because I'm a WOMAN?! Is that it?!" she replied angrily, her pride already hurt beyond repair.

"Well, not exactly..."

"Then why?!"

"Because you've been injured. And, well... I don't think that I could consider you as a soldier, or as an enemy for that matter, when you're down..."

"That'll get you killed someday rookie," she advised.

"Maybe, but I'm still alive aren't I?"

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"Juan Ignacio."

"Juan, you may have saved me today, but someday, I'll avenge my wingman by finding you and killing you. So if you want to change your mind about shooting, you'd better do it now."

All Juan could do was to sigh, to which Yoko replied to with a scowl.
-----------------------------

That was close... Very close. VERY VERY CLOSE! Fred thought as he observed the wreckage of the two MSMs just a few meters in front of him. Damn them, he thought, looking at the two Zeon pilots now raising their hand up to surrender. They had destroyed their gear with explosive charges to make sure the Federation was unable to get any data from them, and also maybe to kill a few more Federation troops. He REALLY wanted to break their legs off or something, but he knew he'd had done the same if the positions were reversed.

"Fred, you ok?" Maurice asked.

"Yeah, how about you?"

"Remind me to let somebody else apprehend prisoners..."
-----------------------------

By sunset, the Skate had managed to rescue every living person they could find in the water. Including a very lucky enemy MSM pilot, six crew from the Veneto, and all but twelve crewmen from the U-35. A disaster, JP reflected as he watched the setting sun, but not a catastrophe. If there was any real difference, that is...

"Good job today, 2nd Lieutenant John Paul Recto," Major Adolfo said quietly as he joined John.

"Sir?" JP asked, surprised at his promotion.

"John, it's been a long time coming, and you deserve it."

"I still have problems with authority sir, are you sure..."

"Yes JP. Look, the Skate is going to spend the rest of the war tied up in port. Your skills could prove very useful to a lot of skippers out there and the rank gives you more of an authority to speak out. In fact..." the Major said as he pulled out a sheet, "I've already recommended you for space duty..."

"Space? I've never been to space sir..." John said worriedly.

"Magic, I know you. You could do it, trust me. You know radar, you know how they think. You'll find those Zeon *******s and hunt them down, I'm sure."

"Very well then sir, I won't disappoint you. But I would like to go onshore and..."

"Actually, you ARE supposed to go onshore tonight and meet your new crewmates. But I think I could send you earlier and meet your old..."

"Erghh... let's keep that between ourselves skipper," he replied, blushing lightly, "And sir, good luck, it's been a pleasure to be under your command."

"You too JP. You'll need it more than I do."
-----------------------------

She really had to stop crying, Sylvie reflected. But then after every few minutes or so it'd hit her again, and she'd start sobbing again. For eight long months she'd worked with Earl and Pat, and she'd grown to like both of them, even that annoying Pat. But they were both dead now, and once again she felt more tears roll down her cheeks.

"Sylvie, are you alright?" Max asked in a quiet tone. Sylvie looked at him, his eyes were still cold as usual, but there was a spark of compassion there, too. Not much, but it was still a small comfort to her.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright in a few days... you know me, I'm always like this..."

"Well I might have something to make you even more miserable..." Max said as he handed her a report.

Sylvie sighed as she read the report. Of all the people to replace Earl with, it had to be him...
-----------------------------

"Ummm... is there a Cynthia Patterson here?" John asked a grizzled old guerilla soldier who was smoking his cigarette.

"You here to meet the commander? What for?" the man asked in a suspicious tone.

"I'm an... ergh... old friend,"

"Well, I suppose it's ok. She's in the third tent."

"Thank you, Sir," John replied as he started walking towards the tent. He was feeling rather uneasy. Firstly because he hadn't set foot on his homeland for quite some time, but also because he was worried that she might...

A slender figure suddenly stepped out of the tent. She looked a little tired from the battle earlier, but it was her alright.

"John? Is that really you?" Cynthia said as she saw him standing just outside her tent. She had always hoped that he had somehow survived the disasters at Hawaii and the Pacific, and now here he was, just like that. She suddenly felt herself moving towards him, to which he replied by hugging her as tight as he could.

"So you haven't forgotten me, Cynthia... I was worried that..."

"We'd never see each other again. I... I really thought I'd never see you again. How the hell did you manage to get out of Hawaii alive?" she asked.

"And how the hell did you get yourself to command a guerilla outfit?" he replied with a smile. They both laughed. They needed it. "Well, actually, since you asked first, I was lucky. VERY lucky. And I had good ears..."

"I always thought that your Chopin-loving ears were useful for something," Cynthia replied, her fatigue and depression already gone, "Well, as for me though, I guess the soldier's blood in me finally came out..."

John nodded. Both of Cynthia's parents came from military families. Her mom had died several years ago, leaving the lonely girl pretty much alone while her father was away. Except for him and a few friends she had around her home near the Philippine University in Manila that is. But it seemed to him that she'd grown up quite a bit since he'd last met her. She might only be 17, he reflected, but war had a way of maturing individuals beyond their years... Cynthia read his eyes and smiled. "You seem to have grown up quite a bit too, John. A Second Lieutenant at twenty one years of age? Not bad..."

"Well, I guess I've earned it although my superiors are at the point of throwing me out of the military... hehe, remember our old teacher Mr. Santiago who..."

"Yeah, you always kept baffling him with your high grade scores even though you'd make a mess of his class. I thought that he'd have a heart attack when he gave you that A..."

"Guess I'm just like that..." he replied with a grin.

"Cynthia, is that you?" a new voice suddenly asked from behind John. JP turned, it was Colonel Patterson.

"Father?" Cynthia asked before running towards him and giving him a hug. Her father and her... lover? All on the same day. She felt that she was the luckiest girl on Earth.

Father? John thought. OH, so that's why his name sounded so familiar... He had never met Cynthia's father before.

"Cynthia, I missed you... I was so worried when Zeon overran the Philippines and I didn't know what..." the Colonel blurted, just barely able to contain his tears.

"Don't worry dad, I've been doing fine these pass few months. Hell, Zeon forces here are just a small bunch of soldiers here for the hospitality. Zeon has hardly occupied this country. But the guy commanding this base though, that was one real ******* who really needed to be blown away..."

"Don't worry, we found him in the command bunker. What's left of him that is. But more to the point, what the hell are you doing in a guerilla outfit!?"

"With both sides of the familiy in the military, what do you think I would have done?" she asked.

"How about listen to me and stay put?" the Colonel replied, with the authority of a reprimanding father.

"Dad, I know you want to keep me safe, but I've grown up quite a bit. You haven't exactly been around all the time to see me you know..." she said with a slight touch of resentment.

"I'm sorry Cynthia, it's just that..."

"I understand dad. Mom did too. She always understood, even in her last days... she loved to wait for you, and loved it even better when you were home. So did I, so don't blame yourself alright? I've grown up on my own and learned..."

"To have a boyfriend without telling me," Sean told his daughter with a slight, though somewhat disapproving grin.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly erghh... call him my boyfriend but his IS my best friend since we were kids and..."

"Don't worry too Cynthia, I understand. Especially when it comes to these things. I ought to know considering how your mother and I met. Just remember you're 17 and..."

"Still too young for that sort of thing, yes dad."

"But don't worry about him. He might not have told you yet, but he's quite famous in the Pacific fleet, and coincidentally he's going to work for me for the rest of the war..." Not to mention that he'd already saved my life, the Colonel thought, "You two better spend some more time together, we'll do our catching up later."

Cynthia nodded sadly. She wished that her father would stay, but she knew that both John and him were soldiers now, and they had their duty. "Thanks, Dad," she said before kissing her father on the cheek. She then turned and went back to a now very nervous John.

Sean sighed. It was one of the problems of having a daughter. Someday they'd meet somebody and suddenly... But he understood. However, he still had a few reservations about Magic. He was good at sea, but was he really that good, even in space?
-----------------------------

"So, how's the prisoner?" Juan asked Fred as he came back from the casualty station.

"She'll live. They still have to keep her sedated though, but not a bad job, Ace," he replied with a wink.

"Ace?"

"Five kills, Juan Ignacio, that makes you an Ace. Don't let it go to your head though," Fred warned.

"Yes, Serge, I'll try to remember that."
-----------------------------

"How many days will it take?" Brigadier General Alexander Dolvich asked as the word of the victory came through.

"They'll be here by the 25th. The Spruance and her escorts will launch on the the 29th or the 30th depending on how long it would take to finish building the ace-type GMs," an aide reported.

"Well, that may prove to be a decisive factor..." a new voice suddenly said. Alexander turned, it was his immediate commanding officer, Lieutenant General Nicolo Zander.

"Well yes, Sir, but I still have my doubts about this operation..."

"Just do as you are ordered, Brigadier General Dolvich. Side 2 is a very important piece of real estate, close to Granada and the Zeon homelands. Your fleet can surely handle the enemy stationed there. But in any case, Fire Base Malta must remain operational."

Fire Base Malta was the official name of a ramshackle Federation base built just outside of Side 2 from derilect colony parts. It mission is to prevent any incursion from the Zeon forces in Granada and in Side 2 itself. Being within striking range of a number of Zeon supply routes from Granada to the main bases at Solomon and A Baoa Qu, it was essential to keep it operational, especially with the main space offensive only weeks away, Operation Star One.

But Dolvich still had his doubts. The last reports indicated that the Zeon fleet at Side 2 had only one Tibe and four Musais. The fleet at Malta was composed of a Magellan and four Salamis, along with a Colombus class carrier. More than enough to handle the forces there. Why was he being sent there with his new fleet? The new fleet he would command, now known as the 17th Independent Flotilla, was composed of no less than eight cruisers and two battlehips. A bit of an overkill for a mere five Zeon ships, even with MS. Something told him that they weren't being told the whole truth.
-----------------------------

"And finally, it seems that our reserve base at Palawan had been destroyed, Sir, and most of the forces from Odessa will be forced to head for Ginias Sakhalin' base in East Asia." Cecilia Irene* concluded. She was Giren Zabi's most loyal aide, and was the source of most of his briefings. That and a few "other" things.

"What about the Nagato's SpecOps team?" Giren asked as he absorbed all the information. The true leader of Zeon, his phenomenal IQ enabled him to reel together vast amounts of data and statistics that were essential to the lives, and deaths, of Zeon's sons and daughters. This briefing was no different.

"Destroyed. There is nothing else to report, Sir." Cecilia replied. It was a waste, she reflected. Nagato was one of the best operative. Perhaps the only one better may be Steiner Hardy of the Cyclops Team.

"Very well, what happens to those troops are no longer of any consequence. We must though, prepare for the enemy space offensive that is sure to follow. What is the status of the fleet at Side 2?"

"Sir, the 4th Squadron will be fully deployed soon, by the first week of December. They will be able to attack the Federation base there once they arrive. And we have established the facilities as you have ordered."

"Good. Very well, show me the dispositions of the fleets at Solomon, A Baoa Qu and the ships harrassing the Federation fleet by 0700 hours tomorrow. I'll see you then."

Cecilia nodded and quickly stepped out of his office. The data would take some time, but she was a professional staff officer who did this for a living. The dispositions at Solomon and A Baoa Qu would be easy, all she had to do was to call Lieutenant-General Dozul Zabi, although she had heard that his loyal ace pilot "White Wolf" Shin Matsunaga may be recalled to Side 3 soon. The fleets harassing the Federation fleet though, would be harder. Communications were poor, and in fact all she was sure of is that one of their aces, whose name escapes her at the moment, is stationed there.

However, what really confused her was the dispositions at Side 2. They appeared a little excessive. She knew most of Giren's secrets, but was there more to it? She shook her head. It was not her place to ask. Despite of how he and she... She shook her head again. But the facilities he ordered built there kept bugging her mind...
-----------------------------

It is now November of UC 0079. The great sideshow of the One Year War is about to begin.

Consistency notes:

- *Cecilia Irene is the red headed "aide" always seen with Giren Zabi in PS2's Blood of Zeon video game. Thanks to the GML for the information. And if you've seen some of the Giren's Greed's animation (particularly the Zeon total victory clip), you'd probably notice that she is probably a lot more older than she seems.

Notice: This story and all related material is copyrighted by Thomas E. "Zinegata" Ting, no part of this story may be taken by any other person. If you wish to use any material, please contact me first. Gundam and all related trademarks are owned by their respective companies.