Mobile Suit Gundam 0081: Road to Axis

The year is UC 0081, it's been two years since Zeon's defeat of the OYW. Zeon has no strong holds, and all their fleets are all but dead. However a secret Manufacturing plant on the dark side of the Moon still remain's. Its loyalty lies with Zeon, and they have newly designed Zeonic Mobile Suits. Fortunately there is one more fleet that can use these new model Mobile Suit's...The Mars Fleet

Chapter 3: Troubles
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January 27, 0081
0821

Andrea sit quietly in her command chair, gazing out the bridge monitor. Her tousled white hair draped down to her shoulder's. She hadn't slept in two days, due to the fear of being ambushed by the Federal Forces. Her skin tone was pale white, almost as white as her hair. Her red trimmed grey uniform was outfitted with a gold crest that covered her chest, and extended down to her waist.

The Gold Crest, worn by the highest official's of Zeon, Andrea's involvement with this mission gave her this crest.

"Colonel, we're approaching the Luna Manufacturing Plant. Our ETA is 1015 hours. Should we dispatch the remaining Zaku's for any confrontations?" the comm officer said turning back to his station.

"Good, any sign of those Feddie's?" Andrea said taking in air. Her chest expanded and stayed there waiting for an answer.

"No ma'am." the radar officer replied.

Andrea let all her air out, and flopped back into the chair. She hadn't felt so relaxed.

"Lt. Rogers, take command. I'm going to rest before we arrive on Luna," Andrea yawned and rubbed the bridge between her eyes.

"Yes ma'am." Rogers saluted and lowered the command chair.

"She's all yours." Andrea said walking out the bridge. As she exited the main entrance she noticed Japa standing leaning against the wall, "Well, Japa, what brings you to the bridge?" Andrea asked, giving him a scolded look.

"I need to talk with you, but not here. Follow me, please." Japa met his eyes with hers and sprung off the wall towards her. He veered left a spilt-second before they would have met. Andrea dumbfounded followed him.


"Where are we go-..." before she could finish, Japa put his fore-finger up to her lips as to silence her. She knew not to question him but she wanted to know where they were going.

The both of them glided through the halls, evading oncoming officers. The lights throughout the hall ways went by them swiftly as they passed what seemed to be a thousand rooms to Andrea, but she knew it had only be about twenty. The silver-blue metal seemed to close in around her, and as soon as she was just becoming comfortable with her surroundings they stopped. Japa didn't speak he just welcomed Andrea into his quarters.

"Alright, Japa, what do you want to talk about? And don't make it long." Andrea said half-heartedly.

"Its about my command over our Zaku squadron. I want to relinquish command to Joachim." Japa looked up and stared straight into her beautiful crystal blue eyes.

"Japa," Andrea stared back into his eyes. She could see the tears starting to well up in his eyes, "I'm not going to give command to Joachim. I gave command to you in the first place because your so calm. You don't panic in most situations, any other person would crumble and die! Also because you are able to hide your emotions so well. I am your commander and I still don't know how you feel."

"I figured you would say that. Then you leave me no choice but to resign." Japa's voice went dreadfully low, and trailed off into the distance.

"I won't let you, Japa. You deserve to be in command. Face it, Japa, you're the best damn pilot we have!" Andrea's voice boomed through his quarters, "I'm not going to let some punk like Raye take that away from you." Andrea then kicked off the cold-metal floor and glided towards Japa.

"Damnit!" Japa ducked underneath her grasping arms, and headed for the door, "I'm sorry, Andrea, but I have to do this." Japa slid his hand over the panel at the door. As the door opened up he floated to the far wall and found a transport stick to the hangar.
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Salamis Class Cruiser
Command Bridge
0830

Captain Nasaki eagerly taps his fingers on the right control arm. His thoughts were racing with revenge; revenge on those who destroyed his ship. He would never forget that dreadful day. When he was first informed about the three Musai Cruisers...Then the unbelievable happening, his ship destroyed. He narrowly escaped the "sinking" ship, but is thankful he did, and sees it as God's way of letting him set things right.

His cold, black eyes stood fixated on the main monitor. The cilira of his eyes remain bloodshot. They have been since the attack, since he hasn't had any sleep. Bags are starting to form under his eyes, and the three slits extend from each point of the eye. His charcoal black hair stretches almost down to his eyes. His pale white skin almost reminds one of snow.

"Sir...Sir, we have found the Zeon ships." the comm officer stopped and thumbed a few controls on the panel, "They're heading for the dark side of the moon."

"What? Are you sure? There's noth-," Nasaki stopped and ran his hand along the control panel. Causing a diagram of the Zeon Ships estimated trajectory, and ETA, "At this very moment they are heading towards a small crater. Reed, contact Granada and inform them of the Zeonic presence. And of their possible threat."

"Yes, sir!" Reed replied tentatively.

Granada, the once powerful base of the Principality of Zeon. It once was host to a variety of Zeon pride. However, something good, always has something to contradict it. Late in December 0079, Lt. Colonel Killing killed the officer in command of Granada. Soon after he began an operation to fire Nuclear Warheads at a Side 6 target. They were captured however, and Killing then killed himself. Thus, Granada fell to the Federal Forces, and they have no intention on losing it.
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Mobile Suit Deck
Blitzkrieg
0903

The mechanic's scurry around nervously trying to get the Zaku's ready for their arrival on Luna. Caris' once red-shaded Zaku was now the normal Green and Blue. The paint-job is fairly new and the paint is still wet.

Japa quietly rests in the cockpit of his new Zaku. He feels more, serene, in this cockpit. In his last Zaku he felt much the same way, but something was different. He wasn't quite sure what felt so different. He didn't want to linger on the thought though.

Nearer to the main entrance, Raye stumbled into the hangar. Anger filled emotions and his eyes. As he approached to the closest Mechanic he spotted something out the corner of his eye. Japa's new Zaku, the cockpit hatch open. Raye knew he was in there, and he veered left and glided to the cockpit.

"Hey, Japa, are you in there?" came from the opened cockpit hatch and startled him.

"Yes, Raye, I am in here. What do you want?" Japa replied softly.

"I need to talk with you," Raye's voice was loud and it cracked a few times showing Japa he was angry, "now, if you please."

"Alright." Japa said leaving the cockpit. Raye grappled his arm and kicked off towards the entrance, "Where are we going, Raye?"

"Don't worry about that, worry about what I am going to do to you." Raye cracked under his breath. Japa knew it wasn't going to be in a populated place, somewhere near the quarters, he thought. His thoughts proved to be true as they neared the ready room.

"Alright, we ar-..." Japa was interrupted mid-sentence as Raye grabbed him by the collar and pinned him up against the wall.

"Listen here you little ****. I don't have take orders from you nor Andrea." Raye growled and tugged harder on Japa's collar, "If you have a problem with me then talk with me, not Andrea."

"I don't have a problem with you, Raye. And, what in the hell are you talking about?" Japa stared straight into Raye's eyes.

"You know what I am talking about, Japa." Raye loosened his grip and on Japa and stared down at the cold-metal floor, "I was demoted from a pilot to a mechanic. You're telling me you had no idea this happened!" Raye thrusted Japa farther into the air and stared back into his eyes. Japa could see the tears well up in his eyes.

"Raye, I had no idea of this. I talked with Andrea about my command of the squadron," Japa grabbed Raye's wrists as to say 'Let me down, Raye.' but he didn't get the message, "What did she say to, Raye?"

"She told me that I was bothering you and you couldn't perform to your abilities. Then without warning she just demoted me, and then left." Raye replied solemnly.

"I had no idea she was going to do that. I told her that I wanted to relinquish command to, Joachim. She said she wouldn't so I told her that I was going to resign." Japa paused a moment, "Do you know why I wanted to give up my command?"

"No sir, I don't" Raye let Japa go and backed away from him.

"Because of you, Raye. Though, it's not me who you bother, it's Joachim. You don't shut your mouth and you piss him off every time you speak. Joachim is much older and more mature than the both of us. It doesn't help either with you being such a immature ass, Raye." Japa began walking towards Raye, "I am willing to try and put you back onto my squadron. That is under one condition."

"What is that?" fell from Raye's mouth.

"You must go talk with, Joachim. Tell him how you truly feel." his eyes found Raye's, "I know who you feel, Raye, but he doesn't. This is an order and if I ask, Joachim, about it and he says you never talked with him," a faint smirk appeared on his face, "Lets just say you. won't like what I do to you, Raye." Japa smiled and pushed off the floor out the door. Raye remained standing where he had been during the conversation.

"Alright, Japa, I will go talk with him." Raye chuckled a little and kicked off the desk behind him. As he left the ready room he reached for the cable wire in his pocket and fired it to the far wall. It stuck in place and began luring Raye into the quarters hallway...
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Joachim's Quarters
Blitzkrieg
0911

Joachim lay stretched out on his bed. His auburn brown hair lay tousled around his head. He wasn't asleep but he wasn't awake, either. The pitch black darkness of his room reminded him of the cockpit. His surroundings gave him flashback of his previous battles. He was startled by a sudden knock on the door.

Joachim made his way through the room to the door. As he opened he questioned whether he should or shouldn't. He hadn't slept in a few days and needed some rest. He decided to though and was surprised to see, Raye.

"Raye, what are you doing here?" Joachim questioned hoarsely.

"I need to talk with you, Joachim," he made his way into the room and struggled to adjust his eyes to the darkness, "Don't you have a light in here? Or, is it dark in here all the time?"

"Fine," he felt his way around the room and found the panel for the lights, "is that better?" he said sprawling back onto his bed.

"Yes, now as I mentioned before I need to talk with you." Joachim yawned and elevated off his bed, "I know we have our differences, Joachim, but we need to settle them."

Joachim interrupted him, "Is this about your demotion to a mechanic, Raye?"

"How did you know about that?" he stood in amazement but soon came to the conclusion that Andrea had probably already contacted him, "Nevermind, I think I already know. Well, it is partially about my demotion, but more about our problems with one another." Raye started to become more relaxed but as he looked up and noticed, Joachim staring straight at him he couldn't help but become nervous, "I know I've been acting like an asshole lately and I'm sorry. But, Japa is the youngest member of our team and also our commander, I just feel a need to give him a hard time. I guess its because he's in command and I'm not."

"Have you told him this, Raye?" Joachim asked softly.

"No, but he said I have no need to talk with him. I need to talk with you." he stared back into Joachim's eyes and began to float closer to him, "I'm sorry, Joachim, I truly am sorry."

"I know you are, Raye, and you don't need to tell me. I can see it in your eyes and your movements." Joachim slowly backed into a wall and crossed him arms, "You made your point, Raye, now leave. I'll tell Japa how you feel. Now could you please leave. We'll be arriving on Luna soon, and I need some rest."

Raye nodded and backed out the door. As he glided through the corridors, tears of joy filled his eyes, but he knew not to become over joyous. Japa may not want him back on the squadron. As he made his way back into the hangar a comm from the bridge filled the ship...

"Attention all personal! We will be arriving on Luna shortly. Report to your stations. All Zaku pilots report to the Mobile Suit Deck and await further orders. I repeat we will be arriving on Luna shortly. Bridge out."

As the message ended, mechanics, officers and pilots scrambled to their stations. They have no idea what they are to expect upon their arrival. But, they will be ready for anything that comes their way...