August 2, UC 0087. 0005 hours Zulu.

Somewhere over the South China Sea.

Still nothing... Lt. Colonel Natalie Dolvich thought as she anxiously awaited any reports from New Guinea. She had earlier dispatched four Flatmouse spy planes to reconnoiter the enemy positions before their impeding assault, but two of the Flatmouse had disappeared enroute, doubtless the work of those damn invisible planes the AEUG had been using against her for the past couple of weeks, while a third ran into engine trouble and had to crash-land near Lae. Natalie made a mental note to have somebody recover the poor ******* and his plane from that forgotten corner of the world before the pilot did something stupid and get himself eaten by some cannibals. Hopefully.

"We've found the fourth Flatmouse," Hawkins intruded as he handed Natalie a scribbled report from one of the alternate radio nets, "It crash landed near Morobe, a couple hundred clicks north of Moresby. Pilot is injured, but alive. He is reporting that he was attacked by enemy fighters of an unknown type."

"How about the air support coming from Singapore?" Natalie asked tiredly, knowing this was going to be another fiasco if they went in practically blind.

"Two Flatmouse have been sent, along with two flights of Sabrefish plus a Dish," Hawkins reported, "With the fighter escort and early warning systems, they may stand a better chance of success."

"Anything else we've found out about those rebels?" Natalie asked, now wishing she could have some sleep before the battle.

"Nothing new," Hawkins replied briskly, "We've managed to gather up information on the Hover Battalion however. Assuming the worse case, we'll have an additional four companies of armored vehicles to face along with their Mobile Suits."

"And do you think their intelligence is any better?" Natalie asked as she looked through her tally of pilots, and wondered just how long her green pilots would last against those rebels, especially if they knew how inexperienced her pilots were.

"They are probably just as much in the dark as we are."

---------------

"Bingo, large air formation, heading right for New Guinea," the O'Bannon's XO reported as he handed the latest batch of recon photos to Colonel Jefferson, "Estimated arrival time at New Guinea, 0500 hours."

"Have you identified them?" Jefferson asked worriedly as he scanned through the pictures one by one, and hoping to hell that Ming...

"We've positively identified the planes as coming from the 16th and 23rd battalions," the XO responded, "The 16th's a green, Titans officered unit that got chewed up in the Philippines, while the 23rd's mainly a Federation training unit for teaching spacenoid recruits to operate under gravity. The unit probably got dragooned by those Titans to work for them."

"They're sending out kids..." Jefferson added as he scanned through the known ORBATs of both the 16th and 23rd, "Have they become this short on manpower?"

"Dunno sir," the XO responded, "Intel is reporting the presence of an elite company of Federal and Titans troops landing near Singapore, along with maybe a variable Mobile Suit or two, but so far they haven't moved an inch."

"I want all of this data forwarded to New Guinea in the next data stream," Jefferson ordered as he made a quick time check, "Which is coming up in ten minutes. Make it quick."

---------------

"Well, well, Subject V, how are you feeling now?" Yoko taunted as she gleefully watched Sylvie writhing in pain, totally helpless while she lay bound, blindfolded and gagged, and regretting that she couldn't inflict as much pain to her as she did to Ming. No matter, by the time she was finished with Sylvie, this former Titans pet was now going to be her own...

Yoko... if I ever get my hands on you... Sylvie thought angrily back in defiance, wishing, WILLING her thoughts to reach that arrogant *****'s mind so that she could start the process of re-arranging and frying her neural processes and...

"Well too bad you can't answer, though your body language is giving away everything that your Newtype mind is thinking," Yoko taunted on, "And this time, you're going to have to listen to my little proposition, willing or not. And you'll be agreeing to it no matter what."

I'd rather be shot again than follow another of your little "propositions" Sylvie thought as she digested what Yoko had just said to her. I've been a Titans pet for long enough, and I'm not about to let myself become a tool for another set of insane fascist dictators to...

"So for the last time Sylvie, join AEUG and help us fight those Titans," Yoko continued, the tone of her voice growing dead serious with each passing word, "And I'm not going to take no for an answer."

To hell with that! Sylvie thought angrily, now truly wishing she could find a way to chew through the gag Yoko had placed on her mouth and start shouting at the arrogant prick. Stop wasting time and put me out of my misery. I shall NOT be taking orders from you...

"Because if you DO say no Sylvie, and I know you will," Yoko continued on, this time letting an evil smile form around her lips, "I'll simply kill the only one who still seems to care for you: John."

You wouldn't DARE, Sylvie thought back as her body stiffened in anger, her mind now rapidly ignoring the pain as her hatred for Yoko took over. You wouldn't DARE Yoko, because if you do...

"My, my, you don't think I would do it, do you?" Yoko taunted, "I guess you haven't realized that I've already shot him once for trying to stop me from finishing you off, and I have no compulsion to stop myself the next time from killing him outright."

John... you damn fool... Sylvie thought angrily at herself and wondered why in the world was John still caring for her anyway? The one that had once been his shipmate and friend was dead now... ever since she had killed that part of herself off and let the murderous side of her take over...

"So choose. Fight for us willingly, or you and your friend dies," Yoko added as she noticed Sylvie start calming down, now obviously considering her proposal, "And I'd better hear what I want when I pull off your gag instead of a pathetic cry for help. If you do that you won't live long enough to find out how John died by my hands. "

Manipulative *****... Sylvie thought as she felt Yoko start pulling off something from her mouth, but knew that at present she wouldn't have a choice until...

"Well Sylvie?" Yoko asked, "The gag is off. Now tell me whether I'm going to have to put it back and start torturing you to death or..."

"You wouldn't dare kill John!" Sylvie snarled back before Yoko could finish, "And even if you do, Jean and the others would not allow it. So put back the gag and make it slow and painful if you wish, but you shall not..."

"Don't start with me, Subject V, I got to you, and I could just as easily get to John," Yoko snarled back in an equally nasty tone as she jammed her palm onto Sylvie's mouth, preventing her from uttering another word, "Besides, Jean wants my head in a silver platter already anyway, so I have nothing to lose. Killing both of you will get rid of two liabilities quickly and permanently, and if it's the last thing I do for this rebellion, so be it."

"Besides..." Yoko continued on as she used her free hand to take off Sylvie's blindfold, wanting to see how the little ***** was going to react to the news, "You still haven't completed your life long goal, so I doubt you'd REALLY want to die yet..."

What? Sylvie thought as her eyebrows raised themselves automatically, as if to ask Yoko what she meant. Yoko was only too happy to respond.

"You have failed yet again Sylvie," Yoko replied as forcefully as she could, "Ming, despite that little ordeal you put him through, is still alive and is as well as could be expected, and you have once again failed to kill him and avenge your beloved Max. Or at least, so you say. Personally speaking, with all the times you've let the poor guy live even though he's clearly not even half the pilot you are, I'm inclined to believe you DON'T want to kill him and just want his attention. It's kinda hard to live alone when you're already over thirty, isn't it Sylvie?"

Sylvie's eyes quickly narrowed at that final... DISGUSTING remark, wanting to find some way to get free and start...

"Only kidding, Subject V, I've always liked my humor to be dark," Yoko added gleefully as she moved her palm off Sylvie's mouth, and just barely managed to avoid Sylvie's attempt to bite off one of her fingers in revenge, "However, the fact remains. If you don't cooperate with me right now, you will never get another chance at trying to kill him ever again."

"And I suppose you're going to hand him over to me, you backstabber?!" Sylvie mocked, "You may have been jesting about my motives for tracking down Ming, but yours is clear enough. It takes two to start a bloodline continuity project."

"Once this war is over and the Titans have been crushed, he's all yours, Newtype," Yoko conceded with a shrug, "There are other fish in the water I know of who are just as dedicated and nasty as I am, and you're probably worth the loss. I can't give him up while the war is on though, since the others would never accept that nor could we afford to lose a veteran pilot, so you'll have to live with the fact that you're both fighting on the same side for some time."

"I will NEVER fight alongside him," Sylvie growled back in reply, "And you are an even sicker human being than I thought!"

"If you won't, then at least replace him in defending this base," Yoko replied, deciding that Sylvie might respond better to a... "gradual" approach, though she herself was now losing patience, "He is not fit to fight, and without him, I think we'll probably be overwhelmed once the Titans begin a counterattack, and we'll all end up dead. Besides, once we're finished here in New Guinea, John should be on his way home, so I won't have anything to use against you anymore, would I?"

"And if I stopped cooperating afterwards?" Sylvie asked, still not wanting to follow what Yoko said, but knew that she probably had to for John's sake, "I suppose you're going to execute me?"

"Perhaps, though at least now you're certain John won't die along with you," Yoko replied reasonably, "More likely you'll spend the war in a jail, or you'll end up fighting for us anyway. You were awfully careful not to kill any AEUG pilots in your little foray yesterday, which makes me think you're more sympathetic to us than you'd let on."

"Don't presume to know what I'm..." Sylvie started.

"Oh really? I don't think so, Subject V," Yoko interrupted as she moved her head inches only away from Sylvie's face, making sure they would meet each other eye to eye, "Just look at how easy those Titans managed to blackmail you into fighting for them. The sad truth of the matter is Sylvie, that you're nothing more than a weak, empty shell looking for a cause to waste your life on. And once given a petty excuse, you'll happily sell off your soul to the first faction that shows even the remotest amount of interest in you."

"My reason for joining those Titans was not just a 'petty excuse', Yoko," Sylvie growled back in reply, "I was trying to save a life! And even though I may have failed in the end..."

"So why don't you go join us and try to save the life of your friend then?" Yoko shotback angrily before Sylvie could finish, "If he dies, his blood will be on YOUR hands, and the grief of his wife and children will be your responsibility. You don't want HIS children to grow up, wondering why mommy is crying all the time do you?"

"You..." Sylvie started.

"I tire of hearing any more nonsense from you Sylvie," Yoko concluded as she jammed her palm onto Sylvie's mouth once again, "I'm going to put you back to sleep now, and when you wake up you'd better be willing to help us fight those Titans. If not, I'll just find some drugs to use on John to get rid of that troublemaker. I am an expert in the use of chemical weapons you know..."

I won't let you! Sylvie thought angrily back just as Yoko pulled out another syringe. Sylvie tried to struggle, but the needle had already penetrated her skin and the drug entered her bloodstream. Her mind could only scream in rage as her world slowly returned to black.

---------------

Some sleep would be nice right about now... Scott thought as he downed another cup of coffee. The Shigure's engines were proving to be a lot more damaged than he had thought, and despite several long hours of work...

"Scott, what is the status of the repairs?" Major Anderson inquired as he entered the Shigure's engine room, "Can you get them done by dawn?"

Damn commanders, always wanting us to go faster and forgetting to say thank you afterwards... Scott thought to himself in annoyance before he decided to reply, "Sorry sir, we've tried everything but it just can't be done. At best we can have her ready for launch by eight o'clock this morning, but anything earlier will simply not work."

"Then just make sure she's done by eight," Anderson replied as he carefully eyed the bone-tired engineers working in the room, "If you don't we might not be able to get this crate airborne at all."

"Something wrong sir?" Scott asked as a few other heads turned in the direction of the Major.

"Yes," Anderson replied simply, "Something very, very wrong..."

---------------

"John, what the hell are you doing out here?" Jean asked as he saw John limping into the briefing room, using a crutch to support his wounded leg, "I thought I ordered the doc to..."

"Couldn't sleep, so I told the doc to stuff it and give me a crutch," John replied dryly, "I only have to serve a couple more hours before I go home, and with the three crazy but enormously talented people still lying in the hospital bed, you're going to need every man you've got. I hear something bad's coming up, bad enough for the Major to call a briefing for all of the officers and pilots. So what's up?"

"We've got some serious news from the latest data stream, but shouldn't you be counted as the FOURTH crazy person in that group?" Jean joked as he helped John get himself seated.

"I've never denied I was insane nor enormously talented," John replied with a grin, "And if taking Sylvie home with me is crazy, then just call it a confirmation of my insanity."

"Not now John..." Jean warned warily as a few heads turned in their direction, one of them being Yun's, "We'll talk later. The briefing's about to start, and it should answer all of your questions."

"That's why I'm here..." John added, before the lights in the room suddenly dimmed and silenced most of the ongoing conversations. Major Anderson quickly took the stage as the projector was turned on, displaying an enlarged satellite photo on the screen right behind the Major. Dave took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Alright men, it seems we have a major situation here," Anderson started, "The Titans seem to have reacted a LOT faster than we expected, and it seems they are sending a strike team to re-take their base. The O'Bannon has just sighted a large air formation coming our way. A VERY large formation, consisting of some ten Midea type aircraft plus some forty fighter and bomber types in escort. And that's not counting possible reinforcements from other nearby airbases..."

"Oh boy, Liv is going to love this..." John added quietly as he noticed that the female fighter pilot wasn't around, probably providing fighter protection for the base at the moment. Jean frowned, but nodded in agreement. Liv wouldn't be able to stop that many, and with all the hours she and Gordon had been flying trying to protect the base from enemy recon flights, he really was getting worried on how tired she was going to be when the serious fight started...

"Unfortunately, I've checked and rechecked with Scott and his engineering crews, and there is no way for them to prep the Shigure for launch before their arrival," Anderson continued, "And gentlemen, I have to remind you that abandoning the Shigure is simply not an option."

"Of course, that's the whole point of this mission," a voice added as somebody new entered the briefing room, "Sorry I'm late, but..."

"YOKO! What the hell are YOU doing here?!" John shouted as he recognized the new arrival and pointed an accusing finger at her, "Aren't you supposed to be in jail, you kidnapping..."

"Yes, yes, John, I know you're still mad at me for shooting you," Yoko replied with a rather smug grin as she raised her hands in surrender, "So I apologize. But I was rather pissed off after what your friend did to Ming. You DID see what she did to him, didn't you?"

"Yoko..." John started, before noticing a few heads turn, all of them John knew to belong to former Zeon troops. He decided to shut up for the moment.

"Shouldn't you be saying "Apology accepted" right about now?" Yoko asked with an evil grin, "I mean, I did apologize."

"Yoko, what you did was a serious crime," Jean reminded, "You're not going to weasel your way out of it so easily."

"What crime?" Yun muttered, to the agreement of a few other pilots, but Jean ignored them and awaited Yoko's response.

"Look, I'll plead guilty when the court martial comes, but until then survival comes first," Yoko replied reasonably, "We have two battalions of enemy troops coming our way and we can't afford to waste time fighting among ourselves. Save your anger for those Titans."

"Yoko..." Jean started.

"Captain, let the issue go for the moment," Anderson ordered as he motioned everyone to sit down, "She's right. We've got a bigger problem coming right now and fighting among ourselves will not help. She's already promised to take responsibility for actions anyway."

"But..." Jean started again.

"Jean, I'd have to agree with the Major," John decided, though still eyeing Yoko suspiciously. Something seemed to be different about her, as though she was the only one who knew a dirty little secret that was going to blow everyone away... "But she'd better keep her word about pleading guilty."

"Well Jean, looks like you've been overruled," Yoko replied with a smile, "But if it makes you feel better, please feel free to keep an eye on me and shoot me dead if I do something barbaric again. I won't mind."

"Believe me, I will..." Jean muttered in reply, swearing to himself that Yoko wasn't going to get away with this so easily, but nevertheless nodded in agreement. Yoko, crazy or not, was going to be joining them for the next battle.

"Alright, that's settled then," Anderson concluded as he flipped a switch and changed the image on the screen, this one showing an overhead shot of the base, "Now, we are outnumbered by the enemy force by perhaps as much as two is to one, but we know they're coming and when they arrive, so we'll have a few hours to setup a couple of surprises for our Titans guests..."

And if all goes well, Yoko thought on, I'm going to be the one who's going to setup the biggest surprise of them all...

---------------

August 2, UC 0087. 0100 hours Zulu.

Federation Singapore Base.

"Sir, the 16th and 23rd are now less than eight hundred miles from New Guinea," a techie reported as a set of blips rapidly approached the now enemy-occupied Titans base, "They will reach New Guinea Base within four hours."

"Confirmation from Peking?" the base commander demanded.

"Confirmation received sir," a radio officer responded, "Colonel Wilkins is ordering the operation to proceed."

"Status of the Ashimar and the rest of the company?"

"Fully operational sir," the head engineer reported, "Gerhard's boys are ready to rock."

"Very well," the base commander replied, "Clear the runways. Operation is a go. Launch all aircraft immediately."

---------------

Notes:

People might ask why I'd add in the Ashimar next chapter(yes, I'm using it, funky looking or not), even though it's one of those hard to get variable MS, but from what I gather a number of them were built, most probably being stationed at Dakar(where they seem to be defending the Federal Assembly before Char decides to barge in ^_^), so borrowing one or two ought to be feasible ^_^. In fact, I plan to use some Green Divers references for this particular Ashimar ^_^.

Yoko's also hinted at a certain character from What Cost for Freedom, I wonder if anybody caught it... ^_^*starts betting that Reader from Gwatch is going to be the one who gets it first* ^_^.

---------------

Notice: This fic and all its contents are copyrighted by Thomas E. "Zinegata" Ting. No part of this work may be taken by any other person without permission from the author. Gundam and all related trademarks are owned by Bandai and their respective companies.