"Zechs Merquise!""I am very sorry. I failed at getting rid of the Gundams."
Lady Une is visiting Treize's private ship and lowers her head for these beginning words.
In the room, the interior of which is done in same way as his own room at the OZ headquarters, Treize is sitting on the sofa, ellbows on the arm rests, chin in his hand. With his head slightly cocked and the legs crossed, he is the conceited noble in person.
"Oh, this is not like you. With which method did you want to beat the Gundams after all?"
After closing the book he has been reading, Treize directs his gaze at Lady Une.
"I wanted to let the ICBM's self-destruct mechanism at the New Edwards base do the job and erase them together with the base."
"And then?"
Treize's voice sounds slightly as if he may be very amused.
"The ignition mechanism was disarmed by the Gundams, and the explosion was prevented."
At the bitter words of Lady Une, Treize smiles casually at her and answers "So we were saved by the Gundams...."
At Treize's words, Lady Une openly shows her surprise.
"Earth is a limited space. We must not soil it thoughtlessly."
Getting closer to the window and looking at the slowly darkening sea, Treize continues as if he were preaching.
"The human being is a small creature. Everybody can erase it. We must not wish for such a thing. This time we have to be grateful to them. And then, Lady, please learn more about OZ."
After getting up, Treize smiles at Lady Une.
"Learn about OZ...."
Lady Une repeats Treize's words sounding a bit puzzled.
Does this mean that I have not understood Sir Treize correctly?
Lady Une weakly lowers her head, as if to say that she doesn't want to believe this.
**********
The headquarters of the Alliance is in Luxembourg, in Central Europe.
While watching the situation outside, with the rising smoke due to the bombardment by the OZ army, from the window of his office, Brigadier General Daigo Onegell, commander of the headquarters, spits out disgustedly "A fun thing! You really thought it would fall so easily?! I won't let something like OZ come even one step closer to this base!"
It started at dawn with a bombardment by mysterious troops, which were thought to be the mobile suits sent in by the colonies. However, the more news about an OZ rebellion came in from everywhere, the more they could grasp the situation.
A coup d'etat by OZ against the Alliance.
In this hardly believable situation, Brigadier General Onegell took measures by reinforcing the defenses of the base.
One could say it was luck that there were no 'Specials' assigned to the Alliance Headquarters. Therefore, there was no attack from the inside. This was also because Alliance officers, including Brigadier General Onegell, did not trust OZ.
"As long as this headquarter exists, OZ won't do as they please!"
As if answering to the Brigadier General's exclamation, a calm voice sounds from the entrance to the office.
"The vigilance in this headquarter is certainly perfect. If there were a weak spot with the people handling it, this fortress would have certainly fallen."
"Zechs Merquise!"
Onegell has turned around and shouts this as if he were moaning. Then he moves backwards. There's some noise as his back hits the window. He is too surprised for it to be normal.
"Where have you come in?"
"Even if no 'Specials' were assigned here, there are persons with OZ behind them in any troop."
Zechs suddenly laughs and points a pistol at the Brigadier General.
"It seems you did know. Because your distrust towards me was exceptionally strong during the times of the Alliance, I was wondering whether this was the case or not."
Zechs enters the office, holding the pistol in position, which is only able to fire one shot.
"It was the period! The war has made me do it!! It was not my will to attack Sanc Kingdom, it was the will of the Alliance!"
"Sanc Kingdom had no intention to oppose the Alliance. Nevertheless, you started the attack and ruined the country. At that time, many states disapproved of the "United Earth Sphere Alliance"'s expanding their military power. Sanc Kingdom was one of these countries. The public declaration was that resistance could be nipped in the bud with the extinction of the royal family, who had an important influence on the surrounding countries. You took over the command yourself!"
Zechs declares this as if reading a crime aloud.
Thirteen years ago it happened that the small kingdom 'Sanc Kingdom' in Northern Europe was invaded and ruined based on the information that it was planning a rebellion against the Alliance. The name of the royal family, who advocated total pacifism based on demilitarization, was Peacecraft.
"Milliardo Peacecraft!"
Onegell opens a drawer and extends his hand towards a gun. The opponent has only one shot. If he can take it into his hand....
But Onegell's thoughts are interrupted then.
A gunshot resounds and a hole appears in the middle of Onegell's forehead. His head thrown back, Onegell's body falls towards the window and slides to the ground.
"May you rest in peace, angry Milliardo Peacecraft!"
After blowing away the white smoke rising from the gun nuzzle, Zechs murmurs this quietly as if persuading himself.
**********
On the bridge of the double hull carrier, Lady Une thinks about the true meaning of Treize's words.
Learn about OZ....
What is OZ?
What are Sir Treize's thoughts?
What is Sir Treize expecting?
To seize power in the Earth Sphere. To additionally take possession of the colonies.
Isn't it?
Lady Une's thoughts are wandering as if they were going round in a maze without exit.
"Captain, two cargo planes of the 505 transport troop are asking for contact with this warship."
Even this report from the communication soldier to the captain does not reach Lady Une's ears.
"What about the identification signal?"
"I am an Aries cargo plane."
"Okay, permission granted."
The words of the communication soldier are entering Lady Une's ears one moment too late. After a moment of thinking, she overrules the captain's words.
"Wait. Where are these cargo planes attached to?"
"It's New Edwards...."
"Idiot! It's the enemy!!"
As soon as Lady Une has yelled this, one of the cargo plane drives into the battleship running beside them.
The explosion's sound booms and dark red flames burn the evening sky. But there are no further explosions, maybe there was not so much fuel left?
"The plane following it is coming towards this carrier!"
"Shoot it down!"
Answering to Lady Une's order, the carrier's gun turrets are opening fire at the same time.
The cargo plane is hit by the bombardment and is soon full of holes. It quickly loses speed and dives towards the bridge. Then the plane is hit by one shot of the main battery, coming from the side. It turns away as if its nose had been flicked away, and changes its course. As it is, the plane slides along the vast runway and explodes.
The shockwave hits the bridge. Then, a Gundam appears from the roaring flames.
"It's a Gundam!"
Shouts arise on the bridge.
Trowa's Heavyarms destroys its surroundings with the Gatling gun.
"Return the fire with the Leos!"
"A Gundam has appeared as well from the plane which crashed first!"
"What did you say?!"
After cutting the bridge of the battleship in two with one stroke of his beam glaive, Wufei's mobile suit jumps straight to the next ship running parallel.
"Twenty Leos destroyed!"
"What are you doing? Make him fall into the sea! Shoot him down with the Cancers!"
After issuing her orders, Lady Une confirms the movements of the two Gundams. One suit is aiming at this carrier. The other suit seems to want to head somewhere rather than destroy anything. Lady Une's eyes stray ahead of the Gundam and she notices the Gundam's target. She calls out to the radar controller "What about Sir Treize's ship?"
"It has moved away from this fleet!"
"Fine! I'm going out! Have a Leo equipped with the high suit mobility option!"
After leaving the message with the mobile suit hangar, Lady Une rushes out of the bridge.
"Are you saying the target is Sir Treize's ship? Don't joke!"
Lady Une spits this out while running down a narrow spiral staircase.
**********
At the same time, Wufei discovers a single ship leaving the fleet.
"That must be him!"
Overlaying the scenery on the monitor with the radar picture, he determines Treize's ship.
"Target acquired! Let's go, Nataku!!"
The Gundam ignites the Vernier engines and goes towards the ship, which is leaving slowly. The Gundam moves as if hopping on the water, but instead of solid ground, it steps onto the deck of a battle ship, and additionally it can jump wide.
One jump left. Be prepared, Treize!
At the moment Wufei is stepping onto the pedals, a warning signal suddenly announces an enemy approaching fast from behind.
"What!?"
Before he can lift his eyes and verify on the rear monitor, the Leo plunges in with high speed and throws itself at the Gundam. Not being able to dodge entirely, Wufei's Shenlong is put in a position where he cannot jump, and is thrown down onto the deck.
The Leo throws off the high suit mobility option attached to its hips and, becoming more agile, draws its beam sabre.
"Don't make light of this!"
Wufei shouts this while having Shenlong stand up and pushes the control stick down. The beam glaive mows down a horizontal straight line.
Far from fleeing, the Leo instead charges. Getting the handle part of the beam glaive into the hip, it raises the beam saber towards Wufei.
Clicking his tongue, Wufei draws on the control stick and grabs the hand holding the saber, thus stopping the Leo's movement. The Leo wants to strike with its left arm at the Gundam.
"That's about enough. You can't win against me."
Wufei throws these words at the Leo through the microphone.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Roaring in the cockpit, Lady Une pushes on the control stick.
However, instead of giving the finishing blow, the Gundam destroys the Leo's arm. Nevertheless, Lady Une wants to strike with the other arm.
Suddenly, a siren blows loudly.
"Sir Treize...."
Lady Une looks unconsciously to her left. Running alongside, Treize's private ship is shortening the distance.
"It seems your superior wants to fight with me."
At the Gundam's pilot voice, Lady Une shouts "Sir Treize, this is dangerous! Go away please!"
Just after she has said this, all the monitors around Lady Une change to the scenery of a wide grass plane. Mixing with the chirping of songbirds, Treize's voice becomes audible.
"Lady Une, please leave the rest to me."
"Sir Treize...."
With her superior blocking her monitors, Lady Une can only move back her Leo.
Displaying the approaching ship in his main monitor, Wufei notices a human figure standing in a room on the uppermost floor near the heliport.
"Treize? Must be the real thing...."
The figure which he has seen often on screen as the commander of OZ watches him with a glass in his hand.
"Let's go, Nataku!"
Wufei has Shenlong jump towards the heliport.
After breaking through the floor of the heliport and turning towards Treize's private room, the provoking gesture of Treize is displayed on the monitor.
The blade of a drawn sabre is going up and down on his palm, as if he were playing with it.
"You wish!"
As soon as he has called this out, Wufei pushes without further ado the control stick forward.
Shenlong's right arm extends like a whip and the hand, which looks like a dragon jaw, plunges into Treize's room. After drawing a broad mongolian sabre fastened behind the seat, he runs out of the cockpit, over the right arm of the mobile suit, using it as a bridge, and jumps into the room.
"My name is Chang Wufei!"
Taking position with his sabre, Wufei introduces himself.
"Treize Kushrenada."
Answering, Treize brings his sabre into position.
Wufei attacks first. Having lifted his sabre, he brings it down, mowing down at a terrific speed.
But Treize dodges with a fluid movement and counterattacks. Treize's elegant sword, which is a total contrast to Wufei's daring two-edged sabre, draws a beautiful arc and aims at Wufei.
Wufei dodges by jumping up. Then, using the energy, he brings down the sabre with a shout.
Treize only moves half a step and evades the huge blade coming from above completely.
Because the attack led with all his strength was dodged, Wufei is defenseless for a moment.
The cold blade, as if dancing in the wind, extends towards his throat. Wufei's jaw is mirrored in the dully gleaming blade.
"I have won."
Treize announces this in a light tone, totally as if he had just won a game of cards.
"Kill me!" shouts Wufei.
However, the blade is suddenly removed without even as much as cutting his skin.
"It was a good fight."
Wufei stares up with angry eyes at Treize, who is putting back his sword.
"If you don't kill me now, I will come back to kill you as many times as necessary!"
Treize answers to the enraged words thrown at him with a bright smile.
"I am looking forward to it. I'll ask you for another contest then."
"Shit!"
After spitting this out, Wufei runs towards Shenlong.
In his stead, Lady Une comes hurrying and and appears in the destroyed room. As she notices the running Wufei, she wants to draw her gun.
Holding back her hand gently, Treize shakes his head.
"Sir Treize!? Why are you letting this person leave?"
With the hint of a smile, Treize watches the Gundam leave and answers to Lady Une.
"He is a mobile suit pilot. That means I think he should be given another chance. That he descended from the mobile suit and fought with me, shows that he is indeed a man, even if he is still young. He could have finished everything easily by killing me with the Gundam. Isn't that what being a Gundam pilot would indeed be all about? Next time, I have to compete with him in a mobile suit, which is his strength."
"Sir Treize...."
Lady Une can only stare dismayed at Treize's profile, who talks as if he thoroughly enjoys fighting.
**********
Trowa is heading for the bridge of the double hull carrier when he is seized by Cancers launched from the deck and thrown into the sea.
When he wants to shower the underwater mobile suits gathered there with bullets from the Gatling canon, he notices that there is no reaction. He has used up all the ammunition and missiles. That he had enough for use in New Edwards and even coming here probably means he had a lot of it.
"Looks like I'm surrounded."
While murmuring this, Trowa extends the blade which the right arm of Heavyarms is equipped with. Now this is his only weapon.
The five Cancers surrounding him open their arms which look like the claws of a crab. Torpedoes are launched one after the other.
Trowa cuts into the preceding torpedoes. The shockwave, simultaneous with the ignition, generates white foam. The torpedoes are hit by the shock which triggers the ignition. In the water, foam blocks the sight, and the explosion's sound blocks the hearing.
Trowa swoops down on the confused Cancers and steadily obliterates one suit after the other.
"That is...."
When the fighting is over, he sees a white mobile suit sinking down rapidly from above. It's the mobile suit with which he came flying here in the cargo plane. Surely the pilot has to be the one who introduced himself as Wufei.
"What's the matter?" calls Trowa into the microphone.
But there is no answer. He can only hear laboured, heavy breathing.
"I see...."
Without asking any further questions, Trowa follows Wufei's sinking mobile suit.
**********
On that day, the Alliance loses its leaders, and its main bases are either conquered or destroyed. Because of this, the Alliance's organization collapses and in its stead OZ, with the Romefeller foundation behind it, appears on the front stage of history.
History, thrown into confusion, drives the Gundam pilots into frustration and puts them even more to the test.