Part 41: Mission 14 - Prologue
We’ve got access to the posse from the previous mission to upgrade but I’ll leave the more Setsuko-focused series’ to Doc; let’s jump straight into the plot!
Location: North Ameria – The Community of Fort Severn
We find ourselves at the Freeden, still intact, with the young Carris asking the landship’s captain, Jamil, about the Moon Race’s movements.
He says Witz and Roybea are investigating the matter right now and, speak of the devil, we’ve just received an incoming message from them. It seems they’ve located the Diana Counter’s main camp, around 40 kilometers west of the city and Jamil tells them to come back.
Sara asks if he thinks the Moon Race will try to take Fort Severn by force and, while Jamil knows that Diana is trying to pursue peaceful negotiations with Earth, he knows that the current New Federation policies are forcing the hand of her troops.
Tonya realizes that the Diana Counter wants to avoid an open a conflict with the New Federation, so they’re going after an autonomous region like Fort Severn – quite the rotten thing to do, she thinks.
Because of that autonomy, we cannot expect any help from the Feds, which mean the defense of the city will fall entirely on us but Carris is willing to fight anyone that comes to preserve their freedom. A far cry from his cold attitude from when they fought in the past, Tonya thinks.
If he’s changed, it’s because of the Freeden’s crew, Garrod and Tifa included. He remembers that, as an Artificial Newtype, he had lost his heart and had been reduced to a tool for other people’s plans and Garrod and the others risked their lives to help him.
Shingo, however, reminds them that Garrod has been missing since before the “Break the World” and, during his absence, the Frost Brothers defeated the Freeden and took Tifa.
Still, Tonya thinks it won’t be the same today as Witz and Roybea’s Gundams have been upgraded. Jamil accedes that they don’t have Garrod’s help anymore but they still intend on helping Fort Severn as much as possible.
Carris is thankful since, while he did call for added troops, he’ll need to rely on them to face this situation. Jamil was also hoping to make contact with the Moon Race, based on a premonition Tifa told him long before the Breaking of the World: "One day, the Queen of the Moon and I shall touch the truth together, and the butterfly shall fly towards the future."
The Queen would be Diana Sorei but the rest is an enigma. Still, Jamil certainly wouldn’t have expected things to turn out like this.
Sara wonders if we might find Tifa with Diana and, if so, they might be able to get her back. However, Jamil thinks it’s more likely that Tifa’s in the hands of the New Federation as the Frost Brothers were UNE agents and Sara has to wonder what they plan on doing that they would need Newtypes.
Carris, inwardly, asks Garrod where he is as they really need his strength…
Elsewhere, aboard the Soreil, we find
Of course, she never gave such orders as she hoped to negotiate with the town’s government and Phil claims it was an on-scene judgment call and apologizes for disobeying her command. Milan thinks it’s only natural that they’ll get angry at this but he thinks it’ll help in the negotiations.
Of course, Diana thinks this blatant display of power by the Counter forces will only provoke an unfavorable reaction and, while Milan understands her reasoning, he says that the New Federation sees the Moon Race as any other hostile nation - a result of the contempt felt by the humans that hold the positions of power in th Federation.
Coordinators, Spacenoids, Space Revolutionary Army, Moon Race – it makes no difference to the Feds. The nuances behind the Moon Race's return to Earth are impossible to convey with the dialogue in its current state, and with the Feds in firm control of the Sun Belt, the Moon Race has no choice but to look elsewhere.
Diana doesn't like "looking" the same way the Federation does, though, but Phil says there’s no other way and Milan agrees: as the negotiations drag along slowly, they’re losing soldiers and resources. If things continue like this, they'll have to mobilize Ghingnham's forces on the moon.
Phil says the soldiers of the Diana Counter believed in this homecoming and begs her to allow them to seize the “Promised Land” with their own hands.
Still, Diana doesn’t budge and intends to pursue dialogue to the end.
She says anything won by force is destined to be lost to greater force, and she will not see her people mired in a world of endless conflict. Furthermore if the negotiations fail to produce results, she’s ready to consider returning to the moon.
Milan gives up and tells Phil to call the troops back and he confirms but, inwardly, Phil fumes that he'll be damned if he pulls back after the trouble it took to secure that garrison. Also, Milan thinks that, if Diana insists in following this unrealistic idealism, he and Phil will need to think things over…
Diana then calls Harry over and asks about the whereabouts of the Inglessa Militia.
Sadly, both the militia and Gwen have been missing since the “Break the World” and, so far, Harry hasn’t found anything. It seems that, after opposing the United Nations Earth, the New Federation stepped in and simply took Inglessa.
Harry figures Gwen’s a very skilled man and, for that, was branded an outlaw by the government. Diana sighs at the beautiful nation of Inglessa being annexed by the Federation but, either way, she’d like Harry to continue his search.
Diana says she’d like to thank those who defended the Promised Land and Harry promises to dedicate all his energy into fulfilling this task. Inwardly, Kihel thinks to the real Diana that it’s been months since they did this little “game” and switched places.
She's managed to learn enough from the Soreil's libraries to keep up the ruse, but knows that the truth will come to light sooner or later. She can only pray that Diana returns safe and sound before that day arrives...
Meanwhile, Harry is observing her quietly.
Location: Diana Counter Camp
Poe is rallying the troops, having just received from Phil the go-ahead to invade Fort Severn.
The troops are raring to go and turn this into their new “Promised Land”. Poe warns that the town will have its troops defending it but says their pride cannot falter – the attack begins in three hours.
Nearby we find Corin Nander, who will be leading the local conscripts.
Corin complains that it sounds troublesome and Poe, inwardly, remembers being told that he was only recently released from cryogenic imprisonment and sent to Earth. She also heard that he’s dangerous so he should be more than competent enough to fight the Earthlings.
In any case, Corin wants to see his underlings and they’re right nearby…
The first one would be Rand and Corin immediately sees that he’s no ordinary man – Rand notices the same thing about Corin.
No sooner does Rand strike his THE HEAT pose, Poe flinches and wonders what’s with this waft of hot air she felt. Setsuko politely introduces herself and, regardless of route, Enil shows up as the second recruit.
In Rand’s path, Corin wonders the coincidence of having both a brute and a cute girl in the team and, in Setsuko’s path, he thinks Earth isn’t bad at all, if he’s got two babes to accompany him.
Regardless, Poe says his unit will be acting on their own, so they’ll leave the tactics to his discretion and Corin already can’t wait.
Poe does make it a point for him to remember he’s part of the Diana Counter army and to act accordingly. She leaves on Setsuko’s path but, of course, she remembers Rand from the attack in Nocis.
She says she’ll ignore his participation in that battle BUT, if he’s planning any tricks, she won’t hesitate to shoot him in the back. With that, she wishes them good luck and leaves.
When he asks, Corin tells Rand that their job is simple: squash anything that comes near and, looking at Rand, he figures that’s right up his alley.
Rand won’t deny it but Corin makes it a point to remind him that, should “it” come out, he’s to keep away – that’s Corin’s prey. That’d be a Gundam and Rand wonders what could his beef be with those.
As Corin leaves, Rand asks Enil to hold up as he remembers her going after Garrod in Inglessa and, while she tries to deny it, Rand remembers her voice well. She glares at him but Rand tells her to relax as he doesn’t intend to bother her right now.
He figures he shouldn’t meddle in the business between a man and woman, which makes Enil say that he’s a good man but, sadly, Rand says she’s not his type. She asks if he’s together with Garrod and he tells how they all got separated with the Break the World.
She asks why he’s doing mercenary work and he says he needed the cash to continue his travels. Enil finds it a curious reason to join the Moon Race but that’s not all – he’s also hoping to take a look at their intel to, hopefully, find someone.
When Enil asks, to keep things simple, he says it’s his fiancée…more or less. That doesn’t explain much but Rand also asks what she’s doing here and if there isn’t something that she could be doing.
Enil shrugs, saying she just seems to get along with stuff like this but, if that’s the case, why not work for Fort Severn? There are a few things that happened there before and, as such, she can’t really show her face around.
Rand apologizes if he opened an old wound but she doesn’t blame him – it WAS her fault that it all happened like that. Either way, Rand tells her to live through this and she might just meet Garrod again.
She says the same and he answers with a HEATED “Yup!” which, of course, causes Enil to think how stifling his attitude is.
Setsuko’s situation is the same and, when Enil asks, she says she’s not looking for her boyfriend but for someone very important. Enil relates to that, of feeling something different from “love” and more like the need of just being with someone.
As for why she’s doing this job, Enil says she’s just trying to survive and, as before, Fort Severn is a no-no. Either way, for Setsuko to continue her search for Toby, she’ll need to survive this and both girls exchange wishes of good luck.