Chapter 5: A Slight Change of Heart
December 8, UC 0083 "He's alright, isn't he?" Fiona thought. He promised me he'd come back... He promised me... I've waited for him to ask me for so long, and we'de finally spend our lives together wouldn't we? Please be safe... But it wasn't Peter who stepped out of the shuttle. Instead, it was a female Federation officer, wearing a formal uniform with her hair tucked neatly in her cap. The female officer walked briskly towards her, her face set in stone, her eyes trying to hide her emotions, and failing. And Fiona finally realized her nightmare had come true... "Mam," The woman officer started as she took off her cap, "I am Captain Sylvie Gressier, and I am here to regretfully inform you..."
Fiona didn't wait for her to finish. Instead she fell down to her knees and started sobbing. Sylvie reached out, trying to comfort her, but Fiona pushed Sylvie's hand away, crying out her dead fiancee's name as she did so. And the only thing Sylvie could do was watch... "What's happening out there?" Ming asked as a small crowd began to gather around the dock just beside theirs. "Looks like some lady crying her eyes out..." Jake remarked as he returned from the commotion, "Something about her fiancee..." "Her name is Fiona Madrigal," Jefferson explained quietly, "She's the sister of a high school friend of mine. They say her fiancee was killed in a post-combat accident a few days ago at Side 2..." "What sort of accident? Exploding fuel tanks?" Ming inquired. So, was her finacee the man he killed? "Yes," Jefferson replied without turning to face Ming, "How did you know?" "It wasn't an accident," Ming replied almost smugly. About time they finally heard the story, he thought, after four days of worrying about those Titans... "I was the one who..." "So he was the one you got, eh?" Jefferson asked as he turned to face Ming. "Yeah, he was the one who killed two of..." Ming started, but before he could finish Jefferson suddenly punched him in the face and sent him flying off to the wall. Ming looked at Jefferson, stunned. "That's not enough to justify killing him!" Jefferson reprimanded angrily, "His GM was already down, he couldn't have hurt anybody else, and you still killed him! What sort of man are you!?" "It was for justice!" Ming shot back, "He killed two of ours, that was enough reason to do it!" "What about her then?!" Jefferson asked, his anger rising. Ming you *******! I once thought you were a good soldier... but you aren't. You're just like those mass murderer Zabis... "Things like this happen in a war!" Ming countered, "Just because she's you're friend's..." "I'm not angry because I know her..." Jefferson interrupted, "I'm angry because you killed a helpless man! We don't shoot helpless people!" "Even if he was that ******* sniper?!" Ming asked as he remembered the battle between him and an ace Federation sniper on the last day of the war. He was helpless back then too when Ming finally shot him... even as he cried out for his girl... "My God Ming... don't tell me you executed him while he was helpless too..." Jefferson replied, truly shocked at the monster he had not known to have existed within Ming. "He killed Mike!" Ming reminded, "How many of YOUR men were killed by him?!" "But he never killed anybody who was helpless. He just killed those who could shoot back to try to kill him and his companions. He just did his duty. He was a real soldier," Jefferson countered. And he was beginning to have more respect for his gallant enemy than Ming. "You can't prove that!" Ming replied, sure that the enemy he had fought before was a true monster who would not hesitate to kill anyone from Zeon. "Oh really, then look at THIS," Jefferson replied as he showed Ming a picture. It was of an old comrade of Ming, Lieutenant Ukiya, sitting beside what looked like a pregnant woman, "Remember how he asked to be left behind after his Rick Dom got damaged?" Jefferson asked. "Ye... Yeah..." Ming replied rather shakily, not wanting to be reminded of his failure to bring him back. "It was the sniper who took him prisoner. Ukiya thought he was going to be shot, but he wasn't. In fact they treated him very well, even though their commanding officer had been killed during that battle," Jefferson explained, "In fact, he's now living peacefully in Side 3, happily married. He sent me this picture to reassure you and Mike that he was alright. Now tell me, did you do the right thing back then? Was shooting that sniper in cold blood the right thing to do?" "Yes..." Ming replied quietly, though this time with some doubt. It was still all for justice, wasn't it? Jefferson stared coldly for a few moments at Ming. He had suddenly lost all respect for his former ace pilot. But as his former superior officer, he also felt guilty for failing to stop him from becoming like this. He ripped the picture to pieces and threw it into the floor, "Fine, get your things ready. I'll have your transport ready by the afternoon. The Side 2 resistance is looking for somebody like you..." "Arnold..." Ming started. "From now on, call me Jefferson again..." Jefferson replied in a cold tone.
"Fine," Ming replied equally coldly, "Jefferson..." "Why did it have to be him?" Sylvie thought for the hundredth time since the battle at Side 2. Why the hell did it have to be him and not me? Why can't fate just take me and stop the pain already? "Mam, are you alright?" Jin asked as he stepped into her office. She looked like hell, he thought, but they had all been through one traumatic experience. But it was far more so for the lady that was left behind. "I'm okay," Sylvie replied as she shook her head, "How's Ms. Madrigal?" "They just sent her for the hospital," Jin replied solemnly, "She's in severe shock, but they say she'll be alright in a few days..." "It'll never be alright..." Sylvie muttered to herself. It never would... "Mam?" Jin asked. Was this why she was always depressed all the time? Did she lose somebody dear to her during the war? "Nothing, Jin," Sylvie replied as she regained her composure, "Anyway, get your things ready, we're going back to Side 2 by the afternoon, alright?"
"Yes mam," Jin replied in a quiet tone. He sighed. It was just so frustrating to see this happen everyday... "Aren't we a pair of sorry sons of a *****es..." Herbert muttered as he poured Jefferson another glass of rum. Both old salts in the military, they were now getting into the time honored tradition of getting drunk. Both men felt partly responsible for Ming. They were supposed to be the younger generation's "second fathers" during the war, and in Ming's case, it was quite clear they ****ed up, big time. "I should have seen it coming..." Jefferson muttered as he sipped some of his drink, "He had already been pretty badly traumatized by the deaths of his family, and I should have seen that he'd snap when that sniper appeared..." "Was that guy really that good?" Herbert inquired. "The best pilot on the other side," Jefferson declared, "Maybe even on both sides. But he believed in the same things as I did. Remeber Wavell?" "That General who went crazy and tried to nuke Side 6?" "Yeah," Jefferson replied, "He nearly got away after using me as a decoy, but that sniper managed to stop him. And he gave up his own life in doing so. Giving his own life so millions more could live..." Including mine, he didn't add, or else I would have killed myself out of guilt. But that was just half of it. Part of the reason Wavell had not gotten away was because of his actions. In the only time he had ever betrayed his countrymen, Colonel Arnold Jefferson had revealed the location of Wavell's force and its mission to the Federal Forces, condemning many of Zeon's sons to their graves to save millions more... But leaving him so racked with guilt that he had to move from his home at Side 3 and settle here at Von Braun... He blinked his eyes. Damn, he thought, a grown man shouldn't be crying like this... "How'd you find that out?" Hebert asked, almost doubtful at the truthfulness of his story. Though he did not believe in killing civilians or prisoners, Herbert believed firmly in spacenoid independence, and had come to distrust the Earth Federation. "I met their commanding officer at the surrender," Jefferson explained, "A very honest Russian guy... I think his name was Dolvich. We spent a few hours discussing how close it had been..." "Like Lee meeting Grant at the Appomattox Court House, eh?" Herbert asked almost with a smile as he imagined the meeting. "And I was Lee..." Jefferson replied with a nod, "But I still wished I stopped Ming from joining the Delaz Fleet back then..." "It's not your fault, Arnold," Herbert said in a comforting tone as he shook his head, "You know how stubborn that kid is. He gave us all fits when he fought with us under Delaz..." "But still..." Jefferson started before stopping himself. Ah hell, he thought, Ming was a monster anyway, and he didn't associate himself with those kind of people, did he? "He's still your friend," Herbert continued for him as he saw Jefferson's face. "Yes..." Jefferson replied quietly. I still do trust and respect him, don't I? He's almost like a son to me... "Then don't worry. I'll be tagging along with him anyway, I'll make sure he stays out of trouble," Herbert promised. "I'm not worried about his physical well being," Jefferson replied, "I'm worried about his mental state. I'm just afraid that he'll turn into a mindless killing machine. One that doesn't realize what he's doing everytime he pulls the trigger..." "He'll probably realize it by himself someday... I hope." "He IS rather like a lone wolf," Jefferson replied with a chuckle. Maybe Herbert is right after all... "Oh yeah, what time is it? Shouldn't you be at the dock by 4:00 p.m.?"
"Yeah, but we still have," Herbert started as he looked at the time, "Holy ****!" he remarked as he saw that it was already 3:56, "It's almost time!" Damn these drinking sessions! he thought, time passes so quickly... "Where the hell is he?" Ming muttered as he waited outside the shuttle Columbia. Herbert was late, even though his things had already been loaded onto the shuttle, but that was not his only problem... "Captain... that inspection team is getting close..." Jake warned as he pointed to several Federal officers searching the shuttle beside theirs. To make matters worse, several VERY mean looking men wearing black uniforms were with them. They were probably part of the elite task force that had been formed to hunt them. The Titans. "It's 4:00, we need to go, NOW!" the Columbia's Captain reminded over the intercom. Though he was sympathetic to former Zeon soldiers, he wasn't an active part of the resistance, and he wasn't being paid enough to take risks like this. "****! We'll have to leave him!" Jake muttered. But part of him was glad. At least that nice old guy wouldn't face dangers anymore like them... "Jake..." Ming started, "We don't ever leave..."
"We do now!" the Columbia's Captain remarked in a panicked tone, "Get onboard, or we launch without you!" "We should start with the Columbia soon..." the chief inspector said as he completed his search of the ship. As usual, he thought, nothing... "My men haven't searched this shuttle yet," Brevet Titans Captain Ivan Romanov declared as he scanned the shuttle's manifest. "Mobile Suit parts, huh?" he thought, all being sent to a native of Side 3 who is said to specialize in construction mobile suits... Sure... "Search the hold!" he ordered his men, "And check all those containers." "Look, that manifest is correct as far as we know," the chief interrupted reasonably, "And I know the guy they're sending this stuff to. He's clean." "Lieutenant! Detain the inspector for questioning!" Ivan ordered. So, you dare collaborate with Zeon scum? "But..." the chief inspector started just before he was punched in the face by one of the Titan officers. His subordinates tried to stop him, but they were quickly stopped by Ivan who produced a pistol and aimed it at them. "Resist, and we'll shoot you dead right here, right now!" Ivan declared, "Now put all your hands up! You shall all be detained!"
The chief simply nodded to his men, who did as they were told. Damn these *******s, he thought, I hope these guys are disbanded soon... "Boy, for once I think the Feddies are helping us..." Jake remarked as he saw the commotion going on between the dock inspectors and the Titans officers, "But I wouldn't want to face those Titans guys... they look mean." Ming simply nodded. THAT was why he was fighting for Zeon. To stop those inhuman abusive monsters who had enslaved the spacenoid population... And he hoped that he could continue his fight well in Side 2...
"Alright!" the Columbia's Captain declared as he got authorization from Von Braun, "We have clearance, we are launching!" "Hey! We haven't inspected the Columbia yet! Why is she leaving?!" one of the inspectors declared as he saw the Columbia start moving out of the dock.
"Shut up!" one of the Titans officers declared as he punched the offending inspector in the mouth. You dumb spacenoids... he thought. "Oh ****! We're too late..." Herbert remarked as he tried to catch his breathe as he ahd run all the way to the dock. Damn it! he thought, they were only two minutes late and yet... "Don't worry, we'll just try to contact Ming when he gets there..." Jefferson suggested. Just so long as... "Who are you?" a man wearing a black uniform asked as he saw the two of them standing near the dock. "A pair of sorry idiots who missed their shuttle..." Herbert muttered in reply. "Really?" the Titans officer asked suspiciously, "Well..." "Kyle! Get back here!" Ivan ordered as he saw one of his less "reliable" subordinates talking with a pair of worthless drunks. Kyle eyed the two men for a moment, but decided not to keep his CO waiting, lest he get chewed out again. "Whew..." Herbert remarked as he saw the Titans officer walk off, "Close..."
"Yeah..." Jefferson agreed as he started pulling Herbert away from the dock, "I just hope Ming doesn't meet any of those guys at Side 2. They look like heartless killers to me." "There!" Doctor Cassandra Miller thought to herself as she finished cleaning up her office. It had taken three years, but she was finally home. Her home that had been devastated by Zeon invaders during the One Year War. But despite the carnage that they had done, people were coming back to live here again. Some were fellow survivors like her, but most were newcomers who had immigrated from the other overpopulated Sides. In any case, they were all here to rebuild their lives, right here in Side 2. And nothing would stop them, she thought as she saw a trio of black clad men patrolling around her neighborhood, not even those brutal Titans...
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. |
