Chapter 1: "Force Majeure"

May, UC 0096...
Torrington Base, Australia...
The day right after the battle with the Zeon remnants...


BGM: "CAPTURE" (MS Gundam UC OST 2)



It was a hot day in the Australian outback. Debris of mobile suits and other weapons were scattered across the landscape, a testament to a grim event that happened less than 24 hours ago. It was the day after the tense battle between the Zeon remnants, and the Earth Federation Forces. Torrington was saved, but at the cost of many lives and mobile suits...

A jeep came to the gates, and upon seeing who the passenger was the guard immediately saluted him and allowed the jeep to enter the wrecked base. The vehicle stopped in front of a ruined headquarters. The passenger, a middle-aged man with a bald head and short stature, alighted and inspected his surroundings. It was none other than Captain Magnusson, an officer with great importance.

"This place is horrible. It smells and looks like shit. How can you bastards be so incompetent?!" he said as he slapped the base commander who came out to greet him. "From this day on, I'll make sure that no incident like this happens under my watch. You let a war museum crash your new mobile suits? You're embarrassing!" he said, and then slapped the commander again and spat in his eye.

The commander apologized to Captain Magnusson, and knelt in front of him. He tried to apologize but Magnusson had seen enough. The Captain took out his pistol and shot the commander dead right between the eyes. Afterwards Magnusson's men and took the commander's corpse to be burned near a pile of rubble.

"We can say he was killed during the battle..." Magnusson laughed as he took out a cigarette. He sat back in the jeep and looked at the wide base. "Form a mobile suit squadron immediately and get the equipment ready. We pursue the Zeon forces tomorrow. As long as they're on Earth they cannot get away from my grip..." he told one of his aides.

(Okay, we start. Zeon and Londo Bell you wait for your admins to post before you do. EFF players can now report to me ASAP, I'm in the jeep in front of the main building.

-This time, everything will be stricter. Everyone is expected not to change the font or font color. If you want to highlight your speeches do so with Bold or Italics

-As much as possible check your work before posting it. If you keep editing your post after you made it it shows that you don't use the preview button.

-I will be much, much stricter this time so any violations will result in a warning. Read your writing before you post it.)

May, UC 0096...
Torrington Base, Australia...

Magnusson looked at this relatively young officer and saluted him back. After that, he brought out a small note book and a pen. He handed it to Lt. Grant. "Okay, you look like somebody competent. Give me a narrative of the events that happened yesterday if you don't want to end up like this so-called commander of yours. I want it long and detailed. You must submit it to me tomorrow morning before we go on a sortie. Understood?" Magnusson asked.

(Vangran you need to write a 150-word narrative of the Battle of Torrington base and you may post it when I call for it. So apart from your post you need to write a narrative. Put it in spoiler and I will definitely count the words manually. This doesn't need to be done right away)

Puysegur Trench, Southwest of New Zealand...
Mad-Angler Class Submarine...



The last of the Zeon remnants that attacked Torrington have all gathered in a fleet of 3 Mad-Angler submarines. They have narrowly escaped detection, and are on their way to the African front where more Zeonic forces are left.

Boss Chief popped his knuckles and punched the wall of his cabin. He was so frustrated that they lost the battle yesterday, and it even resulted in the death of one of his friends, Yonem Kirks. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and slammed another punch into the wall, this time smashing a picture frame.

His hands, were now bloody. He cursed the Federation with his heavy breath. Unable to save the lives of all those Zeon countrymen that fought on the Torrington front. He left the room, bandaging his hand with a shirt and went to the small bar. It was poorly lit and reeked so bad. He grabbed a bottle of whisky and gazed at the weary pilots around him.

"Come, let's drink. Let's pour out our emotional baggage tonight, dammet!" he announced, before chugging down that whisky.

(All Zekes inside the submarine. You can post now)

Puysegur Trench, Southwest of New Zealand...
Mad-Angler Class Submarine...
In the Ship's Bar...

Sitting on one of the farthest desks, A man in Ground Forces Uniform with Kevlar and all sat there staring blankly on the booze he ordered but never drank. He just left it there--staring at it's occasional ripples, Thinking about many things--but the Failed Battle of Torrington, ah that was what was on his mind. Heck it was on everybody's minds. There was deafening silence, He could not find his friend and mentor Rap Goblin, but then again knowing that bastard, Johann knew he would survive. The silence was broken by a rowdy man, No doubt the "Boss Chief" everyone was talking about. He was a Captain and Johann was merely an ensign. He decided to spare the man a quick look of examination before returning his attention to his revolver and started to disassemble it.

Old but Tough Looking...or maybe it's just the booze? He thought to himself quietly as he continued on disassembling like he was on auto-pilot. Can he really lead us together? I've yet to find Goblin.

Out of Courtesy, he replied to avoid trouble.Without sparing a second look much focused on his revolver.

"No Thanks Sir..."

May, UC 0096...
Torrington Base, Australia...
The day right after the battle with the Zeon remnants...

One of the test pilots in the Torrington facility ran as fast as she could, when she heard that a high-ranking official was in town. It was Angela, a hapless beginner. She finally arrived on the spot, where she saw a bald man sitting on his jeep. And he handed a note to what appeared to be a lieutenant, based on his badge.

She saw a dead man being carried away, and to her surprise it was the chief of the base. She felt her knees buckle in fear. She had seen him as recent as yesterday, but now, he's just a cold cadaver. Curious, she went and checked the commander's dead body. She tried to see if he was really dead. She put her finger on the hole in his head, and her finger went right in.

Angela took her finger out and saw it covered with blood and what appeared to be brain matter. It was real. She could not believe what she just touched, and being the newbie that she is, passed out as the other soldiers laughed at her naivety.

Leon is currently sitting in the corner of the small bar, cradling the biggest mug of the strongest brew that the bar could offer. He is covered in a combination of sweat, Engine Lubricant, and who knows what else after hours of working in the mobile suit hangar, trying to repair the mobile suits enough for the future with what was on hand. It had been hard work, even with the crew on hand, and now he just sits there.

He sits alone, mostly because of his smell, and mostly because of his mood in general. Usually Leon is a plesant drunk, but not right now. His mood, combined with the alchahol, have made him very unplesant right now. As he sits, he mumbles to himself almost incoherantly, but those words that can be understood are not very plesant. Mostly, he grumbles about the situation, about the friends lost, and the incompitance in the previous battle. This makes others avoid him right now, afraid of what might happen if someone interupts him.

Puysegur Trench, Southwest of New Zealand...
Mad-Angler Class Submarine...
In the Ship's Bar...

BGM: "DESTROY- SELF- SACRIFICE"


Beside the group of solemn men, Javier sat down, languishing over Loni's death. She hardly knew him, well, all Javier got from her was a look when he helped her load fuel into her mobile suit. But for Javier, she was everything. That dark hair, tanned skin, and eyes that seemed to pierce his weak and vulnerable soul. She was the woman of his dreams, and now, she was... gone.

Javier grabbed his own bottle of liquor and drank it as fast as he could. He saw Boss Chief hold up a toast to the survivors of the war. As Javier looked at the Captain drinking from the bottle anger started to fill Javier up. He stood up, smashed his own bottle and grabbed the Captain by the collar and demanded an answer from him.

"SOME LEADER YOU ARE, CAPTAIN! WE JUST LOST MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES IN THAT LAST MISSION!" Javier said, raising his fist as if to punch the Boss. "GODDAMMIT, MISS LONI WAS CORNERED BY TWO ENEMY MACHINES AND WHAT THE HELL, NOBODY EXCEPT ME CAME TO ASSIST HER! I ADMIT THAT I WAS NO GOOD IN THAT FIGHT, BUT I TRIED TO SAVE MISS LONI DAMMIT! AND NOW THAT TRAITOROUS SPLIT-HORN AND HIS FUCKING FRIEND SHOT HER DOWN! SHE COULD'VE WON THE BATTLE AND PREVENTED SO MANY DEATHS HAD YOU GUYS TRIED TO SAVE HER! FUCK THIS! FUCK EVERYTHING!!!" Javier said while still pulling Boss Chief's shirt. He wanted to punch the Captain so bad.

May, UC 0095,
The day after the Shamblo fell...

RaCailum Class Ship "Empyrean"
Above the Torrington airspace...

Captain Tatiana Romanova's ship, the Empyrean, was sent by Londo Bell to aid the pursuit of Zeon rebels. It was a rocky atmospheric reentry, fortunately for Tatiana and her crew they were used to such hazardous situations. When they heard that they will be serving under Magnusson for the pursuit she felt a bit worried. She heard nothing but bad news regarding this man, but he was a top EFF official, so there was nothing she can do about it.

After the Empyrean had been given permission to land, Tatiana ordered her Londo Bell pilots to make themselves right at home and introduce themselves respectfully to the Captain of the EFF. Once the Empyrean was safely on the ground the door opened. Tatiana hopped on a jeep readily made for the outback's rough terrain.

Boarding the 5-seater jeep, she called all of her pilots to join her. "Wesley, you go drive to the base," she ordered.

INSTRUCTION:
Waiting for Wesley to post before we move inward. All the Londo Bell may now post getting into the jeep.

Puysegur Trench, Southwest of New Zealand...
Mad-Angler Class Submarine...
In the Ship's Bar...


Immediately after answering to the Captain's invitation, A red-head appeared behind the burly Captain, with a melancholic look in his eyes, took a drink and played a sad tune on the flute. Great,just what everybody needed. Everybody was on edge, some would already be too weak and may just grab a gun and pull the trigger over their heads. They needed to keep calm, to wrestle with the edge, but this guy had just to pull an outlet out of his ass, Sooner or later one of them would break and do stupid things.

Suddenly the sound of breaking glass could be heard, and another man stood up and confronted the Captain. Having just thought of it, It came as no surprise to Johann that someone would do what he thought would do. Introducing Candidate Number 1! NOT. Johann won't deal with this shit, so he decided to take matters into his own hands even if he's just an ensign.

Luckily, he had just finished re-assembling his Python Revolver again when the man mouthed off a lot about Loni Garvey, not being able to save her and stuff. OH That woman. An exotic beauty, but then again in the end, just another faceless casualty in war--Among many others.

Without looking at the man and the Captain, Johann loaded his Python Revolver with three bullets, extended his left hand and shot thrice almost simultaneously. Sound of Loud Gunfire echoed in the room, everyone stood up surprised...thinking he really shot the man. When what he shot were blanks, He only shot them for the noise they made to gain their attention.

"Calm your tits everyone...Those were blanks. And oh I'm sorry for doing this "Captain" I just had to do it, before everyone else followed suit" He said flatly as he put three rounds on his revolver again. "But this time around...They wouldn't be..."

He stood up from his bar stool and aimed the gun at the man's head.

"We all lost someone, not only on yesterday's fight, but even way back the OYW...Get a grip will you?!" He took another step closer but the gun still aimed high on the back of the man's head. "You're a Zeon Soldier...A Remnant for crying out loud! We have lost more wars even before this. What does this defeat differ from the others we had? We kept standing up, Why can't we do it again? Where's your pride? Or are you Feddie material to just break down and go throw tantrums...? Or better yet, has that Exotic woman of yours blinded you too much?"


He took another step, his boots making a hard sound towards the floor as he took a step further.

"Now let go of the Captain, Before I make you another Casualty in this war..." Johann cocked the revolver, he was going to pull the trigger soon, they may like it or not. "I'm not gonna warn you again..."

Ra Cailum-class Battleship "Empyrean"
Luciano Raines' Quarters

The reports from the battle, or rather 'incident' as Earth Federation HQ called it, that took place at Torrington Base caused Luciano Raines, a young Lieutenant stationed aboard the Empyrean, to frown as he re-read several parts of the report. The regular Federal Forces has been entirely overrun in a matter of minutes and only the actions of the Byarlant Custom had spared the base from further destruction and even then the B-Custom had suffered a little damage itself due to being outnumbered. Torrington may be a 'back-water' base but it was a Federal Forces base nonetheless and it's failure to push back the attack from the start showed a major error in the Federation Forces. He sighed knowing the EFF had always been known not to have the most experienced and skilled pilots in it's ranks.

As it was nearly time to go he finished reading the report and decided it was time to go. Dressed in his full Londo Bell uniform he checked himself over once more knowing that he could not show himself nor his Captain up in front of an EF Forces Captain. Satisfied with his appearance he headed for his destination close to the ship's hanger bays. His Captain would be expecting him and he wasn't about to disappoint. Various crewman and lower-ranked officers saluted or said hello to him as he pasted them on his way, he was well liked among the non-pilot part of the crew. Some of the pilots disliked him since he was younger than a lot of other officers. Still, he felt he had personally earned his promotion to squad leader and the Captain seemed happy enough with it too.

Once at his destination he spotted the 5-man jeep almost instantly. As expected Captain Romanova was already sitting in the jeep awaiting her pilots and if any of them were late he'd be sure to make sure they paid for it later. Stepping up to the side of the jeep he raised his right arm in a salute to his Captain, "Lt Raines, reporting Ma'am!".