Mustering of the Zenastan

[F.A.I.T.H 0]

[OOC: Not too bad, Makoto. Do remember to spell-check as much as possible too. You are doing fine, so no hurry. ]

 

He felt the thick fog of tension melt away slightly as Ryou spoke his mind, and was tempted to breathe a sigh of relief when Clare did as well, without displaying any of the iciness her had a moment ago. Perhaps he had passed the first test in being a commander: Showing the ability to remain calm and steady his nerves despite the high possibility of a clash of personalities and opinions with his 'interesting' subordinates.

 

What Clare said made sense. He was, after all, just an unproven wild card, an experiment with the face of a stranger that no one had known or would trust in an instant. It simply would not add up if everyone did with just a few smiles and pep talks. Heck, he had even spoken what he truly felt about himself and was, to his own surprise, rather glad that the only female in his team had not continued to be cynically critical of him in that aspect. Considering the several shifts in his emotional displays, any normal people might have been scared off by now.

 

Well, they are military personnel, after all...Such things must seem trifle to them. He pondered and considered the points brought up. He was, after all, practically the same age as they are, untested in a real fight (Unless of course, he took into account fighting bare-handed against all the bullies and thugs he had came across before earlier in life), stereotyped by most to be the spoilt brat who had yet to let go of Derran's hand and learn how to stand on his own and almost automatically had a strange gulf between him and other people, especially in the military, with the people who had gone through the same training he had.

 

Well....I guess it isn't such a bad start. Mustering more optimism gave him confidence in interacting more again, but this time treading a little more carefully in the fiery lake of scorchingly sensitive issues.

 

Finally, he nodded and allowed a genuine smile to show, albeit slowly. "When have I never worked hard to earn friendship?" The smile, despite being sincere and true to his intent, held a dash of sadness and a pinch of bitterness. ...Yeah...When was the last time where people came automatically to engage in conversation with the pure intention of wanting to know me more as a person?

 

There wasn't time to feel sorry for himself, though. He had done enough of that and the thought was but as fleeting as the sight of a shooting star. Instead, he turned his attention back to Ryou and Brian after he added in his opinion, probably getting the feeling that it was safer to talk without bursting anyone's airbag of tolerance. "I'll see what I can do. If it so happens that you prefer balance over having a machine completely devoted to one aspect of combat, I'll be most glad to assist you. Zakus and Goufs shouldn't be a problem and with a little more detail and effort, it is even possible to customize it if you want."

 

Well, might as well make use of the beneficial 'resources' I don't tap into much, right? His eyes twinkled at the thought of finally sponging off the person who would somehow readily give in to any possible requests for the sake of his own squad.

 

"Well, the terrain part is for training, though it won't be in the near future. There will be times when we MIGHT get sent to Earth for mock missions...Or perhaps-God forbid-open war with any factions residing there. Considering we have a few mobile weapons each suited to some sort of terrain...You do the math." He drank deeply from his cup, called a nearby waiter over and ordered a refill. "For now, though, it's just one primary choice. Probably the same with every new squad out there."

 

"I'm not too sure about low-energy speed boosters...But upgrades are guaranteed. So-" His talk was interrupted by a patter of feet, reminding him too much about someone hurrying to a meeting he was late for. "Ah, here you are, finally."

 

The young man before him saluted nervously and judging from his appearance, it would be apparent either he was just having a rather unfortunate day in getting here or was simply unable to understand the meaning of 'punctuality'.

 

Unlike any other veteran commander who lived off the work their underlings did, Landis smiled and chose the former option.

 

"No trouble. The conversation's just getting started. I was wondering whether you got lost or something." He saluted back so as to give the cue for the poor guy to put down his hand. "I take it that you would be Makoto Corale?"

[Milady 0]

“Yes, I have, Brian,” Milady replied when the young man asked her about the blaze pack. “However, there are few things that I still find myself very concerned with. First of all, we’ll be assigned ZAKU Warriors, are we not? They were the most basic of the mobile suites mass produced during the second war. Back then they could hold their own even against Valentine-War era Gundams; however, we are living at a different time.” She turned to Landis with a smile, “I think you understood what I meant, or at least grasped the gist of it. I am going to hope for the best, but we have to prepare for all circumstances. There is no war now, but there is tension. How long do you think it will last? I think that from the past two wars we have earned that no tension is too small not to escalate into a full-scale conflict. Some idiot is going to start shooting, and then we find ourselves at the front. Orders were given out to equip our team with ZAKU’s, and they do have their own advantages, however, often there are operations that have to be carried out on Earth, and seldom the mobile suits are replaced or upgraded beforehand - they simply do not have the time. Whatever is on the battleship is what we can use, and there are never extra shipments until the said battleship reaches a base. That is our greatest disadvantage. ZAFT does not have many bases on Earth, while the battalions of the Earth factions can expect help from anywhere in a matter of hours. Also, let’s remember some of the atrocities that were created during the last war. If it wasn’t bad enough that Earth Alliance Forces managed to mass produce a decent mobile suite - the Windam, there were also producing overpowered mobile armours and the Destroy Gundams. I guess what I’m trying to say is that as pilots we can only do two things. One would be to train on the hardest terrains and in the hardest circumstances, and two is to look for upgrades that produce a good enough effect without draining the battery too much.” Here Clare chose to smile in order to cover up the gravity and seriousness of what was said by her before. “I guess I’m being a tad too paranoid about this. Maybe there won’t be any war at all.”

 

When the new member of the team approached, Clare looked him over in a rather critical and assessing way. By this time she was no longer holding Ryou’s shoulders, but rather leaning against his head as if it was a rest post. This gave her a more mocking air, underneath which it was all too comfortable to masquerade the fact that she paid a very close attention to everyone who was around her. This newcomer looked entertaining enough - kind of like a hurricane survivor. And was it just her or did he give the impression of someone who just fell on his face; repeatedly. In other words, she was contemplating the possibility of Ryou and him being related. And here she thought that Ryou would be the most repressed, obsessed, and depressed member of this team! The corners of her mouth went up in a smile that was quite a bit more pleasant than the smirk she had on before. Clare stood up straight and stretched out her hand to the young man.

 

“Hello, I’m Clare,” she told him sweetly. It was amazing to see Clare acting nice to anyone but Ryou (which was also a rare occasion). “You are not late at all. In fact, or orders hadn’t even come in yet. And don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything - the introductions, ‘the let’s tell the waiter what we want’ ritual, a brawl, some good-will slapping - you know, the usual. In fact, had I known, I would have missed it too... So, you have a name?”

 

(OOC: Very well done for your first time - congrads and welcome to the community... By the way, love the quote [yeah, I’m a Mu la Flaga fan ])

[Makoto24 0]

Sighing heavily, Makoto let his hand drop.  "Yes sir, thats me.  I kinda woke up a little late and well...kinda ran into a parked car down the street while running to get here."  He smiled nervously hoping to God that this man had some sense of humor.  Makoto then realized that he had some dirt left on his uniform and brushed it off as best he could.  As he was doing this he noticed the only female in the group looking him over.

 

Makoto looked at her and smiled as he saw her reach her hand out for a handshake. He shook her hand firmly and confidently, and engaged her in conversation.  "Really? Thats all thats happened so far?To answer your question, my name is Makoto.  Nice to meet you Clare."  Makoto was relieved to find that at least one member of his squad was nice, and didn't really mind him getting here late.  She looked older then Makoto, although just about everyone did.  He wasn't that mature looking for his age.

 

His heavy breathing started to slow, but he was still tired.  Figuring that the formality with the commander was at an end, Makoto leaned against a nearby chair, and decided to listen to the conversation instead of butt in randomly.  He would save that for when he knew what they were talking about or if there was an awkward silence, but for now, he just wanted to take a breather.

 

((thanks! Mwu rocks!))

Edited August 6, 2007 by Guest

[DragonDaimyo 3]

"Well, for one thing, I have yet to see what mobile suit units we'll be assigned. For all I know, we're all getting GINNs. Second of all, it's not as though the Alliance has anything better to work with. Not if they've been adhering to the treaty." Brian refrained from commenting on the likelihood of that, as he didn't trust the Alliance to hold a spoon for him while he was in the bathroom.

 

"So a good Zaku would be pretty competitive early on if another war broke out. Of course, a massive arms race would start, so that wouldn't last long. As for supplies on Earth, we have more support than one might think. Don't forget that the Oceania Union and African Community are on our side. Plus we can get support from space if Command deems it urgent enough. Our ground troops are far from being alone. As for EA atrocities, we'll just have to hope the Alliance population won't put up with it anymore. The Eurasian Federation was the target of one of them, so I think something like that would go over pretty badly there. Plus we've got some fair defense against things like that. Anti-ship swords were proven to be fairly effective against MAs and Destroys, and we have the Neutron Stampeder for nuke attacks."

 

Brian felt that Clare was indeed a little paranoid, but he didn't say anything because it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He'd always thought that the Alliance would stir something up eventually. It was, however, at about this time that the newcomer ran up to join them. He looked exhausted. The poor guy had probably ran all the way here, but he was still rather late. Since Brian himself had gotten lost on the way here and was afraid he would be late, he could certainly sympathize. The name, however, escaped him until Exel mentioned it. "Ah, yes. Makoto Corale. Now I remember."

 

"Nice to meet you, Makoto. I'm Brian Tsukamoto. Glad to have you aboard. Don't worry about being late. It happens to the best of us at times. Shall we get you set up with our waiter? He's around here somewhere."

 

Brian's right hand came up in a quick two-fingered informal salute as he introduced himself.

[Makoto24 0]

Makoto looked up to see another one of his squadmates introduce himself.  He started to feel a little overwhelmed but kept it under wraps as best he could.  "Likewise Brian.  It feels good to be here."  Makoto smirked and two-finger saluted back.  "All I really want right now is a bottle of water...I had to run like 3 miles just to get here from my house, because my car broke down..."  Pulling out the chair and sitting in it so he straddled the chair with the back of the chair facing everyone.  He then turned his attention to Commander Zenastan.

 

"Sir, do you know what suits we are going to be piloting?  Or at least the general Idea?  Sorry if you already said anything, I missed the first half of your conversation. Heh..."  He said blushing slightly at the end of the statement, still a little embarrassed that he was so late in arriving to meet the group of people he would be spending the majority of his Military career with.

 

All of the sudden Makoto felt his stomach lurch and grumble.  He got a wierd look on his face then said, "On second thought.  I think I'll get a sandwich and some chips."  He said in a joyful, yet painful tone.

 

Makoto started to feel more comfortable.  He thought that with his luck he would get stuck with a squad full of stuck-up losers; but instead he liked how his experience was turning out so far.

[Ryou Misaki 0]

Ryou had heard the conversation between Brian and Clare which didn't interest him as much as she was explaining what will happen and how everything will turn out in the end of it. Ryou knew himself that 15 years of peace was all luck from the tension the crowd had for one another. He would have also then said that his father; Kaze, was already working on technology but his thought and mind went blank from the mention of the Destroy Gundam.

 

It was like a block word for Ryou. His hand clenched tightly into a fist and his eyes darted downwards to stare at the bandage that was being grasped at. He recalled his younger days of childhood and then saw the mobile suit destroy all of Berlin; His Home. At first he had clung onto the weak thought that his mother survived the battle between it and the Impulse Suit but a few days later and it was confirmed to him. He couldn't understand why the Atlantic Federation would have done such a thing either; Logos especially orchestrated it. He couldn't forgive Earth for such a disaster on a town and innocent people within it. The suit didn't need to kill all the citizens either, it's movements were obvious to him as he saw the movements at first; It was just being tested to see it's power. Having heard Brian mention the name of the suit again made his hand clench tighter but he refrained from thinking of the past just to hear the topic change a bit to another which he first assumed was the waiter but it was some other member.

 

He smiled softly and raised his head to the man but it was still obvious that Ryou seemed to have been in a depressed mood; Most would think it was due to the slap still. " Ryou Misaki, a pleasure. " He had said and lowered his head back down to try to clear his thoughts. It was like something heavy was placed over his shoulders and it was just getting heavier with every moment. " My Father...he had mentioned that there's going to be new equipment for the Zaku's...but it would have to depend if it gets approved. " He had mentioned and wondered if it would even be meaningful to the conversation either. He truly wanted to shut it all off and walk off again but couldn't do it either.

[Milady 0]

When she heard about GINN’s Clare gave a violent start. They weren’t honestly thinking about equipping them with those, were they? The rumour on the base was that the command staff would make Zaku’s the chief mobile weapon, but then it was just a rumour, right? If Brian was right and ZAFT was to abide completely by the treaty, then their choice of weapons would be limited. However, what guarantees did they have that Earth Alliance would do the same? If Kaze Mizaki and scientists like him were trying to pass new mobile suits to ZAFT, what were the chances that the same was not happening on Earth? Although Clare was a coordinator, she did not trust her own kind, nor did she trust naturals for that matter. She recalled the words of some of the extrimists during the first campaign that there would be no end to this as long as naturals continued to exist, and she agreed with him. Of course, they meant the complete annihilation of every natural - something that Clare found repulsive and inhuman - but there was a point.

 

“You’re absolutely right,” she replied to Brian with a smile, “we still have our allies. However, Atlantic Federation, United States of South America, Eurasian Federation and Republic of East Asia are still very formidable. Also keep in mind that Orb had allied itself with the naturals for the first half of the previous war. I doubt they will do it again in the future, but that still leaves us with an interesting question. Should the war start, how will the neutral nations react?” Clare did not mention anything she thought of the naturals or how the conflict would never end as long as they existed. Inside her mind echoed distant words she heard when she was little. ‘Extrimists were fools when they wished to destroy an already dieing kind. We placed ourselves so high above the laws of nature that we sped up the natural evolutionary process. The old must die out to make way for the new, but in our world the two coexist. You cannot fight the progress - it is a loosing battle. Every human being must accept it and walk together with it. Perhaps there will soon come a time when those like me are a rarity, and that is for the best, bunny. Even now more and more people want their children to undergo modifications. But those who do not will fight to keep this world their own tooth and nail. In the end, time is the only thing that can save us...’ He was a natural, and yet he felt this way...

 

Clare chuckled softly when the waiter brought them their food and heard Makoto’s order. It had to have been the first time he ever had anyone order ‘a bottle of water, sandwich and some chips’ at this expansive French restaurant, and so the look on the man’s face was priceless. “Monsieur,” Clare addressed him before he had time to recover himself, “I changed my mind about where I want to sit. Would you be kind enough to place my order over by this young man?” As he was serving, Clare grabbed another chair and pulled it up to the table so that she sat between Landis and Ryou. “Makoto, why don’t you take my old seat,” she offered, “this way you’ll have easier time asking all the questions you have.” Pretending to be deeply interested in her Bouillabaisse and Gruyère Cheese Gougères, Clare made sure that she sat as close to Ryou as possible. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was up with him. She was not sure what it was, but something happened between the slap and now that made him even more depressed. Happy that no one was paying any attention to them, she moved her had to the side, and grabbed Ryou’s. No on could really see under the cloth how she intertwined his fingers with his and have his hand a gentle squeeze. Damn it! What was this guy doing in the army!? He was so sensitive, so easily hurt, so vulnerable... What made him choose this path? Every time she looked at him, Clare could vividly imagine this young man sitting by a large window inside a colonial-style mansion, wearing a wonderful crispy-white dress suit and playing Mozart on the piano. He was not made for this life he was currently living. Little did this girl realize that she was not made for it either and perhaps her unsuitability was the very reason why she felt the need to take care of him. As scared and lost as she was, Ryou was a lot more scared and a lot more lost.

Edited August 10, 2007 by Guest

[Makoto24 0]

Makoto looked over to meet another member of the squad.  He said his name was Ryou Misaki.  Makoto realized that he seemed disturbed in some manner.  Not knowing him that well Makoto just decided to play it safe.  Clare seemed to be on top of things.

 

Makoto chuckled when he saw the waiter's confused look on his face.  He was obviously new here, because this was a restaurant in which Makoto went for special occasions when he was younger.  And since no little kid wants to eat yucky French food, he always ordered a sandwich and chips.  Smiling Makoto said to the waiter,"Sorry if that is a little awkward for you, I've just always gotten a sandwich whenever I come here."  He smiled as the waiter scratched his head and walked away to fill his order.

 

He looked over at Clare as she gave up her seat to sit inbetween the commander and Ryou.  On one side Makoto felt relieved that he would be more involved with the group and closer to the conversation, but on the other hand he felt bad about taking a woman's seat.  He looked at the empty seat, "Er...Uh...Thanks Clare."  Makoto Slowly moved over to her old seat and then abruptly plopped down.

 

Although he has never been in real combat, because of his brother helps develop the new mobile weapons Makoto knew a great deal about the Zakus and modifications to the Zakus.  He then cut into the conversation, when a quiet spot came around, "I believe that Zakus should do us well if we were ever to be caught up in another full scale war.  They are very adaptable and even have many different weapons that are able to be attached to them.  However, on the other side of the spectrum Ginns would be insufficient for what we are facing now.  They were good for the first Bloody Valentine war, but only because the Earth Alliance didn't have mobile weapons of their own, but now they do..."  Makoto trailed off in fear that he was talking, just a bit too much.  He looked around to see the reactions from his various squadmates.  Compared to what Makoto had looked and sounded like earlier this was much more mature sounding.  There was a slight pause after his statement.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Guest

[F.A.I.T.H 0]

[OOC: Milady, canon names are not allowed to be mentioned in the role play. I think that was one of the rules in the forum set by Valiant. Do try to change that section to something else. Thanks. ]

 

It was as he had expected.

 

The arrival of the newcomer came not a moment too soon, though Landis knew the irony on the play of words used here. Makoto Corale had, after all, arrived late by at least ten minutes. Despite that, he was not going to judge him based on just his current outward appearance and impression.

 

First impressions were important, but what was more important for Landis was consistency. Of course, he did not have time to worry about that in the battlefield, for between his opponent and himself, there will only be one victor, and most probably only one side who will emerge alive from a dogfight.

 

He turned his mind to Clare's words, somehow wishing that her last sentence would be prevalent. Landis feared war. He was not afraid of dying, of fighting for his own nation, of killing enemies and splattering their remains into the stardust.

 

No...He was fearful of the repercussions of war. He did not want to see people dying around him, especially familiar faces. Of course, there was also the fact of having to see a father, a brother, or a son perish. He certainly dreaded to notion of having to break the news to his family if he was in charge of the man, or perhaps even as a good friend.

 

And then there was more optimism... He stopped talking and listened to Brian as he talked about the prospects of ZAFT being more than capable of defending itself. Of course, a seemingly glowing friendliness seem to radiate from him as he spoke to Makoto. It is a commander's job to make his own men feel more comfortable with his alien surroundings and atmosphere once he came to be in the army. He responded brightly, as anyone who felt relieved at his own perceived mistake would have done.

 

The comment Brian made about GINNs was slightly disturbing, however. But Landis knew better than to worry over that. It was something for which he had some control over, at least. Watching them interact (and contented that even Makoto was chipping in with his comments), Landis managed to spot a moment of discomfort from Ryou after the mentioning of the monstrosity otherwise known as the Destroy. He seemed to be squirming ever so slightly, even as Clare had changed places with Makoto.

 

As cheesy as its name sounds, Landis had seen its power on television. Evran had mailed him his own experiences fighting the horror as well, most probably omitting the more gruesome details of how soldiers and civilians alike were mercilessly slaughtered by just one machine.

 

Perhaps his family was involved in one such Destroy attack...? It was a terribly personal question to ask, considering how Ryou did not seem like the type to open up without some effort. Clare might know, but Landis knew that would be akin to playing with the brand new sharpened knives he had just bought from a hardware store (though 'bought' didn't seem appropriate...)

 

With a simple nod of acknowledgement, Landis replied with reference to the cause of the Junius Seven disaster. "I do understand. At any point in time there exists the possibility that a war can start with just a press of a button...Or in one particular case, many pressings..."

 

"Rest assured training would be on the schedule. Do be reminded that it would be done to cater to everyone in the squad, meaning there won't be any official 'remedial classes' done. Well, if everyone manages to meet up to the standards of the basic training, it shouldn't be a problem if we requested for a more demanding schedule. I hope that answers your question, Clare."

 

"Like I said, upgrades are guaranteed, but whatever they are, I have no idea." He scratched his head. "Let's just say you can hope that the scientists' minds are on a similar wavelength as yours regarding that idea." He smiled as she did, though. It was her way of making light of things and playing down the terse situation they had earlier on and Landis appreciated that fact. "No, you're not being too paranoid...Living as a person during peacetime tends to influence our own desires and thoughts for the consistency of it." He downed the rest of the contents in his cup and asked for a refill. "For now, it isn't certain how the neutral nations will react, though it would be safe to assume that they will do so according to their needs and their own well-being. Well, those are for the politicians to worry about more if we do get into a major war again..."

 

Without any pretense and with genuine interest, Landis looked at Makoto. "Please continue. After all, everyone here has voice out their thoughts on this....possible conflict occurring in the near future." Landis lowered his voice slightly, knowing that the open and loud mentioning of the two wars might still bring more than just a few goosebumps to the civilians in hearing range around them.

 

His squad mates own queries and assumptions about mobile suits set him thinking too. What I wouldn't give for a good machine... Of course, asking for Gundams would be too much for a new squad, but Landis was confident that the upgrades that came with their new suits of armor would be justified in one way or another.

[Milady 0]

[OOC: Fixed it. Hope you find the changes I made satisfactory.]

 

Clare felt herself at ease once again. They were no longer fighting, which was a good thing, and Landis was back to looking relaxed, which was even better. The only thing that troubled her thoughts at the moment was Ryou. However, Clare did very well not to let anyone notice that she was concerned with him (or, more precisely, worried sick). Her expression was unreadable and calm; only a soft smile played on her lips to remind everyone that she still found this conversation entertaining. With her it was always unclear whether she was entertained by the chat or by the oddities she found a way to see in people. The line between interest and sarcasm was so thin and the edges collided and mixed so frequently, that it was painfully hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Under this façade, Clare found it very easy to care without showing concern and to do whatever she pleased without being noticed. Although, quite frankly, she did not give a damn about anyone at this restaurant other than Ryou, and could not chase away the throbbing thought that had they all just disappeared, she’d probably be able to find out what was wrong with him.

 

“Any time, kiddo,” she replied with as her smile turned to a flirty smirk. Makoto seemed alright. He was a little shy and a little uncertain, but he did not give an impression of someone who would cause too much trouble. “By the way, you might want to try something besides fast food,” she continued, “this place has some wonderful recipes. Give them a go some time.” She continued to listen to him attentively as he spoke about Ginns and Zakus. The boy had a point, but at the back of her mind Clare could not help thinking that just like Ginns were only good until Earth Alliance decided to mass produce its own mobile weapons, Zakus would be good only until the enemy chooses to produce Gundams. Try as she might, Clare could not trust either naturals or coordinators to abide by the treaty - she simply did not believe in the honesty, integrity, and humanism of either party, and had very good reasons for feeling this way.

 

Out of all the new people sitting at the table, Clare was most interested in Landis. He was a curious young man - there seemed to be more to him than met the eye. Clare had a hunch that just like her he liked to downplay his own thoughts and beliefs in order to lighten a situation, but could not help wondering whether it was appropriate in this situation. They all did it. In letters home, at social gatherings, at interviews for the army newspaper - they all claimed that ZAFT was unstoppable, that there would be no war, and that even if one was to start they’d crush the naturals with minimal losses. It was normal, natural, reasonable, ethical. They had to act this way. However, was it truly acceptable here? They were no longer civilians, and if the war was to start - something that Clare did not doubt for a second - they would be the ones fighting, killing, and dieing. Nobody had the right to downplay the situation to them.

 

“Thank you, Landis,” she replied in a polite and slightly distant tone, however, there was a noticeable demonic flame in her eyes that clearly showed that this girl was up to something. “You were more than helpful in answering my questions… However, I have to wonder what all of us were really thinking when we trashed the mobile suites and demanded upgrades. Surely, every soldier hopes for one. Gundams. During the first war Earth Alliance produced them in secret. Last war they were made by ZAFT. Have any of you ever wondered who’ll run illegal research and manufacturing this time?”

[Makoto24 0]

Makoto smiled in return to Clare.  He couldn't help but think that she was extremely flirty, especially with Ryou.  Then he told Clare, "I know this place has some awesome recepies, but I've never been one for French cuisine.  Now Italian or Chinese I'll take any day!"  Makoto grinned from ear to ear as he said this.  It seemed like he was getting along well with at least some of his squadmates.

 

He then looked at Commander Zenastan and continued his statement.  "As I was saying, GINNs were only good untill the Earth Alliance mass produced their own suits, then we needed to upgrade and build better suits like the ZAKU Warrior.  But now, the Earth Alliance have better suits then they did before, and so we upgraded to fit that need, with the ZAKU Phantoms, and with their many packs like Slash and Blaze.  As of now in the development of mobile suits, I believe that ZAKUs, and those of us fortunate enough to pilot GOUFs will be sufficient to defend the plants.  Even if the Earth Alliance upgrades, our ZAKUs are very adaptable, so we should have no problem.  Makoto looked around the table to see everyones reactions.  He really hoped he wasn't talking to much, he just wanted to state his opinion.

 

Makoto quickly snatched up his bottle of water, and started to drink it.  Setting it down he wiped the excess water off with his napkin, and continued to make some observations about his team.  He still wasn't sure about that Ryou guy, he seemed really touchy on some topics, like whenever someone mentioned Berlin, or the Destroy gundam that Blue Cosmos came up with, he seemed to tense up.  Makoto would have to either become really good friends with this guy, or just avoid him all together, which he never liked doing.

[Ryou Misaki 0]

Ryou was paying less attention to the conversations and trying to erase the thoughts that were swarming and manifesting themselves within his mind. His father had remarked that he should have let the past go and move on but it still lingered with him. His eyes remained on the table while his hand clenched more tightly at the silk like bandage placed, he knew the wound would open up again if he kept doing so but didn't care at this point.

 

Clare's interest in what suit she may get was something Ryou himself had known that was an issue; Gundams. " The..Earth Federation..itself has Nuclear Jammer Cancellors. " He had mentioned with a harsh realization of what that might do with nukes being shot at PLANTs or worse, mobile suits themselves. " They won't hesitate to start making machines similar to the Freedom and Justice... " He only knew that those two machines were the only ones with such items in them, other Gundams used different power sources similar to Nuclear Power but more compact.

 

His father had mentioned the issue and knew that mobile suits themselves would have to start to use nuclear energy to power them or else Zaku's would run out on energy and power. Yet the biggest issue was funding this, Earth made nuclear energy and had several cases of it on earth. ZAFT could only afford to make its own in bases, it was problematic when one side already had such items and another had to make them from scratch.

[F.A.I.T.H 0]

Gundams.... Landis knew it would inevitably come to this. The uniquely designed mobile suits stood out from the mass-produced Zakus, Goufs and even the CGUEs that were a domineering presence during the first war. Of course, their structures were not the only things that made them stood out like a stork among chickens. Everything from their wide array of arsenal, varying capabilities and most of all, great power coming from it would assure any first-time skeptic that the machine itself would have deserved an extra polishing session if they barely escaped from a hail of beam fire.

 

Such was the confidence it gave that the Gundam could almost be revered among most pilots. Despite having little idea of what it could do, though, Landis was pretty sure that some names on the casualty list included the pilots of Gundams. Nothing would assuage his nagging doubt that it would be a lot safer in the cockpit of a Gundam as compared to the Zaku in a free-for-all. Anything goes in war...

 

Still, safety issues aside, if he was given the choice to choose, Landis would prefer superior technology, weaponry, speed and power over an average mobile suit. Skill and guile could only take you so far, after all. He did know that Clare was playing around with that idea, for perhaps a self-proclaimed 'logical' person would have dismissed such an idea with a simple wave of his hand.

 

It might even be too much to ask for higher-ranked officers than he, what more a 'problematic' squad as theirs? And with the mentioning of two particular Gundams with nuclear energy powering them...It seemed too much to ask, and Landis knew even he would be biting off more than he could chew even if he was on good terms with Derran. Makoto had proven his point well, and his opinion was probably the most viable with regards to their status.

 

Still, the idea intrigued him. He had never given much thought about piloting Gundams. For him, a machine was a machine, and he had relied mostly on his own abilities to see him through thus far. But those were only minute-tiny in comparison to the enormity of the possibility of a war brewing on the horizon. What he had previously scoffed at and considered them to be of the greatest interests to model kit collectors could actually save his ass this time round.

 

 

"...Well, it's obvious Gundams would be better, and I'm not really good with conspiracy theories," He chuckled, scratching his head in unison with that comment. New factions and alliances have sprung up ever since the end of the Second War, and I certainly have no idea who the next one might be." He replied earnestly. "But if you want to speculate, I certainly wouldn't mind considering the newer factions to be part of the suspected group."

 

"Let's just say we should keep our fingers crossed regarding the building of new Gundams to match any possible technological gulfs between ZAFT and...her counterparts. If we had known, there probably won't be question marks plaguing my mind now either. Besides..." He scratched his chin, as though the action alone might give him some concrete answers. "There are just too many unanswered facts we want to know if this is regarding to the building of mobile suits...unless we have closer contacts in the Research & Development sector."

 

He had connections with someone, all right, but not from the place he had just mentioned, and Landis had decided that he would not abuse that kind of power all the time just for his own means...Though it was not beyond him to do so for his own squad's benefits, he was uncertain whether Derran could actually get his hands on top secret information (if any) and pass it to his son upon request. No, it would be asking for too much.

 

"...If it proves to be of any worth, my opinion mirrors part of Makoto's, though it is true that we might need new weapons to fight a new war with adversaries, new or old." He contemplated out loud, referring to the possibility of the occurrence of terrorism.

 

With a quick glance at his watch, Landis realised that he had but a few moments before he had to rush off again...This time to see his mother in another PLANT. Moments like this where he could be free to travel about were far and few in between, and the Squadron Commander certainly did not wish to dally while it would seem as though the next best mode of communication could only come when they were allowed to pilot their own mobile suits and try to work together as a team.

 

"...Is there anything else any of you would like to bring up or mention? I have a pressing matter in a little while though I would have liked to remain a while longer."

 

[OOC: Thank you, Milady. The change is perfect. Sorry for the awkward post here...I finished it at my workplace. People, if you are going to post anything else, do so now. I'll be closing this thread since there hasn't been any replies for the past two weeks. Thank you.]

Edited September 8, 2007 by Guest