St Luna Hospital, Von Braun

"She's not going to make it." The Chief Surgeon signed sadly, watching his best doctor operate on a 16 month old patient.

"Have a little faith Grey." One of the senior surgeons said more optimistically. However, he also knew that the odds were against their co-worker in the operation room. As the man worked best when alone, all others who weren't on other cases were observing.

Especially since the man was undergoing a very delicate procedure.

"He makes this look easy." One of the newer doctors observed in awe. At the moment, synthetic weaves were being utilized to close the Ductus arteriosus which caused the little girl's ailment. It was a very severe case with the girl suffering from many problems including breathing difficulty that required her to wear a breathing apparatus or suffocate. If successful, the weaves that their co-worker was utilizing would keep the arteriosus sealed and gradually merge with the organic tissue around it. "So why is he called-"

"Not now!" The chief rebuked though he was curious about that rumor as well. Just an hour ago, a kind old woman named Betty had passed at the age of 130. Which meant that the child's chances for surviving were increased by a drastic rate. It can't be mere coincidence that the doctor always saved every patient he put his hands on right after one dies on him...even one that he didn't personally operate on or treat.

Which was why some of the doctors called him "The Necromancer."

"Looks like Betty helped him out." The Senior snarked, earning a heavy smack as their co-worker began to close up the tissue he'd cut open to reach the toddler's heart. "Told you to have faith Chief."

"Patient stabilizing, breathing normal, blood pressuring evening out and synthetic poultrice holding steady." Dr. Kamille Bidan said into the intercom. "Operation successful. Time...eh...what time is it?"

"You're done for today Bidan. We'll watch her overnight." The chief assured an unsmiling Bidan who just nodded and left as nurses entered to move his patient to the recovery room. "He just saved a life...can't he smile about that?"

"You know him sir." The senior remarked. "Bidan's never happy unless he saves everyone. But since that never happens..."

"He's never happy." The chief finished and took a swig of his scotch.

Luna Lights of Pluto Luna

The stars danced through the void of the sky.

The thin dome of Pluto Luna did not even pretend to be a sky unlike those of the Sides. The people here did not mind, they enjoyed the view of the Earth and the stars beyond.

Kamille thought he'd never get used to the sight.

He walked through the streets, his watch telling him that it was Evening by Earth measurements. People were busy in the streets, going from place to place while kids played and chased each other. Kamille stopped by a newspaper stand and bought a paper.

The one about the Lhasa attack.

At the time, the moon was not in position close to Asia and so he didn't see the explosion that destroyed Federation HQ. In fact, even the Battle above Earth hadn't affected life on the Lunar colonies at all. True, the Luna fleet had been called into battle and suffered heavy losses. But otherwise, the current conflict might as well be happening in another galaxy as far as the people were concerned.

Though what Kamille felt told another story.

He sensed fear even on the faces of smiling and playing children. They did not understand what they feared, the youngest ones never did. But that same fear was present in their parents as well. He sensed dread upon the moods of those doing business. A sense of despair that crept upon them like a stalker from the darkness. They could not see the stalker, but it was there like an ever looming watcher.

He passed a drunk veteran, feeling the rage and betrayal within the man's heart. Kamille recognized him, he had been admitted several times for attempted suicide. Last time around, he'd cut open his throat when he failed to hang himself. Kamille managed to save him, but the man cursed him.

Kamille felt the man's hatred burn upon him. He stopped and looked the retired lieutenant in the eyes. The hatred of the legless, one-armed marine as hot as the bright side of Venus. The man had wanted to die and Kamille had robbed him of that desire.

However, Kamille didn't want to bother wasting anymore time on a coward. He turned and walked away as the marine wheeled himself into the alleyway. Kamille might have pitied him months ago, but he couldn't do it. The man was so far beyond the horizon of despair that anything Kamille may try to do would fall on deaf ears. He could only heal the man's injuries...not his soul.

Even Kamille himself wasn't fully healed.

"That was a good thing you did today, child." The spectre of a kind old woman walked alongside Bidan. "That little girl will grow into a smart and pretty woman someday. Thank you."

"No need, I just did my job." Kamille mentally remarked, unphased when a stranger walked through the spectre. Kamille wasn't surprised, after all only he was aware of the lingering shades of the dead. "I'm sorry that-"

"It was my time...you gave me peace..." The old woman assured Kamille. "Now go have some fun youngster! Get to that casino and win the jackpot for both of us!"

Kamille burst out laughing. Even after the shade was gone, Kamille still laughed. His laughter earned strange looks from others he passed by, but he didn't care. The patient had been an avid and lucky gambler since winning her first slot when she was younger. The habit never died, nor did her luck. At least until Betty succumbed to heart failure and died peacefully in her sleep. Kamille just laughed, remembering that Betty had given him a few free passes to the casino.

The laughter died when he entered the usual bar.

The first thing that greeted him was Paptimus Scirocco kissing and fondling a woman who looked like someone he had loved.

"Wanna watch?" Kamille stood paralyzed, stunned as Paptimus took out a knife and slowly carved into Murasame's eye as she screamed. "This is just the beginning-"

"Doctor! Doc!" Kamille jumped to his feet in shock. He looked and saw that Paptimus was gone as was Four. He thought he saw Quattro salute him from the crowd of men gathered around him. But the only blonds in the bar were the servers and the stage dancers.

"I'm...I'm fine." Kamille got to his feet and had a cold bear put into his hand. He nodded to the barkeep who gave it to him. "Thanks doc."

"Half price, it's my strongest drink." Kamille wasn't surprised by this cheapskate. The man was a former hustler for the Triads and didn't waste an chance to earn even an extra cent for his income.

Still, Kamille gulped down the drink without any complaints.

"Heard ya broke another record today doc." One of the usuals complimented as Kamille took a seat. "50 kids in one day and didn't lose a single one?"

Kamille didn't answer. He hated bragging about the lives he saved like it was a number on a board. Those were lives at stake, not trophies for glory. Those fifty kids were someone's children.

"Leave the doc alone." Mike chided his friend. "You know he doesn't like small talk about his patients."

"Hey! Another Federation Ads coming on!" A patron laughed, the big-screen tv now displaying a Federation officer come on screen.

"Are you looking for adventure?" A gruzzled officer said, pointing at his audience as he spoke. "Do you seek a higher purpose? Do you want to protect your fellow man? To do your part for the defense of humanity? Do you want to do your part?"

"It starts." Kamille cynically thought to himself. Another recruitment ad for the Federation forces. At least it was better produced and acted than the Titans ad he saw as a kid. Plus the editing was faster and more exciting to be more encouraging and inspiring for potential enlistees.

Though it was fake as hell to those baptised in fire like Kamille.

"I'm doing my part!" A hispanic woman in combat armor declared smiling.

"I'm doing mine too!" A black man donned in an aircraft engineer suit stated.

"I'm doing my part!" A blond man sitting on a dirty Jegan shouted.

"I'm doing my part too!" A brown-haired japanese kid laughed, the adults around him laughing because the kid's uniform was too big.

"Join the Federation Forces today!" The scene shifted to the officer observing a formation of thousands of pilots and soldiers. "There's a place for everyone in the Federation Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The brave, the strong, the smart and the quick have trained and honed their skills in our ranks since World War 2. Every battle is a lesson and every encounter a challenge."

"But the Federation never yields and will persevere for the sake of humanity!" The scene now showed a grand fleet gathering near one of the moons of Saturn. "But to do that, we need soldiers!"

"Soldiers like Ensign Sally Po of the White Newt Security Force." A young fifteen year old waved at the camera. However, she immediately stood at attention when a taller and more muscled officer walked by. "Soldiers like Commander Sterod Bandor of the 21st Ranger Company."

"Leaders like Commodore Bright Noah of the Londo Bell Taskforce Division!" Kamille smiled upon seeing a bandaged Bright directing his bridge. "And heroes like Major Sayla Mass of the 79th Phenix Squadron." The entire bar cheered when a rather sexy Sayla posed and gave a thumbs up. She then jumped into her custom gundam and flew away into the stars.

"One year of service guarantees full range insurance and paid education costs for two years." The narration explained as the scene turned to a line of young men and women signing contracts in front of stoic recruiters. "Minimum age for voluntary enlistment is 16. Ages 12 through 15 require parental permission and a successful mental and intellectual evaluation. Commission into the Officer Corps requires a minimum of 4 years of secondary education."

"Twelve?" Kamille was young when he had piloted the Gundam. But for the age to be lowered to 12? This was either a sign of desperation or cruelty.

"Yeah!" Some thirteen year old shouted as his father pat him on the head. "Sign me up pops! I wanna kill me some Zeons!"

"Your mother would kill me boy." The older man laughed as the boy pouted. "Don't worry! There'll be another war when you're older!"

"It won't be as cool as this one." The boy complained as Kamille slammed down his drink. "Hey! I think Kamilla's angry-"

Kamille slapped the boy.

As the boy stood stunned, his father stood up at full height, towering over Kamille. "I know you didn't just hit my son!"

Kamille just looked at him. "He deserved it. War isn't cool and if you won't discipline him, I will."

"Time for a beating." The man punched fast, but Kamille had already sensed the man's intent and dodged as gracefully as a dancer spins. He aimed a moderately strong punch into the side of the man's cheek. It wasn't enough to hurt the man, but it impacted the nerves enough to stun and throw him off balance.

"Dad!" The boy said as he knelt down to his father. "Hey! Don't you go hitting my dad you blue haired queer!"

"Why not? Hitting your dad was cool." Kamille remarked without any joy though others earnestly agreed with him. Kamille walked over to the barkeep and set down the usual tab for the night including a little extra money. "For the trouble I caused."

"Eh, he had it coming." The barkeep said as he took the money. Kamille turned and left the bar, feeling the hatred that the boy and his half-conscious father were beaming towards him. The rest of the bar just looked at the doctor in a mix of awe and surprise.

As if they hadn't seen him end a fight quickly before.

"As restrained as ever." Kamille hadn't heard that voice for years. Yet, he turned to see an old friend leaning against the bar.

"Amuro."

"It's been a while Kamille." Amuro held out a hand and smiled. Though Kamille could already see so much pain behind that smile and felt something else as well.

"I know." Kamille took Amuro's hand, suddenly feeling a surge of cold isolation run through his mind. "I'm glad to see you."

"You won't be after-"

"I know why you're here." Kamille knew Amuro well enough to know that this wasn't a casual visit. "Still...it's good to see you again."

"If you know why I'm here, you're lying." Amuro countered and turned to leave. "I'll head to the hotel and ship out in the morning. I won't stick around where I'm not wanted-"

"Why pay for a roof when I'll give you one for free?" Amuro looked back at Kamille who wore a small smile. "It's the least I can do. Then we can talk about why you're here."

Bidan Residence

"Dinner was great, Fa." Amuro complimented Kamille's pretty wife.

The blue-haired woman nodded smiling. "Thank you captain."

"Don't be so formal. I'm technically off the clock." Amuro mused. "Besides, my pay's barely raised since promotion. Though hazard more than makes up for it."

"From what I've heard, you always throw yourself into the thick of things." Kamille remarked, sipping green tea and filling a cup for Fa. "By the way, how is Sayla?"

"Hasn't changed at all." Amuro remarked, noticing that Kamille had his eyes on something in Amuro's jacket pocket. Amuro fumed and took out the small box inside. "I was going to ask her during the trip to Europa. But the mess over Earth put a stop on that plan."

"Need a better moment?" Kamille teased, Amuro blinking and frowning in distaste. "My advice is to just ask her whenever you two are alone. You shouldn't wait for a moment, the moment should just come to you."

"Just do it better than daddy did!" Amuro jumped on seeing the girl next to him. She looked to be about five, her hair as blue as Kamille's with matching eyes. "Mommy says that dad asked her during rush hour."

Amuro chuckled. "What's the story there?"

"Maybe for another time-"

"I was taking a cab to work when Kamille came chasing after us." Fa joined in to the exasperation of her husband. "He kept chasing me, holding out a ring and asking me to marry him. But I couldn't hear him in traffic and poor Kamille...it wasn't until we got to the hospital that I noticed him and when he asked me again, he collapsed on the sidewalk."

"At least she said yes." Amuro laughed, Kamille sending waves of dislike right into Amuro's direction. "I'll make my proposal better than your's."

"But since you're going to wait to long, maybe mine will be better." Amuro stopped laughing, knowing that Kamille had sensed something that he wasn't supposed to. "If you put your grudge before all else, you'll lose out and when your realize it, it'll all be gone-"

"Alright. Let's play nice." Fa chided, putting a hand on Kamille to lower the tension between Amuro and Kamille. Sensing that nothing would work, Fa kissed Kamille's lips. "I'll take Tetra to bed."

Kamille hugged Fa happily. "Thank you, I'll join you soon."

"Good night Fa." Amuro stood and bowed politely, Fa bowed back and gathered up her daughter. Amuro turned back to Kamille who looked at him with greater focus. "How old is she?"

"Five." Kamille answered, smiling as his little girl waved at him and then went along with her mother. "I was...comatose while Fa was pregnant with Tetra...I missed her birth. But I won't miss anything else from her life...not even for you."

"Kamille-"

"I know why you're here." Kamille stated with conviction, conviction not to be a dog of the Federation ever again. "You want me to rejoin the Federation and fight Quattro."

"That name was a disguise." Amuro countered with a firm tone. "He was always Char, Kamille. And now Char wants to destroy the Federation-"

"Considering that the Federation is just as bloody, I'm not surprised." Kamille said with a bitter frown. "Have you forgotten the Titans? Understandable, they didn't kill your mother. But they killed millions of people and turned the Federation into an organization no better than the Principality."

"That was the past-"

"History repeats itself for people who forget the past." Kamille said before Amuro could finish. "I have my own friends in Federation Intelligence. They don't give me anything that would get me arrested, but I get enough to figure out the flow of the politics and whose pockets are getting filled. Enough to know that Tomino won't be enough if the next Supreme Commander rolls over for the elite oligarchs-"

"You realize none of that will matter if Char wins, right?" Amuro stood up from his seat and marched over to the calm Kamille. "This isn't just a war, Kamille. You've heard Char himself! You know that he wants to drive humanity from the Earth! And just recently, he's found a way to do it."

Kamille paused and looked into Amuro's eyes. "Lhasa...that...that was..." His eyes widened from the feelings he read from Amuro, they overwhelmed him enough to where he gasp and sunk back into his chair.

"And the next time he uses his secret weapon, Earth itself could be destroyed." Amuro explained as Kamille held his arms over his chest, shaking from a chill that only he felt. "Or at the very least, he'll cause enough damage to kill every single person on the planet you're orbiting. And what do you think will happen to the moon? If Earth loses enough mass, its gravitational field will weaken. The moon won't be able to maintain its position. At best, you'll float off through the Sol System until you find a planet to latch onto or...you'll crash into Earth and both the moon and Earth will be gone."

Kamille breathed deeply, inhaling and exhaling while he processed the information he received.

"Is that what you want for Fa and Tetra?" Amuro refused to relent despite Kamille's condition. "This isn't about fighting for the Federation. This is about preserving the future of humanity... about preserving our right to chart and walk our course as well as we can. But if Char gets his way... any future that your daughter might have will be gone. Is that what you want for her?"

"Papa?" The adults turned to see little Tetra looking at her dad with a sad frown on her face. "What is wrong? Why are you sad?"

"Tetra... " Kamille wanted to say that he was fine, but that would a lie. Like her parents and her namesake, little Tetra would sense that he was lying because she could feel his stormy emotions. "I just learned things that...scare me. Things that make me sad and I don't know what I'll do."

"Can I help?" Amuro sat back down, watching Tetra walk to her father and sit on his knee. "I could make you cookies! Mama taught me how to put love in them! Cause cookies need love like everything does!"

Tears twinkled in Kamille's eyes as he looked upon his daughter. "It's late, you should be going to bed soon. But...we'll make cookies together tomorrow. Alright?"

"Okay! I love you papa!" Tetra hugged her father and then ran off back to her room.

"I'm not asking you to fight for the Federation or even for humanity. I'm not." Kamille was shocked by Amuro's admission. "Humanity is too broad of a term, a selfish label that excludes every other form of life and Earth itself. I'd rather say that I'm fighting for Earth and all of the people in it...especially those who I love."

Amuro looked to Kamille, who gave a small gaze between two photos. One being a line-up of the team during the old AEUG and Karaba alliance. The second was a recent photo of Kamille, Fa and Tetra posing next to Neal Armstrong's footprint.

"I'm asking you to help protect what I love." Amuro stared into Kamille's soul when the two men looked to each other. "I'm asking you to fight for those you love."

"I know that we're not perfect Kamille, we both know that." Amuro continued. "Mankind has made many mistakes, we've killed and hurt each other countless times. We've created weapons and poisons that have murdered children and babies. We've hunted animals to extinction and we've hurt nature despite all that she has given us. The leaders of the world don't look out for the people's interests and they scheme to take more for themselves. I've seen what humanity is capable of and I understand why Char would think that we don't deserve Earth. Why it's better to leave it or be wiped out."

"But we're more than that Kamille." Kamille felt something in Amuro then. A warmth within the cold shell that the man had made around his soul. Something glowing and spinning as Amuro spoke on. Whatever it was, Kamille felt inspired from just being in Amuro's presence. "We have the power to heal, to create, to build, and to restore. I've seen people put everything on the line to do it. We've also saved animals from extinction...wolves, buffalo, bears, lions...it was human effort to that saved them. It won't make up for what we did to them, but someone chose to do what they could. I've fought beside men and women who gave their last breath to pull a friend back to safety or to search a downed vessel for people to rescue."

"Char refuses to the see it. Or maybe he's lost the ability to see it." Amuro finished, looking back at Kamille. "But I won't. That's why I'm going to fight him and whatever plan he has. I can't fight him alone and that's why I need you with me-"

"Alright, you're droning on. It's not necessary." Kamille laughed, Amuro groaning at being pushed off of his roll. "You had me at 'we have the power to heal'. So when do we head out?"

"In the morning..." Kamille frowned again. "Sorry Kamille, we don't have a lot of time. I'd say tonight, but the next flight back to Earth doesn't leave until morning anyway."

"I...I understand..." Kamille sadly affirmed. "I'll...I'll need to explain this to Fa and Tetra...make a call to the hospital..."

"Do what you have to." Amuro replied, putting a hand on the man's sad shoulder. "Do what you can."

Author's Notes:

Hey! Hey! The gang's all recruited!

Now to see if they'll actually sign the dotted line!

Spoiler: They will, but it won't be cheap.

Some clarity on the visions that the newtypes keep seeing, I'd figure its a downside to their status. Being attuned to the emotions of the living and the dead would have risks. Namely, if you're a newtype with PTSD from a situation involving someone you cared about, you're going to have a worst time than an "oldtype" with PTSD. And even normal veterans with PTSD can have severe episodes where they literally relive past trauma.

However, there is a difference between Kamille and Amuro. I don't think it's clear now, but I'll explore it in later chapters.

Thanks for reading, next time around, the whole gang will get to know exactly what they're being recruited for and then they'll enter an abridged boot camp.

Fun times for all.

Later.