It is beginning of the year 79 of the Universal Century. With celebrations of the New Year ending, Zeon is beginning to mobilize the war machines it has rapidly developed and amassed in recent months. It is time for Zeon to declare its true independence.

Controlling largely only the Side 3 space colony, Zeon has a great disadvantage to overcome against its vastly superior foe's sheer resources numbering on thirty times those of Zeon's. The Earth Federation had a military drawing its strength from all Sides except Side 3, not to mention those from the Earth itself. Some might think the challenge posed an impossible one, but Zeon has placed faith in its weapons of war, which are believed to be vastly superior to their Federation counterparts.

With such an ephemeral and early edge, even the lowliest of pilots in Zeon has the power to shift the tide of the war in some noticeable fashion. Two could have an even greater impact, though just how will come down to their actions: whether in-unison or in-opposition.

While some would go down in history, others could still very well change the course of that history.

"Lieutenant Hiyento, you ready for the meeting with the Vice Admiral?"

Warm, friendly, and maybe a little bit smug. The third class Lieutenant Emmerich was known for his good charm and affability.

"Of course."

Something not shared by the partner he had been assigned, another low ranking Lieutenant named Amir Hiyento. Whereas Emmerich could get along with almost anyone, Amir's icy eyes and attitude kept nearly any living soul away whenever they had the choice to do so. He was a stoic military man despite never having been to war, and if not for his long flowing teal hair he would be a picturesque soldier.

They had come together when Zeon was testing its new weapons, each of them piloting a Zaku-I in all of its glory at the time to give the researchers the data they needed to complete the project. While a small role overall, it gave each of them the attention of one of Zeon's leading officers, that being Vice Admiral Dozle Zabi himself.

Dozle was the son of the nation's Sovereign, Degwin Zabi, but by no means did he fail to live up to the rank granted to him by nepotism. A hulking man of over seven feet, Dozle had a deep care for his soldiers, and so Emmerich and even the cold Amir were honored to be placed under his command for the coming blitzkrieg assault on the unwary Federation.

Given their previous, albeit minor, experience with the man, the two were called to meet with him in-person before their operation. They had not yet received their specific details, or even what units they would belong to, but thanks to their previous connections with the mobile suit technicians and developers they had at least managed to have their personal Zakus painted in a custom manner.

Without more to truly say, the two left their quarters on their military facility to meet with their commanding officer. Emmerich had known Amir long enough to give him his space and respect his taciturn demeanor, but he hoped on some levels to crack the shell eventually.

The meeting room, Dozle's personal office on Side 3, was inside one of the space docks where Zeon's weapons of war were being prepared. Musai Cruisers, Zaku-1's, Zaku-II's, and soldiers all were preparing for the coming fight against the tyrannical Federation that would deprive them of rights, would treat them as if they were inferior solely for having been born in space rather than on their precious Earth.

When the two pilots arrived at the dock's office they were allowed inside without hesitation by the guard standing by at its door, a man known as Shin Matsunaga who was both a close friend and the guard of Dozle.

Inside the spacious room was the Vice Admiral himself, who even seated was about the height of his visitors. Dozle rose from his seat to salute the men as they entered, a gesture they returned without missing a beat,

"Welcome gentlemen. It is good to see you both again."

He holds a hand out to signal the two to take a seat across from him. On the structure are an array of picture frames that the pilots could not see from their initial view, although with enough effort Emmerich manages to sneak a glance.

There were three picture frames visible to the man. The first was of Dozle and the entire Zabi family, including Dozle's deceased brother Sasro in a family portrait. This, in addition to the lack of the prominent facial scars Dozle now held, showed just how long ago this photo was taken, further compounded by how Emmerich doubted Dozle would willingly take a picture with his sister Kycilia at this point of time.

Center of the frame is Degwin, the man who took Zeon from the mere satellite colony to the burgeoning nation it was now, and to his side was his favorite son, Garma Zabi. The youngest of the family, Garma was a man born with a woman's beauty, and despite his young age of about twenty he was well beloved by their entire country. Standing aside Garma was his sister Kycilia, whose face appeared nowhere as cold and menacing as it was known to be now.

Lastly, Gihren stood proudly in the photo, as if he was in on some joke no-one else was. Neither Emmerich nor Amir were fans of the eldest Zabi child, but given how charismatic he proved to be with many troops it was not an opinion one could easily voice. The rumors surrounding his handling of the Deikun affair was enough to put off any rational being, his propaganda of leading Zeon into a new age notwithstanding.

The other two photos were far less crowded, possessing a charming simplicity to them as far as Emmerich was concerned: the second photo is of a younger Dozle is an Ensign's uniform saluting to a camera, likely from his time at the military academy, though what made the photo endearing was the maybe ten year old child mimicking him completely at his side, Garma's purple hair only coming up to Dozle's stomach. The brothers obviously had a strong bond unlike the rest of the siblings, and while Emmerich did not personally know the youngest Zabi he found himself tempted to meet him one day.

The last photo was of Dozle in his full military uniform standing with a woman in his arms bridal style, fitting given that the orange haired woman she was wearing a wedding dress. Emmerich inferred that this was Dozle wife Zenna, who Dozle was rumored to talk with his soldiers about at length given his undying love for her. Should that rumor be true, Emmerich was prepared to warn Dozle that it is always the one who talks about their family who will die in a book or television show, but for now he was content with knowing that he was serving under a Human being and not a heartless fiend.

Interestingly, after Emmerich's cursory observation of the photos he caught Amir doing the very same action. The very fact that Amir would be interested in looking over such things surprised his partner, but now was not the time to confront such an issue.

Not as perceptive as the quick eyed Emmerich, Dozle remained standing as he slid the files lain out for the soldiers on his desk towards their recipients.

"January 3rd, one day from now, will mark the beginning of the Zeon-Federation war. We will be moving in to strike Sides 1, 2 and 4 simultaneously and rapidly. The Federation outnumbers our forces severely, but we have the advantage of Mobile Suits."

A notable advantage, if Emmerich and Amir's experience with them meant anything. The Federation likely had no idea what was about to hit them: what use were guns meant to hit cruisers against such 'small' targets? Emmerich was not about to be sloppy though: he had traded up for a Zaku-II and its extra armor would make it feel slower than his Zaku-I he imagined, so he would have to be careful not to be too lax in dodging enemy bombardments.

"A Musai cruiser will bring you to their defensive line where you will wait until the order to strike is given. When it comes, attack their forces and eliminate all Federation ships in the area. They will be using the outdated Saberfish fighters as well as their inadequate Salamis cruisers to defend them. The Saberfish have little firepower, but protect your back. There is a chance they can damage your reactors despite the weakness of their weapons. The Salamis cruiser will have difficulty tracking your Zaku units if you remain mobile, so you can safely ignore it until the fighters protecting it have been dealt with."

Amir looks the scarred and burly Vice Admiral in the eye without flinching, a question having entered his mind, "Will we have a time-frame, sir?"

"Yes, but it is a generous one. You need to disable them before they can be reinforced, but you also need to keep their attention on you and lure them into running after you when your initial attack is complete. By attacking their main force you will be diverting their attention from the efforts on Side 2, known as Operation British, where Gihren intends to drop an unpopulated Colony cylinder on the Earth Federation's main base, Jaburo. Should it go as planned, the Federation will not only lose their military stronghold but also much of their standing army in space."

The battle plan did not stir any particular emotions in the two pilots, but that they would be destroying a Space Colony to use it as a devastating weapon on their enemy? One could see the practical side of dropping such a large object from orbit on the enemy's primary base, crush them in one swift blow, and keep the conflict from dragging out and causing the entire Earth and every Side from being destroyed in all out warfare…but the barbarity of it still could belong to few but the ruthless Gihren himself.

Dozle's face betrayed some of his own uncertainty about the operation, but he appeared capable of reigning in his regrets, "Given the estimated casualties, we do not expect this entire conflict to last longer than one month. The weak Earth Federation will be unable to stomach the losses they suffer, and we will press our advantage."

As each of the soldiers flipped through their documents they noticed a page that was dedicated to a man with platinum hair and a bony face that made his serious expression even more prominent.

"You two will be joined by Lieutenant Schmitzer who will serve as team leader of your operation. You may speak with him about any further details afterwards. He is an experienced pilot like you and has been serving our armed forces for a decade. I expect great things from the three of you," Dozle stated proudly, seemingly looking forward to this coming conflict.

Dozle brought a hand up to salute each of the men again, which they returned as they stood up in preparation for their departure.

"You are dismissed for now. Report to Lieutenant Schmitzer at your assigned Musai and prepare for your operation. These beginning moments will determine the course of the war, so do your best for Zeon!"

The hangar was a sight to behold for the two soldiers when they entered it again to head to their post. Large warships and mobile suits alike sat in waiting, the machines of war even including a great deal of the new Zaku-II mobile suits that you have heard much of with their improved performance. Zeon was sparing no expense to crush the Federation in one fell swoop: it was the only way they could triumph, and failure would have dire consequences.

Their files specify that their Musai, the Jotun, was the vessel at the rear of the hangar. From across the large hangar Emmerich and Amir could see technicians busying themselves loading it with supplies while an officer overlooks the procedures.

The officer appeared strict in his features, but they softened as he noticed Emmerich and Amir both approaching. He waved them over to him and saluted them when they reached him. Each could recognize him as the man in their file, but they let him introduce himself nonetheless.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Garrett Schmitzer. You must be those two test pilots Vice-Admiral Dozle assigned to me. Care to introduce yourselves?"

Emmerich took the lead, "I am Lieutenant Third Class Emmerich, sir, reporting for duty. I look forward to helping however possible in the coming engagement."

Schmitzer smiled at the soldier who was as green as his uniform, though he received a more minimal response from the second soldier who simply stated his name and rank. Opposite personalities, but both were fresh meat as far as he was concerned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Now, I know Command is selling this mission as a cakewalk, but remember we're going to be outnumbered. Stick together and don't let them get in behind you, and be sure not to expose your back to the Salamis cruiser at any point. I don't want to be sending condolence letters home, especially in a war that'll be so short."

Emmerich tried sharing a glance with Amir, but his partner continued to look forward at their superior officer.

Sensing that they had little more to say, Schmitzer pointed a thumb back to the Musai's boarding ramp.

"Well, if that's all, get on board and get some rest. The crew quarters have rations and bunks for you both. I'll be there shortly after I finish overseeing the supplying of the ship. Now's also the time to get some team bonding in if you two haven't already spoken much. Trust is important in battle."

This said, he let the two men past him and they boarded their ship. In addition to the Zaku piloted by their squad leader the green cruiser would hold both Emmerich's tan Zaku-II with its aquamarine highlights, a gaudy attempt at fashion, as well as Amir's royal purple Zaku-I with its mauve highlights. With such a force, their chance of individual victory was quite high, but strategies and tactics rarely survived past initial contact so whether the odds would remain in their favor was yet to be seen.

Inside the ship the pilots are met with the sight of technicians seeing to every possible issue and matter before the ship sets sail for its coming operation, and the vessel's simple design allows for it to run with a minimal crew, an essential trait for a fighting force as small as Zeon's.

It did not take long for the two to settle in on the vessel that very well may become their home for the next week or so if things went as planned…or longer, if things went off the rails.

The Musai had lifted off by the time the two were settled in with their minimal belongings in their cramped quarters of a shared room. They needed to be in place when the operation was launched, so there was little time to spare in terms of movement.

For those on board, however, this would likely be the last moment of calm before the storm of the war, so Emmerich decided he best use it the way Schmitzer had wanted him to: getting to know his antisocial comrade a bit better.

"So, this is our big moment…" he paused as he looked over to Amir, who was not showing any sign of response, "You feeling up to making history today?"

Amir continued to look over details related to the mission instead of look at his companion, "The Federation will see soon enough how much I intend to do just that."

Sensing that perhaps his companion was the sort to plan someone's ultimate downfall for so much as irritating him, Emmerich decided to let things sit there for the time being. Gradual progress it would be then.

Silence fell between the two as they waited, and after some brief rest their uncomfortable muteness was interrupted by a soft series of knocks at their door. Since Amir was closer to the door he got up to open it, though he paused when it was only a crack open so he could stare out at the person there: a woman in a Lieutenant's uniform who had crimson red hair and a soft face that complemented her small frame. She seemed a little surprised by the odd greeting, especially given the pilot's piercing eyes, but she recovered quickly and spoke up.

"Excuse me, but Lieutenant Schmitzer has requested you on the bridge. If you could follow me…"

She seemed even newer than the two pilots, probably fresh from the academy. While Amir had experience in the military in the six years since he graduated at 19, he was not a combat hardened veteran, but he had at least some immunity built in during those years. Someone as fresh and timid as this might have a tougher time out there, but he was not going to comment on it since it was not his place.

Given that they were being summoned, the two prepared themselves for the meeting and followed after the one sent to retrieve them.

The red haired woman led them to the Jotun's bridge where Schmitzer was waiting beside the captain of the ship, a man with a gaunt face and blue hair who seems familiar and you feel you should know. As the soldiers arrived Schmitzer left the captain's side and moved to speak to them by where they entered.

He nodded first to the woman and then dismissed her before speaking to the pilot duo, "Thank you Lieutenant Hepner. At ease, soldiers. I have confirmed the details of our attack with Captain M'Quve."

Bringing a hand over to a display of the approaching battlefield, Schmitzer began to give the operation's current details.

"Now, there will be four squads of four Saberfish fighters each protecting one Salamis class cruiser. Here are the technical specifications of each of these craft for you to study."

He gave his pilots a folder each and then turned back to his display, his hand moving towards a specific point on the pictured Federation ships.

"Given that this is a surprise attack, I say that we hit the bridge of the Salamis cruiser to start. By crippling its bridge we can prevent it from being of any further threat in the battle, leaving only the Saberfish as real threats," he looked between his soldiers, "One of us should use a 280mm Bazooka to get the job done while the other two bring 120mm Machine Guns to gun down the Saberfish."

The bazooka was more effective at range and would be quite capable of handling the large cruisers, but would falter against the faster moving Saberfish without great deal of luck. The 120mm machine gun however would be more suited for taking down the Saberfish, while also having a decent albeit lower effect on the cruisers. Given that they did not have time to chip away at the cruisers, it would be important to cripple it swiftly, thus necessitating the bazooka even if it would be nigh useless otherwise against small fighter craft.

Schmitzer continued his briefing, "Now, we only have one chance to take them by surprise. We all will be able to coordinate our fire before they can react, but we need to make sure to take out that bridge right away. Do you have any preference on who should use the bazooka for that first shot?"

This time when Emmerich turned to exchange a glance, Amir returned it. Amir had demonstrated better capability in close ranged mobile suit combat and, while not bad at it, was inferior to Emmerich at ranged combat. If they were to make the first shot count, Emmerich would be the better choice.

Their decision silently made between them, Emmerich turned back to Schmitzer, "I will, sir."

"Very well then. I will have the Zakus fitted accordingly. Our Musai will provide fire support in the mission, and it is vital that we do not let it be harmed. It would be unfortunate to defeat the Federation forces but be left adrift," Schmitzer gave a grin, but it was one of dark humor.

Being left to drift in space was quite possibly the nightmare of the majority of space pilots: left in the cold with diminishing fuel, air, and the possibility of death at any given moment in this instance given that it would also be a warzone.

"Visibility should be fine given that our region has minimal Minovski Particles interfering with our systems. We will, however, adapt our combat strategy once the fight breaks out, but we should try to focus down the Saberfish squads one at a time. Each squad will likely coordinate its attacks, so eliminating them entirely will cripple their chances of getting any of us."

Done with his explanation of the situation, Schmitzer smiled to the two younger soldiers.

"First round is on me for whichever of you takes down the most ships today."

That brought a smile even to the taciturn Hiyento's face.

It was not long before the two pilots found themselves in their mobile suits, all gathered around the Jotun as they waited for their orders to rush forth and assault the unaware Federation forces located in the sector.

Emmerich could feel his arms tense up as he prepared for the moment he would become a true soldier of Zeon: prepared for when he took a life in for the glory of his people and for their freedom.

Fortunately for him, the voice of his commanding officer came over their radio to calm him, "Take it easy, men. The Federation seem to be exactly as Lady Kycilia's agents said they would be. Follow the predetermined plan and excise caution. They don't know what we're up to yet, but we don't want to blow the entirety of this operation."

Nerves did not have time to settle back into Emmerich, as right after the event that would come to be known as the "Three Second Warning" came to be: Zeon declared war and, in mere moments, launched a vicious assault on the Federation armada and their space colonies who dared to abide by the Federation's mistreatment.

"The declaration of war has been sent! Commence the operation!"

The freedom of Zeon was at hand. The Federation would be driven back, expelled from space, that day.

A new beginning awaited the Spacenoids fighting for freedom…

And for millions others, their curtains were to be called.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear your thoughts in the reviews below! This story is from a longrunning Gundam Roleplaying game I ran with friends of mine, so it is thanks to them that this story is possible. Thanks to my many notes and some of our play by post sessions, I can bring to life the game we shared that has honestly been one of the best experiences of my life and by far the best RPG I have ever had.

Please leave your thoughts in the review section below, and please follow/favorite the story if you enjoyed!