The orbit above South America was littered with wreckage — charred metal, frozen debris, and the fading echoes of battle. What remained of the Zeon strike force limped back toward space, battered but alive.
Inside the carrier Iron Viper, the hangar was a nightmare of noise and smoke. Mechanics scrambled over scorched mobile suits, shouting through static-filled comms. Steam hissed from broken armor plates, mingling with the stench of coolant and burnt ozone.
Hikigaya's Blitz Gundam had done its job — too well, perhaps.
The Jaburo raid was over, and Zeon's proud vanguard was in retreat.
Lelouch Von Zehrtfeld leaned back in his cockpit, breath steady, eyes half-lidded. His Black Zaku II had returned with minimal damage — the result not of luck, but of meticulous calculation. Every shot, every maneuver had been planned three moves ahead. And yet, the mission had failed.
He unstrapped his harness and climbed down into the hangar, greeted by the sound of strained engines and the sharp scent of metal dust. Shin's Z'Gok crouched beside him, armor split and leaking coolant. Johnny's Dom was worse — missing an entire actuator arm. Rezen's Gogg loomed in the corner, its mono-eye dimmed, the pilot unconscious but alive.
Liam's voice crackled over the intercom, strained but disciplined.
> "Commander Zehrtfeld, all surviving units accounted for. Revil remains unconfirmed, but the Federation's counterattack ceased once Duel and Blitz appeared."
Lelouch's reply came cold and flat.
> "So the old general lives. Typical."
He brushed a gloved hand across his cheek, smearing carbon ash. The holographic display before him flickered to life, showing Jaburo's underground labyrinth — hundreds of kilometers of bunkers, tunnels, and command centers. Red markers blinked where Zeon forces had fallen.
He sighed quietly.
> "An invincible fortress built on human arrogance… no wonder Revil thrives there."
Outside, the Iron Viper's thrusters ignited. The ship rose slowly, carrying its wounded machines and weary crew toward orbit. Lelouch glanced back once, seeing Earth's clouds fade beneath him.
He spoke to no one in particular.
> "So this is victory, Zeon-style — dying slower than the other side."
---
Two hours later, Lelouch stood in the dimly lit communications chamber, the symbol of Zeon shimmering behind him. Before him, projected in flickering light, stood Gihren Zabi — the so-called "Sun of Zeon."
The Supreme Commander's expression was carved from ice.
> "Explain yourself, Zehrtfeld. You were ordered to eliminate Revil. Jaburo stands intact, and the Federation's counteroffensive is already preparing to strike."
Lelouch bowed slightly, voice composed and respectful.
> "The terrain was not as intelligence suggested, sir. The base extends deeper than expected — layered tunnels and shifting defenses. Two new Gundam units appeared, disrupting the advance. Blitz's optical camouflage was especially—"
Gihren cut him off.
> "Excuses. Zeon does not need excuses."
A lesser officer might have flinched. Lelouch did not.
> "Then Zeon needs better intelligence, sir," Lelouch said evenly. "Or perhaps a command structure that listens to it."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut steel. Somewhere off-screen, an officer coughed and went rigid. Gihren's eyes narrowed.
> "You're bold, Zehrtfeld. Perhaps too bold."
> "Only honest, sir. I serve Zeon through results, not rhetoric."
The faintest smirk tugged at Gihren's mouth.
> "Then you'll have another chance to prove your loyalty. You are to reinforce Solomon. Deliver all captured Federation technology and prepare for a possible Earth counterattack."
Lelouch inclined his head.
> "Understood."
The line disconnected. The hologram faded.
He exhaled slowly, alone once more in the dark chamber. Then his lips curled into the faintest of smiles — the kind born not of pride, but bitter amusement.
> "Solomon… a fortress in the void, commanded by a man who believes courage outweighs tactics. How poetic."
He looked out the viewport as the stars drifted past, reflecting in his eyes.
> "The Zabi family treats this war like theater — and they're running out of actors."
On the nearby console, he flicked through encrypted files. Psychommu research. Newtype projects. Beam weapon prototypes. All of it driven by desperation masquerading as innovation.
> "So this is Zeon's grand answer to failure — evolution by madness."
He turned the pad off and leaned against the wall. For a moment, his sharp mind softened, his voice lowering to a whisper.
> "Tanya… wherever you are, stay alive. I won't let this war take you too."
The intercom buzzed. Liam's voice again.
> "Commander, course set for Solomon. Estimated arrival in twenty hours."
> "Proceed," Lelouch answered quietly. "Let's see how long this empire of glass can pretend to be steel."
---
Far across space, the asteroid fortress Solomon burned bright — a citadel carved into rock and shadow. Hangars lined its surface like open jaws, filled with hundreds of mobile suits preparing for war.
Inside, Dozle Zabi strode through the main bay, his heavy boots echoing against steel. His laughter shook the walls.
> "Ha! Look at these beauties! Gelgoogs — Zeon's new pride! Beam rifles, sabers — we'll match the Federation's Gundams blow for blow!"
Mechanics saluted as he passed. Engineers scrambled to meet his booming enthusiasm. For all his roughness, Dozle was beloved — a general who fought with his men, who bled beside them.
He stopped before a row of young recruits — freshly assigned from Granada. Among them stood Tomoya Aki, a slender youth with unkempt black hair and eyes that couldn't quite hide their unease.
Dozle looked him up and down.
> "You're the one who topped the simulator trials, eh? Aki, was it?"
Tomoya snapped a nervous salute.
> "Y-Yes, sir. I just… did what I could."
Dozle's grin widened, showing teeth.
> "Good! I like modest ones — they live longer! You'll be assigned to a Gelgoog team once Zehrtfeld's reinforcements arrive. Train hard, fight harder!"
> "Understood, Commander!"
Dozle clapped him on the shoulder with such force Tomoya nearly stumbled. Laughter followed the general as he walked away, shouting orders to the engineers.
Tomoya remained standing there, feeling the weight of the pilot suit. The hangar lights reflected in the polished Gelgoog before him — a weapon of war so beautiful it almost frightened him.
> "I don't even understand how I ended up here…" he thought. "One day, I was an orphan in Side 3. Then the war came. And somehow, I was drafted. Maybe this is just another dream I can't wake from."
A nearby mechanic handed him a helmet, smiling faintly.
> "First time seeing a Gelgoog up close? Don't worry, kid. They're friendlier than they look."
Tomoya nodded absently, eyes still fixed on the glowing mono-eye of the nearest unit.
> "Friendly? Right… if only the war was too."
He looked toward the stars through the open hangar gate — a distant flicker of light, faint but growing.
Unbeknownst to him, that light was the Iron Viper — Lelouch Von Zehrtfeld returning from Earth.
---
Hours later, deep in transit, Lelouch stood at the observation deck, his reflection merging with the void.
> "Solomon… the next stage of this farce," he whispered.
Somewhere ahead, Dozle roared orders, Gelgoogs took flight, and a young pilot named Tomoya Aki prepared to step into a cockpit for the first time.
The stars between them shimmered — cold, vast, and waiting.