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Prologue: Earth Sphere Alliance, Fenrir, and the Relays

"Alright class, it's time to settle down!" a teacher called out to her class as she walked into the room, an irritated scowl on her face as she observed the chaos that the pre-teens were causing. "I hope You all managed to complete your homework to my expectation."

The class stilled as a couple of students ducked their heads in shame as she tapped a few keys on her desk to display the day's lesson on the student's individual desk screen and the main display at the front of the class. "We will be covering recent history today," the teacher declared as she adjusted the half frame glasses that rested on her face. "Picking up from where we left off yesterday with the formation of the Earth Sphere Alliance."

She looked over the class with a critical eye before locking onto a particular student. "Jonathan!" she called out, making a student in the back row jerk as he hurriedly hid the book he was reading instead of paying attention. "Can you tell me what the first action the Earth Sphere Alliance took upon their formation?"

"U-uhh," the embarrassed student stuttered as he tried to think of the answer. "They allowed the Mars Colonists a seat of their own in the Alliance, in return for allowing access to the ruins found on Mars."

The teacher studied him for a moment before nodding. "Glad to see you were paying attention, please continue to do so," she commented before continuing on with the lesson. "Now, in order to get to Mars in a more time and cost efficient manner, the Alliance commission Aeolia Schenberg of Terminal - who had joined the Alliance as their special operations group, Kira Hisanaga of Fenrir, along with some of the brightest minds within the Alliance to create a method of travel between the planet's, leading to the creation of sub-light drives."

A silver-haired boy elbowed a brown-haired boy in the back of the class. The boy rolled his amethyst colored eyes in response. "Shiro," the teacher called out as she saw the byplay. "Perhaps you can explain the next major breakthrough made after sublight drives?"

"Biotics, Miss Kors," Shiro Hisanaga replied without hesitation. "Which were caused by unborn children being exposed to the dust-form of elemental Zero - or Eezo."

The teacher nodded. "Then perhaps Itsuki could explain what was found in the ruins on Mars?" the teacher questioned the eldest child of Jinn and Hanami.

"A bunch of Prothean ruins and a cache of data, Miss Kors!" Itsuki quickly replied.

"Correct, but a rather… limited response," the teacher replied smoothly. "Fiora, can you expand?"

"Eh?" a girl with red hair and eyes replied in surprise. "Uhh… well we they also discovered that there was something called the Relay system throughout the Galaxy with one of the Relay's being within the moon Charon."

Itsuki pouted.

"Correct," Kors informed, nodding in approval. "Now… Alexandria, can you tell me why we had not begun exploring the galaxy then?"

A black haired, green eyed girl whose leg bounced with contained energy, frowned slightly at her full name but replied anyways. "Because of the remnants of Blue Cosmos and Zala's extremists," she said with a grimace. "With the Zala's extremist almost succeeding in dropping the remains of Junius Seven on the Earth, the Earth Sphere Alliance and Fenrir made eliminating them and Blue Cosmos their top priority."

"I'm just glad they're not around anymore," Itsuki muttered. "Still, our parents rule!"

"Yes, yes, we all remember bring your parents to work day," Kors sighed, remembering that particular day that included - and wasn't limited to - several explosions, mobile suits, a terrorist attack, a rolled up newspaper and flying cutlery. "We don't need a repeat of that."

Itsuki, Alexandria, or just Alex to her friends and family, Shiro and a pink haired, green eyed girl with many physical similarities to Shiro had smug looks on their faces at that particular memory. Fiora noticed the looks and shot them withering glares that they simply shrugged off.

"Dad was pretty peeved about that day," Karen Hisanaga commented with a giggle. "More about that he wasn't here rather than it happened."

"Back to the subject," Kors called out loudly, firing a glare at her more… unruly students, why did she agree to this job again? Especially with a practically all-star class of Fenrir kids? "Can anyone tell me what happened immediately after the war?"

Eager to make up for his lackluster answer before, Itsuki raised his hand. "The new governments of the world met here in this colony and signed the Treaty of Mendel, combining them all into the Earth Sphere Alliance!"

"Correct, Itsuki," Kors informed with a nod. "Now, with the formation of the the Earth Sphere Alliance and the elimination of the remaining extremist factions underway, can anyone tell me any major events that has happened between here and now?"

Karen raised her hand almost right away in response. "Former President James Henderson stepped down as the President of the Earth Alliance and became the Commander in Chief of the E.S.A's armed forces," she explained. "In his place former MS Pilot Michelle King was elected as President."

Kors nodded. "Very good," she said.

Alex raised her own hand with an eager grin. "Well, with the war's end, many of the major military manufacturing companies have began to work together as a show of unity to help each other develop new mobile suits," she said with a happy grin. "Morgenroete has begun production on a few units, the M1 Astray along with several variants, which were already nearing completion, this led to the production of the M2 Astray, meant for the use of ace pilots, the Murasame, a mass produced transformable model, and the MAF-01 Yoroi, a DRAGOON-use mobile armor that's used for defending the the fleets."

Kors opened her mouth to make a comment, only for the excited student to continue on. "Of course the Earth Alliance has also begun production on their own advanced mobile armors, like the Gells-Ghe, and the Zamza-zah," Alex's eyes were gleaming as she talked about her passion. "And then they have the Windams, an advanced version of the rapidly aging Dagger units. Of course ZAFT would be left behind and with assistance they began to develop the ZAKU unit, taking cues from the EA and ORB in making use of a 'backpack' system to allow versatility in its loadout before launching onto the battlefield. The Earth Sphere alliance-"

"Alright, that's enough!" Miss Kors interrupted with a loud groan, massaging her temples. "This stuff isn't in the curriculum at all, and I know next to nothing about advances in the field of giant fighting robots… Kids, go easy on me, I didn't grow up in the military like you did…"

Several of the kids, notably those whose parents worked in Fenrir began to chuckle in amusement at the teacher's frustration. "Alright, alright, now settle down," she called out. "Open your terminals to page 431, we'll start with the recent laws passed by the Earth Sphere Alliance."

As she spoke the students pulled up the required page focusing on the lesson for the day.

Kira worried her lower lip as she stared at the streams of data, running along the screen before her in the Deep Space Observational/Research Satellite Fenrir owned for many of their more… secretive projects. Including the one that the majority of Fenrir's upper echelon was now gathered for, the first mode of Faster-Than-Light travel.

"Drive is stable," Ryu announced as he kept a careful eye on the readout screens, Jinn was next to him ensuring all the calculations were spot on, Sentry doing his own double checks. "Power flow within acceptable ranges… I think we are a go."

He looked over to Kira who nodded and activated the communication device. "Meili, your mission is a go," she announced to the temporary crew of the Experimental Destroyer, made up of the engineers and scientists who worked on the ship and the Faster-Than-Light drive.

Although most of the creators call it the Slipspace Drive, due to the drive opening a hole in 'Slipspace' to travel through in a faster period of time than Sublight engines.

"Understood, control," came the reply from the Meili. "Heading out now."

Ryu bit the inside of his cheek as he watched the ship drift out of port, several screens flashing to life, one of them being the feed from a Satellite that had been set up near Europa, one of Jupiter's moon, and near the destination point for the Meili.

"We are now clear of station, beginning warm up of the FTL Drive," one of the ship's temporary crew informed as data started streaming across the screen, showing the data of the FTL drive. "Drive is primed, we are entering Slipspace!"

Space seemed to tear open as the Meili accelerated towards it sliding into the tear before it closed up.

"Receiving feed from Jupiter!" a tech reported as the feed showed a similar tear open and the Meili flew out.

"Meili has arrived at Jupiter, FTL was successful!" the pilot shouted as cheers erupted in the control center.

"Nice work, Meili," Kira replied. "Recharge the drive and come home."

"Roger that, Command," the pilot informed. "Spinning up the drive, making the trip home."

"Champagne is waiting to be opened and Hanami's cooking as we speak," Kira told them, garnering a cheer from the crew before the ship opened a new hole and began the trip back home.

"We did it," Ryu breathed as he stepped closer to his wife an arm slipping around her waist comfortingly. "Non Eezo based FTL."

Kira smiled back at him in return. "Yeah, we did," she returned giving him a kiss on the lips. "Come on, let's get the party ready."

"I'm almost done over here, Jinn-koi," a purple-eyed silverette called out as she flicked her pan, launching a half-finished egg roll out of it and catching it in mid-air with another pan in a way that caused it to roll up perfectly.

"Same here, Hanami-koi," a brown haired, green eyed male replied calmly as he tilted his head slightly, allowing a set of chopped onions to land in the pan of hash browns he was cooking. "Exciting day, huh?"

"Yeah…" Hanami smiled, glancing over at the exit of the kitchen at the dining area where she could tell that people were filing into. At the same time she dipped a spoon into a pot of beef stew to test it. "Mmm, I think I got it just right this time…"

"Even after these years you still doubt yourself," Jinn rolled his eyes as he took the hash browns off the burner and poured them into a bowl.

"I didn't get the softness I wanted last time!" Hanami flushed slightly, scooping up another spoonful and bouncing over to Jinn, pressing herself against his back and placing the spoon in front of his mouth. "Say aaaaah~"

Jinn chuckled as he obliged his wife's request and opened his mouth with an 'aaah' allowing her to deposit the stew into his mouth. "Perfect as always," he told her, leaning back against her. "Can you imagine if your younger self saw us right now?

"I'd be a stammering and blushing wreck," Hanami giggled. "We've come so far, grown so much more since then…"

"And I wouldn't change a single second of it," Jinn told her warmly as he turned around to kiss her. "I love you, Hanami-koi."

"I love you too, dear, but just for a moment since we still need to plate all this properly and get it ready to serve," Hanami gently stopped Jinn's progress towards claiming her lips for a moment to say before pulling him in to kiss.

"If I recall, you were the one to start our kitchen adventures," he murmured after their kiss.

"Yes, yes and I've long grown out of those years since," Hanami rolled her eyes, smacking Jinn gently on the back. "Especially after the last time we spilled all that milk all over ourselves…"

"Oh you enjoyed cleaning that off me," Jinn countered, poking her gently in the side. "Not to mention most of it being yours."

Hanami actually blushed at that accusation as she smacked Jinn's back again. "That was only after you started fondling me… and I still blame you for making me so big I can't fit in most of my old clothes anymore. You and the kids."

Jinn chuckled in response. "As I recall you were quite vocal about keeping it up," he retorted teasingly. "Something along the lines of being 'totally worth it' sound familiar?"

Hanami's blush darkened slightly more. "It's a mixed feeling. On one hand I can only wear custom bras and they're hell on my back in gravity, but on the other you really like them…"

"They're a part of you," he told her as he kissed her forehead gently. "And I really like every inch of your body, tell you what, I'll massage your back tonight."

"I appreciate it…" Hanami involuntarily let out a throaty moan at the thought of it before she clapped her hand over her mouth. "Ooops," she whispered, glancing over at the door.

Jinn chuckled again. "They know better than to comment or even to listen in," he assured her before reluctantly pulling away from her. "But that can wait for tonight… You little closet pervert."

"I blame Kagami," Hanami said on autopilot as her expression softened. "Do you still miss having both of us around? Or have you gotten used to just… me?"

"I am very happy to have you, Hanami, if that is what you're worried about," he assured her. "But yes, I still have moments where I miss Kagami, she was our friend too after all."

"If it helps I still have her memories anyway, even if I'm not exactly her," the silverette smiled, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.

"I would never want you to be anything but yourself," he whispered into her ear. "If we end up having another daughter, what do you feel about naming her after Kagami?"

"Itsuki, Shirayuri and Tsubaki not enough of a handful for you?" Hanami chuckled. "I wouldn't mind though…"

"Just saying if, dear," he assured her. "Lord knows those three are giving me grey hairs already."

"I swear the twins take more after Kagami than anything already," Hanami rolled her eyes. "And they're already starting to develop and get looks from the boys… Yukikaze genes indeed."

"Well, I'm not too worried about them getting hurt," Jinn admitted with a grin. "I'm more worried for the ones who try anything after the girls are through with them, they definitely got my mother's temper."

"Then again we're both famous enough that we intimidate any potential suitors anyway just by being nearby," Hanami let out a nervous laugh.

Jinn chuckled in agreement as her assisted her with loading up the carts with food. "Especially after what you did to that poor girl who thought I was single," he commented with a smirk in her direction.

"Ara… I don't know what you're talking about," Hanami smiled faux-innocently even as she glanced over at a frying pan with a significant dent in it, hanging in a rather prominent location over the other racks as if it were a trophy.

Jinn laughed in response to her denial. "Come on dear, let's feed the masses before they get too desperate for your cooking," he told her as be began to push the first of several carts out.

"Yes dear," Hanami giggled, following along behind her husband.

Cheers erupted as they pushed the food out to the gathered members of 'Project Stargrasper' and allowed them to begin filling their plates with food. Once everyone had their plates loaded and settled into their seats Kira stood up and cleared her throat, bringing to everyone's attention to her.

"Everyone, thank you," she stated with a wide smile that was shared by everyone present. "It is thanks to everyone here that we now have a viable means of travel outside of the relay network that the Sol Council plans on Unveiling later this year, and with this new mode of travel we can get started on the true objective of Fenrir and prepare for the coming of the Reapers. But that can wait for tomorrow, today, we celebrate, cheers!"

The assorted members cheers in agreement as they all raised their glasses in salute before digging into their food.

One year later

"Everything is ready, Captain," a brown haired, orange eyed young man informed a dress uniformed man who nodded in agreement.

"Helmsmen, plot our course, bring us through the Sol Relay." He announced to the crew as the Junius Seven, the first Eezo based ship created by the Sol Alliance lurched forward. "after years of war and infighting, we now stand here United and together, stepping forward into the future, let us go gentlemen."

With those words the exploration vessel was caught in the wake of the Mass Relay and launched millions of light years away from their home system.

END PROLOGUE

DKR: Well we're back with the new story! I know it's a short start, but this was the basics of what we wanted to cover, I'm not quite sure if I put this in or not, but it's been about 12 years since the end of Life of a Mercenary.