Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Create the Future

Chapter 10: The Impetus

November 13, 2314 A.D: HRL Asia Tower District, Commercial Area

The café was moderately busy, enough so that the servers couldn't laze about but not so much that they were overwhelmed. Louise thanked a pair of customers she had just served and then went about clearing the table.

After spending far too much at her and Saji's apartment doing nothing, Louise had managed find a job at a nearby café. It was by no means glamorous but it was a start. At least she had been able to speak normally with other people. It felt like it had been a lifetime since she had been able to do so. Just living a simple, normal life was enough for her.

Louise heard the front door open and nearly blanked when she saw Saji walking into the café. A man and woman around their age accompanied her boyfriend, likely friends from work.

"Saji? What are you doing here?" Louise asked as she approached her boyfriend. She tried to ignore how ridiculous the question she just asked was. It wasn't like she wasn't expecting Saji to stop by while she was working at some point. She just didn't expect him to do so while he was suppose to be at work. Especially considering the amount of time he had to take off to come see her at the hospital.

Saji motioned for the two to seat find a table. "Well, I thought I'd take a look at the place you were working at."

Louise blushed and tucked some hair behind her ear. "Saji, you shouldn't bother checking up on me when you have your own job to worry about."

Saji shook his head. "Don't say that. It's our lunch break and my friends insisted when I told them about your new job. Are you going to be taking our order?"

"Sorry, someone else is going to take the next table."

"That's too bad. Maybe next time," Saji said with a smile.

Louise playfully smacked his arm. "Get going then. You're lunch break isn't going to last forever."

Saji laughed her off and went to join his friends. Louise sighed and went back to clearing her table. However, she couldn't resist curling her lips into a smile. She'd be lying if she said she didn't think it was a sweet gesture.

Ptolemaios, Bridge

Feldt watched with everyone else as the 00 floated in the air. The black and red ship in front of the Ptolemaios was no ordinary carrier. It was obviously designed for military use. Yet Setsuna was willing to just fly in front of it on his own, throwing caution to the wind.

An alert from her monitor called for Feldt's attention. "Miss Sumeragi, we receiving a transmission from the enemy ship."

"Put them on the main monitor," Miss Sumeragi commanded. Feldt obeyed the order and moments later a link was established with the other vessel. On the display at the front of the bridge was a dark-haired woman.

"This is the transport carrier Archytas. My name is Scheris Talion, pilot of Gundam Nezach. Are you Sumeragi Lee Noriega of the Ptolemaios?" the woman on the screen said, her introduction catching everyone's interest. So these were the same Gundam Meisters who had attacked them before.

"That's correct. You seem to know quite a bit about us," Sumeragi replied cooly. Just how much did these people know about their organization?

"Am I correct in assuming that you are aware that Descartes Shaman is on our ship?" the other woman asked, ignoring Miss Sumeragi's remark. Feldt took quick glances at Mileina and Lasse who looked just as bewildered as she was.

"We'll need proof to confirm that," Miss Sumeragi said. Scheris Talion motioned to someone offscreen and another video feed popped up. Descartes Shaman was sitting in a room waiting. He received a message on his personal terminal and looked toward the camera which zoomed in on his face. Feldt went to work to see if the images were being doctored in any way.

"Miss Sumeragi, the video is authentic," Feldt said.

"Tell us what you have done to him," Miss Sumeragi demanded.

"He has remained unharmed. We are not here to fight you. Not this time," Scheris Talion said. "Rather, there are important matters that we must discuss with you."

"You have a strange way of operating. First you attack one of our bases and attempt to steal the GN drives. Twice I might add. Then you kidnap a Federation soldier. Now you want a discussion?" Miss Sumeragi berated.

The other woman was unfazed by Miss Sumeragi's retort. "It would be in your best interest consider our proposal. Should you choose to confront us, we are prepared to engage you in combat. Work with us and no one gets hurt today."

Feldt's eyes widened at the women's declaration. Looking at Miss Sumeragi, the operator saw that the older woman had steeled herself from expressing any vulnerability.

"You'll have to forgive us if we remain skeptical of what you just said," the tactical forecaster said.

"Understandable. However, there are matters that must be discussed. Perhaps we can work out an arrangement?"

Pacific Islands, Airspace

"What the hell is he thinking?" Tieria growled.

Even after the Gundams had launched, the vessel had yet to make any action. No mobile suits had launched nor had any shot been fired. Why even come out here? More importantly, why was Descartes Shaman with them?

A transmission from the Ptolemaios came through. "All Gundam Meisters return to the Ptolemaios immediately. Report for a debriefing."

"We're to return now?" Tieria muttered. Cautiously, the Gundam Meisters turned back and did as they were ordered, with the enemy making no move. Raphael, Harute, and Zabanya entered the hangar before 00.

Tieria climbed out of Raphael's cockpit and made haste to the debriefing room. Lyle, Allelujah, and Marie were right behind him. Setsuna had yet to exit the 00. They still went ahead without him.

Everyone else was waiting for them when they had arrived at the briefing room.

"Would you care to elaborate as to why you ordered us to return, Miss Sumeragi?" Tieria asked.

"The ship in front of us is known as the Archytas and the people aboard that ship are the same ones who attempted to steal the GN drives. We've also confirmed that Descartes Shaman is present on the ship," Miss Sumeragi answered.

"Those other Gundams," Marie muttered.

"Then why did you call us back?" Allelujah asked.

Miss Sumeragi sighed. "The people on that ship contacted us and said they didn't come here for a battle."

Tieria gave her a quizzical look. "And you believed them?"

Setsuna finally entered. Miss Sumeragi confronted him immediately.

"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours but you need to pull it together," the older woman chastised.

"I'm sorry," Setsuna said.

Miss Sumeragi shook her head. "I don't want your apologies, Setsuna. I need you to start thinking clearly."

"About that message," Mileina said.

Miss Sumeragi sighed and returned her attention to the whole group.

"The woman who spoke with us was the meister of the black Gundam. Her name was Scheris Talion. Their request was for a meeting between Setsuna and Captain Shaman. If we agree to this meeting, they have given their word that they will not make any," Miss Sumeragi explained.

Feldt tapped the keyboard in front of her. "I've run name search and facial recognition software through the Federation's database. There've been no files related to her."

"They also had a message for you, Tieria," Miss Sumeragi informed.

"And that would be?"

"They said he'll be waiting in Veda. They didn't specify who," Sumeragi reported. The Gundam Meister seemed to find the message just as strange as she did.

"This just keeps getting better," Lyle muttered. "This is obviously a trap."

"So what do we do?" Marie asked.

"They said that Descartes Shaman would be waiting on the island for Setsuna. Could we be able to take him from them?" Lyle asked.

Lasse nodded his head. "If push comes to shove, we can take them on."

The tactical forecaster shook her head. "That would be too risky. We don't want to have him caught in a crossfire. The Federation needs Captain Shaman alive."

"I'll go," Setsuna announced. All eyes shifted to him in surprise.

"But that's way too risky. We don't even know for sure if we can trust those guys," Mileina chimed.

"You got a death wish or something?" Lyle asked, his tone a mixture of sarcasm and frustration.

"If I go see him, then maybe I can find out what's going on. When I was out there, I could tell that he was waiting for me," Setsuna said.

"You sensed him using your quantum brainwaves. That's why you flew ahead of us," Marie exposited.

Setsuna nodded. "We don't know what exactly they're planning. But I do know that Descartes Shaman's waiting for me. Seeing him might be the best way to avoid conflict."

Tieria and Miss Sumeragi exchanged glances.

"If we allow this, you must follow our orders to the letter," Tieria said.

"Understood," Setsuna replied.

"Feldt, contact the Archytas. We need to set up an arrangement," Miss Sumeragi ordered.

Lyle pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

Archytas, Mobile Suit Hangar

"Miss Talion, what should I be doing?" Cypher asked. Celestial Being had responded to their request and agreed, with stipulation and safety measures placed first. Miss Talion was getting ready to escort Mr. Shaman down to the island below. Mr. Majirif was somewhere on the ship with orders to stay on board.

Miss Talion adjusted her pilot suit. "You wait here. Don't do anything unless I give you orders."

According to their arrangement, she and Mr. Shaman would go down to the island first and Celestial Being would select one Gundam to bring Mr. Seiei. The Innovators would meet each other away from the Gundams at a predetermined location. Neither group would make a move until the Innovators returned. What would happen after that was anyone's guess.

The boy frowned. "I'm supposed to wait here? That's no fun."

The woman lowered herself to his and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cypher, I need you here. I want you to keep an eye on Kamal for me. Make sure that he doesn't do anything reckless."

Cypher hated how she condescendingly she treated him. As if he couldn't see that she just didn't want him on the battlefield. Begrudgingly, he answered with a nod of his head.

Miss Talion put on her helmet. "This whole thing feels wrong to me."

"But you did agree to this expedition," Mr. Shaman said as he walked into the room. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," Miss Talion responded. With one last nod to Cypher, the two adults made their way to the Nezach.

The boy headed back into the bridge and sat himself down. Mr. Haptism and Miss Peries were on the Ptolemaios. Cypher began to wonder just what they thought of this little situation.

The black Gundam, Nezach, had already arrived at the landing point and dropped off Descartes Shaman.

Harute landed softly onto the beach, kneeling down onto the sand. Setsuna stepped off Harute's hands. The pilot of Nezach had already exited her Gundam and was waiting for their arrival. The other two Gundams were nowhere to be seen, just as they had agreed.

Allelujah and Marie exited the Harute and descended to join the other two on the beach.

"He's waiting for you down along the beach," Scheris Talion explained. "But before you go, I'll need to check you."

Setsuna nodded to his two allies and stepped forward. The woman slowly pulled out a scanner, making sure the three could see it wasn't a weapon, and ran it around Setsuna's body. The only sounds breaking the tense silence were those of the waves and the wind. Shortly afterwards, Scheris Talion seemed to be finished with the use of the scanner. Putting the device away, she patted him down. Once she was done, Scheris gave him a signal to proceed.

The Gundam Meister turned to his companions. "Thanks. I'll be alright."

"Be careful, Setsuna," Allelujah advised. Setsuna nodded and left. When Setsuna was out of sight, Scheris Talion began heading back to her mobile suit. Allelujah was about to call after here when Marie rushed in front of him.

"Stop right there!" Marie shouted. Her outburst caused the other woman to pause in her tracks. "We need to talk."

Setsuna treaded across the beach alone, unsure of what to expect from Descartes Shaman. He would need to be cautious with his Innovator abilities if he wanted to prevent the same incident as before from happening.

What would he find at this meeting? What would he have to do?

He found Descartes standing alone, gazing out into the ocean. The other Innovator turned to acknowledge Setsuna. Descartes was dressed in a white uniform reminiscent of the A-laws'. Cautiously, Setsuna got close to the man.

"Descartes Shaman, it's a pleasure to meet you, Setsuna," Descartes greeted, offering Setsuna a handshake. Setsuna remained silent, not taking his eyes of Descartes or giving any indication that he would return the gesture.

"I suppose that we aren't in the ideal situation for pleasantries," Descartes said, his joviality unaffected. "But I am glad that you came here. It's a shame we were not able to meet properly at the capital."

"Those people you're with. They say that you went with them willingly," Setsuna blurted, choosing to get straight to the matter.

"That is correct. I'm know you have many questions to ask," Descartes returned his attention to the ocean. "There is so much that we have to talk about."

Setsuna didn't make a comment on what Descartes had just said. He stood there trying to get a read of the man. Descartes took his silence in stride.

"Looking back, I realize just how ignorant I was and, in turn, how ignorant the humans are. These sights, these sounds, and so much more that they will never be aware of. I feel like I've awaken to the truth of the world. But you know this. You understand." Descartes turned his head to glance at Setsuna. "This world is far too small."

"What do you want?"

"Others like us will appear in the near future. With the world the way it is, they will need to know that they are not alone. The world will not be kind to them. People fear that which they don't understand. I want to protect them. I will liberate them. Just as I was."

"From who?"

Descartes chuckled. "From humanity of course."

"And you'll use Gundams and your own army to do so?" Setsuna asked.

The other Innovator shrugged. "To be honest, the Gundams were not something I had expected. They were more of a pleasant surprise."

Setsuna glared at Descartes. "If I let you have your way, people will die. What you're doing will lead to conflict."

"I'm sorry to say that this world you created is ill suited for our kind. No matter how much you wish, how much you fight, or how much you change, humanity will remain as they are. They will never be able to accept the Innovators."

"You don't know that for sure," Setsuna said.

Descartes laughed. "As if you believe that. How can humans be expected to embrace Innovators when they can't even resist quarreling amongst themselves?"

Union Territory, ESF Government Headquarters

Klaus stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the President's office. He approached the President's secretary who was currently at work at her desk.

Redire looked up from her seat. "Mr. Grad? You're a few minutes early."

"I know. I hope that's not a problem," Klaus said.

"Very well," Redire said as she rose from her seat.

Redire opened the door and motioned for him to enter. Klaus nodded to the secretary who returned his gesture and took her leave. As the door was shut behind him, Klaus saw that he had come in while the President was in the middle of a call.

"I know what I said, but there's been an emergency. Please try to understand," the President said to her phone. Klaus stood there, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "I promise I'll be there next time, alright? Be good to your father. I love you."

The President ended the transmission and turned her attention to Klaus. "Mr. Grad, have a seat."

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time, Madam President," Klaus said, embarrassed at having intruded on what was most certainly a private call.

"I'm sure you're aware of the situation with Captain Shaman," the President replied, getting straight to business.

"I'll do anything I can to help you," Klaus said.

The President nodded. "As a matter of fact, there is something that you can do."

Klaus scrunched his brow in confusion. "Oh?"

"Have you been in contact with Celestial Being recently?"

Klaus hesitated to answer. "Why do you ask?"

"With this situation with Captain Shaman, it is best we prepare ourselves for an appearance from Celestial Being on the off chance the worst were to pass."

"Only once and it wasn't over anything that hadn't been made public," Klaus answered hesitantly. "You're not accusing Celestial Being of being responsible for Captain Shaman's disappearance are you?"

The President shook her head. "If they were, Celestial Being would no doubt have claimed responsibility for such an act. Regardless, it has been decided that the best course of action is to prepare for the appearance of the Gundams."

"Why? Celestial Being hasn't been sighted since the fall of the A-laws. They've left the world alone," Klaus said. While he was aware of a few instances where Celestial Being likely had intervened, they hadn't gone so far as to bring out the Gundams. His chat with Lyle the other day had given him the impression that they were content with remaining low-key.

The President folded her hands on her desk. "I find it unlikely that they would refrain from releasing the Gundams should an international incident occur."

"And if that were true? They're watching and making sure that nothing like the A-laws' rise to power happens again."

"How comforting," The President said, her voicing laced with sarcasm. "What do you think would happen if Celestial Being were to decide that the current state of the world isn't to their satisfaction? They are in possession weapons and technology that matches and even exceeds our own. Conflicts are likely to arise in the near future. When that happens, I have no doubt that the Gundams will reappear and lives will be lost to them. They're actions have the potential to destroy everything the Federation and world nations have strived for."

"That won't happen. I know them. I've fought together with them," Klaus insisted. While there may have been disagreements between Katharon and Celestial Being, the two organizations had been able to help one another. Klaus also knew firsthand that the Ptolemaios crew acted only in the world's interest.

"Well, I don't have the luxury of that experience. I can't place the Federation's safety on the assumption that Celestial Being can be fully trusted."

"After all they've done for us, that's how you're going to treat them? Where were you when the A-laws were wiping countries off the map? Trying to protect your precious career?"

As soon as those words left his lips, Klaus regretted speaking them. The President's eyes narrowed.

"The general public weren't the only ones lied to, Mr. Grad. Nor were the ones within the government safe from the eyes of the A-laws. You've seen firsthand that those who would speak against the A-laws were swiftly silenced. And do not forget that Katharon has its own fair of sins," the President said. She then tapped a few keys on her desk and a screen popped up in front of Klaus. On it, were news articles from a few years ago covering missions that Katharon had conducted. Each one of those missions had ended in tragedy and not just on Katharon's part.

"I-"

The President interrupted. "While your willingness to fight against the A-laws was admirable, Katharon's methods in its first year of action were completely reckless and foolish. Civilians were killed as a result of your inexperience, lack of resources, and poor tactics."

Klaus shot up from his chair. "Someone had to do something. People's lives were at stake."

"Sit down, Mr. Grad," the President ordered. Klaus obeyed begrudgingly, still feeling anger at the direction this meeting had taken. But more importantly, he felt shame at the truth behind the President's words.

"Tell me about these people, Mr. Grad. Were their deaths necessary for your mission? Don't forget that there is blood on your hands too. Blood that we have been gracious enough to overlook," the President said.

Klaus lowered his gaze. "We were trying to show people the truth. Someone had to do something to stop the A-laws."

"And in doing so, you brought innocents into your conflicts. Not only the families of those who joined Katharon but also civilians."

Klaus tightened his hands. It was true that Katharon had been far from organized in the beginning. A combination of poor communication, the lack of a hierarchy, desperation, and an overestimation of their abilities, had resulted in terrible collateral damage. After several incidents had resulted in complete disasters, Klaus and the other leaders in Katharon had taken strides to become a more structured organization.

The President's expression softened slightly, the stony look of hers dissolving and her eyes carrying something resembling sympathy. Klaus wasn't sure if it was genuine or just a false gesture.

"Klaus, don't think that I don't understand. And don't think that I don't know that the world owes Celestial Being a debt of gratitude. But we can't blindly put our trust in them. We have a responsibility to the Federation and the rest of the world. Celestial Being has made it clear that they are willing to take arms against the world when they deem necessary. They answer to nobody. If we allow their actions to undermine the Federation, other nations will see us as nothing more than another puppet government."

"What do you want?"

"I asked to meet with you to confirm one thing," the President replied. "We need to know where your loyalty lies. If the worst were to occur, whose side would you be on?"

Setsuna narrowed his eyes. "Innovator or not, we're human too."

"I find it amazing that you are able to say that so easily," Descartes mused. "With all you can do, you still group yourself along with them."

"There are humans who would protect Innovators."

"So you say," Descartes stated. "But that isn't enough, is it? You've been alone for quite some time. The people aboard that ship of yours don't understand what you're going through. They can't fathom what your abilities have allowed you to experience."

"You don't know them."

"But am I wrong?" Descartes countered, to which Setsuna had no response. "You see how the ordinary people look at us with confusion and suspicion."

"They need time. People can change," Setsuna said.

"Can you afford to wait? If the worst were to come, could you place your faith in those allies of yours? Are you sure that you can trust them and place your life in their hands?"

"Are you sure that it was alright to let Setsuna go down there? Who knows what those guys are planning," Lasse said from the helmsman seat. The Ptolemaios remained stationary in the airspace. Lyle was on standby with Zabanya, keeping vigil and prepared to go on the offensive if the Archytas launched an attack. Allelujah and Marie escorted Setsuna down to the island and remained there. So far, it seemed that the Archytas and its crew were following their part of the agreement.

"Not entirely, but this could be our only chance to gain some insight into this whole fiasco," Tieria said with a hint of exasperation. "It could also give us a chance to return Descartes Shaman to the Federation. We couldn't start a battle knowing he could end up as a casualty. Setsuna would have argued for this anyway."

"Do you think he's safe down there?" Feldt asked. "We don't know too much about what would happen if two Innovators come into contact with each other."

Sumeragi shrugged. "We'll have to wait and see. All we can do now is monitor them and make sure the others keep their end of the agreement. Besides, those two are the only confirmed Innovators. It was only a matter of time before they would meet."

She shouldn't have been surprised that Setsuna would want to learn more about another Innovator. Just as she had told Feldt before, Setsuna was having difficulty coming to terms with being an Innovator. It was only natural for him to want to meet someone with the same abilities.

The tactical forecaster looked over to Tieria. "What are you going to do about that message they had for you?"

"I'll have to investigate," Tieria answered. "Which means that I'll have to go into Veda to contact whoever it is that is waiting for me."

"But it could be a trap. Kinda like everything else they've got us doing," Mileina said. Everything they had been doing seemed to be all part of the enemy group's plan. This entire scenario left them all with an uneasy feeling

The purple-haired Gundam Meister adjusted his glasses. "That is a risk that I'm willing to take. We need to know for certain how compromised Veda is."

"We might even be able to figure out if Ribbons is behind all of this or not," Lasse suggested.

"If I don't return by the time the others return, assume that I've been compromised," Tieria instructed. The Gundam Meister hurried out of the room to the Veda terminal.

"The meisters are really on edge lately, aren't they? I mean, it feels like they're always tense when they're in the same room," Mileina commented.

Lasse shrugged. "Can't blame them. I don't think any of us here are too sure on how to handle something like this. But Setsuna isn't really making a good case for himself."

"Make sure that you keep a visual on him and Shaman," Sumeragi ordered. Even as they stood by, the tactical forecaster ran scenario after scenario in her head. They had been in worse situations and had managed to pull through. Hopefully, this incident would end in their favor.

Once again, Setsuna remained silent. No matter how much he wanted to, the Gundam Meister couldn't bring himself to fully disagree with what Descartes was saying. He was not ignorant to how the others were confused about how he was acting recently. Or how much his actions concerned them.

Descartes took advantage of Setsuna's silence. "Yes, you understand how different we are. Those people you surround yourself with can never understand what goes on in your mind, the sensations that your gifts have allowed you to experience. But I can, Setsuna."

Setsuna shook his head. "I've fought together with them for years. We've come this far together. Even if they don't understand, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" Descartes snapped, though his voice had barely risen. Setsuna had picked up a flicker of frustration. "Are you telling me that you don't wish to have someone that is able to understand you? To have someone close to you that is able to see the world through your eyes? Is there anyone in this world you know capable of doing so?"

Kingdom of Azadistan, Royal Palace

The melody of the piano echoed through the room. Sunlight poured through the palace windows. Alone in the room, Marina was able to bring her full attention to the keys in front of her. She could lose herself to the music for a short while.

Music had been her passion. In a better world, she would have loved to spend her life focusing on it. But reality had different plans for her. The piano would only be there in the little moments she had to herself. Her first responsibility was to her kingdom. This was the life that she had chosen.

As she played, Marina was able to allow her mind to drift to other matters. It had been quite a while since she had seen Setsuna and his friends in the capital. She had received a message from Feldt Grace that said they had been able to find Setsuna and that they had left the capital. Marina still regretted not having the chance to say goodbye.

The Federation's reveal of the Innovators had sparked debate across the world. She had done her part in advocating for peace. Her people had become more open to change, but there were limits to how accepting they could be.

A tap on her shoulder caused her to pause in her playing. Marina looked over to see Shirin standing behind her.

"Marina, you're needed," her aide said.

The princess nodded. "Of course."

She rose from the piano seat and followed Shirin out of the room. Azadistan needed her to be its princess.

Quantum Computing System Veda

Tieria would be arriving soon. It was only a matter of time before he would find out the truth. Descartes' little excursion had only made it occur sooner rather than later.

Whether or not it was the opportune time to reveal himself to Tieria, only time would tell. Not that it mattered to him. There was nothing that could be done to stop what was to come. Adjustments to the plan had already been prepared. In any case, Tieria was not a deciding factor in this game.

As if on cue, Tieria's form materialized in front of him. When the process was finished, the purple-haired Innovade opened his eyes. In front of him, the truth was revealed.

"You? But why?" Tieria uttered. The shock on his face was deliciously satisfying.

"Can't you see that you're just being used? You're just someone else's puppet," Setsuna accused, changing the topic. To Setsuna's surprise, Descartes took the accusation in stride.

"You know, I had the same thought at one point. I wondered if I was only a means to an end. But I've spent enough time to determine that there is no deception on my friend's behalf," Descartes said, tapping his forehead. "No, he is dedicated to our cause."

"Ribbons was the one who put you up to this, wasn't he?" Setsuna snapped. The idea that Ribbons would do something for the sake of another was absurd. That man had slaughtered countless people in order to satiate his desire to be a god.

Yet here was Descartes convinced that that was the case. Or rather, that had been the impression Setsuna believed until he sensed a twinge of confusion.

Descartes raised an eyebrow. "The Innovade who you defeated over two years ago? You think Ribbons Almark is the one who freed me?"

Setsuna's eyes widened with shock. He had been wrong. "Then who?"

"The name of the one who made all this possible is Regene Regetta," Descartes answered.

"You look quite surprised, Tieria," Regene said. "That's disappointing. I expected better of you. After all, I told you once before that you and I are always connected."

Tieria glared at his counterpart. "Then you were the one who tried to steal the GN drives,"

Regene's smirk grew slightly. "Stating the obvious, are we? I didn't expect you to notice my manipulation of the transmission feeds. Quite careless of me and fortunate for you."

"Those scientist that you kidnapped. Where are they?" Tieria shouted.

"Unfortunately for you, they're dead. I had no more use for them," Regene gloated. The expression on his face practically spelled out how much glee he got from sharing that news.

"Bastard! Why are you doing this? Why have you turned against us? Against the plan?" Tieria asked. "Answer me now, Regene Regetta."

"Turned against the plan?" Regene spat out, his eyes lighting up with rage. "I am the one who is devoted to our goal. Everything I have done is for the completion of the Aeolia plan."

"What?"

"Look at what has happened to the two Innovators. One has been a prisoner of the Federation, forced to be their puppet. And the other is a pathetic wretch of a man incapable of leading anyone," Regene ranted. "It became clear to me that you were unwilling to do what was necessary. If I were to leave things as they were, humanity's follies would destroy what progress we have made."

"Don't speak about humanity as if you know them. You have never spent time among them. Time after time, humankind has been able to endure tragedy and hardship. And now they have learned from their mistakes. Don't forget that it was a human who created us. You know nothing about them," Tieria said.

Regene scoffed. "You have allowed them to corrupt you, just as the others did. Ribbons became twisted by a mere encounter from Setsuna F. Seiei. A simple look from a mere child gave him delusions of being a god. Anew Returner was willing to abandon us all to protect her relationship for that Lyle Dylandy. And you, who once would have sacrificed anything for Aeolia, changed because of your base attachment to the original Lockon Stratos, Neil Dylandy. A miserable fool who died a pathetic death."

"Not another word!" Tieria roared. No one would disgrace Lockon's memory in front of him. However, Regene was correct about one thing. Years ago, Tieria had looked down on humanity, seeing them as little more than cogs needed for Aeolia's plan. But he had changed and now couldn't imagine looking at them in that same light. He had come to understand humanity.

"I, on the other hand, remain untainted by them," Regene continued. "Unlike you, I remain solely devoted to Aeolia's true goal."

Tieria fought back a bitter laugh. "And explain to me how you reached that conclusion."

"Even as Ribbons began to take control of Veda and the Earth, I kept a close eye on him. I witnessed firsthand that he had twisted the plan to serve his own interest. Thus, I took action to ensure that he would be stopped. My initial attempt to eliminate him failed. You and the Gundam Meisters were my backup plan and you succeeded. When you had purged Ribbons' mind from Veda and won, I thought that would be the end of things. You had taken control of Veda and acquired access that only Ribbons had held. I was content to let you carry on and retreated to the depths of Veda."

"Then why did you feel the need to return?" Tieria asked. Regene's aid had indeed allowed them to defeat Ribbons. When Ribbons' link to Veda had been terminated, Tieria felt Regene fade away into Veda. What terrified him now the most was his inability to sense Regene's activity or presence. If Regene had truly been scheming and acting for the last two years, why had he, the one who had monitored all activity within Veda, been unaware? Had he been too careless or was Regene more skilled than he was?

"The taste of victory had lead to me miscalculating. You refused to take control. You allowed the Federation to cage the first Innovator they found, left Descartes to be treated like a mere animal. You gave them Veda, allowed them to have access to it. All while you sat idly by and accomplishing nothing," Regene hissed. "Because you've proven to me that you don't have the will to push forward Aeolia's plan, I have chosen to carry out that responsibility. I will build a world prepared for the dialogues to come."

Tieria glared at his at his counterpart. "So the one who gave the Innovades those orders in the capital was you."

Regene sneered. "Yes, I was the one responsible for that. And look at the result. I was able to toy with the first pure-bred type as if he was a child. Such a pitiful waste is undeserving of leading the Aeolia plan."

"Celestial Being was created to unite the world. What you're doing is going to undo all we've worked for," Tieria shot back. The Earth had just begun to embrace more pacifistic policies. Since the fall of the A-laws, the world had been able to avoid large scale conflicts. Communication and compromise had been encouraged by the world's governments. Humanity was finally approaching the stage that Aeolia had wanted. How could Regene possibly claim he was working towards the Aeolia plan when he was aiming to encourage conflict? What had happened to him in the last two years?

"Humanity is not as foolish as you believe," Tieria continued. "That was why Aeolia created Celestial Being. He believed that humankind could one day free themselves from the chains of war."

He had not expected to see Regene erupt into full-blown laughter. Had he been in a real body, that laugh would have sent chills down his spine.

"Is that what you believe? Then take this," Regene waved his hand and sent a file to Tieria through a link.

Tieria eyed Regene with suspicion. "What is this?"

Regene's lips curled into a smile. "I found this hidden within Veda and removed it as soon as I could. This is the last record from Aeolia Schenburg. His final will."

"Regene Regetta?" Setsuna uttered. It hadn't been Ribbons after all. Why hadn't he been able to sense that? Shouldn't his abilities have allowed him to discover that it was Regene Regetta? Tieria should have discovered the truth by now.

"Yes. Regene freed me from the Federation. He's not overly fond of you but he aided me in seeking you out," Descartes explained. "Soon he will grant me my heart's deepest desire. I will finally, truly be able to reach my full potential."

The passion and fervor emanating from Descartes couldn't be missed. This idea of utilizing his potential was of the utmost importance to him. Even the way he uttered the word was enough for Setsuna to catch on. For his goal, he would be willing to tear the world in two. This revelation infuriated Setsuna.

"Your potential? That's your reason for all of this?" Setsuna shouted furiously. For a moment, he had allowed himself to believe that there was something to Descartes. In the end, what Descartes had just said made him no different than Ribbons Almark. "You think your own satisfaction is enough reason to break this peace."

Descartes frowned. "Setsuna, what good are these abilities of ours if we cannot test their limits. I'm not speaking of menial tests for scientists to throw at us to gauge of capacity. We can no longer look at the world the way we once did. I realized that after our encounter at the capital. That is why I will change the it. Just as you did years ago."

Setsuna gritted his teeth. "You're nothing like me. Everything you're doing is to satisfy that ego of yours."

Descartes stepped closer to him. "Setsuna, we now stand on the precipice of change. What I seek to create is a haven for all the Innovators. You must make a choice. Join with the us and complete Aeolia's plan. Or stand against us for the sake of these humans."

"I won't let you distort this world. Too many people died to get us here," Setsuna said as memories of his fallen comrades flashed through his mind. "I won't let those sacrifices be in vain just so you can test your potential."

Setsuna had expected Descartes to finally relent or, at the very least, show some sort of negative emotion. However, Descartes remained as serene as ever. Descartes eyed Setsuna with a look of understanding.

"I don't want there to be any deaths, believe me. If what I desire can be done without bloodshed, all the better. However, I will do what I must to realize the potential of the Innovators. Regardless, there will be bloodshed in the near future, with or without action on our parts," Descartes said. "That is why I want you to join me, Setsuna. Together, you and I can become great men and accomplish wonders."

"You think I'll join you? You're out of your mind."

Descartes' smile didn't lessen in the slightest. "Whether you join me or not makes no difference. However, I know that there is a part of you that can see the logic behind my goal. I can sense that conflict in you."

Setsuna took a step back. "That's enough."

"Do you think those sacrifices will mean anything if the world continues on the path it is currently on? You want to change the world for the better, no? Well so do I, Setsuna," Descartes said, holding his hand out towards Setsuna. "You wanted to make a world without war or strife, a world where the people who live in it are able to understand each other. That is the world that I seek. The Innovators can break down the barriers that chain humanity. Join me and we can make that dream a reality."

Author's Note: Well there you have it, a reveal that was long overdue. What do you think? I have some regrets with the "mystery box" approach.

My reference to Katharon's first year is just something I made up, as far as I know. I'm mostly going off Barack Zinin saying his wife was killed because of Katharon and assuming she was a civilian.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Next time:

"You and I have much to learn, I suppose," Descartes said. "But the future is bright."

"What the hell are they trying to pull?" Lyle hissed.

Sumeragi rushed to his side. "Tieria, are you all right?"

"Do not turn your back on me! Not again!" Kamal snapped.

Setsuna could only look on in shock. "This...this is Aeolia Schenburg?"