Global Broadcast Aftershock
The world was still reeling.
Every news channel replayed Arthur King's cold words on an endless loop:
> "Peace… cannot be begged for. It must be earned through cleansing."
The screen cut between shaky footage of burning cities and the image of his golden crest — a sword piercing the sun.
Experts shouted over each other in crowded studio panels:
> "This is an act of war—"
"If Camelot takes Earth, the colonies will fall in weeks—"
"We have no Prime Minister, no clear command structure—"
"Then we defend what's left! All forces must mobilize—"
Even old enemies were speaking in unity.
Rebel leaders issued joint statements with the Earth Federation, calling for immediate defensive cooperation.
It didn't matter who you were.
You were either with Camelot…
Or you were the enemy.
---
Few weeks later,
Lieutenant Kaedin's POV
A thumb swiped across the screen, pausing the replay.
Lieutenant Kaedin — a young man with sharp eyes and the wiry build of a pilot used to tight cockpits — stared down at his phone, the reflection of Arthur King's face still ghosted in his pupils.
He muttered to himself.
"…Bastard looks like he's already won."
Footsteps crunched beside him. General Halsten glanced over.
"Still watching that?"
Kaedin pocketed the phone. "Hard to ignore when the guy just declared the whole planet his property."
"Then stop watching," Halsten said flatly. "Keep your eyes forward. We've got a job to do."
Ahead, the Elysion Elevator rose from the horizon like a silver spear aimed at the heavens.
---
The March to Elysion
The road was packed.
Federation soldiers, rebel fighters, and civilians moved in one massive, slow wave toward the Elevator's base.
Cargo trucks rumbled beside them, hauling supplies for the Lunar colonies.
Towering over it all were the mobile suits.
On the left flank — Gundam Thanatos, its black-and-silver armor gleaming under the fading sun.
Inside, Ferius Nura kept pace, scanning the ridges and open fields ahead.
To the right — a tight column of Scorpio units, their angular frames carrying the blue-and-gold trim of the Earth Federation. Kaedin's Scorpio led the formation, walking in perfect sync with Thanatos.
On the ground between them strode General Halsten and General Kurein, their personal guards mixing Federation blues with rebel grays.
---
Kurein looked up at Thanatos's towering head.
"Your pilot's still green," he said to Halsten. "You trust him in that thing?"
Halsten didn't look away from the road. "If I didn't, he wouldn't be here."
From Thanatos's comms, Nura's voice crackled in.
"I can hear you, you know."
Kurein smirked. "Good. Then hear this — you're holding one of the few things that might stand against Camelot. Don't get yourself killed."
Kaedin's voice came through next, lighter but edged with steel.
"Nura, if you fall behind, I'm not coming back for you."
Nura snorted. "You'd never get the chance — Thanatos would outrun that Scorpio of yours."
Kaedin grinned inside his helmet. "Big words from the rookie."
Halsten cut them both off. "Eyes forward. We're in contested territory until we reach the Elevator."
---
The civilians walking under the mechs barely spoke.
Some children pointed up at the towering machines in awe.
Others kept their eyes down, gripping the hands of parents or siblings.
A rebel soldier muttered to Kaedin over the open channel.
"You think they'll come this far south?"
Kaedin didn't answer right away. He glanced at the horizon.
"…If I were Camelot, I'd hit us before we even got the first group off the ground."
Halsten looked at him. "That's why we keep moving."
---
The Elevator's massive base was now visible, ringed with anti-air batteries and fortified walls.
Mag-rail capsules shot skyward along its spine, each carrying supplies and evacuees toward Luna.
Inside Thanatos's cockpit, Nura tightened his grip on the controls.
For all its size, the Elevator looked too fragile for what was coming.
Kaedin's eyes narrowed. In the high upper atmosphere, something glinted — six faint points of light, moving fast, each on a different vector.
He didn't say anything.
Not yet.
---
The forest was quiet.
Not silent — the leaves rustled under a cool breeze, and somewhere in the distance a stream whispered over smooth stones — but compared to the chaos of the march, it felt like another world.
They had stopped just shy of the last ridge before the Elysion Elevator's perimeter.
Close enough to reach it within hours… far enough to avoid being spotted by anyone watching the approach.
The mobile suits — the Scorpio units and Thanatos — stood like steel sentinels on the edge of the tree line, their armor catching the faint silver of moonlight filtering through the canopy.
---
Nura sat near a low fire, the flicker painting warm light across his face.
Around him, the small clearing was crowded but calm.
General Halsten leaned against a crate, arms crossed.
General Kurein sat on a log, smoking something that smelled harsh but strangely sweet.
Lieutenant Kaedin sprawled on the ground with his back against his helmet bag, scrolling through his phone again.
Federation soldiers mingled with rebel fighters. Civilians huddled in small groups, passing food, murmuring softly.
The air smelled of dried rations, gun oil, and pine.
---
Kurein exhaled smoke into the night. "Feels strange… Federation and rebel uniforms sharing the same fire."
Halsten didn't look at him. "Stranger things happen in war."
Kaedin chuckled without looking up. "Yeah, like me taking orders from two generals at once."
Nura poked the fire with a stick. "Better than taking orders from Arthur King."
That got a few quiet laughs from the soldiers nearby.
Kurein's eyes narrowed. "Don't joke too loudly, Nura. His spies might be listening."
"Out here?" Nura shrugged. "We're too close to the Elevator. Anyone coming this way would be seen from a mile off."
Halsten finally spoke, voice low but firm. "Don't get comfortable. We might be close… but close isn't safe."
---
Despite Halsten's warning, the mood had softened.
Some soldiers were playing cards under the dim light of portable lamps.
A group of civilians had set up a small pot of soup, the smell drifting over the camp.
Nura leaned back against Thanatos's foot, feeling the machine's cold metal at his back.
For a moment, he could almost imagine this was just a long camping trip — no war, no Gundams, no Camelot.
Kaedin tossed him a ration bar. "Here. Eat. You're going to need the energy tomorrow."
Nura caught it and raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow?"
Kaedin didn't answer. He just went back to his phone, the faint blue glow reflecting off his face.
---
A middle-aged man from the evacuee group approached the fire.
"Generals… is it true we'll be on Luna in two days?"
Kurein looked at Halsten, then nodded slowly. "If everything goes according to plan, yes."
The man's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you… for getting us this far."
Halsten's gaze softened for the briefest moment. "…We're not there yet. But we'll get you there."
---
The forest canopy swayed gently above.
A few leaves, loosened by the wind, fell into the fire and curled instantly into black ash.
Nura watched the embers rise into the night sky.
For now, there were no alarms. No gunfire. No comms screaming about incoming hostiles.
Just… quiet.
---
The forest should have been peaceful.
It wasn't.
Yes, there were fires glowing warmly between the trees, soldiers chatting quietly, and civilians trying to rest after days of travel.
Yes, the towering silhouette of the Elysion Elevator rose in the distance — a silver line against the night sky — a symbol that salvation was finally within reach.
But Nura couldn't shake the weight in his chest. It was too quiet.
---
He sat alone near a campfire, watching the embers drift up and disappear into the darkness. The smell of smoke was sharp in the cold air. A couple of rebel soldiers laughed nearby, trading jokes over a dented kettle of tea.
That's when it came.
A faint… push from the ground.
Not enough to knock anything over — just enough for his teeth to touch together in an odd click.
He blinked, leaned forward, and pressed his palm to the dirt.
Thud.
Once.
Then again.
Rhythmic.
---
"Kaedin," Nura called, keeping his voice low. The young lieutenant sat across the fire, head bent over his phone. The bluish light from the screen reflected in his sharp features.
"You feel that?"
Kaedin frowned, slid the phone into his pocket, and crouched. His gloved hand touched the ground.
For a moment he didn't move. Then his eyes flicked up. "…Yeah. I feel it."
The two of them stared at each other in silence for a beat.
Kaedin straightened. "Let's go."
---
They wove through the camp, passing tired soldiers wrapped in blankets, rebel scouts sharpening their rifles, and civilians huddled around lanterns. The further they went, the more Nura felt it — the vibrations were growing stronger.
Some people noticed.
Most didn't.
Yet.
---
Inside the largest tent, General Halsten and General Kurein stood over a field table littered with maps, holographic overlays, and half-drunk mugs of coffee. A pair of Federation officers murmured over a comms panel.
Kaedin stepped forward. "Generals, we've got something. Ground tremors — deliberate pattern, not natural. They're close."
Halsten's head lifted sharply. "How close?"
"Close enough to feel standing still," Nura said, his voice low.
Kurein narrowed his eyes. "Could be tracked armor. Or…"
He didn't finish.
---
The ground shifted again. This time, the lanterns swayed on their hooks.
Halsten was about to speak — when the first explosion hit.
---
—THOOM!
The sound rolled through the camp like a giant's heartbeat.
Canvas rippled. Dishes clattered.
Before anyone could recover, a second blast — brighter, sharper — flashed through the tent seams.
Shouts erupted outside. Boots pounded the dirt.
THOOM! — a third one, and now the vibration was constant, the ground shivering beneath them.
---
Kurein was the first to move. He pushed past the tent flaps, and the sight made him stop cold.
In the far distance, at the foot of the Elysion Elevator, a column of flame clawed up into the night sky.
Sparks like falling stars scattered in every direction.
Halsten joined him, muttering a curse.
"That's the base perimeter… it's gone."
---
A comms officer stumbled into the tent, headset bouncing on his neck.
"Generals! Multiple detonations at the Elevator's base — repeating impacts, unknown origin! Could be orbital fire, could be sabotage! We don't—"
Another explosion cut him off, closer this time. The shockwave made the lamp above them sway violently.
---
Panic spread. Federation and rebel soldiers began shouting orders over one another. Civilians were herded away from the firelight. Some clutched bags, others children, but all moved fast.
Kurein's voice was tight. "We're not dealing with random fire. This is coordinated."
Halsten didn't look away from the flames. "And it's just the beginning."
Nura stared toward the Elevator, the orange glow painting the clouds.
The tremors were heavier now.
---
The chaos of the camp faded into a blur. Orders, shouts, boots hitting the dirt — none of it mattered.
Only that fire on the horizon.
Only that pull in his chest.
Nura pushed past the soldiers rushing to assemble. Someone grabbed his arm — General Halsten.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Halsten barked.
"Out there," Nura said without stopping. His voice was sharp, colder than he meant it to be. "If something's at the Elevator, I'm not waiting to find out secondhand."
Halsten's jaw tightened. "You move without orders and you're dead before you take ten steps—"
But Nura was already running.
---
The night air hit his face like ice as he broke into the open, weaving between parked Scorpio units and the looming shadow of Gundam Thanatos.
The mobile suit's cockpit was already opening as he reached it. His hands were moving before he could think — helmet on, harness clicked, systems booted. The startup hum filled his ears.
---
A voice crackled in his comms.
"Nura! Wait—dammit, wait!"
It was Lieutenant Kaedin. The young officer was sprinting across the lot toward him, still in partial pilot gear. His Scorpio's canopy was opening as he ran.
"You're not going alone!" Kaedin yelled, climbing into his seat. "If you think I'm letting you get yourself killed—"
"I'm not here to argue," Nura shot back, flipping Thanatos into standby walk mode. "Keep up."
---
The two mobile suits moved through the darkened forest, the glow of the burning Elevator growing brighter with each step. Static whispered in their comms from the sheer electromagnetic distortion ahead.
Branches snapped underfoot. The ground was hot. The smell of scorched metal and chemical smoke was thick enough to taste.
---
They broke through the last line of trees — and froze.
What had once been the Elevator's supply yard was now a cratered wasteland. Chunks of debris still burned. Trucks lay overturned, their frames twisted. The perimeter wall was a jagged skeleton of steel.
And in the center of it all…
---
A figure stood in the flames.
Not just any mobile suit — its armor gleamed like molten silver under the firelight, framed by white-and-gold edges. A long, razor-edged lance rested in its hands, its tip buried in the ground as if claiming the field.
The shape was inhumanly still. Yet even in that stillness, Nura could feel the weight — like standing before something ancient and merciless.
The Gundam that Nura have fight and kill his brother in arms.
Gundam Bedivere.
---
Kaedin's voice broke the silence, shaky over comms.
"Gun…dam…!!"
The figure raised its head at the sound. The flames cast shadows across its faceplate, and for a heartbeat, it almost seemed to look directly at Nura.