Save the Day Program, once again. (Gundam IBO/Satisfactory SI): Chapter 40

Moon Base.

In the orbit of the celestial orbit, a massive navy of ships, known as the Arianrhod Fleet, floated in a neat formation.

Its master, Rustal Elion, on the other hand, did not share the discipline as rage clouded his mind.

Thankfully, his decades of experience allowed him to control his emotions.

“This brat, he is making a mess of everything down there.”

His old friend and most trusted subordinate, Galan Mossa, gave a wry smile at his superior’s words.

“True. The instigation of the old world rivalries, his shady deals with the real powers in the dark, his theft of classified Gjallarhorn information, and espionage across the Sol System. These are just a fraction of what McGillis has been up to.”

“As if we did not have enough problems already.”

Rustal Elion watched the video recordings obtained from various sources, showing the attack on San Fran by ‘Unknown Forces’.

In truth, nearly everyone who held true power in the political sphere across the system knew that it was the expendable forces of the Oceanian Federation that perpetrated this attack.

Similarly, even amongst these elite, there were only a handful of people, mostly those who descended from the powers of the old Earth, who knew the true perpetration behind this entire incident.

McGillis Fareed, the false heir to the Fareed family.

Rustal could not help but sneer when he thought of the ambitious but unstable young man who would be thrown out of Gjallarhorn in the blink of an eye should the truth about his parentage be exposed.

The young man shared the same goal as Rustal Elion and David Thornton. However, the way he went about achieving it was something that Rustal would never approve of.

Make no mistake, Rustal knew from the very beginning that it would be a bloody ordeal since it was not that easy to rid his beloved organization of its filth. However, what he did not approve of was dragging civilians into the conflict, especially when it only provided benefits in the short term and would prove to be a detriment in the long term.

Rustal Elion was a cold, calculating, and ruthless person. But even he had some level of moral code left intact. At least, he liked to think he did.

“What are the projections?”

Galan clicked a few buttons on his datapad, bringing up a live feed from his team of analysts.

“We project a sharp decline in trade between the Oceanian Federation and SAU after this, with a possible Trade War on the horizon. Which would be very bad, considering that, unlike the nations of old Earth, these two entities control entire continents.”

“As for the other two factions, we predict that Arbrau would join its old ally, the Oceanian Federation, in any conflict that might arise, while the African Union seems to remain neutral as always.”

Then, the data feed changed to show the star chart of the Solar System.

“The colonies are also predicted to follow their patrons, except for the Martian Colonies, and the majority of the Jupiter Sphere, since they are now under the control of FICSIT and will most probably remain neutral.”

Rustal smiled a little at those words.

“Neutral? I don’t think so, old friend. I have no doubt that should war break out, those colonies would unite under FICSIT and form another faction that we will need to contend with.”

“On that thought, where is their fleet at the moment?”

Once again, Galan manipulated the screens and showed the live feed from the Ariadne Network.

“They should reach Earth within a day at most. Their ships are surprisingly quick for the relatively low Ahab wave output we can detect from them.”

“Another mystery, then?”

Rustal chuckled as he watched the feed, an idea forming in his head.

“Send word to the Outer Earth Orbit Regulatory Joint Fleet through unofficial channels. I want Carta Issue to intercept FICSIT on suspicions of smuggling illegal technology.”

Galan gave a shocked look to his superior.

“But, isn’t Thornton your ally at the moment?”

“He is. That is why I am doing this.”

“…I don’t follow?”

Rustal Elion walked to the viewport of his ship, staring at the infinite void of outer space.

“Tell me, what are the biggest obstacles that we face in our objective to cleanse Gjallarhorn?”

Galan did not even have to think twice before answering.

“The Noble families, the representatives of minor families, and most problematically, the Seven Star families.”

“Correct. Then, it is quite the unfortunate thing that these families have been facing a lot of legal troubles and untraceable assassinations these past few weeks, right?”

Suddenly, everything started to click in Galan’s mind.

The sudden death of Iok Kujan due to his stupidity, the mysterious assassination of Niel Falk, and the downfall of many minor families across the board in the time span of a few weeks. The strange special forces made up entirely of women that are rumored to be active in many places across Earth.

And now, these new orders to send Carta Issue into the line of fire, knowing very well that Ms. Ada and David Thornton are not very forgiving people.

“…You are depriving the Seven Stars of their heirs, forcing the Seven Stars council to disband as a whole?”

“You always were a sharp one. It is one of the many reasons why I trust you with so much information. And to answer your question, yes. That is my goal.”

A cruel smirk appeared on the older man’s face.

“Knowing that girl, with how stuck in her ways she is and is far too arrogant to bend the knee when it matters, she will undoubtedly provoke Thornton into action, leading to the death of her and her forces while her fleet will be wiped from existence with not even the debris remaining behind to serve as evidence. This fact is not in question.”

“What I am interested in finding out, is how painful her death will be, which will depend on how much she manages to piss off that ruthless woman, Ada Monica.”

An involuntary shudder travelled down both men as they remembered the fearsome woman that David kept by his side.

“Truly, I have never seen someone more dangerous than her. And to think that she is so devoted to her master. I truly envy that bastard’s luck. What I would give to have someone that capable by my side.”

Galan could not help but reluctantly nod at his boss’s words since he recognized the truth in them.

Ada Monica was not a woman that should be crossed in any circumstance, lest the idiot in question find out the depth of the woman’s danger personally.

“…Still, is it necessary to get rid of all these families? Some of them have served us loyally for generations.”

Rustal could not help but sigh as guilt and regret filled his mind for a second, before these emotions were ruthlessly obliterated by his determination and practicality.

“Yes. As unfortunate as it is, the old system must go before we can establish a better system in its place. Besides, what I am doing is rectifying the mistakes of our ancestors.”

“…What do you mean?”

Rustal gave a wry smile before turning to his most trusted subordinate, preparing to air out the dirty laundry that Gjallarhorn had kept hidden since its creation.

“Tell me, how did Gjallarhorn come into existence?”

“Wasn’t the organization created by Agnika Kaeru and his companions, the founders of the Seven Star families, to fight the Mobile Armors, and then led to the creation of the peacekeeping organization as it is today?”

“That is the official history that is fed to everyone, including our own people.”

“…’official history’. Meaning, there is an unofficial history?”

Rustal did not say anything but pressed a button on his table, activating the privacy systems of his room, showing the intensity of the truth that he was about to expose.

Then, he took out a folder filled with physical documents and handed it to Galan, who immediately started reading.

With each paragraph, each page, his expressions grew to show his shock and horror before they were all replaced by absolute disgust.

“….So everything we were ever told was a lie?”

“Essentially? Yes. Agnika Kaeru and his companions, our ancestors, never lived long enough to establish Gjallarhorn as the organization it is today. It was their living relatives and their thirst for power that led to the transformation of the Gjallarhorn unit, the most elite Mobile Suit squadron in existence, into Gjallarhorn, the peacekeeping organization that holds power over the entire system.

This time, anger filled Rustal’s mind as he stared at his subordinate.

“They defiled the sacrifices that our ancestors made and turned their proudest achievement into this mockery that only cares about power.”

“From the very beginning, Gjallarhorn, as our ancestors knew it, was dead. It died along with the original pilots of the Gundam frames that we so proudly display within our vaults. The organization that we are now trying to save is nothing but a defiled carcass, a cadaver whose strings are being pulled by false rulers who were never supposed to hold that much power.”

“That is why they all must die. Barring that, they must be removed from power as quickly and painfully as possible. Only then can the future that Agnika Kaeru and his companions envisioned come to pass, instead of this mockery of their ideals.”

Galan said nothing as he heard the words of his superior with rage burning in his heart, just like his master.

Finally, he schooled his features, with only his eyes betraying the determination he felt.

“I will send the word. Given her proximity, Carta Issue should intercept the FICSIT fleet within a few hours at most.”

“Do so.”

With that, the spy master left the room, leaving behind his master, who continued staring into the void, wondering how his ancestor would view his actions and if she would be proud of him or would she condemn him?