Saito sat in the cockpit of the new simpod.. Across from him sat Lunamaria Hawe, Simming for the first time today in her new Mech, the Impulse. The battle was prepared all he had to do was take the controls and it would begin. However there was a blinking message at the bottom.

"You can' beat her, all you'll do is embarrass yourself. But if you truly wish to gain the power to defend your friends and home, then press the button on the left control." It took a few seconds but he depressed the Trigger. The whole world went White as He simply vanished.

On the bridge of the Archangel alarms sounded. "Captain! We have a deutera reaction in The mecha training sims."

"What? All hands emergency stations! Science Officer get me a status and trace on that reaction immediately. Captain Kaunac, Report to the Archangel Immediately."

Another alarm sounded. "Captain this is Liuetenant Hoshino, The Meteor Gundam's Torso has utterly vanished. All we've got are the limbs and some ash. Captain, Background radiation shows a deutera reaction, and shows to have been destroyed."

"Captain, Lieutenant Murazaki was confirmed at the center of the training area deutera field. We are finding residual evidence of vaporization. The Lieutenant, He's... gone."

In the darkness there was a voice. It was soft and warm and somewhat inviting. "Saito.... Saito... wake up Saito, we're home."

When Saito's eyes opened he found himself once again in a hospital bed. An attractive young woman was sitting there, next to him looking at him expectantly. Her hair was auburn brown with a little lock of purple in front hanging down. She had soft doe brown eyes. "It's about time you wake up, your father would kill me if I managed to malf this up." After a moment's silence she started to look worried.

"Don't you remember me Saito? It's me Ibis, we used to play together as children. Me you, Ryo, and all the other candidates." It was then that something sparked in Saito's mind. She was wearing the duty uniform of the Circinus Federation's Specials Division, His Father's personal command.

She blushed after a moment of his blank stare and gave him an almost feline smile. "Do you like what you see Saito, you better cause I may have to start charging if you keep looking so hard."

Saito stared blankly at his old friend. The first thing he noticed was her uniform....the uniform of those who threaten his home.

"Ibis? What are you doing with the Federation?"

Saito looked arounded and noticed that he was no longer on the Archangel.

Saito became a little shaken at a realization. "Have I been captured?"

"That last battle must have taken alot more out of you than we thought. Saito, this is what your dad trained all of us for. To Guard the Earth as a Federation colony."

She looks abit miffed at his captured comment. "Of course you haven't you idiot. You've been recovered from enemy forces. You're home now."

"Home? I cannot be home, because I was born on Earth just as you were."

Suddenly, Saito remembered something. Ibis should not be alive just as his father should not be alive.

"Ibis, I must ask you why you are alive?".

Saito's gaze narrowed on his childhood friend.

"You and my father left on that mission years ago and never returned. Ryo and I, we assumed the worst; that ytou had been killed in battle but why did you not contact us to tell us that you were alive?"

"I'm alive because I was trained by our greatest warrior, your father, same as you. I don't know why he never contacted you, but I can only assume he has his reasons."

Just then The door opens and Sanger walks in. "I did have my reasons for leaving you and your adopted brother behind. I had my orders, and gave you yours."

Ibis and all the other personnel snapped to attention. Sanger waved them all off. "At ease continue on as you were."

He comes to stand at the foot of Saito's bed. "So tell me son, how have you been? Have you obeyed my Order?"

Saito nodded at his father's comment.

"Father, the planet was protected from any who wish it harm."

Saito winced slightly, maybe it was from pain or maybe it was for something deeper.

"However, I must report that the defence was not without casualties."

"I know." He looks somewhat somber. "Losing sibmates is never easy. Ryoma Nagare was one of my best friends and he was slain in combat with one of Satoshi's Captains. To do such a thing requires immense power and strength, not to mention truly impressive technology."

He spears Saito with his grey-blue gaze. "I saw your battle with the Omensa, you did well considering you had no real training on dealing with them. Though I sense that the Zero system is still a bit beyond your control.

" Satoshi Possesses those three attributes in great amounts, especially technology. We're still repairing the damage to the R-3 unit. You have been in their company Saito, tell me in your own words what you make of the personnel. Speak freely until I say otherwise. tell me everything you know."

Saito lowered his head. He felt a deep regret for what he was about to say. He then raised his head back up and locked his gaze upon Sanger

"I am sorry Father, I cannot give you the information that you desire at this time. If what Ibis says is true then it means that you have lied to me my entire life by not telling me the truth about my heritage. However, I still have great respect for you as a warrior and as such, I will tell you of my companions once I know the WHOLE story. I want to know exactly what your mission is here on Earth."

Saito was filled with both a burning passion and a deep seated fear. He knew that he did the right thing in questioning his father but he had never disobeyed an order before and was afraid of what might happen.

For a moment anger clouded the Circinus commander's face. Everyone around prepared for a truly epic outburst. What actually happened suprised everyone. IT was a deep rumbling sound, but eventually they made out that Sanger was laughing. Sooon he hid it no longer and let loose a roar of laughter that did little to put everyone at ease.

"Well I did tell you to speak freely, and I guess I do deserve that."

He looks at his son and the other pilot, Ibis and nods. The room suddenly becomes vacant other than the three of them.

"I was dispatched with a sibko of candidates to this world fifteen years ago. I was to train you to all become influential people and gain an understanding of how things worked on this world, and indeed, see if our survival here was possible. I raised you all, in various guises of Uncles or Fathers or Guardian in the Case of Ibis. I trained each of you in certain aspects of warfare. You and Ibis beyond all others, exceeded in Mecha combat. The mission was supposed to last for twenty years. Then just before you last saw me, I and the sibko were recalled To Ciricnus territory. The Sibko was scattered, and I was placed at the Head of the 8th fleet and tasked with conquering Earth for the Federation. I managed to keep Ibis with me due to her skill as a pilot, but beyond that Saito I can tell you little else."

He frowns. "I do not know why we were recalled, nor why the sibko was scattered upon our return. All I know is that now I have Three extremely Dangerous Satoshi Warships I have to contend with. Each of them mounts weaponry far more advanced than anything the Federation has ever faced."

"It also seems that Satoshi is in the midst of a civil war. One faction has allied itself with demons, and the other opposes them. From the spy sattelites in orbit we know the Demons have begun to claim the Asian continent we didn't vaporize."

His voice grows bitter. "We were played for fools and told that the stronghold we attacked belonged to Satoshi.. Thus we scoured it from the planet and opened the gateway. I will not forget that tresspass."

Saito thinks back on the battle at the temple that first showed him that his father was still alive.

"Father, could you elaborate a little more on your battle with the giant creature. I did not see that particular sortie in it's entirety and I am a little curious on how you were led to believe the stronghold to have belonged to Satoshi."

"You do not know?"

He looks somewhat suprised. "Our sources that have been here and infiltrated certain areas have found evidence that Satoshi is the modern guise of the head of the Kage Clans. So we put down on the base that wouldn't result in the loss of their technology and assaulted it. I Fought with that Hiroga warrior out of respect for his prowess, but his bretheren broke the unspoken rule of the fight, they interfered. I was left with no option but to sanitize the area."

He frowns, "Looking back that too proved a mistake."

Saito nods at his father's words.

"Well, I did not here any mention of anything called the Kage mentioned by anyone. Although, I can say that it was most likely Takeshi Satoshi who leaked the incorrect intellegence."

"Actually, it was a Captain named Hayami that told us."

"Still is there nothing you care to say about those you met? What of the Keys needed to open the gates?"

"All I can say about my friends is that they have been trying to find a peaceful end to this war. So I am sure that they would speak with you if given the chance. As far as these keys that you speak of, I have never heard that term before."

"We shall See Saito, for now you need to rest awhile as we repair the Meteor. We have enemies that must be fought before we can Finish our conquest."

"And what enemies would those be Father?"

"The ones you fought Son. They followed us across the Cosmos. Well to be more blunt, this small scouting party did. They will send a much larger force next time now that They have registered this system. Beyond fighting Satoshi and the Dalaraan, These new enemies must be fought with extreme measures. They will multiply to the point we cannot destroy them. They are a cancer infesting the universe, one we must stop. Even the Campaign for Earth takes a backseat to fighting them."

He nods. "This is why I dispatched Ibis to get you. You have much training to undergo before you are ready. I will not see you lose so badly again. You two represent the future of the Federation. It is my hope that we can stop the invaders before they Reach the inner solar system. I only hope the Two Battleships from Satoshi don't choose to strike us when we engage."

Saito looked upon his Sanger ans he knew that he would not lie about a mission or something of this magnatude.

"Very Well Father, I am ready to deploy just as soon as you give the word."

Saito was able to manage a salute and attempted to get out of the bed. Saito stood up a little too quickly ans became dizzy and had to return to a sitting position on the bed. Saito was obviously still feeling a little woozy from the transport here.

"Take it easy and rest Son. Both you and the Meteor aren't ready. Starting tomorrow you're going to be training with Ibis. This will occur in the sims until the Meteor is fully repaired. Now if you have nothing else to say I'll take my leave."

He looks to Ibis. "See to it that he rests for the night. I don't need one of my few pilots to injure himself. Elzam and I cannot hope to take them all ourselves."

Ibis Salutes and Sanger leaves. She turns to Saito and her expression softens. "I get to play nurse to you again, somehow that's kinda fitting."

"So Tell me Saito, what has earth been like while we've been gone? Have you had fun, have you made some friends? Did you ever get an actual girlfriend?"

"It has been my distinct pleasure to call Earth my home these past years. In truth, I cannot see myself calling any other world my home."

"I did have a few girls follow me but I was not sure if it would have been wise to have a relationship because my enemies could have gotten to me through her."

"That is so like you Saito. Always affraid that we women can't defend ourselves and require your steadfast protection." Ibis is clearly upset and stalks off to look out the viewport.

"You know alot of us aren't around anymore. Only three more of us who lived here on Earth are still in the service. The others, they... they didn't make it back to Prime."

"I'm happy you're ok."

Saito was a little confused at Ibis's comment.

"What are you talking about Ibis? I was only referring to the fact that most girls on Earth do not have giant robots to protect themselves with and they would therefore be easily targeted by enemies."

Saito still totally clueless at what Ibis meant decided to change the subject.

"What happened to the rest of the group that was stationed on Earth?"

"We all got transferred to different commands and some died in battle, others in accidents. It's as though we were being weeded out because we believe we can coexist with them."

"Something's really wrong in the upper echelons. If they're so intent on the full migration of the populace that they've already got the arkships on the way. You'd think they want us on the ground preparing the way, not recalled and dispersed."

Saito nods at Ibis's observation.

"It just seems strange to send civilians into a hostile situation like this one. Dont the commanders understand just how many lives will be lost on both sides of this conflict."

"Saito, if they're doing what I think they're going to do, they Will use neutron weaponry to destroy humanity. Then colonize the planet."


"At least that's the only thing I can come up with."

Saito was shocked by Ibis's latest statement but he did not show any indication. Something about what Ibis had been saying did not add up if the Federation had the power to simply eliminate all life on Earth then why did they need to deploy military units to the planet in the first place.

"Ibis, this does not seem right. Why does the entire population need to be eliminated? The people of Earth have done nothing to earn the wraith of the Federation."

"It's what's always been done to indigenous species Saito."

"The colony worlds are different, they can only sustain true circinus like you and I for limited periods. Only Earth can sustain our resonance indefinitely. Thus the idea is that any price is worth paying to have this world."

"True, but the ones that are paying the price are the ihabitants of Earth."

Saito sighs.

"I just feel that the Federation is making too many enemies by doing things this way."

"The only enemy that still remains a threat are the invaders, Even the Empire isn't considered a threat like them."

"You should get some rest Saito. We have to get you ready for battle and starting tomorrow you'll be sparring with me. I'll see you then."

She leaves the room and leaves Saito alone. "Our ways have to change, but right now all we can do is fight."

Saito laid back in the bed and thought fondly of his friends on the Archangel. He hoped that they were well and would not have need of him or the Meteor until he could find his way Home.

The next week passed quickly for Saito. He was negaged to help recalibrate the Meteor as it was restored to full fighting condition. He recovered fully from his battle and then his advanced retraining began.

Seated in the cockpit of the Meteor and ibis in the cockpit of her Asterion, The simulator battle began. It went on for awhile, the exchange of railgun, missile and buster rifle fire was intense. Saito made several close in tries with his sword, but the Asterion was every bit as nimble and maneuverable as the Meteor.

"You're good Saito, but you fight without passion. You fight like a damn machine, and no mere machine will ever beat me. It looks like I'm going to have to show you the power of Passion in battle. Prepare yourself for my ultimate Finishing technique. ACTivate Code RaMVs!"

In her cockpit a dull feminine computer voice toned. "Rapid acceleration Mobility break Volley shoot ready."

"Here i come." Ibis fired off a volley of autocannon fire peperring the torso of the Meteor even as the Asterion converted into its Boost mode. Its hips moved back as its legs folded around to the sides of its massive shoulders as its hands folded and locked into its chest and the cockpit lowered in to the armor cowling. Missiles launched from compartments on the former legs even as the Astelion Maneveuvered across the sector and impacted all over the Meteor's form. A blue-white energy field formed around the Asterion's front and it began a spiral corkscrew maneuver at near maximum velocity. The spinning vortex of energy and mecha impacted the Meteor and totally destroyed its torso, blowing off its arms, legs, and wings. The cockpits locked and opened and Saito sat on the hatch of her Asterion. She waited patiently for Saito to emerge from his mecha to recap.

Saito watched the Asterion come at him using a technique that he had never seen before. It had such speed and Saito tried every maneuver that he could think of fo get the Meteor out of the way of the oncoming enemy machine. The cockpit shook as alerts and klaxons went off alerting Saito of his Gundam's damage until all of the screens went black. Saito had been defeated.

Saito hit the button to open the hatch and went out to meet Ibis for the recap.

"Ibis, I must concede defeat. That was a tactic that I was not expecting and therefore was unprepared to combat it. I thought that I had studied the Asterion's specs to the letter but I was not aware that it could achieve such speed and unorthodox combat abilities."

Ibis regards him for a moment and takes a deep breath. "You DUMBASS!!!!! THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!"

Slightly calmer and at a lower volume "How do you expect to win if you fight without conviction, without passion?"

"You fight so coldly and analytically, You fight like a damn machine."

Her mouth forms into a frown. "You're no good the way you are. You're a man Saito, act like one, fight like one. We have tens of thousands of machines, but real human pilots are in short supply. Don't be just another cog in the gears of war."

Saito lowers his eyes slightly away from Ibis for a moment.

"I was taught to do battle in the most efficient way possible. Quick, Surgical and with limited casualties. Also, emotions can get in the way of combat objectives."

Saito raised his eyes back to meet his childhood companion's.

"You say that you saw my battle with the Invader? That is what I was taught to avoid, letting emotion control you in combat can lead to defeat."

Saito knew all about passion in battle, it could prove to be a valuable weapon and could provide an edge over an enemy. However, one could only gain passion if they feel strongly about what they are fighting for.

"Quick and surgical works when you're in some substandard machine that can't handle things, but you're in a Gundam for God's sake. Not just any Gundam, but the Meteor Gundam, One of the most powerful units of its class. Even with my greater experience you should paste me with that machine."

"But no, you seem to forget the machine you have can handle the passion. You play it safe and keep everything inside, being a cold analytical machine... Did you ever think that the reason you went out of control is because you are so used to controling every aspect of yourself, that the pressure built up inside of you,, until finally it exploded violently like that?"

I'm not saying you have to be as Passionate as your ffather, but you need to let it out sometimes, otherwise that will happen again."

The door opens and a Man with Shoulder-length blonde hair walks in. Ibis snaps to attention. "Lord Elzam!"

"Relax Ibis I just stopped by to see how young Saito was doing. From the sound of things, all the way down the hall i might add, I take it they are not going well."