2010-07-11 - A Better Tomorrow I: Wreckers of Civilization

Axis is the capital of Neo-Zeon, which is not so much an 'empire' as... well, it wouldn't be polite.

The asteroid city-station has a great many things that separate it from the run-of-the-mill military outpost. Its own economy, its own legal system, its research laboratories and weapons development facilities... among other, less amazing and astonishing features. Such as this one: the grand meeting hall. A cavernous room that would make Leni Riefenstahl's camera proud, banners and sculpture proclaim the might of Zeon, and everything is arranged such that the stage is gifted with an almost supernatural dominance over any other feature of the room -- in a chamber of baroque splendor, there is nothing more extravagant than that focal point at center stage, where a throne sits, far too large for its Princess.

Seating is a fairly orderly thing, and many of the more noteworthy faces are crammed up front -- perhaps it is part of their privilege to see the Princess up-close, rather than as a little dot of a child that the grunts in the back rows are treated to.

With the soldiers packed in and the doors sealed, a horn section (and accompanying booms from a neo timpani) plays the fanfare that every Zeonic soldier knows by heart -- the musical proclamation that a figure of importance is about to demand their attention. As the band plays, two figures enter the stage: Princess Mineva Lao Zabi, leading the way, walking proudly and with great discipline despite her young age, and Lady Haman Karn, Regent of Axis Zeon, the functional commander of the troops. While Mineva wears her tiny, adorable military uniform, Haman is dressed in the black and gold attire she's favored of late, complete with its crown. Not even the Princess wears a crown. Mineva takes her seat on the throne, and Haman stands just to the right of it. The two gaze out at the crowd as the fanfare dies, perhaps analyzing them before the time comes to speak.

It was a fine bit of showmanship - not quite the level that the Britannian Emperor was known for, but few people had the resources of almost three quarters of the planet at their beck and call when they wanted to send a message. Vindel had seen enough pomp and unfeasibly ornate presentations that he has long ago become immune to the awe that they put out, but he can appreciate the quality none the less. The Colonel strides through the hall, walking past the gathered DC and Zeron troops - those whom he knows personally he gives a nod, and a soft word of greeting when he has a moment to spare. But he has a seat up front, and makes his way there quickly. A single, polite nod is given to Haman as the Shadow Mirror commander arrives at his seat, and a more polite, half bow is offered to the Princess of Neo-Zeon. Vindel turns to look back at the rest of the auditorium, before drawing his peace-bound scabbard and sword clear from his belt. He takes his seat, resting the metal point of his scabbard on the ground, the hilt held under one cupped hand, the other crossed on top of it. Coincidentally, if Haman checks later, none of the guards will remember the Colonel having brought a weapon in with him

Miles away from the front row where the riff raff, rabble, and cannon fodder cajoul and heckle one another in quiet voices for fear of drawing a soul-withering glance from the pink-haired witch at the head of the room, is Bernard Wiseman.

He fusses and tugs at the collar of his dress uniform, trying to loosen it's vice like hold on his windpipe while quietly griping about his inability to breath.

Eventually he decides that noone will care if he just unbuttons the very top button of his collar... At least noone that's this far in the nose-bleeds.

Being one of those grunts (and not even a grunt of Zeon proper, but instead it's bastard child from Mars), Erika Keese is seated waaaaaaaaaaaay in back, not having the privilage of a front row seat... not that she'd feel comfortable in the presence of royalty. she's a martial farm girl after all! Just being around this much blue blood makes her feel like a hick! Shifting slightly in place on account of her ill-fitting cermonial uniform, Erika tries to at least look dignified... and fails utterly. She's too stiff and her eyes have too much of a 'deer caught in headlights' gaze to them for her to come off as anything other that totally and completely bewildered.

Cima is seated on the aisle two rows back. She brought her fan with her. It is unfolded at the moment and waving at the side of her face, making her look more like someone's affected and cranky aunt than a depraved space pirate. Even this is likely more in deference to her having personal authority over a flotilla.

The passage of Vindel Mauser attracts her attention; indeed it seems to keep her more focused than the arrival of the Princess and her regent. Then again, /them/ she's seen a few times.

Glemy Toto, as a ship commander and 'minor' noble, gets to sit near the front of the assembled Zeon soldiers. The music that plays as the littlest Zabi takes center stage is a tune that's been near and dear to his heart ever since he was a child, during the war.

He looks very much at home with the whole affair, seeming completely comfortable in his ceremonial blue, red, and gold uniform. He does look, perhaps, like he's feeling a little impatient with the business -- or possibly, put off by Haman's crown. If a child of Zeon should wear a crown, it should be the Princess herself and not -- /her/, shouldn't it?

Puru Two almost wouldn't have been here today. After an outing in the Psyco Gundam, she's usually secluded to a lab for the better part of a week at the very least while doctors and scientists analyze her performance and condition. But this meeting was said to be an important one regarding the future of Neo Zeon, so she absolutely needed to be here. There's no way she was going to let her spot as Glemy's Puru representative be taken by one of the others.

A nice perk of being With Glemy is getting a seat next to him, which being near the front aids in actually seeing what's going on. She may be dressed in her very own less-than-confortable-but-important-looking Zeon officer's uniform for formal occasions, but she still stands out through lack of height alone.

She's also mentally elsewhere, looking in the direction of the Princess and the Regent without focus. There are many thing she's mulling over in that overactive brain of hers. Most of them involve Judau Ashta.

She really is becoming more like Haman every day.

The Crimson Lightning, it seems, earns a front-row seat; specifically, the aisle seat just in front of one Cima Garahau's seat. Ever the paragon of propriety, Johnny Ridden is downright immaculate in his dress uniform, and he sits almost rigidly in his seat, his hands folded in his lap.

Despite the stiffness of his posture, his expression is a different matter; a small smile spreads across the man's face when the fanfare starts, and it spreads when Mineva takes the stage. "Looks more like her aunt every day," he murmurs, more to himself than to the man sitting next to him.

His smile falters, however - if only a little - when his gaze lifts to Haman Karn, and her... crown? Not even Degwin wore a crown... but, Johnny supposes, she's probably just indulging a fantasy of being a princess or something. There's no harm in it, certainly.

Shin Matsunaga, THE WHITE WOLF OF SOLOMON, is no stranger to opulence. Even back in The Old Days, there was nothing the wealthy elite liked better than showing off the fruits of their space treasure by covering everything in gold engravings of birds, even though everybody knows there aren't any birds in space. It was a /statement/. Possibly. Yet now, as he sits in the very front row, earned through a combination of seniority, family, and a mildly unsettling insistence that he have a good view of the princess, Shin can't help but think this all feels a little...ostentatious? Maybe he's just been out of touch for too long, or maybe it really is the crown, but it's still vaguely unsettling. "Hmm. Do you think?" Matsunaga's response to the Crimson Lightning sounds distinctly unhappy, though that could easily be attributed to how ill at-ease he feels.

As the music dies down and the crowd settles, that brief moment of anticipation -- the seconds of silence between the crowd's din subsuming and the beginning of an address -- takes hold. In that space, Mineva looks up at Haman, her face set into a play-acted regality, but her eyes questioning.

When Haman returns the glance, the signal is sent, and in accordance to their pre-arranged script, Mineva gives an emphatic, authoritative nod, as if bidding Haman to step forward and take the spotlight.

Haman Karn does not require much convincing, there.

The Regent steps forward, clutching her cape as she does so, looking every bit like some sort of evil militant fairy queen escaped from La Gias. "Soldiers of Zeon," Haman says, voice carrying far. "I have gathered you here that together we may think upon the future, and what promise it holds for we, the people of Zeon, the inheritors of space."

"But first," Haman notes, letting her gaze sweep across the crowd, "it behooves us to think upon the /present/. A present where we are no longer the scourge of the Earth Federation -- where we are no longer the dominant force in the galaxy -- where our name is liable to cause /snickers/ and /giggles/ from even our /allies/, not the whispered awe that is our birthright. Zeon Zum Deikun... Degwin Sodo Zabi... his children, Cicero, Gihren, Garma, Dozle, Kycilia... Ramba Ral... even Char Aznable himself... and my father, the previous Regent of Axis, Maharaja Karn -- they would look upon the state of Zeon now... and despair. And be /disgusted/. For you -- all of you -- have failed."

Hmm - so it was going to be one of those speeches, was it? Vindel sits back, listening to Haman begin what is sure to be an energetic berating, followed by a passionate call to arms. Certainly it is the sort of thing that Neo-Zeon needs in order to help regain its foothold - and she likely had some sort of grand plan to follow up on this tirade with. It would be interesting to see just what the agenda would be today. The thoughts of crowns, regencies, and who is actually in charge matter little to Vindel of course. No one here was as stuck up as the Britannians, and anyone who wished to provide a bit of extra flash and glitz to their authority was certainly welcome to it. Ten thousand soldiers, on the other hand, would provide a much more potent point as to whom truly had the strength to rule - if Haman could produce that with this speech, it would be even more impressive.

Cima Garahau does not look thrilled at this statement, but then again there have been worse things said. She can even admit some of the correctness of it, reflecting on herself. Small scale actions have been fine, but most attacks have simply been rebuffed one way or another. It's really quite embarrassing.

Cima turns the fan around to her other hand, and slides it shut, out of either a sense of decorum or not wanting to attract hostility mid-speech. This one, she reasons, has a fifty fifty shot of being a spit-slinger.

Erika looks a little confused herself at the subject of this speech... don't you normally throw something like this to /improve/ moral and inspire troops? Not give them a thorough dressing down? Suddenly, she is very glad she's just 'that redneck from Mars'. Being unimportant enough to draw ire from Haman Karn has it's advantages.

To be so insulting to her soldiers -- to treat them as if they were anything less than Zeon's staunchest, hardest believers, who've stuck by their great nation even through tough times... Glemy is a little disgusted. You win loyalty by promising the world, not by running roughshod over your troops' hearts and minds.

Glancing to Puru Two, Glemy looks his favored Puru over, trying to gauge her reaction to all this. Hopefully, he thinks, at least /she/ won't be eating it up, hook, line, and sinker. After a second there, he glances to the rest of the crowd, seeing how /they/ feel -- surely they're not goign to take this kind of thing sitting down...

Slowly but surely, Haman's words and tone push Johnny's smile from 'faltering' to 'gone.' He shoots a wordless glance at Shin, and then looks back to Haman and reclines slightly in his chair, as if driven backwards by the force of the Regent's words.

It isn't that she's a poor public speaker, he reasons. But her choice of subject matter... is she trying to inspire Zeon, or drive its hopes into the dirt?

And don't even get him started on the idea that Kycilia would be 'disgusted' with him...

Of the names Haman calls, only one elicits a reaction from Shin Matsunaga, though he tries to suppress it. A hand, squeezed into a tight, tense fist. A sudden interest in something in the general vicinity of his feet (not that he can see them over his paunch, which doens't make him feel any better about the entire affair). Maybe this is hitting a little too close to home for comfort.

Bernie'as pride was still recovering from the beating of the day prior. Like a whipped dog he cowed under the admonishment. Others were not so sullen of course. Diverting his attention away from the grand stand, he looks around for something else to focus on, a sculpture serves for now.

Puru Two is suddenly paying attention when Haman begins to speak of disgust and failure. While a frown is her default expression, there's a distinct displeasure behind it right now. She's /trying/, it's not her fault if her opponents manage to do the impossible sometimes. She doesn't like to get lumped in with everyone else, either. Clearly there are many others present who have failed much more often than she has.

Meeting Glemy's gaze, she gives a slight shrug. She has no idea what's going on here, what this kind of talk is going to accomplish other than eliciting thoughts similar to the ones she's having.

The Regent of Axis watches as her remarks build up a tremendous sense of unease amongst the crowd. There are murmurs and squirms and a general distaste for being called assholes, more or less. No one is happy, and the reactions range from 'cowed' to 'indignant' -- although no one cries out from the crowd. No one singles themselves out for the Regent's wrath.

Haman Karn, meanwhile, has a deathly serious expression on her face, like a parent who has to explain to a child 'it's your own fault I'm beating you.'

"But your disgrace -- /our/ disgrace, and that of all who came before us -- it is not permanent. It can be undone. It /will/ be undone, as long as there is but one breath left within my breast. And I know that all of you, if you /truly/ believe in this nation and its greatness -- all of you are the same as me." That is probably the only time in history Haman Karn will ever say anything remotely close to that sentiment.

"I have thought long and hard about what we must do, my people -- what we /must/ do. There are no choices left, no options on the table, no /easy/ fix -- we must dig our heels in and /refuse to give one more inch!/ And then, under our banner, alongside our allies in the Divine Crusade... we will march forward." Haman Karn's voice rises, volume picking up, gestures becoming more imperial and grandiose, fist raising into the air at 'forward' like a punch to the heavens.

"We will /take/ it all -- and give back /nothing/. If they will not /respect/ us -- they will /fear/ us. And we will deserve that fear. What we must do, my people, my fellow soldiers of Zeon, my sellow servants of the Princess -- we must prepare ourselves. To kill a beast, you can cut off its head, but the Earth Federation is like the mythical neo hydra -- more will simply sprout in its place. No, to kill this beast, we must strike its /heart/ -- we must /burn/ it within its /chest/."

"Our disgrace," Haman Karn hisses, eyes ablaze like a revival preacher, mind sending out subsonic sparks, "can only be washed away in /blood/."

When Haman Karn gives a speech, people listen. Or they may just pretend to listen; most of these sorts of things start with a general, open-ended compliment or story or way to catch everyone's attention, then everyone will generally end up falling asleep or thinking about the square root of the amount of beer they'll be drinking or how fast they can sneak out the door without anyone noticing.

Haman Karn does not waste time.

Haman Karn's fists of steel cut to the bone?

With the people in attendance, there's more than just Glemy Toto's favored Puru in attendance, especially at his side. At the opposite side of Puru Two is, quite suddenly, Puru Seven-- and God only knows how the hell she managed to sneak into that position without anyone noticing. Arms folded and expression somewhat flat Haman informs them--

-- there will be blood. /That,/ she can get behind.

Certainly, Haman struck a nerve in the White Wolf. However, as she goes the other way, and begins to whip the gathered Zeonic forces back up into a passionate frenzy, he remains more or less unaffected. He loves a good brawl just as much as the next guy, probably even moreso, but... This message of fear, of fire, of /blood/. Is this really what Zeon stands for, what it's about? Looking inward, Shin Matsunaga asks himself 'What Would Dozle Do?' 'get killed by gundam because his bodyguard wasn't there to-NO DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT THIS ISN'T HELPING LA LA LA'

Okay, getting mildly creeped out here. The whole 'burn it all' undertone makes Erika feel a bit uneasy in her gut as she listens, complete stiff and frozen. one part of her starts thinking that this is crazy. That she should cut her losses and just go back home. Another part of her is /absolutely terrified/ at the prospect of possibly crossing Karn and bringing her unbridled wrath down.

A rousing speech, and showing the ambition that Vindel had come to expect from the Regent. Blood spilled in the name of Neo-Zeon's independence. War that would be unleashed without end, for the Earth Federation would never fold easily. It would be another epic clash that would once again shove the entirety of mankind into the crucible of war, making them even stronger when all was said and done. Let the peace loving fools enjoy their temporary reprieve. It seemed that it would end soon enough. Vindel smiles ever so slightly, inclining his head and closing his eyes. Yes, beautiful. Allowing his sword to rest on his shoulder, Vindel leans forward slightly. Raises both of his hands. And he applauds. And among the audience, other Shadow Mirrors who have chosen to attend also join their leader, most applauding politely, a few giving more audible and enthusiastic outbursts in appreciation.

Cima's lips thin, even as she straightens up, adjusting the mantle on her shoulders fractionally. Her expression stays hard to read, and any thoughts that pass through her head are brief; surely blending into the background of the wide variety of negative thoughts rippling like shoals of fish through the sea of the crowd. And then -

Applause is starting.

After a moment, possibly largely to put that sassy little fan in the belt of her trousers so a Puru won't steal it and cause justifiable purucide, Cima begins to join in putting her hands together, gazing straight ahead.

Well... at least this is more like it. But... washed away in blood, huh? Ten years ago, Johnny would have been right behind the Regent. Nowadays... well, he doesn't know. He's tired, is all. He's lost too much to this war already.

But... this is what Kycilia would have wanted, isn't it? The Earth Federation, they want to crush his people, his homeland. The distasteful reality of war doesn't change that fact.

The Crimson Lightning's eyelids flutter slightly as Haman's sparks rake over his mind; he does his best to shut them out by shifting his attention elsewhere, first to Mineva and then to the man sitting next to him. "Shin," he murmurs quietly, leaning slightly closer to the White Wolf, "Are you okay? You're looking unwell..."

And then someone starts applauding. Others join in, and after a few moments, Johnny does as well, albeit a little hesitantly. It wouldn't do to be rude, after all.

Puru Two isn't much for flowery prose, but washing things away in blood, that's something she can get behind. She was going to do that anyway, and-- why is there suddenly someone else nearby sharing her exact same thoughts?

Craning her head around Glemy, she already knows what she's going to be seeing there. And obviously, her reaction isn't very positive, displeased that her place next to Glemy is no longer exclusive. "What are /you/ doing here?", she hisses, her voice helpfully drowned out by applause.

Glemy frowns, chewing his lip a little as Haman begins to speak of Zeon's disgrace, of washing it away in the blood of their enemies. What a waste, he thinks -- how worthless all this posturing is. This isn't a path to strength -- at least, not a path to the sort of strength Zeon needs.

Looking at the suddenly-arriving Puru Seven next, Glemy considers his options, giving Haman a measure of token applause as she co-opts his heritage for her own ambition. There is such a thing in life, and in war, as a chance... but is this the time for Glemy Toto to take his?

As inter-Purucine warfare begins, Glemy takes time out of his weighing of the pros and cons of continuing to serve Haman to shush Puru Two. There's a time and place for sibling rivalry -- this isn't it.

A war renewed, it is not something that promises longevity for cannon fodder. Bernie's hands remain still among the rest of the soldiers. There are enough joining in that his still hands won't be noticed.

Despite all of her attempts to be "individual" among the twelve or so clones of Elpeo Puru, number Seven finds herself sharing the exact same thoughts and sentiments as that of her "older sister," disdain for the other's presence and the desire to keep Glemy Toto's attention and affections all to herself.

Goddamn genetics.

Frowning, the goggle-wearing member of Glemy's Newtype corps looks at Puru Two with half-lidded eyes while the audience breaks into applause. Letting the noise cover her own voice, her retort is a short, "I thought it would be better to have someone that returned from their mission /successfully/ show up, that's all."

Haman Karn lets the applause ride out a bit. It's a good feeling, inciting bloodlust. It doesn't soothe the icy stabs of malice that shoot out of her skull, inviting the sympathy of those sensitive enough to pick up on them... but it feels good, nonetheless. Mineva certainly seems impressed, as well, and she's finally had it drummed into her head not to swing her little legs when she's sitting on the throne.

A screen behind Haman changes from the banner of Zeon to a map of Lagrange 1, near Earth. It quickly zooms to a specific point, and red circles swoop around one specific colony. This is as Haman speaks further:

"The future of Zeon begins with our next mission. We want the Federation to sweat a bit -- to realize that the fire has returned to our hearts. We will be taking what's theirs and using it against them. /Plantard Colony/--" the colony being highlighted on the map, that is "--will be ours. From there, we will launch a campaign of terror the likes of which even the /White Devil/ himself could only /dream/ of."

There is murder in Haman's voice when she brings /Amuro Ray/, of all people, into it.

"This war will end soon. Every step we take, every piece of the grand plan we fulfill -- /Zeon/ will emerge /victorious/, my prople, not only /within our lifetime/, but /within one year/!" There's a shocked murmur -- this is, after all, a big promise. A /big/ promise.

"Looking at you... We can win," Haman Karn reiterates. "We /can/ win. I want you to /sense your own strength/! And strength -- strength comes through /loyalty/." At Haman's signal, a spotlight swings into the crowd, highlighting people at random. "When the light shines on you -- /stand/, and /proclaim your loyalty/, that you may /inspire/ your brothers and sisters, that you may join hands, /united/ for our cause, /united/ for our Princess, /united/ for /ZEON/!"

It so happens that the light shines on every named character in the room.

Except for Johnny Ridden.

So, the plan was at last revealed. Vindel nods, accepting that this will be an excellent step forward for the Divine Crusaders. And anything that strengthens Neo-Zeon will inevitably improve his own position as well. And so Vindel rises from his seat as the spotlight swings over his position, and turns to raise his sword into the air, held midway up the scabbard. "And the Divine Crusaders will do all they can to support the Regent's operation!" the Colonel shouts, his voice echoing across the auditorium. "I pledge that we shall bring thousands of soldiers to help shape Neo-Zeon's ambitions into reality! Our forces have grown over the last few months, thanks to the efforts of our production lines and the genius of Lemon, our chief of research! We shall unleash a wave of fury that has not been seen in this world!"

This is a setup, Cima thinks. How bad is it? Maybe, she thinks -

She sucks it in, along with her abdomen. She straightens upwards, tossing back her hair and the mantle on her shoulders, raising herself to her full height. She breathes in through her nose, deeply and sharply.

Then she raises her voice, which can be rather piercing. One hand is thrust forwards, palm oriented down, angled towards Haman Karn and her child bride: "Sieg Zeon!"

She says it as often as she has to.

Shin does not look well because he is not well. This is basic fact. He is an unhappy man, and he doesn't even have a hip flask handy to sneak in a quick shot of courage. "I'll be fine." He at least manages to grumble out a quick response to Johnny, but the words are scarcely out of his mouth when a spotlight shines on him. He freezes like a scared, baby deer, briefly looking down toward his friend as if desperately asking for help. Several agonizing moments pass, and Matsunaga clears his throat. "Sieg Zeon." There is another awkward pause, and then he does not so much sit as collapse into his chair.

The light sweeps far into the horizon of the meeting hall., sweeping over the cheap seats. Bernie watches curiously as it pans over soldier after soldier. Who will it be, who out here is getting the sp-

And suddenly it is much warmer and brighter where Bernie sits, the eyes of his fellows turn on him.

Oh sonuva-!?

Rocketing up to his feet, Bernie thrusts his fingertips out in salute even as his chair topples back onto the knees of the person sitting behind him.

"Sieg Zeon!" Just like back in the academy.

As the light shines on Glemy and his Purus, Glemy raises himself from his seat, takes a deep breath, and nods once. Saluting Haman crisply and firmly, there is barely a split second of hesitation before he cries out, "Sieg Zeon!"

Hopefully, his bickering charges follow suit. It wouldn't do to fail to keep up appearances.

Silly Glemy, there's /always/ time for sibling rivalry. Competition in everything, that's the Puru way. Well, for some of them at least, and unfortunately for everyone, the two present here right now both feel the same way about that. How dare this other Puru show up, Puru Two is the only one who belongs in this prominent spot, she won't have any usurpers!

Easily baited as always, the only thing that keeps the older clone from going on a tirade about her superiority in response to that crack about her last mission is Glemy's request for silence. Instead, she only points a warning finger at Puru Seven. There will be Words later.

As chance would have it, the second Puru starts paying attention again just when the White Devil is brought up, which causes her to ball her fists. He played a big part in beating back the Psyco Gundam. If it wasn't for him...!

That's when she finds herself in the spotlight. So, she's /invited/ to speak her mind, is she? She certainly has no problem with taking full advantage of /that/. Sure, she could just sieg Zeon like everyone else, but dangit, she needs to stand out somehow!

"The White Devil will witness his dreams, his /nightmares/ come true! I... /we/ will erase all blemishes of the past in one fell swoop! All glory to Zeon, and death to our enemies!"

Johnny's not entirely sure if he believes Shin - especially not after he freezes up in the spotlight and practically collapses afterwards - but he's not about to push the issue and damage his friend's pride, and so he settles for making sure the White Wolf gets back into his seat okay and then turning to survey the rest of the crowd as others stand to offer their loyalty.

His eyebrows raise a little when Puru Two gives her little speech... and, in what would undoubtedly be to the girl's chagrin, Johnny cracks a small smile at her fervor. Aww, how cute~

Competition. Elevation. Sisterhood.

It's about as terrible as war.

Puru Two is cut off with Glemy's intervention, and the light is put upon them-- the three of them-- in due time. As random as this may seem, or as /selectively/ random as it may seem, Puru Seven's frown shifts as Puru Two gives a short declaration. Now, there is something to understand here:

Puru Seven strives to be more mature than she is. She tries to keep her cool at any and every occasion, from being on the losing side of a battle in a Mobile Suit to something as minor as tripping accidentally. She's had to push carts of confections and desserts meant for Mineva a dozen times, and she's tried her best to be the model soldier of Zeon.

But goddamn. Is Puru Two. Pissing. Her. Off.

Standing on her /chair/, the young pilot raises her own voice.

"The enemies of Zeon will feel no less than the wrath of God put upon them by our very own hands!! The Federation's time draws short, Katharon is nothing but mindless vermin, and the Trailers are disorganized and short-sighted /warmongers/! From the heart of Axis itself, we will make all that defy the peaceful future Zeon provides TREMBLE in the GARDEN that is our TURBULENCE!!"

Then, she sits down, folds her arms and crosses her legs, turns her head, and sticks her tongue out at Puru Two.

Haman Karn lets a smug smile cross her face. Vindel will be sent a nice fruit basket sometime soon. Even the Purus seem to gain a positive reaction from the Regent -- and certainly from Mineva -- although Haman is already mentally jotting down a note to have the lighting guy blasted out of an airlock for giving not one, but /two/ Purus a chance to speak.

Even if they put more into it than, say, a certain Shin M. -- no, too obvious, let's call him 'S. Matsunaga.'

The audience participation round ends, and Haman takes the fore one final time. "So go -- prepare yourselves. Zeon's coffers run deep -- fit yourselves with the strongest weapons, and if they don't exist, invent them. Steel your minds -- hone your bodies. Turn yourselves into what you were truly meant to be all along -- the LIVING WEAPONS of Zeon Zum Deikun, the /sword/ and /shield/ of /ZEON/!"

Haman Karn neglects to explain how Neo Zeon can afford all of this.

But then she's done, swishing her cape and turning to walk back toward Mineva. The young Princess stands, looking as officious as she can next to the more imperious Regent. She lifts a hand, as if to show the audience she does care about them, after all -- and then, at Haman's ushering, the two exit, leaving in their wake a bloodthirsty crowd.

The garden of their turbulence indeed. Cima dreams for a moment of having one of those nice big marine close-quarters knives, the ones with serrations to catch and rip open a normal suit, and a heavy knuckle duster, and a fat, squat blade with a gas vent for assisted stabs down into helmeted heads. Oh, what she would do with such a thing to the Purus in front of her.

The speech fades. Cima looks after the princess for a moment, eyes narrowing, and then pulls her mantle a little closer around herself; she's already standing upright, and so she has little to do beyond turn to leave. This is not terribly quick, though; you don't want to seem too eager (even if you are)

Puru Two just sort of... stares at Puru Seven, who is clearly trying to outdo her. /Very/ clearly. While that same thing is important to her as well, even she thinks that was going a bit overboard. It's an especially unexpected reaction considering this is Seven.

In the end, she can't help but smile. A smug smile, for having been able to provoke such an extreme reaction. Getting people to compromise their own principles is pretty satisfying.

She doesn't say anything about it until Haman finishes speaking and turns to leave, at which point she stands to applaud. Well, the applauding is secondary, the more important thing is to repeat the other Puru's words in a sarcastic tone: "'The garden that is our turbulence'?"

Vindel turns his sword over in his fingers, returning the sheath to the loop on his belt in one smooth motion. The words from the collected soldiers were certainly worth noting, and Vindel will certainly keep them in mind for the future. But he has little more to say - he could have demanded an explanation from Haman, and he will certainly have time to talk with her in the future about best coordinating their operations. For now though, the presentation is over, and the group will likely be breaking up to mull over the Regent's stirring words very soon. Hopefully the majority will remember that not only are they showing loyalty by supporting Minerva (and thus, Haman), but they'll be ensuring that nothing unfortunate happens to them in the meantime. Vindel strides across the auditorium, heading for the exit. Zweizergian will be waiting for him in the docking bay, ready to return to the Earth's Cradle at a moment's notice. After all, it seems that they will be rolling out the next generation of W-Series slightly ahead of schedule.

Indeed, she made the louder speech, sounding more and more grand than Puru Two in the process. She spoke well, kept it short, and made sure the point was ground in as hard as possible into everyone's minds. It isn't until her eyes close as she sits there-- and Puru Two questions her choice of words-- that Seven's self-satisfied expression shifts into a flat line, then bends into a frown as her eyes open, lulling off in the other direction.

Of course, she tries to recover from this almost immediately, trying to turn the situation back around on the other clone. Saving face is always hard, but Seven does give her best shot. "I thought it would be important to choose words that would suggest that the rest of the squad has more class than you," she retorts.

She can't look back at Puru Two right now, or look at her expression. That would be like admitting defeat.

Puru Two's expression, for the record, remains unchanged. Still very pleased with herself. Seven doesn't need to admit defeat to make her feel like she's won. She doesn't even feel the need to attack further. Why do that, when you can produce the desired effect simply by agreeing with what was said in the same sarcastic tone of voice as before? "Oh, but of course, that was /incredibly/ classy."

This could, and indeed may, go on all night.

Well, that other Puru got even /more/ excited.

But probably none can match the headache-inducing excitement of Haman Karn, as Johnny Ridden muses to himself as he turns back to face the Regent. He remains still and silent, rooted firmly in his own thoughts, until Haman and Mineva have departed the stage, and it is, presumably, safe to depart...

... and only then does he rise swiftly to his feet. Unlike some, he's making no attempt to not be seen as in a hurry. "Let's go," he urges Shin, jerking his head towards the door. "I need some fresh air."

He lingers only long enough to make sure the White Wolf can get to his feet without collapsing.

How Neo Zeon gets money, and what is spends it on, is far from the mind of one Shin 'Too Obvious' Matsunaga. Maybe later he can be convinced to care; as it is, all he can manage is to applaud lamely and watch Princess Minerva in the hope that somehow, the sight of the adorable little girl will make him feel better about this. It does, a little. Enough to keep him going until he can take more extreme measures, which is to say a visit to his favorite physician, Doctor Captain Space Morgan. "...yeah." Shin comes to his feet, exhaling heavily. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Without another wasted word, he follows the Crimson Lightning away.

Glemy Toto cannot believe that managing a bunch of prepubescent girls would generate problems like this. They can't just 'Sieg Zeon,' they have to use it as a time to one-up each other... really, it's kind of aggravating. On the other hand, it does make them all the more likely to push themselves to prove themselves to him...

... maybe this is worth putting up with, he reflects, as they toss their sass back and forth over him.

Norris Packard has been here this entire time he's just been looking to be menacing all this time. Norris does wonder about the funds but isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth if it means his men have better gear he's glad to do with this. He looks to his squads's and he nods a bit. "Speaking of that sir? What about ZAFT and Katharon defiling our designs."

Norris gets a shark like grin "They will reget it. We have plans to make." But he knows money doesn't come out thin air, prehaps he can talk to Lady Haman later on the matter.

There's so many things that she could say now that the attention of the room is not turned toward them, be it the lighting guy being paid off with suitcases full of gold or fate and chance or the Twister spinner landing on their dot. There's so much she /could/ say.

Her eyebrow tics, her gaze finally turning... forward.

Stay cool, Puru Seven. Stay cool. Bringing the back of her hand up to her shoulder, she brushes one of those long twin tails of hair that settle on her shoulders away. A futile gesture, perhaps, since it falls straight back to where it was, but it's not the point. The point is:

"Eloquence and the ability to return to Axis with my Qubeley intact. Maybe /I/ should be the one to get the Psyco Gundam instead of /you/."

Oh, she did not just say that. Instantly, Puru Two's mood and expression darken. All playfulness vanishes and is replaced by hostility. Picking open that same wound again is bad enough, but that final insinuation is more than enough to provoke her in the most serious way possible. Glaring daggers, she only makes one simple statement:

"You will /never/ have the Psyco Gundam."

Nothing more is said, but her mental state is quite easily read to imply, no, /promise/ 'touch it, and I'll kill you'. The fact that it isn't spoken out loud means especially little in this case, the message is loud and clear. She rarely gets THAT direct in threatening her 'siblings'. Clearly this is a line of thought that is very, very dangerous to pursue.

People say that twins have a language all of their own, invisible links and feelings that bind them together. If one dies, that the other will feel it. With the advent of the Newtype and the rise of the cloned squad of soldiers, it may just provide a tighter-knit feeling between them all, especially with all of that "angry" they can throw back and forth at each other.

So, needless to say: She feels that anger and wrath pouring out of Two. One eye-- the eye on the side closer to Puru Two, and the side that Glemy is sitting at-- opens back up while a finger lifts from her arm to point back at the fellow clone without uncrossing her arms. "Shouldn't you keep your feelings and temper in check when we're in such a public place? You don't want to embarass Glemy, do you?"

With his name invoked, Glemy finally has no choice but to involve himself in the back and forth of the Purus. "Both of you, behave yourselves," he says, tone sharper than he usually takes with either of them. "If you have to prove yourselves better than one another, do it by destroying the Argama or the Archangel."

That concentrated nearby anger is starting to give him a headache.

Puru Two doesn't listen. The fires don't die down in the slightest. Not the mention of being in a public place, nor of Glemy do anything to curb her abject /rage/ at the mere suggestion that the Psyco Gundam be taken from her. So it falls onto Glemy to intervene. That always works to make any Puru fall back in line.

Or, it should have. It doesn't, this time. It's not clear if Puru Two even heard Glemy at all, she continues to radiate promises of certain death if Puru Seven, or anybody else, dares to take the Psyco Gundam away from her. An unnatural reaction even for her. Maybe it was a bad idea to let her out of the lab so soon after piloting the machine.

Instead, she just repeats, "/Never/, you hear me?!" And then she storms off, to exit the hall. Thought fragments that can be picked up as she leaves are all along the lines of 'It's mine', 'I was chosen' and 'No one else is worthy'. Obsession is putting it mildly.

Well, at least the oppressive atmosphere is lightened now that she's gone.

uh oh, dad's upset :(

She's upset Two and caused her to storm off out of the meeting hall. Score two for Puru Seven! Though she does very well to hide her reaction visibly, there's a slight smugness to the air around her-- though to be perfectly fair, she does think for a moment if her "big sister" actually would turn around and kill her for touching the Psyco Gundam.

Psyco. Sounds awfully like "psycho," etc., etc. ...

Once she's gone, Puru Seven doesn't look at Glemy-- instead, she looks at the empty stage which Haman used to make her speech, the place where Mineva sat, that place where the powerful stand and speak.

Then, there's a feeling surrounding her: Hunger. Ambition.

Rising out of her seat, Seven tilts her head, the hair loose enough to not be pinned down under the headband-worn goggles swaying as it should. The thought lulls around in her mind for a moment, and the shorty short pilot offers a short and sweet, "Sorry, Glemy."

As Puru Two leaves and Puru Seven apologizes, Glemy gives the latter a small smile. "It's all right. It's healthy for you to fight a little -- as long as you don't let it get in the way of anything else." That hunger, that ambition -- that's just what Glemy wants out of his charges.

"I might talk to Puru Two myself, later." She's right -- the Psyco Gundam /is/ hers to pilot. But she's not alone -- she's part of something larger, of which the Psyco Gundam is a (very large) component.

Standing up, he adds, "Thank you for coming, Puru Seven."

Her mouth bends into a slight grin, not quite lopsided and still fairly subtle. "Arguments are what siblings were invented for, right?" Seven asks, putting a little bit of sarcastic emphasis on the S-word. A little bit on the I-word, too. Glemy would probably get the joke, but God only knows how many of the people around them would.

Turning toward him a bit as Glemy rises, Puru Seven gives a short nod. "Of course. I didn't have much else to do today, besides watch Qubeebee's paint dry."

You know. Canary yellow paint and flames on a Qubeley.

Walking away from the seats and into the aisles, Puru Seven looks back with that same small grin. "I'll trash the Argama /and/ the Archangel, too, you'll see," she proudly declares before walking away. Though she turns her back to it as she leaves, her mind is on one thing, and one thing only:

One day, that stage is going to be her own.