Prime Minister Walker glared at the camera with wrath and sorrow in his eyes. When I looked at his face, I saw the rage of a cornered animal. It was the kind of rage that caused people to fight even when all hope was lost.
I knew the Earth Federation had a prime minister, but he never appeared in the original timeline. Leadership was handed over to Admiral Tianem and General Revil pretty early into the war. With them out of the picture, it seemed that PM Walker was forced to pick up the torch. After a beat of silence, he began to speak.
"On January 10th of the 79th year of the Universal Century, the Principality of Zeon committed the most heinous atrocity in history. Never before has any war resulted in such a tragic loss of life. In an instant, 14% of all humans in the Earth Sphere were killed in a cowardly, unprovoked attack."
Quietly, I said to myself, "Isn't he supposed to be trying to increase the Federation's morale?"
"Give it a second," Lt. Wei said.
Walker continued. "Make no mistake, loyal citizens of the Earth Federation, we have not yet been defeated. Our surviving forces have already moved to Sahara Base, and we have begun our counterattack on Side 3! Even now, even after we suffered such a debilitating blow, Zeon is no match for our strength! We shall strike back at Zeon and bring peace to the Earth Sphere!"
Sahara Base!? What was Sahara Base!? How many military bases in the middle of nowhere did the Federation have!?
Getting more animated by the second, Walker said, "This is the moment the war shifts in our favor! Our centers of production in Odessa, California, and Egypt will survive, and we will not be caught off-guard again. The Federation war machine will grind the Spacenoids down until nothing remains! Now join me in welcoming the men who will deliver vengeance upon our enemies, General Marnery Hawkins and Admiral John Cowen."
Just as the broadcast was filled with applause, the recording cut out and was replaced by a still image of Zeon's flag. Immediately, officers and politicians alike began speaking to each other in worried tones. A look of contemplation appeared on Admiral Dozle's brow, and an amused smile creased Lt. Char's face.
"That's your cue," Lt. Wei whispered to me.
My mind buzzing with worry and anger, I ran onto the stage. This wasn't supposed to happen. The Federation was supposed to give up after Operation British was successful, but it seemed that their resolve was only strengthened. I hadn't considered it, but General Revil must have been a tempering force in the Federation's high command.
Why was everyone so goddamn irrational!? More than 10% of all humans were dead already, and neither side had any interest in suing for peace. When would Zeon and the Federation realize that they were hurtling toward mutually assured destruction?
As I reached the podium, anger tightened my posture and destabilized my breathing. I exhaled, and the microphone picked it up. Over the speakers, my breath sounded like the growl of an angry dog. Words appeared on the teleprompter, and I began to speak.
"If it's a fight they want, we'll give it to them. The Earth Federation must be filled with fools if they think they can defeat our mobile suits!" I began shouting. "We will crush them by the end of January and force them to grant us the independence they have withheld from us for the past fifty years! For Degwin Zabi! For Zeon Zum Deikun! Sieg Zeon!"
The entire room erupted into raucous, almost desperate applause. They were afraid, and they needed something to grasp onto at that moment. A few more words on the teleprompter appeared. These ones were stage directions.
[STEP OFF THE STAGE AND ALLOW DOZLE ZABI TO STEP ON]
I left the stage as Dozle Zabi took my place. As the anger disappeared, disgust took its place. My stomach sank as I realized that I agreed with most of what I just said. My only win condition available at that point was to end the war before the Gundam was created in September. The only way to do that was to crush the Federation's will to fight before then.
On the stage, Dozle Zabi announced the next operation to drop Loum on the Earth. I didn't listen, because I already knew what he was going to say. We would leave to attack Loum in a few hours.
"Is there anything else?" I said angrily to Wei as I passed him.
"That was better than any of us could have predicted. Were you an actor before you were a soldier?" Lt. Wei said.
"No, I was actually pissed at the Federation."
"Method acting, then."
When Dozle Zabi's speech was done, Lt. Wei led us out of the ornate room, and we walked to a much less aesthetically pleasing part of Solomon Base. As we walked, uncovered stone was visible, and the parts that were actually covered were painted an industrial gray. We stepped through sliding glass doors, and there was a sign that read, "Zeonic R&D." Soon after, the hall's decoration became dull but functional.
"Where are we going now? Am I going to give a rousing speech to the tech guys?" I asked.
"No," Lt. Wei said as he passed me a small handheld tablet. The diagram of a Zaku was blinking on the tablet's screen. "We're here so that your squad can receive their new mobile suits."
"Is that right?" I asked.
"Yes, the logistics department has designated you three as an ace squad. There are several advantages to this. You will receive custom enhancements to your mobile suits, priority in the resupply order, and the right to claim a livery."
"Livery?" Ramos asked.
"A, uh, color scheme," Lt. Wei said. "The only colors not available are red and black."
We entered a mobile suit hangar, and our brand new Zakus rose in the distance like three tall mountains.