In the week following her interrogation, Theresa continued her work as usual; she didn't let herself be shaken by the pressure generated, although the team missed Rodrigo Ferreira, now in Aegis custody. Her movements were rigorously monitored, so any chance of contacting her family on Earth became impossible.
Accepting that this would be her immediate fate, Theresa focused on her work, as she had been doing recently; since arriving at Tsukuyomi base, it was all she knew how to do. The adjustments and improvements made to M.M.U.s 808 and YuHuang had been finalized, and like the rest of Aegis's forces, they were on their way to Alpha colony for the counter-attack everyone hoped would be the final battle of the war.
Aegis was throwing all its strength into this offensive, and even without Arthur and Excalibur, the new armors of the two EX M.M.U.s still under the organization's control, in addition to the powerful Avalon cruisers, would be enough to put an end to the U.S.C. once and for all.
The base's protection was left to the U.M.U.s created by Theresa, as the entire contingent had embarked for battle. Not that it was necessary, the young scientist believed; The Cathedral wouldn't have the forces to attack the Moon, probably by now it was entirely concentrated on defending Alpha.
In any case, Theresa couldn't use work to distract herself 100% from her doubts and anxieties. Gabriel occupied a large part of her thoughts. She looked at the engagement ring on her finger, which had been a subject of questioning during her interrogation. There was so much she wanted to say and ask her fiancé, and above all, to hug him. The war was about to end, and soon they could go back to being what they always were. She sighed heavily, a mixture of fatigue and uncertainty, and when she decided to take a break from her research, Wilfried Dreyer entered her office.
"Professor, shall we have dinner? I know you're close to finalizing another evolution of your AIs, but I believe we have time for a break before that?"
"Alright, I'll accept your invitation. The way I am, I don't think I'll be able to do anything but spoil my own work."
Dreyer raised an eyebrow, surprised, before continuing.
"Well, look at that, our dear professor finally admitting that working too much does more harm than good."
Theresa smiled faintly and followed her boss down the corridor towards the refectory.
"I wonder how much of a difference we're really making."
Were the hours lost in Aegis's research lab really helping to change the war's destiny? She was aware that the machines she helped create would soon take many lives, but now she was getting used to the idea that they were necessary sacrifices. When the conflict ended, reconstruction could begin, and even the U.S.C. population would have a better life, away from the war.
Dreyer observed his beautiful colleague; he had asked himself the same questions. How much difference did a scientist make in a war that had become one of such small margins? And the answer was: all the difference. With the conflict so balanced, any advance they achieved would be an advantage for their allies.
"Not only do we make a difference, we are key pieces for victory. Any performance gain, whatever it may be, can be the difference between victory or defeat for a unit or troop. And I can assure you, we've achieved much more than mere percentage points of improvement, Theresa."
She just nodded, and both continued their walk. It was true, however, that Wilfried was irritated with the treatment given to Rodrigo Ferreira, and despite all his loyalty to the cause, the way they chose to deal with a man who had helped Aegis so much left a bitter taste in his mouth.
As the duo was entering the refectory, an unlikely signal and alarm went off. The lights began to flash, and the audio message revealed the gravity of the situation.
"To all base personnel, Alert 3, combat positions, we are under direct attack. Repeating..."
<>
Gabriel was silent in the cockpit of the unit he had called his for over half a year. Although the number of operations hadn't been that high, the incessant training sessions and simulated combats had given him and Arthur a chance to become familiar.
The next mission would be the Avalon's independent squadron's first: the rescue of the innocents imprisoned by Aegis, located at Tsukuyomi base. The plan was simple: a coordinated and direct attack on the prison. They already had the cells and locations of the operation's targets. Although the intent was to rescue everyone, there were obviously priority objectives. Among them was Selen Prichard, the congresswoman who had left a very strong impression on Gabriel during the award ceremony in New York.
He, however, had an extra, selfish objective. If time permitted, he wanted to take his fiancée and place her in safety with Samantha and her mother on Earth. Gabriel picked up the photo with Theresa and her family; the smiles in the photograph were the impulse that made his young but already battered body still fight after so many years.
Before his concentration wavered, he put the photo away, doing a final check on Arthur's modern instruments. While adjusting the information for the modifications made to his Excalibur cannon, he made a mental note, as he usually did, of the mission's objectives, remembering the last briefing before entering his M.M.U.
"Our objective is to attack the prison wing in the base's eastern sector. We will destroy the structure with our three M.M.U.s and buy time for our ground team, which will go in our smaller transport ships, to rescue our targets.
...I don't believe casualties on Aegis's side can be avoided, so if you're not yet at peace with this, this is your last chance to leave the Avalon."
The crew's silence, who simply waited for Pellegrini to continue, was answer enough for the Major-General, who couldn't hide a rare smile.
"I wish you all good luck, and let the operation begin."
<>
Sol Bethel sat in the chair that, until the last operation, had been occupied by Henry Enfield. The pilot with vibrant red hair was now primarily responsible for the Avalon's maneuvers. She felt the weight of responsibility but trusted enough in the talent that had brought her so far despite her improbable life.
She made the final preparations before entering the Moon's orbit and waited for her new co-pilot to confirm the information. Beside her, nervous but with a determined look, Isaac Ferreira relayed the ship's final data. When he finished, he turned to his immediate superior.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Lieutenant Bethel."
"I'm sure you'll do an excellent job; your performance at the academy was always impressive. Besides...
You have extra motivation for this mission; that always counts for something."
Isaac just nodded. His best friend and partner was unjustly imprisoned at the base they would soon attack, and his safety would be reason enough to face the entire universe.
"Initiating lunar atmospheric entry..."
From her cockpit, Kiyoko Ogata observed the pale white of the moon. It would be her second operation away from Earth, the first accompanied by Gabriel, and for a reason she couldn't explain, this filled her with confidence. The data from her new thrusters, individually analyzed, was the last thing she checked.
In a coordinated dive, Izanagi, Arthur, and the brand-new Galahad initiated the operation they simply called "Tsuki ga Kirei." (The moon is beautiful.)
<>
The U.M.U.s, or Unmanned Mobile Units, defending the base in the absence of Aegis forces, were piloted by AIs trained using millions of hours from simulators and data from the pilots who used them. This gave a giant range of possibilities to the machines, which in themselves were top-of-the-line of what Lockheed M. and Chengdu Industries had to offer, with the exception of Project EX machines.
In any case, this technological advance was not enough to stop the fierce descent of the Avalon's three M.M.U.s, which faced initial resistance from U.M.U.s 800 and Xuanzang. Izanagi cut through five enemy units without the slightest difficulty; its acceleration, which was already easily the highest among terrestrial M.M.U.s, was now even more impressive with the received modifications.
Similarly, Galahad and Henry, not with the same speed, managed in close combat, thanks to their excellent defenses, to simply run over the U.M.U.s. Arthur did the same, but distance was its main asset. This time, however, it wasn't carrying the full Excalibur, only its basic module. Using the full power of the solar system's most terrible weapon wouldn't send the message the Avalon crew and the forces beginning to align with it on Earth would want.
Even without its full power, Gabriel achieved a number of kills similar to his two companions, despite being impressed by the enemy U.M.U.s' rapid and precise movements. He would have smiled were it not for the circumstances; after all, that was his brilliant fiancée's work.
With the U.M.U. defense broken, the Avalon's three units accelerated strongly towards the base's prison wing. The impact of the colossal machines on the walls was enough to break them, and shortly thereafter, three rescue ships, each with a capacity of 70 people, landed in the created spaces. The ground groups began their difficult mission.
More U.M.U.s appeared, drawing the attention of Gabriel's group, who needed to drive away the enemies and protect the rescue ships.
<>
The desperation in Tsukuyomi's corridors was expected; defense forces rushed to where the explosions were happening. While the rest seemed stunned, who was attacking them? The U.S.C. was too worried about its survival to dispatch forces for this attack.
Theresa ran to her laboratory, despite Wilfried's protests; she needed to save at least the data there, in case everything went down. It didn't take long for her to arrive and begin a physical backup in addition to the one made in the cloud for her projects. A name came to her mind, but the possibility of him being responsible simply made her stomach freeze. She decided to ignore her feelings, waiting stunned for the backup to finish.
It was then that Theresa Vazquez's world collapsed, literally. A very strong impact on her laboratory wall revealed, after the dust settled, the white armor of a M.M.U. she knew so well.
The white and blue machine's cockpit opened, and from the still-settling dust, the silhouette of a tall man, wearing a blue helmet and a pilot suit of the same color, took shape. Theresa got up from the fall the impact had caused; blood trickled from her leg, but she didn't think she had broken it.
The silhouette took a few more steps, and she still observed him, dumbfounded, when the voice she loved most in the world called to her.
"Theresa, quickly, we don't have much time! I'm taking you to the Avalon!"
Ah, she was right, Aegis was right; Gabriel Sirghi really had become a traitor. He extended his hand to her, but Theresa instinctively moved away. She couldn't see the terrible face of pain Gabriel made behind his helmet, and her reaction was enough for him to open it.
He was dumbfounded, like her. The two observed each other for a few seconds, stunned, lost, not understanding the person they loved most and who was so few meters away for the first time in so long.
"Why... Why are you doing this, Biel!? Now that we're so close to ending this war, WHY!?"
"If this war ends this way, we'll just be replacing one evil with another! Aegis can't be responsible for humanity's future, not with what it's doing to seize power!"
"I won't go with you! What you're doing is just creating more violence!"
Before Gabriel could approach, the laboratory door opened, and Wilfried Dreyer, followed by Base security, desperately entered.
"Theresa!? Are you alright!?"
He approached his injured colleague when he noticed Gabriel's presence in the laboratory. The security men pointed their weapons at him, who for a few seconds remained motionless.
He was too occupied by memories, of when he met the beautiful girl who had stolen his heart. Still so young, friendship turned into passion, and he had imagined more than once his life with her by his side, but now, nothing made sense anymore. His survival instinct was what saved him. When the men began to fire, agilely, he returned to Arthur's cockpit entrance.
He closed his helmet so his pained face wouldn't be revealed and looked once more at Theresa, who was doing the same in his direction. For an instant, their two universes stopped; the shots protected by Arthur's barrier weren't enough distraction for the lovers exchanging a sad look.
Gabriel entered the cockpit, which closed automatically, gaining distance. Then, he looked once more at the laboratory, through the large hole he had created with his M.M.U. Theresa was being aided by her colleagues, with oxygen. The next move was pure reflex; his obligations and pilot instincts took over, and he made Arthur point its gigantic rifle towards the laboratory.
Theresa's wide-eyed desperation would be engraved in Gabriel's memory until his last moments of life. Wilfried stepped in front of the young woman, as did the base security. For mere seconds, which for the Aegis employees seemed an eternity, they were under the aim of one of the human race's most powerful weapons.
Then, Arthur lowered its rifle. Its wings glowed in a beautiful and terrifying blue, now even for Aegis, and it took flight, following Izanagi and Galahad, escorting the escape ships towards the Avalon.
Theresa fell to her knees again; she could no longer hold back her tears. Her boss's embrace wasn't enough to stop her; nothing would be for a long time. She watched the celestial glow of Arthur's wings grow increasingly distant as she lost consciousness.
"...Biel."
<>
Already out of lunar orbit, Arthur was the last M.M.U. to enter the Avalon's hangar. The party taking place there was lively and sincere. Isaac ran to meet Rodrigo, and both hugged; the gesture was repeated by a dozen more of the starship's crew. In one corner, the rescued political prisoners, including Selen Prichard, spoke directly with Gianluca Pellegrini.
Even after all landing procedures were complete, Gabriel remained inside Arthur. At the M.M.U.'s feet, Kiyoko and Henry observed the now-inert machine, where their friend and comrade agonized over his own choices.
"Gabriel, are you alright?"
He let out a laugh, remembering moments ago when he had been a hair's breadth from pulling the trigger and taking the life of one of the people he loved most in the world. Feeling alright? He didn't have that luxury, nor the right; he had sinned too much in this life to expect anything other than what he believed to be a just punishment. Anyway, his friends deserved an answer.
"I'll do my best to pretend I am."
April 07, 2239. The attack on Tsukuyomi Lunar Base by the terrorists of Avalon 01 reached Aegis command, now mere days from Alpha Colony in the vicinity of Jupiter's moon Europa, near Saturn. However, command decided to ignore the information; as the final battle between The Cathedral and Aegis was about to begin. At the same time, the Avalon departed for the dwarf planet Ceres, for a meeting that would change humanity's destiny.