Mobile Suit Gundam: Consequences
an excerpt

~*Prologue*~

They could taste the end of the war. The anticipation was a physical buzz in the air, like electricity in their veins. Kikunosuke could hear the laughter and constant chatter ringing through every hall. Everyone knew that in two --maybe three-- more battles that the Earth Republic Alliance (ERA) army would overrun the forces of the Libertarian Independent National Collective (LINC).
He smiled. The action lit up his dark-colored eyes.
“Sir.” The man who approached Kikunosuke was one he recognized, though he had never spoken to him in his two years of service. He knew the man to often be in Fleet General Gaulle’s company, wearing an uncomfortable looking sneer. He was wearing it now in fact. “The Fleet General has requested your presence in his office.”
“Understood.” Kikunosuke didn’t like Mister Sneer, but an order from the five-star General was an order, it mattered not who the middleman was.

It was a quick walk down the main corridor to reach the head office. Kikunosuke always thought it was a tactical error to have it in such an obvious place. If the enemy were to invade they would have no problem dispatching defending forces along their way to cut the head off of the snake.

The young blond stepped inside of the large, plush room and stood at attention. He snapped a sharp salute. “Lieutenant General Kikunosuke Yagami reporting as ordered, sir!” The man in front of him was some 50 to 60 pounds overweight, and bald. A grey Pancho Villa moustache had residence on his upper lip; it got along well with its downstairs neighbor, the double-chin.

“You’ve done well for us,” Gaulle began after a moment, then as an afterthought added on, “And for yourself.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“As I’m sure you’re well aware, this war is coming to an end thanks to the efforts of you and others.”
“Yes, sir.”

Kikunosuke’s gut felt tight. He had no reason to believe that something ill was to happen, but his instincts were rarely wrong. Gaulle was about to say something that would shake his world at its foundations.

“Since you were never officially part of the military, there’s no need for you to receive discharge papers.”
“Discharge papers?” The boy felt his world come to a grinding halt. The military had been his life for the pass two years since his parents were killed in a horrible lab accident. He had nowhere else to go.
“Yes. You see, your services are no longer required.”
“You can’t do this!” Kikunosuke screamed in a voice too young for a high-ranking officer in the army. His arms were grabbed by black gloved hands when he lunged forward.
“Take him away,” ordered the aging man behind the expansive wooden desk. He grinned as his now former subordinate was carried out the steel doors. He laughed when the boy cried out again.
“General!”

“Behave, you damn pipsqueak,” growled Mister Sneer.
“Let me go!” Kikunosuke demanded. “There has to be a mistake! He said he would accept all consequences! We made a deal!”
“You had a deal.” From the curl of his lips, the blond could see that the man was relishing this moment. “Did you really believe ERA could afford to keep you on after the war? It would be political suicide.”
“But you can’t do this!”
“We already have.”
“No!”

Kikunosuke only came up to the man’s chest, but he was trained like any of the other soldiers on the base. He twisted out of Sneer’s hold and threw the man over his shoulder in a textbook technique. The slam of the landing thump echoed throughout the metal halls.

Sneer was quick to regain himself. He leapt to his feet and chased Kikunosuke down before he could get far. “You’ll pay for that!” He lashed out at the boy, but Kikunosuke avoided the blow. Mister Sneer had forgotten for that moment that the young ex-soldier was a NewType, a human with advanced spatial awareness and an intuitive ability to sense danger. The child wasn’t a high-class NewType, but it still won’t be easy to take him down. He made up for his lack in ability with his extraordinary intellect, the sole reason why the military absorbed him into its ranks.

Soon other soldiers were flooding the corridor, attracted by the sounds of the fight. Several were attempting to break it up, but were called off by Sneer. They had no idea why two of their superiors were duking it out in the middle of the hallway.

Eventually, the battle moved up and down the passage. Sneer was wearing down, but Kikunosuke, even with his Sense, was unable to evade injury. He was at a height and strength disadvantage, as well as inexperience in real hand-to-hand combat. Mister Sneer pressed the communicator on his collar. “Sir, he’s not cooperating the easy way.”
“So use a weapon, you fool.” Gaulle’s words brought a smile to the thin lips.
“Yes, sir.”

Men backed away and shouted when Sneer unsheathed his vibro-saber. The low humming of the specialized sonic blade indicated that it was activated and ready to slice through steel if necessary. “Now hear this,” he demanded of all the gathered men. “The Lieutenant General has been relieved of his duties and has been ordered off the base. Unless you want to be charged with treason, step away.” There were a few men willing to risk the consequences, but Kikunosuke held up a hand to off them off.
“Don’t.” Brown eyes were hard and sharp. “I’ll go, just don’t drag anyone else into this.” Mister Sneer growled and bared his teeth at the young teen’s words.
“You think I’m going to let you off that easy?!” The sword came down faster than the boy could react.

Kikunosuke screamed.