The nightmare clawed its way out of the depths of my mind, a horrifying replay of a personal hell. I was engulfed in the crimson glare of flames, the heat searing, the air thick with the stench of burning metal and flesh. It felt like damnation.
I stumbled through the inferno, desperate to find an exit from this nightmare reality. Instead of an escape, I found Sam. He stood motionless, his eyes fixed on me, his body already consumed by the fire. I lunged forward, trying to reach him, to save him, but the attempt was futile. The flames surged, growing hotter, higher, creating an impassable wall between us. All I could do was watch, paralyzed, as Sam burned. His body was already 80% scorched, yet he simply stood there, utterly devoid of reaction. Then, a whisper, his last words, cut through the roaring of the fire and echoed in my ear: "tạm biệt, Lydia." 'Farewell, Lydia.' in English.
I awoke with a gasp, the cold morning air a stark contrast to the dream's searing heat. The phrase, 'Farewell, Lydia,' lingered, feeling less like a goodbye and more like a final, cryptic message from Sam. I looked out the window of the barracks in the captured California Base; the sun was rising, painting the sky with the hues of dawn. I quickly changed and felt an irresistible pull to the spot where Sam had fallen.
When I arrived, Mark was already there, his head bowed, clearly searching for something—perhaps an answer, or a connection to the dream he'd mentioned having with Sam. I joined him in the grim search. My eyes scanned the debris, and behind a twisted piece of a Gundam hand, I found it: Sam's shattered glasses, utterly ruined. "Mark," I called out, holding up the wreckage.
"I found his glasses". The sight confirmed the finality of it all. Mark took the glasses, his expression hardening with resolution. He said he would send them to Sam's family in Vietnam, a painful confirmation that Sam was officially K.I.A. (Killed In Action).
I looked at the mangled wreckage of Sam's Mobile Suit, and a profound realization struck me. The deaths of XiangLei and now Sam were catalysts, forcing me to confront who I was and who I needed to become. Barry Abbot had told me I needed to change, to find the human version of myself again. I knew he was right, but my focus had to remain on my current objectives. The transition, the moment to become more human, wouldn't happen overnight; it would take time.
Soon after, a call came summoning us to the briefing room. It was packed with Federation officers from various bases, all led by a General whose face was unfamiliar to me. The report was sobering: Zeon forces were far from defeated. They were still on Earth, scattered and hiding in different locations, some even outside of North America. The remnants were small groups or platoons, either in hiding or deliberately blending in as civilians. The war was not over yet.
Following the briefing, we prepared for the journey back to our usual base. All the Mobile Suits, even the massive Big Trays, were being stored in the Medea-class transport ships for the move. California Base was officially being converted into a Federation stronghold.
It was just before we departed that I saw Aaron. He pulled me away from the crowd, finding a less populated area where he could speak without being overheard. He reiterated a solemn promise: a date after the war, contingent on us both surviving it.
Then, he moved closer. He reached out and gently touched my chin, tilting my face up until our eyes locked in a moment of undeniable connection. My lips met his, initiating a deep, passionate kiss. Our tongues met, a familiar, intimate exchange of saliva in a profound French kiss. When we finally broke apart, breathless, we stared at each other, the memory of our intimate time in New Mexico flashing between us.
"I'll contact you again, Lydia," Aaron whispered, his eyes searching mine.
"...Yeah... Have a safe trip Aaron," I managed to reply, still slightly stunned, and we sealed the promise with one more kiss.
Aaron then headed to his Big Tray to return to the Chicago base. I walked to the Medea-class ship where I was stationed. The deck felt strangely empty; it held my Mobile Suit and Mark's, but Sam's was missing. Inside the Medea cockpit, I found Alleyne and Mark, with the usual pilot preparing to take us home—but there was a profound absence.
As we lifted off, leaving the newly claimed California Base, Mark broke the silence. His tone was serious. "Lydia, since Sam is no longer here... there is one thing Sam had for you," he began.
"What is it, Mark?" I asked, turning to face him.
Mark cleared his throat, gathering his words. "Sam wanted to confess his feelings to you, Lydia," he revealed. The confession hung heavy in the air. "But he didn't know you were already with Aaron—you know, when he took you on the Medea Late-type. I kept your relationship with Aaron a secret, Lydia. I just couldn't bear to shatter Sam's heart and risk him doing something unexpected". Mark had carried this secret, protecting his friend from a painful truth.
"I see," I replied, a wave of sadness washing over me. "That's fine, Mark. Sam maybe understands now about his feeling for me". I was suddenly wrestling with a new understanding of our past. Was his dedication, always being with me during training, a sign of his feelings? And did he give me his GM Spartan because he cared for me? I felt unsure, but one thing was certain: I would honor his sacrifice. I would avenge Sam's death, and I would take meticulous care of the GM Spartan he had given me.
By noon, we finally arrived back at our home base. With Renato off in Augusta, the Black Dog squad was temporarily off duty until new orders arrived. The hangar was buzzing, filled with new Mobile Suits: black and gray "RGM-79G GM Command" units. They were, as I overheard, specifically for the Black Dog squad's new mission: hunting the 'Noisy-fairy'. Reports indicated that while many forces were heading to space for the final campaign, others remained on Earth, hunting the remaining Zeon.
Mark, Alleyne, and I went straight to the Mess Hall for a much-needed lunch break. We were mid-meal when an older Admiral approached our table.
"I finally found you, Alleyne," the Admiral announced.
"Grandpa! What brings you here?" Alleyne exclaimed, her voice bright with surprise and happiness.
"I just wanted to see my granddaughter and check on you after receiving several reports about your performance here," her grandfather, the Admiral, explained. "I never expected you to be working with this Black Dog squad. How is it going, Alleyne?".
"I'm fine, Grandpa. Lieutenant Lydia and Lieutenant Markus are helping me a lot," she replied warmly.
Then the Admiral turned his attention to me. "So... you're Lydia Mercer..." he said, taking a seat directly across from me. His gaze was penetrating. "I've heard about your life, Lieutenant Lydia Mercer. Previously a criminal with a broken home, yet you are fiercely protective of my granddaughter. Tell me, what was your plan when you accepted Major Michael Colmatta's offer to join the Federation?".
I didn't hesitate. "I want to clear my criminal record, Admiral," I stated plainly.
"Just that? Nothing else important to you?" he pressed, as if searching for a more profound truth.
I paused, thinking of XiangLei, Sam, and Aaron. "...Not just that, Admiral," I admitted. "I have another reason, too. For my dear friends and my loved one".
"I see. That's a reasonable answer, Lieutenant Lydia," the Admiral said, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "And I understand why you're so different from the rest of the Black Dog squad". He checked his pocket watch, signaling the end of his visit.
"Well, it's time for me to head back to Augusta. Lieutenant Markus, please take good care of Alleyne for me when Lydia is away," he instructed.
"Understood, Admiral," Mark confirmed.
"And Alleyne," he added, standing up, "I will pick you up after the war is over".
"Okay, Grandpa, be careful," Alleyne said.
With the Admiral gone, we returned to our lunch, the quiet scrutiny having passed.
As we left the mess hall, I ran into Barry Abbot. He informed me that he had received permission to hunt the 'Noisy-fairy' at their last known location. He explained that this mission was deeply personal for Lilith Aiden, who wanted to face them as a soldier, not the 'killing machine' she once was. The higher-ups accepted his request, and he made it clear he wouldn't need a large contingent, not even the Black Dog squad. This was Lilith's final, personal confrontation. He looked at me then, suggesting I could also follow Lilith's path, becoming a normal being.
After he left, I noticed some of the Black Dog members celebrating in their barracks, drinking booze despite military rules. The authority figures couldn't stop them, knowing a single misstep could lead to disaster. It hit me: I could have been one of them. If I hadn't met XiangLei, hadn't accepted Barry Abbot's offer, and hadn't met Aaron, I would have been drinking away my monstrous self, broken by my parents' actions.
I headed to the hangar to check on my Mobile Suit. A transport had just arrived, carrying a sub-flight system called the 'Lightliner'. It looked like a hang glider for Mobile Suits—no weapons, capable of carrying all suits except the Guntank, with a single cockpit. It was the Federation's answer to the Zeon Dodai YS, meant for short trips without needing a large warship.
"Do you want to go for a fly, Lydia?" a voice asked. It was Yumna Makena, our Medea pilot. Yumna was a 65-year-old Black African woman, a highly skilled pilot who navigated any terrain flawlessly and served as Alleyne's Operator. She was a mother of five sons, all Federation transport pilots, and she herself was a former airport plane pilot.
"Miss Yumna, why are you offering me this?" I asked, confused.
"I know you're still mourning Sam," Yumna said gently. "But you've been so kind to Alleyne and Markus. I wanted to tell you something important: I am officially retiring this December 31st. I'm too old for this war, Lydia. A younger generation, like you, should be the ones protecting the world from Zeon".
"So, you mean, this is a part of your farewell?" I asked.
"A pre-farewell, honey," she corrected, a warm smile on her face. "I still have two weeks left. What do you say?".
"I... I've never done anything like this before. I don't have experience flying," I confessed.
"Don't you worry, I'm the one piloting it," she chuckled. "You just enjoy the view from your Mobile Suit. We'll just fly around the base".
Yumna instructed the mechanic crew to prepare the Lightliner. Soon, I was in my GM Spartan cockpit, which was unarmed, and Yumna was in the Lightliner's cockpit. The docking sequence was completed, and we moved to the launching pad.
The sensation of the Lightliner accelerating for takeoff was intense, very different from the warship Medea. Once we reached a stable altitude, Yumna contacted me. "Lydia Honey, go look at the view in front of you. Just don't look down if you're scared of heights".
It was breathtaking. The afternoon sky was a vast, incredible blue, peaceful and calm. The buildings below were reduced to the size of ants. Yumna flew slowly, making the experience incredibly comfortable. She explained that she did this because she saw us—Alleyne, Mark, and me—as family, especially after Sam's death. She wanted me to have this memory before she retired.
"So, Lydia," Yumna's voice came over the comms, "what are you going to do when the war is over? Heading home?".
"I can't go back home, Miss Yumna," I said, a hollow feeling in my chest. "I did a lot of bad things before joining the Federation. It's impossible to go back there".
"Bad memories, huh? That's difficult," she sympathized. "Do you have family? Friends?".
"I do, but I can't. I'm a wanted person, and with my reputation, going home is impossible".
"I see... Then why don't you volunteer to become an official Federation soldier?" Yumna asked, offering an unexpected idea. "You can't go home, and this is better than having no place to sleep or eat. The pay is good, and you get facilities".
"...I never thought about that, Miss Yumna," I admitted. "Michael Colmatta once said I could be a capable soldier instead of just a Black Dog squad member... I guess I'll stick with becoming an official soldier, just like you said".
After a long, reflective flight around the base, we finally landed as evening approached. Yumna commented that piloting the Lightliner was simpler than the Medea; it was lighter, faster, and had better maneuverability.
But the quiet moment was short-lived. I received a call to meet Michael Colmatta in his office. I went alone. He was ready to make good on his promise to clear my criminal record. However, he offered me a choice: a clean criminal record plus a promotion to an official Federation soldier, or simply a clean criminal record.
I remembered my conversation with Yumna. If I chose to become an official soldier, my record would be clear, and I would have a salary and facilities from the Federation. I would no longer be a prostitute; I would have a stable life. If I only chose to clear my record, I would be discharged and have to start over from scratch, which meant disappearing from Aaron's life and returning to prostitution.
Without hesitation, I chose the better option: to become an official soldier. Michael told me he needed to talk to me without Renato Germi knowing, as Renato strongly disliked me because of my skill. He instructed me to be ready, as I would soon receive direct orders from him or from higher-up command.
Today was a day of rest after the California Base operation. The next major conflict would be in outer space at Zeon's main fortress, 'A Boa Qu,' as many Zeon forces had fled back.
I felt a profound sense of relief and gratitude. Choosing to become an official soldier was the right direction. It was all thanks to Miss Yumna's timely conversation. If I had only chosen to clear my record, I would have destroyed my relationship with Aaron and returned to my difficult life as a prostitute. I was glad for my decision and grateful to Yumna.
To be continued.