"Hm?" Rondo said suddenly as he looked down on his console and he grinned to himself, "Well it seems my work here is done...I'll see you later OZ dog. Give my regards to you fascist companions, OMNI Enforcer, will you? Tell them the ORB Noble Families send their regards if you like. Or say nothing. It matters not to me." Rondo said to Donna quickly before turning his back to her and using his thrusters to fly away. Before Donna could chase him a Geara Doga tried to use a beam axe on Sandrock only for it to be blocked by a SIGMA soldier, "Damn it don't get distracted finish this SOB off now!" Sigma said as he held onto the machine with his free hand desperately. By the time Sandrock did it's job there was a general signal sent out to fall back to the Sundown. Reports from Williams, Axer, and Baker were sent out to all soldiers saying they had lost a soldier in this raid and the stranger whom helped them called Rowan and even though it was only two that was two to many by Captain Jason's account. Likewise he sent out a report to no harm the machine known as Gaia Gundam piloted by the girl Rowan had informed Jason of and the pilot known as 'Leo' piloting a strange smaller suit. === "Hey rack'em and pack'em we're heading out to the pick up zone. In case you need a reminder we're not going to the battlefield but to the designated point away from it where we first launched some distance away. Let's get moving!" Grant called out as his men gave a cheer and a hurrah for a mission well accomplished. === "This whole battle was meant to be a scare tactic, and a power demonstration....but it turned into a bloody massacre. As per war usually tends to do...I just wished we could have avoided this all together. Zeon, from what we have learned so far at least, seems to deserve a good beating but not to this extent. For all they were they were still human beings." Jason commented to his men as he gave the order for the Hanger Bay to be opened and that the engineers prepare for the docking of more suits and scavenged weapons, mostly of the beam oriented kind, then they had started with. Williams stopped and twirled around as she mopped the sweat off her red haired brow, "Good job sir. I'm sorry it came to this." Williams said as Baker turned to the Captain, "Sir are all battles like this?" commented Baker as she looked at Jason. Jason sighed and brought his head into his hands, and breathed a heavy sigh, "It's about the same...but it can also be much worse than this. Miss...Baker you need to understand...all of you need to understand...that I only gave that order as a last resort...but if it comes down to it....I will always protect you over anybody and as Captain my job is to get things done. I always have...I always do...and I always will even if the solution is as bad as this one was today. Now Helmswoman bring us around as soon as Beta, and SIGMA come back we're moving out." Jason commented as he pulled his head out of his hands and adjusted his long white coat as the ship was turned around slowly. "Radio Doctor Wilbur, Mr. Calhone. I want the need girl checked out. I have my suspicions on why she acted the way she did towards Paul in that fight..." Jason said as the bald headed man turned around and went to page the ship's doctor. Baker sat in her seat holding her composure together very well...but inside she was shaking and despite her best efforts...she never knew that this is the life soldiers faced everyday of their lives. === Sometime later... Paul, Graham, and Beta Leader all entered the Sundown one after the other. Paul had switched out to the spectulum striker pack in order to help Beta Leader pull Stella onto the ship's drive. However for all Paul's calmness he couldn't help but look at his screen and see the power battery was nearly empty..."I risked way to much in this fight." Paul thought to himself as he entered the Sundown, "I...I can handle my own from here. I know the inside of an Archangel ship like this..." commented Stella as she walked towards the power hook up station that originally held the machine used by Beta Team's fallen comrade. They didn't recover the body. Paul felt a morbid twinge in his gut but he had long since learned to deal with such feelings and he pushed them aside, "Those bastards...they threw away their lives. How dare they call themselves soldiers...They gave up everything not for their ideals but for a man. A man whom left them without complaint." Graham commented bluntly with anger in his voice as Paul entered his own power charge station Graham docked into the area which normally held Mobile Armors. Graham would dock there since they may need room for the new suits coming that would be scrapped by the Engineers. Luckily for them Engineer Yuri was not only quick but he was also the smartest man Paul had even known when it came to mobile suits. Well....short of his old man. "No I may have only felt a spark from that Angelo but it was clear that with his anger was some sense of vindication. He will try to pay us back for the lives lost today. But I agree that they shouldn't have just thrown themselves out like that. Even extremists should know that a simple pulling back would have sufficed." Paul commented as his suit turned grey and powered down and he pulled off his helmet and grabbed a nearby rag which he used to quickly wipe off the collective sweat off his brow that had started to wet his visor. Paul was short on breath for the battle had taken much out of him For the first time in a long time...Paul felt he may not be in full control of this situation. He was still so blurred on the fact that he was now back in his home that he barely heard Graham's retort and Beta Leader's attempt to comment on the Zeon soldiers. Those Zeon suits...they were well made and the only reason they went down like dogs was because they had been surprised and overwhelmed. And...betrayed. Paul knew those feelings all too well. "Hey are you OK?" Paul tried to ask Stella whom had steadily exited the suit and walked over steadily to the Gaia Gundam, Paul had read the machine's inscriptions on the way into the ship, and looked at the machine. It was not opening. Paul felt panic surge through him but he stayed calm as he made his way to the machine's cockpit and pressed the button on the machine that opened the hatch for the cockpit and beheld the sight of a younger girl in a pink and black suit with her helmet pulled off panting and looking at Paul nervously with uncertainty on her face, Paul and her looked at each other before Paul offered his hand to her, "Well soldier are you going to come out or not? I've got all day." Paul tried to joke as Stella looked at him and took a deep breath, "My name...is Ensign Stel-Stella Loussier." she stammered out as Paul grinned, "So you do talk without screams? Lieutenant Paul Lyons of the OMNIS Sundown. Nice to have you aboard Stella and despite the trouble you caused us I'm glad you're alive now come on we should get you checked out." Paul stated kindly to her as Stella looked at him and took his hand slowly before Paul firmly pulled her out. "Don't worry Wilbur may be creepy but he's the best doctor I've ever had in my life. But first we'll need to get you a drink of water." Paul commented as he helped Stella out and walked out onto the walkway that was extended for him by Yuri. Graham watched as the new Gundam piloted by that fast beam shield using pilot called Leo entered and he couldn't help but chuckle, "That things smaller than the average suit but size doesn't mean power and that thing has power to spare." Graham said with a grin. He was impressed with this guy and as engineers rushed to help Graham's flag he told them to take care of it before going onto a elevator which led up to the catwalks above. "I wonder if that guy's suit will fit in the suit spots?" Graham stated as Leo's suit was docked, just barely, into one of the usual spots held by a mobile suit. However it's small stature gave the crew trouble properly getting it in place before they decided they would use the lifts they normally used to boost suits up to fix the heels and feet to get it into place. Graham would wait up by the balcony and watch as SIGMA returned shortly after followed by Donna whom he had noticed had a bit more grey on her suit. Must've taken some hits out there. Good on her to get some more character to that middle eastern looking suit of hers. Damage was the sign a warriors wasn't afraid to take risks. Or the sign they didn't know what they were doing. Regardless Beta Leader passed by Graham whom told him he did a great job out there, "I didn't do anything spectacular. In fact I think that fight was too easy....I would have been more satified if I has fought them by myself or if the man wasn't such a fanatic. Fighting people like that makes for passionate but idealistic fights. The best battles are that between two warriors with only their pride on the line." Graham told Beta Leader whom grunted in return, "You sound like one of those ancient knights." Beta commented dourly before Graham grinned, "I prefer to think of myself as one of the ancient Samurai. I fight for my nation and my own honor not just a cause." Graham stated which earned the ire of some of the Beta Soldiers. Paul came nearby with Stella on his shoulder as a medical crew rushed in to get her on a stretcher saying it was the Captain's orders before rushing her off through the door. Paul took his spot next to Graham soon after in the changing room for the male pilots but neither of them said anything and neither of them got changed. They simply stood there in silence mostly because Paul didn't feel like talking and Graham could feel the tired vibe coming off of Paul. The only thing the two said between them was good job out there. === About ten minutes later after fleeing from the field, Puru entered the hanger first as she had left much before the others did and had immediately rushed off to the cafeteria all the while grumbling about her funnels before demanding Yuri do something to fix them. Soon after came Beta, Gabriel, Saturnalia, and...Reve. Reve was especially watched as soldiers with missiles were brought into the hanger in case it did something bad and soldiers with pistols in hand were ready in case she did something she'd regret but thankfully it didn't come to that and the docking came off well. All of the pilots were informed by Baker that Jason wanted to see them all as soon as they got their barrings. They were also informed of Jason not being in the bridge but the medical bay if they needed him. Likewise Paul, Aka Black Star, had moved from the changing room to the cafeteria in the mean time.