The weight of the Naha city air felt like lead as I walked toward the rendezvous point with Ohara. I'd just gotten the call to haul ass back to the middle of the city where the military and local cops were dug in. When we rolled up, my jaw nearly hit the pavement. There was Masao—our "trustworthy" mechanic—handcuffed to a chair with his face looking like a bruised peach. He was supposed to be back at Naha Base, but here he was, looking like a caught rat.
"What is going on? Why is Masao here?" Ohara asked.
"We have a ringer," Emma replied grimly. "Masao is actually a Zeon spy".
"What?!" Ohara and I shouted in unison, completely blindsided.
"A ringer? Masao? How is that even possible?" I asked in disbelief.
But Aaron stepped up with Emiya and the local heat, shoving his phone in my face. The video didn't lie—there was Masao, cozying up to Zuckerberg, the bastard I'd been hunting. It got worse: Masao wasn't just a snitch; he was the one who actually pulled the trigger on Koga and fed Zuckerberg the intel to hijack the Gundam. To top off the shit-sandwich.
To make matters worse, Lydia had been snatched by Zeon remnants while she was recording the evidence. They fled Naha Base in a truck with her as a hostage. Her location was tracked heading toward Maejima Island, likely as a waypoint to Tokashiki Island. While Chibishi and Maejima were closer, they were either uninhabited or too small to hide a mobile suit or submarine, making Tokashiki the most logical hiding spot.
Masao didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. "This is for the glory of Zeon!" he yelled, a sick smirk on his face. "Yeah, I told Zuckerberg about the Gundam! I framed him for Koga's death, but I'm the one who put the bullet in him!. ME!".
I was consumed by rage boiled over. A mechanic I had trusted since before the One Year War was actually a plant working for Zuckerberg. I didn't think; I swung My fist connected with his smug face so hard into Masao's face, knocking him to the ground. I hauled him up by his collar, staring into those mocking eyes.
"So you finally showed your true colors, Masao," I growled. "All of this—all this death—was your doing".
Masao just laughed. "This is war, Captain Isao. Life is a bitch. In war, propaganda and backstabbing are part of the game".
"Enough, Captain Isao," Emiya commanded, stepping in. "Let the military police deal with him. We have a mission to rescue Lieutenant Lydia on Tokashiki Island. Shiisaa Team will deploy with Karasu Team in the Medea. Now, move out!".
We boarded the Medea near the rendezvous point. To avoid causing a panic, we moved quietly so the Eisa festival could continue undisturbed. Even though Kisaki, Kyosuke, and the others knew the situation, they stayed at the festival to maintain the peace.
Finally, my confrontation with Zuckerberg was at hand. I was going to kill that son of a bitch once and for all. Inside the Medea, our mobile suits were on standby. We changed into our pilot suits and entered our cockpits, waiting for the drop-off at Tokashiki Island. Before climbing into my Gundam, I stopped Aaron near his G-Line.
"Aaron, listen to me. Focus on Lydia," I told him. "Zuckerberg is mine".
"Understood, Isao," Aaron replied. "Just don't go dying before you tell Ohara how you feel".
I was stunned. "Wait—have you been spying on me?!".
"I saw you at Shikina-en before Obon," Aaron admitted. "Me, Lydia, Emma, and Kisaki saw you visiting Koga. Just don't die today, alright? You have things to say". He then climbed into his G-Line.
"I don't plan on dying all right!" I called after him.
"We're approaching Tokashiki Island. Get ready!" the Medea pilot announced. I shut my cockpit hatch.
Wearing Koga's uniform under my suit, I swore I would avenge him.
Karasu Team dropped first in their signature pitch-black and violet-blue GM Type Cs and Zaku II F2s. Then it was our turn: Aaron in the G-Line, Emma and Ohara in their GMs, and finally, myself in the Gundam, falling through the sky with guns blazing. We descended from the sky, firing our weapons to distract the Zeon remnants. We were met by amphibious mobile suits and Dopp fighters, but Emma and Ohara cleared the path.
We finally hit the ground hard, trading fire with Zeon amphibious units like Zogoks and Zocks. I was ripping through the frontline with my bazooka when a massive beam tore through the air blocked our path. When we were ambushed from behind, Karasu Team stayed to hold the line, telling Shiisaa Team to push forward to the hidden base.
Suddenly, Ohara yelled, "High-energy attack approaching!".
A massive beam struck Ohara's GM, damaging her shield arm. Then I saw him. Zuckerberg. He was sitting in a stolen Gundam, wielding a beam bazooka like he owned the place; flanked by amphibious units.
"We meet again. I knew you'd come," Zuckerberg said over the open channel.
"You're a dead man, motherfucker!" I screamed back. "This is for Koga!".
The battlefield turned into pure chaos. As the Zeon forces charged, Ohara's GM suddenly dashed forward with a single beam saber, moving recklessly toward the base. I wasn't realized it is not Ohara—she and Aaron had swapped suits. Aaron took the damaged GM to break into the base while Ohara provided fire support in the G-Line. It was a bold move for Aaron to save Lydia.
Ohara and Emma worked in tandem, using Gatling smashers and shoulder cannons to tear through the enemy. Meanwhile, I engaged Zuckerberg. He fired that heavy bazooka, and I danced the Gundam through the beams and I retaliated with my beam rifle until both weapons ran dry. We both discarded our firearms and drew beam sabers for a duel.
"You look scared," Zuckerberg mocked as our blades clashed. "How does it feel to see me in your teammate's suit?".
"I'll never forgive you!" I shouted. "Masao was your puppet, but it ends here!. I'm gonna carve that smile off your face!"
It was a street fight at Mach speed. I used every dirty trick I learned as a delinquent—rough maneuvers, sudden stops, using the Vulcans and Gatling guns to force him into a defensive posture, create space, and intercept missiles. He was a monster, a Newtype who fought like a demon, using an intuition and dirty tactics, firing his arm vulcans while parrying. I was exhausted, my hands sweating as I fought to keep up with his overwhelming power, my muscles screaming as I fought the controls.
"Tired already?" Zuckerberg laughed. "Say your prayers and join your friend!".
He came at me for a killing stab. I forced the stick over, my body acting on instinct—or maybe something else. I forced the controls forward for a desperate stab, but suddenly, my hands seemed to move on their own, changing the angle to a swing that caught his generator. I kicked the thrusters to boost away just as the stolen Gundam began to overload., clearing the blast radius just as the stolen Gundam vaporized.
"Impossible! I can't be defeated!" Zuckerberg screamed as his Gundam cockpit, vanished in a massive explosion blossomed into fire.
With Zuckerberg dead and the remnants defeated, we hurried to the base. We found Aaron and Lydia safe; Aaron had been forced to abandon the GM, which was now a burning wreck. Karasu Team rejoined us, and the Medea picked us up to return to Naha Base.
As we flew back, I felt a strange sense of peace, though I couldn't explain that final move. It felt as if Koga had taken control of my hands to finish the fight. At the base, Commander Emiya greeted us with pride for our success. Karasu Team headed to their quarters, while Aaron and Lydia went to find some privacy. Aaron gave me a nudge, telling me to finally talk to Ohara.
It was midnight and the festival was ending when I met Ohara at the docks.
"I already know about Koga's feelings, Isao," she said, her back to me.
"What? How?" I asked.
"Aaron told me during the mobile suit exchange," she explained. "He saw you at Koga's tomb".
"Damn it, Aaron," I muttered.
Ohara turned to face me, tears in her eyes. "I'm happy he wanted to ask me out, but it's so sad he never got to say it. But you did it—you avenged him".
"He was going to ask you on Christmas," I said softly. "But fate had other plans".
"Let's visit him tomorrow," she said, holding my arm. "It's time to return his uniform".
The next morning, we went to Shikina-en. I lit incense and placed Koga's uniform by his tomb. I told him the war was over and that Ohara finally knew the truth. Ohara cried as she spoke to him, and I gave her my handkerchief. As we left, I felt a sudden sensation—like Koga was standing there, watching us with gratitude.
In the following days, life returned to normal. We spent the final day of the festival in yukatas, playing games and watching fireworks. With the burden of vengeance lifted, Ohara and I decided to become a couple. As for the others, Masao was sentenced to prison for his betrayal.
A week later, Aaron and Lydia met with Emiya to request a leave of absence. They wanted to get married and start a family in Auckland, New Zealand. Emiya granted it, knowing they needed time to heal. With Aaron gone, Ohara took over piloting the G-Line as my partner, while I remained in the Gundam. For the first time in a long time, the burden was gone. Okinawa was free, and Ohara was by my side. The battle was over.
To be continued.