The neon lights of Neo-Verdia's central plaza, which had always felt modern and safe, now looked like blinding prison spotlights. On every giant electronic billboard, the faces of Zaki and Maki Kimeza remained frozen under the words WANTED: WAR CRIMINALS. Down on the streets, the crowds of citizens—both Earth-born and Colonials—stood in frozen clusters, whispering frantically as they stared at the monitors.
"Those two kids... they're the pilots of the White Ghost?"
"They're just high school students? Are you kidding me?!"
"The Kings are going to target our city because of them!"
"Dammit! Dammit all!" Zaki roared, his voice cracking with a mix of raw panic and fury as he grabbed Aurora's hand and pulled her into a dark, narrow alleyway behind a row of skyscrapers. He slammed his fist against the concrete wall, his knuckles bruising instantly. "I should have broken that black machine! If I had just pushed through and destroyed that girl, Ichi... she wouldn't have leaked our data! I let everyone down, Aurora!"
Aurora didn't flinch. She stepped forward into his space, wrapping her arms firmly around his trembling shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing. "Zaki, look at me! Breathe! It wasn't your fault. You fought to protect Maki and the fallen Titan pilot. You did the right thing."
"But our faces are out there, Aurora!" Zaki hissed, his breath shaking as he looked down at her. "Our names, our records... it's all gone. Neo-Verdia isn't safe for us anymore. Every bounty hunter, every radical group, every government spy... they're all gonna be looking for a couple of teenagers in school uniforms. We can't even walk in the light."
Aurora squeezed his arms, her purple eyes shining with fierce, unshakable faith. "The city won't turn on you, Zaki. Neo-Verdia knows what the White Bird did for them. The Alliance is already on your side. We will protect you. I will protect you."
Zaki let out a ragged breath, his forehead resting against her shoulder for a brief second. He nodded slightly, but the dark, suffocating weight in his chest didn't leave. He knew human nature. Behind the cheering crowds, there would always be someone waiting in the shadows with a knife.
A few blocks away, inside the Treyman Fashion House boutique, the glamorous atmosphere had completely evaporated.
Underneath a large wooden display table in the back office, Maki was curled into a tight ball, her knees pressed against her chest as she sobbed silently. Her phone was buzzing continuously on the floor beside her, displaying hundreds of notifications and threats from unknown numbers. Her identity as the legendary sub-pilot of the White Ghost had stripped away every ounce of her teenage security.
"Maki... please, sweetie, come out from under there," a soft, elegant voice pleaded.
Bella Treyman, Gills's mother, knelt down on the carpet, her expensive designer dress folding beneath her. Her face was full of deep, motherly concern as she reached a hand under the table. Next to her stood Anette, her eyes wide with tears as she clutched a box of tissues.
Gills stood right behind them, his arms crossed over his chest, his bare, sharp eyes darker than they had ever been. He didn't look like a student council president right now; he looked like a guardian ready to kill.
"Maki," Gills said, his deep voice cutting through her panic like a solid anchor. "Listen to me. You are inside the Treyman estate. My family controls the legislative defense of this sector. Nobody—not the Federation, not the rebel factions, and certainly not some puppet Kings from deep space—is going to touch a single hair on your head. I give you my word."
Maki looked up, her tear-streaked face peeking through the shadows of the table. "B-But Gills... they know who I am. They know where we live. What if they attack the school? What if they hurt you guys just to get to me?"
Bella reached in and gently pulled Maki out, wrapping her in a warm, protective embrace. "Then they will have to fight the entire Treyman family, dear. You are not a weapon to be hunted. You are a young girl who saved this city, and we protect our own."
The news of the identity reveal was already spreading like wildfire across the globe. In the dense jungles of South America, rebel factions stared at the broadcast with greedy smiles, plotting to kidnap the twins to use the White Gundam for their own bloody revolutions. In the underground cells of Earth-first terrorist networks, plans were drawn to eliminate the "Colonial-bred Kimeza traitors." Even the Earth Federation commands were scrambling, divided between capturing the twins for interrogation or weaponizing them. The entire world was locking its crosshairs on two high school students.
By noon, the atmosphere inside the White Ark hangar was thick with militaristic resolve.
Zaki, Aurora, Maki, Gills, and Anette finally arrived through the secure transport elevator. As soon as the pneumatic doors slid open, Klaus Kimeza rushed forward. The usually stern, imposing commander looked incredibly fragile for a split second as he threw his massive arms around Zaki and Maki, pulling his twin children into a fierce, breathless hug.
"Thank God... thank God you're both safe," Klaus muttered, his voice thick with emotion as he held them tight. "When that broadcast hit the global satellite network, I thought... I thought I lost you both."
"We're okay, Dad," Maki choked out, burying her face in his jacket.
Airi Kimeza walked out from the primary laboratory module, her white lab coat fluttering. Her face was exhausted, but a triumphant smile played on her lips. And standing right beside her, stepping with perfect, fluid human grace, was AIRIS. Her synthetic android body was completely pristine, her long digital hair glowing with a soft, stable blue light.
"AIRIS!" Zaki and Maki cried out simultaneously.
The twins broke away from Klaus and sprinted toward her, throwing their arms around her waist. Maki began to cry loudly again, the relief of seeing her robotic sister alive and well finally breaking her emotional dam. Zaki pressed his forehead against AIRIS's shoulder, his shoulders shaking slightly.
AIRIS raised her synthetic arms, her lips curving into a beautifully warm, deeply emotional smile that looked completely human. She wrapped her arms around both of them, stroking their hair gently. "I am back, Zaki. I am back, Maki. I am sorry I left you to fight alone in the dark. Your big sister is here now. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
"Diagnostic sweep completed," Airi Kimeza said, wiping a tear from her own eye as she tapped her tablet. "Her core memory drives and emotional processing matrices are one hundred percent intact. The core system is stable."
Behind them, the entire military force of the White Ark had gathered. Standing in perfect, rigid rows were Augustina's personal guard squad, the elite pilots of the Dark Knight faction, and the regular Earth Federation soldiers under Commander Salia's leadership. They looked like a real, unified army, their faces grim but resolute.
At the front of the hangar, Prime Minister Spersen Treyman and Mili Anveil stood together on the command platform, with Klaus taking the center spot. To his left stood Augustina and Feres, both clad in their full pilot suits.
Klaus stepped up to the microphone, his booming voice echoing through the massive metallic rafters of the hangar.
"Personnel of the White Ark! Allies of the Neo-Verdia Defense Force!" Klaus announced, his gaze sweeping over the sea of soldiers. "The enemy has pulled our cards. The Seven Colonial Kings think that by revealing the faces of our primary pilots, they can strike fear into our hearts. They think we will collapse from the inside because our vanguard is led by the young generation!"
The soldiers stood perfectly still, listening intensely.
"But they are wrong!" Klaus shouted, his fist slamming onto the podium. "They don't understand that Zaki and Maki Kimeza are not fighting for military glory or political power. They are fighting for the survival of their friends, their families, and the peaceful future of both Earth and the Colonies! The 7 Kingdoms are already mobilizing their fleets to crush this base. This city is about to become the ultimate battlefield! I ask you now—will we stand down and let them butcher our children?!"
"NO, SIR!" the hangar erupted in a deafening, unified roar.
"Then prepare every thruster! Load every beam magazine! We stand together to protect our families, our partners, and every citizen who puts their hope in the White Bird! We will tear down their tyranny!" Klaus yelled.
"URRAAAAH!" The soldiers cheered, slamming their rifles against their chest armor, their resolve completely unified.
The next morning, a heavy, uncomfortable fog covered the campus of Neo-Verdia High.
Zaki and Maki walked side by side through the main school gates, wearing their standard uniforms. But today, the normal morning chatter was completely gone. As they walked down the stone pathways, hundreds of students stopped in their tracks. Eyes followed their every move. Some students looked at them with wide, terrified expressions, while others whispered behind their hands, backing away as if the twins were carrying a plague.
"Don't look at them, Maki," Zaki muttered quietly, keeping his eyes locked straight ahead, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Just keep walking."
Maki gripped the strap of her school bag so tightly her fingers turned white, her head lowered as the murmurs echoed around them. "It feels like... we're monsters, Zaki."
Before they could even reach their homeroom classroom, the loud electronic PA system crackled over the hallway. "Will Zaki Kimeza and Maki Kimeza please report to the Principal's office immediately."
The twins looked at each other, a bad feeling settling deep in their stomachs.
A few minutes later, they pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the Principal's office. The room was thick with the acrid, gray smoke of a cigar. Sitting behind a massive, luxurious desk was the Principal, Stain Trust. He was a heavily obese man with a completely bald head, wearing a sharp gray suit and a tight black tie. He didn't look up as they entered, calmly flicking the ash of his cigar into a crystal tray.
"Sit down," Stain muttered, his voice greasy and cold.
Zaki and Maki remained standing. "We're fine, Principal Stain," Zaki said, his voice flat. "Why did you call us here?"
Stain finally looked up, his small, pig-like eyes squinting through the cigar smoke. He tossed two thick, red folders onto the desk. "You're done here. As of this morning, you both are officially expelled from Neo-Verdia High. Pack your things and leave the campus immediately."
Maki gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "What?! Expelled? On what grounds?!"
"On what grounds?!" Zaki roared, stepping forward and slamming both hands onto the principal's desk, his eyes blazing with fury. "We've maintained top grades, we haven't broken a single school rule, and we've defended this sector! You can't just throw us out!"
Stain blew a thick cloud of smoke directly into Zaki's face, not flinching at the boy's anger. "I don't care about your grades, boy. Look at the international news. I run a prestigious educational facility for high-ranking Colonial families. I will not have a pair of international war criminals sitting in my classrooms, drawing enemy fire toward my property."
"War criminals?!" Maki cried out, tears of absolute betrayal springing to her eyes. "We saved the central district from the terrorist bombing last month! We stopped the Neptune vanguard from leveling this city! How can you call us criminals?!"
Stain let out a disgusting, throaty chuckle, leaning back in his leather chair. "Let's be real here, Kimeza. Your family background... you're Earth-born trash. From the very beginning, you never belonged in a school built for the Colonial elite. The name Kimeza is now synonymous with 'colony traitor' across the solar system. I am simply cleansing my roster."
"Then why did you accept us into this school in the first place?!" Maki demanded, her voice shaking.
"Because you both had freakish intelligence scores and unique athletics aptitude data that made our school look good on paper," Stain replied smoothly, tapping his cigar. "But now? You're a liability. I have the full authority to eject Earth-born students whenever I see fit. I'm cutting you loose before the Kingdoms think I'm harboring Kimeza sympathizers. Now get out of my sight."
Maki's spirit completely broke. She fell back a step, her chest heaving as the sheer injustice of the world crushed her. Zaki's fists shook, his mind racing with a violent urge to jump over the desk, but the realization that they were completely powerless against institutional prejudice made his teeth grind in bitter agony.
SLAM!
The heavy double doors at the back of the office were violently thrown open, bouncing off the walls with a thunderous crash.
"Like hell they're leaving!"
Stain flinched, dropping his cigar onto his desk as Aurora, Gills, and Tasya marched into the room. Gills's face was a mask of cold fury, his student council armband gleaming under the lights. Behind them, the entire hallway was packed to the brim with dozens of students—their entire sophomore class had gathered, their faces full of fierce anger as they glared at the principal.
"Gills?! Aurora?!" Stain stammered, scrambling to pick up his cigar. "What is the meaning of this mob?! Get back to your classes!"
"You don't command us anymore, Principal Stain," Gills said, his deep voice carrying a terrifying authority as he stepped right up to the desk. "As the Student Council President, I represent the student body of this school. And we refuse to accept the illegal expulsion of Zaki and Maki Kimeza."
"They are our classmates!" a boy from the hallway shouted.
"They saved our lives from the terrorists!" a girl cried out. "Without the White Ghost, this entire school would be a pile of ash!"
Aurora walked right up to Zaki and Maki, taking both of their hands into her own. Her purple eyes were wide, filled with an intense, emotional heat. "You are not alone, Zaki. Maki. Look around you. We don't care where you were born, or what the space kings say on TV. You are our heroes, and we are going to stand with you and protect you, no matter what!"
Hearing the unified, roaring defense of their friends, the final wall of Maki's emotional restraint crumbled. She turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around Zaki's chest, burying her face in his uniform jacket as she began to cry loudly, her body shaking violently with deep, cathartic sobs.
Zaki felt the hot tears leaking from his own eyes, running down his cheeks as he raised his arms, wrapping them around his twin sister's head. He gently stroked her hair, holding her close as he let out his own quiet, shaking tears. For the first time since the broadcast, the freezing terror of being exposed was washed away by the pure, unyielding warmth of their friends.
"How dare you!" Stain screamed, his face turning purple as he slammed his fat hand onto the table. "I am the head of this school! Security! Call the campus security and have these rebels arrested—"
Pshhh—!
The side door to the office opened, and a squad of fully armed, high-tech Neo-Verdia Special Military Police rushed into the room, their assault rifles raised. But they didn't aim at the students. They instantly surrounded Stain's desk, their red laser sights locking onto the principal's chest.
Stain froze, his hands in the air. "W-What is the meaning of this?! I am the one who called for security!"
From behind the soldiers, Prime Minister Spersen Treyman stepped into the smoke-filled office, his expression completely stone-cold as he held an electronic warrant sheet.
"Stain Trust," Spersen said, his voice dropping like a heavy iron gavel. "By the authority of the Neo-Verdia High Council, you are under arrest for massive financial corruption, illegal suppression of Earth-born student rights, and high treason against the state."
Stain's eyes bulged. "Treason?! I haven't done anything!"
"Our cyber-defense division traced the source of the data leak," Spersen narrowed his eyes, pointing a finger at the fat man. "The encrypted student files containing Zaki and Maki's biological and personal data weren't hacked from the resident colonial data base. You sold their personal files to the Mars and Mercury espionage agents two days ago through an offshore colonial bank account."
The entire room gasped. Zaki's eyes went sharp as daggers as he stared at the man who had sold their lives for a paycheck.
"I... I just wanted to survive!" Stain shrieked, his greasy voice cracking with pathetic terror as the soldiers grabbed his arms, dragging him out from behind his desk. "The Kings are going to destroy this city anyway! If I didn't give them the data, they would think I was an ally of the Kimezas and kill me! I just wanted a way out! You can't do this to me!"
"Take him away," Spersen ordered flatly.
The soldiers violently hauled the screaming, pathetic principal out through the hallway, the students cheering and jeering as he was dragged past them.
Spersen turned to look at the massive crowd of students, before his eyes settled on Zaki and Maki, who were still holding each other closely. The Prime Minister adjusted his suit jacket, his expression softening into a proud, protective smile.
"Listen to me, all of you," Spersen announced, his voice echoing clearly through the school hallway. "As of this moment, the High Council is taking direct oversight of this academy. No student will ever be expelled based on their birthright or their family name. Neo-Verdia High is now a sovereign sanctuary. We will protect every single one of you, and we will protect the all students rights who will make for our peace."
The hallway erupted into a thunderous chorus of cheers and applause. Zaki looked at Gills, Aurora, and Tasya, who were all smiling at them with tears in their eyes. He tightened his grip on Maki, a fierce, burning resolve finally locking into his soul. The world was coming to destroy them, but they had a home worth fighting for, and they were going to defend it until the very end.
To be continued...