Mobile Suit Gundam: The Sister's War

by Nicthetoony

The Harmony Project (Part 1)

There were a dozen of us gathered together in the facility’s Observation Deck, the principal researchers of this pet project Princess Celestia had pushed to meet the demands of the war. Each of us stood at our stations, computer screens in front of us, each showcasing a flood of data being beamed into our system. Mine was busy keeping track of the stability and performance of the newest model engine we’d installed into our little pet project, the engine I’d spent my entire expedited college tenure researching.

We were all busy taking notes, reviewing where our design faltered, where improvements could be made. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the test flight how high I had managed to push the efficiency of my Harmony Engine, only stressed within acceptable parameters when the mobile suit was using it’s beam saber, but ‘acceptable’ could be pushed further, and I wanted to make sure I’d earned the spot the Princess had so graciously afforded me.

So I watched the numbers on the screen, the fluctuating graphs denoting when synchronization of the quantum elements seemed to rise and fall, and I wrote down the ideas that were flying inside my head a mile or minute on how to make that synchronization rate as flawless as it could be. Mom always said my hands could never keep up with my mind, she said it meant I was a genius.

Occasionally, though, I looked up. At the giant monitor trained on our test subject, the 60 ton thing of metal and rubber and wiring that flew outside the colony at record speeds for a machine of its class. I’d never been big on the Wonderbolts, or any of those flight show type things, but looking now at our design outpacing the Mass Produced Siphons from Baltimare’s acclaimed production lines, leaving behind a lilac trail in its path, I could begin to see the appeal.

“Eynhorn Unit-1.” Said our lead director, a thin man in middle age by the name of Perfect Pace. Standing a few rows behind me, he spoke into a large microphone. “How is the machine holding up?”

“Perfectly, sir.” Came the voice of the Eynhorn’s test pilot, a young man I’d seen once or twice around the facility but who’s name escaped me. There was an F in there, I was sure. “I don’t think I’ve ever handled a mobile suit this smooth before, especially not one this fast. You guys could give those Cloudsdale Pegasus units some serious competition!”

Speaking away from the microphone, Director Pace addressed me. “Miss Twilight Sparkle, how long has Lieutenant Sentry been out there?”

“22 minutes, sir.” I answered with the practiced professionalism I’d learned on this project. Just enough power behind my voice to make up for my natural affinity for silence. “The Harmony Engine has been stable so far, synchronization rates are at acceptable levels and showing no signs of decay.”

“A round trip of the whole colony in under half an hour…” Director Pace maintained a neutral expression, but even I could feel the ember of pride behind his silence. Once again, he spoke into the microphone. “Lieutenant Sentry, we’re about to perform tests on the Eynhorn’s Beam Rifle, please engage the weapon in Burst Mode so that we may begin.”

“On it, sir!”

The image on the room’s giant monitor shifted then, to the feed of one of the Siphons moving in slowly towards the horned mobile suit, watching as the Eynhorn drew its Beam Rifle from its attachment point on the thruster pack. A long bulky weapon with gold accents shimmering against its dark purple hue.

“Lieutenant Sentry, standby as we set the target in place.”

The Siphon turned, and following its line of sight was a dummy target prepared for the occasion by its fellow. The hollow shell of a captured Lunarian Cyclops, stripped of weaponry and its armor painted a bright orange to serve its new brief role as target practice. I didn’t see the Eynhorn grasp the Beam Rifle’s handle, nor did I see its massive mechanical fingers curl around the trigger, but I saw for a split second the numbers on my screen rapidly increase and decrease as the lines of synchronization met for one moment in pure unity.

And in the next moment, a streak of bright purple energy slicing through space.

I couldn’t guess how fast the beam was traveling because I blinked and in the next moment the dummy Cyclops was nowhere to be seen, reduced to its base components in the path of the shot. My eyes snapped away from the monitor and towards my readings. Despite myself, a giddy smile crept on my face as I saw the data. “Synchronization levels stable after firing, the new Harmony Engine is fully capable of supporting the Beam Rifle’s Burst Mode!”

Chatter erupted among our small team, relief and excitement filling the air. Director Pace nodded, seeming as satisfied as I’d ever seen him. “Lieutenant Sentry, can you confirm the status of the gun?”

“In one piece and ready for another shot!” Came the test pilot’s voice with a slight tremble. “I almost thought it would melt the barrel.”

“Have a little more faith in the Princess, Lieutenant. She chose only the best of the best for this endeavor.” Director Pace said.

Lieutenant Senty laughed. “I’ll believe it, nothing in the Coalition holds a candle to this beauty.”

“We’re glad to have your approval, Lieutenant. This concludes the final test flight of Eynhorn Unit-2, please return to the hangar bay Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir!”

Director Pace turned the microphone off and looked out to the rest of the team, who turned to him with expectant stares. “And this concludes our months-long work on the Harmony Project.”

Polite enthusiastic applause filled the room and congratulations passed around as the weight of our work slowly lifted from our shoulders. For many of us, this had been a precious opportunity, but at the same time working for the past three months at a nearly dead colony was beginning to weigh on all of us.

Well. Some more than others. I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly even when I was in Canterlot.

Director Pace continued. “In ten hours time, the Celestial Kingdom’s newest MS Carrier, the Alicorn, will dock in Dodge Colony for pickup of the Eynhorn Gundam. The fruit of our labor here will be escorted to Hollow Shades Earthside, where the advancements our team has made here will help the war effort immeasurably. All of you have served your sovereign and your people admirably, and it has been an honor and a pleasure to have worked with all of you. Tomorrow we will all depart back to our homes, but for tonight, rest and relax everybody. You’ve earned it.”

A more spirited applause followed our director’s speech, the volume of it a little uncomfortable but the spirit of the moment compelled me to join in with a few claps of my own. I was proud, really, of all I had accomplished here, and it would be nice to spend the last night here in Dodge in restful sleep.

While the rest of my team talked and gathered in small celebrations, I quickly gathered my notes and tried as best I could to slink away from the conversation, avoiding the notice of my colleagues as I walked in the direction of the MS Hangar.

I walked through the quiet sterile halls of the Harmony Project, halls that only a few months ago seemed so alien. Newly constructed under fake names and layers of government discretion, this building was a far cry from the campus labs where I had first begun studying the process of Harmonic Fusion. It lacked that old world elegance that seemed to live immortal in the buildings of Canterlot, but hard edged modernity and steel were well enough stages for the work we conducted here.

In little time, I reached the doors to the hangar and placed my work ID against the scanner, opening them and revealing the cavernous room that lay within.

The Hangar crew were busy at work, crowded against the 19 meter tall machine that was the centerpiece of the space. The Eynhorn Gundam, flanked on either side by the lended Siphons, stood held within its cage. A titan of Equestrian Alloy, painted in pearl white with purple accents around its torso and gold trimmings around the whole body. Its silver horn protruded from its head, above the two eyed face that had always seemed as if they were staring directly at me.

A ridiculous thought of course, the Eynhorn was an inanimate machine despite all the ways it was styled to look the opposite. But sometimes that irrational part of my mind still made me tread lightly around the Gundam.

“Hey, Miss Sparkle!” One of the mechanics called out to me from where he stood on the Eynhorn’s chest. It was one of the few whose name and face had stuck with me in the months working here. The head mechanic himself.

“Hi, Hard Hat.” I greeted him casually. “Are you guys still busy?”

“Nah, the Suits are all settled here. Why?”

“Just wanted to do an inspection of the Harmony Engine. Director Pace seems satisfied with its performance but I wanted to take a look and see what kind of shape it’s in.”

“Looked fine to me Miss Sparkle, but you are the expert. Boys, pop open the hood on this thing will ya?!”

Just above the Gundam’s cockpit where the sternum would be on a human body, one of Hard Hat’s men pushed a button and a large hatch sprang open. I stepped aboard an elevator platform at the bottom of the cage and let it carry me up towards the Mobile Suits chest where the men helped pull me up over the edge to stand atop the vents. There, embedded in the machine, was a cone protruding from a port that connected the relatively small structure to all of the Gundam’s systems.

“Relatively” was the operating word. While the new Harmony Engine designed for MS use was a wildly successful downsizing operation compared to the Harmony Engines found on battleships, the actual device itself was still about half the height of the average adult man and was as wide as I was. Approaching the port, I clicked a button located at the base of the cone, and watched as it rose up from its resting place.

Hard Hat and his men backed away as I went to work. Opening a panel at the bottom of the engine gave me access to a keyboard and screen which housed the controls for the engine’s software, the system in charge of regulating the interaction of quantum elements in the pillar. It was this regulation that was absent in previous generations of the tech, resulting in a design which ate up Seedling Crystals at a rate that made it impossibly wasteful on any sort of mass scale. With the changes in structure of the engine itself and its new code however, the Eynhorn could sustain performance for half a year with only one crystal, given that appropriate charging times were permitted of course.

“Just change the x variable here… limit the angle of approach here…” I was so caught up typing away my adjustments on the computer panel that I failed to notice the footsteps slowly approaching me.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Ah!” I turned around in surprise at the sudden voice, startling the man standing behind me. He was a younger man, in the yellow pilot suit of the Celestial Space Force sans the helmet, with spiky blue hair and a strangely boyish face like some singer I would’ve heard about in my high school days.

“Uh, sorry!” The man apologized. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you with the Harmony Project? I’m Lieutenant Flash Sentry.”

“Aren’t you pretty young for a Lieutenant?” I blurted out the first thought in my head before smacking myself for my rudeness. “Sorry. Sorry. Shouldn’t have asked. Uh, yes, I’m with the Harmony Project. My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m the Project’s lead researcher on Harmony Energy Generation.”

I hold out my work ID to prove my credentials, and he smirks. “Aren’t you a little young for that?”

I flushed in embarrassment, but the Lieutenant laughed jovially. Thankfully he doesn’t seem mad. “It’s fine, really.” He said. “You’re right, I am pretty young for my station, but with the war the way it is, well… sometimes battlefield promotions lead to some strange situations.”

“I… see.” Vaguely, I knew how badly the fight was going. Hard to wage a war when your Commander-in-chief of the last two centuries was leading the enemy team. Every time I got the chance to talk to Shining and the subject inevitably shifted to the conflict, it always seemed like the Lunar Coalition was gaining more territory, with more and more colonies falling under their sway. There was a reason they had rushed the Eynhorn’s development in only three months.

He shook his head. “Nevermind. What are you doing with the Gundam? Is there a problem?”

Glad for a chance to move away from the somber topic of combat, I turned back to the pillar to complete my changes. “Not really, I’m just doing some last minute adjustments to the engine’s software. As it is, it's already a very efficient power source for a mobile suit, but I’m trying to give it just that little extra push.”

“Adjust away then, that kinda thing flies straight over my head.” Lieutenant Sentry said, though he did not leave me to my devices, opting instead to hover over my shoulder as I typed.

“Is there… something I can help you with?” I asked, trying not to sound irritated.

“Oh, no. It’s just… Twilight Sparkle, huh? That name sounds familiar. Are you by chance familiar with Captain Shining Armor?”

“He’s my brother.”

“That’s where I’ve heard that name before!” Lieutenant Sentry exclaimed. “I served under Captain Armor for a while when the Coalition first made landfall. He mentioned one time his ‘darling little sister’ was close with Princess Celestia herself, would’ve never guessed this is what he meant by that.”

I cringed a little at hearing Shining’s descriptor for me, but the memory of first meeting Princess Celestia crowds that thought out just a little. “The Princess took an interest in my thesis paper about the Harmony Engine, it’s why I’m here today.”

The memory of the Princess was burned in my head. Radiant, ethereal, beautiful, she didn’t fit at all in the musty old classroom where she had asked for us to meet, surrounded by photos of dead scientists that had come and gone during the Princess’ lifetime. I had seen her before on news broadcasts and in photographs of course, Celestia’s face is plastered on every media source within the Earth Sphere. None of it compared to being in a room with her. A walking piece of divinity through the halls of mortals with a voice that seemed to soothe all worries and imbued the listener with courage beyond anything else.

“I do not say it lightly Twilight Sparkle, when I say that you are among the brightest minds I have met in my years on this Earth.” She had said to me, and I would’ve died happy right there.

In the present Lieutenant Sentry whistled, apparently impressed. “You must be some kind of prodigy, then.”

“Maybe.”

By the time I was finishing up the last of my software modifications and had sent the pillar back inside the Gundam, I realized that Lieutenant Sentry was still standing right there, his eyes having never left me. I stood up and turned to him. “Sorry, really. Did you need something?”

“Oh, sorry. I just- Well.” He turned sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. “You’re gonna be here until tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah…? The transport ships for staff are scheduled to arrive at early morning.”

“Oh, great! Um, then- would you like to have dinner with me?”

I blinked at him. “What?”

“You know, out on the town? You don’t have any more work to do now, so I thought maybe you’d wanna get out of this place and have a little bit of fun? I know Dodge isn’t the liveliest colony but I saw some nice looking restaurants out there.” He flashed me a smile. “What do you say? I’d love to get to know you better.”

“Uh.” My eyes avoided his gaze, my hands wrapped around each other. “Sorry, no.” I said, and his face fell immediately. “Sorry. I have- I do a call with my family every week, and I’d promised them I’d call today after work, I don’t wanna- You know cut into that time.”

It wasn’t a lie really, I did do a video call with Mom and Dad and Spike every week, and now was probably as good a time as any to tell them I was coming home. But it was also a convenient out to reject a date from a stranger I wasn’t really interested in.

“Nah, it’s okay. Trust me, I know what it’s like to miss family. I’ll uh- get out of your hair.” And off he went like a kicked poodle, climbing down the Gundam’s chest and hopping onto the elevator platform. I felt a little bad watching him scamper off, but not bad enough to subject myself to what would be an awkwardly forced round of social interaction.

After swinging by the facility cafeteria to pick up a sandwich and a cup of water for the night (and ignoring some of my colleagues engaging in late night celebratory drinking), I made my way to my quarters. All of the researchers of the Harmony Project were provided their own room, which was lucky for me because the thought of not having any sort of private space for this long of a time sounded like a nightmare to me.

It was a fairly spartan arrangement. A bed, a desk with a computer, and a shelf to hold the collection of literature I had brought with me from home. Very few decorations save for a poster of the Celestial Institute of Technological Research, taped next to the window, showing a night sky outside.

Time was strange on a space colony. Unlike on Earth, day and night were not naturally occurring phenomena, but instead the scheduled opening and closing of the mirrors which surrounded the giant O’Neigh Cylinder. Even as someone who admittedly had a problem with tracking time, the first week in space really messed with my circadian rhythm.

I booted up the computer while I unwrapped my tuna sandwich, taking a few bites of tangy fish and cucumbers as I waited to receive a notification. Halfway into my dinner, a rhythmic pinging played from the computer’s speakers and I clicked on the green button to accept the call.

“Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” I said with a little bit of tuna sandwich still in my mouth.

“Twilight!” My mother answered with that same enthusiasm she’s had every time I called. She was a woman in her fifties at this point, mother of three and having beared two of them. She wasn’t enthusiastic for much nowadays, but she always seemed to brighten during our calls. I couldn’t remember her doing that before I went to college.

Dad was standing right behind Mom, both of them looked like they were at the dinner table, they’d probably just finished up. He was always the more outwardly emotive of my parents, with a youthful energy that seemed to hide the wrinkles and the smile lines. Me and Shining were always thankful he was just a little too old to qualify for the draft, I couldn’t imagine my dad thriving anywhere on the battlefield.

“Spike! Come here, your sister’s calling!” he called out before turning his full attention to me. “How’s work going, sweetie?”

“It’s going good.” I said then took a sip of my water. “We actually just finished the final testing on the unit. It’s getting sent out tomorrow.” My parents already knew that I was working on some sort of mechanical project for the kingdom, though I wasn’t allowed to share exact details. Anything pertaining to the technology of the Compact Harmony Engine or even that the machine was a mobile suit was on a need to know basis.

“Oh, that’s wonderful sweetie!” Dad congratulated me excitedly, his smile widening.

Mom leaned in slightly. “Does that mean you’re coming home soon, dear?”

“Yeah. The director said we’d be departing tomorrow, probably once the unit’s been properly sent off. It’ll be a two week trip, but-”

“Did Mom say Twilight’s coming home?” A young boy’s voice sounded just offscreen before footsteps echoed through the house. Spike came up to my mother’s side and my eyes crinkled in fondness seeing my little brother on the screen. He was a year older than when I last saw him in person, a twelve year old boy, short for his age with puppy dog eyes he never seemed able to turn off even when he was trying to look serious.

My parents adopted Spike when I was 10. I didn’t quite understand at the time but I would learn later he’d been cycled in and out of foster homes most of his life.

“Heya, Spike!” I waved at him and he waved back somewhat bashfully before crossing his arms. “How’s school going?”

“Uh, pretty good. Biology’s been pretty tough, remembering all the names and stuff.” Spike said, rubbing his arm. “And there have been some jerks in my new classes, but I mean, I’m tough enough to deal with em’!” As if to prove his point, my brother flexed his fairly skinny arms.

I rolled my eyes at him but nodded along anyway. “I’m sure you can.”

Spike’s faux confidence seemed to drain away as he leaned against Mom to get a better look at me. “Um, are you really coming home?”

It had been almost half a year since I’d seen my little brother face to face. In the brief month I had stayed at home after the beginning of the war but before I received my letter asking me to join the Harmony Project. Everything had seemed so uncertain then, and despite the brave face Spike tried to put up, he was just as scared as the rest of us. At first for Shining who would be on the frontlines of the conflict, and then for me who would be leaving the family behind for space.

I missed him, and I felt awful hugging him goodbye when I left that evening in February.

“Yeah. I’m coming home.” I tried to soften my voice and sound reassuring. “I’m leaving tomorrow. It’ll probably take a week for me to actually get to Canterlot though. Gotta admit, I’m grateful for the opportunity and everything, but I’m happy to get the heck out of Dodge. There’s not much here outside the project facilities.”

“I can’t wait for you to be back!” Spike said with a fistpump. “The guys in my class are nice and all but they’re not really into the same stuff I am. We could play O&O again! I mean, I guess it’d just be you as the DM and me as the player, huh…”

I laughed warmly. “That could still be fun. We’ll just have to find ways to entertain ourselves while Shining is off being a hero.”

“Speaking of, sweetie,” Dad spoke up, sounding a bit more serious than before. “Shining says that the Coalition has gotten bolder lately, ever since they made landfall.”

Mom nodded. “These are dangerous times, dear. It would be awful if something happened to you because you were working for the Princess.”

“I understand, Mom. Don’t worry, they’re probably going to have MSs escort us on our way out, I have full faith the Princess has done what she could to guarantee our safety.”

That didn’t seem to assuage my family’s fears completely, but none of them seemed comfortable pushing that topic any further.

So instead, we caught up on the small things. Dad’s frustrations at the food rations being imposed, Mom’s first draft on the new novel she was writing, some more of the classes Spike was taking in his new grade. The conversation went on for a little while longer, with Spike eventually leaving the room to catch up on some homework (though knowing him, he probably had a stash of Power Ponies comics right next to his textbooks).

“Alright, I think it’s about time we ended the call, Velvet. Twilight needs her rest for the trip tomorrow.” Dad said.

Mom’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, alright. Well, you heard him, Twilight. Make sure you get enough sleep tonight, and remember to pack everything you need to bring home!”

“Understood, ma’am.” I gave an obedient nod. “Don’t worry I can deal with myself just fine.”

“When you come home we’ll take you to that Donut shop you and Spike like!” Dad said with a thumbs up. “Goodnight Twily!”

“Goodnight you two.” I said with a wave.

With a click, the call ended, and I slumped back into my chair. I probably should’ve followed Mom’s advice and started packing, but it had been a big day, and right now there wasn’t much that felt more inviting than my small bed.

I shut the computer off and did the bare minimum of brushing my teeth and tossing my garbage into the bin before ditching my lab coat and turtleneck for a Daring Do T-Shirt and a comfy pair of shorts. With my work clothes discarded as a heap on the floor, I flopped ungracefully onto the mattress, rolling around for a moment before settling on my side, towards the wall.

Tomorrow, I was leaving. Tomorrow, I could start the journey back to my normal life. Or, as normal as things could get, given the circumstances.