Gundam Grand Cross
Author's notes [This story was created in collaboration with Thaeonblade. We devised the story itself together, I've been writing it down. There are some changes to our original story, such as names and the progession of certain events. This is because what I write down of our story is limited by my memory of such, but we consult to ensure overall accuracy. However, as a result chapters may occasionally be reposted with a different progression of events than they originally possessed, or with an author's note concerning the differences or changes, things like that.
I should also note that all mobile suits here appearing are owned by me as action figures or model kits. I do NOT own the copyrights to Gundam or its franchises. I DO own the individual action figures and occasionally model kits of all the mobile suits here appearing. ALL of them. At no point in this fanfic will any mobile suit or mobile armor appear for which I do not own the corresponding action figure or model kit. A custom unit has thusly been constructed by me from model kits or action figures. This does not extend to ships. Support vehicles may or may not be owned by me in figure form. ]
Being Prologue/
This is a world of gundams of ages past, where heroes rise, and heroes fall. This is a world full of familiar gundams, but few familiar faces. This is not a world you know, not yet. And so, and explanation of the players is required in the beginning.
At the top of this world, stands the legendary Freedom, the most powerful mobile suit ever built (although there are those who would still contest the title). The Freedom's one and only rival was considered, according to popular rumor, to be the Dark God of the Gundam World, the Dark Gundam in its final form.
A great war was fought between the two, 20 years ago, a war that killed trillions, destroyed 2 of the 4 habitable planets of the solar system, rendered one unable to support life, and obliterated 1 of the habitable moons. It eventually resulted in the defeat of the Dark Gundam and his minions by the Freedom. The Freedom remained a strong force for peace in the solar system for 2 years, but then disappeared. No one knows where he went. With his disappearance, the task of peace fell to his four disciples, the 4 Winds. We shall speak of them now.
The First of the 4 Winds, and many say he was the greatest, was Hiro Vanguard, pilot of the mighty Wing Zero Kai. He was most commonly known, however, by his title, the "Angel" of the south. Next in terms of importance, if not power, comes Sheba Mortikal. Sheba is one of the greatest strategists of the modern era, and also an excellent pilot. He weilds the "Spirit of Gundams." The mobile suit is an amalgamation of two units, the Shining Gundam and the Wing Zero. It posses the head, legs, and lower arms of the Shining Gundam, with the boosters and main body and shoulders of the Wing Zero rounding it out. It possesses no armor on the boosters, sacrificing them for less weight, allowing the unit to reach incredible non transformed speeds. The Spirit posses a unique sword made of unknown metal, which when combined with what was formerly the Shining Finger, becomes a nearly unstoppable power, Sheba is most commonly know by his own title of "Ghost."
The Third member of the 4 winds is one of two equally powerful and important members. He was a brother in all but blood with the 4th, at least before the war. His name is Securobi Shanks. He pilots the Nu Gundam and is a newtype. He is often called "The Guardian." The 4th Wind is named Ramses Ullysses. He is also a newtype, and pilots the Sazabi. His home world, Manticore, was obliterated by the Dark Gundam during the war. After that, he and his remaining people swore and oath to bring pain and suffering in equal measure to all responsible, and death to the Dark Gundam. His title became "The Avenger" thereafter.
The 4 winds maintained real peace for only 1 year before mysterious attacks resulted in the final straw for the Avenger, and he left, taking his people, the warriors of Manticore, with him, and isolated them on the moon world Calypsos. The People of Manticore were a warrior race, and had often before been in great conflict with the other planets of the system. But now, they believed, they had real reason to truly hate all the other peoples of the galaxy. For when their home needed help, after all the sacrifices they had made in the war, none came. The Warriors of Manticore had, almost to a man, been fighting on the frontlines of the conflict with the Dark God, and so when a surprise strike made straight for an "undefended" Manticore, they had expected their allies to go to the aide of their home. The Angel and the Guardian both made all haste for Manticore, but were too slow. It was destroyed moments after their arrival. The Angel attempted a desperate ploy to stop the explosion, but the Guardian prevented him, claiming that it was hopeless and they could not afford to lose him too.
The Guardian, seeing the breakdown in order that was occurring, took what forces he could, and formed "the Guardian Force." They set down on Earth and many of its colonies, and carved out a substantial holding using force and dubious tactics. Within the Territory of the Guardian, martial law is always in effect, and even the slightest infraction against the laws of the land is dealt with harshly. Many guerrilla resistance groups survive to this day, fighting this regime that claims to bring "peace." It is unfortunate the Guardian does not see what he does, and fails to understand why the people fight, for he is not an evil man, just a man driven too far by the horrors of the war he has fought, and the betrayals he has experienced.
The Ghost led a large number of veteran soldiers, old campaigners, and their families and descendants to the moon Granicus, maintaining a small foothold only on the earth, around the Orbital elevator unit "Bifrost" which keeps that moon connected to the Earth. Life is relatively peaceful and free in the Ghost's sector, but supplies are not abundant, and there is only just enough for all. Recent expansions of territory into the Northern continent have alleviated the tension some, but it may not be enough. Thankfully, the one thing never lacking is metals, as the moon of Granicus was brought to earth as a source of minerals over 200 years ago, and is nowhere close to running out. This allows the Ghost to supply his people with the metals they need to construct defenses against all who wish them harm, and build new mobile suits for the same.
The Angel apparently had his spirit broken after the schism, and the actions of the Guardian and Avenger. He carved out a small "kingdom" on a northern continent that is largely mountain and desert, where it is hard to live. The Angel lives almost like a hermit in the mountains, but slowly a band of soldiers, warriors, and rookies gathered around him, mostly from the neighboring cities, towns, and villages, seeking his knowledge and guidance for their own protection, against forces known and unknown. As such, the "Territory of the Heavens" was born, which provides freedom and protection to all who agree not to pursue conflict, and it is known both for its secrecy (for the cities are hidden beneath the trees and the earth) and for its mercy. It is considered the most peaceful of all the territories, but little is actually known about it, for it is almost entirely self sufficient and has an extreme attitude of isolation.
There exist 4 more "powers" in play in this world of sadness. The planet of Chaos, home of the Dark God, now lays empty, unguarded, due to the conflicts between the 4 winds. As such, one of the few pilots said to be capable of fighting against any of the 4 winds, the powerful Zeeks Marshall, known as "the Demon" and the personal rival of "the Angel" has made it his home, and is gathering his forces for darker purposes. You see, the Dark God is not dead, though only Zeeks and his inner circle know this fact. Zeeks' own will was subsumed by the Dark God, turning his power to its purpose, but he is still powerful, and the Dark God plays a dangerous game with him. Zeeks pilots the Epyon 2(which appears to be identical to the original, but with increased stats, and a second beam saber).
The next power to be identified is the "Zodiac Group." The zodiac Group is a mercenary organization with enough power to tip the scales in favor of anyone that hires them, without exception. They don't work cheap, but they are worth every penny. They are led by the Tallgeese twins, Shaun the White, Victor the Blue, who are powerful pilots. Shaun is said to be on par with any of the 4 winds, even though he pilots a "slightly" outdated mobile suit. Victor strives always to surpass his brother, but lives perpetually in his shadow. He is still, however, more than a match for most lieutenants of the 4 winds.
The 3rd, or rather 7th power is most commonly called the Guild of Assassins. This name is not strictly correct. Their actual name is "The Guild of Shadows." They are mercenaries, assassins for hire, and guardians of a dark secret, and a dark power. Their work as assassins is merely a cover for this, and their leader is also a rival to the Angel, called, "The God of Death." His actual name is unknown, but no one he has ever set out to kill has survived, with 1 exception, the Angel. Debates rage wildly whether the Ghost has ever encountered him. He pilots the legendary Death Scythe Hell kai.
The Last power is the legendary "Dragon Temple" from which, it is said, came the Freedom. They are prophesied to end the threat of the darkness, and return the balance, and thus, the peace. They are a near complete mystery, but the prophecies refer to the "Twin dragons" and the "lost hatchling."
The Ghost is the only person out of the 4 winds to have actual contact with the temple. This is because his personal bodyguard, Alphonse Bernard, is a former disciple of the temple. He later became apprenticed to the "Undefeated of the East" (who could not, it seems, defeat death… or perhaps he did not wish to…). Alphonse pilots the Burning Gundam. The Ghost is also served by two other lieutenants. The former is legendary general Hiro Nakamura, pilot of the equally legendary RX-78-2 Gundam, the first ever Gundam. His own apprentice is the skilled pilot and commander Maxwell Carmello, who while green compared to most of those that fight with the Ghost, is extremely bright and skilled, piloting the much newer and more powerful GatX-105 Strike Gundam, originally developed as a replacement for the RX-78-2.
His soldiers pilot mostly RX-77-2 Guncannons and RGM- 79 GMs. Both of which, while somewhat updated, are some of the very first mass produced mobile suits, and thus very weak. However, they are piloted by some of the most experienced and skilled combat veterans out there, and so remaining extremely effective. They are also famous for their pilot survival rate, an unanticipated result of certain design features. The aces of the Ghost's forces pilot RGM-79N GM Customs, also known as "Greens" for their strange green paintjobs. These units are much more powerful than standard gms, and can perform with even the Guardians GP-01 units, despite being joked for being "Remarkable for being completely unremarkable."
The Guardian's forces, as mentioned, pilot mostly Gp-01 units, which although they look like gundams, are actually production models of the original GP-01 Gundam units. As such, they are not as powerful, being made of lesser materials, but without any differences in appearance to the original. The original GP-01 is now the Full Vernian, and upgraded model built for space combat, with much greater mobility and better armor. It is piloted by Veteran ace Miliardo Oswald. The 2nd ace pilot serving the guardian is combat tactician Dertig Barton. He pilots the Heavyarms Gundam, and rarely sees combat, mostly supplying tactics and advice for major battles, and defending the capitol from guerrilla attacks. The last "Ace" is Jacob Brunster, pilot of the Maxter Gundam.
The Angel's forces comprise one main "Ace" called "the Hunter." He is actually former village chief Shirocko Borgan, pilot of the RX-79[G] Ez-8 Gundam, a customized version of the standard RX-79[G] Gundam mass production ground type. Although customized, it is not significantly superior in specs to its roots. Its roots, however, are supposedly superior to most mass produced mobile suits currently being fielded, with the possible exception of its counterpart, the RGM-79[G] Ground Type. The two units are nearly equal in specs, and, while designed solely for battle on the ground, are still a match for even the Gp-01 units in the hands of competent pilots, and sport a wider array of weapons and options that the GP series or the GM Customs. This is in part due to the use of Lunar II Titanium alloy in their construction, as opposed the standard titanium used in constructed later "true" production models.
The only other ace currently under the Angel is war hero and sniper of legend Frederick York. He pilots a night colored RX-79[G] Gundam ground type, which is not mass production, but actual a specialized unit made with actual gundanium, and with better thrusters and sensors. He is legendary for his jungle tactics, and his ability to snipe enemies using a 180mm rail cannon. He has only recently returned to the Angel's territory, after being believed dead for the past ten years.
The Avenger is another matter all together. He is the leader of all the remaining peoples of Manticore, who number only a few hundred thousand. In terms of Military Might, his forces are smaller than any of the Winds except the Angel, having about half the troop numbers of the Guardian, which is about a third fewer than the Ghost's total numbers. In terms of actual military strength, even the full might of the Guardian has less than 1 in 2 odds of victory in an all out war. Suit for suit, pilot for pilot, NOBODY equals the Manticore in war power. NOBODY.
The Manticore pilot a small breadth of mobile suits. The majority of their forces pilot Zaku II mobile suits, which are even older than the GM I, the original suit used by the Ghost's forces during the war. A small number of their pilots are using upgraded Zaku IV units, but most ace or veteran pilots use a variety of Gelgoog models. A space combat suit, the Dom, was developed and deployed in limited numbers for use in special combat missions. While superior in space and on land to the Zaku, the Dom is ultimately inferior to the versatile Gelgoog.
The Avenger has several primary Lieutenants, a few of them are: The White Phantom, a man dressed in white who pilots a custom White Zaku Phantom; Mercury who pilots the Advanced Kampfer Mobile suit, and Jamie Heinemann, pilot of a Gouf Ignited Prototype unit. Of the 3, the man in white is the Avenger's most trusted subordinate, and he also holds a deep Rivalry with the Hiro Nakamura, which carries over to Carmello and the Strike Gundam.
Research continues, as sides grasp for greater Military power, but for now, Let the Gundam Grand Cross…
BEGIN!
End Prologue/