Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: A Bloody Dawn
" I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR SHEHARA YOU BASTARD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs over the com. I prayed he could hear my lust for vengeance. I wanted him to tremble at the thought of his death before I laid into him with the final blow. It all seems so long ago. The last time I saw her, the first time I fought him. It's just a fading memory now. But it's strange how such things come rushing to the surface in times like these.
I could hear him over the com. He was going to make me pay? No, I had simply evened the score. What he did to me could never be forgiven. This fool who had scarred me in such a way. I can't stop feeling this pain, like burning flesh it consumes my senses. It refuses to leave me. I will make him suffer. There is no way he can be absolved of his sins. " Your death belongs to me DEMON OF JUNIUS! ADEL LEAD! I WILL NOT LET YOU ESCAPE ME!"
Our sabers connected sparks, and metal limbs quivering. I could hear the joints of our suits as they were strained from the force of each strike. I was on even terms with him for once. It's so far removed from the first time I met this man. The feeling of the controls locking up, as I forced them forward. The thrusters firing at full burn but neither of us were moving an inch. It was as if somehow we'd become equals. I hated that thought, being an equal to a murdering bastard like him. There was no way I could ever be an equal to a soulless monster. Then slice, and static on my monitor, what had happened? I wasn't sure. Time itself seemed to slow for me as I drifted there.
They say when you're about to die, your entire life flashes before you eyes. Birth, death all of it. Everything from beginning to end. It puts a lot into perspective, like just how boring the earliest parts of your very life can be. I hated how dull things were, I was actually excited when the war came. I'd just turned eighteen and joined the military anyway. At least then I'd have something to do. I joined to give my service in times of war and strife. I guess, I never thought I'd be the one causing so much of it.
The first terrible thing I ever did was watch and cheer as I sat in a Moebius after I fired a nuke at that Junius 7. Then I somehow managed to get though the first battle of Jachin Due with enemy kills somehow. I was the first non-Zero pilot to gain five kills so it was something of a feat. Though the rest of the unit that launched those nukes, they were all annihilated in that same fight. Because I had become an ace and I was one fo the only survivors of the fleet dispatched to Junius 7 people started calling me the Demon of Junius. As if I were some sort of monster.. I didn't like the idea of being a monster, but after looking back on all that I've done, I guess I can understand it now. I was a beast in human flesh back in those days, I suppose. I used to think eradicating Coordinators was the work of god, all that "for a pure blue earth" crap. I was a hero to my side's cause a real monster in a mobile armor, to bad things had to change.
ZAFT invaded Earth, I was sent planet side just to watch them roll over us. Nothing could have stopped them, we were just toy soldiers compared to their mobile suits. It was amazing what kind of power those behemoths possessed. I wanted it, I wanted to make those sins of god pay for their births, I wanted to make them suffer for the deaths they caused on Earth. I wouldn't get my wish until later. While stationed in Alaska the same day Operation Spitbreak was launched. That day in Alaska would change everything for me. My fortunes were growing again. Soon those monsters in human flesh would taste the wrath of a true warrior for God. It was that day I finally began to accept my place as the Reaper of Junius and resigned myself to being "The bringer of death." I don't get why this matters now; I'm about to die. I guess it's just some sort of torture to see the very days when you felt your soul slipping away.
That day Admiral Jason Carthridge called me into his office; "Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Lieutenant Lead! " The Admiral seemed pretty damned mad at me. I guess I was spacing out again or something. Lately my focus had been a bit off, they'd recalled me from frontline combat activities only a week ago. I hated being at the main headquarters. There was no action here, just a bunch of spoiled officers.
I'd taken a liking to Admiral Cartridge though . He was younger then most of the old geezers on the base. He'd actually worked his way up from the ground floor. People used to call him the hero of Gramaldi, though he never enjoyed the name. He always said, the real heros were the ones who fought under his command. Probably why I liked him so damned much, he gave credit where it was due. "Lieutenant Lead, or should I call you Demon of Junius? I'm sure you're wondering why you were recalled from the front."
"No Sir! Lieutenant will be fine." I kind of hesitated with the rest. I didn't really want to know but at the same time I did. Though it would probably be some kind of court-martial, with the way my luck had been going. Curiosity got the better of me though, so of course I confirmed the suspicions of my commanding officer." Yes sir, I would like to know why I've been pulled from the front. I don't like deserting my comrades in Panama."
He nodded in some weird all knowing kind of way. The sagely kind of thing that just annoys the hell out of you most of the time, cause it makes you feel like a child. " We're starting a new test corp of sorts. This is top secret so before I tell you anything more, you're going to have to give me an answer. Are you in or are you out?"
I couldn't help but blank out on him at that moment. I had no idea what I should say. It all sounded kinda fishy, and I was sure I'd regret it later but, there was something in the way he said it. I couldn't resist the offer he'd placed before me, " Sir, I would like to join the "Test Corps." Stiffening my back I straightened myself upright, and saluted.
That was all he needed, his hands pulling open his top drawer and pulling out a folder. Tossing it lazily on his desk, I was stunned at what spilled forth. From what I could see they were photos of mobile suits! But only ZAFT used those things. Three of them were towering there a weird set of V-shaped antenna branding their foreheads. One had two huge cannons mounted over each shoulder, the other a set of wings on its back, the third had some weird looking thing mounted on it's back and folded over the arms. I just looked stunned as he picked up the picture and slipped it back into the folder. "Read it."
I could barely make out those words, there was no way to shake the image of what I had just seen only a moment ago. Was this what the new TEST Corp was for? Picking up the folder I glanced at the picture again. This time I could make out something written on them. Calamity, Raider, Forbidden. I still couldn't believe we had mobile suits. Skimming through the folder I found more pictures of just what we were working on. GAT-01A1 105Dagger, GAT-01Strike Dagger, GAT-01D Long Dagger. I was stunned to say the least. We were going to have these suits? I could barely formulate some sort of coherent reply. " Sir, some of these suits are listed for Mass Production...but I've never even seen any of them before."
"Only three of the 105 Dagger units have been assembled. Of those three only one is here." He had a straight face, like he could care less about where the other two were. He didn't seem to care that the suits which could turn around the war weren't near the front yet. I had to know more, but the question was would be give me more information. Even with my new clearance within the test unit, would I actually be told why these completed suits hadn't been given out yet?
I couldn't think of how to phrase the question at first. I didn't want to offend the admiral, I just had to know what was going on though. If we had the tools to fight ZAFT on their own terms why were we so hesitant to use them? " Sir, with all due respect why aren't the 105's or the Strike Daggers on the front lines, sir? It says the Dagger line had 150 assembled units. " That's when I saw a side of the commander I'd never seen before. A sick smile sort of twisted onto his face.
"Simple, we're waiting til ZAFT depletes their terrestrial forces first." I almost wanted to punch the bastard in the face. I had seen more men die on the front in the passed two months then he'd probably even seen die in his whole life. I didn't care any more that this guy was a good commander, something just made me want to punch him. But I hesitated, something inside me said hear him out. So I just stood there and waited for him to finish. " We've gotten word ZAFT plans to attack this very base. We're going to use it as a sort of decoy. After this operation the Dagger units will be sent out to the front. The enemy will be too busy licking their wounds to stop the all-out assault we have in store."
I was again left shocked, ZAFT was planning to attack the base? But no one here was prepared for such a thing, everyone was relaxing like it was some sort of pleasure cruise. I wanted to ask when but my question was answered when the first explosion shook the base. Then the second, finally the alarm sounded. ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO BATTLE STATIONS AT ONCE! But the Admiral didn't flinch, he just sat there with his elbows on his desk, and his hands folded together, hovering just above his chin. Hiding what I could just barely make out as a twisted smile." Please follow me Lieutenant. I have some things to show you."
I guess it was that moment I realized I had sold my soul, but the thing about selling your soul is, you can never undo the deal. I was now part of a Test unit I knew very little about, and now instead of reporting to help defend the JOSH-A, I was being taken to the sub docks, and I didn't even know why. But I went, I wanted to know more, I had to, I was after all curious by nature. It's funny how when things start out so clearly, but in the end they become so hazy. "Even on clear days, you can never see the whole sky," that's what she used to say...
Authors Notes: This is meant to be a chapter fic so don't worry, I won't leave you guys with a cliff hanger. I appreciate any and all reviews you might want to send my way. This fic includes mostly original characters and will only t'weak certian events in SEEDslightly. I want this to be as consistent with SEED cannon as possible. And expect a few cameo appearences by the SEED cast here and there throughout the story.
