Gundam 00
-Stigma of Revolution-
secret location
14 hours after the destruction of the
First Memento Mori
"Ouch, that has got to leave a mark." The sixteen year old boy reclining on the couch looking at the screen of an old fashioned laptop. On screen, was the wreckage of the now destroyed satellite weapon. But despite Celestial Being's intervention, the danger was not yet gone. A second satellite weapon, identical to the first, was in position not far from the Africa Tower. And with the word of a coup in preparation, it was simply a disaster waiting to happen.
"Okay world, it is time for a new Gundam to make an entrance."
6 Days Later
Africa Tower
Federation Coup d'etat
"This is a message to all citizens here," proclaimed the voice over the loud speaker. "I am Colonel Hank Hercury of the Earth Sphere Federation Forces Information Operations Center. My comrades and I have taken control of this station. We are now in control of the garrison forces, the life support system, the linear trains, and the Solar Power Generation System. We have but one objective, to inform the world of the brutality of the A-Laws, the Federation's Autonomous Pease-Keeping Force, so that the people may decide whether they are truly in the right. Are you aware that under the guise of eliminating anti-government forces they have massacred millions of people in cold blood? Do you know how many innocent people have been killed, in their bid to reorganize the middle east? It's all true, you have been handed a false peace by the Federation's information control, and without even knowing it, you have all been living in a dictatorship. While we are disclosing these facts to the world, I'm afraid that your lives will be in our hands. Go ahead and despise me if you wish. But let me make something perfectly clear. As soldiers, we're sworn to protect the interests of the Federation's citizens, and that's why correcting the mistakes of a misguided government and military is also the sworn duty of a soldier."
Ptolemaios II
Northern Africa
"The Federation Assembly has received a claim of responsibility and a list of demands from the Anit-Government Forces who took control of the Africa Tower's Low Orbital Station. In exchange for the release of the citizens still in the station, they have demanded the 'disillusion' of the Assembly, the release of 45,000 anti-government activists, and $100,000,000,000 (U.S.)."
"Please turn that off," snapped Tieria Erde. Mileina turned it off, but that didn't ease the tension. They had just gotten out of a bitter fight with the A-Laws, the Ptolemaios was still damaged, and to top it off; Setsuna and his 00-Gundam were still missing.
"What do we do Sumeragi?" Tactical forecaster, Sumeragi Lee Noriega, remained silent for a moment, deep in thought, then she spoke out loud.
"The Innovators have complete control of Veda, so then, how did they fail to notice the planning of this incident?"
"Are you suggesting they predicted the coup de'tat, but then let it go ahead?" asked Feldt Grace.
"It is a possibility."
"But since the A-Laws are getting involved, we can't just sit back," Lasse Aeon pointed out.
"Also, the real masterminds behind the A-Laws are the Innovators," Tieria (an Innovade) reminded. Sumeragi thought about it for a moment before saying: "Regardless what the situation is, we have no choice but to go there. Furthermore, when Setsuna finds out about the coup-"
"He'd head there," concluded Lock-on Stratos from the back of the room with the other Gundam Meisters. Lasse stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles.
"Well, lets get to it."
Africa Tower
The A-Laws had just dropped a batch of their military Automatons (mechanized anti-personnel weapons) onto the outside of the Low Orbital Station. But the coup de'tat force quickly responded and activated the defense system when the Automatons broke through the bulkhead walls. One of the Automatons managed to avoid destruction however. This one navigated its way to a control console, plugged in its connector arm, and accessed the station's surveillance feed.
tap tap tap "Hey, tin can that supposedly can't do anything except kill people, I'm talking to you." The machine unplugged, turned around, then froze solid as a stranger slipped an old-fashioned USB port into a section on the still extended connector arm.
The program should activate in a few minutes, the stranger thought, prepare for something you never expected…
…Innovators.
AGUNDAMA
"More Automatons are approaching the gravity blocks sir!"
"Secure the pre-planned route then start escorting the citizens onto the trains!" Hercury commanded.
Colonel Sergei Smirnov, a private messenger for the Federation and a close friend of Hercury, watched on as his old comrade managed the situation.
"The Automatons are attacking the citizens sir!" announced a soldier from a computer desk.
"They what?" Sergei couldn't believe his hears, nor apparently did Hercury.
"They programmed the Automatons for Kill-Mode?"
"The first linear train has begun departure sir," another soldier announced.
"You were planning to release the citizens from the very start," Smirnov realized, then turning to Hercury, "Then what is the point of all this?"
"I told you, I'm going to open the citizen's eyes by having them witness the atrocities of the A-Laws."
BGUNDAMB
As the chaos proceeded as expected, a lone figure ran down a corridor to one of the auxiliary hangers. He entered then climbed a rigging so he could reach a computer that he attached to a link to the station's network. Good, that's all done. Only one thing was left to do. And that required him to wait for the right moment.
Advanced European Union News (AEUN)
Several Casualties Result from Terrorism
These images were recorded by the Autonomous Peacekeeping Forces within the Africa Tower.
Two still shots of the Coup de'tat Forces guarding groups of hostages. Then two motion picture shots of the soldiers shooting the citizens in place of the Automatons.
Africa Tower
"What? But these are-" Smirnov gasped.
AEUN
The terrorists have begun killing the citizens. The assembly is curren-BLEEP- ussing wheth-ZEET-Autono-MORNP
Africa Tower
"Great! Now we can't understand what their next move will be," Smirnov complained.
"No, this is something else," said Hercury. "An independent has found a way to disrupt the media."
AEUN and all other media networks
Greetings. Forgive me for this unorthodox method of communication, but I just had to interfere.
A white background with a blue circle with a red "V" over it appeared on screen.
Personally, I think terrorism is the third worst thing a person can do. However, I would like you to see something.
Two segments of the Africa Tower footage, side-by-side.
Here is a man and a women getting shot as they run past some "terrorists" followed by a single terrorist mowing down a fleeing couple. Gosh, how terrible! But wait, what are those shapes on the floor by each person? *audible gasp* Why those would be shadows everyone: a darkened shape on a surface that falls behind somebody or something blocking the light. Wait, what did I just say? Hold on, *another gasp* Look-At-This.
Images are slightly enhanced to reveal light-and-shadow positioning.
The shadows are acting as if there are at least two different light sources that don't dissolve into each other. aka…THESE IMAGES HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH!
Onboard a carrier in the Indian Ocean
"What?" Patrick Colasour was an ego-centric, but he wasn't dumb. "Kati! Did you see that!" Kati Mannequin, couldn't answer. She had always been uneasy about her position with the A-Laws, but this was just…
Space Outside the Africa Tower
The Katheron and Coup De'tat Forces were breathing easier, and even cheering, at the footage. The truth, at least a little, was coming out at last! The A-Laws on the other hand were ranged from sudden fear and guilt, to disbelief, to absolute confusion.
AEUN and others
A white background with a blue circle with a red "V" over it (Veritas' logo).
This kind of thing makes me sick to my stomach. Ever since that joint-exercise in the Chinese desert four and a half years ago. Since then, a lot has happened. First and foremost, a second group of Gundams appeared with a more radical agenda that contradicted Celestial Being's doctrine. This resulted in increased hatred of Celestial Being, which in turn forced the world to unite in the name of dealing with terrorists. Nothing wrong with that, except that because of the "terrorist and anti-government problem," the Federation established the A-Laws. Unlike the FBI or Interpol, the A-Laws were given free reign over what their policies are. This, and a little ribbon of control over the media, allowed the A-Laws to become the equivalent of the twentieth century SS of Germany. Celestial Being has come back to repent for their sin and you idiots just ignore all this in the name of comfort. I've had enough of this.
My name is Veritas Stigma, and I am the Gundam Meister of a new era.
Africa Tower
Auxiliary Hanger 37AO
And that's my queue. Veritas powered up his mobile suit and aimed his main gun at the hanger door.
"I always wanted to go out with a bang," he said to himself, pulling the trigger.
The hanger door exploded and everyone in the immediate area saw the Mobile Suit, black-on-white color scheme and emitting golden GN particles.
"This is the Shadow Gundam!" Veritas announced through a speacil intercom system that broadcasted his words within a 30-mile radius, "and I am a Gundam Meister that will ignite the Great Revolution, all in accordance to the Master Plan!"