Introduction: I'd like to apologize to those who've read Nemesis Book 1: The Lurking Chaos. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this story off the ground. One of the big reasons for this is because I simply didn't feel like working on it. As another writer friend of mine told me only a few days ago, it's impossible to work on a story when the spark for it isn't there. But the spark for this story has returned at least a little. So I'm starting it back up.
Now then, this is pretty much where I screwed up when I did the original version of this story. The focus shifted away from Kira and Lacus and I got some negative response from that. But the way this story was playing out, there wasn't really any way around that. So I just decided to delete the original version and start fresh. Now we pick up where we left off in Book 1, more or less.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED.
Chapter 1: The New Pilots
Shinn Asuka awoke to the blaring sound of his alarm clock. It was 6:30 AM, the start of yet another early day. Not that he had anywhere to be though. For the past week the ship her served aboard, the Minerva, had been staying in port. The only thing for him to do was just sit around and wait. And in the meantime, the war would only continue to get worse and worse.
That's the way it had been going ever since the abduction and so-called murder of the former chairwoman of the PLANTs, Lacus Clyne three months ago. After it happened, the new leader of the PLANTs, Ian Vargas, had used the incident to fan the flames of war. Now the war effort was in the name of avenging Lacus' death. And in the meantime, it seemed to Shinn like he had become powerless. For the past week he had wanted to get back out there and do whatever he could to bring the war to an end.
Shinn's thoughts were interrupted by the suddenly sound of the doorbell to his quarters. After putting on his pants, Shinn got up to go answer. Standing on the other side of the door was a man in his forties with slicked back grey hair and pale skin. His eyes were a kind of olive-green that was almost similar to the color of a sewage river. Shinn instantly recognized the man as Ian Vargas.
"Uh, Chairman Vargas!" a startled Shinn spoke as he quickly saluted. "I, uh…"
"At ease, young man." Vargas told him with a gentle smile. "I apologize for just dropping in on you like this, but I thought I'd save you the trouble of having to come to your captain's office in order to meet with me."
"It's no problem sir." Shinn assured him. "Um, please come in."
"So, you're famous Shinn Asuka, the ace pilot of the Minerva." Vargas spoke as he walked into the room. "I've heard great things about you, my boy."
"Thank you, sir." Shinn replied. "But if you don't mind me asking, why have you come here?"
"I simply wanted to meet you in person." Vargas explained. "After all, you're going to be the one piloting our new prototype mobile suit."
"About that, sir. Why exactly have I been the one selected to pilot this new machine?" Shinn asked. "My old mobile suit, the Destiny, works just fine."
"Yes, well I'm afraid it can't really be helped." Vargas replied. "As I'm sure you're well aware, the war has been going very badly for us. We need every edge we can get if we're going to bring this to an end. And you simply are one of the best pilots we have."
"I see." Shinn responded.
"You needn't worry though. The design of this new machine was based heavily on the Destiny's own blueprints." Vargas continued. "The only major difference besides a few technological improvements is the control system. Consider this as more of an upgrade to the machine you piloted before."
"I understand sir." Shinn responded.
"Well then, I'll leave you to get ready and start your day." Vargas told him. "I'm sure you'll do us proud, young man. With your help, we can finally avenge Lacus Clyne's death and finally end this war."
With that, Vargas left Shinn's quarters. Shinn sighed and went over to the nightstand by his bed. Sitting on it was the pink cell phone that belonged to his late sister, the only thing in this world he had left of her. Shinn didn't really care about avenging Lacus' death. He knew her personally of course, but he wasn't really sure if she was actually dead. Nobody was in fact. But Shinn did want to bring the war to an end, and he was willing to do just about anything to do it.
Seventeen-year-old Pamela Cloud sat looking out the window of a military helicopter that was flying out over the ocean. She wasn't really looking at the view outside. All there was to see was endless sea and the morning sun. What Pamela was really looking at was her own reflection. She found that she looked more or less like she normally did, fair skin, pale green eyes, curly white hair that went down just past her shoulders. But what Pamela was trying to get used to, was the uniform she was wearing. Only a day before she was only a mere cadet in the Alliance military, but then after taking some odd tests Pamela had been made a full fledged mobile suit pilot with the rank of ensign.
After that, Pamela was put on some sort of special team that was to be assigned to a ship in space. It was all happening so fast for her. Pamela turned her attention away from the window and looked to the seat next to her. In that seat was a young man who looked to be about her age with very short black hair and brown eyes wearing a white Alliance uniform. He wore a serious, almost stone-faced expression. Pamela didn't know too much about this individual. Only that his name was Jeffery Wong and that he was an ensign like her. Pamela assumed that he was a part of this team she was put on.
Sitting in the seat across from Jeffery was a man who looked to be in his early forties with tan skin, dark-brown hair and a mustache, and an eye patch over his left eye. He was wearing the uniform of an Alliance captain. The man had earlier introduced himself to Pamela as Captain Milo Desoto, the commander of the ship she and her team had been assigned to. Captain Desoto glanced up from a file folder he was examining and noticed Pamela looking at him.
"Something on your mind Ensign Cloud?" Captain Desoto asked, startling Pamela a bit.
"Oh, it's nothing sir." Pamela answered. "I was just wondering where we're headed."
"I suppose both you and Ensign Wong have a right to know this." Captain Desoto replied as he put the folder he was reading back into a metal briefcase that was on his lap. "We're heading to the location where we'll be picking up the final member of your team, Beggar's Island Penitentiary."
"A prison?" a very startled Pamela exclaimed.
"Sir, are you saying that the final member of our team is a convict?" Jeffery asked, still maintaining a calm expression.
Captian Desoto sighed. "I'm afraid so. Frankly I don't like it a bit. Giving a common criminal the keys to a mobile suit is bad idea in my opinion. But unfortunately orders are orders. We're all just going to have to deal with it."
"Um, what did this person do?" Pamela asked hesitantly.
"Believe me Cloud, I would tell you if I knew. But his whole record seems to have been erased." Captain Desoto told her. "All I can tell you is his name, Scott Winslow. The whole thing is just damned irregular."
"I suppose we'll just have to deal with it." Jeffery responded. "It is not our place to question our superiors."
"Yes, you're right Wong." Captain Desoto agreed with a sigh. "We're just going to have to deal with how things are."
About ten minutes later, the helicopter landed atop the roof of the prison that was their destination. The side door of the helicopter opened, and walking towards it was a young man who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen with wild purple hair and gold eyes. He was wearing an Alliance uniform with the sleeves rolled up and his hands were bound behind his back. Pamela quickly deduced that this young man was the last member of her team, Scott Winslow. A prison guard armed with a rifle was escorting Scott.
When they reached the helicopter, the guard unlocked the handcuffs around Scott's wrists and the purple-haired young man boarded the vehicle, taking the seat across from Pamela. The helicopter soon took back off into the night sky.
"So, I guess you're the guy in charge here." Scott said to Captain Desoto with a cocky expression. "Am I right pops?"
"You will address me as Captain Desoto or Sir, understood Winslow?" a very offended Desoto scolded.
"Yeah, I hear ya." Scott indifferently replied as he stretched out his legs and put his hands behind his head. He then started to look at Pamela, which made her very uncomfortable. Pamela turned her head to look out the window to avoid Scott's gaze, causing Scott to notice and grin. "Never would've figured a pretty girl like you to be a soldier. What's your name girly?"
"…Pamela Cloud." She answered hesitantly, not once turning to look at him.
"Nice to meet ya Cloudy." Scott replied. "…Bet you're wondering what I did to land myself in the joint, aren't ya?"
"I couldn't care less." Pamela told him, though inwardly she was curious.
"I blew up my school." Scott bragged as if such an act was something to be proud of. "It was beautiful watching the thing go up in flames."
"…Was anyone hurt?" Pamela asked, actually glancing at Scott just a bit.
"Oh yeah, my asshole of a principle bought it." Scott answered with a twisted laugh. "So did this one old janitor who worked there. I actually feel kinda bad about that, but oh well."
"How can you be so proud of your actions?" Jeffery asked.
"And I suppose now you're gonna preach to me now and say what I did was wrong, eh buddy?" Scott replied.
"There is nothing honorable about causing meaningless destruction." Jeffery told him. "How you became a part of this team is beyond me."
"All I know is that one day, some stuffed shirt military guys came to the joint I was locked up in and started looking for volunteers for some weird tests." Scott explained. "They said if we passed 'em, they'd give us a ticket out of there. Of course the catch was that we'd be put in the military, but I didn't give a damn about that. Hell, a job where ya blow stuff up seemed right up my ally. So I took their little tests and boom, here I am."
"Lucky you." Pamela said quietly in a sarcastic tone.
"So what about you Cloudy? How'd you get in this outfit?" Scott asked Pamela.
"I guess if you have to know, I'm a survivor of the Clyne Colony." Pamela admitted.
"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Scott replied. "They let us watch the news in the joint. So I guess you really hate those Coordinators for blowing up your home and killing your folks, huh?"
"My dearest friend was a Coordinator!" an offended Pamela told him, almost shouting. "It's ZAFT that I hate. It's because of them my friend and my family died that day! They're the ones who started this war. And I'm not going to rest until I put an end to them."
Scott shrugged. "Whatever helps ya sleep at night, I guess."
About half an hour later, the helicopter landed at a military base a small island. Captain Desoto led Pamela and her two teammates out of the vehicle, where they were met by a man with greasy black hair and pale skin, wearing a white lab coat with a pink shirt, light-blue tie, black pants, and brown leather shoes.
"Captain Desoto, I presume." The man greeted. "I am Dr. Leech. I've been expecting you and your team."
"So you're the one who built these new mobile suits." Captain Desoto deduced as he shook Leech's hand. "Care to show them to me?"
"By all means." Leech replied with a wide grin. "If you'll all follow me, I'll take you right to them." The strange doctor led Pamela and the others into the base, where they went down a long metal hallway. "So captain, you must be honored to be commanding an elite team."
"Frankly, I'm rather skeptical about this assignment." Captain Desoto admitted. "Though it is turning out to be a little better than I expected. I was afraid I was being assigned a new team of those Extended pilots."
Leech chuckled. "Ah yes, the Extended program. It really was such a flawed concept. Our scientists were trying to enhance the power of the soldier when they should've been focused on enhancing the machine. That is what I have done."
"Just how advanced are these machines of yours?" Captain Desoto asked.
"They're based heavily on the old G-Weapons, or 'Gundams', that were introduced during the first war. But they were made using new state-of-the-art technology." Leech explained. "The most innovative of these features is the neural interface control system. With that technology, the mobile suit becomes an extension of the pilot's body."
"Sounds ambitious." Captain Desoto commented. "But are these mobile suits truly as powerful as you say they are?"
"See for yourself captain." Leech replied as they reached a pair of large metal doors.
The scientist pressed some buttons on a keypad next to the door, and in moments they slid open. The group entered a large hanger, and looming before them was a large humanoid robot that was mainly grey in color. The head had two eyes and looked to be wearing a faceplate and helmet. A single machine gun was mounted on the torso next to the left shoulder. On its right forearm was a large plate with three claw-like blades protruding from the end, while the left forearm had what looked like a shield with a single gun barrel on it. Mounted to the back were two large axes. Pamela was filled with a sense of dread as she looked at the machine.
"Captain Desoto, I give you the Vengeance." Leech proudly announced as he pointed at the machine with his right arm. "This model was made with close range combat in mind. But what it lacks in projectile weaponry, the Vengeance makes up for in stealth technology."
"Mirage Colloid?" Captain Desoto asked.
"Along with a few other surprises." Leech confirmed.
"So which of us is gonna be piloting this thing, doc?" Scott asked.
"Ms. Cloud has been selected as the pilot for the Vengeance." Leech answered.
"Me?" a surprised Pamela asked.
"You were shown to be the most compatible with the interface in this unit, Ms. Cloud." Leech explained. "I'm certain you'll be able to bring out this machine's full potential."
"So what do I get?" Scott asked, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
"Follow me, and I'll show you." Leech replied as he led the group past the Vengeance to another mobile suit that was standing behind it.
This machine had a head similar to that of the Vengeance and was also grey in color. It had two machine gun turrets mounted on the torso next to the shoulders, and a chest that looked it had panels that concealed missile launchers. The shoulders of the until were large and box-like, and mounted on the forearms were two long Gatling guns, each with a string of ammunition running to a pack on the back.
"This unit is considered to be the opposite of the Vengeance." Leech explained. "It is armed to the teeth with the most devastating projectile weaponry the Alliance has produced. I give you, the Genocide."
"And I'm the one who'll be piloting this thing?" an excited Scott asked.
"Oh yes, Mr. Winslow." Leech confirmed. "You proved to be a perfect fit for this machine when we tested you."
"What about me, sir?" Jeffery asked.
"Ah, Mr. Wong. Don't think I forgot about you." Leech chuckled. "Follow me, and I'll be showing you the mobile suit you'll be piloting."
The scientist led the group behind the Genocide to another machine with a head that looked similar to the other two units and was also grey in color. Mounted next to its shoulders was a pair of long narrow laser cannons, and at its waist were to long barrel guns.
"And now we come to the last of our three prototypes, the Discord." Leech introduced. "This unit was designed for long range attacks, but can fight at close range as well. So captain, what do you think of my creations?"
"They certainly look impressive." Captain Desoto admitted. "But I'll save my final judgment for after I see them perform in the field."
"Of course, of course." Leech replied. "I'll leave all of you to look them over while you wait for your ship to arrive. In the meantime, I have business to attend to. If you'll excuse me, captain."
"Of course, Dr." Captain Desoto replied. "I'm sure you must be a busy man."
Leech went into his darkened office. Two individuals were waiting for him inside. One was a man with pale blonde hair that went just past his shoulders, and a distinctive white mask covered the top half of his face. He had on a white ZAFT commander's uniform and a pair of white gloves. The other individual was a six-foot tall inhuman-looking creature with an octopus-like head with a pair of large yellow eyes and tentacles surrounding its mouth. Its skin was green like slime, and it had four tentacles for arms. Leech knew the human as Rau Le Creuset, while the thing was Cha-Cathock, High Emperor of the Yulock.
"Ye eh chloth, my masters." Leech greeted as he crossed his arms over his chest like a mummy.
"Chloth yel yikak, Dr. Leech." Cha-Cathock greeted back in a slimy voice. "What news do you have to report?"
"I just handed the prototype mobile suits to their pilots." Leech replied. "They should be out in the field very soon."
"Good, good." A very pleased Cha-Cathock spoke as he touched the tips of his tentacle arms together. "I am eager to see how these battle mechs perform."
"Are you certain that you've chosen the right pilots?" Le Creuset asked.
"Of course, my master." Leech assured him as he went over to his desk and typed something into his computer. In moments, pictures of Pamela, Scott, and Jeffery appeared on a flatscreen on the wall. "These three were chosen from extensive testing. All three show indications of having the Superior Evolutionary Element Destined factor, or SEED, as it is sometimes called. Once the factor is awakened, the full power of my creations will be unleashed."
"Which of these three do you think has the most potential?" Cha-Cathock asked.
"Given the psychological profiles of the three, I believe the pilot of the Genocide to be the most promising." Leech guessed.
"Hmm… show me more on the pilot of the Vengeance." Le Creuset requested. In moments, Pamela's info took up the whole screen.
"She certainly is a… pretty specimen." Cha-Cathock noted with lust in his alien voice.
"I remind you High Emperor that she's a valuable test subject." Le Creuset reminded him.
"Oh… yes of course." Cha-Cathock agreed as he quickly contained himself.
"I think our Ms. Cloud has the best potential in this group." Le Creuset decided after he finished reading what was on the screen.
"With all due respect, my master, Mr. Winslow has a criminal background." Leech reminded him.
"Ah, but Ms. Cloud is a survivor of the Clyne Colony." Le Creuset noted. "I'm sure she has a deep anger within her, anger at those who she thinks was responsible for the deaths of her loved ones. And with these mobile suits stimulating the aggressive tendencies of their pilots, I'm sure Ms. Cloud's full rage will be brought to the surface."
"Yes, and when that happens, the full power of the Vengeance will be unleashed." Cha-Cathock agreed.
"All we need to do is wait for the right push." Le Creuset added. "I'm sure it's only a matter of time. We'll have to pay close attention."
"We'll I'm sure this push you speak of will happen soon." Leech assured them. "You have after all had ZAFT deploy the brother unit to the ones I created, I assume."
"Yes, the Lucifer." Le Creuset confirmed as he turned to face Leech. "Right now, it's aboard the Minerva, waiting to be sent into battle."
"Good, good." Cha-Cathock priased. "I understand that you chose the Lucifer's pilot yourself, Le Creuset."
"In a way, High Emperor." The masked man confirmed. "Actually he was chosen before by an old friend. Ah, dear Gilbert. He always was good at reading people and seeing their strengths. He chose well when he made that young man the pilot of the Destiny. I'm sure we'll see great things from Shinn Asuka, great things indeed."
Author's Note: I had to redo the entire opening of this chapter. Originally the first part was the exposition from the final chapter of the last book. I also ended up changing the time when some of the events in this chapter took place.
Please review and let me know what you think.