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Sorry about the wait guys, next update also serves as a tie in to my Rise storyline as a big twist is revealed :)
Gundam 00 Sensou: Ideal of Gundam
Chapter 10: Wraith
Exia and Astrae were both brothers in a way. The red machine, originally plain white was the prototype and precursor for the Exia type Gundam and any machines that would come after it. Both machines were best used at close range, their slim frames made them light and nimble, enabling them to build up speed to overwhelm or completely over power the opponent with either the large GN sword or twin beam sabres. The pilots of these two machines both had similarities but were completely different. Robert Stack Junior, AKA Fon Spark was a fighter, his spirit as a warrior awoken by the death of his parents after a terrorist attack. Soran Ibrahim, AKA Setsuna F Seia was similarly a fighter, yet while Fon lost his parents, Setsuna had killed them himself. While Fon's sanity was questionable, Setsuna was perfectly sane, it was his naivety as a child that allowed certain individuals to manipulate him not only into murdering his parents but fighting their war under the pretence of fighting for god. Setsuna was a dedicated Gundam Meister, whilst Fon was a mere prisoner, an explosive on his neck the only thing keeping him loyal. Fon has no belief in Schenberg's ideology but Setsuna believed in it completely. Setsuna detests war and fighting, Fon however revels in it.
Both have vast differences in personality, appearance, ideology and upbringing. But Setsuna and Fon both share one fundamental belief, though for different reasons. They believe in the Gundams and themselves. Setsuna believes that as a Gundam Meister he can become closer to representing the ideals that Schenberg had placed in the machines, while Fon believes that by being a Gundam Meister he can attain the power the Gundams have. They both believe that the power of Gundam can change the world.
General Legacy has not even begun his path, yet already he commands one of the greatest powers next to the Omega Gundam. Setsuna and Fon looked at Legacy's machine, either the pilot was so powerful that his killing intent hid his machine, or the machine itself could generate that dark energy. Neither pilot could tell exactly what the machine looked like as the dark energy obscured and shielded it. The energy itself seemed alive, spreading like a monster's tendrils. Legacy widened his eyes in both anger and killing intent. His Gundam swept its arm around, the energy flowing like flames as an antiship sword materialised in its hand.
"Setsuna, we've found a match to the energy the machine is generating," Feldt said.
"Fon, Celestial Being sent us a confirmed match on the energy," Sherilyn spoke at the same time.
Fon and Setsuna widened their eyes as the two girls told them what they were facing.
"That power, that energy is from an Arc generator?" Fon asked.
"Its different in appearance from the Purpose but atomically it still has the same internal structure, Veda also confirmed it," Feldt explained.
"We're flagging that suit as Wraith," Sumeragi said.
"Wraith huh?"
The crew of the two ships widened their eyes, hearing Legacy's slightly distorted voice. He drew another antiship sword, raising both to ignite the red beams on both blades. The Wraith unleashed a shockwave that caused the Astrae and Exia to brace themselves.
"A good name, but this state is not unique to the Wraith, you are not yet ready to completely understand the power of the arc generators, suffice to say that the surface of these machines hasn't even been touched. That is both the Arc generators and the Gundams themselves haven't shown how powerful they can be. We will unlock that power, simply for the sake of unlocking it, Schenberg, Glenn, Hunter WILL ALL FALL INTO THE ABYSS OF OBSCURITY!"
Setsuna widened his eyes as the Wraith suddenly appeared to his right. He raised his sword, blocking the Wraith's sword. Sparks ran across the Exia's sword and Setsuna grit his teeth together as he tried to hold off the larger blade. Fon yelled as he flew at the Wraith, swinging his sword at its back. Legacy however raised his second blade, blocking Fon's strike. The Astrae and Exia grinded their swords against the Wraith's as it threw them across the chamber. Legacy then flew at Setsuna again, slamming his swords into Setsuna's two times before swinging around and clashing his swords with Fon's. The red machine flipped over the dark Gundam, with Fon yelling as he swung his sword again. Legacy blocked Fon's strike, and then sidestepped Setsuna's strike, causing the Exia's sword to grind against the Astrae's. Both machines seemed to look at one another before swinging around and flying at the Wraith Gundam.
"This power…" Legacy began as he linked his swords together. "It is…" he stopped both Exia's and Astrae's sword before knocking the machines back slightly, "Magnificent!" he clashed both sides of the dual blade into the sword strikes of the two Gundams. "But it is nothing…" he ducked then knocked Exia back, slamming his sword into Astrae's shield, "In comparison…" after shoving Astrae aside, Legacy broke his blades apart and span around, knocking both Exia and Astrae back "To the power…" twice the Wraith teleported, kicking both Fon and Setsuna in the back and sending them crashing together, "THAT IS OUT THERE!" Legacy yelled as he reappeared in front of both machines, slamming his sword into the Astrae's shield and throwing both machines into the side of the wall.
"Man, what incredible power," Fon muttered.
The Wraith linked its swords together again, but this time the blades formed an even larger great sword. Legacy looked down at the two Gundams, his own machine appearing as a demon looking at the two knights facing it. The masked man raised his sword over his head, the energy around the Wraith moved as if it was a separate entity, attacking the two Gundams viciously. Setsuna fired his beam pistol, trying to hit the Wraith. But the energy coursing around and obscuring the machine protected it from harm, deflecting the particles from Setsuna's pistol. Fon dive bombed Legacy's head but the Wraith twisted, slamming the heel of its foot into the Astrae's chest. The force of the kick threw Fon into the wall and the Wraith turned as Setsuna approached. Legacy batted Exia aside and held his sword in an offensive pose.
"Impressive Gundam Meister and Gundam Slave, perhaps that term suits you both," Legacy muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Setsuna asked.
"You are bound by the will of Schenberg, his outdated plan," Legacy began, turning the Wraith to look between the two Gundams. "At the end of the plan lies a permanent global peace, an illusion, a convenient lie to justify the deaths of hundreds, 'they were necessary sacrifices to the plan' such arrogance from Schenberg, in the end you're bound to his will, a slave like Robert here," the masked man motioned to the Astrae.
"How do you know that name?" Fon asked with a growl.
"Soran Ibrahim, Neil Dylandy, Subject E-0057, Multi-Purpose Innovade Model 103, and just wait till you hear about the other ones, although I think I'll leave that until later," Legacy explained.
"Wow, really impressive, you know our names, colour me impressed," Fon huffed.
"I have already impressed you, by defeating you," Legacy laughed.
The whole base began to shake, causing Fon and Setsuna to look at the Omega Gundam in shock. It began to slide out of its restraints, upwards towards a massive port that opened above its head. Setsuna let out a yell as he aimed his sword at the chest of the Omega. But Legacy suddenly appeared in front of him, slamming his sword into the Exia's shield. Fon flew behind the dark suit and swung his own blade down. But Legacy split his sword apart, parrying Fon's blow.
"TIERIA! ZEN!" Setsuna yelled.
"GN FIELD!" Virtue activated it's GN field, releasing a burst of GN particles.
"GN VENTS OPEN!" Zen yelled.
The Dragoon spread its arms out, opening the vents across its body. Zen flew behind Tieria and slammed the back of his staff into Virtue's back. The plug on the end of the staff linked with Tieria's and the GN particles inside the Dragoon began flowing into Tieria's suit. Tieria opened his GN bazooka, charging a hyper burst shot. He flew towards the Omega's launch area and targeted the suit. Legacy batted both the Exia and Astrae aside and looked to Tieria.
"GO FOR IT TIERIA!" Zen yelled.
"FIRING!"
Virtue fired its GN bazooka and the sparking ball of energy dashed towards the gigantic suit. The Omega engaged the thrusters on its legs and flew out of the factory. It engaged its secondary thrusters, increasing its overall speed and flying straight through Tieria's attack. The Meisters widened their eyes as the energy attack burst like a bubble. Zen and Tieria both yelled as their machines slammed against the side of the Omega Gundam. Sumeragi and her crew looked at the Omega Gundam in horror, the machine was a monster in every sense of the word and they were unable to stop it. Legacy's synthesized voice echoed through the radio channels.
"It's over, Schenberg is irrelevant, as are you," he growled.
Fon and Setsuna stood their ground as the Wraith disappeared.
"Did he Quantamize?" Chall wondered.
The Surge flew around the Ptelemaios, firing its beam rifle at the Kratos's that had surrounded it. Elizabeth rolled her gatling guns, cursing as they ran out of particles. Lockon and Allejullah fired multiple shots from their rifles, hitting the Kratos squadrons around them. Fon and Setsuna flew out of the factory; meeting the Uragiri forces head on. The twin Gundams span around, cutting down any mobile suit in their way. They joined in a circle with Dynames and Kyrios, firing beams at the Kratos's surrounding them.
"This is too much," Takuya grit his teeth together as his suit to a shot to the back.
"We can't lose," Fon growled.
Several shots suddenly slammed into the Kratos's. The Meisters, in particular Feldt widened their eyes as the Plutone, the basis of the GN-Gundams flew into battle. It carried a beam magnum and a shield and fired flawlessly accurate shots at the enemy suits.
"Plutone, lending support!"
"Chall is that you?" Fon asked.
Chall sat inside the Plutone, wearing a white Meister suit. She drew the Plutone's sabre and weaved between two Kratos, cutting them down. The young woman came to a stop as several more Kratos's flew towards her. She blocked two shots before another hit her shoulder.
"Rusty are we?" Fon smirked as she supported his superior.
"Shut up and fight," Chall said.
Takuya shot two Kratos's in the head, preventing them from hitting the shuttle approaching the Ptolemaios. Sumeragi looked at the battle, fully analysing the disadvantages of her forces.
'We're being over run fast; we need to figure out some kind of escape strategy. But I cant figure out a distraction tactic without involving sacrificing one of the Gundams," Sumeragi grit her teeth together as the ship shook from missile fire.
Several Kratos's fired missile launchers on their shoulders, hitting the side of the Ptolemaios.
"We're taking heavy damage, hull integrity at thirty percent," Litchy said.
"More heat sources incoming," Chris said.
"Message over the email system ma'am, its flagged as unknown sender…"Feldt hesitated for a moment and Sumeragi turned to her. "It's a…smiley face ma'am, with only one eye!"
"One eye," Sumeragi muttered.
"Heart source approaching us from above ma'am," Chris said.
"We also have another message, a set of coordinates," Feldt said.
The Meisters looked at the incoming machine. It was a heavily customised Flag, the flight pack was bigger, allowing for greater speed, it had a massive sword blade attached to its rifle and a red mark was painted across its face shield, mimicking the appearance of an eye. The Flag fired a flurry of missiles, which flew towards the Kratos's.
"As if we can't intercept simple missiles," the squad leader huffed.
The Kratos mobile suits fired their Vulcans and beam rifles, hitting the missiles in mid-flight. But much to the shock of the pilots, the intercepted missiles exploded and released a mist like substance. One of the Kratos pilots fired his beam rifle and gasped as the beam dispersed.
"Damn it, our beams weapons are useless," he cursed.
He widened his eyes and screamed as a blade cleaved through the cockpit of his suit. The Flag changed to mobile suit mode and cut two more Kratos's apart before stopping at the Meisters Gundams.
"Yo!" the pilot said, his face appeared on the screen of every Celestial being machine.
"Sakon Date," Takuya growled.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Fon asked.
The Flag turned into jet form again and began firing rail rifle blasts, hitting the mobile suits that surrounded Celestial being's ship. Sakon let out a laugh as he turned into mobile suit mode and fired a beam from his rail rifle, swinging it in an arc like a sword and taking out three more Kratos's in the process.
"Fereshte is on board ma'am, no casualties," Joyce said.
"All right I'm releasing an all out retreat order to all forces, the mission is a failure," Sumeragi said.
"So what are you all waiting for bitches, get out of here," Sakon grinned as he flew alongside Kyrios and the Virtue.
The one eyed dragon released another torrent of missiles, covering the area again in energy disrupting particles. Sakon looked behind him and smirked, the Uragiri forces weren't pursuing them. He landed the Flag underneath the Ptolemaios, attached the suit to the ship with its built in magnets. Sakon put on his helmet as he opened the hatch and climbed out of his machine. He watched the Gundams dock with the ship one by one and waved his hands around, feeling the tingling sensation the GN particles gave.
"Too pleasant," he muttered as he slowly and silently floated into the hatch with the Gundams.
One by one the Gundam Meister's exited their machines and removed their helmets. Fon hung his helmet over his shoulder and grinned as he looked at Setsuna.
"Should have known that fighting style would have come from you," he commented.
"I saw knife styles like that in the Kurdish rebellion," Sakon said as he removed his helmet.
"You fought in Krugis?" Setsuna asked.
"I've fought all over the world, I was a mercenary you see," Sakon elaborated as he walked towards the Meisters.
"Hold it right there," Elizabeth pointed her gun at Sakon.
He stopped but didn't raise his hands.
"Put your hands over your head," Chall commanded, drawing her own pistol.
"Chall, your looking good, silver hair is the best," Sakon chuckled.
"I MEAN IT!" Chall yelled.
"What's going on here?"
Some of the Meisters turned to watch Sumeragi float into the hanger, followed by Ian and Joyce.
"Sumeragi Lee Noriega, this man is an enemy of Celestial Being," Chall said.
Christina, Feldt and Lichty watched the confrontation from one of the monitors. The three teens keenly observed the look of hatred on Chall's face as she played with the trigger. Sakon however seemed completely calm, but his smile slowly dropped as he looked in the direction of the camera. Lichty backed away from the screen, gasping slightly.
"H-he-he didn't see us did he?" he asked.
"No way he couldn't possibly know we're watching him," Chris said.
"I can hear you!"
"Lichty stop sitting on the speaker phone button!"
"Sorry Chris!"
Sakon didn't chuckle, he instead turned and began walking closer towards the Meisters.
"DON'T MOVE!" Chall yelled hysterically.
"Just hear me out, I'm not here to cause any harm!"
"That's exactly what you caused, you have the gall to come here after what you did, I trusted you…THEY TRUSTED YOU!"
"Elizabeth, Chall put your guns down, we have an arrangement with Sakon's employer," Sumeragi said.
"And mind telling us what this is all about?" Lockon asked.
"Sakon here is a mercenary," Chall said.
"We know that," Takuya said.
"What you didn't know was that a few years ago, when I was as young as Setsuna is now, Celestial Being was designing the Astrae and Plutone generation suits. This bastard was offered membership in the organisation when he left his mercenary company, he worked with us as a test pilot, he got to know us, he even became the best man for my closest friend's wedding,"
"If you'd call a secret ceremony on an asteroid base a wedding!"
"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Chall yelled.
Fon looked at Chall in confusion, she was completely different from the way she acted in Fereshte. Her hands trembled, tears trickled down her cheeks and she looked at Sakon with hysterical hatred. Elizabeth lowered her gun as Sumeragi floated to her side. They read Sakon's face for a reaction, but he remained indifferent.
"Ruido and Marlene, they trusted you, loved you like a brother, we gave you purpose and a new life away from the manipulations of profit seeking companies, but you threw it away the day you sabotaged the GN drives, resulting in that horrible disaster that got my best friends killed," Chall switched off the safety on her gun and aimed it at Sakon's heart.
Feldt widened her eyes slightly; her hands trembled as she touched her chest.
"Feldt, what's wrong?" Chris asked.
"N-nothing, everything's fine," Feldt put on a smile.
That got Christina's attention, Feldt almost never smiled. She turned back to the screen as Sakon opened his arms, as if welcoming all the hatred Chall had thrown at him.
"Why don't you just ask the question you've been eager to ask Chall?" Sakon asked.
"Why? Why? Why did you betray us? Who paid you damn it?"
"What makes you think I was paid, during that decade, beginning with Ulen Hibiki's project I had been sent into key places to sabotage operations, to manipulate the course of history," Sakon explained.
"If you weren't paid why did you do it?" Tieria asked.
"Ideals, I hadn't yet found a cause worth fighting for!"
"The eradication of war…"
"Though violent means Miss Kujo, what kind of world can be brought on when the people are left with no choice but to accept peace? Grand shows of force and mass blood shed doesn't inspire peace, it inspires hatred, fear, sorrow, I believed that the ideals of Celestial Being were wrong, your goal of taking over the world!"
"YOUR WRONG!" Setsuna yelled.
"Am I, tell me what would Celestial Being do if the fighting flames within the human heart couldn't be extinguished, strip people of their weapons and they will still hate each other, they'll throw stones, beat on each other with their bare hands…set laws and the hatred will still be there, bottled up until they are driven insane and take drastic action and as for making them understand one another how can machines do that?" Sakon asked.
"Our Gundams will change the world," Fon said.
"Indeed, but would that be a world, a peace worth accepting? There was a comic book I once read, my least favourite actually because of its ending, my two favourite characters and the two characters that were right were the most violent in the book, and the most supposedly civilised, 'heroic' characters were frauds, pathetic frauds that turned to drastic measures, one of those characters created a disaster that resulted in the deaths of thousands and he united the world for it and inevitably, his company was the one that could repair that world, so in a war he became ruler of it. For one man to so arrogantly believe that they alone can change the world, to guide it down its proper path that is the absolute evil and those who do not stand up to stop them are even worse…some might say that those who choose not to fight aren't wrong but when its happened right in front of them and they have a chance to make right the wrong committed then they should make the choice no one else is willing to make, the right one, my question is who controls Celestial Being? Who watches them? A face, a name, an ideal? Ideals are like the seasons, they change, evolve even…I learnt that if the ideal is worth following it can be passed onto others, what's your ideal peaceful world?" Sakon asked.
"A world where everyone understands one another," Takuya said.
"We can't understand each other," Setsuna sighed.
"Of course we can, if we all work together we can change!"
"We have to reform, we have to change," the meister of Exia muttered.
"Indeed, but I think we've had enough talk of higher causes for one day, I'd love to stay and chat but I have an appointment to keep, a war in Orb to attend," Sakon said.
"War, Orb is going to war?" Zen asked.
"The situation on Earth has gotten too out of hand, you Celestial Being people should lay low until the big spectacular final battle for all humanity…"
BANG!
The Meisters looked at Chall with wide eyes. The barrel of her gun was smoking. Sakon looked at his cheek, a small cut ran across it from where the bullet brushed past him. He looked at Chall with a regretful expression across his face.
"Maybe in another life Chall, but it just wasn't for me, I thought I was preventing great tragedies from occurring, alls I was doing was adding to the tragedy and creating more hatred it seems, I was just getting played…by an organisation like yours, arrogant to believe that their way was the only one, they asked me to take a child from Mendel, they turned that child into their figure head leader…they are the ones that you need to focus on, but not right now, for now just promise you'll survive…the world after this war depends on it."
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL US WHAT TO DO!" Chall yelled.
"With the war having escalated so far, its only natural that you should want to lay low until it blows over, trust me when I tell you Celestial Being will be much better suited for the battles that'll come after the way, in deep space," Sakon explained.
"We should converse Veda first," Tieria said.
"You do that, but at some point you're going to have to make decisions for yourselves…anyway catch you later, I've got to get back to Orb to help them get ready!"
"Sakon," Chall said.
"Yeah!"
"They had a daughter, she survived the sabotage, you live to look her in the eyes and tell her your sorry, her parents last words to me are mine to you Sakon…you must live," the white haired woman growled.
"HA! So you can shoot me yourself?" he turned to her with a grin.
"No, so I can hit you, a lot!"
Sakon let out a laugh as he put his helmet on.
"Good luck you guys, for now just survive!"
The one eyed mercenary slowly returned to his mobile suit. He pressed a button on his console bringing up an image of himself, though younger, he stood with his arm over the shoulder of a red haired man, standing with them was a much younger Chall with natural brown hair and a beautiful blonde haired woman holding a baby.
"Live huh, maybe I've lived too long, done too much," he sighed as he activated his machine. "I'm no Rorschach, I'm not even a Comedian, I'm a freaking Nightowl, a damn coward whom let it all happen!"
"You must live!"
Sakon looked around as he flew the Flag away from Celestial Being. He didn't see anyone but he felt as if someone was watching him.
While the members of Celestial Being began to plan for their future, the leader of Uragiri, named after the organisation itself watched the construction of her personal mobile suit. Next to her stood Alejandro and Ribbons.
"You take care of the main Earth forces, and I'll take care of Celestial being, those slaves of Schenberg's will," Alejandro said.
"Of course, but in the end I will be the one in charge Alejandro, it is my purpose to rule, my destiny even," Uragiri laughed as ran her hand through her hair.
Her phone suddenly rang and the would be despot put it on speakerphone.
"General Legacy, the operation was a success I hope," she said.
"Of course," the synthesized voice of Legacy echoed through the room.
The masked man stood in a darkened room, holding the phone to his mouthpiece.
"Good, how was the Wraith, will it be ready for battle?" Uragiri asked.
"The Wraith is a magnificent machine, you have no idea how powerful it can become, but its still not enough more is needed!" he explained.
"Yes well you can pursue your theory after our plans for the Earth are done," she said dismissively.
"I am done Uragiri, finished with you!"
Uragiri grit her teeth together in anger as Alejandro looked at her in confusion. Ribbons however remained remarkably calm.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I am leaving the organisation and taking those loyal with me, those you manufactured to be loyal to you will be loyal to me from this point onwards," Legacy explained.
"I still have the original organisation members, the true humans loyal to me, what makes you think your genetic rejects will even make a dent in a fight against my superior forces?" Uragiri smirked at the gall and arrogance Legacy showed.
"You are superior to my forces in only one aspect."
"And what is that?"
"You are better at dying," the masked man growled. "Don't try to find me, you wont succeed, focus on getting yourself killed at Jachin Due whilst I find the greatest power in the universe. I'm taking the spares with me as well!"
"You arrogant idiot, do you really think you alone can come into the very factory I now occupy and steal the Thrones?" Uragiri laughed.
"Uragiri…what made you think…that I was talking about the spare mobile suits?" Legacy asked.
Uragiri widened her eyes in horror as the line went dead. Legacy dropped the crushed remains of the phone, his only contact with Uragiri. He flipped the switch beside him, revealing a room filled with the dead bodies of those whom had tried to stop him. And beyond a glass wall was a hall filled with many glass tubes and inside those glass tubes were people, each row of tubes was a group of three.
"You are not a trinity, you are not even people, you are merely tools for my rise!"
Next Chapter 11: Recovery
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, next time Celestial Being plans for the future in the aftermath of the Purpose's destruction in Gundam Seed Purpose, but Alejandro still isn't finished with them.