A mobile suit which he had never seen before. The body was similar to that of the Duel but sleeker. He could see two large shapes on the back, wings, he figured. It had the typical 'V' shaped crest on its forehead that all Gundam's had. He was curious to see the true colours of the grey mobile suit before him. "A Gundam" was all Garret could manage to say.
"This is the HB-109G Paladin Gundam, your new machine" Erica spoke. Garret walked closer to the suit, he knew the eyes of his comrades were still staring at the grey figure.
"The Paladin Gundam… my machine…" Garret spoke. His fists clenched and he walked to the zip line hanging down from the open cockpit. He took hold and ascended, climbing through the hatch. He sat in the seat and closed the hatch before taking hold of the controls. He booted up the systems and the eyes of the Gundam shone green.
"Garret, can you hear me?" Erica spoke through the radio.
"Yes" Garret responded, getting a feel for the controls.
"If you don't mind, please take it outside for a test run" Erica instructed. Garret acknowledged the request and began moving the Paladin.
"It's far more responsive than the Duel" Garret pointed out, walking the Gundam outside into the open area of the facility. "Let's see your true colours" Garret spoke, flicking the switch labelled 'PS'. The grey of the Gundam instantly disappeared. The arms, legs and head of the Gundam turned dark blue and the torso turned black. The centrepiece of the Gundam's silver crest turned gold and the two wings on the back went silver. "Ok… this thing is officially the most awesome thing ever" Garret said. The Gundam's wings extended and the Paladin shot off into the air. "Holy crap this thing's fast" Garret exclaimed, swaying the suit from side to side with ease. He came to a quick stop and then turned back towards Morgenroete. When the Paladin landed, Erica came over the radio again.
"Could you please take it over to the Ceres? We'll have its equipment sent over later today" she spoke.
"Roger that. Please tell Victoria I'll see her back at the hospital" Garret responded. With that he took off into the air again, heading towards the Ceres. "This thing is nuclear powered so there's no way it'll run out of power anytime soon. The Paladin Gundam, with this I'll defeat the Tyranny and stop Purity's plans" Garret said. The blue and black Gundam landed in the Ceres' hangar and Garret almost laughed when all the mechanics came running over as soon as it was secured. He climbed out of the cockpit and heard Mister Farris yelling.
"Alright, none of you idiots touch it! We wait until Morgenroete gives us the specs on the thing before we do anything!" he yelled. Garret heard the disappointed groans coming from most of the mechanics and smiled. "So, this thing is yours huh Garret?" Farris asked.
"Yes, that's right. This is the HB-109G Paladin Gundam" Garret responded.
"I can tell just be looking, this thing is one hell of a machine" Farris spoke. "Nuclear powered?" he asked and Garret nodded. "Well, Purity is gonna be running scared when they see this thing. I'll keep the Duel ready to go just in case" Farris explained, patting Garret on the back.
"Thank you" Garret said before leaving the ship and heading back to the hospital. He spent over an hour telling Victoria about the Paladin and how amazing it was. All the female pilot could do was smile, realising just how much Garret loved his mobile suits. The next morning, Victoria returned to the Ceres and all of the pilots along with Captain Phillips gathered in the briefing room.
"First thing's first, welcome back Victoria. I know you won't be getting back in a mobile suit for a little while yet but it's good to have you back" Aston said with a smile. Everyone else nodded their agreement. "Now for our orders. We have reports from the PLANTs that Purity has established a small fleet that is returning to Earth. Our mission is to return to space and intercept this fleet with the help of a few ZAFT ships" Aston explained.
"Is that Archangel-class part of the fleet?" Marcel asked.
"The actual fighting strength of the Purity vessels is unknown. Unfortunately we are going in blind. All we know is that there are at least seven ships. It is a pretty good chance that a number of them will be carrying Gundams but again, their exact fighting strength is unknown" Richard spoke. He bought up an image on the screen with various blips on it. "We will be the only ship attacking the fleet head on, we will be supported by three Nazca-class ships which will attack from the rear once we launch our initial assault" he explained, motioning to each object as he mentioned it.
"That sounds rather straightforward. When do we leave?" Hilde asked, brushing the hair from her eyes.
"We'll be leaving at 1100 hours. All of you will be on standby in your mobile suits when we launch the ship since you will have to take off almost immediately after we get back into space" Aston explained. "Make sure to recalibrate your suits for space combat. That is all" the Commander continued before leaving the room with Captain Phillips.
"I guess we should probably get to our suits now then" Marcel said, looking at his watch. He and Garret got up and left the briefing room with Hilde and Victoria close behind.
"Don't worry, I'll shoot down twice as many for you" Hilde said to Victoria with a smile.
"Thanks Hilde" Victoria said with a small laugh. Garret, Marcel and Hilde all changed into their flight suits before heading into the hangar and climbing into their Gundams. Victoria climbed onto the open hatch of the Paladin and watched Garret work. "So what weapons does this thing have?" she asked.
"Let's have a look" Garret said, typing on the keyboard. "Two beam SMGs, hand grapples, CIWS and two Moralltach Valiant Swords" Garret listed.
"What the heck are Moralltach Valiant Swords?" Victoria asked.
"It looks like they're physical swords where the blades open and there is a Valiant cannon in the hilt. That's actually pretty cool, it's both a sword and a gun" Garret explained.
"Are you going to be alright out there? I mean this will be the first time you've really used this suit and it sounds like it will be pretty heavy fighting out there" Victoria asked, the worry clear in her voice.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Garret said with a smile. "I promise I'll be coming back in one piece" he added. The ship launched off Orb's mass driver on schedule and the pilots sat anxiously in their machines as the Ceres ascended into space. As Aston had predicted, the Purity fleet was already fairly close to Earth so the mobile suits had to launch immediately. Aston was first on the catapult and he quickly looked at what ships the Purity forces had.
"Four Agamemnon-class ships, three Laurasia-classes and one 250 metre-class. Eight in total. This is Aston Falcon, Sword Calamity, engage!" the crimson haired Commander called as he shot out onto the black battlefield. Hilde and Marcel quickly followed in the Saviour and Chaos, leaving Garret until last.
The Paladin Gundam was loaded onto the catapult and its weapons were loaded. The two swords being placed on the hips, the SMGs on the back of the waist and a shield on the left arm. "All systems green, everything looks good" Garret said, taking a deep breath. "Garret Kross in the Paladin Gundam, taking to the skies!" the blonde pilot called as his Gundam shot along the catapult. As soon as he left the ship, Garret extended the wings and turned on the phase shift. He looked ahead and saw Marcel already sending off his gunbarrels and Hilde flying through the enemies in her mobile armour form. Garret drew one of his Moralltachs with his right hand and quickly examined the weapon. "It's has the same Phase Cutter that my old GINN's sword used to have. I guess it needs it since it's a physical weapon" he noted.
He passed Aston with blinding speed and drove the point of his sword into an enemy ZAKU. The weapon tore clean through the torso and Garret continued onto the next enemy suit. He sliced through a Strike Dagger and then spun around, flicking a switch on his console. The blade of the sword opened outwards and slid back as a gun barrel appeared between the two halves. He aimed at a GOUF and pressed in the trigger on the underside of the hilt. He watched the yellow energy blast shoot from the barrel, between the two parts of the blade and then slam into the GOUF, destroying it. "Man this thing is awesome!" Garret cheered as he headed for the next enemy,
"I'm not going to be shown up by a lower ranked soldier" Aston said, taking out both of his boomerangs. He hurled them into the battle, letting them hit whatever target they found. As they returned he drew his right-hand sword and latched onto a nearby GINN with his left-hand rocket anchor. He pulled the mobile suit in and drove his sword through the GINN's cockpit before flinging it away with the anchor. The Calamity spread its arms and fired off its Scylla, taking out a number of Purity suits.
"Marcel, I'm gonna fly straight at that Agamemnon, cover me!" Hilde called as she flew past the Chaos.
"Roger that" Marcel spoke, deploying his gunbarrels. He made the two weapons spin around the centre of the Saviour's mobile armour form, firing off beams straight ahead. Marcel followed behind, taking out any suits at their sides with his beam rifle. Marcel stopped and returned his gunbarrels as Hilde transformed and destroyed the bridge of her targeted ship with her beam rifle. Marcel fired off a barrage of missiles into nearby Purity suits, creating a smokescreen. Both the Chaos and Saviour burst through the smoke in mobile armour form, Hilde shooting suits down with her cannons while Marcel grabbed closer suits with his claws and crushed them.
"Damn we make a good team" Hilde said. The ZAFT ships joined in the battle and the tides quickly turned against the Purity forces. Garret splayed the Paladin's left hand and fired the grapple cord from it. He wrapped it around a M1 Astray and flung the mobile suit into the open catapult of one of the Laurasia-class ships. He then opened his Moralltach and fired into the bridge. As the last of the Purity forces began retreating, Garret stopped the Paladin, wings outstretched as he watched.
"Nice flying out there Garret, that Gundam is amazing" Aston said, coming up level with the blue and black mobile suit.
"It handles like a dream; Orb sure knows how to build a good mobile suit" Garret spoke.
"The Cherubim is coming from nine o'clock, the Tyranny and a Verde Buster are with it!" Captain Phillips called to the Ceres' Gundams. The Saviour and Chaos joined the Paladin and Sword Calamity and watched the blue and silver Archangel-class ship approach.
"Hilde and I will attack the Verde Buster. Garret and Marcel, you two take the Tyranny" Aston instructed, readying his swords. The Cherubim arrived and within seconds the two Purity Gundams flew towards the Ceres pilots.
"Well now… what is that?" Xero asked, zooming in on the Paladin Gundam. "It must be a new model, I wonder if it belongs to that Duel pilot" he continued. "I don't particularly care what it is… it's not match for the Tyranny" Xero said with a smile, raising his beam rifle at the Paladin. The Sword Calamity and Saviour flew out to meet the Verde Buster and began fighting it.
"Allen! That's you in there isn't it?" Hilde called, pointing her beam rifle at the Buster.
"That voice… no, it can't be… Hilde?" Allen asked in response, his beam rifles aimed at both of his opponents. "It can't be, the Coordinators killed Hilde, how dare you try to trick me!" he roared, firing both guns at the Saviour. Hilde danced around the shots while Aston got in close. Allen boosted back and fired at the Sword Calamity.
"Allen, stop fighting, it is me!" Hilde called, blocking several shots from the Buster. "I joined these guys because Alastair tried to have me killed, he was just using us!" she continued. She saw the Verde Buster hesitate.
"That's a lie, if you are Hilde you'd never join the likes of ZAFT, and why would Lord Alastair try to have you killed?" Allen asked, firing his shoulder guns at Aston who unlike Hilde continued to attack. "Damn it, rack off!" Allen roared, quickly joining his rifles and firing a large beam at the Sword Calamity. Aston quickly ascended and then retreated back slightly.
"I don't think it's working Hilde, he seems to honestly think you're dead" the Commander spoke. Hilde sighed and gripped her controls tighter,
"Fine then" she said as she drew her beam sabre. She flew at the Verde Buster with Aston beside her. The two attacked with multiple fast sword attacks, causing the Buster to constantly retreat back. Hilde hurled her shield, slamming it into the head of the Buster. As the Gundam staggered she drew her second sabre and flew forwards. Aston fired off both of his rocket anchors and ensnared the Buster.
"Move dammit!" Allen roared, violently shaking the controls as Hilde approached. She raised both her sabres high and Allen closed his eyes, waiting for them to tear through his cockpit. The Saviour brought the sabres down on the Buster's shoulder joints, taking off its arms and leaving the Gundam defenceless. "What?" the Purity pilot spoke as Hilde opened her cockpit. He saw the red flight suit approaching him and he took out his gun. "Fine, I'll just kill that imposter and take her suit" he spoke, opening his own cockpit. He stepped onto the hatch, holding the inside of the cockpit with one hand and pointing his gun at the approaching pilot with his other.
"Allen" Hilde spoke as she touched down on the Buster's open hatch. She saw Allen's mouth open behind his visor, but the Purity pilot was at a loss for words. "It is really me. I swear to you that what I said before was true. You need to leave Purity before Alastair tries to have you killed as well" Hilde said, holding her old comrade's shoulder.
"But… you're supposed to be… what the hell is going on here?" Allen murmured, falling back towards his cockpit. "Why then? Why did Lord Alastair try to have you killed?" he asked, looking at the purple haired girl behind the visor.
"Because I hesitated. He wanted me killed because I began to realise how things really were so he figured my usefulness was at an end. That ZAFT pilot we held in Sydney was the one who saved me. He opened my eyes and now I am a pilot for Heaven's Blade, the anti-Purity group" Hilde explained. "Come with us Allen, I know they'll accept you on the Ceres" she continued.
"I… I want to. But I can't. I just can't fight alongside the Coordinators, not after what they did…" Allen spoke. "I'm sorry Hilde, but it's goodbye. Next time I will shoot you down" Allen spoke. He climbed into his cockpit and closed the hatch as the Heaven's Blade pilot jumped back and headed back towards the Saviour. "Cherubim, this is Allen. I've sustained heavy damage and am returning to the ship" he spoke as the Sword Calamity retracted its anchors. He engaged his thrusters and headed back to the Cherubim. "I'm sorry Hilde" he spoke as he flew away.