A/N: We're getting close to the end of the story, but first one more battle must happen first along with some more character development that I got inspiration for from CDA. Thank you to those who have been reading the chapters. I may not have seen reviews from the previous chapters, but the number of hits I see they have been getting has been encouraging so thank you :)
Chapter 54
We're the same
Two hours passed as Haman and Nicholas continued their chess game with neither one close to besting the other with Nicholas having lost four pawns, a rook and a bishop while Haman lost three pawns, a knight and her a rook so far. So far the game has been locked into a stalemate for over an hour because Nicholas and Haman were spending too much time trying to calculate and figure out the best possible move to make.
Currently it was now Haman's turn after Nicholas relocated one of his knights to a better position on the board, but to break the silence Nicholas decided to speak.
"You said that I should be proud to be an ultimate coordinator, but I am curious what kind of opinion do you hold for yourself as a formidable Newtype." Nicholas asked as he was following his instincts hoping he could get something from Haman. "I mean how did you feel when you discovered that you were different from the average person?"
"What are you trying to get at?"
"For most of my life I was unaware of the genetic modifications done to me until one day when I was staying with a friend of my mother and father who had offered to look after me as her own child to protect me from Blue Cosmos. I was seven years old when I was called a Patchworker child and a abomination by my foster parent who had found out that I was a coordinator, but as young as I was I didn't understand what it meant at the time. Before I realized I was shot in my left leg, mid-section, my right shoulder and my left arm just above the elbow…I was just lucky the man who shot me had a terrible aim with a handgun otherwise I wouldn't be here today."
Haman didn't say a word as she moved her pawn forward one square.
"I also would have died if my foster mother hadn't used her own body to shield me from the other gunshots he fired, but that only ended up sending us out the window and following several stories into a trash bin below which combined with my foster mother's body broke my fall. She died and I lived because of her sacrifice."
Those words caused something to stir within Haman as the woman recalled a distant memory form an incident that happened on her sixteen birthday. Her father had finally found some time from her work to spend time with her and her young sister. To celebrate her father was going to meet them at a new restaurant that had opened. Captain Char was going to be a little late since he was delayed at the mobile suit hangers while her father was going to meet with her daughters at the restaurant after taking care of the task to acquire reservations.
Her friend Lieutenant Natalie was bringing them, but as they arrived and exited her car in front of the restaurant. Haman's younger sister cheerfully hoped out of the four-door car and hurried into the restaurant where her father was waiting. The nineteen year old blonde short haired woman with blue eyes was wearing a blue t-shirt with a white jacket and a matching white skirt. Haman was dressed in a blue strapless party dress with her two pig-tails braided and wrapped around on the sides of her head.
Before walking inside the two women exchanged words.
"Hey Natalie can I ask you a quick question?"
"Sure what is it Haman?"
"Do you think Captain Char is interested in me?"
"What do you mean? He is always concerned about your well being and he has been working with you to improve your newtype and piloting skills."
"I appreciate what he has been doing for me, but I want to know if you think if he likes me?" A bashful Haman asked.
"Oh I see" Natalie's face began to turn red as she wasn't sure how to answer that. "Well I am not sure to be honest, but I think Captain Char is one of those folks who have difficulties with people when he is off-duty."
"Difficulties?" A puzzled Haman asked.
"Well I'll explain after your party or you can always ask Captain Char."
"Ok!" Haman replied happily, but suddenly a sharp sting passed through her mind as her newtype abilities were alerting her that something was about to happen. Haman stopped as she was looking around trying to figure out what potential danger was nearby. Haman's expression of concern caught Natalie's eye as she saw a black four door car turn sharply from a corner as it barreled down the road. As it was about to pass the restaurant the window rolled down and a woman with long brown hair and green eyes poked her head out along with part of her arm.
"Monica!" Natalie mentioned as Haman recognized the name and the woman; Monica was a mobile suit pilot under Captain Enzo Bernini…a leading member of the war instigating faction at Axis.
Without warning Monica pulled a rocket launcher out and fired it at the restaurant. Without a moment to waste Natalie grabbed Haman and ran from the restaurant hoping to get away her away from the blast, but sadly there wasn't enough time as the rocket hit the restaurant just as Haman's little sister and her father were trying to flee. The explosion destroyed the establishment and killed everyone who had been inside while the explosion knocked Haman and Natalie to the ground.
Haman suffered minor scrapes and a few burses along with some first-degree burns with some light cuts on her limbs while her hair was scorched from the blast, but Natalie was a different story.
As Haman struggled to get back up after the explosion, but Natalie wasn't moving so Haman was pinned to the ground under the woman's weight.
"Natalie I am fine you can get off of me." Haman said as she nudged Natalie's head trying to get her attention, but when she pulled her hand away she discovered to her horror that her hand was now covered in blood…Natalie's blood. It was only after Char arrived a few minutes later with a detachment of soldiers and rescue teams from the base who moved the lifeless from of Lieutenant Natalie off of a screaming and crying Haman Karn as the young woman realized that her friend had died protecting her.
When the rocket hit the restaurant it not only sent the two women flying off their feet, but it sent a number of glass shards from the doors and windows flying out into the street. Three large pieces struck Natalie in the back while a fourth struck her in the back of the head killing her instantly. When Haman was freed she hurried over to the rescue teams as they were trying to find any other survivors, but Haman was devastated when she looked upon the broken and charred remains of her father and little sister when she forced open their body bags as rescue teams were pulling them out of the rubble. Char could do nothing, but watch Haman release a scream of terrible anguish and pain at her loss.
Afterwards when she recovered Haman and Char had Enzo and his men rounded up along with Monica before they were arrested for murder. It was only after Haman and the forces who had sworn their loyalty to her father after naming her their new leader fought off the hostile takeover by the rest of the warmongering faction and driving them off of Axis to the Maritain surface below that she punished Enzo and his followers.
It happened one night after two o'clock as Haman had Enzo, Monica and his right hand man Major Marco Baccio deposited in a small gray sterile room. Two soldiers had their guns trailed on the three criminals as Haman Karn emerged from the shadows with her new signature hairstyle since the explosion had singed most of her hair forcing her to restyle it. She was wearing her formal black dress uniform with her purple cape. She glared at the three prisoners before her with daggers in her eyes while she was holding a handgun in her hand.
"Haman what are you doing with us in the middle of the night?" Marco demanded. Haman glared at the man before shooting him in both knee caps with two quick shots. As the man was scrumming on the ground in pain Monica and Enzo began sweating as Haman returned her attention to them.
"Don't speak unless spoken to." Haman calmly pointed out. "Captain Enzo…you and your party have been found guilty on thirteen counts of murder in the first-degree along with treason for the murder of Admiral Maharaja Karn. I am going to pass sentence."
"What you can't do that! You know we must stand trial first before a" Monica began, but she was cut short as Haman shot Monica in the shoulder before shooting out her knee caps just as she did to Marco.
"You will be exiled from Axis beginning immediately…enjoy your journey."
"Wait Haman, please have mercy!" Enzo begged, but Haman shot out Enzo's knee caps and shot both of his shoulders.
"You didn't give my father and sister any mercy." Haman said before she and her two soldiers exited the room. Inside a control booth Haman removed a plastic covering revealing a red turn switch. As she looked into the observation port and saw her three prisoners screaming for help as they were in agony. Haman allowed five minutes to pass before she turned the switch causing the airlock to open. Enzo and his two associates were sucked out into space where they joined the other members of the warmongering faction Haman and her forces had captured.
It was only afterwards that Char arrived, although Haman was silent and didn't say a word to the Zeon officer as she walked away, but the traces of blood in the room where Enzo and his associates were and the number of dead corpses floating outside was enough of an indication what Haman had done. Ever since her father, best friend and younger sister were killed…Haman had changed completely.
Returning to the present Haman had zoned out for a moment as the memories came back to her.
The leader of Axis returned her focus to the game as she moved her bishop to take one of Nicholas's pawns. Nicholas further aided to his story.
"However after I was found by my real father he placed me in the care of the man who would teach me and train me to be the warrior I am now. For a few years my childhood no longer existed as I was trained and drilled daily in every form of combat my mentor knew from handing of small handguns to piloting mobile suits. Instead of getting gifts like toys or gifts commonly given to children my age I received a combat knife and a sub machine gun as birthday presents since both my father and my mentor knew that Blue Cosmos would never stop hunting me like a wild animal…to them I was a monster that had to be found and destroyed. Truth be told my parents never intended for me to become a coordinator, but the man responsible for the Ultimate Coordinator project altered me without consulting them about his real intentions after he lied to them about the require of the process using me as a guinea pig to further his own research."
Surprisingly Haman found herself going down memory lane again as she recalled the times when she had willing subjected herself to Newtype Research scientist. Originally they told her it wasn't going to be painful or anything of the sort, but in truth they lied to her and her father and placed a small ten-year old girl through difficult tests and painful trails trying to measure and argument her abilities. It ended when she refused to endure anymore, but she started again when she was thirteen before her father moved to Axis.
"Eventually after Blue Cosmos caught up to me while I was with my mother near Mendel I was sick of being hunted so I fought back using everything I learned from my mentor Heero Yuy before I took the Epyon into battle for the first time and destroyed an entire fleet of alliance ships with ease. After a confrontation between me and my mentor I left for the PLANTs where I was hoping to fight against the Alliance."
Haman showed no change in her expression leaving Nicholas wondering if anything he said had any effect on her while unknown to him his words stirred up something in Haman.
"On my way I came across a shuttle under attack by members of Blue Cosmos where I intervened and saved them. As it turned out the wife and son of Chairman Zala of the national defense committee were on board which pretty much caused the PLANTs to roll out the red carpet for me and I was welcomed as a hero. I was too young to join the newly established ZAFT military force, but I was cared for by my second mentor in politics with a few medical skills was Gilbert Dullindal, who I discovered was a student under Ulen Hibiki…it was from him I discovered the nature of the changes done to me while my military skills were refined by Rau Le Creuset and others."
Haman observed Nicholas making a move as he moved his bishop to take the Axis Leader's queen, but Haman countered by depriving Nicholas of his queen with her knight.
"After a few years that brings us up to now after with corporation from ZAFT organized a black ops unit which became the organization White Fang as it is today.
Haman didn't say a word or give any hint that anything Nicholas said affected her, but while the young man felt certain he failed to get something from Haman…little did he realized his words did effect Haman on a personal level, but she wasn't planning on showing it. A half-hour later the game ended with Haman capturing Nicholas's king with her last knight and bishop. Having won the chess game between them Nicholas shook Haman's hand in recognition of her victory after a long and tiring chess game.
"I guess I won and as per our arrangement I'll stop investigating your past, but" Nicholas said as he fell silent "I did learn one thing about you. We both have sharp minds…somehow I feel I have found an equal."
"It was a difficult game." Haman commented as she led Nicholas out of her room.
"It's too bad through you don't want to talk about yourself, I am curious about you Haman. Yet you seem to shut other people out of your life."
Haman didn't say another word as she closed the door in Nicholas's face…with a deep sigh Nicholas returned to his cabin to get some rest while Haman walked over to the chess board and opened up a hidden compartment on the side of the board pulling out a picture frame made out of sliver with a photograph of her father and little sister along with Natalie and Char standing together.
The young woman clutched the picture frame close to her heart as she held it before looking out the window at the stars.
"Even at times I considered myself a monster, but we are born alone and we die alone." A moment later Haman laid the picture frame on her desk face down before falling on her bed to rest, but before doing so she placed her king on its side on the chess board. As she fell asleep she muttered. "But, yet we're…the same." Haman fell asleep as she had considered and noticed the similarities between them.
A few days later the Gwadan arrived back at Axis as Haman and Nicholas disembarked from the ship to meet with the doctors on the mobile suit deck to see the newly completed test bed mobile suit the Tallgeese VI. Since their game Haman had not spoken to Nicholas, but remained quiet. Nicholas deiced to test pilot the Tallgeese VI for its initial performance evaluation after using an A.I. pilot to operate it to ensure the pilot's safety.
After donning his flight suit Nicholas was preparing to take the Tallgeese VI out for flight maneuvers.
"The Zero System aboard the Tallgeese will be different from anything you had experience with using aboard the Epyon so don't push yourself too hard." Doctor J advised.
"I'll be careful."
Nicholas climbed into the Tallgeese VI's cockpit as he brought the test type mobile suit online, but around the same time the fleet of ZAFT ships under Rau's command along with four Izumo-class battleships with the purple and orange-colored Izumo as the Orb's forces flagship with Rondo ready to lead his forces into battle against the Gwadan, but none of them were fully aware of the fighting capabilities of Axis.
Inside the cockpit of his new machine, Rau was having a video conference with Rondo discussing their plan of attack.
"Based on information from Scirocco we know their battle strength consists of the battleship sighted at Copernicus and six Nazca class ships White Fang took with them. Our forces along with our mobile suits including the mobile dolls forces I have brought along should be more than enough." Rau explained as he closed the visor on his white and purple colored elite flight suit.
"The modified Gold Frame will be able to handle whatever Peacecraft throws at us, but what about your new machine?"
"The Providence Gundam carries a new weapon system that I am certain will be difficult for a close-combat based mobile suit like the Epyon to handle." Rau answered darkly.
"I'll see you out on the battlefield." Rondo said as he ended communications while the Providence Gundam was moved onto the linear catapult.
"ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam you are clear for launch."
"Rau Le Creuset, Providence Gundam launching." The new ZGMF-X13A Gundam was launched from the Nazca class ship as it was heading straight Axis leading an army of Virgo II mobile doll units along with twenty GuAIZ mobile suits. Yzak was left behind back at the PLANT homeland where he was given command of the homeland defense force and where he is currently reorganizing the units under his command.
Rondo inside his Gold Frame was leading a group of 54 M1-M1A space-combat type Astray mobile suits along with his Socius series combat coordinators in their machines; one GAT-X133 Sword Calamity, a GAT-X255 Forbidden Blue, a GAT-333 Raider Full Spec and lastly the last two combat coordinators were using GAT-01D Long Daggers.
Around that time Nicholas was out in the Tallgeese VI taking it for a small joy ride around the debris belt to gage the maneuvering and propulsion capabilities of the Tallgeese VI. The test was going well until the young commander's senses felt a familiar presence approach.
"Rau…shit!" Nicholas muttered as he contacted Axis. "We got incoming scramble all mobile suits and prepare to deploy any battleships we have that are combat worthy." Nicholas said as he turned the Tallgeese VI and flew straight towards the enemy fleet. "I'll hold them off and buy everyone some time to deploy our forces."
"Commander Peacecraft, return and switch over to Epyon." Doctor J asked.
"No time they're almost upon us. The weapons on this thing are fully operational correction?"
"Yes they are combat worthy, but we haven't fully tested them." Professor G noted.
"Well today is a good time for a full-life combat…you can't ask for better testing conditions." Nicholas said with a cocky smile.
Back at Axis, inside the mobile suit hanger deck's control room…Doctor J coughed before muttering to himself.
"Damn cocky fool!"
"I'm heading out in the Qubeley…give the order to deploy our mobile suits and send out what ships we have to support them." Haman ordered as a solider saluted her before hurrying to her personal machine while Trowa, Puru, Heine, Shiho, Mikhail and Courtney were launching in their machines to assist with the defense of Axis.
Meanwhile as Axis and White Fang mobile suits and ships were mobilizing to engage the approaching attack force; Nicholas moved to engage the attack fleet as luck for have it…they hadn't detected him yet thanks to the debris, but Rau on the other hand sensed the young man's presence. On the plus side Rau didn't know he was coming in a DRAGOON unit armed mobile suit and Rau had no idea what kind of fighting strength Axis had.
"Rondo, take our men and go on ahead…I'll deal with the young Peacecraft myself." Rau said as he took his Providence Gundam and broke away from the battle formation heading to intercept the young man.
After passing by the wreckage of a Nelson class ship, Rau came under attack as Nicholas had deployed the beam units from his Tallgeese VI to attack the Providence. The Tallgeese emerged from the inside of the wrecked ship as it fired its beam rifle at the new Gundam.
"The ZGMF-X13A Providence…I didn't think they would field it so soon." Nicholas admitted.
"So the young man is in a different machine today." Rau commented as he evaded the rain of beam fire Nicholas was throwing at him.
"It's about time that you died Rau!" Nicholas shouted as the DRAGOON beam gun units swarmed around him before firing another barrage at the Providence Gundam. After narrowly evading the second barrage of beam fire, Rau deployed his own DRAGOON controlled beam guns to counterattack.
As their respective mobile suits dodged and rolled to evade the beam gun onslaught the two DRAGOON-system-equipped mobile suits were unleashing against the other with their remote guided weapons, the battle for Axis began as the Orb and ZAFT forces were surprised by the oppression they were up against.
"Impossible…how could the White Fang amass such a force?" Rondo admitted as he watched his own men engage the White Fang mobile suits while squads of MS-14A Gelgoog mobile suits accompanied by MS-09R Rick Dom armed with heavy bazookas and other long-range weapons providing the Gelgoog, MS-06 Zaku II and Gaza mobile suits.
Rondo couldn't believe what he was seeing as his men and the soldiers Rau had brought with them were starting to become quickly overwhelmed by the number of mobile suits defending Axis, but now the battle was taking a turn for the worse for them as the Nazca class battleships under Nicholas's command with the Gwadan leading a fleet of nine Musai Kai class battleships, six new Gwanban class battleships, and lastly eleven Endra class cruisers.
"Lord Sahaku we have lost mobile suits team 04 and 08 to the enemy" The pilot of the Sword Calamity warned as their men were badly outnumbered and outgunned.
"Where are the others clones?" Gina roared.
"The others are engaged in battle against ZAFT's former ace pilots." Four Socius answered as the alarms in his cockpit began sounding as the Qubeley was launching an attack upon the two men from above as Haman was heading straight at the two mobile suits deploying her mobile suit's bits.
Four Socius moved his mobile suit to intercept Haman Karn as she responded to drawing her two beam sabers from their compartments on her machine's arms anticipating melee combat. Four drew both anti-ship swords as the Qubeley locked horns with the Sword Calamity. Rondo activated the Gold Frame's Mirage Colloid and disappeared as his combat coordinator lackey fought against the Newtype.
The Qubeley using both of the beam sabers parried and deflected the Sword Calamity's strikes as it tried to overpower the white mobile suit, but the Qubeley was holding its own as it was pushing the Sword Calamity back breaking their momentary deadlock before Haman rushed the Sword Calamity swing one of her beam sabers at it.
Four fired his Gundam's multi-phase Scylla beam cannon at the white Axis mobile suit, but Haman ducked as the beam flew over the Qubeley's head barely singeing the top end of its long-pointed head. Suddenly Haman's bits opened fire on the Sword Calamity as it blasted its arms and its head off before four shorts struck and penetrated the cockpit.
During the battle, Rondo had positioned himself planning to attack Haman from behind by capturing her mobile suit, but the Qubeley's bits turned and fired on the Gold Frame nearly decapitating the machine.
"How did you?" A shocked Gina demanded.
"I sensed your presence…your cheap tricks won't work on an opponent like me."
Around the same time Mikhail Coast was fighting against Eleven Socius and Seven Socius in their Long Daggers with Shiho Hahnenfuss backing him up along with a few Zaku mobile suits providing them with cover.
"Shiho let us begin the procedure." Mikhail said as he drew out his "scalpel" (which was actually the heavy sword from his GINN high maneuver type).
"Uh yes sir." Shiho replied as Mikhail began surgery as he engaged one of his patients while Shiho in her CGUE DEEP Arms unit engaged the other Long Dagger. The Long Dagger Shiho was up against fired its missiles at her at close range, without enough time to evade the young woman pilot fired both of her directed thermal energy cannons at the missiles hoping to take them out.
Her tactic was successful as she successfully shot down the missiles and even managed to take off the left leg of the Long Dagger when Seven Socius tried to evade it.
Mikhail fought Eleven Socius as they exchanged melee strikes and blows one after the other until the combat coordinator aimed its shoulder mounted rail cannon and fired at the GINN High Maneuver Type trying to take its head off, but it missed its mark as the GINN head butted its force pushing the Long Dagger back.
Heine Westenfluss led a group of Zaku and Gaza mobile suits against the Mobile Dolls moving towards Axis inside his GuAIZ Experimental Firearms Type while Courtney was in a GuAIZ mobile suit with Hilda Harken, Mars Simeon and Herbert Von Reinhardt attacking in their Serpent mobile suits. Confronting them was the Forbidden Blue, the Raider Full Spec and the Mobile Dolls they were leading into battle.
The Serpent team led the Zaku and the Gaza mobile suits against the mobile dolls while Courtney and Heine charged the two mobile suits piloted by the other combat coordinator clones. Heine fired at the Raider Full Spec while the mobile suit transformed into its mobile armor mode and flew away to evade Heine's attacks while Courtney was left with the Forbidden Blue. Although built for undersea warfare, but some of its armaments were refitted for space combat while it possessed its Geschmeidig Panzer defense technology like its variant the Forbidden Gundam.
As the two ZAFT aces squared off against the two Socius Clones the Serpent trio led the charge as they assumed a unique formation with one behind the other in a straight line. With Mars providing defense with a heavy shield and a beam sub machine gun the trio began plowing through the mobile doll ranks while Herbert taking up the rear fired a heavy bazooka into the face and chest areas of the Mobile Dolls, but the shells that penetrated their planet defensors were not typical shells, but they were projectiles almost filled with Minovsky particles with a thick anti-beam coating tip warhead to ensure penetration of the energy field protecting the mobile dolls.
The shells exploded spreading Minovsky particles covering the head and the chest of the mobile doll with a thick coat of Minovsky particles. Even the most properly shielded mobile suit struck with a warhead would suffer serve electromagnetic surge. One of the drawbacks of the Minovsky particle bazooka shell was that it was fairly easy to evade and it was only designed to cover a small area with a dense blanket of Minovsky particles, but on the mobile dolls that either relied heavily on energy defense shields like the Virgo I and II units with their Planet Defensors or had no value for their existence it was the ideal weapon for mobile dolls.
Although the mobile dolls were still operational, but the density of the Minovsky particles covering them was causing a serious of electronic and circuitry failure as the mobile doll's onboard computers were short-circuiting as they began firing wildly into the direction the shell had hit them no longer able to tell the difference between friend and foe.
The mobile dolls were inadvertently firing upon their own fellow machines while the Gaza and Zaku units were evading any stray shots while moving into a better firing position. As the Serpent Trio moved and caused more chaos and confusion among the mobile dolls as their controllers aboard the Nazca class ships had at this point loss control over them, the Zaku and Gaza units encircled them and began firing their weapons into the ranks of confused and disoriented machines.
Elpeo Puru and Trowa in their machines moved in and delivered the final blow as the Rick Dom and the Heavyarms fired whatever weapons they had at this disposal to swiftly eradicate the mobile dolls while they continued to shoot at their own fellow pilotless machine.
"Hey your idea with those warhead shells worked." Elpeo commented as she used her bits to pick off a confused Virgo II.
"Mobile Dolls rely primary on their onboard computers and signals from their command ship to operate properly, but with the usefulness of the Minovsky particles on the battlefield I knew if they were hit with enough Minovsky particles of a high enough concentration it would wreak havoc with their computer systems and cut them off from the command ship. The Minovsky particle shell is the perfect weapon against mobile dolls. Even if their internal workings are protected...cover them with enough particles and it will still effect them." Trowa answered as he was pleased with how his countermeasures he devised to use against the mobile dolls were working out. The Heavyarms fired its weapons taking out three more Virgo II mobile dolls as they continued to helplessly shoot at one another.
Meanwhile as Haman was contemplating finishing off Gina or taking him prisoner for questioning, but her newtype senses alerted her to something coming by. In the distance she saw the Providence Gundam and the Tallgeese VI chasing one another while exchanging beam fire against the other with their hand-held beam weapons and the DRAGOON units they were controlling.
"Nicholas and" Haman was saying as she felt Rau Le Crescent inside the Providence Gundam. "The man I also felt at Mendel…this sensation." Haman called two Zaku units to capture the Gold Frame before heading off after the two machines with a bad feeling looming over her mind. She removed a plastic cover over a red switch linked to a system she had installed on her Qubeley on the way back from the Lunar City.
With an unshakable feeling that she would need it…Haman Karn activated the Zero System that had been recently installed on her mobile suit as she went after Nicholas and Rau to provide the Tallgeese IV with support.
At that moment Nicholas and Rau had joined the rest of their forces who were currently engaged in battle with one another as Rau saw that his forces as well as the mobile suits Orb had brought with them were fighting a losing battle. Both machines hasn't been able to get an edge over the other as Nicholas and Rau continued to exchange blow after blow with one another as Nicholas utilized the beam shields on his machine to defend himself while Rau used evasive maneuvers while blocking with the shield on his left arm.
Suddenly the balance of the battle began to tip as Nicholas felt the surge of someone dying as one of the pilots who was currently in his service was killed by an Orb mobile suit. Unexpectedly feeling the soldiers death had an effect on him as he grabbed his chest feeling as if he had felt the soldier's pain as he died…it came as a feeling of having your life ripped out of you. Realizing this was merely part of the development of his Newtype abilities Nicholas sought to draw Rau away from the battle before any more deaths of his fellow comrades could affect him.
Unfortunately Rau on the other hand felt what had happened with Nicholas and his sudden lack of movement with his mobile suit…although he was unable to explain it, but he finally found an Achilles heel he could use against the boy as he turned the DRAGOON units to fire on the Serpents and GuAIZ mobile suits piloted by men Nicholas knew.
"I see so you can feel the death of those you know, but tell me...how does this feel?"
Nicholas began screaming as feeling the sudden death of so many comrades and people he had made a point of knowing when they joined him was like he was having his limbs torn off from his body repeatedly and the enhancing effects of the Zero System and Psycoframe only made the pain even worse. After viciously murdering a number of Nicholas's men the young man passed out from the pain and anguish Rau put him through as the Tallgeese IV stopped moving lying dead in space as the DRAGOON units automatically returned to the machine.
"Your misfortune is my good fortune I may have failed to wipe out White Fang, but I am sure Patrick will feel better knowing I killed you." Rau said darkly as he was about to kill Nicholas Peacecraft, but his moment of triumph was ruined by Haman Karn's intervention as she made her presence known by attacking the Providence Gundam.
"Back away from him you despicable coward!" Haman shouted as she attacked Rau with her beam bits forcing Rau to fight back.
"The white mobile suit from Mendel…you pest!"
"I need Commander Peacecraft in good health so I will not allow you to kill him." Haman spat as she moved in with a beam saber drawn to cut the Providence Gundam down, but Rau blocked the weapon with his shield. Of course Haman had no wish to allow anyone else to best the young commander since it would damage her reputation and wound her pride even more.
"You foolish little girl!" Rau said as his DRAGOON units launched from his backpack to give him back up as the two pilots started going at it.
Meanwhile the Taurus arrived on the battlefield as it saw the Providence Gundam and the Qubeley going head to head. Inside the cockpit Noin was trying to make sense of what was happening, clearly a battle had broken out between Axis and ZAFT with their allies from Orb supporting them, but she was trying to find the Epyon.
"We better get to Axis…it's only a matter of time before we get caught up in this commotion. They don't know if we're friend or foe." Howard warned.
"You're fight we better start transmitting the code you provided my machine." Noin replied as they flew towards the Axis Asteroid.
Focusing back on Haman and Rau the two machines fought fiercely as both were evading the beam gun torrent their enemy unleashed while using Rau used the shield on his machine to deflect any shots he was unable to evade. Just like it was between Nicholas and Rau earlier the two machines were evenly matched thanks to their skilled pilots.
Not wishing for another deadlock Rau started taunting Haman.
"You pitiful woman…the Zero System in my machine has helped me figure you out Haman Karn. You are nothing more than a wreck a poor little girl who lost her mommy at an early age, became a willing subject in experiments. Then you lost your father, baby sister and best friend all in one day and on your sixteen birthday no doubt."
What Rau was saying struck Haman as she was shocked by how much he knew about her.
"Why struggle why continue living when you lost everything! You cling to a useless hope that when you have all of the power in the world you will never feel such pain again. Worse yet you lost a man who thought loved you, but held no real romantic feelings especially when this was the same man who killed two members of the Zabi Family! The same self-destructing family you want to see restored to power because you have NOTHING else to live for."
"How do you know about that?" Haman demanded.
"I am a newtype myself…a friend of mines told me so and thanks to him and the Zero System I can look inside and see whatever secrets you have buried in the dark recesses of your mind. Face it Haman Karn you have nothing and even if you were to gain all of the power in the world you would still have nothing. No one loves you and you love no one…no one would congratulate you on your accomplishment expect for the mindless masses you control…you'll die alone."
As Rau's words tore open old wounds Haman was beginning to slow down and the Zero System was losing its effect on her as she was wondering if it was better for her to end her own existence here and now.
"I win!" Rau noted with a wicked smile as he closed in for the kill while he was beginning to overpower the Qubeley as Haman lost two of her beam funnels. The Providence Gundam closed the distance between them as the Gundam's DRAGOON controlled gun units were quickly closing in before opening fire on their immobile target, but one of her pilots in a Gelgoog butted in using himself as a human shield to protect their leader.
The DRAGOON units fired destroying the Gelgoog enveloping the two machines in a large explosion, assuming he had destroyed his target, Rau recalled his DRAGOON units before flying away to track down Nicholas and to finish him off before he had a chance to recover. At the same time Haman was adrift in what appeared to be nebula-like space while she was still inside her mobile suit.
"Where I am…did I die?" Haman asked herself as she looked around.
"No exactly" A familiar voice said as someone Haman once knew appeared, she was dressed in the Zeon military uniform of a Lieutenant Junior Grade uniform with blonde hair and blue eyes. "But you were pretty close to it."
"Impossible, Natalie...that's impossible you're supposed to be"
"Dead…well I am as dead as you can get here, but you are standing on the edge of it right now and no friend of mine is going to get kicked around by some psychopath who can look into people's minds with his newtype abilities."
"But what value I am alive…that man was right I have nothing."
"Oh get a grip!" Natalie snapped as she grabbed Haman by the collar and slapped her eight times across the face. "What happened to that bad-ass attitude you had a few minutes ago. You are supposed to be the kind of woman who doesn't take that crap. Granted you became quite the ruthless and vicious young lady since we died, but if you allow your life to end like this I swear to god we'll torment you for all of eternity."
"We?"
"Haman I am disappointed at the callous woman you became when we died" A new voice said as her father Maharaja Karn appeared before her. "But given what happened, I suppose I couldn't blame you since if you and your younger sister had died I might have become the type of person you are now. But I believe you are not beyond redemption."
"Father if you are here then"
"Sister!" Haman Karn's little sister appeared as her ghostly form embraced her elder sister.
"Haman you have a responsibility to the people of Axis and to Mineva. Who would care for our people and Mineva if you lost your life now?" Maharaja asked.
"But why should I bother I am going to die alone eventfully no matter what I do."
"No you're not, but only if you allow yourself to die alone. You have no hope for people or the future Haman, but if don't like being alone then let people into your life. One man I noticed with you seems to have grown fond of you. He believes you can become more than what you are now if you simply open yourself up more. You said so yourself…you and he are the same. Your lives differ, but the experiences you both had are almost identical. You are both resourceful, cunning, determined and if I may say so you both have a complete disregard for rules." Maharaja said with a chuckle.
"You can change that if you try." Natalie said trying to encourage the young woman. "You are only sixteen you still have so much of your life ahead of you."
"Besides sister you are never alone…we're watching from sidelines supporting you."
"But Char ran away from me?"
"Haman, Char was never interested in a romantic relationship with you…it wasn't because of you per say, but rather it was the significant age difference and he only wanted to help you. Char considered you a close friend and he still does although he'll never admit it."
"You can't see us, but we have been watching over you and trying to protect you in what ways we can." Natalie answered.
"Now get back in there and defeat that psychopath before he fires the Genesis Alpha at Axis and takes the Earth out with it."
"But here…this will help you, think of it as our present that we never gave you on your birthday." Natalie said as Haman's little sister sunk her hand into Haman's head.
"Remember…your mother, we and those who care for you wish for you to live a fulfilling life and please promise that you will not die alone. What we gave you will aid you and our strength is with you."
"Now Haman, get back in there and kick his ass!" Natalie encouraged as Haman was speechless as she felt their feelings fill her with renewed resolve and purpose in life. She wasn't alone…she never was.
"Wait!" Haman said as they began to disappear while she reached out for them "don't leave me."
"We'll never leave you. You can't see or hear us, but we are watching and protecting you." Natalie said as the Qubeley emerged from the cloud of the explosion that had enveloped the Gelgoog. Haman had her eyes closed as she looked up and opened them. That was when Haman saw a lavender colored seed bounce off a pool of water before her eyes before exploding into a shower of light over her eyes as her pupils shrunk and her irises grew larger displaying the characteristics of a SEED mode.
Her expression was sad as a tear was rolling down her cheek, but when she felt Rau heading towards Nicholas her facial expression quickly changed and showed signs of being filled with unrelenting fury as the Qubeley sped off to challenge the Providence Gundam once again.
Meanwhile Noin was heading towards the Tallgeese IV after receiving word that her son was in that machine and they had lost contact from him after an unexpected event immobilized him. As she arrived her Taurus detected the approaching Providence Gundam as was getting ready to attack the defenseless mobile suit.
Noin boldly charged the Providence Gundam shooting at it with her beam rifle, but Rau deployed his DRAGOON controlled bits and quickly decapitated the Taurus. Noin was alive, but she was unable to stop Rau from killing her son.
"This time I'll finish you boy!" Rau shouted, but a charged buster rifle shot stopped the Providence Gundam in its tracks. Before Rau knew it his machine was tackled by Heero as he arrived on the scene in the Wing Zero.
"You are not going to touch my student. Today…you die Rau Le Creuset." Heero Yuy declared with a fierce determination in his voice.
"Will these interfaces ever stop?" Rau roared as he began attacking Heero with the DRAGOON units forcing the Wing Zero to back off, but the angelic mobile suit drew both of its beam sabers in response before charging at the Providence Gundam again.
"I'll get Noin and Nicholas to safety I'll leave you to take care of Rau." Char said as he arrived with Heero to pick up the disabled Taurus and the Tallgeese IV. The Testament Gundam appoached as it used its claw arm to grab hold of the Tallgeese while it used its other arm to grab the Taurus.
"Don't worry…by the time you come back Rau will be dead." Heero replied as he evaded the beam fire from the Providence Gundam's beam turrets and it's charged buster rifle shot that nearly claimed Wing Zero's right leg.
After those words Char left the area with Noin and Nicholas in tow as Heero was going one on one with Rau…hell-bent on killing the masked commander.
Meanwhile the Gold Frame managed to limp back to its Rau's ship before it could be captured. Once aboard Gina left the wrecked remains of the Gold Frame and hurrying to the ZGMF-X14A Gundam Rau had brought with them from the PLANTs…fresh off the assembly line. The Gundam stood about as tall as the Providence Gundam and it an odd thin-frame configuration.
Its legs were reserve jointed with beam blade emitters on the knees and fleet and including the arms and hands with beam guns on the shoulders and chest with a DRAGOON backpack armed with four large triangle-shaped DRAGOON controlled assault pods, one overlapping the other in a strange wing-like configuration with two beam cannons and micro-missiles tubes. Its head had a three pointed-crown on the front with a mono-eye sensor on the top of the chest.
As Rondo climbed into the cockpit a technician from below shouted "Hey get out of there, you are not supposed to be in there…that unit is for Commander Le Creuset!"
"We need this out on the battlefield now! Let me out or I'll destroy this ship." Rondo shouted as he was beginning to lose his composure. Rondo closed the cockpit as he began activating the Gundam unit brining the ZGMF-X14A Morpheus Gundam online. "Once I leave this ship I'll link up with its support unit and I'll crush that damned White Fang Organization myself."
As Rondo left the ship to link up with the support unit for the Morpheus Gundam, no one knew that behind the fleet was the Genesis Alpha concealed by its Mirage Colloid cloaking system waiting for Rau to activate it. It was currently aimed at Axis and the Earth behind it…only it needed was Rau's transmitted signal to fire.
Trowa and Puru were mopping up the last of the mobile dolls along with the other Axis mobile suits when they detected Heero and Rau passing by Axis heading for the main fleet.
"Heero?" Trowa said as he watched him chase the Providence Gundam pass the enemy fleet heading further out into the debris belt.
"Who?" Elpeo asked.
"Elpeo, can you manage?"
"Uh…yeah why?"
"I am going over to investigate the presence the Wing Zero, have the men finish mopping up the mobile dolls and prepare for a possible second attack."
"Yes sir." Elpeo replied cheerfully.
Trowa took off after the Wing Zero while The Providence Gundam was heading straight for a large object cloaked sitting a long distance away behind the enemy fleet.
"That's right Heero just a little further…once I am in range I can begin activation procedures. I'll destroy the Earth and the Earth Federation will destroy the PLANTs with nuclear missiles, or I can just use the Genesis Alpha to destroy them after I destroy the Earth, but first things first…I shouldn't too far ahead." Rau mused as he was intent on burning the Earth with the terrible superweapon with Axis in the weapon's line of fire.
Heero was tailing the Providence Gundam trying to close the distance between the two machines, but the Gundam pilot knew the deranged pilot was up to something. But someone else caught up to Rau first as he slammed into the Providence Gundam pushing it forward until the two machines unexpectedly slammed into an invisible hull.
"We're not done yet!" Haman hissed as she pushed Rau's machine against the invisible metal wall behind him.
"On the contrary my dear we're getting started." Rau replied darkly as a lightwave barrier went up around the area while the Mirage Colloid deactivated revealing the Genesis Alpha. Heero, Haman and Rau were trapped inside the lightwave barrier encasing the superweapon. "The end of the world is upon us…this will be a day of reckoning for everyone!" Rau shouted as he began laughing manically.
Haman and Heero were trapped within the Lightwave barrier surrounding the Genesis Alpha preventing them from escaping and anyone else from entering to help them. Worse yet a small platoon of GuAIZ mobile dolls emerged from inside Genesis as they began to converge on the two machines.
A/N: I know the ghost thing might seem a bit chessy and out of character, but I thought it would be something to do and as for Rondo he'll be back next chapter with the new Gundam built by the PLANTs and its going to take alot to bring him down. Haman and Heero are locked in a battle to the death against Rau and the Providence Gundam with the threat of the Earth's destruction.
