Chapter 3: The Shards of the Rose. The Lost Secret of Silver Millennium
Upon boarding the shuttle and escaping her captors, Allenby felt only the need to escape. Before, she did not understand as to why she left in such a hurry, but moments after she left, she understood everything.
As the shuttle doors closed, she quickly ran to the front of the shuttle and toward the cockpit. On her first glance, five people were seated inside, dressed in uniforms that almost made it look like there was going to be another war. "Kamen, you've got her! Now let's get the hell out of here." replied the pilot, whose youthfulness disguised the pilot's skill.
Kamen responded with a well deserved sigh of relief. "Ok, I think we may have lost them. If we keep going, we may be able to pass them from radar and be in the clear. Sylvia, you keep a watch out for anyone coming."
Allenby responded shortly thereafter. "Ok, I can understand the whole wedding scenario, but I want to know is what is going on, and why those people are after me. For starters, could you tell me who this group is?"
"Ok… right now, I cannot reveal much on the account that we are still being chased."
"What are you talking about? He just said that we were in the clear."
"Not entirely. As of this moment, there is no way that I can explain every detail. What I can tell you is this. As of this moment, there is something that you possess that they want. It is hard to explain right now, but it involves a lot more than anything you know about the myth of Selene and Endymion. I am talking about a power source that defies all known source of energy, and you are the sole possessor of it. Do not think that we have been alone in this mission. There are a lot more people in this world who are helping them, and there are a lot helping us, "The Ghost of the Moon Rabbit."
A shock came through her spine. "You were the ones who sent those e-mails and the picture?"
"Captain, we have three opposing ships coming as of this moment. Two are in back of us, and there are three in front. What is your command?" Silvia replied still holding on to the controls.
"We have to break their blockade. I'm heading to the back. Amy, Andrew, come with me. Allenby, stay behind. We cannot allow you to get hurt." The three left their seats as Kamen walked over and replaced his pole with a more practical weapon: a rocket launcher. Heading back to the door, he calls onto the co-pilot. "Sylvia, I need a check on whose coming."
"There are two shuttles coming in. There is one within your firing range. You should have a visual in about a few seconds."
"I got it." Targeting his sights on the oncoming shuttle, Kamen takes his time to aim the shot. "Come on… got it!" Firing his rocket, he successful hits the shuttles engines, knocking it out of the sky.
On the other side, two other rockets pass by, both hitting their targets. "Kamen, we got the targets, but I don't think we brought enough ammo for this."
Back on the cockpit, an alarm is heard inside the cockpit. "We have oncoming missiles arriving at our spot. What should we do?
"They must have fired before we shot them down. Perform evasive maneuvers and avoid contact at all costs."
Turning the entire shuttle around, Sylvia faces the missiles head on. "Firing countermeasures!" She quickly fires the onboard machine gun and releases the countermeasures, knocking the missiles out of the way.
On the other seat, the copilot starts to search for potential free spots. "Kamen, we have to hide out. If we don't, then…"
"Kyle, this is not the time to panic." said a desperate yet calm Kamen. "Now, there are no more ships in the area correct?"
"Almost. We have one more group of ships in our front, very easy to take out."
"Ok. Target their weak point and shoot them down."
"Done. Firing seekers." On board, two missile pods open, firing out a stream of missiles, the likes of which hit the blockade ahead of them.
"Kamen, we are out of danger. What are your orders?"
"Head to the northern edge of Japan. There, we should be able to hold out until everything subsides."
In a quick moment, the shuttle quickly escapes the blockade and glides out of the range of their chasers.
Hours after the shuttle left the wedding; it finally lands on a hidden shoreline at the northern section of Japan. Considered the area to be complete secure, Allenby was granted permission to disembark and walk outside, but as of this moment, she leaves feeling confused and lost. As night time arose on the shores of northern Japan, an exhausted Allenby sits near the shuttle feeling very confused, not because of what happened during the wedding, but as a result of what happened after. Her mind was currently in places that she was unsure of, and her body was feeling the same. From what she could figure out, someone was after her, but for what, and why?
Kamen walked over to her, carrying out some food that the shuttle had. "You seem to be hungry? You care for some? Silvia here makes some good Cantonese chicken."
Allenby said nothing, not really interested in food. Kamen sat beside her, trying to comfort her. "It is sad… I mean, I didn't mean to propel you out of there but… we had to… you were considered too important for them and… we want to help you."
"Kamen." She replied. "I… It's not that. It's… what is your organization anyway? Is it kind of like the Shuffle Alliance, or is it something else? I mean, I'm just a Gundam Pilot who just happened to be orphaned as a child. I have nothing to hide, for I don't have anything to hide, and even if I did… I just want to know why."
"Well… what we are… what we are sought out to do… that is who we are. The Ghost of the Moon Rabbit is a group of people who… are trying to uncover a secret; a secret that involves the moon and the myth of Selene and Endymion."
"Tell me, you said you knew something about Selene and Endymion… who are they?"
"…I figured that is what you wanted to know… correct?"
Allenby nodded.
"Well… from what we've been able to obtain, the myth of Selene and Endymion is a true myth, but… there has also been another story behind it."
"What do you mean?"
"It is about the moon kingdom. I've heard stories about this sacred place for years now, and I feel as if it has something to do with you…"
"I'm listening." Allenby sat comfortably in interest as he listed to his story.
"Ok… sometime in the past, long before we even took to the sky, there was some sort of a world on the moon. I know the idea seems farfetched, but then again, the Shuffle Alliance was also though to be only a myth. A long time ago, there was this colony of people living on a city called Silver Millennium. Now, from my knowledge of the area, this area contained an interesting source of energy. Commonly known as the Silver Imperial Crystal, it held the power of the cosmos on one solid crystal. The light and the dark, the sun and the moon, and the elemental forces were contained in one central source of power. However, a certain force wanted that power…"
"The story goes that the crystal was shattered so that those same forces could never be allowed to possess it, and as time passes, so did the knowledge of the civilization, for the opposing forces have already demolished the civilization long after they obtained it."
"Now I am about to explain why you are involved, Allenby." Kamen said, still seeing a patient and interested Allenby. "During the last years of the 20th century or around 80 years before Future Century, there were a group of ladies who possessed a fragment of the civilization. From our preliminary research, there were originally nine who possessed it, although there could have been twice as many who had it. Somehow, the spirits of the former citizens of the city were reincarnated as these people, and this is where we stand."
Kamen began to look out into the sky, noticing the moon in a first half phase. "You see, we found out that Selene and Endymion had a descendent. Before the city was destroyed, her spirit was transferred over to a young 14 year old. She has already since passed on, but it appeared that the spirit of her still lives… in you. For you see, for a long time, many opposing forces have been after this person in the 20th century all because this energy that she possesses that has time and time again defeated them. It would only be a matter of time before the powers were to be transferred again… to you Allenby."
She stepped back a bit and shook in disbelief. "Are you telling me that… I am this person?"
"…that is true. Our artists were able to locate a picture of her and… "
She stood up feeling a little appalled. "Hold on a second! I thought that this organization was based on the concept of finding the source of the energy. I saw that picture and you guys are just going to assume that just because my Gundam is exactly like that… girl, you are going to think that I the princess reincarnate? I think who ever is in charge of your organization should get some glasses, because your organization needs them.
Kamen stood up slowly and looked at her, feeling sympathy for her. "Allenby… I understand what you are saying… but think about it. Have not one of your questions in life have been who you are…? I… won't force you to believe what I am saying, but… keep that thought in mind. If you need anything, we'll be at the campsite, setting up for sleep."
Kamen left Allenby's side as he walked back to the campsite. Allenby stayed behind. It seemed that she wanted to absorb all the information that she knew today and try to come to a conclusion…
Kamen looked on and noticed the silent Allenby. He only wondered how she was feeling now, trying to absorb today's events. Amy went beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Kamen, you know… she was not like we expected… that woman…"
"Amy… I know… I don't know if she does want to find out the truth… I'm not sure she is ready yet."
The next morning, Allenby woke up to the toe tapping of Amy as she stood over her. "I've seen you have had a nice sleep, Miss Allenby."
"Ami, was it?"
"Amy, but close. Anyway, we are getting ready to take off."
"Where are we going?"
"We are heading back to your colony. Our purpose is done, and there are a lot of people wondering about you, so… come on, we have breakfast ready."
Allenby walked over to the campsite, where there was a group of seats, a small cooking grill where the food was, and the crewmembers and Kamen were waiting. From this viewpoint, Allenby got a good look at Kamen, who seemed to be just a young guy, skinny, and slightly aged by the look of his face. "I see that you have awoken. I hope that you slept well. Anyway, take a seat." Allenby sat down on one of the chairs. "Anyway, I guess with all the rush of things, I haven't introduced you to everyone."
"No. It's ok. I think I have figured everyone's names by now." She starts to look at the crewmembers and points to one of them. "You, I assume, are Amy."
"Yes." said the young woman, whose burgundy hair matched the chic glasses that she wore. "I could say that I am the medic here, but as you saw before, I am also good at aiming."
She then pointed at the pilot, whose dark skin enhanced the youth that she shown during the escape. "I am Sylvia. I've been able to get out of much worse situations than this." Beside her, the co-pilot spoke. "I'm Kyle. I'm kind of the new guy around here." Although he seemed a bit older than Allenby herself, there was a streak of immaturity that was shown in his speech. "I made the pancakes over there. Help yourself." Allenby grabbed a plate and took a few.
The final person was sitting next to her. "The name's Andrew. I'm the tech guy who was able to get you out of there from the start." From the look of it, he had a small Latin accent, and he seemed a bit bulky from the first impression.
"You guys seem ok." replied a calm Allenby. "But…"
"It's Ok." said Sylvia. "This is our job. We are just naturally like this: relaxed and calm. Enjoy the food."
Kamen took the floor as Allenby took a bite of the pancake. "Allenby, I want you to know that whatever decision you make from here in accepting what we have to say will solely be your own. Although we are an organization devoted to discovering the secret and protecting you, we are not the ones to show ourselves in the open. So…"
"I got it. Though… thanks for rescuing me."
"It was nothing." replied Andrew.
As soon as breakfast was over, everyone loaded on to the shuttle and departed from Japan, heading back toward Neo-Sweden and Allenby's home…
As Allenby arrives back on the colony, she becomes reunited with Gabriel and the rest of the Neo-Swedish military. However, so have the media. As soon as she gets out of the elevator and onto the streets, a flush of people went toward her and requested an interview. For the moment, she decided not to speak with the press, as she was taken by military escort upon arrival back to her home…
It was about a week later, and Allenby has settled back into her usual daily routine. Although there were no reports back from "The Ghost of the Moon Rabbit.", she was not really concerned with that for the moment. It was more of trying to avoid the media, which was trying to find out the information as to what happened during the wedding.
This morning was a bit different. As Allenby opened the door, two military police officers were at the door. "Are you Miss Allenby?"
"Yes." She replied.
"We have orders for you to return to the base. Would you please come with us?"
"Could you give me a few minutes to freshen up?"
"Ok, but judging the situation, we hope that you are well rested, because I think this maybe a while."
Upon Allenby's arrival, she was quickly guided to an interrogation room. When asked about why she was here, the reasons were primary for discussion as to the whereabouts of what happened after the wedding. Among the people there were Gabriel, and Dr. Holman, who took command of the Berserker system after Dr. Behluima's involvement with the Gundam Finals, which resulted in a temporary leave of absence.
"Allenby, I am aware that you were recently captured by the enemy. We have done our research as to the mystery of the events of what happened. Now we would like to speak to you on what you have to report."
"O.K." And so, Allenby began to explain the situation as to the events of what she experienced; from the capture right up to the story behind the moon kingdom. The head officials were not entirely pleased. "Is this all the information that you have?"
"Yes." She replied.
"I see. This Kamen fellow, did you get any other information about his manners and speech?"
"Although he seems to be a mysterious person, he seems pretty nice, but I have no visual references… other than an eye mask that he had… and… he was wearing a tux…" Some part of Allenby wanted to hide that information, because throughout the entire week, she thought that maybe Kamen was right.
"As to the where they were going to proceed, do you have info on that?" The commander replied.
"No." She replied.
"As per evaluating this, we cannot deny the fact that you are in considerable danger. From this we have made our decision. Pending a complete investigation, you are hereby placed under house arrest and are confined to your home and the military base."
Moments later, a loud siren began to wail in the background. "Attention all forces, we are under attack from an unidentified force. All units scrabble and defend the base."
"Allenby, we cannot allow you to proceed with this. More likely this force is trying to capture you. You are ordered to stay here as we address this." replied the commander. Counteracting the order would have been futile, so she kept quiet.
Outside, around a dozen mechs have descended on the base. There were no specific details on the mech except for their generic humanoid shape and design. However, they were each loaded with enough ammunition to level the entire base. At the same time, the military has already boarded in and is trying to stop it.
However, the key deployment of the units allowed them to target the weak points on the base, weakening the overall response time of the army's defense.
Back at the meeting room, Allenby could not stand and wait for them to destroy the base. "Commander, they want me, and it is completely possible that I could very well destroy them with my Gundam alone. I am asking that you overturn this decision and allow me to fight."
"Overruled! Has it not come to pass that you are in danger. I am not going to allow this."
"But Commander…"
"Allenby, listen. Do you not remember what happened during the Gundam Fights? What if they were to do something like that?"
"Well if we do not have a base? Then what is the point?"
"Allenby…"
"Make your decision. It's either me or the base."
After a time, the members agreed with her. "O.K. But be careful."
Quickly, Allenby followed Gabriel and Dr. Holman to the hangar, where her Gundam was waiting…
Back outside, what began with a dozen mechs have grown into twice that amount. As soon as Allenby departed from the hangar, she could already see the destruction as piles of scrap metal carpeted the ground and small buildings were collapsing on their own weight.
On the screen, Dr. Holman appears. "Allenby, I'm sorry to report that we were doing some repair on the Berserker system and we are unable to attach it."
"Thanks." said a relived Allenby.
"I know how you feel, but what if…?"
"No. I don't need that thing anyway! Let me handle this, Ok?"
"All right?"
Allenby quickly launched into the battlefield already at a disadvantage. With only two fixed turrets still working and a group of vehicles scattered all around the base, she had to act fast.
Quickly, she charged right into the first two mechs in front with her Vulcan guns, tearing up their heads and disabling them quickly. Turning around the hangar, she notices three mechs on her right side. Taking out her beam hoop, she quickly takes down all three in one throw.
Checking on her radar, she notices two oncoming mechs attempting to take out a turret behind her. Stepping back, she fires the Vulcan guns and incapacitates them. As she proceeds, a wing formation of three mechs approach her from behind. Turning around, she launches out the beam ribbon and knocks out the center mech. As she follows, the two side mechs proceed to fire their rockets on her. Running as fast as she can, she manages to miss a couple of the missiles while redirecting some to the opposing mechs, damaging them to the point of destruction.
"Allenby, we are close to retaking the base." Dr. Holman said on the intercom. "Their forces appear to be retreating."
"I told you I didn't need that system. Who was right? I have nobody coming except… what the…?"
In a surprise maneuver, a mech falls from the sky and takes down Allenby. "Allenby Beardsley," he spoke in a demanding tone. "I am hereby ordered to terminate you, on behalf of Shattered Crystal."
She arose from the ground and opened her link to him. "Who are you?"
"I am an executioner sent by my superiors to terminate you. It does not matter who I am or why I am doing this. It is only because it is my duty."
As Allenby obtained a better view of the mech, she realized that it was completely different from the rest of them. Attached to each arm were two glowing cutting beams, not to mention that the entire mech was completely painted in a black shade.
Charging once again, Allenby could not avoid the attacks from this unknown pilot. Attempting to block his attacks, she tried to hold him back by firing her Vulcan guns, but the assassin only needed to raise his arm to block the bullets.
Retreating back to a building, Allenby tries to get a link to the pilot. "Who are you? I don't know what is going on."
"You still wish to know your executioner's name. You are something. Well then, if you must know… They call me Onyx Nightshade."
"What are you, into gems?"
"No… but at least that is what you shall seen when you breath your last."
Jumping above, the Gundam quickly descends on Allenby and strikes again with a grappling hook. Allenby quickly jumps out, but is caught by the hook and thrown back into the ground. Slowly Onyx walked toward her.
"Tell me something… I am a man who honors the free spirit of someone like you… yet you cannot understand why we are sent to kill you? Do you want to know?"
"Do you know?"
"I don't think you need to know! I am here to follow orders so that you can never be a threat to Shattered Crystal!" Onyx quickly extended his arm and aimed his fist toward her Gundam head. She was quickly able to jump out of the way as the arm narrowly missed her.
Jumping to his back side, she takes out her ribbon and manages to restrain both his arms as the mech is entangled by the ribbon. The restraint only lasts for five seconds as Onyx gets out easily. Turning around, Onyx launches two grappling hooks and connects with Allenby, throwing her to an unused watch tower.
"Allenby, give it up. I shall defeat you… you are practically defenseless. I can defeat you no matter what you do."
"Are you sure?" Ripping the two hooks out of her Gundam, Allenby storms toward Onyx and lands her fist into his chest. Onyx quickly grabs her loose arm and throws her down. Running in once again, he takes her arm and attempts to rip it out of the mech. "You are an interesting fighter. It seems that I am having a hard time to defeat you after all. But still I shall succeed!"
"I… don't… think… so…" Using her leg to push him back, Allenby takes the offensive and starts to land her attacks. However, a strange glow began to engulf her. As if it could not physically happen, Allenby's Gundam started to turn to a shade of red, her emotional state from excited to explosive, and her mental state from stable to unpredictable. It would have been the result of the Berserker System, were it actually installed.
"Dr. Holman, what is going on? Are you sure that you completely removed the Berserker system?" Gabriel told him.
"I am dead sure. I even have the parts required in my hand." He shows Gabriel the actual parts for the Berserker system: chips, parts and all. "We completely extracted them for an update. I swear."
Pushing her effort to the absolute limit, she tears at Onyx's armor, striking away at the mech and causing the entire mech to collapse under its own weight. Allenby, exhausted and wounded, collapsed as well.
Immediately, the medical crews proceed to the two mechs and extracted the two people. However, the only thing that was in the minds of everyone was how did Allenby, removed from any trace of the Berserker system, go berserk?
Away from the chaos, Kamen and the rest of the crew watches from afar as they notice the chaos unfold. "I guess our work is going to be a lot harder than we though."
Whew, I am glad I got this third chapter up… now… for some explanations…
(All of a sudden, Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury) walks in.)
Vincent – What are you doing here?
Ami –Well… for one thing, I though I'd visit… that and you owe me a lot of explanations!
Vincent – Like?
Ami – Reason for using my likeness, as well as Andrew?
Vincent – Didn't you read that letter in the very beginning of the story? I said I was going to include references but I was not going to include you. Do you have burgundy hair?
Ami – No, but I am studying to be a doctor…
Vincent – Ok… anything else?
Ami – What about the information pertaining to the Moon Kingdom, and that guy named Onyx Nightshade?
Vincent – So I figured I'd use the plotline from the first season. It was useful. I am going to work on it later though. And about Onyx… that was my own idea.
Ami – One last thing…
Vincent – That part with the two doctors; now that I am not sure. I placed Dr. Behluima on temporary leave, but to be honest, I am not sure, nor do I remember if he survived his encounter with Wong.
Now… I've been thinking of doing something a bit different. In an alternate universe storyline, I've been thinking of doing a Gundam Fight with the Sailor Senshi and the Shuffle Alliance competing to see who is better. (With the Senshi having mechs obviously) If anyone thinks this is a good or bad idea, go ahead and contact me.
Ami – It's been done with the GW boys.
Vincent – Really? I'll have to go check that out…
A/N: Yes, it is true, I am writing a story, and no, I am not sure if someone else did a similar story with the GW boys and the Senshi. But if you think this is a good or bad idea, tell me. I shall release the prequel depending on the response.
